•HRES 1559 IH 
Whereas although its roots go back further, the religion 
began to spread rapidly in A.D. 622 when the Prophet 
Muhammad (may peace be upon him) began his travels 
from Mecca to Medina, the first day of which began the 
Islamic calendar; 
Whereas the Quran states that ‘‘the ink of the scholar is 
more holy than the blood of the martyr’’, leading to a 
focus on science, astronomy, chemistry, mathematics, 
medicine, and philosophy throughout Islamic culture; 
Whereas Islam is the second-largest and fastest growing reli-
gion of the world; 
Whereas it is estimated that there are approximately 
2,000,000,000 Muslims worldwide; 
Whereas there are approximately 3,500,000 Muslims in the 
United States, ranging from diverse ethnic and cultural 
backgrounds; 
Whereas American Muslims make significant contributions to 
the Nation’s economy, diversity, philanthropic efforts, 
medical and scientific research, civic engagement, and 
more; 
Whereas the first substantial population of Muslims in the 
United States were enslaved Africans, many of whom 
were forced to abandon their faith by slave owners; 
Whereas Islam is a monotheistic religion, and Allah (meaning 
God in Arabic) is the central deity; 
Whereas Islam teaches that Allah has 99 names, with each 
one representing His characteristics, such as The Mer-
ciful or The Provider; 
Whereas Islam is a complete system of strong moral convic-
tions that promotes peace, equality, and social justice; 
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•HRES 1559 IH 
Whereas Islam charges that governments should always be 
focused on equity, justice, and compassion; 
Whereas Islam teaches and upholds the equality of all people, 
regardless of race or social status, abolishing systems 
that are against it, including the caste system; 
Whereas the Quran speaks about tolerance between Muslims 
and non-Muslims; 
Whereas the fundamental Muslim practices are known as the 
Five Pillars of Islam; 
Whereas the five pillars are shahadah (declaration of faith), 
salat (prayer 5 times daily), zakat (give 2.5 percent of all 
earnings to charity), sawm (fasting in the month of 
Ramadan), and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Ara-
bia); 
Whereas the 5 daily prayers are designed to remove any bar-
riers between believers by encouraging praying in con-
gregations and help one refrain from committing sins; 
Whereas the obligatory charity is designed to purify a person 
from selfishness and encourages empathy to the poor; 
Whereas fasting in Ramadan promotes self-restraint and 
spiritual renewal for Muslims worldwide; 
Whereas the pilgrimage to Mecca serves as a unifying force 
in Islam by bringing followers of diverse backgrounds to-
gether in religious celebration; 
Whereas Islam explicitly teaches that there is no compulsion 
in religion, and one is free to practice or reject any reli-
gion; 
Whereas Muslims consider Islam to be a way of life; 
Whereas the major holidays that Muslims observe are Eid al- 
Fitr and Eid al-Adha, which are celebrated at the end of 
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•HRES 1559 IH 
the fasting month of Ramadan and on the 10th day of 
the final month of the Islamic lunar calendar, respec-
tively; 
Whereas Muslims follow the Islamic lunar calendar, also 
known as the Hijri calendar, wherein a new month is said 
to begin each time a new Moon is sighted; and 
Whereas carrying out these obligations provides the frame-
work of a Muslim’s life, and weaves their everyday activi-
ties and their beliefs into a single cloth of religious devo-
tion: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This resolution may be cited as the ‘‘Original Resolu-
tion Recognizing Islam as One of the Great Religions of 
the World’’. 
SEC. 2. RECOGNIZING ISLAM AS ONE OF THE GREAT RELI-
GIONS OF THE WORLD. 
To demonstrate solidarity with and support for mem-
bers of the community of Islam in the United States and 
throughout the world, the House of Representatives recog-
nizes the Islamic faith as one of the great religions of the 
world. 
Æ 
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