California

A regularly recurring issue in California politics is whether the state should continue to aggressively expand its freeway network or concentrate on improving mass transit networks in urban areas. The number of Muslims in North America is variously estimated as anywhere from 1.8 to 7 million, depending on which source is used. The rapidly growing population of the state is straining all of its transportation networks. There are also significant Muslim populations in China, Europe, Central Asia, and Russia. Both Greyhound and Amtrak provide intercity bus service. Adherents.com (http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html)); estimates of Islam by country based on US State Department figures yield a total of 1.48 billion, 22.82% of the world's population (see Islam by country.) Only 18% of Muslims live in the Arab world; a fifth is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, about 30% in the Indian subcontinental region of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh, and the world's largest single Muslim community (within the bounds of one nation) is in Indonesia. Nearly all counties operate bus lines, and many cities operate their own bus and light rail lines as well. Commonly cited estimates of the Muslim population today range between 900 million and 1.4 billion people (cf.

San Diego has Trolley light rail and Coaster commuter rail services. According to "The Almanac Book of Facts", the overall population increased 137% within the past decade, Christianity increased 46%, while Islam increased 235%. Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) connects Tracy, Livermore and other edge cities with Silicon Valley. This is mainly due to the higher birth rates in many Islamic countries while a high conversion rate is also a noted factor. Metrolink commuter rail serves much of Southern California, and Caltrain commuter rail connects San Jose to San Francisco. Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance (http://www.religioustolerance.org/isl_numb.htm) estimate that it is growing at about 2.9% annually, as opposed to 2.3% per year global population growth. San Jose and Sacramento have only light rail. Center for World Mission (http://www.religioustolerance.org/growth_isl_chr.htm), and the controversial Samuel Huntington, Islam is growing faster numerically than any of the other major world religions.

San Francisco and Los Angeles both have rapid rail/subway networks, in addition to light rail. According to the World Network of Religious Futurists (http://www.wnrf.org/news/trends.html), the U.S. Intercity rail travel is provided by Amtrak. Based on the percentages published in the 2003 CIA factbook, Islam is the second largest religion in the world. The Port of Oakland handles most of the ocean containers passing through Northern California. Proponents of modern Islamic philosophy sometimes respond to this by arguing that, as a practical matter, "fundamentalism" in popular discourse about Islam may actually refer, not to core precepts of the faith, but to various systems of cultural traditionalism. The giant seaport complex formed by the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach in Southern California is the largest in the country and responsible for handling about a fourth of all container cargo traffic in the United States. The claim that only "liberalisation" of the Islamic Shariah law can lead to distinguishing between tradition and true Islam is countered by many Muslims with the argument that any meaningful "fundamentalism" will, by definition, reject non-Islamic cultural inventions -- by, for instance, acknowledging and implementing Muhammad's insistence that women have God-given rights that no human being may legally infringe upon.

California also has several excellent seaports. See Modern Islamic philosophy for more on this subject. There are about a dozen important commercial airports and many more general aviation airports throughout the state's 58 counties. This movement does not aim to challenge the fundamentals of Islam; rather, it seeks to clear away misinterpretations and to free the way for the renewal of the previous status of the Islamic world as a center of modern thought and freedom. As for air travel, San Francisco International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport are major hubs for trans-Pacific and transcontinental traffic. One vehicle proposed for such a change has been the revival of the principle of ijtihad, or independent reasoning by a qualified Islamic scholar, which has lain dormant for centuries. only by New York City for severe traffic congestion. as proposed by advocates of the Islamization of knowledge, and would deal with the modern context.

Most Californians usually resort to the roads for their commutes, errands, and vacations, which is why California's cities have a reputation equalled in the U.S. This would require formulating a new fiqh suitable for the modern world, e.g. California's vast terrain is connected by an extensive system of freeways, expressways, and highways, all maintained by Caltrans and patrolled by the California Highway Patrol. Early shariah had a much more flexible character than is currently associated with Islamic jurisprudence, and many modern Muslim scholars believe that it should be renewed, and the classical jurists should lose their special status. One thing they all have in common is a state mandate to teach fourth grade students about the history of California, including the role of the early missions; most schools implement this by requiring students complete a multiple medium project. Although the most visible movement in Islam in recent times has been fundamentalist Islamism, there are a number of liberal movements within Islam which seek alternative ways to reconcile the Islamic faith with the modern world. In poor regions, literacy rates may fall below 70%. See also: Islam by country.

In some regions, administrative costs divert a significant amount of educational monies from instructional purposes. However, the relationship between the West and the Islamic world remains uneasy. The quality of the local schools depends strongly on the local tax base, and the size of the local administration. Islam and Islamic political power have revived in the 20th century. The primary schools are of varying effectiveness. Following WWI, the remnants of the Ottoman empire were parcelled out as European protectorates or spheres of influence. Mandatory full-time instruction begins at age 6. By the 19th century, these realms had fallen under the sway of European political and economic power.

Elementary schools teach pure skills, history and social studies, with optional half-day kindergartens beginning at age 5. In the 18th century there were three great Muslim empires: the Ottoman in Turkey, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean; the Safavid in Iran; and the Mogul in India. In many districts, junior high schools or middle schools teach electives with a strong skills-based curriculum, for ages from 11 to 13. Saladin however restored unity and defeated the Shiite Fatimids. They accept students from roughly age 14 to 18, with mandatory education ceasing at age 16. After the disastrous defeat of the Byzantines at the Battle of Manzikert in 1071, Christian Europe launched a series of Crusades and for a time captured Jerusalem. Secondary education consists of high schools that teach elective courses in trades, languages and liberal arts with tracks for gifted, college-bound and industrial arts students. Nonetheless, the later empires of the Abbasid caliphs and the Seljuk Turk were among the largest and most powerful in the world.

Near Los Angeles, there are numerous art and film institutes, including the prestigious Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the CalArts Institute. After this, there would always be rival dynasties claiming the caliphate, or leadership of the Muslim world, and many Islamic states or empires offering only token obedience to an increasingly powerless caliph. For example, Southern California, with one of the highest densities of post-secondary institutions in the world, has a very large base of classically trained vocalists that compete in large choir festivals. Within a century of his death, an Islamic state stretched from the Atlantic ocean in the west to central Asia in the east, which however was soon torn by Fitnas. This leads to many unique entertainment and educational opportunities for residents. Islamic history begins in Arabia in the 7th century with the emergence of the prophet Muhammad. California has hundreds of private colleges and universities, including many religious and special-purpose institutions. Main articles: History of Islam.

Preeminent private institutions include Stanford University, the University of Southern California (USC), and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) (which administers the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA). Conversely, some modern Muslim states are far less tolerant towards non-Muslims than they were during the Golden Age of Islam. The system serves a student population of over 2.9 million. Now most Christians embrace tolerance and freedom of religion -- as do most religions. It is composed of 109 colleges organized into 72 districts. As many have pointed out, the classic Islamic state, while deficient by modern standards, was more tolerant than the Christian states of the time, which insisted on complete comformity to a state religion. It also provides lower division general-education courses, whose credit units are transferable to the CSU and UC systems. They were second-class citizens, or dhimmis.

It awards certificates and associate degrees. In Islamic territories, they were not to bear arms or proselytize, and they were to pay the aforementioned special tax, the jizyah. The California Community Colleges system provides vocational education, remedial education, and continuing education programs. The classical Islamic solution was a limited tolerance -- Jews and Christians were to be allowed to privately practice their faith and follow their own family law. Lower-division course credits are frequently transferable to the University of California. Sura 9:29 commands Muslims to fight against Jews and Christians until they either submit to Allah or else agree to pay a special tax. It is intended to accept most college-bound high-school students, while carrying out some research, especially in applied sciences. Sura 5:51 commands Muslims not to take Jews and Christians as friends.

With over 400,000 students, the CSU system is the largest university system in the United States. Later passages of the Qur'an speak more disparaging of them. The California State University system provides education for teachers, the trades, agriculture and industry. Earlier passages of the Qur'an are more tolerant towards Jews and Christians. The University of California also administers federal laboratories for the Federal Department of Energy: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory. There are Quranic grounds for both attitudes. An eleventh campus, in Merced, is scheduled to open in 2005.[1] (http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/campuses/welcome.html) The UC system is intended to accept students from the top 12.5% of college-bound students, and provide most graduate studies and research. At different times and places, Islamic communities have been both intolerant and tolerant.

A tenth campus, in San Francisco, teaches only law. Some Muslims have respected Jews and Christians as fellow "peoples of the book" (monotheists following Abrahamic religions) and also have reviled them as having abandoned monotheism and corrupted their scriptures. A ninth campus, in San Francisco, teaches only graduate health-sciences students. The Qur'an contains both injunctions to respect other religions, and to fight and subdue unbelievers. The eight general campuses are in Berkeley, Los Angeles, Davis, Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, Irvine, Riverside, and San Diego. Main article: Islam and other religions. The preeminent state university is the 9-campus University of California, which employs more Nobel Prize winners than any other institution in the world and is considered one of the finest public higher-education systems in the country. The following religions might have been said to have evolved from Islam, but are not considered part of Islam, and no longer exist:.

California's educational system is supported by a unique constitutional amendment that requires 40% of state revenues to be spent on education. However, Sikhs are forbidden from practices such as eating ritually prepared meat (halal) that are central in Islam. Main article: List of colleges and universities in California. Sikhism also rejects image-worship and believes in one God, just like the Bhakti reform movement in Hinduism and also like Islam does. 1 Belvedere, California - Marin County - $113,595
2 Rancho Santa Fe, California - San Diego County - $113,132
3 Atherton, California - San Mateo County - $112,408
4 Rolling Hills, California - Los Angeles County - $111,031
5 Woodside, California - San Mateo County - $104,667
6 Portola Valley, California - San Mateo County - $99,621
7 Newport Coast, California - Orange County - $98,770
8 Hillsborough, California - San Mateo County - $98,643
9 Diablo, California - Contra Costa County - $95,419
10 Fairbanks Ranch, California - San Diego County - $94,150
11 Hidden Hills, California - Los Angeles County - $94,096
12 Los Altos Hills, California - Santa Clara County - $92,840
13 Tiburon, California - Marin County - $85,966
14 Sausalito, California - Marin County - $81,040
15 Monte Sereno, California - Santa Clara County - $76,577
16 Indian Wells, California - Riverside County $76,187
17 Malibu, California - Los Angeles County - $74,336
18 Del Monte Forest, California - Monterey County - $70,609
19 Piedmont, California - Alameda County - $70,539
20 Montecito, California - Santa Barbara County - $70,077
21 Palos Verdes Estates, California - Los Angeles County - $69,040
22 Emerald Lake Hills, California - San Mateo County - $68,966
23 Loyola, California - Santa Clara County - $68,730
24 Blackhawk-Camino Tassajara, California - Contra Costa County - $66,972
25 Los Altos, California - Santa Clara County - $66,776
See complete list of California places. The philosophical basis of the Sikhs is deeply-rooted in Hindu metaphysics and certain philosophical practices. The following list is ranked by per capita income:. However, its history lies in the social strife between local Hindu and Muslim communities, during which Sikhs were seen as the "sword arm" of Hinduism.

Thanks to the state's powerful economy, certain California cities are among the wealthiest on the planet, as evidenced by large numbers of extravagant mansions, sports cars, and beautiful people. Some see Sikhism as a syncretic mix of Hinduism and Islam. The state of California has many cities, and the majority of them are within one of the large metropolitan areas below. As of January 1926, their final ruling on the matter of the origins of the Bahá'í Faith and its relationship to Islam was that the Bahá'í Faith was neither a sect of Islam, nor a religion based on Islam, but a clearly-defined, independently-founded, Faith. The three largest Protestant denominations in California are: Baptist (30% of total state population), Methodist (10%), and Lutheran (6%). The claim of the adherents of the Bahá'í Faith that it represents an independent religion was upheld by the Muslim ecclesiastical courts in Egypt during the 1920's. The religious affiliations of the people of California are as follows:. The following religions are said by some to have evolved or borrowed from Islam, but consider themselves independent religions with distinct laws and institutions:.

Religion. The following groups consider themselves to be Muslims, but are not considered Islamic by the majority of Muslims or Muslim authorities:. Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, California ranks:. See also: Imam -- Islamic philosophy -- Zaiddiyah. Rankings. See: Liberal Islam. California has the second-largest Asian population (percentage-wise) of any state, Hawaii having the largest. They may be either Sunni or Shi'ite, and generally favour the development of personal interpretations of Qur'an and Hadith.

Because of high levels of immigration from Latin America, especially Mexico, and higher birth rates among the Hispanic population, Hispanics are predicted to become a majority around 2040. Another recent group is the Ijtihadists, which represents a wide variety of views alternatively known as progressive, liberal or secular Muslims. Hispanics make up almost one-third of the population; in order, other groups are Asian Americans, African Americans and American Indian. "Wahhabism" is a movement founded by Muhammad ibn Abd al Wahhab in the 18th century in what is present-day Saudi Arabia. It is the third minority-majority state, after Hawaii and New Mexico. Non-Hispanic Whites are still the largest group, but are no longer a majority of the population due to high levels of immigration in recent years. Another more recent group are the "Wahhabis", though some classify them as the conservative branch of the Hanbali school of Sunni Islam. California lacks a majority ethnic group. A large number of Ibadhi Muslims today live in Oman.

California's population is:. Members of this group in the present day are more commonly known as Ibadhi Muslims. Race and Sex. Another denomination which dates back to the early days of Islam are the Kharijites. California is the most populous state in the U.S., and contains about 12% of the U.S.'s population. This position is not generally accepted by mainstream Sunni scholarship, and al-Azhar itself distanced itself from this position. Census Bureau reports California's 2000 population as 33,871,648, and estimates its 2003 population as 35,484,453. According to Shaikh Mahmood Shaltoot, Head of the al-Azhar University in the middle part of the 20th Century, "the Ja'fari school of thought, which is also known as "al-Shi'a al- Imamiyyah al-Ithna Ashariyyah" (i.e., The Twelver Imami Shi'ites) is a school of thought that is religiously correct to follow in worship as are other Sunni schools of thought".

The U.S. Sufism is found more or less across the Islamic world, though bearing distinctive regional variations, from Senegal to Indonesia. Population. There are also some very large groups or sects of Sufism that are not easily categorised as either Sunni or Shi'a, such as the Bektashi. See also: California unemployment statistics. Instead of focusing on the legal aspects of Islam (fiqh) as other madhhabs do, Sufism focuses on the internal aspects of Islam, such as perfecting the aspect of sincerity of faith and fighting one's own ego. Recent (Spring 2005) economic data (http://uclaforecast.com) indicates that economic growth has resumed in California, although still slightly below the national annualized forecast of 3.9%. However, some consider Sufism a separate mystical school.

The high-technology sectors in Northern California, specifically Silicon Valley, in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, are currently emerging from economic depression caused by the dot.com bust, which caused the loss of over 250,000 jobs in Northern California alone. Sufism occupies a place between the various schools of Islam, with practitioners falling into either Sunni or Shi'a. While some coastal cities include some of the wealthiest per-capita areas in the U.S., notably San Francisco and Marin County, the non-agricultural central counties have some of the highest poverty rates in the U.S. The main Shi'ites areas are Iran, Iraq and Lebanon. Most farm managers are highly educated, most with at least master's degrees. The term Shi'a is usually taken to be synonymous with the Ithna Ashariyya/Twelvers. The Central Valley has the most extreme contrasts of income, with migrant farm workers making less than minimum wage, contrasted with farmers who frequently manage multimillion-dollar farms. The Shi'a consist of one major school of thought known as the Ithna Ashariyya or the "Twelvers", and a few minor schools of thought, as the "Seveners" or the "Fivers" referring to the number of infallible leaders they recognise after the death of Muhammad.

Per capita income varies widely by geographic region and profession. Shi'a Muslims are those that are not Sunni. Per capita personal income is $33,415 as of 2003, ranking 12^th in the nation. All four accept the validity of the others and a muslim can choose any one that he thinks is agreeable to his ideas. This is followed by aerospace; entertainment, primarily television by dollar volume, although many movies are still made in California; and light manufacturing including computer hardware and software, and the mining of borax. On some issues, each school of thought differs slightly on fiqh (thoughts on how to practise Islam) although all accept the fundamentals contained within the Holy Quran. The predominant industry, more than twice as large as the next largest, is agriculture, (including fruit, vegetables, dairy, and wine). They are named after their founders Maliki, Shafi'i, Hanafi, and Hanbali.

If California was considered as an independent self-sufficient economy, it would be ranked the 6th, ahead of France. It consists of four similar schools of thought (madhhabs) which interpret specific pieces of Islamic practice. state, and every country in the world (by Purchasing Power Parity) save for the other combined 49 United States, China, Japan, Germany, and the United Kingdom. The Sunni sect of Islam comprises the majority of all Muslims (about 95%). The state's GDP, which at $1.4 trillion USD (as of 2003), is greater than that of every other U.S. All denominations, however, follow the five pillars of Islam and believe in the six pillars of faith (mentioned earlier). California is responsible for 14% of the United States' gross domestic product (GDP). The major branches are Sunni and Shi'a, with Sufism often considered as an extension of either Sunni or Shi'a thought.

Many California endemics have become endangered, as urbanization, logging, overgrazing, and the introduction of exotic species have encroached on their habitat. There are a number of Islamic religious denominations, each of which has significant theological and legal differences from each other. California's great abundance of species of California lilac (Ceanothus) is an example of adaptive radiation. Here as elsewhere in Islam, scholars disagree on specific applications of core principles, with some prominently advocating a punitive approach to "exclusionary" issues and others tending to de-emphasize such questions. Many other endemics originated through differentiation or adaptive radiation, whereby multiple species develop from a common ancestor to take advantage of diverse ecological conditions. Other punishments prescribed by sharia (depending on interpretation) may include the annulment of marriage with a Muslim spouse, the removal of children, the loss of property and inheritance rights, or other sanctions. California endemics include relict species that have died out elsewhere, including the redwoods and the Catalina Ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus). In each of these countries Islamist regimes are estimated to have executed, flogged, and imprisoned hundreds or thousands of people believed to be apostates or blasphemers.

California has a rather high percentage of endemic species. However, some countries, notably Iran under the Islamic Republic, Afghanistan under the Taliban, and Sudan, have been less reluctant to enforce the laws on the books. The state of California is part of the Nearctic ecozone, and spans a number of terrestrial ecoregions, and is perhaps the most ecologically diverse state in the United States. In most of these countries, such laws are invoked only sporadically and selectively; convictions tend to be reversed at a higher level, or if not reversed, those convicted may be allowed to leave the country. California's diverse geography, geology, soils and climate have generated a tremendous diversity of plant and animal life. Blasphemy is also an offence in many of these countries. Ecologically, California is one of the richest and most diverse parts of the world, and includes some of the most endangered ecological communities. Today apostasy is punishable by death in the countries of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Yemen, Iran, Sudan, Pakistan, and Mauritania.

Main article: Ecology of California. In the period of Islamic empire, apostasy was considered treason, and was accordingly treated as a capital offense; death penalties were carried out under the authority of the Caliph. The low deserts east of the southern California mountains, including the Imperial and Coachella valleys and the lower Colorado River, are part of the Sonoran Desert, with hot summers and mild winters; the higher elevation deserts of eastern California, including the Mojave Desert, Owens Valley, and the Modoc Plateau, are part of the Great Basin region, with hot summers and cold winters. There can be no sharp distinction between these concepts, as many believers feel that there can be no blasphemy without apostasy. California's desert climate regions lie east of the high Sierra Nevada and southern California's Transverse Ranges and Peninsular Ranges. Blasphemy is showing disrespect or speaking ill of any of the essential principles of Islam. On the east side of the mountains is a drier "rain shadow". Apostasy is public disloyalty towards Islam by any one who had previously professed the Islamic faith.

The high mountains, including the Sierra Nevada, have a mountain climate with snow in winter and moderate heat in summer. In orthodox Islamic theology, conversion out of Islam is forbidden and punishable by death. The Central Valley has a Mediterranean climate, but with greater temperature extremes than the coastal areas; parts of the valley are often filled with thick fog, similar to that found in the coastal valleys. Islamic communities, as well as Christian and Jewish ones, often exclude apostates and blasphemers from the community of believers. Northwestern California has a temperate climate with rainfall of 15-40 inches (38-102 cm) per year. Main article: Apostasy in Islam. Westerly winds from the ocean also bring moisture, and the northern parts of the state generally receive higher rainfall than the south. California's mountain ranges influence the climate as well; moisture-laden air from the west cools as it ascends the mountains, dropping moisture; some of the rainiest parts of the state are west-facing mountain slopes. In a related development, Mohammad Hashim Kamali has questioned the reliability and contemporary relevance of the above quoted hadith of Hakim ibn Hizam.

As one moves away from the coast, the climate becomes more continental, with hotter summers and colder winters. In recent times, traditional Islamic law has often been questioned by liberal movements within Islam. The influence of the ocean generally moderates temperature extremes, creating cooler summers and warmer winters, and the cold oceanic California Current offshore often creates summer fog near the coast. And the Prophet said: sell not what is not with you." This hadith has rendered controversial within the Muslim world much of what is considered routine finance outside of it, including the sale of futures and options, both of which might be characterized as the sale of 'what is not with you.'. Most of the state has a Mediterranean climate, with rainy winters and dry summers. A merchant named Hakim ibn Hizam reported, "I asked the Prophet: O Messenger of Allah! A man comes to me and asks me to sell him what is not with me, so I sell him and then buy the goods for him in the market. Different regions of California have very different climates, depending on their latitude, elevation, and proximity to the coast. One hadith of special importance for Islamic contractual law should be mentioned here.

Other volcanoes include Lassen Peak, which erupted from 1914 and 1921, and Mount Shasta. The Sunnah is not itself a text like the Qur'an, but is extracted by analysis of the Hadith (Arabic for "report") texts, which contain narrations of the Prophet's sayings, deeds, and actions of his companions he approved. California is also home to several volcanoes, some active such as Mammoth Mountain. The Qur'an is the foremost source of Islamic jurisprudence; the second is the Sunnah (the practices of the Prophet, as narrated in reports of his life). Notable movies in which the possible destruction of much of California by an earthquake includes the titles Earthquake, A View to a Kill, Escape from L.A. and Superman. For Muslims living in secular Western countries sharia ceases to be relevant as law, but remains a source of personal ethics (for example, the avoidance of pork and alcohol, and the use of Sharia-compliant banking services). The fact that this scenario is completely implausible from a geologic standpoint does not lessen its acceptance in public conventional wisdom, or its exploitation by the producers of science fiction and fantasy media. Muslims in Islamic societies have traditionally viewed Islamic law as essential to their religious outlook.

Popular legend has it that, eventually, a huge earthquake will result in the splitting of coastal California from the continent, either to sink into the ocean or form a new landmass. Main article: Sharia. While more powerful earthquakes in the United States have occurred in Alaska and along the Mississippi River, California earthquakes are notable in their frequency and location in highly populated areas. It is enough to believe and say that one is a Muslim, and behave in a manner befitting a Muslim to be accepted into the community of Islam. California is famous for its earthquakes due partly to the presence of the San Andreas Fault. This is formally done by reciting the shahada, the statement of belief of Islam, without which a person cannot be classed a Muslim. To the northeast of the Mojave lies Death Valley, which contains the lowest, hottest point in North America. It is enough to believe in the central beliefs of Islam.

The south-central desert is called the Mojave. Islam is open to all, regardless of race, age, gender, or previous beliefs. In the south lie the Transverse Ranges and a large salt lake, the Salton Sea. There is no official authority who decides whether a person is accepted to, or dismissed from, the community of believers, known as the Ummah ("Family"). To the west is Clear Lake, California's largest freshwater lake by area. Other beliefs include the Angels, the Jinns (a species of beings not composed of solid matter, but of fire), and the existence of magic (the practice of which is strictly forbidden). To the east of the Sierra are Owens Valley and Mono Lake, an essential seabird habitat. A significant fraction of the Qur'an deals with these beliefs, with many hadith elaborating on the themes and details.

Also located in the Sierra are the world famous Yosemite National Park and a deep freshwater lake, Lake Tahoe, the largest lake in the state by volume. Like Christianity and some sects of modern Judaism, Islam teaches the bodily resurrection of the dead, the fulfillment of a divine plan for creation, and the immortality of the human soul; the righteous are rewarded with the pleasures of Jannah (Paradise), while the unrighteous are punished in Jahannam (a fiery Hell, from the Hebrew ge-hinnom or "valley of Hinnom"; usually rendered in English as Gehenna). In the center and east of the state are the Sierra Nevada, containing the highest peak in the continental U.S., Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet (4421 m). Islamic eschatology is concerned with the Qiyamah (end of the world) and the final judgement of humanity. With dredging, several of these rivers have become sufficiently large and deep that several inland cities, notably Stockton, California, are seaports. Main article: Islamic eschatology. Mountain-fed rivers, dams, and canals provide water to irrigate the Central Valley. However, most Muslims remain unaffected by those claims and simply regard those said groups to be deviant from Islam.

Down the center of the state lies the Central Valley, a huge, fertile valley bounded by the coastal mountain ranges in the west, the granite Sierra Nevada to the east, the volcanic Cascade Range in the north and the Tehachapi Mountains in the south. However, there have been a number of sects whose leaders have proclaimed themselves the successors of Muhammad, perfecting and extending Islam, or, whose devotees have made such claims for their leaders. California has extremely varied geography. Mainstream Muslims regard Muhammad as the 'Last Messenger' or the 'Seal of the Prophets' based on the canon. However, the capital, Sacramento is in the Central Valley. In the Qur'an, 25 specific prophets are mentioned. Most major cities cling to the cool, pleasant seacoast along the Pacific, notably San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Santa Ana/Orange County, and San Diego. Islam demands that a believer accept most of the Judeo-Christian prophets, making no distinction between them.

With an area of 410,000 km² it is the third largest state in the U.S. Notable messengers include Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses(Musa), Jesus(Isa), and Muhammad, all belonging to a succession of men guided by God. The state has striking natural features, including an expansive central valley, high mountains, and hot dry deserts. All prophets are said to have spoken with divine authority; but only those who have been given a major revelation or message are called messenger. California borders the Pacific Ocean, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and the Mexican state of Baja California. In general, messengers are the more elevated rank, but Muslims consider all prophets and messengers equal. Main article: Geography of California. The Qur'an speaks of God appointing two classes of human servants: messengers (rasul in Arabic), and prophets (nabi in Arabic and Hebrew).

See also: List of California Governors, US Congressional Delegations from California, List of California counties, List of California ballot propositions. Main article: Prophets of Islam. Bush received a majority of votes in more than half the counties, but still lost California by 9%. Translations were the result of human effort and human fallibility, as well as lacking the inspired poetry believers find in the Qur'an. Translations are therefore only commentaries on the Qur'an, or "translations of its meaning", not the Qur'an itself. In 2004, George W. From the beginning of the faith, most Muslims believed that the Qur'an was perfect only as revealed in Arabic. While California is among the most Democratic and liberal states in the nation, there are areas of California which are politically very conservative, notably Orange and San Diego counties. The Qur'an is regarded as an infallible guide to personal piety and community life, and completely true in its history and science.

House of Representatives. Old Qur'ans are not destroyed as wastepaper, but deposited in Qur'an graveyards. 33 Democrats and 20 Republicans represent the state in the U.S. Most Muslims regard the Qur'an with extreme veneration, wrapping it in a clean cloth, keeping it on a high shelf, and washing as for prayers before reading the Qur'an. Senators from California are Democrats Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. Only reformist or liberal Muslims are apt to take something approaching the Mu'tazili position. The two U.S. The caliph persecuted, tortured, and killed the anti-Mu'tazilis, but their belief eventually triumphed and is held by most Muslims of today.

California has the most Congressmen and Presidential Electors of any state. The Mu'tazili position was supported by caliph Al-Ma'mun. Electoral College. Their opponents, of various schools, claimed that the Qur'an was eternal and perfect, existing in heaven before it was revealed to Muhammad. It has 55 electoral votes in the U.S. In the 8th century, the Mu'tazilis claimed that the Qur'an was created in time and was not eternal. At the national level, California is represented by two senators and 53 representatives. The Qur'an early became a focus of Muslim devotion and eventually a subject of theological controversy.

California's legal system is explicitly based on English common law but carries a few features from Spanish civil law. The form of the Qur'an most used today is the Al-Azhar text of 1923, prepared by a committee at the prestigious Cairo university of Al-Azhar. California judges are always appointed by the Governor but must be regularly reconfirmed by the electorate. Eventually, most commentators accepted seven variant readings (qira'at) of the Qur'an as canonical, while agreeing that the differences are minor and do not affect the meaning of the text. California's giant judiciary is supervised by the seven Justices of the Supreme Court of California. For hundreds of years after Uthman's recension, Muslim scholars argued as to the correct pointing and reading of Uthman's unpointed official text, (the rasm). The capital moved to Sacramento for good on February 25, 1854, except for a four-month temporary move in 1862 to San Francisco due to severe flooding in Sacramento. Eventually, scripts were developed that used "points" to indicate vowels.

The capital moved to Sacramento temporarily in 1852 when construction on a State House could not be completed in time in Vallejo. Because the Qur'an was first written [date uncertain] in the Hijazi, Mashq, Ma'il, and Kufic scripts, which write consonants only and do not supply the vowels, and because there were differing oral traditions of recitation, as non-native Arabic speakers converted to Islam, there was some disagreement as to the exact reading of many verses. In California's early history, the capital was located in Monterey (1775-1849), San Jose (1849-1851), Vallejo (1852-1853), Benicia (1853-1854), and San Francisco (1862). Some suras (eg surat Iqra) were revealed in parts at separate times. The state's capital is Sacramento. Later scholars have struggled to put the suras in chronological order, and among Muslim commentators at least there is a rough consensus as to which suras were revealed in Mecca and which at Medina. Schwarzenegger replaced Governor Gray Davis (1999-2003) who was removed from office by the October 2003 California recall election. More conservative views state that the order of most suras was divinely set.

Frazier). Uthman's version organized the revelations, or suras, roughly in order of length, with the longest suras at the start of the Qur'an and the shortest ones at the end. Schwarzenegger was only the second person in the history of the United States to be put into office by a recall of a sitting Governor (the first was the 1921 recall of North Dakota Governor Lynn J. Zayd's written collection, privately treasured by Muhammad's widow Hafsa bint Umar, was used by Uthman and is the basis of today's Qur'an. The current Governor is the Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose current term lasts through January 2007. (This is covered in greater detail in the article on the Qur'an.) Most Muslims accept the account recorded in several hadith, which state that Abu Bakr, the first caliph, ordered Zayd ibn Thabit to collect and record all the authentic verses of the Qur'an, as preserved in written form or oral tradition. In the Senate, there are 25 Democrats and 15 Republicans. There are also numerous traditions, and many conflicting academic theories, as to the provenance of the verses later assembled into the Qur'an.

For the 2005-2006 session, there are 48 Democrats and 32 Republicans in the Assembly. However, some skeptics doubt the recorded oral traditions (hadith) on which the account is based and will say only that the Qur'an must have been compiled before 750. The Senators from the even-numbered districts are elected in the intervening even-numbered years, in the gubernatorial election cycle. He sent copies of his version to the various provinces of the new Muslim empire, and directed that all variant copies be destroyed. The Senators representing the odd-numbered districts are elected in years evenly divisible by four, i.e., presidential election years. Scholars accept that the version of the Qur'an used today was first compiled in writing by the third Caliph, Uthman ibn Affan, sometime between 650 and 656. The terms of the Senators are staggered so that half the membership is elected every two years. Muslims believe that the Qur'an available today is the same as that revealed to Prophet Muhammad and by him to his followers, who memorized his words.

Senators serve four year terms and Assembly members two. In addition to memorizing his revelations, his followers are said to have written them down on parchments, stones, bones, sticks, and leaves. The California State Legislature consists of a 40 member Senate and 80 member Assembly. Muslims believe that the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel on numerous occasions between the years 610 and Muhammad's death in 632. The Governor of California and the other state constitutional officers serve four-year terms and may be reelected only once. Qur'an is the currently preferred English transliteration of the Arabic original (قرآن); it means “recitation”. The State also allows direct participation of the electorate by referendum, recall, and ratification. It has also been called, in English, the Koran and the Quran.

California is governed as a republic, with three branches of government, the executive branch consisting of the Governor of California and the other elected constitutional officers, the legislative branch consisting of the Assembly and Senate, and the judicial branch consisting of the Supreme Court of California and lower courts. The Qur'an is the sacred book of Islam. Main article: California government and politics. Main article: Qur'an. The state is liberal-leaning, technologically and culturally savvy, and a world center of engineering businesses, the film and television industry and, as mentioned above, American agricultural production. while two "branches", and one "root", are specifically Shia:. From 1965 to the present, this population completely changed and became one of the most diverse in the world. and four of what the Shia call the Branches of Religion:.

In the period from 1900 to 1965 the population grew from fewer than one million to become the most populous state in the Union, sending the most electors to the Electoral College to elect the President. All Muslims further agree on two of what the Shia call the Roots of Religion:. Citrus, oranges in particular, were widely grown, and the foundation was laid for the state's prodigious agricultural production of today. Sunni Islam's most fundamental tenets are referred to as the Five Pillars of Islam², while Shia Islam has a slightly different terminology, encompassing five core beliefs (the "roots of religion") and ten core practices (the "branches of religion".) All Muslims agree on the following statements, which Sunnis term the Five Pillars of Islam, and Shia would consider two of the Roots of Religion and four of the Branches of Religion:. Out West, residents were discovering that California was extremely well suited to fruit cultivation and agriculture in general. These are consequently the most important divine attributes in the sense that Muslims repeat them most frequently during their ritual prayers (called salah in Arabic, and in India, Pakistan and Turkey called "namaaz" (a Persian word)). The connection of the far Pacific West to the eastern population centers came in 1869 with the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. All but one Surah (chapter) of the Qur'an begins with the phrase "In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful".

During the American Civil War, popular support was divided 70% for the South and 30% for the North, and although California officially entered on the side of the North, many troops went east to fight with the Confederacy. Instead, Muslims describe God by the many divine attributes mentioned in the Qur'an, and also with the 99 names of Allah. In 1850, the state was admitted to the Union. Moreover, many Muslims believe that God is incorporeal, rendering any two or three dimensional depictions impossible. But after gold was discovered, the population burgeoned with Americans and a few Europeans in the great California gold rush. No Muslim visual images or depictions of God exist because such artistic depictions may lead to idolatry and are thus prohibited. In 1848, the Spanish-speaking population of distant upper California numbered around 4,000. And Allah is sufficient as its defender." [Chapter 4 : Surah 171].

portion, Alta (upper) California, was to become the state of California. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth . The western part of the U.S. Far is it removed from His transcendent majesty that he should have a son . The Mexican portion, Baja (lower) California was later divided into the states of Baja California and Baja California Sur. Cease! ( it is ) better for you! Allah is only One God . Following the Mexican-American War, the region was divided between Mexico and the United States. So believe in Allah and His messengers , and say not "three" .

Sloat of the United States Navy sailed into San Francisco Bay and claimed California for the United States. The Messiah , Jesus son of Mary , was only a messenger of Allah , and His word which He conveyed unto Mary , and a spirit from Him . The Republic came to a sudden end when Commodore John D. As it says in the Qur'an, "O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth . In 1846, at the outset of the Mexican-American War, a California Republic was founded and the Bear Flag was flown that featured a golden bear and a star. However, Muslims completely disagree with the Christian theology concerning the unity of God (the doctrine of the Trinity which sees Jesus as the eternal Son of God), seeing it as akin to polytheism. Upon Mexican independence from Spain, the chain of missions became the property of the Mexican government, and they were quickly dissolved and abandoned. In spite of the different name used for God, Muslims believe in the same deity as the Judeo-Christian religions.