“The lands of southwestern Ytarria are the home of the Faithful – the follwers of Islam. The Faith is strict, yet all-encompassing; one need only proclaim, ‘There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is His Prophet,’ to be accepted as a brother and a Moslem. The men of the south are convinced that one day the muezzins (holy men) will sing the call to worship in all the cities of [Ytarria], but that day is not here yet.”

History

Early Moslems adopted “the nomadic lifestyle of their forebears” and “traveled across the plains, fighting, herding and trading. Where they gathered to trade, towns, sprang up, providing a refuge for the scholars, doctors, artists, poets, and mullahs (holy men)...Two cultures grew side by side: one was nomadic and illiterate, the other urban and enlightened, but both were united by their faith in Allah and reverence for His book, the Koran.”

Early on, “the two major sects of Islam – Sunni and Shi’ite – lived in relative harmony. The holy men of the cities argued over theology, but the men of the plains were more concerned with the minor feuds over territory, goat theft, and so forth. The invasion of the Christians changed everything.

“The Grand Crusade…caught the Moslems completely by surprise. They responded quickly, however, and…[within ten years] the Islamic kingdoms were formed. The first was al-Haz, with a Shi’ite holy man as Sultan and Imam, the supreme monarch of Moslems… A few years later, the predominantly Sunni tribesmen to the north founded al-Wazif, naming their most able warrior Caliph – the political and spiritual leader of Islam. Only the threat of a common foe and the spirit of Islamic brotherhood prevented an outbreak of war between the factions.

“This state of peace did not last long, however. As soon as the leagion of Megalos turned toward al-Kard, Wazifi armies marched south, intent on seizing control of Geb’al-Din. A twenty-year series of bloody wars ensued, during which al-Kard fell to Christian armies. Out of necessity, the two Moslem nations concluded a truce assuring Sunni access to the Holy City, which holds to this day.”

The Message of the Prophet

“Islam is based on the word of God, Allah, as revealed in the Koran, and on the Hadiths, the divinely inspired sayings of the Prophet Mohammed. The Arabic word islam means submission; the Prophet preached submission to God in all things. For the Moslem, religion is more than a matter of spiritual fulfillment; it is a way of life. Politics, morality, theology, law, art – every aspect of daily life is encompassed and governed by the Islamic Faith.

“The Koran is the Moslem’s comprehensive guide to living a proper life. Unlike the Bible, it is not considered the work of moral authors, but the direct word of Allah. Every syllable is the creation of God – Mohammed was merely the instrument through which He made His will known. The Koran is the final, unclouded word of God, and therefore any further reveleations are automatically false. Reinterpretation is possible; additions nad revisions are not. Translations are flawed by definition; the only true way to study the Koran is in Arabic.

“Idolatry of any kind is strictly forbidden. It is a sin to associate anything with God, or to create a representation of Him. Even depictions of the human form are considered improper, since man was made in God’s image. For this reason, most Islamic art is abstract and geometrical in nature. Calligraphy, however, is very common – compromising an entire second branch of Islamic art. Often great works of calligraphic art consist of verses from the Koran worked into geometrical forms and patterns. Islamic calligraphy is frequently so fancy and ornately abstracted that the text can barely be read.

“Every man is judged at his death. If he has led a pure and holy life, he will be admitted into Paradise on teh Judgment Day. If he is a believer, but has sinned, he must serve penance in Hell first. Infidels are condemned to Hell forever. Paradise is a garden where one enjoys all the physical luxuries and spiritual bliss. Beside rivers of pure water, milk and honey, beautiful maidens and young boys serve fruit and wine to believers who spend their days reclining on silken couches.”

Quoted text from GURPS Fantasy, 2nd Edition, pp 29-31.