What is Islam?

Islam is an Arabic word that means peaceful, willing submission. Islam is not a new way of life; rather it is the same message that the Creator (Allah) sent to humanity through all of His Prophets and Messengers. Starting with Adam then sending other Prophets such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and His last messenger Muhammad.

There are five pillars that are the main requirements of Islam.

1.The declaration of faith: To be Muslim one must believe and pronounce words which mean, 'I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship other than Allah alone and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger.'

2. The Performance of regular prayer five times a day.

3. 'Zakah' (Obligatory annual charity). It acts as a purification of one's wealth.

4. Fasting the month of Ramdan

5. Hajj (pilgrimage) to Makkah once in a lifetime.

A Muslim is someone who submits to Allah and practices Islam. A Muslim tries to abide by Allah's commandments and avoid disobeying Him. A Muslim is functioning according to the natural laws that were programmed inside him by his Creator. All the Prophets of Allah, from Adam to Muhammad, and all of those who followed them were called 'Muslims'.   

Muslims make up approximately 2.1 billion of the worlds population

*The country of Indonesia holds the largest Muslim community worldwide

*18% of Muslims are Arab

*Muslims can be found in North America (3-4 million), South America, Europe, and Asia

*Anyone can be Muslim regardless of their race, ethnicity, or nationality

Allah is the Arabic word for the One True God. The name 'Allah' is the combination of two Arabic words, 'al' and 'ilah'. 'Al' means 'The' and 'ilah' means 'deity'. These two words come together to mean 'The Only True Deity Worthy of Worship'.The One: who has no partners at all, no sons, no daughters, no father, no mother, no equals or associates. 

There is nothing in the creation comparable to Allah. He is the only One that deserves our worship. 

He is All-Just and judges everyone according to their own deeds, holding everyone accountable for his/her own actions.

He is the Most-Merciful, He can forgive anyone at anytime. No one is born into sin. Everyone is born free of sin.

Islam teaches peace, mercy, justice, honesty, morality, love for one's neighbors. Respect for elders, women, children, animals, and all living creatures.

Islam’s primary message, as understood by the overwhelming majority of Muslims, is the continuation of the Abrahamic monotheistic tradition’s belief in one God. The three major dimensions of Islam include beliefs, ritual practices, and the effort to improve one’s character and actions. There are six major beliefs in Islam and five central practices that are referred to as the Five Pillars.

The last dimension of Islam focuses on the cultivation of excellent moral character to better oneself and the world around oneself. It teaches a set of values that promote life, liberty, equality and justice. Some of these values include:

• Respect for the earth and all creatures
• Care and compassion for those less fortunate
• The importance of seeking knowledge
• Honesty and truthfulness in word and deed
• Striving continuously to improve oneself and the world

Muhammad was the final Prophet in a long chain of Prophets sent to call people to the obedience and worship of Allah alone. He was a descendant of the Prophet Abraham through his son, Ishmael. He was not the founder of Islam, but the final Messenger sent by Allah as a mercy to mankind. His coming was foretold in the previous scriptures (Torah, Psalms and Bible). He is different from the previous Prophets seeing as though his message from Allah was universal for all of mankind, whereas the previous Prophet's messages were specific for their nations only. Muhammad was supported with numerous miracles, the greatest of them being the Quran. Through him Allah made known the truth from the falsehood and wisdom from error. And through him He showed man how to attain eternal Paradise.