What is the religion Islalm about?

The religion of Islam is the acceptance of and obedience to the teachings of God which He revealed to His last prophet, Muhammad .

The literal meaning of Islam is peace; surrender of one’s will i.e. losing oneself for the sake of God and surrendering one’s own pleasure for the pleasure of God. The message of Islam was revealed to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) 1, 400 years ago. It was revealed through angel Gabriel (on whom be peace) and was thus preserved in the Holy Quran. The Holy Quran carries a Divine guarantee of safeguard from interpolation and it claims that it combines the best features of the earlier scriptures.

The prime message of Islam is the Unity of God, that the Creator of the world is One and He alone is worthy of worship and that Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) is His Messenger and Servant. The follower of this belief is thus a Muslim - a Muslim’s other beliefs are: God’s angels, previously revealed Books of God, all the prophets, from Adam to Jesus (peace be on them both), the Day of Judgement and indeed the Decree of God. A Muslim has five main duties to perform, namely; bearing witness to the Unity of God and Muhammad (peace and blessings on him) as His Messenger, observing the prescribed prayer, payment of Zakat, keeping the fasts of Ramadhan and performing the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Islam believes that each person is born pure. The Holy Quran tells us that God has given human beings a choice between good and evil and to seek God’s pleasure through faith, prayer and charity. Islam believes that God created mankind in His image and by imbuing the attributes of God on a human level mankind can attain His nearness. Islam’s main message is to worship God and to treat all God’s creation with kindness and compassion. Rights of parents in old age, orphans and the needy are clearly stated. Women’s rights were safeguarded 1,400 years ago when the rest of the world was in total darkness about emancipation. Islamic teachings encompass every imaginable situation and its rules and principles are truly universal and have stood the test of time.

In Islam virtue does not connote forsaking the bounties of nature that are lawful. On the contrary one is encouraged to lead a healthy, active life with the qualities of kindness, chastity, honesty, mercy, courage patience and politeness. In short, Islam has a perfect and complete code for the guidance of individuals and communities alike. As the entire message of Islam is derived from the Holy Quran and indeed the Sunnah and Hadith (the traditions and practices of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings on him) it is immutable in the face of change in time and place. It may appear rigid to the casual eye, in actual fact it is most certainly an adaptable way of life regardless of human changes.

Islam teaches that the path to spiritual development is open to all. Any individual who searches the One Creator can seek nearness to God through sincere and earnest worship; it is central to establishing a relationship with the Almighty. This positive message for humanity fills hearts with hope and courage.

At present there are 1.5 billion Muslims worldwide and they form the majority in more than 50 countries of the world. Today Islam is the fastest growing faith in the world - its beautiful message is reaching millions in the far corner of the earth.

Islam is based on having a complete knowledge of Allah (God) Almighty (His names and attributes), affirming His Oneness as the Lord of the universe, and affirming His Oneness as the only One to be worshiped. This belief is the foundation on which the Muslim's Faith is built in addition to the five Pillars of Islam.

Muslims believe in one unique, incomparable God; in the angels created by Him; in the prophets through whom His revelations were brought to mankind; in the Day of Judgment and individual accountability for actions; in God's complete authority over human destiny and in life after death.Muslims believe in a chain of prophets starting with Adam and including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Elijah, Jonah, John the Baptist, and Jesus, peace be upon them. But God's final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message and a summing-up of all that has gone before was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon Him) through Gabriel.

5 Pillars

They are the framework of the Muslim's life: faith, prayer, concern for the needy, self-purification, and the pilgrimage to Makkah for those who are able.

1. FAITH (AQIDAH)

There is no god worthy of worship except God and Muhammad (peace be upon Him) is His messenger. This declaration of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula which all the faithful pronounce. In Arabic, the first part is la ilaha illa Allah - "there is no god except God"; ilaha (god) can refer to anything which we may be tempted to put in place of God -- wealth, power, and the like. Then comes illa Allah:" except God, the source of all creation. The second part of the Shahada is Muhammadun rasulu Allah: "Muhammad (peace be upon Him) is the messenger of God". A message of guidance has come through a man like ourselves.

2. PRAYER (SALAT)

Salat is the word for the obligatory prayers which are performed five times a day, and are a direct link between the worshipper and God. There is no hierarchical authority in Islam, and no priests, so the prayers are led by any learned person who knows the Qur'an, chosen by the congregation. These five prayers contain verses from the Qur'an, and are said in Arabic, the language of the Revelation, but personal supplication can be offered in one's own language.

Prayers are said at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and nightfall, and thus determine the rhythm of the entire day. Although it is preferable to worship together in a mosque, a Muslim may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories and universities. Visitors to the Muslim world are struck by the centrality of prayers in daily life.

3. ZAKAH

One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The word zakat means both "purification" and "growth". Our possessions are purified by setting aside a portion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth.

Each Muslim calculates his or her own zakat individually. For most purposes this involves the payment each year of two and a half percent of one"s capital.

A pious person may also give as much as he or she pleases as sadaqa, and does so preferably in secret. Although this word can be translated as "voluntary charity" it has a wider meaning. The Prophet said "even meeting your brother with a cheerful face is charity".

The Prophet (peace be upon Him) said:

"Charity is a necessity for every Muslim." He was asked: "What if a person has nothing?" The Prophet replied: "He should work with his own hands for his benefit and then give something out of such earnings in charity". The Companions asked: "What if he is not able to work?" The Prophet said: "He should help poor and needy persons." The Companions further asked "What if he cannot do even that?" The Prophet said "He should urge others to do good". The Companions said "What if he lacks that also?" The Prophet said, "He should check himself from doing evil. That is also charity."

4. FASTING (SAWM)

Every year, in the month of Ramadan, all Muslims fast from first light until sundown, abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations. Those who are sick, elderly, or on a journey, and women who are pregnant or nursing are permitted to break the fast and make up an equal number of days later in the year. If they are physically unable to do that, they must feed a needy person for every day missed. Children begin to fast (and to observe the prayer) from puberty, although many start earlier.

Although the fast is most beneficial to the health, it is regarded principally as a method of self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry as well as growth in one"s spiritual life.

5. PILGRIMAGE (HAJJ)

The pilgrimage to Makkah -- the Hajj -- is an obligation only for those who are physically and financially able to perform it. Nevertheless, about two million people go to Makkah each year from every corner of the globe, providing a unique opportunity for those of different nations to meet one another. Although Makkah is always filled with visitors, the annual Hajj begins in the twelfth month of the Islamic year (which is lunar, not solar, so that Hajj and Ramadan fall sometimes in summer, sometimes in winter). Pilgrims wear special clothes: simple garments which strip away distinctions of class and culture, so that all stand equal before God.

The rites of the Hajj, which are of Abrahamic origin, include circling the Ka'aba seven times, and going seven times between the hills of Safa and Marwa, as did Hagar during her search for water. Then the pilgrims stand together on the wide plain of Arafa and join in prayers for God"s forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a preview of the Last Judgment.

In previous centuries the Hajj was an arduous undertaking. Today, however, Saudi Arabia provides millions of people with water, modern transport, and the most up-to-date health facilities.

The close of the Hajj is marked by a festival, the Eid al-Adha, which is celebrated with prayers and the exchange of gifts in Muslim communities everywhere. This, and the Eid al-Fitr, a feast-day commemorating the end of Ramadan, are the main festivals of the Muslim calendar.

I'll try to give you the simplest answer I can, because I know sometimes long answers can start to sound like blah blah blah, lol.

I'm assuming you know about Christianity and Judaism, so you can kinda picture Islam using these two as starters. We believe that God is one and none compare to Him; we believe in all of His prophets and messengers and that He sent a messenger to every nation; we believe in all of His revelations, though we do believe that some have been changed over time through translations and revisions and are no longer His original true word; we believe that everything you do in this life and what your intentions are and what is in your heart affects the outcome of your afterlife; we believe that if a scientific theory contradics religion than it is a flawed theory and if a religious theory contradicts science then it is not from God; we pray a ritual prayer 5 times a day, adding however many supplications (similar to the Christian prayer) we feel we need; we fast during Ramadan to purify our minds and bodies and to give us the same feeling of hunger as the poor, so that we will be more generous to them when they need it; we give an annual charity to those in need. It is our duty as Muslims to teach others the word of Islam, however it is never up to us to force religion upon others. If they want to become muslim, it's their decision, and if not we are to treat them just as fairly as everyone else. The Quran (our "Bible") teaches us to respect others, and that the People of the Book (Christians and Jews) are the closest to us in religion as they worship God alone. Anyone who desires to be Muslim can join, there are no restrictions at all. There is a heaven and there is a hell, and it is up to us and the kind of life we lead as to which one we are destined to, however God's mercy outweighs His wrath, as He tells us in Quran. There are Muslims and non-Muslims who will attain Heaven, and there are Muslims and non-Muslims who will attain Hell, and only God alone knows who they are and only He alone can judge them accordingly.

Sounds like an extremely long run-on sentence, lol, I always hated grammar. Here are some sites to help you out, hopefully I don't give you any repeats:

http://www.islamicity.com/education/understandingi...

http://www.islam101.com/theology/index.htm

http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/tows_past_2001...

http://www.whyislam.org/877/Introduction/

http://www.islamfortoday.com/

http://www.religioustolerance.org/islam.htm

http://www.islam-guide.com/

http://www.beliefnet.com/index/index_10004.html

http://www.discoverislam.com/

http://www.pbs.org/empires/islam/

http://www.understanding-islam.com/

Edit: as far as the whole moon crescent thing, it was never a part of Islam until the Crusades against the Ottomans. The Christian warriors bore flags with crosses, and the Ottoman armies wanted a symbol to represent them in the battle, so they adapted the crescent moon. Until then it was never seen in Islamic culture, and most likely would have been expelled from it had the crescent idea came up sooner. The Prophet Muhammad rejected everything that could be slightly considered as worship to any other than God, even to the point of forbidding statues and paintings of people and animals in his home.

God doesn't change, but people do!

Just like the Old Testament had to use scare tactics, to keep the people

of old in line. Because they were tough people, living off the land, and didn't scare easy. The religion of Islam was designed to bring a fearless,

warrior people together. Desert dwellers, who are scared of nothing!

Because death was always at hand.

Muhammad was one of few true warriors in our world. Like Malcolm X,

and Ariel Sharon. A man who fought bravely when young. And learned the wisdom of peace with age.

Islam (1.2 billion adherents) is one of the major world religions that, along with Christianity (1.9 billion adherents) and Judaism (14 million adherents), teaches monotheism which is the doctrine that there is only one God in all existence. Like Christianity and Judaism, Islam traces its roots back to the patriarch Abraham (Gen. 12). The word "Islam" means "surrender" or "submission"1 and it comes from the root word "salem" which means "surrender." A Muslim (or Moslem - which means one who surrenders to God) is an adherent of Islam, a religion with precise theological doctrines about God, judgment, heaven, hell, angels, prophets, salvation, etc. The Arabic word for god is "allah" which has become a kind of name of God in Islam. Islam teaches that Allah is the one and only deity in all existence (Qur'an 5:73; 112:1-4). He is supreme, all knowing (40:20), ever-present, different from all of creation (3:191), and in complete control of all things. According to Islam, Allah created the universe in six days (2:29; 25:61-62) and all that is in it continues to exist by his permission and will. Allah is non-Trinitarian (5:73), absolute, and eternal.

The Koran (or Qur’an, which means "the reading" in Arabic) is the sacred book of Islam and is broken up into 114 chapters called Suras which cover the subjects of ethics, history, law, and theology. It is highly revered by Muslims as the direct, literal word of God. The Qur'an (also spelled Quran and Koran) was delivered by the angel Gabriel (also known as the Holy Spirit) to Muhammad over a 23 year period after Muhammad's initial encounter with Gabriel in a cave when he was 40 years old. Muslims consider Muhammad (full name of Muhammad Ibn Abdullah) to be the final prophet of God to the world. Muhammad was born in 570? AD in Mecca and died in 632 AD.

Islam is a Monotheistic religion and a religion of the book like Judaism and Christianity.The most important person in Islam is prophet Muhammad (pbuh) who established Islam.Islam is a peaceful,loving and tolerant religion and there is equality for all as we respect humanity and other religions.Yes we believe in heaven and to become a Muslim you have to repeat the shadhah which is the first step to becoming a Muslim.

What is Islam?: The name of the religion is Islam, which comes from an Arabic root word meaning "peace" and "submission." Islam teaches that one can only find peace in one's life by submitting to (Allah) in heart, soul and deed. The same Arabic root word gives us "Salaam alaykum," ("Peace be with you"), the universal Muslim greetingWho is a Muslim?: A person who believes in and consciously follows Islam is called a Muslim, also from the same root word. So, the religion is called "Islam," and a person who believes in and follows it is a "Muslim." okay i hope this ansers ur question and if u want to be Muslim trust me it will be the best thing u have done in ur entire life. God bless you and bless all the Muslims.

I am a Muslim

and

Islam means peace

There is approx 1.6 billion Muslims in the world and if all Muslims are terrorists then why isn’t 1.6 billion Muslims bombing the world right now? Islam is the fastest growing religion it has been predicted in 50 years Islam will be the worlds largest religion. So if Islam teaches violence and evil then why would 1.6 billion Muslim and those who have reverted to Islam want that?

Surely everyone who thinks Islam is bad has been affected by the mass media watch this clip (46 mins) contradicts this and you will realise what Islam really is this clip is about:

Muslim only for 30 days

Guy becomes Muslim for only 30 days to experience the in-depth of Islam. http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=56650030...

Islam is not only a religion but a complete way of life; we can gain answers either from the Quran or the Hadith (ways of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh). As a practicing Muslim I do believe Islam and its teachings answer all my questions. Muslim nowadays are weak they don’t know much about their religion my suggestion is to any one is that read the Holy book of that religion before criticising it. 70% of the Quran has been proven by science. Also we believe in Judgment Day and the Quran describes in detail what the day will be like and also the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also states minor and major signs (one minor sign we see today is that Time will go faster) you can view the major and minor signs on: http://www.islaam.com/Article.aspx?id=450

Islam has 5 fundamental Pillars which are

SHAHADAH-Declaration of faith

SALAH-Prayer which is the 5 daily prayers (helps us both mentally and physically)

SIYAM-Fasting during month of Ramadhan (Allows us to emphasis people in the poor world, also increases self control and makes us better people in society from decreasing sins to its minimum)

ZAKAT-paying 2.5% of your earnings to charity every year

HAJJ-Pilgrimage to Mekkah (Mecca)

There are also 6 pillars of faith:

Belief in Allah;

Belief in the angels;

Belief in the revealed books;

Belief in the commissioned Messengers (peace be upon them).

Belief in the resurrection and the events of Qiyama.

Belief in the predestination by Allah of all things, both the (seemingly) good and the (seemingly) bad.

The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was born in 670 C.E he came to change the world as it was corrupt at the time. At the time of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) it was known as Jahiliyya (Days of ignorance). Muhammad (pbuh) was the last of Prophets sent to complete the biggest task. He was the Prophet who brought the Quran into our lives; The Quran is the final words from Allah. There has been according to one Hadith 240 000 Prophets, and Muhammad (pbuh) was the last.

The 9/11 proven by many documentaries also proves that there is no 'Islamic terrorists'.

Loose change: http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=78669294...

And there are many other documentaries out there.

You can also visit my website to view signs of the true religion (Islam) as Allah has said he will send signs of the true religion. www.farhanahmed.5u.com

If Islam is spread by the sword then you tell me this there is 14 million Muslims in Arabia, If Islam is spread by the sword then why aren’t those 14 million Christians Muslims.

Islam prevents all that causes suffering, violence, hatred, abuse etc. Even if you go out clubbing and drink alcohol and have a girl friend your still Muslim but a very weak one.

“What are the goals”

We are in this world to be tested, And Allah our God will test us. He will test us throughout our lives and He will keep testing us but He will not give us a test that is too hard for us to pass. The more tests we pass the closer we become to Allah. We want to enter Heaven by doing good in this life.

“the drawbacks,”

There are no drawbacks

“the important people and stories if any.”

The important person in Islam is Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Other important people are Prophets, Caliphs, Imams, Sheikhs etc. Basically knowledgeable people.

“What do you do, how do you act,”

We should practice our religion and seek knowledge throughout our lives, we should be respectful and obedient in society.

“whats you view on other religions,”

Their religion is to them as ours is with us. We should respect them and help them if we can. Also other religions have Holy Books that were revealed by the Prophets of Islam. However these books were changed and now form different religions except Islam. Towraat was given to Moses but was changed and now is known as the Torah. Zaboor (also known as the Psalms) which was given to David also altered and so was Injeel which is now the Bible this was given to Jesus. Last but not least the perfect book of them all even God himself challenged anyone to duplicate it and it is the Holy Qur’an. Even today no other Holy book consist of the same teachings as the Qur’an even thought the shortest Surah ‘Qausar’

“who can join, is there a heaven?”

Anyone can become a Muslim as long as they testify the Shahadah (declaration of faith) with their tongue and heart. And yes there is a Heaven and Hell.

Any more information please visit www.yanabi.com

Mohammed sold monotheism to the Arabs by adapting Judaism to their form of pianistic moon worship. Mohammed overcame their reluctance to abandon all their gods by telling them to worship the moon god Sin as the greatest god. - Allah al Akbar (The god is the greatest)

Today you will see the symbol of the crescent moon on top of every mosque and flag of Islam, the holy month of Ramadan is a fast by day but a feast by moonlight in a certain phase of the moon.

Anyone can convert to Islam but if you leave you will branded with apostasy which is punishable by death under shariah law.

By the way it is spelled Islam.

If I wrote what I know they would report me for telling the truth

Lies, control and fiction, just like all religions