What is Islam? – A Short Introduction

What is Islam? – A Short Introduction

Islam is a divine religion of God introduced through Last Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in 7th century. It is one of the most popular and fastest growing religions. Islam means submission to Allah.

Qur’an is the Holy book of Allah. It was revealed by Allah to the prophet Mohammed through the angel Jibrael or Gabriel. These revelations came to Mohammed in a period of 22 years, from AD 610 up to his death in AD 632. Muslims believe that Mohammed is Allah’s last prophet and that Islam is His last religion.

Islam covers areas of spirituality, politics, society, and law. For example, there are teachings about how to pray, how the members of society should behave, who can be a leader, and what kind of punishments should be given for different offenses. This makes Islam a way of life and governance, which is different from Judaism and Christianity. When someone converts to Islam, Islamic Schools play their role to make him/her a good Muslim by guiding to the righteous path and to make him/her understand the teachings of Islam.

Muslims are known for their elegant deeds like, praying, fasting, Quran Recitation, preaching etc. Islam advocates that there is only one God, Allah who created Adam & Eve from whom humanity flourished about, that there is a Satan, that there is a day of judgment, etc. Islam believes that Jesus and Moses are prophets of Allah and as Prophets; they are given their due respect.

There are five pillars of Islam Shahadah, the Salat(prayer), the Zakat, the Sawm(fasting), and the Hajj. Shahadah means “I testify that there is no god, but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet”. The Salat is the ritual prayer of Islam, and it must be performed 5 times a day. Zakat is the giving of alms. Sawm is the fasting during the month of Ramadan. And Hajj is the pilgrimage to the city of Mecca, which must be done once in a person’s lifetime provided that other conditions are met.