What the word means
“Islam” is Arabic for surrender: giving yourself to God willingly. It comes from the same root as salam, peace. A Muslim is simply someone who has made that surrender.
Muslims don't see Islam as a new religion. We believe it is the same message every prophet brought, from Adam to Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus, and finally Muhammad, peace be upon them all.
Say, “We believe in God and in what was revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes, and what was given to Moses and Jesus and to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we submit.”
Quran 2:136
What Muslims believe
There are six core beliefs:
- One God, who has no partners, no children and no equal.
- Angels, created to carry out God's commands. Gabriel brought God's revelation to the prophets.
- Revealed books, including the Torah given to Moses, the Psalms to David, the Gospel to Jesus, and the Quran to Muhammad ﷺ.
- Prophets, sent to every nation with the same core message: worship one God and do good.
- The Day of Judgment, when everyone will be brought back to life and judged with perfect justice and mercy.
- God's plan: nothing happens outside God's knowledge and will, while each of us stays responsible for our own choices.
The five pillars
The Prophet ﷺ said Islam is built on five things. These are the practices that shape a Muslim's day and year.
- Faith (shahada). Declaring that “there is no god but God, and Muhammad is His messenger.”
- Prayer (salah). Five short prayers a day: at dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset and night. Each takes about five to ten minutes and can be done almost anywhere clean.
- Charity (zakah). Once a year, giving 2.5% of savings above a basic minimum to people in need.
- Fasting (sawm). During the month of Ramadan, no food or drink from dawn to sunset, with extra effort to be patient and generous.
- Pilgrimage (hajj). Travelling to Mecca once in a lifetime, for those who are healthy enough and can afford it.
Rituals aren't the whole picture, though. Faith is supposed to show in how you treat people:
The Prophet ﷺ said: “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim
A few things that surprise people
- Most Muslims aren't Arab. Roughly one in five is. Indonesia has more Muslims than any other country.
- “Allah” just means God. Arabic-speaking Christians say it too.
- Jesus and Mary are honoured in Islam. A whole chapter of the Quran is named after Mary.
- There's no priesthood. You pray to God directly, anywhere, with no one in between. Any Muslim can lead a prayer or read the Quran.
Quran quotes are English translations of the meaning, adapted from Saheeh International and M.A.S. Abdel Haleem. Tap a reference to read the verse in Arabic with other translations.