Can you explain Islam to me?

Answer 1

Islam...literally means peaceful submission to the will of God. A child is born in this natural state and remains so until taught otherwise. God alone is worthy of our worship and our praise, and Him alone we seek for guidance. All of the prophets and messengers of God are Muslims (submitting their wills to God) for this reason, but are not to be put on the same level as the Almighty God. God alone is our salvation and He alone is the forgiver of sins. God is one, a perfect unity. He is not divisible into parts, and their is no trinity or pantheon of any sort. He does not have any children, partners, or equals, because He is God, not a human. God sent prophets to every society on earth to preach "islam" to them in their different languages. Some prophets include Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Jonah, and Jesus (peace be upon them all). These are mentioned in the Bible and the Qur'an. The ones not mentioned in the Bible but mentioned in the Qur'an are Hud and Salih, and Muhammad of course (peace be upon them all). But there are countless more in the history of the entire world, many of whom are the founders of other religions. Other religions, and unfortunately some Muslims, have strayed from the original message of Islamic monotheism. In any case the other religions are to be respected because their founder may have been an authentic prophet. These are the most basic and important thing to know about Islam...that it is a universal message sent by God, although it has been called by many different names but teaches the same set of moral principles and guidelines for humanity.

The five pillars in islam are:
- Shahada: belief that their is only one God, and that Muhammad is his final prophet
- Salat: Praying five times a day in a pattern of standing, bowing, and prostrating
- Saum: Fast during the month of Ramadhan
- Zakah: Give alms to the needy
- Hajj: pilgrimage to the city of Makkah at least once in life if possible

One thing to note is that although we pray five times a day, we can also pray in a more casual manner at any time. This is called du'a, which is different from salat mentioned above. In du'a, we can talk directly to God concerning any matters, whether it be asking for guidance or giving thanks. In Islam we do not believe in an intermediary or a person on a higher level of holiness who communicates to God for you or who works as a bridge between God and sinners. There is no priesthood in true Islam, nor are there convents. Each individual person is equal in the eyes of God regardless of characteristics that separate us here on earth (race, color, gender, social standing, etc). It's up to each indicidual to gain knowledge and to purify himself to be a better muslim.

God knows the hearts of every person. Even a person who is not a "muslim" can be a muslim, if you see what i'm saying. :)

Answer 2

Islam (Arabic: الإسلام; al-islām (help·info)) is a monotheistic religion based upon the Qur'an, which adherents believe was sent by God (Arabic: Allāh) through Muhammad. Followers of Islam, known as Muslims (Arabic: مسلم), believe Muhammad to have been God's final prophet; most of them see the historic record of the actions and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad related in the Sunnah and Hadith as indispensable tools for interpreting the Qur'an.
Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam is considered an Abrahamic religion.[1] With a total of approximately 1.4 billion adherents[2], Islam is the second-largest religion in the world. The majority of Muslims are not Arabs (only 20 percent of Muslims originate from Arab countries). [3] At current rates, Islam will soon become the second largest religion in the United States, [4] and it is already the second largest faith in the UK [5].
Secular historians place Islam's beginnings during the late 7th century in Arabia. Under the leadership of Muhammad and his successors, Islam rapidly spread by religious conversion and military conquest.[6] Today, followers of Islam may be found throughout the world, particularly in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Answer 3

American Heritage® Dictionary: Description of Islam
NOUN: 1. A monotheistic religion characterized by the acceptance of the doctrine of submission to God and to Muhammad as the chief and last prophet of God. Islamic
Additional references: Columbia Encyclopedia
Yahoo! Shortcut - About

Answer 4

I could but it will take much longer than just this answer, you can read up on it here.
Islam (Arabic: الإسلام; al-islām (help·info)) is a monotheistic religion based upon the Qur'an, which adherents believe was sent by God (Arabic: Allāh) through Muhammad. Followers of Islam, known as Muslims (Arabic: مسلم), believe Muhammad to have been God's final prophet; most of them see the historic record of the actions and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad related in the Sunnah and Hadith as indispensable tools for interpreting the Qur'an.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam

A very good crash course...

Answer 5

go to www.sultan.org u will know what is islam?and many links to trusted islamic sites

Answer 6

Will the real Islam please stand up?

Below is a link that will help cut through the fog. You may have to cut and paste it or type it in.

Answer 7

Doe-eyed gave a very good explanation, said in an excellent way.

Answer 8

There is a person who claims that God talks to him. He wrote what God said to him in a book. The man's name was Muhammad.

Allah (God) is one and Muhammad is his prophet. The book is title Qur'an.

Start there.

Answer 9

They believe in God and Jesus. It's a peaceful religion that most people don't understand, so they make stuff up about it.

Answer 10

I hope their book does not encourage them to kill innocent people in the name of religion.