All About Islam
Islam is a monotheistic world religion practiced by 1 billion people around the globe, of which less than 1/5th are Arab. Islam, which in Arabic means peace or submission to God, began in the 7th century CE when Allah (God, in Arabic) revealed the holy book of the Qur’an to the Muslim prophet, Muhammad.
While less than one-fifth of Muslims are Arab, the language of Islamic practice is Arabic, since that is the language used by Allah to reveal the Qur’an to Muhammad. There are Five Pillars, or essential tenets, of the Islamic faith, including the belief in God (Allah), five-times daily ritual prayer, alms-giving, fasting during Ramadan, pilgrimage to Mecca.
Islam is the third of the three major monotheistic religions, including Judaism and Christianity. Muslims believe that Allah revealed the Qur’an to his prophet Muhammad as the final holy book. The faith also accepts the prophecy of the Jewish Bible and the Christian scriptures.
Muhammad’s prophecy is viewed as the succession of a revelation that began with Adam and Noah, and continued through Abraham and Jesus. Of particular significance is Abraham, who quite literally fathered both Judaism (through his son Isaac) and Islam (through his son Ishmael).
