A little about Islam.....

I believe in and practice Islam, lets see what Islam is all about, lets remove the Islam-o-phobia!

What is Islam?
Islam is not a new religion, but the same truth that God (Allah) revealed through all His
Prophets to every people. For a fifth of the world’s population, Islam is both a religion and a
complete way of life. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness and the
majority have nothing to do with the extremely grave events which have come be associated
with their faith.

What does Islam mean?
The Arabic word ‘Islam’ simply means ‘submission’, and derives from a word meaning
‘peace’. In a religious context it means complete submission to the will of God.
‘Mohammedanism’ is thus a misnomer because it suggests that Muslims worship Muhammad
(pbuh) rather than God. ‘Allah’ is the Arabic name of God, which is used by Arab Muslims and
Christians alike.

Who are the Muslims?
Over one billion people from a vast range of races, nationalities and cultures across the globe -
from the southern Philippines to Nigeria - are united by the common Islamic faith. About 18%
live in the Arab world; the world’s largest Muslim community is in Indonesia; substantial parts of
Asia and most of Africa’s population is Muslim, while significant minorities are to be found in the
Soviet Union, China, North and South America, and Europe.

What do Muslims believe?
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 of human destiny and in life
after death. Muslims believe in a chain of Prophets starting with Adam and including Noah,
Abraham, Ishmael, Issac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Elias, 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 the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) through Angel Gabriel

How does someone become a Muslim?
Simply by saying ‘there is no god apart from God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God.’
By this declaration the believer announces his or her faith in all of God’s Messengers and the
scriptures they brought.

Why does Islam often seem strange?
Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is because religion
does not dominate everyday life in the West today, whereas Muslims have religion always
uppermost in their minds, and make no division between secular and sacred. They believe that
the Divine Law, the Shariah, should be taken very seriously, which is why issues related to
religion are still so important.