What is Islam?
The word Islam comes from the Arabic word "salam" which means peace. The word itself as applied to the religion means attaining peace through complete submission to the will of the Creator and the Lord of the Worlds, Allah (the One and Only God).
Islam is not only a religion, but a way of life as well. This is because a person who follows the religion of Islam finds not only how to attain spiritual fulfillment through prayer and closeness to Allah, but he or she also sleeps, eats, has relations, marries, engages in trade and commerce according to the way shown in the Holy Book of Islam, the Qur'an, in addition the teachings of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
Who are Muslims?
A Muslim is the title given to a person who follows the religion of Islam. Specifically, it refers to anyone who has submitted himself or herself to the will of Allah, and follows the example of the Prophet Muhammad (may peace by upon him).
Where do Muslims come from?
Muslims today come from all over the world. Arabs, Africans, Indians, Chinese, European, Russian, and even from the islands of the South Pacific ocean.
What do Muslims believe?
Muslims believe that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is the slave and messenger of Allah. Muslims believe in all the prophets from Adam to the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon them all).
The five greatest prophets of Islam are the prophets Nooh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Moosa (Moses), Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad (may peace be upon them all).
Muslims believe that the prophet Isa (Jesus) was a prophet sent by Allah to the nation of Israel to instill in them the teachings of the Torah, and that he was not the son of God. They believe that the original books (the Psalms, the Torah, and the Bible) that were revealed to the prophets have been corrupted and have been changed by the hands of people.
Muslims believe that the prophet Muhammad is the last messenger of Allah to the world, and that the holy book revealed to him (the Qur'an) will be safeguarded from corruption.
Muslims do not worship the prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), rather they believe that he was a man who was specially selected as a Messenger of Allah by Allah, just as He selected the messengers before Muhammad.
Who was Muhammad (Peace be Upon Him)?
Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last Messenger of Allah, and is the seal of all the prophets of Allah.
He was born in Makkah (which is in Saudi Arabia) around 570 AD. His father passed away while he was still in his mothers womb, and when he was 2 years old, his mother passed away as well.
He was brought up by his uncles, and gained a reputation amongst the tribes as a truthful, honest, and just man.
He received the first revelation from the angel Jibreel (Gabriel) when he was forty years old, whilst meditating in a cave on a mountain above the city of Makkah. He often used to go up to the mountain to meditate and contemplate about life.
The angel Jibreel recited the verses of the Qur'an to him, and he memorised them. The Qur'an was revealed the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) over a period of 23 years. At the beginning of his prophethood, most of his people refused to believe that he was a prophet of Allah, and continued to worship their idols.
The few Muslims of that time then were persecuted by the tribes of Makkah, and were forced to flee to Madinah, where the Prophet's message was accepted, and from where Islam started to flourish and spread to other areas.
Some Christians and Jews of that time recognised the traits of the promised messiah from their books, and accepted the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as the Last Messenger of Allah, and accepted Islam as a result. However, some of them did not.
Towards the final years of his prophethood, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) gained control of Makkah with his followers. He forgave all of the people who persecuted him whilst he was in Makkah, and established Makkah as a holy city.
He died at the age of 63 years, and was buried in Madinah, where his grave lies today.
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