What is Islam?

At its core, the religion of Islam is to believe in and submit to Allah (God) and only him, to take no others as equal to him, and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is his last prophet and messenger. Those that follow the religion of Islam are called Muslims.
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What is the Quran?

The Quran is the holy book of Islam. It听is the miracle and the basis of the religion that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by Allah through the highest of听angels, Jibreel (Gabriel). It was revealed to Muhammad (peace be upon him)听over a period of twenty three years, many times revelations came during certain events as a resolution for听matters and a guidance for future situations, but most importantly it was to make the hearts of believers firm as they were given continuous knowledge from Allah through Muhammad (peace be upon him) as a chance to better understand and apply the verses gradually.

It听contains the divine and uncorrupted听words of Allah and details the laws and commandments from Allah and acts as a guidance听for mankind.听It tells what is permitted and forbidden through the wisdom of Allah, how to act morally and socially, and depicts the stories of the previous prophets and messengers such as Isa (Jesus), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), etc. Connecting Islam to the other abrahamic religions and how Islam is the uncorrupted continuation of these religions. The Quran is split into 30 juz (sections/parts) and contains 114 surahs (chapters).
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Who is Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)?

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last prophet and messenger of Allah. And to answer the quick question you might have, "peace be upon him" is added at the end of any mention of the Prophet as a sign of respect and as a prayer for听him which can be done听for any other Prophets in Islam. However, for the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) specifically, it is commanded for us to send peace and blessings upon him in the Quran (33:56) and so it is an act of worship which would be rewarded by Allah if we do so as well.

Muhammad (peace be upon him) was born in 570 CE in the city of Mecca. He soon became an orphan at the age of 6 after his mother died and his father having already passed before his birth. He was then under the care of his grandfather, who soon passed after only 2 years. His uncle then took care of him and he helped his uncle with his caravan. He grew up with the most honest and trustworthy of character and known to be such by others even before his prophethood. It was when he was 40 that the听revelation of the Quran was revealed to him by the angel Jibreel. From then on, he became the prophet and messenger of Allah and spread the religion of Islam until his death in 632 CE in Medina.

However, it must be known his life was never easy. By his own people for trying to spread the message of Islam, he and his followers were听insulted, persecuted, and were only shown hostility.听Yet he continued to call them to Islam with gentleness. So many messengers he sent to help preach Islam were killed and he grieved for each one of them, many times his life was under attack, he had witnessed more than 70 of his companions killed, and was even chased out of his own home and city. Yet his patience never thinned. He lost 6 of his children within his lifetime, with only one outliving him. Yet his faith in Allah never dwindled. His charity knew no bounds, he never lived a life of luxury and gave more than he kept for himself.听His kindness, humility, and mercy were inspiring, for he even forgave the people of Mecca听that persecuted him for many years on end. And throughout his life, he never lost his smile.

His lifestyle, his manner of speech, his daily practices--all these things (called his Sunnah, "habitual practice" in English) about the prophet were what any believer in Islam could only hope to emulate without error. These practices were remembered by the companions of the prophet and eventually recorded by others for the benefit of his ummah (muslim community/world) called Hadith. He was the greatest of mankind and the only one suitable to be the last prophet and messenger of Allah.

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The Five Pillars of Islam:

  1. To bear witness that there is no God, but Allah and that Muhammad听(peace be upon him) is his messenger

    • This is called the Shahadah ("testimony/witness" in English) and is what is needed to be said if one wants to become a muslim. It is the main belief in Islam and the most important pillar of Islam, otherwise one wouldn't be considered a muslim.

  2. Perform Salat (Daily Prayers)

    • Muslims must pray the 5 obligatory prayers every day:听Fajr (sunrise prayer), Dhuhr (noon prayer), Asr (afternoon prayer), Maghrib (sunset prayer), and Isha (night prayer).

  3. Give Zakat (Obligatory Charity)

    • The amount of zakat is 2.5% of your yearly income that you've had for one lunar year and is meant to purify your earnings.听It is mandatory only if you have wealth equal to 85 grams of gold (~$5300) or more. Otherwise, it's not obligated听so those that don't have enough money aren't burdened.

  4. Fast during the month of Ramadan

    • Muslims are听obligated to fast everyday of the holy month of Ramadan, from sunrise until sunset. If they're physically unable to during Ramadan, such as traveling, sick, menstruating, pregnant, etc.听then they have to make up for the fast afterwards. If they're not able to make up the fast, such as due to old age or an illness, then they need to feed someone in need for each missed day of fasting.

    • The month of Ramadan is not meant only to feel hunger to empathize with those in need, but to bring one closer to Allah by cutting away worldy desires and focusing on the worship of Allah.听That includes reading Quran, giving charity, having the best of manners, and overall just doing good deeds as the reward for doing them is听multiplied during this month and more beloved to Allah.

  5. Perform Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca)

    • A muslim must perform Hajj at听least once in their life, as long as they're听able to physically and can afford it.

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Islam Resources to Continue Learning Islam

  • Local Masjid (speak to the imam/spiritual leader) - A masjid is the house of Allah and all are welcome and recommended to learn Islam through visiting a masjid and talking with the imam and others there, such as

  • Quran & Tafsir (Commentary)听- Reading the Quran听can give you a good understanding of the religion. However, due to translations not always being equal to how it was originally in Arabic and the many contexts that Surahs and Ayahs (chapters and verses) were revealed in, some things may be confusing or need context to be more understandable.听That's how Tafsir, commentary written by scholars of Islam, can help by providing more context to chapters in the Quran and more explanation on meanings of words in Arabic if it may have multiple meanings or needs the cultural context of the word, etc. However, it's always best to听ask someone knowledgeable any questions you may have regarding the Quran, such as your local imam or scholars in Islam if you happen to听know any.

  • Hadith (Records of the Prophet)听- These are the Sunnah (Practices) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) narrated by the Sahaba (Companions of the Prophet) and compiled by those that came after them. They are meant to be used in conjunction with the Quran to further understand the religion and practice it fully. However, due to the same reasons as the Quran when they are translated, some hadith are recommended not to be taken at face value unless you're a scholar in Islam or knowledgabe in the religion as you may misinterpret the meaning.

    Some hadith are also considered听less reliable compared to others due to the Isnad (Chain of narration from hearing it from the Prophet, to it being heard by a companion of the Prophet, to it being written down and recorded听by another) and the reliability of the Isnad听is taken into consideration when deciding if a hadith is reliable or not. So it's best to ask a scholar in Islam or the local imam if you have any questions regarding hadith.