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ISLAM For Non-Muslims

Islam (Arabic: الإسلام; al-'islām) is a monotheistic religion based upon the Qur'an, its principal scripture, whose followers, known as Muslims (مسلم), believe God (Arabic: الله Allāh) sent through revelations to Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be on Him, ). Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be on Him, ) is God's final prophet. As a result, Muslims see the actions and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be on Him, ) as related in the Sunnah and Hadith to be indispensable tools for interpreting the Qur'an.

Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam is an Abrahamic religion. There are estimated to be 1.4 billion adherents, making Islam the second-largest religion in the world.

Today, Muslims may be found throughout the world, particularly in the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia. The majority of Muslims are not Arabs; only 20 percent of Muslims originate from Arab countries. Islam is the second largest religion in the United States, United Kingdom, and many other European countries, including France which has the largest Muslim population in Western Europe.

Following is some basic information on the Beliefs and some principles regarding the Orthodox Islam and its origins

Beliefs:

Belief in one God, Allah in Arabic, constitutes the very foundation of Islam. There is no deity except Allah. He is indivisible and absolutely transcendent. God is the Almighty, the Creator and the Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him. Worship and obedience belongs to Allah and Allah alone. Joining other gods with God is an unforgivable sin.

Prophet Muhammad was born in Makkah, a city in the present-day Saudi Arabia in 570 C.E. He is a direct descendant of Prophet Ishmael, the first son of Prophet Abraham. Peace and blessings of God be on all His prophets. Muhammad received divine revelations (The Holy Quran) over a period of 23 years in the seventh century of the Christian Era. Muslims believe that he is the last Messenger sent by God for the guidance of mankind until the Day of Judgment. He is the model for humanity of all walks of life to follow until the Last Hour. God sent him as a mercy for the worlds. For details please visit http://mohammad.islamway.com/ and http://www.sultan.org/articles/prophetmuhammad.html

The primary sources of knowledge are the Holy Quran and the Sunnah (way of life of Prophet Muhammad ). Anyone wanting to live a life in worship and obedience to God should follow these teachings. For a Muslim, it is very important to recognize the love and respect to the Prophet Muhammad and realize his importance as he was sent as mercy for all worlds and hereafter. Once this is established in the heart, it is then easier to follow the path of the Prophet Muhammad .

The Holy Quran (also written as Koran) is the Divine Book revealed to Muhammad (peace be on him). The Holy Quran confirms what was revealed to earlier messengers of God and serves as the Criterion of right and wrong. The Quran is the only divine Book extant in its original text and is therefore the only source of Guidance from God for all mankind.

Belief in Islam also means:

Belief in all of God's messengers like Prophet Adam, Noah, Jonah, Joseph, Jacob, Moses, Jesus and all other biblical Prophets (peace & blessings of God be on them all) and belief in Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) as His last messenger.
It is a major sin in Islam to deny any of the previous Prophets and such person is not considered Muslim.
Belief in all the books sent down to His prophets. These books include Torah, Zabur, Injeel (Gospel) and Quran. The Holy Quran is the only divine book in extant today in the original revealed form (For the last 1400 years).
Belief in the existence of angels.
Belief in the Day of Judgment, Life after Death, Heaven and Hell (Everyone is responsible of their deeds and will be rewarded/punished in the hereafter according to what they did in this world).
Belief in the Divine Decree or Predestination, its good and its bad.

It is a known fact that every language has one or more terms that are used in reference to God and sometimes to lesser deities. This is not the case with Allah. Allah is the personal name of the One true God. Nothing else can be called Allah. The term has no plural or gender. This shows its uniqueness when compared with the word god which can be made plural, gods, or feminine, goddess. It is interesting to notice that Allah is the personal name of God in Aramaic, the language of Jesus and a sister language of Arabic. The One true God is a reflection of the unique concept that Islam associates with God. To a Muslim, Allah is the Almighty, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, Who is similar to nothing and nothing is comparable to Him. The Prophet Muhammad was asked by his contemporaries about Allah; the answer came directly from God Himself in the form of a short chapter of the Quran, which is considered the essence of the unity or the motto of monotheism. This is chapter 112 which reads:

"In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Say (O Muhammad ) He is God the One God, the Everlasting Refuge, who has not begotten, nor has been begotten, and equal to Him is not anyone."

Muslim Worship:

A Muslim's life is a perfect balance between spiritual and physical needs and aspirations. Any act done with the intention of reward from God is worship and obedience to God as long as it is according to the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him) as given in the Holy Quran and his Sunnah.
A Muslim's daily life is scheduled around the five daily prayers. It starts with getting up before sunrise and praying Fajr, then Zuhr at early afternoon, Asr at late afternoon, Maghrib after sunset, and Isha prayer late at night. There are other optional prayers which a Muslim can perform at other times of the day and night. Prophet Muhammad used to pray Tahajjud prayer daily before dawn. Along with these prayers, Muslims also pray as in congregation on the two Eids in the year and on every Friday.
A Muslim must be a charitable person. There is a small percentage of charity required by all able Muslims to give on their yearly savings. However, the concept and requirements of charity go far beyond the required amount. Giving of the required amount simply makes a person Muslim according to the Islamic Law. Giving charity is a way of seeking forgiveness from God for our sins.
Another great form of worship is daily fasting in the ninth Islamic month of Ramadan. Every able Muslim fasts daily from dawn to sunset. The fasting is a great help to seek God-fearing and piety.
All able Muslims are also required to go for Hajj, a pilgrimage to Makkah (Saudi Arabia), at least once in their lifetime.