What does "Islam" mean?
Islam means submitting to Allah, the One God, willingly and with peace of heart. A Muslim is a person who submits to Allah. Islam is not a new religion: it is the same message brought by all prophets, from Adam to Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa and finally Muhammad ﷺ.
إِنَّ ٱلدِّينَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ ٱلۡإِسۡلَٰمُۗ وَمَا ٱخۡتَلَفَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡكِتَٰبَ إِلَّا مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مَا جَآءَهُمُ ٱلۡعِلۡمُ بَغۡيَۢا بَيۡنَهُمۡۗ وَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِـَٔايَٰتِ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ سَرِيعُ ٱلۡحِسَابِ
Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allāh is Islām. And those who were given the Scripture did not differ except after knowledge had come to them - out of jealous animosity between themselves. And whoever disbelieves in the verses of Allāh, then indeed, Allāh is swift in [taking] account.
Belief in one God
At the heart of Islam is tawhid: Allah is One, He has no partner, no child and no equal. Everything else is His creation. Surah al-Ikhlas sums it up in four short ayat.
قُلۡ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ
Say, "He is Allāh, [who is] One,[2011]
Translator’s notes
[2011] Alone, without another, indivisible with absolute and permanent unity and distinct from all else. The one and only true deity, unique in His essence, attributes and deeds.
ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ
Allāh, the Eternal Refuge.[2012]
Translator’s notes
[2012] He who is absolute, perfect, complete, essential, self-sufficient and sufficient to meet the needs of all creation; the one eternally and constantly required and sought, depended upon by all existence and to whom all matters will ultimately return.
لَمۡ يَلِدۡ وَلَمۡ يُولَدۡ
He neither begets nor is born,
وَلَمۡ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدُۢ
Nor is there to Him any equivalent."
The five pillars of Islam
The Prophet ﷺ taught that Islam is built on five: the shahadah (testifying there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His Messenger), the five daily prayers, zakah (yearly charity from savings), fasting in Ramadan, and Hajj to Makkah once in life for those who are able.
بُنِيَ الإِسْلاَمُ عَلَى خَمْسٍ شَهَادَةِ أَنْ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَإِقَامِ الصَّلاَةِ، وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ، وَالْحَجِّ، وَصَوْمِ رَمَضَانَ
"Islam is built on five: testifying that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayer, giving zakah, Hajj, and fasting in Ramadan."
The six articles of faith
A Muslim believes in Allah, His angels, His revealed books (including the Torah, the Injil and the Quran), His messengers, the Last Day, and the divine decree.
ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَـٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيۡنَ أَحَدٖ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦۚ وَقَالُواْ سَمِعۡنَا وَأَطَعۡنَاۖ غُفۡرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ
The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allāh and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination."
أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلاَئِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ
Faith (iman) is "to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers and the Last Day, and to believe in the divine decree, its good and its bad."
Excellence (ihsan) and good character
Islam is not only rituals. It asks for justice, kindness to parents and neighbours, honesty in trade, and mercy to all creation. The highest level is ihsan: to worship Allah as if you see Him.
۞إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأۡمُرُ بِٱلۡعَدۡلِ وَٱلۡإِحۡسَٰنِ وَإِيتَآيِٕ ذِي ٱلۡقُرۡبَىٰ وَيَنۡهَىٰ عَنِ ٱلۡفَحۡشَآءِ وَٱلۡمُنكَرِ وَٱلۡبَغۡيِۚ يَعِظُكُمۡ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَذَكَّرُونَ
Indeed, Allāh orders justice and good conduct and giving [help] to relatives and forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.
أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ
Excellence (ihsan) is "to worship Allah as though you see Him, and if you do not see Him, He surely sees you."
Purpose of life and no compulsion
The Quran teaches that we were created to know and worship Allah, and that this life is a test before the Hereafter. It also says there is no compulsion in religion: faith must come from the heart.
وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ ٱلۡجِنَّ وَٱلۡإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُونِ
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.
لَآ إِكۡرَاهَ فِي ٱلدِّينِۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشۡدُ مِنَ ٱلۡغَيِّۚ فَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ وَيُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِٱلۡعُرۡوَةِ ٱلۡوُثۡقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become distinct from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in ṭāghūt[104] and believes in Allāh has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allāh is Hearing and Knowing.
Translator’s notes
[104] False objects of worship, such as idols, heavenly bodies, spirits, human beings, etc.
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Translation: English Translation - Noor International Center — QuranEnc.com, version 1.1.2. Issued by Noor International Center.
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