What is Islam?

Islam is one of the three Abrahamic religions alongside Judaism and Christianity. The name “Islam” derives from the Arabic word Salm (in English, “peace”); it signifies the way to inner peace through the unconditional acceptance of God’s will. The word “Muslim” literally means “one who submits to the will of God to attain peace.”

Practitioners of Islam are known as Muslims, who presently number approximately 1.3 billion people, or 20% of the world’s total population. According to Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, there are over 2.35 million Muslims in the United States, and other studies suggest that the population of American Muslims stands at about 5 million.

What does it mean to be Muslim?

Being Muslim means acknowledging, worshipping, and seeking guidance from one’s Creator, God. It also means believing that Muhammad (d. 632) was God’s messenger, and that his teachings were intended to create a community of believers with a historical relationship with preceding “People of the Book,” whose traditions stem from the scriptures and teachings of earlier prophets of God.

Furthermore, being Muslim means believing that each human being is endowed with a soul inclined towards God, that all people are connected as “children of Adam,” that human beings have individual and collective responsibilities to enhance goodness in the world, and that each person is ultimately accountable to God for his or her own moral and ethical choices.

Who was Muhammad?

Muslims universally honor the Prophet Muhammad, founder of the Islamic faith. Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca in the year 570 CE, at a time of great social upheaval in present-day Saudi Arabia. He was orphaned as a child, overcame many obstacles, and became a respected businessman by his 30s, known for his honesty and compassion for the poor. At the age of 40, Muhammad is said to have received the first of many divine revelations from the Angel Gabriel. These revelations continued for 23 years and have been collected into, what we today call, the Qur’an (or Koran).

While highly esteemed by Muslims as a messenger of God, Muhammad is considered a mortal human being, not a divine personage. Islamic tradition prohibits any depictions of the prophet Muhammad in works of art (and in the modern day, in films) to insure against his inappropriately being taken as an object of worship.

What is the Qur’an?

Islam’s central holy text is called the Qur’an (or “Recitations” in Arabic). It comprises the collected revelations received by the Prophet Muhammad from God through the Angel Gabriel between 610 CE and Muhammad’s death in 632 CE.

The Qur’an contains stories of prophets including Joseph, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad; guidelines for just society and proper conduct; warnings about the Day of Judgment; and instructions on religious practice. The text is divided into 114 chapters (“suras”) consisting of verses (“ayat”). Muslims recite the Qur’an in Arabic not merely to learn the content of the text, but as a religious ritual that allows them to experience God directly. This practice is comparable to the Christian ritual of the Eucharist – a means of communing with the Divine through inspired practice, not merely reciting poetry or drinking wine.

What are “The Five Pillars” of Islam?

Traditionally known as “The Five Pillars of Islam,” they are the main practices Islam enjoins on its practitioners:

1. Shahada: Belief in One God and that Muhammad is a messenger of God.
2. Salaat: Prayer five times a day.
3. Sawm: Fasting from sunrise to sunset during the month of Ramadan.
4. Zakat: Annual payment of 2.5% of total wealth for the benefit of the poor.
5. Hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in one’s lifetime, if physically and financially able.

Shahada is the first and most important ritual. It is the simple declaration, “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” These words form the profession of faith and provide the basis for conversion. Any person who sincerely recites the Shahada is considered a Muslim -- no other ritual is required.

Salaat is prayer performed five times throughout the day while facing towards Mecca. The prayer consists of repeating a few verses from the Qur’an and performing a sequence of ritual bows and prostrations before God. Prayers begin with ritual salutations and calls for peace for Muhammad, his followers and the descendants of Abraham. On Fridays, Muslims gather for pray communally in mosques around the world.

Sawm is the practice of fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Observant Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn until dusk during this month, the time of year when the Prophet Muhammad is believed to have begun receiving revelations from God.

Zakat is the giving of charity to help the less fortunate. Muslims who are financially able are expected to give 2.5% of their net worth to the poor and needy.

Hajj means “pilgrimage.” Every Muslim is called to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his or her lifetime if financially and physically able. Once there, Muslims perform specific rituals and prayers around the Ka’aba, a black cubic structure thought to be God’s first dwelling place on earth. Approximately two million Muslims complete the Hajj every year. In addition to the five practices, Islam forbids the eating of pork or the drinking of alcohol.

What do Muslims Believe?

Muslim tradition includes beliefs in:

1. The God of Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad is, according to Islam, the one Supreme Being, called in Arabic Allah (in English, “The God”). Muslims believe that God is eternal and infinite, genderless and without form;
2. Angels, of whom the angel Gabriel is most significant. Muslims believe Gabriel transmitted God’s words to the Prophet Muhammad, who spoke the inspired words over a twenty-three year period to his followers. These recitations (or “Qur’an” in Arabic) form the center of the Islamic tradition;
3. Messengers or “prophets”: Muhammad is regarded by Muslims as the last in a long line of God-inspired figures that includes Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, Mary, and John the Baptist.
4. Scriptures and God’s Revelations to Moses (Torah), Jesus (Gospels) and to Muhammad (Qur’an – see above.). The second coming of Jesus, the Day of Judgment, Heaven and Hell.

Frequently Used Terms:

Abrahamic Faiths: This expression signifies the interconnections between the three major monotheistic faiths, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Each expresses reverence for the patriarch Abraham, whose descendants carried forth his belief in one God.

Allah: Arabic word meaning “God,” typically used by Muslims in reference to the same God worshipped by Christians and Jews.

As salaamu alaikum: The traditional Muslim greeting spoken in Arabic, meaning “Peace be with you.” It is often used for “hello” and “good-bye.”

Allahu Akbar: Arabic expression meaning “God is the Greatest,” used to express joy, courage, humility, and other emotions, in recognition of God as powerful over all things and the ultimate source of all good.

Hijab: Literally, the word translates as "curtain" or "veil." It refers to the headscarf and non-revealing clothing worn by many Muslim women to exhibit modesty as part of their faith in God. The style of headscarf and dress varies from culture to culture. Islamic clothing norms for women and men are part of an overall commitment to modest behavior and respectful interaction.

Islam: While often construed as an unthinking "submission to the will of God," the word signifies a conscious and active choice in the belief in One God, and willingness to conform one’s life to God’s teachings. It originates from the Arabic word "salaam," which means peace, and therefore suggests that God-consciousness leads to a greater sense of peace and contentment in the midst of worldly concerns.

Jihad: Arabic word meaning "striving in the way of God." This striving can take a number of forms, and the word expresses in religious form the common daily human struggle to be a better person by overcoming temptations, being consumed by unhealthy emotions, and avoiding harm to oneself or others. In addition to this fundamental spiritual usage rooted in the Qur’an, the term has been employed in Islamic discourse as a commonplace reference to Muslim military encounters with rival imperial powers (Muslim, Christian or otherwise) throughout the pre-modern period. In contemporary times, given the term’s resonance with average Muslims, legitimate social and political movements, as well as militant groups who violate aspects of Islamic law regarding the sanctity of life, employ the term, creating much confusion and misunderstanding regarding the teachings of Islam itself, as distinct from political ideologies.

Ka'aba: (literally "the cube" in Arabic) A simple stone structure that according to Islamic tradition was built in ancient times by Abraham and his son Ishmael as a house of monotheistic worship. It is located inside what is today the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The Ka'aba is considered the center of Muslim cosmology (beliefs about the physical and metaphysical structure of the world), and is a unifying focal point for daily Islamic worship, as well as the annual pilgrimage (Hajj).

Muhammad (570-632 CE): A humble and well-regarded Arab trader of Mecca who at the age of 40 was approached by the Angel Gabriel and given the task of conveying God’s teachings. Muhammad’s message, in the form of passages of the Qur’an revealed to him over the rest of his life, emphasized God’s Oneness and clarified numerous issues addressed in scriptures and traditions revealed through earlier prophets. Islam holds that Muhammad was the "Seal of Prophets," or final messenger of God, whose teachings are consistent with those of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and many others. Muslims consider his life example (Sunnah), as recorded in historical accounts or narrations (Hadith), to be the best example of total submission to God, and a guide to proper human and Islamic behavior. In the course of his life, Muhammad experienced a wide range of human circumstances and emotions, having been an orphan, a shepard, a merchant, a husband to a diverse range of women, a father and grandfather, and a widower and parent who lost children to death. He was a charismatic persona, an able leader, and a sensitive judge of human affairs, Far from the caricature produced in medieval Europe and perpetuated even today, Muhammad was a remarkable and praiseworthy human being. He died of natural causes in the city of Medina, having fulfilled his mission.

Qur'an: The scripture of Islam, called "The Recitation,” referring to the oral quality of its memorization, transmission and usage in Muslim worship. It is comprised of revelations received by Muhammad from God through the Angel Gabriel, and as such is believed to be God's literal words. Some of the revelations address universal principles or themes, such as God’s majesty, the nature of Creation, and human freedom to choose between good and evil. Other passages address situations faced by Muhammad and the early Muslim community, while some are retellings of familiar Biblical stories. Many passages deal with the Day of Judgment and Afterlife, ethical teachings, working for justice and worshipping God. The Qur’an is not organized according to the chronological sequence of revelations, but in terms of broad thematic and topical patterns intended to create a cumulative spiritual effect upon the listener/reader. As such, the scripture is comprised of 114 chapters, starting with a short Opening of the Qu'ran, and continuing from the longest chapter to the shortest.

Sharia: An Arabic word meaning “the path,” suggesting guidance throughout life for followers of Islam. Commonly used in reference to Islamic law,Sharia is a legal framework for organizing Muslim societies according to teachings of the Qur’an, the life example (Sunnah) of Muhammad, and considerations of public welfare, established custom, and other factors. Importantly, Sharia is not a pre-existing set of explicit teachings dictated by God, but is an ideal that Muslim jurists and scholars seek to approach through their production of a body of law that is continuously debated, contested and reformulated. Individual “laws” are no more than juristic opinions that acquire a degree of consensus among scholars, and even well-established positions may be reevaluated for relevance in any given time and location. While the term Sharia has acquired a negative connotation due to cases of misuse or its association with political regimes, it remains an important, though not exclusive, means through which Islamic teachings find real-world application.

For more terms related to Islam and Muslims visit PBS.org's glossary of terms.