The Religion of Islam
Islam literally means submission to God. It is derived from the same root-word as salaam, which means peace. The main basis of Islam is the submission of oneself to the Will of God.
Allah is the Arabic word for God and defines His Oneness and His Uniqueness. He is the same God that created Adam and Eve (peace be upon them), the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them). Islam is the completion of the Message brought forth by all these Prophets that was revealed to Muhammad by God through the arch-angel Gabriel.
Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad is the last and final Messenger of God. He delivered the Message that 1.6 billion Muslims around the globe follow, which consists of the Qur'an, the Spoken Word of God, and the Sunnah (actions) and Hadith (sayings) of the Prophet Muhammad.
THE FIVE PILLARS OF ISLAM
Shahada [Declaration of Faith]: The declaration that "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God."
Salat [Prayer]: The observation of five daily prayers - Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha.
Sawm [Fasting]: Fasting during the daylight hours of the holy month of Ramadan. This refrain is not only from food but all immoral activity.
Zakat [Charity]: Every year, a Muslim must give a certain percentage of their wealth to the needy.
Hajj [Pilgrimage]: Every year, millions of Muslims follow in the footsteps of the Prophet Abraham and his family and go to the holy city of Mecca to perform pilgrimage.
Resources
The Islamic Association of Raleigh: http://www.raleighmasjid.org
The Council on American-Islamic Relations: http://www.cair.com
Online Qur'an: http://www.quran.com
Online Hadith: http://www.sunnah.com
Biography of the Prophet Muhammad: Muhammad by Yahiya Emerick
English Qur'an Translation: The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an in Today's English (Extended Study Edition) by Yahiya Emerick
