• What is Islam?
• Who is Allah?
• What is Quran or Koran?
• Where do Muslims get their rituals and rulings?
• How do we know the Quran is correct and hasn’t been manipulated?
• Do Muslims believe in an afterlife?
• What are the five pillars of Islam?
• How do Muslims view Christianity?
• What is Ramadan?
• Do I need to learn Arabic to become Muslim?
• What does Allahu Akbar mean?
• What does PBUH mean?
• What does Haram mean?
• Why new Muslims are called “reverts”?
• What is Hijab? And is it obligatory for Muslim women?
• Are sexual relationships allowed in Islam?
• Is drinking Alcohol beverages allowed in Islam?
• I am a woman who wants to become a Muslim but my husband is not a Muslim, will this affect my relationship?
• What does Jihad mean?
• Does Islam encourage aggressive behaviors?
• Why does the media link terrorism to Islam?
• Who are Shia Muslims?

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What is Islam?

Islam is an Arabic word which literally means “total submission” to the one God (Allah) who created this world and all worlds. Islam is a religion which is based on this concept, and restricts any form of idolatry or polytheism.

Who is Allah?

Allah is the Arabic name for God. He is our almighty creator and the creator of heavens and earth and all things, whom we must worship and submit to.

What is Quran or Koran?

The Quran is the holy book for Muslims, it is the revelation directly from God to his messenger Mohammad (Peace be upon him). It is the main reference where Muslims take their rulings.

The Quran is a message sent by God to all humanity.

God said: {We have sent you ˹O Prophet˺ only as a deliverer of good news and a warner to all of humanity, but most people do not know} [Saba’:28].

Where do Muslims get their rituals and rulings?

Muslims refer to 2 main sources for their rulings and different acts of worship, they are:

1) The Quran; which is the word of God.

2) Prophet Mohammad’s teachings; which are documented in books called “Sunnah books”.

How do we know the Quran is correct and hasn’t been manipulated?

Try to read the Quran in your own language and you will feel that such text can never be spoken by anyone but the almighty God.

In addition to that, you should know that the Qur’an was memorized generation after generation by millions and millions of people since the time it was revealed by God to prophet Mohammad. Each person who memorizes the Qur’an belongs to a fully connected, verified chain of memorizers reaching prophet Mohammad, and this has been going on since then and still going on layer by layer (Generation after generation). This is called “Isnad”.

This means that the Qur’an is impossible to be manipulated by any person or group, and is fully preserved in the hearts of people from different regions in the world.

God said: {It is certainly We Who have revealed the Reminder, and it is certainly We Who will preserve it} [Al-Hijr:9].

Do Muslims believe in an afterlife?

Yes, Muslims must believe that there is a judgement day where people will be judged according to their deeds, and then will either go to paradise or to hell.

What are the five pillars of Islam?

The 5 pillars of Islam are the 5 symbols in which if someone abides to, then he is a true Muslim. The five pillars are:

1. The Shahadah (Declaration of faith).
2. Obligatory prayer (5 times a day).
3. Compulsory giving (Zakat).
4. Ramadan fasting.
5. Pilgrimage.

We shall explain them now one by one.

1) The declaration of faith (Shahada)

This is to believe and confess that there is no god but Allah (God), and that Mohammad is the messenger of God. Christians would also need to confess that Jesus is just a messenger of God and is not a deity nor the son of God.

It is preferable to declare the Shahada in a Mosque or in front of a group of Muslims, to better bond with Islam and the Muslim community, but one can also declare it privately if he can’t announce it.

2) Prayer

Muslims are committed to 5 obligatory prayers per day, each has its own timing of the day: dawn, noon, afternoon, evening, night.

A Muslim can do his prayer anywhere, either as a single, or in a group, and most preferably in a Mosque. A prayer in average takes between 5 to 10 minutes only.

3) Compulsory giving (Zakat)

If a Muslim has enough money, he must give 2.5% of it each year to the people in need, this is to purify himself and be blessed.

4) Ramadan fasting

Muslims fast the whole lunar month Ramadan, where they would prohibit themselves from food, drink and sexual intercourse, from dawn to sunset, everyday, until the end of Ramadan.

One can freely eat, drink and have sex with his wife after sunset, until dawn. Sick people are excused, but must compensate skipped days in a later time of the year.

5) Pilgrimage

A Muslim must make the pilgrimage to Mecca (In Saudi Arabia) at least one time in his lifetime, if he was able to make it.

The pilgrimage consists of several rituals spread among several days. It takes place in the last month of an Islamic lunar year, the month is called Thulhijja.

The Saudi Arabian government currently allows a certain percentage of Muslims per country, and prefers the most elderly.

How do Muslims view Christianity?

Muslims believe in Jesus, but only as a prophet and a messenger, not a god or a son of God, even though he was born from Mary without a father.

Muslims totally deny “Trinity” and believe that any form of idolatry or polytheism gets a person out of Islam and will lead him to hell for eternity and will never be rewarded Paradise.

God said in the Quran: {Those who say, “Allah is one in a Trinity,” have certainly fallen into disbelief. There is only One God. If they do not stop saying this, those who disbelieve among them will be afflicted with a painful punishment} [Al-Maida:73].

Therefore, Muslims believe that Christians who don’t believe in one God for this world are disbelievers (Infidels), and therefore will never be rewarded Paradise.

Muslims also believe that Jesus was never crucified.

Muslims believe that Christians lost guidance because of manipulations which affected the Bible throughout history.

Muslim men are allowed to marry Christian women and eat poultry given to them or purchased from Christians. Same goes for Jews.

What is Ramadan?

Muslims follow the 12-month lunar calendar for their different acts of worship. Ramadan is one of the lunar months in which Muslims start fasting from dawn to sunset everyday until the end of the month.

Fasting the month of Ramadan is one of the 5 pillars of Islam, and is obligatory for healthy adults and teenagers.

Do I need to learn Arabic to become Muslim?

Not entirely. A non-Arabic speaker who becomes a Muslim only needs to learn a few Quran verses and words for his prayer, other than that, he can rely on the translations available in multiple languages to learn and understand Islam.

What does Allahu Akbar mean?

It is an Arabic phrase meaning “God is most great”.

What does PBUH mean?

It is an abbreviation to Peace Be Upon Him, and is usually used when mentioning prophets and messengers.

What does Haram mean?

Haram is an Arabic word which means “Forbidden”.

Haram are acts which God prohibits Muslims to do, so adultery is considered Haram for example.

Why new Muslims are called “reverts”?

English speaking Muslims use this term to show that the person who converts to Islam has “reverted” to the correct path and way of life which he was created to live by, and is the closest to the human instinct which God had instilled in him.

The Prophet (PBUH) said, “Every child is born with a true faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) and his parents convert him to Judaism or Christianity or Magianism, as an animal delivers a perfect baby animal. Do you find it mutilated?” [Sahih Bukhari:1385]

What is Hijab? And is it obligatory for Muslim women?

Hijab is an Arabic word which literally means “Cover”. In practice, it is the cover for women’s body against foreign men. Women must cover their hair and body, and are allowed to expose their faces and hands only when they get out of their houses or meet with foreign men.

Hijab is obligatory for women, and it is a sin for a woman to not cover herself, but she is still a Muslim even if she doesn’t wear a Hijab.

Hijab protect’s the woman’s value and dignity.

Are sexual relationships allowed in Islam?

Islam totally prohibits any sorts of love/romantic relationships with anyone but spouse.

A Muslim man having a “girlfriend” is prohibited, and a Muslim woman having a “boyfriend” is prohibited.

Is drinking Alcohol beverages allowed in Islam?

No, it is prohibited even in small amounts.

I am a woman who wants to become a Muslim but my husband is not a Muslim, will this affect my relationship?

Muslim women are forbidden from marrying non-Muslim men, so your husband must also convert to Islam if you want to stay with him, otherwise you must get divorced.

What does Jihad mean?

Jihad is an Arabic word which literally means to “exhaust one’s self”. In practice, it means that a Muslim must put all his effort in strengthening, defending, and spreading God’s word and religion, whether it was through money, battles or speech.

Does Islam encourage aggressive behavior?

No it does not.

However, Islam encourages and urges Muslims to defend themselves, their religion and their belongings at all costs. Islam does not encourage hurting or oppressing peaceful people even if they were not Muslims.

God said in the Quran: {Allāh does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes – from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allāh loves those who act justly. Allāh only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion – [forbids] that you make allies of them. And whoever makes allies of them, then it is those who are the wrongdoers} [Al-Mumtahina:8-9].

Why does the media link terrorism to Islam?

100% Politics.

However, there are extremists who consider themselves to be Muslims, called “Khawarej”, but even the majority of Muslims suffer from this minority and their wrong understanding of Islam.

The Khawarej have been directly involved in the assassination of notable Muslim leaders since 1300 years ago, and are considered to be enemies of the Muslim majority.

Islam does not permit suicidal attacks, and does not permit treacherous attacks against countries and communities not in war with Muslims.

God said: {Fight in the cause of Allah ˹only˺ against those who wage war against you, but do not exceed the limits. Allah does not like transgressors} [Al-Baqara:190].

Who are Shia Muslims?

Shia is a minority group belonging to Islam, whom have their own beliefs and some differences in acts of worship. They are the result of a conflict which happened between Muslim leaders more than 1000 years ago.

Shia are currently spread mostly in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon.

This website is not related to Shia.