The religion of Islam is the acceptance of and obedience to the teachings of God

which He revealed to His last prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him).

�Islam� literally means peace through submission to God by belief in His Oneness
and by obedience to Him. Thus, Islam claimed to be the same religion preached by
all the earlier prophets, in whom Muslims must also believe. These prophets include
Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, John the Baptist, and Jesus (peace be
upon them all), among others.

The Quran says: �And We did not send before you (O Muhammad) any apostle but We
revealed to him that there is no god but Me, therefore worship Me.� (Quran 21:25)
Shannon at 18:32, Dec 27:
The Arabic word 'Islam' simply means 'submission', and is derived from a word
meaning 'peace'. In a religious context it means complete submission to the will of
God. Thus the religion of Islam is the acceptance of and obedience to the teachings
of God which He revealed to His last prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him).

Muslims believe in one, unique, incomparable God, Who has neither son nor partner,
and that none has the right to be worshipped, invoked, supplicated to, or shown any
act of worship but Him alone. God alone is the Almighty, the Creator, the
Sovereign, and the Sustainer of everything in the whole universe. He manages all
affairs. He stands in need of none of His creatures, and all His creatures depend
on Him for all that they need.

Muslims also believe in the Angels created by God; in the prophets through whom
God�s revelations were brought to mankind; in the Day of Judgement and individual
accountability for actions; in God's complete authority over human destiny and in
life after death. Islam is basically the same religion preached by all the earlier
prophets, in whom Muslims must also believe. These prophets starting with Adam and
including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David,
Solomon, Elias, Jonah, John the Baptist, and Jesus, peace be upon them. The main
message of all the Prophets has always been that there is only One True God and He
alone is worthy of being supplicated to and worshipped. But God's final message to
man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message and a summing-up of all that has gone
before was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through Gabriel.

Islam has 5 major pillars. They are:

1. Belief in only one God and Muhammad as His Messenger.
2. Prayer- 5 times a day.
3. Paying the Zakaah � A type of help and charity, given to the needy.
4. Fasting- in the month of Ramadan.
5. Pilgrimage (Hajj) �compulsory once in one�s lifetime if one has good health and
the financial means