What does “Islam” mean?
The Arabic word islām means submission or surrender, and shares a root with salām, peace. A Muslim is someone who submits to God. Allah says: “Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam” (Quran 3:19). Muslims believe it is the same message given to every prophet, completed with the Quran.
Belief in one God
At the heart of Islam is tawḥīd, the oneness of God. The Quran describes Him in a short chapter:
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ
“Say, He is Allah, [who is] One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent” (Quran 112:1–4). Allah is simply the Arabic word for God, used by Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews too. Learn the meaning of La ilaha illallah.
The hadith of Jibril: Islam, Iman and Ihsan
The angel Jibril came to the Prophet ﷺ in the form of a man and asked him three questions, and the answers summarise the whole religion (Sahih Muslim 8):
- Islam (practice): the five pillars below.
- Iman (faith): to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree, both its good and its bad.
- Ihsan (excellence): “to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him, He sees you.”
The five pillars of Islam
The Prophet ﷺ said Islam is built on five (Sahih al-Bukhari 8):
- Shahada: to testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger.
- Salah: the five daily prayers. See how to pray and today’s prayer times.
- Zakat: giving a share of savings to those in need each year. Try our zakat calculator.
- Fasting in Ramadan: from dawn to sunset for one month. See Ramadan 2027.
- Hajj: the pilgrimage to Makkah, once in a lifetime for those able.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
Muslims believe Muhammad ﷺ, born in Makkah around 570 CE, is the last of the prophets. Allah says: “We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds” (Quran 21:107). His teachings and example are the Sunnah. Muslims also love and honour the earlier prophets, including Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses (Musa) and Jesus (Isa), peace be upon them.
One human family
“O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you” (Quran 49:13). Islam is followed by nearly two billion people of every race and nation, one Ummah. And faith is a choice of the heart: “There shall be no compulsion in religion” (Quran 2:256).
Where to start
Curious or new to Islam? Start with the meaning of Bismillah and Alhamdulillah, learn wudu and prayer, and test yourself with our daily Islamic quiz. A local mosque is the best place to ask questions; most welcome visitors.