Islam means "submission."  A Muslim is "one who submits."  To be a Muslim, then, is to submit to the will of God.  "Islam" is also related to the Arabic word for "peace."  Indeed, Islam teaches, the one who submits to God is the one who is truly at peace.  Islam is a way of life in which one seeks to be aware of God at all times.  A Muslim prays 5 times a day.  But one does not cease being a Muslim when one is finished with prayers.  There is a Muslim way to do business, a Muslim way to raise a family, a Muslim way to eat, and so on.  All of these daily activities must be done with awareness of God and submission to His Will.  

Muslims believe in one God.  This is the central teaching of the faith, and in order to become a Muslim, one recites the shahada, which affirms this teaching:
La ilaha illa Allah.  Muhammad rasul Allah ("There is no god but God.  Muhammad is the messenger of God").
The word for God in Arabic is "Allah."  This word is especially fitting to describe the Islamic conception of God, because it cannot be made plural, masculine, or feminine.  Some translate the name Allah as "The God."  Allah also has 99 other names, which are descriptive of various attributes of God.  They include names such as Ar Raheem (The Merciful), and Al Hayy (The Living).

Islam teaches that various Prophets have come to all the peoples to teach the truth about God.  Among these Prophets are Adam, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Isma'il (Ishmael), Ishaq (Isaac), Ya'qub (Jacob), Dawud (David), Musa (Moses), and 'Isa (Jesus).  Muhammad is the last in this long line of Prophets.  The Qur'an (also spelled Koran) is the revelation given to the Prophet Muhammad.  What follows are some important teachings of Islam, as revealed in the Qur'an.

The Five Pillars of Islam
1.  The Shahadah.  
"Ashahadu an La ilaha ill Allah wa ashahadu anna Muhammadar Rasul Allah."
"I declare that there is no god but Allah.  And I declare that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."
The first of the "Five Pillars" is to declare that there is only one God, and that Muhammad is the messenger of God.  A Muslim believes that God is alone, with no partners.  Allah is not a "Trinity" nor is He the head of a pantheon containing lesser gods below Him.  [I say "He" because of grammatical limitations.  Really, Allah is beyond all form and gender].  No image can be made of God.  God is not like anything on the earth.  He is not like a human, and does not come in human form.  He is the Creator of all that is.  He is the only one worthy of worship.

2.  Salah (Prayer).
A Muslim is to perform a special prayer service 5 times a day.  One may pray at other times in his or her own words, but one must also observe these 5 formal prayers.  

3.  Zakah (Charity).
A Muslim must give charity.  The amount required is 2.5% of one's income.  The money goes towards helping hungry people, people in debt, orphans, widows, and other needy people.

4.  Saum (Fasting).
All Muslims who are able and who are over the age of puberty must fast during the month of Ramadan during the daylight hours.  Ramadan is the month when the Prophet Muhammad first received a revelation from Allah.

5.  Hajj (Pilgrimage).
All Muslims who are able must make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca in a lifetime.  The pilgrimage month is Zul Hijjah.  


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