Islam means surrender to God; it shares a root with salam, peace. A Muslim is one who surrenders to God. Muslims believe in one God, Allah (Arabic for "God"), who sent prophets from Adam to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them), and revealed the Qur'an.
Muslims learn the essentials from the Hadith of Jibril: the angel Gabriel asked the Prophet what Islam, Iman and Ihsan are (Sahih Muslim 8; Sahih al-Bukhari 50).
The Five Pillars — what Muslims DO (Islam)
| # | Pillar | Arabic | In a line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shahadah | الشهادة | Bearing witness: "There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God." |
| 2 | Salah | الصلاة | Praying five times a day (Fajr, Dhuhr, 'Asr, Maghrib, 'Isha), after washing (wudu), facing the Ka'bah in Makkah. |
| 3 | Zakah | الزكاة | Giving 2.5% of savings held for a year above a threshold (nisab) to eight groups in need (Qur'an 9:60). |
| 4 | Sawm | الصوم | Fasting from dawn to sunset in Ramadan; children, the ill, travellers and others are excused. Ends with Eid al-Fitr. |
| 5 | Hajj | الحج | Pilgrimage to Makkah once in a lifetime, if able, on 8–13 Dhu al-Hijjah. Eid al-Adha is on the 10th. |
"Islam is built on five" — the Prophet (Sahih al-Bukhari 8; Sahih Muslim 16).
The Six Articles of Faith — what Muslims BELIEVE (Iman)
| # | Belief in… | Arabic | In a line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | God | الله | One, unique, merciful; no partner, parent or child (Qur'an 112). |
| 2 | Angels | الملائكة | Unseen servants made of light, e.g. Jibril (Gabriel) who brought revelation. |
| 3 | Revealed books | الكتب | Scrolls of Abraham, Torah, Psalms, Gospel, and the Qur'an, the final revelation. |
| 4 | Messengers | الرسل | Prophets sent to every people, from Adam to Muhammad; 25 named in the Qur'an, including Abraham, Moses and Jesus. |
| 5 | The Last Day | اليوم الآخر | Resurrection, judgement with justice and mercy, Paradise and Hell. |
| 6 | Divine decree | القدر | Nothing happens outside God's knowledge and will; people still choose and are responsible. |
"Each one believeth in Allah and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers" (Qur'an 2:285, Pickthall)
At the heart — Ihsan (الإحسان)
"To worship God as though you see Him; and if you do not see Him, He sees you." (the Prophet's answer, paraphrased; Sahih Muslim 8)
Good to know
- Sunni and Shia Muslims share these beliefs and practices. Shia Muslims group them as five roots (Tawhid, Justice, Prophethood, Imamah, Resurrection) and ten branches (including prayer, fasting, zakah, khums and Hajj).
- Muslims say "peace be upon him" after the names of all prophets, and do not make pictures of any prophet.
- Jews and Christians will recognise much here: one God (the Shema; the Creeds), daily prayer, giving (tzedakah; alms), fasting (Yom Kippur; Lent) and pilgrimage. Each faith describes itself in its own words.
Talk about it
- Which pillar do you think would be hardest to keep, and why?
- How does believing in the Last Day change how someone might act today?
- What does "worship as though you see God" mean to you?
whoisallah.org.uk · Qur'an quotations from M. M. Pickthall, The Meaning of the Glorious Koran (1930) · hadith paraphrased with references