What is Islam in simple words?
Mostly, Islam is two things: belief and practice. It is belief in one God and living by His guidance, as taught in the Quran and shown by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The word "Islam" means peaceful submission to God, and a Muslim is someone who submits to Him.
The heart of Islam: one God
Islam teaches that there is one God, the Creator of everything, who has no partners, no children and no equal. "Allah" is simply the Arabic word for God. The Quran sums up this belief in four short verses:
What Muslims believe
Muslims hold six core beliefs, which the Prophet ﷺ listed when the angel Jibril asked him about faith (Sahih Muslim 8):
- Belief in Allah, the one God.
- Belief in His angels.
- Belief in His books, including the Quran.
- Belief in His messengers, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad ﷺ.
- Belief in the Last Day, when everyone is held accountable.
- Belief that Allah knows and decrees everything.
Muslims see Islam as the same basic message that all the prophets brought, with Muhammad ﷺ as the last of them. See What are the six articles of faith in Islam?
What Muslims do
Islam is practical. Its five main acts of worship are called the five pillars:
- Shahada: declaring that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is His messenger.
- Salah: five short daily prayers.
- Zakat: giving a fixed share of savings to people in need.
- Sawm: fasting from dawn to sunset in the month of Ramadan.
- Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime, for those who are able.
For more detail on each one, see What are the five pillars of Islam?
How Islam is lived
Muslims take guidance from the Quran, which they believe is God's word, and from the example of the Prophet ﷺ. Beyond ritual, Islam stresses honesty, kindness to family and neighbours, charity, forgiveness and caring for the poor. There are no priests; every person can pray to God directly. Muslims come from every race and country, so Islam looks different in different places, with the same core beliefs.
If you'd like to understand more about the man who delivered the message, see Who was the Prophet Muhammad?
- Islam means peaceful submission to one God.
- Muslims hold six core beliefs, from belief in Allah to belief in the Last Day.
- Five pillars shape practice: shahada, prayer, zakat, fasting and Hajj.
- The Quran and the Prophet's example guide daily life.
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