What is Islam?

Islam is a monotheistic religion originating with the teachings of Muhammad (pbuh), a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. It is the second-largest religion in the world today, with an estimated 1.4 billion adherents, spread across the globe, known as Muslims. Linguistically, Islam means submission, referring to the total surrender of one’s self to Allah(Swt), and a Muslim is “one who submits to God”.

As Muslims we believe that God revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad (pbuh) and that Muhammad (pbuh) is God’s final prophet. The Qur’an and the traditions of Muhammad in the Sunnah are regarded as the fundamental sources of Islam. Muslims do not regard Muhammad as the founder of a new religion but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith of Adam, Ibrahim and other prophets whose messages had become corrupted over time (or according to some authorities only misinterpreted). Like Judaism, Christianity, and the Bahá’í Faith, Islam is an Abrahamic religion.

It is the fastest growing religion in the world. There are now up to 5 million Muslims in the U.S., and over 1,100 mosques or Islamic centers.