Islam Is... Islam and Its Principles

Summary

21. SUMMARY

Islam is… a religion of justice, peace, mercy, and forgiveness, a faith which is often misunderstood and misrepresented. Islam means to surrender one’s will to God, The Peace. Islam is the way of life for anyone who chooses to accept that there is one God only, and none is worthy of worship but Him. This world is temporary and no more than a trial for humanity, after which we will all die and return to God, The Taker. The life of the Hereafter is forever. God, The Light, for the guidance of the children of Adam, sent us Prophets: Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, all Prophets of Islam. God chose Muhammad as His final Prophet and Messenger and honored him with the privilege of revealing the Qur’an through him. The Qur’an is the direct unalterable word of God, not the word of Muhammad, who was an unlettered man. God has preserved the Qur’an with its teachings for all of humanity.
The five fundamental acts of worship for Muslims are as follows:
1. To “testify that there is no deity except God, and that Muhammad is His Messenger”
2. To pray five times a day
3. To pay the yearly alms
4. To fast during Ramadan
5. To make the pilgrimage to Makkah.
It is imperative to understand jihad. Jihad is a struggle for the cause of God alone and cannot violate Islamic principles. Terrorism is clearly rejected by Islam and can never be called jihad. God states that there is no compulsion in religion. Human rights and freedom of choice are sacred. In Islam, women play a very important role. Women are equal to and required to be honored by men.
God mentions in the Qur’an that He has perfected Islam as a religion for all of humanity, thus completing His favor upon us. God has prepared for us the light of Islam as a guide for humanity’s return to Him.