Intoduction

Beginner's Introduction 

Islam is the same religion that God revealed through His messengers (peace be upon them) to all people. Islam is a complete way of life. It impacts every part of life, from eating and sleeping to working and playing. It is not only a personal religion, but also a social one.

Muslims are supposed to live in accordance with God's laws. By doing so, they strive to obtain nearness to God and victory over temporary trials and temptations in this world. All aspects of their practice including prayer, fasting, charity, and pilgrimage are intended to help meet this goal.

Muslims believe in Allah, the Supreme and Eternal, Infinite and Mighty, Merciful and Compassionate, The Creator and The Provider, He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is none equal or comparable unto Him.

Muslims believe in all Messengers of Allah without any discrimination among them, as every known nation has a Warner or messenger from Allah. They were chosen by God to teach humanity and deliver His Divine message. The Qur'an mentions the name of some of them including Jews including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Moses, Aaron, David, Solomon, Elias, Jonah, John the Baptist, and Jesus (peace be upon them).

Muslims also believe in another prophet named Muhammad, who is a direct descendant of Abraham through his first born son, Ishmael. His prophethood is prophecied in the Bible in several places, including Deut 18:18 and John 14:16. Mohammad  stands as the last messenger and the crowning glory of the foundation of prophethood.

Muslims believe in all original scriptures and revelations of Allah, accepting them as the guiding light that the messengers received to show their respective people the right path to Him. However, some of these books and revelations had been lost or corrupted before the revelation of the Qur'an. The only authentic and complete book of Allah in existence today is the Qur'an, which has been preserved as it was revealed to prophet Muhammad  through Angel Gabriel in its pristine, pure form.

The Qur'an contains many stories that are familiar to Christians and Jews. It contains no scientific fallacies or internal contradictions. In fact, it contains much scientific knowledge discovered by scientists only in this century. The Qur'an is an unparalleled Arabic literary masterpiece.

People living in the West and throughout the world should not allow themselves to be ignorant about Islam and Muslims. For example, there are ten million Muslims living in the United States out of 1.8 billion in the world. Only 18% of Muslims live in the Arab world. Demographers say that Islam is the fastest growing religion in the U.S. and the world. Islam is the second largest religion in America, France, Great Britain and many more, surpassing Judaism, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witness, and other religions.