What Is Islam? A Clear Introduction to Its Beliefs and Practice

Islam means surrender, specifically the willing surrender of oneself to God, and a Muslim is a person who makes that surrender. Britannica explains that the Arabic term islam literally means surrender and that the word Muslim is formed from it. Qur'an 3:19 states that the religion with Allah is this surrender, and Qur'an 2:112 promises reward to whoever submits to Allah while doing good.

The word is also linked with peace because it shares a three-letter root, s-l-m, with salam. The Quranic Arabic Corpus lists islam, aslama (to submit), muslim and salam (peace) under that single root, and Qur'an 10:25 says that Allah calls to the abode of peace. Submission is the core meaning, and peace is closely bound up with it.

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Muslims believe in one God who has no partner, no offspring and nothing comparable to Him. Surah Al-Ikhlas, chapter 112, summarises this: He is Allah, the One, the eternally Besought of all, who neither begets nor was begotten, and to whom none is comparable. This belief in God's oneness is called tawhid.

Allah is the Arabic word for God rather than the name of a separate deity. Britannica notes that Allah is the standard Arabic word for God and is used by Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews as well as by Muslims. Qur'an 29:46 tells Muslims to say to the People of the Scripture that our God and yours is one, and to discuss faith with them in the best way.

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Muslims believe Muhammad was the final messenger of God, who received the Qur'an and taught it through his words and example. Britannica describes Islam as proclaimed by Muhammad in Arabia in the seventh century CE and notes that Muslims regard him as the last of a series of prophets that includes Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Solomon and Jesus. Qur'an 33:40 calls him the Seal of the Prophets.

Belief in the earlier prophets is itself part of Islamic faith. Qur'an 2:136 tells Muslims to affirm what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes, and what Moses, Jesus and the other prophets received, making no distinction between any of them. Qur'an 21:25 states that every messenger brought the same core message: there is no god but Allah, so worship Him.

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The Qur'an and the Sunnah are the two primary sources of Islamic teaching. Muslims believe the Qur'an is the word of God revealed to Muhammad through the angel Jibril, and Britannica describes it as divided into 114 chapters of unequal length and as the fundamental source of Islamic teaching. It is recited in Arabic in prayer, and translations help readers understand its meaning.

The Sunnah is the Prophet's teaching and example, preserved mainly in hadith collections such as Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. Qur'an 16:44 says the revelation was sent down so that the Prophet might explain it to people. Britannica lists the Qur'an, the Sunnah, scholarly consensus (ijma) and reasoned interpretation (ijtihad) as the foundations of Islamic doctrine and law.

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The hadith of Jibril describes the religion in three dimensions: islam, iman and ihsan. In Sahih Muslim 8a, Umar ibn al-Khattab reports that a stranger in pure white clothes sat before the Prophet and asked about each in turn; afterwards the Prophet said it was Jibril, who had come to teach them their religion. Sahih al-Bukhari 50 records a shorter version narrated by Abu Huraira.

The three work together: faith gives practice its meaning, practice expresses faith, and ihsan describes the care with which both are carried out. Al-Bukhari comments after his narration that the Prophet counted all of this as part of faith.

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The five pillars are the testimony of faith (shahada), the five daily prayers (salah), obligatory almsgiving (zakat), fasting in Ramadan (sawm) and pilgrimage to Makkah (Hajj). Sahih al-Bukhari 8 reports the Prophet saying that Islam is based on these five. They are the framework of a Muslim's worship rather than the whole of the religion.

They do not all apply in the same way: prayer is daily, zakat depends on wealth above a threshold, and the hadith of Jibril mentions Hajj for those able to make the journey. The five pillars guide explains who each one applies to.

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For most Muslims, Islam is lived through daily habits of worship and conduct. Sahih al-Bukhari 10 describes a Muslim as one who avoids harming other Muslims with the tongue and hands, and Sahih al-Bukhari 6035 records the Prophet saying that the best of people are those best in character. Sahih al-Bukhari 12 names feeding others and greeting both those you know and those you do not among the good deeds of Islam.

Family and food also carry religious meaning. Qur'an 17:23 joins the command to worship God alone with kindness to parents, and Qur'an 30:21 describes the love and mercy placed between spouses. Food follows the principle of halal, meaning permitted: Qur'an 2:168 invites people to eat what is lawful and good, Qur'an 5:3 lists forbidden foods including pork, blood and carrion, and Qur'an 5:90 tells believers to leave intoxicating drink and gambling aside.

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Several common assumptions do not match what Muslims themselves teach. The list below corrects frequent ones using sources cited in this guide; for questions about a particular practice, ask a knowledgeable teacher.

Culture and religion overlap without being identical. A SeekersGuidance answer, drawing on Dr Umar Abd-Allah's writing, explains that Islamic law presumes customs to be permissible unless shown otherwise and rejects harmful ones. Qur'an 49:13 describes humanity as made into nations and tribes so that they may know one another.

• Allah is a different god: Allah is the Arabic word for God, also used by Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews.
• Muslims are mostly Arabs: Pew Research Center's 2025 report found that 59 percent of Muslims lived in the Asia-Pacific region in 2020.
• Muslims worship Muhammad: they honour him as God's messenger and follow his example, but worship belongs to God alone.
• Every custom among Muslims is religion: many practices are cultural and are judged by Islamic principles.
• Faith can be forced: Qur'an 2:256 states that there is no compulsion in religion.

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A person becomes Muslim by sincerely bearing witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. Britannica describes this profession of faith, the shahada, as the affirmation by which a person enters the Muslim community. Many people say it with a teacher or at a mosque so that others can welcome and support them; the shahada guide explains the words and first steps.

The decision must be made freely, as Qur'an 2:256 makes clear, and there is no need to know everything first. When Amr ibn al-As hesitated because of his past, the Prophet told him in Sahih Muslim 121 that Islam wipes out what came before it. New Muslims usually learn gradually, starting with belief, prayer and finding a supportive community.

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Questions readers often ask

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