What Is Islam? A Simple Guide to the Religion

Islam in brief

Islam (الإسلام) is a monotheistic religion whose name means submission to Allah. Its followers are called Muslims, and the two words come from the same Arabic root. If you want to understand how the words differ, our guide to the difference between Islam and Muslim explains it in plain language.

Muslims believe that Islam began with the first prophet, Adam, peace be upon him, and that every prophet after him brought the same core message: worship Allah alone and live a life of goodness. The final revelation came to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in Makkah in the seventh century CE, and it was collected in the Qur'an.

Today Islam is one of the largest religions in the world, and Muslims live on every continent. They come from many cultures and speak many languages, and mosques, schools and charities serve Muslim communities in almost every country.

What Muslims believe

The central belief in Islam is tawhid, the oneness of Allah. Muslims believe that Allah is the single Creator and Sustainer of everything, that He has no partners and no children, and that He alone deserves worship. Surah al-Ikhlas, one of the shortest chapters of the Qur'an, sums this up in a few lines.

Umar ibn al-Khattab reported that when the angel Jibril asked the Prophet, peace be upon him, about faith, he answered that it is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers and the Last Day, and to believe in divine decree, both its good and its bad. This report is recorded in Sahih Muslim, and these six beliefs are often called the articles of faith.

Muslims believe that Allah sent prophets to every people, including Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa and Muhammad, peace be upon them all. They honour Isa, known in English as Jesus, as a great prophet who was born to Maryam by the will of Allah, but they do not believe he is divine. They believe the Qur'an is the final book, revealed to Muhammad and preserved in its original Arabic.

Muslims also believe in angels, who are created beings that carry out the commands of Allah, and in a Day of Judgement when every person will be held to account for their beliefs and actions. Belief in divine decree means trusting that everything happens with the knowledge of Allah, while people remain responsible for the choices they make.

How Muslims practise Islam

Muslim practice is built on five pillars. The first is the shahada, the declaration that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His messenger. The second is salah, the five daily prayers. The third is zakat, giving a set share of wealth to people in need. The fourth is sawm, fasting during the month of Ramadan. The fifth is Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah, which Muslims who are able are asked to perform once in a lifetime.

Our Ramadan guide explains the month of fasting, when Muslims abstain from food and drink from dawn until sunset and spend more time in worship and charity.

Islam also guides everyday life. Muslims are asked to be honest, kind to family and neighbours, fair in business and respectful to others. Food and earnings follow the idea of halal, which means permitted, and our guide to what halal means explains it in detail.

The year includes two festivals, Eid al-Fitr at the end of Ramadan and Eid al-Adha during the Hajj season. Our overview of Islamic holidays lists the main occasions in the Muslim year.

Where Muslims find guidance

The first source of guidance is the Qur'an, which Muslims believe was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over about twenty three years and was memorised and written down in his lifetime. Muslims recite it in prayer and study it throughout their lives.

The second source is the example of the Prophet, known as the Sunnah, which is preserved in the hadith. Scholars such as Imam al-Bukhari and Imam Muslim collected and checked these reports with great care, and their collections remain central to Muslim study.

Scholars use these sources to answer questions about worship and daily life, and Muslims often turn to a trusted scholar when they need advice. Different schools of thought have developed over the centuries, and they agree on the core beliefs while sometimes differing on details.

Sunni, Shia and the wider Muslim community

Muslims form one community with shared core beliefs but different traditions. The two largest groups are Sunni and Shia Muslims, who differ mainly over leadership after the Prophet and over some practices. Both groups follow the Qur'an, pray towards the Kaaba in Makkah and fast in Ramadan.

Most Muslims are Sunni, and there are also smaller groups with their own histories and teachings.

Learning more about Islam

If you are curious about Islam, a good way to start is with a reliable translation of the Qur'an and a clear introduction to the five pillars. Speaking with Muslim friends or visiting a local mosque on an open day can also help, since many mosques welcome questions from visitors.

If you have recently embraced Islam, our guide for new Muslims covers the first steps in prayer, learning and community. For questions about religious rulings, ask a qualified scholar.

Key terms in Islam

Common questions