Islam is a monotheistic religion which believes in the oneness of God, Allah. The Arabic word Islam means submission which refers to ones submission to the will of Allah. Around 1430 years ago, Muhammad (peace be upon him), a merchant by profession, told his wife that Allah has sent down upon him revelations on the mount of Hira through Angel Jibreel (Gabriel). That event can be termed as the birth of Islam. These divine revelations which continued for approximately 23 years forms the Quran, the Muslim Holy Book. Muslims believe that these are the true words of Allah and no alterations to this text has ever been made. According to the Muslims, Islam is not a new religion but rather the continuation of the Abrahamic teachings to worship one God only. Muslims believe that Isa (Jesus), Moosa (Moses), Ibrahim (Abraham) and other prophets mentioned in the Holy textbooks of Christians and Jews were all Allah’s messengers. Muhammad (pbuh) is the last of the chain of Prophets.
There are five main pillars of Islam:

1. Shahada (Testimony of faith)
2. Salat (Prayer)
3. Sawm (Fasting)
4. Zakat (Charity)
5. Hajj (Pilgrimage)

The first pillar, Shahada, refers to the testimony that there is only one God and Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is His prophet. Salat is the prayer that needs to be performed 5 times a day. These prayers are obligatory on all adult Muslims. Sawn involves fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan. In this month, Muslims abstain from eating, drinking and refrain from bad habits. Zakat is an obligatory charity which is equivalent to wealth Tax in an Islamic state. The final pillar, Hajj, refers to the pilgrimage which is mandatory for all adult Muslims who have the means to travel and can look after themselves.

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