Islam

Islam, the most recent of the monotheistic religions, originated in the Arabic peninsula in the seventh century. Today, the inhabitants of the Middle East and North Africa are predominantly Muslim. Moreover, large Muslim populations reside in southern, Southeast, and central Asia, and there are Muslim communities in the Balkans, Russia, Europe, and North America. In Arabic, the word Islam means “to accept, surrender or submit;” accordingly, the faith requires that believers demonstrate full submission to God. The book of Islam, the Qur'an, acknowledges all the prior prophets, including Moses and Jesus, and sees Muhammad as the final prophet.

Islamic faith is built on five pillars: Shahada, testimony of faith; Salat, daily prayer, executed five times a day; Zakat, almsgiving; Sawm, fasting during the month of Ramadan; ...