What is Islam?
By Leah Miller

Origins & Beliefs of the Islamic Religion

“There are between 1.1 billion and 1.8 billion Muslims, making Islam the second largest religion in the world, after Christianity,” records Adherents.com, a site dedicated to national and world religion statistics. As one of the largest and fastest growing religions in the world, Islam is often overlooked by the masses in such non-traditional areas for the religion as in America; specifically Fort Collins, Colo.; however, growing Muslim communities, such as the one that the Islamic Center of Fort Collins caters to, cannot be ignored simply because of the general unawareness of the public.

To sum it up in a few very broad sentences, Islam is a monotheistic religion based on the doctrines of the prophet Muhammad and taught through the Qur’an, which purports complete submission to a unique G-d, Allah. Believers of the Islam religion are known as Muslims, which means “one who submits (to G-d)” according to L. Gardet and J. Jomier in the Encyclopaedia of Islam Online. It should be noted that Muslims do not deem Muhammad as the founder of a new religion, but as the restorer of the original monotheistic faith.

As with all religions, Islamic practices vary greatly, but all include abiding by the Five Pillars:
o Shahadatain: profession of sole faith to Allah and Muhammad.
o Salaah: daily prayer to strengthen one’s belief.
o Salaatul-Fajr. (The Dawn Prayer)
o Salaatul-Dhuhr. (The Noon Prayer)
o Salaatul-Asr. (The Afternoon Prayer)
o Salaatul-Maghrib. (The Sunset Prayer)
o Salaatul-Isha. (The Evening Prayer)
o Zakaah: practice of charitable giving to the needy
o Sawm: fasting during Ramadan of not only food and drink, but sexual intercourse, evil intentions and desires as well.
o Hajj: the pilgrimage to Mecca (every Muslim is required to make the journey at least once in their lifetime, provided they are physically able).