Religion
Islam
The Qur’an calls people to submit to the one God, Allah. (Qur’an 112:1–4; 51:56)
01
Identity Card
- Name and etymology
- "Islam" — Arabic, meaning "submission" or "peace" (root: s-l-m).
- Type
- Abrahamic monotheistic religion.
- Founder or origin
- Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (570–632 CE); Islamic scripture presents him as God’s messenger and the seal of the prophets. (Qur’an 33:40)
- Date and place
- 7th century CE, Mecca and Medina (Arabian Peninsula).
- Adherents
- ~1.9 billion (≈25% of humanity); largest in Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, MENA.
02
Source of Authority
- Primary scripture
- The Qur’an; Muslims also use the Sunnah/Hadith to understand the Prophet’s teaching and practice. (Qur’an 4:59; 59:7)
- Source of truth
- Islamic scripture presents revelation from God as the highest source of guidance, with reason used to understand and apply it. (Qur’an 2:2; 16:89)
- Authority structure
- No central clergy; scholars (‘ulama), jurists (fuqaha), and schools of jurisprudence (madhahib).
03
Core Beliefs
- Core idea
- The Qur’an declares that God is one and that Muhammad is His messenger. (Qur’an 112:1–4; 48:29)
- View of God or ultimate reality
- The Qur’an describes God as one, unique, eternal, and without equal. (Qur’an 112:1–4)
- View of humanity
- The Qur’an says humans are honored, tested, and accountable for their choices. (Qur’an 17:70; 67:2; 99:7–8)
- View of the world
- The Qur’an presents the world as created with purpose and as a temporary test before the afterlife. (Qur’an 21:16; 67:2; 29:64)
04
Practical Implications
- Purpose of life
- The Qur’an states that humans were created to worship God. (Qur’an 51:56)
- Ethics
- Islamic ethics are drawn from the Qur’an and the Prophet’s example: justice, mercy, honesty, prayer, charity, and moral discipline. (Qur’an 16:90; 33:21)
- Afterlife
- The Qur’an teaches resurrection, judgment, Paradise, and Hell. (Qur’an 22:7; 99:6–8; 3:185)
- Key practices
- The Five Pillars are Shahada, prayer, zakah, fasting Ramadan, and Hajj. (Qur’an 2:43; 2:183; 3:97; Hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 8)
05
Comparative Lenses
- Main branches
- Sunni (~85%), Shia (~13%), smaller groups (Ibadi, Ahmadiyya).
- Relationship to others
- Recognizes prior Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity) as "People of the Book."
- Common critiques
- Debates around interpretation of law, gender roles, and political Islam.
- Modern adaptations
- Islamic finance, modernist reform, digital scholarship.
Simple educational summaries. For religions, claims are attributed to scripture or major source texts where possible; where no scripture exists, wording describes what followers/supporters generally hold. References are starting points, not exhaustive academic citations.