Islam means “The religion of persons who submit to Allah unconditionally”. The word Islam is derived from the root words for peace (silm), voluntary self-surrender (taslimiyah) to Allah and salvation (salamah). A Muslim is “One who fully embraces the way of life of Islam; surrendering unconditionally to Allah.

Also, using these three terms, one could state the following: “Islam is a way of voluntarily surrendering (taslimiyah) for the sake of peace (silm) on Earth and eternal salvation (salamah) in the Hereafter.”

Islam is, as these very terms imply, “peace”. A Muslim, on the other hand, is someone who lives in peace and promotes others to live in peace—a volunteer for peace, in short.

Islam is a way for those who submit themselves to truth and who do not subdue truth to their whims.

Islam is a generic term for all the values people have cherished since the beginning of mankind. The only true religion in the sight of Allah (3:19). And self-surrendering is what Allah wills as the religion for humans (5:3). Furthermore, Islam is the name of a perfect system that unifies morals, faith, worship and values in human life (2:208).

Islam promotes the notion of the Creator as the center of humans’ consciousness. Therefore, Islam confirms that the Creator granted reason, mind, will and conscience to human beings. Islam is the way of those who recognize man’s freewill to choose between good and evil.

Islam is not just a religion among other religions, but is a collection of those values, which were promoted as a way of life by all the prophets and messengers of Allah (22:78).

In its broadest meaning, Islam is the name of the system Allah rules the universe with (41:11). If “cosmos” not “chaos,” rules over universe, then it is an indication of a majestic balance and a system in this very universe. Speaking of “cosmos” and “system,” one cannot but mention “harmony.” Hence, harmony among all beings in the universe is their submission to Allah’s will (55:6).

A Muslim is one who willingly and conscientiously submits himself/herself to Allah for the sake of peace and harmony in both inner and outer worlds. A Muslim is one who believes in the Lord of the worlds and fulfills His orders without hesitation or questioning. Muslim is one who prefers “Allah’s will” to “my ego’s will.” Muslim is one who has found his true self. Muslim is anyone who willingly and unquestioningly surrenders to Allah’s will—the way of life Islam teaches. Allah says in the Qur’an that those who sincerely surrender themselves to Him and unconditionally fulfill His commands are Muslims (muslimeen) (22:78).

One’s surrendering to Allah’s will is not his/her grace toward Allah, but it is Allah’s grace that one attains faith in Him (49:17).

The Prophet Mohammad did not found Islam. The Qur’an mentions that Islam existed since the beginning of humanity (see Qur’an 22:78). Allah is One and all humans are one in their kind; hence, there is only “one” mission/task/revelation/instruction that Allah has brought down upon humans. Therefore, as prophets from the first to the last preached, the only valid religion Allah accepts is Islam (5:3). Save certain modifications in worship and differences on the permissible/non-permissible based on societies’ peculiarities and circumstances, the foundations of faith have always been the same throughout the history of mankind.

The prophets Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and all other prophets are named Muslims in the Qur’an. There is a consistent set of core values common to all mankind, and Islam is the religion that encompasses them. None of the prophets of Allah questioned His commands. On the contrary, they fully submitted themselves to His will and fulfilled His orders. Thus, Islam is the religion that Allah perfected and bestowed on humanity as a blessing, and Allah has willed self-surrender to Him as humanity’s religion.

There is no authority, church, institution or clergy that accepts a person into Islam on behalf of Allah. Entering Islam is a covenant between Allah and the said individual, which takes place without a mediator. Choosing the way of freely self-surrendering is sufficient for one to become a Muslim.

Joining the ranks of Muslims occurs by saying the following two statements and confirming them in the heart: “Ashhadu an la ilaha illa Allahu wa ashadu anna Muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluh” — “I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.” The testimony is obviously a fundamental notion in Islam. Allah Himself confirms His exclusivity as the only deity (3:18). On top of that, Allah wills that humans also testify to His oneness. The goal here is dignifying humans and showing them His mercy by making them closer through their testimony of His oneness.

The first statement attests to a faith in the existence, singleness and uniqueness of the absolute and eternal Creator, who has no resemblance in created beings. The second statement attests to a belief that all messengers, including the Prophet Muhammad, received revelations directly from Allah and were only human beings like all other people.

For someone entering Islam by making these statements, there are two sources for guidance on how to live his/her life thereafter: 1) The dynamic text of the Qur’an, which forms the theoretical framework for life, and 2) The practical examples of the Prophet Muhammad who was a “living example” of living by the Qur’an.

To be sure, there is no “entering Islam” component in a practice where one proclaims accepting Islam in front of a community of Muslims; the goal pursued here is notifying other Muslims of his/her decision.

The concept of Allah in Judaism is anthropomorphic, i.e. God has human attributes. He allegedly acts like a human sometimes and features qualities of a human. For instance, He “regrets” destroying humanity with a typhoon (Genesis 6:5-7); He “impregnates” Sarah (Genesis 21:1-2); He “wrestles” with Jacob (Genesis 32; 22-32); He talks “face to face” with Jacob (Genesis 32:30); and He becomes “tired” and “rests” (Genesis 2:3). Whereas the Qur’an says that “His is all that is in the heavens and all that is on Earth, most exalted and tremendous is He” (42:4), “there is nothing like unto Him” (42:11), and “No human vision can encompass Him, whereas He encompasses all human vision” (6:103).

According to the Torah, Yahweh is a “national” god of the tribe of Israel (Genesis 17:8), whereas in the Qur’an, “Allah is the Lord of all mankind” (114:1) and “the Sustainer of all the worlds” (26:164).

The concept of God in Christianity, on the other hand, is theomorphic, i.e. a human being has allegedly assumed divine attributes. This is a point on which the Christian doctrine of divinity is similar to doctrines of ancient polytheistic cultures such as those of Egypt, Mesopotamia and India. A divine nature of Jesus is strongly advocated for in Christianity. However, the Qur’an exposes this as a slander against Jesus who is presented as a prophet of Allah (see the Qur’an 5:117). The Qur’an strongly rejects the doctrine of a theomorphic approach in Surah Al-Ikhlas: “Say: He is Allah, unique, inimitable and one. All creatures are in need of him while He is in need of no one. He begets not, and neither is He begotten” (112:1-4).

The Islamic belief in divine scriptures includes believing in the heavenly origin of all books that were revealed to mankind since Adam (peace be upon him). A Muslim cannot be considered a “Muslim” unless he has an absolute faith in all the revelations and scriptures, including the Torah, the Bible, and the Qur’an.

Unfortunately, it is a historical fact that we do not have the original copies of the divine scriptures revealed before the Qur’an. The divine commandments they contain have been subject to alterations over time. The Qur’an discusses such instances in (87:14-19), (5:32-45) and (21:105).

The Qur’an presents itself as a confirmation of “the truth of whatever there still remains of earlier revelations and determining what is true therein” (5:48). The only way to test the authenticity of whatever is in the previous revelations’ modern iterations is by comparing them to the Qur’an. If a passage conforms to what the Qur’an claims, then that particular passage’s divine revelation can be asserted. However, in cases where there are discrepancies, then one could conclude that the passage in question has undergone changes and alterations over time since its revelation.

The Qur’an contains the literal word of Allah the Almighty. Believing so is one of the conditions of the Islamic faith. The basis of this faith rests on its moral equivalent—trust. Muslims have sincere faith that the Prophet Muhammad would not have said something was from Allah while it was not so. Muslims see proof for this in his sincere, honest and morally distinct life. The source of the impressive and inspiring life he lived after receiving the revelation was the Qur’an. There is not even a hint of hypocrisy or deception in his entire life. Even his enemies acknowledged him as “Muhammad al-Amin” (“Muhammad the Trustworthy”).

The Prophet Muhammad was able to live as “Al-Amîn” not only thanks to his own virtues, but also because Allah would instantly have reprimanded him for any mistake via the Qur’anic revelation, had the situation arose. To illustrate, Allah mentions an act of frowning when a blind man interrupted a conversation between the Prophet and one of the wealthy men of Mecca (80:3-4). When the hypocrites of Medina secured the Prophet Muhammad’s permission to abstain from joining a Muslim army, divine revelation disclosed: “May Allah pardon thee! Why didst thou grant them permission [to stay at home] ere it had become obvious to thee as to who was speaking the truth, and [ere] thou camest to know [who were] the liars?” (9:43). Prophet Muhammad is encouraged to judge between people according to the guidance of the Book, which distinguishes the acts of the people of right action as opposed to those of wrong action(4:105-107). He was also instructed not to perform funeral prayers for the aforementioned Medinan hypocrites(9:84). There were also two instances when what he preferred would remain privately hidden was unveiled by revelation (33:37 and 66:1).

Another proof that the Qur’an originates from the divine source is that it does not touch upon very important people, events, and aspects of the Prophet Muhammad’s life. For instance, while there is an entire chapter (surah) named after and dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, the Prophet Muhammad’s mother is not specifically mentioned even in a single verse. Despite the fact the Prophet Muhammad had a profound impact on the history of mankind, the Qur’an does not mention the deaths of such people as his wife, Khadija, his uncle and protector, Abu Talib, and his son Abraham and other children, who were obviously very dear to his heart. There are many more examples of this kind.

Yet another proof that the Qur’an descended from the Lord of the seen and unseen is that intricacies and details of the world and the universe, which the Prophet Muhammad could not have possibly been knowledgeable of, are written in the Qur’an. For example, the constant expansion of the universe (51:47); the sky and Earth were contiguous and separated afterwards, and everything is created from water (21:30); winds pollinate plants (15:22); and cloud systems bring about rains (14:20). Further, the Qur’an details the lives of prophets of the past and predicts the imminent defeat of the Roman Empire at the hands of the Empire of the Persian Sassanids (30:2-5).

Yet another proof that the Qur’an originates from the divine source of previous heavenly scripts is that a handful of people, educated by the Qur’an, were able to fulfill one of most significant surges of faith in human history. The revelation of the Qur’an is the driving force behind Islam’s existence and its winning of hearts and minds of people throughout centuries. From this perspective, one of the most astounding proofs until the end of the world that the Qur’an is a divine revelation is its unprecedented impact on mankind. The Qur’an’s impact on its interlocutor is proportional to the latter’s belief and faith: the stronger one’s faith in the Qur’an, the more impact the Qur’an has on one’s life.

The following precautions were undertaken to preserve and safeguard the text of the Qur’an:

Preserving the revelation in written form: The very first instance of revelation reads that Allah is “He who has taught [man] the use of the pen” (96:4-5), which is a subtle indication that the revelation was to be preserved by the use of a pen. Another indication to that effect is also seen in “Noon. [Consider] the pen, and all that they write [therewith]!” (68:1), which is among the earliest instances of revelation.

As is known, the Arab culture of the day was mostly based on oral traditions and almost no written documents were used. Having received the abovementioned instructions, the Prophet Muhammad instituted a new tradition of written preservation of documents in Mecca. To preserve the divine revelation in the written form, 42 scribes were engaged in the process over 23 years. From this perspective, the Prophet Muhammad was the first person to compile the entire revelation in one volume. On the day of his passing, the entire revelation was compiled into and readily available as one volume.

Preserving the revelation in salâh (daily prayers): The very first instance of revelation speaks of salâh (96:10). This fact also indicates that the Qur’an played an equal role with prayers in early Muslims’ lives. Salâh is like a vessel containing the Qur’an. While it is permissible, indeed commanded, to read the Qur’an outside salâh, the Prophet Muhammad said no salâh can be performed without reciting the Qur’an: “No prayer [is complete] without the Qur’an [i.e. Surah Al-Fâtiha]” (narrated by al-Bukhâri). Salâh is obligatory upon every faithful. Thus, the Qur’an is preserved in Muslims’ prayers. After all, a great number of companions learned the Qur’an by heart by listening to the Prophet Muhammad during congregational prayers.

Another aspect of the preservation of the Qur’an in salâh is the congregational Friday prayer, which was instituted in Medina. The Prophet Muhammad delivered around 500 sermons in Medina. The majority of these sermons were about the Qur’an, where he would often recite Qur’anic passages. This is another aspect of the preservation of the Qur’an.

Preserving the revelation in human memories: The early Muslims would inscribe the revelation on whatever they were able to, and then memorize it. Sixteen companions compiled their own muskhafs while the Prophet Muhammad was alive. While the content of these copies and the content of today’s muskhaf are identical, there are differences in the ordering of surahs, because every scriber used their own methods.

The Prophet Muhammad’s contemporaries and companions memorized the Qur’an from cover to cover, which is known as “hifdh,” while the person who accomplishes hifdh is called a “hâfidh.” As history unfolded since the Qur’an’s revelation, numbers of hâfidhs grew exponentially, thus enabling the passage of this divine book to following generations in its living memory from over the last 1,400 years. Undoubtedly, the number of hâfidhs among Muslims of today certainly exceeds hundreds of millions.

Throughout the Middle Ages and to date, no other community has read so much and so often as the Muslims have their holy book, whose first instance of revelation commenced with the command of “Read!”

The Prophet Muhammad was born in the city of Mecca in 571 A.D. and died in the city of Medina in 632 A.D. The family he was born into was part of the respected Hashemite tribe, which administered Mecca. His father’s name was Abdullah and his mother’s name was Aminah. He grew up as an orphan (93:6), because Abdullah passed away before Aminah gave birth to Muhammad and Aminah herself died when little Muhammad was about six years of age. The orphaned Muhammad grew up under the protection of his grandfather, Abdulmuttalib, who was an elder of Mecca. The young Muhammad was engaged in commerce, which took him as far as the lands of Sham (modern day Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine). He was such a reliable and trustworthy man that all of Mecca knew him as “Muhammad al-Amin” (Muhammad the Trustworthy).

His exceptional honesty earned the attention of Khadija, a woman engaged in commercial and business partnership with him. Muhammad later married Khadija, who had been married twice before marrying him. At the time of marriage, Khadija was a 40-year-old single mother of three children while Muhammad was a 25-year-old young man consummating his first marriage. The couple parented six children.

After assuming his prophetic mission, the Prophet Muhammad spent 13 years in Mecca where he applied every effort to disseminate the Qur’anic teachings despite constant harassments and real dangers the Meccan polytheists posed to him and his companions. He spent the last 10 years of his life in Medina where he migrated upon receiving information that the polytheists were plotting to assassinate him. He spent those years in Medina building a model Muslim community and delivering the Qur’anic message to wherever he and his companions could reach. Muslims from Mecca joined the Prophet in his migration and formed a significant community with the Muslims of Medina. This Muslim community spent the first half of the Medinan period repelling assaults and attempts to extinguish their small community. Such attempts caused the battles of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq, to name only the significant ones. In the hijri year six, Meccan polytheists and Muslims of Medina signed the Peace Treaty of Hudaybiyya, thereby recognizing the existence of an Islamic city-state in Medina. Coupled with the conquest of Khaybar a year later, the young Islamic state confirmed its status as a new regional superpower. Having victoriously returned to Mecca without bloodshed in the hijri year eight, from which they were expelled under the threat of death, and decisively overpowering enemies at the battle of Hunayn, Muslims eliminated the last traces of the military threat to their existence.

The Prophet Muhammad died in a room next to a mosque he had built in Medina on Rabi ul-Awwal 11, 10 hijri (June 8, 632 A.D.), and was buried there. At the time of his death, he was 63 years old. His grave is still in Medina and has been available for people to visit for over the last 1,400 years.

They certainly do not, for doing so would contradict the very core Islamic teaching of monotheism. If a Muslim worships anybody or anything other than Allah, it would be considered shirk (polytheism), one of the gravest sins in Islam. It does not matter whether the person in question is the Prophet Muhammad or someone else. Islam teaches people that there is only one deity and this is Allah Exalted and Sublime; and He is rightfully worthy of being worshipped. In each prayer Muslims perform, they repeat several times the following pledge: “Thee alone do we worship; and unto Thee alone do we turn for aid.” (1:4) Therefore, worshipping anybody or anything other than Allah is tantamount to alleging their divinity, which is an attempt to ascribe partners to Allah. Consequently, violating this core principle of Islam results in one’s expulsion from the fold of Islam.