To start off, here are some basic facts about Islam, for anyone who is new to the religion or doesn't know much about it.
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1) Islam is a monotheistic religion, meaning the followers (Muslims) only believe in one God.
2) Muslims believe in the same God as Christians and Jews, but they don't believe that God is associated with anyone else. For example, as Christians believe that Jesus was God, Muslims believe that he was not God, but a messenger, just like that of Abraham, David, Moses, and so on.
3) Muslims greet each other using the words Assalam Alaikum, which is Arabic for "peace be upon you." The other person responds by saying "Walaikum Assalam" which means "and peace be upon you too."
4) The word Islam means peace and submission, and both definitions go hand in hand with each other.
● Muslims believe that God wants the best for His creation, and that Islam has been sent down as instructions for mankind on how to be good. (ex: do not drink alcohol, gamble, lie, backbite, commit adultery, etc)
● By following these rules, Muslims are "submitting" to their Lord.
● By submitting to their Lord, Muslims attain peace within themselves and help contribute good to the rest of society.
5) "Allah" is the Arabic word for God. The majority of Muslims address Him by that name because the Qur'an was originally sent down in the Arabic language.
6) The Qur'an is the official holy book of the Muslims.
7) Muslims believe that the Qur'an hasn't been changed or tampered with since its original revelation in 610 AD (In fact, one of the oldest copies still exists today, currently kept in the University of Birmingham).
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8) The message of the Qur'an was sent down to the Prophet Muhammad (s.) in 610 AD by the angel Gabriel.
9) Muslims don't "worship" Muhammad (s.), but instead praise and respect him for his divine character and for spreading the message of Islam.
10) Muslims have such high respect towards Muhammad that upon mentioning or hearing his name, they would follow up by saying the Arabic words, "salallahu alaihi wa sallam," which means, "may the peace and blessing of God be upon him." (you can also say "peace be upon him" in English)
11) In addition to following the Qur'an, Muslims also refer to the teachings and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (s.), which are derived from sources known as Hadith.
12) Hadith are records of actual quotes from Prophet Muhammad (s.). They have been recorded by the companions of the Prophet (s.) since his time and have been passed down and compiled by scholars ever since. Each hadith is graded in terms of authenticity, with the grade "Sahih" being the most authentic and "Hasan" the second most authentic.
13) There are six basic concepts that all Muslims believe in, which are known as the six pillars of faith or the articles of faith.
● Belief in one God
● Belief in Angels
● Belief in the messengers of God (from the first man Adam all the way to Muhammad, the last messenger)
● Belief in the Holy Books
● Belief in the afterlife
● Belief in destiny/divine decree
14) Muslims also believe in five formal acts of worship which help strengthen their faith in God. These are known as the five pillars of Islam
