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1 Islam in 60 seconds
Almost 2 billion people are Muslim, about one in four people on earth. Here is the whole idea in five points.
He made everything. He has no partner, no son and no equal. Muslims call Him Allah, which is simply Arabic for "God".
God sent prophets to people all over the world, in every age, with the same message. The last one was Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The Quran is God's word, given to Muhammad (pbuh) over 23 years and memorized by millions today.
Islam is not just Friday or prayer time. It covers how you eat, work, spend, and treat your family and neighbors.
This life is a test. After it, everyone is raised, judged fairly, and met with God's justice and mercy.
What does (pbuh) mean? It is short for "peace be upon him". Muslims say it out of respect every time they name a prophet, so you will see it after their names on this page.
2 What do Muslims actually believe?
Six things. If you know these, you know the core of Muslim belief.
One, all-powerful, all-knowing, and closer to you than you think.
Beings made of light who carry out God's commands. The angel Gabriel brought God's words to the prophets.
God sent scripture before: the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel. The Quran is the last.
Thousands of them, all human, all teaching the same thing: worship God alone and be good.
Every person will answer for what they did. Nobody carries anyone else's sins.
Nothing happens outside God's knowledge. We still choose, and we are responsible for our choices.
Want more? Our free Aqidah course covers each one in short lessons.
3 What do Muslims actually do?
Belief is not just something Muslims think. It shows in what they do every day. These five things, called the five pillars, are the base every Muslim builds their life on.
"There is no god but God, and Muhammad is His messenger." Said and meant.
Dawn, midday, afternoon, sunset and night. A few minutes each, wherever you are.
Each year, 2.5% of savings above a set amount goes to people in need.
One month a year, no food or drink from dawn to sunset. Then dinner with everyone.
Once in a lifetime, for those who are healthy and can afford it.
And day to day? Saying "in the name of God" before eating. No pork and no alcohol. Kindness to parents. Honesty in business. Smiling at people, which the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) called a charity in itself.
4 Who is Allah?
Allah is not a separate "Muslim god". It is the Arabic word for God, the same word Arab Christians use in their Bibles and their prayers. Muslims believe it is the same God who spoke to Abraham, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them all).
The Quran describes Him in one short chapter that Muslims recite every day:
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ
Say, "He is God, the One. God, the one everyone needs. He has no child and was not born. And there is nothing like Him."
Quran 112Recited by Mishary Alafasy. The English lights up line by line as you listen.
That is why Muslims do not pray to statues, saints or pictures. Prayer goes straight to God, with nobody in between. Anyone can talk to Him, any time, in any language.
5 What are the books?
The Quran is the holy book of Islam. Muslims believe it is God's exact words, brought by the angel Gabriel to Muhammad (pbuh) between the years 610 and 632. That is about 1,400 years ago, and Muslims still read it today in the same Arabic words, unchanged. It is about 600 pages long, and millions of people know the whole book by heart, including many children.
Earlier books. Muslims also believe God gave the Torah to Moses, the Psalms to David and the Gospel to Jesus (peace be upon them all). Believing in them is part of being Muslim. Muslims believe the Quran came last, to confirm what was true in them and bring the message back to its original form.
The hadith are records of what Muhammad (pbuh) said and did. They explain the Quran in practice: how to pray, how to treat your neighbor, how to run a fair business. Scholars checked every chain of people who passed each one on.
You can read the Quran in English on this site, free, with Arabic and audio.
6 The prophets: one family
If you grew up with Bible stories, you already know a lot of Islam. The Quran names 25 prophets, and most of them are in the Bible too:
Peace be upon them all.
Muslims believe they all taught the same core message. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) put it like this: the prophets are brothers, with different mothers but one religion. He is the last of them, the "seal of the prophets".
Read their stories in The Prophets.
7 Islam and Christianity
The biggest surprise for many Christians? Muslims love Jesus.
What we share
- One God, the God of Abraham (pbuh).
- Jesus (pbuh) is the Messiah. Muslims believe he was born to the Virgin Mary with no father, spoke as a baby, healed the blind and the sick, and brought the dead back to life, all by God's permission.
- Mary is honored. A whole chapter of the Quran is named after her, and it calls her chosen above all the women of the world.
- Jesus (pbuh) will come back before the end of the world.
- Angels, a Day of Judgment, heaven and hell, prayer, fasting and charity.
Where we differ
- Who Jesus (pbuh) is. Christians believe Jesus is God the Son. Muslims believe he is one of God's greatest prophets and a human being, not God and not God's son.
- The Trinity. Christians believe in one God in three persons. Muslims believe God is one, with no partners or persons.
- The cross. Christians believe Jesus died on the cross and rose again. The Quran says he was not killed or crucified, but God raised him up.
- Sin and salvation. Many Christians believe everyone inherits the sin of Adam (pbuh) and is saved through Jesus's death. Muslims believe every baby is born pure, Adam was forgiven, and each person answers for their own deeds, hoping in God's mercy.
- Muhammad (pbuh). Muslims believe he is God's final prophet. Christians do not.
8 Islam and Judaism
Islam and Judaism are like cousins.
Both trace back to Abraham (pbuh): Jews through his son Isaac, and Arabs through his son Ishmael.
What we share
- Strict belief in one God, with no images.
- Moses (pbuh) is the prophet named most often in the whole Quran.
- A religious law for daily life: prayer times, washing before prayer, charity, fasting.
- Food rules. No pork in either. Halal and kosher are close enough that the Quran allows Muslims to eat the food of Jews and Christians.
- Circumcision, modest dress, and a big focus on family.
Where we differ
- Jesus (pbuh). Muslims believe Jesus is the Messiah and a prophet. Judaism does not.
- Muhammad (pbuh). Muslims believe he is God's final prophet. Judaism does not.
- The book. Jews follow the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud. Muslims believe in the original Torah, and follow the Quran as God's last word.
9 Side by side
The short version. Each column says what that faith's own followers believe. Swipe sideways on a phone.
| Islam | Christianity | Judaism | |
|---|---|---|---|
| God | One God, no partners | One God in three persons (the Trinity) | One God |
| Jesus | The Messiah, a great prophet, born of a virgin, not God | God the Son, who died and rose again | A Jewish teacher, not the Messiah |
| Muhammad (pbuh) | The last prophet | Not a prophet | Not a prophet |
| Holy book | The Quran (and belief in the original Torah, Psalms and Gospel) | The Bible: Old and New Testament | The Hebrew Bible and the Talmud |
| Sin | Everyone is born pure; nobody carries another's sin | Most churches teach original sin from Adam | No inherited sin; people choose good or bad |
| Salvation | Faith in God, good deeds, and God's mercy | Faith in Jesus | Keeping God's covenant and commandments |
| Weekly day | Friday prayer | Sunday | Sabbath (Saturday) |
| Food | Halal: no pork, no alcohol | Few or no rules | Kosher: no pork, meat and dairy kept apart |
10 Islam and Hinduism, and other faiths
Many Hindus believe in one supreme reality, Brahman, seen through many gods and forms. Islam agrees that there is one supreme God above everything. The difference is in how He is worshipped: in Islam, God has no forms, images or other gods beside Him, and nothing is like Him. So worship goes to Him alone, directly.
Another difference: many Hindus believe the soul is reborn again and again. Muslims believe we live once, then are raised and judged.
And a lot is shared: prayer, fasting, charity, respect for elders, modesty, and the belief that how you live matters. The Quran says God sent a messenger to every people on earth, so Muslims expect to find truth and goodness in every culture.
Not religious at all? You are just as welcome. Our Doubts course takes on the big questions head on: does God exist, why is there suffering, could a person have written the Quran.
"O people! We created you from a male and a female, and made you nations and tribes, so that you may get to know one another. The best among you in the sight of God is the most righteous."
Quran 49:1311 Myth or fact?
Tap a card to turn it over.
Have a harder question, about women, war, or anything else? Our Doubts course answers them honestly, with sources.
12 Quick answers
The questions people ask first. Tap one to open it.
Why do Muslim women wear a headscarf?
As an act of worship and modesty: a way of being seen for your mind and character, not your looks. Men are told to be modest too, in how they dress and how they look at others. Many women describe it as freeing. Read the full answer →
Why no pork or alcohol?
The Quran forbids them, and Muslims keep that as a command from God, much like Jews keep kosher. There are health reasons people point to, but the real reason is trust in the One who gave the rule. Read the full answer →
Can I visit a mosque?
Yes, and you will usually be very welcome. Dress modestly, take your shoes off at the door, and women may be offered a scarf. You can sit at the back and watch the prayer. Nobody will expect you to join in.
What are Sunni and Shia?
The two main groups of Muslims. Most Muslims, around 85 to 90 percent, are Sunni. Both believe in one God, the Quran and Muhammad (pbuh), pray five times a day and fast in Ramadan. They first split over who should lead the Muslims after the Prophet (pbuh) died.
What are Ramadan and Eid?
Ramadan is the month the Quran was first revealed. For 29 or 30 days Muslims fast from dawn to sunset, pray more and give more. Eid al-Fitr is the celebration at the end. Eid al-Adha, about two months later, remembers Abraham (pbuh) and comes with the pilgrimage. The Islamic calendar follows the moon, so both move about 11 days earlier each year. How Muslims fast →
Do Muslims worship the Kaaba in Mecca?
No. The Kaaba is the direction Muslims face when they pray, so that everyone faces the same way. The prayer is to God alone. Umar, one of the Prophet's (pbuh) closest friends, once said to the black stone set in it: I know you are only a stone, and you can neither help nor harm.
What is Sharia?
Sharia means "the way". It is the whole of Islamic guidance: how to pray, fast, give charity, marry, and do business fairly. Most of it is about personal worship and everyday life. Criminal punishments are a small part, with very strict conditions. Punishments, honestly explained →
What happens to people who are not Muslim?
Islam teaches that God is perfectly fair and merciful, and judges each person by what reached them and what they did with it. The Quran says God does not punish anyone before sending them a messenger. In the end, judgment belongs to God alone, not to any person. Read the full answer →
13 How does someone become Muslim?
Simply. There is no class to pass and nobody to pay. A person becomes Muslim by sincerely saying, and meaning:
أَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ
I bear witness that there is no god but God, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God.
That is called the shahada. Many people say it at a masjid with friends, but it can be said alone, between you and God.
But there is no rush. The Quran says "there shall be no compulsion in religion." Read, ask, take your time. Islam asks you to use your mind, not switch it off.
If you ever do decide, New to Islam walks you through your first day, week and month.
14 What did you learn?
Five quick questions. No sign-up, and nobody sees your answers.
15 Where to go next
Pick whatever caught your eye.
Sources: Quran 112; 2:144; 2:173; 2:185; 5:90; 17:15; 24:30-31; 2:256; 2:183; 2:37; 3:42-49; 3:67; 3:84; 4:157-158; 4:163; 4:171; 5:5; 5:46; 6:164; 16:36; 19:16-34; 33:40; 42:11; 49:13; 50:16. Sahih al-Bukhari 8 (the five pillars), 3443 (the prophets are brothers), 3448 (Jesus returns), 3015 (women and children); Sahih Muslim 2996 (angels made of light); Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1956 (a smile is charity); Sahih al-Bukhari 1597 (Umar and the black stone).