The word Islam means “surrender.” It implies total submission to Allah. Allah is the Islamic name for God, but it is the same God of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Devotees of Islam are called Muslims, which means “one who surrenders to God.” The third of the great monotheistic religions in the order of origin, Islam also preaches unwavering loyalty to the one true God, and that all men are equal in God's stern but loving downward glance. Unlike more insular religions, Islamic tradition teaches that you can convert to Islam with a simple personal decision. You are a Muslim if you say you are and, of course, agree to abide by its precepts. And all Muslims belong to one community called an umma, whether they are in Arabia or Indonesia or Omaha.

The founder of Islam was Muhammad, who was born circa 570. He was given a divine revelation that prompted the formation of the Islamic faith. He was the latest in a long line of prophets who were beloved by God. In Islamic tradition, Moses and Jesus were holy messengers of God and the Old and New Testaments are valid spiritual documents, but the ultimate expression of God's mysterious plan for mankind, according to Muslims, found its voice in Muhammad and their holy book, the Koran.

Rituals are extremely important in the Muslim culture and must be rigorously observed. Included in these multitudinous series of standards and practices are the Five Pillars of Islam. They are the profession of faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and at least one trip to Mecca (Muhammad's birthplace) during one's life.

Profession of Faith

The profession of faith, sometimes called giving witness, is common in other creeds. Muslims orally reaffirm that Allah is the only God and that Muhammad is his true prophet several times a day, during daily prayers or whenever the mood strikes them. This profession is the major requirement for membership and can be taken by anyone at any time. And no other Muslim can challenge another's veracity. It is a sacred contract between the individual and God.

Prayer

Muslims must also pray five times a day. This is the second pillar of Islam. They must first engage in a ritual cleansing and then face Mecca, no matter where they are on the planet. The prayers are typically performed approximately at sunrise, noon, midafternoon, sunset, and at night. In countries where there is a large Islamic population, it is customary for a crier to ascend the tower of the local mosque (the Islamic place of worship) and vociferously remind the populace that it is prayer time. Group praying in the mosque occurs at noon on Fridays.

Almsgiving

Charitable donations, also known as almsgiving, is the third pillar of Islam. Islam exhorts its followers to give generously to the poor. Just as the other monotheistic religions endorse helping those less fortunate, the Islamic tradition considers it a duty.

Fasting

Fasting is the fourth pillar. The main time of fasting is during the month of Ramadan, which is the ninth month in the Islamic twelve-month calendar. From dawn until dusk, devout Muslims refrain from food, drink, and l'amour. Fasting is practiced at certain times in all major religions. The ascetic denial and discomfort provides a cleansing sense of atonement. This is similar to the Christian tradition of Lent, where the faithful temporarily deny themselves the pleasures of life. And just as Lent ends with Easter Sunday, Ramadan ends with a three-day holiday.

Mecca Pilgrimage

The fifth pillar of Islam is a trip to the holy city of Mecca once in your life. Mecca is the center of the Islamic faith, the home of Muhammad, and Muslims who are physically and financially able should make the trip to show their devotion. Muslims dress in plain, nonflashy clothes. Jewelry, perfume, and l'amour are prohibited during the pilgrimage. Some men shave their heads, and the men and women wear simple white sheets, symbolizing the equality of all in the eyes of Allah.

Some Muslims also make pilgrimages to Jerusalem. Jerusalem has the distinction of being a holy place in the traditions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Jihad

Some Muslims consider the concept of the jihad to be the sixth pillar of Islam. The word jihad conjures images of terrorism to many non-Muslims, because some militant Muslims use it as a rallying cry for a holy war against their enemies. The actual definition of the word in Arabic is more accurately translated as “to struggle” in order to please God and can be interpreted by Muslims as anything from preaching and performing charitable deeds, to fighting in defense of Islam.

The Koran

Just as Judaism and Christianity have the Old and New Testaments, so Islam has its good book, the Koran. Muslims believe that the ultimate Word of God is represented in the Koran. These are believed to be the actual words, in essence dictated verbatim to Muhammad. As a result, translations into other languages are suspect, because everything loses something in translation.

The Koran gives honorable mention to Moses, Jesus, and other figures from Judaic and Christian tradition. They are respected as holy men, but Muslims believe that the final word on the subject rests with the Koran, Allah's message as told to Muhammad. For example, Jesus is portrayed as a mortal man, not the Son of God. As a prophet and beloved by God, the Koran also teaches that Allah would not allow one of his prophets to suffer something as horrible as death by crucifixion. The Koran tells Muslims that, at the last minute, Jesus was rescued by God and replaced by an identical impostor. In telling the story of Abraham and his son, the Koran switches sons. In the Old Testament, God exhorts Abraham to offer his son Isaac as a human sacrifice to prove his devotion, only to stop him at the last minute and tell him that it was only a test of his love. In the Koran, the son is identified as Ishmael, from whom it is believed that the Arab offshoot of the Semitic people descended.