What is Islam, and what do Muslims believe?

Question: "What is Islam, and what do Muslims believe?"
Answer: Islam is a religioussystem begun in the seventh century by
Muhammad. Muslims follow the teachings of the Qur'an and strive to
keep the Five Pillars.
The History of Islam
In the seventh century, Muhammad claimed the angel Gabriel visited
him. During these angelic visitations, which continued for about 23
years until Muhammad's death, the angel purportedly revealed to
Muhammad the words of Allah (the Arabic word for "God" used by
Muslims). These dictated revelations compose the Qur'an, Islam's holy
book. Islam means "submission," deriving from a root word that means
"peace." The word Muslim means "one who submits to Allah."
The Doctrine of Islam
Muslims summarize their doctrine in six articles of faith:
1. Belief in one Allah: Muslims believe Allah is one, eternal,
creator, and sovereign.
2. Belief in the angels
3. Belief in the prophets: The prophets include the biblical prophets
but end with Muhammad as Allah's final prophet.
4. Belief in the revelations of Allah: Muslims accept certain portions
of the Bible, such as the Torah and the Gospels. They believe the
Qur'an is the preexistent, perfect word of Allah.
5. Belief in the last day of judgment and the hereafter: Everyone will
be resurrected for judgment into either paradise or hell.
6. Belief in predestination: Muslims believe Allah has decreed
everything that will happen. Muslims testify to Allah's sovereignty
with their frequent phrase, inshallah , meaning, "if God wills."
The Five Pillars of Islam
These five tenets compose the framework of obedience for Muslims:
1. The testimony of faith ( shahada ): " la ilaha illa allah. Muhammad
rasul Allah. " This means, "There is no deity but Allah. Muhammad is
the messenger of Allah." A person can convert to Islam by stating this
creed. The shahada shows that a Muslim believes in Allah alone as
deity and believes that Muhammad reveals Allah.
2. Prayer ( salat ): Five ritualprayers must be performedevery day.
3. Giving ( zakat ): This almsgiving is a certain percentage given once a year.
4. Fasting ( sawm ): Muslimsfast during Ramadan in theninth month of
the Islamic calendar. They must not eat or drink from dawn until
sunset.
5. Pilgrimage ( hajj ): If physically and financially possible, a
Muslim must make the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia at least
once. The hajj is performed in the twelfth month of the Islamic
calendar.
A Muslim's entrance into paradise hinges on obedience to these Five
Pillars. Still, Allah may reject them. Even Muhammad was not sure
whether Allah would admithim to paradise (Surah 46:9; Hadith 5.266).
An Evaluation of Islam
Compared to Christianity, Islam has some similarities but significant
differences. Like Christianity, Islam is monotheistic. However,
Muslims reject the Trinity—that God has revealed Himself as one in
three Persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Muslims claim that Jesus was a mere prophet—not God's Son. Islam
asserts that Jesus, though born of a virgin, was created like Adam.
Many Muslims do not believe Jesus died on the cross. They do not
understand why Allah would allow His prophet Isa (the Islamic word
for"Jesus") to die a torturous death. Yet the Bible shows how the
death of the perfect Son of God was essential to pay for the sinsof
believers (Isaiah 53:5-6; John 3:16; 14:6; 1 Peter 2:24).
Islam teaches that the Qur'an is the final authorityand the last
revelation of Allah. The Bible, however, was completed in the first
century with the Book of Revelation. The Bible warnsagainst anyone
adding to or subtracting from God's Word (Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs
30:6; Galatians 1:6-12; Revelation 22:18). The Qur'an, as a claimed
addition to God's Word, directly disobeys God's command.
Muslims believe that paradise can be earned through keeping the Five
Pillars. The Bible, in contrast, reveals that sinful man can never
measure upto the holy God (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Only by God's grace may
sinners be savedthrough repentant faith in Jesus (Acts 20:21;
Ephesians 2:8-9).
Because of these essential differences and contradictions, Islam and
Christianity cannot both be true. The Bible and Qur'an cannot both be
God's Word. The truth has eternalconsequences.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see
whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out
into the world. Bythis you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that
confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and
every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the
spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming,
and now it is already in the world" (1 John 4:1-4; see also John
3:35-36)