Introduction to Islam

• The Islamic religion was founded by Mohammed in the early seventh century.

• Mohammed was born in Mecca in about 570, and he was the son of a wealthy merchant.

• When Mohammed was twenty, he decided to become a hermit and moved to a mountain. There, he received a revelation from God, and was later visited by the angel Gabriel.

• Mohammed then announced himself as a prophet, and began preaching his new monotheistic religion, Islam.

• The Islamic faith is based on the belief in one God and the prophet Mohammed as his messenger. Muslims must pray five times a day, face Mecca, fast during the month of Ramadan, and give alms.

• The most important center of Islamic worship is Mecca, where Mohammed made his first pilgrimage in 622.

• Muslims must make at least one pilgrimage to Mecca in their lifetime.

• Muslims are also required to give charity, and to keep the Five Pillars of Islam: belief in one God, the angels, the prophets, the holy books (the Qur'an and the Hadith), and the oneness of God.

Learn about the foundational principles of Islam, including the life of Prophet Mohammed, the Five Pillars of Islam, and the significance of Mecca as a center of Islamic worship.