Muslims believe in Allah, who is unique, all powerful, gracious and merciful to all Muslims. The Islamic faith is lived out according to five pillars that must be adhered to if one is to hope for salvation.

The Five Pillars of Muslim Faith

1. Reciting the Creed (shahada)

"There is no God but Allah and Muhammed is the messenger of Allah."

2. Prayer (salat)

-- At five set times a day.

3. Almsgiving (sakat)

-- Both obligatory and voluntary giving to the poor

4. Fasting (saum)

-- Especially during the "holy" month of Ramadan.

5. Pilgrimage (hajj)

-- To Mecca at least once in a lifetime.

No Guarantee of Salvation

While a Muslim may observe each of these pillars there is still no guarantee of salvation. Islam is based on a religion on self-righteousness. Muslims often think about the Day of Judgement, where they believe Allah (or an angel) will take a balance and weigh each persons deeds. His hope is that his good deeds will outweigh his bad deeds, but even then Allah's jundgement is based on His will and not on justice.

Another interepretation is that man's deeds are written in a book and on the Day of Judgement Allah will open the book and the sum of a man's account wil be placed in either his right or left hand. The only sure way to paradise is to die as a martyr during an Islamic Holy War, a Jihad.

Muhammed the Prophet vs Jesus the Prophet

Muhammed is Islam's highest prophet, but the Qur'an also speaks often of Jesus, also known as Isa. The Qur'an also refers to Jesus as Kalimat Allah, which means The Word of God. They believe he was born of a virgin Mary, but that His father was the Angel Gabriel. Muslims do not believe in his death on the cross, his resurrection, nor his deity. Although Jesus is the second hightest prophet in Islam, the Isa of the Qur'an is only one among 124,000 prophets.

The belief in angels and evil spirits, also known as Jinn, plays a very prominent part in the lives of most Muslims. Although the Qur'an states that "good and evil comes form Allah," this belief is not founded in orthodox Islam but is a result of pagan religions, particularly from Africa, being incorporated in Islam.

As with all religions, Isalm incorportes every aspect of life. Within the Qur'an and Hadith's there is instruction for every detail of a Muslim's daily life.