A Muslim, sometimes spelled Moslem,[1] relates to a person who follows the religion of Islam,[2] a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion based on the Quran. Muslims consider the Quran to be the verbatim word of God as revealed to the Islamic prophet Muhammad. They also follow the teachings and practices of Muhammad as recorded in traditional accounts called hadith.[3] "Muslim" is an Arabic word meaning "one who submits (to God)".[4] A female Muslim is sometimes called a Muslimah. There are customs holding that a man and woman or teenager and adolescent above the age of fifteen of a lunar or solar calendar who possesses the faculties of rationality, logic or sanity, but misses numerous successive Jumu'ahs without a valid excuse, no longer qualifies as a Muslim.[5][6] br br Most Muslims will accept anyone who has publicly pronounced the declaration of faith (shahadah) as a Muslim. The shahadah states: br br There is no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God.[7] br br Islamic beliefs commonly held by Muslims include: that God (Arabic: الله‎ Allāh) is eternal, transcendent and absolutely one (monotheism); that God is incomparable, self-sustaining and neither begets nor was begotten; that Islam is the complete and universal version of a primordial faith that has been revealed before through many prophets including Abraham, Moses, Ishmael and Jesus;[8] that these previous messages and revelations have been partially changed or corrupted over time[9] and that the Qur'an is the final unaltered revelation from God (The Final Testament).[10] br br The religious practices of Muslims are enumerated in the Five Pillars of Islam, which, in addition to Shahadah, consist of daily prayers (salat), fasting during the Islamic month of Ramadan (sawm), almsgiving (zakat), and the pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) at least once in a lifetime br br Question: "What is Islam, and what do Muslims believe?" br br Answer: Islam is a religious system begun in the seventh century by Muhammad. Muslims follow the teachings of the Qur’an and strive to keep the Five Pillars. br br The History of Islam br 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.” br br The Doctrine of Islam br Muslims summarize their doctrine in six articles of faith: br 1. Belief in one Allah: Muslims believe Allah is one, eternal, creator, and sovereign. br 2. Belief in the angels br 3. Belief in the prophets: The prophets include the biblical prophets but end with Muhammad as Allah’s final prophet. br 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. br 5. Belief in the last day of judgment and the hereafter: Everyone will be resurrected for judgment into either paradise or hell. br 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.” br br The Five Pillars of Islam br These five tenets compose the framework of obedience for Muslims: br 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. br 2. Prayer (salat): Five ritual prayers must be performed every day. br 3. Giving (zakat): This almsgiving is a certain percentage given once a year. br 4. Fasting (sawm): Muslims fast during Ramadan in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. They must not eat or drink from dawn until sunset. br 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. br br 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 admit him to paradise (Surah 46:9; Hadith 5.266). br br An Evaluation of Islam br 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. br br Muslims claim that Jesus was one of the most important prophets—not God’s Son. Islam asserts that Jesus, though born of a virgin, was created like Adam. Muslims do not believe Jesus died on the cross. They do not understand why Allah would allow .