The Central Theme of Islam Is Monotheism

The central theme of Islam is monotheism, a belief in only one God, Allah, who is omnipotent. According to Islam, God has four fundamental functions: creation, sustenance, guidance, and judgment. The overall purpose of humanity is to serve Allah, to worship him alone and to construct a moral lifestyle. The Koran declares that making the earth a better place is every human's job in this world. The Koran criticizes humans for their selfishness, which causes them to lose sight of their Creator. Because of this, individuals must go beyond their selfishness and develop an inner moral quality of taqwa (meaning, "to guard against danger"). Each individual goal is for the good of human kind, not themselves.

Islam teaches that, because of humanity's moral weakness, God sent prophets to teach both individuals and nations correct moral and spiritual behaviors. Since the messages of all prophets emanate from the same divine source, religions are basically one. All prophets are human, but they are the most perfect examples of what humans should be. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the final prophet and that theKoran is the final and most perfect revelation of God. The Koran is supposed to be superior to all earlier revelations from God. Muslims also believe in a final judgment when individuals will be judged according to their deeds.

There is no official creed to which one must adhere to be considered a Muslim. All that is required is to believe and recite the Shahada: "There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his Prophet." Beyond this core belief, however, Muslim doctrine is often summarized in "Six Articles of Faith." Many Muslims believe that one must adhere to the six articles to be considered a Muslim. Muhammad, the founder of Islam, is revered as "the Seal of the Prophets" - the last and greatest of the messengers of God. He is not divine in any way, for the strict monotheism that characterizes Islam (as well as Judaism) does not allow for such an interpretation. Other prophets are important in Islam as well, all of which are shared with the Jews or the Christians. According to the Qur'an, Allah "created man from a clot of blood" at the same time he created the jinn from fire. Humans are the greatest of all creatures, created with free will for the purpose of obeying and serving God.

For a Muslim, the object of life is to live in a way that is pleasing to Allah so that one may gain Paradise. It is believed that at puberty, an account of each person's deeds is opened, and this will be used at the Day of Judgment to determine his eternal fate. The religious rituals of Islam are relatively few in number, but great in importance. The Five Pillars of Islam are five practices regarded by all sects as essential to the Muslim faith. Other notable Islamic practices include the mystical rituals of Sufism and various distinctive Shiite practices.