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Faith and beliefs

What do Muslims believe?

2 min read Answered by the Neighbor Radio team Neighbor review in progress Updated

Muslims believe in one God. Allah is simply the Arabic word for God, and Arab Christians use it too. Muslims believe God sent many prophets, like Abraham, Moses and Jesus, and that Muhammad was the last. Their holy book is the Qur’an. Islam has five main practices: faith, prayer, giving, fasting in Ramadan and a trip to Mecca.

1 · MindWhat people believe, and how they know

“Islam” means submission to God, and a “Muslim” is someone who submits. Muslims believe the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad over about 23 years, beginning around 610 CE. His sayings and example, collected in the hadith, help explain how to live it.

Islam rests on six beliefs: in God, angels, God’s books, the prophets, the Day of Judgment and God’s plan. It’s practiced through five pillars. Shahada is saying there is no god but God, and Muhammad is His messenger. Salah is praying five times a day, facing Mecca. Zakat is giving a share of your savings to people in need. Sawm is fasting from dawn to sunset in Ramadan. Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca once in your life, if you’re able.

There are about 2 billion Muslims worldwide. Most are not Arab, and the country with the most Muslims is Indonesia. Pew counts about 1 percent of U.S. adults as Muslim.

What each tradition or community says

We're Christians, so we list what Christians believe first. Every other section is checked by someone from that faith or community.

Christian connection

Muslims honor Jesus as a prophet born of the virgin Mary, and a whole chapter of the Qur’an is named for Mary. They don’t believe Jesus is God’s Son. That’s the main difference.

Many Muslims

Islam isn’t only a Friday thing. It shapes how you eat, pray, do business, treat your parents and greet your neighbors.

Many Muslim Americans

They’re tired of being asked about terrorism. They’d much rather be asked about Ramadan, family or the food.

2 · HeartWhat it feels like

Many Muslim Americans grew up explaining their faith in the shadow of 9/11. Some have been yelled at in parking lots. Some kids were called names at school.

Most just want what everyone wants: to pray, work, raise their kids and be known as good neighbors.

There’s a whole chapter of the Qur’an named after Mary. Most Christians we talk to are surprised by that. Most Muslims are surprised that they’re surprised.Neighbor Radio

3 · HandsHow to be a good neighbor

The common greeting is “As-salamu alaykum,” which means “peace be upon you.” You can say it back: “Wa alaykum as-salam.” When you host, skip the pork and alcohol and ask about halal. Wish neighbors “Ramadan Mubarak” and “Eid Mubarak.” If you’re curious, many mosques hold open houses.

This weekRead Surah 19 of the Qur’an, the chapter named for Mary. It’s short.

TimelineWhere this fits

More than 15,000 years ago: Native peoples in North AmericaAbout 2000 BC: Abraham answers God's callAbout 1500 BC: The Rig VedaAbout 1450 BC: The Exodus and the Torah at SinaiAbout 500 BC: The Buddha teachesAbout 400 BC to AD 200: The Bhagavad GitaAbout 250 BC: Emperor AshokaAbout 6 BC: Jesus is bornAbout AD 30: Jesus' death and resurrection1469: Guru Nanak is born1699: The Khalsa is founded1787: No religious test for office1791: The First Amendment1820: The First VisionApril 6, 1830: The Church is organized1965: Immigration and Nationality Act1978: American Indian Religious Freedom Act2023–24: 29 percent unaffiliated AD 610: The Qur'an's revelation beginsAD 622: The Hijra

See every faith on one timeline →

Plain wordsWhat do these words mean?

Allah
The Arabic word for God. Arabic-speaking Christians and Jews use it too.
Prophet
Someone believed to speak a message from God.
Qur’an
The holy book of Islam. Muslims believe God revealed it to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel.
Hadith
A report of something the Prophet Muhammad said or did. Muslims use collections of hadith alongside the Qur’an.
Salah
The five daily prayers in Islam. Also spelled salat.
Zakat
Giving a set share of one’s savings to people in need each year, one of the five pillars of Islam.
Hajj
The pilgrimage to Mecca. Every Muslim who is able is asked to make it once in their life.
Pilgrimage
A journey to a holy place, like the Hajj to Mecca.

All the words →

Four questions to take with you

From Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan, about the stranger who stopped to help. We call it the Samaritan Test.

  1. Did they see? Or look right past?
  2. Did they stop? Even when it was inconvenient?
  3. Did it cost them? Time, money, comfort, reputation?
  4. Did they treat the person like a person? Not like a label?

Try it on: what’s the first thing you think of when you hear “Muslim”? Where did that picture come from?

Quick questions

Do Muslims and Christians worship the same God?

Many believers on both sides say yes, with real differences in how they understand God. See our full answer on Christians, Jews and Muslims.

Why do Muslims pray five times a day?

It’s one of the five pillars. Muslims believe it keeps God at the center of the whole day, not just one day a week.

Are all Muslims Arab?

No. Only about one in five Muslims lives in the Middle East or North Africa.

Sources and research
  1. Qur'an 2:136 and Surah 19 (Maryam)
  2. Pew Research Center, 2025: Religious Landscape Study
  3. Pew Research Center, 2017: Muslims and Islam, key findings
  4. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Islam
How this answer was made

Written in plain words by the Neighbor Radio team. Each faith's and community's section is checked by someone from that faith or community. Until then, this page says so. Spot something wrong? Tell us. We read every note and fix mistakes.

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