Islam, major world religion that emphasizes monotheism, the unity of God ('Allah' in Arabic), and Muhammad as his final messenger in a series of revelations. As the literal word of God, the Qur'an makes known the will of God, to which humans must surrender (lending the name Islam, meaning 'surrender'). The Qur'an, the sacred text of Islam, is believed to be the Word of God as revealed to the Prophet. Here Dr. Mustafa Shah describes the historical context of its revelation, its transmission and codification and its shared spiritual heritage with the other main Abrahamic faiths. Muslim beliefs - Edexcel. Muslims believe in one God, Allah, who has many characteristics. Muhammad was the final prophet of Islam, to whom God revealed the Qur'an. There are two main branches There are two basic groups of Islam: the Sunnis (about 80% of the world's Muslims) and the Shi'ites (about 20% of the world's Muslims). Although they share the same basic beliefs, they disagree on who was the rightful leader of Islam after Muhammad's death. What does Islam mean? Though Islam can be described as a religion, it is viewed by its adherents - a fifth of the world's population - in much broader terms. Beyond belief in specific doctrines and performance of important ritual acts, Islam is practiced as a complete and natural way of life, designed to bring God into the center of one's consciousness, and The religious practice of Islam, which literally means "to submit to God", is based on tenets that are known as the Five Pillars ( arkan ), to which all members of the Islamic community ( umma) should adhere. Shahada (photo: Mustafa and Aziza, CC BY-SA 2.0) 1. At the most basic level, Islam is a major world religion practiced by well over a billion people, and Islamism is a political ideology to which a subset of the broader Islamic community adheres. The importance of this distinction seems fairly clear. Hadith, corpus of the sayings or traditions of the Prophet Muhammad, revered by Muslims as a major source of religious law and moral guidance. It comprises many reports of varying length and authenticity. The individual reports are also called hadith (plural: hadiths). The word hadith is derived. Islam can be described as the foundation of peace in the Muslim world. It conveys the message of doing good deeds, Respecting all the creatures, showing compassion and care towards less resourceful people, etc. All aspects of a Muslim's life are governed by Sharia. Sharia law comes from a combination of sources including the Qur'an (the Muslim holy book), the Hadith (sayings and conduct of the prophet PSFz.