Islam is the name of the religion, and its followers are known as Muslims.
Muslims believe there is one true God, called Allah (the Arabic word for God). In Arabic the word Islam means 'submission to the will of God'. Muslims believe that Islam was revealed over 1,400 years ago, through a man called Prophet Muhammad.
Today there are around 1.9 billion Muslims around the world, with over 3 million Muslims living in the UK.
Five key facts
Watch to find out how Haseeb lives his life according to Islamic teachings, including how he worships and what he eats.
My name is Haseeb and I'm a Muslim. My religion is called Islam, and I believe that there is only one God, Allah, and that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is his Prophet or Messenger.
Like most Muslims, I pray five times a day. I can do it anywhere that's clean and isn't disrespectful to Allah. First, I wash in a special way, which is called Wudu, and then I stand on a prayer mat facing the direction of a building in Saudi Arabia called the Kaaba, which was built by the Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him). I say the prayer in Arabic and do the same movements every time.I can also do this at the mosque, or the masjid as it's called in Arabic, which is an Islamic holy building.
The Muslim holy book is called The Qur'an. Muslims believe that every word was given to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by Allah.
Muslims come from all over the world, so what they wear varies from country to country. Lots of Muslim women choose to wear a headscarf called a hijab to cover their hair in public. Some women wear a long loose dress called a jilbab, or a face covering called a niqab. Men sometimes wear a cap called a topi like mine, especially when they're praying.
Muslims eat halal food which means allowed - and that's most things! But we can't just eat any meat though. The animal has to be killed in a certain way by a specially trained butcher who says the blessing over it.
We can't eat the meat of pigs, or drink alcohol. Those are called haram, which means forbidden. We thank Allah for everything we eat.
What do Muslims believe and how do they worship?
Click the image below to discover more about Islam.
Religious symbol
The symbol of the star and crescent moon is used in the flags of many Islamic countries, including Turkey, Tunisia, Pakistan and Algeria.
Denominations
When Prophet Muhammed died, there was a disagreement about who should lead the religion. This disagreement led to the split of Islam into Sunni and Shia Muslims.
Although there are some important differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims, both branches agree that there is only one God (Allah), that Prophet Muhammad was the messenger of Allah, and on the importance of the Prophets.
The majority of Muslims in the world are Sunni, and follow The Six Articles of Faith (a set of six important religious beliefs). Shia is the second largest branch of Islam. Shia Muslims follow beliefs known as the Five Roots of Usul ad-Din.
The Five Pillars of Islam
The Five Pillars of Islam are an important part of Muslim life. The Five Pillars are five things that all Muslims must do so that they can live a good and responsible life. For Sunni Muslims, the Five Pillars are the core duties of Islam. Shia Muslims follow the Five Pillars plus five additional duties, and together these are called the Ten Obligatory Acts. Click on the image below to learn more about The Five Pillars.
Inside a mosque
Click the picture below to explore the inside of an Islamic mosque.
GCSE exam dates 2025
Find out everything you need to know about the 2025 GCSE exams including dates, timetables and changes to exams to get your revision in shape.
