The Religion of Islam
Chapter 1 of A Guide for the New Muslim: the foundations you need before anything else.
“Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam.” (Quran 3:19)
A study-guide summary of a chapter of A Guide for the New Muslim by Jamaal al-Din M. Zarabozo.
What the word “Islam” means
Islam means submission: knowingly choosing to worship and obey the one God. It is related to the Arabic word for peace (salaam), and real peace does come from living it, but the word itself does not simply mean “peace.”
The religion of every prophet
Anyone who truly submitted to God by what He revealed was a Muslim in this sense. Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus all called people to the same submission, so the bond of faith reaches back to Adam. A Muslim believes in all the prophets.
The final message
Since the coming of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, Islam means following his way. His message confirms what was true in earlier revelation, replaces earlier laws, and was preserved so that no later prophet is needed to correct it. For that reason, a Muslim cannot accept some prophets while rejecting him.
For all people and all times
The Prophet ﷺ was sent to all humankind. The guidance can serve every age because human nature does not change. What must stay fixed is fixed, and general principles let Muslims handle new situations.
Where Islamic guidance comes from
The Quran is God’s own speech, revealed to the Prophet ﷺ. The Sunnah, his sayings and example, shows how to live the Quran. His authority comes from being God’s Messenger, not from being divine.
Scholars also use careful reasoning for questions the texts do not directly answer. This is not infallible, which is why you will hear of four well-known schools of law (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i, and Hanbali). Honest scholars sometimes differ. Your goal is the truth, so be respectful of those differences and avoid arguing about them.
The author also recommends reading the Quran in a reliable English translation alongside a commentary and treating authentic hadith collections as the next step.
The goals of Islam
The book describes Islam’s purpose in five connected goals:
- Worshipping Allah alone, which answers where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going.
- Freeing people from serving anyone or anything besides Allah, whether a tyrant, a clergy, or one’s own desires.
- Making life on earth sound and flourishing, with people as caretakers who do not spread corruption.
- Justice for everyone, including those we dislike and ourselves.
- Peace, within the heart, between people and with the Creator.
In short: Islam is submission to Allah, the same call every prophet brought. The Quran and Sunnah are your anchor, and differences between scholars are normal.
This page summarizes the chapter in our own words. For the author’s full text, download the complete PDF.