Who is Muslim?
The word ‘Muslim’ means one who has submitted oneself to the Omnipotent Creator. A true Muslim is one who has disciplined his life in accordance with the instructions conveyed by God through His messengers. A person becomes a Muslim not by birth alone, but by his faith and deeds.

How can one be a Muslim?
"I testify that there is none who deserves to be worshipped but Allah. I testify that Mohammed is the messenger of Allah". By taking this solemn oath sincerely and endeavoring to regulate one’s life following the instructions conveyed by Allah through his messengers, one becomes a true Muslim. By declaring that there is none worthy of worship save Allah, and that Mohammed is the Prophet of Allah, the believer announces his or her faith in God’s oneness, His sole right to be worshipped and that Muhammed is the last of the prophets. It also confirms his or her belief in all prophets and the scriptures they brought.

Why does Islam seem to be strict?
No prophet taught that religion is to be confined within the walls of places of worship. On the contrary, Muslims are expected to follow the instructions of Almighty Allah in the course of all their activities in life. The word ‘Muslim’ means ‘one who has submitted his self to the will of Allah’, and for the same reason a true Muslim cannot compromise on anything that stands in the way of guiding his life according to divine strictures. The view that consciousness of God is to be confined only to the place of worship is alien to Islam. Muslims always have religion foremost in their minds whereas many others consider religion as irrelevant in the present age.

ISLAMIC BELIEFS
"O people! Worship your Guardian Lord, Who created you and those who came before you that you may become righteous. Who has made the earth your couch, and the heavens your canopy; and sent down rain from the heavens; and brought forth therewith fruits for your sustenance; Then set not up rivals unto Allah when you know (the truth)." Holy Qur’an 2:21, 22

Who is Allah?
The Arabic word ‘Allah’ is the shortened form of ‘al-ilah’, ‘The God, the one and only God, the first, the last, the eternal, the hidden, the manifest, the ultimate reality’. Even non-Muslim Arabs use the term ‘Allah’ when they speak of God. The basic creed of Islam is this simple formula: ‘There is no God but Allah’ (‘La ilaha illallah’). The Arabic term ‘Allah’ denoting God, is unique in many ways. It has no plural like ‘gods’; it has no gender like ‘godess’; nor does this word generate a visual image of any kind. "Allah", He is God, the One true God, He is the one who deserves all worship and there is nothing comparable to him. Nevertheless, ninety-nine different attributes of Allah are named in the Qur’an

Who are the prophets?
Prophets are men, chosen by God at various stages and under varying circumstances of history, to lead men from darkness to light. The Qur’an repeatedly states the fact that prophets with the same message were sent to each and every community. The process of revelation continued unabated, sometimes in succession, at other times in broken sequences until the period in history, when the termination of Divine revelation and messengership, with the Qur’an and Prophet Mohammed (Peace be upon him) became a significant milestone in the history of mankind. It is true that the lives and mission of many a prophet has been made obscure and distorted by legends that grew around them or by people with vested interests, who used the names of these prophets to exploit men and mislead them from the right faith. No prophet of God has claimed himself to be divine. They were all mortals who lived and passed away from this earth after completing their mission of conveying the basic message to mankind, which was a call for the recognition and affirmation of God’s existence, uniqueness and Lordship over all creation. It is an integral part of Islamic faith to believe in all the prophets of God.

What does Islam say about life after death?
Death does not terminate man’s life. On the other hand, Islam teaches that it is the door that opens to an eternal lifer after death. The appropriate reward for one’s earthly deeds, good or bad, is disbursed only in the Hereafter. The Islamic belief is that mankind will be resurrected, on the Day of Judgment, after every creation is destroyed. After being reborn, man will face a trial which will be in absolute control of the Almighty. Here, all the good and bad acts of man during his sojourn on earth will be unfurled before his eyes in order to be ultimately judged by God. The virtuous will be rewarded with virtue and the wrong doers punished appropriately. Those who have made sacrifices and discharges noble deeds will receive the shelter of peace in Heaven and those who have denigrated their lives through vices and evil will be condemned to suffer horrors of Hell. Islam inculcates the concept of accountability both in public and private life of a person by emphasizing the paramount importance of life Hereafter for mankind.