Primary Beliefs and Faith Traditions:Islam is a monotheistic faith tradition (mono=one theist=god) and its roots date back to the times of the Old Testament patriarchs; the days of Abraham. The word “Islam” in Arabic means peace, purity, obedience, submission and total commitment to the one and only God and his laws. The Arabic word for God is Allah; this is why Islam describes an attitude: the attitude of total submission to the will of Allah. Essentially, a Muslim is anyone who submits to the will of Allah. Islam teaches that everything in creation – plants, animals, mountains, hills, rivers, deserts, streams, oceans and people – was created “Muslim”. Humans have a conscious choice through their ability to reason whether or not they choose to remain Muslim or turn away from their original spiritual orientation (Klass 2002, 12-14). Anyone can become a Muslim, regardless of race, nationality, social or social status. their economic status, as long as they believe in the Shahadah. The Shahadah is the fundamental creed of Islam: “There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger.” Muslims must also adopt a lifestyle consistent with Islamic principles and values. Muslims believe that throughout history, many prophets have been chosen by Allah and that, according to the Quran, this prophetic membership ended with Muhammad. Their belief states that all other (biblical) prophets were spiritual brothers. Although Islam began around 1,450 years ago, Muslims believe that Islam is not a new religion. Muslims believe that it is a continuation and reiteration of the monotheistic teachings and traditions of early Judaism (McCarthy 1992, 119-123). Sacred Islamic texts The Quran: The Quran literally...... middle of paper .... I am free from sin and endowed with the spiritual potential to be good Muslims. Salvation is acquired by the grace and guidance of Allah and through personal faith, good works and good deeds. All humanity is born Muslim and is endowed with the spiritual and intellectual capacity to recognize Allah as God, to obey His laws and to submit to them. Humanity occupies a special place in creation because it alone is endowed with rational faculties, spiritual aspirations, freedom of choice and power of action. Friday is the Muslim day of congregational worship in a mosque. Women can pray at home or in a mosque, but men and women practice separately. The head of the mosque is called an Imam, or “one who rules.” The Imam is chosen by virtue of his sincerity and dedication and leads the prayers and sermons. The Muslim calendar is lunar with regard to fixing the dates of festivals; the month begins with