It is mentioned in the book of Hadith, Sahih Al-Bukhari that Abu Huraira Narrated that One day while the Prophet was sitting in the company of some people, (The angel) Gabriel came and asked “What is Islam?" Allah's Apostle replied, "To worship Allah Alone and none else, to offer prayers perfectly to pay the compulsory charity (Zakat) and to observe fasts during the month of Ramadan."





The first thing that one should know and clearly understand about Islam is what the word "Islam" itself means. The religion of Islam is not named after a person as in the case of Christianity, which was named after Jesus Christ, or Buddhism after Gautama Buddha, Confucianism after Confucius, and Marxism after Karl Marx. Nor was it named after a tribe like Judaism after the tribe of Judah, or Hinduism after the Hindus. Islam is the true religion of "Allah" and as such, its name represents the central principle of the religion of Allah: the total peaceful submission to the will of Allah. The Arabic word "Islam" means the peaceful submission or surrender of one's will to the only true God worthy of worship, "Allah" and anyone who does so is termed a "Muslim" Hence, it was not a new religion brought by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) in Arabia in the seventh century, but only the true religion of Allah re-expressed in its final form.





Islam is the religion which was given to Adam, the first man and the first prophet of Allah, and it was the religion of all the Prophets sent by Allah to mankind. The name of God's religion Islam was not decided upon by later generations of man. It was chosen by Allah Himself and clearly mentioned in His final revelation to man. In the final book of divine revelation, the Qur'an, Allah states the following:





"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion"
(Surah Al-Maa'idah 5:3)



"Abraham was not a Jew nor Christian; but an upright Muslim."
(Surah Aal-Imraan 3:67)

Nowhere in the Bible will you find Allah saying to Prophet Moses' people or their descendants that their religion is Judaism, nor to the followers of Christ that their religion is Christianity. In fact, Christ was not even his name, nor was it Jesus! The name "Christ" comes from the Greek word Christos which means “The Annointed.” That is, Christ is a Greek translation of the Hebrew title "Messiah". The name "Jesus" on the other hand, is a latinized version of the Hebrew name Yeshua.