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West London Islamic Centre & Jamia Masjid

Islamic Guide

What is Islam?

The word "Islam" is an Arabic word that means "submitting and surrendering your will to Almighty God". The word comes from the same root as the Arabic word "salam", which means peace. Unlike the names used for other religions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity, the name for the religion of Islam was both revealed by God and carries a deep spiritual meaning, only by submitting one's will to Almighty God can one obtain true peace both in this life and in the life hereafter.

Islam teaches that all religions originally had the same essential message, which was to submit whole-heartedly to the will of God and to worship Him and Him alone. For this reason, Islam is not a new religion but is the same divinely revealed ultimate truth that God revealed to all prophets, including Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them all).

For a fifth of the world’s population, Islam is both a religion and a complete way of life. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the vast majority have nothing to do with the extremely grave events which have come to be associated with their faith.


The Prophet(pbuh) said, 'My example and the example of the Prophets before me is like a man who built a house, which he built and perfected except for the space on one block; people would go round the house and stare in awe at its perfection and say,'Had it not been for this space!' The Prophet continued, 'I am that brick, I am the last of the Prophets.' (Al-Bukhari)
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