The teaching of Islam is that there is only one God, and that the God of Judaism and Christianity is the same as the God of the Koran, but that the teachings of the two religions are corrupted by man. The original teachings of the two religions was exactly the same as what is found in Islam today, but man has altered the lore given to both groups. Nevertheless, this teaching in Islam, has made Muslims show a lot of respect for both Christians and Jews, as they are considered People of the book,  ¢hlu l-kit ¢b.

While there is no explicit message of love in Islam in the same sense as it is found in parts of the Gospels (Christianity), Islam is still a religion that exhibits the same care for man as found in Christianity and Judaism.

There are numerous passages in the Koran where God expresses his compassion for man.

The most central issue in Islam is the responsibility towards the community.

The Koran and the Sunna contains many rules on how to act in life, what to do and what not to do. The core of Islam is the family, the extended family, and from this, society is understood as concentric circles. There are no obligations on the Muslims towards people who are not Muslims, Jews or Christians.

In Islam man cannot feel sure that he or she will enter Paradise, unless he or she lives as a Muslim. Most Muslims abstain from claiming that they are guaranteed a place in Paradise. Islam has a Day of Judgement, but this does not play a central part in neither belief nor theology. This day will be the day when all dead are reawakened, either to be condemned or let into Paradise. There are no reasons to consider the Muslim Paradise as a place where men will enter more easily than women, but when life in Paradise is described this is in most, but not all, cases described on male conditions. Most learned Muslims consider the descriptions of Paradise as symbolic, and consider Paradise as something that man on earth cannot apprehend. Islam holds elements from religious traditions from before Islam. These vary from region to region. In modern ages Islam is turning in direction of becoming more and more based upon the Koran, where “popular” traditions lose their foothold.

Islam is defined out of the following (five pillars):

1.. Shahada, the creed stating that “There is no God but God, and Muhammad is his messenger”.

2.. Salat, the prayer which is to be performed five times a day. This prayer is performed after strict rules: bending and uttering phrases from the Koran, as well as facing the direction towards the kacabain Mecca.

3.. Zakat, alms. This is a prescription which is practiced in very different ways in Islam today.

4.. Sawm, fast during the month of ramad ¢n.

5.. Hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca. This an obligation for all Muslims in food health and with the necessary economy.

from http://i-cias.com/e.o/islam.htm

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