Welcome

No. Muslims worship neither Muhammad nor any other prophet. Muslims recognize all previous prophets, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, David, Solomon, Moses, Jesus, and all others (peace be upon them all). Muslims believe that Muhammad was the Seal of the Prophets, i.e., the last of the messengers of Allah. They believe that God alone, and not any human being, may be worshipped.

In Islam, two main directions are distinguished: Shiites and Sunnis. Both have in common that the Quran and the example of Muhammad are the basis of their faith. Both perform prayers five times a day, fast in the month of Ramadan, and go on the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. The differences between these two directions can be compared to those of two different schools of thought. Muslims who regard the sayings and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad as binding are called Sunnis, and those who additionally hold the sayings and views of Ali (Muhammad's son-in-law) as authoritative and regard him as the political and spiritual successor of the Prophet are called Shiites. The term "Shia," from which Shiites is derived, means party—in this case, the party of Ali. It actually began as a political party intended to help Ali in his conflict with his opponents. Today, Shiites make up about 15% of the Muslim population. Most live in Iran and Iraq, while Muslims in other countries are mostly Sunnis.

Allah is the Arabic word for "the one God" and not the name of a private god of Muslims. Allah is the only rightly worshipped and revered Creator of the universe; Arabic Christians also call God Allah. He created humans and showed them through His revelation the best path for them in this life, so that they do not suffer punishment in the hereafter.

Muslims say the greeting of peace when the name of the Prophet Muhammad or any other prophet is mentioned.

Islam is based on five pillars from which the duties arise. These are:

1-) The testimony (shahada) that there is only one God and that Muhammad is His Messenger.
2-) Prayer (salah), which is prescribed five times a day.
3-) Fasting (siyam), which is performed in the month of Ramadan.
4-) Alms-giving (zakat), which is a mandatory contribution for good causes from the wealth of those who are well-off.
5-) The pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj), which every Muslim who is physically and financially able to do so must perform at least once in their life.

All pillars of this building of faith should have the same relevance for a Muslim in order to give the building its proper shape. It is contradictory if someone performs the pilgrimage without fasting or performing the prayers regularly. Furthermore, let us imagine a building that consists only of pillars. One can hardly call it a building. It must also have a roof, walls, and also doors and windows. This part of the building of faith in Islam is formed by moral behavior, which is expressed in virtues such as honesty, truthfulness, patience, and many other qualities. Therefore, a Muslim should not only practice the pillars of Islam but also constantly strive to further develop their character accordingly.

God is just, and for Him to exercise His justice, Islam holds the principle of accountability. People who do good will be rewarded, and those who do bad things will be punished accordingly. Therefore, He created Paradise and Hell, which a person enters under certain conditions. Muslims know that the current life is only of short duration and that another follows it. This life is a test, and if we pass this test, we will be granted an eternal life of bliss in the company of righteous people in Paradise.

Muhammad was born around the year 570 AD in the city of Mecca in Arabia as a member of a respected tribe. His ancestors go back to the Prophet Ishmael, the son of Abraham. Muhammad's father died before his birth, and his mother when he was six years old. He did not attend school but—as was common in those days—was raised by a wet nurse and later taken in and educated by his grandfather and his uncle. From his youth, he was known as a righteous person. Around the age of forty, the Angel Gabriel appeared to him in the cave where he used to meditate and revealed to him that he was a prophet of God. The subsequent revelations from God were sent down over a period of 23 years and later compiled into book form. This book, the Quran, is for Muslims the last and final revelation from God. The Quran is preserved unchanged and in its original form; it confirms the Torah, the Psalms, and the Gospel, which people have changed over time.

The purpose of acts of worship in Islam is to become aware of the presence of God. Worship, whether it be prayer, fasting, or alms-giving, is a step on the path toward the goal of attaining God's pleasure. If someone lives in their thoughts and actions with the consciousness of God, then they can hope for His blessings both in this world and in the hereafter.

Muslims hold Jesus (peace be upon him) and his mother Mary in high regard. The Quran tells us that Jesus was born through a miracle without a father. "The likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him from dust, then He said to him: Be!, and he was." (Quran 3:59). With God's help, he performed many miracles as a prophet; among other things, he was able to speak immediately after his birth to defend his mother and confirm her piety. God gave him other abilities, such as healing the blind and the sick, raising the dead, shaping a living bird out of clay, and most importantly: He gave him a message for mankind. These miracles that God gave him confirmed him as a prophet. He was not crucified but was raised to heaven (Quran 3:54-55). Surah Maryam (19) describes the miracles of Jesus in verses 27-34.

Islam means making peace and submission. Making peace means that the believer should live in peace with themselves and their environment. Submission is expressed in the acceptance of God's will. Through Islam, the Muslim attains peace by surrendering to God's will.

In the Quran, the holy scripture of Muslims, God Himself says that He has chosen Islam as the religion for mankind: "...Today I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My favor upon you, and I have chosen for you Islam as your religion..." (Quran 5:3).

Muslims reject the Western term "Mohammedan," as Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was the prophet who brought the message of Islam, but God alone is worthy of worship.

By definition, a Muslim is someone who voluntarily submits to the will of God and regards making peace as their task. One becomes a Muslim by declaring that there is no god but the One and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. In the broadest sense, a Muslim is someone who voluntarily and consciously surrenders to God's will. Therefore, all prophets who preceded Prophet Muhammad were also Muslims. The Quran mentions Abraham in particular, who lived long before Moses and Jesus and was "neither Jew nor Christian" but "Muslim" (Quran 3:67), because he had submitted to God's will.

On the other hand, there are people who call themselves Muslims but do not subordinate themselves to God's will, while others do their best to lead an Islamic way of life. One cannot judge Islam by only looking at people who bear a Muslim name but do not behave like Muslims in their actions and lifestyle. To what extent someone is a Muslim depends on the readiness with which they surrender to the will of God in faith and deed.