What is Islam
What is Islam?
Islam’s message in simple terms is worshipping God alone without worshipping others beside Him, and not offering anything to others that should only be offered to God, like asking for forgiveness or believing that any other person can benefit or harm without God’s permission.
(Indeed, sincere devotion is due ˹only˺ to Allah. As for those who take other lords besides Him, ˹saying,˺ “We worship them only so they may bring us closer to Allah,” surely Allah will judge between all regarding what they differed about. Allah certainly does not guide whoever persists in lying and disbelief.) Quran 39:3
Islam (submission to God) didn’t start with the prophet of Islam Muhammad, peace be upon him, but rather he was the last prophet for that message.
Islam as a message started from the time of Adam, peace be upon him, since we believe that all the prophets came to deliver the same message to people (worship God alone). But people went astray from the message by worshipping other deities or raising humans to be equivalent to God in some or all attributes, so God kept sending prophets to return people back to the pure faith until He sent Muhammad, peace be upon him, and made him an example so all humanity can follow it, and not only certain people like the prophets before him.
An interesting question might be asked: But don’t Muslims believe in the superiority of their prophet? Doesn’t that mean that they worship him in a way?