I believe in: The unity of Allah (The Almighty), His angels, in all His Messengers including Adam, Abraham (Ibrahim), Moses (Musa), Jesus (Isa), and His last Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon them all), Predestination, Life after Death, and Accountability. I also believe there will be No Messenger after Muhammad (peace be upon him). I am a Sunni Muslim, following the Holy Quran and Hadiths. By the grace of Almighty, I strictly observe obligatory, five time prayers (Salah, Namaaz) daily. I have been fasting in the lunar month of Ramadhan right from when I was 12 years old. I try to practice Islam fully and to the best of my ability.

Islam is my way of life and It is my faith by my own will. Islam preserves my dignity and my honour. The Arabic word of 'Islam' in literal terms means "complete submitting and surrendering your will to Almighty God". The word comes from the same root as the Arabic word "salam", which means peace both in this life and in the life hereafter. It is, thus, no wonder why the salutation in Islam is: "Assalamu Alaikum or Peace be with you."

The Arabic word "Muslim" literally means "someone who submits to the will of God". There is a bit of creed in the name 'Muslim', as it tells that the true believer is one who do not challenge God and his will, and who tries to live his/her life according the rules without questioning them. The word 'Muslim' use the same Arabic root as 'Islam'. A Muslim therefore, is not only one who submits, but also one who is at peace, seeks peace, and promotes peace.

The message of Islam is meant for the entire world and anyone who accepts this message becomes a Muslim. Some people mistakenly believe that Islam is just a religion for Arabs, but nothing could be further from the truth, since in actuality over 80% of the world's Muslims are not Arabs! Even though most Arabs are Muslims, there are Arabs who are Christians, Jews and atheists. If one just takes a look at the various peoples who live in the Muslim World � from Nigeria to Bosnia and from Morocco to Indonesia � it is easy enough to see that Muslims come from all different races, ethnic groups and nationalities. From the very beginning, Islam had a universal message for all people. This can be seen in the fact that some of the early companions of the Prophet Muhammad were not only Arabs, but also Persians, Africans and Byzantine Romans. Being a Muslim entails complete acceptance and active obedience to the revealed will of Almighty God.

A Muslim is a person who freely accepts to base his beliefs, values and faith on the will of Almighty God. In the past, even though you don't see it as much today, the word "Mohammedans" was often used as a label for Muslims. This label is a misnomer and is the result of either willful distortion or sheer ignorance. One of the reasons for the misconception is that Europeans were taught for centuries that Muslims worshipped the Prophet Muhammad in the same way that Christians worship Jesus. This is absolutely not true since a Muslim is not permitted to worship anyone or anything besides Almighty God.

Islam is not terrorism; it is compassion. Islam is not oppression; it is justice. Islam does not disregard human life; it is humanity. Islam is not a cult nor is it a fad; it is a faith, a brotherhood with a following of more than 1,400 million. It is a way of life. Islam is not ignorance; it embraces knowledge. Islam was not spread by the sword. It is not compulsion. Islam is voluntary, simply an invitation. Islam is not Arab; it is cosmopolitan. Islam is not jealousy, greed, or pride. Instead, it is charity, benevolence, and modesty. Islam is not racial supremacy. Islam does not exploit its women as sex objects. Islam is the first women's liberation movement, but it is misunderstood.

Lets all strive sincerely and ask Almighty Allah to help us in following true Islam. Let us all become the true, inspired and fervant bearers of the true religion and complete way of life. Aameen!