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Muhammad, a merchant who lived on the Arabian Peninsula is to said have received a message by the angel Gabriel. He begins to wander around, spreading the word of "Allah" or God.

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Islam is a belief system / religion that originated from a merchant named Muhammad in the 7th century. Muhammad believed that he had received revelations and teachings from god which were then written in the Qu'ran.

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Muhammad is born in Mecca.

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Muhammad receives his first revelation.

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Islam spread rapidly to other areas such as Southern Spain, North Africa, and parts of India. This area is now known as the House of Islam.

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Through Muhammad's teachings and leadership, Islam spread and brought peace to the tribes of the Arabian peninsula.

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The core principals and beliefs of Islam are known as the Five Pillars. One being Allah, which is the god that Muslims believe in. Ritual prayers, almsgiving which is the practice of giving food or money to poor people, fasting, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca (The capital city of Saudi Arabia) are all the Five Pillars/principles that Muslims must follow.

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The belief of Islam also includes a law code based on the religious text called the Qur'an called Sharia. This is used to control Muslim civic and religious behavior.

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The symbols of Islam include the star and crescent symbol. This symbol represents and relates to Islam as it is sometimes shown at the top of a mosque. The star and crescent symbol is a way to identify the religion.

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This symbol is the common Arabic word and symbol meaning god or Allah.

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Muhammad's Journey as a messenger of God/Allah.

Born in the city of Makkah in the year 570, a man named Muhammad had been receiving words from the god, Allah.

However, the city of Makkah was filled with wealthy, powerful families who had 360 idols in the Kaaba (place of worship). This meant that when Muhammad began to spread the word of Allah to people in Makkah, Muhammad's followers were targeted in torture or killings by the wealthy families.

People in the city of Yathrib (200 miles north of Makkah) heard of Muhammad, inviting him and his followers to come. After narrowly escaping hunters sent after him by hiding in a cave, Muhammad and his friend safely traveled to Yathrib (which was now called Madinat-ul-Nabi). A series of 3 battles between Muslims & Makkah forces commenced, in which 2 were won by Muslims.

With popularity from local tribes flocking to Muhammad and Makkah forces breaking a peace treaty that was signed, Muhammad marched on Makkah in 630 AD with over 10,000 followers. Muhammad proclaimed no more fighting will occur, and he destroyed all of the 360 idols in the Kaaba. Islam was now spreading all over the Arabian Peninsula.

(Muhammad was the messenger of God/Allah, unlike Jesus in Christianity. Jesus was god in human form, while Allah is the only god in Islam.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDxKxnVZtgo

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Following Muhammad's death in 632 AD, the religion of Islam began spreading rapidly outside the Arabian Peninsula.

Under the Rashidun Caliphate (632-661), Islam spread as far as Eastern Turkey, Iran, and western Libya.

Under the Umayyad Caliphate (661-750), Islam spread from Pakistan all the way to Spain & Morocco.

Between the years of 1096 and 1291, there were eight major crusades (or a series of religious wars) fought against Muslims and Christians. Their main purpose was for the control of holy sites both religions deemed important (due to the power of the Christian Church during those times). In total, 2 - 6 million people died fighting in the crusades.
To put that into perspective, the population of Europe at the time was 60 million.

Other regions farther away from the Arabian Peninsula, such as Indonesia began experiencing the influence/spread of Islam in the late 13th century. While some caliphates spread Islam through conquests, the religion began spreading in Indonesia with merchants & scholars.

Today, Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, with an estimated 1.9 billion or more people following the faith. This however still puts the religion at #2, behind the religion of Christianity.

https://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/muslim-countries.htm
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-39279631
https://www.studentsofhistory.com/the-growth-pread-of-islam
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-39279631

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With over 1.5 billion followers in over 232 countries, Islam has grown to be one of the world's largest religions. Many Muslims live in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The growth and spread of Islam began when the Prophet Muhammad began sharing his divine revelations and spreading messages he received from Allah (god). He and his followers were persecuted and had to flee to the neighboring city of Medina in 622. There he and his followers were welcomed and the faith grew. After much conflict they were able to return to Mecca in the year 630 and it became the center of Islam. After Muhammad's death in 632, the teachings of Islam spread rapidly to many people and places in the Middle East.

The period following Muhammad's death is known as the Rashidun Caliphate that lasted from 610-750. During this empire a Muslim administration and government was established and ruled the Middle East. The Caliphate was governed by The Righteous Caliphs, or spiritual leaders. By 644, these four leaders helped Islam spread and grow far and beyond the Middle East through conquests of major cities like Baghdad, Jerusalem, and Alexandria. North and Western parts of Africa were also conquered effectively taking control over much of the Byzantine and Persian territory. The third Caliph Uthman created a version of the Quran that became standardized and widely used throughout the Islamic world in newly established schools that taught the Arabic language and Islamic studies. This was also a period in which hundreds of mosques were built throughout the empire.

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With over 1.5 billion followers in over 232 countries, Islam has grown to be one of the world's largest religions. Many Muslims live in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The growth and spread of Islam began when the Prophet Muhammad began sharing his divine revelations and spreading messages he received from Allah (god).

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Muslims must preform Salat. Salat is the practice where Muslims pray 5 times a day, sometimes also reading from the Qu'ran, always facing towards Mecca. Muslims also do this with a prayer mat that they use for cleanliness while they go through the different positions of prayer.

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This symbol is the Arabic word for Halal. Halal directly translates to "Lawful".

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This symbol and word represents Haram. Haram translates to "Unlawful".

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During the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, Muslims are to show self-restraint by withholding from eating, drinking, and any sexual interaction from dawn to sunset. This is to cleanse their spirit and make one more empathetic with the less fortunate. It also makes one conscious of bad habits and helps stop them.

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Shahada - First Pillar
The Shahada is the fundamental statement of faith and commitment made by Muslims.
"There is no god but god (Allah) and Muhammad is His Messenger."

Salah - Second Pillar
The Salah is the ritual prayer of Islam in which all Muslims go through. Muslims pray 5 times a day facing Mecca (Islam's holiest city), and congregate Friday's for prayer (Jum'a).

Zakat - Third Pillar
The Zakat is the obligatory donation of a part of your income to people of a lower class. Islamic charities mostly encourage donations to people in suffering (sick), refugees, urban poor, and in more recent times those displaced or affected in combat zones.

Sawm- Fourth Pillar
Sawm is the time of fasting during Ramadan, the nine month in the Islamic calendar. During daylight hours people must abstain from food and drink, sexual activity, and smoking. Muslims break the fast with a meal after sunset.

Hajj - Fifth Pillar
The Hajj is a duty which all Muslims must undertake. Muslims in able health (physically & spiritually) must travel to Mecca once in their lifetime, where they complete a series of duties/patterns that was highlighted by Muhammad. This includes walking around the Ka'bah in a counter-clockwise direction seven times as well as running between 2 hills named Safa & Marwah. This is done to show all Muslims are equal and for forgiveness of signs in showing their allegiance to Allah.
https://crestresearch.ac.uk/comment/islam-five-pillars/

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A lot of what most people think they know about Islam is found in the media, where tales of fundamentalism and violence are the norm.

The five pillars - the declaration of faith ( shahada), prayer ( salah), alms-giving ( zakat), fasting ( sawm) and pilgrimage ( hajj) - constitute the basic norms of Islamic practice. They are accepted by Muslims globally irrespective of ethnic, regional or sectarian differences.

Upholding the pillars is considered obligatory for all sincere followers of the Prophet Muhammad, male and female, Sunni and Shi'a, but that doesn't mean that all those who identify as Muslims keep them consistently. As in all religions, circumstances vary and some people are more committed than others. Such things as age, stage of life, work, family responsibilities, health and wealth all make a difference.

The pillars

The Shahada is the fundamental statement of faith and commitment made by Muslims: "There is no God but God ( Allah), and Muhammad is His Messenger." It distinguishes Muslims from those of other faiths. The Shahada is perhaps better known in the West as the Arabic phrase on the flags of ISIS, al-Shabaab and Boko Haram. However, the Shahada is by no means the preserve of violent groups, in fact reciting it three times in front of witnesses is a requirement of becoming a Muslim.

Salah is the ritual prayer of Islam through which all Muslims conform to the will of Allah. Prayer is performed in the direction of Mecca five times a day. Friday is set aside as the day for congregational prayer ( Jum'a). The ready knowledge that large numbers of Muslims will be gathered together for communal prayer has frequently been exploited by terrorist networks such as Islamic State. In 2015 and 2016, Shi'a mosques were bombed in Kuwait, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Boko Haram has also attacked mosques in northern Nigeria. Places of worship full of people at prayer represent easy symbolic targets for suicide bombers, where maximum damage and loss of life can be achieved.

The term zakat refers to the obligatory donation of a portion of a Muslim's surplus wealth. Islamic charities encourage donors to use their services to relieve suffering and to help refugees, victims of environmental disasters, the urban poor and those in conflict zones and in recent years relief has been provided in Gaza, Syria, Yemen and Iraq. Whilst the majority of charities operate within the law, some have been banned following allegations that they have used their resources to fund terrorist activities.

Sawm - Muslims are expected to fast during Ramadan - the ninth month in the Islamic calendar. During daylight hours (which vary depending on the time of year in which Ramadan falls), they abstain from food and drink, sexual activity and smoking, breaking the fast with a meal after sunset. Those who are elderly, ill, pregnant or breast-feeding are exempt, and children are not required to participate.

Completing the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, is a duty that every Muslim should perform during their lifetime. All pilgrims should be in good physical and spiritual health before they make the journey. Whilst in Mecca, they complete a series of individual and collective actions on the various days of their visit, following a pattern set by Muhammad.

Some two million Muslims from around the world went on Hajj in 2015. The 25,000 pilgrims who travelled from the UK joined thousands of Muslims from many other countries, all performing the same rituals irrespective of their many differences.

Knowing something about the five pillars and their significance for Muslims isn't just important to correct misunderstandings about what Muslims believe, it is also important in the work environment and for good working relations. For example, Muslim colleagues may request breaks and a space for prayer as well as support whilst fasting during Ramadan or annual leave at the time of the Hajj. These are important issues for all Muslims, and not markers of fundamentalism. Understanding this better can help overcome prejudices about Muslims.

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A lot of what most people think they know about Islam is found in the media, where tales of fundamentalism and violence are the norm. The five pillars - the declaration of faith ( shahada), prayer ( salah), alms-giving ( zakat), fasting ( sawm) and pilgrimage ( hajj) - constitute the basic norms of Islamic practice.

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The pilgrimage to Mecca is seen as a showing unity in humankind as all people of different races show up all to worship God without judgement of any kind from one another.

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Living everyday in accordance to the rules of Islam are also seen as worship to God. This is because following the rules set by Muhammad and God are signs that you believe in both and are therefore worshipping them.

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https://sites.udel.edu/msadelaware/worship-in-islam/

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Worship in Islam is woven into the daily life of a Muslim and is not confined to a holy place. The fundamental aspects of worship in Islam are encompassed within five pillars, which enable Muslims to cultivate their relationship with God.

1. Testimony of Faith (Shahadah): The first of the five basic foundations is knowingly and voluntarily asserting that, "There is nothing worthy of worship except God, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God." This statement is the basis of faith in Islam, affirming that no partners can be associated with God and Muhammad is His final prophet. As a result of this belief, Muslims seek guidance in life through God's revelation (the Quran) and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

2. Prayer: Muslims are required to pray five times a day to maintain a spiritual connection with God and remind themselves of their ultimate purpose in life. Through sincerity, repentance, and direct prayer to God, Muslims strive to establish a personal spiritual relationship with their Creator all throughout the day. This prayer includes physical motions of bowing and prostrating, which were also performed by Jesus, Moses, and the prophets before them.

3. Charity (Zakah): This is an annual charity given to the poor. Muslims must give 2.5% of their yearly savings to help the poor, the needy, and the oppressed. Charity is one of the vital sources of social welfare in Islam, encouraging a just society where everyone's basic needs are provided for.

4. Fasting (Sawm): Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Muslim lunar calendar, by refraining from eating, drinking, and sexual interaction from dawn to sunset. It is an act of self-restraint and spiritual cleansing that increases one's empathy for the less fortunate and enables one to consciously control bad habits such as foul language, idle talk, and anger. Fasting also helps people develop strong willpower as they overcome the essential desires of their body and the damaging acts of their tongue.

5. Pilgrimage (Hajj): The pilgrimage (journey) to Mecca is an act that every Muslim must perform once in their life if they are physically and financially able. It symbolizes the unity of humankind as Muslims from every race and nationality assemble together in equality to worship God, following the traditions of Prophet Abraham.

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Worship in Islam is woven into the daily life of a Muslim and is not confined to a holy place. The fundamental aspects of worship in Islam are encompassed within five pillars, which enable Muslims to cultivate their relationship with God. 1.

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Citations
- Islamic Symbols and Their Meaning (A List) - Symbol Sage
- Google

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Apart from the fundamental five pillars, there are also separate teachings in the Quran which guide obedience in everyday life. These include:

Muslims must also obey their parents

Obedience/wellbeing of Nizam-e-Jama'at

And, of course

Obedience to Allah/Quran