Islam is a monotheistic religion that arose in the 7th century based on the religious teachings of Muhammad. Followers of Islam are known as Muslims. Muhammad's teachings are contained in the Koran. Muslims believe that he received these teachings from Allah (the Arabic word for God), via the angel Jibreel. In addition, the religious beliefs and practices of Islam are based on the hadith literature, which Muslims believe clarify and explain the teachings of Muhammad.
Since Islam, like Judaism and Christianity, is descended from the religious tradition of the biblical patriarch Abraham, it is classified as an Abrahamic religion. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, Islam has not undergone any period of major reform or reformation. The Western distinction between Church and State is in theory foreign to Islam. Islam includes instructions relating to all aspects of human activity, political, social, financial, legal, military and interpersonal.
The meaning of the word Islam
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