These beliefs are not only the moral standards for the country, but they are also the legal standards for all commerce, criminal, civil, and political codes. From a western standpoint this can be very confusing and different to comprehend. To alleviate some confusion the following is a small summary of Islamic beliefs. The following is by no means a complete summary and many beliefs, laws, and other religious criteria has been left out for expediencies sake. Islam One of Islam's literal meanings is the "True Religion-. An Islamic follower, or Muslim, believes that all people practice Islam even though they do not acknowledge it. They claim that their God, Allah, is the same as the Jewish and Christian God Ellohim. Their religion was founded near the sixth century by a cleric named Muhammad (Please note that his name is spelled many different ways and this is the one chosen for this report). Muhammad claimed to have had revelations from Allah dictating how a follower of Islam should act. Since those days sixth century Islamic morals have dominated the Middle East. This can be very confusing for a westerner at first. Instead of being just part of life, as many people view religion in the west, Islamic followers believe it is everything to them. Based on its linguistic origin, the Arabic word 'Islam' means to achieve peace--peace with God, peace within oneself, and peace with the creations of God through submission to God and commitment to His guidance. Islam is not a new religion but the final culmination and fulfillment of the same basic truth that God revealed through all His prophets to every people. For a fifth of the world's population, Islam is not just a personal religion but a complete way of living. Over a billion people from all races, nationalities and cultures across the globe are Muslim--from the rice farms of Indonesia to the deserts in the heart of Africa; from the skyscrapers of New York to the Bedouin tents in Arabia.
