Islam is the religion with the second largest following in the world. There are over 1 billion Muslims worldwide with around 2 million or more in the UK.

Islam originated 1400 years ago in Arabia and was founded on the ministry of a man named Muhammad (peace be upon him - Muhammad is so revered that it is usual to make this statement every time his name is mentioned). He was the last prophet to be sent by Allah. The word 'Islam' in Arabic actually means to surrender oneself to God. Other major prophets who preceded Muhammad include: Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus).

The Muslim Holy Scriptures are called the Qur'an. Muslims believe that the Qur'an is the actual word of Allah and was dictated to Muhammad (pbuh). The only authoritative version of the Qur'an is the one in the original Arabic.

The Five Pillars of Islam are an essential part of Muslim life. These are five rules that every Muslim has to live by. They are:

Shahadah: declaration of faith.

Salat: saying prayers five times a day.

Sawm: abstaining during daylight hours in Ramadan.

Zakah: giving money to the poor.

Hajj: pilgrimage to Makkah.

Services are held every day at the Mosque. On Friday at noon, the most important of the weekly services is held. When Muslims pray, they must always face Makkah.

What are some of the Muslim rites of passage?

Birth - when a baby is born, the Muslim call to prayer, known as the Adhan, is recited into the baby's right ear by the father.

On or after 7 days - if the baby is a boy, then he will be circumcised (although this can be done at any time up until puberty). Once the baby is seven days old, he or she will be named. At this time the family will also sacrifice a sheep in a celebration known as Aqeeqah. In the UK this is done at a slaughter house and the meat will be shared with family, neighbours and the poor.

For more information on Muslim baby rites see the BBC Religion and Ethics site.

What is Zakah?
It is an alms tax. Every Muslim is expected to give away an alms tax equal to 2.5% of their annual savings. This is to stop them from focusing too much on financial gain and to reinforce the fact that all their money belongs to Allah. It also serves to purify a person's wealth, in case any income has (knowingly or unknowingly) come from unethical or immoral sources. There are strict guidelines which govern how any money given as Zakah is used.