What is the Religion of Islam? Who is Allah? What is Quran? Who is Prophet Muhamad? Who is a Muslim?

Islam is the voluntary ‘submission’ or ‘surrender’ to the Will of God, in exchange for the acquisition of peace and contentment in this life and in the hereafter. One submits to God by believing in Him and living in accordance with His Divine Law. Only when one submits to the Will of God does one enjoy an innate and lasting sense of security, true peace of mind, and surety of heart. The word Islam is derived from an Arabic root word, which means peace, purity, safety, salutation, submission, acceptance, surrender, and obedience. The religion of Islam demonstrates that only through good works and the seeking of God’s pleasure can one find true happiness, peace, and contentment in life.
Islam is a monotheistic religion; a faith in which followers acknowledge and recognize the existence of One Supreme God and Being Who is Almighty, All-Powerful, All-Knowledgeable, All-Loving. Islam stresses the existence of Only One God. The same God of Prophet Adam, Prophet Noah, Prophet Abraham, Prophet Moses, Prophet Jesus, and Prophet Muhammad. May peace be upon them all. Islam demonstrates the fact that, through the centuries, God has continued to bless mankind with the visitations of holy Prophets; divine messengers that carried Books of Revelation to teach and guide their nations. They came bearing the same general message for their people: one should worship God alone without any partners, love Him with all his or her heart, and follow His commandments. No other is worthy of worship; not the Sun, the Moon, nor an idol.
God is an Entity Who is Worthy of Worship and Veneration, as He is the Creator of everything. A follower of Islam does not worship creations of God, such as the Sun or an idol; rather, a follower of Islam worships the actual Creator Himself, the one that created the sun, the moon, the world, and everything it contains. No other being is worthy of worship or veneration.
Throughout history, anyone who practiced monotheism by submitting to the will of God was considered a Muslim. Human beings have been practicing Islam since the creation of Prophet Adam. A person that submits his or her will to Almighty God and follows His commandments is considered a Muslim.
Islam states that all of the previous Prophets and Books--other than the Holy Quran and Prophet Muhammad--were sent to benefit only a particular group of people during a specific time period. For example, Muslims recognize Prophet Jesus as one of God’s mightiest Messengers; one sent to deliver the same general Message of all previous Prophets but sent only to the Children of Israel as their final Prophet--because they were veering away from the laws and disobeying the Commandments of God. Prophet Muhammad was God’s last and final Prophet; one sent to the last nation, our last nation.
The Holy Quran is the true and verbatim word of God. The Quran and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad abrogate all previous scriptures, becoming in essence, the Book of guidance for all humankind. The Quran states that all previous Revelations were altered by human hands. The original Bible and the Jewish Torah of today, as they are published, do not consist of their precise, original scriptures in their pure and unfettered form.
Islam teaches people that they were created in order to worship God. Islamic worship is not limited to religious rituals such as praying and fasting. Rather, Islam makes it clear that everyday human acts such as eating, drinking, greeting others, giving charity, etc., are all acts of worship if they are done for God alone and in accordance with His Divine Laws and guidelines.
Islam is a complete and holistic way of life that guides man in every field and aspect of this sometimes-perilous existence. Islam teaches the art of living; how one should guide and navigate his or her life. Islam instructs us about the things in this life that are beneficial to us, as well as that which is ultimately destructive and that should be avoided. Islam guides followers in every aspect of their lives.
Islam answers the fundamental questions that malign the conscience of every human being. Why was I created? What am I doing here? What is the purpose of my existence? Where am I going in the future? The need to answer these questions has been implanted in man’s inner nature by the Almighty. However, the human intellect alone cannot answer these questions unaided. Man needs Divine guidance to discover these all-important spiritual answers. The answers lie in Islam. Islam provides a meaningful purpose for one’s life in this world; as well as the guidance needed to fulfill one’s life purpose.
Life is a test of one’s faith. The believers of God who do good will live a peaceful, contented life in this world, and be awarded the graces and blessings of Heaven in the hereafter.
"Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life, and We will surely give them their reward [in the Hereafter] according to the best of what they used to do" (Quran 16:97)
The disbelievers, the rejecters of the truth, the deniers of God, will live a wretched, depressed life in this world and will abide in hellfire forever in the hereafter.
"And whoever turns away from My remembrance - indeed, he will have a depressed life, and We will gather him on the Day of Resurrection blind" (Quran 20:124)
The goal of Islam is to find God, build a relationship with Him, and become a true servant of the Almighty. Throughout the course of this all too brief existence, Judgment Day is never far away. You live and you die all too quickly before you are inevitably resurrected to face your Lord; one who will judge you based on the way you lived your life.
"…Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return" (Quran 2:156)