Islam (the religion and the term)

"Islam" is the name of the religion brought by the Prophet Muhammad. In Gabriel's hadith, Gabriel asked him "What is Islam?" and he answered: "That you worship God and associate nothing with Him, establish the prayer, give the imposed zakat, and fast Ramadan" ¹.

Abu Hurayra relates that Gabriel came to the Prophet in a man's form and asked him about faith, Islam, ihsan and the Hour's time; the Prophet then told his companions: "That was Gabriel, who came to teach the people their religion" ¹. Al-Bukhari made the chapter heading "Gabriel's questioning the Prophet about faith, Islam and ihsan" ¹.

In another hadith the Prophet describes Islam as a building standing on five supports, saying: "Islam is built on five" ². The detail of these supports is in the five pillars of Islam.

A man of the people of Najd came asking the Prophet about Islam; the Prophet told him of five prayers in the day and night, the Ramadan fast, and the zakat. After each the man asked "Is anything else upon me?" and the Prophet said: "No — unless you volunteer" ³. The commentator records that this man was said to be Dimam ibn Tha'laba ³.

Gabriel's hadith contains three questions: about faith, about Islam, and about ihsan. Al-Bukhari counted all of that religion, saying after the hadith: "He made all of that part of faith" ¹.

The relation between Islam and faith is a subject treated in the creed books. A presentation of their authors' sayings, attributed to them, will be added in a later batch; this entry presents only what is documented from al-Bukhari's text.