In the early part of the seventh century, a young Arab felt himself divinely inspired to found a new religion and go forth as its prophet. This great man, whose name was Mohammed, sowed the seeds of a faith that has become one of the three foremost world religions.

Mohammed proclaimed the one God of the Jews and Christians to be the only true God. He placed himself beside Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Mohammed called his religion Islam (which means submission to the will of God).

It is known by this name to its more than 315,000,OOO followers as on 1965. The true believers are called Moslems.

Islam is based largely on the Jewish and Christian religions. According to Mohammed, God revealed himself to man through his chosen prophets, among them Mohammed. God gave the Law to Moses, the Gospel to Jesus, and the Koran to Mohammed.

Mohammedans believe in the unity of God, unchangeable, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-merciful, and eternal. The creed of Islam is: “There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his Prophet.” Allah is the Arabic word for God. God sits enthroned in the highest of the seven heavens. Around Him are the angels, pure and radiant.

The belief that the soul lives on after death forms a principal part of the Islamic religion. The Moslems hold that on judgment day the souls of the dead will rise, and together with the souls of the living, will appear before God’s throne to answer for their deeds. Moslems also believe that the fate, or kismet, of each individual is settled before birth and written down in the great Book of God. A Moslem must practice five chief religious duties, one of which is a pilgrimage to Mecca, the birthplace of Mohammed and the holy city of the Moslems, at least once during his lifetime.