This book aims to briefly address main issues related to Islam. The ideas presented here are based on common sources among the Muslims and unless otherwise mentioned, they represent Muslim faith in its most general form and are thought to be accepted by all. Though simply and clearly written, this is an outcome of twenty five years of involvement in Islamic studies, and based on the author's experience in giving talks to Muslims and non-Muslims in the west. The first chapter studies the sources of Islamic thought, i.e. the Qur'an, the Sunnah and reason. The chapter continues by explaining the second most important source, i.e. the Sunnah, which includes the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad. In this chapter there is also a discussion about the household of the Prophet (Ahlul Bayt) and their role in presenting the sunnah. Then there follows a discussion about the importance of reason and its role in understanding Islamic beliefs, values and practical laws. The second chapter studies fundamental doctrines of Islam, i.e. unity of God, prophethood and resurrection which constitute the principles of religion for Islam and other divine religions. In this chapter there is also a discussion about some of the doctrinal differences among Muslims on issues such as imamate. The third chapter is a very brief account of practices along with brief references to the objectives and principles underlying them. These practices are in principle shared by all Muslims, though there may be some differences in particulars among different Islamic schools. The fourth chapter studies some aspects of Islamic moral system and ends with reference to some of the outcomes of living a life of faith along with significance of supplication. The fifth and final chapter is a short discussion about the Muslim world today. This chapter starts with a brief account of the latest statistics about the present Muslim population of the world and goes on with a brief study of holy cities for Muslims.
