Islam means pure monotheism, i.e. the belief in one God alone, without partners, associates, a son, etc. God alone is all-powerful and worthy of worship. In the Quran tells us that it is only through the remembrance of God, and the contemplation of his beautiful signs (i.e. the creation of the heavens and the earth, the moon, the stars, animals and plants), that man's heart can truly find peace. If you endeavour to find happiness through wealth, children and property, you will be sorely disappointed, because material things are of no consequence to God and will fade away, while God is eternal and absolute, and the life of the hereafter is better and more lasting. We believe that God sent to Earth many prophets and messengers to mankind, in order that they may be guided to the worship of one God alone, and away from the worship of lesser, created things, like the sun, moon and idols. These prophets were such great men as: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. There is a short chapter in the Quran that Muslims read in their prayers everyday, the first chapter of the Quran, and it is a bit like the Lord's prayer in Christianity. It is considered to cover all of the main ideas described in the Quran:
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds,
The Beneficent, the Merciful.
Master of the Day of Judgment,
Thee (alone) we worship; Thee (alone) we ask for help.
Show us the straight path,
The path of those whom Thou hast favoured; Not the (path) of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray.
(Quran, 1:1-7)
God tells us that the human life on earth is only the delusion of enjoyment, and it will all end soon. It is a test by which God might determine which humans are the best in character, and the best in deed; those who are patient, humble, and submit to God's will entirely are considered to be God's righteous servants. On the Day of Judgement, we will all be judged according to the way we led our lives. Those who ignored God's commands will end up in Hell. Those who strived to adhere to God's commands will enter heaven. The Quran is a book that instructs Muslims on how they should lead their lives: Muslims should establish prayer, give in charity, fast in the month of Ramadan, and go on pilgrimage to Makkah.
The truth belongs to God alone: he is supreme over all things, everything in the heavens and earth belong to Him. Nothing has the right to be worshipped besides God. That is the essence of Islam: submission to God alone. The most important verse that describes the might and glory of God is called the verse of the throne:
Allah! There is no deity but Him, the Alive, the Eternal.
Neither slumber nor sleep overtaketh Him.
Unto Him belongeth whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth.
Who could intercede in His presence without His permission?
He knoweth that which is in front of them and that which is behind them,
while they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He wills.
His throne includeth the heavens and the earth,
and He is never weary of preserving them.
He is the Sublime, the Tremendous.
(Quran, 2:255)