Islam is a confession and a mode of conduct; it is the ‘exclusive confession’ of the One Almighty God; it is ‘complete surrender’ to His revealed command; for the revelation is God’s manifestation and God’s command to man. ‘Islam’ therefore denotes acceptance of the revelation and the implementation of the command, and in a broader sense the historically evolved system of law which regulates both the worship of God as well as the conduct of the believers within the community. Those who profess Islam (muslimun) form a religious and political community (the umma) which was founded by His prophet according to God’s will. The umma is still – even after the break-up of the Civitas Dei and the collapse of political unity – the community of people, nations and states who in their belief, in their worship of God, in their private and public behaviour, submit to the law revealed in the Koran. This law is based on revelation; but in its shaping, systematisation and formulation it is the result of historical and political experience; and disputes of faith and law have left their mark on the political history of Islam until today (Source: Islam: A Historical Introduction).
Monotheism: Core of Islamic Culture in Iran
