In Arabic, "Deen" is defined as a religion or a creed, a faith or a belief, a path or a way. Christianity is a Deen. Judaism is a Deen. Buddhism is a Deen. In Islam, following a Deen is a choice. There is a line in the Qu'ran, the Holy Book of Islam, that says, "to you there be your way and to me my way." A "Green Deen" is the choice to practice your religion while affirming the synergies between faith and the environment.

ISLAM is one of the three major Abrahamic, monotheistic religions. Abrahamic means a religion based in teachings originating from the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). Monotheistic means a religion that believes in One God. The other Abrahamic, monotheistic religions are Judaism and Christianity.

Islam means "submission." The most basic belief is that there is only One God and Muhammed is God's prophet.

"Allah" is the word for God in Arabic, just like "Dios" is the word for God in Spanish and "Khuda" is the word for God in Urdu.

Muhammed is believed to be the last prophet in a line of prophets including, Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, and everyone in between. Peace be upon them all.

Islam has 5 pillars:

1. Faith in One God
2. Five daily prayers
3. Giving charity
4. Fasting in the Holy Month of Ramadan
5. Going on a pilgrimage, or "hajj," to Mecca, Islam's holiest city

MUSLIMS are people who choose to practice Islam as their religion. There are approximately 1.2 billion Muslims on the planet. Not all Muslims are Arabs. In fact, only 15% of Muslims are Arab. Muslim populations are largest in India, Pakistan, and Indonesia (the largest).

Muslims in the United States are diverse. According to the Pew Research Center, 37% are Arab or white, 24% are African-American, 20% are Asian, 4% are Latino/a, and 15% are other. Muslims in the United States mostly idenfiy as Sunni. About 16% say they are Shia and 20% say they are "just Muslim."

Common Terms:

• ISLAM: a monotheistic religion. "Islam is the world's second largest religion."
  
• MUSLIM: one who practices Islam. "I am a Muslim."
  
• ISLAMIC: adjective describing something with the qualities of Islam. "That is an Islamic book" or "That is an Islamic teaching."
  
• ALLAH: God. "I believe in Allah."
  
• QU'RAN: The Holy Book of Islam. "The Qu'ran has 30 parts, 114 chapters, and 6,236 verses."
  
• HIJAB: head covering. "Muslim women wear hijab."
  
• JIHAD: struggle. "Being disciplined with my diet is a Jihad."
  
• MASJID: Arabic word for mosque. Place of worship. "I pray in the Masjid on Bedford Avenue."
  
• SHEIKH: elder or religious teacher. "I learned to read Qu'ran from a Sheikh."
  
• INSHA'ALLAH: God willing. "I will succeed in life, Insha'Allah."