Islam, practiced by 1.8 billion Muslims globally, is the second-largest of the world’s religions. The word Muslim means “submission” (to the will of God), and Islam is derived from the Arabic word “salam,” which means peace. The term Islam really reflects not only a religion but also a way of life and a global community (ummah) of believers bound together by a common faith in God and his prophets. “From daily rituals of prayer five times a day to fasting in Ramadan, a Muslim’s religious life is embedded in a 24-hour cycle. These rituals, and many other moral obligations, are part of a Muslim’s life — just as care and joy for one’s family and friends are part of that religious way of life,” says Ebrahim Moosa, professor of Islamic thought and Muslim societies at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.