Interpreting Islam. Muslims and non-Muslims often ask what Islam says about God and religion, but these questions are posed the wrong way. Islam does not say anything. Muslims, believers in Islam, say and write things about God, the prophets, and the requirements of the Islamic religion. The Qur'an, the Holy Scripture of Islam, states, "Verily, the religion [din] of God [Allah] is Islam" (3: 19). To understand this passage in its full context, it is important to know exactly what Arabic terms such as din and Allah mean. Defining such religious concepts requires interpretation. Interpreting the religion of Islam is the subject of Islamic dogma. Interpreting the nature of God (Allah) is the subject of Islamic theology.

The Concept of Din and Religious Practice. Islamic dogma is based on the term din. In general, din is the Arabic word for...