When you say you worship "Allah" or that "Allah" is the only true god, what do you really mean?
There is only One God. He alone should be worshipped.
He does not beget, nor is He begotten. He has no sons, daughters, siblings, parents, cousins, nephews, nieces, uncles, aunts, nor relatives of any sort.
He is eternal and does not die.
There is nothing like Him. He is all Hearing, all Seeing, all Knowing, all Powerful, the Creator of the Universe.
He did not/does not, become flesh, dwell in human or animal bodies, nor are there any incarnations of Him.
He is not composed of persons, nor a trinity. There are no secondary, lesser, greater, equal, or multiple gods, no intermediaries, and no denying of God's existence either.
There are no sharers or associates whatsoever in His Divinity.
Simply, He is One, in every sense.
What does Islam offer that other religions don't?
Islam is distinguishable from other religions, as:
1) It is a complete way of life, which is practical and balanced
2) It has a pure and clear concept of the Oneness of God
3) It has a close relationship with the Creator
4) It emphasizes evidence and faith
5) There is accountability and total justice
6) It has a universal and timeless message
7) All the messengers of God are believed in, none are blasphemed or rejected, nor at the other end of the extreme are they made into gods
8) It's scripture is 100% the word of God
9) There is forgiveness as opposed to someone having to atone for your sins
10) Belief and good deeds go hand in hand
11) It is a complete code of conduct for every aspect of life, from the most intimate, to the most public. It not only exhorts one to be good, but provides complete guidance to practically live that, taking a preventative approach to problems in society from the outset. It guides us towards practical ways of achieving righteousness and eliminating evil from our individual and collective lives, taking into account human nature and the complexities of human society.
what keeps you as a Muslim?
Islam tells us the purpose of our existence, why we are here, tells us who our Creator is, and gives us untampered guidance and instructions on how our Creator wants us to live and worship Him, in order that we can attain peace within ourselves, in communities, and also in order to help us achieve salvation in the hereafter.
We're following a book that tells us what has always been expected from humans since the beginning of time; what God told His prophets to teach people since the creation of the first human. That core message never changed. The essence of Islam is what always was, and has always been, the true and natural religion; the way of all the Prophets, the original message, the only message. The message was: to submit wholeheartedly to the will of God and to worship Him and Him alone, without any associates in, or parts to, His Exclusive Divinity, and to obey the prophet. Thus, Islam is not a new faith, but is the same Ultimate Truth that God revealed to all prophets, including Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus (peace be upon them all). Thus Islam is not named after a specific person (like Christianity, Buddhism), nor after a certain race or place (like Judaism, Hinduism), but is named by God Himself, the meaning loosely translating as 'submission to God', which is what every Prophet and their righteous followers did, from amongst all times, places and peoples. That in itself is one fraction of the evidence that it was the way of all the Prophets from the beginning. Since the time of prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that message is available unchanged and unadulterated. He is the last, not first, prophet of Islam; a messenger to all mankind.
The ultimate truth of Islam stands on unshakeable ground, and in harmony with reason. It's universal message has remained unchanged for over 1400 years, not only a religion, but a way of life, for all people, all times, and all places. It is a complete code of conduct for every aspect of life, from the most intimate, to the most public. It not only exhorts one to be good, but provides complete guidance to practically live that, aiming to prevent problems in society; solutions for problems are also given. The modern world only stands to benefit from Islam.
One of the numerous beautiful things about Islam, is that an increase in knowledge and education, and scientific discoveries, provide further evidence that it is the truth. That is the sign of a true religion, in harmony with reason, logic, and science. Indeed, Islam is the religion for the thinking person - so many times we are told to contemplate, and look at the signs that are there for people of understanding.
It's a great feeling knowing you're following in the footsteps of the Prophets, and not following man-made teachings, and that the teachings are logical and make sense. There are no mental acrobatics involved - the concept of God is simple, clear, and easy for all to understand, as truth should be. If the message you're following is not God's word, then everything goes downhill from there.