The present state of humanity, should compel every thinking individual to question the direction in which the world is moving.

It is a world of plenitude and scarcity, of obscene extravagance juxtaposed with abject poverty, of human and environmental exploitation, and of the individual's search for inner peace.

This darkness is broken by a beacon of light called Islam. Islam, which is derived from the root word "Salaam" (peace), means submission to the will of God. When our individual and collective lives are in harmony with nature and with the Will of the One who is the Creator of the Universe, peace is not only achievable, it is inevitable.

The message of Islam was conveyed by all Prophets, Adam, Noah, Moses, Jesus and Mohammed (peace and blessings be on all of them), to name a few. Far from being an exotic religion of the Orient, Islam is a way of life, for over a billion people, in practically every country of this world. From San Francisco and New York, to the far corners of Australia, from the deserts of Arabia and Africa, to the icy landscapes of Alaska, Islam is a vibrant reality, the diversity of whose adherents is as striking as the unity of their conviction in the Glorious Qur'an as being the last and final revelation from God.

The question that naturally comes to mind is, why Islam? Why not the myriad other philosophies, religions and "isms", each of which purports to be the panacea for the ills of society? Why not meditation and relaxation coupled with secular humanism? Inshallah (God willing), it is questions such as these that the "Why Islam" project will answer.

The project presently consists of the following:

• A toll free line 1-877-WHY-ISLAM. Our Call Center has 8 simultaneous volunteer associates standing by to answer your questions on Islam.
• This website (www.whyislam.org), that will feature articles, books etc on Islam and comparative religion. This website can be used to order free literature on Islam, or view the literature online.
• A WhyIslam network of volunteers that has been used to establish direct contact with prison inmates through correspondence
• WhyIslam billboards on public highways
• WhyIslam advertisements in community newspapers
• WhyIslam community booths at malls

This project has been initiated by volunteers from ICNA (Islamic Circle of North America). We derive inspiration from the verse of the Glorious Qur'an:

"Invite all to the way of thy Lord, With wisdom and beautiful preaching, And argue with them, In ways that are best and most gracious" [Surah Nahl 16:125]

Islam does not expect the individual to suspend her faculties of reason and logic. On the contrary, it exhorts every individual to sincerely ponder over Creation and to free her mind from the shackles of false idols and ideologies. With this in mind, the WhyIslam project strives to bring reason and logic to the discourse on Islam.

The WhyIslam project is for everyone. To those who have little or no previous knowledge of Islam, we invite you to a journey that is filled with treasures along the way. To those who are mystified by the contradiction between Islam and the actions of some Muslims, we urge you to leave aside your stereotypes and explore this site with an open mind. To those who have already experienced the sublime sweetness of faith, we urge you to gather ever more pearls from the ocean of knowledge that is Islam.