Discover Islam in Québec

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا

« O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may know one another. »

— Surah Al-Hujurat, 49:13

What is Islam ?

The word Islam comes from Arabic and means both peace and submission — an inner peace reached through willingly surrendering oneself to God. Islam is a monotheistic Abrahamic religion whose revelation was conveyed to the prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the 7th century, in the Arabian Peninsula.

With nearly 1.8 billion believers, it is the second-largest religion in the world. It is present on every continent, without belonging to any one ethnicity or region. Today there are close to 4 million Muslims in Canada, including a growing community in Québec.

Muslims believe in one God (Allah in Arabic), in the prophets and messengers, in the revealed books, in the angels, in the Day of Judgment and in destiny. The Quran is their holy book, complemented by the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ (the Sunnah). Islam is defined by four inseparable dimensions : belief, worship, ethics and law.

« Have mercy on those on earth, and the One in heaven will have mercy on you. »

— The Prophet ﷺ (Narrated by At-Tirmidhi)

The 5 pillars of Islam

The five pillars are the fundamental practices that shape the life of every Muslim.

The Shahada

The declaration of faith

"There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger." This is the foundation of all Islamic practice — the point of entry into the faith.

The Salat

Prayer

The ritual prayer performed five times a day. It connects the believer to God with no intermediary and structures the day around reflection and gratitude.

The Zakat

The purifying alms

The obligation to give a portion of one's wealth to those in need. Zakat purifies one's possessions and is a reminder that wealth is only a trust from God.

The Sawm

The Ramadan fast

Fasting during the month in which the Quran was revealed, from dawn to sunset. A time of spirituality, gratitude, empathy and strengthened community ties.

The Hajj

The pilgrimage to Mecca

The pilgrimage undertaken once in a lifetime by every Muslim who is able. It symbolizes the equality and unity of all believers before God, regardless of rank.

Frequently asked questions

Clear answers to the most commonly asked questions.

Allah is simply the Arabic word for "God." Arabic-speaking Muslims, Christians and Jews all use this same word to refer to God. So there is no "different god" in Islam — Allah refers to the same one God of Abraham, Moses and Jesus, the God of all Abrahamic religions.

Ramadan is the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar — and the month during which the Quran began to be revealed. Muslims fast from dawn to sunset during this month as an act of gratitude, self-discipline and spirituality. It is also a time of sharing, generosity and community bonding.

Prayer (Salat) is a direct link between the believer and God, with no intermediary. These five moments of reflection structure the day and are a reminder of what matters most : gratitude, humility and God-consciousness. The Prophet ﷺ compared it to bathing in a river five times a day — it purifies the soul.

Halal means "permissible" in Arabic, as opposed to haram (forbidden). In food, it concerns how an animal is slaughtered and the ingredients used — notably the absence of alcohol and pork. It's a concept close to Kosher in Judaism. The term halal applies more broadly to anything permitted in a Muslim's life.

Yes. In Islam, Jesus (Issa, عيسى) is a deeply respected prophet, born of a virgin mother (Mary, Maryam). Muslims believe in his miracles and hold him in great reverence. The main difference with Christianity is that Islam does not recognize his divinity : Jesus is a messenger of God, not the Son of God.

The word Jihad (جهاد) literally means "effort" or "struggle." In its most fundamental sense — the one the Prophet ﷺ called the "greater jihad" — it refers to the inner effort to become better : mastering one's passions, acting with justice and integrity. The military meaning, often highlighted in the media, is a specific, strictly regulated, and minority interpretation within the Islamic tradition.

Islam in Québec

Islam is the third-largest religion in Québec. Québec's Muslim communities are present in every sphere of society : doctors, engineers, teachers, entrepreneurs, artists — they actively contribute to the province's cultural and economic wealth.

The CCIP acts as a bridge between the Muslim community and the society of the Bas-Saint-Laurent. Our goal is to foster dialogue, mutual understanding and a shared social fabric built on respect and knowledge of one another. We warmly welcome anyone wishing to learn more, with no commitment of any kind.