What is the essence of Islam?

Answer 1

Obey whatever God has told you to do so with no question.
* Most of what we see today from Islam are pure nonsense including:

• Women prohibited from certain rights,
• Jihad as seen from what suicide bombers do (saying Allahu Akbar and killing innocent people),
• Being ignorant toward other religions,
• Making someone your imam (islamic leader)
• etc.

These are not absolutely part of the true Islam. Politicians have made terrorist groups from the poor and uneducated groups of people, in order to ruin the true face of Islam. For example, "Jihad" means to protect your country and your people from the attackers ; If your read the Quran, you'll see it definitely does not give you the right to "attach a bomb to yourself and go suicide bombing in areas where people other than Muslims live".

Answer 2

The main basics of Islam religion are:

• to worship one only one God, the creator of the universe and creator of all who are (and what are) in the Heavens, the earth, and what/who are in between and what/who are under the ground.
• to believe in all God prophets including Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mohamed (peace upon them), in all God holy books (including Torah, Psalm, Bible, and Quran), in God Angels, in the Day of Judgment, in destiny, and in the other eternal life.
• To observe the 5 pillars of Islam (belief in God oneness and his Messenger Mohamed, performing prayers, paying the compulsory charity [Zakat], fasting Ramadan, and performing pilgrimage if affordable)
  
• To observe the teachings of Quran and Prophet Mohamed (peace upon him).

see related questions, listed below, for more information.