Hannah Moyer remembers being in Istanbul, Turkey, as a child when it was time to pray.

"Everything just stopped and everyone went into prayer," said the Moravian College student describing the sense of peace, respect and love she felt.

This was one of the things that led her to convert to Islam in April.

"I think a lot of it is based on values I always thought to be true," said Moyer. "It's a way to honor God in a way that made sense to me."

Jesus

For people like Moyer born into Christian families, converting to Islam doesn't mean cutting ties with Jesus.

The Quran teaches that Jesus was one of God's greatest prophets. Like the Christian Bible, the Quran says Jesus was born to a virgin mother and this was a miracle.

"I didn't have to throw out my reverence for Jesus," said Maureen Monaco, who was born Christian and converted to Islam in 1999.

Whenever they speak the name of a prophet, Muslims say out of respect, "peace be upon him."

"We believe Jesus (peace be upon him) was a mighty messenger and born from virgin mother," said Rehana Kaleem of Allentown. She was born Muslim and came to the United States from India 15 years ago.

Christians and Muslims disagree only on the point of whether Jesus was the son of God. Muslims also don't believe in the Trinity, Kaleem said.

However, "we believe in all the prophets," she said.

These include but are not limited to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Jacob, John, Moses and Aaron.

Prayer

Muslims pray five times a day "to remind us that God has created us for a purpose, to submit to him," said Kamran Siddiqui, secretary of the Muslim Association of the Lehigh Valley in Whitehall and interfaith coordinator. In the latter position, he works with a Lehigh Valley group called Muslims and Christians United.

The times for prayer are one hour before sunrise, between noon and 1 p.m., late afternoon, sunset and two hours after sunset.

The specific times shown on the clock vary from season to season with the amount of daylight available.

When it's time for prayer, Muslims stop what they are doing and pray.

Although it's common for Muslims to pray together at a mosque, it is not necessary. Individuals can stop what they are doing at home or at work for prayer, which needs to be done on time.

When he's at work, Siddiqui still prays.

"I just go and find a conference room and go and do my prayer," he said.

Because of the movements and prone positions that are a part of Muslim prayer, men and women pray in separate sections of the mosque.

Chairs are provided only for those whose physical limitations require one. Otherwise, Muslims sit on the carpeted floor of the mosque.

"The place needs to be clean and pure. So that is why we take off our shoes," Siddiqui said.

Preparation for prayer involves purification called "ablution." A part of this involves washing hands and rinsing out the mouth.

The Muslim holy day is Friday.

"This place gets filled up with 400 people on a Friday," Siddiqui said.

Women

Islam gave women rights long before the western world did so, said Siddiqui.

Since the time of Muhammad, women could own property, study or work as they pleased.

Men have a responsibility to maintain the household financially. They are required to care for women, including wives, daughters, mothers and sisters.

In contrast, the woman is not obligated to share her money with the family and her husband cannot demand it.

"If she doesn't want to contribute, she doesn't have to," said Siddiqui. "She does not have to cook, clean or anything. If she does, she's doing it out of her own will."

In some cultures, women do not have all these same rights, Siddiqui acknowledged. However, these are cases where culture has taken over the teachings of Islam.

Modesty

The most outward sign of Muslim faith is a woman's headcovering, called a hijab. The reason for it is modesty, a key principal for both men and women.

Men are considered naked if their body is visible anywhere between the belly button to the knee, said Siddiqui.

A Muslim person dressed in shorts or revealing clothes is probably someone born into a Muslim family who is not actively practicing, he said.

Loose clothing is preferred for both sexes. For women, the headcovering is designed to cover up her hair, which is attractive to men.

"A person should be judged by the actions and the deeds," Siddiqui said, "and their appearance helps that."

A Muslim woman is not required to wear a headcovering out in public. Whether she does depends on how devoted she is to her faith.

Siddiqui's wife, Uzma, began wearing a headcovering after the couple had children because she felt the best way to teach them her faith was to live it, he said.

The headcovering is required during prayer, however. Only a woman's face, hands and feet can be visible.

Kaleem said many Muslim women in India do not wear the hijab, adding they "take their faith for granted."

Here in America, where immigrants come together, Muslims learn to value their faith. One way is through wearing the hijab, she said.

"The more I do it, the more I feel at peace," she said. "I'm so blessed to be a Muslim. I want to show this."

Both Siddiqui and Monaco compared Muslim clothing to a nun's habit.

"They're just as covered if not more than a person wearing a hijab," said Monaco.

Tolerance

Muslims do not believe they must convert other people. Muslims believe God loves people who are good, regardless of their religion.

"A good Muslim is the one by whom people feel protected and people feel safe," said Siddiqui.

The term jihad has been twisted by extremists. The word does not mean a holy war against the United States. It's more of an internal struggle with one's own faith.

"The jihad is misrepresented in terms of its meaning," said Siddiqui.

For example, a jihad might come from a struggle to raise children in a society where images of sex and violence are rampant.

"The struggle within is a great jihad that people don't understand," Siddiqui said.

Monaco said she was drawn to "the simplicity of the [Muslim] faith."

In Islam, there is the creator and then everyone and everything else. No hierarchies exist putting one creature above another.

Because Muslims aren't looking to convert anybody, they don't judge others based on their religion alone.

"Every action is judged by its intention. The responsibility is based on your knowledge," Monaco said. "Allah's mercy outweighs his wrath."