ARTICLES OF FAITH IN ISLAM

Hamza

Rafiq

ARTICLES OF FAITH IN ISLAM

• A true and faithful Muslim believes in the following fundamental

articles of faith:

1. Allah as One God

2. His Angels

3. His Prophets

4. His Revealed Books

5. The Day Of Judgment

6. Divine Preordination and Decree

BELIEF IN ONE GOD• Islam stresses an absolute uncompromising belief in the Oneness

of Allah. It is said in Quran:

“Say: He is God, the One and Only; the Eternal, Absolute;

He begets not, nor is He begotten;

And there is none like unto Him.” [112:1-4]

• Belief in the Oneness of Allah can be understood from four different

points:

1. Oneness Of Allah In Himself:

Allah is truly Unique, and His essence cannot be comprehended

by man’s limited mental capacity. He has no father or mother, no

sons or daughters. He has no equal, and no one can be compared

to Him.

“Allah, the Glorified, is One unique in Himself, not one of His

creatures is like Him and there is none like unto Him.”

BELIEF IN ONE GOD

2. Oneness of Allah In His Attributes

Allah alone has the most glorious attributes. He has complete

absoluteness in knowledge, power, will, wisdom, independence,

etc. He is above all faults, and no one is like Him in His attributes.

“The most beautiful names belong to Allah: So call on Him by

them...” [7:180]

3. Oneness of Allah In His Actions

Allah alone can create, provide Man’s provisions, raise up from

death, cause to die and resurrect. He alone has set the natural

laws in motion. He can do whatever He wills, for He is All-

Powerful.

BELIEF IN ONE GOD

4. Oneness Of Allah In Worship

True belief in Oneness of Allah is incomplete without worshiping

Allah faithfully. He is the Creator and Owner of His creation. He

alone is entitled to be worshipped. All divine messages have called

man to submit and yield to Allah alone.

“Verily, I am God (Allah): there is no god but I: so serve thou

Me (only), and established regular prayers for celebrating My

praise.” [20:14]

BELIEF IN ANGELS

• Angels are heavenly beings mentioned many times in the Quran

and Ahadith.

• Belief in angels is one of the six Articles of Faith in Islam.

Of What Are They Created?

Angles are created from light, as Aishah (may Allah be pleased with

her) reported:

"The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon

him) said: ‘The angels are created from light, just as the jinn are

created from smokeless fire and mankind is created from clay.”

BELIEF IN ANGELS

When Were They Created?

• We have no knowledge of precisely when they were created,

because there is no text to tell us this. But they were created

before mankind for certain, because the Quran says

(interpretation of the meaning):

"Behold, your Lord said to the angels: ‘I will create a

vicegerent on earth." [2:30]

The fact that Allah told them of His intention to create man

indicates that they already existed to have been told about

the creation of man. [Muslim]

BELIEF IN ANGELS

Characteristics Of Angels

• They are naturally obedient creatures, worshipping Allah and carrying out His commands. Angels have no free will, so it is simply not in their nature to disobey.

"They do not disobey Allah's commands that they receive; they do precisely what they are commanded" [66:6]

• All angels praise and glorify God and they never become tired of doing this.

“They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they ever flag or intermit.” [21:20]

• Angels are genderless.

• They do not require sleep, food, or drink; they are invisible to us.

• Angels are numerous. No one except Allah knows their exact

number.

BELIEF IN ANGELS

Functions Of Angels

• In Arabic, angels are called mala'ika , which means "to assist

and help." The Quran describes that angels have been created

to worship Allah and carry out His commands.

"Everything in the heavens and every creature on the earth

prostrates to Allah, as do the angels. They are not puffed up

with pride. They fear their Lord above them and do

everything they are ordered to do" [16:49-50]

• In Islam, the functions that the angels perform vary. Angels are

involved in carrying out duties in both the unseen and physical

worlds.

• Angels are not equal in status and consequently they have been

delegated different tasks to perform.

BELIEF IN ANGELS

• Several angels are mentioned by name in the Quran, with a description of their responsibilities:

o Jibreel (Gabriel): in charge of communicating Allah's words to Hisprophets.

o Israfeel (Raphael): in charge of blowing the trumpet to mark the Day of Judgment.

o Mikail (Michael): in charge of rainfall and sustenance.

o Munkar and Nakeer: after death, these angels will question souls in the grave about their faith and deeds.

o Malak Am-Maut (Angel of Death): in charge of taking possession of souls after death.

o Malik: guardian of hell.

o Ridwan: guardian of heaven.

• Other angels are mentioned, but not specifically by name. There are angels who carry Allah's throne, angels who act as guardians and protectors of believers, and angels who record a person's good and bad deeds, among other tasks.

BELIEF IN ANGELS

Different Forms Of Angels

• As unseen creatures made from light, angels have no specific bodily shape but can rather take on a variety of forms.

• The Quran does mention that angels have wings (Quran 35:1), but Muslims do not speculate on what exactly they look like.

• It is believed that angels can take the form of human beings when required to communicate with the human world.

One well-known example is when God sent the angel Jibreel(Gabriel) to Mary in the form of a man, as God says in the Quran:

“Then We sent her our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.”

Similarly, angels also came to Hazrat Ibrahim in human form, and he was not aware that they were angels until they told him so.

The angels also accompanied Muhammad up to Jannah when he received commands from Allah.

BELIEF IN PROPHETS

• To guide men and keep them from straying from His prescribed path, Allah sent His vicegerents upon people. This agency of Prophet-hood gave rise to the third article of faith.

• According to the Holy Quran, Prophets were sent to every part of the world. They were 124,000 in number and their basic Faith was the same. The first was Adam (A.S) and the last was Muhammad (S.A.W).

• The Prophets conveyed and demonstrated the teachings of Allah. Of these Prophets, some had Holy Books revealed to them, namely David, Jesus, Moses and Muhammad (S.A.W), and they are referred to as messengers due to the revelations they received.

• All the Prophets before the Muhammad (S.A.W) were sent for specific societies of specific times. Hence there are minor differences in the messages and books according to the requirement of the people. The Prophet Muhammad’s teachings are for the people of all times to come till the Day of Judgment.

BELIEF IN PROPHETS

• Concept of Prophet-hood in Islam

Every Prophet of Allah said to the people, “I am to you God’s

apostle, worthy of all trust. So be committed to God, fear Him, and

obey Him.”

The Prophets were therefore sent to strengthen man’s bond with

Allah and to teach him the preference of Allah in all matters.

• Characteristics Of A Prophet

The three most eminent features of a Prophet are as follows:

1. He is morally and intellectually superior in his community.

After receiving the message of Allah, Prophets do not commit

any sin. There may be minor mistakes, which would be

corrected by revelations.

BELIEF IN PROPHETS2. He is supported by miracles to prove that he is not an

imposter.

Miracles were granted by the power and permission of Allah and they were usually in the field the nation of the Prophet excelled in. This was the case when Moses defeated the best magicians of Egypt of his days and also, when Jesus raised the dead and cured incurable diseases.

The miracle of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) was the Quran. No poet or orator was capable of producing anything remotely similar to the Quran.

3. Every Prophet clearly states what he receives is not of his own, but from God for the wellbeing of mankind.

Prophets confirm what was revealed before them and what may be revealed after. This is a clear indication that all these messages are directly from Allah and merely conveyed by the Prophets.

BELIEF IN PROPHETS

• Misconceptions About Prophets

The misconceptions about Jesus arose because the Divine

message he preached was recorded a century after his death, and

alterations were made.

The verse of the Quran (3:59), “Truly the likeness of Jesus, in God’s

sight, is as Adam’s likeness; He created him out of dust, then said

He unto him “Be,” and he was,” clearly negates the Christian

concept of ‘Divine Son-ship.’ Jesus always clarified that all the

miracles he performed were all from God.

Another verse in this respect claims, “Neither does He beget, nor is

He begotten.” This also reinforces the concept of Allah’s oneness.

Jesus was a messenger of Allah like all others before and after him,

and not God-incarnate or Allah’s son.

BELIEF IN PROPHETS• Call Of The Prophets

All Prophets called toward monotheism, which is believing in One God alone. The servant of Allah, Noah said:

“But if you are averse I have asked of you no wage; my wage is only with Allah, and I am commanded to be of those who are Muslims (submit to Him).”

[10:72]

In the 84th verse of Surah Yunus, Moses’ proclamation has been narrated:

“And Moses said: O my people! If you believe in Allah, then rely on Him (alone), if you have indeed become Muslims (those who submit to Him).”

All calls of the Prophets were derived from Islam and it is incorrect to say they are from any other religion.

“And surely it is in the original of the Book with Us, truly elevated, full of wisdom.”

[43:4]

BELIEF IN PROPHETS

• Muhammad (S.A.W.W) As Seal Of The Prophets

Muhammad (S.A.W.W) is the last in the line of the Prophets, and

there will be no Prophet after him. The Quran, as revealed to him,

and his teachings are intended for the entire world. Islam is meant

for all people, of all time, in all fields of life till the Day Of

Judgement.

BELIEF IN REVEALED BOOKS• Belief in revealed books forms an integral part of faith.

• Allah sent 124,000 prophets and messengers, and on some prophets,

He sent down Divine scriptures and Sahifas (Booklets).

• Quran mentions four of them by name: the Torah, the Zaboor, the Injeel

and the Quran itself.

1. Torah

“Torah” is an Arabic word, which means “The law”. It was revealed

to Hazrat Musa (A.S), and in the Quran, it is mentioned as

“Furqan” which means discriminator of right from wrong. Allah

mentions it thus:

“We gave Musa (A.S) and Aaron (A.S) the discriminator

(Furqan) and gave them light and reminder for the Books”

[21:48]

By this way, Allah Almighty has raised the importance of afore-said

Book.

BELIEF IN REVEALED BOOKS

2. Zaboor

“Zaboor” is an Arabic word, which is derived from “Zimr” thatmeans psalms (the holy poems or songs). It was revealed toHazrat David (Dawood) (A.S). Allah declares the revelation ofPsalms (Zabur) in the Quran as;

“To David (Dawood), we gave psalm (Zabur)”

3. Injil

The word “Injil” is derived from Greek language, and is translatedin English as “Gospel”. The word “Gospel” literally means “theteaching of Jesus Christ”. And it was revealed on Hazrat Isa (A.S).

“We sent after them Jesus, the son of Mary, and bestowed onhim the Gospel”

And at another place the Quran mentions;

“He will teach him the scripture and wisdom, and the torahand the Gospel.”

BELIEF IN REVEALED BOOKS

4. Quran

The word “Quran” is derived from the Arabic word “Quraa” which stands for “to read or recite” or “something which is continuously recited”.

• It is the last and final revelation, which was revealed to last and final messenger Prophet (SAW).

• The Quran is seal of revelations.

• Allah Almighty mentions its revelation in the following way:

“He (Allah) has revealed unto you (Mohammad) the scripture with truth.”

• The value and importance of The Quran is so high that Allah Almighty Himself has taken up the responsibility of its protection.

“Indeed, it is We who sent down the Qur'an and indeed, We will be its guardian.” [15:9]

• It is last revelation, to be followed till the Day of Judgment.

BELIEF IN REVEALED BOOKS

• Sahifas

Sahifas were booklets that Allah used to reveal on His Prophets so

that they may guide themselves and their people. The Sahifas are

so infinite in number that it is difficult, rather impossible, to know

their exact number. Sahifas of Hazrat Adam (A.S), Hazrat Ibrahim

(A.S), Hazrat Sheesh (A.S), Hazrat Idrees (A.S) are known.

BELIEF IN REVEALED BOOKS

• Muslim BeliefMuslims believe in all the revealed books and sahifas but followonly Quran because:

• All the revealed books are not present in their original form.Their followers have made many changes in them. Presence ofmany versions of those books is a proof of this.

“But because of their breach of their covenant, We cursedthem, and made their hearts grow hard; they change thewords from their (right) places’’ [Al-Maida:13]

• All the revelations that came before Quran were meant forparticular group of people till a particular period of time till thenext revelation came. But Quran is the last and final revelation; itis for whole of humanity till the Day of Judgment.

“Indeed, We sent down to you the Book for the people intruth”.

[Surah –al- zumr, 39:41]

BELIEF IN THE DAY OF

JUDGMENT• This world will come to an end some day, and the dead will rise to

stand for their final and fair trial. Allah promises:

“Every soul will taste death. Then to Us will you be returned”

[29:57]

• Our every intention, thought and act in this world is recorded, and

will be weighed on the Day of Judgment.

“On that Day, people will come forward in separate groups to be

shown their deeds: whoever has done an atom’s weight of good

will see it, but whoever has done an atom’s weight of evil will see

that.” [99:6-8]

• The real nature of Heaven and Hell and the exact description of

them are known to Allah only. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.W) is

reported as saying:

“In Heaven, there are things, which no eye has ever seen, no ear

has ever heard, and no mind has ever conceived.”

BELIEF IN THE DAY OF

JUDGMENT

• Every man will reap the reward for his deeds, and absolute justice

will be done.

“We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so

that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least, and if there

be (no more than) the weight of a mustard seed, We will bring it

(to account): and enough are We to take account.”

[21:47]

• Allah has told us of the right path and given us the choice to freely

indulge in the world around us or to abide by His laws.

“Why should God make you suffer torment if you are thankful

and believe in Him? God always rewards gratitude and He

knows everything”

[4:147]

BELIEF IN THE DAY OF

JUDGMENT• Belief in the soul and the afterlife gives a context to our current

existence. Those who focus only on this immediate life miss out on

the bigger picture.

“The life of this world is merely an amusement and a diversion;

the true life is in the Hereafter, if only they knew.”

[29:64]

• Islam teaches that this life is simply a test to determine our place in

the eternal life after death. Those who understand the reality ahead

of them are aware that their ultimate fate after death is based on

their actions in this life.

• Humans naturally seek justice in all aspects of their lives. In the

afterlife, the evildoers will not be able to escape the grip of justice,

and victims of worldly suffering will be recompensed for their pain.

“God created the heavens and the earth for a true purpose: to

reward each soul according to its deeds. They will not be

wronged.” [45:22]

BELIEF IN QADHA’ AND QADR

• Belief in Divine Preordainment and Divine Decree stems from the belief in Allah’s Omniscience.

• Qadha’ means to decide, to settle and to judge.

• Qadr means to measure, to assess and to determine.

• The events of the world are Divinely Decided because they take place within the Knowledge of Allah and are subject to His will.

• These events are Divinely Determined because Allah knows the time, place and nature of their occurrence.

“Indeed, all things We created with predestination.” [54:49]

• As Muslims, we believe in Allah’s timeless knowledge and His power to make and execute His plans. Allah knows everything that has happened in the past, everything that is taking place in the present and everything thing that will take place in the future. Nothing happens in creation except by His power, His will, and His knowledge.

BELIEF IN QADHA’ AND QADR

• Allah has bestowed every human being with the free will to choose

between right and wrong. The fact that Allah knows everything that

will occur in His creation does not contradict man’s possession of

free will.

• If man is faced with choices, his decision will be the outcome of his

personality, his moral and spiritual qualities, his previous training,

his hereditary traits and his intellectual capacity.

• Allah’s knowledge is perfect and complete, so He knows what man

will choose beforehand. Man will be responsible for the

consequences of his choice and accountable to Allah on the Day of

Judgment.

• Thus, belief in qadha’ and qadr simply means that the Timeless

Knowledge of Allah anticipates events, and that events take place

according to the exact Knowledge of Allah.