Faith in the Unity of God
As mentioned previously, Muslims believe in the
absolute unity of God (Allah). The essence of Islam is expressed in the
phrase "La ilaha illa Allah"
meaning "There is no deity but Allah".
"And your God is One God; there is no god
but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful"
(Qur'an, Al-Baqarah:163).
This statement of faith distinguishes a Muslim from an unbeliever, a polytheist
(the believe of more than one God), or an atheist (the belief that God
does not exist). A Muslim is one who grasps the full meaning of this phrase,
realizes its significance, reposes true belief in it, and accepts and follows
it in action and spirit. Belief in the Unity of God means that there is
no being worthy of worship except Him, that it is only to Him that heads
should bow in submission and adoration, that He alone possesses all powers,
that all are in need of His favour, and that all must seek His help and
mercy. This belief is the bedrock of Islam; all other beliefs, commands,
and laws of Islam stand firm on this foundation.
Faith in Allah's Angels
Angels are also Allah's creatures, spiritual beings
that are under His command. They administer Allah's kingdom, carrying out
His orders obediently. They have no free-will or ability to disobey; it
is their very nature to be Allah's faithful servants. These angels surround
us, and their duties include recording man's deeds in this life, which
will be presented on the Day of Judgement.
Faith in Allah's Prophets
Allah is transcendent and beyond all physical
limitations of man, so through the medium of an angel, Allah causes His
command to be revealed to His human messengers and thus to mankind. The
purpose of our life on this earth is to worship Allah and obey His commands.
Through His Grace and Benevolence, Allah sent prophets and messengers to
every nation, in order to communicate with and guide mankind to the right
path.
The prophets who were sent to mankind include
(among others) Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, David, Jesus, and
finally, Muhammad (peace be upon all of Allah's prophets). These (and many
other) chosen men all came with the same message: Islam. That is,
they taught of faith in One Almighty God, faith in the Day of Judgment,
faith in the Prophets and the Books, and asked people consequently to live
a life of obedience and submission to their Lord. This is the definition
of a Muslim.
"Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian;
but he was upright, and bowed his
will to Allah's (which is Islam).And he
joined not gods with Allah"
(Qur'an, Ali Imran:67).
Some of these prophets brought revealed books
(see below). They were all men guided by Allah to teach mankind and guide
them on the straight path. Muslims believe in them all and make no distinction
between them.
"Say:'We believe in Allah, and in
what has been revealed to us and what was
revealed toAbraham, Ishmael,Isaac, Jacob,
and the Tribes, and in the Books
given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets,
from their Lord; wemake no distinction
between one and another among them, and
to Allah do we bow our will in
Islam" (Qur'an, Ali Imran:84).
Muslims believe that the final prophet, Muhammad,
came to invite people back to the true teachings of the previous prophets,
and to bring to mankind a final and all-encompassing guidance: the Qur'an.
The Qur'an remains in its complete and unadulterated form; there is therefore
no need for any more prophets to come. Allah's message is complete.
Faith in Allah's Revealed Books
Muslims believe in books that Allah has sent down
to mankind through His prophets. These books include the Books of Abraham,
the Torah of Moses, the Psalms of David, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
These books all had the same source (Allah), the same message, and all
were revealed in truth.This does not mean that they have been preserved
in truth.Muslims (and many other Jewish and Christian scholars and
historians) find that the books in existence today are not the original
scriptures, which in fact have been lost, changed, and/or translated over
and over again, losing the original message.
"They change the words from their right
places and forget a good part of the
Message that was sent them..." (Qur'an,
Al- Maidah:13).
Reading these books today, we have no way of knowing
what portion was revealed by Allah, and what was recorded and changed by
man.
Muslims believe that Allah sent a final revelation,
the Qur'an, through the final Prophet of Allah, Muhammad (peace be upon
him and all of Allah's messengers).
"None
of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We
substitute something better or similar..."
(Qur'an, Al-Baqarah:106).
The sending of this divine Book is not a new and
strange event; but only to confirm, restate, and complete those divine
instructions which people had mutilated or lost in antiquity.
"To thee (Muhammad) We sent the Scripture
in truth, confirming the scripture that
came before it,and guarding it in safety..."
(Qur'an, Al-Maidah:48).
The Qur'an is addressed to all of humanity. It
seeks to guide mankind in all walks of life; spiritual, temporal, individual
and collective. It contains directions for the conduct of life, relates
stories and parables, describes the attributes of Allah, and speaks of
the best rules to govern social life. It has directions for everybody,
every place, and for all time. The Qur'an was revealed and preserved in
the Arabic language. While translations into other languages may differ
in word choice, the original Arabic script has been uncorrupted and unchanged
since its revelation in the 7th century.
Belief in qadar (We believe
everything in this world happens by the will of Allaah, whether it
is good or bad)
The true Muslim believes
in the timeless knowledge of God and in His power to plan and
execute His plans. God is not indifferent to this world nor is He
neutral to it. His knowledge and power are in action at all times to
keep order in His vast domain and maintain full command over His
creation. He is Wise and Loving, and whatever He does must have a
good motive and meaningful purpose. If this is established in our
minds, we should accept with good Faith all that He does, although
we may fail to understand it fully, or even think it is bad. We
should have strong Faith in Him and accept whatever He does because
our knowledge is limited and our thinking is based on individual or
personal considerations, whereas His knowledge is limitless and He
plans on a universal basis.
Belief in
the Last Day and resurrection after death
Muslims believe that this world will come to an
end on a day Allah has appointed.
"Every
soul shall have a taste of death; and only on the Day of Judgment shall
you
be paid your full recompense..." (Qur'an,
Ali Imran:185).
Everything will be demolished, and all of the
human beings who had lived in this world will then be restored to life
and will be presented before Allah.
The entire record of every man and woman - of
all their deeds and misdeeds - will be presented before Allah for final
judgment.
One who excels in goodness will, by the Mercy
of Allah, receive a goodly reward; one whose wrongs overweigh his good
deeds will be punished.
It is neither faith nor just to treat everyone
equally.
"Is then the man who believes no better
than the man who is rebellious and wicked?
Not equal are they" (Qur'an, As-Sajda:18).
Allah on that day will judge with Justice, and
every soul will receive what it has earned. While unsure of their fate
in the Hereafter, Muslims are confident of the Mercy and Justice of Allah.
"Say: 'Oh My servants who have transgressed
against their own souls!
Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, for
Allah forgives all sins, for He is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful." (Qur'an, Az-Zumar:53).
Those who emerge successfully from Judgment will
go to eternal Paradise; those who are condemned and deserve punishment
will be sent to Hell. Allah is the perfect and fair Judge.
In Islam, faith and good works go hand-in-hand.
A mere verbal declaration of faith is not enough, for belief in Allah makes
obedience to Him a duty. Only when your practice is consistent with your
profession will you be a true Muslim. Faith in Allah will be your strength,
and the Qur'an your guide.
The Muslim concept of worship is very broad.
Muslims consider everything they do in this life according to Allah's will,
an act of worship. Speaking the truth, refraining from gossip, dealing
honestly in commercial affairs, treating one's parents with respect and
honor, helping the poor and needy, dealing lovingly and fairly with family
members - whatever is done for the sake of Allah is called worship.
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