Answer
Short Answer: Islam comprises belief in the five pillars of Islam (Shahadah/Testimony), Prayer(5 times each day), Fasting, Zakat, and Hajj as well as faith in the unseen, the six articles of faith. A man asked the Prophet โNow tell me about Eman (faith).โ He replied, โEman means that you have faith in God, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and that you have faith in the Divine Decree (measuring out, both its good and its evil).โ
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Thank you for your question. There are six articles of faith for a Muslim.
Hadith on The 6 Articles of Faith
Umar ibn al-Khattab said: One day when we were with Godโs messenger, a man with very white clothing and very black hair came up to us. No mark of travel was visible on him, and none of us recognized him. Sitting down before the Prophet, leaning his knees against his, and placing his hands on his thighs, he said, โTell me, Muhammad, about Islam (submission).โ
He replied, โIslam means that you should bear witness that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is Godโs messenger, that you should perform the ritual prayer, pay the alms tax, fast during Ramadan, and make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to go there.โ
The man said, โYou have spoken the truth.โ We were surprised at his questioning him and then declaring that he had spoken the truth. He said, โNow tell me about Eman (faith).โ
He replied, โEman means that you have faith in God, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day, and that you have faith in the Divine Decree (measuring out, both its good and its evil).โ
Remarking that he had spoken the truth, he then said, โNow tell me about Ihsan (the best possible practice).โ
He replied, โDoing the best possible practiceโ means that you should worship God as if you see Him, for even if you do not see Him, He sees you.โ
Then the man said, โTell me about the Hourโ
The Prophet replied, โAbout that he who is questioned knows no more than the questioner.โ
The man said, โThen tell me about its signs.โ
He said, โThe slave girl will give birth to her mistress, and you will see the barefoot, the naked, the destitute, and the shepherds vying with each other in building (tall buildings)โ
Then the man went away. After I had waited for a long time, the Prophet pbuh said to me, โDo you know who the questioner was, โUmar?โ I replied, โGod and His messenger know best. โHe said, โHe was Jibril. He came to teach you your religion. โ
1- Belief in one God (Tawhid)
It means having absolute faith in the oneness of God. Allah is simply the Arabic word for God. Muslims believe that nothing can be likened to Allah. It is important to note that Allah has no plural in Arabic, showing the belief in the oneness of God. Tawhid has three sections:
- Tawhid ar-Rububiyyah โ Unity of Lordship. He is the Creator, the One Who gave all things their power to grow and to move, the Owner of the Universe,
- Tawhid al-Asma wal-Sifat โ Unity of Allahโs Names and Attributes. This describes Allah by the Names and Attributes with which He has described Himself either in the Qurโan or by the Prophet Muhammad pbuh. We only know of Allah, what He, Himself, has told us. Each of His Attributes is perfect.
!Allah, there is no God but He, To Him belong the Most Beautiful names.โ [Qurโan 20:8]
- Tawhid al-Ibadah โ Unity of Worship. He is our only Object of Worship. Only Allah is able to answer our prayers for example, so all worship is directed solely to Him. Note: Prayer is not the only form of worship. Allah has told us in the Qurโan:
โCall on Me (in prayer) and I will answer you.โ [Qurโan 40:60]. also
โI have created mankind and Jinn to worship Me.โ [Qurโan 51:56]
The chapter on Tawhid: Surat Al-Ikhlas (Quran: 112)
Qul huwa Allahu ahad
1. Say, โHe is Allah, [who is] One,
Allahu assamad
2. Allah, the Eternal Refuge.
Lam yalid wa lam yoolad
3. He neither begets nor is born,
Wa lam yakul-lahu kufuwan ahad
4. Nor is there to Him any equivalent.โ
The Reason for the Revelation of this Surah and its Virtues
It was revealed in Makkah.
Imam Ahmad recorded from Ubayy bin Ka`b that the idolators said to the Prophet, โO Muhammad! Tell us the lineage of your Lord.โ So Allah revealed:
(Say: โHe is Allah, One. Allah He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is non-comparable to Him.โ) Similar was recorded by At-Tirmidhi and Ibn Jarir and they added in their narration that he said,
โ(As-Samad) is One Who does not give birth, nor was He born, because there is nothing that is born except that it will die, and there is nothing that dies except that it leaves behind inheritance, and indeed Allah does not die and He does not leave behind any inheritance.
(And there is none comparable to Him.) This means that there is none similar to Him, none equal to Him and there is nothing at all like Him.โ Ibn Abi Hatim also recorded it and At-Tirmidhi mentioned it as a Mursal narration. Then At-Tirmidhi said, โAnd this is the most correct.โ
2- Belief in angels (Malaikah)
Muslims believe Allah uses angels to communicate his messages to mankind. Angels are created from light (Jinn/Devils are created from fire). Angels have no free will, they only obey Allah. Examples of the angels are: Jibril a.s., The Angel of Death (Israfil), The Kraman Katiban (the two recording angels) that accompany each one of us, etc.
3- Belief in the revealed books
Muslims believe in the pristine form of revelations from Allah. These are the Scrolls of Abraham (lost), the Zaboor (Psalms of David), the Torah, the Injil (Bible) and the Qurโan.
The Qurโan is the direct and unchanged word of God, revealed through Jibril a.s. to the Prophet Muhammad pbuh and preserved in its pristine form.
4- Belief in the prophets
The Prophets were chosen by God to convey His Message to mankind. Allah is believed to have communicated with the prophets through the angels. All the prophets came with a similar message- Follow my example and worship One God. Muslims believe the prophets must be respected but never worshipped.
5-Belief in the Day of Judgement and the next life (Akhirah)
All Muslims believe that this life is a test. When they die, they will be judged by God and sent to either Paradise or Hell.
Allah tells us, in the Qurโan:
โI have created mankind and Jinn to worship Me,โ [Qurโan 51:56].
This is the purpose of our life on earth and our deeds will โspeakโ for us.
6- Belief in the Divine Decree (Al-Qadar)
Qadar means Allah has decreed whatever happens in the universe according to His prior knowledge and Will.
- Muslims believe total knowledge is with Allah. There is no past, present or future for Him, as He knows everything. This means that everything in the universe is following a divine master plan, which shows the importance of Godโs Will.
- Allah has had the Pen write everything in the al=Lawh al-Mahfuz (The Book of Decrees). [Qurโan 22:70]
- Muslims believe everything happens by Godโs Will and Permission.. [Qurโan 13:42].
- Mankind has free will. They are free to choose their actions, good or bad, or not as the case may be. People can choose their own path in life but they will be accountable to Allah on the Day of Judgment for their actions. [Qurโan 2:286]
Islam comprises belief in the five pillars of Islam (Shahadah/Testimony), Prayer(5 times each day), Fasting, Zakat, and Hajj as well as faith in the unseen, the six articles of faith.
May I wish you every success as you embark on life as a Muslim. May Allah make your path easy for you, and grant you success, Amin.
And Allah knows best.
I hope this helps.
Salam and please keep in touch.
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