The Six Beliefs of Islam

Islam & Muslim

• Islam means submission.

• A Muslim is one who submits to Allah

The Six Beliefs

• The Hadith - sayings of the Prophet - says:• You must believe in Allah, • his angels, • his holy books, • his messengers, • in the Last Day • and life after death."

These beliefs can be reduced to three.

The Three Beliefs

• Tahwid

• Risalah

• Akirah

• Some add Jihad & al'Qad'r.

Tahwid

"Truly, your god is truly One!" [Qur'ann 37:4]

"Say, He is Allah, the One. Allah is Eternal and Absolute. None is born of Him, nor is He born.

And there is none like Him."

Allah

• The Arabic word for God is "illah".

• "Allah" is in fact a conjunction of two words (i.e. Al-Ilah):

• "Al" which means "The"

• "Illah" which means "God"

Why Allah

The reasons for using the term "Allah" in favour of "God" are threefold:

1. "Allah" has no gender. God can be male/female i.e. God/Goddess

2. "Allah" is ONE and literally means THE GOD . God may be singular and plural i.e. God/Gods and Goddess/Goddesses

3. "Allah" is the personal name of God as used in the Holy Qur'an

ALLAH is the Supreme Being

• Allah is the same God as that worshipped by the Jews and Christians

• Arabic-speaking Christians also use this name when referring to God.

• God has always been in existence and will always be so.

• Christians have it wrong for Muslims with the idea of the Trinity.

• The ideas of Arabian polytheists were wrong.

Allah is the One and only God.

• He wasn’t born of anyone, therefore He has no mother and no father.

• Allah doesn’t give birth to anyone, therefore He has no son and no daughter.

• Allah has no equal. Therefore, He has neither a partner, a brother nor a sister.

• He is eternal. He was, is and will always be.

Shirk- to attribute Allah's qualities to someone else.

• Shirk because Allah's qualities are unequalled by any of His creatures, be they:

• angels, • prophets, • martyrs, • Imam or other devoted person. • Their qualities cannot match that of Allah. • No pictures in the Mosque because of Tahwid. • Many Muslims reject capitalism as it can lead to shirk.

The Shahada at birth and before death

"I bare witness that there is no god but Allah,

and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah."

Muslims believe that God created the world..

Problems with evolution as do fundamentalists of Christianity & Judaism

The Power of God

• God is "All Powerful", “• The Absolute". • The ideas about the power of God can be sub-divided:

• self-subsistent

• omnipotent

• plan for the world + the power

• omniscient - knows everything

• can change things

• infinite - no beginning / end but contains possibility of all things in Himself

God's control of the End of the World.

• “Master of the Day of Judgement” Sura 1

God's ImmanenceAs well as transcendent God is

also close to us - immanence

The Mercy and Compassion of God

• God put man on earth as a vice-regent

• Does not just leave them.

• Part of God's compassion was the sending of the prophets.

• This idea leads to risalah. God is merciful and will forgive Muslims who try their best.

The Ninety-nine Names of God

• The names of God in the Qur'an.

• Used as part of meditation.

• What are the implications of Tawhid?

Risalah

• Because God is so great he cannot communicate directly with humans but because he is compassionate and merciful he cannot just leave them

• As vice-regents they need help.

• Angels

Angels• God's first creation.

• They are immortal and do nothing against the will of God.

• No free will and without sin.

• Communicate with man as they are not as holy as God but they are able to enter the presence of God.

• By implication they are male with wings. they praise God and are guardians of hell.