Core Muslim Beliefs

1
Core Muslim Beliefs

• SCTR 19 Religions of the Book
• Prepared by Matt Pham

2
Introduction

• Six Articles of Islamic Faith (for the Sunni
  majority)
• In addition to Five Pillars of Islamic Practice
• Together, make up Aqidah (creed)
• Sunni/Shia beliefs differ http//en.wikipedia.or
  g/wiki/Aqidah
• Having Iman (to fully observe ones faith)
• Belief in the heart
• Profession by the tongue
• Performance of the deeds
• Caution / Similar words Imam leader vs.
  Iman faith
• Without the articles of faith, there is no
  context for the pillars of practice

3
To Believe in God (Allah)

• Monotheism (tawhid divine unity)
• God is absolute, a single inseparable unity
• One God ? Same God for Jews, Christians, Muslims
• Allah not a proper name, but the Arabic word for
  God
• 99 Names of God found throughout the Quran
• God has no associate or partner
• Muslims reject the Christian concept of Trinity
• God cannot become human humans cannot be God
• Consider Jesus a great prophet, but not divine

4
To Believe in the Unseen

• Angels
• Gods messengers reveal messages to Prophets
• Ex Angel Gabriel revealed the Quran to Muhammad
• No free will sole purpose is serving God
• Accompany, guide, and protect people at all times
• Spirits (Jinn)
• Spiritual beings, with free will
• Thus can be good or evil
• Root of English word/concept genie

5
To Believe in Prophethood

• Prophets (nabi ) and Messengers (rasul )
• Prophets speak Gods words to people orally.
• Messengers record Gods words in book form.
• So, not all prophets are messengers,but all
  messengers are also prophets.
• Muslims believe in 1000s of prophets
• Chain of Prophets Adam was first Muhammad was
  last
• Also incl. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David,
  Jesus, etc.
• All transmit same basic message throughout
  history
• Certain prophets were sent to specific
  groups/nations

6
To Believe in Revelation

• Holy Books
• Revealed scriptures messages from God
• Different languages, different cultures,
  different eras
• But same basic message, culminating in the Quran
• Progressive Revelation
• Books of Moses, Psalms of David, Gospels of Jesus
• Ultimately the Quran, revealed thru Muhammad
• NOTE Most Muslims do not read the present HB
  or NT,believing ancient Jews Christians
  altered the messages God had revealed through
  Moses, David, and Jesus

7
To Believe in the Day of Judgment

• Resurrection of the Dead
• At the end of time, all people will be raised
• Everyone is held accountable for his/her own
  deeds
• Judgment / Afterlife
• Everyone is judged based on ones life/actions on
  earth
• If good deeds outweigh bad deeds
• Reward ? eternal life with God in
  heaven/paradise/garden
• If bad deeds outweigh good deeds
• Punishment ? in everlasting fires of hell

8
To Believe in the Divine Decree

• Human Nature / Free Will
• Everyone has knowledge ability to choose
  between right wrong, and so is held
  responsible
• Yet God has correct fore-knowledge of everyones
  path
• Destiny / Fate / Predestination
• God wrote down our destiny in the Preserved
  Tablet
• God knows what our nature will cause us to do
• A persons actions are not caused by what God has
  written
• But God is omniscient ? God knows in advance

9
Review

• Six Articles of Faith (for Sunni Muslims)
• Allah/God
• Angels Spirits
• Holy Books
• Prophets
• Day of Judgment
• Destiny or Fate
• Variety of Beliefs
• Most Muslims, esp. Sunnis, believe in all the
  above
• Specific explanations may vary, even among Sunnis
• Some similarities differences for Shii Muslims