EDUQAS Islamic Beliefs

Tawhid

'Oneness' in reference to God and is the basic Muslim belief in the oneness of Allah.

Prophethood/Risalah

The term used to describe the messengers of Allah, beginning with Adam/Adem and ending with the Prophet Muhammed.

Halal (Permitted)

Actions or things which are permitted within Islam, such as eating permitted foods.

Haram (Forbidden)

Any actions or things which are forbidden within Islam, such as eating forbidden foods.

Greater Jihad

The word jihad means 'to strive'. There are two forms of jihad - greater jihad is the daily, inner spiritual struggle to live as a Muslim.

Lesser Jihad

The word jihad means 'to strive'. There are two forms of jihad - lesser jihad is the physical struggle, or 'holy way' in defence of Islam.

Mosque

A 'place of prostration' for Muslims; it is a communal place of worship for a Muslim community.

hadith

the sayings, actions, and approvals of the Prophet Muhammad

Sharia (straight path)

A way of life; Muslims believe Allah has set out a clear path for how Muslims should live. Shariah Law is the set of moral and religious rules that put the principles set out by the Qur'an and the Hadith into practice.

Qur'an

The Qur'an was revealed to the prophet Muhammad as a 'living sound' and it must be spoken to reveal its beauty and truth, only seen as the word of allah if it's in arabic anything else is seen as an interpretation

Sunni

-largest branch of islam (90%)
- follow Abu bakr muhammad's oldest friend
- they believe the leader should be elected
- belief in the four rightly guided caliphs
- six articles of faith

Shi'a

- smaller branch of islam (10%)
- follow Ali who was muhammd's cousin and was married to muhammad's daughter
- they believe the leader should be a descendent of muhammad
- belief in the imamate, 12 successors the last one will come out on the end of the world to bring justice
- five roots of religion

Allah

The Arabic word meaning God. Muslims believe that they worship the same God that spoke through Musa and Isa.

Surah

A chapter from the Qur'an.

Shirk

Associating other beings or things with God, major sin

Revelation

A message sent by God and revealed to the human mind.

Polytheism

Belief in many gods.

Barzakh

A place of waiting, after death until the Day of Judgment.

Niyyah

The honest intention to worship God.

Al-Qadr

Predestination, the idea that Allah has already knows what will happen in your life and afterlife, however this doesn’t affect human free will

what are the six articles of faith

- allah and tawhid - belief in the oneness of allah, allah has no children and is the creator of the universe
- malaikah ( angels) - follow allah's bidding, they record everything a person does and says on earth, they are allah's messengers
- holy books (kutub) - direct word of allah eg. torah
- risalah(prophethood) - accepts that muhammad was the last prophet
- ahkirah (afterlife) - allah will judge humanity based on how you lived your life you will either go to jannah(heaven) or jahhanam(hell), muslims see life on earth as a test which prepares them for judgement
- al qadr(predestination) - allah knows everything that will happen, nothing happens by chance everything that happens is because of him. He writes down all that will happen in the book of decrees. When a Muslim says insha’Allah they are acknowledging that they are in submission to God. They will only succeed in their plans if God is also willing to make it happen. This life is seen as a preparation for the afterlife.

what are the five roots of religion

- allah and tawhid - belief in the oneness of allah, allah has no children and is the creator of the universe

- imamate ( leadership) - belief in the leadership of imams, seen as infallible( ( can do no wrong)

- divine justice/adalat - he is infallible ( incapable of doig wrong), allah is wise + just, allah acts for reasons beyond human understanding, so it may be hard to see justice. The Shi’a believe they need to be aware there is good and evil in everything, but that Allah commands them to do good. Humans will be held responsible for their actions good or bad

- nubuwwah ( prophethood) - they accept that allah used human messengers to express his will on earth, they lead muslims on the right path

- ressurrection - every human will return to their physical bodies and be judged accordingly to the deeds they committed on earth

what are some beliefs about allah

- there are 99 names for him
- cannot be depicted in paintings etc or compared to anyhting else as that is major shirk
- beyond human understanding
- creator
- omniscient

-transcendent and exists out of time and space

- he is merciful and compassionate one of his 99 names are the beneficient and proof of this is his gift of earth to humans

- following the will of Allah will bring inner and outer peace

- the word allah means the god that is one and only

- Muslims believe that God is Immanent, within all things, and close to His people

• ‘We are closer to human than his jugular vein’ (Qur’an 50: 16) meaning that Allah is vital to human existence. If the jugular vein is cut, humans die, so trying to live without Allah is worse than death

what does the word islam mean

submission to the will of God

What does Tawhid mean for Muslims?

- muslims seek to serve allah, meaning a life dedicated to him in obedience etc.
- contentment- allah is the ultimate provider so don't fear
- humility - nothing they can do without the will and kindness of allah
- no shirk

- Muslims have total faith in Allah. They are not swayed by other religions

- according to muhammad in a hadith muslims should mention tawhid first when talking to a non muslim about islam

what are some beliefs of angels in islam?

- angels are heavenly and immortal and are made from light, angels are invisible but exist everywhere and are always in contact with humans
- angels receive God's will and pass it on to prophets, they have no free will so they're pure and sinless, so they can't do anything to displease God
- some angels record people's actions in the book of deeds for judgement day
- they're involved in human's lives from the moment they're born to death some are also guardian angels this comforts muslims during times of hardship

- Having angels recording their deeds can influence the way a Muslim acts

• Angels can cause natural disasters when Allah commands them to

• Roles include: maintaining the order of the planet by overseeing the seasons/rain/provisions; looking after paradise; overseeing hell and the torment of the wicked; recording the actions of humans

The angel Jibril

The most important of the angels and spoke with many of the prophets of Allah. Jibril dictated the Qur'an to Muhammad. This day is called the Night of Power .

On Judgement Day he will assist with the weighing of a person's deeds.

The angel Mikhail

One of the most important angels. He gives spiritual and material help to humans. On Judgement Day he will assist with the weighing of a person's deeds. He stands at the gates of heaven and is said to never smile because he knows how hard it is to get into heaven

diversity of view for angels

- shias believe that angels have limited free will although it will never lead them to sin against God HOWEVER sunnis believe that angels have no free will
- they believe that it was an angel that God made it clear to muhammad that Ali would be the next leader

Beliefs on free will for muslims

Muslims believe we all have free will and will be held accountable for our actions and choices, Allah wants us to follow Shariah but it’s up to us. Allah has already written down all that will happen in the book of decrees, however people still have free will

why is muhammad important to muslims

He is the last prophet, completing the message of Allah (Qur’an 33:40).
🔹 No further prophets will come after him.

🔹 The Qur’an, the direct word of Allah, was revealed to him over 23 years.
🔹 It serves as the ultimate guide for Muslims.

🔹 His life (Sunnah) and sayings (Hadith) provide guidance on how to live a good life.
🔹 He showed kindness, justice, patience, and devotion to Allah.

He is mentioned in the shahaddah in the declaration of faith

• he is the seal of the prophets

• Muslims believe that over time previous messages (prior to Muhammad pbuh) had become lost or changed

• The life of Muhammad (pbuh) acts as a guide for Muslims. He is viewed as the ideal human, husband and leader. Many Muslims will emulate his life by undertaking additional prayers, living simply and giving to the poor

• He had charisma as a leader 10,000 people went to battle for him in makkah

how do the five roots of religion affect how a shi’a live their lives

• Belief in Allah as One influences a Muslim’s life. They will follow Allah’s path which means doing the right thing

• Prophethood means that a Muslim is not alone in life. Guidance is there throughout history and in the present in the Qur’an

• The imamate is important to Muslims as we need leaders as we might go off track when living in the modern world. This provides guidance

• They know that the Day of Judgement will happen, they cannot hide from Allah and so need to do the best they can in terms of intentions

• Belief in justice means that Muslims have faith that Allah always has a purpose and his actions are based on wisdom

what do muslims believe about the day of judgement

• There are many signs which will mark the end of the world for Muslims but the most important will be the appearance of the Mahdi and the second coming of Isa (Jesus)

• In the last days to mark the coming of the day of judgement there will be an increase in sin such as fornication and rejection of islam

• The Angel Israfil will blow a trumpet to announce the Day of Judgement

• Muslims believe that, for those who die before that day, the angel of death, Azrail, will come to take their souls to await the day

• They will be kept in a state of barzakh (waiting) until the sound of the final trumpet is heard. In the grave the soul will be tested by two angels and depending on the responses the soul’s time will either be pleasant or unpleasant

• A book which represents everything an individual has done, is presented to each of them. If the person’s good deeds outweigh the bad, then they will receive the book in their right hand and pass into heaven. If it is placed into their left hand, they will be among the damned. People will undergo a series of questioning by angels

• people will pass over a narrow bridge whoever is going to hell falls off the bridge and into hell ( jahanam)

beliefs about the qu’ran

• was revealed to muhammad over 23 years on the night of power where angel Jibril commanded him to recite it. Muhammad had never been taught to read or write so this was a miracle demonstrating allah’s omnipotence

• believe that is the final word of God and that previous book in the Bible were corrupted, so Christians and jews are known as the people of the book

• The Torah, Psalms and Gospel are also holy books, which are mentioned in the Qur’an but they are believed to contain some errors

• Muslims need holy books to guide them through their lives:

  • They help to explain the power and beneficence of God

  • The Qur’an is seen as proof of Muhammad’s (pbuh) prophethood

  • They help Muslims to understand the history of God’s followers

• It must be recited in arabic to reveal its true beauty

beliefs about prophets

• to be a perfect example to humans of how to live their lives

• When humans forgot, misunderstood or changed God’s message, he sent prophets to call people back to the right path

• act as intermediaries between Allah and humans by receiving and passing on Allah’s message to everyone in their community

• without prophets people wouldn’t know how to live in accordance to allah’s will

• All prophets are considered equally important because they all received the same message

• prophets are also there to lead the community

muslim beliefs about ibrahim prophet

• Ibrahim and Isma’il (his son) built the Ka’aba – the most important building in Islam

  • According to the Qur’an this was the first building dedicated to Allah built under the command and direction of God

• Ibrahim is known for his undying loyalty to Allah and this is shown in his actions. When he got a dream to sacrifice his son he prepared to do it however it was merely a test from God and he was rewarded for his obedience.

tommorow add in things about other holy books and other prophets and why they’re important and also beliefs about heaven and hell

beliefs about Isa prophet

• Muslims believe that Isa was born of a virgin mother

• They believe that he was the Masih (Messiah)

• Like Christians, Muslims believe that the Gospels relate to ‘good news’ about Isa (Jesus) written by his disciples

• However, Muslims believe that he was not the son of Allah (as Allah can have no partners) but he was a follower of Allah

• They believe that Isa was not crucified. In fact he did not die, rather he ascended to heaven

• Muslims believe that he did not die to save sins (Allah is all compassionate, so He will forgive sins, so this sacrifice would have been unnecessary)

• Muslims believe that the gospels in their current form contain mistakes because they were written by disciples many years after the death of Isa

beliefs on the injils/gospels

• The message in the Injil (Gospels) was revealed by Allah to Isa (Jesus) but was lost and are distorted

• Muslims highly respect Isa because there are revelations in the Qur’an about him

• There are some things about Isa (Jesus) that Christians and Muslims agree on but there are some distinct differences

• Muslims believe that the Injil prophecies the coming of the prophet Muhammad (pbuh)

• Although the Psalms and Gospels are important holy books in Islam, they are not the direct word of Allah and contain errors and are corrupted

beliefs on psalms ( zabur)

• The Zabur (Psalms) of Dawud (David) are a collection of prayers to Allah (some refer to them as poems)

• Dawud was a great king, whose people were God-fearing and righteous

• They contain lessons of guidance for the people and he recited them in song version

• One important message in the Zabur is the idea of the Masih (Messiah)

• The Masih was to be a symbol of hope for the future in a world where many had failed to obey Allah’s commands

• Isa also referred to what had been said about the Masih in the Gospel of Luke, ‘Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms (Zabur)’

• Isa taught in a way which allowed people to understand the scriptures. For Muslims, Isa was the Messiah and will return

diversity of view for predestination

Sunni Muslims believe that everything is predestined by Allah and written in the Book of Decrees. Although humans appear to make choices, they are ultimately within Allah’s control, and nothing happens without His will.

Shi’a Muslims, on the other hand, believe in free will, meaning humans are responsible for their own actions. While Allah knows everything that will happen, He does not force choices on people. This links to the Shia belief in Adalat (divine justice) – Allah must be fair, so humans must have the ability to choose.

Imams Shi’a

• believe that they were the descendents of muhammad, twelver branch believe that there were twelve imams after muhammad whereas sevener branch believe that there were 7

• they believe that imams are infallible and are the only ones able to interpret the qu’ran and shariah law without fault

• Shi’a Muslims believe that the first eleven led the community, some were killed, but that the twelfth disappeared after his father’s death. They believe that he is in hiding and will return with Jesus at the end of time

• For Shi’a Muslims Imams are seen as infallible and must be obeyed. They are protectors of the faith, ensuring that the teachings do not become corrupted or spoiled

imams sunni

• Sunni Muslims also have Imams but they are chosen at the community level and are not seen as infallible and are not venerated upon death

  • In Sunni Islam the word ‘Imam’ simply means ‘prayer leader’