IX. The Six Articles of Islamic Faith

IX. The Six Articles of Islamic Faith

Islamic belief is based on six fundamental articles of faith.

1. Belief in Allah.

This includes the following beliefs:

- Belief in Allah‘s existence. The existence of humankind and the entire universe is not a mere accident or the product of chance. This universe and everything that is in it manifests and points to the realization of a Creator.

- Belief that Allah is the Creator, the Sustainer, the Owner of the Universe and its contents, the provider of everything, the Giver of life and the Causer of death.

- Belief that Allah is the only One who has the right to be worshipped

- Allah has revealed both in His Final Revelation, the Qur‘an and through his Prophet‘s teachings ninety-nine names and attributes that offer some insights into the absolutely unique, wondrous and perfect nature of Allah. The most frequently used name is Allah, which means the ‗Worshipped‘. Some of those attributes are: the Everlasting, All-Powerful, All-Knowing, All-

Hearing, All-Seeing, Self-Sufficient and Self-Sustaining. Allah Almighty is above all comprehension, and He does not resemble His creation, Allah says in the Qur‘an:

There is nothing like Him (Qur‘an 42: 11).

He also says:

Say (O Muhammad): He is Allah the One (in essence). Allah is the Eternal Absolute. He begets not, nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him. (Qur‘an 112: 1-4)

He is the most Rich, in the sense of ‗free of all needs‘. He says in the Qur‘an:

I have not created the Jinn and humankind except to worship Me. I require neither provision nor feeding from them. Surely Allah19 is the All-provider, the Possessor of all strength, the Firm. (Qur‘an 51: 56-58)

Allah‘s ninety-nine names are all mentioned in the Qur‘an and the statements of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The most frequently used is (Allah), which means the ‗worshipped‘. The attributes are many and are also

mentioned in the Qur‘an and the statements of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

2. Belief in the Angels

Angels are creatures created by Allah for specific functions. They are normally invisible and they have no free will; they do as Allah commands them. They are not to be worshipped. The Angel Gabriel was responsible for conveying the revelation to the prophets. Two angels are

assigned to every human being to record their good and evil deeds. Another angel accompanies each human being, encouraging him/her to do good deeds. Others blow the human spirit into the foetus when it reaches the end of the fourth month and others take the human spirit at the time

of its death by Allah‘s permission. There are other angels that have various responsibilities too many to enumerate in this small book.20

There are two main points of difference between the Islamic and the Christian view of angels. Although they are noble and are free of sin, the believing Muslim holds a status above the angels before Allah. The angels were commanded to bow down to Adam due to his superior

knowledge, and they all did as they were commanded. Christians, on the other hand, believe that angels are of two kinds: good/obedient and evil/disobedient. That is how they justify their belief that Satan is a ‗fallen angel‘—an evil angel who disobeyed God, when he did not bow

down to Adam with the other angels. According to Islam, angels worship Allah, and cannot disobey Him; angels have no choice whether to worship Allah or not. They are sinless beings because they obey Allah and commit no sins. This is part of the Islamic belief as well. However,

both angels and humans are creatures of Allah who are obliged to worship Him. So the second main point of difference between the Christian view and the Islamic view of angels is that of free will: whereas angels have no free will, the human being might obey Allah, might be sinful, might follow some commandments and might commit some sins.

3. Belief in the Scriptures

This article of faith refers to belief in all the scriptures revealed in their original form by Allah to His messengers. These scriptures form the enlightenment which the messengers received to show their people the right path of Allah. All the revealed books call to the worship of Allah alone and forbid worshipping other than Him or others

besides Him. They contain guidance for humankind in all

aspects of life. They define right and wrong, and offer human beings a complete system of beliefs and practices governing all of their affairs. The Creator alone knows best what is beneficial for His creation and what is not. Thus, the divine laws contained in those scriptures command and prohibit various acts and substances to protect the human spirit, the human body, and human

society from harm. In order for human beings to fulfil their potential by living a righteous life, they definitely need to abide by His commandments documented in His revealed books.

The revealed books do not differ from each other in their main doctrinal principles. However, due to the differences between nations in time and space, there were some differences in the practical teachings (Law) of the scriptures, according to the wisdom of Allah. Their basic message, however, remains the same.

Muslims believe in the previous books as mentioned in the Qur‘an: the Scripture of Abraham, the Torah of Moses, the Psalms of David and the Gospel of Jesus. The following verse from the noble Qur‘an emphasizes the fact that belief in all previous scriptures sent by Allah is an integral part of the Islamic belief system:

Say (O Muslims): We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us and to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord, we make no difference between one and another of them, and we bow to Allah (in Islam). (Qur‘an 2: 136).

However, long before the advent of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), they had all been either lost or irretrievably corrupted by later generations over the centuries with myths, superstitions, idolatry and irrational philosophical beliefs, carrying contradicting thoughts. Hence, the existing forms of those scriptures cannot be described as Allah‘s revelation.

The Bible for example, is one of the remaining books in the hands of its followers. Since it was revealed to Jesus (peace be upon him) it has undergone so many changes until it has become four well-known Bibles instead of one: the Gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John comprise the Bible (The New Testament), along with other documents.

These were written between 40 and 115 years after Jesus (peace be upon him) had left and are based on documents that have been lost. The

Gospel according to Mark, was the first one written in Rome, at least 40 years after the disappearance of Jesus (peace be upon him). The Gospel according to Mathew was written in the Greek Language about 90 years after Christ. The Gospel according to Luke was written in Greece

approximately 80 years after Christ. These three Gospels are called Synoptic because they originate from the same lost document and they have a lot in common. The Gospel according to John, on the other hand, has deep differences with the Synoptic Gospels. It is in this Gospel of John

where the Divinity and pre-existence of Jesus (peace be upon him) was mentioned, even though Jesus himself never claimed this. This Gospel was written between 110 and 115 years CE.21

Analysis of these Gospels reveals the following:

1. During the lifetime of Jesus, there was no written document containing his sayings, acts or lectures.

2. The first records of the sayings of Jesus, which were made close to the time of his disappearance, have been lost.

3. The Gospels were written between 40 and 115 years after Jesus' disappearance, and were based on lost documents. As a consequence, there was a loose manipulation of the content.

4. None of the Gospel writers knew, saw or heard Jesus.

5. The Gospels were written in the Greek language while Jesus spoke Aramaic.

6. For at least one hundred years after the Gospels were written; they did not have any canonical authority, and were changed by the writers of the different sects in order to adapt them to their own needs.

7. The present Gospels, seen as a whole, are full of contradictions.22

These factors have been brought up here in order to demonstrate that the Gospel of Jesus, his original message that was revealed by Allah; has not reached us in its original form. In this way, it can be affirmed that the four Gospels, included in today's Bible, cannot be considered similar or equivalent to the inspired Gospel of Jesus (peace be upon him).

Biblical Proofs of the Bible‘s Distortion

1. The Old Testament clearly testifies that it was altered by humans. God (Allah) is quoted in Jeremiah 8:8 as saying, ―How can you say, 'We are wise, and the law is with us?‖ But behold, the false pen of the scribes has made it into a lie.‖23

2. Dr. Bilal Philips explains:

About five years after the end of Jesus' ministry, a young rabbi by the name of Saul of Tarsus, who claimed to have seen Jesus in a vision, began to change Jesus' way. Paul (his Roman name) had considerable respect for Roman philosophy and

he spoke proudly of his own Roman citizenship. His conviction was that non-Jews who became Christians should not be burdened with the Torah24 in any respect. The author of Acts 13:39 quotes Paul as saying, "And by him every one that believes is freed from everything which you could not be freed by the Law of Moses." It was

primarily through the efforts of Paul that the Church began to take on its non-Jewish character.

Paul wrote most of the New Testament letters (epistles), which the Church accepts as the official doctrine and inspired Scripture. These letters do not preserve the Gospel of Jesus or even represent it, instead, Paul transformed the teachings of Christ into a Hellenic (Graeco-Roman) philosophy.25

3. The clearest evidence of biblical distortion from the original form is the revisions being made on the Bible, to the extent that it can be said that every edition is different from the previous one.

Distorting revelations, the biggest sin

The Qur‘an emphasizes in more than one verse that distorting Allah‘s revelation is a severe sin. Allah says in the Qur‘an:

Woe to those who write the scripture with their own hands and then say: This is from Allah, to

purchase with it (worldly gain) at a cheap price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earned by doing it. (Qur‘an 2: 79)

Revelation of the Qur‘an

Following the distortion of the previous scriptures, Allah, the Most Compassionate, did not leave human beings to go astray without an unadulterated reference. Indeed, He revealed the Qur‘an and promised to preserve

it as the final revelation to humankind for all times. It is the Word of Allah which He revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through the Angel Gabriel. It was revealed in parts (fragments) of different

lengths over a period of 23 years. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) recited the revelation to his companions who wrote it down during his lifetime on palm leaves, parchment, animal bones (the shoulder-blades of camels made a good writing surface), and flat

stones. At the same time, he indicated the precise location where each revealed section belonged in the body of the complete volume of the revelation. In addition, the Qur‘an was memorized by hundreds of Prophet Muhammad's Companions. One year after the death of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the first Caliph, Abu

Bakr, instructed the Prophet‘s Companions to collect the whole Qur‘an in one volume. Later, the third Caliph, ‗Uthmân, prepared several copies from the original text and sent them to the major centres of Islamic civilization.

One of these seven reproductions still remains, and is kept in Istanbul, Turkey.

From that time onward, more than 1400 years ago, the same Qur‘anic text has been in use with the exact wording, order and language (Arabic). Not a single word from its 114 chapters, 6200 verses, and approximately 80,000 words has been changed since it was revealed. Indeed, Allah promised in the Qur‘an to preserve it intact forever. He says:

Verily, I have sent down the Qur‘an, and indeed, I will guard it from corruption.26 (Qur‘an 15: 9).

Just ponder the fact that the Qur‘an, in its entirety, is memorized by millions of people, regardless of age, sex, social class, or ethnicity! It is the only book that has been thus preserved, not only on the shelf but in the hearts of humankind.

The Qur‘an supersedes all previous scriptures. Allah says to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) about the Qur‘an:

And to you We have sent the Book in truth, confirming the scriptures that came before it, and superseding them. (Qur‘an 5: 48)

Therefore, one cannot claim that Allah accepts other religions merely because they were originally based on the true scriptures. Although these scriptures are from Allah, the last and final revelation (the Qur‘an) supersedes all the rest.

An essential point to understand about the Qur‘an is that it is a miracle in both its revelation and content. At the time of the revelation and since, there have been those who have denied the divine and miraculous nature of the Qur‘an saying that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was either taught by others or that he wrote it by himself! In order to counteract this claim, Allah lays down a challenge to the whole of humankind saying:

If you are in doubt concerning what I have revealed to My slave (Muhammad), then produce one chapter like it and you may call on your helpers beside Allah, if you are truthful. (Qur‘an 2: 23)

These are some of the prophecies which the Qur‘an has foretold, as no one from the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) until this day has been

able to produce the like of one chapter or even a verse of the Qur‘an. As such, Muslims do not need any other scriptures to base their faith on, either in full or in part. The Qur‘an remains clear and easily understood by anyone who has a good command of the Arabic language. All of its legal injunctions and instructions are clear when the meanings of its words are translated into any of the world‘s languages.

All of the Qur‘an is a proclamation of Monotheism:

1. Some of the verses inform about Allah, His names, attributes, acts and speech. Those verses indicate the Unity and Oneness of Allah with respect to His most excellent names, essence, and perfect attributes.

2. Other verses point to the necessity of worshipping Allah alone, without any associate or partner, and the renunciation of the worship of anything other than Him. Those verses indicate the focus of worship and the necessity for people to single out their Lord in their intentions, requesting His aid, and in turning to Him in repentance.

3. The Qur‘an also contains injunctions and prohibitions, and so doing something that has been enjoined or refraining from doing what has been prohibited is the

fulfilment and perfection of the affirmation of the Oneness of Allah.

4. The Qur‘an includes stories and information about people of true and sincere belief and tells of their immediate reward in the life of this world as well as the immense reward reserved for them in the hereafter.

5. The Qur‘an also contains stories about those who associate partners with Allah and describes their punishment in this life and the punishment they are promised in the hereafter. These are the just desserts of those who deviate from affirmation of Allah‘s Oneness.

Prophetic Teachings

The teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) are the second source of Islamic knowledge after the Holy Qur‘an. They explain and elaborate the Qur‘anic verses. They also explain in minute detail the manner of worship as performed by the Prophet. The Prophet‘s statements provide further clarification and details of how

to fulfil what Allah has ordered and what He has forbidden. Those teachings were meticulously collected and reported by the Prophet‘s Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).

Preservation of Islamic Teachings

Preservation of Islamic teachings from alteration does not stop at the preservation of Qur‘anic text, but also forbids introducing into his guidance (by saying or writing) anything that is at variance with its premise, values or teachings. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: <<Whoever introduces into this matter (the Islamic teachings) something that does not belong to it, shall find it rejected

One of the Prophet‘s Companions said: The Prophet gave us a highly effective admonition so that many of us were tearful and we felt a shudder in our hearts. Someone said to him: Messenger of Allah! This sounds like the admonition of someone bidding his audience farewell. Please outline for us what you recommend. He said: <<I urge you to always remain conscious of Allah (God-

fearing), and to listen to and obey your leaders, even if the leader is an Abyssinian slave. Anyone of you who will live long will witness much strife and conflict. Therefore, hold tight to my way and the way followed by rightly-guided rulers.28 Hold on to it and bite onto it with your

molars,29 and steer away from any invented thing (in religious affairs and laws), for such inventions are deviations (from the right path).

So, in matters of religion, there is no permission to make any change to Islamic teachings. Whatever is at variance with it is wrong and unacceptable. With this strict protection, Islam, as it was revealed, is kept pure from myths and superstitions, and changes that reflect the whims of people and leaders.

4. Belief in the Messengers of Allah

This article of faith addresses the belief that Allah conveyed His message through selected human beings. These individuals, called prophets and messengers, were selected by Allah to be examples of how the scriptures were to be understood and implemented. Prophets have demonstrated practically for their followers how one should live by the law. The way of the prophets is the only way to Allah, because it has been prescribed by Allah

Himself. Hence, without prophets, people would not know Allah, His attributes or how to worship Allah.

The role of the prophets can be summarized as follows:

1. Receive the message from Allah.

2. Deliver it to people.

3. Advise people to fear Allah and keep His commandments.

4. Advise people who deviated, disobeyed Allah, or worshipped other than Him to obey Him and worship Him only.

5. Tell people about the fundamental aspects of faith.

6. Teach their followers detailed religious and moral tenets.

7. Be a model example for their people, and lead them to eternal paradise.

Allah has sent a prophet or prophets to every nation to convey the message that He alone was to be worshipped and anything worshipped along with Him or besides Him

is false and unacceptable. The Qur‘an mentions the names of twenty-five of the prophets (see diagram opposite) while indicating that many others existed, yet were not mentioned by name. The first of these prophets was Adam and the last was Muhammad (mercy and peace of Allah be upon them all).

Every prophet was sent to a specific people for a specific era except Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who was sent as the last and final messenger until the Hour of Judgement. The proofs that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a messenger of Allah are innumerable; all are mentioned in his detailed biography.

The greatest proof is the miracle of the Qur‘an, which could not have been written by any human, nor conveyed but by a messenger of Allah.

Indeed, mention of the advent of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) can still be found in the books of the Bible in spite of the changes which have taken place in their texts (See chapter XV. ‗Muhammad in the Bible‘)

The Qur‘an and traditions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) relate with reverence the lives of many of these prophets. Prophet Muhammad, the last prophet, remained as the absolute example for his followers. His teachings were even further elucidated in practice by his rightly guided successors. The Prophet encouraged his followers continuously to follow the prophetic way and warned against conflict over Islamic principles and values, so that his followers would not deviate from the right path, as had happened to previous peoples.