Islam is a monotheistic faith — it teaches the absolute oneness of God, called Allah in Arabic. The word 'Islam' means submission to God. Islamic belief is structured around the Six Articles of Faith and expressed through the Five Pillars of practice, covering what Muslims believe and how they are expected to live.
What is Tawhid and why is it central to Islam?
Tawhid is the Arabic word for the oneness of God — the foundational belief of Islam. It means that there is only one God (Allah), who is unique, uncreated, eternal and without equal. The Qur'an's shortest and most repeated declaration of Tawhid is Surah Al-Ikhlas (112): "Say: He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there any equivalent to Him." Tawhid has three dimensions in Islamic theology:
- Oneness of lordship (Rububiyyah): Allah alone is the creator and sustainer of everything.
- Oneness of worship (Uluhiyyah): Allah alone deserves to be worshipped.
- Oneness of names and attributes (Asma wa Sifat): The 99 names of Allah describe his unique attributes — Al-Rahman (the Most Merciful), Al-Hakim (the All-Wise), Al-Qadir (the All-Powerful).
Shirk — associating partners with God or worshipping anything alongside him — is considered the most serious sin in Islam. This is why Islam strictly opposes the use of images of God or of prophets in worship.
What are the Six Articles of Faith?
The Six Articles of Faith (Arkan al-Iman) are the core beliefs that all Sunni Muslims must hold. Belief in all six is required for a person to be considered a Muslim.
| Article | Arabic term | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Belief in Allah | Tawhid | One God, with no partners or equals |
| 2. Belief in angels | Malaika | Spiritual beings created from light, who carry out Allah's commands (e.g. Jibril/Gabriel delivered revelation) |
| 3. Belief in holy books | Kutub | Allah's revealed books, including the Torah (Tawrat), Psalms (Zabur), Gospel (Injil) and the Qur'an (final and perfectly preserved) |
| 4. Belief in prophets | Nabi/Rusul | Messengers sent throughout history; 25 are named in the Qur'an; Muhammad is the final prophet (Khatam an-Nabiyyin) |
| 5. Belief in the Day of Judgement | Yawm al-Din / Akhirah | After death, all souls will be resurrected and judged; they will enter Jannah (paradise) or Jahannam (hell) |
| 6. Belief in divine decree | Al-Qadar | Allah knows and has decreed everything that happens, though humans still have free will and responsibility |
Students often confuse Articles 3 and 4: Article 3 covers the holy books (what Allah revealed), while Article 4 covers the prophets (through whom Allah revealed). The Qur'an is believed to be the literal word of Allah, perfectly preserved in Arabic, which supersedes earlier scriptures.
What is Risalah (prophethood)?
Risalah means prophethood — the belief that Allah communicates with humanity through chosen messengers. Prophets include Adam (the first human and first prophet), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad (the final prophet, born in Mecca around 570 CE). Muslims believe all the prophets taught the same essential message — submission to the one God — though their specific messages and laws differed. Muhammad received the final, complete and perfectly preserved revelation: the Qur'an. Because the Qur'an is the final word, no new prophet or new scripture will follow Muhammad.
The Hadith — the collected sayings and actions of the Prophet — provide guidance for Muslim life alongside the Qur'an. Islamic law (Sharia) is derived from these two sources, interpreted through scholarly consensus (Ijma) and analogical reasoning (Qiyas).
What are the Five Pillars of Islam?
The Five Pillars (Arkan al-Islam) are the five acts of worship that structure a Muslim's daily and yearly life. They are the practical expression of belief.
- Shahada (declaration of faith): "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah." Saying this with sincere conviction, in Arabic, makes a person Muslim. It is whispered into a baby's ear at birth.
- Salah (prayer): Five daily prayers (Fajr, Dhuhr, Asr, Maghrib, Isha) performed facing Mecca (the direction is called Qibla), preceded by ritual washing (wudu). Friday Jumu'ah prayers involve a sermon and congregation.
- Sawm (fasting): Fasting from dawn to sunset throughout Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar — abstaining from food, drink, smoking and sexual relations. It is obligatory for all adult Muslims who are physically able.
- Zakat (almsgiving): The obligatory annual donation of 2.5% of accumulated wealth above a minimum threshold (Nisab) to those in need. Zakat is a duty, not charity — it purifies wealth and meets social obligations.
- Hajj (pilgrimage): The pilgrimage to Mecca and its surroundings, obligatory once in a lifetime for Muslims who are physically and financially able. Performed in the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, it re-enacts the actions of Ibrahim and his family.
What do Muslims believe about Akhirah (life after death)?
Akhirah refers to the afterlife — the realm of existence after physical death. Islamic belief holds that after death the soul enters a state called Barzakh (an intermediate state of waiting) until the Day of Resurrection (Yawm al-Qiyamah). On that day all souls will be resurrected and judged by Allah. Each person's deeds will be weighed — recorded by angels throughout their lifetime — and they will be assigned to either Jannah (paradise) or Jahannam (hell). Jannah is described in the Qur'an as a garden of eternal delight; Jahannam involves suffering for those who rejected God or lived unjustly. The Qur'an emphasises Allah's mercy: "My mercy extends to all things" (7:156), and many Islamic scholars stress that Allah's forgiveness is vast. The ultimate purpose of this belief is to encourage righteous living in the present life.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between Sunni and Shi'a Islam?
The split between Sunni and Shi'a Islam originated after the Prophet Muhammad's death in 632 CE, over who should lead the Muslim community. Sunnis believed leadership should pass to the most qualified companion (Abu Bakr was chosen first). Shi'a Muslims believed leadership should pass through the Prophet's family — specifically to his cousin and son-in-law Ali. Today roughly 85–90% of Muslims are Sunni; Shi'a Muslims are a majority in Iran, Iraq, Bahrain and parts of Lebanon. The core beliefs — Tawhid, prophethood, the Qur'an, the Five Pillars — are shared; the differences are mainly about authority, religious leadership (the Imam's role is much more significant in Shi'a theology) and some aspects of law and practice.
Why do Muslims not use images of God or the Prophet?
Islam strictly prohibits musawwir — the making of images of living beings, particularly God and prophets — to prevent idolatry (shirk). Since Tawhid requires that nothing shares God's unique status, any image that could become an object of devotion is forbidden. This is why Islamic art developed highly sophisticated geometric patterns, calligraphy and architectural ornamentation rather than figurative painting or sculpture. In GCSE answers, this connects clearly to the Article of Faith about Tawhid.
What is the significance of the Qur'an in daily Muslim life?
The Qur'an is not simply a religious book to be consulted occasionally — it is the literal, preserved word of Allah, memorised in its entirety by millions of Muslims (hafiz — one who has memorised it). It is recited in daily prayer, read in Arabic even by Muslims who do not speak Arabic as a first language, and its words are written on walls, in jewellery and in sacred spaces. The recitation itself — tajwid (proper pronunciation) — is considered an act of worship. For Muslims, the Qur'an is the final, unchanged revelation — unlike the Torah and Gospel, which Muslims believe have been altered over centuries.
How does Islamic belief about predestination (Al-Qadar) relate to free will?
Al-Qadar — divine decree — teaches that Allah has knowledge of and has decreed everything that will happen. This does not mean that humans are puppets without choice: Islamic theology generally holds that humans have free will and are morally responsible for their actions, for which they will be judged on the Day of Judgement. The resolution of how divine foreknowledge and human free will coexist has been debated by Islamic scholars for centuries — much as it has in Christian theology. For GCSE, the key point is that both divine decree and human responsibility are affirmed together.
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