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Islam: Fundamentals of Faith

The term iman (إِيمَان ʾīmān,  faith or belief)  has been delineated in both the Quran and hadith. According to the Quran, iman must be accompanied by righteous deeds and the two together are necessary for entry into Paradise. In the hadith, iman in addition to Islam and ihsan form the three dimensions of the Islamic religion. Iman in Islamic theology denotes a believer’s faith in the metaphysical aspects of Islam. Its most simple definition is the belief in the six articles of faith, known as arkān al-īmān.

 عقائد اسلام : ارکان اسلام 

  1. Belief in the existence and oneness of God (Allah).
  2. Belief in the existence of angels.
  3. Belief in the existence of the books of which God is the author: the Quran (revealed to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), the Gospel (revealed to Jesus), the Torah (revealed to Moses), and Psalms to David.
  4. Belief in the existence of all Prophets: Muhammad being the last of them, Jesus the penultimate, and others sent before them.
  5. Belief in the existence of the Day of Judgment: in that day, humanity will be divided into two groups: that of paradise and that of hell. These groups are themselves composed of subgroups.
  6. Belief in the existence of God’s predestination, whether it involves good or bad.

Manifestation of Faith through Deeds
In Islam, it is essential that there exist harmony and concord between faith and deeds. Righteous deeds are mentioned in the Qurān right after faith in the capacity of an explanation … In the case of faith, the need for its explanation is obvious: the place of faith is the heart and the intellect. In matters of intellect and heart, not only can a person deceive others but also at times he himself can remain in deception. He considers himself to be a mu’min (believer) whereas actually he is not. For this reason, two testimonies needed to be required for it: a person’s words and a person’s deeds. Since words can be untrue, hence a person who only professes faith through words is not regarded as a mu’min and it was deemed essential that a person’s deeds also testify to his faith. Thus the Qurān said:

Indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience. [Surat ul Asar: 103 Verse: 2,3]

The five pillars of faith are as follows. [explained separately)

  1. Shahadah (Profession of Faith)
  2. Salat (Prayer)
  3. Zakat (Almsgiving)
  4. Sawm (Fasting)
  5. Hajj (Pilgrimage)

1. Believe in Allah & Prophets

Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous. [ Surat ul Baqara: 2 Verse: 177]

2. Believe in Angels

The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.” [ Surat ul Baqara: 2 Verse: 285]

3 & 4. Believe in Revealed Scriptures

It is the third article of faith for Muslims to believe in in all the books of Allah,: the Quran (revealed to Prophet Muhammad(ﷺ), the other three books mentioned by name in the Quran are the the Gospel (Injeel, revealed to Jesus), the Torah (revealed to Moses), and Psalms (revealed to David) and scrolls of Abraham. There are many other sacred books, Jews have Talmud (38 volumes) claimed to contain Oral Torah and Christians have New Testament with 23 books apart from 4 Gospels/ Injeels, but Muslims are not required to believe in those extra books. The Islamic Article of Faith requires Muslims to only believe in the Books revealed by Allah to the Prophets and Messengers. However in practice it is found that Hadith Books enjoy equal, rather superior status to the Quran. Has the ‘Article of Faith’ been amended or Bid’ah prevails?

Say, [O believers], “We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.” [Surat ul Baqara: 2 Verse: 136] 

The believers are only those who believe in Allah and His Messenger and….. [ Surat un Noor: 24 Verse: 62] 

Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah , the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous. [ Surat ul Baqara: 2 Verse: 177]

“O you who believe! believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book which He has revealed to His Messenger and the Book which He revealed before; and whoever disbelieves in Allah and His angels and His messengers and the last day, he indeed strays off into a remote error.” (Quran:4:136)

We have sent revelations to you (O’ Muhammad) as We sent revelations to Noah and the prophets (who came) after him; and We sent revelations to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob, and their offspring, and to Jesus and Job, and to Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and to David We gave the Book of Psalms (Quran 6:163)

Why  Allah and Prophet (ﷺ) didn’t Mention Hadith Books?

Articles of Faith is the most appropriate place for the Quran and the angel Gabriel (when he visited Prophet (ﷺ) publically in human form to explain Islam and Faith,) to mention to believe in the sacred, holy “Hadith Books’  (called as Wahy Khiffi, Ghair Matloo, considered as scripture) as part  of the article of Faith (Iimaan). Did God forget it? (He doesn’t) Even Prophet (ﷺ) did not mention to believe in Hadith books (he had already prohibited to make Hadith books) though written centuries later, Prophet (ﷺ) was given extra knowledge by Allah and he has prophesied many future events, he couldn’t have missed, if it was necessary. It’s not possible for Allah,  Gabriel and the last Messenger(ﷺ) to forget to mention six or seventy five Hadith Books which control and even override Quran. However the only possibility left is that the scholars and Hadith book writers ignored the “Hadith Books ban”. Should it be called Bid’ah, defiance or disobedience?

This point has been very clearly unambiguously clarified by Quran in many verses, Allah says:

“Allah has now revealed the best HADITH, (أَحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا)  a Book fully consistent within itself (Quran;39:23)

“Then in what HADITH after it (Quran) will they believe?(فَبِأَيِّ حَدِيثٍ بَعْدَهُ يُؤْمِنُون) (Quran;77:50)(Quran;7:185) (Quran;45;6). 

These verses are self explanatory, however the Sunnah of Prophet(ﷺ), Sunnah of Four Rightly Guided Caliphs and Sunnah of Companions all conforms to obey the Command of Allah.

Prophet(ﷺ) said: 

You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it.[Abi Dawud 4607]

5.Believe in Resurrection and Day of Judgment

They believe in Allah and the Last Day, and they enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and hasten to good deeds. And those are among the righteous. [ Surat Aal e Imran: 3 Verse: 114]

6.Believe in Divine Decree, Will of Allah , Destiny

Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you should be within towers of lofty construction. But if good comes to them, they say, “This is from Allah “; and if evil befalls them, they say, “This is from you.” Say, “All [things] are from Allah .” So what is [the matter] with those people that they can hardly understand any statement? [ Surat un Nissa: 4 Verse: 78]

ISLAM 

While Allah created you and that which you do?” [Surat us Saaffaat: 37 Verse: 96]
Read more : Existence of Evil and Free Will : https://salaamone.com/god-criticism/
No Compulsion in Religion
The non-Muslims,  must know, however, that Islam does not present its principles dogmatically, for those who believe or wish to believe, exclusively. It does so rationally, critically. It comes to us armed with logical and coherent arguments, and expects our acquiescence on rational, and hence necessary, grounds. It is not legitimate for us to disagree on the relativist basis of personal taste, or that of subjective experience. Allah says:
“There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.” [Surat ul Baqara: 2 Verse: 256]
 
 

References/ Links

  1. Philosophers Criticism of God -Refuted: https://salaamone.com/god-criticism-4
  2. https://salaamone.com/theology/the-creator/monotheism-polytheism/
  3. https://salaamone.com/god-criticism/
  4. Existence of God
  5. Philosophical Arguments for God
  6. Criticism on Existence of God
  7. Proof of  God & Scientific Facts in Qur’an 
  8. Quran on Intellect قرآن اور عقل
  9. Attributes of God & Science
 

QURAN ON FUNDAMENTALS OF FAITH

FAITH IN UNSEEN 

DAY OF JUDGEMENT

Allah

  • Believe no one besides Allah, 25:68

The Prophets:

PROPHET MUHAMMED (PBUH)

  • Muhammed, 47:2
  • “seal” of the prophets, 33:40
  • The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
    • has come to you, 9:128
    • only mortal human, 12:109, 16:43, 21:7-8, 25:7
    • accept him who confirms earlier revelation, 3:81
    • miracles only by Allah’s leave, 40:78
    • has highest claim on allegiance of believers, 33:6
    • charity during consultation with, 58:12
    • don’t acquire slaves except through war, 8:67
    • don’t raise your voice above, 49:2
    • keeps awake 2/3 1/2 or 1/3 of the night praying, 73:20
    • those who came before had wives and children, 13:38
    • wives
    • rewards and punishments, 33:30-31
    • will be let go if they desire, 33:28-29
    • admonished, 33:37, 66:1, 75:16-19, 80:1-10
    • as judge for followers, 4:65
    • dares not alter the Qur’an nor act contrarily, 10:15
  • Prophet’s household, 33:53, 49:4-5
  • divorce, 33:52
  • exemptions from “regular” marriage laws, 33:51
  • Quraysh, 106:1
  • like of a pretty woman, 33:52
  • marriage
  • kinship allowances in, 33:50
  • restrictions, 33:52
  • mystical ascension, 53:6-18
  • not a madman, 7:184, 52:29, 68:2, 81:22
  • only a prophet, 3:144, 6:50, 7:188
  • prayed for non-believing Uncle (enjoined not to), 9:113
  • reacted against something lawful, 66:1
  • summons from, 24:63
  • taking leave of, 24:62
  • unlettered prophet, 7:157, 7:158, 62:2
  • visiting wives, 3:51
  • widowed wives not allowed to remarry, 33:53
  • Materialism and the Prophet’s wives, 33:28
  • Ahmad, 61:6
  • Lote tree, 53:14, 53:16, 56:28

QURAN

FREE WILL

ADVERSITY

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