The Five Pillars of Faith
In Islam, to be a Muslim, one must believe in, and follow, the Five Pillars of Faith.
- That there is one God and Mohamed was his messenger.
- You must pray 5 times a day.
- You must give to the poor on Alms day for ALLAH. Most of the time families kill sheep, and give pieces of the meat to poor people on the streets.
- You must fast during the month of Ramadan.
- You must go to Mecca at least once in your life, and this applies to men and women.
Following these Five Pillars of Faith is critical to being a good Muslim.
The Five Pillars of Faith Video
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ARTICLES OF FAITH
The Five Pillars of Faith are supplemented by the Articles of Faith. The Islam faith has six main articles of faith, which outline their beliefs in God, prophets, books of revelation, angels, the hereafter, and destiny.
- Faith in ALLAH
- Faith in Angels
- Faith in ALLAH's Revealed Books
- Faith in ALLAH's Prophets
- Faith in the Day of Judgment
- Faith in Destiny (Divine Decree)
So, Islam's doctrine is often summarized in these Six Articles of Faith.
According to this list, to be a Muslim, one must believe in:
1. One God, ALLAH
Islam's fundamental theological concept is tawlid - the doctrine of one God. The Arabic term for God is ALLAH (always shown in capital letters to show respect); most scholars believe it was derived from a contraction of the words al- (the) and il_h (deity, masculine form), meaning "the god" (al-il_h).
The first of the Five Pillars of Islam, tawhid is expressed in the Shahadah, which declares that there is no god but God, and that Muhammad is God's messenger.
In traditional Islamic theology, ALLAH is beyond all comprehension; Muslims are not expected to visualize ALLAH, but to worship, and adore him as a protector. Although Islam teaches that Jesus was a prophet, Islam rejects the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, comparing it to polytheism.
In Islamic theology, Jesus was just a man and not the son of God; God is described in a sura (meaning, chapter) of the Qur'an as "...ALLAH, the One and Only; ALLAH, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him." (Qur'an 112:1-4)
2. The Angels of ALAH
Belief in angels is crucial to the faith of Islam. The Arabic word for angel is malak, which means "messenger," like its counterparts in Hebrew (malakh) and Greek (angelos).
According to the Qur'an, angels do not possess free will, and worship ALLAH in perfect obedience. The duties for angels include communicating revelations from ALLAH, glorifying ALLAH recording every person's actions, and taking a person's soul at the time of death.
They are also thought to intercede on humankind's behalf. The Qur'an describes angels as "messengers with wings - two, or three, or four (pairs): He [God] adds to Creation as He pleases.
3. The Books of God, Especially the Qur'an
The Islam religion teaches that the Qur'an to be the literal word of ALLAH; it is the central religious text of Islam. It teaches that the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to Muhammad by ALLAH through the angel Gabriel on many occasions between 610 and his death on June 8, 632.
The Qur'an was reportedly written down by Muhammad's companions (muhammad could not read or write) while he was alive; although, the prime method of transmission was oral. It was compiled in the time of Abu Bakr, the first caliph, and was standardized under the administration of Uthman, the third caliph.
From textual evidence, Islamic studies scholars find that the Qur'an of today has not changed significantly over the centuries.
4. The Prophets of ALLAH, Especially Muhammad
Muhammad (c.570 - June 8, 632) was an Arab religious, political, and military leader who founded the religion of Islam. Muslims view him not as the creator of a new religion, but as the restorer of the original, uncorrupted monotheistic faith of Adam and Abraham, and continued with the other prophets.
In Muslim tradition, Muhammad is viewed as the last, and the greatest, in a series of prophets - as the man closest to perfection, the possessor of all virtues. For the last 23 years of his life, beginning at age 40, Muhammad reported receiving revelations from ALLAH. The content of these revelations, known as the Qur'an, was memorized, and recorded by his companions.
5. The Day of Judgment, as-s_`a, "the Last Hour," and Belief in the "Day of Resurrection", Yawm al-Qiyamah.
Islam teaches that the time of Qiyamah (the Day of Resurrection) is God's final assessment of humanity. This day is preordained by ALLAH, but unknown to man. The trials and tribulations preceding, and during, the Qiyamah are described in the Qur'an and the hadith, and also in the commentaries of Islamic scholars.
The Qur'an emphasizes bodily resurrection, a break from the pre-Islamic Arabian understanding of death. It states that resurrection will be followed by the gathering of humankind, culminating in their judgment by God, ALLAH.
The Qur'an lists several sins that can condemn a person to hell, such as disbelief, usury, and dishonesty. Islam's view of paradise (jannah) is a place of joy and bliss, with Qur'anic references describing its features and the physical pleasures. There are also references to a greater joy - acceptance by ALLAH. Mystical traditions in Islam place these heavenly delights in the context of an ecstatic awareness of ALLAH.
6. The Supremacy of ALLAH's Will (or Predestination).
In accordance with the Sunni Islamic belief in predestination, or divine preordainment (al-qada wa'l-qadar), ALLAH has full knowledge and control over all that occurs. This is explained in Qur'anic verses such as...
"Say: 'Nothing will happen to us except what ALLAH has decreed for us: He is our protector:' and on ALLAH let the Believers put their trust." Qur'an 9:51
In the Islam religion, everything in the world that occurs, good or evil, has been preordained, and nothing can happen unless permitted by ALLAH. According to Islam theologians, although events are pre-ordained, humankind possesses free-will in that they have the faculty to choose between right and wrong; thus, responsible for their actions.
According to Islamic tradition, all that has been decreed by ALLAH is written in al-Lawh al-Mahfuz, the "Preserved Tablet." The Shi'a understanding of free-will is called "divine justice" (Adalah). This doctrine, originally developed by the Mu'tazila (an Islamic distinct school of speculative theology that flourished in Basra and Baghdad (8th-10th centuries, and still adopted by a small dispersed minority of Muslims and some Islamic intellectuals) stresses the importance of man's responsibility for his own actions. In contrast, the Sunni deemphasize the role of individual free-will in the context of ALLAH's creation, and foreknowledge of all things.
This list is sometimes shortened to Five Articles of Faith, which leaves off belief in the supremacy of God's will.
So The Five Pillars of Faith combined with the Articles of Faith form the basis of the Islamic belief system.
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