Muslim beliefs and teachings

Islam is the world's second-largest religion, with about 1.9 billion followers. The word islam means "submission" — submission to the will of Allah. The two major branches are Sunni (~85 %) and Shi'a (~15 %). They share fundamental beliefs but differ on questions of leadership and authority.

Tawhid — the oneness of God

The most central Islamic belief is Tawhid — the absolute oneness and unity of Allah. Muslims believe in strict monotheism: there is no god but Allah, and Allah has no partners, no offspring, no equals. Associating anything with Allah (shirk) is the gravest sin.

This is captured in the Shahadah — the first declaration of faith: "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah."

Surah 112 (al-Ikhlas) summarises Tawhid: "Say, He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent."

The nature of Allah

Muslims describe Allah by his 99 names (the Asma al-Husna) — attributes such as:

• The Compassionate (al-Rahman) and Merciful (al-Rahim) — emphasised at the start of every chapter of the Qur'an.
• The All-Powerful (al-Qadir) — omnipotent.
• The All-Knowing (al-Alim) — omniscient.
• The Just (al-Adl) — fair.
• Immanence and transcendence — Allah is "closer to you than your jugular vein" (Qur'an 50:16) but also wholly beyond human comprehension.
• The Beneficent — generous, providing for all creation.

Risalah — prophethood

Muslims believe Allah has sent prophets throughout history to guide humanity, including:

• Adam — first man and first prophet.
• Ibrahim (Abraham) — chosen friend of Allah.
• Musa (Moses) — given the Tawrat (Torah).
• Dawud (David) — given the Zabur (Psalms).
• Isa (Jesus) — a great prophet, given the Injil (Gospel). Muslims honour Jesus but reject the idea that he was God or son of God.
• Muhammad (peace be upon him) — the Seal of the Prophets, the final messenger; given the Qur'an as the perfect, final word of Allah.

The Qur'an names 25 prophets but says many more were sent.

The holy books

Muslims believe Allah has revealed scripture through the prophets. Earlier scriptures (Tawrat, Zabur, Injil) were authentic but Muslims believe humans corrupted them. The Qur'an, revealed to Muhammad over 23 years (610–632 CE), is held to be the perfect, unchanged word of Allah, in Arabic.

Six articles of faith (Sunni)

Sunni Muslims accept six articles of faith (aqeedah):

1. Belief in Allah (Tawhid).
2. Belief in angels (mala'ikah) — created from light to obey and serve Allah (Jibril, Mikail, Israfil, Izrail).
3. Belief in holy books.
4. Belief in prophets.
5. Belief in the Day of Judgement (akhirah).
6. Belief in predestination (al-Qadar) — Allah's foreknowledge of all events; everything happens by Allah's will, though humans still have free will to choose.

Five roots of Usul ad-Din (Shi'a)

Shi'a Muslims emphasise five roots of religion:

1. Tawhid (oneness of Allah).
2. Adalat (justice — Allah is perfectly just).
3. Nubuwwah (prophethood).
4. Imamah (belief in the 12 Imams, beginning with Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, as the rightful successors).
5. Mi'ad (the Day of Judgement).

The chief practical difference: Shi'a believe Muhammad designated Ali as his successor; Sunnis believe Abu Bakr was elected by consensus. This historical disagreement still shapes geopolitics today.

Akhirah — life after death

Muslims believe in:

• Death — the soul departs the body.
• Barzakh — a state of waiting until the Day of Judgement.
• Day of Judgement (Yawm al-Din) — Allah will resurrect every person and weigh their deeds. The good will go to Jannah (Paradise); the wicked to Jahannam (Hell).
• Al-Sirat — the bridge over Hell; the righteous cross safely.

This belief drives Muslim ethics: every action will be accounted for.

Predestination and free will

A subtle but important Muslim belief. Allah knows all that will happen, has decreed it, and yet humans are responsible for their choices. The Qur'an: "Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves" (13:11). Many Muslims explain it through the metaphor of an exam: the teacher knows who will pass and fail, but each student still has to take the exam.

Examiner tips

For "explain Islamic beliefs about X" questions, always include the Arabic term (Tawhid, akhirah, Risalah, etc.) and a Qur'an reference if possible. Distinguish Sunni from Shi'a where relevant. Don't confuse Islam with Christianity — Muslims do not believe in the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus, or original sin.