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Introduction of Islam The Islamic Belief |
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The basic principle is to believe in one Allah, who is alone the ideal and perfect, the supreme, self-sufficient, neither eat nor drink, He begets not nor was He begotten, there is nothing like Him, creator and sustainer of universe, master of the Day of Judgment, has no wife, son or daughter, neither slumber nor sleep, everything belongs to Him. He is the Most High and Most Great. The corner-stone in Islam is the unity of God. Allah's unity means His Oneness in divinity, Oneness in attributes, and Oneness in works. Allah's Oneness in divinity means that Allah is one and that there is no god but He. Allah's Oneness in attributes means that nee being has an attribute in perfection except He. Allah's Oneness in works means that no being can do what He did or may do. Thus in Islam, the Being that is worshipped is Allah and only Allah. Islam forbids worshipping idols, animals, trees, the sun, nature, persons, or even prophets. Islam requires the belief in the One God. Allah, in Islam, has no son, no father, no wife, and no daughter. Logically and actually this is true, because the very concept of Allah means that who is Being superior to all beings in all aspect. Does Allah need a son? Of course, not. Should the son be crucified for the salvation of humans? Impossible. If Allah is perfect, He has the quality of forgiveness. Because He has the quality of forgiveness, He does not need Christ's sacrifice through crucifixion in order to save or forgive. |
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Belief in angels is another principle of faith in Islam. Angels obey Allah and never disobey Him. Angels' functions are to strengthen believers against their enemies, carry out Divine punishment, and record men's deeds; all these actions are done in obedience to Allah. The Angel Gibreel conveyed Allah's revelation to His prophets and ;apostles Belief in All Revealed Scriptures | |
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According to Islam, a prophet is a person of high moral standards and noble manners, simply because he is expected to be a model or an example to be imitated by other followers. In Islam, the prophet or the apostle is a normal person among human being, selected by Allah to convey His message and guidance to people. Allah sent many prophets to many nations to guide them. Allah's sending prophets is out of His mercy and justice. The mercy of Allah here lies in the fact that He wants to guide His creatures and the justice of Allah lies in the fact that guidance should precede reward or punishment in the other life. In Islam, Muslims have to believe in all Prophets with equal respect. They are all chosen and rightly guided people by Allah. When Moses is mentioned, a Muslim says, "Peace be upon him." When Jesus is mentioned, a Muslim says, "Peace be upon him." When Muhammad is mentioned, a Muslim says, "Peace be upon him." The reason is simple; all prophets were sent by Allah and a Muslim submits to Allah. Therefore, a Muslim should accept and respect all prophets. Allah has given different miracle to different prophets which suite to people of that time in order to believe in Allah and prophets. Allah gave each prophet one or more miracle to make people believe that he is a prophet. But the miracle appear only through the wish and will of Allah. The number of miracle or type of miracle does not make one prophet above another. Muslims have to believe in all prophets and their miracles. | |
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The Muslims believe in all revealed scriptures: the Book of Moses, the Book of Christ, the Book of David, and the Holy Quran, i. e., the Book of Islam. The word Quran itself means in Arabic the book to be read. With the Holy Quran of Islam, revelation is made perfect. In the previous Revealed Books, a revelation was granted to suit a certain nation in a certain time and a certain place. Then a time came when a final revelation was to be granted to suit all nations in all times and all places. Thus came the Holy Quran for all peoples in all places and all times. The Quran orders Muslims to believe in all prophets and all Revealed Books in their true forms. Unfortunately, revealed religions before Islam underwent alterations, trivial in some cases and basic in some others. The Holy Quran was revealed to be the last Book that puts together all previous revelations and points out distortions in the texts of previous Revealed Books. Some Muslims memories the whole Quran they are called Hafiz or Hafiz-ul-Quran. So the Quran is completely saved in book form also in peoples mind. Allah has also promise to protect this final revealed book Quran. | |
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The difference between Muhammad, peace be upon him, and other prophets is this: Muhammad, peace be upon him, is a world prophet, i. e., sent to all nations, whereas other prophets are national prophets, i. e., each was sent to a certain people. Another difference is that Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the final prophet. The proof that Muhammad, peace be upon him, is a world prophet comes in the fact that Islam requires from its followers to believe in all previous prophets and all previous Revealed Books. In Islam, you are not a Muslim if you do not believe in Jesus, Moses, Jacob, and other prophets. This proves that Islam is a religion for all and that is why it is a final one. One can look upon previous revealed religions as if they were introduction to Islam, paving the road for the final world religion and preparing all peoples psychologically and spiritually to receive Islam, the world final revealed religion. | |
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The fifth principle of Islamic faith is to believe in life after death. Believing in life after death is significant in several ways: l . In Islam, death is not the end of life. Death is just a transition to the second life. 2. In Islam, human life does not end. It has two phases: a life before death and a life after death. 3. Believing in life after death makes a person more responsible for his deeds in the first life, because a person will be rewarded for his good deeds and punished for his bad deeds in the other life. 4. Life after death makes the whole thing look fair and just. You: honesty in this life may entail your poverty. Another person's dishonesty may entail his richness. If things end up this way, life looks so unreasonable and good behavior pays little. Fortunately, according to Islam, there is life after death, where each person is rewarded or punished for his deeds in the first life. 5. Life after death makes a person's life well-balanced. In Islam, a person must work for this life as if he lives forever and must work for the other life as if he dies tomorrow. In other words, a Muslim should work for this life bearing in mind that there is another life where he is questioned and rewarded or punished according to his deeds in the first life. Thus life is made to have an aim, r. e., obeying Allah and worshipping Him. | |
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The sixth principle of faith in Islam is to believe in fate whether good or bad. Of course, this principle does not contradict man's responsibility and free will. Man is free in his choices and that is why he is responsible for his deeds in this life and in the other life. But because man is limited in all aspects and attributes including free will, the only explanation is that man's will cannot go against Allah's absolute will. Further, the choices of man are affected by external and internal factors that sometimes he cannot overcome. Believing in predestination helps man to adapt to life since man is not wholly responsible for all that happens. Man has to admit that he cannot control everything and he is not therefore responsible for everything. Man has to accept his own limitations and admit that he is subject to factors external to his will. This belief puts man in his actual size and position and does not overburden him with loads, and responsibilities which he cannot shoulder. | |
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In Islam, Muslims believe in the Day of Judgment. The day when every human being will be alive and will be presented in front of Allah. On the face of earth it will be a great day. On this day men and women will be given their account of deeds. On this day who is a believer and who's good deeds are more than bad deed, with the will of Allah, will be rewarded paradise, where he will live for ever. The one who is a non believer or who's bad deeds are more than good deeds, with the will of Allah, will be sent to hell, where he will live for ever. | |
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