Islam - Muslim Beliefs Flashcards
What are the 6 Sunni Beliefs?
Tawhid
Malaikah
Akhirah
Authority of kutub
Belief in Al-Qadr
Nubuwaah
What is Tawhid
Belief in Allah as the one and only God - IIslam is monothestic meaning muslims accept there is only one God.
What is Malaikah
Belief in angels - Muslims accept the existence of angels who are obedient to Allah’s commands. It is through them that messages are given to prophets.
What is Akhirah
Teachings about life after death - Muslims believe that there is an afterlife after death. They accept of DOJ when every human will br judged by alllah ontheir actions on Earth.
What is Auothority of kutub
The main holy book for Muslims is the Quran but they also recognise that Sahifah ( scrolls ),Tawrat,Zabur,Injil
What is the Belief in Al-Qadr
Muslims believe that Allah knows everything and although humans have freewill,Allah knows what will happen.
What is Nubuwaah
Following the prophets of Allah - Muslims recognise prophets or messangers of allah. These include Adam,ibrahim,Isma’il etc.. the nature and importance of prophethood for muslims is called risalah.
The importance of the 6 Beliefs for Sunni Muslims today
They are found in the Kitab al-iman (book of faith) “That you affirm your faith in Allah, His angels, His books, His meeting, His messengers and that you affirm faith in the resurrection hereafter” (Kitab al-iman 1:4)
· Unites Sunni Muslims and make them feel part of the Ummah as they all believe the same
· It helps them understand their faith better – the know to follow the rules so that when they are judged, they will be rewarded with Paradise
· Salvation in Islam comes from believing the six beliefs and living in the way set out by Islam
What are the 5 roots of Shi’a Islam
Belief in oneness andunity of God : Al tawhid
Belief in divine justice : al-adl
Belief in prophethood : al nubuwwah
Belief in imams : al-imamah
Mi’ad - belief in day of resurrection and judgement
Belief in oneness andunity of God : Al tawhid
The oneness of allah the idea of one God called Allah
Belief in Divine Justice: Al-Adl
Al Adl is the belief that God is Just and does not commit any act of injustice towards any human beings. “My Lord hath Commanded Justice”
· Adalat – Allah is just and created the world in a just and fair way
· God has given humans the ability to differentiate good from evil, which in the Qur’an is referred to as ‘fitra’.
· Therefore Humans must also try to be fair too as humans know what is right and wrong.
· Muslims will receive a fair judgement for Akhira.
Belief in Prophethood: Al-Nubuwah
The belief that allah appointed prophets or messangers to pass his message onto humanity.
Belief in Imams: Al-Imamah
Immamah = “leadership”
· Shia believe there are 12 infallible imams.
· God wanted them to preserve Islam after Muhammad died over a long period of time to guide people.
· There is only ONE single imam at a time.
· The 12th Imam is hidden and one day will appear to end tyranny and oppression
· According to Nasir al-Din al-Tusi (an Islamic Shia philosopher), the Imam is a means through which humans receive divine grace, because “He brings men closer to obedience (of Allah) and keeps them away from disobedience.
Mi’ad - Belief in Day of Resurrection and Judgement:
After death humans will be resurrected, or brought back to life, to be judged
· People will be held to account of their actions
· “And because the hour is coming, there is no doubt about it and Allah resurrect those who are in the graves” (22:7).
The importance of the Usul ad Din for Shi’a Muslims today
They are the basis of Shi’a Islam – the roots from which the faith grows
· They unite the Shia Ummah
· They help Shi’ites understand their faith e.g. resurrection/judgement
· They show what a Shia Muslim must believe and guide them on how to act to ensure they go to heaven (Jannah)
· The come from the teachings of the Qur’an and the Twelve Imams
· Unless they understand and believe Usul ad Din they will not be able to perform the acts of worship necessary to live the Muslim life
Sunni and the five roots
Sunni’s accept four of the five roots since they are contained in the Six Beliefs:
· Root 1 is Tawhid
· Root 2 Al-Adl (Allah’s justice) they believe is part of Allah’s oneness (though they don’t place the same emphasis on it
· Root 3 is Risalah
· Root 4 Belief in the day of Judgement is Akhirah
Nature of allah
Tawhid
Immanance
Transdence
Adalat
Omnipotence
Benefience
Mercy
Fairness and justice
TNOA - Tawhid
All Muslims are known as Monotheists as they only believe in ONE God. “Allah is Creator of all, and He is the One, the Supreme.” (13:16)
· This is the basis of slam
– It is the first part of the Shahadah (First Pillar)”I bear witness that there us no God but Allah”
– Forms part of Salat (prayer 5 times a day)
· God is the Creator and was not created by a being and only Allah should be worshipped. “Such is Allah, your Lord; there is no god but He, the Creator of all things; so, worship Him (and Him alone), and He has charge of all things. (6:102)
Shirk
the division of the unity of Allah and the opposite of tawhid. It is the sin of polytheism (believing in and worshipping more than one God) and is an unforgiveable sin.
Belief in Tawhid is important to Muslims because
There is only one God who created everything
· If the universe was made by one God, then the Muslim community (ummah) should be united
· There can only be one law for Muslims – Shari’ah
· This is why there can be no statues or images in the mosque (Islam rejects the attribution of any human form to God)
The 99 names of Allah
As Allah is transcendent, he cannot be described by humans, but the 99 names, will can be found in the Qur’an reveal his nature. They
· help Muslims to know something of his unknowable nature of Allah
· enables them to talk about their shared beliefs about Allah in a meaningful way
· allow Muslims to develop a meaningful relationship with Allah
· are accepted by all Muslims so brings the Ummah together
· are in the Qur’an so Allah wants them to know these characteristics
Al-Qadir - The All Powerful (Omnipotent)
Allah is all powerful and in control. He created the universe so must have complete power over it Islam means submission to Allah’s will. Muslims have submitted themselves to Allah because he is so great
“He has power over all things”
“Allah is Creator of all”
Al-’Alim - The Knower of All (omniscient)
For Allah to be “Master of Judgement Day” he must know everything about what humans have done to have the power and authority to judge them
“Not a leaf falls, but that He knows it”
Ar- Rahmam - The All-Merciful
Allah is compassionate to people who say sorry “My mercy embraces all things”
Every Surah begins with Bismillah (in the name of Allah, most gracious, most merciful)
Al-Wadud - The Loving One (omnibenevolent)
Allah cares for his creation on a personal level “your Lords bounty (love/kindness) is not restricted”
The importance of the 99 names
Muslims may use subhan (set of 99 prayer beads) when they pray to help them remember and recite the 99 names
· If they can recite all 99, this shows their devotion to Allah “There are 99 names of Allah, he who commits them to memory will get to paradise” (hadith 35:6475)
Belief in omnipotence is important because:
Allah is in control of everything that happens
· Allah has a plan for the world and the power to ensure it happens
· Allah has the power to bring the world to an end on Judgement Day
Belief in omnibenevolence is important because:
If Allah is compassionate and merciful to sinners, Muslims should also be merciful and forgiving
· How can Muslims ask Allah’s mercy on Judgement Day if they are not prepared to forgive?
· If Allah is compassionate and merciful to sinners, Muslims should also be merciful and forgiving
· How can Muslims ask Allah’s mercy on Judgement Day if they are not prepared to forgive?
The transcendent one meaning
Allah describes Himself as ‘The transcendent one’ implying that He is above and beyond His Creation. Allah is above the seventh heaven, distinct and independent from His creation. This can be seen in some of the 99 names “the Greatest”, “the Supreme One”, which show how far beyond human description God is.
Belief in transcendance is important because
It shows Allah is worthy of worship as he is greater than anything
· It shows he is in control
· It shows he is not restricted in anyway – by time, space or matter
immanent
Allah is also immanent, this means that he is close to every human “Allah is closer to you than your Jugular vein” (50:16) and acts in this world. This means he is personal to Muslims. Muslims will look to God for guidance and his mercy in their daily lives. It shows Muslims that Allah knows everything and nothing is hidden from him “Whithersoever ye turn, there is the presence of God” 2:115
Belief in immanence is important because:
It means Allah is within the universe he has created, so science and learning can comprehend Allah
· Despite his greatness Allah can be contacted by humans
· It means Allah is present in all religious activities, e.g. Salat, Sawm
A prophet is a messenger whom Allah sent to help humankind and communicates His will:
showing them how to worship
– teaching them that life is a test
– providing an example of how to life a good life
Risalah
They were chosen by Allah and received revelations from Allah/the Angel Jibril, which are recorded in the Islamic Holy Books
· They were morally good men who faithfully pass on Allah’s message without altering it
· The Qur’an says that each prophet brought Islam in its perfect form but humans either ignored it or distorted in, so Allah had to keep on sending a new prophet until Muhammad was given the Qur’an in a form that couldn’t be distorted
· The single most important message of all prophets to their people was to worship God alone and none else and to follow His teachings “And your God is One God: there is no god but He…” (2:163)
· They were ordinary people – this teaches Muslims that they should have nothing to do with religions that claim divine status for their leaders