FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS

The fundamental beliefs , which serve as the solid foundations of a religion, are called its
doctrines (Articles of faith). Every action of man is motivated by his beliefs. These beliefs
dominate his mind and heart and serve as incentives for his actions.
Meaning and Definition:
The root of the Arabic word (belief) is which means to tie a knot. Therefore means something
knotted. “The firm and unchangeable beliefs of man are called .”
Illustration and Importance of Belief:
We can illustrate the importance of beliefs with the metaphor of seed. One's belief is like a seed
and one's action is the plant growing out of this seed. Obviously the plant contains the
characteristics possessed by the seed. Same is the relationship between one's belief and actions.
The better the belief is, the nobler the action will be. It is for this reason that all the Prophets of
Allah Almighty started their preaching with an effort to reform the basic beliefs.

Fundamental Beliefs of Islam:

The Holy Prophet Muhammad‫ ﷺ‬also emphasized the change of basic beliefs while taking up his
mission. The fundamental beliefs (Articles of Faith) of Islam are, to believe in:
1.Oneness of Allah Almighty
2. Prophethood
3. Angels
4. Divine (Revealed) Books
5. The Day of Judgment. (Hereafter)
6. Destiny

1. Oneness of Allah:
Among the Islamic beliefs the first is "The Belief in the Oneness and Unity of Allah " . The root
of the word (Oneness) is which means One, so means "Allah is One and Unique" and that human
beings and all things are His humble creations and subordinates to Him. He alone is worthy of
worship. He is the Creator and the Sustainer. The Holy Quran says:
Your God is One God; there is no God but He, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All the Prophets, Hazrat Adam ‫علیہ السالم‬to Hazrat Muhammad‫ ﷺ‬taught the Oneness of Allah.

2. Prophethood:

According to the dictionary Prophethood means, "Communicating or imparting a message". In

religious terminology a Prophet is he who is sent for propagating Allah's teachings to the people.
Allah Almighty has sent about 124 thousand Prophets to this world to guide human beings to the
straight path of life. The Prophets were intensely pious and upright men who received their
instructions from the Almighty through revelation which means infusing into the heart.
3. Angels:
angels are also creation of Allah Almighty. They are made of light . They are neither male nor
female and only Allah Almighty knows the number of angels. They are always busy in doing the
tasks assigned to them by Allah Almighty besides hymning His praises. To believe in Angels as
a creation of Allah Almighty is a fundamental element of faith.

4. Divine (Revealed) Books:

Belief in Revealed books is another fundamental belief of Islam. Allah Almighty has revealed
books and Scrolls to his Messengers. It is necessary for a Muslim to have belief in these books.
The books revealed to the Prophets contained the teachings and commands of Allah Almighty.
The remarkable four books are:
1.The Taurat :
Revealed to Hazrat Musa ‫علیہ السالم‬
2.The Zabur :
Revealed to Hazrat Daud ‫علیہ السالم‬
3.The Injeel :
Revealed to Hazrat Issa ‫علیہ السالم‬
4.The Holy Quran :
Revealed to Hazrat Muhammad ‫ﷺ‬

5. The World Hereafter (The Day of Judgment):

The one of the most important articles of faith of a Muslim is “Belief in the Day of Judgment”.
The word refers to that which comes after, the future or the last. It is the opposite of which
denotes something closer or nearby. In religious terms it means that man does not perish
altogether after death. But his spirit remains intact till the time when Allah Almighty will infuse
that spirit in the dead body and will again revive it to reward or punish him for his good and bad
actions.

6.Destiny

To have belief in Qada‟ and Qadar (Divine Destiny) is to believe that Allah knows everything
before its came into being, and what will happen to them afterwards. He then brought them into
existence, all in accordance to His Knowledge and Measure. Allah says:

Indeed, all things We created with predestination. (Surah Al Qamr 54:49)

 Pillars of Islam
The Five Pillars of Islam are the framework of the Muslim life. They are the testimony of faith,
prayer, giving zakat (support of the needy), fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the
pilgrimage to Makkah once in a lifetime for those who are able.

1) The Testimony of Faith:

The testimony of faith is saying with in 1st kalimah, This saying means “There is no true god
(deity) but God (Allah),1 and Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.” The first part,
“There is no true god but God,” means that none has the right to be worshipped but God alone,
and that God has neither partner nor son. This testimony of faith is called the Shahada, a simple
formula which should be said with conviction in order to convert to Islam. The testimony of
faith is the most important pillar of Islam.

2) Prayer:

Muslims perform five prayers a day. Each prayer does not take more than a few minutes to
perform. Prayer in Islam is a direct link between the worshipper and God. There are no
intermediaries between God and the worshipper.

Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. A Muslim may pray
almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories, or universities.

The importance of prayer is demonstrated in many of the Prophet‟s statements. For example, the
Prophet said,

“The first matter that the slave will be brought to account for on the Day of Judgment is the
prayer. If it is sound, then the rest of his deeds will be sound. And if it is incomplete, then the
rest of his deeds will be incomplete.”

“Namaz is difference between believer and disbeliever”.

3) Giving Zakat (Support of the Needy):

All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust. The original
meaning of the word zakat is both „purification‟ and „growth.‟ Giving zakat means „giving a
specified percentage on certain properties to certain classes of needy people.‟ The percentage
which is due on gold, silver, and cash funds that have reached the amount of about 85 grams of
gold and held in possession for one lunar year is two and a half percent. Our possessions are
purified by setting aside a small portion for those in need, and, like the pruning of plants, this
cutting back balances and encourages new growth.
4) Fasting the Month of Ramadan:

Every year in the month of Ramadan,4 all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown, abstaining
from food, drink, and sexual relations.

Although the fast is beneficial to health, it is regarded principally as a method of spiritual self-
purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a short time, a fasting
person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry, as well as growth in his or her spiritual
life.

The purpose of fasting is to develop the quality of righteousness (taqwa), inwardly and
outwardly, by abstaining from sinful deeds and training ourselves to control our thoughts and
desires. Fasting is a deeply spiritual practice that is meant to benefit us in body, mind,and heart.

Allah said:

َ‫ب َعلَى الَّذِييَ ِهي قَ ْب ِل ُك ْن لَ َعلَّ ُك ْن تَتَّقُىى‬ َ ‫َيا أَيُّ َها الَّذِييَ آ َهنُىا ُك ِت‬
ّ ِ ‫ب َعلَ ْی ُك ُن‬
َ ‫الص َیا ُم َك َوا ُك ِت‬

O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you that
you may become righteous.

Surat al-Baqarah 2:183

5) The Pilgrimage to Makkah:

The annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah is an obligation once in a lifetime for those who are
physically and financially able to perform it. About two million people go to Makkah each year
from every corner of the globe. Although Makkah is always filled with visitors, the annual Hajj
is performed in the twelfth month of the Islamic calendar. Male pilgrims wear special simple
clothes which strip away distinctions of class and culture so that all stand equal before God.

The rites of the Hajj include circling the Kaaba seven times and going seven times between the
hillocks of Safa and Marwa, as Hagar did during her search for water. Then the pilgrims stand
together in Arafa5 and ask God for what they wish and for His forgiveness, in what is often
thought of as a preview of the Day of Judgment.

Holy Qur‟an says in a short and meaningful sentence:

‫سبیالا‬
َ ‫ع اِلَ ْی ِه‬ ِ ‫اس ِح ُّج ْال َب ْی‬
َ ‫ت َه ِي ا ْست َطا‬ ِ ّ‫ َو ِ ّلِل َعلَى الن‬.

It is on people for the sake of Allah to perform Hajj of his house, anyone who is able to
undertake the journey to him. (2:196)

It has been mentioned in another Hadith: “Anyone who renounces his obligatory Hajj without
any excuse will be re awoken as Jew or Christian”
 Sources of Islam

1.The Quran
Muslims believe the Quran to be the direct words of Allah, as revealed to and transmitted by the
Prophet Muhammad‫ﷺ‬. All sources of Islamic law must be in essential agreement with the Quran,
the most fundamental source of Islamic knowledge. The Quran is therefore regarded as the
definitive authority on matters of Islamic law and practice. It is only when the Quran itself does
not speak directly to or in detail about a certain subject, that Muslims turn to alternative sources
of Islamic law.

2.The Sunnah
The Sunnah is a collection of writings documenting the traditions or known practices of the
Prophet Muhammad‫ﷺ‬, many of which have been recorded in the volumes of Hadith literature.
The resources include many things that he said, did, or agreed to—mostly based on his life and
practice based entirely on the words and principles of the Quran. During his lifetime, the
Prophet's family and companions observed him and shared with others exactly what they had
seen in his words and behaviors—in other words, how he performed ablutions, how he prayed,
and how he performed many other acts of worship.

It was also common for people to ask the Prophet directly for legal rulings on various matters.
When he passed judgment on such matters, all of these details were recorded, and they were used
for reference in future legal rulings. Many issues concerning personal conduct, community and
family relations, political matters, etc. were addressed during the time of the Prophet, decided by
him, and recorded. The Sunnah can thus serve to clarify details of what is stated generally in the
Quran, making its laws applicable to real-life situations.

3.Ijma' (Consensus)
In situations when Muslims have not been able to find a specific legal ruling in the Quran or
Sunnah, the consensus of the community is sought, or at least the consensus of the legal scholars
within the community. Islamic scholars define "community" in different ways, depending on the
situation: for example, ijma al-ummah is a consensus of the entire community, while ijma al-
aimmah is a consensus by religious authorities. The Prophet Muhammad‫ ﷺ‬once said that his
community (i.e. the Muslim community) would never agree on an error.

Examples
1.Compilation of Holy Quran
2.Another example of Ijma‟ is the second Azan of Jumah(Friday), which was the Ijma‟ of sahaba
during the time of Usman ‫رضی ہللا عنہ‬which is followed through out the world also in Makah and
Medina as part of Sunnah.

4.Qiyas (Analogy)
In cases when something needs a legal ruling but has not ever been clearly addressed in the other
sources, judges may use the analogy, reasoning, and legal precedent to decide new case law. This
is often the case when a general principle can be applied to new situations. For example, when
recent scientific evidence showed that tobacco smoking is hazardous to human health, Islamic
authorities deduced that the Prophet Mohammad's ‫ﷺ‬words "Do not harm yourselves or others"
could only indicate that smoking should be forbidden for Muslims.

Examples:

1.Hemp is illegal comparing with wine.

2.perfoming customs, traditions and invitations is illegal after 1st azan of juma prayer comparing
with doing business after 1st azan of juma prayer