Islam

The Five Pillars Shahadah Profession of Faith Salah Prayer Zakat Almsgiving Swam Fasting during Ramadan Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca

Shahadah

Flag of Saudi Arabia

There is no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God. When a person of sound mind recites this phrase with sincerity and without reservations three times before witnesses they have taken the first step toward being a Muslim. The person must also hold and believe the Six Articles of Faith.

Six Articles of Faith Belief in the Unity of the one God, Allah Belief in the Angels of God Belief in the Scriptures Belief in the Prophets of God Belief in the General Resurrection Acceptance of Fate

Unity of One God al-Ikhlâs - The Purity In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful Say: He is Allah, the One and Only! Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begotteth not nor is He begotten. And there is none like unto Him. - translation by Abdullah Yusuf Ali “Al-Ikhlâs is sûrah (chapter) 112 of the Qur'ân, and is said to be one of the earliest revelations that the Prophet Muhammad received from archangel Gabriel.”

Angels of God Created beings who will one day experience death They are not divine. They are messengers who cannot refuse God’s will There are no fallen angels. There is a parallel world populated by good and bad Jinn. “Indeed We created man from dried clay of black smooth mud. And We created the Jinn before that from the smokeless flame of fire” (Quran 15:26-27)

Belief in the Scriptures Muslims uphold and respect the following scriptures: (i) The Quran itself, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. (ii) The Torah (Tawrah in Arabic) revealed to the Prophet Moses (different from the Old Testament read today). (iii) The Gospel (Injeel in Arabic) revealed to Prophet Jesus (different from the New Testament read in churches today). (iv) The Psalms (Zaboor in Arabic) of David. (v) The Scrolls (Suhuf in Arabic) of Moses and Abraham.

Muslims believe in those prophets mentioned by name in Islamic sources, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, David, Solomon, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, to name a few. A general belief is held in those not mentioned by name, as God says: “And, indeed We have sent prophets before you (O Muhammad), of some of them We have related to you their story, and of some We have not related to you their story...” (Quran 40:78) Muslims firmly believe the final prophet was the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, and there will be no prophet or messenger after him. Belief in Prophets

The Prophet’s Way of Living: Sunnah is the way a Muslim is expected to live based upon the teachings and sayings of the Prophet. It is the norms and traditions of Islamic life. It teaches how live a devout life.

Hadith are sayings of the Prophet written down by others. Hadith are also guides for behavior. They outline behaviors approved by the Prophet.

Belief in the General Resurrection “Islamic doctrine holds that human existence continues after the death of the human body in the form of spiritual and physical resurrection. There is a direct relation between conduct on earth and the life beyond. The afterlife will be one of rewards and punishments which is commensurate with earthily conduct.”……… “ Faith in life after death is one of the six fundamental beliefs required of a Muslim to complete his faith. Rejecting it renders all other beliefs meaningless. “

Acceptance of Fate The sixth and last article of Islamic faith is belief in divine decree which means that everything good or bad, all moments of happiness or sorrow, pleasure or pain, come from God.