Qur’an The Holy book of Muslims

Kitab al-iman The Islamic name of The Book of Faith

Usul ad-Din The five basic beliefs in Shi’a Islam

Shi’as Muslims who believe that Prophet Muhammad designated Ali ibn Abi Talib as his successor

Allah The Arabic word for God

Tawhid The Islamic name for the oneness of God

Omnipotence The belief that God is all powerful

Benificence The belief that God is all loving, good and kind

Adalat The concept of Divine justice, that Allah is fair and just

Risalah The communication channel between Allah and humanity

Prophet Messengers from Allah; there are 25 prophets mentioned in the Qur’an

Tawrah The Jewish Holy Book

Zabur The scripture revealed to King David

Sahifah (of Ibrahim) An early scripture revealed to Ibrahim

Malaikah The belief in angels

Al-Qadr The Islamic idea of predestination

Akhirah The Muslim belief in life after death

The Six Beliefs of Islam are the basic beliefs that Sunni Muslims accept.

The purpose of the six beliefs are:•Unite Sunni Muslims and help them feel part of the Ummah-the Muslim Community•Help Sunni Muslims to understand their religion better•Support Sunni Muslims in directing how they should behave and liveThey are important to Sunni Muslims because:•They are the basic beliefs that all Sunni Muslims must accept in order to be considered a Muslim•The most important belief, Tawhid (Oneness of Allah) is the centre of the Muslim Faith

The six beliefs are expressed in Sunni Muslim communities today when Muslims:•think about the Oneness of God (Tawhid) everyday e.g. in the Shahadah, the declaration of faith•turn to their holy book, the Qur’an•follow the example of the Prophet Muhammad and refer to the Hadith•believe in life after death and that Allah will judge them•are aware of their behaviour and every action, as this will determine their afterlife

Tawhid (the oneness of Allah) • A central belief in Islam as Islam is monotheistic (belief in one God, Allah)• The Qur’an is clear on Tawhid• Allah is believed to be eternal, the first and the last

Adl-justice and fairness • Good and bad in everything• Allah commands to do good and avoid bad• Allah acts in a fair and just way to ensure equality

Nubuwwah (prophethood) • Allah has appointed messengers (prophets) to teach his message• This message instructs on how to live a life of submission to Allah• Muhammad was the final messenger and brought the complete message• Allah communicates to prophets through Malaikah (angels). This is called

Risalah

Imamah-successors to Muhammad

• In Sunni Islam, an Imam is a religious leader, but most Shi’a Muslims believe in 12 imams, specially appointed, throughout history, by Allah

• These Imams (only ever one at a time) are there to ensure that Allah’s message is being taught correctly

• Muhammad is the final (twelfth) prophet and is still alive, but hidden by Allah

• Muhammad will return one day to end tyranny and oppression

Mi’ad-the Day of Judgement and Resurrection

• Every human being who is/has lived will be resurrected and judged by Allah• This is made clear in the Qur’an when it states that there will be a

resurrection of soul and body• How Muslims live their life will determine their afterlifeThe Five Roots of ‘Usul ad-Din in Shi’a Islam are important to Shi’a communities today because they:

•Unite Shi’a Muslims as an ummah (Muslim Community) and help share their common belief•Provide a foundation of the religion, Islam and support the faith•Help Shi’a Muslims to better understand their religion and how they should behave•Allow Shi’a Muslims to live their lives as Allah intended•Within Shi’a Islam there are also different groups, such as the Seveners (believe that there are only 7 imams) and the Twelvers (12 Imams after the death of Muhammad). The Five Roots unites these people together, despite their differing beliefs

Key ideas:1. Muslims believe in one God, Allah. This belief is called Tawhid.2. Allah is seen as a supreme being, with supernatural power and so must be shown the utmost respect.3. He is believed to be the sole creator of the world and everything within it.4. As the sustainer of the world, he, therefore, continues to rule and control.

Characteristic of Allah

Definition

Transcendent Allah is above and beyond anything that exists, making him difficult to fully understand.

Immanent Allah is close to every human being and everything in the universe is connected with him.

Omnipotent Allah is all-powerful and there is nothing more powerful.Beneficent Allah is all-loving and care for all his creations.Merciful Allah is compassionate and forgives peoples’ wrongdoings if they are sorry for

what they have done.

Just Allah is fair in the way that he judges people.

The characteristics of Allah are important because:

❖ They enable Muslims to understand Allah more and show him respect

❖ Muslims can develop a closer relationship with their God❖ All Muslims worldwide (the ummah) can accept them and

share their beliefs in a meaningful way❖ They are contained in the Qur’an so Allah must want

Muslims to know them.

What is Risalah?

•Risalah is Arabic for ‘message’ and is the channel of communication between Allah and humans.•When Allah gave his messages to the prophets this was known as revelation.•The messages sent are recorded in the Qur’an (Muslim holy book)•Prophets should be shown respect as they were chosen by Allah, but they are not worshipped, as only Allah is worthy of worship.•Allah sent messages to the prophets through angels (Malaikah).•Prophethood is closely linked to the Six Beliefs of Islam.

Examples of Prophets (Qur’anic name/Biblical name)✓ Adam/Adam✓ Nuh/Noah✓ Ibrahim/Abraham – important in

Judaism✓ Musa/Moses✓ Isa/Jesus - important in Christianity

Muslims believe that the prophets teach them that:•Allah loves them and humanity is important•Allah wants to communicate with people, especially about how they should live•Allah is omnipresent and is watching over people

Kutub= revealed books (revealed to humanity from Allah)

The Qur’an- Key Info…

1) The main holy book for Muslims2) Revealed to Prophet Muhammad by Angel Jibril over 23 years3) The words came directly from Allah4) Muhammad recited the words to his followers and these were either written

down on writing material or remembered5) The words were collected into a book after Muhammad’s death-directed by Abu

Bakr, Muhammad’s successor6) Uthman, the 3rd successor of Muhammad standardised all copies-today they

are all identical7) Written in Arabic-Muslims believe it is important to learn in its original language

so that it is not changed in translation8) Divided into Surahs (chapters) and ayats (verses)9) Often learned by heart (Great respect given to those who do this and they are

given the name hafiz=male, hafizah=female)

Other Holy Books-The Tawrat (The Torah)Surah 5:43-48, according to the Qur’an,the Jewish holy book was revealed to Moses.Zabur (Psalms of Dawud)Surah 4:163-171, the Qur’an mentions that Zabur was revealed to King DavidInjil (The Gospel of Isa)Surah 53:36, the Qur’an recognises that Injil was revealed to Isa and it teaches Muslims about the revelations by Allah to Isa. Sahifah of Ibrahim (Scrolls of Abraham)Surah 6: 74-83, many Muslims see these as an early scripture revealed to Ibrahim and teach what was revealed by Allah to the Prophet Ibrahim.

Why are holy books important in Islam today?

▪ Allah is behind the messages they contain-a form of revelation▪ They contain truths from Allah to whom they should submit▪ The Qur’an, Allah’s final revelation guides Muslims on how Allah wants them to live▪ They show Allah wants to interact with humans; his creation▪ Muslims can become closer to Allah through reading his words▪ They are an important source of wisdom and authority▪ Some Muslims prefer to recognise the Qur’an as the final, complete and unaltered

message from Allah, whilst other Muslims also read other holy books to gain greater understanding of Allah

Angels are believed in strongly in Islam and are one of the Six beliefs for Sunni Muslims. Although Allah is the only spiritual being that can be worshipped, angels are the servants of Allah as they are supernatural beings beyond the physical world.Key ideas:➢ Created from light and with no physical body➢ They can appear in human form➢ Have no free will and can only do what Allah orders them to do➢ Have a guardianship role within Islam➢ Accompanied Muhammad up to Al-Jannah➢ They are angels who give life to unborn children in the womb➢ For the Day of Judgement, and throughout life, one angel writes down good deeds and

one writes down bad deeds➢ Muhammad told followers that angels are present at all times and present to Allah a full

report after death➢ They are mentioned in the Qur’an and given recognition todayThe significance of Angels for Muslims today are:• As the angels are Allah’s creations, they help Muslims to understand Allah better• Muslims feel a sense of awe towards angels, as they have been a way of Allah to

communicate with humans• Jibril revealed the Qur’an to Muhammad so is seen as particularly important• Both Izra’il and Mika’il are associated with what happens after death and so affects how a

Muslim lives their life

Al-Qadr is the Islamic idea that comes from the Qur’an (Surah 11:110) that Allah has control over everything and knows everything that will happen and is a belief that is not accepted by Shi’a Muslims. It is one of the Six Beliefs.

Predestination is based on four things:1. Allah’s knowledge of everything past and future2. Allah has record all of the things3. Allah has willed for these things to happen4. Allah is the creator of everythingAl-Qadr and human

freedom

▪ Muslims accept the teaching of Al-Qadr but some can find it difficult to accept why Allah, who controls all, does not prevent bad things.

▪ As humans have been given free will, they are responsible for their own sins.

▪ They also accept that humans can accept the divine purpose given to them by Allah or can reject it thereby turning

Differences between Sunni and Shi’a beliefs about predestinationSome Shi’a Muslims e.g. the Twelvers reject predestination. They accept that Allah is in control but may change what happens.Sunni Muslims, on the other hand, emphasise the idea of free will and the idea of Divine Sovereignty or ‘if Allah wills.’Belief in al-Qadr affects Muslims because they try to:

- live as Allah wants them to so that they are rewarded after they die- follow the duties Allah has given them- help others as taught by the Qur’an and Muhammad- live by Allah’s rules by being constantly aware of their thoughts, actions and deeds

Key facts • Islam and beliefs in life after death feature in both the Sunni Six Beliefs and the Shi’a Five Roots of ‘Usul ad-Din.• Life on Earth is only part of a human’s existence and is our chance to live good lives.• Muslims believe that after death they will be called to answer for how they have lived their lives and whether they will be rewarded or punished in their afterlife.• Akhirah is promised by Allah.

The Day of Judgement

• On the Day of Judgement, Muslims believe that their body will completely resurrect and their deeds will be judged by Allah.

• Before this day, the souls of the dead people will go and wait in Barzakh (a barrier between the physical and spiritual world)

- Reward on Day of Judgement=Paradise (al-Jannah)

- Punishment on Day of Judgement=Hell (Jahannam)

What does the Qur’an say about Life after Death?There are many vivid references to life after death in the Qur’an. Paradise and Hell are described as physical places, although many Muslims believe that this is simply symbolic (eternal life is beyond our understanding)

What is Al-Jannah like?The Qur’an describes Al-Jannah as a wonderful garden, where people return back to their young states and are able to fully enjoy what the garden offers. It is a reward and a paradise. There are references to flowers, birds and fruit served by youths and maidens, as well as couches or thrones with soft cushions, goblets and gold dishes.

What is Jahannam like?Jahannam is a place of hell and punishment, with fire, black smoke and boiling water. It is for those who deserve pain and torture and who have chosen to turn away from Allah.

Allah and judgementMuslims do not see Allah as a cruel tyrant but rather that those who have mis-used their free will, and turned away from Allah, have an inevitable fate and must face the consequences of this punishment. This is referenced in Surah 17: 49-72.

How will beliefs about Akhirah affect the life of a Muslim?Muslims see life on Earth as a test and want to be rewarded. They will therefore try to:• Be aware of their lives (thoughts, actions and deeds) as these are being recorded by Allah and his angels• Ask for forgiveness when they do something wrong• Recognise that every action performed is an act of worship to Allah• Perform sacred duties, such as reading the Qur’an and abiding by the Shari’ah law in

Similarities and differences between Islam and ChristianityMuslims and Christians are similar in that

➢The Afterlife is important to both Muslims and Christians.

➢They both see life as a test which determines their afterlife.

➢They also recognise the Day of Judgement and have beliefs regarding a place of reward and a place of punishment.

➢ Finally, they both share ideas associated with resurrection.

However, they are different because:

➢Christians see the sacrifice of Jesus to atone for the sins of the world. Whereas, Muslims see that only the sinner can ask for forgiveness.

➢ Some Christians, such as Catholics, recognise the idea of purgatory in addition to heaven and hell. This is not a belief held by Muslims.

➢Muslims believe that angels record their deeds, which is not a belief held in Christianity.