What are the principal beliefs of Islam, and how are they recorded in its sacred texts and writings?
Outline the principal beliefs of Islam and demonstrate how sacred texts and writings provide a record of the beliefs of Islam
A focused answer to the principal beliefs and sacred texts component of the Islam depth study. Covers tawhid, the angels, prophets, sacred texts, the Day of Judgement and predestination, and how the Qur'an and the Sunnah record and transmit these beliefs.
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What this dot point is asking
NESA wants you to outline the principal beliefs of Islam and show how its sacred texts and writings record and communicate those beliefs. Treat Islam accurately and respectfully, name the central articles of faith, and connect each to where it is recorded. This is the principal beliefs and sacred texts component of the Islam depth study, examined in both Studies of Religion I and II.
The answer
Tawhid: the oneness of God
The foundation of Islam is tawhid, the absolute oneness and unity of God (Allah). God is one, without partner or equal, the creator and sustainer of all that exists. Tawhid shapes every other belief and is the heart of the Islamic understanding of reality.
The articles of faith
Islamic belief is commonly summarised in the articles of faith:
- Belief in God (Allah). One, transcendent, merciful and just.
- Belief in the angels. Created beings who serve God, including the angel Jibril (Gabriel) who conveyed revelation.
- Belief in the sacred books. The scriptures revealed by God, culminating in the Qur'an.
- Belief in the prophets (rusul). A line of prophets from Adam through Ibrahim, Musa and Isa to Muhammad, the final prophet (the seal of the prophets).
- Belief in the Day of Judgement (Akhirah). The resurrection and judgement of all, leading to paradise or punishment.
- Belief in divine decree (al-Qadr). God's knowledge and will over all that occurs.
Submission to God
The word Islam means submission to God, and a Muslim is one who submits. Belief is expressed in practice through the Five Pillars (the declaration of faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting and pilgrimage), which enact submission to the one God.
How sacred texts record these beliefs
- The Qur'an. Muslims believe the Qur'an is the literal word of God, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad through the angel Jibril over some twenty-three years. It is the supreme source of belief, law and guidance, and its affirmation of tawhid, the prophets and the Day of Judgement records the central beliefs of Islam.
- The Sunnah and hadith. The example of the Prophet (the Sunnah), recorded in the hadith, the reports of his words and actions, is the second source. It shows how the beliefs and commands of the Qur'an are to be understood and lived.
Together the Qur'an and the Sunnah preserve and transmit Islamic belief and provide the authoritative basis for practice and law.