The Islamic Faith is built on the following pillars, and it is mandatory for every Muslim to believe in each and every one of these basic pillars of Emaan (faith).
1. Belief in Oneness of Allah (Tawheed) #
The first and most important concept in the Islamic faith is the belief that there is no God except Allah, and He is the sole creator of everything.
Surah Ikhlaas (Chapter 112) in the Holy Quran is dedicated to the oneness of Allah Almighty:
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ١
Say, [O Prophet], “He is Allah—One [and Indivisible];
ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ ٢
Allah—the Sustainer [needed by all]
لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ٣
He has never had offspring, nor was He born
وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ ٤
And there is none comparable to Him
2. Belief in the Angels #
The second pillar of Emaan is to believe in the existence of angels. They were created from light by Allah Almighty before the creation of humans.
The Angels tasked with some of the important jobs are:
Translation: O you who have believed, protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones, over which are [appointed] angels, harsh and severe; they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them but do what they are commanded.
Allah Almighty mentions this in the Quran in Surah At-Tahrim (Chapter 66, verse 6):
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ قُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًۭا وَقُودُهَا ٱلنَّاسُ وَٱلْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلَـٰٓئِكَةٌ غِلَاظٌۭ شِدَادٌۭ لَّا يَعْصُونَ ٱللَّهَ مَآ أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ ٦
Again in Surah Al-Anbya (Chapter 21, verses 26-27), Allah Almighty mentions:
وَقَالُوا۟ ٱتَّخَذَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ وَلَدًۭا ۗ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥ ۚ بَلْ عِبَادٌۭ مُّكْرَمُونَ ٢٦
Translation: And they say, “The Most Compassionate has offspring!” Glory be to Him! In fact, those angels are only [His] honored servants,
لَا يَسْبِقُونَهُۥ بِٱلْقَوْلِ وَهُم بِأَمْرِهِۦ يَعْمَلُونَ ٢٧
Translation: Who do not speak until He has spoken, [only] acting at His command.
In Surah Al-Anbya (Chapter 21, verses 19-20), Allah Almighty mentions:
وَلَهُۥ مَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ وَمَنْ عِندَهُۥ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَتِهِۦ وَلَا يَسْتَحْسِرُونَ ١٩
Translation: To Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those near Him [i.e., the angels] are not prevented by arrogance from His worship, nor do they tire.
يُسَبِّحُونَ ٱلَّيْلَ وَٱلنَّهَارَ لَا يَفْتُرُونَ ٢٠
Translation: They glorify [Him] day and night, never wavering.
Every human being on this planet has two angels assigned to him/her who record every good and bad deed, no matter how big or small. This is mentioned in the Quran in Surah Qaf (Chapter 50, verses 17-18):
إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى ٱلْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ ٱلْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ ٱلشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌۭ ١٧
Translation: As the two recording-angels—[one] sitting to the right, and [the other to] the left—note [everything],
مَّا يَلْفِظُ مِن قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌۭ ١٨
Translation: Not a word does a person utter without having a [vigilant] observer ready [to write it down].
3. Belief in Allah’s Books #
Belief in the Scriptures of Allah, the Almighty, which were sent to His Messengers as a method of instruction to the people, is the third of pillar of Emaan.
The Divine Books include: #
- The Suhuf (Scriptures) given to Prophet Abraham
- The Tawrah (Torah) was given to Prophet Musa (Moses).
- The Zabur (Psalms) was the Book that Allah revealed to Prophet Dawud(David).
- The Injil (Gospel) was the Book Allah sent to Prophet E’sa (Jesus).
- The Quran is the last Book Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad (SAW) as a complete guide for all of humanity.
4. Belief in the Messengers of Allah #
As part of the Muslim faith, it is obligatory to have Emaan in all of the Prophets and Messengers sent by Allah Almighty. To disbelieve in even one of them means to disbelieve in all of them.
Messengers are people chosen by Allah Almighty to receive His message and pass it on to the people.
The first messenger was Prophet Adam, and the last messenger from Allah Almighty was Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Prophet Muhammad (SAW) was the seal of the prophets, and no other messenger or prophet will come after him till the end of time.
Some of the Prophets mentioned in the Quran are:
5. Belief in the Day of Judgement #
The concept of the Day of Judgement, or ‘Qiyamah’ in Arabic, is one of the six fundamental beliefs in Islam and one of its core concepts. On that day, everyone who has ever lived on this earth will be held responsible and accountable for their beliefs and actions.
Allah Almighty says in the Quran in Surah Sajdah (Chapter 32 , verse 25):
إِنَّ رَبَّكَ هُوَ يَفْصِلُ بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ ٱلْقِيَـٰمَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا۟ فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ ٢٥
Translation: Indeed, your Lord will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection concerning that over which they used to differ.
The onset of the Day of Judgment is marked by the blowing of a horn by Angel Israfeel. All human beings, jinn, and animals will come to an end, and the world will be in a state of non-existence.
The second blowing of the horn will signal resurrection, another fundamental belief in Islam. All human beings will stand before Allah Almighty for accountability.
The judgment by Allah Almighty will include assessing every little detail – the good one has done and the harm one has caused. After judgment, people will receive their final destinations:
- Paradise for the righteous and,
- Hellfire for those who failed their test.
Belief in the Day of Judgment has profound moral implications for a Muslim’s life. It instills a deep sense of accountability for all actions and encourages sincere repentance for sins. It also forms the backbone of ultimate justice, reassuring everyone that they will get what they deserve in the Hereafter.
The Day of Judgement is considered the last day of the universe, a point in the future when all living beings on this Earth will be destroyed. This will be followed by the resurrection and rebirth of all the humans that have ever lived on this planet. They will be held accountable for their past actions as they stand before Allah Almighty.
6. Belief in the Divine Decree #
The sixth pillar of the Islamic faith is the belief in Al-Qadar (Divine Decree). It is the belief that Allah Almighty knows everything that will happen and that nothing happens without his knowledge and permission.
Muslims also believe that whatever good reaches us is from Allah Almighty, and we must be thankful to Him, in both good and bad situations.
