Islamic Beliefs and Fundamentals

• Introduction
• The Fundamental beliefs:
o You have to acknowledge and you have to surrender yourself to them

• 1) Belief in One-ness of Allah: Tauhid

• Tauhid is from Wahid and Wahid is from Ahad
o Ahad means one
o Ahad is something which has no components
▪ And cannot be decomposed into smaller parts
o Surah Ikhlas

▪
• Ayat ul Kursi

Allah! There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him, the Ever-Living, All-
Sustaining.

• Famous Hadith: Hadith-e-Jibrail

o A person came to the Prophet and knelt beside the Prophet
o Started asking questions to the Prophet
o No one could recognize him
▪ People knew everyone in the locality
o The person was so tidy that no one could say that he had travelled across the desert
o Thus he was a complete stranger
o He asked:

▪
▪ “Oh Prophet tell me about Islam”
o The Prophet replied:
 ▪
▪ “Islam is that you testify that there is no God but Allah”
• This is like the second kalimah
• To acknowledge that there is no God but Allah
o Islam is the belief in this
o And also to testify that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah
• Belief in this is the first step of Islam
• As soon as you say this kalimah
o Some ibadaat become mandatory for you
o Because now you have entered Islam
o Then you have to do the worships
o That is the remainder of the Hadith
▪ Establish prayer
▪ Pay Zakat
▪ Fast in Ramadan
▪ And performing Hajj once in your life if your means
allow
o The person replied:

▪ ‫قال‬: ‫صدقت‬
▪ Meaning that you have spoken the truth
• The sahaba were astonished: asks question and confirms/verifies by
himself
o So the person’s first question was related to Islamic Aqaaid
▪ Aqeeda-e-Tauhid
• La Ilaaha Illa-Allah
▪ And Aqeeda-e-Risaalat
• Muhammad Rasool-Allah

▪
o The Prophet said:

▪
o The Person replied:

▪
o The Prophet said:
 ▪

▪
▪ Relevant right now is just the first part’s first part

First basic belief: Belief in Oneness of Allah

• Categorize it as
o Allah’s being Ilaah
▪ Tauheed-e-Uloohiyyat
▪ While praying there should be no other entity in the conception of the
worshipper
• No one has the right to be worshipped except Allah
▪ All your hope/prayers/expectations affiliated to Allah alone
▪ Cannot bow down to anyone apart from Allah
▪ This is Tauheed-e-Uloohiyyat
▪ Surrender to Allah’s command
▪ Sole submission to Allah’s commands
• All Prophets were given this message of Tauheed-e-Uloohiyyat
▪ Surah Al-Anbiya Verse 25

“We never sent a messenger before you ˹O Prophet˺ without revealing to him:
“There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Me, so worship Me ˹alone˺.””

▪ Surah Nahl Verse 36

We surely sent a messenger to every community, saying, “Worship Allah and

shun false gods.”

▪ Surah Mominoon Verse 23

Indeed, We sent Noah to his people. He declared, “O my people! Worship Allah

˹alone˺. You have no god other than Him. Will you not then fear ˹Him˺?”

▪ Surah A’raf Verse 65

And to the people of ’Âd We sent their brother Hûd. He said, “O my people!
Worship Allah—you have no other god except Him. Will you not then fear Him?”

• Tauheed-e-Ulohiyyat is the first thing that each Prophet preached to his community
o La ilaaha illa-Allah Adam Safiullah
o Nuh Najiullah
o Musa Kalimullah
o Isa Ruhullah
• First part of Kalimah
o Tauhid
o Basic thing
• This is common in all Abrahamic religions
o The idea of Trinity had no existence in the true teachings of the Bible
▪ It is against the idea of Tauheed
• Uloohiyyat means
o Worships only for Allah
o Hopes only from Allah: dependence on Allah
• The other concept is Ruboobiyyat
o Rab is the Sustainer
o Who the entire Creation depends on but He does not depend on anyone
o Who knows the needs of his entire creation
o Surah Fatiha Verse 1

Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds;

o All known and unknown creatures are sustained by Allah

o Surah Ankaboot Verse 65

If they happen to be aboard a ship ˹caught in a storm˺, they cry out to Allah
˹alone˺ in sincere devotion.

o Surah Luqman Verse 32

And as soon as they are overwhelmed by waves like mountains, they cry out to
Allah ˹alone˺ in sincere devotion.

o Surah Fatir Verse 15

O humanity! It is you who stand in need of Allah, but Allah ˹alone˺ is the Self-
Sufficient, Praiseworthy.

What are the effects of Tauhid on a person’s life?

• A person is so deeply attached and affiliated with Allah, he will not suffer disappointment
o Because a person realizes that my connection is with a Being that is the Sustainer of the
entire universe
o There will be no disappointment even in the most difficult circumstances
o That person knows that Allah is Self-Sufficient
▪ Does not need resources
▪ Allah can do each and everything without any resource
▪ This belief will empower a Believer
o Hazrat Ali:
▪ If the entire world is filled with enemies against me, and I am alone on one side,
I will not be worried because I know Allah is with me
o This is an internal belief
• This belief also makes you independent of other human beings
o It does not encourage you to go into slavery
o Allah is the only one worthy of being asked for help
o Surah Fatiha:

You ˹alone˺ we worship and You ˹alone˺ we ask for help.

• This verse contains present and future connotations

• Believer in Oneness is Muwahhid

• 2) Belief in Prophethood
• He practiced the Quran in such a way as to create a living model of the Islamic personality and of
the Islamic social order.
• The Prophet’s teachings elaborate the idea of Tauhid
• Acknowledge the teachings of Prophet
• Need the Prophet’s teachings to understand Allah
• The concept of Tauhid has been given by the Prophets
• Nabi means Messenger
o Who receive Wahy
o And spread Allah’s message
 • Belief not just in the Holy Prophet but also in the Prophets before him

o
o From Surah Baqarah
▪ There is no mention of any Prophets after him
▪ Allah did not mention that since no Prophets after Muhammad

Difference between Nabi and Rusool

• Rusool gets a separate scripture
• On the whole we have unconditional belief on all Prophets
• They received Allah’s message and did not pass off their own information
• Prophets are humans
o Because they are sent to humanity
o To understand human psyche
o Other beings would have had a different psyche
• But they are not like ordinary human beings
o They have some special characteristics
o Takhassusaat e Nabawi
▪ Sleep breaks wuzu but this was not the case for Prophet Muhammad
▪ Sweet smell emanating from the Prophet’s body
▪ Special qualities
▪ Saum-e-Wisaal: long fasting
• It is not just limited to believing in the Prophet
o You also have to believe in the Finality of Prophethood

Finality of Prophethood
• Prophet is not just a nabi
o But the last nabi
o The seal of the prophets

▪
• The chain of transmission that started with Hazrat Adam has been perfected
• Surah Ahzab 40

Muḥammad is not the father of any of your men, but is the Messenger of Allah
and the seal of the prophets.

• No new prophet will be born

 o Hazrat Isa will return not being born, but will return from the heavens
o And he will come as Ummati of the Prophet Muhammad
• Anyone who claims to be a Prophet is false
o Musailma Kazzab – falsely claimed to be a Prophet
▪ Battle of Yamama
o Tulayha
o Aswad-e-Anasi
o Mirza Ghulam Ahmad – Ahmadi
• Ijma/ consensus of ummah
o Anyone who claims Prophethood exits Islam
o This is also in the 1973 Constitution

3 reasons why Nabis are sent to the world and why no Prophet after Muhammad pbuh
• 1. When there are alterations in the previous Nabi’s teachings
o But the teachings of the Holy Prophet cannot change
o There is no need for a new Prophet
o La Raiba Fih
o Inna lahu lahafizoon
▪ It is a Book which doesn’t not contain doubt and it being guarded by Allah
himself
• 2. If one Nabi is for a typical geographical area
o Then another Nabi is sent to another area
o But the Holy Prophet is not limited to one community
o His teachings are Universal
o Islam is Universal
• 3. If a Nabi is sent for a particular time period
o Does not apply to the Holy Prophet
o Prophet is for all times to come

• Allah's Messenger (‫ )ﷺ‬said, "My similitude in comparison with the other prophets before me, is
that of a man who has built a house nicely and beautifully, except for a place of one brick in a
corner. The people go about it and wonder at its beauty, but say: 'Would that this brick be put in
its place!' So I am that brick, and I am the last of the Prophets."
• Surah Maidah Verse 3
o “This day I have perfected your religion for you…”
▪ No need for a new Prophet now

Hazrat Isa
• Hazrat Isa will come to implement the system of life of Islam as taught by the Holy Prophet
• Will stay for 45 years
• Will implement a system of justice
Quran mentions the Prophets
• Surah Nisa Verse 164

There are messengers whose stories We have told you already and others We
have not. And to Moses Allah spoke directly.

• Surah Al-i Imran Verse 132

Obey Allah and the Messenger, so you may be shown mercy.

• Surah Al-i Imran Verse 31: This has come once before too

Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “If you ˹sincerely˺ love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you
and forgive your sins. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

• Surah Nisa Verse 80

Whoever obeys the Messenger obeys Allah

• Surah Hashr Verse 7

Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it. And whatever he forbids you from,
leave it.

• Surah Nisa Verse 64

We only sent messengers to be obeyed by Allah’s Will.

• Surah Hujraat 1, 2 and 3

O you who believe, do not proceed ahead of Allah and His Messenger, and fear
Allah. Surely Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

O believers! Do not raise your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor speak
loudly to him as you do to one another, or your deeds will become void while you
are unaware.

Verily! Those who lower their voices in the presence of Allah's Messenger (SAW),
they are the ones whose hearts Allah has tested for piety. For them is forgiveness
and a great reward.

• 3) Belief in the Day of Judgment

• It is a consequence of the first two beliefs
o When you believe in Allah and the Prophet
• It logically makes sense to believe in the Day of Judgment
o To explained unjust suffering and undeserved reward
o This world is not the place for just reward
o It is a test
o And Allah’s justice system exists
o Which rewards the pious on the Day of Judgment
• Words used for Day of Judgment
o Al Qiyamah
o Al Saa’a
o Al Taghabun
o Al Haaqa
o Al Qariya
o Yaum ul Aakhira
• Hadith e Jibrail
o O Prophet! Tell me about the Day of Judgment
o Prophet said: As you don’t know about the time of Day of Judgment, I don’t know as
well
o The person asked for signs of the Day of Judgment
▪ First sign
• When the mothers will be treated just like maid-servants
• Only Allah has knowledge about the Day of Judgment
• Surah Al A’raf Verse 147
Those who denied Our signs and the meeting of the Hereafter - their deeds have
become worthless.

• Surah Hajj Verse 1

People, fear your Lord, for the earthquake of the Last Hour will be a mighty thing:

• Surah Mursilat Verse 38

That will be a Day of Decision!

• Surah Nisa Verse 87

He will certainly gather ˹all of˺ you together on the Day of Judgment—about
which there is no doubt.

• Surah Naml Verse 4,5

As for those who do not believe in the Hereafter, We have made their deeds look
beautiful to them.

• Surah Mulk 2

who created death and life to test you [people] and reveal which of you does best
–He is the Mighty, the Forgiving;

• Surah Al-Qariah

o
˹It is˺ the Day people will be like scattered moths,

• Surah Al-Maun 1

Have you considered him who calls the judgment a lie?

• Baqarah 4

and who believe in what has been revealed to you ˹O Prophet˺ and what was
revealed before you, and have sure faith in the Hereafter.