Belief in Allah:

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SPECIFICATION:

1)Nature of Allah
2)Six Articles of Faith
3)Five Roots of Usul ad-Din
4)Comparison between Sunni and Shi’a beliefs
and practices
5)Malaikah (angels)
6)Risalah (Prophets)
7)Kutub (Holy Texts)
8)Al-Qadr
9)Akhirah (afterlife)
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The nature of Allah

This is what Muslims believe Allah is like. These beliefs are the
most important in Islam as shown by the Shahadah - the first
pillar of Sunni Islam.

'There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his messenger.'

Firstly, Muslims believe in Tawhid - the oneness of Allah. He is

the only creator and the one who controls the whole universe.
Because of his oneness, Allah is:
Omnipotent- ‘he creates what he wills’
Omniscient – ‘Allah is knowing of all’
Benevolent- ‘Allah loves those who do good.’

To worship anything other than Allah or believe in other gods is

Shirk - the greatest sin in Islam.
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1) The nature of Allah

Secondly, Muslims learn about Allah from the 99 Names. For example:

b) 'Explain two beliefs about Allah.' (4 marks) How would you answer this question?
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Sunni Islam
This is the largest denomination in Islam, as approximately 90% of Muslims are Sunnis. 'Sunni' means 'The Way', and
Sunnis believe they are following the way of Allah as revealed by the Prophet Muhammad.

They believe Abu Bakr was the rightful successor to Muhammad as the leader of the Muslim community.
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Sunni Islam
These are the 6 beliefs of Sunni Islam.
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Sunni Islam
The Six Articles of Faith are important because:
- They remind Muslims to only worship one God. The Qur’an states Allah is
‘the one and only.’ This is because Tawhid is a core belief and is important
as it prevents Shirk (the greatest sin in Islam).

- The Six Articles of Faith remind Muslims about where to get guidance
from. The Kutub (holy texts) offer guidance on how to behave and the
Risalah (Prophets) set a good example to follow. Prophet Muhammad is
the ‘seal of the Prophets.’

- The Six Articles of Faith encourage Muslims to lead a moral life. This is
because they are reminded of the Day of Judgement where Allah will judge
them based on their actions on earth.

- The Six Articles of Faith remind them to live their lives with faith. Al-Qadr
reminds them that Allah has determined our paths and so any challenges
put in our way are there for a purpose, which brings comfort.
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Shi'a Islam
This is a much smaller denomination in Islam, with approximately 8% of Muslims. 'Shi'a' means 'The House of Ali',
showing how important it is to Shi'as that Ali was the rightful successor to Muhammad as the leader of the Muslim
community.

Can you name these?

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Shi'a Islam

1. Salat(prayer)
2. Sawm (fasting)
3. Zakat (2.5% money to charity)
4. Khums (20% money to Mosque/Imam)
5. Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca)
6. Jihad (struggle in the way of Allah)
7. Amr-bil Maroof (celebrating what's right)
8. Nahi Anil Munkar (forbidding what's wrong)
9. Tawalla (expressing love for Allah)
10. Tabarra (expressing hatred towards evil)
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Shi'a Islam
These are the '5 roots of Usul Adin'
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Shi'a Islam

The ‘Five roots of Usul Al-Din’ are important because:

- They remind Muslims to only worship one God. This is because

Tawhid is a core belief and is important as it prevents Shirk (the
greatest sin in Islam).

- The Five Roots remind Muslims about where to get guidance

from. Imamah (successors to the Prophet) and the Prophethood
of Muhammad remind Muslims to follow the good example set
by Muhammad and gain advice from Imams.

- The Five Roots encourage Muslims to lead a moral life. This is

because they are reminded of the Day of Judgement where Allah
will judge them based on their actions on earth.
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Malaikah (Angels)
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Malaikah (Angels)
JIBRIL:
The angel that Allah uses to communicate with the Prophets. He’s
important as a messenger for Allah.
Jibril revealed the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad. The Qur’an states
angel Jibril ‘brought the Qur’an down’ to the Prophet. Therefore, this
shows he is important as he enabled humans to access the word of Allah.

IZRA’IL:
Izra’il takes the souls of dead people to Allah to be judged. The Qur’an
states ‘the angel of death will take you.’ This demonstrates that Izra’il is
important as he allows Allah to be adalat (fair) on the day of judgement
as he will have our souls to determine who is worthy of Jannah (paradise)
and who is not.
Izra’il is referred to as the angel of death in the Qur’an, not by the name
Izra’il.

MIKA’IL
Oversees the provision and maintenance of life. This angels Is placed in
charge of the plants and the rain, for example. Therefore, Mika’il is
essential as he provides food for the body and soul.
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Risalah (Prophets)
Muslims believe in 124,000 prophets, many of whom appear in the Bible. They brought
messengers from Allah and are seen as good examples to follow.

1. Adam-
Adam shows that Allah is omnipotent. The Qur’an states Allah created Adam from
‘created from clay’. This illustrates his power as he was able to create man from dust.
Adam also taught that Muslims should be Khalifah. Adam was the first man on Earth and
first Prophet who taught we should take care of Allah's earth.

2. Ibrahim-
Ibrahim teaches we should entirely trust Allah. The Qur’an states that Allah proclaimed
‘you have fulfilled the dream.’ This illustrates that as Ibrahim was willing to sacrifice his
son for Allah, we too should put Him before anything else.

3. Isa-
Allah can allow miracles to happen. This is because Allah used his omnipotence to allow
Isa to break the laws of science, demonstrating Allah’s power.

4. Muhammad-
He taught we should be focused on Allah and Tawhid. He reminded Muslims not to
commit shirk.
- He is important as he received the Qur’an. The Qur’an states Jibril ‘brought the
Qur’an down’ to Muhammad. Therefore, he’s important as he enabled mankind to
have access to the final word of Allah.
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Kutub (Holy Books)

For Muslims, the most important holy book is the Qur'an - the final revelation from Allah.
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However, there are other holy books in Islam which Muslims

believe are useful. However, Muslims tradition says that the
message of these books was changed over time which is why
the Qur'an was needed.
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The Zabur is
The Tawrat is useful important as it
to Muslims as it contains songs of
contains laws such as worship to Allah.
the 10 This enables
Commandments. Muslims to
This helps a Muslim celebrate Allah.
lead a moral life and
access Jannah.

The Injils show miracles are
possible. This is because they show
Allah using his power to allow Isa
to perform miracles.
Also, it contains teachings such as
'love your neighbour‘ which
teaches Muslims to be kind.
The Qur’an is the final revelation of
Allah. It is a ‘revelation revealed’
showing that it is a direct message
from Allah.
It corrected previous mistakes in
other Kutub. This ensures Muslims
are practicing their faith correctly.
It gives guidance on the Five
Pillars.
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Al-Qadr
This is the belief in predestination (Allah's decree) - the idea that Allah knows the future so
our actions have already been decided.

#Challenge
Al-Jabiriyah Al-Qadiriyyah

Humans have complete control over their
destiny. Therefore, on the Day of
Judgement, Allah will look at your actions
from this life and decide whether you spend
eternity in Jannah or Jahannam.
Humans have no control over our actions and
everything is dictated by Allah. Therefore, the day
of Judgement’s outcomes are already decided and
your fate has been predetermined.
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Al-Qadr This is the belief in predestination (Allah's decree) - the idea that Allah knows the
future so our actions have already been decided.

C) Explain two reasons why Al-Qadr (predestination) is

important to Muslims (5)

Al-Qadr is important to Muslims as it teaches them that Allah is

omnipotent (all-powerful) as he created everything and is
responsible for everything. The Qur’an states ‘he creates what
he wills’. This means that only things that Allah wills or
predetermines can happen, teaching Muslims Allah is
omnipotent.
Al-Qadr is also important to Muslims because it teaches them
that Allah is omniscient. Muslims believe that Allah wrote down
in the preserved tablet everything that has been and will be.
This shows Allah knows everything we are going to do,
demonstrating his omniscience.
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Al-Qadr
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Akhirah - The Afterlife

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Akhirah - The Afterlife

Features of Akhirah:
• A trumpet will sound at the end of the world.

• There will be a Day of Judgement where Allah will decide,

based on your actions, who should be rewarded with
Jannah and who should be punished with hell.

• Allah will judge you. The Qur'an states 'enter paradise for
what you were doing.' This illustrates that Allah is adalat
(fair) as his decision is based on your actions.

• The Angel Izrail will take your souls to Allah to judge 'the
angel of death will take you.‘

• If you are able to cross the bridge, you will enter Jannah
(paradise).
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Akhirah - The Afterlife

Impact of Akhirah:
• Muslims will be more likely to try to follow the Five
Pillars/Ten Obligatory Acts as they know their actions will
help determine their afterlife.

• Muslims will spend more time seeking forgiveness from

God. This is because if their sins are forgiven, they are
more likely to access Jannah.

• Muslims will try to follow the example of the Prophet

Muhammad. He is a good role model and an example to
follow if you wish to be blessed in the afterlife.
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Akhirah - The Afterlife

SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MUSLIM AND CHRISTIAN

BELIEFS IN THE AFTERLIFE:

DIFFERENCES
- Muslims believe we all wait in the grave until Judgement Day but
most Christians do not believe there is a waiting period.
- Muslims believe a trumpet will sound to signify the end of the world
but Christians do not.
- Muslims believe that they have to cross over the bridge to enter
paradise but Christians believe that you have to enter the gates of
heaven

SIMILARITIES
- Muslims and Christians both believe their actions and faith in God will
be judged
- Muslims and Christians believe their souls will enter the afterlife
- Muslims and Christians believe that ultimately God determines who
is worthy of heaven/paradise or hell.
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PRACTICE QUESTIONS

a) Outline three beliefs about the nature of Malaikah (angels).

a) Outline three purposes of Risalah (Prophets).

b) Explain two beliefs in the Five Roots of Usul Ad-Din.

b) Explain two teachings Muslims have about Akhirah.

C) Explain two beliefs about the Nature of Allah. Refer to a source of

authority.
C) Expalin two reasons why the Six Articles of Faith are important to
Sunni Muslims.

d) ‘Sunni and Shi’a Muslims’ beliefs are more similar than different.’
d) ‘Malaikah (angels) are more improtant than Risalah (Prophets.’
d) ‘The Qur’an is the most important Kutub (Holy Text).’
d) ‘Muslims should support Al-Qadr over human freedom’
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SPECIFICATION:

1)Nature of Allah
2)Six Articles of Faith
3)Five Roots of Usul ad-Din
4)Comparison between Sunni and Shi’a beliefs
and practices
5)Malaikah (angels)
6)Risalah (Prophets)
7)Kutub (Holy Texts)
8)Al-Qadr
9)Akhirah (afterlife)