Islam has six pillars of Faith and is a foundation for Muslims. The word Iman is derived from Arabic and now means ‘faith’ in English. The 6 pillars of iman are Belief in Allah (Tawheed), belief in Angels, belief in the Prophets, belief in the sent Books, belief in the Day of Resurrection, and belief in Divine Decree (Qadr). He who does not believe in any of these pillars is not a believer (mumin).
The Prophet (SAW) said:
“Iman means that you believe in Allah, in His Angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day of Judgment and in the Divine Decree (Qadr) in its good and evil.” (Sahih Muslim 8a)
The First Pillar of Iman: Belief in Allah (Tawheed)
Belief in Allah is one of the pillars of iman in Islam. Belief in Allah means believing firmly in His existence, Lordship, and Divinity, and in His Names and Attributes. So, this concept is called Tawheed (Oneness of Allah).
To complete this pillar of Iman, a person must accept everything from Allah. Knowledge about Allah comes straight from the Quran and Sunnah.
Allah says in the Qur’an: “He is the Lord of the heavens and the Earth and all that is in between them, so worship Him and be patient in His worship; do you know any equal to Him?” Quran (19:65).
The Second Pillar of Faith: Belief in the Angels
The Angels are the creation of Allah (SWT), who worships Him. They are a part of the world of the “Unseen,” which we cannot comprehend. Angels differ from Jinn and Humans. The Quran explains that they are created from light. These angels were created before human beings, and the only purpose of these angels is to worship and obey the commands of Allah (SWT). The angels have names, but we know only the names of a few of them. Angels are beings that do not sleep, eat, or suffer any form of illness. They are a perfect creation of Allah, and it is crucial to believe in these creations as they keep a record of our deeds and some of the angel’s duties. Such as Jibril (AS) have specific jobs, and we know that Jibril (AS) job was to convey the message of the oneness of Allah to the messengers.
Faith in the Angels has belief in their existence, in their attributes, made-known Angels (Jibreel, Israfil, Mikael, Malik, Munkar and Nakeer, etc.).
The Third Pillar of Faith: Belief in the Revealed Scriptures
The third pillar of Iman is belief in the scriptures. In Islam, believing all the books revealed to the messengers is a part of faith. Allah (SWT) has revealed books to his messengers as a form of guidance and proof for mankind that Allah exists and is the only true God. Allah has mentioned the names of the few scriptures in the Quran.
Muslims must believe in all the sacred scriptures revealed by Allah, including
- The Quran
- Torah
- Psalms
- Gospel
It is He Who has sent down the Book (the Qur’an) to you (Muhammad) with truth, confirming what came before it. And He sent down the Torah and the Gospel. (Quran 3:3)
and Allah says in second verse:
…and to David We gave the Zaboor (Psalms). (Quran 17:55)
The Quran, as the final and most comprehensive revelation, holds a special place in Islam. It is seen as the ultimate source of guidance for all aspects of life.
And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book (this Quran) in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it and watcher over it (determining what is true therein). So judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging away from the truth that has come to you. To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way. If Allah willed, He would have made you one nation, but that (He) may test you in what He has given you; so strive as in a race in good deeds. The return of you (all) is to Allah; then He will inform you about that in which you used to differ. (Quran 5:48)
The Fourth Pillar of Faith: Belief in the Messengers
The fourth pillar of faith is to have belief in the messenger. Muslims have to believe in every single prophet, Every prophet that has been sent down from of lawsuit. what to add and following their shared message of strict monotheistic deistic the sweet monotheistic principle of there being no god but Allah. This is the shared and essential message that every single one of the messengers was sent down to give to humanity.
And [We sent] messengers about whom We have related [their stories] to you before and messengers about whom We have not related to you. And Allah spoke to Moses with [direct] speech. (Quran 4:164)
The Fourth Pillar of Faith: Belief in the Messengers
The fourth pillar of faith is to have belief in the messenger. Muslims have to believe in every single prophet, Every prophet that has been sent down from of lawsuit. what to add and following their shared message of strict monotheistic deistic the sweet monotheistic principle of there being no god but Allah. This is the shared and essential message that every single one of the messengers was sent down to give to humanity.
The Qur’an mentions 25 messengers by name, including Adam, Idris, Noah, Salih, Hood, Abraham, Lot (Lut), Ismail, Isaac, Jacob (Yaqoob), Joseph (Yousaf), Shu’ayb, Job (Yqoob), Dhu’l-Kifl, Moses (Musa), Aaron (Haroon), David (Dawood), Solomon (Suleman), Elias (Iliyas), al-Yasa, Jonah (Younas), Zakariah, Yahya, Jesus (‘Isa), and Muhammad (peace be upon them all).
Prophets and messengers were selected by Allah and sent to guide humanity across various times and nations. Their primary mission was to call people to worship Allah alone, without any partners. They warned disbelievers of the consequences of Hell and promised believers the reward of Paradise.
And verily, We have sent into every nation a Messenger (proclaiming): ‘Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) all false deities. Then of them were some whom Allah guided, and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified. So, travel through the land and see what was the end of those who denied it. (Quran 16:36)
Some prophets and messengers hold a higher rank than others. Five of these prophets were given the special title of “Messengers of Strong Will.” They are regarded as the most significant messengers sent by Allah: Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (peace be upon them all), with Muhammad being the greatest among them. Each messenger before Muhammad was sent to a specific group of people, but Muhammad (SAW) was the final prophet, sent to guide all of humanity.
Allah selected the prophets and messengers to be the best examples for their people. He blessed them with wisdom, guidance, miracles, protection from sin, and great honor.
They are those whom Allah had guided. So follow their guidance. (Quran 6:90)
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) received greater blessings than the prophets and messengers before him. His greatest blessing was being given the final scripture, the Qur’an, and being chosen as the last messenger sent to guide all of humanity.
The Fifth Pillar of Faith: Belief in the Afterlife
The Day of Judgment is when Allah will judge all people based on their actions. Everyone will be resurrected from their graves and receive a record of their deeds, both good and bad. On that day, they will feel regret for their sins and the good deeds they failed to do.
(Then) a person will know what he has sent forward and (what he has) left behind (of good or bad deeds). (Quran 82:5)
Belief in the Last Day includes faith in several key aspects: the punishment or reward in the grave, the resurrection of the dead, the weighing of deeds on the scales of judgment, and the existence of both Paradise and Hell.
The idea of resurrection might seem unbelievable to some, but the Qur’an addresses this topic in many of its verses. One such passage explains and emphasises the reality of resurrection:
“Who will bring us back ˹to life˺?” Say, “The One Who created you the first time.” (Quran 17:51)
The Sixth Pillar of Faith: Belief in Qadar (Divine Decree)
Al-Qadar refers to Allah’s divine decree for every creation based on His perfect knowledge and wisdom. Believing in this pillar means having faith that everything, whether good or bad, happens according to Allah’s will and plan.
It was narrated that Ibn Dailami said:
“I was confused about this Divine Decree (Qadar), and I was afraid lest that adversely affect my religion and my affairs. So I went to Ubayy bin Ka’b and said: ‘O Abu Mundhir! I am confused about the Divine Decree, and I fear for my religion and my affairs, so tell me something about that through which Allah may benefit me.’ He said: ‘If Allah were to punish the inhabitants of His heavens and of his earth, He would do so and He would not be unjust towards them. And if He were to have mercy on them, His mercy would be better for them than their own deeds. If you had the equivalent of Mount Uhud which you spent in the cause of Allah, that would not be accepted from you until you believed in the Divine Decree and you know that whatever has befallen you, could not have passed you by; and whatever has passed you by, could not have befallen you; and that if you were to die believing anything other than this, you would enter Hell. And it will not harm you to go to my brother, ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud, and ask him (about this).’ So I went to ‘Abdullah and asked him , and he said something similar to what Ubayy had said, and he told me: ‘It will not harm you to go to Hudhaifah.’ So I went to Hudhaifah and asked him, and he said something similar to what they had said. And he told me: ‘Go to Zaid bin Thabit and ask him.’ So I went to Zaid bun Thabit and asked him, and he said: ‘I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: “If Allah were to punish the inhabitants of His heavens and of His earth, he would do so and He would not be unjust towards them. And if He were to have mercy on them, His mercy would be better for them than their own deeds. If you had the equivalent of Mount Uhud which you spent in the cause of Allah, that would not be accepted from you until you believed in the Divine Decree and you know that whatever has befallen you, could not have passed you by; and whatever has passed you by, could not have befallen you; and that if you were to die believing anything other than this, you would enter Hell” (Sunan Ibn Majah 77)
Whatever of good reaches you is from Allah, but whatever of evil befalls you, is from yourself. And We have sent you [O Muhammad], to the people as a messenger, and sufficient is Allah as Witness. (Quran 4:79)
Conclusion
In conclusion, the 6 pillars of faith are fundamentals of Muslim religion. These include Belief in Allah, His angels, His holy scriptures, His messengers, the Day of Judgment (Afterlife), and the concept of Divine Decree (Qadr). Each pillar helps Muslims understand their life’s purpose and strengthens their relationship with their Creator. These beliefs emphasise the significance of monotheism, personal accountability, and surrendering to Allah’s will. By adhering to these principles, Muslims strive to live in alignment with divine guidance, seeking success in both this life and the hereafter.
