ISLAM FOR BEGINNERS BRS 107.pdf - CUEA

LESSON 8The Creed and pillars of IslamIslam has a creed that tells us about the essentials of muslim faith and practices throughwhich this faith is manifested. So the essentials of muslim faith constitutes the creed andthe major practices are the pillars.1. The Creed“O ye who believe! Believe in Allah and his Messenger, and the Scripture which he hathsent to his Messenger and the Scripture which he sent to those before him, Any whodenieth Allah, his Angels, his Books, his Messengers, and the day of Judgement, hathgone far, far astray” (s. 4:136)“ Those who listen, be sure, will accept: as the dead, Allah will raise them up; then will theybe returned unto Him.” (s.6:36)Islam has six functional beliefs that every Muslim must accept as a part of his/her religion.Every Muslim learns this formular as a part of his/her religious training.1. Belief in God” (Allah) Allah is one.2. Belief in the angels” Malaika3. Belief in the revealed Books of God: Kitab, plr kutub (Torah, Zabur, Injil, Qur’an)4. Belief in God’s prophets”(including Adam, Abraham, Moses, David). Some are Rasul (aProphet with a Book) while some others are Nabi (a prophet without a book).5. Belief on the Last Day and judgement: yaum al-kiyama6. Belief in life after deathApart from these six canonical beliefs, Muslims also recognize the power of Satan. Theyalso know that Ishmael (the father of the Arab world) not Isaac received the promise fromGod through Abraham; This helps to explain why Arab Muslims feel that their claim to theHoly Land is a God-given right. Muslims respect the dead and take care of them until theyare laid into the tomb. Narrated Umm `Atiyya: Allah’s Messenger came to us when hisdaughter died and said, wash her three, five or more times with water and sidr if you thinkit is required and sprinkle camphor or something of it on her at the end; and when youfinish notify me. So when we finished, we informed him and he gave us his waist-sheetFrederic N. Mvumbi,OP Page 37 of 85