Basics of Faith: 1 - Belief In Allah

1. Allah is ONE.

2. He alone is worthy of worship and none besides Him is worthy of worship.

3. He has no PARTNER.

4. Nothing is hidden from Him, He even knows the thoughts that go into a person’s mind.

5. He is the most POWERFUL.

6. He has created the earth, the skies, the sun, the moon, the stars, the angel, human beings and the whole universe.

7. He gives life and death.

8. He gives sustenance to all creation.

9. He does not eat, drink or sleep.

10. He is forever and will be forever.

11. He was not created by anyone.

12. He does not have any parents, wife or children.

13. He does not depend on anybody. All depend on Him.

14. Nobody resembles Allah , and He resembles none.

15. He is pure from all faults.

16. He does not have eyes, nose or a body like that of human beings.

17. We should therefore PRAY to HIM for all our requirements. 

Basics of Faith: 2 – Belief In Angels

1. Allah has created Angels out of light and gave them various duties to perform.

6. We know of four famous Angels. They are: - 

• JIBRAEEL Alayhis Salaam.
• MICHAEEL Alayhis Salaam.
• IZRAAELL Alayhis Salaam.
• ISRAFEEL Alayhis Salaam.

7. JIBRAEEL (Alayhis-Salaam) brought Allah ’s Books, Orders and messages to all the Prophets. He was also sent to help the Prophets at times and fight against their enemies.

8. MICHAAEEL (A.S.) is in charge of food and rain. Other Angels work under him who are in charge of clouds, the seas, the rivers and the winds. He gets the order from Allah . He then orders the others under his command.

9. IZRAAEEL (A.S.) takes away life with the order of Allah . He is in charge of death. Numerous Angels work under him. Some take away the lives of good persons whilst others looking very fearful take away the lives of sinners and disbelievers.

10. ISRAAFEEL (A.S.) will blow the SOOR (TRUMPET) on the DAY OF JUDGMENT. The sound will destroy and kill everything that is on earth and in the skies. When he blows for the second time all will come to life with the order of Allah .

11. There are two Angels that are always with every person. One writes all his GOOD DEEDS whilst the other enters all his BAD DEEDS. They are known as :- KIRAAMAN-KAATIBEEN.

12. The MUNKAR and NAKEER question a person when he dies.

13. Some Angels are in charge of HEAVEN, some of HELL, some of looking after children, the old, the weak and others whom Allah wishes to protect.

14. From the QURAN and HADITH we come to know that various other angels are in charge of various other duties. 

Basics of Faith: 3 – Belief in Books of Allah

1. Allah has revealed His Books to various Prophets for the guidance of their nations.2. The big Books are called KITAABS whilst the small ones are called SAHIFAS.

3. The four main Books that were revealed are the: 

1. TOURAAT (Old Testament)
2. ZABOOR (Psalms)
3. INJEEL (Bible)
4. HOLY QURAN. 

4. The TOURAAT (OLD TESTAMENT) was given to MUSA (Alayhis-Salaam).
5. The ZABOOR (PSALMS) were given to DAWOOD (Alayhis-Salaam).
6. The INJEEL (NEW TESTAMENT) was given to ESA (Alayhis-Salaam).
7. The HOLY QURAN, the final Book of Allah was revealed to H MUHAMMAD  .

8. Besides these there were many more smaller Kitaabs revealed, e.g. 

• 10 Sahifas were revealed to ADAM (Alayhis-Salaam ).
• 50 Sahifas were revealed to SHIES (Alayhis-Salaam).
• 30 Sahifas were revealed to IDRIS (Alayhis-Salaam).
• Between 10 and 30 Sahifas were revealed to IBRAHAM (Alayhis-Salaam) (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon all of them).

9. All the other Books besides the HOLY QURAN were revealed at once.

10. The HOLY QURAN was revealed over a period of 23 years.

11. All the other Books are no more in their original form. Changes, alterations and additions have been made to them.

12. The HOLY QURAN has been memorized by thousands from the beginning of ISLAM right to the present day.

13. Allah has promised to safeguard the text of the HOLY QURAN, which is miraculous.

14. The HOLY QURAN was the final book of Allah . It is still pure, clear and free from any change or alteration. 

Basics of Faith: 4 – Belief in The Messengers of Allah

1. Allah sent many messengers to this world from time to time to guide mankind.

2. These messengers were known as RASOOLS and NABIS.

3. The FIRST of these messengers was AADAM (Alayhis-Salaam) (Peace be upon him) whilst the LAST was MUHAMMAD  .

4. We do not know the names of all the NABIS that came into the world.

5. There were about 124 000 Nabis.

6. All the NABIS and RASOOLS were human beings whom Allah chose to convey his message to the people.

7. They always spoke the truth committed no sins and conveyed the message without adding or leaving out anything.

8. They performed miracles with the help of Allah Ta’ala.

9. All the RASOOLS were NABIS but not all NABIS were RASOOLS.

10. A RASOOL is a Prophet who received a new SHARIAT (Divine Law) and Book from Allah . A NABI follows the SHARIAT of a RASOOL or a Prophet before him.

11. No person can become a NABI or a RASOOL by his own effort.
12. No more Prophets will come after our NABI MUHAMMAD  . He was the final Prophet of Allah .

13. In the HOLY QURAN Allah Ta’ala mentioned our NABI MUHAMMAD
MUSTAFA  as KHAATAMUN NABIYEEN which means that he is the LAST of all the NABIS.

14. The name of some other NABIS and RASOOLS mentioned in the QURAAN are EBRAHIM, ISMAIL, YAHYA, ZAKARIA, YUNUS, IDRIS, YACOOB and SULEMAN (Alay-Himus-Salaam).
15. Our NABI MUHAMMAD MUSTAFA  was of the highest position amongst all the Prophets.

16. All the Prophets of Allah preached the oneness of Allah Ta’ala. 

Basics of Faith: 4b– Belief in The Companions of Muhammad (PBUH)

People who saw NABI  or stayed in his company, embraced ISLAM and died as MUSLIMS are known as SAHAABAH.

Singular: Sahaabi - Plural: Sahaabah.
Any person who was in the companionship or saw NABI  for even a very little while is a Sahaabi provided he or she died a MUSLIM. 

1. Rasulullah  mentioned: “All the Sahabaah are just and pious and whomsoever amongst them you shall follow, you shall be guided.”
2. The highest rank amongst the Sahaabah is that of ABU BAKR  . His position is superior to the entire Ummah (followers) of Rasulullah  till the day of QIYAAMAH (The last day).
Next in rank is UMAR bin KHATTAB  .
Thereafter is the position of USMAN  , and then  ALI  .

Thereafter the position of the other Sahaabah is best known by Allah TA’ALA alone.
3. Amongst the Sahaabah is a group of TEN Companions  regarding whom NABI  gave the glad tiding of JANNAT (Paradise). These are known as the ASHARA-E-MUBASHSHARAH (the ten who have been given the glad tidings of JANNAT). They are:- 

1. Abu Bakr  .
2. Omar  .
3. Osman  .
4.  Ali  .
5. Talha  .
6. Zubair  .
7. Abdur Rahman bin Auf  .
8. Saad bin abi Waqqas  .
9. Saeed bin Jubair  .
10. Abu Ubaidah bin Jarrah . 

It is from the Sahaabah the world learnt the DEEN of ISLAM. It is from them that we established the SHARIAH and obtained the SUNNAH of our NABI  .

A non-Sahabi is not equal in rank to the LOWEST Sahaabi, even though the non-Sahaabi may be the greatest WALI (pious friend of Allah ). 

It is COMPULSORY to show respect to all the Sahaabah, and ABSTAIN from speaking ill and criticising the noble Sahaabah of Rasulullah  . 

Basics of Faith: 5 – Belief in Fate

1. Allah has the knowledge of everything before its creation.

2. Allah has given human beings the willpower and the ability of doing good or bad.

3. Allah ’s knowledge of what good or bad one would do even before one is created is called TAQDEER or FATE.

4. All favours are by Allah ’s will alone and no misfortune can happen except by the will of Allah .

5. Therefore we should not despair over any misfortune or boast over any favour. This teaches us that we should be thankful to Allah for his favours and patient over any misfortune. 

 

 

Basics of Faith: 6 – Belief in The Last Day

1. This world will one day come to an end.

2. Besides Allah Ta’ala no one knows the exact day of Qiyamat. Only this much is known that on Friday the l0th of Moharram ISRAFFEL (Alayhis Salaam) will be ordered to blow the soor (Bugle).

3. The sound will cause every living person or creature to die.

4. The earth will be shaken up. The mountain will become like flakes of cotton wool the sun and the moon will crash. The stars will lose their shine and the whole universe will be destroyed.

5. The approach of Qiyamat will be known by its signs shown to us by our NABI MUHAMMAD .

6. Some of these signs are as follows:- 

(a) People will disobey their parents and disrespect respect them.
(b) Breach of trust.
(c) Singing, music and dancing will become common.
(d) Illiterate people will become leaders.
(e) People will speak ill of their ancestors and the previous pious people.
(f) People of low means will begin to boast of high buildings.
(g) Unworthy people will be given high posts.

Abu Musa Al Ashari  narrates that The Holy Prophet (PBUH)  said: “Qiyamah will come;

*  When it will be regarded as a shame to act upon Quranic injunctions.

*  When untrustworthy people will be regarded as trustworthy and the trustworthy will be regarded as untrustworthy.

*  When the liars will be regarded as truthful and the truthful will be regarded as liars.

*  When women with children become displeased (on account of them bearing off-spring) and barren women remain happy (on account of having no responsibility of off-spring).

*  When decisions will be given on mere conjecture (wild guesses).

*  When legislation in matters pertaining to my right (religion) is handed over to the worst elements in my Ummah, and if people accept them and are satisfied with their findings, then such persons will not smell the fragrance of Jannah.

*  When the off-spring become a cause of grief and anger (for their parents).

*  When Islam will become a stranger (unwanted religion).

*  When Malice and Hate will become common among people.

*  When Islamic Knowledge (Ilm) is lifted.

*  When people will boast upon their palatial mansions.

*  When oppression, jealousy and greed become the order of the day.

*  When lies prevail over the truth.

*  When people dispute over petty issues.

*  When people blatantly follow their passions and whims.

*  When immorality overtakes shamelessness and is perpetrated publicly.
(Al Hadith)

Our Lord! grant us what you promised  unto us through your  Messengers and disgrace us not on the Qiyamah, for you never break your promise.

(Surah 3:194)

Basics of Faith: 7 – Belief in Life After Death

1. After the day of Qiyamat when everything will be destroyed, ISRAFEEL (Alayhis salaam) will be ordered to blow the bugle (soor) for the second time.

2. Once again every person that lived on this earth from the time of AADAM (Alayhis Salaam) up to the final day would be given new life.

3. They will all gather before Allah Ta’ala for judgment in the MAIDAAN-E-HASHR (Field of Resurrection).

4. They would have to give an account of their deeds.

5. The day on which this will be done is called :- 

• YAUM-UL-HASHR : Day of Resurrection
• YAUM-UL-JAZA and YAUMU DEEN : Day of Judgment
• YAUM-UL-HISAAB : Day of Reckoning (Account).

6. The good would be blessed and rewarded with JANNAH or PARADISE.

7. The evil ones would be punished in JAHANNAM. (Hell)
Besides the Kuffaar (disbelievers) and Mushrikeen (polytheists)Allah Ta’aala will forgive whomsoever He wishes.

9. KUFFAAR- Plural of KAAFIR meaning one who disbelieves in Allah .

10. MUSHRIKEEN- Plural of MUSHRIK meaning one who associates with Allah Ta’aala any partner in His being or attributes.