Aqidah

--- Advertisement ---

Sunni
Sunni theological traditions

Ilm al-Kalam

Ash'ari1 Maturidi

Sunni
Sunni Murji'ah Traditionalist2

Shi'a Twelver3

Principles

Tawhid Adalah Prophecy Imamah Qiyamah

Practices

Salah Sawm Zakat Hajj Khums Jihad Commanding what is just Forbidding what is evil Tawalla Tabarra

Seven pillars of Ismailism4

Walayah Tawhid Salah Zakat Sawm Hajj Jihad

Other Shia concepts of Aqidah

Imamate Batin Sixth Pillar of Islam

Other schools of theology

Khawarij5 Ibadi6 Murji'ah

Qadariyah Muʿtazila7 Sufism8

Including: 1Jahmi; 2Karramiyya; 3 Alawites
Alawites & Qizilbash 4Sevener-Qarmatians, Assassins
Assassins & Druzes 5Ajardi, Azariqa, Bayhasiyya, Najdat
Najdat & Sūfrī 6Nūkkārī; 7 Bahshamiyya
Bahshamiyya & Ikhshîdiyya 8Alevism, Bektashi Order
Bektashi Order & Qalandariyya Islam
Islam portal

v t e

Part of a series on

Islam

Beliefs

Oneness of God

Prophets Revealed books

Angels Predestination

Day of Resurrection

Practices

Profession of faith Prayer

Fasting Alms-giving Pilgrimage

Texts and laws

Quran Tafsir Sunnah
Sunnah (Hadith, Sirah) Sharia
Sharia (law) Fiqh
Fiqh (jurisprudence)

Kalam
Kalam (dialectic)

History

Timeline Muhammad

Ahl al-Bayt Sahabah Rashidun

Imamate Caliphate Spread of Islam

Culture and society

Calendar Festivals Academics Art Moral teachings Children Denominations Feminism Women Madrasa Mosque Philosophy Poetry Politics Proselytizing Animals LGBT Science Demographics Economics Finance Social welfare

Related topics

Criticism of Islam Islam
Islam and other religions

Islamism Islamophobia

Glossary

Islam
Islam portal

v t e

Aqidah
Aqidah (Arabic: عقيدة‎, translit. ʿaqīdah, plural عقائد ʿaqāʾid, also rendered ʿaqīda, aqeeda etc.) is an Islamic term meaning "creed"[1] (Arabic pronunciation: [ʕɑˈqiːdæ, ʕɑˈqɑːʔɪd]). Many schools of Islamic theology expressing different views on aqidah exist. Any religious belief system, or creed, can be considered an example of aqidah. However, this term has taken a significant technical usage in Muslim
Muslim history and theology, denoting those matters over which Muslims hold conviction. It is a branch of Islamic studies describing the beliefs of Islam.

Contents

1 Introduction

1.1 Six articles of belief 1.2 Tawhid 1.3 Iman

2 Hadith
Hadith of Gabriel

2.1 Salat 2.2 Sawm 2.3 Zakat 2.4 Hajj

3 Other tenets

3.1 Jihad 3.2 Dawah

4 Eschatology 5 Schools of theology

5.1 Traditional Sunni
Sunni Schools

5.1.1 Kalām 5.1.2 Athari

5.2 Shiʿi beliefs and practices

5.2.1 Twelver's Roots of Religion (Uṣūl ad-Dīn) 5.2.2 Ismaili beliefs

5.3 Cross-sectarian

5.3.1 Muʿtazilite view

6 Literature pertaining to creed

6.1 Sunni
Sunni literature 6.2 Shia literature

7 Gallery 8 See also 9 References 10 External links

Introduction[edit] According to Muslim
Muslim scholar Cyril Glasse, "systematic statements of belief became necessary, from early Islam
Islam on, initially to refute heresies, and later to distinguish points of view and to present them, as the divergences of schools of theology or opinion increased."[2] The "first" creed written as "a short answer to the pressing heresies of the time" is known as Fiqh
Fiqh Akbar and ascribed to Abu Hanifa.[2][3] Two well known creeds were the Fiqh
Fiqh Akbar II[4] "representative" of the Ash'ari, and Fiqh
Fiqh Akbar III, "representative" of the Shafi'i.[2] Al-Ghazali
Al-Ghazali also had a ʿaqīdah.[2] These creeds were more detailed than those described below. Six articles of belief[edit] The six articles of faith or belief, derived from the Quran
Quran and Sunnah (Arkan al-Iman).[5] is accepted by all Muslims. While there are differences between Shia and Sunni
Sunni Islam
Islam and other different schools or sects concerning issues such as the attributes of God or about the purpose of angels, the six articles are not disputed. The six Sunni
Sunni articles of belief are:

Belief in God and tawhid (monotheism) Belief in the angels Belief in the Islamic holy books[6] Belief in the prophets and messengers Belief in the Last Judgment
Last Judgment and Resurrection Belief in predestination.

The first five are based on several Qurʾānic creeds:

Whoever disbelieveth in God and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers and the Last Day, he verily wandered far stray (4:136) Who is an enemy of God, His Angels, His Messengers, Gabriel and Michael! Then, lo! God is an enemy to the disbelievers (2:98) ...righteous is he who believeth in God and the Last Day and the angels and the scripture and the prophets (2:177) ...believer believe in God and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers (2:285)

The sixth point made it into the creed because of the first theological controversy in Islām. Although not connected with the sunni-shiʿi controversy about the succession, the majority of Twelfer Shiʿites do not stress God's limitless power (qadar), but rather His boundless justice (ʿadl) as the sixth point of belief – this does not mean that Sunnis deny His justice, or Shiʿites negate His power, just that the emphasis is different[citation needed]. In Sunni
Sunni and Shia view, having Iman literally means having belief in Six Articles. However the importance of Iman relies heavily upon reason. Islam
Islam explicitly asserts that belief should be maintained in that which can be proven using faculties of perception and conception.[citation needed] Tawhid[edit]

Part of a series on

God in Islam

Allah
Allah Jalla Jalālah in Arabic calligraphy

List

Allah Names Phrases and expressions Theology Oneness Islamic creed Negation Transcendence Nearness

Islam
Islam portal · Category

v t e

Tawhid
Tawhid ("doctrine of Oneness") is the concept of monotheism in Islam. It is the religion's most fundamental concept and holds that God (Allah) is one (wāḥid) and unique (āḥad), and the Only One worthy of Worship which is exactly what Jews and Christians also believe that only the Uncreated can be worshiped. A creature cannot be worshiped. This is idolatry. According to Islamic belief, Allah
Allah is the proper name of God, and humble submission to his will, divine ordinances and commandments is the pivot of the Muslim
Muslim faith. "He is the only God, creator of the universe, and the judge of humankind." "He is unique (wāḥid) and inherently one (aḥad), all-merciful and omnipotent." The Qur'an declares "the reality of Allah, His inaccessible mystery, His 99 descriptive names expressing a quality characteristic , and His actions on behalf of His creatures. Iman[edit] Iman, in Islamic theology denotes a believer's faith in the metaphysical aspects of Islam.[7][8] Its most simple definition is the belief in the six articles of faith, known as arkān al-īmān. Hadith
Hadith of Gabriel[edit] The Hadith
Hadith of Gabriel includes the Five Pillars of Islam
Islam (Tawhid, Salat, Sawm, Zakat, Hajj) in answer to the question, "O messenger of God, what is Islam?" This hadith is sometimes called the "truly first and most fundamental creed."[2] Salat[edit]

An Imam
Imam leading prayers in Cairo, Egypt, in 1865.

The Mughal emperor
Mughal emperor Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb performing Salat.

Salat
Salat is the practice of formal worship in Islam. Its importance for Muslims is indicated by its status as one of the Five Pillars of Islam, with a few dispensations for those for whom it would be difficult. People who find it physically difficult can perform Salat in a way suitable for them. To perform valid Salat, Muslims must be in a state of ritual purity, which is mainly achieved by ritual ablution, (wuḍūʾ), according to prescribed procedures. Sawm[edit]

Ending the fast at a mosque.

In the terminology of Islamic law, sawm means to abstain from eating, drinking (including water) and sexual intercourse from dawn until dusk. The observance of sawm during the holy month of Ramadan
Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, but is not confined to that month. Zakat[edit] Zakat
Zakat is the practice of charitable giving by Muslims based on accumulated wealth and is obligatory for all who are able to do so. It is considered to be a personal responsibility for Muslims to ease economic hardship for others and eliminate inequality. Hajj[edit]

A 16th century illustration of Islam's holiest shrine, the Ka'aba.

The Hajj
Hajj is an Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca
Mecca and the largest gathering of Muslims in the world every year. It is one of the five pillars of Islam, and a religious duty which must be carried out by every able-bodied Muslim
Muslim who can afford to do so at least once in his or her lifetime. Other tenets[edit]

Part of a series on

Islam
Islam and Iman

Islam Iman Ihsan

Individuals

Mumin – Believer Muslim
Muslim – Submitter [to God] Fasiq – Open sinner, corrupt Fajir – Sinner (by action) Kafir
Kafir – Disbeliever Munafiq – Hypocrite

Groups

Ahl al-Kitâb Ahl al-Fatrah

Terms

Din

v t e

In addition, some Muslims include Jihad
Jihad and Dawah
Dawah as part of ʿAqīdah Jihad[edit] Jihad
Jihad (to struggle) and literally means to endeavor, strive, labor to apply oneself, to concentrate, to work hard, to accomplish. It could be used to refer to those who physically, mentally or economically serve in the way of God.[9] Dawah[edit] Main article: Dawah Da‘wah ("invitation") means the proselytizing or preaching of Islam. Da‘wah literally means "issuing a summon" or "making an invitation," being an active participle of a verb meaning variously "to summon" or "to invite." A Muslim
Muslim who practices da‘wah, either as a religious worker or in a volunteer community effort, is called a dā‘ī (داعي plural du‘āh, gen: du‘āt دعاة). A dā‘ī is thus a person who invites people to understand Islam through dialogue, not unlike the Islamic equivalent of a missionary inviting people to the faith, prayer and manner of Islamic life. Eschatology[edit] Main article: Islamic eschatology Eschatology
Eschatology is literally understood as the last things or ultimate things and in Muslim
Muslim theology, eschatology refers to the end of this world and what will happen in the next world or hereafter. Eschatology covers the death of human beings, their souls after their bodily death, the total destruction of this world, the resurrection of human souls, the Last Judgment
Last Judgment of human deeds by God after the resurrection, and the rewards and punishments for the believers and non-believers respectively. The places for the believers in the hereafter are known as Paradise
Paradise and for the non-believers as Hell. Schools of theology[edit] Main article: Schools of Islamic theology Muslim
Muslim theology is the theology and interpretation of creed (aqidah) that derived from the Qur'an
Qur'an and Hadith. The contents of Muslim theology can be divided into theology proper such as theodicy, eschatology, anthropology, apophatic theology, and comparative religion. In the history of Muslim
Muslim theology, there have been theological schools among Muslims displaying both similarities and differences with each other in regard to beliefs. Traditional Sunni
Sunni Schools[edit] Kalām[edit] Main article: Kalam Kalām is the Islamic philosophy
Islamic philosophy of seeking theological principles through dialectic. In Arabic, the word literally means "speech/words." A scholar of kalām is referred to as a mutakallim ( Muslim
Muslim theologian; plural mutakallimūn). There are many schools of Kalam, the main ones being the Ash'ari
Ash'ari and Maturidi
Maturidi schools in Sunni
Sunni Islam. Athari[edit] Main article: Athari For the Atharis, the "clear" meaning of the Qur'an
Qur'an and especially the prophetic traditions have sole authority in matters of belief, as well as law, and to engage in rational disputation, even if one arrives at the truth, is absolutely forbidden.[10] Atharis engage in an amodal reading of the Qur'an, as opposed to one engaged in Ta'wil (metaphorical interpretation). They do not attempt to rationally conceptualize the meanings of the Qur'an
Qur'an and believe that the real meanings should be consigned to God alone (tafwid).[11] This theology was taken from exegesis of the Quran
Quran and statements of the early Muslims and later codified by a number of scholars including Ahmad ibn Hanbal and Ibn Qudamah. Shiʿi beliefs and practices[edit] Shiʿi Muslims hold that there are five articles of belief. Similar to the Sunnis, the Shiʿis do not believe in complete predestination, or complete free will. They believe that in human life there is both free will and predestination. Twelver's Roots of Religion (Uṣūl ad-Dīn)[edit] Main article: Theology
Theology of Twelvers

Tawhid: The Oneness of God. Adalah: The Justice of God. Nubuwwah (Prophethood): God has appointed perfect and infallible prophets and messengers to teach mankind the religion (i.e. a perfect system on how to live in "peace.") Imamate: (Leadership): God has appointed specific leaders to lead and guide mankind — a prophet appoints a custodian of the religion before his demise. Last Judgment: God will raise mankind for Judgment

Ismaili beliefs[edit] The branch of Islam
Islam known as Isma'ilism
Isma'ilism is the second largest Shiʿi community. They observe the following extra pillars:

Belief in the Imamate Belief in the prophets and messengers Beliefs about the Last Judgment

Cross-sectarian[edit] Muʿtazilite view[edit] In terms of the relationship between human beings and their creator, the Muʿtazila
Muʿtazila emphasize human free will over predestination. They also reduced the divine attributes to the divine essence.[12] Literature pertaining to creed[edit] Many Muslim
Muslim scholars have attempted to explain Islamic creed in general, or specific aspects of aqidah. The following list contains some of the most well-known literature. Sunni
Sunni literature[edit]

Mukhtasar Shu'ab al-Imān or "The 77 branches of faith" by the Imām al-Bayhaqi al-ʿAqīdah aṭ-Ṭaḥāwiyya ("The Fundamentals of Islamic Creed by al-Tahawi). This has been accepted by almost all Sunnis (Atharis, Ash'aris and Maturidis). Several Islamic scholars have written about the Tahawiyya creed, including Ali al-Qari, al-Maydani, ibn Abi al-Izz and Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz. al-ʿAqīdah al-Wāsiṭiyyah ("The Wasit Creed") by ibn Taymiyyah. Sharh as Sunnah
Sunnah or the Explanation of the Sunna by al-Hasan ibn 'Ali al-Barbahari. Lists approximately 170 points pertaining to the fundamentals of ʿaqidah. Khalq Afʿāl al-ʿIbād ("The Creation of the Acts of Servants") by Muhammad
Muhammad al-Bukhari. It shows the opinion of early scholars (Salaf) but it does not cover all topics. Lum'at al-Itiqād by ibn Qudamah. Details the creed of the early Imams of the Sunni
Sunni Muslims and one of the key works in the Athari
Athari creed. al-ʿUluww by al-Dhahabī. Details the opinions of early scholars on matters of creed. Ibaanah by Abu al-Hasan al-Ash'ari. Risālah al-Qudsiyyah ("The Jerusalem Tract") by al-Ghazali, where the rules of faith are discussed. Sa'd al-Din al-Taftazani on the creed of Abu Hafs Umar an-Nasafi

Shia literature[edit]

Shiʿite Islam
Islam Muhammad
Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i: translated by Hossein Nasr; (also reprinted under the title Shi'a.)" Root and Branches of Faith
Faith by Maqbul Hussein Rahim Shi'ism Doctrines, Thought and Spirituality by Hossein Nasr

Gallery[edit]

Bosniak
Bosniak "Book of the Science of Conduct" lists 54 religious duties that each Muslim
Muslim must know about, believe in, and fulfill. Published in 1831, the handbook is by the Bosnian author and poet Abdulwahāb Žepčewī.

"Book of Wisdom" based on Islamic Theology
Theology by Khoja Akhmet Yassawi (died 1166)

“Safeguards of Transmission” by Ubayd Allāh ibn Masūd ibn Mahmud ibn Ahmad al-Mahbūbī (died 1346).