Beliefs & Teachings: Islam Sunni and Shi’a Islam Key beliefs about God Sunni Muslims (majority) RISALAH: The Prophets • There is only ONE God (monotheism). The ‘oneness’ Muhammad • See the elected Caliphs as the Prophethood of God is called Tawhid in Arabic Adam Ibrahim • Allah’s final and successors of Muhammad • Muslims call God Allah, which means ‘the one true • Allah appoints greatest prophet • Follow the 6 ‘articles of faith’: God’ particular people to • Created • One of Allah’s • Received the Tawhid, the Day of Judgement, • God cannot be divided and has never had a Son. spread his messages specially by most faithful revelation of the the Prophets, Angels, the • In the Qur’an and the Sunnah, Allah has 99 ‘names’. • These people receive Allah. servants Qur’an E.g the Merciful, the Just, the Almighty… supremacy of Allah’s will and revelation from Allah • Given dominion • Opposed idolatry • A great teacher • Allah is the same God that Jews and Christians the authority of the Qur’an. through his Angels • • A great role-model worship over the earth Risked his life to Shia Muslims (minority) • There are 25 key argue for • A military • Allah has revealed his will through his prophets by Allah • See the Imams (descendants prophets of Allah • The first human monotheism commander • Muslims share many of the beliefs that Jews and • Set up the first of Muhammad) as identified in the to communicate • A great role- Christians have about God E.g. He is the creator, Qur’an, including Muslim community Muhammad’s successors with Allah model eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, etc. Musa (Moses) and Isa in Makkah • Believe each Imam must • Allah must never be pictured • • An ancestor of (Jesus) The first Muslim • Must be respected choose his successor before • Allah is beyond understanding and nothing must ever Muhammad but not worshipped be compared to Allah. Comparing things to Allah is a he dies terrible sin • Follow the 5 ‘roots’ of Usul ad- • Din: Tawhid, Prophethood, All humans must ‘submit’ to the will of Allah (Islam AKHIRAH: Life after death The Day of means ‘submission’) HEAVEN AND Allah’s Justice (Adalat), Judgment HELL ANGELS Resurrection and the Imamate • When all humans will be • Described in different ways • Bring Allah’s revelations The Qur’an by different Muslims to his prophets judged by Allah based on • People go to heaven or hell • Created by Allah from how they have lived • The word of Allah given to for eternity after the Day of light • Judgement will lead to Muhammad through Jibril Predestination Judgement • Usually invisible but punishment (hell) or • Originally dictated in Arabic • • Allah is in total control of all events and knows Heaven described in the sometimes take human reward (heaven) • The original words have Qur’an as a garden paradise everything that will happen form • Preceded by a state of never been altered • Hell described in the Qur’an • Because Allah is transcendent (beyond time and space), • Pure and sinless waiting in the grave called • Infallible: corrects all he is not limited by time or space as a place of fire and pain barzakh previous revelation from • • Do not have free-will BUT Faithful and righteous • While in the grave, people God Muslims will go to heaven • Have various roles • Allah does not decide what will happen are questioned by Angels • Divided into ‘Surahs • Non-Muslims and • Some are named E.g. • Humans have free-will and are responsible for their • People will be resurrected • Supplemented by the choices unrighteous Muslims will go Jibril, Mika’il, Israfil, Iblis before their judgement Hadiths and the Sunnah • Humans will be judged by Allah based on their choices to hell