BASIC BELIEFS
Basic Beliefs
Even though some beliefs
and practices may vary among Muslims, there are six principle beliefs that are
accepted by almost all peoples of the Islamic faith. These beliefs are:
Monotheism: There is only one god, and his name is Allah.
Angels: These include Gabriel, the one who conveyed the message of Allah
to Muhammad, Michael, the angel of providence and guardian of the Jews, Israfil,
the one who will sound the trumpet that will summon everyone for the Judgment,
and Izrail, the angel of death.
Prophets: Among the twenty-five prophets mentioned by name in the Qur'an
are Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, John the Baptist, Jesus, and Muhammad.
Though Jesus is mentioned ninety-seven times in the Qur'an and is given greater
honor than any of the earlier prophets, it is Muhammad that is called the "seal
of the prophets."
Scripture: The Qur'an is the very words of Allah. It was revealed to Muhammad
by Gabriel in Arabic, the original language. The Qur’an, which is used by Muslims
today, is believed to be identical with the "mother of the book" in heaven,
a book that the Qur'an itself affirms is uncreated.
Day of Judgment: Each individual will stand before the throne of Allah,
and his good deeds will be weighed against his bad deeds to determine whether
his destiny will be paradise or hell. Paradise is described as a beautiful garden
where those who have followed the straight path of Islam will live in the presence
of Allah. For men there is the promise of both sexual and sensual pleasures.
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