What Do Muslims Believe?
Islam’s Basic Beliefs about God, the Prophets and the Afterlife
Sep 15, 2008
Islam is a monotheistic religion with six articles of faith: belief in One God, belief in the angels, belief in the prophets, belief in the scriptures, belief in the Day of Judgment, and belief in divine decree.
Belief in One God
Muslims believe that God (Allah) the Creator has no partners; only He should be worshipped. Allah is the same God of the Jews and Christians. However, the Qur’an rejects the idea of the trinity:
"Indeed, they disbelieve who say, 'God is the third of three,' when there is no god but one God." (Qur'an 5:73)
Belief in the Angels
Muslims believe in angels, special beings created by Allah to worship and serve him. They include Jibreel (Gabriel), who delivered God’s revelation to Muhammad (peace be upon him); Israfil (Rafael), who will blow the trumpet on the Day of Judgment; ‘Izra’il, the angel of death; the angels who guard Heaven and Hell; and the angels assigned to every person to record their deeds.
Angels are mentioned numerous times in the Qur’an, including: “Praise be to Allah, the Originator of the heavens and earth, Who made the angels messengers, with wings - two, three or four." (Qur’an 35:1)
Belief in the Prophets
Muslims believe that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last in a line of prophets and messengers who called people to true monotheism. In the Qur’an, God says:
“He has ordained for you the same religion which He ordained for Noah, and that which We have revealed to you (Muhammad) and that which We ordained for Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, saying that you should establish religion and make no divisions in it.” (Qur'an 42:13); and:
“Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men, but he is the Messenger of God and the last of the prophets.” (Qur’an 33:40)
Belief in the Scriptures
Muslims believe in the revealed books of God: the Qur’an, the Torah, the Psalms, and the Gospel. The Qur’an receives precedence because Muslims believe earlier scriptures were altered over time, while God promises to preserve the Qur'an's original revelation:
“Indeed, We have sent down the Qur’an, and surely We will guard it (from corruption).” (Qur'an 15:9)
Belief in the Day of Judgment and Afterlife
Muslims believe in a Day of Judgment, when all souls will be held accountable for their sins and be assigned to either Heaven or Hell. God says:
"We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a soul will be dealt with unjustly in the least." (Qur'an 21:47)
Belief in Divine Decree
God created everything, and everything happens with His Will and Knowledge. Although people do have free will, God knows what choices they will make. What will happen has already been predetermined and recorded in a book called Al-Lawl Al-Mahfud (the Book of Decree). God says:
“With Him are the keys of the Unseen. None but He knows them. And He knows what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falls but He knows it; not a grain amid the darkness of the soil, nothing of wet or dry, but (it is) in a Manifest Book.”(Qur’an 6:59)
Faith Is Both Doctrine and Action
These six doctrines are among the teachings of Islam. Muslims demonstrate belief in them by submitting to God and by performing Islam's pillars of faith, including daily prayer, fasting, giving charity, and making a pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj).
For more information about Muslims and their beliefs, see FAQ About Islam.
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