DECLARATION OF FAITH

INTRODUCTION AND BASIC BELIEFS OF ISLAM

Islam is a complete way of life. It is the guidance for all mankind from Allah, the Creator of the Universe. It covers all the things people do in their lifetime. Islam tells us the purpose of our creation, our final destiny and our place among other creatures. It shows us the best way to conduct our private and public affairs including social, political, economic, moral and spiritual activities. Islam is Arabic word which means submission and obedience. Submission is acceptance of Allah’s commands. Obedience means putting Allah’s commands into practice. Submission and obedience to Allah bring peace, which is why Islam also means peace. A person who accepts the Islamic way of life and acts upon it is a Muslim.
Allah, another Arabic word, is the proper name of God. Muslims prefer to use the word Allah rather than the word God. Allah does not mean ‘the God of the Muslims’, as some people wrongly believe. Rather, it is the name the Creator has chosen for Himself. Allah is the Creator of everyone and everything. He is unique and has no son or daughter. Muslims should begin their actions by saying Bismillah, which means ‘in the name of Allah’.

Islam is the way of peace and harmony if we look around, we see that all things the sun, the moon and the stars, the high mountains and the mighty oceans obey a law: the Law of Allah. We find no disorder or chaos in them. Everything is in its right place. We see perfect order and total harmony in the system of Nature that Allah has created. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west and there has been no exception to this rule. The moon and the stars shine at night. Night passes, a new day comes, and so the process goes on. Flowers blossom and the trees have green leaves in the spring. Everything has a set course that cannot be violated. Have you ever noticed any violation in the Law of Allah by these objects of Nature? No, of course not. Why? Simply because they are made to obey Allah. They have no choice but to obey. 

This is why we find eternal peace in the system of Nature. But human is different: Allah has given us the knowledge and ability to choose between right and wrong. Not only this, in case we forget He has also sent us constant reminders, by sending His prophets and books for our guidance. The final messenger of Allah is Muhammad (scw), and the final book of guidance is the Qur’an. Yet He does not force us to obey Him. He has given us the choice either to obey or disobey Him. Why? Because He wants to test us. After this test there will be a Day of reward and punishment. This is the Day of Judgement (Yawmuddin).Those who pass the test will be rewarded with everlasting happiness and peace in Paradise (Al-Jannah) and those who fail will suffer terrible punishment in Hell (Al-Jahannam). We can earn this reward and escape punishment by obeying and worshipping Allah. We know there is peace and harmony in all of Nature; because nothing ever disobeys Allah. Neither the sun nor the moon, the mountains nor the trees, the animals on land or in the sea, can disobey Allah — they just behave as He has created them to behave. They have no choice.
The only exceptions are human beings and the Jinn (creatures we can’t see); they have free will, which means they can choose whether to obey or disobey Allah. But if we follow the guidance given to us through the prophets, we are sure to have peace in the world we live in.  All human beings, by their very nature, like good things and dislike bad things. For example, we all like truthfulness and hate lies. Even a liar does not like to be called a liar! Why? Because we know in our hearts that telling lies is a bad thing. In the same way, helping others, showing kindness, politeness, respect for parents and teachers, honesty and all other forms of good conduct are always liked and appreciated; but rudeness, cruelty, lies, hurting others, disobedience to parents and teachers, using bad names and other bad conduct are disliked by everyone. So, we can say that human nature likes the Right and dislikes the Wrong. Right is Ma’ruf and wrong is Munkar in Arabic — the language of the Qur’an. It is also human nature to love peace and hate disorder. Peace comes from obedience to Allah’s Law, whilst disorder is the outcome of disobedience. Islam establishes this peace, which is part of man’s nature, so Islam is called the Religion of Nature; in Arabic this is Dinul Fitrah. To achieve peace in society, Islam calls upon Muslims to work together towards what are right and to keep away from what is evil.
THE PURPOSE OF HUMAN CREATION
Allah created human beings to do what He wants and obey His commands. Allah says in the Qur’an, His final guidance for mankind:  “I have not created Jinn and mankind (for any other purpose) except to worship Me.” (51:65) ‘Worship’ in this verse means total obedience to Allah’s commands. The Qur’anic word for worship is Ibadah. Every good thing we do is Ibadah, if we do it for Allah’s sake. The purpose of our life is to please Allah through Ibadah. Ibadah is the way to achieve success and happiness in this life and in the life after death.
BASIC BELIEFS
The basic beliefs of Islam are:

• Allah
• Angels of Allah (Mala’ikah)
• Books of Allah (Kutubullah)
• Messengers of Allah (Rusulullah) 
• The Day of Judgement (Yaumuddin) 
• Destiny (al-Qadar)
• Life after death (Akhirah)

I believe in Allah, in His angels, in His books, in His messengers, in the Last Day (Day of Judgement) and in the fact that everything good or bad is decided by Allah the Almighty, and in the life after death.
These above seven basic beliefs can be grouped into three:

• Tawhid  (oneness and uniqueness of Allah)
• Risalah (prophethood)
• Akhirah (life after death)

Tawhid, Risalah and Akhirah summarise the whole of the Islamic system of life, so we must understand them. 

TAWHID

Tawhid means the oneness of Allah. It is the main part Iman (Faith) and is beautifully expressed in SuratuI Ikhlas in the Qur’an:  “Say, He is Allah, the One. Allah is eternal and absolute. None is born of Him, nor is He born. And there is none like Him.” (Surah 112).   Tawhid is the most important Islamic belief. It means that everything on this Earth is created by Allah, Who looks after and provides for all the needs of every creature. He is the only Source of our Guidance. Tawhid is the belief in Allah with all His powers. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise and M-Powerful. He is the Merciful, the Kind and the Most-Loving. He is with us all the time. He sees us, but we do not see Him. He was, is and always will be. He is the First and the Last. He has no partner, son or daughter, nor was He born of anyone. He gives us life and takes it away. Everyone must return to Him after death.
His first duty of a Muslim is to declare his faith. To make this declaration a person must say in words and believe in his heart — la ilaha illallahu Muhanmadu rasulullah — (there is no god except Allah; Muhammad is Allah’s messenger). This saying of these Arabic words is called ash-Shahadah (Declaration of Faith).There are two parts of this declaration: (1) La ilaha illallah, (2) Muhammadu rasulullah. The first part, La ilaha illallah, has two aspects: Negative and Positive. La ilaha is the negative aspect, whilst illallah, is the positive one.   
A believer must first cleanse his heart of the idea of any other god or any other object of worship; only then can faith in the Oneness of Allah take root inside the heart.   Let us try to understand this with an example. Suppose we have a piece of land which is full of weeds and bushes where we want to grow wheat. Now, if we sow very good wheat seeds in the land without first cleaning it fully, we cannot hope to get a good wheat crop. So what must we do? We must cultivate the land, clear the weeds and bushes and prepare the soil before we sow the seeds. Then we can expect good crops.  Let us compare the land with the human heart. If the heart is full of belief in false gods, we cannot expect Tawhid to take root there. So it must be cleansed of any other god or object of worship; only then will Tawhid take root and the light of faith will shine.  Tawhid shapes and influences the entire course of our life. This is why we must have a clear understanding of its meaning.  The vast and majestic universe with its flawless system clearly indicates that there is one Creator and one Supreme Controller.
When we think about the unique system and perfect order of the universe, we find there is no chaos. The sun, the moon and the galaxy obey the same Supreme Authority. The whole universe obeys the laws of this Supreme Power. There is complete cooperation and harmony in the system. Everything is nicely set in its place. No improvement can be suggested and no defect detected. This superb and perfect combination of order and beauty is clear proof of the presence of an All-Wise and All-Powerful Creator and Regulator. 
Had there been more than one Creator and Controller of the planets, for example, there would have been conflict and chaos. We notice no such disorder in the universe. The efficient running of a school and the steering of a car or a ship, calls for one headmaster, one driver or one captain. No single institution can be run problem free with more than one leader, just as no vehicle can be driven by more than one person at the same time. The universe, made up of many planets and stars, is a unit. All its components have a common origin and purpose because the universe was deliberately created by one Absolute Power. Everything in the universe works in harmony and co-operation as do the various parts of the human body. The limbs of the human body seem to have different functions, but they all serve the same purpose – keeping the body fit and functioning properly.
The Effect of Tawhid on Human Life: Belief in La ilaha illallah or Tawhid has a far-reaching impact on our life:  

• A believer in Tawhid surrenders himself completely to the Will of Allah and becomes His true servant and subject. Allah has created all that is on the earth and in the sky for the service of mankind. When a person surrenders him to Allah’s commands, he understands and appreciates that Allah has made all His Creation beneficial for him.
• It produces in the believer a high degree of self-respect, confidence and contentment. He knows that he depends on none but Allah for the fulfilment of his needs. He firmly believes that Allah alone has the power to provide all his requirements and no one else has any power to do well or harm him.  When can a believer be confident and develop self-respect? He can be only when he feels that he depends on none but His Creator for the fulfilment of his needs. He does not become worried because he knows that Allah will take care of all his needs if he is truly obedient.
• This belief makes a believer humble and modest. He is never arrogant or haughty. He is fully aware that everything on earth belongs to Allah and he gains control over the rest of the creation only by being a subject of Allah. He also knows very well that whatever he has is from Allah. So there is no reason to be proud or arrogant.
• Belief in Tawhid makes a believer dutiful and upright. The believer knows that he must carry out the commands of his Creator to succeed in this life and the life hereafter. This awareness keeps him away from neglecting his duties and from other sins.
• It makes a person brave and courageous. It removes from his mind the fear of death or concern for safety. The believer knows that it is Allah who will cause death at the appointed time and none but He can harm the believer’s safety. So, if he obeys Allah, he has nothing to worry about. He goes on doing his duty without any fear.
• A believer in Tawhid consciously feels himself to be part of the whole universe. He is the best of all creations of Allah — the Powerful Master of the whole universe. This belief broadens his horizon and his outlook expands.
•  It produces in a believer strong determination, patience and perseverance. The believer becomes single-minded and dedicates himself to seeking the pleasure of his Creator. Think of a boat. It has a rudder which guides the boat’s movement: with the rudder under control, the boat moves forward proudly over the waves, but if the boat is not controlled by the rudder, it is tossed in any direction by every wave. Similarly, when a believer surrenders himself to Allah alone, he can go forward in the affairs of life without fear. But if he does not obey Allah, he has to obey false gods like the fear of losing his job, fear of danger, fear of hunger and the like. When someone believes in Allah alone, his life is not ruled by such fears.
• The most important effect of the belief in La ilaha illallah is that it makes a person obey Allah’s commands. A believer in Tawhid is sure that Allah knows and sees everything and he cannot escape Allah’s ever-watchful eye for a single moment. In fact, Allah is nearer to him than his own jugular vein (50:16). So, a true believer does not commit a sin either secretly or in the darkness of the night because he has a firm conviction that Allah sees everything all the time. A believer in Tawhid seeks the pleasure of Allah by making his actions reflect his beliefs. Belief without practice has no place in Islam.  We Muslims are believers in Tawhid are Allah’s servants and subjects. Our faith must be reflected in our actions.

ALQADAR
We believe that Allah has created the universe and He is its Absolute Controller and Regulator. Allah has fixed a set course for everything in the universe; this is called ALQADAR nothing can happen without the will and the knowledge of Allah. The destiny of every creature is already known to Allah. (25:2, 33:38).  But this does not mean that man has no freedom of will. We know that man is the Khalifah (agent) of Allah on this earth. We also know that Allah does not force us to do anything. It is up to us to obey or disobey Him. Whether we will obey or disobey is known to Him. But the fact that Allah knows what we are going to do and does not affect our freedom of choice. Man does not know what his destiny is. He has the free will to choose the course he will take.
We will be judged on the basis of our intentions on the Day of Judgement. If we follow Allah’s guidance we will be rewarded; if not, we will be punished.  By believing in Al-Qadar we testify that Allah is the Absolute Controller of all the affairs of His universe. It is He Who decides what is good and what is had. Allah knows already the fate of all human beings. This does not mean that we can do whatever we like, as if it would make no difference to what happens to us. We must pay attention to the Divine Guidance provided by Allah the Almighty. He gave human beings free will. We can choose between right and wrong. We will be judged for our actions on Earth on the Day of judgement.
Allah knows everything. He is the only One Who can judge His subjects. He commands mankind to follow the Divine Guidance He has prescribed for man’s success in the life after death. But it depends entirely on the mercy of Allah to judge who will be rewarded and who will not.  Allah knows what will happen to everyone, but we do not know. This foreknowledge is one of His Divine qualities (al-Sifat). 
Sometimes things happen that do not make sense to us. Why do floods, hurricanes and earthquakes happen? Why do people starve to death in many countries around the world? Why do people suffer? What makes one man good and another a criminal?  We do not know all the answers to these questions. We have only a little knowledge of the universe, but Allah knows everything. We would be wasting time if we blamed Allah for the problems or the bad things that happen, simply because we do not seem to see the reasons behind them.  We should have firm faith in the wisdom of our All-Knowing Creator, and help people in distress as much as we can. We are unable to understand and interpret many of Allah’s actions. It is meaningless to argue that human beings act without freedom and that we are forced to act the ^ay we do. We decide for ourselves what we will do, and what we will not and we are responsible for our own actions. This freedom of action does not contradict the foreknowledge of Allah.     
RISALAH (PROPHETHOOD)
Risalah is a channel of communication between Allah and mankind. Allah, the Most Merciful, has provided man with Guidance to follow the right course and so make this world a happy and peaceful place to live in. There will be a great reward in the life after death for those who follow this Guidance. Since the beginning of Creation, Allah has sent His Guidance for mankind through His chosen agents. These chosen people are called prophets. They asked the people of their time to obey and worship Allah alone. They taught, guided and trained the people to follow the way of Allah.  Prophets were human beings. We should never refer to them as the sons of Allah. Allah is One and He has no partner, son or daughter. It is a major sin to say that Allah a son, daughter or partner. The message of all the prophets is one and the same. As Allah is One, so is His message. The message is to worship Allah alone and to reject all false gods. “We did send Nuh (Noah) to his people, and he said: ‘My folk, worship Allah, you have no other god than Him. I fear for you the torment of an awful day’ (7:59).” In other words, all the prophets preached the message of: La ilaha illallah (There is no god except Allah).
You may ask why we need Guidance from Allah. The answer is simple: we human beings are weak and frail; we have no knowledge of the future and the knowledge we do have is limited. Also, we are not perfect. You can see that with so many weaknesses, we are unable to make any Guidance for ourselves which can hold well for all times and all conditions. This is the reason why Allah has blessed us with Guidance through prophets.  Not only this, Allah has also sent books of Guidance through some of His prophets. These prophets are also called messengers. The Qur’an is the last book of Allah’s Guidance. Allah sent prophets to every nation at different times, and it was necessary to send prophets at different times to bring forgetful human beings back to the right path.

Prophets of Allah

According to a saying of Prophet Muhammad (scw), the number of prophets is one hundred and twenty-four thousand. As Muslims, we must believe in all the prophets and messengers. Allah’s guidance to mankind, which began with Adam, was completed with Muhammad. The Qur’an mentions only the twenty-five most prominent by name.
Angel
We have already mentioned belief in Angels (Mala’ikah). Who are the angels? What do they do? Can we see them? How are they different from man? Angels are a special creation of Allah. They have been created from divine light to perform specific duties. By comparison Adam, the first man, was created from clay, and the Jinn from fire, the devil (Satan), is from the Jinn. Some people think Satan was the leader of the angels. Qur’an says Satan was from among the Jinn. 
Angels have been given the qualities and powers necessary to carry out their duties, but they do not have free will. They always obey Allah and can never disobey Him. Man, on the other hand, has been given free will and can choose between right and wrong. This is why man will have to account for his actions on the Day of Judgement.  Angels do what Allah commands them to. They are the sinless servants of Allah’s will. They help men in the use of free will. Man decides what to do and angels help him to carry out the decision.
The duty of angels is to glorify and praise Allah. They never get tired. They are always ready to obey Allah. They do not need sleep, nor do they require the things a human being would need.  We cannot see angels unless they appear in human form. Angel Jibra’il once appeared in human form before a gathering of the companions of the Prophet. He came to teach them, but only the Prophet knew he was an angel. Angels can take any suitable appearance to carry out their duties. There are many angels in the kingdom of Allah. Prominent among them are:

• Jibra’il or Jibril (Gabriel)
• Mika’il or Mikal (Michael)
• Izra’il (Malakul Mawt, also called Azrail)
• Israfil

Jibra’il brought the revelation from Allah to Prophet Muhammad and to all the other prophets. Izra’il also called the ‘Angel of Death’ (Malakul Mawt) — is responsible for ending our life. Israfil will blow the trumpet at the time of the end of the world and on the Day of Judgement. Some angels are busy recording all that we do. They are called the Honourable Recorders (Kiraaman Kaatibiin).  Not a single word we say goes unrecorded. Allah maintains His kingdom perfectly, and angels are His obedient servants. Angels will welcome in Heaven those of us who always obey Allah’s commands and will throw the wrong-doers into Hell.
The Books of Allah
So far we have learned that we human beings are the servants of Allah and His agents on Earth. But we need guidance to carry out our duties as Allah s agents. We are unable to guide ourselves because we have many weaknesses within us and we have very limited knowledge of the past, present and future. Only Allah is above all these shortcomings and He alone has the power to give us guidance that is suitable for all times and places. We know that Allah has not left us without guidance and that He has sent prophets to show us the right path in life. In addition to this, He has also sent books of guidance through some prophets — His messengers.

Allah’s blessings are countless. He provides us with all that we need. Just imagine how wonderfully He arranges our growth in the tender and affectionate care of our parents from birth to youth. Who provides us with food when we are in our mother’s womb? Who fills our mother’s breasts with milk to suckle as soon as we are born? Allah, the Merciful, of course. Allah’s greatest favour to mankind is His Guidance contained in the revealed books. The pure, perfect and most useful knowledge comes only from Allah, the Wisest and the Greatest.
A Muslim believes in all the revealed books which are mentioned in the Qur’an. They are: the Tawrat (Torah) of Moses, the Zabur of David, the Injil of Isa, and the Qur’an revealed to Muhammad. The Qur’an also mentions the Suhuf of Ibrahim (Scripture of Abraham).  

Of the divine books, only the Qur’an remains unchanged, preserved in its original form. The original Tawrat (Torah), Zabur and Injil no longer exist. The texts available today were written by their followers many years after the death of their prophets. The writers have changed and distorted Allah’s words. They have mixed divine words with those of human beings. The Bible, which is a collection of the books of the Old Testament and the New Testament, has been translated into English from available Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. A careful reader can easily find some of the additions and alterations made to them. The Bible, as it is available today, has many human additions which do not appear to be correct. It is not a divine revelation. It contains numerous misleading misconceptions and false accounts of the prophets. The message of Allah sent through them was either lost or distorted, because of the neglect or folly of their followers. On the other hand, the Qur’an contains Allah’s guidance for mankind in its original form and language, unchanged and undistorted. It restates in clear and unambiguous language the message of Allah which the followers of earlier prophets have lost. The message of the Qur’an is valid for all times and climes.