6 Articles of Faith

 6 Articles of Faith in Islam

1. Belief in Only One GodIn Islam, there is only one God, Allah (S.W.T) The Supreme and Eternal, The Merciful and Compassionate, The Creator and Provider. He is the God of all beings and there is none like Him. 

2. Belief in the Books of God
Muslims must believe in all revelations sent by Allah to His Prophets that is the Taurat (Torah) to Hazrat Musa (alaihis salam)(Moses) , the Suhuf (Scrolls) of Hazrat Ibrahim (alaihis salam)(Abraham), the Injeel (Gospel) to Hazrat Isa (alaihis salam) (Jesus), the Zaboor (Psalms) of Hazrat Dawood David (alaihis salam) and the Qur'an to Muhammad (Peace be upon him). But only Holy Quran is in its original form..other books have been fabricated with the passage of time.

3. Belief in God's AngelsAngels are pure and spiritually obedient beings, created by Allah to fulfill His commands and worship Him tirelessly. Muslims believe in all the angels.Several angels are mentioned by name in the Quran, with a description of their responsibilities:

• Jibreel (Gabriel) - in charge of communicating Allah's words to His prophets
• Israfeel (Raphael) - in charge of blowing the trumpet to mark the Day of Judgment
• Mikail (Michael) - in charge of rainfall and sustenance
• Munkar and Nakeer - after death, these angels will question souls in the grave about their faith and deeds
• Malak Am-Maut (Angel of Death) - in charge of taking possession of souls after death
• Malik - guardian of hell
• Ridwan - guardian of heaven

4. Belief in The Prophets of God
Muslims must believe in all the Messengers and Prophets of God such as Hazrat Adam (A.S), Hazrat Nuh (A.S), Hazrat Musa (A.S), Hazrat Sulemaan (A.S), Hazrat Isa (A.S) and Hazrat Muhammad (Peace be upon him) who were human beings endowed with His Revelations and appointed by God to teach mankind how to worship and obey Allah and to guide them to right path.

5. Belief in Judgement Day
The Day of Judgement and the Hereafter are essential beliefs in Islam. Life on earth is just temporary while life in the Hereafter is forever and will never end. Those who have done good deeds and obeyed Allah (S.W.T) while living on Earth will be rewarded Paradise (Jannah) but those who did  otherwise will be punished in Hell (Jahannum) accordingly.
 
6. Belief in God’s WillThis is derived from the Arabic phrase "Al-Qada' Wa Al-Qadar" which means "Divine Decree and Predestination". God has measured and planned out everything that happened, is happening, and will happen. In Islam, Muslims must understand that if we have a will to do something, it does not always happen, but if Allah wills, it will definitely happen. A simple example of this belief is the frequent phrase used by Muslims: "Insya Allah" which means "if God wills" with regards to a planned action.

Fasting: Third Pillar of Islam

3. Fasting (Sawm): 

Fasting is an obligatory act during the month of Ramadan. Muslims must abstain from food and drink from dawn to dusk during this month, and are to be especially mindful of other sins. The fast is meant to allow Muslims to seek nearness and to look for forgiveness from Allah, to express their gratitude to and dependence on him, atone for their past sins, and to remind them of the needy. During Ramadan, Muslims are also expected to put more effort into following the teachings of Islam by refraining from violence, anger, envy, greed, lust, profane language, gossip and to try to get along with fellow Muslims better. In addition, all obscene and irreligious sights and sounds are to be avoided.

People who can miss the fast:

Fasting during Ramadan is obligatory, but is forbidden for several groups for whom it would be very dangerous and excessively problematic. These include pre-pubescent children, those with a medical condition such as diabetes, elderly people, and pregnant or breastfeeding women. Observing fasts is not permitted for menstruating women. Other individuals for whom it is considered acceptable not to fast are those who are ill or traveling. Missing fasts usually must be made up for soon afterward, although the exact requirements vary according to circumstance.