Some Basic Islamic Beliefs

[alex sam]

hi friends

1) Belief in God:

Muslims believe in one, unique, incomparable God, Who has no son nor partner, and that none has the right to be worshipped but Him alone. He is the true God, and every other deity is false. He has the most magnificent names and sublime perfect attributes. No one shares His divinity, nor His attributes
No one has the right to be invoked, supplicated, prayed to, or shown any act of worship, but God alone
God alone is the Almighty, the Creator, the Sovereign, and the Sustainer of everything in the whole universe. He manages all affairs. He stands in need of none of His creatures, and all His creatures depend on Him for all that they need. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, and the All-Knowing. In a perfect manner, His knowledge encompasses all things, the open and the secret, and the public and the private. He knows what has happened, what will happen, and how it will happen. No affair occurs in the whole world except by His will. Whatever He wills is, and whatever He does not will is not and will never be. His will is above the will of all the creatures. He has power over all things, and He is able to do everything. He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and the Most Beneficent. In one of the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad , we are told that God is more merciful to His creatures than a mother to her child.1 God is far removed from injustice and tyranny. He is All-Wise in all of His actions and decrees. If someone wants something from God, he or she can ask God directly without asking anyone else to intercede with God for him or her.

2) Belief in the Angels

Muslims believe in the existence of the angels and that they are honored creatures. The angels worship God alone, obey Him, and act only by His command. Among the angels is Gabriel, who brought down the Quran to Muhammad .

3) Belief in God’s Revealed Books:

Muslims believe that God revealed books to His messengers as proof for mankind and as guidance for them. Among these books is the Quran, which God revealed to the Prophet Muhammad . God has guaranteed the Quran’s protection from any corruption or distortion.

4) Belief in the Prophets and Messengers of God:

Muslims believe in the prophets and messengers of God, starting with Adam, including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon them). But God’s final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad . Muslims believe that Muhammad is the last prophet sent by God
Muslims believe that all the prophets and messengers were created human beings who had none of the divine qualities of God.

5) Belief in the Day of Judgment:

Muslims believe in the Day of Judgment (the Day of Resurrection) when all people will be resurrected for God’s judgment according to their beliefs and deeds

6) Belief in Al-Qadar:

Muslims believe in Al-Qadar, which is Divine Predestination, but this belief in Divine Predestination does not mean that human beings do not have freewill. Rather, Muslims believe that God has given human beings freewill. This means that they can choose right or wrong and that they are responsible for their choices.

The belief in Divine Predestination includes belief in four things: 1) God knows everything. He knows what has happened and what will happen. 2) God has recorded all that has happened and all that will happen. 3) Whatever God wills to happen happens, and whatever He wills not to happen does not happen. 4) God is the Creator of everything.

thank you

 

[IamJoseph]

Very good that Islam upholds the ONE God belief. However, when this is attached to the name of a messenger as the required condition of Monotheism, it presents a problem. The vital factor of Monotheism, introduced in the Hebrew bible, commands one to love the stranger - which means one from a different belief.

There is no merit in only loving one from one's own belief - a fatal error of most belief systems. And another belief refers to one which does not share any common beliefs with you - but is nonetheless a good person by deeds and actions. From this we learn that the message transcends the messenger - and if the message is not accepted by humanity - it impacts on the entire belief system.

 

[IamJoseph]

"But God’s final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad."

You have not stated what was the eternal message - it will be good to know if this was a new enlightenment not known before, because enlightenment refers to something knew. And something knew should refer to a concept, law or premise which is new - not just a name. What then is this message?

With regard to 'LAST' messenger, this can also be seen as one which is recent. There have been other belief systems after Islam.

Please enlighten?

 

[spidergoat]

How is this comparative religion? What are you comparing Islam to?

 

[S.A.M.]

I read on a recent board somewhere that in Jewish halacha, Jews are permitted to interact in mosques because of the similarity in belief in God, but they are not permitted to interact in churches because it is idolatorous.

On the other hand, if a mosque is not available nearby, a Muslim can go to a synagogue or a church to pray because the surroundings do not matter - all the earth is the same

According to Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi:


The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said: “I have been given five things that no one has been given before me… (Among them is that) the earth has been made for me as a Mosque and a source of purification. So if any man from my nation realizes that he has to pray, then he may pray.”

 

[spidergoat]

I am reported to have said, "...if you need to fart, go ahead and fart. The world is our bathroom.".​

Indeed, there is much common ground between my philosophy and Islam.

 

[jmpet]

What makes Islam a comparitive religion is that it solely believes in one God. It's simplest tenet expresses this:

There is no god but God.

This puts it at odds with polytheistic religions such as Christianity.

 

[iceaura]

Angels, as described there, are deities. They are also nonsense.

Belief in the perfection of an actual, material, human language book, uncorrupted and divinely revealed, is idolatry.

Someone whose every thought, decision, and action is known in advance, predicted and fixed for all eternity, has not been given free will.

And so forth. The usual collage of incoherent post hoc justifications, found in all the Abrahamic "monotheistic" religions. They do not answer to reason, which has been a problem in the past and will be in the future.

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said: “I have been given five things that no one has been given before me… (Among them is that) the earth has been made for me as a Mosque and a source of purification.

The belief that the natural world is a holy place, a source of wisdom and enlightenment and purification, predates Islam by thousands of years.

Islam is one of the religions least evidently incorporating the holiness of the natural world.

 

[NO1]

What about their belief in Karma?

"everything happens for a reason" or "you are liable for your own actions"

 

[Ja'far at-Tahir]

Angels, as described there, are deities.

How in the hell did you come up with this "brillant," conclusion?

Belief in the perfection of an actual, material, human language book, uncorrupted and divinely revealed, is idolatry.

So you're saying that believing al-Qur'an is the perfected message of Allah (saw) = shirk? Or are you saying that belief that the physical book is perfect and so on is shirk?

The belief that the natural world is a holy place, a source of wisdom and enlightenment and purification, predates Islam by thousands of years.

Point being?

 

[iceaura]

Angels, as described there, are deities.
”
How in the hell did you come up with this "brillant," conclusion?

By comparison with other entities that anthropologists label "deities". Messengers from the God world, supernatural and helpful to men, are members of that world. This seems commonly recognized, such as the hadith in which the angel Gabriel is asked what the angel Michael is in charge of, and replies the Michael is in charge of the plants and the rain.

The belief that the natural world is a holy place, a source of wisdom and enlightenment and purification, predates Islam by thousands of years.
”
Point being?

Read the quote replied to. Muhammad is claiming something was given to him alone that has been the common possession of humans for millenia.

The claim is false. So are others of his claims.

 

[Ja'far at-Tahir]

By comparison with other entities that anthropologists label "deities". Messengers from the God world, supernatural and helpful to men, are members of that world. This seems commonly recognized, such as the hadith in which the angel Gabriel is asked what the angel Michael is in charge of, and replies the Michael is in charge of the plants and the rain.

What hadith is this? Is this hadith infact sahih or is it da'if?

Read the quote replied to. Muhammad is claiming something was given to him alone that has been the common possession of humans for millenia.

No, he is not, this your own interpretation/reading of the text.

 

[Michael]

Very good that Islam upholds the ONE God belief. However, ...

This seems incompatible with your reasoning in your next post.

(I'm guessing you're Christian?)

"But God’s final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message, was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad."

You have not stated what was the eternal message - it will be good to know if this was a new enlightenment not known before, because enlightenment refers to something knew. And something knew should refer to a concept, law or premise which is new - not just a name. What then is this message?

With regard to 'LAST' messenger, this can also be seen as one which is recent. There have been other belief systems after Islam.

Please enlighten?

You know, I often ask these exact sort of questions. I wonder if multicultural social consciousness inherently leads to questioning such concepts? Wow, and even from a (presumed) monotheist. Christian dogma appears to be moving to keep up? I wonder if we'll end up at something akin to Buddhism? I only ask because it seems that Indian culture happily accepted a good deal of multiculturalism and that belief system arose from within such a social environment.

 

[Michael]

I read on a recent board somewhere that in Jewish halacha, Jews are permitted to interact in mosques because of the similarity in belief in God, but they are not permitted to interact in churches because it is idolatorous.

On the other hand, if a mosque is not available nearby, a Muslim can go to a synagogue or a church to pray because the surroundings do not matter - all the earth is the same

Can they go to Scientology Temple? Or how about a polytheistic Shinto, Hindu or place of Native American Faith? Buddhist Temple? Bahai Faith Center?

Just wondering why these structures are outlawed in many Islamic countries? Seems to suggest that this interpretation isn't consistent with mainstream Islam and therefor isn't "Islamic" in that sense.

Recall our conversation on the building of Mosques in China and the lack of Buddhist or Taoism temples in Baghdad - or anywhere else... "Islamic". That's a historic fact. How else can we explain this lack of reciprocation? Historical evidence suggests that Muslims did not see "all the earth is the same" but that there are Islamic areas of the Earth and non-Islamic areas of Earth. Not that I wouldn't mind seeing Muslims take such a view, and I am sure as things progress (if things progress) most could be taught to think so. Is THAT happening? Little tiny bit by little tiny bit... and it's causing a huge backlash as seen by the massive rise in conservative interpretations of Islam - recall the mini-skirts in 1960s Egypt.

 

[HappyGirl]

my basic belief is that this is a dangerous religion of death and destruction
i base it on what i read on the net, see in the news and witness
i am not allowed to post the 22 links i have as proof with pictures and video

 

[IamJoseph]

I read on a recent board somewhere that in Jewish halacha, Jews are permitted to interact in mosques because of the similarity in belief in God, but they are not permitted to interact in churches because it is idolatorous.

On the other hand, if a mosque is not available nearby, a Muslim can go to a synagogue or a church to pray because the surroundings do not matter - all the earth is the same

Jews are closer to Christians on moral/ethical levels, and the reverse applies towards Islam. Re Mosques, this is not because of Islam but only because there is a forbiddence of graven images and doctrines of villifications - the latter is not seen in Budhism, Hinduism or any other belief system - this villification is only seen in Christianity and Islam. The real issue here is all are good or bad based on their actions, not their beliefs .

'Only the soul that sins it shall pay': this says a good muslim is better than a bad Jew - but this is not the case with Christianity and Islam. As long as Christianity and Islam have doctrines of enforcement and villifications upon others, humanity will remain quagmired - with Jews taking the full force in the beginning, then it will roll out on everyone else.

According to Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi:


The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said: “I have been given five things that no one has been given before me… (Among them is that) the earth has been made for me as a Mosque and a source of purification. So if any man from my nation realizes that he has to pray, then he may pray.”

But 1000's deaths occur by mosques being blown up by muslims. What are the five things - I'm all for a good message but care nothing about messengers?

 

[IamJoseph]

This seems incompatible with your reasoning in your next post.

(I'm guessing you're Christian?)

You know, I often ask these exact sort of questions. I wonder if multicultural social consciousness inherently leads to questioning such concepts? Wow, and even from a (presumed) monotheist. Christian dogma appears to be moving to keep up? I wonder if we'll end up at something akin to Buddhism? I only ask because it seems that Indian culture happily accepted a good deal of multiculturalism and that belief system arose from within such a social environment.

The question was reasonable: what is a good message. If someone has a good message, it will be taken on board by all. If some just promotes their own inferred dieties and figureheads - it will have no impact. Unless by enforcement - which eventually comes to naught. IOW, the message must transcend the messenger.

 

[IamJoseph]

Muhammad is claiming something was given to him alone that has been the common possession of humans for millenia.

The claim is false. So are others of his claims.

I concur. Revelation means nothing if not something new. Islam is not an original religion by virtue of monotheism - it is the new kid on the block here.

What is missed is that to accept monotheism anew is a greater merit than one realises, because it was by choice, as opposed by birth. The Hebrew belief is by birth and almost enforced by God, thus in a sense less meriting than Islam - which took it on board by witnessing it displayed by others.

 

[Ja'far at-Tahir]

my basic belief is that this is a dangerous religion of death and destruction
i base it on what i read on the net, see in the news and witness
i am not allowed to post the 22 links i have as proof with pictures and video

^This is true. My favorite activity is to burn down children's hospitals and feast unpon the flesh of man. Bwahahahahahahahahahaha.

 

[Ja'far at-Tahir]

Can they go to Scientology Temple? Or how about a polytheistic Shinto, Hindu or place of Native American Faith?

Does any of this even make sense to you? Think about it.

Buddhist Temple?

Why would a Muslim go to a Buddhist temple in order to pray? Infact why would a Muslim go to any of these places in order to pray? Polytheism is obviously a sin according to Islam (see: shirk) thus it doesn't make any sort of sense for one to go to a temple or whatever in which Pagan gods are worshipped.

Bahai Faith Center?

This is the only faith that you mentioned that would make sense for a Muslim to go to. But really, I don't see why a Muslim would go to a Church or Synagogue to pray, when you can pray anywhere.