The Fundamental Beliefs and Components of Faith in Islam

Every religion has some fundamentals that lay down the framework of that particular religion. The followers then ensure that the fundamentals are maintained and observed on regular bases to ensure that the religion stays true to its original form and that the people have a single path to follow.

Like other religions, Islam also has its set of fundamentals. The fundamentals of Islam can be distributed into two categories. The first category can of the Islamic fundamentals that are related to practice or that require demonstration, while the second category can be the fundamentals that stand as core Islamic beliefs.

The lines below discuss both these categories so that the readers of this post can increase their knowledge about Islam and the fundamentals it is based upon.

Fundamentals To Be Practiced:

The first category of Islamic fundamentals comprises of beliefs of values that are to be practiced. These are generally referred to as the Five pillars of Islam and it is obligatory on any Muslim to observe and practice these fundamentals. The five pillars of Islam with their brief detail are as follows.

Shahada – The first major fundamental of Islam without which a Muslim cannot be a Muslim is the believe in and proclamation of Shahada. It refers to a Muslim exclaiming that Allah is the only God and that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is the messenger of Allah. Although it is a statement that needs to be said once and believed in, however, the reason why it is included in pillars is that a Muslim has to put it in to practice in his or her conduct. In life a Muslim has to behave in a way that shows that he or she submits to Allah only and that Muhammad (PBUH) is the true Prophet to him or her.

Salah – The second pillar of Islam is Salah. It refers to the obligatory prayers that a Muslim has to offer five times a day. Salah is compulsory upon both Muslim men and Muslim women and there is no relaxation in it and it will be one of the first things to be asked about on the Judgment day. Therefore, all Muslims are suggested to learn Namaz and regularly offer prayers to please Allah and achieve success hereafter.

Zakah – In Islam there is the concept of Almsgiving of Zakah which is applicable on people that have a certain amount of wealth. All those who are wealthy enough to pay Zakah, they ought to offer it to the poor and it is obligatory upon them to offer it. Zakat is calculated upon a certain amount of money, or personal belongings such as Gold, Silver, etc saved for a certain period of time. There are numbers of ways you can calculate the Zakat amount on your personal belongings. The one which is considered useful nowadays, is using a Zakat Calculator.  The Zakat calculator entails a list of possessions and you can use it to compute the amount on your particular possessions.

Sawm – The fourth pillar of Islam that requires demonstration is Sawm. It refers to fasting in the month of ramadan where Muslims fast from dawn till dusk for a whole month.

Hajj – It is the pilgrimage to the house of Allah in Makkah. The offering of Hajj is also an obligation on all the Muslims who are wealthy and can afford to offer it. Hajj is a symbol of recognizing the Supremacy of Allah and gives a message of universal brotherhood. It is the holiest obligation considered among Muslims and every Muslim wishes to at least once visit the Holy Home of Lord.  To know how Muslims perform the Hajj, you can download Complete Hajj Guide and know everything about this holy obligation.

Fundamental Beliefs:

In addition to the fundamentals that have to be practiced, there are others that comprise the belief of a Muslim. A Muslim has to believe in these fundamentals in order to have pure and complete belief. The core fundamentals in which a Muslim must believe from the bottom of the heart are discussed below.

Believe In Allah – Firstly a Muslim has to believe in Allah as the Lord of this universe and whatever is in it. No matter whatever a Muslim says from the tongue, this belief should be instilled and engraved in the heart of a Muslim.

Believe in Angels – Secondly, a Muslim has to believe in angels as the creation of Allah Almighty. These angels are servants of Allah and all they do is carry out His orders and praise and worship Him.

Believe in Prophets – Besides Muhammad (PBUH) a Muslim has to believe in all the other Prophets that Allah Almighty sent for the guidance of mankind and give them equal respect and reverence.

Believe In Divine Books – Like other Prophets, a Muslim has to believe in all the other books that were revealed to those Prophets for the guidance of their nations. Therefore, in addition to Quran, the other divine books are also to be believed in by a Muslim.

Believe in Judgment Day – A Muslim is to have the belief that the Judgment day is inevitable and once it arrives, all the people will be held accountable for their deeds which they committed in this world.

Believe in Destiny – A Muslim must also believe that there are some things that are beyond human power and comprehension and should be regarded as elements of destiny or faith.

Believe In Resurrection – A Muslim must believe that there is life after death and once a person dies, he or she will rise again and the life that will be given to a person then will be the eternal life with no end.

Conclusion:

In a nutshell, in order to be a true Muslim and complete in belief, a Muslim has to believe in and practice the core fundamentals of Islam. The personification of these fundamentals can be seen in the personality of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), therefore, every Muslim must find guidance from His Sunnah.