This document outlines the six pillars of faith in Islam: belief in God, angels, holy books, prophets, the afterlife, and divine destiny. It provides details on the Islamic concepts of each pillar, which differ from other religions. The first section focuses on defining belief in God, arguing that all things must have a creator based on logic and the Quran. It describes God as eternal, all-knowing, and the sole deity worthy of worship. The document aims to explain these core Islamic beliefs and distinguish them from other faiths.

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2. THE PII,I,ARS
OF FAITH
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3. CONTENTS
lntroduction,
God
The Hereafter
Angels
Books
N4essengers'.
Qadar
Conclusion. .
I
2
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l8
20
24
21
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4. INTRODUCTION
The pillarsof Faith,
'lman,
enumerated in many verses
of the Qur'an and sayingsof the Prophet Muhammad,
peacebe upon him, are belief in Cod, in Cod'sAngels,His
Books, His Messengers,in the Hereafter and in Qadar
(Destiny).Theseare familiarterms; but the non-Muslim
readerwould be mistakenif he thought that the lslamic
concepts designated by them are the same as those of
other religions and philosophies.lt is hoped that the
followingexposition,which isitselfmadein the lightof the
Qur'an and the sayingsof the Prophet,will makethispoint
clear. lt will also make clear the fact that the lslamic
concept of faith itselfis,in many ways,different from the
popular Western one. In the West faith is usually
contrastedto reasonand knowledge.But accordingto the
Qur'an true faith is that which isbasedon knowledge and
supported by argument, Any belief which is not so based
and supported is considered by the Qur'an to be mere
capriceand whim which a thinking piersonmust avoid.
True faith can therefore be gainedthrough reflectionand
the acquisition of knowledge, and not by blind and
irrational committment. A person armed with such an
enlightened faith can enter with great confidence into
rational discussionwith people who do not share his
beliefswith the hope of showing them their mistakesand
weaknessesand winning them over to truth. lf this paper
helpsto take the readera stepin that direction it will have
achievedits purpose,and all praiseis due to God.
- l -

5. GOD
Muhammad,peacebe upon him, wassent to invite
peopleto Cod andto teachthemhowto performthe task
for which theywerecreated,namelyto worshipHim.Many
of the peoplewhom headdressedhada hazyideaof Cod.
$omedid believein Him, though theyassociatedother
lessergodswith Him, but a few of them weredownright
atheists,or materialists,whosecreedwas,'we lirneandwe
die and nothingcausesour deathexceptTime.'[fathiya,
XLV:241Beforeinvitingsuchatheiststo Cod one mustfirst
convincethem thatthereissuchbeing."What reasondo
you havefor believingthatthereisaCod?"This,logically,
is the first questionwhich a theisticview of life should
addressitselfto. TheQur'anicanswerto it isgivenin the
foflowingwords:
". . . weretheycreatedoutof nothing?Or weretheythe
creations(ofthemselves)ordidtheycreatetheheavensrnd
earth."
[Tur,Lll:36J
TheQur'anis heresayingthatfor everythinglike man
thathasa beginningin time,thereareonlythreewaysof
explaininghow it cameto be.
a. Eitherit iscreated,or made,or causedbynothingatall
i.e.it cameout of nothing.
b. Or it isthe creatorof itself.
c. Or it has a creator,cause,or maker,outsideitself.
Thethird possibilityisnot mentionedin the quotedverse
but it is understoodbecausethe verseis addressedto
peoplewho denytheexistenceof a creatorandit istelling
them that if thereisno creatorthenonlytwo possibilities
-2-

6. remain.But the Qur'an does not go into the detailsof
showingwhy the firsttwo positionsareuntenable.Clarity
of expressionoften convinces peopfe of the truth or
untruth of a statement.Mental seeinghere, more than
physicalseeing,isbelieving(orrejecting).Thisisborneout
in the caseof theseQur'anic words by a historicalevent.
fubayrlbn Mut'im, until then, a non-Muslimwassentby
Qurayshon a missionto the Muslimsat Madina.He says
that when he arrived he heard the Prophet,who was
leadingthe eveningprayer,readingSuratal-turandwhen
he reachedthe foregoingverses"my heartwasalmostrent
asunder."tShortlyafterthat fubayrembracedlslam.
Whydid thishappento him?Probablybecausetheverse
made things clear to him for the first time. lt is
inconceivablefor somethingto comeout of or bemadeby
nothingat all, he realized,and it isevenmore inconceiv-
able that it shouldbring itselfinto being.Hencethe only
conclusion is that it must have a creator outside itself.
A thesisisthereforuntenableif it meansthedenialofany
maker or causewhatsoever.But admitting that this is
indeedso,one mightstillwonderwhyshouldthatcaus€or
makeror creatorbe the God to whom Muhammadwas
invitingpeople?Whyshouldn'titbeoneof themanyother
godsin whom peoplebelieveor why shouldn'tit evenbe
the "matter" of the materialists?Almostthe entireQur'an
dealswith thisquestionbut we shalldo our bestto givea
brief answerwhich would provide the reader with the
basicsof the Qur'anicposition-In a nutshelltheansweris
asfollows:to explainthe cbminginto beingof temporal
things,the creator (or causeor maker)for which we are
-3-

7. looking,must(logicallymust)havetheattributeof the Cod
to whom Muhammad invitesus. How sol
Thecreatormustbe of adifferentnaturefrom thethings
createdbecause,if he isof the samenatureastheyare,he
will haveto be temporal and therefore need a maker.lt
followsthat "nothing is like Him." [Shura,XLll:11l.lfthe
makerisnot temporalthen he mustbe eternal.But if he is
eternal,he cannotbe caused,andif nothingcauseshim to
come into existence,nothing causeshim to continue to
exist,which meansthat he mustbeselfsufficient.And if he
does not depend on anythingfor the-continuanceof his
existence,thenthatexistencecanhavenoend.Thecreator
isthereforeeternalandeverlasting:"He isthefirstandthe
last." [Hadid, [Vlt: 3l "All that dwells upon the earth is
perishingr|€t still abidesthe Faceof thy [ord, majestic,
splendid." [Rahman,[V: 26-271
There are two ways in which causesproduce their
effects.Eithertheyproducethem naturallyor intentionally.
The maker that hasthe attributeswe haveenumerated
cannotbe a naturalcause.Becauseif thingsof thisworld
flow from Him naturallyand spontaneousfy,they cannot
be but of the samenatureasHe is.And if likeall natural
causesHe causesonly undercertainconditions,then His
po*er islimited.lt followsthat He mustbea wilfulagent.
But intentionimpliesknowledgeand both imptylife.5o,
that makermustbe a fivingall-knowingagentwith a will
that isabsolutelyfree.ThusGod accordingto the Qur'an
doeseverythingwith intentionandfor a purpose.
"SurelyWehavecreatedeverythingin {due)measure."
[Qamar,LXIV:a9]
-4-

8. "What,didyouthinkthatWecreatedyouonlyforsportl"
IMu'minun,XXlll:115f
He is absolutelyfree to do whateverhe willsIHud,Xl:
1071and isawareof everymovementof Hiscreation.
"He knowswhat is in landand sea;not a leaffalls,but He
knowsit. Not agrainin theearth'sshadow,notathingfresh
or withered,but it isin a BookManifest.lt isHewho recalls
you by night,and He knowswhat you work by day."
[An'am,Vl: 59-601
God is a living person with all that this implies:
"There is no Cod but He, the living, the everlasting.
SlumberseizesHim not, neithersleep;to Him belongsall
that isin the heavensand the earth.Who istherethatshall
intercedewith Him saveby His leavel He knowswhat lies
beforethem and what isafterthem,andtheycomprehend
not anythingof His knowledgesavesuchasHe wills.His
throne comprisesthe heavensand earth;the preservingof
them oppressesHim not; He is the All-high, the All-
glorious."
[Bagara,ll; 255f
Cod is not only willing and powerful, He isalsolust in that
He does not punish a sinnerfor more than hiscrime. He is
merciful and His mercy, in the words of the Prophet
"overcame his punishment." So He does not punish usfor
whatever we do, but forgives and erasesour sins, and
magnifies and multiplies our good deeds.
-5-

9. "The likenessof thosewho expendtheir wealthin the way
of God isasthe likenessof agrainof cornthatsproutsseven
ears,in everyeara hundred grains,soGodmultipliesunto
whom He will; God is All-embracing,All'knowing."
[Baqara,ll: 261f
These, and many others which can be arrived at in a
similar wrlr are the attributes which the true creator must
possess.Any other being or object which is alleged to be a
god or an ultimate causeand which necessarilylackssome
of them cannot in actual fact be what it is believed to be.
Thus, having shown clearly what the true Cod should be
like, the Qur'an goes on to show why there cannot be any
god but He, and reveals the falsity of all alleged gods.
To the worshippers of man-made obieas it says:
"Do you worship what you have carved out and God
creatd you and what you make?"
[Saffat,XXXVII:95]
and
".,. hayetheytakenuntothemselvesothersbesideHimwho
createnothinE,who are themselvescreated,who cannot
protect them, nor can they protect themselves."
['A'rif, Vll: 191-1921
To the worshippers of heavenly bodies it relates as a
reminder the story of Abraham:
When night outspr€adover him he sawa starand said,
'This ir my Lord.' Bui when it ret he said,
'l love not the
rctters.' When he sawthe moon rising,he said,'Thlr ir my
[ord.' Butwhen it sethe raid,'lf my Lorddoesnot guideme
6-

10. I shallsurelybeofthepeopletone astray.'Whenhesawthe
sunrising,hesaid,'ThisismyLord;thisisgreater!,Butwhen
it sethe said,'O my people,surelyI am quit of what you
associatewith Cod. I have turned my face to Him who
originatedthe heavensandtheearth,a manof purefaith;I
am not of the idolaters.'
['An'am,Yl:76-791
And when, lateron, the Prophetcomes into contact with
the Jewsand Christians,the Qur'an conftmns their heli€f
in the divine nature of human-beings.
"The lews say,'Ezra
is the sonof God.' TheChristianssay,
'The
Messiahisthesonof God.'Thatisthe utteranceof their
mouths, conforming with the unbelieversbefore them.
God assailthem! How they are perverted."
[Tawba,lX:3{ll
It tells them that if everything is creared by God then it
must be His servant and cannot, therefore be his son,
[Maryam, XIX: E&951.
It then goes on to explain to the Christians the real
nature of fesus.
"Truly, the likenessof lesusin God's sight is as Adam,s
likeness;He createdhim of dust, then saidHe unto him
'Bet'and he wa'"'
['Arlmran, ill: s9l
For someone to take something as a god, it is not
necessary that he should acknowledge it as such or
worship it in a ritualistic way; it isenough for him tofollow
its dictates obediently, or devote to it acts or have towards
it feefings which should be devoted to or felt towards God
only. There are many such unacknowledged Eods.
-'7-

11. "He!t thou seenhim who hastakenhiscapriceto be hir
Godl Wilt thoube a guardianoverhim?"
[Furqan,XXV:{31
"TheyhavetakentheirrabbisandtheirmonksaslordsaPart
from.God, and the Messiah,Mary'i son,and they wcre
commrndedto serv€but oneCod."
[Tawbr,fX: 31f
Thusto be a Muslim-i.e. to surrenderonerelfto God-
it isnecessaryto believein the uniw of fu in the senseofHis
being the only creator,prservef and nourisher.But this
belief-hter on calledtawhidar-rubu[iyya-is not enough.
In factmanyof the idolatersdidknow and believethat it is
the supremeGod alone who can do all this.Butthat was
not enough to make them Muslims. To tawhid a,r'
rububiyyaone must edd tawhid al uluhiyyai.e.one must
acknowledgethe factthatit isthisGodalonewho deserves
to be worshipped,and therefore abstainfrom direaing
anyof one'sactsof worshipto someoneor somethingelse.
fn the Qur'an the argument for tawhid al'uluhiyyais
basedon tawhid ar-rububiyyai.e. if it is God alonewho
createsand controlseverythingwhy then andto whatend
do you worship othersbesideHim?
"O you men,serveyourLordwhocreatedyou,andthose
thatwerebeforeyou;haplysoyouwillbegod-fearint;who
assignedto youthe earthfor a couch,andheavenfor an
edifice,andsentdownoutof heavenwater,wherewithHe
broughtforthfruitsfor yourprovision;sosetnotup rivals
to Godwittingly."
[al-Baqara,ll: 21-22J
Havingknown thetrue God,maniscalleduPonto affirm
what he knows i.e.to believeand havefaith in Cod, and
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12. notallowanyulteriormotivesto inducehim to denyafact
which he knowsto be true.
"... thattheywho havebeengivenknowledgemayknowit
isthetruth from thy Lordandsobelievein it,andthustheir
heartsbecomehumble unto him."
[Haj,XXll:54]
"But when our signscameto them visibly,theysaid,"This
isa manifestsorcery;'andtheydeniedthem,thoughtheir
soulsacknowledgedthem, wrongfullyand out of pride."
[Naml,XXVII:14f
When faith enters a person's heart, it causestherein
certain mental states, which result in certain apparent
actions, both of which are the proof of true faith.
Foremost among those mental statesis the feeling of
gratitude towards Cod, which could be said to be the
essenceol ibada (worshipping or serving God).
This feeling of gratitude is so important that a
nonbelieveriscalled kafir which means,'onewho deniesa
truth' and also
'one
who is ungrateful.' One can
understandwhy this is so when one readsin the Qur'an
that the main motive for denying the existenceof God is
that of unjustifiedpride. Sucha proud person feelsthat it
does not become him to be createdor governed by a being
whom he must thus acknowledge to be greater than
himself and to whom he must be grateful.
"Thosewho disputeconcerningthe signsof Cod without
anyauthoritycometo them,intheirheartsisonlypridethat
theyshallneverattain."
[Chafir,XL:561
With the feeling of gratitude goes that of love
9-

13. "Thereare somepeoplewho take to themselves(for
worship)othersapartfromGodlotingthemastheyshould
loveGod:Butthosewhobelieve,loveCodmoreardently
thantheyloveanythingelse."
[Baqara,ll: 1651
A believerlovesand isgratefufto Cod for Hisbounties,
but being awar€of the factthat hisgood deeds,whether
mentalor physical,arefarfrom beingcommensuratewith
Divine favors,he isalwaysanxiouslestbecauseof hissins
God should withhold from him someof thesefavorsor
punish him in the hereafter.He therefor fears Him,
surrendershimself to Hirn, and servesHim with great
humility.
"YourGodisoneCod,soto Himsurrender.Andgivethou
good tidings unto the humble who, when God is
m€ntioned,theirheartsquake."
[Anfal, Vll: 2]
One cannot be in sucha mentalstate,without being
almostall the time mindfulof God. RememberingGod is
thus the life-force of faith, without which it fadesand
might even wither away.5o,
"Thefrithfulrre thosewho rememberGod,standingand
sitting,andon theirsides."
['Al
'lmran,
lll: 191]
TheQur'anthereforeprescribesanddescribes,in great
detail waysand meansof helpingman to rememberCod
and keep his faith alive. All Qur'anic and Prophetic
injunctionsandprohibitionswhichextendto allaspectsof
human life-acts of worshipand personalmatters,social
relations,politicalorder, etc.,etc.-are designedto put
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14. manin a $ate which isconduciveto Cod'sremembrance.
Thedetailsof this lslamicwayof life were expoundedin
the Madina period, and we shall not therefore be
concernedwith them now. Butthe mainprinciplesof this
new order were alreadylaiddown in the Makkanperiod,
and will be summarizedat the end of thir chapter.
We shallnow Eoon to dealwith theotherpillarsof faith.
Theseare belief in life after death, in God's angels,His
books,HismessengersandHisqadar,theargumentsforall
of which arealmostentirelybasedon the assumptionthat
the audiencebelievesin God.
THEHEREATTER
TheQur'anicargumentsfor the realityof anotherlifeafter
death are intended to prove that it is possibleand also
desirablethatthereshouldbesucha life,andthatwithout
believing in it our belief in the true God cannot be
complete.
i. Many of the peoplewhom the Prophetaddressedin
Makkadid believe-as we saidbefore-'in asupremeCod,
but manyof them thought that it wasimpossiblefor their
dead and disintegratedbodies to be resurrected.They
therefore mocked and laughedat the Prophetwhen he
told them about it. TheQur'anicreplywasthattherewas
no reasonfor such astonishrnentand mockerybecause
resurrectionisnot only logicallybut physicallypossiblefor
the folfowing reasons:
a. lf it is God who createdman in the firstplace,why
should it b€ impossiblefor him to recreatehim when he
dies?Resurrectionshouldbe easierthanoriginalcreation.
- ll -

15. "He it is He who originates creation, then brings it back
again and this (the latter) is easier for Him."
[Rum,XXX:271
b. lf you think aboutit carefully,you will cometo see
thatthe bringingof life to the deadisa commonnatural
phenomenon. To believe in the possibilityof the
resurrectionof humanbeings,a thinkingpersondoesnot
needto seea personcomingto lifeagain.lt isenoughto
seeother deadbodiescomingto life.
"And of His signsis that thou seestthe earth humble; then,
when we send down water upon it, it quivers and swells.
Surefy He who quickens it is He who quickens the dead;
surely He is powerful over everything."
[Fussilat,XLI: 391
"Was he not a sperm-drop spilled? Then he was a blood-
clot, and He created and formed and He made of him two
kinds, male and female.What! is He not able to quicken
the dead?"
[Qiyama, LXXV:37-40]
ii. Why is resurrectiondesirable?Simply because
without it, God would not be the lust and Wise and
merciful Cod He is. God createdmen and made them
responsiblefor their actions; some behavedwell but
othersdid not. lf there is no future life in which the
virtuousarerewardedand theviciousarepunished,there
would be no justiceand the creationof men in that way
and the sendingof Prophetsto them would be to no
purposeatall.Butthiskindof behaviourisnotexpectedof
a manknown to be rationalandjust,let alonethe Perfect
Creator.
r2-

16. "What! does man reckon he shallbe left to roam at will?
What!did you think thatwe createdyouonlyfor sportand'
that you would not be returned to Usl
[Mu'minun,XXlll:1151
"Surely for the Cod, fearingshallbe gardensof blisswith
their Lord.What!shaflwe makethosewho havesurrendered
like to the sinnerslWhat ailsyou then, how you judge?
[Qaf, LXV|ll: 34-361
"We havenot'cr€atedthe heavensand earth,and what is
between them, for vanity; such is the thought of the
unbelievers."
[Sad,XXXVlll:27J
iii. ls the reafand only motive for denying the realityof
a life after death that which is expressedby the arguments
which the denyers put forward, and to which the Qur'an
replies?By no means, saysthe Qur'an. The real motive i5
often a psychological one. Those who do evif do not wish
to be punished and it is this wishful thinking that leads
them to deny the reality of a time when such punishment
shall take place.
"Does man reckon We shall not gather his bonesl Nay,
but man.desiresto continue on as a libertine, asking,
'When shallbe the Dayof Resurrection?"
[Qiyima, LXXV:3-6f
"And none criesliesto it (thedayof judgement)but eyery
guilty aggressor."
[Mutaffifin,LXXXIll:121
A questionthatisoften raisedin connectionwith reward
and punishmentin the hereafterand which causessome
peopleto doubt the desirabilityif not the truth of sucha
lifeis,'Do we do what isgood becauseit isgoodor for fear
_13-

17. of punishmentand expectationof reward?lf we do it for
the former, then what is the use of believing in the
hereafter,andif we do it for the latterwewill not beacting
morally.'Theanswerto thisquestiondependson whether
God enjoinsusto do anactbecauseit isgood,or whetherit
isthisDivineinjunctionwhichmakestheactiongood.And
it seemsto meto beveryclearthatthegoodnessof anactis
logicallypriorto itsbeinganobiectof a Divineiniunction.
Oiheruviieit would beatautologyto say'Godenioinswhat
isgood' becauspit would onlymeanGodenjoinswhat He
enjoins.But the Qur'an aboundsin statementsfike the
former,and it isveryclearthattheyarenot intendedtsbe
tautological.
Theanswerto our originalquestionthen isthatwe do
what isgood becauseit isgood.Butsinceto givegoodfor
good is itselfgood,there isno contradictionin sayingthat
6ne does good becausethe Cod whom he lovesand in
Whom he putshistrusttellshim to do it,andbecausehe
expectsto be rewardedby Him for doing it.
Accordingto the Qur'anGod createdmanof anoriginal
nature-calledfitra-which possesseswhatwe mightcalla
moralsense,which enablesmanto recognizewithoutany
externalaid certainactslike tellingthe truth and being
Bratefulasgood,and by reasonof which he isinclinedto
to goodonte hecomesto knowit.Truereligionisbuilton
the- basis of this original human nature. Religion
strengthensnature and-brings to fruition the seedsof
virtuJthatresideinit.ThatiswhylslamissaidintheQur'an
to be fitrat-Allahandwhy the Piophetsaysthathewassent
onlyto perfectgoodconduct.rTheQur'anpraisesthosein
whirm ihis moial senseis sharpand condemnsthosein
whom it hasbecomeso blunt that the uglinessof vice
Fecomes.in their eyesthe model.of beauty:
tHadith (fabirl
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18. '.ButCod hasendearedto youbelief,deckingit fairin your
hearts,and He hasmadedetestableto you unbeliefand
ungodlinessand disobedience.Thosetheyare the right-
minded,by Cod'sfavourandblessing,Cod isAll-knowing,
All-wise"'
[Hujurit,xux: z-g]
"Say:'Shallwe tell you who will be the greatestlosersin
theirworks.'Thosewhosestrivinggoesastrayin thepresent
life while they think that they are workinggood deeds."
[Kahf,XVlll: 103-1041
"And whenheturnshisback,hehastensabouttheearth,to
do corruption there, and to destroythe tillageand the
stock;and Cod lovesnot corruption."
[Baqara,ll: 205J
5o a Muslim does gogd becausehe isendeared to it,and
eschews vice because it is detestable to him. But since a
Musfim surrenders himself to Cod and loves and fears
Him, and since Cod loves virtue and enjoins it and hates
vice and forbids it, he does the former and avoidsthe latter
in obedience to his Lord. And since those who do good
shall-in the hereafter-live a life of bliss,the highesttype
of which wo,rld be the state of being near to Cod and
enjoying His sight,while those who lead an evil life shall
suffer all kinds of chastisementthe most terrible of which
shall be the state of being deprived from that sight, a
Muslim would be wise to always have that future and
eternal life in mind and endeavour to do here all kindsof
work that would help to elevate his position there.
"Say:lsthereanyof yourassociateswhoguidesto thetruth?
Say:God-He guidesto thetruth;andwhichisworthierto
befollowed-he who guidesto thetruth,or hewhoguides
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19. notunlessheisguidedlwhatthenailsyou,howyouiudgel
[Yunus,X:351
"Say:lfyouloveGod,followme,andGodwillloveyou,and
forgiveyou,yoursins;"
['Al'lmrin,lll: 31]
"surelythepiousshallbein bliss,uponcouchesgazing(at
theirLord);thouknowestintheirfacestheradiancyofbliss
astheyaregivento drink of awinesealed,whosesealis
musk.Soafterthatletthestriversstrive."
[Mutaffifun,LXXXIll: 22-261
Why shouldone who did good live in suchbliss,one
mightask?and the prompt Qur'anicansweris:
"Shall the recompenceof goodnessbe other than
goodness."
[Rahman,LV:60]
ANGETS
Thesearebeingsof a differentnaturefrom man.While
maniscreatedfrom soiltheyarecreatedfrom light.tAnd
thushumanbeings-except Prophets-cannotsee.themin
their original naiure, but may see them if they take a
physicalforr. Our knowledgeof them isthereforealmost
eniirelybasedon whatGodandHisProphetstell usabout
them.
'aut
why shouldwe bother to know about them?
Becausetheyplaya verybig role in conductingour affair.
To knowaboutthemcouldperhapsbesaidto be usefulto
us in the samemanner as irnowledgeof the working of
naturalcausesand other people'sbehaviouris useful.
We aretold thatthesealmostinnumerablebeinggwho
areextremelypowerfularecreatedin suchawaythatthey
-16-

20. alwaysobey and nevergo againstDivinecommands,and
continuouslyserveand never tire of servingthe Lord.
[Anbiya,XXl,19-20;Tahrim,LXVI:G]
. But inspiteof this they are-as a species-in a lower
degreethanthe humanspecies,andrhisissymbolizedin
the factthatwhenAdamwascreatedthey**iu orderedto
prostratethemselvesbeforehim asa signof greetingand
respect.l
Here are some of their activitiesin connectionwith
humanbeings.
Their main task,the one from which their name is
derivedisthatof conveyingCod'smessagesto Hischosen
prophets.This great honor is assignedmainfyto their
leaderGabriel(or fibrif as the name is pronouncedin
Arabic).
"A noble messengerhavingpower,with the Lord of the
Throne,secure,obeyedthere(in heaven)andtrusty."
ITakwir,LXXXI:19-21J
A messagecarried by beingsof such a nature is sure to
reach its destination intact.
They attend to and watch over us.They keep a record of
our good and bad deeds,and never a word we mention
passeswithout being registered by them either for or
againstus. [Qaf, L: 17-181
They play a role in the causation and happening of
seeminglypurely natural phenomena, like wind and rain
and death. [Nazi'it, LXXIX:1-5]
rThisverse[fsra',XVll:70Jhasbeengiven(bysome)asevidencefor the
fact that the human speciesis better than the speciesof angels.lbn
Kathir in his tafsirof Qur'an al'Azim.
t7-

21. And to them isassignedthe roleof helpingthe believers
to the extent of fighting on their side in times of war.
1'Af'lmran,ll; 124l,andof protectingthem[Ra'd,Xlll: llf,
and prayingfor them [Ghifir, XL: 7].
BOOKS
A Muslimbelievesthatthe Qur'anisthewordof God.
Butit isnottheonlvword.Codsentman!,prophetsbefore
MuhammadandHespokerothemasHespoketo him.Soa
Muslimalsobelieves(infacthenould not bea Muslimif
he did not beliele)in theseearlierbooks.liketheTorah
and the Cospel,sincethe true believersarethosewho
"believein whathasbeensentdonn to thee(Muhammad)
andwhathasbeensentdon'nbeforethee"[alBaqara,lV:
41.
"Say:We believein Cod. and tlratwhich hasbeen sentdown
on us, and sent donn on {brtham and lshmael,lsaacand
lacob,and the Tribes,and in tnat rvhichwasgiven to.loses
and fesus,and the prophets,of their Lord; we make no
division between any of thent."
[al Baqara,ll: 135f
Cod created men so that thev may serve Him. His being a
servant of Cod constitutes the essence of man. Man cannot
therefore attainto histrue humanity and acquire peaceof
mind unlesshe realisesthisaim for which he wascreated.
But how can he do thisl Cod, being mercifuland lust,has
helped him in many ways. He granted him as we said
before an originallygood naturethat is inclinedto know
and serve its true Lord. He granted him a mind that
possessesa moral senseand the abilityto reason.He made
the whole universea naturalbook full of signsthat lead a
t8

22. thinkingpersonto cod. Butto makethingsmorespecific,
to givehim more detailedknowledgeof hisLord,andto
showhim in a moredetailedmannerhow to serveHim,
God hasbeensendingdown verbalmessagesthroughHis
prophetschosenfrom amongmen,eversincethecreation
of man. Hencethe descriptionof thesemessagesin the
Qur'anasguidance,light,signs,reminders,etc,
All thesebooksadvocatedbasicallythesamemessage,
"AndwesentneveraMesengerbeforetheeexceptthatwe
revealedto him,saying,'thereis no Codbut l; soserve
Me.' "
['Anbiya',XXI:251
And the religion which they all expounded is lslami.e.
surrender to Cod,
"The true religionwith God is lslam."
[Al-'lmrin,ltt: 19f
Thus Noah (X:721Abraham (lll: 67), lacob and his sons
(ll: 133),the Apostles(V: lll), etc. were all Muslims.
lslam in this senseis in fact the religion of the universe.
"What! do theydesireanotherreligionthanCod'sand to
Him has surrendered (aslama= became a Muslim)
whatsoeverisin the heavensand the earth,willingly or
unwillingly,andto Him theyshallbe returned."
[Al-'lmra-n,tlt: 83f
lf the religion of all prophets isthe samein itsessenceand
basicfoundation, not so are the waysof life basedupon it.
[Ma'ida, V: aSJ
One last important point about books is that with the
exceptaon of the Qur'an they have not been preserved
-19-

23. intact, but have either been completely lost or else
suffereddistortionand corruption.Asto the Qur'anGod
has decreed that it shall never be subiectedto such
distortionbut shallbe preservedby Him. IHiir,XV: 9J
MESSENGERS
MessengersarehumanbeingschosenbyGodwho have
the honor of conveyingCod'smessageto other menand
women.Beingsucha Messengerisnota positionthatone
attainsby anyconsciouslydesignedeffort.lt isaSracefrom
God,but Godgrantsthisgraceto thosewho aredeserving
of it. Messengersarenot then,likethe rankandfileof us.
True,theyare men but theyaremenof anextremelyhigh
moral, spiritualand intellectualstandardthat qualifies
them-in the eyesof Cod-to be thebearersof Hislightto
the world.When God choosesanyof them,Hesupports
the messengerwith a clear 'sign'
[t-tadid,LVll: 25] that
provesthe truth of hisclaim,and distinguisheshim from
falseprophets,sorcerersandsoothsayers[Taghibun,LXIV:
41-42l,Tehe,XX:69].Noneof thembetraysthemessageor
falls ihort of being exemplaryin practicingwhat he
preaches.[Hud,Xl: 88J.
Askedabout prophetMuhammad'sconducthis wife
Ayeshasaid, "lt was the Qur'an," meaningthat he
embodiedall the idealswhichthe Qur'anpresents.
Tworelatedpointsaboutmessengerswhichthe Qur'an
stresses,and which thereforedeservesomeelaboration
arethe humanityof prophetsandthe natureof theirtask.
Despite the vast spiritual,moral and intellectual
differencebetweenthemandordinarymen,anddespite
the specialrelationwithCodthattheyenioy,prophetsare
-20-

24. nonthelesshumanswith all that this term implies.They
begetandarebegotten;rheyeatanddrinkandgoaboutin
marketplaces[Furqin,XXV:201;theysleepandtheydie
[Anbiyi,XXI:341;theyforgerandtheyerr[TEhi,XX:121J.
IKahf,XVlll:34f.
Theirknowledgeis limited;andcanthereforerellonly
that part of the future which God revealsto them [lin,
LXXfI:26-271.TheycannotintercedewithCodon behalfof
anypersonexceptwith Hispermission[lin, LXXII:26-2T1,
and it is not left to them to causepeoplero go in the rigtrt
path{Qasas,XXV|ll:56J.In short,theyhavenopartto playin
the runningof the affairsof the universe[Al-'lmran,lll:
1281.Many early Muslim scholarshaveobservedthat to
emphasizethe humanityof the Prophettheeur'an called
him 'servant
of Cod' on the threeoccasionson whichhe
washonored.
"Blessedbe HewhohassenrdowntheSalvation{eur'anJ
upon Hisservant."
IFurqan,XXV:1l
"Clory be to Him, who carriedHisservantby night from
th.eHoly Mosqueto theFurthesrMosque the precintsof
which We haveblessed,that We might showhirp someof
Our signs."
'[Bani
tsrailXVil:tf
"when the servantof Godstoodcailingon Him,theywerewell-nighupon him in ,*"rrnr.i,-
[Jin,LXXtI:l19l
-21-

25. A Prophetwhosehumanityisspeciallyernphasizedislesus.
He wascreatedin the samemannerasAdamwascreated,
from soil[Al-'lmrin: lll, 59];he isthe sonof Mary not of
God [Nisi', lV: 157];he and his motherusedto eatfood
[Mi'ida, V: 75];he isindeedthe word of Cod IBaqara,ll:
a5lbut sincehe isa humanbeing in the full senseof the
word,thisshouldnot be interpretedto meanthatthereisa
Divineelementin him. Heisthe word of Cod only in the
sensethat God said'Be' and he was.But in that sense
everythingistheword of Cod.Why then ishein particular
calledthe word of God?Because,asmanyscholarshave,
rightlyexplained,he camemore directlyasa resultof this
word. fesus is thus a loyal servantof God who never
claimedthat he wasin any sensedivine.
[M5'ida,V: 11&117f.
Messengersare entrusted,w€ said,with the task of
conveyingGod's word to other people.But this is not as
simpleasit looks.lt impliesmanythingswhicharenot at
firstsightclear,andwhichthe Qur'anthereforeexpounds
and elaborates.
The most importantpoint of which all Messengersare
reminded,andwhich isveryeasyto forgetor be heedless
of, is that sincetheir duty is only to conveythe message
they are not responsiblefor peoples'reactionto it, once
they havemadeit clearto them. God hasgivenmanthe
power to understandthe differencebetweentruth and
falsehood,especiallyin mattersreligious,once this has
beenexplainedto him.Cod hasalsogivenhim theability,
by reasonof his free-will,either to acceptor reiectthis
truth.And sinceit isonlyCod who knowswhatgoeson in
people'sminds,it isonly Hewho caniudgewho isworthy
of beingguidedandwho deservesto be leftgropingin the
-22-

26. dark; and it is Cod who accordingto this knowledge
guideswhom He will and withholdsHis guidancefrom
whom He will. A prophethasno suchpower,andcannot,
therefore, guide whom he loves. [Qasas,XXVlll: 56J.
"Thenremindthemthouareonlyonewhoreminds,thou
artnotchargedto overseethem."
[Chashiya,LXXXVIII:.21-221.
Heshouldnot,thereforefeelsadif peopleturnawayfrom
him, or impute{alsehoodsto hismessage[An'am,Vl: 33-
341.Butthisisa mostdifficultruleto abideby.We loveto
be acceptedby the communityin whichwe live;manyof
usmusthaveexperiencedthatstrangefeelingof sadness,
loneliness,andbeinglostwhenwecometo liveasafiensin
a newcommunity.We undergoa similarbut moreintense
feeling,whenasa resultof our intellectualconvictionswe
come to hold about life viewsthat areentirelydifferent
from thoseof our own community.One easyand usual
escapefrom the psychologicalandotherhardshipsof such
a life is to live in seclusionfrom society.Thosewho, for
somereasoncannotaffordsucha withdrawal,moreoften
thannot,sacrificeintelfectualhonestyfor conformitywith
their community.Prophetshaveof courseto live in the
midstof thepeopleforwhomtheyaresentandtheydo not
of coursego to the extentof betrayingtheir message.To
haveto clingtenaciouslyto thewordof Cod,andyetlivein
the midstof people,isperhapsthe greatestdifficultythey
haveto put up with.Thisismadeevidentbythe factthat
mostof the few occasionson whichthe Qur'anexpresses
Cod'sdisapprovalof a certainlineof behaviourtakenby
the ProphetMuhammadarerelatedto hisbeingsokeento
-73 -

27. win adherents as to verge on exceeding the desirable
limits.
"Yet perchanceif they believenot in this tiding' thgy
wilt consume thyself, following after them of grief"'
IKahf,XVlll:6].
"lndeed they were n'earto seducingthee from t{ratWe
revealed to thee, that thou mightest,forge againstUs
another,and then they would surelyhave takenthee as
a friend. And had We not confirmedthee, surelythou
were nearto inclining unto them a verylittle; then would
We havelet thee tastethe doubleof life and the double
of death; and then thou wouldsthavefound none to help
thee againstusr
[rsra,,xvlr: 73-741.
QADAR
The original meaning of the word Qadar is specified
measure or amount whether of quantities or qualities. lt
has many other usageswhich branch out from this core.
Thus yuqad-dir means,among other things, to measureor
decide the quantity, quality, position, etc. of something
before you actuallymake it. And it isthislattersensewhich
interestsus here.
"Cod isthe creatorof everything,but whateverHecreates,
He createswith qadar.
[Qamar,LIV: a9]
He knows before creating it, that He isgoing to create it
and that it shall be of such and such magnitude, quality or
nature etc. and specifiesthe time of its coming into being
and passingaway,and the placeof its occurrence. lf so,then
24-

28. onewho believesin thetrueGodshouldbelievethatthere
are no accidentsin nature. lf somethingdisagreeable
happensto him, he shouldsay,,Godqad-d-ara(or?ained),
and He did what He willed" and noi wastehimselfou*i
wishingthatit hadnot occurred,or worryingwhyitshould
occur.lf on the otherhandsomethingagreeablihappens
to him he should not boastof it, but thank God for it.
"No afffictionbefallsin theearthor in yourselves,but it
is in a Book, before We create it; that is easy for God; that
you may not trieve for what escapes you, nor rejoice
(vaingloriously)in what has been given to you, God ioves
not any man proud and boastful.',
[Hadid, tVtt: 23f.
lf 9od yuqad-d_ir.(predestines,predetermines etc.)
everything,thatincludesour socalledfreeactions.Butif so
in whatwaycan they be saidto be free,andhow arewe
responsibfe for them? This question occasioned the
appearance,at a veryearlyhistoryof lslam,of two extreme
theolo$icaf sects. One of them, called the eadariya,
assertedman'sfree will and responsibilityto the extenfof
denying God's foreknowledge,and cliiming that God
knowsour freemadeactionsonlyafterwe haveperformed
them.Theother, calledthelahriyya,did jusrthe opposite
and claimedthat there was no differencebetweenthe
motions of inanimatethingsand our movementsin
performingso-cafledfree actions,and thatwhen we use
intpntional languagewe speak only metaphorically
Butthereisnoneedtogoto suchextremes,sinceit isnot
difficult to reconcile Divine eadar and human
responsibility.cod decidedro createmanasa freeagenr,
but Heknows(andhowcanHenotknow?)beforecreating
-25-

29. everyman how he is going to usehisfreewill; what,for
instance,his reactionwould be when a Proph€tclarifies
cod's messageto him. This foreknowledge and its
registeringin i
'Book'iscalledQadar.
'Butif wearefreeto
ur; our *Iil' . Qadarimightsay,
'Wemayuseit inwaysthat
contradictGod;swill, and in that casewe would not be
right in claimingthat everythingis willed or decreedby
G;d.'The Qur'in answersthisquestionby remindingus
thatit wasGod who willed thatwe shallbewilful,andit is
He who allowsusto useour will.
"Surely,thisisa Reminder;sohewhowill,takesuntohis
Lorda way,butyouwill notunlessGodwills'"
flnsan,LXXVI:29-30J.
'lf so',saysa Qadari,
'He could havepreventedusfrom
doing evil.' YesindeedHe could.
..Hadcod willed,Hewouldhavebroughtthemalltogether
to theguidance;if thy Lordhadwilledwhoeverisin the
earthiould havebelieved,all of them,all together."
[Yunus,X:991.
"Had God willed,theywerenot idolaters;andwe havenot
appointedtheea watcheroverthem neitherart thou their
guardian." .' [An'am,Vl: 1071.
But He had willed that men shall be free especiallyin
regard to matfers of belief and disbelief.
say:
',The truth is from your Lord; so let whosoeverwill
believe,and let whosoeverwill disbelieve."
[Kahf,XVlll: 291.
But men would not be so free if whenever any of them
wills to do evil God prevents him from doing it and
-26-

30. compelshim to do good.
"lf our actionsarewilledby Cod," someonemightsay,
"then theyarein factHisactions."Thisobjectionii based
on a confusion.cod wills what we wilr in the senseof
g.rantingusthe will to chooseandenablingusto execute
thatwill i.e.Hecreatesallthatmakesitposslbleforustodo
it. He doesnot will it in the senseof doing.it,otherwiseit
would be quitein orderto say,whenwe drinkor eator
sleepfor instance,thatGod performedtheseactions.cod
createsthem, He doesnot do or performthem.Another
objection,basedon another confusion,is that if Cod
allowsusto do evil,thenHeapprovesof it andrikesit.But
to will somethingin thesenseof allowingapersonto do it
isonething;andto approveof hisactionandcommendit,
isquiteanorher.Nore*erythingthatcod wiilsHelikes.He
has,aswe havejust readin the eur'an, grantedmanthe
choicebetwenbeliefand disbelief,but He doesnot, of
course,like men to disbefieve(to be thankless).
"ff you are unthankfufl, cod isindependent of you. yet He
approvesnot unthankfulnessin Hisservants;but if you are
thankful, He will approve it in you.,,
[Zumar, XXXIX:71.
coNctustoNs
Thesein resumeare the basictruths to which the
ProphetMuhammadinvitedhispeople.Thebesrproof-
besidesthe foregoingarguments- of theirbeingtruths,
andveryimportantrruthsfor man,isthegoodeffeitwhich
theyproducein man'sinternalstate,andthushisoutward
behaviour.we havealready,in dealingwithbeliefin cod,
pointed to some of the feelingstowardsHim, brought
-27

31. about by belief in His existence and His attributes of
perfection.
since man's attitude in relation to his fellow-human
beings is very much connected with his attitude towards
Godithat befief in God with resulting feelingstowards the
Divine,isbound to produce in man'sheartfeelingstowards
other men that aie appropriate to it. And since man's
outward behaviour regarding God and other men is
S*i"L,.d, by his real b-"tietsibout and feelingstowards
in*., it isoniy to be expectedof true religionto callfor a
setof behaviourthat is both a naturaloutcome of itssetof
beliefsand a factor of strengtheningthem. The internal
stateto which Muhammad invited men is called
'lmin'
(faithor belief).Theexternalbehaviourbasedon it iscalled
islam.At the Makkan period he concentratedmostly on
the first,without entirelyneglectingthe second,which he
elaboratedat Madina when the firstMuslim independent
community was formed. Even at Makka the Prophet
Muhammjd *.r directed by God to invite people to the
following actsof worship and moral behaviour'
1. To keep their faith aliveand strengthenit Muslims
were told to recite the Qur'an and study it carefully,to
learn from the Prophet and say asoften as possible,and
speciallyon somespecifiedoccasions,certainprayers'and
to p*rforrn prayer in the manner which Cabriel
demonstratedio in" Prophet.All this is salatin its widest
sense.
2. After salat,the servingof cod, comes zakit which in
itsbroadestsenseincludesanyactof serviceto other men'
Being good to men is the fruit and therefore the proof of
the tiee of faith.He isnot truthful who harmsmen and yet
28-

32. claimsto believein and love Cod.
"Hastthou seenhim who doesnot beli€vein retribution
(inthe hereafter)?thatishewho repulsestheorphanand
urgesnot the feedingof the needy.so woe to thosethat
prayand areheedlessof theirprayers,to thosewho make
displayand refusecharity."
[Ma'un,CVllJ.
The firstthree versesof thissurawere revealedat Makka
and the rest at Madina. The Madinan versesspeakabout
the hypocrites who perform outward actsof worship that
do not originatefrom anysincerefaith.Buttheir behaviour
betraysthem, since it is the same as that of the Makkan
professedunbelievers.
Followingarea few examplesof Zakit which the eur,an
advocatedat this early period.
Acquisition of wealth for its own sakeor so that it may
increasethe worth of its collector is condemned. Mere
acquisitionof wealthcountsnothing in the sightof cod. lt
does not give man any merit whether here or in the
hereafter.
"Who gatheredrichesand countedthem over thinking
that hisricheshavemadehim immortal."
[Humaza,CIV:2-3J.
Those"who amassedand hoarded" wealthin thislifeare
to be calledin the hereafterby a furnacethat'scathesaway
the scalp' [Mu'arij, LXX:15-18].Wealth for itsown sakeis
among the vicesof men which can be eradicatedonly by
the kind of belief and practiceswhich Muhammad taught.
[Ma'arij, LXX: 19-27].
Man should acquire wealth with the intention of
spending it on his own needs,and the needs of others.
-29-

33. "Man, the Prophettellsus,says:
'My wealth!My wealth!'
Haveyouanywealthexceptthatwhichyouwearandtear,
eat and coniu.e up, give as almsand thus preserve?"
Wealthshouldbe spenton theneedy(specially-iftheyare
parentsor relatives),on orphansandthosewho askowing
to poverty,on the freeing of slavesetc. The following
verseswereamongthe earliestthatwereaddressedto the
Prophet.
"Asfortheorphan,donotopPresshim,asforthebeggar,
scoldhimnot."
[Dhuha,x.lll: 9-10]
Among the qualitiesthatcharacterizea true beliewr is
the luali-ty of giving the negdyand the outcast'astheir
right,a specifiJdpdrtionof hiswealth.[Ma'irii, LXX:24-
251.
th*r" is on the way to successin the hereafter a steep
path that can be attempted only by one who performs
the following deeds:
"Thefreeingof aslave,or givingfood uponadayofhunger
to an orphJn nearof kin or a needyman in misery"
And then
,,becomeof thosewhobelieveandcouncileachotherto be
steadfast,andcounseleachotherto be merciful"'
IBalad,XC:13-17J.
Besideshelping his fellowmen in this way man should
also be truthful and honest with them and fulfil his
promises to them. IMa'arij, LXX: 32-33] Hq should not
infringe upon rheir rightsespeciallythoseof life ILXXX:8-
91,and of decency.IMa'irij, LXX:29-31]''That
briefly, is
-
the message which Muhammad
addressedto his Makkan audience.
-30-

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