By Sulaiman Tijani, Contributor 
About two million Muslim pilgrims attend prayer in Mecca, Saudi Arabia last month. - Reuters
OVER THE past two weeks we have been enlightening you all on the religion of Islam and the beliefs of its followers, Muslims. As we already know ISLAM is a religion meaning peace and submission to the will of the creator and those who submit to Allah are known as MUSLIMS.
ARTICLES OF FAITH
Along with the five pillars of Islam there are six principles that a Muslim believes in. These are:
1. Allah, the One and Only God
A Muslim believes in ONE GOD, Supreme and Eternal, Infinite and Mighty, Merciful and Compassionate, Creator and Provider. God has neither father nor mother, neither sons nor was He fathered, none equal to Him. He is God of all mankind, not of a special tribe or race. God is High and Supreme but He is very near to the pious thoughtful believers; God is the Loving, the Provider, the Rich, the Independent, His attributes are many and are mentioned in the Quran.
2. Messengers and Prophets of God
A Muslim believes in all the Messengers and Prophets of God without any discrimination. All messengers were mortals, endowed with Divine revelations and appointed by God to teach mankind. The Holy Qur'an mentions the names of 25 messengers and prophets and states that there are others. These include Adam, Noah, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. Their messages were the same, Islam, and it came from One and the Same Source; God, and it is to submit to His will and to obey His law; i.e., to become a Muslim.
3. Revelations and the Quran
A Muslim believes in all scriptures and revelations of God, as they were complete and in their original versions. Allah, the Creator, has not left man without guidance for the conduct of his life. Revelations were given to guide the people to the right path of Allah and sent down to selected people, the prophets and messengers, to convey it to their fellow men. The message of all the prophet and messengers is the same. They all asked the people of their time to obey and worship Allah and none other. Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad who were revealed their own book of Allah, were sent at different times to bring back straying human beings from deviation to the right course. The Quran is the sacred book of the Muslims. It is the last book of guidance from Allah, sent down to Muhammad, peace be upon him, through the angel Jibraeel (Gabriel). Every word of it is the word of Allah. It was revealed over a period of 23 years in the Arabic language. It contains 114 Surahs (chapters) and over 6000 verses. The Quran's teachings cover all areas of this life (in terms of science, law, man's nature etc.) and the life after death. It contains principles, doctrines and directions for every sphere of human life. The Quran is unrivalled in its recording and preservation. The astonishing fact about this book of Allah is that it has remained unchanged even to a dot over the past fourteen hundred years. No scholar has questioned the fact that the Quran today is the same as it was revealed. Allah is protecting it from being lost, corrupted or concealed.
4. The Angels
There are purely spiritual and splendid beings created by Allah. They require no food or drink or sleep. They have no physical desires nor material needs. Angels spend their time in the service of Allah. Angels cannot be seen by the naked eyes. Knowledge and the truth are not entirely confined to sensory knowledge or sensory perception alone.
5. The Day of Judgement
A Muslim believes in the Day of Judgement. This world as we know it will come to an end, and the dead will rise to stand for their final and fair trial. On that day, all men and women from Adam to the last person will be resurrected from the state of death for judgement. Everything we do, say, intend and think are accounted for and kept in accurate records. They are brought up on the Day of Judgement, Allah and Allah alone knows the time of the day of judgement.
6. Qadaa and Qadar (Destiny)
A Muslim believes in Qadaa and Qadar, which relate to the ultimate power of Allah. Qadaa and Qadar mean the Timeless Knowledge of Allah and His power to plan and execute His plans. A Muslim believes that no event takes place by luck but according to the exact knowledge of Allah (Destiny).
ISLAM is the only religion for man. "And whosoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him--" (Qur'an 3:85)
- Sources: Sayyid Abu Al- 'Ala Maududi, Islam: Its
Meaning and Message
Islam, An Introduction: Dr. Mohammed Ibrahim Elmasry
