The Role of Islamic Aqidah and its Impact on the Lives of Muslims

ATTAHIR SHEHU MAINIYO1

Department of Islamic Studies,

Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto

+234 806 0060 197/ +234 809 4069 941 attahirmainiyo@gmail.com

Abstract:
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW2) was sent to guide people to happiness in the
both lives. The Prophet guided by Allah through the Qur’an and Hadith, used different
methods to achieve his message to humankind. Qur’anic narratives were among the main
methods used by the Prophet Muhammad (saw) to achieve and deliver knowledge to his
followers. The Qur'anic narratives however, came in different types such as Prophets'
narratives and that of other saintly people. These narratives occupied one third of the
Qur’an. The first requirement therefore for a person who has accepted Islam as his way of
life is to understand and accept certain teachings or elements of knowledge that one can
know only from revelation. These are called the creed or Aqidah. The correct Aqidah has
been revealed by all the Prophets, but most precisely in the Qur'an and Sunnah of the
Prophet Muhammad. It is therefore in line with this background that this paper intends to
address the Role of Islamic Aqidah and its Impact on the Lives of Muslims. The paper
stresses the importance of correct Aqidah as well as how religiously it influences the lives
of Muslims.

Keywords: Role, Islamic, Aqidah, Impact, Muslims

1
Introduction:

The Islamic Aqidah as taught by the early generations of Muslims and by the

great scholars who demonstrated their piety and true understanding of Islam is religiously

required and something to emulate for a practicing Muslim. Aqidah, in Islam, therefore is

both ideology and practice as it takes one away from polytheism. The main aim of

Islamic Aqidah is to make one believe and acknowledge the existence and unity of Allah,

the most High. Based on the ongoing, it is incumbent upon every Muslim to know the

correct Islamic Aqidah, understand it properly and then believe it in the light of how the

Prophet's Companions (RA)3 understood and believed in it. In fact, if this is, properly

done, one will be free from the bondage of servitude to other than Allah thereby

accepting and following the divine laws brought by Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

All these cannot be adequately grasped until one understands and knows the

meaning of Aqidah from the Islamic viewpoint. It is however, the intent of this paper to

address Islamic Aqidah, Aqidah from Qur'an perspective, its components and

characteristics. Addressed also in the paper is the role and impact of Islamic Aqidah on

the lives of Muslims and finally conclusion follows.

Definition and Scope of Islamic Aqidah

Islamic Scholars, of varying degree of knowledge, have defined the word Aqidah

from Qur'anic and Hadith perspectives. The word Aqidah and its derivatives are

constantly repeated by people in their day to day dealings and conversations. Thus; we

used to hear people saying 'I believe in such and such or so and so's belief is sound. The

Islamic Aqidah is the strongest cause for the great Islamic victories in every time and

place.

2
 However, what we should be concerned with here is what this word means in

Arabic and concept of Aqidah in Islam? Aqidah therefore, is the thing which peoples'

hearts affirm and believe in, i.e. the things that they accept as true. It then means matters

that are held as certain beliefs, with no taint of doubt 4. One of the derivated terms is

Uqood which signifies the strongest covenant as explained in the Qur'anic verse 5. More

so, in Islam Al-Aqidah (belief) is the counterpart of Shari'ah, because Islam is made up of

Aqidah and Shari'ah. So Shari'ah means the practical duties enjoined by Islam about acts

of worship of a Muslim and his dealings with others 6. It also stresses firm creed that one's

heart is fixed upon without any wavering or doubt as mentioned above 7. It excludes any

supposition or doubt. Similarly, the Qur'an gives this serious matter the name Iman as

explained in the following Qur'anic verse:

And thus We have sent to you (O Muhammad SAW)

Ruhan (an Inspiration, and a Mercy) of Our Command.
You knew not what the Book is, nor what is Faith? But
We have made it (this Qur'an) a light wherewith We
guide whosoever of Our slaves We will. And verily, you
(O Muhammad SAW) are indeed guiding (mankind) to
the Straight Path (i.e. Allah's religion of Islamic
Monotheism)8.
The root of Islamic Aqidah, therefore, denotes a firm and unwavering faith which

will never be opened to any sort of doubt by its beholder. This is by way of believing in

Allah and what is due to Him of worship and obedience, His Angels, Scriptures,

Prophets/Messengers, Last day as well as Allah's predestination -Al-Qada.9 In the Hadith

of Jibril (AS10), the Prophet explained the pillars of Aqidah (faith) in which every Muslim

must believe, when he was asked, "What is iman?", and he replied, "To believe in Allah,

His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day and predestination of good and

evil11.

3
 We must infer, at this juncture, that it is obligatory for every Muslim to know

these pillars and to learn them with a correct understanding and believe in them. One will

not be considered to be a bonafied Muslim just by knowing and understanding these

pillars until one comes to the level where one submits and implements what is described,

in the Hadith of Jibril as Iman.

Aqidah from Qur'anic Perspective

There is no book on earth which explains the true history of religious belief,

Aqidah, than the Book of Allah which provides abundant knowledge of this topic. Human

knowledge, as argued by Ashqar12, cannot attain this level of abundant knowledge for

several reasons. One of these reasons, according to him, is the fact that what we know of

history about five thousand years is very little, that of ten thousand years is even less

noting that anything earlier than this is regarded as entirely as unknown.

Islamic Aqidah occupies a prominent position in Islam. This position made it

supersedes all other devotional practices. Thus, the essence of Islamic Aqidah was

revealed to all the Prophets and Messengers of Allah and was ordained to all mankind

and Jins to accept and follow its teachings and practice it in accordance with the

illustrations demonstrated by Allah's Prophet. It is therefore, as old as the first generation

of mankind. This is considering the fact that Adam (AS) came down to earth and from his

progeny Almighty Allah procreated a nation which believed in pure Tauhid and followed

the true religion of Islam13 but later they drifted away from the path of monotheism.

4
 This deviation that emerged started with the exaggeration and veneration of

righteous people by raising them to the status of semi gods and finally worships them 14.

This was the first deviation from the correct Islamic Aqidah in human history. Yet, the

eminence of this Aqidah is what made it occupy the first position in Islam as was

cogently noted in the following Qur'anic verse:

And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but
Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one of
them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not
to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them but
address them in terms of honor15.
Almighty Allah then elucidates in another verse saying:

And verily, We have sent among every Ummah

(community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming):
"Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from)
Taghut (all false deities, etc. i.e. do not worship Taghut
besides Allah)." Then of them were some whom Allah
guided and of them were some upon whom the straying
was justified. So travel through the land and see what the
end of those who denied the truth was16.
In another place He says:

And I (Allah) created not the Jinns and humans except

that they should worship Me (Alone)17.
In yet another verse He mentions:

Say (O Muhammad SAW): "Come, I will recite what

your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in
worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents;
kill not your children because of poverty - We provide
sustenance for you and for them; come not near to Al-
Fawahish (shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse, etc.)
whether committed openly or secretly, and kill not
anyone whom Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause
(according to Islamic law). This He has commanded you
that you may understand...18

5
 Ibn Mas'ud19, one of the greatest among the Prophet's Companions while

commenting on this verse, expatiates that whosoever intends to look at the Prophet's will,

which was on his Prophetic stamp, should read the statement of Almighty Allah and then

quoted the immediate verse above20. Equally, Mu'adh Ibn Jabal, a great companion as

well was reported to have stated thus ‘1 was riding behind the Messenger of Allah on his

donkey when he said to me, 'O Mu'adh! Do you know the right Allah has on the slaves

(mankind) and the right the slaves (mankind) have on Allah?' 1 said, 'Allah and His

Messenger know best.' He said, 'Allah's right on the slaves, is that they worship Him

alone and associate none with Him in the worship. The slaves' right on Allah is that He

will not punish those who associate none with Him in the worship.21

Moreover, the Prophet Muhammad was reported to have instructed Mu'adh Ibn

Jabal (RA), when he was sent to Yemen as governor, that:

Verily, you would reach a community of the people of

the Book. The very first thing you should call them to is
the worship of Allah. When they become fully aware of
Allah, instruct them that He has enjoyed upon them five
prayers during their days and night22.
It has to be noted here that the first duty upon every Muslim is to acquaint himself

with the knowledge of correct Aqidah before knowing other devotional practices. It was

in line with this that most of the Islamic scholars, if not all, begin their works with

chapters and sections on Aqidah before any point of concern23. Worship therefore in

Islam is entirely centered on one's acceptable and firm Aqidah as well as the belief in all

that the Prophet brought to us. With this in mind, one believes that none shall be

worshiped, truly, except Allah, the creator of earth and heavens and all that exist between

them. Almighty Allah explains thus:

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 ...the command (or the judgment) is for none but Allah.
He has commanded that you worship none but Him (i.e.
His Monotheism), that is the (true) straight religion, but
most men know not24
The verse above signifies that Allah's injunctions and His Prophet must be

accepted and obeyed, whole heartedly, without any reservation whatsoever. No one can

modify or alter those injunctions or making new laws that are contrary to the stipulated

Islamic rules. However, one must submit at this juncture, that a healthy and sound mind

must acknowledge the fact that understanding and knowing the Aqidah has the potential

of getting remedies to societal problems bedeviling their human and resource progress.

For instance, if a business man believes and applies the teachings of Islamic Aqidah on

business transaction, he would shun all sharp practices and illegalities that form part of

our business today.

In the same vein, had all the Muslims today abided by the teachings of Islamic

Aqidah particularly on the belief of the day of requital, theirs would have become a

different and a better society whose acts of worship and mutual relationship with their

fellow mankind will be a great thing of joy. This is because they believe that whatever

they do, big or small, they will be made to account for it before Allah on the day when

shall a man flee from his brother. That day everyman will have enough to make him

careless of others25. This, in fact, will serve as a catalyst for every Muslim to attain

salvation which he/she longs for. In a nutshell, the teachings of Islamic Aqidah could play

an important role in shaping and changing the life of contemporary Muslims as well as

solving problems they were faced with in the areas of social, political, cultural and

economic spheres of life.

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 If we really intend to be guided by the Glorious Qur’an, we must believe that it

was revealed to make plain to us what we are expected to believe and practise with a

view to pleasing Allah in the life of this world and attain salvation in the life after death.

We should, however, bend our desires to submit to the dictates of the Qur'an rather than

bending its rules and regulations to suit our purposes. Almighty Allah has repeatedly

explained in the Glorious Qur’an that making our desires submit before its dictates is

crucial to seeking its guidance. Similarly, anyone who is not contented with the Islamic

Aqidah and all its components will be subjected to infirmity of faith and will find himself

confused and full of doubt, being neither an accepting believer nor a denying rejecter26.

Components of Islamic Aqidah

The basic components of Islamic Aqidah were fully discussed in the Glorious

Qur'an. These components have to be well comprehended by a well meaning Muslim to

enable him understand the true Islamic religion. All Muslims therefore, are commanded

by Almighty Allah (swt) to believe in them as in the following Qur'anic verse:

The Messenger (Muhammad SAW) believes in what has

been sent down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the
believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His
Books, and His Messengers. They say, "We make no
distinction between one another of His Messengers" -
and they say, "We hear, and we obey. (We seek) Your
Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all)27.
However, the Prophet Muhammad, in an effort to shed more light on the meaning

of the verse above, described this belief in a famous Hadith of Jibril (AS) 28. So, the

Aqidah in Islam refers to those matters in knowledge which have been transmitted in

authentic reports from Allah and His Messenger and which a Muslim must believe in

with all his heart.

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 One important thing, to note here is that this component will never consolidate the

Aqidah of a Muslim until they are firmly rooted with no iota of doubt in the mind. In case

there is element of doubt then they are merely conjecture but not the Aqidah. This is

evident in the verse of the Qur'an where Almighty Allah emphasizes that:

Only those are the believers who have belief in Allah

and His Messenger, and afterward doubt not but strive
with their wealth and their lives for the Cause of Allah.
Those! They are the truthful29.
It is pertinent to know that the Iman (faith) for which Allah praised people30 is a

counterpart of Aqidah belief. This is because the Aqidah forms the foundation and the

basis for Iman. So, they are synonymous to one another so much so that once Aqidah is

established firmly in the heart it clings to it and it hardly departs from it. It is verbally

declared and pronounced by the believer in whose heart this Aqidah takes firm roots. His

belief and declaration are confirmed by his actions conforming to the dictates of that

Aqidah. It is to be understood that the belief which takes its root in the heart but has no

visible manifestation is an empty and invalid belief and hence does not deserve to be

called Aqidah. In an effort to digest this point, one may recall that Satan, Iblis, knows the

truth with certainty; he knows Allah, the Messengers and the Books but yet opposes the

truth even after his full knowledge of it.

Another instance is that of Pharaoh, Fir'awn, who was certain that the miracles

brought by Musa (AS) were indeed from Allah. Yet he denied them out rightly and

arrogantly as elucidated in the Qur'an31. Undoubtedly, Iman will no longer exist if Aqidah

is taken away as well as devotional practices (deeds) are neglected, in part or in whole;

then Iman will be drastically reduced or entirely destroyed.

9
 Characteristics of Islamic Aqidah

Aqidah requires strong and firm faith that bears the fruits of truthful statements,

righteous actions, love in the Cause of Allah, sincerity in performing Tauhid and

obedience to Allah's Messenger. Furthermore, Aqidah requires strong resolve, liveliness,

vigor, endurance and dedicating the heart to what it finds hard, the obedience of Allah

and restraining the inner self from what it covets and is a disobedience of Allah. There

are characteristics of Aqidah that Allah has mentioned in His Book and His Messenger

detailed in his Sunnah such as fear of Allah, loving and obeying Him and His Messenger

etc as can be seen in the following Qur’anic verses:

The believers are only those who, when Allah is

mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His
Verses (this Qur'an) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the
Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in
their Lord (Alone); Who perform As-Salat (Iqamatas
Salat) and spend out of that We have provided them. It
is they who are the believers in truth. For them are
grades of dignity with their Lord, and Forgiveness and a
generous provision (Paradise)32.

According to this verse, fear of Allah is one of the greatest characteristics of

Islamic Aqidah. The manifestation of one's Aqidah could easily be seen in the level of

how one fears Allah in all his/her dealings. This, as suggested by the above verse, is the

first stage one can attain as far as one's Aqidah is concerned. While the second is the

increase in one's faith, Iman whenever the Qur'anic verses are recited. Another important

characteristic of Aqidah is performing the obligatory prayer as at when due. However,

praying at the appointed time as stressed in the verse is important. It is followed by

spending from what Allah has provided for one. Establishing all these is definitely a

reflection of true belief as well as sound Aqidah. Almighty Allah also continues to

enunciate in another verse that:

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 And whenever there comes down a Surah (chapter from
the Qur'an), some of them (hypocrites) say: "Which of
you has had his Faith increased by it?" As for those who
believe, it has increased their Faith, and they rejoiced.
But as for those in whose hearts is a disease (of doubt,
disbelief and hypocrisy), it will add suspicion and doubt
to their suspicion, disbelief and doubt, and they die
while they are disbelievers. See they not that they are
tried once or twice every year (with different kinds of
calamities, disease, famine, etc.)? Yet, they turn not in
repentance, nor do they learn a lesson (from it)33.
In fact, there are basic questions that need to be answered if one carefully

scrutinizes the above verses. Such questions include among other things; who amongst

the contemporary Muslims has these characteristics mentioned above? Who amongst the

contemporary Muslims feels fear in his/her heart because of Allah and honors His

remembrance when He is mentioned? Who amongst the contemporary Muslims has

his/her faith increased and rejoices when the Áyat of his/her Lord are recited to him/her?

Who amongst the contemporary Muslims feels the delight of believing in the Áyat and

applying their laws? Who amongst the contemporary Muslims truly trusts in Allah? Who

amongst the contemporary Muslims performs the prayer as it should be performed,

perfect1y and on time? Who amongst the contemporary Muslims gives from what Allah

has granted him/her by paying the Zakat and helping the needy, the re1atives and the

poor?

Impact of Islamic Aqidah on the Lives of Muslims

Regrettably the conditions of contemporary Muslims are almost deteriorating.

Hence, many of them do not realize the importance of practicing their Islamic Aqidah or

Iman except those whom Allah wills among them to have his Aqidah sound and reflected

in his deeds. In fact, a section of them veer from the right path and thereby ran into

shortcomings, particularly, as regards the fulfillment of Allah's right, as well as his duties

11
towards his fellow Muslims. The impact of this, however, appears on many contemporary

Muslims who feel doubt and confusion in their hearts about the belief in the articles of

faith, especially, the belief in the Hereafter. This has, no doubt, impacted on their day to

day activities as many would commit major sins, apart from minor ones that they are

already involved with as if there will be no day to which all of us will account for his/her

deeds before Allah who misses out nothing our deeds without record.

Considering the non-challant attitudes of many contemporary Muslims one is

forced to believe that their hearts move not whenever the name of Allah is mentioned.

Their Iman never increase when the Qur'anic verses are recited to them. Instead, they

increase in wickedness, sins as well as mocking the Allah's Ayat. If therefore, the

contemporary Muslims will conduct their lives in accordance with the dictates of Islamic

Aqidah a meaningful and sustainable developments in all their endeavors will be greatly

achieved. Obeying Allah and His Messenger is a great pillar in Islamic Aqidah. This is

because in obeying Allah and His Messenger a believer reminds himself of his faith and

good qualities that direct him to answer Allah's order and that of His Prophet with full

acceptance and submission as this Qur'anic verse enjoins:

O you who believe! Answer Allah (by obeying Him) and

(His) Messenger when he (SAW) calls you to that which
will give you life, and know that Allah comes in
between a person and his heart (i.e. He prevents an evil
person to decide anything). And verily to Him you shall
(all) be gathered34.
We can observe in this noble Ayah the way and manner in which Almighty Allah

addresses His believing slaves as 'O you who believe!' which is the best and most

honored description. Allah drew the attention of believing Muslims on the need to remain

on the straight path (of Islam) and be steadfast on what He has legislated as brought by

12
His Messenger at all circumstances. Those who accept and live by the dictates enshrined

by Islamic Shari'ah will live a beautiful life enlightened by the light of Aqidah which

resides in the heart. It did not only stop here but in the next life they will live for eternity

and enjoy the everlasting delight.35 Allah, the exalted has commanded the Muslims to

obey Him and His Messenger warning that refusal to heed His call will divert one from

the right, straight and true path. All responsible Muslims the world over are required to

love what Allah and His Messenger love and hate what He hates so that they acquire

success, great happiness and paradise. The attainment of the grade of faithful can only be

acquired if one loves and hates what Allah and His Messenger love and hate. Taking this

into cognizance, none will earn true faith (Aqidah) until one loves the Messenger of Allah

more than any other among mankind, including one's family, offspring and all other men

and women. In one of his traditions, the Prophet was reported to have said:

None of you shal1 attain Faith until I become dearer to

him than his own self, his offspring, his parents and all
other people36

This Hadith has made it clear that true love requires true following as well as

adherence to the teachings of Islam and this has been captured in one of the Qur'anic

verse37 where Allah explained that if one really loves Him one must follow His

Messenger38. To further buttress what has been revealed in the Qur'an on the love of

Allah and His Messenger, Prophet Muhammad was reported to have expatiated that:

Whoever possesses the following three qualities will

taste the sweetness (delight) of faith: the one to whom
Allah and His Messenger are dearer than anything else,
the one who loves a person and he loves him only for
Allah's sake, and whoever hates to revert to disbelief,
after Allah has saved him from it, as he hates to be
thrown into the Fire39

13
 Love and or hatred as digested in the above Hadith, behove Muslims, especially

the contemporary ones, to adhere to its practical implications through which the correct

Aqidah will be established. And if anyone does anything which contradicts the dictates of

the divine law, then one has not yet attained the standard of Aqidah. Similarly, Muslims

should be aware of the negative impact of not having a sound and complete Islamic

Aqidah which may lead to misguidance in the true Islamic teachings40.

Conclusion:

Conclusively, the importance of Islamic Aqidah can be attested to considering the

fact that Allah ordered us to adhere strictly to His religion, be firm on it and warned us

against abandoning it41. In order to curtail the danger of falling into the path of

misguidance, Muslims should know that there is a devil on the path which leads to Allah

whose sole objective is to misguide them. This devil would systematically do everything

possible to deter anyone who aspires to follow the path of truth. It is pertinent for one

therefore to observe utmost patience and reaffirm his commitment to following the

straight path and continuously cultivate the knowledge of Aqidah. Thus, one might

perform apparently the acts of worship as Muslims do but he may not possess the correct

Aqidah and eventually he would fall into serious misgivings and confusion regarding

what negates one's faith42. Sadly enough, this has become prevalent among the Muslims

who adequate knowledge of Islam and its Aqidah. True Muslims should submit to Allah's

Islamic monotheism with a view to obeying Him and eradicate any forms of Shirk.

14
Endnotes

15
1
Is a Lecturer I in the Department of Islamic Studies, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto-Nigeria
2
SAW is used throughout this paper to mean Sallal Lahu 'Alaihi wa Sallam, which in English means Peace be upon him.
3
RA as used throughout this work denotes Radiyal Lahu Anhu.
4
U.M. Al-Ashqar, Islamic Creed Series 1, Translated by Nasiruddin al-Khattab, International Islamic Publishing House, 2005,
P. 29
5
Qur'an 5:1
6
U.M. Al-Ashqar, Op. cit, P. 30.
7
S. Sabiq, Aqa'id al-Islam, Dar al-Kutub al-Hadithiyya, 1976, P.8
8
Qur'an 42:52
9
S. Fawzan, Muhadarat fi al-Aqidah wa al-Da'wah, Idarat al-Buhuth al-Ilmiyyat wa al-Ifta', Riyadh, Vol. 1, 1422 AH, P. 11
10
AS as used in this work refers to AlaiHis Salam
11
Hadith,
12
U.S. Ashqar, Belief in Allah, Op. cit, P. 411
13
Qur'an 2:213
14
Qur'an 71:23
15
Qur'an 17:23
16
Qur'an 16:36
17
Qur'an 51:56
18
Qur'an 6:151-153
19
He is Abd Allah bin Mas'ud Abu Abd Al-Rahman, died 32 years AH. One of the Companions of the Prophet who attended
the battles of Badr, Uhud and Khandaq..
20
Abd Al-Rahman Hasan 'Ali Shaykh, Fath al-Majid Sharh Kitab al-Tauhid, Mu'assasat al-Mukhtar, (nd), P. 31
21
Sahih al-Bukhari. Vol. 2, Hadith No, 87
22
A.H. Siddiqi, Sahih al-Muslim, Dar al-Arabia, Lebanon, 1971, Vol. 1, ch. 2, Hadith no. 4, P. 3
23
A.A. Bala, The Importance of Aqidah In Islam, in Studies In Islam Series 4, A Journal of Islamic Sciences and Muslim
Development, 2011, Pp. 131-132,
24
Qur'an 12:40
25
Qur'an 80:34-37
26
Abu Ja'far al-Tahawi al-Misri, Al-Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah, (np), Pp. 5-8
27
Qur'an 2:285
28
Sahih Al-Bukhari, Vol 1, Hadith no 114
29
Qur'an 49:15
30
Qur'an 23:1, 2:5 and 23:10-11
31
Qur'an 27:14
32
Qur'an 8:2-4
33
Qur'an 9:124-126
34
Qur'an 8:24
35
Qur'an 16:31
36
Sahih Al-Bukhary, Op. cit, Vol.1, P.14
37
Qur'an 9:24
38
Qur'an 3:31
39
Sahih Al-Bukhary, Op. cit, Vol. 1, P.14
40
Qur'an 6:153
41
Qur'an 2:217
42
Abdulmalik Mujahid, Selected Friday Sermons, Dar Al-Salam Publishers and Distributors, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, P. 115