Beliefs of Islam(Lecture:2)

1. Concept of Oneness of Allah

2. Self-Purification
Belief:
• Imaan is an Islamic term usually translated as “belief or faith” and is
often used to refer to the strength of conviction in a Muslim. This
refers to faith in Islam requiring a “belief in the unseen”, and the one
who has such faith is called a Mo’min.
• Belief is one of the greatest and the most necessary of Allah’s gifts. To
have faith means to believe in Allah’s word and then act upon it.
Hence, belief plus action equals faith. If we lack faith, it is because we
do not fully trust in Allah and His word.
• Belief is a relation which connects man to his Creator. Man through
the light of belief, attains to the highest degree of perfection and
requires a value worthy of pleasure of Allah Almighty; & Paradise.
Cont…
➢There are five articles of faith of Islam, enumerated in many verses of
the Holy Qur’an and sayings of Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAWW).
These are :
1.Believe in Oneness of Allah
2. Believe in Messengers/Prophets
3. Believe in Angels
4. Believe in Divine Books
5. Believe in the Hereafter/Day of judgement or resurrection.
References:
The Holy Qur’an describes it as under:

ََٰ ِ‫َٰوالنَّبِي‬
(Al Baqarah:177)‫ي‬ ِ
‫اب‬َِ ‫ْم ََلئِ َك ِةَٰوال‬
‫ت‬ ‫ْك‬ َٰ ‫ل‬‫ا‬‫َٰو‬‫ر‬ِ ِ ‫َٰاْل‬
‫خ‬ ْ ‫م‬ِ‫و‬ ‫ْي‬
‫ل‬ ‫ا‬‫َٰو‬ َِّ ‫َِٰب‬
‫َّلل‬ ِ ‫ن‬‫َٰآم‬ ‫ن‬‫َٰم‬ ‫ِْب‬ِ ‫ل‬‫َٰا‬ ‫ن‬
َّ ِ َ‫وَٰل‬
‫ك‬
َ َ َ َ َْ َ ََ َْ َّ َ
“The virtue is the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels,
the Book and the Prophets.”

The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:

“Imaan is to affirm your faith in Allah, His Angels , His Books, His
Messengers, the Last Day; and to believe in the (divine) Destiny
whether it be good or bad.”(Al-sahi Al-Bukhari)
1.Concept of Oneness of
Allah
Cont…
• The first belief in Islam is to believe in existence of Allah and have
faith in His Oneness i.e, Tawheed.
• Etymology/literal meaning of Tawheed is, that it is derived from
“Ahad” which means One and Unique.it serves as the vehicle for the
basic concept of oneness/unity, along with the closely related ideas of
singularity and oneness.
‫لا َل ََٰ َا َل ٱ ال َ ٱ اا‬
• ‘Laa Ilaaha Illa Allah’َّٰ‫ال‬ ‫ َا‬is the base of Imaan, it means that
there is no deity except Allah. Allah is the most often conceived of as
the super natural Creator and Overseer of the whole universe.
Cont…
➢Belief in the existence of Allah as Creator, protector and preserver of
the universe is the pivot on which entire world of Faith revolves.
History, scriptures and other religious documents all over the world
denote that faith in Allah has existed everywhere from the earliest
days.
➢ It is to believe that Allah is the only Creator, Sustainer, King, and
Planner of everything in existence.
➢The signs of Allah are scattered all over the earth and the skies for
those who care to see. In fact, man himself is a vast wonder house of
Divine workmanship. The Holy Qur’an speaks in this wonderful,
challenging manner:
Quranic Arguments about the Existence of God

(Al-Ikhlas:4)َٰ‫َح ُد‬
‫أ‬ َٰ‫ا‬‫و‬ ‫ف‬ ‫ك‬ َٰ‫ه‬ َّ
‫ل‬ َٰ‫ن‬ ‫ك‬ ‫َٰي‬ ‫َل‬َٰ ‫﴾و‬ 3﴿َٰ‫د‬ ‫ل‬‫و‬ ‫َٰي‬ ‫َل‬َٰ ‫َٰو‬ ‫د‬ ِ‫﴾ ََلَٰيل‬2﴿َٰ‫َٰالصم ُد‬ َّ 1﴿َٰ‫َح ٌد‬ َّ ‫َٰه َو‬
َ ً ُ ُ ُ ُ َْ ََ ْ َ َ
ُْ َ َْ ْ َ َّ ُ‫﴾اَّلل‬ َ ‫َٰاَّللَُٰأ‬ ُ ‫قُ ْل‬

• “Say , He is Allah the One. Allah the independent , Care free. He

begot none, nor was He begotten and not anyone is equal to Him.”
Cont…

ِ ِ ِ ‫ا‬ َّ ِ ِ ۤ ِ ِ‫• لَوَٰ َكا َنَٰف‬

)Al-Anbiya:22(‫ََٰ َّماَٰيَص ُف ْو ََٰن‬
َ َ ِ ‫َِٰبَٰال َْش ْر‬ َٰ
‫َٰاَّلل‬
َ َ ُ ‫ن‬ ‫ح‬‫ب‬ْ ‫س‬َ‫ف‬-َٰ
‫ت‬ َ ‫د‬
َ ‫س‬
َ ‫ف‬
َ ‫ل‬
َ َُٰ‫َٰاَّلل‬ ‫َّل‬ ‫َٰا‬ٌ‫ة‬َ‫ِل‬ ‫َٰا‬ ‫ا‬ ‫م‬
َ ‫ه‬ ‫ي‬
ْ ْ

• “If there were, in the heavens and the earth, other gods besides
Allah, there would have been confusion in both! but glory to Allah,
the Lord of the Throne: (High is He) above what they attribute to
Him!”.
Cont…
ِ ِ ۤ ۡ ۡ ِ ِ ۡ ۡ ِ ۡ ِ ۡ ِ ۡ ۡ ۡ ِ ۡ ِ ۡ ۡ ۤ
ُ ‫ضؕ ََّلَٰالهََٰا ََّّل‬
‫َٰه ََٰو‬ َِٰ َِ‫اَّل‬
َٰ ‫َٰو‬ َّ ‫ََٰلَي ُك َٰمؕ َهلَٰمنَٰ َخ َٰال ٍقَٰغَۡيَُٰاَّللَٰيَرُزقُ ُكمَٰم َن‬
َ ‫َٰالس َمآء‬ َ ‫تَٰاَّلل‬
َ ‫َّاسَٰاذ ُك ُرواَٰنش َم‬
ُۡ ‫اَٰالن‬
ۡ
‫• ٰيَيُّ َه‬
(Al-Fatir:3) ‫فَاَّنَٰتُؤفَ ُكو ََٰن‬

• “O people, remember Allah's favor upon you. Is there any creator,

apart from Allah, who provides you sustenance out of the heavens
and earth? There is no god but He. Whither are you, then, being
misdirected?”
Three Aspects of Tawheed:

1. Tawheed fiz Zaat (Oneness of Allah’s Lordship):

This means declaring that there is only One Allah who holds the
divine functions of creating and sustaining the universe, as the only
Creator and the sole owner in His person having no kinship. The Holy
Qur’an says:
“Verily, Allah is the only deity”. (Al-Nisa’: 171)
Cont…
2. Tawheed fis Sifaat (Oneness of Allah’s Names and Attributes)
This means declaring Allah Almighty one in His names and His attributes;
and considering no one else bearer of any such attributes or having been
delegated any power or the authority to manipulate or administer the
matters of the universe or the creature as the Lord or Sustainer.

3. Tawheed fil Ibadah (Oneness of Allah’s Worship)

This means declaring Allah the Almighty One through our worship/service.
Thus, Tawheed fil Ibadah has two aspects:
a. To offer the all outward forms of worship to Allah alone.
b. To have a pure and sincere intention in the heart, for Allah alone.
Polytheism/ Shirk
➢The opposite of Tawheed is expressed by the Arabic term ‘Shirk’.
Except Islam, there are many forms of shirk available in the other
religions of the world.
➢ Etymology of Shirk is that it is derived from the root sh-r-k ‫ک‬
ََ ‫ َشَر‬,
which conveys the notion of sharing or partnerships.
➢‘Shareek’ means partner or associate. It encompasses blatant forms
of idolatry and denial of Allah’s Unity.
➢The term ‘Shirk’ means associating partners with Allah, and the
related term Mushrik is applied to someone guilty of such polytheistic
association. Shirk according to the Holy Qur’an is the greatest one and
unforgiveable sin; unmatchable to any other types of sin.
Cont….
(Al-Luqman:13)‫يم‬ ٌَٰ ‫ََٰ ِظ‬
َ ٌ‫م‬‫ل‬ْ ‫ظ‬
ُ ‫ل‬
َ َٰ‫ك‬َ ‫ر‬
ْ
ِ
‫َٰالش‬‫ن‬َّ ِ
‫•إ‬
“Indeed, Polytheism is a great injustice”
 Impact of Belief in Tawheed
➢ Faith in One Allah is the most important and the fundamental principle. It is the bedrock of Islam
and the mainspring of its power. All other beliefs, commands and laws of Islam stand firm on this
foundation. All of them receive strength from this source. When pure Tawheed is actualized in
the life of an individual or the society, it produces the best of results. From its results are the
following:
a. Love of Allah
b. Respect of Allah
c. Contentment in Allah
d. Piety/Taqwa
e. Self Respect
f. Humbleness and Modesty
g. Determination and Patience
h. End of Despondency
j. Brotherhood and Equality
k. Success and Salvation
2. Self-Purification
Cont…
➢Tazkiyah(Arabic: ‫ )تزكية‬is an Arabic Islamic term alluding to "tazkiyat al-
nafs“ meaning “sanctification” or “purification of the self”.

➢It means purification of the inner self and the personality. Every human
being has got some good and some evil in varying proportions, which is
exhibited as Nafs meaning self or personality.
➢Tazkiyah originally meant pruning the plant – to remove what is harmful
for its growth. When the term is applied to the human personality, it
means to beautify it and to remove from it all evil traces and spiritual
diseases that are obstacles in experiencing Allah. The Holy Qur’an says:
‫ين‬ َُّٰ ‫اَّللُ ُُِي‬
ََٰ ‫ب ال ُْمطَّ ِه ِر‬ ََّٰ ‫➢ َو‬
“Allah loves those who purify themselves fully.” .
(Al-Tawbah: 108)
In the Light of Quran:
The word Tazkiyah has been used in many places of the Qur'an. It has
been used 18 times in 15 verses of 11 Surahs;

َٰ‫َٰماَٰ ََلَْٰتَ ُكونُوا‬ ‫م‬ ‫ك‬

ُ ‫م‬ ِ‫ْكتابَٰوا ْْلِ ْك َٰم َٰةَ وي شل‬
َِ ‫اَٰوي َزكِي ُكمَٰوي شلِم ُكمَٰال‬
َٰ َِ‫وََٰلَْي ُكمَٰآٰيت‬
‫ن‬ ُ‫ل‬ ‫ت‬
ْ ‫َٰي‬ ‫م‬ ‫ك‬
ُ ‫ن‬
ْ ِ ‫• َكماَٰأَِسلْناَٰفِي ُكمَِٰسوًَّل‬
‫َٰم‬
َ ْ ُ ََُ َ َ َ ُ ُ ََُ ْ َُ َ ْ َ َ ْ َُ ْ َ َْ َ
(Al-Baqarah:151(‫تَ ْشلَ ُمو ََٰن‬
• Just as We have sent among you a messenger from yourselves
reciting to you Our verses and purifying (tazkiyah) you and teaching
you the Book and wisdom and teaching you that which you did not
know.
Cont….
(Al-Nisaa’: 49) ‫س ُه َْٰم‬ ‫ف‬
ُ ‫َن‬
ْ ‫أ‬َٰ‫ن‬َ ‫و‬ ُّ
‫ك‬‫ز‬ َ ‫َٰي‬ ‫ين‬‫ذ‬ِ َّ‫أَََلَٰتَ رَٰإِ ََلَٰال‬
َ َُ َ ْ •

• “Have not you observed those who attribute purity to

themselves!

َٰ‫تَٰال َْش ِز ُيز‬ ‫ن‬َ ‫ك‬َّ

‫ن‬ ِ
‫إ‬ َٰ
‫م‬ ِ
‫ه‬ ‫ي‬ِ‫ك‬‫ز‬َٰ
‫ي‬ ‫َٰو‬ ‫ة‬ ‫م‬‫ك‬ ِ
‫ْل‬ ‫ا‬‫َٰو‬‫اب‬‫ت‬ ِ
‫ْك‬‫ل‬‫َٰا‬ ‫م‬ ‫ه‬‫م‬ِ
َ َ ْ ُ َ َ َ َ َ ُ ُ ُ َ ُ َ َ َ ْ ْ َ ْ َ ْ ُ ْ ُ َ ْ ‫ثَٰف‬
‫أ‬ َٰ ‫ل‬ ‫ش‬ ‫ي‬‫َٰو‬ ‫ك‬َِٰ
‫ت‬ ‫َٰآٰي‬ ‫م‬ ِ
‫ه‬ ‫ي‬ ‫ل‬ ََٰ‫و‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ت‬ ‫َٰي‬ ‫م‬ ‫ه‬ ‫ن‬ ِ
‫َٰم‬ ‫َّل‬‫و‬ ‫س‬َِٰ ‫م‬ ِ
‫ه‬ ‫ي‬ ِ ْ ‫اَٰوابْ َش‬
ْ َ َ ْ ْ َ ُ ً َ َ‫• َِبَّن‬
(Al-Baqarah:129)‫يم‬ َُٰ ‫ا ْْلَ ِك‬
“Our Lord, and send among them a messenger from themselves
who will recite to them Your verses and teach them the Book and
wisdom and purify (tazkiah) them. Indeed, You are the Exalted in
Might, the Wise."
In the light of Hadith:
➢The Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said:
“Truly in the body there is a piece of flash when it is healthy, the
whole body is healthy, and when it is sick, the whole body is sick.
Listen! It is the heart.”
➢This Hadith emphasizes the purity of the heart and soul. Most
religions of the world stress on promoting high characteristics of
human inner self. In this sense, the purification of heart and soul
would be a universal message of all the religions.
Cont……
➢ In a famous Tradition the Holy Prophet (PBUH) has said:
“Seven kinds of people will be sheltered under the shade of Allah on
the day, when there shall be no shade except for His shade:
“A just ruler, A young man who passed his youth in the worship
and service of Allah, One whose heart is attached to the Mosque
when he comes out until he goes back to Mosque, Two persons who
love each other for the sake of Allah, they meet each other for this
cause and part with for this cause, One who remembers Allah in
solitude to an extent that his eyes overflow, A man who is invited to
sin, but he declines saying: I fear Allah and a man who spends his
charity in secret in a way that his left hand doesn’t know what his
right hand is spending. (Al-Sahi Al-Bukhari)
Stages of nafs (inner-self)

1. Unclean Spirit/nafs (nafs-al-ammārah)

• The Sufi's journey begins with the challenge of freeing oneself from
the influence of evil and the nafs-al-ammara. It can be define as
follows:
• the commanding soul is that which leans towards the bodily nature
and commands one to sensual pleasures and lusts and pulls the
heart (qalb) in a downward direction. It is the resting place of evil
and the source of blameworthy morals and bad actions.
• In its primitive stage the nafs incites us to commit evil: this is
the nafs as the lower self or the base instincts.
 2.The reproachful nafs (nafs-al-lawwama)

If the soul undertakes this struggle it then becomes nafs-al-

lawwama (reproachful soul): This is the stage where "the conscience is
awakened and the self accuses one for listening to one's selfish mind.
3.The nafs at peace (nafs-i-mutma'inna)

• The Qur'an explains how one can achieve the state of the satisfied:
(Ar-Ra’d: 28) َٰ‫وب‬ُ‫ل‬ ُْ
‫ل‬ ‫َٰا‬ ‫ن‬
ُّ َِّ ‫َٰاَّللَٰأ َََّلَٰبِ ِذ ْك َِٰر‬
ِ‫َٰاَّللَٰتَطْمئ‬ َِّ ‫وُبمَٰبِ ِذ ْك ِر‬
ُ ُ‫ل‬ ‫َٰق‬
ُ ‫ن‬
ُّ ِ‫• الَّ ِذينَٰآمنُواَٰوتَطْمئ‬
ُ َ ُْ َ َ َ َ

• "Those who believe, and whose hearts find their rest in the
remembrance of God – for, verily, in the remembrance of Allah do
hearts find satisfaction"
• Once the seeker can successfully transcend the reproachful soul, the
process of transformation concludes with nafs-al-mutma'inna (soul at
peace).
The Methodology adopted by:
➢The methodology adopted by the Holy Prophet (PBUH) for purification of
self was as under:-
a) Fearing of Allah
b) Fear of Hereafter
c) Self Control
d) Worships/Prayers
e) Repentance.
f) Self Accountability
g) Remembrance of Allah
h) Good and Virtuous Company
Conclusion:
• The most fundamental article of faith enjoined by Almighty Allah is
the Unity or Oneness of Allah.
He is the only deity, each and everything else is creation, created by
Him.
• He alone has the right to command, to forbid and to subjugate. He is
the real Law-Giver and Law-Maker and alone holds the entire powers.
• Allah’s pleasure can be obtained through the means of self
purification as guided by Him and the beloved Holy Prophet
Muhammad (Salla Allah o Alaih e Wa Sallam).