1. Religious beliefs, values and teachings
Islam Topic 1
Revision Booklet
Religious beliefs, values and teachings
Miss Connolly

2. ESSENTIAL IDEAS The interpretation and application of the 6 beliefs
The belief in Allah as one (importance of Tawhid)
The Nature of Allah
The 99 names of Allah
The Belief in Angels-what these are and their role in relation to prophets and mankind.
The belief in the Holy Books
The belief in the prophets (role of the prophets, examples of prophets and the importance of Muhammad as the Seal of the Prophets)
The belief in Akhirah, the day of judgement, including beliefs about death, the afterlife, the self and the meaning and purpose of life
The belief in predestination, (Al Qad’r) including beliefs about the meaning and purpose of life
The belief in Allah as just-the importance of Adalat for Shia Muslims
The centrality of the 6 Beliefs for the life of Muslim believers
You need to be able to explain the implications of each of the 6 key beliefs for Muslims-in other words, how do these beliefs influence them in their daily lives?
Sunni and Shi’a
Where possible in your work, you should include specific reference to differences between Sunni and Shi’a beliefs in Islam.
Sunni and SHia
Sunni-6 key articles of faith
Shi’a-Usul ad Din (5 key beliefs)

3. Revision Checklist Topics
Notes
Revised
The 6 key beliefs for Sunni Muslims and the 5 Usul Ad Din for Shi’a Muslims-you need to know the similarities and differences in views.
Tawhid-the belief in Allah as one and the significance of this
Quotes to support this idea
How does it influence Muslims in their lives?
Significance of shirk
Different views between Sunni and Shi’a
The nature of Allah-99 names and the words which Muslims use to describe Allah
Angels: What these are and their roles in relation to Muhammad and mankind
Can you give examples?
What do they do?
Link to Risalah
Belief in the Holy Books
Qur’an
Torah
Bible
Why do Muslims believe the Qur’an is the ultimate source of authority?
Belief in the prophets
Muhammad as last and Final prophet (Seal of the prophets)
Roles of other prophets example Ibrahim, Adam, Musa, Isa etc
Akhirah and the afterlife-what will happen? Physical resurrection
Belief in judgement day
Adalat-Justice
The importance of human responsibility
Muslim ideas about paradise and hell
Signs of Akhirah
The belief in predestination (Al Qad’r) including different ideas between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims

5. KEY QUOTES
Tawhid
“He is Allah, the one, the Only. God the Eternal, absolute. He neither begot nor was he begotten and there is none like him.“
The Shahadah
“We believe in one God, Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.”
Judgement Day
Allah is Master of the Day of Judgement
99 names of Allah
“The Most Excellent Names belong to God: use them to call on him”
Allah is Immanent
“He (Allah) is with you wherever you are.”
“We are closer to him than our jugular vein.”
Allah is omnipotent
There is no God but Him, the creator of all things, so worship him. He is in charge of everything. No vision can take him in.
Angels
“Praise be to God, creator of the heavens and earth, who made angel messengers with two, three or four pairs of wings.”
Guardian Angels
“Each person has angels before him and behind, watching over him by God’s command.”
Muhammad
“He is God’s messenger and the Seal of the Prophets.”
Isa
“We sent Jesus, in their footsteps, to confirm the Torah that had been sent before him. We gave him the Gospel with guidance, a guide and lesson for those who take heed of God.”

6. KEY QUOTES Angels deserve respect
“Anyone who is an enemy of God’s angels, especially Jibrail and Mikail, is also an enemy of God.”
Judgement of actions
“The record of their deeds will be laid open. They will find everything they ever did laid in front of them. Your Lord will not be unjust to anyone.”
Predestination Sunni:
“Only what God has decreed will happen to us. Let the believers put their trust in God.
Predestination Shi’a
“God does not change the condition of people unless they change what is in themselves.”
Predestination
The command of God is a decree determined. IN all things, the master planning is God’s.
Heaven
On couches of well woven cloth they will sit. There will be any fruit they choose, the meat of any bird they like. It will be a reward for what they used to do.”
Hell
“There will be garments of fire for those who disbelieve, scalding water poured over their heads, and they will be told to taste the suffering of the fire.”
Risalah/prophets
“Every community is sent a messenger.”
Adam
“He taught Adam the names of all things”. He then showed the angels who said “May you be glorified. Yu are the all knowing.”
Ibrahim
“Who could be better in religion than those who direct themselves wholly to God, do good and follow the religion of Abraham who was true in faith?”

7. Implications of God’s oneness in Muslim Life
ESSENTIAL IDEAS – QUICK QUESTIONS
Tawhid
Belief in God’s unity-there is only one God, Allah.
He is not divided into separate entities and there is no human version of him.
Surah 112 “He is Allah, the one, the Only. God the Etrnal, absolute. He neither begot nor was he begotten and there is none like him.“
Tawhid
God is one supreme being. He is not divided in to different parts. He is completely above humans. There is no human version of God. He has no beginning or end.. The belief in Tawhid is a central theme in the Qur’an and a central belief for Muslims. It also rejects the idea of polytheism (worshipping more than one God) and reinforces Monotheism.
What does Seyyed Hossein Nasr say about Tawhid?
Allah is first and before all else one, and it is the oneness of God that lies at the centre of both the Qur’an and Islamic spirituality.
Why do Muslims believe Christians misunderstand the nature of God?
Muslims disagree with the idea that Allah would be split in to three, (Christian idea of Trinity) and that Allah would create a human version of himself. Muslims believe Allah is so transcendent,(above humans), he would not do this. The idea of Tawhid opposes that of the Trinity.
Implications of God’s oneness in Muslim Life
The concept of tawhid can be linked to shirk-what does this term mean?
Associating other beings with Allah
Worshipping false idols as if they were Allah
Placing anything on par with Allah in terms of importance.
Give examples of things Muslims would not do to avoid committing shirk
Would not create or display any pictures or statues of Allah or Muhammad. Any form of representational art might lead you to worship art rather than Allah and so it is not allowed.
What is the first thing a baby hears when they are born and how does this link to Tawhid
A father will whisper the Shahadah (the statement of belief within Islam) in to a baby’s ear and this reinforces the importance of the idea of Tawhid, worshipping one God and that Allah is one supreme being.

8. ESSENTIAL IDEAS – QUICK QUESTIONS
Nature of Allah
Omnipotent—all powerful-creator of the world
Omniscient-all knowing-links to Al Qadr-predestination
Immanent
Transcendent
99 names
“The Most Excellent Names belong to God: use them to call on him”.
The 99 names for Allah help Muslims to understand Allah’s nature. Examples include:
The forgiving,
The all aware,
The powerful,
The giver of life
The granter of security
Immanent
Allah is present and involved in life on earth
“He is with you wherever you are” (Qur’an 57:4)
“Allah is closer to humans than their jugular vein” (Surah 50 V 16)
Transcendent
Allah is so superior to humans, he exists beyond and outside life on earth and the universe.
“No vision can grasp him, he is above all comprehension.” (Surah 6:103)
Omnipotent
Allah is all powerful and almighty. He created the universe and everything in it.
“He who is the all knowing, the all powerful, able to do anything.” (Surah 30:54)
“This is God, your Lord, there is no God but him, the creator of all things, he is in charge of everything. “ (Quran ).
Omniscient
He also knows everything that will happen in the world (Omniscient)-links to predestination-Al Qad’r). Everything that happens is down to the will of Allah.

9. ESSENTIAL IDEAS – QUICK QUESTIONS
Nature of Allah
Beneficent
Merciful
Compassionate
Fair and Just-links to Adalat in Usul ad Din (Shia beliefs)
Beneficent
Allah is benevolent: All kind and all loving
In the Qur’an, Allah is referred to over 57 times as the Beneficent
In the 99 names of Allah
Merciful
Allah is always willing to forgive his followers of they do wrong as long as they are truly sorry
Muslims remind themselves of this quality of God everyday in one of their prayers called the Bismillah: ” In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy”
Fairness
Allah treats people fairly without favour or discrimination.
“Allah is master of the day of judgement.”
Justice (Adalat in
Shi’a Islam)
Allah is just and judges human actions-rewarding the good and punishing the bad

10. ESSENTIAL IDEAS – QUICK QUESTIONS
Angels (Malika)
Beliefs about angels as messengers (Risalah)
Jibril
Mikail
Israfil
Recording angels
Guardian angels
Angels-Malika
What do they do?
According to the Qur’an, they were God’s first creation.
They are immortal and do nothing against the will of Allah. They have no free will.
They are made from light.
They don’t have human desires example food.
They are without sin
They are able to communicate with man.
Quote
“Praise be to Allah, who made messengers with two, three or four wings.”
JIbrail
Main angel who communicates messages to the prophets example Muhammad. Angels worship him in obedience and never disobey him.
Mikail
Looks after heaven and keeps the angels out.
Israfil
Will blow the trumpet on the last day of judgement
Angel of death
Collects the souls on judgement day
Guardian angels
“Each person has a guardian angel before and behind them, watching over them by God’s command.”
Recording angels.
Allah (God) appoints two angels to serve as "Kiraman Katibin" (honorable recorders or noble writers) for each person on Earth during his or her lifetime. They record all a Muslim’s actions during their lifetime in a book of deeds. This book will be presented as evidence to Allah on Judgement day

12. Akhirah and Judgment day
ESSENTIAL IDEAS – QUICK QUESTIONS
Akhirah and Judgment day
Beliefs
You need to know be able to explain the role of angels and Allah on Judgement Day
You need to be able to explain how this links to human accountability for Muslims for their actions.
Beliefs on afterlife
It is a fundamental belief of Islam that this life is not all that there is. It is a preparation for the next life (Akhirah). The sort of life Muslims lead in the after life will depend on how they have performed as God’s Vice Regents on earth.
What will happen on the Last Day?
When the person dies, their body and soul will go to the grave and will remain there in a semi conscious state awaiting the day of Judgement.
On the day itself, the world as we know it will disappear.
“On the day, there will be terrible commotion and the mountains will fly hither and tither. “
Israfil will blow the trumpet to signal the beginning of Judgement Day.
Know one knows when the last day will be except Allah.
The Judgement process
The period between individual death and the final judgement is known as Barzakh.
2 angels, Munkir and Nakir will questions the semi conscious person about their commitment to their faith.
Izrail the angel of death will transport the souls to before Allah.
The angels will present the person’s individual book of deeds and Allah will use this to decide where the person will go. “They will find everything they ever did laid out infront of them”. (Qur’an).
If a person is handed it in their right hand-heaven
If a person is handed it in their left hand-hell
If Allah is not sure whether the person is truly sorry for their sins, he will make them cross over the narrow Sirat bridge to test them.
“That day, all men shall be sorted out.”
Some Muslims believe that God will intercede for Muslims who have tried their best, but committed sins. After all, God is merciful and compassionate.
Role of Isa?
Some Muslims believe that when Judgement Day is near, the world will become evil as it is taken over by Dajjal.
Isa will return and lead the faithful out against Dajjal and defeat him. Then the trumpet will sound.
Madhi?
Some Shi’a Muslims believe that the Madhi (the 12th Imam who is missing at the moment) will appear and convert the world to Islam before defeating Dajall

13. Akhirah and Judgment day
ESSENTIAL IDEAS – QUICK QUESTIONS
Akhirah and Judgment day
How is heaven and hell described in the Qur’an?
Heaven and Hell
Heaven (al Jannah)
Paradise is described as a garden with streams and rivers, flowers and plants, where the faithful will have all that their heart desires. They will recline on couches, and eat and drink the best of everything without feeling drunk.
Hell (al Jahannan)
A place of fire and horrors. The inhabitants are chained up, have boiling water poured over them and given garments of fire to wear. When their skins are too burnt to feel the pain, then new skins will be given to them.
How long?
Some Muslims believe that there are different stages of hell and there is a chance you may get out. However, most Muslims believe the person will stay there forever. “”Companions of the fire will abide therin for ever.
Link to Adalat (Shi’a Muslims.)
Adalat means justice in Shi’a Islam. This is the idea that God is just and fair and will judge human actions, rewarding the good and punishing the bad. Some Muslims believe that God will intercede on Judgement Day for Muslims who have tried their best, but committed sins. After all, God is merciful and compassionate. Adalat is one of the key beliefs for Shi’a Muslims (*Usul Ad Din).
The implications of Akhirah
Muslims believe they must live their whole lives aware that everything they do is being noted down and they will be judged on it by Allah. This means a Muslim should be concerned all the time about living life the way Allah would want them to. As well as treating everyone as well as they can, they try to show their commitment to Allah by following the 5 Pillars of Islam and showing total commitment to Allah.

14. Al Daq’r and presetination
ESSENTIAL IDEAS – QUICK QUESTIONS
Al Daq’r and presetination
Beliefs
Different views between Sunni and Shi’a.
DO humans have free will?
What is Al’Qadr?
This term refers to the belief that everything in the universe is following a divine master plan. Everything that happens, both good and bad, is known to Allah.
Sunni
Most Sunni Muslims believe that God is omnipotent (all powerful) and has already determined everything that will happen in the universe. Allah has written down everything that will happen in “the Preserved Tablet.”
God creates all things, including the actions of the people he has created
They must act according to his will –this belief is called “The Supremacy of God’s will”
This places greater power on God’s omniscience (all knowing nature) and less emphasis on human freedom.
BUT it does not mean people have no choice about how to behave-but they believe God has created different scenarios specifically for them. He knows what will ultimately happen in a person’s life, but that person, while he or she is alive, still has the ability to choose how to act and behave.
“Only what God has decreed will happen to us. He is our Master: let the believers put their trust in God.” (Qur’an 9:51)
Shia
Shi’a Muslims usually reject predestination. They do not believe that Allah has predetermined the course that people’s lives will take.
In Shi’a Islam, this idea – that Allah has not set any kind of path for history – is called bada. Allah can still change people’s lives or destiny because he is all- powerful, but by giving people free will he can guide Muslims in the right direction and still allow them to make the right choices by themselves.
Most Shi’as believe that God knows everything that is going to happen, but it does not mean that he decides what is going to happen. This means that people will still have free will, so they can make their own choices.
“God does not change the condition of a person (for the worse) unless they change what is in themselves.” (Qur’an 13:110)

15. GLOSSARY Tawhid Belief in the Oneness of Allah Risalah
Messenger for Allah on earth (prophets, angels etc)
Shahadah
Statement of Belief for Muslims “We believe in one God, Allah and Muhammad is his messenger.” Shia Muslims add “and Ali is the friend of Allah.
Usul ad Din
5 key beliefs for Shi’a Muslims
Monotheism
Belief in only One God.
Seal of the prophets
The one who brought the message of Islam and it is now closed, like the seal of an enveloped. Cannot be reopened and changed. Term used to refer to Muhammad.
Vice Regent
Deputy on earth. Adam was the first Vice Regent and Muslims believe we are all God’s vice regents on earth.
Omniscient
Allah is all knowing
Omnipotent
Allah is all powerful
Immanent
Allah is involved in the world
Transcendent
Allah is beyond human understanding, Allah is on the outside of the world looking in.
Adalat
Shi’a term for justice, the idea that Allah is fair.
Immamate
12 who Shi’a Muslims believe were appointed to take over from Muhammad after his death
Shirk
Sin of placing anything on par to Allah. Worshipping anything as it is as important as Allah. Example statues, false idols, other Gods.
Mikalil
Key term for angels.
Al Qadr
Arabic term for predestination
Akhirah
Key term for the Muslim afterlife.

16. Video clips Muhammad http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/z3tfgk7
6 articles of faith (Sunni)
5 key beliefs for Shi’a Muslims (Usul ad Din)
Basic Muslim beliefs
Akhirah and the after life