|
4 - The Facts on Islam
SECTION 1
Religion of Islam: Introduction
4. What are the basic Muslim beliefs?
Every Muslim must hold to six
basic beliefs or articles of Islamic faith. They are:
Faith in Allah
Muslims believe there is only one true God and that his
name is Allah. His will is supreme.
Angels
Muslims believe in angels - such as "Gabriel," who
allegedly transmitted the Koran to Muhammad.
The Holy Books
Muslims believe that Allah has given a long series of
revelations, including the Old and New Testament. But these revelations end with
the Koran, which supersedes and to a large degree abrogates the others. For all
practical purposes, Muslims accept only the Koran as the Word of God. For
example, they believe Allah's earlier revelations in the Bible have been
corrupted and/or falsely interpreted by Jesus and Christians, so the Koran is
needed for proper understanding.
(Because Muslims rely on this idea so heavily in their
interaction with Christians, we have provided documentation showing why the New
Testament documents are accurate and truthful. If they choose to deal fairly
with the historical evidence, Muslims must logically accept the reliability of
the New Testament text [see Q. 18].)
The Prophets
Muslims believe Allah has sent 124,000 prophets to
mankind, although only about 25 are mentioned in the Koran. Six of the principal
prophets are Adam, the chosen of Allah; Noah, the preacher of Allah; Abraham,
the friend of Allah; Moses, the speaker of Allah; Jesus, the word of Allah; and
Muhammad, the apostle of Allah.
Because Muhammad's revelation is considered the greatest of
all, he is called the "Seal of the Prophets," "Peace of the World," and given
more than 200 other appellations.
Predestination
Muslims believe everything that happens, both good and
evil, is predestined by Allah's will, his immutable decree.
The Day of Judgment
Muslims believe that on this day the good and evil deeds
of men will be placed on a "scale." Those Muslims having sufficient personal
merit and righteousness (and the favor of Allah) will go to eternal heaven; all
others will go to eternal hell.
These required articles of faith are also related to specific
Muslim practices.
John Ankerberg & John Weldon
|