LESSON 16
BASIC BELIEFS

Muslims list five basic practices as the "pillars" of their religion: 1) faith, 2) salât - prayer, 3) fasting, 4) zakât - paying dues, 5) ajj - pilgrimage. Some add 6) jihâd. For Muslims, faith is a work because they must witness to it by word and deeds. The supreme witness is to die for the faith. The martyrs of Uganda included Catholics, Protestants and Muslims. But the usual meaning of a martyr in Islam is one who dies fighting for the interests of Islam. [Christians are nowhere promised heaven for taking up the sword to defend Christianity.] On the other hand, Muslims are excused for denying their faith outwardly under persecution if they keep it in their heart (Q 16:106; contrast Mt 10:33).

The Muslim creed or shahâda is: "La ilâha illâ llâh. Muammadun rasûl Allâh - There is only one God, and Muhammad is his messenger." These two beliefs are further distinguished into five: 1) God, 2) his angels, 3) his messengers or prophets, 4) his books, and 5) the Last Day (Q 4:136). Some add 6) qadar - God's determination of events.

As for God, says al-Qayrawânî, "among obligatory matters of religion are faith from the heart and profession from the tongue that: Allâh is one God; there is no deity besides Him; there is none like Him and none equal to Him; He has no child nor parent nor woman companion nor associate (Q 111). There is no beginning to His being first, and no end to His being last. No one can describe what He is like in His inner-being, nor can intellectuals sound out what pertains to Him; they can only speak about His signs, and cannot think of what His Essence is; they grasp His Knowledge only in so far as He wishes."

Angels are said to bring messages to the Messengers or Prophets, since God is not supposed to speak directly to men (Q 42:51, but see 53:10). Besides, Muslims believe in "angels who record their deeds", and in "the angel of death who, by the permission of the Lord, takes spirits".

Included among messengers are the Old Testament patriarchs (but none of the 4 major or 12 minor prophets), Zachariah, John the Baptist and Jesus. These are highly respected by Muslims, but in theory they have no importance in themselves. They are only bearers of a message and must fade away before that message. For Muslims Muhammad is the final prophet and the Qur'ân is God's definitive message.

Muslims recognize the Torah as a book revealed to Moses, the Psalms revealed to David and the Gospel revealed to Jesus, although the present Bible they view as corrupt (See Lessons 13 & 39). They view the Qur'ân as the definitive message of God, making the Bible unnecessary. One reason the Qur'ân is popular is because it has prayers against evil spirits, and it is used as medicine against them and other evils.

Most Muslims believe that Heaven and Hell are empty while the souls of the dead await the Last Day, when God will raise the dead and judge them. Then the unbelievers will be condemned to Hell forever. God will reward the good works of believers but, according to their sins, he will punish them temporarily in Hell. Their stay there may be shortened because of the intercession of Muhammad. Al-Qayrawânî adds:

Also a matter of faith is determination (qadar), whether of good things or bad, of sweet things or bitter; God our Lord has determined all this. The measures of things are from Him, and their origin is from His decree. He knows everything before it exists, and it comes into being according to His decree. Every word and every deed of His servants He has decreed and foreknown... He makes err whomever he wishes, abandoning him by his justice; He guides whomever He wishes, giving Him success by his favour. He makes everything easily reach the pleasant or unpleasant outcome He knew and willed beforehand it is far beneath Him that there should be anything in His kingdom which He does not will, or that anything should not be in need of Him, or that anything should create something but He, the Lord of his servants, the Lord of their works, the Determiner of their movements and their deaths.

Al-Qayrawânî adds:

The best century is the century of those who saw the Messenger of God and believed in him. The next best is that of those who followed them, then that of those who followed these. The best of the Companions are the orthodox, right-guided caliphs, first Abû-Bakr, then `Umar, then `Uthmân, then `Alî. None of the companions of the Messenger are to be mentioned but with the highest respect, avoiding mention of the quarrels between them. They are the men most worthy to have the best explanation sought for what they did and the best opinion thought of their policies.

Obligatory too is obedience to the leaders (imâms) of Muslims, that is, those who have charge of their affairs and their learned men. Also obligatory is following the worthy scholars of early times, imitating them and begging pardon for them; also avoiding hypocrisy and argumentation about religion, and avoiding the innovations some people have produced.

QUESTIONS

  1. Compare the role of "witness" in Islam and Christianity and explain in what sense Muslims consider faith a work to be done?
  2. What are the content and limits of revelation, according to Muslims/ according to Christians?
  3. How do Muslims regard the books of the Bible and Biblical prophets?
  4. Discuss Muslim ideas of God's control over events in the world; how do these compare with the Christian idea of divine providence?

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