The Core Tenets of Islam

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The Core Tenets of Islam

The religion of Islam dates back to the 7th century CE and the life of its founder, Muhammad of Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. Islam is an Arabic word meaning: making something safe and secure, making something sound and whole, entering into peace and tranquility, and surrendering to something other than oneself. A follower of Islam is called a Muslim. In the religion of Islam, it requires the belief in certain core tenets, which include the articles of faith and the five pillars of worship. These two combined, form the Islamic creed.

I- The Articles of Faith

The term monotheism is significant to Islam, meaning that a belief in only one God. The first article of faith in Islam is the belief that there is no deity but God (Allah) and that Muhammad is the messenger of God. A belief in a number of gods or in the extension of God’s spirituality to any person is strongly forbidden. Islam rejects the human points that the Christians and Jews added to their doctrines, such as the incarnation of God. It has been estimated that over ninety percent of Muslim theology deals with the implications of Unity. God, while One, is referred to by ninety-nine names (Fisher 233).

Believing in the Angels of God is the second article of faith in Islam. These angels are purely spiritual and glorious beings created by God. These angels are sinless. They require no food, drink or sleep. They have neither physical desires or material needs (“Islamic Path”). The angels spend their time in the amenity of God. Each angel is given a specific obligation. Each human being is assigned two angels who serve as guardians and recorders of the individual’s deeds, both good and bad (“Islamic Path”). Even though we cannot see the angels with ou...

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...y of life. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the majority have nothing to do with the extremely grave events which have come to be associated with their faith” (“IslamiCity”).

Works Cited

Fisher, Mary Pat. Living Religions. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2009. Print.

“The Hajj, The Journey of a Lifetime.” Calliope. Vol. 7 Issue 3. Jan. 1997. 38. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

“What Is Islam?” IslamiCity. Jan. 2001. Web. 17 Nov. 2011.

“Pillars of Islam.” Islamic Path. WorldPress, 2009. Web. 17 Nov. 2011

The Noble Qur’an: Translation in Roman Script with Arabic Text and English Translation. Trans. Al-Hilali, Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din, and Khan, Muhammad Muhsin. Saudi Arabia: Dar-Us-Salam, 1996. Print.

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