Topic
Foundations of Faith
50 entries
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What does belief in the names and attributes of Allah mean, and does He have only 99 names?
The names of Allah are not limited to a certain number: a hadith mentions that Allah has 99 names, but this does not mean He has no other names, and there are names of Allah that He has not mentioned in the Qur'an nor taught to any of His creatures. Believing in His names and attributes is one of the articles of faith, and it entails believing in Allah Himself. The names are not subject to opinion: no one may give Allah a name that neither He nor His Messenger gave Him. The names and attributes should not be suspended or distorted.
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What is Tawheed, and what are its three types?
Belief that Allah alone is the Lord, the Creator and the Provider (Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyah) is the central creed, yet upholding it without the other two types of Tawheed is not enough to save one from Hell: the pagans at the time of the Prophet acknowledged Allah as Creator of the heavens and the earth, and it would not save them from the Fire. The other two types of Tawheed, belief in the Oneness of Allah, are the Oneness of Divinity (Tawheed al-Uloohiyah), under which no devotional rite should be devoted to other than Allah, and the Oneness of Allah's Names and Attributes (Tawheed al-Asma was-Sifat).
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Who is Allah, and what does belief in Allah mean in Islam?
Every creature has an inherent faith in the Oneness of Allah, the true God, Who has neither wife, son, partner nor equal, and Whose essence resembles no other. Nothing occurs in the visible or invisible worlds without His will, He responds to the believer who supplicates to Him, and He is above His Throne in a manner which suits His grandeur and majesty. All the legitimate acts of worship must be dedicated to Him alone.
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What are the six articles of faith (Aqida) in Islam?
Islam's six articles of faith are belief in Allah, His Angels, His Scriptures, His Messengers, the Day of Judgement, and predestination (Qadr), and being a Muslim requires upholding every one of them without any doubt. Belief in Allah, the first of them, takes in His Lordship, His Divinity, and His names and attributes.
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What does the hadith of the three men trapped in the cave teach about sincerity?
Abdullah bin Umar narrated from the Prophet the account of three men of an earlier nation who entered a cave at night and were shut in when a big rock rolled down the mountain and closed its mouth. Each man recalled a deed of his own and asked Allah to relieve them if he had done it for His sake only; the rock shifted a little, then a little more, then completely, and they got out. It is a hadith on the importance of sincerity.
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If no one can equal the Prophet, how can we follow his example inwardly and outwardly?
Although the Prophet's status is unequalled and unmatched even amongst the Prophets, Allah sent the believers a Messenger from themselves, so that they can follow him in his deeds and actions, whether external or internal. Tasawwuf is the path to attain the Divine love of Allah by following the path of His Last Prophet.
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What three things are indispensable for a believer, according to Shaykh Abdul Qadir Gilani?
Keeping the commandments of Allah, abstaining from the forbidden things and being pleased with the decree of Providence are the three things Shaykh Abdul Qadir Gilani calls indispensable for a believer in all conditions of life, in the first discourse of Futuh ul-Ghaib. The least that is expected of a believer is that he should not be without them, so he should make up his mind for them, talk to himself about them and keep his organs engaged in them.
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What does Yuzakkihim (purify them) mean?
Muslims believe that all four objectives of the Prophetic mission are important, so purification, the objective named Yuzakkihim ("to purify them"), holds a strong significance in it. In the literal term that purification means following the Shariah, leading the life according to the Sunnah, getting rid of the evils and attaining the true state of heart.
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What were the four tasks of the Prophet’s mission?
When Abraham built the Ka'ba, he supplicated and asked Allah to send a Messenger amongst them, who would teach them the Book and purify them, and Allah answered his prayers by sending His Last Prophet with that mission. Its four tasks, reciting the Qur'an, teaching the Book, wisdom and purifying, form the foundation on which Islamic law, the code of conduct and governance are based.
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What does ‘Radhi Allah’ mean, and who holds that station?
The station of Radhi Allah, meaning that Allah is pleased with them, belongs only to the Companions of the Prophet, even those who spent a few moments in his company, and no one besides them can attain it. Purifying is the Prophet's Sunnah, which the Companions carried on, and being purified is the Sunnah of the Companions.