The six core beliefs of Islam: Allah, the angels, the Books, the Messengers, the Day of Judgment, and Qadr.
Alongside the Five Pillars, which describe what a Muslim does, Islamic scholars have traditionally summarised the core matters of belief — what a Muslim believes — into six articles of faith:
- Belief in Allah, the one God.
- Belief in the angels.
- Belief in the revealed Books (including the Qur’an).
- Belief in the Messengers of God.
- Belief in the Day of Judgment.
- Belief in Qadr (Divine Decree).
This six-fold structure is a scholarly way of organising a set of beliefs that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) described directly when he was asked to define Iman (faith). Below is that description, quoted from Sahih Muslim, followed by a companion narration that makes belief in Qadr explicit.
Key points
- The Six Articles of Faith are: Allah, the angels, the revealed Books, the Messengers, the Day of Judgment, and Qadr (Divine Decree).
- This six-fold list is a scholarly summary, not a literal six-item list quoted from a single hadith.
- The core content comes from the same hadith tradition that also defines Islam and Ihsan (the hadith of Jibril).
- Belief in Qadr means accepting that everything happens according to God's knowledge and decree, while human beings remain responsible for their own choices.
Hadith
That you affirm your faith in Allah, His angels, His Books, His meeting, His Messengers and that you affirm your faith in the Resurrection hereafter.
Sahih Muslim, no. 97 (Book 1, Hadith 5) .
That you affirm your faith in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and that you believe in Resurrection and that you believe in Qadr (Divine Decree) in all its entirety.
Sahih Muslim, no. 99 (Book 1, Hadith 7) .
Hadith text and grading above are shown as supplied by their source. HikmahBridge does not grade Hadith itself. See Sources & Methodology.
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