The Breeze of Dusk with the Scent of Musk

Chapter 24: The Six Pillars of Faith in Islam

In the Rainbow City in the Silk Province in the Star Kingdom, Mohammad Azzumurrud, the Arab and Muslim Koran memorizer, is still sharing his knowledge with his twenty Chinese friends (Yueliang Jian, Taiyang Jian, Junjie Song, Liling Heng, Mei Shun, Ji Biming, An Bo, Chang Dequan, Cong Fai, Jiang Qi, Wen Yu, Zhong Ming, Guotin Chuanli, Baozhai Aiguo, Chyou Bolin, Daiyu Chaoxiang, Fen Huizhong, Ju Jianyu, Nuo Park and Shu Qianfan) in regular knowledge sharing sessions held at the Merlin School. After Mohammad taught his friends about the five pillars of Islam, he moved to teaching his friends about the six pillars of faith in Islam. Believing in the six pillars of faith in Islam is essential to being a true Muslim and he/she who denies any pillar of these six is not considered a Muslim. The five pillars of Islam and the six pillars of faith in Islam are considered the alphabet of Islam.

The Six Pillars of Faith in Islam

Islam consists of two major components: Alaqeeda and Alshareeaa (العقيدة و الشريعة). Alaqeeda means creed, doctrine or system of beliefs. Alshareeaa (Sharia) means the canonical law of Islam. Alaqeeda prescribes what a Muslim must believe and what a Muslim must not believe. A Muslim must believe in every Truth and he/she must not believe in any falsehood. For example, a Muslim must believe that there is only One True God and that God is Allah. A Muslim must believe that Allah has no son (in other words, he must not believe that Allah has a son). Alshareeaa prescribes what a Muslim must do and what a Muslim must not do. A Muslim must do good deeds and shun bad or evil deeds. For example, a Muslim must pray to Allah five times a day. A Muslim must not drink wine or gamble. Both Alaqeeda and Alshareeaa are based on the Holy Koran and the Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. Alaqeeda rests in a Muslim's heart and Alshareeaa appears on a Muslim's organs. One aspect of the beauty of Islam is that it has crystal clear instructions in both Alaqeeda and Alshareeaa. The rules of what to believe and what not to believe and what to do and what not to do are pellucid. Both Alaqeeda and Alshareeaa are quite interrelated and they influence and reinforce one another.

Islam has six pillars of faith and these are:

To believe in Allah.

To believe in Allah's Angels.

To believe in Allah's Books.

To believe in Allah's Messengers.

To believe in the Last Day (The Day of Judgment in the Hereafter).

To believe in the Divine Decree (Destiny or Fate), both its good and evil aspects.

These pillars were mentioned in the Holy Koran and the Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. Allah said in the Holy Koran:

"O you who believe! Believe in Allah, and His Messenger (Muhammad), and the Book (the Koran) which He has sent down to His Messenger, and the Scripture which He sent down to those before (him), and whosoever disbelieves in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, then indeed he has strayed far away (136)" [THK: S 3: V 136].

"Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation, as written in the Book of Decrees). (49)" [THK: S 54: V 49].

Prophet Muhammad mentioned these pillars as well in one famous Hadeeth as follows:

"He (the inquirer) said: inform me about faith. He (Prophet Muhammad) replied: That you affirm your faith in Allah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith in the Divine Decree about good and evil." [BH-2].