Tawhid — the oneness of God

Islam is strictly monotheistic. The central belief is Tawhid — the absolute oneness and unity of Allah. There is only one God, who has no partners and no equal.

• Allah is the Creator, all-powerful (omnipotent), all-knowing (omniscient) and merciful.
• Associating anything else with Allah is called shirk, regarded as a very serious sin.
• The Surah al-Ikhlas sums it up: "Say, He is Allah, the One… there is none like Him" (Qur'an 112).

Immanence and transcendence: Muslims believe Allah is both transcendent (beyond and above the created world) and immanent (close to and involved with creation).

Prophethood and the Qur'an

Muslims believe Allah guides humanity through prophets (nubuwwah) — messengers such as Adam, Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus). Muhammad is believed to be the final prophet, the "Seal of the Prophets".

Muslims also respect earlier holy books — the Tawrat (Torah of Musa), Zabur (Psalms of Dawud) and Injil (Gospel of Isa) — but hold the Qur'an as the final, complete revelation. The Sunnah (Muhammad's example) and Hadith (his recorded sayings) give further guidance.

What is Tawhid?

Angels and al-Qadr

Muslims believe in angels (malaikah) — beings created by Allah from light who carry out his will and never disobey. Key angels include:

• Jibril (Gabriel) — the angel of revelation, who brought the Qur'an to Muhammad.
• Mika'il (Michael) — associated with mercy and sustenance, such as rain and provision.
• Izra'il — often described as the angel of death.

Al-Qadr (predestination): Sunni Muslims especially emphasise belief that Allah knows and has decreed all that happens, while people still make real choices for which they are accountable. Beliefs about free will and predestination are discussed within Islam.

Akhirah — life after death

Muslims believe in akhirah — life after death. This life is a test, and everyone will be resurrected and held accountable.

• Day of Judgement (Yawm al-Din): Allah judges each person on their beliefs and deeds.
• Jannah (paradise): a garden of reward for those who lived faithfully.
• Jahannam (hell): a place of punishment; Allah is also merciful and forgiving.

Why it matters: belief in akhirah gives Muslims a strong reason to live morally, to pray, to give to charity and to follow Allah's guidance in this life.

Belief → meaning

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Sunni and Shia Islam

After Muhammad's death, Muslims differed over who should lead the community. This led to the two main branches: Sunni (the large majority) and Shia.

• Sunni Muslims accepted Abu Bakr and elected leaders (caliphs), and organise belief around the Six Articles / Beliefs of Faith (Tawhid, angels, holy books, prophets, Day of Judgement, al-Qadr).
• Shia Muslims believed leadership should stay in Muhammad's family, through Ali and the Imams, and organise belief around the Five Roots of Religion (Usul ad-Din): Tawhid, divine justice (Adl), prophethood, imamate and resurrection.

Respectful note: Sunni and Shia Muslims share the same core belief in one God, the Qur'an and Muhammad. Their differences are mainly about leadership and how some beliefs and practices are organised.

Articles of faith

The Five Pillars of Sunni Islam

Sunni Muslims base practice on the Five Pillars — five duties that support a life of faith:

• Shahadah — the declaration of faith: "There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah."
• Salah — ritual prayer, performed five times a day facing Makkah.
• Zakah — giving a set share (usually 2.5%) of surplus wealth to those in need.
• Sawm — fasting during the month of Ramadan from dawn to sunset.
• Hajj — pilgrimage to Makkah, made at least once if able.

Shia practice: Shia Muslims follow the Ten Obligatory Acts, which include prayer, fasting, Hajj, zakah and khums (a further payment), plus jihad, commanding good, forbidding wrong, and love of and dissociation from certain people (tawalla and tabarra).

Naming a pillar

Festivals and special days

Muslims mark important events with festivals:

• Id-ul-Fitr — celebrates the end of the Ramadan fast, with prayers, charity and shared meals.
• Id-ul-Adha — the "festival of sacrifice", remembering Ibrahim's willingness to obey Allah; it takes place during the Hajj season.
• Ashura — especially significant for Shia Muslims, who remember the death of Husayn, grandson of Muhammad, at Karbala.

Community: festivals build unity (ummah), remind Muslims of key teachings, and are times for charity, prayer and family.

Jihad — struggle in the way of Allah

Jihad means "to struggle" or "to strive" in the way of Allah. In Islam it has two main forms:

• Greater jihad — the inner, personal struggle to be a good Muslim: resisting temptation, praying, being honest and following Allah's guidance. Muslims widely regard this as the more important form.
• Lesser jihad — the outward struggle to defend Islam or justice, governed by strict rules (for example, it must be a just cause, properly declared, and must not harm innocents, women, children or the environment).

Important: jihad does not mean terrorism. Terrorism and violence against innocent people are rejected by mainstream Islamic teaching; the Qur'an teaches that killing one innocent person is like killing all humanity (Qur'an 5:32).

Understanding jihad

Belief or practice?

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Which Pillar?

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The final prophet

What to know

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