- Muslim belief can be summarized in a creed called the Shahadah:
“There is no god but God and Muhammad is the messenger of God”
- This idea is central to Islam, and all other beliefs and traditions are based on it
God
- God’s proper name is Allah
- Allah is omnipresent (all-present), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipotent (all-powerful)
- Since Allah is the creator and ruler of all things, our duty as humans is worship and submit to Allah
- Islam means “submission to God” or “surrender to God’s will” (telling of the centrality of this idea)
- Allah is a compassionate guide who will lead us to knowledge and fulfillment
- All people are seen as equal under Allah (except for levels of peity), i.e. no concept of a chosen people
The Day of Judgement
- Humans have a soul that lives one lifetime and then moves to an afterlife (i.e. not reincarnated into another body)
- When a soul passes into the afterlife, it is judged by Allah and sent to heaven or hell, depending on the person’s actions on earth.
- Very similar concept to Christianity and Judaism
