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6 Pillars of Iman

by | Oct 17, 2022

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Are you looking for detailed information on the six pillars of Iman in the light of the Quran and Sunnah? And the importance of the Six Pillars of Iman? 

The pillars of Iman are those that are believed in. These are derived from the Holy Quran and the Hadeeth of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). 

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ آمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِيَ أَنزَلَ مِن قَبْلُ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلالاً بَعِيدًا

“O you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book He sent down upon His Messenger and the Book He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone astray.” 

(AlQuran 4:136)

And in the Light of Hadith

 فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا الإِيمَانُ قَالَ ‏”‏ الإِيمَانُ أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلاَئِكَتِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَلِقَائِهِ وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْبَعْثِ الآخِرِ

“O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). What is Belief?” The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Belief is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Apostles, and the meeting with Him, and to believe in the Resurrection.” 

What are the 6 Pillars of Iman?

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The six pillars of Iman are crucial to a Muslim’s life.

  • Belief in the Oneness of Allah
  • Belief in Angels
  • Belief in the Books of Allah
  • Belief in the Messenger of Allah
  • Belief in the Judgement Day
  • Belief in Divine Decree
      • Belief in the Oneness of Allah 

      The first of the Pillars of Iman is to affirm Faith in the Oneness of Allah Almighty, which is to believe that there is no God except Allah, and He is the creator of everything. 

      It is mentioned in Surah Ikhlas, 

       قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

      Say, “He is Allāh, [who is] One,

      ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ

      Allāh, the Self-sufficient

      لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ

      He neither begets nor is born,

      وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ

      Nor is there to Him any equivalent.”

      (AlQuran 112:1-4)

      One of the Prophet’s (PBUH) companions, ibn Abbas narrated a hadith in which the Prophet (PBUH) tells us what it means to believe in Allah. 

      The Prophet(PBUH) said to a delegation from the tribe of ‘Abd Al-Qays,

       “I order you to do four things: To believe in Allah alone. Do you know what is meant by believing in Allah alone? It means to testify that no one has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad (PBUH) is Allah’s messenger, to perform the prayers, to pay Zakah, to fast during the month of Ramadan, and to pay Al-Khumus (one-fifth of your spoils of war).”

      • Belief in Angels

      The second of the pillars of Iman is to believe in the existence of Allah’s angel. They were created from the lights and before the creation of Humans for worship and some duties. 

      وَلِلَّهِ يَسْجُدُ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ مِن دَآبَّةٍ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَهُمْ لَا يَسْتَكْبِرُونَ

      “And to Allah prostrates whatever is in the heavens and on the earth of creatures. And the angels [as well], and they are not arrogant. 

      يَخَافُونَ رَبَّهُم مِّن فَوْقِهِمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ

      They fear their Lord above them and do what they are commanded.” [Surat An-Nahl 16:49-50]

      The angels have been appointed to perform specific tasks. Here are some examples:

      • Jibreel has been given the duty of delivering the revelations to all the messengers.

      قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُۥ نَزَّلَهُۥ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

      Say, “Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel -it is [none but] he who has brought it [i.e., the Qur’ān] down upon your heart, [O Muhammad], by permission of Allāh, confirming that which was before it and as guidance and good tidings for the Believers.” (AlQuran 2:98)

      • Mikaeel is responsible for the raindrops that fall from the sky.
      • Isra’il, taking the soul at the time of death, is ascribed to the Angel of Death.

      قُلْ يَتَوَفَّىٰكُم مَّلَكُ ٱلْمَوْتِ ٱلَّذِى وُكِّلَ بِكُمْ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ تُرْجَعُونَ

      Say, “The Angel of death will take you who has been entrusted with you. Then to your Lord, you will be returned.” 

      [Surah As-Sajdah: 11]

      • Israfeel has been entrusted with blowing the Trumpet, which signals the beginning of the Day of Judgement.

      يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ ٱلْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ

      The Day they will emerge from the graves as if they were rushing toward an erected idol.

      [Surah Al-Ma’aarij: 43]

      • Belief in the Books of Allah 

      The third among the six pillars of Iman is to believe in the Books of Allah Almighty, which were delivered to the nation by the Messengers of Allah as a means of guidance for His slaves. 

      The Divine Books mentioned in the Quran,

      1. The Suhuf (Scriptures) of Ibrahim

      إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَفِى ٱلصُّحُفِ ٱلْأُولَىٰ

      Indeed, this is in the former scriptures

      صُحُفِ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ

      The scriptures of Abraham and Moses.

      (AlQuran 87:18-19)

      2.The Tawrah (Torah) was the Book that Allah revealed to Musa.

      إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَا ٱلتَّوْرَىٰةَ فِيهَا هُدًى وَنُورٌ ۚ يَحْكُمُ بِهَا ٱلنَّبِيُّونَ ٱلَّذِينَ أَسْلَمُوا۟ لِلَّذِينَ هَادُوا۟ وَٱلرَّبَّٰنِيُّونَ وَٱلْأَحْبَارُ بِمَا ٱسْتُحْفِظُوا۟ مِن كِتَٰبِ ٱللَّهِ وَكَانُوا۟ عَلَيْهِ شُهَدَآءَ ۚ 

      Indeed, We sent down the Torah, which was guidance and light. The prophets who submitted [to Allah] judged by it for the Jews, as did the rabbis and scholars by that with which they were entrusted of the Book of Allah, and they were witnesses to that. 

      (AlQuran 5:44)

      3. The Zabur (Psalms) was the Book that Allah revealed to Dawud.

      وَرَبُّكَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَلَقَدْ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَ ٱلنَّبِيِّۦنَ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۖ وَءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُۥدَ زَبُورًا

      And your Lord knows most of whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And We have made some prophets exceed others [in various ways], and to David, We gave the Book.

      (AlQuran 17:55)

      4.The Injil (Gospel) was the Book Allah revealed to ʿIsa.

      ثُمَّ قَفَّيْنَا عَلَىٰٓ ءَاثَٰرِهِم بِرُسُلِنَا وَقَفَّيْنَا بِعِيسَى ٱبْنِ مَرْيَمَ وَءَاتَيْنَٰهُ ٱلْإِنجِيلَ

      Then We sent in succession on their footsteps Our messengers, and We followed [them] with Jesus, the son of Mary, and gave him the Gospel.

      (AlQuran 57:27)

      5.The Quran was the Book Allah revealed to Muhammad for all of humanity.

      إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ فَٱعْبُدِ ٱللَّهَ مُخْلِصًا لَّهُ ٱلدِّينَ

      Indeed, We have sent down to you the Book, [O Muhammad], in truth. So worship Allāh, [being] sincere to Him in religion. 

      (AlQuran 39:2)

      • Belief in the Messenger of Allah 

      One of the Pillars of Iman includes the Iman in the Messengers of Allah means firmly believing in the Messengers that Allah sent to every nation. 

      وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِى كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ ٱعْبُدُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَٱجْتَنِبُوا۟ ٱلطَّٰغُوتَ ۖ فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ هَدَى ٱللَّهُ وَمِنْهُم مَّنْ حَقَّتْ عَلَيْهِ ٱلضَّلَٰلَةُ ۚ فَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُكَذِّبِينَ

      And We indeed sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], “Worship Allāh and avoid tāghūt.” And among them were those whom Allāh guided, and among them were those upon whom error was [deservedly] decreed. So proceed [i.e., travel] through the earth and observe how was the end of the deniers. 

      (AlQuran 16:36)

      As a Muslim, it is obligatory to have Iman in all the Prophets and Messengers; whoever disbelieves in even one of them has dibelieved all of them. 

      وَرُسُلًا قَدْ قَصَصْنَٰهُمْ عَلَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَرُسُلًا لَّمْ نَقْصُصْهُمْ عَلَيْكَ ۚ

      And [We sent] messengers about whom We have related [their stories] to you before and messengers about whom We have not related to you. And Allāh spoke to Moses with [direct] speech.

      (AlQuran 4:164)

      • Belief in the Judgement Day 

      To believe on the Day of Judgement is one of the Pillars of Iman. The Day when Allah will resurrect all creation to be held and recomposed. 

      ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۚ لَيَجْمَعَنَّكُمْ إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ ٱلْقِيَٰمَةِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۗ وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ حَدِيثًا

      Allah– there is no deity except Him. He will surely assemble you for [account on] the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. And who is more truthful than Allah in a statement?

      (AlQuran 4:87)

      Believing in the Last Day includes believing in Punishment and Bliss of the Grave, the resurrection, the Judgement of the Scales, which will balance your deeds, and belief in Paradise and Hell. 

      يُخْرِجُ ٱلْحَىَّ مِنَ ٱلْمَيِّتِ وَيُخْرِجُ ٱلْمَيِّتَ مِنَ ٱلْحَىِّ وَيُحْىِ ٱلْأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ تُخْرَجُونَ

      He brings the living out of the dead, brings the dead out of the living, and brings to life the earth after its lifelessness. And thus will you be brought out.

      (AlQuran 30:19)

      • Belief in Divine Decree

      The last and most complicated among the pillars of Iman is to believe in Divine Decree to have Faith that everything good or evil happened is already written in the Divine before the creation of humanity. It believes that everything happens in the knowledge of Allah Almighty.  

      إِنَّا كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقْنَٰهُ بِقَدَرٍ

      Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation, as written in the Book of Decrees Al-Lauh Al-Mahfuz)

      (AlQuran 54:49)

      Not just this, but everyone should believe that whatever good reaches you is from Allah, but if something evil befalls you, it is from yourself. 

      مَّآ أَصَابَكَ مِنْ حَسَنَةٍ فَمِنَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَمَآ أَصَابَكَ مِن سَيِّئَةٍ فَمِن نَّفْسِكَ ۚ وَأَرْسَلْنَٰكَ لِلنَّاسِ رَسُولًا ۚ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ شَهِيدًا

      What comes to you of good is from Allāh, but what comes to you of evil, [O man], is yourself. And We have sent you, [O Muhammad], to the people as a messenger, and sufficient is Allāh as Witness.

      (AlQuran 4:79)

       

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