Foundations of Islamic Belief
Work through the core doctrines of Islam in a logical sequence, from the oneness of God to the sources of law and the acts of worship built upon them.
Start LearningBegins with Tawheed (Islamic Monotheism)
Learning Sequence
Articles are ordered so each builds on the one before. You can also read them in any order that suits you.
- Tawheed (Islamic Monotheism)theologyProphetic EraTawheed is the fundamental doctrine of Islamic monotheism, asserting the absolute oneness and uniqueness of Allah. It encompasses three categories: Oneness of Lordship, O…
- AllahtheologyProphetic EraAllah is the Arabic name for the One God in Islam: the eternal, unique Creator and Sustainer of all that exists. Belief in Him is the foundation of Islamic faith, express…
- The Quran (Al-Qur'an)textProphetic EraThe holy book of Islam, believed by Muslims to be the direct word of Allah revealed to Prophet Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel (Jibril) over 23 years. The Quran serves…
- Hadith - The Prophetic TraditionstextProphetic EraHadith are the recorded sayings, actions, and approvals of Prophet Muhammad, serving as the second primary source of Islamic guidance after the Quran. These prophetic tra…
- Sunnah - The Prophetic WaytextProphetic EraThe Sunnah represents the teachings, practices, and sayings of Prophet Muhammad, serving as the second primary source of Islamic guidance after the Quran. It provides pra…
- Angels in IslamtheologyProphetic EraAngels (mala'ikah) are beings created from light who hold a central place in Islamic theology. Belief in them is one of the six articles of faith; the Quran describes the…
- Predestination (Qadar) in IslamtheologyProphetic EraPredestination (Qadar) is the sixth article of Islamic faith, encompassing divine foreknowledge, the divine decree, and the relationship between God's sovereignty and hum…
- Day of Judgment (Yawm al-Din)theologyProphetic EraThe Day of Judgment (Yawm al-Din) is a fundamental article of Islamic faith — the final day when humanity is resurrected and held accountable before God. The doctrine sha…
- Sharia - Islamic Law and GuidancetheologyProphetic EraSharia is the comprehensive legal and moral framework of Islam, derived from the Quran and Sunnah. It encompasses ethics, spirituality, and social justice, aiming to prom…
- Five Pillars of Islam (Arkan al-Islam)practiceProphetic EraThe Five Pillars of Islam are the five obligatory acts of Muslim practice: the shahada, the five daily prayers, the zakat, the fast of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Mecc…
- Islamic Schools of Jurisprudence: The MadhabstheologyAbbasid CaliphateThe madhabs, the schools of Islamic law that developed methods for deriving rulings from the Qur'an and the Sunnah. Four Sunni schools and the Shi'a traditions have guide…
- The Islamic Calendar - Hijri Calendar SystempracticeProphetic EraThe Islamic calendar, or Hijri calendar, is a lunar calendar of 12 months beginning with Prophet Muhammad's migration to Medina in 622 CE. It governs Islamic religious ob…
- Sidrat al-Muntaha: The Lote Tree of the Utmost BoundarytheologyProphetic EraThe Lote Tree of the Utmost Boundary, named in the Qur'an and described in the hadith as standing in the highest heaven, at the limit beyond which no created being passes…