Belief in Angels, Messengers, Books, The Day of Judgement, and Divine Decree

 

Belief in Angels

Belief in angels involves affirming their existence in both general and specific terms. A Muslim acknowledges that Allah created angels to serve Him, and that they are noble beings who neither precede Him in speech nor act except by His command:

“He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they do not intercede except for him whom He approves, and they, out of fear of Him, are apprehensive.” (Surah al-Anbiya: 28).

Angels are of various kinds. Some carry the Throne, others guard Paradise and Hell, while some record human deeds. We specifically believe in those mentioned by name, such as Jibril, Mika’il, Malik (the keeper of Hellfire), and Israfil, who is entrusted with blowing the Trumpet. The hadiths of the Prophet ﷺ affirm their existence. For instance, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Prophet ﷺ said:

“The angels were created from light, the jinn from a smokeless flame of fire, and Adam from what has been described to you.” (Sahih Muslim).

 

Belief in Divine Books

Belief in the Divine Books entails affirming that Allah revealed scriptures to His Prophets and Messengers to articulate His truth and guide humanity. Allah states:

“We have certainly sent Our Messengers with clear proofs, and We sent down with them the Scripture and the balance that the people may maintain their affairs in justice.” (Surah al-Hadid: 25).

And He says:

“Mankind was [of] one religion [before their deviation]; then Allah sent the Prophets as bringers of good tidings and warners and sent down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between the people concerning that in which they differed.” (Surah al-Baqarah: 213).

Specifically, we believe in the scriptures specifically mentioned are the Torah, the Gospel (Injeel), the Psalms (Zaboor), and the Qur’an. The Qur’an is the final and most exalted of these Books, serving as a guardian over earlier revelations and a criterion for truth. It is obligatory for all people to adhere to the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ. Allah sent Muhammad ﷺ as a universal Messenger and revealed the Qur’an as a cure for spiritual ailments, a clarification of all matters, and a mercy for the believers:

“And this is a blessed Book We have revealed, so follow it and fear Allah that you may receive mercy.” (Surah al-An‘am: 155).

And He states:

“And We have sent down to you the Book as clarification for all things and as guidance and mercy and good tidings for the Muslims.” (Surah al-Nahl: 89).

 

Belief in Prophets

Belief in the Prophets requires general faith in all the Messengers of Allah, as well as specific belief in those mentioned by name. Allah sent Prophets as bearers of glad tidings and warners, calling people to worship Allah alone. Those who heeded their call attained success, while those who rejected them incurred loss and regret. The final and greatest of them is our Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Allah declares:

“And We certainly sent into every nation a Messenger, [saying], 'Worship Allah and avoid Taghut.'” (Surah al-Nahl: 36).

And He says:

“[We sent] Messengers as bringers of good tidings and warners so that mankind will have no argument against Allah after the Messengers.” (Surah al-Nisa: 165).

Moreover, Allah states:

“Muhammad is not the father of [any] one of your men, but [he is] the Messenger of Allah and the seal of the Prophets.” (Surah al-Ahzab: 40).

Among the Prophets mentioned explicitly are Nuh, Hud, Salih, Ibrahim, and others. Peace and blessings be upon them all.

 

Belief in the Last Day

Belief in the Last Day encompasses all matters that Allah and His Messenger ﷺ have informed us about regarding the events after death. This includes the trials of the grave, its punishment and reward, the horrors and trials of the Day of Judgment, the Balance, the Bridge (Sirat), the distribution of records, and the final destinations of Paradise and Hell. It also includes belief in the Prophet’s Basin (Hawd), the vision of Allah by the believers, and Allah’s communication with them. Belief in these events must align with the descriptions provided in the Qur’an and Sunnah.

 

Belief in Divine Decree (Qadar)

Belief in divine decree encompasses four components:

1.      Allah’s Infinite Knowledge: Affirmatio that Allah, exalted be He, possesses perfect and eternal knowledge of all that has occurred, all that is occurring, and all that will occur. He is fully aware of His creation, their states, their provisions, their lifespans, their deeds, and every other matter concerning them. Nothing is hidden from His knowledge. As Allah states:

“Indeed, Allah is Knowing of all things.” (Surah al-Baqarah: 231)

He also declares:

“That you may know that Allah is over all things competent, and that Allah has encompassed all things in knowledge.” (Surah al-Talaq: 12)

2.      His Recording of All Decrees: Allah has recorded everything He has decreed and ordained in the Preserved Tablet (al-Lawh al-Mahfuz). This includes all matters, whether great or small, as a testament to His meticulous will and governance. Allah says:

“We know what the earth diminishes of them, and with Us is a retaining record.” (Surah Qaf: 4)

And He states:

“And all things We have enumerated in a clear register.” (Surah Ya-Sin: 12)

Moreover, He says:

“Do you not know that Allah knows what is in the heaven and earth? Indeed, that is in a Record. Indeed, that is easy for Allah.” (Surah al-Hajj: 70)

3.      His Will: The third principle is the belief in Allah’s encompassing and unfailing will. Whatever Allah wills occurs, and whatever He does not will does not come to pass. His will is absolute and governs all things. As He states:

“Indeed, Allah does what He wills.” (Surah al-Hajj: 18)

And He says:

“His command is only when He intends a thing that He says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is.” (Surah Ya-Sin: 82)

Furthermore, He declares:

“And you do not will except that Allah wills. Indeed, Allah is ever Knowing and Wise.” (Surah al-Insan: 30)

 

4.      His Creation of All Things: Allah is the sole Creator of all existence. No entity exists except by His creation, and no Lord besides Him governs existence. As Allah proclaims:

“Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs.” (Surah al-Zumar: 62)

And He says:

“O mankind, remember the favour of Allah upon you. Is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? There is no deity except Him, so how are you deluded?” (Surah Fatir: 3)

Belief in these four aspects collectively constitutes the comprehensive understanding of al-Qadr, as upheld by Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama‘ah. This belief stands in contrast to the deviations of those who deny or misconstrue any of these principles, including sects associated with innovation in creed (ahl al-bid‘ah).