What Muslims Believe: The Six Articles of Faith

If the five pillars describe what Muslims do, the six articles of faith describe what Muslims believe. They're often called the pillars of iman. The Prophet ﷺ listed them when the angel Jibril (Gabriel) came in human form and asked him, "What is faith?"

The Qur'an mentions most of them in a single verse:

Al-Baqarah 2:285

1. Belief in Allah

At the heart of Islam is tawhid — the oneness of God. Allah is one, unique, eternal, with no partner, no child and no equal Al-Ikhlas 112:1-4. He is the Creator of everything, the Most Merciful, All-Knowing, All-Wise. Only He is worthy of worship.

The Qur'an introduces Him through His beautiful names — the Most Merciful, the Forgiving, the Loving, the Just and many more. Learning these names is one of the best ways to come to know Him.

2. Belief in the angels

Angels are beings created by Allah from light, who obey Him perfectly. Some have specific roles mentioned in the Qur'an and Sunnah — Jibril brought revelation to the prophets; others record our deeds, take souls at death, or watch over people. We can't see them, but they are part of the unseen world Allah tells us about.

3. Belief in the revealed books

Muslims believe Allah sent revelation to earlier prophets, including the Tawrah given to Musa (Moses), the Zabur given to Dawud (David), and the Injil given to 'Isa (Jesus), peace be upon them. The Qur'an is the final revelation, confirming the core message of those before it and preserved exactly as revealed.

4. Belief in the prophets and messengers

Allah sent prophets to every nation An-Nahl 16:36, all calling people to worship the One God. The Qur'an names twenty-five, including Adam, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), 'Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad ﷺ, the final Messenger. Muslims love and honour all of them, without distinction in respect Al-Baqarah 2:136.

5. Belief in the Last Day

This life is not the end. Muslims believe in a Day of Judgement when everyone will be raised and held accountable. Every good deed — even the smallest — will be seen, and every bad deed too Az-Zalzalah 99:7-8. Then comes Paradise, a reward beyond imagination, or the Fire. Allah's mercy is vast, and His justice is perfect.

6. Belief in divine decree (qadar)

Muslims believe Allah knows everything, has written everything, wills everything that happens, and created everything. At the same time, people have real choices and responsibility for them. This belief brings deep peace: what reached you was never going to miss you, and what missed you was never going to reach you. It teaches patience in hardship and gratitude in ease.

Why these beliefs matter in daily life

These aren't abstract ideas. They shape how a Muslim lives:

• Knowing Allah is near changes how you pray and make du'a.
• Knowing angels record your deeds encourages honesty when no one's watching.
• Knowing the prophets' stories gives you role models in hardship.
• Knowing the Last Day is real gives meaning to every small kindness.
• Knowing Allah's decree brings calm when life doesn't go your way.

How AskDeen can help

Questions about belief are some of the deepest you'll ask: How can Allah know everything and I still have free will? What happens after we die? Who were the prophets? AskDeen answers with care and depth, presenting mainstream scholarship clearly and noting where Muslims differ, with every verse linked so you can read it in context. Explore the 99 Names of Allah in the app, or open any verse above in the Qur'an reader and tap "Ask about this".

Faith grows through understanding. Start with your question today.