The Six Articles of Faith

Belief in: (1) Tawhid — Oneness of Allah, (2) Angels, (3) Divine Books, (4) Prophets, (5) the Day of Judgement/Akhirah, and (6) Qadar — divine decree.

Qur'anic Evidence

<aside> 📗

آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ ۖ كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ

اردو: رسول ایمان لایا اس چیز پر جو اس کے رب کی طرف سے اس پر نازل ہوئی، اور ایمان والوں نے بھی۔ سب اللہ، اس کے فرشتوں، اس کی کتابوں اور اس کے رسولوں پر ایمان لائے ہوئے ہیں۔

English: "The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers."

— Surah Al-Baqarah 2:285

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا ۖ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ

اردو: اے لوگو، ہم نے تم کو ایک مرد اور ایک عورت سے پیدا کیا، پھر تمہیں قومیں اور قبیلے بنایا تاکہ تم ایک دوسرے کو پہچانو۔ یقینا اللہ کے نزدیک تم میں سب سے زیادہ عزت والا وہ ہے جو زیادہ پرہیزگار ہے۔

English: "O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you."

— Surah Al-Hujurat 49:13

</aside>

Hadith Evidence — Definition of Iman

<aside> 📘

In the Hadith of Jibril, the Prophet (PBUH) defined Iman as: "To believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in divine decree (Qadar), the good and the bad of it."

اردو: جبرائیل علیہ السلام کے ایمان کے بارے میں سوال پر، آپ صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نے فرمایا: اللہ، اس کے فرشتوں، اس کی کتابوں، اس کے رسولوں، یوم آخرت اور تقدیر کے اچھے برے پر ایمان لانا۔

— Sahih Muslim 8, Kitab al-Iman

</aside>

Effects

• Tawhid's social effect: liberates man from servitude to other men, idols, caste or class — the philosophical root of human equality.
• Akhirah's effect: instils restraint against corruption and injustice, and gives patience amid worldly hardship.
• Qadar's balance: balances human free will and effort with trust in Allah (Tawakkul), avoiding both fatalism and arrogance.
• Impact on individual: inner peace, moral discipline, sense of purpose.
• Impact on society: unity of the Ummah across race and class, respect for law, institutionalised brotherhood (49:13).

CSS Exam Tips

• Discuss the fundamentals (articles) of Islamic faith and their impact on individual and collective life.
• How does belief in Tawhid and Akhirah shape the moral and social conduct of a Muslim?
• Cross-reference: Tawheed and Concept of Islam pages.

20-Mark Enrichment — Analytical Material

Core Argument

The six articles of Īmān are not a checklist of metaphysical propositions to be affirmed and set aside. Each article carries a behavioural consequence, and the system works because they operate together: Tawḥīd fixes loyalty, angels and the Ākhirah establish inescapable accountability, books and messengers supply the content of guidance, and Qadr calibrates the believer's response to outcomes. A 20-mark answer that states each article and then names what it produces in conduct will outscore one that merely defines.