Six Articles of Faith in Sunni Islam

The six articles of faith in Sunni Islam are belief in Allah, angels, Allah’s revealed books, Allah’s prophets, the Day of Judgement, and predestination, known as al-Qadr.

1. Allah

Sunni Muslims believe in one God, Allah. Allah is Tawhid, meaning completely one and unique. Muslims believe that Allah has no partners, children or equal, and is the creator and sustainer of the universe.

2. Angels

Angels are spiritual beings created by Allah from light. They obey Allah completely and do not have free will. For example, Jibril (Gabriel) delivered Allah’s revelations to the prophets. Muslims also believe that angels record people’s good and bad actions.

3. Revealed Books

Muslims believe that Allah has revealed guidance through holy books. These include the Tawrat given to Musa (Moses), the Zabur given to Dawud (David), the Injil given to Isa (Jesus), and the Qur’an given to Muhammad. Sunni Muslims believe the Qur’an is Allah’s final and complete revelation.

4. Prophets

Prophets are human messengers chosen by Allah to teach people how to live. Muslims believe in many prophets, including Adam, Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa, Isa and Muhammad. Muhammad is regarded as the final prophet, known as the Seal of the Prophets.

5. The Day of Judgement

Sunni Muslims believe that life after death is real. On the Day of Judgement, Allah will judge every person according to their beliefs and actions. Those who have followed Allah’s guidance may enter Jannah (paradise), while those who have rejected it may be punished in Jahannam (hell).

6. Predestination

Al-Qadr means that Allah has complete knowledge and control of everything that happens. Sunni Muslims also believe that humans have responsibility for their choices. A common mistake is to say that predestination means people have no choice at all. Instead, Muslims try to trust Allah while making morally responsible decisions.