Islam is one of the major world religions, with over 1.8 billion adherents comprising approximately 24% of the global population. The core beliefs in Islam begin with a faith in the existence of God, referred to as Allah in Arabic. Muslims believe that God is eternal, omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. The religion also has a strong emphasis on an afterlife, with the concept of heaven being a key tenet of Islamic theology.
Belief in God
The central foundation of Islam is a conviction in the oneness and unity of God. This is expressed in the shahada, the declaration of faith that all Muslims must recite and adhere to: “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” This singular focus on worshipping only one God is known as tawhid or monotheism. The Quran, which Muslims believe to be the direct word of God revealed to the prophet Muhammad, repeatedly emphasizes that there is only one true God, Allah.
Some key Quranic verses that highlight Islamic monotheism include:
- “Say, ‘He is Allah, [who is] One, Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to Him any equivalent.’” (Surah Al Ikhlas 112: 1-4)
- “Your god is one God. There is no deity [worthy of worship] except Him, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.” (Surah Al Baqarah 2:163)
- “And your god is one God. There is no deity [worthy of worship] except Him, the Beneficent, the Merciful.” (Surah Al Baqarah 2:163)
The Quran depicts God as being all-powerful, all-knowing, and possessing all virtues and excellent attributes. Islam emphasizes that God is strictly singular, and it is considered idolatry or shirk, the greatest sin in Islam, to ascribe partners or intermediaries to God. Muslims reject the Christian concept of the trinity and divine incarnation as being forms of shirk.
In addition to the Quran, stories of the prophets that are shared between Islam and other Abrahamic faiths, like Judaism and Christianity, also reflect the Islamic belief in the one true omnipotent God that has existed eternally. The Quran and hadiths (sayings and traditions of Prophet Muhammad) also describe the names and attributes of God, which Muslims use to get closer to God in their worship.
The 99 Names of Allah
There are 99 names of God described in the Quran and Sunnah that Muslims use to understand God’s attributes better. Each name reflects a virtue or characteristic of Allah. Some of the most popular and important names include:
- Ar-Rahman – The All-Compassionate
- Ar-Rahim – The All-Merciful
- Al-Malik – The Absolute Ruler
- Al-Quddus – The Absolutely Pure
- As-Salam – The Embodiment of Peace
- Al-Mu’min – The Source of Faith
These beautiful names allow Muslims to cultivate a personal connection with God in their prayers and spirituality. Muslims often use these names in dhikr, the remembrance of God through devotional acts, in order to strengthen their faith.
The Pillars of Iman – Articles of Faith
There are six core articles of faith in Islam that every Muslim must believe in, known as the pillars of iman:
- Belief in one God (tawhid), the key theological concept in Islam
- Belief in angels as servants and messengers of God
- Belief in holy books and revelation sent down by God, including the Quran as the final revelation
- Belief in all the prophets sent by God, from Adam to Jesus to Muhammad
- Belief in the Day of Judgment and God’s justice on that day
- Belief in predestination and divine decree, that God has knowledge of everything that happens
Affirmation and adherence to these six articles of faith forms the basis of Muslim belief in God.
Concept of Heaven in Islam
Alongside faith in one God, belief in the existence of the afterlife and heaven is also a fundamental part of Islamic theology. The Arabic terms for heaven in the Quran are Jannah and Firdaus.
Heaven is described in the Quran as a beautiful, eternal garden of abundance. Islamic scriptures emphasize that while on Earth human life is filled with suffering and hardship, Jannah is a reward after death for those who lived righteously. It is depicted as a place of joy and bliss, where people who were admitted by God’s mercy will reside eternally.
Some key Quranic verses that describe Jannah include:
- “The example of Paradise, which the righteous have been promised, is [that] beneath it rivers flow. Its fruit is lasting, and its shade. That is the consequence for the righteous, and the consequence for the disbelievers is the Fire.” (Surah Ar-Ra’d 13:35)
- “Race toward forgiveness from your Lord and a Garden as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for the righteous.” (Surah Al-Imran 3:133)
- “Gardens of perpetual residence, which they will enter along with whoever was righteous among their forebears, their spouses and their descendants.” (Surah Ar-Ra’d 13:23)
Conditions for Entering Jannah
While ultimate judgment belongs only to Allah, the Quran and hadith lay out certain spiritual conditions for entering Jannah:
- Iman – Faith in one God and belief in all the articles of faith
- Salah – Establishing the five daily prayers
- Zakat – Giving charity to the poor
- Sawm – Observing the fast during Ramadan
- Hajj – Undertaking the pilgrimage to Mecca if physically and financially able
- Righteous deeds and conduct as laid out in the Shariah, or moral code of Islam
- Allah’s mercy
These form the basis of living a righteous life in Islam that may lead one to enter Jannah as a reward from the Almighty after passing from the mortal realm.
Descriptions of Jannah
The Quran and hadiths of Prophet Muhammad extensively describe the physical form and spiritual delights of Jannah. Some features include:
- Gardens underneath which rivers flow – Vivid imageries of ever-flowing streams
- Fruits of abundance – Perpetual and high quality fruits like grapes, pomegranates, mangoes, bananas and more
- Comfortable shade – Soothing coolness and shade under trees
- Green pastures – Lush green gardens bejeweled with plants, herbs, and flowers
- Thrones, cushions and fine carpets – Elegant furniture and high-end luxuries
- Delicious food and drinks – Palatable cuisine beyond anything in this world
- Spouses – Chaste companionship and intimacy for those who were married
- Serenity – An aura and feeling of complete peace, contentment and tranquility
These remarkable rewards are promised by God to believers who surrender themselves fully to the Divine in this world through faith and righteous deeds.
Spiritual Delights
In addition to physical comforts, Jannah also contains profound spiritual pleasures. These include:
- Seeing the face of God. Considered the supreme delight of the inhabitants of Paradise.
- Serving and worshipping Allah for eternity in His presence.
- Interacting with angels.
- No grief, sorrow, pain, tiredness, or any other distress.
- Being in the company of the righteous predecessors and prophets.
Islamic sources thus indicate Jannah is a multidimensional realm for believers to experience both physical and spiritual joy beyond anything conceivable in the mortal domain.
Differing Levels of Heaven
Based on the Quran and hadith literature, Islamic scholars have written there are seven levels of Jannah for believers depending on the degree of their faith and scale of good works:
- Firdaus or Jannatul Firdaus
- Darul Maqaam
- Darul Salaam
- Darul Khuld
- Jannatul Adan
- Jannatul Naeem
- Jannatul Mava
The higher levels are reserved for prophets and the most spiritually elevated souls. The highest paradise, Firdaus, is where God’s throne itself is said to be located and will be occupied only by the very few of the most excellent humans.
Conclusion
In summary, the core Islamic beliefs center around faith in one almighty God, referred to as Allah, and conviction in a heavenly afterlife for righteous believers. Central Quranic verses and Prophetic traditions describe Allah as an all-powerful, omniscient, perfect being that is absolutely unique and commands worship from mankind alone. Similarly, detailed descriptions exist of paradise as a complex abode of spiritual and physical rewards for faithful Muslims in the next eternal life. These twin pillars of belief in tawhid (God’s oneness) and Jannah (heaven) form the bedrock of Islamic theology and spirituality.