Islamic beliefs

The Quran has many statements of faith: belief in one God, belief in prophets and messengers, belief in life after death, belief punishment and reward, belief in eternal life in hell and eternal life in paradise, etc.

Muslims, then, throughout their history selected some of the main beliefs for them given the circumstances. That does not mean that they do not believe in the other elements of faith, rather, they emphasize what they see as most important.

Ibadis, one of the earliest sects in Islam, emphasizes social justice piety

Shias: emphasize divine grace (lutf) whereby God’s mercy and kindness assures each generation of Muslims that an infallible leader is available to guide them.

Sunnis: are the mainstream from which the sects split, so it does not have a coherent belief system, but it is all those who do not share the beliefs of the splinter groups, Ibadis and Shias. Sunnis consist of many subgroups with varying beliefs.

What unites Muslims is the belief in the singularity of God and their acknowledgement of the role played by Muhammad as the seal of prophets.

Common beliefs among all sects, include

• Belief in the Oneness of God

• Belief in the Angels and Jinn

• Belief in the Books of God

• Belief in the Prophets or Messengers of God

• Belief in the Day of Judgment

• Belief in the Divine Fate