Foundational beliefs, God and angels

Two traditions with shared foundations

Sunni and Shi’a Islam share belief in one God, Allah. ‘Allah’ is the Arabic word for God, not the name of a different god. Both traditions believe that God creates and sustains the world, guides humanity and holds people accountable for their actions.

They organise their foundational beliefs differently. Sunni Muslims identify six articles of faith, while Shi’a Muslims identify five roots of Usul ad-Din. The image of roots is helpful: these beliefs support religious life, just as roots support a tree.

The six articles and five roots

The six articles of faith in Sunni Islam are:

1. Tawhid: the oneness of God.
2. Angels: spiritual beings who obey God and carry out his commands.
3. Holy books: revelations through which God guides humanity, including the Qur’an, Tawrat, Zabur, Injil and Suhuf.
4. Prophets: people chosen by God to communicate his guidance.
5. Al-Qadr: the supremacy of God’s will, associated with predestination.
6. Day of Judgement: God will judge people and hold them accountable for their lives.

The five roots of Usul ad-Din in Shi’a Islam are:

1. Tawhid: the oneness of God.
2. Adalat: God’s justice.
3. Nubuwwah: prophethood, through which God guides humanity.
4. Al-Ma’ad: resurrection and the return to God after death.
5. Imamate: religious leadership through Imams from Muhammad’s family line, who preserve and explain the faith and guide Muslims.

The lists have important connections. Both explicitly include God’s oneness and prophethood. The Sunni belief in the Day of Judgement connects with the Shi’a root of resurrection: both express belief that earthly life is not the end and that people are accountable to God.

The differences are differences of emphasis, not two completely separate sets of beliefs. Angels, holy books and Al-Qadr have separate places in the Sunni list. Adalat and the Imamate have separate places in the Shi’a list. Shi’a Muslims also believe in angels and revelation, and Sunni Muslims also believe in God’s justice. The Imamate is a distinctive Shi’a understanding of religious authority.

Tawhid and Surah 112

Tawhid means that God is one and unique, without partners or equals. Islam is therefore a monotheistic religion. God alone is worthy of worship; neither a prophet nor an angel is divine.

Surah 112 of the Qur’an expresses this belief:

“He is God the One, God the eternal. He begot no one nor was He begotten. No one is comparable to Him.”

Each statement develops the meaning of Tawhid. ‘The One’ rules out multiple gods. ‘The eternal’ means that God has no beginning or end. ‘He begot no one nor was He begotten’ means that God has neither offspring nor parents. ‘No one is comparable to Him’ means that nothing in creation is God’s equal.

This shapes Muslim worship: prayers are directed to God, rather than to Muhammad or the angels. Muhammad is respected as a prophet, but not worshipped.

Islam and Christianity share monotheism and belief in God as Creator. However, their understandings of God differ. Christians understand the one God as Trinity and Jesus as the Son of God. Muslims reject divine sonship: Jesus is an important prophet, not God or God’s son. Surah 112 helps explain this distinction.

God’s power, goodness and mercy

Muslims believe that God is omnipotent, meaning all-powerful. As Creator and sustainer, God has power over everything that exists. Qur’an 6:102 describes God as ‘the Creator of all things’ and says that he is ‘in charge of everything’. This can encourage gratitude for life, submission to God and trust during hardship.

God’s beneficence is his goodness, kindness and generosity. Muslims see life, nourishment and guidance through prophets as gifts from God. God does not merely possess power: he uses it with goodness and compassion.

Mercy particularly involves compassion and forgiveness. Muslims believe that God understands human weakness and forgives those who sincerely repent. The familiar phrase ‘In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy’ expresses this belief. It can encourage a Muslim to seek forgiveness rather than give up after wrongdoing, and to show compassion towards others.

These qualities are connected but distinct. Providing what people need expresses beneficence; forgiving someone who repents expresses mercy. Both reveal God’s care for humanity.

Fairness and justice: Adalat

God’s justice means that he always acts rightly and fairly. In Shi’a Islam, Adalat is important enough to be named as one of the five roots. Sunni Muslims also affirm divine justice, including through their belief in the Day of Judgement.

Justice means that wrongdoing matters and that people are accountable. Mercy means that forgiveness is possible. Muslims therefore understand God’s judgement as both just and merciful, rather than treating these qualities as opposites.

Belief in divine justice also creates a responsibility to treat others fairly. Qur’an 5:8 warns believers not to let hatred lead them into injustice. For example, a Muslim should judge someone’s actions fairly even if that person is an opponent. This teaching can influence relationships within communities and the treatment of people from other groups.

When earthly life seems unfair, belief in God’s eventual justice can offer hope. It does not remove the duty to act justly now.

Beyond creation, yet close to people

Transcendence means that God is beyond creation and beyond the limits of human understanding. God is not another object within the universe. Qur’an 6:103 states: ‘No vision can grasp Him…He is above all comprehension.’ This connects with Surah 112: nothing is comparable to God.

Immanence means that God is close to people and active in the world. Qur’an 57:4 states: ‘He is with you wherever you may be.’ Muslims can understand this as God’s constant knowledge, guidance and care, rather than as a physical location.

These ideas need not contradict each other. God can be beyond the universe he created while still knowing and caring for its inhabitants. Transcendence expresses God’s greatness; immanence expresses his closeness. Together, they help explain why Muslims worship God with reverence while also turning to him personally in prayer.

Angels: obedient servants of God

Muslims believe that angels are spiritual beings created from light. They belong to the unseen world, although they can appear in human form. They are described as having wings: Qur’an 35:1 calls them messengers with wings.

Angels have no free will to disobey God: they always carry out his commands. They worship and glorify God, communicate his guidance and serve creation. They are not gods and are not worshipped.

Their roles include watching over people and recording their deeds for judgement. Qur’an 13:11 describes angels watching over a person ‘by God’s command’. Belief in their protection can bring reassurance, while belief that deeds are recorded can encourage responsible behaviour even when other people cannot see it.

Jibril and Mika’il

Jibril, also known as Gabriel, communicates God’s revelations to prophets. Muslims believe that he brought the Qur’an from God to Muhammad. Muhammad’s first revelation came while he was praying in a cave on Mount Hira outside Makkah. Jibril’s role therefore helps explain why Muslims regard the Qur’an as divine guidance rather than Muhammad’s own invention.

Mika’il is associated with mercy and with rain and sustenance. Rain supports plants, food production and human life, so his role expresses God’s provision for creation. Islamic tradition also associates him with asking God to forgive people’s sins.

A useful distinction is that Jibril brings spiritual nourishment through revelation, while Mika’il brings physical nourishment through rain and provision. Both act under God’s authority, showing how belief in angels connects with God’s guidance, beneficence and care.

Foundational beliefs

Sunni six articles: Tawhid; angels; holy books; prophets; Al-Qadr; Day of Judgement.

Shi’a five roots: Tawhid; Adalat; Nubuwwah; Al-Ma’ad; Imamate.

Compare: both explicitly include oneness and prophethood; judgement and resurrection are closely connected. Adalat and the Imamate receive separate emphasis in the Shi’a list. Different lists do not mean that all unlisted beliefs are rejected.

Tawhid: Surah 112

God is one, eternal, without parents or offspring, and incomparable. Only God is worshipped.

Islam and Christianity share monotheism and God as Creator. Muslims regard Jesus as a prophet, not the Son of God.

God’s nature

• Omnipotence: all-powerful Creator and sustainer → trust and submission.
• Beneficence: goodness and generosity → gratitude and kindness.
• Mercy: compassion and forgiveness → repentance and compassion towards others.
• Justice/Adalat: God acts fairly → accountability and fair treatment of others.

God can be beyond creation while remaining close through knowledge, guidance and care.

Angels

Created from light; unseen; can appear in human form; always obey God. Roles include worship, messages, protection and recording deeds.

• Jibril: brought the Qur’an to Muhammad; communicates revelation.
• Mika’il: associated with mercy, rain and sustenance.

Belief in angels can encourage responsible conduct, confidence in revelation and reassurance about God’s care.