Iman (concept) - The Six Articles of Faith

The Six Articles of Faith

Iman is generally outlined using the six articles of faith:

1. Belief in God
2. Belief in the Prophets
3. Belief in the Day of Judgment
4. Belief in the Angels
5. Belief in Divine Books
6. Qadr (Fate)

Of these, the first five are mentioned together in the Qur'an and Prophet Muhammad, while including a corollary of belief in Allah – the good and evil of fate ordained by God – has referred to all six together in the following manner in the Hadith of Gabriel;

"Iman is that you believe in God and His Angels and His Books and His Messengers and the Hereafter and the good and evil fate "

Another similar narration ascribed to the Prophet is;

Ibn Abbas narrates that the Angel Jibril once asked the Prophet: "Tell me what is Iman?" The Prophet replied: "Iman is to believe in Allah, the Day of Judgment, His (Allah's) Angels, Books and Prophets and to believe in life after death; and to believe in Paradise and the Fire, and the setting up of the Mizan (scales) to weigh the deeds; and to believe in the Divine Decree, the good and the bad of it (all). Jibril then asked him: "If I do all this will I be with Iman?" The Prophet said: "When you have done all of this, you will be having Iman."

It is also assumed that the essential Iman consists of the first 3 items (Belief in God, Prophets, and the Hereafter)