What Muslims Believe

What you'll learn

Explain tawhid, the six articles of faith and the five pillars of Islam accurately in Muslim terms
Describe the roles of the Quran and hadith and the main differences between Sunni and Shia Islam
Practise respectful habits that build genuine friendship with Muslims, learning from Nabeel Qureshi's story

Tawhid: the heart of Islam

Islam means 'submission' (to God), and a Muslim is 'one who submits'. The centre of Islamic belief is tawhid, the absolute oneness and uniqueness of God (Allah, the Arabic word for God, also used by Arabic-speaking Christians). Surah 112 summarises it: Allah is One, the Eternal Refuge; he neither begets nor is begotten, and nothing is comparable to him.

The opposite of tawhid is shirk: associating partners with God. The Quran treats shirk as the gravest sin (4:48). This is why Muslims are often deeply troubled by the Trinity and the deity of Christ. To many Muslims, saying Jesus is God sounds like shirk. Understanding this helps you see why their objections are passionate, not merely academic. (You studied the Trinity in Know Your Faith, Lesson 3 and Doctrines Under Fire, Lesson 1; Lesson 3 of this module shows how to explain it to a Muslim friend.)

Explain tawhid and shirk in your own words, and why they help you understand Muslim reactions to the Trinity.Show answer

Tawhid is the absolute oneness and uniqueness of God, summarised in Surah 112: Allah neither begets nor is begotten, and nothing is comparable to him. Shirk is associating partners with God, which the Quran treats as the gravest sin (4:48). To many Muslims, saying Jesus is God sounds like shirk, which is why their objections are passionate, not merely academic.

Tawhid: absolute oneness of God
Shirk: associating partners
Gravest sin (4:48)
Jesus as God sounds like shirk

Six articles and five pillars

Muslim belief is often summarised by the 'Hadith of Gabriel' (recorded in Sahih Muslim), in which Gabriel asks Muhammad about Islam, faith (iman) and excellence (ihsan). From it come the six articles of faith: belief in Allah, his angels, his revealed books (including the Torah, the Psalms (Zabur) and the Gospel (Injil) as well as the Quran), his prophets and messengers, the Day of Judgment, and divine decree (qadar).

The five pillars, listed below, are the core practices. Notice how practice and belief interlock: the shahada is the doorway, and the other pillars are ways of living out submission every day, every year and once in a lifetime. Many Muslims find great beauty and discipline in this rhythm.

Shahada: the confession 'There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah.'
Salat: ritual prayer five times a day, facing Mecca.
Zakat: obligatory giving to the poor, usually 2.5 percent of qualifying wealth.
Sawm: fasting from dawn to sunset during the month of Ramadan.
Hajj: pilgrimage to Mecca, once in a lifetime for those able.

List the six articles of faith. Which of them shows that Muslims already have a category for earlier Scriptures?Show answer

The six articles are belief in Allah, his angels, his revealed books, his prophets and messengers, the Day of Judgment, and divine decree (qadar). They come from the Hadith of Gabriel. The article on revealed books includes the Torah, the Psalms (Zabur) and the Gospel (Injil) as well as the Quran.

Allah, angels, books
Prophets, Judgment, decree
Books include Torah, Zabur, Injil

How do the five pillars show that belief and practice interlock in Islam?Show answer

The shahada, the confession that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his messenger, is the doorway. The other pillars, salat (daily prayer), zakat (giving), sawm (Ramadan fasting) and hajj (pilgrimage), are ways of living out submission every day, every year and once in a lifetime. Many Muslims find great beauty and discipline in this rhythm.

Shahada is the doorway
Prayer, giving, fasting, pilgrimage
Daily, yearly, once in life
Beauty and discipline

Quran, hadith and Muhammad

Muslims believe the Quran is the word of Allah (Sunni orthodoxy holds it is eternal and uncreated), revealed to Muhammad through the angel Gabriel between about AD 610 and his death in 632. It has 114 chapters (surahs) made up of verses (ayat). Most Muslims hold that it is perfectly preserved and that it is truly the Quran only in Arabic; translations are interpretations.

The hadith are reports of Muhammad's words and actions, each with a chain of narrators (isnad). Sunni Muslims regard Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim as the two most authentic collections. Together with Muhammad's biography (sira), they make up the sunnah, his example, which shapes Islamic law and practice. Much of daily Islam (how to pray, for example) comes from hadith, not the Quran directly.

Muhammad is regarded as the final prophet, the 'seal of the prophets' (33:40), the last in a line including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Muslims love and honour him deeply. Speak of him respectfully. You can disagree with his claims without mocking him.

Muslims also speak of sharia, Islamic law derived from the Quran and sunnah, interpreted through several schools of jurisprudence (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali among Sunnis). Ask your friend which school their family follows; it shows interest and respect.

What do most Muslims believe about the Quran itself?Show answer

Muslims believe the Quran is the word of Allah, revealed to Muhammad through Gabriel between about AD 610 and 632, and Sunni orthodoxy holds it is eternal and uncreated. It has 114 surahs made of verses (ayat). Most Muslims hold that it is perfectly preserved and truly the Quran only in Arabic, so translations are interpretations.

Word of Allah via Gabriel
Eternal and uncreated (Sunni)
Perfectly preserved
Truly Quran only in Arabic

What is the difference between the Quran, the hadith and the sunnah, and why does it matter for understanding daily Muslim practice?Show answer

The Quran is believed to be Allah's revealed word, while the hadith are reports of Muhammad's words and actions, each with a chain of narrators (isnad). Together with his biography (sira), the hadith make up the sunnah, Muhammad's example, which shapes Islamic law and practice. Much of daily Islam, such as how to pray, comes from hadith rather than the Quran directly.

Hadith: reports with isnad
Sunnah: Muhammad's example
Bukhari and Muslim most trusted
Daily practice from hadith

Sunni and Shia

After Muhammad's death in 632, Muslims divided over who should lead. Sunnis (about 85-90 percent of Muslims) accepted the elected caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and then Ali. Shia Muslims hold that leadership belonged to Ali, Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, and his descendants, the Imams. Most Shia (the Twelvers, dominant in Iran and Iraq) believe the twelfth Imam is in hiding and will return.

Within both there are many streams: Sufis (mystical), Salafis (strict return to the early generations), and others. Nabeel Qureshi grew up in the Ahmadiyya community, which most Sunni and Shia Muslims do not regard as Muslim. Never assume; ask your friend what they believe.

Why did Sunni and Shia Muslims divide, and what practical lesson does the section draw from this diversity?Show answer

After Muhammad's death in 632 they divided over leadership. Sunnis accepted the elected caliphs, while Shia held that leadership belonged to Ali and his descendants, the Imams. With many further streams such as Sufis, Salafis and Ahmadiyya, the lesson is never to assume, but to ask your friend what they believe.

Dispute over leadership
Sunni: elected caliphs
Shia: Ali and the Imams
Never assume; ask

Respect, friendship and Nabeel Qureshi

Nabeel Qureshi was a devout American Muslim who loved Allah and his family. In Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus (2014), he tells how his university friend David Wood befriended him, argued with him for years, and kept showing genuine care. Qureshi investigated the evidence for the crucifixion, the deity of Christ and the reliability of the Quran, then sought God through prayer and dreams. He became a Christian at great personal cost, especially to his family, and later became a well-known apologist before his death from cancer in 2017.

Practical habits of respect go a long way. Do not place a Bible on the floor or treat it casually; many Muslims will be shocked at Christians who do. Be aware of food (halal, no pork or alcohol) and of gender norms when inviting people over. Ask about their faith first and listen. Many Muslims love to talk about God, which is a gift: you are not starting from zero. Be honest about your own faith and willing to pray with and for them. Hospitality is one of the strongest apologetics in this field.

Common ground is real and worth naming: belief in one Creator, prophets, revelation, angels, judgment, prayer and moral seriousness. Many Muslims are shocked by Western secularism and may find a devout Christian a welcome friend. Yet honesty matters too. Christians and Muslims disagree on the most important questions: who Jesus is, whether he died and rose, and how a sinner can be right with God. Friendship that never reaches those questions is not yet love.

Finally, remember that many Muslims in Australia are migrants or children of migrants, and their faith is bound up with family, culture and identity. Leaving Islam can feel like betraying one's parents. That is why patience, prayer and hospitality are not optional extras but the soil in which serious conversation grows.

What does Nabeel Qureshi's story teach about how Muslims come to Christ?Show answer

Qureshi was a devout Muslim whose friend David Wood befriended him, argued with him for years and kept showing genuine care. He investigated the evidence for the crucifixion, the deity of Christ and the reliability of the Quran, and sought God through prayer and dreams. He became a Christian at great personal cost, especially to his family.

Long friendship with genuine care
Honest investigation of evidence
Prayer and dreams
Great personal cost

The section says 'Friendship that never reaches those questions is not yet love.' Explain what that means and how it balances respect with honesty.Show answer

Respect matters: handling the Bible carefully, being aware of food and gender norms, asking and listening, and offering hospitality. There is also real common ground, such as one Creator, prophets, judgment and prayer. But Christians and Muslims disagree on the most important questions: who Jesus is, whether he died and rose, and how a sinner can be right with God. Loving a friend means patiently getting to those questions, not avoiding them forever.

Practical habits of respect
Name real common ground
Disagree on Jesus, cross, salvation
Love reaches the big questions

In their own words

“Say: He is Allah, One; Allah, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born, nor is there to Him any equivalent.” (Quran 112:1-4 (Surah al-Ikhlas))

“Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men, but he is the Messenger of Allah and seal of the prophets.” (Quran 33:40)

“Islam is built on five: testifying that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is His messenger, establishing prayer, giving zakat, Hajj, and fasting in Ramadan.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 8; Sahih Muslim 16)

“Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in divine decree, both its good and its evil.” (Hadith of Gabriel, Sahih Muslim 8)

“Islam is the original religion of all the prophets, from Adam to Jesus. Muhammad did not bring a new religion but restored pure monotheism.” (Quran 3:67; 42:13; common dawah presentation)

Key texts

Deuteronomy 6:4: The Shema: 'the LORD is one'. Christians share the Muslim conviction that God is one; begin there, then explain that the Trinity is monotheism, not three gods.
Acts 17:26-27: God placed people so that they would seek him. Muslims are often genuine seekers of God; treat them as such.
1 Peter 3:15: Gentleness and respect are not optional, especially with friends who may face serious cost for considering Christ.
Matthew 5:43-48: Love that goes beyond one's own group. Christ-like hospitality is a powerful witness to Muslim friends.
Colossians 4:5-6: Gracious, seasoned speech, knowing how to answer each person. Ask before you assume what your Muslim friend believes.
John 1:1, 14: Christians, like Muslims, believe in God's eternal Word. In Islam the Word became a book; in Christianity the Word became flesh. A helpful bridge for conversation.

Objections and answers

Try answering each one yourself before you open the response.

“Islam is just the pure monotheism of Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Christians added the Trinity later.”Show a response

I really respect your passion for God's oneness, and I share it: Jesus himself affirmed 'the Lord our God, the Lord is one' (Mark 12:29). The question is what that one God is like. The New Testament, written in the first century, already speaks of the Father, the Son and the Spirit as distinct and yet the one God (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). Paul even places Jesus inside the Shema in 1 Corinthians 8:6. Later councils clarified wording, but they did not invent the belief. So I'd gently say it's not that Christians added to Abraham's faith; it's that God revealed more fully who he is when the Son came. Could we read some of those passages together?

“Christians don't follow their own Bible. You eat pork, you don't pray prostrating like Jesus did, your women don't cover. Muslims follow Jesus better than you.”Show a response

That's a fair challenge, and some of us really do take our faith too lightly. But the New Testament itself explains why food laws changed: Jesus 'declared all foods clean' (Mark 7:19), and Peter's vision in Acts 10 confirms it. Christians do pray kneeling and even prostrate; it's just not mandated as a ritual. The deeper issue is what following Jesus means. In the Gospels, Jesus did not mainly call people to a set of rituals but to himself: 'Come to me' (Matthew 11:28). He said he came to give his life as a ransom (Mark 10:45). So I'd love to talk about who Jesus said he was, because that's what I'm trying to follow.

“Why should I listen to Christians? Christian nations invaded Muslim lands and bombed our people.”Show a response

I'm genuinely sorry for the suffering Muslims have experienced, and I won't defend everything Western nations have done. Many of those actions were not Christian in any meaningful sense, and some were plainly wrong by Jesus' own teaching to love our enemies. I'd ask you to judge Christianity by Christ rather than by governments, just as I'd want to judge Islam by its sources rather than by the worst headlines. What I care about is you, as my friend, and what's true about God. If Jesus really is who the New Testament says, that matters for both of us, whatever any government has done.

“We both believe in one God, prophets, angels, prayer and judgment. Aren't Islam and Christianity basically the same? Why do you keep trying to convert people?”Show a response

There really is a lot of common ground, and I'm grateful for it: one Creator, revelation, prophets, angels, judgment, prayer and taking God seriously. In a secular world, I often feel closer to you than to many of my neighbours. But I'd be dishonest if I said we agree on what matters most. We disagree about who Jesus is, whether he died on the cross and rose again, and how a sinner can be made right with God. Those aren't small details; they're the heart of both faiths. You care about tawhid because truth about God matters. I share my faith for the same reason. I'm not trying to win an argument. I care about you, and a friendship that never reaches those questions wouldn't be real love.

“Muhammad is the seal of the prophets. Jesus was a great prophet, but Islam is the final, complete revelation, so it naturally updates Christianity.”Show a response

I appreciate how much honour Muslims give Jesus, and I know you also love Muhammad deeply. I don't want to mock him. But a later message can only complete an earlier one if it agrees with it. The Quran itself affirms the Torah and the Gospel as revealed books, and the Gospels we have, in manuscripts older than Islam, teach that Jesus died for sins, rose again and is the Son of God. Those are the very things the Quran denies. That isn't an update; it's a contradiction. Jesus didn't present himself as one link in a chain but said 'Come to me' (Matthew 11:28) and that he came 'to give his life as a ransom for many' (Mark 10:45). So the real question is who Jesus is. Would you read one of the Gospels with me?

Written task

A Muslim student, Yusuf, joins your Year 9 class. Write a 250-350 word reflection on how you would build a genuine friendship with a Muslim family in your community. Explain three things they likely believe (using the correct Islamic terms), three practical ways to show respect, and how you might naturally open a conversation about Jesus in a way they would welcome rather than resent.

Hand this in to Mr Scott. He will look for:

Uses at least three Islamic terms accurately (e.g. tawhid, shahada, salat, Injil, sunnah)
Gives concrete, culturally informed ways to show respect and hospitality
Avoids stereotyping and acknowledges diversity within Islam
Suggests a natural, respectful way into talking about Jesus
Reflects the lesson from Qureshi's story about friendship and patience