ʿAqīdah & Īmān (Creed & Faith)

The omnipotence of Allah’s knowledge is one of the most awe-inspiring and humbling realities a person can reflect upon. It is perfect, absolute, eternal, and boundless. Let's explore how truly great Allah’s knowledge is — and how it touches every part of existence.

The "Pale Blue Dot" is one of the most humbling images humanity has ever taken, and it powerfully serves as a window into learning & understanding the greatness of Allah's creation especially when we reflect on the Kursī (Footstool) and the ʽArsh (Throne) in light of what we know from Revelation and modern astronomy. 

The “Pale Blue Dot” is a photograph of Earth taken on February 14, 1990, by the Voyager 1 space probe from an unprecedented distance of over 6 billion kilometers (3.7 billion miles). Can you see the dot?

Faith in Allāh’s Names and Attributes (al-īmān biasmā’illāhi wa-ṣ ifātihī) is one of the core foundations of Tawḥ īd and one of the six pillars of Īmān. This aspect of belief is referred to as Tawḥīd al-Asmā’ waṣ -Ṣifāt (the Oneness of Allah’s Names and Attributes). Imām Ibn Qudāmah هللا رحمه said: “And from belief in Allah is belief in what He has described Himself with in His Book and upon the tongue of His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, without distortion (taḥrīf), negation (taʿṭīl), asking how (takyīf), or likening (tashbīh).”

The statement Lā Ilāha Ill-Allāh (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone) is the foundation of Islām, the key to Paradise, and the essence of the message brought by every Prophet. Allah said: “So know that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah.” ([Muḥammad 47:19]). This testimony is not a mere phrase, but a covenant that demands knowledge, conviction, and action. It negates all forms of shirk and affirms worship for Allah alone, as He said: “Whoever disbelieves in ṭāghūt and believes in Allah has grasped the firmest handhold that will never break.” ([al-Baqarah 2:256]). The scholars of the Salaf clarified that its utterance benefits only those who fulfill its conditions—knowledge, certainty, sincerity, truthfulness, love, acceptance, and submission—each supported by evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah. Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله explained that its meaning necessitates worshipping Allah alone, while Shaykh Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb رحمه الله emphasized that it combines both negation and affirmation—negating all that is worshipped besides Allah and affirming worship for Him alone.

The foundation of the call to Allaah (da’wah) is Tawheed (the Oneness of Allaah) and the correction of ‘Aqeedah (creed). This is because belief is the root and foundation upon which all actions are built. If belief is corrupted, no action— no matter how outwardly righteous—will be accepted.

Aqidah is what one holds with certainty in the heart. Iman is the belief + speech + action. 'Aqidah refers to the doctrinal foundations whereas Iman includes that along with practice. 'Aqidah refers to Internal conviction whereas Iman is both Internal + external/outward expression. 'Aqidah is fixed and absolute where as Iman increases and decreases.

The word ʿAqīdah comes from the Arabic root: د-ق-ع ʿA-Q-D) Which means: to tie firmly, knot, bind with certainty, or to be firmly settled upon something. Ibn Fāris (d. 395H) said: “al-ʿAyn, al-Qāf, and al-Dāl indicate firmness and binding. It is said: ‘ʿAqadtu al-ḥabla’ - I tied the rope.” Ibn Manẓ ūr (d. 711H) in Lisān al-ʿArab: “al-ʿAqd means binding something firmly. And from it is ‘al-ʿAqīdah’ — what a person holds with certainty in his heart.”

Indeed, the affirmation of the Tawheed of Allah is something that mankind – whether they have accepted Islam or not – are more in need of than food and drink. This article provides a detailed explanation of the three categories of Tawheed. Additionally, it explores what distinguishes the Tawheed of the muwahhid (true monotheist) from that of the mushrik (one who associates partners with Allah).