Muslims believe in six things: one God, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Day of Judgment, and that God knows and has written all things (divine decree). Together they are called the six articles of faith.
The fuller answer
Belief in one God means worshipping Him alone, without idols, saints or intermediaries. Belief in angels means unseen beings made of light who obey God. Belief in the books means the revelations such as the Torah, the Gospel and the Psalms in their original form, and the Quran as the final one.
Belief in the messengers means all the prophets, from Adam to Muhammad ﷺ, whom Muslims honour without making any difference between them. Belief in the Day of Judgment means that every person will be raised and judged with perfect justice. Belief in the decree means that nothing happens outside God's knowledge, while people still have a real choice and are responsible for what they do.
The Messenger has believed in what was revealed to him from his Lord, and [so have] the believers. All of them have believed in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers, [saying], "We make no distinction between any of His messengers." And they say, "We hear and we obey. [We seek] Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination."
O you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book that He sent down upon His Messenger and the Scripture which He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray.
This answer follows the mainstream Sunni understanding and is general learning, not a fatwa. Where Muslims differ, the answer says so. Have a question of your own? Write to us.
