Faith & Belief

tawḥīd

The oneness of Allah — the core belief that God is one, unique, and has no partners. The foundation of Islam.

shirk

Associating partners with Allah — the opposite of tawḥīd. The gravest sin in Islam.

īmān

Faith — belief in Allah, His angels, books, messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree.

kufr

Disbelief or rejection of faith — denying what Allah has revealed.

nifāq

Hypocrisy — outwardly appearing Muslim while hiding disbelief or insincerity.

bidʿah

Innovation in religion — adding new practices to worship that were not taught by the Prophet ﷺ.

sunnah

The way of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ — his teachings, actions, and approved practices.

islām

Submission to Allah — the complete way of life revealed through the Qur'an and Sunnah.

shahādah

The testimony of faith — declaring 'There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger.'

ijtihād

Scholarly effort to understand Islamic law — used when imams discuss how rulings apply today.

rasūl

Messenger — a prophet sent by Allah with a revealed book or law, like Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

nabī

Prophet — someone chosen by Allah to convey His message to people.

qadar

Divine decree — Allah's preordained plan for everything that happens, part of faith in Islam.

munāfiq

Hypocrite — someone who outwardly claims faith but hides disbelief or insincerity inside.

shayṭān

Satan — the devil who whispers evil and tries to lead people away from Allah.

ʿaqīdah

Creed — the core beliefs a Muslim holds about Allah, prophets, and the unseen.

kāfir

Disbeliever — someone who rejects faith in Allah; the noun form related to kufr.

muʾmin

Believer — a person of sincere faith who trusts in Allah and follows His guidance.

lā ilāha illā llāh

There is no god but Allah — the first part of the shahādah, the essence of tawḥīd.