The Six Pillars of Iman
The Gabriel Hadith (Sahih Bukhari and Muslim) provides the canonical foundation:
1. Belief in Allah (al-iman bi-llah): Absolute divine oneness (tawhid) — Allah is one in His being (dhat), attributes (sifat), and actions (af’al). No partners, no equals, no children, nothing comparable. See [[tawhid-divine-unity]].
2. Belief in the Angels (al-iman bi’l-mala’ika): The angels are real, non-material beings created from light, without free will, who carry out divine commands. Jibril (Gabriel), Mika’il (Michael), Israfil, and Izra’il are named; innumerable others exist.
3. Belief in the Books (al-iman bi’l-kutub): Allah sent revealed scriptures — the Torah (Tawrat), the Psalms (Zabur), the Gospel (Injil), and the Quran. The Quran is the final, preserved, and unchanged revelation.
4. Belief in the Messengers (al-iman bi’l-rusul): Allah sent prophets and messengers to guide humanity. Muhammad (SAW) is the final and seal (khatam) of the prophets.
5. Belief in the Last Day (al-iman bi’l-yawm al-akhir): Death, the questioning in the grave (barzakh), resurrection (ba’th), the gathering (hashr), the reckoning (hisab), the scales (mizan), the bridge (sirat), and the final destinations — jannah (Paradise) and jahannam (Hell).
6. Belief in Divine Decree (al-iman bi’l-qadar): All things — good and evil — occur within divine knowledge, will, and decree. Human beings have real choice; all choices occur within the divine plan. See [[qadar-theology]].
The Three Major Kalam Schools
Ash’ari (followers of Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari, d. 936 CE): The dominant school in the Arab world, Turkey, and sub-continental South Asian Islam. Accepts rational theological argument (kalam) as a tool for defending Quranic truths. Holds that divine attributes are real but exist in a manner beyond human comprehension (bila kayf). Dominates the Shafi’i and Maliki madhhabs.
Maturidi (followers of Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, d. 944 CE): Dominant in Central and South Asia, Turkey. Similar to Ash’ari with some distinctions: more permissive in using human reason; holds that human reason can independently recognize some moral truths without revelation. Dominates the Hanafi madhhab.
Athari/Hanbali (followers of Ibn Hanbal and later Ibn Taymiyya): Rejects speculative kalam theology as an innovation. Takes Quranic texts about divine attributes (Allah’s hand, face, settling on the throne) at face value without asking how (tafwid or ithbat bila kayf). Dominant in the Arabian Peninsula.
Aqida vs. Fiqh — The Essential Distinction
Aqida (beliefs): What is believed in the heart and confessed. Generally agreed across all madhabs.
Fiqh (rulings): How one acts. Differs across the four Sunni madhabs. A Muslim’s aqida (Ash’ari, for instance) is entirely compatible with any of the four fiqhi madhabs.
The distinction matters: a Muslim who follows Hanafi fiqh may hold Ash’ari or Maturidi aqida; a Maliki in aqida may follow Maliki fiqh or another. Aqida and fiqh are two parallel systems.
The Ismaili Aqida — Distinctive Emphases
The Ismaili aqida affirms all six pillars plus distinctive additions:
- The Imam as the living gate of guidance: After the Prophet, the Imam is the necessary guide through whom the inner meanings of the six pillars are accessed
- Zahir and batin: Every element of aqida has an outer (zahir) and inner (batin) dimension, with the batin accessible only through the Imam’s ta’wil
- The Imam’s ma’suma: The Imam is protected from error in his religious guidance, making his authority parallel to (though below) the Prophet’s
See also: Tawhid Divine Unity, Usul Al Din, Kalam, Qadar Theology, Barzakh, Jannah Paradise, Prophet Muhammad, Tawil Esoteric Interpretation, Dai Al Mutlaq Institution