The Six Beliefs and the Five Roots
Two frameworks of Muslim belief, one Sunni and one Shi'a. What each one lists, what they share, and the mix-up that costs marks: pillars are not roots.
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Two lists, one faith 🕌
Muslims share the central beliefs of Islam, but different traditions organise those beliefs into different frameworks, and this specification asks you to know two of them. Sunni Muslims commonly learn the **Six Beliefs of Islam**. Shi'a Muslims learn the **Five Roots of Usul ad-Din**, which means the roots, or foundations, of religion. They overlap a great deal. Your job in the exam is to name the right one for the tradition the question asks about.
The Six Beliefs of Islam 📗
The Sunni framework, set out in the hadith collection the spec references as Kitab al-iman 1:4. Each is named in Arabic, which is how the exam expects to see them:
Match each belief to what it means
- Tawhid
- Malaikah
- Risalah
- Akhirah
- The oneness of Allah
- Belief in the angels
- Prophethood, and the messengers sent to guide people
- Life after death and the Day of Judgement
Which belief is which? 📜
Which of the Six Beliefs is about Allah's decree, and his knowledge of everything that happens?
- Al-Qadr
- Kutub
- Malaikah
- Akhirah
The Five Roots of Usul ad-Din 🌙
The Shi'a framework. **These are the FOUNDATIONS of religion, not a complete list of Shi'a beliefs**: Shi'a Muslims believe in the angels and the holy books as well, they simply are not among the five roots. Tawhid is expressed in Surah 112, which the spec references.
What the Five Roots add ✅
Three of the Five Roots also appear in the Six Beliefs, under the same or a matching name. Select the TWO that do not.
- 'Adl, divine justice
- Imamah, the leadership of the imams
- Tawhid, the oneness of Allah
- Nubuwwah, prophethood
Pillars are not roots ⚠️
This is the mix-up that costs marks in this topic, and it is easy to avoid once you have seen it stated plainly. • The **Five Pillars** (Shahadah, Salah, Zakat, Sawm, Hajj) are a framework of **practice**, learned in the Sunni tradition. They are things Muslims DO. • The **Five Roots of Usul ad-Din** are a framework of **belief**, in the Shi'a tradition. They are things Muslims BELIEVE. The Shi\'a framework of practice is the Ten Obligatory Acts. So Salah is a pillar, never a root, and Imamah is a root, never a pillar. Whenever you name one, say which tradition and which framework it belongs to.
What is wrong here? 🔍
A student writes: "The Five Roots of Usul ad-Din are Shahadah, Salah, Zakat, Sawm and Hajj." What is the error?
- Those are the Five Pillars, a Sunni framework of practice, not the Shi'a Five Roots of belief
- The five are listed in the wrong order
- There should be six of them, not five
- Nothing: the pillars and the roots are two names for the same list
The two frameworks 📝
The Sunni framework is the _____ Beliefs of Islam; the Shi'a framework of belief is the _____ Roots of Usul ad-Din. Both begin with _____, the oneness of Allah. The root meaning divine justice is _____, and the root about the leadership of the imams is _____.
Answer it properly 🧭
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Explain the two frameworks ✍️
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