Refresher & Advanced · Aqeedah Refresher

Essentials of Islamic Belief and Practice

Test your understanding of core beliefs and pillars in Islam.

3 questions · Hard · about 4 minutes

Test yourself properly, with scoring and instant feedback.

3 questions, about 4 minutes.

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Show questions and answers Spoilers: every answer and explanation for all 3 questions.

1. What are the five pillars of Islam?

  • The two testimonies of faith, prayer, zakah, Hajj, and fasting Ramadan. (correct answer)
  • Reciting Quran daily, avoiding pork, learning Arabic, giving gifts, and fasting Mondays.
  • Good manners, environmental care, education, kindness, and travel.
  • Prayer, charity, pilgrimage, fasting, and abandoning all worldly work.

Why

Islam is built upon five pillars: bearing witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is the Messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, giving zakah, performing Hajj for the one who is able, and fasting Ramadan. These pillars are the major foundations of Islam, but Islam also includes beliefs, laws, morals, worship, rights, duties, and guidance for human life.

View source on IslamQA →

2. What is the foundation of belief in Allah?

  • Believing that Allah is one, with no son, wife, rival, or partner. (correct answer)
  • Believing that Allah needs creation.
  • Believing that Allah shares His dominion with righteous people.
  • Believing that lineage alone saves a person.

Why

The foundation of faith is to know and believe with certainty that Allah is one God, without son, wife, rival, partner, or equal. This meaning is summarized in Soorat al-Ikhlaas, which affirms that Allah is One, as-Samad, neither begetting nor begotten, and that nothing is comparable to Him. This belief agrees with the sound fitrah that Allah created in people: the natural inclination toward pure Tawheed.

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3. What does the phrase “fi’s-sama’” mean when referring to Allah?

  • Allah is above the heavens and above His creation, not contained within them. (correct answer)
  • Allah is physically inside the created heavens.
  • Allah is present inside all created things.
  • Allah needs the heavens to contain Him.

Why

When texts refer to Allah as “fi’s-sama’,” this must be understood in a way that befits Allah’s majesty. It means that Allah is above the heavens, above His Throne, and above all creation. It does not mean that the created heaven surrounds or contains Him, because nothing of Allah’s creation encompasses Him and He has no need of any created thing. In Arabic, “fi” can carry the meaning of “above,” and “sama’” can refer to what is high.

View source on IslamQA →

A note on these answers

These questions are for learning and self-testing. Explanations are drawn from the sources linked on each question and are not a fatwa. For a ruling on your own circumstances, please consult a qualified scholar.

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