Belief in The Books

It’s obligatory to believe that Allah, the one free from defects, sent down books to his Prophets and Messengers in order that they may explain and clarify his right and call to him. He the Most  High, says:

“indeed, we have sent our Messengers with clear proofs and revealing within them the book and the balance (justice) that mankind may stand forth in justice” (57:25)

“mankind were one community and Allah sent prophets with glad tidings and warnings, and with them he sent the book in truth to judge between people in matters wherein they differed” (2:213)

We believe in the books mentioned by name, including the Torah, Injeel, Zaboor and the Quran.

The noble Quran is the last and best of all the books. It testifies to the truth within the old books, and it is obligatory for everyone to follow and judge by it along with the sunnah of the messenger of Allah (sallalahu alayhi wasallam). This is because Allah has made the Quran a cure for what is in the hearts, clarification for everything, and a guidance and mercy for the believers. Allah says:

“and we have sent down to you the book (Quran) as an exposition of everything and as a guidance and a mercy, and glad tiding are for those who have surrendered (to Allah as Muslims)” (16:89)

Six Fundamentals Of Eemaan

The evidences in the book of Allah and the sunnah of his messenger (sallalahu alayhi wasallam) show the six fundamentals of  Eemaan are to believe in:

1) Allah

2) His Angels

3) His Books (original and unaltered)

4) His Messengers

5) The last Day (of Judgement)

6) Predestination – the good and bad of it.

These six matters are the fundamentals of Eemaan  and the correct Aqeedah with which Allah the Almighty revealed his book and sent his Messenger Muhammad (sallalahu alayhi wasallam).

All issues concerning the unseen and all that we have been informed of from Allah and his messenger (sallalahu alayhi wasallam) stem from the above principles and it is obligatory to believe in them.

The evidences from Quran and Sunnah are many. These include the sayings of Allah:

“it is not righteousness that you turn your faces to the east or the west (in prayers) but righteousness is to believe in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Books and the Prophets” (2:177)

“The messengers believe in what is sent down to him from his lord, as do the faithful believers. Each one believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books and His Messengers. (They say:) We make no distinction between one and another of his messengers.” (2;285)

“O you who believe! Believe in Allah, His Messenger (Muhammad), the Book (Quran) which he has sent down to his messenger, and the scriptures which he’s enter down to those before (him). Whosoever disbelievers in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day has strayed far away.” (4:136)

“Do you not Know that Allah knows all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth? Verily it is all in a record. Verily, that is easy for Allah” (22:70)

Theres also many authentic hadeeth that prove these fundamentals. Amongst them is the famous authentic hadeeth narrated by Muslim in his saheeh on the authority of the leader of the believers, Umar (radi allahu anhu), that angel Jibreel (alayhisallam) asked the prophet (sallalahu alayhi wasallam) about Eemaan. He replied:

“Eemaan is to believe in Allah,  his Angels, his. Books, his Messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in. Predestination – the good and the bad of it” 

All the Obligatory matters if belief relating to Allah, the Day of judgement and other matters of the unseen originate from these six principles.

[Source: The Correct Islamic Aqeedah & that which opposes it, By Skaykh Abdul-Aziz Ibn Baz. Publisher: Dar us-Sunnah]