Islamic theology facts for kids

Islamic theology is all about understanding the main beliefs of the Islamic faith. It helps Muslims learn more about their religion and what they believe.

Understanding Islamic Beliefs

Islamic theology helps people understand the core ideas and beliefs of Islam. It's like studying the main principles of the religion.

The ideas in Islamic theology come from several important sources. These include the Qur'an, which is the holy book of Islam, and the Hadith, which are sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad. They also come from stories about Muhammad's life, known as Sirah Rasul Allah.

What is Kalam?

Kalam is a special way of thinking in Islam. It uses logic and discussion to figure out important religious ideas. In Arabic, kalam means "speech" or "discussion."

A person who studies kalam is called a mutakallim. They are like religious thinkers who use reason to understand faith.

What is Eschatology?

Eschatology in Muslim theology is about the "last things" or what happens at the end of the world. It covers events like the end of this world and what comes next.

This part of theology explores:

• What happens when people die.
• What happens to souls after the body dies.
• The destruction of the world.
• The resurrection (coming back to life) of human souls.
• The final judgment of people's actions by Allah after they are resurrected.
• The rewards for believers, known as Paradise, and punishments for non-believers, known as Hell.

How Islam Compares to Other Religions

Comparative religion in Muslim theology looks at how Islam is similar to and different from other faiths. This includes religions like Christianity and Judaism.

These comparisons are explained in the Qur'an and in the traditions of the Prophet Muhammad.

Different Beliefs Among Muslim Groups

Throughout history, different groups of Muslims have had their own ways of understanding theology. While they share many core beliefs, they also have some differences.

Sunni Muslim Beliefs

Most Muslims in the world are Sunni. Sunni Muslims believe in six main articles of faith:

• Belief in Allah (God).
• Belief in angels.
• Belief in holy books revealed by God, like the Qur'an.
• Belief in prophets sent by God.
• Belief in the "Last Day," which is the end of the world and the Day of Judgment.
• Belief in predestination (that God knows and has planned everything).

Shia Muslim Beliefs

Shi`ite Muslims have five main articles of belief:

• The Oneness and Justice of God.
• The Prophethood (belief in prophets).
• The Imamate (belief in spiritual leaders called Imams).
• Eschatology (belief in the end of the world and judgment).

Mu`tazilite Views

The Mu`tazilites were a group of Muslim thinkers who focused on human free will. They believed that humans have the power to choose their actions, rather than everything being decided by predestination.

They also strongly believed in God's justice and used logic to understand the true meanings of the Qur'an. This led them to believe that religious law (Fiqh) could change and adapt over time.

Images for kids

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  The Meeting of the Theologians, Persian painting by Abd Allah Musawwir (mid-16th century), Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.

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  Sunnī schools of thought

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  The founder of the Bektashiyyah sufi order Hacı Bektaş-ı Veli (Ḥājjī Baktāsh Walī), a murid of Malāmatī-Qalāndārī Sheikh Qutb ad-Dīn Haydar, who introduced the Ahmad Yasavi's doctrine of "Four Doors and Forty Stending" into his tariqah.

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  Four Spiritual Stations in Bektashiyyah: Sharia, tariqa, haqiqa, and the fourth station, marifa, which is considered "unseen", is actually the center of the haqiqa region. Marifa is the essence of all four stations.

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  Imam Ali Shrine in Najaf, Iraq, where Shias believe Ali is buried.

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  Shah Ismail I, the Sheikh of the Safavi tariqa, founder of the Safavid Dynasty of Iran, and the Commander-in-chief of the Kızılbaş armies had contributed a lot for the development and implementation of The Qizilbash ʿAqīdah amongst the Turkmen people.