These are based on statements in the Qur’an:
Oh you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book that He sent down upon His Messenger and the Scripture which He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray.
Belief in one God (Tawhid) This means having absolute faith in the oneness of God. Allah is simply the Arabic word for God. It has no plural in Arabic, which shows that there is only one God. Muslims believe that no being is like Allah.
Belief in angels (malaikah) Muslims believe that God’s greatness means he cannot communicate directly with humans. Instead, God passed messages, called risalah, to his prophets via the angels, called malaikah, who were his first creation and who always obey him.
Belief in holy books (kutub) The holy books of Islam should be respected. This is especially true of the Qur’an, which is the unchanged word of Allah, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
Belief in the prophets (nubuwwah) Allah is believed to have communicated with the prophets, called nubuwwah, through the angels. Muslims believe the prophets should be respected but never worshipped.
Belief in the Day of Judgement and the afterlife (Akhirah) Muslims believe that life on Earth is a test and that, after they die, they will be judged by God and sent to either Paradise or Hell.
Belief in predestination (Al-Qadr) This means that everything in the universe follows Allah’s masterplan – Muslims believe that Allah has decided everything that happens. This shows the importance of God’s will: In all things the master-planning is God’s (Surah 13:42). The Prophet Muhammad also told his followers: There is not one amongst you who has not been allotted his seat in Paradise or Hell (Sahih Muslim, Book 33, Hadith 6400). Muslims take this as further proof that every person’s life is already mapped
...
There are five key principles of faith in Shi’a Islam, known as the five roots of Usul ad-Din. The image of a tree with five roots is often used to show that these principles are the foundations of the faith.
Tawhid
Tawhid is the belief that God is one and that he is almighty and worthy of worship. The Qur’an states that God cannot be thought of as having separate parts:
He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How could He have a son when He does not have a companion and He created all things? And He is, of all things, Knowing.Surah 6:101
Adalat (divine justice)
Shi’a Muslims believe that Allah is always right and fair (Adalat). Sometimes Allah may act in ways that are beyond human understanding, but ultimately the world has been designed to be fair. The Qur’an teaches that God will not burden anyone with more than they can bear because he is fair to everyone (Surah 23:62).
Muslims believe that there will be a Day of Judgement, where they will prove their faith and take responsibility for their actions on Earth. The Qur’an explains that all good deeds benefit the soul, but each person is also responsible for the things that they have done wrong. Allah will always judge people with justice and fairness (Surah 41:46).
Nubuwwah (the prophets)
The prophets, known as nubuwwah, provide guidance from God and should be respected. The Prophet Muhammad was God’s final prophet and communicated the Qur’an to human beings.
The Qur’an says the following about the messengers who were sent by God:
They were sent to stop humankind from straying from Islam and to bring good tidings and warnings (Surah 2:213).
They were sent into all communities to tell people “to worship Allah and shun false gods” (Surah 16:36).
They were sent to educate people who couldn’t read or write (Surah 62:2).
They were sent with proof, scripture, the ‘scales of justice’ and the ‘might of iron’ to see who would stand up for Allah and his messengers without ever having actually seen Allah for themselves (Surah 57:25).
Imamate (authority of the imams)
The Imamate were the Twelve Imams who Shi’a Muslims believe were chosen by God to lead Islam after Muhammad. Shi’a Muslims believe that leaders such as imams protect the religion and help to guide Muslims along the right path. They also believe that the Qur’an is referring to imams when it says:
We [God] made them leaders guiding by our command, and inspired them to do good deeds, establish prayer, and pay alms-tax. And they were devoted to Our worship.Surah 21:73
The prophet Muhammad is recorded by some Hadith authors as saying that he leaves behind ‘two weighty things': the Qur’an and his household. This is often referred to as the Hadith al-Thaqalayn. Shi’a Muslims see this as evidence that authority should be passed to the imams, the Prophet’s descendants.
Al-Ma’ad (Day of Resurrection)
Al-Ma’ad is the belief that Muslims will be resurrected and judged by God: As We began the first creation, We will repeat it. [That is] a promise binding upon Us. Indeed, We will do it (Surah 21:104).
The Qur’an tells Muslims that people who have lived good lives will receive a record of their life in their right hand as a token of their faith. They will go to Heaven. Those who have not offered prayers or helped the poor, and people who have told lies, will be condemned to Hell.
Nature of God
Allah is the Arabic word used by Muslims for God. All Muslims believe that Allah is the one true God, and only Allah is worthy of worship. Muslims believe that, as the supreme being who created and sustains the world, Allah should be treated with the utmost respect and given praise.
Do they not see that Allah, who created the heavens and earth and did not fail in their creation, is able to give life to the dead? Yes. Indeed, He is over all things competent.Surah 46:33
Tawhid
Tawhid is the word used to express the Islamic belief in the oneness of Allah (God). Muslims believe that there is only one God, who is not divided in any way into parts: Allah Himself witnesses that there is no God except Him (Surah 3:18)
Affirming the belief that Allah is the one and only God forms the first part of the Shahadah.
Shirk
Shirk means believing in more than one God or holding up anything or anyone as equal to Allah. This would also include claiming that God can be divided into parts or persons. For example, Muslims could never accept the Christian doctrine of the Trinity or any form of polytheism. Muslims believe that shirk is the worst of all sins.
The characteristics of Allah
The opening surah of the Qur’an, called the Surah Al-Fatihah, tells Muslims that Allah is:
the Most Beneficent, which means the most loving
the Most Merciful
the Lord of everything that exists – in Arabic, Alamin
the only one worthy of worship
the only owner of the world and everything in it, and the only ruling judge
the only divine source of help and guidance
one who blesses people who follow him and please him, and punishes people who do not
Additionally, Muslims believe that Allah is:
Transcendent – Allah is above and beyond everything that exists in the world.
Fair and just – Allah judges everyone equally.
Immanent – Allah is close to every human and exists in all things on Earth. The Qur’an states that God, having created human beings, knows what his [each person’s] soul whispers to him, and [is] closer to him than [his] jugular vein (Surah 50:16).
Theomnipotentcreator – The Qur’an states that Allah is the originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is (Surah 2:117).
Forgiving.
Muslims believe that Allah has shown 99 characteristics (sometimes called attributes) to human beings to help them better understand his nature, eg “He is Wise” or “The Great Forgiver”. Muslims call these attributes the 99 names of Allah. Some Muslims use subhah when praying to remember these names.