What Muslims believe: the cards as text

Islam 101. Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review.

1. Card 1

   A stranger in white asked about faith. The answer named six beliefs.

2. Card 2

   A stranger and his questions

   A man in very white clothes, with no sign of travel, sat knee to knee with the Prophet. He asked: what is Islam, iman, ihsan, and when is the Hour? Then he left. It was the angel Jibril.

3. Card 3

   Lesson: Islam, iman and ihsan: doing, believing, and doing beautifully.

4. Card 4

   The first belief: God

   The six beliefs begin with one God, unique and without partner, who creates, sustains and knows everything. He is described by many names, such as the Most Merciful, the Wise and the Forgiving.

5. Card 5

   Qur'an 2:255

   ٱللَّهُ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡحَيُّ ٱلۡقَيُّومُۚ لَا تَأۡخُذُهُۥ سِنَةࣰ وَلَا نَوۡمࣰۚ لَّهُۥ مَا فِي ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِۗ مَن ذَا ٱلَّذِي يَشۡفَعُ عِندَهُۥٓ إِلَّا بِإِذۡنِهِۦۚ يَعۡلَمُ مَا بَيۡنَ أَيۡدِيهِمۡ وَمَا خَلۡفَهُمۡۖ وَلَا يُحِيطُونَ بِشَيۡءࣲ مِّنۡ عِلۡمِهِۦٓ إِلَّا بِمَا شَآءَۚ وَسِعَ كُرۡسِيُّهُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضَۖ وَلَا يَـُٔودُهُۥ حِفۡظُهُمَاۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَلِيُّ ٱلۡعَظِيمُ ۝٢٥٥

   ²⁵⁵ Allah: none has the right to be worshiped except Him, the Ever-Living, All-Sustaining. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. Who is there that can intercede with Him except with His permission? He knows what was before them and what will be after them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge, except what He wills. His Kursī [i.e., footstool] extends over the heavens and earth, and safeguarding of both does not weary Him, for He is the Most High, the Most Great.

6. Card 6

   Lesson: In Islam, everything begins with one God.

7. Card 7

   How the word arrives: angels and books

   Angels are beings of light who carry out God's commands, such as Jibril, who brought revelation. God's books include the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel and, finally, the Qur'an.

8. Card 8

   Qur'an 2:285

   ءَامَنَ ٱلرَّسُولُ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيۡهِ مِن رَّبِّهِۦ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَۚ كُلٌّ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيۡنَ أَحَدࣲ مِّن رُّسُلِهِۦۚ وَقَالُواْ سَمِعۡنَا وَأَطَعۡنَاۖ غُفۡرَانَكَ رَبَّنَا وَإِلَيۡكَ ٱلۡمَصِيرُ ۝٢٨٥

   ²⁸⁵ The Messenger believes in what has been sent down to him from his Lord, as do the believers. All of them believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers, [saying], “We make no distinction between any of His messengers.” And they say, “We hear and obey. Grant us Your forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the [final] destination.”

9. Card 9

   Lesson: The Qur'an presents itself as the last of a series of scriptures.

10. Card 10

    The people who carried it: messengers

    Muslims believe God sent prophets to every people, all teaching the same core: worship one God and do good. Muslims must believe in all of them, from Adam to Muhammad.

11. Card 11

    Lesson: A Muslim believes in all the prophets, not just one.

12. Card 12

    How it ends: the Last Day and the decree

    Muslims believe one day everyone will be raised and held to account, and justice will be done. And nothing happens outside God's knowledge and will, while people remain responsible for their choices.

13. Card 13

    Qur'an 99:7-8

    فَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيۡرࣱا يَرَهُۥ ۝٧ وَمَن يَعۡمَلۡ مِثۡقَالَ ذَرَّةࣲ شَرࣱّا يَرَهُۥ ۝٨

    ⁷ So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it,

    ⁸ and whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.

14. Card 14

    Lesson: Every atom's weight of good or evil will be seen.

15. Card 15

    Reflect: Who asked the Prophet about faith in the famous hadith?

    Answer: A stranger who was the angel Jibril. The angel Jibril, appearing as a man in white. The Prophet said he had come to teach them their religion.

16. Card 16

    The end of What Muslims believe.

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