Key Idea: The basis for Islamic creeds is four things: shahadah, tawhid, akhirah, Yawm al-din. And one sentence frames every doctrinal answer: Islam not only as belief but also as practice — so an essay on Islamic doctrine that never mentions the Pillars has missed what the doctrine is.
Tested as
- Statements of belief, and creation and eschatology
- Authority of texts and of persons; the schools of law
- Sunni, Shia and Sufi
Watch for
- Treating Sufism as a third branch
- Describing the caliphate as an Islamic papacy
- Assuming the schools of law are rivals rather than methods
Use
- Tawhid, shirk, iman, islam, risalah, kufr
- Ibadah, akhirah, Yawm al-din, jinns and angels
- Maliki, Hanbali, Hanafi, Shafi'i, and the Shi'i Ja'faris
| Concept | The guide's gloss |
|---|---|
| Tawhid | Oneness of Allah — an Islamic expression of monotheism |
| Shirk | Polytheism — what tawhid excludes |
| Iman / islam | Faith in God / submission to the will of Allah |
| Risalah | God's message, as revealed to the Prophet Muhammad |
| Akhirah / Yawm al-din | Life after death / Judgment Day, and its signs |
| Creation | Allah as Creator — creation in time, creation at once; and the purpose of creation: of the world, humankind, angels and jinns |
Texts: the Qur'an and the Hadith. Persons: the Prophet Muhammad (the Sunna), previous prophets, caliphs, imams in Shia and Sunni thought, qadis and muftis, Shaykhs and Pirs in Sufism, and the ulama. Schools of law: four Sunni — Maliki, Hanbali, Hanafi, Shafi'i — and the Shi'i Ja'faris. And separately, schools of thought: mutakallimun, philosophers, Sufi and Shi'i interpretations.
Examine what the pairing of tawhid and shirk establishes.
🔒 Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Discuss whether the five schools of law weaken Islamic unity.
🔒 Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
What does the guide give as the basis for Islamic creeds? Shahadah, tawhid, akhirah and Yawm al-din — plus the statement that Islam is not only belief but also practice.
Name the five schools of law. Four Sunni — Maliki, Hanbali, Hanafi and Shafi'i — and the Shi'i Ja'faris.
Where does Sufism sit? As a strand within both branches: the guide lists Sufi interpretations under schools of thought, and Shaykhs and Pirs under authority of the person.
What does the guide ask about creation? Allah as Creator, creation in time and at once, and the PURPOSE of creation — of the world, of humankind, of angels and of jinns.
Exam tips
- Pair tawhid with shirk. A doctrine that forbids reaches further than one that only affirms.
- Schools of law are methods, not rivals. That single sentence answers most unity questions.
- Imam means different things in Sunni and Shi'a usage. Getting it right shows real reading.
- The guide asks for the PURPOSE of creation. Answer the question it sets.