The first obligation of all morally responsible individuals - Mukallaf from the Ummah of Muhammad (s.a.w.) - is to know Allah, which is to know that Allah exists and is not nonexistent.
Allah (SWT) mandates the following in the Quran:
فَاعۡلَمۡ اَنَّهٗ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا اللّٰهُ وَاسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لِذَنۡۢبِكَ وَلِلۡمُؤۡمِنِيۡنَ وَ الۡمُؤۡمِنٰتِ ؕ وَاللّٰهُ يَعۡلَمُ مُتَقَلَّبَكُمۡ وَمَثۡوٰٮكُمۡ
"Know that there is no god except Allah, and ask forgiveness for your sins, and also for (the sins of) believing men and believing women. And Allah knows well your moving about, and your place of rest (in your homes)." [EMQ Muhammad 47:19]
This command, "Know that there is no god except Allah," is the foundation of the Islamic Aqeedah, the most fundamental concept of our Deen. Allah (s.w.t) also commands us to believe in what He (s.w.t) has revealed in His Book and what His Messenger Muhammad (s.a.w.) said:
Allah informed us in his book:
قُلۡ يٰۤاَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اِنِّىۡ رَسُوۡلُ اللّٰهِ اِلَيۡكُمۡ جَمِيۡعَاْ ۨالَّذِىۡ لَهٗ مُلۡكُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِۚ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ يُحۡىٖ وَيُمِيۡتُ
فَاٰمِنُوۡا بِاللّٰهِ وَرَسُوۡلِهِ النَّبِىِّ الۡاُمِّىِّ الَّذِىۡ يُؤۡمِنُ بِاللّٰهِ وَكَلِمٰتِهٖ وَاتَّبِعُوۡهُ لَعَلَّكُمۡ تَهۡتَدُوۡنَ
"Say; O Mankind! Indeed, I am a Messenger of Allah sent to you all. He to whom belongs the Sovereignty of the heavens and of the earth. None has the right to be worshipped except Him, who grants life and death. So believe in Him and His Messenger - the unlettered Prophet. It is those that believe in Allah and His Word and follow it, they will be rightly guided". [EMQ Al A’raaf 7:158]
According to Imam Ibn Hazm:
"The first requirement (to be Muslim), without which his Islam would not be accepted, is to realise in his heart with certainty and sincerity, and without any trace of doubt that ‘La Ilaha Illallah’ - There is no god except Allah". [Al Muhalla: Vol. 1 Pg. 2]
As Muslims, we must adhere to the Islamic Aqeedah; hence, it is essential that we know and understand the exact definition and meaning of Islamic Aqeedah, as well as the correct sources for establishing it.
There are two types of ayah (verses) dealing with the Aqeedah in the Qur'an:
a. Ayahs in which Allah informs us plainly and clearly of certain aspects of the Aqeedah, such as:
قُلۡ هُوَ اللّٰهُ اَحَدٌ
اَللّٰهُ الصَّمَدُ
لَمۡ يَلِدۡ وَلَمۡ يُوۡلَدۡ
وَلَمۡ يَكُنۡ لَّهٗ كُفُوًا اَحَدٌ
"Say: He is Allah, the One and Only, The Unique; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none comparable to Him." [EMQ Al Ikhlas 112:1-4]
The verses of Surat al-Ikhlas are clear statements about our Aqeedah, in this case about Tawheed and Allah's Asma was Sifat.
b. Ayah in which Allah exposes, rejects, and refutes the incorrect and doubtful beliefs of the unbelievers, or "People of the Book," and then asserts the truth and correct Aqeedah:
وَقَالُوۡا اتَّخَذَ الرَّحۡمٰنُ وَلَدًا
"And they said Ar Rahman has taken unto himself offspring." [EMQ al Maryam 19:88]
وَقَالَتِ الۡيَهُوۡدُ يَدُ اللّٰهِ مَغۡلُوۡلَةٌ ؕ غُلَّتۡ اَيۡدِيۡهِمۡ وَلُعِنُوۡا بِمَا قَالُوۡا ۘ بَلۡ يَدٰهُ مَبۡسُوۡطَتٰنِ ۙ يُنۡفِقُ كَيۡفَ يَشَآءُ ؕ وَلَيَزِيۡدَنَّ كَثِيۡرًا مِّنۡهُمۡ مَّاۤ اُنۡزِلَ اِلَيۡكَ مِنۡ رَّبِّكَ طُغۡيَانًا وَّكُفۡرًا ؕ وَاَ لۡقَيۡنَا بَيۡنَهُمُ الۡعَدَاوَةَ وَالۡبَغۡضَآءَ اِلٰى يَوۡمِ الۡقِيٰمَةِ ؕ كُلَّمَاۤ اَوۡقَدُوۡا نَارًا لِّلۡحَرۡبِ اَطۡفَاَهَا اللّٰهُ ۙ وَيَسۡعَوۡنَ فِى الۡاَرۡضِ فَسَادًا ؕ وَاللّٰهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الۡمُفۡسِدِيۡنَ
"The Jews say: ‘Allah’s hand is tied up (He does not spend of His bounty).’ Be their hands tied up and be they accursed for what they uttered. Nay! Both His hands are widely outstretched. He gives and spends (of His bounty) as He wills. But the revelation that cometh to thee from Allah increaseth in most of them their obstinate rebellion and blasphemy. Amongst them We have placed enmity and hatred till the Day of Judgment. Every time they kindle the fire of war Allah doth extinguish it; but they (ever) strive to do mischief on earth. And Allah loveth not those who do mischief." [EMQ Al Ma’ida 5:64]
The Qur'an is full of verses like this, where Allah (s.w.t) refutes false beliefs and validates true ones. One of the best ways to illustrate the true Aqeedah is to first lay out the false one and then refute it. This is because contrast between two beliefs helps the brain recognise them more clearly; for example, light can only be identified from darkness. A similar realisation about falsehood may lead to the identification of truth.
Allah (SWT) says in the Qur’an:
قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشۡدُ مِنَ الۡغَىِّۚ فَمَنۡ يَّكۡفُرۡ بِالطَّاغُوۡتِ وَيُؤۡمِنۡۢ بِاللّٰهِ فَقَدِ اسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِالۡعُرۡوَةِ الۡوُثۡقٰى لَا انْفِصَامَ لَهَا
"The Truth stands out clear from Error. Whoever disbelieves in the false deities and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold, that will never break..." [EMQ Al Baqarah 2:256]
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