The six articles of faith in Islam
The six articles of faith are the core beliefs of every Muslim: belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day and divine decree. They are sometimes called the six pillars of iman. Here is each one explained simply, with where it appears in the Quran and Sunnah.
Last updated: 4 October 2026
The hadith of Jibril
When the angel Jibril came in human form and asked the Prophet ﷺ about iman (faith), he answered: “That you believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers and the Last Day, and that you believe in divine decree, the good of it and the bad of it” (Sahih Muslim 8). The same hadith describes Islam (the five pillars) and ihsan (worshipping Allah as though you see Him).
In the Quran
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ ءَامِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِۦ وَٱلْكِتَٰبِ ٱلَّذِى نَزَّلَ عَلَىٰ رَسُولِهِۦ وَٱلْكِتَٰبِ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِٱللَّهِ وَمَلَٰٓئِكَتِهِۦ وَكُتُبِهِۦ وَرُسُلِهِۦ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَٰلًۢا بَعِيدًا ﴿١٣٦﴾
إِنَّا كُلَّ شَىْءٍ خَلَقْنَٰهُ بِقَدَرٍۢ ﴿٤٩﴾
The six articles explained
| Article | What it means |
|---|---|
| 1. Belief in Allah | That Allah is One, without partner, the Creator and Lord of everything, with the most beautiful names and perfect attributes, and the only One worthy of worship. Related: Surah Al-Fatihah. |
| 2. Belief in the angels | Beings created from light who obey Allah, including Jibril, who brought the revelation, and the angels who record our deeds. Related: The first revelation. |
| 3. Belief in the books | The scriptures Allah revealed, including the Tawrah to Musa, the Zabur to Dawud, the Injil to ‘Isa, and the Quran, the final revelation, preserved unchanged. Related: What is the Quran. |
| 4. Belief in the messengers | All the prophets and messengers Allah sent, from Adam to Muhammad ﷺ, the last of them, without distinguishing between them in belief. Related: Prophets in the Quran. |
| 5. Belief in the Last Day | Death, the grave, resurrection, judgement, and Paradise and Hell: life does not end with this world. Related: Surah Al-Waqiah. |
| 6. Belief in divine decree (qadar) | That Allah knows and has decreed all things, good and bad, while people remain responsible for their choices. |
Faith and practice together
The articles of faith are what a Muslim believes; the five pillars of Islam are how that belief is lived in worship. The closing verses of Al-Baqarah bring them together in one du‘a; see the last two verses of Surah Al-Baqarah.
Learning about faith
Children learn the articles of faith early, often alongside short surahs; adults and new Muslims often want to study them in more depth. Our Islamic studies lessons cover beliefs at the right level for each age, and our classes for reverts start from the basics in English. To understand the verses behind these beliefs, see how to understand the Quran.
Go deeper: the 99 names of Allah, angels in Islam, tawakkul (trust in Allah’s decree) and the six kalimas.
Frequently asked questions
What are the six articles of faith in Islam?
Belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree (qadar), the good of it and the bad of it. They are listed in the hadith of Jibril (Sahih Muslim 8).
Are the articles of faith the same as the pillars of iman?
Yes. The six articles of faith are often called the six pillars of iman, to distinguish them from the five pillars of Islam, which are acts of worship.
Where are the articles of faith in the Quran?
The first five are named together in An-Nisa 4:136 and Al-Baqarah 2:177; divine decree appears in verses such as Al-Qamar 54:49, “Indeed, We created everything according to a measure.”
Learn your faith with a teacher
Three free one-to-one Islamic studies lessons in UK time.