The Fundamentals of Islam are three, and they are as follows

 

– Knowledge of Allaah.

– Knowledge of the Islamic religion.

– Knowledge of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ).

 

Now, why do we need knowledge of these three Fundamentals? Why? Because they are the first questions that the person is asked after death, in the Grave:

 

 مه ربك ؟ ?Who is your Lord

ما ديىك؟ ?What is your religion

What did you used to say about the man named Muhammad?

ماذا كىت تقول في محمد؟

If the believer, in his first life believed, and followed, then he will be able to answer these questions. And if the person, disbelieved, rejected, or believed but didn’t follow, then he will not be able to answer any of these three questions.

If he answers the three questions, then he has passed the test, and is admitted into Heaven, and if he fails to answer these questions, then he is of the losers and whoever fails the test will be admitted into Hell fire for eternity.

Allaah, the All-Powerful says in the Glorious Quran:

 

حَتّٰۤی  اِذَا جَآءَ   اَحَدَہُمُ  الۡمَوۡتُ قَالَ رَبِّ  ارۡجِعُوۡنِ ﴿ۙ۹۹

لَعَلِّیۡۤ   اَعۡمَلُ صَالِحًا فِیۡمَا تَرَکۡتُ کَلَّا ؕ اِنَّہَا  کَلِمَۃٌ  ہُوَ قَآئِلُہَا ؕ وَ مِنۡ وَّرَآئِہِمۡ بَرۡزَخٌ   اِلٰی  یَوۡمِ  یُبۡعَثُوۡنَ ﴿۱۰۰

 

Until, when death comes to one of them (those who join partners with Allah), he says: “My Lord! Send me back, “So that I may do good in that which I have left behind!” No! (Allaah’s reply) It is but a word that he speaks, and behind them is Barzakh (a barrier) until the Day when they will be resurected.

[Al- Muminoon, V. 99-100]

 

The Jannah that the believer is admitted to, isn’t the final Jannah that he will live in for eternity, and the Hell-fire that the disbeliever is admitted to isn’t the final Hell-fire that he will live in for eternity either, after death the soul lives in a Barrier between the final life and the first life, and if the person is admitted into Heaven while in the barrier, then he will be admitted into a greater Heaven when the Day of Resurrection comes, as for the disbeliever, when he enters the Hell-fire in the barrier, on the Day of Resurrection, the Hell-fire that he will live in for eternity will be much greater, and the punishment will be more painful.

 

مَثَلُ الۡجَنَّۃِ الَّتِیۡ وُعِدَ الۡمُتَّقُوۡنَ ؕ فِیۡہَاۤ اَنۡہٰرٌ  مِّنۡ  مَّآءٍ غَیۡرِ اٰسِنٍ ۚ وَ  اَنۡہٰرٌ مِّنۡ لَّبَنٍ لَّمۡ  یَتَغَیَّرۡ  طَعۡمُہٗ ۚ وَ اَنۡہٰرٌ  مِّنۡ خَمۡرٍ  لَّذَّۃٍ   لِّلشّٰرِبِیۡنَ  ۬ ۚ وَ اَنۡہٰرٌ مِّنۡ عَسَلٍ مُّصَفًّی ؕ وَ لَہُمۡ  فِیۡہَا مِنۡ کُلِّ الثَّمَرٰتِ وَ مَغۡفِرَۃٌ  مِّنۡ  رَّبِّہِمۡ ؕ  کَمَنۡ ہُوَ خَالِدٌ فِی النَّارِ وَ سُقُوۡا مَآءً حَمِیۡمًا فَقَطَّعَ  اَمۡعَآءَہُمۡ ﴿۱۵

 

[Muhammad, V.15]

1st Fundamental: Knowledge of the Sustainer & Cherisher

Knowing that, your Lord is your Sustainer and Cherisher who has nourished you and fostered you with his bounties.

Knowing that, he is the only one who deserves to be worshipped, without ascribing partners to him.

– Acknowledging him from his signs and the rest of his creation. Some of his signs are:

– The day, the night, the sun, and the moon. Some of his creations are:

– The seven skies, the Earth, and everything in between.

 

2ND Fundamental: Knowledge of the Islamic religion

 

The only religion that is accepted from Allaah. Islam is, Submission of one’s will to Allaah alone, worshipping him, and negation of all false deities.

The levels of the religion are three:

 

3rd Fundamental: Knowledge of the Prophet Muhammad

 

His name and background:

He is Muhammad son of Abdullah son of Abdulmuttalib son of Hashim, and Hashim is from Quraysh, Quraysh are of the Arabs, the Arabs are of the descendants of Ismael the son of Ibrahim peace be upon them both.

He was 63 years old, forty years before prophet hood, and twenty three years as a Messenger and Prophet.

He was Prophesized with (Iqraa’), and was sent with (Al-Muddatthir), and both are revelations which you will find in the Quran.

His Country: Makkah.

His Migration: Madinah.

His invitation:

Allaah sent him as a warner for the polytheists and a caller to Tawheed.

Hence, this leaves us with a few issues that need to be understood:

 

1) What happens with Mankind after Death?

The human’s soul will remain in the Barzakh “The Barrier” until the Day of Resurrection, and when the trumpet is blown by Allaah’s Angel “Israfil” every living thing will die, and it will be blown once again, and everything that died will resurrect.

 

2) Why is it called The Day of Resurrection?

It is called Day of Resurrection because every human being and living thing that died will be resurrected on that Day.

 

3) Then why is it called The Day of Judgment?

It is also called The Day of Judgment because everything that resurrects on that Day will be Judged by The Creator, and if the living person has lived according to the Creator’s laws, then he will be on the safe side, but if the resurrected person has lived his first life according to any other law and disregarded the Creator’s law, then his Judgment will result in punishment.

 

4) What are a few clear signs that prove that the world will end?

– Each day is 24 hours, and after the 24 hours are over the Day Ends.

– There are four seasons, each season lasts about 3 months, then as the new season comes in the previous one is put to an end.

– Humans are born, they grow, they become mature, and they get old, and die; some die young, and others die old but at the end all lives come to an end.

 

5) What happens if I turn away from Allaah’s religion?

 

وَ مَنۡ اَعۡرَضَ عَنۡ ذِکۡرِیۡ فَاِنَّ لَہٗ مَعِیۡشَۃً ضَنۡکًا وَّ نَحۡشُرُہٗ یَوۡمَ الۡقِیٰمَۃِ  اَعۡمٰی ﴿۱۲۴

قَالَ رَبِّ  لِمَ حَشَرۡتَنِیۡۤ  اَعۡمٰی وَ قَدۡ کُنۡتُ  بَصِیۡرًا ﴿۱۲۵

قَالَ  کَذٰلِکَ اَتَتۡکَ اٰیٰتُنَا فَنَسِیۡتَہَا ۚ  وَکَذٰلِکَ  الۡیَوۡمَ  تُنۡسٰی ﴿۱۲۶

 

[20: 124-126] “But whosoever turns away from My Reminder (i.e. neither believes in this Quran nor acts on Its orders, etc.) Verily, for him is a life of hardship, and we shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection. “He will say:”O my Lord! Why have you raised me up blind, while I had sight (before).” (Allah) will say: “Like this, Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, Came unto you, but you disregarded them (i.e. you left them, did not think deeply in them, and you turned away from them), and so this Day, you will be neglected (in the Hell-fire, away from Allahs Mercy).”

Overall, if knowing general things is just a great way to live life, imagine how great it is to know things regarding your religion, your Deen, which is your whole way of life, imagine that.

There is nothing greater than seeking knowledge of Islam and knowing its fundamentals, and if you realize that you are one of those who are truly seeking knowledge, then know that you are a lucky man, who is close to Allaah, because you kept balance between both, dunya and Akhira.

However, the Kuffar only know things of this dunya, if you ask him about Akhira he knows nothing.

Allaah says:

 

 یَعۡلَمُوۡنَ ظَاہِرًا مِّنَ  الۡحَیٰوۃِ  الدُّنۡیَا   ۚ ۖ وَ ہُمۡ عَنِ الۡاٰخِرَۃِ   ہُمۡ  غٰفِلُوۡنَ ﴿۷

 

They know only the outside appearance of the life of the world (i.e. the matters of their livelihood) and they are heedless of the Hereafter.

 

[Surah Room:30: 07]

 

REFERENCE:

BOOK: “THE TAWHEED MADE EASY “

By Rayan Fawzi Arab.