The purpose of life is to recognize and create a relationship with God. Islam can be summarized as the path toward this very purpose such that every component of the faith brings purification of the body, mind and soul. First, get to know who you are, and then work on getting to know who your Creator is.
The six articles of faith and the five pillars of religion are as follow, accompanied by a descriptive passage or two, selected for their profound spiritual and intellectual expression. There is a selection of relevant passages from the Quran (5-7 verses) then from Nahjul Balaghah, as of now:
God
Say: He is God, the One! God, the eternally Besought of all! He begetteth not nor was begotten. And there is none comparable unto Him. (Quran 112:1-4)
He is the First and the Last, and the Outward and the Inward; and He is Knower of all things. (Quran 57:3)
And if all the trees in the earth were pens, and the sea, with seven more seas to help it, (were ink), the words of God could not be exhausted. Lo! God is Mighty, Wise. (Quran 31:27)
And when My servants question thee concerning Me, then surely I am near. I answer the prayer of the suppliant when he crieth unto Me. So let them hear My call and let them trust in Me, in order that they may be led aright. (Quran 2:186)
We shall show them Our signs on the horizons and within themselves until it will be manifest unto them that it is the Truth. Doth not thy Lord suffice, since He is Witness over all things? (Quran 41:53)
"I praise God. Yet no speaker can articulate his praise, no reckoner can count his favors, and the most diligent cannot give him his due. Soaring thoughts cannot reach him and deep minds cannot fathom him. He cannot be described, for he is beyond the limits of demarcated boundaries, existing depictions, tallied times, and protracted lifespans." ¹ (Nahjul Balaghah 1.1.1)
"The first part of religion is knowledge of God. Knowledge of him is perfected by belief in him. Belief in him is perfected by the declaration of his oneness. Declaration of his oneness is perfected by sincere allegiance to him." ² (Nahjul Balaghah 1.1.1)
Angels
Praise be to God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, Who appointeth the angels messengers having wings two, three and four. He multiplieth in creation what He will. Lo! God is Able to do all things. (Quran 35:1)
And when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a viceroy in the earth, they said: Wilt thou place therein one who will do harm therein and will shed blood, while we, we hymn Thy praise and sanctify Thee? He said: Surely I know that which ye know not. (Quran 2:30)
Unto Him belongeth whosoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those who dwell in His presence are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they weary; they glorify Him tirelessly night and day. (Quran 21:19-20)
And when We said unto the angels: Prostrate yourselves before Adam, they fell prostrate, all save Iblis. He refused through pride, and so became a disbeliever. (Quran 2:34)
Say: The angel of death, who hath charge concerning you, will gather you, and afterward unto your Lord ye will be returned. (Quran 32:11)
"God rent the lofty skies and filled them with ranks of his angels: some continually prostrate, never bowing, others bow, never standing straight, yet others stand in rows, never quitting that position, and yet more chant litanies of his praise, never tiring. Among them, too, are angels God has entrusted with his revelation. Constituting God’s tongues to his apostles, they come and go with his decrees and commands. Some are charged with protecting his servants, others are gatekeepers at the doors of his Garden." ³ (Nahjul Balaghah 1.1.3)
Scriptures
Lo! We inspire thee as We inspired Noah and the prophets after him, as We inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and as We imparted unto David the Psalms. (Quran 4:163)
Indeed, We revealed the Torah, containing guidance and light, by which the prophets, who submitted themselves to God, made judgments for Jews. So too did the rabbis and scholars judge according to God's Book, with which they were entrusted and of which they were made keepers. So do not fear the people; fear Me! Nor trade my revelations for a fleeting gain. And those who do not judge by what God has revealed are ˹truly˺ the disbelievers. (Quran 5:44)
Then in the footsteps of the prophets, We sent Jesus, son of Mary, confirming the Torah revealed before him. And We gave him the Gospel containing guidance and light and confirming what was revealed in the Torah—a guide and a lesson to the God fearing. (Quran 5:46)
Then We caused Our messengers to follow in their footsteps; and We caused Jesus, son of Mary, to follow, and gave him the Gospel, and placed compassion and mercy in the hearts of those who followed him. But monasticism they invented - We ordained it not for them - only seeking God's pleasure, and they observed it not with right observance. So We give those of them who believe their reward, but many of them are rebellious. (Quran 57:27)
He hath revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture with truth, confirming that which was (revealed) before it, even as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel. (Quran 3:3-4)
This is the Scripture (the Quran) whereof there is no doubt, a guidance unto those who ward off (evil). (Quran 2:2)
This Quran does indeed show the straightest way. It gives the faithful who do right the good news that they will have a great reward. (Quran 17:9)
"God says, 'We have omitted nothing from the Book.' It contains clarification of all things. He declares that one part of the Book supports the other without contradiction, saying, 'If it had come from someone other than God, they would have found it to have many inconsistencies.' The Quran’s form is elegant, and its content is deep. Its marvels never fade, and its wonders never run out. Only through the Quran can darkness be dispelled." ⁴ (Nahjul Balaghah 1:18)
Prophets
And We sent no messenger before thee but We inspired him, (saying): There is no God save Me (God), so worship Me. (Quran 21:25)
(And remember) when the angels said: O Mary! Lo! God giveth thee glad tidings of a word from him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (unto God). He will speak unto mankind in his cradle and in his manhood, and he is of the righteous. She said: My Lord! How can I have a child when no mortal hath touched me? He said: So (it will be). God createth what He will. If He decreeth a thing, He saith unto it only: Be! and it is. (Quran 3:45-47)
As for those who believe, do good, and have faith in what has been revealed to Muḥammad—which is the truth from their Lord—He will absolve them of their sins and improve their condition. (Quran 47:2)
Indeed, in the Messenger of God you have an excellent example for whoever has hope in God and the Last Day, and remembers God often. (Quran 33:21)
We have sent you ˹O Prophet˺ only as a mercy for the whole world. (Quran 21:107)
Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the messenger of God and the Seal of the Prophets; and God is ever Aware of all things. (Quran 33:40)
From Adam’s descendants, God selected prophets, exacting a pledge from them to convey his revelation, and entrusting them with delivering his message. As time passed, most people altered God’s covenant, denied what they owed him, and ascribed partners to him. The devils had driven them away from their earlier recognition of him, stopping them from his worship altogether. God directed his prophets to remind people of the divine favors they had forgotten, establish the truth by conveying his message, and revive their numbed intellects." ⁵ (Nahjul Balaghah 1:1:6) "And if you wish, I will also tell you about Jesus, son of Mary. Jesus would use a rock for a pillow and wear rough garments. His food was hunger, his lamp at night the moon, his shelter in the winter the sun’s rays from East and West, his fruit and his fragrance the plants grown by the earth for the beasts. He had no wife to distract him, no son to grieve him, no wealth to occupy him, no greed to bring him low. His mount was his own two feet, his servant his own two hands." ⁶ (Nahjul Balaghah 1.158.3)
"God sent Muhammad to fulfill his promise and complete the line of prophecy. All earlier prophets had been made to affirm Muhammad, whose qualities had been made known to them, with a binding oath. His birth, when it came, brought auspicious blessings. At that time, the earth’s inhabitants were divided into numerous faiths with different notions and divergent views. One group likened God to his creatures, another rejected his name, and a third looked to a separate deity. Through Muhammad, God saved the people from their errant ways. Because of his eminence, he delivered them from ignorance." ⁷ (Nahjul Balaghah 1.1.7)
Last Day & Resurrection
And when the trumpet shall sound one blast, and the earth with the mountains shall be lifted up and crushed with one crash. Then, on that day will the Event befall. And the heaven will split asunder, for that day it will be frail. (Quran 69:13-16)
And they argue with Us—forgetting they were created—saying, “Who will give life to decayed bones?” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “They will be revived by the One Who produced them the first time, for He has ˹perfect˺ knowledge of every created being. (Quran 36:78-79)
The weighing on that day is the true (weighing). As for those whose scale is heavy, they are the successful. And as for those whose scale is light: those are they who lose their souls because they used to wrong Our revelations. (Quran 7:8-9)
And every man's destiny have We fastened to his own neck, and We shall bring forth for him on the Day of Resurrection a book which he will find wide open. (And it will be said unto him): Read thy Book. Thy soul sufficeth as reckoner against thee this day. (Quran 17:13-14)
When the heaven is cleft asunder, When the planets are dispersed, When the seas are poured forth, And the sepulchers are overturned, A soul will know what it hath sent before (it) and what left behind. (Quran 82:1-5)
That day mankind will issue forth in scattered groups to be shown their deeds. And whoso doeth good an atom's weight will see it then, And whoso doeth ill an atom's weight will see it then. (Quran 99:6-8) "People! I fear most for you two things: pursuit of desire and lengthy yearnings. Pursuit of desire stops you from seeing the truth, while lengthy yearnings make you forget the hereafter. Take heed! The world is retreating in haste! Only a small residue remains, like dregs in an emptied vessel. Take heed! The hereafter is at hand! And each of the two has children. Be children of the hereafter, be not children of the world, for children will be returned to their mothers on the day of resurrection. Today is the day for deeds, not reckoning. Tomorrow is the day of reckoning, not deeds." ⁸ (Nahjul Balaghah 1.42)
Decree
God changeth not the condition of a folk until they (first) change that which is in their hearts; and if God willeth misfortune for a folk there is none that can repel it, nor have they a defender beside Him. (Quran 13:11)
Whoever does good, it is to their own benefit. And whoever does evil, it is to their own loss. Your Lord is never unjust to ˹His˺ creation. (Quran 41:46)
We already showed them the Way, whether they ˹choose to˺ be grateful or ungrateful. (Quran 76:3)
No calamity ˹or blessing˺ occurs on earth or in yourselves without being ˹written˺ in a Record before We bring it into being. This is certainly easy for God. (Quran 57:22)
And with Him are the keys of the Invisible. None but He knoweth them. And He knoweth what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falleth but He knoweth it, not a grain amid the darkness of the earth, naught of wet or dry but (it is noted) in a clear record. (Quran 6:59)
"Do not become a slave to another when God has created you free. What is the good of something good obtained through evil? Or of ease obtained through privation? Beware lest ambition’s steeds run off with you and pitch you down at the station of destruction! If you can arrange things such that no benefactor stands between you and God, then do so. No matter what, you will attain your destiny and receive your share, and a little from God is both more in quantity and greater in worth than a lot from his creatures. Ultimately, everything comes from him." ⁹ (Nahjul Balaghah 2.31.16)
Faith
God (Himself) is Witness that there is no god save Him. And the angels and the men of learning (too are witness). Maintaining His creation in justice, there is no god save Him the Almighty, the Wise. (Quran 3:18)
It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in God and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the prophets; and giveth wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor-due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the God conscious. (Quran 2:177)
O ye who believe! Believe in God and His messenger and the Scripture which He hath revealed unto His messenger, and the Scripture which He revealed aforetime. Whoso disbelieveth in God and His angels and His scriptures and His messengers and the Last Day, he verily hath wandered far astray. (Quran 4:136)
Surely humanity is in a state of loss, except those who have faith, do good, and urge each other to the truth, and urge each other to perseverance. (Quran 103:2-3)
They only are the (true) believers whose hearts feel fear when God is mentioned, and when His revelations are recited unto them they increase their faith, and who trust in their Lord; Who establish worship and spend of that We have bestowed on them. Those are they who are in truth believers. For them are grades (of honour) with their Lord, and pardon, and a bountiful provision. (Quran 8:2-4)
And give glad tidings (O Muhammad) unto those who believe and do good works; that theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow; as often as they are regaled with food of the fruit thereof, they say: this is what was given us aforetime; and it is given to them in resemblance. There for them are pure companions; there for ever they abide. (Quran 2:25)
"We believe in him, as though we have already seen the deep mysteries and attained the promised reward. Our sincerity refuses to assign partners to him, and our certainty rejects all doubt. We bear witness that there is no god but God, he has no partner, and Muhammad is his servant and messenger, a testimony that assures our prayers’ and our deeds’ ascent to God. No scale on which it is placed is light, no scale from which it is absent has weight." ¹⁰ (Nahjul Balaghah 1.111.1)
Prayer
When ye have performed the act of worship, remember God, standing, sitting and reclining. And when ye are in safety, observe proper worship. Worship at fixed times hath been enjoined on the believers. (Quran 4:103)
Lo! I, even I, am God, There is no god save Me. So serve Me and establish worship for My remembrance. (Quran 20:14)
Recite what has been revealed to you of the Book and establish prayer. Indeed, ˹genuine˺ prayer should deter ˹one˺ from indecency and wickedness. The remembrance of God is ˹an˺ even greater ˹deterrent˺. And God ˹fully˺ knows what you ˹all˺ do. (Quran 29:45)
O believers! Seek comfort in patience and prayer. God is truly with those who are patient. (Quran 2:153)
Who have believed and whose hearts have rest in the remembrance of God. Verily in the remembrance of God do hearts find rest! (Quran 13:28) "Be diligent in the matter of the ritual prayer. Pray regularly and frequently, and seek to come closer to God through it, for it is 'prescribed for believers at fixed times.' Have you not heard the people of hell when they were asked, '“What led you into the Fire?”' and they answered, '“We were not among those who prayed”'. Prayer makes sins fall from you like leaves and loosens their bonds from your necks. God’s Messenger compared it to a hot spring located at a man’s doorstep, one that he can bathe in five times in one day and night, Tell me, what grime will remain on his body then? Even after being pledged paradise, the Messenger exerted himself to the utmost in prayer, for God instructed him, 'command your family to pray, and adhere to it yourself'. He thus commanded his family to pray, and adhered to it himself." ¹¹ (Nahjul Balaghah 1.197)
Fasting
O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you, even as it was prescribed for those before you, that ye may ward off (evil); (Fast) a certain number of days; and (for) him who is sick among you, or on a journey, (the same) number of other days; and for those who can afford it there is a ransom: the feeding of a man in need - but whoso doeth good of his own accord, it is better for him: and that ye fast is better for you if ye did but know - The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for mankind, and clear proofs of the guidance, and the Criterion (of right and wrong). And whosoever of you is present, let him fast the month, and whosoever of you is sick or on a journey, (let him fast the same) number of other days. God desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you; and (He desireth) that ye should complete the period, and that ye should magnify God for having guided you, and that peradventure ye may be thankful. (Quran 2:183-185)
God will not take you to task for that which is unintentional in your oaths, but He will take you to task for the oaths which ye swear in earnest. The expiation thereof is the feeding of ten of the needy with the average of that wherewith ye feed your own folk, or the clothing of them, or the liberation of a slave, and for him who findeth not (the wherewithal to do so) then a three days' fast. This is the expiation of your oaths when ye have sworn; and keep your oaths. Thus God expoundeth unto you His revelations in order that ye may give thanks. (Quran 5:89)
"O assembly of God’s servants, fear God, fear God, while you are still sound, while you have health before illness strikes, while you have room before your straits constrict! Strive to free your necks before their release from bondage is forfeit! Keep the night vigil, starve your bellies, make use of your feet, spend your wealth, put your bodies to work, and exert them for the benefit of your souls." ¹² (Nahjul Balaghah 1.181.3)
Charity
To give charity publicly is good, but to give to the poor privately is better for you, and will absolve you of your sins. And God is All Aware of what you do. (Quran 2:271)
The alms are only for the poor and the needy, and those who collect them, and those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and to free the captives and the debtors, and for the cause of God, and (for) the wayfarer; a duty imposed by God. God is Knower, Wise. (Quran 9:60)
They ask you ˹O Prophet in˺ what ˹way˺ they should donate. Say, “Whatever donations you give are for parents, relatives, orphans, the poor, and ˹needy˺ travellers. Whatever good you do is certainly well known to God.” (Quran 2:215)
And they are ordered naught else than to serve God, keeping religion pure for Him, as men by nature upright, and to establish worship and to pay the poor due. That is true religion. (Quran 98:5)
A kind word with forgiveness is better than almsgiving followed by injury. God is Absolute, Clement. (Quran 2:263-264)
You will never achieve righteousness until you spend some of what you cherish. And whatever you give is certainly well known to God. (Quran 3:92)
"Be assiduous in offering the alms levy, which, alongside the ritual prayer, is a means for the followers of Islam to obtain closeness to God. Whoever gives it freely and happily will find that it serves as expiation for his sins and a barrier and shield against hellfire. Let no one yearn for it after giving it or mourn its loss! For whoever gives it unwillingly, hoping only for material benefit, is ignorant of the Sunnah and will be cheated of its reward; his deed will be lost and his regret will persist." ¹³ (Nahjul Balaghah 1.197)
"Foster your faith through charity. Fortify your wealth by paying the alms levy. Ward off the gales of calamity by supplicating God." ¹⁴ (Nahjul Balaghah 3.132)
Pilgrimage
And (remember) when We prepared for Abraham the place of the (holy) House, saying: Ascribe thou no thing as partner unto Me, and purify My House for those who make the round (thereof) and those who stand and those who bow and make prostration. (Quran 22:26-27)
And when We made the House (at Makka) a resort for mankind and sanctuary, (saying): Take as your place of worship the place where Abraham stood (to pray). And We imposed a duty upon Abraham and Ishmael, (saying): Purify My house for those who go around and those who meditate therein and those who bow down and prostrate themselves (in worship). (Quran 2:125)
In it are clear signs and the standing place of Abraham. Whoever enters it should be safe. Pilgrimage to this House is an obligation by God upon whoever is able among the people. And whoever disbelieves, then surely God is not in need of ˹any of His˺ creation. (Quran 3:97)
Perform the pilgrimage and the visit (to Makka) for God. And if ye are prevented, then send such gifts as can be obtained with ease, and shave not your heads until the gifts have reached their destination. And whoever among you is sick or hath an ailment of the head must pay a ransom of fasting or almsgiving or offering. And if ye are in safety, then whosoever contenteth himself with the visit for the pilgrimage (shall give) such gifts as can be had with ease. And whosoever cannot find (such gifts), then a fast of three days while on the pilgrimage, and of seven when ye have returned; that is, ten in all. That is for him whoso folk are not present at the Inviolable Place of Worship. Observe your duty to God, and know that God is severe in punishment. (Quran 2:196)
The pilgrimage is (in) the well-known months, and whoever is minded to perform the pilgrimage therein (let him remember that) there is (to be) no lewdness nor abuse nor angry conversation on the pilgrimage. And whatsoever good ye do God knoweth it. So make provision for yourselves (Hereafter); for the best provision is to ward off evil. Therefore keep your duty unto Me, O men of understanding. (Quran 2:197-198)
"God mandated the rite of pilgrimage to his House, which he commanded you to face in prayer. He directed you to race to the House like cattle to water, like doves to seed, demonstrating your prostration before his greatness and your submission to his power. He selected true listeners to answer his call, believe in his word, stand in the stations of the prophets, and follow the example of angels who circumambulate his throne. God characterized his House as Islam’s lofty banner and made it a sanctuary for all who seek shelter." ¹⁵ (Nahjul Balaghah 1.1.8)
Now that the essence of the faith of Islam has been eloquently sampled, below are two passages comprehensive of what was above, and of the wisdoms and deeper insights that can be understood:
"God sent Muhammad with brilliant light, clear proof, a distinct path, and a book of guidance. His family is the best family, his tree is the best tree, its branches straight and tall, its fruits hanging low. His birth was in Mecca, his migration was to Taybah, from there his fame rose high, and his voice spread far and wide. God sent Muhammad with ample evidence, healing counsel, and an enlivening faith, through him, he revived abandoned laws, crushed newfangled heresies, and explained decreed rules. Indeed, 'whoever seeks a religion other than Islam' will find his wretchedness real, his support broken, and his tread unsteady. His final return will be to long lasting grief and painful punishment. I place my trust in God and turn to him. I seek his guidance in finding the path that will lead to his Garden and direct me to his pleasure. Servants of God! I counsel you to be conscious of him and obey him, for that will bring you salvation on the morrow and eternal deliverance. He cautioned you to beware and gave full warning. He directed you to earn reward and gave complete measure. He described the world to you and told you of its severance, its transience, its departure. People, turn away from everything in it that excite your wonder, because it will not be with you for long. This world is the domicile that is closest to God’s anger and farthest from his pleasure." ¹⁶ (Nahjul Balaghah 1.159)
"The deeds that bring you closest to God are the following: belief in him and his messenger; striving in his path, for it is Islam’s summit; the testament of sincerity, 'There is no god but God', for it is the natural state; performing the ritual prayer, for it is the way of truth; offering the alms levy, for it is a man dated obligation; fasting in the month of Ramadan, for it is a shield from God’s punishment; performing the hajj and the umrah pilgrimage to Mecca, for they dispel poverty and wash away sins; fostering close ties with kin, for it increases wealth and prolongs life; giving alms in secret, for it expiates transgressions; disbursing alms in public, for it wards off horrible forms of death; and acts of charity, for they protect you from dishonor and shame. Fill yourself with God’s remembrance for it is the best remembrance. Wish for everything he promised the pious, for his promise is the truest of promises. Follow the guidance of your Prophet, for it is the best guidance. Follow his Sunnah, for it is the most righteous of practices. Learn the Quran, for it is the heart’s springtime. Heal yourselves by its light, for it is a cure for souls. And recite it beautifully, for it is the most beneficial exhortation. A learned man who acts contrary to his learning is as bad as the ignorant and perplexed man who never wakes from his stupor. In fact, the case against him is stronger, his anguish more binding, and his culpability greater before God." ¹⁷ (Nahjul Balaghah 1.107)
