Usul al-Din: Difference between revisions

'''Uṣūl al-Dīn''' (Arabic: أصول الدین) or '''Principles of Religion''' or '''roots of faith''' contrary to ''[[Furu' al-Din]]'' (minor issues of religion) are a set of essential beliefs in [[Islam]] that every [[Muslim]] needs to believe in; otherwise, he would not be considered a Muslim. This means that rejecting even one of these principles implies blasphemy and results in punishment in the [[hereafter]].

Sometimes Usul al-Din has been used to address a more concept. For example, it has been used to refer to the science of [[Kalam]] (Islamic theology).

This title has been first used by [['Ilm al-Kalam|theologians]], and there is not such a classification of religious sciences to principles and other issues in the [[Qur'an]] or in [[hadith]]s.

Most scholars believe that emulation in Usul al-din is not permissible and knowing them needs to be acquired through studying. There has been general consensus on this issue as well.

One of the reasons for this being impermissible is that the emulator either knows the truthfulness of the authority he is following or not: if he does not know, then he can estimate the error in the authority, and thus his emulation is not wise, since he is following what is not immune from error. However, if he knows that the authority he is following holds true, then he has either made this conclusion in three conditions: either out of transparency which is null and void, out of emulation which the number of people emulating whom is necessary, or through studying which is the only rational assumption in which the person may have concluded the truthfulness of the authority. This is actually not emulation and thus emulation in Usul al-din is invalid.

# '''Tawhid (Oneness of God)''':{{main|Tawhid}} Knowing God and acknowledging the fact that from pre-existence to post-eternity, He exists and is Necessary Existent. The concept of Tawhid acknowledges positive attributes of God such as infinite power, knowledge, and existence as well as rejecting His negative attributes such as ignorance, inability to do anything, or imperfection. This also implies believing in the fact that God's attributes are the same as His essence, and that He has no additional attributes to His essence.

# '''Justice [of God]''':{{main|'Adl}} Knowing that God is Just and Wise. This means that He does not do any wrong and does not abandon any proper act. God is not content with the wrong humans do. Therefore, humans hold the absolute responsibility for their actions, whether good or bad.

# '''Prophethood''':{{main|Nubuwwat}} Acknowledging the prophethood of the Prophet [[Muhammad (s)] and what has been revealed to him. However, there is a disagreement on whether this principle applies solely to generally acknowledging what the Prophet (s) has said as [[revelation]] or if one needs to acknowledge the revelation in details. Some Twelver Shi'a scholars also deem it necessary for one to believe that the Prophet (s) was [[infallible]], and he (s) was the [[khatamiyyat|last prophet]].

# '''Imamate''':{{main|Imamate}} Acknowledging imamate of the twelve [[imams (a)]]. All Twelver Shi'a theologians agree on this as it has been considered one of the two required principles of Shi'a. All imams are infallible and guardians of religion. They are responsible for guiding humans toward the truth and everyone needs to obey them. This concept also includes accepting that [[Imam al-Mahdi (a)|The Twelfth Imam (a)]] is alive and in hiding, but one day he (a) will [[Reappearance|reappear]] with the permission of [[God]].

# '''Resurrection''':{{main|Resurrection}} This principle implies that humans will be resurrected one day in front of God, and their good and bad actions will be judged. All Muslims believe in physical resurrection which suggests that the body to which humans will be resurrected is physical.

== External links==