It is essential that a person learns and that he does not content himself with merely saying: ‘I am a Muslim.’ Yes indeed, you are a Muslim – and all praise is for Allaah! However, if one of you were asked as to what Islaam means, or you were asked to explain what Islaam is, many of you would not be able to correctly explain this.
If one of you were to be asked to explain what are those factors which nullify Islaam, would you be able to answer?
If one of you were asked to explain the pillars of Islaam or Imaan (faith) that the Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa aalihi sallam) explained and taught, we would find that most people would be unable to do so.
If a person is ignorant (of such fundamentals), it is possible that he may fall into falsehood without realizing it.
So how is it that a person (suffices with) saying: ‘I am a Muslim,’ yet does not know these (basic) matters!
Thus it is essential to learn about Aqeedah since it is the foundation of the Religion.
Aqeedah must be founded upon unshakable convictions and established beyond all doubt. It is the religious principle upon which one’s heart and mind MUST BE firmly settled. It consists of belief in Allah, His Angels, His Scriptures, His Apostles, the Day of Judgement, The Hereafter and Predestination.
The study of Aqeedah is given the utmost importance as errors in Aqeedah may lead to blasphemy. In this academic course we will go through the highly regarded and famous text “Aqeedah Tahawiyyah” (Tahawi’s Doctrine), which has been taught for over eleven hundred years since the Salaf as-Saleh (pious predecessors); covering the principles of Tawheed (Monotheism) with evidences from the Quran and the Authentic Narrations, thereby correcting ourselves and others with the pure faith brought to us by all the Prophets: “All the prophets are like brothers; their belief is the same”. (Bukhari and Muslim).