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What are the core beliefs that unite Muslims?

The six articles of faith in Sunni Islam and the five roots of religion (Usul ad-Din) in Shia Islam, and the place of Tawhid as the central belief.

A focused answer on the foundations of Islamic belief for AQA GCSE Religious Studies A (8062), covering the six articles of faith in Sunni Islam and the five roots in Shia Islam.

Generated by Claude Opus 4.88 min answer

Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed

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  1. What this dot point is asking
  2. The six articles of faith (Sunni)
  3. The five roots of religion (Shia)
  4. The central belief: Tawhid

What this dot point is asking

AQA wants you to explain the six articles of faith in Sunni Islam and the five roots of religion (Usul ad-Din) in Shia Islam, and to show why these beliefs both unite and distinguish the two main groups of Muslims. The skill is keeping the two lists straight and explaining what they share, especially Tawhid.

The six articles of faith (Sunni)

These articles summarise what a Sunni Muslim must believe, as opposed to the Five Pillars, which set out what a Muslim must do. Each article connects to others: belief in angels supports belief in the holy books (Jibril brought the Qur'an), and belief in the prophets supports belief in the Day of Judgement they warned of.

The five roots of religion (Shia)

The distinctive Shia root is Imamah: the belief that, after the Prophet, rightful leadership of the Muslim community passed to a line of imams descended from Muhammad through Ali and Fatimah, who are seen as divinely guided. Shia Islam also lists Adl (divine justice) as a separate root, reflecting a strong emphasis on God's justice and, with it, on human free will, since a just God only judges people for what they freely choose. Sunnis affirm God's justice too but treat it as part of his nature rather than a separate root.

The central belief: Tawhid

For all Muslims, Tawhid, the absolute oneness of God, is the foundation of faith, and it heads both lists. Everything else (revelation, prophethood, judgement) flows from the conviction that there is one God who is owed total submission. This shared root is why, despite the historic split over leadership, Sunni and Shia Muslims recognise one another as Muslims who worship the same God, follow the same Qur'an and revere the same Prophet.

It helps to understand the difference between the articles of faith (or roots of religion), which set out what a Muslim must believe, and the Five Pillars or Ten Obligatory Acts, which set out what a Muslim must do. The articles are the foundation; the pillars are the practice that flows from them. So belief in the Day of Judgement (an article) motivates giving Zakah and praying (pillars), and belief in the prophets supports following the Sunnah of Muhammad. In the exam, do not muddle the two lists with the Five Pillars: the question may ask specifically about beliefs (articles or roots) rather than practices. Knowing which list belongs to which group, and that Tawhid heads both, is usually enough to access the higher marks on this topic.

Exam-style practice questions

Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.

AQA 20172 marksGive two of the six articles of faith in Sunni Islam.
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A 2-mark AO1 question. Any two of: Tawhid (oneness of God), angels (Malaikah), the holy books (Kutub), the prophets (Nubuwwah), the Day of Judgement (Akhirah), predestination (al-Qadr). One mark each for two correct, distinct articles. No development is needed at this tariff.

AQA 20194 marksExplain two differences between the Sunni six articles of faith and the Shia five roots of religion. Refer to scripture or another source of Islamic belief in your answer.
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A 4-mark AO1 contrast question. Difference one: the Shia five roots include Imamah, belief in the divinely appointed leadership of the imams descended from the Prophet, which is not one of the Sunni six articles. Difference two: the five roots make Adl (divine justice) a separate root, reflecting the Shia emphasis on God's justice and human free will, whereas Sunnis include it within Tawhid. Markers reward two genuinely different, developed points plus a source. Note both share Tawhid as central.

AQA 202112 marks"The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims matter more than what they share." Evaluate this statement. In your answer you should refer to Islamic teaching, give reasoned arguments to support this statement, give reasoned arguments to support a different point of view, and reach a justified conclusion. [12 marks plus 3 SPaG]
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The AO2 evaluation, 5 bands plus 3 SPaG. Arguments for: the dispute over leadership (Imamah) split Islam historically and still shapes authority, law and festivals. Arguments against: both groups share Tawhid, the Qur'an, the Prophet Muhammad, the Five Pillars and the Day of Judgement, so the common ground is far larger. Use terms (Tawhid, Imamah, Adl, six articles, five roots). Reach a justified conclusion that weighs unity of core belief against differences in leadership and practice.

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