What is Aqeedah?
Aqeedah (Arabic: عَقِيدَة, ʿaqīdah) is an Islamic term of Arabic origin that means “creed”. It goes beyond concise statements of faith and may not be part of an ordinary Muslim’s religious instruction, taking “the aspects of Iman and extending it to a detail level” often using “human interpretation or sources”. In Islam, the term aqeedah stands parallel to Sharia: Sharia means the practical ordinances Islam enjoins—acts of worship and mutual dealings—while creed is not concerned with practice but represents the knowledge which Muslims should believe in since they are established by virtue of the Quran and Sunnah. This term has taken a significant technical usage in Islamic theology, and is a branch of Islamic studies describing the beliefs of Islam.
Aqeedah encompasses the six articles of faith (arkan al-iman): belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Day of Judgment, and divine decree (qadar). In contrast with iman, the word aqeedah is not explicitly mentioned in the Quran. Many schools of Islamic theology expressing different aqidah exist.
Origins & Lineage
Aqidah comes from the Semitic root ʿ-q-d, which means “to tie; knot”. The three-lettered root al-ʿaqd in the linguistic sense denotes binding and tying firmly. The use of this word was not very popular before the fourth century AH; it came into use from the fourth century AH, and in the later era, it became the only term. The use of the words ‘aqeedah’ and ‘i’tiqad’ in the sense of ‘faith’ or religious belief is not found in the Quran and Hadith.
According to Muslim scholar Cyril Glasse, “systematic statements of belief became necessary, from early [on in the history of] Islam, initially to refute heresies, and later to distinguish points of view and to present them, as the divergences of schools of theology or opinion increased.” The “first” creed written as “a short answer to the pressing heresies of the time” is known as Fiqh Akbar and ascribed to Abu Hanifa. The formal development of aqidah as a distinct Islamic discipline emerged during the early centuries of Islam; as the Islamic empire expanded and encountered various philosophical traditions and religious beliefs, Muslim scholars felt the need to systematically articulate and defend Islamic beliefs, leading to the development of Islamic theology (Ilm al-Kalam) and the codification of aqidah principles.
The main schools of Islamic theology include the extant Mu’tazili, Ash’ari, Maturidi, and Athari schools; the extinct ones include the Qadari, Jahmi, Murji’, and Batini schools. The Ash’ari and Maturidi schools of aqeedah have been the main theological frameworks followed by most of the Muslim Ummah and form the theological base of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah. The eponymous founder of the Ash’ari school is Abu al-Hasan al-Ash’ari, one of the first to study under but then quit the Mu’tazilis.
How It’s Practiced
Aqeedah is not a practice in the conventional sense but a framework of conviction. The principles of creed are mentioned in the Hadith of Jibreel (Gabriel) when he asked the Prophet about faith, and the Prophet told him that “faith was to believe in Allah, His angels, books, messengers, the Day of Judgment and that whatever good or bad happened to a person was from Allah The Almighty”. Linguistically, the word aqeedah is derived from 'Aqd which means holding fast to something and being absolutely certain about it; in Islamic terminology, it is to believe in something with certainty.
Study of aqeedah typically involves engagement with classical texts and theological discourse. Many Muslim scholars have written Islamic creeds or specific aspects of aqidah; among the most well-known is al-ʿAqīdah aṭ-Ṭaḥāwiyya (“The Fundamentals of Islamic Creed” by al-Tahawi), which has been accepted by almost all Sunnis (Atharis, Ash’aris and Maturidis). Al-ʿAqīdah al-Wāsiṭiyyah (“The Wasit Creed”) by Ibn Taymiyyah is another foundational text.
Aqeedah Today
Contemporary seekers encounter aqeedah primarily through structured Islamic education: courses in Islamic theology at madrasas, online academies, and university Islamic studies departments. Theology (Aqidah) explores core Muslim beliefs, including sectarian differences and points of contention, though it is often quite misunderstood by Muslims themselves in a modern era where classical works are neglected. Many institutions now offer aqeedah classes that cover the differences among the Ash’ari, Maturidi, and Athari schools, often using texts like al-Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah as foundational material.
According to Malcolm Clark, while Islam “is not a creedal religion”, it has produced some detailed creeds, “some containing 100 or more belief statements” that summarized “the theological position of a particular scholar or school.” Digital libraries, online commentary, and translated editions have made classical aqeedah texts accessible to non-Arabic speakers and those outside traditional seminary settings.
Common Misconceptions
Aqeedah is not synonymous with personal spirituality or mystical experience—that domain belongs more to Tasawwuf (Sufism). In Islamic sciences, aqeedah is studied alongside Fiqh (jurisprudence) and Tasawwuf (spirituality); while Fiqh deals with the outward actions of worship and daily life, and Tasawwuf focuses on the purification of the heart, aqeedah is concerned with the correct understanding of Allah, His messengers, and the unseen aspects of creation.
Aqeedah is also not a set of rituals. Prayer, fasting, and other rituals are limbs of the religion; to function effectively, these limbs need signals from the central nervous system—the creed—and weak creed results in lifeless rituals; prayer transforms into mere calisthenics when devoid of the underlying aqeedah.
Finally, aqeedah is not monolithic. Different theological schools emerged, including the Ash’ari, Maturidi, and Athari traditions, each offering slightly different approaches to understanding and explaining aqidah while maintaining agreement on the fundamental beliefs. Historical and contemporary debates within aqeedah are substantive and well-documented.
How to Begin
Start with the six articles of faith as outlined in the Hadith of Gabriel—a concise, accessible entry point. For structured study, al-Aqidah al-Tahawiyyah (circa 933 CE) remains the most widely accepted introductory creed text across Sunni schools. English translations with commentary are available from publishers like White Thread Press and Turath Publishing.
For online learning, institutions such as SeekersGuidance, Qalam Institute, and Al-Maghrib Institute offer structured aqeedah courses taught by credentialed scholars. After introductory texts, read the books of scholars known for knowledge and true aqidah, such as works by Ibn Taymiyyah, including “Al-'Aqidah Al-Wasitiyyah”, “Al-'Aqidah Al-Tadmuriyyah”, and “Al-'Aqidah Al-Hamawiyyah”. Local mosques with scholars trained in Islamic theology can provide guidance on which texts and schools align with the community’s tradition.