Cambridge IGCSE Islamiyat: Articles of Faith and Pillars of Islam, Subtopic 2.4 (0493)

The Articles of Faith and the Pillars of Islam is Paper 2 Topic 4 of Cambridge IGCSE Islamiyat 0493. It covers the six beliefs at the heart of Islam (Allah, angels, books, prophets, predestination and the Last Day), the range of meanings of jihad, and the five practices that put faith into action: shahada, salat, zakat, sawm and hajj. Questions are 14-mark essays, usually in two parts, asking you to describe a belief or practice and explain its significance for individual Muslims and the community.

Syllabus coverage

0493 Paper 2, Topic 4 (2026–2027 syllabus)

• The Six Articles of Faith: Allah and what Muslims believe about Him; angels, their nature and duties; books, their contents and purpose; prophets, their character and function; Allah’s predestination and decree, its meaning and significance; resurrection and the Last Day, its main events and significance
• Jihad in its range of meanings: physical, mental and spiritual
• The Five Pillars: shahada and the significance of its content; salat, including preparations, performance and importance, Friday and festival congregational prayers, times and place of prayer, private prayer and delayed prayer; zakat, how it is performed and its significance; sawm, how it is observed, its significance and those exempted; hajj, its main observances and their significance

What do Muslims believe about Allah?

Belief in Allah means tawhid, His absolute oneness. He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, eternal, all-knowing, all-powerful and merciful, with no partner, parent or child (Sura 112). The opposite, shirk, associating anything with Allah, is the gravest sin. Tawhid shapes every other belief and every act of worship.

What are angels and what do they do?

Angels are created from light, have no free will and always obey Allah. Key angels:

• Jibril brought revelation to the prophets, including the Qur’an to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
• Mika’il is associated with providing sustenance and rain.
• Israfil will blow the trumpet to begin the Day of Judgement.
• The Angel of Death takes souls at death.
• Kiraman Katibin, the noble scribes, record each person’s good and bad deeds.
• Munkar and Nakir question the dead in the grave.

Belief in angels reminds Muslims that their deeds are recorded, which encourages good behaviour.

What are the revealed books?

Allah sent guidance through books: the Suhuf (scrolls) of Ibrahim, the Tawrat to Musa, the Zabur to Dawud, the Injil to Isa and the Qur’an to Muhammad (pbuh). Muslims believe earlier books carried the same core message of tawhid, but the Qur’an is the final, complete and preserved revelation, so it is the standard by which Muslims live.

Who are the prophets?

Prophets are chosen humans who received Allah’s message and lived as examples. They were truthful, trustworthy, intelligent and protected from major sin. Twenty-five are named in the Qur’an, including Adam, Nuh, Ibrahim, Musa, Isa and Muhammad (pbuh). The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) is the Seal of the Prophets (Qur’an 33.40), so no prophet will come after him.

What is predestination?

Al-qadr means that Allah knows, has written and wills all that happens. Muslims also believe that humans have free will and are responsible for their choices. Belief in qadr brings patience in hardship, gratitude in success and trust (tawakkul) in Allah, while still requiring effort.

What will happen on the Last Day?

At an appointed time Israfil will blow the trumpet, the world will end, and all people will be resurrected. Each will be judged by Allah, with the record of their deeds given in the right or the left hand; deeds will be weighed; people will cross the bridge (sirat); the righteous will enter paradise (janna) and the wicked hell (jahannam). Belief in accountability motivates Muslims to do good and avoid wrong (Sura 99).

What does jihad mean?

Jihad means “striving” in the way of Allah. It includes:

• Spiritual and mental struggle against one’s own wrong desires, often called the greater jihad.
• Striving through speech, knowledge and wealth, such as teaching Islam or supporting the poor.
• Physical defence of the community, allowed only for a just cause, under proper authority and with strict rules: no harm to non-combatants, women, children, the elderly, crops or places of worship.

How are the Five Pillars practised, and why do they matter?

1. Shahada. “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.” The first part affirms tawhid; the second accepts the Prophet’s message and Sunnah. Said sincerely, it makes a person Muslim; it is whispered to newborns and said in every prayer.

2. Salat. Five daily prayers: Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib and Isha. Preparation: intention (niyya), wudu (ablution) or ghusl when needed, clean clothes and place, facing the qibla towards the Ka’ba. Performance: units (rak’at) of standing, recitation of al-Fatiha, bowing, prostration and sitting. Congregation: Jumu’a prayer at midday on Friday with a sermon (khutba), and Eid prayers; congregational prayer is rewarded more highly. Private prayer (du’a) can be offered at any time. Delayed prayer: a missed prayer should be made up (qada) as soon as possible; travellers may shorten and combine certain prayers. Significance: constant remembrance of Allah, discipline, equality in the rows, and protection from wrongdoing (Qur’an 29.45).

3. Zakat. An annual payment, usually 2.5 per cent of savings held above the minimum amount (nisab) for a lunar year, with different rates for crops and livestock. It is paid to the groups listed in Qur’an 9.60, including the poor and needy. Significance: it purifies wealth, reduces greed, narrows the gap between rich and poor and strengthens community ties.

4. Sawm. Fasting from food, drink and marital relations from dawn to sunset in Ramadan, with the pre-dawn meal (suhur) and the meal at sunset (iftar). Muslims also avoid bad speech and behaviour. Exempted: the sick, travellers, pregnant or breastfeeding women, women during menstruation, the elderly and children; missed fasts are made up later or, for those permanently unable, compensated by feeding the poor (fidya). Significance: self-control, empathy with the hungry, gratitude, and the reward of Laylat al-Qadr; it ends with Eid al-Fitr.

5. Hajj. Pilgrimage to Makka in Dhu al-Hijja, required once in a lifetime for those able in health and wealth. Main observances: entering ihram at the miqat; tawaf around the Ka’ba; sa’y between Safa and Marwa; standing at Arafat on the 9th; night at Muzdalifa; stoning the pillars at Mina; animal sacrifice; shaving or cutting hair; further tawaf. Significance: equality and unity of the Ummah in simple white clothing, remembrance of Ibrahim, Hajar and Isma’il, forgiveness of sins, and a reminder of the Day of Judgement.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an Article of Faith and a Pillar? Articles are beliefs; Pillars are actions that express those beliefs.

Why is Arafat the most important part of hajj? The Prophet (pbuh) said “Hajj is Arafat”; standing there in prayer on the 9th of Dhu al-Hijja is essential for a valid hajj.

Who must pay zakat? Adult Muslims whose savings remain above the nisab for a lunar year.

Related pages

• Articles of Faith and Pillars of Islam revision notes
• Paper 2 study guide
• Paper 2 practice questions

Source: Cambridge International, Cambridge IGCSE Islamiyat 0493 syllabus for examination in 2026 and 2027, Paper 2 Topic 4.