Islam

1. Axioms

The following axioms function as foundational premises within Islam. They are treated as starting points from which doctrine, ethics, and practices are developed.

1. Absolute monotheism (tawḥīd): God (Allah) is uniquely one, incomparable, and the sole ultimate reality worthy of worship.
2. Divine sovereignty and providence: God sustains and governs creation; nothing ultimately escapes divine knowledge and will.
3. Revelation through prophecy: God guides humanity through prophets who deliver revelation and exemplify submission.
4. Finality of Muhammad’s prophethood: Muhammad is the final prophet, and the Qur’an is authoritative revelation.
5. Moral accountability: Humans are responsible agents; actions are evaluated in a final judgment oriented to justice and mercy.

2. Derived Doctrinal Commitments

From these axioms, Islam derives a coherent theological and metaphysical framework.

• Revelatory authority: The Qur’an is central; prophetic example (sunna) provides interpretive and practical guidance.
• Created order as sign: The world is contingent and meaningful, pointing beyond itself to God.
• Community and guidance: Rightly ordered life is pursued in community under revealed guidance.
• Afterlife: Human life is teleologically oriented toward resurrection, accountability, and ultimate outcome.
• Law and interpretation: Norms develop through jurisprudence and interpretive methods (diverse schools and approaches).

3. Ethical Framework

Islamic ethics integrate virtue, law, intention, and communal responsibility.

• Submission as moral posture: Goodness is alignment with God’s guidance, not merely personal preference.
• Intention (niyyah): Moral evaluation includes inward intention alongside outward action.
• Justice and mercy: Social and interpersonal ethics emphasize justice, compassion, and care for the vulnerable.

4. Practices

Practices are structured as disciplined expressions of submission and remembrance.

• Declaration of faith (shahāda)
• Ritual prayer (ṣalāh)
• Almsgiving and social obligation (zakāt)
• Fasting (ṣawm), especially in Ramadan
• Pilgrimage (ḥajj), when able

5. Internal Diversity

Islam contains meaningful internal variation downstream from shared axioms.

• Sunni and Shia theological emphases and historical narratives
• Different jurisprudential schools and interpretive methodologies
• Approaches to theology, philosophy, and mysticism (e.g., kalām, falsafa, taṣawwuf)
• Local cultural expressions and devotional forms