What Exactly Do Muslim Believe In? The Six Articles of Faith in Islam

Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world. There are approximately 2 billion Muslims, but what exactly do the people of this faith believe in.
"ISLAM" is derived from the Arabic root salaam, meaning; peace, purity, submission and obedience, submission to the will of God and obedience to His law.
The faith can be simple and boiled down to There Is No God but Allah and Muhammad Is His messenger. But going into detail what exactly does that mean.

1. Belief in Allah (God) The one and only God worthy of worship. The eternal, the absolute, the mighty, the Infinite. He has no mother, no father, nor children. Allah (swt) says in the Quran that he is the lord of the worlds and creator of all mankind. There is none like him. He is living and never dies. He is all knowing, and all hearing, the all seeing, and nothing happens except if it be of his will. Everything and everyone is dependent on him. After the creation of mankind, Allah (swt) provided guidance to his creation through his prophets via scripture.

2. Belief in all the Prophets and Messengers of Allah (God). The prophets and messengers of Allah (swt) were those such as Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jonah, Jesus, and Muhammad etc. Messengers were mortal human beings assigned by Allah (swt) to teach their people. The message of these messengers is the same and that was to submit to the will and command of God.

3. Belief in the Angels. Allah (swt) created Angels to assist him; however angels differ than humans as they do not have free will as humans do. They simply do as Allah (swt) has commanded and have neither desire nor ability to do other than that. Angels interact with humanity by the command of Allah (set) and there are various types and purposes of the Angels. They are spiritual being which do not need food, drink, or sleep. They are created from light.

4. Belief in the Books of scripture sent by Allah (God). Allah (swt) has sent down scripture to various peoples in various lands including in their original form which were, the Torah (today it's called the Old Testament) the Injeel (The New Testament), Zabir (the Psalms of David), and the Quran. The Quran is the last and final scripture as well as the only scripture in which has been protected from alteration and is in its original writing from the day it was sent down to the Angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad. The Quran is the word of God, and was sent by Allah to the prophet and then memorized by people and written down. Tell this very day, no matter what Quran you read the Arabic text is always has been and always will be exactly the same; neither a dot nor dash has changed in fourteen hundred years.

5. Belief in the Day of Resurrection, belief in the Day of Judgment, belief in life after death, belief in heaven and hell. It is on the Day of Judgment that the world will come to an end; all will die, and will be raised to stand for judgment. Everything in which one has done, said, or intended are written down by the angles and brought to light on this day.

Muslims also believe in life after death and is therefore always aware of one's deeds, and intentions. The prophet (pbuh) said, "Worship Allah (swt) as though you see him, because verily he sees you."

Those who have good records will be rewarded and granted into the gates of heaven, and those with bad records will be punished in the fires of hell. The Day of Judgment, as well as the descriptions of heaven and hell is not literal, and only Allah (swt) knows their exact amount of time, and reality, however they are mentioned with great detail in the Quran, in terms in which man can comprehend.

6. Belief in Destiny or Fate. Allah (swt) is the all powerful and is the original source in which life and purpose is determined for mankind. Allah (swt) has determined the life span of each individual's life, and what good or bad will come to them. These things are written down in the guarded tablet which Allah (swt) is aware of before they happen.

NOTES:
SWT-Subhanahu wa ta'ala, meaning glorious and exalted is he
PBUH- peace be upon him