Aqidah (Aqeedah) refers to those matters which are believed in, with certainty and conviction, in one’s heart and soul. They are not tainted with any doubt or uncertainty. Muslims have been gifted this via His Book and His Revelations to His Messenger ﷺ. The Arabic word ‘Aqeedah stems from the root ‘aqada, which conveys meanings of certainty and affirmation. This is different from tawheed which is believing in the oneness of Allah.
Thus, Aqidah are the matters which are known from the Qur’an and authentic Hadith and that which the Muslim must believe in his heart, in acknowledgement of the truth of Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
To know more and to build the strong ‘knot’ of aqidah in your heart, listen to the lectures under this topic.
Aqīdah is synonymous to Īmān in the sense that it pertains to firm conviction in the matters of the unseen. It is dissimilar in the sense that it is more general than Īmān. Īmān is specifically related to the Six Pillars of Īmān whilst ʿAqīdah relates to these Six Pillars of Īmān and everything else extensively related to them. It is with this sense of the word, the classical books of belief and creed were entitled.