The history of the concept of the articles of faith in Sunni theological tradition

The discussion of the principles of religion or the articles of faith is one of the most important discussions among Muslim thinkers. This important concept of the principles of religion or the articles of faith has its own history among Muslims. The concept of the five articles of faith in Islam is not extant in Quran or in Hadith but has entered the works of Muslim theologians especially by the works of Mutazilites. In its early stages in the history, the concept of principles of the religion or the articles of faith was used in a general way and referred to the whole theological beliefs but later its usage has narrowed and just referred to some special theological creeds. In this period usually five items were referred to as the five principles of religion. Different theological traditions have their own principles of religion in the way that sometimes seven and even fifteen items were referred to as the principles of religion. Unlike the rationalist Mutazilites, there is no such a concept among Asharites or Maturidites. In this article we will survey the history of the changes the concept of the articles of faith experienced in Sunni Kalam tradition.