The Words of Allah , Most High:
" No intercession can avail with Him, except for those whom He allows so [much so] that, when terror is removed from their hearts, they will say: "What is it that your Lord has said?" They will say: "The Truth; and He is the Most High, the Most Great."" (Qur'an 34:23)
Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, informs us in this verse that none can intercede on behalf of another on the Day of Judgement - whosoever he might be - unless Allah , the Almighty, the All-powerful Permits him to do so, and that all, including the angels, will be prostrate due to their fear of Him. Then when the fear is removed from the angels' hearts, they will begin to ask one another concerning what Allah has said and what He has revealed; and some of them will answer that He has said naught but the Truth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.
Benefits Derived From This Verse
1. That none may intercede except if Allah Wills it.
2. Confirmation of Allah's Greatness and His Fearfulness.
3. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Speech.
4. That the Words of Allah are free from all falseness.
5. Confirmation of His Divine Attribute of being Above all of His creation - in His Self and in His Attributes.
6. Confirmation of two of His Names, which are: The Most High and the Most Great.
Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter
That the verse proves that even the angels fear Allah and are humbled before Him.
Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed
That it proves that the angels themselves fear their Lord, so how can anyone call upon them instead of Allah ? And if such acts of worship are rejected, whether they are worshipped directly or as intercessors with Allah , then what must be said about worshipping others such as the inhabitants of graves? - they have even less right to be worshipped.
It is authentically reported from Abu Hurairah (Radhi Allaahu Anhu) that the Prophet said: "When Allah orders a matter in the heaven, the angels beat their wings in humility and submission to His Words, and the sound is like the sound of a chain on smooth rocks; they continue to do so until it enters their hearts. Then, when fear has been removed from their hearts, they (i.e. some of the angels) say: "What has your Lord said?" They (the others) reply: "The Truth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great," and the listening thief and (another listening thief) hears it, so, one above another," Sufyaan (one of the narrators) described it by spreading out his fingers, "...and he (the thief) hears the Words (of Allah swt ) and transmits them to the one below him and he transmits it to the one below and so on, until it reaches the tongue of the magician or the fortune-teller, and sometimes the meteorite strikes him (the thief) before he can convey the news, and sometime he conveys it before he is struck, and then he adds a hundred lies to what he hears, and it is said: "Did not he (the fortune-teller) tell us such-and-such on such-and-such a day?" Then he is believed because of these Words which were overheard from the heaven." 1
Allah's Messenger informs us in this Hadith that when Allah , Almighty, All-Powerful, decrees a matter in the heaven, the angels fall prostrate in fear of Him and in glorification of Him; then, when the fear is removed from their hearts, they begin to ask one another about what the Lord, Almighty, All-powerful has said. One of them (probably Jibreel as )2 replies that Allah has spoken the uncompromising Truth, of which there is no doubt; and it could be that the listening thief, who is a devil, overhears what is said and transmits it to the awaiting magician or the fortune-teller, although a meteorite might strike the devil and incinerate him before he has the chance to pass on what he has heard, or it might be passed on before he is destroyed - all in accordance with Allah's Will. And the devil, the magician or the fortune-teller adds a hundred lies to what he has heard and the people hear and believe ninety-nine lies because of this one scrap of Truth which was heard from the heaven.
Benefits Derived From This Hadith
1. Confirmation of Allah's being above His creation.
2. Evidence of Allah's Greatness.
3. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Speech.
4. Confirmation that the devils overhear what the angels are saying in the heaven, and that Allah has allowed them to do so as a test and a trial for them.
5. The permissibility of the use of practical examples in order to explain abstract matters.
6. That the devils are the source of knowledge for both the magician and the fortune-teller.
7. The attachment of some souls to that which is vain and futile.
8. Evidence that the sorcerors and fortune-tellers are liars and cheats.
Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter
That it shows the position of the angels, that they fear and revere their Lord.
Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of Tawheed
That the Hadith proves that the angels themselves worship Allah and fear Him, and so, if it is not permissible to worship them, whether by calling upon them as intercessors, or as gods, then it is eminently clear that calling upon them is even more obviously futile.
An-Nawwaas Ibn Sam'aan (Radhi Allaahu Anhu) reported that Allah's Messenger said: "When Allah , Most High, wishes to reveal something, He speaks out the Revelation and the heavens begin to shake (or he said: thunder heavily) due to fear of Allah , the Almighty, the All-powerful, and when the inhabitants of the heavens hear it, they fall down in prostration to Allah , and Jibreel (Alayhi Salam) is the first to raise his head; then Allah speaks to him and Allah gives him the Revelation according to His Will. Then Jibreel (Alayhi Salam) passes by the angels, and every time he passes through a different heaven, its angels ask him: "What Has our Lord revealed, oh, Jibreel as ?" Jibreel (Alayhi Salam) then answers: "He has spoken the Truth, and He is the Most High, the Most Great." Then they all repeat the same after him, and then Jibreel (Alayhi Salam) proceeds to the destination commanded by Allah , the Almighty, the All-powerful."
Allah's Messenger informs us in this Hadith that when Allah speaks the Revelation which He wishes, it causes the heavens to shake with thunder and convulsions and the angels to fall down prostrate, in fear of His Majesty; then the first of them to recover and raise his head is the angel Jibreel (Alayhi Salam), and Allah then speaks to him as He Wills, after which Jibreel departs with the Revelation to wheresoever Allah Commands him; and every time he passes through one of the heavens, its inhabitants from among the angels enquire of him as to what the Rabb, Almighty, All-powerful has commanded. And each time he gives the same reply: That Allah has spoken the evident Truth, and He is the Most High, above all His creation, the Most Great, without equal in greatness.
Benefits Derived From This Hadith
1. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Iradah. 3
2. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Kalaam (speaking) and that His Speech is heard.
3. Evidence of Allah's unparalleled Might.
4. Evidence that all of the heavens are inhabited.
5. Proof of Jibreel's superiority over the rest of the angels.
6. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Qawl. 4
7. Confirmation of two of Allah's Names: The Most High and the Most Great.
Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter
That the Hadith clearly shows the position of the angels that they fear Allah .
Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of Tawheed
That the Hadith proves that the angels, who are amongst Allah's finest creations, fear Allah , and so worship of them by others is false and an act of Shirk.
Footnotes
1. Narrated by Bukhari
2. Since he is the leader of the angels and the greatest of them.
3. Iradah: Want, wish, will, decree.
4. It is not easy to adequately translate the words Qawl and Kalaam into English, but we may say that Qawl is when we say: "Such-and-such a person said: "...", whereas Kalaam refers to the spoken words of Allah (Subhanahu wa-ta'ala), which are spoken to whom He wills from amongst the angels or Prophets (alayhum-as-salaam).
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Islaam & Eemaan
Definition
The Sheikh, the Imaam, Mohammad Ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:
Islaam linguistically means “obedience” & “submission”
In Islaamic terminology it is when the servant submits and surrenders entirely to Allaah outwardly and inwardly, obeying His commands, and avoiding what He has forbidden. It includes all of the religion. Allaah said,
وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الأِسْلاَمَ دِيناً
“And have chosen for you Islam as your religion” [Surah Al-Ma’idah (5):3]
إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الإِسْلَـمُ
“Truly, the religion with Allaah is Islam…” [Surah Aali-Imran (3):19]
وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلَـمِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ
“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him…” [Surah Aali-Imran (3):85]
As for Eemaan, it linguistically means to “believe”. In this meaning, Allaah said,
وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُؤْمِنٍ لَّنَا
“…but you will never believe…” [Surah Yoosuf (12):17]
Islaamically, Eemaan is acceptance of the heart, which necessitates acceptance in statement and action. It is a belief, a statement, and an action – a belief of the heart, a statement of the tongue, and action of the heart and limbs.
The proof that all of this enters under the term Eemaan is the statement of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم:
"الإيمان أن تؤمن بالله وملائكته وكتبه ورسله واليوم الآخر وتؤمن بالقدر خيره وشره"
“Eemaan is that you affirm your faith in Allaah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Apostles, in the Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith in the Divine Decree about good and evil.” [Sahih al-Bukhaaree Vol. 1 Hadith 47 & Sahih Muslim Hadith 1]
And his صلى الله عليه وسلم statement:
"الإيمان بضع وسبعون أو بضع وستون شعبة فأفضلها قول لا إله إلا الله وأدناها إماطة الأذى عن الطريق والحياء شعبة من الإيمان"
“Eemaan is made up of seventy parts, the highest of which is the statement, ‘La Ilaaha Illallaah’. The lowest part is to remove something harmful from the path, and shyness is a part of Eemaan.” [Sahih Muslim 35]
Eemaan in Allaah, His Angels, etc. is the belief of the heart.
The statement, “La ilaaha illallaah” is a statement of the tongue.
Removing something harmful from the path is an action of the limbs.
Shyness is an action of the heart.
With this, it is known that Eemaan includes the entire religion. So, there is no difference between it and Islaam. In this way, each one means the same as the other when used separately. However, when they appear together, Islaam is explained as an outward submission of the tongue and the actions of the limbs. It occurs from both, a believer with complete Eemaan, and a believer with weak Eemaan. Allaah said,
قَالَتِ الاٌّعْرَابُ ءَامَنَّا قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُواْ وَلَـكِن قُولُواْ أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الايمَـنُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ
“The Bedouins say: "We believe.'' Say: "You do not believe. But say, `We have submitted,' for Faith has not yet entered your hearts.” [Surah Al-Hujuraat (49):14]
Based on this, even a hypocrite would be called a Muslim outwardly, yet remain a disbeliever inwardly.
Eemaan (when it comes together with Islaam) is explained as inward submission, which is the belief and acceptance of the heart and its action. This occurs only with a true believer, as Allaah said:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـناً وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُون - الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَوةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ - أُوْلـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ حَقّاً
“The believers are only those who, when Allaah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Ayat are recited unto them, they increase their faith. And they put their trust in their Lord. Who perform the Salah and spend out of what We have provided them. It is they who are the believers in truth.” [Surah Al-Anfaal (8):2-4]
With this meaning, Eemaan is a higher level than Islaam. So, every believer (with Eemaan) is a Muslim (with Islaam), yet the opposite is not the case.1
Deviated Groups and there refutations:
1) The Murji`ah hold the view that Eemaan is nothing but to profess it with the heart only. The Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa`ah believe that recognition and acceptance by the heart only is not sufficient to consider one a believer. There must be, besides recognition and acceptance, an affirmation with the tongue. Pharaoh and his people knew that Musa and Haroon عليهم السلام were telling the truth, but Pharaoh and his people were disbelievers. Allaah tells us what Musaعليه السلام told Pharaoh:
لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَآ أَنزَلَ هَـؤُلاءِ إِلاَّ رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ بَصَآئِرَ
"Verily, you know that these signs have been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth.” [SurahAl Israa’ (17): 102]
And Allaah says:
وَجَحَدُواْ بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَآ أَنفُسُهُمْ ظُلْماً وَعُلُوّاً فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
“And they denied them (those Ayât) wrongfully and arrogantly, even though their own selves were convinced thereof [i.e. those (Ayât) are from Allaah, and Mûsâ (Moses) is the Messenger of Allaah in truth, but they disliked to obey Mûsâ (Moses), and hated to believe in his Message of Monotheism]. So, see what was the end of the Mufsidûn (disbelievers, evildoers, liars and disobedient to Allaah).” [Surah An-Naml (27):14]
The people of the Book (Jews and Christians) recognize Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم as a Prophet but they did not believe in him; Allaah said,
الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَـهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ
“Those to whom We gave the Scripture (Jews and Christians) recognise him (Muhammad [sal-Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam] or the Ka'bah at Makkah) as they recognize their sons. But verily, a party of them conceal the truth while they know it – [i.e. the qualities of Muhammad [sal-Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam] which are written in the Taurât (Torah) and the Injîl (Gospel)].” [Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 146]
2) The Karaamiyyah holds the view that Eemaan is the proclamation by the tongue only. The Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa`ah disagree saying that anyone affirms with his tongue outwardly, but disbelieves in his heart is not a believer. These are the hypocrites whom Allaah has informed us are subject to more severe punishment than the ordinary disbelievers and who are in the lowest level of fire.
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَبِالْيَوْمِ الأْخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ
“And of mankind, there are some (hypocrites) who say: "We believe in Allaah and the Last Day," while in fact they believe not.” [Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 8]
إِذَا جَآءَكَ الْمُنَـفِقُونَ قَالُواْ نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ لَكَـذِبُونَ
When the hypocrites come to you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), they say: "We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allaah." Allaah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and Allaah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars indeed.” [Surah Al-Munaafiqoon (63): 1]
3) The Mu`tazilah & The Khawaarij, these two groups hold the view that Eemaan is actions, affirmation and the belief. The difference between the Mu`tazilah, the Khawaarij and Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa`ah is that the Mu`tazilah and theKhawaarij make the actions a “condition for the correctness of Eemaan” (شرطاً في صِحَّةِ الإيمان) (i.e. i. if you have good actions then only you have Eemaan. ii. If you have no actions you have no Eemaan. iii. A person who commits major sin goes out of Islaam. iv. They intend by it that a person will have a complete Eemaan like that of Jibreel and Mohammadعليهم السلام or he will have no Eemaan).
The Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa`ah hold the view that actions are a “condition for the perfection of Eemaan” (شرطاً في كَمَالِ الإيمان), that Eemaan increases with good deeds and decreases with bad deeds.2
Eemaan Increases and Decreases:
The Sheikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:
From the base beliefs of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa`ah is that Eemaan increases and decreases. Both, the Qur’aan and Sunnah prove this.
From the Qur’aan is Allaah’ statement,
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـناً وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ
The believers are only those who, when Allaah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur'ân) are recited to them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone);”[Surah Al-Anfal (8): 2]
هُوَ الَّذِى أَنزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ فِى قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِيَزْدَادُواْ إِيمَـناً مَّعَ إِيمَـنِهِمْ
“He it is Who sent down As-Sakînah (calmness and tranquillity) into the hearts of the believers, that they may grow more in Faith along with their (present) Faith. And to Allaah belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth, and Allaah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise.” [Surah Al-Fath (48):4]
وَمَا زَادَهُمْ إِلاَّ إِيمَانًا وَتَسْلِيماً
“And when the believers saw Al-Ahzâb (the Confederates), they said: "This is what Allaah and His Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) had promised us; and Allaah and His Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) had spoken the truth." And it only added to their Faith and to their submissiveness (to Allaah).” [Surah Al-Ahzab (33): 22]
From the proofs of the Sunnah is the saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم,
"ما رأيت من ناقصات عـقـل ودين أذهب للب الرجل الحازم من إحداكن"
“I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion – perhaps deterring a determined, wise man – than one of you.” [Sahih Bukhari Vol 1. hadith 301 & Sahih Muslim 80]
Within the Aayaat is the proof of the increasing of Eemaan, and in the Hadeeth is the proof of decreasing in religion.
Every text proving the increase of Eemaan also includes a proof for its decrease and vice-versa, because they are both connected. It is not logical that one could be present without the other.
It has been confirmed that the Companions used to say this; it is not known that one of them opposed this belief. The Salaf were agreed upon this. Ibn `Abdul-Bar said, “As for Eemaan increasing and decreasing, the people of the narrations and the scholars of Fatawaa in all the lands held this belief.”3
Deviated Groups and there refutations:
The Sheikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:
1) The Murji`ah who say that Eemaan is nothing but to profess it with the heart. They claim this acceptance of the heart never wavers, so according to them, the wicked and just are both at the same level of Eemaan, concluding that the Eemaan of the Prophets and the common Muslims is the same.
2) Those who follow only the texts of threats and warnings from the Mu`tazilah and the Khawaarij. They expel Muslims who commit major sins entirely from any association with Eemaan. They say that Eemaan is either completely present or completely nonexistent, and they deny that one person could be at a higher level than another.
Both of these groups are refuted by legislative proofs (from the Qur’aan and Sunnah) and the intellectual one.
As for the legislative proofs, some texts proving the increasing and decreasing of Eemaan have already preceded.
As for the intellectual proofs, we say to the Murji`ah that their statement of Eemaan being merely acceptance of the heart, never wavering or changing, then this is disproved by what has already been mentioned It is contrary to what the Qur’aan and Sunnah establish of statements and actions all entering into Eemaan.
In addition, their statement that the acceptance of the heart never changes is contrary to the senses. It is known to everyone that conviction of the heart is only based upon knowledge, and no doubt, knowledge varies depending upon its sources. The information relayed by one person is not as trustworthy as if it were relayed by two and likewise. Furthermore, whatever knowledge people gain by hearing of any matter is in no way comparable to actually witnessing it. So certainty is of varying levels as is well known, even a single person may find himself at some times and situation stronger in certainty than at other times.
Thus, we wonder how it is correct to rationally assume two men could be exactly equal: one remaining constant upon obedience to Allaah, avoiding disobeying Him; when a notion to sin occurs to him, he immediately gives it up and repents to Allaah. And the other wasting all chances to carry out what Allaah forbids him, yet not perpetrating deeds which take him into disbelief – how could these two be equal in Eemaan?
To those who only focus on the texts of threats, warnings and punishments, we say their statement that one who commits a major sin leaves Eemaan totally; this is in contradiction to what the Qur’aan and Sunnah prove. If this is clear, how could we conclude that two people are exactly equal when one fulfills his obligation seeking Allaah’s reward and avoids sins, the other oppresses himself by doing what Allaah forbids him to do, and he leaves his obligations, although not committing act that cause him to disbelieve?
Assuming we say that a Muslim who commits major sins does in fact leave Eemaan, yet how could we say two people are the same in Eemaan, one seeking the reward of Allaah, and the other from those foremost in doing righteous deeds by Allaah’s help?4
Notes:
1. Explanation of a summary of al-`Aqeedatul-Hamawiyyah of Ibn Taymiyyah by Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saleh al-`Uthaymeen.
2. Adopted from Book of Eemaan of Ibn Taymiyyah by Dr. Muhammad Naim Yasin.
3. Explanation of a summary of al-`Aqeedatul-Hamawiyyah of Ibn Taymiyyah by Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saleh al-`Uthaymeen.
4. Explanation of a summary of al-`Aqeedatul-Hamawiyyah of Ibn Taymiyyah by Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saleh al-`Uthaymeen.
Definition
The Sheikh, the Imaam, Mohammad Ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:
Islaam linguistically means “obedience” & “submission”
In Islaamic terminology it is when the servant submits and surrenders entirely to Allaah outwardly and inwardly, obeying His commands, and avoiding what He has forbidden. It includes all of the religion. Allaah said,
وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الأِسْلاَمَ دِيناً
“And have chosen for you Islam as your religion” [Surah Al-Ma’idah (5):3]
إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الإِسْلَـمُ
“Truly, the religion with Allaah is Islam…” [Surah Aali-Imran (3):19]
وَمَن يَبْتَغِ غَيْرَ الإِسْلَـمِ دِينًا فَلَن يُقْبَلَ مِنْهُ
“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him…” [Surah Aali-Imran (3):85]
As for Eemaan, it linguistically means to “believe”. In this meaning, Allaah said,
وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُؤْمِنٍ لَّنَا
“…but you will never believe…” [Surah Yoosuf (12):17]
Islaamically, Eemaan is acceptance of the heart, which necessitates acceptance in statement and action. It is a belief, a statement, and an action – a belief of the heart, a statement of the tongue, and action of the heart and limbs.
The proof that all of this enters under the term Eemaan is the statement of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم:
"الإيمان أن تؤمن بالله وملائكته وكتبه ورسله واليوم الآخر وتؤمن بالقدر خيره وشره"
“Eemaan is that you affirm your faith in Allaah, in His angels, in His Books, in His Apostles, in the Day of Judgment, and you affirm your faith in the Divine Decree about good and evil.” [Sahih al-Bukhaaree Vol. 1 Hadith 47 & Sahih Muslim Hadith 1]
And his صلى الله عليه وسلم statement:
"الإيمان بضع وسبعون أو بضع وستون شعبة فأفضلها قول لا إله إلا الله وأدناها إماطة الأذى عن الطريق والحياء شعبة من الإيمان"
“Eemaan is made up of seventy parts, the highest of which is the statement, ‘La Ilaaha Illallaah’. The lowest part is to remove something harmful from the path, and shyness is a part of Eemaan.” [Sahih Muslim 35]
Eemaan in Allaah, His Angels, etc. is the belief of the heart.
The statement, “La ilaaha illallaah” is a statement of the tongue.
Removing something harmful from the path is an action of the limbs.
Shyness is an action of the heart.
With this, it is known that Eemaan includes the entire religion. So, there is no difference between it and Islaam. In this way, each one means the same as the other when used separately. However, when they appear together, Islaam is explained as an outward submission of the tongue and the actions of the limbs. It occurs from both, a believer with complete Eemaan, and a believer with weak Eemaan. Allaah said,
قَالَتِ الاٌّعْرَابُ ءَامَنَّا قُل لَّمْ تُؤْمِنُواْ وَلَـكِن قُولُواْ أَسْلَمْنَا وَلَمَّا يَدْخُلِ الايمَـنُ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ
“The Bedouins say: "We believe.'' Say: "You do not believe. But say, `We have submitted,' for Faith has not yet entered your hearts.” [Surah Al-Hujuraat (49):14]
Based on this, even a hypocrite would be called a Muslim outwardly, yet remain a disbeliever inwardly.
Eemaan (when it comes together with Islaam) is explained as inward submission, which is the belief and acceptance of the heart and its action. This occurs only with a true believer, as Allaah said:
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـناً وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُون - الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَوةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَـهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ - أُوْلـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ حَقّاً
“The believers are only those who, when Allaah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Ayat are recited unto them, they increase their faith. And they put their trust in their Lord. Who perform the Salah and spend out of what We have provided them. It is they who are the believers in truth.” [Surah Al-Anfaal (8):2-4]
With this meaning, Eemaan is a higher level than Islaam. So, every believer (with Eemaan) is a Muslim (with Islaam), yet the opposite is not the case.1
Deviated Groups and there refutations:
1) The Murji`ah hold the view that Eemaan is nothing but to profess it with the heart only. The Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa`ah believe that recognition and acceptance by the heart only is not sufficient to consider one a believer. There must be, besides recognition and acceptance, an affirmation with the tongue. Pharaoh and his people knew that Musa and Haroon عليهم السلام were telling the truth, but Pharaoh and his people were disbelievers. Allaah tells us what Musaعليه السلام told Pharaoh:
لَقَدْ عَلِمْتَ مَآ أَنزَلَ هَـؤُلاءِ إِلاَّ رَبُّ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ بَصَآئِرَ
"Verily, you know that these signs have been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth.” [SurahAl Israa’ (17): 102]
And Allaah says:
وَجَحَدُواْ بِهَا وَاسْتَيْقَنَتْهَآ أَنفُسُهُمْ ظُلْماً وَعُلُوّاً فَانظُرْ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـقِبَةُ الْمُفْسِدِينَ
“And they denied them (those Ayât) wrongfully and arrogantly, even though their own selves were convinced thereof [i.e. those (Ayât) are from Allaah, and Mûsâ (Moses) is the Messenger of Allaah in truth, but they disliked to obey Mûsâ (Moses), and hated to believe in his Message of Monotheism]. So, see what was the end of the Mufsidûn (disbelievers, evildoers, liars and disobedient to Allaah).” [Surah An-Naml (27):14]
The people of the Book (Jews and Christians) recognize Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم as a Prophet but they did not believe in him; Allaah said,
الَّذِينَ آتَيْنَـهُمُ الْكِتَـبَ يَعْرِفُونَهُ كَمَا يَعْرِفُونَ أَبْنَآءَهُمْ
“Those to whom We gave the Scripture (Jews and Christians) recognise him (Muhammad [sal-Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam] or the Ka'bah at Makkah) as they recognize their sons. But verily, a party of them conceal the truth while they know it – [i.e. the qualities of Muhammad [sal-Allaahu 'alayhi wa sallam] which are written in the Taurât (Torah) and the Injîl (Gospel)].” [Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 146]
2) The Karaamiyyah holds the view that Eemaan is the proclamation by the tongue only. The Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa`ah disagree saying that anyone affirms with his tongue outwardly, but disbelieves in his heart is not a believer. These are the hypocrites whom Allaah has informed us are subject to more severe punishment than the ordinary disbelievers and who are in the lowest level of fire.
وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ ءَامَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَبِالْيَوْمِ الأْخِرِ وَمَا هُم بِمُؤْمِنِينَ
“And of mankind, there are some (hypocrites) who say: "We believe in Allaah and the Last Day," while in fact they believe not.” [Surah Al-Baqarah (2): 8]
إِذَا جَآءَكَ الْمُنَـفِقُونَ قَالُواْ نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَـفِقِينَ لَكَـذِبُونَ
When the hypocrites come to you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), they say: "We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allaah." Allaah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, and Allaah bears witness that the hypocrites are liars indeed.” [Surah Al-Munaafiqoon (63): 1]
3) The Mu`tazilah & The Khawaarij, these two groups hold the view that Eemaan is actions, affirmation and the belief. The difference between the Mu`tazilah, the Khawaarij and Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa`ah is that the Mu`tazilah and theKhawaarij make the actions a “condition for the correctness of Eemaan” (شرطاً في صِحَّةِ الإيمان) (i.e. i. if you have good actions then only you have Eemaan. ii. If you have no actions you have no Eemaan. iii. A person who commits major sin goes out of Islaam. iv. They intend by it that a person will have a complete Eemaan like that of Jibreel and Mohammadعليهم السلام or he will have no Eemaan).
The Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa`ah hold the view that actions are a “condition for the perfection of Eemaan” (شرطاً في كَمَالِ الإيمان), that Eemaan increases with good deeds and decreases with bad deeds.2
Eemaan Increases and Decreases:
The Sheikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:
From the base beliefs of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa`ah is that Eemaan increases and decreases. Both, the Qur’aan and Sunnah prove this.
From the Qur’aan is Allaah’ statement,
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَـتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَـناً وَعَلَى رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ
The believers are only those who, when Allaah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur'ân) are recited to them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone);”[Surah Al-Anfal (8): 2]
هُوَ الَّذِى أَنزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ فِى قُلُوبِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ لِيَزْدَادُواْ إِيمَـناً مَّعَ إِيمَـنِهِمْ
“He it is Who sent down As-Sakînah (calmness and tranquillity) into the hearts of the believers, that they may grow more in Faith along with their (present) Faith. And to Allaah belong the hosts of the heavens and the earth, and Allaah is Ever All-Knower, All-Wise.” [Surah Al-Fath (48):4]
وَمَا زَادَهُمْ إِلاَّ إِيمَانًا وَتَسْلِيماً
“And when the believers saw Al-Ahzâb (the Confederates), they said: "This is what Allaah and His Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) had promised us; and Allaah and His Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) had spoken the truth." And it only added to their Faith and to their submissiveness (to Allaah).” [Surah Al-Ahzab (33): 22]
From the proofs of the Sunnah is the saying of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم,
"ما رأيت من ناقصات عـقـل ودين أذهب للب الرجل الحازم من إحداكن"
“I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion – perhaps deterring a determined, wise man – than one of you.” [Sahih Bukhari Vol 1. hadith 301 & Sahih Muslim 80]
Within the Aayaat is the proof of the increasing of Eemaan, and in the Hadeeth is the proof of decreasing in religion.
Every text proving the increase of Eemaan also includes a proof for its decrease and vice-versa, because they are both connected. It is not logical that one could be present without the other.
It has been confirmed that the Companions used to say this; it is not known that one of them opposed this belief. The Salaf were agreed upon this. Ibn `Abdul-Bar said, “As for Eemaan increasing and decreasing, the people of the narrations and the scholars of Fatawaa in all the lands held this belief.”3
Deviated Groups and there refutations:
The Sheikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said:
1) The Murji`ah who say that Eemaan is nothing but to profess it with the heart. They claim this acceptance of the heart never wavers, so according to them, the wicked and just are both at the same level of Eemaan, concluding that the Eemaan of the Prophets and the common Muslims is the same.
2) Those who follow only the texts of threats and warnings from the Mu`tazilah and the Khawaarij. They expel Muslims who commit major sins entirely from any association with Eemaan. They say that Eemaan is either completely present or completely nonexistent, and they deny that one person could be at a higher level than another.
Both of these groups are refuted by legislative proofs (from the Qur’aan and Sunnah) and the intellectual one.
As for the legislative proofs, some texts proving the increasing and decreasing of Eemaan have already preceded.
As for the intellectual proofs, we say to the Murji`ah that their statement of Eemaan being merely acceptance of the heart, never wavering or changing, then this is disproved by what has already been mentioned It is contrary to what the Qur’aan and Sunnah establish of statements and actions all entering into Eemaan.
In addition, their statement that the acceptance of the heart never changes is contrary to the senses. It is known to everyone that conviction of the heart is only based upon knowledge, and no doubt, knowledge varies depending upon its sources. The information relayed by one person is not as trustworthy as if it were relayed by two and likewise. Furthermore, whatever knowledge people gain by hearing of any matter is in no way comparable to actually witnessing it. So certainty is of varying levels as is well known, even a single person may find himself at some times and situation stronger in certainty than at other times.
Thus, we wonder how it is correct to rationally assume two men could be exactly equal: one remaining constant upon obedience to Allaah, avoiding disobeying Him; when a notion to sin occurs to him, he immediately gives it up and repents to Allaah. And the other wasting all chances to carry out what Allaah forbids him, yet not perpetrating deeds which take him into disbelief – how could these two be equal in Eemaan?
To those who only focus on the texts of threats, warnings and punishments, we say their statement that one who commits a major sin leaves Eemaan totally; this is in contradiction to what the Qur’aan and Sunnah prove. If this is clear, how could we conclude that two people are exactly equal when one fulfills his obligation seeking Allaah’s reward and avoids sins, the other oppresses himself by doing what Allaah forbids him to do, and he leaves his obligations, although not committing act that cause him to disbelieve?
Assuming we say that a Muslim who commits major sins does in fact leave Eemaan, yet how could we say two people are the same in Eemaan, one seeking the reward of Allaah, and the other from those foremost in doing righteous deeds by Allaah’s help?4
Notes:
1. Explanation of a summary of al-`Aqeedatul-Hamawiyyah of Ibn Taymiyyah by Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saleh al-`Uthaymeen.
2. Adopted from Book of Eemaan of Ibn Taymiyyah by Dr. Muhammad Naim Yasin.
3. Explanation of a summary of al-`Aqeedatul-Hamawiyyah of Ibn Taymiyyah by Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saleh al-`Uthaymeen.
4. Explanation of a summary of al-`Aqeedatul-Hamawiyyah of Ibn Taymiyyah by Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saleh al-`Uthaymeen.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
The Concept of Faith With Ahlus-Sunnah
Shaykh Abdul-Muhsin al-`Abbaad
Reference: harh Hadeeth Jibreel fee Ta’leem ad Deen: P: 70-73 / The Explanation of the Hadeeth of Jibreel in Teaching the Deen
Category: Creed
Faith (Eemaan) with Ahlus-Sunnah Wal Jamaa'ah comprises of belief with the heart, statement of the tongue and action of the limbs. These three affairs with Ahlus-Sunnah all enter into what is specified and termed as Eemaan. Allaah the Mighty and the Majestic has said:
"The believers are only those who, when Allaah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His verses are recited unto them, they (the verses) increase their faith, and they put their trust in their Lord. [Those] Who perform the prayer and spend out of that which We have provided them. It is they who are the believers in truth, for them are grades of dignity with their Lord and forgiveness and a generous provision." (Al-Anfaal: 2-4)
So in these verses the actions of the hearts and the actions of the limbs enter into Eemaan. Imaam Muslim has narrated in his Saheeh from the Hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah-may Allaah be pleased with him- who said that the Messenger of Allaah SAllaahu ‘Alihee Wasallam said:
"Al-Emaan is seventy odd or sixty odd branches, the best of them is the statement: No one is worthy of worship except Allaah and the lowest of them is removing something harmful from the path and Hayaa (shyness) is a branch of Eemaan."
So indeed this Hadeeth shows that what is established and founded with the heart, the tongue and the limbs is from Eemaan…
Eemaan increases with obedience and decreases with sins, from the evidences that it increases, is the statement of Allaah the Mighty, the Majestic:
"Those (believers) unto whom the people (hypocrites) said: Verily the people have gathered against you, therefore fear them, but it only increased them in faith." (Al-Imraan: 173)
Also His statement:
"And when the believers saw the confederates they said: This is what Allaah and His Messenger had promised us, and Allaah and His Messenger had spoken the truth. And it only added to their faith and to their submissiveness." (Al-Ahzaab: 22).
And from the evidences that it (Eemaan) decreases is his statement SAllaahu ‘Alayhee Wasallam:
"Whoever sees an evil from amongst you, then let him change it with his hand, and if he is unable, then with his tongue, and if he is unable then with his heart, and that is the weakest of Emaan." (narrated by Muslim)
So Ahlus-Sunnah hold the middle ground, with regards to the one who commits a major sin, between what the Murji'ah are upon and between what the Khawaarij and the Mu'tazilah are upon. So the Murji'ah compromise and fall short and make him (the one who falls into major sin) a believer with complete Eemaan and they say: Sins do not harm a person's state of Eemaan, just like obedience does not benefit a person's state of Kufr (disbelief). And the Khawaarij and the Mu'tazilah go to the other extreme and to exaggeration and remove him (the sinner) from the fold of Eemaan, then the Khawaarij place a ruling of Kufr upon him. The Mu'tazilah say that he is in a state between two states ( i.e. he is not a believer and not a Kaafir), and in the hereafter they both agree that he will reside in hellfire forever.
Where as Ahlus-Sunnah describe the sinful person, as being a believer with deficient Eemaan. So they do not make him a believer with complete Eemaan, as the Murji'ah say, nor do they remove him from Eemaan as the Khawaarij and the Mu'tazilah say. Rather Ahlus-Sunnah say:
"He is a believer with regards to his Eemaan and a sinner with regards to his major sin."
Translator: Abdur-Raoof Muhammad, Abu Sumayyah
Date Published: Thursday, 09 June 2005
Reference: harh Hadeeth Jibreel fee Ta’leem ad Deen: P: 70-73 / The Explanation of the Hadeeth of Jibreel in Teaching the Deen
Category: Creed
Faith (Eemaan) with Ahlus-Sunnah Wal Jamaa'ah comprises of belief with the heart, statement of the tongue and action of the limbs. These three affairs with Ahlus-Sunnah all enter into what is specified and termed as Eemaan. Allaah the Mighty and the Majestic has said:
"The believers are only those who, when Allaah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His verses are recited unto them, they (the verses) increase their faith, and they put their trust in their Lord. [Those] Who perform the prayer and spend out of that which We have provided them. It is they who are the believers in truth, for them are grades of dignity with their Lord and forgiveness and a generous provision." (Al-Anfaal: 2-4)
So in these verses the actions of the hearts and the actions of the limbs enter into Eemaan. Imaam Muslim has narrated in his Saheeh from the Hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah-may Allaah be pleased with him- who said that the Messenger of Allaah SAllaahu ‘Alihee Wasallam said:
"Al-Emaan is seventy odd or sixty odd branches, the best of them is the statement: No one is worthy of worship except Allaah and the lowest of them is removing something harmful from the path and Hayaa (shyness) is a branch of Eemaan."
So indeed this Hadeeth shows that what is established and founded with the heart, the tongue and the limbs is from Eemaan…
Eemaan increases with obedience and decreases with sins, from the evidences that it increases, is the statement of Allaah the Mighty, the Majestic:
"Those (believers) unto whom the people (hypocrites) said: Verily the people have gathered against you, therefore fear them, but it only increased them in faith." (Al-Imraan: 173)
Also His statement:
"And when the believers saw the confederates they said: This is what Allaah and His Messenger had promised us, and Allaah and His Messenger had spoken the truth. And it only added to their faith and to their submissiveness." (Al-Ahzaab: 22).
And from the evidences that it (Eemaan) decreases is his statement SAllaahu ‘Alayhee Wasallam:
"Whoever sees an evil from amongst you, then let him change it with his hand, and if he is unable, then with his tongue, and if he is unable then with his heart, and that is the weakest of Emaan." (narrated by Muslim)
So Ahlus-Sunnah hold the middle ground, with regards to the one who commits a major sin, between what the Murji'ah are upon and between what the Khawaarij and the Mu'tazilah are upon. So the Murji'ah compromise and fall short and make him (the one who falls into major sin) a believer with complete Eemaan and they say: Sins do not harm a person's state of Eemaan, just like obedience does not benefit a person's state of Kufr (disbelief). And the Khawaarij and the Mu'tazilah go to the other extreme and to exaggeration and remove him (the sinner) from the fold of Eemaan, then the Khawaarij place a ruling of Kufr upon him. The Mu'tazilah say that he is in a state between two states ( i.e. he is not a believer and not a Kaafir), and in the hereafter they both agree that he will reside in hellfire forever.
Where as Ahlus-Sunnah describe the sinful person, as being a believer with deficient Eemaan. So they do not make him a believer with complete Eemaan, as the Murji'ah say, nor do they remove him from Eemaan as the Khawaarij and the Mu'tazilah say. Rather Ahlus-Sunnah say:
"He is a believer with regards to his Eemaan and a sinner with regards to his major sin."
Translator: Abdur-Raoof Muhammad, Abu Sumayyah
Date Published: Thursday, 09 June 2005
Saturday, October 23, 2010
The Importance of Imaam an-Nawawi's Forty Hadeeth
Shaykh Abdur-Razzaaq al-`Abbaad
Reference: http://www.sahab.net/forums/showthread.php?t=379872
Category: Knowledge
Shaykh 'Abdur-Razzaaq al-'Abbaad - may Allaah protect and preserve him - mentioned on tape one of his explanation of (Imaam) an-Nawawi's Forty (Hadeeth):
And here, I recall something novel which occurred...and that was about twenty years ago; I (held lessons where I) explained the Forty (Hadeeth of Imaam an-Nawawi) in one of the masaajid.
And I made it incumbent upon the gathering in the masjid that they memorise the Forty (Hadeeth of Imaam an-Nawawi).
So a man came and joined the lesson after I had explained seven hadeeth, and he said: I want to take part with you.
I said: On the condition that you memorise the seven previous hadeeth.
So he memorised them with precision and joined us in the lesson. And we continued every day with a hadeeth; I would let them hear (the hadeeth) and then I would explain (it). (We continued in this manner) until (such time) we approached the end. (I point out here that) this man was an unmarried labourer who was living with other labourers.
(So) when we approached the end, on my way out of the masjid he caught up with me and said to me: "I would like to say something to you."
I said: "Please (go ahead)."
He said: "By Allaah, I feel that I am now a scholar!"
I said to him: "Why (how so)?"
He said to me: "(With) all of us unmarried labourers (living together), whenever they err, I respond to them with a hadeeth; I mention the narrator (of the hadeeth) and I (also) mention to them the transmitter (of the hadeeth) - in regard to whatever they err in."
So I said to him: "Certainly that which you have attained of knowledge, then it is considered to be the beginning of (seeking) knowledge, the basics and the keys to (seeking further) knowledge. Knowledge is a path/journey which necessitates patience from you, and (that you) change (according to the knowledge you acquire), and (that you remain) committed, and strive (upon this noble path). However, that which you have attained are the basic principles (in seeking knowledge) and the comprehensive speech of the Messenger upon whom be prayer and salutation."
So the point being that these Forty (Hadeeth of Imaam an-Nawawi) are indeed very great, and it is befitting upon every muslim that he (likewise) offers them great care and attention, (how?):
Firstly: That he memorsies them;
Secondly: That he encourages his sons and daughters and his wife at home to memorise them.
Translator's Note:
Such is the level of the knowledge of the scholars, that we have this layman who has only memorsied Imaam an-Nawawi’s Forty Hadeeth and feels he is now a scholar, subhaa-nAllaah! With due humuility I ask, if this is his affair with just forty hadeeth, then what can be said about the likes of Shaykh al-Albaanee who had memorised a hundred thousand hadeeth?!
...Allaahu-Akbar!
Translator: Mohammed Akhtar Chaudhry, Abu Abdullaah
taken from Madeenah.com
Shaykh Abdur-Razzaaq al-`Abbaad
Reference: http://www.sahab.net/forums/showthread.php?t=379872
Category: Knowledge
Shaykh 'Abdur-Razzaaq al-'Abbaad - may Allaah protect and preserve him - mentioned on tape one of his explanation of (Imaam) an-Nawawi's Forty (Hadeeth):
And here, I recall something novel which occurred...and that was about twenty years ago; I (held lessons where I) explained the Forty (Hadeeth of Imaam an-Nawawi) in one of the masaajid.
And I made it incumbent upon the gathering in the masjid that they memorise the Forty (Hadeeth of Imaam an-Nawawi).
So a man came and joined the lesson after I had explained seven hadeeth, and he said: I want to take part with you.
I said: On the condition that you memorise the seven previous hadeeth.
So he memorised them with precision and joined us in the lesson. And we continued every day with a hadeeth; I would let them hear (the hadeeth) and then I would explain (it). (We continued in this manner) until (such time) we approached the end. (I point out here that) this man was an unmarried labourer who was living with other labourers.
(So) when we approached the end, on my way out of the masjid he caught up with me and said to me: "I would like to say something to you."
I said: "Please (go ahead)."
He said: "By Allaah, I feel that I am now a scholar!"
I said to him: "Why (how so)?"
He said to me: "(With) all of us unmarried labourers (living together), whenever they err, I respond to them with a hadeeth; I mention the narrator (of the hadeeth) and I (also) mention to them the transmitter (of the hadeeth) - in regard to whatever they err in."
So I said to him: "Certainly that which you have attained of knowledge, then it is considered to be the beginning of (seeking) knowledge, the basics and the keys to (seeking further) knowledge. Knowledge is a path/journey which necessitates patience from you, and (that you) change (according to the knowledge you acquire), and (that you remain) committed, and strive (upon this noble path). However, that which you have attained are the basic principles (in seeking knowledge) and the comprehensive speech of the Messenger upon whom be prayer and salutation."
So the point being that these Forty (Hadeeth of Imaam an-Nawawi) are indeed very great, and it is befitting upon every muslim that he (likewise) offers them great care and attention, (how?):
Firstly: That he memorsies them;
Secondly: That he encourages his sons and daughters and his wife at home to memorise them.
Translator's Note:
Such is the level of the knowledge of the scholars, that we have this layman who has only memorsied Imaam an-Nawawi’s Forty Hadeeth and feels he is now a scholar, subhaa-nAllaah! With due humuility I ask, if this is his affair with just forty hadeeth, then what can be said about the likes of Shaykh al-Albaanee who had memorised a hundred thousand hadeeth?!
...Allaahu-Akbar!
Translator: Mohammed Akhtar Chaudhry, Abu Abdullaah
taken from Madeenah.com
Thursday, October 21, 2010
What Negates One's Islam
by Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab
Shaikh-ul-Islam Muhammad bin Suleiman At-Tamimi stated, "Know that ten matters negate one's Islam. [They are:]
"First, associating partners in the worship of Allah. Allah says,
"Verily, Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom He pleases other sins than that" (al-Nisa 116).
Allah also says,
"Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the wrongdoers, there are no helpers" (al-Maidah 72).
Included in this category of deeds is sacrificing animals for the sake of jinn or graves.
"Second, whoever sets up an intermediary between himself and Allah, whom he prays to, seeks intercession from and puts his reliance in, has blasphemed according to the consensus of the scholars.
"Third, whoever does not consider the polytheists as disbelievers or whoever has doubt concerning their disbelief or whoever considers their way as correct has committed an act of disbelief himself.
"Fourth, if a person believes that some guidance other than the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is more complete than his or that another's judgment is better than the Prophet's, [then that person has committed an act of disbelief]. This would be like the one who prefers the rule and law of false gods [be they human or otherwise] over the Prophet's rule and law. This position is one of disbelief.
"Fifth, whoever dislikes anything the Prophet (peace be upon him) brought, even if he acts by it, has committed an act of disbelief.
"Sixth, whoever ridicules or jokes about any part of the religion of the Messenger (peace be upon him) or its rewards or its punishments, has committed an act of disbelief. The evidence for this is in the Words of Allah,
"Say: Was it Allah, or His signs or His Messenger that you were mocking? Make no excuse, you have disbelieved after you had believed." (al-Tauba 65-66).
"Seventh, the performing of magic [is an act of disbelief], this includes those magical incantations that make one love or hate another person. Whoever performs them or is pleased with them has committed an act of disbelief. Allah says in the Quran,
"But neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) until they had said, 'We are only for trial, so disbelieve not [by learning such magic from us]"' (al-Baqara 102)
"Eighth, assisting and supporting the polytheists against the Muslims [is also a type of disbelief]. The proof for this is in Allah's statement,
"And if any among you takes them [the Jews and Christians] as helpers and protectors, then surely he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are wrongdoing" (al-Maida 51).
"Ninth, if a person believes that some people are permitted to be free of the Law of Muhammad (peace be upon him), in the same way that Khidr was free of the law of Moses (peace be upon him), then that person is a disbeliever.
"Tenth, turning away from the religion of Allah, not learning it or applying it, [is also a form of disbelief]. The evidence for this is Allah's saying,
"And who does more wrong than he who is reminded of the signs of his Lord, then he turns aside therefrom? Verily, We shall exact retribution from the sinners" (al-Sajdah 22).
"There is no difference with respect to all of the above whether the act is done jokingly, seriously or out of fear. The only exception is one who is coerced. All of them are from the greater of the dangerous acts and they are also among the most common in occurrence. A Muslim must be aware of them and fear for himself concerning such actions. We seek refuge in Allah from that which brings about His anger and the painfulness of His punishment"
Hypocrisy is of Two Types: With Respect to Belief and with Respect to Actions
Hypocrisy with respect to beliefs is of six types. The one who is guilty of any of them will be in the lowest pit of the Hellfire. These are:
(1) Denying or disbelieving the Messenger (peace be upon him).
(2) Denying something that the Messenger (peace be upon him) presented or taught.
(3) Having hatred for the Messenger (peace be upon him).
(4) Having hatred for something the Messenger (peace be upon him) presented.
(5) Being pleased if the religion of the Messenger (peace be upon him) is diminished or weakened.
(6) Being displeased if the religion of the Messenger (peace be upon him) is strengthened or victorious.
Shaikh-ul-Islam Muhammad bin Suleiman At-Tamimi stated, "Know that ten matters negate one's Islam. [They are:]
"First, associating partners in the worship of Allah. Allah says,
"Verily, Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting up partners in worship with Him, but He forgives whom He pleases other sins than that" (al-Nisa 116).
Allah also says,
"Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the wrongdoers, there are no helpers" (al-Maidah 72).
Included in this category of deeds is sacrificing animals for the sake of jinn or graves.
"Second, whoever sets up an intermediary between himself and Allah, whom he prays to, seeks intercession from and puts his reliance in, has blasphemed according to the consensus of the scholars.
"Third, whoever does not consider the polytheists as disbelievers or whoever has doubt concerning their disbelief or whoever considers their way as correct has committed an act of disbelief himself.
"Fourth, if a person believes that some guidance other than the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is more complete than his or that another's judgment is better than the Prophet's, [then that person has committed an act of disbelief]. This would be like the one who prefers the rule and law of false gods [be they human or otherwise] over the Prophet's rule and law. This position is one of disbelief.
"Fifth, whoever dislikes anything the Prophet (peace be upon him) brought, even if he acts by it, has committed an act of disbelief.
"Sixth, whoever ridicules or jokes about any part of the religion of the Messenger (peace be upon him) or its rewards or its punishments, has committed an act of disbelief. The evidence for this is in the Words of Allah,
"Say: Was it Allah, or His signs or His Messenger that you were mocking? Make no excuse, you have disbelieved after you had believed." (al-Tauba 65-66).
"Seventh, the performing of magic [is an act of disbelief], this includes those magical incantations that make one love or hate another person. Whoever performs them or is pleased with them has committed an act of disbelief. Allah says in the Quran,
"But neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) until they had said, 'We are only for trial, so disbelieve not [by learning such magic from us]"' (al-Baqara 102)
"Eighth, assisting and supporting the polytheists against the Muslims [is also a type of disbelief]. The proof for this is in Allah's statement,
"And if any among you takes them [the Jews and Christians] as helpers and protectors, then surely he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who are wrongdoing" (al-Maida 51).
"Ninth, if a person believes that some people are permitted to be free of the Law of Muhammad (peace be upon him), in the same way that Khidr was free of the law of Moses (peace be upon him), then that person is a disbeliever.
"Tenth, turning away from the religion of Allah, not learning it or applying it, [is also a form of disbelief]. The evidence for this is Allah's saying,
"And who does more wrong than he who is reminded of the signs of his Lord, then he turns aside therefrom? Verily, We shall exact retribution from the sinners" (al-Sajdah 22).
"There is no difference with respect to all of the above whether the act is done jokingly, seriously or out of fear. The only exception is one who is coerced. All of them are from the greater of the dangerous acts and they are also among the most common in occurrence. A Muslim must be aware of them and fear for himself concerning such actions. We seek refuge in Allah from that which brings about His anger and the painfulness of His punishment"
Hypocrisy is of Two Types: With Respect to Belief and with Respect to Actions
Hypocrisy with respect to beliefs is of six types. The one who is guilty of any of them will be in the lowest pit of the Hellfire. These are:
(1) Denying or disbelieving the Messenger (peace be upon him).
(2) Denying something that the Messenger (peace be upon him) presented or taught.
(3) Having hatred for the Messenger (peace be upon him).
(4) Having hatred for something the Messenger (peace be upon him) presented.
(5) Being pleased if the religion of the Messenger (peace be upon him) is diminished or weakened.
(6) Being displeased if the religion of the Messenger (peace be upon him) is strengthened or victorious.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Shaykh Islaam ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
Reference: Fawaa 'idul Fawaa 'id of Ibnul-Qayyim - pg 288.
Category: Creed
"The pillars of Kufr (i.e. disbelief and disobedience) are Four:
1. Kibr i.e. arrogance, which prevents him from submission, (to the command of Allah)
2. Hasad i.e. jealousy, which prevents him from accepting advice and giving it.
3. Ghadab i.e. anger, which prevents him from being just.
4. Sha`wah i.e. lowly desires, which prevents him from devoting himself totally to worship.
Hence, if the pillar of arrogance is removed then it becomes easy to submit, and if the pillar of jealousy is removed then it becomes easy for him to
accept naseehah (i.e. advice) and to give advice. If the pillar of anger is removed then it becomes easy for him to be just and humble himself and if
the pillar of lowly desires is removed then it becomes easy for him to be patient, chaste and devote himself to worship. Every imprudent
characteristic derives from these four. And when these characteristics settle in his heart they will cause him to see falsehood as truth and to see
truth as falsehood. To see Ma`roof (i.e. good) as Munkar (i.e. evil) and evil as good, and it brings him closer to the life of this world and pushes the
hereafter further from him.
Uprooting strong and power mountains from their places is easier than removing these four characteristics from the heart of an individual who is
tested with them. This proves especially true when these characteristics become firmly rooted and embedded in an individual to the point they
become second nature, for when an individual reaches this point it is almost impossible for him to do any good deeds, nor would he purify himself
with them if he were to perform any acts of good. The more he strives diligently to perform acts of good the more his actions are corrupted by these
four characteristics.
If you reflect on the disbelief of the past nations, you will find that it derived from one of these four pillars, and it was due to one of these four that
they were punished. However, the severity of the punishment was dependant on the degree and extent of these pillars with those nations. So,
whoever adorns himself with these pillars then he subjects himself to all types of evil consequences, in the life of this world and in the hereafter. And
whoever avoids them, distances himself from all types of evil, because these characteristics prevent him from Inqiyad (i. e. submission), Ikhlas (i.e.
sincerity), Tawbah (i.e. repentance), accepting the truth, giving advice to the Muslims and humbling himself to Allah and to His creation.
These characteristics emerge due to the slave`s ignorance of his Lord, and his ignorance of his own self-worth or value. If he truly knew his Lord
with all of His lofty characteristics and was truly aware of his own short-comings and deficiencies, he would not have a reason to be arrogant nor
seek retribution for himself, nor would he be jealous of anyone because of what Allah has given them, because in reality, jealousy is a type of
enmity or hostility towards Allah, primarily because the slave hates the fact that Allah has bestowed upon one of his servants a particular blessing
and he ardently desires that this blessing be taken away from him. So he actually oppose and contests the decree of Allah and he deems the
blessing of Allah to this slave to be unjust and dislikes for him what Allah loves for him. And it was because of this characteristic that Iblis became
the enemy of Allah, i.e. his arrogance and jealousy.
Hence, to replace these two hideous and evil characteristics with sound knowledge of Allah and His uniqueness and being pleased with Him as your
Lord and turning towards Him for assistance in all of his affairs, and replacing anger with true knowledge of himself and his value, and the fact that
he does not have the right to get angry and seek retribution for himself, because in this is giving precedence to himself over the pleasure of his
Lord and expressing anger towards his Lord, who originated him.
And the greatest thing which would assist him in ridding himself of this characteristic is to condition himself to get angry for the pleasure of Allah and
to be pleased for the pleasure of Allah. And every time he gets angry or is pleased for the pleasure of Allah then anger and pleasure for other than
Him will be obliterated, and the opposite is the same.
However, the cure for his lowly desires is sound knowledge and understanding that his obedience to his lowly desires is the greatest reason or
hindrance for him attaining satisfaction, and his abstaining from these lowly desires is the greatest reason and means by which he can attain
satisfaction. So every time he sets out to attain satisfaction by following his lowly desires he actually pushes himself further away from achieving this
satisfaction, and the more he avoids his lowly desires, the closer he is to attaining the satisfaction he is looking for in the most complete manner.
So Ghadab (i.e. anger) is like a predator, the minute you turn your attention away from it, it will eat you alive.
And Shah`wah (i.e. lowly desires) is like fire, the moment he ignites it, it will begin to burn him alive.
And Kibr (i.e. arrogance) is like arguing with a king about his possession, either he will kill you because of this, or just deprive you of it.
And Hasad (i.e jealousy) is like showing enmity and hatred towards someone who is more powerful than you.
The one who can control his lowly desires and his anger will remove the Shaytan from his midst. And the he whose lowly desires and anger
overtakes him deprives himself from the shade and protection of Allah.
Translator: Shadeed Muhammad, Abu Az-Zubayr
Category: Creed
"The pillars of Kufr (i.e. disbelief and disobedience) are Four:
1. Kibr i.e. arrogance, which prevents him from submission, (to the command of Allah)
2. Hasad i.e. jealousy, which prevents him from accepting advice and giving it.
3. Ghadab i.e. anger, which prevents him from being just.
4. Sha`wah i.e. lowly desires, which prevents him from devoting himself totally to worship.
Hence, if the pillar of arrogance is removed then it becomes easy to submit, and if the pillar of jealousy is removed then it becomes easy for him to
accept naseehah (i.e. advice) and to give advice. If the pillar of anger is removed then it becomes easy for him to be just and humble himself and if
the pillar of lowly desires is removed then it becomes easy for him to be patient, chaste and devote himself to worship. Every imprudent
characteristic derives from these four. And when these characteristics settle in his heart they will cause him to see falsehood as truth and to see
truth as falsehood. To see Ma`roof (i.e. good) as Munkar (i.e. evil) and evil as good, and it brings him closer to the life of this world and pushes the
hereafter further from him.
Uprooting strong and power mountains from their places is easier than removing these four characteristics from the heart of an individual who is
tested with them. This proves especially true when these characteristics become firmly rooted and embedded in an individual to the point they
become second nature, for when an individual reaches this point it is almost impossible for him to do any good deeds, nor would he purify himself
with them if he were to perform any acts of good. The more he strives diligently to perform acts of good the more his actions are corrupted by these
four characteristics.
If you reflect on the disbelief of the past nations, you will find that it derived from one of these four pillars, and it was due to one of these four that
they were punished. However, the severity of the punishment was dependant on the degree and extent of these pillars with those nations. So,
whoever adorns himself with these pillars then he subjects himself to all types of evil consequences, in the life of this world and in the hereafter. And
whoever avoids them, distances himself from all types of evil, because these characteristics prevent him from Inqiyad (i. e. submission), Ikhlas (i.e.
sincerity), Tawbah (i.e. repentance), accepting the truth, giving advice to the Muslims and humbling himself to Allah and to His creation.
These characteristics emerge due to the slave`s ignorance of his Lord, and his ignorance of his own self-worth or value. If he truly knew his Lord
with all of His lofty characteristics and was truly aware of his own short-comings and deficiencies, he would not have a reason to be arrogant nor
seek retribution for himself, nor would he be jealous of anyone because of what Allah has given them, because in reality, jealousy is a type of
enmity or hostility towards Allah, primarily because the slave hates the fact that Allah has bestowed upon one of his servants a particular blessing
and he ardently desires that this blessing be taken away from him. So he actually oppose and contests the decree of Allah and he deems the
blessing of Allah to this slave to be unjust and dislikes for him what Allah loves for him. And it was because of this characteristic that Iblis became
the enemy of Allah, i.e. his arrogance and jealousy.
Hence, to replace these two hideous and evil characteristics with sound knowledge of Allah and His uniqueness and being pleased with Him as your
Lord and turning towards Him for assistance in all of his affairs, and replacing anger with true knowledge of himself and his value, and the fact that
he does not have the right to get angry and seek retribution for himself, because in this is giving precedence to himself over the pleasure of his
Lord and expressing anger towards his Lord, who originated him.
And the greatest thing which would assist him in ridding himself of this characteristic is to condition himself to get angry for the pleasure of Allah and
to be pleased for the pleasure of Allah. And every time he gets angry or is pleased for the pleasure of Allah then anger and pleasure for other than
Him will be obliterated, and the opposite is the same.
However, the cure for his lowly desires is sound knowledge and understanding that his obedience to his lowly desires is the greatest reason or
hindrance for him attaining satisfaction, and his abstaining from these lowly desires is the greatest reason and means by which he can attain
satisfaction. So every time he sets out to attain satisfaction by following his lowly desires he actually pushes himself further away from achieving this
satisfaction, and the more he avoids his lowly desires, the closer he is to attaining the satisfaction he is looking for in the most complete manner.
So Ghadab (i.e. anger) is like a predator, the minute you turn your attention away from it, it will eat you alive.
And Shah`wah (i.e. lowly desires) is like fire, the moment he ignites it, it will begin to burn him alive.
And Kibr (i.e. arrogance) is like arguing with a king about his possession, either he will kill you because of this, or just deprive you of it.
And Hasad (i.e jealousy) is like showing enmity and hatred towards someone who is more powerful than you.
The one who can control his lowly desires and his anger will remove the Shaytan from his midst. And the he whose lowly desires and anger
overtakes him deprives himself from the shade and protection of Allah.
Translator: Shadeed Muhammad, Abu Az-Zubayr
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Tawheed: A great Principle
By Shaikh Islaam ibn Taymiyah(rh)
Shaykh al-Islaam said:
All praise and thanks are due to Allaah, we seek His Help and we seek His Forgiveness. We seek refuge with Him from the evil of our souls and the evil of our actions. Whosoever Allaah guides then none can misguide him, and whosoever Allaah leaves to stray then none can guide him. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship save Allaah, the One Who has no partner and we bear witness that Muhammad (SAW) is his servant and Messenger.
CHAPTER ONE
Concerning the distinction between the worship of the adherents to Islaam and possessors of faith, guidance, tawheed, sincerity, knowledge, divine legislation, those who follow the Prophets and Messengers and between the worship of those possessing shirk, ignorance, misguidance, innovation from amongst the polytheists and those who resemble them from the adherents of the different religions.
The worship of the Muslims is founded upon two principles:
The First: they do not worship anything save Allaah, the One Who has no partner.
The Second: they worship Him in the way He has ordered and legislated and has been conveyed by His Messengers
So they worship Allaah without associating partners with him, they have taqwaa of Him and they obey His Messengers. Allaah said:
"We sent Noah to his people (with the command): 'warn your people before there comes to them a grievous Punishment.' He said, 'O my people! I am to you a warner, clear and open that you should worship Allaah, fear Him and obey me.'" [Nuh (71): 1-3]
Similarly He mentioned that Hud, Saalih and Shu`ayb said to their respective nations,
"Worship Allaah! You have no other god save Him." [Hud (11): 50]
He said concerning the Messiah,
"The Messiah said, 'O Children of Israel! Worship Allaah, my Lord and your Lord.' Indeed whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allaah then Allaah has forbidden Paradise for him and the Fire shall be his abode. And for the wrong-doers there are no helpers." [Maa`idah (5): 72]
"And indeed Allaah is my Lord and your Lord so worship Him (Alone). This is the Straight Path." [Maryam (19): 36]
Indeed every Messenger said,
"So fear Allaah, keep your duty to Him and obey me." [ash-Shu`araa (26): 108]
He said concerning the nation of Muhammad (SAW),
"They say: 'we have believed in Allaah and His Messenger and we obey' then a party of they turn away thereafter, such are not the believers." [an-Nur (24): 47]
"The only saying of the faithful believers when they are called to Allaah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say: 'We hear and obey,' such are the successful. And whosoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger, fears Him and keeps his duty to Him such are the successful." [an-Nur (24): 51-52]
Hence appointing obedience to Allaah and the Messenger and appointing fear and taqwaa for Allaah Alone. Allaah said,
"Would that they were contented with what Allaah and His Messenger gave them and had said, 'Allaah is sufficient for us. Allaah will give us of His Bounty and His Messenger. To Allaah do we trurn our hopes." [at-Tawbah (9): 59]
Appointing the giving to Allaah and the Messenger. Similarly, the Exalted said,
"Whatsoever the Messenger gives then take it and whatsoever he forbids from then abstain from it." [al-Hashr (59): 7]
Therefore the lawful is what Allaah and His Messenger made lawful and the unlawful is what Allaah and His Messenger made unlawful and the religion is that which Allaah and His Messenger legislated.
Allaah appointed sufficiency and hope for Himself Alone in His sayings,
"Say: Allaah is sufficient for me, in Him let those who trust, put their trust." [az-Zumar (39): 38]
"But if they turn away, say: 'Allaah is sufficient for me. There is none worthy of worship but Him, in Him have I put my trust and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.'" [at-Tawbah (9): 129]
"And if they intend to deceive you, then indeed Allaah is All-Sufficient for you." [al-Anfaal (8): 62]
"They unto whom the (hypocrites) said: 'Verily the people have gathered against you (a great army) therefore fear them.' But it only increased them in faith and they said: 'Allaah (Alone) is sufficient for us and He is the best Disposer of affairs." [Aali `Imraan (3): 173]
Hence Allaah Alone is the recourse of the Messengers and the Believers in their entirety as Allaah says,
"O Prophet! Allaah is sufficient for you and for the believers who follow you." [al-Anfaal (8): 64]
Meaning that He Alone Suffices you and all those who follow you. This is the understanding of this verse according to the majority of the Salaf and later scholars.
So this is the religion of Islaam, a religion any other than this is not accepted by Allaah - not from the first peoples or the later peoples. Islaam is to worship Allaah at all times in the way that He has commanded - He is the sole object of worship. Allaah said,
"Allaah said: Take not two gods in worship. Indeed He is One God then fear Me (and Me Alone). To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth and to Him belongs perpetual sincere obedience. Will you then fear any other than Allaah? Whatsoever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allaah. Then, when harm touches you, unto Him you cry aloud for help. Then, when He has removed the harm from you, behold! Some of you associate others in worship with their Lord. So (as a result of this) they deny the favours We have bestowed on them! Then enjoy yourselves but you will soon come to know!" [an-Nahl (16): 51-55]
However the legislated laws have differed for example the case when the Prophet (SAW) first prayed towards Bait al-Maqdis before the Hijrah and after the Hijrah for ten odd months and then Allaah had him change direction to face the Ka`ba. {1}Hence the legislated law changed but in both cases, before and after, the religion was one and the same. The religion of Islaam - to worship Allaah Alone without any partners.
In Saheeh Bukhaaree and Muslim that the Prophet (SAW) said, "indeed we, the gathering of Prophets - our religion is one and the Prophets are paternal brothers." {2}
Meaning that their religion is one and the same even if the laws differ. Allaah said,
"Allaah has ordained for you the same religion which he ordained for Noah, and that which We have inspired in you and that which We ordained for Abraham, Moses, and Jesus saying: you should establish the religion and not make any divisions in it. Intolerable upon the polytheists is that which you call them to." [ash-Shura (42): 13]
"So set your face towards the religion of pure monotheism - the nature in which Allaah has created mankind. No change is there in the creation of Allaah. This is the straight religion but most men are unaware. (Always) turning in repentance to Him, and be afraid and dutiful to Him, establish the prayers perfectly and do not be of the polytheists. From those who split up their religion and became sects, each party rejoicing in what was with it." [ar-Rum (30) 30-32]
"O Messengers! Eat of the lawful and good things and do righteous deeds. Indeed I am well Acquainted with what you do. Indeed your religion is one religion and I am your Lord so keep your duty to Me." [al-Mu`minoon (23): 51-53]
Similarly He said with regards to the Prophets,
"Truly! This is religion is one religion and I am your Lord so worship Me." [al-Anbiyaa (21): 92]
The word 'ummah' has been explained to mean religion, i.e. 'your religion is one and the same', this is as Allaah says,
"Nay! They say: 'We found our fathers upon a religion (ummah) and we guide ourselves by following their footsteps. Similarly, We sent not a warner before you to any town but the affluent ones among them said: 'We found our fathers upon a religion (ummah) and we will guide ourselves by following their footsteps." [az-Zukhruf (43): 22-23]
If it said that the meaning of 'ummah' is people then the meaning still remains the same i.e. call all of mankind to worship Allaah Alone as Allaah says,
"Establish the religion and make no divisions." [ash-Shuraa (42): 13]
"And We did not send any Messenger before you but We inspired him (saying): There is none worthy of worship save Me, so worship Me (Alone)" [al-Anbiyaa (21): 25]
"And ask those of Our Messengers whom We sent before you: 'Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Most Merciful?'" [az-Zukhruf (43): 45]
"And indeed We sent among every community (ummah) a Messenger (proclaiming): 'Worship Allaah (Alone) and avoid all that is worshipped besides Allaah." [an-Nahl (16): 36]
"He sends down angels with inspiration of His Command to whom of His slaves He pleases (saying): 'Warn mankind that none has the right to be worshipped but Me, so fear Me." [an-Nahl (16): 2]
Every Prophet was upon the religion of Islaam as Allaah mentions about Noah that he said,
"But if you turn away, then no reward have I asked of you, my reward is only from Allaah and I have been commanded to be one of the Muslims." [Yunus (10): 72]
He mentioned concerning Ibraaheem al-Khaleel,
"And who turns away from the religion of Ibraaheem except he who fools himself? Truly We chose him in this world and indeed in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous. When his Lord said to him, 'submit,' he said, 'I have submitted (become a Muslim) to the Lord of the Universe.'" [al-Baqarah (2): 130-132]
Ibraaheem and Ismaa`eel said,
"Our Lord! Make us Muslims and make of our offspring those who are Muslims" [al-Baqarah (2): 128]
He said concerning Musaa that he said,
"O my people! If you have believed in Allaah, then put your trust in Him if you are Muslims." [Yunus (10): 84]
He said concerning the magicians who believed in Musaa,
"And you take vengeance on us only because we believed in the signs of our Lord when they reached us! Our Lord! Pour out on us patience and cause us to die as Muslims." [al-A`raaf (7): 126]
"Indeed We sent down the Torah wherein was guidance and light by which the Prophet who submitted themselves to the Will of Allaah (became Muslims) judged the Jews." [al-Maa`idah (5): 44]
He said concerning Yusuf as-Siddeeq that he said,
"... and cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous" [Yusuf (12): 101]
Bilqees said,
"My Lord! Verily I have wronged myself and I submit (in Islaam) together with Solomon to Allaah the Lord of the Universe." [an-Naml (27): 44]
He said concerning the followers of the Messiah,
"And when I put into the hearts of the disciples (of Jesus) to believe in Me and My Messenger, they said: We believe and bear witness that we are Muslims." [al-Maa`idah (5): 111]
Allaah said,
"Allaah bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but He, and the Angels and those having knowledge (also give this witness). (He is always) maintaining His creation with justice. None has the right to be worshipped save Him. Truly the religion in the Sight of Allaah is Islaam." [Aali `Imraan (3): 18-19]
Qataadah said concerning His saying, "the only religion acceptable to Allaah is Islaam" - "the testimony that none has the right to be worshipped save Allaah and to accept all that has come from Allaah. This is the the religion that He legislated for Himself and sent His Messengers with and guided His friends to. He does not accept any other religion and does not reward except one who follows it."
Allaah has censured the one who legislates a religion that He did not reveal, or declares something to be lawful or prohibited without any proof from the revelation saying,
"Or do they have partners with Allaah who have instituted a religion for them which Allaah has not allowed." [ash-Shuraa (42): 21]
He censured the polytheists for making unlawful what He had not declared to be unlawful and for making lawful what He had made unlawful thereby legislating a religion that He had not revealed saying,
"And when they commit an indecent action they say: 'We found our fathers doing it and Allaah has commanded us to it.' Say: 'Nay, Allaah never commands indecent actions. Do you say of Allaah that which you know not?' Say: 'My Lord has commanded justice and (said) that you should face the Qiblah in each and every place of worship during prayers. Supplicate to Him only making your religion sincerely for Him." [al-A`raaf (7): 28-29]
"Say: 'Who has forbidden the adornment with clothes given by Allaah which He has produced for His slaves and all good things?' Say: 'They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe and exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection.' Thus We explain the signs in detail for the people who have knowledge. Say: 'The things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are all indecent actions, whether committed openly or secretly, sins of all kinds, oppression, joining partners with Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge." [al-A`raaf (7): 32-33]
"Alif Laam Meem Saad. A Book sent down to you so let not your breast be constricted therefrom, that you may warn thereby, and a reminder unto the believers. (Say): 'Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord and do not follow any friends or protectors who besides Him. Little do you take heed!" [al-A`raaf (7): 1-3]
Shaykh al-Islaam said:
All praise and thanks are due to Allaah, we seek His Help and we seek His Forgiveness. We seek refuge with Him from the evil of our souls and the evil of our actions. Whosoever Allaah guides then none can misguide him, and whosoever Allaah leaves to stray then none can guide him. I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship save Allaah, the One Who has no partner and we bear witness that Muhammad (SAW) is his servant and Messenger.
CHAPTER ONE
Concerning the distinction between the worship of the adherents to Islaam and possessors of faith, guidance, tawheed, sincerity, knowledge, divine legislation, those who follow the Prophets and Messengers and between the worship of those possessing shirk, ignorance, misguidance, innovation from amongst the polytheists and those who resemble them from the adherents of the different religions.
The worship of the Muslims is founded upon two principles:
The First: they do not worship anything save Allaah, the One Who has no partner.
The Second: they worship Him in the way He has ordered and legislated and has been conveyed by His Messengers
So they worship Allaah without associating partners with him, they have taqwaa of Him and they obey His Messengers. Allaah said:
"We sent Noah to his people (with the command): 'warn your people before there comes to them a grievous Punishment.' He said, 'O my people! I am to you a warner, clear and open that you should worship Allaah, fear Him and obey me.'" [Nuh (71): 1-3]
Similarly He mentioned that Hud, Saalih and Shu`ayb said to their respective nations,
"Worship Allaah! You have no other god save Him." [Hud (11): 50]
He said concerning the Messiah,
"The Messiah said, 'O Children of Israel! Worship Allaah, my Lord and your Lord.' Indeed whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allaah then Allaah has forbidden Paradise for him and the Fire shall be his abode. And for the wrong-doers there are no helpers." [Maa`idah (5): 72]
"And indeed Allaah is my Lord and your Lord so worship Him (Alone). This is the Straight Path." [Maryam (19): 36]
Indeed every Messenger said,
"So fear Allaah, keep your duty to Him and obey me." [ash-Shu`araa (26): 108]
He said concerning the nation of Muhammad (SAW),
"They say: 'we have believed in Allaah and His Messenger and we obey' then a party of they turn away thereafter, such are not the believers." [an-Nur (24): 47]
"The only saying of the faithful believers when they are called to Allaah and His Messenger to judge between them is that they say: 'We hear and obey,' such are the successful. And whosoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger, fears Him and keeps his duty to Him such are the successful." [an-Nur (24): 51-52]
Hence appointing obedience to Allaah and the Messenger and appointing fear and taqwaa for Allaah Alone. Allaah said,
"Would that they were contented with what Allaah and His Messenger gave them and had said, 'Allaah is sufficient for us. Allaah will give us of His Bounty and His Messenger. To Allaah do we trurn our hopes." [at-Tawbah (9): 59]
Appointing the giving to Allaah and the Messenger. Similarly, the Exalted said,
"Whatsoever the Messenger gives then take it and whatsoever he forbids from then abstain from it." [al-Hashr (59): 7]
Therefore the lawful is what Allaah and His Messenger made lawful and the unlawful is what Allaah and His Messenger made unlawful and the religion is that which Allaah and His Messenger legislated.
Allaah appointed sufficiency and hope for Himself Alone in His sayings,
"Say: Allaah is sufficient for me, in Him let those who trust, put their trust." [az-Zumar (39): 38]
"But if they turn away, say: 'Allaah is sufficient for me. There is none worthy of worship but Him, in Him have I put my trust and He is the Lord of the Mighty Throne.'" [at-Tawbah (9): 129]
"And if they intend to deceive you, then indeed Allaah is All-Sufficient for you." [al-Anfaal (8): 62]
"They unto whom the (hypocrites) said: 'Verily the people have gathered against you (a great army) therefore fear them.' But it only increased them in faith and they said: 'Allaah (Alone) is sufficient for us and He is the best Disposer of affairs." [Aali `Imraan (3): 173]
Hence Allaah Alone is the recourse of the Messengers and the Believers in their entirety as Allaah says,
"O Prophet! Allaah is sufficient for you and for the believers who follow you." [al-Anfaal (8): 64]
Meaning that He Alone Suffices you and all those who follow you. This is the understanding of this verse according to the majority of the Salaf and later scholars.
So this is the religion of Islaam, a religion any other than this is not accepted by Allaah - not from the first peoples or the later peoples. Islaam is to worship Allaah at all times in the way that He has commanded - He is the sole object of worship. Allaah said,
"Allaah said: Take not two gods in worship. Indeed He is One God then fear Me (and Me Alone). To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth and to Him belongs perpetual sincere obedience. Will you then fear any other than Allaah? Whatsoever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allaah. Then, when harm touches you, unto Him you cry aloud for help. Then, when He has removed the harm from you, behold! Some of you associate others in worship with their Lord. So (as a result of this) they deny the favours We have bestowed on them! Then enjoy yourselves but you will soon come to know!" [an-Nahl (16): 51-55]
However the legislated laws have differed for example the case when the Prophet (SAW) first prayed towards Bait al-Maqdis before the Hijrah and after the Hijrah for ten odd months and then Allaah had him change direction to face the Ka`ba. {1}Hence the legislated law changed but in both cases, before and after, the religion was one and the same. The religion of Islaam - to worship Allaah Alone without any partners.
In Saheeh Bukhaaree and Muslim that the Prophet (SAW) said, "indeed we, the gathering of Prophets - our religion is one and the Prophets are paternal brothers." {2}
Meaning that their religion is one and the same even if the laws differ. Allaah said,
"Allaah has ordained for you the same religion which he ordained for Noah, and that which We have inspired in you and that which We ordained for Abraham, Moses, and Jesus saying: you should establish the religion and not make any divisions in it. Intolerable upon the polytheists is that which you call them to." [ash-Shura (42): 13]
"So set your face towards the religion of pure monotheism - the nature in which Allaah has created mankind. No change is there in the creation of Allaah. This is the straight religion but most men are unaware. (Always) turning in repentance to Him, and be afraid and dutiful to Him, establish the prayers perfectly and do not be of the polytheists. From those who split up their religion and became sects, each party rejoicing in what was with it." [ar-Rum (30) 30-32]
"O Messengers! Eat of the lawful and good things and do righteous deeds. Indeed I am well Acquainted with what you do. Indeed your religion is one religion and I am your Lord so keep your duty to Me." [al-Mu`minoon (23): 51-53]
Similarly He said with regards to the Prophets,
"Truly! This is religion is one religion and I am your Lord so worship Me." [al-Anbiyaa (21): 92]
The word 'ummah' has been explained to mean religion, i.e. 'your religion is one and the same', this is as Allaah says,
"Nay! They say: 'We found our fathers upon a religion (ummah) and we guide ourselves by following their footsteps. Similarly, We sent not a warner before you to any town but the affluent ones among them said: 'We found our fathers upon a religion (ummah) and we will guide ourselves by following their footsteps." [az-Zukhruf (43): 22-23]
If it said that the meaning of 'ummah' is people then the meaning still remains the same i.e. call all of mankind to worship Allaah Alone as Allaah says,
"Establish the religion and make no divisions." [ash-Shuraa (42): 13]
"And We did not send any Messenger before you but We inspired him (saying): There is none worthy of worship save Me, so worship Me (Alone)" [al-Anbiyaa (21): 25]
"And ask those of Our Messengers whom We sent before you: 'Did We ever appoint gods to be worshipped besides the Most Merciful?'" [az-Zukhruf (43): 45]
"And indeed We sent among every community (ummah) a Messenger (proclaiming): 'Worship Allaah (Alone) and avoid all that is worshipped besides Allaah." [an-Nahl (16): 36]
"He sends down angels with inspiration of His Command to whom of His slaves He pleases (saying): 'Warn mankind that none has the right to be worshipped but Me, so fear Me." [an-Nahl (16): 2]
Every Prophet was upon the religion of Islaam as Allaah mentions about Noah that he said,
"But if you turn away, then no reward have I asked of you, my reward is only from Allaah and I have been commanded to be one of the Muslims." [Yunus (10): 72]
He mentioned concerning Ibraaheem al-Khaleel,
"And who turns away from the religion of Ibraaheem except he who fools himself? Truly We chose him in this world and indeed in the Hereafter he will be among the righteous. When his Lord said to him, 'submit,' he said, 'I have submitted (become a Muslim) to the Lord of the Universe.'" [al-Baqarah (2): 130-132]
Ibraaheem and Ismaa`eel said,
"Our Lord! Make us Muslims and make of our offspring those who are Muslims" [al-Baqarah (2): 128]
He said concerning Musaa that he said,
"O my people! If you have believed in Allaah, then put your trust in Him if you are Muslims." [Yunus (10): 84]
He said concerning the magicians who believed in Musaa,
"And you take vengeance on us only because we believed in the signs of our Lord when they reached us! Our Lord! Pour out on us patience and cause us to die as Muslims." [al-A`raaf (7): 126]
"Indeed We sent down the Torah wherein was guidance and light by which the Prophet who submitted themselves to the Will of Allaah (became Muslims) judged the Jews." [al-Maa`idah (5): 44]
He said concerning Yusuf as-Siddeeq that he said,
"... and cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous" [Yusuf (12): 101]
Bilqees said,
"My Lord! Verily I have wronged myself and I submit (in Islaam) together with Solomon to Allaah the Lord of the Universe." [an-Naml (27): 44]
He said concerning the followers of the Messiah,
"And when I put into the hearts of the disciples (of Jesus) to believe in Me and My Messenger, they said: We believe and bear witness that we are Muslims." [al-Maa`idah (5): 111]
Allaah said,
"Allaah bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped but He, and the Angels and those having knowledge (also give this witness). (He is always) maintaining His creation with justice. None has the right to be worshipped save Him. Truly the religion in the Sight of Allaah is Islaam." [Aali `Imraan (3): 18-19]
Qataadah said concerning His saying, "the only religion acceptable to Allaah is Islaam" - "the testimony that none has the right to be worshipped save Allaah and to accept all that has come from Allaah. This is the the religion that He legislated for Himself and sent His Messengers with and guided His friends to. He does not accept any other religion and does not reward except one who follows it."
Allaah has censured the one who legislates a religion that He did not reveal, or declares something to be lawful or prohibited without any proof from the revelation saying,
"Or do they have partners with Allaah who have instituted a religion for them which Allaah has not allowed." [ash-Shuraa (42): 21]
He censured the polytheists for making unlawful what He had not declared to be unlawful and for making lawful what He had made unlawful thereby legislating a religion that He had not revealed saying,
"And when they commit an indecent action they say: 'We found our fathers doing it and Allaah has commanded us to it.' Say: 'Nay, Allaah never commands indecent actions. Do you say of Allaah that which you know not?' Say: 'My Lord has commanded justice and (said) that you should face the Qiblah in each and every place of worship during prayers. Supplicate to Him only making your religion sincerely for Him." [al-A`raaf (7): 28-29]
"Say: 'Who has forbidden the adornment with clothes given by Allaah which He has produced for His slaves and all good things?' Say: 'They are, in the life of this world, for those who believe and exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection.' Thus We explain the signs in detail for the people who have knowledge. Say: 'The things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are all indecent actions, whether committed openly or secretly, sins of all kinds, oppression, joining partners with Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge." [al-A`raaf (7): 32-33]
"Alif Laam Meem Saad. A Book sent down to you so let not your breast be constricted therefrom, that you may warn thereby, and a reminder unto the believers. (Say): 'Follow what has been sent down to you from your Lord and do not follow any friends or protectors who besides Him. Little do you take heed!" [al-A`raaf (7): 1-3]
Does the Ayah ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.’ imply that Allah is everywhere?
Allaamah Abdullah Rawpuree
Reference: Fataawaa Ahlil-Hadeeth, Book of Iman - Page 175
Category: Creed
Does the Ayah ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.’ imply that Allah is everywhere?
{و نحن أقرب إليه من حبل الوريد}
If Allah is omnipresent [in His essence] as He said in the Qur’an: ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein,’[1][and as understood by many people] then how was the revelation sent to the messengers & prophets?
Allah’s knowledge[2] & power[3] is everywhere and in every place; Allah, the Most Exalted, Himself is above His Arsh, separate from His creation in a manner that befits His majesty. With regards to the aforementioned Ayah, then the correct tafseer [explanation] according to the understanding of the Salaf [pious predecessors][4] is that it refers to the knowledge of Allah or to that of the angels of Allah that have been commanded by Him to record the actions of all human beings.[5]
The following example is useful in illustrating that what is meant by ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein,[6]’ actually refers to the angles. When it is said that so & so king or leader is at war with so and so king or leader, what is actually implied is that those who are fighting against each other in reality are the soldiers on the battle field and not the kings and leaders themselves.
In the following Ayah, the recording angels which have been mentioned, have been commanded by Allah to record the actions and deeds of all human beings, so these angels are closer to each person then his or her own jugular vein.‘(Remember) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being), one sitting on the right and the one on his left (to note his or her action).’[7]
And Allah knows best.
Footnotes:
[1] Surah 50 Qaf Ayah no: 16. [TN]
[2] Refer to the saying of Imam Mãlik bin Anas [d.179 AH] ‘Indeed Allah is above the heavens & His knowledge is in every place. Narrated by Imam Abdullah bin Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal in ‘As-Sunnah page 5, & Imam Abu Dawud in ‘Masaail of Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal page 263. [TN]
[3] It was said to Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal: Allah is above the seven heavens and above His Arsh, separate from His creation in a manner that befits His majesty and His power & knowledge is in every place. He replied: Yes. Allah is above His Arsh and nothing escapes His knowledge. Reported by Imam Al-Khalaal in ‘As-Sunnah’ and Imam Ibn Qayyim narrated it in ‘Ijtimaaul-Al-Juyoosh’ page 77. [TN]
[4] Refer to the abridged edition of Tafseer Al-Baghawi [d.516 AH] by Dr Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Ali Zaid, printed by Darus-Salaam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Surah 50 Qaf Ayah no: 16, page 892: [‘what is meant by] We are nearer to you is: nearer to you by [Allah] having all the knowledge. [TN]
[5] Refer to Bayaanu-Talbeesil- Al-Jahmiyyah of Sheikul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Volume 5 page 315, printed by King Fahad Complex, Madinah, KSA, 1426 AH, edited by Dr. Sulaiman Al-Ghafees, in which Imam Ibn Taymiyyah has discussed in depth that either the meaning of And We are nearer to him then his jugular vein is either the knowledge of Allah or that of the Angles; and has reconciled both meanings in a beautiful manner and refuted all the objections and doubts that might arise or have risen from the people of innovation. [TN]
[6] It has been narrated by Ibnul-Mundhir on the authority of Juwaibir who asked the student of Abdullah Ibn Abbas [may Allah be pleased with them both], Ad-Dahhaak regarding the saying of Allah ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein’ Ad-Dahhaak replied: There is nothing more closer to the son of Adam then his jugular vein and Allah is nearer to him then that [by His knowledge]. Refer to Addurrul-Al-Manthoor Fee At-Tafseeri bil-Ma’thoor by Jalalud-Deen As-Suyutee [d. 911AH] Volume 7 page 517, printed by Darul-Ahyaa At-Turaath Al-Arabi first edition 1421 AH/2001 CE.
[7] Surah 50 Qaf Ayah no: 17. [TN]
Translator: Zulfiker Ibrahim al-Memoni al-Athari
Date Published: Sunday, 18 February 2007
Reference: Fataawaa Ahlil-Hadeeth, Book of Iman - Page 175
Category: Creed
Does the Ayah ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.’ imply that Allah is everywhere?
{و نحن أقرب إليه من حبل الوريد}
If Allah is omnipresent [in His essence] as He said in the Qur’an: ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein,’[1][and as understood by many people] then how was the revelation sent to the messengers & prophets?
Allah’s knowledge[2] & power[3] is everywhere and in every place; Allah, the Most Exalted, Himself is above His Arsh, separate from His creation in a manner that befits His majesty. With regards to the aforementioned Ayah, then the correct tafseer [explanation] according to the understanding of the Salaf [pious predecessors][4] is that it refers to the knowledge of Allah or to that of the angels of Allah that have been commanded by Him to record the actions of all human beings.[5]
The following example is useful in illustrating that what is meant by ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein,[6]’ actually refers to the angles. When it is said that so & so king or leader is at war with so and so king or leader, what is actually implied is that those who are fighting against each other in reality are the soldiers on the battle field and not the kings and leaders themselves.
In the following Ayah, the recording angels which have been mentioned, have been commanded by Allah to record the actions and deeds of all human beings, so these angels are closer to each person then his or her own jugular vein.‘(Remember) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being), one sitting on the right and the one on his left (to note his or her action).’[7]
And Allah knows best.
Footnotes:
[1] Surah 50 Qaf Ayah no: 16. [TN]
[2] Refer to the saying of Imam Mãlik bin Anas [d.179 AH] ‘Indeed Allah is above the heavens & His knowledge is in every place. Narrated by Imam Abdullah bin Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal in ‘As-Sunnah page 5, & Imam Abu Dawud in ‘Masaail of Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal page 263. [TN]
[3] It was said to Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal: Allah is above the seven heavens and above His Arsh, separate from His creation in a manner that befits His majesty and His power & knowledge is in every place. He replied: Yes. Allah is above His Arsh and nothing escapes His knowledge. Reported by Imam Al-Khalaal in ‘As-Sunnah’ and Imam Ibn Qayyim narrated it in ‘Ijtimaaul-Al-Juyoosh’ page 77. [TN]
[4] Refer to the abridged edition of Tafseer Al-Baghawi [d.516 AH] by Dr Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Ali Zaid, printed by Darus-Salaam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Surah 50 Qaf Ayah no: 16, page 892: [‘what is meant by] We are nearer to you is: nearer to you by [Allah] having all the knowledge. [TN]
[5] Refer to Bayaanu-Talbeesil- Al-Jahmiyyah of Sheikul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Volume 5 page 315, printed by King Fahad Complex, Madinah, KSA, 1426 AH, edited by Dr. Sulaiman Al-Ghafees, in which Imam Ibn Taymiyyah has discussed in depth that either the meaning of And We are nearer to him then his jugular vein is either the knowledge of Allah or that of the Angles; and has reconciled both meanings in a beautiful manner and refuted all the objections and doubts that might arise or have risen from the people of innovation. [TN]
[6] It has been narrated by Ibnul-Mundhir on the authority of Juwaibir who asked the student of Abdullah Ibn Abbas [may Allah be pleased with them both], Ad-Dahhaak regarding the saying of Allah ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein’ Ad-Dahhaak replied: There is nothing more closer to the son of Adam then his jugular vein and Allah is nearer to him then that [by His knowledge]. Refer to Addurrul-Al-Manthoor Fee At-Tafseeri bil-Ma’thoor by Jalalud-Deen As-Suyutee [d. 911AH] Volume 7 page 517, printed by Darul-Ahyaa At-Turaath Al-Arabi first edition 1421 AH/2001 CE.
[7] Surah 50 Qaf Ayah no: 17. [TN]
Translator: Zulfiker Ibrahim al-Memoni al-Athari
Date Published: Sunday, 18 February 2007
Thursday, October 14, 2010
A meeting with Allah . . . Sheikh Ibn al Qayyim rahimahullah
Ibn al-Qayyim said, in regards to the description of the Paradise and the delights that it contains:
“And if you ask about its ground and its soil, then it is of musk and saffron.
And if you ask about its roof, then it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.
And if you ask about its rocks, then they are pearls and jewels.
And if you ask about its buildings, then they are made of bricks of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its trees, then it does not contain a single tree except that its trunk is made of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its fruits, then they are softer than butter and sweeter than honey.
And if you ask about its leaves, then they are softer than the softest cloth.
And if you ask about its rivers, then there are rivers of milk who’s taste does not change, and rivers of wine that is delicious to those who drink it, and rivers of honey that is pure, and rivers of water that is fresh.
And if you ask about their food, then it is fruits from whatever they will choose, and the meat of whatever birds they desire.
And if you ask about their drink, then it is Tasneem, ginger, and Kaafoor.
And if you ask about their drinking cups, then they are crystal-clear and made of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its shade, then a fast rider would ride in the shade of one of its trees for a hundred years and not escape it.
And if you ask about its vastness, then the lowest of its people would have within his kingdom and walls and palaces and gardens the distance that would be travelled in a thousand years.
And if you ask about its tents and encampments, then one tent is like a concealed pearl that is sixty miles long.
And if you ask about its towers, then they are rooms above rooms in buildings that have rivers running underneath them.
And if you ask about how far it reaches into the sky, then look at the shining star that is visible, as well as those that are far in the heavens that the eyesight cannot possibly reach.
And if you ask about the clothing of its inhabitants, then they are of silk and gold.
And if you ask about its beds, then its blankets are of the finest silk laid out in the highest of its levels.
And if you ask about the faces of its inhabitants and their beauty, then they are like the image of the Moon.
And if you ask about their age, then they are young ones of 33 years in the image of Adam, the father of humanity.
And if you ask about what they will be hearing, then it is the singing of their wives from among the Hoor al-’Ayn, and better than that are the voices of the Angels and the Prophets, and better than that is the Speech of the Lord of the Worlds.
And if you ask about their servants, then they are young boys of everlasting youth who resemble scattered pearls.
And if you ask about their brides and wives, then they are young and full-breasted and have had the liquid of youth flow through their limbs; the Sun runs along the beauty of her face if she shows it, light shines from between her teeth if she smiles; if you meet her love, then say whatever you want regarding the joining of two lights; he sees his face in the roundness of her cheek as if he is looking into a polished mirror, and he sees the brightness from behind her muscles and bones; if she were to be unleashed upon the World, she would fill what is between the Heavens and the Earth with a beautiful wind, and the mouths of the creation would glorifiy, praise, and exclaim greatness, and everything between the East and the West would be adorned for her, and every eye would be shut from everthing but her, and the light of the Sun would be outshone just as the light of the Sun outshines the light of the stars, and everyone on the face of the Earth would believe in the Ever-Living, the One who Sustains and Protects all the exists.
And the covering on her head is better than the World and all that is in it, and she does not increase with age except in beauty; free from an umbilical cord, childbirth and menses, and pure of mucous, saliva, urine and other filthy things; her youth never fades, her clothing is never worn out, no garment can be created that matches her beauty, and no one who is with her can ever become bored; her attention is restricted to her husband, so she desires none but him, just as his attention is restricted to her so she is the sole object of his desire, and he is with her in utmost safety and security, as none has touched her before of either humans or Jinn.
And if you ask about the Day of Increase (in reward) and the visit of the all-Mighty, all-Wise, and the sight of His Face – free from any resemblance or likeness to anything – as you see the Sun in the middle of the day and the full Moon on a cloudless night, then listen on the day that the caller will call: ‘O People of Paradise! Your Lord – Blessed and Exalted – requests you to visit Him, so come to visit Him!’ So they will say: ‘We hear and obey!’
Until, when they finally reach the wide valley where they will all meet – and none of them will turn down the request of the caller – the Lord – Blessed and Exalted – will order His Chair to be brought there. Then, pulpits of light will emerge, as well as pulpits of pearls, gemstone, gold, and silver. The lowest of them in rank will sit on sheets of musk, and will not see what those who are on the chairs above them are given. When they are comfortable where they are sitting and are secure in their places, and the caller calls: ‘O People of Paradise! You have an appointment with Allaah in which He wishes to reward you!’ So they will say: ‘And what is that reward? Has He not already made our faces bright, made our scales heavy, entered us into Paradise, and pushed us away from the Fire?’
And when they are like that, all of a sudden a light shines that encompasses all of Paradise. So, they raise their heads, and, behold: the Compeller – Exalted is He, and Holy are His Names – has come to them from above them and majestified them and said: ‘O People of Paradise! Peace be upon you!’ So, this greeting will not be responded to with anything better than: ‘O Allaah! You are Peace, and from You is Peace! Blessed are You, O possessor of Majesty and Honor!’ So the Lord – Blessed and Exalted – will laugh to them and say: ‘O People of Paradise! Where are those who used to obey Me without having ever seen Me? This is the Day of Increase!’
So, they will all give the same response: ‘We are pleased, so be pleased with us!’ So, He will say: ‘O People of Paradise! If I were not pleased with you, I would not have made you inhabitants of My Paradise! So, ask of Me!’ So, they will all give the same response: ‘Show us your Face so that we may look at it!’ So, the Lord – Mighty and Majestic – will remove his covering and will majestify them and will cover them with His Light, which, if Allaah – the Exalted – had not Willed not to burn them, would have burned them.
And there will not remain a single person in this gathering except that his Lord – the Exalted – will speak to him and say: ‘Do you remember the day that you did this and that?’ and He will remind him of some of his bad deeds in the Worldy life, so he will say: ‘O Lord! Will you not forgive me?’ So, He will say: ‘Of course! You have not reached this position of yours (in Paradise) except by my forgiveness.’
So, how sweet is this speech to the ears, and how cooled are the righteous eyes by the glance at His Noble Face in the Afterlife…
{Some faces that Day will be shining and radiant, looking at their Lord…} (al-Qiyaamah:22-3)
[from the amazing and beautiful book Haadi al-Arwaah ilaa Bilaad il-Afraah by Ibn al-Qayyim, pg. 193] from At-Tibyaan
“And if you ask about its ground and its soil, then it is of musk and saffron.
And if you ask about its roof, then it is the Throne of the Most Merciful.
And if you ask about its rocks, then they are pearls and jewels.
And if you ask about its buildings, then they are made of bricks of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its trees, then it does not contain a single tree except that its trunk is made of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its fruits, then they are softer than butter and sweeter than honey.
And if you ask about its leaves, then they are softer than the softest cloth.
And if you ask about its rivers, then there are rivers of milk who’s taste does not change, and rivers of wine that is delicious to those who drink it, and rivers of honey that is pure, and rivers of water that is fresh.
And if you ask about their food, then it is fruits from whatever they will choose, and the meat of whatever birds they desire.
And if you ask about their drink, then it is Tasneem, ginger, and Kaafoor.
And if you ask about their drinking cups, then they are crystal-clear and made of gold and silver.
And if you ask about its shade, then a fast rider would ride in the shade of one of its trees for a hundred years and not escape it.
And if you ask about its vastness, then the lowest of its people would have within his kingdom and walls and palaces and gardens the distance that would be travelled in a thousand years.
And if you ask about its tents and encampments, then one tent is like a concealed pearl that is sixty miles long.
And if you ask about its towers, then they are rooms above rooms in buildings that have rivers running underneath them.
And if you ask about how far it reaches into the sky, then look at the shining star that is visible, as well as those that are far in the heavens that the eyesight cannot possibly reach.
And if you ask about the clothing of its inhabitants, then they are of silk and gold.
And if you ask about its beds, then its blankets are of the finest silk laid out in the highest of its levels.
And if you ask about the faces of its inhabitants and their beauty, then they are like the image of the Moon.
And if you ask about their age, then they are young ones of 33 years in the image of Adam, the father of humanity.
And if you ask about what they will be hearing, then it is the singing of their wives from among the Hoor al-’Ayn, and better than that are the voices of the Angels and the Prophets, and better than that is the Speech of the Lord of the Worlds.
And if you ask about their servants, then they are young boys of everlasting youth who resemble scattered pearls.
And if you ask about their brides and wives, then they are young and full-breasted and have had the liquid of youth flow through their limbs; the Sun runs along the beauty of her face if she shows it, light shines from between her teeth if she smiles; if you meet her love, then say whatever you want regarding the joining of two lights; he sees his face in the roundness of her cheek as if he is looking into a polished mirror, and he sees the brightness from behind her muscles and bones; if she were to be unleashed upon the World, she would fill what is between the Heavens and the Earth with a beautiful wind, and the mouths of the creation would glorifiy, praise, and exclaim greatness, and everything between the East and the West would be adorned for her, and every eye would be shut from everthing but her, and the light of the Sun would be outshone just as the light of the Sun outshines the light of the stars, and everyone on the face of the Earth would believe in the Ever-Living, the One who Sustains and Protects all the exists.
And the covering on her head is better than the World and all that is in it, and she does not increase with age except in beauty; free from an umbilical cord, childbirth and menses, and pure of mucous, saliva, urine and other filthy things; her youth never fades, her clothing is never worn out, no garment can be created that matches her beauty, and no one who is with her can ever become bored; her attention is restricted to her husband, so she desires none but him, just as his attention is restricted to her so she is the sole object of his desire, and he is with her in utmost safety and security, as none has touched her before of either humans or Jinn.
And if you ask about the Day of Increase (in reward) and the visit of the all-Mighty, all-Wise, and the sight of His Face – free from any resemblance or likeness to anything – as you see the Sun in the middle of the day and the full Moon on a cloudless night, then listen on the day that the caller will call: ‘O People of Paradise! Your Lord – Blessed and Exalted – requests you to visit Him, so come to visit Him!’ So they will say: ‘We hear and obey!’
Until, when they finally reach the wide valley where they will all meet – and none of them will turn down the request of the caller – the Lord – Blessed and Exalted – will order His Chair to be brought there. Then, pulpits of light will emerge, as well as pulpits of pearls, gemstone, gold, and silver. The lowest of them in rank will sit on sheets of musk, and will not see what those who are on the chairs above them are given. When they are comfortable where they are sitting and are secure in their places, and the caller calls: ‘O People of Paradise! You have an appointment with Allaah in which He wishes to reward you!’ So they will say: ‘And what is that reward? Has He not already made our faces bright, made our scales heavy, entered us into Paradise, and pushed us away from the Fire?’
And when they are like that, all of a sudden a light shines that encompasses all of Paradise. So, they raise their heads, and, behold: the Compeller – Exalted is He, and Holy are His Names – has come to them from above them and majestified them and said: ‘O People of Paradise! Peace be upon you!’ So, this greeting will not be responded to with anything better than: ‘O Allaah! You are Peace, and from You is Peace! Blessed are You, O possessor of Majesty and Honor!’ So the Lord – Blessed and Exalted – will laugh to them and say: ‘O People of Paradise! Where are those who used to obey Me without having ever seen Me? This is the Day of Increase!’
So, they will all give the same response: ‘We are pleased, so be pleased with us!’ So, He will say: ‘O People of Paradise! If I were not pleased with you, I would not have made you inhabitants of My Paradise! So, ask of Me!’ So, they will all give the same response: ‘Show us your Face so that we may look at it!’ So, the Lord – Mighty and Majestic – will remove his covering and will majestify them and will cover them with His Light, which, if Allaah – the Exalted – had not Willed not to burn them, would have burned them.
And there will not remain a single person in this gathering except that his Lord – the Exalted – will speak to him and say: ‘Do you remember the day that you did this and that?’ and He will remind him of some of his bad deeds in the Worldy life, so he will say: ‘O Lord! Will you not forgive me?’ So, He will say: ‘Of course! You have not reached this position of yours (in Paradise) except by my forgiveness.’
So, how sweet is this speech to the ears, and how cooled are the righteous eyes by the glance at His Noble Face in the Afterlife…
{Some faces that Day will be shining and radiant, looking at their Lord…} (al-Qiyaamah:22-3)
[from the amazing and beautiful book Haadi al-Arwaah ilaa Bilaad il-Afraah by Ibn al-Qayyim, pg. 193] from At-Tibyaan
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Does the Ayah ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.’ imply that Allah is everywhere?
Allaamah Abdullah Rawpuree
Reference: Fataawaa Ahlil-Hadeeth, Book of Iman - Page 175
Category: Creed
Does the Ayah ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.’ imply that Allah is everywhere?
{و نحن أقرب إليه من حبل الوريد}
If Allah is omnipresent [in His essence] as He said in the Qur’an: ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein,’[1][and as understood by many people] then how was the revelation sent to the messengers & prophets?
Allah’s knowledge[2] & power[3] is everywhere and in every place; Allah, the Most Exalted, Himself is above His Arsh, separate from His creation in a manner that befits His majesty. With regards to the aforementioned Ayah, then the correct tafseer [explanation] according to the understanding of the Salaf [pious predecessors][4] is that it refers to the knowledge of Allah or to that of the angels of Allah that have been commanded by Him to record the actions of all human beings.[5]
The following example is useful in illustrating that what is meant by ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein,[6]’ actually refers to the angles. When it is said that so & so king or leader is at war with so and so king or leader, what is actually implied is that those who are fighting against each other in reality are the soldiers on the battle field and not the kings and leaders themselves.
In the following Ayah, the recording angels which have been mentioned, have been commanded by Allah to record the actions and deeds of all human beings, so these angels are closer to each person then his or her own jugular vein.‘(Remember) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being), one sitting on the right and the one on his left (to note his or her action).’[7]
And Allah knows best.
Footnotes:
[1] Surah 50 Qaf Ayah no: 16. [TN]
[2] Refer to the saying of Imam Mãlik bin Anas [d.179 AH] ‘Indeed Allah is above the heavens & His knowledge is in every place. Narrated by Imam Abdullah bin Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal in ‘As-Sunnah page 5, & Imam Abu Dawud in ‘Masaail of Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal page 263. [TN]
[3] It was said to Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal: Allah is above the seven heavens and above His Arsh, separate from His creation in a manner that befits His majesty and His power & knowledge is in every place. He replied: Yes. Allah is above His Arsh and nothing escapes His knowledge. Reported by Imam Al-Khalaal in ‘As-Sunnah’ and Imam Ibn Qayyim narrated it in ‘Ijtimaaul-Al-Juyoosh’ page 77. [TN]
[4] Refer to the abridged edition of Tafseer Al-Baghawi [d.516 AH] by Dr Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Ali Zaid, printed by Darus-Salaam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Surah 50 Qaf Ayah no: 16, page 892: [‘what is meant by] We are nearer to you is: nearer to you by [Allah] having all the knowledge. [TN]
[5] Refer to Bayaanu-Talbeesil- Al-Jahmiyyah of Sheikul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Volume 5 page 315, printed by King Fahad Complex, Madinah, KSA, 1426 AH, edited by Dr. Sulaiman Al-Ghafees, in which Imam Ibn Taymiyyah has discussed in depth that either the meaning of And We are nearer to him then his jugular vein is either the knowledge of Allah or that of the Angles; and has reconciled both meanings in a beautiful manner and refuted all the objections and doubts that might arise or have risen from the people of innovation. [TN]
[6] It has been narrated by Ibnul-Mundhir on the authority of Juwaibir who asked the student of Abdullah Ibn Abbas [may Allah be pleased with them both], Ad-Dahhaak regarding the saying of Allah ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein’ Ad-Dahhaak replied: There is nothing more closer to the son of Adam then his jugular vein and Allah is nearer to him then that [by His knowledge]. Refer to Addurrul-Al-Manthoor Fee At-Tafseeri bil-Ma’thoor by Jalalud-Deen As-Suyutee [d. 911AH] Volume 7 page 517, printed by Darul-Ahyaa At-Turaath Al-Arabi first edition 1421 AH/2001 CE.
[7] Surah 50 Qaf Ayah no: 17. [TN]
Translator: Zulfiker Ibrahim al-Memoni al-Athari
Date Published: Sunday, 18 February 2007
This article has been read 4,934 times
Print this article
This article has been published with the permission of the translator, who affirms the accuracy of his translation of this article as well as the authenticity of the original Arabic source. Should you have any comment(s) and/or correction(s) to suggest, please write to us at:
...and your email will be passed on to him, inshaa.-Allaah.
هل الآية: ونحن أقرب إليه من حبل الوريد، (سورة ق/50) تدلّ الله تعلى موجود في كل مكان؟
العلامة عبد الله راوبوري
ÇáãÑÌÚ: -
ÇáÈÇÈ: العقيدة
-
Urdu source pending publication
ÇáãÊÑÌã: ذو الفقار إبراهيم الميمني الأث
Reference: Fataawaa Ahlil-Hadeeth, Book of Iman - Page 175
Category: Creed
Does the Ayah ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein.’ imply that Allah is everywhere?
{و نحن أقرب إليه من حبل الوريد}
If Allah is omnipresent [in His essence] as He said in the Qur’an: ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein,’[1][and as understood by many people] then how was the revelation sent to the messengers & prophets?
Allah’s knowledge[2] & power[3] is everywhere and in every place; Allah, the Most Exalted, Himself is above His Arsh, separate from His creation in a manner that befits His majesty. With regards to the aforementioned Ayah, then the correct tafseer [explanation] according to the understanding of the Salaf [pious predecessors][4] is that it refers to the knowledge of Allah or to that of the angels of Allah that have been commanded by Him to record the actions of all human beings.[5]
The following example is useful in illustrating that what is meant by ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein,[6]’ actually refers to the angles. When it is said that so & so king or leader is at war with so and so king or leader, what is actually implied is that those who are fighting against each other in reality are the soldiers on the battle field and not the kings and leaders themselves.
In the following Ayah, the recording angels which have been mentioned, have been commanded by Allah to record the actions and deeds of all human beings, so these angels are closer to each person then his or her own jugular vein.‘(Remember) that the two receivers (recording angels) receive (each human being), one sitting on the right and the one on his left (to note his or her action).’[7]
And Allah knows best.
Footnotes:
[1] Surah 50 Qaf Ayah no: 16. [TN]
[2] Refer to the saying of Imam Mãlik bin Anas [d.179 AH] ‘Indeed Allah is above the heavens & His knowledge is in every place. Narrated by Imam Abdullah bin Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal in ‘As-Sunnah page 5, & Imam Abu Dawud in ‘Masaail of Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal page 263. [TN]
[3] It was said to Imam Ahmed bin Hanbal: Allah is above the seven heavens and above His Arsh, separate from His creation in a manner that befits His majesty and His power & knowledge is in every place. He replied: Yes. Allah is above His Arsh and nothing escapes His knowledge. Reported by Imam Al-Khalaal in ‘As-Sunnah’ and Imam Ibn Qayyim narrated it in ‘Ijtimaaul-Al-Juyoosh’ page 77. [TN]
[4] Refer to the abridged edition of Tafseer Al-Baghawi [d.516 AH] by Dr Abdullah bin Ahmed bin Ali Zaid, printed by Darus-Salaam, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Surah 50 Qaf Ayah no: 16, page 892: [‘what is meant by] We are nearer to you is: nearer to you by [Allah] having all the knowledge. [TN]
[5] Refer to Bayaanu-Talbeesil- Al-Jahmiyyah of Sheikul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Volume 5 page 315, printed by King Fahad Complex, Madinah, KSA, 1426 AH, edited by Dr. Sulaiman Al-Ghafees, in which Imam Ibn Taymiyyah has discussed in depth that either the meaning of And We are nearer to him then his jugular vein is either the knowledge of Allah or that of the Angles; and has reconciled both meanings in a beautiful manner and refuted all the objections and doubts that might arise or have risen from the people of innovation. [TN]
[6] It has been narrated by Ibnul-Mundhir on the authority of Juwaibir who asked the student of Abdullah Ibn Abbas [may Allah be pleased with them both], Ad-Dahhaak regarding the saying of Allah ‘And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein’ Ad-Dahhaak replied: There is nothing more closer to the son of Adam then his jugular vein and Allah is nearer to him then that [by His knowledge]. Refer to Addurrul-Al-Manthoor Fee At-Tafseeri bil-Ma’thoor by Jalalud-Deen As-Suyutee [d. 911AH] Volume 7 page 517, printed by Darul-Ahyaa At-Turaath Al-Arabi first edition 1421 AH/2001 CE.
[7] Surah 50 Qaf Ayah no: 17. [TN]
Translator: Zulfiker Ibrahim al-Memoni al-Athari
Date Published: Sunday, 18 February 2007
This article has been read 4,934 times
Print this article
This article has been published with the permission of the translator, who affirms the accuracy of his translation of this article as well as the authenticity of the original Arabic source. Should you have any comment(s) and/or correction(s) to suggest, please write to us at:
...and your email will be passed on to him, inshaa.-Allaah.
هل الآية: ونحن أقرب إليه من حبل الوريد، (سورة ق/50) تدلّ الله تعلى موجود في كل مكان؟
العلامة عبد الله راوبوري
ÇáãÑÌÚ: -
ÇáÈÇÈ: العقيدة
-
Urdu source pending publication
ÇáãÊÑÌã: ذو الفقار إبراهيم الميمني الأث
Friday, August 6, 2010
An Introduction to Believing in Allaah
Reference: Al Irshaad ila Saheeh al I’tiqaad : P. 27Author: Al 'Allaamah Saaleh al FawzaanTopic: Belief in Allaah
This is the basis of Creed and its source, it means:
The firm belief that Allaah is the Lord and Owner of everything in existence;
He is the sole creator,
the sole Disposer of Affairs,
He is the only one worthy of being worshiped, having no partners and
anything else worshiped besides Him is false and the worship presented to them is false.
Allaah the Elevated said:
{That is because Allaah – He is the Truth (the only True God of all that exists, Who has no partners or rivals with Him), and what they (the polytheists) invoke besides Him, it is Baatil (falsehood). And indeed Allaah, He is the Most High, the Most Great.} [Al hajj: 62]
Allaah is attributed with the most complete and majestic Attributes, He is Exalted from every deficiency and fault, this is Monotheism in its three categories:
Monotheism of Lordship
Monotheism of Worship and
Monotheism of His Names and Attributes.
مقدمة في الايمان بالله
المرجع: الإرشاد إلى صحيح الاعتقاد : ص 27المؤلف :العلامة صالح الفوزان الباب: الايمان بالله
وهو أساس العقيدة وأصلها ، وهو يعني الاعتقاد الجازم بأن الله رب كل شيء ومليكه ، وأنه الخالق وحده ، المدبر للكون كله ، وأنه هو الذي يستحق العبادة وحده لا شريك له ، وأن كل معبود سواه فهو باطل وعبادته باطلة ، قال تعالى
ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ هُوَ الْبَاطِلُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ الحج: 62
وأنه سبحانه متصف بصفات الكمال ونعوت الجلال ، منزه عن كل نقص وعيب ، وهذا هو التوحيد بأنواعه الثلاثة
توحيد الربوبية
وتوحيد الألوهية
وتوحيد الأسماء والصفات
This is the basis of Creed and its source, it means:
The firm belief that Allaah is the Lord and Owner of everything in existence;
He is the sole creator,
the sole Disposer of Affairs,
He is the only one worthy of being worshiped, having no partners and
anything else worshiped besides Him is false and the worship presented to them is false.
Allaah the Elevated said:
{That is because Allaah – He is the Truth (the only True God of all that exists, Who has no partners or rivals with Him), and what they (the polytheists) invoke besides Him, it is Baatil (falsehood). And indeed Allaah, He is the Most High, the Most Great.} [Al hajj: 62]
Allaah is attributed with the most complete and majestic Attributes, He is Exalted from every deficiency and fault, this is Monotheism in its three categories:
Monotheism of Lordship
Monotheism of Worship and
Monotheism of His Names and Attributes.
مقدمة في الايمان بالله
المرجع: الإرشاد إلى صحيح الاعتقاد : ص 27المؤلف :العلامة صالح الفوزان الباب: الايمان بالله
وهو أساس العقيدة وأصلها ، وهو يعني الاعتقاد الجازم بأن الله رب كل شيء ومليكه ، وأنه الخالق وحده ، المدبر للكون كله ، وأنه هو الذي يستحق العبادة وحده لا شريك له ، وأن كل معبود سواه فهو باطل وعبادته باطلة ، قال تعالى
ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ هُوَ الْبَاطِلُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ الحج: 62
وأنه سبحانه متصف بصفات الكمال ونعوت الجلال ، منزه عن كل نقص وعيب ، وهذا هو التوحيد بأنواعه الثلاثة
توحيد الربوبية
وتوحيد الألوهية
وتوحيد الأسماء والصفات
Saturday, July 24, 2010
10 TYPES OF MODESTY
Ibn ul Qayyim Al Jawziyah (Rahimahullah) mentioned in his book “Madarij us
Saaliheen” Vol 2 page 267, Al Hayaa (i.e. modesty) is categorized into ten types:
The First: The modesty of Shame: This is similar to the modesty of Adam (Alaihis
salam) when he fled in paradise after eating from the forbidden tree. Allah asked him
“Are you fleeing form me O Adam because of your sin?” He said: “No my lord! Rather
it is out of shame that I flee from you!”
The Second: The modesty that results in you realizing your shortcomings such as; the
modesty of the angels, those who praise Allah day and night and never enervate. On the
Day of Judgment they will say Subhanaka! (i.e. Glory be to You!) we did not worship
You as You deserved to be worshiped.”
The Third: The modesty of Magnification: This modesty is a result of knowledge. The
extent of knowledge the slave has of his Lord, will determine how modest or shy of Him
he/she is.
The Fourth: The modesty of Generosity: This is similar to the modesty of the Prophet
(Sallahu alaihi wa salam) with those people he invited to the walimah (i.e. marriage
banquet) of Zaynab Bint Jahsh (Radiyallahu anha)and they stayed with him longer than
necessary, so he stood up and walked away without saying to them “Leave!”.
The Fifth: The modesty of Embarrassment: This is similar to the modesty of Ali Ibn
Talib (Radiyallahu anhu) when he was too embarrassed to ask the Prophet himself about
the pre-seminal discharge he was experiencing, because he was married to his daughter.
The Sixth: The modesty of Low self-worth: This is similar to the modesty of the slave
in front of his lord when he asks Him for his needs, knowing that he doesn’t deserve it.
In a narration of Bani Israel Musa (Alaihis salam) said: “O lord, a need or desire of this
life arises and I am too modest to ask You for it O lord!” So Allah responded to him by
saying: “Ask me for what whatever you like, whether it is the salt for your dough or the
fodder for your herd!” And it is possible that this is because of two things:
The First: The questioner deeming himself to be unworthy while considering the
gravity of his sins and mistakes.
The Second: The magnitude of what he is asking for.
The Seventh: The modesty of Love: This is the modesty of the one who loves another,
and when he thinks in his heart of the one he loves during his absence, his modesty for
him is greater than what he feels for him in his presence and he doesn’t even know why.
There is no doubt that the love of a person has a stronger and more magnificent
authority over the individual than the authority of the one who conquers the body
physically. And because of this, kings and elite authority wonder in amazement about
creation and how they are conquered because of the love they have for someone greater
than they are conquered by power and physical authority. We asked Sheik ul Islam Ibn
Taymiyah (Rahimahullah) about this issue, and I mentioned this to him and he just
smiled and didn’t say anything.
The Eighth: The modesty of Servitude: This is the type of modesty that is mixed with
love and fear while witnessing that there is no perfection in his worship or servitude to
the One he worships. And the slave acknowledges that his Lord is greater and more
opulent than what he is offering of worship, so his servitude to Allah causes him to be
modest of Him, and there is no way around this.
The Ninth: The modesty of honor and dignity: The modesty of the noble and
prestigious soul. if he does something that is beneath his caliber, either by exerting
himself or doing some random act of good, he is modest despite what he has exerted of
himself with a type of modesty that is honorable and dignified, and there are two reasons
for this:
The First: As we have mentioned, due to his dignity and honor.
The Second: His modesty in front of the one on the receiving end, as if he himself
was asking for it. Someone who is generous finds it difficult to face the one on the
receiving end due to the modesty and shyness he has in front of him.
The Tenth: The modesty of an individual regarding himself: This is the modesty of the
noble, honorable and dignified individual due to him being pleased with the fact that he
has some shortcomings. He prostrates himself out of modesty as if he has two
personalities. He is modest with one regarding the other and this is the most complete
form of modesty. If the slave is modest regarding himself then he is more likely to be
modest in front of others.
Translated by Abu Azzubayr Shadeed Muhammad on July 18, 2010 in
USA
Saaliheen” Vol 2 page 267, Al Hayaa (i.e. modesty) is categorized into ten types:
The First: The modesty of Shame: This is similar to the modesty of Adam (Alaihis
salam) when he fled in paradise after eating from the forbidden tree. Allah asked him
“Are you fleeing form me O Adam because of your sin?” He said: “No my lord! Rather
it is out of shame that I flee from you!”
The Second: The modesty that results in you realizing your shortcomings such as; the
modesty of the angels, those who praise Allah day and night and never enervate. On the
Day of Judgment they will say Subhanaka! (i.e. Glory be to You!) we did not worship
You as You deserved to be worshiped.”
The Third: The modesty of Magnification: This modesty is a result of knowledge. The
extent of knowledge the slave has of his Lord, will determine how modest or shy of Him
he/she is.
The Fourth: The modesty of Generosity: This is similar to the modesty of the Prophet
(Sallahu alaihi wa salam) with those people he invited to the walimah (i.e. marriage
banquet) of Zaynab Bint Jahsh (Radiyallahu anha)and they stayed with him longer than
necessary, so he stood up and walked away without saying to them “Leave!”.
The Fifth: The modesty of Embarrassment: This is similar to the modesty of Ali Ibn
Talib (Radiyallahu anhu) when he was too embarrassed to ask the Prophet himself about
the pre-seminal discharge he was experiencing, because he was married to his daughter.
The Sixth: The modesty of Low self-worth: This is similar to the modesty of the slave
in front of his lord when he asks Him for his needs, knowing that he doesn’t deserve it.
In a narration of Bani Israel Musa (Alaihis salam) said: “O lord, a need or desire of this
life arises and I am too modest to ask You for it O lord!” So Allah responded to him by
saying: “Ask me for what whatever you like, whether it is the salt for your dough or the
fodder for your herd!” And it is possible that this is because of two things:
The First: The questioner deeming himself to be unworthy while considering the
gravity of his sins and mistakes.
The Second: The magnitude of what he is asking for.
The Seventh: The modesty of Love: This is the modesty of the one who loves another,
and when he thinks in his heart of the one he loves during his absence, his modesty for
him is greater than what he feels for him in his presence and he doesn’t even know why.
There is no doubt that the love of a person has a stronger and more magnificent
authority over the individual than the authority of the one who conquers the body
physically. And because of this, kings and elite authority wonder in amazement about
creation and how they are conquered because of the love they have for someone greater
than they are conquered by power and physical authority. We asked Sheik ul Islam Ibn
Taymiyah (Rahimahullah) about this issue, and I mentioned this to him and he just
smiled and didn’t say anything.
The Eighth: The modesty of Servitude: This is the type of modesty that is mixed with
love and fear while witnessing that there is no perfection in his worship or servitude to
the One he worships. And the slave acknowledges that his Lord is greater and more
opulent than what he is offering of worship, so his servitude to Allah causes him to be
modest of Him, and there is no way around this.
The Ninth: The modesty of honor and dignity: The modesty of the noble and
prestigious soul. if he does something that is beneath his caliber, either by exerting
himself or doing some random act of good, he is modest despite what he has exerted of
himself with a type of modesty that is honorable and dignified, and there are two reasons
for this:
The First: As we have mentioned, due to his dignity and honor.
The Second: His modesty in front of the one on the receiving end, as if he himself
was asking for it. Someone who is generous finds it difficult to face the one on the
receiving end due to the modesty and shyness he has in front of him.
The Tenth: The modesty of an individual regarding himself: This is the modesty of the
noble, honorable and dignified individual due to him being pleased with the fact that he
has some shortcomings. He prostrates himself out of modesty as if he has two
personalities. He is modest with one regarding the other and this is the most complete
form of modesty. If the slave is modest regarding himself then he is more likely to be
modest in front of others.
Translated by Abu Azzubayr Shadeed Muhammad on July 18, 2010 in
USA
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Allaah's Rising... by Imaam Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisee and Sharh by Shaykh Uthaymeen(rahimahumullaah)
Bismillaah wa Inna AlHamduillaahi Wahadu wa SallAllaahu wa Sallaam'alaa Khaatim al Anbiyya' wa 'alaa Aalihee wa Asahaabihee wa'alaa Manitaba'a Hudaah 'Amma Ba'd:
Imam Malik Ibn Anas (rahimahullah) was questioned o nce, and it was said to him: "O Abu Abdillah! (Allah says): 'The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.' How does he rise? So he (rahimahullah) responded: "The Rising (Al-Istiwaa) is not something unknown. How (it is done) is incomprehensible. Believing in it is an obligation. And asking concerning it is an innovation." Then he put someone in charge of the man he was thrown out.*
*FootNote:
Athaar Saheeh: This is an authentic narration reported by Ibn Qudaamah in Al-'Uluww (104), Adh-Dhahabee in Al-'Uluww (pg. 141-142), Abu Nu'aim in Al-Hilyah (6/325-326), 'Uthman bin Sa'eed ad Daarimee in Ar-Raadd 'alal-Jahmiyah (55), Al-Laalikaa'ee in Sharh Usool 'Iti'qaad Ahl-is-Sunnah (664), Abu 'Uthmaan in 'Aqeedat-us-Salaaf (24-26) and Al-Bayhaqee in Al-Asmaa was-Sifaat (pg. 408) through paths of narration that strengthens o ne another. Adh-Dhahabee authenticated it in Al'Uluww and likewise, Al-Albanee strengthend it in his abridgement to Al-'Uluww. Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajr (rahimahullah) said in Fath-ul-Baree (13/406-407): "Al-Bayhaqee transmitted it with a good chain from Abdillah Ibn Wahb." And then he mentioned it. Shaykh-us-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in his Majmoo-ul-Fatawwa (5/365) after quoting the saying of Malik: "A similar answer to this o ne is authentically reported from Rabee', the Shaykh of Malik."
The Explanation: (By Shaykh Uthaymin rahimahullah)
He is the Imam, Malik ibn Anas bin Malik. His father was not the Sahaabi (Companion) Anas bin Malik (radiallah anhu), but rather someone else. However, the grandfather of Malik was o ne of the seniors amongst the Tabi'een and the father of his grandfather was from among the Sahabah. Malik was born in the year 93H in Madinah and died in the same place in the year 179H. He was alive during the era of the Tabi'ee at-Tabi'een.
He (rahimallah) was asked: "O Abu Abdillah! (Allah says:) 'The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.' How does He rise?
So he (rahimahullah) responded: "The rising (Al-Istiwaa) is not something unknown." This means that it's understanding was known and it is: The elevating and settling (of Allah over the Throne).
"How (it is done) is incomprehensible." This means the manner in which the Rising occurs cannot be grasped by the intellect, since Allah is too grand and majestic to have any intellect be able to grasp the manner of His Attributes.
"Believing in it" means the Rising (Al-Istiwaa).
"Is an obligation" due to what has been mentioned concerning it in the Qura'an and the Sunnah.
"And asking concerning it" meaning asking o n it's manner (i.e. how it is done).
"Is an innovation" This is since asking about it's matter was not done during the lifetime of the Prophet (alayhi salatul wasalaam) and his Companions.
Then he entrusted someone with the questioner and he was cast out from the masjid. This was done out of fear that he would put the people to trial with regard to their Creed and in order to punish him by preventing him from sitting in the gatherings of knowledge.
[Source: Sufficiency in Creed]
Imam Malik Ibn Anas (rahimahullah) was questioned o nce, and it was said to him: "O Abu Abdillah! (Allah says): 'The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.' How does he rise? So he (rahimahullah) responded: "The Rising (Al-Istiwaa) is not something unknown. How (it is done) is incomprehensible. Believing in it is an obligation. And asking concerning it is an innovation." Then he put someone in charge of the man he was thrown out.*
*FootNote:
Athaar Saheeh: This is an authentic narration reported by Ibn Qudaamah in Al-'Uluww (104), Adh-Dhahabee in Al-'Uluww (pg. 141-142), Abu Nu'aim in Al-Hilyah (6/325-326), 'Uthman bin Sa'eed ad Daarimee in Ar-Raadd 'alal-Jahmiyah (55), Al-Laalikaa'ee in Sharh Usool 'Iti'qaad Ahl-is-Sunnah (664), Abu 'Uthmaan in 'Aqeedat-us-Salaaf (24-26) and Al-Bayhaqee in Al-Asmaa was-Sifaat (pg. 408) through paths of narration that strengthens o ne another. Adh-Dhahabee authenticated it in Al'Uluww and likewise, Al-Albanee strengthend it in his abridgement to Al-'Uluww. Al-Hafidh Ibn Hajr (rahimahullah) said in Fath-ul-Baree (13/406-407): "Al-Bayhaqee transmitted it with a good chain from Abdillah Ibn Wahb." And then he mentioned it. Shaykh-us-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said in his Majmoo-ul-Fatawwa (5/365) after quoting the saying of Malik: "A similar answer to this o ne is authentically reported from Rabee', the Shaykh of Malik."
The Explanation: (By Shaykh Uthaymin rahimahullah)
He is the Imam, Malik ibn Anas bin Malik. His father was not the Sahaabi (Companion) Anas bin Malik (radiallah anhu), but rather someone else. However, the grandfather of Malik was o ne of the seniors amongst the Tabi'een and the father of his grandfather was from among the Sahabah. Malik was born in the year 93H in Madinah and died in the same place in the year 179H. He was alive during the era of the Tabi'ee at-Tabi'een.
He (rahimallah) was asked: "O Abu Abdillah! (Allah says:) 'The Most Merciful rose over the Throne.' How does He rise?
So he (rahimahullah) responded: "The rising (Al-Istiwaa) is not something unknown." This means that it's understanding was known and it is: The elevating and settling (of Allah over the Throne).
"How (it is done) is incomprehensible." This means the manner in which the Rising occurs cannot be grasped by the intellect, since Allah is too grand and majestic to have any intellect be able to grasp the manner of His Attributes.
"Believing in it" means the Rising (Al-Istiwaa).
"Is an obligation" due to what has been mentioned concerning it in the Qura'an and the Sunnah.
"And asking concerning it" meaning asking o n it's manner (i.e. how it is done).
"Is an innovation" This is since asking about it's matter was not done during the lifetime of the Prophet (alayhi salatul wasalaam) and his Companions.
Then he entrusted someone with the questioner and he was cast out from the masjid. This was done out of fear that he would put the people to trial with regard to their Creed and in order to punish him by preventing him from sitting in the gatherings of knowledge.
[Source: Sufficiency in Creed]
Avoid these to be protected from Shaytaan
Al Hasan stated:
“If there are four things present in a person, Allah would preserve him from the Shaytaan and prevent him from entering the Fire: Whoever has control over himself during times of:
Raghbah - Need
Rahbah - Fear
Shahwah - Desire
Ghadab - Anger
.” Ibn Rajab stated: “These four that al Hasan mentioned are the basis of all evil.”
Raghbah is to have a need for something, is to want it and believe that it is beneficial for you. So whoever has a need for something, this need may drive him to attain it through any means possible, a lot of which could be impermissible. The object that is needed could be prohibited itself.
Rahbah is to fear something. If a person fears something he would try to repel it by any means necessary, a lot of which may be impermissible.
Shahwah is to desire something that you take pleasure from. A person may desire a lot of things that are prohibited such as fornication, theft, alcohol, disbelief, magic, hypocrisy and innovations.
Ghadab - Anger: It is the boiling of the hearts blood to repel a harm fearing that it would take place, or to take revenge from someone who has previously caused harm. A lot of impermissible things take place as a consequence of anger, such as fighting, hitting as well as other types of oppression and transgression. A lot of impermissible forms of speech also take place such as defamation, insults, and evil words. This may even reach the level of disbelief.
Reference: Al Afnaan an Nadiyyah Vol.8 p, 328
Author: Shaykh Zayd al Madkhalee
“If there are four things present in a person, Allah would preserve him from the Shaytaan and prevent him from entering the Fire: Whoever has control over himself during times of:
Raghbah - Need
Rahbah - Fear
Shahwah - Desire
Ghadab - Anger
.” Ibn Rajab stated: “These four that al Hasan mentioned are the basis of all evil.”
Raghbah is to have a need for something, is to want it and believe that it is beneficial for you. So whoever has a need for something, this need may drive him to attain it through any means possible, a lot of which could be impermissible. The object that is needed could be prohibited itself.
Rahbah is to fear something. If a person fears something he would try to repel it by any means necessary, a lot of which may be impermissible.
Shahwah is to desire something that you take pleasure from. A person may desire a lot of things that are prohibited such as fornication, theft, alcohol, disbelief, magic, hypocrisy and innovations.
Ghadab - Anger: It is the boiling of the hearts blood to repel a harm fearing that it would take place, or to take revenge from someone who has previously caused harm. A lot of impermissible things take place as a consequence of anger, such as fighting, hitting as well as other types of oppression and transgression. A lot of impermissible forms of speech also take place such as defamation, insults, and evil words. This may even reach the level of disbelief.
Reference: Al Afnaan an Nadiyyah Vol.8 p, 328
Author: Shaykh Zayd al Madkhalee
Monday, July 19, 2010
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Response to the one who says: 'l do not need to learn 'Aqeedah.'
By the Noble Shaykh, Saalih Ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan
Source: Al-Istiqaamah Magazine Issue No.8 - Shawwal 1418H / February 1998
[Q]: There are some people here, who keep away from (attending) lessons on ’aqeedah (creed/beliefs), and they say: ‘We are Muslims, we are not unbelievers or idol-worshippers such that we have to learn ’aqeedah or attend lectures about it.’ So, O noble Shaykh, what is your view regarding this!
[A]: Teaching the Muslims (the correct) ’aqeedah does not mean that we have judged them to be unbelievers. Rather, we teach the Muslims about ’aqeedah in order for them to know about it thoroughly, and know what matters nullify it and what matters are contrary to it. Hudhayfah Ibnul-Yamaan, one of the distinguished Companions - radiyallaahu ’anhu - said:
“People used to ask the Messenger about the good, but I used to ask him about the evil, for fear of falling into it.” [2] Likewise ’Umar Ibnul-Khattaab (radiyallaahu ’anhu) said: “Soon the bonds of Islaam will be loosened bit by bit, because people will enter into Islaam but will be unaware of Jaahiliyyah (ignorant practices that Islaam opposes).” [3] Thus, when we teach ’aqeedah, this does not imply that we have judged those whom we are teaching to be non-Muslims. Rather, what it means is that we desire that they should be thoroughly aware of the correct Islaamic ’aqeedah; so as to cling to it, and to be aware of what opposes it; so as to keep far away from it. Allaah - the Most High - said, whilst addressing His Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam:
“So have knowledge about Laa ilaaha illallaah (i.e, have knowledge that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah), and seek forgiveness for your sins, and for the believing men and women.” [Soorah Muhammad 47:19]
So it is essential that a person learns and that he does not content himself with merely saying: ‘I am a Muslim.’ Yes indeed, you are a Muslim - and all praise is for Allaah! However, if one of you were asked as to what Islaam means, or you were asked to explain what Islaam is, then many of you would not be able to correctly explain this. If one of you were to be asked to explain what are those factors which nullify Islaam, then many of you would not be able to explain this. Thus, if a person is ignorant (of such fundamentals), it is possible that he may fall into falsehood without realizing it. If one of you were asked to explain the pillars of Islaam or eemaan (faith) that the Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) explained and taught, we would find that most people would be unable to do so. So how is it that a person (suffices with) saying: ‘I am a Muslim,’ yet does not know these (basic) matters!
Unfortunately, many of the du’aat (callers to Islaam) are themselves unaware of (basic matters such as) what are the conditions for Prayer, or unaware of the rules and regulations concerning wudoo‘ (ablution) and those matters which invalidate wudoo‘. Some of them do not even know what matters form the arkaan (pillars) of the Prayer, or form its waajibaat (obligations), or those matters which invalidate the Prayer. So what Islaam are they calling to! Islaam is not merely a call, rather it is a reality to be learnt and practiced. So it is essential to acquire sound knowledge and understanding of the Religion. This is because a person who does not have sound knowledge, may fall into dangers without even realizing it; just like a person who walks down a path, but is ignorant of the fact that along this path there is a ditch, or a hole, or even an ambush. Yet (due to his ignorance) he ends up falling into the hole, or the ambush, without even realizing it.
Thus it is essential to learn about Tawheed, since it is Tawheed that is the basic foundation (of both the Religion and the correct Islaamic ’aqeedah). Indeed, no one abstains from learning about Tawheed (and those matters it necessitates, as well as its limits, conditions, fundamentals, clear proofs, fruits and consequences, and those matters which increase and strengthen it, and those that decrease and weaken it, etc.) except one of two people: [i] an ignorant person - and the ignorant person’s [view] is not to be given any weight; or [ii] a bigoted deviant - one who desires to avert people from the ’aqeedah of pure Tawheed, and who wishes to conceal from the people his own false beliefs, and those other deviant beliefs that are (falsely) ascribed to Islaam. And this is possibly the Ease of many of those who abstain from learning about Tawheed. Allaah - the Most High - said:
“And it is not proper for all the Believers to go out together and fight. From every troop of them only a party of them should go forth, so that those who remain behind may gain understanding of the Religion so that they may (instruct and) warn their people when they return to them, in order that they may beware.” [Sooratut-Tawbah 9:122]
Also, the Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever Allaah desires to show goodness to, He gives him the understanding of the Religion.” [4] The meaning of this hadeeth is that whenever Allaah does not want to show goodness to a person, He does not give him the understanding of the Religion. So the one who says: ‘I do not need to learn ’aqeedah.’ It is as if he is saying: ‘I do not need to gain understanding of the Religion!’ And this is said by either an ignorant person, or one who is misguided!
Footnotes:
[1] al-Muntaqaa min Fataawaa (1/303-306)
[2] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 3606) and Muslim (no. 1847)
[3] Related by Ibn Taymiyyah in his Majmoo’ul-Fataawaa (10/301)
[4] Related by al-Bukhaaree (1/25), from Mu’aawiyah (radiyallaahu ’anhu)
taken from Abdurrahman.org
Source: Al-Istiqaamah Magazine Issue No.8 - Shawwal 1418H / February 1998
[Q]: There are some people here, who keep away from (attending) lessons on ’aqeedah (creed/beliefs), and they say: ‘We are Muslims, we are not unbelievers or idol-worshippers such that we have to learn ’aqeedah or attend lectures about it.’ So, O noble Shaykh, what is your view regarding this!
[A]: Teaching the Muslims (the correct) ’aqeedah does not mean that we have judged them to be unbelievers. Rather, we teach the Muslims about ’aqeedah in order for them to know about it thoroughly, and know what matters nullify it and what matters are contrary to it. Hudhayfah Ibnul-Yamaan, one of the distinguished Companions - radiyallaahu ’anhu - said:
“People used to ask the Messenger about the good, but I used to ask him about the evil, for fear of falling into it.” [2] Likewise ’Umar Ibnul-Khattaab (radiyallaahu ’anhu) said: “Soon the bonds of Islaam will be loosened bit by bit, because people will enter into Islaam but will be unaware of Jaahiliyyah (ignorant practices that Islaam opposes).” [3] Thus, when we teach ’aqeedah, this does not imply that we have judged those whom we are teaching to be non-Muslims. Rather, what it means is that we desire that they should be thoroughly aware of the correct Islaamic ’aqeedah; so as to cling to it, and to be aware of what opposes it; so as to keep far away from it. Allaah - the Most High - said, whilst addressing His Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam:
“So have knowledge about Laa ilaaha illallaah (i.e, have knowledge that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah), and seek forgiveness for your sins, and for the believing men and women.” [Soorah Muhammad 47:19]
So it is essential that a person learns and that he does not content himself with merely saying: ‘I am a Muslim.’ Yes indeed, you are a Muslim - and all praise is for Allaah! However, if one of you were asked as to what Islaam means, or you were asked to explain what Islaam is, then many of you would not be able to correctly explain this. If one of you were to be asked to explain what are those factors which nullify Islaam, then many of you would not be able to explain this. Thus, if a person is ignorant (of such fundamentals), it is possible that he may fall into falsehood without realizing it. If one of you were asked to explain the pillars of Islaam or eemaan (faith) that the Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) explained and taught, we would find that most people would be unable to do so. So how is it that a person (suffices with) saying: ‘I am a Muslim,’ yet does not know these (basic) matters!
Unfortunately, many of the du’aat (callers to Islaam) are themselves unaware of (basic matters such as) what are the conditions for Prayer, or unaware of the rules and regulations concerning wudoo‘ (ablution) and those matters which invalidate wudoo‘. Some of them do not even know what matters form the arkaan (pillars) of the Prayer, or form its waajibaat (obligations), or those matters which invalidate the Prayer. So what Islaam are they calling to! Islaam is not merely a call, rather it is a reality to be learnt and practiced. So it is essential to acquire sound knowledge and understanding of the Religion. This is because a person who does not have sound knowledge, may fall into dangers without even realizing it; just like a person who walks down a path, but is ignorant of the fact that along this path there is a ditch, or a hole, or even an ambush. Yet (due to his ignorance) he ends up falling into the hole, or the ambush, without even realizing it.
Thus it is essential to learn about Tawheed, since it is Tawheed that is the basic foundation (of both the Religion and the correct Islaamic ’aqeedah). Indeed, no one abstains from learning about Tawheed (and those matters it necessitates, as well as its limits, conditions, fundamentals, clear proofs, fruits and consequences, and those matters which increase and strengthen it, and those that decrease and weaken it, etc.) except one of two people: [i] an ignorant person - and the ignorant person’s [view] is not to be given any weight; or [ii] a bigoted deviant - one who desires to avert people from the ’aqeedah of pure Tawheed, and who wishes to conceal from the people his own false beliefs, and those other deviant beliefs that are (falsely) ascribed to Islaam. And this is possibly the Ease of many of those who abstain from learning about Tawheed. Allaah - the Most High - said:
“And it is not proper for all the Believers to go out together and fight. From every troop of them only a party of them should go forth, so that those who remain behind may gain understanding of the Religion so that they may (instruct and) warn their people when they return to them, in order that they may beware.” [Sooratut-Tawbah 9:122]
Also, the Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said: “Whoever Allaah desires to show goodness to, He gives him the understanding of the Religion.” [4] The meaning of this hadeeth is that whenever Allaah does not want to show goodness to a person, He does not give him the understanding of the Religion. So the one who says: ‘I do not need to learn ’aqeedah.’ It is as if he is saying: ‘I do not need to gain understanding of the Religion!’ And this is said by either an ignorant person, or one who is misguided!
Footnotes:
[1] al-Muntaqaa min Fataawaa (1/303-306)
[2] Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 3606) and Muslim (no. 1847)
[3] Related by Ibn Taymiyyah in his Majmoo’ul-Fataawaa (10/301)
[4] Related by al-Bukhaaree (1/25), from Mu’aawiyah (radiyallaahu ’anhu)
taken from Abdurrahman.org
Day of resurrection
No. 2291- Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "Whoever has oppressed another person concerning his reputation or anything else, he should beg him to forgive him before the day of resurrection when there will be no money (to compensate for wrong deeds), but if he has good deeds, those good deeds will be taken from him according to his oppression which he has done, and if he has no good deeds, the sins of the oppressed person will be loaded on him.No. 2284 - Narrated 'Abdullah bin Umar: Allah's Apostle said, "A Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, so he should not oppress him, nor should he hand him over to an oppressor. Whoever fulfilled the needs of his brother, Allah will fulfill his needs; whoever brought his (Muslim) brother out of a discomfort, Allah will bring him out of the discomforts of the day of resurrection,and whoever screened a Muslim, Allah will screen him on the Day of Resurrection
Saturday, July 17, 2010
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