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En Fundamentals of Faith PDF
En Fundamentals of Faith PDF
En Fundamentals of Faith PDF
FundamentalsofIslamicBelief
BytheLateEminentScholar,
SheikhMuhammadibnSalihAlUthaymeen,
TranslationbyAbuSalmanDiyaudDeenEberle
ReviewandCommentsby:
1)JamaalZarabozo
2)TheEnglishDepartmentoftheIslamicPropagationOfficeatRabwah
FirstEdition,1428/2007
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tributed to the publication of this book. May Allah reward them for
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Contents
TranslatorsPreface
Introduction
TheIslamicReligion(Deen)
11
ThePillarsofIslam
15
Shahaadah(TestimonyofFaith)
15
Salaah(Prayer)
16
Zakaah(Almsandcharity)
17
Sawm(Fasting)
17
Hajj(Pilgrimage)
17
TheFundamentalsofIslamicCreed
20
Pillarsofman(Creed)
PillarsofIslam
20
BeliefinTheGodAllah
22
BeliefintheAngels
40
BeliefintheScriptures
47
BeliefintheMessengersandProphets
50
BeliefintheLastDayandResurrection
58
BeliefinQadar
77
ObjectivesofIslamicBeliefandCreed
91
TranslatorsPreface
Indeed,allpraisebelongstoAllah.WepraiseHim,seekHis
AidandHisForgivenessandweseekrefugeinAllahfrom
the evil of ourselves and from the evil of our actions.
WhomsoeverAllahguides,nonecanmisguide;andwhom
soever Allah leaves unguided, none can guide thereafter. I
bearwitnessthatthereisnogod(nothinghastherighttobe
worshipped) except Allah, who is alone without partners,
and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Mes
senger.
Oyouwhobelieve!FearAllahasHeshouldbefeared
and die not except that you are Muslims. [Surah Aali
Imraan(3):102]
O Mankind! Fear your Lord, Who created you from a
single soul (Adam) and from him created his partner
(Eve) and from them both sent forth and scattered
many men and women. So fear Allah through whom
you demand your mutual rights and by the reverence
ofthewombsthatboreyou.ForAllahiseverwatchful
overyou.[SurahanNisaa(4):l]
Oyouwhobelieve!FearAllahandsayatruthfulword.
Hewilldirectyoutodorighteousactionsandwillfor
give your sins. Whosoever obeys Allah and His Mes
5
sengerhasalreadyattainedthehighestsuccess.[Surah
alAhzaab(33):7071]
Toproceed:IndeedthebestspeechistheBookofAllahand
thebestguidanceistheguidanceofMuhammad,peaceand
blessingbeuponhim.Theworstofaffairsarethenewlyin
vented matters (in religion), for every invented matter is a
bidah1,everybidahisamisguidance,andeverymisguid
anceisinHellfire.
ThisisanewtranslationofSheikhMuhammadibnSalihal
UthaymeensbookaboutthefundamentalsofIslamandIs
lamiccreedandbelief,mayAllahhavemercyonhim.Itis
hoped that the information and learned perceptions of the
Sheikharecommunicatedinamannerandformwhichcap
ture and express the concepts and eloquent arguments of
the Sheikh, who is known for making complicated matters
easyandsimpleforuscommonMuslims,seekingtobetter
understandandpracticeourreligionofIslam.
Mygratitudegoestoallthosewhoassistedintheprepara
tionofthisbooklet,fortheirusefulsuggestionsandcorrec
tions,andmyspecialgratitudegoestoUmSalmanforcon
tinual encouragement and detailed scrutiny, criticism and
review of the work. May Allah give all of them the great
reward for all their good deeds, and for engaging in the
workthatpleasestheirLord,MostMajesticandpromoting
therevitalizationofHisreligionofIslam.
Bidah:Somethingintroducedintothereligion,whetheratenetofbe
lieforanactofworship,whichhasnoprecedent.
AnymistakesandlapsesaremyownforwhichIamsolely
responsible. I would be grateful for any constructive criti
cismtocorrectshortcomingsandimprovethework,bythe
WillandAidofAllahMostGracious.
AbuSalman
abusalman102@gmail.com
abusalman102@yahoo.com
InthenameofAllah,theEverCompassionate,theEverMerciful
Introduction
Indeed,allpraisebelongstoAllah.WepraiseHim,seekHis
AidandHisForgivenessandweseekrefugeinAllahfrom
the evil of ourselves and from the evil of our actions.
WhomsoeverAllahguides,nonecanmisguide;andwhom
soever Allah leaves unguided, none can guide thereafter. I
bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except
Allah, who is alone without partners, and I bear witness
that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger. May God
praise Muhammad, his family, his Companions and who
everfollowsthemingoodness,andkeepthemsafefromall
evil.
Toproceed:
TheknowledgeofIslamicmonotheismisthemostnobleof
allbranchesofknowledge.Italsohasthegreatestworth.In
addition,itisthemostimportantofallobligations.Itisall
of these because it is knowledge of Allah, His names, His
attributesandHisrightsuponHisservants.Furthermore,it
istheopeningtothepaththatleadstoAllahandthefoun
dationofHisSacredLaws.
For these reasons, all of the messengers called to this
knowledgeandunderstanding.Thus,Allahsays,
10
TheIslamicReligion(Deen)
12
guishedbybeingsuitableforalltimes,placesandpeoples.
Allahsays,whileaddressingHisMessenger(),
And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the
Book in truth, confirming the Scripture that came be
fore it and as a criterion over it (old Scriptures).
(SurahalMaaidah(5):48)
Themeaningthatitissuitableforalltimes,placesandpeo
plesisthattheonewhoadherestoitwillnevergoagainst
whatisbeneficialforthenationinanyplaceortime.Infact,
itisthethingthatmakesthingsright.Itdoesnotmeanthat
itismeanttoserveanyplace,timeorpeople,assomepeo
plehavetriedtotwistittomean.
TheIslamicreligionisthereligionoftruthduetowhich,if
one abides by it properly, Allah will give help and victory
overallotherreligions.Allahhassaid,
He it is Who has sent His Messenger with guidance
andthereligionoftruthtomakeitvictoriousoverall
(other)religionseventhoughthepolytheistshate(it).
(SurahasSaff(61):9)
Allahalsosays,
Allah has promised those among you who believe,
and do righteous good deeds, that He will certainly
grant them succession to [the present rulers] in the
earth, as He granted it to those before them, and that
Hewillgrantthemtheauthoritytopracticetheirrelig
ion, that which He has chosen for them (i.e., Islam).
AndHewillsurelygivetheminexchangeasafesecu
13
rityaftertheirfear[provided]they(believers)worship
Me and do not associate anything [in worship] with
Me. But whoever disbelieved after this, they are the
evildoers.(SurahanNoor(24):55)
TheIslamicreligionisbothamatterofcreedaswellaslaw.
Itiscompletebothinitsbeliefsanditslaws.
It enjoins the oneness of Allah and prohibits associating
partnerswithAllah.
Itenjoinstruthfulnessandprohibitslyingandfalsehood.
Itenjoinsjusticeandprohibitsinjustice.
Itenjoinsfulfillingtrustsandprohibitstreachery.
Itenjoinsfulfillingpromisesandprohibitsdeception.
It enjoins being dutiful to ones parents and forbids being
disobedienttothem.
It enjoins being good to ones neighbors and prohibits
harmingthem.
In general, one can say that Islam enjoins every noble and
virtuous character, while prohibiting every evil, harmful
trait. It enjoins every good, pious act and prohibits every
evildeed.Indeed,Allahhassaid,
Verily,Allahenjoinsjusticeandgoodness,andgiving
(help) to kith and kin; and forbids all evil deeds, bad
conductandwrongdoing.Headmonishesyou,thatyou
maytakeheed.(SurahanNahl(16):90)
14
ThePillarsofIslam
Mutabaah,sometimescalledIttibaa.
16
18
19
TheFundamentalsofIslamicCreed
Pillarsofman(CreedandBelief)
The religion of Islam, as explained above, is comprised of
Aqeedah (creed, faith and belief) and Shareeah (revealed
laws). We have mentioned some pillars of the Shareeah
above. The pillars and fundamentals of Aqeedah are to be
lievein:
1) Allah,
2) HisAngels,
3) HisBooks,
4) HisMessengers,
5) theLastDay,and
6) Qadar (Divine Will), both its good and evil conse
quences.
These pillars and fundamentals are mentioned in the Book
ofAllahandtheSunnah 4(thenarrationsoftheProphet)
ofHisMessenger().
AnexamplefromtheBookofAllahisthesayingofAllah:
Righteousness is not that you turn your faces towards
the East or the West (in prayers), but righteousness is
Sunnah:thespeech,deeds,tacitapprovals,andcharacteristicsofthe
Prophet().
20
21
BeliefinAllah
BeliefinAllahcomprisesfouraspects:
TheFirstAspect:ThebeliefinAllahsexistence.Thisises
tablishedby:
1. AlFitrah (the natural pure inclination towards the
truth)
2. AlAql(reasonandanalysis),
3. AshShareeah(revelationandscripture),
4. AlHiss(physicalsenses).
1.TheproofofalFitrahconcerningAllahsexistenceisthat
every created being innately believes in his or her Creator
without any preceding instruction, dogma, or thought. No
onedeviatesfromthisnaturalandinnatebeliefexceptdue
to external corrupt influences which make his or her heart
swerveanddepartfrombelief,astheProphet()said:
Each child is born in a state of Fitrah but his parents
make him into a Jew or Christian or Magian (Zoroas
trian).(ReportedbyalBukhari)
dentorcoincidence.Thereasontheycouldnothavecreated
themselvesisthat,beforetheirexistence,theywerenothing;
so how can nothing create itself, i.e. something essentially
deficientandimpotent?Theycouldnthavebeencreatedby
mere chance, accident or coincidence, because every new
eventmusthaveitspriorcausesthatmadeitoccur.Wealso
seethiscreationwithitsamazingandmagnificentorganiza
tion,harmonyandcohesion,andwiththeinterrelationsbe
tween the causes and effects. All this makes it completely
unbelievable that it came into being by mere chance, acci
dentorcoincidence.Howcansomethingthatcameintoex
istence by mere accident or coincidence become organized
andcoherentintheprocessoffurtherdevelopment?
Ifallthiscreationcouldnothavecreateditselfnorbeencre
atedbychance,thenitmusthaveaCreatorandOriginator:
thisisAllahtheLordandSustaineroftheUniverse.Allah,
the Most Exalted, has mentioned this proof by reason and
analysis in the Quran in Surah atToor, The Mountain,
whenHesaid:
Were they (humans) created by nothing, or were they
creatorsthemselves?[SurahatToor(52):35]
Thisverseindicatesthat,sincemenwerenotcreatedwith
out a Creator, nor did they create themselves, it must be
thattheyhaveaCreatorwhoisAllahthemostBlessedand
Exalted.Forthisreason,whenJubairibnMutim()heard
the Messenger () recite this Surah (atToor) from the
Quran,whenhereachedthepassage:
23
3.TheproofofashShareeah(revelationandscripture)con
cerningAllahsexistenceisthatallofthedivinelyrevealed
ScripturesconfirmHisexistence.Thelawsandinstructions
that Allah revealed in these scriptures, which address the
needs and affairs of His creation, are evidence that they
came from an Omniscient and Sublime Sovereign Lord,
who knows everything that is best for His creatures. The
fact that our observations agree to the information about
naturallawscontainedwithinthemisanevidencethatthey
are from a Lord Sovereign Supreme who is able to bring
intobeingwhatheinformed.
WhiletheProphet()wasdeliveringthesermonona
Friday,aBedouinstoodupandsaid,O,AllahsMes
senger! Our possessions are being destroyed and the
children are hungry; please supplicate to Allah (for
rain).SotheProphet()raisedhishands(andsuppli
catedtoAllahforrain).Atthattimetherewasnotrace
ofanycloudinthesky.ButbyHiminWhoseHandsis
my soul, clouds gathered like mountains, and before
hegotdownfromthepulpit,Isawtherainfallingon
his (the Prophets) beard. (It rained all week long.)
That Bedouin, or another man, stood up on the next
Friday (during the sermon) and said, O Allahs Mes
senger! Houses have collapsed and our possessions
andlivestockhavedrowned;pleasesupplicatetoAllah
for us (to stop the rain). So the Prophet () raised his
bothhandsandsaid,OAllah!Aroundus,andnoton
us.Soinwhateverdirectionhepointedhishandsthe
cloudsdissipatedandclearedaway.
We continue to see the evidence of peoples prayers and
supplicationsbeingansweredforthosewhoaretrulysin
cere and truthful in their prayers and fulfill the conditions
foracceptance.
The second proof concerning sense perception is that the
prophetsofAllahbroughtvariousmiraclesthatmanypeo
ple either witnessed directly or heard about (from reliable
sources). These miracles constitute positive and irrefutable
proofsabouttheexistenceoftheonewhosentthemAllah
theMostExaltedsincetheyareactions(andmiracles)out
sidetheabilityofhumans,thatAllahcommandstohappen
26
27
TheHourhasdrawnnear,andthemoonhasbeencleft,
andtheyseeasign,yettheyturnawayandsay:This
isbutcontinuoussorcery.[SurahalQamar(54):12]
Ochiefs!Idonotknowthatyouhaveagodotherthan
me![SurahalQasas(28):38]
Weknowthatwhathesaidwasnothistruebelief,because
Allahsaid,
Andtheydeniedthemwrongfullyandarrogantly,even
thoughtheywereconvinced(ofthetruth)intheirown
selves.[SurahanNaml(27):14].
Musaa()saidtoPharaoh,asrelatedbyAllah:
VerilyyouknowthattheseSignshavebeensentdown
by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as
clear(evidences).AndIthinkyouare,indeed,OPhar
aoh,doomedtodestruction.[SurahalIsraa(17):102].
The Arab disbelievers and polytheists used to confirm Al
lahs Lordship even though they associated others with
Himinworship.AllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
Say: Whose is the earth and whosoever is therein? If
you know! They will say: It is Allahs! Say: Will
younotthenremember?Say:WhoistheLordofthe
seven heavens and the Lord of the Great Throne?
Theywillsay:Allah!Say:WillyounotthenfearAl
lah?Say:InWhoseHandsisthesovereigntyofeve
rything? And He protects everything while against
Himthereisnoprotector,ifyouknow?Theywillsay:
(All this belongs) to Allah. Say: How then are you
deceived and turn away from the truth)? [Surah al
Muminoon(23):8489]
AndalsoAllahsaid:
29
Ifyouaskthem:Whohascreatedtheheavensandthe
earth?Theywillsurelysay:TheAllMighty,theAll
Knowercreatedthem.[SurahazZukhruf(43):9]
InanotherverseAllahsays:
And if you ask them who created them, they will
surely say: Allah. How then are they turned away
(fromHisworship)?[SurahazZukhruf(43):87].
The command of Allah encompasses two kinds of com
mands:thoserelatedtouniversalnaturalaffairsofthe cre
ateduniverse,andthoserelatedtolegalaffairsofreligious
law and revealed scriptures. He commands and decrees as
HewillsinaccordancetoHisOmniscientWisdom.Heisthe
Rulerwho givesthe Commandmenttolegislateandestab
lishthelawspertainingtoallaspectsofworshipandhuman
dealings according to His Wisdom. Anybody who believes
that someone else besides Allah has the right to legislate
andestablishlawspertainingtotheaspectsofworship,and
to be the Ruler and Judge of human dealings, commits
Shirk5withAllah,andhehasnotrealizedman(faith).
TheThirdAspect:ThebeliefinAllahsUluhiyyah,mean
ing that He alone is God, He alone has Divinity and
Godhead,makingonlyHimworthyofworship.
Polytheism,idolatrydisbelief,associatingotherswithAllahinworship
andbelief.
30
Themeaningofthewordilaah6meansthatwhichiswor
shipped[intruthorfalsehood,rightlyorwrongly]withul
timate love and supreme glorification Allah the Most Ex
altedsaid:
And your ilaah is the one ilaah, there is no true God
worthyofworshipbutHe,theMostBeneficent(whose
Mercy encompasses everything), the Most Merciful.
[SurahalBaqarah(2):163]
AndAllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
Allah bears witness that none has right to be wor
shipped but He, and the angels and those having
knowledge(alsogivethiswitness);(thisfactis)estab
lishedonjustice.Nonehastherighttobeworshipped
butHe,theAllMighty,theAllWise.[SurahAaliIm
raan(3):18]
All other gods besides Allah are false gods, and giving to
anyonebesidesAllahthetraitofdivinity,Godheadand
worthiness to be worshipped is false and void. Allah the
MostExaltedsaid:
ThatisbecauseAllahistheTruth(theOnlyTrueand
RealGod),andwhatthey(thedisbelievers)invokebe
sides Him is falsehood. And verily, Allah is the Most
High,theMostGreat.[SurahalHajj(22):62].
Sometimestranslatedasgodwithalowercaseg,ordeity.
31
shipthemnorcantheyfendoffanyharm;theycannotgive
life or death; they do not own anything in the kingdom of
the heavens and earth nor do they have the least partner
shipinitsdominion.Inthiscontext,AllahtheMostExalted
said:
They have taken besides Him other gods that created
nothingbutarethemselvescreated,whopossesneither
hurtnorbenefittothemselves,norpossessanypower
(ofcausing)deathnor(ofgiving)life,norofraisingthe
dead.[SurahalFurqaan(25):3]
AndAllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
Say (O Muhammad): Call upon those whom you
claim (to be gods) besides Allah: they do not possess
eventheweightofsmallant,neitherinheavensnoron
theearth,theydonotshareinanything;Allahhasnot
takenanyonefromamongthemasasupporter;andin
tercession with Him (Allah) is of no avail except for
whomHepermits.[SurahSaba(34):2223]
AndAllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
Do they attribute as partners to Allah those who cre
ated nothingbuttheythemselves are created?Neither
they can help them, nor can they help themselves.
[SurahalAraaf(7):191192]
Sincethesearethetraitsofthesefeeblefalsegods,totake
them as objects of worship is the most foolish act and is
mostdemeaningtothedignityofman.
33
Thesecondlineofargumentisasfollows:Thesepolythe
istswouldacknowledgethatAllahAloneistheRubb,the
Creator in Whose Hand is the Sovereignty of everything,
WhoprotectseverythingandagainstWhomthereisnopro
tector.Thisacknowledgementnecessitatesthattheyshould
also acknowledge that Allah is the only God, worthy of
worshipwithtrueUluhiyyah.
AllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
O Mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created
you and those who were before you so that you may
becomeamongthepious.Hehasmadetheeartharest
ing place for you, and the sky as a canopy, and sent
down rain from the sky and brought forth therewith
fruits as a provision for you. So do not set up rivals
unto Allah (in worship) while you know (that He
Alone has the right to be worshipped). [Surah al
Baqarah(2):2122]
AndAllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
And if you ask them who created them, they will
surely say: Allah. Then how do they fabricate lies
(aboutHim)?[SurahazZukhruf(43):87]
AndAllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
Say (O Muhammad): Who provides for you from the
sky and from the earth? Or who owns (your) hearing
and sight? And who brings out the living from the
dead and brings out the dead from the living? And
who disposes of the affairs? They will say: Allah.
34
TheFourthAspect:ThebeliefinAllahsAsmaawasSifaat
(NamesandAttributes).Thisistoaffirmthenamesandat
tributesthatAllahaffirmedanddescribedaboutHimselfin
His Book and in the Sunnah of His Messenger, in accor
dance to what best befits His Majesty and Exaltedness,
withoutTahreef7,Tateel8,Takyeef9orTamtheel10.
Linguistically, tahreef means to change. In religious terminology, it
meanstochangeatext,eitheritswordingoritsmeaning.Changingthe
meaning of a text is usually done by attributing a rare definition to a
wordwithoutanyevidence,suchasclaimingthatthetwohandswhich
areattributedtoAllahintheQuranmeanpowerorbounty,etc.
7
Linguistically,tateelmeanstoemptyorvoid.Inreligiousterminology
here, it means to reject what is obligatory to affirm in regards to the
Names and Attributes of Allah, or to reject some of it. This is of two
kinds:
a) Totaltateel:ThisislikethetateeloftheJahmiyyahwhorejectthe
Attributes of Allah. The extremists of the Jahmiyyah reject the
NamesofAllahalso.
b) Partial tateel: Such as the tateel of the Ashariyyah and the
Maatureediyyah who reject some of the Attributes of Allah and
believeinothers
Takyeef means to describe something, such as to describe how the
HandofAllahis,orhowAllahdescendstothelowestheaven.
35
AllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
AndtheMostBeautifulNamesbelongtoAllah,there
forecallHimbythem,andleavethecompanyofthose
who deny, falsify (or say blasphemies against) His
Names. They will be rewarded for what they used to
do.[SurahalAraaf(7):180]
AndHesaid:
Hisisthehighestdescriptionintheheavensandinthe
earth. And He is the AllMighty, the AllWise. [Surah
arRoom(30):27]
AndHesaid:
There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All
Hearer,theAllSeer.[SurahashShooraa(42):11].
Twogroupsofpeoplehavegoneastrayregardingthismat
ter:
The first group is the alMuattilah, who negated all or
some of Allahs names and attributes claiming that affirm
ing them necessitated Tashbeeh (see previous footnote).
Thisclaimisfalseinmanyrespectsincludingthefactthat,
firstly, it necessitates ascribing contradictions to the words
Tamtheelmeanstoascribeequalstosomething.Itcanalsomeanas
cribing similarity to something (which is more specifically called
tashbeeh)eitherbygivingacreatedbeinganattributespecifictoAllah,
such as creation, or the right to worship, or by drawing similarities to
Allahwiththecreation,suchasbysayingthatAllahsHandissimilarto
ourhand,etc.
10
36
37
11
38
variousmeaningsamonguscreatures,thenhowcantheis
tawaa of Allah be compared to the istawaa of His creation?
Indeedanyreasonablepersoncanunderstandthatthereisa
hugedifferencebetweenthetwoformsofistawaa.12
Believing in Allah in the way we have described above
leadstomanybenefitsforthebelievers:first,thefullreali
zation of Tawheed (Islamic monotheism) by not depending
upon, fearing, hoping for, or worshipping anyone else be
sidesAllah;second,thefulfillmentofcompletelove,rever
enceandglorificationofAllahaccordingtothemeaningsof
thesebeautifulnamesandexaltedattributes;andthirdwor
shipping Allah as He has prescribed with avoidance of
whatHehascommandedtobeavoided.
AnextremeformoftashbeehisthenotionofWahdatulWujood,orthe
notion that Allah in present within everything existent. This notion
camewasintroducedintothereligionofIslamwhenthereligionspread
farandwide,andpeopleenteredintoitsfoldwithoutleavingthefalse
conceptsoftheirpreviousreligion.Withoutgoingintomuchdetail,this
belief contradicts many proofs in the Quran and Sunnah, as well as
proofsoftheintellect,andisregardedasdisbeliefwhichtakesoneout
ofthefoldofIslam.AsimilarbeliefisthatAllahispresenteverywhere.
CertaingroupshavemisconstruedvariousversesintheQurantopro
motethisconcept.Inreality,itisAllahssight,hearing,etc.,whichen
compassesall,but,physically,AllahisoverHisThroneabovethesev
enth heaven, as Allah Himself mentioned in numerous places in the
Quran.
12
39
BeliefintheAngels
AngelsarecreaturesthatareunseenbyuswhoworshipAl
lah. They do not have any of the traits of divinity or lord
ship.Allahcreatedthemfrompurelightandgavethemthe
inflexible andinnate inclination toalways obey Him. They
have great powers to execute whatever they are com
manded.
AllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
And those who are near Him (i.e. the angels) are not
tooproudtoworshipHim,nordotheygrowweary(of
His worship). They glorify His praises night and day,
(and)theyneverslacken(todoso).[SurahalAnbiyaa
(21):1920]
TheyaresonumerousthatonlyAllahcancounttheirnum
bers.ThisisconfirmedfromthehadeethnarratedbyAnas
ibnMalik(),asreportedbyalBukhariandMuslim,ofthe
Prophets () ascension to the highest heaven, may the
peace and blessing of Allah be upon him, wherein he saw
alBaitalMamoor 13(theHousethatisalwaysinhabited).In
AlBaitalMamoor,whichisintheSeventhHeaven,istheQiblahofthe
Angels. It has been mentioned in the Hadeeth of alMiraaj that the
Prophet()said:
13
Faithandbeliefintheangelscomprisesfourfactors:
1.Tobelieveintheirexistence.
2. To believe in those whose names are known to us, like
Jibreel,aswellasthosewhosenameswedonotknow.
3. To believe in all that we know about their traits and at
tributes, like the fact that the angel Jibreel, whom the
Prophet Muhammad()sawinhisoriginalforminwhich
he was created, has six hundred wings and is so immense
thathecoveredtheentirehorizon.
The angels can change their shapes and transform them
selves by the order and will of Allah. They may take the
shape of men, like when Allah sent the Jibreel to Maryam
(Mary, mother of Eesaa ()) or when He sent Jibreel to
Prophet Muhammad () in the shape of a man wearing
very white clothes with very dark hair while he was with
his companions, and whom none of the companions knew
and who had no evidence apparent on him that he was a
traveler. He sat in front of the Prophet () such that his
hari,Muslimandothers,andiscommonlyknownasthehadeethof
Jibreel)
ThemeaningofenteritisthattheyworshipAllahthereinandcircum
ambulatearoundit,astheMuslimscircumambulatearoundtheKabah.
41
Someangelsarecommissionedwithspecializedtasks.
Jibreel (Gabriel): he is the angel commissioned and en
trusted to convey Allahs revelations to the prophets and
messengers.
Mikaaeel (Michael): he is the angel commissioned and en
trustedtodistributesustenanceliketherainfallandvegeta
tion.
Israfeel: he is the angel commissioned and entrusted to
blow the Trumpet on the Appointed Hour of the Day of
Resurrection.
42
Thegreatbenefitsofbelievingintheangelsincludethefol
lowing:
1.RecognitionofAllahsGreatness,MagnificentPowerand
Authority,becausetheGreatnessofAllahscreationisonly
duetotheGreatnessofAllah,theCreator.
TheirnamesareMunkarandNakeer.
14
43
2. Giving praise and thanks to Allah for His care and con
cerntomankind,sinceHehasappointedtheangelstopro
tectthem,recordtheirdeedsanddootherbeneficialactsfor
them.
3.Loveoftheangels forthefactthatthey aresincerewor
shipperstoAllah.
Some deviant people have denied that the angels have
physicalformsandbodies,claimingthattheyrepresent,in
stead, the inherent power of the unseen good in creation.
ThispositionisadirectdenialoftheBookofAllahmostEx
alted, the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah () and the
consensus(ijma)ofMuslims.15
AllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
AllpraiseisdueforAllah,theOriginatoroftheheav
ens and the earth, Who made the angels, messengers
withwings,two,threeandfour.[SurahFaatir(35):1]
AndHesaid:
And if you could see when the angels take away the
souls of those who disbelieve: they smite their faces
andtheirbacks.[SurahalAnfaal(8):50]
AndHesaid:
Andifyoucouldbutseewhentheunjust(people)are
intheagoniesofdeath,whiletheangelsarestretching
Thisbeliefisunacceptableandisregardedaskufr,ordisbelief.
15
44
forththeirhands(saying):Deliveryoursouls.[Surah
alAnaam(6):93]
AndHesaid:
Untilwhenfearisbanishedfromtheirhearts,they(the
angels) say: What is that which your Lord has said?
They say: The Truth. And He is the Most High, the
MostGreat.[SurahSaba(34):23]
AndHesaidaboutthepeopleofParadise:
Andangelsshallenteruntothemfromeverygate(say
ing):Peacebeuponyouforyourperseveredpatience!
Excellent indeed is the final Home. [Surah arRad
(13):2324]
AlBukharireportsthatAbuHurairah()narratedthatthe
MessengerofAllah()said:
When Allah likes a slave, He calls on Jibreel saying:
Allah loves such and such (a person) therefore love
him. Then Jibreel loves him. So then Jibreel calls on
theinhabitantsofheaven,saying:Allahlovessoand
so, therefore love him. So the people of heaven love
him. Then the acceptance will be granted for him on
theearth.
AlBukhari also recorded from him that the Messenger of
Allah()said:
WhenthedayofFridaycomes,angelsstandateachof
thedoorsofthemasjidtorecordthefirst,andthenthe
next(personthatcomestothemasjid).WhentheImam
45
sits (on the pulpit) they close the scrolls and come to
listentothewordsofreminder.
The above texts clearly demonstrate that the angels have
physicalforms,andarenotjustspiritualforces,asthemis
guided claim. The entire community of Muslims under
standsthatthesetexts(andtheirlike)meanthattheangels
existinarealphysicalformandbody.
46
BeliefintheScriptures
TheArabicwordKutubmeansbooksandscriptures,and
is the plural for Kitab (a book, scroll and scripture). They
are called Kutub because they are written (Maktoob); scrip
tures. In this context, kutub means those Books that Allah
sentdownandrevealedtoHisMessengersasamercyand
guidanceformankindtoleadthemtotruehappinessinthis
lifeandintheHereafter.
FaithandbeliefintheScripturescomprisesfouraspects:
1.TobelievethatAllahsendsthemdownasrevelation.
2.TobelieveinalltheScripturesaboutwhichwehavespe
cific information: such as the Quran sent down and re
vealed to Muhammad (); the Torah sent down and re
vealedtoMusaa();theInjeel(theGospel)sentdownand
revealed to Eesaa (); and the Zaboor (the Psalms) sent
downandrevealedtoDawood().Wealsobelievegener
allyinallotherScripturessentdownandrevealedbyAllah,
eventhoughwedonotknowtheirparticularnames.
3. To attest and confirm as truth all the information that
these Scriptures contain, such as the information of the
Quranandthatinformationwhichhasbeenleftunchanged
by corruptions in the previous scriptures [which may only
beknownbyitsagreementtotheQuran].
47
49
BeliefintheMessengersandProphets
50
TherehasnotbeenanynationexceptthatAllahsentaMes
senger with an independent law for them to rule by, or a
prophet(nabi)torevivethemessageofapreviousMessen
ger(Rasool).AllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
And verily We have sent among every community a
Messenger (proclaiming): Worship Allah and avoid
Taghoot(Satan,idols,tyrants).[SurahanNahl(16):36]
AndAllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
AndthereneverwasanationbutaWarnerhadpassed
amongthem.[SurahFaatir(35):24]
AndAllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
Verily, We did send down the Torah (to Musaa),
thereinwasguidanceandlight,bywhichtheProphets,
whosubmittedthemselvestoAllahsWill,judgedthe
Jews[SurahalMaaidah(5):44]
The Messengers are merely humans and they do not pos
sessanyattributesofdivinityorlordship.
Allah mentioned that His Prophet Muhammad is the most
noble of the Messengers and the highest among them in
honorandrankbeforeAllah:
AllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
Say(OMuhammad),Idonotpossesspowertobene
fitorhurtmyselfexceptasAllahWills.IfIhadknowl
edgeoftheUnseenIwouldhavesecuredformyselfan
abundance of wealth, and evil would never have
51
AndrememberOurslaves,Ibraheem,IsaacandJacob,
all possessed strength and religious understanding.
Verily, did We choose them by granting them the Re
membrance of the home (in the Hereafter). And they
are indeed in Our Sight of the Chosen and the Best.
[SurahSaad38:4547]
AndHesaidaboutEesaa,
Hewasnotmorethanaslave.WegrantedOurfavorto
him and We made him an example to the Children of
Israel.[SurahazZukhruf(43):59].
FaithandbeliefintheMessengersandProphetscomprises
fouraspects:
1. To believe that the message of these Messengers is in
truth from Allah. Whoever disbelieves in any one of the
Messengers, disbelieves in all of them, as Allah the Most
Exaltedsaid:
The people of Nooh rejected (disbelieved and belied)
theMessengers.[SurahashShuaraa(26):105]
Allah considered the people of Nooh disbelievers in all
Messengers even though they apparently only disbelieved
intheoneMessengerthatwassenttothem.Therefore,and
upon this principle, the Christians who disbelieve in Mu
hammad()andrefusetofollowhimarealsodisbelievers
in Eesaa (), the Son of Maryam, especially considering
thefactthatEesaagavethemthegladtidingsofthecoming
of Muhammad. It makes no sense that he is their Messen
53
16
54
tocometoyouwithanauthority(proof)exceptbythe
permissionofAllah.[SurahIbraheem(14):1011]
57
BeliefintheLastDayandResurrection
17
TheLastDayisthatenormouseventwheneveryonewillbe
resurrectedfromdeathtotheaccountingandreckoning,to
beaskedabouttheirdeeds:toreceiveeitherrewardfortheir
gooddeeds,orpunishmentfor theirevildeeds.Itiscalled
the Last Day because it is the final day and the end of
earthly time. This is the day when the people of Paradise
will go to their appointed places in Paradise, and those of
HelltotheHellfire.
BeliefintheLastDayandResurrectioncomprisesthreeas
pects:
1. To believe in the resurrection after death. Resurrection
will take place when the Trumpet will be blown [by Is
raafeel]forthesecondtime[thefirstbeingforthedeathof
all living creatures]. Humankind will awaken to face the
Lord of the Worlds. They all will stand barefooted, com
pletelynakedanduncircumcisedbeforetheirLord,asAllah
theMostExaltedsaid:
AsWebeganthefirstcreation,soshallWerepeatit,(it
is) a promise binding upon Us. Truly We shall do it.
[SurahalAnbiyaa(21):104].
TheDayofResurrectionisrealandnotephemeral.
17
58
givingthemforyoutoday.So,hewillbegivenhisre
cord of good deeds. As for the disbelievers and the
hypocrites,theywillbecalledopenlyinpublic:These
aretheoneswholiedagainsttheirLord!VerilyAllahs
curse is upon the unjust ones! (Reported by al
BukhariandMuslim)
And in an authentic hadeeth the Messenger of Allah ()
said:
ifsomebodyintendstodoagooddeedandhedoes
not do it, then Allah will write for him a full good
deed. If he intends to do a good deed and he actually
does it, then Allah will write with Him from ten to
seven hundred times to many more times (reward). If
somebodyintendstodoabaddeedandhedoesnotdo
it, Allah will write a full good deed with Him. If
somebody intends to do bad deed and actually did it,
then Allah will write one bad deed (in his account).
(ReportedbyalBukhariandMuslim.)
MuslimsareunanimousinagreementthattheDayofReck
oning and the Judgment will come, since both logic and
wisdompointtoit.AccordingtotheinfiniteWisdomofAl
lah,allpeoplemustbejudgedafinaldecisivejudgment.Al
lah revealed the Scriptures and sent the Messengers only
thattheyshouldbeacceptedandfollowed.Moreover,Allah
obligated the believers to fight against those who oppose
the Scriptures and the Messengers, and He permitted that
theirbloodbeshedandtheirchildren,womenandposses
61
sionsbeseized]accordingtothestrictlawsofwar].Ifthere
were not a final Day of Reckoning, then all these matters
wouldhavebeeninvain!AllahtheAllWiseisfarremoved
fromsuchanimperfectionandcontradiction.
AllahhasindicatedthislineofargumentinHissaying:
ThensurelyWeshallquestionthosetowhomtheBook
was sent, and verily, We shall question the Messen
gers. Then surely, We shall narrate unto them (their
wholestory)withknowledge,andindeedWewerenot
absent.[SurahalAraaf(7):67]
3.TobelieveinParadiseandHellfire,andthattheyarethe
finalandeverlastingabodeforthecreatures(menandjinn).
Paradiseisthefinalrestingplaceofultimatehappinessand
joy that Allah has prepared for the believers who feared
Him, believed in Him, and sincerely obeyed Him and His
Messengerwhobroughtthemessage.Paradiseisdescribed
as a place of unimaginable bounties and pleasures which
noeyehaseverseen,noraneareverheardof,noramind
haseverimagined.
AllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
Verily,thosewhobelieveanddorighteousdeeds,they
arethebestofcreatures.TheirrewardwiththeirLord
is Gardens of Eternity, underneath which rivers flow,
whereintheywillabideforever;AllahisWellPleased
with them, and they with Him. That is for him who
fearshisLord.[SurahalBayyinah(98):78]
AndAllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
62
Nopersonknowswhatiskepthiddenforthemofjoy
asarewardforwhattheyusedtodo.[SurahasSajdah
(32):17]
Hellfire isthefinaldestination oftorment and punishment
that Allah has prepared for the disbelievers, the unjust
(criminals), those who disbelieved in Allah and disobeyed
theMessengers.
Hellfire contains all kinds of unimaginable punishments
andtorments.AllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
And fear the Fire which is prepared for the disbeliev
ers.[SurahAaliImraan(3):131]
AndHesaid:
We have prepared for the wrongdoers a Fire whose
walls will be surrounding them. If they ask for help
they will be granted water like boiling oil that will
scaldtheirfaces.Terribleisthedrink,andwhatanevil
dwelling![SurahalKahf(18):29]
AndHesaid:
VerilyAllahhas cursedthe disbelieversand prepared
for them a flaming Fire wherein they will abide for
ever; and they will find neither a protector nor a
helper.OntheDaywhentheirfaceswillbeturnedand
rolled from all sides in the Fire, they will say: Oh,
wouldthatwehadobeyedAllahandobeyedtheMes
senger(Muhammad).[SurahalAhzaab(33):6466]
63
Allthathappensafterdeathisincludedinthebeliefofthe
LastDay,forexample:
a)Thetrialofthegrave,whereinallwillbeasked:Whowas
your Lord? What was your religion? Who was your
prophet?
So, as is explained in the Quran and Sunnah, Allah will
make those who believed resolute, with the word that
standsfirm.Thusthebelieverwillsay:MyLordisAllah,
myreligionisIslamandmyProphetisMuhammed.But
thetransgressorswillerrandgoastray.Thedisbelieverwill
say:Haah,haah,Idontknow.Thehypocriteortheper
son in doubt18 will say: Im not sure, I heard the people
saysomething,soIjustrepeatedwhattheysaid.19
b)Thegravewillbeaplaceofeitherextremepainandtor
mentorextremepleasureandhappiness.
Thepainandtormentwillbeuponthetransgressors,disbe
lieversandhypocrites,asAllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
And if you but see when the wrongdoers are in the
agoniesofdeath,whiletheangels arestretching forth
theirhands(saying):Deliveryoursouls;thisdayyou
shallberecompensedwiththetormentofdegradation
Eitherbothhypocritesandpeopleindoubtwillsaythatorthenarra
torwasuncertainwhichwasmentioned,asisstatedintheSaheehsofal
BukhariandMuslim.
18
AlAlbanigradeditasauthenticinSaheehulJaami.
19
64
pleasuresof)Paradise,anddresshimfrom(theclothes
of) Paradise, and open a door for him to Paradise.
Thenhesaid,Hewillreceivefromitstranquilityand
beautifulsmell.Andhisgravewillbeenlargedforhim
asfaradistanceashissightreaches.
This is reported by Imam Ahmad and Abu Dawood in a
long hadeeth, [of which only a portion has been men
tioned].
Thedisbelieverspretendthattheywillneverberesur
rected(fortheaccount).Say(OMuhammad):Yes!By
my Lord, you will certainly be resurrected, then you
willbeinformed(andrecompensedfor)whatyoudid,
andthatiseasyforAllah.[SurahatTaghaabun(64):7]
All Scriptures [like the Torah, Psalms and Gospels] are
unanimousonthismatter(ofbeliefintheHereafter).
Orliketheonewhopassedbyatownallinutterruins.
Hesaid,Oh!HowwillAllaheverbringittolifeafter
its death? So Allah caused him to die for a hundred
years,thenraisedhimup.Hesaid,Howlongdidyou
remain (dead)? He [the man] replied, Perhaps I re
mained(dead)adayorapartofaday.Hesaid,Nay,
you have remained for a hundred years; look at your
foodandyourdrink,theyshownochange;andlookat
your donkey! And thus We have made of you a Sign
for the people. And look at the bones, how We bring
themtogetherandclothethemwithflesh.Whenthis
wasclearlyshowntohim,hesaid,IKnow(now)that
Allah is Able to do all things. [Surah alBaqarah
(2):259]
5.ThestoryofIbraheem()whoaskedAllahtoshowhim
howHeresurrectsthedead.Allahorderedhimtoslaughter
four birds, cut them in pieces and spread these pieces to
various mountains. Then He told him to call these dead
birds, and when he did, they came back to him flying. On
thisAllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
And(remember)whenIbraheemsaid,MyLord!Show
mehowYougivelifetothedead.Allahsaid,Doyou
notbelieve?Ibraheemsaid,Yes,buttobestrongerin
faith. He said, Take four birds, then cause them to
incline towards you (to slaughter them and cut them
into pieces), and then put a portion of them on every
hillandcallthem,theywillcometoyouinhaste.And
know that Allah is AllMighty, AllWise. [Surah al
Baqarah(2):260]
70
weobservethesoilcomingbacktolifeandvariouskindsof
plants spring forth green and flourish. So the One Who
brings life back to the dead earth and makes the plants
flourish is able also to raise the dead animals back to life.
Allah,theMostExalted,said:
And among His Signs you see the earth barren, but
when We send down water (rain) to it, it is stirred to
lifeandgrowth(ofvegetation).Verily,HeWhogivesit
life,surelyisabletogivelifetothedead.Indeed!Heis
abletodoallthings.[SurahFussilat(41):39]
AndHesaid:
And We send down blessed water (rain) from the sky
then We produce therewith gardens and grains of all
harvests that are reaped; and tall date palms, with
ranged clusters; provisions for (Allahs) slaves. And
We give life therewith to dead land. Thus will be the
Resurrection(ofthedead).[SurahQaaf(50):911]
Somemisguidedpeoplesaythatthepunishmentorblissin
thegraveisnotpossiblesinceitisagainsttherealitywesee
whenweopenthegravesandfindthedecomposedcorpses.
They say that we do not find that the grave has expanded
itssizeorgrownnarrow,assomehadeethmention.
This claim of theirs is invalid by proofs of ashShareeah
(revelation and scripture), alHiss (physical senses), and al
Aql(reasonandanalysis).
Proving the possibility of punishment or bliss in the grave
byashShareeah(revelationandscripture):
72
Someoftheproofshavebeenmentionedabove.Oneother
proofthatisreportedbyalBukhariisthe narrationofAb
dullahibnAbbaas()whenhesaid,
The Prophet passed by some walls in Madeenah and
heardthescreamsoftwopersonswhowerebeingpun
ishedintheirgraves.Hementionedthereasonsbehind
thispunishmentsaying,Oneofthemdidnot protect
himself (spoiling his clothes) from urine. The other
oneusedtospreadgossip.
Proving the possibility of punishment or bliss in the grave
byalHiss(physicalsenses):
Sometimeswesenseourselvesinourdreamsthatwearein
ahugeexpanse,orextremelyconstrictedandconfined,feel
ingthepainofbeingsqueezedandthefearofclaustropho
bia. Sometimes we are even jerked awake from these
nightmares,onlytofindourselvessittinginourbeds.Sleep
isthetwinofdeath,andthisiswhyAllahcallsitatypeof
Wafaat(fulfillment,appointedtimeofdeathanditslike),
asAllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
ItisAllahWhotakesawaythesoulsatthetimeoftheir
death, and those that die not during their sleep. He
keeps those (souls) for which He had ordained death
andsendstheothers(back)foratermappointed.Ver
ily, in this are signs for a people who think deeply.
[SurahazZumar(39):42]
Proving the possibility of punishment or bliss in the grave
byalAql(reasonandanalysis):
73
Thesecondpointisthattheseissuesofthegraveareofthe
realmoftheunseen,arealmnotsensedbyphysicalsenses.
If matters of the unseen could be tested and affirmed by
physicalsenses,therewouldnotbeanybenefitofbelieving
in and having belief in the revelations about the unseen
realm because this would equalize the believer and disbe
liever.
74
Thethirdpointisthatonlythedeadpersonhimselfexperi
ences punishment or bliss of the grave, and its expansive
ness or constriction. The case is similar with the sleeping
person, since only the dreamer feels the sensations of his
dreams,whethernightmaresofcontractionsorexpansesof
lightheartedness,whileforothersheisasleepinhisbedin
his room. Similarly, the Prophet () would receive revela
tion and the companions next to him would not hear the
revelation while he did. Sometimes the angel would come
totheProphet()intheshapeofamanbutthecompanions
werenotabletoseeorheartheangel.
Thefourthpointisthatwecreatureshavealimitedsensual
capacity.Muchphysicalrealityisoutsideourrangeofper
ception.Everythingintheuniverse,thesevenheavens,the
earthandallthatistherein,praiseandglorifyAllah,butwe
cannotheartheirformsofpraiseandglorificationandonly
sometimesdoes Allah give the power to some of His crea
turestohearthem,asHetheMostExaltedsaid:
Thesevenheavensandtheearthandallthatistherein,
glorifyHim,andthereisnotathingbutthatglorifies
His praise, but you do not understand their glorifica
tion. Truly, He is Ever Forbearing, OftForgiving.
[SurahalIsraa(17):44].
Similarly, the Jinn20 go back and forth and travel about on
the earth, but we cannot see them. The Jinn came to the
Creatures made of fire; the ungrateful disbelieving ones are also
knownasdevils.
20
75
Some misguided people claim that the life of the hereafter is only
spiritual and not physical. They claim that the physical punishments
and rewards in actuality symbolize mental states of agony or ecstasy,
respectively. Holding this belief is incorrect and leads a person out of
thefoldofthereligion,asthatisdenyingwhatismentionedclearlyin
theQuran.AMuslimisnottomisconstruethemeaningsofanythingin
theQuran,andifanythingisnotwithinhisrealmofunderstanding,his
attitudeshouldbe,Wehearandweobey.
21
76
BeliefinQadar
TheArabicwordQadarmeanstheDivineMeasure22with
which Allah has ordained and decreed with exact calcula
tions for everything in creation, according to His Eternal
Omniscience and His Sublime Wisdom that encompasses
eternity.
FaithandbeliefinQadarcomprisesfouraspects:
1.ThebeliefthatAllahhasknowledgeofeverythinginthe
universe with all the minute details of its occurrences in
time and space. This perfect and complete knowledge en
compassesallofAllahsownactsandallactionsofthecrea
tures.
2. Everything that is preordained is written on alLawhal
Mahfoodh(The Preserved Tablet),whichiswith Allah.Al
lahtheMostExaltedsaid:
Do you not know that Allah knows all that is in
heavenandonearth?Verily,itisallintheBook.Ver
ily,thatiseasyforAllah.[SurahalHajj(22):70]
InSaheehMuslim,wefindthereportofAbdullahibnAmr
ibn alAas () who narrated that he heard the Messenger
ofAllah()say:
AlsotranslatedasPredestinationandFate.
22
77
Allahrecordedthemeasurementofallmatterspertain
ing to creation fifty thousand years before He created
theheavensandearth.
3.Thebeliefthatnothingcanexistorhappenexceptbythe
Will and Permission of Allah, and this includes what per
tains to His Actions as well as to the actions of all that He
created. Allah the Most Exalted said concerning His own
actions:
And your Lord Creates whatsoever He wills and
chooses.[SurahalQasas(28):68]
AndHesaid:
AndAllahdoeswhatHewills.[SurahIbraaheem(14):
27]
AndHesaid:
It isHe Who shapes youinthewombsasHepleases.
[SurahAaliImraan(3):6]
Concerning the actions of the creatures Allah the Most Ex
altedsaid:
Had Allah willed, indeed He would have given them
power over you, and they would have fought you.
[SurahanNisaa(4):90]
AndHesaid:
AndifAllahhadwilled,theywouldnothavedoneso.
Soleavethemalonewiththeirfabrications.[Surahal
Anaam(6):137]
78
4.ThebeliefthatAllahcreatedallthecreationandcreatures
andalltheiractions,characteristicsandmovements.23Allah
theMostExaltedsaid:
AllahistheCreatorofallthings,andHeistheGuard
ianoverallthings.[SurahazZumar(39):62]
AndHesaid:
Hehascreatedeverything,andhasmeasureditexactly
according to its due measurements. [Surah alFurqaan
(25):2]
And Allah told us that Ibraheem said to his people [about
themcarvingtheiridols]:
AndAllahhascreatedyouandyourmaking.[Surahas
Saaffaat(37):96]
Qadar,asexplainedabove,isnotcontradictorytothereality
that humans have the freedom to act as they will and
choose,andarecapableofdoingso,sincethisisprovenby
bothashShareeah(revelationandscripture)andbyalWaqi
(therealitythatweobservearoundus).
As for the proof of the religious scriptures on this, we can
citethewordsofAllahwhenHetheMostExaltedsaid:
So whosoever wills, let him take a return to his
Lord.[SurahanNaba(78):39]
Actions are result of intention and ability, and since these are both
creations,theactionsarealsocreationsofAllah.EverythingbesidesAl
lahandhisAttributesandactionsarecreationsofAllah.
23
79
AndHesaid:
Sogotoyourtithewhenandhowyouwill.[Surahal
Baqarah(2):223]
Andconcerningtheproofofonehavinghisownability,He
said:
SokeepyourdutytoAllahasmuchasyoucan;listen
andobey.[SurahatTaghaabun(64):16]
AndHesaid:
Allah does not burden a person beyond his scope. He
receives reward for that (good) which he has earned,
andheispunishedforthat(evil)whichhehasearned.
[SurahalBaqarah(2):286]
Asfortheproofofrealityweobservearoundus,everybody
knowsthatapersonhashisownwillandabilitybywhich
heactsandmoves.Hecanpositivelydifferentiatebetween
what happens by his own will, like walking and talking,
and what happens to him involuntarily without his will,
likeshudderingwithasneezeorfeveretc.Butallthathap
pensactionbymanswillandability,orwithoutit,only
happens by the Supreme Will of Allah, the Most Exalted.
AllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
For whosoever among you wills, shall walk straight.
And you will not want to walk straight unless it is
what Allah wills, the Lord of the worlds. [Surah at
Takweer(81):2829]
80
AllahownstheentireuniverseandnothinghappensinHis
Kingdom and Sovereignty without His Knowledge and
Will.
Nevertheless, the reality of Qadar, as explained above,
should not encourage one to think that he can use the ex
cuseofQadartocommitsinsbyleavinghisobligations,i.e.,
that he is absolved of his responsibilities by blaming it on
Qadar. Any attempt to argue along these lines is false and
invalidforthefollowingreasons:
1.ThesayingofAllah:
Those who took partners in worship with Allah will
say, If Allah had willed, we would not have taken
partners in worship with Him, nor would our fathers
have, and we would not have forbidden anything
(against His Will). Those that went before likewise
belied till they tasted of Our Wrath. Say, Have you
anyknowledgethatyoucanproducebeforeus?Verily,
you follow nothing but guesses and you say nothing
butalie.[SurahalAnaam(6):148]
Thesedisbelieversdidnothaveanyvalidexcusewhenthey
claimed that whatever theydid wasaccordingtoQadar.If
thisexcusewasacceptableandtrue,thenwhywouldAllah
punishthemfortheirsins?
2.ThesayingofAllah:
Messengersasbearersofgoodnewsaswellasofwarn
ing(came)inorderthatmankindshouldhavenoplea
againstAllahaftertheMessengers(havebeensentfor
81
Theycouldhaveobeyedandthensaid,ThatwastheQadarofAllah
thatweobeyed.Rather,theychosetodisobeyandblameditonQadar
instead.
24
82
cribedtoAllah,sinceHecommandsmanandhasmadehim
responsible only for what is within his power and by his
ownfreewill].Uponthisprinciple,Allahforgivesthosesins
that take place because of the legitimate excuse of igno
rance,forgetfulnessorcompulsion.
5.QadaristheexclusivesecretpreservedwithAllah.Mans
willfulactiononlytakesplacebyhisownvolitionandwill.
Thus,whathedoesisbuiltonhisownwilltoact,andnot
upon previous knowledge about Allahs Qadar. It follows
bynecessitythatseekingtoexcuseoneselfbythepretextof
Qadarisnotavalidexcusebecausehehadnoknowledgeof
that Qadar. Man cannot use as an argument that which is
outsidehisscopeofknowledge.
6. We see that man is very anxious to benefit himself with
what pleases him and makes him feel good, and to avoid
what causes pains. We do not find anybody leaving these
worldlybenefitsandpleasurestowhatcausespainwiththe
excusethatQadarmadehimdoit,sowhydoesheleavethe
religious commandmentsof Allahwhich bringhimbenefit
andpleasuresandgotowhatcausesharmusingthisfeeble
excuseofQadar?Arenotthetwosituationsanalogousand
similar?
Anexamplewillillustratethispointhere.Ifsomebodyhad
two roads in front of him to choose from, one leading to a
placeofchaos,murder,killing,looting,rape,insecurityand
hunger,andtheotherleadingtoaplaceofproperorder,ex
cellent security, luxurious standard of living, and respect
foronesownself,familyandproperty:whichroadwould
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hechoose?Nosanepersonwouldtaketheroadtothefirst
placearguingthatQadarmadehimdoit.Whydoessome
onechooseinthesemattersoftheHereafterwhatleadshim
to Hellfire rather than Paradise, claiming that Qadar made
him do it, when he would never make the same argument
inmundaneaffairs?
Anotherexampleisthatthesickanddiseasedtakemedicine
when they are ordered to, even though they dislike the
taste. They leave foods that harm them seeking to cure
themselvesandgetbetter.Itwillnothappenthatthesesick
people refuse their medicines and take the harmful foods
arguing that Qadar made them do it, so why would one
abandon obeying Allah and His Messenger, and instead
disobey Allah and His Messenger, claiming that Qadar
madehimdoit?[CertainlythisisthemostfoolishofSatans
tricksandthefeeblestofexcuses.]
7.SupposethepersonwhotakesQadarasapretexttojus
tifyleavingresponsibilitiesandcommittingsinsisattacked
by someone who takes his property, violates his honor or
commits some other similar crime, and then the attacker
saystohim,Hey!Dontblameme!Myattackonyouwas
onlybecauseofAllahsQadar.Thevictimwouldneverac
cept this excuse from the criminal. How can it be that he
wontacceptQadarasanexcusetojustifysomebodyelses
attackonhimwhilehetakesitasanexcuseforhisownat
tackagainsttherightsofAllah?[Howamazingarehisdou
blestandards!]
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Ithasbeenreportedthatamanwhohadbeencaughtsteal
ingwasbroughttoUmaribnalKhattab().Umarordered
that his hand be cut off. The man said: Wait, O leader of
the believers. I only stole because this was by the Qadar
of Allah. Umar said, And we are cutting your hand off
bytheQadarofAllah.
ThegreatbenefitsofbelievingintheQadarofAllahinclude
thefollowing:
1. To trust in Allah in accomplishing your actions. When
someoneperformsactionsaccordingtotheircausesandef
fects, he doesnt depend on the causes and effects only,
sinceheknowsthat,ultimately,nothingshappensexceptby
theWillofAllah.
2. To protect oneself from becoming arrogant and haughty
whenheaccomplisheshisgoalsbecauseheknowsthathis
accomplishment was only by the Blessings of Allah, Who
made it possible for him to achieve his goals. Self
aggrandizementisakindofingratitudethatmakesonefor
gettheobligationofthankingAllah.
3. To receive from Allah a sense of satisfaction, tranquility
and security,since herealizesthatnothing happensexcept
by the Qadar of Allah. He does not become anxious about
losing things that please him or receiving things that dis
pleasehim,becauseheknowsthathewillonlygetwhatthe
OwnerandMasterSovereignoftheheavensandearthhas
writtenforhim.AllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
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ProvingtheinvalidityoftheJabriyyahclaimbyashShareeah
(revelationandscripture):
AllahtheMostExaltedhadaffirmedthatwehumanshavea
willandpowerofourown.Allahhasgivenusthesequali
tiesinthepossessiveform.
AllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
Among you are some that desire this world and some
thatdesiretheHereafter.[SurahAaliImraan(3):152]
AndHesaid:
Andsay:TheTruthisfromyourLord.Thenwhoso
ever wills, let him believe, and whosoever wills, let
himdisbelieve.VerilyWehavepreparedfortheunjust
a Fire whose walls will be surrounding them. [Surah
alKahf(18):29]
AndHesaid:
Whosoever does righteous deeds, it is for (the benefit
of) his own self, and whosoever does evil deeds, it is
againsthisownself,andyourLordisnotatallunjust
to(His)slaves.[SurahFussilat(41):46]
ProvingtheinvalidityoftheJabriyyahclaimbyalWaqi(the
realitythatweobservearoundus):
Everybody knows instinctively the difference between his
willful actions, like when he eats, drinks, sells and buys,
andbetweenthoseactsthatfalloutsidehiswillpower,like
shudderinginvoluntarilyandfallingoffaroofaccidentally.
Thefirstkindofactionisdefinitelyhisbecausehechooses
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themonhisownwillandpower,whereasthesecondkind
isbeyondhischoiceandpower.
TheQadariyyahsclaimisrefutedbyashShareeah(revelation
andscripture)andbyalAql(reasonandanalysis).
Proving the invalidity of the Qadariyyah claim by ash
Shareeah(revelationandscripture)
AllahtheMostExaltedcreatedeverythingbyHisWilland
Hehasmadeitperfectlyclearthatallofmansactionshap
penonlybyHisWill.AllahtheMostExaltedhassaid:
IfAllahhadwilled,succeedinggenerationswouldnot
havefoughtagainsteachother,afterclearVersesofAl
lahhadcometothem,buttheydiffered,someofthem
believed and others disbelieved. If Allah had willed,
they would not have fought against one another, but
AllahdoeswhatHelikes.[SurahalBaqarah(2):253]
AndHesaid:
And if We had willed, surely, We would have given
everypersonhisguidance,buttheWordfromMetook
effect (about evildoers), that I will fill Hell with Jinn
andmankindtogether.[SurahasSajdah(32):13]
Proving the invalidity of the Qadariyyah claim by alAql
(reasonandanalysis)
TheentireuniversebelongstoAllah.ItisHisdomain.Man
is part of this universe and belongs to Allah as His slave
and servant. It is not the right of the slave and servant to
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disposeofthepropertyoftheMasterandOwnerexceptby
HisPermissionandWill.
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ObjectivesofIslamicBeliefandCreed
TheArabicwordHadaf(Objective)hasseveralmeanings:an
object which one takes aim at and shoots at; an object of
wantanddesire.
TheobjectivesofIslamiccreedcanbedefinedasthosenoble
purposeswhichoneaimstoachievebybelievinginandad
hering to it. They are many, and some of them are as fol
lows:
Thefirst objective:sincerityandpurity ofintention.Allah
is the Creator Who has no partner, and the intention and
worshipmustbeonlytoHimalone.
The second objective: liberation of the mind and intellect
fromfalsenotions,foolishnessandirrationality.Whoeveris
devoidofthistruebeliefandcreedbecomesdepravedintel
lectuallyandspiritually,becomesaworshipperofmaterial
thingsandphysicaldesiresorstumblesalongwithvarious
misguided,deviantandfoolishdoctrinesandideologies.
The third objective: tranquility and peace of heart and
mind.Beliefdissolvesdespair,lossofheartandanxiety,be
cause by belief one is attached to his Lord, Creator and
Cherisher. He accepts His Lord and Sustainer as his Law
maker, Legislator, Ruler and Judge and becomes satisfied
withAllahswiseQadar.Hisheartopenswidefortherelig
ionofIslamanddoesntdesireanysubstitute.
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Thefourthobjective:Aclearconsciousness,purityandsin
cerity in intention and actions in the worship of Allah, the
onetrueGod,andalsoinalldealingsandrelationshipswith
people.ThefundamentalprincipleofIslamisfollowingthe
Messengersinpurityandsincerity,andinintentionandac
tion.
The fifth objective: seriousness and determination in all
affairs. A faithful believer does not miss an opportunity to
do a good deed hoping for its reward, and to avoid the
temptation towards evil deeds fearing its punishment, be
cause from among the fundamental principles of Islam is
belief in the Resurrection and the Reckoning for good and
evildeeds.AllahtheMostExaltedsaid:
For all there will be degrees (or ranks) according to
whattheydid.AndyourLord isnot unaware ofwhat
theydo.[SurahalAnaam(6):132]
TheMessengerofAllah()encourageduswiththisobjec
tivesaying:
A strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah
than a weak believer, and there is good in every be
liever.Bekeentogetthatwhichgivesyoubenefitand
seekhelpfromAllahanddonotloseheart.Andifany
thingbefallsyoudonotsay:IfIhadnotdonethisor
that,suchandsuchwouldnothavehappenedtome,
butsay,AllahhasordainedandHedoesasHewills,
because if is an opening for Satans actions. (Re
portedbyMuslim)
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