The Essential Islamic Creed Notes

Author: Shaykh Ahmad ibn Zayni Dahlan(1816-1886)

Translator: Amjad Mahmood
*Ash’ari Text
-Quran Verses and Hadiths are bolded.
-Taken from the Youtube lecture “The Essential Islamic Creed|
Shaykh Asrar Rashid”

Chapter I: Foundational Principles

Part 1: The Obligation of Knowing Creed
❖ It is obligatory to know about Allah, from what he revealed.
➢ Quran 51:56
■ “And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”
● The words “to worship Me” is not the motive of Allah, as Allah is
free from needing anything, but instead is the outcome of creating
humankind and jinnkind.
■ The scholars say the verse Quran 51:56 is “lam al-aqibah and sayrurah”
i.e. the preposition lam[to] is one denoting consequence and outcome,
meaning that their consequence and outcome is that they will come to
worship Allah.
➢ The purpose of the creation(the humans and the jinn) is to worship the creator,
Allah.
❖ From these verses:
➢ Quran 4:165
■ “[We sent] messengers as bringers of good tidings and warners so that
mankind will have no argument against Allah after the messengers.
And ever is Allah Exalted in Might and Wise.”
➢ Quran 20:134
■ “And if We had destroyed them with a punishment before him, they
would have said, "Our Lord, why did You not send to us a messenger
so we could have followed Your verses before we were humiliated and
disgraced?"”
➢ Quran 21:23
Chapter I:Foundational Principles
■ “He is not questioned about what He does, but they will be
questioned.”
➢ It is deduced that Allah sent messengers out of His grace and as a mercy to His
slaves and so they are left with no excuse.
➢ Allah has the ultimate proof (hujjah baligah).
➢ Allah sent messengers to teach mankind, the sacred laws and rulings, and the
noblest teaching the messengers conveyed is divine unity (tawhid).
■ It relates to the gnosis of Allah, His attributes and acts, in terms of what is
necessary (ma yajib), what is possible (ma yastahil), and what is
impossible (ma yajuz) in respect to Allah Most High; and likewise that
which is necessary, impossible and possible in respect to the messengers.
❖ Tawhid: the belief in Allah Most High’s unity in His essence, attributes and acts, together
making one’s worship solely for Him; Divine Unity.