The Correct Creed

:salam2:

The following is part of a translation of a book entitled The Correct Creed That Every Muslim Must Believe, it is by Shaykh 'Abus-Salaam Burjis (Rahimahullah, may Allah have mercy on him).

To facilitate your reading this post is broken up into several parts. This way the reader if he/she can also look back certain parts as a reference point.

there is also a Audio translation of the bok by Dr Saleh as Saleh Iwill try and add also for those who like Ilm on the Move also

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The Correct Creed That Every Muslim Must Believe
By Shaykh ‘Abdus-Salaam Burjis Aal ‘Abdul Kareem
Translated By:Yazan Sami Musa

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
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Translator’s Introduction

In a hadeeth that is in Saheeh Muslim and other books of hadeeth, 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him said what translates into English as,

“Once we were sitting with The Messenger of Allah when a man rose upon us who had very white clothes and very black hair. No sign of travel was seen upon him, nor did anyone from amongst us know him. (He kept coming) until he sat next to The Prophet and touched his knees to his knees and put his two hands on his thighs and said, 'Oh Muhammad inform me about Al-Islaam.’ So The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Al-Islaam is that you testify that laa ilaaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) and that Muhammad Rasool Allah (Muhammad is the messenger of Allah), and that you establish The Salat, and that you pay The Zakat, and that you fast Ramadaan, and to make pilgrimage to The House if you are able to find a way. He (i.e. the strange man) said, ‘you have spoken the truth.’

He (i.e. ‘Umar) said, ‘So we were amazed that he asked him (the question) and then confirmed (the truthfulness of the answer). He (i.e. the stranger) said, ‘Then inform me about Al-Imaan.’ He (i.e. ]) said, ‘That you believe in Allah and The Angels and The Books and The Last Day and that you believe in Al-Qadar (predestination), the good of it and the bad of it.’ He (i.e. the stranger) said, ‘You have spoken the truth.’ He (i.e. the stranger) said, ‘Then inform me about Al-Ihsaan.’

He (i.e. The Prophet []) said, ‘(It is) that you worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not see Him then He sees you.’ He (i.e. the stranger) said, ‘Then inform me about The Hour. (i.e. when is The Last Day?)’ He (i.e. The Prophet [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) said, ‘The one being asked is not more knowledgeable about it then the questioner.’

He (i.e. the stranger) said, ‘Then inform me about its signs.’ He (i.e. The Prophet [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) said, ‘that the slave woman gives birth to her mistress, and that you see the barefoot naked destitute shepherds competing with each other in constructing high buildings (i.e. to see who can builder a higher one). He (i.e. ‘Umar, the narrator of the hadeeth) said, ‘Then he (i.e. the stranger) departed so I remained for a while.

Then he (i.e. The Prophet ) said: ‘Oh ‘Umar do you know whom the questioner was?’ I said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘Verily it was Jibreel he came to teach you your religion.’

So I, the translator, mentioned this hadeeth because it clarifies what the basis of The Islamic Creed is, the creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah.

It is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Messengers (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon them), His Books, The Last Day, and Al-Qadar. So it is these six things that the sheikh began with in his book, following the same order mentioned in the hadeeth.

Also he deals with some of the other main beliefs of the people of The Sunnah. From those is the correct position concerning the status of the companions (may Allah be pleased with them) and the family of The Messenger of Allah and the meaning and the reality of Al-Imaan (faith) and the correct belief concerning the miracles of righteous people, as well as other topics.

The Sheikh has dealt with all of the topics in a short and concise manner such that it is easy for the beginning level student of Islamic knowledge to benefit greatly from this book and it is not to heavy on them. I occasionally put some translator’s comments or footnotes to facilitate the understanding of what is being translated. With that said I begin this task seeking the aid of Allah and His blessings by mentioning His Majestic name.
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The Correct Creed Concerning Allah’s Lordship

Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah believe that Allah is alone in His ability to create things and His ownership (of all things) and His control (over all things). Allah (high above is He) said, “Indeed your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days, and then He Istawaa (rose over) the Throne.

He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the stars subjected to His Command. Surely, His is the Creation and Commandment. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the 'Aalameen (i.e. mankind, jinn, and all that exists)!” (Surat Al-A’araaf, ayah 54)

nd Allah (high above is He) said, “To Allah belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills. He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He wills, and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He wills.” (Surat Ash-Shooraa, ayah 49)

And He (high above is He) said, “His is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, it is He Who gives life and causes death; and He is Able to do all things.” (Surat Al-Hadeed, ayah 2)

The Mushrikoon*(1) did not Dispute Concerning Allah’s Oneness in His Ruboobiyyah (Lordship)

And this aspect of At-Tawheed*(2) (i.e. oneness of Allah) is what is called “Ar-Ruboobiyyah” (i.e. Lordship). And it is that which is well grounded in the souls of men, no one from amongst mankind disputes concerning it whether Muslim or Kaafir (i.e. disbeliever).*(3) This is as Allah (high above is He) said, “And if you (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) ask them, ‘Who has created the heavens and the earth,’ they will certainly say, ‘Allah.’ Say, ‘Al Hamdu lillah (i.e. all the praises and thanks be to Allah!)’ But most of them know not.” (Surat Luqmaan, ayah 25)

And Allah (high above is He) also said concerning them (i.e. mankind), “And most of them do not have imaan (i.e. faith) in Allah except that they are Mushrikoon (i.e. ascribe partners to him along with their belief in Him).” (Surat Yusuf, ayah 106)

Mujaahid*(4), may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Their (i.e. the majority of mankind’s) imaan (faith) is their statement: ‘Allah is our Creator and He provides for us and causes us to die.’ So this (statement) is (a form of) imaan (faith) alongside their associating others with Him in their worship.”

The Belief of The Mushrikoon That Their Gods are Used as a Means of Seeking Nearness to Allah not That They Create or Provide.

So the Mushrikoon did not believe that their gods shared with Allah in (His action of) Creating. Rather they believed that this was (the action) of Allah alone, and that their gods were (merely) to be used as a means of seeking nearness to Allah and that they were to be taken as intercessors (on their behalf) to Allah. This is as Allah (high above is He) said, “Surely, the religion is for Allah only. And those who take awliyaa’ (i.e. protectors and helpers) besides Him (say), ‘We only worship them so that they will bring us near to Allah a nearness.’ Verily, Allah will judge between them concerning that which they differ about. Truly, Allah does not guide he who is a liar, and a disbeliever.” (Surat Az-Zumar, ayah 3)

And He (high above is He) said, “Say (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]): ‘Tell me or inform me (what) do you think about your (so-called) partner-gods whom you call upon besides Allah, show me, what they have created of the earth? Or have they any share in the heavens?’ Or have We given them a Book, so that they act on clear proof from it? No, the wrongdoers promise one another nothing but delusions.” (Surat Faatir, ayah 40)
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*(1)Literally mushrikoon means polytheists in Arabic. Here the sheikh is referring to those pagan idol worshippers who were the first people that Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) was sent to. [Translator]

*(2)At-Tawheed in the Arabic language literally means to make something one. At-Tawheed in the Islamic terminology is sometimes defined in the following manner: “To single out Allah for all worship.” This is a correct definition but it is not the most comprehensive definition. A more comprehensive definition would be the following: “To make ifraad of Allah (i.e. to declare or acknowledge or confirm his oneness or uniqueness) in all those things (i.e. rights, attributes, and actions) which are specifically His.” See Sheikh Ibn Al-‘Utheymeen’s explanation of the book Kashfush-Shubuhaat for a similar comprehensive definition. [Translator]

*(3)You may be wondering about the sheikh's statement that no one from mankind denies this aspect of At-Tawheed and say to yourself, “Rather there are atheists in our times that do not believe in a Creator.” The Scholars explained that these people’s rejection of the existence of a Creator is only out of obstinacy and arrogance. They outwardly claim to reject the existence of a Creator while deep down they are convincedabout His existence. Their rejection is like the rejection of Pharaoh and his followers with regards to The Lord of Moses (peace be upon him) and the signs from His Lord that he showed them. Allah said concerning Pharaoh and those with him in Surat An-Naml, “And they belied them (i.e. those signs) wrongfully and arrogantly, though their own selves were convinced thereof (i.e. that those signs are from Allah)...” See Kitaab At-Tawheed by Sheikh Saalih Aal-Fawzaan for the like of this explanation. [Translator]

*(4)He is Mujaahid Bin Jabr Al-Makkee, he learned explanation of The Qur’aan from the companion of The Messenger of Allah (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him), Ibn ‘Abbaas. He is from the foremost of the explainers of The Qur’aan from the Muslim nation. The Muslim scholar Adh-Dhahabee said at the end of a biography of Mujaahid, “The Ummah (Islamic nation) has unanimously agreed about the imaamah (i.e. leadership in his field) of Mujaahid and him (i.e. his statement) being used as evidence.” This short identification of Mujaahid is taken from a book by Sheikh Ibn Al-‘Utheymeen. [Translator]

And He (high above is He) said concerning the Mushrikoon (i.e. polytheist pagans) of Quraish, “And (they) said: ‘Are we going to abandon our aaliha (i.e. gods) for the sake of a mad poet?’” (Surat As-Saaffaat, ayah 36)

And Allah (high above is He) said concerning them, “Has he made the aaliha (gods) into One Ilaah (God - Allah). Verily, this is a strange thing.” Surat Saad, ayah 5.

And verily Allah confirmed this (aspect of) At-Tawheed (i.e. Tawheedur-Ruboobiyyah) to make it firm (in the minds of people), and to use it as evidence for the obligation of worshipping Allah alone (Tawheed Al-Uloohiyyah). This is because the oneness of Allah in His Ruboobiyyah (Lordship) necessitates that none (deserves) to be worshipped except Allah. And He (high above is He) said, “Oh mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those who were before you so that you may take precaution (from His punishment).” (Surat Al-Baqarah, ayah 21)

And He said, “He created you (all) from a single soul (Adam); then made from it it’s spouse [Hawwa' (Eve)]. And He has sent down for you of cattle eight pairs. He creates you in the wombs of your mothers, creation after creation (i.e. stage after stage) in three veils of darkness; such is Allah your Lord. His is the kingdom, Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He). How then are you turned away?” (Surat Az-Zumar, ayah 6)

And He (high above is He) said, “(It is a great Grace and Protection from Allah), for the taming of the Quraish, (And with all those Allah's Grace and Protections for their taming, We cause) the (Quraish) caravans to set forth safe in winter (to the south), and in summer (to the north without any fear). So let them worship the Lord of this House (i.e. the Ka'bah in Makkah). Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear.” (Surat Al-Quraish)

So He (high above is He) mentioned that He alone is their Creator and Provider and this is something they do not doubt concerning. And He made that a proof upon them for the obligation of devoting (all) worship solely to Him alone without ascribing partners to Him.

And He (high above is He) said, “Say (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]), ‘Al Hamdu lillah (i.e. all praise and thanks be to Allah), and peace be upon His slaves whom He has chosen (for His Message)! Is Allah better, or (all) that you ascribe as partners (to Him)?’ Is not He (better than your gods) Who created the heavens and the earth, and sends down for you water (rain) from the sky, whereby We cause to grow wonderful gardens full of beauty and delight? It is not in your ability to cause the growth of their trees. Is there any ilaah (god) with Allah? Nay, but they are a people who ascribe equals (to Him)! Is not He (better than your gods) Who has made the earth as a fixed abode, and has placed rivers in its midst, and has placed firm mountains therein, and has set a barrier between the two seas. Is there any ilaah (god) with Allah? Nay, but most of them do not know. Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him, and Who removes the evil, and makes you inheritors of the earth, generations after generations. Is there any ilaah (god) with Allah? Little is that you remember! Is not He (better than your gods) Who guides you in the darkness of the land and the sea, and Who sends the winds as heralds of glad tidings, going before His Mercy (rain)? Is there any ilaah (god) with Allah? High Exalted be Allah above all that they associate as partners (to Him)!” (Surat An-Naml, ayahs 59-63)

So in all of these ayaat (i.e. Qur’aanic verses) Allah (high above is He) criticizes the Mushrikoon (i.e. polytheists), those who affirm that He (high above is He) alone is The Creator of The Heavens and The Earth and that He alone is the one who causes benefit and harm, because this affirmation (i.e. their affirmation of His Lordship alone) will not benefit them since they have deified something else along with Him which they make du’aa to (i.e. invoke) just as they make du’aa to (i.e. invoke) Him.

And this (invoking false gods while affirming Allah’s oneness in His Lordship) is the very essence of contradiction, which opposes the legislation and the intellect. This is because the one who is unique in (the doing) of all these actions as far as creating and providing and causing life and death then it is right that He should (also) be singled out for all types of obedience (i.e. worship).

And that is why He (high above is He) rebuked them with His statement, “Is there any ilaah (i.e. being that truly deserves worship) with Allah?” And He (high above is He) didn’t say, “Is there any creator with Allah?” (This is) because they did not dispute concerning that (i.e. that Allah is the only Creator.)

And Allah (high above is He) clarified the invalidity of shirk in Ar-Ruboobiyyah (i.e. ascribing partners to him in His Lordship) because if that was the case then The Heavens and The Earth would fall into ruin. And this also is something grasped intuitively by the intellects. He (high above is He) said: “No son (or offspring or children) did Allah beget, nor is there any ilaah (god) along with Him; (if there had been many gods), behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, and some would have tried to overcome others! Glorified be Allah above all that they attribute to Him!” (Surat Al-Mu’minoon, ayah 91)

The Correct Creed Concerning Tawheed Al Asmaa’ Was- Sifaat*(5)

And from the totality of the creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah is that they attribute to Allah that which He attributed to Himself and that which His Messenger (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) attributed to him as far as the most beautiful names and the most high attributes. They do not go beyond The Qur’aan or the authentic narrations of The Messenger (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him).

They affirm the wordings of these (names and attributes) and they know what they mean in the Arabic language which The Qur’aan was sent in and they leave the (knowledge of the) modality of them to Allah (high above is He) because Allah alone knows it and he didn’t inform anyone from mankind about it.

So they approach this critical subject with established sharee’ah (i.e. Islamic law) principles. Whoever adheres to them (i.e. these principles) is saved from deviation.

Describing Allah With Those Attributes Which Occur in The Qur’aan and The Hadeeth

The first of these (principles) is to affirm that which Allah attributed to Himself or that which His Messenger (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) attributed to Him without adding or subtracting (anything).*(6) Because there is no one more knowledgeable about Allah than Himself, as Allah (high above is He) said, “…Do you know better or does Allah? And who is more unjust than he who conceals the testimony he has from Allah? And Allah is not unaware of what you do.” (Surat Al-Baqarah, Ayah 140)

And there is no one more knowledgeable about Allah after Allah than The Messenger of Allah (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him). He (high above is He) said: “Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is only an Inspiration that is inspired.” (Surat An-Najm, Ayahs 3-4)
*(7)

Allah (Majestic is His Majesty) Does Not Resemble The Creatures

The second (of these established sharee’ah principles) is the declaration that Allah is transcendent above resembling the creatures in His attributes. He (high above is He) said, “There is nothing like unto Him and He is The All-Hearing The All-Seeing.” (Surat Ash-Shooraa, ayah 11)

And He (high above is He) said: “And there is nothing equal to Him” (Surat Al-Ikhlaas, ayah 4)

No One Comprehends The Kayfiyyah*(8) of His Attributes (High Above is He)

The Third of these (principles) is not attempting to comprehend the kayfiyyah (i.e. the true nature) of His attributes. He (high above is He) said, “…and they will never encompass anything of His Knowledge.” (Surat Taa Haa, ayah 110)

And He (High above is He) said, “…Do you know of any who is similar to Him?” (Surat Maryam, ayah 65)

So from His attributes is that which He (high above is He) mentioned textually in His statement, “The Most Merciful, over The Throne He rose.” (Surat Taa Haa, ayah 5)

(And the like of this ayah is mentioned) in various places in The Qur’aan. So what is gained from it is the affirmation of Allah’s ascension over His Throne, a real ascension. We know its meaning but we are ignorant of its kayfiyyah (i.e. the true manner or method of this ascension.)

The Meaning of Istiwaa Over The Throne

So then its meaning is al-‘uluww (i.e. highness) and al- irtifaa’ (i.e. rising). This is (the meaning) that the Arabic language dictates. And Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah have agreed upon this meaning.

The Lack of Comprehension of The Kayfiyyah of Al-Istiwaa

As for the kayfiyyah (i.e. the manner or method) of this istiwaa (ascension) then no one knows it except Allah alone there is no partner for Him.

Mention of The Attributes of Hearing and Vision

And from those (attributes) also (are those affirmed) in His (high above is He) statement, “…Truly, Allah is Ever All-Hearer, All-Seer.” (Surat An Nisaa’, ayah 58)

So what is gained from the ayah and the like of it is the ascription of the attribute of hearing to Allah. And as-sama’ (i.e. hearing) in the Arabic language is to grasp sounds. So we attribute to Allah (high above is He) hearing by which He hears all noises, which does not resemble (the hearing of) the creatures of Allah. And we leave (the knowledge of) the kayfiyyah (i.e. the method or manner) of this (hearing) to Allah (high above is He). So we do not say (for instance), “How does He hear?” And we do not (even) delve into that (knowledge) because He (blessed and high above is He) did not inform us of this, rather He kept this knowledge to Himself (majestic and high is He).

The Meaning of The Attribute of Vision

And likewise (is our understanding of the attribute of) al-basr (i.e. vision.) It means to grasp those things that are seen. This is like what has been authentically reported in Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Abu Musa Al-Ash’aree (may Allah be pleased with him) that The Prophet (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said, “Verily Allah does not sleep and it is not befitting for Him to sleep. He lowers the scale and raises it. The deeds of the night are raised to Him before the deeds of the day, and the deeds of the day (are raised to Him) before the deeds of the night. His veil is light, if He were to remove it than the subuhaat (i.e. lights or majesty or splendor) of His face would burn all that His vision extends to of His creation (or everything that looked at Him would burn.)”*(9)

So we affirm for Allah vision that is real by which He (majestic is His Majesty) grasps all seen things. Except that we don’t know the kayfiyyah (i.e. method or manner) of this vision, but rather we know that which Allah has taught us in His statement: “There is nothing like unto Him and He is The All-Hearing, The All-Seeing.” (Surat Ash-Shooraa, ayah 11)

So these are examples of the manner (in which) Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah (deal with) the names of Allah (high above is He).
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*(5) Tawheedul Asmaa’ Was-Sifaat is to believe in Allah’s oneness in His Most Beautiful Names and Most High Attributes. The sheikh further explains the correct understanding of this branch of At-Tawheed in the text. [Translator]

*(6) This means we affirm all those attributes mentioned in The Qur’aan and The Sunnah without attributing any additional attributes to Allah that we did not find in these two sources of revelation and without subtracting or negating any attributes that are mentioned in them. [Translator]

*(7) This ayah makes the sheikh’s point clear. Allah is unseen; no one can claim to know about His attributes except He Himself or someone He has informed about some of His attributes. When The Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon) spoke about any aspect of The Religion or informed about anything from the unseen especially the attributes of Allah he did not speak from his own thoughts or philosophies rather it was all revelation that Allah revealed to him. That is why we take The Sunnah as an authentic source of information about Allah’s attributes. [Translator]

*(8) The word kayfiyyah in Arabic could be translated as the manner or method or nature or state of something. In other words how something actually is or how it occurs. [Translator]

*(9) The end of this hadeeth has two possible meanings as I have learned from reading its explanation in The Explanation of Sunan Ibn Majah by As-Sindee. I’m not sure which one of these two meanings is more correct; therefore I put both possible meanings for now. I must research this issue further in the future and revise the translation when I find which one is more correct, in shaa’ Allah. If the first meaning is more correct than that implies that the whole of creation would burn if Allah removed that which veiled Him from their sight, since Allah's vision extends to all things. What is apparent though, from the context, is that the author understood vision in the hadeeth to mean Allah’s vision and that is why he quoted this hadeeth in the section about Allah’s attribute of vision. And Allah is more knowledgable. [Translator]

The Correct Creed Concerning Tawheed Al-Ilaahiyyah*(10)

And from the totality of the creed of Ahlus-Sunnah is their singling out Allah alone for (all) worship. So they do not worship alongside Allah any other deity. Rather they direct all acts of obedience (i.e. devotion or worship), which Allah commanded, whether it is an obligation or a preferred act, to Allah alone with out any partners.

So they do not prostrate except to Allah and they do not circumambulate except for Allah around The Ancient House (i.e. The Ka’bah) and they do not sacrifice (animals) except for Allah and they do not make vows except to Allah and they do not take oaths (or swear) except by Allah and they do not make tawakkul (i.e. rely) except on Allah and they do not make du’aa to (i.e. invoke) except Allah. And this is Tawheed Al-Uloohiyyah.

He (high above is He) said, “And worship Allah (alone) and do not ascribe partners to Him.” (Surat An-Nisaa’, ayah 36)

And He said, “And your Lord (Oh Muhammad) has decreed that you worship none but Him.” (Surat Al-Israa’, ayah 23)

And He said, “And they were not ordered except to worship one god.” (Surat At-Tawbah, ayah 31)

And He said, “And they were not ordered except to worship Allah whilst devoting sincerely to Him their religion (i.e. their worship) and being Hunafaa’ (i.e. turning away from all other religions which oppose At-Tawheed.) and to establish the Salat and give the Zakat and that is the religion (of the nation) that is upright [see Tafseer Ibn Katheer and Tafseer As Sa’dee].” (Surat Al-Bayyinah, ayah 5)

And He said, “And I have not created The Jinn and Mankind except to worship Me.” (Surat Adh-Dhaariyaat, ayah 56). And the meaning of “worship Me” is “to single Me out for (all) worship.”

The Opposite of At-Tawheed is Ash-Shirk*(11)

And the opposite of this (i.e. At-Tawheed) is Ash-Shirk (i.e. to ascribe partners) to Allah, may Allah grant us refuge from it. And it is the greatest sin by which Allah is disobeyed. He (high above is He) said, “Verily Allah does not forgive that shirk is made with Him (i.e. that partners are ascribed to Him) but He forgives what is less than that for whomsoever He wills. And whoever does shirk (i.e. ascribes partners to Allah) then he has fabricated an enormous lie.” (Surat An-Nisaa’, ayah 48)

And He (high above is He) said, “Verily Allah does not forgive that shirk is made with Him (i.e. that partners are ascribed to Him) but He forgives what is less than that for whomsoever He wills. And whoever does shirk (i.e. ascribes partners to Him) then he has strayed far away.” Surat An-Nisaa’, ayah 116.

And He (high above is He) said, “Hunafaa' Lillah (i.e. worshipping none but Allah), not ascribing partners to Him and whoever ascribes partners to Allah, it is as if he has fallen from the sky, and the birds have snatched him, or the wind has blown him to a far off place.” (Surat Al-Hajj, ayah 31)

And He (high above is He) said, “And (mention) when Luqmaan said to his son whilst admonishing him, ‘Oh son do not ascribe partners to Allah. Verily Ash-Shirk (i.e. ascription of partners to Allah) is a great wrongdoing.’” (Surat Luqmaan, ayah 13)

And He (high above is He) clarified that Ash-Shirk nullifies the (good) deeds and is something that takes one out of the millah (i.e. nation) of Islam. Thus He (high above is He) said, “And if they committed shirk (i.e. ascribed partners to Allah) then that which they did (of good deeds) would have been invalidated.” (Surat Al-An’aam, ayah 88)
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*(10) Sometimes this category of At-Tawheed is referred to as Tawheed Al-Uloohiyyah or Tawheed Al-‘Ibaadah. All of these phrases meaning to single out Allah alone for all forms of worship. [Translator]

*(11) Ash-Shirk in Arabic literally means to have a share or portion in something. In the religious terminology Ash-Shirk is sometimes defined as worshipping others alongside Allah. This definition is correct but not comprehensive as it only identifies one aspect of Ash-Shirk. A more comprehensive definition of Ash-Shirk would be the following: “To proclaim other than Allah equal to Allah in something (i.e. an attribute, action, or right) that is exclusive to Allah.” See the Sheikh ‘Abdul ‘Azeez Ar Rayyis’s comments on the book Thalathatul-Usool for the like of this definition. In other words Ash-Shirk is to give to or attribute to something other than Allah a share or portion of something that exclusively belongs to Allah alone. [Translator]

And He (high above is He) said, “And it has been revealed to you (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) and to those before you (of The Prophets and Messengers [peace be upon them]) that if you were to commit shirk then your (good) deeds would certainly be invalidated and you would certainly be from the losers.” (Surat Az-Zumar, ayah 65)

And (it is reported) in the Saheeh of Muslim on the authority of Jaabir Ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah be pleased with him) that The Messenger of Allah (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever meets Allah having not been upon shirk (i.e. having not died in a state of shirk, which is to ascribe anything as a partner to Allah) will enter Heaven. And whoever meets Him having been upon shirk will enter The Fire.”

And (it is reported) in the Saheeh of Al-Bukhaaree on the authority of Ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) that The Messenger of Allah (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said, “Whoever dies whilst (being a person who) invokes a nidd (i.e. a false rival deity) other than Allah will enter The Fire.”
Who is The Mushrik?

Thus whoever directs some form from the (various) forms of worship to other than Allah, then he is a mushrik (i.e. polytheist) and a kaafir (i.e. disbeliever).

Ad-Du’aa is Not to Be Directed Except to Allah

And Ad-Du’aa (i.e. Supplication, invocation) is an act of worship that Allah ordered, thus whoever makes du’aa (i.e. supplicates or invokes) only to Allah then he is a muwahhid (i.e. monotheist). And whomever makes du’aa to (i.e. supplicates or invokes) other than Allah than he has committed shirk. He (high above is He) said, “And do not make du’aa to (i.e. supplicate or invoke) other than Allah that which does not benefit you nor harm you for if you were to do that then you would be from the wrongdoers.” (Surat Yunus, ayah 106)

And He (high above is He) said, “And whoever makes du’aa to (i.e. invokes or supplicates) other than Allah that which he has no proof for, then indeed his reckoning is with Allah, truly the disbelievers are not successful.” (Surat Al-Mu’minoon, ayah 117)

And He (high above is He) said, “And that indeed the masaajid (i.e. places of worship or prostration or limbs that are prostrated upon) are for Allah so do not make du’aa to (i.e. invoke or supplicate) along with Allah anyone (else). (It has been revealed to me that) When the slave of Allah (i.e. Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) stood up invoking (his Lord Allah) in prayer to Him, they (i.e. the jinn) just made round him a dense crowd as if sticking one over the other (in order to listen to the Prophet's [peace and commendations of Allah be upon him] recitation). Say (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]): ‘I make du’aa to (i.e. invoke or supplicate) only my Lord and I do not ascribe partners to Him.’” (Surat Al-Jinn, ayahs 18-20)

He (high above is He) said, “For Him (alone) is the Call of Truth (i.e. there is no true deity but He or none has the right to be worshipped but He). And those whom they (i.e. the polytheists and disbelievers) make du’aa to (i.e. invoke or supplicate) other than him do not answer them except like one who stretches forth his hand (at the edge of a deep well) for water to reach his mouth, but it does not reach him, and the du’aa (i.e. invocation or supplication) of the disbelievers is only in error (i.e. useless).” (Surat Ar-Ra’d, ayah 14)

And He (high above is He) said, “And those who they make du’aa to (i.e. invoke or supplicate) other than Allah do not create anything and they themselves are created. (They are) dead (and) lifeless and they do not know when they will be resurrected.” (Surat An-Nahl, ayah 20-21)

And He (high above is He) said, “And so do not make du’aa to (i.e. invoke or supplicate) another deity and thus be from those who are punished.” (Surat Ash-Shu’araa, ayah 213)

And He (high above is He) said, “He merges the night into the day, and He merges the day into the night. And He has subjected the sun and the moon, each runs its course for an appointed term. Such is Allah your Lord; His is the kingdom. And those, whom you make du’aa to (i.e. invoke or supplicate) other than Him, do not even own a Qitmeer (i.e. the thin membrane over the date stone). If you make du’aa to (i.e. invoke or supplicate) them, they do not hear your call, and even if they could hear, they would not grant it (i.e. your request) to you. And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worship of them. And none can inform you (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) like Him Who is The All-Knower.” (Surat Faatir, ayah 13-14)

And He (high above is He) said, “And if you (oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) were to ask them, ‘Who created The Heavens and The Earth?’ They would certainly say, ‘Allah.’ Say (to them oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]), ‘Have you not seen (the situation of) those things which you make du’aa to (i.e. invoke or supplicate) other than Allah? If Allah wanted some harm to come to me could they remove His harm or if Allah wanted some mercy for me could they stop His Mercy. Say, (oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) ‘Sufficient for me is Allah, on Him those who have tawakkul (i.e. reliance) rely.’” (Surat Az-Zumar, ayah 38)

And He (high above is He) said, “Say (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him] to these pagans): ‘Think (about) all that you make du’aa to (i.e. invoke or supplicate) besides Allah. Show me! What have they created of The Earth? Or do they have a share in (the creation of) the heavens? Bring me a Book (revealed before this), or some trace of knowledge (in support of your claims), if you are truthful!’ And who is more astray than one who makes du’aa to (i.e. invokes or supplicates) other than Allah, (to those) who will not answer him until the Day of Resurrection, and who are not (even) aware of their calls to them? And when mankind is gathered together (on the Day of Resurrection), they (i.e. those things which they invoked besides Allah) will become enemies to them and will make kufr (i.e. reject) of their worship.” (Surat Al-Ahqaaf, ayahs 4-6)

And it has been authentically reported in The Sunan on the authority of Nu’maan Ibn Basheer who said, “The Messenger of Allah (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Ad-Du’aa (i.e. invocation or supplication) is the worship.’”

The Dispute Between The Messengers (May Allah Bestow His peace and Commendations Upon Them) and Their People is Over This Type of At-Tawheed

And this type of At-Tawheed, Tawheed Al-Uloohiyyah, is where the dispute between The Messengers (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon them) and their people occurred.

The Messengers Were Sent for This Type of At-Tawheed

And it (Tawheed Al-Uloohiyyah) is what (messengers) were sent to clarify and propagate and what scriptures were revealed to confirm and elucidate and be taken as proof for.

As Allah (high above is He) said, “And We have sent out into every nation a messenger saying, ‘worship Allah and avoid the taaghoot (i.e. false deities or things worshipped besides Allah.)’” (Surat An-Nahl, ayah 36)

And He (high above is He) said, “And we have not sent down any messenger before you except that We revealed to him (saying) that laa ilaaha illaa anaa (i.e. there is no true deity but I or there is nothing that truly deserves to be worshipped but I), so worship Me.” (Surat Al-Anbiyaa’, ayah 25)

And He (high above is He) said, “He sends down the angels with inspiration of His Command to whomsoever of His slaves He pleases (saying), ‘Warn mankind that laa ilaaha illa anaa (i.e. there is no true deity but I or there is nothing that truly deserves to be worshipped but I), so fear Me.’”

And The Messengers (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon them) began with it (i.e. this type of At-Tawheed, Tawheedul Uloohiyyah) in their da’wah (i.e. calling) of their people to Allah. For every messenger would say to his people, “worship Allah you have no other ilaah (i.e. god) than him.” (Surat Al-‘Araaf, Ayahs 59, 65, 73, and 85) Noah and Hood and Shu’ayb and Saalih and every messenger said it, may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon them all.

And He (high above is He) said: “And Abraham when he said to his people, ‘Worship Allah and fear him, that is better for you if you only knew. Indeed you only worship besides Allah awthaan (i.e. idols or false deities) and you invent an enormous lie. Truly those who you worship besides Allah do not own any provisions for you, so seek sustenance from Allah and worship Him and thank Him. To Him you shall return (for judgment.)” (Surat Al-‘Ankaboot, ayahs 16 and 17)

And Allah (high above is He) said about His Prophet Joseph (peace be upon him), "Oh two companions of the prison! Are many different lords (gods) better or Allah, The One, The Irresistible? You do not (truly) worship besides Him anything but names, which you have named (i.e. names which you have just made up), you and your fathers, (that) for which Allah has not sent down any authority. The command (or the judgment) is for none but Allah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him, that is the (true) straight religion, but most of mankind do not know.” (Surat Yusuf, ayahs 39 and 40)

The Mushrikoon Have No Proof for Their Shirk

And The Mushrikoon (i.e. polytheists) have no support for their shirk (i.e. ascribing partners to Allah in worship and other aspects of His Oneness) not from sound logic nor from that which was conveyed from The Messengers (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon them).

Allah (high above is He) said: “And ask (oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) those who We sent before you of Our messengers if We had made other than Ar-Rahmaan (The Most-Merciful) deities to be worshipped.” (Surat Az-Zukhruf, ayah 45)

And the meaning of this is that there were no messengers that called to the worship of gods alongside Allah, rather all of them from the first of them to the last of them called to the worship of Allah alone without any partner.

And Allah pointed out a logical proof which invalidates the shirk (i.e. ascription of partners to Allah) of the Mushrikoon (i.e. polytheists); He (high above is He) said, “Say (to them oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]): ‘Have you not seen that which you worship besides Allah, show me what they have created from The Earth or do they have a share in The Heavens. Come to me with a book (revealed) before this or some trace of knowledge if you are truthful.” (Surat Al-Ahqaaf, Ayah 4)

So this is an undeniable logical proof for the fact that the worship of anything besides Allah is invalid. Because they (i.e. all these false deities) did not create anything nor did they assist in creating anything. Only Allah alone is solely the one who did (all) that. So why worship them then?*(12) Then Allah rejected that there is any proof for the Mushrikoon (i.e. polytheists), for what they do of shirk (i.e. ascription of partners to Allah), from the revealed scriptures or The Messengers that were sent (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon them). So it has become clear (by all this) that there is no proof at all for The Mushrikoon (i.e. polytheists) and thus they are from those who will dwell in The Fire eternally and what a wretched end.

And from what has preceded it is known that this type of At-Tawheed (i.e. Tahweedul Uloohiyyah) is the foremost of obligations (as far as learning and application of it) and it is the most important of important things and it is the religion which Allah does not accept other than it from anyone.
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*(12) Where is the logic in worshipping stones which are dead and lifeless that were carved by the hands of men or in worshipping men themselves, who do not have eternal life or unlimited power nor did they create anything of The Heavens or The Earth but rather they were themselves created and came from the wombs of women and needed food and drink and sleep to stay alive and then in the end they died and they can not hear your prayers? Rather worship The Ever-Living Self-Subsisting Creator of all, who brought you into existence and deserves all your thanks and praise for that and can hear all your prayers and is capable of answering them. [Translator]

The Correct Creed Concerning The Six Pillars of Imaan

And from the totality of the creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah is imaan (i.e. faith) in Allah and The Angels and The Revealed Scriptures and The Messengers (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon them) and The Resurrection after Death and Imaan (i.e. faith) in Al-Qadar (i.e. pre-decree of Allah).

So having imaan (i.e. faith) in Allah is to admit to His Ruboobiyyah (i.e. Lordship) and His Uloohiyyah (i.e. His right to be worshipped to the exclusion of all other things) and His Names and Attributes. And elucidation of this has preceded.

Belief in The Angels

And imaan (i.e. faith) in the angels is by believing in their existence
and what was mentioned to us of their names and their tasks. He (high above is He) said, “The Messenger believes in what was sent down to him and so do the believers. All of them believe in Allah and His Angels and His Books and His messengers…” (Surat Al-Baqarah, ayah 285)

And He (high above is He) said, “Righteousness is not that you turn your faces to the east or the west, rather righteousness is (the characteristic of) the one who believes in Allah and The Last Day and The Angels and The Book and The Prophets…” (Surat Al-Baqarah, ayah 177)

And (it is reported) in The Saheeh of Muslim from the long narration of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab in which Jibreel (peace be upon him) asked The Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) about Al-Imaan (i.e. faith), thus (in response) The Prophet (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said, “Al-Imaan (i.e. faith) is that you believe in Allah and His Angels and His Books and His Messengers and The Last Day and Al-Qadar (the pre-decree) the good of it and the bad of it.”

Description of The Angels

And Allah has described them in His Book in His statement, “To Him belongs whosoever is in The Heavens and on Earth. And those who are near Him (i.e. The Angels) are not too proud to worship Him, nor are they weary (of His worship). They (i.e. The Angels) glorify His Praises night and day, (and) they never slacken (to do so).” (Surat Al-Anbiyaa’, ayahs 19 and 20)

And He (high above is He) also said, “…Rather they are (but) honored slaves. They do not precede Him (Allah) in speech and they act (only) according to His command.” (Surat Al-Anbiyaa’, ayahs 26 and 27)

And He (high above is He) said, “Verily those who are with your Lord (i.e. The Angels) are not too proud to worship Him and they glorify Him and to Him they prostrate.” (Surat Al-‘Araaf, ayah 206) *(13)

The Angels Are Slaves of Allah

Hence they are slaves of Allah and creatures from His tremendous creatures; they do not deserve anything of worship.*(14) He (high above is He) said: “And on the day when He will gather them all together (and) then He will say to The Angels, “Was it you that these ones used to worship.” They will say, “Glory be to You, You are our walee (i.e. Lord) to the exclusion of them. Rather they used to worship The Jinn, most of them (i.e. these people) having believed them (i.e. the devils from The Jinn)” (Surat Saba’, ayah 40 and 41) *(15)

And He (high above is He) said, “Nor is it for him to order you to take The Angels or The Prophets as lords. Would he order you with disbelief after you were Muslims?” (Surat Aal-‘Imraan, ayah 80)

And in The Saheeh of Muslim (it is narrated) on the authority of ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) who said, “The Messenger of Allah (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said, ‘The Angels were created from light and The Jinn were Created “min maarijin min naar” (i.e. from a flame of smokeless fire)*(16) and Adam was created from that which has been described to you.’”

And (it is narrated) in The Saheeh of Al-Bukhari on the authority of Ibn Mas’ood (may Allah be pleased with him) that The Prophet (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) saw Gabriel (peace be upon him) and he had six hundred wings.

Their Ability to Change States

And Allah has made them able to change into beautiful forms, just as Gabriel (peace be upon him) appeared to Mary in the form of a man in all respects, and like they appeared to Abraham (may peace and commendations be upon him) when they stopped over by him as honored guests, and like when they came to Lot (peace be upon) in order to bring down the punishment upon his people, and (in occurrences) similar to these.
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*(13) This particular ayah (i.e. verse) is an ayah (i.e. verse) of prostration, which means it is legislated for the person reciting it to prostrate after finishing it. And from what it is legislated to say whilst in this prostration is (what means in English), “My face is prostrated to the one Who created it and made its hearing and sight by His Ability and Strength, therefore blessed is Allah the best of creators.” [Translator]

*(14) Though they are creatures whom Allah has given great power and superhuman ability and great physical stature, they still do not deserve to be worshipped, for they themselves are mere creatures of Allah who are in need of Him and are under His command and power and will and they are not able to do anything outside of His Will. If these great creatures still do not deserve our worship, than how much less worthy are mere men who have not been given the strength nor the ability nor the physical stature of them? [Translator]

*(15) The Angels will disavow themselves before Allah from those who used to worship them and they will say that it was The Jinn, meaning the devils from The Jinn, that these people truly used to worship. This is because when they claimed to worship The Angels they were actually worshipping the devils from The Jinn who used to whisper to them to worship other than Allah and they believed what these devils were telling them and complied with and obeyed these devils. See the explanation of Ibn Katheer and As-Sa’dee and Al Jalaalayn to gain this understanding of the verse. [Translator]

*(16) I translated this phrase in the hadeeth “min maarijin min naar” as “a flame of smokeless fire” due to the fact that this translation is in The Noble Qur’aan translation and also Tafseerul-Jalaalayn for the verse in The Qur’aan that has this phrase. There are other close explanations for what it means though. [Translator]

The Refutation of The Statement of The Mushrikoon That The Angels Are The Daughters of Allah

And Allah has refuted the statement of the Mushrikoon (i.e. Arab pagans) that The Angels are the daughters of Allah (high above is He). He is extremely far above all that the wrongdoers say about Him. Thus He, high above and holy is He, said (in response to this claim), “And they say, “The Most Merciful (Allah) has begotten a son (or children). Glory to Him! Rather they are (but) honored slaves. They do not precede Him in speech, and they act on His Command. He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede except for him with whom He (i.e. Allah) is pleased. And they stand in awe for fear of Him.” (Surat Al-Anbiyaa’, ayah 26-28)

“Now ask them (O Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]), ‘Are there (only) daughters for your Lord and sons for them?’ Or did We create The Angels females while they were witnesses? Truly, it is of their falsehood that they (Quraish pagans) say: ‘Allah has begotten offspring (i.e. angels are the daughters of Allah)?’ And, indeed, they are liars! Has He (then) chosen daughters rather than sons? What is the matter with you? How do you decide? Will you not then remember? Or is there for you a plain authority (i.e. a clear proof)? Then bring your Book if you are truthful!” (Surat As-Saaffaat, ayahs 149-157)

Then He (High Above is He) Also Said About The Angels...

“There is not one of us (angels) but has his known place (or position); and verily we (i.e. The Angels), we stand in rows (for the prayers), and verily we (i.e. The Angels), we are they who glorify (Allah's Praises).” (Surat As-Saaffaat, ayahs 164-166)

From them (the angels) is Jibreel (Gabriel), peace be upon him, who is entrusted with (bringing down) the revelation. He (high above is He) said: “Say (oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) whosoever is an enemy to Jibreel (Gabriel) then verily he is the one that brought it (The Qur’aan) down upon your heart by the permission of your Lord…” (Surat Al-Baqarah, ayah 97)

And The Prophet (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) saw him in “البطح” Al-Batah and he had 600 wings, the vastness of his physique having covered the horizon. Then also he saw him the night of ascension, in Heaven. Just as He (high above is He) said, “And indeed he (Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) saw him (Gabriel) at a second descent (i.e. another time). Near Sidratul-Muntahaa [the lote-tree of the utmost boundary (beyond which none can pass)], Near it is the Paradise of Abode.” (Surat An-Najm, ayahs 13-15)

And he did not see him in his (true) form except on these two occasions. As for all the other times (that he saw Gabriel), then (Gabriel came) in the form of a man, and mostly in the form (of a man named) D**** Al-Kalbee.

Allah (high above is He) said concerning Gabriel (peace be upon him), “Verily, this is the Word (this Qur'aan brought by) a most honorable messenger [Jibreel (Gabriel), from Allah to the Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him)], (he is a) possessor of strength (and a possessor of) high rank with the Lord of the Throne. (He is) obeyed (by the angels), trustworthy there (in the heavens). And (Oh people) your companion (Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) is not a madman. And indeed he (Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) saw him (Jibreel) in the clear horizon (towards the east).” (Surat At-Takweer, Ayahs 19-23)

Mikaa’il (Peace be Upon Him)

And from them (i.e. The Angels) is Mikaa’il (Micheal) who is entrusted with the raindrops and directing them to wherever Allah (mighty and majestic is He) orders him to. Imam Ahmed cited (a narration) on the authority of Anas (who mentioned) that The Prophet (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said to Jibreel (i.e. Gabriel), “Why do I not see Mikaa’il (i.e. Michael) laughing (smiling) ever? So he said, “Mikaa’il (i.e. Michael) has not laughed (smiled)*(17)since The Fire was created.”

Allah (high above is He) said: “Whoever is an enemy of Allah and His angels and messengers and Jibreel (i.e. Gabriel) and Mikaal (i.e. Michael) then indeed Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.” (Surat Al-Baqarah, Ayah 98)

Israafeel (Peace be Upon Him)

(And from the angels is) Israafeel, and he is the one who is entrusted with the soor (i.e. the horn). He will blow into it three times by the command of His Lord, mighty and majestic is He. (These three instances are), the blow that will strike terror into the hearts of the creatures*(18), the blow that will cause all the creatures to pass away except for whomsoever Allah wills to exempt*(19) , and the blow that will cause the creatures to arise in order to stand before their Lord*(20).

And these three angels are those who The Messenger of Allah (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) mentioned in his du’aa (i.e. invocation) in the night prayer, “Oh Allah, Lord of Jibreel (i.e. Gabriel) and Mikaa’il (i.e. Michael) and Israafeel, Creator of The Heavens and The Earth, Knower of the unseen and the visible; You judge between Your slaves concerning that which they used to dispute about. Guide me, by your permission, to (that which is correct) concerning that which was differed about of the truth. Indeed, You guide whomsoever You will to a straight path.” (Narrated by Muslim)

And (it is narrated) in The Sunan of An-Nasaa’i on the authority of ‘Aaishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said, “The Messenger of Allah (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Oh Allah, Lord of Jibraa’il (i.e. Gabriel) and Mikaa’il (i.e. Michael) and Lord of Israafeel, I seek refuge in You from the heat of The Fire and from the punishment of the grave.’”

And from them (i.e. The Angels) is Malakul Mawt (i.e. The Angel of Death). And He is the one who is entrusted with taking the souls (at the point of death). He (high above is He) said, “Say, ‘Malakul Mawt (i.e. The Angel of Death), who is set over you, will take your souls, then you shall be brought back to your Lord.’” (Suratas-Sajdah, ayah 11)

The Guardian Angels (Peace be Upon Them)

And from them (i.e. The Angels) are The Angels that are entrusted with guarding the children of Adam in all of their circumstances whether they are at their place of residence or traveling or sleeping or awake. He (high above is He) said, “It is the same (to Him) whether any of you conceal his speech or declare it openly, whether he be hid by night or go forth freely by day. For him (i.e. for each person), there are Mu’aqqibaat (angels in succession), before and behind him. They guard him by the Command of Allah. Verily! Allah will not change the condition of a people as long as they do not change what is within their selves. But when Allah wills a people's punishment, there can be no turning back of it, and they will find besides Him no protector.” (Surat Ar-Ra’d, ayah 10 and 11)

Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) said with regards to His (high above is He) statement “For him, there are Mu’aqqibaat”: “(They are) angels that guard him (i.e. a person) from in front of him and behind him, then if his qadar (i.e. whatever is pre-ordained for the person) comes they depart from him.”

The Noble Scribes (Peace be Upon Them)

And from them (i.e. The Angels) are the noble scribes. And they are those who write down the deeds of the slaves whether good or bad. He (high above is He) said, “And indeed there are watchers over you. (They are) kiraaman kaatibeen (i.e. noble ones who are writing). They know (all) that you do.” (Surat Al-Infitaar, ayahs 10-12.)

The Great Number of Angels (Peace be Upon Them)

And he (The Prophet Muhammad), may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him, informed, “Verily Al-Bayt Al-Ma’moor (i.e. name of a place of worship) in Heaven; 70,000 angels enter it…” And (it is reported) in another narration “(70,000 angels) pray in it each day, then they do not return to it; that is the last (time) for them (i.e. that is the last time they enter it).”

Whosoever Rejects the Existence of Angels Has Disbelieved

And whosoever rejects the existence of The Angels then he has disbelieved according to the consensus of the Muslims. He (high above is He) said, “O you who believe! Believe in Allah, and His Messenger (Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]), and the Book (the Qur'aan) which He has sent down to His Messenger, and the Scripture which He sent down to those before (him), and whosoever disbelieves in Allah and His Angels and His Books and His Messengers and the Last Day, then indeed he has strayed far away.” (Surat An-Nisaa’, ayah 136)
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17 From what I understand, the word used in Arabic in the hadeeth “dahika” could possibly linguistically refer to either laughing or smiling, which is why I put both meanings in the translation, as I’m not sure which one its referring to here. Allah is more knowledgeable. [Translator]
18 Nafkhatul faza’, نَفْخَة الفَزَع [Translator]
19 Nafkhatus-Sa’q, نَفْخَة الصَعْق [Translator]
20 Nafkhatul Qiyaam li Rabbil-‘Aalameen, نَفْخَة القيام لِربِّ العالمين [Translator]
* The Reader should be aware that there is a difference of opinion as to how many times the horn will be blown, the opinion that the author finds to be most correct is that it will be blown three times.

Belief in The Revealed Scriptures

And as for having imaan (i.e. faith) in the revealed scriptures, then indeed Allah (high above is He) revealed with every messenger a book. Just as He (high above is He) said, “Indeed We have sent Our messengers with clear proofs and We revealed with them The Scripture and The Balance (The Scale), so that mankind may maintain justice…” (Surat Al-Hadeed, ayah 25)

And He (high above is He) said, “Mankind was one community, then Allah sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings, and with them He sent The Scripture in truth to judge between people in matters wherein they differed. And only those to whom it (i.e. The Scripture) was given differed concerning it after clear proofs had come to them, because of hatred for each other. Then Allah, by His Leave, guided those who believed to the truth of that wherein they differed. And Allah guides whom He wills to a Straight Path.” (Surat Al-Baqarah, ayah 213)

So we believe in these scriptures and we know they are from Allah, and (we do this) in compliance with His (high above is he) statement: “Say (Oh Muslims), ‘We believe in Allah and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibraaheem (Abraham), Ismaa'eel (Ishmael), Ishaaq (Isaac), Ya'qoob (Jacob), and to Al-Asbaat [the twelve sons of Jacob], and that which has been given to Musa (Moses) and 'Iesaa (Jesus), and that which has been given to The Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him (Allah) we have submitted (in Islaam).’” (Surat Al-Baqarah, ayah 136)

And (in compliance with) His (high above is He) statement, “Oh you who believe! Believe in Allah, and His Messenger, and The Book (The Qur'aan), which He has sent down to His Messenger, and The Scripture, which He sent down to those before (him). And whosoever disbelieves in Allah and His Angels and His Books and His Messengers and The Last Day; then indeed he has strayed far away. (Surat An-Nisaa’, ayah 136)

And (in compliance with) His (high above is He) statement, “Say (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]), ‘I believe in whatsoever Allah sent down of scripture…’” (Surat Ash-Shooraa, ayah 15)

And He (high above is He) said, “Alif-Laam-Meem. [These letters are one of the miracles of The Qur'aan and none but Allah knows their meanings]. This is the Book (The Qur'aan), whereof there is no doubt, guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqoon (i.e. the pious). Those who believe in the unseen and perform As-Salat (i.e. the Islamic prayer), and spend out of what we have provided for them. And who believe in that which has been sent down to you (i.e. The Qur’aan and The Sunnah which were revealed to Prophet Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) and in that which was sent down before you (i.e. the previously revealed scriptures like The Torah and The Gospel, etc.) and they believe with certainty in The Afterlife.” (Surat Al-Baqarah, ayahs 1-4)

The Revealed Scriptures are from The Speech of Allah (High Above is He)

And we believe that these scriptures are from The Speech of Allah (mighty and majestic is He) not from the speech of other than Him, and we believe that Allah (high above is He) actually spoke them as He willed in the manner He desired.

So from them (i.e. the types of Speech of Allah) is that which is heard from behind a veil without an intermediary (i.e. without an Angel conveying it to the human messenger), just as Allah spoke directly to Musa (Moses) without an intermediary. Allah (high above is He) said, “And when Musa (Moses) came at the time and place appointed by Us, and his Lord spoke to him…” (Surat Al-A’araaf, ayah 143)

And He said, “He (Allah) said: "Oh Musa (Moses) I have chosen you above mankind by My Messages, and by My speaking (to you)…” (Surat Al-A’araaf, ayah 144)

And from them (i.e. the types of Speech of Allah) is that which Allah (high above is He) causes the Angelic messenger to hear and orders him to convey to the human messenger. He (high above is He), “It is not for any human being that Allah should speak to him unless (it be) by inspiration, or from behind a veil, or (that) He sends a messenger to reveal what He wills by His Leave. Verily, He is Most High, Most Wise.” (Surat Ash-Shooraa, ayah 51)

Believing in The Laws That Are in The Scriptures

Likewise faith in The Scriptures includes believing in what is in them of laws, and that complying with them (i.e. these scriptures) and ruling by what is in them was obligatory upon the nations that they were revealed to.

The Scriptures Confirm Each Other

And (likewise faith in The Scriptures includes) that (we believe) that these books confirm each other, they do not disprove each other.

Some of The Scriptures Abrogating Others is a Reality

And (likewise it includes) that (we believe) that the earlier scriptures abrogation of each other (i.e. the later scriptures abrogation of the previous ones) is true, just as some of the laws of The Torah were abrogated in The Injeel (Gospel). He (high above is He) said about ‘Iesaa (Jesus), may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him: “And I have come confirming that which was before me of The Torah, and to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden to you…” (Surat Aal-‘Imraan, ayah 50)

And just as The Qur’aan abrogated (all) that came before it of The Heavenly Scriptures. Allah (high above is He) said, “And We have sent down to you (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) the Book (i.e. the Qur'aan) in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it and Muhayminan*21 (i.e. a trustee, witness, or judge) over it (i.e. the old Scriptures)…” (Suratul Maa’idah, ayah 48)

And He (high above is He) said: “And it (i.e. The Qur’aan) is not but a reminder for Al-‘Aalameen*22 (i.e. all of Mankind and The Jinn).” (Surat Al-Qalam, ayah 52)

And faith in The Scriptures of Allah must be in a general manner where He mentioned (them) in general and in specific where he specified (them by name).
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*21 Ibn Katheer says in his explanation of this verse, “…For indeed the name Al-Muhaymin includes all of these, thus it is an ameen (i.e. trustee) and a shaahid (i.e. witness) and a haakim (i.e. judge) over every book that came before it. Allah made this Great Book which He sent down the last of The Books and the seal of them and the most comprehensive of them and the greatest of them and the most complete of them, because he gathered in it the good qualities of that which came before it (of The Heavenly Scriptures) and added to it attributes of perfection which are not in other than it…” [Translator]

*22 The Term Al-‘Aalameen literally means The Worlds, meaning all the various creatures of Allah whether they are humans, animals, angels, or jinn or any of Allah’s creatures. Here in this ayah the term Al-‘Aalameen is referring to the Jinn and Mankind since they are the ones who are held responsible for following this heavenly guidance. See Tafseer Al-Jalaalayn. [Translator]

The Names of The Scriptures of Allah

And Allah specifically mentioned the names of some of His Books. He mentioned The Torah, which was sent down to Musa (i.e. Moses) and The Injeel (i.e. Gospel) which was sent down to ‘Iesaa (i.e. Jesus) and The Zaboor which was sent down to Dawood (i.e. David) and The Qur’aan which was sent down to Muhammad and He (high above is He) mentioned the Scriptures of Abraham, may peace and commendations be upon them all.

So we believe in these Books in particular (i.e. by name). Likewise He (i.e. Allah) mentioned many books in a general way without naming any of them, so we believe in them in this general manner. He (high above is He) said, “Say (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]), ‘I believe in that which Allah sent down of scripture.’” (Surat Ash-Shooraa, ayah 15)

The Noble Qur’aan is The Last of The Scriptures

And The Noble Qur’aan, which Allah sent down to our Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him), is the last of The Heavenly Scriptures. There is no scripture (to be revealed) after it.

And it abrogates all the previous scriptures. It is general for both of The Thaqalaan, Jinn and Mankind. He (high above is He) said, “And it is not but a reminder for Al-‘Aalameen (i.e. The Jinn and Mankind).” (Surat Al-Qalam, ayah 52)

It encompasses all that the people need in their religion and in their worldly life. He (high above is He) said, “…This day, I have perfected your religion for you and completed My Favor upon you and I am pleased with Islaam for you as (your) religion. But as for him who is forced by severe hunger, with no inclination to sin (such can eat those previously mentioned meats), then surely, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surat Al-Maa’idah, ayah 3)

The Qur’aan is Inimitable*23

It is inimitable; no one is able to bring about the like of it. He (high above is He) said, “Say (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]): ‘If Mankind and The Jinn gathered together to produce the like of this Qur'aan, they could not produce the like of it, even if they helped each other.’” (Surat Al-Israa’, ayah 88)

He (high above is He) said, “Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it, (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise.” (Surat Fussilat, ayah 42)

The Qur’aan is Preserved

It is protected from anything being added to it or removed from it. He (high above is He) said, “Indeed We; it is We who sent down The Reminder (i.e. The Qur’aan) and indeed We will certainly guard it.” (Surat Al-Hijr, ayah 9)
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*23 The word in the Arabic text is mu’jiz. Which means it is something that is impossible to imitate.

Faith in The Messengers


And faith in The Messengers is by having firm belief that Allah sent into every nation a messenger calling them to worship only Allah without ascribing any partners to Him and to reject (the worship of) all that is worshipped besides Him.

And it is (to have firm belief) that all of them are truthful, trusted, righteous, rightly guided, honorable and obedient, pious, reliable, guides who are (themselves) well guided, and that they all conveyed the Messages of Allah.

And (it is to have firm belief) that Allah took Ibraaheem (i.e. Abraham) as a khaleel*24 (i.e. the closest type of friend) and that He (also) took Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) as a khaleel (i.e. the closest type of friend). *25 And that He spoke to Musa (i.e. Moses) directly. And He raised Idrees to a high place. And That ‘Iesaa (i.e. Jesus) is the slave of Allah and His Messenger and His Word*26 (i.e. Allah’s saying “Be!”) that He cast into Maryam (i.e. Mary) and a (created) spirit*27 from Him (i.e. from that which He created).

And (to believe) that Allah gave precedence to some over others and raised some in ranks over others. And (to believe) that Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) will be the sayyid (i.e. the best) of the Children of Adam on The Day of Judgment, and there is no boasting in this.

And (to believe) that their da’wah (i.e. what they called to) from the first of them to the last of them was the same in terms of the basis of the religion, and that is Tawheed of Allah (i.e. to declare and believe in Allah’s oneness), high above is He, in His Uloohiyyah (i.e. His right to be worshipped) and His Ruboobiyyah (i.e. His Lordship) and His Asmaa’ was-Sifaat (i.e. His names and attributes). *28

He (high above is He) said, “Verily the deen (i.e. religion) with Allah is Al-Islaam.” (Surat Aal ‘Imraan, ayah 18) *29

And He said, “And whosoever seeks other than Al-Islaam as a religion then it (i.e. this other religion) will not be accepted from him, and he in The Afterlife will be from the losers.” (Surat Aal ‘Imraan, ayah 85)

And He (high above is He) said about Nooh (i.e. Noah), “And I (i.e. Noah) was ordered to be from amongst the Muslims (i.e. those who submit to Allah’s will).” (Surat Yunus, ayah 72)

And He (high above is He) said about Musa (i.e. Moses), “And Musa (i.e. Moses) said: ‘Oh my people! If you have believed in Allah, then put your trust in Him if you are Muslims (i.e. those who submit to Allah's Will).” (Surat Yunus, ayah 84)

And He (high above is He) said about Sulaymaan (i.e. Solomon) in the words of Bilqees (i.e. The Queen of Sheba), “…My Lord! Indeed I have wronged myself and I have made Islaam (i.e. submitted myself) along with Sulaymaan (i.e. Solomon) to The Lord of Al-‘Aalameen (i.e. all of the creatures).” (Surat An-Naml, ayah 44)

And He (high above is He) said, “He (Allah) has ordained for you the same religion which He ordained for Nooh (i.e. Noah), and that which We have inspired in you (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]), and that which We ordained for Ibraaheem (i.e. Abraham), Musa (i.e. Moses) and 'Iesa (i.e. Jesus); (saying) that you should establish (perform) The Religion, and make no divisions in it (i.e. don’t split up into different sects). Intolerable for the Mushrikoon (i.e. polytheists) is that to which you (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) call them. Allah chooses for Himself whom He wills, and guides to Himself the one who turns to Him in repentance and in obedience.” (Surat Ash-Shooraa, ayah 13)
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*24 And proof for this is in ayah #4 of Surat Nisaa’. Imaam As-Sa’dee said in his explanation of the ayah: “And al-khullah is the highest type of love…but verily Allah took Ibraaheem as a khaleel (i.e. very close friend) because he carried out that which he was ordered to do and performed that which he was tested with, thus Allah made him an imaam (i.e. leader) for mankind and took him as a khaleel (i.e. very close friend) and caused him to be highly commended in Al-‘Aalameen (i.e. The Worlds).” [Translator]

*25 And proof that Allah took Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) as a khaleel (i.e. the closest type of friend) is in his statement which is conveyed in Saheeh Muslim: “If I were to take a khaleel from the inhabitants of the earth I would take Ibn Abee Qahaafah (i.e. Abu Bakr) as a khaleel but your companion (i.e. The Prophet [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) is the khaleel of Allah.

*26 His Word is “Kun!” (i.e. “Be!”), that is how Jesus (peace be upon him) came about. Allah said, “Be!” and it was. The Word itself didn’t become Jesus (peace upon him) rather it was by the word that he came into existence. See Tasfseer Ibn Katheer or Tafseer As-Sa’dee for ayah # 171 in Surat An-Nisaa’ for this explanation. [Translator]

*27 “Wa ruhun minhu” this phrase occurs in ayah #171 in Surat An-Nisaa’. It means: “And a spirit from Him”. “From Him” in this case means from what He (Allah) created. It does not mean physically from within Allah like Christians say. The usage of “From Him” to mean it is from what He created is also found in ayah # 13 of Suratul Jaathiyyah: “And He has subjected to you all that is in The Heavens and all that is in The Earth; all of it is from Him.” So “from Him” means that He created it and it is a great blessing and a great favor “from Him”. Please see Tafseer Ibn Katheer for this explanation. [Translator]

*28 Please refer back to the sections about the correct creed concerning Allah to gain further understanding of these three categories of At-Tawheed (i.e. declaration and belief in Allah’s oneness). [Translator]

*29 Here the author brings several ayaat (i.e. Qur’aanic verses) to show that they all called to the same creed, though they were sent to different people in different times and some of the laws that were given to them may have differed. The essence of their message was the same. They all called the people to Al-Islaam, the basis of which is to submit oneself in worship to The One True God only without ascribing partners to Him. [Translator]

The Number of Prophets and Messengers

And the number of messengers is 315. And the prophets are 124,000. This is confirmed in the narrations of The Messenger of Allah (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) from the narration of Abu Umaamah and Abu Dharr.

The Difference Between a Messenger and a Prophet

And the difference between a messenger and a prophet is*30 that the prophet is one who Allah reveals some information to and then he conveys this information that Allah revealed to him. Furthermore if he (i.e. this prophet) is sent to a people who oppose the command of Allah to convey to them a message from Allah then he is a messenger.

But as for the one (i.e. the prophet) who acts according to a sharee’ah (i.e. a code of law) of one who came before him and he himself was not sent out to anyone to convey to them a message from Allah, then he is a prophet and not a messenger.

Mujaahid (may Allah have mercy on him) said, “(One who is) a prophet only is the one who is spoken to and revelation is sent down to him and he is not sent out.” So based on this every messenger is a prophet and not every prophet is a messenger.

The Names of The Messengers and The Prophets

And Allah has mentioned a number of them; like Adam, Nooh, Idrees, Hud, Saalih, Ibraaheem (i.e. Abraham), Ismaa’eel (i.e. Ishmael), Ishaaq (i.e. Isaac), Ya’qoob (i.e. Jacob), Yusuf (i.e. Joseph), Lot, Shu’ayb, Yunus (i.e. Jonah), Musa (i.e. Moses), Haaroon (i.e. Aaron), Ilyaas (i.e. Elias), Zachariah, Y****a (i.e. John), Al-Yasa’, Dhul Kifl, Dawood (i.e. David), Sulaymaan (i.e. Solomon), Ayyoob (i.e. Job), and he mentioned the Asbaat in a general way (i.e. without mentioning all of their names), and ‘Iesaa (i.e. Jesus) and Muhammad, may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon them all.

And He (Allah) narrated to us that which is sufficient and that which has a lesson and an exhortation in it from their stories. (Allah said), “And Messengers We have mentioned to you before, and Messengers We have not mentioned to you, and to Musa (i.e. Moses) Allah spoke directly.” (Suratun-Nisaa’, ayah 164)

So we believe in all of them specifically where Allah specified (them by name), and in a general way where Allah mentioned (them) in general.

The Messengers and Prophets are Humans Whom Allah Honored With Prophethood and The Message

And we believe that all of the messengers and prophets are humans who are created and do not have any of the attributes of Ar-Ruboobiyyah (i.e. lordship). He (high above is He) said, “Say (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]), ‘Indeed I am not but a man like yourselves, it is revealed to me that your God is one God, so whoever wishes to meet his Lord then let him do righteous deeds and not worship others alongside his Lord.” (Surat Al-Kahf, ayah 110)

And He (high above is He) said, “Their Messengers said to them, ‘We are no more than bashar (i.e. human beings) like you, but Allah bestows His Grace upon whom He wills of His slaves. It is not for us to bring you an authority (proof) except by the Permission of Allah. And in Allah (alone) let the believers put their trust.’” (Surat Ibraaheem, ayah 11)

And He (high above is He) said, “And We never sent before you (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) any of the Messengers except that indeed they certainly ate food and walked in the markets. And We have made some of you as a trial for others: will you have patience? And your Lord is Ever All-Seer (of everything).” (Surat Al-Furqaan, ayah 20)

And He said, “Say (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]), ‘I don't tell you that with me are the treasures of Allah, nor (that) I know the unseen; nor do I tell you that I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me by inspiration.’ Say, ‘Are the blind and the one who sees equal? Will you not then think?” (Surat Al-An’aam, ayah 50)

And He said, “Say (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]), ‘I have no power to benefit or harm myself except as Allah wills. If I had the knowledge of the Ghaib (i.e. the unseen matters or the future), I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am only a warner and a bringer of glad tidings to people who believe.” (Surat Al-A’araaf, ayah 188)

The Messengers and Prophets are Slaves of Allah

And we believe that they are slaves from the slaves of Allah whom He honored with The Message. And He described them as having servitude [to Him when speaking about] their most dignified situations, and in the context of praising them. *31
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*30 The reader should be aware that the author’s explanation of the difference between a prophet and a messenger is one saying of the people of knowledge in regards to this subject and that there are different opinions. The opinion that the author conveyed is the one he found to be most correct. [Translator]

*31 An example of this that the scholars give is that when Allah spoke in Surah # 17 about The Night Journey of Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) saying, “Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allah) [above all that (evil) they associate with Him] Who took His slave for a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Haraam (i.e. The Mosque in Mecca) to the farthest mosque (in Jerusalem)…” Thus Allah in this ayah describes The Prophet (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) with servitude towards Him in this dignified occurrence as a way of commending him and honoring him because the best of praise that can be directed towards an ‘abd (i.e. slave or worshipper) of Allah is to be described as a true ‘abd (i.e. slave or worshipper) of Allah. [Translator]

OOur Prophet Muhammad (May The Peace and Commendations of Allah Be Upon Him) is The Seal of The Prophets

And we believe that Allah sealed (ended) The Messages with The Message of Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him). Thus He (Allah) sent him to all of the thaqalaan, Jinn and Mankind, as He (high above is He) said, “Say (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]), ‘Oh mankind indeed I am The Messenger of Allah to you all…” (Surat Al-A’araaf, ayah 158)

And He (high above is He) said, “And we have not sent you except as a mercy for Al-‘Aalameen (i.e. Mankind, Jinn, and all of the creatures).” (Surat Al-Anbiyaa’, ayah 107)

And He (high above is He) said, “And We have not sent you (Oh Muhammad [may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him]) except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind, but most of men know not.” (Surat Saba’, ayah 28)

And He (high above is He) informed (of the fact) that he took a pledge from The Prophets (peace be upon them) that if they were to reach the time of our Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) that they would follow him. And in this there is a clear proof that his (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) message is the seal of the messages and that it abrogates every message that came before it.

He (high above is He) said, “And when Allah took the Covenant of the Prophets, saying, ‘Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah (i.e. understanding of the Laws of Allah, etc.), and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger confirming what is with you; you must, then, believe in him and help him.’ Allah said, ‘Do you agree (to it) and will you take up My Covenant (which I conclude with you)?’ They said, ‘We agree.’ He said, ‘Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses (for this).’ Then whoever turns away after this, they are the Faasiqoon (i.e. rebellious, those who turn away from Allah's Obedience).” (Surat Aal ‘Imraan, ayahs 81-82)

The Messengers Conveyance of Glad Tidings About Our Prophet Muhammad (May The Peace and Commendations of Allah Be Upon All of Them)

And The Messengers (may The Peace and commendations of Allah be upon them all) conveyed the glad tidings of Muhammad’s (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) Message. He (high above is He) said, “And when 'Iesa (i.e. Jesus), son of Maryam (i.e. Mary), said, ‘Oh Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah to you confirming the Torah, which came before me, and giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name shall be Ahmed. But when he (i.e. this Messenger) came to them with clear proofs, they said, ‘This is plain magic.’” (Surat As-Saff, ayah 6)

And He (high above is He) said, “‘And ordain for us good in this world, and in the Hereafter. Certainly we have turned to You.’ He said, ‘(As to) My Punishment I afflict therewith whom I will and My Mercy embraces all things. That (Mercy) I shall ordain for those who are the Muttaqoon (i.e. pious), and give Zakat; and those who believe in Our Ayaat (i.e. proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs and revelations, etc.); Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who is Umiyy (i.e. can neither read nor write) whom they find written with them in the Torah and the Injeel (i.e. Gospel)…’” (Surat Al-A’araf, ayahs 156-157)

And in The Saheeh of Muslim (it is narrated) on the authority of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), he said, “The Messenger of Allah (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said, ‘By The One in whose Hand Muhammad’s soul is in, there is no one from this ummah*32 (i.e. nation) whether they be Jew or Christian who hears about me and then dies without having believed in me except that he will be from the companions of The Fire.”

Whoever Rejects The Message of Muhammad (May The Peace and Commendations of Allah Be Upon Him) Has Disbelieved

So whoever rejects the message of Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) then he has disbelieved in all of The Messengers, even The Messenger that he claims to believe in and follow. He (high above is He) said, “The people of Noah rejected The Messengers.” (Surat Ash-Shu’aaraa, ayah 105)

So He (Allah) declared them to be rejecters of all of The Messengers (may The Peace and commendations of Allah be upon them) despite the fact that no messenger preceded Noah.

Whoever Claims Prophethood After Muhammad (May The Peace and Commendations of Allah Be Upon Him)

And we believe that there is no prophet after Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him), thus whoever claims Prophethood after him has disbelieved. Allah (high above is He) said, “…But rather he is The Messenger of Allah and The Seal of The Prophets.” (Surat Al-Ahzaab, ayah 40)

And (it is narrated) in The Saheeh of Muslim on the authority of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that The Prophet (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said, “I have been preferred over The (other) Prophets in six (matters). I have been given jawaami’l kalim (i.e. concise speech that is filled with meaning), I have been aided by fright, the war booty has been made permissible for me, The Earth has been made a place of prayer and a means of (ritual) purification for me, I was sent to all of the creation, and The Prophets were sealed off with me.”

Whoever Rejects The Message of One of The Prophets or Messengers (May The Peace and Commendations of Allah Be Upon All of Them) has disbelieved

And whoever rejects the message of one of The Prophets or Messengers (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon all of them) has disbelieved. Allah (high above is He) said, “Verily, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and wish to make distinction between Allah and His Messengers (i.e. by believing in Allah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, ‘We believe in some but reject others,’ and wish to adopt a way in between; they are truly disbelievers. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating torment. And those who believe in Allah and His Messengers and make no distinction between any of them (i.e. The Messengers), We shall give them their rewards, and Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surat An-Nisaa’, ayahs 150-152)
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*32 The word Ummah means nation in Arabic. The Scholars of Islaam clarify that here, in this narration, it is referring to everyone that the Prophet Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) was sent to, which is everyone on the earth from his time until the Day of Judgment. This is called Ummat Ad-Da’wah, which means the nation whom The Message is propagated to. [Translator]

Faith in The Afterlife

And [from the creed of Ahlus-Sunnah is to have] faith in The Last Day, and it is The Day of Judgment and that which will occur on it of matters and horrifying things. And Ahlus-Sunnah are certain of this, as He (high above and exalted is He), “…And of The Afterlife they are certain.” (Surat Al-Baqarah, ayah 4)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “Allahu laa ilaaha illaa huwa (i.e. Allah, there is no [true] god or there is none that truly deserves to be worshipped but him). Certainly, He will gather you [all] together on The Day of Judgment of which there is no doubt. And who is more truthful than Allah in speech.” (Surat An-Nisaa’, ayah 87)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “…The Hour is surely coming, so overlook [Oh Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him)], their faults with gracious forgiveness.”*34 (Surat Al-Hijr, ayah 85)

Sheikh Ibn Al-‘Utheymeen On Life in The Grave*35

And [also] associated with faith in The Last Day is having faith in everything that will occur after death, like the trial of the grave: and it is the questioning of the deceased after his burial about his Lord and his religion and his prophet. Allah will make those who believe unwavering with the statement that stands firm; thus the one who believed will say, “My Lord is Allah and my religion is Al-Islaam and my prophet is Muhammad (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him).” And Allah will cause the wrongdoers to falter; thus the disbeliever will say (when asked these three questions), “Haah haah, I don’t know.” And the hypocrite or the one who had doubts will say, “I don’t know; I heard the people saying something so I said it.”

And like the punishment or bliss of the grave. As for the punishment of the grave then it is for the wrongdoers; the hypocrites and the disbelievers. *36 Allah (high above and exalted is He) said, “…And if you could only see when the wrongdoers are in the agonies of death, while the angels are stretching forth their hands (saying), ‘Deliver your souls! This day you shall be recompensed with the torment of degradation because of what you used to say against Allah other than the truth. And you used to reject His Ayaat (i.e. proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) with disdain!” (Surat Al-An’aam, ayah 93)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said concerning the people of Pharaoh, “The Fire; they are exposed to it, morning and evening, and on the Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels): ‘Cause Pharaoh’s people to enter the severest torment!’” (Surat Ghaafir, ayah 46)

And [it is narrated] in Saheeh Muslim from the narration of Zayd Ibn Thaabit that The Prophet (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said, “…If it wasn’t for the fact that you wouldn’t bury each other I would have prayed to Allah to let you hear from the punishment of the grave that which I hear.” (Zayd said) then he turned his face towards [us] saying, “Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of The Fire.” They said, “We seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of The Fire.” He said, “Seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave.” They said, “We seek refuge in Allah from the punishment of the grave.” He said, “Seek refuge in Allah from fitan (i.e. trials) that which is apparent of them and that which is not apparent.” They said, “We seek refuge in Allah from fitan (i.e. trials) that which is apparent of them and that which not apparent.” He said, “Seek refuge in Allah from the trial of The Dajjaal (i.e. The Anti-Christ).” They said, “We seek refuge in Allah from the trial of The Dajjaal (i.e. The Anti-Christ).”

As for the bliss of the grave then it is for the true believers. Allah (high above and exalted is He) said, “Verily those who say, ‘Our Lord is Allah’, and then they have istiqaamah (i.e. remain firm on The Straight Path), on them the angels will descend (at the time of their death) (saying): ‘Fear not, nor grieve! But receive the glad tidings of Heaven, which you have been promised!’” (Surat Fussilat, ayah 30)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “Then why do you not (intervene) when (the soul of a dying person) reaches the throat? And you at the moment are looking on. But We (with Our angels and Our Knowledge) *37 are nearer to him than you, but you see not. Then why don’t you, if you are exempt from the reckoning and recompense, bring back the soul (to its body), if you are truthful? Then, if he (i.e. the dying person) is of the Muqarraboon (i.e. those brought near to Allah), (There is for him) rest and provision, and a Garden of Bliss (Heaven).” (Surat Al-Waaqi’ah, ayahs 83-89) To the end of what Allah said in this surah.

And it is narrated on the authority of Al-Baraa’ Ibn ‘Aazib (may Allah be pleased with him) that The Prophet (may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him) said concerning the situation of the believer when he answers the two angels (that come to him) in his grave, “A caller will call out from the sky saying, ‘My slave has spoken the truth so furnish him from Al-Jennah (i.e. Heaven) and clothe him from Al-Jennah (i.e. Heaven) and open up for him a door to Al-Jennah (i.e. Heaven).” He [then] said, “So some of its (i.e. Heaven’s) breeze and fragrance will come to him and his grave will be expanded for him to as far as his vision extends.” This is part of a longer narration which Ahmed and Abu Dawood narrated. *38
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34 This particular ayah was revealed before the ordainment of Jihaad (i.e. fighting in Allah’s cause). See the books of Tafseer (i.e. Explanation of The Qur’aan) for further explanation. [Translator]

35 The following section is not from the original author. I added this section from a book by Sheikh Ibn Al-‘Utheymeen whose title translates as: Explanation of The Fundamentals of Faith. The author did not speak about the subject of life in the grave, which I thought was very important to speak about, so I added this section. [Translator]

36 And some of the sinful people who were believers may receive this punishment as well. May Allah protect us from it. [Translator]

37 See Tafseer As-Sa’dee for this explanation. [Translator]

38 This is the end of what Sheikh Ibn Al-‘Utheymeen said about life in the grave in the Explanation of The Fundamentals of Faith. [Translator]

The Resurrection

And also a part of this (i.e. faith in The Afterlife) is having faith in al-ba’th (i.e. The Resurrection), which is the bringing to life of the dead (for The Day of Judgment). Allah (high above and exalted is He) said, “And the Trumpet will be blown, and all who are in the heavens and all who are on the earth will swoon away, except whomsoever Allah wills. Then it will blown a second time and behold, they will be standing, looking on (waiting).” (Surat Az-Zumar, ayah 68)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “…Just as We started the first creation, We shall repeat it, [it is] a promise binding upon Us. Truly, We shall do it.” (Surat Al-Anbiyaa’, ayah 104)

The Records of Deeds

And faith in the Records of deeds [is also part of faith in The Afterlife]. They will either be given [to people] in their rights or from behind their backs in their left hands.

Allah (high above and exalted is He) said, “The Reality (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)! What is the Reality? And what will make you know what the Reality is? Thamud and 'Ad people denied the Qaari'ah (i.e. the striking Hour of Judgment)! As for Thamud, they were destroyed by the awful cry! And as for 'Ad, they were destroyed by a furious violent wind; which Allah imposed on them for seven nights and eight days in succession, so that you could see men lying overthrown (destroyed), as if they were hollow trunks of date-palms! Do you see any remnants of them? And Pharaoh, and those before him, and the cities overthrown (i.e. the towns of the people of Lot) committed sin, and they disobeyed their Lord's Messenger, so He punished them with a strong punishment. Verily! When the water rose beyond its limits (i.e. the flood that occurred in Noah’s time), We carried you (mankind) in the floating [ship]. That We might make it a reminder for you, and the keen ear may (hear and) understand it. Then when the Trumpet will be blown with one blowing (the first one) and the earth and the mountains shall be removed from their places and crushed with a single crushing; then on that Day the (Great) Event will occur. And the heaven will split asunder, for that Day it (the heaven) will be frail (weak) and torn up. And the angels will be on its sides, and eight angels will, that Day, bear the Throne of your Lord above them. That Day shall you be brought to Judgment, not a secret of yours will be hidden. Then as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand, then he will say, ‘Take, read my Record! Surely, I did believe that I would meet my reckoning!’ So he will be in a life well pleasing, in a lofty garden, the Qutoof (i.e. fruits that are picked) of which will be low and near at hand (i.e. easy to pick). Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days past! But as for him who will be given his Record in his left hand, then he will say, ‘I wish that I had not been given my Record and that I had never known, how my account is? I wish that it were the end (death)! My wealth has not availed me. My power and arguments (to defend myself) have gone from me! (It will be said): "Seize him and fetter him, then throw him in the blazing Fire, then fasten him with a chain the length of which is seventy cubits! Verily, He used to not believe in Allah, the Most Great. And he did not encourage the feeding of Al-Miskeen (i.e. the poor). So no friend has he here this Day, nor any food except filth from the washing of wounds. None will eat it except the Khaati’oon (i.e. sinners, disbelievers, polytheists, etc.).”

The Scales

And faith in the scales [is also part of faith in The Afterlife]. They will be set up on The Day of Judgment and no soul will be wronged in the least. Allah (high above and exalted is He) said, “Then those whose scales (of good deeds) are heavy, these, they are the successful.” (Surat Al-Mu’minoon, ayah 102)

The Intercession

And belief in the intercession, which will occur at that time, is of different types:

1) The Greatest Intercession- This is something specifically for The Prophet Muhammad (may The Peace and Commendations of Allah be upon him) to do, and it is when the people ask him to plead [to Allah] on their behalf that He (i.e. Allah) judges between them (because they are waiting in frightening and difficult circumstances and they want it to be over).

2) The Intercession for the Gate of Heaven to be opened for its people- this is something specifically for The Prophet [Muhammad], may the peace and commendations of Allah be upon him, to do.

3) The Intercession to lighten the punishment upon those who deserve it- This is something specifically for The Prophet (may The Peace and Commendations of Allah be upon him) to do, and it is when he will plead on behalf of his uncle Abu Taalib that the punishment upon him in Hell-fire be lightened, and this a recompense for the fact that he (i.e. Abu Taalib) used to protect him and become angry for his (may The Peace and Commendations of Allah be upon him) sake.

4) The intercession to raise the ranks of people in Al-Jennah (Heaven)- It is said that this something specifically for The Prophet (may The Peace and Commendations of Allah be upon him) to do, and it is [also] said that this is not specific to him (may The Peace and Commendations of Allah be upon him).

5) Intercession on behalf of those who committed major sins- this [intercession] is on behalf of the sinners from the Muwahhidoon (i.e. those who believed in the true monotheism of Al-Islaam), those who entered The Fire due to their sins, that they be removed from it. The Messenger of Allah (may The Peace and Commendations of Allah be upon him) and other than him from The Messengers (peace be upon them all), (as well as) The Angels, the righteous, and the martyrs will intercede for that. And The Qur’aan and fasting will be intercessors for their companions on The Day of Judgment. Likewise the children of the believers will be intercessors for their parents.

The Pool

And (from faith in The Afterlife) is faith in Al-Hawd (i.e. The Pool); the pool of our prophet Muhammad (may The Peace and Commendations of Allah be upon him). Its water is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey and more fragrant than the smell of musk. Whoever takes one drink from it will never be thirsty after that.


The Bridge

And (from faith in The Afterlife) is faith in As-Siraat (i.e. The Bridge), which is erected over the center of Jahannam (i.e. Hell). People will pass over it according to their deeds, so the first of them (i.e. the fastest of them) will pass over it like lightning, then (there are those who will) pass over it like wind, then (there are those who will) pass over it like a bird. All the while The Prophet (may The Peace and Commendations of Allah be upon him) is calling out saying, “My Lord! My Lord! Save! Save!” Until the deeds of the slaves would be failing in strength to the point where there will come a man who will not be able to move (across The Bridge) except crawling. On the two sides of the bridge there are hooks that are attached, they are ordered to take (certain people). So there will be those who are injured and cut but safe and those who are cast into The Fire.

And we believe in everything that is in The Qur’aan and The Sunnah about that day’s events and horrors; may Allah aid us on that day.

Faith in Predestination and The Execution of Allah’s Will

It is to have firm belief that Allah pre-ordained the maqaadeer (i.e. quantities, proportions, measures, numbers, descriptions, lifespan) of His creatures, and that whatever Allah willed occurs, and whatever he did not will, does not come about. Allah (high above and exalted is He) said, “Verily We have created everything with a qadar (i.e. divine preordainment)” (Surat Al-Qamr, ayah 49)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “And The Command of Allah is a decree determined.” (Surat Al-Ahzaab, ayah 38)

The Aspects of Predestination are four

1) The Knowledge of Allah- We believe that Allah (high above and exalted is He) knows all things. He knew what would be and how it would be in His eternal everlasting knowledge (which has no beginning or end), so no new knowledge comes to Him after ignorance nor does forgetfulness overtake Him after knowledge. *39

2) The Writing- And we believe that Allah wrote everything that will happen until The Day of Judgment in Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooth (i.e. The Preserved Tablet). He (high above and exalted is He) said, “Don’t you know that Allah knows all that is in the heaven and the earth, verily it is all in a book, verily that is easy for Allah.” (Surat Al-Hajj, ayah 70)

He (high above and exalted is He) said, “He (i.e. Pharaoh) said, ‘What about the generations of old?’ He (i.e. Moses) said, ‘The knowledge thereof is with my Lord in a book, my Lord does not err nor does he forget.’” (Surat Taa Haa, ayahs 51-52)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “And We have taken account of all things in a clear book.” (Surat Yaa Seen, ayah 12)

The Azalee (i.e. eternal) Preordainment, which took place before the creation of the heavens and the earth, enters under this (aspect of predestination). He (high above and exalted is He) said: “Say [Oh Muhammad (may The Peace and Commendations of Allah be upon him)]: ‘Nothing will happen to us except that which Allah has written for us.’” (Surat At-Tawbah, ayah 51)

And (also) the writing of the covenant on the day of “Am I not your Lord?” He (high above and exalted is He) said, “And when your Lord brought forth from the children of Adam, from their loins, their offspring (or from Adam’s loins his offspring) and made them testify as to themselves saying (to them), ‘Am I not your Lord?’ They said, “Yes, we testify.” (Surat Al-A’araaf, ayah 172)

And (also) The Lifetime Preordainment, when the nutfah (i.e. the mixed male and female sexual fluids) takes form and the angel is sent to blow the spirit into the mudghah (i.e. the embryo) and he (i.e. the angel) is commanded to write four (things about the person who is being formed); their provisions, their lifespan, their deeds, and wether they will be wretched or happy. And (also) The Yearly Preordainment, which takes place in Laylatul-Qadr, Allah (high above and exalted is He) said, “Therein (that night) is decreed every matter of ordainments.” (Surat Ad-Dukhaan, ayah 4)

Ibn ‘Abbaas said, “That which will occur in the (coming) year of death and life and provisions and rain is written from ummul-kitaab (i.e. The Mother of The Book, The Preserved Tablet) in Laylatul-Qadr; even those who will make Al-Hajj (that year), it is said so and so will make Al-Hajj and such and such will make Al-Hajj.”

And The Daily Preordainment (enters under this aspect), Allah (high above and exalted is He) said, “Every day He has a matter to bring forth.” (Surat Ar-Rahmaan, ayah 29)

So The Daily Preordainment is a part of The Yearly Preordainment, and The Yearly Preordainment is a part of The Lifetime Preordainment that takes place when the nutfah (i.e. the mixed male and female sexual fluids) takes form, and (that) Lifetime Preordainment is a part of the first Lifetime Preordainment, which took place The Day of The Covenant, and that is a part of The Azalee Preordainment, which The Pen wrote in Al-Imaam Al-Mubeen (i.e. The Clear Book, The Preserved Tablet), and Al-Imaam Al-Mubeen (i.e. The Clear Book, The Preserved Tablet) is (from) the knowledge of Allah (mighty and majestic is He). Likewise, in the end, the knowledge of the matters that are pre-ordained is with Allah. So the first things that were preordained are in His Eternal [Knowledge] (which has no beginning) and the last things that are preordained are in His Everlasting [Knowledge] (which has no end). “And that to your Lord (Allah) is the End (Return of everything).” (Surat An-Najm, ayah 42)

3) The Will of Allah- So we believe that Allah decreed everything that is in The Heavens and The Earth and there is nothing that exists except by His Will. Whatever He wills comes into existence and whatever He did not will does not come about. He (high above and exalted is He) said, “Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says to it, ‘Be!’ and it is!” (Surat Yaa Seen, ayah 82)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “…If Allah had willed, they would not have fought against one another…” (Surat Al-Baqarah, ayah 253)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “…And had Allah willed, He could have gathered them (all) together upon guidance…” (Surat Al-An’aam, ayah 35)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely have made mankind one Ummah [nation or community (following one religion only, Al- Islaam)], but they will not cease to disagree,” (Surat Hud, ayah 118)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “And if We had willed, surely! We would have given every person his guidance, but the Word from Me took effect…” (Surat As-Sajdah, ayah 13)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “…Allah is not such that anything in the heavens or in the earth escapes Him…” (Surat Faatir, ayah 44)

4) The Aspect of Creation- So He (high above and exalted is He) creates every doer and the deeds he does, and every thing that moves and its movement, and everything that is still and its stillness. He (high above and exalted is He) said, “While Allah has created you and what you make!” (Surat As-Saaffaat, ayah 96)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Wakeel (i.e. Trustee, Disposer of affairs, Guardian, etc.) over all things.” (Surat Az-Zumar, ayah 62)

The Actions of The Slaves

And we believe along with (all) that (preceded), that the slaves have ability to do their deeds and they have volition and will. And Allah (high above and exalted is He) is their Creator and the Creator of their wills and abilities and statements and actions. And the statements and deeds, which come from them, are attributed to them in reality, and they will be rewarded or punished for them. And they are not able to do except that which Allah made them able to do, and they cannot will anything unless Allah (high above and exalted is He) willed it. He (high above and exalted is He) said, “Verily! This (i.e. these verses of Al-Qur’aan) is an admonition, so whosoever wills, let him take a Path to his Lord (Allah). But you cannot will, unless Allah wills. Verily, Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All Wise.” (Surat Al-Insaan, ayahs 29-30)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “Verily, this (i.e. The Qur'ân) is no less than a Reminder to (all) the 'Aalameen (i.e. mankind and jinns). To whomsoever among you who wills to walk straight, and you will not, unless (it be) that Allah wills, the Lord of the 'Aalameen (i.e. mankind, jinns and all that exists).” (Surat At-Takweer, ayahs 27-29)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “Allah does not burden a soul (i.e. a person) beyond its ability. It gets reward for that (good) which it has earned, and it is punished for that (evil) which it has earned…” (Surat Al-Baqarah, ayah 286)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “This is the Paradise which you have been made to inherit because of what you used to do.” (Surat Az-Zukhruf, ayah 72) Meaning: because of the action (deeds) you used to do.

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “…And taste the everlasting punishment because of what you used to do.” (Surat As-Sajdah, ayah 14)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “So whosoever does good equal to the weight of a dharrah (i.e. the smallest ant), shall see it. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of a dharrah (i.e. the smallest ant), shall see it.” (Surat Az-Zalzalah, ayahs 7-8)

Preordainment should not Prohibit One From Taking the Means nor Does it Obligate Neglecting Them

And we believe that preordainment should not prohibit one from taking the means and does not obligate neglecting them. That is why when The Prophet (may peace and commendations be upon him) informed his companions about (the fact that) matters are preordained and they will occur and the drying up of The Pen, it was said to him, “Shall we not then be reliant on what is written for us and leave off work (i.e. taking the means)?” He said, “No! Work, for verily it is made easy for everyone (to do that which they were created for).” Then he (may peace and commendations be upon him) recited, “As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, and believes in Al-Husna*40 (i.e. The Best), We will make smooth for him the path of ease (i.e. goodness). But he who is miserly and thinks himself self-sufficient, and rejects Al-Husna*41 (i.e. The Best); We will make smooth for him the path of difficulty (i.e. evil).” (Surat Al-Layl, ayahs 5-10)

Thus the preordained matters have means that lead to them; so just as getting married is the means for (the attainment of) children and tilling is a reason for the presence of crops, then also good deeds are a means to enter Heaven and bad deed are a means to enter Hell.

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39) To rephrase this sentence, which might seem complicated to understand for some: Allah’s knowledge is not gained by learning; He always had knowledge of all things. He was never ignorant or unaware of anything and He never forgets anything.

40) As-Sa’dee says in his explanation of this ayah, “Meaning: the one who believes in [the statement] laa ilaaha illa Allah (i.e. There is no true deity except Allah or none has the right to be worshipped except Allah) and all that it indicates of all the beliefs of the religion and that which results from them of compensation in The Afterlife.”

41) As-Sa’dee says in his explanation of this ayah, “Meaning: (the one who rejects) what Allah obligated the slaves to believe in of good beliefs.” [Translator]

The Correct Creed Concerning The Status of Those Who Fall Into Major Sins

And from the totality of the creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah is that none of the sins, other than Ash-Shirk (i.e. ascribing partners to Allah), remove the Muslim from the religion of Al-Islaam (i.e. cause him to be a disbeliever); except if he regards these (sins) as halaal (i.e. lawful or permissible to do) whether he does it (i.e. the sin) while believing it to be halaal (i.e. lawful or permissible to do) or he believes it to be halaal (i.e. lawful or permissible to do) but does not do it, this is because (if he deemed it lawful) he would be rejecting The Book (i.e. The Qur’aan) and The Messenger (may peace and commendations be upon him), and this is disbelief in The Book (i.e. The Qur’aan) and The Sunnah and the consensus.

And no sin that is less than Ash-Shirk (i.e. ascription of partners to Allah) will cause its doer to dwell eternally in the fire of Hell, as Allah says, “Verily Allah does not forgive that partners are ascribed to Him (i.e. Ash-Shirk) and he forgives whatever is less than that for whomsoever He wills…” (Surat An-Nisaa’, ayah 48)

So this ayah states that the person of sins is left to the will of Allah (majestic and high above is He), if He (high above and exalted is He) wills He may pardon him by His graciousness and generosity and if He wills He may enter him into The Fire (for a time that is) in accordance with the amount of his sins, so that He (Allah) will purify him by it. Then He will take him out of it due to his Tawheed (i.e. due to the person’s belief in the oneness of Allah).

The One Who Commits Major Sins is Deficient in Imaan

And Allah mentioned some of the major sins like murder and transgression in His Book (i.e. The Qur’aan) and confirmed that those who do them (can still) have Imaan (i.e. Faith).*44 So they are believers because of their Imaan (i.e. Faith) and faasiqoon (i.e. those who leave obedience, very sinful people) due to their disobedience. He (high above and exalted is He) said, “O you who believe! Al-Qisaas (i.e. the Law of Equality in punishment) is prescribed for you in case of murder: the free for the free, the slave for the slave, and the female for the female. But if the killer is forgiven by the brother (or the relatives, etc.) of the killed against blood money, then adhering to it with fairness and payment of the blood money, to the heir should be made in fairness…” (Surat Al-Baqarah, ayah 178)

So He (high above and exalted is He) confirmed that both the killer and the killed from the believers have Imaan (i.e. Faith), and He confirmed for them both the brotherhood of Al-Imaan (i.e. Faith).

A Person Can be called a Faasiq and a Muslim Without Contradiction

And there is no contradiction between deeming a deed to be Fisq*45 (i.e. leaving obedience) and its doer (i.e. and deeming its doer a person of fisq) and calling them a Muslim and applying the rules that apply to Muslims on them. And the story of ‘Abdullah Himaar, related by Al-Bukhaaree in his Saheeh, clarifies this to the utmost extent; this is due to the fact that ‘Abdullah Himaar drank some alcohol, so then he was taken to The Prophet (may The Peace and Commendations of Allah be upon him), whereupon one of The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them all) said, “may Allah curse him! How often he is brought!” So then The Prophet (may The Peace and Commendations of Allah be upon him) said, “Do not curse him, for verily he loves Allah and His Messenger (may peace and commendations be upon him).” So he (‘Abdullah Himaar) did not exit Al-Islaam just because of this major sin he did, rather he (The Prophet, may The Peace and Commendations of Allah be upon him,) affirmed that he (‘Abdullah) had Al-Imaan (i.e. Faith) despite the fact that he fell into this major sin.

The Categories of Al-Kufr and Ash-Shirk

And the clarification of this (categorization) is that each of the (following) terms, Al-Kufr (i.e. disbelief), Ash-Shirk (associating partners with Allah), Ath-Thulm (i.e. wrongdoing or injustice), Al-Fisq (i.e. leaving obedience), and An-Nifaaq (i.e. hypocrisy) are all divided into two categories in the Islaamic law:

1. The major type- This (type) takes one out of the religion (if done), due to its violation of the basis of the religion.
2. The minor type- This (if done) takes away from the completeness of Al-Imaan (i.e. Faith), and it does not take its doer out of the religion.

And this categorization was one the Salaf (i.e. the predecessors, the early generations of Muslims) made, may Allah be pleased with them. The scholar of this Ummah (i.e. Islaamic nation) and the explainer (interpreter) of The Qur’aan, Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them both), confirmed that there is a type of kufr (i.e. disbelief) that is less than Kufr (i.e. the major disbelief) and a type of thulm (i.e. wrongdoing, injustice) that is less than (the major type of) Thulm and a type of fusooq (i.e. leaving obedience) that is less than (the major) Fusooq and a type of nifaaq (i.e. hypocrisy) that is less than (the major type of) Nifaaq.

The Major Type of Kufr

Allah (high above and exalted is He) called the one who invokes other than Him in prayer a Kaafir (i.e. disbeliever) and a Mushrik (i.e. one who deifies or worships other than Allah or equates anything with Allah) and a Thaalim (i.e. wrongdoer or oppressor).

Allah (high above and exalted is He) said, “And whoever invokes (or worships), besides Allah, any other ilaah (i.e. god), which he has no proof for, then his reckoning is only with his Lord (i.e. Allah). Surely! Al-Kaafiroon (i.e. the disbelievers) will not be successful.” (Surat Al-Mu’minoon, ayah 117)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “Say (Oh Muhammad [may peace and commendations be upon him]): "I invoke only my Lord, and I do not do shirk of anything with Him (i.e. I associate none as partners along with Him).” (Surat Al-Jinn, ayah 20)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “And invoke not other than Allah that which will neither benefit you nor harm you, but if you were to do so then you would certainly be one of the Thaalimoon (i.e. wrongdoers).” (Surat Yunus, ayah 106)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “…except Iblees (i.e. Satan). He was one of the jinn, he fasaqa (i.e. rebelled) against the Command of his Lord.” (Surat Al-Kahf, ayah 50)

So this (i.e. all those ayahs just mentioned) is concerning the major kufr (i.e. disbelief) and the major shirk (i.e. polytheism) and the major thulm (i.e. wrongdoing) and the major fisq (i.e. leaving obedience), the type which does not mix with Imaan (i.e. Faith).

The Lesser Kufr

Allah (high above and exalted is He) said, “…And whosoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed, such are the Kaafiroon (i.e. disbelievers- of a lesser degree).” (Surat Al-Maa’idah, ayah 44)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “…And whosoever does not judge by what Allah revealed, such are the Thaalimoon (i.e. the wrongdoers- of a lesser degree).” (Surat Al-Maa’idah, ayah 55)

And He (high above and exalted is He) said, “…And whosoever does not judge by what Allah revealed, such are the Faasiqoon (i.e. the rebellious, those who leave obedience- to a lesser extent).”

And he (i.e. The Prophet), may The Peace and Commendations of Allah be upon him, said, “Insulting a Muslim is fusooq (i.e. leaving obedience) and fighting him is kufr (i.e. disbelief).”

And he (may The Peace and Commendations of Allah be upon him) said, “Whosoever swears by other than Allah then he has kafara (i.e. disbelieved) or ashraka (i.e. committed polytheism).”

And this (i.e. these texts just mentioned) is concerning the lesser kufr (i.e. disbelief) and the lesser shirk (i.e. polytheism) and the lesser thulm (i.e. wrongdoing) and the lesser fisq (i.e. leaving obedience). And this can accompany Al-Imaan (i.e. Faith), just as The Book (i.e. The Qur’aan) and The Sunnah have stated and the Salaf (i.e. predecessors) concurred. And it (i.e. these forms of lesser disbelief and polytheism and fisq and thulm) decreases Al-Imaan (i.e. Faith), and it makes it incomplete.

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44 I had to put (can still) in brackets so no one might get the wrong idea because it would read like this: “And He confirmed that the people who do them have Imaan.” The point the author is trying to make is that the Muslim who does these types of deeds that are less than disbelief and polytheism could still have some Imaan (i.e. Faith) in their heart, though they would be deficient in Imaan (i.e. Faith). [Translator]

45 Fisq and fusooq mean leaving the obedience of Allah and His Messenger (may peace and commendations be upon him). See the explanation of this narration in Fathul Baaree for this definition. And a faasiq is someone who does fisq. [Translator]

:salam2:

Jazakallaahu khayr akhi for your post,

I wanted to bring this thread again in the first page, because it is very important that we read and ponder upon these things more often and learn those which we have not known or not very well understood from this informative and summed up article insha'Allaah.

wasalaam.

Note

I believe and Mulsims believe that Allah SWT has some Attributes that confirmed for Himself, but why don't we only take the limited meaning of outside meaning, e.g. having a hand or having a foot or having an eye...etc
We MUST believe in them if we were Muslims, but why do we specify our mind and only see the close meaning, especially if we read the verse that can be translated to English as, "There is nothing like Him",

the regular hand, foot, eye... aren't they things or not...

I am saying this because we need to explian Quran from the Quran, and have an integral and coherent understanding of these great attributes of Allah SWT.

However, many Muslim scholars said what I said, and THEY ARE from the Sunnah & Jama'a...

I know I might be accused of "Taa'teel of Sifat", I think it's not Taa'teel, it's the correct explanation, because if we insisted on the body meanings of such Attributes, we WOULD BE Mushabbiha also...

:salam2:

Bumped. Masha Allah very beneficial thread.