http://www.wefound.org/ Your website to success through authentic knowledge of Islâm and Da'wah according to the Qur’ân and the Sunnah.
By Shaikh Muhammad as-Saleh Al-'Uthaimin
Translated by Dr. Maneh Al-Johani
Published
by the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, (2nd
edition) 1995.
Table of Contents
Translator's
Foreword
Preface of Shaykh Abd al Aziz Ibn Baz
Author's Introduction
Chapter
I: Our Creed
Belief in Allah's Lordship, Oneness, and Attributes Allah's Will Universal
and Legal - More of Allah's Attributes - Describing Allah by His Revelation.
Chapter
II: The Qur'an and Sunnah
Sources of His Attributes - Free From Contradictions.
Chapter
III: Angels
Belief - Angel's Functions.
Chapter
IV: Allah's Books
Belief - Books Known - The Qur'an Is Protected from Change - Previous Scriptures
Changed.
Chapter
V: Messengers
Belief - The First and Last Messengers - The Best Messengers - Messengers are
Human Beings - Islam The Universal and Final Message - Rightly Guided Caliphs -
The Prophet's Companions
Chapter
VI: The Day of Judgment
Belief - The Resurrection - The Records and Scales - The Prophet's Intercession
- The Prophet's Pool - The Straight Path - Paradise and Hell - What Happens in
the Grave
Chapter
VII: Fate and the Divine Decree
Belief - Levels of Belief - Man's Free Will - No Excuse for Sinners - Evil Not
Attributable to Allah
Chapter
VIII: Benefits
Virtues of Belief in Allah - Virtues of Belief in Angels - Virtues of Belief in
Books - Virtues of Belief in Messengers - Virtues of Belief in Day of Judgment
Virtues of Belief in Fate
In the Name of Allah, Most
Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise belongs to Allah alone; peace and blessing on
the last Prophet, his family and his Companions.
I was introduced to the
valuable and concise treatise on the Muslim's belief prepared by our brother,
the great scholar Shaikh Muhammad As-Saleh al-Uthaimin. I listened to it all and
found that it covers the creed of the Sunnites and the mainstream majority of
the Muslims in the area of the oneness of Allah, His attributes, the belief in
the angels, the books and the messengers, the Day of Judgment, and in the belief
in fate and the divine decree. He succeeded in collecting what the seeker of
knowledge and every Muslim needs for his belief in Allah, His angels, His
scriptures, His messengers, the Day of Judgment, and fate. He included in his
treatise useful information related to the Muslim's beliefs that are not readily
available in many of the books written on these topics. May Allah reward the
author, increase him in knowledge and guidance, and make this book and his other
books most useful. May Allah, the Hearer and the Close, bless us and him and all
our brothers and make us among those who are guiding and rightly guided to call
people to Allah with sure knowledge.
Dictated by 'Abd al-Aziz ibn
Baz, may Allah forgive him and shower peace and blessing on our Prophet
Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
I found this treatise of the
Muslim's creed a concise and useful presentation of a very important topic. The
need for this treatise, especially among non-Arabic speaking readers, cannot be
overestimated. Therefore, I decided to translate it and make it accessible to
English readers.
I would like to draw the
attention of the readers to the following points:
* I gave the book the title
THE MUSLIM'S BELIEF instead of the author's Aqidatu Ahl As Sunnah wa al Jama'ah,
which may be translated as The Creed of the People of the Sunnah and Majority. I
think my preference is justified by: a) The title I preferred is shorter; b) The
two titles have almost the same meaning; c) The original title contains some
technical terms that are not only difficult to translate, but also difficult to
understand by many readers; and d) The original title may antagonize some
readers who are misinformed about the true designations of the words in the
original title.
* I provided, in parentheses
after every Qur'anic verse, the numbers of chapters and verses quoted by the
author without giving their proper reference. This I deemed useful for readers
who do not know the Qur'an by heart and who would like to check these verses.
* Because the author, in
most cases, quotes or paraphrases some of the prophetic traditions without
indicating them to the readers, I tried, whenever I could recognize these
traditions, to put them in quotations and to cite in parentheses the prophetic
collections in which they are reported. In most cases, I limited myself to the
collections of Bukhari and Muslim whenever the saying is quoted from them. If it
is not in these two collections, I mention one or two of the other collections
that contain the quoted saying.
* I provided the arrangement
of the text into chapters and headlines for ease of reading and understanding. I
also provided a table of contents for ease of reference.
* In translating the
Qur'anic verses quoted in this treatise, I did not follow any specific
translation of the Qur'an. I benefited from more than one, but followed my own
preference.
It is my sincere desire and
hope that this book would be of great help to those who consult it. Please
include in your prayer all those who contributed to its present shape.
Dr. Maneh Hammad al-Johani
Praise be to the Rabb of the
universe who gives the best reward to the God-fearing and the great loss to the
transgressor. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah; He has no partner
and possesses real sovereignty. I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and
messenger; the seal of the prophets and the leader of the God-fearing. May Allah
bless him, his family, his Companions, and those who follow them till the Day of
Judgment.
Allah has sent His messenger Muhammadr
with the real guidance and the true religion as a mercy to mankind, as a model
for those who do good, and as His argument against mankind. Through Muhammad and
what was revealed to him (the Qur'an and the Prophetic sayings), Allah showed
mankind all means of reforming itself and straightening its religious and
mundane affairs in sound beliefs, right conduct, fine morals, and laudable
manners. The Prophet r
"left his followers on a clear straight path, only the doomed will deviate
from it"(Ibn Majah and Ahmad). His followers, the Companions, their
followers, and those who followed them faithfully are the best of mankind. They
established his law, upheld his way, and held fast to it as a belief and
practice, a moral and manner. Thus "they are considered the party who are
victorious, on the straight path, unharmed by those who are against them till
the end of the world" (Bukhari and Muslim).
Thanks to Allah, we are
following their footsteps and are being guided by their examples, which are
supported by the Qur'an and the prophetic traditions. We are saying this only as
an announcement of Allah's blessings and as a clarification of what every Muslim
should believe. We pray to Allah that He may keep us and our brothers on the
straight path in this life and in the hereafter. May He give us mercy, for He is
the Giver.
Due to the importance of this topic and the
difference of opinions about it, I want to explain briefly our creed-the belief
of the Sunnites and the mainstream Muslims (Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah). This
creed is the belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Day of
Judgment, and fate, whether good or bad. I pray to Allah to make this effort
sincere for His sake, in agreement with His wish, and useful for His people.
Our creed is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His
Books, His Messengers, the Day of Judgment, and Fate whether good or bad.
Belief in Allah's Rabbship, Oneness, and
Attributes:
We believe in Allah's divinity; that is he is the
Rabb, the Creator, the Sovereign, and the Manager of all affairs.
We believe in Allah's god ship; that is, He is the
true God and every other so-called deity is false.
We believe in His names and attributes, that is He
has the most magnificent names and the sublime perfect attributes.
We believe in His oneness in all of this, that is,
He has no associate in His divinity, His God ship, His names, or His attributes.
Allah says in the Qur'an: "He is the Rabb of the heavens and the Earth and
all that is in between them, so worship Him and be patient in His worship; do
you know any equal to Him?" (19:65).
We believe that He is "Allah there is no God
but He, the Living, the Everlasting. Slumber does not seize Him, neither sleep;
to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the Earth. Who is there that shall
intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and
what is behind them, and they do not encompass anything of His knowledge except
what He wills. His throne extends over the heavens and the Earth, the
preservation of them does not burden Him; He is the High, the Great"
(2:255).
We believe that "He is Allah, there is no god
but He, the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible. He is the Most Gracious, Most
Merciful. He is Allah, there is no God but He, the King, the Holy One, the
Source of Peace, the Keeper of Faith, the Guardian, the Almighty, the Subduer,
the Sublime. Glory be to Allah above what they associate with Him. He is Allah,
the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper. His are the most beautiful Names. All that
is in the heavens and the Earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the
Wise" (59:22-4). We believe
that to Him belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth: "He creates
what He pleases. He gives, to whom He wills, females, and He gives, to whom He
wills, males, or He couples them, males and females; and He makes whom He wills
barren. Surely, He is the Knowing, the Powerful" (42:49-50).
We believe that "there is nothing whatever
like unto Him, He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing. To Him belongs the keys of
the Heavens and the Earth. He enlarges and restricts provisions to whom He
wills. Surely He has knowledge of everything" (42:11-12).
We believe that "there is no creature that
moves on the Earth but its provision depends on Allah. He knows its dwelling and
its resting place. All is recorded in a clear book" (11:6).
We believe that "with Him are the keys of the
unseen; none knows them but He. He knows what is in land and sea; not a leaf
falls, but He knows it. Not a grain in the deep darkness of the Earth, not a
thing green or dry but it is in a clear Book" (6 :5 9 ).
We believe that "Allah alone has the knowledge
of the Hour, sends down rain, and knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what
it shall earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it shall die. Surely,
Allah is All-knowing, All-aware" (31:34).
We believe that Allah speaks whatever He pleases
whenever He pleases: "And Allah spoke to Moses directly" (4:164);
"And when Moses came at Our appointed place, and his Rabb spoke to
him" (7:143 ); "We called to him from the right side of the Mount
(Sinai), and We brought him near in communion" (19:52).
We believe that "if the ocean became ink for
the words of my Rabb, the ocean would be finished before the words of my Rabb
came to an end" (18:109); "And if all the trees that are in the earth
were pens, and the ocean (were ink), with seven oceans swelling it therefore,
the words of Allah would not be exhausted. Surely, Allah is Mighty, Wise"
(31 :27).
We believe that Allah's words are the most truthful
in conveying information, the most just in ruling, and the fairest in
conversation. He said: "The word of your Rabb has been fulfilled in truth
and justice" (6:115); "And who is more truthful in his word than
Allah?" (4:87).
We believe that the Qur'an is Allah's word. He literally spoke it to
Gabriel, who conveyed it to the Prophet r:
"Say (O Muhammad) 'the Holy Spirit has brought it down from your Rabb in
truth"' (16:102); "Truly it is the revelation of the Rabb of the world
brought down upon your heart by the Faithful Spirit so that you may be one of
the warners, in a clear Arabic tongue" (26:192-95).
We believe that Allah is well above His creatures
in His Person and His Attributes, because He says: "He is the High, the
Great" (2:22); "He is Supreme over His servants, and He is the Wise,
the All-aware" (6:18 ).
We believe that He "created the Heavens and
the Earth in six days, then He settled Himself on the throne; He manages
everything" (10:3). His "settling on the throne" means that He is
sitting in person on His throne in a way that is becoming to His majesty and
greatness. Nobody except He knows exactly how He is sitting.
We believe that He is with His creatures while He
is still on His throne. He knows their conditions, hears their sayings, sees
their deeds, and manages their affairs. He provides for the poor and the broken.
He gives sovereignty to whom He pleases and takes
away sovereignty from whom He pleases; He exalts whom He wills and He abases
whom He wills. In His hand is all good and He is powerful over everything.
Whoever possesses these qualities is literally with His creatures even if He is
literally above them on His throne. "There is nothing whatsoever like unto
Him; He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing" (42: 11).
We do not say, as do the Incarnationists among the
Jahomites and others, that Allah is living with His creatures on Earth. We
consider whoever says this a non-believer or one who has strayed, for he
attributed to Allah that which does not become Him of defects.
We believe in what His Messenger told us, that He
descends to the near sky before the last third of every night and says:
"Who prays to Me and I will answer his prayers? Who asks Me and I will give
him? Who asks My forgiveness and I will forgive him?" (Bukhari and Muslim).
We believe that He will come on the Day of Judgment
to judge among His people because He said: "No indeed! When the Earth is
crushed to powder, and your Rabb comes down with the angels in rows after rows,
and Hell is brought out that day. On that day man will remember, but what will
remembrance avail him?" (89:21-23).
We believe that he is the Doer of what He wills.
Allah's Will: Universal and
Legal
We believe that His will is of two kinds: a)
Universal will, through which His intention is carried out. It is not necessary
that what is carried out is liked by Him. This type of will means permission, as
Allah said: "Had Allah willed, they would not have fought one against the
other, but Allah does whatever He desires," (2:253) and "If Allah
desires to lead you astray, He is your Rabb" (11:34), and b) Legal will,
which does not necessarily entail the execution of His desire. His will, in this
case, cannot be but what He likes, as He said: "Allah wants to forgive
you" (4:27).
We believe that His universal and legal wills are
part of His wisdom. Every thing He performs in the universe or requires legally
from His creatures is for a good reason and according to His wisdom, whether we
grasp it or not: "Is not Allah the best of Judges?" (95:8); "And
who is better than Allah in judgment for a people who have firm faith"
(5:50).
We believe that Allah loves His select servants and
that they love Him: "Say if you love Allah, follow me and Allah will love
you" (3:31); "Allah will bring a people whom He will love and who will
love Him" (5:54); "Allah loves the steadfast" (3:146); "And
act justly, surely, Allah loves the just" (49:9); and "Do good; Allah
loves those who do good" (5:93).
We believe that Allah likes what He prescribed of
good deeds and sayings and He dislikes what He prohibited of bad deeds and
sayings: "If you disbelieve, surely Allah does not need you, yet He does
not like disbelief for His servants; if you are thankful, this pleases
Him"(39:7); and "But Allah disliked their marching forth. So He kept
them back, and it was said to them: 'Stay with the weaklings"(9: 46).
We believe that Allah is pleased with those who
believe in Him and do good deeds: "Allah is well pleased with them and they
are well pleased with Him. That is for him who fears his Rabb" (98:8).
We believe that Allah is angry with those who
deserve His anger among the non-believers and others: "And those who think
evil thoughts of Allah, against them shall be the evil turn of fortune. Allah is
angry with them" (48:6); " But whoever opens his heart to disbelief,
on them is Allah's wrath and they shall have a severe punishment" (16:106).
More of Allah's Attributes: We believe that Allah
has a glorious and dignified face: "There will remain the face of your
Rabb, majestic and splendid" (55:27).
We believe that Allah has two generous hands:
"No, both His hands are wide open; He spends how He pleases" (5:64);
"They do not esteem Allah with the esteem that is due to Him. The whole
Earth will be His handful on the Day of Resurrection, and the Heavens will be
rolled up in His right hand. Glory be to Him and exalted is He above that which
they associate with Him" (39:67).
We believe that Allah possesses two real eyes, because He said: "And
build the ark under Our eyes as We reveal" (11:37). The Prophet r
said: "His veil is light. Had He removed it, the sublimity of His
countenance would have burnt all that His sight reached" (Muslim and Ibn
Majah). The Sunnites unanimously have agreed that He has two eyes. This is
supported by the Prophet's saying about the Dajjal (the anti-Christ) that
"he is one-eyed and your Rabb is not one-eyed" (Bukhari and Muslim).
We believe that "vision cannot perceive Him,
but He perceives all vision. He is the Incomprehensible, the All-aware"
(6:103).
We believe that the believers will see their Rabb
on the Day of Resurrection: "Upon that day some faces shall be radiant,
gazing upon their Rabb" (75:22-3).
We believe that Allah has no equal because His
Attributes are perfect: "There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him. He is
the All-hearing, the All-seeing" (42:11). We believe that "no slumber
or sleep seizes Him" (2:255), because His life is perfect and eternal.
We believe that He does not do injustice to
anybody, because His fairness is perfect.
We believe that He is not unaware of his servants'
deeds, because He has perfect supervision and comprehensive knowledge.
We believe that He is capable of doing anything in
the Heavens or in the Earth, because of His perfect knowledge and power:
"Indeed His command, when He desires a thing, is only to say to it 'Be' and
it is" (36: 82).
We believe that He is free from weariness and
weakness, because of His infinite power: "Surely, We created the Heavens
and the Earth and all that is between them in six days, and no weariness touched
Us" (50: 38).
Describing Allah by His Revelation:
We believe in all that He assigned to Himself or
what His Messenger described Him with, of names and attributes. However, we
reject two concepts: 1) To say or believe that Allah's attributes are similar to
those of his creatures; and 2) To say or believe that Allah's attributes are
like such and such.
We negate all what He negated about Himself or what
His Messenger negated about Him. We believe that negation implies the
affirmation of its perfect opposite. We do not discuss what He or His Messenger
did not mention about Him.
We believe that following this approach is a must,
because what Allah affirmed or negated concerning Himself is a statement He made
about Himself. He knows Himself best. His words are most just and trustful, and
people cannot know everything about Him. What Allah's Messenger affirmed or
negated about Him is a statement that he made about Allah. Besides knowing Allah
better than anyone, he is the most truthful, sincere, and eloquent among people.
Thus, in what Allah said and what His Prophet said concerning His names and
attributes is the truth, knowledge, and clarification. Therefore, we have no
excuse to reject or even hesitate in accepting it.
Sources of His Attributes:
All that we have mentioned about Allah's
attributes, whether briefly or in detail and affirmatively or negatively, is
based on the book of our Rabb (the Qur'an) and the traditions of our Prophet. It
also agrees with the practice of the previous generations of Muslims and the
rightly guided scholars who came after them.
We believe it is obligatory to take the texts of
the Qur'an and the prophetic traditions conceding Allah's attributes at their
face value and to interpret them in a way that is suitable to Almighty Allah. We
reject the practice of those who twist the meanings of these texts and
understand them in a way that was not intended by Allah and His messenger.
We also reject the practice of those who make them
devoid of their meanings as conveyed by Allah and His Messenger. Finally, we
reject the approach of those who exaggerate, who gave them a physical
interpretation that makes Allah similar to some of His creatures.
Free from Contradictions:
We know for sure that what is revealed in Allah's
book and in the traditions of His Messenger is the truth. It does not contain
any contradiction: "Do they not ponder over the Qur'an? If it had been from
other than Allah, surely they would have found in it a lot of differences"
(4: 82).
Contradictions in statements falsify them. It is impossible for there to
be a contradiction in any statement revealed by Allah and said by His Messenger r.
Whoever claims that there are contradictions in the Qur'an, the prophetic
traditions, or between the two must have wicked intentions and a misguided
heart. He should repent and quit his sin. If someone imagines that there are
some contradictions in the Qur'an, the sayings of the Prophet r,
or between these two, this must be a result of his little knowledge, inadequate
understanding, or lack of deep thinking. Therefore, he should seek knowledge and
do his best to reflect upon matters until the truth is clear to him. If, after
all of these efforts, the truth is not clear to him, he should leave the whole
matter to the One who knows it and should quit his imagination. He should say,
as do those who are firmly rooted in knowledge: "We believe in it, all is
from our Rabb" (3:7). He must know that there are neither contradictions
nor differences in the Qur'an, the Sunnah, or between the two.
Belief in Angels:
We believe in the existence of the angels of Allah
and that they are "honored servants. They do not speak before He does, and
they act only by His command" (21:26). Allah created them, and they worship
and obey Him. Those who are in His presence do not disdain to worship Him, nor
do they weary" (21:19).
Angels are concealed from us, so we cannot see them. Allah may show them
to some of His servants. The Prophet Muhammad r
saw Gabriel in his real shape with
six hundred wings that covered the horizons (Bukhari and Muslim). Gabriel took
the form of a handsome human being who met Mary and engaged in conversation with
her. He came to the Prophet r while he was among his Companions in the appearance of an
unknown man who did not show any trace of long travel, with very white clothes,
and very black hair. He sat facing the Prophet r,
his knees to the Prophet's knees and
his palms on the Prophet's thighs and talked with the Prophet r.
The Prophet r
later told his Companions that the man they saw was Gabriel (Bukhari and
Muslim).
Angels' Functions: We believe that the angels are
assigned certain functions. Among the angels is Gabriel, who is entrusted with
revelation. He brings it down from Allah to whomever He wishes among His
prophets and messengers.
Among them is Michael, who is in charge of rain and
the growth of plants; Israfil, who is in charge of blowing the horn at the time
of thunder-bolting and the resurrection; the Angel of Death, who takes away
people's souls at the time of death. Among the angels is the one who is in
charge of mountains; and Malik, the keeper of Hell.
Some angels are in charge of embryos in wombs,
others are responsible for protecting human beings, and others are busy
recording men's deeds: there are two angels for every person, "when the two
angels receive (his deeds), one sitting on the right and one on the left, not a
word he utters but by him is an observer ready" (50:18). Some other angels
are in charge of questioning the dead after he is placed in his last abode. Two
angels come to him and ask him about his Rabb, his religion, and his prophet.
There "Allah confirms those who believe with the firm saying, in the
present life and the hereafter, and Allah leads astray the evildoers and Allah
does what He wills" (14:27).
Some angels are in charge of the dwellers of
Paradise: "The angels enter to them from every gate, saying: 'Peace be upon
you for that you were patient. How excellent is your final home"' (13:24).
The Prophet r told us that
"seventy thousand angels enter or pray in the populous house in heaven
every day. They never come back to it as long as they live" (because their
turn will never come) (Bukhari and Muslim).
Belief in Allah's Books:
We believe that Allah revealed books to His
messengers as proof against mankind and a guidance for the righteous workers.
They purified and taught them wisdom by these books.
We believe that Allah sent down a book with every
messenger, because He says: "Indeed We sent down Our messengers with the
clear signs, and We sent down with them the book and the balance, so that people
may uphold justice" (57:25).
Books Known:
Among the books that were revealed, we know:
I ) The Torah, which was revealed to Moses,
r.
It is the greatest among the Israelites' books: "Surely, We sent down the
Torah, wherein is guidance and light; by its laws the Jews have been judged by
the prophets who surrendered themselves to Allah, the rabbis and the doctors of
law, because they were entrusted the protection of Allah's book and were
witnesses thereto" (5:44).
2) The Gospel, which Allah revealed to Jesus. . It
is a confirmation of the Torah and a complement to it: "And we gave him the
Gospel, wherein is guidance and light and confirming the Torah before it, as a
guidance and an admonition to the God-fearing" (5:46); "And to make
lawful to you certain things that, before, were forbidden to you" (3:50).
3) The Psalms, which Allah gave to David, .
4) The Tablets of Abraham and Moses, peace be upon
them.
5) The Glorious Qur'an, which was revealed to His Prophet Muhammad r
the Seal of the Prophets. It is "a guidance to the people and clear signs
of guidance and the criterion between right and wrong" (2:185). The Qur'an
Is Protected from Change:
The Qur'an is "confirming the scripture that
was before it and stands as a guardian over it." Thus, by means of the
Qur'an, Allah abrogated all the previous revealed books. Allah has also
guaranteed its protection from any play or mischievous distortion: "Indeed,
We sent down the message and We will guard it" (15:9), for the Qur'an is a
proof against mankind till the Day of Judgment.
Previous Scriptures Changed:
The previous scriptures were meant for a limited
period. Their use ended with the revelation of the Qur'an, which abrogated them
and exposed their distortions and changes. That is why they were not protected
from corruption. They underwent distortion, addition, and omission: "Some
of the Jews pervert words from their meanings" (4:46); "So woe to
those who write the Book with their hands, and then say: 'This is from Allah,'
that they may sell it for a little price. So woe to them for what their hands
have written, and woe to them for their earnings" (2:79); "Say, who
sent down the Book that Moses brought as a light and a guidance to people? You
put it into sheets of paper showing some of them and concealing much"
(6:91); "And there is a group among them who twist their tongues with the
Book, that you may think it is a part of the Book but it is not part of the
Book. And they say 'It is from Allah,' yet it is not from Allah, and they tell a
lie against Allah and they know it. It is not for any human being to whom Allah
has given the Book, the Wisdom and the Prophet hood to say to men 'Worship me
instead of Allah"' (3:79); "People of the Book! Our Messenger has come
to you, making clear to you many things you have been concealing of the Book and
forgiving you of much. A light has come to you from Allah and a glorious Book,
with which He will guide whoever follows His pleasure in the way of peace, and
brings them forth from darkness into the light by His will" (5:15-16).
Belief in Messengers:
We believe that Allah has sent to His people
messengers who were "bringing good tidings and warning, so that mankind
might have no argument against Allah after the Messengers. Allah is All-mighty,
All-wise." (4: 165)
The First and Last Messengers:
We believe that the first among the messengers is
Noah and the last is Muhammad, peace be upon them all: "We revealed to you
as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him" (4: 163); and
"Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but the Messenger of Allah
and the Seal of the Prophets" (33:40).
The Best Messengers:
We believe that the best among the messengers is
Muhammad, then Abraham, Moses, Noah, and Jesus, son of Mary. It is they who are
meant by the following Qur'anic verse: "And when We took a compact from the
prophets, and from you, and from Noah, and Abraham, then Moses, and Jesus, son
of Mary. We took from them a solemn compact" (33:7).
We believe that Muhammad's message, , includes all
the merits of the messages of those dignified messengers, because Allah says:
"He ordained for you what He enjoined on Noah and what He revealed to you
and what He enjoined on Abraham, Moses and Jesus; namely, establish this faith
and be united in it" (42:13).
Messengers Are Human Beings:
We believe that all messengers are created human
beings who have none of the divine qualities of Allah. Allah, the Exalted, said
about Noah, who was the first among them: "I do not say to you, 'I possess
the treasures of Allah.' I do not know the unseen, and I do not say 'I am an
angel"' (11:31) Allah directed Muhammad, who is the last among them, to
say: "I do not say to you I possess the treasures of Allah, nor do I know
the unseen, and I do not say to you I am an angel" (6:50); and to say that
"I have no power to bring profit or hurt for myself, but only as Allah
wills" (7:188); and: "I have no power to hurt or benefit you. Say none
can protect me from Allah, nor can I find any refuge besides Him"
(72:91-2).
We believe that the messengers are among Allah's
servants. He blessed them with the message and described them as servants, in
the context of praising and honoring them. He says about Noah, the first among
them: "You are the descendants of those whom We carried with Noah, he was a
truly thankful servant" (17:3).
Allah said about the last among them, Muhammad, :
"Blessed be He who sent down the Qur'an to His servant, that he may warn
mankind" (25:1). As for some other messengers, he said: "And mention
Our servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, men of might and vision" (38:45);
"And remember Our servant David, who was a mighty and penitent man"
(38: 17); "And to David, We gave Solomon, he was an excellent and penitent
servant" (38:30).
Allah said about Jesus, son of Mary: "He is
only a servant whom We blessed and We made him an example to the children of
Israel" (43: 59).
We believe that Allah concluded all messages with
the message of Muhammad, , to all people, because He said: "Say, 'O
mankind, I am Allah's Messenger to you all. To him belongs the Kingdom of the
Heavens and the Earth; there is no god but He. He ordains life and death. So
believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet who believes in Allah
and His words. Follow him so that you may be rightly guided"' (7:158).
Islam: The Universal and Final
Message:
We believe that the Shari'ah of the Prophet
Muhammad, , is the religion of Islam, which Allah has chosen for His servants.
He does not accept any other religion from anyone, for He, the Exalted, said:
"Surely, the true religion in Allah's sight is Islam" (3:19),
"Today I have perfected your religion for you and I have completed My favor
upon you, and I have chosen Islam to be your religion" (5:3), and
"Whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted
from Him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers" (3:85).
It is our opinion that whoever claims that any
religion other than Islam is acceptable, such as Judaism, Christianity and so
forth, is a non believer. He should be asked to repent.
It is also our opinion that whoever rejects the
universal message of Muhammad, , rejects the message of all messengers, even if
he claims that he believes and follows His Messenger. Allah, the Exalted, said:
"Noah's people rejected the Messengers" (26:105). Thus, Allah
considered them as rejecting all of the messengers despite the fact that there
was no messenger before Noah. This is also clear from the following verses:
"Those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers, and wish to make
division between Allah and His Messengers, and say: 'We believe in some and
disbelieve in others,' wishing to take a midway course. Those indeed are the
unbelievers, and We have prepared for the unbelievers a humiliating
punishment"(4:150-51).
We believe that there is no prophet after Muhammad,
Allah's Messenger, . Whoever claims prophet hood after him, or believes in
anyone claiming it, is a disbeliever and one who rejects Allah, His Messenger,
and the Muslims' consensus.
The Rightly Guided Caliphs:
We believe that the Prophet, , has rightly guided
successors who carried out his Sunnah in spreading knowledge calling to Islam,
and managing the Muslims' affairs. We believe that the best among them and the
most entitled to the caliphate was Abu Bakr as Siddiq, then 'Umar Ibn
al-Khattab, then 'Uthman Ibn Affan and then 'All Ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be
pleased with them all. Thus their succession to the caliphate was according to
their virtues. Allah, the Exalted, who possesses infinite wisdom, would not
appoint a ruler over the best of generations unless he was the most superior
among them and had the best claim to caliphate.
We believe that the inferior among those rightly
guided companions can be superior in a specific virtue to those who were better
than him but that he does not deserve absolute superiority, for the elements
constituting superiority are varied and numerous.
We believe that the Muslim Ummah is the best among
nations, and Allah, the Dignified and Exalted, has blessed it, because He said:
"You are the best nation ever brought forth for mankind, enjoining what is
right and forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah" The Prophet's
Companions:
We believe that the best among the Muslim Ummah are
the Prophet's Companions, then their followers, and then those who followed
them.
We also believe that a group of this Ummah will
always remain victorious on the right path, unharmed by those who let them down
or those who oppose them, until the Day of Judgment.
We believe that the disputes that took place among
the Prophet's Companions were the result of sincere interpretations that they
worked hard to reach. Whoever was right among them will be rewarded twice, and
whoever was wrong among them will be rewarded once and his mistake will be
forgiven.
It is our opinion that we should stop talking about
their mistakes and mention what they deserve of beautiful praise. We should
purify our hearts from hatred and malice against any of them, because Allah said
about them: "They are not equal: those among you who spent and who fought
before the conquest of Makkah. Those are higher in rank than those who spent and
fought afterwards. But to all Allah has promised a great reward" (57:10).
And Allah said about us: "And those who came after them say: 'Our Rabb,
forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not put in our
hearts any malice against those who have believed. Our Rabb, You are the most
Kind, Most Merciful."' (59:10)
Belief in the Day of Judgment:
We believe in the Final Day, which is the Day of
Judgment, when people will be resurrected and then told to remain in the abode
of enjoyment or in the abode of severe punishment.
The Resurrection:
We believe in the resurrection, which is Allah's
bringing to life all those who have died, and when Israfil shall blow the horn
for the second time: "And the trumpet shall be blown, and all who are in
the heavens and who are in the Earth shall fall down fainting, except those that
Allah shall spare. Then, it shall be blown again and they shall rise gazing
around them" (39:68). People will arise from their graves, answering the
call of the Rabb of the universe. They will be barefooted, naked, and
uncircumcised: "As We started the first creation, so We shall bring it back
again. This is a promise from Us, so We shall assuredly fulfill it" (21:
104).
The Records and Scales:
We believe in the records of deeds that will be
given to people in their right hands or behind their backs, in the left hands:
"As for him who is given his book in his right hand, he shall surely
receive an easy reckoning and he will return to his family rejoicing. But as for
him who is given his book behind his back, he shall call for destruction on
himself and will burn in a blazing fire" (84:7-12); "Every man's work
We have fastened on his own neck, and on the Day of Judgment We shall bring out
for him a book which he will see spread open, saying: 'Read your own book!
Enough for you this day that your own soul should call you to account"'
(17:13-14).
We believe that scales of deeds will be set up on
the Day of Judgment, and that no soul shall be wronged: "Whoever has done
an atom's weight of good shall see it" (99:7-8); "Those whose scales
are heavy, they are the successful; but those whose scales are light, they are
the ones who have lost their souls in Hell dwelling forever. The fire will burn
their faces, and there they will be gloomy with lips displaced" (23:
102-4); and "He that does a good deed shall be rewarded ten times the like
of it, and he that does evil shall only be rewarded the like of it, and they
shall not be wronged" (6:160).
The Prophet's Intercession:
We believe in the special great intercession of the
Prophet Muhammad, . He will plead with Allah, after His permission and on behalf
of mankind, to judge among His servants when they suffer from worries and
troubles that they cannot bear. They will go to Adam, then to Noah, then to
Abraham, then to Moses, then to Jesus, and finally to Prophet Muhammad, .
We believe in the intercession that concerns some
believers who were to be taken out from the fire. This mediation is granted to
the Prophet Muhammad, , and to others among the prophets, the believers, and the
angels.
We believe also that Allah will save from hell some
of the believers without the intercession of any one, but by His grace and
mercy.
The Prophet's Pool:
We believe in the pool of the Prophet, , the water
of which is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey and better in fragrance than
musk. Each of its length and width is the distance of a month's travel. Its
glasses are as stars in beauty and number. The believers among the Prophet's
followers come to take from this great cistern a drink after which they will
never be thirsty.
The Straight Path:
We believe in the straight path (sirat) set up over
hell. People pass over it according to their deeds: the first of them as fast as
lighting, then as fast as wind, then as fast as birds, and then as fast as a
running man. The Prophet will be standing on the path, saying: "Rabb, Save!
Save!," as some people's deeds will fall short. Some of them will come
crawling. At both sides of the path there are hooks designed to take whom Allah
wills: some are saved but bruised; others are thrown into hell. (Bukhari and
Muslim).
We believe in all that is mentioned in the Qur'an
or the prophetic sayings concerning that day and its horrors, may Allah save us
from them.
We believe in the intercession (Shafa'ah) of Prophet Muhammad r
for the people of paradise to enter
therein. This intercession is exclusively limited to the Prophet Muhammad r.
Paradise and Hell:
We believe in paradise and hell. Paradise is the
abode of enjoyment which Allah, the Exalted, prepared for the righteous. No eye
has ever seen, no ear has ever heard of, and no human being has ever thought of
the blessings that they will enjoy there: "No soul knows what comfort is
kept hidden for them, as a reward for their deeds" (32:17). Hell is the
abode of punishment that Allah has prepared for the unbelievers and the
evildoers. The torture and horror in it cannot be imagined: "Surely, We
have prepared for the evildoers a fire, whose pavilion encompasses them. If they
call for help, they will be helped with water like molten copper which will
scald their faces. How dreadful a drink and how evil a resting place!"
(18:29).
Both paradise and hell exist now and will never
perish: "Whoever believes in Allah and does righteousness, He will admit
him to gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein for ever. Allah had
indeed made for him an excellent provision" (65-11); "Certainly, Allah
has cursed the unbelievers and prepared for them a blazing fire to dwell therein
forever, they shall find neither protector nor helper. On the day when their
faces are turned about in the fire they shall say: 'Would that we had obeyed
Allah and obeyed the Messenger!"' (33: 64-6).
We confirm paradise to whom it is confirmed in the Qur'an or the
prophetic traditions either by name or description. Among those who are granted
paradise and mentioned by name are Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, 'All and others who
were specified by the Prophetr
(Bukhari and Muslim). Among those
whom we confirm to enter paradise because they fit the description are the
faithful and the pious.
We likewise confirm hell to whom it is confirmed in
the Qur'an and the sayings of the Prophet, whether in name or description. Among
those who are mentioned by name to be in hell are Abu Lahab, 'Amr Ibn Luhai
al-Khuza'i, and others (Bukhari and Muslim). Confirmation of hell that is based
on description includes every unbeliever, polytheist, or hypocrite.
What Happens in the Grave:
We believe in the Trial of the Grave, which
involves questioning the deceased person in his grave about his Rabb, his
religion, and his prophet. There "Allah confirms those who believe with a
firm saying, in the present life and the hereafter" (14:27). The believer
will say: "Allah is my Rabb, Islam is my religion, and Muhammad is my
prophet." The unbeliever or the hypocrite will say: "I do not know. I
heard the people saying something and I said it."
We believe in the comfort of the grave for the
believers: "Those whose lives the angels take in state of purity, saying
'peace be on you; enter paradise for what you were doing' (16:32).
We believe in the punishment of the grave for the transgressing
unbelievers: "If you could only see when the evildoers are in the agonies
of death and the angels are stretching out their hands, saying, 'Give up your
souls! Today you shall be rewarded with the punishment of humiliation for what
you used to say untrue about Allah I
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