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
Preface of Shaykh Abd al Aziz Ibn Baz
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.
Translator's Foreword
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
Author's Introduction
Praise be to the Lord 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 Muhammad, peace be upon him, 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, peace be upon him, "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.
Chapter I
OUR CREED
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 Lordship, Oneness, and Attributes:
We believe in Allah's divinity; that is he is the Lord, 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 Lord 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 Lord 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 Lord,
the ocean would be finished before the words of my Lord 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 Lord 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, peace be upon him: "Say (O
Muhammad) 'the Holy Spirit has brought it down from your Lord in truth"'
(16:102); "Truly it is the revelation of the Lord 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 Lord 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 Lord" (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 Lord" (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 Lord, 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,
peace be upon him, 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 Lord 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 Lord on the Day of
Resurrection: "Upon that day some faces shall be radiant, gazing upon
their Lord" (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.
Chapter II
THE QUR'AN AND THE SUNNAH
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
Lord (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, peace be upon him. 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, 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 Lord" (3:7). He must know that there are neither contradictions
nor differences in the Qur'an, the Sunnah, or between the two.
Chapter III
ANGELS
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 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 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, his knees to the Prophet's knees, peace be upon
him, and his palms on the Prophet's thighs and talked with the Prophet.
The Prophet 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 Lord, 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, peace be upon him, 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).
Chapter IV
ALLAH'S BOOKS
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, peace be upon him. 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, peace be upon him. 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, peace be upon him.
4) The Tablets of Abraham and Moses, peace be upon them.
5) The Glorious Qur'an, which was revealed to His Prophet Muhammad, 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).
Chapter V
MESSENGERS
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, peace be upon him, 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, peace be upon him: "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, peace be upon him, 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, peace be upon him,
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, peace be upon him, 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,
peace be upon him. 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, peace be upon him, 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 Lord, 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
Lord, You are the most Kind, Most Merciful"' (59:10).
Chapter VI
THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
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 Lord 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,
peace be upon him. 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, peace be upon him.
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, peace be upon him, 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, peace be upon him, 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: "Lord, 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, peace be
upon him, for the people of paradise to enter therein. This intercession
is exclusively limited to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
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 Prophet, peace be upon him (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 Lord, 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 Lord, 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, and for
scornfully rejecting His signs"' (6:93). The sayings of the Prophet
are numerous and well-known in this area. A Muslim must believe in all
that is reported in the Qur'an and the prophetic traditions concerning the
unseen matters. He should not contradict it by his worldly experience,
because the affairs of the hereafter cannot be measured by the affairs of
this life. The difference between them is very great. Allah is the source
of help.
Chapter VII
FATE AND THE DIVINE DECREE
Belief:
We believe in Fate, whether good or bad, which Allah has measured and
ordained for all creatures according to His previous knowledge and as
deemed suitable by His wisdom.
Levels of Belief:
Belief in Fate has four levels: 1) Knowledge: We believe that Allah, may
He be exalted, knows everything. He knows what has happened and what will
happen and how it will happen. His knowledge is eternal. He does not
acquire a new knowledge nor does he forget what He knows.
2) Recording: We believe that Allah has recorded in the secured tablet
(al Lowh al Mahfuz) whatever is going to happen until the Day of Judgment:
"Did you not know that Allah knows all that is in heaven and Earth?
Surely that is in a book. Surely that for Allah is an easy matter"
(22:70).
3) Will: We believe that Allah has willed everything in heaven and
Earth. Nothing happens except by His will. Whatever He wills will take
place, and whatever He does not will not take place.
4) Creation: We believe that "Allah is the Creator of all things;
He is the Guardian over all things, and to Him belong the keys of the
heavens and the Earth" (39:62-3). This level includes whatever Allah
Himself does and whatever His creatures do. Thus each saying, deed, or
omission of the people is known to Allah, Who has recorded, willed, and
created them: "To those among you who will to be upright. But you
shall not will except as Allah wills, the Lord of the Worlds"
(81:2829); "And had Allah willed they would not have fought one
against the other; but Allah does whatever He desires" (2:253); "Had
Allah willed, they would not have done so, but leave them alone and their
false inventions" (6:137); and "And Allah created you and what
you do" (37:96). Man's Free Will:
We believe, however, that Allah has granted man a power and a free will
by which he performs his actions. That man's deeds are done by his power
and free will can be proven by the following points:
1) Allah says: "So approach your fields (wives) when and how you
will" (2:223); and "Had they desired to go forth, they would
have made some preparation for it" (9:46). In these verses, Allah
affirmed for man "a going forth" by his will and "a
preparation" by his desire.
2) Directing man to do or not to do. If man has no free will and power,
these directions mean that Allah is asking man to do that which he cannot
do. This proposition is rejected by Allah's wisdom, mercy and truthful
statement: "Allah does not charge a soul beyond its capacity"
(2:286).
3) Praising the virtuous for his deeds and blaming the evildoer for his
actions and rewarding each of them with what he deserves. If the action is
not done by the individual's free will, then praising the virtuous is a
joke and punishing the evildoer is an injustice, and Allah is, of course,
far from joking and being unjust.
4) Allah has sent messengers who are "bearing good tidings, and
warning, so that mankind might have no argument against Allah after the
messengers" (4:165). If the individual's action is not performed by
his free will, his argument is not invalidated by the sending of
messengers.
5) Every doer of actions feels that he does or does not do a thing
without any coercion. He stands up and sits, comes in and goes out,
travels and stays by his own free will without feeling anybody forcing him
to be any of these actions. In fact, he clearly distinguishes between
doing something of his own free will and someone else forcing him to do
that action. The Islamic law also wisely distinguishes between these
states of affairs. It does not punish a wrongdoer for an action done under
compulsion.
No Excuse for Sinners:
We believe that the sinner has no excuse in Allah's divine decree,
because he commits his sin by his free will, without knowing that Allah
has decreed for him, for no one knows Allah's decree before it takes
place: "No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow" (31:34). How
can it be possible, then, to present an excuse that is not known to the
person who is advancing it when he commits his offense? Allah invalidated
this type of argument by saying: "The idolaters will say 'Had Allah
willed, we would not have been idolaters, neither our fathers, nor would
we have forbidden anything.' So did the people before them cry lies until
they tasted our might. Say: 'Have you any proofs that you can show us? You
follow nothing but assumption, and you are Lying"' (6:148). We say to
the sinner who is using divine decree as an excuse: 'Why did you not
perform deeds of obedience, assuming that Allah has decreed them upon you,
since you did not know the difference between good deeds and sins? That is
why, when Prophet Muhammad told his Companions that everyone's position in
paradise or hell has been assigned, they said: 'Should not we rely on this
and stop working?' He said: 'No, work and everyone will be directed to
what he is created for"' (Bukhari and Muslim).
We say to the sinner who is trying to find an excuse in the divine
decree: "Suppose you want to travel to Makkah. There are two roads
that may take you there. You are told by a truthful person that one of
these roads is dangerous and difficult, the other is easy and safe. You
will take the second one. You will not take the first road and say it is
decreed upon me. If you did, people would consider you crazy."
We may also say to him: "If you are offered two jobs, one of which
has a higher salary, you will certainly take the one with the higher
salary. Why do you choose what is lower in the hereafter and use the
divine decree as an excuse?"
We may further say to him: "We see you when you are afflicted with
a disease, you knock at every physician's door looking for treatment and
bearing whatever pain that may result from surgical operations and the
bitterness of medicine. Why do not you do the same when your heart is
spiritually sick with sins?"
Evil Not Attributed to Allah:
We believe that evil should not be attributed to Allah, due to His
perfect mercy and wisdom. The Prophet said: "And evil is not
attributable to You" (Muslim). Thus Allah's decree by itself has no
evil whatsoever, because it is coming from mercy and wisdom. Evil may,
however, result from some of His decrees, because the Prophet said in the
supplication for gunut which he taught to al-Hasan: "And protect us
from the evil of what You decreed" (Tirmidhi and others). Here, the
Prophet attributed evil to what He decreed. Despite this, evil in His
decree is not pure evil. It is rather evil in one respect and good in
another, or it is evil in one case and good in another. Thus corruption in
the land resulting from drought, disease, poverty, and fear is evil, but
it is good in another respect. Allah, the Exalted said: "Corruption
has appeared on the land and sea for what men's hands have earned. Allah
has ordained this for men, so that they may taste some of what they have
done, in order that they may turn back (from evil)" (30:41). Cutting
off the thief's hand or stoning the adulterer is an evil thing for the
thief and the adulterer, but it is good for them in one respect, because
it is a purification for them so that the punishment of this life and the
hereafter are not combined for them. These punishments are good in another
respect: their application protects property, honor, and relationships.
Chapter VIII
BENEFITS
This sublime belief, which includes those great principles, bears
numerous and useful types of fruits for whoever believes in it.
Virtues of Belief in Allah:
Belief in Allah, His names, and His attributes instills in the
individual the love and glorification of Allah that result in his
performing Allah's instructions and avoiding His prohibitions. These are
the means of achieving ultimate happiness in this life and the hereafter
for both the individual and the society: "Whoever, male or female,
does righteous deed, while believing, We shall assuredly grant him a
goodly life, and We shall reward them according to the best of their deeds"
(16:97).
Virtues of Belief in the Angels:
Appreciating the dignity of Allah, His might, and His sovereignty.
Gratitude toward Allah because He puts some of the angels in charge of
His servants, recording their deeds and other things that benefit them. ¥
Love and admiration for the angels because of what they are doing, namely,
worshipping Allah in the best possible manner and praying for the
believers.
Virtues of Belief in the Books:
Appreciating Allah's mercy and care for His people in that He sent down
a book to every nation for its guidance.
Appreciating Allah's wisdom, for He revealed in these books to every
nation that which suits them. The glorious Qur'an is the final book and it
is suitable to all people at all times until the Day of Judgment.
Showing gratitude for Allah's mercy in revealing these books.
Virtues of Belief in the Messengers:
Appreciating Allah's mercy and care for His people for sending them
those great messengers to guide them to the straight path. Thanking Allah
for this great favor.
Loving and respecting the prophets and praising them in what they
deserve, because they are Allah's messengers and His choice among His
people. They worshipped Allah according to the best of their ability,
conveyed His message to mankind, gave sincere advice to the people, and
bore patiently whatever hurt they received.
Virtues of Belief in the Day of Judgment:
Endeavor to obey Allah to get the reward of that day and to avoid any
disobedience to him for fear of His punishment.
A consolation for the believer for whatever he misses of worldly
enjoyment by what he hopes to gain of blessings and reward of the
hereafter.
Virtues of Belief in Fate and the Divine Decree:
Dependence on Allah when doing any action, because both the cause and
effect are the result of Allah's decree.
Ease of mind and comfort, because when the individual knows that
everything is by Allah's decree and that mishaps are going to take place
anyway, his soul will be at ease and his heart will be satisfied with
Allah's decree. No one has a more comfortable life, worry-free soul, and
stronger confidence than a believer in fate.
Freedom from arrogance when a goal is achieved, because this is a
blessing from Allah through what He decreed of the causes of good and
success. The individual should thank Allah for that and free himself from
arrogance.
Freedom from worry and boredom in case of failure or mishap, because
that is by Allah's decree, the One who possesses the heavens and the
Earth. Since that is going to happen anyway, the individual should be
patient and hope for the reward from Allah. Allah points to the last two
virtues in the following verse: "No misfortune can happen on earth or
in yourselves but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into
existence, that is really easy for Allah; that you may not grieve for what
escapes you, nor rejoice in what has come to you. Allah does not love any
vainglorious boaster" (57:22-3).
We pray to Allah, the Exalted, to reward us for this belief, to realize
for us its fruits, to increase our blessings, to keep us on the right path
to which He has guided us, and to bestow on us a blessing from Him. He is
indeed the Giver. Praise and gratitude be to Allah, the Lord of the
Worlds, and peace and blessings be on Prophet Muhammad, his family, his
Companions, and those who rightly follow them.
