Kitaab at-Tawheed Explained - Page 3

Faizah · **Re: Kitaab at-Tawheed Explained -** 08-12-2007

Allah's Words: And Among the People Are Those Who Take [for Worship] Partners Besides Allah

Allah , says:

" And among the people are those who take [for worship] partners besides Allah; they love them as they should love Allah, but those of faith are greater in their love for Allah. If only the evil-doers could see. Behold! They would see the punishment: That to Allah belongs all power, and Allah will strongly enforce the punishment" (Qur'an 2:165)

Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, informs us in this verse that some of the people set up partners with Allah , whom they love and glorify as they do Allah . Then Allah makes it clear that the Believers love Allah more, for their love is a pure unadulterated love, which is only for Allah , while the love of the polytheists is corrupted and spoiled by their equal love of the other deities whom they have taken as partners with Allah . Then Allah warns that those polytheists, when they see the punishment that is theirs on the Day of Resurrection, will know that all power belongs to Allah and that His punishment is condign.

Benefits Derived From This Verse

1. That love of Allah is a form of worship.

2. The love of the polytheists for Allah does not benefit them at all because of their shirk.

3. That shirk invalidates one's deeds.

4. That pure love for Allah is sign of true faith.

5. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Power.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves that whoever loves someone or something as much as Allah , has set up a partner with Allah and this is an act of shirk.

Important Note

In order that there should be no confusion in this matter, it is important to point out that love falls into two categories: (i) That which is pure, and that is worshipful love which necessitates humility, submissiveness, exaltation and complete obedience; none has the right to such love except Allah ; (ii) The second kind of love is shared love: This includes natural love, such as the love of certain foods, certain aromas, etc., the love of family, such as that of a child for his parents and vice versa, and the love that a person may have for a friend. Such love may come and go, strengthen and weaken, unlike the first category, for it is incumbent upon us to love Allah to the utmost of our ability.

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Allah , says:

" Say: "If it be that your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard, and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision - and Allah guides not the rebellious" (Qur'an 9:24)

In this verse, Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, commands His Prophet, Muhammad to make plain to the people that whoever places his love of worldly things above his love of Allah , and His Prophet and defence of his religion, verily, he will see what awaits him of chastisement from Allah , because Allah does not grant success to those who do not submit themselves to Him Alone.

Benefits Derived From This Verse

1. The forbiddance of placing one's love of worldly things above one's love of Allah .

2. The permissibility of love for such things as long as it does not interfere with one's love for Allah .

3. That love of Allah and His Messenger are both obligatory, and love of one without the other is not acceptable.

4. That the guidance of success comes only from Allah and no other.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter

That it proves the prohibition of placing one's love of worldly things above that of Allah .

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves the obligation to love Allah and His Messenger ; therefore, this kind of love is an act of worship, and directing worship to other than Allah is shirk.

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On the authority of Anas , it is reported that Allah's Messenger said:

"None of you truly believes until I am more beloved by him than his sons, his father and all of mankind." (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim)

Allah's Messenger informs us in this Hadith that none has complete faith, nor can he achieve the necessary level of faith by which he may enter Paradise without punishment, unless and until he places his love of the Prophet before his love of parents, children and all mankind. This is because love of the Messenger of Allah means love of Allah , for the Messenger is the one who brings to us Allah's Revelation and Guidance to His Religion and love of Allah and His Messenger is not true unless it leads to the implementation of all of Allah's Laws and abstinence from all that He has forbidden - and love of Allah's Messenger is not demonstrated merely by singing his praises or by celebrating his birthday, which is a despicable innovation unknown to the Prophet and his Companions.

Benefits Derived From This Hadith

1. That the negation of complete faith in this Hadith does not necessitate exclusion from the fold of Islam.

2. That deeds are a part of faith, for love is an action of the heart.

3. The obligation to place one's love of the Messenger before love of parents, children and all of mankind.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter

That it proves the obligation of placing one's love of Allah and His Messenger before love of all others.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves the obligation of placing one's love of Allah and His Messenger before that of all others; this proves that love is an act of worship and directing an act of worship to other than Allah is an act of worship.

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Also reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Anas (ra) is that he said: "Allah's Messenger said:

"Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness of faith: (i) The one to whom Allah and His Messenger are more loved than anything else; (ii) the one who loves a person purely and solely for Allah's sake; and (iii) the one who hates to return to kufr after Allah has saved him, as he would hate to be thrown into the Fire." and in another narration: "None of you will find the sweetness of faith until..."

Allah's Messenger informs us in this Hadith that faith has a sweetness, and that this sweetness will not be experienced by any except him who places his love of Allah and His Messenger before that of all others and who does not love anyone except for Allah's sake and none other, and who hates disbelief and the idea of returning to it as much as he hates the Hell-fire and as much as he would hate to be thrown into it.

Benefits Derived From This Hadith

1. Confirmation of the sweetness of faith and that it is not achieved by every Believer.

2. The obligation of placing love of Allah and His Messenger above love of all others.

3. The permissibility of referring to Allah and His Messenger together.

4. That loving a person for Allah's sake is a part of faith.

5. The obligation to hate kufr and its adherents.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter

That the Hadith proves the obligation to love Allah and His Messenger more than all others.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter

That the Hadith proves that placing one's love of Allah and His Messenger before love of all others is an obligation which shows that love is a form of worship and directing an act of worship to other than Allah is shirk.

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It is reported on the authority of Ibn `Abbas (ra) that he said: "Whoever loved for Allah's sake and hated for Allah's sake and befriended for Allah's sake and showed enmity for Allah's sake, will achieve by this Allah's friendship and the slave will not attain the real taste of eemaan (faith), even though he may pray much and fast much, until he does all these things. Today, most of the people maintain relationships and love only for some worldly reason, but this will not profit them anything (on the Day of Judgement)." (Narrated by Ibn Jareer At-Tabari)

Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed

That it shows that Ibn `Abbas considered that love is a form of worship and directing an act of worship to other than Allah is shirk.

Ibn `Abbas (ra) said, concerning Allah's Words:

" And all relations between them would be cut off" (Qur'an 2:166)

that it refers to relations of love.

Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed

That it shows that Ibn `Abbas (ra) explained this verse as follows: That if love is not for Allah's sake, it will be wasted and a source of loss to the one who loved on the Day of Judgement for it is tantamount to shirk.

Faizah · **Re: Kitaab at-Tawheed Explained -** 08-12-2007

Allah's Words:

" It is only Satan who suggests to you the fear of his awliyaa` [supporters and friends]. Do not fear them, but fear Me, if you are of the Believers" (Qur'an 3:175)

Because fear of Allah's creatures might cause the Muslims to refrain from supporting and raising the flag of Islam, Allah , Most High, informs us in this verse that any such fear which may enter our hearts is only the deception of Satan and his followers, that delegation often takes the form of spreading falsehood by various methods. Then Allah commands the Muslims not to pay any heed to the whispers of these devils, but to fear Allah , Alone - if they are truthful in their belief, for fear of Allah must take precedence over any other fears.

Benefits Derived From This Verse

1. The forbiddance of abandoning one's obligations due to fear of Allah's creatures.

2. The obligation to fear Allah, Alone, sincerely.

3. That fear of Allah is a sign of faith.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter

That it proves the obligation of fearing Allah Alone, sincerely.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed

That the verse proves the obligation of fearing Allah , Alone, in sincerity; therefore, it is clear that fear is a form of worship and directing an act of worship to other than Allah is shirk.

Important Note

Fear consists of four kinds: (i) The fear that someone other than Allah will cause one some form of illness, poverty or other misfortune by his power and will - whether he claimed that this was due to the feared one's independent power or because of his supposed position as an intercessor with Allah : This kind of fear is forbidden, for it equates the one who is feared with Allah , which is an act of major shirk; (ii) fear of one of Allah's creatures which leads the one in fear to seek a solution from that which has been forbidden, or to abandon his obligations; this is forbidden; (iii) fear of Allah's promised recompense for the disobedient: This type of fear is the highest level of faith; (iv) natural fear, such as the fear of another of Allah's creatures e.g. a lion, a snake, etc. Such fear is permissible.

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Allah , says:

" The mosques of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, offer prayers perfectly, give zakah and fear none but Allah: It is they who are most likely to be on true guidance" (Qur'an 9:18)

Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, tells us in this verse that, because the mosques are places of worship for the Muslims and centres of knowledge, leadership and guidance, He has placed the responsibility of their building and maintenance in obedience to Allah and His Messenger on the shoulders of the Muslims. He , Most High, adds that none should perform this duty except those who believe in the Oneness of Allah and in the Day of Recompense and Accounting, who perform the obligations commanded by Allah in the prescribed manner and do so purely for Him, Alone. Then He , Almighty, All-powerful, confirms that such people will be successful, by Allah's Will and His facilitation.

Benefits Derived From This Verse

1. That the building and maintenance of mosques for the purpose of worship is a sign of faith.

2. The obligation to perform the five prayers correctly.

3. The obligation to give zakah to those who are entitled to it.

4. The obligation to fear and glorify Allah , Alone.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter

That the verse proves the obligation to fear and glorify Allah , Alone.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed

That the verse proves the obligation to fear and glorify Allah , Alone, therefore such fear and glorification is a form of worship and to direct such worship to other than Allah is an act of shirk.

Important Note

It has been said that by building and maintaining mosques, what is meant here is being responsible for their planning, financing supervision, regularly organizing teaching and lectures by scholars therein; and it has been said that what is intended is the physical construction, repair and maintenance, cleaning etc. But it is more correct to say that the verse covers both meanings, since they do not contradict each other.

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Allah , says:

" Then there are among men those who say: "We believe in Allah," but when they suffer affliction in Allah's cause, they treat men's oppression as if it were the punishment of Allah! And if help comes to you [oh, Muhammad] from your Lord, they will surely say: "We have [always] been with you!" Does not Allah know best all that is in the hearts of the `aalameen [the worlds of mankind and the jinn]?" (Qur'an 29:10)

Allah , Most High, informs us in this verse that some of the people (i.e. the hypocrites) affect to believe by their words, but when hurt comes to them from others because of their professed faith, they compare this temporary punishment of man to the lasting punishment of Allah and abandon their faith. Then when Allah aids his followers and slaves from among the Believers, and blesses them with victory and spoils, they affect to believe once more in order that they may receive a share of the spoils along with the believers. Then Allah warns them that He knows the hypocrisy that is in their hearts and that He will recompense them for it.

Benefits Derived From This Verse

1. Patience in the face of affliction borne for the sake of one's religion is a part of faith.

2. The forbiddance of hypocrisy in religion.

3. That it is the way of the hypocrite to flee from the enemy in terror when he advances, but to advance in avarice and greed when the enemy is in retreat.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter

That it proves the forbiddance of likening fear of Allah with fear of His creation.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves the obligation to place one's fear of Allah above fear of His creation; this shows that fear is a form of worship, and directing worship to other than Allah is shirk.

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It is reported on the authority of Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri (ra), in a marfoo' form that he said: "It is from a lack of certainty (of faith) that a person pleases people and by so doing, invokes Allah's Anger, and that he praises them for the livelihood which Allah has given him and that he blames them for the things not bestowed by Allah . Not even the avarice of the greediest of people can bring Allah's Blessings, nor can the aversion of the one who hates it prevent it."

Abu Sa'eed informs us in this narration, which is attributable to the Prophet , that it is weakness of faith and uncertainty which causes a person to gratify people by his speech and actions at the expense of his religion, increasing their pleasure with him at the same time as they decrease Allah's Pleasure with them and thanking them for the blessings which Allah has given them and holding them to blame for those blessings which Allah does not ordain for him, forgetting that the One Who grants or withholds is Allah . Then Abu Sa'eed mentions that all bounty comes from Allah's Hand - He grants to whom He wills and He withholds from whom He wills, and that none can attract such bounty, even though he may be the most avaricious of people, nor can he withhold it from any, even though he may violently oppose it.

Benefits Derived From This Narration

1. That faith may increase and decrease, strengthen and weaken.

2. That righteous deeds are a part of faith.

3. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Anger.

4. The forbiddance of thanking people, if it is believed that the blessing came from them independently, without Allah's having ordained it.

5. The forbiddance of blaming people for what Allah has not ordained for us.

6. That good and evil are ordained by Allah .

Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter

That it proves the prohibition of abandoning an obligation due to fear of men.

Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of Tawheed

That the narration shows that fear is a form of worship, and directing worship to other than Allah is shirk.

Important Note

(a) This narration has some weakness in its sanad but other narrations strengthen and support it.

(b) There is no contradiction between this narration and the Hadith which states: "Whoever does not thank people does not thank Allah ," because here what is intended is thanking people for doing something which was in their power and which they have in fact, done, such as giving financial aid; this is quite unlike thanking a person for making it rain or thanking him for making the sun shine. Also, it is forbidden to thank a person for something believing that he acted independently, without Allah having ordained it.

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On the authority of `A`ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) it is reported that Allah's Messenger said:

"Whoever seeks Allah's Pleasure at the expense of men's displeasure, will win Allah's Pleasure and Allah will cause men to be pleased with him. And whoever seeks to please men at the expense of Allah's Displeasure, will win the Displeasure of Allah and Allah will cause men to be displeased with him." (Narrated by Ibn Hibban in his Saheeh)

The Prophet informs us in this Hadith that whoever sought Allah's Pleasure by obeying His Commands and abstaining from all of that which He has prohibited, without caring whether or not he pleased others and without paying heed to their insults and oppression, will achieve Allah's Pleasure and He will place love for that person in the hearts of mankind; but as for him who tried to please the people at the expense of his Religion, he will incur the Wrath of Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, and He will place hate of that person in the hearts of the people as a punishment for him because of his bad intentions - one only has to look at the present situation in the Muslim world to see the truth of this.

Benefits Derived From This Hadith

1. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Pleasure.

2. That adhering strictly to the tenets of the Religion will result in Allah's Pleasure.

3. The forbiddance of hypocrisy in religious matters.

4. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Anger.

5. That hypocrisy in religious matters results in Allah's Anger.

6. That the love or hate in the heart is in Allah's Hands.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter

That it proves the forbiddance of abandoning obedience to Allah due to fear of others or seeking to please them.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of Tawheed

That the Hadith proves the obligation to fear Allah , Alone; this proves that fear is a form of worship and directing worship to other than Allah is shirk.

Faizah · **Re: Kitaab at-Tawheed Explained -** 08-12-2007

Allah's Words: [And Depend Upon Allah if You Truly Believe]

" Two men from among the God-fearing, upon whom Allah had bestowed His Grace said: "Assault them [the enemy] from the [proper] gate. Once you are in, victory will be yours. And depend upon Allah, if you truly believe" (Qur'an 5:23)

Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, informs us in this verse that two believing men from Bani Israa`eel 1 advised their people and requested that they enter the city of Jerusalem, promising them that they would receive Allah's Help if they did so, because they believed in Allah's Promise which they had heard from the mouth of their Prophet, Moosa (as ), and they asked them to depend upon Allah and trust in2 Him that He would fulfill His Promise and not to be intimidated by the strength of the enemy forces, for victory is in Allah's Hands - He grants it to whom He wills and He withholds it from whom He wills, and He has promised the Believers victory and He never breaks His Promise.

Benefits Derived From This Verse

1. The obligation of mutual advice and encouragement by the members of the army.

2. That faith and trust in Allah are the most important factors in attaining victory.

3. That trust in Allah is a condition of the acceptance of faith.

4. The obligation to trust in Allah and no other.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter

That the verse proves the obligation of sincere dependence on Allah and trust in Him, Alone.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed

That the verse proves that depending on Allah and trusting in Him is a form of worship, and directing an act of worship to other than Allah is shirk.

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Allah , says:

" For Believers are those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a tremor in their hearts and when His verses are recited to them, they [the verses] increase their faith and they put their trust in their Rabb, Alone" (Qur'an 8:2)

Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, informs us in this verse that the true Believers are those who, when they fear Allah , fear His punishment, and as a result, obey all of His Commands and abstain from all that He has forbidden; and when verses from the Noble Qur'an are recited to them, their faith and belief are increased and they depend upon Allah and trust in Him, Alone; and they entrust all matters to Him, doing all that is beneficial to them and abandoning that which is harmful to them.

Benefits Derived From This Verse

1. That fear of Allah and trust in Him are characteristics of the Believers.

2. That faith increases and decreases.

3. The obligation to depend upon Allah and trust in Him, Alone.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter

That the verse proves the obligation to trust in Allah and depend upon Him, Alone.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves that trust and dependence are acts of worship and directing worship to other than Allah is shirk.

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Allah , says:

" Oh, Prophet! Sufficient for you is Allah, and for those who follow you among the Believers" (Qur'an 8:64)

In this verse, Allah gives glad tidings to His Prophet, Muhammad and his believing followers and promises them victory over their enemies and He commands them implicitly to trust in Him, Alone, for He is sufficient for them against their enemies.

Benefits Derived From This Verse

1. That Allah is Sufficient for those who trust in Him and depend upon Him, Alone.

2. That faith is an essential element in achieving victory.

3. The obligation of faith, by loving Allah, Alone.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter

That it proves the obligation of faith, by loving Allah , which includes trust in Allah and no other.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed

That the verse proves that trust and dependence are forms of worship and directing worship to other than Allah is shirk.

Important Note

We have said that love includes trust and dependence because whoever has faith in Allah , Alone, must, of a necessity, depend upon and trust in Him Alone.

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Allah , says:

" And whoever places his trust in Allah, Sufficient is He for him, for Allah will surely accomplish His Purpose: For verily, Allah has appointed for all things a due proportion" (Qur'an 65:3)

Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, informs us in this verse that whoever trusted in Him and depended upon Him to fulfill his needs and wants, Allah will suffice him in every matter, whether worldly or religious, for Allah will surely accomplish His Purpose and nothing escapes Him and no request is difficult for Him; and in order that those who ask him be not impatient, He informs us that He has appointed for everything a time and a place, which none can delay nor bring forward.

Benefits Derived From This Verse

1. Evidence of the virtue of trust in Allah and dependence upon Him, Alone.

2. That trust and dependence are among the most important factors in achieving that which is beneficial and avoiding that which is harmful.

3. The obligation to believe in Allah's Ordainment and His Decree.

4. The Completeness and Perfection of Allah's Decree and His Wisdom.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter

That the verse proves the obligation of dependence upon Allah and trust in Him, for Allah protects His slave and is Sufficient for him, when he depends upon his Rabb.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed

That the verse proves that trust and dependence are forms of worship and directing worship to other than Allah is an act of shirk.

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Allah , says:

" [There were] those to whom people said: "The people are gathering against you, so fear them." But it only increased their faith; they said: "For us Allah is Sufficient and He is the best Disposer of affairs" (Qur'an 3:173)

When Abu Sufyaan and his disbelieving people returned from the Battle of Uhud, they began to gather an army from among them for another attack on the Muslims. On the road, they passed by a group of riders from Bani `Abdul Qais and Abu Sufyaan advised them to inform Prophet Muhammad and his Companions that Quraish were preparing to assault them with an overwhelming force, but this threat did not discourage them; rather, they were strengthened in their faith and they trusted in Allah , and He was Sufficient for them against their enemies, for He is the One Who is trusted above all others and He never fails the Believers.

Benefits Derived From This Verse

1. That one of the signs of true faith is steadfastness in the face of adversity.

2. That psychological warfare cannot harm the Believers.

3. That faith increases and decreases.

4. The preferability of of the Believer's saying: "Hasbunallaahu wa N'imal wakeel," [i.e. Allah is Sufficient for us and He is the best Disposer of affairs].

5. That taking whatever measures are required in order to achieve one's objectives is not in contradiction with trust in Allah and dependence upon Him, rather it is a requirement for that trust and dependence to be correct.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter

That the verse proves the obligation to trust in Allah , to depend upon Him, Alone, and to suffice oneself with Him.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves that trust and dependence are forms of worship and directing worship to other than Allah is shirk.

Final Words on this Subject

It is reported on the authority of Ibn `Abbas (ra) that he said:

" Allah is Sufficient for us and He is the best Disposer of affairs" (Qur'an 3:173)

Ibraheem (as ) said it when he was thrown in the fire; and Muhammad said it when it was said to him:

" The people are gathering against you, so fear them." But it only increased their faith; they said: "For us Allah is Sufficient and He is the best Disposer of affairs" (Qur'an 3:173)

Important Note

Tawakkul means dependence of the heart on Allah , believing Him to be Sufficient against all others for His slaves. Tawakkul (dependence) upon Allah is of three kinds: (i) Depending upon one of Allah's creatures to do something which none is able to do except the Creator: This is major shirk; (ii) depending upon one of Allah's creatures to do something which is within his capabilities but in the belief that he is able to do so independent of Allah's Will: This is minor shirk; depending upon one of Allah's creatures to do something in the knowledge that it will only happen if Allah wills it: This is permissible, such as depending upon someone in business transactions to fulfill his side of the bargain etc.

Tawakkul is half of the Religion and the other half of it is turning in repentance to Allah . And tawakkul does not negate taking precautions; instead, it is a requirement in order for the tawakkul to be accepted and for one's faith to be complete.

Footnotes

1. Bani Israa`eel: The People of Israel.
2. Dependence upon and trust in Allah (swt), known as tawakkul in Arabic.

Faizah · **Re: Kitaab at-Tawheed Explained -** 08-18-2007

Allah's Words: " Did They Then Feel Secure Against the Plan of Allah?"

Allah , says:

" Did they then feel secure against the Plan of Allah? But none can feel secure against the Plan of Allah except those who are lost" (Qur'an 7:99)

In this verse, Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, rebukes the people of the towns and cities to whom Guidance was sent, and all those who behave as they did, because they did not esteem Allah , as is His right, nor did they fear Him, though it was from Him that they received all blessings; rather, they increased their disobedience until Allah's Wrath descended upon them and His punishment overwhelmed them. Then Allah , Most High explains that no one behaves as they did except those who are doomed and will have no success in the Hereafter.

Benefits Derived From This Verse

1. The obligation to fear Allah's Plan.

2. The permissibility of describing Allah as Planning, as a comparison.

3. That belief in security from Allah's Plan results in destruction.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter

That it proves the obligation of fearing Allah's Plan.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves the forbiddance of believing in security from Allah's Plan, because this would necessitate a lack in Allah's Completeness and this is in contradiction with a belief in pure, Islamic monotheism.

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Allah , says:

" And who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray?" (Qur'an15:56)

Because the Mercy of Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, covers all things, and because the Prophets were the most knowledgeable of people concerning Allah's Mercy and His Generosity, Ibraheem (as ) said that he did not doubt the news of the impending birth of a son to him, even though he and his wife were advanced in years, for he did not despair of the Mercy and Bounty of his Rabb. His question to the angels, " Do you give me glad tidings that old age has seized me?" merely reflected his surprise that he should have a son, bearing in mind the advanced age of him and his wife. Then He asked rhetorically: " And who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray?"

Benefits Derived From This Verse

1. The forbiddance of despairing of Allah's Mercy.

2. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Mercy, in a manner befitting His Majesty.

3. That despair of Allah's Mercy is a sign of ignorance and being astray.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter

That the verse proves the forbiddance of despairing of Allah's Mercy.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves the forbiddance of despairing of Allah's Mercy, because this suggests a lack in Allah's most perfect Generosity and this is in contradiction with a belief in pure, Islamic monotheism.

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It is reported on the authority Ibn `Abbas (ra) that the Messenger of Allah was asked about the major sins; He replied: "Associating partners with Allah (shirk), despairing of Allah's Mercy and believing that one is safe from Allah's Plan."

Because obedience to Allah and His Messenger was of the utmost importance to the Companions of the Prophet and the overriding goal of their lives, they asked the Messenger of Allah about the major sins in order that they might refrain from them and so He informed them about some of the worst of them: The first which he mentioned, and the worst of all, was shirk, or associating partners with Allah , because no deeds are accepted where shirk is involved, no matter what they may be and no matter how praiseworthy they may be. Then He, Most High, mentioned both despair of Allah's Mercy and believing that one is safe from Allah's Plan, for the Muslim should be in a state between hope and fear: He does not despair of Allah's Mercy and Compassion, which are without limit, for to do so would be to think ill of the Most Generous of all; nor does he depend totally on Allah's Mercy to the extent that he abandons those righteous deeds [i.e worship of Allah ] for which he was created.

Benefits Derived From This Verse

1. That sins are categorized as major or minor.

2. The forbiddance of all manner of shirk, of despair of Allah's Mercy and Compassion and of believing oneself safe from Allah's Plan, and that all of these are major sins.

3. The obligation of both fear of Allah and hope of His Mercy.

4. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Mercy, in a manner befitting His Majesty.

5. The permissibility of describing Allah's plan in comparison with the plans of His creatures.

The obligation to think well of Allah, All-Mighty , All-powerful.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter

That the Hadith proves the obligation of fearing Allah , while hoping for His Mercy.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves the obligation of fearing Allah and hoping for His Mercy, because this is confirmation of Allah's Completeness and Perfection, a belief which is a necessary requisite for correct tawheed.

Important Note

Scholars have said that it is incumbent upon every Muslim that he comes to Allah in a state of fear and hope, like a bird between its wings, but that hope should predominate at the time when death approaches.

..ooOOoo..

It is reported on the authority of Ibn Mas'ood (ra) that he said: "The most heinous of all the major sins are: shirk, believing that one is safe from Allah's Plan, despairing of Allah's Mercy and losing hope of Allah's Relief.

Ibn Mas'ood (ra) informs us in this narration that sins are major and minor, and of the major sins, some are more serious than others and that the worst of all major sins is shirk, or associating partners with Allah , for no deed will be accepted if it is accompanied by shirk. After mentioning shirk, he goes on to inform us of another of the worst major sins, which is believing that one is safe from Allah's Plan, i.e. that Allah will not punish the disobedient; this erroneous belief springs from complete dependence on Allah's Mercy, without fearing His punishment, hence that leads to abandoning the righteous deeds for which we were all created. Then Ibn Mas'ood mentions another of the worst major sins which is despairing of Allah's Mercy and Compassion and losing all hope of His Relief; this is because such a belief entails thinking ill of Allah , All-Mighty , All-powerful.

Benefits Derived From This Narration

1. The prohibition of all forms of shirk, of believing oneself safe from Allah's Plan, of despairing of Allah's Mercy and Compassion and of losing all hope of His Relief, that all of these are major sins.

2. That sins are categorized as minor, major and worst major sins.

3. The permissibility of describing Allah's Plan in comparison with those of His creatures.

4. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Mercy in a manner befitting His Majesty.

5. The obligation to be fair and just in all matters.

Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter

That it proves the obligation of fearing Allah's punishment while hoping for His Mercy.

Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves the obligation of both fear and hope of Allah , for such is necessary in order for one's tawheed to be complete.

Faizah · **Re: Kitaab at-Tawheed Explained -** 08-18-2007

Part of Belief in Allah Consists of Patience in the
Face of All That Allah Has Ordained for Us

Allah , says:

" No kind of calamity occurs except by Allah's leave: And whoever believes in Allah, Allah will guide his heart [aright]: For Allah knows all things" (Qur'an 64:11)

Allah , Most High, informs us in this verse that no calamity, whether loss of wealth, bereavement, or other, occurs unless Allah has written it and ordained it, and that whoever truly believes this, will most assuredly be guided by Allah , so that he accepts and bears with equanimity the trials and tribulations of life and acknowledges Allah's Wisdom, for Allah knows what is best for His slaves, and He is Most Kind, Most Merciful.

Benefits Derived From This Verse

1. That evil, like good, is ordained by Allah.

2. Evidence of the blessing of faith, and that it results in right guidance of the heart and an upright character.

3. Evidence of the all-encompassing nature of Allah's Knowledge.

4. That the reward of goodness is goodness.

5. That the guidance of success comes only from Allah, Most High.

Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves that patience and equanimity, in the face of Allah's Ordainments are signs of faith in Allah .

Important Note

(a) The Arabic word, sabr means, linguistically speaking, prevention, while in religious parlance, it means preventing or restraining oneself from succumbing to depression or anxiety and guarding the tongue from complaint and angry words, and guarding the limbs from forbidden deeds, such as slapping the cheeks, tugging at the hair and tearing the clothes.

(b) Sabr may be divided into three categories:
(i) Patiently persevering in obedience to Allah ;
(ii) refraining from what Allah has forbidden;
(iii) patiently forbearing in the face of calamities which Allah may ordain for us.

..ooOOoo..

`Alqamah said: "He (i.e. the person referred to in the verse) is the one who, when calamity strikes him, knows that it is from his Rabb and accepts it with equanimity and submits (himself to Allah's Will.")

Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter

That it shows that `Alqamah considered that sabr in the face of calamity and calm acceptance are signs of faith.

..ooOOoo..

In Muslim's Saheeh, it is reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah (ra) that Allah's Messenger said: "Two traits found in people are signs of disbelief: Defaming a person's lineage and bewailing the deceased."

Because Islam came to abolish all of the vile customs of the Jahiliyyah, which are incompatible with the lofty principles of Islam, the Prophet informed the Companions that defaming another's ancestors and excessive mourning of the dead are traits of disbelief from the days of ignorance which will remain in this Ummah and this is a warning to us, for these two traits cause evil to the individual and to the community: Slandering another's ancestors is bound to cause hurt to and unjustified distress to that person. As for bewailing the deceased, this provokes renewed grief and fear on the part of the bereaved and shows lack of acceptance of Allah's Qadr and it is often accompanied by lying, as they indulge in exaggerated eulogies of the deceased and raise him above his true status.

Benefits Derived From This Hadith

1. The forbiddance of slandering another's ancestors and of bewailing the dead.

2. That these two traits will remain in this Ummah.

3. That a person may possess some of these traits of disbelief without being a disbeliever.

4. That Islam has prohibited everything that might lead to division in society.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed

That the Hadith proves the forbiddance of bewailing the dead, for this connotes a lack of forbearance and acceptance of Allah's Qadr which is a necessary requisite of the true Believer.

..ooOOoo..

It is narrated by Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Ibn Mas'ood (ra) in a marfoo' form: "He who slaps his cheeks and tears his clothes and makes supplications of the Jahiliyyah is not one of us."

Because Islam preaches the noblest of ideals and because it ennobles the soul, it has forbidden all manner of excessive mourning of the dead such as slapping the cheeks, tearing the clothes and making the supplications of the days of ignorance; 1 and it is made clear to us that such actions are completely un-Islamic, because they cause unnecessary and prolonged grief to the bereaved, reflect a lack of acceptance of Allah's Qadr and keep alive the evil customs of the Jahiliyyah which Islam came to destroy.

Benefits Derived From This Hadith

1. The forbiddance of slapping one's cheeks and tearing one's clothes in anguish over the death of a loved one.

2. The falseness and futility of the customs of the Jahiliyyah except those which are in conformity with Islaamic Law and are confirmed by the Qur'an or the Sunnah, such as hospitality to the guest and the like.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves the forbiddance of slapping one's cheeks, tearing one's clothes and making the supplications of the Jahiliyyah.

Important Note

It is permissible to weep for the dead if it is due to genuine feelings of sadness and compassion, free from all traces of anger and hysteria.

..ooOOoo..

On the authority of Anas it is reported that the Prophet said: "When Allah wills good for His slave, He hastens to punish him in this life and when He wills evil for His slave, He withholds punishing him for his sins until he comes before Him on the Day of Resurrection." 2

Allah's Messenger informs us in this Hadith that sometimes Allah afflicts a person with calamity in order to purify him of his sins, which otherwise, might cause him to be punished in the Hereafter, in order that he might on that Day receive the record of his deeds in his right hand and be among the successful. Alternatively, Allah may withhold punishment from a person, not because He loves him or honours him, but when he is called forth on the Day of Reckoning, he will bear a heavy burden of sins and he will receive the full punishment of those sins; and Allah grants His Favour to whom He Wills and punishes whom He Wills with justice; and He Will not be asked about what He does, but they will be asked about what they did.

Benefits Derived From This Hadith

1. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Will, in a manner befitting His Majesty.

2. That good and evil are from Allah's Qadr.

3. That the trials and tribulations to which the Believer is subjected are signs of goodness, so long as they are borne with patience and without resorting to forbidden acts or abandoning one's obligations.

4. It is incumbent upon the Muslim to fear the continuation of blessings and good health, lest they betoken that his sins will not be wiped out by trials in this life.

5. The obligation to think well of Allah concerning the calamities which He might ordain for us.

6. It does not necessarily follow that when Allah gives us something good, that He is pleased with us.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves that whoever truly believes in Allah , will bear the trials and tribulations which Allah ordains for him with patience and equanimity for he believes that they bode goodness for him.

..ooOOoo..

The Prophet said: "Verily, the greatness of the reward is tied to the greatness of the trial: When Allah loves a people, he puts them to trial. Whoever accepted it, will enjoy Allah's Pleasure and whoever is displeased with it, will incur Allah's Displeasure." 3

The Prophet informs us in this Hadith that the Believer may be afflicted by calamity in this world, such as loss of wealth, bereavement etc., but that Allah will reward him for these calamities if he bears them patiently, and He tells us also that the more a person's trials and tribulations increase, the more his reward with Allah increases and that trials are a sign of Allah's Love for the Believer, not His Anger and that Allah's Ordainment and His Qadr will be implemented and that whoever patiently perseveres in the face of adversity and accepts it, will incur Allah's Pleasure and His Reward, while whoever is angry at what Allah has ordained for him and dislikes it, will incur Allah's Displeasure and His punishment which will be more than suffice him.

Benefits Derived From This Hadith

1. That afflictions wipe out sins, so long as the afflicted does not abandon his obligations or commit forbidden acts.

2. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Love, in a manner befitting His Majesty.

3. That the trials to which the Believer is subjected are signs of faith.

4. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Pleasure, in a manner befitting His Majesty.

5. The virtue of accepting Allah's Qadr and His Ordainments with patience and equanimity.

6. The forbiddance of anger at Allah's Qadr and His Ordainments.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed

That the Hadith forbids anger and despair in the face of Allah's Ordainments, and this shows that patient perseverance in the face of trials and tribulations is a part of faith.

Footnotes

1. Such as: "Woe to me!" or "May I be destroyed!" etc.
2. Something very similar to this was narrated by Imam Ahmad, on the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn Mughaffal.
3. Narrated by At-Tirmizi.

Faizah · **Re: Kitaab at-Tawheed Explained -** 08-18-2007

What Has Been Said About Ar-Riyaa`

Allah , says:

" Say: "I am but a man like you, [but] it has been revealed to me that your God is One God: So whoever desires to meet his Lord, let him do righteous deeds and let him not associate any partners with his Lord in his worship" (Qur'an 18:11)

In this verse, Allah commands His Prophet, Muhammad to tell the people the plain truth about himself: That he is a mere mortal, like them, without any Divine Attributes or angelic characteristics, but that Allah has distinguished him from them by inspiring him with Revelation; and from that Revelation is the Command to worship Allah , Alone, without ascribing partners to him, and that whoever feared the meeting with his Rabb on the Day of Resurrection, and hoped for His reward, he should make his deeds purely and solely for Allah ,and they should be in conformity with that which the Prophet taught.

Benefits Derived From This Hadith

1. Confirmation of the Messengership of Muhammad and the denial of his possessing any Divine Attributes or angelic characteristics.

2. In this verse is proof of the shahadataan (i.e. None is worthy of worship but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah .

3. That the tawheed which our Prophet, Muhammad brought is that of worship, for even the disbeliever in Islam accepts the truth of tawheed of Rabbship.

4. That the acceptance of deeds is conditional upon their being performed purely and solely for Allah , without Shirk - and riyaa` is a kind of Shirk.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed

That the Hadith proves the invalidity of deeds which contain elements of Shirk - and riyaa` is a form of Shirk.

The Meaning of Ar-Riyaa`

Riyaa` is defined as the performance of a deed with the intention of pleasing other than Allah . The difference between riyaa` and sum'ah (sometimes confused in the minds of some), is that while riyaa` is done in order to show off in front of people (such as ostentatiously giving charity or praying), the latter involves the performance of good deeds in order to be heard (such as mentioning Allah or reciting the Qur'an in a loud voice etc.) - both with the same intention: To favourably impress people.

..ooOOoo..

Muslim reports, on the authority of Abu Hurairah (ra) in a marfoo' form, the following Qudsi narration: "I am Independent of all the partners (ascribed to me). Whoever performs a deed while associating partners with Me, I will leave him and his Shirk."

Allah , Most High informs us in this Qudsi narration that He is Free and Independent of all those false partners which are associated with Him; and therefore, He does not accept any deed which includes Shirk and riyaa` is a form of Shirk, because it contradicts the belief that Allah is Independent and is not befitting His Nobility: In this is the clearest warning to all those who allow themselves to be seduced (by the devil) into performing actions with the intention of impressing people, rather than with the sole intention of pleasing Allah , so that when they come forth on the Day of Resurrection, they will find no good deeds credited to them; instead they will find Allah and His Reckoning - and Allah is Swift in Reckoning!

Benefits Derived From This Hadith

1. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Complete Independence from all partners.

2. That Allah does not accept deeds except those which are performed purely and solely for His sake.

3. The invalidity of riyaa` in deeds.

4. Confirmatiuon of Allah's Divine Attribute of Speech, in a manner befitting His Majesty.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed

That it proves the invalidity of deeds which contain Shirk - and riyaa` is a form of Shirk.

Important Note

(a) When the intention behind a deed is other than Allah's Pleasure, then the deed is in vain.

(b) When the intention behind a deed is to please Allah , but after making this intention a person was guilty of riyaa`, but he then rejected this, his deed would be acceptable; but if he continued to be guilty of riyaa` until he had completed the deed, then according to some scholars, his deed would be in vain, while others said that his deed would still be accepted because of his original intention and this is the most correct saying - and Allah knows best.

..ooOOoo..

On the authority of Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri (ra), in a marfoo' form, it is reported: "Shall I not tell you what I fear for you more than Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal?" 1 They replied: "Yes." He said:

"It is hidden Shirk such as when a person stands in prayer and he improves his prayer when he knows that others are watching." (Narrated by Imam Ahmad)

Allah's Messenger informs us in this Hadith that he worries for his Ummah and fears for them Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal, but that more than this, he fears for them hidden Shirk, which is riyaa`; this is because the danger of Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal is confined to a specific time, while the danger of riyaa` is present at all times and in all places and because riyaa` is hidden and its power of seduction is great 2 and it is difficult to free oneself from its grip. In addition, it leads to showy, ostentatious behaviour, self-glorification, self-promotion, all of which appeal to the weaknesses in man.

Benefits Derived From This Hadith

1. That asking questions is an Islamic style of teaching.

2. The care and compasssion of the Prophet for his Ummah.

3. The great danger of riyaa`, which lies in its being hidden, its strength of appeal to most people and the difficulty of abstaining from it.

4. Evidence of the danger of Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal to this Ummah.

Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed

That the Prophet feared more than anything else for this Ummah, that they would be seduced by ar-riyaa`; therefore it is incumbent upon us to be very careful, do our utmost to abstain from it and warn others of it.

Footnotes

1. Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal: The false Messiah, who will deceive many people by performing apparent miracles, such as giving life to the dead. There are many authentic Ahadith concerning him.
2. It is a common human weakness to enjoy being praised and hearing good about oneself.

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Faizah LI Oldskool Status: Offline Posts: 7,154 Reputation: 25299 Rep Power: 56 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: ~ Daar as-Sa'aadah ~ Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Kitaab at-Tawheed Explained - 08-12-2007 Allah's Words: And Among the People Are Those Who Take [for Worship] Partners Besides Allah Allah , says: " And among the people are those who take [for worship] partners besides Allah; they love them as they should love Allah, but those of faith are greater in their love for Allah. If only the evil-doers could see. Behold! They would see the punishment: That to Allah belongs all power, and Allah will strongly enforce the punishment" (Qur'an 2:165) Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, informs us in this verse that some of the people set up partners with Allah , whom they love and glorify as they do Allah . Then Allah makes it clear that the Believers love Allah more, for their love is a pure unadulterated love, which is only for Allah , while the love of the polytheists is corrupted and spoiled by their equal love of the other deities whom they have taken as partners with Allah . Then Allah warns that those polytheists, when they see the punishment that is theirs on the Day of Resurrection, will know that all power belongs to Allah and that His punishment is condign. Benefits Derived From This Verse 1. That love of Allah is a form of worship. 2. The love of the polytheists for Allah does not benefit them at all because of their shirk. 3. That shirk invalidates one's deeds. 4. That pure love for Allah is sign of true faith. 5. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Power. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed That it proves that whoever loves someone or something as much as Allah , has set up a partner with Allah and this is an act of shirk. Important Note In order that there should be no confusion in this matter, it is important to point out that love falls into two categories: (i) That which is pure, and that is worshipful love which necessitates humility, submissiveness, exaltation and complete obedience; none has the right to such love except Allah ; (ii) The second kind of love is shared love: This includes natural love, such as the love of certain foods, certain aromas, etc., the love of family, such as that of a child for his parents and vice versa, and the love that a person may have for a friend. Such love may come and go, strengthen and weaken, unlike the first category, for it is incumbent upon us to love Allah to the utmost of our ability. ..ooOOoo.. Allah , says: " Say: "If it be that your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline and the dwellings in which you delight are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger, and striving hard, and fighting in His Cause, then wait until Allah brings about His Decision - and Allah guides not the rebellious" (Qur'an 9:24) In this verse, Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, commands His Prophet, Muhammad to make plain to the people that whoever places his love of worldly things above his love of Allah , and His Prophet and defence of his religion, verily, he will see what awaits him of chastisement from Allah , because Allah does not grant success to those who do not submit themselves to Him Alone. Benefits Derived From This Verse 1. The forbiddance of placing one's love of worldly things above one's love of Allah . 2. The permissibility of love for such things as long as it does not interfere with one's love for Allah . 3. That love of Allah and His Messenger are both obligatory, and love of one without the other is not acceptable. 4. That the guidance of success comes only from Allah and no other. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter That it proves the prohibition of placing one's love of worldly things above that of Allah . Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed That it proves the obligation to love Allah and His Messenger ; therefore, this kind of love is an act of worship, and directing worship to other than Allah is shirk. ..ooOOoo.. On the authority of Anas , it is reported that Allah's Messenger said: "None of you truly believes until I am more beloved by him than his sons, his father and all of mankind." (Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim) Allah's Messenger informs us in this Hadith that none has complete faith, nor can he achieve the necessary level of faith by which he may enter Paradise without punishment, unless and until he places his love of the Prophet before his love of parents, children and all mankind. This is because love of the Messenger of Allah means love of Allah , for the Messenger is the one who brings to us Allah's Revelation and Guidance to His Religion and love of Allah and His Messenger is not true unless it leads to the implementation of all of Allah's Laws and abstinence from all that He has forbidden - and love of Allah's Messenger is not demonstrated merely by singing his praises or by celebrating his birthday, which is a despicable innovation unknown to the Prophet and his Companions. Benefits Derived From This Hadith 1. That the negation of complete faith in this Hadith does not necessitate exclusion from the fold of Islam. 2. That deeds are a part of faith, for love is an action of the heart. 3. The obligation to place one's love of the Messenger before love of parents, children and all of mankind. Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter That it proves the obligation of placing one's love of Allah and His Messenger before love of all others. Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of Tawheed That it proves the obligation of placing one's love of Allah and His Messenger before that of all others; this proves that love is an act of worship and directing an act of worship to other than Allah is an act of worship. ..ooOOoo.. Also reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Anas (ra) is that he said: "Allah's Messenger said: "Whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness of faith: (i) The one to whom Allah and His Messenger are more loved than anything else; (ii) the one who loves a person purely and solely for Allah's sake; and (iii) the one who hates to return to kufr after Allah has saved him, as he would hate to be thrown into the Fire." and in another narration: "None of you will find the sweetness of faith until..." Allah's Messenger informs us in this Hadith that faith has a sweetness, and that this sweetness will not be experienced by any except him who places his love of Allah and His Messenger before that of all others and who does not love anyone except for Allah's sake and none other, and who hates disbelief and the idea of returning to it as much as he hates the Hell-fire and as much as he would hate to be thrown into it. Benefits Derived From This Hadith 1. Confirmation of the sweetness of faith and that it is not achieved by every Believer. 2. The obligation of placing love of Allah and His Messenger above love of all others. 3. The permissibility of referring to Allah and His Messenger together. 4. That loving a person for Allah's sake is a part of faith. 5. The obligation to hate kufr and its adherents. Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter That the Hadith proves the obligation to love Allah and His Messenger more than all others. Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter That the Hadith proves that placing one's love of Allah and His Messenger before love of all others is an obligation which shows that love is a form of worship and directing an act of worship to other than Allah is shirk. ..ooOOoo.. It is reported on the authority of Ibn `Abbas (ra) that he said: "Whoever loved for Allah's sake and hated for Allah's sake and befriended for Allah's sake and showed enmity for Allah's sake, will achieve by this Allah's friendship and the slave will not attain the real taste of eemaan (faith), even though he may pray much and fast much, until he does all these things. Today, most of the people maintain relationships and love only for some worldly reason, but this will not profit them anything (on the Day of Judgement)." (Narrated by Ibn Jareer At-Tabari) Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed That it shows that Ibn `Abbas considered that love is a form of worship and directing an act of worship to other than Allah is shirk. Ibn `Abbas (ra) said, concerning Allah's Words: " And all relations between them would be cut off" (Qur'an 2:166) that it refers to relations of love. Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed That it shows that Ibn `Abbas (ra) explained this verse as follows: That if love is not for Allah's sake, it will be wasted and a source of loss to the one who loved on the Day of Judgement for it is tantamount to shirk. __________________ إنما الدين بالآثار وليس بالرأي ~ خير الناس قرني، ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم ~ إن هذا العلم دين فانظروا عمن تأخذون دينكم

	(#32 (permalink))
Faizah LI Oldskool Status: Offline Posts: 7,154 Reputation: 25299 Rep Power: 56 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: ~ Daar as-Sa'aadah ~ Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Kitaab at-Tawheed Explained - 08-12-2007 Allah's Words: " It is only Satan who suggests to you the fear of his awliyaa` [supporters and friends]. Do not fear them, but fear Me, if you are of the Believers" (Qur'an 3:175) Because fear of Allah's creatures might cause the Muslims to refrain from supporting and raising the flag of Islam, Allah , Most High, informs us in this verse that any such fear which may enter our hearts is only the deception of Satan and his followers, that delegation often takes the form of spreading falsehood by various methods. Then Allah commands the Muslims not to pay any heed to the whispers of these devils, but to fear Allah , Alone - if they are truthful in their belief, for fear of Allah must take precedence over any other fears. Benefits Derived From This Verse 1. The forbiddance of abandoning one's obligations due to fear of Allah's creatures. 2. The obligation to fear Allah, Alone, sincerely. 3. That fear of Allah is a sign of faith. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter That it proves the obligation of fearing Allah Alone, sincerely. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed That the verse proves the obligation of fearing Allah , Alone, in sincerity; therefore, it is clear that fear is a form of worship and directing an act of worship to other than Allah is shirk. Important Note Fear consists of four kinds: (i) The fear that someone other than Allah will cause one some form of illness, poverty or other misfortune by his power and will - whether he claimed that this was due to the feared one's independent power or because of his supposed position as an intercessor with Allah : This kind of fear is forbidden, for it equates the one who is feared with Allah , which is an act of major shirk; (ii) fear of one of Allah's creatures which leads the one in fear to seek a solution from that which has been forbidden, or to abandon his obligations; this is forbidden; (iii) fear of Allah's promised recompense for the disobedient: This type of fear is the highest level of faith; (iv) natural fear, such as the fear of another of Allah's creatures e.g. a lion, a snake, etc. Such fear is permissible. ..ooOOoo.. Allah , says: " The mosques of Allah shall be maintained only by those who believe in Allah and the Last Day, offer prayers perfectly, give zakah and fear none but Allah: It is they who are most likely to be on true guidance" (Qur'an 9:18) Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, tells us in this verse that, because the mosques are places of worship for the Muslims and centres of knowledge, leadership and guidance, He has placed the responsibility of their building and maintenance in obedience to Allah and His Messenger on the shoulders of the Muslims. He , Most High, adds that none should perform this duty except those who believe in the Oneness of Allah and in the Day of Recompense and Accounting, who perform the obligations commanded by Allah in the prescribed manner and do so purely for Him, Alone. Then He , Almighty, All-powerful, confirms that such people will be successful, by Allah's Will and His facilitation. Benefits Derived From This Verse 1. That the building and maintenance of mosques for the purpose of worship is a sign of faith. 2. The obligation to perform the five prayers correctly. 3. The obligation to give zakah to those who are entitled to it. 4. The obligation to fear and glorify Allah , Alone. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter That the verse proves the obligation to fear and glorify Allah , Alone. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed That the verse proves the obligation to fear and glorify Allah , Alone, therefore such fear and glorification is a form of worship and to direct such worship to other than Allah is an act of shirk. Important Note It has been said that by building and maintaining mosques, what is meant here is being responsible for their planning, financing supervision, regularly organizing teaching and lectures by scholars therein; and it has been said that what is intended is the physical construction, repair and maintenance, cleaning etc. But it is more correct to say that the verse covers both meanings, since they do not contradict each other. ..ooOOoo.. Allah , says: " Then there are among men those who say: "We believe in Allah," but when they suffer affliction in Allah's cause, they treat men's oppression as if it were the punishment of Allah! And if help comes to you [oh, Muhammad] from your Lord, they will surely say: "We have [always] been with you!" Does not Allah know best all that is in the hearts of the `aalameen [the worlds of mankind and the jinn]?" (Qur'an 29:10) Allah , Most High, informs us in this verse that some of the people (i.e. the hypocrites) affect to believe by their words, but when hurt comes to them from others because of their professed faith, they compare this temporary punishment of man to the lasting punishment of Allah and abandon their faith. Then when Allah aids his followers and slaves from among the Believers, and blesses them with victory and spoils, they affect to believe once more in order that they may receive a share of the spoils along with the believers. Then Allah warns them that He knows the hypocrisy that is in their hearts and that He will recompense them for it. Benefits Derived From This Verse 1. Patience in the face of affliction borne for the sake of one's religion is a part of faith. 2. The forbiddance of hypocrisy in religion. 3. That it is the way of the hypocrite to flee from the enemy in terror when he advances, but to advance in avarice and greed when the enemy is in retreat. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter That it proves the forbiddance of likening fear of Allah with fear of His creation. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed That it proves the obligation to place one's fear of Allah above fear of His creation; this shows that fear is a form of worship, and directing worship to other than Allah is shirk. ..ooOOoo.. It is reported on the authority of Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri (ra), in a marfoo' form that he said: "It is from a lack of certainty (of faith) that a person pleases people and by so doing, invokes Allah's Anger, and that he praises them for the livelihood which Allah has given him and that he blames them for the things not bestowed by Allah . Not even the avarice of the greediest of people can bring Allah's Blessings, nor can the aversion of the one who hates it prevent it." Abu Sa'eed informs us in this narration, which is attributable to the Prophet , that it is weakness of faith and uncertainty which causes a person to gratify people by his speech and actions at the expense of his religion, increasing their pleasure with him at the same time as they decrease Allah's Pleasure with them and thanking them for the blessings which Allah has given them and holding them to blame for those blessings which Allah does not ordain for him, forgetting that the One Who grants or withholds is Allah . Then Abu Sa'eed mentions that all bounty comes from Allah's Hand - He grants to whom He wills and He withholds from whom He wills, and that none can attract such bounty, even though he may be the most avaricious of people, nor can he withhold it from any, even though he may violently oppose it. Benefits Derived From This Narration 1. That faith may increase and decrease, strengthen and weaken. 2. That righteous deeds are a part of faith. 3. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Anger. 4. The forbiddance of thanking people, if it is believed that the blessing came from them independently, without Allah's having ordained it. 5. The forbiddance of blaming people for what Allah has not ordained for us. 6. That good and evil are ordained by Allah . Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter That it proves the prohibition of abandoning an obligation due to fear of men. Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of Tawheed That the narration shows that fear is a form of worship, and directing worship to other than Allah is shirk. Important Note (a) This narration has some weakness in its sanad but other narrations strengthen and support it. (b) There is no contradiction between this narration and the Hadith which states: "Whoever does not thank people does not thank Allah ," because here what is intended is thanking people for doing something which was in their power and which they have in fact, done, such as giving financial aid; this is quite unlike thanking a person for making it rain or thanking him for making the sun shine. Also, it is forbidden to thank a person for something believing that he acted independently, without Allah having ordained it. ..ooOOoo.. On the authority of `A`ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) it is reported that Allah's Messenger said: "Whoever seeks Allah's Pleasure at the expense of men's displeasure, will win Allah's Pleasure and Allah will cause men to be pleased with him. And whoever seeks to please men at the expense of Allah's Displeasure, will win the Displeasure of Allah and Allah will cause men to be displeased with him." (Narrated by Ibn Hibban in his Saheeh) The Prophet informs us in this Hadith that whoever sought Allah's Pleasure by obeying His Commands and abstaining from all of that which He has prohibited, without caring whether or not he pleased others and without paying heed to their insults and oppression, will achieve Allah's Pleasure and He will place love for that person in the hearts of mankind; but as for him who tried to please the people at the expense of his Religion, he will incur the Wrath of Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, and He will place hate of that person in the hearts of the people as a punishment for him because of his bad intentions - one only has to look at the present situation in the Muslim world to see the truth of this. Benefits Derived From This Hadith 1. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Pleasure. 2. That adhering strictly to the tenets of the Religion will result in Allah's Pleasure. 3. The forbiddance of hypocrisy in religious matters. 4. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Anger. 5. That hypocrisy in religious matters results in Allah's Anger. 6. That the love or hate in the heart is in Allah's Hands. Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter That it proves the forbiddance of abandoning obedience to Allah due to fear of others or seeking to please them. Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of Tawheed That the Hadith proves the obligation to fear Allah , Alone; this proves that fear is a form of worship and directing worship to other than Allah is shirk. __________________ إنما الدين بالآثار وليس بالرأي ~ خير الناس قرني، ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم ~ إن هذا العلم دين فانظروا عمن تأخذون دينكم

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Faizah LI Oldskool Status: Offline Posts: 7,154 Reputation: 25299 Rep Power: 56 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: ~ Daar as-Sa'aadah ~ Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Kitaab at-Tawheed Explained - 08-12-2007 Allah's Words: [And Depend Upon Allah if You Truly Believe] " Two men from among the God-fearing, upon whom Allah had bestowed His Grace said: "Assault them [the enemy] from the [proper] gate. Once you are in, victory will be yours. And depend upon Allah, if you truly believe" (Qur'an 5:23) Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, informs us in this verse that two believing men from Bani Israa`eel 1 advised their people and requested that they enter the city of Jerusalem, promising them that they would receive Allah's Help if they did so, because they believed in Allah's Promise which they had heard from the mouth of their Prophet, Moosa (as ), and they asked them to depend upon Allah and trust in2 Him that He would fulfill His Promise and not to be intimidated by the strength of the enemy forces, for victory is in Allah's Hands - He grants it to whom He wills and He withholds it from whom He wills, and He has promised the Believers victory and He never breaks His Promise. Benefits Derived From This Verse 1. The obligation of mutual advice and encouragement by the members of the army. 2. That faith and trust in Allah are the most important factors in attaining victory. 3. That trust in Allah is a condition of the acceptance of faith. 4. The obligation to trust in Allah and no other. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter That the verse proves the obligation of sincere dependence on Allah and trust in Him, Alone. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed That the verse proves that depending on Allah and trusting in Him is a form of worship, and directing an act of worship to other than Allah is shirk. ..ooOOoo.. Allah , says: " For Believers are those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a tremor in their hearts and when His verses are recited to them, they [the verses] increase their faith and they put their trust in their Rabb, Alone" (Qur'an 8:2) Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, informs us in this verse that the true Believers are those who, when they fear Allah , fear His punishment, and as a result, obey all of His Commands and abstain from all that He has forbidden; and when verses from the Noble Qur'an are recited to them, their faith and belief are increased and they depend upon Allah and trust in Him, Alone; and they entrust all matters to Him, doing all that is beneficial to them and abandoning that which is harmful to them. Benefits Derived From This Verse 1. That fear of Allah and trust in Him are characteristics of the Believers. 2. That faith increases and decreases. 3. The obligation to depend upon Allah and trust in Him, Alone. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter That the verse proves the obligation to trust in Allah and depend upon Him, Alone. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed That it proves that trust and dependence are acts of worship and directing worship to other than Allah is shirk. ..ooOOoo.. Allah , says: " Oh, Prophet! Sufficient for you is Allah, and for those who follow you among the Believers" (Qur'an 8:64) In this verse, Allah gives glad tidings to His Prophet, Muhammad and his believing followers and promises them victory over their enemies and He commands them implicitly to trust in Him, Alone, for He is sufficient for them against their enemies. Benefits Derived From This Verse 1. That Allah is Sufficient for those who trust in Him and depend upon Him, Alone. 2. That faith is an essential element in achieving victory. 3. The obligation of faith, by loving Allah, Alone. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter That it proves the obligation of faith, by loving Allah , which includes trust in Allah and no other. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed That the verse proves that trust and dependence are forms of worship and directing worship to other than Allah is shirk. Important Note We have said that love includes trust and dependence because whoever has faith in Allah , Alone, must, of a necessity, depend upon and trust in Him Alone. ..ooOOoo.. Allah , says: " And whoever places his trust in Allah, Sufficient is He for him, for Allah will surely accomplish His Purpose: For verily, Allah has appointed for all things a due proportion" (Qur'an 65:3) Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, informs us in this verse that whoever trusted in Him and depended upon Him to fulfill his needs and wants, Allah will suffice him in every matter, whether worldly or religious, for Allah will surely accomplish His Purpose and nothing escapes Him and no request is difficult for Him; and in order that those who ask him be not impatient, He informs us that He has appointed for everything a time and a place, which none can delay nor bring forward. Benefits Derived From This Verse 1. Evidence of the virtue of trust in Allah and dependence upon Him, Alone. 2. That trust and dependence are among the most important factors in achieving that which is beneficial and avoiding that which is harmful. 3. The obligation to believe in Allah's Ordainment and His Decree. 4. The Completeness and Perfection of Allah's Decree and His Wisdom. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter That the verse proves the obligation of dependence upon Allah and trust in Him, for Allah protects His slave and is Sufficient for him, when he depends upon his Rabb. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed That the verse proves that trust and dependence are forms of worship and directing worship to other than Allah is an act of shirk. ..ooOOoo.. Allah , says: " [There were] those to whom people said: "The people are gathering against you, so fear them." But it only increased their faith; they said: "For us Allah is Sufficient and He is the best Disposer of affairs" (Qur'an 3:173) When Abu Sufyaan and his disbelieving people returned from the Battle of Uhud, they began to gather an army from among them for another attack on the Muslims. On the road, they passed by a group of riders from Bani `Abdul Qais and Abu Sufyaan advised them to inform Prophet Muhammad and his Companions that Quraish were preparing to assault them with an overwhelming force, but this threat did not discourage them; rather, they were strengthened in their faith and they trusted in Allah , and He was Sufficient for them against their enemies, for He is the One Who is trusted above all others and He never fails the Believers. Benefits Derived From This Verse 1. That one of the signs of true faith is steadfastness in the face of adversity. 2. That psychological warfare cannot harm the Believers. 3. That faith increases and decreases. 4. The preferability of of the Believer's saying: "Hasbunallaahu wa N'imal wakeel," [i.e. Allah is Sufficient for us and He is the best Disposer of affairs]. 5. That taking whatever measures are required in order to achieve one's objectives is not in contradiction with trust in Allah and dependence upon Him, rather it is a requirement for that trust and dependence to be correct. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter That the verse proves the obligation to trust in Allah , to depend upon Him, Alone, and to suffice oneself with Him. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed That it proves that trust and dependence are forms of worship and directing worship to other than Allah is shirk. Final Words on this Subject It is reported on the authority of Ibn `Abbas (ra) that he said: " Allah is Sufficient for us and He is the best Disposer of affairs" (Qur'an 3:173) Ibraheem (as ) said it when he was thrown in the fire; and Muhammad said it when it was said to him: " The people are gathering against you, so fear them." But it only increased their faith; they said: "For us Allah is Sufficient and He is the best Disposer of affairs" (Qur'an 3:173) Important Note Tawakkul means dependence of the heart on Allah , believing Him to be Sufficient against all others for His slaves. Tawakkul (dependence) upon Allah is of three kinds: (i) Depending upon one of Allah's creatures to do something which none is able to do except the Creator: This is major shirk; (ii) depending upon one of Allah's creatures to do something which is within his capabilities but in the belief that he is able to do so independent of Allah's Will: This is minor shirk; depending upon one of Allah's creatures to do something in the knowledge that it will only happen if Allah wills it: This is permissible, such as depending upon someone in business transactions to fulfill his side of the bargain etc. Tawakkul is half of the Religion and the other half of it is turning in repentance to Allah . And tawakkul does not negate taking precautions; instead, it is a requirement in order for the tawakkul to be accepted and for one's faith to be complete. Footnotes 1. Bani Israa`eel: The People of Israel. 2. Dependence upon and trust in Allah (swt), known as tawakkul in Arabic. __________________ إنما الدين بالآثار وليس بالرأي ~ خير الناس قرني، ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم ~ إن هذا العلم دين فانظروا عمن تأخذون دينكم

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Faizah LI Oldskool Status: Offline Posts: 7,154 Reputation: 25299 Rep Power: 56 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: ~ Daar as-Sa'aadah ~ Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Kitaab at-Tawheed Explained - 08-18-2007 Allah's Words: " Did They Then Feel Secure Against the Plan of Allah?" Allah , says: " Did they then feel secure against the Plan of Allah? But none can feel secure against the Plan of Allah except those who are lost" (Qur'an 7:99) In this verse, Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, rebukes the people of the towns and cities to whom Guidance was sent, and all those who behave as they did, because they did not esteem Allah , as is His right, nor did they fear Him, though it was from Him that they received all blessings; rather, they increased their disobedience until Allah's Wrath descended upon them and His punishment overwhelmed them. Then Allah , Most High explains that no one behaves as they did except those who are doomed and will have no success in the Hereafter. Benefits Derived From This Verse 1. The obligation to fear Allah's Plan. 2. The permissibility of describing Allah as Planning, as a comparison. 3. That belief in security from Allah's Plan results in destruction. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter That it proves the obligation of fearing Allah's Plan. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed That it proves the forbiddance of believing in security from Allah's Plan, because this would necessitate a lack in Allah's Completeness and this is in contradiction with a belief in pure, Islamic monotheism. ..ooOOoo.. Allah , says: " And who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray?" (Qur'an15:56) Because the Mercy of Allah , Most Glorified, Most High, covers all things, and because the Prophets were the most knowledgeable of people concerning Allah's Mercy and His Generosity, Ibraheem (as ) said that he did not doubt the news of the impending birth of a son to him, even though he and his wife were advanced in years, for he did not despair of the Mercy and Bounty of his Rabb. His question to the angels, " Do you give me glad tidings that old age has seized me?" merely reflected his surprise that he should have a son, bearing in mind the advanced age of him and his wife. Then He asked rhetorically: " And who despairs of the Mercy of his Lord except those who are astray?" Benefits Derived From This Verse 1. The forbiddance of despairing of Allah's Mercy. 2. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Mercy, in a manner befitting His Majesty. 3. That despair of Allah's Mercy is a sign of ignorance and being astray. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter That the verse proves the forbiddance of despairing of Allah's Mercy. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of Tawheed That it proves the forbiddance of despairing of Allah's Mercy, because this suggests a lack in Allah's most perfect Generosity and this is in contradiction with a belief in pure, Islamic monotheism. ..ooOOoo.. It is reported on the authority Ibn `Abbas (ra) that the Messenger of Allah was asked about the major sins; He replied: "Associating partners with Allah (shirk), despairing of Allah's Mercy and believing that one is safe from Allah's Plan." Because obedience to Allah and His Messenger was of the utmost importance to the Companions of the Prophet and the overriding goal of their lives, they asked the Messenger of Allah about the major sins in order that they might refrain from them and so He informed them about some of the worst of them: The first which he mentioned, and the worst of all, was shirk, or associating partners with Allah , because no deeds are accepted where shirk is involved, no matter what they may be and no matter how praiseworthy they may be. Then He, Most High, mentioned both despair of Allah's Mercy and believing that one is safe from Allah's Plan, for the Muslim should be in a state between hope and fear: He does not despair of Allah's Mercy and Compassion, which are without limit, for to do so would be to think ill of the Most Generous of all; nor does he depend totally on Allah's Mercy to the extent that he abandons those righteous deeds [i.e worship of Allah ] for which he was created. Benefits Derived From This Verse 1. That sins are categorized as major or minor. 2. The forbiddance of all manner of shirk, of despair of Allah's Mercy and Compassion and of believing oneself safe from Allah's Plan, and that all of these are major sins. 3. The obligation of both fear of Allah and hope of His Mercy. 4. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Mercy, in a manner befitting His Majesty. 5. The permissibility of describing Allah's plan in comparison with the plans of His creatures. The obligation to think well of Allah, All-Mighty , All-powerful. Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter That the Hadith proves the obligation of fearing Allah , while hoping for His Mercy. Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of Tawheed That it proves the obligation of fearing Allah and hoping for His Mercy, because this is confirmation of Allah's Completeness and Perfection, a belief which is a necessary requisite for correct tawheed. Important Note Scholars have said that it is incumbent upon every Muslim that he comes to Allah in a state of fear and hope, like a bird between its wings, but that hope should predominate at the time when death approaches. ..ooOOoo.. It is reported on the authority of Ibn Mas'ood (ra) that he said: "The most heinous of all the major sins are: shirk, believing that one is safe from Allah's Plan, despairing of Allah's Mercy and losing hope of Allah's Relief. Ibn Mas'ood (ra) informs us in this narration that sins are major and minor, and of the major sins, some are more serious than others and that the worst of all major sins is shirk, or associating partners with Allah , for no deed will be accepted if it is accompanied by shirk. After mentioning shirk, he goes on to inform us of another of the worst major sins, which is believing that one is safe from Allah's Plan, i.e. that Allah will not punish the disobedient; this erroneous belief springs from complete dependence on Allah's Mercy, without fearing His punishment, hence that leads to abandoning the righteous deeds for which we were all created. Then Ibn Mas'ood mentions another of the worst major sins which is despairing of Allah's Mercy and Compassion and losing all hope of His Relief; this is because such a belief entails thinking ill of Allah , All-Mighty , All-powerful. Benefits Derived From This Narration 1. The prohibition of all forms of shirk, of believing oneself safe from Allah's Plan, of despairing of Allah's Mercy and Compassion and of losing all hope of His Relief, that all of these are major sins. 2. That sins are categorized as minor, major and worst major sins. 3. The permissibility of describing Allah's Plan in comparison with those of His creatures. 4. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Mercy in a manner befitting His Majesty. 5. The obligation to be fair and just in all matters. Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter That it proves the obligation of fearing Allah's punishment while hoping for His Mercy. Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of Tawheed That it proves the obligation of both fear and hope of Allah , for such is necessary in order for one's tawheed to be complete. __________________ إنما الدين بالآثار وليس بالرأي ~ خير الناس قرني، ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم ~ إن هذا العلم دين فانظروا عمن تأخذون دينكم

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Faizah LI Oldskool Status: Offline Posts: 7,154 Reputation: 25299 Rep Power: 56 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: ~ Daar as-Sa'aadah ~ Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Kitaab at-Tawheed Explained - 08-18-2007 Part of Belief in Allah Consists of Patience in the Face of All That Allah Has Ordained for Us Allah , says: " No kind of calamity occurs except by Allah's leave: And whoever believes in Allah, Allah will guide his heart [aright]: For Allah knows all things" (Qur'an 64:11) Allah , Most High, informs us in this verse that no calamity, whether loss of wealth, bereavement, or other, occurs unless Allah has written it and ordained it, and that whoever truly believes this, will most assuredly be guided by Allah , so that he accepts and bears with equanimity the trials and tribulations of life and acknowledges Allah's Wisdom, for Allah knows what is best for His slaves, and He is Most Kind, Most Merciful. Benefits Derived From This Verse 1. That evil, like good, is ordained by Allah. 2. Evidence of the blessing of faith, and that it results in right guidance of the heart and an upright character. 3. Evidence of the all-encompassing nature of Allah's Knowledge. 4. That the reward of goodness is goodness. 5. That the guidance of success comes only from Allah, Most High. Relevance of This Verse to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed That it proves that patience and equanimity, in the face of Allah's Ordainments are signs of faith in Allah . Important Note (a) The Arabic word, sabr means, linguistically speaking, prevention, while in religious parlance, it means preventing or restraining oneself from succumbing to depression or anxiety and guarding the tongue from complaint and angry words, and guarding the limbs from forbidden deeds, such as slapping the cheeks, tugging at the hair and tearing the clothes. (b) Sabr may be divided into three categories: (i) Patiently persevering in obedience to Allah ; (ii) refraining from what Allah has forbidden; (iii) patiently forbearing in the face of calamities which Allah may ordain for us. ..ooOOoo.. `Alqamah said: "He (i.e. the person referred to in the verse) is the one who, when calamity strikes him, knows that it is from his Rabb and accepts it with equanimity and submits (himself to Allah's Will.") Relevance of This Narration to the Subject of the Chapter That it shows that `Alqamah considered that sabr in the face of calamity and calm acceptance are signs of faith. ..ooOOoo.. In Muslim's Saheeh, it is reported on the authority of Abu Hurairah (ra) that Allah's Messenger said: "Two traits found in people are signs of disbelief: Defaming a person's lineage and bewailing the deceased." Because Islam came to abolish all of the vile customs of the Jahiliyyah, which are incompatible with the lofty principles of Islam, the Prophet informed the Companions that defaming another's ancestors and excessive mourning of the dead are traits of disbelief from the days of ignorance which will remain in this Ummah and this is a warning to us, for these two traits cause evil to the individual and to the community: Slandering another's ancestors is bound to cause hurt to and unjustified distress to that person. As for bewailing the deceased, this provokes renewed grief and fear on the part of the bereaved and shows lack of acceptance of Allah's Qadr and it is often accompanied by lying, as they indulge in exaggerated eulogies of the deceased and raise him above his true status. Benefits Derived From This Hadith 1. The forbiddance of slandering another's ancestors and of bewailing the dead. 2. That these two traits will remain in this Ummah. 3. That a person may possess some of these traits of disbelief without being a disbeliever. 4. That Islam has prohibited everything that might lead to division in society. Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed That the Hadith proves the forbiddance of bewailing the dead, for this connotes a lack of forbearance and acceptance of Allah's Qadr which is a necessary requisite of the true Believer. ..ooOOoo.. It is narrated by Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Ibn Mas'ood (ra) in a marfoo' form: "He who slaps his cheeks and tears his clothes and makes supplications of the Jahiliyyah is not one of us." Because Islam preaches the noblest of ideals and because it ennobles the soul, it has forbidden all manner of excessive mourning of the dead such as slapping the cheeks, tearing the clothes and making the supplications of the days of ignorance; 1 and it is made clear to us that such actions are completely un-Islamic, because they cause unnecessary and prolonged grief to the bereaved, reflect a lack of acceptance of Allah's Qadr and keep alive the evil customs of the Jahiliyyah which Islam came to destroy. Benefits Derived From This Hadith 1. The forbiddance of slapping one's cheeks and tearing one's clothes in anguish over the death of a loved one. 2. The falseness and futility of the customs of the Jahiliyyah except those which are in conformity with Islaamic Law and are confirmed by the Qur'an or the Sunnah, such as hospitality to the guest and the like. Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed That it proves the forbiddance of slapping one's cheeks, tearing one's clothes and making the supplications of the Jahiliyyah. Important Note It is permissible to weep for the dead if it is due to genuine feelings of sadness and compassion, free from all traces of anger and hysteria. ..ooOOoo.. On the authority of Anas it is reported that the Prophet said: "When Allah wills good for His slave, He hastens to punish him in this life and when He wills evil for His slave, He withholds punishing him for his sins until he comes before Him on the Day of Resurrection." 2 Allah's Messenger informs us in this Hadith that sometimes Allah afflicts a person with calamity in order to purify him of his sins, which otherwise, might cause him to be punished in the Hereafter, in order that he might on that Day receive the record of his deeds in his right hand and be among the successful. Alternatively, Allah may withhold punishment from a person, not because He loves him or honours him, but when he is called forth on the Day of Reckoning, he will bear a heavy burden of sins and he will receive the full punishment of those sins; and Allah grants His Favour to whom He Wills and punishes whom He Wills with justice; and He Will not be asked about what He does, but they will be asked about what they did. Benefits Derived From This Hadith 1. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Will, in a manner befitting His Majesty. 2. That good and evil are from Allah's Qadr. 3. That the trials and tribulations to which the Believer is subjected are signs of goodness, so long as they are borne with patience and without resorting to forbidden acts or abandoning one's obligations. 4. It is incumbent upon the Muslim to fear the continuation of blessings and good health, lest they betoken that his sins will not be wiped out by trials in this life. 5. The obligation to think well of Allah concerning the calamities which He might ordain for us. 6. It does not necessarily follow that when Allah gives us something good, that He is pleased with us. Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed That it proves that whoever truly believes in Allah , will bear the trials and tribulations which Allah ordains for him with patience and equanimity for he believes that they bode goodness for him. ..ooOOoo.. The Prophet said: "Verily, the greatness of the reward is tied to the greatness of the trial: When Allah loves a people, he puts them to trial. Whoever accepted it, will enjoy Allah's Pleasure and whoever is displeased with it, will incur Allah's Displeasure." 3 The Prophet informs us in this Hadith that the Believer may be afflicted by calamity in this world, such as loss of wealth, bereavement etc., but that Allah will reward him for these calamities if he bears them patiently, and He tells us also that the more a person's trials and tribulations increase, the more his reward with Allah increases and that trials are a sign of Allah's Love for the Believer, not His Anger and that Allah's Ordainment and His Qadr will be implemented and that whoever patiently perseveres in the face of adversity and accepts it, will incur Allah's Pleasure and His Reward, while whoever is angry at what Allah has ordained for him and dislikes it, will incur Allah's Displeasure and His punishment which will be more than suffice him. Benefits Derived From This Hadith 1. That afflictions wipe out sins, so long as the afflicted does not abandon his obligations or commit forbidden acts. 2. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Love, in a manner befitting His Majesty. 3. That the trials to which the Believer is subjected are signs of faith. 4. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Pleasure, in a manner befitting His Majesty. 5. The virtue of accepting Allah's Qadr and His Ordainments with patience and equanimity. 6. The forbiddance of anger at Allah's Qadr and His Ordainments. Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed That the Hadith forbids anger and despair in the face of Allah's Ordainments, and this shows that patient perseverance in the face of trials and tribulations is a part of faith. Footnotes 1. Such as: "Woe to me!" or "May I be destroyed!" etc. 2. Something very similar to this was narrated by Imam Ahmad, on the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn Mughaffal. 3. Narrated by At-Tirmizi. __________________ إنما الدين بالآثار وليس بالرأي ~ خير الناس قرني، ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم ~ إن هذا العلم دين فانظروا عمن تأخذون دينكم

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Faizah LI Oldskool Status: Offline Posts: 7,154 Reputation: 25299 Rep Power: 56 Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: ~ Daar as-Sa'aadah ~ Gender: Way of Life: Muslim	Re: Kitaab at-Tawheed Explained - 08-18-2007 What Has Been Said About Ar-Riyaa` Allah , says: " Say: "I am but a man like you, [but] it has been revealed to me that your God is One God: So whoever desires to meet his Lord, let him do righteous deeds and let him not associate any partners with his Lord in his worship" (Qur'an 18:11) In this verse, Allah commands His Prophet, Muhammad to tell the people the plain truth about himself: That he is a mere mortal, like them, without any Divine Attributes or angelic characteristics, but that Allah has distinguished him from them by inspiring him with Revelation; and from that Revelation is the Command to worship Allah , Alone, without ascribing partners to him, and that whoever feared the meeting with his Rabb on the Day of Resurrection, and hoped for His reward, he should make his deeds purely and solely for Allah ,and they should be in conformity with that which the Prophet taught. Benefits Derived From This Hadith 1. Confirmation of the Messengership of Muhammad and the denial of his possessing any Divine Attributes or angelic characteristics. 2. In this verse is proof of the shahadataan (i.e. None is worthy of worship but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah . 3. That the tawheed which our Prophet, Muhammad brought is that of worship, for even the disbeliever in Islam accepts the truth of tawheed of Rabbship. 4. That the acceptance of deeds is conditional upon their being performed purely and solely for Allah , without Shirk - and riyaa` is a kind of Shirk. Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed That the Hadith proves the invalidity of deeds which contain elements of Shirk - and riyaa` is a form of Shirk. The Meaning of Ar-Riyaa` Riyaa` is defined as the performance of a deed with the intention of pleasing other than Allah . The difference between riyaa` and sum'ah (sometimes confused in the minds of some), is that while riyaa` is done in order to show off in front of people (such as ostentatiously giving charity or praying), the latter involves the performance of good deeds in order to be heard (such as mentioning Allah or reciting the Qur'an in a loud voice etc.) - both with the same intention: To favourably impress people. ..ooOOoo.. Muslim reports, on the authority of Abu Hurairah (ra) in a marfoo' form, the following Qudsi narration: "I am Independent of all the partners (ascribed to me). Whoever performs a deed while associating partners with Me, I will leave him and his Shirk." Allah , Most High informs us in this Qudsi narration that He is Free and Independent of all those false partners which are associated with Him; and therefore, He does not accept any deed which includes Shirk and riyaa` is a form of Shirk, because it contradicts the belief that Allah is Independent and is not befitting His Nobility: In this is the clearest warning to all those who allow themselves to be seduced (by the devil) into performing actions with the intention of impressing people, rather than with the sole intention of pleasing Allah , so that when they come forth on the Day of Resurrection, they will find no good deeds credited to them; instead they will find Allah and His Reckoning - and Allah is Swift in Reckoning! Benefits Derived From This Hadith 1. Confirmation of Allah's Divine Attribute of Complete Independence from all partners. 2. That Allah does not accept deeds except those which are performed purely and solely for His sake. 3. The invalidity of riyaa` in deeds. 4. Confirmatiuon of Allah's Divine Attribute of Speech, in a manner befitting His Majesty. Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed That it proves the invalidity of deeds which contain Shirk - and riyaa` is a form of Shirk. Important Note (a) When the intention behind a deed is other than Allah's Pleasure, then the deed is in vain. (b) When the intention behind a deed is to please Allah , but after making this intention a person was guilty of riyaa`, but he then rejected this, his deed would be acceptable; but if he continued to be guilty of riyaa` until he had completed the deed, then according to some scholars, his deed would be in vain, while others said that his deed would still be accepted because of his original intention and this is the most correct saying - and Allah knows best. ..ooOOoo.. On the authority of Abu Sa'eed Al-Khudri (ra), in a marfoo' form, it is reported: "Shall I not tell you what I fear for you more than Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal?" 1 They replied: "Yes." He said: "It is hidden Shirk such as when a person stands in prayer and he improves his prayer when he knows that others are watching." (Narrated by Imam Ahmad) Allah's Messenger informs us in this Hadith that he worries for his Ummah and fears for them Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal, but that more than this, he fears for them hidden Shirk, which is riyaa`; this is because the danger of Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal is confined to a specific time, while the danger of riyaa` is present at all times and in all places and because riyaa` is hidden and its power of seduction is great 2 and it is difficult to free oneself from its grip. In addition, it leads to showy, ostentatious behaviour, self-glorification, self-promotion, all of which appeal to the weaknesses in man. Benefits Derived From This Hadith 1. That asking questions is an Islamic style of teaching. 2. The care and compasssion of the Prophet for his Ummah. 3. The great danger of riyaa`, which lies in its being hidden, its strength of appeal to most people and the difficulty of abstaining from it. 4. Evidence of the danger of Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal to this Ummah. Relevance of This Hadith to the Subject of the Chapter and to the Subject of Tawheed That the Prophet feared more than anything else for this Ummah, that they would be seduced by ar-riyaa`; therefore it is incumbent upon us to be very careful, do our utmost to abstain from it and warn others of it. Footnotes 1. Al-Maseeh Ad-Dajjaal: The false Messiah, who will deceive many people by performing apparent miracles, such as giving life to the dead. There are many authentic Ahadith concerning him. 2. It is a common human weakness to enjoy being praised and hearing good about oneself. __________________ إنما الدين بالآثار وليس بالرأي ~ خير الناس قرني، ثم الذين يلونهم ثم الذين يلونهم ~ إن هذا العلم دين فانظروا عمن تأخذون دينكم