Zamtsa
01-21-2009, 12:20 AM
I will write here very religious writings and you don't need to go too far, you could look for these books: Bukhari, Muslim, Musnad Imam Ahmad, Nasa'i, Abu Daud, Tirmidzi, Ibn Majah, Targhib wa Tarhib, Mu'jam Ash Shaghir, Mu'jam Al Ausath, Mu'jam Kabir, Al Jami' Ash Shaghir, Sunan Al Kubra, Sunan Ash Shughra etc. Found which already being verified by syaikh Nashir Al Albaani.
Shifatullah Al Waaridah Fil Kitab wa Sunnah
________________________________________
Aqidah
Asmaa was-Sifaat
General Principles Regarding Allaah's Attributes
Author: ‘Alawi ibn `Abdil-Qaadir as-Segaf
The First Principle
"Affirmation of everything that Allaah affirmed for Himself in His Book, or which His Messenger, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallaam, affirmed for Him. Without distorting (tahreef), without denial (ta'teel), and without saying how they are (takyeef) and without making any resemblance with the creation (tamtheel)."[1]
Since Allaah knows better about Himself than anyone else, and His Messenger, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallaam, knows better than rest of creation about his Lord.
The Second Principle
"To deny for Allaah everything which He has denied for Himself in His Book, or which His Messenger denied for Him, whilst believing its fully perfect opposite is confirmed for Allaah, the Most High."[2]
Since Allaah knows better about Himself than His creation, and His Messenger out of all the people is the one who knows best about His Lord, so denying death for Him includes affirmation of His perfect Life, and denying oppression for Him includes affirmation of His perfect Justice, and denying sleep for Him includes affirmation of His perfect charge/control over everything.
The Third Principle
"The attributes of Allaah, the Might and Magnificent, are only to be spoken of in accordance with a text (tawfeeqiyyah). So nothing is affirmed for Him except that which Allaah affirmed for Himself (or which) was affirmed for Him by His Messenger, and nothing is denied for Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, except that which He denied for Himself, was was denied for Him by His Messenger, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallaam."[3]
Since there is no one who knows better about Allaah than Allaah, the Most High, (Himself), and there is no one of the creation who knows better about His Creator than Allaah's Messenger, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallaam.
The Fourth Principle
"To halt with regard to vague terms which are not found to be affirmed or denied textually, in wording or meaning, so further explanation is sought. Then if something false is meant by it, then we declare Allaah free of that and reject it, and if something that is true and something that is not to be denied for Allaah, then it is accepted and the correct terminology as found in the text is to be made clear. And one should call for its usage in place of this vague and newly-introduced wording."[4]
An example of this is the term 'direction.' We halt, neither affirming or denying it, and we ask the one who says it, 'What do you mean by direction?' So if he says, 'I mean a place which contains Him.' Then we say, 'This is something false and Allaah is to be declared free from this, and we reject it.' But if he says, 'That He is unrestrictedly above.' Then we say, 'This is true it is not to be denied for Allaah,' and we accept the meaning from him, and we say, 'However, it is more fitting that you say, 'He is above the heavens,' or 'He is above,' as occurs in the authentic texts.' But as for the term 'direction' then it is vague and a novelty, so it is better to leave it.
The Fifth Principle
"Every attribute which is established by an authentic report definitely agrees with sound intellect."[5]
The Sixth Principle
"To cut off any hope of reaching the reality of 'how.' As He, the Most High, says:
And they will never compass anything of His knowledge.[6] [7]
The Seventh Principle
"The attributes of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, are affirmed in detail/specifically, whereas denial is done generally."[8]
So detailed and specific affirmation is, for example, affirming Hearing and Seeing, and the rest of the attributes. As for generalised denial, then like denial of any likeness as in His saying:
There is nothing like unto Him.[9]
The Eighth Principle
"Every name confirmed for Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, is inclusive of an attribute, but the opposite is not the case."[10]
For example, Allaah's name ar-Rahmaan (the Most Merciful) incorporates the attribute of mercy, al-Kareem (The Munificent) incorporates the attribute of munificence and al-Lateef (the Most Gentle and the All-Perceiving) incorporates the attribute of gentleness and being all-perceiving and so on. However, as for His attributes, (such as) His Will, His Coming, His Ascending-then names are not to be derived from them such as, 'The One who Wills,' 'The Comer,' 'The One who Ascended,' etc.
The Ninth Principle
"The attributes of Allaah, the Most High, are perfect, containing no deficiency in any sense at all."[11]
The Tenth Principle
"Attributes of Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, are dhaatiyyah - those pertaining to His Self, and fi'liyyah - those pertaining to His actions, and there is no limit or end to His actions.
And Allaah does what He wills."[12] [13]
The Eleventh Principle
"The proof from the Book and Sunnah for the establishment of an attribute is either:
(i) by clearly stating it,
(ii) or by its being incorporated by the name,
(iii) or by clear statement of an action or a description proving it."[14]
Examples of the first are Mercy, Might, Power, His Face, His Hands and His Fingers etc.
Examples of the second are al-Baseer (The Seeing) which incorporates the attribute of sight, and as-Samee' (The Hearing) which incorporates the attribute of hearing, and so on.
Examples of the third are (His Saying):
Ar-Rahmaan rose over the Throne.[15]
Which proves His having ascended, and (another example is His saying):
We shall exact retribution from the Mujrimoon.[16]
Which proves that He exacts retribution, and so on.
The Twelfth Principle
"One may seek refuge with Allaah, the Might and Magnificent's, attributes and swear an oath by them."[17]
From this is his, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallaam, saying, "I seek refuge of Your Pleasure from Your Wrath, and from Your granting safety from Your punishment .." reported by Muslim (no. 486), and therefore al-Bukhaaree named a chapter heading in the Book of Oaths and Vows, "Chapter: Swearing an Oath by the Might of Allaah and His Attributes and His Words."
The Thirteenth Principle
"Speech concerning the attributes is like speech about His Self."[18]
Since just as His Self is real and does not resemble that of other than Him, then it is characterised by real attributes which also do not resemble the attributes of others, and just as affirming His Self is an affirmation of existence but not of 'how'-then the same is true of the attributes.
The Fourteenth Principle
"Speech concerning some of the Attributes is like speech about the rest of them."[19]
So whoever affirms the attributes of Allaah like Hearing, Seeing and Will, must therefore affirms Allaah's Loving, being Pleased, His Anger and His Hating. Shikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said, "And whoever differentiates between one attribute and another, despite their being the same with regard to reasons for their being literal or metaphorical-then he is contradicting himself, erroneous in his position, resembling those who believed in a part of the Book and disbelieved in other parts."
The Fifteenth Principle
"Whatever is attributed to Allaah and is not something separate from Him, then it is an attribute of His and not something created, and everything that is attributed to Him and is something separate from Him, then it is something created. So not everything which is attributed to Allaah is necessarily an attribute of His."[20]
Examples of the first are: Allaah's Hearing, Allaah's Seeing, His being Pleased and His Wrath.
Examples of the second are: The House of Allaah, the She-Camel of Allaah.
The Sixteenth Principle
"The attributes of Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, and all other matters of 'aqeedah are established by that which is established from Allaah's Messenger, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallaam, even if it is a single hadeeth, even if it is aahaad."[21]
The Seventeeth Principle
"The attributes of Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, which are established in the Book and the Sunnah, are known and are explained literally-never metaphorically or figuratively. But as for ;how' they are, then that is unknown."[22] [23]
The Eighteenth Principle
"Whatever occurs in the Book or the Sunnah, then it is binding upon every Believer to hold what it entails as his saying and to believe in it, even is he does not understand its meaning."[24]
The Nineteenth Principle
"The domain of reports[25] is wider than that of the attributes, and so things related about Him are not necessarily dependant solely upon text, such as 'The Pre-Existing,' that He is a 'thing,' that He 'exists.'"[26]
The Twentieth Principle
"No analogy is made regarding the attributes of Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent."[27]
So no analogy is made between His liberality (sakhaa') and His generosity (jood). Nor between His Strength (Jalad) and His Might (Qawwah). Nor His Capability (isti'aanah) and His Power (Qudrah). Nor His Compassion (riqqah) and His Mercy (rahmah) and (ra'fah). Nor His being Aware and His Knowing and so on. Since with regard to the attributes of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, we may not go beyond the principle of halting until a text is found, as has been seen in the third principle.
The Twenty-First Principle
"The attributes of Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent, cannot be enumerated, since every name comprises an attribute as has preceded, and Allaah's names cannot be enumerated since from them are those which Allaah has retained with Himself in the knowledge of the Unseen."
NOTES
[1] 'Aqeedatus-Salaf Ashaabul-Hadeeth of as-Saaboonee, p. 4, Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 3/3, 4/182, 5/26, 6/38 and 515.
[2] Al-'Aqeedatut0Tadmuriyyah, of Ibn Taymiyyah, p. 55, Al-Jawaab Saheeh Liman Baddala Deenal-Maseeh, by him also, 3/139.
[3] Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 5/26.
[4] At-Tadmuriyyah, p. 65, Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 5/299, 6/36.
[5] Mukhtasarus-Sawaa'iq al-Mursalah, 1/141 and 253.
[6] Soorah Taa haa (20):110.
[7] Manhaj wa Diraasaat li Aayaatil-Asmaa was-Sifaat, of Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shanqeetee, p. 26.
[8] Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 6/37 and 515.
[9] Soorah Shooraa (42):11.
[10] Badaa'i'ul-Fawaa'id, 1/162 of Ibnul-Qayyim, Al-Qawaa'idul Muthlaa fee Sifaatillaah wa Asmaa'ihil Husnaa, p. 30 of Ibn 'Uthaymain.
[11] Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 5/206, Mukhtasarus-Sawaa'iq al-Mursalah, 1/232 and Badaa'i'ul-Fawaa'id, 1/168.
[12] Soorah Ibraaheem (14):27.
[13] Al-Qawaa'idul Muthlaa, p. 30.
[14] Al-Qawaa'idul-Muthlaa, p. 35.
[15] Soorah Taa Haa (20):5.
[16] Soorah as-Sajdah (32):22.
[17] Majmoo'ul-Fatwaawaa, 6/143 and 229, and see Sharhus-Sunnah of al-Baghawee (1/185-187) and some of them differentiate between swearing an oath by an attribute pertaining to an action and one pertaining to His Self, and they say, 'It is not permissible to swear (check?) by an attribute pertaining to an action.'
[18] Al-Kalaam 'alas-Sifaat of al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadee, p. 20, Al-Hujjah fee Bayaanil-Mahajjah of Qawaamsu-Sunnah (al-Asbahaanee), 1/173, At-Tadmuriyyah (p. 43) and Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 5/330 and 6/355.
[19] At-Tadmuriyyah, p. 31 and Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 5/212.
[20] Al-Jawaab as-Saheeh liman-Baddala Deenal-Maseeh,3/145, Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 9/290, Majmoo' Fataawaa wa Rasaa'il ibn 'Utahimain, 1/166.
[21] Mukhtasarus-Sawaa'iqul-Mursalah, 2/332, 412 and 43.
[22] For a reply to the doubts and claims of similarity refer to, Ar-Risaalatut-Tadmuriyyah, Munaazaatul-'Aqeedatil-Waasitiyyah, Ar-Risaalatul-Hamawiyyatul-Kubraa and Ar-Risaaltul-Marraakhashiyyah, all of them within Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 3/1-128, 1/160-194, 5/5-121 and 5/133-193, and all of them have also been published separately.
[23] At-Tadmuriyyah, pp. 43-44, Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 5/36-42, Mukhtasarus-Sawaa'iqul-Mursalah, 1/238 and 2/106 -.
[24] At-Tadmuriyyah, p. 65, Majmoo'ul-Fataawaa, 5/295 and Daqaa'qut-Tafseer, 5/245.
[25] I.e., about Allaah and His actions.
[26] Badaa'I'ul-Fawaa'id if Ibnul-Qayyim, 1/162.
[27] Sha'nud-Du'aa of al-Khattaabee, p. 111.
Asma’ul husna
Islam said that we should make Du'a using Asma'ul Husnaa, for example: Yaa Razzaq, give me food for this day.
Yaa Hayiyyu Sittiir please cover my sins and bad characters.
Yaa Hayiyyu Kariim please regain my honour in Islam etc.
Rasulullah said that whoever memorise (ahsahaa) 99 of these will enter Jannah.
And when going to do Du'a, call Allah with these names.
Source: Qawa'id Al Mutsla by syaikh ibn Al 'Utsaimin
Syarah Asma' wa Shifat Allah 'Azza wa Jalla by Sa'ad bin Wahf Al Qahtani
Syamsuddin ibn Q.Al Jauziyyah in Asma'ul Husna
Shifatullah Waaridah Fi Kitab wa Sunnah by syaikh 'Alawi bin Abdul Qadir As Segaf
1.Rahmaan{The Most Compassionate} QS.(2):163.
2.Rahiim{The Most Merciful}, QS.Al Baqarah(2):163.
3.Ra’ufur Rahiim{The Full of pity and Most Merciful}, QS. Al Baqarah(2):143, At Taubah:117, An Nahl(16):7
4. Ar Ra'uf {The Full of pity},QS.Al Imran(3):30
5.Rahiimil waduud{The Most Merciful and Most Loving) lagi Maha Mencintai}, Al Huud:90
6.Rahiimil Ghafuur{The Most Merciful and Oft Forgiving lagi}, from Al Qur’an
7.Rahiimil ‘Affuw{The Most Merciful and Most Benign}, from Al Qur’an
8.’Aziiz{The exalted in Might}, {Al Hasyr(24):23}
9.’Aziizul Hakim {The All Mighty and All Wise},QS.Al Baqarah(2):209, Al Ma’idah:118, Al Hasyr:24
10.’Aziizul Ghafur{The All Mighty and Most Forgiving lagi Maha Pengampun}, QS.Al Faathir(35):28
11.’Aziizil ‘Alim{The All Mighty and All Knowing}, QS.Al Ghaafir(40):1-2, An Naml(26):6, Al An’aam(6):96
12.’Aziizir Rahim{The All Mighty and Most Merciful}, QS.Asy Syu’aara(26):9 and 68
13.Aziizul Hamid{The All Mighty and Most Praiseworthy}, QS.Saba’ (34):6
14.Aziizul Muqtadir{The All Mighty and Able to do all things}, QS.AL Qamar (54):42
15.Aziizul Wahhab{The Exalted in might and The Bestower}, QS.Shad (38):9, 66
16.Al Muqtadir (The Omnipotent), Al Kahfi(18):45
17.Qaadir{The Able}.
18.Qadir{The Able}, Al Imran(3):26
19. Wahhab{The Bestower},QS.Al Imran(3):8, Shaad:35
20. Al Haliim {The Most Forbearing},QS.Al Baqarah(2):235
21.Halimil Rahim{The Most Forbearing and Most Merciful}, from Al Qur’an
22 Halimil Ghafur{The Most Forbearing and Most Forgiving},from Al Qur’an
23. Al Waduud{The Loving}, from Al Qur’an, QS.Al Buruuj:14
24.As Sayyid{The Lord},HR.Ahmad IV/24, Abu Daud (4806), Shahih Al Jami’(3594) declared as Shahih by syaikh Nashir Al Albani.
25. Al Ghafuur (The Oft Forgiving),QS.Al Hajj (22):60
26.Al Ghaffar {Always Ghafuur},QS.Tha Haa:82
27.Ghafuurur Rahiim{The Most Forgiving and Most Merciful}, QS.Ibrahim:36, Az Zumaar(33);53, HR.Bukhari (6236) Kitab Ad Da’awat bab 58, Muslim kitab
Dzikr (2705)
28.Ghafuurun Wadud{The Most Forgiving and Most Loving}, QS.Al Buruuj:14
29.Ghafuurur Halim{The Most Forgiving and Most Forbearing}, QS.Al Baqarah(2):225, 235
30.Ghafuurun Syakur{The Most Forgiving and Most Responsive}, QS.Faathir:34
31. Al Ghaniyyu {The one free of all needs} QS.Faathir:15
32.Ghaniyyul Hamid{The one Free of all needs and worthy of all praise}, QS.Faathir:15, Al Baqarah(2):267
33.Ghaniyyul Karim{The one Free of all needs and Supreme in honour }, QS.An Naml(27):40
34.Ghaniyyul Halim{The one Free of all needs and Most Forbearing} ,QS.Al Baqarah(2):263
35. ’Alim {The All Knowing},QS.Al Anfal(8):75, Al Ma’idah:97, HR.Bukhari 6382
36.Alimul Hakim{The one perfect in knowledge and Most Wise},QS.Al Yusuf(12):100
37.Alimul Halim{The one perfect in knowledge and Most Forbearing},QS.Al Ahzab:51, An Nisaa(4):12
38.Alimun Qadir{The one perfect in knowledge and Able to do all things},QS.Ar Rum(30):54
39.’Alimul Khabir{The one Perfect in knowledge and well aware },QS.Luqman(31):34
40. Al Hakam (The Arbiter),declared as Shahih by syaikh Nashir Al Albani in HR.Abu Daud(4955), An Nasa’i VIII/226-227, Al Bukhari in Adabul Mufrad (811) and Tarikh Al Kabir VIII/227-228, Al Irwa’(2615), and by syaikh Syua’ib Al Arnauth in Syarhus Sunnah Al Baghawi (XII/344)
41.Hakimil Hamid{The Most Wise and worthy of all praises}, QS.Al Fushilat(41):42
42.Hakimul Khabir{The Most Wise and the well aware}, QS.Al An’aam(6):18}
43. Hakimil ’Alim{The Most Wise and the perfect in knowledge},QS.Al An’aam:18, AdzDzaariyat:30
44. Al Hamiid {The Praiseworthy},QS.Huud:73
45.Hamidum Majid{The Praiseworthy and glorious}, QS.Huud:73
46. Al Majiid {The Glorious},QS.Huud:73
47. Al Fattah {The Judge},QS.Saba’:26
48. Fattahul ‘Alim {The Judge and All Knowing},Saba’:26
49. Malik{The Sovereign},Al Mu’minun: 116, HR.Muslim (2827)
50. Malikul Mulk{The owner of sovereignty},HR.Shahih Jami’ush Shaghir
51.Malikul Quddus{The Most Holy king}, in Alhadits
52.Malikul Haq{The Most Righteous King },QS.Al Mu’minun:116
53.Malikul Muqtadir{The King who Able to do all things},QS.Al Qamar:55
54.Quddus{The Holy },QS.Al Hasyr:23
55. Salam{The Perfect}, QS.Al Hasyr:23
56. Mu’min{The Preserver of savety}, QS.Al Hasyr:23
57. Muhaimin{The guardian}, QS.Al Hasyr:23
58.Jabbar{The Compeller}, QS.Al Hasyr:23
59.Mutakabbir{The Proud}, QS.Al Hasyr:23
60.Muqaddim{The Retarder}, HR.Muslim kitab Al Musafir bab Ad du’a fish Shalat al Lail wa Qiyamuh (771) (201) from ‘Ali radhiyallahu ‘anhu, Bukhari (
1120) from ibn Abbas radhiyallahu ‘anhu and Abu Awanah.
61.Mu’akhkhir{The Advancer}, HR.Muslim and Abu Awanah
62.’Awwal{The Beginning of all things}, QS.Al Hadid:3, HR.Muslim (2713)
63.Akhir{The Last of all things}, QS.Al Hadid:3, HR.Muslim (2713)
64. Thayyib{The Good},HR.Muslim kitab Zakat bab Qabulush Shadaqat Minal Kasbi Ath Thayyib wa Tarbiyatuha (1015) (65)
65. Al A'laa {The Most High}QS.Al A’laa:1, HR.Bukhari (4351), Muslim (1064), Muslim (537), Ahmad (5/447)
66. Muta’aali {The Most High in characteristics, might and place}.QS.Ar Ra’d:9, HR.Bukhari (4351), Muslim (1064), Muslim (537), Ahmad (5/447)
67.’Aliyyul 'Azhim{The Most High and The Immense}, QS.2:255
68.‘Aliyyul Kabir{The Most High and The Greatest},QS.Al Hajj(22):62
69.’Aliyyun Hakim{The Most High and Most Wise},
70.‘Aliyyul Khabir{The Most High and The All Cognisant},
71.’Affuwwun Qadir{The Most Benign and The Able},QS.An Nisaa(4):149
72.Affuwwun Ghafur{The Most Benign and Most Forgiving}, QS.An Nisaa(4):43,99, Al Hajj(22):60, 58(Al Mujadalah):2
73. Khaliq {The Creator},QS.Al Mukminun:14
74.Khallaaqul ‘Alim{The Creator and All Knowing},QS.Al Hijr(15):86
75. As Sami' {The All Hearing},QS.Al Baqarah(2):186
76.Sami’un Qarib{The All Hearing and (ever) near},QS.Al Baqarah(2):186
77.Sami’ul ‘Alim{The All Hearing and All Knowing},QS.Al Imran(3):33-34, Al A’raf(7):200
78.Sami’ul Bashir{The All Hearing and All Seeing},QS. An Nisa:134, Thaa Ha:46, Al Mujaadilah:1, Al Ghaafir(40):56,
79. Tawwab {The Oft Returning}
80.Tawwabur Rahim{The Oft Returning and Most Merciful},QS.Al Baqarah(2):128
81.Tawwabun Hakim{The Oft Returning and Most Wise},
82. Tawwabul Ghafur{The Oft Returning and Most Forgiving},
83.Asy Syakiir {The Apreciative}
82. Asy Syakuur {Mubalaghah of Asy Syakir}, QS.At Taghaabun:17
83. Syakiirun Halim{The Apreciative and Most Forbearing},QS.At Taghaabun:17
84. Syakiirul ‘Alim{The Apreciative and All Knowing},QS.Al Baqarah(2):158
85.Qaabidh{The one who narrow the sustenance of Makhluq} from Anas bin Malik in HR.Abu Daud (3451), Tirmidzi (1314), Ibn Majah (2200), Ad Darimi II/249, Ahmad /156 &286, Thabarani in Al Kabir XXII/125 from Abu Juhaifah, Ghayatul Maram (323).
86.Musa’ir{The one who control sustenance for His Makhluq}, from Anas bin Malik in HR.Abu Daud (3451), Tirmidzi (1314), Ibn Majah (2200), Ad Darimi II/249, Ahmad /156 &286, Thabarani in Al Kabir XXII/125 from Abu Juhaifah, Ghayatul Maram (323).
87. Baasith{The one who expand the sustenance of Makhluq}, from Anas bin Malik in HR.Abu Daud (3451), Tirmidzi (1314), Ibn Majah (2200), Ad Darimi II/249, Ahmad /156 &286, Thabarani in Al Kabir XXII/125 from Abu Juhaifah, Ghayatul Maram (323).
88.Syafii{The Healer of all Makhluq},HR.Bukhari kitab Ath Thibb, bab “Ruqyah An Nabi(5732), Muslim kitab As Salaam, bab Istihbab Ruqyah Al Maridh (2191) (46)
89.Thabib{The docter of all Makhkluq},HR.Shahih Abu Daud (3544), Imam Ahmad (7109,7110)- Syakir, Ibn Hibban (5995), Silsilah Hadits Ash Shahihah 1537, Shahih Adabul Mufrad of Al Bukhari
90.Jawwad{The Most Generous}, Silsilah Hadits Ash Shahihah (IV/170), Shahih Al Jami’ (1796)
91.Sayyid{The True Leader of all Makhluq},HR.Ahmad IV/24, Abu Daud (4806), Shahih Jami’ (3594).
92.Sittiir{The One close the sins and mistakes of human and Jin},
93.Rafiq{The Most Compassionate}, HR.Muslim in kitab Birr wa Shilah bab Fadhlu Ar Rifq (2593) (77)
94.Muhsin{The Cherisher}, Muslim (1995), Silsilah Ash Shahihah (469), Shahih Al Jami’ (1819,1823, 1824).
95.Dzal Jabaruut wal Malakuut wal Kibriya wal ‘Azhamat{The Supreme owner of sovereignty and greatest things and supreme glory}, HR.Shahih Abu Daud (776), An Nasa’i and others.
96.Al Hayyu {The Living}, Shahih in HR.Abu Daud (1495), An Nasa’i (III/52), Ahmad, Al Bukhari in Adabul Mufrad, Ibn Mandah in At Tauhid (44/2, 67/1, 70/1-2).
97. Al Qayyum {The Self subsisting and eternal sustainer}, Shahih in HR.Abu Daud (1495), An Nasa’i (III/52), Ahmad, Al Bukhari in Adabul Mufrad, Ibn Mandah in At Tauhid (44/2, 67/1, 70/1-2).
98.Hayyul Qayyum{The Living and self subsisting and eternal sustainer},QS.Al Baqarah(2):255, Shahih in HR.Abu Daud (1495), An Nasa’i (III/52), Ahmad, Al Bukhari in Adabul Mufrad, Ibn Mandah in At Tauhid (44/2, 67/1, 70/1-2).
99. Lathif {The Subtile},QS.Al An’aam(6):103.
100. Lathiful Khabir{The Subtile and All-Cognisant},QS. Al Luqman(31):16, Al Mulk(67):14
101. Dayyan{the One who decide someone's fate}, from Hadits Shahih.
102. Barr {The Most Benevolent}
103. Barrur Rahim{The Most Benevolent and Most Merciful}
104. Allah {The one and only God which we worship and to whom our love, fear and hope}
105. Al Ilah {The only God which we worship and love}
106. Al Bashiir {The All seeing}, QS.Al Faathir:45
107. Al Haafizh {The Preserver },QS.Al Yusuf(12):64
108.Al Hasiib {The Reckoner},QS.An Nisaa(4):6
109.Al Hafiyy {The Most Friendly},QS.Maryam:47
110.Al Mubiin {The One Explain Things Essentially},QS.An Nuur(24):25
111. Al Haq (The Truth},QS.Al Hajj(22):62
112. Hayiyy {The Most Shy} Shahih, in HR.Abu Daud (1488), At Tirmidzi (3551), Ibn Majah 3865,Ibn Hibban (2399 and 2400), Al Hakim I/497, Fathul Bari I/497, Syarhus Sunnah Al Baghawi V/186, Shahih Jami’ 1753.
113. 'Azhimil Halim{The Immense and Most Forbearing},Musnad Imam Ahmad, Takhrij Kalimuth Thayyib by syaikh Nashir Al Albani
114. Al Maula{The Best Patron},QS.Al Anfal(8):40
115. Al Akram{The Supreme in honour}
116.Kariim (The Supreme in honour),HR.Shahihul Jami’ (1796)
117.Wahid (The One),QS:Al Baqarah(2):163
118.Wahidul Qahhar{The One and the Irresistable},QS.Al Yusuf(12):39
119. Witr{The Odd},HR.Bukhari kitab Ad Da’wat bab”Lillahi Min Ismin Ghairu Wahid (6410)”, Muslim kitab Adz Dzikr wa Ad Du’a, bab Fi Asma’illah Ta’ala wa Fadhlu Man Ahshaha (2677) (5) from ‘Ali, Ibn Mas’ud and Ibn Umar radhiyallahu ‘anhu ajma’in.
120. Ar Raqiib {The Ever watchful} ,QS.An Nisa(4):1
121.Khabir {All Cognisant}
122. Khabirum Bashir{All Cognisant and All Seeing},
123. Qawiyyu (The All Powerful),QS.Al Hajj(22):73-74.
124. Qawiyyul ‘Aziz{The All Powerful and the Exalted in might},QS.Al Hajj(22):73-74.
125 . Ar Razzaq{The Provider}, from Anas bin Malik in HR.Abu Daud (3451), Tirmidzi (1314), Ibn Majah (2200), Ad Darimi II/249, Ahmad /156 &286, Thabarani in Al Kabir XXII/125 from Abu Juhaifah, Ghayatul Maram (323).
126.Ar Raaziq {Ar Razzaq is the mubalaghah of Ar Raaziq}
127. Ash Shamad{The Eternally Besought of All},QS.Al Ikhlash(4):2, HR.Bukhari 4984 kitab Tafsir bab Surat Al Ikhlash, An Nasai 4:112 kitab Al Jana’iz Abu Daud, An Nasai, Ahmad, Ibn Khuzaimah(1/87/1)
128. Al Qahhar{The Irresistable},QS.Ar Ra’d(13):16, Al Mu’min:16.
129.Al Qaahiru {The Irresistable}
130. Al Matiin (The Firm)
131.Al Qariibun (Ever Near) ,
132. Bari{The Originator},QS.Al Hasyr(22):24, Al Baqarah(2):54, HR.Bukhari 6903
133. Mushawwir{The fashioner},QS.Al Hasyr(22):24
134.Jamil{The Beautiful} HR.Muslim, kitab Al Iman Bab Tahrim Al Kibru wal Bayanuh (147) (91)
135.Al Mujiib{The Responder} QS.Al Mu’min:60, An Naml(27)62
136.Zhahir{The Evident},QS.Al Hadid:3, HR.Muslim (2173)
138.Bathin{The Immanent} QS.Al Hadid:3, HR.Muslim (2173)
139.Asy Syahid {The Witness},QS.Al Mujaadalah:6,
140.Al Kabiir (The Greatest in size), QS.Ar Ra’d(13):9
141. An Nashiir{The Best Helper}, QS.Al Anfal(8):40
142.Al Haadi{The Guide},QS.Al Hajj(22):54
143. Al Ahad {The one and Only God},QS.Al Ikhlash(112):1, HR.Abu Daud, An Nasai, Ahmad, Ibn Khuzaimah. Declared as Shahih by Al Hakim and agreed upon by Adz Dzahabi
144.Nuurus Samaawaati wal Ardh {The Light of the sky and the earth},HR.Al Bukhari and Al Fath(XIII/464,XI/116) and Muslim (I/532)
145.Ar Rabb {The Master}, Hasan Shahih, HR.Tirmidzi (3579), Al Hakim I/309, Takhrij Kalimuth Thayyib by syaikh Nashir Al Albani page 48
146.Al Muhiith {The Encompasser},QS.Al Baqarah(2):19
147.Al Muqiita{The Overseer},QS.An Nisaa(4):85
148. Al Waliy{The Protector},QS.Asy Syuura(42):28, Al Jaatsiyah(45):19
149. Al Mannan{The Most Benevolent}, Shahih in HR.Abu Daud (1495), An Nasa’i (III/52), Ahmad, Al Bukhari in Adabul Mufrad, Ibn Mandah in At Tauhid (44/2, 67/1, 70/1-2).
150.Al Wakiil{The Perfect Trustee},QS.An Nisaa (4):81
151.Jami’un Naasi {The Gatherer},QS.Al Imran (3):9
152.Badi’us Samaawaati wal ardhi{The Creator of the skies and the earth}, Shahih in HR.Abu Daud (1495), An Nasai (III/52), Ahmad, Al Bukhari in Adabul Mufrad, Ibn Mandah in At Tauhid (44/2, 67/1, 70/1-2).
153.Al Kaafi{The One Defend His worshipper},QS.Az Zumaar(39):36
154. As Subbuh{The Most Holy from all weakness},HR.Muslim kitab Ash Shalah bab Maa yuqalu Fi ar Ruku’ wa As Sujuud (487) (223)
155.Ar Rafiiq{The Most Kind},HR.Muslim kitab Al Birr wa Shilah, bab “Fadhlu Ar Rifq” (2593) (277)
156. Ad Dahr{The Time},HR.Bukhari kitab At Tauhid bab Qauluhu Ta’ala yuriiduuna an yubdila Kalamallah (7491), Muslim Kitab Alfahz min Al Adab bab An Nahyu ‘An Sabb Ad Dahri (2246)(2), from Abu Hurairah, Silsilah Hadits Ash Shahihah 3
157.Al Mu’thi{The Most Giving}HR.Bukhari kitab Fardhu Al Khumus bab qaalallahu Ta’ala “Fainna lillahi Khumusuhu wa Rasuulihi (3116) and (7312), Muslim (1037) (100), Bukhari in kitab ‘Ilm bab “Man Yuridillahu bihi Khairan,” (71)
158. Al ‘Affuw { Most Benign} An Nisaa(4):149
159. Wasi’{The All Pervading},QS.Al Imran(3):73
160. Waasi’ul ’Alim{The All pervading who is All Knowing},QS.Al Baqarah(2):261
161. Waasi’ul Hakim{The All Pervading wh is Most Wise},QS.An Nisaa(4):130
162. Hayiyyul Kariim{The Most Shy and Supreme in honour}, Shahih, in HR.Abu Daud (1488), At Tirmidzi (3551), Ibn Majah 3865,Ibn Hibban (2399 and 2400), Al Hakim I/497, Fathul Bari I/497, Syarhus Sunnah Al Baghawi V/186, Shahih Jami’ 1753.
163. Hayiyyul Sittir{The Most Shy and The One covers sin and shortcomings} Shahih in HR.Ahmad IV/224, Abu Daud (4012-4013), An Nasai I/200, Al Irwa’ 2793
164. Dzul Jalaal wal Ikram{Possessor of majesty, bounty and honour},QS.Ar Rahman (55):27 and 78, Shahih in HR.Abu Daud (1495), An Nasa’i (III/52), Ahmad, Al Bukhari in Adabul Mufrad, Ibn Mandah in At Tauhid (44/2, 67/1, 70/1-2).
Aqidah Hamawiyyah: What is Obligatory Upon the Slave of Allah Concerning His Religion
Author: Syaikhul Islam Ahmad ibn Halim ibn Taimiyyah
[2802]
It is to follow what Allaah and His Messenger have said, and then the Rightly Guided Khaleefah-s and the Companions, and then those who followed them in goodness.
1.1 FOLLOWING ALLAAH AND HIS MESSENGER (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam)
- (7):158
1.2 FOLLOWING THE MESSENGER (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) AND THE RIGHTLY GUIDED KHALEEFAH-S.
- Hadeeth "It is obligatory that you stick to my Sunnah and that of the Rightly Guided Khaleefah-s after me. Stick to that and bite onto that with your molar teeth. And beware of newly invented matters, for every such matter is an innovation and every innovation leads astray."
1.3 FOLLOWING THE COMPANIONS.
- They followed the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) in Beneficial Knowledge and Righteous Actions. They have the greatest right to be followed after the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) as Allaah chose them to accompany the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) knowing them to be:
- the most complete in Faith.
- the most superior in intellect.
- the most upright in actions.
- the most firm in resolve.
- the most guided on the correct path they were upon.
1.4 FOLLOWING THOSE WHO FOLLOWED THEM IN GOODNESS.
- and the Imaams of the Religion who followed this way who were known for being upon guidance and correctness.
1.5 TO BELIEVE THAT ALLAAH SENT HIS MESSENGER WITH CLEAR PROOFS.
- and the guidance to obligate all to have faith in him and to follow him
The message of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) comprised of [see (61):9]
- Beneficial Knowledge = Guidance [al-Hudaa]
- Righteous Actions = Religion of Truth [Deen-ul-Haqq]
2.1 BENEFICIAL KNOWLEDGE [AL 'ILM-UN-NAFI']
- That which results in good for the Ummah in this world and next.
- The most beneficial is that of Allaah, His Names, Attributes, Actions.
a). It is the essence of Tawheed-ul-Ulooheeyah.
b). It is the essence of the Prophetic call.
c). By it, is the Religion supported.
- It's impossible that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) left it unclearly explained because:
2.1.1 THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHET (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) CONTAINED LIGHT AND GUIDANCE.
- And Allaah dispatched him as a bringer of glad tidings, a warner and a bright lamp.
- And greatest most lasting light is that which enlightens the heart as a result of recognising Allaah, His Names and Attributes.
- Hence he must have explained it clearly.
2.1.2 THE PROPHET (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) TAUGHT THE UMMAH ALL IT NEEDED TO KNOW.
- He even gave some knowledge of the birds [cf. narration of Aboo Dharr].
- Then surely he taught the knowledge of Allaah, His Names and Attributes.
2.1.3 EEMAAN IN THIS KNOWLEDGE IS:
- The basis of the Religion.
- The essence of what the Messenger called to.
- The most obligatory of knowledge.
- The most excellent of things that the minds should grasp.
- So how could he not teach it when he taught lesser matters?
2.1.4 THE PROPHET (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) WAS:
- The most knowledgeable about his Lord.
- The most sincere to the creation.
- The most eloquent in speech.
- Hence he could not have left this matter of Eemaan in Allaah, His Names and Attributes unclear and doubtful, while this knowledge needed clarification.
2.1.5 AND THE COMPANIONS MUST HAVE CLEARLY CONVEYED THIS KNOWLEDGE.
Or else they were silent or spoke falsely - both are impossible.
2.1.5.1 It's Impossible That They Were Silent
- If so , it meant that they were ignorant of what is obligatory to know with respect to Allaah, His Names and Attributes, or else they concealed this knowledge purposely.
2.1.5.1.1 It's Impossible That They Were Ignorant
- for all hearts with life, consciousness, a desire for knowledge and to worship, would have its most important issue as studying Eemaan in Allaah, His Names and Attributes, and to realise this in terms of knowledge and belief.
- And the Companions - the best of people - had most life in their hearts, and greatest love for goodness, and the most desire to realise beneficial knowledge.
- He (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said: "The best of the people is my generation, then those who followed them, then those who followed them."
- And this goodness encompasses their excellence in everything done to bring one closer to Allaah, via words, actions and beliefs.
- And if they were ignorant, then those after them would be more so, as the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) used them to convey the religion.
- Hence the saying they were ignorant implies that no one now has this knowledge, and this is clearly impossible.
2.1.5.1.2 It's Impossible That They Concealed the Truth
- for every rational person knows the Companions to have been eager to convey beneficial knowledge to the Ummah.
- Hence it's impossible - especially concerning the most obligatory of things to know.
2.1.5.2 It's Impossible That They Spoke Falsely - i.e. with No Authentic Evidence
- They were the least likely to speak without knowledge of an authentic proof.
- They were the first to obey Allaah's commands: (17):36 and (7):33.
- And the source of false speech is either ignorance or a desire to misguide - both are impossible.
2.1.5.2.1 As for Ignorance
- then that is impossible - see 2.1.5.1.1
2.1.5.2.2 As for Misguiding the Creation
- then this is an evil desire which could not come from the Companions for the Ummah.
- And if true it implies all what they said about the Religion is false and so the whole Sharee'ah is in doubt - And this saying is futile.
2.1.5.3 Hence Once It's Clear That They did Speak the Truth Concerning This
- They did so either via their Minds or via the Revelation
2.1.5.3.1 As for the Mind
- then it can't reach the details of what is obligatory to know of Allaah, His Names and Attributes.
2.1.5.3.2 And that leaves the only source of their knowledge as the Revelation Brought by Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam)
2.2 RIGHTEOUS ACTIONS [AL 'AMAL-US-SAALIH]
- Those done:
- Solely for Allaah's sake [al-Ikhlaas]
- In accordance with the Sunnah of His Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) [al-Mutaaba'ah]
Ahl-us-Sunnah wal Jamaa'ah are those who gather upon adherence to the Prophet's Sunnah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) - outwardly and inwardly; in speech, action and belief.
Their way with respect to Allaah's Names and Attributes is:
3.1 CONCERNING AFFIRMATION
They affirm that which Allaah has affirmed for Himself in His Book or via His Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) without Tahreef, Ta'teel, Takyeef or Tamtheel.
3.2 CONCERNING DENIAL
They deny that which Allaah has denied for Himself in His Book or via His Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) .
At the same time they affirm the opposite in the most perfect sense.
3.3 CONCERNING WHERE AFFIRMATION OR DENIAL IS NOT SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED
e.g. al-Jism (body), al-Hayyiz (realm), al-Jihah (direction).
Then their way is:
To halt at the words and neither affirm or deny them.
Then to look into the meaning of those words
- if the meaning is false then they deny this meaning
- if the meaning is correct and not prohibited for Allaah then they accept this meaning.
3.4 THIS WAY (3.1-3.3) IS ESTABLISHED VIA TWO WAYS:
- The Mind
- The Revelation
3.4.1 THE MIND
- It's clear to the mind, that the details of what is obligatory, permitted or prohibited for Allaah can not be reached by the mind.
- Hence one must follow the Revelation - affirming or denying what it affirms or denies, and staying silent where it is silent.
3.4.2 THE REVELATION
3.4.2.1 (7):180 - Proof of Affirmation without Tahreef or Ta'teel for both of these are from Ilhaad.
3.4.2.2 (42):111 - Proof to reject Tamtheel.
3.4.2.3 (17):36 - Proof to reject Takyeef and to obligate us to halt at those terms where affirmation or denial is not mentioned.
3.5 ATTRIBUTES WHICH ARE AFFIRMED OR DENIED FOR ALLAAH
3.5.1 THOSE WHICH ARE AFFIRMED FOR HIM
These are Attributes of Perfection in the most perfect sense without there being any aspect of deficiency.
3.5.2 THOSE WHICH ARE DENIED FOR HIM
- Are attributes of deficiency which contradict perfection.
- Hence they are prohibited for Him.
3.5.2.1 And when Denying These, We Must Affirm the Opposite of it in the Most Perfect Sense because only denying it may be due to a deficiency.
e.g. The poetry the Shaykh quotes.
e.g. to say "The wall does not oppress" - this is not a praise of the wall because it can't oppress!
Examples concerning Allaah:
3.5.2.1.1 Allaah has denied Dhulm - Oppression from Himself, so we deny it from Him, and also affirm its opposite - Justice [al 'Adl] - in the most perfect sense.
3.5.2.1.2 Allaah has denied Lughoob - Fatigue from Himself, so we deny it from Him, and also affirm its opposite - Power [al Qoowah] - in the most perfect sense.
3.6 DEFINITIONS
3.6.1 AT-TAHREEF
3.6.1.1 In the Language - to change or alter.
3.6.1.2 Technically here - to change the texts in wording or meaning. This is of 3 kinds.
3.6.1.2.1 Altering the words so the meaning changes: e.g. What some innovators do to the Saying of Allaah in (4):164 - changing the Dammah on the last letter of "Allaah" with a Fathah, in order to change the meaning to "Moosaa spoke to Allaah..."
3.6.1.2.2 Altering the words with no change of meaning: e.g. changing the Dammah on the last letter of "al Hamd" in (1):2, to a Fathah. This usually occurs out of ignorance.
3.6.1.2.3 Altering the Meaning: taking the meaning of the words away from their most apparent meaning without any proof. e.g. Saying Allaah's Two Hands means "His Power" or "His Blessing".
3.6.2 AL-TA'TEEL
3.6.2.1 In the Language - to discharge and to make empty.
3.6.2.2 Technically here - to reject or deny all or some of that which is obligatory for Allaah regarding His Names and Attributes. This is of 2 types.
3.6.2.2.1 Complete Ta'teel - like the Jahmeeyah who deny the Attributes and some of them deny the Names.
3.6.2.2.2 Partial Ta'teel - like the Ash'areeyah who deny some of the Attributes.
- The first of this Ummah to do this was Ja'd ibn Dirham.
3.6.3 AT-TAKYEEF
- to try to describe "how" an Attribute is. e.g. To say: How Allaah's Hand is, is like this and that, or How His Descending is, is like this and that.
- Takyeef differs to Tamtheel and Tashbeeh in two ways:
3.6.3.1 Takyeef is to Relate How Something is, with Restriction or Not by way of resembling. While Tamtheel and Tashbeeh indicate how something is in a restricted sense, by way of a likeness or resemblance respectively.
- Takyeef is more general.
- All who do Tamtheel, are doing Takyeef. But vice versa is NOT the case.
3.6.3.2 Takyeef is Particular to Allaah's Attributes, while Tamtheel is concerned with His Decree, Description and Self.
3.6.4 AT-TAMTHEEL
To affirm something is alike another in every way.
3.6.5 AT-TASHBEEH
To affirm a resemblance in most attributes.
- Note: The terms Tamtheel and Tashbeeh are sometimes interchangeable.
Tashbeeh is of two kinds:
3.6.5.1 Tashbeeh of the creation with the Creator - to affirm for the creation that which is particular to the Creator
(1) Tashbeeh concerning His Rights - e.g. to say that others have the right to be worshipped alongside Allaah.
(2) Tashbeeh concerning His Lordship - e.g. to say that there are other creators alongside Allaah.
(3) Tashbeeh concerning His Attributes - to give others His Attributes that are particular to Him - e.g. see quoted poetry.
3.6.5.2 Tashbeeh of the Creator with the creation - to affirm for Allaah, concerning His Self and Attributes which are particular to Him, the likes of attributes of the creation.
e.g. to say that Allaah's Two Hands are like the creation's hands. The first of this Ummah to introduce this was Hishaam ibn al-Hakam ar-Raafidee.
3.6.6 AL-ILHAAD [SEE (7):180; 3.4.2.1]
3.6.6.1 In the Language - to deviate, to turn aside.
3.6.6.2 Technically here - to deviate from that which is obligatory to believe in and act upon. This is of 2 kinds.
3.6.6.2.1 Al-Ilhaad in the Names of Allaah
- to abandon the obligatory truth concerning them, and this is of 4 kinds:
1. to deny anything from them or from what is proven of the Attributes - as done by the people of Ta'teel.
2. to make His Names an indication of resembling the creation - as done by the people of Tashbeeh.
3. to name Allaah with names that He has not given Himself - as done by the Christians who call him "Father" and the philosophers who call Him "The Prime Mover."
4. to derive from His Names, names for the idols - as done by the Mushriks who derived al-Laat from His Name al Ilaah and who derived al'Uzzah from His Name al 'Azeez.
3.6.6.2.2 Al-Ilhaad concerning His Verses
- this is of two types:
1. Relating to the Law-Related Verses - to distort them or deny the reports that must be believed in, or to disobey its rulings.
2. Relating to the Decree-Related Verses - to attribute these things to other than Allaah or to believe He has a partner in His acts of Creation and Decreeing.
4.1 THE WAY OF THE SALAF IS INDEED THE ONLY CORRECT WAY
- This is proven from two angles:
4.1.1 THE BOOK AND THE SUNNAH INDICATE THE WAY OF THE SALAF
- Hence their way does conform to the Book and Sunnah.
- They had the best understanding of them, and were the strongest in believing in them and acting upon them.
- After all, they came in their language and in their era.
4.1.2 EITHER THE TRUTH LIES WITH THE SALAF, OR ELSE IT LIES WITH THE KHALAF
The later statement is false because:
- it implies that Allaah, His Messenger, the Companions all spoke falsely concerning the truth which is obligatory to believe in.
- Hence the presence of the Book and the Sunnah is a pure detriment.
- Hence the people were left with no Book or Sunnah that offered them any good.
- All of this is clearly false.
- Hence the truth lies with the Salaf.
4.2 SOME OF THE IGNORANT HAVE SAID:
"The way of the Salaf is safer, but the way of the khalaf is more knowledgeable and more wise."
4.2.1 THERE WERE 2 CAUSES FOR THIS SAYING:
4.2.1.1 That the One Who Said it [Falsely] Believed that Allaah had no Real Attributes that Could be Proven from the Texts
4.2.1.2 That the One Who Said it [Falsely] Believed that the Way of the Salaf was:
- To believe merely the words of the Attributes offered by the text, without believing any meaning for them.
- So he felt that the way of the khalaf - to assign meanings that differed from the most apparent meanings that indicate affirmation of the Attributes - was deeper in knowledge and wisdom than that of the Salaf.
4.2.2 THIS FOOL'S SAYING COMPRISES OF SOME TRUTH AND SOME FALSEHOOD
- The truth - is to say the way of the Salaf is safer.
- The falsehood - the rest of the statement. And it's false for many reasons:
4.2.2.1 It Contradicts His Saying that the Way of the Salaf is Safer
- Knowledge is a cause of safety and wisdom is how to use it.
- There is no safety without knowledge and wisdom.
- The way of the Salaf is safer, more knowledgeable and more wise.
4.2.2.2 His belief that the Texts Do Not Prove any Real Attributes for Allaah is False, being based on evil doubts, and the opposite is proved by the intellect, the Fitrah, and the Sharee'ah.
1. The intellect - All that exists have attributes of either perfection or deficiency.
- The second possibility is false for the Perfect Lord who indeed points out the deficiencies in the false gods in order to show that it's futile to worship them.
- Hence the first is only possible - that Allaah has affirmed for Himself Attributes of perfection.
- And indeed we see the completeness of His creation.
- Hence the One who gave these complete attributes is all the more Complete and Perfect.
2. The Fitrah - All pure souls love, honour and worship Allaah because all pure souls naturally love, honour and worship that which possesses Attributes of Perfection.
3. The Sharee'ah - There are many proofs:
- The Qur'aan (59):22-24; (30):27; (2):255
- Hadeeth "O people ... indeed you are calling upon the Hearer, the See-er ..."
4.2.2.3 His Belief that the Salaf Believed in Hollow Words with No Meaning is also False
- They were the most learned of the Ummah, regarding the words and meanings of the texts.
- They were the first to affirm meanings that befit Allaah - in accordance to what He and His Messenger wanted.
4.2.2.4 The Salaf were Inheritors of the Prophets and Messengers, learning from the Message of Tawheed-ul-Ulooheeyah, and from the true realities of Faith.
- But the khalaf learned from the Magians, Polytheists, Jews and Greeks and their offspring.
- So how can the khalaf be more knowledgeable and wise than the Salaf bearing in mind their respective sources of knowledge?
4.2.2.5 The Leaders of Khalaf Admitted that They Themselves were Confused about this Matter
- refer to the poetry and quote from ar-Raazee.
- So how can those who were in a state of misguidance and confusion [i.e. the leaders of the khalaf] be more knowledgeable and wise than the followers of the Prophets who knew the true realities of Faith and knowledge [i.e. the Salaf]?
4.2.3 HENCE:
- The way of the Salaf is safer, more knowledgeable and more wise
5.1 SOME OF THE PEOPLE SAY:
"The way of the Salaf regarding Allaah's Attributes is to leave the texts as reported, while believing that the most apparent meaning is not the intended meaning"
- This statement hinges on what is meant by "most apparent" [Dhaahir].
5.1.1 IF WHAT IS MEANT BY THIS IS THE MOST APPARENT MEANING, BEFITTING HIS MAJESTY, WITHOUT MAKING ANY RESEMBLANCES, THEN THIS IS WHAT IS MEANT.
- Hence the above statement is a lie against the Salaf.
5.1.2 IF WHAT IS MEANT BY THIS - AS IS THOUGHT BY SOME - IS TO RESEMBLE ALLAAH TO HIS CREATION, THEN THIS IS NOT WHAT IS MEANT.
- Hence with this meaning, the above statement is correct.
- But this possibility is impossible as resembling the Creator to the creation is prohibited so how can "the most apparent" meaning be something impossible?
5.1.3 HENCE THE MEANING OF 5.1.1 IS THE ONLY VALID ONE AND HENCE THIS STATEMENT IS A LIE AGAINST THE SALAF.
6.1 SOME OF THE PEOPLE SAY:
"There is no difference between the way of the Salaf and of the people of Ta'teel [i.e. the people of Tahreef], for all of them agree that the verses and hadeeths do not indicate Attributes for Allaah, but then the people of Ta'teel thought there would be some benefit in giving an explanation, because of the pressing need for it, and so they specified the intended meaning, while the Salaf held back from specifying anything in case they specified the wrong meaning."
- This is a clear lie upon the Salaf for the following reasons:
6.1.1 THE SALAF CLEARLY SPECIFIED ATTRIBUTES FOR ALLAAH
- they never denied texts proving Attributes for Him, befitting His Majesty, and instead they rejected anyone who would deny the Attributes. e.g. the statement of Nu'aym bin Hammaad al-Khuzaa'ee.
6.1.2 THE PEOPLE OF TA'WEEL WERE THE ADVERSARIES OF THE SALAF
- they accused the Salaf of Tashbeeh and Tajseem.
- So how could they have been in agreement when they were adversaries? Indeed the people of Ta'teel opposed the Salaf because the Salaf believed in the Attributes, with meanings befitting Allaah, without Tashbeeh or Tajseem.
7.1 "LEAVE THEM ALONE AS THEY WERE REPORTED, WITHOUT [RELATING] HOW"
- Related from Makhool, az-Zuhree, Maalik bin Anas, Sufyaan ath-Thawree, al-Layth bin Sa'd and al-Awzaa'ee.
7.1.1 IT REFUTES THE PEOPLE OF TA'TEEL.
i.e. the part saying "Leave them alone as they were reported"
7.1.2 IT REFUTES THE PEOPLE OF TASHBEEH
i.e. the part saying "without [relating] how"
7.1.3 IT PROVES THAT THE SALAF DID CONFIRM THE CORRECT MEANINGS BEFITTING ALLAAH
For the texts dealing with the Attributes, from two angles:
7.1.3.1 The Part Saying "Leave them Alone as they were Reported" Means: to leave alone the meanings.
- And if they believed there was no meaning to the words, they would have said: "Leave the words alone and don't delve into the meaning"
7.1.3.2 The Part Saying "Without [relating] How" clearly shows affirmation of the real meaning.
- Otherwise they would not need to deny asking or relating how.
7.2 "WE BELIEVE IN THEM AND AFFIRM THEM, WITHOUT [RELATING] HOW AND WITHOUT MEANING"
-Related by al Imaam Ahmad concerning the hadeeth of Allaah's descending and the like.
7.2.1 SO WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE PART: "WITHOUT HOW?"
There is a "how" concerning Allaah - but it is unknown to us.
It can only be known by way of:
- Seeing directly or
- A report of someone truthful
- And none of these exist concerning how Allaah's Attributes are.
7.2.2 SO THE MEANING OF "WITHOUT HOW" IS "WITHOUT RELATING HOW"
- And it does not mean to deny any "how" for Allaah's Attributes, for that would be pure Ta'teel.
- So what's the meaning of the part "without meaning"?
- Ahmad is talking about the twisted meanings of the people of Ta'teel who adopted non-apparent meanings. This is also shown by what Ibn Taymeeyah says: "All the scholars ... are agreed upon having Faith in ... without giving explanation..." He means the explanation of the people of Ta'teel.
- Hence the word "meaning" or "explanation" is of two kinds:
7.2.2.1 The Acceptable Meaning/Explanation - which the Companions and their followers were upon i.e. the most apparent meanings which befit Allaah's Greatness.
7.2.2.2 The Unacceptable Meaning/Explanation - which the Companions and their followers were not upon.
Allah is MOST HIGH(‘Aliy,’Uluw). This is split into two categories:
8.1 ALLAAH'S ATTRIBUTES ARE MOST HIGH [AND PERFECT]
i.e. Allaah possesses every Attribute of perfection, in the highest and most perfect form.
8.2 ALLAAH HIMSELF IS MOST HIGH AND EXALTED ABOVE HIS CREATION
Proved by the Book, Sunnah, the Companions, the intellect, and instinct.
8.2.1 THE BOOK AND SUNNAH
8.2.1.1 Directly Mentions Him Being Above His creation - e.g. (2):255, (87):1, (16):50, (20):5, (67):16, and hadeeth: "... and the throne is above that and Allaah is above the throne" [at-Tabaraanee and Ibn Khuzaymah - authentic] and "And that you don't believe in me even though I am the trustworthy one of He who is above the heavens?"
8.2.1.2 Mentions Things Rising to Him - e.g. (35):10, (70):4, (4):158, and hadeeth: "Nothings ascends to Him except that which is good and pure" and: "the actions of the night rise to Him before the actions of the day and the actions of the day before the actions of the night."
8.2.1.3 Mentions Things Descending from Him - e.g. (69):43, (16):102, and hadeeth: "Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven when the last third of the night remains" [al-Bukhaaree and Muslim].
8.2.1.4 Altogether this fact is established via Mutawaatir proofs
8.2.2 THE CONSENSUS
All the Companions, their students and the scholars of Ahl-us-Sunnah are agreed upon this.
- al-Awzaa'ee stated it during the time of Jahm.
- None of them said the contrary to this.
8.2.3 THE INTELLECT
The clear mind proves this from two angles:
- Highness is an attribute of perfection and to Allaah belongs all perfection, so He must possess this Attribute.
- The opposite of this is lowness - an attribute of deficiency, which Allaah is free of - so He must possess the opposite i.e. Highness.
8.2.4 THE IN-BORN INSTINCT
- All the creation, when doing worship, directs itself to that which is High and Exalted, and turns their faces up and not to any other direction.
- Even Aboo al-Mu'aalee (a person of kalaam) had to accept this.
8.3 VERSES THAT THE JAHMEES TRY TO USE TO REFUTE THIS FACT
8.3.1 (6):3
Actually means either of the following two possibilities:
- He is the only One who is to be worshipped in the heavens and earth.
- Or firstly Allaah says He is above the heavens; then He says He knows all we do in the earth, and His Highness above the heavens does not prevent Him from having this knowledge.
8.3.2 (43):84
- Means that Allaah's right to be worshipped is established in both the heavens and the earth, although He is above the heavens, in the same way it is said that so and so is a leader in two cities - i.e. his leadership extends over two cities although he himself is only in one of them.
We neither affirm or deny the word 'direction' [al Jihah] to Allaah, but look to see what is meant by it.
9.1 IF WHAT IS MEANT IS THE DIRECTION OF LOWNESS:
- Then this is to be denied from Allaah, because He is the Most High and has made Highness obligatory for Himself and His Attributes.
9.2 IF WHAT IS MEANT IS THE DIRECTION OF ABOVE AND HE IS SURROUNDED BY THIS DIRECTION
- Then this is to be denied from Allaah.
- He is too Mighty and Majestic to be surrounded by anything created.
- And indeed, His [created] foot-stool extends over the heavens and the earth.
- Also refer to Qur'aan (39):67.
9.3 IF WHAT IS MEANT IS THE DIRECTION OF ABOVE, BEFITTING HIS MAJESTY AND GREATNESS, WITHOUT BEING SURROUNDED BY THIS DIRECTION
- Then this is correct and obligatory for Him and is to be affirmed for Him.
- refer to quote from 'Abdul-Qaadir al-Jeelaanee.
9.4 IF SOMEONE WERE TO SAY:
"If you deny that anything of Allaah's creation can surround Him, then what do you say about ... that Allaah ... is "in" [fee] the sky [or heaven] [as-Samaa].
- Then the reply is that Him being "in" the sky does not necessarily mean He is surrounded by the sky/heaven. Especially when knowing that He is the Full Master of everything and the Qur'aan (39):67.
- So the meaning of "in the sky [or heaven]" is of two possibilities:
9.4.1 THAT "SKY" MEANS "ABOVE"
i.e. that Allaah is in the above - i.e. the direction of above.
- This meaning for "sky" as "above" is established in the Qur'aan (30):24 - as rain comes from the clouds and not the sky.
9.4.2 THAT "IN" MEANS "UPON"
i.e. that Allaah is upon the sky - i.e. upon the heaven.
- This meaning for "in" as "upon" is established in many places in the Qur'aan e.g. (9):2
10.1 THE MEANING OF AL ISTIWAA
10.1.1 IN THE LANGUAGE
Its meanings revolve around perfection and completion, and it is used in 3 ways in the Qur'aan:
10.1.1.1 In an Unrestricted Manner - e.g. in (28):14 - i.e. that Moosaa became complete [in manhood and strength].
10.1.1.2 Bounded with "Ilaa" "to" - e.g. in (2):29 - i.e. that He turned to it with full attention OR "Ilaa" means "'Alaa".
10.1.1.3 Bounded with "'Alaa" "upon" - e.g. in (43):13 i.e. meaning "above".
10.1.2 HENCE ALLAAH'S ISTIWAA UPON HIS THRONE MEANS:
- That He is above and established upon it in a manner that befits Him.
- It is one of His Attributes that pertain to His Actions.
- And this is proved by the Book, the Sunnah, and the Consensus of the Salaf.
10.1.2.1 The Book - e.g. (20):5
10.1.2.2 The Sunnah - e.g.. the hadeeth of Qataadah ibn an-Nu'maan reported by al-Khallaal (Saheeh).
10.1.2.3 The Salaf - e.g.. The statement of 'Abdul Qaadir al-Jeelaanee; and that not one of them said He is not upon His throne; and Ahl-us-Sunnah agreed that He is upon His throne.
10.2 MAALIK'S STATEMENT
"al Istiwaa is not unknown, and how it is cannot be comprehended, and Faith in it is obligatory and asking about is innovation."
- (The likes of it has also been reported from his teacher Rabee'ah ibn Abee 'Abdir-Rahmaan)
10.2.1 "AL-ISTIWAA IS NOT UNKNOWN"
i.e. not unknown in the language - for it means to be above.
10.2.2 "HOW IT IS CAN NOT BE COMPREHENDED"
i.e. by the minds, nor does the Revelation describe it - so how it is, is unknown.
10.2.3 "TO ASK ABOUT IT IS INNOVATION"
i.e. it was not known in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) or his Companions.
10.2.4 THIS STATEMENT IS A GENERAL RULE FOR THE ATTRIBUTES
Allaah has affirmed Himself or via His Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) - Allaah informed us of the Attributes - but not how they are.
10.2.5 TALKING ABOUT ALLAAH'S ATTRIBUTES FOLLOWS ON FROM TALKING ABOUT HIMSELF
- If we affirm Allaah Himself without asking how, then we should do the same for His Attributes.
10.3 WHAT THE INNOVATORS SAY:
10.3.1 IF A JAHMEE ASKS:
"How does Allah descend to the lowest heaven?" Then reply: "He informed us that He does descend - but He did not inform us how!"
10.3.2 IF ANOTHER ASKS:
"How is one of Allaah's Attributes?"
- Then reply: "How is His Self?!" - And the Jahmee will not be able to answer. So say: "In the same way you can't describe how His Self is, neither can you do the same with His Attributes, because attributes follow on from the One who possesses them!"
10.3.3 IF ANOTHER SAYS:
"If His Istiwaa upon the throne means He is upon it, then that means he is bigger or smaller or the same size as the throne. And this must mean He has a body and this is prohibited for Allaah." Then reply: "None of your baseless deductions are correct. No doubt Allaah is greater than any of the creation, but He is far removed from your false deductions."
10.3.3.1 Concerning if Allaah has a "Body" [al-Jism]
Then the word is not mentioned in the Revelation or by the Salaf - so we neither affirm or deny the word. But we look at its meaning.
1. If it means a newly assembled group of parts which are in need of each other, then this is prohibited for Allaah.
2. If it means something that exists by itself, having attributes befitting it, then this is not prohibited for Allaah because He exists by Himself and has Attributes of perfection that befit Him.
10.3.4 IF ANOTHER SAYS:
"If you have explained His Istiwaa upon His Throne as He is above and upon it, then that means He needs the throne to support Him."
- The reply: "All who recognise His Greatness and Power would never even think this for one moment - especially when He is free of all need while all the creation is in absolute need of Him. Hence your deduction is false."
10.3.5 IF A PERSON OF TA'TEEL SAYS:
"Because of all these deductions, al-Istiwaa must mean al-Isteelaa - i.e. that Allaah conquered or over powered His throne." Then reply:" No this is not correct for several reasons:
10.3.5.1 If the False Deductions were Correct, then that would still not prevent al-Istiwaa having its intrinsic meaning.
10.3.5.2 Using this meaning for Istiwaa Leads to False Conclusions e.g.:
1. Differing with the consensus of the Salaf.
2. It would lead to saying He did Istiwaa upon the earth, while Allaah is far above this.
3. It would lead to saying He had not conquered, or had no power over, the throne until after He completed creating the heavens and earth.
10.3.5.3 This Meaning is Not Possible in the Arabic language!
10.3.5.4 Since this is a Figurative Meaning, then its Only Acceptable after Fulfilling 4 Conditions:
1. An authentic proof is needed to take the meaning away from the natural one to the figurative one.
2. This figurative meaning must be possible in the language!
3. This figurative meaning must be valid in this context.
4. A proof is needed to say that this figurative meaning is the correct one out of all the possible figurative meanings.
10.4 THE 'ARSH
10.4.1 LINGUISTICALLY
Means the throne of a king, e.g. (12):100; (27):23.
10.4.2 AS FOR THE 'ARSH UPON WHICH ALLAAH DID ISTIWAA
- it is a mighty throne which encompasses all the created things, being higher than them and greater than them.
- refer to the hadeeth of Aboo Dharr related by Aboo Haatim, Ibn Hibbaan, Ahmad and others - Saheeh.
10.5 THE KURSEE
10.5.1 LINGUISTICALLY
Means the throne upon which one remains.
10.5.2 AS FOR THE KURSEE WHICH ALLAAH HAS APPELLED TO HIMSELF:
- it is the place of His Feet.
- refer to the statement of Ibn 'Abbaas (mawqoof) related by al-Haakim.
- As for narrations from the Salaf, that it means the 'Arsh or it means knowledge, then these are not authentic, as mentioned by Ibn Katheer.
11.1 ALLAAH HAS AFFIRMED THIS FOR HIMSELF
-Qur'aan (57):4;(8):19;(20):46.
- Hadeeth: "Do not grieve - Allaah is with us" [Bukhaaree and Muslim (Eng. Vol. 4 H7150)]
- And there is ijmaa of the Salaf concerning this.
11.2 THE MEANING OF MA'EEYAH
11.2.1 IN THE LANGUAGE
- indicates an unrestricted association and companionship.
But what its meanings imply will differ according to the word appended or connected to it, or according to the context or situation.
For instance, it can mean:
11.2.1.1 To mean to actually mix or mingle.
e.g. I mixed the water with the milk.
11.2.1.2 To imply help and support.
e.g. The one who is helping may say: I am with you
11.2.1.3 To imply a threat and warning
e.g. The punisher may say to the criminal: Go - but I am with you.
Hence it's meaning are in agreement and so it's a Mutawaatee word; although its implications and rulings differ according to whatever it is appended to.
11.2.2 AL MA'EEYAH WHICH IS ASCRIBED TO ALLAAH
11.2.2.1 - It's used in it's real sense and not figuratively, except the Ma'eeyah of Allaah with His creation is not like the Ma'eeyah of the creation with the creation.
- His Ma'eeyah is a higher more perfect form.
- And that which is deduced from the Ma'eeyah of the creation with the creation can not be applied to the Ma'eeyah of Allaah with His creation.
11.2.2.2 - On the other hand, some of the Salaf explained it to mean His Knowledge of His creation.
- This refutes the Huloolee Jahmee- s who say that Allaah Himself is in every place.
- Hence these Salaf explained that this Ma'eeyah affirmed for Allaah, does not mean that He Himself is with us.
- As that would be absurd, contradicting the mind & Sharee'ah; it would contradict His 'Uloow which is obligatory for Him; and it implies that the creation surrounds Him.
11.3 THE MA'EEYAH OF ALLAAH IS OF TWO CATEGORIES
11.3.1 THE GENERAL SENSE
He encompasses all His creation - in terms of His knowledge, Omnipotence etc. and other aspects of Him being the only Lord and Sustainer (Ruboobeeyah).
This category, obligates its believer to have complete fear and awareness of Allaah.
- Examples (57):4; (58):7.
11.3.2 THE SPECIFIC SENSE.
He assists and supports all who are entitled to be supported, from the Messengers and their followers.
This category obligates its believer to have complete courage and persistence.
- Examples (16):128; (9):40.
11.4 IS AL MA'EEYAH AN ATTRIBUTE THAT RELATES TO ALLAAH'S SELF OR TO HIS ACTIONS?
11.4.1 WHEN USED IN THE GENERAL SENSE
It's an Attribute that relates to His Self, as it has always existed and will always exist.
11.4.2 WHEN USED IN THE SPECIFIC SENSE
It's an Attribute relating to His Actions, as it occurs when the causes for it exist, and ceases when it's causes are absent.
[e.g. it occurs when the believers need the help and not when no help is needed.
e.g. it occurs for the believers and not the disbelievers].
12.1 FIRSTLY THE SHAYKH POINTS OUT A BENEFICIAL POINT:
(Mentioned by the author of al- 'Aql wan- Naql p.43- 4 vol.1):
If there is a contradiction between two proofs, then there are three possibilities:
12.1.1 A CONTRADICTION BETWEEN TWO DEFINITE [QAT'I] PROOFS.
- i.e. even the mind can definitely affirm their meanings.
12.1.1.1 Hence there can be no contradiction
Because if there was a contradiction, then one of them would have to be eliminated, but the Qat'i proof must be accepted. And if both are accepted, then this too is absurd - if they do contradict - as it leads to accepting two contradictory things.
- Hence there can be no contradiction.
12.1.1.2 Hence if it is thought that there's a contradiction: then it's
Because in reality one or both are not Qat'i.
Or because there is no contradiction, in that either of them can be interpreted in another way.
12.1.1.3 And there's no contradiction between an abrogated text and the abrogating text:
- As the abrogated text no longer exists and is not valid.
- And nothing can oppose the abrogating text.
12.1.2 A CONTRADICTION BETWEEN TWO LESS DEFINITE [DHANEE] PROOFS
- i.e. they are Dhanee in their meaning [Dhalaalah] and/or their authenticity [Thuboot].
Hence the stronger one is sought and it will take precedence.
12.1.3 A CONTRADICTION BETWEEN A QAT'I PROOF AND A DHANEE PROOF
The Qat'i proof takes precedence.
12.2 IN THIS CASE BOTH SETS OF TEXTS ARE QAT'I
- The texts affirming His 'Uloow and those affirming His Ma'eeyah are Qat'i in meaning and authenticity.
12.3 AND ALLAAH HAS COMBINED THESE TWO ATTRIBUTES IN THE VERY SAME AAYAH:
- Qur'aan (57):4
Hence there can be no contradiction, for several reasons.
12.3.1 THE TEXTS THEMSELVES HAVE COMBINED THE TWO!
- See above verse.
And the texts would never produce something contradictory and absurd.
12.3.2 AL MA'EEYAH DOES NOT NECESSARILY IMPLY MIXING OR BEING INCORPORATED IN A PLACE.
- See previous chapter: for something can be above and with us;
- e.g. "We continued to travel while the moon was with us." And this phrase makes perfect sense - even though the moon is in the sky and not on the earth next to the travellers.
- Hence if we can combine 'Uloow and Ma'eeyah concerning the creation; then it's all the more permitted concerning the Creator.
12.3.3 EVEN IF WE ASSUMED THERE WAS A CONTRADICTION
i.e. between the 'Uloow and Ma'eeyah of the creation. Then this does not mean the same applies to the Creator.
- As there is nothing like Him in all His Attributes.
So His 'Uloow and Ma'eeyah need not be like that of the creation.
12.4 SIMILARLY WE CAN COMBINE THE TEXTS AFFIRMING HIS 'ULOOW AND HIS BEING INFRONT OF THE ONE WHO IS PRAYING.
12.4.1 THE TEXTS THEMSELVES HAVE COMBINED THEM.
And the texts would never produce contradictions and absurdity.
12.4.2 BEING HIGH NEED NOT CONTRADICT BEING INFRONT.
- e.g. "The Sun is in front of my face" [while a man looks at it rising]
And this phrase is correct in the language and makes sense.
Hence if we can combine these two concerning the creation, then we can, all the more, do so concerning the Creator.
12.4.3 EVEN IF WE ASSUMED THERE WAS A CONTRADICTION:
- i.e. between being "high" and being "infront" concerning the creation.
Then the same need not be the case for the Creator.
- There is nothing like Him in all of His Attributes. So His Being High and Infront need not be like that of the creation.
13.1 AHL- US- SUNNAH ARE AGREED ABOUT HIS NUZOOL
- Hadeeth in Bukhaaree and Muslim [Eng. Vol. 1/H1656-1661 gives some very similar narrations] from Aboo Hurairah and about 27 other companions (ra): "Our Lord descends to the lowest heaven in the last third of the night..."
- His Nuzool is one of His Attributes that pertain to His Actions. It is real in a manner befitting His Majesty.
13.2 IT DOES NOT MEAN HIS COMMAND DESCENDS
- Nor does it mean His Mercy or one of His angels descends - for several reasons:
13.2.1 IT DIFFERS FROM THE APPARENT MEANING OF THE HADEETH.
- For what is most apparent is that the Nuzool is ascribed to Allaah.
13.2.2 IT WOULD MAKE IT NECESSARY TO SAY THAT THERE IS AN OMISSION IN THE HADEETH.
- While the principle is that nothing is omitted.
13.2.3 HIS COMMAND AND MERCY DESCEND ALL THE TIME.
- and they don't only descend during the last third of the night.
If it is said:
"It is the descent of a special command or special mercy that descends only during that part of the night."
Then the reply is: "The hadeeth says that the limit of the descent is to the lowest heaven. So what is the point of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) informing us of a mercy that reaches the lowest heaven and not to us on the earth?"
13.2.4 THE ONE DESCENDING CAN ONLY BE ALLAAH.
For the one descending says, in the hadeeth: "... who is seeking pardon so that I should pardon him..." - And only Allaah can say all this.
13.3 COMBINING THE FACT THAT ALLAAH IS HIMSELF ABOVE [AL 'ULOOW] AND THAT HE DESCENDS [AN- NUZOOL] TO THE LOWEST HEAVEN.
- These two facts are not contradictory because:
13.3.1 THE TEXTS THEMSELVES HAVE MENTIONED BOTH.
- And the texts would never produce contradiction or absurdity.
13.3.2 NOTHING IS LIKE ALLAAH IN ALL HIS ATTRIBUTES
- His Nuzool is not like the descent of the creation.
- So His Nuzool need not be contradictory in anyway, to His 'Uloow.
14.1 ALLAAH HAS A REAL FACE BEFITTING HIS MAJESTY
14.1.1 QUR'AAN (55):27
14.1.2 HADEETH:
Du'aa in the Prophet's Prayer Described (Eng.) P87- 88 reported by an- Nasaa-ee: "I ask you for the joy of looking at your Face..."
It's an Attribute that pertains to His Self.
14.2 IT'S NOT CORRECT TO DISTORT THE MEANING TO "REWARD"
- i.e. ath-Thawaab - for several reasons.
14.2.1 IT DIFFERS FROM WHAT IS APPARENT FROM THE TEXTS.
- So a proof is needed to use a non-apparent meaning. And no such proof exists.
14.2.2 THE "FACE" IS ATTRIBUTED TO ALLAAH.
So either it is:
(1) An Attribute of His, or
(2) It is not an Attribute but exists by itself - e.g. The House of Allaah.
So "reward" [ath-Thawaab] is a creation which is separate from Allaah.
And the Face is one of His Attributes.
So how can one be explained to mean the other?
14.2.3 THE "FACE" IS DESCRIBED SUCH THAT IT CAN NOT MEAN "REWARD"
- Hadeeth in Saheeh Muslim (Eng.): Vol.1:H343: "The splendour of His Face would burn any of the creation which His Sight extends to"
15.1 ALLAAH HAS TWO HANDS THAT BEFIT HIM.
- Both being from His Attributes that pertains to His Self being in a manner that befits Him.
15.1.1 QUR'AAN: (38):75
15.1.2 HADEETH:
al- Bukhaaree, (Eng.) Vol.9, H515; Muslim (Eng.) Vol. 2., H2179, "The Hand of Allaah is full and gives continuously."
15.2 IT DOES NOT MEAN "POWER" [AL- QOOWAH] OR "BLESSING" [AN- NI'MAH]
15.2.1 IT DIFFERS FROM WHAT IS APPARENT FROM THE TEXTS.
- And there's no proof for these figurative meanings.
15.2.2 THESE MEANINGS ARE IMPOSSIBLE IN THE LANGUAGE.
- As in Arabic, it's impossible to say that "Two Hands" means "Two Powers" or "Two Blessings".
15.2.3 POWER OR BLESSING IS NEVER FOUND IN THE DUAL FORM.
- While Hand is found as dual - i.e. the Two Hands of Allaah.
- So how can the former be meanings for the latter?
15.2.4 IF WE ASSUMED IT DID MEAN "POWER"
- Then referring to (38):75, it could then be correct to say that Iblees was also made by Allaah's Hands [i.e. Power, according to this false belief]. This is absurd!
- And Iblees would have argued against Allaah via this, as he would claim to be the same as Aadam - both being created by His "Power" - according to this false interpretation.
15.2.5 THE HANDS ARE DESCRIBED SUCH THAT THEY CAN ONLY BE HANDS.
- The texts have described a Palm for Allaah [al Kaff] and has affirmed Fingers [al- Asaabi'] and that His Hand Grasps [al Qabd] and Shakes [al Hazz]
- Hadeeth: al-Bukhaaree (Eng.) Vol. 9, H604; Muslim (Eng.) Vol. 4, H6699: "Allaah will grasp the heavens with His Hand and the earth with the other, then He will shake them ..."
16.1 ALLAAH HAS TWO EYES THAT BEFIT HIM.
- Ahl-us- Sunnah has agreed upon this - He Sees by them - them being real, not resembling the eyes of the creation.
- They are Attributes that pertain to His Self.
16.1.1 QUR'AAN (54):14
16.1.2 HADEETH:
Muslim Vol. 4, H7006: ""AND your Lord is not one-eyed"; and hadeeth quoted in 14.2.3
16.2 IT DOES NOT MEAN "KNOWLEDGE" OR "THE ABILITY TO SEE"
i.e. al 'Ilm or ar-Ru'yah, for several reasons.
16.2.1 IT DIFFERS FROM WHAT IS APPARENT FROM THE TEXTS.
- And there's no proof for these figurative meanings.
16.2.2 THE EYES ARE DESCRIBED SUCH THAT THEY CAN ONLY BE EYES.
- Refer to hadeeth quoted in 16.1.2
17.1 IN THE SINGULAR FORM:
i.e. One Hand or One Eye.
- e.g. (67):1 and (20):39
17.2 IN THE PLURAL FORM
i.e. Hands and Eyes.
- e.g. (3):71; (54):14.
17.3 IN THE DUAL FORM
i.e. Two Hands and Two Eyes.
- e.g. (5):64 - and hadeeth in Mukhtasar-us-Sawaa'iq of Ibnul Qayyim: "When the slave stands in Prayer, he stands between the Two Eyes of ar- Rahmaan." [But the Shaykh points out that Ibnul-Qayyim does not have a full chain for this, nor a reference.]
17.4 ALL THESE FORMS ARE NOT CONTRADICTORY.
17.4.1 THE SINGULAR COVERS THE DUAL AND PLURAL.
- As this is correct in the language.
[e.g. Man is singular but is used for all of 'mankind' (used in the generic sense)].
17.4.2 IF THE SMALLEST PLURAL IS TWO
- Then there's no contradiction between the dual and plural.
17.4.3 IF THE SMALLEST PLURAL IS THREE [THE USUAL DEFINITION]
- Then refer to (54):14 - "Our Eyes".
- In Arabic, the plural can be used to show honour and praise. Hence Allaah says "Our Eyes" instead of "My Eyes", to show this Honour for Himself.
- And "Eyes" is also plural - agreeing with the plural pronoun of "Our".
- Hence when the possessor of the attribute and the attribute itself are in the plural forms - then an even greater and more intense form of praise is implied.
18.1 THE BELIEF OF AHL-US-SUNNAH.
- They're agreed that He Speaks - this Attribute is real, being affirmed for Him in a manner that befits Him.
- He Speaks with letters [harf] and sound [sawt], however He chooses and however He chooses. His Speech contains words and meaning.
- His Speech is an Attribute that pertains to His Self - He's always had this Attribute.
- And His Speech is an Attribute that pertains to His Actions - it also occurs at specific, new instances.
18.1.1 PROOFS FROM THE BOOK
- (7):143 - His Speech is connected to His Will, occurring at new instances.
- (3):55 - His Speech contains letters as the spoken words have letters.
- (19):52 - His Speech contains sound as a call can only occur with sound.
18.1.2 PROOFS FROM THE SUNNAH.
- Hadeeth: "Allaah the Most High said: O Aadam, So he'll say: Labbayka wa Sa'dayka. So Allaah will call with a sound ..." [Bukhaaree: Book of Hajj and Muslim: Book of Eemaan - the last two hadeeth-s are similar].
18.2 THE BELIEFS OF THE INNOVATORS
The Karaameeyah - their saying is like that of Ahl- us- Sunnah, except they say: "It's something that newly occurred after not being there," to try to flee from occurrences which have no beginning.
The Kullaabeeyah - "It's a meaning that's established with Him, existing with Himself, like His Knowledge and Life, but is not connected to His Will. The letters and sounds are just an account which He created of the meaning which is with Him. It has four meanings - an order, a prohibition, a report and an inquiry."
The Ash'areeyah - like the saying of the Kullaabeeyah except they say that all the four meanings are one and the same. "So His speech has no categories, but consists of attributes. So the Tawrah, Injeel and the Qur'aan are exactly the same, except for the expression used." And the Ash'arees say the letters and sounds are just "an expression" of the Speech, as opposed to "an account".
The Saalimeeyah - "It's an attribute that exists with His Self, persisting with Him, as His Life and Knowledge does, but is not connected to His Will. It's words and sounds are combined - none precedes the other. Hence His Speech has always existed."
The Jahmeeyah and Mu'tazilah - "It's created and not one of His Attributes." Some deny the Speech completely. Others affirm but say it's created.
The Philosophers - Who basically say that His Speech is something imagined by the minds.
The Ittihaadeeyah - "All existence is one so all speech is His Speech."
All of these sayings contradict the Book, Sunnah and intellect.
18.3 THE QUR'AAN IS THE SPEECH OF ALLAAH
18.3.1 THE BELIEF OF AHL-US-SUNNAH.
- The Qur'aan is the Speech of Allaah, sent down and not created. It began from Him and will return to Him. He Spoke it - it being real - delivering it to Jibreel who brought it upon the heart of Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) .
- See (9):6; (38):29; (26):193-195.
- See hadeeth "Is there any man who will take me to his people, so that I may convey the Speech of my Lord" [Aboo Daawood and at-Tirmidhee].
- See hadeeth "When you take to your bed, say: O Allaah, I have submitted myself to You ..." [Muslim (Eng.) Vol 4., H6546].
18.3.2 THE SAYING OF THE SALAF.
- 'Amr bin Deenaar said: I have known the people for 60 years, and they've been saying that: "Allaah is the Creator and everything else is created except the Qur'aan which is His Speech being uncreated. It began from Him and will return to Him."
"It began from Him" - i.e. He Spoke it initially - refutes the Jahmees who say, "He created it in the form of something else."
"It will return to Him" - i.e. Only Allaah is to be described as speaking it. And it will raise up to Him, being removed from the hearts and mushaf-s when the people stop acting upon it. [as-Saheehah 1/127, No.86].
18.4 THE RECITATION OF THE QUR'AAN
- If what is meant is the servants act of reciting - then this is created.
- If what is meant is what is being recited - then this is the Qur'aan, the Speech of Allaah which is uncreated.
- Imaam Ahmad said: "Whoever says that his speech of the Qur'aan is created, meaning the Qur'aan [is created], then he's a Jahmee."
19.1 IT'S APPEARANCE
19.1.1 AL JA'D BIN DIRHAM.
- at-Ta'teel became widespread after the passing of the first three generations of Muslims, although it's origin emerged at the end of the era of the second generation of Muslims.
- The first to speak with this was al Ja'd bin Dirham who said: "Indeed Allaah did not take Ibraaheem as a friend nor did he directly speak to Moosaa."
- Because of this evil saying, Khaalid bin 'Abdullaah al-Qasree the governor of 'Iraaq, executed him on 'Eed- ul Adhaa 119H.
19.1.2 AL JAHM BIN SAFWAAN
- He took the saying of al Ja'd and spread it.
- From him is the name of the Jahmeeyah sect derived.
- He was executed by Saalim bin Ahwaa in Marw in 128H.
19.1.3 THE GREEK AND ROMAN BOOKS
- Their books on philosophy were translated into Arabic within the second century. Hence their ideas spread.
19.1.4 BISHR BIN GHIYAATH AL MAREESEE
- During the third century these ideas became widespread as a result of this man and his like.
- The Imaams are agreed that these people are to be censured and some of them have ruled these to be Kaafirs. See ad- Daarimee's book refuting the kufr of Mareesee's ideas.
- Many later people took the ideas of Mareesee, eg. as ar- Raazee, al Ghazaalee & Ibn 'Aqeel.
19.2 IT'S ORIGIN
- at-Ta'teel came from the Jews, Mushriks, Saybeans and Philosophers.
- al Ja'd took his ideas from Abaan bin Sam'aan who took if from Taaloot, who took it from Labeed bin al A'sim, the Jew who casted magic on the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) .
- al Ja'd live in Harraan where there were many Saybeans and philosophers - and this environment certainly affected him.
19.3 THE BELIEFS OF THESE DENIERS.
- They believed that Allaah had no attributes that could be affirmed for Him; as they falsely claimed that affirming Attributes of Perfection for Him, leads to at-Tashbeeh.
- They only affirmed attributes relating to denial (the Salabeeyah), or those that are relative (the Idaafeeyah) or those that were both.
19.3.1 THE SALABEEYAH ATTRIBUTES
- i.e. they deny things that are not befitting for Allaah.
- e.g. They say that Allaah is One (Waahid) - meaning that any share of Him in terms of quantity, speech or partners, is to be denied. [Hence they've affirmed nothing and instead have just denied things].
19.3.2 THE IDAAFEEYAH ATTRIBUTES
- i.e. describing attributes in a relative sense.
- eg. They say they He is "The Originator (Mubaddi) and the Cause ('Illah)" meaning all things originate from Him, and not that He has affirmed Attributes of Beginning and Causing. [Again they affirm nothing and instead only deny things].
19.3.3 THE ATTRIBUTES THAT ARE SALABEEYAH AND IDAAFEEYAH :
- e.g. When they say that Allaah is "The First"
- Hence it's from the Salabeeyah in that any limits are denied from Him.
- And it's from the Idaafeeyah in that all other things come after Him.
20.1 THEIR FALSE WAY
- The criteria with them is the intellect. What it considers necessary to affirm, then it is to be affirmed. And what it considers necessary to deny, then it's to be denied.
- They then differ as to what the intellect does consider necessary to deny or affirm.
- So most of them deny them, explaining them figuratively.
- Some stop and resign knowledge of them to Allaah, but at the same time they deny that the relevant texts do indicate any attribute.
- And they claim that this way reconciles the texts and the intellect. But this is false as both the texts and the intellect agree in affirming attributes of Perfection for Allaah, but the intellect can not understand the details.
20.2 THEIR WAY RESEMBLES THOSE MENTIONED IN (4):60-62.
- They claim to be believers in the Revelation, but they don't accept all he (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) brought.
- They, when called to the Book and Sunnah, in terms of affirming Attributes of Perfection for Allaah, they turn away in aversion.
- They have their own Taaghoot-s which they blindly follow and prefer over what the Messenger brought. And they go to these for rulings instead of to the Book and the Sunnah.
- They claim to only desire good and reconciliation of the texts and the intellect.
20.3 THE FALSE IMPLICATIONS WHICH FOLLOW ON FROM THEIR WAY.
- Their way implies that the Book and Sunnah clearly state disbelief and call to it as they are filled with texts that affirm Allaah's Attributes - while they say that to affirm these is at- Tashbeeh and Kufr.
- It implies that the Book and Sunnah do not make the truth clear, as nothing in it indicates denial of His Attributes of Perfection. While they think that denying them is the truth. They may use (19):65 and (112):4 to prove their way - but anyone with intelligence knows these show that nothing resembles Him in His Attributes and does not show that denial is obligatory.
- It implies that the Salaf spoke falsehood, or concealed the truth or were ignorant as there are mutawaatir reports from them affirming His Attributes of Perfection. And there's not a single report from them making denial obligatory.
- It implies that, if His Attributes of Perfection are denied, then attributes of deficiency must be affirmed. Hence these deniers go to something worse than what they were fleeing from.
20.4 THE DOUBTS AND FALSE IDEAS THESE DENIERS DEPEND ON.
- False claims, for instance that there's a consensus of what they say.
- False analogies leading to say that affirmation implies Tashbeeh.
- They dwell on words which have meanings that may or may not be correct for Allaah. Hence they end up completely denying them instead of determining which meanings are correct e.g. with respect to al Jism, al Hayyiz, al Jihah, etc.
Note: With respect to al Hayyiz - a restricted realm; then we halt at the words and look to the meaning. If what is meant is that the creation confines Him, then this is prohibited. If what is meant is that He is distinct and separate from the creation, then this is correct.
- Then they embellish these false arguments with fine words and fancy terms, to try to fool the ignorant.
20.5 ARGUMENTS THAT REFUTE THESE FALSE IDEAS.
- Their ideas are contradictory as what they affirm necessarily forces them to also affirm what they flee from and deny.
- Each group of them will contradict each other - one will say the mind makes obligatory that which another will say the mind makes prohibited! Even a single one of them will contradict himself in different places. This contradictory nature is one of the strongest proofs of their falsehood.
- Their denial necessarily leads to falsehood (see 20.3).
- The relevant texts offer no scope for ta'weel and if there was some scope, there's no proof to prefer the figurative meaning over the most apparent one.
- Interpreting the Attributes away is like how the Qaraamitah and Baatineeyah interpret away Salah, Sawm and other worships.
- The clear, uncorrupted mind does not try to turn or change the texts which affirm the Attributes. It does affirm Attributes of Perfection for Allaah, but cannot comprehend the details.
- The prominent ones of the deniers did recognise that the intellect can not reach the details of Tawheed, so we must accept the texts without distorting them.
21.1 DEFINITIONS
21.1.1 THE MU'ATTIL
- is the one who does Ta'teel - i.e. denies anything from Allaah's Names or Attributes. E.g. the Jahmeeyah, Mu'tazilah, Ash'areeyah etc.
21.1.2 THE MUMATHTHIL
- is the one who does Tamtheel - i.e. affirms attributes for Allaah through likening Him with His creation. E.g. the Raafidee-s [Shee'ah], etc.
21.2 THE TAMTHEEL DONE BY THE MU'ATTIL.
The only reason why the Mu'attil does Ta'teel is because he believes that affirming the Attributes necessarily involves doing Tashbeeh, and so he denies the Attributes in order to flee from that. So he does Tamtheel first and then Ta'teel.
21.3 THE TA'TEEL DONE BY THE MUMATHTHIL.
He does this in three ways:
21.3.1 HE HAS DENIED THE TEXTS THAT AFFIRM THE ATTRIBUTES BY TAKING THEM AWAY FROM WHAT THEY MUST INDICATE
Which is that Allaah has Attributes that befit Him and which do not resemble those of the creation.
21.3.2 BY LIKENING ALLAAH TO THE CREATION, HE HAS DENIED EVERY TEXT THAT PROVES HE IS NOT LIKE THE CREATION, e.g. (42):11; (112):4.
21.3.3 BY LIKENING ALLAAH TO THE CREATION, HE HAS DENIED THE PERFECTION WHICH IS OBLIGATORY FOR HIM
By likening the Lord who is Perfect in every way, with the defective creation.
22.1 DEFINITION.
Ilm-ul Kalaam [theological speech] is what the Mutakillimoon [theologians] invented, claiming it to be a part of the principles of the Religion, although it's away from what the Book and Sunnah brought.
22.2 SOME NARRATIONS FROM THE SALAF.
Refer to the sayings of Ahmad and also Ash-Shaafi'ee who stated that they should be publicly beaten.
22.3 THE TWO ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE PEOPLE OF KALAAM.
22.3.1 PUNISHMENT
- so that they should repent to Allaah and that others will not follow their way. This attitude relates to Allaah's Law.
22.3.2 SYMPATHY
- as we see the confusion Shaytaan has covered them in and we praise Allaah for saving us from their predicament. This attitude stems from Allaah's Decree.
22.4 THOSE OF THE PEOPLE OF KALAAM WHO ARE MOST PRONE TO BE MISGUIDED.
- They are those who enter this, but not into its extreme depths.
- This is because those who did enter the extreme depths of these beliefs, did realise the falsehood involved and so returned to the Book and the Sunnah.
- E.g. Some of their most prominent figures [refer to Chapter 4].
22.5 THE AUTHOR QUOTES MUCH ON THE SUBJECT FROM THE PEOPLE OF KALAAM.
And he did this to explain the truth against the people of Kalaam by using the sayings of their own leaders and prominent figures.
23.1 THE CORRECT WAY.
This is the way of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) and his Companions and those who followed them in goodness.
Anyone who follows their way with knowledge and justice will come to know this.
And this is because they attained the true reality of Eemaan in Allaah and the Last Day, acknowledging that to be true and real, being sincere in their actions and following the Sharee'ah without any Shirk, innovation, Tahreef, or denial.
23.2 THE THREE ASTRAY GROUPS .
23.2.1 THE PEOPLE OF TAKHYEEL [IMAGINED CONCEPTS].
E.g. the philosophers, Baatineeyah, people of Kalaam etc. The essence of their way is:
23.2.1.1 Whatever the prophets brought concerning Eemaan in Allaah and the Last Day, are simply likenings or concepts which are not actually real. And so the intent behind all this is to simply benefit the common masses, who upon hearing all the descriptions of Allaah and the Last Day, would then follow the desired way of life.
23.2.1.2 The Extreme Ones claim that the prophets did not know the realities of these matters, and further claim that through their philosophy and through whom they claim to be awliyaa, one is more knowledgeable about these matters than the prophets! Hence these judged the messengers to be ignorant.
23.2.1.3 The Less Extreme of them say that the prophets did know the true realities of these matters, but related imagined unreal things to the people, in order to benefit them. Hence these judged the messengers to be liars.
23.2.1.4 When it Comes to Actions, some of them consider them to be real matters that all are obliged to do. But others take them symbolically claiming that only the common people are obliged by them, while the "special" people are not. E.g. they misinterpret the Salaah to mean their secret thoughts and conversations and Hajj to mean travelling to visit their shaykh-s, etc.
And the falsehood of their way is clear via the intellect, the senses and the Sharee'ah.
- Indeed we all witness that there are so many signs that Allaah exists and has perfect Attributes. And the order of the creation shows that behind it all is One who is Wise, Fully-in-Command and All-Powerful.
- And all the revealed Laws have proven Eemaan in the Last Day, which is a necessary consequence of Allaah's far-reaching Wisdom.
- And indeed most of the people are not upon these false beliefs, due to the natural aversion from such ideas. Hence there's no great need to refute these people of Takhyeel.
23.2.2 THE PEOPLE OF TA-WEEL [MISINTERPRETATION].
E.g. the People of Kalaam from the Jahmeeyah, Mu'tazilah, etc. The reality of their way is:
The texts concerning the Attributes are not to be understood according to their most apparent meaning, and the so the intended meaning is something contrary to the most apparent meaning. And they claim that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) knew this but left the people to use their minds in order to derive the meanings, by diverting the most apparent meanings towards these derived meanings, with his aim being to test the people's minds. So one could hope for more reward according to the extent to which one tried to divert the meanings away from the most apparent meanings, and instead understand the texts in terms of the more irregular aspects of the language.
And this is what most of the people are upon, being confused and self-contradictory.
And these people outwardly show themselves to be aiding the Sunnah. But Allaah has exposed their screens, for many of the scholars did refute them. And Ibn Taymeeyah and others did engage in refuting these people more than any other, because most of the people are deceived by them as a result of their false display of upholding the Sunnah.
23.2.2.1 Their Way Concerning the Texts Dealing with the Hereafter is: That they have Eemaan in it, believing it to be real and not doing Ta-weel of these texts.
23.2.2.2 Hence the people of Takhyeel have surpassed them here, because they point out that the people of Ta-weel are in contradiction for using Ta-weel on the texts dealing with the Attributes, while not using it for the texts dealing with the Hereafter.
[While the people of Takhyeel are at least consistent in giving figurative meanings to both the Attributes and the Hereafter].
Indeed the people of Ta-weel will say: "We recognise that by necessity, the Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) came affirming the Hereafter and we know the falsehood of any evil arguments that prevent such affirmation, hence it's obligatory to agree to affirming it."
23.2.2.3 The Proof Against the People of Ta-weel.
Their own words above are the decisive argument against them, for these words are correct not only concerning the Hereafter, but also for the texts concerning the Attributes.
Hence by this, it's clear that the people of Ta-weel are in clear self-contradiction
23.2.3 THE PEOPLE OF TAJHEEL [THOSE WHO ATTRIBUTE IGNORANCE TO THE SALAF].
They belong to many of those who claim adherence to the Sunnah and the Salaf. The essence of their way is:
23.2.3.1 The Texts Dealing with the Attributes are Unknown Words with unknown meanings such that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) spoke about the Attributes without knowing the meanings.
On top of this, they say that the mind has no scope concerning the Attributes, hence they conclude that the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) , his Companions and the Salaf had no textural or intellectual knowledge of this matter. And this is one of the most baseless of all sayings!
23.2.3.2 Hence Concerning the Attributes: They pass by the words doing Tafweedh - resigning knowledge of the meaning to Allaah.
But some then contradict themselves by adding that the meaning is something different to what is most apparent from the texts. So they first claim only Allaah knows the meaning, and then say "but the meaning is different to the most apparent meaning"!!
23.2.3.3 Their False Proof for Engaging in Tafweedh.
They use (3):7, saying:
(1) That the aayaat dealing with the Attributes are amongst those unclear matters mentioned in the above aayah.
(2) That the hidden meanings mentioned in the above aayah are those resulting from diverting the meaning away from the most apparent one.
Hence they conclude that the aayaat of the Attributes have meanings which only Allaah knows, where the meanings are different to what's most apparent.
23.2.3.4 The Arguments that Refute Their Belief.
(1) When they say the meaning [Ma'naa] is in doubt, they are wrong, for the meanings of the Attributes are clear. As for the full reality [Haqeeqah] and how [Kayfeeyah] the Attributes are, then none knows this except Allaah.
(2) Their claim that the hidden meaning [Ta-weel] mentioned in the above aayah, is that it's a meaning that differs from what's most apparent, is wrong. For the Ta-weel mentioned in the above aayah has two meanings:
(a) It could mean Tafseer - i.e. an explanation of the meaning. Ibn 'Abbaas said that he was on of those firmly grounded in knowledge, who knew the Ta-weel. Hence with this meaning many of the Salaf paused after {and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge.} in the above aayah.
(b) It could mean the Haqeeqah and Kayfeeyah - i.e. the full reality and how something is. And none knows this except Allaah. Hence with this meaning, most of the Salaf paused after {and none knows the meaning [Ta-weel] except Allaah} in the above aayah.
(3) Allaah sent the Quraan to be pondered over, and so the people are to contemplate all of its meaning. Hence the aayaat dealing with the Attributes (and other matters) do have meanings that can be arrived at through contemplation. And those who had the closest understanding of this was the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) and his Companions.
(4) Abu Abdir-Rahmaan As-Sulamee narrated how the Companions, and they themselves would learn ten aayaat and not go further until they had learned them in terms of knowledge and action. And all this can not be possible if they were ignorant of the meanings, especially those concerning the Attributes which are the most important of matters.
(5) What the people of Tajheel say, implies that in the Book are hollow words, which don't clearly convey the Truth, while all this contradicts Allaah's Wisdom in sending the Book.
23.3 THE MEANING OF TA-WEEL.
It has two meanings:
23.3.1 IT MEANS TAFSEER
- i.e. an explanation of the meaning [See 23.4 also]. And this is used by most of the Mufassirs [those who present explanations of the meanings of the Quraan]. And this Ta-weel is known by the scholars.
This meaning of Ta-weel is found in the hadeeth where the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) prayed for Ibn 'Abbaas saying: ((O Allaah, give him understanding of the Religion and knowledge of Ta-weel.))
23.3.2 IT MEANS THE HAQEEQAH AND KAYFEEYAH
- i.e. the full reality and how something is. When concerning the Attributes, then none knows this Ta-weel except Allaah.
This meaning for Ta-weel is found in (7):53; (4):59; etc.
23.4 THE MEANING OF TAFSEER.
Ibn 'Abbaas explained that Tafseer is of four kinds:
23.4.1 THE TAFSEER WHICH IS KNOWN THROUGH THE ARABIC LANGUAGE.
23.4.2 THE TAFSEER WHICH ALL ARE OBLIGED TO KNOW.
Such as knowing the tafseer of Allaah's Names & Attributes, Salaah, Zakaah, etc.
23.4.3 THE TAFSEER WHICH IS KNOWN BY THE SCHOLARS
Because they have access to the relevant knowledge and understanding.
23.4.4 THE TAFSEER WHICH NONE BUT ALLAAH KNOWS.
Such as concerning the Haqeeqah and Kayfeeyah of Allaah's Attributes or of the Hereafter.
23.5 THE 'MEANING' AND THE 'TRUE REALITY'.
E.g. We understand the meaning of Istiwaa, but we don't know the true reality of it, or how it is.
E.g. We understand the meaning of honey, milk, fruit and the other things mentioned to be in Paradise; but we do not know their true reality - refer to (32):19.
Hence all the meanings can be reached by us, but the full reality of the Unseen matters can not.
And if it was true, that the meanings of these matters in the Book and Sunnah, are impossible to reach [as is claimed by some of the astray groups mentioned earlier], then what would be the benefit of them being mentioned to us, in the first place?
24.1 AHL-UL QIBLAH
- are those who pray towards the Qiblah [of Makkah] and associate themselves to Islaam. They fall into six groups when faced with the above matter.
24.1.1 TWO OF THEM APPLY THE TEXTS ACCORDING TO THE MOST APPARENT MEANING .
24.1.1.1 The Mushabbihah [Who do Tashbeeh] - they ascribe attributes for the Creator, but declare them to be the same as those of the creation. Their way is false and is rejected by the Salaf.
24.1.1.2 The Salaf - who left the texts according to the most apparent meaning, in a manner befitting Allaah the Mighty and Majestic. Their way is certainly correct - see Chapters 3 & 4.
The difference is that the first engages in Tashbeeh, while the second rejects Tashbeeh. E.g. the Mushabbihah will say: "We can't understand any Knowledge, Descending, Hand, etc. except by way of likening them to those of the creation.
24.1.1.3 Arguments that Refute the Mushabbihah.
(1) The Revelation and the Intellect proves the Creator is different in all His Attributes. E.g. from the Book, refer to (42):11; and from the intellect it can be said: "How can the Creator Who is perfect in every way, be likened to the creation which is deficient?!
(2) When you ask the Mushabbihah about whether Allaah has a Self which resembles none of the creation, then they'd certainly accept this. So similarly they should also accept that His Attributes are different to those of the creation, for His Attributes follow on from His Self.
(3) We see all around us that even the attributes of the creation are different among themselves. For instance the hand of a man is not like the hand of an animal. Hence if this difference is exists within the creation, then the difference between the Creator and the creation will be even greater.
24.1.2 TWO OF THEM APPLY THE TEXTS ACCORDING TO WHAT IS CONTRARY TO THE MOST APPARENT MEANING.
And then they deny all of Allaah's Attributes, while some of them deny only some of them, while others only affirm events or situations [but not Attributes].
24.1.2.1 The People of Ta-weel - from amongst the Jahmeeyah and others who misinterpret the texts dealing with the Attributes to non-apparent meanings derived by themselves. E.g. they misinterpret His Hand to be His Blessing or Power etc.
24.1.2.2 The People of Tajheel - the Mufawwidhah who do Tafweedh, saying: "Allaah knows best what He meant by the texts dealing with the Attributes, but we do know that they do not indicate affirmation of any real attribute for Him." Yet their saying "but we do know..." contradicts Tafweedh, as Tafweedh is where one withholds having any knowledge.
The difference is that the first affirms a meaning but says it's different from what is most apparent from them; while the second deny knowledge of the meaning but still say that affirmation is not meant. Both of these are wrong.
24.1.3 TWO OF THEM HALT SHORT OF THE MATTER.
24.1.3.1 Those who say that the texts dealing with the matter may or may not affirm Attributes befitting Allaah.
24.1.3.2 Those who say absolutely nothing about the matter, doing no more than reciting the aayaat and hadeeth-s.
The difference between these is that the first permits both affirmation and denial, while the second says absolutely nothing. Both of these are wrong.
Every prophet was given enemies who rejected the Truth and opposed it through all the means they had.
One of those means was through wrongfully branding the people of the Truth with evil names to try to scare other people from following them. [It should be noted that the names Ahl-us-Sunnah have given the innovators, are because they do indeed engage in the innovations. So Ahl-us-Sunnah do this justly, to warn the muslims from innovation and it's people].
Hence the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) and his Companions faced this from the Mushrik-s - see (3):186.
They called him a magician, madman, fortune-teller, liar etc.
And similarly, the people of Knowledge and Truth have also faced this from the Innovators who wrongfully branded names of defamation and mockery onto them.
Some did so out of ignorance, thinking themselves to be upon the Truth. Others did so maliciously, to repel people from the Truth, even though they knew it to be the Truth.
25.1 THE JAHMEEYAH
- call Ahl-us-Sunnah "Mushabbihah" claiming that affirming the Attributes according to the most apparent meaning, is Tashbeeh.
25.2 THE RAAFIDHEE SHEE'AH
- call Ahl-us-Sunnah "Naasibee", i.e. adversaries of 'Alee, because they befriend Aboo Bakr and 'Umar. Hence the Shee'ah claim that anyone who befriends these two has automatically declared enmity for 'Alee and the Ahl-ul Bayt!!!
25.3 THE QADAREEYAH
- call Ahl-us-Sunnah "Mujabbirah" claiming that affirming Allaah's Decree implies that the slaves are forced upon the actions they do!!!
25.4 THE MURJI-AH
- call Ahl-us-Sunnah "Shukkaak" - the Doubters, as they say "I am a Believer if Allaah has Willed," while the Murji-ah forbid this saying and insist on only saying "I am a Believer," for they claim that to add "if Allaah has Willed," shows doubt in having Eemaan. [See 26.4.1].
25.5 THE PEOPLE OF LOGIC AND KALAAM
- call Ahl-us-Sunnah "Hashaweeyah" [people with no worth] and "Nawaabit" [weeds] and "Ghuthaa" [scum], as they think that any one who's not upon their logic and theology are unintelligent rabble. However the truth is that their way is not needed by an intelligent man, nor is it useful to a stupid man.
26.1 ISLAAM.
26.1.1 LINGUISTICALLY
means "submission" [al Inqiyaad]
26.1.2 IN THE SHAREE'AH
it means "the surrendering of the slave, to Allaah, both outwardly and inwardly by carrying out its commandments and avoiding its prohibitions." Hence it comprises the whole Religion. See (5):3; (3):85.
26.2 EEMAAN.
26.2.1 LINGUISTICALLY
means "affirmation" [at-Tasdeeq]. See (12):17.
26.2.2 IN THE SHAREE'AH
It means "the affirmation of the heart that necessitates speech and action, i.e. belief of the heart, speech of the tongue, and action of the heart and limbs."
See hadeeth: "Eemaan is that you believe in Allaah, His Angels,...", and hadeeth: "Eemaan consists of seventy odd branches...".
Hence Eemaan comprises the whole Religion, and hence is not different from Islaam, in this context.
26.3 ISLAAM & EEMAAN.
When the two terms are found together then Eemaan is taken to mean the inward submission [affirmation and action of the heart] - which will only eminate from a believer [Mu-min], while Islaam is taken to mean the outward submission [speech of the tongue and action of the limbs] - which eminates from someone who's complete or weak in Eemaan, or even void of it [e.g. a hypocrite].
See (49):14; (8):2-4
Hence the meaning of Eemaan is superior for every Mu-min is a Muslim, but the reverse is not the case.
26.4 THE INCREASE & DECREASE OF EEMAAN.
Ahl-us-Sunnah are agreed that Eemaan increase and decreases. There are many narrations from the Salaf concerning this.
See (48):4 & many others, and hadeeth: "I have not seen anyone more defecient in intellect and religion..." and others.
Two sects have differed from this:
26.4.1 THE EXTREME MUJI-AH
who believe that Eemaan is affirmation of the heart only and this affirmation does not differ. So to them, the Faasiq and the just honest man are the same in terms of Eemaan.
26.4.2 THE WA'EEDEEYAH
from the Mu'tazilah and Khawaarij, who expel any one who has done a major sin from having any Eemaan. So they say Eemaan is either completely there or not, and has no levels.
26.4.3 THE TEXTS AND THE INTELLECT REFUTE BOTH OF THESE:
26.4.3.1 Refuting the Murji-ah.
(1) Saying Eemaan is only the affirmation of the heart contradicts the Book and the Sunnah, for they show that speech and action are also included.
(2) Saying affirmation of the heart does not differ among the people condradicts all sense, for we all know that affirmation is based on knowledge and that the people differ in the amount and quality of knowledge they have, and so the certainty people have as a result of their knowledge must also differ.
(3) Even an individual feels that with different times and situations he strength of certainly changes.
(4) How can any mind accept that the evil sinning Muslim and the obedient pious worshipping Muslim are the same in Eemaan?
26.4.3.2 Refuting the Wa'eedeeyah.
(1) Saying that a person is expelled from having Eemaan due to doing a major sin, contradicts the Book and the Sunnah.
(2) And concerning their belief that no levels of Eemaan exist between having it completely and not having it at all, then this is refuted by points (2) & (4) of 26.3.2.1.
26.4.4 THINGS THAT INCREASE EEMAAN.
26.4.4.1 Knowing Allaah's Names & Attributes.
26.4.4.2 Contemplating over the Aayaat of Allaah that relate to His Decree and His Laws.
26.4.4.3 Doing Acts of Obedience - with Eemaan increasing according to the sincerity and correctness of the action done, the type of deed done [e.g. if obligatory or recommended], and the amount of deed done.
26.4.4.4 Leaving a Sin Due to Fear of Allaah - with Eemaan increasing according to the strength of the temptation being overcome.
26.4.5 THINGS THAT DECREASE EEMAAN.
26.4.5.1 Being Ignorant of Allaah's Names & Attributes.
26.4.5.2 Disregarding & Turning Away From the Aayaat of Allaah that relate to His Decree and Laws.
26.4.5.3 Doing Sins
with Eemaan decreasing according to the type of evil [e.g. if major or not, or if Kufr or Shirk], the amount of sin done, the lack of regret & importance when doing the sin, and according to the lack of temptations calling to the sin [e.g. refer to hadeeth: "Allaah will not speak to or look at or purify three on the Day of Ressurection..."].
26.4.5.4 Leaving off Acts of Obedience
with Eemaan decreasing according to how certain one is that the deed is part of obedience. And one could be punished for this [i.e. where an obligatory act is not done with no excuse from the Sharee'ah], or not punished [i.e. where one has a physical or Sharee'ah proof for not doing the act - e.g. a woman who misses the Salaah when in her periods, or anyone who does not pray Salaat-ud-Duhaa].
26.5 AL ISTITHNAA - TO SAY "I AM A BELIEVER [MU-MIN] IF ALLAAH HAS WILLED".
The people have three different rulings concerning this:
26.5.1 THAT AL ISTITHNAA IS PROHIBITED.
This is what the Muji-ah, Jahmeeyah and others say. The source for this is explained in 25.4.
26.5.2 THAT AL ISTITHNAA IS OBLIGATORY.
26.5.2.1 Some explain this by saying that Eemaan is what one dies upon, and no one knows this except Allaah, so al Istithnaa is obligatory. This false reason is given by the Kullaabeeyah and others, but it's not known that the Salaf used this reason.
26.5.2.2 Others explain this by saying that complete Eemaan comprises of acting upon all the ordered deeds and abondoning every prohibited deed, and no one can be certain of this. And if some was certain of this he'd be basically claiming to be a person of Paradise - and that is not correct. And some of the Salaf did give this as a reason for making al Istithnaa obligatory.
26.5.3 THAT DETAIL IS FIRST NEEDED.
26.5.3.1 If the Phrase is Said Due to Having Doubt in the Very Presence of the Basis of Eemaan, then this prohibited, and indeed is Kufr, for Eemaan is something to be certain about.
26.5.3.2 If the Phrase is Said from Fear that One's Heart is Not Pure and that one's testification has not reached the reality of complete Eemaan in terms of speech, action and beleief, then this is correct and obligatory.
26.5.3.3 If the Phrase is Said to Seek Blessings by Mentioning Allaah's Will and that it's a way of entertaining hope in being a Mu-min and that it's a way of saying that whatever exists of Eemaan is dependant on Allaah's Will, then this is permitted.
26.5.3.4 And Connecting Allaah's Will is this Way is Not Wrong - it does not contradict the certainty of what one is hoping for - e.g. (48):27.
ReplyHamza Asadullah
01-21-2009, 03:17 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by
Podarok
I would like to learn much more about Islam, but also the religions before that such as Christianity and Judaism. There are others I know of such as Bahá'í and Sabianism, but I'm not sure of all of them, or even if all of them are related. Can anyone provide a list of all the "Abrahamic" religions along with their texts? I want to read through all of them and learn to interpret their original forms if I can get some copies of them. :D
And, a misc. question that I can tie in here: Does Islam recognize anything about Mormonism?
This is a good place to start:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrahamic_religions
Mormons believe that there was a prophet called Joseph Smith who founded and was President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and it was founded in 1800's.
Read these 2 very interesting accounts from a former Mormon and Christian priest:
An American Mormon's Journey to Islam
By Anthony
02/11/2003
©Robert Jasany/North American Landscapes
IN THE NAME OF ALLAH, THE MOST COMPASSIONATE, MOST MERCIFUL
One night, not so long ago, I began to question my belief in the purity of the Bible. Because of this, I felt depressed. I knew that God was there, and I knew that He had sent down His religion to man, but I could not find it. Why was it so hard to find? Why would God allow it to be so hard? I prayed and asked God, Why would You send down a scripture (the Bible) and allow for there to be flaws in it? My Lord had been answering my question even before I asked.
About two years before this point, when I was sixteen, I had a religious yearning. It was like a thirst that I could not quench. I thought I was satisfied with my religion of Mormonism. But the truth was, I wasn't satisfied. It was as if God was calling me. I decided to put the Scriptures under close examination. I put aside my Book of Mormon, and picked up the Bible. I studied it from a viewpoint outside of what my religion taught me, since my religion taught me how to interpret the Bible in a very specific and "official" way. Instead, I looked at it not as one who had no religion, but as one who wanted to follow the Scriptures to the fullest.
As I studied, I noticed how Christ taught only to the Jews. He would not preach to anyone except the children of Israel. Studying his life closely, I noticed that this man did not follow any religion that actually exists today. He was a follower of God's law as it was sent to the Jews in the past. Right there, my religion was questionable. I also read in the book of Acts that the apostles would not eat pork or any other foods that were earlier prohibited by God. In the other books, the followers of Christ (peace be upon him) would follow all of the laws and traditions which God had sent down in the past. Neither my religion nor any other Christians that I knew followed this example.
Studying it even closer, I saw that all Christian churches relied upon the teachings of Paul, whose letters actually contradicted many of the words of Jesus (peace be upon him). Now I knew that my religion was definitely in question.
I believed in one God, I believed in Jesus, I believed in Moses, I believed in Noah, and I believed in all of the other prophets who preached the worship of one God. But what other Books existed to replace the Bible? I believed that there were none.
Then I remembered what an old Muslim friend told me. He said that Muslims believe in the Qur'an, in only one God, and in all the messengers of God, which includes all of the Christian and Jewish prophets. At that time, I had a book that explained Islam at a very basic level. It was a great source for me. I began to understand Islam much more, and found it somewhat interesting.
After this, I went on the Internet to look up things about Islam. I found some sites with arguments against Christian beliefs, and I studied their arguments closely. They explained how most Christians do not follow their Scriptures as closely as they should. In truth, the Muslim sites were confirming what I already knew.
My interest in Islam was soaring. I decided to ask my neighbor to borrow his Qur'an. I read it in a few weeks. I loved it – I believed every word it said. However, I could not believe that the crucifixion was a false story. I was so brainwashed by the Bible that I could not accept the truth at the time.
So, when the night came in which I finally lost my trust in the Bible's purity and incorruptibility, I decided to look into Islam again. In my heart during those two years, I knew that the truth lay in Islam, but I simply could not allow myself to accept it. There were personal reasons for my stubbornness – reasons planted in my heart by Satan. That night I went online to begin my new spiritual search. I went to many online sites, and I ordered information from many of them. Then I went to Why-Islam.org, and I read a beautiful article entitled, "The Fall of Atheism." I read some interesting facts about the Qur'an, and I said to myself, this might be the way that God has led me. But it was still too soon to tell.
Just before I logged off, I ordered more information about Islam. A few days later, a representative of Why-Islam.org sent me an email. He thanked me for my interest in Islam, and told me that I could write to him at anytime if I had any questions concerning Islam.
Thus, we began a dialogue online. He gave me a lot of information about Islam. I asked him a deep question: How do Muslims actually prove to Christians that the crucifixion did not happen? He wanted to meet up with me to discuss it, and I agreed. We met up in a neighborhood pizza parlor. Our discussion left me in awe. He showed me verses of the Bible that I had always overlooked. He left me with a Qur'an and a lecture on CD. As soon as I went home, I knew that this was God's religion, but I did not want to rush into it. Instead, I studied it more.
All my studies led me to the same conclusion: Islam was the path of God. Still, I was afraid to convert. Converting is a life decision, and I was not willing to take that decision lightly.
One day, the brother from Why-Islam.org wanted to take me to the Friday prayer (the Juma'a prayer). The night before, Satan struck with all his force. He knew that I was going to say the Shahada (the public declaration that there is no deity but God, and that Muhammad is His Messenger), and thereby convert to Islam. All night, he whispered things in my heart, trying to show me that Islam was not the way to go. In fact, so intense were his promptings that I slept for no more than an hour that night. I kept on praying to God, reading the Qur'an, and praying some more. Satan put so many thoughts in my head that even I believed that I was not going to convert.
About an hour after I had fallen to sleep, my mother woke me up saying that I had to watch the kids until she came back from the hospital. My little brother's toe was hurting him and my mother believed that it was broken. She needed me to stay home with the other kids so she could take him to the doctor. She did not expect to be back until six in the evening.
When I heard this, I knew that I was not going to the Juma'a prayer service. I had to stay home with the kids at the time that it started. The brother from Why-Islam.org called me up. He asked if I was ready, and I told him the story. He explained that he felt especially bad because this Friday was his only Friday in which he was free to bring me there. He even told me that I could bring the kids with me. I figured that they would feel awkward there, and so I said no. I told him to call me after half an hour. Maybe I would have a solution by then, but deep inside I did not expect to go.
I talked to my mother and asked her if it was possible for me to go. She found some extra money for the kids to go with her, thus letting me off the hook. I thank God for this little miracle, for this event changed my life. The Muslim brother later told me that he had relied on God to lead me to the mosque that day. When he heard that I was not going to come, he prayed to God knowing that I did not have a choice in the matter. If I was to become Muslim, it was God Who was going to make me a Muslim. If I was not going to become a Muslim, that was again God's will.
When the brother heard that I was able to come, he was very happy. He picked me up shortly after that. On the way there, I began to feel sick. I felt nauseous, weak, dizzy, as if I was going to collapse. It was Satan doing this to me. He was desperate to get me away from the mosque and he made me think that I was feeling too sick to go. In fact, these were just minor side effects from having too little sleep the night before.
In the car on our way to the mosque, I told the brother that I was thinking about changing my mind about taking Shahada. He told me that the choice was mine, but to beware of the doubts that Satan puts into one's head. For a while, we talked in the car about Satan whispering into people's hearts, and how Satan tries to drag someone from the Light. He explained to me that only Muslims and non-Muslims who are on their way to becoming Muslim are heavily affected by Satan. He said that non-Muslims are generally left alone, because Satan does not need to distract them from God, since they are already far from Him. He explained that last night, all the thoughts that flooded my head were from Satan. Satan put so much doubt in my head in that one night in order to pull me from the Light. This was how desperate Satan was – he knew that I was going to take Shahada the next day and was trying anything to prevent this.
We went into the mosque, and the brother taught me how to make ablution (wudhu-cleaning one's self before prayer). After the ablution, I felt brand new, and my nausea had left my body. I was not even thinking about the sickness anymore, I just felt good to be in a place where God is worshiped. We approached the director and told him that I wanted to take the Shahada that day after the service. He smiled and congratulated me with a warm hug. Another brother who overheard us did the same. He said, "God bless you, and congratulations." These were beautiful people, people of God. These were the kind of people I wanted to be like.
During the service, the Imam amazingly gave his speech about Satan's whisperings into the hearts of men in the attempt to lead them away from the Light. It left me in utter shock. The brother was talking to me about this in the car, and by an amazing coincidence, the Imam thought it was best that day to talk about Satan's whispers. This, I believe, was God getting His Message across to me, telling me to ignore Satan. I could not wait to declare the Shahada, and when the time came after the service, I rushed up to the front.
After publicly declaring my Islam, I think that every Muslim brother present that day came and hugged me. There were at least a few hundred brothers present, so you can imagine how many hugs I received. They congratulated me and said, "God bless you, you made the right choice."
Two forces were at work that day: Satan and God. But God's force was too powerful for me to resist, and so I submitted to Him in Islam. The brother told me that the greatest gift that God gives to us in this world is Islam. This gift I shall keep for the rest of my life, God willing (in sha' Allah). He also told me that he never went to a Friday service where the Imam talked purely about Satan's whispers. He said that the subject was mentioned occasionally, but it almost never actually made up an entire service.
I pray that my story helps those who go through the same mental struggle that I had with Satan. My experience is so amazing to me that I cannot truly describe it in words. I pray that those who read this will be able to overcome Satan as I was able to that day. Remember, Satan only whispers to the heart, but God shouts to the heart. It was God's shout that brought me to Him in Islam.
As-salaam `alaikum. May God guide you as he guided me.
Editor's Note: Anthony accepted Islam on September 19, 2003. He now goes by the Muslim name Talib Abdul Hamid. He adds, "Right now I'm learning Arabic and studying Tafseer [Qur'anic exegesis]. Since I took Shahada, my life went in a different direction, a positive direction, and I can only thank God for it."
Source: http://www.islamonline.net/english/Journey/jour58.shtml
Christian Minister Converts to Islam - Why?
A minister of the Methodist Church, complete with a degree in divinity, author of many publications - choses ISLAM.
His former congregation wants to know, "Why?"
Former minister (deacon) of the United Methodist Church. He holds a Master's degree in Divinity from Harvard University and a Doctorate in Psychology from the University of Denver. Author of The Cross and the Crescent: An Interfaith Dialogue between Christianity and Islam (ISBN 1-59008-002-5 - Amana Publications, 2001). He has published over 60 articles in the field of clinical psychology, and over 150 articles on Arabian horses .
Read his story in his own words:
One of my earliest childhood memories is of hearing the church bell toll for Sunday morning worship in the small, rural town in which I was raised. The Methodist Church was an old, wooden structure with a bell tower, two children's Sunday School classrooms cubbyholed behind folding, wooden doors to separate it from the sanctuary, and a choir loft that housed the Sunday school classrooms for the older children.
It stood less than two blocks from my home. As the bell rang, we would come together as a family, and make our weekly pilgrimage to the church. In that rural setting from the 1950s, the three churches in the town of about 500 were the center of community life. The local Methodist Church, to which my family belonged, sponsored ice cream socials with hand-cranked, homemade ice cream, chicken potpie dinners, and corn roasts. My family and I were always involved in all three, but each came only once a year. In addition, there was a two-week community Bible school every June, and I was a regular attendee through my eighth grade year in school.
However, Sunday morning worship and Sunday school were weekly events, and I strove to keep extending my collection of perfect attendance pins and of awards for memorizing Bible verses. By my junior high school days, the local Methodist Church had closed, and we were attending the Methodist Church in the neighboring town, which was only slightly larger than the town in which I lived. There, my thoughts first began to focus on the ministry as a personal calling. I became active in the Methodist Youth Fellowship, and eventually served as both a district and a conference officer. I also became the regular "preacher" during the annual Youth Sunday service. My preaching began to draw community- wide attention, and before long I was occasionally filling pulpits at other churches, at a nursing home, and at various church-affiliated youth and ladies groups, where I typically set attendance records.
By age 17, when I began my freshman year at Harvard College, my decision to enter the ministry had solidified. During my freshman year, I enrolled in a two-semester course in comparative religion, which was taught by Wilfred Cantwell Smith, whose specific area of expertise was Islam. During that course, I gave far less attention to Islam, than I did to other religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, as the latter two seemed so much more esoteric and strange to me. In contrast, Islam appeared to be somewhat similar to my own Christianity. As such, I didn't concentrate on it as much as I probably should have, although I can remember writing a term paper for the course on the concept of revelation in the Qur'an. Nonetheless, as the course was one of rigorous academic standards and demands, I did acquire a small library of about a half dozen books on Islam, all of which were written by non-Muslims, and all of which were to serve me in good stead 25 years later. I also acquired two different English translations of the meaning of the Qur'an, which I read at the time.
That spring, Harvard named me a Hollis Scholar, signifying that I was one of the top pre-theology students in the college. The summer between my freshman and sophomore years at Harvard, I worked as a youth minister at a fairly large United Methodist Church. The following summer, I obtained my License to Preach from the United Methodist Church. Upon graduating from Harvard College in 1971, I enrolled at the Harvard Divinity School, and there obtained my Master of Divinity degree in 1974, having been previously ordained into the Deaconate of the United Methodist Church in 1972, and having previously received a Stewart Scholarship from the United Methodist Church as a supplement to my Harvard Divinity School scholarships. During my seminary education, I also completed a two-year externship program as a hospital chaplain at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in Boston. Following graduation from Harvard Divinity School, I spent the summer as the minister of two United Methodist churches in rural Kansas, where attendance soared to heights not seen in those churches for several years.
Seen from the outside, I was a very promising young minister, who had received an excellent education, drew large crowds to the Sunday morning worship service, and had been successful at every stop along the ministerial path. However, seen from the inside, I was fighting a constant war to maintain my personal integrity in the face of my ministerial responsibilities. This war was far removed from the ones presumably fought by some later televangelists in unsuccessfully trying to maintain personal sexual morality. Likewise, it was a far different war than those fought by the headline-grabbing pedophilic priests of the current moment. However, my struggle to maintain personal integrity may be the most common one encountered by the better-educated members of the ministry.
There is some irony in the fact that the supposedly best, brightest, and most idealistic of ministers-to-be are selected for the very best of seminary education, e.g. that offered at that time at the Harvard Divinity School. The irony is that, given such an education, the seminarian is exposed to as much of the actual historical truth as is known about
:
1) the formation of the early, "mainstream" church, and how it was shaped by geopolitical considerations
2) the "original" reading of various Biblical texts, many of which are in sharp contrast to what most Christians read when they pick up their Bible, although gradually some of this information is being incorporated into newer and better translations;
3) the evolution of such concepts as a triune godhead and the "sonship" of Jesus, peace be upon him;
4) the non-religious considerations that underlie many Christian creeds and doctrines;
5) the existence of those early churches and Christian movements which never accepted the concept of a triune godhead, and which never accepted the concept of the divinity of Jesus, peace be upon him; and 6) etc. (Some of these fruits of my seminary education are recounted in more detail in my recent book, The Cross and the Crescent: An Interfaith Dialogue between Christianity and Islam, Amana Publications, 2001.)
As such, it is no real wonder that almost a majority of such seminary graduates leave seminary, not to "fill pulpits", where they would be asked to preach that which they know is not true, but to enter the various counseling professions. Such was also the case for me, as I went on to earn a master's and doctorate in clinical psychology. I continued to call myself a Christian, because that was a needed bit of self-identity, and because I was, after all, an ordained minister, even though my full time job was as a mental health professional. However, my seminary education had taken care of any belief I might have had regarding a triune godhead or the divinity of Jesus, peace be upon him.
(Polls regularly reveal that ministers are less likely to believe these and other dogmas of the church than are the laity they serve, with ministers more likely to understand such terms as "son of God" metaphorically, while their parishioners understand it literally.) I thus became a "Christmas and Easter Christian", attending church very sporadically, and then gritting my teeth and biting my tongue as I listened to sermons espousing that which I knew was not the case.
None of the above should be taken to imply that I was any less religious or spiritually oriented than I had once been. I prayed regularly, my belief in a supreme deity remained solid and secure, and I conducted my personal life in line with the ethics I had once been taught in church and Sunday school. I simply knew better than to buy into the man-made dogmas and articles of faith of the organized church, which were so heavily laden with the pagan influences, polytheistic notions, and geo-political considerations of a bygone era.
As the years passed by, I became increasingly concerned about the loss of religiousness in American society at large. Religiousness is a living, breathing spirituality and morality within individuals, and should not be confused with religiosity, which is concerned with the rites, rituals, and formalized creeds of some organized entity, e.g. the church. American culture increasingly appeared to have lost its moral and religious compass. Two out of every three marriages ended in divorce; violence was becoming an increasingly inherent part of our
schools and our roads; self-responsibility was on the wane; self- discipline was being submerged by a "if it feels good, do it" morality; various Christian leaders and institutions were being swamped by sexual and financial scandals; and emotions justified behavior, however odious it might be. American culture was becoming a morally bankrupt institution, and I was feeling quite alone in my personal religious vigil.
It was at this juncture that I began to come into contact with the local Muslim community. For some years before, my wife and I had been actively involved in doing research on the history of the Arabian horse.
Eventually, in order to secure translations of various Arabic documents, this research brought weus into contact with Arab Americans who happened to be Muslims. Our first such contact was with Jamal in the summer of 1991. After an initial telephone conversation, Jamal visited our home, and offered to do some translations for us, and to help guide us through the history of the Arabian horse in the Middle East. Before Jamal left that afternoon, he asked if he might: use our bathroom to wash before saying his scheduled prayers; and borrow a piece of newspaper to use as a prayer rug, so he could say his scheduled prayers before leaving our house. We, of course, obliged, but wondered if there was something more appropriate that we could give him to use than a newspaper. Without our ever realizing it at the time, Jamal was practicing a very beautiful form of Dawa (preaching or exhortation). He made no comment about the fact that we were not Muslims, and he didn't preach anything to us about his religious beliefs. He "merely" presented us with his example, an example that spoke volumes, if one were willing to be receptive to the lesson.
Over the next 16 months, contact with Jamal slowly increased in frequency, until it was occurring on a biweekly toekly basis. During these visits, Jamal never preached to me about Islam, never questioned me about my own religious beliefs or convictions, and never verbally suggested that I become a Muslim. However, I was beginning to learn a lot. First, there was the constant behavioral example of Jamal observing his scheduled prayers. Second, there was the behavioral example of how Jamal conducted his daily life in a highly moral and ethical manner, both in his business world and in his social world.
Third, there was the behavioral example of how Jamal interacted with his two children. For my wife, Jamal's wife provided a similar example. Fourth, always within the framework of helping me to understand Arabian horse history in the Middle East, Jamal began to share with me:
1) stories from Arab and Islamic history;
2) sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him; and
3) Qur'anic verses and their contextual meaning.
In point of fact, our every visit now included at least a 30 minute conversation centered on some aspect of Islam, but always presented in terms of helping me intellectually understand the Islamic context of Arabian horse history. I was never told "this is the way things are", I was merely told "this is what Muslims typically believe".
Since I wasn't being "preached to", and since Jamal never inquired as to my own beliefs, I didn't need to bother attempting to justify my own position. It was all handled as an intellectual exercise, not as proselytizing. Gradually, Jamal began to introduce us to other Arab families in the local Muslim community. There was Wa'el and his family, Khalid and his family, and a few others. Consistently, I observed individuals and families who were living their lives on a much higher ethical plane than the American society in which we were all embedded. Maybe there was something to the practice of Islam that I had missed during my collegiate and seminary days.
By December, 1992, I was beginning to ask myself some serious questions about where I was and what I was doing. These questions were prompted by the following considerations. 1) Over the course of the prior 16 months, our social life had become increasingly centered on the Arab component of the local Muslim community. By December, probably 75% of our social life was being spent with Arab Muslims.
2) By virtue of my seminary training and education, I knew how badly the Bible had been corrupted (and often knew exactly when, where, and why), I had no belief in any triune godhead, and I had no belief in anything more than a metaphorical "sonship" of Jesus, peace be upon him. In short, while I certainly believed in God, I was as strict a monotheist as my Muslim friends.
3) My personal values and sense of morality were much more in keeping with my Muslim friends than with the "Christian" society around me. After all, I had the non-confrontational examples of Jamal, Khalid, and Wa'el as illustrations. In short, my nostalgic yearning for the type of community in which I had been raised was finding gratification in the Muslim community.
American society might be morally bankrupt, but that did not appear to be the case for that part of the Muslim community with which I had had contact. Marriages were stable, spouses were committed to each other, and honesty, integrity, self-responsibility, and family values were emphasized. My wife and I had attempted to live our lives that same way, but for several years I had felt that we were doing so in the context of a moral vacuum. The Muslim community appeared to be different.
The different threads were being woven together into a single strand. Arabian horses, my childhood upbringing, my foray into the Christian ministry and my seminary education, my nostalgic yearnings for a moral society, and my contact with the Muslim community were becoming intricately intertwined. My self-questioning came to a head when I finally got around to asking myself exactly what separated me from the beliefs of my Muslim friends. I suppose that I could have raised that question with Jamal or with Khalid, but I wasn't ready to take that step. I had never discussed my own religious beliefs with them, and I didn't think that I wanted to introduce that topic of conversation into our friendship. As such, I began to pull off the bookshelf all the books on Islam that I had acquired in my collegiate and seminary days.
However far my own beliefs were from the traditional position of the church, and however seldom I actually attended church, I still identified myself as being a Christian, and so I turned to the works of Western scholars. That month of December, I read half a dozen or so books on Islam by Western scholars, including one biography of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. Further, I began to read two different English translations of the meaning of the Qur'an. I never spoke to my Muslim friends about this personal quest of self- discovery.
I never mentioned what types of books I was reading, nor ever spoke about why I was reading these books. However, occasionally I would run a very circumscribed question past one of them.
While I never spoke to my Muslim friends about those books, my wife and I had numerous conversations about what I was reading. By the last week of December of 1992, I was forced to admit to myself, that I could find no area of substantial disagreement between my own religious beliefs and the general tenets of Islam. While I was ready to acknowledge that Muhammad, peace be upon him, was a prophet of (one who spoke for or under the inspiration of) God, and while I had absolutely no difficulty affirming that there was no god besides God/Allah, glorified and exalted is He, I was still hesitating to make any decision. I could readily admit to myself that I had far more in common with Islamic beliefs as I then understood them, than I did with the traditional Christianity of the organized church. I knew only too well that I could easily confirm from my seminary training and education most of what the Qur'an had to say about Christianity, the Bible, and Jesus, peace be upon him. Nonetheless, I hesitated. Further, I rationalized my hesitation by maintaining to myself that I really didn't know the nitty-gritty details of Islam, and that my areas of agreement were confined to general concepts. As such, I continued to read, and then to re-read.
One's sense of identity, of who one is, is a powerful affirmation of one's own position in the cosmos. In my professional practice, I had occasionally been called upon to treat certain addictive disorders, ranging from smoking, to alcoholism, to drug abuse. As a clinician, I knew that the basic physical addiction had to be overcome to create the initial abstinence. That was the easy part of treatment. As Mark Twain once said: "Quitting smoking is easy; I've done it hundreds of times".
However, I also knew that the key to maintaining that abstinence over an extended time period was overcoming the client's psychological addiction, which was heavily grounded in the client's basic sense of identity, i.e. the client identified to himself that he was "a smoker",
or that he was "a drinker", etc. The addictive behavior had become part and parcel of the client's basic sense of identity, of the client's basic sense of self. Changing this sense of identity was crucial to the maintenance of the psychotherapeutic "cure". This was the difficult part of treatment. Changing one's basic sense of identity is a most difficult task. One's psyche tends to cling to the old and familiar, which seem more psychologically comfortable and secure than the new and unfamiliar.
On a professional basis, I had the above knowledge, and used it on a daily basis. However, ironically enough, I was not yet ready to apply it to myself, and to the issue of my own hesitation surrounding my religious identity. For 43 years, my religious identity had been neatly labeled as "Christian", however many qualifications I might have added to that term over the years. Giving up that label of personal identity was no easy task. It was part and parcel of how I defined my very being. Given the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that my hesitation served the purpose of insuring that I could keep my familiar religious identity of being a Christian, although a Christian who believed like a Muslim believed.
It was now the very end of December, and my wife and I were filling out our application forms for U.S. passports, so that a proposed Middle Eastern journey could become a reality. One of the questions had to do with religious affiliation. I didn't even think about it, and automatically fell back on the old and familiar, as I penned in "Christian". It was easy, it was familiar, and it was comfortable. However, that comfort was momentarily disrupted when my wife asked me how I had answered the question on religious identity on the application form. I immediately replied, "Christian", and chuckled audibly. Now, one of Freud's contributions to the understanding of the human psyche was his realization that laughter is often a release of psychological tension. However wrong Freud may have been in many aspects of his theory of psychosexual development, his insights into laughter were quite on target. I had laughed! What was this psychological tension that I had need to release through the medium of laughter? I then hurriedly went on to offer my wife a brief affirmation that I was a Christian, not a Muslim. In response to which, she politely informed me that she was merely asking whether I had written "Christian", or "Protestant", or "Methodist". On a professional basis, I knew that a person does not defend himself against an accusation that hasn't been made. (If, in the course of a session of psychotherapy, my client blurted out, "I'm not angry about that", and I hadn't even broached the topic of anger, it was clear that my client was feeling the need to defend himself against a charge that his own unconscious was making. In short, he really was angry, but he wasn't ready to admit it or to deal with it.) If my wife hadn't made the accusation, i.e. "you are a Muslim", then the accusation had to have come from my own unconscious, as I was the only other person present. I was aware of this, but still I hesitated. The religious label that had been stuck to my sense of identity for 43 years was not going to come off easily.
About a month had gone by since my wife's question to me. It was now late in January of 1993. I had set aside all the books on Islam by the Western scholars, as I had read them all thoroughly. The two English translations of the meaning of the Qur'an were back on the bookshelf, and I was busy reading yet a third English translation of the meaning of the Qur'an. Maybe in this translation I would find some sudden justification for.
I was taking my lunch hour from my private practice at a local Arab restaurant that I had started to frequent. I entered as usual, seated myself at a small table, and opened my third English translation of the meaning of the Qur'an to where I had left off in my reading. I figured I might as well get some reading done over my lunch hour. Moments later, I became aware that Mahmoud was at my shoulder, and waiting to take my order. He glanced at what I was reading, but said nothing about it. My order taken, I returned to the solitude of my reading.
A few minutes later, Mahmoud's wife, Iman, an American Muslim, who wore the Hijab (scarf) and modest dress that I had come to associate with female Muslims, brought me my order. She commented that I was reading the Qur'an, and politely asked if I were a Muslim. The word was out of my mouth before it could be modified by any social etiquette or politeness: "No!" That single word was said forcefully, and with more than a hint of irritability. With that, Iman politely retired from my table.
What was happening to me? I had behaved rudely and somewhat aggressively. What had this woman done to deserve such behavior from me? This wasn't like me. Given my childhood upbringing, I still used "sir" and "ma'am" when addressing clerks and cashiers who were waiting on me in stores. I could pretend to ignore my own laughter as a release of tension, but I couldn't begin to ignore this sort of unconscionable behavior from myself. My reading was set aside, and I mentally stewed over this turn of events throughout my meal. The more I stewed, the guiltier I felt about my behavior. I knew that when Iman brought me my check at the end of the meal, I was going to need to make some amends.
If for no other reason, simple politeness demanded it. Furthermore, I was really quite disturbed about how resistant I had been to her innocuous question. What was going on in me that I responded with that much force to such a simple and straightforward question? Why did that one, simple question lead to such atypical behavior on my part?
Later, when Iman came with my check, I attempted a round-about apology by saying: "I'm afraid I was a little abrupt in answering your question before. If you were asking me whether I believe that there is only one God, then my answer is yes. If you were asking me whether I believe that Muhammad was one of the prophets of that one God, then my answer is yes." She very nicely and very supportively said: "That's okay; it takes some people a little longer than others."
Perhaps, the readers of this will be kind enough to note the psychological games I was playing with myself without chuckling too hard at my mental gymnastics and behavior. I well knew that in my own way, using my own words, I had just said the Shahadah, the Islamic testimonial of faith, i.e. "I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah". However, having said that, and having recognized what I said, I could still cling to my old and familiar label of religious identity. After all, I hadn't said I was a Muslim. I was simply a Christian, albeit an atypical Christian, who was willing to say that there was one God, not a triune godhead, and who was willing to say that Muhammad was one of the prophets inspired by that one God. If a Muslim wanted to accept me as being a Muslim that was his or her business, and his or her label of religious identity. However, it was not mine. I thought I had found my way out of my crisis of religious identity. I was a Christian, who would carefully explain that I agreed with, and was willing to testify to, the Islamic testimonial of faith. Having made my tortured explanation, and having parsed the English language to within an inch of its life, others could hang whatever label on me they wished. It was their label, and not mine.
It was now March of 1993, and my wife and I were enjoying a five-week vacation in the Middle East. It was also the Islamic month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast from day break until sunset. Because we were so often staying with or being escorted around by family members of our Muslim friends back in the States, my wife and I had decided that we also would fast, if for no other reason than common courtesy. During this time, I had also started to perform the five daily prayers of Islam with my newfound, Middle Eastern, Muslim friends. After all, there was nothing in those prayers with which I could disagree.
I was a Christian, or so I said. After all, I had been born into a Christian family, had been given a Christian upbringing, had attended church and Sunday school every Sunday as a child, had graduated from a prestigious seminary, and was an ordained minister in a large Protestant denomination. However, I was also a Christian: who didn't believe in a triune godhead or in the divinity of Jesus, peace be upon him; who knew quite well how the Bible had been corrupted; who had said the Islamic testimony of faith in my own carefully parsed words; who had fasted during Ramadan; who was saying Islamic prayers five times a day; and who was deeply impressed by the behavioral examples I had witnessed in the Muslim community, both in America and in the Middle East. (Time and space do not permit me the luxury of documenting in detail all of the examples of personal morality and ethics I encountered in the Middle East.) If asked if I were a Muslim, I could and did do a five-minute monologue detailing the above, and basically leaving the question unanswered. I was playing intellectual word games, and succeeding at them quite nicely.
It was now late in our Middle Eastern trip. An elderly friend who spoke no English and I were walking down a winding, little road, somewhere in one of the economically disadvantaged areas of greater 'Amman, Jordan. As we walked, an elderly man approached us from the opposite direction, said, "Salam 'Alaykum", i.e., "peace be upon you", and offered to shake hands. We were the only three people there. I didn't speak Arabic, and neither my friend nor the stranger spoke English. Looking at me, the stranger asked, "Muslim?"
At that precise moment in time, I was fully and completely trapped. There were no intellectual word games to be played, because I could only communicate in English, and they could only communicate in Arabic. There was no translator present to bail me out of this situation, and to allow me to hide behind my carefully prepared English monologue. I couldn't pretend I didn't understand the question, because it was all too obvious that I had. My choices were suddenly, unpredictably, and inexplicably reduced to just two: I could say "N'am", i.e., "yes"; or I could say "La", i.e., "no". The choice was mine, and I had no other. I had to choose, and I had to choose now; it was just that simple. Praise be to Allah, I answered, "N'am".
With saying that one word, all the intellectual word games were now behind me. With the intellectual word games behind me, the psychological games regarding my religious identity were also behind me.
I wasn't some strange, atypical Christian. I was a Muslim. Praise be to Allah, my wife of 33 years also became a Muslim about that same time. Not too many months after our return to America from the Middle East, a neighbor invited us over to his house, saying that he wanted to talk with us about our conversion to Islam. He was a retired Methodist minister, with whom I had had several conversations in the past. Although we had occasionally talked superficially about such issues as the artificial construction of the Bible from various, earlier, independent sources, we had never had any in-depth conversation about religion. I knew only that he appeared to have acquired a solid seminary education, and that he sang in the local church choir every Sunday.
My initial reaction was, "Oh, oh, here it comes". Nonetheless, it is a Muslim's duty to be a good neighbor, and it is a Muslim's duty to be willing to discuss Islam with others. As such, I accepted the invitation for the following evening, and spent most of the waking part of the next 24 hours contemplating how best to approach this gentleman in his requested topic of conversation. The appointed time came, and we drove over to our neighbor's. After a few moments of small talk, he finally asked why I had decided to become a Muslim. I had waited for this question, and had my answer carefully prepared. "As you know with your seminary education, there were a lot of non-religious considerations which led up to and shaped the decisions of the Council of Nicaea." He immediately cut me off with a simple statement: "You finally couldn't stomach the polytheism anymore, could you?" He knew exactly why I was a Muslim, and he didn't disagree with my decision!
For himself, at his age and at his place in life, he was electing to be "an atypical Christian". Allah willing, he has by now completed his journey from cross to crescent. There are sacrifices to be made in being a Muslim in America. For that matter, there are sacrifices to be made in being a Muslim anywhere. However, those sacrifices may be more acutely felt in America, especially among American converts. Some of those sacrifices are very predictable, and include altered dress and abstinence from alcohol, pork, and the taking of interest on one's money. Some of those sacrifices are less predictable. For example, one Christian family, with whom we were close friends, informed us that they could no longer associate with us, as they could not associate with anyone
"who does not take Jesus Christ as his personal savior". In addition, quite a few of my professional colleagues altered their manner of relating to me.
Whether it was coincidence or not, my professional referral base dwindled, and there was almost a 30% drop in income as a result. Some of these less predictable sacrifices were hard to accept, although the sacrifices were a small price to pay for what was received in return.
For those contemplating the acceptance of Islam and the surrendering of oneself to Allah-glorified and exalted is He, there may well be sacrifices along the way. Many of these sacrifices are easily predicted, while others may be rather surprising and unexpected. There is no denying the existence of these sacrifices, and I don't intend to sugar coat that pill for you. Nonetheless, don't be overly troubled by these sacrifices. In the final analysis, these sacrifices are less important than you presently think. Allah willing, you will find these sacrifices a very cheap coin to pay for the "goods" you are purchasing.
Last Updated ( Friday, 20 July 2007 )
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