Basic Tenets of Faith: Belief (Part 1)
Table of Contents
General
32492: Are there any weak points in Islam that enable
the kaafirs to attack it?
Question:
As you know Muslims are facing many challenges, pressures and criticisms from non-Muslims in the
world. In light of this atmosphere, should we Muslim not be
the most open and honest about our shortcomings and try
to tackle them as opposed to being overly defensive
and seeming to make excuses or cover our faults? The
reason for this question is that if we seem to deny or gloss
over obvious shortcomings it will not help us to
overcome them. Perhaps some Muslims feel that to deal with
our problems openly will assist the kufaar in their attacks
on Islam. Please advise.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
There are no weak points in Islam _ praise be to Allaah
_ that the Muslim needs to worry about. Islam is the
perfect religion of Allaah, and Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled in
truth and in justice"
[al-An'aam 6:115]
One of the scholars said that this means, it tells the
truth in its reports and is just in its rulings.
Allaah has blessed us by completing His religion
and perfecting the blessing, as He says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"This day, I have perfected your religion for
you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for
you Islam as your religion"
[al-Maa'idah 5:3]
If an Islamic ruling seems to a person to be a weak
point, he should realize that the fault lies in his way of
thinking, because some of the rulings of sharee'ah that
are absolutely wise and just may appear otherwise to
some people, either because of their whims and desires,
or because it goes against what people are used to in
their lives, that goes against sharee'ah. For example, some
think that a man's being the protector and maintainer of
women is a weak point in Islam, because they are used
to something which is contrary to that and which also
goes against the fitrah (natural inclination of man).
Secondly:
An important matter which should be pointed out here
is that it is not permissible for anyone to speak about
the rulings of Islam or the tafseer of Qur'aan or the
meanings of hadeeth, rather that should be referred to the
scholars who are well-versed in knowledge.
What happens is that a question is put to an
ordinary Muslim, and he cannot find an answer for it or he gives
a wrong answer, or it leaves some doubt in his heart that
he cannot rid himself of.
"if only they had referred it to the Messenger or to
those charged with authority among them, the
proper investigators would have understood it from
them (directly). Had it not been for the Grace and Mercy
of Allaah upon you, you would have followed
Shaytaan (Satan), save a few of you"
[al-Nisa' 4:83 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Hence we say that Allaah has protected the religion
for us through the scholars and has enabled them
to understand it correctly so as to refute hostile ideas
and explain its wisdom to people. That is not for the
ordinary people, rather it is only for the elite, namely the scholars.
Some of scholars used to challenge people to bring
them a verse that contradicts another verse or a hadeeth, or
a hadeeth that contradicts another hadeeth or a verse
of Qur'aan, and they would explain to them anything
that appeared to be a contradiction, and they used to
openly challenge everyone on this matter.
Al-Daaraqutni _ who was one of the imams of hadeeth
_ stood in Baghdad as a khateeb and said: "O people
of Baghdad! No one can tell lies against the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
whilst I am alive." These words indicate the depth of
their knowledge and understanding of Islam, which was
so great that the people of falsehood could not attack
Islam or introduce into it things that were not part of it.
Hence our advice to this questioner and other
Muslims, especially those who mix with kuffaar because of
their work or because they live in their countries, is to strive
to seek knowledge and to learn the correct rulings of
Islam that are derived from the Qur'aan and Sunnah,
whilst paying attention to learning the reasons behind
these rulings, so that they will have knowledge with which
to refute the specious arguments of those who seek to
attack Islam, and this will enable them to call people to
Allaah with proper insight and understanding.
And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
20612: He is amazed by the height of Adam (peace be
upon him)
Question:
In saheeh al bukhari hadith No246, rasulullah states
Adam was created 30m in height. i cannot understand
and imagine this can you please expain?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
This hadeeth was narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) who said:
"Allaah created Adam and he was sixty cubits tall.
Then He said, `Go and greet those angels and listen to
how they greet you, for that will be your greeting and
the greeting of your progeny.' He said, `Al-salaamu
`alaykum (Peace be upon you).' They said, `Al-salaamu
`alaykum wa rahmat-Allaah (Peace be upon you and the mercy
of Allaah).' So they added the words `wa rahmat
Allaah.' And everyone who enters Paradise will be in the form
of Adam. People kept on growing smaller until now."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3336; Muslim, 7092
According to a version narrated by Muslim:
"Everyone who enters Paradise will be in the form of Adam
who was sixty cubits tall. People kept growing smaller
until now."
With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), "People kept
growing smaller until now," al-Haafiz ibn Hajar said in
Fath al-Baari (6/367):
"This means that in every generation people grew
shorter than the previous generation, and continued to
grow shorter until the time of this ummah, then they
stayed like that."
The Muslim is obliged to believe in every idea for
which there is evidence in the Qur'aan or saheeh Sunnah
from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him). Imam al-Shaafa'i (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said: "I believe in Allaah and in that which
came from Allaah in the sense meant by Allaah. I believe in
the Messenger of Allaah and in what came from the Messenger of Allaah in the sense meant by the
Messenger of Allaah."
See al-Irshaad Sharh Lam'at al-I'tiqaad, p. 89.
So the believer is required to believe with firm faith
in everything that we are told by Allaah and by the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), if it is
proven to be soundly reported from him (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him). He must believe in it with firm
faith that leaves no room for the slightest doubt. He must
accept it in general and specific terms, whether he
understands it or not and whether he finds it strange or not,
because not understanding something that is proven in a
sound report does not mean that it did not happen. All that
means is that he cannot comprehend this particular issue.
Allaah has commanded us to believe in everything that He
tells us and everything that His Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) tells us. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "Only those are the believers who
have believed in Allaah and His Messenger, and
afterward doubt not but strive with their wealth and their lives
for the Cause of Allaah. Those! They are the truthful"
[al-Hujuraat 49:15]
Part of faith is belief in the unseen
(al-ghayb). The hadeeth we are discussing here comes under this heading.
Allaah praises those who believe in the unseen, as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Alif-Laam-Meem. [These letters are one of the
miracles of the Qur'aan and none but Allaah (Alone) knows
their meanings.]
This is the Book (the Qur'aan), whereof there is no
doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqoon [the
pious believers of Islamic Monotheism who fear Allaah
much (abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which
He has forbidden) and love Allaah much (perform all
kinds of good deeds which He has ordained)].
Who believe in the Ghayb[the unseen]"
[al-Baqarah 2:1-3]
You should note that Allaah is Able to do all things.
Just as He is able to create man in the form that he appears
in now, He is also Able to create man in a larger or
smaller form.
If this is difficult for you to understand, then think of
the dwarves that we see, who are child-sized men. If this
can happen, then why could the opposite not happen,
namely a man being sixty cubits tall? In the history of
mankind there have been giants as the archaeologists tell us.
The basic principle here is to accept the absolute
power of Allaah and to accept what He tells us and what
His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) tell us, and to say what those who are well versed
in knowledge say:
"We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear
Verses) are from our Lord"
[Aal `Imraan 3:7 _ interpretation of the
meaning].
We ask Allaah to show us the truth as true and help us
to follow it, and to show us falsehood as false and help us
to avoid it.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
20059: Causes of weakness of faith
Question:
I have some problems in Faith sometimes I know it is
th eSataans. Can you give me some more stories that
will give me more fairh.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
A person may become negligent and that may lead
to weakening his faith. The remedy for that is to pray a
great deal for forgiveness and to constantly remember
Allaah, and to read Qur'aan and focus on and ponder its
meanings, for doing that will rid the heart of its carelessness
and wake it from its slumber. And it is very important to do
a lot of righteous deeds.
There are several reasons for weakness of faith,
including the following:
1 _ Ignorance of the names and attributes of Allaah
leads to weakness of faith because if a person is lacking
in knowledge of the names and attributes of Allaah, his
faith will be imcomplete.
2 _ Neglecting to think of the signs of Allaah in
the universe and to ponder His commands and
prohibitions. This causes a lack of faith or at the very least it
makes faith stagnant and prevents it from growing.
3 _ Committing sin, for sin has a far-reaching effect
on the heart and on faith. Hence the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "No adulterer is
a believer at the moment when he is committing
adultery." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2475; Muslim, 57).
4 _ Failing to do acts of worship, for failing to do acts
of worship diminishes faith. But if the act of worship
is something that is obligatory and it is neglected with
no excuse, then this is a shortcoming for which a person
is to be blamed and will be punished. If it is an act of
worship that is not obligatory or it is obligatory but a person
does not do it because he has an excuse, then this is
a shortcoming for which he will not be blamed or punished.
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasaa'il Fadeelat
al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, 1/52
We advise you to read Qur'aan a great deal and
ponder its verses, for in that there is healing for what is in
your heart, if Allaah wills. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And We send down of the Qur'aan that which is a
healing and a mercy to those who believe"
[al-Isra' 17:82]
We also advise you to study the stories of the
Prophets, for Allaah narrated them in the Qur'aan to make the
heart of his Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him), and the believers with him, steadfast. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And all that We relate to you (O Muhammad) of the
news of the Messengers is in order that We may make
strong and firm your heart thereby. And in this (chapter of
the Qur'aan) has come to you the truth, as well as
an admonition and a reminder for the believers"
[Hood 11:120]
And we also advise you to read question no.
14041.
O Allaah, make faith dear to us and make kufr
(disbelief), evildoing and sin hateful to us, and make us of those
who are rightly-guided.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
14041: I want to strengthen my faith
Question:
could you please write me something inspirational
that will lift my iman.
I do the basics required by me pray fast, make dua,
read islamic literature be good to my parents, give sadaqa
but I just don't feel like I'm doing anything extra, or
striving and making jihad. Please help me.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
On this site there is an essay entitled "Weakness of
Faith, which gives a detailed description of the weakness of
faith that many people suffer, and explains the causes and
the remedy. We advise you to read it. Here is the link:
[http://63.175.194.25/books/dofuleeman/english.html].
There follow two pieces of advice from major
scholars, in addition to the above, summing up what is required
on your part:
1 _ We advise you to read Qur'aan a great deal, listen
to its recitation and ponder the meanings of what you
read and listen to, as much as you can. If you find
anything difficult to understand then ask the scholars in
your country or write to other Sunni scholars for advice.
We also advise you to remember Allaah a great
deal (dhikr) with the dhikrs narrated in the saheeh
ahaadeeth, such as "Laa ilaaha
ill-Allaah (there is no god except Allaah)",
"Subhaan-Allaah wa'l-hamdu Lillaah wa laa ilaaha ill-Allaah wa Allaahu
akbar (Glory be to Allaah, praise be to Allaah, there is no god except Allaah
and Allaah is Most Great)", and so on. For more
information on this see al-Kalim al-Tayyib by Ibn Taymiyah;
al-Waabil al-Sayyib by Ibn al-Qayyim; Riyaadh
al-Saaliheen [available in English]; al-Adhkaar
al-Nawawiyyah by Imaam al-Nawawi, and so on.
Remembering Allaah (dhikr) increases faith and
brings peace of mind. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): "verily, in the remembrance of Allaah do hearts find
rest" [al-Ra'd 13:28]
Regularly perform acts of worship such as prayer,
fasting and the other pillars of Islam, whilst hoping for the
mercy of Allaah and putting your trust in Him in all your
affairs. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"The believers are only those who, when Allaah
is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His
Verses (this Qur'aan) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the
Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their
Lord (Alone);
Who perform As-Salaah (Iqaamatas Salaah) and
spend out of that We have provided them.
It is they who are the believers in truth. For them
are grades of dignity with their Lord, and forgiveness and
a generous provision (Paradise)." [al-Anfaal
8:2]
Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas, 3/185, 186
2 _ Faith is also increased by obeying Allaah, and
it decreases when one disobeys Him. So adhere to
doing that which Allaah has enjoined such as performing
the prayers on time in congregation in the mosque,
praying zakaah willingly to purify yourself of sin and
show compassion towards the poor and needy, sitting with
good and righteous people so that they will help you to
apply sharee'ah and guide you to that which will bring
you happiness in this world and in the Hereafter.
Avoid the followers of bid'ah and sinners, lest they
tempt you and weaken your resolve to do good.
Do a lot of voluntary good actions, turn to Allaah,
and ask Him for strength.
If you do that, Allaah will increase you in faith and
you will make up for lost time, and Allaah will increase
you in goodness and steadfastness in adhering to Islam.
Standing Committee for Issuing Fatwas, 3/187.
Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
13183: The soul of the deceased does not come back to
his family or his house
Question:
Can a dead muslim feel the feelings of his close
relatives after his death? i.e their sorrows, weeping, happiness
and they are remembering him or not after him/her?
Is the soul of a good muslim can come in the world
to know about his family. I heard that the soul come to
the place where he/she died for forty days.
Do we feel or see the souls of our close relatives?
What is the reality of dreams about dead ones?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
When a person dies, he moves from this world to
another realm, and his soul does not come back to his family
and they do not feel anything of him. What is mentioned
(in the question) about the soul coming back for forty days
is a myth that has no foundation. Similarly the dead
person does not know anything about the circumstances of
his family, because he is absent from them, in a state of
bliss or torment. But Allaah may inform some of the dead
of some of the circumstances of their families, but this
is not necessarily so. There are some reports, which
cannot be relied upon, that say that the deceased may
know something about his family's circumstances. With
regard to dreams, some of them are true and some are the
playing of the Shaytaan. The living may come to know
something of the circumstances of the dead via true dreams, but
that depends on the sincerity of the one who sees the
dream, whether the dream is a true dream and the ability of
the one who interprets these dreams. Yet despite that
we should not be certain of what the dream says, unless
there is some evidence to indicate that. For a living person
may see his deceased relative in a dream, advising him to
do things or saying some things to him which he may
know are true if they match reality. There have been some
cases in which dreams matched reality and others where
there is no evidence to suggest that the dreams are true.
And some dreams are known to be untrue. So dreams are
of three types. We must pay attention to that when
dealing with news, reports and stories that have to do with
the circumstances of the dead.
Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak. (www.islam-qa.com)
13205: This world is the place of trials and tribulations
Question:
What is this world?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This world is the place of striving and the Hereafter is
the place of reward or punishment, where the believers
will be rewarded with Paradise and the disbelievers will
be punished with Hell.
Paradise is good and none but those who were good
will enter it. Allaah is Good and accepts nothing but that
which is good. So the way of Allaah with His slaves is to
test them with calamities and tribulations, so that the
believer may be known from the kaafir and so that the
truthful may be distinguished from the liar, as Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Do people think that they will be left alone because
they say: `We believe,' and will not be tested.
And We indeed tested those who were before them.
And Allaah will certainly make (it) known (the truth of)
those who are true, and will certainly make (it) known
(the falsehood of) those who are liars, (although Allaah
knows all that before putting them to test)"
[al-`Ankaboot 29:2-3]
Victory and success cannot be achieved except after
tests which will bring the good forth from the evil and tell
the believer apart from the kaafir, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Allaah will not leave the believers in the state in
which you are now, until He distinguishes the wicked from
the good. Nor will Allaah disclose to you the secrets of
the Ghayb (Unseen)"
[Aal `Imraan 3:179]
Among the trials with which Allaah tests His slaves
in order to distinguish the believers from the disbelievers
is that which He mentions in the aayah (interpretation
of the meaning):
"And certainly, We shall test you with something of
fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give
glad tidings to AsSaabiroon (the patient).
Who, when afflicted with calamity, say: `Truly, to
Allaah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.'
They are those on whom are the Salawaat (i.e. who
are blessed and will be forgiven) from their Lord, and
(they are those who) receive His Mercy, and it is they who
are the guided ones"
[al-Baqarah 2:155-157]
So Allaah tests His slaves, and He loves those who
are patient, and gives them the glad tidings of Paradise.
Allaah tests His slaves with jihaad, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Do you think that you will enter Paradise before
Allaah tests those of you who fought (in His Cause) and
(also) tests those who are AsSaabiroon (the patient)?"
[Aal `Imraan 3:142]
Wealth and children are a trial by means of which
Allaah tests His slaves, to know who will give thanks for
them, and who will be distracted from Allaah by them:
"And know that your possessions and your children
are but a trial and that surely, with Allaah is a mighty reward"
[al-Anfaal 8:28 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Allaah tests us, sometimes with calamities and
sometimes with blessings, to show who will be thankful and
who will be ungrateful, and who will obey and who
will disobey, then He will reward or punish them on the
Day of Resurrection:
"and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with
good. And to Us you will be returned"
[al-Anbiya' 21:35 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Testing is according to one's faith; the most severely
tested among mankind are the Prophets, then the next best
and the next best. The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "When I fall ill, my pain is
equivalent to the pain of two men among you."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5648).
Allaah tests His slaves with different kinds of trials.
Sometimes He tests them with calamities and
tribulations to distinguish the believer from the disbeliever,
the obedient from the disobedient, the grateful from
the ungrateful.
Sometimes Allaah tests His slaves with calamities;
when they commit sin, He punishes them with calamities
so that they might come back to him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because
of what your hands have earned. And He pardons much"
[al-Shoora 42:30]
"And indeed We seized them with punishment, but
they humbled not themselves to their Lord, nor did they
invoke (Allaah) with submission to Him" [al-Mu'minoon
23:76]
Allaah is merciful to His slaves; He sends
repeated tribulations upon the ummah so that they may return
and repent to Him, and give up that which Allaah
has forbidden, and so that Allaah might forgive them.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"See they not that they are put in trial once or twice
every year (with different kinds of calamities, disease,
famine)? Yet, they turn not in repentance, nor do they learn a
lesson (from it)"
[al-Tawbah 9:126]
It is part of the mercy of Allaah that disasters befall
sinners in this world, so that their souls might be purified
and they might come back to Allaah before they die:
"And verily, We will make them taste of the near
torment (i.e. the torment in the life of this world, i.e.
disasters, calamities) prior to the supreme torment (in
the Hereafter), in order that they may (repent and)
return (i.e. accept Islam)"
[al-Sajdah 32:21 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Sometimes Allaah tests His slaves with calamities in
order to raise them in status and to expiate for their sins, as
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "No misfortune or disease befalls a Muslim, no worry
or grief or harm or distress _ not even a thorn that
pricks him _ but Allaah will expiate for some of his sins
because of that." (Agreed upon. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5641)
From Usool al-Deen al-Islami, by Shaykh
Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri (www.islam-qa.com)
11535: Misinterpretation of the word of Tawheed, and
a false claim that it renders a person free from any need
for food
Question:
laailaaha illalaah.my sheikh once said that the
meaning of the kalima is, laa meaning, (non is capable
of)ilaaha meaning,(fulfilling the needs)illalaah
meaning,(except allah) but many others say that non worthy of
worship except allah is the actual meaning. i've got great belief
in the teaching of my sheikh.he explains,firstly we have
the need to alive. if it's not for allah,whoelse could
fulfillthat need.he also said if a person could live in
laailaahailallaah that person is a sufi.today many people are
against sufism.what is your opinion?
Answer:
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O mankind! it is you who stand in need of Allaah.
But Allaah is Rich (Free of all needs), Worthy of all
praise" [Faatir 35:15]
This aayah indicates that people are in need of their
Lord in all their affairs, and for their very existence and
survival, to benefit them and keep them safe from all evils.
Allaah is the One Who bestows all that. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning),
"Allaah is He Who created you, then provided food
for you, then will cause you to die, then (again) He will
give you life (on the Day of Resurrection)" [al-Room
30:40]
"And whatever of blessings and good things you have,
it is from Allaah"
[al-Nahl 16:53]
Allaah is free from any need of His slaves and to
Him belongs all dominion and praise. His slave cannot
benefit Him or harm Him. If all of them were to believe,
that would not increase His dominion at all, and if they
were all to disbelieve, that would not reduce His dominion
at all. He is the Lord of the Worlds, the Lord of the first
and the last. He is the True God, besides Whom no other
is deserving of worship. Everything else that is
worshipped apart from Him is false. The meaning of
Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah is, there is none who is rightfully worshipped
apart from Allaah. This is the correct meaning. It does not
mean that there is no creator apart from Allaah, or there is
none who is able to meet all needs apart from Allaah.
These are also implied in its meaning, for the True God is
the Creator of all things, the One Who is Able to do all
things. What this shaykh said, that the meaning of
Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah is "none is capable of fulfilling needs
except Allaah" _ if he meant that this is part of the
meaning, then this is correct; but if he said that this is what is
meant by it, then this is false. If what is meant by this phrase
is what the shaykh said, then why did the early
mushrikeen refuse to say it when the Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to them, "Say
Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah and you will prosper"? Because they affirmed
that there was no creator besides Allaah, and they
understood what was meant by this phrase, which is that there is
none who is rightfully worshipped except Allaah. Allaah is
the One Who is rightfully worshipped, and anything else
that is worshipped apart from Him is false. This implies
that the gods of the mushrikeen which they worship are
false. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"That is because Allaah, He is the Truth, and that
which they invoke besides Him is Al Baatil (falsehood,
Satan and all other false deities); and that Allaah, He is
the Most High, the Most Great" [Luqmaan 31:30]
Because the mushrikeen knew what it meant, and that
it implied that their gods were false, they refused to say
it, and they recommended one another to remain
constant to their gods, as Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And the disbelievers say: `This (Prophet
Muhammad) is a sorcerer, a liar.
Has he made the aalihah (gods) (all) into One Ilaah
(God — Allaah). Verily, this is a curious thing!'
And the leaders among them went about (saying):
`Go on, and remain constant to your aalihah (gods)!
Verily, this is a thing designed (against you)!'" [Saad 38:4]
Hence you may know that what many say, which
goes against what your shaykh said concerning the
meaning of Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah, is what is correct.
What your shaykh said, `That we are in need of
Allaah… ' means that Allaah Alone is the One Who gives us
life, and that is correct. But that is not the meaning of
Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah. Rather what it means is that there
is none who is rightfully worshipped except Allaah, as
stated above. The True God is the One who deserves to
be worshipped, and He is the One Who gives life and
gives death, and He is Allaah, may He be exalted.
What your shaykh said, that `if a person could live
… many people are against sufism', if he meant that a
person could do without food and drink constantly, this is a
false notion, because there is no person who can do
without food and drink constantly, not even the Prophets, let
alone anyone else. His claim that a Sufi can live without
food and drink, and that making dhikr enables him to
do without that constantly, is false. If anyone among
them makes such a claim, he is a liar. So do not be deceived
by this shaykh, for he is either ignorant and misguided, or
he is a liar and an imposter. Beware of him and his ilk.
We ask Allaah to guide you and help you.
Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak (www.islam-qa.com)
12368: Is knowing the sex of the baby part of
the knowledge of the unseen?
Question:
How can we reconcile between the fact that doctors
can find out whether the foetus is male or female, and
the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): "and [He]
knows that which is in the wombs" [Luqmaan 31:24], and
what was narrated in Tafseer Ibn Jareer from Mujaahid, that
a man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) what his wife would give birth to, and
Allaah revealed this aayah, and what was narrated from
Qutaadah (may Allaah have mercy on him)? Is there any aayah
or hadeeth to make the general meaning of this aayah
("what is in the wombs") more specific?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Before I discuss this matter, I would like to explain
that there can never be any contradiction between
an unambiguous statement of the Qur'aan and reality. If
there appears to be a contradiction with reality, it is
either because what we think is reality is a baseless claim,
or the (text of) the Qur'aan is not opposed to this reality in
a clear and definite manner. The unambiguous
statements of the Qur'aan and the facts of reality are both
definitive, and two definitive things can never contradict one another.
Based on the above, it may be said that now they
(doctors) are able, through the use of precise machines, to
discover what is in the wombs and to find out whether it is male
or female. If what is said is false, then there is no point
in discussing it. If it is true, then it does not contradict
the aayah, because the aayah is referring to a matter of
the unseen, which has to do with the knowledge of
Allaah about these five matters. The matters of the unseen as
far as the foetus are concerned are: how long he will
remain in his mother's womb, his life, his deeds, his
provision, whether he is doomed (destined for Hell) or
blessed (destined for Paradise), and _ before it is fully formed
_ whether it will be male or female. But after it has
been fully formed, knowledge of whether it is male or
female is no longer the matter of the unseen, because once it
has been fully formed it becomes the matter of the
visible world, but it remains within the three layers of
darkness which, if they were removed, it would be known what
it is. It is not far-fetched to think that among the things
that Allaah has created are powerful rays which can
penetrate these layers of darkness so that it may become
clear whether the foetus is male or female. The aayah does
not clearly refer to knowledge of whether the foetus is
male or female, and the Sunnah does not refer to that either.
With regard to what the questioner refers to, that Ibn
Jareer quoted from Mujaahid that a man asked the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) what his wife
would give birth to, and Allaah revealed this aayah, this
narration is munqati' (interrupted), because Mujaahid (may
Allaah have mercy on him) was one of the Taabi'een.
The tafseer of Qutaadah (may Allaah have mercy on
him) may be interpreted as meaning that Allaah Alone
has knowledge of that so long as it has not yet been
fully formed. But once the foetus is fully formed, then
others may have knowledge of it. Ibn Katheer (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said in his tafseer of the aayah from
Soorat Luqmaan: "No one knows what Allaah wants to create
in the wombs apart from Him, but once He decrees that
it should be male or female, doomed or blessed, the
angels who are appointed in charge of it know that, and
whoever else He wills among His creation."
With regard to your question about what may make
the general meaning of this aayah ("what is in the
wombs") more specific, we say that if the aayah was speaking
about being male or female after the foetus is fully formed,
then that which would make it more specific would be
tangible facts. The scholars have mentioned the principles
of making the general meanings of the Qur'aan and
Sunnah more specific, which are a text,
ijmaa' (scholarly consensus), qiyaas (analogy), tangible facts or
reason. Their comments on this matter are well known.
But since the aayah does not refer to after the foetus
is fully formed, but rather it refers to before that time,
there is nothing in it that would contradict the idea of
knowing whether the foetus is male or female.
Praise be to Allaah, there is not, and never will be,
anything in reality that contradicts the unambiguous statements
of the Qur'aan. The accusations made by the enemies of
the Muslims against the Qur'aan, that things happen
which outwardly appear to contradict the Qur'aan, arise
from their misunderstanding of the Book of Allaah which
stems from their bad intentions. But the committed
Muslims and scholars have enough knowledge to discover the
truth which will refute the specious arguments of these
people. Praise and blessings be to Allaah.
With regard to this matter, people may be one of
two extremes, or a middle group.
One extreme is to adhere to the apparent meaning
of Qur'aanic verses which are not unambiguous, and to
reject any certain facts that go against it. Such people
either expose themselves to criticism, or they expose the
Qur'aan to criticism, because their view contradicts the
certain realities of everyday life.
The other extreme is to turn away from that which
is indicated by the Qur'aan and to adopt a purely materialistic approach. Thus one becomes a heretic.
The middle path is to accept both the indications of
the Qur'aan and the facts of reality. These people know
that both of them are true, and that the unambiguous
statements of the Qur'aan cannot contradict something that is
well known and visible. They combine acceptance of
the transmitted texts with reason, thus keeping their
religious commitment and their intellect safe and sound.
Allaah guides those who believe to the truth of that wherein
they differ, and Allaah guides whom He wills to a
Straight Path (cf. al-Baqarah 2:213).
May Allaah help our believing brothers to achieve
that, and may He cause us to be guided and to guide
others, and make us righteous leaders. My strength is only
in Allaah, in Him I put my trust and to Him I turn
in repentance.
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasaa'il Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, vol. 1,
68-70, (www.islam-qa.com)
9414: The Shaytaan whispers to him about who
created Allaah
Question:
There is a person to whom the Shaytaan whispers
this question, "Who created Allaah?" Will this have any
effect on him?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This insinuating whisper will not have any effect on
him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) told us that the Shaytaan comes to a person and says
to him "Who created such and such? Who created such
and such?" until he says, "Who created Allaah?"
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) has told us of the best medicine for
dealing with that, which is to seek refuge with Allaah from
the accursed Shaytaan and to put a stop to that.
So if any such thing occurs to you or crosses your
mind, say "A'oodhu Billaahi min al-Shaytaan
ir-rajeem (I seek refuge with Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan)" and
give up this thought and ignore it completely. Then it will
go away by Allaah's Leave.
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasaa'il Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, vol. 1, p. 60
(www.islam-qa.com)
10809: What are the things that make faith decrease?
Question:
What are the things that make faith decrease?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The things that make faith decrease are as follows:
1. Ignorance of the names and attributes of Allaah
makes a decrease in faith inevitable, because if a man is
lacking in knowledge of the names and attributes of Allaah,
he will be lacking in faith.
2. Neglecting to think about the signs of Allaah in
the universe and the signs of sharee'ah (i.e., verses of
the Qur'aan and miracles of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), etc.). This causes a decrease
in faith or at the very least it causes it to stagnate and
not grow.
3. Committing sins, because sin has a profound effect
on the heart and on faith. Hence the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The adulterer
at the time when he is committing adultery is not a believer."
4. Neglecting to do acts of worship, because
neglecting to do acts of worship causes a decrease in faith. But if
the act of worship is obligatory and a person neglects it
with no excuse, then he is to be blamed and
deserves punishment. If the act of worship is not obligatory, or it
is obligatory but a person does not do it for a valid
reason, then he is lacking but is not to be blamed. Hence
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) described women as lacking in reason and in
religion, and he explained their lacking in religion as being
because of the fact that when they menstruate, they do not pray
or fast. But they are not to be blamed for not praying
or fasting during their menstruation; rather they
are commanded not to do these things at that time.
But because they miss out on doing some of the things
that men do, they are regarded as lacking in this regard.
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasaa'il Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen (may Allaah
have mercy on him), vol. 1. p. 57 (www.islam-qa.com)
10839: Pillars of faith and branches of faith
Question:
How do we reconcile the idea that eemaan (faith)
means "belief in Allaah, His angels, His Books, the Last
Day and the Divine Decree, both good and bad," with
the hadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "Eemaan (faith) has
seventy-odd branches…"?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Faith in the sense of belief is based on six
principles, which are mentioned in the hadeeth of Jibreel (peace
be upon him), when he questioned the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who said: "Faith
means to believe in Allaah, His angels, His Books,
His Messengers, the Last Day, and the Divine Decree,
both good and bad."
(Agreed upon).
Faith which includes good deeds of various kinds is
that which has seventy-odd branches. Hence Allaah
called prayer eemaan in the aayah (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And Allaah would never make your faith
[eemaan] (prayers) to be lost (i.e. your prayers offered
towards Jerusalem). Truly, Allaah is full of kindness, the
Most Merciful towards mankind"
[al-Baqarah 2:143]
The mufassireen said: "your faith
(eemaan)" means your prayers towards Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), because
the Sahaabah used to pray towards al-Masjid al-Aqsaa
before they were commanded to face the Ka'bah in their prayers.
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasaa'il Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen (may Allaah
have mercy on him), vol. 1, p. 54 (www.islam-qa.com)
9356: Does faith increase and decrease according to Ahl
al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah?
Question:
What is the definition of eemaan (faith) according to
Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah? Does it increase and decrease?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
According to Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah,
eemaan (faith) is "belief in the heart, words on the tongue
and actions of the body." This includes three things:
1. Belief in the heart
2. Words on the tongue
3. Actions of the body
As this is the case, then it will increase and
decrease. That is because the degree of belief in the heart
differs from one person to another. Believing in what
someone tells you is not the same as believing something that
you see with your own eyes. Believing in what one
person tells you is not the same as believing what two people
tell you, and so on. Hence Ibraaheem (peace be upon
him) said:
" `My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead.'
He (Allaah) said: `Do you not believe?' He
[Ibraaheem (Abraham)] said: `Yes (I believe), but to be stronger
in Faith'"
[al-Baqarah 2:260]
Eemaan may increase with regard to belief,
contentment and tranquillity in the heart. A person may
experience that in himself when he attends gatherings of dhikr
where he hears a lesson. Remembering Paradise and
Hell increases eemaan to the point where it as if you can
see them with your own eyes. But when a person is
negligent and leaves those gatherings, this certain faith is
reduced in his heart.
Eemaan in the sense of words may increase
similarly. Whoever remembers Allaah a few times is not like
one who remembers Him one hundred times. The latter is
far better in eemaan.
And the one who does an act of worship in a
perfect manner will have more faith than one who does it in
an imperfect manner.
The same applies to righteous deeds. If a person
does good deeds physically more than another, the one
who does more will have more eemaan than the one who
does less. This is stated in the Qur'aan and Sunnah _ I
mean the fact that eemaan may increase and decrease.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And We have fixed their number (19) only as a trial
for the disbelievers, in order that the people of the
Scripture (Jews and Christians) may arrive at a certainty [that
this Qur'aan is the truth as it agrees with their
Books regarding the number (19) which is written in the
Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] and that the
believers may increase in Faith [al-Muddaththir 74:31]
"And whenever there comes down a Soorah, some of
them (hypocrites) say: "Which of you has had his
Faith increased by it?" As for those who believe, it has
increased their Faith, and they rejoice.
But as for those in whose hearts is a disease (of
doubt, disbelief and hypocrisy), it will add suspicion and
doubt to their suspicion, disbelief and doubt; and they die
while they are disbelievers [al-Tawbah
9:124-125]
According to a saheeh hadeeth, the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "I have never
seen any women lacking in reason and faith who have a
more negative impact on the mind of a serious man than you."
Thus eemaan increases and decreases.
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasaa'il Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen (may Allaah
have mercy on him), vol. 1, p. 49) (www.islam-qa.com)
10776: What are the means of increasing faith?
Question:
What are the means of increasing faith?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There are several means of increasing faith:
The first means is learning about Allaah through
His names and attributes. The more a person learns
about Allaah through His names and attributes, the more he
will increase in faith, without a doubt. Hence you find
that the scholars who know more about the names
and attributes of Allaah than others do, are stronger in
faith than others in this regard.
The second means is looking at the signs of Allaah in
the universe and the signs of sharee'ah (i.e., verses of
the Qur'aan and miracles of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), etc.).
The more a person looks at the signs of Allaah in
the universe, the more he increases in faith. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And on the earth are signs for those who have
Faith with certainty.
And also in your ownselves. Will you not then see?"
[al-Dhaariyaat 51:20-21]
The verses which indicate that are many, I mean the
verses which indicate that by pondering and thinking about
this universe, man can increase in faith.
The third means is doing many acts of worship, for
the more acts of worship a person does, the more he
will increase in faith thereby, whether those acts of
worship involve words or actions. So dhikr increases faith
in quantity and quality, and prayer, fasting and Hajj
also increase faith in quantity and quality.
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasaa'il Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen (may Allaah
have mercy on him), vol. 1. p. 49
(www.islam-qa.com)
6090: The soul's connection to the body
Question:
Is there anything in Islam to explain the soul's
connection to the body?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said:
The soul (al-rooh) is connected to the body in five
different ways, to which different rules apply.
Its connection to the body as a foetus in his
mother's womb.
Its connection to the body after a person is born.
Its connection to the body when a person is asleep,
when the soul is connected in one way and separated from it
in another way.
Its connection to the body in al-Barzakh (the
period between a person's death and the Day of
Resurrection), when it has departed from the body and separated
from it, but is not separated completely in such a way that
there is no connection at all. We have mentioned at
the beginning of this reply that there are ahaadeeth and
reports which indicate that the soul is returned to the body
when somebody sends the greeting of salaam to a
deceased person. This returning is of a special nature which
does not mean that the life is restored to the body before
the Day of Resurrection.
Its connection to the body on the Day when bodies
will be resurrected. This is the most perfect type of
connection to the body, and has no comparison to the previous
types, because after that the body will never die, sleep or
have anything wrong with it.
When a person is asleep, his soul is in his body and he
is alive, although his being alive is not the same as that of
a person who is awake, for sleep is comparable to
death. Similarly, when a dead person's soul is returned to
his body (when the greeting is sent upon him), he is in a
state between one who is alive and one who is dead,
whose soul is not restored to his body. This is like the case of
a sleeping person who is in a state between life and
death. We hope that this will dispel a lot of your confusion.
Kitaab al-Rooh, 44. (www.islam-qa.com)
2689: Ruling on saying "I am a mu'min (believer) in
sha Allaah."
Question:
Can a moslem say: I am a momen In shaa Allah
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The issue of whether one can add the condition of
saying "in sha Allaah" when speaking about matters of faith
is one concerning which there has been lengthy and
detailed debate among the scholars. The correct attitude in
this case is to ask what is meant by the word
"mu'min" (believer). If the speaker is referring to the essence
of faith, i.e., Islam, without which one would be a
kaafir, then in this case it is not correct to say "in sha
Allaah." This would imply some doubt about Islam, which is
not permitted; the Muslim should be definite in his faith,
and should say "I am a mu'min," without adding "in
sha Allaah." However, if what is meant is the perfection
of faith and the high rank which is above the level of
just being a Muslim, then one should say "in sha
Allaah," because otherwise one would be praising oneself,
which is forbidden as Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): "Therefore ascribe not purity to yourselves"
[al-Najm 53:32]
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