Belief in Allaah
Question:
I have read and heard a great deal about the virtues
of attaining true belief in Allaah, and I would like you
to explain to me in detail the meaning of belief in Allaah
in a way that will help me to attain true faith and to
keep away from everything that goes against the teachings
of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and the way of his companions.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Faith in Allaah means believing firmly in His
existence, Lordship and Divinity, and in His names and attributes.
Faith in Allaah implies four things, whoever believes
in them is a true believer.
1 _ Belief in the existence of Allaah.
The existence of Allaah is something indicated by
reason and by man's innate nature, let alone the large amount
of shar'i evidence to that effect.
(i) The evidence of man's innate nature that Allaah
exists: every man has been created with an innate belief in
his Creator without having to first think about it or be
taught, and no one deviates from this innate nature except
the one who has been exposed to misguiding
influences. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "There is no child who is not born in a state
of fitrah (the natural inclination of man), but his parents
make him a Jew, a Christian or a Magian." Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 1358; Muslim, 2658.
(ii) The evidence of reason that Allaah exists: all
these created things, past, present and future, must have
a Creator Who brought them into existence, because it
is not possible for them to have created themselves or
to have come into existence by accident.
It is impossible for them to have come into existence
by themselves because a thing cannot create itself: before
it existed it was non-existent, so how could it be a
creator?! And it is impossible for them to have come into
existence by accident, because everything that happens must
have a cause. Moreover, this creation is done in a
wondrous and precise manner, and every created being is in
harmony with the rest of creation, and there is a strong
connection between cause and effect. All of this makes it
impossible that this universe could have come into being
accidentally, because what happens accidentally does not happen in
a precise and perfect manner, so how could it remain
so precisely balanced?
If it is not possible for these things to have
created themselves or to have come into existence by
accident, then there must be One Who brought them into
existence, namely Allaah the Lord of the Worlds.
Allaah has mentioned this rational evidence and
definitive proof in Soorat al-Toor, where He says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Were they created by nothing? Or were they
themselves the creators?"
[al-Toor 52:35]
They were not created without a Creator, and they
did not create themselves, so their Creator must be
Allaah, may He be blessed and exalted. Hence when Jubayr
ibn Mut'im heard the Messenger of Allaah (S) reciting
Soorat al-Toor, and he reached these verses (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Were they created by nothing? Or were they
themselves the creators?
Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay,
but they have no firm Belief.
Or are with them the treasures of your Lord? Or are
they the tyrants with the authority to do as they like?"
[al-Toor 52:35-37]
Jabeer was a mushrik at that time, and said: "My
heart almost soared, and that was the first moment that
faith entered my heart." Narrated by al-Bukhaari in
several places.
We will give you an example that will help to
explain that:
If a person were to tell you of a beautiful
palace, surrounded by gardens among which rivers flowed,
filled with furniture and couches, decorated with all kinds
of luxuries and adornments, and told you that this
palace and all that it contains created itself, or came into
existence like that by accident without anyone building it, you
would hasten to deny that and regard it as a lie, and you
would regard this as foolish speech. So after that can it
be possible that this wondrous, vast and well
balanced universe with its earth, heavens and stars, could
have created itself or come into being by accident with
no Creator?!
This rational evidence was understood by a Bedouin
who lived in the desert and who expressed it most
eloquently, when he was asked, "How do you know your Lord?"
He said: "If you see the camel dung you know that a
camel has passed this way, and if you see a footstep you
know that a person has passed this way, so the heaven with
its starts and the earth with its mountain passes and the
oceans with their high waves all point to the existence of the
All-Hearing, All-Seeing."
2 _ Belief in the Lordship of Allaah.
i.e., belief that He alone is the Lord, with no partner
or helper.
The Lord (Rabb) is the One Who has the power of creation, dominion and control. There is no Creator
except Allaah, no Sovereign except Allaah, no controller
of affairs except Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Surely, His is the creation and commandment"
[al-A'raaf 7:54]
"Say (O Muhammad): `Who provides for you from
the sky and the earth? Or who owns hearing and sight?
And who brings out the living from the dead and brings
out the dead from the living? And who disposes the
affairs?' They will say: `Allaah.' Say: `Will you not then be
afraid of Allaah's punishment (for setting up rivals in
worship with Allaah)?'"
[Yoonus 10:31]
"He manages and regulates (every) affair from
the heavens to the earth; then it (affair) will go up to Him"
[al-Sajdah 32:5]
"Such is Allaah, your Lord; His is the kingdom. And
those, whom you invoke or call upon instead of Him, own
not even a Qitmeer (the thin membrane over the date stone)"
[Faatir 35:13]
Think about what Allaah says in Soorat
al-Faatihah (interpretation of the meaning):
"The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of
the Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of
Resurrection) [Maaliki Yaawm il-deen]"
[al-Faatihah 1:4]
And there is an alternative reading, Maliki yawm
il-deen. If we combine the two readings we will see a
wondrous meaning, for the Malik (King) has more power
and authority than the Maalik (Owner), but a king
may sometimes be a king in name only, with no control
over affairs, in which case he is a king but not an owner.
But as Allaah is both Malik and Maalik, then this
is confirmation both of His Sovereignty and His control
over all affairs.
3 _ Belief in His Divinity
i.e., that He is the One True God, with no partner
or associate.
Al-Ilaah (God) means the One Who is loved, i.e., the
One Who is worshipped out of love and veneration. This
is what is meant by Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (there is no
god but Allaah), i.e., there is none who is rightfully
worshipped except Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And your Ilaah (God) is One Ilaah (God —
Allaah), Laa Ilaaha illa Huwa (there is none who has the right
to be worshipped but He), the Most Gracious, the
Most Merciful" [al-Baqarah 2:163]
"Allaah bears witness that Laa ilaaha illa Huwa
(none has the right to be worshipped but He), and the
angels, and those having knowledge (also give this witness);
(He always) maintains His creation in justice. Laa ilaaha
illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He),
the AllMighty, the All-Wise"
[Aal `Imraan 3:18]
Everything that is taken as a god alongside Allaah
and worshipped instead of Him, its divinity is false.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"That is because Allaah He is the Truth (the only
True God of all that exists, Who has no partners or rivals
with Him), and what they (the polytheists) invoke besides
Him, it is Baatil (falsehood). And verily, Allaah He is the
Most High, the Most Great"
[al-Hajj 22:62]
Calling them gods does not give them the rights of
divinity. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"They are but names which you have named you and
your fathers for which Allaah has sent down no authority"
[al-Najm 53:23]
Allaah tells us that Yoosuf (peace be upon him) said
to the prison guard (interpretation of the meaning):
"Are many different lords (gods) better or Allaah,
the One, the Irresistible?
You do not worship besides Him but only names
which you have named (forged) — you and your fathers —
for which Allaah has sent down no authority"
[Yoosuf 12:39-40]
No one deserves to be worshipped or singled out
for worship except Allaah, and no one has any share in
this right with Him, no angel who is close to Him nor
any Prophet who was sent. Hence the call of all
the Messengers, from the first to the last of them, was
the call to say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And We did not send any Messenger before you
(O Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): Laa
ilaaha illa Ana [none has the right to be worshipped but
I (Allaah)], so worship Me (Alone and none else)"
[al-Anbiya' 21:35]
"And verily, We have sent among every
Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger
(proclaiming): "Worship Allaah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away
from) Taaghoot (all false deities, i.e. do not worship
Taaghoot besides Allaah)"
[al-Nahl 16:36]
But the mushrikeen rejected that and took other
gods instead of Allaah, which they worshipped
alongside Allaah, seeking their support and help.
4 _ Belief in His Names and Attributes.
i.e., affirming the names and attributes which Allaah
has affirmed for Himself in His Book and in the Sunnah
of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) in a manner that befits Him, without distorting
or denying the meanings, or asking how, or likening Him
to His creation. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to
Allaah, so call on Him by them, and leave the company of
those who belie or deny (or utter impious speech against)
His Names. They will be requited for what they used to
do" [al-A'raaf 7:180]
This verse indicates that the Most Beautiful names
belong to Allaah.
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"His is the highest description (i.e. none has the right
to be worshipped but He, and there is nothing
comparable unto Him) in the heavens and in the earth. And He is
the AllMighty, the AllWise"
[al-Room 30:27]
This verse indicates that the attributes of perfection
belong to Allaah, because "the highest description" is the
attribute of perfection. These two verses prove that the
most beautiful Names and the most sublime attributes
belong to Allaah in general terms. With regard to the details
of that, there is a great deal of information in the
Qur'aan and Sunnah.
This field of knowledge, i.e., the names and attributes
of Allaah, is one of the fields in which there has been a
great deal of dispute and division among the ummah, and
the ummah has split into various factions regarding the
names and attributes of Allaah.
Our attitude towards these differences is that enjoined
by Allaah when He said (interpretation of the meaning):
"(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves,
refer it to Allaah and His Messenger, if you believe in
Allaah and in the Last Day"
[al-Nisa' 4:59]
We refer this dispute to the Book of Allaah and the
Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him), seeking guidance therein from the way in
which the righteous salaf, the Sahaabah and
Taabi'een, understood these verses and ahaadeeth, for they are
the most knowledgeable of this ummah as to what
Allaah and His Messenger meant. `Abd-Allaah ibn
Mas'ood spoke the truth when he described the companions of
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
by saying: "Whoever wants to follow a path, let him
follow the path of one who has died, for there is no
guarantee that the one who is still alive will not be tempted.
Those are the companions of Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), the most pure in heart of
this ummah and the most deep in knowledge, the
least sophisticated and complicated, people whom Allaah
chose to establish His religion and accompany His Prophet.
So acknowledge their rights and adhere to their
guidance, for they are following true guidance."
Everyone who deviates from the path of the salaf in
this matter is erring and going astray, and is following a
path other than that of the believers, so he deserves the
warning issued in the verse where Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"And whoever contradicts and opposes the
Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has been shown
clearly to him, and follows other than the believers' way,
We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him
in Hell — what an evil destination!"
[al-Nisa' 4:115]
Allaah has stipulated that in order to be correctly
guided, we must believe what the companions of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) believed,
as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"So if they believe in the like of that which you
believe then they are rightly guided" [al-Baqarah 2:137]
Everyone who deviates and wanders far from the path
of the salaf is lacking in guidance to the extent that he
strays from the path of the salaf.
Based on this, then what we must do in this case is
to affirm what Allaah has affirmed for Himself or what
His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) has affirmed of the divine names and attributes; we
should take the texts of the Qur'aan and Sunnah at face
value, and believe in them as the companions of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did, as
they are the best and most knowledgeable of this ummah
(may Allaah be pleased with them).
But it should be noted that there are four things to
be avoided, whoever falls into one of them has not
attained true belief in the names and attributes of Allaah as he
is obliged to do. Belief in the names and attributes of
Allaah is not correct unless one avoids these four things,
which are: tahreef (distortion), ta'teel (denial), tamtheel
(likening Allaah to His creation) and takyeef (asking or
discussing how).
Hence we say that what is meant by belief in the
names and attributes of Allaah is "affirming the names
and attributes which Allaah has affirmed for Himself in
His Book and in the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in a manner that
befits Him, without distorting or denying the meanings,
or asking how, or likening Him to His creation."
There follows a brief explanation of these four things
that are to be avoided:
(i) Tahreef (distorting)
What is meant is changing the meaning of the texts of
the Qur'aan and Sunnah from their true meaning,
which means affirming that the most beautiful names
and sublime attributes belong to Allaah, to another
meaning which was not intended by Allaah or His
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
For example:
They distort the meaning of the Hand of Allaah which
is mentioned in many texts and say that it refers to
His blessing or power.
(ii) Ta'teel (denying)
What is meant is denying the beautiful names and
sublime attributes and saying that Allaah does not possess
them or some of them.
Everyone who denies one of the names or attributes
of Allaah that are proven in the Qur'aan or Sunnah does
not truly believe in the names and attributes of Allaah.
(iii) Tamtheel (likening Allaah to His creation)
This means likening the attribute of Allaah to the
attribute of a human being, such as saying that Allaah's Hand
is like a man's hand, or that Allaah hears as a man hears,
or that Allaah rose over the Throne like a man sitting on
a chair… and so on. Undoubtedly likening the attributes
of Allaah to the attributes of His creation is wrong and
false. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"There is nothing like Him, and He is the AllHearer,
the AllSeer"
[al-Shoora 42:11]
(iv) Takyeef (discussing how)
This means discussing how the attributes of Allaah
are, whereby a person tries to imagine or put into words
how the attributes of Allaah are.
This is definitely invalid, and man cannot know
this. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"but they will never compass anything of His Knowledge"
[Ta-Ha 20:110]
Whoever attains these four things believes truly in Allaah.
We ask Allaah to make us steadfast in faith and cause
us to die therein.
And Allaah knows best.
See Risaalat Sharh Usool al-Eemaan by Shaykh
Ibn `Uthaymeen.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
Quran says "Angels and Gabriel ascents to Allah in a
day equivalent to 5000 terrestrial years. Does it imply
that Allah is controlling the earthly matters sitting on
the throne? Then how can be Allah nearer to us than the veins?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is proven in the Qur'aan and Sunnah and by
the consensus (ijmaa') of the salaf (early generations) of
this ummah that Allaah is above His heavens on His
Throne, and that He is the Exalted, Most High. He is Above
all things, and there is nothing that is above Him.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Allaah it is He Who has created the heavens and
the earth, and all that is between them in six Days. Then
He rose over (Istawaa) the Throne (in a manner that
suits His Majesty). You (mankind) have none, besides Him,
as a Wali (protector or helper) or an intercessor. Will
you not then remember (or receive admonition)?"
[al-Sajdah 32:4]
"Surely, your Lord is Allaah Who created the
heavens and the earth in six Days and then rose over
(Istawaa) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His
Majesty), disposing the affair of all things [Yoonus 10:3]
"To Him ascend (all) the goodly words, and the
righteous deeds exalt it (i.e. the goodly words are not accepted
by Allaah unless and until they are followed by good
deeds) [Faatir 35:10]
"He is the First (nothing is before Him) and the
Last (nothing is after Him), the Most High (nothing is
above Him) and the Most Near (nothing is nearer than
Him) [al-Hadeed 57:3]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "You are the Most High and there is nothing
above You…"
There are many similar ayaat and ahaadeeth. But at
the same time, Allaah tells us that He is with His
slaves wherever they are:
"Have you not seen that Allaah knows whatsoever is
in the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth? There is
no Najwa (secret counsel) of three but He is their fourth
(with His Knowledge, while He Himself is over the Throne,
over the seventh heaven), — nor of five but He is their
sixth (with His Knowledge), — nor of less than that or
more but He is with them (with His Knowledge)
wheresoever they may be" [al-Mujaadilah 58:7]
Allaah has combined mention of His being above
His Throne with mention of His being with His slaves in
one aayah, where He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in
six Days and then rose over (Istawaa) the Throne (in
a manner that suits His Majesty). He knows what goes
into the earth and what comes forth from it, and what
descends from the heaven and what ascends thereto. And He is
with you (by His Knowledge) wheresoever you may be
[al-Hadeed 57:4]
Saying that Allaah is with us does not mean that He
is mixed with (or dwells in) His creation; rather He is
with His slaves by His knowledge. He is above His
Throne and nothing is hidden from Him of what they do.
With regard to the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein (by
Our Knowledge)" [Qaaf 50:16]
- most of the mufassireen said that what is meant is
that He is near by means of His angels whose task it is
to record people's deeds. And those who said that it
means that He is near explained it as meaning that He is near
by His knowledge, as is said concerning how He is with us.
This is the view of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah,
who affirm that Allaah is above His creation and that He
is also with His slaves, and they state that He is far
above dwelling in His created beings. With regard to the
denial of all Divine attributes as voiced by the Jahamiyyah
and their followers, they deny that His Essence is above
His creatures and that He rose above His Throne, and
they say that He is present in His Essence everywhere. We
ask Allaah to guide the Muslims.
Shaykh Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
Can you please explain the conditions of Laa ilaaha
ill-Allaah (knowledge, certainty, etc), and tell us the
rulings on one who does not attain them and one who is
ignorant of the meaning of Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The conditions of Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah. Shaykh
Haafiz al-Hukmi said in his poem Sullam al-Wusool
:
"Knowledge, certainty, submission and following.
So listen to what I say.
Truthfulness, sincerity and love. May Allaah help you
to do that which He loves."
The first condition is knowledge, in the sense of
negating what is negated in the Shahaadah and affirming what
is affirmed therein _ as opposed to being ignorant of that.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):
"So know (O Muhammad) that Laa ilaaha
ill-Allaah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah)…"
[Muhammad 47:19]
"except for those who bear witness to the
truth knowingly" _ i.e., that there is no god except Allaah
(laa ilaaha ill-Allaah) _ "and they
know" _ in their hearts the meaning of the words that they utter with their lips.
[al-Zukhruf 43:86]
It is narrated in al-Saheeh from `Uthmaan (may
Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoever dies knowing that there is no god except Allaah will
enter Paradise."
The second condition is certainty, in the sense that
the one who says these words is absolutely certain of
their meaning. Faith is not sufficient unless it is based on
certain knowledge with no element of speculation, let
alone doubt. 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]
The sincerity of their faith in Allaah and His
Messenger is conditional upon there being no element of
doubt therein, As for the doubter, he is one of the hypocrites.
In al-Saheeh it is narrated that Abu Hurayrah said:
"The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: `Bear witness that there is no god
except Allaah and that I am the Messenger of Allaah, for
no person meets Allaah with these two, not doubting in
them, but he will enter Paradise.'" According to another
report: "No person meets Allaah with these two, not doubting
in them, and is denied Paradise."
And it was also narrated from Abu Hurayrah in a
lengthy hadeeth that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) sent him and said, "Whoever you
meet behind this wall who bears witness that there is no
god except Allaah, believing in it with certainty in his
heart, then give him the glad tidings of Paradise."
Thus we see that a person's entering Paradise for
saying these words is conditional upon his believing in them
with certainty in his heart, with no element of doubt. If
this condition is not met the target is not met.
The third condition is acceptance and
submission to what these words imply, both in one's heart as well as
verbally. Allaah has told us the stories of those who came
before, who were saved by their acceptance of these words
from the punishment of those who had rejected them.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"(It will be said to the angels): `Assemble those who
did wrong, together with their companions (from the
devils) and what they used to worship,
Instead of Allaah, and lead them on to the way of
flaming Fire (Hell);
But stop them, verily, they are to be questioned.
What is the matter with you? Why do you not help
one another (as you used to do in the world)?'
Nay, but that Day they shall surrender.
And they will turn to one another and question
one another.
They will say: `It was you who used to come to us
from the right side (i.e., from the right side of one of us
and beautify for us every evil, enjoin on us polytheism,
and stop us from the truth, i.e. Islamic Monotheism and
from every good deed).'
They will reply: `Nay, you yourselves were not believers.
And we had no authority over you. Nay! But you
were Taaghoon (transgressing) people (polytheists,
and disbelievers).
So now the Word of our Lord has been justified
against us, that we shall certainly (have to) taste (the torment).
So we led you astray because we were ourselves astray.'
Then verily, that Day, they will (all) share in the torment.
Certainly, that is how We deal with AlMujrimoon (polytheists, sinners, disbelievers, criminals,
the disobedient to Allaah).
Truly, when it was said to them: Laa ilaaha
ill-Allaah (none has the right "to be worshipped but Allaah),"
they puffed themselves up with pride (i.e. denied it).
And (they) said: `Are we going to abandon our
aalihah (gods) for the sake of a mad poet?'"[al-Saffaat
37:22-36]
So Allaah has made the reason and cause of
their punishment their arrogant refusal to say Laa ilaah
ill-Allaah, and their disbelief in the one who brought
this message, so that they did not negate what this
word negates and they did not affirm what it affirms,
rather they said, arrogantly denouncing:
" `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 38:5]
So Allaah showed them to be liars and threw their
words back at them through the words of His Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He
said (interpretation of the meaning):
"Nay! he (Muhammad) has come with the truth
(i.e. Allaah's religion — Islamic Monotheism and
this Qur'aan) and he confirms the Messengers (before
him who brought Allaah's religion — Islamic Monotheism)"[al-Saffaat 37:37]
Then He said concerning those who accept it (interpretation of the meaning):
"Save the chosen slaves of Allaah (i.e. the true
believers of Islamic Monotheism).
For them there will be a known provision (in Paradise),
Fruits; and they shall be honoured,
In the Gardens of Delight (Paradise)"[al-Saffaat
37:40-43]
In al-Saheeh it is narrated from Abu Moosa (may
Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The guidance
and knowledge with which Allaah has sent me is like
abundant rain which falls on the land. Some of the land absorbs
the water and brings forth much grass and vegetation.
And some of (the rain) falls on another part of the land
which is like a smooth plain and does not hold the water, so
no vegetation grows. That is the likeness of the one
who understands the religion of Allaah and benefits from
that with which Allaah has sent me, so he learns and acts,
and the likeness of the one who pays no heed and does
not accept the guidance of Allaah with which I have
been sent.
The fourth condition is following that which is
indicated, as opposed to not following it. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And whosoever submits his face (himself) to
Allaah, while he is a Muhsin (gooddoer, i.e. performs good
deeds totally for Allaah's sake), then he has grasped the
most trustworthy handhold" _ i.e., Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah _
"And to Allaah return all matters for
decision"[Luqmaan 31:22]
What is meant by "submitting one's face" is
following, when one is also a doer of good and a believer in
Tawheed. Whoever does not submit his face to Allaah and is not
a doer of good has not grasped the most
trustworthy handhold. This is what is meant by the following
aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"And whoever disbelieves, let not his disbelief grieve
you (O Muhammad). To Us is their return, and We shall
inform them what they have done…"[Luqmaan
31:23]
According to a saheeh hadeeth, the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"none of you truly believes until his desire is in accordance
with that which I have brought." This is the ultimate
meaning of following.
The fifth condition is truthfulness, as opposed to
lying. This means that one says it (Laa ilaaha
ill-Allaah) sincerely from the heart, with harmony between what
is in the heart and what is said on the lips. 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]
And He said concerning the hypocrites who spoke
these words falsely (interpretation of the meaning):
"And of mankind, there are some (hypocrites) who
say: `We believe in Allaah and the Last Day,' while in
fact they believe not.
They (think to) deceive Allaah and those who
believe, while they only deceive themselves, and perceive (it) not!
In their hearts is a disease (of doubt and hypocrisy)
and Allaah has increased their disease. A painful torment
is theirs because they used to tell lies"
[al-Baqarah 2:8-10]
In al-Saheehayn it is narrated from Mu'aadh ibn
Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "there is
no one who bears witness that there is no god except
Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger,
sincerely from the heart, but Allaah will make him forbidden
for the Fire."
The sixth condition is sincerity, which means that
actions are free from any element of shirk. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Surely, the religion (i.e. the worship and the
obedience) is for Allaah only [al-Zumar 39:3]
"Say (O Muhammad): `Allaah Alone I worship by
doing religious deeds sincerely for His sake
only'"[al-Zumar 39:14]
In al-Saheeh it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "The most deserving of my intercession are those
who say Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah sincerely from the heart or
from the soul."
The seventh condition is love for this word and for
what it implies and indicates, and love for the people who
act upon it and adhere to its conditions and hate whoever
or whatever goes against it. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"And of mankind are some who take (for worship)
others besides Allaah as rivals (to Allaah). They love them
as they love Allaah"
[al-Baqarah 2:165]
Allaah tells us that those who believe love Allaah
more, because they do not associate anything with Him in
that love, as is done by those among the
mushrikeen who claim to love Him but who also take others as rivals to
Him whom they love as they love Him.
In al-Saheehayn it is narrated from Anas that
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "No one of you truly believes until I
am more beloved to him that his son, his father and all
of mankind."
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
How merciful is Allah, because i heard he loves you
more than 70 mothers. Is that true? please explain?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah is the Most Merciful, Most Compassionate,
and He is the most Merciful of those who show mercy.
His Mercy encompasses all things. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"and My Mercy embraces all
things" [al-A'raaf 7:156]
In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated from Abu Hurayrah
that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Allaah has one hundred parts of mercy, of
which He sent down one between the jinn, mankind, the
animals and the insects, by means of which they are
compassionate and merciful to one another, and by means of which
wild animals are kind to their offspring. And Allaah has
kept back ninety-nine parts of mercy with which to be
merciful to His slaves of the Day of Resurrection."
Muslim, al-Tawbah, 6908.
It was narrated that `Umar ibn al-Khattaab said:
"Some prisoners were brought to the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and there was
a woman among the prisoners who was searching (for
her child). When she found her child she embraced him
and put him to her breast. The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to us, `Do
you think that this woman would throw her child in the
fire?' We said, `No, by Allaah, not if she is able not to.'
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said, `Allaah is more merciful to His
slaves than this woman is to her child.'"
Agreed upon. Al-Bukhaari, 5653; Muslim, 6912.
One aspect of the mercy of Allaah to His slaves is that
He sent the Messengers and revealed the Books and laws
to organize their lives according to the ways of wisdom,
far removed from hardship and difficulty. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And We have sent you (O Muhammad) not but as a
mercy for the `Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)"
[al-Anbiya' 21:107]
The mercy of Allaah is what will admit His
believing slaves to Paradise on the Day of Resurrection. No
one will ever enter Paradise because of his deeds alone,
as the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "No one's deeds will ever admit him to
Paradise." They said, "Not even you, O Messenger of Allaah?"
He said, "No, not even me, unless Allaah shower me
with His Mercy. So try to be near to perfection. And no
one should wish for death; he is either doing good so he
will do more of that, or he is doing wrong so he may repent."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5349; Muslim, 7042
So the believer must remain in a state between
hoping for the mercy of Allaah and fearing His punishment,
for Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Declare (O Muhammad) unto My slaves, that truly,
I am the OftForgiving, the MostMerciful.
And that My Torment is indeed the most painful torment"
[al-Hijr 15:49-50]
With regard to your saying that Allaah loves us more
than seventy mothers, Allaah knows best concerning that. It
is sufficient for us to know that the mercy of
Allaah encompasses all things. O Allaah, have mercy upon
us, O Most merciful of those who show mercy. Islam Q&A
(www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
When I do Salah or intend to do good deeds I often
get very evil thoughts in my mind. When I concentrate
in Salah, and try to focus on the meaning of the words,
evil thoughts enter my mind, which make evil
suggestions about everything including Allah. I feel very
frustrated and angry about this. I know that none forgives sins
except Allah alone, but because of my thoughts I feel that
there is nothing worse than to have evil thoughts about
Allah. After Salah I ask Allah's forgiveness, but feel very
bad because I want to stop these evil thoughts, but I
can't stop them. These thoughts spoil my enjoyment of
Salah, and also make me feel as though I am doomed.
Please advise me.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Evil whispers during prayer and at other times come
from the Shaytaan, who is keen to misguide the Muslim
and deprive him of good and keep it far away from him.
One of the Sahaabah complained to the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
about waswaas during prayer, and he said: "The Shaytaan
comes between me and my prayers and my recitation,
confusing me therein." The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "That is a
devil called Khanzab. If he affects you seek refuge in
Allah from him and spit drily to your left three times." He
[the Sahaabi] said, I did that and Allaah took him away
from me. (Narrated by Muslim, 2203)
Proper focus (khushoo') is the essence of prayer.
Prayer without proper focus is like a body without a soul.
The following are two of the things that help one to
develop the proper focus:
1 _ Striving to think about what you are saying and
doing, pondering the meanings of the Qur'aan, dhikr and
du'aa's that you are reciting; bearing in mind that you
are conversing with Allaah as if you can see Him. For
when the worshipper stands to pray, he is speaking to his
Lord, and ihsaan means worshipping Allaah as if you are
seeing Him, and knowing that even though you cannot see
Him, He sees you. Every time a person experiences
the sweetness of prayer, he will be more inclined to do it.
[?]. This depends of the strength of one's faith _ and there
are many means of strengthening one's faith. Hence
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said, "Of the things of your world, women and perfume
have been made dear to me, and my joy is in prayer."
According to another hadeeth he said, "Let us relax, O Bilal,
with prayer," and he did not say, Give us a break from it.
2 _ Striving to ward off the things that may distract
you during prayer, namely thinking about things that
are irrelevant or distracting. Waswaas affects each
person differently, because waswaas has to do with a
person's level of doubts and desires and the degree to which
a person is attached to other things or is fearing other things.
(From Majmoo' Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah, 22/605)
With regard to what you say about the waswaas
reaching such a great level that you have begun to
experience waswaas that makes you think about Allaah in ways
that are not appropriate, these are evil whispers from
the Shaytaan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And if an evil whisper from Shaytaan (Satan) tries
to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good),
then seek refuge in Allaah. Verily, He is the AllHearer,
the AllKnower"
[Fussilat 41:36]
Some of the Sahaabah complained about the
waswaas that was bothering [?] them. Some of the companions
of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) came to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said to him, `We find
in ourselves thoughts that are too terrible to speak of.'
He said, `Are you really having such thoughts?' They
said, `Yes.' He said, `That is a clear sign of faith.'"
(Narrated by Muslim). (Narrated by Muslim, 132 from the
hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah).
Al-Nawawi said in his commentary on this hadeeth:
"The Prophet's words, `That is a clear sign of faith' means,
the fact that think of this waswaas as something terrible is
a clear sign of faith, for if you dare not utter it and you
are so afraid of it and of speaking of it, let alone believing
it, this is the sign of one who has achieved perfect faith
and who is free of doubt."
And it was said that what it means is that the
Shaytaan only whispers to those whom he despairs of
tempting, because he is unable to tempt them. As for the kaafir,
he can approach him in any manner he wants and is
not restricted to waswaas, rather he can play with him
however he wants. Based on this, what the hadeeth means is
that the cause of waswaas is pure faith, or that waswaas is
a sign of pure faith. See also question no.
12315
The fact that you hate that and your heart recoils from
it is a clear sign of faith. Waswaas happens to everyone
who turns to Allaah by reciting dhikr etc. It is inevitable,
but you have to be steadfast and patient, and persevere
with your dhikr and prayer, and not give up, because in
this way you will ward off the plot of the Shaytaan.
"Ever feeble indeed is the plot of Shaytaan" [al-Nisa' 4:76
_ interpretation of the meaning]. Every time a person
wants to turn to Allaah, waswaas brings other matters to
mind. The Shaytaan is like a bandit: every time a person
wants to move towards Allaah, he wants to block the way.
Hence when it was said to one of the salaf that the Jews
and Christians say, "We do not experience waswaas," he
said, "They are speaking the truth, for what would the
Shaytaan do with a house in ruins?"
(From Fataawa Shaykh al-Islam Ibn
Taymiyah, 22/608).
The remedy:
1 _ If you feel that you are being affected by this
waswaas, say, "Aamantu Billaahi wa
Rasoolihi (I believe in Allaah and His Messenger)." It was narrated from `Aa'ishah
that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "The Shaytaan comes to one of
you and says, `Who created you?' And he says `Allaah.'
Then the Shaytaan says, `Who created Allaah?' If that
happens to any one of you, let him say, Aamantu Billaahi
wa Rusulihi (I believe in Allaah and His Messenger).
Then that will go away from him."
(Narrated by Ahmad, 25671; classed as hasan by
al-Albaani in al-Saheehah, 116).
2 _ Try to stop thinking about that as much as
possible, and keep busy with things that will distract you from it.
Finally we advise you to keep on turning to Allaah in
all situations, and to ask Him for help, and to beseech
Him, and to ask Him to make you steadfast until death, and
to cause you to die doing righteous deeds… And
Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
What is the rulling on, when a Muslim say "We
believe we are all children of Allah" Basing it on the
weak Hadeeth (All creations are sustained by Allah).
Please provide details of the ruling.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The hadeeth mentioned was narrated by al-Bazzaar
and Abu Ya'la from Anas, and says, "All of mankind are
the dependents of Allaah, and the most beloved of them
to Allaah are those who are most helpful to their dependents." This is a very weak (da'eef jiddan)
hadeeth as al-Albaani said in Da'eef
al-Jaami', hadeeth no. 2946.
Any Muslim who says, "We believe that we are all
the children of Allaah" should be asked to explain what
he means before any judgement is made concerning him.
1 _ If what he means by being children is the
metaphorical meaning, which is that people are dependent upon
Allaah, and he is using this word for a purpose allowed
in sharee'ah, such as refuting the Christians who say
that the Messiah is the son of God, then there is nothing
wrong with that if he uses it only with Christians in order
to show that their belief is false, but he should not use
it with others lest that generate confusion and misunderstanding. That is because one of the means
of showing the Christians' beliefs concerning `Eesa
(peace be upon him) to be false is to use the same expressions
as are mentioned in their holy Book (the Bible) to
prove that others were described as "sons of God" as well
as `Eesa, which clearly indicates that what is meant by
being a son of God in the texts of the Gospels is not
"sonship" in the literal sense, which St. Paul claimed for Jesus
in order to lead them astray from belief in Divine
Oneness (Tawheed). St. Paul based his argument on the
confusion that may arise from the use of the words "father"
and "son". Some of the Bible texts that may used to
refute their argument are as follows:
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus said of those who
believed in him:
"They are like the angels. They are God's children
since they are children of the resurrection."
[Luke 20:36]
And in the Book of Isaiah:
"Bring back My sons from afar and my daughters
from the ends of the earth"
[Isaiah 43:6]
And this is what was said describing God as the
Father, as it is narrated in the Gospel of Matthew that the
Messiah said to his students:
"If you do, you will have no reward from your Father
in heaven."
[Matthew 6:1]
In the Gospel of Luke:
"When you pray say, `Our Father, Who art in heaven…'"
[Luke 11:2]
In the Gospel of John:
"I am returning to my Father and your Father, my
God and your God."
[John 20:17]
The Christians do not say that the angels, the Children
of Israel and the Disciples were sons of God in a literal
sense, or that God was their father in a literal sense, rather
they interpret that in a metaphorical sense, i.e., that He is
a father to them in the sense of blessing them, being
kind to them, protecting them and taking care of them,
and they are His children in the sense that they worship
Him, need Him and are dependent upon Him.
This demonstrates the falseness of their understanding
of `Eesa being the son of God, basing their argument
on some texts that say that he is the son of God.
2 _ If he means that all people are children of Allaah
just as `Eesa is the son of Allaah, in the sense of the
Christian belief, then this is kufr (disbelief) that is worse than
the kufr of the Christians.
3 _ If he means that we are all children of Allaah
or dependent upon Him, with no difference between Muslims and kaafirs, and he means that the
Jews, Christians and idol-worshippers are not kaafirs, then
this is riddah or apostasy from Islam, because whoever
doubts that the Jews and Christians are kaafirs or approves
of their religions is a kaafir, according to scholarly consensus.
4 _ If he means thereby to justify using the word
"brother" for Jews and Christians, because we are all the
children of Allaah, this is false, because there is no
brotherhood between the believers and the disbelievers. The
hadeeth (which some may interpret as meaning that all men
are brothers) has been proven to be not saheeh. Even if
it was saheeh, it could not be interpreted in this fashion.
We must beware of using confusing words which
may cause a person to fall into something haraam or
make people think badly of him, especially words which
have to do with the Oneness of Allaah (Tawheed) and
His Uniqueness in His names and attributes. For the rights
of Allaah take precedence and must be taken care of,
and we must avoid anything that may violate them,
especially when those words are used by the Jews and Allaah
quotes them in the Qur'aan in the context of condemnation.
"And (both) the Jews and the Christians say: `We are
the children of Allaah and His loved ones.' Say: `Why
then does He punish you for your sins?' Nay, you are but
human beings of those He has created…"
[al-Maa'idah 5:18 _ interpretation of the meaning]
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
Can you recommend a book in english that explains
what it really means that the Qu'ran is not a creation ; and
what we should believe in as Muslims?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
What we Muslims are obliged to believe is that
which has come to us from Allaah, and that which the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) has told us. Allaah has told us that He speaks, as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And who is truer in statement than
Allaah?[al-Nisaa' 4:87]
"and whose words can be truer than those of Allaah?
[al-Nisaa' 4:122]
These two aayahs offer proof that Allaah speaks, and
that His words are true, and there is no kind of lie in them
at all.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (remember) when Allaah will say (on the Day
of Resurrection): `O `Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)!…'"
[al-Maa'idah 5:116]
This aayah shows that Allaah speaks, and that His
speech can be heard, so His speech has sound. And His
speech includes words and phrases. The evidence that the
speech of Allaah is composed of letters is the aayah
(interpretation of the meaning):
"O Moosa (Moses)!
Verily, I am your Lord!"[Ta-Ha 20:11]
because these words are composed of letters, and
they are part of the speech of Allaah. And the evidence
that the speech of Allaah has sound is the aayah
(interpretation of the meaning]:
"And We called him from the right side of the Mount,
and made him draw near to Us for a talk with him
[Moosa (Moses)].
[Maryam 19:52]
Calling and talking can only happen with sound.
See Sharh Lam'ah al-I'tiqaad by Ibn `Uthaymeen, p. 73
Hence the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah is
that Allaah speaks in a real sense, when and as and
with whatever He wills, with letters and sound, but this
does not resemble the voices of created beings. The
evidence that it does not resemble the voices of created beings
is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"There is nothing like Him, and He is the AllHearer,
the AllSeer"[al-Shoora 42:11]
So it is known from the outset that this is the belief
of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah. Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah believe that the Qur'aan is the word of
Allaah, and among the evidence for this belief is the
aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"And if anyone of the Mushrikoon (polytheists,
idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allaah) seeks
your protection then grant him protection so that he may
hear the Word of Allaah"
[al-Tawbah 9:6]
what is meant here is the Qur'aan, by scholarly
consensus. The fact that Allaah mentions
kalaam (speech, word) in idaafah (genitive or possessive construction) with
Himself indicates that the Qur'aan is His Word.
The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah is that
the Qur'aan is the word of Allaah which was revealed,
not created; it began from Him and will return to Him.
The evidence that it is revealed is as follows
(interpretation of the meanings):
"The month of Ramadan in which was revealed
the Qur'aan" [al-Baqarah 2:185]
"Verily, We have sent it (this Qur'aan) down in the
Night of AlQadr (Decree)"[al-Qadr 97:1]
"And (it is) a Qur'aan which We have divided (into
parts), in order that you might recite it to men at intervals.
And We have revealed it by stages"
[al-Israa' 17:106]
"And when We change a Verse (of the Qur'aan) in
place of another — and Allaah knows best what He sends
down — they (the disbelievers) say: `You (O Muhammad)
are but a Muftari! (forger, liar).' Nay, but most of them
know not.
Say (O Muhammad) RuhulQudus [Jibreel (Gabriel)]
has brought it (the Qur'aan) down from your Lord with
truth, that it may make firm and strengthen (the Faith of)
those who believe, and as a guidance and glad tidings to
those who have submitted (to Allaah as Muslims).
And indeed We know that they (polytheists and
pagans) say: `It is only a human being who teaches
him (Muhammad).' The tongue of the man they refer to
is foreign, while this (the Qur'aan) is a clear Arabic tongue
[al-Nahl 16:101-103]
- the One Who changes a verse in place of another
is Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted.
The evidence that the Qur'aan is not created is the
aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"Surely, His is the creation and
commandment"[al-A'raaf 7:54]
So Allaah describes creation as one thing and commandment as another. The conjunction implies
that the second thing mentioned is different, and the
Qur'aan is part of the commandment because of the evidence
of the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"And thus We have sent to you (O Muhammad) Rooh
(a revelation, and a mercy) of Our Command. You knew
not what is the Book, nor what is Faith? But We have made
it (this Qur'aan) a light wherewith We guide whosoever
of Our slaves We will"
[al-Shoora 42:52]
If the Qur'aan is part of the command or
commandment, which is different from creation, therefore it is not
created, because if it were created, this division of Islam & Muslims
would not be correct. This is the evidence from the Qur'aan.
The rational evidence is that the Qur'aan is the word
of Allaah, and words cannot exist in and of themselves
so that they would have a distinct and separate identity.
If they did exist separately and distinct from Allaah,
then we would say that they are created, but words are
an attribute of the speaker. If they are an attribute of
the speaker and they are spoken by Allaah, then they are
not created, because the attributes of Allaah are not created.
Sharh al-`Aqeedah al-Waasitah by Ibn `Uthaymeen,
1/418-426-441
We must believe this and be certain of it. We should
not change the meanings of the verses of Allaah, for
they clearly indicate that the Qur'aan is a revelation
from Allaah. Hence Imaam al-Tahhaawi (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: "The Qur'aan is the word of
Allaah which came from Him in the form of speech, without
any need for us to know how. He sent it down to
His Messenger by Revelation, the believers believe that it
is true and they are certain that it is indeed the word of
Allaah and that it is not created like the words of human
beings. Whoever hears it and claims that it is the words of
human beings is a kaafir, who is condemned and warned of
Hell, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
`I will cast him into Hell fire' [al-Muddaththir
74:26].
Since Allaah threatened with Hell the one who said,
`This is nothing but the word of a human being'
[al-Muddaththir 74:26 _ interpretation of the
meaning], we know and are certain that it is the word of the Creator of mankind,
and it does not resemble the speech of human beings."
Sharh al-`Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah, 179
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
A man is experiencing waswaas (insinuating
whispers) from the Shaytaan having to do with Allaah, and he
is very afraid of that.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The questioner has mentioned this problem and is
afraid of its consequences. I say to him, Rejoice, for
its consequences cannot be anything but good. By means
of this waswaas, the Shaytaan tries to gain control over
the believers and shake the sound belief in their hearts,
and make them suffer psychological and intellectual
anxiety that will affect the purity of their faith and their life,
if they are believers.
This is not the first or the last time that the believers
are exposed to this. It will continue so long as there is
any believer in this world. The Sahaabah (may Allaah
be pleased with them) also faced this problem. It was
narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: "Some of the companions of the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
and said to him, `We find in ourselves thoughts that are
too terrible to speak of.' He said, `Are you really
suffering from that?' They said, `Yes.' He said, `That is a clear
sign of faith.'" (Narrated by Muslim).
It was narrated in al-Saheehayn, also from Abu
Hurayrah, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said, "The Shaytaan comes to one of you and
says, `Who created such and such? Who created such and
such?' until he says, `Who created your Lord?!' If that
happens to any of you, let him seek refuge with Allaah and put
a stop to these thoughts."
It was narrated from Ibn `Abbaas (may Allaah be
pleased with them both) that a man came to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, "I
think thoughts to myself, which I would rather be burnt to
a cinder than speak of them." The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, "Praise be
to Allaah, Who has reduced all his [the Shaytaan's] plots
to mere whispers." (Narrated by Abu Dawood).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said in Kitaab al-Eemaan: "The believer
may suffer from the whispers of the Shaytaan
insinuating thoughts of kufr, which may make him feel
distressed. The Sahaabah said, `O Messenger of Allaah, some of
us think thoughts which we would rather fall from
heaven to earth than speak of them.' He said, `That is a clear
sign of faith.' According to one report, `… thoughts which
are too terrible to speak of.' He said, `Praise be to
Allaah, Who has reduced all his [the Shaytaan's] plots to
mere whispers,' meaning that the fact that these whispers
come, but they are so greatly disliked, and they are pushed
away from the heart, is a clear sign of faith. This is like
the mujaahid to whom the enemy comes, but he resists
him until he overwhelms him, and this is a mighty
jihaad… Hence the seekers of knowledge and devoted
worshippers experience waswaas and doubts which others do not
face, because they (the others) are not following the
way prescribed by Allaah, rather they are following their
own whims and desires and neglecting to remember their
Lord. This is what the Shaytaan wants, in contrast to those
who are striving to draw closer to their Lord by
seeking knowledge and worshipping Him. He is their enemy
and seeks to prevent them from drawing closer to Allaah."
(p. 147 of the Indian edition)
I say to this questioner, if you are faced with this
waswaas from the Shaytaan, then fight it and resist it. Know that
it can never harm you when you fulfil the duty of
fighting and resisting it, and you refuse to be controlled by it.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said, "Allaah will forgive my ummah for any
insinuating whispers that may cross their minds, so long as they
do not act upon it or speak of it." (Agreed upon).
If it is said to you, Do you believe the insinuating
whispers you experience? Do you think that they are true? Do
you really think that Allaah is like what this
waswaas says? You would say, "It is not right for us to speak of
this. Glory be to You (O Allaah)! This is a great lie"
[al-Noor 24:16 _ interpretation of the
meaning]. You would denounce that in your heart and with your tongue, and
be the one who objects to it the most, for it is only
whispers and thoughts that cross your mind. It is a trap set by
the Shaytaan, who flows through the son of Adam like
blood flows, to make you doomed and to confuse you
about your religion.
Hence you will find that the Shaytan does not cast
doubts or suspicions into your heart about trivial matters.
For example, you may hear of the existence of great
cities filled with people and buildings in the east and the
west, but it would never cross your mind some day to
doubt that they exist or to criticize them and say that they are
in ruins and unfit for habitation, or that they are
uninhabited, and so on. The Shaytaan has nothing to gain by
making people doubt about these cities. But he does have a lot
to gain by corrupting the believer's faith, so he strives
with his cavalry and his infantry to extinguish the light
of knowledge and guidance in his heart and to make
him fall into the darkness of doubt and confusion. The
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told
us of the appropriate remedy for that, which is to seek
refuge with Allaah and put a stop to it. If a person puts a stop
to that and continues to worship Allaah, seeking and
hoping for (the reward) which is with Allaah, that will stop
by Allaah's leave. So turn away from all the thoughts of
this kind that cross your mind. You are worshipping
Allaah, calling upon Him and glorifying Him, and if you were
to hear anyone ascribing to Allaah the things that
are whispered to you (waswaas), you would probably kill
him if you could. So the things that are whispered to you
are neither real nor true, they are merely imagination
and whispers which have no basis.
Our advice may be summed up as follows:
1. Seek refuge with Allaah and give up these
thoughts completely, as the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) commanded.
2. Remember Allaah and control yourself and do
not continue to think of these whispers.
3. Occupy yourself with worship and doing good
deeds, in obedience to the command of Allaah and seeking
to please Him. When you devote yourself completely
and seriously to worship, you will forget about these
whispers, in sha Allaah.
4. Frequently seek refuge with Allaah and make du'aa'
to free you from these whispers.
I ask Allaah to keep you safe and sound, and protect
you from all evils,
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasaa'il Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, vol. 1, p.
57-60 (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
What are the conditions of the testimony of faith?
Answer:
There are seven conditions of the testimony of Faith :
Knowledge which negates ignorance.
Certainty which negates doubt.
Sincerity and purity of intent which negates
shirk.
Truthfulness which negates hypocrisy.
Love and devotion which negates disdain of
Allah's religion.
Submission which negates disobedience.
Acceptance which negates rejection or denial.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Question:
What is the meaning of the words "laa ilaahah illa
allaah muhammadun rasool ullaah"?
Answer:
Bearing witness "laa ilaahah illa allah" and
that "muhammadun rasool ullaah" is the first pillar of the
five pillars of Islam. And the meaning of "laa ilaahah illa
allah" is that nothing worshipped is worthy of worship
except Allah—it is simultaneously a denial and affirmation.
"laa ilaahah" is denial of all worship other than that of
Allah. "illa allaah" is affirmation that all worship is for
Allah alone without partners.
As for the declaration, "muhammadun rasool ullaa,"
its meaning is the assertion of the message of
Mohammed (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and to
believe in it and to adhere to it by speech, action and faith, and
to avoid all that is against it, whether it be sayings,
actions, or intentions… In other words, obeying him in what
he ordered and believing in what he said and relayed
and avoiding what he has forbid and denounced and
not worshipping Allah except as he has ordained.
wa-sall-allahu wa-sallim `ala nabiyyina muhammadin
wa-aalihi wa-sahbih. (May the peace and blessings of
Allah be upon our prophet Muhammad and upon his
families and companions).
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
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