Chapter 3
(Unity of) Divinity
20894: Obligation to destroy idols
Question:
Is it obligatory to destroy statues in Islam, even if
they are part of the legacy of human civilization? Why is
it that when the Sahaabah conquered other lands and
saw statues there they did not destroy them?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The evidence of sharee'ah indicates that it is
obligatory to destroy idols, for example:
1 _ Muslim (969) narrated that Abu'l-Hayaaj
al-Asadi said: `Ali ibn Abi Taalib said to me: "Shall I not send
you with the same instructions as the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sent
me? `Do not leave any image without defacing it or any
built-up grave without leveling it.'"
2 _ Muslim (832) narrated from `Urwah ibn `Abasah
that he said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him): "With what were you sent?" He said, "I
was sent to uphold the ties of kinship, to break the idols,
and so that Allaah would be worshipped alone with no
partner or associate."
The obligation to destroy them is even stronger if
they are worshipped instead of Allaah.
3 _ al-Bukhaari (3020) and Muslim (2476) narrated
that Jareer ibn `Abd-Allaah al-Bajali said: The Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said to me: "O Jareer, will you not relieve me of
Dhu'l-Khalsah?" That was a house (in Yemen) belonging to
the (tribe of) Khath'am, which was called Ka'bat
al-Yamaaniyyah. I set out with one hundred and
fifty horsemen. I used not to sit firm on horses and I
mentioned that to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him). He struck me on my chest with
his hand and said, `O Allaah! Make him firm and make
him one who guides others and is guided on the right path.'
" So Jareer went and burned it with fire, then Jareer sent
a man called Abu Artaat to the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He said, "I did
not come to you until we had left it like a scabby
camel." Then the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) blessed the horses of (the tribe
of) Ahmas and their men five times.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:
This hadeeth indicates that it is prescribed to
remove things that may tempt or confuse the people, whether
they are buildings, people, animals or inanimate objects.
4 _ The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) sent Khaalid ibn al-Waleed (may Allaah be
pleased with him) on a campaign to destroy al-`Uzza.
5 _ and he sent Sa'd ibn Zayd al-Ashhali (may Allaah
be pleased with him) on a campaign to destroy Manaat.
6 _ And he sent `Amr ibn al-`Aas (may Allaah be
pleased with him) on a campaign to destroy Suwaa'. All of
that happened after the Conquest of Makkah.
Al-Bidaayah wa'l-Nihaayah, 4/712. 776. 5/83;
al-Seerah al-Nabawiyyah by Dr. `Ali al-Salaabi, 2/1186.
Al-Nawawi said in Sharh Muslim when discussing
the issue of image-making:
They were unanimously agreed that whatever casts
a shadow is not allowed and must be changed.
Images that cast a shadow are three-dimensional
images like these statues.
With regard to what is said about the Sahaabah
(may Allaah be pleased with them) not destroying idols in
the conquered lands, this is merely conjecture.
The companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) would not have left idols and statues
alone, especially since they were worshipped at that time.
If it is asked, how come the Sahaabah left alone the
ancient idols of the Pharaohs and Phoenicians? The answer
is that these idols fall into one of three Islam & Muslims:
1 _ These idols may have been in remote places that
the Sahaabah did not reach; when the Sahaabah
conquered Egypt, for example, that does not mean that they
reached every part of the land.
2 _ These idols may not have been visible, rather
they may have been inside Pharaonic buildings etc.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
told us to hasten when passing through the abodes of
the wrongdoers and those who had been punished, and
he forbade entering such places. In
al-Saheehayn it is says: "Do not enter upon those who have been punished
unless you are weeping, lest there befall you something like
that which befall them." He (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said that when he passed by ashaab
al-hijr [the dwellers of the rocky tract _ see al-Hijr 15:80],
in the land of Thamood, the people of Saalih (peace be
upon him).
According to another report narrated in
al-Saheehayn, "If you are not weeping, then do not enter upon them,
lest there befall you something like that which befall them."
What we think is that if the companions of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw a
temple or building belonging of these people, they did not
enter it or even look at what was inside it.
This will dispel any confusion about why the
Sahaabah did not see the Pyramids or what is inside them. There
is also the possibility that their doors and entrances
were covered with sand at that time.
3 _ Many of these idols that are visible nowadays
were covered and hidden, and have only been
discovered recently, or they have been brought from remote
places that the companions of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not reach.
Al-Zarkali was asked about the Pyramids and the
Sphinx etc: Did the Sahaabah who entered Egypt see them?
He said: They were mostly covered with sand,
especially the Sphinx.
Shibh Jazeerat al-`Arab, 4/1188
Then even if we assume that there was a statue that
was visible and not hidden, then we still have to prove
that the Sahaabah saw it and were able to destroy it.
The fact of the matter is that the Sahaabah (may
Allaah be pleased with them) would not have been able to
destroy some of these statues. It took twenty days to destroy
some of these statues even with tools, equipment,
and explosives etc that were not available to the Sahaabah
at all.
This is indicated by what Ibn Khuldoon said in
al-Muqaddimah (p. 383), that the caliph al-Rasheed
was unable to destroy the estrade of Chosroes. He started
to do that, and he gathered men and tools, and burned
it with fire, and poured vinegar on it, but he was unable
to do it. And the caliph al-Ma'moon wanted to destroy
the Pyramids in Egypt and he gathered workers but he
could not do it.
With regard to the excuse that these statues are part
of the legacy of mankind, no attention should be paid to
such words. Al-Laat, al-`Uzaa, Hubal, Manaat and other
idols were also a legacy for those who worshipped them
among Quraysh and the Arabs.
This is a legacy, but it is a haraam legacy which
should be uprooted. When the command comes from Allaah
and His Messenger, then the believer must hasten to
obey, and the command of Allaah and His Messenger
cannot be rejected on the grounds of this flimsy excuse.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"The only saying of the faithful believers, when they
are called to Allaah (His Words, the Qur'aan) and
His Messenger, to judge between them, is that they say:
"We hear and we obey." And such are the successful
(who will live forever in Paradise)" [al-Noor
24:51]
We ask Allaah to help the Muslims to do that which
He loves and which pleased Him.
And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (260 pages)
14010: THE LORD OF THE WORLDS
Question:
Who is the lord of the worlds ?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah alone is the Lord, the Creator, the Provider…
the Sovereign, the Controller… the All-Knowing,
All-Wise… the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all that exists…
The All-Hearing, All-Seeing… The Subtle and Courteous,
the All-Aware… the Most Beneficent, the Most
Merciful… the Ever-Forbearing, Oft-Forgiving… the Almighty,
the Compeller… the Oft-Pardoning, the Most
Generous… the Most Strong, the All-Powerful… the Inventor of
all things, the Bestower of forms…
To Him belongs the Sovereignty of the heavens and
the earth, in His hand is goodness and He is able to do
all things.
There is none worthy of worship but He, and to
Him belong the most beautiful names and sublime attributes:
"Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to
be worshipped but He)! To Him belong the Best Names"
[Ta-Ha 20:8 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
He does whatever He wills and judges as He wants:
"And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills
and chooses"
[al-Qasas 28:68 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
He is the Owner of Sovereignty; He honours
whomever He wills and humiliates whomever He wills:
"Say (O Muhammad): `O Allaah! Possessor of
the kingdom, You give the kingdom to whom You will,
and You take the kingdom from whom You will, and You
endue with honour whom You will, and You humiliate
whom You will. In Your Hand is the good. Verily, You are
Able to do all things'"
[Aal `Imraan 3:26 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
He is the One Who gives life and death, and nothing
on earth or in heaven is hidden from Him:
"It is Allaah that gives life and causes death. And
Allaah is AllSeer of what you do"
[Aal `Imraan 3:156 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
His alone is the creation and the commandment:
"Surely, His is the creation and commandment.
Blessed is Allaah, the Lord of the `Aalameen (mankind, jinn
and all that exists)!"
[al-A'raaf 5:54 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
He is the First, and there is nothing before Him… He
is the last and there is nothing after Him… He is the
Most High, and there is nothing above Him… He is the
Most Near, and there is nothing beneath Him…
"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). And He is the AllKnower of every thing"
[al-Hadeed 57:3 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
He is the Creator of all things and He is the
All-Knower of everything:
"Such is Allaah, your Lord! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa
(none has the right to be worshipped but He), the Creator of
all things. So worship Him (Alone), and He is the
Wakeel (Trustee, Disposer of affairs or Guardian) over all
things [al-An'aam 6:102 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
He is Subtle, Most Great, All-Encompassing:
"Allaah is Ever All Aware"
[al-Nisaa' 4:126 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
He is Ever-Living, the Sustainer of all that exists…
To Him belongs everything in the heavens and on
earth… Nothing is hidden from Him… Nothing is beyond
His capability… Nothing can encompass Him:
"Allaah! Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to
be worshipped but He), Al-Hayy al-Qayyoom (the
Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that
exists). Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him
belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the
earth. Who is he that can intercede with Him except with
His Permission? He knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world, and what will happen to them
in the Hereafter. And they will never compass anything
of His Knowledge except that which He wills. His
Kursiy extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels
no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. And He is
the Most High, the Most Great"
[al-Baqarah 2:255 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
He knows all things and records the numbers of all things:
"and all things We have recorded with numbers (as
a record) in a Clear Book"
[Yaa-Seen 36:12 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
He is Most Generous and Bountiful… all provision
comes from Him:
"And no moving (living) creature is there on earth but
its provision is due from Allaah"
[Hood 11:6 _ interpretation of the meaning]
His blessings cannot be counted or numbered:
"And He gave you of all that you asked for, and if
you count the Blessings of Allaah, never will you be able
to count them"
[Ibraaheem 14:34 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
His stores fill the earth and the heavens:
"And to Allaah belong the treasures of the heavens
and the earth"
[al-Munaafiqeen 63:7 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
He is Free of all needs and Worthy of all praise; He
gives to His slaves but that never diminishes His stores:
"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 _ interpretation of the
meaning
He is Oft-Pardoning and Oft-Forgiving; He bestows
mercy upon His slaves and overlooks their sins:
"Verily, Allaah indeed is Oft Pardoning, Oft Forgiving"
[al-Hajj 22:60 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
He is the Knower of the unseen and the seen… He
is Almighty in His sovereignty, Wise in His commands:
"AllKnower of the unseen and seen, the All Mighty,
the AllWise"
[al-Taghaabun 64:18 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
He knows what is secret and what is open; nothing
is hidden from Him:
"And He is Allaah (to be worshipped Alone) in
the heavens and on the earth; He knows what you
conceal and what you reveal, and He knows what you earn
(good or bad)
[al-An'aam 6:3 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
He is Subtle and Courteous, All-Aware:
"No vision can grasp Him, but He grasps all vision.
He is Al-Lateef (the Most Subtle and Courteous), WellAcquainted with all things"
[al-An'aam 6:103 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
He is One in His essence, attributes and
actions:
"Say (O Muhammad): `He is Allaah, (the) One.
Allaah usSamad [Allaah — the SelfSufficient
Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)].
He begets not, nor was He begotten.
And there is none co equal or comparable unto Him"
[al-Ikhlaas 112:1-4 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Glory be to Him; His are the most beautiful names
and sublime attributes, and He has no partner or associate:
"Such is Allaah your Lord. His is the kingdom. Laa
ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but
He). How then are you turned away?"
[al-Zumar 39:6 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Because of this Sovereignty, these attributes, this
creation, these blessings, He is the only One Who is deserving
of praise and thanks and sincere worship, to the
exclusion of all others:
"Surely, your Lord is Allaah Who created the
heavens and the earth in six Days and then rose over (Istawa)
the Throne (really in a manner that suits His
Majesty), disposing the affair of all things. No intercessor (can
plead with Him) except after His Leave. That is Allaah,
your Lord; so worship Him (Alone). Then, will you
not remember?"
[Yoonus 10:3 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
He created (everything) then proportioned it, He
ordained laws then granted guidance, He granted provision
and made people independent of means:
"Allaah, it is He Who has made for you the earth as
a dwelling place and the sky as a canopy, and has
given you shape and made your shapes good (looking) and
has provided you with good things. That is Allaah, your
Lord, so Blessed be Allaah, the Lord of the `Aalameen
(mankind, jinn and all that exists"
[Ghaafir 40:64 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
O Allaah, to You be praise for Your great sovereignty:
"All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, to Whom
belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth
[Saba' 34:1 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
O Allaah, to You be praise for Your mighty creation:
"All praises and thanks be to Allaah, Who (Alone)
created the heavens and the earth
[al-An'aam 6:1 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
O Allaah, to You be praise, for You have guided us
to Islam, You have sent down to us the Qur'aan, You
have provided us with good things, You have made us the
best of nations, You have honoured us with great
blessings. There is no god but You, to You belongs the
Sovereignty, Yours is the Creation and the Commandment, all
blessings and praise are Yours…
"All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, the
Lord of the `Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists).
The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the
Day of Recompense (i.e. the Day of Resurrection)
You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask
for help (for each and everything).
[al-Faatihah 1:2-5 _ interpretation of the meaning]
From Usool al-Deen al-Islami by Shaykh Muhammad
ibn Ibraaheem al-Tuwayjri (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (260 pages)
9358: The first duty enjoined upon mankind
Question:
What was the first duty enjoined upon mankind?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The first duty enjoined upon mankind is the first thing
to which people should be called. The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained that
to Mu'aadh ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him)
when he sent him to Yemen. He said to him: "You will come
to some of the People of the Book, so let the first thing
to which you call them be the testimony that there is no
god but Allaah and that Muhammad is His Messenger."
This is the first duty enjoined upon people, to believe in
Allaah alone and to bear witness that Muhammad (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is his Messenger.
By affirming the Unity of Allaah (Tawheed) and
bearing witness to His Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), one attains sincerity
(ikhlaas) and obedience (in accordance with what is prescribed in sharee'ah),
and these are the conditions of all acts of worship
being accepted.
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasaa'il Fadeelat al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, vol. 1, p.
84, question no. 29 (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (260 pages)
10084: Ruling on calling upon the angels before sleeping
Question:
Among some of the common people there is the widespread practice of saying, before going to sleep,
"O guardian angels, wake me up at such-and-such a time."
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This is not permissible, and in fact it is a form of
major shirk (al-shirk al-akbar), because it involves calling
upon someone other than Allaah and asking for something
from one of the unseen creatures. This is like asking from
the jinn or idols or the dead, because of the general
meaning of the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
"And the mosques are for Allaah (Alone), so invoke
not anyone along with Allaah"[al-Jinn 72:18]
"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).
If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your
call; and if (in case) they were to hear, they could not grant
it (your request) to you. And on the Day of
Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping them. And none
can inform you (O Muhammad) like Him Who is the
All Knower (of everything)"[Faatir 35:13-14]
Allaah described calling upon anyone other than
Him, such as the dead, idols, the jinn or the angels, as shirk
or the association of others in worship with Him. He
said (interpretation of the meaning)
"And verily, there were men among mankind who
took shelter with the males among the jinn, but they
(jinn) increased them (mankind) in sin and
transgression"[al-Jinn 72:6]
"And whoever invokes (or worships), besides Allaah,
any other ilaah (god), of whom he has no proof; then
his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely, Al Kaafiroon
(the disbelievers in Allaah and in the Oneness of
Allaah, polytheists, pagans, idolaters) will not be
successful"[al-Mu'minoon 23:117]
So Allaah calls those who call upon anyone other
than Him kaafireen. This applies to all those who call
upon anyone other than Allaah, whether it be the dead,
idols, jinn or angels; no one is exluded from that except
one who is alive, present and able to help, because
Allaah says in the story of Moosa (interpretation of the meaning):
"The man of his (own) party [religion] asked him for
help against his foe"[al-Qasas 28:15]
Examples of this shirk are to be found in what some
people say, such as "O jinn, seize him" or "O seven (jinn),
seize him" or "O jinn of the noon-time, seize him" or "O
jinn of such-and-such a valley" or "O jinn of such-and-such
a land". All of this is major shirk and is calling upon
unseen creatures instead of Allaah. If a person says, "O angels
of Allaah, wake me up" or "protect me", this is also
major shirk, and if he says, "O jinn protect me" or "wake
me up", this is also major shirk. We seek refuge with
Allaah from that.
The Muslim must beware of that and must seek help
from Allaah alone and ask from Him alone, for He is
Sufficient and He is Able to do all things. Allaah is the One
Who says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And your Lord said: `Invoke Me [i.e. believe in
My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism) and ask Me for
anything] I will respond to your (invocation)'"
[Ghaafir 40:60]
"And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near
(to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations
of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any
mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in
Me, so that they may be led aright
[al-Baqarah 2:186]
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "If you ask of anyone, then ask of Allaah,
and if you seek help, then seek help from Allaah."
We ask Allaah to help us and all the Muslims to
understand His religion and to keep us safe from the things that
cause His wrath, for He is the All-Hearing, Ever Near.
Kitaab Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat
Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh `Abd al-`Azeez ibn
`Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 7,
page 180 (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (260 pages)
8492: What is the meaning of the angels prostrating
to Adam and Yoosuf's brothers prostrating to him?
Question:
Why did Allah tell the angels to bow to Adam? I
thought boing was only allowed for Allah alone. The same
goes for Prophet Yusuf, why did his brothers bow to him?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Prostrating is of two kinds:
It may an act of veneration and drawing closer to the
one to whom one prostrates. This kind of prostration
is worship, and should only be done for Allaah,
according to the laws of the Prophets.
The second type is a kind of greeting and honouring
a person. This is the kind of prostration which
Allaah commanded the angels to do in the case of Adam, so
they prostrated to him as an act of honouring him. It was
an act of worship towards Allaah on their part, because
they were obeying His command to prostrate to Adam.
The prostration of Yoosuf's parents and brothers was
also a prostration of greeting and honouring, which
was permissible according to the law (of Allaah) at that
time. But according to the sharee'ah brought by the Seal of
the Prophets, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him), it is not permissible to prostrate to anyone
at all except Allaah. Hence the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "If I were to
have commanded anyone to prostrate to anyone else, I
would have commanded women to prostrate to their
husbands." The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) forbade Mu'aadh to prostrate to him when he
(Mu'aadh) said that the People of the Book prostrated to the
great ones among them, and he mentioned the hadeeth
quoted above. The prohibition in this sharee'ah against
prostrating to anyone at all except Allaah is an aspect of its
perfection in achieving true Tawheed. It is the perfect
sharee'ah whose perfection is manifested in all its rulings.
Allaah 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]
Written by Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan al-Barraak (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (260 pages)
5203: Meaning of the word Taaghoot
Question:
My question is, does the term Taaghoot include
objects that do not call the people to worship them, like the
sun, trees, idols, stones? Also, are righteous Muslims,
like Imaam Shafi', are they called Taaghoot if the
people worship them or their graves?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Not everything that is worshipped instead of Allaah
can be considered to be taaghoot. The most correct
scholarly view concerning the meaning of the word Taaghoot
is that of Ibn Jareer al-Tabari, who said in his
Tafseer (3/21):
The correct opinion concerning Taaghoot, in my view,
is that it refers to everyone who arrogates to himself
a position that is befitting only for Allaah, and so
is worshipped instead of Him, either by forcing others
to worship him or by accepting their willing worship.
The one that is thus worshipped may be a human being, or
a shaytaan (devil), or an idol, or a statue, or some
other being.
He also said that the root of Taaghoot implies
putting oneself in a higher position and overstepping the mark.
The Prophets, scholars, righteous people and
awliyaa' (those who are close to Allaah) did not force people
to worship them or obey them in such a thing. On
the contrary, they issued the sternest warning against it.
The purpose behind Allaah's sending Messengers to
mankind was to call them to believe in Allaah alone and
to disbelieve in other gods besides Him. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"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, etc. i.e., do not worship Taaghoot
besides Allaah)…"
[al-Nahl 16:36]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (remember) when Allaah will say (on the Day
of Resurrection): "O `Eesaa (Jesus), son of Maryam
(Mary)! Did you say unto men: `Worship me and my mother
as two gods besides Allaah?' " He will say: "Glory be
to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to
say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known
it. You know what is in my innerself though I do not
know what is in Yours; truly, You, only You, are the
AllKnower of all that is hidden (and unseen). "Never did I say
to them aught except what You (Allaah) did command me
to say: `Worship Allaah, my Lord and your Lord.' And I
was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but
when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them;
and You are a Witness to all things" [al-Maa'idah 5:116-117]
If people worship Prophets or scholars instead of
Allaah, we should not apply the word Taaghoot to the object
of their worship.
If people exaggerate about al-Shaafa'i or any other
scholar (may Allaah have mercy on them), and call upon
them for help instead of Allaah, or worships their graves,
there is no sin on those scholars; on the contrary, the burden
of sin is on the one who associates others in worship
with Allaah (Shirk). The same is true in the case of
the Christians who worship `Eesaa (Jesus _ peace be
upon him) alongside Allaah. `Eesaa (peace be upon him)
will not bear any part of their burden of sin. A brief
definition of Taaghoot is: whoever is worshipped instead of
Allaah and accepts that. It is well known that `Eesaa (peace
be upon him) and other Prophets, and also al-Shaafa'i
and other scholars who believed in Allaah alone
(Tawheed) would never accept to be worshipped instead of
Allaah. On the contrary, they forbade that and preached
the message of Tawheed. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And (remember) when Allaah will say (on the Day
of Resurrection): "O `Eesaa (Jesus), son of Maryam
(Mary)! Did you say unto men: `Worship me and my mother
as two gods besides Allaah?' " He will say: "Glory be
to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right (to
say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known
it. You know what is in my inner self though I do not
know what is in Yours; truly, You, only You, are the All
Knower of all that is hidden (and unseen). "Never did I say
to them aught except what You (Allaah) did command me
to say: `Worship Allaah, my Lord and your Lord.' And I
was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but
when You took me up, You were the Watcher over them;
and You are a Witness to all things" [al-Maa'idah
5:116-117].
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (260 pages)
6622: The meaning of enslavement in Islam
Question:
Can you please clarify the subject of Slaves in Islam.
In The Koran, there are many mentions of this term
in particular the instance where man is the slave to his
Master Allah, which I fully understand and agree. But in
many instances the Koran cites where one man/woman is
the slave of another man/woman. In what context has
Allah made this permissible, if it is permissible.
Your clarification on this subject would be most grateful.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The enslavement of the Muslim to Allaah, may He
be glorified, is what He had commanded in His Book and
is the Message with which He sent the Messengers, as
He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"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].
The word `Uboodiyyah (enslavement) in Arabic
comes from the word Ta'beed (enthrallment, subjugation).
The phrase `abbadtu'l-tareeq means "I made the way
smooth and easy to walk on." The enslavement of the slave
to Allaah has two meanings, one general and one
specific. If by "slave" I mean
al-mu'abbad, i.e., one who is subjugated, this is the general meaning which
includes every created thing in the both the higher and the
lower realms, sentient and otherwise, animate and
inanimate, moving and stationary, kaafir and mu'min, righteous
and immoral, for every creature is subjugated by Allaah
and is subject to His control, and for each of them there is
a limit at which it stops.
If by "slave" I mean al-`aabid, one who worships
Allaah and obeys His commands, this meaning
applies specifically to the believers to the exclusion of
the kaafireen, because the believers are the true slaves
of Allaah who attribute Lordship and Divinity to Him
Alone and recognize Him by His Names and Attributes, and
do not associate anything with Him. As Allaah says in
the story of Iblees (interpretation of the meaning):
"[Iblees (Satan)] said: `O my Lord! Because You
misled me, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for
them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall
mislead them all. Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among
them.' (Allaah) said: `This is the Way which will lead straight
to Me. Certainly, you shall have no authority over My
slaves, except those who follow you of the
Ghaawoon (Mushrikoon and those who go astray,
criminals, polytheists, and evildoers).'" [al-Hijr 15:39-42]
With regard to the `ibaadah (worship) which
Allaah enjoins upon us, this is a word which includes
everything that Allaah loves and is pleased with of words and
deeds, both open and hidden, and excludes anything that
may cancel that out. This definition includes the
Shahaadatayn, Salaah, Hajj, fasting, jihaad for the sake of
Allaah, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil,
and believing in Allaah, the angels, the Messengers and
the Last Day. The basis for this worship is purity of
intention, so that the aim of the worshipper is to seek the Face
of Allaah, may He be glorified, and the Home of
the Hereafter. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And Al-Muttaqûn (the pious) will be far removed
from it (Hell). He who spends his wealth for increase in
self-purification, And who has (in mind) no favour
from anyone to be paid back, Except to seek the
Countenance of his Lord, the Most High. He surely, will be
pleased (when he will enter Paradise)." [al-Layl 92:17-21]
So purity of intention is essential, as is sincerity, so
that the believer strives to follow what Allaah has
commanded and to avoid what He has forbidden, prepares himself
for the Meeting with Allaah (may He be exalted), gives
up feeling helpless and lazy, and refrains from following
his own desires, as Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"O you who believe! Be afraid of Allaah, and be
with those who are true (in words and deeds)."
[al-Tawbah 9:119]
It is also essential to follow the Messenger (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), so the
worshipper should worship Allaah in accordance with what He
has prescribed and not in accordance with what created
beings desire or innovate. This is the aim of following the
Prophet who was sent from Allaah, Muhammad (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Purity of
intention, sincerity and following the Messenger are all
essential. Once these matters are understood, then it will be
clear to us that everything that goes against these essentials
is in fact enslavement to people. So showing off is a
form of enslavement to people; Shirk is a form of
enslavement to people; neglecting Allaah's commands and
angering the Lord in order to earn people's approval is a form
of enslavement to people. Everyone who puts following
his own desires before obeying his Lord has gone
beyond the bounds of `Uboodiyyah (enslavement to Allaah)
and has deviated from the Straight Path. Hence the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Doomed is the slave of the dinar, doomed is the slave
of the dirham, doomed is the slave of fine cloth and
doomed is the slave of velvet. If he is given something he is
pleased and if he is denied, he is angry. Doomed is he! If he
is pierced by a thorn, may he never be able to remove it."
Enslavement to Allaah includes and implies love,
fear and hope. The slave loves his Lord, fears His
punishment and hopes for His Mercy and reward. These are the
three essential pillars of `Uboodiyyah or enslavement.
Enslavement to Allaah is an honour, not a cause
of humiliation, as the poet said:
"What increases me in honour and pride, so that my
feet nearly stepped on the Pleiades, is that I am included
in Your words `O My slaves,' and that You made
Ahmad my Prophet."
We ask Allaah to make us among His righteous
slaves. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (260 pages)
979: Kinds of Tawassul
Question:
I have been discussing the subject of using
"waseela" while supplicating to Allah (swt) with some
Muslims, and have come to know that there are quite
different opinions about fact whether the use of "waseela" in
duaa is halaal or haraam. Could you please provide me
with some information about this subject, some ayaat from
the Holy Qur'an or authentic ahaadeeth? With the term
"use of waseela" I mean asking via the agency of someone,
fx "I ask You (O Allah) to grant me forgiveness via
the agency of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him
and his household)" or via the agency of other Prophets
(Peace be upon them), saints or other pious Muslims.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
What is meant by tawassul and waseelah is four things:
the kind of tawassul without which faith cannot
be complete, which is seeking to reach Allaah (tawassul)
by believing in Him and His Messengers, and obeying
Him and His Messenger, This is what is meant in the
aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"O you who believe! Do your duty to Allaah and
fear Him. Seek the means of approach to Him…"
[al-Maa'idah 5:35]
This includes seeking to approach Allaah through
His Names and Attributes, or by doing acts of obedience
and worship by which one seeks to approach Allaah, and
so on.
Seeking to approach Allaah by asking His
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to make
du'a' for one during his lifetime, and the believers asking
one another to make du'aa' for one another. This follows
on from the first type and is encouraged.
Seeking to approach Allaah by virtue of the status
and virtues of some created being, such as saying, "O
Allaah, I ask You by virtue of Your Prophet" and so on. This
is allowed by some of the `ulama', but this opinion is
da'eef (weak). The correct view is that it is definitely
haraam, because there can be no tawassul in du'aa' except by
virtue of the Names and Attributes of Allaah.
Tawassul as it is understood by many of the Muslims
of later times, which is calling on the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and seeking his help
(or seeking the help of the dead and so-called awliya').
This is a form of major shirk, because calling on or
seeking help from anyone other than Allaah with regard
to something that that only Allaah is able to do is a kind
of worship, and directing worship to anyone or
anything other than Allaah is major shirk. And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (260 pages)
276: Anwaa` al-Mahabbah (Types of Loving) and
the Ruling concerning them
Question:
In a discussion among Muslims, we were trying to
arrive at a definition of "love" in Islam. Though we are all
well aware of the love of Allah SWT and our obligation
to love both Him and his Prophet(s), we wondered if
there is a clear outline of love between humans (similar to
the Christian "brotherly love"...NOT the romantic
variety). Some posited that "love" lies only within the family,
all else is but respect/friend- ship/etc. Others
questioned whether love is limited to spouse and/or children.
Still others questioned if love can be con-ditional or not.
One idea is that "love" (as the term is commonly used)
may even be an `innovation' of sorts, based on fairy tales
and Christian philosophy. Many of us have looked in
various sources to seek out an "answer", but no one has found
a definitive answer as of yet... Can you help?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
I was very happy to hear that you and your sisters
are studying Islamic issues and trying to find out about
Islamic views of love. No doubt you and your sisters
understand the importance of the scholars' views and referring to
them in matters of dispute. I will quote here a number of
views about love, so that you will understand the matter
better, in sha Allaah
Love may be divided into mahabbah khaassah
(specific love) and mahabbah mushtarakah (general love).
Mahabbah khaassah (specific love):
Specific love may be divided into types that are
halaal and types that are haraam.
Halaal love includes:
(1) Love of Allaah, which is the most important
obligation, as it is the basis of Islam. By perfecting one's love
of Allaah, one perfects one's faith. If one's love of Allaah
is lacking, then one's Tawheed is also lacking. The
daleel (evidence) for this is the aayaat (interpretation of
the meaning):
". . . But those who believe, love Allaah more
(than anything else) . . ." [al-Baqarah 2:165]
"Say: If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your
wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have gained,
the commerce in which you fear a decline, and the
dwellings in which you delight . . . are dearer to you than Allaah
and His Messenger, and striving hard and fighting in His
cause, then wait until Allaah brings about His Decision
(torment). And Allaah guides not the people who are
faasiqoon (rebellious, disobedient)." [al-Tawbah 9:24]
There are also other similar proofs in the Qur'aan
and Sunnah.
Love of Allaah may also take the form of preferring
what Allaah loves and wants of His slave to what the
slave himself might love and want. So he loves what
Allaah loves, hates what He hates, takes as friends or regards
as enemies for His sake, and adheres to His laws. There
is much that may strengthen this love.
(2) Love of Allaah's Messenger, which is also one of
the most important duties of Islaam. Indeed, faith is
not complete until a person loves the Messenger of
Allaah more than he loves himself, as in the ahaadeeth:
"The Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him)
said: `None of you truly believes until I am more beloved
to him than his child, his father and all the people."
(Reported by Muslim, no. 44).
`Abdullaah ibn Hishaam said: "We were with the
Prophet (peace be upon him), and he was holding the hand
of `Umar ibn al-Khattaab. `Umar said to him: `O
Messenger of Allaah, you are dearer to me than everything
except my own self.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
`No (that is not right), by the One in Whose hand is my
soul, until I am dearer to you than your own self.' `Umar
said to him, `Now, by Allaah, you are dearer to me than
my own self.' The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
`Now (you are right), O `Umar.'" (Reported by
al-Bukhaari, no. 6632).
This love is part of loving Allaah and is manifested
by following the Prophet (peace be upon him) and
preferring his opinion over that of others.
(3) Love of the Prophets and the believers. This
is obligatory because loving Allaah dictates that one
should love the people who obey Him, in other words
the Prophets and righteous people. The daleel (evidence)
for this is the hadeeth "Whoever loves for the sake of
Allaah (i.e., loves the people of faith for the sake of
Allaah)." Obedience to Allaah is based on love of Allaah.
Faith cannot be perfected except in this way, even if one has
a lot of prayer and fasting to one's credit. As `Umar ibn
al-Khattaab said: "You have seen us at the time of
the Messenger of Allaah: none of us would think that he
had more right to his own money than his Muslim brother."
Forbidden love:
This includes love which constitutes shirk, which is
when a person loves something instead of Allaah or as much
as Him. In such a case he has taken that thing as a rival
to Allaah. This is the shirk of love, and most people
have taken things as rivals to Allaah in love and glorification.
There are also types of forbidden love which do not go
to the extent of shirk, such as loving one's family,
wealth, tribe, business or house, and preferring those things,
in whole or in part, over doing the duties that Allaah
requires of him, such as hijrah (migration for His sake),
jihaad, etc. The daleel (evidence) for this is the aayah
quoted above ("Say: If your fathers, your sons, your
brothers, your wives, your kindred, the wealth that you have
gained, the commerce in which you fear a decline, and
the dwellings in which you delight . . . are dearer to you
than Allaah and His Messenger, and striving hard and
fighting in His cause, then wait until Allaah brings about
His Decision (torment)." [al-Tawbah 9:24])
Mahabbah mushtarakah (general love):
General love is of three types:
(1) Natural love, such as the love of a hungry person
for food, or a thirsty person for water. This does not
involve any kind of glorification, so it is permissible.
(2) Love based on mercy and pity, such as the love of
a father for his small child. This also involves no kind
of glorification, so there is nothing wrong with it.
(3) Love based on acquaintance and friendship, such
as that between those who share a common profession,
or scholars in the same field, or people one meets on a
daily basis (such as fellow-commuters), or people one
does business with, or travelling-companions. This type
of appropriate love between people, or brotherly love,
does not imply shirk or associating anyone else in one's
love for Allaah.
For more information, see Kitaab Tayseer al-`Azeez,
Baab wa min al-naas man yattakhidhu min
doon-Allaahi andaadan.
We hope that this explanation makes the matter
clearer. We ask Allaah to bless you and us with good. May
Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad. Islam Q&A.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (260 pages)
 |
|
PAGES:
260 (6 in x 9 in)
ISBN: 1861792883 |
| Click: HERE to Download the book and get two other FREE books | |  | and Get immediate access to the
full volume and the
FREE Bonuses |
|
