First.  Many Muslims already rely on the decisions made by the leaders and the religious scholars of Islam in deciding issues that affect their lives both in religious and in secular matters.  And no one can realistically say that Muslims cannot establish their own courts since they already exist for both Jews and Christians.  In fact, the Jewish Beit Din couts regularly rule on secular matters that are not what we would normally consider religious issues and their decisions are considered legally binding in this country.  To stop Muslims from doing what other religious groups are doing violates the law of our land.  How can we talk about sharia violating the US Constitution when we won’t uphold the Constitution in matters that pertain to Muslims?  There can be no double standards.

Second.  We need to take a quick, realistic, look at what sharia really is.  Not what it is portrayed as by the western media, by secular governments, and certainly not by politicians who have their own hidden agendas.  Sharia may be defined as:

The Islamic Shari’ah is not merely a collection of do’s and don’ts, nor just a code of criminal laws prescribing punishments for certain crimes. Though it does contain both, its sweep is much broader and deeper, encompassing the totality of person’s life. Shari’ah literally means a ‘clear, trodden path to a source of water’. Since water is the source of life, it means a clear path to life. In religious terms, it is the path to the eternal life. It is the path that a person, in Islam, must walk as he toils and strives to reach his Creator. It is the yearning deep within to seek the Lord and the Master that the Shari’ah translates into steps, concrete and specific, on the pathways of life. The Shari’ah is the fulfillment of the total man- inner and outer, individual and corporate-as he seeks to live by the will of his one and only God.¹

Sharia is the divine law, the total way of life, revealed in the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet.  As such it cannot be abrogated, or banned, or watered down, by any man-made law.  But the reality that is always overlooked by those who are most vocal in their virulent attacks, is that most of Sharia deals with personal issues.  Anywhere there is a Muslim there is Sharia.  The laws that govern prayer, dress, cleanliness and purification, food, companionship, character, etc., are all a part of Sharia.  These laws do not require anything outside of the ordinary for the Muslim to obey, and without the Sharia, no Muslim is capable of pleasing, or obeying God.  It is only a small percentage of the Sharia that deals with criminal issues, with national issues, with all the things that western naysayers have blown so completely out of proportion.  And the reality is that most of those parts of the Sharia can only be carried out by a duly-elected Islamic government, which America does not have.  Therefore, the Sharia itself, properly understood, does not allow for its own enforcement on non-Muslims in non-Islamic countries.

Finally, let me conclude by saying that we here in America have a real problem with confusing Middle-Eastern cultural practices with Islamic teachings.  Just because something happens in Afghanistan, or Iraq, Yemen, even Saudi Arabia, and those countries claim that they are enforcing sharia law, does not make it so.  There is no truly Islamic government anywhere on the face of the earth, hence, there is no real sharia being enforced in its totality anywhere.  May Allah, subhana wa ta’ala, save us from our own ignorance.

1. SHARI’AH – THE WAY TO GOD   by Khurram Murad.

Online Learning:  A Reality Check

Many Muslims do not realize that studying Islam through the internet requires a lot of self-discipline. Not only do you have to sit in front of a computer (a big distraction), online students are not accountable to anyone but themselves. Those who are interested in beginning a course online need to figure out why they are willing to spend this time learning and what they wish to achieve out of it. If students do not have their intentions ironed out and their drive ready to go, they will not have the self-discipline needed to move forward properly. Studying Islam online is not the best method for everyone, so it is up to each student to prepare themselves before they commit to a program.

The most important thing students should know is that knowledge is a means, not the goal. Knowledge is a means for us to gain Jannah (Paradise), and this is how we should view it. It is also important for us as students to remember that knowledge is gained in stages. One of the righteous predecessors said, “Whoever gains knowledge all at once will lose it all at once!” Gaining knowledge is a gradual build-up which takes years. In fact some of the scholars viewed seeking knowledge as a lifelong commitment. Abdullah ibn Mubarak (rahimahullah) was asked, “How long will you seek knowledge?” His response was, “Until I die, for probably I have not yet learned the things that will benefit me most.”  Going through the stages of knowledge also requires patience and a very high commitment level to remain consistent. As online students are not accountable to anyone but themselves, they require even more patience and commitment than students who study “live.”

It is very easy to commit to online programs because of the initial hype it draws. After a few classes, the number of students slowly starts to dwindle. This initial phase is separating the committed students – those who have the self-discipline to study online – from those students who weren’t as serious or realized online studies was not for them. Students who are starting to take online classes should internalize the fact that they will be tested during these first few classes to see if they are able to commit.

The biggest drawback to studying online is the lack of interaction with a teacher. In many of the books on seeking knowledge, the longest chapter is how a student should behave with their teacher. A teacher is not only the source of knowledge, but also the source of manners. It is important for students who study online to focus on improving their character since they lack valuable interaction with the teacher face-to-face. It is said that knowledge is a tool that needs manners to make it run. The best way for students in online programs to learn manners and character is to read books and listen to lectures on the character of the Prophet ﷺ, the Companions and the lives of the scholars. Remember that knowledge and manners go hand in hand, and without manners, your knowledge will not take you far.

Etiquette for the Modern Student of Knowledge

There are countless books written on the etiquette of seeking knowledge; however much is not applicable to us in the West because we live in a different time. For most of us, we do not study at the feet of scholars, or have daily lessons in themasajid. Due to our different circumstances, we should ‘modernize’ some of the etiquette of the students of knowledge to be applicable for us now.

Netiquette

• Punctuality. We should give knowledge the respect that it is due.
• Complete focus. One of the biggest challenges for online students is focusing during their lesson and not distracting themselves with chatting, browsing and reading websites.
• Respecting your teacher. Respect for teachers is hard when you are not facing them. The student does not think about the time and effort the teacher put into preparing their lesson because it is online. Respect your teacher’s time and efforts.
• Dress to impress. If we were attending a live class, we would dress in a presentable manner. Although no one can see us at our computer, we should still look presentable because it affects how we revere the knowledge we’re seeking.
• Stay in contact with your teacher. This could be through emails, discussion forums or interacting in class.
• Do not record without permission. Students should take permission from their teacher about recording classes, even if they are not sharing it with others.
• Giving your online studies the same importance you give to “live” classes. Since our online classes are in the comfort of our own homes, it is very easy to forget that we are in a serious commitment. We should treat it as so and not as a marginal past time. Students should have the intention of starting and finishing their classes.
• Have patience with what you already know. In a lesson you may get distracted if you are devaluing a particular part of the lesson. When your teacher covers something you’ve already learned, think of the benefit of repetition and be humble: you always need more knowledge. This repetition will only make you more grounded in what you already know.

There  is much more to be said about netiquette, but these are some of the main points for online students.

Tips to Maximizing Your Online Learning Experience

• Have a “study buddy.” This will increase your motivation and keep you accountable. This person can also share notes with you if you happen to miss a session.
• Close all tabs or websites that are not related to your class until it is over. If you find this hard to do, then move the computer away from you or block all other programs.
• Take notes on paper if you know the computer will be a distraction for you.
• Do not sit on your bed or a couch when you are learning. Sit at a desk, which will help you focus more in a study-like environment.
• Prepare yourself for class like you would for a “live” class. Have your pencils/notebook ready, turn off your cell phone, and go to a quiet area.
• Keep a journal of “gems” of what you have learned to keep yourself motivated.
• Teach your family or roommates what you have learned after each session, even if it’s only one thing.
• Time management. Balance your time studying online and other life commitments to make sure you are giving each its due rights (huquq).
• Review and implement what you have learned before your next class. It is important to make sure you have enough time to understand, review and apply what you’re learning.
• Make du`a’ that Allah benefits you through your knowledge and allows you to complete your program/classes.

Insha’Allah this basic overview will help both of us maximize our online Islamic studies

Original article by Amatullah at Suhaib Webb

Translator: Ali al-Tamimi
Preface:

Indeed all praise is for Allâh. We praise Him; seek His aid; seek his forgiveness; and seek refuge with Allâh from the evil prompting of our souls and the bad consequences of our actions. Whomsoever Allâh guides, there is none to set him astray; and whomsoever Allâh sets astray, there is no guide for him. And I testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allâh alone, He has no partner; and I testify that Muhammad is His Slave and His Messenger.

This is a brief tract concerning the fundamentals of the Creed of the ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah. It was prepared and published in response to many readers – students of knowledge and average Muslims – who have expressed the need for a concise and clear presentation of the fundamentals and rules of the Creed of the Salaf [Pious early forefathers of Islam and their followers], while, at the same time, adhering – whenever possible – to the wording employed by the shari’ah as handed down from the scholars of the Salaf. For this reason, this discussion is free from the details, definitions, evidences, personalities, quotes and footnotes that are often necessary in a work of this nature. For the desire to achieve such an aim in a small paperback was not possible at this time. Perhaps this work – Allâh willing – may become the basis for a specialist to fill in the gaps, thereby responding to the needs of those desiring more.

I have presented this work to his eminence Shaikh ‘Abdul-Rahman ibn Nasir al-Barak, Dr. Hamzah ibn Husayn al-Fi’r, and Dr. Safar ibn ‘Abdul-Rahman al-Hawali. Each of them – may Allâh reward them – have added their suggestions. I ask Allâh, Most High to make this task pure for His Face and may He mention among His angels our Prophet Muhammad – who was sent as a mercy to the worlds – his family, Companions, and all those who have followed them, preserve them from any harm, and bless them.

Introduction:

`Aqidah

Linguistically, the word `aqidah means, “to know, bind, fasten tightly, fortify, consolidate and cement.” By convention, the word `aqidah means, “a firm, unwavering belief which is not open to any doubt with its beholder.”

The Islamic Creed (`Aqidah)

The Islamic Creed therefore refers to a firm, unwavering faith (iman) in the following:

(1) Allâh, Most High, and what is due to Him from tauhid in one’s belief and worship and obedience to Him.
(2) His Angels,
(3) His Scriptures,
(4) His Messengers,
(5) The Last Day,
(6) Allâh’s Decree (qadr),
(7) What is confirmed from the remaining matters of the Unseen and reports concerning the previous nations,
(8) All absolute issues – whether pertaining to matters of knowledge or action.

The Salaf

The Salaf are the initial era of the Muslim nation (ummah): the Companions of the Prophet, their Followers, and the scolars of guidance among the initial three chosen generations of this nation (ummah).

The appellation “Salafi”, in reference to them, is designated upon all those who follow them and traverse their path from the remaining eras of this nation.

Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah

Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah are all those who are upon that which the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Companions were uopn.

They are named “Ahl al-Sunnah” due to their adherence and following of the Sunnah of the Prophet (Peace be upon him). They are named the “Jama’ah” because they are those who have gathered upon the Truth and have not divided into sects in the religion among themselves; they have gathered around the lawful rulers and have not revolted against them; and they have followed that which the Salaf of this nation have unanimously agreed upon. As they alone in exclusion to all others are the followers of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him), following his path, they are also known as “ahl al-Hadith”, “ahl al-Athar” and “ahl al-Ittiba”.* ["The people who follow the hadith", "The people who follow the narrated reports" and "the people who follow [the Prophet]“]

They are in this world “the Victorious Group” and in the hereafter “the Saved Sect”.

I. The Methodology Employed by Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah in the Acquisition and Derivation of Matters of Creed:

(1) The source upon which the creed is based is restricted solely to the Book of Allâh (the Qur’ân), the authentic Sunnah of the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him), and the consensus (ijma’) of the righteous salaf.

(2) It is required to accept all which is authentic from the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him) even when its mode of transmission is ahad or non-mutawatir. (Amutawatir report is one which fulfills four conditions:

(i) It is reported by such a large number of narrators that under normal circumstances it would be impossible for them to gather upon a lie;
(ii) that such a number exists throughout the chain of narration;
(iii) that the report is based upon something heard or seen, etc.;
(iv) that the narration necessitates knowledge by he who hears it.)

(3) The point of reference for understanding the Book of Allâh and the Sunnah is those texts(nusus) that clarify their meaning and the understanding of the righteous Salaf and those scholars who have traversed upon their methodology.

This is to be followed by what is authentic from the language of the Arabs. One may not, however, contradict what has been affirmed by the above due to mere linguistic possibilities.

(4) The Prophet (peace be upon him) has explained all the fundamentals of the religion. It is therefore impermissible for anyone to innovate something claiming that his innovation is something from the religion.

(5) One must submit both inwardly and outwardly to Allâh and His Messenger (peace be upon him).

Therefore, one may not oppose anything from the Book of Allâh, and the authentic Sunnah by analogy (qiyas), sensation (dhawq) and unveiling (kashf) of a mystic, opinion of a scholar (shaikh or imam), or anything similar.

(6) Sound reasoning is always in agreement with correct transmission of revelation. No two absolute proofs among reason and revelation can ever contradict one another. When contradiction is supposed between the two, one must put revelation first over reasoning.

(7) In matters of ‘aqidah, it is required to adhere to the wording employed by the shariahand to avoid all inovated wording. As for any equivocal non-shariah wording which connotate both incorrect and correct meanings, one must inquire into the context in which it was employed. That meaning which is then found to be true and correct is affirmed, and that which is found to be false is negated.

(8) Infallibility from committing sin and error is only affirmed for the Prophet (peace be upon him). The Muslim nation, as a whole, is also infallible from agreeing upon any deviation. There is no infallibility for any single individual of the nation.
In those matters concerning which the scholars and others have differed, the reference is the Book of Allâh and the Sunnah – with the advancement of an excuse for the errant among those scholars of the Muslim Nation exercising ijtihad (i.e., spending one’s utmost ability in trying to reach the judgement of the shariah in a particular issue).

(9) Existing among the Muslim Nation are those individuals who are spoken to and whom recieve inspiration. Furthermore, the existence of a righteous dream is a reality and is part of Prophethood. Similarly the existence of perspicacity (farasah) is a reality. When found to be in agreement with the shariah, all of these matters are forms of miracles (karamat) and glad tidings from Allâh. They are not a source of ‘aqidah or shariah though.

(10) To argue falsely in matters of religion is blameworthy. As for “arguing in a manner which is best”, this is allowed by the shariah.

Those matters where there exists an authentic prohibition from delving into, it is required to comply with that prohibition.
It is also required for a Muslim to refrain from speaking about those matters of which he has no knowledge. He should instead resign knowledge of that matter to Allâh who knows all matters.

(11) When refuting, it is required to adhere to the methodology employed by the Inspiration – as it is required to adhere to that same methodology in matters of beliefs and when acknowledging those beliefs as true. One may therefore not refute a heresy with another, nor may one face negligence with extremism or vice-versa.

(12) Every innovation in the religion is a bid’ah, and every bid’ah is a deviation, and every deviation is in the Hell-Fire.

II. Tawheed in One’s Belief and Knowledge:

(1) The foundation upon which faith in Allâh’s Names and attributes is based is to affirm for Allâh what He has affirmed for Himself or His Messenger (peace be upon him) has affirmed for Him without likening His Names and Attributes to those of His creation (tamthil) or saying how the modality of His Names and Attributes are takyif; and to negate from Allâh what He has negated from Himself or His Messenger (peace be upon him) has negated from Him without distorting (tahrif) or negating (ta’til) the literal meanings of His names and Attributes.

Allâh has said, “Nothing is as His likeness and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”

This means faith in the literal meanings of those texts which mention Allâh’s Names and Attributes and what they point to in meaning.

(2) Likening Allâh’s Names and Attributes with those of His creation (tamthil) and denial of His Names and Attributes (ta’til) constitutes disbelief (kufr).

As for distortion of the literal meanings of His Names and Attributes (tahrif) - which some of the heretics call ta’wil - some forms constitute kufr, like the metaphorical interpretations of the Batiniyah, while other forms constitute heresy (bid’ah), like the metaphorical interpretations of those who negate Allâh’s attributes. And yet other forms occur by mistake.

(3) The beliefs in a single universal existence identified with Allâh (wahdat al-wujud), Allâh’s incarnation (hulul) into or His unifying (ittihad) with any of His creatures are all beliefs that constitute kufr, expelling one from the Nation of Islam.

(4) A general faith in the existence of the Noble Angels is required.

A specific faith, according to the extent of one’s knowledge, in the names, attributes, actions of those Angels concerning which evidence has been authentic is also required.

(5) Faith in all the Scriptures sent down by Allâh is required. Faith that the Noble Qur’ân is the best of all Scriptures, and has abrogated all the Scriptures sent down before it is required. Faith in the occurence of distortion to the text and meanings of all the Scriptures sent down prior to the Qur’ân is required. For these reasons, it is required solely to follow the Qur’ân in exclusion to all previous Scriptures.

(6) Faith in all of Allâh’s Prophets and Messengers (peace be upon them all) is required. Faith that they are the best of mankind is required. Whoever claims other than that is an infidel(kafir). It is required to specifically have faith in whoever the evidence is authentic in identifying as being a Prophet or Messenger. As for the remaining Prophets and Messengers; it is required to have a general faith in their existence. Faith that Muhammad (Peace be upon him) is the best among all the Prophets and Messengers, the last of them, and that Allâh has sent them to all of mankind is required.

(7) Faith in the termination of revelation (wahi) after the Prophet (peace be upon him) and that he is the Seal and Final Prophet and Messenger is required. Whoever believes other than that has disbelieved.

(8) Faith in the occurrence of the Last Day, all the reports transmitted in the Book of Allâh and the Sunnah concerning that Day, and what will proceed it among the various Signs and conditions heralding its approached is required.

(9) Faith in what Allâh has decreed, the good and evil outcome thereof, is required. Namely this includes faith that Allâh knew what would occur before it came into existence, that He has written that in the Preserved Tablet, that what Allâh wills is and what He does not will is not and will never be, thus nothing occurs except by His will, that Allâh is capable of everything, and that He is the Creator of everything, the Doer of what He pleases.

(10) Faith, without allegorical interpretation (ta’wil), in the matters of the Unseen which have been authenticated by evidence, such as the Throne, the Footstool, the Garden, the Fire, the Pleasure and Punishment in the Grave, the Bridge, the Balance and all other matters of the Unseen is a must.

(11) Faith, as its details have been mentioned in the authentic evidence, in the intercession of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the intercession of the other Prophets, the Angels, the righteous, and others on the Day of Resurrection is required.

(12) It is true that the believers will see their Lord on the Day of Resurrection in Paradise and while standing on the plains on the land of gathering. Whoever rejects its occurrence in the Hereafter is astray.

It is impossible to see Allâh in this world.

(13) The existence of miracles (karamat) by those near to Allâh (awliya’) and the righteous is a reality. The mere occurrence of an extraordinary incident is not necessarily indicative of an occurrence of a miracle. Rather such an event might have occurred as a deluding by Allâh of that individual into destruction or by the abilities of the devils and sorcerers. The standard for distinguishing between all of that is whether that incident and individual is in agreement or not with the Book and the Sunnah.

(14) All the believers are among those near to Allâh (awliya’). Every believer possesses a degree of nearness to Allâh in accordance to the level of faith.

III. Tawheed in [One's] Intent and Aim (Tawheed al-Uluhiyah)

(1) Allâh is One, Alone. He has no partner in His Actions (rububiyah) and right of worship(uluhiyah) or equal in His Names and Attributes. He is the Lord of the Worlds who alone deserves all forms of worship.

(2) To direct any act of worship to other than Allâh – such as invocation, seeking help, seeking aid, vowing, slaughtering, reliance and trust, fear, hope, love, and similar acts – isshirk (idolatry) no matter to whom that worship is directed to – be he an angel, a sent prophet, a righteous slave of Allâh or any other.

(3) Among the fundamentals upon which worship (ibadah) is based is that Allâh is to be worshipped out of love, fear and hope. To worship Allâh out of any single aspect of these in exclusion to the other aspects is a deviation. Indeed some scholars have said, “Whoever worships Allâh by his love of Allâh alone is a hypocrite (zindiq); whoever worships Allâh out of fear of His Punshment alone is a Haruri [A group of Khwawaarij who were extremists]; and whoever worships Allâh out of hope of His Mercy alone is a Murji’i [A heretical group that believed that a person's actions could not harm him once he had faith].

(4) Submission to, pleasure with, and absolute obedience are to be given only to Allâh and His Messenger.

Faith that Allâh is alone Judge is part of faith that He alone is Lord and He alone is to be worshipped. He has no partner in His Judgement or His Command. To legislate by what Allâh has not permitted, to judge by laws devised by men and men who rule by such laws (taghut), to follow other than the shariah of Muhammad (peace be upon him) or to replace any of theshariah is all disbelief.

(5) To judge by other than what Allâh has sent down is greater kufr (kufr akbar), and at times is a kufr less than actual kufr (kufr duna kufr). An example of the former is to adhere to or permit judgement by a shariah other than Allâh’s. An example of the latter is to turn away from Allâh’s shariah in a specific incident due to one’s desires, yet with one’s overall adherence to the shariah.

(6) To divide the religion into an esoteric reality (haqiqah) to which the select distinguish themselves by adhering to in exclusion to the general body of Muslims and an exotericshariah to which the general body of Muslims must adhere to in exclusion to the elite or to divorce politics or other matters from the religion is all falsehood.

Indeed whatever opposes the shariah, be it an esoteric reality, politics or other than that, is either disbelief (kufr) or deviation depending upon the extent to which it is at variance with the shariah.

(7) None knows the Unseen but Allâh. The belief that anyone but Allâh knows the Unseen constitutes disbelief – with our faith that Allâh has manifested some matters of the Unseen to His Messengers.

(8) To believe in the truthfulness of the predictions of an astrologer or soothsayer is disbelief(kufr). To merely approach and question him concerning the future is a grave sin.

(9) The means of approach to Allâh (al-wasilah), which we have been ordered in the Qur’ân to seek, is to draw close to Allâh by the various acts of obedience legislated by the shariah. Drawing near to Allâh (al-tawassul) is of three types:

(a) A manner legislated by the shariah: Namely, to invoke Allâh by calling upon His Names and mentioning His attributes, or by mentioning one’s righteous deeds, or by mentioning the invocation of a righteous living person on one’s behalf.

(b) A manner which constitues heresy (bidah): Namely to draw near to Allâh by any means not mentioned in the shariah, like invoking Allâh by the persons of the Prophets and righteous, their positions with Him, their right upon Him, or any manner similar to this.

(c) A manner which constitues shirk: Namely, to take the dead as intermediaries between oneself and Allâh in worship, by praying to them, calling upon them in seeking the resolution of ones need’s, seeking thier assistance and similar acts.

(10) The existence of barakah (the affirmation, increase, and continuance of much good) in an object occurs from Allâh. He selects whom He wants among His creatures with what He wants from that. One may not, therefore, affirm the existence of barakah [in some object or person] except with an evidence confirming that. It is found at certain times (like “The Night of Power”), places (like the three mosques), objects (like the Zamzam well), actions (every righteous action is blessed) and individuals (like the persons of the Prophets).

It is impermissible to seek the barakah of any individual, by their bodies or relics, except that of the Prophet (peace be upon him) for there exists no evidence to the existence of barakahwith any specific individual in this nation besides him. To seek barakah through him has ceased after his death (peace be upon him) and the disappearance of his relics.

(11) Seeking barakah is among the matters established by the shariah alone (tawqif). It is therefore impermissible to seek barakah except in that which the evidence is mentioned.

(12) Three types of actions occur by the visitors to graves:

(a) Actions which are legislated by the shariah: Namely, to visit the graves with the intent of remembering the Hereafter, greeting and praying for the dead.

(b) Actions which constitute heresy (bidah): Namely any action which negates the perfection of (Tawheed) and is in and of itself a means leading to shirk. For example, to seek to worship and draw near to Allâh at the graves of the righteous, to seek the barakah of the dead, to offer the rewards of one’s good deeds to the dead, to set out and journey to the graves of the righteous or any similar act which its prohibition is confirmed or has no basis in the shariah.

(c) Actions which constitute shirk and negate one’s Tawheed: Namely, to direct any act of worship to the dead, by praying to them, seeking their assistance, circumambulating thier graves, slaughtering and vowing to them, etc.

(13) Means carry the ruling of their aims. It is therefore required to forbid any means which leads to shirk in the worship of Allâh or to a heresy in the religion. For every innovation is a heresy (bidah) and every heresy is a deviation.

IV. Faith (Iman):

(1) Faith consists of both statement and deed. It increases through acts of obedience and decreases through acts of disobedience. It consists of the statements of the heart and tongue, and the deeds performed by the heart, tongue and lips.

The statement of the heart is its beliefs and its confirming [those beliefs] as true.

The statement of the tongue is the acknowledgement of these beliefs.

The deeds of the heart are its surrendering to Allâh, its worship to Allâh alone, its submissiveness to Him, its love and desiring of righteous actions.

The deeds of the limbs is to do what Allâh has ordered and to forsake what Allâh has ordered and to forsake what He has prohibited.

(2) Whoever divorces actions from faith is a Murji’i. Whoever adds into faith what is not part of it is a heretic.

(3) The title of faith is not applied to those who do not acknowledge the two testimonies, nor is its ruling affirmed for those individuals in this world or the Hereafter.

(4) ”Islam” and “Iman” are two terms employed by the shariah. Lying between these two terms is a shared meaning in one sense and specific meaning in another sense.

Ahl al-Qiblah (“Those who face the qiblah in their prayers”) are to be called Muslims.

(5) The perpetrator of a grave sin (kabirah) does not step outside the fold of faith (i.e., he is not an infidel). In this world, he is to be called a believer possessing an incomplete faith. In the Hereafter, he stands under under Allâh’s will, who may forgive him if He pleases or punish him if He pleases.

(6) One cannot unequivocally claim that any specific individual from ahl al-Qiblah is destined to Paradise or Hell except for those individuals concerning whom a specific text exists affirming such for him.

(7) The term “kufr” as employed by the wording of the shariah consists of two types: a greater “kufr” which expels one from the fold of Islam and a lesser “kufr” which does not expel one from the fold of Islam and is often referred to as kufr in deed (kufr ‘amali) (as opposed to belief).

(8) To charge an individual as an infidel (kafir) is among the rulings of the shariah. Its underlying factors are therefore to be found in the Book of Allâh and the Sunnah. It is therefore impermissible to charge a Muslim as an infidel (kafir) due to any of his statements or actions, unless there exists an evidence from the shariah which points to that constituting disbelief.

Furthermore, the designation by the shariah upon any statement or action constituting disbelief does not necessitate the affirmation of its consequences (namely, that person being an infidel) in the right of any specific individual unless all the conditions for that ruling have been met and all impediments (such as ignorance and coercion) have been negated. Since charging a Muslim as an infidel (takfir) is among the most dangerous rulings of the shariah, caution and ascertainment is therefore required prior to ruling against someone with that.

The Qur’ân and Allâh’s Attribute of Speech

(1) The Qur’ân is the literal speech of Allâh in both its wording and meanings. It was sent down and is uncreated. From Allâh it has proceeded and before the Day of Judgement it will be raised from the earth and returned to Him. It is an irreproducible miracle indicative of the truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Its text and meaning is preserved from any corruption until the Day of Resurrection.

(2) Allâh speaks what he wills, when He wills, and in the manner He wills. His speech occuring through letters and with a Voice is a reality. We do not possess knowledge of the modality of His Speech nor do we delve into that.

(3) The statements that Allâh’s Speech consisits of the meanings of the Qur’ân in exclusion to its wording, that the Qur’ân is only a reflex (hikayah or ‘ibarah) of Allâh’s Speech, that the Qur’ân is Allâh’s Speech only in a figurative sense, that the Qur’ân is an outpouring from the Active Intellect (fayd) or statements that resemble those are all deviations and, at times, disbelief.

(4) Whoever denies anything of the Qur’ân or claims that deletion, addition or corruption of its text has occured is an infidel.

(5) It is required to explain the Qur’ân in accordance with the recognized methodology of theSalaf (i.e., by the Qur’ân and Sunnah, then by the statements of the Prophet’s Companions, and then by the statements of their followers). It is impermissible to explain the Qur’ân by sheer opinion, as such is speaking about Allâh without knowledge. To explain the Qur’ân by the allegorical esoteric interpretations of the Batiniyah or in a similar manner is disbelief.

Allâh’s Decree and Foremeasurement (Qadr):

(1) Among the pillars of faith is faith in what Allâh has decreed, the good and evil outcome thereof. This is inclusive of faith in the following matters:

Faith in all the texts mentioning qadr. Faith in four levels of Allâh’s decree (qadr):

(i) Allâh’s semptineral knowledge,
(ii) Allâh’s writing in the Preserved Tablet all that will occur until the day of judgement,
(iii) Allâh’s all-Embracing Will, and
(iv) Allâh’s creating everything.

Faith that there is none who can repel Allâh’s Decree or amend His Judgement is also a must.

(2) Allâh’s intending and commanding something something as mentioned in the Book and Sunnah is two types:

(a) a creative (qadri kawni) Intent and Command, meaning He has willed such a thing into being;

(b) a religious (shari’) Intent and Command, which necessitates Allâh’s loving compliance to what He has intended and commanded, but not necessarily His willing such into being.

While a created being does possess both an intent and a will, his intent and will is subordinate to the Intent and Will of the Creator.

(3) Guiding and setting astray the slaves is in Allâh’s Hand alone. There are those whom Allâh has guided, by His Merit towards them, and those who deserve to be set astray, by His justice with them.

(4) Both the slaves and their acts are creations of Allâh, Whom there is no Creator besides Him. Allâh is therefore the Author of the acts of man and they are the literal performers of their deeds.

(5) Affirmation that Allâh’s actions are due to a Wisdom. Affirmation of the effects of causes existing by the Will of Allâh.

(6) The life-spans of all men are written and the amount of their sustenance apportioned. Happiness or sorrow in the Hereafter has been written upon mankind before they were created.

(7) While one may justify the occurence of catastrophes and pangs by Allâh’s decree (qadr), it is however impermissible to justify one’s faults and sins by Allâh’s decree (qadr). Rather one must repent from his faults and sins and the perpetrator of that sin is to be blamed for his act.

(8) To turn towards, rely and trust solely upon causes is shirk in one’s Tawheed; to turn away in totality from taking the proper causes by claiming to rely and trust solely upon Allâh is to belittle the shariah; to deny the effects of causes opposes both the shariah and reason. Reliance and trust upon Allâh (tawakkul) does not negate embracing the proper causes necessary.

The Muslim Community (Jama’ah) and Its Leadership (Imamah)

(1) The meaning of Community in this context is the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and their followers until the Day of Resurrection who have held to their way. They are the “Saved Sect”. Whoever adheres to their methodology is from the community(jama’ah), even if he has erred in some specific issues.

(2) It is impermissible to divide into sects in the religion or to cause discord between the Muslims. In those matters in which Muslims differ, it is required to refer to the Book of Allâh, the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him) and that which the righteous Salaffollowed.

(3) Whoever steps outside of the community (jama’ah) is required to be advised, invited and argued with “in a manner which is best”, and to have the evidence established against him. If he repents, fine; otherwise, he is to be punished according to what he deserves according to the shariah.

(4) It is required to hold the general body of Muslims responsible for the established meanings of the Book of Allâh, the Sunnah and the consensus of the Salaf. It is impermissible to test the general body of the Muslims with subtle matters and profound meanings of the religion.

(5) The general rule concerning all Muslims is taht they possess both good intent and sound belief until the opposite manifests. The general rule is to construe their words in the best manner. However, whoever manifests his resistance to the truth and evil intent, it is impermissible to bend over backwards to find a sound explanation for his words and deeds.

(6) The Muslim sects (ahl al-Qiblah) which stand outside the fold of the Sunnah are all threatened with destruction in this world and punishment in the Hereafter.

With the exception of he among them who inwardly is an infidel, the ruling concerning any particular individual among them is similar to those who stand under the threat of Allâh’s punishment.

However, the followers of those pseudo-Muslim sects which stand outside the fold of Islam are, in general, to be considered infidels. The ruling concerning any individual among them is like that of the apostates.

(7) The Friday and Congregational prayers are among the greatest outward symbols of Islam. The prayer performed behind a Muslim whose true nature is hidden is valid. Not to pray behind him claiming ignorance of his true nature is a heresy.

(8) When one is able to pray behind someone else, it is impermissible to pray behind someone who openly manifests heresy or impiety. If prayer behind such an individual does occur, it is valid and the performer of that prayer has sinned, unless he intended by praying behind such an individual to restrain a greater evil. However, if one cannot find any individual to pray behind except one who is similar or more evil, under such circumstances it becomes permissible to pray behind such individuals.

It is impermissible under any circumstance to forsake the congregational and Friday prayers. It is impermissible under all circumstances to pray behind someone judged to be an infidel.

(9) Leadership of the Muslims (al-imamah) is decided by either the consensus of the Muslim nation or by the oath of allegiance given by those among the Muslim nation who possess the right to place or remove a ruler (ahl al-hall wa al-`aqd).
It is similarly required to obey, in what constitutes obedience to Allâh, and give advice to whoever seizes power by force, gathering the Muslim nation behind him. It is forbidden under all circumstances to revolt against the ruler unless he openly manifests his disbelief (kufr)concerning which there is evidence from Allâh.

(10) It is required to perform prayer, pilgrimage and jihad with the leaders of the Muslims even when they are tyrannical.

(11) It is forbidden for the Muslims to fight between themselves out of wordly motivations orjahiliyah partisian pride. Such actions are among the greatest of sins.

It is however permissible to fight the heretics, those who revolt against the ruler and their likes when one cannot stop them with lesser measures. While at other times it becomes required to fight these groups. This is determined according to the benefits acheived and the situation at hand.

(12) All the noble Companions of the Prophet are trustworthy (`adul). They arthe best of this Muslim nation. To testify to their faith and their merit over the rest of the Muslim nation is an absolute fundamental point known by necessity to be part of the religion. To love them is religion and faith while to hate them is disbelief and hypocrisy. It is required to refrain from entering into what befell them of arguments and to forsake delving into that topic which diminishes their standing.

The best among them were Abu Bakr, then Umar, then Uthman, then Ali. They are the rightly guided succesors to the Prophet (peace be upon him). The right of each of them to Successorship was as the historical order.

(13) From the religion is to love and support the Family of the Household of the Messenger of Allâh (peace be upon him), to glorify the standing and recognize the merit of his wives, who are the Mothers of the Faithful, to love the leaders among the Salaf, the scholars of the Sunnah and those who follow them, and to steer clear from the heretics and thier desires.

(14) To wage jihad in the path of Allâh is the apex of Islam. It will remain lawful until the establishment of the Hour.

(15) To command good (al-ma’ruf) and forbid evil (al-munkar) is among the greatest outward symbols of Islam. It is among the causes which preserves the Muslim community. Such an act is required according to one’s ability and by taking into consideration the benefits achieved by that act.

The Most Important Qualities and Distinguishing Charateristics of the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah

Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah are the “Saved Sect” in the Hereafter and the “Victorious Group” in this world.
Despite the disparity which exists between them, they possess certain qualities and characteristics which distinguish them from all others. These include:

(1) They attach importance to the Book of Allâh by their memorization, recitation, and explanation of the Qur’ân and to the Prophetic Narrations by their knowledge of them, their comprehension of their meanings, and their distinguishing between the authentic from the weak among the narrations. For both the Book of Allâh and the Prophetic hadith are the source for the acquisition of the Creed and the Law. Furthermore, they follow up their knowledge with action in accordance to their knowledge.

(2) They enter completely into the religion. They have faith in all of the Scripture. They therefore believe in those texts which mention Allâh’s promise of reward, as well as those which mention His threat of punishment. And they believe in those texts which affirm Allâh’s Attributes and those which negate any resemblance to His creation. They join between faith in Allâh’s decree (qadr) and affirming the possession of a desire, will and action for the slave of Allâh. They also gather between knowledge and action, the qualities of strength and mercy, taking the necessary measures and renouncing the world (zuhd).

(3) They adhere to the Sunnah and repudiate all heresy. They spurn sectarianism and any disagreement in matters of religion.

(4) They follow the guidance of the trustworthy scholars – namely, the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and all those who travelled upon their path – in matters of belief, action and in the manner of calling others to Allâh. They remain clear from those who are at variance to the path of the Companions of the Prophet.

(5) They adhere to a median position. They, therefore, adhere in matters of belief to a median position between the sects at either end. While in acts of worship and their conduct, they adhere to a median position between the extremists and the negligent.

(6) They strive to gather the word of the Muslims upon the truth, to unify their ranks uponTawheed and obedience to the Prophet (al-ittiba’), and to eliminate all causes leading to argument and difference between them.

From this standpoint, they do not distinguish themselves from the rest of the Muslim nation, in the fundamentals of the religion, with any name other than that of “al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah”. Nor do they befriend or show enmity towards anyone due to any other bond other than that of Islam and the Sunnah.

(7) They call others to Allâh, command good and prohibit evil, wage jihad, revive the Sunnah, act to renew the religion, establish Allâh’s shariah and Rule, in all matters, minor or major.

(8) They have equity and justice in dealing with others. Hence they observe the right of Allâh in dealing with people, not self desires or the desires of their group. For this reason, they do not exploit or wrong others, or belittle those who deserve esteem no matter what they may be.

(9) Notwithstanding the great distances between their lands and times, they possess a conformity in understanding and similarity in position. This is from the fruits of their possessing a single source for their religion and a single methodology for its aquisition.

(10) They show kindness, mercy and good character towards all people.

(11) They show sincerity (nasihah) to Allâh, His Book, His Messenger, the leaders and general body of the Muslims.

(12) They show concern with the affairs of the Muslims, aid them, discharge their rights and prevent any injury from reaching them.

Courtesy Of: SunnahOnline.com

Intoduction
One narration states, “You are going to a people from the People of the Book. Let the first thing that you call them to be the worship of Allah. If they acknowledge Allah, then inform them that Allah has obligated upon them five prayers during their days and nights.” [Al-Bukhari, Muslim]

This hadith is clear. It does not require much of an explanation. The Prophet (peace be upon him) applied this principle in his practical calling to Islam. He stayed in Makkah for thirteen years to teach the people iman and to educate his Companions on this point and to correct the beliefs of the people. That is the pattern upon which the Companions were brought up.

Jundub Ibn Abdullah al-Bajaly said, “We learned iman (faith) and then we learned the Quran and it increased our iman.”

Abdullah ibn Umar said, “We lived during an instant of time in which one of us would receive faith first before receiving the Quran and when the surahs were revealed we would learn what they permitted and what they prohibited and what they forbade and what they ordered and what should be the stance towards them. But I have seen many men from whom one is given the Quran before iman and he reads it from the opening of the Book to its closing and he does not know what it orders and what it forbids and what should be his stance towards it. He is like someone who is just throwing out dates [i.e., he does not get any benefit from his recital].”

That is the manner in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) brought up his companions: Iman first and then the Quran. This is similar to what Imam Abu Hanifa pointed out: Understanding in the religion first (i.e. tauheed) and then understanding in the science (i.e. the shariah).

The beliefs must be corrected first, then follows all of the other aspects of the religion.

…And Imam Ash-Shafi`i said, “That a servant meets Allaah with every sin except Shirk is better say than meeting Him upon any of the innovated beliefs.”

… Al-Aqeeda linguistically is derived from the term aqada. In Arabic, one states, “Aqada the rope” when the rope is tied firmly. And, “Aqada the sale” or “He settled the sale” when the person ratifies and contracts a sale or agreement. And Allah says in the Quran, “And as for those whom your right hands have made a covenant (Ar., aqadat)” [Al-Nisa 33]. And Allah also says, “But He will take you to task for the oaths which you swear in earnest (Ar., aqadtum) [Al-Maida, 89] which means asserted and adhered to, as proven in the verse, “And break not oaths after the assertion of them” [An-Nahl, 91]. If one says, “Aqadtu such and such,” it means his heart is firm upon such and such.

Therefore, al-aqeeda or al-itiqad according to the scholars of Islam is: The firm creed that one’s heart is fixed upon without any wavering or doubt. It excludes any supposition, doubt or suspicion.

Imam Abu Hanifa called this great subject al-Fiqh al-Akbar (“The Greater Understanding”) and the understanding of the religion. He called the science of law (Ar., shariah) the understanding of the science. Many scholars of Islam use the word tauheed for all matters that a person must believe in. This is because the most important of these matters is the basic tauheed that is contained in the phrase, “There is none worthy of worship except Allah.”

Tauheed, according to them, may be divided into two categories: tauheed of cognition and affirmation and tauheed of purpose and deeds.

Tauheed of cognition and affirmation is the tauheed of the Oneness of the Creator and the tauheed of His Names and Attributes [i.e. He is Unique in His being the only Creator and the only One with His names and attributes]. Tauheed of purpose and deeds is tauheed of lordship or that none should be worshipped except Allah [i.e., He is the only One worthy of worship].

The scholastic theologians (Ar., kalaamiyoon) – and what will explain to you who the scholastic theologians are – call this great subject “the root of the religion” and they call the law “the branches of the religion”. This is their terminology. We also have a dispute with them in this matter but this is not the place to discuss it. All of them give it a name or adjective according to their needs.

But what is the name the Quran gives to this matter?

The Quran gives the grave matter the name iman. Allah says in the Quran, “And thus We inspired in You (Muhammad) a Spirit of Our command. You did not know what the Scripture was, nor what the Faith was. But we have made it a light whereby We guide whom We will of our bondmen…” [Al-Shura, 52].

The general concepts that the heart of the believer must be firm about are the “pillars” of this faith. But one will not be called a believer just by knowing and understanding these pillars but he must come to the level where he submits and implements what is described, in the hadith of Gabriel, as Islam.

Iman, in this manner, incorporates Islam.

If iman was simply knowing the facts in one’s heart, then its companion would be equal to Satan and Pharaoh [Note: The Satan was the most knowledgeable of his Lord but he was destroyed because of his pride and envy. And Pharaoh, even though he claimed to be the lord, knew that the lord is Allah and that none has the right to be worshipped but Him. Allah says, "He said: In truth you know that none sent down these portents save the Lord of the heavens and the earth as proofs..." [al-Isra, 102]. – Although they knew the truth, they did not put it in practice by turning their `ibadah to Allah Alone].

In the hadith of Gabriel, the Prophet (peace be upon him) explained the pillars of this faith in which every human must believe, when he was asked, “What is iman?”, he said, “To believe in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers and the Last Day and predestination of good and evil.”

It is a must for every person to know these pillars and to learn them with a correct understanding and to believe in them in the manner that he pious forefathers understood and believed in them, in the same manner that the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) believed and understood them, as well as their Followers and those who followed on their path. This includes the four imams, Sufyan Al-Thauri, Sufyan ibn Uyaina, Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak and others similar to them, as well as Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, Muslim ibn Al-Hajjaj, Shaikh al-Islam ibn Taymiya and al-Hafedh ibn al-Qayyim. And scholars similar to them who followed the same manner of understanding and believing in these pillars.

This is the first obligation upon the responsible human being. There is no difference of opinion on this question among the scholars whose opinions are worth following.

Imam Abu-Hanifa said, “The understanding of faith is better than understanding of the science.” What he meant by faith is tauheed and what he meant by science is the shariah. He put the understanding of tauheed before the understanding of the shariah.

And Shaikh al-Islam al-Haruwi al-Ansari (d. 481 AH) stated at the beginning of his book, Itiqad ahl al-Sunnah, “The first obligation upon the slave is the knowledge of Allah. This is proven by the hadith of Muadh, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, ‘You will come to a people from the People of the Book. The first thing that you should call them to is the worship of Allah. If they gain the knowledge of Allah, then tell them that Allah obligates upon them five prayers during the day and night…”

From this premise did the great scholars of Islam precede. Ponder, for example, what Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari did in his book al-Jami al-Sahih, which is the most authentic book after the Book of Allah; one will see that from his detailed knowledge and understanding of this religion, this great Imam began his book with “The Beginning of Revelation” and then he followed it with chapters on faith, followed by the chapters on knowledge. As if he means, may Allah have mercy on him, to point out that the first obligation upon a human being is faith or Iman and the way to attaining faith is knowledge. And the source of faith and knowledge is revelation. So he began by showing how the revelation occurred and what it was like. Then he followed by mentioning faith and knowledge. This arrangement is no accident; by it he makes some important points.

This is the sum of what we wish to mention and what we wish to raise our voices about. The matter of aqeeda is the first priority. Faith and knowledge are the means of attaining it. And the source of knowledge and faith is the Book and Sunnah.

Source: Aqeedah (Matters of Faith)…First…If They But Knew

Courtesy Of: Islaam.com

Belief in pre-destination (Qada wa Qadar) is an undisputed article of faith in Islam. For some people, this belief leads to contentment and satisfaction, even in the face of hardship and adversity. But for others, it provides justification for their wrongdoings: how often do we hear people arguing that they should not be blamed for their disobedience since it has already been decreed by Allah that they will sin?

The following two articles in this booklet attempt to answer those people who genuinely wonder whether Man has any control over his actions in this life or whether he is forced to do everything that he does. The first article was originally compiled in Arabic by Shaikh Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaimin, a renowned scholar from Saudi Arabia ; the second was a reply by Mr. Adil Salahi to a question which appeared on the religious pages of the daily “Arab News” of Jeddah.

It is hoped that this booklet will help to clarify the difficult issue of pre-destination.

Pre-destination and the Responsibility of man

In this article, we want to deal with an important matter that concerns all Muslims: decree and pre-destination by Allah (Qada and Qadar), a subject which has been a point of contention for scholars throughout the ages. It has been reported that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace be upon him) once found his Companions arguing about Qadar. He forbade them from indulging in such a debate and told them that communities before them had been destroyed for that reason[1].

However, by the grace of Allah, our pious ancestors were able to understand the issue and form a moderate view based on equity and justice. In their understanding, the issue of Qada and Qadar stems from the Unity of Allah’s attribute of Cherishing (Tawhid ar-Rububiyah). This is one of three kinds of Allah’s Unity:

Unity of Divinity (Tawhid Al-Uluhiyah), which is to direct all forms of worship to Allah alone.

Unity in the matter of Cherishing the whole universe (Tawhid ar-Rububiyah), which means to believe that all creation, sovereignty and planning belong to Allah.

Unity in the matter of Allah’s names and attributes.

Faith in pre-estimation is implied by Allah’s attribute of nourishing and sustaining the whole universe. Imam Ahmad has said:”Qadar (pre-estimation) is the power of Allah. It is one of the secrets which no one except Allah knows, as it has been recorded in the well-guarded tablet. We do not know what Allah has destined, either for or against us or concerning all his creation, except after the event has occurred or has been told by the Prophet himself”.

Regarding this issue, the people of the Muslim Ummah have divided into three factions:

The first group is so extreme in its attempts to prove pre-estimation that it has completely deprived man of any power and any ability to choose. For them, Man has no independence but is coerced into doing all that he does; he is a helpless being, at the mercy of Fate. There is no doubt that this group is wrong. By using our powers of reason and the tenets of our faith, we know that there is a difference between the things that happen without our will and those in which we play an active part.

The second group goes to the extreme of attributing complete power and freedom of choice to the individual, at the expense of denying Allah any role in process, by saying that the Almighty does not know of an action until after it has occurred! This view is also mistaken.

Allah has guided others to a more moderate and sensible view, and we, the people of the Sunnah and Jama’ah have adopted it because it is based on legal as well as rational evidence. We agree that everything that happens in this universe falls into one of these two categories:Allah has guided others to a more moderate and sensible view, and we, the people of the Sunnah and Jama’ah have adopted it because it is based on legal as well as rational evidence. We agree that everything that happens in this universe falls into one of these two categories:

The things that Allah does and in which no-one else has any power of intervention, e.g. the falling of rain, the growth of vegetation, life and death, illness and health.

The actions done by all the creatures that have the power of will. These actions are a consequence of their efforts and their choice, a power that has been given to them by Allah. He thus says in the Qur’ an:“ To whomever among you wills to go straight” (81:28), “ Among you are some that desire this world and some that desire the Hereafter” (3:152).

Man knows very well the difference between what he does from his own free will and what he does because of external force. The person who reaches safely the bottom of a flight of stairs knows that this is because he walked down carefully. However, if he is pushed down from the top, he has no power over how he lands at the bottom. The first instance is an example of choice; the second is clearly one of compulsion. Similarly, a person who suffers from incontinence of urine knows that the urine is passed without his will and that if he did not have this illness, he would be able to control the discharge. The difference between the two requires no further explanation.Man knows very well the difference between what he does from his own free will and what he does because of external force. The person who reaches safely the bottom of a flight of stairs knows that this is because he walked down carefully. However, if he is pushed down from the top, he has no power over how he lands at the bottom. The first instance is an example of choice; the second is clearly one of compulsion. Similarly, a person who suffers from incontinence of urine knows that the urine is passed without his will and that if he did not have this illness, he would be able to control the discharge. The difference between the two requires no further explanation.

It is a mercy of Allah that there are certain actions which are in the voluntary power of the individual but are recorded as if they are not, and so he is not held answerable for them, e.g. actions done out of forgetfulness or during sleep. Allah says in the story of the People of the Cave:“ And We turned them on their right and on their left sides” ( 18:18 ).

The men themselves are turning over, but Allah Almighty attributes their movements to Himself, since a sleeping person has no control over his action. The Prophet (Blessings & Peace be upon him) said:“ The one who forgets while fasting and eats or drinks, he should complete his fast because Allah is the One who feeds him and gives him the drink”[2].

Thus, actions done in a state of forgetfulness are also treated as if the person is acting outside his own will and are attributed to Allah Himself.

If we were to agree with the first group mentioned earlier (those who give Man no free will whatsoever), we would be distorting the facts. We would not be able to praise someone for his good actions or castigate someone who voluntarily does wrong, because we would have attributed all their actions to the will of Allah. Another dangerous implication of this argument is that the Almighty behaves unjustly if he punishes the disobedient and rewards the good, as He alone is the source of all these actions. Not only is such reasoning nonsensical, but contradictory to the Qur’an as well:If we were to agree with the first group mentioned earlier (those who give Man no free will whatsoever), we would be distorting the facts. We would not be able to praise someone for his good actions or castigate someone who voluntarily does wrong, because we would have attributed all their actions to the will of Allah. Another dangerous implication of this argument is that the Almighty behaves unjustly if he punishes the disobedient and rewards the good, as He alone is the source of all these actions. Not only is such reasoning nonsensical, but contradictory to the Qur’an as well:“ And his companion (angel) will say: Here is (this Record) ready with me! (And it will be said): Both of you throw (Order from Allah to the two angels) into Hell, every stubborn disbeliever (in the Oneness of Allah, in His Messengers, etc.). Hinderer of good, transgressor, doubter. Who set up another ilah (god) with Allah, then (both of you) cast him in the severe torment. His companion (Satan – devil) will say: Our Lord! I did not push him to transgress, (in disbelief, oppression, and evil deeds) but he was himself in error far astray. Allah will say: Dispute not in front of Me, I had already, in advance, sent you the threat. The Sentence that comes from Me cannot be changed, and I am not unjust (to the least) to the slaves” (50:23-29).

Almighty Allah clearly states that the punishments He inflicts are not cruel but just, since He has already warned His creatures and sent them guidance. He has clearly defined the two paths of piety and disobedience, just as He has defined the consequences of following each path. Man thus has total freedom to choose either path, remembering that if he opts for the path of disobedience, he will not have the excuse of ignorance to offer Allah on the Day of Judgement. The Qur’an says in this regard:“ Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the Messengers” (4:165).

The Qur’an and reality also refute those who go to the other extreme of giving Man complete freedom of action, leaving no role for Allah. We are told that the will of Man follows the will of Allah:“ To whomever among you wills to go straight. But you shall not will except as Allah, The Lord of the Worlds, wills” (81:28,29), “ And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses” (28:68), “ But Allah calls to the home of peace and guides whom He wills to a Straight Path” (10:25).

Those who hold this view are thus rejecting Allah’s Omniscience, one of His essential attributes, by effectively claiming that in His Kingdom, there are many things which He does not wish or does not create. But Allah the Magnificent wills everything, creates everything and predestines for everything! It is impossible to conceive of anything happening that He does not wish to happen. This poses problems for us, such as what is the fate of someone whom Allah wishes to misguide? It surely cannot be his fault that he did not receive the message of truth. The answer is that Allah guides those who want to be guided, and misguides those who do not wish to receive guidance. We read this in the Qur’an:Those who hold this view are thus rejecting Allah’s Omniscience, one of His essential attributes, by effectively claiming that in His Kingdom, there are many things which He does not wish or does not create. But Allah the Magnificent wills everything, creates everything and predestines for everything! It is impossible to conceive of anything happening that He does not wish to happen. This poses problems for us, such as what is the fate of someone whom Allah wishes to misguide? It surely cannot be his fault that he did not receive the message of truth. The answer is that Allah guides those who want to be guided, and misguides those who do not wish to receive guidance. We read this in the Qur’an:“ Then when they turned away (from the Path of Allah), Allah turned their hearts away (from the Right Path)” (61:5), “ But because of their breach of their covenant, We cursed them, and made their hearts grow hard: they change the words from their (right) places and have abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to them” (5:13).

In other words, the wish to be pious emanates from the individual himself, and Allah guides him because of this. The issue can be further explained by comparing it to the acquisition of knowledge or to the earning of a living. Allah has decreed the amount of understanding or wealth a person will be able to acquire in his life. This does not mean that the individual can thus sit at home and wait for the wealth or learning to come walking into his arms: only when he goes out searching for it and works hard for it will he get it. The amount of wealth or learning he receives will be proportional to the effort put in, and this is just as true for guidance. The Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) said in this regard:“ Verily the creation of each one of you is brought together in his mother’s belly for forty days in the form of seed, then he is a clot of blood for a like period, then a morsel of flesh for a like period, then there is sent to him the angel who blows the breath of life into him and who is commanded about four matters: to write down his means of livelihood, his life span, his actions, and whether happy or unhappy” (It was related by Bukhari and Muslim).

Just as we make all conceivable sacrifices for the nourishment of the stomach, so should we work hard for the sustenance of the soul. When ill, we are prepared to travel the world in search of a doctor who can cure us, but when our souls are diseased, we leave them to rot, waiting for Allah to send down guidance on a plate!

The correct opinion is thus that there are many routes open to the discretion of Man, and it is up to him to choose the one he wishes to follow. He is like a merchant with many commodities in front of him, and it is his choice which one to trade in. He will obviously pick the one which he thinks will be most profitable. The difference is that the merchant is uncertain and has no guarantee of success; his commodity may have a market and he may make a profit, but he could just as easily lose all his capital.

The believer, on the other hands, is completely sure that if he follows the path of guidance, there will undoubtedly be success and reward waiting for him at the other end because Allah has promised so, for Allah never breaks His word. Similarly, the disbeliever can be sure that only pain and punishment await him at the end of his path.

I would like to add that what has so far been said has been agreed upon and adopted by us, the Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah, as our belief. Man does what he wants, but his will follows that of Allah. We also believe that Allah’s will does not act on its own but is strongly linked to His Wisdom, one of His attributes. As a Wise and Just ruler, He decrees guidance for the person who wants guidance and truth, who wishes to be close to Allah, and who aims to follow the Straight Path. For anyone who does not want the truth, Allah decrees error and misguidance; were Islam to be presented to him, his heart would constrict as if he was ascending to the sky (6:125). Allah’s Wisdom declines to offer guidance to such a person unless the person changes his attitude.

The Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah say that Allah’s decree and predestination has four components. The first is Knowledge: Man must believe with total certainty that Allah has knowledge of everything; He knows the minute as well as the general details of all that happens, whether it is of His own doing or of His creatures.

The second constituent of Qadar is Writing. Allah has written all His knowledge of the fate of His creatures in the Preserved Tablet, as He tells us in the Qur’an:“ Know you not that Allah knows all that is in heaven and on earth? Indeed it is (all) in the Book (Al-Lauh Al.-Mahfuz), and that is easy for Allah” (22:70).

In one Hadith, the Prophet (Blessings and Peace be upon him) is reported to have said:“ Indeed the first thing that Allah created was the pen. He said, Write! It said, What should I write? He said, Write down everything that is going to happen. So at that moment flowed everything that would happen until the Day of Judgement” At this the Prophet was asked whether the actions we do are new actions or are actions that have been decreed already. He replied:“ They are already decreed” The Companions said:“ O Prophet of Allah, should we then not do and just depend?” He said:“ Do, and everything that was created for you will be made easy” The Prophet added:“ Do, O my brother, do and what was created for you will be facilitated for you” Then followed the words of the Almighty:“ As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, and believes in the best, We will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness). But he who is greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient, and gives lie to the best, We will make smooth for him the path for evil” (92:5-10).

The third component of Qadar is that of Will. Allah wills the presence or absence of everything in the heavens and in the earth. Nothing can exist without His Will. This is reiterated in the Qur’an:“ To whomever among you wills to go straight. But you shall not will except as Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, wills” (81:28,29).

“ If your Lord had so willed, they would not have done it” (6:112).

“ If Allah had willed, they would not have fought each other; but Allah does what He likes” (2:253).

Allah also relates that His actions always yield to His own Will:“ And if We had willed, surely We would have given every person his guidance” (32:13).

“ And if your Lord had so willed, He could surely have made mankind one nation” (11:118).

Thus, true faith is not complete unless we believe that Allah’s Will is total and all-embracing.

The fourth component of Qadar is Creation. This means that we believe that Allah is the Creator of everything and anything, even Death, although it is the absence of Life. The Qur’an says:“ He Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed” (67:2).

The skies, the mountains, the winds, the vapors, the growth of living organisms, the droughts – all are the creation of Allah.

A difficulty arises: how can we claim that our actions and words are products of our own free will when they are in fact creations of Allah? The answer is that our actions and utterances are the result of our ability and desire to do them. Since Allah alone is the one who created us and gave us the ability and the will to distinguish, choose, and act, our actions are His creations; He created the cause which generates the result, so He is the creator of the result as well as of the cause. But, this does in no way belittle our choice and will. For example, fire burns. The One who gave this power to fire is Allah, as fire on its own does not have the capability to burn. We see an instance of this in the Qur’an:“ We (Allah) said: O fire! be you cool, and safety for Ibrahim!” (21:69).

Thus the fire did not burn Ibrahim in this case. It is Allah who gives fire the power to burn, just as He gives Man the power to choose and act according to his decision.

Finally, I would like to say that were it not for the increasing number of questions that have been raised about this issue and the ensuing controversy, we would not have entered into the debate. However, we felt there was a need for clarification and so spoke out.

I ask Allah Almighty to facilitate the good actions that have been decreed for His pious creatures and to record for us and for them righteousness in this world and in the next. All Praise is due to the Lord of the Universe. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our Prophet Muhammad, on his family and on all his Companions.

[1] See Ibn Majah.

[2] See Muslim.

Predestination And Free Will

Q. A question which has bothered me for some time is whether man acts and behaves according to his own free will or to what has been destined for him by Allah. In other words, is the choice in any given situation completely ours, or is it pre-determined for us? Is there for every one of us a destiny towards his life, and from which he cannot escape? Or is it true that by our own choices we mould our future?

A. This is a question which really speaks of man’s position in relation to Allah. In order to answer it properly, we need to establish a basis for our discussion which takes into account certain essential facts which must be accepted at the outset. Otherwise, there can be no common ground between the one who poses the question and the one who tries to answer it.

These facts are:

Allah is the creator of all things, great and small, magnificent and petty, physical and abstract.

Allah is just. He administers His justice on the basis of His knowledge.

Allah’s knowledge is perfect and absolute. He knows the most secret of thoughts in the same way as He knows the most public of events. Nothing escapes His knowledge as He sees all and hears all, without restrictions or impediments.

Allah always tells the truth, the plain and complete truth. He never says something and means another. What He says must always be taken at face value, because He does not need to wrap His meaning or to make use ambiguity.

Within the framework which these facts establish, we find that the answer to your question is an easy one. Allah tells us in the Qur’an that every human being accepts the faith or denies it according to his own will. He instructs His messenger to say to people:“ And say: The truth is from your Lord. Then whosoever wills, let him believe, and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve” (18:29).

This verse tells us that man chooses for himself whether to believe in Allah or not. This is the most important choice a man ever makes. If he has free choice over this particular question, then he must have the same over matters which are less serious. We cannot imagine a situation in human life where man can reach a higher stage without passing through a primary one. The sophisticated always includes the elementary. For man to be able to make a choice in a subject which affects all his life, he must have adequate training in exercising his ability to choose in simpler and less serious matters.

Allah also tells that He rewards man according to his actions. Numerous verses in the Qur’an tell us that no action will be allowed to pass unnoticed. For example:“ So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it” (99:7,8).

If our actions carry a reward, good or bad, then they must be of our own choosing. If they were imposed on us through predestination, then we cannot be held responsible for them. Otherwise, the divine attribute of justice could not be fulfilled. Suppose you are a shopkeeper and employ an assistant to attend to customers’ needs when you are absent. Suppose that you come to the shop one evening after having been absent all day and your assistant tells you that he tried to reach you everywhere to ask your permission to give a discount of 10 percent to a customer who wanted to buy a very large quantity of goods. When the customer could not get that desired discount, he bought the goods from one of your competitors. Now, if you were to scold, reproach or punish your assistant for not acting in what you may describe as “a responsible manner,” you are unfair. He has acted within the restrictions you have imposed on him. You have left him no choice and he should never be punished for not exercising a choice which is not his.

The fact that our actions are either rewarded or punished by Allah means, by logic and necessity, that we have complete control over them. Otherwise, the reward and punishment cannot be fair.

Moreover, Allah has created us and equipped us with an ability to choose. That ability is set into operation and we can see its effects every minute of our lives. You have only to look at what you do and what you omit. When you are awakened by your alarm in the morning, whether you rise and get ready to go to work or you switch it off and go back to sleep is your own choice. If you do the latter and you are reproached by your employer for being late, you do not complain. When you open your wardrobe you choose the shirt and trousers you will wear that day. It is you who decides whether to go to work walking, by your car or to use public transport. No one imposes on you that you should invite your friend to dinner, and when you accept someone else’s invitation, that again is your own choice. These are simple matters and I have chosen these examples advisedly. When you realize that it is always your choice that determines what you do in such matters, it is easy to understand that we also exercise a choice in more complicated matters.

A person who does not fast in Ramadhan can never claim that he has made that choice under duress. Nor does the one who fasts accept any suggestion that he is compelled to fast. The same applies to prayers and zakah, no matter how much is said about anyone’s need to maintain appearances. Even that is one’s own choice. Without this free choice, the whole idea of action and reward becomes impossible. Moreover, it would not fit with Allah’s justice. There is no doubt, then, that we have free choice, and we exercise it freely, and we bear the consequences.

What makes this question seem, at times, an intricate one is that people confuse Allah’s prior knowledge of everything that may take place in the universe with predestination. We state very clearly that Allah knows what we are going to choose in any situation and what we will do or say before we actually do it or say it. His prior knowledge, however, does not signify any imposition on us to comply. Perhaps we will find it easier to understand this point if we remember that time, as we know it, does not apply to Allah or to His knowledge. Time on earth is a coincidental thing, by which man is able to calculate time on the basis of the succession of day and night. That a day consists of 24 hours is something determined by man. That a week consists of a succession of seven days and seven nights is also something that people have agreed. If we were to live on some other planet, we will find that all this calculation of time is irrelevant. Even in our solar system, one night and day on one planet is equal to several years on another. Then we have to exclude this notion of time when we speak of Allah’ s prior knowledge. When we are able to do so, we can easily understand that His knowledge does not constitute an imposition on us.

Having said that, however, I should add that there are certain things in our lives over which we can exercise no choice. We do not choose when we are born or when we die. Nor can we choose whether or not to react to natural elements such as rain, wind and temperature. We cannot determine how our bodies react in different situations. We are affected by illness in a way over which we exercise no control. In such matters, we earn no reward and incur no punishment. This fits with Allah’s justice which attaches those to our free choice.

Moreover, Allah has placed us on earth and given it its potentials and created its environment. We can tap those potentials and make use of them, and we can deal in a limited way with the environment. What we can do through our own choosing is part of what we are responsible for. What we cannot alter has no effect on our final outcome. But we should understand, however, that our lives are affected by conditions and environmental influences which are part of Allah’s system of creation. There are causes and effects. When we can influence a cause, we are responsible for the effect which results from our action. When we are influenced by a cause over which we have no control, we bear no liability.

Perhaps an element of ambiguity arises from the fact that Muslims often use such words as,” By Allah’s Will”, ” What has been written cannot be changed”, and similar phrases. These can easily be understood in the light of the foregoing, when we relate them to Allah’s prior knowledge on the one hand, and to His overall will on the other. It is Allah who has willed that there be cause and effect, and it is His will that such causes as affect our lives are there to affect it. Furthermore, it is His will that we should have free will of our own. Our own will, then, is exercised within the framework of His absolute and overall will which has determined that man can have free choice of his own. The two are by no means mutually exclusive. Indeed, man’s free will is a manifestation of Allah’s absolute will.

Dr. Suhaib Hasan

From abdurrahman.org

Sharh Al Aqeedat Il Wasitiyah

An indepth video on how to perfect your prayers. How to perform Ruku and sujud properly and the different dua’s to say throughout your prayer. This is a video to teach us how to get out of the robotic nature of our salaat and pray as we have seen Muhammad (pbuh) pray.