Qualities of a true believer of Islam (a Muslim)

Qualities of a true believer of Islam (a Muslim)

In these Quran verses, Allah highlights five characteristics of true believers.
(Qualities of Muslims!)

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ
The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur'an) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone); [8:2]

الَّذِينَ يُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ
Who perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and spend out of that We have provided them. [8:3]

أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ حَقًّا ۚ لَّهُمْ دَرَجَاتٌ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ وَمَغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ
It is they who are the believers in truth. For them are grades of dignity with their Lord, and Forgiveness and a generous provision (Paradise). [8:4]
Quran 8 (Surah Al-Anfal, verses 2 – 4)

It’s clear from these verses that the qualities of a true Muslim mentioned in these verses are the following:

When Allah is mentioned, they feel the fear of Him in their hearts;
Their faith increases every time they hear and ponder over Quran’s verses;
They put their trust in Allah, i.e. have Tawakkul on Allah;
They perform prayers regularly;
They spend in charity in the path of Allah.
As a Muslim, one can take heed from these verses and assess the state of his heart. In his tafsir, Ibn Kathir writes that none of Allah’s remembrance enters the hearts of the hypocrites upon performing what He has ordained. They neither believe in any of Allah’s Ayat nor trust (in Allah) nor pray if they are alone nor pay the Zakah due on their wealth.

The primary point is that a true believer is one when Allah is mentioned, he feels a fear in his heart, and thus implements His orders and abstains from His prohibitions.

About such people, Sufyan Ath-Thawri narrated that As-Suddi commented, “A man might be thinking of committing injustice or a sin. But he abstains when he is told, `Have Taqwa of Allah’, and his heart becomes fearful.”

Finally, for such people Allah has promised ‘grades of dignity’, i.e. special places in paradise. We know from various ahadith that paradise has many levels and the more deserving are granted better and higher grades in paradise. In a Hadith recorded by Imam Ahmad and the collectors of Sunan, Abu Atiyyah said that Ibn Abu Said said that the Messenger of Allah said,



“Residents of Paradise see the residents of the highest grades just as you see the distant planet in the horizon of the sky. Verily, Abu Bakr and `Umar are among them (in the highest grades), and how excellent they are.”

Reference: Quran and Tafsir Ibn Kathir

The Prayer of Muslim Women in the House or Masjid (Mosque)

The Prayer of Muslim Women in the House or Masjid (Mosque).

One of the big question is asked by non-Muslim that why muslim woman are not allow in ISLAM to pray their five daily prayers in the Masjid (Mosque)!

Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him). He said: "Do not prevent your women from going to the mosque, even though their houses are better for them." (Reported by Abu Dawud in al-Sunan, Baab maa jaa’a fee khurooj al-nisaa’ ilaa’l-masjid: Baab al-tashdeed fee dhaalik. See also Saheeh al-Jaami‘, no. 7458).

And There is no doubt that a woman’s prayer in her house is better for her than praying in the mosque and Whenever a woman prays in a place that is more private and more hidden, that is better for her, as the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said: "A woman’s prayer in her house is better than her prayer in her courtyard, and her prayer in her bedroom is better than her prayer in her house." (Reported by Abu Dawud in al-Sunan, Baab maa jaa’a fee khurooj al-nisaa’ ilaa’l-masjid. See also Saheeh al-Jaami‘, no. 3833).

Umm Humayd, the wife of Abu Humayd al-Saa‘idi reported that she came to the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) and said: "O Messenger of Allaah, I love to pray with you." He said: "I know that you love to pray with me, but praying in your house is better for you than praying in your courtyard, and praying in your courtyard is better for you than praying in the mosque of your people, and praying in the mosque of your people is better for you than praying in my mosque." So she ordered that a prayer-place be built for her in the furthest and darkest part of her house, and she always prayed there until she met Allaah (i.e., until she died). (Reported by Imaam Ahmad; the men of its isnaad are thiqaat (trustworthy)).

But the fact that praying at home is more preferable does not mean that that women are not permitted to go to the mosque, as it is clearly stated from the following hadeeth:

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, who said: "I heard the Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace be upon him) say: ‘Do not prevent your women from going to the mosque if they ask your permission.’

" Bilaal ibn ‘Abdullah said, "By Allaah, we will prevent them." (Ibn ‘Umar) turned to him and told him off in an unprecedented fashion, saying: "I tell you what the Messenger of Allaah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said, and you say ‘By Allaah, we will prevent them’!!" (reported by Muslim, 667).

But there are conditions attached to the permission for women to go to the mosque, as follows:
(1) She should wear complete hijaab.
(2) She should not go out wearing perfume.
(3) She should have the permission of her husband.

Her going out should not involve any other kind of prohibited acts, such as being alone in a car with a non-mahram (non-Muslim) driver.

Merits and rewards of ‘Tawbah’ (Repentance to Allah)

Merits and rewards of ‘Tawbah’ (Repentance to Allah)

‘Tawbah’ refers to asking repentance from Allah for the sins that we commit. Making sincere repentance or Tawbah raises a Muslim’s stature with Allah because the process of making Tawbah involves the following three steps:

Recognizing ones mistakes and sins, feeling ashamed of violating Allah’s trust of complete submission to His commands, and making a promise never to repeat such behavior.

According to many scholars, if one of these three is missing, then the repentance is not sincere. If the sin has to do with the rights of another person, then the fourth condition is added, which is to restore the rights of that person. For example, if violating of rights involves money or property, etc, it must be returned to him; if it had to do with slandering him etc, then his forgiveness must be asked, and so on.

We know both from Quran and Hadith that Allah gets very pleased when we leave all that is undesirable to Allah, and revert to the straight path. The prophet (s) said in a Hadith:

“Every son of Adam sins, and the best of those who sin are those who repent.”

Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2499; classed as hasan by al-Albaani.

This article reviews some of the merits and blessings of Tawbah.

‘Tawbah’ paves the way for success by choosing to stay the course prohibited by Allah, we consciously forego Allah’s mercy and the associated benefits and rewards, His protection and help. However, the moment we sincerely repent, we can be assured of Allah’s help in our lives that in turn is a precursor to success in this life and the hereafter.  Allah tells us in the Quran:

وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَىٰ عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ

And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts, etc.) and not to show off their adornment except only that which is apparent (like palms of hands or one eye or both eyes for necessity to see the way, or outer dress like veil, gloves, head-cover, apron, etc.), and to draw their veils all over Juyubihinna (i.e. their bodies, faces, necks and bosoms, etc.) and not to reveal their adornment except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husband's sons, their brothers or their brother's sons, or their sister's sons, or their (Muslim) women (i.e. their sisters in Islam), or the (female) slaves whom their right hands possess, or old male servants who lack vigour, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex. And let them not stamp their feet so as to reveal what they hide of their adornment. And all of you beg Allah to forgive you all, O believers, that you may be successful. [24:31]

Quran (Surah An-Noor, Verse 31)

Repentance, therefore, paves the way for Allah’s Grace in this life and the hereafter. Within this world, Allah promises us of wealth, children, and increased blessings. Consider the following verses from the Quran:

وَأَنِ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ يُمَتِّعْكُم مَّتَاعًا حَسَنًا إِلَىٰ أَجَلٍ مُّسَمًّى وَيُؤْتِ كُلَّ ذِي فَضْلٍ فَضْلَهُ ۖ وَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ كَبِيرٍ

And (commanding you): "Seek the forgiveness of your Lord, and turn to Him in repentance, that He may grant you good enjoyment, for a term appointed, and bestow His abounding Grace to every owner of grace (i.e. the one who helps and serves needy and deserving, physically and with his wealth, and even with good words). But if you turn away, then I fear for you the torment of a Great Day (i.e. the Day of Resurrection). [11:3]

Quran (Surah Hood, Verse 3)

Allah also tells us in the Quran that Prophet Hood told his people:

وَيَا قَوْمِ اسْتَغْفِرُوا رَبَّكُمْ ثُمَّ تُوبُوا إِلَيْهِ يُرْسِلِ السَّمَاءَ عَلَيْكُم مِّدْرَارًا وَيَزِدْكُمْ قُوَّةً إِلَىٰ قُوَّتِكُمْ وَلَا تَتَوَلَّوْا مُجْرِمِينَ

"And O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord and then repent to Him, He will send you (from the sky) abundant rain, and add strength to your strength, so do not turn away as Mujrimun (criminals, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah)." [11:52]

Quran (Surah Hood, Verse 52)

Tawbah keeps us away from hardships and trials.

We know that our sins can haunt us in this life and the hereafter. The more sins we commit, the more we could be deprived of Allah’s blessings and the more trials and challenges we could be put through. Repentance, therefore, can provide us a way out of our miseries and troubles of this life. Allah tells us in the Quran:

أَوَلَا يَرَوْنَ أَنَّهُمْ يُفْتَنُونَ فِي كُلِّ عَامٍ مَّرَّةً أَوْ مَرَّتَيْنِ ثُمَّ لَا يَتُوبُونَ وَلَا هُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ

See they not that they are tried once or twice every year (with different kinds of calamities, disease, famine, etc.)? Yet, they turn not in repentance, nor do they learn a lesson (from it). [9:126]

Quran (Surah At-Taubah, Verse 126)

Tawbah helps clear our conscience!

We know that sins are always associated with an accompanying sense of guilt that gets lodged into our hearts. While we can always turn a blind eye to those guilty feelings, we know from experience that such guilt is responsible to slowly chip away at our happiness. Tawbah, on the other hand, by its very nature, removes that guilt and fills our hearts with happiness.

Tawbah pleases Allah!

Let’s remind ourselves that turning to Allah in repentance greatly pleases Him because it is o­ne of the most beloved acts of worship to Him. By joining the rank of  those who repent, we also earn Allah’s love.

In narrating one of the popular hadith, Ibn Masud stated that Allaah’s Messenger (sal allaahu alaiyhi wa sallam) said:

Allah is more pleased with the repentance of his slave than a man who encamps at a place where his life is jeopardized. But he has his riding animal carrying his food and water. He then rests his head and sleeps for a short while and wakes up to find his riding animal missing. He starts looking for it and suffers from severe heat and thirst or what Allah wished him to suffer from. He then says: ‘I will go back to my place.’ He returns and sleeps again. Then when he wakes up, he raises his head to find his riding animal standing besides him. So one can imagine the happiness that this brings to him. (The prophet continued by stating that) Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His slave than the situation of happiness that this person experiences after he was saved from death.’

The scholars have also observed that those who make a sincere Taubah (repentance) also experience such happiness, and it has a profound influence o­n one and the person’s heart.

Tawbah is a life transformational process!

Tawbah, by its very nature requires one not just to abandon the old ways of sinful behavior but instead requires us to replace those with righteous deeds. Turning to Allah in repentance, therefore, is a truly transformational process. Allah says in the Quran:

إِلَّا الَّذِينَ تَابُوا وَأَصْلَحُوا وَبَيَّنُوا فَأُولَٰئِكَ أَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَأَنَا التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ

Except those who repent and do righteous deeds, and openly declare (the truth which they concealed). These, I will accept their repentance. And I am the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful. [2:160]

Quran (Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 160)

Tawbah makes our Duas more ‘worthy’ of a response!

We know from many of the prophet’s Hadith that Allah is more responsive to the Duas and calls of those who are oppressed, travelers, the ones who ask Allah in a state of prostration, the ones who are fasting, and so on. This is because such states bring out humility and humbleness in a person’s heart and Allah thus responds more to people in such states. Many scholars have thus noted that as repentance and Tawbah also bring forth humility and humbleness in a person’s heart, our Duas are more likely to be heard in such a state.

Sincere Tawbah (repentance) leads to forgiveness of ones sins

Both Quran and Hadith are clear that those who repent sincerely to Allah, acknowledging their sins, and commit not to return again to those sins will have their sins forgiven. 

The Prophet (s) said: “If the servant acknowledges his sin and repents, then Allah accepts his repentance.” (Reported by Muslim, End; Trans. vol. 4, no. 6673).

Finally, let’s remember that Allah has reminded us repeatedly in the Quran about repentance and that His doors for accepting repentance are always open. All that’s needed from us is to let go of our stubbornness and use the opportunity to turn to Him in repentance. 

Allah says in the Quran repeatedly:

فَتَلَقَّىٰ آدَمُ مِن رَّبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ

Then Adam received from his Lord Words . And his Lord pardoned him (accepted his repentance). Verily, He is the One Who forgives (accepts repentance), the Most Merciful. [2:37]

Quran (Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 37)

He also tells us in the Quran:

قُلْ يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسْرَفُوا عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِهِمْ لَا تَقْنَطُوا مِن رَّحْمَةِ اللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَغْفِرُ الذُّنُوبَ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

Say: "O 'Ibadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [39:53]

Quran (Surah Az-Zumar, Verse 53)

The question we ought to ask ourselves is that if we know we are engaged in certain sinful behavior, why wouldn’t we then stop and ask Allah’s forgiveness? As Allah says in the Quran:

أَفَلَا يَتُوبُونَ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَيَسْتَغْفِرُونَهُ ۚ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

Will they not repent to Allah and ask His Forgiveness? For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [5:74]

 Al-Maeda, Verse 74).

Allah forgives and guide whom ever He wishes.

May we be among those righteous Allah has shown the true path. Ameen!

SWEARING BY THINGS OTHER THAN ALLAH (subhana wata'Allah)!

Swearing by thnings other than Allah (swt)

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:

We have many people who swear by things other than Allah. For example they say, “By the life of the Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)” or “By the life of ‘Eesa” or “By the life of Moosa (peace be upon him)” or “By the life of the Qur’aan” or “By the life of my father’s grave” or “I swear by my honour”. Please advise me about that; may Allah reward you with the best of rewards.

He replied: Swearing by anything other than Allah is not permissible. Rather the oath should be by Allah alone, may He be glorified and exalted, because it is proven that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever swears an oath, let him not swear by anything except by Allah, or else let him remain silent.”

And he said: “Whoever swears by anything other than Allah has associated something with Him (shirk).” Swearing by anything other than Allah is one of the haraam actions that constitute kufr (disbelief), but it comes under the heading of minor shirk, unless he meant that this by which he swore was as great as Allah, or that it has control over the universe, or that it deserves to be called upon instead of Allah, in which case it becomes major kufr (al-kufr al-akbar) – Allah forbid.

So if he said “By the life of So and so” or “By the life of the Messenger” or “By the life of Moosa” or “By the life of ‘Eesa” or “By my father’s grave”, or he swore by honesty or by the Ka‘bah and so on, all of that is swearing by something other than Allah, and all of that is not permissible and is an evil action.

What should be done is to not swear by anything except Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, or by one of His attributes, or by one of His names. The Qur’aan is the word of Allah, and the Qur’aan is one of the attributes of Allah. So if a person says “By the Qur’aan” or “By the life of the Qur’aan”, there is nothing wrong with that, because the Qur’aan is the word of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.

End quote from Fataawa Noor ‘ala ad-Darb by Ibn Baaz (p. 236-237)

Thirdly:

If a person swears that his brother or someone else should not sleep in the house, then he sleeps there, he has to offer expiation for breaking an oath (kafaarat yameen).

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:

I swore an oath to someone, saying: “By Allah, you should not slaughter the animal,” but he did not heed my words and he slaughtered it, and I ate some of it. Is there any sin on me, and is there any expiation I have to offer? If there is any expiation I must offer, please advise me about it.

They replied: If the situation is as you describe, there is no sin on you for eating from it, but you have to offer expiation for breaking an oath (kafaarat yameen), by feeding ten poor persons with the same kind of food as you eat, or clothing them, or freeing a believing slave. If none of that is possible, then you have to fast for three days.

End quote from Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah, 23/85

Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:

I have children and I often swear that they should not do such and such, but they do not respond to my words. Do I have to offer any expiation in this case?

He replied: If you swear an oath to your children or anyone else, with the aim that they should do something or should not do something, then they go against that, you have to offer expiation for breaking an oath (kafaarat yameen). End quote from Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Baaz (23/119)

Fourthly:

If your oath to your brother that he should not sleep in the house was the result of an argument, then it is not Islamically appropriate. When you swore that oath, what is Islamically prescribed in your case is to break the oath and offer expiation for it, because of the report narrated by al-Bukhaari (6718) and Muslim (1649) from Abu Moosa al-Ash‘ari (may Allah be pleased with him), according to which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “By Allaah, if Allaah wills, I do not swear an oath then see something better than that, but I expiate my oath and do that which is better.”

And Muslim (1650) narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever swears an oath then sees that something else is better than it, let him do that and offer expiation for his oath.”

An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

These hadeeths indicate that if a person swears to do something or not to do something, and breaking the oath is better than adhering to it, it is mustahabb for him to break the oath and he has to offer expiation. This is something agreed upon.

May Allah guide everyone that engage in this act(s). Ameen!

ALLAH'S ATTRIBUTE OF LOVE

ALLAH'S ATTRIBUTE OF LOVE

 

{And spend in the path of Allah and do not cast yourselves to destruction with your own hands and practice Ihsaan. Verily, Allah loves those who practice Ihsaan.} Al-Baqarah/195

 

{Constant listeners to lies, constant devourers of the forbidden. So, if they come to you, judge between them, or turn away from them. If you [decide to] turn away from them, they will not harm you in the least. And, if you [decide to] judge between them, judge between them with in equity. Verily, Allah loves those who judge in equity.} Al-Maidah/42

 

{How could the associationists have a pact before Allah and His Prophet?! Except those with whom you made a pact at the Sacred Mosque: as long as they live up to their pledges to you, live up to yours to them, verily, Allah loves the people of Taqwa.} At-Tauba/9

 

{They ask you about menses. Say: It is unclean, so withdraw from women during their courses. And do not approach them until they have become clean. Then, when they have purified themselves, go to them from where Allah has ordered you. Verily, Allah loves those who ever turn to Him in repentence and He loves those who ever purify themselves.} Al-Baqarah/222

 

{Say: If you [truly] love Allah, then follow me that Allah may love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. * Say: Obey Allah and obey the Prophet. Then, if they turn away [know that] Allah loves not the disbelievers.} Aal-Imran/31-32

 

In these verse is the proof of Allah's attribute of love. Love is one of the attributes of Allah's actions (As-Sifaat Al-Fi'liya). There can be no doubt about this attribute of Allah as is clear from the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the Consensus of the beginning of the Ummah of the Muslims. His love is called just that, and is of a nature appropriate to His Greatness and Perfection. It cannot be compared to human love except in name, since Allah said about himself: {There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the Hearer, the Seer}. This is the case with all of Allah's attributes, both those of His Essence and those of His Actions.

 

The linquistic derivation of the work for love (Hubb) contains the meanings of things being consistently together, and steadfastness. Thus is is said that a camel "Ahabb" (the same verb as the one meaning "loves") when it sits down and is quiet. Thus, one who loves is constant in the remembrance of the object of his love, and his heart is steadfast in its love with not desire to move away from it or to shift it to another.

 

Among the evidences of the Sunnah for Allah's attribute of Love is the following sahih hadith narrated by Ahmad:

 

"Three Allah loves, and three Allah hates: a man who faces the enemy along with a group [of mujahideen] and continues to face them until he either is killed, or opens a way for his companions; a group of people who press on in their journey until they yearn to touch the ground (i.e. sleep), and so they stop. Then one of them takes himself off to one side and continues praying until he wakes his companions to continue their journey; and a man who has a neighbor who harasses him and who is patient with his neighbor's torments until they are separated by death or journey. As for those whom Allah hates: a businessman who ever swears by the truth of his claims; a poor person who is arrogant; and a stingy person who is ostentatious and boastful about what he gives."

 

Ibn Taimia said: The people of the Sunnah and Al-Jamaa say that Allah loves and is pleased, as the Qur'an and the Sunnah have clearly shown. They further say that Allah's love and his pleasure (or acceptance) is more specific than His Will. Thus, Allah does not love disbelief or any forms of corruption and disobedience nor does he accept it, even though all of these things fall under His Will and His Decree as does everything in the creation.

 

DISCUSSION OF THE VERSES CITED ABOVE

 

In this verse, Allah informs us that He loves Al-Muhsineen i.e., those who practice Ihsaan. Ihsaan means doing of good, and is the opposite of Isaa'a, doing bad [toward] or offending. Ihsaan is of two type: Ihsaan in the worship of Allah and Ihsaan toward His creation. Ihsaan in the worship of Allah has been interpreted in the hadith as: "...to worship Allah as if you see him for, verily, even though you do not see Him, He surely sees you." As for Ihsaan toward His creation, it can consist of causing spriritual or material benefit to reach them or using ones strengths to keep some harm away from them, or both together. In this categoy is the "spending" of knowledge, i.e., exerting of one's efforts to teach people that which is beneficial to them and which has not reached them, and the spending of material wealth in the many paths of good.

 

It has been authenticated that Ibn Abbas said about the phrase in the first part of this verse, i.e., "do not cast yourselves to destruction" that: "This is about spending and not about fighting." This means that the Muslims have been warned that if they neglect the spending of wealth in the path of Allah, they will cast themselves to destruction. This can come about in three ways: 1) Excessive and unnecessary spending of what Allah has blessed us with, so the remainder is not sufficient to spend in the path of Allah; 2) Greediness and a desire to build up one's wealth rather than spending in the path of Allah; and 3) Laziness and/or backwardness which causes one not seek the sources of material power in the first place, and so it is not available to be spent in the path of Allah. This can be caused by a misunderstanding of Islam and thinking that it demands that we "flee from the life of this world" altogether. This will lead to our "casting ourselves to destruction with our own hands"!!

 

KNOWLEDGE CONTAINED IN THIS VERSE

 

Affirmation of Allah's attribute of love -- in a manner appropriate to His Greatness and Perfection.

 

That rewards or punishments are appropriate to the actions which caused them.

 

Ihsaan is a cause of Allah's love for His slave.

 

Proof that we act and that our actions have consequences.

 

An urging to seek the way and practice of Ihsaan.

 

Allah's great Compassion for his slaves, in that He enjoins us to practice Ihsaan with one another.

 

ALLAH'S ATTRIBUTE OF LOVE

(Continued)

Justice and equitable, unbiased judgement are a must in all interaction and judgments with all people. This is regardless of whether such are relatives, strangers, enemies or friends. Equity with respect to Allah's rights over us means to utilize all of the provision which He has bestowed upon us in the path of obedience to Him, and not to use any of that for the purpose of disobedience to Allah ta'ala.

 

Allah loves those who are just and equitable in all that they commit and all that they omit. He loves those the just with their families, and all that have been placed under their care or custody, in any work which they undertake, any decision which they give in a question and in every responsibility of any kind. Ibn Abbas narrates that the Prophet (sas) said:

 

"The just are with Allah on the day of Qiyama on towers of light on the right of the Throne -- those who are equitable in their rulings, with their families, and in all responsibilities which they have been given."

 

Justice is obligatory from everyone toward everyone and in all situations. Oppression is absolutely forbidden and can never be permissible in any situation. Furthermore, justice is something loved by all humanity. It is of the Ma'roof which the heart recognizes as good and which Islam enjoins and orders us to enjoin. On the other hand, oppression (or injustice and inequity in judgement) is of the Munkar which the heart rejects, and which Islam forbids us and commands us to forbid it to others. (The Prophet reported Allah as saying: "I have forbidden injustice to myself and it is likewise forbidden among you.")

 

The law of Islam or Shari'a which is obligatory upon every ruler and state to apply to the fullest is absolutely just. It contains no injustice or unfairness of any kind. Rather, the ruling of Allah is the ultimate and perfect ruling in all issues. The Shari'a is "that which Allah sent down." Whoever rules by what Allah has sent, rules with justice and equity, and whoever rules by other than what Allah sent down is, as Allah has described him (or her) in the Qur'an and oppressor (Dhaalim), corrupt (Faasiq) and a disbeliever who has left Islam (Kaafir).

 

A nations's affairs can be established through a system of justice which is mixed with sins and deviations more than it can be established with an oppressive system, even though it may contain few other sins (and be quite "Islamic" otherwise). For this reason, it has been said that Allah causes the just nation to flourish even if it is disbelieving, but He causes the oppressive nation to perish, though it may be "Muslim." The affairs of this world can flourish with justice combined with disbelief, but not with Islam combined with oppression.

 

This is because justice is the system of the entire creation. So, if the affairs of this world are established and maintained with justice, they will succeed, even though their authors may have no share in the good of the hereafter. If, however, the affairs of this world are executed with oppression and injustice, they will not flourish, even though their authors may have Iman sufficient to save them in the hereafter

 

KNOWLEDGE FOUND IN THIS VERSE

 

Allah's order to be just and equitable in all things.

 

Justice is a cause of Allah's love.

 

Affirmation of Allah's attribute of Love

 

Affirmation that humans act and are responsible for their actions -- that Allah will recompense all of use in accordance with our actions: reward for good and obedience to the Shari'a, and punishment for evil doing and transgression of the Shari'a.

 

In this verse, Allah instructs the Muslims how they must act toward the pagans of Makka in relation to a peace treaty which was between them since before the revelation of Sura At-Tauba. Allah's statement {...as long as they live up to their pledges to you, live up to yours to them...} means that as long as they live up to the terms of the agreement between you and them and continue to restrain from warfare (for the prescribed ten years). The Prophet (sas) and the Muslims did that, and the peace treaty with the pagans of Makka from Dhiy Al-Qi'dah of year 6 until Quraish broke the agreement by inciting their allies among the Arab bedouins (particularly, a tribe called Banu Bakr) to attack the allies of the Muslims among the bedouins. At that point, the Prophet invaded Makka with a force of 10,000 believers, and the Holy city was liberated by Allah for belief and worship in Ramadhan of year 8.

 

Love is the gravitation of the soul toward the object of love because of some perceived attribute of goodness or perfection. Al-Azhariy said: "Love of the slave for Allah and for His Prophet (sas) is his obedience of their orders and the following of them in all things. The love of Allah for His slave is a love which is appropriate to His Greatness and Perfection and its signs are His Mercy, His kindness and favor toward His slave." The meaning of this verse is: Say [to them], O Muhammad that if you truly love Allah, then follow me, for that which I have brought is from Him and makes clear His Attributes, His orders and His forbiddances. One who truly loves is very concerned to know the object of his love and to know his orders and forbiddances, that which pleases and that which annoys him so that he may seek to come closer to the object of his love through complying with his wishes and avoiding all that displeases him. Thus, if you follow me, Allah will surely love you.

 

This is a firm rejection of those claim to Allah's love while their actions give lie to their words. It is not possible for love to exist in the presence of ignorance of the Loved and lack of care for His orders and forbiddances. This is as Al-Warraaq said in poetry:

 

You disobey the god while you feign love of him;

This, I swear is a new type of analogy;

If your love were true, you would obey Him;

He who truly loves is to his loved obedient.

 

KNOWLEDGE CONTAINED IN THIS VERSE

 

Affirmation of the Deityship of Allah ta'ala.

 

Affirmation of Allah's attribute of Love.

 

Enjoining the true love Allah which means exerting oneself in its cause -- seeking Allah's love through obedience to Him.

 

Affirmation of Allah's attribute of Forgiving. Among Allah's names are Al-Ghafoor and Al-Ghaffaar.

 

An order to follow the Messenger (sas). This verse is the standard by which those who truly love Allah can be known and distinguished from those who falsely claim to love Him. The sign of love for Allah is the following of His Prophet (sas) in all things.

 

NOTE: Al-Jahmiya and Al-Mu'tazilah and those who followed them rejected Allah's attribute of Love. They said that love is something which does not occur except between similar beings. With this flimsy argument, they attempted to strip Allah of one of the attributes which He attributed to Himself!

 

SUMMARY: Allah Most High loves the people of obedience to His orders: the prophets and messengers, His angels, His allies (awliyaa) and the believers and Muhsineen among His slaves. Allah is also the object of the love of His devoted, believing slaves, and their love of Him knows no equal in anyone or anything else. This is the obligation upon every Muslim: that every love be subordinate to and lesser than a Muslims love for Allah and His Prophet (sas). Love of Allah is the heart of all righteous action and all worship, both apparent and internal is based on the love of the slave for his Lord Most High. This is only by Allah's grace and mercy, and through no power or ability of His slave. Rather it is Allah who loved his slave and granted him the love of Allah in his heart and made it greater than all other love, so that he would be among the people of obedience to Allah and people of His love and acceptance.

ALLAH'S ATTRIBUTES OF MERCY AND FORGIVENESS

 

Allah's statements: {In the name of Allah, Al-Rahman, Al-Raheem}, {Our Lord You have encompassed everything with mercy and with knowledge}, {And [Allah] is, with the believers, ever Raheem (merciful)}, {And my Mercy encompasses all things}, {You Lord as decreed mercy upon Himself.}, {And He is Al-Ghafoor (the Forgiving), Al-Raheem (Al-Raheem)}, {And Allah is the best Protector, and He is the most Merciful of those who have mercy.}

 

"Al-Basmalah:" The preposition "bi", here translated as in, signifies the seeking of Allah's aid. It goes with an omitted phrase which it indicates equivalent to "I begin, seeking Allah's aid..." The word for name ("ism") is derived from either the root meaning "elevation or loftiness" or from the root meaning "sign or marking". The Arabic word Allah is derived from "aliha" which connotes Deityship or the taking of one as a deity. The derivation of this word is that it was originally "Al-Ilaah", i.e., the god. Then, the hamza in the middle was eliminated to form "Allah". This word was in use among the Arabs to denote the Lord and Creator long before the coming of Islam. This name of Allah, like all of His names, serves as a name, and also indicates some of His attributes, here His attribute of Deityship. About His being "Al-Rahman, Al-Raheem," Ibn Abbas said: "Al-Rahman and Al-Raheem are two names denoting compassion, one more so than the other, i.e. denoting a more encompassing Compassion." Both words are "intense" forms (Seeghat Al-Mubaalagha). Al-Rahman is a form more intense than Al-Raheem and involves a more drastic change to the root. Al-Rahman is only for Allah ta'ala. No others can be names or described with this attribute. In fact, this word was not used in Arabic until Allah himself introduced it in the revelation. This is not the case with Al-Raheem. People can be described with this attribute and, in fact, Allah himself described His Messenger with this attribute in the Qur'an.

 

Ibn Al-Qayyim said: "The names of the Lord Most High are both names and attributes. They point to His attributes of Greatness and Perfection, with no contradiction between their being attributes and their being names. "Al-Rahman" is His name and it is also a description of His attributes."

 

As for the mention of both of these attributes together, it has a meaning more sublime than the sum of the two meanings: Al-Rahman indicates the attribute of Mercy in Allah's essence (one of As-Sifaat Adh-Dhaatiya, remember?), while Al-Raheem indicates this mercy being carried out with relation to those shown mercy (and thus is one of As-Sifaat Al-Fi'liya). The first one means that Allah has the attribute of Mercy, and the second means that He indeed has mercy on His creation. This distinction can be seen from the Qur'an itself, where Allah mentions that He is Al-Raheem with the believers, etc., but never is Al-Rahman mentioned in conjunction with Allah's creation.

 

These two names also indicate the truth of the sending of the prophets and the revealed books. This is clear to anyone who ponders their meaning. Allah's attribute of mercy and His actual mercy upon His creation makes in impossible that He could neglect them and not inform them of the way to absolute bliss. Thus, anyone who gives these attributes their full due, will realize that they include in their meaning the sending of the messengers and the revealed books even more clearly than they include the sending of the rain or the causing of plants to grow. The life of the heart arising from Allah's mercy in giving us guidance is far superior to the physical life of our bodies arising out of His supplying us with physical sustenance in this world.

 

KNOWLEDGE CONTAINED IN THE BASMALA

 

Affirmation of Allah's attribute of Compassion and Mercy.

 

Affirmation of the Deityship of Allah ta'ala.

 

Affirmation of Allah's names and attributes generally.

 

{Those who carry the Throne and those around it exalt the praises of their Lord and believe in Him; and they seek forgiveness for those who believe: Our Lord! You have encompassed everything with mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who have repented and have followed Your path, and shield them from the torment of Al-Jaheem!} Ghaafir/7

 

Allah's mercy is of two types: His all-encompassing mercy which includes all of his creation, and His special mercy and compassion for those who live according to His Order, those who do that which Allah loves and that which pleases Him. The angels her invoke Allah's all-encompassing mercy in making Du'a for the righteous believers who practice repentance.

 

{Muhammad is not the father of any of your men. Rather, the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets. And Allah is in full knowledge of all things. * O, you who believe remember Allah, much remembrance. * And exalt Him morning and evening. * He is the one who sends His prayers upon you along with His angels, that He may take you out of the darknesses to the light and He is, with the believers, Most Merciful.} Al-Ahzaab/40-43.

 

Here, Allah informs us that He has a special mercy for the believers, the people of His Way and His Order. As for this life: His mercy upon them is that He guided them to the truth of which others remained ignorant, and showed them the way which others failed to see or deviated from such as those who call to Kufr or Bida' and the ignorant ones who follow them. And Allah's mercy upon the believers in the hereafter: It is His protecting them from the fear and tribulations of that day, the His Order to the angels to receive them with glad tidings of success with paradise. About this mercy, Allah said: {I will decree (lit: "write") it for those who have Taqwa and pay the Zakat, those who believe in our Ayaat, those who follow the unlettered Prophet Messenger...} (7:156-157) And, in another verse: {Verily, those for whom good has been decreed will be from it far removed. They will hear no sound of it and they will be in that which they desire for eternity. The Greatest Tribulation will not grieve them and the angels will receive them [saying] this is your day which you were promised!}

 

KNOWLEDGE IN THESE AYAAT

 

Affirmation of Allah's Mercy and, in particular, His special mercy toward the people of obedience to Him.

 

A reminder to strive for Iman.

 

A rejection of the position of those who rejected Allah's attribute of Mercy, or interpreted it in some obscure and unjustified fashion.

 

ALLAH'S ATTRIBUTE OF MERCY AND FORGIVENESS

(Continued)

 

{And write (i.e. decree) for us in this world a good thing and in the hereafter. We have been guided to you. He said: [As for] my punishment, I send it upon whomever I wish and my Mercy encompasses all things. So I will write (i.e. decree) it for those who have Taqwa and pay the Zakat, and those who believe in Our ayaat. * Those who follow the Messenger, the Unlettered Prophet...} 7:156

 

Allah here informs us that His Mercy is general, encompassing all things in the upper worlds and the lower worlds, both the righteous and the corrupt, the believer and the disbeliever. There is no living thing, but that the Mercy of Allah has touched it. However, the most complete mercy is not for everyone in Allah's creation, as we see in Allah's statement {So I will write it...}. This is the special Mercy for the People of piety and obedience to Allah and is the Mercy whose consequence is joy in this life and in the next. Thus, in this verse is found proof of Allah's attribute of Mercy, that it is expansive and encompasses His entire creation, and also that His special Mercy which leads to joy in the hereafter is reserved for the people of taqwa and obedience.

 

{Say: Whose is all that is in the heavens and the earth? Say: [They belong] to Allah. He has written Mercy upon Himself. Verily, He will gather you all on the day of Qiyama, in which there is no doubt. Those who lost their own selves do not believe.} 6:12

 

This verse starts with a reminder that Allah is the Creator of all that is in the universe and the Owner and absolute Free Agent of His creation. This is followed immediately by Allah's declaration that He has "written" Mercy upon Himself. Here Allah shows His compassion for those who have turned their backs on Him, reminding us that He is Raheem with His slaves and fully capable of delivering immediate punishment for their actions. In spite of this, He has written mercy upon Himself, giving them time right up to the approach of death or Qiyama to repent and change their ways. He has written this, and promised it to us purely as a grace and a favor from Him. No one has or possibly could oblige Him to do that or anything else. This is then followed by mention of those "who lose their own selves". This is a reminder of our full accountability for actions. So, although, with our meager understanding, it may not seem "merciful" or even "just" for Allah to punish those who transgress and die without repenting from their sins, we are reminded again that we make our own choices and act. Therefore, it is completely just and fair that we face their consequences. Furthermore, it shows that great Mercy of Allah that he will overlook much, forgive many sins, and leave the door to repentance open.

 

This process of "writing" in the Qur'an comes with both its Shar'iy (please review if you have forgotten!) and Kauniy meanings. Examples of this word in the Qur'an with its Shar'iy meaning include the following: {Fasting has been written upon you...}, And We wrote upon them in it (i.e. the Taurat) that [the law is] a life for a life...}. And, examples of its Kauniy meaning include: {And we have written in Az-Zaboor, after the Dhikr, that the earth will be inherited by my righteous slaves...}, {He wrote upon him (i.e. Shaitaan) that [his state would be such that] with regard to any who turn to him, he will lead them astray and guide them to the punishment of the blazing fire.}

 

In this verse we have another example of this term used in its Kauniy sense. Allah has "written" upon himself Mercy with His creation as a pure favor from Him and with no compulsion from any direction.

 

Think about this: We know that it is possible for a person to obligate himself with certain things or to forbid other things to himself. Thus, this is obviously possible for He above whom there is nor one capable or ordering or forbidding. Also: Allah's writing something upon Himself necessitates his wanting of that thing to be, His loving it and acceptance of it just as His forbidding himself something necessitates his dislike for it and His intention that it should not be. Thus, whatever Allah "writes" and "obligates" upon Himself must occur, and whatever Allah "forbids" Himself must not and will not occur. This is in contrast to that which He forbids His creation or that which He obligates upon His creation, all of which takes place in some cases, but not in others. Human actions are always in accordance with Allah's decree, but are not always in accordance with His order, and that which He likes and that which pleases him. His actions, on the other hand, are always exactly what he wills and that which it pleases Him to do. This explains why "write" in this verse is Kauniy and not Shar'iy.

 

The people have become divided in this issue into two extremes of deviation, and the middle way. On group rejects the idea that anything could become required of him or "forbidden" him even through His own action and choice. Others declared a variety of things "obligatory upon Allah" or forbidden to Him using their minds.

 

Allah has guided the Ummah to the middle way in that in which they differed. He is not to be compared to His creation in any of His attributes or actions. On the other hand, his attributes with which He has described Himself cannot be negated or rejected. Nothing can be declared "obligatory" upon him or "forbidden" to Him, rather the people of the middle way simply report that which He has said about himself in the Qur'an or through His Prophet (sas).

 

KNOWLEDGE CONTAINED IN THIS VERSE

 

Affirmation of Allah's attribute of Mercy.

 

Affirmation of the Tauhid of Allah's Lordship.

 

Allah's care for his creation is of two types: general and specific. The general includes His creation of all people, His giving of sustenance, and His showing them the way to that which is to their benefit in this life and the next. Allah's special care is His mercy and care for His allies (Awliyaa) which is his nurturing of their Iman and His granting them the success of doing that which pleases Him and is in accordance with His order.

 

Affirmation that Allah has a "self" (nafs), and that, like all of Allah's attributes, is of a nature and meaning appropriate to His greatness and perfection.

ALLAH'S ATTRIBUTES OF BEING PLEASED WITH, ANGER,

WRATH, DISLIKE FOR SOMETHING, ETC.

 

{You will never find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day gravitating toward the love of those who act in opposition to Allah and His Messenger; even though they may be their fathers, their sons, their brothers or their kinsmen. For these Allah has written (i.e. decreed) Iman in their hearts and aided them with a spirit from Him. He will admit them to gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever. Allah is well pleased with them and they with Him. These are the party of Allah. Truly, it is the Party of Allah who will be successful.} 58/22.

 

In the verses of this chapter and others, Allah Most High describes Himself with the following attributes of action:

Ar-Ridhaa: to be pleased with something or someone, in this case with the believers and their actions.

Al-Ghadhab: anger; Allah is, as he mentioned in Al-Fatiha and elsewhere, angry with those who rebelliously disobey His orders.

As-Sakht: wrath; a more extreme anger, things which Allah loathes and which annoy and displease Him.

Al-Kurh: to be displeased with something.

Al-La'n: usually translated to curse. It means for one to be completely removed from and distanced from Allah's mercy.

 

All of these attributes and those like them are of Allah's attributes of action (As-Sifaat Al-Fi'liya) which Allah does when and as He wishes.

 

It is firmly established by textual evidence that the Creator has attributes of willful action such as sitting on the throne, withholding, giving in abundance, descending, and creating. Of these, some involve Allah alone, while others are "transitive" in nature and are actions which affect Allah's creation. This division corresponds to the two type of verbs found in all human languages. There can be no doubt that both types of actions are actions of Allah whether of the first type or the second. It is impossible either logically or in terms of the Shari'a that they could have their existence in any besides Him. Further, all of Allah's willful actions are under his complete Power and Will. Whenever and whatever He wishes to speak is spoken. Whatever He wishes to do He does whether in the past, the present or the future. This is a principle upon which the early generations were unanimous and which are clear in the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

 

In the first verse above, Allah sets out in no uncertain terms on of the attributes of the believers: Their loyalty, their love is entirely dedicated to Allah, His Messenger, and the people of Iman. They do not gravitate toward the people of disbelief or yearn to be like them and imitate them, no matter how close their previous relationship may have been. And, they do not give their loyalty to or feel that they belong to any grouping of any kind or description except for the group and the nation of the believers. They place nothing above this tie of Iman, neither the closest ties of blood and kinship or of nation, language, friendship, etc. No need for long discussions on the relationship of Islam to nationalism - Allah said it all and much more in this one verse.

 

Allah tells us that those who achieve this level of Iman - rising above all other ties and groupings except the brotherhood of Iman are the ones for whom He has decreed Iman and that He will aid them with strength and the light of Iman in their hearts. They are the ones who He will admit to the gardens of Paradise. Next (and to the point of this chapter), Allah tells us of his being pleased with these people and that they are content with Him as their Deity. They represent the Party of Allah, and Allah tells us that they are the ones who will be successful, i.e., will experience the good of this life and the next. The Prophet (sas) taught about this attribute of Allah in the following hadith:

 

"Verily Allah will say to the people of Paradise: "O, people of Paradise...", to which they will respond: "Labbaik, our Lord, and Saadaik, all good is in Your two Hands." Allah will then say: "Are you now pleased?" They will answer: "What is with us that we could not be pleased, when You have given us that which you gave no others in Your creation." Allah says: "Should I not give you something even better?" Then, they will ask: "O Lord, what could possibly be better than that?" To which Allah says: "I fix upon you My pleasure, and I shall never be angry with you, ever!" [Narrated by Muslim and Bukhari.]

 

{And whoever kills a believer intentionally [shall have] his reward of Hell fire, to dwell therein forever. Allah is angry with him, has cursed him and has prepared for him a terrible punishment.} 4/93.

 

In this verse is a harsh warning to those who intentionally murder a believer that their punishment will be Hell fire forever. The meaning of "forever" (Khaalidan feehaa) here is an extremely long stay therein. Allah further states that he is angry with them (Al-Ghadhab), and has cursed them (Al-La'n), i.e., has cast them away from His mercy. With respect to human action, this word means to curse and to revile, while with respect Allah's action it means to cast away and to put at a distance (from His mercy). This is the opposite concept of Allah's sending his prayers (Salaat) upon the righteous which has also been mentioned in the Qur'an. {He is the one who sends His prayers upon you, as do His angels, so that he may take you out of the darknesses into the light; and He is with the believers most Merciful. Their greeting on the day they meet him is "Salaam".} And, about Al-La'n, Allah said: {Verily Allah has cursed the disbelievers and prepared for them a blazing fire}.

 

The apparent meaning of this verse is that tauba is not accepted from one who killed a believer. This position has been reported as the position of Ibn Abbas and others among the companions, based on the many very harshly-worded hadith about the sin of killing a Muslim. The position of the majority of the Ummah, however, is that the verses and hadith about tauba which state that all sins are wiped clean by tauba include murder and thus, what is meant here is one who died without repentance. Wa Allahu A'alam!

PEOPLE ATTACKING DAWAH WORK!

PEOPLE ATTACKING DAWAH WORK!

This kind of comments and message put the ummah in confusion and mislead them and stop them from Dawah works from the works of ALLAH.

If you said that its not our problem to give Dawah or if the Muslim are not giving Dawah but it's there problem, this is the most selfish comments and our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) will never say these words so also the companions too. 

I will tell you that, "no matter how you tried pulling the work down, it will rise up in an amazing way more than the way it was before, if you try again, it will be more better, and again, again, and again!

Do you know your being in Islam if not that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his companions (Radiallahu anhuma) gave Dawah and their messages reached you?

When our non-muslim neighbours die and you and me and all muslim die, ALLAH will ask our non-muslim neighbours and friends that why you (non-muslims) didn't accept ISLAM? So the non-muslim may say that they didn't know about ISLAM, so ALLAH may ask them, "didn't you have Muslims around you to tell you about Islam to invite you to ISLAM to give you Dawah? So they may say that there were billions and billions of Muslim, but they never told them about Islam, they never invite them to ISLAM, they never give Dawah to them. ALLAH will now ask the Muslim that "why didn't you give Dawah"?

So what excuse will you make that day? Will you say it was not our problem? 

Will you say we had many problems in life which made us not to have time for Dawah?

So, that day, your excuse(s) won't work by not conveying the knowledge and the message of ISLAM.

Hiding the truth of ISLAM is in fact a sin:

As ALLAH says Verily, those who conceal the clear proofs, evidences and the guidance, which We (Allah) have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the book, they are the ones cursed by Allah and cursed by the cursers.” [2:159]

And Allah created man and caused him to dwell on this earth, but He did not forsake him. Rather He gave him what he needs of food, drink and clothing, and revealed to him throughout the ages a path to follow and be guided by. The interests and happiness of mankind at every time and in every place depend upon following the path of Allaah and rejecting all others: 

“And verily, this (i.e. Allaah’s Commandments mentioned in the above two Verses 151 and 152) is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path. This He has ordained for you that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)” [al-An’aam 6:153 – interpretation of the meaning] 

Islam is the last of the heavenly religions and the Qur’aan is the last of the heavenly Books. Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the last of the Prophets and Messengers. Allaah commanded him to convey this religion to all of mankind:

“this Qur’aan has been revealed to me that I may therewith warn you and whomsoever it may reach”[al-An’aam 6:18] 

Allaah sent His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with Islam to all of mankind, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘O mankind! Verily, I have sent to you all as the Messenger of Allaah’”[al-A’raaf 7:158] 

And Da’wah or calling others to Islam is the best of deeds, because it involves guiding people to the Straight Path (as it was in the first Chapter of the Holy Quran) and to that which will bring them happiness in this world and in the Hereafter: 

“And who is better in speech than he who [says: ‘My Lord is Allaah (believes in His Oneness),’ and then stands firm (acts upon His Order), and] invites (men) to Allaah’s (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds, and says: ‘I am one of the Muslims.’”[Fussilat 41:33 – interpretation of the meaning] 

Calling others to Islam is an honourable mission. This is the work of the Prophets and Messengers. The Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained that his mission in life, and the mission of his followers, is to call people to Allaah. 

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say (O Muhammad): ‘This is my way; I invite unto Allaah (i.e. to the Oneness of Allaah — Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me (also must invite others to Allaah, i.e. to the Oneness of Allaah — Islamic Monotheism with sure knowledge). And Glorified and Exalted be Allaah (above all that they associate as partners with Him). And I am not of the Mushrikoon (polytheists, pagans, idolaters and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allaah; those who worship others along with Allaah or set up rivals or partners to Allaah)’”[Yoosuf 12:108] 

The Muslims in general and the scholars as well are commanded to call people to Islam, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Ma‘roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful”[Aal ‘Imraan 3:104] 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Convey from me even if it is (only) one aayah.” (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3461) 

Calling people to Allaah is an important task and a glorious mission, because it means calling people to worship Allaah alone. It means bringing them forth from darkness to the light, planting goodness in the place of evil and truth in the place of falsehood. Hence whoever does this needs to have knowledge, understanding, patience, forbearance, gentleness and kindness. He needs to give of his wealth and of himself, and he needs to understand people’s circumstances and habits. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Invite (mankind, O Muhammad) to the way of your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Revelation and the Qur’aan) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better. Truly, your Lord knows best who has gone astray from His path, and He is the Best Aware of those who are guided”

[al-Nahl 16:125] 

Do you know sister there was a town and that town people's were sinners so ALLAH sent Jibrael pbuh to destroy the town and the people's but when Jibrael pbuh came to the town so there was a man standing praying to ALLAH and when Jibrael pbuh saw the man praying so Jibrael pbuh went back to ALLAH and said that O ALLAH there is man praying to you and O ALLAH you promised if one man is praying in the town so you won't destroy that town and the people's so ALLAH told Jibrael pbuh that go first destroy that man so sister why ALLAH told Jibrael pbuh to go and destroy that man first? He was not doing any sin it was not his problem and the people's were doing sin cause he was selfish man cause he was not stopping the people's from sin from kufar from shirk he was saying the same thing like you said that it's not our problem so Jibrael pbuh destroyed first that man than the whole town and people's 

Allaah has described the believers as denouncing evil and enjoining what is good. He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“The believers, men and women, are Awliyaa’ (helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of one another; they enjoin (on the people) Al‑Ma‘roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do), and forbid (people) from Al‑Munkar (i.e. polytheism and disbelief of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden)”

[al-Tawbah 9:71] 

“Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining Al-Ma‘roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden)”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:104] 

“You (true believers in Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad and his Sunnah) are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma‘roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained) and forbid Al‑Munkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden)”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:110] 

According to a saheeh hadeeth, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand [by taking action]; if he cannot, then with his tongue [by speaking out]; and if he cannot, then with his heart [by at least hating it and believing that it is wrong], and that is the weakest of faith.” Narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh

May Allah guide everyone of us..... Ameen!

THE SIX PILLARS OF IMAN

IMAAN

THE SIX PILLARS OF IMAN 

 

Just as Islam has five pillars (please recall the definitions of Islam and Pillar), so Imaan (please recall the definition of Imaan in all of its three necessary components) also has six pillars, taught to us by the Prophet (sas). These pillars are:

Belief in Allah;

Belief in the angels;

Belief in the revealed books;

Belief in the commissioned Messengers (peace be upon them).

Belief in the resurrection and the events of Qiyama.

Belief in the predestination by Allah of all things, both the (seemingly) good and the (seemingly) bad.

THE FIRST PILLAR

Belief in Allah Most High.

It is the foundation of the Islamic personality.

It is a basic human need, more basic than the need for his provision and sustenance.

Acts of worship only become real and valid with the feeling and awareness of their Object.

·         supplication

·         love

·         humility

·         fear

·         hope/reliance

·         adoration

Differences between the Creator and His creation.

·         He is free of any need for others.

·         He is the sole Creator of all that which pleases Him (and that which doesn't).

·         Allah has ordered His creation and forbidden them only in ways which are in their best interest.

·         He sent the Messengers and the books with the truth Ilm-ul-Ghaib.

He alone can guide to Iman. This is why the people of paradise will say:

[All praise be to Allah who guided us to this, for we never would have been guided to it if He had not guided us to it.]

The best worship is insufficient as gratitude for his bounties and mercies - they always fall short and we are need of His forgiveness.

No one's works will merit paradise. There is no contradiction between the Hadith:

"None shall enter Paradise by his actions." and the verse which says:

[These are the people of paradise, therein forever, a reward for that which they used to do.]

Every human needs Allah's forgiveness of his sins.

 

THE SECOND PILLAR

 

Belief in the Angels.

Belief that among Allah's creation are angels.

Real beings, not illusions or figments of human imagination.

Created from light.

A Muslim must believe specifically in all the angels named and/or described in the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

Jibreel: in charge of delivering revelation.

Mika'il: in charge of bringing the rain.

Israfil: the blower of the horn on Qiyama.

Malik-ul-Maut: the Angel of Death who takes people's souls at death.

The Noble Recorders: those who record people's actions.

The Protectors (Al-Mu'aqqibat): who keep people from death until its decreed time.

Ridhwan: in charge of Paradise.

Malik: in charge of Hell.

Munkar and Nakir: the questioners in the grave.

The Carriers of the Throne.

Those who record the future of the foetus.

Those who enter the Haram: 70,000 every day.

Those who move about, descending upon gatherings at which Allah and His Book are mentioned and studied.

Belief in the angels is an integral part of Iman.

[See 2/285 Al-Baqarah]

Kufr with respect to the angels is kufr.

[See 4/136 An-Nisaa]

They are not some metaphysical force or aspect of the human psyche or self. Deviants have said such things for many centuries, and it was not a new deviation when it was being propagated in America during this century.

 

THE THIRD PILLAR

 

Belief in the Books of Allah.

General belief in the phenomenon of the sending of books.

Six specific books mentioned in the Qur'an:

As-Suhuf of Ibrahim and Musa.

Az-Zaboor given to Daud.

At-Taurat revealed to Musa.

Al-Injeel revealed to Isa.

Al-Qur'an - the final revelation.

Attributes of the Qur'an:

Flawless and untampered with:

[See 41/42 Fusilat]

The final authority over any remnants of the previous books.

[See 5/48 Al-Maidah]

A guidance and a mercy.

[See 10/37 Yunus]

The Qur'an must be followed and applied.

[See 6/155 Al-An'aam]

 

Hadith narrated by Ali:

The Prophet (sas) said: "Verily, there will be fitan." I said: "What is the way out of them, Messenger of Allah?" He said: "The Book of Allah; in it is news of those who came before you; news of what is to come after you; the ruling on that which is between you; it is the decisive criterion, and is not jest. Whoever leaves it among the arrogant ones will be made small by Allah; whoever seeks guidance from other than it will be sent astray by Allah. It is the mighty rope of Allah, the Wise Reminder, and the Straight Path. With it, inclinations do not deviate nor tongues become confused. Scholars are never satiated with it; it never becomes tiresome with repetition; its wonders never diminish. ... Whoever speaks by it is truthful; whoever applies it is rewarded; whoever judges by it is just; and whoever calls to it is guided to a straight path.

- Narrated by At-Tirmidhi [Its chain is not strong because of two unknown narrators.]

 

THE FOURTH PILLAR

 

Belief in the prophets, prayers and salutations of Allah be upon them.

Belief in the process of prophethood.

Allah in His wisdom did not neglect His creation.

Prophets sent to guide us in this life and the next.

Specific belief in the 25 prophets named in the Qur'an: (1) Adam, (2) Nuh, (3) Idris, (4) Saleh, (5) Ibrahim, (6) Hud, (7) Lut, (8) Yunus, (9) Isma'il, (10) Is-haq, (11) Ya'qub, (12) Yusuf, (13) Ayub, (14) Shu'aib, (15) Musa, (16) Harun, (17) Alyas', (18) Dhu Al-Kifl, (19) Daud, (20) Zakariya, (21) Sulaiman, (22) Ilyas, (23) Yahya, (24) Isa, and (25) Muhammad, prayers and salutations of Allah be upon him and upon all the messengers of Allah.

General belief that there are many other prophets and messengers, but never assuming anything without knowledge from Allah.

The subject matter of the prophethood.

Warnings and glad tidings.

So the disobedient will have no excuse before Allah. (Prophets sent to every nation.)

Enjoining the worship of Allah and the avoidance of At-Taghoot (Shaitaan, etc.)

Prophets are the best of the Awliyaa (Allies) of Allah.

What is wilaya; what it isn't.

Wilaya, Iman, Kufr and Nifaaq are all variable attributes which can all be present to varying degrees.

The best of Allah allies are the prophets (a.s.).

The best among the prophets are the messengers.

The best among the messengers are the five firmly intentioned mentioned in the Qur'an.

The best of the firmly intentioned is Muhammad (sas).

Attributes of the Prophet Muhammad:

Seal of the prophets; Imam of the pious; Foremost among the sons of Adam; Imam and Khatib of the prophets when they assembled; Possessor of the Praiseworthy Position which all of mankind will wish they had attained (and which is mentioned in the Du'a of hearing the adhan); Owner of the pool in paradise; Intercessor for all mankind on the day of Qiyama.

Allah sent him with the best of the books and the best of His law. Allah made his nation "the best nation brought forth for mankind." Allah gave him (and us) all of the good that was given only partially to the previous nations. His nation is the last in creation, the first in resurrection.

From the moment of his prophethood, Allah made him the criterion (Al-Farooq) for distinguishing Allah's allies and their actions from His enemies and their actions: None can have any relationship to Allah except through belief in the Prophet (sas) and following what he brought in public and in secret. Whoever claims love or closeness to Allah while disobeying the message is actually drawing closer to Shaitaan, farther from Allah.

THE FIFTH PILLAR

 

Belief in the resurrection (Al-Ba'th). Reconstruction of the body and return of the soul to it. People will come forth out of their graves like locusts. Faces bent down. Rushing to the Caller.

[See 53/76 Al-Qamar; 70/43 Al-Ma'arij; 17/49 Al-Israa; 36/78 Yasin; 20/108 Taha]

The resurrection is of the body and the soul, not some metaphysical resurrection of the latter.

Twelve verses from the Qur'an which prove that.

Hadith: "The sun will come down toward the people on the day of Qiyama until it is only about a mile up. The people will be in their own perspiration according to their acts: some of them will be in it up to their ankles, some up to their groin and others up to their chins, and he pointed to his mouth." Narrated by Muslim.

A disbeliever once came to the Prophet (sas) with an old bone, crumbled it with his hand and said: "O Muhammad, will Allah bring this back to life after it has rotted?! The Prophet said: "Yes, Allah will resurrect this and he will cause you to die, bring you back to life, and put you into the fire of Jahannam!"

 

THE SIXTH PILLAR

 

Belief In Predestination and Decree

A Muslim believes in Allah's predestination of all things and events (Qadhaa), His decree (Qadar), His wisdom in His actions, and His will. Nothing in the universe can occur, even the voluntary actions of His slaves, except after Allah's knowledge, and His decree of that event. A Muslim further believes that Allah is Just in His predestination and His decree, Wise in all of His actions. His wisdom follows His will: Whatever He wills is, and whatever He does not will is not. There is no power nor any movement except by Allah. This is substantiated by the textual and logical proofs which follow:

 

TEXTUAL EVIDENCE

1) Allah informed us of this in the Qur'an:

 

[Verily, we have created everything in (predetermined) measure.] Qur'an 54/49

 

[And there is nothing whatsoever but that its reserves are with us, and we do not send it down except in known measure.] Qur'an 15/21

 

[No calamity strikes in the earth nor in your selves but that was in a book since before We created it (i.e. the event). That is easy for Allah.] Qur'an 57/22

 

[No calamity strikes except with the permission of Allah.] Qur'an 64/11

 

Qur'an 9/51

 

[And with Him are the keys of the unseen, no one knows them except Him. He knows all that is in the ocean and on the land. No leaf falls without His knowledge, nor any particle in the dark recesses of the earth, nor anything green and fresh or dry and withered but that it is in a clear book.] Qur'an 6/59

 

[This is nothing less than a reminder to all the worlds. * For whoever among you has an intention to go straight. * But you will never have this intention unless Allah so wills, Lord of the worlds.] Qur'an 81/27-29

 

[Those for whom good has already been decreed by us will be far removed from it (i.e. hell).] Qur'an 21/101

 

Qur'an 18/39

 

[Praise be to Allah who guided us to this, and we would never have attained guidance if Allah had not guided us.] Qur'an 7/43

 

2) The Prophet (sas), too, has informed us about the reality of Allah's predestination and decree in many hadith:

 

"Verily, each one of you is formed in his mother's womb forty days as a drop, then he is something suspended for a similar period, then he is a piece of flesh like a chewed piece of meat for another period of forty days, then the angel is sent to insert the soul. This angel is ordered to record four things: the sustenance which he will receive during his lifetime, the length of his life, all actions that he will do, and whether he will end up miserable (in hell) or joyous (in paradise). I swear by the One other than whom there is no deity, one of you may do the works of the people of paradise right up until there is only an arm's length between him and paradise, but his destiny overtakes him, so he does the actions of the poeple of the fire and enters it. And, verily, one of you may do the works of the people of hell until there is nothing between them and hell except for one arm's length, but his destiny overtakes him, and so he does the works of the people of paradise, and enters it." (Muslim)

 

"Young man, I will teach you some words: Preserve (your obligations toward) Allah and He will preserve you. Guard (your obligations toward) Allah, and you will find Him on your side. When you ask, ask Allah. When you seek aid and succour, seek it from Allah. And know, that if the entire nation got together to benefit you in some way, they could never benefit you at all except for that which Allah had already decreed for you. And, if they all got together to harm you in some way, they could do you no harm except for that which Allah had already decreed for you. The pens have been lifted, and the tablets have dried." (At-Tirmidhi, and he rated it Sahih.)

 

"The first thing which Allah created was the pen. Then, He said to it: Write. It asked: My Lord, what should I write? He said: Write the proportions of all things up until the Hour." (Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, and it is hassan.)

 

"Adam disputed with Musa. Musa said to Adam: "O, Adam, you are the father of the human race, Allah created you with His hand, and blew into you of His spirit, and made His angels prostrate to you, why did you expel yourself and us from the garden?" Adam said to him: "You are Musa whom Allah favored with His speech, and wrote for you the Taurah with His hand, so (tell me) by how many years before my creation did you find it written about me: [... then Adam disobeyed his Lord and got lost.] (Qur'an 20:121)? Musa said: "By forty years." Then, Adam said: "So how do you blame me for something which Allah had decreed for me before my creation by forty years?" The Prophet said: "And so, Adam defeated Musa in the dispute."

 

"Iman (faith) is to believe in Allah, His angels, His revealed books, His messengers, the last day, and the predestination of all things both (those which appear) good and (those which appear) bad." (Muslim)

"Act, for each of you will find easy that for which he was created." (Muslim)

 

"Verily, oaths do not change destiny." (Sahih)

 

"O, Abdullah ibn Qais, should I not teach you a word which is one of the treasures of paradise? (It is to say): There is no movement nor any power except from Allah."

 

"Someone said: That which Allah wants and you want. To which the Prophet (sas) replied: That which Allah alone wants." (An-Nasaa'i, and he rated it sahih)

 

3) Millions of people from the nation of Muhammad (sas) have believed in Allah's predestination and decree of all things and events including its scholars, righteous ones and others. They all believed too in His wisdom and His will and that everything is known to Allah in advance of its occurrence, and only takes place by His decree. Nothing can take place anywhere in His kingdom except for that which He wills. What He wills is, and what He does not will is not. The pen has already recorded the destinies of all things up to the establishment of the hour.

 

EVIDENCE OF REASON

1) Reason does not reject the idea of predestination and decree and of Allah's wisdom and His will. Just the opposite, reason demands that this is the case without doubt because of the clear evidences of it in the universe around us.

 

2) Belief in Allah and in his perfect might and power demands the belief in His predestination and His decree, His wisdom and His will.

 

3) An architect is able to make drawings for a huge building on a piece of paper. He determines the time in which it will be built, and then works at the execution of his plan, bringing the reality of the building from the paper to reality in the time set for its accomplishment, and in accordance with what he drew on the paper, neither more nor less. This being the case for a human, how could anyone reject the fact that Allah has set the proportions of all things from now until the hour? And then, due to the perfection of His knowledge and His power, He brings about those assigned proportions just as He had pre-set them in terms of quantity, nature, time, and place. There is no reason to reject these facts once we know that Allah is capable of all things!

 

THE AFFIRMATION OF ALLAH'S CHARACTERISTICS

(WITHOUT NEGATION, ANALOGY, DISTORTION OR SPECULATION)

 

The Author: "Part of the belief in Allah is the belief in all that with which He has described Himself in His Book or with which His Prophet (sas) has described Him without any distortion, negation, speculation (as to the exact nature of these attributes), nor analogy (i.e. between Allah's attributes and those of His creation bearing the same names)."

 

This section is a more detailed explanation of the first pillar of Iman: belief in Allah Most High. This is, of course the most fundamental principle in Islam, and the foundation of all other principles of belief and action.

 

Distortion (At-Tahreef).

Distortion of the Names and Attributes themselves (i.e. the words) and (b) Distortion of their meanings.

 

EXAMPLES:

The Jahmiy (follower of the deviations of Al-Jahm ibn Safwan) negates Allah's statement about himself that he "sat on the throne" by adding an extra letter to the word in the Qur'an.

[Istawaa 'alaa al-'arsh] ==> [Istawlaa 'alaa al-'arsh]

 

The innovators who changed the case of a noun in the Qur'an in an effort to negate Allah's attribute of speech:

[Wa kallama Allahu Musa takleeman] ==> [Wa kallama Allaha Musa takleeman]

 

Others distorted meanings of Allah's attributes without actually changing the words. Examples include those who said that Allah's anger (Ghadhab) means His intention to punish, His mercy (Rahma) means his intention to have mercy, His hand (Yad) is His generosity or His power, etc.

 

Negation (At-Ta'teel):

The meaning of the word is to leave, neglect or be done with something, or for something to be unused and nonfunctional. The technical meaning here is the negation or denial of any or all of Allah's Attributes. Negation of Allah's attributes can be divided into three categories:

 

Negation of the Exalted Perfection of Allah Most High via the negation of His Names and Glorious Attributes such as was done by the Jahmiya and the Mu'tazila.

 

Negation through negation of appropriate interaction with Allah and neglect of worship of Him and obedience to Him, or the association of others with Him in acts of worship and/or obedience.

 

Negation of the relationship of the creation to its Creator, such as the negation of the philosophers who claimed that this physical universe has no beginning, and that it has always and will always work according to its own internal rules. They turn Allah into an essence with no attributes - which is an impossibility!

 

Speculation and Analogy (At-Takyeef wa At-Tamtheel):

At-Takyeef means attempts to ascribe a detailed understanding of the exact nature of the various attributes with which Allah has described Himself. At-Tamtheel means to make a direct comparison or analogy between one of Allah's attributes and a human attribute having the same name, such as the comparison of Isa by the Christians to Allah Most High, or that of Uzair by the Jews or that of the idols by the polytheists to Allah Most High. Likewise the Mushabbiha among the Muslims who compare Allah with His creation by saying that He has a face like our faces, hands like our hands, hearing and sight like ours, etc.

 

The author said elsewhere: "Rather [the believers] believe that Allah Most High is not comparable to anything or anyone else, and He is the Hearing, the Seeing. They do not negate or deny any of that with which He described Himself, nor [do they] distort the words out of their proper context. They do not deviate [with respect to] His Names and His Verses. They do not seek detailed descriptions of the exact nature of His attributes without sources of that knowledge, nor compare His attributes with those of His creation, because there are none comparable to Him, nor any equal or partner!"

 

Tauhid of Allah's Names and Attributes means belief in everything which has come in the Qur'an and the authenticated hadith regarding Allah's attributes with which He described Himself in the Qur'an, or with which His Prophet (sas) has described Him. A Muslim must believe in the reality of these attributes just as they have come in the above sources, without attempting to analyze the "how" of any of them, nor to attempt to represent them with something else, nor to view them as equivalent to something else, nor to re-interpret them with other than their apparent meanings in the Arabic language, nor to distort or negate them maintaining the belief that...

 

[There is nothing whatsoever similar to Him, and He is the Hearer, the Seer.] Ash-Shooraa/11

Allah said:

 

Qur'an Al-Ikhlaas/all

 

[And to Allah belong the best of names, so call Him with them, and leave those who deviate with regard to His names - they will be fully repaid for all that they used to do.] As- A'raaf/180

 

THE POSITION OF AHLU AS-SUNNAH WITH REGARD TO

ALLAH'S ATTRIBUTES

 

The Prophet (sas) said: "The best of generations is my generation. It is followed (in superiority) by the one which comes after it, then the one which comes after that, then the one which comes after that."

 

Ahlu As-Sunna acknowledge and believe that Allah ta'ala is completely unlike and cannot be compared to any created being, neither in His essence, His attributes, His actions or His names. All of His names are glorious, and all of His attributes are attributes of perfection and absolute greatness. The ultimate and most concise proof of the position of ahlu as-sunnah is found in the verse cited earlier, in which Allah says:

 

[There is nothing whatsoever similar to Him, and He is the Hearer, the Seer.] Ash-Shooraa/11

 

This verse contains a negation which is followed immediately by an affirmation. The fact that Allah negates the possibility of anything or anyone being comparable or like Him, and follows that immediately with he affirmation of two of His glorious names and perfect attributes, puts an absolute end to the confusing arguments and sophistries of the innovators in the area of Allah's names/attributes. When one comprehends fully the meaning of this verse and contemplates it, it is alone is sufficient for an understanding of this issue. It is further supported by the following verses:

 

[He knows all that is in front of them and all that is behind them, and they are incapable of encompassing Him with their knowledge.] Taha/110

 

[He knows all that is in front of them and all that is behind them, and they can encompass nothing of his knowledge (with their understanding) except what He so wills.] Al-Baqarah/ 255

 

The author said elsewhere:

 

those who used their imaginations, (2) those who distort meanings through non-apparent interpretation, and (3) those who postulate ignorance of their meanings on the part of the Prophet (sas) and the believers.

 

The imaginers are the philosophers and those who followed their path among sophists (Al-Mutakallimeen) and sufis. The essence of their position is that they say: "All that the Prophet (sas) has mentioned to us in the area of belief in Allah and the last day is just an imaginary conception of the realities delivered in a form that the masses could benefit from, but which do not make any of that reality clear or guide the creation to an understanding of them."

 

Beyond this, they fall into two groups: One group says that the Prophet (sas) did not have true knowledge of these realities, and they say that some of the later philosophers and spiritual seekers after him have arrived at this knowledge! They place some of the supposed "awliyaa'" on a higher lever than the commissioned messengers! This is the belief of the many of the sufis and the Shi'a. Another group says that while the Prophet (sas) had knowledge of these realities, he did not make them clear to the people. In fact, they claim that he taught them meanings actually at odds with the realities which he understood because that was what was beneficial to them. Thus, their argument is that it was required of the Prophet (sas) to call the people to belief in Allah having attributes that they could understand, to the resurrection of our bodies on Qiyama, to eating and drinking in Al-Jannah, not because these things are real, but because it would not have been possible to call the people except with such things. Thus they allege that the Prophet (sas) was ordered to lie to the people "for their own good". As for the practical applications and laws of Islam, they go two different ways: some accept their obligation upon them, while others say that they only apply to some people or that they apply to the common masses, but that certain special individuals become exempt from their requirements.

 

Those who distort by allegorical interpretation say that the Prophet (sas) did not intend, in these texts dealing with Allah's attributes, that people should believe untruths; rather, he intended with them certain meanings which, however, he did not make clear, or did he point them in their direction. Rather, he wanted them to seek and attempt to know the realities with their minds, and then to fit the texts through interpretation to the meanings at which they arrive. In their belief, the teachings of the Prophet (sas) were nothing more than a test or a requirement of them to seek to know the truth from other sources, and not from him (sas).

 

Those who postulate ignorance (and there are many of them who claim adherence to the sunnah) claim that the Prophet (sas) did not know the meanings of the revelations about Allah's attributes, nor did Jibreel. According to this, the Prophet (sas) spoke to us with things which he himself did not understand. They cite Allah's statement that:

 

[None knows their true meanings (or interpretation) except Allah.]

 

This is basically a correct position, except for the fact that they failed to differentiate between meaning and interpretation (i.e. tafsir).

 

NO ANALOGIES OR COMPARISONS CAN BE MADE

BETWEEN ALLAH MOST HIGH AND HIS CREATION

 

Allah Most High said: [So do not posit similitudes to Allah; Verily Allah knows and you know not.] An-Nahl/74. Allah ta'ala cannot be compared to any among His creation in His actions and His attributes, just as He cannot be compared to any of them in his essence.

 

This position of the Sunnah and its followers, is at odds with he deviation of the "Mu'tazilah" and those among the Shi'a who imitated them. They make analogies between Allah and His creation and make Allah comparable to His creation and subject to the same methods of analysis. Then they proceeded to fabricate a law from themselves, saying that Allah must do such and such and must not do such and such.

 

The Mu'tazilah and those who follow their way are Mushabbiha in relation to Allah's actions, and Mu'attilah in relation to His attributes. They reject some of what Allah has attributed to Himself, and they call that Tauhid; and they have made Him comparable to His creation in analysis of praiseworthy and blameworthy actions, calling that justice.

 

Their "justice" is a rejection of Allah's absolute power and control over his creation (the Sixth Pillar of Iman, above), and is in reality shirk. Their "tauhid" is deviation with regard to his names and their rejection or negation (ta'teel).

 

[And to Allah belong the best of names, so call Him with them, and leave those who deviate with regard to His names - they will be fully repaid for all that they used to do.] As- A'raaf/180

 

In short, Allah's is the utmost example (in all of his attributes); comparisons and analogies, either partial or total, cannot be drawn between Him and His creation.

 

[And His is the utmost example in the heavens and the earth, and He is the Mighty, the Wise.] Ar-Rum/27

 

Thus, any attribute of perfection or power with which humans can be described, is in its ultimate meaning, and is most appropriate when applied to Allah, ta'ala. And any negative attribute or shortcoming which is negated from humans by way of praise is in its ultimate meaning, and is most appropriate when applied to Allah ta'ala.

 

All issues of Allah's attributes and names must be taken back, both to affirm and deny, to that which Allah said about Himself, and that which His Prophet (sas) taught us about Him. These sources cannot be neglected in favor of those who forge lies about Allah, and speak about Him that which they know not.

 

The author: "And [Allah is] more truthful in speech and superior in discourse to his slaves...." This is taken from the verse:

 

[Allah! There is no deity but Him. He will surely bring you all together to the day of Qiyama; there is no doubt therein; and who is more truthful in discourse than Allah?] An-Nisaa/87

 

Allah's discourse is on the absolute highest level of truth. Any "knowledge" which contradicts the discourse of Allah is falsehood, lies or deception since it contradicts the ultimate and infallible truth.

 

The author: "Further, His messengers are truthful and among those who believe as true..." Truthfulness (As-Sidq) means accordance between statement and reality. "Those who believe as true (Musaddiqeen) refers to their complete belief in the revelations which came to them.

 

The author: "...This, in contrast to those who say about Allah that which they know not." This includes those who speak, based on speculation and their own minds, understandings and inclinations about Allah: His law, His Deen, His names or His attributes.

 

Allah said:

 

[Glorified is your Lord, the Lord of might above that which they attribute to Him. * And peace be upon the messengers. * And all praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds.] As-Saaffaat/180-182.

 

ALLAH CANNOT BE COMPARED TO HIS CREATION

(Continued)

 

The verses quoted previously are a concise expression of the position of the true worshippers of Allah in relation to His attributes about which He has informed us through His Messenger (sas). In the first verse, Allah declares His perfection and his remoteness from any of the things which humans attempt to ascribe to him with their minds. Next, He invokes a greeting upon the commissioned messengers - because of their faithful delivery of the true teachings about Allah and His attributes. Finally, He finishes by invoking to Himself "Al-Hamd" the ultimate praise which is due only to Him because of His glorious attributes of perfection and might.

 

Now, we will take a closer look at the meaning of the words in the verse.

 

{Subhaana Rabbika Rabbi Al-'Izzati 'Amma Yasifoon; Wa Salaamun 'Alaa Al-Mursaleen; Wa Al-Hamdu Lillahi Rabbi Al-Aalameen}

 

Subhaana:

This is a verbal noun derived from the same root as Tasbeeh which connotes declaration of Allah's freedom of all defects (and His deanthropomorphism) and His distance from all that is bad. Prayer has been called Tasbeeh, since this attitude toward Allah is the heart of all belief and worship.

 

Al-'Izza:

Strength, power, dominion and control.

 

Al-Rabb:

The Lord and Cherisher of all of His creation with a multitude of bounties and provisions.

 

As-Salaam:

Greetings (the greetings of peace) upon the Messengers. It also connotes integrity and freedom from defects (as opposed to those who speak of Allah as they imagine Him to be) in their teachings, since Salaama comes from the same root.

 

Al-Mursaleen:

Plural of Rasool (Messenger). The Messengers are those to whom a law has been revealed from Allah, and who have been ordered to propagate it.

 

Al-Hamd:

An expression of praise based on the good action which the praised one has done by his will and choice, whether that action has benefitted the praiser or others beside him.

 

The General Meaning of the Three Verses:

These verses are a very important lesson in Tauhid, and an apt closing to Sura As-Saaffaat in which Allah has declared himself free of any consort, wife, partner, son or companion. This is so the Muslim may never be unmindful of these truths, and may place the seal of Tauhid on all of his good actions. Allah declares Himself free of all of the attributes which have been ascribed to Him by those who oppose the Messengers or deviate from their messages - attributes which are not appropriate to His greatness and perfection. The greeting upon the Messengers which follows this is because of the complete integrity and reliability of all that they taught about Allah, Most High. In this, also, is an indication that just as a Muslim must have a belief in Allah free from any shortcoming or flaw, a Muslim likewise must believe in the integrity of all of the Messengers in their actions and their statements. None of the Messengers ever lied about Allah, associated anything with Him or deceived their nations about Him; they speak nothing about Him but the truth, may the prayers and peace of Allah be upon them.

 

The people of the Sunnah are unanimous in affirming that the Messengers are infallible in their delivering of the message. It is impossible that anything could stabilize in their teaching and practice of the Shari'a which is not Allah's ruling. It is obligatory to believe all that of which they have informed us and to obey them in that which they have ordered and forbidden. Although a Muslim commits sins (and does not thereby cease being a Muslim), they are not to be accepted from him. Further, if he repents a true repentance, he may, with Allah's mercy reach a superior state than the one previous to his sin and repentance.