Aqeedah
of
Hakimul Ummah
Mujaddid Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Rah.)
Beliefs concerning Allah Ta'ala
1. In the beginning, the entire universe was non-existent. Through the creation of Allah, it came into existence.
2. Allah Ta'ala is One. He is not dependent on anyone. He has not given birth to anyone, nor was He begotten. He does not have any wife. There is no one equal to Him.
3. He has been since eternity and will remain till eternity.
4. There is nothing similar to Him. He is unique.
5. He is alive. He has power over everything. There is nothing that is beyond His knowledge. He sees and hears everything. He speaks, but His speech is not like ours. He does whatever He wishes and there is no one to stop or reprimand Him. He alone is worthy of being worshipped. He has no partner. He is merciful to His servants. He is the lord. He is free of all blemishes. He is the one who saves His servants from all calamities. He is the possessor of honour and greatness. He is the creator of all things; nothing has created Him. He is the forgiver of sins. He is all-powerful.
He gives in abundance. He is the one who gives sustenance. He decreases the sustenance of whoever He wishes and increases the sustenance of whoever He wishes. He humiliates whoever He wishes and elevates whoever He wishes. He gives honour to whoever He wishes and disgraces whoever He wishes. He is just. He is extremely tolerant and forbearing. He values and rewards service and worship rendered to Him. He accepts duas (supplications). He is all-encompassing. He is the ruler over everyone and no one is a ruler over Him. No work of His is devoid of wisdom. He fulfils the needs of everyone. He is the one who created everyone and He is the one who will bring all back to life on the day of qiyaamah. He is the one who gives life and He causes death.
Everyone knows Him through signs and attributes. No one can know the essence of His being. He accepts the repentance of the sinners. He punishes those who deserve punishment. He is the one who gives guidance. Whatever happens in this universe occurs under His order. Without His
order, even an atom cannot move. He does not sleep nor does He slumber. He does not get weary of protecting the entire universe. He is the one who is keeping everything in control. He has all good and beautiful qualities. There is no bad or defective quality in Him, nor is there any blemish in Him.
6. All His qualities are from eternity and will remain till eternity. No quality of His can ever disappear.
7. He is free from the qualities of the creation. Wherever such qualities have been mentioned in the Quran or Hadith, we leave the meanings of them to Allah. He is the one who knows the reality of these things. We believe in these things without delving into them and have the conviction that whatever their meanings may be, they are correct. And this is the best way of looking at these things. Alternatively, we could give them some appropriate meaning with which we could get an understanding of them.
8. Whatever good or evil that takes place in the world, Allah Ta'ala knows of it from eternity; and according to His knowledge He brings it into existence. This is what is meant by taqdir (pre-destination). There is a lot of mysterious wisdom in creating even evil things. Everyone is not aware of this wisdom.
9. Allah Ta'ala has given man an understanding and the power of choice with which he chooses between good and evil. However, man does not have the power to bring anything into existence of his own accord. Allah Ta'ala is pleased with good deeds and displeased with evil deeds.
10. Allah Ta'ala has not ordered man to do anything which is beyond his power.
11. Allah Ta'ala is not bound by anything. Whatever mercy He shows is solely out of His kindness and virtue.
Beliefs concerning the Prophets
1. Allah Ta'ala has sent down many prophets to guide mankind onto the right path. They are all free from sins. Their actual number is known to Allah alone. In order to establish their truthfulness, Allah caused new and difficult acts to happen through them which others cannot do. Such acts are called miracles (mu'jizaat).
The first prophet is Aadam alayhis salaam and the last is Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. All the others came in between these two. Some of them are famous, such as: Nuh alayhis salaam, Ibrahim alayhis salaam, Is'haaq alayhis salaam, Ismail alayhis salaam, Yaqub alayhis salaam, Yusuf alayhis salaam, Daud alayhis salaam, Sulayman alayhis salaam, Ayyub alayhis salaam, Musa alayhis salaam, Harun alayhis salaam, Zakariyyah alayhis salaam, Yahya alayhis salaam, Isa alayhis salaam, Ilyas alayhis salaam, al-Yasa' alayhis salaam, Yunus alayhis salaam,
Lut alayhis salaam, Idris alayhis salaam, Zul Kifl alayhis salaam, Salih alayhis salaam, Hud alayhis salaam, and Shuayb alayhis salaam.
2. Allah Ta'ala did not show the exact number of prophets to anyone. We should therefore have this belief that we have faith in all the prophets that Allah sent down; those that we know of and those that we do not know of as well.
3. The status of some prophets is higher than that of others. The highest status is that of our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. No new prophet can come after him. He is the prophet of all mankind and jinn right until the day of Qiyamat.
4. Allah Ta'ala took our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam physically while he was awake, from Makkah to Baitul Maqdis, and from there to the seven heavens, and from there to wherever Allah wanted. He then sent him back to Makkah. This journey is known as the Mi'raj.Beliefs concerning angels and jinn
After creating certain creatures from light, Allah Ta'ala concealed them from our sight. These creatures are called angels. A lot of work has been given to them. They never do anything contrary to the orders of Allah Ta'ala. They continue doing whatever work they have been assigned to do. Among them, four angels are very famous. They are: Hadrat Jibra'eel alayhis salaam, Hadrat Mika'eel alayhis salaam, Hadrat Israfeel alayhis salaam, and Hadrat Izra'eel alayhis salaam.
Allah Ta'ala created certain creatures from fire. We cannot see them as well. They are called jinn. There are all types of jinn; both good and bad. They also have children. The most famous among them is the accursed Iblis, i.e. Shaytaan.
Beliefs concerning the awliya (friends of Allah)
1. When a Muslim engages in an abundance of ibaadah, abstains from sins, does not become attached to the world, and follows the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in every way, he becomes the friend and beloved of Allah Ta'ala. Such a person is called a wali. At times, a wali does certain acts which cannot be done by others. These acts are called karamaat (miracles, or noble and excellent deeds).
2. No matter how high a stage a wali may reach, he will never be equal to a prophet.
3. No matter how beloved to Allah a wali may become, as long as he is in his senses, it will be incumbent upon him to follow the Shariah. Salaat, fasting, and any other act of worship is not forgiven. Acts which are sinful do not become permissible for him.
4. The person who acts contrary to the Shariah cannot be a friend of Allah. If he does some miraculous act, then it is either magic or something enacted through the influence of the soul or satan. These things should not be believed in.
5. At times, a wali comes to know of certain mysterious things either in his sleep or while awake. This is known as kashf or ilhaam (manifestations or inspirations). If these things are in conformity with the Shariah, they are acceptable, if not, they have to be rejected.
6. Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam have shown all the matters pertaining to the Deen in the Quran and Hadith. To bring some new thing into the Deen is not permitted. Such new things are known as bid'aat (innovations). An innovation is a major sin.
Beliefs concerning heavenly books
Allah Ta'ala has sent down many small and large books through the angel Jibra'eel alayhis salaam to the prophets so that they may teach the matters of Deen to their respective communities. Among these books, four are very famous: the Torah which was sent to Musa alayhis salaam, the Zabur which was sent to Daud alayhis salaam, the Injil which was sent to Isa alayhis salaam, and the Quran which was sent to our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The Quran is the last of the books. Now, no new book will be sent from the heavens. The instructions of the Quran will remain valid right until the day of qiyaamah. Misguided people changed a lot of things in the other books. But Allah Ta'ala has promised the protection of the Quran. No one can change it in any way.
Beliefs concerning the Sahabah (Companions)
1. Those Muslims who have seen our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and have died as Muslims, are known as Sahabah. Very great virtues have been mentioned with regard to them. We have to love and think good of all of them. If we hear of any dispute or conflict among them, we should regard it as a misunderstanding or a miscalculation. We should not speak any ill of them.
The greatest among them are four Companions: Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddiq radiallahu anhu. He took the place of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and supervised the matters of the Deen. He is therefore called the first Khalifah. He is the best person in the entire ummat. After him comes Hadrat Umar radiallahu anhu. He is the second Khalifah. After him is the third Khalifah, Hadrat Uthman radiallahu anhu. After him is the fourth Khalifah, Hadrat Ali radiallahu anhu.
2. The status of the Sahabah is so high that even the greatest of walis cannot reach a stage equal to the lowest Sahabi.
3. All the children and wives of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam are worthy of respect. Among his children, Hadrat Fatima radiallahu anha has the highest status. Among his wives, Hadrat Khadija and Hadrat Aisha radiallahu anhuma have the highest status.
General Beliefs
1. One's Imaan (faith) is only complete when one regards Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam as true in everything and accepts everything from them. To have a doubt regarding any aspect of Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, or to reject it, or to find faults with it, or to mock at it will cause the Imaan to go away.
2. To reject the clear meanings of the Quran and Hadith, and to twist their meanings by concocting one's own meaning amounts to disbelief.
3. By regarding a sin to be permissible, one's Imaan goes away.
4. No matter how serious a sin may be, as long as it is regarded as a sin, Imaan will remain. However, it (Imaan) does get weaker (diminish).
5. To be absolutely fearless of Allah Ta'ala, or to despair of His mercy amounts to kufr.
6. To ask someone of unseen things (ghayb) and to have conviction in them is kufr.
7. No one knows the unseen except Allah Ta'ala. However, certain things are made known to prophets through revelations (wahi), to walis through manifestations and inspirations (kashf and ilhaam), and to ordinary people through signs.
8. To call a person a kafir by name or to curse him is a major sin. However, we can say in general terms: Allah's curse be on the oppressors, or Allah's curse be on the liars. If Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam have cursed someone specifically by name, or informed us of them being kafir; it will not be a sin for us to call them kafir or mal'un (accursed).
9. When a person dies and if he is buried, then after he is buried; and if he is not buried, then in whatever state he may be in; two angels come to him. One's name is Munkar and the other is Nakeer. They come and ask him: "Who is your creator? What is your Deen?" and pointing to Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, "Who is this person?" If the deceased was a strong believer, he will answer all the questions correctly. Thereafter there will be all sorts of comforts for him. They will open a window towards jannah from which a cool and fragrant breeze will continue blowing and he will continue sleeping peacefully. As for the one who was not a believer, to all the questions he will reply that he does not know anything. Thereafter, he will be subjected to great hardships and punishment right until the day of qiyaamah. Allah Ta'ala exempts some people from this test, but all these things are known to the deceased only. We
cannot see these things, just as a sleeping person sees everything in his dream, while a person sitting next to him remains totally unaware.
10. After death, the deceased is shown his abode every morning and evening. A jannati (dweller of paradise) is given glad tidings by being shown his abode in paradise, while a jahannami (dweller of hell) is shown his abode in hell and thereby made more despondent and wretched.
11. By making dua for the deceased and giving in charity on his behalf, rewards reach him and is very beneficial to him.
12. All the signs of qiyaamah as foretold by Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will definitely occur. Imam Mahdi will appear and will rule with absolute justice. The one-eyed Dajjal will appear and cause a lot of corruption in the world. Hadrat Isa alayhis salaam will come down from the heavens in order to kill him and will succeed in killing him. Yajuj and Majuj is a very powerful nation. They will spread throughout the earth and create a lot of disturbance. Then through the power of Allah they will be destroyed. A strange animal will come out from the ground and converse with people. The sun will rise from the west. The Quran will be raised and within a few days all the Muslims will die and the world will be filled with kuffar. Apart from this, many other incidents will take place.
13. When all the foretold signs are fulfilled, preparations for Qiyamat will commence. Under instruction from Allah Ta'ala, Hadrat Israfeel alayhis salaam will blow the trumpet. This trumpet will be in the shape of a very large horn. On the blowing of the trumpet, the earth and skies will be blown into smithereens. All the creatures will die, and those that have already died, their souls will become unconscious. But those whom Allah wishes to protect, will remain as they are. A specific period will pass in this condition.
14. When Allah wishes the entire universe to arise again, the trumpet will be blown a second time. By the blowing of the trumpet, the entire universe will be re-born. All the dead will be brought to life and they will all gather in the field of resurrection. In apprehension of all the difficulties of qiyaamah, they will all go to the prophets for intercession. Eventually, our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will intercede. The scales will be raised and all good and bad deeds will be weighed and accounted for. A few people will enter paradise without reckoning. The pious people will be given their book of deeds in their right hands while the sinners will be given in their left hands. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will make his followers drink water from the Haud-e-Kauthar (the fountain of abundance). The water of this fountain will be whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. Everyone will also have to cross the Sirat. Those who were pious, will cross it and enter paradise. Those who were sinners, will fall down into hell.
15. Hell has already been created. It has snakes, scorpions and many other types of punishments. Among the dwellers of hell, those that have even an iota of Imaan will be taken out of hell and admitted into paradise after having been punished for their evil deeds, and after the intercession of the prophets and pious servants of Allah. This is irrespective of how great sinners they may have been. As for the disbelievers and polytheists (mushrikeen) they will abide therein forever and will not even die.
16. Paradise has also been created. It has various types of comforts and luxuries. The dwellers of paradise will have no sort of fear or concern whatsoever. They will abide therein forever. They will not come out of it, nor will they die.
17. Allah Ta'ala has the full right to punish over minor sins or to forgive over major sins and not to punish at all.
18. Allah Ta'ala does not ever forgive kufr or shirk. Apart from this, whatever other sins there may be, He will forgive whoever He wishes out of His mercy.
19. Apart from all those whom Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam have taken by name that they will enter paradise, we cannot say with certainty in regard to anyone else that they will enter paradise. However, after looking at good signs, it is necessary to be optimistic and hopeful of His mercy.
20. The greatest bounty in paradise is seeing Allah Ta'ala. This will be given to the dwellers of paradise. In comparison to this pleasure, all other bounties will appear insignificant.
21. While awake, no one has seen Allah with his very eyes in this world, nor can anyone see Him.
22. No matter how good or bad a person may have been throughout his life, he will be recompensed according to the state in which he dies.
23. Whenever a person repents or accepts Islam, his repentance or Islam will be accepted by Allah Ta'ala. However, at the time of death, when he is breathing his last and he sees the angels of death, neither repentance nor his accepting Islam will be acceptable.
INCORRECT BELIEFS AND ACTIONS
After this, it seems appropriate to mention a few incorrect beliefs, evil customs, and major sins which are committed quite often and which cause a shortcoming in one's Imaan. In mentioning these things, it is hoped that people will guard themselves from them. Some of these are absolute kufr and shirk, some are very close to kufr and shirk, others are innovations and delusions, while others are sins. It is therefore necessary to safeguard one's self from all of them. After mentioning these things, a few worldly harms of sinning and worldly benefits of good deeds will be mentioned. Since people tend to give more attention to worldly gains and losses, it is hoped that in this way there will be the desire to do good and abstain from evil.
Kufr and Shirk
This chapter deals with those aspects that have a special connection with kufr and shirk either because these aspects necessitate kufr and shirk, or because they are customs and habits of the kuffar and mushrikeen, or they have traces of shirk, or because they lead to kufr and shirk.
The following are forbidden in the Shariah:
1. To like kufr, to appreciate the things of kufr, and to make someone else commit an act of kufr.
2. To express regret or remorse at one's own Imaan due to some reason or other, e.g. by thinking that if he were not a Muslim, he could have attained such and such a thing.
3. To say the following things out of grief on the death of one's children or close ones: "Allah wanted to kill him only", "he was the only person left in the world for Allah to kill", "Allah should not have done this", "No one perpetrates such brutality as You have done."
4. To think ill of or find fault with any order of Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
5. To scorn at any prophet or angel, or to find fault with them.
6. To have the belief that a particular saint or pious person has full knowledge of all our conditions at all times.
7. To ask about unknown matters or to cause events to be foretold from an astrologer or person under the influence of a jinn, and then to believe in what they say.
8. To take omens from the speech of a pious person and then to regard them as true.
9. To implore someone from a great distance and to think that he must have definitely come to know of it.
10. To regard someone as having the choice of benefitting or causing harm.
11. To ask someone for the fulfilment of one's needs, sustenance and children.
12. To fast in someone's name.
13. To prostrate to someone.
14. To release an animal in someone's name or to make an offering in someone's name.
15. To make a pledge in the name of someone.
16. To make tawaaf around the grave or house of someone.
17. To give priority to other things or customs over the orders of Allah Ta'ala.
18. To bow in front of someone or to stand motionless like a statue in front of him.
19. To make an offering of a goat to a jinn, etc.
20. To sacrifice an animal in the name of someone.
21. To make an offering or sacrifice a goat, etc. in order to rid one's self of a jinn, ghost, or evil spirit.
22. To worship the navel-cord of the child so that it may live.
23. To cry out to someone (other than Allah) for justice.
24. To respect and revere any place as one would do for the Ka'bah.
25. To pierce the ears or nose of a child and to make him wear an ear or nose-ring in the name of someone.
26. To tie a coin on the arm, or a string around the neck in the name of someone.
27. To make children wear garlands, wreaths, to keep locks of hair over their heads, or to make them beggars.
28. To keep names such as Ali Bakhsh (given by Ali), Husayn Bakhsh (given by Husayn), Abdun Nabi (slave of the prophet), etc.
29. To attach the name of a particular saint on an animal and to respect it thereafter.
30. To believe that the affairs of the world are under the influence of the stars.
31. To ask about auspicious and inauspicious days and dates and to take omens from them.
32. To regard certain months and dates as unlucky.
33. To recite the name of a particular saint in the form of remembrance or incantations.
34. To say that if Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam wish such and such a thing, it will be done.
35. To take an oath in the name or on the head of someone.
36. To keep pictures of animate objects. Especially to keep pictures of a particular saint as a source of blessing and to respect it.
Apart from this, there are many other things. These have been mentioned in order to serve as an example.
Innovations and Evil Customs
To introduce something which has no basis in Shariah into the Deen, to regard it as part of Deen, and to act upon it with the hope of reward, is called a bid'ah (innovation). An innovation is a major sin.
The following innovations and customs should be abstained from:
1. To organize and hold grand fairs at graves, to light lamps there, for women to visit them, and to cover graves with sheets.
2. To construct tombs over the graves.
3. To go to extremes in revering the graves with a view to please the saint of the grave.
4. To make ta'zias, to kiss the graves and rub its dust on one's face.
5. To make tawaaf and sajdah to the graves.
6. To read salaat towards the graves.
7. To make offerings of sweetmeats, rice, etc. to the graves.
8. To keep ta'zias or emblems on the graves, and to keep sweets, etc. on them.
9. To salute graves and regard them as unique and incomparable.
10. To abstain from the following acts in the month of Muharram:
a) eating betel leaves,
b) applying henna (mehendi),
c) the company of the husband,
d) wearing red clothes,
e) eating out of the dish named after Hazrat Fatimah (R.A.).
11. To observe the third and fortieth days as compulsory after death ceremonies.
12. To regard the second marriage of a woman as a blemish despite there being a need for it.
13. To perform the different ceremonies of Nikah (marriage), Khatna (circumcision), Bismillah (beginning of education), etc., inspite of lack of means, especially by putting oneself in debt and making arrangements for music and dances.
14. To observe the festivals of Holi and Diwali.
15. To greet in any way other than the greeting of As salaamu alai kum, or to just bow by raising the hand to the head.
16. To appear before one's brother-in-law, sister-in-law, cousins, or any other strangers, etc. without any modesty or bashfulness.
17. To bring water from the river while singing.
18. To listen to music or play musical instruments, or to make dancing girls dance and to reward them for it.
19. To be boastful or proud of one's lineage or family, or to consider any connection with any saint to be sufficient for salvation.
20. To taunt someone on account of his lower lineage, or to regard any permissible occupation to be despicable or below your dignity.
21. To go to extremes in praising someone.
22. To spend extravagantly in marriages and other senseless ceremonies.
23. To follow Hindu customs.
24. To make the bridegroom wear clothes which are contrary to the Shariah, to adorn him with garlands, to apply henna (mehendi) on him, to light fireworks and make unnecessary decorations.
25. To bring the bridegroom among the women and in front of them, or to peep at him.
26. To bring the mature (baaligh) sister-in-law (bride's sister) in front of the bridegroom, to joke with her, or to hold "chauthi" (a ceremony on the fourth day of the marriage).
27. To go and listen to the conversation of the bride and bridegroom while they are in their privacy, to peep at them or to eavesdrop; and if you hear something, to tell it to others.
28. To make the bride attend the feast given by the bridegroom and to force her to sit there to the extent that even her salaat is missed.
29. To fix exhorbitant mehr (dowry) out of pride and boastfulness.
30. To weep aloud out of sorrow, or to beat the face and chest, or to cry in a shouting manner.
31. To break the containers which were in use at the time of death, or to get the clothes washed which touched the body of the dead.
32. Not to prepare pickles, etc. in the house of mourning for about a year or so.
33. Not to celebrate any happy or joyous occassion.
34. To revive the sorrow or mourning on certain fixed dates.
35. To excessively occupy one's self in make-up and self-beautification and to look down upon simplicity.
36. To hang pictures and photographs in the house.
37. To use gold or silver utensils.
38. To wear thin or flimsy clothing, or to wear jingling and tinkling jewellery.
39. To wear short skirts.
40. To attend the gatherings of men, eg. processions and fairs.
41. To adopt the dressing of the opposite sex.
42. To tatoo the body.
43. To practise witchcraft and cast spells.
44. To hang and suspend carpets from walls and ceilings merely for decoration and beautification.
45. To embrace and hug ghayr mahrams (those with whom hijaab is necessary) at the time of departing or returning from a journey.
46. To pierce the nose or ear of a male child as an omen for long life.
47. To make the male child wear a nose or ear ring, or silk, or saffron-dyed clothes, or any jewellery on the neck, feet or wrists.
48. To feed the children with opium (and other similar drugs) in order to keep them quiet.
49. To give someone the meat or milk of a lion because of some illness.
There are many other similar incorrect beliefs, customs, and innovations. These have been mentioned to serve as an example.
A few major sins regarding which severe warnings have been mentioned
1. To ascribe partners to Allah.
2. To shed the blood of someone unjustly.
3. To practise witchcraft and charms by childless women during the confinement of another woman so that the child of that woman may die and she may have a child. This also amounts to murder.
4. To taunt or torment one's parents.
5. To commit adultery.
6. To devour the wealth of orphans, eg. many women usurp the wealth and belongings of the deceased husband and deprive the children of their share.
7. To deprive the daughters of their share in the inheritance.
8. To accuse a woman of adultery even on the slightest doubt.
9. To oppress or persecute someone.
10. To backbite or slander someone.
11. To despair of the mercy of Allah Ta'ala.
12. To act contrary to one's promise.
13. To betray a trust (amaanah).
14. To discard any fard (compulsory duty) enjoined by Allah Ta'ala, eg. salaat, fasting, hajj, zakaat, etc.
15. To forget the Holy Quran after having memorized it.
16. To speak lies. Especially to take false oaths.
17. To swear by the name of anyone other than Allah.
18. To take an oath with such words that the person is deprived of the kalimah at the time of death, or may die without Imaan.
19. To prostrate before anyone other than Allah Ta'ala.
20. To miss salaat without a valid excuse.
21. To call any Muslim a kafir, or non-believer, or to invoke the wrath or punishment of Allah on him, or to call him an enemy of Allah.
22. To complain against someone, or to hear such a complaint.
23. To steal.
24. To take interest (usury).
25. To express joy on the rise and inflation of the value of commodities or goods.
26. To insist on reducing the price after having agreed to it.
27. To sit in seclusion with ghayr mahrams (those with whom the observance of hijaab is necessary).
28. To gamble. Some women and girls play certain games with stakes on them. This is also a kind of gambling.
29. To like and be attracted to the customs of the kuffaar.
30. To find fault with food.
31. To enjoy dancing and listening to music.
32. To abstain from giving advice inspite of having the power to do so.
33. To ridicule someone with a view to humiliating and embarrassing him.
34. To look for faults in others.
The Worldly Harms of Sinning
1. Deprival of knowledge.
2. Decrease in one's sustenance (rizq).
3. Trembling and shuddering at the mention of Allah Ta'ala.
4. Feeling uneasy in the presence of men, especially good and pious men.
5. Experiencing difficulty in most affairs.
6. Loses purity of the heart.
7. Feels weakness of heart, and at times, weakness of the entire body.
8. Gets deprived or bereft of obedience (doing good deeds).
9. His life is shortened.
10. Deprived of the capability to repent (make taubah).
11. After some time, the seriousness of sins comes out of his heart.
12. Becomes despicable in the sight of Allah.
13. His immorality or wrongdoing affects other people and he is thereby cursed by them.
14. His intellect becomes weak or deficient.
15. He is cursed by Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
16. Is deprived of the duas of the angels.
17. Faces a shortage in crops.
18. Loses modesty and a sense of self-respect.
19. The greatness of Allah Ta'ala comes out of the heart.
20. Is deprived of all bounties and blessings.
21. Is engulfed or inundated by difficulties and calamities.
22. The shayateen are deputed over him.
23. His heart is always in turmoil.
24. Is unable to read the kalimah at the time of death.
25. Despairs of the mercy of Allah Ta'ala, and because of this, dies without having repented.
The Worldly Benefits of Obedience
1. Sustenance is increased.
2. Receives blessings and bounties of all kinds.
3. Problems and difficulties distance themselves.
4. Experiences ease in fulfilling his needs.
5. Experiences a life of contentment.
6. Rains become plentiful.
7. All types of calamities are warded off.
8. Allah Ta'ala becomes very kind and helpful.
9. Angels are commanded to keep his heart strong.
10. Gets true respect and honour.
11. His status is raised.
12. Everyone has love for him in their hearts.
13. The Quran becomes a source of deliverance on his behalf.
14. If he experiences any material loss, he is compensated with something better.
15. Experiences an increase in blessings day by day.
16. There is an increase in his wealth.
17. Experiences comfort and tranquility in his heart.
18. All these benefits pass on to the next generation.
19. Experiences unseen glad tidings in this very world.
20. Hears and receives the glad tidings of the angels at the time of death.
21. There is an increase in his life-span.
22. Experiences abundance in things which are in small quantity.
Removal of Allah Ta'ala's anger.
(Jamatul Haq/Ashrafiyyah Tariqah)
THE FAITH OF THE AHL SUNNAH WAL JAM'AH
Imam Muhammad al-Ghazali (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih) writes in his book Kimya-i Saadat: "When someone becomes a Muslim, it will primarily be fard for him to know and believe in the meaning of the phrase La ilaha ill-Allah, Muhammadun Rasul-Allah. This phrase is called the kalimat at-tawhid. It is sufficient for every Muslim to believe without any doubt what this phrase means. It is not fard for him to prove it with evidence or to satisfy his mind. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) did not command the Arabs to know or to mention the relevant proofs or to search and clarify any possible doubts. He commanded them to believe only and not to doubt. It is enough for everybody also to believe superficially. Yet it is fard kifaya that there should exist a few 'alims in every town. It is wajib for these 'alims to know the proofs, to remove the doubts and to answer the questions. They are like shepherds for Muslims. On the one hand, they teach them the knowledge of iman, which is the knowledge of belief, and, on the other hand, they answer the slanders of the enemies of Islam.
Qur'an al-karim stated the meaning of the kalimat at-tawhid and Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) explained what is declared in it. All the Sahabat al-kiram learned these explanations and conveyed them to those who came after them. The exalted scholars who conveyed to us what the Sahabat al-kiram had conveyed, by committing them to their books without making any alterations in them, are called the Ahl as-Sunnat. Everybody has to learn the itiqad of the Ahl as-Sunnat and to unite and love one another. The seed of happiness is in this itiqad and in this unification.
The 'ulama' of the Ahl as-Sunnat explain the meaning of the kalimat at-tawhid as follows: Men were nonexistent. They were created later. They have one Creator. He is the One who has created everything. The Creator is one. He does not have a partner or a likeness. There is no second He. He has been ever-existent; His existence did not have beginning. He will be ever-existent; there is no end to His existence. He will not cease to exist. His existence is always necessary. His nonexistence is impossible. His existence is of Himself. He does not need any means. There is nothing that will not need Him. He is the One who creates everything and makes it go on existing. He is
not material or a thing. He is not at a place or in any substance. He does not have a shape and cannot be measured. It cannot be asked how He is; when we say 'He,' none of the things which occur to the mind or which we can imagine is He. He is unlike these. All of them are His creatures. He is not like His creatures. He is the creator of everything that occurs to the mind, every illusion and every delusion. He is not above, below or at one side. He does not have a place. Every being is below the 'Arsh. And the 'Arsh is under His Power, under His Omnipotence. He is above the 'Arsh. Yet this does not mean that the 'Arsh carries Him. The 'arsh exists with His Favor and in His Omnipotence. He is the same now as He was in eternity, in eternal past. He will always be the same in the everlasting future as He had been before creating the 'Arsh. No change occurs in Him. He has His own attributes. His attributes called as-Sifat ath-Thubutiyya are eight: Hayat (Life), 'Ilm (Omniscience), Sam' (Hearing), Basar (Seeing), Qudra (Omnipotence), Irada (Will), Kalam (Speech, Word) and Takwin (Creativeness). No change ever occurs in these attributes of His. Change implies deficiency. He has no deficiency or defect. Though He does not resemble any of His creatures, it is possible to know Him in this world as much as He makes Himself known and to see Him in the Hereafter. Here He is known without realizing how He is, and there He will be seen in an incomprehensible way.
Allahu ta'ala sent prophets ('alaihim us-salam) to His human creatures. Through these great people, He showed His human creatures the deeds that bring happiness and those which cause ruination. The most exalted prophet is Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), the Last Prophet. He was sent as the Prophet for every person, pious or irreligious, for every place and for every nation on the earth. He is the Prophet for all human beings, angels and genies. In every corner of the world, everybody has to follow him and adapt himself to this exalted Prophet".[24]
Sayyid 'Abdulhakim-i Arwasi[25] (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih) said: "Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) had three tasks. The first one was to communicate and make known (tabligh) the rules of Qur'an al-karim, that is, the knowledge of iman and of ahkam fiqhiyya, to all human beings. Ahkam fiqhiyya is composed of actions commanded and actions prohibited. His second task was to transmit the spiritual rules of Qur'an al-karim, the knowledge about Allahu ta'ala Himself and His Attributes into the hearts of only the highest ones of his Umma. His first task, tabligh, should not be confused with this second task. The la-madhhabi reject the second task. But, Abu Huraira (radi-Allahu 'anh) said, 'I learned two types of knowledge from Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam). I have told you one of them. You would kill me if I explained the second one.' These words of Abu Huraira's are written in the books Bukhari, Mishqat, Hadiqa, and in the letters of Maktubat, numbers 267 and 268. The third task was directed towards those Muslims who did not obey the advice and sermons concerning
carrying out the ahkam fiqhiyya. Even force was employed to get them to obey the ahkam fiqhiyya.
"After Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam), each of the four Khalifas (radi-Allahu 'anhum) accomplished these three tasks perfectly. During the time of hadrat Hasan (radi-Allahu 'anh), fitnas and bidats increased. Islam had spread out over three continents. The spiritual light of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) receded away from the earth. The Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu 'anhum) decreased in number. Later, no one was able to do all these three tasks together by himself. Therefore, these tasks were undertaken by three groups of people. The task of communicating iman and ahkam fiqhiyya was assigned to religious leaders called mujtahids. Amongst these mujtahids, those who communicated iman were called mutakallimun, and those who communicated fiqh were called fuqaha'. The second task, that is, making those willing Muslims attain the spiritual rules of Qur'an al-karim, was assigned to the Twelve Imams of the Ahl al-Bait (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim) and to great men of tasawwuf. Sirri (Sari) as-Saqati (d. 251/876 in Baghdad) and al-Junaid al-Baghdadi (b. 207/821 and d. 298/911 in Baghdad) were two of them (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihima).[26]
"The third task, having the rules of the religion implemented by force and authority, was assigned to sultans, i.e. governments. Sections of the first class were called Madhhabs. Sections of the second one were called Tariqas, and the third one was called huquq (laws). Madhhabs that tell about iman are called Madhhabs of itiqad. Our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) had explained that Muslims would part into seventy-three groups in respect to iman, and that only one of them would be right and the others wrong. And happen it did. The group that was given the good news of being on the right way is called the Ahl as-Sunnat wal-Jamaat. The remaining seventy-two groups, which were declared to be wrong, are called the groups of bidat, that is, heretics. None of them are disbelievers. All of them are Muslims. But, if a Muslim who says he belongs to any of the seventy-two groups disbelieves any information that has been declared clearly in Qur'an al-karim, in Hadith ash-Sharif or that has spread among Muslims, he becomes a disbeliever. There are many people today who, while carrying Muslim names, have already dissented from the Madhhab of the Ahl as-Sunnat and have become heretics or non-Muslims." Quotations from hadrat Abdulhakim Effendi end here.
Muslims have to keep on learning from the cradle to the grave. The knowledge which Muslims have to learn is called al-'Ulum al-Islamiyya (Islamic sciences), which consist of two parts:
I) al-'Ulum an-naqliyya, II) al-'Ulum al-'aqliyya.
I) Al-'Ulum an-naqliyya (also called 'religious sciences'): These sciences are acquired by reading the books of the 'ulama' of the Ahl as-Sunnat. The 'ulama' of Islam derived these sciences from four main sources. These four sources are called al-adillat ash-Shariyya. They are al-Qur'an al-karim, al-Hadith ash-Sharif, ijma' al-Umma and qiyas al-fuqaha'.
Religious sciences consist of eight main branches:
1) 'ilm at-tafsir (the science of interpretation of Qur'an al-karim). A specialist in this branch is called a mufassir; he is a profoundly learned scholar able to understand what Allahu ta'ala means in His Word.
2) 'ilm al-usul al-hadith. This branch deals with classification of hadiths. Different kinds of hadiths are explained in Endless Bliss, second fascicle, sixth chapter.
3) 'ilm al-hadith. This branch studies minutely the sayings (hadith), behavior (sunnat), and manners (hals) of our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam).
4) 'ilm al-usul al-kalam. This branch studies the methods by which 'ilm al-kalam is derived from al-Qur'an al-karim and al-Hadith ash-Sharif.
5) 'ilm al-kalam. This branch covers the study of the kalimat at-tawhid and the kalimat ash-shahada and the six fundamentals of iman, which depend on them. These are the teachings to be believed in by heart. Scholars of kalam usually wrote 'ilm al-usul al-kalam and 'ilm al-kalam together. Therefore, the layman takes these two branches of knowledge as one single branch.
6) 'ilm al-usul al-fiqh. This branch studies the derivation of the methods of fiqh from Qur'an al-karim and Hadith ash-Sharif.
7) 'ilm al-fiqh. This branch studies afal al-mukallafin, that is, it tells how those who are sane and pubescent should act on matters concerning the body. This is the knowledge necessary for the body. Afal al-mukallafin has eight sections: fard, wajib, sunnat, mustahab, mubah, haram, makruh and mufsid. However, they can be briefly classified into three groups: actions commanded, actions prohibited and actions permitted (mubah).
8) 'ilm at-tasawwuf. This branch is also called 'ilm al-ahlak (ethics). It explains not only the things we should do and we should not do with the heart but also helps the belief to be heartfelt, makes it easy for Muslims to carry out their duties as taught in 'ilm al-fiqh and helps one attain marifa.
It is fard-i 'ain for every Muslim, man or woman, to learn kalam, fiqh and tasawwuf as much as necessary out of these eight branches, and it is a guilt, a sin, not to learn them.[27]
II) Al-'Ulum al-aqliyya (also called 'experimental sciences'): These sciences are divided into two groups: technical sciences and literary sciences. It is fard kifaya for Muslims to learn these sciences. As for Islamic sciences, it is fard 'ain to learn as much as is necessary. To learn more than is necessary, that is, to become specialized in Islamic sciences is fard kifaya. If there is no alim who knows these sciences in a town, all of its inhabitants and government authorities will be sinful.
Religious teachings do not change in the course of time. Making a mistake or erring while commenting on 'ilm al-kalam is not an excuse but a crime. In matters pertaining to fiqh, the variations and facilities shown by Islam can be utilized when one has the excuses shown by Islam. It is never permissible to make alterations or to make reforms in religious matters with one's own opinion or point of view. It causes one to go out of Islam. Change, improvement and progress in al-'Ulum al-'aqliyya are permissible. It is necessary to develop them by searching, finding and even by learning them from non-Muslim, too.
The following article is quoted from the book Al-majmuat az-Zuhdiyya. It was compiled by an ex-minister of education, Sayyid Ahmad Zuhdu Pasha (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih):
The word 'fiqh', when used in the form of 'faqiha yafqahu', that is, in the fourth category, means 'to know, to understand.' When it is used in the fifth category, it means 'to know, to understand Islam.' A scholar in 'ilm al-fiqh is called a faqih. 'Ilm al-fiqh deals with the actions which people should do and those which they should not do. The knowledge of fiqh is composed of Qur'an al-karim, Hadith ash-Sharif, ijma' and qiyas. The consensus of the as-Sahabat al-kiram and the mujtahids who came after them is called ijma' al-Umma. The rules of the religion derived from Qur'an al-karim, Hadith ash-Sharif and ijma' al-Umma are called qiyas al-fuqaha.' If it could not be understood from Qur'an al-karim or Hadith ash-Sharif whether an action was halal (permitted) or haram (forbidden), then this action was compared to another action which was known. This comparison was called qiyas. Applying qiyas required the latter action to have the same factor which made the former action permitted or forbidden. And this could be judged only by those profound 'ulama' who had attained the grade of ijtihad.
'Ilm al-fiqh is very extensive. It has four main divisions:
1) 'ibadat, composed of five subdivisions: salat (namaz), sawm (fast), zakat, hajj, jihad. Each has many sections. As it is seen, it is an 'ibada to make preparations for jihad. Our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) explained that jihad against the enemies of Islam was of two kinds: by actions and by words. It is fard to learn how to make and use new weapons in preparation for jihad by actions. Jihad is done by the State. It is fard for the people to join the jihad by obeying the State's laws and orders concerning jihad. Nowadays, enemy assault through publications, motion pictures, radio broadcast and every means of propaganda -the second kind of war- has tremendously increased; therefore it is also jihad to stand against the enemies in this field.
2) munakahat, composed of subdivisions, such as marriage, divorce, alimony and many others [written in detail in the book Se'adet-i Ebediyye].
3) muamalat, composed of many subdivisions, such as purchase, sale, rent, joint-ownership, interest, inheritance, etc.
4) uqubat (penal code), composed of five main subdivisions: qisas (lex talionis), sirqat (theft), zina (fornication and adultery), qadhf (accusing a virtuous woman of incontinence) and ridda (the case of becoming an apostate).
It is fard for every Muslim to learn the 'ibadat part of fiqh sufficiently. It is fard kifaya to learn munakahat and muamalat; in other words, those who have anything to do with them should learn them. After 'ilm at-tafsir, 'ilm al-hadith and 'ilm al-kalam, the most honorable ilm is 'ilm al-fiqh. The following six hadiths will be enough to indicate the honor of fiqh and the faqih: 'rahmatullahi ta'ala alaihim ajmain'
'If Allahu ta'ala wants to bestow His blessing on a slave of His, He makes a faqih of him.'
'If a person becomes a faqih, Allahu ta'ala sends what he wishes and his sustenance through unexpected sources.'
'The person about whom Allahu ta'ala says 'most superior' is a faqih in the religion.'
'Against Satan, a faqih is more stoic than one thousand 'abids (those who worship much).'
'Everything has a pillar to base itself upon. The basic pillar of the religion is the knowledge of fiqh.'
'The best and most valuable 'ibada is to learn and teach fiqh.'
Superiority of al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) is also understood from these hadiths.
Rules of Islam in the Hanafi Madhhab were transmitted through a chain beginning with 'Abdullah ibn Masud (radi-Allahu 'anh), who was a Sahabi. Al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), the founder of the Madhhab, acquired the knowledge of fiqh from Hammad, and Hammad from Ibrahim an-Nakhai. Ibrahim an-Nakhai was taught by Alqama, and Alqama studied under Abdullah ibn Masud, who was educated by Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam).
Abu Yusuf, Imam Muhammad ash-Shaibani, Zufar ibn Hudhail and Hasan ibn Ziyad were al-Imam al-azam's disciples (rahimahum-Allah). Of these, Imam Muhammad wrote about one thousand books on Islamic teachings. He was born in 135 A.H. and passed away in Rayy, Iran, in 189 (805 A.D.). Because he was married to the mother of al-Imam ash-Shafi'i, one of his disciples, all his books were left to Shafi'i upon his death, thus Shafi'i's knowledge increased. For this reason, al-Imam ash-Shafi'i (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) said, 'I swear that my knowledge of fiqh increased by reading Imam Muhammad's books. Those who want to deepen their knowledge of fiqh should be in the company of the disciples of Abu Hanifa.' And once he said, 'All Muslims are like the household, children, of al-Imam al-azam.' That is, as a man earns a living for his wife and children, al-Imam al-azam took it upon himself to find out the religious knowledge which people needed in their affairs. Thus, he spared Muslims of a lot of hard work.
Al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih) compiled the knowledge of fiqh, classified it into branches and sub-branches, and set usuls (methods) for it. He also collected the knowledge of itiqad as Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and the as-Sahabat al-kiram (ridwan-Allahi 'alaihim ajmain) had preached, and taught them to hundreds of his disciples. Some of his disciples became specialists in 'ilm al-kalam, that is, in the teachings of iman. Of them, Abu Bakr al-Jurjani, one of Imam Muhammad ash-Shaibani's disciples, became famous. And Abu Nasr al-'Iyad, one of his pupils, educated Abu Mansur al-Maturidi in 'ilm al-kalam. Abu Mansur wrote in his books the knowledge of kalam as it came from al-Imam al-azam (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih). By contending against heretics, he consolidated the itiqad of the Ahl as-Sunnat. He disseminated it out far and wide. He passed away in Samarqand in 333 (944 A.D.). This great alim and another alim, Abu 'l-Hasan al-Ashari, are called the imams of the Madhhabs of itiqad of the Ahl as-Sunnat.
The fiqh scholars are grouped in seven grades. Kamal Pasha Zhada Ahmad ibn Sulaiman Effendi (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), in his work Waqf an-niyyat, explained these seven grades as follows:
1. The mujtahids of Islam, who constructed the methods and principles of deriving tenets from the four sources of the religion (Adilla-i arba'a), and derived tenets in accordance with the principles they established. The four aimmat al-madhahib were of these.
2. The mujtahids in a Madhhab, who, following the principles formulated by the imam of the Madhhab, derived rules from the four sources. They were Imam Abu Yusuf, Imam Muhammad, etc. (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain).
3. The mujtahids of matters (masala), who for the matters that were not dealt with by the founder of the Madhhab, derived rules using the methods and principles of the Madhhab. Yet in doing this, they had to follow the imam. They were at-Tahawi (238-321 A.H., in Egypt), Hassaf Ahmad ibn 'Umar (d. 261, in Baghdad), 'Abdullah ibn Husain al-Karkhi (340), Shams al-aimma al-Halwani (456, in Bukhara), Shams al-aimma as-Sarahsi (483), Fakhr-ul Islam 'Ali ibn Muhammad al-Pazdawi (400-482, in Samarqand), Qadi-Khan Hasan ibn Mansur al-Farghani (592), etc. (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain).
4. Ashab at-takhrij, who were not able to employ ijtihad. They were scholars who explained in brief, unclear rules derived by mujtahids. Husam ad-din ar-Razi 'Ali ibn Ahmad (d. 593 A.H., in Damascus) was one of them. He (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) wrote a commentary to Al-Quduri.
5. Arbab at-Tarjih, who preferred one of the several riwayas (narrations or opinions of the mujtahids as narrated) coming from mujtahids. They were Abu l'Hasan al-Quduri (362-428 A.H., in Baghdad) and Burhan ad-din 'Ali al-Marghinani the author of Al-hidaya, who was martyred by the soldiers of Genghis in the Bukhara Massacre of 593 A.H. [1198 A.D.].
6. Those who wrote various riwayas about a matter in an order with respect to their reliability were called muqallids. They did not include any refused riwaya in their books. Abu 'l-Barakat 'Abdullah ibn Ahmad an-Nasafi (d. 710 A.H.), the author of Kanz ad-daqaiq; 'Abdullah ibn Mahmud al-Musuli (d. 683), the author of Mukhtar; Burhan ash-Sharia Mahmud ibn Sadr ash-Sharia 'Ubaid-Allah (d. 673), the author of Al-wiqaya; and Ibn as-Sa'ati Ahmad ibn 'Ali al-Baghdadi (d. 694), the author of Majma' al-bahrain, are of these (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain).
7. They are also muqallids[28] incapable of distinguishing weak riwayas from genuine ones.
FOOTNOTES
[24] Kimya' as-Saada. Muhammad al-Ghazali (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) was one of the greatest Islamic scholars. He wrote hundreds of books. All his books are very valuable. He was born in 450 (1068 A.D.) in Tus, i.e. Meshed, Persia, and passed away there in 505 (1111 A.D.).
[25] He was born in Baskal'a in 1281 (1864 A.D.) and passed away in Ankara in 1362 (1943 A.D.).
[26] The 'ulama of Ahl as-Sunnat collected 'ilm at-tasawwuf by learning this second task of our Prophet ('alaihi 's-salam) from the Twelve Imams (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim). Some people do not believe in awliya', karamat or tasawwuf. This shows that they have no connection with the Twelve Imams. If they had followed the Ahl al-Bait, they would have learned this second task of our Prophet from the twelve Imams and there would have been many scholars of tasawwuf and awliya' among them. But there have not been any, and besides, they do not even believe that such scholars could exist. It is obvious that the Twelve Imams are the Ahl as-Sunnat's imams. It is the Ahl as-Sunnat who love the Ahl al-Bait and follow the Twelve Imams. To become a scholar of Islam, one has to be an heir of Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) in these two tasks. That is, one has to be an expert in these two branches of knowledge. 'Abd al-Ghani an-Nabulusi (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), one of such scholars, quoted, on pages 233 and 649 in his work Al-Hadiqat an-nadiyya, the hadiths describing the spiritual rules of Qur'an al-karim and pointed out that disbelieving these rules indicates ignorance and misfortune.
[27] Al-Hadiqa, p. 323 and in preface to Radd al-mukhtar.
[28] These were counted among fiqh scholars because they could understand what they read and explained it to the muqallids who could not understand.
of
Hakimul Ummah
Mujaddid Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi (Rah.)
Beliefs concerning Allah Ta'ala
1. In the beginning, the entire universe was non-existent. Through the creation of Allah, it came into existence.
2. Allah Ta'ala is One. He is not dependent on anyone. He has not given birth to anyone, nor was He begotten. He does not have any wife. There is no one equal to Him.
3. He has been since eternity and will remain till eternity.
4. There is nothing similar to Him. He is unique.
5. He is alive. He has power over everything. There is nothing that is beyond His knowledge. He sees and hears everything. He speaks, but His speech is not like ours. He does whatever He wishes and there is no one to stop or reprimand Him. He alone is worthy of being worshipped. He has no partner. He is merciful to His servants. He is the lord. He is free of all blemishes. He is the one who saves His servants from all calamities. He is the possessor of honour and greatness. He is the creator of all things; nothing has created Him. He is the forgiver of sins. He is all-powerful.
He gives in abundance. He is the one who gives sustenance. He decreases the sustenance of whoever He wishes and increases the sustenance of whoever He wishes. He humiliates whoever He wishes and elevates whoever He wishes. He gives honour to whoever He wishes and disgraces whoever He wishes. He is just. He is extremely tolerant and forbearing. He values and rewards service and worship rendered to Him. He accepts duas (supplications). He is all-encompassing. He is the ruler over everyone and no one is a ruler over Him. No work of His is devoid of wisdom. He fulfils the needs of everyone. He is the one who created everyone and He is the one who will bring all back to life on the day of qiyaamah. He is the one who gives life and He causes death.
Everyone knows Him through signs and attributes. No one can know the essence of His being. He accepts the repentance of the sinners. He punishes those who deserve punishment. He is the one who gives guidance. Whatever happens in this universe occurs under His order. Without His
order, even an atom cannot move. He does not sleep nor does He slumber. He does not get weary of protecting the entire universe. He is the one who is keeping everything in control. He has all good and beautiful qualities. There is no bad or defective quality in Him, nor is there any blemish in Him.
6. All His qualities are from eternity and will remain till eternity. No quality of His can ever disappear.
7. He is free from the qualities of the creation. Wherever such qualities have been mentioned in the Quran or Hadith, we leave the meanings of them to Allah. He is the one who knows the reality of these things. We believe in these things without delving into them and have the conviction that whatever their meanings may be, they are correct. And this is the best way of looking at these things. Alternatively, we could give them some appropriate meaning with which we could get an understanding of them.
8. Whatever good or evil that takes place in the world, Allah Ta'ala knows of it from eternity; and according to His knowledge He brings it into existence. This is what is meant by taqdir (pre-destination). There is a lot of mysterious wisdom in creating even evil things. Everyone is not aware of this wisdom.
9. Allah Ta'ala has given man an understanding and the power of choice with which he chooses between good and evil. However, man does not have the power to bring anything into existence of his own accord. Allah Ta'ala is pleased with good deeds and displeased with evil deeds.
10. Allah Ta'ala has not ordered man to do anything which is beyond his power.
11. Allah Ta'ala is not bound by anything. Whatever mercy He shows is solely out of His kindness and virtue.
Beliefs concerning the Prophets
1. Allah Ta'ala has sent down many prophets to guide mankind onto the right path. They are all free from sins. Their actual number is known to Allah alone. In order to establish their truthfulness, Allah caused new and difficult acts to happen through them which others cannot do. Such acts are called miracles (mu'jizaat).
The first prophet is Aadam alayhis salaam and the last is Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. All the others came in between these two. Some of them are famous, such as: Nuh alayhis salaam, Ibrahim alayhis salaam, Is'haaq alayhis salaam, Ismail alayhis salaam, Yaqub alayhis salaam, Yusuf alayhis salaam, Daud alayhis salaam, Sulayman alayhis salaam, Ayyub alayhis salaam, Musa alayhis salaam, Harun alayhis salaam, Zakariyyah alayhis salaam, Yahya alayhis salaam, Isa alayhis salaam, Ilyas alayhis salaam, al-Yasa' alayhis salaam, Yunus alayhis salaam,
Lut alayhis salaam, Idris alayhis salaam, Zul Kifl alayhis salaam, Salih alayhis salaam, Hud alayhis salaam, and Shuayb alayhis salaam.
2. Allah Ta'ala did not show the exact number of prophets to anyone. We should therefore have this belief that we have faith in all the prophets that Allah sent down; those that we know of and those that we do not know of as well.
3. The status of some prophets is higher than that of others. The highest status is that of our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. No new prophet can come after him. He is the prophet of all mankind and jinn right until the day of Qiyamat.
4. Allah Ta'ala took our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam physically while he was awake, from Makkah to Baitul Maqdis, and from there to the seven heavens, and from there to wherever Allah wanted. He then sent him back to Makkah. This journey is known as the Mi'raj.Beliefs concerning angels and jinn
After creating certain creatures from light, Allah Ta'ala concealed them from our sight. These creatures are called angels. A lot of work has been given to them. They never do anything contrary to the orders of Allah Ta'ala. They continue doing whatever work they have been assigned to do. Among them, four angels are very famous. They are: Hadrat Jibra'eel alayhis salaam, Hadrat Mika'eel alayhis salaam, Hadrat Israfeel alayhis salaam, and Hadrat Izra'eel alayhis salaam.
Allah Ta'ala created certain creatures from fire. We cannot see them as well. They are called jinn. There are all types of jinn; both good and bad. They also have children. The most famous among them is the accursed Iblis, i.e. Shaytaan.
Beliefs concerning the awliya (friends of Allah)
1. When a Muslim engages in an abundance of ibaadah, abstains from sins, does not become attached to the world, and follows the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in every way, he becomes the friend and beloved of Allah Ta'ala. Such a person is called a wali. At times, a wali does certain acts which cannot be done by others. These acts are called karamaat (miracles, or noble and excellent deeds).
2. No matter how high a stage a wali may reach, he will never be equal to a prophet.
3. No matter how beloved to Allah a wali may become, as long as he is in his senses, it will be incumbent upon him to follow the Shariah. Salaat, fasting, and any other act of worship is not forgiven. Acts which are sinful do not become permissible for him.
4. The person who acts contrary to the Shariah cannot be a friend of Allah. If he does some miraculous act, then it is either magic or something enacted through the influence of the soul or satan. These things should not be believed in.
5. At times, a wali comes to know of certain mysterious things either in his sleep or while awake. This is known as kashf or ilhaam (manifestations or inspirations). If these things are in conformity with the Shariah, they are acceptable, if not, they have to be rejected.
6. Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam have shown all the matters pertaining to the Deen in the Quran and Hadith. To bring some new thing into the Deen is not permitted. Such new things are known as bid'aat (innovations). An innovation is a major sin.
Beliefs concerning heavenly books
Allah Ta'ala has sent down many small and large books through the angel Jibra'eel alayhis salaam to the prophets so that they may teach the matters of Deen to their respective communities. Among these books, four are very famous: the Torah which was sent to Musa alayhis salaam, the Zabur which was sent to Daud alayhis salaam, the Injil which was sent to Isa alayhis salaam, and the Quran which was sent to our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The Quran is the last of the books. Now, no new book will be sent from the heavens. The instructions of the Quran will remain valid right until the day of qiyaamah. Misguided people changed a lot of things in the other books. But Allah Ta'ala has promised the protection of the Quran. No one can change it in any way.
Beliefs concerning the Sahabah (Companions)
1. Those Muslims who have seen our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and have died as Muslims, are known as Sahabah. Very great virtues have been mentioned with regard to them. We have to love and think good of all of them. If we hear of any dispute or conflict among them, we should regard it as a misunderstanding or a miscalculation. We should not speak any ill of them.
The greatest among them are four Companions: Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddiq radiallahu anhu. He took the place of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and supervised the matters of the Deen. He is therefore called the first Khalifah. He is the best person in the entire ummat. After him comes Hadrat Umar radiallahu anhu. He is the second Khalifah. After him is the third Khalifah, Hadrat Uthman radiallahu anhu. After him is the fourth Khalifah, Hadrat Ali radiallahu anhu.
2. The status of the Sahabah is so high that even the greatest of walis cannot reach a stage equal to the lowest Sahabi.
3. All the children and wives of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam are worthy of respect. Among his children, Hadrat Fatima radiallahu anha has the highest status. Among his wives, Hadrat Khadija and Hadrat Aisha radiallahu anhuma have the highest status.
General Beliefs
1. One's Imaan (faith) is only complete when one regards Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam as true in everything and accepts everything from them. To have a doubt regarding any aspect of Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, or to reject it, or to find faults with it, or to mock at it will cause the Imaan to go away.
2. To reject the clear meanings of the Quran and Hadith, and to twist their meanings by concocting one's own meaning amounts to disbelief.
3. By regarding a sin to be permissible, one's Imaan goes away.
4. No matter how serious a sin may be, as long as it is regarded as a sin, Imaan will remain. However, it (Imaan) does get weaker (diminish).
5. To be absolutely fearless of Allah Ta'ala, or to despair of His mercy amounts to kufr.
6. To ask someone of unseen things (ghayb) and to have conviction in them is kufr.
7. No one knows the unseen except Allah Ta'ala. However, certain things are made known to prophets through revelations (wahi), to walis through manifestations and inspirations (kashf and ilhaam), and to ordinary people through signs.
8. To call a person a kafir by name or to curse him is a major sin. However, we can say in general terms: Allah's curse be on the oppressors, or Allah's curse be on the liars. If Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam have cursed someone specifically by name, or informed us of them being kafir; it will not be a sin for us to call them kafir or mal'un (accursed).
9. When a person dies and if he is buried, then after he is buried; and if he is not buried, then in whatever state he may be in; two angels come to him. One's name is Munkar and the other is Nakeer. They come and ask him: "Who is your creator? What is your Deen?" and pointing to Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, "Who is this person?" If the deceased was a strong believer, he will answer all the questions correctly. Thereafter there will be all sorts of comforts for him. They will open a window towards jannah from which a cool and fragrant breeze will continue blowing and he will continue sleeping peacefully. As for the one who was not a believer, to all the questions he will reply that he does not know anything. Thereafter, he will be subjected to great hardships and punishment right until the day of qiyaamah. Allah Ta'ala exempts some people from this test, but all these things are known to the deceased only. We
cannot see these things, just as a sleeping person sees everything in his dream, while a person sitting next to him remains totally unaware.
10. After death, the deceased is shown his abode every morning and evening. A jannati (dweller of paradise) is given glad tidings by being shown his abode in paradise, while a jahannami (dweller of hell) is shown his abode in hell and thereby made more despondent and wretched.
11. By making dua for the deceased and giving in charity on his behalf, rewards reach him and is very beneficial to him.
12. All the signs of qiyaamah as foretold by Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will definitely occur. Imam Mahdi will appear and will rule with absolute justice. The one-eyed Dajjal will appear and cause a lot of corruption in the world. Hadrat Isa alayhis salaam will come down from the heavens in order to kill him and will succeed in killing him. Yajuj and Majuj is a very powerful nation. They will spread throughout the earth and create a lot of disturbance. Then through the power of Allah they will be destroyed. A strange animal will come out from the ground and converse with people. The sun will rise from the west. The Quran will be raised and within a few days all the Muslims will die and the world will be filled with kuffar. Apart from this, many other incidents will take place.
13. When all the foretold signs are fulfilled, preparations for Qiyamat will commence. Under instruction from Allah Ta'ala, Hadrat Israfeel alayhis salaam will blow the trumpet. This trumpet will be in the shape of a very large horn. On the blowing of the trumpet, the earth and skies will be blown into smithereens. All the creatures will die, and those that have already died, their souls will become unconscious. But those whom Allah wishes to protect, will remain as they are. A specific period will pass in this condition.
14. When Allah wishes the entire universe to arise again, the trumpet will be blown a second time. By the blowing of the trumpet, the entire universe will be re-born. All the dead will be brought to life and they will all gather in the field of resurrection. In apprehension of all the difficulties of qiyaamah, they will all go to the prophets for intercession. Eventually, our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will intercede. The scales will be raised and all good and bad deeds will be weighed and accounted for. A few people will enter paradise without reckoning. The pious people will be given their book of deeds in their right hands while the sinners will be given in their left hands. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will make his followers drink water from the Haud-e-Kauthar (the fountain of abundance). The water of this fountain will be whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. Everyone will also have to cross the Sirat. Those who were pious, will cross it and enter paradise. Those who were sinners, will fall down into hell.
15. Hell has already been created. It has snakes, scorpions and many other types of punishments. Among the dwellers of hell, those that have even an iota of Imaan will be taken out of hell and admitted into paradise after having been punished for their evil deeds, and after the intercession of the prophets and pious servants of Allah. This is irrespective of how great sinners they may have been. As for the disbelievers and polytheists (mushrikeen) they will abide therein forever and will not even die.
16. Paradise has also been created. It has various types of comforts and luxuries. The dwellers of paradise will have no sort of fear or concern whatsoever. They will abide therein forever. They will not come out of it, nor will they die.
17. Allah Ta'ala has the full right to punish over minor sins or to forgive over major sins and not to punish at all.
18. Allah Ta'ala does not ever forgive kufr or shirk. Apart from this, whatever other sins there may be, He will forgive whoever He wishes out of His mercy.
19. Apart from all those whom Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam have taken by name that they will enter paradise, we cannot say with certainty in regard to anyone else that they will enter paradise. However, after looking at good signs, it is necessary to be optimistic and hopeful of His mercy.
20. The greatest bounty in paradise is seeing Allah Ta'ala. This will be given to the dwellers of paradise. In comparison to this pleasure, all other bounties will appear insignificant.
21. While awake, no one has seen Allah with his very eyes in this world, nor can anyone see Him.
22. No matter how good or bad a person may have been throughout his life, he will be recompensed according to the state in which he dies.
23. Whenever a person repents or accepts Islam, his repentance or Islam will be accepted by Allah Ta'ala. However, at the time of death, when he is breathing his last and he sees the angels of death, neither repentance nor his accepting Islam will be acceptable.
INCORRECT BELIEFS AND ACTIONS
After this, it seems appropriate to mention a few incorrect beliefs, evil customs, and major sins which are committed quite often and which cause a shortcoming in one's Imaan. In mentioning these things, it is hoped that people will guard themselves from them. Some of these are absolute kufr and shirk, some are very close to kufr and shirk, others are innovations and delusions, while others are sins. It is therefore necessary to safeguard one's self from all of them. After mentioning these things, a few worldly harms of sinning and worldly benefits of good deeds will be mentioned. Since people tend to give more attention to worldly gains and losses, it is hoped that in this way there will be the desire to do good and abstain from evil.
Kufr and Shirk
This chapter deals with those aspects that have a special connection with kufr and shirk either because these aspects necessitate kufr and shirk, or because they are customs and habits of the kuffar and mushrikeen, or they have traces of shirk, or because they lead to kufr and shirk.
The following are forbidden in the Shariah:
1. To like kufr, to appreciate the things of kufr, and to make someone else commit an act of kufr.
2. To express regret or remorse at one's own Imaan due to some reason or other, e.g. by thinking that if he were not a Muslim, he could have attained such and such a thing.
3. To say the following things out of grief on the death of one's children or close ones: "Allah wanted to kill him only", "he was the only person left in the world for Allah to kill", "Allah should not have done this", "No one perpetrates such brutality as You have done."
4. To think ill of or find fault with any order of Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
5. To scorn at any prophet or angel, or to find fault with them.
6. To have the belief that a particular saint or pious person has full knowledge of all our conditions at all times.
7. To ask about unknown matters or to cause events to be foretold from an astrologer or person under the influence of a jinn, and then to believe in what they say.
8. To take omens from the speech of a pious person and then to regard them as true.
9. To implore someone from a great distance and to think that he must have definitely come to know of it.
10. To regard someone as having the choice of benefitting or causing harm.
11. To ask someone for the fulfilment of one's needs, sustenance and children.
12. To fast in someone's name.
13. To prostrate to someone.
14. To release an animal in someone's name or to make an offering in someone's name.
15. To make a pledge in the name of someone.
16. To make tawaaf around the grave or house of someone.
17. To give priority to other things or customs over the orders of Allah Ta'ala.
18. To bow in front of someone or to stand motionless like a statue in front of him.
19. To make an offering of a goat to a jinn, etc.
20. To sacrifice an animal in the name of someone.
21. To make an offering or sacrifice a goat, etc. in order to rid one's self of a jinn, ghost, or evil spirit.
22. To worship the navel-cord of the child so that it may live.
23. To cry out to someone (other than Allah) for justice.
24. To respect and revere any place as one would do for the Ka'bah.
25. To pierce the ears or nose of a child and to make him wear an ear or nose-ring in the name of someone.
26. To tie a coin on the arm, or a string around the neck in the name of someone.
27. To make children wear garlands, wreaths, to keep locks of hair over their heads, or to make them beggars.
28. To keep names such as Ali Bakhsh (given by Ali), Husayn Bakhsh (given by Husayn), Abdun Nabi (slave of the prophet), etc.
29. To attach the name of a particular saint on an animal and to respect it thereafter.
30. To believe that the affairs of the world are under the influence of the stars.
31. To ask about auspicious and inauspicious days and dates and to take omens from them.
32. To regard certain months and dates as unlucky.
33. To recite the name of a particular saint in the form of remembrance or incantations.
34. To say that if Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam wish such and such a thing, it will be done.
35. To take an oath in the name or on the head of someone.
36. To keep pictures of animate objects. Especially to keep pictures of a particular saint as a source of blessing and to respect it.
Apart from this, there are many other things. These have been mentioned in order to serve as an example.
Innovations and Evil Customs
To introduce something which has no basis in Shariah into the Deen, to regard it as part of Deen, and to act upon it with the hope of reward, is called a bid'ah (innovation). An innovation is a major sin.
The following innovations and customs should be abstained from:
1. To organize and hold grand fairs at graves, to light lamps there, for women to visit them, and to cover graves with sheets.
2. To construct tombs over the graves.
3. To go to extremes in revering the graves with a view to please the saint of the grave.
4. To make ta'zias, to kiss the graves and rub its dust on one's face.
5. To make tawaaf and sajdah to the graves.
6. To read salaat towards the graves.
7. To make offerings of sweetmeats, rice, etc. to the graves.
8. To keep ta'zias or emblems on the graves, and to keep sweets, etc. on them.
9. To salute graves and regard them as unique and incomparable.
10. To abstain from the following acts in the month of Muharram:
a) eating betel leaves,
b) applying henna (mehendi),
c) the company of the husband,
d) wearing red clothes,
e) eating out of the dish named after Hazrat Fatimah (R.A.).
11. To observe the third and fortieth days as compulsory after death ceremonies.
12. To regard the second marriage of a woman as a blemish despite there being a need for it.
13. To perform the different ceremonies of Nikah (marriage), Khatna (circumcision), Bismillah (beginning of education), etc., inspite of lack of means, especially by putting oneself in debt and making arrangements for music and dances.
14. To observe the festivals of Holi and Diwali.
15. To greet in any way other than the greeting of As salaamu alai kum, or to just bow by raising the hand to the head.
16. To appear before one's brother-in-law, sister-in-law, cousins, or any other strangers, etc. without any modesty or bashfulness.
17. To bring water from the river while singing.
18. To listen to music or play musical instruments, or to make dancing girls dance and to reward them for it.
19. To be boastful or proud of one's lineage or family, or to consider any connection with any saint to be sufficient for salvation.
20. To taunt someone on account of his lower lineage, or to regard any permissible occupation to be despicable or below your dignity.
21. To go to extremes in praising someone.
22. To spend extravagantly in marriages and other senseless ceremonies.
23. To follow Hindu customs.
24. To make the bridegroom wear clothes which are contrary to the Shariah, to adorn him with garlands, to apply henna (mehendi) on him, to light fireworks and make unnecessary decorations.
25. To bring the bridegroom among the women and in front of them, or to peep at him.
26. To bring the mature (baaligh) sister-in-law (bride's sister) in front of the bridegroom, to joke with her, or to hold "chauthi" (a ceremony on the fourth day of the marriage).
27. To go and listen to the conversation of the bride and bridegroom while they are in their privacy, to peep at them or to eavesdrop; and if you hear something, to tell it to others.
28. To make the bride attend the feast given by the bridegroom and to force her to sit there to the extent that even her salaat is missed.
29. To fix exhorbitant mehr (dowry) out of pride and boastfulness.
30. To weep aloud out of sorrow, or to beat the face and chest, or to cry in a shouting manner.
31. To break the containers which were in use at the time of death, or to get the clothes washed which touched the body of the dead.
32. Not to prepare pickles, etc. in the house of mourning for about a year or so.
33. Not to celebrate any happy or joyous occassion.
34. To revive the sorrow or mourning on certain fixed dates.
35. To excessively occupy one's self in make-up and self-beautification and to look down upon simplicity.
36. To hang pictures and photographs in the house.
37. To use gold or silver utensils.
38. To wear thin or flimsy clothing, or to wear jingling and tinkling jewellery.
39. To wear short skirts.
40. To attend the gatherings of men, eg. processions and fairs.
41. To adopt the dressing of the opposite sex.
42. To tatoo the body.
43. To practise witchcraft and cast spells.
44. To hang and suspend carpets from walls and ceilings merely for decoration and beautification.
45. To embrace and hug ghayr mahrams (those with whom hijaab is necessary) at the time of departing or returning from a journey.
46. To pierce the nose or ear of a male child as an omen for long life.
47. To make the male child wear a nose or ear ring, or silk, or saffron-dyed clothes, or any jewellery on the neck, feet or wrists.
48. To feed the children with opium (and other similar drugs) in order to keep them quiet.
49. To give someone the meat or milk of a lion because of some illness.
There are many other similar incorrect beliefs, customs, and innovations. These have been mentioned to serve as an example.
A few major sins regarding which severe warnings have been mentioned
1. To ascribe partners to Allah.
2. To shed the blood of someone unjustly.
3. To practise witchcraft and charms by childless women during the confinement of another woman so that the child of that woman may die and she may have a child. This also amounts to murder.
4. To taunt or torment one's parents.
5. To commit adultery.
6. To devour the wealth of orphans, eg. many women usurp the wealth and belongings of the deceased husband and deprive the children of their share.
7. To deprive the daughters of their share in the inheritance.
8. To accuse a woman of adultery even on the slightest doubt.
9. To oppress or persecute someone.
10. To backbite or slander someone.
11. To despair of the mercy of Allah Ta'ala.
12. To act contrary to one's promise.
13. To betray a trust (amaanah).
14. To discard any fard (compulsory duty) enjoined by Allah Ta'ala, eg. salaat, fasting, hajj, zakaat, etc.
15. To forget the Holy Quran after having memorized it.
16. To speak lies. Especially to take false oaths.
17. To swear by the name of anyone other than Allah.
18. To take an oath with such words that the person is deprived of the kalimah at the time of death, or may die without Imaan.
19. To prostrate before anyone other than Allah Ta'ala.
20. To miss salaat without a valid excuse.
21. To call any Muslim a kafir, or non-believer, or to invoke the wrath or punishment of Allah on him, or to call him an enemy of Allah.
22. To complain against someone, or to hear such a complaint.
23. To steal.
24. To take interest (usury).
25. To express joy on the rise and inflation of the value of commodities or goods.
26. To insist on reducing the price after having agreed to it.
27. To sit in seclusion with ghayr mahrams (those with whom the observance of hijaab is necessary).
28. To gamble. Some women and girls play certain games with stakes on them. This is also a kind of gambling.
29. To like and be attracted to the customs of the kuffaar.
30. To find fault with food.
31. To enjoy dancing and listening to music.
32. To abstain from giving advice inspite of having the power to do so.
33. To ridicule someone with a view to humiliating and embarrassing him.
34. To look for faults in others.
The Worldly Harms of Sinning
1. Deprival of knowledge.
2. Decrease in one's sustenance (rizq).
3. Trembling and shuddering at the mention of Allah Ta'ala.
4. Feeling uneasy in the presence of men, especially good and pious men.
5. Experiencing difficulty in most affairs.
6. Loses purity of the heart.
7. Feels weakness of heart, and at times, weakness of the entire body.
8. Gets deprived or bereft of obedience (doing good deeds).
9. His life is shortened.
10. Deprived of the capability to repent (make taubah).
11. After some time, the seriousness of sins comes out of his heart.
12. Becomes despicable in the sight of Allah.
13. His immorality or wrongdoing affects other people and he is thereby cursed by them.
14. His intellect becomes weak or deficient.
15. He is cursed by Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
16. Is deprived of the duas of the angels.
17. Faces a shortage in crops.
18. Loses modesty and a sense of self-respect.
19. The greatness of Allah Ta'ala comes out of the heart.
20. Is deprived of all bounties and blessings.
21. Is engulfed or inundated by difficulties and calamities.
22. The shayateen are deputed over him.
23. His heart is always in turmoil.
24. Is unable to read the kalimah at the time of death.
25. Despairs of the mercy of Allah Ta'ala, and because of this, dies without having repented.
The Worldly Benefits of Obedience
1. Sustenance is increased.
2. Receives blessings and bounties of all kinds.
3. Problems and difficulties distance themselves.
4. Experiences ease in fulfilling his needs.
5. Experiences a life of contentment.
6. Rains become plentiful.
7. All types of calamities are warded off.
8. Allah Ta'ala becomes very kind and helpful.
9. Angels are commanded to keep his heart strong.
10. Gets true respect and honour.
11. His status is raised.
12. Everyone has love for him in their hearts.
13. The Quran becomes a source of deliverance on his behalf.
14. If he experiences any material loss, he is compensated with something better.
15. Experiences an increase in blessings day by day.
16. There is an increase in his wealth.
17. Experiences comfort and tranquility in his heart.
18. All these benefits pass on to the next generation.
19. Experiences unseen glad tidings in this very world.
20. Hears and receives the glad tidings of the angels at the time of death.
21. There is an increase in his life-span.
22. Experiences abundance in things which are in small quantity.
Removal of Allah Ta'ala's anger.
(Jamatul Haq/Ashrafiyyah Tariqah)
THE FAITH OF THE AHL SUNNAH WAL JAM'AH
Imam Muhammad al-Ghazali (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih) writes in his book Kimya-i Saadat: "When someone becomes a Muslim, it will primarily be fard for him to know and believe in the meaning of the phrase La ilaha ill-Allah, Muhammadun Rasul-Allah. This phrase is called the kalimat at-tawhid. It is sufficient for every Muslim to believe without any doubt what this phrase means. It is not fard for him to prove it with evidence or to satisfy his mind. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) did not command the Arabs to know or to mention the relevant proofs or to search and clarify any possible doubts. He commanded them to believe only and not to doubt. It is enough for everybody also to believe superficially. Yet it is fard kifaya that there should exist a few 'alims in every town. It is wajib for these 'alims to know the proofs, to remove the doubts and to answer the questions. They are like shepherds for Muslims. On the one hand, they teach them the knowledge of iman, which is the knowledge of belief, and, on the other hand, they answer the slanders of the enemies of Islam.
Qur'an al-karim stated the meaning of the kalimat at-tawhid and Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) explained what is declared in it. All the Sahabat al-kiram learned these explanations and conveyed them to those who came after them. The exalted scholars who conveyed to us what the Sahabat al-kiram had conveyed, by committing them to their books without making any alterations in them, are called the Ahl as-Sunnat. Everybody has to learn the itiqad of the Ahl as-Sunnat and to unite and love one another. The seed of happiness is in this itiqad and in this unification.
The 'ulama' of the Ahl as-Sunnat explain the meaning of the kalimat at-tawhid as follows: Men were nonexistent. They were created later. They have one Creator. He is the One who has created everything. The Creator is one. He does not have a partner or a likeness. There is no second He. He has been ever-existent; His existence did not have beginning. He will be ever-existent; there is no end to His existence. He will not cease to exist. His existence is always necessary. His nonexistence is impossible. His existence is of Himself. He does not need any means. There is nothing that will not need Him. He is the One who creates everything and makes it go on existing. He is
not material or a thing. He is not at a place or in any substance. He does not have a shape and cannot be measured. It cannot be asked how He is; when we say 'He,' none of the things which occur to the mind or which we can imagine is He. He is unlike these. All of them are His creatures. He is not like His creatures. He is the creator of everything that occurs to the mind, every illusion and every delusion. He is not above, below or at one side. He does not have a place. Every being is below the 'Arsh. And the 'Arsh is under His Power, under His Omnipotence. He is above the 'Arsh. Yet this does not mean that the 'Arsh carries Him. The 'arsh exists with His Favor and in His Omnipotence. He is the same now as He was in eternity, in eternal past. He will always be the same in the everlasting future as He had been before creating the 'Arsh. No change occurs in Him. He has His own attributes. His attributes called as-Sifat ath-Thubutiyya are eight: Hayat (Life), 'Ilm (Omniscience), Sam' (Hearing), Basar (Seeing), Qudra (Omnipotence), Irada (Will), Kalam (Speech, Word) and Takwin (Creativeness). No change ever occurs in these attributes of His. Change implies deficiency. He has no deficiency or defect. Though He does not resemble any of His creatures, it is possible to know Him in this world as much as He makes Himself known and to see Him in the Hereafter. Here He is known without realizing how He is, and there He will be seen in an incomprehensible way.
Allahu ta'ala sent prophets ('alaihim us-salam) to His human creatures. Through these great people, He showed His human creatures the deeds that bring happiness and those which cause ruination. The most exalted prophet is Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), the Last Prophet. He was sent as the Prophet for every person, pious or irreligious, for every place and for every nation on the earth. He is the Prophet for all human beings, angels and genies. In every corner of the world, everybody has to follow him and adapt himself to this exalted Prophet".[24]
Sayyid 'Abdulhakim-i Arwasi[25] (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih) said: "Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) had three tasks. The first one was to communicate and make known (tabligh) the rules of Qur'an al-karim, that is, the knowledge of iman and of ahkam fiqhiyya, to all human beings. Ahkam fiqhiyya is composed of actions commanded and actions prohibited. His second task was to transmit the spiritual rules of Qur'an al-karim, the knowledge about Allahu ta'ala Himself and His Attributes into the hearts of only the highest ones of his Umma. His first task, tabligh, should not be confused with this second task. The la-madhhabi reject the second task. But, Abu Huraira (radi-Allahu 'anh) said, 'I learned two types of knowledge from Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam). I have told you one of them. You would kill me if I explained the second one.' These words of Abu Huraira's are written in the books Bukhari, Mishqat, Hadiqa, and in the letters of Maktubat, numbers 267 and 268. The third task was directed towards those Muslims who did not obey the advice and sermons concerning
carrying out the ahkam fiqhiyya. Even force was employed to get them to obey the ahkam fiqhiyya.
"After Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam), each of the four Khalifas (radi-Allahu 'anhum) accomplished these three tasks perfectly. During the time of hadrat Hasan (radi-Allahu 'anh), fitnas and bidats increased. Islam had spread out over three continents. The spiritual light of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) receded away from the earth. The Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu 'anhum) decreased in number. Later, no one was able to do all these three tasks together by himself. Therefore, these tasks were undertaken by three groups of people. The task of communicating iman and ahkam fiqhiyya was assigned to religious leaders called mujtahids. Amongst these mujtahids, those who communicated iman were called mutakallimun, and those who communicated fiqh were called fuqaha'. The second task, that is, making those willing Muslims attain the spiritual rules of Qur'an al-karim, was assigned to the Twelve Imams of the Ahl al-Bait (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim) and to great men of tasawwuf. Sirri (Sari) as-Saqati (d. 251/876 in Baghdad) and al-Junaid al-Baghdadi (b. 207/821 and d. 298/911 in Baghdad) were two of them (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihima).[26]
"The third task, having the rules of the religion implemented by force and authority, was assigned to sultans, i.e. governments. Sections of the first class were called Madhhabs. Sections of the second one were called Tariqas, and the third one was called huquq (laws). Madhhabs that tell about iman are called Madhhabs of itiqad. Our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) had explained that Muslims would part into seventy-three groups in respect to iman, and that only one of them would be right and the others wrong. And happen it did. The group that was given the good news of being on the right way is called the Ahl as-Sunnat wal-Jamaat. The remaining seventy-two groups, which were declared to be wrong, are called the groups of bidat, that is, heretics. None of them are disbelievers. All of them are Muslims. But, if a Muslim who says he belongs to any of the seventy-two groups disbelieves any information that has been declared clearly in Qur'an al-karim, in Hadith ash-Sharif or that has spread among Muslims, he becomes a disbeliever. There are many people today who, while carrying Muslim names, have already dissented from the Madhhab of the Ahl as-Sunnat and have become heretics or non-Muslims." Quotations from hadrat Abdulhakim Effendi end here.
Muslims have to keep on learning from the cradle to the grave. The knowledge which Muslims have to learn is called al-'Ulum al-Islamiyya (Islamic sciences), which consist of two parts:
I) al-'Ulum an-naqliyya, II) al-'Ulum al-'aqliyya.
I) Al-'Ulum an-naqliyya (also called 'religious sciences'): These sciences are acquired by reading the books of the 'ulama' of the Ahl as-Sunnat. The 'ulama' of Islam derived these sciences from four main sources. These four sources are called al-adillat ash-Shariyya. They are al-Qur'an al-karim, al-Hadith ash-Sharif, ijma' al-Umma and qiyas al-fuqaha'.
Religious sciences consist of eight main branches:
1) 'ilm at-tafsir (the science of interpretation of Qur'an al-karim). A specialist in this branch is called a mufassir; he is a profoundly learned scholar able to understand what Allahu ta'ala means in His Word.
2) 'ilm al-usul al-hadith. This branch deals with classification of hadiths. Different kinds of hadiths are explained in Endless Bliss, second fascicle, sixth chapter.
3) 'ilm al-hadith. This branch studies minutely the sayings (hadith), behavior (sunnat), and manners (hals) of our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam).
4) 'ilm al-usul al-kalam. This branch studies the methods by which 'ilm al-kalam is derived from al-Qur'an al-karim and al-Hadith ash-Sharif.
5) 'ilm al-kalam. This branch covers the study of the kalimat at-tawhid and the kalimat ash-shahada and the six fundamentals of iman, which depend on them. These are the teachings to be believed in by heart. Scholars of kalam usually wrote 'ilm al-usul al-kalam and 'ilm al-kalam together. Therefore, the layman takes these two branches of knowledge as one single branch.
6) 'ilm al-usul al-fiqh. This branch studies the derivation of the methods of fiqh from Qur'an al-karim and Hadith ash-Sharif.
7) 'ilm al-fiqh. This branch studies afal al-mukallafin, that is, it tells how those who are sane and pubescent should act on matters concerning the body. This is the knowledge necessary for the body. Afal al-mukallafin has eight sections: fard, wajib, sunnat, mustahab, mubah, haram, makruh and mufsid. However, they can be briefly classified into three groups: actions commanded, actions prohibited and actions permitted (mubah).
8) 'ilm at-tasawwuf. This branch is also called 'ilm al-ahlak (ethics). It explains not only the things we should do and we should not do with the heart but also helps the belief to be heartfelt, makes it easy for Muslims to carry out their duties as taught in 'ilm al-fiqh and helps one attain marifa.
It is fard-i 'ain for every Muslim, man or woman, to learn kalam, fiqh and tasawwuf as much as necessary out of these eight branches, and it is a guilt, a sin, not to learn them.[27]
II) Al-'Ulum al-aqliyya (also called 'experimental sciences'): These sciences are divided into two groups: technical sciences and literary sciences. It is fard kifaya for Muslims to learn these sciences. As for Islamic sciences, it is fard 'ain to learn as much as is necessary. To learn more than is necessary, that is, to become specialized in Islamic sciences is fard kifaya. If there is no alim who knows these sciences in a town, all of its inhabitants and government authorities will be sinful.
Religious teachings do not change in the course of time. Making a mistake or erring while commenting on 'ilm al-kalam is not an excuse but a crime. In matters pertaining to fiqh, the variations and facilities shown by Islam can be utilized when one has the excuses shown by Islam. It is never permissible to make alterations or to make reforms in religious matters with one's own opinion or point of view. It causes one to go out of Islam. Change, improvement and progress in al-'Ulum al-'aqliyya are permissible. It is necessary to develop them by searching, finding and even by learning them from non-Muslim, too.
The following article is quoted from the book Al-majmuat az-Zuhdiyya. It was compiled by an ex-minister of education, Sayyid Ahmad Zuhdu Pasha (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih):
The word 'fiqh', when used in the form of 'faqiha yafqahu', that is, in the fourth category, means 'to know, to understand.' When it is used in the fifth category, it means 'to know, to understand Islam.' A scholar in 'ilm al-fiqh is called a faqih. 'Ilm al-fiqh deals with the actions which people should do and those which they should not do. The knowledge of fiqh is composed of Qur'an al-karim, Hadith ash-Sharif, ijma' and qiyas. The consensus of the as-Sahabat al-kiram and the mujtahids who came after them is called ijma' al-Umma. The rules of the religion derived from Qur'an al-karim, Hadith ash-Sharif and ijma' al-Umma are called qiyas al-fuqaha.' If it could not be understood from Qur'an al-karim or Hadith ash-Sharif whether an action was halal (permitted) or haram (forbidden), then this action was compared to another action which was known. This comparison was called qiyas. Applying qiyas required the latter action to have the same factor which made the former action permitted or forbidden. And this could be judged only by those profound 'ulama' who had attained the grade of ijtihad.
'Ilm al-fiqh is very extensive. It has four main divisions:
1) 'ibadat, composed of five subdivisions: salat (namaz), sawm (fast), zakat, hajj, jihad. Each has many sections. As it is seen, it is an 'ibada to make preparations for jihad. Our Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) explained that jihad against the enemies of Islam was of two kinds: by actions and by words. It is fard to learn how to make and use new weapons in preparation for jihad by actions. Jihad is done by the State. It is fard for the people to join the jihad by obeying the State's laws and orders concerning jihad. Nowadays, enemy assault through publications, motion pictures, radio broadcast and every means of propaganda -the second kind of war- has tremendously increased; therefore it is also jihad to stand against the enemies in this field.
2) munakahat, composed of subdivisions, such as marriage, divorce, alimony and many others [written in detail in the book Se'adet-i Ebediyye].
3) muamalat, composed of many subdivisions, such as purchase, sale, rent, joint-ownership, interest, inheritance, etc.
4) uqubat (penal code), composed of five main subdivisions: qisas (lex talionis), sirqat (theft), zina (fornication and adultery), qadhf (accusing a virtuous woman of incontinence) and ridda (the case of becoming an apostate).
It is fard for every Muslim to learn the 'ibadat part of fiqh sufficiently. It is fard kifaya to learn munakahat and muamalat; in other words, those who have anything to do with them should learn them. After 'ilm at-tafsir, 'ilm al-hadith and 'ilm al-kalam, the most honorable ilm is 'ilm al-fiqh. The following six hadiths will be enough to indicate the honor of fiqh and the faqih: 'rahmatullahi ta'ala alaihim ajmain'
'If Allahu ta'ala wants to bestow His blessing on a slave of His, He makes a faqih of him.'
'If a person becomes a faqih, Allahu ta'ala sends what he wishes and his sustenance through unexpected sources.'
'The person about whom Allahu ta'ala says 'most superior' is a faqih in the religion.'
'Against Satan, a faqih is more stoic than one thousand 'abids (those who worship much).'
'Everything has a pillar to base itself upon. The basic pillar of the religion is the knowledge of fiqh.'
'The best and most valuable 'ibada is to learn and teach fiqh.'
Superiority of al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) is also understood from these hadiths.
Rules of Islam in the Hanafi Madhhab were transmitted through a chain beginning with 'Abdullah ibn Masud (radi-Allahu 'anh), who was a Sahabi. Al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), the founder of the Madhhab, acquired the knowledge of fiqh from Hammad, and Hammad from Ibrahim an-Nakhai. Ibrahim an-Nakhai was taught by Alqama, and Alqama studied under Abdullah ibn Masud, who was educated by Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam).
Abu Yusuf, Imam Muhammad ash-Shaibani, Zufar ibn Hudhail and Hasan ibn Ziyad were al-Imam al-azam's disciples (rahimahum-Allah). Of these, Imam Muhammad wrote about one thousand books on Islamic teachings. He was born in 135 A.H. and passed away in Rayy, Iran, in 189 (805 A.D.). Because he was married to the mother of al-Imam ash-Shafi'i, one of his disciples, all his books were left to Shafi'i upon his death, thus Shafi'i's knowledge increased. For this reason, al-Imam ash-Shafi'i (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) said, 'I swear that my knowledge of fiqh increased by reading Imam Muhammad's books. Those who want to deepen their knowledge of fiqh should be in the company of the disciples of Abu Hanifa.' And once he said, 'All Muslims are like the household, children, of al-Imam al-azam.' That is, as a man earns a living for his wife and children, al-Imam al-azam took it upon himself to find out the religious knowledge which people needed in their affairs. Thus, he spared Muslims of a lot of hard work.
Al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa (rahmat-Allahi 'alaih) compiled the knowledge of fiqh, classified it into branches and sub-branches, and set usuls (methods) for it. He also collected the knowledge of itiqad as Rasulullah (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and the as-Sahabat al-kiram (ridwan-Allahi 'alaihim ajmain) had preached, and taught them to hundreds of his disciples. Some of his disciples became specialists in 'ilm al-kalam, that is, in the teachings of iman. Of them, Abu Bakr al-Jurjani, one of Imam Muhammad ash-Shaibani's disciples, became famous. And Abu Nasr al-'Iyad, one of his pupils, educated Abu Mansur al-Maturidi in 'ilm al-kalam. Abu Mansur wrote in his books the knowledge of kalam as it came from al-Imam al-azam (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih). By contending against heretics, he consolidated the itiqad of the Ahl as-Sunnat. He disseminated it out far and wide. He passed away in Samarqand in 333 (944 A.D.). This great alim and another alim, Abu 'l-Hasan al-Ashari, are called the imams of the Madhhabs of itiqad of the Ahl as-Sunnat.
The fiqh scholars are grouped in seven grades. Kamal Pasha Zhada Ahmad ibn Sulaiman Effendi (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), in his work Waqf an-niyyat, explained these seven grades as follows:
1. The mujtahids of Islam, who constructed the methods and principles of deriving tenets from the four sources of the religion (Adilla-i arba'a), and derived tenets in accordance with the principles they established. The four aimmat al-madhahib were of these.
2. The mujtahids in a Madhhab, who, following the principles formulated by the imam of the Madhhab, derived rules from the four sources. They were Imam Abu Yusuf, Imam Muhammad, etc. (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain).
3. The mujtahids of matters (masala), who for the matters that were not dealt with by the founder of the Madhhab, derived rules using the methods and principles of the Madhhab. Yet in doing this, they had to follow the imam. They were at-Tahawi (238-321 A.H., in Egypt), Hassaf Ahmad ibn 'Umar (d. 261, in Baghdad), 'Abdullah ibn Husain al-Karkhi (340), Shams al-aimma al-Halwani (456, in Bukhara), Shams al-aimma as-Sarahsi (483), Fakhr-ul Islam 'Ali ibn Muhammad al-Pazdawi (400-482, in Samarqand), Qadi-Khan Hasan ibn Mansur al-Farghani (592), etc. (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain).
4. Ashab at-takhrij, who were not able to employ ijtihad. They were scholars who explained in brief, unclear rules derived by mujtahids. Husam ad-din ar-Razi 'Ali ibn Ahmad (d. 593 A.H., in Damascus) was one of them. He (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) wrote a commentary to Al-Quduri.
5. Arbab at-Tarjih, who preferred one of the several riwayas (narrations or opinions of the mujtahids as narrated) coming from mujtahids. They were Abu l'Hasan al-Quduri (362-428 A.H., in Baghdad) and Burhan ad-din 'Ali al-Marghinani the author of Al-hidaya, who was martyred by the soldiers of Genghis in the Bukhara Massacre of 593 A.H. [1198 A.D.].
6. Those who wrote various riwayas about a matter in an order with respect to their reliability were called muqallids. They did not include any refused riwaya in their books. Abu 'l-Barakat 'Abdullah ibn Ahmad an-Nasafi (d. 710 A.H.), the author of Kanz ad-daqaiq; 'Abdullah ibn Mahmud al-Musuli (d. 683), the author of Mukhtar; Burhan ash-Sharia Mahmud ibn Sadr ash-Sharia 'Ubaid-Allah (d. 673), the author of Al-wiqaya; and Ibn as-Sa'ati Ahmad ibn 'Ali al-Baghdadi (d. 694), the author of Majma' al-bahrain, are of these (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim ajmain).
7. They are also muqallids[28] incapable of distinguishing weak riwayas from genuine ones.
FOOTNOTES
[24] Kimya' as-Saada. Muhammad al-Ghazali (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih) was one of the greatest Islamic scholars. He wrote hundreds of books. All his books are very valuable. He was born in 450 (1068 A.D.) in Tus, i.e. Meshed, Persia, and passed away there in 505 (1111 A.D.).
[25] He was born in Baskal'a in 1281 (1864 A.D.) and passed away in Ankara in 1362 (1943 A.D.).
[26] The 'ulama of Ahl as-Sunnat collected 'ilm at-tasawwuf by learning this second task of our Prophet ('alaihi 's-salam) from the Twelve Imams (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaihim). Some people do not believe in awliya', karamat or tasawwuf. This shows that they have no connection with the Twelve Imams. If they had followed the Ahl al-Bait, they would have learned this second task of our Prophet from the twelve Imams and there would have been many scholars of tasawwuf and awliya' among them. But there have not been any, and besides, they do not even believe that such scholars could exist. It is obvious that the Twelve Imams are the Ahl as-Sunnat's imams. It is the Ahl as-Sunnat who love the Ahl al-Bait and follow the Twelve Imams. To become a scholar of Islam, one has to be an heir of Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) in these two tasks. That is, one has to be an expert in these two branches of knowledge. 'Abd al-Ghani an-Nabulusi (rahmat-Allahi ta'ala 'alaih), one of such scholars, quoted, on pages 233 and 649 in his work Al-Hadiqat an-nadiyya, the hadiths describing the spiritual rules of Qur'an al-karim and pointed out that disbelieving these rules indicates ignorance and misfortune.
[27] Al-Hadiqa, p. 323 and in preface to Radd al-mukhtar.
[28] These were counted among fiqh scholars because they could understand what they read and explained it to the muqallids who could not understand.
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