Procrastination, by definition, refers to the counterproductive deferment of actions or tasks to a later time,

If you’ve ever left a project to

1) The People Of The Cave
Its the story of young men who lived in a disbelieving town, so they decided to migrate for the sake of Allah and run away. -Allah rewards them with mercy in the cave and protection from the sun – They woke up and found the entire village believers.

MORAL:TRIAL OF FAITH.

2) The Owner Of Two Gardens
A story of a man whom Allah blessed with two beautiful gardens, but the man forgot to thank the One who blessed him with everything and he even dared to doubt Allah regarding the afterlife.So His garden was destroyed – He regretted ,but was too late and his regret did not benefit him .

MORAL:TRIAL OF WEALTH.

3) Musa(AS) and Khidr(AS)
When Musa(AS) was asked-“Who’s the most knowledgeable of the people of earth?”” Musa(AS) said:Me…,but Allah revealed to him that there’s someone who Knows more than him.Musa(AS) traveled to the man and learnt how the Divine Wisdom can sometimes be hidden in matters which we perceive as bad.

MORAL:TRIAL OF KNOWLEDGE.

4) Dhul-Qarnayn
Its a story of the great King that was given knowledge and power and was going around the world,helping people and spreading all that’s good.He was able to overcome the problem of Yajooj-Majooj and build a massive dam with the help of people whom he could not even understand.

MORAL:TRIAL OF POWER

In the middle Allah mentions Iblees as the one who stirs these trials:
Behold! We said to the angels “Bow down to Adam”: they bowed down except Iblis. He was one of the Jinns, and he broke the Command of his Lord. Will ye then take him and his progeny as protectors rather than Me? And they are enemies to you! Evil would be the exchange for the wrongdoers!

Now let us see what’s the relationship between Surat Al-Kahf and the Dajjal (Anti-Christ)?

Dajjal will appear before Day of Judgement with the 4 trials:

***He’ll ask people to worship him and not Allah:

Trial of Faith .

***He’ll be given powers to start/stop rain and tempt people with his wealth:

Trial of with his wealth. .

***He’ll trial people with the “knowledge” and news he gives them:

Trial of Knowledge .

He’ll control huge parts of the Earth.

Trial of Power .

How to survive these trials? The answers are in Surat Al-Kahf

# Survival Kit 1: Good companionship.
“And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this Life; no obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds.” (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 28)

# Survival Kit 2: Knowing the Truth of this World .
“Set forth to them the similitude of the life of this world: It is like the rain which we send down from the skies: the earth’s vegetation absorbs it, but soon it becomes dry stubble, which the winds do scatter: it is (only) Allah who prevails over all things” (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 45)

# Survival Kit 3: Humbleness.
“Moses said: “Thou wilt find me, if Allah so will, (truly) patient: nor shall I disobey thee in aught.””(Surat Al-Kahf, verse 69)

# Survival Kit 4: Sincerity.
“Say: “I am but a man like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your Allah is one Allah. whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the worship of his Lord, admit no one as partner.” (Surat Al- Kahf, verse 110)

# Survival Kit 5: Calling to Allah .
“And recite (and teach) what has been revealed to thee of the Book of thy Lord: none can change His Words, and none wilt thou find as a refuge other than Him.” (Surat Al-Kahf, verse 27)

# Survival Kit 6: Remembering the HereAfter .
“ One Day We shall remove the mountains, and thou wilt see the earth as a level stretch, and We shall gather them, all together, nor shall We leave out any one of them. And they will be marshalled before thy Lord in ranks, (with the announcement), “Now have ye come to Us (bare) as We created you first: aye, ye thought We shall not fulfil the appointment made to you to meet (Us)!”: And the Book (of Deeds) will be placed (before you); and thou wilt see the sinful in great terror because of what is (recorded) therein; they will say, “Ah! woe to us! what a Book is this! It leaves out nothing small or great,but takes account thereof !” They will find all that they did, placed before them: And not one will thy Lord treat with injustice.” (Surat Al-Kahf, verses 47-49)

Good news! Now you can download whole Quran, Verse by Verse and Memorize it by heart. Take advantage of this brothers/sisters and Download it now!

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or Download using TORRENT.

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Tip: Take 1 Ayah at a time and select “Repeat Current Song” in your ipod, Smartphone etc and look in your Quran. It will get engraved on your brain in shaa allah.

A)

Praise be to Allah

Since you believe in Allah and His Book, you must know that (“: and not one will thy Lord treat with injustice”), Verse 49, Surat al-Kahf, or the Cave, and (“Allah is never unjust in the least degree: if there is any good (done), He doubleth it, and gives from His Own Self a great reward”), Verse 40, Surat an-Nisa, or the Women.

Allah has meant this Law of Islam (Shari’ah) for both men and women. All address to men in the Quran is address to women, and all rules affecting men affect women as will unless evidence is established that one of them is meant and not the other as in the rules relating to Jihad (fighting for Islam), menstruation, custodianship, rule etc.

The evidence that women are included in Verses of the Quran in the male gender is a Hadith by ‘Ayishah who said that the Prophet (May peace and blessings be upon him) was asked about a man who sees traces of semen but does not remember having any dream of sexual nature. The Prophet (May peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Such man should perform the Ghusul (ritual ablution). He was also asked of a man who remembers a dream of sexual nature but sees no traces of semen. He said: “Such man does not have to perform the Ghusul (ritual ablution). Umm Salim said “A woman may have the same experience. Does she have to perform the Ghusul (ritual ablution)?” The Prophet (May peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Yes, there is no difference in this between man and woman.” Narrated by Abu Dawud, at-Tirmizi 113 and others. The last phrase is in Sahih al-Jami’ under No. 2333.

With respect to rewards in the Hereafter and what women have in heaven, we include a number of Verses and Hadiths as follows:

Um Salamah said: “O Messenger of Allah. I did not hear a Verse in the Quran regarding the Hijrah (migration with the Prophet ) of women.” Then was revealed the Verse: (“And their Lord has accepted of them, and answered them: Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female: ye are members, one of another: those who have left their homes, and were driven out therefrom, and suffered harm in My cause, and fought and were slain – Verily I will blot out from them their inequities, and admit them into gardens with rivers flowing beneath; … A reward from Allah, and from Allah is the best of rewards.”), Verse 195, Surat al-‘Imran, or the Family. The Hadith was narrated by at-Tirmizi under No. 3023.

Ibn Kathir (May Allah have mercy on him) said the Verse (“fastajaba lahum rabbuhum”) means Allah replied to their queries … and the Verse (“anni la udi’u ‘amala ‘amilin minkum min thakarin aw untha”) is an explanation of the reply meaning that good deeds will not be lost or ignored. All men and women will have the just reward for their deeds. The Verse (“ba’dukum min ba’d”) means you will be treated equally with respect to rewards.

(If any do deeds of righteousness, be they male or female, and have faith, they will enter heaven, and not the least injustice will be done to them.), Verse 124, Surat an-Nisa, or the Women.

In explanation of this Verse, Ibn Kathir (May Allah have mercy on him) said the Verse shows Allah’s kindness, generosity and mercy in accepting the good deeds of all people, men and women, provided that they believe, in allowing them into heaven and in not decreasing rewards for their good deeds no even in the least.

(Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily, to him will we give a life that is good and pure, and we will bestow on such their reward according to the best of actions.), Verse 97, Surat an-Nahl, or the Bees.

Ibn Kathir (May Allah have mercy on him) said this is a promise by Allah, the Exalted, to those who do good deeds i.e. deeds acceptable to Allah in which a Muslim follows the rules set in the Book of Allah, the Exalted, and the Sunnah of His Prophet (May peace and blessings be upon him), be they men or women, if they believe in Allah and His Messenger (May peace and blessings be upon him), that He will make them live a good life in this world and will be rewarded in the Hereafter. A good life would include all types of comfort.

(He that makes evil will not be requited but by the like thereof; and he that makes a righteous deed – whether man or woman – And is a believer – Such will enter the garden (of bliss): therein will they have abundance without measure.), Verse 40, Surat al-Mumin, or the believer.

Finally; dear sister, here is a Hadith that will dispel any doubt you may have with respect to the mentioning of women:

Um ‘Umarah al-Ansariyyah said that she went to the Prophet (May peace and blessings be upon him) and said to Him: “I feel that everything is for men. Women are not mentioned as having anything. Then was revealed the Verse: (For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women etc), Verse 35, Surat al-Ahzab, or the Confederates. The Hadith is narrated by at-Tirmizi under No. 3211, and is in Sahih at-Tirmizi under No. 2565.

In the collection of Hadiths of Imam Ahmad was narrated the Hadith that Um Salama (May Allah be pleased with her) said: “I said “O Messenger (May peace and blessings be upon him) of Allah. Why aren’t we mentioned in the Quran in an equal footing with men?” Then; I was surprised to hear Him call one day from the pulpit: “O people.” As I was combing my hair at the moment, I wrapped it up and came close to the door and stood there listening to Him say: “Allah, Mighty and Sublime be He, revealed that (For Muslim men and women; for believing men and women; for devout men and women, for true men and women; for men and women who are patient and constant; for men and women who humble themselves; for men and women who give in charity; for men and women who fast; for men and women who guard their chastity; and for men and women who engage much in Allah’s remembrance for them has Allah prepared forgiveness and great reward.) Verse 35, Surat al-Ahzab, or the Confederates.

We ask Allah to give us all the ability to show sincerity in words and deeds and to continue as will-established Muslims.

May Allah have blessing on Prophet Muhammad

Time to Kick Porn Addiction Out of your System:
• Physiology of porn addiction & why it’s so hard to quit
• Porn addicts: you are not losers & you CAN quit
• The Ramadan connection
• Simple changes towards a new life

Some of you may be thinking, “Astaghfirullah, how can someone even think of doing this “.First say alḥamdulillāh, and thank Allāh that He, Al-Rahman, has protected you from this great fitnah. Next pray to Allāh that He keeps you away from the dark forces of sexual addictions of all types, from porn to zina, naudhubillah.

Effects of Porn

Although destructive in many ways, the deteriorating impact porn addiction has on intimacy between spouses, tops the list. There is developing research that “pornography was progressively desensitizing these men sexually… that they quickly required higher levels of stimulation to achieve the same level of arousal”. The sad reality is that your wife/husband becomes progressively insufficient to satisfy your sexual desires.

For those addiction-afflicted as well as those who aren’t, take heed of the dangers of porn addiction. Like alcohol and drug addiction, porn addiction cannot simply be shut off. Rather, one must undergo a rigorous process requiring time and effort, and this process cannot start unless one understands why this addiction is so strong. Porn addiction is one sub-category of sexual addictions, likely the lightest in terms of haram- but equally destructive and almost certainly leading to worse if not nipped in the bud. That is why Allāh has instructed us to not even “approach zina” [Quran 17.32], because with porn as an entry-way, it becomes almost impossible to stop one’s path to zina.

Why is it an Addiction?

Research has shown that porn addiction is a “chemical addiction“, having an effect on the brain that is very similar to drugs. It has even been called the new crack cocaine in this Wired article. Mary Anne Layden, co-director of the Sexual Trauma and Psychopathology Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Cognitive Therapy, calls porn the “most concerning thing to psychological health that I know of existing today.”

First let’s see how drugs work so we may see how analogous it is to porn addiction. The National Institute of Drug Abuse reports: “Most drugs of abuse directly or indirectly target the brain’s reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, cognition, motivation, and feelings of pleasure. The over stimulation of this system, which rewards our natural behaviors, produces the euphoric effects sought by people who abuse drugs and teaches them to repeat the behavior.”
Porn addiction works similarly: “During the sexual process, the brain begins narrowing its focus as it releases a tidal wave of endorphins and other neurochemicals like dopamine, norepinephrine, oxytocin and serotonin. These “natural drugs” produce a tremendous rush or high. When these chemicals are released during healthy marital intimacy we refer to them as “the fabulous four” because of the myriad positive benefits they generate between a husband and wife. When they are released during pornography use and other sexual addiction behaviors, we call them “the fearsome four” due to the severe addiction and many negative consequences they produce in the brain and nervous system.” [Read more in this informative article]

Overcoming Addiction
We know that drug addicts can get over their addiction. We know that alcoholics have been able to do the same.
So, if you are a porn addict, know this:
(1) you are not alone
(2) you are not a loser or an evil person
(3) you CAN kick this habit but only with a huge amount of jihad’l-nafs (the struggle of the soul).

For spouses, family, friends, and supporters, know that:
(1) It is important that you “recognize” the addiction and become partners towards a cure rather than continually debasing and disparaging the addict. Debasement only makes the addict feel worse and increases the desire to seek pleasure from endorphins through porn.
(2) Porn addiction is destructive not only for the addict, but also for the spouse. As we saw in my previous post on porn addiction, it has the ability to destroy marriages. That is why it is not to be taken lightly. I urge spouses of addicts to please also be a “partner in solution” rather than a police officer. You cannot hammer the addiction out of your spouse. Learn about its physiological and psychological aspects, and HELP in the recovery. If you love your spouse, you will give it your very best shot.

The Ramadan Connection
The psychologist linked above, Joe Zychik, mentions two requirements for overcoming sexual addictions– effective motivation and a reliable method.
Ramadan is a time where we are instructed to fast. Fasting has been described by the Prophet (salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) as one of the ways to control sexual desire:
Abdullah (b. Mas’ud) (Allāh be pleased with him) reported that Allāh’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said to us: “O young men, those among you who can support a wife should marry, for it restrains eyes (from casting evil glances) and preserves one from immorality; but he who cannot afford it should observe fast for it is a means of controlling the sexual desire.”
During regular days, it may be tough to observe this instruction, but Ramadan is a month where you are surrounded with “effective motivation” to fast. The last thing you want to do is go through the motions of fasting yet breaking it by engaging in your addiction. Use this opportunity to make some strong moves towards a “reliable method“.

Partner Up

Connect with a close friend, family member, or spouse–someone you can trust. Let’s call this person your “partner”. Have your partner install a strong porn filter/activity monitor on your computer. Let him/her control the password and make this partner promise that they will not give it to you regardless of how much you ask for it. If it helps, make them swear by Allāh. In some cultures, putting your hand on the Quran reinforces this promise.

Make Structural Changes

Replace your Smart Phone- If you watch porn on your phone, get rid of it! Replace it with a non-internet-capable “cheap mobile”. Either you can have a nice toy or you can save yourself from porn.
Change your computer- If you watch it on your laptop, consider buying a desktop instead that stays in an open area where you wouldn’t want to be caught watching porn.
Turn off your TV- if u have any porn videos or DVDs, destroy them now, before you lose your spirit.

Reliable Methods

Self-Talk- Talk to yourself and your partner about your addiction. Consider this: If you are able to control yourself during fasting, why can’t you control yourself during the nights of Ramadan, nights that are the holiest nights of the entire year? And if you are able to control yourself for the entire Ramadan, is the Allāh of Ramadan not the same Allāh of the rest of the months, Who watches your every move?

Make constant dua- Ask Him, Al-Tawwab, to pardon your sins, and grant you barakah in your efforts and time to help you overcome this trial. Recognize that you are in this trial only by the will of Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta’āla), and by His will and mercy, He will lift you from this trial after you rise from it, a stronger believer. Use the nights of this most blessed months, and the moments before you break your fast to humbly ask Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta’āla) for help.

Moisten your tongue with duas such as this one:
اللهم اني ظلمت نفسي ظلما كثيرا ولا يغفر الذنوب الا انت فاغفرلي مغفرة من عندك, وارحمني انك انت الغفور الرحيم
‘Alla-humma innee thalamtu nafsee thulman kathee-ra wala yaghfiru thunouba ila anta, faghfirlee maghfiratan min ‘indika, warr hamnee innaka antal Ghafoor-ur Raheem.’
[O Allāh! I have wronged myself very much, and none can forgive sins, except You only. Grant me forgiveness, and have mercy upon me; indeed You are the Most Forgiving, Ever Merciful.] (Bukhāri)

Read Self Help Books- Beyond the self-talk, you need to continue the journey on a “reliable method”. Your best bet is to get books on breaking sex addiction. Do it NOW before you lose your motivation to read them! It is more important for you to read these books in Ramadan than to spend time on entertaining guests or even tarawih (stopping haram is more important than an optional, mustahab).

Get Counseling- If you have access and ability to engage with a psychologist, this is the time to put that in motion. Call one and set up an appointment. Make sure this psychologist is a specialist in the area of addictions, especially sex addiction.
In other words, start doing whatever it takes during these Ramadan days of high spiritual motivation to set into motion something that will keep you porn free in the LONG RUN, as opposed to perhaps controlling it only in Ramadan.

People are asking whether “Does Porn break your fast?”
Ans: It’s a great sin watching porn, and YES, it breaks your fast.

It should be noted that it is possible for a person to see the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in a dream, and that the Shaytaan cannot appear in the image of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), but he could appear in another form and claim that he is the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: “Whoever sees me in a dream will see me when he is awake; the Shaytaan cannot take my shape.”
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6592; Muslim, 2266).
According to a report narrated by Ahmad (3400): The Shaytaan cannot resemble me.”
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:
We have narrated it with a complete isnaad from Ismaa’eel ibn Ishaaq al-Qaadi from Sulaymaan ibn Harb – who was one of the shaykhs of al-Bukhaari – from Hammaad ibn Zayd from Ayyoob who said: If a man told Muhammad (meaning Ibn Sireen) that he had seen the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) [in a dream], he would say, “Describe to me the one whom you saw.” If he gave a description that he did not recognize, he would say, “You did not see him.” Its isnaad is saheeh, and I have found another report which corroborates it. Al-Haakim narrated via ‘Aasim ibn Kulayb (who said), my father told me: I said to Ibn ‘Abbaas, “I saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in a dream.” He said, “Describe him to me.” He said, “I mentioned al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali and said that he looked like him.” He said, “You did indeed see him.” Its isnaad is jayyid.
Fath al-Baari, 12/383, 384.
With regard to those who say that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) may appear in all forms [in dreams], quoting as evidence the report narrated by Ibn Abi ‘Aasim from Abu Hurayrah, that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever sees me in a dream has indeed seen me, for I may be shown in all forms” – this hadeeth is da’eef (weak).
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:
Its isnaad includes Saalih the freed slave of al-Taw’amah, who is da’eef (weak) who became confused (in old age), and this is a report from someone who heard it after he became confused.
Fath al-Baari, 12/384.
Secondly:
What is mentioned in the question about having seen the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as a young man or a child is possible, but it is also subject to the conditions mentioned above, which is that he should look as he would have looked at that age.
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said:
The phrase “[the Shaytaan] cannot” indicates that although Allaah gave him the ability to appear in any form he wants, He does not allow him to appear in the form of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This was the opinion of a group who said concerning the hadeeth: What this refers to is when a person sees him as he really looked.
Some of them restricted it even further and said: He must see him as he looked when he died, so he must even take into consideration the number of his white hairs which was no more than twenty.
The correct view is that he may be seen at any age or in any condition, so long as he appears as he really looked at any time, whether as a youth, in the prime of manhood, in old age or any other time of his life.
Fath al-Baari, 12/386.
Thirdly:
Once this is understood, it is possible for the Shaytaan to come to a person in his sleep and claim to be the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), if he comes in a form other than the way in which Allaah formed him at all stages of his life.
The fact that there was a voice like in old times, or very handsome men, or someone who said “Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)” has nothing to do with seeing the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in his true form.

The physical characteristics of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and seeing him in a dream

We will quote below a number of ahaadeeth which describe the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). If what you in your dream is in accordance with this, then you did indeed see the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because he said: “Whoever sees me in a dream has really seen me, because Shaytaan cannot appear in my image.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 5729).

Rabee’ah ibn Abi ‘Abd al-Rahmaan said: “I heard Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) describing the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He said: ‘He was of average height, not too tall and not too short, with a pinkish colour, not very white and not dark, and his hair was neither very curly nor very straight. The Revelation came to him when he was forty years old, and he stayed in Makkah for ten years after the Revelation came, then in Madeenah for ten years. When he died, there were no more than twenty white hairs on his head and in his beard.” (al-Bukhaari, 3283).

Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was broad shouldered and had thick hair coming down to his shoulders and earlobes. He was wearing red garments. I have never seen anything more beautiful than him.” (Reported by Muslim, Kitaab al-Fadaa’il, Baab Sifat Sha’r al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), no. 2338).

‘Ali said: “He was neither tall nor short, and had large hands and feet. He had a large head and was big-boned, and the thin line of hair (starting from his chest and extending to the navel) was long. When he walked, he would lean forward, as if he was walking downhill. I have never seen anyone like him, before or since.” (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 3570, who said this is a saheeh hasan hadeeth).

Jaabir ibn Samurah said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was dalee’ al-fam, ashkal al-’ayn and manhoos al-’aqib.” Shu’bah said: “I asked Maalik, ‘What is dalee’ al-fam?’ He said: ‘Wide-mouthed.’ I asked, ‘What is ashkal al-’ayn?’ He said, ‘Big-eyed.’ I asked, ‘What is manhoos al-’aqib?’ He said, ‘His heels were not fleshy.’” (Saheeh Muslim, Kitaab al-Fadaa’il, 2339).

As for the sin which you committed in the house of your brothers, repent to Allaah for this. If you took something that belongs to them, then give it back. And Allaah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
It is not possible to see the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (in a dream) in anything but his true form
It should be noted that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever sees me in a dream has indeed seen me, for the Shaytaan cannot imitate me.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6994; Muslim, 2266 – this version narrated by Muslim.
In their commentary on this hadeeth, the scholars said that this is to be understood as referring to seeing the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the physical form that is described in the saheeh ahaadeeth, for the Shaytaan cannot imitate the form of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
But if the Shaytaan comes in another form, whether one is asleep or awake, then lies and says, “I am the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),” then this is false and does not count as seeing the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
So you should know the physical attributes of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Please see the above paragraph. These attributes have been mentioned in many ahaadeeth which describe his stature, his hands, his forearms, his mouth and teeth, his eyes and his hair – (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
There were many people who resembled the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Those who most resembled him were al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), and ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Ja’far ibn Abi Taalib. So if you see the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the form that is narrated in the Sunnah, then you have truly seen him, but if you see him in a form that is other than that described in the Sunnah and the Seerah – such as if you see him clean-shaven, or missing a hand or foot – then there are two scholarly points of view in this case:
1 – That this is indicative of a person’s shortcoming in religious commitment
2 – The view that Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah thought more likely to be correct, which is that this is a false image that comes from the Shaytaan, especially if one sees it whilst awake. That is definitely a false image, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is alive in al-Barzakh and no one can see him whilst he is awake and he cannot visit anyone or speak to him.
What some people claim, that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to them when they were awake, and spoke to them and told them about things, this undoubtedly comes from the shayaateen (devils) and the jinn, especially since that did not happen to the greatest Sahaabah such as Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan, ‘Ali, al-Zubayr, Talhah, ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, Sa’eed ibn Zayd, Abu ‘Ubaydah and Sa’d, or the people who had been present at Badr or had given their bay’ah (oath of allegiance) beneath the tree, and other great and Allaah-fearing Sahaabah. If anyone claims that he saw the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) whilst he was awake, then undoubtedly the one who appeared to him was a devil or a jinn, and no ruling can be established from that. Something worse than that happened to Shaykh ‘Abd al-Qaadir al-Jilaani (may Allaah have mercy on him), when he saw someone sitting on a throne between heaven and earth, saying, “I am your Lord.” He said: “Be gone, enemy of Allaah, for you are Iblees.” He said: “How do you know that I am Iblees?” He said: “Because Allaah cannot be seen in this world until we die, and because you said, ‘I am your Lord’ but you did not dare to say, ‘I am Allaah.’” So visions of this sort come from the Shaytaan. We should not be deceived by the stories that are narrated by some people who are thought to be righteous, such as stories about seeing the Prophets and sitting with them. We may believe that they sat with them but with whom were they sitting? They sat with the jinn and devils so that that may cause fitnah (tribulation). But those whom Allaah protects by their following the Qur’aan and Sunnah and reciting dhikrs, Aayat al-Kursiy, al-Mi’wadhaat (the soorahs seeking refuge with Allaah) and seeking the help of Allaah, will be protected against that in sha Allaah, as happened with the awliya’ (close friends of Allaah) and those who fear Him – as was narrated by Shaykh al-Islam in his valuable book: al-Furqaan bayna Awliya’ al-Rahmaan wa Awliya’ al-Shaytaan.
There remains another issue to which we must refer, which is that if a person sees the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the form described in the saheeh Sunnah, this is glad tidings, telling him that he will also see him when he is awake. If he tells him of some shar’i matter that seems to go against the apparent meaning of the Qur’aan and Sunnah, should he follow what he has been told or follow the apparent meaning of the Qur’aan and Sunnah? Or if he tells him about some matter concerning which there has to be proof – such as the people being shown the new moon when they did not see it, and he says that tomorrow is Ramadaan – should he follow that or not? Or if he tells him that So and so stole something from So and so, or that in the case of a dispute So and so is in the right – should he bear witness to that?
The scholars have stated that if a person sees the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he tells him something that goes against the apparent meaning of the Qur’aan or Sunnah, or tells him of some matter concerning which there has to be proof, he should not act upon it, because what one sees in a dream is not binding; what is binding is the facts that one learns when awake. You should note that the dreams of the Prophets are wahy (revelation), but seeing the Prophets in a dream is not wahy – according to scholarly consensus. Rather it is bushra (glad tidings), as was explained by al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him).

Q: A Hadith was reported from the Prophet (peace be upon him) in which he prohibits making the face ugly, and states that Allah (Exalted be He) created Adam in His image. What is the correct belief regarding this Hadith?

A: This Hadith is authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) in which he said: “If any of you strikes (another), let them avoid the face, for Allah created Adam in His image.”

In another narration: “In the Image of Ar-Rahman (The Gracious).”

This does not mean Tashbih (comparison) or Tamthil (likening Allah’s Attributes to those of His Creation).

According to the view of scholars, this means that Allah (Exalted be He) created Adam hearing, seeing and talking as He wishes.

These are also the Attributes of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He), for He is All-Hearer, All-Seer, Speaker and has a Face (Glorified and Exalted be He).

Yet, that does not mean Tashbih or Tamthil, since the Image of Allah is completely different from the image of any creature. Rather, it means that He is Hearer, Seer, has a Face and Speaker if He wishes. Similarly, Allah (Exalted be He) created Adam in the same image; possessing hearing, sight, face, hands and feet and speech when he wants to talk.

Yet, his hearing is not like Allah’s and so is his sight and speech.

His face does not also resemble Allah’s Face for there is no match to Allah’s Attributes (may He be Exalted and Glorified). Rather, they befit Him (Glorified be He) alone.

The servants (of Allah) have characteristics that befit them as well. Such characteristics are doomed to extinction, defect and weakness. However, the Attributes of Allah are Perfect without defect, weakness or extinction.

For that, Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says: There is nothing like Him; and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.

He (Glorified be He) says: “And there is none co-equal or comparable unto Him.”

Accordingly, it is not permissible to strike or make the face ugly.

Fatwas of Nur `Ala Al-Darb > Volume 1 > Chapter on `Aqidah > Chapter on Allah’s Names and Attributes > The meaning of the Hadith: “Allah has created Adam on His Own Image.”

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of all worlds, and the good end will be for the pious servants. May perfect peace and blessings be upon His servant and Messenger who is entrusted with His Revelation; our Prophet, Imam (leader) and master Muhammad ibn Abdullah, and upon his family, Companions, and whoever follows their way of guidance until the Day of Resurrection!

There is no doubt that the soundness of `Aqidah (creed) is the most important thing and the greatest obligation. That is why I entitled this speech (The blemishes of `Aqidah and the means to avoid them) .

The `Aqidah refers to all that a person believes for sure and adopts as a religion, whether evil or good, valid or corrupt.
However, it is mandatory to adopt the sound `Aqidah and perform the religious duties, since several creeds exist in the world and all of which are corrupt except for the `Aqidah revealed in Allah’s Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace be upon him).

It is the pure Islamic `Aqidah that is devoid of blemishes induced by Shirk (associating others in worship with Allah), acts of Bid`ah (innovation in religion) and sins. This is the true `Aqidah revealed in the Qur’an and illustrated by the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him); it is Islam.

Allah (Exalted be He) says: Truly, the religion with Allâh is Islâm.

He (Glorified and Exalted be He) also said: This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion.

Islam is the Religion of Allah. It is unacceptable for anyone to embrace any other religion.

Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says:
And whoever seeks a religion other than Islâm, it will never be accepted of him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers.

It is also the religion of all prophets; Adam (peace be upon him), and other prophets who succeeded him such as: Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), `Isa (Jesus), Dawud (David), Solayman, Is-haq (Isaac), Ya`qub (Jacob), Yusuf (Joseph), and others (peace and blessings be upon all of them). It is the religion of the Prophet (peace be upon him), which Allah has sent him with to all humankind, he (peace be upon him) said: Prophets are paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is one According to another narration: Prophets are sons of fellow wives… .

This means that the religion of all prophets is one: It is Tawhid (belief in the Oneness of Allah/ monotheism) and the belief that He is the Lord of all worlds, the All-Knowing Creator, the only One Who is Worthy of worship. People should also believe in the Hereafter, Resurrection, Jannah (paradise), Nar (Hellfire), balance, and the events of the Hereafter. As for the Divine Laws, they are different. This is the meaning of “the sons of fellow wives”, which stands for the Divine Laws, according to Allah’s Saying (Glorified be He): To each among you, We have prescribed a law and a clear way.

The paternal brothers have one father and different mothers, so are the prophets. They have one religion, which is the observance of Tawhid and devotion to Allah.

This is the meaning of “La Ilaha Illa Allah” (There is no deity but Allah), which namely, to worship Allah alone, have Iman (believe/Faith) in Him, His Angels, Scriptures, Messengers, the Last Day, the Divine Decree whether good or bad, and other relevant issues such as Resurrection, Jannah and Nar, Balance, Account, Sirat (the bridge over the Fire), etc.

This is the way of all the prophets. They all follow the same religion, have the same Da`wah (peace be upon them), but they were sent with different Divine Laws, just like brothers who have different mothers, so the Tawrah (Torah) has some different laws from that of the Injil (Gospel) and so on. The same goes for the Shari`ah (Islamic Law) of our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in which some matters differ from that of the Injil and Tawrah.

Allah has made the Shari`ah much easier and relieving to this Ummah (nation of creed).

He (Glorified and Exalted be He) says: he releases them from their heavy burdens (of Allâh’s Covenant with the Children of Israel), and from the fetters (bindings) that were upon them.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: I was sent with the lenient Hanifiyyah (i.e. the True Religion of Islam).

Allah (Exalted be He) sent him (peace be upon him) with a lenient Shari`ah that does not include loads, shackles, or any hardships. He (Glorified be He) says: and has not laid upon you in religion any hardship.

In the past laws preceding the Shari`ah of our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), people were not permitted to perform Tayammum (dry ablution) when they ran out of water. They would then delay their Salah (prayers) and combine them until they find water, then perform Wudu’ (ablution), and offer their Salah afterwards, but Tayammum was prescribed in this Shari`ah brought by Prophet Muhammad.

Whenever there is a lack of water, people can simply perform Tayammum with dust and offer their Salah. This is one of many other aspects of facilitation and simplification .

Furthermore, each prophet was sent only to his people whereas Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was sent to the Jinn (creatures created from fire) and mankind, Arabs and non-Arabs, and Allah has made him the Last Prophet.

Over and above, those who preceded us used to offer their Salah either in their churches, Masjids (mosque), or places of worship, whereas the Islamic Shari`ah permits a person to offer Salah everywhere . Whenever Salah becomes due, you can offer it where you are; in deserts, wastelands, or any part of this earth according to the Prophet’s saying (peace be upon him): The land has been made a Masjid and a pure place for me (i.e. for dry ablution and praying).

The Islamic Shari`ah brought by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is a simplified and comprehensive one that has no hardships or restraints, among which is the facilitation for patients by exempting them from the obligation of Sawm; they are permitted to eat and compensate for the days missed.

A traveler is permitted to combine the quatrain Salah and delay fasting Ramadan and then make up for these days as well according to Allah’s Saying (Glorified and Exalted be He): and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Saum (fasts) must be made up] from other days.

A person may offer Salah while sitting if they are unable to stand, lying down on one side if they are unable to sit, or lying on their backs if they are unable to lie down on one side as authentically reported from the Messenger of Allah in the Sunnah.

Apart from this, allowing them to eat from a dead animal when necessary, and to stay alive when lawful food is unavailable to escape death.

Accordingly, the Islamic `Aqidah is to observe Tawhid of Allah (Glorified be He), believe in Him, His Messengers, Scriptures, Angels, the Last Day and Resurrection in addition to Jannah, Nar, and events of the Hereafter, as well as believing in the Divine Decree; good or bad, and that He (Glorified be He) has predestined all things, is fully aware of all things, and has recorded them (Glorified and Exalted be He).

Moreover, Islam has five pillars among which are: Salah, Zakah (obligatory charity), and Hajj (pilgrimage).
Among its obligations and duties are Jihad (striving in the Cause of Allah), enjoining good, forbidding evil, being dutifulness to parents, maintaining the ties of kinship, observing truthfulness in speech, fulfilling trusts, etc.

Islam is the submission to Allah and obedience to Him (Glorified be He) by singling Him out with worship, being devoted to him, and obeying Him and His Messenger (peace be upon him). This is why it is called Islam, for Muslims submit themselves to Allah, single Him (Glorified be He) out with worship, abide by His Commands and avoid His Prohibitions. This is true Islam.

Islam has five pillars; the testimony that there is no deity but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, performance of Salah (prayers), Sawm (fast) of Ramadan, payment of Zakah, and performance of Hajj for whoever is able to do so.

The two testimonies mean: singling out Allah with worship and being sincere to Him, and believing that Muhammad is His Messenger (peace be upon him) to the Jinn and mankind, for these two testimonies are the origin and basis of religion. Verily, none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone.

This is the meaning of La Ilaha Illa Allah i.e. there is no deity but Allah, according to the Saying of Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He): That is because Allâh — He is the Truth (the only True God of all that exists, Who has no partners or rivals with Him), and what they (the polytheists) invoke besides Him, it is Bâtil (falsehood).

Whereas testifying that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is to testify with sure knowledge and Yaqin (certainty) that Muhammad ibn `Abdullah ibn `Abdul-Muttalib the Hashimy (a descendant of Hashim) the Makky (of the city of Makkah), the Madany (i.e. of Madinah, the city where he settled afterwards) is the true Messenger of Allah and the most honorable of His servants, and that his family and relatives are the best of Arabs.

Therefore, he is the best person from the best family, which belongs to the best tribe (peace be upon him). He is the noblest of all creatures and the master of all the children of Adam (peace be upon him, his family and Companions).

You should believe that Allah has sent him to all people; Jinn and humans, males and females, Arabs and non-Arabs, rich and poor, rural and urban. He is the Messenger of Allah to all. Whoever follows him will be admitted to Paradise and whoever disobeys his commands will enter Hellfire.

He (peace be upon him) had said: My entire Ummah will enter Jannah (Paradise) except whoever refuses, then it was said: O Messenger of Allah, who will refuse?

He said: Whoever obeys me will enter Jannah and whoever disobeys me is the one who refuses. Related by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih (authentic book of Hadith).

This is the essence of the great Islamic `Aqidah: It means Tawhid and devotion to Allah, belief in His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him), as His true Messenger, in all messengers as well as in the obligation of Salah, Zakah, Sawm, and Hajj along with the belief in Allah, His Angels, Scriptures, Messengers, the Last Day, the Divine Decree; good or bad, and everything that Allah and His Messenger said.

This is the Islamic Prophetic `Aqidah. Nevertheless, some people have observed some blemishes that contradict and nullify `Aqidah. Here, we shall clarify it in this speech.

There are two types of blemishes:

The first type destroys and nullifies `Aqidah, thus leads to Kufr (disbelief), God forbid!

The other weakens `Aqidah.

The First is called a nullifier. It spoils and nullifies `Aqidah and he who commits it is a kafir and apostate from Islam. This type involves the blemishes that lead to Kufr,which are the nullifiers of Islam and the causes of apostasy.

However, a nullifier may be a saying or an act. It may be a belief or a doubt. A person may apostatize by a certain utterance he declares, a certain practice he does, a conviction he believes in, or a doubt that he has. The nullifier that blemishes the `Aqidah and spoils it comes from these four situations. The people of knowledge have mentioned this in their books and entitled this chapter: ( [A chapter on the ruling of the apostate].

It is common in the juristic literature of the Madh-habs i.e. schools of law, to find a chapter among the section of Prescribed Penalties entitled: [the ruling on the apostate). The apostate is the one who apostatizes after embracing Islam. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Whoever (i.e amongst Muslims) discards their religion, kill them. Related by Al-Bukhari in his Sahih .

It is mentioned in the Two Sahihs that the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent Abu Musa Al-Ash`ary to Yemen and then sent Mu`adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with both of them) after him, so that when he came to him, he said: "Dismount!" He placed a pillow for him (to dismount over it). Then, he saw a tied man, so he said: What is that? He said: This man was a Jew, but after embracing Islam, he reverted to his deviated religion. Mu`adh then said: "I will not dismount until he is killed according to the Ruling of Allah and His Messenger." He (Abu Mussa) said: "Dismount!" (Again) He said: "I will not dismount until he is killed according to the Ruling of Allah and His Messenger", three times.

Thereupon, Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him) sentenced him to death. .

Accordingly, this evidence proves that apostates should be killed if they do not repent. They should be ordered to repent; if they repent, praise be to Allah, but if they do not, and insist on Kufr and deviation, they should be killed and expedited to the Nar (Hellfire), for the prophet (peace be upon him) said: Whoever (i.e. a Muslim) discards their religion, kill them .

Therefore, there are many nullifiers of Islam.

For example,

1. Verbal apostasy such as insulting Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). This act nullifies the Din (religion of Islam). Likewise, reviling, abasing, or defaming them. For example, saying that Allah is oppressive, miserly, poor, or that He (Glorified and Exalted be He) is unaware of certain things, or does not consider some issues, for all these sayings, and the likes are forms of revilement and apostasy from Islam.

Thus, whoever reviles, vituperates, or criticizes Allah will be an apostate from Islam - God forbid!
This is verbal apostasy, if a person reviles, mocks, defames, or describes Allah with what does not befit Him, like the Jews who say that 'Allah is a miser', 'Allah is poor, and we are the rich ones'. The same goes if someone says: Allah does not know or is unable to do certain things, or if they deny Allah's Attributes without believing in them, this person would be an apostate by his evil words.

The same applies to the claim that Allah has not obliged Salah on us, for this is Riddah (apostasy) from Islam. Therefore, whoever claims that Allah has not obliged Salah will apostatize from Islam according to the Ijma`(consensus) of Muslims unless a person is ignorant, lives far away from Muslims, or does not know.

In this case, they should be informed and if they insist on their saying, they are considered to be a Kafir, whereas if they live among Muslims and know the religion, then claim that it is not obligatory, this is Riddah that necessitates repentance; otherwise, they should be killed.

Over and above, whoever claims that Zakah, Sawm of Ramadan, or Hajj - when having the ability to perform it - are not obligatory for people, will be a kafir by Ijma`. They should be ordered to repent; otherwise, they should be killed, we seek refuge in Allah from this, for all these things fall under verbal apostasy.

2. Practical apostasy includes acts like abandoning Salah; if a person abandons Salah while they admit its obligation, but still abandons it, this person will be a Murtad (apostate) according to the most correct opinion of scholars. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The difference between us and them is Salah. Whoever abandons it becomes a kafir. Related by Imam Ahmad , Al-Tirmidhy , Al-Nasa'y and Ibn Majah with a Sahih

Isnad (chain of narrators). He (peace be upon him) also said: A man will be committing shirk (associating others in worship with Allah) and kufr, if he abandons Salah . Related by Muslim in his Sahih (authentic book of Hadith) .

Moreover, `Abdullah ibn Shaqiq Al-`Uqayly, a famous Tabi`y (Follower, from the generation after the Companions of the Prophet) whose erudite and position is undisputed (Allah be merciful to him) said: (The Companions of Muhammad (peace be upon him) did not consider the abandonment of any act as Kufr except Salah). Related by Al-Tirmidhy with an authentic Isnad.

However, this is Riddah (apostasy) by action, exemplified by the deliberate abandonment of Salah.

Among the acts that lead a person to apostatize from Islam is to scorn the honorable Mus-haf by sitting on it out of disdain, intentionally staining it with impurities, or stepping on it.

Another aspect of Riddah by action is to circumambulate the graves to draw nearer to their occupants or pray to them or to the Jinn. This is Riddah by action.
As for invoking and vowing to them or seeking their support, this is Riddah by saying.

Whereas, whoever circumambulates the graves seeking to worship Allah, will be offering an act of Bid`ah, which blemishes one's religion, and is one of the means leading to Shirk. It is not to be considered apostasy. Rather it is considered a blemishing act of Bid`ah as long as the person offering it seeks not to draw near to them but to draw nearer to Allah (Glorified be He) by means of ignorance.

Another form of practical apostasy is to slaughter for anyone other than Allah, seek to draw nearer to anyone other than Him (Glorified be He) by slaughtering camels, sheep, chicken, or cows to grave occupants, the Jinn, or planets to draw nearer to and worship them.

Thus, it is included in the sacrifices slaughtered for people other than Allah. Accordingly, they will take the same ruling as dead meat and the person offering this will be falling in major Kufr. May Allah grant us soundness and safety from this. All these are types of Riddah and nullifiers of Islam.

3. Doctrinal apostasy: There is also the doctrinal apostasy:

In this type, a person apostatizes by heart through belief without either pronouncing or acting. If a person, for instance, believes that Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) is poor, miserly or oppressive, without pronouncing this, or acting accordingly, this will be Kufr as long as this is their `Aqidah. This is according to the consensus of scholars.

If a person also believes by heart that there is no Resurrection and that all which was mentioned in this regard is not true, or thinks that there is no Jannah, Nar, or other life even without pronouncing this, it is Kufr and Riddah - God forbid. The actions of these people will be null and they will end up in the Nar because of this conviction.

The same is true if they believe by heart - without uttering - that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is not truthful, or that he is not the last of the Prophets, or thinks that there are other Prophets after him, or that Musaylimah the liar is a true Prophet; whoever believes in any of this will be a kafir.
Apart from this, whoever thinks by heart that Nuh (Noah), `Isa (Jesus), or any other Prophet (peace be upon him) is a liar, this is deemed as Riddah from Islam.

Whoever thinks by heart that it is okay to invoke others with Allah such as the Prophets or other people, Sun, planets, and the like, will be a Murtad. Allah (Exalted be He) says: That is because Allâh — He is the Truth (the only True God of all that exists, Who has no partners or rivals with Him), and what they (the polytheists) invoke besides Him, it is Bâtil (falsehood).

Moreover, He (Glorified be He) also says: And your Ilâh (God) is One Ilâh (God - Allâh), Lâ ilâha illa Huwa (there is none who has the right to be worshipped but He), the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. And: You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each and everything). In addition to: And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him.

And: So, call you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and the believers) upon (or invoke) Allâh making (your) worship pure for Him (Alone) (by worshipping none but Him and by doing religious deeds sincerely for Allâh’s sake only and not to show off and not to set up rivals with Him in worship), however much the disbelievers (in the Oneness of Allâh) may hate (it).

He (Glorified be He) also says:
And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم), as it was to those (Allâh’s Messengers) before you: "If you join others in worship with Allâh, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you will certainly be among the losers."

The Ayahs which stress this meaning are numerous.

Accordingly, whoever thinks or believes that it is permissible to worship an angel, prophet, tree, Jinn, or any other creatures other than Allah will be a Murtad.

If they utter it, they will be a kafir by saying and conviction. If they put this into action and invoke or appeal to anyone other than Allah, they will be a kafir by saying, action, and conviction. May Allah save us from this.

This also includes the acts of those who worship graves nowadays in many countries invoking the dead, appealing to them, and seeking their support by saying: "O my master, I seek your support! O my master, I seek your succor! I seek refuge in you, cure my patient, make my absent (person) return, adjust my heart, etc.

They speak to the dead whom they call "Awliya'" (i.e. pious people), and ask them, forgetting Allah and associating others in worship with Him (Exalted be He). Accordingly, this is Kufr by saying, conviction, and action.

Moreover, some may call from far places and countries: "O Messenger of Allah, support me, etc." Others may say by the grave: "O Messenger of Allah, cure my patient! O Messenger of Allah, I seek your help, grant us victory over our enemies, you know our condition, bestow upon us triumph over our enemies!

The Messenger (peace be upon him) does not know the Ghayb (unseen), for no one knows the Ghayb but Allah (Glorified be He). This is one of the forms of Shirk by saying and action. So, if a person thinks that this is permissible and that it is permissible, they will be committing Shirk by saying, action, and conviction. May Allah save us from this!

This is actually happening in many countries. It took place and used to happen in Riyadh and Al-Dar`iyyah before the Da`wah (call to Islam) of shaykh Muhammad ibn `Abdul-Wahhab (may Allah be merciful to him). They had false Gods in Riyadh, Al-Dar`iyyah and other places. Trees were worshipped instead of Allah, people described as Awliya' were worshipped instead of Allah, and graves were also worshipped along with Allah.

The grave of Zayd ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) used to exist in Al-Jubaylah since he was killed in the wars of Riddah during the lifetime of Musaylimah, and his grave used to be worshipped instead of Allah until it was demolished and forgotten.

Thanks to the Da`wah of shaykh Muhammad, may Allah be merciful to him and reward him with the best on behalf of us and all Muslims, this falsehood was effaced and forgotten.

However, in Najd and Hijaz, acts of major Shirk were widespread and false beliefs were rampant in addition to invoking others besides Allah. When shaykh Muhammad ibn `Abdul-Wahhab (may Allah be merciful to him) came in the second half of the twelfth century i.e. more than two hundred years ago, he called people to Allah and guided them, but he was opposed by many ignorant scholars who falsely belong to the people of knowledge, and follow their own desires.

Nevertheless, Allah supported him with scholars of truth and by the Sa`udi family - may Allah be merciful to them All. Therefore, he called to Allah, guided people to observe Tawhid, and clarified to them that worshipping the Jinn, stones, Awliya', righteous people and others are acts of Shirk and Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic time of ignorance) that resemble the acts of Abu Jahl and his likes amongst the Kuffar of Quraysh in worshipping Al-Lat, Al-`Uzzah, Manat, and the graves, for they used to do the same.

Therefore, he (may Allah be merciful with him) clarified the truth to people. Allah guided many people through him. His Da`wah spread all over the countries of Najd, Al-Hijaz and the rest of the Arabian Peninsula, in which Tawhid and Iman spread. After people had been indulged in Shirk and the worship of graves and Awliya`, except people whom Allah saved by His Mercy, they all then abandoned that. Indeed, people had worse acts during this period; some also used to worship even mad people whom they used to deem as Awliya' due to their ignorance.

4. Apostasy by Doubt: The last type is apostasy by doubt:

We have illustrated that apostasy may occur by saying, action or conviction. As for apostasy by doubt, it may take place when a person doubts whether or not Allah exists. He will be a kafir by doubt, if they doubt the Day of Resurrection, Jannah, or Nar, for example. In this case, they should be ordered to repent. If they repent, it will be alright; otherwise they should be killed for doubting something that is well-known and undeniable in religion by text and Ijma`.

Therefore, whoever doubts the religion or the existence of Allah, or is even suspicious about the truth mission of the Messenger (peace be upon him), or raises doubts about his being the last Prophet, or about the falsehood of Musaylimah and his fake call, or doubts the falsity of Al-Aswad Al-`Ansy's claim of Prophethood in Yemen, will be considered apostasy from Islam. Whoever observes this should be ordered to repent; otherwise they should be killed.

Another example is when a person doubts the obligation of observing Salah, paying Zakah, fasting Ramadan, or performing Hajj while being able to do so,such doubts will also fall under major Kufr. Whoever does this, should be ordered to repent and have Iman (faith); otherwise be killed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Whoever (i.e. a Muslim) discards their religion, kill them. Related by Al-Bukhari in the Sahih .

Therefore, Iman must be attained with respect to all these things: Salah, Zakah, Sawm, and Hajj, for they are all true and obligatory upon Muslims with their Shar`y (Islamically lawful) conditions.

What was previously mentioned is the first section of the blemishes, which nullify Islam. Whoever commits any of the previously mentioned things will be a Murtad and should be ordered to repent; otherwise be killed.

As for the second type, it refers to the existence of blemishes that are not acts of disbelief but weaken Iman and expose their doer to Allah's Anger and punishment.

The examples of this are numerous. For example, committing Zina (premarital sexual intercourse and/or adultery), if a person believes that it is Haram (prohibited) and commits it while knowing that this is an act of disobedience. This is not an act of disbelief but of disobedience. Iman will not be complete in this case, for this disobedience will blemish `Aqidah without being considered Kufr. On the other hand, if a person believes that Zina is Halal (lawful), they will be a kafir.

The same is true, if a person claims that robbery and its like are Halal, they will be kafir, for deeming what is unlawful as lawful is Kufr i.e. disbelief.
The same ruling is equally applied to considering sins as lawful such as backbiting, tale-bearing, ungratefulness to parents, dealing with Riba (Usury/Interest) and the like. All these things are among the blemishes of `Aqidah that weaken the Din and Iman.

This also applies to the acts of Bid`ah, which are worse than sins; for they weaken Iman, but do not fall under Riddah as long as they do not involve Shirk.

Among the examples of this is the act of Bid`ah involving building on graves. When a person builds a Masjid (Mosque) or a dome on a grave, this is an act of Bid`ah that blemishes the religion and weakens Iman. That is when it is built with no intention of committing Kufr, invoking or seeking the help of the dead, or vowing to them. They only think that this is a way to respect and honor them. This will not be an act of Kufr but an act of Bid`ah which blemishes, weakens Iman, and leads to Shirk.

Another example is the Bid`ah of celebrating the Prophet's birthday, where some people celebrate the Prophet's birthday (peace be upon him) on the twelfth of Rabi` II, but this act is a Bid`ah. The Prophet (peace be upon him), his Sahabah, and the rightly guided Caliphs did not do it. It was not observed in the second and third century either. It is an invented Bid`ah.

The same goes for celebrating the birthdays of Al-Badawy , `Abdul-Qadir Al-Jilany, and others. This an evil act of Bid`ah that blemishes`Aqidah, since it was not prescribed by Allah.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) says: The most evil of affairs are their novelties and every innovation is an error Related by Muslim. The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: Whoever introduces a practice that is not authenticated by me, it is to be rejected (Agreed upon by Imams Al-Bukhari and Muslim) It means that it will not be accepted at all.

He (peace be upon him) also said: Whoever does any act for which there is no command from our behalf, that is to be rejected. Related by Muslim in his Sahih.

He also said, Beware of novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error .

Acts of Bid`ah` blemish the Din but do not lead to Kufr as long as they do not involve it. On the other hand, if celebrating the birthday includes invoking the Messenger (peace be upon him), appealing to him, or seeking his support, this is a form of Shirk. The same applies to asking the Messenger for Allah's support and help or believing that he (peace be upon him) knows the Ghayb or other things, like what some Shi`ah (Shiites) think that `Aly, Al-Hasan, and Al-Husayn know the Ghayb.

All this is Shirk and Riddah from Islam, whether it takes place during the celebration or at any other time.
Some of Al-Rafidah (a Shi`ah group denying the caliphates of Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq and `Umar ibn Al-Khattab and making accusations against them and many other Companions of the Prophet) also claim that their twelve Imams (leaders) know the Ghayb. This is Kufr, deviation, and Riddah. Allah (Exalted be He) says: Say: “None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (Unseen) except Allâh”

But, if the celebration takes place by reading the Prophet's biography, and talking about his birth and battles, this will also be an act of Bid`ah which blemishes the Din. Yet, it does not nullify it.

Among the acts of Bid`ah is what some ignorant think that a person should not travel during the month of Safar, since they regard this as an evil portent.This act shows their ignorance and misguidance.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: There is no ‘Adwa [contagion, transmission of infectious disease without the permission of Allah], no Tiyarah [superstitious belief in bird omens], no Safar [the month of Safar was regarded as “unlucky” during the Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic time of ignorance), and no Hamah [refers to a Jahili Arab tradition described variously as: a worm which infests the grave of a murder victim until he is avenged; an owl; or the bones of a dead person turned into a bird that could fly]” (Agreed upon by Imams Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

According to the narration of Muslim, the following is added: …nor is there a Naw’(a star which sets at the rising of another) or Ghul (kinds of devils) The belief in `Adwa, Tiyarah, and adhering to Naw` or Ghul are all of the beliefs of the Jahiliyyah that blemish the Din.

Whoever claims that there is `Adwa will be claiming a false thing. However, Allah has made intermingling with some patients a reason for infecting others, for diseases do not infect people by nature.

When some Arabs heard of the saying of the Prophet (peace be upon him): There is no ‘Adwa (no contagious disease is conveyed without Allah’s permission), a man said, “O Messenger of Allah, how is it that when camels are on sand like beautiful deer, then a scabby camel comes and mixes with them, it causes them to be scabbed?” He (the Prophet) said: “Who infected the first one?” i.e. who infected the first one with scab?.

The whole matter is in Allah’s Hands (Glorified and Exalted be He). If He wills, He shall/shall not cause them to be infected according to His Will. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “A herd of sick cattle should not be brought to the place of the healthy cattle of another.”

In other words, the sick cattle should be isolated from the healthy ones to avoid illness and keep away from its cause. However, the matter is in Allah’s Hand and nothing can ever infect by nature; rather it is prescribed by Allah: Say: “Nothing shall ever happen to us” The intermingling is one of the causes of sickness.

We should beware of that, for the scabbed should not be mingled with the healthy. This is what the Messenger (peace be upon him) ordered us to do to avoid the causes of evil. This does not necessarily mean that if it mingles, it will surely be infected, it may/may not occur, according to Allah’s Will (Glorified and Exalted be He). Thus, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Who infected the first one?

This is supported by the Prophet’s saying (peace be upon him): Flee from the leper as you would flee from a lion To summarize, what the people of Jahiliyyah believed regarding the `Adwa, Tiyarah, or Hamah (i.e. the spirit of the dead – they claim – that it becomes as a bird roaming around the grave of the dead – and is an evil portent), are all false and baseless convictions. The spirit of the dead becomes subject to Jannah or Nar according to its deeds.

Furthermore, believing in bad omens and superstitions by what is heard or seen is an act of Jahiliyyah. They used to be pessimistic when they saw something that did not suit them such as a crow, black donkey, an animal that has its tail cut, or the like. They regard this as a bad omen out of their ignorance and deviation.

Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) replied to them by saying: Verily, their evil omens are with Allâh for it is in Allah’s Hand both adversity and welfare, giving and deprivation.

Tiyarah has no basis, since it is not true; rather they only find it in their hearts. This is the reason for which the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: There is no Tiyarah .

Thus, a Muslim should not retract from meeting their needs, if they see anything that may incite any feelings of pessimism such as a donkey, an ugly person, and the like; rather they should go on, fulfill their needs, and put their trust in Allah. If they do not, this would be considered an act of Tiyarah, which blemishes the `Aqidah but is not considered a major act of Shirk but a minor one.

This applies to other acts of Bid`ah, which blemish the `Aqidah, but are still not acts of Kufr as long as they are not accompanied by it.
Such acts of Bid`ah involve celebrating birthdays, building on the graves, and taking them as Masjids, celebrating the night of Isra’ (Night Journey) and Mi`raj (Ascension to Heaven) which they observe on the twenty seventh of Rajab.

All these practices are baseless acts of Bid`ah. Over and above, some people tend to celebrate the night of the middle of Sha`ban, by offering some pious acts on this day. They even observe Sawm and Qiyam-ul-Layl (standing for optional Prayer at night), claiming that this is a pious desirable act, but the truth is that they are baseless acts of Bid`ah and the Hadiths mentioned to this effect are false ones.

To sum up: Every act of worship that is induced by people and was not ordained or approved by the Messenger (peace be upon him) is considered an act of Bid`ah, for the Messenger (peace be upon him) said: Whoever introduces a practice which is not authenticated by me, it is to be rejected And: Whoever does an act that is not part of our affair i.e. religion, will have it rejected.

Moreover, he (peace be upon him) used to say in the Friday Khutbah (sermon): The most evil of affairs are their novelties and every innovation is an error. He warned people against acts of Bid`ah and called them to adhere to his Sunnah (peace be upon him).

Therefore, Muslims should adhere to Islam and abide by it, for this will suffice them and lead them to attain perfection (of Iman), for they are not in need of such acts of Bid`ah, Allah (Exalted be He) says: This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion.

Allah has completed the Din and made it perfect by virtue of His Grace. Thus, people do not need to observe acts of Bid`ah.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also said: You must adhere to my Sunnah and the way of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, who come after me. Adhere and cling to it strongly .

People are in no need of acts of Bid`ah introduced by so and so; rather, they should adhere to the Prescriptions of Allah, follow His Path, avoid His Prohibitions, and abandon whatever is innovated by people (in religion).

Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) has described the acts of Bid`ah and their people in His Saying: Or have they partners (with Allâh — false gods) who have instituted for them a religion which Allâh has not ordained?

May Allah guide us all to what is good and adjust Muslims’ conditions, grant them success in understanding His Din, and guard them against the causes of deviance and misguidance! May Allah’s Peace and Blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, Companions, and those who follow them rightfully until the Day of Resurrection.

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. Authority, encyclopedic Egyptian scholar Abu Ja’far Al-Warraq al-Tahawy (may Allah be merciful with him) said,

We say with regard to the belief in the Oneness of Allah, as believers, by the success that Allah grants:

Allah is One and thus does not have a partner;

Nothing is like Him;

Nothing can prevent Him from implementing His Will;

There is no true deity other than Him;

Eternal without a beginning; Everlasting without an end;

Never dies or goes to ruin; nothing exists except what He wills;

What enters the realm of ideas does not grasp Him;

Intellects do not reach comprehension of Him;

Humans do not resemble Him;

Attributed with Life not dying;

Controlling all things and does not sleep;

The Creator without any need;

Provider of sustenance without burden;

Causing death without fear of anything;

Resurrector without difficulty.

He is now as He has always been Eternal with His Attributes before His creation came into being.

Nothing was added to His Attributes through their existence that He was not attributed with before.

Just as He was eternal with His Attributes He will never cease to be Eternal.

He did not gain the name “Creator” after creating, and not by bringing creation into existence He gain the name “Inventor”.

He has the Attribute of Lordship, not depending on the existence of subjects.

He has the Attribute of being Creator, not depending on the existence of the creation.

Just as He has the Attribute of giving life both before and after He gives it, He has the Attribute of being Creator before giving existence. This is because He is over all things competent.

Everything needs Him and nothing is difficult for Him. He does not need anything. There is nothing like Him; and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.

He created the creation with His Knowledge, predestined their fates and appointed the times of their endings and nothing about them was concealed for Him before creating them. He knew what they would do before creating them and ordered them to obey Him and forbade them to disobey Him. Everything happens according to His Predestination and Will. His Will happens. His creations do not have a will except what He wills for them; whatever He wills happens, and whatever He does not will does not happen.

He guides whomsoever He wills; protects and defends as a grace; causes whoever He wills to go astray; forsakes and afflicts with justice; and the creation alternate by His Will between His Grace and Justice. He is clear of and above having a match or an equal. None can ward off His Decree or delay His rulings, or have any control over what He has willed to be. We believe in all of this and are certain that all of it is from Him.

We also believe that Muhammad is his chosen slave, His selected prophet and His approved messenger, and that he is the seal of the prophets and the leader of those who fear Allah, and the master of all messengers, and the beloved of the Lord of the Worlds. Any claim of prophethood after him is a deviation and from perverse desires.

He was sent to all jinn and mankind with truth, guidance, light and enlightenment.

The Qur’an is Allah’s Speech and from Whom it was brought forth without questioning as speech and sent down to His Messenger as revelation. The believers deemed it truthful and were sure that it was really Allah’s Speech and not a created speech, like the speech of people.

Therefore whoever hears it and claims it is human speech is committing disbelief. Allah blames, reproaches and threatens such a person with Hellfire, saying, I will cast him into Hell-fire. Since Allah threatened with Hellfire whoever says: “This is nothing but the word of a human being!” we know for sure that is the word of the Creator of mankind that does not resemble that of humans.

Whoever attributes to Allah an attribute that is for humans he will be Kafir (disbeliever). Whoever apprehends this will ponder carefully, and will keep apart from the claims of disbelievers. He will also know that Allah’s attributes are not like those of humans. Seeing Allah is true for the People in Paradise without any meaning of surrounding or modality. This is as stated in the Book of Allah, our Lord, Some faces that Day shall be Nâdirah (shining and radiant). Looking at their Lord (Allâh). Its explanation is what Allah wills and knows.

All that has been narrated to us of sound Hadith regarding this from the Messenger of Allah is as what he said and the meaning is as what he meant. We do not interpret this with our own opinions and views or as we likes.

Indeed, no one is safe in his religion except that who lets the meaning of what he does not know to Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) and His Messenger (peace be upon him) and returns the knowledge of what is unclear to him to the one that knows it.

No foot stays firm in Islam except on the platform of surrender and submission. So whoever seeks to know what is unattainable to him and does not satisfy himself to leave it to the one who knows it; his search will restrain the sincerity of his belief in the Oneness of Allah and the purity of his knowledge and soundness of faith. The result will be that he will swing between disbelief and belief, truthfulness and falsehood, and confirming and denying. He will be obsessed with anxieties and will be lost. He is doubting, not believing fully or stubbornly denying.

Belief in seeing Allah by the people of Paradise is not sound for whoever considers it to be by heart or interprets it according to one’s own understanding. This is because interpretation of seeing or any meaning that is ascribed to Lordship is done by abandoning interpretation, and adhering to submission. This is the religion of Muslims. Whoever does not guard himself from Inkar [denial (of Allah's Attributes or Names)] and Tashbih (comparison of Allah’s Attributes or Names) will deviate and will not be declaring Allah clear of imperfection.

For Our Lord (May He be Glorified and Exalted) has the Attributes of Oneness and Uniqueness that can not be ascribed to any one of the creation.Exalted be He above limits and boundaries and Exalted be He above having faculties and parts. He is not subject to the six directions and dimensions which are the characteristics of created beings.

Mi`raj (the Prophet’s ascension to Heaven) was true and the Prophet (peace be upon him) was taken on a night journey in person, while awake, to the heavens and then to where Allah has willed of high places. Allah honored him with whatever He willed and revealed to him whatever He revealed. The (Prophet’s) heart lied not in what he (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) saw. Allah has sent blessings upon him in the Hereafter and the worldly life. The Hawd (Prophet’s lake in Paradise), which Allah has honored him with as a relief for his nation as well as Shafa`ah (intercession), which is reserved for them as narrated in Hadiths, are true.

The Covenant that Allah took from Adam and his descendants is true. Allah has known eternally the number of people going to Paradise, and the number of those going to Hell as a single total number. This number neither increases nor decreases. Likewise, their deeds; what He knew from them that they would do, [they would do]. Everybody will find easy to do such deeds as will lead him to his destined place. Everyone is facilitated in that for which he has been created. Deeds are judged according to the endings. The happy are those who are made happy according to Allah’s predestination. The miserable are those who are made miserable according to Allah’s predestination.

The reality of predestination is a secret of Allah pertaining to His creation. Neither a favored angel nor a sent prophet has ever been given knowledge of it. To become deeply absolved in and pondering about this reality is domed to failure, leading to deprivation transgression. Beware of that in thoughts, reflection, and random ideas. Allah (Exalted be He) has hidden the knowledge of Predestination from the creation and forbidden them from seeking it.

Allah (Exalted be He) says, He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned. So, whoever asks, ‘why did He do that?’ has rejected the judgment of the Book. Whoever rejects the judgment of the Book is a disbeliever. This is the amount of knowledge needed for the one whose heart is enlightened among the Awliya’ (pious people), which is the rank of those well-grounded in knowledge.

This is because knowledge is of two kinds:
Knowledge that is accessible to creation and knowledge that is not accessible to creation.The denial of the knowledge that is accessible to the creation counts as disbelief, and claiming of having the knowledge that is not accessible to the creation is also disbelief.
Belief is not established except by accepting the knowledge that is accessible to the creation and abandoning the search for the knowledge that is not.

We believe in Al-Lawh-ul-Mahfuzh (the Preserved Tablet), the Pen, and all that is written in it. If all creation had gathered and agreed on making something happen that had not been written by Allah in it, then they would not able to do that.The Pen has dried up with regard to what will be until the Day of Judgment. Whatever befalls the creation by accident was not intended to befall him and whatever befalls him was not to miss him.

The slaves should know that Allah preceded in knowing all that is to be among His creation. He predestined that firmly and surely without any contradiction therein or overruling against Him or anything that can cease or change it. There is nothing that reduces or increases His creation in the Heavens or in the Earth. This is all part of belief, the fundamentals of faith and admitting to the Oneness of Allah and His absolute ownership of creation. Allah (Exalted be He) says, He has created everything, and has measured it exactly according to its due measurements. and, And the Command of Allâh is a decree determined.

Woe to the one that has become a disputant against Allah with regard to predestination, prepared a sick heart to ponder it, has sought with his delusions to investigate the hidden secrets of the unseen, and has concluded with his statements as a sinful liar.

The `Arsh (Allah’s Throne) and Kursy (Allah’s Chair) are true. Allah does not need the `Arsh or what is below it. He surrounds all things and is above it. He made His creation unable to have encompassing knowledge. We say that Allah has taken Ibrahim (Abraham) as a Khalil (an intimate friend) and has spoken with Musa. We say all of this in faith, belief and submission. We believe in the angels, the prophets and the Books sent down to the messengers and we testify that they were on the path of obvious truth.

We call the people of our Qiblah (direction faced for Prayer towards the Ka`bah) believing Muslims as long as they admit to be true whatever Muhammad (peace be upon him) brought and believe in and do not deny any of what he said. We neither get into pondering about Allah nor dispute the religion of Allah. We do not argue about the Qur’an and we testify that it is the Speech of the Lord of the words with which the Trustworthy Spirit descended to teach the master of the messengers Muhammad (peace be upon him). Nothing of the created speech is like Allah’s Speech.
We do not say that the Qur’an is created nor we deviate from the Muslim nation.

We do not declare any the people of the Qiblah who commits a sin as a Kafir (disbeliever) as long as he didn’t consider it lawful.

We do not say that Iman (faith) is not affected by sins.

We hope that those who do good deeds among the believers will be forgiven by Allah and that will make them enter Paradise by His Mercy, but we do not feel confident about them being safe, and do not testify that they will enter Paradise.We ask Allah to forgive the sinners among them, fear for them, and we do not make them lose hope. Safety or despair may take a person out of Islam, while the path of truth for the people of Qiblah is set between them.

A believer can be rendered out of Iman by the denial of what made him a Muslim.
Iman is affirming with the tongue and believing with the heart.All that has been authentically narrated from the Prophet of Islamic laws, rules and practices and clarifications are true. Iman is one and its people in its essence are the same, but superiority between them is according to the level of fearing Allah and doing contrary to sinful inclinations. All the believers are ‘Awliya (pious people) of Allah, the Most Gracious, and the most honorable of them are those most obedient and compliant to the Qur’an.

Iman is the belief in Allah, and His angels, books, messengers, and the Last Day; and to believe that Predestination, good and bad, sweet and bitter, is from Allah (Exalted be He). We believe in all of that and do not distinguish between any of His messengers; we believe in all of them and what they brought.

The people of major sins from the nation of Muhammad in the Hellfire will not be left there forever, if they died as believers in Allah’s Oneness, even if they did not repent.

This is as long as they meet Allah while knowing and believing in His religion. They will be subject to what Allah has willed and judged. He will forgive and pardon them if He wills as a grace, as He (Glorified and Exalted be He) says in His Book, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills If He wills He will torture them by His Justice according to their sin. After that, He takes them out of it by His Mercy and the intercession of the intercessors from the people of obedience.

Then He sends them to His Paradise for He protects those who know Him and did not make them in the Two Abodes (worldly life and the Hereafter) like those who disbelieve in Him – those who did not obtain His guidance and did not get His protection.

O Allah, the Guardian of Islam and its people, make us steadfast in Islam until we meet You as Muslims.

We are of the view that Salah (Prayer) is valid behind any pious or sinful person among the people of Qiblah.
We offer Funeral Prayer for any of them who dies.
We do not affirm with certitude for any of them to be among the dwellers of Paradise or Hellfire.
We do not say about any of them that he is Kafir, Mushrik (one who associates others with Allah in His Divinity or worship) or hypocrite if he did not show any of that as only Allah (Exalted be He) knows one’s intentions.

We are of the view that anyone of the Prophet Muhammad’s nation should not be killed unless he deserves it.
We do not hold the view that one should rebel against the rulers even if they transgressed;
We do not supplicate against them or disobey them.
Rather, we hold that obedience to them is obedience to Allah and an obligation, as long as they do not order us to do a sin, and we ask Allah to mend their ways and protect them.

We adhere to the Sunnah and the Muslim body and avoid deviations, disagreement and schism.
We love the people of justice and trustworthiness, and hate the people of injustice and treachery.

We say when something is unclear to us: Allah knows best.
We hold that it is valid to wipe over the socks during travel and non-travel as was narrated in Hadith.
We hold that Hajj and Jihad are continuous obligations with the Muslim rulers, whether they are pious or sinful, and nothing abolishes or invalidates these two obligations.

We believe in the Noble Scribes and that Allah has made them to watch over us.
We believe in the Angel of Death appointed to take the souls of mankind and jinn.
We also believe in the torture in grave (i.e. during the period between death and the Resurrection) for whomsoever deserves it, and in the questioning of Munkar and Nakir (two angels who question people in grave after death) to the dead about their Lord, religion and prophet, as narrated in Hadiths of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) may Allah be pleased with them.

The grave is a garden of the gardens of Paradise, or a pit of the pits of Hell.
We believe in Resurrection, recompense for one’s deeds on the Day of Resurrection, presentation of one’s deeds, Reckoning, reading the persons records, punishment and reward, Sirat (the bridge over the Fire), and Mizan (the Scales for weighing deeds).

Paradise and Hellfire are both creations and they do not end or perish.
Allah had created Paradise and Hellfire before He created the creation and that he created people for them;
Then whomsoever He wills Paradise for will be admitted there as a Grace from Him,
And whomsoever He wills Hellfire for will be put there as Justice from Him.
Everybody do what they have been created for and toward what they would proceed.

Good and evil are predestined for the slaves.
Ability, with which deeds are done, depends on success that is impermissible to describe the creation with, as it is simultaneous with the action. Ability is the one depending on Allah’s creation of the ability to do good, which is forbidden to ascribe to creation.
In terms of soundness, capability, mastery and defect-free organs,Ability occurs before action,and to which the following Ayah refers:Allâh burdens not a person beyond his scope.

People’s actions are created by Allah and acquired by the slaves. Allah does not make the creations accountable for other than what they are capable of and they are not obligated to do other than what He has made them accountable for.

This is the explanation of the expression: ‘There is neither might nor power except with Allah!’. We say that no one has a trick, or a movement, or a shift away from disobeying Allah unless He helps. And there is no ability for any creation to perform acts of obedience to Allah and keep steadfast on them without success from Allah.

Everything proceeds according to Allah’s Will, Knowledge, Action, and Predestination.
His Will controls the will of everything else. His Action overrules all tricks. He does what He wills and is never unjust. He Himself is absolutely clear of any kind of defect or ruin and is free of any flaw or blemish. He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned.

The dead benefit from the supplications and charities made by the living persons.
Allah (Exalted be He) answers supplications, fulfills needs, owns everything and nothing owns Him.
No one and nothing is without need for Him for even the blink of an eye.
Whoever thinks himself without need from Allah for the blink of an eye is rendered a disbeliever and becomes one of the people doomed for ruin.

Allah has wrath and pleasure not like any of his creation.
We love Sahabah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). We do not go to extremes in the love of any of them, and we do not disavow any of them.
We hate whoever hates them or mentions them with anything bad. We only mention them with good. Loving them is religion, belief and pure obedience. Hating them is disbelief, hypocrisy and injustice.

It is confirmed that the Caliphate after the Prophet (peace be upon him) first went to Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) in preference and to give him precedence over the entire nation. Then it went to `Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) then to `Uthman ibn `Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) then to `Aly ibn Abu Talib (may Allah be pleased with him). They are the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and Imams.

We testify that the ten people whom the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) gave them glad tidings to be among the dwellers of Paradise will be admitted to Paradise, just as the Messenger testified. His saying is the truth.

They are

• Abu Bakr,
• Umar,
• Uthman,
• Ali,
• Talhah,
• Al-Zubayr,
• Sa’d (ibn Abu Waqqas),
• Sa’id (ibn Zayd), Abdul-Rahman ibn Awf,
• and Abu ‘Ubaida ibn al-Jarrah,

the latter is The Trustworthy of the Nation (may Allah be pleased with them).

Whoever speaks well of the Sahabah and the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) wives, freeing them of any filthiness and his purified offspring of any disgrace, is free of hypocrisy.

Salaf (righteous predecessors) and Tabi`un (Followers, the generation after the Companions of the Prophet) are among the people of good deeds and Hadith narration; jurisprudence and insight; they are mentioned with good and whoever speaks ill of them is not on the path (of truth).

We do not prefer any Waliy to any prophet (peace be upon them) and say that one prophet is better than all Awliya’ together.
We believe in their Karamah (an extraordinary event performed by a pious person) and in what the trustworthy narrators reported about them.

We also believe in the signs of the Day of Judgment, including the appearance of Al-Masih-ul-Dajjal (the Antichrist) and the descent of ‘Isa (Jesus), son of Maryam (peace be upon him), and the rising of the sun from the west and coming of the creature of the earth.

We do not believe any fortuneteller, soothsayer, or the one who claims anything going against the Book of Allah, Sunnah and Ijma` (consensus of scholars).

We see Ijma` as true and right and division as deviation and torture. Allah’s religion on earth and in heavens is one and the same; it is Islam. Allah (Exalted be He) says, Truly, the religion with Allâh is Islâm. and, and have chosen for you Islâm as your religion. Islam is between excessiveness and negligence, between likening Allah’s Attributes to those of His creation and rejecting them; between fatalism and Divine Decree; and between feeling safe from Allah’s punishment and despair of His forgiveness.

This is our religion and belief both outward and inward and we declare to Allah that we disavow whomsoever disagrees with what we have mentioned and explained.

We ask Allah (Exalted be He) to make us firm in faith and to end our lives while we are in that state and to protect us from the various kinds of deviant inclinations and divisive opinions and lowly schools,

such as that of Mushabbihah (those who compare Allah’s Attributes to those of His creation),

Mu`tazilah (a deviant Islamic sect claiming that those who commit major sins are in a state between belief and disbelief),

Jahmiyyah (a deviant Islamic sect denying some Attributes of Allah, claiming they are ascribed to people and cannot be ascribed to Allah),

Jabriyyah (those who claim that mankind have no choice and are obliged),

and Qadariyyah (a deviant sect that claims Allah has no power over His Creation and humans are independent of Him) and the other sects that disagreed with the Sunnah and the Muslim main body, and pledged allegiance to deviation.

We are clear of them and they are deviants and lowly in our view.

May Allah grant us protection and success!

End quote of Al-`Aqidah Al-Tahawiyyah, may Allah forgive its author and help His slaves benefit from it!

Ibn Baz Fatwas>Volume 2>Commentary on Al-`Aqidah Al-Tahawiyyah

Q: Explanation of “the fundamentals of religion”.

A: The meaning of “the fundamentals of religion” differs from one context to another. The term sometimes refers to the pillars of Islam and Iman (Faith). Sometimes it means the principles of creed. It may also refer to the rulings of Islam whose violation will make a Muslim liable to punishment and ignorance of which will not be an excuse to cancel it such as the prohibition of adultery and drinking alcohol. This definition differs according to the different opinions of scholars. There is no unction with regard to such definitions. What concerns a Muslim is that he must act upon the ordinances of Allah (Exalted be He) and shun the forbidden things by following Allah’s Purified Shari`ah (Law).

May Allah grant us success! May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and Companions!

Permanent Committee for Scholarly Research and Ifta’

Member Member Deputy Chairman Chairman
Bakr Abu Zayd Salih Al-Fawzan `Abdul-`Aziz Al Al-Shaykh `Abdul-`Aziz ibn `Abdullah ibn Baz

Permanent Committee Fatwas, Volume 1: (`Aqidah) > Tawhid-ul-Uluhiyyah > The meaning of “the fundamentals of religion”: Fatwa no. 18612