the general prescription of belief in the quran and sunnah

THEGENERATPRESCRIPTS
OF BETIEFIN
THEOU'RANAND SUNNAH
Abdur-RahmaanAbdul-Khaliq
Translationand Commentaryby
MahmoudMurad
€PA,t-->))t1vt-' d"a

S:'
A WORD OF THANIG
TheMaylissof Al-HaqPublicationSocietyisgratefulto thosewho helped
inproducingtheEnglishversionofthisbook,andbrotherKhorshidBateson
in particular,who neverhesitatedin offeringhiseditingservicesto the
workspublishedby the Society.
MayAllahrewardthem all alongwith thoseMuslimswho supportthe
Societyto reacheverycontinentin the world.

TABTEOF CONTENTS
Translato/sWord. ...... i
Introduction " " 'iii
lssuesof BeliefinAllahtheExalted . . . . . 1
TheexistenceofAllah ....'....1
Uniquenessof thetssenceof Allah . ' . . ' 1
TheUniquenessof HisAftributes
Thewisdombehindcreation
Unificationof worship
Thebeliefinangels
ThebeliefintheScriptures. . .
ThebeliefintheApostlesofAllah
T h e b e l i e i i n t h e H e r e a f t e r . . . . . . . . . - . . 1 2
Thebeliefinpredestinationandfatalism .... '..16
TheMuslimummah(nation) . . . ."17
T h e b a s i c so l d a ' w a h t o A l l a h . . . . . . . . . 2 2
Attitudestowardsnon-Muslims . ' -.....24
Thefundamentalsof Fiqhliurisprudence)
T h e S u n n a h . . . . . 2 9
1
r+
5
7
.,
B
27

TRANSLATORSWORD
All praiseisdue to Allah the Exalted,and may peacebe on Muhammad,
the Sealof the Prophets,who delivered the messageof hisLord in the best
manner.
t he Apostleof Allah was reportedto havesaid:"lf you dealwith eenah,'
and hold the cows' tails,and become content with employingyourselves
with agriculture,and abandonjihad' in the way of Allah,Allah would per-
mit your humiliationand would not relieveyou of it until you return to
your religion."'
The preoccupationsmentionedin the above hadeethare not all that we
must be aware of. We must also beware of all that may be inferredfrom
them, takingthem in a metaphoricalsense.Eenahtransactionsand holding
cows' tails,and contentment with employing in agriculturerepresentin-
clinationtowardsthe affairsof thisworld. Theyall leadto abandoningjihad
in the way of Allah.
Indeed,the wordSof the Prophet(Peacebe on Him)seryeasa warning
to the Muslimsof a future which hasbeen realized.He was describingour
presenttime, and informingus of the significanceof our presentactivities.
Reliefcannot come through embracingfalsebeliefsand devianttenets.
The ProphetMuhammad,(Peacebe on Him) on the other hand,foretold
the fact that his ummahwould be divided into sevenw-threesects,all of
which would end up in the Fireexceptone only, and that is Ahlus-Sunnah
Wal-lama'ah.Many of those sectsclaim their adherenceto the Book and
Sunnah.lf, for the sakeof argument,their claim is held to be true, then
there hasto be somethingelsewhich distinguishesthe safesectfrom the
other sevenw-two.
lndeed, it is the way of understandingthe Book and the Sunnahwhich
makes the difference. The tvvo great sources of lslam have to be
understood the way they were understood by the pious predecessors
amongstwhom the Prophetlived.
Allah says:"Whoever opposesthe Apostle after the right way hasbeen
clearlyshownto him,and followsotherthanthe believers'wav.we shall
keephim in the pathhe haschosen,andburnhim in Hell,andwhat an evil
destination."4.115
'fenah is one of the prohibitedform of buying and selling,as it involvesusury
'Strivingin the way of Allah.
tAbu Dawood.

The beireverswhom Allah cornmands us to follow held the right
a<7r'edahand gainedprosperity.lt is unfortunatethat most of the booksin
Englishdeal rvith lslamic issueswhich representparticularschools of
thoughtrefleetrngthe opinionsof one particularimamor another.In marty
casesthey are supportedby weak ahaadeeth(traditions)or by none at all.
Thuswe have taken upon ourselvesin Al-HaqPublicationSocietythe task
of makingworksof our piouspredecessors,As-Sa/afus-Saalih,andof those
who follow theirsuit.availableto our Muslimbrotherswho do not speak
Arabic,by translatingthoseworksinto English,Frenchandotherlanguages.
We also have taken upon ourselvesthe duty of addressingthe pressing
issuesthe N'luslimsusuallyencounterin non-Muslimsocieties.
M.A.P.Societypresentsthisbook with a senseof fulfillment,asit indeed
containsthe g,eneralarticlesof beliefthatareincumbenton allMuslimsto
hold in order to safeguardthemselvesagainstevery hideoustenet and
beliefintroducedto them under the falsepretenseof defendinglslam.
The reader will find in this book the fundamentalsof lslam and the
prescriptsof faith, and other important issuessupported by proofs from
the Qu/an and Sunnahand other reliablereferences.
I tried my best to convey the messageof the basictext of this book, and
be faithfulto the languageof the original.Where necessaryfor the sakeoi
makingan ideaclear,a strictlyliteraltranslationhasbeen abandoned,and
besidesthe quotations from the Qur'an and Sunnah,I have introduced
footnotes and commetrtarywhere | {elt that a term or a concept requried
some elaboration.However, I would like to draw the kind attentionof the
reader that although Qur'anic texts and Prophetictraditionsin this book
are preceded with "Allah says"or "the Prophetsaid",yet only their mean-
ing is quoted in this book.
In conclusion,I am gratefulto ,qllahthat He gaveme the chanceto serve
His religionand my brothers-in-lslam.
Mahmoud Murad
27, Raiab14O5
April17,'1985
8.C,, CANADA

u,
INTRODUCTION
Praisebe to Allah of Whom we ask help,forgivenessand guidance,and
in Whom we seek refuge againstour own wrongdoing5."He who Allah
guidesthere is none to leadastrayand he whom Allah misguidesthere is
none to guide."
It has been almost ten yearssince this discoursewas first publishedin
Arabic,a period in which it hasbeen reprintedor photocopied in various
countriesthroughout the Muslim world, where it hasbeen receivedwith
approval,praisebe to Allah for His grace.
It is our purposein publishingthis concisediscourseto presentto our
brothers-in-lslamthe articlesof our creedin theirentirety.Followingthe ex-
ample of those of our pious predecessorswho have composed concise
discourseson the tenetsof lslanr,I havewritten this in a simple style,and
numbered it in order to facilitatecomprehendingand retainingits con-
tents.lt wasmy intentionto write explanatorycommentson thisdiscourse,
had I not been preoccupied with the daily editing of articleson issues
which requiredimmediateattention.Allah, however, made it possibleto
expound on the subject in consecutivelessonsand lectures that were
recordedin about forty-fiveaudio tapes,copiesof which are available,by
the graceof Allah, in the Eastand West, to the benefitof many people irr
terestedin learningthroughout the world.
ln the ten yearssincethe firstedigpnof thisdiscourse,Muslimshavesuf-
fered manyafflictions,that causedsome to swervefrom the rightway and
othersto tamperwith the fundamentalsof lslam,while stillotherscameto
claim partners to Allah, to whom they ascribed His attributes. This
necessitatedthe expositionof termsof referenceto safeguardthe Muslims
againstdeviationfrom the right way.
ft iscommon knowledgethat lslamicatlee<Jah1ispresentedin the Qu/an
in two types of ayat (verses):
1) Statementsin which Allah plainlyand clearlyinformsus (e.g.,,Say:
He isAllah,the One, Allah,the absolutelyindependentuponwhom allde
pend. He does not beget nor was he begotten.And there is none com-
parableto Him."[5.1120.Thissurah(chapter)isa Divinestatementinform-
ing usabout HisExaltedessenceand Hisattributesand HisOneness,praise
be to Him. He isSelf-sufficient,who standsout matchless,with none equal
to Him, and He neither begets nor was begotten. The reason behind
revealing the above surah, as it has been reported, was that the
P r o p h e t ( P e a c e b e o n H i m ) w a s a s k e d e i t h e r b y
''Aqeedah'isa rehgioustenet upon whrchone'smind and heartis firmly senledand to which
he holds or adheres.

Quraishlor by somebedouins:"Tellusof yourLord'slineage!"2Thesurah
wasrevealedin responseto theirquery.lrrespectiveof the particularcir-
cumstancesof the revelationof thissurah,it andmanyothersimilarones
wererevealedby Allahto makeusawareof Hisattributesandhisexistence.
2) Statementsin which Allah rebutsor repelsdubiousor profaneteneB
heldby the paggnsor Peopleof tre Boo[ to verify*re truthandordainHis
aqeedah.Forexample:"And they saidthe Compassionatehastakenunto
Himselfoffspring."[19.SS]Allahintheaboveayahreftrtesa beliefheldbytre
pagansthatangelswerethedaughtersofAllah.TheangelsareHishonourable
slaves,not Hisdaughtersastheyalleged.
Anotherexample:
'The
Jewssay:Allah'shandistiedup(.e. Hedoesnotspendof His
bounty).'Betreir handstiedupandbe*reyaccursedfor whatfrey
uttered.Nal BothHishandsarewidelyouBtretched.Hegivesand
spends (of His bounty) as He wills.. ." 5.64
and:
'Thosewhotakepartners(inworship)withAllahwillsay:'lfAllahtnd
willed,we wouldnothavetakenparhers(n wonhip)withHim,nor
wouldourfahers,andwe wouldnothaveforbiddenadring(against
HisWill).'Likewisethosewho were beforetrem gave*re lie (to
Aflah'smessengers).. ." 6.148 cr
ThelatterayahinwhichAllahrebutsandrebukesunbeliefandconfirmsthe
truebeliefrepresentsa typecommonlyfoundin the Qu/an.
No doubt, the lessonof correctaqeedahis more froroughly leamed
tlrroughthe presentationof drefalseandis refutaton.Ihis isdtrcto drefact
thatthingsarerecognizedbefterwhenplacedinoppositionto theircontraries;
lightfor instancecanbedistinguishedonlybycontrastwithdarkness.Similarly,
truth may be soughtthroughan awarenessof falsehood.Allahthe Exalted
says:
'lA/hoeverdisbelievesin thefalsedeitiesandbelievesin Allah,then
he has graspedthe most trustworlfiy handhold,fiat will never
break.. ." 2.256
Thismeansthatinorderto belietaghoot'onefirstmustbeawareof it andits
nature.
I havecompiledthisdiscoursein accordancewith the conceptof Ahlus-
Sunnahwallamaah(theSunniMuslims)in order to presentthe authentic
creedasperceivedbyas-Salafus-5aa/ih(thepiouspredecessors).lt isdueto
Hisgracethatneithera tenetwhichisheldby Ahlus-Sunnahwal-lamaah,
'Quraish is the tribe of the Prophe(Peacebe on Him).
rlt is customary for the Arabs to take pride in their family lineageand to set it as a criterion by
which social statusis judged.
''At-taghctctt'isany derty worshipped beside or other than Allah, or any obiect of wonhip.

nor any issuerelatedto the subjectmatter,were left out of thisdiscourse.
In other.words,this work comprisesall of'the issuesrelevantto aqeeda
dealt with by scholarsof the pastand by contemporaryones,along with
other commentariesrelatingto disruptivecontroversiesof our time.
Anyone who is well acquaintedwith works on aqeedahrealizesthat
there have been times when many of religion'sminor issueshave been
treatedasfundamental,e.g.,wiping over boots (in ablution),the imamate
(leadership)of Abu Bakr,Urrrr and Uthman (may Allah be pleasedwith
them),the definitionof the term Ahlul-Beit(thefamilyof the prophet(peace
be on Him), the marriageof mut'ah (enjoyment),stoning the married
adulterer,and other minor judicialissues,differingover which resultedin
attackson the reputationsof the companionsof the Prophet(mayAllah be
pleasedwith them all),Differingover theseissuesultimatelyled some to
regardthe Prophefsrespectedcompanionsas infidels,and even to go so
far as to regardthe Qur'an as incomplete.
Thus there have been times when people so exceededthe bounds of
correct behaviourin pursuingdifferencesin minor issuesin religion,that
they ended by differingover fundamentals.
Similarto them are many people of the presenttime, who form a small
group to inviteto the way of Allah and deem themselvesthe sole lslamic
group, while holding all others to be either infidelsor polytheists.
Invariably,the sourceof thisanitude isa disagreementover some minor
questionwhich laterdevelopsinto the centralfeatureof their sectandthe
criterion by which they judge others.
Motivated by the concernover this situation,I brought togetherall the
major issuesof aqeedahin thiswork, includingthe articlesof faith(i.e.the
belief in Allah, His angels,His Scriptures,His Messengers,the FinalDay,
predestiny(of good or bad))and other issuesof importanceon which peo-
ple havedifferednow and in the past.I havealsoincludedthat which it is
incumbent on the Muslimsto believe with regardto jurisprudenceand
ijtihadl,and the stand that the believersmust take in relation to both
Muslimsand non-Muslims.All the basicissueshave been included,of
which the Muslimshouldbe awarein orderto learn,and to evaluatehis
convictionsso that he may hold fast to the right way.
The SunniMuslimshave no choice but to accept this pure aqeedahto
achievetheir unity and avoid all innovationsin belief or actsof worship,
and to resistdeviationfrom and perversionof religion,and to rebufffalse
opinionsandthe deviantseventy-twosectsto which the prophet(peacebe
on Him) referred:"The Jewswere divided into seventy-onesects,and
Nasaraa(Christians)were divided into seventy-twosects,and my Llmmah
(nation)shall be divided inb seventy-threesecrs;all of them are in the
(Hell)Fireexceptone, that is Al-Jamaahr."
"litihad'isdrawingforth judiciallawsor rulingsby studyingrelevanttextsfrom the eu/an and
Sunnah.
')'Al-lamaah'isthe assemblageof SunniMuslims.

v,
ln anotherhadeeth,he referredto them saying,"A groupof my Um-
mahwillremainvictoriousintheirstruggleinthecourseof thetruthuntil
Allah'sorder(theFinalHour)comesuponthem."'
Theaboveauthentichadeethmakesit abundantlyclearthat only the
sa/afls(thosewho follow the methodologyof the Prophet(Peacebe on
Him)andhiscompanions)constitutethe lama'ah,the peopleof thetruth
who holdfastto theBookandSunnahandwho shundisbelief,falsehood
andshirk.'l
Thesa/aficallandthe aqeedahof thesafesectiswhatthisdiscourseis
all about.
We hopethat thisaqeedahdwellsin the heartsof everyMuslim,and
that everyda'ee(inviter)to Allahpromotesit. We alsohopethat Allah
makes feasiablecompletinga conciseArabic commentaryon this
discoursesubstantiatedby valid argumentsand by proofsfrom the
Qu/an andSunnah.
It isentirelyupto Allahto makeourendeavourpurelyfor Hissake,and
to helpusavoiderrorsin belief,utteranceanddeed;HeistheHearerthe
Knower.
Abdur-RahmaanAbdul Khaliq
lBukhari
,Shirk - The attribution of partnersor offspring to Allah.

2.
I. ISSUESOI BELIEFIN ATLAH
THEEXAITTD
Ahlus-Sunnahwal-famahhbelieve and bear witnessthat:
THTEXISTTNCEOT AttAH
1. Allah is the Cod Whoseexistence,Divinity,Lordshipand Onenessare
proveclto be true, and are acknowledgedby everv existingbeing.'
uNtQurNrssoFTHrrssENcrot AIIAH
Allah, Clory be to Him, is on His throne,mountingit in rhe manner
which suitsHisMajesty,asHe describedHimselfin sevendifferentayat
(verses).']
Allah is "the Firs(',before Whom there is none, and "the Las('after
Whom there is none, and "the Predominanf'aboveWhom there is
none, and "the Internal"nearerthan Whom there is none,j and all of
His attributesare ever eternal,with neither a beginningnor an end.
The essenceof Allah,the Exalteddoes not resemblethat of any of His
creatures,asverifiedin the ayah:"Thereis none like unto Him, and He
is the Hearerthe Seer."aHe is the One, the Sole,the Indivisible.He is
the Lord without Whom no affairsare accomplishedand to Whom
Lordshipultimatelypertains.He neitherbegetsnor isbcgoften.Thereis
none equalto Him.t
Allahneverindwellsin anyof hiscreaturesnor do they indwellin Him.
All other than Him are createdby Hisordinanceand are subservientto
Hiswill.
THEt'N|QUENTSSOFHtSATTRTBUTTS
6. AllahisEverliving,Self-subsistrng,theSustainer,HebyWhomallthings,
"The sevenheavensand the earth and all that is thereinglorifyHim. and there is not a thing
but celebratesHis praise,but you understandnot their oraise."17.44
lQu/an 7.54.i0.1, 13.2.20.5,25.59.12.4.57.4
'Qu/an 57.3
'Qur'an 42.11
tcf.
Qur'an:112
4.
5.

2
al-Arsh,' alKursi,2the heavens,the earth and all that is therein were
created;they all stanciin need of Him, and He standsin need of none.
To Him belong Clory and Majesty.
7. Allah isthe Omniscient,Whose knowledgecomprehendsin the most
perfectmannerall things.hiddenor open, the smalland the great.3.
Nothing is absent from His knowledge, nor anything is hidden from
Him even if it be the weightof the smallestant.4Whetherat restor in
motion,the stateof thingsis known to Him priorto and duringitsoc-
currance.He is neither'heedlessnor is He errant.'s
8. Allahthe Supremeisthe Lordof everythingand isits proprietor.He nas
a free hand in the disposalof all affairs.Thereisno one to slrareHisdo-
main nor is therean aideror supporterfrom Hiscreatures.
9. Allah the Glorified is the Conrpassionate,the Merciful Whose mercy
encompassesall things.He is far removed from iniusticeor tyranny.6
10.Allah is well acquaintedwith internaland externalaffairsof all things,
and is All-Wise.He is free from defect or imperfection.There is no in-
congruitynor any unsoundnessin Hisjudgment.?NothingHe chooses
is in vain,nor is thereanythingnot under Hiscontrol.
11.Allahthe Exaltedloves,feelscontentment,reioicesand laughs,and He
also hates, dislikes,abhors and becomes angry, yet none of these
Divine attributesresemblesthose of human beings.'
12.Allah the Exaltedis Craciousand Merciful,Who deliversHisbelieving
'Al-Arshwas the first created thing and it is the Sreatestof all. lt is one of the things which
mankind knows not in reality,but only by name. lt iserroneouslytranslatedas"throne"for if it
were that, it would be a support to Allah. Allah says:"VerilyAllah holdsthe heavensand the
earth, lestthey should move from their place;and if they should move from their place,no
one would hold them after Him." 35.59[cf. Mufradat of ar-Raghib]
'lAlthough there are different traditions describing al-Kursi, none of them is proven to be
authentic, according to ash-SheikhNassirud-Dinal-Alban(the leading authority in the science
of Hadeeth of the present time) except one hadeeth quoted by him in his SilsilatulAhaadeeth
as-sahihah(No. 1@ of Vol. l): The Prophet(Peacebe on Him) was reported to have said:
'The
seven heavensby the side of the KURSIare nought but asa ring thrown down in a desert land:
and such is the KURSIwith resoect to the ARSH."
'cf.
Qu/an 76.14
'cf.
Qur'an 1o.61
'Qu/an 20.52
'Qu/an 18.49
'Qu/an 21.16
rThe term'Dvine aftributes'is restricted to the attributes imputed to Allah by Himsel{, or by
His Apostle(Peacebe on Him). They should not be carried beyond their lingr;i5116meaning.
One should avoid trying to imdgine the reality of these 3ttributes; to deny them, or to attempt
to interpret them, leads to kufr (unbelieo.

3
slavesandsupportsthem.Thedisbelieverson theotherhand.,Heleaves
bereft of aid, punishes,exactsvengeanceupon, deceivesand drawsto
destructionlinle by linle.
13.Allahthe MostHighspeak to hisslavesasHe wishes.lHe descends
andcomescloserto HisslavesasHewills.,Hehasa face,ra hand,.a
legrand a foot.6Yet none of the attributesof Hisessenceresembles
thoseof humanbeings.
14.Allah,Praisebe to Him,is the Omnipotent,and thereis nothingto
-frustrateHispoweror abilityto attainor accomplishanything,nordoes'the
preservationof the heavensand earthburdenHim.' ihere is no
strengthnor power to do anythingexceptby meansof Him,
15.AllahtheSupremeisBenignant,GenerouswithHisbounty.Heconfers
benefisandfavoursuponHisslaves.Thereisneithera giftnora grace
butfrom Him,andthereisnonewho canrepelor withholdHisboun-
ties.
16.Allah the Cloriousis far greaterthan to be encompassedby the
knowledgeof Hiscreatures,tandthereis no reignwhichcansurpass
l-lis.No one canpraiseAllahaswell asAllahpraisesHimself,nor is
thereanywho cancomprehendthe essenceof AllahasAllahdoes.
r"And to Moses Allah spoke direc('4.164
rAbu Hurairah narrated: "Allah's Apostle said: Everynight when it is the last third of the night,
our Lord, the Supreme,the Blesseddescendsto the nearestheaven and savs:'ls
there anvone
to invokeMe that I may respondto hisinvocation?ls there anyoneto askMe that I may grant
his request?ls there anyone askingMy forgivenessso that I may forgive himl," BukhariVol. lX,
p 435.
rThereare elevenayat (verses)in the Qur'an referringto the "Faceof Allah" (viz 2.115,2.272,
13.22,30.38,3039, s5.27,76.9,92.20, 6.52, 18.28,28.ffi)
'There are ten ayat in the Qu/an referringto the "Handsof Allah' (viz 3.73, 5.6412),48.10,
57.29,3.26, 23.88,36.83,67.1, 49.1,38.75, 36.711
"The day the Shinshallbe laid bare,and they shallbe summonedto prostrate,but they shall
not be able to do so." 68.42
'Anas narrated: The Prophet(Peacebe on Him) said:'The peopfe will be thrown into Hell Fire
and it will keep on saying
'Are
there any morez Until the Lord of the Worlds puts Hisfeet over
it, whereupon its sideswill come close to each other, and it will say:
'Enough,
enough'..."
BukhariVol. lX, p.157
'd.
Qu(an:2.255
''He knows what isbeforethem and what is behindthem, while they cannot encompassHim
with their knowledge."20.11O

4
THTWISDOMBTHINDCTEANON
17.Allahthe All-Wisedid not createangels,jinn and mankind,heavens
andearthbut to worship,'praise,2andglorifyHimin theirown way.
18.Anyonewho refrainsfrom glorifyingor worshippingAllah,be it an
angel,a jinnor a humanbeing.Allahcastsout andcurses,andwhoso
contendswith Allah'sDivinityand callsothersto worshiphim,Allah
shallcurseandpunishhim.!
19.Theonly form of worshipacceptedby Allahis the fulfillmentof His
commands,wheJherapprovedby reasonor btherwise,with absolute
obedience,humilityandlovefor Him.o
20.Allahshallacceptnoneotherthanthe religionof lslamfrom angels,
jinnor men.tlslamissubmissionto Allahby beingobedientto Him,
andby makingone'swill subservientto His.
21.Upon bringinginto existencethe creation,Allah apportionedfor
everything,includingangels,jinn,andmentheirmeansof subsistence.6
andassignedto eachitsmansionandhabitat,andmadeeachcleaveto
it.
22.AllahtheMostHighcreatedjinnandmenonlyto worshipHimalone
andHetriesthemwithgoodandevilbywayof probationandthereby
teststheirobedienceto Him.7Jinnandmenearngoodor evilthrough
theirchoice,yet neitherof them cangaingoodunlessAllahaccom-
modatesthem and grantsthem Hishelp;evil deedsarecommitted
within the frameworkof Allah'swill and permissionand are not a
frustrationof Hiswill.
23.AllahSubhanahumadeAdamfromtheclayof thisearthwith HisOwn
hand,asanindependentform of creation,thenHecommandedJibril,
"'l have onlv created iinn ond men to worship Me." 51.56
,The sevenheavensand the earthand all beingsthereindeclareHisClory. Thereis not a thihS
but celebratesHis praise,but you understandnot (how they) celebrateHis praise."17.44
r"And if any of them shouldsay,I am a god besideHim, suchone We should rewardhim with
Hell. Thus do We reward those who do wrong." 21.29
'The word "worship" in its broad meaning,accordingto Sheikhul-lslamlbnu Teimiyyah,refers
to everythrngAllah loves and to the deeds or utteranceswith which He is pleasedwhether
they are hidden or manrfested.
3"lfanyone desiresa religionother than lslam never will it be accepted of him and in the
Hereafterhe wrll be among the losers."J.85
""Verilyfor all thingsAllah has appointed a due proportion."65.3
'cf. Qu/an 4.79

5
HisSpirit,to breathelifeinto him, turninghim thusinto man.1lt isalsoa
fact that bringing Adam into existencetook place in Heaven.Allah
Subhanahucommanded angelsto prostrateto Adam, and all of them
obeyed. The jinn lblees, refused out of arrogance, disbelief and
rebellion. Allah expelled him from His mercy, and warned Adam
againsthim.
24.Allah createdHawwa'(Eve)from one of Adam'sribsand made her his
wife.3Allah then testedthem both by permittingthem to eat all of the
fruits of Jannah,while commandingthem to stayaway from one par-
ticular tree. They disobeyedAllah by eatingfrom it, so He sent tnem
down to earth to live with their posterity,ithat He may test their obe
dience and submissionto Him. Those who obey shallend in Jannah,
and those who disobev shallend in Hell.
UNIFICATIONOF WORSHI?
25. No slaveshallattainbelief in the oneness of Allah unlessand until his
love, sincerity,fear and reverence of Allah become incomparably
greaterthan that for any other than Him,sand unlesshe entrustsand
submitsto Allah alone, and gonsidersAllah sufficientas a reckoner.
26. Bowing prostrating,offeringsacrifices,fasting vows and oaths6are all
due to Allah alone.He who rendersthem to other than Allah commits
shirk.'
27. No tawaafsaround an object other than the Ka'bahis permitted asan
',Ver@e|ikenessofAdam.HecreatedhimthenHesaid
unto him: Be!and he is.AllahsentJibril.who isthe spiritof Allah,to breatheinto lviaryam,asa
resultof which sheconceivedand lssawas born to her.SinceAllahconfirmsthat the creatron
of lssawas asthat of Adam then it isquite clearthat rtwas none but librilwho breathedlifein-
to Adam.
':cf.
Qur'an 2.34
rAbu Hurairahnarrated;Allah'sApostlesaid:
,,Treat
woman nicely,for woman iscreatedfrom
a rib, and the most curved part of the rib is its upper end, so if you try to straightenit, it will
break."Eukhari,The Book of Prophets.
'cf.
Qur'an 2.30
t"Say:lf it be that your fathers,your sons,your brothers,your mates,or your kin, the wealth
that you have gained,the commerce for which you fear a declineor the dwellingsin which
you take delightare dearerto you than Allah or HisApostleor the strrvingin Hiscause,then
wait until Allah bringsabout Hrsdecision,and Allah guidesnot the rebellious.',9.24
6TheProphet(Peacebe on Him) was reported to have sard:"He who swearsby other than
AllahcommrtsrhrrA.'
"'Say:Verily my prayer,my serviceof sacrrfice,my life and my death are (all)for Allah, the
Lord of the Worlds."6.162
E'Tawaalis circumambulationround the K.r'bah,in Meccah. Allah says:
',We
assignedto
lbraheemthe siteof the (Sacred)Housesayrng:Assocratenot anything(in worship)with Me,
and sanctifyMy House for those who compassit round or stand up, or bow or prostrate
themselves(thereinin prayerl.'22.26

6
act of worship. A kiss,as an act of worship may be given to nothing
other than the BlackStoneof the Ka'bah.Coing on a journey for the
purposeof worship is permined only to al-Maslidul-Haraam(Meccah),
Masjidun-Nabi(Medinah),and al-Masjidul-Aqsa(Jerusalem).'
28.Whoever goes to a kaahinor arraaf2and askshis advice respectinga
thing, and believes in what he says,denies what was revealed to
Muhammad(Peacebe on Him).rThe knowledgeof the unseenbelongs
to Allah alone. He who laysa claim to havingaccessto the unseenor
to the Tablet Preservedlis an unbelieverand a mushrik.'
29.The Messengerof Allah(Peacebe on Him) made unlawful er?cting
mosqueson graves,forbade usfrom praisinghim asthe Nassara(Chris-
tians)praisedthe Messiahson of Maryam,andforbadeowning or mak-
ing imagesor figures.He therebysafeguardedhisUmmah(nation)from
practicestantamountto shirk.
30.Karamah6may be performed by a righteousman. lt can also happen
that eventsbreakingnormal laws of nature may be performed by the
rebellious,and by impostersand hoaxers.He who is well aequairrted
with the truth of religioncan differentiatebetween the two categories;
the obeyersof Allah and the obeyersof Shaitan.
31. Pride,greatnessand glory arequalitieswhich pertainto Allahalone.No
one intercedeswith Him(on the Day of Judgment)on behalfof others
exceptby Hispermission.TNo one canmakefa-al/i,!nor competewith
Allahin anyof Hisqualities.Thereisno repellerof Hisdecreeandjudg-
ment.s
32.Creation,sovereigntyandauthoritybelongexclusivelyto Allah,andit is
Allah Who holdscommand legislateslaws respectingworship' Whoso
contendswith Allah in Hisiurisdictioncommitsshirk.
33.He who complieswith the commandof a master,a leaderor a rulerin
'cf. Bukharibook 30
lKaahidor 'arraaf
isa divineror astrologerwho laysa falseclaimto the knowledgeof the un-
seen which Allah restrictedto Himself.
'cf. fmam Ahmad (in his "Musnad')
'A record which containswhatever Allah willed and decreed.
'Mushrik - a person who commits shrrk.(seefootnote p.Vl)
6'Karamah'isa miracleperformedby a righteouspersonnot claimrngto be a prophet.lt isper-
formed with the help of Allah as a sign of His love to the pious siave.
'"Who is therewho can intercedein Hispresenceexceptas He permits."2.255
s'I.l-,t//i'meanspassingludgmentand pronouncinBsentencew,ithregardsto someone'statein
this lifeor in the Hereafter,e.g.,saying:"Sucha one is defintelyin .lannahand sucha one ls
definitelyin Hell",or sweannBby A.llahthat sucha thingwill assuredlybe fulfilledby Allah
"'(When)Allah passesludgment,there is none to put back Hisruling."13.-14

7
disobedienceto anddefianceof Allahisan unbelieveranda mushrik.
Thereshallbe no obedienceto a creatureof Allahwhenit wouldin-
volvedisobeyingor displeasingAllah.l
34.All statementsandwordsof Allaharetruthfulandall Hisrulingsare
just."Andthewordof yourLordhasitsfulfillmentintruthandjustice."
6.115
THTBEUTFIN ANCTIJ
35.Allahcreatedangelsout of lightandmadethemperfectlyobedientto
Himanddevotedto constantworshipof Him.'TheyspeaknotuntilHe
hasspokenandthey.actby Hiscommand.Heknowswhatis bbtore
themandwhatisbehindthem;theydo notintercedewithHimexcept
for thosewho areacceptableto Him,andthey(theangels)standin
awefor fearof Him;' 21.27
36.Alfah Subhanahutasksthe angelsto undertakenumerousduties
besidespraisingHim,suchasdeliveringDivineMessages(revelation)to
HisApostlesandProphets,givingthe believerscourageandfirmness
whenfightingtheenemies,recordingman'sgoodandbaddeeds,guar-
dingandwardinghazardsfrom thosewhomAllahwishesto protect,
collectingsoulsat the time of death,breathinglife into the foetus,
directingcloudsandotherdutiesasstatedbyAllahin HisBook,or by
the tongueof HisMessenger(Peacebe on Him).
37.We lovetheangelsbecausetheylovethebelieversandprayforthem,
and becausewe sharewith themthe beliefin the Onenessof Allah,
andwe,alongwiththemglorifyHimandproclaimHisHoliness.Con-
traryto whatJewsdo,we makeno distinctionbetweenoneangeland
another.
THEBTUEFIN THTSCRIPTURES
38.AllahsentdowntheScrrpturesto HisApostles,andbeingwordsfrom
Allah,theywerefreefrom anyimperfectionor errorsat the time of
theirrevelation.All of thescripturespreceedingtheQur'anhavebeen
tamperedwith and distortedby their people,'while the Qur'anis
'cf. 'SahihMuslim',book Al-lmarahP. 1469
rThereare many versesin the Qur'anindicatingtasksfor which angelsareassigned.e.g..6.6i,
'10.21,13.12,26.193,32.11.
Referencesto suchtasksare madein authentictradrtronsaswell.
"'Do you (O believers)hope that they (the peopleof the book) wrllbe true to you when a par-
ty of them usedto hearthe words of Allah (theirBook),then they knowinglychangedit after
thev had understoodit." 2.75

I
protected by Allah from changeand tampering.'lt will be kept assuch,
by meansof Allah'sbounty, until He removesit from the earth.,
39.The Qu/an which is revealedto Muhammad(Peacebe on Him) is in
truth the words of Allah,not a createdthing.sFalsehoodcannotbe ad-
ded to it nor can a portion be removed from it. lt is a miraclewhich
standson its own merits, and the like of it in terms of speech,elo-
quence, meaningand laws could not and never can be produced by
any other than Allah.'
,lO.Allah hassentdown the Qur'anto make manifesteverythingwhich He
considersto be for the good of the people in this world as well as in
the Hereafter,and there is no inconsistencyin itsverses.Allah approv-
ed is recitationas a means of devotion, and consideredthe best of
Muslimsto be the one who learnsthe Qur'an and teachesit.'
THT BEI.IEFIN THEAPOSTTTSOT AIAH
41.Allah la'ala chose from mankind prophets and apostlesto guide and
invite people to the way of Allah.The firstof them was Adam and the
last of them and their Sealwas Muhammad(Peacebe on Him), after
whom there shallbe no prophet. They are all brothers-in-faithand in-
vitersunto the Lord of the Worlds. Although their lawswere different
they share the same aqeedah.'
42. Allof the apostlesare protectedfrom attributingto Allah somethingof
their own invention,judgingaccordingto their own desires,fallinginto
major sinsand addingto or diminishingfrom the religion.They are
directedby Allah to be upriiht in the dispositionof their affairs.As they
were human, they could make mistakesin matters not pertainingto
religion,but Allah did not endorseany erroneousjudgment they may
r"No doubt We have sent down the dhikr (i.e.Qur'anand Sunnah)and surelyWe will guard
it." 15.9
rAnas narrated:Allah'sApostle sard:"lt is among the signsof the LastHour that knowledge
would be taken away." This is explained in another hadeeth: "Allah does not take away
knowledge by snatching it from the people but He takes it away by taking away the
scholars.. ." Muslim p.1zlo+
'Some deviatedsectsclaim that the Qur'an which we read in Arabiccontainsonly the mean-
ing of words of Allah rather than His words themselves.
a'And it you are in doubt concerningthat which We have sent down to our slave(Muham-
mad(Peacebe on Him)),then produce a Surahthe likethermf and callyour witnessesbeside
Allah if vou are truthful." 2.23
!cf. Eukhari.Narratedon the authority of Uthman bin Affan. Vol.Vl p.502.
."And We did not send any apostlebeforeyou (O Muhammad)but We revealedto him that
there is none who hasthe rightto be worshippedbut | (Allah).5o rvorshipNle(aloneand none
elsel." 21.25

9
have made.t
43.The apostleswere human beingslike we are.None of them wasmade
of the lightof Allah or of the light of His Arsh,2assome infidelsamong
Muslimsallegewith regardsto the natureof Muhammad(Peacebe on
Him).Nor were they made of the word of Allah,asthe Nassara(Chris-
tians)allege with regardsto lssa(Jesus).'They experiencedsickness,
pain and death just like their fellow human beings.
44. lt is only be.causethey achieved full submissionto Allah, that He
honouredthenl with the Divineassignment.Theyare the most perfect
in belief, most Cod-fearing and most knowledgeable among the
believers.Not one of them called people to magnifyhimself,rather
they called all people to worship Allah alone.'
45. Of the unseenthe Apostles knew only that which Allah revealedto
them. They made public what they learned, and they concealed
nothing of what was revealedto them.s
46.Muhammad(Peacebc-on Him) is the Sealof Prophes and Apostles,
their head and the best of them in the sight of Allah6.He has the
highestdegree in the estimationof Allah. He delivered the message
perspicuouslyand concealed nothing of that which was revealedto
him by the Lord of the Worlds.
47. No one shall maintainperfect belief unlessthe love he holds for the
Messengerof Allah,Muhammad(Peacebe on Him) is greaterthan the
love he holdsfor hisparent,childrenand himself,and honours,reveres
and follows Hismessage,and placesobedienceto Him above hisobe
dience to any other creature.T.
"'[He, (Allah) prot€rts them] r.rntilHe seesthat they (the apostles)have <onveyed the message
of theirLord,and He surroundsall that which iswith them and He keepsaccountof all things."
72.i
"'Say(O'Muhammad)lam but a man likeyourselves;the revelatronhascome to me that your
Lordis One." 41.6
tThe Christranssubxribe to the beliei that "the word of Allah was made flesh and dwelt
among them.'"ln the beginningwas the Word, and the Word was with Cod, and the Word
was Cod." Gospel of Saint fohn.
r'lt is not (possrble)that a man to whom is given the book and wisdom and the Prophetic of-
fice should say to people: Be you my worshippers rather than Allah's, (on the contrary he
woufd say):Be you worshippersof Him Who is truly the cherishero( all."7.79
t"He (alone)knows the unseen.He does not make anyone acquarntedwrth Hrsmystenes."
72.26Um
'Alaa'narrated;
The Prophet(Peacebe on Him)said:"...8y Allah,ldo not know
what Allah will do with me (in this world) though I am Allah'sApostle" BukhanVol.l p. 1{).
'"Muhammad isnot the fatherof any of your men, but (he islthe Apostleof Allahandthe Seal
of Proohets."11.40
'Anasnarrated:The Prophet(Peacebe on Him) said:"Mne of you shallhavefarthtill he loves
me more than his father,his childrenand all mankind."BukhariVol. Vl, p. 19.

1 0
48. On the Day of Judgment,the ProphetMuhammad(Peacebe'on Hrm)
shallbe ableto rnakethe CreaterIntercessionfor mankind.'that Allah
may give Hisverdict arrd let people depart the placeof cong,reg,ation.
At thrsporntAllah will permit him too, to intercedefor ,r number of
believers,that they may be admitted into paradise.We attrrmthe fact
that his intercessionwill also be f'or the disobedient among the
believers.'We affirm that the Messengerwill intercedeorrly for those
for whom Allah permits it.
49. Allah sent Muhammad(Peacebe on Him) to all peoples,' Arabs and
non-Arabsalike,and the messagehe brought will be in force until the
final Hour. He is Allah'sApostle to mankind as well as to iinn.'
50.The veracityand straightforwardnessof Muhammad(Peacebe on Him)
were manifestedby the amazingmiracleshe performed. Allah revealed
,Pre{erringhrm over Hrsother Prophetsand N'lessengers,Allah favoured Muhanrmad(Peacebe
on Him) by grantinghrrnthe (lreater Intercessronon the Day of ludgment Anasbin Mahknar-
rated:Thc Prophet(Peacebe on Him) said:"Allah would g,atherpe.opleon the Day of Resur-
rectron lnd they would be concerned about rt." (lbnu Ubeid elaborated upon this Hyrng:'The
people would be inspired to look for sorneone to intercede on therr behalf.') The people
would say:"lf we could soek intercessionwtth our Lord, we may be relieved from this predica'
merrt of ours." The Prophet Muhammad(Peacebe on Him) said:"They would come to Adam
and say:
'You are Adam, the father of mankind, Allah created you with His Own hand and
breathed Into you of His spirit and commanded the angelsand they orostrated be{ore you, so
intercedefor us wrth your Lord that He may relieveus from this podtion of ours.'He would
say,
'l
am not in a posrtronto do this',and would recallhiserrorand would feel shyof HisLord
on account of that." The harleeth rstoo long to be quoted in its entirety, but in brief, Adam
would drrectpeople to Noah, who in tuin would direct them to lbraheem,after recallinghrs
error. lbraheernwouki drrert them to Musa who directs them to lssa(Jesus).Finallylssa
refrainsfrom intere<gJirrgsaying:
'You
shouldgo to Muhammad(Peacebe on Him) a servant
whose former and latrersrnshave been forg,rven."He, (the narrator)sard:thc Messengerof
Allah observed;"S<>they would come to n)('and I would askthe permissionot my Lordand tt
would be grarrtedtrr rrrr,an(i wlrcn I woul<lsrleHrm.I would falldown tn prostration,and He
(Allah)would leavemr.thusaskng asflc would wrsh,and thenrtwould be sard:'C)Muham-
mad, raiseyour head, say and you w<;uldbe heard;askand it would be granted;intercede
and rntercessionwould be acceptd. . ."'Muslint Vol.l p. 125.
rAbu Sa'eedal-Khudnreported: Verily the Messengerof Allah said: "Allah walladmit into
paradisethose deservingof paradrse,and lle will admit wlrom He wishes,out of His mercy,
and He wrll admrt those condemned to fiell, Into the Fire.He would then say:
'See,he whom
you tind havingas much faith rn his heart asa grainof mustard,brrnghim out.' They will then
be brought out, burned and turned into charcoaland would be castinto the rrverof ftfe,and
they would sprout as does a seed in the siltcarriedaway by a flood. . .'Mus|m Vol.l p. 119.
'Say:"(O Muhammad) O Men! lam sent unto you all as the Apostle of Allah." 7.158
'lT isa factthat the ProphetMuhammad(Peacebe on Hrm)was sentnot onlv to mankind but
to the pnn as well. ln confirmatronof thr: Allah says:"And (remember)when We turned
towardsyou (C)Muhanrmad)some of the 1nn listeningto the Qu/an; when they anended rts
re(rtatronthey sard
'listen
rnsrlence'.And wherqrtwasfinishedthey returnedto theirpeople to
warn them:
'O
our people resJrondwrth qdedience to Allah's caller (r.e.,Allah's apostle
Muhammad(Peacebe orr llrn) and behevern hrnr(rnhis message.'[Allahlwrll forgrvesinsof
yoursand will saveyou trom a parnfultorm{,nt.
'
46 29,ttO.Thereisa whole Surahentitled,
'Af
lrnn' No. 72 whrch conlrrrnsthe fact that Muhammad(Peacebe on Him) is sent for both men
and iinn.

1 1
to him the miraculousQur'an,and He transportedhim to Jerusalemin
one night.' The believersbear witnesstoo that in that night, he was
taken to heaven where he saw angelsand Apostles and spoke to
them.2 Allah the Exaltedspoke to him, honoured him and made
obligatoryon him and on his Ummah (nation)prayerfive timesa day.3
51.Of the miraclesperformedby the Prophe(Peacebe on Him)were: The
springingof water from between hisfingers,afeedinghundredsof peo-
ple from food that normally would not sufficea ferv tens of people,'
the sound of grief made by the trunk of a tree in his presence,6the
'"Prarsebe to Him who took Hisslave(Muhammad(Peacebe on Him))for a journey by night
fronr the SacredMosque to the farthestMosque (in Jerusalem)the surroundingswhereof We
have blessed,that We might show him of Our signs.VerilyHe isthe All-Hearer,the All-Seer."
17.1
rlhe authenticahadeethrndicate,implicitlyaswell asexplicitly,that the Prophe(Peacebe on
Him) saw the angels. I refer in particular to the one recorded by Bukhari Vol.l. The
Prophet(Peacebe on Him) was reportedto havesaid:". . .Then he (Jibril)took my hand,and
ascendedwith me to the nearestheaven.Jibrilsaidto the g,atekeeperof the Heaven:'Open
(the gate).'The gatekeeperasked:
'Who
isitl libriianswered:
'Jibril.'
He asked:
'lsthere anyone
with youl .libnlreplied:'Yes,Muhammad(Peacebe on Him) is wrth me.' He asked,
'Has
he
been calledl Jibrilsaid:
'Yes!'
So the gate was opened. . ." In the same hadeeth mentioned
above, the Prophet(Peacebe on Him) mentioned that he passedby some Apostlessuch as
Adam, lbraheem, Edrees,Musa and others and he exchangedgreetingswith them. They
welcomed him sayrng:'Welcome O pious Prophet.. ."'
'The Prophet(Peacebe on Him) describedhow sa/aahwas enjoined(accordingto the narra-
tron of Anas bin Malik) sayrng:"Then libril ascendedwith me to a place where I heard the
creakingof the pens. . .Then Allahenjoinedfifty prayersa day on the Muslims.Musasaid:Go
back to your Lord (and appealfor a reduction),for your followerswill not be able to bear it.
5o. lwent backto Allahand requesteda reduction,and He reducedit to half..." The Pro-
phet(Peacebe on Hrm)went back andiorth between Musaand Allahaskingior furtherreduc-
tions until Allah reducedthe prayerto five timesa day saying:
'These
arefive prayersand they
are all (equalto) frfty(in reward)for My word doesnot change..." BukhariVol.l.
oAnasbin Malik narrated:"l saw Allah'sApostle(Peacebe on Him) when the Asr prayerwas
due, and the people searchedfor water to perform ablution,but they could not find it. Later
on a pot containrngrvater,enoughfor one ablution.was broughtto Allah'sApostle(Peacebe
on Him).He put hishand rnthat pot and orderedthe people to per{ormablutionfrom it. I saw
the water springingout from between hisfingerstill all of the peopleperformedthe ablution."
BukhariVol.l.,p. 118.
'Jabrrbin Abdullah narrated:"When the trench was dug (in preparationfor the baftleagainst
the mushrikeen)| saw the Prophet(Peacebe on Him)in a stateof extremehunger.5o I return-
ed to my wrfeand said:
'Haveyou got anythinSto eatl Shebroughtone Saa'of barley,and we
had an animalwhich I slaughteredwhile my wife groundthe barley.Shefinishedat the trme I
frnishedbutcheringthe animal.I cut the meat and put it in a pot to cook. ,labirthen askedthe
Prophet(Peacebe on Him) to come with only a few of his companionsfor a meal, because
what wasthere would barelysufficea smallnumberof people.The Prophet(Peacebe on Him)
starteddistributingthe bread and meat titl they all ate therrfill, and even then some food re
mained.Then he saidto fabi/s wife, 'Eatand presentto othersasthe people are struckwrth
hunger."'BukhariVol.V,p.296.
6Jabirbin Abdullah narrated:"'TheProphet(Peacebe on Him) usedto standbv the trunk of a
date-palmtree (whiledeliveryhis khutbah.)When the pulpit was set up for hrm (and he
mountedit to de|ver the khutbah)we heardthattreetrunkcryinglikea pregnantshe-camel
trll the Prophet(Peacebe on Him) got down from the pulpit and placedhis hand over it."
BukhariVol.ll.o. 19.

1 2
praisingof Allah by pebblesand food in his hands,'and the com-
municationof a complaintmade to him by a camel.?
52.Allah made Muhamnrad(Peacebe on Him) excelthe other Apostles,
giving him jawami-al-Kalim,3and victory by filling the hearts of his
enemieswith terror, makingthe earth a placefor prayerand a means
of purificationfor him and hisfollowers,makingspoilsof war rawfurfor
him, sendinghim asa Messengerto all mankind.and makinghim the
lastof the Prophets.And we bearwitnessthat the Howdsin Jannahisa
reality;we ask Allah to give us to drink from it.
THEBTUEFIN THEHEREAFTR
53.Allah haspredecreeda term for each individual,and a term for the life
of thisworld. lts end will be rnarkedby the soundingof the Horn,then
it will soundagainand mankindshallbe resurrectedto send before the
Lord of the Worlds on the Day of Requital.G
54.Jannahand Hell Fireare two everlastingcreatedthingsthat are already
"'Duranga visit paid to the Prophet(Peacebe on Him) by the first three Khulafa.Abu Bakr,
Umar and Uthman, the Prophet(Peacebe on Him) picked up sevenor nine pebblesand put
them in hishand.Thereuponthey made tas-beeh(praisingAllah)in audiblesoundslikethat of
the bees, .." Al-Bazzar.
zYolireported that he had witnessedamazingincidentswhen he was in the companv of the
Apostleof Allah.of those incrdents,he reportedthat a cameicame to hrm.He sawtearsIn rts
eyes,whereupon he calledfor its owners and told them: 'The
camel iscomplainingthar you
will keep drawing water with rt until it becomesold and then you will slaughterit. Do not kill
it, let it be with the company of the camels."Ahmad 4-1Zj
rAbu Hurairah reporteclthe Prophet(Peacebe on Him) as saying:"l have been sent with
jawami al-kalim"(concisenessof speech;havingmany meantngscompnsed in a few words)
Muslim.Vol.l o.265.
'Jabirbin Abdullah narrated:The Prophet(Peacebe on Him)said:"l havebeen givenfive things
which were not givento any of the Prophets;Allah made me victoriousby meansof terror(fill-
ing the heartsof my enemres)at a distanceof one month'sjourney.The earth hasbeen made
for me a placefor prayinganda meansof purification(tayammumor dry ablution);therefore
my followerscan pray wherreverthe time of prayerisdue. The spoilsof war havebeen made
lawfulfor me; it was nevermade so for anyoneelse.Everyprophet was sentparticularlyto his
orvn people,whereaslwas sentto all mankindand the lineof prophetsisclosedwith me."
Bukhan& Muslim.
'There are numerous authentic traditionsconcerningal-Howd or the pool of the Apostle,
which is referredto in the Qur'anin Surah108entitled'A/-Kawrhar'(whichisthe nameor ar-
Howd). Abdullah brnAmr narrated:the Prophet(Peacebe on Hrm)said:"My Hctu,drsso large
that it takesa month'sjourneyto crossit. ltswater is whiterthan milk,and itsscentis nrce'r
thanmusk,and itsdrrnkrngcupsare(asnumerous)asthe starsof the skv;andwhoeverorrnxs
from tt, wtil never be thjrsty."Eukhari,/ol.Vlll, p. lBO.Only the believersshalldrink thereot
and will never be thirstythereafter.
""And the trumpet will be blow,n.and all x'ho are rn the heavensanCthe eanh rvrllswoon
awaysavehrmwho Allahwills Thenit wrllbe blorvna secondtrme.lhen beholdthevwrllbe
standingand lookingon." .19.58

1 3
in existence.The people of Jannah(paradise),without doubt shallenter
it on the Dayof Judgment,and the people of Hellshallhaveto fall into
it; they shallnot find any room to turn asideor back away from it.
55.Allah will ultimately remove from Hell those believerswho entered it
becauseof sinsthey committed, which were neitherforgivenby Allah
nor atoned for by good deeds in their ilfetimes.,
56.Thejoy and blissin Jannahare sensualrealities,andso isthe torment of
Hell Fire.' Both blissand torment are grahicallydescribedby Allah in
His Book and by the Prophet(Peacebe on Him) in his traditions.
57.The residentsof .fannahwill certainlyfind there thingsthat no eye has
seen,ahd no ear hasheardof and no human mind hasimagined.The
people of Hell Firewill certainlyfind there torment and sufferingthat
they could neverthink of nor imagine,"for that day Historment will be
suchasnone elsecan inflictand Hisbond will be such;rsnone (other)
can bind." 89.25-26.We ask Allah to make us not of the latter.
58.Anyone who is to be of the people of Jannah,shallbe at peacein his
grave,and anyonewho is to be of the people of Hell shallbe tortured
in hisgrave.Thus,peaceand torture in the graveare facts,asis the in-
terrogationby the two angelstherein..
59.Therearesignsof the FinalHour,both majorand minor, some of which
Allah mentioned in His Book, which are clearlyexplainedby the Pro-
phet(Peacebe on Him).Of the major ones are the Beastof the Earth';
'There are many ayat in Qur'an, and authentictraditionsin the Sunnahconfirmingthis fact,
e.g.,on /annah:57.21:on Hell: l.-131.As for the Sunnahit sufficesto referto hadeethon the
subjectof the mrrai(the ascendingof the Prophetup to the heavenswhere he actuallysaw
both lannah and Hell.The tradttionistshave recordedhis accountof what he saw in both of
them. I quote herea sampleo{ suchtraditions.lmrannarrated:The Prophet(Peacebe on Him}
said:"l looked into fannahand sawthat the maiorityof itspeoplewere poor, and llooked into
the Fireand saw that the maiority of its people were women." BukhariVol.Vlll, p.362.
rReferto Para.48.
'The versesdealingwith thisfact leaveno room for thosewho deivatedfrom the rightpath to
rnserttheir falseallegationthat the blissand torment in the Hereafterare merely spiritual.
Allah preparedfor the people of Jannahthrngsto eat,palacesto livein and beautifulfemales
to mate with while the people of the Hell will eat biner planS and thosecretionof wounds,
and drink boilingwater,as describedin 5urah56.15-56.
'Allah describesthe punishmentin the grave of the people of Fir'awn(Pharoah):'The
Fire;
they are exposedto it, morningand evening,and when the FirralHour isestablished(it will be
sard)
'cause
Pharoah'sfolk to enter the severesttorment."' 40.46.
Masrooknarrated:
'A'ishah
saidthat a Jewesscame to her and mentionedthe punishmentin
the grave,sayrnBto her 'May
Allah protect you from the punishmentof the grave.''A'ishah
then askedAllah'sApostleabout the punrshmentrnthe grave.He said:'Yes,(thereis)punish-
ment In the grave.''A'rshahsaid:
'After
that I neversaw Allah'sApostlewithout seekingrefuge
rvrthAllahfrom the punrshmentin the grave."'BukhariVol.ll,p.256.
'"And when the Word is fulfilledagainstthem, We shallproduce from the earth a beastto
speakto them (to people)."27.82.

14
the descent of the Messiah,lssason of Maryam, from heaven to earth
in Damascus,'from whence he will rule in accordancewith the Qur'an,
break the cross,kill the swine and waive the lizyah'1;the appdaranceof
ad-Dajjaland Cog and Magog3;andthe eruptionof a fire in Aden which
will drive the people to the Landof Congregationa(of the Day of Judg-
ment).
60. Of the minor signsof the FinalHour are the contractionof time, the
prevalenceof afflictionsand bloodletting,sthe outnumberingof men
'Abu Hurairahnarrated:Allah'sApostle said:"By him in Whose hand my soul is, surelylssa
(Jesus)the son of Maryam wdl soon descend amcngst you as a just ruler; he will break the
cross(thusdeclaringthe religionof Nassaranull and void),killthe swineand waive the Jizyah."
BukhariVol.lV, o.437.
l'lizyah'is alorm of tax paid by non-Muslimsto the Muslim governmentto which they are sub-
iect rn lieu of par$cipating in military servrce,and to ensure their protection. lt is rmposed only
on those who can afford it.
rThe Prophe(Peace be on Him) described ad-Dalial(pseudo-Chnst)sayrng:"He would be a
young nlan with twisted curly hair and wrth a blind eye. . . He amongstyou who would sur'
vive to see him should reciteover him the opening lerses of Suratul-Kahf(No.18).He would
appear on.the way between Syriaand lraq, and would spread mrschiefright and left. O slaves
of Allah, adhere to the path of truth." We said:"Allah'sMessenger,how long would lre stay on
the earthl' lle said,"Fortydays,one day likea year,and one day like a month, and one day
like a week, and the rest of the days w'ouldbe like your days."We said:"Allah'sMessenger,
would one da/s prayersufficefor the prayersof a day equalto one yearl'Thereupon he said,
"No, but you must make an estimateof ti:'ne(and observeprayersaccordingly)."We said:
"Allah'sMessenger,hor,r'quicklywould he walk upon the earthl'Thereupon he said:"Likea
cloud driven by the wind. He would come to the people and invitethem (to a wrong religion)
and they would affirmtheir faith in him and respondto him." The Prophet(Peacebe on Him)
went on to say that ad:Dajial'later on would be killed by lssa.ThereafterCog and Magog
would swarm down from every slope ("until when Cog and Magog are let loose,and they
swiftly swarm from every hiil." 21.96).The first of them would passthe lakeof Tiberiasand
drink out of it; when the last of them would passit he would say:
'There was once water
there!" Allah would send worn-rs(which would attach therr necks)and in the morning they
would perishas a singleperson.
Allah'sApostle lssaand his companionswould then come down from Tur (a placeto which
Allah commanded lssato take the believersas a safe refuge from Cog and Magog) and they
would not find in the earth the space of a single span whrch was not filled with the putrefac-
tion and stenchof the corpsesof Cog and Magog.Allah'sApostleand hiscompanionswould
then beseech Allah, who would send birds whose necks would be like those of bactrian
camels and they would carry them (the carcassesof Cog and Magog) and throw them where
Allah would will. Then Allah would send rain, which no house of clay nor tent (made of
camel'shair)would keep out. lt would wash the earth shinyclean.
The earth will be told to bring forth its fruitsand restoreits blessings.There would grow a
pomegranate so big that a group of personswould be able to eat it, and seek shelter under its
skin.A cow would give so much milk that a whole tribe would be able to drink of it. At that
time Allah would send a pleasantwind which would soothe people. lt would hold them by
their armpits,and would take the life of every believerand every Muslim. Only the wicked
would survive,and they would commit adultery like asses(in public).The FinalHour would
come to them."Muslim,Vol.lV,p.1517-1518.
'The hadeeth of Fireis recorded by Muslim in book 53-13.
tAbu Hurairahrelated that the Prophet(Peacebe on Him) said that of the signsof the Final
Hour are:
'The
contraction of time, decrease of (religious) knowledge, prevalence of nig'
gardliness,appearanceof afflictionsand the increaseof bloodshed."(lbnu Maiah E 36126l.

1 5
by women,'the fightbt'tweenthe Muslimsand the Jelvs,randjornrng
togetlrerirrbanleof the Muslimsand Nasaraagainstthe infidels,follow-
ed by another fight between the Muslimsand Nasararesultingin the
delealof thr' latter.'
61.The FinalHour will not come until Romeisconquered,nor until the ap-
peranceat the end of time, o( al-M,thdi,who is from the Ummah of
Muhammad, whose name is the same as the Apostle's name, and
whose name is the same as the Apostle'sname, and whose fathe/s
name isAbdullah"'Al-Mahdiis not the "hiddenmahdl', Mohamed. son
of al-Hassanal-Askariof the Shiites.'
62. The Day of Judgmentwill last fifty thousand calendaryears,6during
which time people will stand before therr Lord to receive His
sentence.tHe will judge berween them on the matterswherein they
used to differ."They wtll be distinctin respectof therrrnranand their
'Also r.rfthe signsof the FinalHour are:"Dimrnishrngof (the numberot) men t r the porni thar
there wrll be left one man for every fifty women." lbtd.
rAbu HurarrahreportedAllah'sMessenge(Peacebe on Him) assayrng
''The
l.rst Hour would
not come till the Muslimsfrghtagainstthejews, and the,lushmsw,rllkrllrhenrunttlthe,ews
hide thernselvesbehrndthe storresand trees,and the storresand treeswould s,teakup sayrng:
'O Musfrnr!O slaveot Allahi Ihere rsa lew hrdrngbehrndme; come and hll hrm' I he Ch,rrtprl
trec would speak,for rl 15the treeof the Jews."MushnrVol.lV p.15l()
'Dhi Makhmor reported:"l heard the Prophet(Peacebe on Hrm)sayrng t hc Ronrans{Nasara)
wtll enter rnt(,a p€rJ(€-[)a(twrth you. ,rnd you wrll rardalong,w,rththent an en(.tny(peclplr)
and wrllconquerthtrrt.garnthe sJrorland returnsafelyto s(4ournrn a hrllypas'urt,land.A
man of the pwpl+r.of the rross wrll ratsethe crossup and say:"Ihe r rossnrarle:he vrctory"
Thereupona Mushmman would stdndup in angerand kill hrm.At thar Jrcrntthe ,lt.rmanswrll
breach.thepact and g,atherrhenrselvesfor the massacre."lbnu Mayah,j(r,/35.
'AMullah narrated;
''1he
Prophet(Peacebe on Hirn)said:
'li
therewere <;nlyorredi y leftrnttrc
hfe of thrsworld, Allah would prolong rt to send a man from nry iarnrlywhose r.anrers hke
mine, and whose fathers narne rshke my father's!"Abu l)awurd Book ot Al,Mahdr.p.10(,
rThe hadeeth(crtedairove rn footnote 4) refutesthe alleg,atr<rnsnradt b'yrhe Shirt(rsrhat th('
awartedMahdr rshe whom they falselyclarmt<>be the s.rnof al-Hasanal,AskarrIn additron
hrstorianshave shown tlrat Hasanal-Askarrdrd not even traveany sururvrngrssue
"Upon he'anngthe ay:th "[he angelsand the Sprrrtasct'nd to Him rn a Day the-m('asure
whcreof isfrhythousandyvars.'l7o.l), people sardto the l.rophet(Pea<e be on Hrm):
'What
a
long day thrswill bel" l hereuponthe Prophet(Peacebe orr Hrm)sard:"By the One rn Whose
Hand rsmy soul. lt Mll tle all<'vratedior thc bt'lrever.trllrl becomesslrr>rttrtlr.rrrthr trme of
one prescrrbedprayerlrt' used to pray rn thrsworld. Ah,:nradand lbun Jantr
'"Thrnkthey not that thty wrllbe rarsedup, on a CreatDay,a day rvhen(all)rnanlrndwrll
stand before the Lord ot the Worldsl 8J.4.516
]'Allah will ludge berween them on the Day of Resurrertron about that wherern they have
been diffenng."2.113

r6
ranl6.' TheMizarr'isafact,andas-Sirattisafact,andtheintercessionof
theChiefof theMessengersisafact,aandtheintercessionbythoseen-
titledto it by Allahisa fact.'
THTBEITTIN PREDESTINANONANDTATAIISM
63.Allahcreatedeverythingin due proportion.Hisdeterminationof the
natureof thingswasestablishedfiftythousandyearsbeforeHecreated
the Heavensand earth.' Nothingoccursor takesshapewithin the
heavensor earthbut with Hisknowledge,andby Hisorder.Thereis
nothingabsentfrom the knowledgeof Allah.'
'". . .of them are some who wrong themselves and of them are some who mix good deeds
with bad, and of them are some who outstrip (others) through good deeds, by Allah's
leave.. ." f5.)2
'The scale which will be set up on the Day of Judgment for weighing the deeds of men.
,'siral'is a bridge ertending over the midst of Flell,and over it mankind will pass.Upon being
asked: "What is the bridge.r THe Prophet(Peacebe on Him) said: "(tt is)slippery. On it, there
are hooks, tongs and spits like the thorns that are found in Najd known as as-sa'dan.The
believers would passover it in the twinkling of an eye, like lightning like wind, like birds, like
the finest horsesand camels. Some will escapeand be safe,some will be laceratedand let go,
and some will be pushed into the Fire of Hell. . ." Muslim, Vol.l, p.118
Al-Mqdad reported the Prophet(Peace be on Him) to have said: The people would be
submerged m persptrat'on according to their deeds some up to the knees, some up to the
waist and some would have the bridle o{ perspiration.'While sayingthis, Allah'sApostle(Peace
be on Him) pornted his hand towards his mouth. Sahih Muslim Vol.lV, p.1,188.
Abu Hurairah reportd that the Apoctle(Peacebe on Him) of Allah had said: "Sevenare (the
persons)Whom Allah would Biveprotection with this Shade(i.e.,the shadeof HisArsh)on the
Day {of Judgment)when there would be no Shadebut His:A iust ruler; a youth who Srew up
with the worship of Allah; a person whose heart is attached to the mosques (who loves to
spend most ol his time in the mosque), two persons who love each other and meet each
other and depart from each other for the sake of Allah, a man whom a beautiful woman of
high rank tries to seduce,but he refuses(to respond) saying:"l fear Allah"; a person who gives
charity and correals it (to such an extent) that the left hand does not knor'vwhat the right
hand has given; and a person who remembered llah in private and his eyes shed tears."
Sahih Musfim Vol.ll, p.491.
'Refer to para. 48.
iAllah will allow some people other than Muhammad(Peace be on Him), such as other pre
phets, angels and beliwers, to lntercde on behalf of others on the Day of ludgement
'"No misfortune can happen on earth or rn yourselves but it is recorded in a decree, before
We brrng it into existence. That is truly easy lor Aiah." 57.22.
Abdullahb. Amr B.al-Asreported:"l heardAllah'sAlrcstle(Peacebe on Him)saying:'Allahor'
darned the destrnyo{ the creatronfifty thousand years be{ore He creirted the heavensand the
earth."'lr.luslim,Vol.l'. p.1j97.
'<i
Quran 2.255

17
64.Allahhasalreadyordainedhappinessto someandadversityto others.l
It isan inalterabledecree.Thepenhasrundry andthe recordshave
beenfoldedup.'Therecanbe no changein the wordsof Allah.
65.Goodandevilexistby Allah'sdecree,andeveryonegainsoneor the
other throughhis own choiceand by the exerciseof hisown will.
Nonetheless,thegoodoccursonlywiththehelpof Allah,andtheevil
occursnot againstHiswill but only by Hisleave.
66.We do not saythat man hasno power to act and is forced to do
whateverhe does,rnor do we-saythatmancreatesandchooseshis
own deedsentirelyof hisown freewill,operatingindependentof and
superiorto thewillof Allah.o
THT MUS1IAAU'1'VIAH
67. We believethat all of the apostlesand Prophetsandtheirfollowersare
one singienation:the umrnah(nationof iman),asAllahsays:'Verilythis
lJmmah of yours is one singleummah, and I am your Lord,therefore
worship Me.'
68.We attachourselvesto every believerfrom our predecessorsback to
Adam, and from those of succeedinggenerationsdown to those who
wifl fight ad-Daj1al6at the end of time. We love them all whetheror not
they are know to us, and defend their honour.
69.The followers of Muhammad(Peacebe on Him),the first and last of
whom compriseone singleummah,the ummaho( lslamand lman,are
'Ali reported the Prophet(Peacebe on Him) as saying:
'There is not one amongst you for
whom a seatin Paradiseor Hell hasnot been allotted and about whom it hasnot been written
down whether he would be a miserablepersonor a happy one. A man said:"O Apostleof
Allah:Shouldwe not then depend upon our destinyand abandonour deedsl'Thereupon,the
Messengerof Allah said: "Whoever belongs to the company of happinesshe will have good
works made easierfor him, and who belongs to the company of misery,he will have evil acts
made easierfor him." Then he recited:"fu for him who gives(in charity)and keeps hisduty to
Allah, and believesin the best reward from Allah, We will make easyfor him the meansof
good deeds, (which leadsto Jannah)and who is miserly and considershimselfabove need (for
Allah),We shallmakeeasyfor him the meansof evildeeds(whichleadsto Hell Fire."(92.5-10)
MuslimVol.lV,p.1393.
rTheexpression
'The pen hasrun dry''impliesthat the decreesof Allah are decisiveand final
and can never be changedor altered.
'This is the doctrineo( al-labriwah.Thissect believesthat rnan is compelledto lead life the
way he does and has no voluntaryactions.
'This is the doctrine o( al-Qadariyyah. This sect takes a position at the opposite extreme to
that of al-iabriyyah,denying predestination by Allah altogether. (Lanes Lexicon)
tcf.
Qur'an:21.92
6Seeoara. 59.

l 8
joined together by one aqeedahand one setof lawsregardlessof their
race or country of origin.' We love them all and believe that all
believersare brothers.
70.We extendour love and support to the people of our urnmahand aid
no infidelnor enemy againstthem.
71.We battle with and abhor racist,nationalistic,sectarianand partisan
zealotswho would sunderthe unityof the Muslims.,
72.The best of men in the Muslim ummah'l,next to the Prophet,is Abu
Bakras-Siddiq,then Umar bin al-Khattabthen Uthman then Ali.rlt's best
generation,accordingto the authenticahadeeth,(traditions)is that of
the lifetime of the prophet, then that generationwhich succeededit.o
73.We love all the companions of the Apostle of Allah, and attach
ourselvesto them. Of all the companions of all the prophets, they
were the best;they aided the religionof Allah and struggledalongwith
the Chiefof Messengers.'He who imputesto them disbeliefor infideli-
ty we regardasan unbeliever,becausehe rejectsthe evidenceof their
excellencegiven by the Lord of the worlds.'
74.We abstainfrom dwellingon any differencesof opinion among the
companionsof the Prophet(Peacebe on Him),and we hold the belief
that they were Mujtahidoon'whose rewardsare with Allah;they were
not infallibleapostles.
"'O mankind:We createdyou from (a singlepair of) male and femaleand made you into na-
tions and tribesthat you may know one another.Verily,the most honourableof you in the
sight of Allah is that (believer)who is most God{earing."49.13.
"'Thosewho divide their religionand breakit up ihto sects,you haveno part in them." 6.159.
"And be not among the mushrikeen;thosewho split up their religionand form sects."30.32.lt
hasbeen narratedon the authorityof Arfaiahwho said:"l haveheardthe Messengerof Allah
say:
'Differentevilswill make their appearancein the nearfuture.Anyone who triesto disrupt
theaffairsof this Ummah while thev are unitedvou shouldstrikehim with the sword whoever
he be."'MuslimVol. lll, p.'1O31.
'SunniMuslimsare in unisonwith regardsto the superiorityof the four khulala(caliphs)accor-
ding to their chronologicalorder; Abu Bakr,Umar, Uthman then Ali.
'Abdullah b. Masood reported Allah's Messenger(Peacebe on Him) as saying:
'The
best
among people are of my generation,then those next to them." Muslim Vol.lV, p.-1346.
"'And the first to embrace lslam of the Muhajirin (those who migrated from Mecca to
Medinah)and Ansar(citizensof Medinahwho helped the Muhajirin)and those who followed
them exactly(in faith).Allah is well-pleasedwith them as they are well-pleasedwith Him. He
has oreoaredfor them Cardensunder which riversflow. to dwell thereinforever.That is the
ultimate success."9.100.
"Abu Hurairahnarrated:Allah'sMessengersaid:"Do not revile my companions.By Him in
Whose hand ismy lifeif one of you would havespent(incharity)apileof goldasbig asMount
Uhud, it would not amount to as much asone rnudd (about 2/3 of a kilo)of one of them nor
even half o( mudd (soentin charrtv).
'Muitahtdoon (pl. of ['lurtahid):scholarswho use their reasonfor the purposeof forming an
oprnion or making a ruling on a religiousrssue.

t 9
75.The believersare distinctin respectof their iman.Ol them are those
who do themselvesinjustice,those who pursue the middle road in
their affairsand thosewho, by the will of Allah hastento good deeds.'
Allah promisedall of them a good outcome in the Hereafter,each in
accordancewith his level of irnan.
76.We regard a person as a Muslim immediately upon witnessinghis
recitationof the Shahadah':or his oerformanceof a Muslim act of wor-
ship.i
77.We do not casta Muslimout of the fold of lslamupon hiscommission
of an act of disbeliefdue to his ignorance,misunderstandingor com-
pulsion,or due to an assumptionby him that his act is conduciveto
good. Theverdictof disbeliefcanonly be givenwhen thereisestablish-
ed evidencethat the personcommitted the wrong wilfully,and know-
ingly.
78.We do not attributedisbeliefto anyone of the people of the Qiblah
(i.e.,Muslimsin general)by reasonof any sin he committed, unlesshe
did it knowing it to be unlawful,and treatingit as if it were lawful.
79. Jannahhas been guaranteedonly to those to whom Allah gave His
assurancein HisBook,and to those in whose favourthe Messengerof
Allah testified.Visionsand dreamsare not proofs of admissionto lan-
nah. Although we wish lannahfor those we deem to be pious, we
cannot decisivelyassertthat any individualwill be admitted to it.'
8O.The believingmen and women are allawliyaa5(proteges)of the Com-
passionate.The further the slaveadvanceson the path of irnan the
greaterhis support of Allah'scausebecomesand the greatersupport
'cf.
Quran:35.32.
'The testificationof faith,'There isno god truly worthy of worshipbut Allahand Muhammad
is His Messenger.
tThe author hasexplainedthat performingan act of worship that isexclusivelylslamicis suffi
cient for a personto be regardedas a Musftm.Without a doubt, performinga singleact of
worshipwithout the Shahadahwill be considerednull and void, but the author most properly
refers to the following tradition: Anas reported the Prophet(Peacebe on Him) as saying: "l
have been orderedto fight the people until they say:
'There is no god but Allah;and if they
5ayso, and pray likewe do, iacingour Qrb/ahand slaughteranimals(forfood) aswe do, then
therrblood and propertywill be sacredto us.and we will not interferewith them exceptlegaf
ly, and therrreckonrngwill be with Allah.'Bukhari,Vol.l,p.234.
'"5o ascribenot ptety to yourselves.He knows best who it is that keep his duty to Allah."
5 ] t 2
tArvIyaa (pl ol walry)those who are rn recerptof the constantbeneficenceand favour of
All.rh;beheverswho are favouredby Allah.

20
he receivesfrom Allah in return.' we bear witnessthat Allah does not
take a protege who hasneither iman nor good deedsasSufi Zendiqsz
allege.
81. We judge Muslimsby their outward mannerand leavetheir intention
for Allah to judge.r
82.Salaah(prayer)in congregationisa dutyfor us.whetherthe Muslimim-
ama is righteous or not.s And we participate in lihad against the
enentiesof Muslimsunder the leadershipof Muslim rulerswhether
they are just or unjust.6Pietyis not a preconditionfor leading iihador
salah.
'"Allahisthe proteftor of thosewho havefaith;irom the depth o{ tJarknessHe will leadthem
iorth rnto light. And those who rejectfaith are the patronsof taghoot (a falseobject of wor-
shipl" 2.256.
'Zendrg:a heretic,one who devratesfrom the right religionof lslam.
v'And pursuenot that of which you haven. knowledge.Verily,everyact of hearingor of see
ing and (intentron)will be inquiredanto(on the Day of Judgmentl.',17.16.,.Oyou who believe:
Avoid suspicionas much (aspossible)for suspicionin some casesis a sin."49.12.
The Prophet(Peacebe on Him) reproachedone of his companionswho happenedto kill an
enemy atter he had unered .Shahadah.The companroniustifiedkillingthe man by sayingto
the Prophet(Peacebe on Him) that he uttered shahadahout of fearof death.Thereupon,lhe
Prophet(Peacebe on Him) said:"Did you tear his heart open in order to find out whether he
saidit (out of belief)or not."MuslimVol.l,,176, p.56.
'lmam is the one who leadsthe congregationin prayers.The word lmam also means ttre
leaderof the Muslim community.
'The sunniMusIms do not hold the beliefthat imams are infallible;a Muslim ruler or imam
mav be upright or othenvist'.lt rsincumbent upon Muslimsto obey them. Allah says:
,.Oyou
who believe:obev Allah,and obey the Apostleand thoseof vou who are in authoriW.,'4.59.lt
has been narratedon the authority o{ Abu Hurairahthat the Messengerof Allah said:one
who abandonedobedienceto the leaderand separatedfrom the main body of the Muslims
and died in that state would die the death of one belongingto the dayso( lahityyah(pre.
lslamicera) i.e. he would not die as a Muslim. Muslim Vol.lll, p.-1O29.Accordingto another
traditionin sahthMushm,it isenough that the Muslim subjectabhor hisleader'sact of disobe
dience;he should not rebel againsthim. 5imilarly,prayingbehind an erringlmam, if no one
better is available,bearingin mind the value of unity of the Muslim ummah. Ubaidullahnar.
rated: "l went to Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleasedwith him) when he was besieged
(justbefore he was murdered),and saidto him: 'You
are the chiefof all the Muslimsand you
see what has befallenyou. We are led in a prayer by a leaderof the rebellion,and we are
afraidof being sinfulin following him.' Uthman said:The prayeris the best of all deeds,so
when the people do good deedsdo the samewith them and when they do bad deedsavoid
theirbad deeds."'BukhariVol.l.o.176.
"Jrhadrsfightingin the way of Allah so long as the frghtingis for the purposeof marntaining
the superiorityof the word of Allah,the calibreof the Muslim rulerwho callsfor it shouldnot
be consideredin respondingto hiscall.Abu Hurairahreportd the Prophe(Peacebe on Him)
as saying:
'lihad
is a duty on you with every (Muslim)leaderbe he obedient,or disobedient,
even if he committed the greatsins,and (congregational)prayerisa duty on you behind every
Muslim imam be he obedrent or disobedient,even if he committed the great sins."Abu
Dawood.Hadeeth-2513.o.18.

21
B) We are not permittedto war againstany of Nluhammad'srrrnrrrahex-
ceptin self-defence.'[ven then,rvebelievethatit ispreferableto forgo
fighting(againstMuslims).,We deem rt lar,r4ulto shed the blocd of
Muslimsonly in the caseof the marriedadulterer,the rnurderer,or the
one who qurtshis religionand departsfrom /ama.rh.,
84.Any call the purposeof whrchls the absorptionof rlluslimsrnto the
societyof disbelievrngnations,or which leadsto the compromiseot
anypartof our religion,or to the approvalof anypartof the relrgronof
the unbelieversis a falsecall whether the nrotivesimputed to it be
humanitarian,nationalisticor sectarian.We declarebefore Allah that
we dissociateourselvesfrom any assemblylvhichstandsopposedto
lslamand fightsagarnstrt.o
85.Everygroup of Muslimswho agreewrth us In respectto good, prety,
andiiha<Jto supportandinviteto the wayof Allah'areour brothers,as
longastheydo not clarmthattheyaretheonly legitimateMuslims,and
that all othersare unbelievers.o.
86.The Muslim ummah is the best unrmah raised from mankind
throughoutthe ages.lt isthe inherrtorof Allah'sreligionand the inviter
to it up tillthe endof thisrvorld.TheMuslimswerethe lastummahrais-
ed by Allah,yet they will be the foremoston the Dayof .fudgement.'
'Abu Hurairahnarratedthat the Prophet(Peacebe on Hrm)sard;"He w,hc takesup arms
aSainstusisnotofus,andhewhoactsdrshonestlytow,ardsusrsnotofus.N,tuslimVol.l,p.58.
)ForegoinglightrngagainstMuslms is recomnrendedfor the preservrngof N4ushmunlty dnd
Muslim blood (cf. the rebellionagarnstthe third Ca|ph Uthman).Ahnaf b. Qarsreportedon
the authorityof Abu Bakrthat Allah'sMessenger(Peacebe on Him)sard:"When two fvlushms
confront eachother with therrswords,both the slayerand the slarnare doomed to the Frre"
MuslimVol.lV,p.1496.
'BukhariVol.lX,p.7.
"'He hasrevealedto you rn the Book that when you hear the signso{ Allah held rn defiance
and ridicule,you arenot to sitwith them unlesstheyturnto a drfferenttheme lf vou satwtth
them you would be hkethem."4.1.10
"'You are the best of people ever rarsedup tor mankrnd,)-ouenjornwhat rsnght,and forbrd
what is wrong, and you believern Allah.' 3.110
6Theissueof rmputingdisbeliefto Mus|ms rsrmportantnot to be underestinratedlbn Umar
reported the Prophet(Peacebe on Him) as sayrng:"Any person who calis hrs broiher: C)
unbeliever!(hasdone an act by whrchthisunbelref)wcruldreturnto one of thenr.lf rtw(,reso.
as he asserted,(thenthe unbehefof the man wasconfrr:ned.but rfit w,asnot true).thenthe
stateof unbe|e{would applyto hrm (w'holabelledhrsbrotheran unbelrever).rlushnrVol i
p.41
'Abu Hurarrahreportedthe Prophet(Peacebe on Hrm)assayrng,"We arethe lastand noukJ
be the firston the Dayof Resurrectrrrn."NluslrmVol ll p .lO5 liincethe Prophet(Peacebe on
Him)isthe lastof the Prophets.hrst,'nrm,rhrsthe natronrrhrchhasreterred the lastof Allahs
Scriptures.On the Dayof iudgmentthe Prophet(Peacebe on Hrm)rvouldoccupvthe hrghest
rankand his Un,maltwrllbe superiorto the other rrnrum(natrons)

22
THEBASICSOT DAlilAH TO ATI-AH
87.The da'wah(invitation)to Allah isthe duty of the Muslim tJmmah.Every
Muslim is chargedwith this mission,each accordingto his capacity.l
88.The obiectivesof dawah are:
- to guide people to the religionbf Allah
- to establishthe evidenceagainstthose who declinefrom or oppose
the religion
- to dischargethe duty enjoined on us, the Muslims,by Allah
- to exalt the word of Allah on earth
89.The purposeof da'wahin thisworld isto preparethe good Muslim and
to establishthe good society.
90.The good Muslim is he who believesin the Onenessof Allah, obeys
him within the limits of his capacityand observesHiscommands.The
good societyis the one in which the Hudood, of Allah are established
and whose memberscooperatewith and subsidizeeachother.'Those
who, if We establish them in the land, perform salaah and give
obligatorycharityand enjoin the rightand forbid the wrong. With Allah
rests the (decision)on (all) affairs;'
91. The rewardfor da'wahin the Hereafter,isthe pleasureof Allah,and His
jannah.-
92. lt isincumbenton everyMuslim who witnessessthe wrong to correctit
with his hand, or if he is unable, then with his tongue or at leastto
abhor it in hisheart.The inabilityto do so isindicativeof lackof iman.'
93.The conditionsfor correctingthe wrong are:
* the one who takesit up on himselfto correct the wrong hasto be
aware of the wrong he is about to correct.
- one should not correct one wrong by committing another.
- correcting a wrong should not create a situation that leads to a
greaterwrong.
- one who would correct a wrong should be clear of that wrong lest
he falls among those whom Allah chastizes:"Why do you say that
which you do not do."4
l"Letthere ariseout of you a band of people invitingto all that isgood, enjoiningwhat is right
and forbiddingwhat is wrong. They are the prosperousones." 3.1M
1'Hudood' are the restrive ordinances or statutes of Allah respectingthings lawful and
unlaw'ful.lt also meanscastigationor punishmentwhich preventsthe criminalfrom returning
to his crime and preventsothers from committins his crime.
'cf. MuslimVol.l,p.33.
'cf.
Qur'an61.3.

94.
95.
96.
2t
Da'wahshouldstartwithfundarnentalissues,beforeproceedingwith
thosethatarelesscentral.TheOnenessof Allahisthebeginningand
the end.Eachdeedshouldbe connectedwith it.'
Themeansofda'wahto Allaharenumerous,butforemostisthemarr
nerof theda'ee(inviter).Heshouldmakehimselfapersonwhoothers
areinclinedto takeasan example.Dawahby goodexampleisthe
mosteffectivemeans.Afterthisin importanceareda'wahbywordof
mouth,andda'wahby giving'financialsupport.
Anyonewho hasknowledge,regardlessof how littleit is,isentitledto
communicateit.2
97. lt is permissibleto form groupsor organizationsfor da'wahin Muslim
or non-Muslim countries with or without the permissionof the imam
(leader).Da'wahis a duty incumbent upon us.
98. Formationof a varietyof groupsfor the purposeof da'wahispermissi-
ble provided that each maintains the solidarity of the Muslim body
and brotherly co-operationto achievegood and maintainpiety.Any
da'wahgroup'whichclaimsit isthe only Muslimjama'ah,and imputes
disbeliefto the others,is a group of neo-khawarii'andpromotersof
division,which must be opposed and eliminated.
99. lt is not the rightof a da'wahgroup to make restrictivejudgmentsor
to take punitivemeasuresor eliminatethosewho opposeor desertit
unlessit first assumessovereigntyover the land and establishesthe
lslamiccaliphate(governrnent).
100.The work of Da'wah requiresthe employment of lawful methods,
protection of the interestof the ummah, and the use of wisdom in
disseminatingknowledge.Allah says:"lnvite to the way of your Lord
with wisdom and fine preachingand discusswith them in a manner
that ismore gracious,for your Lordknows bestwho hasstrayedfrom
His path, and who are the guided ones."a
rlbn Abbas narrated:when the Prophet(Peacebe on Him) sentMu'adh to Yemen,he saidto
him: "You are goingto a nation of the Peopleof the Book,so let the firstthin8 to which you
will invitethem be the Tawheed(Onenessof Allah).lf they learnthat,tell them that Allah has
enioinedon them five prayersto be offeredin one day and one night."BukhariVol.lX,p.348.
,Zaid b. Thabit narrated The Prophet(Peacebe on Him) said: "May Allah cause to have
freshnessand brilliancethe man who hearswhat I sayand keepsit in mind, then convey it to
others.Ahmad. 5-183.
'Referto para.77(the imputing of disbeliefto Muslims)
Khawaril:asectof hereticswho went againstAli in the banle of Siffin.The letm KhawariiaV
pliesalso to any group which goes againstthe rest of the ummah and the religion.(Lanes
Lexicon)
'cf.
Qu/an 16.125

24
1O1. lihad'and participatingin militaryexpeditionsarefardhwhich apply
untilthe Dayof Judgment.Theone who died neitherhavingfoughtin
the way of Allahnor havingconsideredit would die havinga shareIn
hvpocrisy.']
102.Fightingnraystartonly aftera declarationof war hasbeen madeand
after it hasbeen ascertainedthat the ranksof the enemv contain no
Muslims.t
103.Therearegrandobjectivesbehindfightingin the way of Allahin lslam.
Frghtingisenjoinedto defendthe believers,to deliverthe oppressed
and to enablethe believersto be establishedwith power in the land
sothattherewould be no moreafflictionandonlythe religionof wor-
shrppingAllah alcne would prevail.l
ATTITUDI TOWARDSNON-MUSLIMS
104.All mankinddescendedfrom Adanr, and Adanr has a positionof
honourwith Allah.All mankindiscreatedto worshipHim.lt isincum-
berrton the da'eeto exertthe utmost effort to makepeople awareof
the duty Allahcreatedthem to fulfill.a
105.Peoplearedifferentin qualirylikeminesof goldandsilver;thosewho
lverethe bestof theircommunitybeforeembracinglslamarethe best
afterembracinglslam,providedthey acquirereligiousknowledge.s
'Strivingin the way of Allah.
tcf.MuslimVol.lll,p.1057
rAbu Hurairareportedthat the Messenge(Peacebe on Him)said:". . .who so from my um-
mah attacksmy followers,(indiscriminately)killingthe righteousand the wicked of them, spar-
ing not thosestaunchrn farth.and fulfillingnot hrsobhgationtowardsthem who havebeen
givena pledge(of security),is not from me."MuslimVol.lll,p.1030.
'cf. ()ur'an2.192
ncf.MuslirnVol.lV,p.1387
'cf. MuslimVol.lV.o..l8l7

25
106.Everyonesincethetimeof the missionof Muhammadbelongsto the
ummahof Muhammad(theummahof da'wah),andthosewho have
acceptedthe messageconveyedby him belongto the ummahof
Muhammad(theummahof response).'
107.Anyonewho heardof the missionof Muhammadbe he a Jew,a
Nasrani(Christian),or otherwise,anddiedwithoutbelievingalthough
he hadbeenprovidedwith evidence,isa kafir(unbeliever),andisof
the peopleof the Fire.'
108.Muslimsarecommandedto fightthe Arabs(inparticular),untilthey
believe(i.e.,embracelslam).lftheydeclarebelieftheirbloodandpro
pertyareinviolable,andit isup to Allahto judgetheirintention.r
109.Non-ArabNasara,Jews,Magiansand othersare to be foughtuntil
theybelieve(inthemessageof lslam)or paylizyahainacknowledge
mentof theirsubmissionto the authoriwof theMuslims.'
110.PeacetreatiesandpaetsarepermissiblebetweenMuslimsandnorr'
Muslimsuntiltheendof theworld.lt isup to theMuslimsto choose
whateverbenefiuthem,strengthensandprotectstheirlivesandtheir
properties.
'Lestone be confusedwith the terms (the ummah of da'wah)and (the ummah of response)
mentioned in article107,it shouldbe born in mind that Allahthe Exalted,senteachand every
prophet to hisown people.However,He madeMuhammad(Peacebe on Him)the Sealof Pro
phets and made his messagea universalone. fu such,every human being existedat the time
of Muhammad's nrissionor thereafter belongs to the universalnation of Muhammad(Peacebe
on Him) which is referred to as (the ummah of da'wah),while the term (the ummah of
response)applies only to those who accepted the Divine missionof Muhammad(Peacebe on
Him) (i.e.,lslam).Thereare numerousreferencesin the Qur'an confirmingthe universalityof
lslam in which Allah addressesmankind at large to respond to the messagewith which l-le
sent Muhammad, such as:
Say(O Muhammad):"O mankind!Verily I am Allah'sApostle to you all" 7-158
". ..and We did not send you except as a mercy to the worlds." 2-1.107
rAbu Hurairahnarrated:The Prophetobserved:"by Him in Whose hand isthe lifeof Muham-
mad, any lew or Nasrani(Christian)who hearsabout me, and diesbeforeaffirminghisbehefin
that with which I have been sent, he shall be but one oi the companions o{ the Fire."Muslim
Vol.l.o.91.
'Abu Hurairahreported that the Messengersaid:"l have been commanded to fight against
people, untrlthey testifythat there is no god but Allah,and believethat I am Hismessenger,
and behevein all that I havebrought.(lf they do so)theirblood and richesareguarantd prc
iectron...and therratfairsrestwith Allah."MuslimVol.l,p.17.
'Seepara.59
5Seepara.59

26
111.lt ls not permissiblefor a Muslimleaderor rulerto consummatea
treatyor agreementwith the unbelieverson behalfof Allah or His
Apostle,but only on hisown behalf,andthatof hiscornpanions.'
112.Muslimsareenjoinedto fightthe enemiesof lslamin orderto keep
the word of Allahuppermoston earth.2
113.Policiessetforthin the Qur'anandSunnahhaveto be followedasa
guidein dealingwith the non-Muslims.
114.Katirs(unbelievers)are not to be takenasconfidentialassociatesby
Mudim.rulers.'
115.Takingthoseof the kafirswho opposeus as intimatefriends,and
distinguishingthem by bestowinglove upon them,supportingthem
againstMuslims,approvingof theirfalsereligionor compromisinga
partof lslamfor theirfalsereligionor for themiskufr(unbelief)and
apostasy.l
116.lt is recommendedto treat peacefulunbelieverswith kindnesscon-
siderationand beneficence.'
117.Invitingpeopleto thepathof Allahrequiresgentlenessandcourtesy,
butfightingthe enemyrequireshardnessandvehemence.,
'lt has be€n reported on the authority of Sulaimanb. Buraid'sfather that when the Messenger
of Allah appointed anyone leader of any army or detachment, he would especiallyexhort him
to fear Allah and be good to the Muslims with him. A..nongother things he would say:"lf you
lay siege to a fort and the besiegedappeal to you for protection in the name of Allah and His
Prophet, do not accord to them the guarantee of Allah and His Prophet, but accord to them
your own guaranteeand the guaranteeof your companions, for it isa lessersinthat the securi-
ty given by you and your companions be disregarded than that the secunty granted in the
name of Allah and His Prophet be violated. 'lly'hen you besiegea fort and the besiegedwant
you to summon them to thejudgment of Allah, do not summon them to the judgment of
Allah,but summon them to your own judgment,for you do not know whetheror not you will
be abfe to reach the right judgment with regard to them." Muslim Book of allihad.
r"And fight them until there is no more affliction (or oppression)and there prevailsthe religion
of Allah (i.e.worshippingAllah alonef'. 2.193
t"O you who believe!Take not as your intimatesthose (unbelievers)outsideyour religion.
They will not fail to do their best to corrupt you." 3.118
4'O you who believe!Take not my enemies and yours asfriends (or protectors) offering them
love even though they have refected the truth that has come to you." 60.1
'Allah forbids you not, with regardsto those who do not fight you for your faith, nor drive you
out of your homes, that you should deal kindly and justly with them." 6O.8
""O you who believe! Fight those of the disbelieverswho are near to you and let them find
harshnessin you. . ." 9.123

27
THERJNDAMENTAISOr HQH(TUREPRUDTNCE)
118.Thedecisionon everyaffairisfor nonebutAllahtheExalted.'Verily,
the decisionisfor Allah."'
119.TheApostleisa legislator,by thecommandof Allah."Hedoesnot
speakof hisowndesire;his(speechwasnothingotherthan)arevela-
tion thatwas revealed."2He neverlegislatedof hisown accordor
from hisown desire.
120.ThereligionwhichAllahcommandsusto follow,to worshipHim,
consistsonlyof Hiswordsandthewordsof Hismessenger.r
121.lslamisfor itsadherentsa comprehensivewayof life,encompassing
all itsaspecs,includingtheological,political,socialandeconomic.lt
consistsof a full adherenceto the ordinancesandstatutesof Allah
anda total imanin all thathe revealed.
122.No one isa Muslimin truthsavehewho resignshimself,hiswill, and
hischoiceto AllahtheLordof theworlds.('Say,verilymy prayer,my
(serviceof) sacrifice,my life anddeatharefor Allah,the Lordof the
worlds.")'
123.TheBookof Allah,al-Qu/an,iscomposedof Hiswords,sentdownto
Muhammadand is the eternalmiraclewhoserecitationis an act of
worshipordainedby Allah.lt is $e primarybasefor the studyof
lslam.lt istheveryQur'anthatiswithustoday,andthatisavailableto
all throughoutthe world.He who allegesotherwise,suchas*rose
who allegeit is hiddenby the absentimam or another,is an
unbeliever.5
124.Allahmadeclearin HisBookwhathehasdeterminedto be goodor
conduciveto good in the affairsof mankindin thisworld and in the
one to come."And We havesentdown to you the Bookto make
manifesteverything,andasa guidanceanda mercyandgladtidings
for the Muslims."6
'Qur'an6.57
rQu'ran 53.3-4
v'Say,obey Allah and obey HisApostle, but if they turn away, Allah does not love the Kafireen
(thosewho reiectfaith)."3.32
'Qu/an 6.162
'"8ut Allah bearswitnessthat what He hassentdown unto you (i.e.,thdqufan), He hassent
forth with His knowledge, and the angels bear witness (to this fact), (but) Altah sufficesfor a
witness."4.166
6Qur'an16.89

28
125.There is no contradiction whatsoever in the ayat (verses)of the
Qur'an. Ayat expressingsimilar meaningsshould be studied collec-
tively ratherthan individuallyif a rr.rlingor jtrdgment is to be drawn
from them.t
126.The Qur'ancanbe comprehendedaccordingto itsclearand apparent
meaning, and by the explanationand practice of Rasu/u/-/ah(the
Apostleof Allah),and by the practiceof the piouspredecessorsof this
ummah.2
127.fhe literalapparentmeaningof the Qu/an and its explicationare
neithermutuallycontradictorynor inconsistentwith one another.He
whom Allah distinguisheswith the understandingof the Qur'an and
the knowledgeof Qu/anic interpretationadducesonly that which is
in accord with the Qur'an.
128.Allah guardedHis Book againstalteration,additionor reduction until
the end of thisworld.s
129.The abrogation by Allah of some ayato( the Qur'an was of three
distincttypes:
- the abrogationof the rulingcontained in an ayah,while retainrng
the ayah iself as part of the Qu/an.a
- The abrogationof an ayahfrom the Qur'anwhile retainingthe rul-
ing it had contained.s
- the abrogationof both ayahand rulingtogether.
'This is a very important notion when it comes to derivinga ruling from such ayat. In fact,
refraining from studying versesof similar or related rrreaningcollectively led a sect calledal-
labriyyahto deviatefrom the rightway when they considereCthe meaningof the verse:"And
Allahcreatedyou and (created)your deeds."(37.96)and failedto considerwith thisverse:"As
a reward for what they had accomplished." (56.24)Had al-labriyyahconsidered the meanrngs
of the two versesin juxtaposition,they would not haveascribedinjusticeto Allah by holding
the falsebeliefthat man hasno free will in this world and hasno control over hisbehaviour.
rThe 'pious predecessors'or as referredto in Arabic as-Salafus-Saalihare the companionsof
the Prophetand those who followed with piety. lt is they whom Allah ordered us to follow
saying:"And whoever opposesthe Apostleafterthe rightpath hasbeenshown clearlyto him
and follows other than the believers'way,We shallkeep him in that path he haschosenand
burnhim in Hell."4.115
'"WhateverayahWe abrogateor causeto be forSotten.We bring(in itsplace)a better one or
one similarto it. Do you not know that Allah is able to do all thingsf'2.106."Verily,We have
sent down the Qu/an and (surely)We will guard it."
'Zaid b. Thabitwas reportedto have said:I heardthe Prophetreciting:'Theold man and the
old woman if they commit adulterystone them to death."Thisayah is no longerpart of the
Qur'an,while the ruling it contained is still in effect.
"Umar ibn al-Khanabreported that there were versesof the Qu/an that they used to recite
that were abrogated,and that they no longer recited.

T)
130.The Qur'anmay abrogatepartsof the Sunnah(be it mutawatirlor
aahaad'])and similarly the Sunnah(be it mutawatir or ahad) may
abrogaterulingsof the Qur'an.Both the Qur'anand Sunnahare from
Allah.
THESUNNAH
131.The Sunnahiswhateverwas brought forth by the Messengerof Allah
apart from the Qu/an. it is a source of legislationfor the ummah,
whether in the form of his utterance,hrsaction or hisapprovalof an
act witnessedby him or reported to him.
132.ln order to be acceptedasvalidor authoritative,a traditionmustmeet
certain standards,as determined by Muhaddithoon (traditionaliss),
the scholarsof the prophetictraditions.No traditionisto be held true,
or cited as a proof, if not authenticallyascribedto the Prophet.
133.The Sunnahisequivalentto the Bookof Allah,the Clorified.We must
believein them equallyand regardtheir ordinancesasbeingof equal
weight, sincethey are both from Allah.3The soledifferencebetween
them is that Allah made incumbenton us the recitationof the words
of the Qur'an as an act of worship, but not of those of the Sunnah.
134.TheSunnahdoes not contradictthe Qur'an,astheyare both from one
source.Allah the Exaltedsays:"And he does not speakfrom hisown
desires;it isa revelationwhich hasbeen revealedto him."aAnd: "We
have sent down to you the Book in truth *rat you may judge between
men by that which Allah shows you. so be not a pleader for the
traitors.sAny iltiha& the Prophetexertedin mattersof jurisprudence
is truthful and binding, as Allah would never grant approval to er-
roneousjudgment.
135.Any tradition which has been authenticallyascribedto the Prophet
through truthful, pious and reliabletransmittersmust be believed in
and applied whether it is mutawatir or aahaad.
136.lt is not permissibleto turn away from what was determined by
"Mutawatr'rs the traditionwhich has been transmittedby sucha largenumber of narrators
that it cannot be supposedthat they all agreedto a falsehood.(Lane'sLexicon)
'Ahad is the tradition which has been transmittedby one narratoror a few narrators.
lAl-Miqdadb. Ma'drKaribnarrated:The Prophe,(Peacebe on Him)said:"Verily,I re<eivedthe
Qur'an and similarto it along with it." Ahmad.
'Qu/an 53.3
'Qu/an 4.105
"Seepage V, note
-l

30
consensusof the companions of the Prophet.Sincewe are assuredby
*re Prophe(Peacebe on Him)that the ummahwill neverbe in unison
upon dhala/ah,rwe can be confident in the correctnessof the collec-
tive opinions.'
137.The Sunnahof the khu/afa'aar-Rashidoon'?isbindingaslong asit does
not differ with a text from the Qur'an and Sunnah.'
138.Our understandingof lslam should correspond with the understan-
ding of as-Salafas-Saalih,(the pious predecessors,-the Prophet'scom-
pa.nionsin particular)becausethey had more knowledge of the cir-
cumstancesof revelation,havingactuallywitnessedthem, and greater
command of the Arabic language.
139.All Muslimscholarsafterthe Propheq,includinghiscompanions,are
fallible,and any religiousstatementby ihem is renderednull and void
if it contradictsor differsfrom a text from Allah or his Messenger.
140.Rulers,scholars,jurists,parenb, educators,husbandsor guardiansare
to be obeyed only insofar as their commands correspond to that
which pleasesAllah, and to Hiscommands.There should be no obe.
dience to a creatureof Allah if it would involvedisobeyingAllah the
creator.l
141. Opinions not substantiatedby referenceto the Qur'an or Sunnahare
all equalin valueand it ispermissibleto takefrom them whateverone
judgesto be trustworthyor reliable.Adopting some suchopinion and
distinguishingit with particularzealfrom all others leadsto deviation.
142.lt is incumbentupon us to obey those of the Muslimswho are in
authorityover us,and to offer them sincerecounsel.lt isnot permissi-
ble to disobey them unlessthey enact commands the obedience of
which would bring us to the disobedienceof Allah the Exalted.lt is
also permissibleto issueFatwasdifferent from theirs if theirs is not
substantiated.lt isa duty too to obey their decisionson publicaffairs,
whether the decisionis reachedthrough ijtihadsor ta'wee/.6
'cf. Abu Dawood, Book l4l1. Dhalalah:mrsguidance.
rThe well-guidedcaliphsAbu Bakr,
'Umar. 'Uthman
and ALr.
rAl-lsbadreported the Prophet(Peacebe on Him) as saying:"Adhere to my sunnahand the
sunnahof the well-guidedcaliphs..." (the introductionp.'16)
'cf. Muslim Vol.lll. p.1022
'See p.v, Note 1
5Muta'awwilis one who triesto discoveror develop and interpreta text which may serveas
the basisfor the formulation of his opinion or decision.Suchpracticeis called fa-wee/

31
143.lt isnot permissiblefor a Muslimrulerto issuea rulingon a casein the
public interestunlesshe firstconsultsthe people.Their unanimous
decisionbecomesbindingon him.
144.Deferringto the opinion of the majorityby the /marn,the leadingman
in authority,is in accordancewith authenticSunnahand is in the
legitimatepublicinterest.
145.Other thanthosementionedin the Qur'anand Sunnah,all formsand
acts of worshipare prohibited.lt is not permissibleto rntroducea
form of worship which is not warranted by either Allah or His
Messenger(Peacebe on Him)."Everypracticewhich hasno warrantor
sanctionfrom the Qur'anor the Sunnahof the Messenger(Peacebe
on Him)is to be rejected."l
146.All typesof transactionare law4ulsavethosethatarespecificallypro-
hibitedby a text of the Qu/an or of the Sunnah.'
147.fhe sinof the one who makeslawfulthingsunlavvfulissimilarto that
of the one who makesunlawfulthingslaw'ful.
148.The useof
'qlyas'(analogy)'in iurisprudence,aslongascertaincondi-
tions are met, is valid.Wisdom in religionconsistsin not differen-
tiatingbetween tvvo similarissuesnor in combiningtrnvodissimilar
ones.
149.l1trhad,istinbat,jurisprudenceand religiousknowledge,are with the
Ummahuntilthe finalHour.Not everyonemaybe considereda jurist
by virtue of possessingsome knowledge."lf Allah wants to do a
favour to someone, He bestows on him the gift of refi(lous
knowledge(understandingthe Qur'anor Sunnah)."0
150.Theexperienceol rltrhadand istrnbafsin comrngto decisionstn mat-
ters of law is FardhKifayahuon Muslims.lt is,tiecessaryfor the proper
regulationof people'slegalaffairsin the novelcircumstancesof every
a8e.
'From authentichadeethfrledby Muslimand BukhariVol.lX,p.329
'Aaishah repo(ed that the Prophet(Peacebe on Hrm)said:"He who drd any act for which
there is no sanctionfrom our behalf,that is to be reJected."MuslrrtVol.lll,p.9i1
,Analogyisformulatinga rulingon a certainrssuethat nertherthe [)ur'annor the Sunnahhac
dealtlvith, by comparingit to a textualrultngon a 5tmtlartssue.
'Bukhari.Vol.lX.p.110
'lstlnbatis elicitinga judicialrulingby studyingrelevanttests.
5Fardh,tsa thingmadeoblrgatoryby Allahon everyrndrvidual4uslrm..rndnegiectrng,rtcalls
for punishrnent(e.g.,Salat).f ardh Kriayahisthatwhrchrsoblrgatoryon the collectrvebody ot
Mus[ms.lt sufficesthat it be observedby someof them,(e.g.,/.rn.rz.ihprayer)but all wrllbe
ounrshedrf none of them observert.

32
151.Only the personwho is fitfor iitihadmay practiseit. He who presumes
to issuefatwaswithout proper qualificationrisksenteringthe Fire.
152.Fitnessbr iitihadisachievedby acquiringthe knowledgeof the book
and the Sunnah, the Arabic language, the fundamentals of
jurisprudenceand its purposes.lt requirestoo an awarenessof peo-
ple's concerns and affairs.This knowledge must be combined with
gravityo{ intellect,wisdom and the fear of Allah.
153.ljtihadconsistsin employingthe facultiesof mind and strivingto the
utmost for the purposeof coming to a decisionin a givencasewhich
is deemed to be or believedto be in accordwith that of Allah, were
He to make one.
154.Peopleare divided into three categorieswith regardsto iitihad:
- those who have no shareof knowledge,who must follow those of
the people of knowledge and religionwhose fatwa they consider
to be issuedin accordancewith the judgment of the Lord of the
Worlds.
- the studentswho have some knowledge and understanding on
whom it is incumbentto follow the scholars,requestingtheir tex-
tual evidenceand seekingthe truth.
- the scholarswho havefulfiiledthe conditionsof iitihad.on whom it
is incumbent to be aware of judicial rulingsand their distinctive
proofs.
155.All discordand disagreementmust be referredfor resolutionto the
words of Allah and the words of the Messenger(Peacebe on Him).

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