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A COMMENTARY ON
THE THREE
FUNDAMENTAL
PRINCIPLES
A COMMENTARY ON
THE THREE
FUNDAMENTAL
PRINCIPLES
Shaykh al-Islam
Muhammad bin Sulaymaan at-Tameemi
Commentary by
‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn ‘Abd al-Muhsin

ibn ‘Abd al-Lateef Aal ash-Shaykh
Translated by
Nasiruddin al-Khattab
© ???????????????????????, 2020
King Fahd National Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Salah bin Muhammad Al-Budair
???????????????./??????????????>>>Riyadh , 2017
500 p: 17cm X 24 cm
ISBN: 978-603-500-???-?
??????????????? I-Title
???.??? dc 14??/9???
L.D. no. 14??/????
ISBN: 978-603-500-???-?
Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﮊ‬
“Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us. Verily! You are the All-
Hearer, the All-Knower” [al-Baqarah 2:127].
َّ
‫صل اهلل عليه‬- َ
ِ‫اهلل‬ ‫رسول‬ ‫سمعت‬
ُ :‫ قال‬-‫ر ِض اهلل عنه‬- َ ‫اب‬ ِ ‫عمر‬ ‫عن‬
ِ ‫بن اخل َّط‬ َ
‫فم ْن كانت هجرتُه‬ ٍ ِ ‫األعامل بالني‬
ِّ ‫ وإنَّام‬،‫ات‬ ُ ُ -‫وس َّلم‬
َ ،‫امرئ ما َنوى‬ ‫لكل‬ َّ ‫ «إنَّام‬:‫يقول‬
ِ ،‫َت هجرتُه لدُ نيا ُيصي ُبها‬
‫أو‬ ْ ‫ و َمن كان‬،‫ فهجرتُه إىل اهللِ ورسولِه‬،‫إىل اهللِ ورسولِه‬
.‫ومسلم‬ ‫البخاري‬ ‫رواه‬ .»‫هاجر إليه‬ ِ ‫امرأة ي‬
‫ فهجرتُه إىل ما‬،‫نك ُحها‬ ٍ
ٌ ُّ َ َ
It was narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab  said: I heard the Messenger
of Allah  say: “The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions and
every person will get the reward according to what he has intended.
So whoever emigrated for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, his
emigration was for the sake of Allah and His Messenger, and whoever
emigrated for worldly benefits or to marry a woman, his emigration was
for what he emigrated for.”(Narrated by al-Bukhaari and Muslim).
The Three Fundamental Principles
Contents
Foreword by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan. . . . . . . . . . .8-9

Foreword by Shaykh Saalih ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
ibn Muhammad Aal ash-Shaykh. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10- 11
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
A brief biography of the author. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
A word about the title of the book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
Author’s Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Four issues that we must learn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
1. Knowledge, which is: learning about Allah, learning

about His Prophet and learning about the religion of
Islam, on the basis of evidence.
2. Acting in accordance with it
3. Calling others to it
4. Bearing with patience what one experiences of hardship
[when adhering to the path of Allah]
Three issues that we must learn

and act in accordance with them . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
1. That Allah has created us and has granted us provision,

and He did not leave us without care
2. That Allah does not approve of anyone being associated
with Him in worship
6
3. Whoever obeys the Messenger and affirms the oneness

of Allah, it is not permissible for him to take as an ally
and close friend anyone who opposes Allah and His
Messenger, even if he is his closest relative
• Meaning of haneefiyyah
• The most important thing that Allah has enjoined
• The most serious thing that Allah has forbidden
• The three fundamental principles that each person must know
The first fundamental principle: Knowing the Lord . . . . . . . . . . . 120
• Types of worship which Allah has enjoined
The second fundamental principle:

Knowing the religion of Islam, with evidence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
• Levels of faith
• The first level: Islam and its pillars
• The second level: eemaan (faith) and its pillars
• The third level: ihsaan and its pillars
The third fundamental principle:

Knowing the Prophet Muhammad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
• Resurrection after death

• The meaning of taaghoot (false gods)
• The leaders of taaghoot
• Bibliography
7
Foreword by
Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan
8
Foreword by His Excellency

Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan
In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
I have read through the books Sharh al-Qawaa‘id al-Arba‘ and Sharh Thalaat
al-Usool wa Adillatuha, which are commentaries on the books by Shaykh
Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (may Allah have mercy on him) with a
commentary by ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn ‘Abd al-Muhsin ibn ‘Abd al-Lateef
Aal ash-Shaykh, and I have found these two books to be very useful,
because of the ideas contained in them and their novel approach. May
Allah grant him the best of rewards and benefit others by means of his
knowledge.
Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan

Member of the Committee of Senior Scholars,
and Member of the Permanent Committee
1439/5/1 AH
9
Foreword by Shaykh Saalih ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez

ibn Muhammad Aal ash-Shaykh
10
Foreword by His Excellency the Minister

Shaykh Saalih ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez
ibn Muhammad Aal ash-Shaykh
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, and blessings and peace be upon
our Prophet Muhammad, and upon all his family and companions. To
proceed:
I have read through these two beneficial books which were written by
Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn ‘Abd al-Muhsin Aal ash-Shaykh, namely
Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool and Sharh al-Qawaa‘id al-Arba‘. It seems that
the author – may Allah bless his work – put a great deal of effort into
explaining the phrases of these two great books, which were written
by the imam and mujaddid, Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-
Wahhaab (may Allah have mercy on him). He has done his utmost to
make his commentary readily understandable by ordinary readers, so
as to make accessible what these two texts, Thalaathat al-Usool and al-
Qawaa‘id al-Arba‘, contain of the meanings of Tawheed and important
Islamic concepts.
May Allah reward the author, Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn ‘Abd al-
Muhsin Aal ash-Shaykh, and increase him in knowledge, and make these
two books of benefit to the Muslims.
May Allah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad,
and upon his family and companions.
Minister for Islamic Affairs, Da‘wah and Irshaad

Saalih ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn
Muhammad Aal ash-Shaykh
11
Introduction
All praise be to Allah, we praise Him and seek His help and forgiveness.
We seek refuge with Allah from the evils of our own selves and from our
bad deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can lead astray, and whomever
He leaves astray, none can guide. I bear witness that none has the right to
be worshipped but Allah alone, with no partner or associate, and I bear
witness that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger, blessings and
peace be upon him and all his family and companions.
To proceed:
What we have before us is an important essay, namely Thalaathat al-
Usool wa Adillatuha by Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab
ibn Sulaymaan ibn ‘Ali at-Tameemi (1206-1115 AH – may Allah have
mercy on him). This essay is important for several reasons, including the
following:
1. It is one of the concise

texts recommended by scholars
The seeker of knowledge should start with short texts when he begins his
quest, then gradually move on to longer texts, until he is qualified to study
lengthy texts, commentaries and margin notes. This methodology – the
gradual approach – is the approach of the righteous early generations, as
it was narrated that Yoonus ibn Yazeed said: Ibn Shihaab said to me: O
Yoonus, do not start with difficult issues of knowledge, because knowledge
has many valleys, and whichever valley you choose to go through, you
will be cut off before you reach the end of it. Rather learn knowledge over
time, and do not try to learn everything all at once, for whoever tries to
12
learn everything all at once will lose everything altogether. Rather learn
little by little, with the passage of time.1
This method was followed by our senior scholars in classical times and
in the modern era. Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may
Allah have mercy on him) said: “It is essential for the seeker of knowledge
to properly understand short texts first, so that proper understanding of
the various branches of knowledge will become well entrenched in his
mind, then he may turn to longer texts. But some students may take a
different approach, so one of them may go and read a lengthy text, then
when he sits in a gathering he says: ‘The author of al-Mughni said…; the
author of al-Majmoo‘ said…; the author of al-Insaaf said…’ for the purpose
of showing that he is widely read, and this is wrong.”2
Shaykh Saalih ibn al-Fawzaan said: “The student should be taught
by reading the short texts in the beginning, because that is the gateway
to knowledge, of which they form the foundation. Hence they say that
whoever misses out on the foundations will not reach his destination.
The foundations are the brief texts, so whoever misses out on them will
not reach his destination, namely beneficial knowledge. The beginner –
whether he is young or old – should not start with multi-volume books
of knowledge, reading from al-Bukhaari, Muslim, al-Mughni or the book
of Seebawayh; rather a gradual approach should be adopted with the
beginner, so that he can learn step-by-step. But if you start by reading
with him lengthy books that contain too much detail, this will be a waste
of effort with no benefit, and he will not be able to retain any knowledge,
because he is not following a sound path of knowledge and he is trying
to reach knowledge through the wrong gate.”3 The one who wants to
follow the path of the good educators and reach the level of the well-
versed scholars must begin with short texts (which cover the basics of
knowledge) before reading longer texts. Imam al-Bukhaari said: “It is
said that the good educator is the one who educates people using short
texts of knowledge before lengthy texts.”4 Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar said: “That
15 Jaami‘ Bayaan al-‘Ilm wa Fadlihi by al-Haafiz Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr, 1/431.

25 Kitaab al-‘Ilm by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, p. 238.
35 ee: Bayaan al-Ma‘aani fi Sharh Muqaddimat Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawaani, p. 20.
45 Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 24.
13
is, by adopting a gradual approach.”1
This essay was written by Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-
Wahhaab (may Allah have mercy on him) for ordinary Muslims; in it he
only highlights the important issues that no one can afford to be unaware
of, so learning them, understanding them and memorizing them is
essential, because the main principles of Islam are based on them.
2. It refers to the three questions
that will be asked in the grave
In the lengthy hadith of al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib, which speaks of the questions
that the two angels will ask of the deceased in his grave, it states that the
Prophet  said:
ِ
‫فيقوالن‬ ُ
،‫ ريب اهلل‬:‫فيقول‬ ِ
‫ َمن ر ُّبك؟‬:‫فيقوالن له‬ ِ ‫ فيأتيه م َلكان؛ في‬...«
،‫جلسانه‬ ُ َ
ُ
‫الرجل الذي ُبعث فيكم؟‬ ِ
‫ ما هذا‬:‫فيقوالن له‬ ُ
،‫ ديني اإلسال ُم‬:‫فيقول‬ ‫ ما دينُك؟‬:‫له‬
:‫علمك؟ فيقول‬ ِ ُ
ُ ‫ وما‬:‫ فيقوالن له‬-‫صىل اهلل عليه وسلم‬- ‫اهلل‬ ‫رسول‬ ‫ هو‬:‫فيقول‬
.»‫قت‬
ُ َّ‫فآمنت به وصد‬
ُ ،‫كتاب اهلل‬
َ ‫قرأت‬
ُ
“… and there come to him two angels who make him sit up and
they say to him, ‘Who is your Lord?’ He says, ‘My Lord is Allah.’
They say, ‘What is your religion?’ He says, ‘My religion is Islam.’
They say, ‘Who is this man who was sent among you?’ He says, ‘He
is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him).’ They say, ‘What was the basis of your knowledge?’ He says,
‘I read the Book of Allah and I believed in it.’”2
These are the three fundamental principles concerning which everyone
will be questioned in his grave: Who is your Lord? What is your religion?
Who is your Prophet? No one will be enabled to be steadfast and give
the right answers in the grave except one who believes firmly in these
fundamental principles and acts accordingly.
A number of hadiths were narrated from the Prophet  which urge us
to pay attention to these three fundamental principles and to learn them.
15 Fath al-Baari by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar, 1/121.

25 Abu Dawood, 3212.
14
Those reports include the hadith of al-‘Abbaas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib , in
which he said that he heard the Messenger of Allah  say:
ً
»‫رسول‬ ٍ
‫وبمحمد‬ ِ ‫«ذاق طعم اإليامن من‬
،‫رض باهلل ر ًّبا وباإلسالم دينًا‬ َ
َ َ
“He has found the taste of faith who is content with Allah as his
Lord, Islam as his religion and Muhammad  as his Prophet.”1
Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri  narrated that the Messenger of Allah  said:
»‫ا؛وج َبت له اجلن ُة‬ ٍ ِ

َ ‫ وبمحمد نب ًّي‬،‫ وباإلسال ِم دينًا‬،‫ َمن رض باهلل ر ًّبا‬،‫«يا أبا سعيد‬
“O Abu Sa‘eed, whoever is content with Allah as his Lord, Islam as
his religion and Muhammad  as his Prophet, Paradise is due to
him.”2
Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqaas  narrated from the Messenger of Allah  that he
said:
‫ وأن‬،‫رشيك له‬ َ ‫ وحدَ ه ال‬،ُ‫ أشهدُ أن ال إل َه إال اهلل‬:‫يسمع املؤ ِّذ َن‬
ُ ‫« َمن قال حني‬
‫ وباإلسال ِم دينًا؛ ُغ ِفر‬،‫رسول‬
ً ٍ
‫وبمحمد‬ ،‫يت باهلل ر ًّبا‬
ُ ‫رض‬ِ ،‫حممدً ا عبدُ ه ورسو ُله‬
»‫له ذن ُبه‬
“Whoever says when he hears the mu’adhdhin, ‘I bear witness that
there is no god except Allah, with no partner or associate, and I bear
witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger; I am content
with Allah as my Lord, Muhammad as my Messenger and Islam as
my religion,’ his sins will be forgiven.”3
These three hadiths highlight the importance of these three fundamental
principles and the high status thereof.
The fact that the shaykh chose these three fundamental principles in
particular to write a book about is among the evidence of the immense
impact of the scholars on the ummah and among the proofs that the
shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) was sincere towards the ummah,
because he was very keen to teach ordinary Muslims and remind them
15 Muslim, 34.
25 Muslim, 1884.
35 Muslim, 386.
15
of these fundamental principles. Ibn Bishr (may Allah have mercy on
him) said in his Taareekh1: “The shaykh instructed the governors of cities
and the people in authority in various regions to ask the people in every
mosque every day, after Fajr prayer or between Maghrib and ‘Isha’,
whether they were aware of these three fundamental principles.” This
method was followed after him by Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Hasan2
(may Allah have mercy on him) and Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem3
(may Allah have mercy on him).
3. The great significance of the

topics covered by these principles
This essay – even though it is well known to scholars and seekers of
knowledge by the name Thalaathat al-Usool (The Three Fundamental
Principles) – is not limited to these three principles only. Rather it also
discusses other important issues having to do with Tawheed, ‘aqeedah
(beliefs) and al-walaa’ wa’l-baraa’ (loyalty and disavowal). The sum of all
these issues is the true essence of the religion with which Allah sent His
Prophet Muhammad .
Allah created all of creation to affirm His oneness (Tawheed).
“Tawheed” refers to properly understanding and living in accordance
with the testimony that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah.
This is the heart of the matter, and the foundation of the religion (Islam);
Allah will not accept any religion from the earlier and later generations
other than it. With this message Allah sent the Messengers and sent down
the Books, as He  says:
‫ﮋﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﮊ‬
“And ask (O Muhammad ) those of Our Messengers whom We sent
before you: ‘Did We ever appoint aalihah (gods) to be worshipped
besides the Most Beneficent (Allah)?”” [az-Zukhruf 43:45]
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﮊ‬
“And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad
15 ‘Unwaan al-Majd fi Taareekh Najd, 1/184.
25 See: ad-Durar as-Saniyyah, 4/338.
35 See: Fataawa ash-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem, 2/277.
16
) but We inspired him (saying): La ilaaha illa Ana (none has the
right to be worshipped but I (Allah)), so worship Me (Alone and
none else).”” [al-Anbiya’ 21:25]
‫ﮋﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾﭿ ﮊ‬
“And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community,
nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): ‘Worship Allah (Alone), and
avoid (or keep away from) Taaghoot (all false deities; i.e., do not
worship Taaghoot besides Allah)’” [an-Nahl 16:36].
Allah  tells us that the first thing to which the Messengers called their
peoples was:
‫ﮋ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶﭷ ﮊ‬
“Worship Allah, you have no other ilaah (god) but Him” [Hood
11:84]
This is the first thing to which the Messenger  called people, as he said:
»...‫اهلل‬
ُ ‫الناس حتى َيشهدوا أن ال إل َه إال‬
َ ‫أقاتل‬ ُ ‫« ُأ‬
َ ‫مرت أن‬
“I have been commanded to fight the people until they testify that
none has the right to be worshipped but Allah…”1
And he said to Mu‘aadh :
«‫ فــإذا جئتَهــم فاد ُعهــم إلــى أن يشــهدوا‬،‫إنــك ســتأيت قو ًمــا مــن أهــل الكتــاب‬
ُ ‫ وأن محمــدً ا رسـ‬،‫اهلل‬
‫اهلل‬ ‫ـول‬ ُ ‫»أن ال إلـ َه إال‬
“You are going to a community who are people of the Book. So
when you come to them, call them to testify that none has the right
to be worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger
of Allah.”2
Therefore Tawheed is the first thing to be enjoined upon a person, and
nothing else is to be given precedence over it, because if a person’s life
ends with Tawheed, he will enter Paradise as the Prophet  said:
«َ‫ دخل الجنة‬،‫اهلل‬

ُ ‫يعلم أن ال إله إال‬
ُ ‫» َمن مات وهو‬
15 Al-Bukhaari, 25.
25 Al-Bukhaari, 1395.
17
“Whoever dies knowing (and believing) that none has the right to
be worshipped but Allah will enter Paradise.”1
By testifying to the oneness of Allah a person enters Islam, and by doing or
saying anything that contradicts Tawheed, one goes beyond the bounds
of Islam – Allah forbid.
4. This essay discusses issues
and provides evidence for them
One of the characteristics of the books of leading Sunni scholars is their
keenness to present evidence from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah
of His Messenger  for every issue they discuss, whether the issue has
to do with knowledge and belief or with practice. This characteristic is
prevalent in the books of Imam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab (may
Allah have mercy on him) in general, and in this essay in particular. You
will not find any issue in this essay but he mentions evidence for it, either
from the Book of Allah or from the Sunnah of His Prophet , or from both
of them, as will become clear to you in this commentary.
15 Muslim, 26.
18
A brief biography of the author
He is the imam and mujaddid, Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd

al-Wahhaab ibn Sulaymaan Aal Musharraf at-Tameemi, who was born
in 1115 AH and died in 1206 AH. He was one of the imams of recent
centuries, a renewer (mujaddid) of the faith who waged war on shirk.
He memorized the Qur’an before the age of ten, and studied fiqh with
his father. He was intelligent and well-read. He travelled to Makkah,
Madinah and Basrah more than once in pursuit of knowledge. He
began his call (da‘wah) in al-‘Uyaynah, then Huraymila’, after which he
travelled to ad-Dar‘iyyah, where he met the emir Muhammad ibn Sa‘ud.
They made a pledge to spread Tawheed and establish the rule of Allah
on earth.
He focused on calling people to Allah, and encountered many obstacles
in doing so. He was expelled by the people of Basrah, Huraymila’ and al-
‘Uyaynah after he objected to their innovations and misguidance, and
denounced the scholars for keeping quiet. He left on foot, heading back
to his hometown. All of that was for the sake of calling people to Allah
and combatting shirk and its proponents.
He wrote a number of very beneficial books, the most important of which
include Kitaab at-Tawheed, al-Qawaa‘id al-Arba‘ and Kashf ash-Shubuhaat.
He adhered to and propagated the path of the salaf (early generations of
Islam). He was influenced by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah and devoted
time to reading his books and the books of other early scholars.1
***
15 ‘Unwaan al-Majd fi Taareekh Najd, 1/180.
19
A word about the title of the book
Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh said: The shaykh (may Allah

have mercy on him) has another essay entitled al-Usool ath-
Thalaathah (The Three Principles), which is shorter than this
one and contains less detail. That text, which is called al-Usool
ath-Thalaathah, is for children and young people to learn.
As for Thalaathat al-Usool, this is the title of the essay under
discussion here. People often mix up the two names, and they
sometimes call this essay Thalaathat al-Usool or al-Usool ath-
Thalaathah. However, the name by which this essay is correctly
known is Thalaathat al-Usool wa Adillatuha (Three Principles
and the Evidence for them).1
15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh, p. 11.
20
Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool wa Adillatuha

A Commentary On
Author's Introduction
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) began with the Basmalah (the
phrase “Bismillah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem (in the name of Allah, the Most
Beneficent, the Most Merciful”)), following the example of the Book of
Allah , in which there is no soorah that does not begin with the Basmalah
except Soorat at-Tawbah.1 Likewise, he was also following the example of
the Prophet , who would always begin his letters with the Basmalah, as
in the letter that he sent to Heraclius the ruler of Byzantium:
ِ ‫محمد‬
«‫اهلل ورسوله‬ ‫عبد‬ ٍ ‫ مِن‬،‫الرحيم‬
ِ ِ
‫الرحمن‬ ِ‫بسم اهلل‬...»
ِ
“In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. From
Muhammad, the slave of Allah and His Messenger…”2
The Sunnah in letters and essays is to begin with the Basmalah, because
of this hadith. In the case of khutbahs, the Sunnah is to begin with the
Hamdalah (the phrase “Al-hamdu Lillah… (Praise be to Allah…)”), as
mentioned in the hadith of Jaabir , who said:
‫ َيحمــدُ اهلل‬:‫ يــو َم الجمعــة‬-‫صلــى اهلل عليــه وســلم‬- ‫«كانــت خطب ـ ُة النبــي‬
»...‫و ُيثنــي عليــه‬
When the Messenger of Allah  addressed the people on Fridays,
he would praise and glorify Allah as He deserves…3
15 Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 1/9.
25 Al-Bukhaari, 7
35 Muslim, no. 867.
21
This is also seen in the well-known khutbah of the Prophet  which he
used to teach to his companions; it is known as khutbat al-haajah, and
includes the words,
َّ
»... ‫«إن الحمدَ هلل؛ نحمدُ ه‬
“Inna al-hamda Lillahi nahmaduhu… (Indeed all praise is due to Allah,
we praise Him…)”1
al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
،‫ـتقر عمـ ُـل األئمــة المصنِّفيــن علــى افتتــاح كتــب العلــم بالبســملة‬
َّ ‫«وقــد اسـ‬
»‫ـب الرســائل‬ ِ ‫ـم كتـ‬
ُ ‫وكــذا معظـ‬
It became customary for scholarly writers to begin their books of
knowledge with the basmalah, and they did likewise in most essays
or small books.2
Our shaykh, Saalih al-Fawzaan, said: “A great way to begin, before
speaking or writing books and essays, is to seek the help of Allah in the
beginning, and to seek barakah (blessing) by mentioning His name.”3
One of the reprehensible habits in which some modern-day writers
imitate the Westerners is that their books are devoid of any mention of
Allah  whatsoever. You do not find in them any basmalah or hamdalah,
or anything else. In doing that, they are imitating those who have no
share in the hereafter, namely the enemies of Islam, and they regard
that as a kind of creativity, and they describe what our righteous early
generations (may Allah be pleased with them) and what the great scholars
did as “traditional style,” as a way of deterring the new generation from
showing any interest in the books of our righteous forebears and the
books of the scholars who came after them, and by way of belittling
them. Undoubtedly this is a betrayal of the Muslims – Allah forbid. The
believer should shun these foreign influences and deviant ways, and
adhere to the way and practices of the early generations and the great
devoted scholars.
The word “bism (in the name of)” is composed of a preposition (bi -
25 Fath al-Baari, 1/9.
35 See: Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool, by Shaykh al-Fawzaan, p. 12.
22
in) and noun (ism – name); it is connected to something that is omitted,
which is a verb that may be worked out according to the context. For
example, what may be meant is: In the name of Allah I read, or I write.
The reason why the implied verb comes after mention of the name of
Allah may be for two purposes:
1. To seek barakah (blessing) from the name of Allah .
2. To give a sense of exclusivity, as indicated by the grammatical
structure of the original Arabic.1
The letter baa’ gives the meaning of seeking help or seeking blessing.2
What is meant is: I begin seeking the help of Allah, or seeking blessing by
mentioning His name.
The word “Allah” is a noun that refers to His essence, for He is the
most known of all.3 Undoubtedly, seeking the help of Allah  when
striving to achieve lofty goals is a sign of success. Whoever seeks the help
of Allah, Allah will help him, but whoever seeks the help of anyone else
will not be helped.
Some say that the word “Allah” is a noun that is not derived from
anything, but what is most likely to be the case is that it is derived from
the root alaha, which means to worship. The best that has been said
concerning this noun is what was said by Ibn ‘Abbaas : Allah is the
divine (al-ilaah), the only One to be worshipped, and all His creation are
slaves to Him.4
The Most Beneficent (ar-Rahmaan), the Most Merciful (ar-Raheem).
These are two of the names of Allah  which refer to mercy (rahmah).
One of them is broader in meaning than the other, because the longer
word is indicative of extra meaning.5 Ar-Rahmaan has one letter more [in
Arabic] than ar-Raheem, and it is broader in meaning, as the mufassireen
said. Regarding the name ar-Rahmaan, they said that it refers to the One
Whose mercy encompasses all6, whilst the name ar-Raheem refers to the
15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, p. 17.
25 Al-Jana ad-Daani fi Huroof al-Ma‘aani, p. 38; Fayd al-Qadeer, 1/3.
35 Al-Kawkab al-Wahhaaj Sharh Saheeh Muslim, 1/55; at-Tanbeehaat al-Mukhtasarah Sharh
al-Waajibaat al-Mutahattimaat al-Ma’rifah, p. 13.
45 Tafseer at-Tabari, 1/121.
55 See: al-Mathal as-Saa’ir by Ibn al-Atheer, 2/197.
65 At-Tafseer al-Muyassar, 1/1.
23
One Whose mercy is especially for the believers.1 Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌﮊ‬
“The Most Beneficent (Allah) Istawa (rose over) the (Mighty) Throne
(in a manner that suits His Majesty)” [Taa-Haa 20:5]
‫ﮋﰑ ﰒ ﰓ ﮊ‬
“And He is Ever Most Merciful to the believers” [al-Ahzaab 33:43].
One of the scholars of the early generations said: Ar-Rahmaan is merciful
to all of creation, and ar-Raheem is merciful to the believers.2
15 At-Tafseer al-Muyassar, 1/1.

25 See: Tafseer at-Tabari, 1/126.
24
You should understand,

may Allah have mercy on you, …
The phrase translated here as “You should understand” appears in the

imperative form i‘lam, which is derived from the word ‘ilm (knowledge);
‘ilm is the opposite of jahl (ignorance). So it may be said Fulaan ‘aalim (So-
and-so is a man of knowledge), meaning that he is not an ignorant man;
and it may be said Fulaan jaahil (So-and-so is an ignorant man), meaning
that he is not a man of knowledge. The scholars differed with regard to
the definition of knowledge and its limits, and they debated the matter
at length, until some of them said that knowledge has no defined limit1,
as you see in lengthy books which discuss the basic principles of religion
(usool) and so on. But one of the best definitions of knowledge was that of
the one who defined it as: Understanding a matter as it is, in a definitive
manner.2 This definition is regarded as clear and concise, and there are
not many objections to it, as there were with regard to other definitions.
Knowledge may be divided into two categories: That which everyone
knows by necessity, and that which needs to be established through proof
and argument.
Knowledge which everyone knows by necessity is that which is known
without discussion or working it out, for example the knowledge that a
man has that is part of his innate nature, such as his being aware of his
own existence, or the knowledge he acquires through his senses, such as
being aware of the fact that fire is hot and ice is cold.
Knowledge which needs to be established through proof and argument
is that which requires reflection and evidence to prove it, such as knowledge
of the obligatory duties in Islam, and of the prohibition of major sins.3
By saying “You should understand”, the shaykh (may Allah have
15 at-Tahbeer Sharh at-Tahreer by al-Mirdaawi, 1/226.
25 See Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, p. 18.
35 at-Tamheed fi Usool al-Fiqh, 1/42.
25
mercy on him) draws the listener’s (or reader’s) attention1 to the fact that
what he is going to say next is something important, and the Muslim
should pay attention to it and listen to it. In this context, this word or
phrase is meant to alert the reader.
This is a Qur’anic style, as seen in the verse:
‫ﮋﰊ ﰋ ﰌ ﰍ ﰎ ﰏ ﰐ ﰑ ﰒ ﰓﰔ ﮊ‬
“So know (O Muhammad ) that La ilaaha illa Allah (none has the
right to be worshipped but Allah), and ask forgiveness for your
sin, and also for (the sin of) believing men and believing women”
[Muhammad 47:19].
The words “may Allah have mercy on you” are a supplication for the
learner; this is a reflection of kindness and gentleness towards the
reader on the shaykh’s part. It is also pointing out that the basis for this
knowledge is gentleness and mercy to those whom one is teaching2, as we
also see in the verse,
‫ﮋﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧﭨ ﮊ‬
“And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had
you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken away
from about you” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:159].
The shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) was praying for the seekers
of knowledge, asking that Allah might have mercy on them. This is a
supplication for mercy for you, O seeker of knowledge. It is a supplication
from a great scholar and righteous man – as we believe him to be – so
there is the hope that it might be accepted, if Allah wills. One of the
benefits of the scholars and their great impact on the people is that they
pray for them. Concerning that, the imam of Sunnah and suppressor
of bid‘ah (innovation), Ahmad ibn Hanbal (may Allah be pleased with
him) said, in the introduction to his great book, ar-Radd ‘ala al-Jahamiyyah
wa’z-Zanaadiqah3: “Praise be to Allah Who has caused there to be in every
interval between Messengers some remnants of the scholars who called
15 Husool al-Ma’mool bi Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool, p. 11.
25 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool wa Adillatuha by Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh, p. 63.
35 ar-Radd ‘ala al-Jahamiyyah wa’z-Zanaadiqah, p. 55
26
to guidance those who had gone astray, bearing with patience any harm
or annoyance that they caused them, bringing to life by means of the
Book of Allah those who were spiritually lifeless, and restoring insight to
the spiritually blind. How many victims of Iblees they revived, and how
many of those who were wandering they guided. How good their impact
on people was and how bad the people’s mistreatment of them.”
The custom of the scholars of hadith, in the study circles in which the
shaykh dictates to the students, was to begin the lesson with the first hadith
they heard from him and wrote down, which is the words of the Prophet :
»‫يرحمهم الرحم ُن‬

ُ ‫«الراحمون‬
“Those who show mercy will be shown mercy by the Most
Merciful.” 1
Perhaps that is a reminder to the seekers of knowledge of the mercy that
they attain in the study circles and the blessing they attain by attending
them, and that the scholars hold these study circles out of mercy towards
the seekers of knowledge. It is also a reminder to the seeker of knowledge
of what he may encounter in these study circles of exhaustion or boredom,
or a harsh attitude or discipline from the shaykh. All of that is part of
mercy, so he should bear it with patience and put up with it. Long ago,
Yahyaa ibn Abi Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
ِ
»‫الجسم‬ ِ
‫براحة‬ ‫العلم‬ ‫ستطاع‬ ‫«ال ُي‬
ُ ُ
“And knowledge cannot be attained if one insists on physical
comfort.” 2
This sentence contains a subtle point, which is that the shaykh (may Allah
have mercy on him) enjoined knowledge when he said, “you should
know”, then after that he prayed for mercy, when he said, “May Allah
have mercy on you.” Thus he combined two things, which are the means
of attaining great goodness, because evil only stems from two things,
namely ignorance and sin. Therefore he instructed you to learn so that
you might be raised above the ignominy of ignorance, and he prayed for
mercy for you, so that you might be forgiven your sins, by Allah’s leave.
25 Saheeh Muslim, 612.
27
Four issues that we must learn
“We must learn” means: we, the two races of jinn and humans, believers
and disbelievers alike, [must learn]. As for the jinn, the teachings of
Islam are addressed to them too, whether those teachings have to do
with the fundamentals of faith or the minor issues thereof. They may
differ from humans with regard to some issues, because of their different
physical makeup and essence. As for the disbelievers among them, the
fundamentals of faith are addressed to them, according to scholarly
consensus; the same applies to the minor issues of faith, according to the
more correct scholarly view.1
In linguistic terms, the word wujoob [which is connected to the verb
yajib in the phrase yajib ‘alayna (we must)] refers to falling.2 Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚﮊ‬
“Then, when they are down on their sides (after slaughter), eat
thereof” [al-Hajj 22:36];
The phrase “when they are down on their sides” is a translation of the
phrase fa idha wajabat junoobuha, which means “when they have fallen on
their sides.”3
In Islamic terminology, al-waajib is that which the religious texts stated
definitively must be done.4
That which is waajib (obligatory) may be divided into two categories:
individual and communal.5
Individual obligations are those which Islamic teaching requires every
accountable individual to do, such as prayer, zakaah and Hajj.
15 See: Nathr al-Wurood by al-‘Allaamah Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shinqeeti, 1/262.
25 Mu‘jam Matn al-Lughah, 5/707.
35 See: Mufradaat Alfaaz al-Qur’an by ar-Raaghib, p. 854.
45 See: Sharh Mukhtasar ar-Rawdah, 1/265.
55 Rawdat an-Naazir wa Jannat al-Munaazir, 1/122.
28
Communal obligations are those which Islamic teaching requires,
without specifying who should do them, such as the funeral prayer.
The guideline regarding individual obligations is that the focus of the
Lawgiver is on the one who is doing the action, as in the case of prayer,
zakaah and fasting.
The guideline regarding communal obligations is that the focus of the
Lawgiver is on the action itself, regardless of who does it.1
To say that something is waajib (obligatory) is an Islamic ruling, for
which there must be proof to support it. In the case of these four issues, the
Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) quoted a great deal of evidence,
some of which is in specific terms and some in general terms, as will
become clear in the text below.
“learn four issues” – this means that we must seek knowledge of these
four issues. What is meant by issue (mas’alah, pl. masaa’il) is something
that one should research, ask questions [yus’al] about it one after another,
and take an interest in the matter.2 Perhaps the shaykh (may Allah have
mercy on him) used the word masaa’il (issues) because he had been asked
[su’ila] about something and answered it by listing many points and
categories in his answer. That is because he (may Allah have mercy on
him) was very keen to bring knowledge to the common folk, because
the method of listing things and categories is one of the best means of
making knowledge easier to understand and helping people to have a
proper grasp of it. These four issues form part of the knowledge that it is
obligatory to learn. The scholars divide knowledge into two categories3:
a. Islamic knowledge
This is what is referred to when knowledge is mentioned without further
qualification in the Qur’an and hadiths, and in reports from the early
generations, which speak of the virtue of knowledge and its people,
and what it leads to of great reward. The aim and goal of this type of
knowledge is to learn the truth on the basis of evidence. The great scholar
15 See: Mudhakkirah fi Usool al-Fiqh by al-‘Allaamah Muhammad al-Ameen ash-Shinqeeti, p.
18.
25 See: Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh al-Fawzaan, p. 16.
35 Al-Mawsoo‘ah al-Qur’aaniyyah al-Mutakhassisah, 1/242.
29
Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in al-
Qaseedah an-Nooniyyah, which is also known as
»‫«الكافية الشافية يف االنتصار للفرقة الناجية‬

al-Kaafiyah ash-Shaafiyah fi’l-Intisaar li’l-Firqah an-Naajiyah:
ِ ‫ستو‬
‫يان‬ ِ ‫ما ذاك والتقليدُ ُم‬ ‫والعلم معرف ُة الهدى بدليله‬
ُ
“Knowledge is to learn about guidance on the basis of evidence,
and this is not the same as (blind) imitation.”1
With regard to Islamic knowledge, some of it must be sought and learned
by each individual, such as these four issues and three fundamental
principles, the fundamentals of faith, and rulings on tahaarah (purification),
prayer, fasting, zakaah for one who has wealth on which zakaah is
due, Hajj for the one who is able to do it, and what must be avoided of
prohibited things. Anything other than that comes under the heading of
communal obligations. The former is what the Prophet  was referring
to when he said,
ِ
»‫العلم فريض ٌة على كل مسلم‬ ‫«طلب‬
ُ
“Seeking knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim.”2
Al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi said: “One of the scholars said: what the
Messenger of Allah  meant when he said this was knowledge of
Tawheed, and whatever other issues a man of reason needs to learn in
order to be regarded as a believer, for knowing that is obligatory for every
Muslim, and no one can afford to be ignorant of it, because it is made
obligatory for everyone, and not only for some specific individuals.”3
Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said, giving a
definition of Islamic knowledge: “Islamic knowledge is that which
refers to what the accountable person is obliged to learn of the issues
of his religion, having to do with his acts of worship, his interactions
and dealings with others, knowledge of Allah and His attributes, and his
individual duty to comply with Allah’s commands and declare Him to be
15 See: al-Qaseedah an-Nooniyyah, p. 99.
25 Ibn Maajah, 224.
35 See: al-Fiqh wa’l-Mutafaqqih, p. 131.
30
above all shortcomings. The basis of all this knowledge is tafseer, hadith
and fiqh.”1
b. Worldly knowledge
This is knowledge that helps a person to earn a living, so that he will be
able to carry out the duties that Allah has enjoined upon him. This includes
knowledge of medicine, engineering, and beneficial fields of work and
industry. If the individual has a sincere intention when engaging in the
pursuit of such knowledge, in order to earn a halaal income and benefit
the Muslims, he will be rewarded for that.
15 See: Fath al-Baari, 1/141.
31
1. Knowledge, which is: learning about Allah,

learning about His Prophet and learning about the
religion of Islam, on the basis of evidence.
Here the author mentions the first of the four issues which we must learn,
namely the issue of knowledge, which he defines as “learning about Allah,
learning about His Prophet and learning about the religion of Islam, on
the basis of evidence.” These are the three principles which the Shaykh
discusses in this essay, and they are very significant principles of which
many people are unaware and have no interest in learning about them
– Allah forbid. The Muslims should be keen to take an interest in these
issues, learn about them and teach them to others.
The shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) refers to knowledge (‘ilm)
as ma‘rifah, which may give the impression that the Arabic words ‘ilm and
ma‘rifah are synonymous. However, this is a matter concerning which
the scholars differed, as was mentioned by some of the linguists1; some
scholars of usool also referred to it.2 It was said that the two words mean
the same thing; it was also suggested that the difference between them is
that one is general in meaning whereas the other is specific in meaning.
There is no need to discuss this matter in detail, because such subtleties
are not appropriate for this brief essay. Hence it is sufficient – with regard
to this issue – to note the discussion presented by Imam Shams ad-Deen
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) when he said:
“There are three differences between it [‘ilm] and ma‘rifah:
1. Ma‘rifah is the essence of knowledge. The relationship between
‘ilm and ma‘rifah is like that between eemaan (faith) and ihsaan.3
15 See: al-Furooq al-Lughawiyyah by al-‘Askari, p. 80.
25 See: Sharh Mukhtasar ar-Rawdah, 1/174.
35 Ihsân is referred to in the well-known hadith in which it was narrated that ‘Umar said: We
were sitting with the Prophet  when a man came to him whose clothes were intensely
white and whose hair was intensely black; no signs of travel could be seen upon him, and
none of us knew him. He sat down facing the Prophet , with his knees touching his,
32
Ma‘rifah is a special type of ‘ilm which deals with issues that are
more subtle and hidden than issues having to do with ‘ilm.
2. Ma‘rifah is the type of ‘ilm to which the one who acquires it should
pay extra attention, as dictated by the ‘ilm itself. Thus ma‘rifah is
a type of ‘ilm to which one must pay extra attention.
3. Ma‘rifah is self-evident; it is like issues that have to do with innate
nature that one can never doubt or reject.
What one learns from ma‘rifah is more refined and perfect than what one
learns from ‘ilm. And Allah  knows best.”1
What is meant by “learning about Allah” is learning that He is the
true God, the only Creator, Provider, Sovereign and Controller, to Him
belong the most beautiful names and sublime attributes, and He is far
above having any shortcomings or defects, and far above resembling His
creation:
‫ﮋﭡ ﭢ ﭣﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﮊ‬
“There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-
Seer” [Ash-Shoora 42:11].
He is the only one who deserves to be worshipped, and none of His
creation are to be associated with Him in worship, as He  says:
‫ﮋﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ‬
‫ﯘ ﯙﮊ‬
“That is because Allah He is the Truth (the only True God of all that
and he put his hands on his thighs, and said: O Muhammad, what is Islam? He said, “To
testify that there is no god except Allah, and that I am the Messenger of Allah; to establish
regular prayer; to pay zakaah; to fast in Ramadan; and to perform Pilgrimage to the House
(the Ka‘bah).” He said, You have spoken the truth. We were amazed by him: he asked a
question then told him that he had spoken the truth. Then he said, O Muhammad, what is
faith? He said, “To believe in Allah, His angels, His Messengers, His Books, the Last Day,
and the divine decree (al-qadar), both good and bad.” He said, You have spoken the truth.
We were amazed by him: he asked a question then told him that he had spoken the truth.
Then he said, O Muhammad, what is ihsân (right action, goodness, sincerity)? He said, “To
worship Allah as if you see Him, for even though you cannot see Him, He sees you.” This
version was narrated by Ibn Mâjah; the hadith was also narrated by al-Bukhâri, Muslim
and others.
15 See: Madaarij as-Saalikeen, 2/443.
33
exists, Who has no partners or rivals with Him), and what they (the
polytheists) invoke besides Him, it is Baatil (falsehood) And verily,
Allah He is the Most High, the Most Great” [al-Hajj 22:62].
Allah  has made Himself known to His slaves in many ways, the most
significant of which are five:
1. The way He created them with an innate attachment and
love for Him, with an inclination to turn to Him, ask Him for
protection, seek Him and find comfort in Him. If they were left
with their innate nature, they would remain monotheistic, with
an inclination towards Him, not associating anything else with
Him and not depending on anyone other than Him.
2. What He has told them of His names, attributes and actions, which
point to His perfect essence and indicate that He is separate from
what He has created, and is great and mighty in power. Therefore
He  alone is God and His creation must worship Him alone.
3. The verses of the Qur’an and the soundly-narrated hadiths from
His Prophet Muhammad , which all guide to Him, explain His
rights, show the path that pleases Him, and warn against the
paths that take one far away from Him and bring His wrath,
anger and punishment upon the one who follows those paths.
4. Signs in the universe, in people’s own selves and on the horizon,
Allah’s control of His dominion, and all that it contains of
wonders and harmony. All of that points to the knowledge,
wisdom, might and power of Allah, and prompts one to put
one’s trust in Him.
5. The blessings and favours of Allah, those that He has bestowed
upon all and those that He has given to specific people,
innumerable blessings both visible and hidden. They are
indicative of His complete self-sufficiency, His kindness, His
generosity, His grace and His mercy, and prompt one to love
Him, turn to Him, sincerely seek His protection and show the
utmost humility towards Him.1
15 Ifaadat al-Mas’ool, p. 89.
34
Here we must note an important matter, which is: can the one who is
accountable follow someone else [a scholar or knowledgeable person] in
issues of ‘aqeedah (belief, doctrine)?
The answer, as Shaykh as-Saffaareeni said, is: “Our scholars and others
said that it is forbidden to imitate and follow someone else with regard
to issues pertaining to Allah , to Tawheed and the message, and also
to the five pillars of Islam and similar matters which were narrated via
mutawaatir reports.1 That is the well-known view of Imam Ahmad (may
Allah have mercy on him) and the majority of scholars, and was narrated
from Abu’l-Khattaab from the majority of scholars, and others stated that
it is the view of the majority. It says in Sharh at-Tahreer: “Al-Halwaani
– one of our companions – and others stated that it is prohibited in
general terms, without qualification, to follow someone else [a scholar
or knowledgeable person] with regard to the fundamental issues of
religion.”2
But that does not mean that the faith of the ordinary Muslim who
follows someone else is invalid, because it is sufficient that he is certain
about what he believes, and it is not stipulated that he should know the
evidence for that.3 As-Saffaareeni said, after that: “The true fact of the
matter that no one can ignore and no one can argue about is that the faith
of one who follows someone else in the proper manner, with conviction
and certainty, is valid, and examining issues and seeking evidence is not
obligatory; following someone else in the proper manner will lead one to
knowledge and understanding.4
Faith (eemaan) is of two types5: faith in general and faith in detail.
Those who believe and have faith in general, “among the ordinary
Muslims who are taught what to believe and do not read or write”,
should not be obliged to seek evidence. So it should not be said to one
of them: “You must find evidence and learn evidence for every issue of
15 A mutawaatir hadith is one that was transmitted by so many narrators at each stage of its
isnaad (chain of transmission) that it is inconceivable that they could all have agreed on a
lie. [Translator]
25 Lawaami‘ al-Anwar al-Bahiyyah, 1/168.
35 This was stated by al-‘Allaamah ‘Abdullah Aba Butayn, the mufti of Najd, as noted in
ad-Durar as-Saniyyah fi’l-Ajwibah an-Najdiyyah, 4/339.
45 awaami‘ al-Anwar al-Bahiyyah, 1/169.
55 At-Tamheed li Sharh Kitaab at-Tawheed, p. 349
35
belief (‘aqeedah), because this is not something to be expected of them.
Rather what is expected and required of them is to learn about issues
of belief in general. But the one who has the ability to understand and
look for evidence should learn the issues of his religion on the basis of
evidence. What is meant by evidence here is evidence from the Book of
Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet .
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen supported the view that it is valid to follow
someone else [a scholar or knowledgeable person] in issues in which
certain faith is required, and he stated that the view that it is not allowed
to follow someone else in these issues is a weak view, for three reasons:
1. Allah told us to ask the people of knowledge with regard to
issues of religion in which one must believe firmly, as He said:
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﮊ‬
“And We sent not (as Our Messengers) before you (O Muhammad
) any but men, whom We inspired, (to preach and invite
mankind to believe in the Oneness of Allah). So ask of those who
know the Scripture (learned men of the Tawraat (Torah) and the
Injeel (Gospel)), if you know not” [an-Nahl 16:43].
It is clear that when we ask the people of knowledge, we ask them
in order to follow what they say. It is well-known that believing
that the messengers were human is part of our belief, yet despite
that, Allah tells us to ask the people of knowledge about that
matter.
2. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚﯛ ﮊ‬
“So if you (O Muhammad ) are in doubt concerning that which
We have revealed unto you, (i.e., that your name is written in the
Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)) then ask those who are
reading the Book (the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel))
before you. Verily, the truth has come to you from your Lord. So
be not of those who doubt (it)” [Yoonus 10:94].
36
He was only instructed to ask them in order to find out the correct
answer and accept it. If this was addressed to the Messenger ,
who did not doubt, then it is more applicable to ordinary people,
when they are uncertain about some matter of religion. So they
should refer the matter to those people of knowledge who read
the Book, so that they may follow what they say. This is general in
meaning and includes issues of belief and other matters.
3. If we oblige the ordinary Muslim to refrain from following
someone else [a scholar or knowledgeable person] and oblige
him to work things out for himself, then we will be obliging him
to do something that is beyond him, and Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜﮊ‬
“Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope” [al-Baqarah
2:286].
The correct view is that when it comes to matters concerning which
one should be definite and certain, it is sufficient to be certain, whether
that is attained through evidence or through following a scholar or
knowledgeable person.1
The author says: “learning about His Prophet”, namely Muhammad
; he mentions details of that at the end of the essay.
“and learning about the religion of Islam, on the basis of evidence” –
and not blindly imitating and following others.
The word translated here as evidence is adillah, which is the plural of
daleel. Daleel is that by means of which a person is guided to what he is
seeking.2 Evidence is of different types.3 The sources of evidence are the
Holy Qur’an and the Prophet’s Sunnah; from these two sources other
types of evidence stem, such as ijmaa‘ (scholarly consensus) and qiyaas
(analogy).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Knowledge is based on ‘Allah said’ and ‘His Messenger said’, and ‘The
Sahaabah, who have great knowledge, said.’
15 Sharh al-‘Aqeedah as-Saffaareeniyyah by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 308-312.
25 Al-‘Uddah fi Usool al-Fiqh, 1/131.
35 Tayseer ‘Ilm Usool al-Fiqh, p. 13.
37
Knowledge is not foolishly regarding a matter as controversial because
there is a conflict between what the Messenger said and what So-and-so
said.1
With regard to the views of the well-versed scholars of hadith and
fiqh, their views are not to be regarded as evidence in and of themselves;
rather they offer an explanation and clarification of the words of Allah
and His Messenger , and may be used to help one understand what
Allah and His Messenger said, and to understand the religion.2
With regard to evidence for issues of Tawheed, religion and the
message, that varies:
1. Some of the evidence is textual, that is it comes from the revelation,
such as the verses in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ‬
‫ﭣﮊ‬
“Such is Allah, your Lord! La ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right
to be worshipped but He), the Creator of all things. So worship
Him (Alone), and He is the Wakeel (Trustee, Disposer of affairs,
Guardian, etc.) over all things” [al-An‘aam 6:102]
‫ﮋ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ‬
‫ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮊ‬
“Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam. Those who were given
the Scripture (Jews and Christians) did not differ except out
of mutual jealousy, after knowledge had come to them. And
whoever disbelieves in the Aayaat (proofs, evidences, verses,
signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, then surely, Allah is Swift in
calling to account” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:19]
‫ﮋ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ‬
‫ﮃﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐﮊ‬
“Muhammad  is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many)
15 Nooniyyat Ibn al-Qayyim, 1/226.
25 I‘laam al-Muwaqqi‘een, 1/13.
38
Messengers have passed away before him. If he dies or is killed,
will you then turn back on your heels (as disbelievers)? And he
who turns back on his heels, not the least harm will he do to
Allah, and Allah will give reward to those who are grateful”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:144].
2. Some of the evidence is rational, that is, it is based on reasoning
and reflection. That includes:
i. Rational evidence for divinity (uloohiyyah), meaning that the Cre-
ator of creation is the only one Who deserves to be worshipped
alone.
ii. Rational evidence for religious teachings, meaning that it was in-
evitable that Allah would ordain a religion for His slaves through
which they may worship Him.
iii. Rational evidence for Prophethood, meaning that it was inevitable

that Allah  would send Messengers to call His slaves to Him and
explain to them how they should worship Him, because this is in
accordance with His wisdom, His mercy, His grace and His justice.1
15 Ifaadat al-Mas’ool, p. 910.
39
2. Acting in accordance with it
“Acting in accordance with it” means acting in accordance with this

knowledge that you have acquired, which is referred to in the first
issue (of the four issues). Whoever learns about Allah, learns about His
Prophet whom He sent to the people with clear proof, guidance and the
true religion, to bring them forth from the depths of darkness to the light,
and learns about the rulings of this religion on the basis of evidence will
become aware of what is required of him. What is required of the one who
is aware and has knowledge is to act upon what he has learned, not to
boast about it or show off in gatherings. Knowledge is a means and action
is the goal; knowledge is a tree and action is the fruit. Whoever learns
but does not act in accordance with what he has learned, his knowledge
is proof against him and will be a cause of doom for him. Al-Khateeb
al-Baghdadi said: “You should never feel content with your striving (in
worship) so long as you are lacking in knowledge, and you should never
feel content with your knowledge so long as you are falling short in your
actions. Rather you should try to combine them both, even if your share
of both is small. There is nothing worse than a man of knowledge whose
knowledge people reject because of his corrupt conduct, and there is
nothing worse than an ignorant person with no knowledge whom people
follow in his misguided ways because of what they see of his striving in
worship.”1
So whoever does not act upon his knowledge is among those who
have earned Allah’s anger. In the hadith it says:
»‫النار ثالث ٌة‬ َ ‫«إن‬

ُ ‫أول َمن تُس َّع ُر هبم‬ َّ
“The first ones for whom the Fire will be stoked are three,”
among whom he mentioned a knowledgeable man who did not act upon
what he had learned.2
15 Iqtidaa’ al-‘Ilm al-‘Aml, p. 18.
25 Muslim, 1905.
40
What is meant by acting here is following what this knowledge
dictates, namely believing in Allah , obeying His commands and
heeding His prohibitions, according to what it says in the Book of Allah
and the Sunnah of His Prophet , as Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﮊ‬
“Say (O Muhammad  to mankind): ‘If you (really) love Allah then
follow me (i.e., accept Islamic Monotheism, follow the Qur’an and
the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And
Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful’” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:31].
41
3. Calling others to it
“Calling others to it” means that when a person learns and acts upon
what he has learned, he will perfect himself, after which he must strive to
call others to follow this path. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ‬
‫ﮒ ﮊ‬
“Say (O Muhammad ): ‘This is my way; I invite unto Allah with
sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me. And Glorified and
Exalted be Allah (above all that they associate as partners with Him).
And I am not of the Mushrikoon (polytheists)’” [Yoosuf 12:108].
Nevertheless, it is essential to ensure that one is sincere in calling people.
Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab said in Kitaab at-
Tawheed, commenting on this verse: “… It highlights the importance of
sincerity, because many people, when they call people to the truth, are in
fact only promoting themselves.”1
The “sure knowledge” referred to in the verse
‫ﮋ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮊ‬
“I invite unto Allah with sure knowledge” [Yoosuf 12:108]
is knowledge of Islamic rulings and teachings.
The Muslim should know that calling people to Allah is the mission of
all the Messengers and Prophets (peace be upon them), and it is the path
of those who follow them in truth.2 Allah took a solemn pledge from the
scholars that they would explain to the people what they know about
matters of religion, in order to call people to the truth and bring them
forth from the depths of darkness into the light. Allah  says:
15 Kitaab at-Tawheed: Baab ad-Du‘aa’ ila Shahaadat an Laa ilaaha illa Allah, p. 133.
25 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, p. 23.
42
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﮊ‬
“(And remember) when Allah took a covenant from those who were
given the Scripture (Jews and Christians) to make it (the news of
the coming of Prophet Muhammad  and the religious knowledge)
known and clear to mankind, and not to hide it” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:187].
If Allah  blesses a person by enabling him to learn the truth, accept it
and act upon it, then he must call other people to the truth, because that
is one of the means of remaining steadfast in adhering to it. It is also part
of showing gratitude to Allah (sw) for His blessings, showing kindness
to His creation and doing one’s duty towards them. Calling others will
also help the Muslim to strive in obedience to Allah in accordance with
the teachings of Islam.
Thus a person will strive harder and harder in seeking knowledge and
acting upon it, and will increase in goodness and virtue, and attaining
mindfulness of Allah (taqwa), and will be among the doers of good who
are promised mercy and kindness from the Most Beneficent .
43
4. Bearing with patience what one experiences of

hardship [when adhering to the path of Allah]
In linguistic terms, the word sabr (patience) is the opposite of panic.

The root meaning of sabr is retaining or holding.1
According to Islamic teachings, sabr refers to restraining oneself from
doing that which Allah has forbidden, compelling oneself to do obligatory
deeds, and restraining oneself from feeling discontent or complaining
about the divine decree.2
Based on that, patience (sabr) may be divided into three categories3:
i. Patience in obeying Allah
ii. Patience in refraining from disobeying Allah
iii. Patience in accepting the divine decree and what Allah
has preordained.
The evidence for that is the

soorah in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ‬
‫ﭞﭟﭠﮊ‬
“By Al-‘Asr (the time). Verily! Man is in loss, Except those who
believe and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another
to the truth, and recommend one another to patience” [al-‘Asr
103:1-3].
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) quotes as evidence for
these four issues Soorat al-‘Asr, which is a very significant soorah that
every Muslim needs to learn and understand its meanings. There follows
15 See: as-Sihaah by al-Jawhari, p. 706; Lisaan al-‘Arab by Ibn Manzoor, 4/437.

25 See: Risaalat Ibn al-Qayyim ila Ahad Ikhwaanihi, p. 18.
35 Madaarij as-Saalikeen bayna Manaazil Iyyaaka Na‘budu wa Iyyaaka Nasta‘een, 2/163.
44
a brief explanation:
The soorah begins with the words,
‫“ ﮋ ﭑ ﮊ‬By Al-‘Asr (the time)” [al-‘Asr 103:1].
Here Allah swears an oath, and Allah  swears by whatever He wills of
His creation, because He is the Creator. There are many examples of that
in the Qur’an.
‫“ ﮋ ﭑ ﮊ‬By Al-‘Asr (the time)” [al-‘Asr 103:1];
what is meant by time is night and day.1 Allah  does not swear by
anything except for a reason, and in the alternation of night and day there
is a great lesson for those who reflect. Allah swears by that because it is
the sphere of actions, in which man is either gaining or losing.
The definite article in the phrase
‫“ ﮋ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﮊ‬Man is in loss” [al-‘Asr 103:2]

indicates that what is meant is all of humankind.
‫“ ﮋ ﭕ ﭖ ﮊ‬in loss” means that he is in a state of loss.
The basic principle is that every human is in a state of loss and doom,
then Allah  makes an exception for those who combine these four
characteristics: faith (belief), righteous deeds, recommending one another
to the truth, and recommending one another to patience.
This soorah contains clear and comprehensive evidence for these four
issues:
Knowledge, for which may be quoted as evidence the words
‫“ ﮋ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﮊ‬Except those who believe” [al-‘Asr 103:3];

that is, they learned about the truth and believed in it.2
Action, for which may be quoted as evidence the words
‫“ ﮋ ﭛ ﭜ ﮊ‬and do righteous good deeds” [al-‘Asr 103:3],
that is, they act in accordance with what they know of truth.
Calling others to it, for which may be quoted as evidence the words,
15 Tafseer at-Tabari, Jaami‘ al-Bayaan, annotated by Shaakir, 24/589.
25 See: Miftaah Daar as-Sa‘aadah, 1/153.
45
‫“ ﮋ ﭝ ﭞ ﮊ‬and recommend one another to the truth”, that is, they
enjoin one another to do that by way of teaching and advising.
Bearing with patience what one experiences of hardship in the course
of adhering to the truth, for which may be quoted as evidence the words,
‫“ ﮋ ﭟ ﭠ ﮊ‬and recommend one another to patience”, that is, they
are patient in adhering to the truth, and they enjoin one another to be
patient in adhering to the truth.1
Imam Shams ad-Deen Ibn al-Qayyim said, after discussing these great
principles and lofty aspirations: “This is the highest level of perfection,
for perfection means that a person attains perfection himself and helps
others to attain perfection. This perfection may be attained through two
things: sound knowledge and sound action; sound knowledge means
having faith, and sound action means doing righteous deeds. Helping
others to attain perfection is done by teaching them the truth and being
patient when teaching them, and by advising them to be patient in seeking
knowledge and in doing righteous deeds. This soorah, despite its brevity,
is one of the most concise yet comprehensive soorahs in the Qur’an, as
it refers to all that is good. Praise be to Allah, Who has made His Book
sufficient for us so that we have no need of any other, and has made it
healing for every disease and a guide to all that is good.”2
These great principles are what Luqmaan enjoined upon his son when
he exhorted him. His enjoining of knowledge is referred to in the words:
‫ﮋ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﮊ‬
“And (remember) when Luqmaan said to his son when he was
advising him: ‘O my son! Join not in worship others with Allah.
Verily! Joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong)
indeed” [Luqmaan 31:13].
This is a prohibition of shirk (associating others with Allah), and a
prohibition on shirk is an implicit command enjoining Tawheed. It
is well-established in ‘ilm al-usool that a command to do something is
a prohibition of the opposite, and a prohibition on doing something is
15 See: Miftaah Daar as-Sa‘aadah, 1/153.

25 Miftaah Daar as-Sa‘aadah, 1/153, 154.
46
a command to do the opposite. Therefore this constitutes evidence for
issues of knowledge, as mentioned in the discussion above.
With regard to actions, calling people to truth and being patient, these
are mentioned in the verse:
‫ﮋ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯﯰ ﯱ ﯲ ﯳ‬
‫ﯴﯵ ﮊ‬
“O my son! Aqim is-Salaah (establish prayer), enjoin (people) for
Al-Ma‘roof (Islamic Monotheism and all that is good), and forbid
(people) from Al-Munkar (i.e., disbelief in the Oneness of Allah,
polytheism of all kinds, and all that is evil and bad), and bear
with patience whatever befall you. Verily! These are some of the
important commandments ordered by Allah with no exemption”
[Luqmaan 31:17].
This is a command to worship Allah, call people to Him, and bear with
patience whatever one experiences of hardship. And Allah knows best.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Once a person
completes these four levels, he becomes one of the rabbaani scholars.
The early generations were unanimously agreed that a scholar does not
deserve to be called rabbaani (perfect in knowledge and in deeds, 3:79)
until he learns the truth, acts in accordance with it, and teaches it. Whoever
learns, acts and teaches is called great in the kingdom of heaven.”1
15 Zaad al-Ma‘aad, 3/9.
47
Ash-Shaafa‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

If Allah had not sent down any proof for His creation
except this soorah, that would have sufficed them.
The words “If Allah had not sent down any proof for His creation except
this soorah…” are a very famous statement of ash-Shaafa‘i (may Allah
have mercy on him), which was attributed to him by a number of people
of knowledge and scholars in several versions, including an-Nawawi,
who narrated it from ash-Shaafa‘i in the words: “People are heedless
about this soorah.”1 It was also narrated by Ibn al-Qayyim in the words,
“If all the people reflected upon this soorah, it would suffice them”2; and
by Ibn Katheer in the words, “If people pondered this soorah, that would
be sufficient for them.”3
Ash-Shaafa‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) did not mean that this
soorah would suffice people in all their religious affairs, or that it would
suffice them in such a way that they would not need the rest of the Qur’an.
Such notions are far-fetched; rather ash-Shaafa‘i’s intention when he
made the statement was to alert people to the importance of this soorah
and to highlight the fact that in it, Allah mentions the means of attaining
happiness and well-being, and the means that lead to doom and misery.
This soorah, although it is brief, warns against the causes of doom and
loss whilst alerting people to the means of attaining success and great
reward in this world and the hereafter. May Allah  make us and you
among the people of success and righteousness.
15 Al-Majmoo‘, 1/12; Tahdheeb al-Asmaa’ wa’l-Lughaat, 1/54.

25 Miftaah Daar as-Sa‘aadah, 1/152.
35 Tafseer al-Qur’an al-‘Azeem, 8/479.
48
Al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Chapter: Knowledge comes before words and
deeds. The evidence for that is the verse:
‫ﮋﰊ ﰋ ﰌ ﰍ ﰎ ﰏ ﰐ ﰑ ﮊ‬
“Know, then, that there is none worthy of worship but Allah. And
ask forgiveness for your sins” [Muhammad 47:19].
Thus He began with knowledge, before words and deeds.1
“Al-Bukhaari said… ” Here the Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him)
reiterates what he stated earlier, that knowledge comes before words and
deeds. This is a matter concerning which there is agreement among the
scholars; action is of no benefit if it is not based on knowledge. Therefore
whoever acts without knowledge, his deeds will become a cause of doom
for him on the Day of Resurrection. Al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have
mercy on him) said: “We looked into this matter and examined it, and
we have never seen anyone who did deeds without knowledge but what
he corrupted was greater than what he put right.”2 Allah indeed spoke
the truth; whoever does deeds at a personal level without knowledge
will be misguided, and whoever calls people (to faith) without proper
knowledge and understanding will mislead them and increase them
in ignorance. One of the signs of the Hour is that knowledge will be
taken away, ignorance will become widespread, and ignorant people
will become a reference point for fatwas, as mentioned in the hadith of
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas , who said: I heard the Messenger of
Allah  say:
‫العلم بقبض‬
َ ِ ‫العلم انتزا ًعا َي‬
‫ ولك ْن َيقبِ ُض‬،‫نتز ُعه من الناس‬ َ ‫«إن اهلل ال َيقبِ ُض‬
َّ
‫فسئلوا َفأ ْفتَوا بغري‬
ُ ‫رؤوسا ُج َّه ًال؛‬
ً ‫الناس‬
ُ ‫رت ْك عا ًملا اختذ‬ُ ‫ حتى إذا مل َي‬،‫العلامء‬
15 Fath al-Baari, by Ibn Hajar, 1/160.
25 Az-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad, 1/234.
49
»‫وأض ُّلوا‬
َ ‫علم؛ فض ُّلوا‬
“Allah will not take away knowledge by snatching it from people;
rather He will take it away by taking away the scholars (in death)
until, when there is no scholar left, people will take as their leaders
ignorant people who, when they are consulted, will give their
verdict without knowledge, so they will go astray and will lead the
people astray.”1
“Al-Bukhaari said… ” that is, in his Saheeh, which is the soundest book on
earth after the Book of Allah .
Al-Bukhaari said in as-Saheeh: “Chapter: Knowledge comes before
words and deeds, because Allah  says:
‫ﮋﰊ ﰋ ﰌ ﰍ ﰎ ﰏ ﮊ‬
“Know, then, that there is none worthy of worship but Allah. And
ask forgiveness for your sins” [Muhammad 47:19].
Thus He began with knowledge. After that, the Shaykh said “before
words and deeds”, which is added for emphasis; he took this idea from
the beginning of al-Bukhaari’s introduction.
50
You should understand – may Allah have mercy on

you – that every Muslim man and woman must learn
these three issues and act in accordance with them.
The phrase that the shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) used with
regard to the four issues discussed above was “we must learn”. Here he
expressed it differently, and said “every Muslim man and woman must
learn.” The two expressions boil down to the same thing; the aim is simply
to vary the wording in order to ward off boredom. These issues are also
an individual obligation for every Muslim man and woman, and they are
not contrary to the issues discussed above; rather they confirm them, and
serve as an introduction to what comes after them.
The ruling that it is obligatory to learn these issues is not something
that the shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) worked out on the basis
of ijtihaad. Rather it is clearly stated in the religious texts, either from Allah
 in what He revealed in His Book, or in what the Prophet  explained in
his Sunnah. It is an individual obligation that is incumbent upon all the
Muslims; it is not a communal obligation, such that if some undertake it,
sin is waived from the rest.
Before beginning to discuss these three issues, we will mention some
of their benefits in general terms. These benefits include:
a. Learning the wisdom behind creation, which is to worship Allah .
That can only be achieved by obeying His commands and heeding
His prohibitions.
b. Understanding the danger that shirk poses to worship, because it
invalidates it and renders all good deeds worthless.
c. Distinguishing between the close friends of Allah and the close
friends of the Shaytaan, because the believing close friends of Allah
should love and take as friends and allies their brethren in faith, and
they should hate and regard as enemies those who disbelieve and
associate others with Allah .
51
1. That Allah has created us …
“That Allah has created us” means: Allah  is the only Creator who has
created us and brought us into being from nothing by His might, and
every rational person understands this, whether he is a believer or a
disbeliever; this understanding on its own does not help the disbeliever
at all against the punishment of Allah.
The evidence that Allah has created us is both textual and rational.1
There follows an explanation of that:
a. Textual evidence: it is mentioned in many verses, including the
following:
‫ﮋ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨﭩ ﮊ‬
“He it is Who has created you from clay, and then has decreed a
stated term (for you to die)” [al-An‘aam 6:2]
‫ﮋ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕﮊ‬
“And indeed, We created man from sounding clay of altered black
smooth mud” [al-Hijr 15:26].
And there are many other similar verses in the Book of Allah .
b. Rational evidence, which is mentioned in the verse:
‫ﮋﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﮊ‬
“Were they created by nothing, or were they themselves the
creators?”[at-Toor 52:35].
Man did not create himself, because before he was brought into existence,
he was non-existent, and that which is non-existent is nothing: that which
is nothing cannot create anything and, moreover, it could not come
15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by al-‘Uthaymeen, p. 29.
52
into existence spontaneously without something or someone to bring
it into existence, because every event must have a cause, and because
the existence of creation, with this brilliant system and perfect harmony,
rules out the notion that it could have happened randomly, for that which
comes into existence randomly will not have any order from the outset,
so how can it be in order during its survival and development?
Thus it must be inevitable that the Creator is Allah alone, so there is no
creator or issuer of commands except Him.1 Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮊ‬
“Surely, His is the Creation and Commandment. Blessed be Allah,
the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)!”[al-
A‘raaf 7:54].
To clarify further, we may note that according to rational thinking, there
can only be three scenarios, and no more2:
i. That we were created with no creator. This is not possible, because
creation needs a creator, just as movement needs a mover, and hence
it is not possible for anything to move from its place unless there is
a mover to move it. This is something inevitable that is known to
rational thinkers. Therefore to claim that we were created without
a creator is something impossible. All people of reason agree with
that, even the stubborn ones among them. Therefore if it were said
to any person of reason that there is a palace in which there is ev-
erything that one could desire and wish for, but this palace came
into existence randomly, without being constructed or prepared, he
would be quick to reject that notion and would say that this is not
possible, because such a palace requires a builder, and all that it
contains requires workers and craftsmen.
ii. That we created ourselves. This is an even more corrupt view than
the first idea, because before we were created we were nonexistent,
and that which is nonexistent cannot have the ability to bring itself
into existence, for non-existence is a shortcoming whereas creation
is perfection, so how can a shortcoming be perfect? This is not pos-
15 See: Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, p. 29.
53
sible.
iii. That we must inevitably have a creator, who is the omnipotent Lord.
The verse refers to this rational evidence in a brilliant way, as Allah 

says:
‫ﮋﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﮊ‬
“Were they created by nothing?” [at-Toor 52:35].
In other words, were they created spontaneously, without a creator? This
is the first scenario. The words of Allah
‫ﮋﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﮊ‬
“or were they themselves the creators?” [at-Toor 52:35]
mean: did they create themselves, which is the second scenario. Both
scenarios are impossible, so there is nothing left except the third scenario,
which is not referred to in the verse, so as to indicate that it is very clear,
and that has a greater impact on the mind of the listener or reader than
stating clearly that the Creator is Allah .
54
… and has granted us provision…
“… and has granted us provision…” means: it is Allah  Who has

granted us provision and has bestowed upon us blessings both visible
and hidden. The word rizq (provision) refers to that which is granted,
regardless of what it is; it may be either general or specific.
General rizq is everything that could benefit physical well-being and
maintain physical strength and health, whether it is from a haraam source
or a halaal source; some of it is good and some is bad.
Specific rizq is that by means of which one may maintain one’s faith
and religious commitment, namely beneficial knowledge, righteous
deeds and halaal provision which helps one to obey Allah .1 And Allah
knows best.
The evidence that Allah has granted us provision is abundant, in the
Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet , and also on the basis of
reason. There follows some of this evidence:
1. In the Qur’an:
Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ‬
‫ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯﯰ ﯱ ﯲﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﮊ‬
“Say (O Muhammad ): ‘Who provides for you from the sky and
from the earth? Or who owns hearing and sight? And who brings
out the living from the dead and brings out the dead from the living?
And who disposes the affairs?’ They will say: ‘Allah.’ Say: ‘Will you
not then fear Allah’s Punishment (for setting up rivals in worship
with Allah)?’” [Yoonus 10:31].
15 Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah by al-‘Uthaymeen, 1/203.
55
2. In the Sunnah:
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ood  said: The Messenger of
Allah , who was the most truthful one, told us:
،‫ ورز َقه‬،‫ اكتب عم َله‬:‫ و ُيقال له‬،‫ؤمر بأرب ِع كلمات‬

ُ ‫ ف ُي‬،‫بعث اهلل م َل ًكا‬
ُ ‫ ثم َي‬...«
»...‫وشقي أو سعيد‬ ٌّ ،‫وأج َله‬
“… Then Allah sends an angel, and he is instructed regarding
the four things, and it is said to him: Write down his deeds, his
provision, his lifespan and whether he is doomed [destined for
Hell] or blessed [destined for Paradise].”1
3. Reason:
Allah  has ordained that man’s well-being should be based on food and
drink, and everything that a person obtains of food and drink and other
things is part of the provision that he needs. Based on that, it is part of the
creation of Allah . He  says:
‫ﮋﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﮊ‬
“He it is Who created for you all that is on earth” [al-Baqarah 2:29].
56
… and He did not leave us without care; …
“… and He did not leave us without care… ” means: He did not leave us
with no guidance, like animals. Allah  did not create creation in vain,
and did not leave them neglected; rather He created them for a great
purpose and for a very serious matter. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞﮊ‬
“Does man think that he will be left Suda (neglected without being
punished or rewarded for the obligatory duties enjoined by his
Lord (Allah) on him)?” [al-Qiyaamah 75:36];
that is, without commands and prohibitions. And Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛﯜ ﯝ‬
‫ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﯣﮊ‬
“‘Did you think that We had created you in play (without any
purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?’ So
Exalted be Allah, the True King, Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the
right to be worshipped but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne!”
[al-Mu’minoon 23:115-116].
Thus Allah  declared Himself to be above having created creation like
that, neglected and wandering, because this is thinking badly of Him in
terms that the Lord of the Worlds is far above.
Allah did not create creation without care or purpose; He created them
to worship Him; in order to fulfil this purpose, Allah sent the Messengers,
sent down the Books and prescribed the laws, as He  says:
‫ﮋﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾﭿ ﮊ‬
57
avoid (or keep away from) Taaghoot (all false deities, etc. i.e., do
not worship Taaghoot besides Allah)’” [an-Nahl 16:36]
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ‬
‫ﭢ ﭣ ﭤﮊ‬
“And remember (Hood) the brother of ‘Aad, when he warned his
people in Al-Ahqaaf (the curved sand-hills in the southern part of
the Arabian Peninsula). And surely, there have passed away warners
before him and after him (saying): ‘Worship none but Allah…’”[al-
Ahqaaf 46:21].
The warners are the Messengers; what is meant by
‫ﮋﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠﮊ‬
“before him and after him” is before Hood () and after him. The
words “‘Worship none but Allah’” [al-Ahqaaf 46:21]
explain the mission of the Messengers, which was to call people to the
purpose for which all creation was created, namely to devote worship
solely to Allah alone.
58
… rather He sent a Messenger to us.
“… rather He sent a Messenger to us” means: Allah, Who created us and

provided for us, did not leave us without care, with no commands or
prohibitions; rather He created us to worship Him and to obey Him, so
that we may fulfil the purpose for which we were created. He sent to us
the Messenger to convey to us what Allah wants from us, which is to
believe in His oneness (Tawheed) and follow the teachings of religion.
Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ‬
‫ﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻﮊ‬
“Indeed Allah conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent
among them a Messenger (Muhammad ) from among themselves,
reciting unto them His Verses (the Qur’an), and purifying them
(from sins by their following him), and instructing them (in) the
Book (the Qur’an) and Al-Hikmah (the wisdom and the Sunnah of
the Prophet ), while before that they had been in manifest error”
This is not specific only to the ummah of Muhammad ; rather it applies
to all nations, as Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮊ‬
“And there never was a nation but a warner had passed among
them” [Faatir 35:24].
Allah’s wisdom dictated that He should send the Messengers to explain
the message with which they were sent. These Messengers did not bring
anything of their own accord; rather they clearly conveyed to the people
that with which they were sent, whether it was a command or prohibition.
They did not go beyond the framework of what Allah enjoined upon
them; they did not add or subtract anything, because Allah sent them to
59
guide the people. So they did not leave anything good but they told their
nations about it, and they did not leave anything bad but they warned
their nations against it, because they were the Messengers of Allah ,
and the mission of the messenger is to convey the words of the one who
sent him.
The Muslim is obliged to believe in all the Messengers of Allah in
general terms, and to believe in our Prophet  in detail.1
15 This will be discussed further at the end of the essay, in sha Allah, when the author dis-
cusses The Third Fundamental Principle: Knowing Your Prophet…
60
Whoever obeys him will enter Paradise

and whoever disobeys him will enter Hell.
“Whoever obeys him” means: whoever follows what he brought.

His commands are to be followed by complying with them and his
prohibitions are to be followed by heeding them. Whoever does that will
enter Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ‬
‫ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﮊ‬
“These are the limits (set by) Allah, and whosoever obeys Allah and
His Messenger (Muhammad ) will be admitted to Gardens under
which rivers flow (in Paradise), to abide therein, and that will be the
great success” [an-Nisa’ 4:13].
“and whoever disobeys him” means: whoever does not heed his
prohibitions and does not follow his commands, will enter Hell. Allah 
says:
‫ﮋﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵ‬
‫ﯶﯷﮊ‬
“And whosoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad
), and transgresses His limits, He will cast him into the Fire, to
abide therein; and he shall have a disgraceful torment” [an-Nisa’
4:14].
With regard to the Messengers, people fall into two categories. Allah 
has explained that in the verse in which He says:
‫ﮋ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾﭿ ﮀ ﮁ‬
‫ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ‬
61
‫ﮐﮑﮊ‬
avoid (or keep away from) Taaghoot (all false deities; that is, do not
worship Taaghoot besides Allah).’ Then of them were some whom
Allah guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was
justified. So travel through the land and see what was the end of
those who denied (the truth)” [an-Nahl 16:36].
Those whom Allah guided are the followers of the Messengers, and those
upon whom the straying was justified are those who did not follow them,
namely the disbelievers, no matter what the reason for their disbelief,
whether it was due to stubbornness, conceit, hypocrisy, arrogance or
anything else.
62
The evidence for that is the

verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ‬
‫ﯠﯡﯢ ﮊ‬
“Verily, We have sent to you (O men) a Messenger (Muhammad
) to be a witness over you, as We did send a Messenger (Moosa
(Moses)) to Fir‘awn (Pharaoh). But Fir‘awn (Pharaoh) disobeyed
the Messenger (Moosa (Moses)), so We seized him with a severe
punishment” [al-Muzzammil 73:15-16].
“The evidence for that is the verse in which Allah  says: ‫ﮋ ﮰ ﮱ ﮊ‬

“Verily, We have sent … ” : This verse constitutes proof that Allah has not
left us without care; rather He sent to us a Messenger who was merciful
– as Allah described him – compassionate, kind, sincere and trustworthy,
who conveyed the message in a clear way, striving his utmost in Allah’s
cause until that which is certain (that is, death) came to him; he did not
omit anything good but he told his ummah about it, and he did not omit
anything bad but he warned his ummah against it. Thus he  advised
with perfect sincerity, and explained with perfect clarity – blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him. Hence the author said, as noted above: “
Whoever obeys him will enter Paradise and whoever disobeys him will
enter Hell.”
In these two verses of Soorat al-Muzzammil there is evidence that it is
obligatory to obey the Messengers, and that disobeying them is a cause of
punishment. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩﮊ‬
“We sent no Messenger, but to be obeyed by Allah’s Leave” [an-
Nisa’ 4:64].
63
The duty of the Messengers was to convey and the duty of the ummah
is to obey. The Messenger  conveyed the message and fulfilled the trust,
and on the Day of Resurrection, he will bear witness to that, as Allah 
says:
‫ﮋﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ‬
‫ﭵﭶ ﮊ‬
“Thus We have made you a Wasat (just) (and the best) nation, that
you be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger (Muhammad )
be a witness over you” [al-Baqarah 2:143].
In other words, this ummah will bear witness that the Messengers indeed
conveyed the message, and the Messenger  will bear witness that he
conveyed to us the message of his Lord.
In the phrase
‫ﮋﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﮊ‬
“Verily, We have sent to you (O men) a Messenger” [al-Muzzammil
73:15], hat is meant by the Messenger is our Prophet Muhammad .
In the phrase
‫ﮋﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛﮊ‬
“as We did send a Messenger (Moosa (Moses)) to Fir‘awn (Pharaoh)”
[al-Muzzammil 73:15],
the Messenger referred to is Moosa , whom Allah  sent to Pharaoh,
but the latter was arrogant and did not believe, as Allah tells us:
‫ﮋﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢﮊ‬
“But Fir‘awn (Pharaoh) disobeyed the Messenger (Moosa (Moses)),
so We seized him with a severe punishment” [al-Muzzammil 73:15-
16].
The phrase “the Messenger” refers to the Messenger mentioned before
that in the verse, namely Moosa . Pharaoh disobeyed Moosa  and
did not believe, so his requital was as Allah  describes it:
64
‫“ ﮋ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﮊ‬so We seized him with a severe punishment” that is, a
great punishment. Thus Allah made that a sign and a lesson.
The point in these verses is that we should learn from what happened to
those who came before us. If the one who came before you was subjected
to this punishment because he disobeyed the Messenger who was sent to
him – namely Moosa  – then by the same token, whoever disobeys our
Prophet Muhammad , his fate will be admission to Hell. We ask Allah
to keep us safe and sound.
65
2. That Allah does not approve of anyone being

associated with Him in worship, neither an angel
who is near to Him nor a prophet who was sent.
“neither an angel who is near to Him nor a prophet who was sent”, let alone
anyone else, because the angels who are close to Allah and the Prophets
who were sent have high status before Allah. If Allah  does not approve
of anyone among the angels and the Prophets being associated with Him
in worship, it is more appropriate to note that He would not approve of
that with regard to anyone else, because worship is something that is due
to Allah alone; He created creation for that purpose and brought them
into being in order to fulfil that. So He  will never approve of a partner
being associated with Him in worship, either from among the angels who
are close to Him or from among the Messengers who are His chosen ones
among His creation, let alone anyone else.
In linguistic terms, the word shirk refers to a share of a thing, so it may
be said that a group shared (ashtaraka) in ownership of a thing, meaning
that they became partners (shurakaa’) in it, and each of them had a share
in it.1 But when it comes to worship, it cannot be divided into shares,
one share for Allah, one share for the Prophet, one share for the angel,
and one share for the wali (close friend of Allah, “saint”). Rather worship
must be entirely and sincerely for the sake of Allah  alone, because shirk
renders good deeds invalid. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﮊ‬
“And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad ), as it
was to those (Allah’s Messengers) before you: ‘If you join others in
worship with Allah, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain,
and you will certainly be among the losers’”[az-Zumar 35:65].
Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab said, explaining this:
15 As-Sihaah Taaj al-Lughah wa Sihaah al-‘Arabiyyah, 4/1593.
66
“Once you understand that Allah created you to worship Him, you
should understand that worship (‘ibaadah) cannot be called worship
unless it is based on Tawheed, just as prayer (salaah) cannot be called
prayer unless it is done in a state of purity. If shirk is introduced into an
act of worship, it spoils it, just as invalidating one’s wudoo’ spoils one’s
state of purity (tahaarah). Once you understand that if shirk is mixed
with an act of worship it spoils it, renders it invalid and causes the one
who does that to abide forever in Hell, you will realize that the most
important thing that is required of you is to understand that.”1
Islam means affirming the oneness of Allah (Tawheed) and devoting
worship solely to Him. Allah  does not accept anything except Tawheed,
because worship is due to Him alone, with no partner or associate in that.
Believing in Allah is not sufficient unless one also rejects taaghoot (false
gods). The polytheists (mushrikeen) believed in Allah, but they associated
others with Him in worship, as He  says:
‫ﮋﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﮊ‬
“And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute
partners unto Him (i.e., they are Mushrikoon –polytheists)” [Yoosuf
12:106].
These people have faith in Allah, but they spoil it – Allah forbid – by
associating others with Him. This is what the shaykh’s words mean:
whoever worships Allah and obeys the Messenger, it is not right for him
to associate anything with Allah, because Allah does not accept anyone
to be associated with Him in worship. It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah
 said:
ً ‫عمل‬
‫عمل‬ ِ
ِ ‫ من‬،‫الشركاء عن الشرك‬ ‫ أنا أغنَى‬:-‫تبارك وتعالى‬- ‫اهلل‬
َ ُ ‫«قال‬
ِ ‫أشرك فيه معي غيري تركتُه‬
»‫وش ْركَه‬ َ
“Allah  said: I am the least in need of a partner. Whoever does any
deed in which he associates someone else with Me, I will reject him
and his deed.”2
15 Al-Qawaa‘id al-Arba‘, p.1.

25 Muslim, 2985.
67
In linguistic terms, the word ‘ibaadah (worship) is taken from the word
ta‘abbud, which means humility and submission.1
In Islamic teaching, ‘ibaadah is a word that includes everything that
Allah loves and is pleased with of words and actions, both inward and
outward.2
“neither an angel who is near to Him” means: Allah does not approve
of any angel who is near to Him being associated with Him in worship,
such as Jibreel or Israafeel or any of the noble angels (peace be upon
them). Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤﭥ ﭦﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ‬
‫ﭯ ﭰﭱﭲﭳﭴﭵﭶﭷﭸ ﭹﭺﭻﭼﭽ‬
‫ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍﮎ‬
‫ﮏ ﮐﮑﮒﮊ‬
“And they say: ‘The Most Beneficent (Allah) has begotten a son (or
children).’ Glory to Him! They (those whom they call children of
Allah i.e., the angels, ‘Eesa (Jesus) son of Maryam (Mary), ‘Uzayr
(Ezra), etc.), are but honoured slaves.
They speak not until He has spoken, and they act on His Command.
He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they
cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased. And they
stand in awe for fear of Him.
And if any of them should say: ‘Verily, I am an ilaah (a god) besides
Him (Allah),’ such a one We should recompense with Hell. Thus We
recompense the Zaalimoon (polytheists, wrong-doers).” [al-Anbiya’
21:26-29].
“nor a prophet who was sent” means: Allah does not approve of any
Prophet who was sent being associated with Him in worship, such as
Muhammad , Moosaa, ‘Eesa or any of the Prophets (peace be upon
them). Allah  says:
15 Lisaan al-‘Arab, 3/271.

25 Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 10/149.
68
‫ﮋﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ‬
‫ﭽﭾ ﭿﮀﮁﮂ ﮃﮄﮅ ﮆﮇ ﮈﮉ ﮊﮋ‬
‫ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮊ‬
“It is not (possible) for any human being to whom Allah has given
the Book and Hikmah (the knowledge and understanding of the
laws of religion, etc.) and Prophethood to say to the people: ‘Be my
worshippers rather than Allah’s.’ On the contrary (he would say):
‘Be you Rabbaaniyyoon (learned men of religion who practise what
they know and also preach to others), because you are teaching the
Book, and you are studying it.’
Nor would he order you to take angels and Prophets for lords
(gods). Would he order you to disbelieve after you have submitted
to Allah’s Will?” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:79-80].
If He does not approve of the Prophets and angels (peace be upon them)
being associated with Him in worship, then how about anyone else, such
as the awliyaa’ and the righteous?
The shirk of the ancients was no more than their taking the rivals, idols
and so on as intercessors to intercede for them with Allah, and to bring
them nearer to Him. Allah  tells us about the nature of their shirk and
how they understood it:
‫ﮋﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮊ‬
“And those who take Awliyaa’ (protectors and helpers) besides
Him (say): ‘We worship them only that they may bring us near to
Allah’” [az-Zumar 39:3].
Shaykh ‘Abdullah al-Qusayyir explained that when he said:
Shirk, or the association of others with Allah , may be divided into
two categories:
The first category is shirk having to do with beliefs and statements. It
is of two types:
a. Shirk of denial, which is the most abhorrent type of shirk. It is of sev-
eral types, including the following:
i. The shirk of Pharaoh, when he said:
69
“And what is the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that
exists)?” [ash-Shu‘araa’ 26:23],
pretending that he was denying the Maker, even though in his heart
he was certain of His existence.
ii. The shirk of the philosophers who say that the universe has existed
from eternity, and that there was never a time when it did not exist
at all; rather it has always been and will always be, and all events are
based on causes and means that lead to the existence of all events,
which they call minds and souls.
iii. The shirk of those who believe in the unity of being (wahdat al-wujood),
such as Ibn ‘Arabi, Ibn Sab‘een, al-‘Afeef at-Tilimsaani, Ibn al-Faarid,
and other heretics who concealed heresy in a cloak of Islam, and
mixed with it some truth, to the extent that people of little knowledge
were deceived by them.
iv. The shirk of denying the divine attributes, which is the shirk of those
who deny the divine attributes of perfection and the attributes that
reflect Allah’s greatness and majesty, likening Him to that which
does not exist. This is the type of shirk of those who denied the
divine attributes, such as the Jahamis, Mu‘tazilis and others.1 Hence
Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah say concerning them2: The denier (of
the divine attributes) worships that which is non-existent. Shirk and
denial of the divine attributes are interconnected. Every polytheist
(mushrik) is a denier of the divine attributes, and every denier of the
divine attributes is a polytheist, but shirk may not necessarily include
denial of all the divine attributes; rather the polytheist (mushrik) may
acknowledge the Creator  and His attributes, but he denies Allah’s
right to be worshipped alone (Tawheed).
b. Shirk of likening Allah  to His creation with regard to His names and
attributes. This is the shirk of those who likened Allah to His creation
among the Raafidis and others of that ilk. It is a heresy opposite to
the heresy of those who deny the divine attributes, for they deny and
15 See: Tayseer al-‘Azeez al-Hameed, p. 26.
25 Dar’ Ta‘aarud al-‘Aql wa’n-Naql, 6/348.
70
reject the perfect attributes, whereas these people liken the divine
attributes to the attributes of His creation. Thus they have in common
the trait of heresy, although their paths of heresy differ. Allah protected
the followers and heirs of His Messenger who adhere to his Sunnah
from all of that, for they only ascribed to Him the attributes that He
ascribed to Himself, and they did not deny His attributes or liken
them to those of His creation, and they did not alter, in either wording
or meaning, the revelation that speaks of the divine attributes; rather
they affirmed the divine names and attributes, and they affirmed that
He cannot be likened to any of His creation. Thus their affirmation
of the divine attributes was free of likening Him to His creation, and
their declaration that He is far above any resemblance to His creation
was free of any denial of His attributes.1 Hence Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-
Jamaa‘ah said of one who likens Allah to His creation: “The one who
likens Allah to His creation is in fact worshipping an idol.”2 Both
groups have turned away from knowledge and proper understanding,
and have spoken about Allah  and His religion without knowledge.
The second category is shirk having to do with actions. It is of many
types, including the following:
1. Shirk in terms of calling or supplication (du‘aa’), in which someone
else is called upon besides Allah, as mentioned in the verse:
‫ﮋﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﮊ‬
“And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allah, making their
Faith pure for Him only, but when He brings them safely to land,
behold, they give a share of their worship to others” [al-‘Ankaboot
29:65]
and
‫ﮋ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ‬
‫ﮝﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮊ‬
“If you invoke (or call upon) them, they hear not your call, and if (in
case) they were to hear, they could not grant it (your request) to you.
15 See: Badaa’i‘ al-Fawaa’id, 1/170.
25 As-Sawaa‘iq al-Mursalah fi’r-Radd ‘ala al-Jahamiyyah wa’l-Mu‘attilah, 1/148.
71
And on the Day of Resurrection, they will disown your worshipping
them. And none can inform you (O Muhammad ) like Him Who is
the All-Knower (of each and every thing).” [Faatir 35:14].
2. Shirk in terms of love, in which someone else is loved alongside
Allah  and regarded as equal to Him. Love makes the lover show
humility and submission to his beloved in doing what the beloved
wants, as is mentioned in the verse:
‫ﮋ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ‬
‫ﮌ ﮍﮎ ﮊ‬
“And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides
Allah as rivals (to Allah). They love them as they love Allah. But those
who believe, love Allah more (than anything else)” [al-Baqarah 2:165].
3. Shirk in terms of obedience and laws, as is mentioned in the verse
‫ﮋﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ‬
‫ﯡ ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬﯭ ﯮ‬
‫ﯯ ﯰﮊ‬
“They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to
be their lords besides Allah (by obeying them in things which they
made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without
being ordered by Allah), and (they also took as their Lord) the
Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), while they (Jews and Christians)
were commanded (in the Tauraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)) to
worship none but One Ilaah (God - Allah) La ilaaha illa Huwa (none
has the right to be worshipped but He). Praise and glory be to Him,
(far above is He) from having the partners they associate (with Him)”
[at-Tawbah 9:31].
In the hadith of ‘Adiyy ibn Haatim  he said: I came to the Prophet
 with a cross of gold around my neck. He said:
»‫الو َث َن‬ ِ
َ ‫ ا ْط َر ْح َعن َْك َه َذا‬،‫« َيا َعد ُّي‬
“O ‘Adiyy, throw this idol away.”
And I heard him reciting in Soorat Baraa’ah:
72
‫ﮋﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞﮊ‬
“They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be
their lords besides Allah” [at-Tawbah 9:31];
and he said:
ِ
ْ ‫ــم كَانْــوا إِ َذا َأ َح ُّلــوا َل ُه‬
‫ــم َشــ ْي ًئا‬ ْ ‫ َو َلكن َُّه‬،‫ــم‬ ْ ‫ــم َي ُكونُــوا َي ْع ُبدُ ون َُه‬ ْ ‫« َأ َمــا إِن َُّه‬
ْ ‫ــم َل‬
»‫است ََح ُّلو ُه َوإِ َذا َح َّر ُموا َع َل ْي ِه ْم َش ْي ًئا َح َّر ُمو ُه‬ ْ
“In fact they were not worshipping them, but if they permitted
something to them they would regard it as permissible, and if they
forbade something to them, they would regard it as forbidden.”
According to another report: I said: We did not worship them. He
said:
»‫اهلل َف َي ْس َت ْع ِم ُلو َن ُه؟‬ ِ ‫ وي‬،‫ون ما َأح َّل اهلل َفيحرمو َنه‬

َ ‫ح ُّل‬
ُ ‫ون َما َح َّر َم‬ ُ َ ُ ُ ِّ َ ُ ُ َ َ َ ‫« َأ َل ْي َس ُي َح ِّر ُم‬
“Do they not forbid that which Allah has permitted, so they regard it
is forbidden, and they permit that which Allah has forbidden, so they
regard it as permissible?” I said: Yes. He said: “That is worshipping
them.”1
c. Shirk in terms of intentions, which is seeking by means of something

that is due only to Allah  and should be done solely for Him status
or praise among people, or some other worldly gain, as is mentioned
in the verse:
‫ﮋﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮊ‬
“Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter; to them We
shall pay in full (the wages of) their deeds therein, and they will
have no diminution therein” [Hood 11:15].
What is meant is that they seek the life of this world and its glitter
by doing righteous deeds of which the reward should be sought in
the hereafter.2
15 At-Tirmidhi, 3095.
25 See: Ifaadat al-Mas’ool ‘an ath-Thalaathat al-Usool, p. 24-26.
73
The evidence for that is the verse:
‫ﮋﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﮊ‬
“And the mosques are for Allah (Alone), so invoke not anyone
along with Allah” [al-Jinn 72:18].
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) quotes as evidence for the
prohibition on shirk the verse
The point here is to give an example from the Qur’an of the evidence
concerning this issue, because the evidence for that is abundant, both in
the Qur’an and Sunnah, and in rational arguments, but the aim of this
essay is to be brief.
The words ‫“ ﮋ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﮊ‬so invoke not anyone along with

Allah” refer to the du‘aa’ of asking and the du‘aa’ of worship.
Two things are prescribed in the mosques:
1. To ask of Allah  by calling upon Him in the du’aa’ of asking.
2. To worship Allah  by doing different acts of worship, such as
prayer, reciting Qur’an, dhikr, learning, teaching and so on.
Allah  says: ‫“ ﮋ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﮊ‬And the mosques are for Allah (Alone)”,

meaning that the mosques were established for Allah . In other words,
they were established to worship Him alone, to the exclusion of all others,
so do not invoke or call upon anyone else except Allah. Just as the one
who prays should not pray to anyone except Allah, in the mosques no
74
one is to be asked or called upon except Allah .
The evidence in this verse is the word ‫( ﮋ ﭾ ﮊ‬anyone), because
it appears in the indefinite form in the context of a prohibition. If the
indefinite form is used in the context of a prohibition, it includes
everything, as is established in the books of ‘ilm al-usool.
Similar to that is the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ‬
‫ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮊ‬
“And the Book (one’s Record) will be placed (in the right hand for a
believer in the Oneness of Allah, and in the left hand for a disbeliever
in the Oneness of Allah), and you will see the Mujrimoon (sinners),
fearful of that which is (recorded) therein. They will say: ‘Woe to us!
What sort of Book is this that leaves neither a small thing nor a big
thing, but has recorded it with numbers!’ And they will find all that
they did, placed before them, and your Lord treats no one [ahadan]
with injustice” [al-Kahf 18:49].
What is meant is that Allah  never wrongs anyone, no matter who he is.
‫“ ﮋ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﮊ‬so invoke not anyone along with Allah” – the

wording is general in application and means: do not call on anyone at all,
no matter who or what the one called upon is, whether it be an angel, a
prophet, a righteous man, a tree or a rock.
The general meaning of the verse quoted above is similar to the general
meaning of the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜﮝ ﮊ‬
“Worship Allah and join none with Him in worship” [an-Nisaa’
4:36].
The word ‫ ﮋ ﮜﮝ ﮊ‬shay’an (translated here as “none”) also appears in the

indefinite form in the context of negation, so it includes everything1, no
matter what that thing is.
15 Al-Bahr al-Muheet fi’t-Tafseer, 2/470.
75
Note:
The reason for emphasizing the importance of obeying the Messenger
 is the fact that there is no way for people to learn about matters of
faith except through the Messengers. The Messengers are the guides and
callers to affirmation of Allah’s oneness and worshipping Him alone
with sincere devotion. They are the ones who explained to the people
the details of religious teachings, such as affirmation of Allah’s oneness
(Tawheed), the rulings of religion, the commands and prohibitions, and
other matters that can only be known through them.
76
3. Whoever obeys the Messenger and affirms the

oneness of Allah, it is not permissible for him to take
as an ally and close friend anyone who opposes Allah
and His Messenger, even if he is his closest relative.
With regard to the author’s words “3. Whoever obeys the Messenger…”,
There is some subtlety in the order of phrases, because here the author
mentions this issue which is connected to the first two issues [obeying
Allah and affirming His oneness] and is based on them. This is the issue
of hating the disbelievers and not loving them, and refraining from taking
them as friends or allies, because love of Allah and love of His enemies
cannot coexist in the heart. Therefore whoever truly obeys the Messenger
 and truly believes in the oneness of Allah  must hate the enemies of
Allah and the enemies of His religion, and he must hate the disbelievers
and polytheists – except in some cases which will be discussed in the
words of our shaykh, Saalih al-Fawzaan – because faith, affirmation
of Allah’s oneness and obedience to the Messenger  cannot be sound
except through that.
With regard to shirk, it has been defined previously.1
With regard to (kufr) disbelief, in linguistic terms kufr refers to covering
and concealing something.2
In Islamic terminology, kufr means: not believing in Allah and His
Messengers, whether that stems from rejection and doubt, or turning
away from faith out of envy and arrogance, or following whims and
desires which prevent one from following the message.3
Disbelief is an attribute of everyone who rejects something that Allah
 has enjoined us to believe in, after having come to learn of it, whether
he rejects it in his heart only, or verbally only, or both, or he does some
15 See pp. 40-42, in which there is a complete discussion on shirk and its types.
25 See: Lisaan al-‘Arab, entry on kufr, 5/146.
77
action concerning which the religious texts state that it puts a person
beyond the bounds of faith.1
Disbelief (kufr) is of two types:
The first type is major kufr (kufr akbar). This is what puts one beyond
the bounds of Islam. It may be divided into several categories:
1. The kufr of rejection. This is when a person knowingly rejects the
Qur’an or any part of it, or the Sunnah of the Prophet  that is
proven to be soundly narrated from him. Whoever does that is a
disbeliever in the sense of major kufr that puts him beyond the
bounds of Islam. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ‬
‫ﮞﮊ‬
“And who does more wrong than he who invents a lie against
Allah or denies the truth when it comes to him? Is there not a
dwelling in Hell for disbelievers (in the Oneness of Allah and in
His Messenger Muhammad )?”[al-‘Ankaboot 29:68].
Whoever rejects even one of the Messengers has rejected all of the
Messengers, for belief in them is not acceptable unless one believes
in all of them and does not differentiate between any of them. Allah
 says:
‫ﮋ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ‬
‫ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ‬
‫ﯕﮊ‬
“The Messenger (Muhammad ) believes in what has been sent
down to him from his Lord, and (so do) the believers. Each one
believes in Allah, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers.
They say, ‘We make no distinction between one another of His
Messengers’ - and they say, ‘We hear, and we obey. (We seek)
Your Forgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the return (of all)’”
[al-Baqarah 2:285].
15 See: Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 12/335
78
2. The kufr of denial. This is when a person knows the truth, and is
certain of it in his heart, but he denies it outwardly and does not
affirm it, as was the case with Pharaoh. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖﭗ ﮊ‬
“And they belied them (those Aayaat [signs]) wrongfully and
arrogantly, though their ownselves were convinced thereof”
[an-Naml 27:14].
The kufr of Pharaoh was the kufr of denial and arrogance, or of
envy, or of desire for worldly gain, and so on.
Most of the disbelievers are of this type; in other words, their
kufr is the kufr of denial. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ‬
‫ﯠﮊ‬
“We know indeed the grief which their words cause you (O
Muhammad ): it is not you that they deny, but it is the Verses
(the Qur’an) of Allah that the Zaalimoon (polytheists and
wrongdoers) deny” [al-An‘aam 6:33].
3. The kufr of doubt and uncertainty. That is when a person has
doubts about what the messengers and prophets brought, and
thinks that they did not bring the truth, as Allah  tells us that the
owner of the garden1 said:
‫ﮋﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡﮊ‬
“And I think not the Hour will ever come” [al-Kahf 18:36].
The response of the other man in the conversation that took place
between them was:
‫ﮋﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﮊ‬
15 In al-Kahf 18:32-43, Allah tells us of two men, one of whom was a humble believer and
the other had been given two gardens that flourished. The one who had been blessed with
the gardens was proud, arrogant and presumptuous, claiming that he would be given
something even better than those gardens in the hereafter, if there was indeed a hereafter.
Therefore his gardens were destroyed, as a lesson to him and others. [Translator]
79
“Do you disbelieve in Him Who created you out of dust (i.e., your
father Adam), then out of Nutfah (mixed drops of male and female
discharge), then fashioned you into a man?” [al-Kahf 18:37].
4. The kufr of apathy and turning away. This is when a person
has no interest in learning about the basic principles of religion,
without which one cannot be a Muslim until he learns them and
acts accordingly. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﮊ‬
“And who does more wrong than he who is reminded of the
Aayaat (proofs, signs, revelations) of his Lord, then he turns aside
therefrom? Verily, We shall exact retribution from the Mujrimoon
(sinners)” [as-Sajdah 32:22]
‫ﮋﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮊ‬
“But those who disbelieve turn away from that whereof they are
warned”. [al-Ahqaaf 46:3].
They are called disbelievers because they turned away and showed
no interest.
5. The kufr of hypocrisy. What is meant here is hypocrisy with
regard to beliefs, which is of several types1:
• Rejecting the Messenger .
• Rejecting some of what he  brought.
• Hating the Messenger .
• Hating some of what the Messenger  brought.
• Feeling happy when the religion of Islam declines and retreats.
• Hating it when the religion of Islam prevails and advances.
The second type of disbelief is minor kufr (kufr asghar), which does not
put a person beyond the bounds of Islam.
This refers to committing some sins which the Messenger of Allah 
described as kufr (disbelief), but they do not reach the level of major kufr.
For example, in the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbaas  it tells us that the Prophet 
15 At-Tawheed by al-Fawzaan, p. 26.
80
said:
ِ
»‫ض‬ َ ‫«ل َت ْر ِج ُعوا َب ْعدي ُك َّف ًارا َي ْض ِر ُب َب ْع ُض ُك ْم ِر َق‬
ٍ ‫اب َب ْع‬ َ
“Do not go back to being disbelievers, striking one another’s necks.”1
What is meant by disbelief here is minor kufr, because killing a disbeliever
is a major sin, but it does not put the one who does it beyond the bounds
of Islam, based on the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ‬
‫ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ‬
‫ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦﮊ‬
“And if two parties or groups among the believers fall to fighting,
then make peace between them both, but if one of them rebels
against the other, then fight you (all) against the one that rebels till
it complies with the Command of Allah; then if it complies, then
make reconciliation between them justly, and be equitable. Verily!
Allah loves those who are equitable.
The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islamic religion). So
make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah, that you
may receive mercy” [al-Hujuraat 49:9-10].
The evidence in this verse is the phrase ‫“ ﮋ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﮊ‬The believers

are nothing else than brothers”. Allah tells those who fight that they
are believers and are brothers, which indicates that killing unlawfully
does not put a person beyond the bounds of faith and into the realm of
disbelief, so long as he does not regard that as permissible.
Shirk and kufr, and their people, are what the author referred to when
he said “it is not permissible for him to take as an ally and close friend…”;
rather he must disavow them both.
What is meant by those whom one should take as close friends and
allies is the people of Tawheed and the people of faith.
In linguistic terms, the word Tawheed comes from the verb wahhada,
81
which means to regard something as one.1
In Islamic terminology, Tawheed means, as the author (may Allah have
mercy on him) mentions below: worshipping Allah alone.
According to the scholars2, there are three types of Tawheed:
1. Tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah (oneness of divine Lordship)
2. Tawheed al-uloohiyyah (oneness of divinity)
3. Tawheed al-asmaa’ wa’s-sifaat (oneness of the divine names and
attributes).
As for eemaan (faith), in linguistic terms it refers to certain conviction.
Allah  tells us that the brothers of Yoosuf said:
‫ﮋﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﮊ‬
“but you will never believe us [wa ma anta bi mu’minin lana]” [Yoosuf
12:17]
that is, you will never accept what we say.3
In Islamic terminology, eemaan is “words on the tongue, belief in the
heart and physical actions. It increases by doing acts of obedience and
worship, and decreases by doing acts of disobedience and sin.”4
We will discuss that in more detail below, by Allah’s leave.
Walaa’ (loyalty and close friendship) should only be for people who
believe in Tawheed and who have faith. In the hadith which was narrated
from Anas ibn Maalik  from the Prophet , he said:
‫ب إِ َل ْي ِه مِ َّما‬
َّ ‫اهلل َو َر ُسو ُل ُه َأ َح‬
ُ ‫ون‬ َ ‫ َأ ْن َي ُك‬:‫ان‬ ِ ‫اإليم‬ ِ ِ ِ
َ ‫ث َم ْن ُك َّن فيه َو َجدَ َح َل َو َة‬ ٌ ‫« َث َل‬
‫ َو َأ ْن َي ْك َر َه َأ ْن َي ُعو َد فِي ال ُك ْف ِر ك ََما‬،‫ح ُّب ُه إِ َّل ل ِ َّل ِه‬
ِ ‫حب المرء َل ي‬ ِ
ُ َ ْ َ َّ ‫ َو َأ ْن ُي‬،‫س َو ُاه َما‬
ِ
ِ ‫ف فِي الن‬
»‫َّار‬ َ ‫َي ْك َر ُه َأ ْن ُي ْق َذ‬
“There are three characteristics, whoever attains them has found
the sweetness of faith: when Allah and His Messenger are dearer to
15 Lisaan al-‘Arab, entry on wahhada, 3/281.
25 Al-As’ilah wa’l-Ajwibah fi’l-‘Aqeedah, p. 9.
35 Lisaan al-‘Arab, entry on amana, 13/23.
45 Al-Eemaan by Ibn Mandah, 1/341.
82
him than all else, when he loves a man and does not love him except
for the sake of Allah, and when he would hate to return to disbelief
as he would hate to be thrown into the fire.”1
ِ ِ
The pertinent words in this hadith are .»‫الم ْر َء َل ُيح ُّب ُه إِ َّل ل َّله‬
ِ ِ
َ ‫ب‬ َّ ‫«و َأ ْن ُيح‬
َ
“when he loves a man and does not love him except for the sake of Allah.”
In another hadith that was narrated from al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib , he
said: We were with the Prophet  and he said:
ِ ‫اإل‬ ِ ‫ون َأ ُّي ُعرى‬
،ٌ‫«الصال ُة َح َسنَة‬ َّ :‫ َق َال‬،ُ‫الصالة‬ َّ :‫ ُق ْلنَا‬،»‫يمان َأ ْو َث ُق؟‬ َ َ َ ‫« َأ َتدْ ُر‬
‫ َف َق َال مِ ْث َل‬،‫الج َها َد‬
ِ ‫ َحتَّى َذكَرنَا‬،‫ َف َق َال مِ ْث َل َذل ِ َك‬،‫الص َيام‬
ْ ُ ِّ :‫ ُق ْلنَا‬،»‫اك‬ َ ‫َو َل ْي َس بِ َذ‬
ِ ‫اإل‬ ِ ِ ُ ‫ ُثم َقا َلرس‬،‫َذل ِ َك‬
‫ب‬ُّ ‫الح‬:
َ ‫يمان‬ َ ‫ « َأ ْو َث ُق ُع َرى‬:-‫صلى اهلل عليه وسلم‬- ‫اهلل‬ ‫ول‬ ُ َ َّ
»ِ‫ َوال ُب ْغ ُض فِي اهلل‬،ِ‫فِي اهلل‬
“Do you know which of the bonds of faith is strongest?” We said:
Prayer. He said: “Prayer is good, but that is not it.” We said: Fasting,
and he said something similar, until we mentioned jihad, and he
said something similar. Then the Messenger of Allah  said: “The
strongest bond of faith is love for the sake of Allah and hate for the
sake of Allah.”2
The believer who affirms the oneness of Allah loves his brother for the
sake of Allah, because he affirms the oneness of Allah and obeys Him,
even if there is no benefit for him in worldly terms. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮇ ﮈ ﮉﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ‬
‫ﮖ ﮗ ﮘﮙ ﮚ ﮛﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ‬
‫ﮪﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﮊ‬
“Say (O Muhammad ): ‘O Allah! Possessor of the kingdom, You
give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take the kingdom
from whom You will, and You endue with honour whom You will,
and You humiliate whom You will. In Your Hand is all good. Verily,
You are Able to do all things.
15 Al-Bukhaari, 16.
25 Abu Dawood at-Tayaalisi, 783.
83
You make the night to enter into the day, and You make the day
to enter into the night, You bring the living out of the dead, and
You bring the dead out of the living. And You give wealth and
sustenance to whom You will, without limit (measure or account)”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:26-27].
These verses leave nothing of control for people; rather they confirm that
all control is in the hand of Allah , so if He gives to any of His creation,
it is a favour and grace from Him , and if He withholds anything from
any of them, it is because of some wrongdoing that they committed, and
is in accordance with His justice. After these verses, Allah  says in the
same soorah – and this is the point –:
‫ﮋ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﯣﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ‬
‫ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﯱﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﮊ‬
“Let not the believers take the disbelievers as Awliyaa’ (allies and
close friends) instead of the believers, and whoever does that will
never be helped by Allah in any way, except if you indeed fear
a danger from them. And Allah warns you against Himself (His
Punishment), and to Allah is the final return” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:28].
This verse indicates that an essential part of being an obedient and true
slave of Allah is that the believer does not take a disbeliever as a wali
(close friend and ally).
What is meant by muwaalaah (being a close friend and ally) is to love
and be sincere towards a person.1 As for supporting one another, that is
called tawaali.
The basic principle with regard to taking the polytheists and
disbelievers as close friends and allies is that it is a grave sin, but it may
take different forms, not all of which are of the same degree of gravity.
Hence the scholars clarified the issue and divided it into two categories.
The first category is that which constitutes disbelief (kufr). This takes
the form of loving disbelief, or supporting the disbelievers against the
Muslims with the aim of causing disbelief to prevail over Islam. This type
is called tawalli. The evidence for that is the verse in which Allah  says:
15 Al-Walaa’ wa’l-Baraa’ wa’l-Adaa’ fi’l-Islam, p. 32.
84
‫ﮋ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣﭤ ﮊ‬
“And if any amongst you takes them as Awliyaa’ [yatawallahum],
then surely he is one of them” [al-Maa’idah 5:51].
ِ ِ ِ
ْ ‫ــر بِ َمــا ُي ْع َبــدُ مــ‬
And the Prophet  said: »...‫ن ُدون اهلل‬ َ ‫«و َك َف‬
َ “Whoever says
that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone and rejects that
which is worshipped besides Allah, his wealth and his life are protected
and his reckoning is with Allah.”1 Furthermore, there is the story of
Haatib , when ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab  wanted to execute him, and he
said to the Prophet ,
»‫ « َد ْعنِي َأ ْض ِر ْب ُعنُ َق ُه؛ َفإِ َّن ُه َقدْ نَا َف َق‬:

“Let me strike his neck, for he has become a hypocrite.”2
But the Prophet  questioned Haatib to find out why he did what he did,
for he knew that he did not intend to support disbelief against faith, and
he did not support them (the disbelievers) out of love for disbelief; rather
it was for a worldly purpose.
Loving the polytheists for the sake of worldly gain is a major sin,
but it does not constitute disbelief. Examples of that include loving the
disbeliever because of his high status or wealth. The evidence for that is
the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ‬
‫ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ‬
‫ﭱﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ‬
‫ﮃﮊ‬
15 Narrated by Muslim
25 Al-Bukhaari, 3081. According to the hadith, Haatib ibn Abi Balta‘ah wrote to some of the
polytheists in Makkah telling them some information about the Messenger of Allah . The
Messenger of Allah  said: “O Haatib, what is this?” He said, “O Messenger of Allah, do
not hasten to judge me. I was a man closely connected to Quraysh, but I did not belong to
this tribe, while the other Muhaajireen with you had their relatives in Makkah who would
protect their families and property. So I wanted to make up for my lack of blood ties with
them by doing them a favour so that they might protect my family. I did not do this be-
cause of disbelief or apostasy or out of preferring disbelief to Islam.” The Messenger of
Allah  said, “He has told you the truth.” ‘Umar said, “O Messenger of Allah, let me strike
his neck, for he has become a hypocrite.” The Messenger of Allah  said: “He was present
at the battle of Badr, and you do not know, perhaps Allah looked at the people of Badr and
said, ‘Do whatever you like, for I have forgiven you.’”
85
“O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies
(i.e., disbelievers and polytheists, etc.) as allies and close friends,
showing affection towards them, while they have disbelieved
in what has come to you of the truth, and have driven out the
Messenger (Muhammad ) and yourselves (from your homeland)
because you believe in Allah your Lord! If you have come forth
to strive in My Cause and to seek My Good Pleasure, (then take
not these disbelievers and polytheists, etc., as your allies and close
friends). You show friendship to them in secret, while I am All-
Aware of what you conceal and what you reveal. And whosoever
of you (Muslims) does that, then indeed he has gone (far) astray,
(away) from the Straight Path”[al-Mumtahanah 60:1].
Thus Allah describes them as believers, which indicates that the
description of being believers is affirmed in their case. The same may be
said concerning the story of Haatib ibn Abi Balta‘ah  which I mentioned
above.
The second category is loving a polytheist because of a permissible
benefit that one may obtain from him. This is permissible, such as when
a man loves his polytheist son or vice versa, or he loves his Jewish or
Christian wife, or his neighbour who is kind to him. The evidence for that
is the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﰃ ﰄ ﰅ ﮊ‬
“And Nooh (Noah) called upon his Lord and said, ‘O my Lord!
Verily, my son is of my family!’” [Hood 11:45].
Allah has permitted us to marry Jewish and Christian women, even
though they are polytheists. Allah  says concerning the People of the
Book:
‫ﮋ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙﮚ ﮛ ﮜ‬
‫ﮝﮞﮟﮠ ﮡﮢ ﮣ ﮤﮥ ﮊ‬
“Surely, disbelievers are those who said: ‘Allah is the third of the
three (in a Trinity).’ But there is no ilaah (god) (none who has the
right to be worshipped) but One Ilaah (God -Allah). And if they
86
cease not from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall
the disbelievers among them” [al-Maa’idah 5:73].
Marriage cannot be devoid of affection and love between the spouses,
which may increase or decrease. The reason for that love is worldly
benefits.
The Messenger of Allah  loved his paternal uncle Abu Taalib, hence
Allah  said:
‫ﮋﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮊ‬
“Verily! You (O Muhammad ) guide not whom you like” [al-Qasas
28:56].
The reason for his love for his uncle was that his uncle benefitted him
(by protecting him and standing beside him) and there were family ties
between them.
It is essential to differentiate – when discussing the issue of al-walaa’
wa’l- baraa’ (loyalty and disavowal) – between natural love and inclination,
and other types of love. The love of a hungry person for food, the love
of a father for his little son, and the love of fellow craftsmen or fellow
merchants for one another, and the like, are all natural kinds of love.
People are naturally inclined to love and feel at ease with those whom
they meet and talk to regularly, benefit from them and share a profession
with them and the like. Thus you feel happy to see such a person, and you
feel sad if he becomes ill, or you lose him, and the like.1 Shaykh ‘Abd ar-
Rahmaan as-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Natural love is
something that is connected to some of a person’s aspirations and desires,
and that natural love will last so long as those aspirations are there, and it
will disappear when those aspirations are no longer there.”2
The author did not discuss this love; rather he mentioned evidence to
prove that it is permissible to show kindness to a polytheist father and the
like. Showing kindness is a physical act; as for love and inclination, it is
something hidden in the heart. Discussing the type of love and inclination
in the heart towards a polytheist that is permissible is an important matter
15 Tayseer al-‘Azeez al-Hameed, p. 467-468.
25 Al-Fataawa as-Sa‘diyyah by ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan as-Sa ‘di, p. 27.
87
that should be discussed with students and young people, because that
will make the matter clearer and more properly defined in their minds.
The issue of lending support and help
Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤﮥ ﮦ ﮧ‬
‫ﮨﮩﮊ‬
“but if they seek your help in religion, it is your duty to help them
except against a people with whom you have a treaty of mutual
alliance, and Allah is the All-Seer of what you do” [al-Anfaal 8:72].
Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan as-Sa‘di said:
But ‫“ ﮋ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮊ‬if they seek your help in religion” that is,

in order to fight those who are fighting them because of their religion
‫“ ﮋ ﮝ ﮞ ﮊ‬it is your duty to help them” and fight alongside

them. However, if people fight them for other purposes, then you are not
obliged to support them.
‫“ ﮋ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤﮥ ﮊ‬except against a people with whom you

have a treaty of mutual alliance” that is, an agreement not to fight. If the
believers who are distinct from others but have not migrated want to
fight them [disbelievers with whom you have a treaty], you should not
help them in doing so, because of the treaty that exists between you and
them [those disbelievers].
‫“ ﮋ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮊ‬and Allah is the All-Seer of what you do” –

He knows your circumstances and He prescribes appropriate rulings for
you.1
15 Tayseer al-Kareem al-Rahmaan fi Tafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan, by ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan as-Sa ‘di,
p. 327.
88
The evidence for that is the verse,
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ‬
‫ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ‬
‫ﭬ ﭭ ﭮﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷﭸ ﭹ ﭺ‬
‫ﭻ ﭼ ﭽﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮊ‬
“You (O Muhammad ) will not find any people who believe in
Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose
Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad ), even though they were
their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred (people).
For such He has written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them
with Rooh (proofs, light and true guidance) from Himself. And We
will admit them to Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow, to
dwell therein (forever). Allah is pleased with them, and they with
Him. They are the Party of Allah. Verily, it is the Party of Allah that
will be the successful” [al-Mujaadilah 58:22].
“The evidence for that is the verse, ‫“ ﮋ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﮊ‬You (O Muhammad )

will not find any people…” Here the shaykh (may Allah have mercy on
him) quotes this verse as evidence for the issue of loyalty and disavowal
(al-walaa’ wa’l-baraa’), in which are mentioned seven matters having to do
with the one who does not take a disbeliever as a close friend and ally,
even if he is the closest of relatives to him. So we should reflect upon that
and pay attention to it.
1. The first matter is referred to in the words‫ﮋ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﮊ‬

“For such He has written Faith in their hearts.” What is referred to
by the word ‫“ ﮋ ﭧ ﮊ‬such” is those who do not take disbelievers
as close friends and allies, even if they are the closest of relatives.
They are as Allah  says, those for whom ‫ﮋ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﮊ‬
“He has written Faith in their hearts”; that is, He has instilled faith
in their hearts and made it steadfast, so it is faith that is firmly and
deeply rooted in their hearts.
2. Allah says ‫“ ﮋ ﭭ ﭮ ﮊ‬and strengthened them with Rooh (proofs,
light and true guidance) from Himself”; that is, with revelation,
89
help and support from Him. Allah  calls His revelation rooh
elsewhere in the Qur’an, such as in the verse,
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖﮊ‬
“And thus We have sent to you (O Muhammad ) Roohan (an
Inspiration, and a Mercy) of Our Command” [ash-Shoora 42:52].
That is because hearts are revived by it.
3. Allah says, ‫“ ﮋ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﮊ‬And We will admit them

to Gardens (Paradise) under which rivers flow”; that is, Allah 
has prepared for these people Gardens under which rivers flow,
in which there is that which no eye has seen, no ear has heard, nor
has it ever crossed the mind of any human. ‫“ ﮋ ﭶ ﭷﭸ ﮊ‬to dwell
therein (forever)” that is, to abide therein for eternity.
4. ‫“ ﮋ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﮊ‬Allah is pleased with them”; that is, Allah  will
bestow His pleasure upon them and He will never be angry with
them after that. Undoubtedly this is one of the greatest of honours
and blessings that the Lord could bestow upon His slaves, as He
 says:
‫ﮋ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢﯣ ﮊ‬
“But the greatest bliss is the Good Pleasure of Allah” [at-Tawbah
9:72].
This is an affirmation of the divine attribute of pleasure, in a
manner that is befitting to Him.
5. ‫“ ﮋ ﭼ ﭽﭾ ﮊ‬and they with Him” that is, they are pleased with what
Allah has honoured them with and bestowed upon them.
6. ‫“ ﮋ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁﮂ ﮊ‬They are the Party of Allah.” Allah  describes

them as His party. In fact there are only two parties in existence:
the party of Allah and the party of the Shaytaan. So people belong
either to the party of Allah or they belong to the party of the
Shaytaan. The criterion that distinguishes between the two parties
is these great qualities and refined characteristics; whoever does
not have these characteristics belongs to the party of the Shaytaan.
90
7. ‫“ ﮋ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮊ‬Verily, it is the Party of Allah that will be
the successful [al-muflihoon]”; that is, they are the people of success
[al-falaah], who will succeed in this world and the hereafter. Success
means attaining all that is good. Hence one of the scholars said that
the most perfect word that refers to attaining all that is good is the
word falaah.
Any of these things that Allah  mentioned [in this verse] is sufficient
to instill hatred towards the disbelievers in the Muslims’ hearts, so the
Muslims should be keen to instill these concepts in the hearts of their
children, raise them with them, and try to protect them against misguided
ideas by teaching them these great principles.
From the above, it may be established that loyalty and close ties are
only for those who affirm the oneness of Allah and believe, and disavowal
is for those who associate others with Allah and disbelieve.
Muwaalaah and walaa’ mean the same thing. What is meant by walaa’
(loyalty) is love in the heart, and also mutual help and support. It may
also have another meaning, which has to do with inheritance and the role
of male relatives in paying blood money (diyah).1
Shaykh Sulaymaan ibn ‘Abdillah ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-
Wahhaab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Could one’s faith be
perfected, or could the banner of jihad and the banner of enjoining what
is right and forbidding what is wrong be raised, except through loving
for the sake of Allah and hating for the sake of Allah, taking some people
as enemies for the sake of Allah and taking others as allies and friends for
the sake of Allah? If people were all agreed on one path and all loved one
another without any enmity or hatred, there could be no differentiation
or separation between truth and falsehood, or between the believers and
the disbelievers, or between the close friends of the Most Beneficent and
the close friends of the Shaytaan.”2
Shaykh Hamad ibn ‘Ali ibn ‘Ateeq (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“With regard to taking the disbelievers and polytheists as enemies, you
should understand that Allah  has enjoined that and has emphasized
15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Saalih al-Fawzaan, p. 60.
25 Awthaq ‘Ura al-Eemaan, p. 38.
91
how significant it is, as He has forbidden taking them as allies and close
friends, and has emphasized that to the extent that there is no ruling in
the Book of Allah  for which there is more or clearer evidence than
this ruling, after the enjoining of Tawheed and the prohibition on its
opposite.”1
Going back to the verse which the author (may Allah have mercy on
him) quoted as evidence, I say: It begins with words addressed to the
Prophet  in particular and to the ummah in general. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗﮊ‬
“You (O Muhammad  will not find any people who believe in
Allah and the Last Day…”[al-Mujaadilah 58:22].
What is meant is: it does not happen and will never happen, that there
could be someone who believes in Allah and His Messenger yet loves the
disbelievers, because if he loves them, then he is not a believer, even if he
claims to be such. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said [in
verse]:
Would you love the enemies of the Beloved and claim to love Him?
That is not possible.
Would you also take as enemies His beloved ones? What sort of love is
that, O brother of the Shaytaan?2
Faith and loyalty of the disbelievers cannot coexist in the heart of the
believer. Whoever makes such a claim and says: I love Allah and His
Messenger, but he also loves the disbelievers and takes them as allies and
close friends, is laying in his claim. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ‬
‫ﯕﯖﯗﯘ ﯙ ﯚﯛ ﯜﯝﯞﯟﯠﯡﯢﯣﮊ‬
“O you who have believed, do not take My enemies and your
enemies as allies, extending to them affection while they have
15 From Sabeel al-Najaat wa’l-Fakaak, in Majmoo‘at at-Tawheed, p. 363.

25 Al-Kaafiyah ash-Shaafiyah (Nooniyyat Ibn al-Qayyim), p. 221.
92
disbelieved in what came to you of the truth, having driven out
the Prophet and yourselves [only] because you believe in Allah,
your Lord. If you have come out for jihad in My cause and seeking
means to My approval, [take them not as friends]. You confide to
them affection, but I am most knowing of what you have concealed
and what you have declared. And whoever does it among you has
certainly strayed from the soundness of the way..
If they gain dominance over you, they would be to you as enemies
and extend against you their hands and their tongues with evil, and
they wish you would disbelieve.
Never will your relatives or your children benefit you; the Day of
Resurrection He will judge between you. And Allah, of what you
do, is Seeing.
There has already been for you an excellent pattern in Abraham
and those with him, when they said to their people, ‘Indeed, we are
disassociated from you and from whatever you worship other than
Allah. We have denied you, and there has appeared between us and
you animosity and hatred forever until you believe in Allah alone’
except for the saying of Abraham to his father, ‘I will surely ask
forgiveness for you, but I have not [power to do] for you anything
against Allah . Our Lord, upon You we have relied, and to You we
have returned, and to You is the destination’” [al-Mumtahanah
60:1-4]
‫ﮋﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ‬
‫ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮊ‬
“And (Ibraheem’s (Abraham)) invoking (of Allah) for his father’s
forgiveness was only because of a promise he (Ibraheem (Abraham))
had made to him (his father). But when it became clear to him
(Ibraheem (Abraham)) that he (his father) is an enemy to Allah, he
dissociated himself from him. Verily Ibraheem (Abraham) was Al-
Awwaah (i.e., he used to invoke Allah with humility, glorify Him
and remember Him much), and was forbearing.” [at-Tawbah 9:114].
This is the way of Ibraaheem , who disavowed his father – the closest
93
of people to him – when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to
Allah. It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah  that the Prophet  said:
‫ـول‬ ُ ‫ فيقـ‬،ٌ‫آزر َق َتــر ٌة و َغ َبــرة‬

َ ‫ وعلــى وجــه‬،‫آزر يــوم القيامــة‬ ُ ‫« َيل َقــى إبراهيـ‬
َ ‫ـم أبــاه‬
،‫ فاليــو َم ال أعصيــك‬:‫ـول أبــوه‬ ُ ‫ فيقـ‬،‫ ال تعصنــي‬:‫ ألــم أ ُقـ ْـل لــك‬:‫ـم‬ ُ ‫لــه إبراهيـ‬
‫ـأي‬ُّ ‫ فـ‬،‫خز َينــي يــوم يبعثــون‬ ِ ‫رب إنــك وعدتنــي أن ال ُت‬ ِّ ‫ يــا‬:‫ـم‬ُ ‫ـول إبراهيـ‬ُ ‫فيقـ‬
‫ـت الجن ـ َة‬ ُ ‫حرمـ‬ َّ ‫ إين‬:-‫ـول اهلل –تعالــى‬ ُ ‫األبعــد؟ فيقـ‬ ‫خــزي أخــزى مــن أبي‬
‫ فــإذا‬،‫ مــا تحــت رجليــك؟ فينظــر‬،‫ـم‬ ُ ‫ يــا إبراهيـ‬:‫ ثــم ُيقــال‬،‫علــى الكافريــن‬
»‫ ف ُيؤخـ ُـذ بقوائمــه ف ُيل َقــى يف النــار‬،‫بذيــخٍ ُملتطِــخ‬
ِ ‫هــو‬
“Ibraaheem will meet his father Aazar on the Day of Resurrection,
and Aazar’s face will be dark and covered with dust. Ibraaheem
will say to him: Did I not tell you not to disobey me? His father
will say: Today I shall not disobey you. Ibraaheem will say: O Lord,
You promised me that You would not disgrace me on the Day You
resurrected me, and what disgrace could be greater than cursing and
dishonouring my father? Allah  will say: I have forbidden Paradise
to the disbelievers. Then it will be said: O Ibraaheem, what is that
beneath your feet? He will look, and will see a male hyena1, stained
with blood, which will be taken by the legs and thrown into the Fire.”2
The verse also indicates that loving a disbeliever is contrary to belief in
Allah and the Last Day. It either destroys faith completely or prevents one
from attaining perfect faith. If, in addition to loving them, a person also
supports their way and their disbelief, that puts him beyond the bounds
of Islam. If, however, he simply loves them without supporting them, this
is regarded as evildoing which undermines and weakens faith, but does
not eradicate it completely.
The verse also indicates that they (those who love the disbelievers) will
have no share on the Last Day, because they did not prepare anything for
it. Thus they will have missed out on preparing for that Day, because they
took the disbelievers as allies and close friends.
15 That is, his father will be transformed into a male hyena, so that he will no longer feel any
compassion towards him. [Translator]
94
With regard to the words ‫“ ﮋ ﭙ ﭚ ﮊ‬those who oppose [haadda]” [al-
Mujaadilah 28:55], the word haadda, translated here as opposed, comes
from a root meaning edge or side. Based on that, what is meant is that
Allah and His Messenger are on one side, and the one who opposes
them is on another side.1 This opposition is manifested when Allah
enjoins something or forbids something, and the individual does what is
forbidden or fails to do what is enjoined.
Notes and guidelines on how to interact with the disbelievers:
Our shaykh, Saalih al-Fawzaan, said: Not taking the disbelievers as allies
and close friends does not mean that we should boycott them and not
deal with them in matters that bring worldly benefit; rather there are
exceptions to that:
1. Even though we hate them and regard them as enemies, we must
still call them to Allah . It is obligatory to call them to Allah and not
abandon them. Rather we should say that they are the enemies of
Allah and our enemies, but we must call them to Allah, in the hope
that Allah will guide them. If they do not respond, then we should
fight them if we are able to, so that either they will enter Islam,
or pay the jizyah – if they are Jews, Christians or Zoroastrians –
and feel themselves subdued, submitting to the rule of Islam; then
they may be left to follow their religion, on condition that they pay
the jizyah and submit to Muslim rule. If they are not People of the
Book or Zoroastrians, then there is a difference of opinion among
the scholars as to whether jizyah may be accepted from them.
2. There is nothing to prevent making a peace deal with the disbelievers
in the case of necessity, if the Muslims need to make a peace deal
with them, because the Muslims are not able to fight them and there
is fear that they may harm the Muslims. There is nothing wrong
with making a peace deal with them until the Muslims becomes
strong enough to fight them, or if the disbelievers themselves ask
for a peace deal.
‫ﮋﯼ ﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﮊ‬
“But if they incline to peace, you also incline to it” [al-Anfaal 8:61],
15 As-Saarim al-Maslool ‘ala Shaatim ar-Rasool, p. 23.
95
then the Muslims should make a peace deal with them, provided
that the treaty is not intended to be permanent; rather it is temporary
with a clearly-defined expiry date, according to what the Muslim
ruler deems appropriate and based on the interests it serves.
3. There is nothing to prevent reciprocating kindness. If they show
kindness to the Muslims, there is nothing to prevent reciprocating
their kindness. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉﮊ‬
‫ﮋﮌﮍﮎ ﮊ‬
“Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those
who fought not against you on account of religion and did not
drive you out of your homes. Verily, Allah loves those who deal
with equity”[al-Mumtahanah 60:8].
4. A Muslim son must honour his disbelieving father and show
kindness to him, but he should not obey him in matters of disbelief,
because Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ‬
‫ﮃﮄ ﮅﮆﮇﮈﮉﮊﮋﮌﮍﮎﮏ ﮐﮑﮒﮓ‬
‫ﮔﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟﮠ ﮊ‬
“And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his
parents. His mother bore him in weakness and hardship upon
weakness and hardship, and his weaning is in two years. Give
thanks to Me and to your parents; unto Me is the final destination.
But if they (both) strive with you to make you join in worship with
Me others of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not,
but behave with them in the world kindly, and follow the path of
him who turns to Me in repentance and in obedience” [Luqmaan
15-31:14].
5. His father has rights over him even if he is a disbeliever, but you
should not love him in your heart; rather you should compensate
him for having brought you up, and because he is a father and has
96
rights, so you should compensate him on that basis.
We may engage in trade with them, buying what we need from
them and importing trade goods and weapons from them, in
return for payment. There is nothing wrong with that. The Prophet
 used to do business with the disbelievers. Similarly, he  did
business with the people of Khaybar, who were Jews, on the basis
that they would cultivate the land in return for a share of what the
land produced. This does not come under the heading of taking
them as close friends and loving them; rather it is an exchange of
benefits. We need to understand these matters and realize that they
have nothing to do with taking people as allies and close friends,
and such transactions are not forbidden.
The same applies to borrowing from them. The Prophet  borrowed
foodstuff from a Jewish man and left his shield as collateral with
him. When the Prophet  died, his shield was still being held as
collateral with a Jewish man for food that he had bought for his
family.
There is nothing wrong with that, because these are worldly
matters and interests, and are not indicative of love and affection
in the heart. We must differentiate between the two, because some
people, when they hear texts that speak of enmity towards the
disbelievers and the prohibition on loving them, may understand
them as meaning that we should not interact with them or have
any contact with them at all, and that we should be completely
cut off from them. That is not the case, but this issue is subject to
some rulings, guidelines and conditions that are known to the
scholars, and are based on the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His
Messenger .
6. Allah has permitted Muslim men to marry women of the People of
the Book (Jews and Christians), on condition that they are chaste.
Allah has also permitted us to eat meat slaughtered by them.
7. There is nothing wrong with accepting their invitations and eating
their permissible food, as the Prophet  did.
97
8. We should show kindness to neighbours who are disbelievers,
because they have the rights of neighbours.
9. It is not permissible to mistreat them. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝﯞ ﮊ‬
“and let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid
justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety” [al-Maa’idah 5:8].1
When it comes to loyalty and disavowal, love and hate, people are divided
into three categories:
The first category is the believers and righteous people, who
persistently obey Allah. They are to be taken as allies and close
friends, and are to be loved. If a man is a believer who obeys Allah,
and adheres to the commands of Allah, and keeps away from what
Allah has forbidden, such a person is to be loved.
The second category is people who disbelieve in Allah . If a man
is a disbeliever, no matter what the nature of his disbelief is, then he
is to be hated.
The third category is people who are to be loved for some reasons
and hated for other reasons. Such a person is to be loved because
of his faith and what he has of righteousness and obedience, but
he is to be hated for what he has of evildoing and sin. These are
the sinners among those who affirm Allah’s oneness, who basically
have faith and believe in Tawheed, but they commit some sins that
do not constitute disbelief in Allah. If a person is like that, he is to
be loved commensurate with what he has of faith, and is to be hated
commensurate with what he has of evildoing and sin.
One of the signs of being too close to the disbelievers is approval of
their ideas of disbelief and refusal to regard them as disbelievers, or
doubting that they are disbelievers.
15 Sharh al-Usool ath-Thalaathah by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (p. 47-48].
98
You should understand – may Allah guide you

and help you to obey Him – that haneefiyyah
(monotheism) is the religion of Ibraaheem, …
The phrase translated here as “You should understand” has been

discussed above, where we explained what we may learn from it.
“may Allah guide you and help you to obey Him” is a supplication
from the shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) for everyone who reads
this essay, asking Allah to guide him to beneficial knowledge and righteous
deeds. What is meant by guidance (rushd) in this instance is guidance to the
truth, the opposite of which is misguidance1, as in the verse:
‫ﮋﰄ ﰅ ﰆ ﰇ ﰈﮊ‬
“Verily, the Right Path [rushd] has become distinct from the wrong
path” [al-Baqarah 2:256].
If Allah guides the Muslim and helps him to obey Him, then he is blessed
in this world and the hereafter.
What is meant by the phrase “to obey Him” is that you should obey
Allah with regard to what He enjoins, so that you do it, and with regard
to what He forbids, so you avoid it, in compliance with the command of
Allah  and seeking His pleasure, in hope of His reward and in fear of
His punishment.2
“that haneefiyyah (monotheism) is the religion of Ibraaheem” – when
we say “haneefiyyah (monotheism)” and when we say “the religion of
Ibraaheem ”, they both refer to the same thing, as Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﮊ‬
“Verily, Ibraaheem (Abraham) was an Ummah (a leader having all
15 Tafseer at-Tabari Jaami‘ al-Bayaan, annotated by Shaakir, 5/416.
25 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, p. 70.
99
the good righteous qualities, or a nation), obedient to Allah, Haneefa
(worshipping none but Allah), and he was not one of those who
were Al-Mushrikoon (polytheists)” [an-Nahl 16:120]
‫ﮋﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮊ‬
“Then, We have inspired you (O Muhammad  saying): ‘Follow
the religion of Ibraaheem (Abraham) Haneefa (Islamic Monotheism
- to worship none but Allah) and he was not of the Mushrikoon
(polytheists, idolaters, disbelievers, etc.)” [al-Nahl 16:123]
‫ﮋﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﮊ‬
“Ibraaheem (Abraham) was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he
was a true Muslim Haneefa (Islamic Monotheism - to worship none
but Allah Alone) and he was not of Al-Mushrikoon” [Aal ‘Imraan
3:67].
The word haneefiyyah (monotheism) is taken from the word hanaf, which
means inclination. What is meant by haneefiyyah is a path which inclines
away from shirk and towards Tawheed.
The haneef (monotheist) is the one who turns towards Allah  and
turns away from everything except Him.1
Based on that, all the divinely-revealed religions that have not been
distorted incline away from shirk and towards the truth. This is the call
of all the Messengers (peace be upon them).
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Religion, with regard to the concept of Tawheed, is one religion; there
was never any dispute between any two concerning that.
The religion of Allah that He chose for His slaves and for Himself is the
foundation of religion.
It is not possible that the Messengers could have received two different
descriptions of Tawheed.2

25 Al-Kaafiyah ash-Shaafiyah, p. 85.
100
… that you should worship Allah alone,

with sincere devotion to Him.
The author’s words, “that you should worship Allah ...” are a definition
of the religion of Allah’s Prophet Ibraaheem , which is “to worship
Allah alone, with sincere devotion to Him.” The religion of Ibraaheem
 combines two things: worship (‘ibaadah) and sincerity (ikhlaas). These
two things are essential. Whoever claims that he worships Allah but is
not sincere, his worship is worthless.
The religion of Ibraaheem is the path of Tawheed, and the evidence for
that is abundant, including the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮊ‬
“When his Lord said to him, ‘Submit (i.e., be a Muslim)!’ He said,
‘I have submitted myself (as a Muslim) to the Lord of the ‘Aalameen
(mankind, jinn and all that exists)’” [al-Baqarah 2:131].
Another example of that evidence is Ibraaheem’s disavowal of the worship
of anything other than Allah, and his commitment to worshipping Allah
alone. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮁﮂﮃ ﮄﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉﮊﮋﮌﮍﮎﮏ ﮊ‬
“And (remember) when Ibraaheem (Abraham) said to his father
and his people: ‘Verily, I am innocent of what you worship,
‘Except Him Who did create me, and verily, He will guide me’” [az-
Zukhruf 43:26-27].
This verse is similar to the word of Tawheed, because the phrase
‫“ ﮋ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ‬Verily, I am innocent of what you worship” is a
negation and the phrase ‫“ ﮋ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮊ‬Except Him Who did
create me” is an affirmation. So Ibraaheem’s words include the disavowal
of the various deities that his people worshipped, as well as an affirmation
that he was a worshipper of the One Who alone created him. This is the
101
meaning of the word of Tawheed, Laa ilaaha illa Allah (none has the right
to be worshipped but Allah). Hence Allah  said after that:
‫ﮋﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮊ‬
“And he made it (i.e., La ilaaha illa Allah (none has the right to be
worshipped but Allah Alone)) a Word lasting among his offspring
(True Monotheism), that they may turn back” [az-Zukhruf 43:28].
In other words, so that they might come back to it (that Word) and worship
Allah  alone, with sincerity.
Sincerity (ikhlaas) means intending to do an action in order to draw
closer to Allah  and in obedience to His command, whilst avoiding
everything that could undermine the intention to draw close to Him, such
as blameworthy, negative attitudes like showing off, self-admiration, and
the like.1 Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟﮊ‬
“And they were commanded not, but that they should worship
Allah, and worship none but Him Alone [with sincere devotion to
Him]” [al-Bayyinah 98:5].
Ibn al-Qayyim said: Sincerity (ikhlaas) is something that is not known to
the recording angel so that he could write it down, nor is it known to an
enemy so that he could try to undermine it, and the one who has it will
not admire it, lest that render it invalid.2
What could invalidate sincerity is one of two things: either showing
off and seeking a reputation, or association of anyone in worship with
Allah. Nowadays you may find many of those who claim to be Muslims
falling into some types of shirk, such as calling upon something other
than Allah, worshipping graves and shrines, offering sacrifices to them,
making vows (nadhr) to them, circumambulating them, seeking to draw
close to their occupants, touching them to seek blessing (barakah), calling
upon the dead for help, and so on. Our shaykh, Saalih al-Fawzaan, said:
The haneefiyyah which turns completely away from shirk and turns to and
15 See Mukhtasar Minhaaj al-Qaasideen by Ibn Qudaamah al-Maqdisi, p. 366

25 Al-Fawaa’id, p. 99.
102
focuses completely on Tawheed is: to worship Allah alone, with sincere
devotion to Him.1
Some of the many benefits of sincerity (ikhlaas) are:
1. By means of sincerity, a person will be truly able to understand and
believe in Tawheed and to obey Allah perfectly, and rid his heart
that which he desires and turns into an object of worship.
2. Sincerity averts sins from a person, as Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮊ‬
“Thus it was, that We might turn away from him evil and illegal
sexual intercourse. Surely, he was one of Our sincere slaves”
[Yoosuf 12:24].
3. By means of sincerity, Allah will avert tricks of the devils from the
person, so they will have no power over him. Allah  tells us what
this accursed enemy said:
‫ﮋﰖ ﰗ ﰘ ﰙ ﰚ ﰛ ﰜ ﰝ ﰞ ﮊ‬
“(Iblees (Satan)) said: ‘By Your Might, then I will surely mislead
them all, Except Your sincere slaves amongst them (faithful,
obedient, true believers of Islamic Monotheism)” [Saad 38:82-83].
15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, p. 58.
103
Allah enjoined that upon all people …
“Allah enjoined that on all people” means: Allah commanded people to

worship Him alone, to the exclusion of all others, with sincere devotion
to Him and affirming His oneness. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ‬
‫ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙﯚ‬
‫ﯛﯜﯝﯞﯟ ﯠﮊ‬
“O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and
those who were before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqoon
(the pious),
Who has made the earth a resting place for you, and the sky as a
canopy, and sent down water (rain) from the sky and brought forth
therewith fruits as a provision for you. Then do not set up rivals
unto Allah (in worship) while you know (that He Alone has the
right to be worshipped)” [al-Baqarah 2:21-22].
‘Ibaadah (worship) is of two types:
1. ‘Ibaadah as universal submission, which means submitting to the
universal decree of Allah . This applies to all of creation, believers
and disbelievers alike, and no one can escape that submission. No
one is to be praised for this type of ‘ibaadah, because it is not by his
will or choice. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﮊ‬
“There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the
Most Beneficent (Allah) as a slave [‘abd]” [Maryam 19:93].
2. ‘Ibaadah as submission in the religious sense, which means
submitting to the religious commands of Allah as explained in the
104
Islamic texts. This applies specifically to those who obey Allah 
willingly and follow that which the Messengers brought, as Allah
 says:
‫ﮋﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﮊ‬
“And the slaves of the Most Beneficent (Allah) are those who walk
on the earth in humility and sedateness, and when the foolish
address them (with bad words) they reply back with mild words
of gentleness” [al-Furqaan 25:63].
105
… and created them for that purpose, as He  says:
‫ﮋﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﮊ‬
“And I (Allah) created not the jinn and humans except they should
worship Me (Alone)” [adh-Dhaariyaat 51:56].
The phrase “and created them for that purpose” refers to worship of
Allah. The purpose behind the creation of all creatures is that they should
worship Allah alone, with no partner or associate.1
The ins (humans) mentioned in the verse are the sons of Adam. They
are called ins because they find comfort (ya’nas) in one another, so they
come together and feel love and comfort.2
The word jinn comes from ijtinaan, which refers to concealment. In
Arabic, one may say jannahu’l-layl, meaning that the night concealed or
covered him. Thus the jinn are concealed from human eyes3, as Allah 
says:
‫ﮋﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡﮢ ﮊ‬
“Verily, he and Qabeeluhu (his soldiers from the jinn or his tribe) see
you from where you cannot see them” [al-A‘raaf 7:27].
Similar to that is the janeen (foetus) in the uterus, because it is concealed
from human eyes.
Humans and jinn are both enjoined to worship Allah with sincere
devotion to Him, and for that purpose they were created. Allah  says:
‫ﭢﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴﭵ‬
‫ﭶﭷ ﭸﭹﭺﭻ ﮊ‬
15 Sharh ar-Risaalah at-Tadmuriyyah by al-Khamees, p. 441.
25 Al-Furooq al-Lughawiyyah by al-‘Askari, p. 274.
106
“Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion, and He is Able to
do all things.
Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you
is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving;
Who has created the seven heavens one above another; you can see
no fault in the creations of the Most Beneficent. Then look again:
‘Can you see any rifts?’” [al-Mulk 67:1-3].
The wisdom behind Allah’s creation of these creatures is only that they
should worship Him alone, with no partner or associate, as stated in the
verse.
Al-Fudayl ibn ‘Iyaad said with regard to the words ‫ﮋ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢﭣ ﮊ‬
“that He may test you which of you is best in deed”: [That is,] most sincere
and most correct. And he said: If a deed is sincere but is not correct, it
will not be accepted, and if it is correct but is not sincere, it will not be
accepted, unless it is both sincere and correct. That which is sincere is
that which is solely for the sake of Allah, and that which is correct is that
which is in accordance with the Sunnah. Then he recited the verse:
‫ﮋ ﰄ ﰅ ﰆ ﰇ ﰈ ﰉ ﰊ ﰋ ﰌ ﰍ ﰎﰏ ﰐ ﰑ ﰒ ﰓ ﰔ ﰕ ﰖ‬
‫ﰗﰘﰙﰚ ﰛﰜ ﮊ‬
“So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work
righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his
Lord” [al-Kahf 18:111].1
15 Hilyat al-Awliyaa’, 8/95.
107
What is meant by “they should worship

Me (Alone)” is: they should affirm My oneness.
“What is meant by ‘they should worship Me (Alone)’ is: they should affirm
My oneness.”1 In other words, they should single Me out for worship
(‘ibaadah), for worship is Tawheed, and Tawheed is worship; each of them
explains the other, so Tawheed may be explained as being worship, and
by the same token, worship may be explained as being Tawheed.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah  said: The Messenger of Allah 
said:
َّ‫وأسد‬ ِ ْ ‫ َأم‬،‫تفر ْغ لعباديت‬

ُ ،‫أل َصدْ َرك غنًى‬ َّ :‫آدم‬ ‫ اب َن‬:-‫عز وجل‬- ‫«قال اهلل‬
»‫فقرك‬
َ َّ‫أسد‬ ً ‫صدرك ُش‬
ُ ‫ ومل‬،‫غل‬ َ ‫مألت‬
ُ ْ ‫ وإال‬،‫فقرك‬
،‫تفعل‬ َ
“Allah  said: O son of Adam, devote yourself to worshipping Me,
and I shall fill your heart with contentment and shall meet your
needs. If you do not do that, I shall fill your heart with concerns and
shall not meet your needs.”2
This hadith indicates that Allah  only created creation so that they
would worship Him alone, which is Tawheed al-uloohiyyah (oneness of
divinity). It is a refutation of those who understand Tawheed to mean
mere affirmation that Allah is the Creator, the Provider, the One Who
gives life and causes death, and is in control, and no more than that.
The great scholar of the ummah and interpreter of the Qur’an,
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbaas  explained the verse
‫ﮋﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮊ‬
“O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah)” [al-Baqarah 2:21]
by saying: Affirm the oneness of your Lord.3 When the Qur’an mentions
‘ibaadah [and words derived from it], it refers to Tawheed.
15 Al-Qawl al-Mufeed ‘ala Kitaabat-Tawheed by al-‘Uthaymeen, 1/26; Tafseer at-Tabari, 1/362.
108
The most important thing that Allah has

enjoined is Tawheed, which means
singling Allah out for worship, …
In linguistic terms, the word Tawheed is a verbal noun derived from

wahhada, meaning to make something one, with no second to it. This can
only be achieved through negation and affirmation, which means negating
the description of being one for anyone except the one who is declared
to be one, and to affirm that description of oneness for Him alone. The
scholars say that a person cannot attain perfect Tawheed until he testifies
that no one has the right to be worshipped but Allah (Laa ilaaha illa Allah).
With this phrase, he negates the divinity (uloohiyyah) of anything other
than Allah, and affirms it for Allah alone.1
There are three types of Tawheed2:
1. Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah (oneness of divine Lordship). This means
declaring Allah  to be one and unique in His actions, by believing
that Allah  is one and unique in all that He does, and He has no
partner in that. His actions include creating, granting provision,
giving life, causing death, and controlling and running the affairs
of the universe. Therefore there is no Rabb (Lord) except Him , as
He says:
‫ﮋﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮊ‬
“Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is the Wakeel (Trustee,
Disposer of affairs, Guardian, etc.) over all things” [az-Zumar
39:62].
And He  says:
‫ﮋ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼ ﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀﰁ ﰂ ﰃ ﰄ ﰅﰆ ﰇ ﰈﮊ‬
15 See Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by al-‘Uthaymeen, p. 39.
25 Sharh at-Tahhaawiyyah, annotated by Arna’oot, 1/24.
109
“O mankind! Remember the Grace of Allah upon you! Is there
any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the sky
(rain) and the earth? La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be
worshipped but He). How then are you turning away (from Him)?”
[Faatir 35:3].
2. Tawheed al-uloohiyyah (oneness of divinity) or Tawheed al-‘ibaadah
(oneness of worship). This means doing for Allah alone  the acts
of worship that He has prescribed for His slaves. It is also called
Tawheed al-qasd wa’t-talab (oneness of aim and purpose). What
this means is that the individual singles out his Lord  [for his
devotion], so he turns to Him alone, humbles himself before Him
alone, loves Him alone, puts his hope in Him alone, and so on with
regard to all other acts of worship. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮊ‬
(the pious)” [al-Baqarah 2:21].
3. Tawheed al-asmaa’ wa’s-sifaat (oneness of the divine names and
attributes). This means believing in the names and attributes that
Allah has ascribed to Himself, which are mentioned in His Book or
on the lips of His Messenger . That is done by affirming what He
affirmed and denying what He denied, without discussing how
and without likening Him to His creation, and without denying
any of His attributes. He  says:
‫ﮋﭡ ﭢ ﭣﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﮊ‬
“There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-
Seer.” [ash-Shoora 42:11].
The shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) defines Tawheed as meaning
that “you should single Allah out for worship.” In other words, you
should ascribe divinity (uloohiyyah) to Allah alone. This is where the
polytheists whom the Prophet  fought went astray, because of which
it became permissible for him to fight them, seize their wealth, land and
110
property, and take their women captive. All of that was because they did
not accept this type of Tawheed. Allah  says:
‫ﮐﮑﮊ‬
avoid (or keep away from) Taghoot (all false deities, etc.; i.e., do not
worship Taghoot besides Allah).’ Then of them were some whom
Allah guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was
justified. So travel through the land and see what was the end of
those who denied (the truth).”[an-Nahl 16:36].
Therefore ‘ibaadah is not correct unless it is done for the sake of Allah 
alone. Whoever does not adhere to the proper understanding of Tawheed
is a polytheist and a disbeliever, even if he affirms Tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah
(oneness of Lordship) and Tawheed al-asmaa’ wa’s-sifaat (oneness of the
divine names and attributes).1
Singling Allah out for worship should be done in the most perfect
sense, in word, intention and deed. So the individual should devote his
worship to Allah alone, in his words, in his deeds, and in his intentions.2
This highlights the fact that Tawheed is the greatest and most important
of all that Allah has enjoined, and all other religious duties that Allah
has enjoined come after understanding and believing in Tawheed. The
evidence for that is the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ‬
‫ﮣﮤ ﮥﮦﮧﮨﮩﮪ ﮫﮬ‬
‫ﮭ ﮮ ﮯﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﮊ‬
“Worship Allah and join none with Him in worship, and do good to
parents, kinsfolk, orphans, Al-Masaakeen (the poor), the neighbour
15 See Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by al-‘Uthaymeen, p. 40.

25 Husool al-Ma’mool bi Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool, p.46.
111
who is near of kin, the neighbour who is a stranger, the companion
by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and those (slaves) whom
your right hands possess. Verily, Allah does not like such as are
proud and boastful”[an-Nisaa’ 4:36].
In this verse, Allah  begins with His rights over people, but He did
not stop at the words ‫“ ﮋ ﮗ ﮘ ﮊ‬Worship Allah”; rather He followed
that by saying: ‫“ ﮋ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜﮝ ﮊ‬and join none with Him in worship”,
because worship is not valid if the worshipper associates anything else
with Him. Hence you will find many verses that start by mentioning
worship of Allah  alone, then follow that with the prohibition on shirk,
such as the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ‬
‫ﭺﮊ‬
“that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners
with Him” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:64].
As the most important thing that Allah has enjoined is Tawheed, it is
obligatory for the individual to start by learning ‘aqeedah (belief, doctrine)
before anything else, because it is the foundation of faith, and no act of
worship is valid without it, as has been explained previously.
112
… and the most serious thing that

He has forbidden is shirk, …
If you were to go and ask the ordinary people today: What is the most
serious thing that Allah has forbidden? You might find one of them saying
that it is riba (usury) or zina (fornication, adultery) or murder, and the
like. Undoubtedly this is grave ignorance of the true teachings of Islam
and the message of the Lord of the Worlds.
The most serious thing that Allah  has forbidden is shirk, as He 
says:
‫ﮋ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝﯞ ﯟ ﯠﯡ‬
‫ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ‬
‫ﯱ ﯲ ﯳﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀ ﰁ‬
‫ﰂ ﰃ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛﭜ ﭝ ﭞ‬
‫ﭟ ﭠﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮﭯ‬
‫ﭰ ﭱ ﭲﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﮊ‬
“Say (O Muhammad ): ‘Come, I will recite what your Lord has
prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be
good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your children because of
poverty - We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not
near to Al-Fawaahish (shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse, etc.)
whether committed openly or secretly, and kill not anyone whom
Allah has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Islamic
law). This He has commanded you that you may understand.
‘And come not near to the orphan’s property, except to improve
it, until he (or she) attains the age of full strength; and give full
measure and full weight with justice. We burden not any person,
but that which he can bear. And whenever you give your word (i.e.,
113
judge between men or give evidence, etc.), say the truth even if a
near relative is concerned, and fulfil the Covenant of Allah. This He
commands you, that you may remember” [al-An‘aam 6:151-152].
Here, Allah  begins with shirk, before mentioning other prohibited
actions, as He says: ‫“ ﮋ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﮊ‬Join not anything in worship with
Him”. This indicates that shirk is the most serious and grievous of that
which Allah has forbidden.
This is repeated in more than one place in the Qur’an, such as the
passage in al-Israa’ 39-17:22, which begins with the prohibition on shirk:
‫ﮋﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮊ‬
“Set not up with Allah any other ilaah (god), or you will sit down
reproved, forsaken (in the Hell-fire).” [al-Israa’ 17:22],
then mentions some other prohibited actions, then also ends with the
prohibition on shirk:
‫ﮋﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﮊ‬
“And set not up with Allah any other ilaah (god) lest you should be
thrown into Hell, blameworthy and rejected, (from Allah’s Mercy)”
[al-Israa’ 17:39].
Elsewhere, Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﮊ‬
“And those who invoke not any other ilaah (god) along with Allah…
”[al-Furqaan 25:68].
And there are other similar verses.
Shirk is the most grievous sin and act of disobedience towards Allah. It
was narrated from ‘Amr ibn Shurahbeel, that ‘Abdullah [ibn Mas‘ood]
said: I asked the Messenger of Allah : Which sin is most grievous before
Allah? He said:
‫ إن ذلك لعظيم‬:‫قلت‬ َ ‫«أن‬

ُ ،»‫جتعل هلل ندًّ ا وهو خلقك‬
“Ascribing a rival to Allah when it is He who has created you.”
114
[Ibn Mas‘ood ] said to him: That is indeed grievous…1
Shirk is also one of the seven sins that doom a person to Hell. It was
narrated from Abu Hurayrah  that the Prophet  said:
ِ
:‫اهلل ومــا ُهــ َّن؟ قــال‬ ‫ يــا رســول‬:‫ قالــوا‬،»‫وبقــات‬‫الســبع ا ُمل‬ ‫«اجتنِبــوا‬
َ
ُ
»... ‫ والســحر‬،‫«الــرك بــاهلل‬
“Avoid the seven sins that doom a person to Hell.” It was said:
What are they, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “Associating others
with Allah (shirk); witchcraft (sihr)…”2
Allah will not forgive the polytheist, in contrast to the sinner, who is
subject to the divine will: if Allah wills, He will punish him on the basis
of His justice, and if He wills, He will forgive him by His grace. Allah 
says:
‫ﮋﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ‬
‫ﯗﮊ‬
“Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him
in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He
pleases, and whoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he
has indeed invented a tremendous sin” [an-Nisaa’ 4:48].
Paradise will also be forbidden to the polytheist, as Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ‬
‫ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄﮅ ﮆ‬
‫ﮇﮈﮉﮊ‬
“Surely, they have disbelieved who say: ‘Allah is the Messiah (‘Eesa
(Jesus)), son of Maryam (Mary).’ But the Messiah (‘Eesa (Jesus))
said: ‘O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your
Lord.’ Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah,
then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his
abode. And for the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) there
are no helpers” [al-Maa’idah 5:72].
25 Al-Bukhaari, 2766; Muslim, 89.
115
Our shaykh, Saalih al-Fawzaan, said: It is obligatory to warn against
shirk and explain the matter to the people, so that they will be able to
avoid it. This is what is necessary. As for keeping quiet about shirk and
its practices, and leaving the people to indulge in worshipping anything
other than Allah when they claim to be Muslims and no one is speaking
out and warning against that, that is a very serious matter indeed. There
are those who focus on reminding people of the prohibitions on riba,
zina and immorality, and these things are indeed haraam and corrupt.
But shirk is even worse, so why not focus on speaking out against shirk,
warning people against shirk, and explaining what many people have
fallen into of major shirk whilst claiming to be Muslims?
Why is there this lenience with regard to shirk, turning a blind eye to
it, and letting people fall into it, at the time when the scholars are there,
and in fact are living alongside these people yet keeping quiet about what
they do? What must be done is to focus first of all on speaking out against
this serious threat that is widespread and causing a great deal of harm
to the ummah, when every sin other than it is less serious than it. So we
must begin with that which is most important, before moving on to that
which is less important.1
15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool, p. 67.
116
… which means calling upon others alongside Him.

“Worship Allah and join none with Him in worship” [an-Nisa’
4:36].
The words “calling upon others alongside Him” are the definition of shirk.
To explain further, it means devoting any kind of worship to anyone or
anything besides Allah, to one of the angels, one of the Prophets, one of
the righteous, or a rock shaped in the form of an idol, or any other created
thing.
NOTE: Some misguided innovators say that the shirk which is
forbidden is limited to shirk al-haakimiyyah, or shirk in matters of laws
and legislation only (that is, ruling according to something other than
that which Allah revealed), because that is shirk in the sense of regarding
obedience to a created being as equal to obedience to Allah, and they
limit shirk to that. This view is widespread nowadays.1
This may be refuted by noting that undoubtedly obedience to
any created being (in regarding as permissible that which Allah has
forbidden, or regarding as forbidden that which Allah has permitted,
or believing that they have the right to declare things to be permitted
or prohibited) does constitute shirk, but there is something worse than
that, which is worshipping something other than Allah  or devoting
any type of worship (‘ibaadah) to something other than Him , such as
offering sacrifices, making vows, circumambulating (tawaaf) and seeking
help. What we must do is warn against all kinds of shirk, and not focus
only on one aspect of it whilst overlooking that which is worse and more
grievous. It is not valid to interpret shirk as referring to shirk al-haakimiyyah
(i.e., shirk in matters of laws and legislation, or political shirk, as they call
15 Sharh Thalaat al-Usool by Saalih al-Fawzaan, p.88.
117
it) only, then say that worshipping graves is not shirk or is not worse
than shirk in matters of laws and legislation. all types of shirk are clear, as
noted above at the beginning of this discussion.1
But simply ruling according to something other than that which Allah
has revealed is not automatically regarded as disbelief; rather it is subject
to further discussion, as was narrated by the scholars from Ibn ‘Abbaas
 and others.2
The evidence quoted by the author regarding this issue is the verse in
which Allah  says:
“Worship Allah and join none with Him in worship” [an-Nisaa’ 4:36].
This verse begins by enjoining Tawheed and forbidding shirk, and this
proves our point, because that is Allah’s right over His slaves. It was
narrated that Mu‘aadh ibn Jabal  said: I was riding behind the Prophet
, and he said: “O Mu‘aadh!” I said: Here I am at your service. He said
something similar three times, then he said: “Do you know what is the
right of Allah over (His) slaves?” I said: No. He said: “The right of Allah
over (His) slaves is that they should worship Him and not associate
anything with Him.” Then he travelled on for a while, then he said: “O
Mu‘aadh!” I said: Here I am at your service. He said: “Do you know what
is the right of (His) slaves over Allah if they do that?” I said: Allah and
His Messenger know best. He said:
»‫«حقالعبادعلىاللهأن ال يعذ َبهم‬

“The right of (His) slaves over Allah is that He should not punish
them.”3
15 Taken from the commentary of Shaykh ‘Abdullah al-Qusayyir.

25 See: Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah, no. 6310 and 5741. Moreover, the phrase “Tawheed
al-haakimiyyah (oneness of source of legislation)” is not known in the works of earlier
scholars. Rather this phrase was introduced by some contemporary writers. Shaykh Ibn
‘Uthaymeen regarded it as something newly introduced, innovated and reprehensible.
See: Liqaa’ al-Baab al-Maftooh, tape no. 1502.
118
If you are asked, What are the three fundamental

principles that each person must know? Then say:
Each person must know his Lord, his religion and his
Prophet Muhammad .
With regard to the author’s words, “If you are asked, What are the
three fundamental principles…?” we have already discussed this at the
beginning of the book, where we highlighted the importance of these
three fundamental principles.
The question-and-answer method is the style used by the shaykh (may
Allah have mercy on him) in many of his essays. It is a useful method for
presenting information in a simple way that may be quickly grasped and
understood.
In linguistic terms, the word asl (translated here as fundamental
principle) refers to that on which something else is built.1 In Islamic
teaching, it has a similar meaning, but it refers to matters of religion. The
entire religion is based on these three fundamental principles.
15 Taaj al-‘Uroos, entry on asl, 27/447.
119
The first fundamental principle:

Knowing the Lord 
If it is said to you, Who is your Lord? then say, “My Lord is Allah Who
cared for me and all of creation by bestowing His blessings.
This is the first fundamental principle, which is that the individual
should know his Lord.
“If it is said to you, Who is your Lord?” means: if you are asked, Who
is your Lord? This is the matter concerning which you will be asked in
this world and the hereafter.
The Lordship (ruboobiyyah) referred to in the question “Who is your
Lord?” implies servitude and worship (‘uboodiyyah), because when
oneness of divine Lordship (Tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah) is mentioned
without further qualification, it includes oneness of divinity (Tawheed
al-uloohiyyah), and vice versa. In fact, the oneness of divine Lordship is
quoted as evidence for the oneness of servitude and worship, as in the
passage in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ‬
‫ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ‬
‫ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮊ‬
“And (remember) Ibraaheem (Abraham) when he said to his people:
‘Worship Allah (Alone), and fear Him, that is better for you if you
did but know.
‘You worship besides Allah only idols, and you only invent
falsehood. Verily, those whom you worship besides Allah have no
power to give you provision, so seek your provision from Allah
(Alone), and worship Him (Alone), and be grateful to Him. To Him
(Alone) you will be brought back’” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:16-17].
120
Ibraaheem al-Khaleel  cited as evidence the fact that just as Allah is the
only Rabb (Lord) in terms of creating, granting provision and so on, it is
His right that He should be the only Ilaah (God, the one to be worshipped).
Just as there is no Rabb (Lord) besides Him, there is no Ilaah (God, the one
to be worshipped) except Him.
Therefore when Pharaoh asked Moosaa ,
“ ‘And what is the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that
exists)?’” [ash-Shu‘araa’ 26:23],
Moosaa  replied:
‫ﮋ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﮊ‬
“ ‘Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them,
if you seek to be convinced with certainty’” [ash-Shu‘araa’ 26:24].
The polytheists affirmed the oneness of divine Lordship (Tawheed ar-
ruboobiyyah); there is a great deal of evidence for that in the Book of Allah,
such as the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ‬
‫ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯﯰ ﯱ ﯲﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﮊ‬
“Say (O Muhammad ): ‘Who provides for you from the sky and
from the earth? Or who has power over hearing and sight? And
who brings out the living from the dead and brings out the dead
from the living? And who disposes the affairs?’ They will say:
‘Allah.’ Say: ‘Will you not then fear (Allah’s Punishment for setting
up rivals in worship with Him)?’” [Yoonus 10:31].
Thus they affirmed that Allah  granted provision, created all things and
was in control of all things, because their response to the Messenger of
Allah  was, as the verse says:
‫ﮋ ﯱ ﯲﯳ ﮊ‬
“They will say: ‘Allah.’” [Yoonus 10:31].
121
If it is said to you, Who is your Lord? Then say, “My Lord is Allah Who
cared for me and all of creation by bestowing His blessings” – This is the
One Whom I worship and humble myself before Him, in submission,
love and veneration; I do what He commands me and I refrain from what
He forbids to me, so there is no one whom I worship except Him .
The word ar-Rabb (the Lord) means: the One Who is the Lord and has
full control over all of His creation; He is the One Who created them, is
sovereign over them, is disposing of their affairs and is controlling them.
That is because the name ar-Rabb is one of the names of Allah that may
have many meanings, not just one meaning.1
Ibn Jareer at-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “In Arabic, the
word rabb has several meanings: the leader who is obeyed may be called
a rabb; the man who rectifies something may be called rabb; the one who
owns something may be called its rabb. And this word may have many
other meanings, but they all boil down to these three meanings. Thus our
Rabb  is the Master and there is none like unto Him or similar to Him
in His dominion; He is the One Who cares for His creation and grants
them wellbeing by means of what He bestows upon them of blessings;
and He is the Sovereign to Whom belongs the power of creation and
commandment.”2
It is He  Who cares for all His slaves, and bestows blessings upon
them; He feeds them with what He provides for them when they are in
their mothers’ wombs. In the hadith it says:
َ ‫ـون َع َلقـ ًة‬

‫مثل‬ ُ ‫ ثــم يكـ‬،‫ـع خل ُقــه يف بطــن أمــه أربعــن يو ًمــا‬ َّ
ُ ‫«إن أحدَ كــم ُي َمـ‬
‫ ف ُيؤ َمـ ُـر بأربــع‬،‫ـث اهلل م َلـكًا‬
ُ ‫ ثــم َيبعـ‬،‫ـون ُم ْضغـ ًة مثـ َـل ذلــك‬
ُ ‫ ثــم يكـ‬،‫ذلــك‬
»‫ـقي أو ســعيد‬ ٌّ ‫ وشـ‬،‫ وأج َلــه‬،‫ ورز َقــه‬،‫ـب عم َلــه‬ ْ ‫ اكتـ‬:‫ـال لــه‬ُ ‫و ُيقـ‬،‫كلامت‬
“The creation of any one of you is put together in his mother’s
womb for forty days, then he becomes a ‘alaqah (a piece of thick
coagulated blood) for a similar period, then he becomes like a
chewed piece of flesh for a similar period, then Allah sends an angel
who is enjoined to write down four things, and it is said to him:
15 Fiqh al-Asma’ al-Husna, p. 79

25 See: Tafseer at-Tabari, 1/141.
122
‘Write down his deeds, his provision, his lifespan and whether he
is wretched (doomed to Hell) or blessed (destined for Paradise).’”1
Everything on earth, of different nations and types of creatures, on land
or in the sea or in the air, enjoys the blessings and bounties of Allah. Allah
 says:
‫ﮋﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﮊ‬
“Who is he that can provide for you if He should withhold His
provision? Nay, but they continue to be in pride, and (they) flee
(from the truth)” [al-Mulk 67:21]
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ‬
‫ﭢﮊ‬
“And no (moving) living creature is there on earth but its provision
is due from Allah. And He knows its dwelling place and its deposit
(in the uterus, grave, etc.). All is in a Clear Book (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz
- the Book of Decrees with Allah)” [Hood 11:6].
NOTE: The author’s words “Who cared for me” refer to one of the
meanings of ruboobiyyah, which is defined as care. Allah’s care for His
slaves may be divided into two categories: general and specific.2
Divine care in the general sense is for all creatures, as Allah bestows
favours upon them and blesses them with health and well-being, food,
drink, nourishment and so on. Allah  is the Lord of the Worlds (Rabb
al-‘Aalameen), so all the other things, provision and so on that creatures
enjoy are from Allah , as He says:
‫ﮋ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼ ﯽ ﯾ ﯿﰀ ﮊ‬
“And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah”
[an-Nahl 16:53]
‫ﮋ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜﭝ ﭞ ﭟ‬
‫ﭠﭡﮊ‬
“And He gave you of all that you asked for, and if you count the
25 At-Tuhfah as-Saniyyah Sharh Manzoomat Ibn Abi Daawood al-Haa’iyyah, p. 29.
123
Blessings of Allah, never will you be able to count them. Verily! Man
is indeed an extreme wrong-doer, - a disbeliever”[Ibraaheem 14:34].
Divine care in the specific sense is exclusively for His Prophets, His close
friends and His righteous slaves. He strengthens their faith, enables them
to adhere to this true religion and guides them to the straight path. This
kind of care is one of the greatest blessings that Allah bestows on them.
Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ‬
‫ﮢﮊ‬
“Verily, those who accuse chaste women, who never even think of
anything touching their chastity and are good believers, are cursed
in this life and in the Hereafter, and for them will be a great torment”
[an-Noor 24:23]
‫ﮋ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊﮋ‬
‫ﮌﮍﮎ ﮊ‬
“but Allah has endeared the Faith to you and has beautified it in
your hearts, and has made disbelief, wickedness and disobedience
(to Allah and His Messenger ) hateful to you. These! They are the
rightly guided ones” [al-Hujuraat 49:7]
‫ﮋ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﰃ ﰄ ﰅ ﰆ‬
‫ﰇﮊ‬
“They regard it as a favour to you (O Muhammad ) that they have
embraced Islam. Say: ‘Count not your Islam as a favour to me. Nay,
but Allah has conferred a favour upon you, that He has guided you
to the Faith, if you are indeed true” [al-Hujuraat 49:17].
So when a person is guided to faith and to Islam, when he is helped to
obey Allah  and to follow the straight path, all of that is part of Allah’s
special care which He bestows upon whomever He wills among His
slaves. Grace is in the hand of Allah; He bestows it upon whomever He
wills. And Allah is the Owner of Great Bounty.
124
He is the one Whom I worship,

and I have none whom I worship except Him.”
“He is the one Whom I worship” means: the God (ilaah) who is like this
[that is, caring] is the one Who deserves to be worshipped by you and
by all of creation. It is not sufficient to affirm His Lordship and to say
“My Lord is Allah Who cared for me and all of creation by bestowing His
blessings.” Rather it is essential to turn to Him in servitude (‘uboodiyyah),
to worship Him alone and to devote your worship sincerely to Him. This
is the dividing line between you and the polytheists of Quraysh, who
affirmed the oneness of divine Lordship (Tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah) but they
denied the oneness of divinity (Tawheed al-uloohiyyah), as Allah  tells us
about their response when our Prophet  came to them and called them to
affirm His oneness and to worship the Almighty, the Most Praiseworthy
to the exclusion of all others:
‫ﮋ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸﭹ‬
‫ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ‬
‫ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ‬
‫ﮡ ﮢ ﮣﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮊ‬
“And they (Arab pagans) wonder that a warner (Prophet
Muhammad ) has come to them from among themselves! And the
disbelievers say: ‘This (Prophet Muhammad ) is a sorcerer, a liar.
‘Has he made the aalihah (gods) (all) into One Ilaah (God - Allah).
Verily, this is a curious thing!’
And the leaders among them went about (saying): ‘Go on, and
remain constant to your aalihah (gods)! Verily, this is a thing designed
(against you)!
‘We have not heard (the like) of this among the people of these later
125
days. This is nothing but an invention!
‘Has the Reminder been sent down to him (alone) from among us?’
Nay! but they are in doubt about My Reminder (this Qur’an)! Nay,
but they have not tasted (My) Torment” [Saad 38:4-8].
“and I have none whom I worship except Him” means: none whatsoever,
no angel who is near to Allah, and no Prophet who was sent. If divinity is
ruled out in their case, then it is more appropriate that it should be ruled
out in the case of the righteous close friends of Allah, let alone anything
of lower status than them, such as rocks, trees, graves and the like.
This is part of the rational evidence which proves that Allah  alone
is deserving of worship, to the exclusion of all others. This is what the
author (may Allah have mercy on him) meant when he said: “…My Lord
is Allah Who cared for me and all of creation by bestowing His blessings.”
126

‫ﮋﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﮊ‬
“All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen
(mankind, jinn and all that exists)”[al-Faatihah 1:2].
In linguistic terms, hamd means praising the one who is praiseworthy,
whilst also loving him and venerating him.1
The definite article al- in the word al-hamd (praise) encompasses all
types of praise. In other words, all praiseworthy characteristics are
affirmed in the case of Allah, for He possesses them all and deserves
them all. Therefore He  is deserving of praise in an absolute sense. As
for anyone other than Allah , he may be praised commensurate with
whatever he does of favours and good deeds; however, absolute, perfect
praise is only for Allah , because all blessings come from Him alone.
NOTE: Shaykh al-Islam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on
him) said in Badaa’i‘ al-Fawaa’id, concerning the difference between the
Arabic words hamd and madh (both of which may be translated as praise):
“The difference between hamd and madh is that when you speak of
the good characteristics of a person, it may be either by way of nearly
informing, without any love for him, or it may be accompanied by love
for him. If it is the former, that is madh; if it is the latter, that is hamd.
Hamd is telling of the good characteristics of the one praised, whilst
also loving, respecting and venerating him. This is in contrast to madh,
which is merely speaking of something and giving information. So when
a person says ‘al-hamdu Lillah (praise be to Allah)’or ‘Rabbana laka al-hamd
(our Lord, to You be praise)’, it refers to everything for which Allah  is
to be praised in a concise word that encompasses all vocabulary of praise,
either clear or implicit. That means inevitably affirming all the perfect
qualities for which Allah  is to be praised. Hence it is not appropriate to
15 Tahdheeb al-Lughah, 4/251.
127
use this word in this manner except when praising the One Who is like
that, for He is the Most Praiseworthy, the Most Majestic.”1
‫ﮋﭘ ﭙﮊ‬
“The Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)” [al-
Faatihah 1:2]
means: of all the realms, the realm of humans, the realm of the jinn, the
realm of the angels, and the realm of animals, trees, seas, rivers, planets,
stars, and other things that no one can count or know except Allah 
alone. Hence no one can be called ‫“ ﮋ ﭘ ﭙ ﮊ‬Lord of the ‘Aalameen”
except Allah  alone.
15 Badaa’i‘ al-Fawaa’id, 2/93.
128
Everything other than Allah comes under the

heading of ‘aalam, and I am part of that ‘aalam.
So if it is said to you: “How did you come
to learn about your Lord?” then say:
“By means of His signs and His creation.”
“Everything other than Allah comes under the heading of ‘aalam, and
I am part of that ‘aalam” means: everything other than Allah , of all
different types – including the realms of humanity, the jinn, the animals,
the seas, the heavens and the stars – is created, and I am one of those who
are created.
This is evidence that He  is the Rabb (Lord), and as that is the case,
He  alone is deserving of worship. Hence you find that after saying
‫ﮋﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﮊ‬
“All praise and thanks be to Allah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen
(mankind, jinn and all that exists)” [al-Faatihah 1:2],
Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﮊ‬
“You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for each
and every thing)” [al-Faatihah 1:5].
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said, commenting on this
verse:
“Here the object appears first, which is the word iyyaaka (You alone),
and it is repeated in order to emphasize the meaning and show exclusivity.
What is meant is: We do not worship any except You, and we do not put
our trust in any except You. This is the highest level of obedience, and the
entire religion is based on these two concepts.”1
15 Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/134.
129
What is meant by these words of Imam Ibn Katheer is that the fact
that the object (iyyaaka/You alone) appears first and the subject and verb
(na‘budu/we worship) appear second is indicative of exclusivity. Saying
“iyyaaka na‘budu (You alone we worship)” means something different from
saying “na‘buduka (we worship You)”, because when you say “na‘buduka
(we worship You)” you are affirming worship only, whereas when you
say “iyyaaka na‘budu (You alone we worship)”, it implies negation and
affirmation; in other words, you are saying: We worship You and we do
not worship anyone other than You. Worship is not valid except with this
negation and affirmation. This is the meaning of Laa ilaaha illa Allah (none
has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone).
With regard to the phrase “How did you come to learn about your
Lord?”, What is meant is: If you are asked, How did you come to know
about your Lord Who has been caring for you and bestowing His blessings
upon you? Meaning, what is the evidence for that, because anyone who
makes a claim must provide evidence for his claim, and affirming Allah’s
Lordship (ruboobiyyah) requires knowledge? – the answer is that the
evidence for that is of two types, rational and textual. Hence the shaykh
(may Allah have mercy on him) answered this question by saying: “Say:
‘By means of His signs [aayaat] and His creation.’”
Aayaat is the plural of aayah, which in linguistic terms means a sign or
indication.1
Signs (aayaat), according to Islamic teachings, may be divided into two
categories2:
1. Revealed aayaat (verses):
The Qur’an is filled with aayaat (verses) which prove that Allah the
One  is the Creator, the Provider, the Controller of this universe, as
He  says:
‫ﮋﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﮊ‬
“We will show them Our Signs in the universe” [Fussilat 41:53]
15 Al-Lubaab fi Qawaa‘id al-Lughah wa Aalaat al-Adab an-Nahw wa’-s-Sarf wa’l-Balaaghah wa’l-

‘Arood wa’l-Lughah wa’l-Mathal, p. 203.
130
‫ﮋﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮊ‬
“That is Allah, your Lord, the Creator of all things” [Ghaafir 40:62]
‫ﮋﯺ ﯻ ﯼ ﯽ ﯾ ﯿﮊ‬
“And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from
Allah” [an-Nahl 16:53]
‫ﮋ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱﭲ ﮊ‬
“And if you would count the graces of Allah, never could you be
able to count them” [an-Nahl 16:18]
‫ﮋﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﮊ‬
“Did you think that We had created you in play (without any
purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?” [al-
Mu’minoon 23:115]
‫ﯛﯜﯝﯞﯟ ﯠ ﮊ‬
(the pious).
right to be worshipped)” [al-Baqarah 2:20-21]
‫ﮋﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨﮊ‬
“He it is Who has created you from clay, and then has decreed a
stated term (for you to die)” [al-An‘aam 6:2]
‫ﮋﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﮊ‬
131
“And indeed, We created man from sounding clay of altered black
smooth mud” [al-Hijr 15:8]
‫ﮋﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﮊ‬
“Were they created by nothing, or were they themselves the
creators?” [at-Toor 52:9].
2. Aayaat (signs) in the universe
These are things that Allah  has created, as Shaykh Haafiz al-Hakami
said:
‫ﮋﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﮊ‬
“These upper and lower realms must have had someone who
brought them into existence, and who is disposing of their affairs
and managing them. It is not possible that they could have come
into existence without someone to bring them into existence, and
it is not possible that they could have brought themselves into
existence. Allah  says in the context of affirming His Lordship and
affirming the oneness of His divinity:
“Were they created by nothing, or were they themselves the creators?
Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay, but they have no
firm Belief” [at-Toor 52:35-36].
Ibn ‘Abbaas  said: ‫‘ “ﮋ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﮊ‬Were they created by nothing’
means: without a Lord (Rabb). In other words: were they created without
there being anything to create them, or did they come into existence
without a Creator? This is something that cannot happen, because the
fact that creation is dependent upon the Creator is obvious from the
name. Therefore there must be a creator, and if they deny the Creator it is
not possible that they could have come into existence without a Creator.
‫‘ ﮋ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﮊ‬Or were they themselves the creators’ that is, did they
create themselves? This is even more impossible, for how can that which
does not exist create anything? When the two arguments (that they were
created by nothing and that they created themselves) are proven to be
flawed and invalid, proof will be established against them that there is
132
indeed a Creator Who created them, so they should believe in Him.
‫ﮋ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶﭷ ﮊ‬
“Or did they create the heavens and the earth?” [at-Toor 52:36].
This is more flawed and invalid than the first two scenarios, because
if someone at some time did not exist, it is impossible for him to bring
himself into existence, let alone be able to bring anyone else into existence.
This is by way of denouncing them for associating others with Allah 
when they know that He alone is the Creator, with no partner or associate.
‫“ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ‬Nay, but they have no firm Belief” [at-Toor 52:36];

that is, but their lack of certain faith is what made them do that.
It was narrated that Jubayr ibn Mut‘im  said: I heard the Messenger
of Allah  reciting Soorat at-Toor in Maghrib. When he reached this verse
‫ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ‬
‫ﭼﭽﭾ ﭿﮀﮁﮂﮊ‬
“Were they created by nothing, or were they themselves the creators?
Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay, but they have
no firm Belief.
Or are with them the treasures of your Lord? Or are they the tyrants
with the authority to do as they like?” [at-Toor 52:35-37] –
my heart almost soared.”1
References to signs (aayaat) in the universe include the verses in which
Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍﮊ‬
“Say: ‘Behold all that is in the heavens and the earth…’” [Yoonus
10:101]
‫ﮋﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕﮊ‬
“Do they not look in the dominion of the heavens and the earth and
all things that Allah has created…?” [al-A‘raaf 7:185].
15 Ma‘aarij al-Qubool, 1/99.
133
One of the scholars said: Look at the heaven; Who raised it? And look
at the earth; Who spread it out? Look at the stars and planets, and at
the winds and how they drive the ships. All of this creation only points
to a Creator Who created without precedent. It was said to one of the
Bedouin: How did you come to learn about your Lord? He said: Dung
indicates that a camel passed by, and footsteps indicate that some person
passed by, so how could the heaven with its big stars and the earth with
its mountains and valleys not be indicative of the Most High, the Most
Great? The Messengers  referred to this meaning as it is mentioned in
the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚﯛ ﮊ‬
“Their Messengers said: ‘What! Can there be a doubt about Allah,
the Creator of the heavens and the earth?’” [Ibraaheem 14:10].
One day Qiss ibn Saa‘idah gave a speech in the marketplace of ‘Ukaaz,
in which he said: “Brilliant signs; rain and plants; fathers and mothers;
those who come and go; light and darkness; righteous and sinners;
clothes, garments and mounts; food and drink; stars that shine; seas that
do not vanish or dry up; the raised canopy of the sky; the spread-out
earth; the dark night and the sky with its big stars – why do I see people
dying and not returning? Did they agree to stay, or were they detained
and fell asleep?”1
15 Al-Bayaan wa’t-Tabyeen, p. 253-254.
134
Other signs (aayaat) of His include: night

and day, sun and moon. Among His creations are
the seven heavens, the seven earths, all that they
contain and all that lies between them.
‫ﮋ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ‬
‫ﯣ ﯤﯥﯦﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﮊ‬
“And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the
sun and the moon. Prostrate not to the sun nor to the moon, but
prostrate to Allah Who created them, if you (really) worship Him”
[Fussilat 41:37]…
Here the author (may Allah have mercy on him) quotes
evidence for the signs (aayaat) in the universe, as they were
referred to in the verses (aayaat) of the Qur’an. Hence he says:
“Other signs (aayaat) of His include: night and day…”
These signs may be seen with the naked eye: “Night and day, sun and
moon, heaven and earth, mountains and seas.” They are only called signs
because in them there is evidence that points to their Creator .
Abu’l-‘Ataahiyah1 said:
I wonder, how can God be disobeyed, or how can He be denied?
In every movement and stillness there is evidence that points to Allah.
In everything there is a sign which indicates that He is one.
How strange it is; how can a weak creature deny his Lord ? You will
find the atheist saying, “There is no God, and this universe came into
being by itself, without a Creator.”
Subhaan-Allah! Have they not heard what Allah  says, addressing
people of reason:
15 Sayd al-Afkaar fi’l-Adab wa’l-Akhlaaq wa’l-Hikam wa’l-Amthaal, 1/141.
135
‫ﮋﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮊ‬
“… Or do they assign to Allah partners who created the like of His
creation, so that the creation (which they made and His creation)
seemed alike to them.’ Say: ‘Allah is the Creator of all things, He is
the One, the Irresistible’”
[ar-Ra‘d 13:16].
Al-‘Allaamah as-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “If they
have any doubt, and they ascribe partners to Him, claiming that these
partners can create as He does and do what He does, then remove this
doubt and confusion from their minds on the basis of proof that Allah
alone is the true God, and say to them: ‫‘ ﮋ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮊ‬Allah is the
Creator of all things’, for it is impossible that anything can be created
by itself. It is also impossible that anything could come to be without
a creator. Thus it is inevitable that it must have a God Who created it,
with no partner or associate in His creation, because He is the One, the
Subjugator, and Oneness and subjugation belong only to Allah alone. As
for created beings, each created being has another created being above it
that subjugates it, and above that one there must be another subjugator,
and so on, all the way up to the subjugation of the One, the Subjugator.
So divine subjugation and oneness are interconnected, belonging to Allah
alone. Therefore on the basis of purely rational thinking, whatever is
called upon besides Allah has no share in the act of creation and thus
worship thereof is invalid.”1
The author’s words “night and day” refer to the greatest creations of
Allah  and the two significant objects that they contain, namely the sun
and moon. The night is intense darkness that covers the sky, and the day
shines brightly when the sky is covered by the light of day. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡﭢ‬
‫ﭣﭤﭥ ﭦﭧﭨ ﭩﭪﭫﭬ ﭭﭮ ﭯ ﭰ‬
‫ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ‬
‫ﮁ ﮂﮃﮄﮅﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ‬
15 Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahmaan, p. 415-416.
136
“Say (O Muhammad ): ‘Tell me! If Allah made night continuous
for you till the Day of Resurrection, who is an ilaah (a god) besides
Allah who could bring you light? Will you not then hear?’
Say (O Muhammad ): ‘Tell me! If Allah made day continuous for
you till the Day of Resurrection, who is an ilaah (a god) besides
Allah who could bring you night wherein you rest? Will you not
then see?’
It is out of His Mercy that He has put for you night and day, that
you may rest therein (i.e., during the night) and that you may seek
of His Bounty (i.e., during the day), and in order that you may be
grateful” [al-Qasas 18:71-73].
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his commentary on
this verse: Here Allah  is reminding His slaves of His favours and of
what He has made to be of service to them, namely the night and the
day, without which they could not survive. He explains that if He had
made the night last forever until the Day of Resurrection, that would
have harmed them, and people would become bored of it and would be
distressed by it. Hence Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﮊ‬
“who is an ilaah (a god) besides Allah who could bring you light?
Will you not then hear?” [al-Qasas 28:71];
that is, be able to see by means of it and find comfort in it. ‫ﮋﭣﭤﮊ‬
“Will you not then hear?”
Then Allah tells us that if He had made the day last forever until the
Day of Resurrection, that would have harmed them, and they would
have become tired and exhausted because of too much movement and
too much work. Hence He says:
‫ﮋﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﮊ‬
“who is an ilaah (a god) besides Allah who could bring you night
wherein you rest? Will you not then see?” [al-Qasas 28:72];
that is, be able to find rest from your movements and work.
137
‫“ ﮋ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﮊ‬Will you not then see? It is out of His Mercy”
towards you ‫“ ﮋ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮊ‬that He has put for you night and day”
that is, He has created both, ‫“ﮋ ﮃ ﮄ ﮊ‬that you may rest therein” that is,
during the night, ‫“ ﮋ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮊ‬and that you may seek of His Bounty”
that is, during the day, by travelling, moving about and working. The
words ‫“ ﮋ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ‬and in order that you may be grateful” mean: so
that you might give thanks to Allah by doing different kinds of acts of
worship by night and by day. Whoever misses something during the
night may make up for it during the day, and whoever misses something
during the day may make up for it during the night, as Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮊ‬
“And He it is Who has put the night and the day in succession, for
such who desires to remember or desires to show his gratitude” [al-
Furqaan 25:62].
And there are many verses which speak of this matter.1
Allah has caused the night and the day to follow one another in a
systematic manner. Neither lags behind the other, and the system does not
change or alter, as it operates in accordance with the divinely-ordained
laws of nature. That will continue until the command of Allah comes to
pass on the Day of Resurrection. It was narrated that Abu Dharr  said:
The Prophet  said to Abu Dharr when the sun set: “Do you know where
it goes?” I said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said “It goes and
prostrates beneath the Throne, then it seeks permission and permission is
granted to it [to return]. Soon it will prostrate but its prostration will not
be accepted from it, and it will seek permission but permission will not be
given to it, and it will be said to it: ‘Go back whence you came.’ So it will
rise from its place of setting, and that is referred to in the verse:
‫ﮋﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪﮊ‬
‘And the sun runs on its fixed course for a term (appointed). That
is the Decree of the All-Mighty, the All-Knowing’ [Yaa-Seen 36:38].2
138
Divine wisdom dictates that night and day should continue, and
neither of them should cease.
‫ﮋﰉ ﰊ ﰋ ﰌ ﰍ ﰎﰏ ﮊ‬
“The Work of Allah, Who perfected all things” [an-Naml 27:88].
That is because if one of them were to stop for even a moment, that would
be detrimental to the interests of all humanity and all of creation.
The sun is the heavenly body that shines by day, and the moon is the
heavenly body that reflects the light of the sun. Each of them is a heavenly
body, and each of them gives light to people wherever they go.
The sun is one of the great blessings of Allah, and its light is a means of
life continuing and people enjoying ongoing well-being, because of what
it causes to grow, thus making provision available to people.
The moon also has benefits, one of the most significant of which is
working out days, months and years, as Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ‬
‫ﯣﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﮊ‬
“It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a
light and measured out its (their) stages, that you might know the
number of years and the reckoning. Allah did not create this but
in truth. He explains the Aayaat (proofs, verses, signs) in detail for
people who have knowledge” [Yoonus 10:5]
‫ﮋ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗﯘ ﮊ‬
“They ask you (O Muhammad ) about the new moons. Say: ‘These
are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the
pilgrimage’” [al-Baqarah 2:189].
There are immense benefits in the new moons, as they are a means of
calculating times, especially those having to do with acts of worship, such
as determining when the month has begun, working out when to fast and
perform Hajj, counting the ‘iddah of women [waiting period following
divorce or death of the husband], and so on.
139
Then the author says: “Among His creations are the seven heavens,
the seven earths, all that they contain and all that lies between them.”
There are very many verses in the Qur’an which speak of the creation of
the heavens and the earth, such as the following:
‫ﮋﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ‬
‫ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡﮢ‬
‫ﮣﮤﮥﮦﮊ‬
“Indeed your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the
earth in Six Days, and then He Istawaa (rose over) the Throne (in
a manner that suits His Majesty). He brings the night as a cover
over the day, seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon,
the stars subjected to His Command. Surely, His is the Creation
and Commandment. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen
(mankind, jinn and all that exists)!” [al-A‘raaf 7:54]
‫ﮋﰃ ﰄ ﰅ ﰆ ﰇ ﰈ ﰉ ﰊ ﰋ ﰌ ﰍ ﰎ ﰏ ﰐ ﰑ ﰒ ﰓ‬
‫ﰔﰕﰖﰗﰘﰙ ﰚﰛﮊ‬
“It is Allah Who has created seven heavens and of the earth the
like thereof (i.e., seven). His Command descends between them
(heavens and earth), that you may know that Allah has power over
all things, and that Allah surrounds (comprehends) all things in
(His) Knowledge” [at-Talaaq 65:12].
Allah  created this universe and made it seven heavens, each of which
has its inhabitants and dwellers whom no one knows except Allah .
Likewise, He  created seven earths with all that they contain of rivers,
trees and seas, and He created many creatures which no one knows
except Him .
What the author (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned of signs
and created things all constitute rational evidence – as we have noted
above – which indicates that there is indeed a Creator . They also point
to the attributes of the Creator , such as His perfect might, perfect
wisdom and perfect mercy. This is the reason why the author (may Allah
140
have mercy on him) quoted this verse after that, namely the verse in
which Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ‬
‫ﯣ ﯤﯥﯦﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪﮊ‬
“And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the
sun and the moon. Prostrate not to the sun nor to the moon, but
prostrate to Allah Who created them, if you (really) worship Him”
[Fussilat 41:37].
The aim here is to prove shirk invalid and to forbid it, because some of
the polytheists used to worship the sun, some used to worship the stars
and planets and other mighty created things. If Allah has forbidden us
to prostrate to these significant created things which are great in size,
and He has forbidden us to prostrate to them, then what about awliyaa’
(“saints”), graves, rocks and the like? Is it not more appropriate to forbid
prostrating to these things and worshipping them?
NOTE: Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh (may Allah preserve him) said:
“The Shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) differentiated between
signs (aayaat) and created things, even though in the Qur’an there is
proof that the heavens and the earth are among the signs. So why did he
differentiate between them?
“The answer is that the reason why the shaykh (may Allah have mercy
on him) differentiated between them is very subtle. That is because the
word aayaat (signs) is the plural of aayah, and aayah means that which is
very clear and self-evident, and proves the point.
‫ﮋﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮊ‬
‘Verily, in this is an Aayah (proof or sign), yet most of them
(polytheists, pagans, etc., who do not believe in the Resurrection)
are not believers’ [ash-Shu‘araa’ 26:8];
that is, there is manifest, clear proof that highlights the point being made.
Here we may wonder, with regard to the one who is asked this question,
why is it that the night and day, the sun and moon, are a clearer sign for
141
the one who is asked this question or the one who gives the answer than
the heavens and earth? It is because these things, which are described
as being signs, change and vary, come and go. As for the heavens and
earth, he gets up in the morning and sees the heavens, and he gets up in
the morning and sees the earth. The fact that he is so familiar with the
heavens and earth may make him not realize that they are signs, but in
the case of those things that change and vary, come and go, it is clearer
that they are signs. Hence Ibraaheem al-Khaleel  sought evidence in
the things that change and vary:
‫ﮋﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ‬
‫ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﮊ‬
‘Thus did we show Ibraaheem (Abraham) the kingdom of the
heavens and the earth that he be one of those who have Faith with
certainty.
When the night covered him over with darkness he saw a star. He
said: “This is my lord.” But when it set, he said: “I like not those that
set”’ [al-An‘aam 6:75-76].
Why was that? It was because he proved by virtue of this movement that
it was a created thing, and he proved by virtue of this shifting (of the sun
and moon) that they were a sign of something else (namely, the Creator).”1
It may also be said that the mention of created things straight after
the mention of signs, in the Shaykh’s words “by virtue of His signs and
created things” is akin to speaking in specific terms after speaking in
general terms, because the created things are among the signs.
15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh, p. 61-62].
142
… and the verse:
‫ﮋﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ‬
‫ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡﮢ‬
‫ﮣﮤﮥﮦ ﮊ‬
“Indeed your Lord is Allah, Who created the heavens and the
earth in Six Days, and then He Istawaa (rose over) the Throne (in
a manner that suits His Majesty). He brings the night as a cover
over the day, seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon,
the stars subjected to His Command. Surely, His is the Creation
and Commandment. Blessed be Allah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen
(mankind, jinn and all that exists)!”[al-A‘raaf 7:54].
After mentioning the prohibition on shirk, the author (may Allah have
mercy on him) mentions the affirmation of divine Lordship and that
worship is only for the Lord , because there is no one who would
disagree with, object to or doubt His words ‫ﮋ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮊ‬
“Allah, Who created the heavens and the earth.”
‫“ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮊ‬in Six Days, and then” that is, the Lord  created these
huge and mighty creations in six days, even though He is able to create
them in a single moment. That was for wise reasons that are known to
Him .
‫“ ﮋ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮊ‬He brings the night as a cover over the day,
seeking it rapidly” that is, after the sun rises and becomes bright, the
light of day spreads everywhere and the sky is filled with light, the night
comes and covers that day with its darkness, and the light of day quickly
disappears. Thus night and day follow one another in a timely and
organized fashion, and in a precise and accurate manner as ordained by
Allah , which does not change and can neither be brought forward nor
143
delayed, for each of them has its own time that was ordained by Allah:
‫ﮋﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼ ﯽ ﯾﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﰃ ﮊ‬
“It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor does the night
outstrip the day. They all float, each in an orbit” [Yaa-Seen 36:40].
‫“ ﮋﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡﮢ ﮊ‬Surely, His is the Creation and Commandment.” Creation

is the power to bring something into existence from nothing. Allah  is
the only one Who has the power to create, so He  creates whatever He
wills at whatever time He wills. As He  is the only One Who has the
power to create, He is also the only one Who has the power to command.
His command is of two types: universal and religious.1
His universal command is the command of the divine will, in which
Allah says to a thing, Be! and it is, as it says in the verse:
‫ﮋﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﮊ‬
“…and [He] said to it [the heaven] and to the earth: ‘Come both of
you willingly or unwillingly.’ They both said: ‘We come, willingly’”
[Fussilat 41:11].
His religious command is the revelation that was sent down from heaven
to His Prophet , in which He commanded His slaves to obey Him and
to avoid that which He prohibited.
15 Fath-Allah al-Hameed al-Majeed fi Sharh Kitaab at-Tawheed, p. 65; Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by
Saalih al-Fawzaan, p. 116.
144
The Lord is the one Who is to be worshipped.

The evidence for that is the passage:
‫ﯛﯜﯝﯞﯟ ﯠ ﮊ‬
“O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah), Who created you and those
who were before you so that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious).
right to be worshipped)” [al-Baqarah 2:21-22].
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The Creator of these
things is the only one Who is deserving of worship.
“The Lord is the one Who is to be worshipped” means: He is the only
one Who deserves to be worshipped, to the exclusion of all others. It is
not sufficient for a person to acknowledge His Lordship; rather he must
also turn to Him in servitude and worship, with sincere devotion to Him
 alone, and act in accordance with what the Lord  revealed of religious
teachings to His Prophet Muhammad .
‫“ ﮋ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮊ‬O mankind! Worship your Lord (Allah),
Who created you” – after highlighting the greatness of Allah in His
creation of the heavens and the earth, this verse mentions together the
command to worship Allah alone and the prohibition on worshipping
anything besides Him. Allah  says ‫“ ﮋ ﮞ ﮟ ﮊ‬Worship your Lord”;
the word u‘budu (translated here as worship) appears in the imperative
form. What is meant is: Devote your worship sincerely to Him alone, for
He is your Lord.
145
The imam of the mufassireen, Ibn Jareer at-Tabari (may Allah have
mercy on him), said regarding this verse, after mentioning Ibn ‘Abbaas’s
commentary on it: “What Ibn ‘Abbaas  meant – in sha Allah – by
interpreting the words ‫“ ﮋ ﮞ ﮟ ﮊ‬Worship your Lord” as meaning:
affirm His oneness was: devote your obedience and worship solely to
your Lord, to the exclusion of the rest of His creation.1
Then the author quotes the words of Ibn Katheer2 (may Allah have
mercy on him): “The Creator of these things is the only one who is
deserving of worship.”
Ibn Katheer narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that ‫ﮋﯛﯜﯝﯞﯟﯠ ﮊ‬

“Then do not set up rivals unto Allah (in worship) while you know (that He
Alone has the right to be worshipped)” means: do not associate with Allah
anyone else among the rivals which cannot bring any benefit or do any harm,
when you know that you have no Lord Who grants you provision except
Him, for you know that what the Messenger  calls you to of affirming His
oneness is the truth concerning which there can be no doubt.3
This is the first command and the first prohibition in the Book of Allah.
Allah  has commanded His slaves to affirm His oneness, because this
is the greatest obligatory duty, and He has forbidden them to associate
others with Him, for that is the greatest sin. It was narrated that ‘Abdullah
ibn Mas‘ood said: I asked the Prophet : Which sin is most grave before
Allah? He said:
َ ‫«أن‬
‫جتعل هلل ندًّ ا وهو خلقك‬
“That you ascribe to Allah a rival when He has created you.”4
This verse, which the author (may Allah have mercy on him) quoted as
evidence refers to the rational proof which refutes the arguments for both
shirk and atheism. In it there is an affirmation that Allah is the Creator,
the Provider and the Controller of this universe, and the One Who is like
this is the only one Who is deserving of worship.

25 I could not find these exact words in the Tafseer of Ibn Katheer, but I found words to the
same effect. [Author]
35 Tafseer al-Qur’an al-‘Azeem by Ibn Katheer, 1/195.
146
Types of worship which Allah has enjoined…
After explaining that the Lord (Rabb) is the one Who is deserving of
worship, it is appropriate that the author (may Allah have mercy on
him) should mention the types of worship through which Allah  is
worshipped, and which should be devoted only to Him.
The phrase “Types of worship which Allah has enjoined” highlights
and points out the fact that these three things that he is going to mention
– namely Islam, eemaan (faith) and ihsaan1 – are the greatest levels of the
religion and the greatest types of worship, as is explained in the famous
hadith of Jibreel .
Acts of worship are of three types2:
1. Acts of worship in the heart, such as fear, hope, trust and love.
Most acts of worship are of this type.
2. Verbal acts of worship, meaning words that uttered on the lips,
such as dhikr and du‘aa’.
3. Physical acts of worship, which are done with other physical
faculties, such as fasting, Hajj and giving zakaah.
15 Ihsaan is referred to in the well-known hadith of Jibreel in which it was narrated that
‘Umar said: We were sitting with the Prophet  when a man came to him whose clothes
were intensely white and whose hair was intensely black; no signs of travel could be seen
upon him, and none of us knew him. He sat down facing the Prophet , with his knees
touching his, and he put his hands on his thighs, and said: O Muhammad, what is Islam?
He said, “To testify that there is no god except Allah, and that I am the Messenger of Allah;
to establish regular prayer; to pay zakaah; to fast in Ramadan; and to perform Pilgrimage
to the House (the Ka‘bah).” He said, You have spoken the truth. We were amazed by him:
he asked a question then told him that he had spoken the truth. Then he said, O Muham-
mad, what is eemaan (faith)? He said, “To believe in Allah, His angels, His Messengers,
His Books, the Last Day, and the divine decree (al-qadar), both good and bad.” He said,
You have spoken the truth. We were amazed by him: he asked a question then told him
that he had spoken the truth. Then he said, O Muhammad, what is ih@saan (right action,
goodness, sincerity)? He said, “To worship Allah as if you see Him, for even though you
cannot see Him, He sees you.” This version was narrated by Ibn Maajah; the hadith was
also narrated by al-Bukhaari, Muslim and others. [Translator]
25 Al-Mufeed fi Mahammaat at-Tawheed, p. 95.
147
… include Islam, eemaan (faith) and ihsaan.
Here the shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) begins to give examples
of acts of worship, as he says: “… include Islam, eemaan (faith) and
ihsaan.” These three are the greatest acts of worship, and they will be
explained below, when the shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him)
discusses the second fundamental principle, and says: “Learning the
religion of Islam on the basis of evidence.” These acts of worship that the
shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) lists are by way of example, and
it is not an exhaustive list, because the acts of worship are more than he
mentions, and it is not possible to mention them all in a brief essay such
as this. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah wrote a separate essay entitled al-
‘Uboodiyyah, in which he spoke of worship and its types, and highlighted
the deviations that occur in worship among the Sufis and others. It is a
very valuable essay that the seeker of knowledge should read and be
keen to understand properly.
148
Worship also includes supplication (du‘aa’),

fear, hope, trust, seeking Allah’s reward, fearing
Allah’s punishment, humility, dread, turning
to Allah, seeking His help, seeking refuge with
Him, beseeching Him, offering sacrifices, making
vows, and other kinds of worship that Allah has
enjoined. All of that should be for Allah  alone.
Among the acts of worship mentioned by the author (may Allah have
mercy on him) there are some which take the form of words and some
which are physical actions; some of them are apparent and some are
hidden; some are verbal, and some of them take place in the heart; some
of them are actions of the heart and some of them are physical actions.
This is a variety of acts of worship, and we will discuss them in detail
below, in sha Allah, with evidence and an explanation of their meanings,
because the author first mentions them in brief, then he discusses the
evidence for each act of worship in detail.
“All of that should be for Allah  alone” means: each of the types
of worship – those that are mentioned here and those that are not
mentioned – should be for Allah alone, with no partner or associate; it is
not permissible to devote any of these acts of worship to anything other
than Allah .
With regard to the words ‫“ ﮋ ﭷ ﭸ ﮊ‬And the mosques…”, The

shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) quotes this verse to prove that
149
worship should truly and only be for Allah , and it is not permissible
to devote it to anyone or anything except Him. In this regard, the shaykh
(may Allah have mercy on him) is following in the footsteps of the
scholars, and of the righteous early generations: when they referred to
an issue, they mentioned its evidence alongside it, either from the Book
of Allah  or from the Sunnah of His Prophet . So they do not produce
any idea from their own minds, and they do not fabricate evidence; they
are far above doing such a thing.
It was said that what is meant by the words ‫“ ﮋ ﭷ ﭸ ﮊ‬And the

mosques [masaajid]” is places of prostration, for they are places where
prayer is established. Based on that, what is meant is that they are only
built for the worship of Allah alone, so do not worship anyone else in
them.
And it was said that what is meant by the word masaajid (translated
above as “mosques”) is the parts of the body that touch the ground when
one prostrates, namely the forehead, nose, hands, knees and toes, as
mentioned in the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbaas , who said: The Prophet  said:
ِ
،‫ واليدين‬-‫وأشار بيده عىل أنفه‬- ‫ عىل اجلبهة‬:‫سبعة أع ُظ ٍم‬ ‫أسجدَ عىل‬ ُ ‫« ُأ ِم‬
ُ ‫رت أن‬
ِ
»‫وأطراف القدمني‬ ،‫والركبتني‬
“I have been commanded to prostrate on seven bones: on the
forehead – and he pointed to his nose – the two hands, the two
knees and the edges [that is, the toes] of the two feet.”1
Based on that, what is meant is that prostration should not be done to
anyone other than Allah.2
‫“ ﮋ ﭹ ﮊ‬for Allah (Alone)”, with no partner or associate.
‫“ﮋﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﮊ‬so invoke not anyone along with Allah” – this includes
the prohibition on both the supplication of asking and the supplication of
worship, for du‘aa’ (supplication) is worship.
‫“ ﮋ ﭾ ﮊ‬anyone [ahadan]” – in the original Arabic, this word appears
in the indefinite form in the context of a prohibition, so it applies to
25 Husool al-Ma’mool bi-Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool, p. 72.
150
everyone, with no exception from this general meaning. So there is to be
no invoking or calling upon any angel who is near to Allah, any prophet
who was sent, any idol, any image, any grave, any shaykh, any wali
(“saint”), any person, living or dead, no matter who he is, because this
prohibition includes everyone who is called upon besides Allah. This
verse indicates that worship is of no benefit unless it is accompanied by
affirmation of the oneness of Allah (Tawheed), and if any element of shirk
is mixed with it, it is rendered invalid and becomes a cause of doom.
Therefore it is not permissible to take the mosques as places of shirk
and calling upon anyone other than Allah, such as when mosques are
built over graves. Rather that should not be allowed to happen. The
mosques must also be cleansed of the innovations of the extreme Raafidis
and innovating Sufis, and of all types of innovation, shirk and sin, because
they are for Allah  alone.
NOTE: The word du‘aa’ (supplication), as mentioned in the Qur’an,
may have one of two meanings:
1. The du‘aa’ of asking and seeking; this is asking for that which will
benefit the supplicant, by bringing some benefit or warding off
some harm.
2. The du‘aa’ of worship; this refers to any kind of worship that does
not involve asking or seeking, such as worshipping the one on
whom one is calling by way of seeking His reward or for fear of
His punishment. It is not valid to address this kind of du‘aa’ to
anyone except Allah, because that constitutes major shirk that puts
one beyond the bounds of Islam.
The supplication or invocation mentioned in the verse
‫“ ﮋ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﮊ‬so invoke not anyone along with Allah”
includes both meanings: the du‘aa’ of worship and the du‘aa’ of asking.
Therefore it is not correct to limit the prohibition in the verse to the du‘aa’
of asking and seeking only, and assume that it does not apply to the du‘aa’
of worship only, or vice versa. Rather the prohibition includes both types.
This is supported by the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ‬
‫ﭩﭪﮊ‬
151
“And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me, I will respond to your (invocation).
Verily! Those who scorn My worship will surely enter Hell in
humiliation!”” [Ghaafir 40:60].
The point here is that the author interpreted du‘aa’ (invocation) in this
verse as referring to worship. Similarly, Allah  tells us that al-Khaleel
Ibraaheem  said:
‫ﮋﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﮊ‬
“And I shall turn away from you and from those whom you invoke
besides Allah. And I shall call on my Lord; and I hope that I shall
not be unblest in my invocation to my Lord” [Maryam 19:48].
Then Allah  says after that:
‫ﮋﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀ ﮊ‬
“So when he had turned away from them and from those whom they
worshipped besides Allah, We gave him Ishaq (Isaac) and Ya‘qoob
(Jacob), and each one of them We made a Prophet” [Maryam 19:49].
In the first verse, Allah tells us that Ibraaheem  said to his people:
‫“ ﮋ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﮊ‬And I shall turn away from you and from those

whom you invoke besides Allah,” and in the second verse, Allah tells
us “… when he had turned away from them and from those whom
they worshipped besides Allah …” This indicates that when Ibraaheem
 said ‫“ ﮋ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﮊ‬And I shall turn away from you and from

those whom you invoke besides Allah”, he meant: and those whom you
worship besides Allah.
Conclusion: the Lord  has enjoined His slaves to call sincerely upon
Him alone in worship. Sincerity is an action of the heart which is not
valid unless it is done only for Allah , as He says:
‫ﮋﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ‬
‫ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ‬
‫ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ‬
‫ﮦﮧ ﮨ ﮊ‬
152
“The revelation of this Book (the Qur’an) is from Allah, the All-
Mighty, the All-Wise.
Verily, We have sent down the Book to you (O Muhammad ) in
truth: So worship Allah (Alone) by doing religious deeds sincerely
for Allah’s sake only.
Surely, the religion (i.e., worship and obedience) is for Allah only.
And those who take Awliyaa’ (protectors and helpers) besides Him
(say): ‘We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah.’
Verily, Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they
differ. Truly, Allah guides not him who is a liar, and a disbeliever”
[az-Zumar 39:1-3]
‫ﮋﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﮊ‬
“Say (O Muhammad ) ‘Allah Alone I worship by doing religious
deeds sincerely for His sake only” [az-Zumar 39:14].
153
Whoever directs any of that to anything

other than Allah is a polytheist (mushrik)
and a disbeliever (kaafir).
“Whoever directs any of that” means: whoever directs any of those types
of worship to anything other than Allah “is a polytheist (mushrik) and a
disbeliever (kaafir).” What is meant by shirk here is major shirk. Similar to
that are the verses in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﮊ‬
“And whosoever disbelieves in the Oneness of Allah and in all the
other Articles of Faith, then fruitless is his work” [al-Maa’idah 5:5]
‫ﮋﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﮊ‬
“And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad ), as it
was to those (Allah’s Messengers) before you: ‘If you join others in
worship with Allah, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain,
and you will certainly be among the losers’” [az-Zumar 39:65].
Thus Allah  describes shirk as rendering deeds invalid and nullifying
them. This is an important guideline in differentiating between the
different types of shirk, in order to distinguish major shirk from other
types. Major shirk means directing any type of worship to anything other
than Allah .
We have explained the types of shirk above, and spoken about them
in detail, but there is nothing wrong with mentioning another way of
categorizing the types of shirk that was mentioned by Shaykh Saalih Aal
ash-Shaykh (may Allah preserve him) who said:
“Shirk is of various types, and the scholars divide shirk into different
categories on the basis of different criteria.
154
Sometimes shirk is divided into visible shirk and hidden shirk.
Sometimes shirk is divided into major shirk and minor shirk.
Sometimes shirk is divided into major shirk, minor shirk and hidden
shirk.
-These categories are well known to the scholars, and each division
of categories is discussed from a different perspective, but each category
and the discussion thereon leads to the same conclusion; the variety in
ways of categorizing shirk is done for various reasons.
For example, some divide shirk into apparent and hidden, obvious and
subtle, then within the category of that which is apparent, some is minor
and some is major. Apparent shirk is that which is visible and tangible,
such as offering sacrifices to someone other than Allah and making vows
to someone other than Allah. This is apparent, and this is a type of major
shirk, so it is both apparent and major. Another example is seeking help
from someone other than Allah regarding matters that no one has any
power over except Allah. That is also a type of apparent and major shirk.
Swearing by something other than Allah  is apparent shirk, but it is
minor. This is the category of apparent shirk, as opposed to hidden shirk;
some of it is major, such as the shirk of the hypocrites, because their shirk
is hidden and they do not show it; rather they make an outward display
of being Muslim, and what they harbour in their hearts of associating
others with Allah is hidden, because they do not show it outwardly. Thus
it is hidden shirk, but it is major shirk.
There is also minor hidden shirk, such as a little showing off. So if a
person shows off in a complete sense, that constitutes major shirk, like
the shirk of the hypocrites, but if the showing off is to a small degree,
such as when a man tries to beautify his prayer in front of another human
like himself, and not for Allah, then it is hidden minor shirk.
This is one type of categorization.
Some of the scholars say that shirk is of two types: major or minor.
If it is major, then the major shirk may be divided into two categories,
apparent and hidden, and minor shirk may also be divided into apparent
and hidden.
155
The clearest way is to divide shirk into three categories: major, minor
and hidden. An example of hidden shirk is a little showing off; an example
of minor shirk is swearing by something other than Allah, wearing
amulets and the like; an example of major shirk is offering sacrifices,
making vows, seeking help and calling upon anyone other than Allah
.” 1
Whoever devotes any type of worship to anyone or anything other
than Allah  becomes a polytheist (mushrik) thereby. That is because
worship is due to Allah  alone, so whoever devotes anything of that
which is the exclusive right of Allah  to anyone other than Him has
fallen into shirk – Allah forbid.
15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh, p. 75-76.
156
‫ﮋ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ‬
‫ﯷ ﮊ‬
“And whoever invokes (or worships), besides Allah, any other ilaah
(god), of whom he has no proof, then his reckoning is only with
his Lord. Surely! Al-Kaafiroon (the disbelievers in Allah and in the
Oneness of Allah) will not be successful” [al-Mu’minoon 23:117].
The author quotes the verse ‫“ ﮋ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﮊ‬And whoever invokes (or
worships), besides Allah…” That is, whoever invokes or calls upon
anyone other than Allah, or devotes any kind of worship to anyone other
than Him  is a polytheist and a disbeliever. The words ‫ﮋ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﮊ‬
“of whom he has no proof” highlight the reality of the one who calls
upon anyone else besides Allah : he has no proof for that whatsoever.
Proof (burhaan) is evidence that leaves no room for confusion about the
truth for the one who listens to it; it is stronger than evidence (daleel) or
argument (hujjah), because evidence may be speculative, whereas proof
(burhaan) is definitive, hence it is called burhaan1; this word is taken from
the verb abraha which refers to prevailing and achieving amazing feats.2
The evidence that the one who calls upon someone else alongside Allah
is a disbeliever is to be found in the words in the same verse:
‫“ ﮋ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﮊ‬Surely! Al-Kaafiroon (the disbelievers in Allah and
in the Oneness of Allah) will not be successful.”
The words ‫“ ﮋ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﮊ‬of whom he has no proof”[al-Mu’minoon
23:117] describe what is always the case [namely that the one who
worships something other than Allah has no proof, ever]. It is not

25 Lisaan al-‘Arab, entry on baraha, 13/476.
157
something conditional that excludes cases in which such a person has
proof, because it is not possible that there could ever be any proof that
there is another god alongside Allah.
Whoever calls upon [or worships] anyone or anything other than
Allah , his punishment will be Hell, to abide therein forever, so he will
not succeed or prosper. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮊ‬
“Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him
pleases” [an-Nisa’ 4:48]
‫ﮋ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ‬
‫ﮉ ﮊ‬
“Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then
Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode.
And for the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no
helpers” [al-Maa’idah 5:72].
158
And in the hadith it says:

“Supplication (du‘aa’) is the core of worship.”
“And in the hadith it says: “Supplication (du‘aa’) is the core of worship.”

Here the author (may Allah have mercy on him) offers evidence for
different types of worship that he referred to in brief above. With regard to
Islam, eemaan and ihsaan, they will be discussed in detail, with evidence,
in the section on the second fundamental principle.
The author begins with supplication (du‘aa’) because it is the most
important act of worship.
Supplication (du‘aa’), as we have noted above, is of two types: the
du‘aa’ of worship and the du‘aa’ of asking.
The du‘aa’ of worship is when a person turns to Allah  and does
various types of acts of worship, such as prayer, sacrifice, making vows,
fasting, pilgrimage and so on, out of fear and hope, hoping for Allah’s
mercy and fearing His punishment, even if he is not asking for anything
by doing that, for the worshipper is the one who is seeking Paradise
and fleeing from the Fire; he is seeking reward and fearing punishment,
aspiring to attain his goal and fearing lest he miss out on that goal; he is
asking for what he seeks by complying with the command to do acts of
worship.1
The du‘aa’ of asking is seeking something from Allah , such as
seeking guidance, seeking provision, seeking knowledge, and seeking
help, as in the verses:
‫ﮋﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ‬
‫ﭰﭱ ﭲﭳ ﮊ‬
“Guide us to the Straight Way
15 Tayseer al-‘Azeez al-Hameed, p. 186.
159
The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace , not
(the way) of those who earned Your Anger (such as the Jews), nor of
those who went astray (such as the Christians)” [al-Faatihah 7-1:6].
These two types of supplication are interconnected, as was explained by
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him), who said:
“In the Qur’an, du‘aa’ (supplication) refers sometimes to one, and
sometimes to the other, or it may refer to both of them, and they are
interconnected. The du‘aa’ of asking is seeking that which will benefit
the supplicant, seeking relief from and warding off of that which will
harm him. The one who has the power to harm or benefit is the one who
deserves to be worshipped; He must inevitably have control over benefit
and harm. Hence Allah  denounces anyone who worships besides Him
that which has no power to harm or benefit. This is mentioned frequently
in the Qur’an, as in the following verses:
‫ﮋﯼ ﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﰃ ﰄ ﰅ ﮊ‬
“And invoke not besides Allah, any that will neither profit [benefit]
you, nor hurt [harm] you” [Yoonus 10:106]
‫ﮋﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮊ‬
“And they worship besides Allah things that hurt [harm] them not,
nor profit [benefit] them” [Yoonus 10:18].
Allah  states that those who are worshipped have no power to harm
or benefit either themselves or others, so they not able to benefit or harm
themselves or their worshippers.
This is mentioned often in the Qur’an. Allah  states that the one who
is worshipped must have the power to benefit or harm, thus a person
offers supplication for benefit and for protection from harm, which is the
du‘aa’ of asking; and he offers supplication in fear and hope, which is
the du‘aa’ of worship. Thus we learn that the two types of du‘aa’ are
interconnected: every du‘aa’ of worship is implicitly a du‘aa’ of asking,
and every du‘aa’ of asking is also, implicitly, a du‘aa’ of worship. Based
on that, the verse
160
‫ﮋ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴﯵ ﯶ ﯷ‬
‫ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻﮊ‬
“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad ) concerning Me,
then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge).
I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me
(without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and
believe in Me, so that they may be led aright” [al-Baqarah 2:186]
may be understood as referring to both types of du‘aa’. Some scholars
interpreted it as meaning: I will give to him if he asks of Me; and others
interpreted it as meaning: I will reward him if he worships Me. Both ideas
are interconnected. This is not by way of using a common phrase that refers
to either meaning, or using the phrase in a true sense or a metaphorical
sense; rather it is using the phrase in a true sense that includes both
meanings together. Think about this, for it is a very beneficial point, but
few people notice it.”1
Although there is some weakness in the isnaad of the hadith that the
author quotes as evidence, its meaning is sound and it has corroborating
evidence that makes it stronger, such as the hadith of an-Nu‘maan ibn
Basheer  from the Prophet , according to which he said – concerning
the verse ‫“ ﮋ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡﭢ ﮊ‬And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me, I
will respond to your (invocation)” –: “Du‘aa’ (supplication, invocation) is
worship,” and he recited the verse, ‫“ ﮋ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡﭢ ﮊ‬And your
Lord said: ‘Invoke Me, I will respond to your (invocation).
‫ﮋﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧﭨ ﭩ ﭪﮊ‬
Verily! Those who scorn My worship (i.e., they do not invoke Me)
they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!’” [Ghaafir 40:60].2
With regard to the phrase “the core of worship (mukhkh al-‘ibaadah)”,
the word mukhkh literally means brain. Just as a person cannot survive
without his brain, worship cannot be established without its core or
essence, which is du‘aa’ (supplication).3
15 See: Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 15/1011.
35 Mirqaat al-Mafaateeh Sharh Mishkaat al-Masaabeeh, 4/1527.
161
What the hadith means is that du‘aa’ is the greatest pillar of worship. It
does not mean that worship should be limited to that, to the exclusion of
everything else. A similar example is the hadith, “Hajj is ‘Arafah.” It was
narrated from ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Ya‘mar that some people from Najd
came to the Messenger of Allah  when he was in ‘Arafah and asked
him, and he instructed a caller to call out: »ُ‫«الحــج عرفــة‬
ُّ “Hajj is ‘Arafah.”1
The apparent meaning of this phrase is that the actions of Hajj are limited
to standing in ‘Arafah and that this is the entirety of Hajj. But that is not
what is meant. Rather what is meant is that ‘Arafah is the greatest pillar
of Hajj, and the most important part of it. Similarly, the hadith, “Du‘aa’
is worship »‫[ «الدعــاء هــو العبــادة‬ad-du‘aa’ huwa al-‘ibaadah]”2 means that
du‘aa’ is the greatest pillar of worship. Hence the hadith was phrased in
this way, with the independent pronoun huwa, because this is indicative
of the importance and high status of du‘aa’ among other acts of worship.

162
‫ﮋ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ‬
‫ﭩﭪﮊ‬
“And your Lord said: ‘Invoke Me, I will respond to your (invocation).
Verily! Those who scorn My worship (i.e., they do not invoke Me)
they will surely enter Hell in humiliation!”” [Ghaafir 40:60].
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) quotes this verse as evidence
for this great act of worship, namely du‘aa’ (supplication). The pertinent
evidence here is the fact that Allah  calls du‘aa’ worship (‘ibaadah), as
He says: “Verily! Those who scorn My worship” that is, those who refuse
to call upon Me (in supplication or du‘aa’).
“they will surely enter Hell in humiliation” means: humiliated and
brought low, as a requital for their being too arrogant to worship Allah,
the Lord of the Worlds.
Du‘aa’ is one of the most sublime acts of worship, by means of which
one draws closer to Allah , and it is not permissible to direct it towards
anyone or anything other than Allah. Whoever calls upon anyone or
anything other than Allah, whether it be one who is dead or absent, or
a tree or a rock, or asks anything of that entity, expressing his needs to
it, has associated another with Allah the Almighty, because du‘aa’ is
worship, and worship should not be directed or devoted to anyone or
anything except Allah .
163
The evidence regarding fear is the verse:
‫ﮋﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﮊ‬
“So fear them not, but fear Me, if you are (true) believers” [Aal
‘Imraan 3:175].
Here the shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) goes on to discuss
another type of worship, namely fear.
Fear is the emotion that results from expecting something you dread
or expecting to miss out on something you love.1
It is of three types:
The first type is fear of a hidden, subtle power. This refers to fearing
someone other than Allah with regard to something that no one has power
over except Allah, such as when a person fears that someone could make
him sick, or take his soul in death, or cause his child to die, as happens
to many of the ignorant when charlatans and crooks threaten them, and
they forget that provision, life, death, healing and sickness are all in the
hand of Allah .
The guideline concerning this type of fear is what was stated by Shaykh
Sulaymaan ibn ‘Abdillah (may Allah have mercy on him): “It is when a
person fears that someone other than Allah  could cause him harm by
his own will and power, even if he does not do that by direct, physical
means. This constitutes major shirk, because it is believing that someone
other than Allah has the power to benefit or harm. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯪ ﯫ ﮊ‬
‘Then, fear Me (Allah) much (and Me (Alone))’ [an-Nahl 16:51]
15 At-Ta‘reefaat, p. 101.
164
‫ﮋﮭ ﮮ ﮯﮊ‬
‘so fear them not, but fear Me’ [al-Baqarah 2:150]
‫ﮋ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠﭡ‬
‫ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﮊ‬
‘And if Allah touches you with hurt [harm], there is none who can
remove it but He; and if He intends any good for you, there is none
who can repel His Favour which He causes to reach whomsoever
of His slaves He will. And He is the Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful’
[Yoonus 10:107].”1
This type of fear constitutes major shirk, and it is what the author (may
Allah have mercy on him) seeks to warn against here.
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“What we must do is fear Allah, because He is the Controller of the hearts,
the one Who has power over all things; it is He Who brings benefits and
causes harm, Who gives and withholds, so we must fear Him alone. No
one should be feared in this manner except Allah, in all situations. Fear
that someone has hidden, subtle powers is something that should be
reserved exclusively for Allah ; this refers to when one person fears
someone else because the latter (supposedly) has a hidden, subtle power
that is not tangible. Hence those who worship graves believe that some
people have the power to control the universe alongside Allah , and
they believe the same with regard to idols, jinn and so on. This constitutes
major shirk. They also believe that those entities have the power to give
and withhold, to cause people to go astray and cause people to die
without any tangible means.”2
Therefore the believer must focus this type of fear solely on Allah, the
Lord of the Worlds, to the exclusion of all others, because his attachment
to Him  alone is one of the greatest duties of religion and requirements
of faith, whilst attachment to anything or anyone other than Allah 
comes under the heading of major shirk, for fear is one of the greatest
acts of worship of the heart.
25 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool, by al-‘Allaamah Ibn Baaz, 51-52.
165
Look at Allah’s Prophet Hood , after he advised his people and
called them to cast aside shirk. They said to him:
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﮊ‬
“All that we say is that some of our gods (false deities) have seized
you with evil (madness)” [Hood 11:54],
trying thereby to scare him by making claims about their gods and idols
that were made of stone. But Allah’s Prophet Hood, who was a believer
and one who affirmed the oneness of Allah said to them:
‫ﮋ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ‬
‫ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ‬
‫ﭾﭿ ﮊ‬
“I call Allah to witness, and bear you witness, that I am free from
that which you ascribe as partners in worship
with Him (Allah). So plot against me, all of you, and give me no
respite.
I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord! There is not a
moving (living) creature but He has grasp of its forelock. Verily, my
Lord is on the Straight Path (the truth)” [Hood 11:53-56].
So you should not worry at all about what people may do, even if their
numbers are great and their schemes are huge. The most they could do
is carry out the will of Allah . So the one who fears anyone other than
Allah with regard to matters over which no one has power except Allah
is a mushrik (polytheist) in the sense of major shirk. This is called fear that
is akin to worship (khawf ‘ibaadah), and it is very common among people,
as Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡﮊ‬
“A section of them fear men as they fear Allah or even more” [an-
Nisa’ 4:77].
The second type is natural fear, which is permissible, because it is fear
of something visible and tangible, such as fear of an enemy, or of a wild
166
animal, or of a harmful creature, and the like. This type of fear is not
regarded as shirk, because it is a natural fear of something visible and
known, and taking protective measures against it is something that is
required. Allah  ascribed this type of fear to His Prophet Moosa  after
he killed a man of Pharaoh’s people, as mentioned in the verse:
‫ﮋﰈ ﰉ ﰊ ﰋﰌ ﰍ ﰎ ﰏ ﰐ ﰑ ﰒﮊ‬
“So he escaped from there, looking about in a state of fear. He said:
‘My Lord! Save me from the people who are Zaalimoon (polytheists
and wrong-doers)!’” [al-Qasas 28:21].
No one is to be blamed for this type of fear if there is a real cause for it. But
if it is imaginary, or due to a weak, unlikely cause, then it is blameworthy,
because in that case the individual is a coward.
The third type is when a person refrains from doing what is required
of him for fear of people, such as not enjoining what is right or forbidding
what is wrong for fear of people. This is a blameworthy and haraam type
of fear. Look at what the Sahaabah  did and how they stood firm and
put their trust sincerely in Allah after the battle of Uhud, when it was said
to them: The polytheists wanted to come back again in order to wipe you
out. Allah mentioned that in His Book, where He says:
‫ﮋﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼ ﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﰃ‬
‫ﰄﰅﰆﮊ‬
“Those (i.e., believers) unto whom the people (hypocrites) said,
‘Verily, the people (pagans) have gathered against you (a great
army), therefore, fear them.’ But it (only) increased them in Faith,
and they said: ‘Allah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best
Disposer of affairs (for us)’” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:173].
Their only response was to stand firm like mountains and be steadfast,
because this kind of fear is not permissible according to Islamic teachings;
rather it stems from the whispers of the Shaytaan, as Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﮊ‬
“It is only Shaytaan (Satan) that suggests to you the fear of his
167
Awliyaa’ (supporters and friends), so fear them not, but fear Me, if
you are (true) believers” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:175].
Fear, hope and love are the pillars of worship in the heart. Ibn al-Qayyim
said some valuable words concerning them: “The heart, in its journey
towards Allah  is like a bird. Love (of Allah) is its head, and fear and
hope are its two wings. If the head and the wings are sound, then the bird
will fly well. If the head is cut off, then the bird will die. If it loses its wings,
then it will be vulnerable to every hunter and predator. However, the
salaf (early generations) preferred that the wing of fear should be stronger
than the wing of hope, but at the time of departure from this world, the
wing of hope should be stronger than the wing of fear. This is the way of
Abu Sulaymaan and others; he said: Fear should be more prevalent in the
heart, for if hope is prevalent, then the heart will be corrupted.”1
If you are asked, for example: Why do you pray? Why do you fast?
Why do you go on Hajj? You should say: I do these acts of obedience out
of love for Allah, in hope of His reward and out of fear of His punishment,
as Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ‬
‫ﯱﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﮊ‬
“Those whom they call upon (like ‘Eesa (Jesus) son of Maryam
(Mary), ‘Uzayr (Ezra), angels, etc.) desire (for themselves) means
of access to their Lord (Allah), as to which of them should be the
nearest and they hope for His Mercy and fear His Torment. Verily,
the Torment of your Lord is something to fear!” [al-Israa’ 17:57].
This is how people of faith are: they strive to draw near to Allah  by
doing different types of righteous deeds and acts of worship, out of love
for Allah, out of hope for His reward and out of fear of His punishment.
15 Madaarij as-Saalikeen, 1/513.
168
The evidence regarding hope is the verse:
‫ﮋﰐ ﰑ ﰒ ﰓ ﰔ ﰕ ﰖ ﰗ ﰘ ﰙ ﰚ ﰛ ﰜ ﮊ‬
“So whoever hopes for the Meeting with his Lord, let him work
righteousness and associate none as a partner in the worship of his
Lord” [al-Kahf 18:110].
The Arabic word rajaa’ means hope.1
In Islamic terminology, rajaa’ refers to ‫“ ﮋ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﮊ‬when a
person is aspiring to attain something that is close at hand, or it may be
far-fetched, but he would like to think that it is within reach.”2
Al-‘Allaamah Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“Rajaa’ (hope) is like the chant of the camel driver, encouraging the hearts
on their journey to the land of the Beloved, namely Allah and the home of
the hereafter, and making the journey pleasant. It was said that it is what
makes them optimistic that they will attain the grace of the Lord  and
makes them feel at ease when looking forward to His generosity. And it
was said that it is confidence in the generosity of the Lord .”3
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“Hope should be placed in Allah, and not in any created being or in one’s
own strength and efforts, for putting one’s hope in anyone or anything
other than Allah is shirk, even in cases when Allah has ordained means
and measures that may lead to the desired goal. For the means does not
lead to results independently; rather there should be things that help
and support it, and there should be no impediment to hinder it, and that
cannot happen except by the will of Allah .”4
NOTE: concerning the difference between rajaa’ (hope) and tamanni
(wishful thinking)
15 See: as-Sihaah, entry on raja; Maqaayees al-Lughah, entry on raja.
25 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool, by al-‘Allaamah Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, p. 57-58.
35 Madaarij as-Saalikeen, 2/36-37.
169
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “You
should understand that praiseworthy hope can only be for the one who
strives to obey Allah and hopes for the reward thereof, or he repents
from his sins and hopes that his repentance will be accepted. As for hope
without action, it is conceit and blameworthy wishful thinking.”1
“The difference between hope and wishful thinking is that wishful
thinking is accompanied by laziness and inaction, and does not motivate
the individual to strive and work hard, whereas hope is accompanied by
effort and trust in Allah.
The former is like the case of one who wishes that he had land in which
he could plant seeds and reap the harvest.
The latter is like the case of one who plows his land, tends it, sows the
seeds and hopes that the crops will grow. Hence people of knowledge are
agreed that hope is not valid (and will not lead to anything) unless it is
accompanied by action and effort.
Shah al-Karmaani2 said: “The sign of hope being sound is that one
strives to obey Allah.”
Hope is of three types, two of which are praiseworthy and one of
which is blameworthy conceit.3
The first two are the hope of a man who strives to obey Allah in the
light of Allah’s guidance, so he has the hope of His reward, and [the hope
of] a man who commits a sin then repents from it, so he has the hope of
Allah’s forgiveness, pardon, kindness, generosity and forbearance.
The third type of hope is that of a man who persists in heedlessness
and sin, hoping for the mercy of Allah without making any effort. This is
conceit, wishful thinking and false hope.
The one who is journeying to Allah should think of two things: he
should think of himself and his faults and the things that could undermine
his righteous deeds; that will make him develop fear of Allah and make
15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, p. 58.
25 Shah ibn Shujaa‘ al-Karmaani: a Sufi and one of the companions of Abu Turaab an-Na-
khshabi. See: Hilyat al-Awliya’, 10/237-238.
35 Madaarij as-Saalikeen bayna Manaazil Iyyaaka na‘budu wa iyyaaka nasta‘een, 2/37.
170
him think of the vastness of his Lord’s grace, generosity and kindness. He
should also think about that which will make him develop hope. Hence
hope was defined as thinking of the vastness of Allah’s mercy.
Abu ‘Ali ar-Roodhbaari1 said: Fear and hope are like the two wings of
a bird. If they spread out equally, the bird will be stable in flight and will
be able to soar. If one of them is lacking, the bird’s flight will be erratic,
and if both wings are lost, then the bird will inevitably fall and die.”2
The phrase ‫“ ﮋ ﰐ ﰑ ﰒ ﰓ ﰔ ﮊ‬So whoever hopes for the Meeting

with his Lord” means: whoever hopes for the reward of Allah  and to
see Him with his own eyes on the Day of Resurrection;
‫“ ﮋ ﰕ ﰖ ﰗ ﮊ‬let him work righteousness” that is, let him take the
measures that will qualify him to attain what he is hoping for. So let him
do righteous deeds so that he may attain reward from Allah, admittance
to Paradise, salvation from the Fire, and gazing upon the Countenance of
Allah .
A deed is not regarded as righteous unless it meets two conditions3:
1. Sincerity towards Allah , as He says:
‫ﮋﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠﮊ‬
Allah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing
partners to Him)” [al-Bayyinah 98:5].
So the deed must be done sincerely for the sake of Allah, and be
free of shirk.
2. Following the Messenger . Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﮊ‬
“Say (O Muhammad  to mankind): ‘If you (really) love Allah
then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And
Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:31].
15 Abu ‘Ali Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn al-Qaasim ibn Mansoor ibn Shahriyar, who was
descended from Persian rulers and was a Sufi. See: Hilyat al-Awliyaa’, 10/356-357.
35 Taqreeb at-Tadmuriyyah, p. 113.
171
If one of these two conditions is not met, then the deed will be invalid
and will not benefit the doer.
If there is any element of shirk in the deed, it will not be accepted from
the doer, and if there is any element of innovation (bid‘ah) in the deed, it
will be rejected. The Prophet  said:
»‫أمرنا فهو َر ٌّد‬ ِ ‫«من‬

ً ‫عمل‬
ُ ‫عمل ليس عليه‬ َ
“Whoever does any action that is not in accordance with this matter
of ours, it will be rejected.”1
The verse that the author quoted indicates that hope (of Allah’s mercy and
admission to Paradise) is an act of worship of Allah . It also indicates
that hope is not valid unless it is accompanied by righteous deeds.
172
The evidence regarding putting one’s

trust in Allah (tawakkul) is the verses:
‫ﮋﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﮊ‬
“and in Allah put your trust if you are believers indeed”
[al-Maa’idah 5:23]
‫ﮋ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬﮭ ﮊ‬
“And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him”
[at-Talaaq 65:3].
“The evidence with regard to putting one’s trust in Allah (tawakkul)” – in
linguistic terms, tawakkul means expressing helplessness and relying on
someone else. The verbal noun is tuklaan. The related verb attakala means
to surrender oneself to someone else.1
In Islamic teachings, tawakkul means depending on Allah  and
delegating all one’s affairs to Him.2
“Putting one’s trust in Allah (tawakkul) is of two types:
1. Putting one’s trust in Him to attain one’s share of provision, well-
being and so on.
2. Putting one’s trust in Him to attain His pleasure.
With regard to the first type, even though the ultimate goal thereof is not
an act of worship per se, because it is a purely personal need, trusting
in Allah to attain it is an act of worship, because putting one’s trust in
Allah is the means of attaining that which is in one’s best interests, both
religious and worldly.
15 As-Sihaah, entry on wakala; Lisaan al-‘Arab, entry on wakala.
25 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool, Shaykh Ibn al-Fawzaan, p. 138.
173
With regard to the second type, the ultimate goal thereof is to be
enabled to obey Allah and worship Him, and it is an act of worship in
and of itself, so there is no problem with it at all, for it is seeking the
help of Allah to do that which pleases Him, and the one who does that is
fulfilling the meaning of
‫ﮋ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥﮊ‬
and everything)” [al-Faatihah 1:5].
Therefore not putting one’s trust in Him is like omitting half of faith, and
the problem is not having proper trust in Allah.”1
Thus tawakkul (putting one’s trust in Allah) involves three things:
belief, reliance and action.
Belief means knowing that all things are entirely in the hand of Allah,
so whatever Allah wills happens, and whatever He does not will does not
happen; it is Allah  who benefits and harms, gives and withholds.
Then after believing, the individual relies in his heart on his Lord 
and trusts in Him completely. After that, comes the third thing, which is
taking the appropriate measures that are allowed according to Islamic
teachings.
According to the hadith of Anas ibn Maalik , the Messenger of Allah
 said:
َ ‫ ال‬،‫توكلت عىل اهلل‬

‫حول وال قوة‬ ُ ُ
،‫بسم اهلل‬:‫الرجل من بيته فقال‬ ‫«إذاخرج‬
ُ
»‫الشيطان‬ ‫وتنحى عنه‬
َّ ،‫يت‬ َ ‫وو ِق‬ َ ‫ ك ُِف‬:‫إال باهلل؛ ُيقال له‬
ُ ‫يت‬
“When a man goes out of his house and says ‘Bismillah, tawakkaltu
‘ala Allah, laa hawla wa laa quwwata illa Billah (in the name of Allah, I
put my trust in Allah, there is no power and no strength except with
Allah),’ it is said to him: ‘You are sufficed and protected,’ and the
Shaytaan goes far away from him.”2
Tawakkul (putting one’s trust in Allah) is one of the greatest types of
15 Tareeq al-Hijratayn, al-Majma‘ edn., p. 570.

25 Abu Daawood, 5095.
174
worship, so it should not be directed towards anyone except the Lord
. It is not permissible to say [in Arabic], “Tawwakaltu ‘ala fulaan (I put
my trust in So-and-so)”1, because tawakkul is an act of worship that is
only for Allah  and it is not permissible to direct it towards anyone
except Him. The individual should believe that the only one who gives
and withholds, harms and benefits, is Allah . Whoever relies on anyone
other than Allah  to bring benefits or ward off harm in matters over
which no one has any control except Allah  has associated someone else
with Him in the sense of major shirk. But if you delegate another person
to dispose of some affairs on your behalf, then this is not called tawakkul;
rather it is called tawkeel (appointing someone to act in your stead), such
as when you say, “I have appointed (wakkaltu) So-and-so to sell this land
[on my behalf].” This is not tawakkul; rather it is tawkeel.
In the phrase ‫“ ﮋ ﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﮊ‬and in Allah put your trust” the

prepositional phrase “in Allah” appears before the verb in order to indicate
exclusivity. In other words, tawakkul is limited to Allah alone, with no
partner or associate. Then Allah  says: ‫“ ﮋ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﮊ‬if you are
believers indeed”. Thus faith or belief (eemaan) is mentioned alongside
tawakkul, which indicates that attaining proper faith is dependent upon
putting one’s trust in Allah ; sincerely putting one’s trust in Allah is a
condition of faith being sound, and faith is not valid when there is no
tawakkul.
One of the names of Allah  is al-Wakeel, which means the one to
Whom the affairs of His slaves are delegated so that He may dispose of
them. Based on that, He is the One Who takes care of His slaves’ affairs;
He is the Protector, the Sufficer.
Then the author quotes the verse ‫“ ﮋ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮊ‬And whosoever

puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him” [at-Talaaq 65:3], even
though in most cases he only gives one quotation as evidence for each
type of worship, because the book is brief and is aimed at beginners.
But here he gives two quotations as evidence for this important act of
worship. Perhaps the first quotation is intended to highlight the fact that
it is obligatory to put one’s trust in Allah, and the second quotation is
15 The types of tawakkul will be discussed below.
175
intended to highlight the reward of the one who puts his trust in Allah,
which is that ‫“ ﮋ ﮫ ﮬﮭ ﮊ‬He will suffice him.”
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “One of the
salaf said: Allah  has ordained that every deed should be recompensed
in a manner similar to the nature of the deed, and He has ordained that
the recompense for putting one’s trust in Him is that He will suffice His
slave, as He says:
‫ﮋ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬﮭ ﮊ‬
‘And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him’
[at-Talaaq 65:3].
He did not say, ‘We will give him such and such of reward,’ as He said
about other righteous deeds; rather He said that He Himself will take
care of His slave who puts his trust in Him, and He will suffice him and
protect him. So if a person put his trust in Allah  in a true sense, and
the heavens and the earth and everyone in them wanted to harm him,
Allah would grant him a way out of that, take care of him and cause him
to prevail.”1
It was narrated from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab  that the Messenger of
Allah  said:
‫الطــر؛‬
َ ُ
‫يــرزق‬ َ ،‫حــق توك ُِّلــه‬
‫لرزقكــم كــا‬ َّ ‫«لــو أنكــم توكَّلتــم عــى اهلل‬
»‫وتــروح بِطانًــا‬ ،‫اصــا‬ ِ
ُ ً ‫تغــدو خ‬
“If you put your trust in Allah in a true sense, He would grant you
provision as He grants provision to the birds: they go out at the
beginning of the day with empty stomachs and come back at the
end of the day with full stomachs.”2
The birds do not sit in their nests, waiting for food; rather they go about,
right and left, looking for it, putting their trust in their Lord. When putting
one’s trust in Allah, it is also essential to take proper measures.
NOTE: our shaykh, Saalih al-Fawzaan, said: “Tawakkul is not contrary
to taking appropriate measures; rather the Muslim should combine
15 See: Badaa’i‘ al-Fawaa’id, 2/239-240.
176
putting his trust in Allah with taking appropriate measures, and there
is no contradiction between the two. You should take the appropriate
measures as enjoined, but you should not rely only on these measures;
rather you should rely on Allah. You may sow seeds in the ground, which
is taking measures, but you do not rely on your sowing or your action;
rather you should rely on Allah to make the seeds grow and bear fruit,
and to protect them and maintain them in good condition. Hence Allah
says:
‫ﮋﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮊ‬
‘Tell Me! The seed that you sow in the ground, Is it you that make it
grow, or are We the Grower?’ [al-Waaqi‘ah 56:63-64].
The true Grower is Allah; as for your part, you have only taken measures.
The seed may grow successfully, or it may not; if it grows, it may flourish,
or it may not; it may be affected by some blight and be lost.1
Once you understand the above, you should realize that putting one’s
trust in someone other than Allah  is of three types2:
The first type is putting one’s trust in someone other than Allah with
regard to that over which no one has any control except Allah, to bring
benefits and ward off harm. This constitutes major shirk.
The second type is putting one’s trust in a living person who is present
– such as a king, minister or official – with regard to that over which
Allah has given him some control, to give provision or ward off harm.
This constitutes minor shirk, because the heart is strongly attached to this
person and relies greatly on him. But if one believes that this person is a
means, and that it is Allah  Who has enabled him to do that thing and
caused it to happen at his hands, then there is nothing wrong with this,
if this person will have a real impact on attaining what one seeks. But
this meaning may not occur to many people, and they may rely almost
completely on this person to attain what they are seeking.
The third type is putting your trust in someone other than Allah to do
what he is able to do on your behalf. This is permissible, as is indicated by
15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, p. 139-140.
177
the Qur’an and Sunnah, and by scholarly consensus, but you should not
rely on him to attain what he was delegated to achieve; rather you should
put your trust in Allah  to make it easy for you to attain what you are
seeking, either by yourself or through the one whom you appoint to do
it on your behalf. Hence you should not say “I have put my trust in So-
and-so [tawakkaltu ‘ala fulaan]”; rather you should say “I have appointed
So-and-so [to do this thing on my behalf] [wakkaltu fulaan].”
178
The evidence regarding hope (raghbah), fear

(rahbah) and humility (khushoo‘) is the verse:
‫ﮋ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭﯮ ﯯ ﯰ‬
‫ﯱ ﮊ‬
“Verily, they used to hasten to do good deeds, and they used to call
on Us with hope and fear, and used to humble themselves before
Us” [al-Anbiya’ 21:9].
The word raghbah (translated here as hope) refers to asking, beseeching
and pleading, with longing to attain what is loved. When a person offers
supplication (du‘aa’) and has a strong desire to attain his goal, then in that
case it may be said that he has raghbah (hope).1
The word rahbah (translated here as fear) refers to the fear that causes
one to flee from the thing that is feared, so it is fear accompanied by
action.2
The word khushoo‘ (translated here as humility) refers to humbling
oneself before Allah and showing humility before His greatness by
submitting to His universal and religious decree.3 It is similar in meaning
to the word khudoo‘ (humility), except that khudoo‘ is a physical action,
whereas khushoo‘ takes place in the heart and is reflected in the lowering
of the gaze and in the voice.4
The pronoun in the phrase ‫“ ﮋ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﮊ‬Verily, they used to
hasten” refers to the Prophets whom Allah  mentions by name in this
soorah. They used to hasten and race to do good deeds and to do acts of
worship and obedience, asking of Allah “with hope ‫( ﮋ ﯬ ﮊ‬raghaban)”,
35 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by al-‘Allaamah Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, p.59.
45 Haashiyat Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Muhammad ibn Qaasim
an-Najdi, p. 62.
179
that is, hoping for what is with Allah  and hoping to attain their goals;
“and fear ‫( ﮋ ﯭﯮ ﮊ‬wa rahaban)”, that is, out of fear of the punishment
of Allah. Thus they called upon Him  out of hope for His mercy and
out of fear of His punishment, ‫“ ﮋ ﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﮊ‬and used to humble
themselves before Us.”
In this verse there is a refutation of the Sufis who say, “We do not
worship Allah out of hope for His reward or fear of His punishment;
rather we worship Him solely out of love for Him.”1
This is a false notion, because the Prophets  used to call upon Allah
with hope and fear, and they are the most perfect of humanity.
This verse indicates that the supplicant should combine hope for the
mercy of Allah  and fear of His punishment. It also highlights the virtue
of humility when doing acts of worship, especially prayer (salaah) and
supplication (du‘aa’).2
The verse indicates that these three things, “hope (raghbah), fear
(rahbah) and humility (khushoo‘)”, are among the most sublime types of
worship, so whoever directs any of them towards anything other than
Allah is a polytheist and a disbeliever.

180
The evidence regarding khashyah (fear) is the verse:
‫ﮋﮭ ﮮ ﮯ‬
“So fear them not, but fear Me” [al-Baqarah 2:150].
The word khashyah (fear) is a verbal noun derived from the root khashiya;
it means the same as khawf (fear) but is more specific than it in meaning,
for khashyah is fear that is based on knowledge of how great the one Who
is feared is, and how perfect His power.1 Hence it is ascribed specifically
to those who have knowledge in the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﯣﯤ ﮊ‬
“It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear
(yakhsha) Allah” [Faatir 35:28].
Rahbah, khawf and khashyah all have the same meaning (fear), but some
are more specific than others; however, they all come under the heading
of fear of Allah . This is one of the attributes of the Prophets and the
righteous slaves of Allah.2
Allah  has forbidden the Muslims to fear the disbelievers, and has
instructed them to fear Him alone, with no partner or associate, as He
says:
‫ﮋﮭ ﮮ ﮯﮊ‬
“so fear them not, but fear Me” [al-Baqarah 2:150].
Al-‘Allaamah as-Sa‘di said: “Khawf, khashyah, khudoo‘ (humility), ikhbaat
(humility), and wajal (dread) are all close in meaning. Khawf (fear)
prevents a person from transgressing the limits set by Allah; khashyah
leads to the same outcome, but has an extra meaning, which is that fear is
15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen, p. 60.

181
accompanied by knowing who Allah is. As for khudoo‘ (humility), ikhbaat
(humility), and wajal (dread), they all stem from fear (khawf and khashyah)
of Allah, so the individual humbles himself before Allah and turns whole
heartedly to Him, with a sense of dread. Khushoo‘ refers to presence of
mind at the time when one is worshipping Allah, and being serene and
still both outwardly and inwardly. This is a specific type of khushoo‘ at
the time of worship. As for that constant khushoo‘ which is an attribute of
the elite of the believers, it stems from a person’s having attained good
knowledge of his Lord and awareness that his Lord is always watching
him, so that knowledge overwhelms his heart as love overwhelms it.”1
15 Fawaa’id Qur’aniyyah, p. 96.
182
The evidence regarding inaabah

(turning to Allah) is the verse:
‫ﮋﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﮊ‬
“And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic
Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him, (in Islam), before the
torment comes upon you, then you will not be helped”[az-Zumar
39:54].
In linguistic terms, the word inaabah (turning to Allah) is a verbal noun
derived from the verb anaaba, which means: to come back to obedience.1
In Islamic teaching, inaabah refers to coming back to the truth and
doing righteous deeds. The one who turns back to Allah (muneeb) is the
one who hastens to seek His pleasure, turns back to Him all the time, and
hastens to do what He loves.2
Inaabah is based on both love and fear; a person cannot be described as
muneeb (turning back to Allah) unless he combines both.3
Abu Ismaa‘eel al-Harawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Inaabah
involves three things: coming back to the path of Allah and rectifying
one’s condition, as one comes back to Him seeking forgiveness and
giving up sin; coming back to Him and showing loyalty, as one comes
back to Him in adherence to the covenant; and coming back to Him in a
true sense, with sincerity in one’s actions, as one comes back to Him in
one’s words.”4
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said, commenting
on that: “As the penitent has come back to Allah by showing remorse
45 Manaazil as-Saa’ireen, p. 17.
183
and giving up his sin, part of perfecting that return is to strive hard in
obedience, with sincerity, as Allah says:
‫ﮋﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﮊ‬
‘Except those who repent and believe (in Islamic Monotheism), and
do righteous deeds’ [al-Furqaan 25:70]
‫ﮋﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﮊ‬
‘Except those who repent and do righteous deeds’ [al-Baqarah
2:160].
Repentance is of no worth if the penitent is idle and does not show
commitment to worship. It is essential to both repent and do righteous
deeds, so you should give up what Allah hates and do what He loves;
you should stop disobeying Him and focus on obeying Him.”1
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan said: “Tawbah (repentance) and inaabah
(turning to Allah) mean the same thing, but some of the scholars said that
inaabah is more specific than tawbah, because it is both repentance and
turning to Allah ; in other words, it is a specific type of tawbah. A person
may repent and give up sin, and not go back to it, and regret it, but he
may be lacking in enthusiasm when it comes to turning to Allah.
As for inaabah, it means turning to Allah . Hence Allah says:
‫ﮋﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﮊ‬
Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him, (in Islam)” [az-
Zumar 39:54];
that is, come back to Him and turn to Him 
‫ﮋﯡ ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﮊ‬
“Before the torment comes upon you, then you will not be helped”
[az-Zumar 39:54].
For when the crushing, destructive punishment comes, the repentance of
the one who repents at that time will not be accepted,
15 Madaarij as-Saalikeen, 1/433-434.
184
‫ﮋﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﮊ‬
“Except the people of Yoonus (Jonah); when they believed, We
removed from them the torment of disgrace” [Yoonus 10:98].
This was an exception; otherwise, when the destructive punishment
comes, no repentance will be accepted. Hence Allah says:
‫ﮋﯡ ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﮊ‬
“before the torment comes upon you, then you will not be helped”
[az-Zumar 39:54].1
There is a certain time limit for inaabah and tawbah, which may be
explained as follows:
1. Tawbah will not be accepted when the death rattle occurs, or when
death is imminent.
2. Tawbah will not be accepted from the one upon whom the
destructive, crushing punishment has come.
3. Tawbah will not be accepted when the sun rises from its place of
setting.
Al-‘Allaamah Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Inaabah is of two types, the first of
which is turning to Allah as Lord (Rabb); all creatures turn to Him in this
way, and it is something that is common to both believers and disbelievers,
righteous people and evildoers. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧﮊ‬
“And when some hurt touches man, he cries to his Lord (Allah
Alone), turning to Him in repentance [muneeban ilayhi]” [az-Zumar
39:8].
This is applicable to everyone who is afflicted by harm and calls upon
Allah, as we see in real life situations. This turning to Allah is not
necessarily accompanied by being Muslim; rather it may be combined
with shirk and disbelief, as Allah  says regarding such people:
15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh Ibn al-Fawzaan, p. 143-144.
185
‫ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﮊ‬
“And when harm touches men, they cry sincerely only to their Lord
(Allah), turning to Him in repentance, but when He gives them a
taste of His Mercy, behold! a party of them associate partners in
worship with their Lord.
So as to be ungrateful for the graces which We have bestowed on
them. Then enjoy (your short life); but you will come to know” [ar-
Room 30:33-34].
This is how they are after having turned to Allah.
The second type of inaabah is that of His close friends (awliyaa’); this
is turning to Allah as ilaah (God), which is the inaabah of servitude and
love. It includes four elements: loving Him, humbling oneself before
Him, turning to Him and turning away from everything except Him. No
one deserves to be described as muneeb (one who turns to Allah) except
the one who combines these four elements. The explanations of this term
given by the early generations focus on this idea.
The word inaabah has connotations of hastening, returning and
advancing.” 1
The verse indicates that inaabah is an act of worship, and that Allah
 has enjoined it. Hence the author does not mention tawbah among the
types of worship, and he only mentions inaabah, as ‘ibaadah (worship)
is more clearly connected to the idea of inaabah than the idea of tawbah,
because in the case of inaabah, one is focusing more on worship.2
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
‫“ ﮋ ﯟ ﯠ ﮊ‬What is meant by the words ‘and submit to Him, (in
Islam)’[az-Zumar 39:54] is surrendering to the religious teachings and
laws of Allah. That is because submission to Allah is of two types:
1. Universal surrender, which is submission to His universal decree.
This is general in meaning and includes everyone in the heavens
15 Madaarij as-Saalikeen,1/433.
186
and on earth, believers and disbelievers, righteous people and
evildoers. No one can resist this type of surrender. The evidence
for that is the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴ‬
‫ﯵﯶ ﮊ‬
‘Do they seek other than the religion of Allah, while to Him
submitted all creatures in the heavens and the earth, willingly or
unwillingly. And to Him shall they all be returned’ [Aal ‘Imraan
3:83].
2. Religious surrender, which is submission to His religious decree.
This applies only to those who obey Him, namely the Messengers
and those who follow them in truth. There is a great deal of
evidence to that effect in the Qur’an, including the verse quoted by
the author here.”1
15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen, p. 61.
187
The evidence regarding seeking help is the verse:
‫ﮋ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥﮊ‬
and everything)” [al-Faatihah 1:5].
In linguistic terms, isti‘aanah (seeking help) means asking for help. The
similar term istighaathah also means seeking help.1
According to Islamic teachings, isti‘aanah (seeking help) is of four
types:
The first type is seeking help from the dead or the living, with regard
to something over which no one has any control except Allah . This
constitutes shirk.
The second type is seeking help from a fellow human with regard to a
matter over which he has control, such as asking a man to carry something
to your house for you. This is permissible, and the one who helps will be
rewarded for that, if his intention is sincere, because that comes under
the heading of helping one another in righteousness, which Allah has
enjoined and encouraged, as He  says:
‫ﮋﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶﯷ ﮊ‬
“Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue,
righteousness and piety); but do not help one another in sin and
transgression” [al-Maa’idah 5:2].
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah  said: The Messenger of Allah 
said:
‫ــس اهللُ عنــه كُربــ ًة‬

َ ‫ب الدنيــا ن َّف‬ِ ‫ُــر‬
َ ‫ــس عــن مؤمــن كُربــ ًة مــن ك‬ َ ‫« َمــن ن َّف‬
ِ
‫ـر اهلل عليــه يف الدنيــا‬ َّ ‫ـر عــى ُمعــر يـ‬َّ ‫ و َمــن يـ‬،‫مــن ُكـ َـرب يــوم القيامــة‬
188
‫ـو ِن‬
ْ ‫ واهللُ يف َعـ‬،‫ـلم ســره اهلل يف الدنيــا واآلخــرة‬
ً ‫ـر مسـ‬َ ‫ و َمــن سـ‬،‫واآلخــرة‬
»‫العبــد مــا كان العبــدُ يف عــون أخيــه‬
“Whoever removes a hardship from a believer in this world, Allah
will remove one of the hardships of the Day of Resurrection from
him. Whoever grants respite to (a debtor) who is in difficulty, Allah
will grant him relief in this world and in the Hereafter. Whoever
conceals (the fault of) a Muslim in this world, Allah will conceal
him (his faults) in this world and in the Hereafter. Allah will help a
person so long as he is helping his brother.”1
But if help is sought from a fellow human for the purpose of committing
sins [which is the second type of isti‘aanah], then it is haraam. Allah 
says:
‫ﮋ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶﯷ ﮊ‬
“But do not help one another in sin and transgression” [al-Maa’idah
5:2].
The third type is seeking the help of Allah, which is isti‘aanah that is
accompanied by showing complete humility to one’s Lord, whilst trusting
in Him, and relying on Him. This includes three things:
1. Humility and submission to Allah 
2. Trust in Allah 
3. Reliance on Allah .
This kind of seeking help should only be directed towards Allah. The
evidence for that is the verse in which Allah  says:
and every thing)” [al-Faatihah 1:5].
The relevant point here is that in this verse, Allah  mentions the direct
object iyyaaka (You (alone)) before the verb na‘budu (we worship). Bringing
forward something that usually appears later – in a context such as this
15 Muslim, 2699.
189
– implies exclusivity. Based on that, directing this type of seeking help
to anyone other than Allah  constitutes shirk that puts one beyond the
bounds of Islam.
The fourth type is seeking help by means of actions and attitudes that
are beloved according to Islamic teachings. This type of seeking help is
prescribed, based on the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﮊ‬
“O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salaah (the
prayer). Truly! Allah is with As-Saabirin (the patient ones)” [al-
Baqarah 2:153].
What the author quotes – namely the verse
“You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help (for
each and everything)” [al-Faatihah 1:5]
and the hadith
ِ
»‫فاستع ْن باهلل‬ ‫استعنت‬
َ ‫«وإذا‬
“If you seek help, then seek help from Allah”1
– is indicative of a number of things, including the following:
a. Seeking help should be limited to seeking from Allah  with
regard to matters over which no one has control except Him, as
explained above.
b. Acknowledging that one has no power or strength, because no

one has any strength except with the help of Allah, and no one
is able to do anything except by the help of Allah . This is the
utmost level of showing servitude to Allah (‘uboodiyyah), when a
person disavows shirk and acknowledges that he has no power and
no strength (in and of himself).
“Moreover, the heart is vulnerable to two serious (spiritual) diseases, and
if the individual does not hasten to tackle them, they will inevitably lead
190
him to destruction. They are showing off and arrogance. The remedy for
showing off is ‫‘ ﮋ ﭢ ﭣ ﮊ‬You (Alone) we worship’ [al-Faatihah 1:5], and
the remedy for arrogance is ‫‘ ﮋ ﭤ ﭥ ﮊ‬and You (Alone) we ask for
help’ [al-Faatihah 1:5].
I often heard Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah sanctify his
soul) say: ‫‘ ﮋ ﭢ ﭣ ﮊ‬You (Alone) we worship’ [al-Faatihah 1:5] wards off
showing off, and ‫‘ﮋ ﭤ ﭥ‬You (Alone) we ask for help’ [al-Faatihah
1:5] wards off arrogance. If a person is healed from the disease of showing
off by means of ‫‘ ﮋ ﭢ ﭣ ﮊ‬You (Alone) we worship’ and from the disease
of arrogance and self-admiration by means of‫‘ ﮋ ﭤ ﭥ ﮊ‬You (Alone)
we ask for help’ [al-Faatihah 1:5], and from the disease of misguidance
and ignorance by means of ‫‘ ﮋ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﮊ‬Guide us to the Straight
Way’ [al-Faatihah 1:6], he will be healed of all his (spiritual) diseases and
sicknesses; he will enjoy good health (in spiritual terms), the blessing will
be completed for him, and he will be one of those on whom Allah has
bestowed His grace, not one of those who have earned His anger, who
are the people of ill intent, those who learned about the truth and turned
away from it, or those who went astray, who are the people of corrupt
knowledge, who are ignorant of the truth and know nothing of it.”1
191
The evidence regarding seeking

refuge with Allah is the verses:
‫ﮋﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﮊ‬
“Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of the daybreak”
[al-Falaq 113:1]
“Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of mankind”
[an-Naas 114:1].
Seeking refuge (isti‘aadhah) means seeking protection with one who you be-
1
.lieve will grant you refuge and protection
What it means is fleeing from something that you fear to one who will
protect you from it.2
A‘oodhu (I seek refuge) means: I seek protection.3 So if you say,
“A‘oodhu Billaahi min ash-Shaytaan ir-rajeem (I seek refuge with Allah from
the accursed Shaytaan),” what you mean is that you are asking Allah for
refuge and protection from the accursed Shaytaan.
Seeking refuge is done verbally, but in fact it is an act of worship of the
heart, even if the tongue does not utter these words.
The scholars differentiated between the words ‘aadha and laadha.4 The
former refers to warding off something that is dreaded, and the latter
refers to seeking to attain something that is loved, as the poet said:
O You to Whom I turn (aloodhu) with regard to what I hope for, and in
35 Badaa’i‘ al-Fawaa’id, 2/200.
45 Maqaayees al-Lughah, 5/220.
192
Whom I seek refuge (a‘oodhu) from that which I fear,
people could not heal bones that You break, or break bones that You
heal.
Isti‘aadhah (seeking refuge) is a type of worship, so it is not permissible
to seek refuge with any except Allah . Whoever seeks refuge with a
grave or an idol is associating others with Allah in the sense of major
shirk. Refuge should not be sought with any except Allah. The evidence
for that is the verses in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﮊ‬
“Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of the daybreak”
[al-Falaq 113:1]
‫ﮋﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮊ‬
“Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of mankind”
[an-Naas 114:1].
The word falaq (daybreak) refers to the dawn.1 Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭧ ﭨ ﮊ‬
“(He is the) Cleaver (faaliq) of the daybreak.” [al-An‘aam 6:96].
The Lord of the daybreak is Allah .
The rest of the soorah indicates that refuge from anything can only be
sought with Allah.
‫ﮋﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﮊ‬
“From the evil of what He has created” [al-Falaq 113:2]
means: from the evil of all created things.
‫ﮋﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﮊ‬
“And from the evil of the darkening (night) [ghaasiq] as it comes
with its darkness” [al-Falaq 113:3]
means: from the evil of the night when it comes. The word ghasaq means
193
darkness.1 When the night becomes dark, wild animals come out.
‫ﮋﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﮊ‬
“And from the evil of those who blow in the knots” [al-Falaq 113:4];
this is seeking refuge with Allah from witchcraft and its practitioners.
‫ﮋﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﮊ‬
“And from the evil of the envier when he envies” [al-Falaq 113:5].
Hasad (envy) means wishing for removal of a blessing from the one
to whom it has been given2; it is one of the worst of blameworthy
characteristics, because it is objecting to Allah  and showing ill intent
towards other people. This verse instructs us to seek refuge with Allah
from the evil of the envier, which includes the one who puts the evil eye
on others. So you should seek refuge with Allah from all of these evils;
this indicates that it is not permissible to seek refuge with anyone or
anything other than Allah .
NOTE: Ibn Katheer said in his commentary on the verse
‫ﮋﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮊ‬
“And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter
with the masculine among the jinn, but they (jinn) increased them
(mankind) in sin and disbelief” [al-Jinn 72:6]:
That is, we used to think that we were superior to humans, because they
used to take shelter with us; when they halted in a valley or desolate place
in the wilderness and the like, as was the custom of the Arabs during the
Jaahiliyyah, they would seek refuge with the chief jinni of that place, lest
any of the jinn harm them, like when a person enters the territory of his
enemy under the protection of a prominent man from among them. When
the jinn saw that the humans were seeking refuge with them because
they were afraid of them, that ‫“ ﮋ ﮐ ﮑ ﮊ‬increased them in sin and
disbelief” [al-Jinn 72:6].
In other words, it increased them in fear, terror and dread, to the
194
extent that they became more afraid of them and more keen to seek their
protection, as Qataadah said: ‫“ ﮋ ﮐ ﮑ ﮊ‬but they (jinn) increased them
(mankind) in sin and disbelief” [al-Jinn 72:6] means: in sin, and that made
the jinn more audacious towards them.1
The general meaning of seeking refuge with Allah  also includes
seeking refuge with Him by virtue of His attributes, and seeking refuge
in His words and His might, and so on, as seen in the hadith of Khawlah
bint Hakeem , according to which the Messenger of Allah  said:
‫يض ُه‬
ُّ ُ ‫ مل‬،‫رش ما خلق‬ ً ‫« َمن نزل‬
ِّ ‫ أعو ُذ بكلامت اهلل التا َّمات من‬:‫ ثم قال‬،‫منزل‬
َ ‫يش ٌء حتى‬
»‫يرحتل من منزله ذلك‬
“Whoever halts in a place and says: ‘A‘oodhu bi kalimaat Allaah il-
taammaati min sharri ma khalaq (I seek refuge in the perfect words
of Allah from the evil of that which He has created)’, nothing will
harm him until he moves on from that place.”2
With regard to the words“Say:
‫ﮋﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮊ‬
I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of mankind” [an-Naas 114:1],
this soorah refers to all three types of Tawheed: Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah
(oneness of divine Lordship), Tawheed al-uloohiyyah (oneness of divinity)
and Tawheed al-Asmaa’ wa’s-Sifaat (oneness of the divine names and
attributes).
The words ‫“ ﮋ ﮂ ﮃ ﮊ‬Rabb in-naas (the Lord of mankind)” means:

the One Who takes care of mankind by means of His immense blessings,
for He is the giver of life, the Provider, the Healer, the Giver, Majestic is
He and blessed are His names.
In the second verse, Allah  says: ‫“ ﮋﮅ ﮆ ﮊ‬The King of mankind”

[an-Naas 114:2]. That is, their sovereign (or owner), the One Who disposes
of their affairs. All creatures are subject to His will and decree, because He
is their Creator, the One Who brought them into existence from nothing.
15 Tafseer al-Qur’an al-‘Azeem, 8/239.
25 Muslim, 2708.
195
‫“ ﮋ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ‬The Ilaah (God) of mankind”[an-Naas 114:3] – that is,
He  is the God of the first and the last, there is no god but He and none
worthy of worship except Him.
‫“ ﮋﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎﮊ‬From the evil of the whisperer who withdraws”

[an-Naas 114:4]. The whisperer (al-waswaas) is the Shaytaan.
Al-waswaas (the whisperer) is one of the names of the Shaytaan, because
he whispers (yuwaswis) to people to make them imagine things and distract
them, so as to instill fear, hesitation and confusion in their hearts with
regard to all their affairs, and especially with regard to worship. What is
meant by al-khannaas (the one who withdraws) is the one who withdraws
and moves away. So he whispers when you become heedless and forget
to remember Allah, and he withdraws – that is, moves away – when you
remember Allah . So he is the whisperer at times of heedlessness, and
the one who withdraws when Allah  is remembered and mentioned.
Hence in the hadith that was narrated from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir , he
said: I was a captive being held by the Messenger of Allah  between al-
Juhfah and al-Abwa’, when we were overtaken by wind and darkness.
The Messenger of Allah  began to seek refuge with Allah, reciting
‫“ ﮋ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﮊ‬Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of the
daybreak” and ‫“ ﮋ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮊ‬Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the
Lord of mankind”, and saying:
ِ ‫ فام تعو َذ متعو ٌذ‬،‫«يا عقب ُة؛ تعو ْذ‬
‫ ثم سمعتُه ُيؤ ُّمنا هبام يف الصالة‬،»‫بمثلهام‬ ِّ َّ َّ
“O ‘Uqbah, seek refuge with Allah [by reciting them], for no one
seeks refuge with Allah by means of anything like them.” Then I
heard him reciting them when he led us in prayer.1
196
The evidence regarding seeking

help (istighaathah) is the verse:
‫ﮋ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛﮊ‬
“(Remember) when you sought help of your Lord and He answered
you (saying): ‘I will help you with a thousand of the angels each
behind the other (following one another) in succession’” [al-Anfaal
8:9].
Istighaathah means seeking help (ghawth) at times of hardship.1 So if a
person finds himself facing hardship, he should seek help (ghawth) from
Allah and ask Him to save him from this hardship.
Istighaathah is of two types:
The first type is seeking help from another created being with regard to
something over which no one has control except Allah . This constitutes
shirk, so whoever seeks help from anyone other than Allah – be it a jinni,
a human, one who is absent, or one who is dead –he has associated
someone else with Allah .
The second type is seeking help from a person who is present and alive,
with regard to something over which he has control. This is permissible.
Allah  tells us, in the story of Moosaa:
‫ﮋﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶﮊ‬
“The man of his (own) party asked him for help (fa astaghaathahu)
against his foe” [al-Qasas 28:15].2
Seeking help (istighaathah) is an act of worship, as is indicated by the verse
which the author (may Allah have mercy on him) quoted as evidence,
15 Sharh Kitaab al-Tawheed, by ‘Abd ar-Raheem as-Sulami, 4/7.

25 See: Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool, by Shaykh Ibn al-Fawzaan, 146.
197
namely the verse:
“(Remember) when you sought help of your Lord and He answered
you (saying): ‘I will help you with a thousand of the angels each
behind the other (following one another) in succession’” [al-Anfaal
8:9].
The relevant point here is that seeking help is mentioned in the context of
praising them, and the response came as a result of this seeking help. This
indicates that Allah loves it and is pleased with it.
Seeking help of someone other than Allah  may be permissible, if it
fulfils three conditions:
1. That the one whose help is sought is alive. If he is dead, then
seeking his help constitutes shirk, because no one turns to the dead
except one who believes that this dead person has some kind of
subtle control over the universe, so he raises him to the level of
ruboobiyyah (lordship). Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡﯢ ﯣ ﯤ‬
‫ﯥﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﮊ‬
“Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed
one when he calls Him, and Who removes the evil, and makes you
inheritors of the earth, generations after generations. Is there any
ilaah (god) with Allah? Little is that which you remember” [an-
Naml 27:62].
2. That he should be present. It is not permissible to seek the help
of one who is absent; the reason for that is the same as the first
condition.
3. That he should be able to help, because seeking help of someone
with regard to that over which no one has control except Allah 
is shirk, and seeking help from one who is unable to do something
that others can do is folly and mockery.
198
The evidence regarding offering

sacrifices (dhabh) is the passage:
‫ﮋ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ‬
‫ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟﯠ ﯡ ﯢ‬
‫ﯣﯤﯥ ﯦﮊ‬
“Say (O Muhammad ): ‘Truly, my Lord has guided me to a Straight
Path, a right religion, the religion of Ibraaheem (Abraham), Haneefa
(i.e., true Islamic Monotheism) and he was not of Al-Mushrikoon.’
Say (O Muhammad ): ‘Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice,
my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen
(mankind, jinn and all that exists).
‘He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I am
the first of the Muslims’” [al-An‘aam 6:161-163].
The word dhabh (sacrifice or slaughter) means taking the life of an animal
by shedding its blood in a specific manner.1
Ash-Shawkaani said: “It is what causes the blood to gush out, cutting
the two jugular veins and mentioning the name of Allah over it, even if
that is done using a (sharp-edged) stone and the like.”2
The difference between dhabh and nahr (both words may mean sacrifice
or slaughter) is that dhabh refers to cutting the throat, whereas nahr refers
to cutting the hollow at the base of the neck where it meets the chest.3
The nahr method is used with camels, whereas the dhabh method is
used with sheep and goats. In the case of cattle, either method may be
used.4
15 See: Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykhal-‘Uthaymeen, p.66.
25 Ad-Daraari al-Mudiyyah, 2/323; ash-Sharh al-Mumti‘ by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 7/441.
35 Sharh az-Zarkashi ‘ala Mukhtasar al-Kiraqi, 6/649.
45 See: Tawdeeh al-Ahkaam min Buloogh al-Maraam, by al-Bassaam, 4/119.
199
Dhabh is an act of worship that combines many elements. The
scholars said that when a person offers a sacrifice he combines different
manifestations of servitude (‘uboodiyyah)1:
a. Humility before his Lord 
b. Veneration of Him 
c. Hope, at the time of offering his sacrifice, for that which is with Him
d. Seeking blessing (barakah), because he has only sacrificed it for Allah.
The evidence for dhabh being an act of worship is found in the verse “Say
(O Muhammad ):
‫ﮋﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﮊ‬
‘Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice, my living, and my dying
are for Allah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that
exists)” [al-An‘aam 6:162],
specifically in the word ‫ ﮋ ﯖ ﮊ‬nusuki (my sacrifice). The word nusuk

(translated here as sacrifice) was interpreted in a number of ways by the
early generations (salaf), one of which was the meaning of sacrifice. This
is also mentioned in the passage in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮊ‬
“Verily, We have granted you (O Muhammad ) Al-Kauthar (a river
in Paradise);Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and sacrifice (to
Him only)” [al-Kawthar 108:1-2].
The words ‫“ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ‬Therefore turn in prayer to your Lord and
sacrifice (to Him only)” are a command to affirm Allah’s oneness by
praying and offering sacrifice. Hence in this context, nusuk means sacrifice.
Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Hasan (may Allah have mercy on him)
said: “The point is that this verse indicates that it is not permissible to
devote any of one’s deeds, whether hidden or visible, to anyone other
than Allah, no matter who it is. Therefore whoever devotes any of those
deeds to anything other than Allah has fallen into what He forbade of
15 Sharh al-Usool ath-Thalaathah by Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh, 42.
200
shirk when He said:
‫ﮋﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱﮊ‬
‘and I am not of Al-Mushrikoon’ [al-An‘aam 6:79].”1
With regard to dhabh, there are four possible scenarios2 :
1. It is done as an act of worship with the intention of venerating
the one to whom the sacrifice is offered, to show humility before
him and to draw close to him. It is not permissible to do this for
anyone except Allah , in the manner that He has prescribed.
Offering a sacrifice to anyone other than Allah constitutes major
shirk.
The evidence for that is what the shaykh (may Allah have mercy
on him) mentioned, namely the passage in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ‬
‫ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟﯠ‬
‫ﯡﯢﯣﯤﯥ ﯦﮊ‬
“Say (O Muhammad ): ‘Truly, my Lord has guided me to a
Straight Path, a right religion, the religion of Ibraaheem (Abra-
ham), Haneefa (i.e., true Islamic monotheism) and he was not of
Al-Mushrikoon.’
Say (O Muhammad ): ‘Verily, my Salaah (prayer), my sacrifice,
my living, and my dying are for Allah, the Lord of the ‘Aalameen
(mankind, jinn and all that exists).
‘He has no partner. And of this I have been commanded, and I
am the first of the Muslims’” [al-An‘aam 6:161-163].
2. Slaughtering (dhabh) an animal in order to eat the meat. There is
nothing wrong with this, because the animal is not slaughtered
in order to draw close to anything, or in veneration of anyone;
rather it is slaughtered for a legitimate need.
3. Slaughtering an animal (for a feast) by way of rejoicing and
15 See: Qurrat ‘Uyoon al-Muwahhideen by al-‘Allaamah ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn Husayn Aal
ash-Shaykh, p.68.
201
celebrating on occasions such as a wedding, a move to a new
house, the return of an absent loved one, and the like, such as
bringing relatives together and slaughtering an animal by way
of expressing joy and happiness on this special occasion. There
is nothing wrong with this, because it is not venerating or seek-
ing to draw close to anyone.
4. Slaughtering an animal in order to give the meat in charity to

the poor, needy and destitute. This is regarded as a Sunnah and
is an act of worship.
202
[The evidence] from the Sunnah is [the hadith]:

“May Allah curse the one who offers a sacrifice
to anything other than Allah.”
These words of the Prophet , “May Allah curse the one who offers a
sacrifice to anything other than Allah”, indicate that offering a sacrifice
is an act of worship, because he cursed the one who devotes that action
to anyone other than Allah. Therefore this indicates that this action is
exclusively for Allah, and the fact that it is exclusive for Him indicates
that it is an act of worship. Hence offering a sacrifice is an act of worship,
and if it is devoted to anyone other than Allah – such as offering a sacrifice
to the idols, or to graves that are worshipped besides Allah, seeking the
intercession of their occupants, or to the planet Venus, or upon the arrival
of a prominent figure, and the like – then the one who does that is a
polytheist and a disbeliever.1
La‘n (curse) means being cast out far away from the mercy of Allah .2
The wording of this hadith, “La‘ana Allahu” may be understood as a
statement (“Allah has cursed”) or as an invocation (“May Allah curse”).
If it is a statement, what it means is that the Messenger  is telling us
that Allah  has indeed cursed the one who offers a sacrifice to anyone
other than Him.
If it is an invocation, then what is meant is a du‘aa’ (supplication). In
other words, the Messenger  is praying against the one who offers a
sacrifice to anyone other than Allah, asking that Allah cast him away
from His mercy.
The former is more emphatic in meaning, because it is a statement
indicating that the curse has already happened, in contrast to it being an
invocation, because a supplication may or may not be answered.3
15 Haashiyat Thalaathat al-Usool, by Shaykh Ibn Qaasim, p. 76.
35 See: al-Qawl al-Mufeed, by Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen, 1/222.
203
The evidence regarding making vows is the verse:
‫ﮋﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﮊ‬
“They (are those who) fulfill (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose
evil will be wide-spreading” [al-Insaan 76:7].
A vow (nadhr) is committing oneself to do something that is not required
of one according to Islamic teachings.1
It was also said that it means making obligatory for oneself something
that is not obligatory.
Vows are of two types2 :
The first type is the unconditional vow. This is where a person commits
himself to do an act of obedience or worship for Allah , such as when he
says, “I vow to fast one month for Allah.” This is permissible, because of
the hadith of the Mother of the Believers ‘Aa’ishah , according to which
the Prophet  said:
»‫عص َيه فال َي ْع ِصه‬ َ َ ‫ و َمن‬،‫يطيع اهلل ف ْل ُيطِ ْعه‬

ِ ‫نذر أن ي‬ َ ‫« َمن‬
َ ‫نذر أن‬
“Whoever vows to obey Allah, let him obey Him, and whoever
vows to disobey Allah, let him not disobey Him.”3
The second type is the conditional vow. What this means is that a person
commits himself to do an act of obedience to Allah  in return for
something that Allah  brings about for him and decrees for him, such
as if he vows to fast for one month if Allah heals him from sickness, then
he is healed. In that case it becomes obligatory for him to fulfil his vow.
This is makrooh (disliked), because of the hadith of Ibn ‘Umar , who
said: The Prophet  told people not to make vows and said:
25 At-Tamheed li Sharh Kitaab at-Tawheed, p. 159.
204
»‫ستخرج به من البخيل‬
َ ‫ وإنام ُي‬،‫«إنه ال ُير ُّد شي ًئا‬
“It does not ward off anything; rather it is a means to get something
out of the miser.”1
That is because the believer who is devoted to his Lord does not
worship Allah  in return for something; rather he worships Allah 
and seeks to draw near to Him because He is deserving of that. This type
of vow is makrooh for that reason.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The evidence with
regard to making vows is the verse:
‫ﮋﭙ ﭚ ﮊ‬
‘They (are those who) fulfill (their) vows, and they fear a Day whose
evil will be wide-spreading’ [al-Insaan 76:7].”
The point here is that Allah  praised them for fulfilling their vows, and
the fact that He praises them for that indicates that this action of theirs –
namely fulfilling vows – is beloved to Him . Thus it proves that that is
an act of worship devoted to Allah .
NOTE: When does a conditional vow constitute shirk?
Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh said: “ ‘If Allah’ – listen well – ‘if Allah
heals my sick loved one, then for the wali (‘saint’) So-and-so I vow to
do such and such.’ The one who says this is making a vow in return for
something. Even though it is phrased in this manner, diverting the vow
to someone other than Allah  is shirk, because the first thing he said
was, ‘If Allah heals my sick loved one’, which is acknowledging Allah’s
Lordship (ruboobiyyah), but by then saying ‘then for the wali (“saint”)
So-and-so I vow to do such and such’, this constitutes shirk with regard
to worship. So this person affirms Allah’s Lordship, but then associates
someone else with Him in terms of worship. That is because of the vow
and where he directed it. Making vows to the occupants or graves and
the like, or to the jinn or the angels, and fulfilling those vows, are all acts
of shirk.”2
25 Sharh Kitaab ath-Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh, p. 42.
205
The second fundamental principle:

Knowing the religion of Islam, with evidence
Having finished explaining the first fundamental principle, the shaykh

(may Allah have mercy on him) now moves on to explaining the second
fundamental principle, which is Knowing the religion of Islam, with
evidence.
The word deen (translated here as religion) may refer to several things,
including the following1:
1. Obedience and submission; that is, humbling oneself and obeying.
2. The faith that a person practices and worships Allah in accordance
with it. This meaning includes the first meaning, because the one
who follows a religion submits to its teachings and adheres to them.
3. Reckoning. An example of this is the verses in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﮊ‬
“The Only Owner (and the Only Ruling Judge) of the Day of
Recompense [yawm id-deen]” [al-Faatihah 1:4]
‫ﮋﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨﮊ‬
“And what will make you know what the Day of Recompense
[yawm ud-deen] is? Again, what will make you know what the
Day of Recompense is?” [al-Infitaar 82:17-18].
What is meant by recompense here is the reckoning.
“The religion of Islam” – in linguistic terms, the word Islam is derived
from the verb aslama. The Arabic phrase “aslama nafsahu li’sh-shay” means
“he submitted himself to the thing”; “aslama nafsahu li’l-qatl” means “he
surrendered himself to be killed.”
206
‫‪The Three Fundamental Principles‬‬
‫‪According to Islamic teachings, Islam is the religion with which Allah‬‬
‫‪sent Muhammad  and made it the final religion, which is the most‬‬
‫‪perfect for His slaves, and thus He completed His favour upon them.1‬‬
‫‪“with evidence” means that knowledge of the religion of Islam cannot‬‬
‫‪be based on blind following or mere opinions. Rather it must be based‬‬
‫‪on evidence from the Qur’an and Sunnah, because the one who bases his‬‬
‫‪religion on blindly following others will be a weak character. According‬‬
‫‪to the hadith of Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, Asma’ used to narrate that‬‬
‫‪the Prophet  said:‬‬
‫َان م ْؤ ِمنًــا‪َ ،‬أح َّ ِ‬
‫ــا ُة‬ ‫الص َ‬ ‫ــف بِــه َع َم ُلــ ُه‪َّ ،‬‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ــر ُه‪َ ،‬فــإِ ْن ك َ ُ‬ ‫ــان َق ْ َ‬
‫اإلن َْس ُ‬ ‫ــل ِ‬ ‫«إِ َذا َد َخ َ‬
‫الص َيا ِم‪،‬‬‫ـو ِّ‬ ‫ـر ُّد ُه‪َ ،‬و ِم ْن ن َْحـ ِ‬ ‫ـاة‪َ ،‬فـ َ ُ‬
‫ـو الصـ َ ِ‬
‫ـك م ْن ن َْحـ ِ َّ‬
‫ـه ا َمل َلـ ُ ِ‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬في ْأتِيـ ِ‬
‫الص َيــا ُم‪َ ،‬قـ َ َ‬ ‫َو ِّ‬
‫ـول ِف َه َذا‬ ‫ـول َل ُه‪َ :‬مــا َذا َت ُقـ ُ‬ ‫ـس‪َ ،‬ف َي ُقـ ُ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ـس‪َ ،‬قـ َ‬ ‫َاد ِيه ِ‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬فين ِ‬
‫ـال‪َ :‬ف َي ْجلـ ُ‬ ‫‪:‬اجلـ ْ‬‫ْ‬ ‫ـر ُّد ُه‪َ ،‬قـ َ ُ‬ ‫َفـ َ ُ‬
‫ـل؟ يعنِــي النَّبِــي ‪-‬صـىَّ اللَُّ َع َليـ ِ‬
‫ـال‪ُ :‬م َ َّمــدٌ ؟‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬مـ ْن؟ َقـ َ‬ ‫ـه َو َسـ َّل َم‪-‬؟ َقـ َ‬ ‫ْ‬ ‫َّ َ‬ ‫الر ُجـ ِ َ ْ‬ ‫َّ‬
‫ـول‪ ‬اهللِ ‪-‬صـىَّ اللَُّ َع َليـ ِ‬ ‫ـهدُ َأ َّنـ ُه َر ُسـ ُ‬
‫ـول‪َ :‬و َما‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬ي ُقـ ُ‬ ‫ـه َو َسـ َّل َم‪َ -‬قـ َ‬ ‫ْ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬أ َنــا َأ ْشـ َ‬ ‫َقـ َ‬
‫ـك‬ ‫ـى َذلِـ َ‬ ‫ـول‪َ :‬عـ َ‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬ي ُقـ ُ‬ ‫ـول‪ ‬اللَِّ‪َ ،‬قـ َ‬ ‫ـهدُ َأ َّن ـ ُه َر ُسـ ُ‬ ‫ـك؟ َأ ْد َر ْك َت ـ ُه؟ قــال‪َ :‬أ ْشـ َ‬ ‫ُيدْ ِريـ َ‬
‫اجـ ًـرا‪َ ،‬أ ْو كَافِـ ًـرا‪َ ،‬ق َال‪:‬‬ ‫َان َف ِ‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬وإِ ْن ك َ‬ ‫ـث‪َ ،‬قـ َ‬ ‫ـه ُت ْب َعـ ُ‬ ‫ـت‪ ،‬و َع َليـ ِ‬ ‫ِ ِ‬
‫ـت‪َ ،‬و َع َل ْيــه مـ َّ َ ْ‬ ‫ِع ْشـ َ‬
‫ـول‪:‬‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬ي ُقـ ُ‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬ف َأ ْج َل َس ـ ُه‪َ ،‬قـ َ‬ ‫ش ٌء َيـ ُـر ُّد ُه‪َ ،‬قـ َ‬ ‫ـس َب ْينَ ـ ُه َو َب ْينَ ـ ُه َ ْ‬ ‫ـك َو َل ْيـ َ‬ ‫َجــا َء ا َمل َلـ ُ‬
‫ـال‪:‬‬ ‫ـال‪ُ :‬م َ َّمــدٌ ‪َ ،‬قـ َ‬ ‫ـل؟ َقـ َ‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬أ ُّي َر ُجـ ٍ‬ ‫ـل؟ َقـ َ‬ ‫الر ُجـ ِ‬ ‫ـول ِف َهـ َ‬ ‫ـس‪َ ،‬مــا َذا َت ُقـ ُ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫ـذا َّ‬ ‫اجلـ ْ‬ ‫ْ‬
‫ِ‬
‫ـول‬‫ـال‪َ :‬ف َي ُقـ ُ‬ ‫ـون َشـ ْي ًئا‪َ ،‬ف ُق ْل ُتـ ُه‪َ ،‬قـ َ‬ ‫ـاس َي ُقو ُلـ َ‬ ‫لل َمــا َأ ْد ِري‪َ ،‬ســم ْع ُت النَّـ َ‬ ‫ـول‪َ :‬وا َِّ‬ ‫َي ُقـ ُ‬
‫ـال‪َ :‬وت َُسـ َّل ُط‬ ‫ـث‪َ ،‬قـ َ‬ ‫ـت‪ ،‬و َع َليـ ِ‬ ‫ِ ِ‬ ‫ـك ِع ْشـ َ‬ ‫ـى َذلِـ َ‬
‫ـه ُت ْب َعـ ُ‬ ‫ـت‪َ ،‬و َع َل ْيــه مـ َّ َ ْ‬ ‫ـك‪َ :‬عـ َ‬ ‫َلـ ُه ا َمل َلـ ُ‬
‫َض ُبـ ُه‬‫ـر‪ ،‬ت ْ ِ‬ ‫ب ال َب ِعـ ِ‬ ‫جـ َـر ٌة ِم ْثـ ُـل َغـ ْـر ِ‬ ‫ـو ٌط‪َ ،‬ت ْ َر ُتــه َ ْ‬ ‫ـره‪َ ،‬م َع َهــا َسـ ْ‬
‫ـه دابـ ٌة ِف َقـ ِ ِ‬
‫ْ‬
‫ِ‬
‫َع َل ْيـ َ َّ‬
‫حـ ُه»‬ ‫تََ‬ ‫ـم ُع َص ْو َتـ ُه َف َ ْ‬ ‫َمــا َشــا َء اللَُّ‪َ ،‬صـ َّـا ُء َل ت َْسـ َ‬
‫‪“When a person is placed in his grave, if he was a believer, his good‬‬
‫‪deeds, prayer and fasting surround him. Then the angel comes to‬‬
‫‪him from the direction of his prayer, and it pushes him back; he‬‬
‫‪15‬‬ ‫‪Husool al-Ma’mool bi Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool, p. 103.‬‬
‫‪207‬‬
comes from the direction of his fasting, and it pushes him back.
Then [the angel] calls out to him: ‘Sit up,’ so he sits up, and [the
angel] says to him: ‘What do you say about this man?’ – meaning
the Prophet . He says: ‘Who?’ The angel says, ‘Muhammad .’ He
says: ‘I bear witness that he is the Messenger of Allah .’ The angel
says: ‘How did you come to know that? Did you meet him?’ He
says: ‘I bear witness that he is the Messenger of Allah.’ The angel
says: ‘On that basis you lived and on that basis you died, and on
that basis you will be resurrected.’ If [the deceased] was an evildoer
or a disbeliever, the angel comes and there is nothing between the
man and the angel to push him back. He makes him sit up, saying:
‘Sit up! What do you say about this man?’ He says: ‘What man?’
The angel says: ‘Muhammad.’ He says: ‘By Allah, I do not know; I
heard the people saying something so I said it too.’ The angel says
to him: ‘On that basis you lived and on that basis you died, and on
that basis you will be resurrected.’ A beast with a whip will be set
loose on him in his grave, and will beat him as much as Allah wills;
it will be deaf, and will not hear his cries so that it might show him
compassion.”1
What the Muslim must do is be keen to learn about his religion on the
basis of evidence from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet
, and he cannot attain that without learning from people of knowledge.
Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh said: “Blind following is not acceptable
with regard to the fundamental issues of religion – namely these three
fundamental principles. Blindly following in the religion of Islam,
blindly following with regard to worship, and blindly following in
testifying that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is not sufficient. If
someone says, ‘I am a Muslim because I live in a Muslim country,’ but
he does not believe in these matters on the basis of knowledge, and did
not examine them even once in his life, even before he became an adult,
then he cannot be free of responsibility. He must believe in what he is
required to believe in on the basis of knowledge. These are the three
fundamental principles, and he should base his belief in these three on
knowledge and evidence. Hence the shaykh (may Allah have mercy
15 Ahmad: al-Musnad, 26976.
208
on him) spoke at length, as you see in the discussion on the issue of
evidence. Hence for each issue there is evidence, because the one who
acquires knowledge about these issues will go beyond blind imitation
of the one who taught him about them. Thus his belief will be based on
evidence. Therefore it is essential to teach this essay to young people
who have reached the age of discernment, and to the elders, and it
should be taught to them with its evidence.”1 The shaykh discussed this
matter in detail at the beginning of his commentary.
15 Sharh ath-Thalaathah al-Usool, by Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh, p. 44.
209
Islam means submitting to Allah by affirming His

oneness, and submitting to Him by obeying Him
and disavowing shirk and its people.
“Islam means submitting to Allah” – the word Islam may be used to refer
to the general meaning of the word, or it may be used to refer to the
specific meaning. That may be explained as follows.
1. With regard to the general meaning, it refers to that submission
to Allah’s will (“islam”) to which all people and creatures are
subject, as Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴ‬
‫ﯵﯶ ﮊ‬
“Do they seek other than the religion of Allah, while to Him
submitted [aslama] all creatures in the heavens and the earth,
willingly or unwillingly. And to Him shall they all be returned”
2. With regard to the specific meaning, it refers to that with which
the Prophet Muhammad  was sent, and people are required
to follow it as their religion, and to believe in it. This is what the
author (may Allah have mercy on him) meant when he said,
“Islam means submitting to Allah by affirming His oneness,
and submitting to Him by obeying Him and disavowing shirk
and its people.” That means submitting to Allah  and seeking
Him, as He  says:
‫ﮋ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜﮝ‬
‫ﮞﮟﮠ ﮡﮊ‬
210
“And who can be better in religion than one who submits
[aslama] his face (himself) to Allah; and he is a Muhsin (a doer
of good), and follows the religion of Ibraaheem (Abraham)
Haneefa (Islamic Monotheism). And Allah did take Ibraaheem
(Abraham) as a Khaleel (an intimate friend).” [an-Nisa’ 4:125]
‫ﮋﯼ ﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀ ﮊ‬
“Yes, but whoever submits [aslama] his face (himself) to Allah and he
is a Muhsin (doer of good) then his reward is with his Lord (Allah),
on such shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve” [al-Baqarah 2:112].
that is, he makes his actions sincerely for the sake of Allah  alone, and
submits to Allah willingly, out of hope and love.
Ibn Katheer said: “Sa‘eed ibn Jubayr said: ‫‘ ﮋ ﯼ ﯽ ﯾ ﮊ‬Yes, but
whoever submits his face (himself) to Allah’ sincerely ‫‘ ﮋ ﮗ ﮘ ﮊ‬and he
is a Muhsin (doer of good)’ that is, he follows the Messenger  in that. For
the deed to be accepted, there are two conditions:
The first condition is that it should be done sincerely for the sake of
Allah alone, and the second is that it should be correct and in accordance
with Islamic teachings. If it is sincere but is not correct, it will not be
accepted. Hence the Messenger of Allah  said: ‘Whoever does an action
that is not in accordance with this matter of ours, it will be rejected.’”1
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah , from the Messenger of Allah
, that he said:
،‫ـودي‬ ٍ
ٌّ ‫ـمع يب أحــدٌ مــن هــذه األمــة؛ هيـ‬
ُ ‫ ال َيسـ‬،‫ـس حممــد بيــده‬ُ ‫«والــذي نفـ‬
‫ــلت بــه؛ إال كان مــن‬
ُ ‫رس‬ ِ ‫يمــوت ومل يؤمــن بالــذي ُأ‬
ُ ‫ ثــم‬،‫نــراين‬ ‫وال‬
ْ ٌّ
»‫أصحــاب النــار‬
“By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, no one of
this ummah, Jew or Christian, will hear of me and then die without
having believed in that with which I was sent, but he will be one of
211
the inhabitants of the Fire.”1
What is meant is that everyone who hears of the mission and message
of the Prophet  must believe in him; if he dies without having believed
in him, he will be one of the inhabitants of the Fire. This applies to all
people and includes the polytheists, the Buddhists, the Christians and
other polytheistic religions. Everyone who submits to the will of Allah in
the general sense (as mentioned above) but does not submit to Allah in
the specific sense (that is, by following the religion of Islam), is neither a
believer nor a Muslim.
“submitting to Allah by affirming His oneness” means: singling Allah
 out for worship. Whoever worships Allah alone, with no partner or
associate, has submitted to Him. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﮊ‬
Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him, (in Islam)” [az-
Zumar 39:54].
This includes all three types of Tawheed2:
1. Affirming that Allah  is one in His Lordship (ruboobiyyah)
2. Affirming that He  is one in His divinity (uloohiyyah)
3. Affirming that He  is one in His names and attributes.
The type of Tawheed that is particularly significant here is the oneness
of divinity (uloohiyyah), that is, oneness of worship (Tawheed al-‘ibaadah),
because the dispute and argument has to do with this type in particular,
and it is known that affirming the oneness of divinity leads to affirming
the oneness of divine Lordship and the oneness of the divine names and
attributes.
With regard to the phrase “and submitting to Him by obeying Him”,
what is meant is that the individual should submit to Allah  without
reluctance and without refusing to obey Him. Rather he should submit
and surrender to Allah  as He says:
15 Muslim, 240.
25 Sharh at-Tahhaawiyyah, al-Arna’oot, 1/24.
212
‫ﮋ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟﭠ ﭡ ﭢ‬
‫ﭣﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﮊ‬
“Say: ‘Obey Allah and His Messenger , but if you turn away
(from obedience), then (be aware that) the Messenger  is simply
responsible for the duty he is charged with, and you are responsible
for what you are charged with. And if you obey him, you will be
guided. And nothing is (obligatory) for the Messenger  but to
convey (the commands) clearly” [an-Noor 24:54].
Obedience refers to doing all that Allah  has enjoined and refraining
from all that He has forbidden.
“and disavowing shirk and its people”: in linguistic terms, baraa’ah
(translated here as disavowing) means abandoning something and
distancing oneself from it.1 What is meant here is disavowing and
shunning the people of shirk and disbelief. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ‬
‫ﯔﯕﯖﯗﯘ ﯙ ﯚﯛ ﯜﯝﯞﯟﯠﯡﯢﯣ‬
‫ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ‬
‫ﯷﯸ ﮊ‬
“Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibraaheem
(Abraham) and those with him, when they said to their people:
‘Verily, we are free from you and whatever you worship besides
Allah; we have rejected you, and there has started between
us and you, hostility and hatred forever, until you believe in
Allah Alone,’ except the saying of Ibraaheem (Abraham) to his
father: ‘Verily, I will ask for forgiveness (from Allah) for you,
but I have no power to do anything for you before Allah.’ Our
Lord! In You (Alone) we put our trust, and to You (Alone) we
turn in repentance, and to You (Alone) is (our) final Return” [al-
Mumtahanah 60:4].
15 See: at-Turjumaan ‘an Ghareeb al-Qur’an, p. 142.
213
The reason for that is that they are enemies to Allah, to His Messenger
and to Islam, so they cannot be taken as close friends and allies, or be
supported in word or in deed. Based on that, it is not sufficient only to
surrender and submit to Allah by obeying Him, if you do not disavow
shirk and the mushrikeen (polytheists).
So the Muslim must do the following:
1. Submit to Allah by affirming His Oneness.
2. Submit to Him by obeying Him.
3. Disavow that which is contrary to Tawheed and to obedience,
namely shirk.
4. Disavow the people of shirk.
214
It (Islam) is of three levels: Islam,

eemaan (faith) and ihsaan.
What is meant by “It (Islam) is of three levels” is that religion is of three

levels, some of which are more sublime than others. The first of these
levels is Islam, after which comes eemaan (faith), after which comes ihsaan.
This may be explained as follows:
The first level is the level of Islam, which includes the largest number
of people. Every believer (mu’min) is a Muslim, but not every Muslim
is a believer. The circle of Islam includes the hypocrites, who make an
outward display of being Muslim and adhere to it outwardly. The ruling
concerning them is that they are deemed to be Muslims outwardly, and
are subject to the rulings of Islam in this world, but in the hereafter they
will be in the lowest level of the Fire, as Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﮊ‬
“Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths (grade) of the
Fire” [an-Nisa’ 4:145].
That is because they did not attain true faith; all that they had was the
outward appearance of being Muslim only.
The second level is the level of eemaan (faith); this level includes
more people than the level of ihsaan, because the level of ihsaan is more
exclusive. In other words, every muhsin (doer of good) is a believer, but
the converse is not the case. The believers vary with regard to this level
(eemaan); some of them are close to Allah, some of them are righteous,
and some of them wrong themselves. Those who are close to Allah are at
the highest levels, and the righteous are lower than them in status.
As for the one who wronged himself, he is the one who commits major
sins that are less grave than shirk. He is a believer but an evildoer, or he
215
is a believer who is lacking in faith. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ‬
‫ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﮊ‬
“Then We gave the Book (the Qur’an) for inheritance to such of
Our slaves whom We chose (the followers of Muhammad ). Then
of them are some who wrong their own selves, and of them are
some who follow a middle course, and of them are some who are,
by Allah’s Leave, foremost in good deeds. That (inheritance of the
Qur’an), that is indeed a great grace” [Faatir 35:32].
The third level is the level of ihsaan, which means that the individual does
acts of worship properly, with sincerity towards Allah. The Prophet 
defined ihsaan in the hadith in which he said: “It means to worship Allah
as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you.” What is meant
is that you should have certain knowledge that Allah sees you wherever
you are.1
We may sum up what we have explained above about the definition of
Islam, eemaan and ihsaan by noting the following2 :
1. Islam
Islam means doing outward deeds, including: the twin declaration of
faith, establishing prayer, giving zakaah, fasting Ramadan and going
on pilgrimage to the Ka‘bah, with the sincerity that makes these deeds
valid, doing them in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet .
2. Eemaan (faith).
Faith has six pillars: belief in Allah, His angels, His Books, His
Messengers, the Last Day, and predestination, both good and bad,
along with what one is able to do of visible deeds by means of which
this hidden faith is made valid.
3. Ihsaan
Ihsaan is the awareness that Allah  is always watching.

216
NOTE: The difference between Islam and eemaan is one of the issues
that are frequently discussed in books of ‘aqeedah (belief, doctrine). To sum
up what the scholars have said concerning this matter, if one of these two
words is mentioned on its own, without the other, then what is meant is
the religion of Islam in its entirety, in which case there is no differentiation
between Islam and eemaan. But if these two words are mentioned together
in the same context, then what is meant by eemaan is inward actions or
deeds of the heart, such as believing in Allah , loving Him, fearing Him,
putting one’s hope in Him and being sincere towards Him; and what is
meant by Islam is outward deeds which may be accompanied by faith in
the heart, or it may not, in which case the doer may be a hypocrite or a
Muslim with weak faith.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“The word eemaan (faith) is sometimes mentioned on its own, and is not
accompanied by the words Islam, righteous deeds and the like. And
sometimes it is mentioned with another word, such as Islam, as in the
hadith of Jibreel: ‘What is Islam? … What is eemaan?’. This is also seen in
verses such as the following:
‫ﮋﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮊ‬
‘Verily, the Muslims (those who submit to Allah in Islam) men and
women, the believers men and women…’ [al-Ahzaab 33:35]
‫ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛﮜ ﮝ‬
‫ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮊ‬
‘The Bedouins say: “We believe.” Say: “You believe not but you only
say, We have surrendered (in Islam), for Faith has not yet entered
your hearts. But if you obey Allah and His Messenger , He will
not decrease anything in reward for your deeds. Verily, Allah is Oft-
Forgiving, Most Merciful’ [al-Hujuraat 49:14]
‫ﮋﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﮊ‬
‘So We brought out from therein the believers,
But We found not there any household of the Muslims except one
217
(i.e., Loot (Lot) and his two daughters)’ [adh-Dhaariyaat 36-51:35].
When eemaan is mentioned alongside Islam, then Islam refers to outward
deeds, the twin declaration of faith, prayer, zakaah, fasting and Hajj; and
eemaan refers to what is in the heart of belief in Allah, His angels, His
Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day. If eemaan (faith) is mentioned
on its own, it includes Islam and righteous deeds, as in the hadith about
the branches of faith: ‘Faith has seventy-odd branches, the highest of
which is saying Laa ilaaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped
but Allah alone), and the lowest of which is removing a harmful thing
from the road.’ The same applies to all hadiths in which righteous deeds
are described as part of faith.”1
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“If one of them is mentioned alongside the other, then Islam is to be
understood as referring to outward surrender, which is words on the lips
and physical actions, which come from a believer whose faith is either
complete or weak. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛﮜ ﮝ‬
‫ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮊ‬
‘The Bedouins say: “We believe.” Say: “You believe not but you only
say, We have surrendered (in Islam), for Faith has not yet entered
your hearts. But if you obey Allah and His Messenger , He will
not decrease anything in reward for your deeds. Verily, Allah is Oft-
Forgiving, Most Merciful’ [al-Hujuraat 49:14].
Those words and actions may also come from a hypocrite, but he is
described as being outwardly Muslim, and inwardly a disbeliever.
Eemaan is interpreted as meaning inward submission, which is an
affirmation in the heart and deeds of the heart. That can only come from
one who truly believes, as Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ‬
‫ﭵﭶ ﭷﭸﭹﭺﭻﭼﭽ ﭾ ﮊ‬
15 Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 7/31-51.
218
‘The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel
a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur’an) are recited
unto them, they (i.e., the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put
their trust in their Lord (Alone);
Who perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat as-Salaah) and spend out of that We
have provided them’ [al-Anfaal 8:2-3].
According to this understanding, eemaan is of higher status, so every
believer is a Muslim, but the converse is not the case.”1
15 Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 4/29.
219
Each level has its pillars. The pillars of Islam are five:
testifying that none has the right to be worshipped
but Allah alone and that Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah; establishing prayer; giving
zakaah; fasting Ramadan; and going on
pilgrimage to the sacred House of Allah.
The evidence with regard to the testimony of faith (shahaadah) is the verse:
‫ﮋ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ‬
‫ﭶﮊ‬
“Allah bears witness that La ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be
worshipped but He), and the angels, and those having knowledge
(also give this testimony); (He is always) maintaining His creation
in Justice. La ilaah illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped
but He), the All-Mighty, the All-Wise” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:18].
“Each level has its pillars” means: Each of the three levels of religion has
its pillars. The pillar is the strongest part of a thing, without which it
cannot stand or be complete. The author explains each level and mentions
its pillars and the evidence for that.1
“The pillars of Islam are five…” These are the pillars of the first level,
the level of Islam. They form the foundation on which the other actions
are based. The evidence for that is the famous hadith of Jibreel  which
was narrated by al-Faarooq Ameer al-Mu’mineen ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab
, which will be quoted, with commentary, below.
With regard to these pillars that are mentioned by the author (may
Allah have mercy on him), Islam cannot stand without them; if all or one
of them is missing, then one’s commitment to Islam cannot be on a sound
220
footing. With regard to other acts of worship that are not mentioned, they
are complementary to these pillars.
Then the shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) begins to explain each
of these pillars, with evidence. Hence he says, “The evidence with regard
to the testimony of faith (shahaadah)” that is, the testimony that none has
the right to be worshipped but Allah alone, and that Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah. Testimony is firm belief that is expressed verbally.1
Testimony is based on seeing or hearing what you are testifying to. Hence
the word testimony (shahaadah) was chosen, rather than belief (i‘tiqaad),
because the word testimony implies affirmation and certainty, so that
what you believe is as if you can see it, and you testify to what you see.
“… the verse,
‫ﮋ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﮊ‬
‘Allah bears witness that La ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be
worshipped but He), and the angels, and those having knowledge
(also give this witness); (He is always) maintaining His creation in
Justice. La ilaah illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but
He), the All-Mighty, the All-Wise’ [Aal ‘Imraan 3:18].”
In other words, Allah has decreed, ordained, proclaimed, explained and

made binding. The verb shahida (to bear witness or testify), in the case
of Allah, may have any of these five meanings: decreeing, ordaining,
proclaiming, explaining and making binding.
The words ‫“ ﮋ ﭧ ﭨ ﮊ‬La ilaaha (none has the right to be worshipped)”

are a negation of all this is worshipped besides Allah.
The words “illa Huwa (but He)” are an affirmation that worship is for
Allah only.
The words ‫“ ﮋ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﮊ‬La ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be
worshipped but He)” mean that none is deserving of worship except
Allah , and if anyone worships anything other than Allah, his worship
is invalid. Allah  says:
221
‫ﮋﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ‬
‫ﯘﯙ ﮊ‬
“That is because Allah, He is the Truth, and what they (the
polytheists) invoke besides Him, it is Baatil (falsehood). And verily,
Allah, He is the Most High, the Most Great” [al-Hajj 22:62].
Allah  testifies that He is One, and He is the most truthful of speakers
and His testimony is the truest of testimonies, because it comes from one
Who is Most Wise, All-Aware, and has knowledge of all things.
‫“ ﮋ ﭫ ﮊ‬and the angels” also testify that none has the right to be
worshipped but Allah. The angels are creatures whom Allah created to
worship Him. We will speak of them in more detail below, by Allah’s
leave.
‫“ ﮋ ﭬ ﭭ ﮊ‬and those having knowledge”, because those who have

knowledge are those who have the most knowledge about Allah  and
fear Him the most among His slaves, as He  says:
‫ﮋ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﯣﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨﮊ‬
“It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear
Allah” [Faatir 35:28].
Those who have knowledge only testify to what is true, and every person
of knowledge testifies that Allah is One, and that none has the right to
be worshipped but He. This is an honour for the people of knowledge,
as their testimony is mentioned alongside that of Allah and that of the
angels.
The words of others – such as the atheists, polytheists and the Sabians
who disbelieved in Allah  – carry no weight, because their views and
beliefs are contrary to the testimony of Allah, the testimony of His angels,
and the testimony of those among His creation who have knowledge.
‫(“ ﮋ ﭮﮊ‬He is always) maintaining His creation” because He  is

constantly upholding it.
‫“ ﮋ ﭯﭰ ﮊ‬in Justice”means: with equity.
222
‫“ ﮋ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﮊ‬La ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped
but He)” – this is an affirmation of the first sentence.
‫“ ﮋ ﭵ ﭶ ﮊ‬the All-Mighty, the All-Wise” – these are two of the

names of Allah  which affirm two of His attributes, namely might and
wisdom, in a manner that is befitting to His Majesty .
223
What this means is that none has the right to be

worshipped except Allah. “Laa ilaaha” is a negation
of all that is worshipped besides Allah, and “illa
Allah” is an affirmation of worship for Allah alone,
with no partner or associate in His worship, just as
He has no partner or associate in His dominion.
The shaykh’s comment, “none has the right to be worshipped except

Allah” is an explanation of the words of Allah ‫“ﮋ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮊ‬Laa ilaaha
illa Allah (lit. there is no god but Allah).” This phrase does not mean that
there is no Creator and no Provider except Allah, because this meaning
is more akin to Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah (oneness of divine Lordship),
and the polytheists affirm that. Rather they deny the oneness of Allah’s
divinity and that Allah alone is to be worshipped; hence they do not say
Laa ilaaha illa Allah. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ‬
‫ﮢﮊ‬
“Truly, when it was said to them: ‘La ilaaha illa Allah (none has the
right to be worshipped but Allah),’ they puffed themselves up with
pride (i.e., denied it).
And (they) said: ‘Are we going to abandon our aalihah (gods) for the
sake of a mad poet?’” [as-Saaffaat 37:35-36].
And Allah  tells us that they said:
‫ﮋﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﮊ‬
“Has he made the aalihah (gods) (all) into One Ilaah (God - Allah)?
Verily, this is a curious thing!” [Saad 38:5].
That was when the Prophet  told them not to worship idols.
224
The correct meaning of this phrase is: none has the right to be
worshipped but Allah. If the meaning was that there is no Creator and no
Provider except Allah, they would not have refused to say Laa ilaaha illa
Allah, because when they were asked about created things, they affirmed
that their Creator is Allah , as Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘﯙ ﯚ ﯛﮊ‬
“If you were to ask them: ‘Who has created the heavens and the
earth and subjected the sun and the moon?’ They will surely reply:
‘Allah.’ How then are they deviating?” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:61].
Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh said: “What Laa ilaaha illa Allah means is:
none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone. In the phrase Laa
ilaaha illa Allah, there are four words:
1. Laa: this is a negation of type, meaning that there is nothing of that
type…
2. Ilaaha, which refers to one that is worshipped1, because the related
word al-ilaahata means ‘ibaadah (worship), and uloohiyyah refers to
worship and servitude. The root of all these words is alaha, which
refers to worshipping with love, fear and hope. In other words, if a
worshipper worships what he worships with fear, hope and love,
then the verb used in that case is alaha.
The explanation of Laa ilaaha illa Allah is given in the Qur’an itself, where
Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮔﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ‬
‫ﮨ ﮩﮊ‬
‘Alif-Lam-Raa. (This is) a Book, the Verses whereof are perfected,
and then explained in detail from One (Allah), Who is All-Wise and
Well-Acquainted (with all things).
(Saying) worship none but Allah. Verily, I (Muhammad ) am unto
you from Him a warner and a bringer of glad tidings’ [Hood 11:1-2].
This is the interpretation that is in accordance with the Sunnah and the
15 Mukhtaar as-Sihaah, p. 21.
225
linguistic usage of the Arabs. From this you will realize that whoever
interprets the word ilaah as referring to the Lord (Rabb) – in the sense
that He is the one Who is able to create without precedence1, as it is
wrongfully interpreted by the scholars of Islamic theology (kalaam), the
Ash‘aris, the Maturidis and so on – has adopted one of the falsest possible
views, because it contradicts the Qur’an and Sunnah. The linguistic root
meaning of the word ilaah is totally different from that of the word Rabb.
Hence we find that there are some who do not regard as disbelievers
those who associate another god with Allah  in worship, and they say
that so long as they believe in the oneness of divine Lordship (Tawheed
ar-ruboobiyyah), and that Allah is unique in His actions, and is the only
one Who provides, gives life, causes death and controls all things, and is
one in His sovereignty and all that He does, then they are believers! This
is wrong. Some of them interpret the word ilaah in a different way, which
boils down to the meaning of divine Lordship (ruboobiyyah). One of the
senior Ash‘ari scholars, namely as-Sanoosi, says in his book that is known
as Umm al-Baraaheen, which discusses Ash‘ari ‘aqeedah (doctrine)2: The
Ilaah is the one Who has no need of anyone else, and all others need Him.
He says: Hence the meaning of Laa ilaaha illa Allah is that there is
none who has no need of anyone else, and all others need Him, except
Allah. Thus, in their view, the meaning of the word of Tawheed is an
affirmation of Allah  being one in His Lordship (ruboobiyyah) only, and
this is the falsest of falsehoods, because Allah tells us in His Book that the
polytheists affirmed that which as-Sanoosi gives as the meaning of the
word of Tawheed. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﮊ‬
‘If you were to ask them: “Who has created the heavens and the
earth and subjected the sun and the moon?” They will surely
reply: “Allah.” How then are they deviating (as polytheists and
disbelievers)?’ [al-‘Ankaboot 29:61]
‫ﮋ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﮊ‬
‘And if you ask them who created them, they will surely say: “Allah.”
25 Matn Umm al-Baraaheen, p. 6.
226
How then are they turned away (from the worship of Allah, Who
created them)?’ [az-Zukhruf 43:87]
‫ﮋﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﮊ‬
‘Say (O Muhammad ): “Who provides for you from the sky and
from the earth? Or who owns hearing and sight? And who brings
out the living from the dead and brings out the dead from the
living? And who disposes the affairs?” They will say: “Allah.” Say:
‫ﮋ ﯱ ﯲﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﮊ‬
‘Will you not then fear Allah’s Punishment (for setting up rivals in
worship with Allah)?”’ [Yoonus 10:31]
‫ﮋﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩﮊ‬
‘Say: “Who is (the) Lord of the seven heavens, and (the) Lord of the
Great Throne?”
They will say: “Allah.” Say: “Will you not then fear Allah (believe in
His Oneness and obey Him)?”
‫ﮋﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼ ﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀ‬
‫ﰁ ﰂﰃ ﰄ ﰅ ﰆ ﮊ‬
Say: “In Whose Hand is the sovereignty of everything? And He
protects (all), while against Him there is no protector, if you know?”
They will say: “(All that belongs) to Allah.” Say: “How then are you
deceived and turn away from the truth?”’ [al-Mu’minoon 23:86-89].
And there are many similar verses.
3. illa, which refers to an exception; according to some scholars it
refers to a limitation or restriction.1
4. Allah. Thus this phrase means that none is worshipped rightfully
but Allah alone.”2
Moreover, it is clear that the polytheists did not dispute the existence of
15 Nahw al-Waafi, 1/572.
25 Sharh Ibn ‘Aqeel ‘ala Alfiyyat Ibn Maalik, 2/25.
227
other gods, for they knew that there were many other gods. Hence it is
not correct to say that the implied meaning of “laa ilaaha…” is “there is no
god that exists”, because they said:
‫ﮋ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸﭹ ﮊ‬
“Has he made the aalihah (gods) (all) into One Ilaah (God - Allah)?”
[Saad 38:5].
Rather the implied meaning is known, because this is the essence of the
message, and this is what the shaykh determined to mean “rightfully” or
“true”, because if the implied meaning of a phrase is not stated clearly, it
should be worked out as appropriate to the context.
Thus the implied meaning of Laa ilaaha illa Allah is: none has the right
to be worshipped except Allah . Even though there are others that are
worshipped instead of Allah , they are worshipped on the basis of
falsehood. This is the most appropriate way to understand this phrase.”1
Once you understand this, you should realize that saying, for example,
“Allah is an ilaah (god)” is not sufficient, because al-Laat is a god, al-‘Uzza
is a god and Manaat is a god; all of these idols were called gods. Therefore
you must say: Laa ilaaha illa Allah, that is, you must combine the negation
and affirmation, so that you will be affirming your belief in Tawheed and
expressing your rejection of shirk.
15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool, Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh, p. 47.
228
The explanation which clarifies it

[the phrase “Laa ilaaha illa Allah”]
is the passages in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ‬
‫ﮐﮑﮒ ﮓﮔﮕﮖﮗﮊ‬
“And (remember) when Ibraheem (Abraham) said to his father and
his people: ‘Verily, I am innocent of what you worship,
‘Except Him Who did create me, and verily, He will guide me.’
And he made it (i.e., Laa ilaaha illa Allah (none has the right to be
worshipped but Allah Alone)) a Word lasting among his offspring,
that they may turn back (i.e., repent to Allah or receive admonition)”
[az-Zukhruf 43:26-28]
And
‫ﮋﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ‬
‫ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ‬
‫ﮉﮊ‬
“Say (O Muhammad ): ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews and
Christians): Come to a word that is just between us and you, that
we worship none but Allah, and that we associate no partners with
Him, and that none of us shall take others as lords besides Allah.’
Then, if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims’”
The best explanation of the Qur’an is the Qur’an itself. Hence the author
(may Allah have mercy on him) explains the meaning of Laa ilaaha illa Allah
229
by quoting Qur’an, mentioning two passages from the Book of Allah. In
the first passage, Allah  tells us of what al-Khaleel Ibraaheem  said:
‫“ ﮋ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ‬And (remember) when Ibraheem
(Abraham) said to his father and his people: ‘Verily, I am innocent of what
you worship” – this is the negation, Laa ilaaha; ‫ﮋ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮊ‬
“Except Him (Who did create me, and verily, He will guide me’” – this is
the affirmation, illa Allah, ‫“ ﮋ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮊ‬And he made
it (i.e., Laa ilaaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah
Alone)) a Word lasting among his offspring, that they may turn back (i.e.,
repent to Allah or receive admonition)” – the “Word lasting” is Laa ilaaha
illa Allah.
The second passage is the verse which begins with the words,
‫“ ﮋ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﮊ‬Say (O Muhammad ): ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews

and Christians)…”. This verse was revealed concerning the delegation of
Najraan, who were Christians from the Arab tribe of Banu Taghlib. They
came to the Prophet  and debated with him about ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam
(Jesus son of Mary ). When the Prophet  asked them to earnestly pray
and invoke Allah’s curse upon the liars1, they became scared and did not
want to do that, and they agreed to pay the jizyah to him, because they
knew that what they were following was false, and that he was indeed
the Messenger of Allah .
This verse [“Say (O Muhammad ): ‘O people of the Scripture (Jews
and Christians)…”, Aal ‘Imraan 3:64] indicates the meaning of Laa ilaaha
illa Allah because the phrase ‫“ ﮋ ﭳ ﭴ ﮊ‬that we worship none” is the
negation – laa ilaaha; and the phrase ‫“ ﮋ ﭵ ﭶ ﮊ‬but Allah” is the affirmation.
This phrase, Laa ilaaha illa Allah, is the just word on the basis of which
heaven and earth were created and are sustained, because they were
created on the basis of Tawheed and on the basis that none should be
associated in worship with Allah, no angel who is close to Him and no
Prophet who was sent.
The phrase ‫“ ﮋ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂﮃ ﮊ‬and that none of us shall

take others as lords besides Allah” means: as the Jews and Christians did,
15 As mentioned in Aal ‘Imraan 3:61.
230
who took their rabbis and monks to be their lords besides Allah, as He 
says:
‫ﮋﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ‬
‫ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬﯭ ﯮ ﯯ‬
‫ﯰ ﮊ‬
“They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks
to be their lords besides Allah, and (they also took as their Lord)
Messiah, son of Maryam (Mary), while they (Jews and Christians)
were commanded (in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)) to
worship none but One Ilaah (God - Allah) La ilaaha illa Huwa (none
has the right to be worshipped but He). Praise and glory be to Him,
(far above is He) from having the partners they associate (with
Him)”[at-Tawbah 9:31].
What is meant by their taking their rabbis and monks as lords besides
Allah is their obeying them in regarding as permissible that which Allah
 forbade, and regarding as forbidden that which Allah  permitted.
It was narrated that ‘Adiyy ibn Haatim  said: I came to the Prophet 
with a cross of gold around my neck. He said: “O ‘Adiyy, throw this idol
away.” And I heard him reciting in Soorat Baraa’ah:
‫“ ﮋ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﮊ‬They (Jews and Christians)
took their rabbis and their monks to be their lords besides Allah” [at-
Tawbah 9:31]; and he said: “In fact they were not worshipping them, but
if they permitted something to them they would regard it as permissible,
and if they forbade something to them, they would regard it as forbidden.”1
This issue has been discussed above.
‫“ﮋ ﮃ ﮄ ﮊ‬Then, if they turn away” means: If they do not accept the
call of Tawheed.
‫“ ﮋ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ‬say: ‘Bear witness that we are
Muslims’”means: you should call them to bear witness that you are
monotheists and that they are disbelievers. This indicates that it is
obligatory to state clearly that what the polytheists follow is falsehood,
15 Its source has been mentioned above.
231
and not to keep silent about it; you must proclaim the falseness of shirk
and refute its proponents.
Once you understand this, you should know that there are seven
conditions of Laa ilaaha illa Allah1, which are as follows:
1. Knowledge as opposed to ignorance. In other words, you know that all
kinds of worship are invalid for any except Allah, and affirm that that is
for Allah alone. Allah  says:
“You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help” [al-
Faatihah 1:5].
And He  says: ‫“ ﮋ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﮊ‬except those who bear witness to the

truth”, which is that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah,
‫ﮋﯭ ﯮ ﮊ‬
“And they know (the facts about the Oneness of Allah)” [az-Zukhruf
43:86].
In the hadith which was narrated from ‘Uthmaan, it says: The Messenger
of Allah  said:
»‫يعلم أنه ال إله إال اهلل دخل اجلنة‬

ُ ‫« َمن مات وهو‬
“Whoever dies knowing that none has the right to be worshipped
but Allah will enter Paradise.”2
2. Certainty as opposed to doubt and uncertainty. In other words, the
Muslim should believe in this word [Laa ilaaha illa Allah] with definite
certainty that leaves no room for doubt. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ‬
‫ﯚ ﯛﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟﮊ‬
“Only those are the believers who have believed in Allah and His
Messenger, and afterward doubt not but strive with their wealth
15 Kitaab ‘Aqeedat at-Tawheed by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, p. 26-31; Ma‘aarij al-Qubool,
1/32.
25 Muslim, 26.
232
and their lives for the Cause of Allah. Those! They are the truthful”
[al-Hujuraat 49:15].
The words ‫“ ﮋ ﯔ ﯕ ﮊ‬and afterward doubt not” mean: they are certain
and do not doubt. In the hadith narrated from Abu Hurayrah it says: The
Messenger of Allah  said:
ٍّ ‫ـر شـ‬
‫ـاك‬ ُ ‫أن ال إلــه إال اهللُ وأين رسـ‬
َ ‫ ال َيل َقــى اهللَ هبــا عبــدٌ غـ‬،‫اهلل‬ ‫ـول‬ ْ ُ‫«أشــهد‬
»‫فيهــا إال دخــل اجلن َة‬
“I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah
alone and that I am the Messenger of Allah. No one meets Allah
(believing) in them and not doubting them, but he will enter
Paradise.”1
3. Sincere devotion to Allah alone, as opposed to associating others with
Him and showing off. That means purifying one’s actions of all elements
of shirk, both visible and hidden, which is attained by making one’s
intention sincerely for Allah alone in all acts of worship. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉﮊ ﮊ‬
“Surely, the religion (i.e., worship and obedience) is for Allah only”
[az-Zumar 39:3]
‫ﮋﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮊ‬
Allah, and worship none but Him Alone (abstaining from ascribing
partners to Him)” [al-Bayyinah 98:5].
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: It was said,
‫ َمــن أســعدُ النــاس بشــفاعتك يــوم القيامــة؟ فقــال‬،‫اهلل‬ ‫يــا رســول‬

ْ ‫ـت يــا أبــا هريــر َة‬
‫أن ال‬ ُ ‫ «لقــد ظننـ‬:-‫صــى اهلل عليــه وســلم‬- ‫اهلل‬ ‫رســول‬
‫ـت مــن حرصــك‬ ُ ‫أول منــك؛ َلِــا رأيـ‬ ِ ‫يســأ َلني عــن هــذا احلديـ‬
َ ٌ‫ـث أحــد‬ َ
ِ
‫ ال إلــه إال‬:‫ أســعدُ النــاس بشــفاعتي يــوم القيامــة َمــن قــال‬،‫عــى احلديــث‬
»‫ أو نفســه‬،‫خالصــا مــن قلبــه‬
ً ُ‫اهلل‬
15 Muslim, 27.
233
“O Messenger of Allah, who will be the most blessed of people by
your intercession on the Day of Resurrection?” The Messenger of
Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “I thought, O
Abu Hurayrah, that no one would ask me about this matter before
you, because I have seen how keen you are to learn my hadith. The
people who will be most blessed by my intercession on the Day of
Resurrection are those who say Laa ilaaha illa Allah sincerely from
the heart.”1
4. Sincerity as opposed to insincerity. This means saying this word
sincerely from the heart, with what is in the heart matching the words
uttered by the tongue. Allah  says, criticizing the hypocrites because of
their insincerity in bearing witness:
‫ﮋ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ‬
‫ﮠ ﮡﮊ‬
“When the hypocrites come to you (O Muhammad ), they say:
‘We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah.’ Allah
knows that you are indeed His Messenger and Allah bears witness
that the hypocrites are liars indeed” [al-Munaafiqoon 63:1].
It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik that the Prophet  was riding on a
mount with Mu‘aadh ibn Jabal sitting behind him. He said:
‫ «يــا‬:‫ قــال‬،‫اهلل وســعدَ ْيك‬ ‫ ل َّب ْيــك يــا رســول‬:‫ قــال‬،»‫ب ـ َن جبــل‬ ‫«يــا معا ُذ‬
‫ «مــا ِمــن‬:‫ قــال‬،‫اهلل وســعديك؛ ثال ًثــا‬ ‫ لبيــك يــا رســول‬:‫ قــال‬،»‫معــا ُذ‬
،‫ صد ًقــا مــن قلبــه‬،‫اهلل‬ ‫ـول‬ ُ ‫ وأن حممــدً ا رسـ‬،‫أن ال إلــه إال اهلل‬
ْ ُ‫ـد يشــهد‬ ٍ ‫أحـ‬
‫ر هبــا معــا ٌذ عنــد موتــه تأ ُّثـ ًـا‬
َ ‫ وأخ ـ‬،»‫حرمــه اهلل عــى النــار‬
َّ ‫إال‬
“O Mu‘aadh ibn Jabal!” Mu‘aadh said: Here I am at your service, O
Messenger of Allah. He said: “O Mu‘aadh ibn Jabal!” Mu‘aadh said:
Here I am at your service, O Messenger of Allah. That happened
three times, then he  said: “There is no one who bears witness that
none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that Muhammad
15 Al-Bukhaari, 99.
234
is the Messenger of Allah, sincerely from the heart, but Allah will
forbid him to the Fire.” And Mu‘aadh narrated it as he was dying,
for fear of committing sin if he did not convey it.1
5. Love as opposed to hatred and rancour. This means that the one who
says this word loves Allah, His Messenger , the religion of Islam and
the Muslims who are steadfast in carrying out the commands of Allah
and do not transgress His limits; and he hates those who go against the
concept of Tawheed and do that which is contrary to it of associating
others with Allah or disbelieving, or they do that which undermines its
perfection, such as following innovations and committing sin. They do
that in accordance with the words of the Prophet : “The strongest bond
of faith is to love for the sake of Allah and hate for the sake of Allah.”2
Another proof that love is a condition of faith is the verse in which Allah
 says:
‫ﮋ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ‬
‫ﮌﮍ ﮊ‬
“And of mankind are some who take (for worship) others besides
Allah as rivals (to Allah). They love them as they love Allah. But
those who believe, love Allah more (than anything else)” [al-
Baqarah 2:165].
6. Submission as opposed to forsaking. It is essential for the one who
says Laa ilaaha illa Allah to submit to the laws and teachings prescribed
by Allah, and to submit to His rulings, and to submit himself to Allah.
Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﮊ‬
Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him, (in Islam), before the
torment comes upon you, then you will not be helped” [az-Zumar
39:54].
25 Its source has been mentioned above.
235
7. Acceptance as opposed to rejection. It is essential to accept this word
in a true sense, in one’s heart and in one’s words. Allah has told us in the
Qur’an about those whom He saved because they accepted Laa ilaaha illa
Allah, and He has told us of His vengeance and destruction of those who
rejected it and did not accept it, as He  says:
‫ﮋﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﮊ‬
“Then (in the end) We save Our Messengers and those who believe!
Thus it is incumbent upon Us to save the believers” [Yoonus 10:103].
236
The evidence regarding the testimony that

Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah is the verse:
‫ﮋﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ‬
‫ﯗﯘ ﯙﯚ ﮊ‬
“Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad ) from
amongst yourselves (i.e., whom you know well). It grieves him that
you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad ) is
anxious over you; for the believers (he  is) full of pity, kind, and
merciful” [at-Tawbah 2:128].
“The evidence for the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of
Allah” – this is the second half of the Shahaadah (testimony of faith); it
is testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, which means
believing that he is indeed the Messenger of Allah; that Allah sent him to
the two races of the jinn and humankind as a bringer of glad tidings and a
warner; and that he is the final Prophet, after whom there will be no other
prophet. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ‬
‫ﯷﯸﮊ‬
“Muhammad  is not the father of any man among you, but he
is the Messenger of Allah and the last (end) of the Prophets. And
Allah is Ever All-Aware of everything” [al-Ahzaab 33:40]
‫ﮋﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ‬
‫ﭨﮊ‬
“O Prophet (Muhammad )! Verily, We have sent you as witness,
and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner,
And as one who invites to Allah by His Leave, and as a lamp
237
spreading light” [al-Ahzaab 33:45-46].
One of the commitments that result from this testimony of faith is
following the Messenger  in everything that he enjoined or forbade.
There is a great deal of evidence for the testimony that Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allah in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and in the dazzling
miracles that serve as proof for his Prophethood and his message .
The shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) quoted as evidence for this
half of the Shahaadah, the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of
Allah, the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ‬
‫ﯗﯘ ﯙﯚﮊ‬
“Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad ) from
amongst yourselves (i.e., whom you know well). It grieves him that
you should receive any injury or difficulty. He (Muhammad ) is
anxious over you; for the believers (he  is) full of pity, kind, and
merciful” [at-Tawbah 2:128].
‫“ ﮋ ﮭ ﮊ‬There has come unto you” – this is addressed to all people,

because his message is for everyone of the two races of humankind and
the jinn.
‫“ ﮋ ﮮ ﮊ‬a Messenger” – the Messenger is the one to whom

revelation is sent with new laws, and he is commanded to convey it. He
is called rasool (messenger) because he is mursal (sent) by Allah .
‫“ ﮋ ﮯ ﮰ ﮊ‬from amongst yourselves” means: he is of your own

type, a human being; he is not an angel. This is the way of Allah ; He
sent to humankind messengers from among them, so as to convey and
explain the message clearly.
‫“ ﮋ ﮱ ﯓ ﮊ‬It grieves him” that is, it distresses him .

‫“ ﮋ ﯔ ﯕ ﮊ‬that you should receive any injury or difficulty” – this
refers to whatever might cause you distress. The word ‘anat (translated
here as injury or difficulty) refers to toil and hardship. What grieves
the Messenger  is that which causes hardship and difficulty for his
238
ummah, because he does not want them to go through hardship; rather
he wants ease and comfort for them. Hence Islamic teachings are easy
and straightforward. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮊ‬
“Allah does not want to place you in difficulty” [al-Maa’idah 5:6].
Hence Islamic teachings and laws are easy; they are within people’s
capability; they do not burden people with more than they can bear.
‫“ ﮋ ﯖ ﯗ ﮊ‬He (Muhammad ) is anxious over you” that is,

that you should be guided and brought forth from the depths of darkness
into the light.
“full of pity, kind ‫[ ﮋ ﯙ ﮊ‬ra’oof]” – the word ra’oof comes from ra’fah,
which means kindness and gentleness.
‫“ ﮋ ﯚ ﮊ‬merciful” –Allah describes the Prophet  as being merciful

towards people, for he was not harsh, as Allah  says elsewhere:
‫ﮋ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧﭨ ﭩ ﭪ‬
‫ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﮊ‬
“And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And
had you been severe and harsh-hearted, they would have broken
away from about you; so overlook (their faults), and ask (Allah’s)
Forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs. Then when
you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah, certainly Allah
loves those who put their trust (in Him)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:159].
The Prophet  was humble and gentle with the believers; he lowered
his wing [in humility and gentleness] to them, and always met them
with a cheerful expression, love, compassion and kindness. Such was his
character, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him.
239
What is meant by testifying that Muhammad is

the Messenger of Allah is obeying his commands,
believing what he told us, avoiding what he forbade
and warned against, and not worshipping Allah
except in the ways he prescribed.
“What is meant by testifying that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah”

that is: the testimony that Muhammad  is the Messenger of Allah is not
mere words to be uttered. Rather it includes several things, the first of
which is to acknowledge verbally and in your heart (that is, to say and to
believe) that he is the Messenger of Allah. Then it is not sufficient simply
to utter the words and believe in the heart only; rather there must be a
third component, which is following him. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ‬
‫ﭿﮀﮁﮂ ﮃﮄﮅﮆﮇﮈ‬
‫ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ‬
‫ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮊ‬
“Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither
read nor write (i.e., Muhammad ) whom they find written with
them in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel), - he commands
them for Al-Ma‘roof (i.e., Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam
has ordained); and forbids them from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief,
polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden); he allows
them as lawful At-Tayyibaat (i.e., all that is good and lawful), and
prohibits them as unlawful Al-Khabaa’ith (i.e., all that is evil and
unlawful), he releases them from their heavy burdens (of Allah’s
Covenant), and from the fetters (bindings) that were upon them. So
those who believe in him (Muhammad ), honour him, help him,
240
and follow the light (the Qur’an) which has been sent down with
him, it is they who will be successful.” [al-A‘raaf 7:157].
That may be attained through these four actions that the Shaykh (may
Allah have mercy on him) mentioned, which are as follows:
1. obeying his commands: concerning that, Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖﭗ ﮊ‬
“He who obeys the Messenger (Muhammad ), has indeed obeyed
Allah” [an-Nisaa’ 4:80].
In this verse, Allah states that part of obedience to Allah  is obedience
to the Messenger .
2. believing what he told us: the Messenger  told us about many matters
of the unseen; he told us about Allah, about the angels, and about other
matters of the unseen. He told us about matters of the future, such as
the onset of the Hour and its importance, and Paradise and Hell; and he
told us about matters of the past, such as the stories of previous nations.
Therefore we must believe everything that he told us, because everything
that he told us is true, with no lie. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﮊ‬
“Nor does he speak of (his own) desire;
It is only an Inspiration that is inspired” [an-Najm 54:3-4].
3. avoiding what he forbade and warned against: the Prophet  forbade
to us many words, actions and characteristics, but he  only forbade that
which is harmful and evil, and he only enjoined that which is good and
righteous. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧﮨ ﮊ‬
“And whatsoever the Messenger (Muhammad ) gives you, take it,
and whatsoever he forbids you, abstain (from it)” [al-Hashr 59:7].
4. and not worshipping Allah except in the ways He prescribed: that is,
it is essential to limit acts of worship to what Allah prescribed for His
Messenger . Therefore it is not permissible to worship Him in ways that
241
are not prescribed, even if the intention is good, because anything that
was not brought by the Messenger of Allah  is not part of the religion,
and intention alone is not sufficient. Rather it is essential to follow (the
Prophet’s teachings), because acts of worship are tawqeefi [which means
that they are to be based solely on the Qur’an and saheeh Sunnah, with
no room for personal opinion]. As the Messenger of Allah  said:
»‫أمرنا فهو َر ٌّد‬ ِ ‫«من‬

ً ‫عمل‬
ُ ‫عمل ليس عليه‬ َ
“Whoever does an action that is not part of this matter of ours, it
will be rejected.”1
NOTE: Why is the twin declaration of faith (shahaadatayn, lit. “two
testimonies”) regarded as one pillar, and why is it not said that the
testimony that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah alone is
one pillar, and the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah
is another pillar, even though the matters testified to are more than one?
This question may be answered in two ways2:
Firstly: these two testimonies are the basis for deeds being valid
and acceptable, because no deed can be accepted or be valid unless
it meets two conditions:
i. sincerity towards Allah 
ii. following the Messenger.
Secondly: the Messenger  conveyed the message from Allah, so
testifying that he is the Messenger and a slave of Allah is part of
properly testifying that none has the right to be worshipped but
Allah alone. Thus the latter is complementary to the former.
Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab said: “With regard to
following the Messenger, it is obligatory for his ummah to follow him in
beliefs, words and deeds. People’s words and deeds are to be measured
against his words and deeds; what is in accordance with them is accepted,
and what is contrary to them is rejected, no matter who the doer is.
َ ‫تتضم ُن تصدي َقه فيام أخ‬

‫ ومتابعتَه يف كل ما‬،‫ وطاعتَه‬،‫رب‬ َّ ُ
»‫اهلل‬ ‫رسول‬ ‫َ«أن حممدً ا‬
‫البخاري‬
ّ ‫ وقد روى‬،‫أ َمر به‬
242
Testifying that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah implies
believing in what he told us, obeying him and following him in
everything that he enjoined. al-Bukhaari1 narrated from Abu
Hurayrah that the Messenger of Allah  said: “All of my ummah
will enter Paradise except those who refuse.” It was said: Who are
those who refuse, O Messenger of Allah? He said: “Whoever obeys
me will enter Paradise, and whoever disobeys me has refused.”2
15 Muslim, 1718.
25 See: ar-Rasaa’il ash-Shakhsiyyah li Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab, annotated by al-Faw-
zaan, p. 106.
243
The evidence regarding prayer and zakaah,

and the explanation of what is meant
by Tawheed, is the verse:
‫ﮋ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤﮥ ﮦ ﮧ‬
‫ﮨﮊ‬
Allah, and worship none but Him Alone, and perform As-Salaah
(Iqaamat-as-Salaah) and give Zakat: and that is the right religion”
[al-Bayyinah 98:5].
Prayer (salaah) is the second of the pillars of Islam, and zakaah is the third
pillar; zakaah is often mentioned alongside prayer in the Book of Allah.
Prayer is a physical act of worship, whereas zakaah is a financial act of
worship.
When some people refused to give zakaah after the death of the
Prophet , Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq  said:
‫ واهللِ لو‬،‫حق املال‬

ُّ ‫«واهلل ألقاتل َّن َمن َّفرق بني الصالة والزكاة؛ فإن الزكا َة‬:
‫ لقاتلتُهم‬-‫صىل اهلل عليه وسلم‬- ‫اهلل‬ ‫منعوين َعنا ًقا كانوا يؤ ُّدوهنا إىل رسول‬
»‫عىل منعها‬
“I will surely fight anyone who separates prayer and zakaah,
for zakaah is something that is due on wealth. By Allah, if they
withhold from me a young female goat that they used to give to the
Messenger of Allah , I will fight them for withholding it.”1
Zakaah is an obligation that is due on wealth, and it is one of the pillars
244
of Islam, just like prayer. You will often find them mentioned together in
a single verse in the Book of Allah , such as the verses in which Allah
 says:
‫ﮋﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮊ‬
“And perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah), and give Zakaah, and
Irka‘ (i.e., bow down or submit yourselves with obedience to Allah)
along with Ar-Raki‘oon(those who bow)” [al-Baqarah 2:43]
‫ﮋﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﮊ‬
“So perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah), give Zakaah and hold
fast to Allah; He is your Mawlaa (Patron, Lord), what an Excellent
Mawlaa and what an Excellent Helper!” [al-Hajj 22:78].
In the verse quoted in the text, there is evidence for Tawheed, and for
prayer and zakaah.
The evidence for Tawheed is the words ‫“ ﮋ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮊ‬And they

were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah” because
Tawheed means worshipping Allah alone with sincerity, and refraining
from worshipping anyone or anything except Him. Thus the religion
(deen), Tawheed and worship (‘ibaadah) all mean the same thing. What is
meant by the phrase ‫“ ﮋﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮊ‬and worship none but Him Alone” is
refraining from ascribing partners to Him in worship.
This is indicative of the shaykh’s keenness to emphasize Tawheed, as
he mentions it alongside prayer and zakaah in one text that is quoted as
evidence.
The evidence for prayer is the words ‫“ ﮋ ﮡ ﮢ ﮊ‬and perform As-

Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah)”. What is meant is: offer the prayer as Allah 
prescribed, fulfilling the conditions, essential parts and obligatory parts
thereof.
The evidence for zakaah is the words ‫“ ﮋ ﮣ ﮤﮥ ﮊ‬and give Zakaah”
that is, they should give zakaah to those who are entitled to it, of whom
there are eight categories whom Allah mentions in the verse in which He
 says:
245
‫ﮋﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ‬
‫ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﮊ‬
“As-Sadaqaat (here it means Zakaah) are only for the Fuqara’ (poor),
and Al-Masaakeen (the poor) and those employed to collect (the
funds); and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined
(towards Islam); and to free the captives; and for those in debt; and
for Allah’s Cause (i.e., for Mujaahidoon – those fighting in jihad); and
for the wayfarer (a traveller who is cut off from everything) – a duty
imposed by Allah. And Allah is All-Knower, All-Wise” [at-Tawbah
9:60].
These three things together – ikhlaas (sincerity), prayer and zakaah – are
‫“ ﮋ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮊ‬the right religion.”1
15 At-Tafseer al-Baseet, 24/218.
246
The evidence regarding fasting is the verse:
‫ﮋﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ‬
‫ﭰﮊ‬
“O you who believe! Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed
for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may
become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)” [al-Baqarah 2:183].
“The evidence for fasting” means: this is evidence from the Qur’an for
fasting being obligatory.
‫“ ﮋ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﮊ‬Observing As-Sawm (the fasting) is prescribed for

you” that is, it is enjoined upon you.
‫“ ﮋ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﮊ‬as it was prescribed for those before you”

that is, as it was enjoined upon the nations who came before you. This
indicates that fasting was known to the previous nations and in the
ancient laws and teachings; it is not something that is unique to the laws
and teachings of Muhammad .
‫“ ﮋ ﭯ ﭰ ﮊ‬that you may become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)” – this
explains the wisdom behind the prescription of fasting, which is that
it is a means to attain piety (taqwa), because fasting trains a person to
refrain from what he is used to of desires and pleasures, in order to draw
closer to Allah  and thus attain this piety. Similarly, fasting breaks
a person’s desires and reduces their strength, because the Shaytaan
flows through the son of Adam like blood, so when he is fulfilling his
desires, the Shaytaan has power over him, but when he refrains from
fulfilling his desires, the flow of blood grows weaker, and thus the
Shaytaan is driven away from the Muslim. By fasting, one may attain
piety (taqwa), which is a combination of all that is good. If a person
247
gives up permissible things out of obedience to Allah, then it is more
appropriate that he should give up unlawful things. Fasting trains him
to avoid that which is unlawful (haraam), and trains him to control his
self (nafs) which is inclined towards evil; it drives the Shaytaan away
from him and softens his heart towards obedience to Allah. Hence you
find that the fasting person is closer to goodness than the one who is
not fasting, and you will find him keen to read Qur’an, pray and go to
the mosque early, because fasting has softened his heart and refined his
character. All of that is implied in the words ‫“ ﮋ ﭯ ﭰ ﮊ‬that you may
become Al-Muttaqoon (the pious)”.
248
The evidence regarding Hajj is the verse:
‫ﮋ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ‬
‫ﯔ ﯕﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﮊ‬
“In it are manifest signs (for example), the Maqaam (place) of
Ibraaheem (Abraham); whosoever enters it, he attains security.
And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty
that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses
(for one’s conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever
disbelieves (i.e., denies Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), then he is a
disbeliever in Allah), then Allah stands not in need of any of the
‘Aalameen (mankind and jinn).” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97].
When the Jews claimed that they were Muslims, and that they were
following the religion of Ibraaheem , Allah  tested them in this verse,
saying:
‫ﮋﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﮊ‬
“In it are manifest signs (for example), the Maqaam (place) of
Ibraaheem (Abraham); whosoever enters it, he attains security.
And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the House (Ka‘bah) is a duty
that mankind owes to Allah, those who can afford the expenses
(for one’s conveyance, provision and residence); and whoever
disbelieves (i.e., denies Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah), then he is a
disbeliever in Allah), then Allah stands not in need of any of the
‘Aalameen (mankind and jinn).” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:97].
That is: if you are Muslims, then perform Hajj, because Allah has enjoined
the pilgrimage to the Ka‘bah. Therefore if you refuse to do Hajj, this proves
that you are not Muslims and are not following the religion of Ibraaheem.
249
The words ‫“ ﮋ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮊ‬And Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) to the
House (Ka‘bah) is a duty that mankind owes to Allah” means: this is an
obligation and is Allah’s right over the people.
‫“ ﮋ ﮯ ﮊ‬Hajj” the root meaning of this word in linguistic terms is to aim

or head towards something. In Islamic teachings, Hajj means heading
towards the Ka‘bah and the holy places, at a specific time, to do specific
acts of worship, namely the rituals of Hajj.1
‫“ ﮋ ﮰ ﮊ‬the House” is the Ka‘bah, and the surrounding holy places

are connected to it.
‫“ ﮋ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕﯖ ﮊ‬those who can afford the expenses” – this is a

condition of it being obligatory. What is meant is having the ability to do
it.
Ability here is of two types2:
a. Physical ability, which means having the ability to walk or
travel to Makkah.
b. Financial ability, which means being able to afford the costs
of transportation and food, there and back.
Hajj is not obligatory for the one who is not able to do it – meaning the
one who does not have provisions or a means of transportation, because
the condition of Hajj being obligatory is having the ability to do it.
‫“ ﮋ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﮊ‬and whoever disbelieves (i.e., denies Hajj

(pilgrimage to Makkah), then he is a disbeliever in Allah), then Allah
stands not in need of any of the ‘Aalameen (mankind and jinn)” – this
indicates that whoever does not do Hajj when he is able to do it is a
disbeliever in the sense of minor kufr. As for the one who does not do it
because he denies that it is obligatory, he is a disbeliever in the sense of
major kufr, according to the consensus of the Muslims.

250
The second level: Eemaan (faith)
In linguistic terms, eemaan means believing with certainty.1 Allah tells us

that the brothers of Yoosuf  said:
‫ﮋﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﮊ‬
“But you will never believe us [wa ma anta bi mu’minin lana]” [Yoosuf
12:17].
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) conducted
lengthy research on the linguistic meaning of the word eemaan, which may
be summed up in his words: “Explaining [the word] eemaan as referring
to an affirmation is more correct then explaining it as referring to belief,
even though there is a difference between them.”2
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Most
of the scholars say that eemaan, in linguistic terms, means believing
something (tasdeeq), but that is subject to further discussion.… Hence
interpreting the word eemaan as meaning an affirmation is better. We say:
eemaan is an affirmation, and there can be no affirmation without belief.
So you may say aqarra bihi (lit. he affirmed it) when you mean aamana bihi
(he believed in it).”3
In Islamic terms, eemaan (faith) is words on the lips, belief in the heart,
and physical actions; it increases when one obeys Allah and decreases
when one disobeys Him.4
The phrase “words on the lips” means that it is essential to utter [words
of faith] and acknowledge faith verbally.
15 I‘aanah al-Mustafeed bi Sharh Kitaab at-Tawheed, 2/251.
35 Sharh al-‘Aqeedat al-Waasitiyyah, 2/229; Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il al-‘Uthaymeen, 8/574.
45 Al-Eemaan by Ibn Taymiyah, p. 137.
251
‫ﮋ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻﭼ ﮊ‬
“Belief in the heart” means that whoever claims to have faith must
believe in his heart what he utters verbally, otherwise he will be like
the hypocrites who “[said] with their mouths what was not in their
hearts” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:167].
“Physical actions” means that it is essential to do the obligatory duties
and to avoid the things that are prohibited. You should understand that
deeds of the heart include all types of beliefs, as well as all acts of worship
of the heart, such as fear and hope.
Physical actions include outward deeds, such as prayer and so on.
252
It (eemaan) has seventy-odd branches, the highest

of which is saying Laa ilaaha illa Allah, and the
lowest of which is removing a harmful thing from
the road; and modesty is a branch of eemaan.
The phrase “It (eemaan) has seventy-odd branches” is taken from the
hadith of Abu Hurayrah  which will be included below. This is part
of the evidence that eemaan is words on the lips, beliefs in the heart, and
physical actions.
The hadith referred to was narrated by Abu Hurayrah : the Messenger
of Allah  said:
‫ ال إله إال‬:‫قول‬ ِ ‫ بضع‬:‫ أو‬- ‫اإليامن بِضع وسبعون‬

ُ ‫ فأفض ُلها‬،‫ ُشعب ًة‬-‫وستُّون‬ ُ
ٌ ٌ
‫ واحليا ُء شعب ٌة من اإليامن‬،‫ وأدناها إماط ُة األذى عن الطريق‬،‫اهلل‬
“Eemaan (faith has seventy-odd – or sixty-odd – branches, the
highest of which is saying Laa ilaaha illa Allah, and the lowest of
which is removing a harmful thing from the road, and modesty is a
branch of eemaan.”1
The evidence in this hadith that speech is part of eemaan is the words:
“saying Laa ilaaha illa Allah.”
The fact that physical actions are part of eemaan is indicated by the
words “removing a harmful thing from the road.”
The evidence that belief in the heart is part of eemaan is the words:
“and modesty is a branch of eemaan.”
Thus the hadith indicates that eemaan consists of words on the lips,
15 Muslim, 35.
253
belief in the heart, and physical actions. We have explained above that
when eemaan and Islam are mentioned together, each of them has its own
meaning. What is meant by Islam, when it is mentioned alongside eemaan,
is the outward actions, namely the well-known five pillars of Islam, and
what is meant by eemaan is inward actions, namely the six well-known
pillars of faith, the place of which is in the heart.
If one of them is mentioned on its own, it includes the other. Hence
sometimes the Muslim may be called a mu’min (believer), and vice versa,
and the meaning is the same, because one must inevitably be both a
Muslim and a mu’min, upholding the pillars of Islam and upholding the
pillars of eemaan.
If you understand this, then you must realize that faith has pillars and
branches, which the Prophet  explained to us in two hadiths:
The first hadith is the famous hadith of Jibreel1, in which the pillars of
eemaan (faith) are mentioned, as will be discussed below.
The second hadith is the hadith quoted here by the author, in which
mention is made of the branches of faith. The difference between pillars
and branches2 is that the word rukn (translated here as pillar) only refers
to part of a thing which, if it is not there, the entire thing that is rendered
invalid, such as the pillars of faith; if one of them is missing, then faith is
rendered invalid in its entirety, because a thing cannot stand without all
of its pillars, so if one pillar is missing, that thing collapses.
With regard to branches, they are something complementary, and faith
is not rendered invalid if any of them are absent, unless they are pillars; in
the case of pillars, if they are lacking then faith is rendered invalid.
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “As eemaan is
a root with many branches, and each branch may be called eemaan, prayer
is part of eemaan; the same may also be said of zaakah, Hajj, fasting and
inward deeds such as modesty, trust in Allah, fear of Allah and turning to
Him, all the way down to the lowest branch, which is removing a harmful
thing from the road, for that is one of the branches of eemaan. With regard
to some of these branches, faith may be invalidated in its entirety if they
15 Saheeh Muslim, no. 1.
254
are omitted, such as the branch of shahaadah (testimony of faith); in other
cases, eemaan is not invalidated if that branch is omitted, such as if one
fails to remove a harmful thing from the road. Between the two there
are many branches which vary greatly; some of them are connected to
shahaadah and are closer to it, and others are closer to removing harmful
things.”1
These branches are of two types:
a. Some of them are obligatory (waajib)
b. and some of them are recommended (mustahabb).
Here we will discuss the obligatory branches which, if the Muslim
omits any of them or does any action that is prohibited, his faith is not
cancelled out altogether, according to Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah, but
the required perfection of faith is lost, so he is a believer whose eeman
is imperfect, or he is a believer who is an evildoer, such as if he drinks
alcohol, steals, commits zinaa or does any other major sin. In that case, he
is one who does a haraam action or commits a major sin, but he does not
become a disbeliever thereby, and he does not go beyond the bounds of
faith altogether.
Once you understand this, you should realize that what is meant by
the verse in which Allah  says
‫ﮋﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﮊ‬
“and whosoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, then verily, for
him is the Fire of Hell, he shall dwell therein forever” [al-Jinn 72:23]
is not the apparent meaning, because the apparent meaning would
suggest that the one who commits any sin is a disbeliever, regardless of
the nature of his sin. But this verse must be interpreted in the light of
another verse, in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮﮯ ﮊ‬
“Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him
pleases” [an-Nisa’ 4:48].
15 As-Salaah wa Ahkaam Taarikihi, p. 55.
255
Thus the true meaning becomes clear, which is that the sinner does not go
beyond the bounds of Islam for merely committing sin, but he is subject
to the warning of hellfire: if Allah wills He will forgive him, and if He
wills He will punish him. The sinner may go through things in this world
that expiate his sin, such as calamities and trials, or in the grave, such as
the squeezing, or the trial of the two angels and the punishment of the
grave. These things expiate bad deeds, and there are many other things
that may be an expiation.
With regard to faith increasing and decreasing, the evidence is as
follows:
1. The evidence that faith may increase is the verse in which Allah
 says:
‫ﮋﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ‬
‫ﭵﭶ ﭷ ﮊ‬
“The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel
a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur’an) are recited
unto them, they (i.e., the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put
their trust in their Lord (Alone)” [al-Anfaal 8:2].
This indicates that faith may increase as a result of listening to Qur’an.
Similar to that is the verses:
‫ﮋ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ‬
‫ﭲﭳﭴﭵ ﮊ‬
“And whenever there comes down a Soorah (chapter from the
Qur’an), some of them (hypocrites) say: ‘Which of you has had his
Faith increased by it?’ As for those who believe, it has increased
their Faith, and they rejoice” [at-Tawbah 9:124]
‫ﮋ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ‬
‫ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟﮠ ﮊ‬
“And We have set none but angels as guardians of the Fire, and We
have fixed their number (19) only as a trial for the disbelievers, in
256
order that the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians) may
arrive at a certainty and the believers may increase in Faith” [al-
Muddaththir 74:31].
This indicates that faith may increase by means of certainty and acts of
obedience.
2. The evidence that faith may decrease is based on the texts quoted
above; the relevant point here is the fact that everything that may increase
is also subject to decrease. This is also indicated by the saheeh hadith
narrated by Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri  from the Prophet , who said:
ُ ‫ــم َي ُق‬ ِ ‫ــل الن‬ ُ ‫ َو َأ ْه‬،‫جلنَّــ َة‬ ِ ُ ‫ــل َأ ْه‬

ُ ‫« َيدْ ُخ‬
َ ‫ــول اهللُ َت َع‬
:-‫ــال‬ َّ ‫ ُث‬،‫َّــار‬
َ ‫َّــار الن‬ َ ‫جلنَّــة ا‬
َ ‫ــل ا‬
»...‫يــا ٍن‬ ِ ٍ ِ ٍ ُ ‫ــه ِم ْث َق‬
ِ ِ‫َان ِف َق ْلب‬
َ ِ‫ــر َدل مــ ْن إ‬
ْ ‫ــال َح َّبــة مــ ْن َخ‬ َ ‫َأ ْخ ِر ُجــوا َمــ ْن ك‬
“The people of Paradise will enter Paradise and the people of Hell
will enter Hell, then Allah  will say: Bring forth anyone in whose
heart there was faith the weight of a grain of mustard seed…”1
The relevant point in this hadith is that faith may decrease in the heart
until it is as small as a grain of mustard seed.
Another text which serves as evidence for that is the verse in which
Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴﭵ ﮊ‬
“They were that day, nearer to disbelief than to Faith” [Aal ‘Imraan
3:167].
This indicates that faith may decrease until it is closer to disbelief.
15 Al-Bukhaari, 22.
257
The pillars of eemaan are six: to believe in Allah, His

angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and
to believe in predestination, both good and bad.
The “pillars of eemaan” are the foundations on which it is built, and it

collapses if they are removed or if one of them is removed. The six are as
follows1 :
1. Belief in Allah, which means believing that Allah  is one, unique,
The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, He neither eats nor
drinks, with no partner or associate either in His Lordship (ruboobiyyah) or
in His divinity (uloohiyyah), or in His names and attributes. This includes
all three types of Tawheed, as has been explained above.
2. Belief in the angels, al-malaa’ikah (sing. malak). The word malak was
originally mal’ak, then the hamzah [represented as ’ here] was omitted. It
was also suggested that the root word was malak, as it is now.2 The angels
are one of the creations of Allah in the world of the unseen. Allah created
them to worship Him and to carry out His commands in His dominion.
They do not disobey the commands of Allah, and they do as they are
commanded. They are of different types, and each type has a task that
they are appointed to do.
One of them is appointed to bring the revelation, namely Jibreel ,
the noblest of all the angels. He is the “Trustworthy Spirit (ar-Rooh al-
Ameen).”
Some of them are appointed to be bearers of the Throne. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﮊ‬
“Those (angels) who bear the Throne (of Allah) and those around
it…” [Ghaafir 40:7]
15 Ma‘aarij al-Qubool bi Sharh Sullam al-Wusool, 2/655.
258
‫ﮋ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮊ‬
“And the angels will be on its sides, and eight angels will, that Day,
bear the Throne of your Lord above them” [al-Haaqqah 69:17].
One of them is appointed to take care of rain and plants, namely
Meekaa’eel.
One of them is appointed to blow the Trumpet, namely Israafeel. He
will blow the Trumpet, and all things will die.1
One of them is appointed to take people’s souls at the end of their
appointed term, namely the Angel of Death. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯻ ﯼ ﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﰃ ﰄ ﰅ ﰆ ﮊ‬
“Say: ‘The angel of death, who is set over you, will take your souls,
then you shall be brought to your Lord’” [as-Sajdah 32:11].
He has helpers among the angels. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﮊ‬
“… until when death approaches one of you, Our Messengers (angel
of death and his assistants) take his soul, and they never neglect
their duty” [al-An‘aam 6:61].
Some of them are appointed over the foetuses in the wombs. The
،‫ ورز َقه‬،‫ اكتب عم َله‬:‫ و ُيقال له‬،‫فيؤمر بأرب ِع كلامت‬

ُ ‫«ثم َيب َع ُث اهلل َم َلكًا‬
»‫وح‬
ُ ‫الر‬ ُ ‫ ثم ُي‬،‫وشقي أو سعيد‬
ُّ ‫نفخ فيه‬ ٌّ ،‫وأج َله‬
“Then Allah sends an angel, and he is enjoined [to write down]
four words. It is said to him: Write down his deeds, his provision,
his lifespan and whether he is doomed or blessed. Then the soul is
breathed into him.”2
Some of them are appointed to record the deeds of the sons of Adam.
15 Fath Dhi’l-Jalaal wa’l-Ikraam bi Sharh Buloogh al-Maraam, al-Maktabah al-Islamiyyah edn.,

4/561.
259
Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮊ‬
“But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind)
to watch you, Kiraaman (honourable) Kaatibeen writing down (your
deeds)” [al-Intifaar 82:10-11].
They stay with them, night and day. The Prophet  said:
ِ
‫صالة الفجر‬ ‫ ويجتمعون يف‬،‫« َيتعاقبون فيكم مالئك ٌة بالليل ومالئك ٌة بالنهار‬
ِ
ُ ‫وهو‬- ‫ فيسأ ُلهم‬،‫يعر ُج الذين باتوا فيكم‬
‫ كيف‬:-‫أعلم هبم‬ ُ ‫ ثم‬،‫وصالة العصر‬
»‫ وأتيناهم وهم يصلون‬،‫ تركناهم وهم يصلون‬:‫تركتم عبادي؟ فيقولون‬
“There come to you in succession angels by night and angels by
day, and they meet at Fajr prayer and ‘Isha’ prayer. Then those who
spend the night among you ascend, and Allah asks them – although
He knows best about them – How did you leave My slaves? They
say: We left them whilst they were praying and we came to them
whilst they were praying.”1
In other words, they testify before Allah  in favour of those who pray.
Hence Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭴ ﭵﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﮊ‬
“Verily, the recitation of the Qur’an in the early dawn is ever
witnessed (attended by the angels of the day and the night)” [al-
Isra’ 17:78].
There are angels who take care of those of the sons of Adam who regularly
recite the adhkaar of morning and evening, the adhkaar for going to sleep,
and so on. They protect them from evils and harms, by Allah’s command,
such as if a man goes to sleep in the wilderness among wild animals,
snakes and harmful insects.
Allah  says concerning these angels whom He  has appointed to
that task:
260
‫ﮋﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪﮫ ﮊ‬
“For each (person), there are angels in succession, before and behind
him. They guard him by the Command of Allah” [ar-Ra‘d 13:11].
These angels protect the sons of Adam – by Allah’s command – from
harm and dangers until the appointed time comes. When the appointed
time comes, they move away from him, and what Allah has decreed for
him of death, or an affliction that will lead to death, happens to him.
The angels differ in their physical makeup, just as they differ in the
roles and tasks assigned to them. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫﮬ ﮭ ﮮ‬
‫ﮯ ﮰ ﮱﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙﮊ‬
“All praises and thanks be to Allah, the (only) Originator (or the
(only) Creator) of the heavens and the earth, Who made the angels
messengers with wings, - two or three or four. He increases in
creation what He wills. Verily, Allah is Able to do all things” [Faatir
35:1].
No one knows the true nature of the angels, their types and their
characteristics, except Allah, but we must affirm what is mentioned in
the Qur’an and saheeh hadiths, just as we must accept it and believe in
it. As for that which is not narrated in any sound text, we should refrain
from discussing it, because this is part of the knowledge of the unseen
that Allah has kept to Himself.
To sum up, belief in the angels is one of the pillars of eemaan, so
whoever denies the existence of the angels is a disbeliever, because he has
not believed in the unseen. The same applies to the one who misinterprets
the concept of the angels, and claims that they are ideas and concepts, not
physical beings, or he says that they are thoughts that cross the mind of
man and prompt him to do good, but if his thoughts are evil, then they
are devils. This is a heretical notion and is the words of the philosophers.
Whoever believes that has disbelieved.1
3. Belief in the Books – namely the Scriptures that Allah sent down to
261
the Messengers in order to guide humanity. We believe that they are the
words of Allah in a true sense. We believe in those Scriptures of which
Allah has told us the names, such as the Torah, the Gospel, the Qur’an,
the Scriptures of Ibraaheem and Moosa, and the Zaboor (Psalms). We also
believe in those of which Allah has not told us the names.
Belief in the previous scriptures is belief in general terms. When it
comes to believing in the Qur’an, we believe in it in detail; therefore we
believe that everything in it was sent down by Allah  to our Prophet
Muhammad . Whoever denies even one verse of it, or denies a single
letter of it, is a disbeliever and an apostate from Islam.1
4. Belief in the Messengers: it is obligatory to believe in all the
Messengers, from the first of them to the last of them, those whose names
Allah has told us and those whose names He has not told us. We believe
that they were truly Messengers of Allah who brought the message and
conveyed it to their nations. Whoever disbelieves in one Messenger has
disbelieved in all the Messengers, because Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ‬
‫ﭽﭾﭿﮀﮁ ﮂﮃﮄﮅﮆﮇﮈﮉ‬
‫ﮊ ﮋﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ‬
‫ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮊ‬
“Verily, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and
wish to make distinction between Allah and His Messengers (by
believing in Allah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying,
‘We believe in some but reject others,’ and wish to adopt a way in
between,
They are in truth disbelievers. And We have prepared for the
disbelievers a humiliating torment.
And those who believe in Allah and His Messengers and make no
distinction between any of them (Messengers), We shall give them
their rewards, and Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” [an-
Nisa’ 4:150-152].
262
And Allah  says:
‫ﯰ ﯱﯲﯳ ﮊ‬
“The people of Nooh (Noah) belied the Messengers” [ash-Shu‘ara’
26:105].
Even though they disbelieved only in Nooh, their disbelief in Nooh
implies that they disbelieved in and belied all the other Messengers,
because they all brought the same message. By the same token, whoever
disbelieves in the two Prophets, ‘Eesaa  and our Prophet Muhammad
, like the Jews, or disbelieves in our Prophet Muhammad , like the
Christians, is regarded as having disbelieved in all of them.
Allah has mentioned several names of Messengers, as in Soorat al-
An’aam, where He says:
‫ﮋ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ‬
‫ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱﭲ ﭳ ﭴﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹﭺ ﭻ ﭼ‬
‫ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ‬
‫ﮉ ﮊ ﮋﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔﮕ ﮖ‬
‫ﮗﮘ ﮙﮊ‬
“And that was Our Proof which We gave Ibraaheem (Abraham)
against his people. We raise whom We will in degrees. Certainly
your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing.
And We bestowed upon him Ishaaq (Isaac) and Ya‘qoob (Jacob),
each of them We guided, and before him, We guided Nooh (Noah),
and among his progeny Dawood (David), Sulaymaan (Solomon),
Ayyoob (Job), Yoosuf (Joseph), Moosa (Moses), and Haaroon
(Aaron). Thus do We reward the doers of good.
And Zakariyya (Zachariya), and Yahya (John) and ‘Eesa (Jesus) and
Ilyaas (Elias), each one of them was of the righteous.
And Ismaa‘eel (Ishmael) and Al-Yasa‘ (Elisha), and Yoonus (Jonah)
and Loot (Lot), and each one of them We preferred above the
‘Aalameen (mankind and jinn) (of their times)” [al-An‘aam 6:83-86].
263
And He mentioned others in other verses. We believe in these
messengers in detail; as for those whose names Allah has not mentioned,
we believe in them in general terms.
5. Belief in the Last Day, by which is meant the Day of Resurrection. It is
called the Last Day because it comes after the first day, which is the nearest
day (that is, life in this world). Belief in the Last Day includes believing
in what happens after death, such as the punishment or blessing in the
grave, the questioning of the two angels in the grave, and everything that
happens after the grave. It also implies believing in the resurrection, the
gathering, the reckoning, the weighing of deeds, the siraat (a bridge over
Hell), the Balance (in which good deeds and bad deeds will be weighed),
and Paradise and Hell. Everything that is proven will happen on the Last
Day, we believe in it both in general terms and in detail, and we do not
doubt any of that; whoever doubts any of that is a disbeliever and an
apostate from Islam.
Some people may experience some doubts about the punishment
in the grave or the resurrection after death, and that is because of the
specious arguments of disbelievers and heretics. Hence we will discuss
each of these matters in detail, in order to dispel the doubts of those who
may have any doubts in their hearts.
Firstly: the resurrection after death. The evidence for that is both
textual and rational:
a. Textual evidence
Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﮊ‬
“The disbelievers pretend that they will never be resurrected
(for the Account). Say (O Muhammad ): ‘Yes! By my Lord, you
will certainly be resurrected, then you will be informed of (and
recompensed for) what you did, and that is easy for Allah’” [at-
Taghaabun 64:7].
Allah gives people tangible examples to prove the resurrection after
death, which include the following.
264
i. Allah resurrected the people of Moosaa after causing them to die,
when they said to him:
‫ﮋﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﮊ‬
“And (remember) when you said: ‘O Moosa (Moses)! We shall nev-
er believe in you till we see Allah plainly’” [al-Baqarah 2:55].
Then the punishment from Allah came upon them, which is referred
to in the words:
‫ﮋﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﮊ‬
“But you were seized with a thunderbolt (lightning) while you were
looking” [al-Baqarah 2:55].
Then Allah brought them back to life after that, as He  says:
‫ﮋﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﮊ‬
“Then We raised you up after your death, so that you might be
grateful”[al-Baqarah 2:56].
ii. Allah brought back to life the slain Israelite man concerning whose
murderer they disputed. Allah  commanded them to slaughter a
cow, then strike the dead man with part of it, so that he could tell
them who had killed him, and that is what happened. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌﮍ‬
‫ﮎ ﮏﮐﮑﮒ ﮓﮔﮕﮊ‬
“And (remember) when you killed a man and fell into dispute
among yourselves as to the crime. But Allah brought forth that
which you were hiding.
So We said: ‘Strike him (the dead man) with a piece of it (the cow).’
Thus Allah brings the dead to life and shows you His Aayaat (signs,
revelations) so that you may understand” [al-Baqarah 2:72-73].
iii. Allah resurrected those people, numbering in the thousands, who
had fled their homes seeking to evade death, after He caused them
265
to die. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ‬
‫ﮩ ﮪﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﮊ‬
“Did you (O Muhammad ) not think of those who went forth from
their homes in thousands, fearing death? Allah said to them, ‘Die.’
And then He restored them to life. Truly, Allah is full of Bounty to
mankind, but most men thank not” [al-Baqarah 2:243].
iv. Allah resurrected the one who passed through a dead village and
thought it unlikely that Allah  could revive it. So Allah  caused
him to die for a hundred years, then He brought him back to life, as
He says:
‫ﮋ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪﮫ ﮬ‬
‫ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ‬
‫ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ‬
‫ﯰﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹﯺ ﯻ ﯼ ﯽ‬
‫ﯾﯿﰀﰁﰂ ﰃﰄ ﰅ ﮊ‬
“Or like the one who passed by a town and it had tumbled over
its roofs. He said: ‘Oh! How will Allah ever bring it to life after its
death?’ So Allah caused him to die for a hundred years, then raised
him up (again). He said: ‘How long did you remain (dead)?’ He (the
man) said: ‘(Perhaps) I remained (dead) a day or part of a day.’ He
said: ‘Nay, you have remained (dead) for a hundred years, look at
your food and your drink, they show no change; and look at your
donkey! And thus We have made of you a sign for the people. Look
at the bones, how We bring them together and clothe them with
flesh.’ When this was clearly shown to him, he said, ‘I know (now)
that Allah is Able to do all things’” [al-Baqarah 2:259].
v. In the story of Ibraaheem al-Khaleel , when he asked Allah 

to show him how He could bring the dead back to life, Allah  in-
structed him to slaughter four birds, then distribute their parts on
266
the hills around him, then call them to come to him. The parts came
back together and the birds came quickly to Ibraaheem. Allah 
says concerning that:
‫ﮋ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ‬
‫ﭢﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ‬
‫ﭴ ﭵﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﮊ‬
“And (remember) when Ibraaheem (Abraham) said, ‘My Lord!
Show me how You give life to the dead.’ He (Allah) said: ‘Do you
not believe?’ He (Ibraaheem (Abraham)) said: ‘Yes (I believe), but
to be stronger in Faith.’ He said: ‘Take four birds, then cause them
to incline towards you (then slaughter them, cut them into pieces),
and then put a portion of them on every hill, and call them, they
will come to you in haste. And know that Allah is All-Mighty, All-
Wise’” [al-Baqarah 2:260].
All of these are tangible examples that really happened, in order to prove
that it is possible for things to come back to life after having died.
b. Rational evidence: in several places in His Book, Allah refers to the

rational evidence for the resurrection after death being possible.
This evidence includes the following:
i. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ‬
‫ﭼﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮊ‬
“And He it is Who originates the creation, then will repeat it (after it
has perished), and this is easier for Him. His is the highest descrip-
tion (i.e., none has the right to be worshipped but He, and there is
nothing comparable unto Him) in the heavens and in the earth. And
He is the Almighty, the All-Wise”[ar-Room 30:27]
‫ﮋﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳﭴ ﭵ ﭶﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﮊ‬
“And (remember) the Day when We shall roll up the heavens like
267
a scroll rolled up for books; as We began the first creation, We shall
repeat it; (it is) a promise binding upon Us. Truly, We shall do
it”[al-Anbiya’ 21:104]
‫ﮋﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮊ‬
“Say: (O Muhammad ) ‘He will give life to them Who created them
for the first time! And He is the All-Knower of every creation!’”
[Yaa-Seen 36:79].
The argument in these verses is that the initial creation is given as evi-
dence for re-creation, because Allah  is the One Who initiated the cre-
ation of the universe, as they acknowledge. Hence once it is proven that
He is able to initiate creation, how can He then be unable to re-create it? It
is well-known that repeating something is easier than initiating it.
ii. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ‬
‫ﭡ ﭢﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﮊ‬
“And among His Signs (is this), that you see the earth barren, but
when We send down water (rain) to it, it is stirred to life and growth
(of vegetation). Verily, He Who gives it life, surely, (He) is Able to
give life to the dead (on the Day of Resurrection). Indeed! He is Able
to do all things” [Fussilat 40:39].
The argument in this verse is that the earth is dead and lifeless, with no
vegetation, then the rain falls upon it and it is stirred to life and turns
green, and puts forth every lovely kind (of growth). The one Who is able
to revive it after it was dead is able to revive the dead.
Secondly: punishment in the grave.
The textual evidence for this is the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ‬
‫ﮯ ﮰ ﮱﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ‬
‫ﯟﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ‬
268
‫ﯮﯯ ﮊ‬
“And who can be more unjust than he who invents a lie against
Allah, or says: ‘I have received inspiration,’ whereas he is not
inspired in anything; and who says, ‘I will reveal the like of what
Allah has revealed.’ And if you could but see when the Zaalimoon
(polytheists and wrongdoers, etc.) are in the agonies of death, while
the angels are stretching forth their hands (saying): ‘Deliver your
souls! This day you shall be recompensed with the torment of
degradation because of what you used to utter against Allah other
than the truth. And you used to reject His Aayaat (verses, signs)
with disrespect!’” [al-An‘aam 6:93].
Similarly, Allah  says concerning Pharaoh and his people:
‫ﮋ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ‬
‫ﮠ ﮡ ﮢﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫﮊ‬
“So Allah saved him from the evils that they plotted (against him),
while an evil torment encompassed Fir‘awn’s (Pharaoh’s) people.
The Fire; they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon, and on the
Day when the Hour will be established (it will be said to the angels):
‘Cause Fir‘awn’s (Pharaoh’s) people to enter the severest torment!’”
[Ghaafir 40:45-46]
The words ‫“ ﮋ ﮡ ﮢﮣ ﮊ‬morning and afternoon” refer to the punishment
of the grave; what is meant is morning and afternoon in terms of days in
this world.1
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The Prophet  passed by one of
the gardens of Madinah or Makkah, and heard the sound of two people
being punished in their graves. The Prophet  said:
‫ كان أحدُ هما ال يسترتُ من‬،‫ «بلى‬:‫ ثم قال‬،»‫ وما يعذبان يف كبير‬،‫« ُيعذبان‬
َ ‫ وكان‬،‫بوله‬
»‫اآلخ ُر يمشي بالنميمة‬
“They are being punished, but they are not being punished for
anything that was difficult to avoid.” Then he said: “Nay, one of
15 See: ‘Umdat al-Qaari Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhaari, by al-‘Ayni, 8/199.
269
them did not protect himself from his urine, and the other used to
walk around spreading malicious gossip.”1
Then he called for a palm branch, split it in two, then planted one piece
on each of their graves.
6. Belief in predestination, both good and bad. What this means is
believing that whatever happens in this universe, good and bad, disbelief
and faith, blessings and suffering, ease and hardship, sickness and health,
life and death – is all foreordained; it does not happen randomly or
without a plan, that is, without being previously decreed.2
Part of believing in the divine decree is believing that whatever has
befallen you could never have missed you, and whatever has missed you
could never have befallen you, and that both occur by the will and decree
of Allah. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟﯠ ﯡ‬
‫ﯢﯣﯤﯥ ﮊ‬
“No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but is inscribed
in the Book of Decrees (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz), before We bring it into
existence. Verily, that is easy for Allah” [al-Hadeed 57:22].
You should understand that part of belief in predestination is to believe
that it went through four stages. Whoever does not believe in all of them
is not a believer in predestination.3
1. The first stage is the stage of (divine) knowledge, which means that
Allah knows all things from eternity; He knows what was and what will
be, for eternity. Nothing happens except Allah  knew it from eternity,
and His knowledge is from eternity to eternity. Whoever denies that
is a disbeliever. The prior knowledge of Allah encompasses all things,
in general and in detail, all major and minor issues and the details
thereof. This is the prior (divine) knowledge to which Allah  refers in
the verses
15 Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 216.

35 Shifaa’ al-‘Aleel fi Masaa’il al-Qadaa’ wa’l-Qadar wa’l-Hikmah wa’t-Ta‘leel, p. 29; Ma‘aarij
al-Qubool bi Sharh Sullam al-Wusool, 3/920.
270
‫ﮋ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩﮪ ﮊ‬:
“Know you not that Allah knows all that is in heaven and on earth?”
[al-Hajj 22:70]
‫ﮋ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼ‬
‫ﯽﯾﯿﰀﰁ ﰂﰃﰄﰅﰆﰇ ﰈﰉﰊﰋ ﰌﮊ‬
“And with Him are the keys of the Ghayb (all that is hidden), none
knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in (or on) the
earth and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a
grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is
written in a Clear Record” [al-An‘aam 6:59].
2. The second stage is the stage of writing, that is, Allah wrote all things
in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz, so nothing happens contrary to what is written in
al-Lawh al-Mahfooz. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟﯠ ﯡ‬
‫ﯢﯣﯤﯥ ﮊ‬
“No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but is inscribed
in the Book of Decrees (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz), before We bring it into
existence. Verily, that is easy for Allah” [al-Hadeed 57:22]
that is, it is written in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz in which Allah wrote the
decrees of all things. It was narrated that ‘Abd al-Waahid ibn Sulaym
said: I came to Makkah, where I met ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabaah. I said to
him: O Abu Muhammad, the people of Basra are talking about al-qadar
(predestination). He said: O my son, do you read the Qur’an? I said: Yes.
He said: Then recite [Soorat] az-Zukhruf. So I recited:
‫ﮋﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ‬
‫ﮍﮎﮏﮐ ﮑ ﮒﮊ‬
“Haa Meem.
By the manifest Book (that makes things clear, i.e. this Qur’an).
We verily, have made it a Qur’an in Arabic, that you may be able to
271
understand.
And Verily, it (this Qur’an) is in the Mother of the Book (i.e., Al-
Lawh Al-Mahfooz), before Us, indeed Exalted, full of Wisdom” [az-
Zukhruf 43:1-4].
He said: Do you know what the Mother of the Book is? I said: Allah and
His Messenger know best. He said: It is a Book that Allah wrote before
He created the heavens and before He created the earth. In it, it says that
Pharaoh would be one of the people of Hell, and in it, it says:
‫ﮋﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮊ‬
“Perish the two hands of Abu Lahab, and perish he!” [al-Masad
111:1].
‘Ataa’ said: I met al-Waleed ibn ‘Ubaadah ibn as-Saamit, the Companion
of the Messenger of Allah  and I asked him: What were your father’s last
instructions when he died? He said: He called me and said to me: O my
son, fear Allah and realize that you will never fear Allah until you believe
in Allah and you believe in all predestination, both good and bad. If you
die believing something other than that, you will enter Hell. I heard the
Messenger of Allah  say:
:‫أكتــب؟ قــال‬
ُ ‫ مــا‬:‫ فقــال‬،‫اكتــب‬
ْ :‫ فقــال‬،‫أول مــا خ َلــق اهلل القلــم‬
َ ‫«إن‬
»‫ ومــا هــو كائــ ٌن إىل األبــد‬،‫القــدر؛ مــا كان‬
َ ِ
‫اكتــب‬
“The first thing that Allah created was the Pen, and He said: ‘Write!’ It
said: What should I write? He said: Write al-qadar (predestination),
what has been and what will be until eternity.’”1
Whoever denies this writing (foreordaining), and says: “Allah knows
all things, but He did not write anything in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz” is a
disbeliever and an apostate from the religion of Islam.
It is essential to believe that Allah  wrote what people would do, and
He wrote what their circumstances would be, fifty thousand years before
He created the heavens and the earth, and that is kept with Him in al-
Lawh al-Mahfooz, as He  says:
272
‫ﮋﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﰃ ﰄ ﰅ ﰆ ﰇ ﰈ ﰉ ﰊ ﰋ ﰌ ﮊ‬
“There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh
or dry, but is written in a Clear Record” [al-An‘aam 6:59]
‫ﮋﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﮊ‬
“And everything, small and big is written (in Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz)”
[al-Qamar 54:53]
‫ﮋ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ‬
‫ﯕﮊ‬
“Know you not that Allah knows all that is in heaven and on earth?
Verily, it is (all) in the Book (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz). Verily! That is
easy for Allah.” [al-Hajj 22:70].
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas said: I heard the
Messenger of Allah  say:
‫واألرض بخمســن‬
َ ِ
‫ـاوات‬
‫ـق السـ‬
َ ‫ـق قبــل أن خيلـ‬ِ ‫«ك َتــب اهللُ مقاديـ َـر اخلالئـ‬
ُ
»‫وعرشــه عــى املــاء‬ :‫ قــال‬،‫ـف ســنة‬ َ ‫ألـ‬
“Allah wrote the decrees of creation fifty thousand years before
He created the heavens and the earth, and His Throne is upon the
water.”1
3. The third stage is the divine will, that is, the will of Allah that always
comes to pass. Whatever Allah wills happens, and whatever He does not
will does not happen. There is nothing that happens in the dominion of
Allah  but Allah decreed it and willed that it should happen, whether
that is the obedience of those who obey Him or the disobedience of those
who disobey Him, whether that is the faith of the believers or the disbelief
of the disbelievers.
This level and the one that follows it are to be understood within the
framework of the concept that whatever Allah has decreed will inevitably
come to pass. So it is not possible for anyone to do anything unless Allah
 has willed it.
15 Muslim, 2653.
273
4. The fourth stage is creation and bringing it into existence. Allah  is
the Creator of all things, people’s deeds and circumstances, the heavens
and the earth, and everyone in them – Allah  created it all. If a person
wants to do something, it will not happen unless Allah  created it.
The acts of obedience of those who obey Allah were created by Him,
and the acts of disobedience of those who disobey Him were created by
Him. If a person resolves to do something, if Allah wills it it will happen,
and it will happen after He creates it. If He did not will it – even if the
person wants to do it – it will not happen. Allah  says
‫ﮋ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮊ‬:
“But you cannot will, unless Allah wills. Verily, Allah is Ever All-
Knowing, All-Wise” [al-Insaan 76:30].
274
The evidence regarding these six pillars is the verse:
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ‬
‫ﭡﭢ ﭣﮊ‬
“It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness) that you turn your faces
towards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of)
the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book,
[and] the Prophets” [al-Baqarah 2:177].
“The evidence with regard to these six pillars…” – As the shaykh (may
Allah have mercy on him) mentioned these six pillars, it is appropriate
for him to mention the evidence for them from the Qur’an and Sunnah,
because anyone who affirms any matter of religion – whether it has to
do with doctrine or Islamic rulings – must give evidence for it from the
Qur’an or Sunnah.
With regard to evidence from the Qur’an, the shaykh quotes it here.
As for evidence from the Sunnah, it will be quoted below in the hadith of
Jibreel .
‫“ ﮋ ﭓ ﮊ‬Al-Birr (piety, righteousness)” – this refers to doing good

deeds that will bring one closer to Allah  and cause one to reach His
Paradise. All acts of obedience are included under the heading of al-
birr (righteousness). Obedience to Allah means complying with His
commands and heeding His prohibitions.
‫“ ﮋ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﮊ‬that you turn your faces” that is, you turn to face in
some direction or other without any command from Allah.
‫ﮋﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﮊ‬
“but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allah, the Last
275
Day, the Angels, the Book, [and] the Prophets” – this is the evidence for
five of the six pillars of faith that were mentioned above. The author will
mention evidence for the sixth pillar below.
This verse is a refutation of the Jews who objected to the change of
the qiblah from Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem) to the Ka‘bah (Makkah). Their
objection stemmed from stubbornness, arrogance and envy towards the
Prophet  and this ummah.1
276
The evidence regarding al-qadar

(predestination) is the verse:
‫ﮋﰌ ﰍ ﰎ ﰏ ﰐ ﮊ‬
“Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments
of all things before their creation, as written in the Book of Decrees
Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz)” [al-Qamar 54:49].
“The evidence with regard to al-qadar (Divine Preordainments of all
things…)…” – This is the evidence for the sixth of the pillars of faith. What
the verse means is that everything that Allah has created is preordained
in His knowledge, in His writing, and in His will; it is not something
spontaneous or random, rather it is something that is preordained in
Allah’s knowledge, written in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz, and already willed by
Allah .
We have mentioned above belief in the stages of al-qadar (divine
preordainment or predestination). In brief, they are:
1. The prior knowledge of Allah
2. Writing in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz
3. The will of Allah that always comes to pass
4. Creation and bringing into existence.
Two groups of Muslims went astray with regard to al-qadar1:
The first group is the Jabris, who say that man is compelled [mujbar]
to do what he does, and he has no free will or power with regard to his
deeds.
The second group is the Qadaris, who say that man’s actions are done
independently, because his will and power are independent and separate
277
from the will and power of Allah, and the will and power of Allah have
no impact on his actions.
The first group (the Jabris) may be refuted in two ways1:
Firstly, on the basis of religious texts. Allah has affirmed that humans
have free will, and He attributes their actions to them. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮊ‬
“Among you are some that desire this world and some that desire
the Hereafter” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:152]
‫ﮋﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ‬
‫ﮃ ﮄﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ‬
‫ﮑﮊ‬
“And say: ‘The truth is from your Lord.’ Then whosoever wills, let
him believe, and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve. Verily, We
have prepared for the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrong-doers), a
Fire whose walls will be surrounding them. And if they ask for help
they will be granted water like boiling oil, that will scald their faces.
Terrible the drink, and an evil Murtafaqa (dwelling, resting place)!”
[al-Kahf 18:29]
‫ﮋﰎ ﰏ ﰐ ﰑﰒ ﰓ ﰔ ﰕﰖ ﰗ ﰘ ﰙ ﰚ ﮊ‬
“Whosoever does righteous good deeds it is for (the benefit of) his
own self, and whosoever does evil, it is against his own self, and
your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) slaves” [Fussilat 41:46].
Secondly, on the basis of reason: everyone knows the difference between
his voluntary actions which he does by choice (such as eating and
drinking), and what happens to him involuntarily, such as having a high
temperature when one is suffering from a fever, or falling from a roof. In
the former case, he is doing these actions by his free choice, without being
compelled; in the latter case, he did not choose or want what happened
to him.
278
The second group (the Qadaris) may also be refuted in two ways:
Firstly, on the basis of religious texts. Allah  has stated in His Book that
people’s actions only happen by His will. He  says:
‫ﮋﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ‬
‫ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮊ‬
“If Allah had willed, succeeding generations would not have fought
against each other, after clear Verses of Allah had come to them, but
they differed – some of them believed and others disbelieved. If
Allah had willed, they would not have fought against one another,
but Allah does what He likes” [al-Baqarah 2:253]
‫ﮋﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ‬
‫ﭰﭱﮊ‬
“And if We had willed, surely! We would have given every person
his guidance, but the Word from Me took effect (about evildoers),
that I will fill Hell with jinn and mankind together” [as-Sajdah
32:13].
Secondly, on the basis of reason: the entire universe is under the control
of Allah  and man is part of this universe, therefore he belongs to Allah
 and is His slave, and it is not possible for one who is a slave to do
anything in the dominion of the master without the latter’s permission
and will.
279
The third level is the level of ihsaan, which has one

pillar or essential part, namely that you should
worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not
see Him, He sees you.
“Ihsaan, which has one pillar or essential part”. In linguistic terms, ihsaan
refers to precision and perfection. It comes from the same root as the word
husn (beauty), which is the opposite of ugliness. One may say Ahsana ar-
rajul meaning, the man did something good. 1
According to Islamic teachings, ihsaan may be divided into three
categories2 :
1. Ihsaan between a person and his Lord. This means doing properly
the actions that Allah has enjoined upon the individual. That may
be achieved by doing righteous deeds purely for the sake of Allah
. This occurs on two levels:
The first level is seeing in your heart that you are worshipping
Allah as if you see Him, which may be attained when you reach
such a high level of certain faith in Allah that it is as if you see Him
with your own eyes, and you have no hesitation or doubt. This is
the higher of the two levels.
The second level is muraaqabah, which is awareness that Allah sees
you and knows everything about you, and He knows what is in
your heart, so it is not appropriate for you to disobey Him or go
against His commands.
2. Ihsaan between a person and other people. This means doing acts
of kindness for them, by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked,
helping the needy, interceding for those who need intercession,
280
and doing all types of kind deeds; and by refraining from harming
them, so that you do not do anything that could harm another
person. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮪﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮊ‬
“and do good [wa ahsinu]. Truly, Allah loves Al-Muhsinoon (the
doers of good)” [al-Baqarah 2:195].
3. Ihsaan between a person and animals. The Prophet  instructed
us to show kindness (ihsaan) to animals. It was narrated that
Shaddaad ibn Aws said: There are two things that I memorized
from the Messenger of Allah . He said:
ِ ‫فأحسنوا‬
‫ وإذا ذبحتم‬،‫القتل َة‬ ِ َ
‫اإلحسان عىل كل يشء؛ فإذا قتلتم‬ ‫«إن اهلل كتَب‬
»‫الذبح‬ ِ
‫فأحسنوا‬
َ
“Allah has decreed proficiency (ihsaan) in all things. So if you
kill, kill well, and if you slaughter, slaughter well. Let one of you
sharpen his blade and spare suffering to the animal he slaughters.”1
15 Muslim, 1955.
281
The evidence regarding that is the verses:
‫ﮋﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﰃ ﰄ ﰅ ﰆ ﮊ‬
“Truly, Allah is with those who fear Him (keep their duty unto Him),
and those who are Muhsinoon (doers of good)” [an-Nahl 16:128]
‫ﮢ ﮣﮊ‬
“And put your trust in the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful,
Who sees you (O Muhammad ) when you stand up (alone at night
for Tahajjud prayers),
And your movements among those who fall prostrate (along with
you to Allah in the five compulsory congregational prayers).
Verily! He, only He, is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower” [ash-Shu‘ara’
26:217-219].
Here the author mentions evidence from the Qur’an for the level of ihsaan.
This may be explained as follows:
The first text is the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﰃ ﰄ ﰅ ﰆ ﮊ‬
“Truly, Allah is with those who fear Him (keep their duty unto Him),
and those who are Muhsinoon (doers of good)” [an-Nahl 16:128].
This refers to the first level, which is ihsaan between a person and his
Lord. Allah is with the doers of good who worship Him as if they see
Him. This ‘being with’ is a very special type, and refers to divine help
and support.
282
The second text is the passage:
‫ﮢ ﮣﮊ‬
“And put your trust in the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful,
Who sees you (O Muhammad ) when you stand up (alone at night
for Tahajjud prayers),
And your movements among those who fall prostrate (along with
you to Allah in the five compulsory congregational prayers).
Verily! He, only He, is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower” [ash-Shu‘ara’
26:217-219].
This refers to the second level, which is being aware that Allah is watching
(muraaqabah).
The phrase ‫“ ﮋ ﮒ ﮊ‬And put your trust” means: dedicate your affairs,
O Muhammad, to Allah .
The phrase ‫“ ﮋ ﮔ ﮕ ﮊ‬the All-Mighty, the Most Merciful” refers to

two divine attributes. He is al-‘Azeez (the All-Mighty), that is, the One
Who is still wreaking vengeance upon His enemies. Ar-Raheem (the Most
Merciful) is most merciful to His believing slaves, and shows kindness to
them.
‫“ ﮋ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮊ‬Who sees you (O Muhammad ) when you stand

up” means: when you get up to worship and pray.
‫“ ﮋ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮊ‬And your movements among those who fall

prostrate” – these movements include bowing, rising from bowing, and
prostrating. Allah  sees you in a manner that is befitting to His Majesty
and great might; there is none like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing,
All-Seeing.
‫“ ﮋ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮊ‬Verily! He, only He, is the All-Hearer, the All-

Knower” that is, He hears all words and knows all actions.
283
And the verse:
‫ﮋﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ‬
‫ﯺﯻ ﮊ‬
“Whatever you (O Muhammad ) may be doing, and whatever
portion you may be reciting from the Qur’an, - and whatever deed
you (mankind) may be doing (good or evil), We are Witness thereof,
when you are doing it” [Yoonus 10:61].
The third text is the verse in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ‬
‫ﯺﯻ ﮊ‬
“Whatever you (O Muhammad ) may be doing, and whatever
portion you may be reciting from the Qur’an, - and whatever deed
you (mankind) may be doing (good or evil), We are Witness thereof,
when you are doing it” [Yoonus 10:61].
This also refers to the second level [of ihsaan], which is muraaqabah
(awareness that Allah is watching).
The phrase ‫“ ﮋ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﮊ‬Whatever you (O Muhammad ) may

be doing” is addressed to the Prophet ; it is general in meaning and
applies to all of his affairs, worship and otherwise. This general meaning
is indicated by the grammatical structure of the original Arabic wording.
‫“ ﮋ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﮊ‬and whatever portion you may be reciting from the

Qur’an” – among the things that you may be doing is reciting Qur’an.
‫“ ﮋ ﯱ ﯲ ﮊ‬and whatever deed you (mankind) may be doing” – this

applies to the Messenger of Allah  and his ummah.
284
‫“ ﮋ ﯳ ﯴ ﮊ‬may be doing” – whether it is good or bad.
‫“ﮋ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﮊ‬We are Witness thereof, when you are
doing it” – this clearly indicates that Allah  is witness to the deed of
every doer, and that He  sees it and knows it, and it is not hidden from
Him.
285
The evidence from the Sunnah is the famous

hadith of Jibreel. It was narrated that ‘Umar ibn
al-Khattaab  said: Whilst we were sitting with
the Messenger of Allah , there came to us a man
whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose
hair was exceedingly black. No traces of travel
could be seen on him, and none of us recognized
him. He came and sat before the Prophet , with
his knees against his knees, and he put his hands
on his thighs and said: “O Muhammad…”
“The evidence from the Sunnah…” – This is the famous hadith of Jibreel,
a commentary on which follows:
“Whilst we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ” – it was the
habit of the Sahaabah  to sit before the Messenger of Allah  and receive
knowledge from him, asking questions about religion and listening to his
answers.
“There came to us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and
whose hair was exceedingly black” that is, Jibreel , the one who was
entrusted with the revelation, came to them in the form of a man, not in
the form of an angel.
“No traces of travel could be seen on him, and none of us recognized
him. He came and sat before the Prophet ” – that is, no one among those
present recognized him. Hence they were amazed at him, because he had
not come from travel, and none of them knew who he was. He came and
sat before the Prophet  like a student before his teacher.
“With his knees against his knees, and he put his hands on his thighs”
– that is, Jibreel sat with his knees touching the Prophet’s knees; in other
286
words, he sat very close to him, and he placed his hands on the thighs of
the Prophet , as is clearly mentioned in some reports.
“And said: ‘O Muhammad…’”; He did not say “O Messenger of
Allah.” Perhaps he did this so that the Sahaabah would think that he was
a Bedouin, because it was not the custom of the Sahaabah to address the
Prophet  by his given name; rather they would say “O Messenger of
Allah” or “O Prophet of Allah.”
287
“... tell me about Islam.” He said: “It is to bear witness

that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah
and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; to
establish prayer; to give zakaah; to fast Ramadan;
and to go on pilgrimage to the House if you have
the means.” [The man] said: “You have spoken the
truth,” and we were amazed at that, for he asked
him questions and said that he had spoken the
truth. [The man] said: “Tell me about eemaan
(faith).” He said: “It is to believe in Allah, His angels,
His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day, and to
believe in predestination, both good and bad.” He
said: “You have spoken the truth.” …
“Tell me about Islam” this is one of the proofs from the Sunnah for the
five pillars of Islam, which have been discussed above. If these pillars
are established, then Islam is established, and anything more than that is
complementary to it.
“[The man] said: “You have spoken the truth,” and we were amazed at
that, for he asked him questions and said that he had spoken the truth.”
This is the second amazing thing which indicates that he had knowledge
and was not ignorant, because he confirmed the Prophet’s answers. So
why did he ask these questions? The answer comes at the end of the
hadith.
“Tell me about eemaan (faith).” This is proof from the Sunnah for the
six pillars of faith, which have been discussed above. Faith cannot be
attained unless one believes in all of them. We have noted above that
when Islam and eemaan are mentioned together, each of them has its
own meaning, but when they are mentioned separately, each of them
includes the other.
288
… He said: “Tell me about ihsaan.” He said: “It is to

worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not
see Him, He sees you.” He said: “Tell me about the
Hour.” He said: “The one who is asked about it does
not know more than the one who is asking.”…
“Tell me about ihsaan” – this is evidence from the Sunnah for the level of
ihsaan. We have noted above that the muhsin (doer of good) is the one who
worships Allah as if he can see Him in his heart, with complete certainty,
which is the highest level, or he worships Him on the basis of muraaqabah,
knowing that Allah sees him. So he does good deeds and does them well,
because Allah is watching him. This is the lower level of ihsaan.
“Tell me about the Hour” means: when will the Hour begin? This is a
question to which no one knows the answer except Allah , as He says:
‫ﮋﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﮊ‬
“Verily, Allah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour”
[Luqmaan 31:34]
‫ﮋﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲ ﯳﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹﯺ ﯻ ﯼ ﯽ ﯾ ﯿﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﰃ‬
‫ﰄﰅ ﰆ ﰇ ﰈ ﰉﰊ ﰋ ﰌ ﰍ ﰎﰏ ﰐ ﰑ ﰒ ﰓ ﰔ ﰕ ﰖ ﰗ‬
‫ﰘ ﰙﮊ‬
“They ask you about the Hour (Day of Resurrection): ‘When will be
its appointed time?’ Say: ‘The knowledge thereof is with my Lord
(Alone). None can reveal its time but He. Heavy is its burden through
the heavens and the earth. It shall not come upon you except all of
a sudden.’ They ask you as if you have a good knowledge of it. Say:
‘The knowledge thereof is with Allah (Alone) but most of mankind
know not’” [al-A‘raaf 7:187]
289
‫ﮋﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲ ﮊ‬
“And with Him are the keys of the Ghayb (all that is hidden), none
knows them but He” [al-An‘aam 6:59].
One of the matters of the unseen is the time when the Hour will begin.
“The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who
is asking” that is, both you and I are the same in this regard; we do not
know when the Hour will begin, for Allah  has not told anyone when
the Hour will begin, neither the angels, nor the Messengers, nor any of
His creation. Rather this matter is something of which Allah has kept the
knowledge to Himself.
290
… He said: “Tell me about its signs.” He said: “The

slave woman will give birth to her mistress, and you
will see the barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds
competing in the building of lofty structures.” He
fell silent for a while, then he said: “O ‘Umar, do you
know who that questioner was?” I said: Allah and His
Messenger know best. He said: “That was Jibraa’eel
who came to you to teach you your religion.”
“Tell me about its signs” means: Tell me about the signs which will indicate
that its onset is nigh, for the Hour has signs and portents of which Allah
has told us; some of them are minor and some of them are major.1
“The slave woman will give birth to her mistress” means – and Allah
knows best – that at the end of time, there will be many concubines, who
will give birth to daughters, so the newborn girl will be free, whilst her
mother is a slave, thus the daughter will be the mistress of her mother.2
“and you will see the barefoot” that is, those who have no shoes
because of extreme poverty
“naked” that is, those who have no clothes to wear
“destitute” that is, poor
“shepherds” that is, those who tend sheep and live in the wilderness
and the desert. What is meant by this sign is that these people will go and
live in cities, where they will build palaces and lofty structures.
“He fell silent for a while” that is, for a long time.
“That was Jibraa’eel who came to you to teach you your religion.”
Here the Messenger of Allah  explains the reason for these questions.

291
We learn many important things from this hadith, of which we will
mention the following:
1. Faith is divided into three levels, namely Islam, eemaan (faith)
and ihsaan, each of which is higher than the one before it,
according to what we have explained above.
2. Teaching using the question-and-answer method is very useful
and beneficial, because this method helps the listener to focus
and learn better.
3. The hadith indicates that whoever is asked about something
to which he does not know the answer must say: Allah knows
best.
292
The third fundamental principle

Knowing the Prophet Muhammad 
“The third fundamental principle” that is, the third of the three
fundamental principles that the shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him)
wrote this book to explain. That is because it is one of the things that every
Muslim is required to know. The first and second fundamental principles
have been explained above, along with the evidence for them.
As for the third fundamental principle, it is knowing the Prophet
. Undoubtedly this is a very important principle, because it has to do
with the biography of the one who brought us clear proof and guidance.
Studying and examining his biography (seerah) is one of the strongest
supports of belief in him and following his guidance.
Abu Muhammad ibn Hazm al-Andalusi (may Allah have mercy
on him) said: “Whoever would like to attain blessings in the hereafter,
wisdom in this world, a balanced and sound character, the best of morals
and manners, and all virtues, let him follow the example of Muhammad
the Messenger of Allah  and emulate his attitude and conduct as much as
he can. May Allah help us to follow his example, by His grace, Ameen.”1
He also said: “The biography of Muhammad , for the one who reflects
on it, will inevitably make him believe in him, for it testifies that he is
indeed the Messenger of Allah. Even if he had no other miracle except his
biography, it would be sufficient.”2
The well-versed scholar Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have
mercy on him) said: “As a person’s happiness and well-being in this
world and the hereafter are dependent on his following the guidance
of the Prophet , it is essential for anyone who is sincere towards his
own self and eager to attain salvation and well-being for himself to learn
15 Al-Akhlaaq wa’s-Siyar by Ibn Hazm, p. 67, 68.
25 Al-Fasl fi’l-Milal wa’l-Ahwaa’ wa’n-Nihal, by Ibn Hazm, 2/73.
293
enough of the Prophet’s biography and character that will enable him to
dispel ignorance of him and to be counted as one of his followers, group
and party. In that regard, people have either too little knowledge, a great
deal of knowledge or no knowledge at all. All blessings are in the hand
of Allah; He bestows them upon whomever He wills, and Allah is the
Owner of Great Bounty.”1
Our shaykh, ‘Abd ar-Razzaaq al-Badr (may Allah preserve him), said:
“His biography –  – is the most fragrant biography of the purest in heart
of Allah’s slaves. It is the biography of the leader of the pious, the example
to all people, the leader of all the sons of Adam, blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him. Studying the biography of the Prophet  is studying
the biography of the one whom Allah  made an example for people to
follow. It deepens love for him in the heart. The Prophet  said: “No one
of you truly believes until I am dearer to him than his father, his child and
all the people.” Studying his biography has a great impact on a person,
as it enables him to follow his example and emulate him, blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him.”2
15 Zaad al-Ma‘aad fi Hadi Khayr al-‘Ibaad, 1/69-70.

25 Sharh al-Urjoozah al-Mee’iyyah, p. 56.
294
He is Muhammad …
In this fundamental principle that has to do with the biography of the

Beloved , the shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) states a number of
important matters, namely:
1. Knowing his name
2. Knowing his noble lineage
3. Knowing his lifespan and place of birth
4. Knowing the place to which he migrated
5. Knowing his life as a Prophet
6. Knowing how he became a Prophet
7. Knowing that with which he was sent.
“He is Muhammad” – some of the scholars said that no one among the
Arabs had ever been given this name before him ; rather the Arabs used
the names Ahmada and Hamdan. All of these names are derived from
the root word hamd (praise) and were given in the hope that the newborn
would become someone who was praiseworthy, that is, one whom people
would praise for his good character.
Others said that the Arabs did use the name Muhammad before, but it
was very rare.1
This name is the most famous of his names. It is mentioned in the
Qur’an in four places:
‫ﮋ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓﮊ‬
“Muhammad  is the Messenger of Allah” [al-Fath 48:29]
15 See: ar-Rawd al-Unuf by as-Suhayli, 1/193; az-Zahr al-Baasim by al-Haafiz Mughaltay,
1/376.
295
‫ﮋﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻﮊ‬
• “Muhammad  is no more than a Messenger, and indeed (many)
Messengers have passed away before him” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:144]
‫ﮋﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﮊ‬
• “Muhammad  is not the father of any man among you” [al-
Ahzaab 33:40]
‫ﮋﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦﭧ ﭨ ﭩ‬
‫ﭪﭫﭬﮊ‬
• “But those who believe and do righteous good deeds, and believe
in that which is sent down to Muhammad , for it is the truth from
their Lord, He will expiate from them their sins, and will make
good their state” [Muhammad 47:2].
He  also has other names, in addition to Muhammad, which are proven
in the Book of Allah and in the reports of the Sunnah.
In the Book of Allah, he is called Ahmad. Allah mentions this name in
the verse which speaks of the Messiah  foretelling his coming:
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ‬
‫ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﮊ‬
“And (remember) when ‘Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary),
said: ‘O Children of Israel! I am the Messenger of Allah unto you
confirming the Tawraat ((Torah) which came) before me, and
giving glad tidings of a Messenger to come after me, whose name
shall be Ahmad. But when he (Ahmad, i.e., Muhammad ) came
to them with clear proofs, they said: ‘This is plain magic’” [as-Saff
61:6].
Other names of the Prophet  are mentioned in some hadiths, such as the
hadith of Jubayr ibn Mut‘im , who said: The Messenger of Allah  said:
‫ وأنا‬،‫الكفر‬ ٍ
‫ وأنا املاحي الذي يمحو اهللُ يب‬، ُ‫ وأمحد‬، ٌ‫ أنا حممد‬:‫أسامء‬ ‫«يل مخس ُة‬
َ
»‫العاقب‬
ُ ‫ وأنا‬،‫الناس عىل قدمي‬
ُ ‫ش‬ ُ َ ‫احلارش الذي ُي‬
ُ
296
“I have five names: I am Muhammad, and Ahmad, and I am al-
Maahi (the eraser) by means of whom Allah erases kufr, and I am
al-Haashir (the gatherer) at whose feet the people will be gathered,
and I am al-‘Aaqib (the last).”1
Hudhayfah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah  say in one of the streets
of Madinah:
ُّ ،‫ واملق ِّفي‬،‫واحلارش‬
»‫ونبي الرمحة‬ ُ ، ُ‫ وأنا أمحد‬، ٌ‫«أنا حممد‬
“I am Muhammad, and I am Ahmad, and al-Haashir (the gatherer)
and al-Muqaffi (the last in succession), the Prophet of Mercy.”2
25 Muslim, 2325.
297
… ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib ibn Haashim;

Haashim was from Quraysh, and Quraysh were
from among the Arabs, and the Arabs were the
progeny of Ismaa‘eel ibn Ibraaheem al-Khaleel,
may the best of blessings and peace be upon
him and upon our Prophet.
Here the shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) mentions the lineage
of the Prophet , as he says: “ibn ‘Abdillah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib ibn
Haashim; Haashim was from Quraysh.” Thus the Prophet  was from
the tribe of Quraysh, which was the noblest of tribes.
“And Quraysh were from among the Arabs, and the Arabs were the
progeny of Ismaa‘eel ibn Ibraaheem al-Khaleel, may the best of blessings
and peace be upon him and upon our Prophet.” Some genealogists go
further and trace the descent of the Prophet  all the way back to our
father Adam , but this is an exaggeration on their part, for none of that
can be proven; rather what is proven with regard to his lineage goes back
to ‘Adnaan, and no further.
Al-Haafiz ibn Sayyid an-Naas al-Ya‘muri said: “This part of his
lineage is proven and there is consensus on it up to that point. Anything
beyond that is subject to differences of opinion, but there is no dispute
that ‘Adnaan was one of the descendants of Allah’s Prophet Ismaa‘eel,
the son of Ibraaheem, the Close Friend (Khaleel) of Allah . Rather the
difference of opinion has to do with the number of generations between
‘Adnaan and Ismaa‘eel; some list fewer generations and some list more.
Similarly, between Ibraaheem  and Adam , no one knows the number
of generations for sure.”1 Hence some of the early generations regarded it
15 ‘Uyoon al-Athar by Ibn Sayyid an-Naas al-Ya‘moori, 1/72.
298
as makrooh (disliked) to trace his lineage back beyond ‘Adnaan.1
The Arabs may be divided into two groups2:
1. The original Arabs (‘arab ‘aaribah), who are called al-
Qahtaaniyyoon; they are descended from Saba’ ibn Yashjub
ibn Ya‘ruba ibn Qahtaan. They lived in Yemen, then scattered
throughout Arabia.
2. The Arabized Arabs (‘arab musta‘ribah), who are called al-
‘Adnaaniyyoon. They emerged in Makkah, and from there they
scattered throughout the Hijaaz and Tihaamah. Their lineage
goes back to Ismaa‘eel , as noted above, because when he
married a woman from the tribe of Jurhum, one of his progeny
was ‘Adnaan, from whom the Arabized Arabs were descended.
What is meant by the Arabs here is the Arabized Arabs.
15 See: al-Fusool fi Seerat ar-Rasool  by Abu’l-Fada’ Ibn Katheer, p. 35.

25 At-Ta‘leeq ‘ala ad-Durrah al-Mudee’ah fi’s-Seerah an-Nabawiyyah by al-Maqdisi, 1/7.
299
He lived for sixty-three years, forty of which were

before Prophethood, and twenty-three were spent
as a Prophet and Messenger.
“He lived for sixty-three years, forty of which were before Prophethood.”
The Prophet  was born in Makkah during the Year of the Elephant, in
a place called Shi‘b Abi Taalib (the gully of Abu Taalib), near the holy
Ka‘bah.1
“And twenty-three were spent as a Prophet and Messenger” – this
is how long he  lived as a Prophet. He lived for forty years before
Prophethood, during which he was known for his trustworthiness,
honesty and generosity. He avoided idol worship and drinking alcohol,
and he did not act as the people of Jaahiliyyah acted; rather he would
go out to the cave of Hira’ and spend several nights in worship there,
worshipping Allah according to the way of his ancestor Ibraaheem al-
Khaleel (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him and upon our Prophet),
on the basis of Tawheed (affirming the oneness of Allah).
Allah appointed him as a Prophet when he was forty years old. He
remained in Makkah for thirteen years, calling people to affirm the
oneness of Allah and to give up idol worship. The polytheists inflicted
various types of persecution and harm on him  and his companions 
during this period. Three years before the Hijrah (migration to Madinah),
he was taken by night to Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem), then he was taken
up to heaven, where the five daily prayers were enjoined upon him.2
He prayed in Makkah for three years, then when Quraysh conspired to
assassinate him, Allah gave him permission to migrate to Madinah, so
he migrated to Madinah after having met the Ansaar, who had sworn
allegiance to him in the first and second oaths of allegiance at al-‘Aqabah.
The portion of his life during which he was a Prophet lasted for twenty-
15 ‘Uyoon al-Athar, 1/33.
25 This event is known as al-Isra’ wa’l-Mi‘raaj (Night Journey and ascent to heaven). [Transla-
tor]
300
three years.1
What the Prophet  was able to achieve of immense goodness and
virtue, blessed jihad and prevailing in the land was all achieved during
this short period. Undoubtedly that was one of the signs of Allah  and
reflected His support for His religion and His Prophet . Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﮊ‬
“Verily, We will indeed make victorious Our Messengers and those
who believe in the life of this world and on the Day when the
witnesses will stand forth, (i.e., the Day of Resurrection)” [Ghaafir
40:51].
Those who seek to call people to the truth should follow the same method
as the Prophet  in calling people to this true religion. They should be
keen to call people to Tawheed and to correct belief (‘aqeedah); thus they
will attain manifest victory and the Muslims will prevail.
301
He became a Prophet when “Iqra’” was

revealed to him and he became a Messenger
when “al-Muddaththir” was revealed to him,
and his city was Makkah.
Here the author states that Allah combined the roles of Prophet and
Messenger for him. His Prophethood began when “Iqra’” was revealed to
him, and his Messengership began when “al-Muddaththir” was revealed
to him. It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah, the Mother of the Believers, that
she said:
“The beginning of the Revelation that came to the Messenger of Allah
 was good dreams; he never saw a dream but it came true like bright
daylight. Then seclusion was made dear to him, and he used to go to the
cave of Hiraa’ and worship there, which means that he went and devoted
himself to worship for a number of nights before coming back to his
family to collect more provisions, then he would go back again. Then he
would go back to Khadeejah to collect more provisions. (This went on)
until the truth came to him when he was in the cave of Hiraa’. The angel
came and said, ‘Iqra’! (Read!)’ The Messenger of Allah  said, ‘I am not a
reader.’ He said, Then he took hold of me and squeezed me until I could
not bear it any more, then he released me and said, ‘Iqra’! (Read!)’ I said, ‘I
am not a reader.’ Then he took hold of me and squeezed me a second time
until I could not bear it any more, then he released me and said, ‘Iqra’!
(Read!)’ I said, ‘I am not a reader.’ Then he took hold of me and squeezed
me a third time, then he released me and said,
‫ﮋﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮊ‬
‘Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists).
He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood).
302
Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous.’ [al-‘Alaq 96:1-3]
Then the Messenger of Allah  went back with his heart pounding, until
he came to Khadeejah and said, ‘Cover me! Cover me!’ They covered him
until his fear went away. Then he said to Khadeejah, ‘I fear for myself,’
and he told her what had happened. Khadeejah said, ‘Nay, by Allah,
Allah will never disgrace you. You uphold the ties of kinship, help the
weak, give to the poor and destitute, serve your guests generously, and
assist those who are stricken by calamity.’
Then Khadeejah took him to Waraqah ibn Nawfal ibn Asad ibn ‘Abd
al-‘Uzza, the son of her paternal uncle. He was a man who had become
a Christian during the jaahiliyyah. He used to write Hebrew script and
he used to write from the Gospel in Hebrew as much as Allah willed he
should write. He was an old man who had become blind. Khadeejah said
to him, ‘O son of my uncle, listen to what your nephew says.’ Waraqah
said to him: ‘O son of my brother, what have you seen?’ [The Prophet ]
told him what he had seen. Waraqah said: ‘This is the Naamoos [Jibreel]
whom Allah sent down to Moosa. Would that I were young and could
live until the time when your people will drive you out.’
The Messenger of Allah  said,
ِ ‫ـت بِـ‬
‫ـه إِ َّل‬ َ ‫ـل َمــا ِج ْئـ‬ ِ ‫ـط بِ ِم ْثـ‬ ِ ‫ َل يـ ْـأ‬،‫ َنعــم‬:‫ـال‬ ِ
ُّ ‫ت َر ُجـ ٌـل َقـ‬ َ ْ ْ َ َ ‫ َقـ‬،»‫ـم‬ ْ ‫ـي ُهـ‬ َّ ‫« َأ َو ُم ْ ِرجـ‬
ْ ‫ـم َل ْ َين َْشـ‬
‫ـب َو َر َقـ ُة‬ َّ ‫ ُثـ‬،‫ـؤ َّز ًرا‬َ ‫ـرا ُمـ‬ َ ‫ َوإِ ْن ُيدْ ِركْنِــي َي ْو ُمـ‬،‫ـود َي‬
ْ ُ ‫ـك َأ ْنـ‬
ً ْ ‫ـر َك َنـ‬
ِ ‫ُعـ‬
»‫ـي‬ ُ ‫الو ْحـ‬

َ ‫ـر‬ ُ ‫َأ ْن ُتـ‬
َ َ ‫ َو َفـ‬،‫ـو ِّ َف‬
‘Will they really drive me out?’ Waraqah said, ‘Yes. Never has
there come a man with that which you have brought, but he was
opposed. If I should live to see that day, I will support you strongly.’
But soon after that, Waraqah died, and the Revelation also ceased
[for a while].”1
This was the beginning of his Prophethood . When Allah  revealed to
him His word “Iqra’! (Read!),” he became a Prophet thereby, and when
He revealed to him the beginning of Soorat al-Muddaththir, his mission
(risaalah) began. This is what the shaykh meant when he said, “He became
15 Al-Bukhaari, 3.
303
a Prophet when “Iqra’” was revealed to him and he became a Messenger
when “al-Muddaththir” was revealed to him.”
NOTE: What is the difference between
a Prophet (nabi) and a Messenger (rasool)?
The scholars spoke about this issue at length. One of the most concise
comments concerning that is the words of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah
(may Allah have mercy on him):
“The Prophet (nabi) is the one to whom Allah tells (yunabbi’) something,
and he tells (yunabbi’) others what Allah told him. If, in addition to that,
he is sent (ursila) with that to those who oppose the command of Allah,
in order to convey a message (risaalah) from Allah to them, then he is a
Messenger (rasool). But if his reference is only the set of laws that were
sent before him, and he himself is not sent to anyone to convey a message
(risaalah) from Allah to him, then he is a Prophet (nabi) but he is not a
Messenger (rasool).”1
15 An-Nubuwwaat, 2/857.
304
Allah sent him to warn against shirk

and to call people to Tawheed.
“Allah sent him to warn…” – That is, Allah  sent His Prophet to warn
people against associating others with Him (shirk) and to call them to
affirm His oneness (Tawheed). This is the message of the Prophet , and
this is the way that the sincere callers should emulate and follow in their
da‘wah; they should warn people against falling into shirk and call them
to Tawheed first of all, otherwise their efforts will not be in accordance
with the methodology of the Prophet .
It is essential to lay the foundation of this methodology first, then after
that other rulings may be explained, because the religion cannot stand
firm unless it is founded on Tawheed first. If the people give up zina,
alcohol and stealing, and attain all good deeds and characteristics, but
they do not give up shirk, then that will never benefit them before Allah.
But if a person is saved from shirk but commits major sins that are less
grievous than shirk, there is the hope that Allah may forgive him by His
mercy. He may punish him commensurate with his sins, but his ultimate
destination will be Paradise, because he is a muwahhid (a monotheist, one
who affirms the oneness of Allah). In the hadith narrated from ‘Aa’ishah
, she said:
،‫الرحــم‬
َ ُ
‫يصــل‬ َ
‫عــان كان يف اجلاهليــة‬ ْ‫جد‬
ُ ‫ اب ُن‬،‫اهلل‬ ‫ يــا رســول‬:‫«قلــت‬
ُ
:‫ «ال ينف ُعــه؛ إنــه مل ي ُقـ ْـل يو ًمــا‬:‫ فهــل ذاك ناف ُعــه؟ قــال‬،‫ـكني‬
َ ‫ـم املسـ‬ُ ‫و ُيطعـ‬
»‫اغفــر يل خطيئتــي يــو َم الديــن‬
ْ ‫رب‬
ِّ
I said: O Messenger of Allah, during the Jaahiliyyah Ibn Jud‘aan
used to uphold the ties of kinship and feed the poor. Will that benefit
him at all? He said: “It will not benefit him, because he never said,
305
‘Lord forgive me my sins on the Day of Judgement.’”1
Despite these noble characteristics and kindness towards people,
these actions did not benefit Ibn Jud‘aan, because he never affirmed the
oneness of Allah, and he did not do any deed on the basis of Tawheed.
Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﮊ‬
“And We shall turn to whatever deeds they (disbelievers) did, and
We shall make such deeds as scattered floating particles of dust”
[al-Furqaan 25:23].
15 Muslim, 214.
306
The evidence regarding that is the passage:
‫ﮋﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ‬
‫ﯞﯟﯠﯡﮊ‬
“O you (Muhammad ) enveloped (in garments)!
Arise and warn!
And your Lord (Allah) magnify!
And your garments purify!
And keep away from Ar-Rujz (the idols)!
And give not a thing in order to have more.
And be patient for the sake of your Lord!” [al-Muddaththir 74:1-7].
What is meant by ‫“ ﮋ ﮯ ﮰ ﮊ‬Arise and warn” is: warn them against shirk,
and call them to affirm the oneness of Allah (Tawheed). ‫“ ﮋ ﯓ ﯔ ﮊ‬And
your Lord (Allah) magnify” means: affirm His greatness by affirming
His oneness. ‫“ ﮋ ﯖ ﯗ ﮊ‬And your garments purify” means: Purify your
deeds of shirk. ‫“ ﮋ ﯙ ﯚ ﮊ‬And keep away from Ar-Rujz (the idols)”
– keeping away from the idols means shunning them and disavowing
them and their worshippers.
When the author (may Allah have mercy on him) states that Allah sent
His Prophet  to warn against shirk and call people to affirm the oneness
of Allah, he follows that by quoting the evidence for it, as is his wont. The
evidence in this case is the passage in which Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ‬
‫ﯞﯟﯠﯡ ﮊ‬
Arise and warn!
307
And your Lord (Allah) magnify!
And your garments purify!
And keep away from Ar-Rujz (the idols)!
And give not a thing in order to have more.
And be patient for the sake of your Lord!” [al-Muddaththir 7-73:1].
These verses were the first to be revealed after the Prophet’s mission
(risaalah) began. It was narrated that Yahya ibn Abi Katheer said: I asked
Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan about the first verses of the Qur’an
to be revealed, and he said: ‫“ ﮋ ﮬ ﮭ ﮊ‬O you (Muhammad ) enveloped
(in garments).” I said: They say that it was ‫“ ﮋ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮊ‬Read! In the
Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists)” [al-‘Alaq 96:1]. Abu
Salamah said: I asked Jaabir ibn ‘Abdillah about that, and I said the same
to him as you have said to me, and Jaabir said: I only narrate what the
Messenger of Allah  told us. He said:
ِ ‫ َفن‬،‫ــت‬ ٍ ‫«جــاورت بِ ِح‬
‫ــر ُت‬ْ ‫ َفنَ َظ‬،‫يــت‬ُ ‫ُود‬ ُ ‫ــو ِاري َه َب ْط‬ َ ‫ــت ِج‬ ُ ‫ــا َق َض ْي‬ َّ ‫ َف َل‬،‫ــراء‬َ ُ َْ َ
‫ َو َن َظـ ْـر ُت‬،‫ـم َأ َر َش ـ ْي ًئا‬ ِ ِ ِ
ْ ‫ َو َن َظـ ْـر ُت َع ـ ْن شـ َـا ِل َف َلـ‬،‫ـم َأ َر َش ـ ْي ًئا‬ ْ ‫َع ـ ْن َيمينــي َف َلـ‬
‫ــت َر ْأ ِس‬ ُ ‫ َف َر َف ْع‬،‫ــم َأ َر َشــ ْي ًئا‬ ِ
ْ ‫ــر ُت َخ ْلفــي َف َل‬ ْ ‫ َو َن َظ‬،‫ــم َأ َر َشــ ْي ًئا‬
ِ
ْ ‫َأ َمامــي َف َل‬
ِ ‫ـي َمــا ًء َبـ‬ ِ ُ ‫ َف ُق ْلـ‬،‫جيـ َة‬ ِ ُ ‫ َف َأ َتيـ‬،‫ـت َشـي ًئا‬ ُ ‫َف َر َأ ْيـ‬
،‫ـار ًدا‬ َّ َ ‫ َد ِّثـ ُـرون َو ُص ُّبــوا َعـ‬:‫ـت‬ َ ‫ـت َخد‬ ْ ْ
ْ ‫ َفن ََز َلـ‬:‫ـال‬ ِ ‫ـي َمــا ًء َبـ‬
َ ‫ َقـ‬،‫ـار ًدا‬ ِ َ ‫َقـ‬
‫ـت ﮋ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ‬ َّ َ ‫ َفدَ َّثـ ُـرون َو َص ُّبــوا َعـ‬:‫ـال‬
‫ﮰ ﮱﯓﯔﮊ‬
“I stayed in seclusion in Hira’, and when my stay was over, I came
down (from the cave) and heard a voice calling me. I looked to my
right, but I did not see anything. I looked to my left, but I did not
see anything. I looked in front of me, but I did not see anything.
I looked behind me, but I did not see anything. Then I raised my
head, and I saw something. I went to Khadeejah and said: ‘Wrap
me up and pour cold water over me.’ So they wrapped me up and
poured cold water over me. Then the verses were revealed:
‫ﮋﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﮊ‬
Arise and warn!
308
And your Lord (Allah) magnify!” [al-Muddaththir 3-73:1].”1
The words ‫“ ﮋ ﮬ ﮭ ﮊ‬O you (Muhammad ) enveloped (in garments)”

are addressed to the Messenger of Allah . Tadaththur refers to wrapping
and covering.
The phrase ‫“ﮋ ﮯ ﮰ ﮊ‬Arise and warn” means: roll up your sleeves and
prepare to strive hard, and warn the people who associate others with
Allah and worship them besides Him. In other words, warn them and
alert them about the punishment of Allah. The shaykh (may Allah have
mercy on him) explains that by saying “warn them against shirk, and call
them to affirm the oneness of Allah (Tawheed).” With this command, the
Prophet’s mission as Messenger (rasool) began.
‫“ﮋ ﯓ ﯔ ﮊ‬And your Lord (Allah) magnify” means: venerate your
Lord by worshipping Him and turning to Him for all your needs, to the
exclusion of other gods and rivals. The shaykh explained this phrase by
saying “affirm His greatness by affirming His oneness.”
‫“ ﮋ ﯖ ﯗ ﮊ‬And your garments purify”means: do not wear your

garments for the purpose of committing sin, or committing any act of
treachery, and purify your deeds of shirk. The word garments here is a
metaphor for deeds. Allah  says elsewhere:
‫ﮋ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁﮊ‬
“And the raiment [garment] of righteousness, that is better” [al-
A‘raaf 7:26].
The shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) explained it by saying: “[This]
means: Purify your deeds of shirk.”
The shaykh explained the words ‫“ ﮋ ﯙ ﯚ ﮊ‬And keep away from

Ar-Rujz (the idols)” by saying: “keeping away from the idols means
shunning them and disavowing them and their worshippers.”
309
He persevered in that for ten years, calling people

to affirm the oneness of Allah (Tawheed).
“He persevered in that for ten years” means: the Prophet  spent ten
years in Makkah, calling the people to worship Allah alone and warning
them against worshipping the idols that they used to worship. [During
that time] he was not commanded to do anything else.
Tawheed is extremely important, because it is the foundation of the
religion and the basis of belief, and “people’s need for that surpasses all
their other needs and is more essential than anything else. That is because
there can be no spiritual well-being, joy or peace except by knowing one’s
Lord, God and Creator, along with His names, attributes and actions; in
addition to that, Allah must be dearer to one’s heart than all else, and one
must focus one’s efforts on drawing closer to Him, to the exclusion of all
others in His creation.”1
But some people – unfortunately – undermine the importance of
Tawheed and describe those who call people to it as callers who adopt a
traditional approach. Undoubtedly this is indicative of their ignorance of
this important principle and demonstrates that they have little experience
of the methodology of the Prophets and the righteous early generations
in calling people to Allah.
Our shaykh, Saalih al-Fawzaan, said: “Tawheed is the basic foundation,
and there can be no salvation without sound belief in Tawheed, first and
foremost. Hence we must focus on it and pay attention to it constantly,
and we must call people to it, teach it to them, and explain what is meant
by Tawheed and by shirk. It is essential for the Muslim to be aware of this
matter, to understand it properly and adhere to it, and to keep checking
himself, so that he will not fall into shirk or develop any idea or practice
15 Sharh al-‘Aqeedah at-Tahhaawiyyah by Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz, 1/109.
310
that could undermine his belief in Tawheed. This matter is very important,
and it is essential for our call (da‘wah) to be based on this foundation.”1
The wisdom behind the sending of the Prophet  in Makkah is that it
is the Mother of Cities (Umm al-Qura); in other words, it is the focal point
of all of cities, to which they turn. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﯲ ﯳ ﯴ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺﯻ ﯼ ﯽ‬
‫ﯾﯿ ﰀ ﰁﰂﮊ‬
“And never will your Lord destroy the towns (populations) until
He sends to their mother town a Messenger reciting to them Our
Verses. And never would We destroy the towns unless the people
thereof are Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrong-doers)” [al-Qasas
28:59].
So it was essential that Makkah be cleansed of everything that is contrary
to the teachings of Islam, so that the religion and the call might go forth
from it to the ends of the earth, east and west. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ‬
‫ﯬﯭﯮﯯﯰﯱﯲ ﯳ ﮊ‬
“And (remember) when We made the House (the Ka‘bah) a place
of resort for mankind and a place of safety. And take you (people)
the Maqaam (place) of Ibrahim (Abraham) as a place of prayer, and
We commanded Ibraaheem (Abraham) and Ismaa‘eel (Ishmael)
that they should purify My House (the Ka‘bah) for those who are
circumambulating it, or staying (I‘tikaaf), or bowing or prostrating
themselves (there, in prayer).” [al-Baqarah 2:125].
15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, p.253.
311
After ten years, he was taken up to heaven.
“After ten years, he was taken up to heaven” that is, in the eleventh year
[of his mission], the Prophet  was taken by night from al-Masjid al-
Haraam to al-Masjid al-Aqsa. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ‬
‫ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﮊ‬
“Glorified (and Exalted) be He (Allah), Who took His slave
(Muhammad ) for a journey by night from Al-Masjid-al-Haram (in
Makkah) to the farthest mosque (in Jerusalem), the neighbourhood
whereof We have blessed, in order that We might show him
(Muhammad ) of Our Aayaat (signs). Verily, He is the All-Hearer,
the All-Seer.” [al-Isra’ 17:1].
Then he was taken up to heaven.
It was narrated that Shareek ibn ‘Abdillah said: I heard Anas ibn
Maalik say:
ِ ‫ـج ِد ال َكعبـ‬ ِ ‫ ِم ـ ْن مسـ‬-‫ـه َوس ـ َّلم‬ ِ ِ ‫س َي بِرسـ‬
‫ـة‬ َْ ْ َ َ َ ‫ص ـىَّ اللَُّ َع َل ْيـ‬- َ ِ‫اهلل‬ ‫ـول‬ ُ َ ِ ْ ‫« َل ْي َل ـ َة ُأ‬
ِ ِ ِ ِ
،‫ــرا ِم‬ َ ‫ــم ِف ا َمل ْســجد ا‬
َ ‫حل‬ ٌ ‫ــو نَائ‬ َ ‫وحىإِ َل ْيــه َو ُه‬ َ ‫ــل َأ ْن ُي‬ ٍ ‫َأنَّــ ُه َجــا َء ُه َث َل َث ُة َن َف‬
َ ‫ــر َق ْب‬
ِ َ ‫ َف َقـ‬،‫هو َخيهــم‬:‫ـال َأوس ـ ُطهم‬
:‫ـم‬ ْ ‫ـال آخ ُر ُهـ‬ ْ ُ ُ ْ َ ُ ْ ُ َ ْ َ ‫ َف َقـ‬،‫ـو‬ َ ‫ـم ُهـ‬ ْ ‫ َأ ُّ ُيـ‬:‫ـم‬ ْ ‫ َأ َّو ُلُـ‬:‫ـال‬
َ ‫َف َقـ‬
‫ـو ُه َل ْي َل ـ ًة ُأ ْخـ َـرى‬ ْ ‫ه َح َّتــى َأ َتـ‬ ْ ‫ـك ال َّل ْي َل ـ َة َف َلـ‬
ْ ُ ‫ـم َي َر‬ َ ‫ـت تِ ْلـ‬ ْ ‫ َفكَا َنـ‬،‫ـم‬ ْ ‫ـذوا َخ ْ َي ُهـ‬ ُ ‫ُخـ‬
‫ُهم‬ْ ‫ـك األَنْبِ َيــا ُء َتنَــا ُم َأ ْع ُين‬َ ‫ َوك ََذلِـ‬،‫ َو َتنَــا ُم َع ْينُـ ُه َو َل َينَــا ُم َق ْل ُبـ ُه‬،‫فِيـ َـا َيـ َـرى َق ْل ُبـ ُه‬
،‫ـر َز ْم َز َم‬ِ ‫احت ََم ُلــو ُه َف َو َض ُعــو ُه ِعنْــدَ بِ ْئـ‬ ْ ‫ـم ُي َك ِّل ُمــو ُه َح َّتــى‬ ْ ‫ َف َلـ‬،‫ـم‬ ُ ُ ‫َو َل َتنَــا ُم ُق ُل‬
ْ ‫وبـ‬
ِ ‫ـر ِه إِ َل َلبتِـ‬
ِ ‫ـن ن َْحـ‬ َ ْ ‫ـق ِج ْ ِبيـ ُـل َمــا َبـ‬ َّ ‫ َف َشـ‬،‫ـم ِج ْ ِبيـ ُـل‬ ِ
‫ـه َح َّتــى َفـ َـر َغ‬ َّ ْ ‫ـو َّل ُه من ُْهـ‬
َ ‫َفتـ‬
‫ ُث َّم‬،‫ـد ِه َح َّتــى َأ ْن َقــى َج ْو َفـ ُه‬ ِ ‫ـاء َزمـ َـزم بِيـ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ
َ َ ْ ‫ َف َغ َسـ َل ُه مـ ْن َمـ‬،‫مـ ْن َصــدْ ِره َو َج ْوفــه‬
312
‫ـواإِ َيمنًا َو ِحك َْمـ ًة‪َ ،‬ف َح َشــا‬ ‫ـب َم ْ ُشـ ًّ‬ ‫ـو ٌر ِمـ ْن َذ َهـ ٍ‬ ‫ـب فيــه َتـ ْ‬
‫ـت ِمـن َذهـ ٍ ِ‬
‫ْ َ‬
‫ُأ ِت بِ َطسـ ٍ‬
‫َ ْ‬
‫ـه إِ َل‬ ‫ـه‪ُ -‬ثــم َأ ْطب َقـه‪ُ ،‬ثــم َعــرج بِـ ِ‬ ‫وق ح ْل ِقـ ِ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫َّ َ ُ َّ َ َ‬ ‫بِــه َصــدْ َر ُه َو َل َغاديــدَ ُه ‪َ -‬ي ْعنــي ُعـ ُـر َ َ‬
‫السـ َـا ِء‪َ :‬مـ ْن َهـ َ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫ـذا؟‬ ‫ابــا‪َ ،‬فنَــا َدا ُه َأ ْهـ ُـل َّ‬ ‫ـر َب َبا ًبــا مـ ْن َأ ْب َو ِ َ‬ ‫السـ َـاء الدُّ ْن َيــا‪َ ،‬فـ َ َ‬ ‫َّ‬
‫ــال‪َ :‬و َقــدْ‬ ‫ــي ُم َ َّمــدٌ ‪َ ،‬ق َ‬ ‫ــك؟‪َ ،‬ق َ ِ‬ ‫يــل‪َ ،‬قا ُلــوا‪َ :‬و َمــ ْن َم َع َ‬ ‫ــال‪ِ :‬ج ْ ِب ُ‬ ‫َف َق َ‬
‫ــال‪َ :‬مع َ‬
‫السـ َـا ِء‬ ‫ش بِــه َأ ْهـ ُـل َّ‬
‫ـا‪َ ،‬فيسـ َتب ِ ِ‬
‫ـوا‪َ :‬ف َم ْر َح ًبــا بِــه َو َأ ْهـ ً َ ْ ْ ُ‬
‫ِ‬
‫ـم‪َ ،‬قالـ ُ‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬ن َعـ ْ‬ ‫ـث؟ َقـ َ‬ ‫ُب ِعـ َ‬
‫ـم‪َ ،‬ف َو َجدَ ِف‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ـه ِف األَ ْر ِ‬ ‫َل يع َلــم َأهـ ُـل الســا ِء بِــا ي ِريــدُ اهللُ بِـ ِ‬
‫ض َح َّتــى ُي ْعل َم ُهـ ْ‬ ‫َّ َ َ ُ‬ ‫َْ ُ ْ‬
‫ـه‪َ ،‬ف َسـ َّل َم‬ ‫ـوك آدم َفسـ ِّلم َع َليـ ِ‬
‫ـذا َأ ُبـ َ َ ُ َ ْ ْ‬ ‫ـال َلـ ُه ِج ْ ِبيـ ُـل‪َ :‬هـ َ‬ ‫السـ َـا ِء الدُّ ْن َيــا آ َد َم‪َ ،‬ف َقـ َ‬ ‫َّ‬
‫ـت‪َ ،‬فــإِ َذا‬ ‫ال ْب ُن‪َ ‬أ ْنـ َ‬ ‫ـا بِابنِي‪،‬نِعــم ِ‬ ‫ـه ورد َع َليـ ِ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫ْ َ‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬م ْر َح ًبــا َو َأ ْهـ ً ْ‬ ‫ـه آ َد ُم‪َ ،‬و َقـ َ‬ ‫َع َل ْيـ َ َ َّ ْ‬
‫ان َيــا‬ ‫ان النَّهــر ِ‬
‫َ َ‬
‫ــذ ِ‬ ‫ــال‪َ :‬مــا َه َ‬ ‫ان‪َ ،‬ف َق َ‬ ‫ــرد ِ‬
‫ــن َي َّط ِ َ‬ ‫ــا ِء الدُّ ْن َيــا بِن ََه َر ْي ِ‬ ‫الس َ‬ ‫ــو ِف َّ‬ ‫ُه َ‬
‫السـ َـا ِء‪،‬‬ ‫ـى بِــه ِف َّ‬
‫ِ‬ ‫ـم َمـ َ‬ ‫هــا‪ُ ،‬ثـ َّ‬ ‫ْص ُ َ‬ ‫ات ُعن ُ ُ‬ ‫ـذا النِّيـ ُـل َوال ُفـ َـر ُ‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬هـ َ‬ ‫ِج ْ ِبيـ ُـل؟ َقـ َ‬
‫ٍ‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫ـه َقـ ِ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫ـر َب َيــدَ ُه‪َ ،‬فــإِ َذا‬ ‫ـر مـ ْن ُل ْؤ ُلــؤ َو َز َب ْر َجــد‪َ ،‬فـ َ َ‬ ‫آخـ َـر َع َل ْيـ ْ ٌ‬ ‫ـر َ‬ ‫ـو بِن ََهـ ٍ‬ ‫َفــإِ َذا ُهـ َ‬
‫ـذي‬ ‫ـذا الكَو َثــر ا َّلـ ِ‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬هـ َ‬ ‫ـذا َيــا ِج ْ ِبيـ ُـل؟ َقـ َ‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬مــا َهـ َ‬ ‫ـك َأ ْذ َفـ ُـر‪َ ،‬قـ َ‬ ‫ـو ِم ْسـ ٌ‬
‫ْ ُ‬ ‫ُهـ َ‬
‫ـت ا َمل َل ِئ َك ـ ُة َل ـ ُه‬ ‫ـة‪َ ،‬ف َقا َلـ ِ‬ ‫ـه َإل الســا ِء ال َّثانِيـ ِ‬ ‫ـك‪ُ ،‬ثــم َعــرج بِـ ِ‬ ‫ـك َر ُّبـ َ‬ ‫َخ َبـ َـأ َلـ َ‬
‫َ‬ ‫َّ َ‬ ‫َّ َ َ‬
‫ـك؟‬ ‫ـال‪ِ :‬ج ْ ِب ُيل‪َ ،‬قا ُلــوا‪َ :‬و َمـ ْن َم َعـ َ‬ ‫ـذا؟ َقـ َ‬ ‫ول‪َ :‬مـ ْن َهـ َ‬ ‫ـت َلـ ُه األُ َ‬ ‫ِم ْثـ َـل َمــا َقا َلـ ْ‬
‫ــه؟ َق َ‬ ‫ــث إِ َلي ِ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫ــال‪:‬‬ ‫‪-‬صــىَّ اللَُّ َع َل ْيــه َو َســ َّل َم‪َ -‬قا ُلــوا‪َ :‬و َقــدْ ُبع َ ْ‬ ‫ــال ُم َ َّمــدٌ َ‬ ‫َق َ‬
‫ـة‪َ ،‬و َقا ُلــوا‬ ‫ـه إِ َل الســا ِء ال َّثالِ َثـ ِ‬ ‫ـا‪ُ ،‬ثــم َعــرج بِـ ِ‬ ‫ـه و َأ ْهـ ً‬ ‫َنعــم‪َ ،‬قا ُلــوا‪ :‬مرحبــا بِـ ِ‬
‫َّ َ‬ ‫َّ َ َ‬ ‫َْ َ ً‬ ‫َ ْ‬
‫ـه إِ َل الرابِعـ ِ‬ ‫ول وال َّثانِي ـ ُة‪ُ ،‬ثــم َعــرج بِـ ِ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫ـة‪َ ،‬ف َقا ُلــوا َل ـ ُه‬ ‫َّ َ‬ ‫َّ َ َ‬ ‫َل ـ ُه م ْثـ َـل َمــا َقا َلــت األُ َ َ َ‬
‫ـة‪َ ،‬ف َقا ُلــوا ِم ْثـ َـل َذلِـ َ‬ ‫ـه إِ َل الســا ِء اخل ِامسـ ِ‬ ‫ـك‪ُ ،‬ثــم َعــرج بِـ ِ‬ ‫م ْثـ َـل َذلـ َ‬
‫ـم‬ ‫ـك‪ُ ،‬ثـ َّ‬ ‫َ َ‬ ‫َّ َ‬ ‫َ َ‬
‫ــك‪ُ ،‬ثــم َعــرج بِ ِ‬
‫ــه‬ ‫ــل َذلِ َ‬ ‫ــة‪َ ،،‬ف َقا ُلــوا َلــ ُه ِم ْث َ‬ ‫ادس ِ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ــه إِ َل الس ِ‬ ‫َعــرج بِ ِ‬
‫َّ َ َ‬ ‫الس َ‬ ‫ــاء َّ‬ ‫َّ َ‬ ‫َ َ‬
‫ــا ٍء فِ َيهــا َأنْبِ َيــا ُء َقــدْ‬ ‫ــك؛ ك ُُّل َس َ‬ ‫ــل َذلِ َ‬ ‫الســابِ َع ِة‪َ ،‬ف َقا ُلــوا َلــ ُه ِم ْث َ‬ ‫ــاء َّ‬
‫إِ َل الس ِ‬
‫َّ َ‬
‫ِ ِ‬
‫آخـ َـر‬ ‫الراب َعــة‪َ ،‬و َ‬ ‫ون ِف َّ‬ ‫ـار َ‬ ‫ـس ِف ال َّثان َيــة‪َ ،‬و َهـ ُ‬ ‫ـم إِ ْد ِريـ َ‬ ‫ـت َمن ُْهـ ْ‬ ‫َسـ َّـا ُه ْم‪َ ،‬ف َأ ْو َع ْيـ ُ‬
‫الســابِ َع ِة‬ ‫وســى ِف َّ‬ ‫الساد َســة‪َ ،‬و ُم َ‬
‫ِ ِ‬
‫يم ِف َّ‬
‫ِ‬
‫ـم ُه‪َ ،‬وإِ ْب َراه َ‬ ‫اسـ َ‬ ‫ـظ ْ‬ ‫ـة‪َ ،‬ل ْ َأ ْح َفـ ْ‬ ‫ِف اخل ِامسـ ِ‬
‫َ َ‬
‫ـم‬ ‫ـي َأ َحــدٌ ‪ُ ،‬ثـ َّ‬ ‫ـع َعـ َ َّ‬ ‫وســى‪َ :‬ر ِّب َل ْ َأ ُظ ـ َّن َأ ْن ُي ْر َفـ َ‬ ‫ـال ُم َ‬ ‫ـل ك ََل ِم اهللُ‪َ ،‬ف َقـ َ‬ ‫بِ َت َف ِضيـ ِ‬
‫‪313‬‬
‫ــا َل َي ْع َل ُمــ ُه إِ َّل اهللُ‪َ ،‬حتَّــى َجــا َء ِســدْ َر َة ا ُملنْت ََهــى‪،‬‬‫ــك بِ َ‬‫ــو َق َذلِ َ‬ ‫َع َ ِ‬
‫ــا بِــه َف ْ‬
‫ـاب َق ْو َسـ ْ ِ‬ ‫العـ َّـز ِة‪َ ،‬ف َتــدَ َّل‪ ،‬ح َّتــى ك َ ِ‬
‫ـار رب ِ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫ـن َأ ْو َأ ْد َنــى‪،‬‬ ‫َان منْـ ُه َقـ َ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫َو َد َنــا ل ْل َج َّبـ ِ َ ِّ‬
‫ـك ك َُّل يــو ٍم و َلي َلـ ٍ‬
‫ـة‪،‬‬ ‫ـى ُأ َّمتِـ َ‬ ‫خ ِسـ َ‬
‫ـن َصـ َ‬
‫ـا ًة َعـ َ‬ ‫ـه‪ْ َ :‬‬‫َف َأوحىــاهللُ فِيــا َأوحــى إِ َليـ ِ‬
‫َ ْ َ ْ‬ ‫ْ‬ ‫َ ْ َ‬ ‫ْ َ‬
‫ـال‪َ :‬يــا ُم َ َّمدُ ؛ َمــا َذا‬ ‫وســى‪َ ،‬ف َقـ َ‬ ‫اح َت َب َس ـ ُه ُم َ‬ ‫وســى‪َ ،‬ف ْ‬ ‫ـغ ُم َ‬ ‫ـط َح َّتــى َب َلـ َ‬ ‫ـم َه َبـ َ‬ ‫ُثـ َّ‬
‫ـال‪:‬‬ ‫ـة‪َ ،‬قـ َ‬ ‫ـا ًة ك َُّل يــو ٍم و َلي َلـ ٍ‬ ‫ـن َصـ َ‬ ‫خ ِسـ َ‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬ع ِهــدَ إِ َ َّل َ ْ‬ ‫ـك؟ َقـ َ‬ ‫ـك َر ُّبـ َ‬ ‫َع ِهــدَ إِ َل ْيـ َ‬
‫َ ْ َ ْ‬
‫ــم‪،‬‬ ‫ــك َو َعن ُْه ْ‬ ‫ْــك َر ُّب َ‬ ‫ــف َعن َ‬ ‫ــع‪َ ،‬ف ْل ُي َخ ِّف ْ‬ ‫ــك‪َ ،‬ف ْار ِج ْ‬ ‫يع َذلِ َ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫َــك َل ت َْســتَط ُ‬ ‫إِ َّن ُأ َّمت َ‬
‫ِ‬ ‫ــه َو َســ َّل َم‪ -‬إِ َل ِج ْ ِب َ‬ ‫ــت النَّبِــي ‪-‬صــىَّ اللَُّ َع َلي ِ‬
‫ــر ُه‬ ‫يــل ك ََأنَّــ ُه َي ْستَش ُ‬ ‫ْ‬ ‫ُّ َ‬ ‫َفال َت َف َ‬
‫جل َّبـ ِ‬ ‫ـه ِج ِبيـ ُـل‪َ :‬أ ْن َنعــم إِ ْن ِش ـ ْئ َت‪َ ،‬فعـ َ ِ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ِف َذلِـ َ‬
‫ـار‪،‬‬ ‫ـا بِــه إِ َل ا َ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫َ ْ‬ ‫ـار إِ َل ْيـ ْ‬ ‫ـك‪َ ،‬ف َأ َشـ َ‬
‫ِ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫يع‬‫ــف َعنَّــا؛ َفــإِ َّن ُأ َّمتــي َل ت َْســتَط ُ‬ ‫ــو َمكَانَــ ُه‪َ :-‬يــا َر ِّب‪َ ،‬خ ِّف ْ‬ ‫‪-‬و ُه َ‬ ‫ــال َ‬ ‫َف َق َ‬
‫ٍ‬
‫اح َت َب َســ ُه‪،‬‬ ‫وســى‪َ ،‬ف ْ‬ ‫ــع إِ َل ُم َ‬ ‫ــم َر َج َ‬ ‫ــوات‪ُ ،‬ث َّ‬ ‫ــر َص َل َ‬ ‫ــع َعنْــ ُه َع ْ َ‬ ‫ــذا‪َ ،‬ف َو َض َ‬ ‫َه َ‬
‫ـس ص َلـ ٍ‬ ‫ـار ْت إِ َل َ ْ‬
‫ـم‬ ‫ـوات‪ُ ،‬ثـ َّ‬ ‫خـ ِ َ َ‬ ‫وســى إِ َل َر ِّبــه َح َّتــى َصـ َ‬ ‫َف َل ْم َيـ َـز ْل ُيـ َـر ِّد ُد ُه ُم َ‬
‫ـال‪َ :‬يــا ُم َ َّمــدُ ‪َ ،‬واهللِ َل َقــدْ َر َاو ْد ُت َبنِــي‬ ‫ـس‪َ ،‬ف َقـ َ‬ ‫وســى ِعنْــدَ اخلَ ْمـ ِ‬ ‫اح َت َب َس ـ ُه ُم َ‬ ‫ْ‬
‫ـف‬ ‫ـك َأ ْض َعـ ُ‬ ‫ت ُكــو ُه‪َ ،‬ف ُأ َّم ُتـ َ‬ ‫ـذا‪َ ،‬ف َض ُع ُفــوا‪َ ،‬ف َ َ‬ ‫ـى َأ ْد َنــى ِم ـ ْن َهـ َ‬ ‫س ِائيـ َـل َق ْو ِمي َعـ َ‬ ‫إَْ‬
‫ِ‬
‫ْــك‬ ‫ــف َعن َ‬ ‫ــع‪َ ،‬ف ْل ُي َخ ِّف ْ‬ ‫ــا ًعا‪َ ،‬ف ْار ِج ْ‬ ‫ــارا َو َأ ْس َ‬ ‫َأ ْج َســا ًدا َو ُق ُلو ًبــا َو َأ ْبدَ انًــا َو َأ ْب َص ً‬
‫ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ـك َي ْلت َِفـ ُ‬ ‫ـك‪ ،‬ك َُّل َذلِـ َ‬
‫ـر‬ ‫‪-‬صـىَّ اللَُّ َع َل ْيــه َو َسـ َّل َم‪ -‬إ َل ج ْبي َلل ُيشـ َ‬ ‫ـي َ‬ ‫ـت النَّبِـ ُّ‬ ‫َر ُّبـ َ‬
‫ـك ِج ِبيـ ُـل‪َ ،‬فر َفع ـه ِعنْــدَ اخل ِامسـ ِ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫ـال‪َ :‬يــا َر ِّب‪،‬‬ ‫ـة‪َ ،‬ف َقـ َ‬ ‫َ َ‬ ‫َ َ ُ‬ ‫َع َليــه‪َ ،‬و َل َي ْكـ َـر ُه َذلـ َ ْ‬
‫ِ‬
‫ـم‪،‬‬ ‫ـم َو َأ ْبدَ ُانُـ ْ‬ ‫ارهـ ْ‬ ‫وبــم َو َأ ْسـ َـا ُع ُه ْم َو َأ ْب َص ُ‬ ‫إِ َّن ُأ َّمتــي ُض َع َفــا ُء َأ ْج َســا ُد ُه ْم َو ُق ُل ُ ُ‬
‫ــال‪:‬‬ ‫ــك َو َســ ْعدَ ْي َك‪َ ،‬ق َ‬ ‫ــال‪َ :‬ل َّب ْي َ‬ ‫ــار‪َ :‬يــا ُم َ َّمــدُ ‪َ ،‬ق َ‬ ‫جل َّب ُ‬ ‫ــال ا َ‬ ‫ــف َعنَّــا‪َ ،‬ف َق َ‬ ‫َف َخ ِّف ْ‬
‫ــك ِف ُأم ِ‬
‫ــال‪:‬‬ ‫َــاب‪َ ،‬ق َ‬ ‫الكت ِ‬ ‫ِّ‬ ‫َــا َف َر ْضتُــ ُه َع َل ْي َ‬ ‫ــو ُل َلــدَ َّي‪ ،‬ك َ‬ ‫إِنَّــ ُه َل ُي َبــدَّ ُل ال َق ْ‬
‫الك َتـ ِ ِ‬ ‫ـون ِف ُأم ِ‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫َف ـك ُُّل حسـ ٍ‬
‫ـس‬ ‫خـ ٌ‬ ‫ـي َ ْ‬ ‫ـاب‪َ ،‬وهـ َ‬ ‫ِّ‬ ‫خ ُسـ َ‬ ‫ـي َ ْ‬ ‫ـر َأ ْم َثالَــا؛ َف ِهـ َ‬ ‫ـنة بِ َعـ ْ ِ‬ ‫َ َ‬
‫ـف َعنَّــا؛‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬خ َّفـ َ‬ ‫ـت؟ َف َقـ َ‬ ‫ـف َف َع ْلـ َ‬ ‫ـال‪َ :‬ك ْيـ َ‬ ‫وســى‪َ ،‬ف َقـ َ‬ ‫ـع إِ َل ُم َ‬ ‫ـك‪َ ،‬ف َر َجـ َ‬ ‫َع َل ْيـ َ‬
‫ــر َأم َث ِ‬ ‫ٍ‬
‫‪-‬واهللِ‪َ -‬ر َاو ْد ُت‬ ‫وســى‪َ :‬قــدْ َ‬ ‫الَــا‪َ ،‬ق َ‬
‫ــال ُم َ‬ ‫َأ ْع َطانَــا بِــك ُِّل َح َســنَة َع ْ َ ْ‬
‫ـف‬ ‫ـك َف ْل ُي َخ ِّفـ ْ‬ ‫ـع إِ َل َر ِّبـ َ‬ ‫ت ُكــو ُه‪ْ ،‬ار ِجـ ْ‬ ‫ـك‪َ ،‬ف َ َ‬ ‫ـى َأ ْد َنــى ِمـ ْن َذلِـ َ‬ ‫س ِائيـ َـل َعـ َ‬ ‫ِ ِ‬
‫َبنــي إ ْ َ‬
‫‪314‬‬
ِ َ ‫ َقـ‬،‫ـك َأ ْي ًضــا‬
ْ‫ َقــد‬،‫وســى‬َ ‫ َيــا ُم‬:-‫صـىَّ اللَُّ َع َل ْيــه َو َسـ َّل َم‬-
َ ِ‫اهلل‬ ‫ـول‬ ُ ‫ـال َر ُسـ‬ َ ‫َعنْـ‬
ِ ‫ـت إِ َليـ‬ ْ ‫اس ـت َْح َي ْي ُت ِم ـ ْن َر ِّب ممَّــا‬
ْ ِ‫ـط ب‬
،ِ‫اس ـ ِم اهلل‬ ْ ‫اهبِـ‬ْ ‫ َف‬:‫ـال‬َ ‫ َقـ‬،‫ـه‬ ْ ُ ‫اخ َت َل ْفـ‬ ْ -ِ‫واهلل‬- َ
ِ ِ
َ ‫ـو ِف َم ْســجد ا‬
.»‫حلـ َـرا ِم‬ َ ‫اس ـ َت ْي َق َظ َو ُهـ‬ َ ‫َقـ‬
ْ ‫ َو‬:‫ـال‬
“On the night on which the Messenger of Allah  was taken by
night from the mosque of the Ka‘bah, three people came to him
before revelation came down to him, whilst he was sleeping in al-
Masjid al-Haraam. The first of them said: ‘Which of them is he?’ The
middle one said: ‘He is the best of them.’ The last of them said: ‘Take
the best of them.’ Only that much happened on that night, and he
did not see them again until they came to him on another night; his
heart saw them, whilst his eyes were sleeping, for his heart did not
sleep. Such are the Prophets: their eyes sleep but their hearts do not
sleep. They did not speak to him until they carried him and placed
him beside the well of Zamzam. Among them, Jibreel took charge of
him. Jibreel split open [his body] from his throat to the middle of his
chest, and took out all that was in his chest. Then he washed it with
his own hands, using Zamzam water, until he cleansed the inside of
his chest. Then a tray of gold, on which there was a gold bowl filled
with faith and wisdom, was brought, with which [Jibreel] filled his
chest and the veins of his throat, then closed up his chest.
Then he took him up to the lowest heaven and knocked on one of its
doors. The people of that heaven called out: ‘Who is this?’ He said:
‘Jibreel.’ They said: ‘Who is with you?’ He said: ‘Muhammad is with
me.’ They said: ‘Has he been sent for?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ They said:
‘Welcome to him.’ So the people of heaven rejoiced, and the people
of heaven could not know what Allah intended for him on earth
unless He told them. In the lowest heaven he found Adam. Jibreel
said to him: ‘This is your father Adam; greet him with salaam.’ So
he greeted him with salaam and Adam returned the greeting and
said: ‘Welcome, my son; what a good son you are.’ In the lowest
heaven, he saw two flowing rivers and said: ‘What are these two
rivers, O Jibreel?’ He said: ‘This is the source of the Nile and the
Euphrates.’ Then he took him around that heaven, where he saw
another river, on the banks of which there was a palace of pearls
315
and emeralds. He put his hand [into the river] and found that its
mud was like fragrant musk. He said: ‘What is this, O Jibreel?’ He
said: ‘This is al-Kawthar, which your Lord has kept for you.’
Then he took him up to the second heaven, where the angels said
the same to him as the angels in the first heaven: ‘Who is this?’ He
said: ‘Jibreel.’ They said: ‘Who is with you?’ He said: ‘Muhammad
.’ They said: ‘Has he been sent for?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ They said:
‘Welcome to him.’ Then he took him up to the third heaven, where
they said the same as had been said in the first and second heavens.
Then he took him up to the fourth heaven, and they said the same.
Then he took him up to the fifth heaven, and they said the same.
Then he took him up to the sixth heaven, and they said the same
to him. Then he took him up to the seventh heaven, where they
said the same to him. In each heaven there were Prophets whom
he named, of whom I remember Idrees in the second heaven,
Haaroon in the fourth, another one in the fifth whose name I do
not remember, Ibraaheem in the sixth and Moosaa in the seventh
heaven, because of his privilege of speaking to Allah directly. Moosa
said: ‘My Lord, I did not think that anyone would be raised above
me.’ Then Jibreel took him up beyond that, a distance of which only
Allah knows, until he came to Sidrat al-Muntaha (the Lote-Tree of
the Utmost Boundary). Then he drew closer to the Compeller, the
Lord of Might, until he was as close as the length of two bows, or
even closer. Then among the things that Allah revealed to him were
‘fifty prayers enjoined upon your ummah every day and night.’
Then he came down until he reached Moosa, who stopped him
and said: ‘O Muhammad, what did your Lord enjoin upon you?’
He said: ‘He enjoined upon me fifty prayers every day and night.’
Moosa said: ‘Your ummah will not be able to do that; go back and
let your Lord reduce it for you and for them.’ The Prophet  turned
to Jibreel, as if he wanted to consult him about that, and Jibreel said:
‘Yes, if you wish.’ So he took him up to the Compeller and he said,
whilst he was in that place: ‘O Lord, lighten the burden for us, for
my ummah will not be able to do that.’ So He waived ten prayers
from that. Then he went back to Moosa, who stopped him again,
316
and Moosa kept sending him back to his Lord until the number was
reduced to five prayers. Then Moosa stopped him when the number
had been reduced to five, and said: ‘O Muhammad, by Allah I tried
to persuade the Children of Israel, my people, to do less than that,
but they were too weak and gave it up. Your ummah are weaker in
body, heart, sight and hearing, so go back and let your Lord lighten
your burden.’ The Prophet  turned to Jibreel, looking for advice,
and Jibreel did not disapprove of that. So he took him up a fifth
time, and he said: ‘O Lord, my ummah are weak in body, heart,
hearing and sight; lighten the burden for us.’ But the Compeller
said: ‘O Muhammad!’ He said: ‘Here I am at Your service.’ He said:
‘The word does not change with Me, so it will remain as I enjoined
upon you in the Mother of the Book. Every good deed will earn a
tenfold reward, so it is fifty [prayers] in the Mother of the Book and
five that are required of you.’ He went back to Moosa, who said to
him: ‘What did you do?’ He said: ‘[Allah] has lightened our burden
and has given us for every good deed a tenfold reward.’ Moosaa
said: ‘By Allah, I tried to make the Children of Israel do less than
that, but they did not do it. Go back to your Lord and ask Him
to lighten your burden more.’ The Messenger of Allah  said: ‘O
Moosa, by Allah, I feel shy before my Lord for having gone back
to Him so many times.’ Moosa said: ‘Then go down in the name of
Allah.’ Then he woke up when he was in Masjid al-Haraam.”1
These events that happened to our Prophet  on that night are among
the greatest proofs of his Prophethood. He met the Prophets in Bayt al-
Maqdis [Jerusalem] then he was taken up to heaven. He  was taken on
this Journey once, body and soul, awake and not in a dream, according
to the correct view.2
15 Bukhaari, 7517.
25 See: Zaad al-Ma‘aad, 3/42; Sharh ‘Aqeedat at-Tahhaawiyyah by Ibn Abi’l-‘Izz, 1/339-343.
317
The five daily prayers were enjoined on him,

and he prayed in Makkah for three years.
‫ يف تلــك الليلــة ُفرضــت عليــه وعــى‬:‫ أي‬،»‫ـوات‬ ُ ‫الص َلـ‬ ْ ‫«و ُف ِر َضـ‬
َ ‫ـت َع َليــه‬
،‫أول مــا ُفرضــت ركعتــن ركعتــن‬ َ ‫ وكانــت‬،‫الصلــوات اخلمــس‬ ُ ‫أمتــه‬
‫ فلـ َّـا هاجــر النبــي‬،‫ـرب؛ فإهنــا ُفرضــت ثال ًثــا؛ ألهنــا وتـ ُـر النهــار‬ َ ‫إال املغـ‬
‫ إال الفجـ َـر ِبقيــت‬،‫ـوات رباعي ـ ًة‬
ُ ‫ صــارت الصلـ‬-‫صــى اهلل عليــه وســلم‬-
‫ « ُفرضــت الصــا ُة‬:-‫ريض اهلل عنهــا‬- ‫ كــا قالــت عائشــ ُة‬،‫ركعتــن‬
ِ ‫ص ـىَّ اللَُّ َع َليـ‬- ‫ ثــم هاجــر النبــي‬،‫ركعتــن‬
،‫ ف ُفرضــت أرب ًعــا‬-‫ـه َو َس ـ َّل َم‬ ْ َ ُّ
»‫وتُركــت صــا ُة الســفر عــى األُوىل‬
“The five daily prayers were enjoined on him” – that is, on that
night, the five daily prayers were enjoined on him and his ummah.
At first the prayers were enjoined with two rak‘ahs for each prayer,
except Maghrib, which was enjoined with three, because it is the
“witr” or odd-numbered prayer of the day. When the Prophet 
migrated to Madinah, the prayer became four rak‘ahs, except Fajr,
which remained as two rak’ahs, as ‘Aa’ishah  said: “The prayer
was enjoined with two rak‘ahs, then when the Prophet  migrated
[to Madinah], it was enjoined with four, but prayer when travelling
was left as it was originally.1
Jibreel  came down to him and taught him the times of prayer. Al-
Qurtubi said: “There is no difference of scholarly opinion concerning the
fact that Jibreel  came down on the morning of the day following the
night of the Isra’ (Night Journey) when the sun reached the meridian, and
taught the Prophet  the prayer and its times.”2
25 Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 10/211.
318
‫النبــي ‪-‬صــى اهلل عليــه‬ ‫َّ‬ ‫َ‬
‫جربيــل أتــى‬ ‫ِ‬
‫جابر‪ ‬بــن عبــد‪ ‬اهلل أن‬ ‫فعــن‬
‫ـول‪ ‬اهلل ‪-‬صــى‬ ‫ـت الصــاة‪ ،‬فتقــدَّ م جربيـ ُـل‪ ،‬ورسـ ُ‬ ‫وســلم‪ -‬يع ِّل ُمــه مواقيـ َ‬
‫ـف رســول‪ ‬اهلل ‪-‬ص ـىَّ اللَُّ َع َليـ ِ‬
‫ـه‬ ‫ْ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ـاس خلـ َ‬ ‫اهلل عليــه وســلم‪ -‬خل َفــه‪ ،‬والنـ ُ‬
‫ـمس‪ ،‬وأتــاه حــن كان الظـ ُّـل‬ ‫َو َس ـ َّل َم‪ ،-‬فصــى الظهـ َـر حــن زالــت الشـ ُ‬
‫ـع‪ ،‬فتقــد َم جربيـ ُـل‪ ،‬ورسـ ُ‬ ‫ِ‬
‫‪-‬ص ـىَّ‬‫ـول‪ ‬اهلل َ‬ ‫ـع كــا صنـ َ‬ ‫مثـ َـل شــخصه‪ ،‬فصنـ َ‬
‫ِ‬
‫ـف رســول‪ ‬اهلل ‪ -‬صــى اهلل عليــه‬ ‫ـاس خلـ َ‬ ‫اللَُّ َع َل ْيــه َو َس ـ َّل َم‪ -‬خل َفــه‪ ،‬والنـ ُ‬
‫ـمس‪ ،‬فتقــدم جربيــل‬ ‫وج َبــت الشـ ُ‬ ‫ـر‪ ،‬ثــم أتــاه حــن َ‬ ‫وســلم ‪ -‬فصــى العـ َ‬
‫خلف رســول‪ ‬اهلل‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ـاس‬
‫ـول‪ ‬اهلل ‪ -‬صــى اهلل عليــه وســلم ‪ -‬خلفــه‪ ،‬والنـ ُ‬ ‫ورسـ ُ‬
‫ِ‬
‫الشـ َف ُق‪،‬‬ ‫ـاب َّ‬
‫ـرب‪ ،‬ثــم أتــاه حــن غـ َ‬ ‫‪-‬صـىَّ اللَُّ َع َل ْيــه َو َسـ َّل َم‪ -‬فصــى املغـ َ‬ ‫َ‬
‫ِ‬
‫ـاس‬ ‫‪-‬ص ـىَّ اللَُّ َع َل ْيــه َو َس ـ َّل َم‪ -‬خل َفــه‪ ،‬والنـ ُ‬ ‫ـول‪ ‬اهلل َ‬ ‫فتقــد َم جربيـ ُـل‪ ،‬ورسـ ُ‬
‫ـف رســول‪ ‬اهلل ‪ -‬صــى اهلل عليــه وســلم ‪ ،-‬فصــى العشــا َء‪ ،‬ثــم أتــاه‬ ‫خلـ َ‬
‫ـول‪ ‬اهلل ‪ -‬صــى اهلل عليه وســلم‬ ‫ـق الفجـ ُـر‪ ،‬فتقــدم جربيـ ُـل‪ ،‬ورسـ ُ‬ ‫حــن انشـ َّ‬
‫ـف رســول‪ ‬اهلل ‪ -‬صــى اهلل عليــه وســلم ‪ ،-‬فصــى‬ ‫‪ -‬خل َفــه‪ ،‬والنــاس خلـ َ‬
‫شــخصه‪،‬‬ ‫ِ‬ ‫مثــل‬ ‫ِ‬
‫الرجــل َ‬ ‫الثــاين حــن كان ُّظــل‬ ‫ال َغــداةَ‪ ،‬ثــم أتــاه اليــو َم‬
‫َ‬
‫فصنــع مثـ َـل مــا صنــع باألمــس‪ ،‬فصــى الظهـ َـر‪ ،‬ثــم أتــاه حــن كان ظـ ُّـل‬
‫ـر‪ ،‬ثــم‬ ‫ـع كــا صنــع باألمــس‪ ،‬فصــى العـ َ‬ ‫ـخص ْيه‪ ،‬فصنـ َ‬ ‫الرجــل مثـ َـل شـ َ‬
‫ـمس‪ ،‬فصنــع كــا صنــع باألمــس‪ ،‬فصــى املغــرب‪،‬‬ ‫وج َبــت الشـ ُ‬ ‫أتــاه حــن َ‬
‫ـع كــا صنــع باألمــس‪،‬‬ ‫ِ‬
‫فن ْمنــا ثــم قمنــا‪ ،‬ثــم نمنــا ثــم قمنــا‪ ،‬فأتــاه فصنـ َ‬
‫الفجــر‪ ،‬وأصبــح والنجــو ُم باديــ ٌة‬ ‫ُ‬ ‫فصــى العشــاء‪ ،‬ثــم أتــاه حــن امتــدَّ‬
‫ـن‬‫ُمشــتبِكة‪ ،‬فصنــع كــا صنــع باألمــس‪ ،‬فصــى الغــداةَ‪ ،‬ثــم قــال‪« :‬مــا بـ َ‬
‫ـت»‬ ‫ـن وقـ ٌ‬‫ـن الصالتـ ِ‬ ‫هاتـ ِ‬
‫‪It was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abdillah that Jibreel came to the‬‬
‫‪Prophet  and taught him the times of prayer. Jibreel went forward,‬‬
‫‪and the Messenger of Allah  stood behind him, and the people‬‬
‫‪stood behind the Messenger of Allah . He prayed Zuhr when‬‬
‫‪319‬‬
the sun had passed the meridian. He came to him again when the
shadow of a thing was equal to it in length, and did the same as he
had done before – Jibreel went forward, and the Messenger of Allah
 stood behind him, and the people stood behind the Messenger
of Allah , and he prayed ‘Asr. Then he came to him again when
the sun had dropped below the horizon; Jibreel went forward, and
the Messenger of Allah  stood behind him, and the people stood
behind the Messenger of Allah , and he prayed Maghrib. Then he
came to him when the red afterglow had disappeared; Jibreel went
forward, and the Messenger of Allah  stood behind him, and the
people stood behind the Messenger of Allah , and he prayed ‘Isha’.
Then he came to him when dawn broke; Jibreel went forward, and
the Messenger of Allah  stood behind him, and the people stood
behind the Messenger of Allah , and he prayed Fajr. Then on the
following day, he came to him when the shadow of a thing was
equal to it in length, and did the same thing as he had done the day
before, and he prayed Zuhr. Then he came to him when the shadow
of a thing was twice its length, and did the same as he had done
the day before, and he prayed ‘Asr. Then he came to him when the
sun had dropped below the horizon, and he did the same as he had
done the day before, and he prayed Maghrib. Then we slept and
woke up, then we slept and woke up again, then he came to him
and did the same as he had done the day before, and he prayed
‘Isha’. Then he came to him when the light of dawn had spread
further, and the stars were still clearly visible in the morning, and
did the same as he had done the day before, and he prayed Fajr.
Then he said: “Between each two prayers is the time to pray.”1
15 An-Nasaa’i, 513.
320
After that, he was commanded to migrate to

Madinah. Migration (hijrah) means moving from
the land of shirk to the land of Islam.
“After that, he was commanded to migrate to Madinah” – when the

persecution of Quraysh grew severe and their evil intensified, as they
barred people from the path of Allah, persecuted the Muslims and
tortured those who had no tribe to protect them, permission was given to
the Muslims for the first migration to Ethiopia, because there there was a
king in whose land no one would be wronged. Then they returned, and
subsequently migrated to Ethiopia a second time, as is known from the
seerah (biography of the Prophet ). Then the Prophet  met twelve men
of the Ansaar in Mina during the Hajj season. He called them to Allah
and to affirm His oneness (Tawheed) and they responded to his call,
swearing allegiance to him and pledging to follow Islam in the first oath
of allegiance at al-‘Aqabah. Then they returned to their people and called
them to Allah . During the Hajj season in the following year, seventy
men came to the Prophet  and swore allegiance to him in the second
oath of allegiance at al-‘Aqabah. After this blessed oath of allegiance,
the Prophet  instructed the Muslims who were in Makkah to migrate
to Madinah. Some of them migrated, whilst the Messenger and some of
his companions remained in Makkah until Allah gave permission to His
Prophet  to migrate to Madinah.
The author’s definition of migration (hijrah) as “moving from the land
of shirk to the land of Islam” is the definition of this word in Islamic
religious terminology. In linguistic terms, hijrah means forsaking and
shunning something.1
The land of shirk is a land in which the religious practices and rituals
of disbelief (kufr) are established, and the religious practices of Islam are
15 See: Mufradaat Alfaaz al-Qur’an, p. 833, entry on hajara.
321
not established at a comprehensive and public level.
The land of Islam is the land in which the religious practices and rituals
of Islam are established at a comprehensive and public level1, such as the
adhaan, prayers in congregation, the two Eids and Jumu‘ah prayer.
Prayer is the most important of these practices and rituals. If prayer
is one of the most noticeable features of a land, then it is a land of Islam.
But if prayer is only established by individuals or in a few scattered
congregations, and it is not a common practice in the land, then that land
cannot be deemed an Islamic land. This applies to countries in which
there are Muslim minorities who establish prayer in that land, but only
within the limits of the community in which they live, or in their limited
environments, and there are no minarets and the adhaan cannot be heard
throughout the city. Such a place is not regarded as being a land of Islam.
One example of that is France, where there are Muslim minorities, and
prayer is established by those whom we have described above, but
prayer is not regarded as a common practice of the people of that land, so
it cannot be called a land of Islam for that reason.
Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh said: “This idea was stated by Shaykh
Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem, when he was asked what the land of disbelief
(daar al-kufr) is. He said: ‘The land of disbelief is a land where disbelief is
apparent and prevalent.’
Therefore, if shirk appears in a city or town, and becomes prevalent –
meaning that it becomes widespread and visible, and prevails over the
concept of Tawheed – then that land is described as a land of shirk, based
on the prevalent situation, which is shirk. As for those who reside in that
land, there is a difference of scholarly opinion concerning this issue…
Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyyah] was asked about a city in which
manifestations of disbelief and manifestations of Islam were equally
visible. He said: ‘This land cannot be deemed to be a land of disbelief or
a land of Islam; rather the Muslim there should be treated on the basis
of what he is, and the disbeliever there should be treated on the basis of
what he is.’”2
15 See: Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen, p. 129-120.

25 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh, 1/159.
322
The reason for mentioning hijrah in the context of discussing the three
fundamental principles that the Muslim should know is to highlight the
fact that hijrah is one of the most important duties that are required by the
concept of al-walaa’ wa’l-baraa’ (loyalty and disavowal).
323
Hijrah is obligatory for this ummah; they should

migrate from the land of shirk to the land of Islam.
This ruling remains in effect until the Hour begins.
Here the Shaykh mentions the ruling on hijrah (migration): “Hijrah is

obligatory for this ummah.” In other words, hijrah is an individual
obligation for everyone who fears for his religious commitment and
cannot practice his religion.
“from the land of shirk to the land of Islam” – here the shaykh is stating
that hijrah is not something unlimited and without restrictions. Rather it
should be specifically from a land in which shirk prevails to a land in
which Islam prevails, or from a land in which innovation prevails to a
land in which the Sunnah prevail, as was stated by the scholars (may
Allah have mercy on them) when they discussed the types of migration
and moving from one place to another.
Al-‘Allaamah Ibn al-‘Arabi al-Maaliki discussed this matter in detail,
when he said:
“It [hijrah, migration] may be divided into six categories:
1. Moving from dar al-harb [a land whose people are at war with the
Muslims] to dar al-islam [land under Muslim rule]. This was obligatory
at the time of the Prophet  and this type of hijrah remains obligatory
until the Day of Resurrection. What came to an end with the conquest
of Makkah is going to join the Prophet  wherever he was. So whoever
becomes Muslim in dar al-harb must leave that land and go to dar al-islam,
and if he remains there he is sinning.
2. Moving from a land where innovation prevails. Ibn al-Qaasim said:
‘I heard Maalik say: It is not permissible for anyone to settle in a land in
324
which the early generations (salaf) are reviled.’ And this is correct, for if it
is not possible to change evil, one must move away from it. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼ ﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﰃﰄ ﰅ ﰆ‬
‫ﰇﰈﰉﰊﰋﰌﰍ ﰎﮊ‬
‘And when you (Muhammad ) see those who engage in a false
conversation about Our Verses (of the Qur’an) by mocking at them,
stay away from them till they turn to another topic. And if Shaytaan
(Satan) causes you to forget, then after the remembrance do not sit
in the company of those people who are the Zaalimoon (polytheists
and wrongdoers)’ [al-An‘aam 6:68].
I said to our shaykh, Imam Abu Bakr al-Fihri: ‘Leave the land of Egypt
and go to your own land.’ But he said: ‘I do not want to enter a land that
has been taken over by a great deal of ignorance and where there is a lack
of sound reasoning.’ I said to him: ‘Then go to Makkah and stay under
the protection of Allah and His Messenger, for you know that leaving
this land is obligatory, because of the innovation and haraam things that
are prevalent here.’ He said: ‘How many have been guided at my hands
here, and I am in a position where I can show people the right path and
explain Tawheed to them, and warn them against corrupt belief, and call
people to Allah .’
3. Leaving a land where haraam is prevalent, for seeking halaal
provision is obligatory for every Muslim.
4. Fleeing from physical harm. It is a mercy from Allah  that He has
granted a concession allowing that. So if a person fears for his life in one
place, Allah  has given him permission to leave and flee for his life, so
as to save himself from that danger.
The first person who we know availed himself of this concession was
Ibraaheem al-Khaleel , when he feared the harm of his people:
‫ﮋ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍﮊ‬
‘So Loot (Lot) believed in him (Ibrahim). He (Ibrahim (Abraham))
325
said: “I will emigrate for the sake of my Lord”’ [al-‘Ankaboot 29:26]
‫ﮋﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﮊ‬
‘And he said (after his rescue from the fire): “Verily, I am going to
my Lord. He will guide me”’ [as-Saaffaat 37:99];
And Allah says concerning Moosaa :
‫ﮋﰈ ﰉ ﰊ ﰋﰌ ﰍ ﰎ ﰏ ﰐ ﰑ ﰒ ﮊ‬
‘So he escaped from there, looking about in a state of fear. He said:
“My Lord! Save me from the people who are Zaalimoon (polytheists
and wrong-doers)!”’ [al-Qasas 28:21].
And there are too many other examples to list them all here.
5. Fear of sickness in a land with an unhealthy climate, and leaving it
for a land with a healthy climate. The Prophet  gave permission to the
herdsmen who found that the climate of Madinah did not suit them to
go to the grazing lands and stay there until they felt better. An exception
from this concession is made in the case of seeking to flee from the plague.
Allah  forbade that in a saheeh hadith that was narrated from the
Prophet , but I have seen our scholars saying that it is makrooh (disliked).
6. Fleeing for fear of financial harm, for the wealth of a Muslim is as
sacred as his blood and his family, or more so.”1
“This ruling remains in effect until the Hour begins” means: the
ruling on migration remains in effect until the onset of the Hour, that
is, until the greatest sign of the Hour appears. At that point, migration
will cease and will not benefit anyone, and neither will repentance2, as
it says in the hadith of Mu‘aawiyah, who said: I heard the Messenger of
Allah  say:
َ ‫ـع التوب ـ ُة حتــى تط ُلـ‬

‫ـع‬ ُ ‫ وال تنقطـ‬،‫ـع التوب ـ ُة‬
َ ‫ـع اهلجــر ُة حتــى تنقطـ‬
ُ ‫«ال تنقطـ‬
»‫ـمس مــن مغرهبــا‬ُ ‫الشـ‬
15 Ahkaam al-Qur’an, 1/484, 486.
25 See: Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh al-Ghunaymaan, p. 164.
326
“Hijrah will not cease until repentance ceases, and repentance will
not cease until the sun rises from its place of setting.”1
Our shaykh, Saalih al-Fawzaan, said: “Hijrah is of the same standing as
jihad in Allah’s cause; it is obligatory and remains in effect, and it has not
been abrogated. It is obligatory for every Muslim who needs to migrate
to do so, and it is not permissible for a Muslim to remain in the land of
disbelief where he is not able to practice his religion openly.”2

25 See: Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, p. 266.
327
The evidence [regarding hijrah] is the verses:
‫ﮋﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎﮏ ﮐ ﮑ‬
‫ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ‬
‫ﮢﮣ ﮤﮥﮦﮧﮨﮩﮪﮫﮬ ﮭﮮﮯﮰ‬
‫ﮱ ﯓﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﮊ‬
“Verily! As for those whom the angels take (in death) while they are
wronging themselves (as they stayed among the disbelievers even
though emigration was obligatory for them), they (angels) say (to
them): ‘In what (condition) were you?’ They reply: ‘We were weak
and oppressed on earth.’ They (angels) say: ‘Was not the earth of
Allah spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?’ Such men will
find their abode in Hell - What an evil destination!
Except the weak ones among men, women and children who cannot
devise a plan, nor are they able to direct their way.
For these there is hope that Allah will forgive them, and Allah is
Ever Oft Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving” [an-Nisaa’ 4:97-99]
‫ﮋﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﮊ‬
“O My slaves who believe! Certainly, spacious is My earth. Therefore
worship Me (Alone)” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:56]
Al-Baghawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This verse was revealed
concerning the Muslims who were in Makkah and had not migrated;
Allah addresses them as believers.
The shaykh (may Allah have mercy on him) quotes as evidence for
hijrah being obligatory two verses in which there is a warning to the one
328
who fails to migrate when he is able to do so, if the means are available.
Whoever does not migrate in that case, his abode will be hell, what an evil
destination, but he does not go beyond the bounds of Islam as a result of
that; rather it is a major sin.
‫ﮋﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮊ‬
“Except the weak ones among men, women and children who
cannot devise a plan, nor are they able to direct their way”
– this verse discusses the situation of those who have legitimate
excuses, for whom the obligation of migration is waived; they are the
ones to whom the following factors apply:
‫ﮋﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮊ‬
“Except the weak ones among men, women and children”
– that is, the men, women and children who are in a weak position.
‫ﮋﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮊ‬
“who cannot devise a plan”
that is, they are not able to leave, either for lack of money or because of
physical weakness.
‫ﮋﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮊ‬
“nor are they able to direct their way”
that is, they do not know of any route for migration.
The words
‫ﮋﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﮊ‬
“O My slaves who believe! Certainly, spacious is My earth. Therefore
worship Me (Alone)” [al-‘Ankaboot 29:56]
Indicate that failing to migrate does not constitute disbelief; rather it is a sin.
This verse indicates that one should leave the land in which it is not
possible to practice one’s religion openly, as is indicated by highlighting
the fact that Allah’s earth is indeed spacious.
329
The evidence for hijrah from the Sunnah is the

words of the Prophet : “Hijrah will not cease until
repentance ceases, and repentance will not cease
until the sun rises from its place of setting.”
This hadith does not contradict the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbaas , according to
which the Messenger of Allah  said:
ِ ‫ وإذا است ُِنفرتم‬،‫ ولكن جهاد ونية‬،‫«ال هجر َة بعد الفتح‬
»‫فانفروا‬ ٌ ْ
“There is no hijrah after the conquest [of Makkah]; rather jihad and
intention [niyyah] remain, and if you are called to mobilize, then
mobilize”1
because the ruling that there was no more hijrah applied exclusively to
the Sahaabah after the conquest of Makkah, because it had now become
part of the land of Islam. The hadith under discussion here indicates that
the gate of hijrah remains open until the onset of the Hour, so the ruling
remains in effect so long as there are people to whom it applies.
With regard to the ruling on travelling to lands of disbelief, that is not
permissible unless three conditions are met2:
1. The individual should have sufficient knowledge in order to ward
off specious arguments and doubts.
2. He should have sufficient religious commitment to prevent him
from indulging in physical desires.
3. He should need to travel for an essential matter or need.
If he does not meet these conditions, then it is not permissible to travel
to that land, because of the fitnah (confusion, doubts and temptation) that
may result from that.
330
With regard to the conditions for settling in lands of disbelief (kufr),
they were mentioned by Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, who said:
The first condition is that the one who goes to settle there feels that
his religious commitment will be safe, in the sense that he has enough
knowledge, faith and firm resolve to make him certain that he will be able
to adhere steadfastly to his religion and avoid deviation and misguidance.
He should also harbour enmity towards the disbelievers and hate them,
and avoid taking them as close friends or loving them, because taking
them as close friends and loving them is contrary to faith in Allah. Allah
 says:
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ‬
‫ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥﮊ‬
“You (O Muhammad ) will not find any people who believe in
Allah and the Last Day, making friendship with those who oppose
Allah and His Messenger (Muhammad ), even though they
were their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred
(people)” [al-Mujaadilah 58:22]
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ‬
‫ﭣﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ‬
‫ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ‬
‫ﮇﮈﮊ‬
“O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians as
Awliyaa’ (friends, protectors, helpers, etc.), they are but Awliyaa’ to
one another. And if any amongst you takes them as Awliyaa’, then
surely he is one of them. Verily, Allah guides not those people who
are the Zaalimoon (polytheists, wrongdoers and unjust).
And you see those in whose hearts there is a disease (of hypocrisy),
they hurry to their friendship, saying: ‘We fear lest some misfortune
of a disaster may befall us.’ Perhaps Allah may bring a victory or
a decision according to His Will. Then they will become regretful
331
for what they have been keeping as a secret in themselves” [al-
Maa’idah 5:51-52].
The second condition is that he should be able to practice his religion
openly, meaning that he can carry out the religious duties of Islam without
any impediment, so that he will not be prevented from establishing prayer,
Jumu‘ah prayer and prayers in congregation if there is anyone with him
who can pray in congregation and establish Jumu‘ah prayer, and he will
not be prevented from giving zakaah, fasting, going for Hajj and carrying
out other religious duties. If he will not be able to do that, then it is not
permissible for him to settle there, because in that case migrating from
that place would be obligatory.1
15 See: Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen, p. 131-134.
332
When [the Prophet ] settled in Madinah,

the other duties of Islam were enjoined, such as
zakaah, fasting, Hajj, jihad, the adhaan, enjoining
what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and
other religious duties. That took ten years, after
which he passed away – blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him.
“When [the Prophet ] settled in Madinah, the other duties of Islam

were enjoined…” This means that after staying in Makkah for thirteen
years, the Prophet  was commanded to migrate to Madinah. When he
had settled down there, the other duties of Islam were enjoined, such as
zakaah, fasting, Hajj and so on.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz said: “Because Madinah became a land of Islam,
and it was the first capital for the Muslims, these things were enjoined,
because the Muslims were now able to enjoin what is right and forbid
what is wrong.”1
“after which he passed away…” That is, after Allah  perfected the
religion by means of him and completed His favour upon the believers,
Allah took him to Him, after he had spent ten years in Madinah, and He
chose him to come to Him and join those on high, the Prophets, the strong
and true in faith (siddeeqeen), the martyrs and the righteous - And how
excellent these companions are.
15 See: Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Ibn Baaz, p. 74.
333
His religion will abide [until the Day of Resurrection];

this is his religion, which includes everything that
is good. There is nothing good but he  guided
his ummah to it, and there is nothing evil but he
warned them against it. The goodness that he told
us about is Tawheed (affirming the oneness of Allah)
and everything that Allah loves and is pleased with.
Evil is everything that he warned us against, namely
shirk and everything that Allah hates and rejects.
Allah sent him to all people and enjoined obedience to him upon all
members of the two races, the jinn and humankind. The evidence for that
is the verse:
‫ﮋﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮊ‬
“Say (O Muhammad ): ‘O mankind! Verily, I am sent to you all as
the Messenger of Allah’” [al-A‘raaf 7:158].
Allah completed His religion through him. The evidence for that is the
verse:
‫ﮋ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅﮊ‬
“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My
Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”
[al-Maa’idah 5:3].
“His religion will abide…” that is, it will continue to exist and to be
supported and protected until the Day of Resurrection. It is what is
contained in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and that is sufficient for the one
who adheres to it.
334
“Allah sent him to all people…” That is, the Prophet’s message is
inclusive and is addressed to all people, Arabs and non-Arabs, young
and old, male and female, free and slave, throughout the world, east and
west.
“Allah completed His religion through him…” that is, Islamic teachings
were revealed gradually, as noted above, until they were completed
– praise be to Allah – before the Prophet  passed away. Zakaah and
fasting were enjoined in 2 AH, and Hajj was enjoined in 9 AH. Then Allah
revealed the words:
‫ﮋ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅﮊ‬
“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My
Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”
[al-Maa’idah 5:3],
when the Prophet  was standing in ‘Arafah during the Farewell
Pilgrimage, on a Friday. Shortly after this verse was revealed, the Prophet
 passed away.
The Prophet  left his ummah on a clear path, the night of which is as
clear as the day, and no one deviates from it except one who is doomed.
His noble soul was not taken in death until Allah had perfected the
religion through him and completed His favour upon His slaves.
This verse constitutes testimony from Allah  attesting to the perfection
of this religion, and affirming that it is suitable and good for every nation
in every time and place. The one who introduces acts of worship without
evidence from the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah
is accusing this religion of not being perfect; it is as if he wants to perfect
the religion himself and does not acknowledge that Allah perfected it.
Whatever was not part of the religion at the time of the Prophet 
cannot be part of the religion today, and will never be part of the religion
after today.
335
The evidence regarding the death

of the Prophet  is the verse:
‫ﮋﰁ ﰂ ﰃ ﰄ ﰅ ﰆ ﰇ ﰈ ﰉ ﰊ ﰋ ﰌ ﮊ‬
“Verily, you (O Muhammad ) will die and verily, they (too) will
die. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be disputing before
your Lord” [az-Zumar 39:30-31].
“The evidence with regard to the death of the Prophet …” means:
when Allah had completed the religion and perfected His blessing, He
took His Prophet  in death, because that is what Allah has decreed for
His creation, that every soul should taste death, and the Prophets and
Messengers are all included in this general meaning.
‫ـر‬
َ ‫ الثــاين عـ‬،‫ يــو َم االثنــن‬- ‫ صــى اهلل عليــه وســلم‬- ‫وقد ُتــويف النبــي‬
ِ ‫ يف السـ‬،‫مــن شــهر ربي ـ ٍع األول‬
‫ واختــاره‬،‫ـنة احلادي ـ َة عــر َة مــن اهلجــرة‬
ُ ‫ صلـ‬- ‫ ف ُغســل‬،‫اهلل جلــواره‬
،‫ يف ثيابــه تكريـ ًـا لــه‬-‫ـوات اهلل وســامه عليــه‬
‫ ليــس فيهــا‬،‫ـحول َّي ٍة‬ ٍ ‫ بيـ‬-‫ـف‬
ُ ‫ـض َسـ‬ َ ‫ لفائـ‬:‫أي‬-‫ثــم كُفــن يف ثالثــة أثــواب‬
‫ـص وال ِعامم ـ ٌة‬
ٌ ‫قميـ‬
The Prophet  died on Monday1 12th Rabee‘ al-Awwal 11 AH, and
Allah chose him to be with Him. He  was washed in his garment,
out of respect for him, then he was shrouded in three pieces – or
wrappers – of white cotton Sahooli2 cloth in which there was no
chemise or turban.3 The people offered the funeral prayer for him 
group after group, with no imam.
Ash-Shaafa‘i said: “They offered the funeral prayer for him time after
15 Musnad Ahmad, no. 24790.
25 From the village of Sahool in Yemen. [Translator]
35 Agreed upon. Al-Bukhaari, 1264’ Muslim, 941.
336
time, individually, because of his high status and because everyone
wanted to lead the funeral prayer for him.”1
Then he was buried at night on the night before Wednesday, after
allegiance was sworn to the caliph Abu Bakr, who succeeded him [as
leader of the Muslim ummah].
May the best of blessings and most perfect peace be upon him from
his Lord.
15 See: al-Fusool fi Seerat ar-Rasool by Ibn Katheer, p. 267.
337
After they die, people will be resurrected.

The evidence regarding that is the verses:
‫ﮋﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮊ‬
“Thereof (the earth) We created you, and into it We shall return you,
and from it We shall bring you out once again” [Taa-Haa 20:55]
‫ﮋﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮊ‬
“And Allah has brought you forth from the (dust of) earth.
Afterwards He will return you into it (the earth), and bring you
forth (again on the Day of Resurrection)” [Nooh 71:17-18].
After the resurrection, they will be brought to account and requited for
their deeds. The evidence regarding that is the verse:
‫ﮋﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ‬
‫ﮛﮊ‬
“And to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the
earth, that He may requite those who do evil with that which they
have done (i.e., punish them in Hell), and reward those who do
good, with what is best (i.e., Paradise).” [an-Najm 53:31].
“After they die, the people…” Here the shaykh moves on to another basic
principle, which is belief in the Last Day and the resurrection after death.
What is meant here is not belief in death, because the disbelievers, atheists
and heretics all believe in death, but they disbelieved in resurrection after
death.
Resurrection refers to restoration of the bodies which have disintegrated
and turned into dust, and become dispersed in the earth. The One Who
was able to create them the first time is able to re-create them. Allah 
338
says:
‫ﮋﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ‬
‫ﮘﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦﮧ ﮨ ﮩ‬
‫ﮪﮫ ﮬﮭﮮﮯﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔﯕﯖ ﯗﯘﯙ‬
‫ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﯣﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ‬
‫ﯳﯴ ﯵﯶﯷ‬ ‫ﯩ ﯪ ﯫﯬ ﯭﯮﯯﯰﯱﯲ‬
‫ﯸﯹ ﯺﯻ ﯼﮊ‬
“Does not man see that We have created him from Nutfah (mixed
male and female discharge). Yet behold! He (stands forth) as an
open opponent.
And he puts forth for Us a parable, and forgets his own creation. He
says: ‘Who will give life to these bones when they have rotted away
and became dust?’
Say: (O Muhammad ): ‘He will give life to them Who created them
the first time! And He is the All-Knower of every creation!’
He, Who produces for you fire out of the green tree, when behold!
You kindle therewith.
Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the
like of them? Yes, indeed! He is the All-Knowing Supreme Creator.
Verily, His Command, when He intends a thing, is only that He says
to it, ‘Be!’ and it is!
So Glorified is He and Exalted above all that they associate with
Him, and in Whose Hands is the dominion of all things, and to Him
you shall be returned” [Yaa-Seen 36:77-82].
Ibn Katheer said: “Mujaahid, ‘Ikrimah, ‘Urwah ibn az-Zubayr, as-Saddi
and Qataadah said: Ubayy ibn Khalaf (may Allah curse him) came to the
Messenger of Allah  with a dry bone in his hand, which he crumbled
and scattered in the air, saying: ‘O Muhammad, are you saying that Allah
will resurrect this?’ He said: ‘Yes. Allah  will cause you to die, then He
will resurrect you and gather you to the Fire.’ Then these verses at the end
339
of Soorat Yaa-Seen were revealed:
‫‘ ﮋ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮊ‬Does not man see that We

have created him from Nutfah (mixed male and female discharge). Yet
behold! He (stands forth) as an open opponent…’ to the end of the soorah.
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas  that al-‘Aasi ibn Waa’il picked up
a bone from the ground and crumbled it in his hand, then he said to the
Messenger of Allah : ‘Will Allah bring this back to life after what I see?’
The Messenger of Allah  said: ‘Yes, Allah will cause you to die, then He
will bring you back to life, then He will cause you to enter Hell.’”1
So the individual will be resurrected after death and the life in al-
barzakh; his soul will be breathed into him a second time, then he will
move and walk from the grave to the place of gathering. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﮊ‬
“The Day when they will come out of the graves quickly as racing
to a goal” [al-Ma‘aarij 70:43]
‫ﮋ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜﭝ ﭞ ﭟ‬
‫ﭠﭡﭢﮊ‬
“They will come forth, with humbled eyes from (their) graves as if
they were locusts spread abroad,
Hastening towards the caller, the disbelievers will say: ‘This is a
hard Day’” [al-Qamar 54:7-8].
Whoever denies the resurrection is a disbeliever, because belief in the
resurrection is one of the six pillars of faith, as it says in the famous hadith
of Jibreel.
There is a great deal of evidence for the resurrection in the Qur’an,
including the following:
• ‫“ﮋﭽﭾ ﭿ ﮊ‬Thereof (the earth) We created you” that is, in the loins
of Adam , when Allah created him from the earth; ‫“ ﮋﮀﮁﮊ‬and
into it We shall return you” that is, after death you will be returned
15 See: Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 6/593.
340
to the earth in the grave; ‫“ ﮋ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮊ‬and from it We shall
bring you out once again” – this refers to the resurrection.
• ‫“ ﮋ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮊ‬And Allah has brought you forth from the

(dust of) earth” that is, when He created Adam  from it.
‫“ ﮋ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮊ‬Afterwards He will return you into it (the earth)” that

is, after death, when you are buried in your graves. ‫ﮋ ﮅ ﮆ ﮊ‬
“and bring you forth (again on the Day of Resurrection)” – this is
the resurrection; the people will be brought forth from their graves
and will walk to the land of gathering.
‫ﮋﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ‬
‫ﭼﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮊ‬
• “And He it is Who originates the creation, then will repeat it
(after it has perished), and this is easier for Him. His is the highest
description in the heavens and in the earth. And He is the All-
Mighty, the All-Wise.” [Ar-Room 30:27]
That is because the One Who is able to create people from nothing is able
to re-create them after death.
The Qur’an also refers to some rational and tangible evidence for the
resurrection. One example of that is the changes that Allah causes to occur
in the land. You may find land that is desert, with no vegetation and no
life, but when Allah sends down rain upon it, plants grow, then the land
dries out and goes back to its former state, then rain comes back and life
returns once more, and so on. Concerning this, Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ‬
‫ﭡ ﭢﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﮊ‬
“And among His Signs (is this), that you see the earth barren, but
when We send down water (rain) to it, it is stirred to life and growth
(of vegetation). Verily, He Who gives it life, surely, (He) is Able to
give life to the dead (on the Day of Resurrection). Indeed! He is Able
to do all things” [Fussilat 41:39].
341
It may be said to those who deny the resurrection: Does it make
sense that Allah , the Just Judge, would leave people like this, without
requiting the believers for their faith and the sinners and disbelievers for
their sin and disbelief? That makes no sense. Hence Allah  says:
‫ﮋﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖ ﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ‬
‫ﮛﮊ‬
“And to Allah belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the
earth, that He may requite those who do evil with that which they
have done (i.e., punish them in Hell), and reward those who do
good, with what is best (i.e., Paradise).”[an-Najm 53:31].
This can only happen on the Day of Resurrection, when all people will
come to the Balance, in which their deeds will be weighed, and those who
were wronged will settle the score with those who wronged them, and
those who were killed will settle the score with those who killed them, as
Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ‬
‫ﯬ ﯭﯮ ﯯ ﯰ ﯱ ﮊ‬
“Or do those who earn evil deeds think that We shall hold them
equal with those who believe and do righteous good deeds, in their
present life and after their death? Worst is the judgement that they
make” [al-Jaathiyah 45:21]
‫ﮋﭤﭥﭦﭧﭨ ﭩﭪﭫﭬﭭ ﭮﭯﭰ ﮊ‬

“Shall We treat those who believe and do righteous good deeds,
as Mufsidoon (evildoers) on earth? Or shall We treat the Muttaqoon
(pious), as the Fujjar (wicked)?” [Saad 38:28].
On the Day of Resurrection, the Muslims will be divided into different
categories1:
The first category will be those who enter Paradise without being brought
to account or punished. It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas  said: The
342
َّ ِ‫ َوالنَّب‬،‫ــط‬
‫ــي َو َم َعــ ُه‬ ُ ‫الر َه ْي‬ َّ ِ‫ــت النَّب‬
ُّ ‫ــي َو َم َعــ ُه‬ ُ ‫ َف َر َأ ْي‬،‫ــم‬ ُ ‫ــى األُ َم‬
َّ َ ‫ــت َع‬ ْ ‫« ُع ِر َض‬
ِ ِ ِ َ ‫الرجـ ُـل والرجـ‬
،‫ـم‬ ٌ ‫ـوا ٌد َعظيـ‬ َ ‫ـع ِل َسـ‬ َ ‫ إِ ْذ ُرفـ‬، ٌ‫ـس َم َع ـ ُه َأ َحــد‬ َ ‫ـي َل ْيـ‬ َّ ‫ َوالنَّبِـ‬،‫ـان‬ ُ َّ َ ُ َّ
،‫ و َق ْو ُم ـ ُه‬-‫عليــه الســا ُم‬- ‫وســى‬ َ ‫ــذا ُم‬َ ‫ َه‬:‫ َف ِقيـ َـل ِل‬،‫ـم ُأ َّمتِــي‬ ْ ‫ـت َأ َّنُـ‬
ُ ‫َف َظنَنْـ‬
‫ــر‬ْ ‫ ا ْن ُظ‬:‫يــل ِل‬ َ ‫ َف ِق‬،‫يم‬ ِ
ٌ ‫ــوا ٌد َعظ‬َ ‫ َفــإِ َذا َس‬،‫ــر ُت‬ ْ ‫ َفنَ َظ‬،‫ــق‬ ِ ‫ــر إِ َل األُ ُف‬ ِ ‫َو َل ِك‬
ْ ‫ــن ا ْن ُظ‬
‫ــم‬
ْ ‫ َو َم َع ُه‬،‫ُــك‬َ ‫ــذ ِه ُأ َّمت‬
ِ ‫ ه‬:‫يــل يل‬
َ َ ‫ َف ِق‬،‫يــم‬ ِ
ٌ ‫ــوا ٌد َعظ‬ َ ‫ َفــإِ َذا َس‬،‫ــر‬ ِ ‫اآلخ‬َ ‫ــق‬ ِ ‫إِ َل األُ ُف‬
»‫اب‬ ٍ ‫ــذ‬َ ‫ َو َل َع‬،‫ــاب‬ ٍ ‫ــر ِح َس‬ ِ ْ ‫ــون اجلَنَّــ َة بِ َغ‬ َ ‫ون َأ ْل ًفــا َيدْ ُخ ُل‬ َ ‫َســ ْب ُع‬
“The nations were shown to me and I saw a Prophet with a group
of men, a Prophet with one or two men, and a Prophet with no one
with him. Then a great multitude was shown to me, and I thought
that they were my ummah, but it was said to me, ‘This is Moosa 
and his people. But look at the horizon.’ I looked, and there was a
great multitude. Then it was said to me: ‘Look at the other horizon,’
and there was (another) great multitude. It was said to me: ‘This
is your ummah, and among them are seventy thousand who will
enter Paradise without being called to account or punished.’”1
The second category is those who will be brought to account with an
easy reckoning; they are the ones who will be presented with the record
of their deeds without any examination. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ‬
‫ﮈﮊ‬
“Then, as for him who will be given his Record in his right hand,
He surely will receive an easy reckoning,
And will return to his family in joy” [al-Inshiqaaq 9-84:7].
The third category is those whose reckoning will be a thorough
examination. It was narrated from ‘Aa’ishah, the wife of the Prophet ,
that the Prophet  said:
ُ ‫ َأوليــس يقـ‬:‫ـذب» قالــت عائشــة‬

‫ـول اهلل تعــاىل ﮋ ﮀ‬ ِّ ‫« َمــن ُحوســب ُعـ‬
ِ ‫ ولكــن مــن ن‬،‫ «إنــا ذلــك العــر ُض‬:‫فقــال‬:‫ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮊ قالت‬
‫ُوقــش‬ َ ْ َ
»‫ـاب َي ِلــك‬
َ ‫احلسـ‬
343
““Whoever is examined thoroughly at the reckoning will be
punished.” I said: Didn’t Allah, may He be exalted, say: “He surely
will receive an easy reckoning” [al-Inshiqaaq 84:8]? He said:
“That is the presentation of deeds. But whoever is examined
thoroughly at the reckoning will be doomed.”1
With regard to the disbelievers, the scholars differed as to whether they
will be brought to account or not.2
Some of the scholars say that the disbelievers will not be brought to
account, because they have no good deeds to their credit; rather they will
be taken to the Fire.
Other scholars said that they will be brought to account to confirm and
make them admit their misdeeds, disbelief and heresy, then they will be
taken to the Fire.
With regard to the Balance, it is a tool with which people’s deeds will
be weighed. Good deeds will be placed in one pan and bad deeds in the
other.3 Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ‬
‫ﮥﮦﮧﮨ ﮩﮪﮫ ﮬﮭﮊ‬
“And the weighing on that day (Day of Resurrection) will be the
true (weighing). So as for those whose scale (of good deeds) will be
heavy, they will be the successful (by entering Paradise).
And as for those whose scale will be light, they are those who will
lose their own selves (by entering Hell) because they denied and
rejected Our Aayaat (proofs, verses)” [al-A‘raaf 7:8-9].
344
Whoever denies the resurrection is a disbeliever.

The evidence regarding that is the verse:
‫ﮋﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔﯕ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝﯞ ﯟ ﯠ ﯡ ﯢ ﮊ‬
“The disbelievers pretend that they will never be resurrected
(for the Account). Say (O Muhammad ): ‘Yes! By my Lord, you
will certainly be resurrected, then you will be informed of (and
recompensed for) what you did, and that is easy for Allah’” [at-
Taghaabun 64:7].
“Whoever denies the resurrection is a disbeliever” – that is because
whoever denies the resurrection has rejected one of the pillars of faith,
which is belief in the Last Day, which includes the resurrection.
The Last Day begins with the death of the sons of Adam and will last
until the reckoning; it includes the life in al-barzakh, resurrection and
what comes after that of reckoning, and Paradise or Hell. The evidence
for that is the phrase ‫“ ﮋ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮊ‬The disbelievers pretend”; what is
meant by the word translated here as pretend is lying. ‫“ ﮋ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔﯕ ﮊ‬that
they will never be resurrected”. Thus the verse indicates that denying the
resurrection constitutes disbelief.
Furthermore, Allah commanded His Prophet  to swear an oath by
Him , attesting to the resurrection, in more than one verse.
‫“ ﮋ ﯖ ﯗ ﯘ ﮊ‬Say (O Muhammad ): ‘Yes! By my Lord” – this is an oath

– ‫“ﮋ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝﯞ ﮊ‬you will certainly be resurrected, then you will be
informed of (and recompensed for) what you did”; this is the matter
attested to by this oath.
This verse is one of the three verses in which Allah commanded His
Prophet to swear an oath attesting to the resurrection. The second verse
is:
345
‫ﮋ ﰉ ﰊ ﰋﰌ ﰍ ﰎ ﰏ ﰐ ﰑﰒ ﰓ ﰔ ﰕ ﮊ‬
“And they ask you (O Muhammad ) to inform them (saying): ‘Is it
true (i.e. the torment and the establishment of the Hour; - the Day of
Resurrection)?’ Say: ‘Yes! By my Lord! It is the very truth! and you
cannot escape from it!’” [Yoonus 10:53].
And the third verse is:
‫ﮋﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ‬
‫ﮊﮋﮌﮍﮎﮏﮐﮑ ﮒﮓ ﮔ ﮕﮖ ﮗﮘﮙ‬
‫ﮚ ﮛ ﮜ ﮝ ﮞ ﮟﮠ ﮡ ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮊ‬
“Those who disbelieve say: ‘The Hour will not come to us.’ Say:
‘Yes, by my Lord, it will come to you.’(Allah, He is) the All-Knower
of the unseen, not even the weight of an atom (or a small ant) or less
than that or greater, escapes from His Knowledge in the heavens or
in the earth, but it is in a Clear Book (Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz).
That He may recompense those who believe and do righteous good
deeds. Those, theirs is forgiveness and Rizqun Kareem (generous
provision, i.e. Paradise)’” [Saba’ 34:3-4].
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Allah sent all the Messengers as bringers

of glad tidings and warners. The evidence
regarding that is the verse:
‫ﮋﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈﮉ ﮊ ﮋ ﮌ‬
‫ﮍﮊ‬
“Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning, in
order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the
Messengers. And Allah is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise” [an-Nisa’
4:165].
“Allah sent all the Messengers…” – We have seen above that belief in the
Messengers is one of the pillars of faith that are mentioned in the hadith
of Jibreel , in all of which we are required to believe, from the first of
them to the last. Whoever denies a single Messenger among them has
disbelieved in all of them, as Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ‬
‫ﭽﭾﭿﮀﮁ ﮂﮃﮄﮅﮆﮇﮈﮉ‬
‫ﮊ ﮋﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮊ‬
“Verily, those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers and
wish to make distinction between Allah and His Messengers (by
believing in Allah and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying,
‘We believe in some but reject others,’ and wish to adopt a way in
between,
They are in truth disbelievers. And We have prepared for the
disbelievers a humiliating torment”[an-Nisa’ 4:150-151].
The number of Messages is great, as is stated in the hadith. It was narrated
347
from Abu Umaamah  that a man said: O Messenger of Allah, was Adam
a prophet? He said:
‫ «عــر‬:‫ كــم بينــه وبــن نــوح؟ قــال‬:‫ قــال‬،»‫ ُمع َّلــم ُمك َّلــم‬،‫«نعــم‬
:‫ قالــوا‬،»‫ «عــر قــرون‬:‫ كــم بــن نــوح وإبراهيــم؟ قــال‬:‫ قــال‬،»‫قــرون‬
‫مجــا‬ َ ‫ «ثال َثامئــة ومخـ‬:‫ كــم كانــت الرسـ ُـل؟ قــال‬،‫اهلل‬ ‫يــا رســول‬
ًّ ‫ـس عــر َة‬
»‫غفــرا‬
ً
“Yes; he was taught and spoken to [by Allah].” The man said: How
long was there between him and Nooh? He said: “Ten generations.”
The man said: How long was there between Nooh and Ibraaheem?
He said: “Ten generations.” They said: O Messenger of Allah, how
many Messengers were there? He said: “Three hundred and fifteen,
a good number.”1
What is required is to believe in all the Messengers, both those whose
names have been mentioned and those whose names have not been
mentioned, as noted above.
15 Al-Haakim, 3039.
348
The first of them was Nooh  and the last of

them was Muhammad . The evidence that the
first of them was Nooh  is the verse:
‫ﮋﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛﮊ‬
“Verily, We have inspired you (O Muhammad ) as We inspired
Nooh (Noah) and the Prophets after him” [an-Nisa’ 4:163].
“The first of them was Nooh …” That is, the first of the Messengers
was Nooh . Allah sent him to his people when they exaggerated about
the righteous. Before that, the people had followed the religion of Tawheed,
from the time of Adam  until the time of Nooh , approximately ten
generations, until the Shaytaan, at that time, gradually led the people
to associate others with Allah, step-by-step. The first step was carving
statues in the image of some men who were known to be righteous at that
time. Then the Shaytaan made fair-seeming to them the idea that looking
at the statues would motivate them to worship, when they remembered
and thought of these righteous men. They called each idol by the name
of one of those righteous men, and these names are mentioned in the
Qur’an:
‫ﮋﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﮊ‬
“And they have said: You shall not leave your gods, nor shall you
leave Wadd, nor Suwaa‘, nor Yaghooth, nor Ya‘ooq, nor Nasr (names
of the idols)” [Nooh 71:23].
This was the first step; the issue of venerating those idols or associating
others with Allah was not present at this stage. After the demise of the
first generation, the generation that came after them added a kind of
veneration that was not known to the first generation. Then this veneration
349
increased, generation after generation, until those idols were worshipped
besides Allah, and the people took them as gods.
This was narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh, with an isnaad from
Ibn ‘Abbaas , who said:
‫ب َب ْعــدُ ؛ َأ َّمــا َو ٌّد‬ ِ ‫ــر‬َ ‫ُــوح ِف ال َع‬ٍ ‫ــو ِم ن‬ ْ ‫َــت ِف َق‬ ْ ‫ــان ا َّلتِــي كَان‬ُ ‫ت األَ ْو َث‬ ِ ‫«صــار‬
َ َ
‫ـوث‬ ُ ‫ َو َأ َّمــا َي ُغـ‬،‫ـل‬ٍ ‫ـت ِل ُ َذ ْيـ‬ْ ‫اع كَا َنـ‬
ٌ ‫ـو‬ َ ‫ َو َأ َّمــا ُسـ‬،‫جلنْــدَ ِل‬
ِ
َ ‫ـب بِدُ و َمــة ا‬ٍ ‫ـت لِ َك ْلـ‬ ْ ‫كَا َنـ‬
ُ ‫ َو َأ َّمــا َي ُعـ‬،ٍ‫ف ِعنْــدَ َسـ َبإ‬ ِ ‫ـف بِاجلــو‬ ٍ ‫اد ُثــم لِبنِــي ُغ َطيـ‬ ٍ ‫ـت ُلِــر‬
‫ـت‬ ْ ‫ـوق َفكَا َنـ‬ ْ َ ْ َ َّ َ ْ ‫َفكَا َنـ‬
ٍ ‫ َأســاء ِر َج‬،ِ‫َــت ِلمــر ِل ِل ِذي الــك ََلع‬ َ َ‫ِل َ ْمــد‬
‫ــال‬ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ ْ ‫َــر َفكَان‬ ٌ ْ ‫ َو َأ َّمــا ن‬،‫ان‬
ِ ِ َ ‫ال‬ ِ ‫ص‬
‫ــم‬ْ ‫ان إِ َل َق ْوم ِه‬ ُ ‫الشــ ْي َط‬ َّ ‫ــا َه َلكُــوا َأ ْو َحــى‬ َّ ‫ َف َل‬،‫ُــوح‬
ٍ ‫ــو ِم ن‬ ْ ‫ــن مــ ْن َق‬ َ
،‫وها بِ َأ ْسـ َـا ِئ ِه ْم‬َ ‫ـم‬ ُّ ‫ َو َسـ‬،‫ـون َأن َْصا ًبــا‬ َ ‫ي ِل ُسـ‬ ِ ِ ‫َأنِان ِْصبــوا إِ َل َمَالِ ِسـ‬
ْ َ ‫ـه ُم َّلتي كَا ُنــوا‬ ُ
»‫ــم ُعبِــدَ ْت‬ ِ َ ‫ــك و َتنَس‬ ِ َ ‫ َحتَّــى إِ َذا َه َل‬، ْ‫ــم ُت ْع َبــد‬
ُ ‫ــخ الع ْل‬ َّ َ َ ‫ــك ُأو َلئ‬ ْ ‫ َف َل‬،‫َف َف َع ُلــوا‬
The idols of the people of Nooh ended up among the Arabs later on.
Wadd belonged to (the tribe of) Kalb in Dawmat al-Jandal. Suwaa‘
belonged to Hudhayl. Yaghooth belonged to Muraad, then to Bani
Ghutayf in al-Jawf, near Sabaa’. Ya‘ooq belonged to Hamdaan.
Nasr belonged to Himyar of Aal Dhi’l-Kalaa’. These were names
of righteous men from the people of Nooh. When they died, the
Shaytaan inspired their people to set up idols in the places where
they used to sit, and to call those idols by their names. They did
that but they did not worship them, but after those people died and
knowledge [of the origin of those idols] had been forgotten, then
they began to be worshipped.1
350
To every nation Allah sent a Messenger, from Nooh

to Muhammad , to enjoin them to worship Allah
alone and forbid them to worship taaghoot (false
gods). The evidence for that is the verse:
‫ﮋﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﮊ‬
avoid (or keep away from) Taghoot (all false deities)’” [an-Nahl
16:36].
Allah has enjoined upon all people to reject taaghoot and believe in Allah.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “What is meant by
taaghoot is when a person oversteps the bounds with regard to anything
that is worshipped, or anyone who is followed, or anyone who is obeyed.”
Taaghoot is of many types.
“To every nation Allah sent a Messenger…” that is, Allah  did not
leave any nation except He sent to them a Messenger to establish proof
against them, lest they have any argument against Him after the sending
of the Messengers. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯧ ﯨ ﯩ ﯪ ﯫ ﯬ ﯭ ﮊ‬
“And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give
warning)” [al-Isra’ 17:15]
‫ﮋﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮊ‬
“And there is not a single Ummah (community) but amongst them
there came (some) Warner” [Faatir 35:24].
The call of all of the messengers, from the first of them to the last, was to
affirm the oneness of Allah (Tawheed). Allah  says:
351
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﮊ‬
“And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad
) but We inspired him (saying): Laa ilaaha illa Ana (none has the
right to be worshipped but I (Allah)), so worship Me (Alone and
none else)” [al-Anbiya’ 21:25]
Allah  says: “And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community,
nation) a Messenger” [an-Nahl 16:36], and everything that is worshipped
besides Allah is taaghoot. What is meant by “and avoid (or keep away
from) Taghoot” is: avoid worshipping idols, graves and other false gods.
Allah  created all of creation for the purpose of singling out Him
alone for worship, with no partner or associate, and to reject taaghoot.
Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂﰃ ﰄ ﰅ ﰆ ﰇ ﰈﰉ ﰊ ﰋ ﰌ ﰍ ﰎ ﰏ‬
‫ﰐﰑﰒﰓﰔﰕ ﮊ‬
“There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become
distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taaghoot
and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy
handhold that will never break” [al-Baqarah 2:256].
Allah mentions taaghoot in many verses, including the following:
‫ﰐ ﰑ ﰒ ﰓ ﰔ ﰕﰖ ﰗ ﰘ ﰙ ﰚ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ‬
‫ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ‬
‫ﭣﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﮊ‬
“There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has
become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in
Taaghoot and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most
trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All-
Hearer, All-Knower.
Allah is the Walee (Protector or Guardian) of those who believe.
He brings them out from darkness into light. But as for those who
352
disbelieve, their Awliyaa’ (supporters and helpers) are Taaghoot
(false deities and false leaders), they bring them out from light into
darkness. Those are the dwellers of the Fire, and they will abide
therein forever” [al-Baqarah 2:256-257]
‫ﮋﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼ ﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀ‬
‫ﰁﰂ ﰃﰄﰅﰆﰇﰈﮊ‬
“Have you not seen those who were given a portion of the Scripture?
They believe in Jibt and Taaghoot and say to the disbelievers that they
are better guided as regards the way than the believers (Muslims).”
[an-Nisa’ 4:51]
‫ﮐﮑﮊ‬
avoid (or keep away from) Taaghoot (all false deities).’ Then of them
were some whom Allah guided and of them were some upon whom
the straying was justified. So travel through the land and see what
was the end of those who denied (the truth)” [an-Nahl 16:36].
In linguistic terms, taaghoot is taken from the word tughyaan, which
refers to overstepping the mark.1 The phrase tagha al-maa’ (the water rose
beyond its limits) refers to water levels rising and overflowing, as in the
verse:
‫ﮋﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﮊ‬
“Verily! When the water rose beyond its limits, We carried you
(mankind) in the floating (ship that was constructed by Nooh
(Noah))”[al-Haaqqah 69:11].
In Islamic terminology, the meaning of taaghoot is what was explained by
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) and quoted by the shaykh
here: “What is meant by taaghoot is when a person oversteps the bounds
15 Maqaayees al-Lughah by Ibn Faaris, 3/412.
353
with regard to anything that is worshipped, or anyone who is followed,
or anyone who is obeyed.” This definition is comprehensive and covers
everything, because Allah has set limits for the individual, within which
he must remain; He has commanded that He alone be worshipped, with
no partner or associate; and He has enjoined us to follow His Messenger
. So whoever goes against this command has undoubtedly transgressed
and overstepped the mark.
Based on that, the one who is worshipped by people and approves of
their worship of him is taaghoot, like Pharaoh and Nimrod, and also like
the shaykhs of extreme Sufi tareeqahs whose followers worship them, and
they approve of that.
Allah  has commanded all people to follow Muhammad , and it
is not permissible for anyone to follow anyone else in going against his
teachings. Whoever follows someone else in going against his teachings
is taaghoot.
One example of that is what some Sufis say, that they have the right to
go beyond the limits set by Islamic sharee‘ah and that they do not have
to follow the Prophet , because they claim that they learn and receive
from the original source from which the Messenger  learned, meaning
directly from Allah; their transgression goes as far as that. Undoubtedly
these people are the leaders and prominent figures of taaghoot, because
there is no way to reach Allah  except by following His Messenger .
Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸﭹ ﭺ ﭻ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ‬
‫ﭿ ﮀ ﮁﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊ‬
“Say (O Muhammad  to mankind): ‘If you (really) love Allah then
follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your sins. And Allah
is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’ Say (O Muhammad ): ‘Obey
Allah and the Messenger (Muhammad ).’ But if they turn away,
then Allah does not like the disbelievers” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:31-32].
Similarly, some fanatical followers of the fiqhi madhhabs, when verses
and hadiths that differ with their madhhab are recited to them, say: Our
madhhab says something different! In some cases, the matter goes as far
354
as what the great scholar and faqeeh Muhammad Safar al-Madani said in
his brief poem Risaalat al-Huda:
“Some people say: ‘If one hundred hadiths narrated by trustworthy
narrators were quoted to me,
and one opinion of the imam was told to me, I would give the latter
precedence.’ Look at what he is saying!”1
Such notions are undoubtedly reprehensible; we ask Allah to keep us
safe and sound. Hence the shaykh included in Kitaab at-Tawheed a chapter
entitled “Chapter on those who obey the scholars and rulers in regarding
as prohibited that which Allah has permitted, or regarding as permissible
that which Allah has prohibited, for they have taken them as lords besides
Allah.”2 This is one of the most important chapters in Kitaab at-Tawheed.
Absolute obedience is only for Allah and His Messenger, because what
is permissible is that which Allah has permitted, and what is prohibited is
that which Allah has forbidden; no one has the right to share with Allah
in determining what is permissible and what is prohibited. Hence Allah
has ruled that the one who issues rulings of his own accord regarding
what is permissible and what is prohibited, or obeys someone who does
that, is a mushrik who has associated others with Him. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼ ﯽ ﯾﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﰃ ﰄ ﰅ ﰆ‬
‫ﰇ ﰈ ﰉ ﰊ ﰋ ﰌ ﰍﰎ ﰏ ﰐ ﰑ ﰒ ﮊ‬
“O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger
(Muhammad ), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority.
(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah
and His Messenger , if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day.
That is better and more suitable for final determination” [an-Nisa’
4:59]
‫ﮋﯺ ﯻ ﯼ ﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﰃ ﰄ ﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ‬
‫ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﭣﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ‬
15 Risaalat al-Huda fi’l-Ittibaa‘ li’n-Nabi al-Muqtada (sall-Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) by Muham-
mad Sa‘eed Safar al-Madani, p. 55.
25 Kitaab at-Tawheed, Chapter 37, p. 102.
355
‫ﭩ ﭪﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵﭶ ﭷ ﭸ‬
‫ﭹﭺ ﭻﭼﭽ ﭾﭿﮀﮁﮂﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆﮇﮈ‬
‫ﮉﮊ ﮋ ﮌ ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮊ‬
“So eat of that (meat) on which Allah’s Name has been pronounced
(while slaughtering the animal), if you are believers in His Aayaat
(proofs, revelations).
And why should you not eat of that (meat) on which Allah’s Name
has been pronounced (at the time of slaughtering the animal),
while He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you,
except under compulsion of necessity? And surely many do lead
(mankind) astray by their own desires through lack of knowledge.
Certainly your Lord knows best the transgressors.
Leave (O mankind, all kinds of) sin, open and secret. Verily, those
who commit sin will get due recompense for that which they used
to commit.
Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allah’s Name has not
been pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal),
for sure it is Fisq (a sin and disobedience to Allah). And certainly,
the Shayaateen (devils) do inspire their friends (from mankind) to
dispute with you, and if you obey them (by making Al-Maytah
(a dead animal) legal by eating it), then you would indeed be
Mushrikoon (polytheists)” [al-An‘aam 6:118-121].
Based on that, it is not permissible for anyone to regard anything as
halaal or haraam based on his own opinion, or to obey someone else who
regards anything as halaal or haraam based on his own opinion; whoever
does that is taaghoot or is obeying taaghoot who seek to rule what is halaal
or haraam instead of Allah. This is what Ibn al-Qayyim meant when he
said “anyone who is obeyed.”
NOTE: Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said: “Those in authority are to be
obeyed, according to Islamic teachings, if they enjoin that which is not
contrary to the command of Allah and His Messenger. In that case,
they cannot be called taaghoot, and their right over the people under
356
their authority is that the people should listen and obey. The people’s
obedience to those in authority – in this case, if this condition is met – is
also obedience to Allah , because Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼ ﯽ ﯾﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﰃ ﰄ ﰅ ﰆ‬
‫ﰇ ﰈ ﰉ ﰊ ﰋ ﰌ ﰍﰎ ﰏ ﰐ ﰑ ﰒ ﮊ‬
‘O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger
(Muhammad ), and those of you (Muslims) who are in authority.
(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allah
and His Messenger , if you believe in Allah and in the Last Day.
That is better and more suitable for final determination’ [an-Nisa’
4:59].”1
He also said: “With regard to people and their rulers, there are four
scenarios:
The first is where the spiritual deterrent (based on fear of Allah) and
the temporal deterrent (based on fear of the authorities) are both strong.
This is the best and most sublime scenario.
The second is where the spiritual deterrent and the temporal deterrent
are both weak. This is the worst scenario and the most dangerous for
society, for both rulers and subjects, because if the spiritual deterrent is
weak, and the temporal deterrent is also weak, then there will be chaos
on the intellectual, moral and behavioural levels.
The third is where the spiritual deterrent is weak, but the temporal
deterrent is strong. This is a middle path, because if the temporal deterrent
is strong, that is better for the well-being of the ummah on an outward
level, but if the power of the authorities weakens and disappears, then do
not ask how bad the situation of the ummah and how bad their conduct
will be.
The fourth is where the spiritual deterrent is strong, but the temporal
deterrent is weak. In that case things will appear to be worse than in the
third scenario, but the relationship between the individual and his Lord
will be better and more perfect.”2
15 Majmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasaa’il al-‘Uthaymeen, 2/199.
25 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool, by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, p. 151-152.
357
The leaders of taaghoot are five:

Iblees (may Allah curse him); …
“The leaders of taaghoot are five” means: the leaders of taaghoot, according
to the definition given by Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him),
are five:
The first is “Iblees (may Allah curse him).” He is called Iblees because
he despaired (ablasa) of mercy. The mublis is the one who despairs of
something. When Iblees refused to prostrate to Adam, disobeying Allah
and showing arrogance, he said:
‫ﮋﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠ ﭡ ﭢ ﮊ‬
“I am better than him (Adam), You created me from fire, and him
You created from clay” [al-A‘raaf 7:12].
Allah punished him by casting him out from His mercy and depriving
him of His blessings.
Iblees is the leader of taaghoot because he is the one who enjoins the
worship of others besides Allah, and he is the one who enjoins following
people other than the Messenger of Allah .
358
… the one who is worshipped and is pleased

with that; the one who calls people
to worship him; the one who claims to
have any knowledge of the unseen; …
The second is “the one who is worshipped and is pleased with that” that
is, he is pleased to have this worship devoted to him instead of Allah. As
for the one who is worshipped and is not pleased with that, such a one
is not taaghoot. ‘Eesaa  was worshipped alongside Allah, but he is not
pleased with that. Allah  says:
‫ﮋ ﭼ ﭽ ﭾ ﭿ ﮀ ﮁ ﮂ ﮃ ﮄ ﮅ ﮆ ﮇ ﮈ ﮉ ﮊﮋ ﮌ‬
‫ﮍ ﮎ ﮏ ﮐ ﮑ ﮒ ﮓ ﮔ ﮕ ﮖﮗ ﮘ ﮙ ﮚ ﮛ ﮜﮝ ﮞ ﮟ ﮠ ﮡ‬
‫ﮢ ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦﮧ ﮨ ﮩ ﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ ﮱ ﯓ ﯔ ﯕ ﯖ ﯗ‬
‫ﯘ ﯙﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﯞ ﯟ ﯠﯡ ﯢ ﯣ ﯤ ﯥ ﯦ ﯧﯨ ﯩ ﯪ‬
‫ﯫ ﯬﯭﮊ‬
“And (remember) when Allah will say (on the Day of Resurrection):
‘O ‘Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Did you say unto men:
Worship me and my mother as two gods besides Allah?’ He will
say: ‘Glory be to You! It was not for me to say what I had no right
(to say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely have known it.
You know what is in my inner self though I do not know what is in
Yours, truly, You, only You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden
and unseen.
‘Never did I say to them aught except what You (Allah) did
command me to say: Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. And
I was a witness over them while I dwelt amongst them, but when
359
You took me up, You were the Watcher over them, and You are a
Witness to all things’” [al-Maa’idah 5:116-117].
The third is “the one who calls people to worship him” such as Pharaoh,
who called people to worship him and said:
‫ﮋﭹﭺﭻﮊ‬
“I am your lord, most high” [an-Naazi‘aat 79:24].
Other examples include Nimrod and the extreme Sufis who call people
to worship them, and even leave instructions that people should worship
them after they die. All of these come under the heading of taaghoot.
The fourth is “the one who claims to have any knowledge of the unseen.”
This includes practitioners of witchcraft, astrologers, fortunetellers and
others who claim to have knowledge of the unseen. All of them come
under the heading of taaghoot because no one has knowledge of the
unseen except Allah alone, as He  says:
‫ﮋﭧ ﭨ ﭩ ﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯ ﭰ ﮊ‬
“Say: None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghayb (unseen)
except Allah” [an-Naml 27:65],
or one of His Messengers whom Allah informs of some matter of the
unseen for the purpose of guiding people, or as a sign for a Messenger.
Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯵ ﯶ ﯷ ﯸ ﯹ ﯺ ﯻ ﯼ ﯽ ﯾ ﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂ ﰃ ﰄ‬
‫ﰅﰆ ﰇﰈﰉﮊ‬
“(He Alone) the All-Knower of the Ghayb (unseen), and He reveals
to none His Ghayb (unseen),
Except to a Messenger (from mankind) whom He has chosen, and
then He makes a band of watching guards (angels) to march before
him and behind him” [al-Jinn 72:26-27].
So whoever claims to have knowledge of the unseen has made himself a
partner with Allah with regard to something that is exclusive to Him ,
so he is a taaghoot. This is one of the worst kinds of apostasy from Islam.
360
You should understand – may Allah have mercy on you – that the
unseen (al-ghayb) refers to everything that is hidden (ghaaba) from the
individual. It is of two types1:
1. The “relative unseen”, such as things that happen which are known
to some people and unknown to others
2. The “true unseen”, such as matters in the future. No one knows
that except Allah alone, or those of the Messengers whom Allah
informs of such matters. Whoever claims to have knowledge of
this is a disbeliever, because he has disbelieved Allah  and His
Messenger.
15 Sharh al-‘Aqeedah at-Tahhaawiyyah by al-Barraak, p. 170.
361
… and the one who rules according to something

other than that which Allah has revealed.
The fifth type of taaghoot is that which the author mentions when he
says: “… and the one who rules according to something other than that
which Allah has revealed.” Ruling in accordance with that which Allah 
has revealed comes under the heading of Tawheed ar-ruboobiyyah (Oneness
of divine Lordship), because it is implementing the ruling of Allah, which
is something that stems from His Lordship, His perfect sovereignty and
His control. Hence Allah  described those who are followed in matters
that are based on something other than that which Allah has revealed as
being “lords” (arbaab) for those who follow them. Allah  says:
‫ﮋﭑ ﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ‬
‫ﭠﭡﭢ ﭣ ﭤﭥﭦﭧﭨﭩﭪﭫﭬ ﭭ‬
‫ﭮﭯﭰﭱ ﭲﭳﭴﭵﭶ ﭷﭸﭹﭺﭻ‬
‫ﭼﭽ ﭾﭿﮀﮁ ﮂﮃﮄ ﮅﮆ‬
‫ﮇﮈﮉﮊﮋﮌ ﮍ ﮎﮏﮐﮑﮒﮓﮔ‬
‫ﮕ ﮖﮗﮘﮙﮚﮛﮜﮝ ﮞﮟﮠﮡﮢ‬
‫ﮣ ﮤ ﮥ ﮦ ﮧ ﮨ ﮩﮪ ﮫ ﮬ ﮭ ﮮ ﮯ ﮰ‬
‫ﮱﯓﯔﯕﯖ ﯗﯘﯙﯚﯛﯜﯝﯞ‬
‫ﯟ ﯠﯡﯢﯣﯤ ﯥﯦﯧ ﯨﯩﯪﯫ‬
‫ﯬﯭﯮﮊ‬
“Have you seen those (hypocrites) who claim that they believe in
that which has been sent down to you, and that which was sent down
before you, and they wish to go for judgement (in their disputes) to
the Taaghoot (false judges) while they have been ordered to reject
362
them. But Shaytaan (Satan) wishes to lead them far astray.
And when it is said to them: ‘Come to what Allah has sent down
and to the Messenger (Muhammad ),’ you (Muhammad ) see the
hypocrites turn away from you with aversion.
How then, when a catastrophe befalls them because of what their
hands have sent forth, they come to you swearing by Allah, ‘We
meant no more than goodwill and conciliation!’
They (hypocrites) are those of whom Allah knows what is in their
hearts; so turn aside from them (do not punish them) but admonish
them, and speak to them an effective word to reach their inner
selves.
We sent no Messenger, but to be obeyed by Allah’s Leave. If they
(hypocrites), when they had been unjust to themselves, had come
to you (Muhammad ) and begged Allah’s Forgiveness, and the
Messenger had begged forgiveness for them: indeed, they would
have found Allah All-Forgiving (One Who accepts repentance),
Most Merciful.
But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you
(O Muhammad ) judge in all disputes between them, and find in
themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them)
with full submission” [an-Nisa’ 4:60-65].
These verses mention what the hypocrites did. To explain in further detail:
1. They wanted to refer for judgement to taaghoot (false judges).
2. When they were called to that which Allah had sent down and
to the Messenger, they turned away.
3. When a catastrophe befell them because of what they had done,
they came and swore that they had only intended good will and
conciliation, like those today who reject the rulings of Islam and
rule according to laws that are contrary to Islamic laws, claiming
that that is a good thing which is in harmony with modern times.
In this verse, Allah  swears an oath by His Lordship (ruboobiyyah) to His
Messenger, affirming that faith cannot be sound unless three conditions
363
are met:
1. That reference be made in all disputes to the Messenger of Allah
.
2. That people feel content with his ruling, and feel no resistance
or discomfort in their hearts concerning that.
3. That there be full submission and acceptance of the Prophet’s
verdict, and that his verdict be implemented without any delay
or distortion.
As for ruling according to something other than that which Allah has
revealed, that may be divided into several categories1 :
1. Those who do not rule according to that which Allah has
revealed out of disrespect for the Prophet’s verdict or because
they believe that something else is better than it. Such a one is
a disbeliever whose disbelief takes him beyond the bounds of
Islam,
revealed, but that is not out of disrespect or because they
believe that something else is better than it. Such a one is a
wrongdoer (zaalim), but he is not a disbeliever, and the extent
of his wrongdoing may vary according to the system of law and
method of ruling that he follows.
revealed, but that is not out of disrespect or because they believe
that something else is better than it; rather such a one does that
in order to issue a verdict in favour of the one concerning whom
the verdict is issued, or because of a bribe or some other worldly
gain. Such a one is an evildoer (faasiq), but he is not a disbeliever,
and the extent of his evildoing may vary according to the system
of law and method of ruling that he follows.
364
The evidence regarding that is the verse:
‫ﰐ ﰑ ﰒ ﰓ ﰔ ﰕﰖ ﰗ ﰘ ﰙ ﮊ‬
“There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has
become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in
Taaghoot and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most
trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All-
Hearer, All-Knower” [al-Baqarah 2:256].
This is the meaning of Laa ilaaha illa Allah (none has the right to be
worshipped but Allah alone). In the hadith it says: “The head of the
matter is Islam, …
‫’“ ﮋ ﯿ ﰀ ﰁ ﰂﰃ ﮊ‬There is no compulsion in religion…’ This is the

meaning of Laa ilaaha illa Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but
Allah alone). In the hadith it says: ‘The head of the matter is Islam.’”1 That
is, no one should be forced to become Muslim, because becoming Muslim
must be based on conviction and belief in the heart. There is nothing in
Islam – praise be to Allah – that is to be disliked; rather it is all to be liked
and loved. Disbelief is all evil and is all to be disliked. The one is distinct
from the other, and the path of guidance, which is truth, is clear and
distinct from misguidance, which is falsehood. Humans possess reason
and can think and weigh up truth and falsehood.
‫“ ﮋ ﰊ ﰋ ﰌ ﰍ ﰎ ﮊ‬Whoever disbelieves in Taaghoot and

believes in Allah”: disbelief in taaghoot is mentioned first, before belief
in Allah; this is in accordance with the rule which says that you should
cleanse yourself before you adorn yourself, because belief in Allah is of
no benefit except after disbelieving in taaghoot. Whoever believes in Allah
15 Sunan at-Tirmidhi, annotated by Shaakir, 2616.
365
but has not disbelieved in taaghoot, his faith will not benefit him. Allah 
says:
‫ﮐﮑﮊ‬
avoid (or keep away from) Taaghoot (all false deities).’ Then of them
were some whom Allah guided and of them were some upon whom
the straying was justified. So travel through the land and see what
was the end of those who denied (the truth)” [an-Nahl 16:36].
“The head of the matter is Islam” – we have noted above that Islam means
submitting to Allah by affirming His Oneness, and submitting to Him by
obeying Him and disavowing shirk and its proponents. This is the head
of the matter. The twin declaration of faith is the head and foundation of
Islam, so no one can become Muslim unless he utters both parts of the
twin declaration of faith, understands both, acts upon both and believes
in both.
366
“… its foundation is prayer, and its pinnacle

is jihad in Allah’s cause.”
And Allah knows best. May Allah send blessings and peace upon
Muhammad and upon his family and companions.
“And its foundation is prayer…” That is, prayer is the pillar of Islam
on which it is based, and it is not based on anything else.
“and its pinnacle is jihad in Allah’s cause.” Jihad in Allah’s cause is
the pinnacle of Islam because it is indicative of the power of this religion.
Jihad cannot be truly achieved without strong faith and physical strength.
Allah  says:
‫ﮋﯘ ﯙ ﯚ ﯛ ﯜ ﯝ ﮊ‬
“And make ready against them all you can of power” [al-Anfaal
8:60].
The author concludes his essay with the words: “And Allah knows best.
May Allah send blessings and peace upon Muhammad and upon his
family and companions.”
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
367
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A COMMENTARY ON

‘Abd ar-Rahmaan ibn ‘Abd al-Muhsin

Foreword by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan. . . . . . . . . . .8-9

Four issues that we must learn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

1. Knowledge, which is: learning about Allah, learning

Three issues that we must learn

1. That Allah has created us and has granted us provision,

3. Whoever obeys the Messenger and affirms the oneness

The first fundamental principle: Knowing the Lord . . . . . . . . . . . 120

• Types of worship which Allah has enjoined

The second fundamental principle:

The third fundamental principle:

• Resurrection after death

Foreword by His Excellency

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan

Foreword by Shaykh Saalih ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azeez

Foreword by His Excellency the Minister

Minister for Islamic Affairs, Da‘wah and Irshaad

In the name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

1. It is one of the concise

15 Jaami‘ Bayaan al-‘Ilm wa Fadlihi by al-Haafiz Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr, 1/431.

15 Fath al-Baari by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar, 1/121.

»‫ا؛وج َبت له اجلن ُة‬ ٍ ِ

3. The great significance of the

«َ‫ دخل الجنة‬،‫اهلل‬

A brief biography of the author

He is the imam and mujaddid, Shaykh al-Islam Muhammad ibn ‘Abd

15 ‘Unwaan al-Majd fi Taareekh Najd, 1/180.

A word about the title of the book

Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh said: The shaykh (may Allah

15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by Shaykh Saalih Aal ash-Shaykh, p. 11.

Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool wa Adillatuha

15 At-Tafseer al-Muyassar, 1/1.

You should understand,

The phrase translated here as “You should understand” appears in the

»‫يرحمهم الرحم ُن‬

Four issues that we must learn

»‫«الكافية الشافية يف االنتصار للفرقة الناجية‬

15 See: Fath al-Baari, 1/141.

1. Knowledge, which is: learning about Allah,

15 Ifaadat al-Mas’ool, p. 89.

iii. Rational evidence for Prophethood, meaning that it was inevitable

15 Ifaadat al-Mas’ool, p. 910.

2. Acting in accordance with it

“Acting in accordance with it” means acting in accordance with this

»‫النار ثالث ٌة‬ َ ‫«إن‬

4. Bearing with patience what one experiences of

In linguistic terms, the word sabr (patience) is the opposite of panic.

The evidence for that is the

15 See: as-Sihaah by al-Jawhari, p. 706; Lisaan al-‘Arab by Ibn Manzoor, 4/437.

‫“ ﮋ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﮊ‬Man is in loss” [al-‘Asr 103:2]

‫“ ﮋ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﮊ‬Except those who believe” [al-‘Asr 103:3];

15 See: Miftaah Daar as-Sa‘aadah, 1/153.

15 Zaad al-Ma‘aad, 3/9.

Ash-Shaafa‘i (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

15 Al-Majmoo‘, 1/12; Tahdheeb al-Asmaa’ wa’l-Lughaat, 1/54.

Al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

You should understand – may Allah have mercy on

1. That Allah has created us …

15 Sharh Thalaathat al-Usool by al-‘Uthaymeen, p. 29.

The verse refers to this rational evidence in a brilliant way, as Allah 

… and has granted us provision…