Aqeedah Posts (Links to Post 1-5)

As Salaamu Alaykum,

As many of the readers will be aware, Masha-Allah, with the help and will of Allah the posts relating to Aqeedah have come to an end.

The Aqeedah (Beliefs) was of the Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah, according to the school of the jusrist of this Religion, Imaam Abu Haneefah an-Nu'man ibn Thabit al-Kufi.

Following are the links to all six posts:

Post 1

Post 2

Post 3

Post 4

Post 5

It should be noted that the bold text is the extract from the book "al Aqeedatut-Tahaawiyyah" of Imam Abu Ja'far Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Salamah bin Salmah bin 'Abd al Malik bin Salmah bin Sulaim bin Sulaiman bin Jawab Azdi, popularly known as Imam Tahawi.

Furthermore, The Tahaawiyyah itself is a simple statement of Sunni belief. It is so simple that it is consistent with both Maturidi and Ashari Aqeedah. Imam Subki Rahimahullah mentioned that it differs with the Ashari school only on three very minor, subtle points. It is closer yet to the Maturidi school, for it is very much a Hanafi-influenced theological school, and Imam Tahawi was transmitting the Sunni beliefs of Imam Abu Hanifa Rahimahullah and his companions Rahimahumullah.

May Allah give us the strength and ability to understand and accept the correct beliefs of Islam and to hold steadfast upon them in a time where each and every person's belief is questioned and tested. Aameen.

Wasalaam

AQEEDAH (Post 5)

91. There is benefit for dead people in the supplication and alms-giving of the living.

When a person dies his entire good actions stop, he personally cannot commit any good deeds that will earn him any reward. However, he may perform such a deed which continues to derive benefit to the people even after he is deceased. Such deeds will continue to reap rewards for the deceased and will be given to him. A few deeds that have been mentioned in the Hadeeth are:

A pious son, who may pray for him or benefit other; A mosque that he built or help build, in which people will worship Allah Ta'ala; A Qur'an that he left behind for the use of people, they shall pray this and he shall receive its reward; Alms that are given on his behalf, when a good act is done and its rewards are sent to the deceased he receives them.

92. Allah responds to people's supplications and gives them what they ask for.

Our belief is that Allah Ta'ala answers our calls and accepts our prayers. However, this acceptance of prayers is not necessarily how we see it. At times when we ask for something, Allah Ta'ala gives us exactly what we want. At other times when we ask for something, he does not give us that thing, but instead gives us something better. But sometimes when we ask for something we don't get it at all, but this is only in this world, for Allah Ta'ala will take that into account and give us the reward for that in the hereafter. The reward of such a Du'aa will be so immense that people will start wishing that non of their Du'aas were accepted in this world.

It should also be remembered, that the acceptance of Du'aa is based on every individual. Once a Sahaabi asked our Beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam to make Du'aa for him. In reply to this, the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam told him that he should eat Halal, for if he did then his own Du'aas would be accepted, and if he did not, then it would be of no use of even the Prophet making Du'aa for him.

This does not mean that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam's Du'aa would not have been accepted by Allah Ta'ala, but instead the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam is showing the people the importance of Halaal food and earnings and how it affects one's Du'aas.

93. Allah has absolute control over everything and nothing has any control over Him. Nothing can be independent of Allah even for the blinking of an eye, and whoever considers himself independent of Allah for the blinking of an eye is guilty of unbelief and becomes one of the people of perdition.

Allah Ta'ala has absolute control over everything that exists. He neither sleeps nor does He get tired of this control. Nothing in existence can be independent of Allah Ta'ala for even a split second. One who believes that Allah Ta'ala is not in control of him, even for split second, leaves the fold of belief and Imaan.

94. Allah is angered and He is pleased but not in the same way as any creature.

Allah Ta'ala is in no need of our actions, good or bad. Our good actions do not increment Him in any way nor do our sins decrease Him or His attributes. If the entire mankind was to worship Allah Ta'ala flawlessly it would not create even a minute increase in His kingdom, and neither would the rejection entire mankind cause a minute decrease in His kingdom.

Nevertheless, Allah Ta'ala is appreciates the acts that we commit. Our obedience pleases Him and our disobedience angers Him. It is He who has given us everything and it is He who we should worship flawlessly.

The manor in which we show happiness and anger is not the same as the way Allah Ta'ala expresses His pleasure and anger. We cannot conceive the physical manner in which he expresses His happiness and anger. However, His anger brings His wrath and punishment whilst His pleasure brings His gifts and blessings.

95. We love the Companions of the Messenger of Allah but we do not go to excess in our love for any one individual among them; nor do we disown any one of them. We hate anyone who hates them or does not speak well of them and we only speak well of them. Love of them is a part of Islam, part of belief and part of excellent behaviour, while hatred of them is unbelief, hypocrisy and rebellion.

96. We confirm that, after the death of Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, the caliphate went first to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, thus proving his excellence and superiority over the rest of the Muslims; then to 'Umar ibn al-Khattab; then to 'Uthman; and then to 'Ali ibn Abi Talib; may Allah be well pleased with all of them. These are the Rightly-Guided Caliphs and upright leaders.

97. We bear witness that the ten who were named by the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and who were promised the Garden by him, will be in the Garden, as the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, whose word is truth, bore witness that they would be.

The ten are: Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, 'Ali, Talha, Zubayr, Sa'd, Sa'id, 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, and Abu 'Ubayda ibn al-Jarrah whose title was the Trustee of this Community, may Allah be pleased with all of them.

98. Anyone who speaks well of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his wives and offspring, who are all pure and untainted by any impurity, is free from the accusation of hypocrisy.

Part of our belief is connected to the Sahaaba Radhi Allahu Anhum, the companions of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam. We believe that they were not free from sin but they were pardoned and forgiven. From the followers of every Prophet, the Sahaaba Radhi Allahu Anhum are the highest ranked, yet their rank cannot exceed the rank of the Prophet Alayhimus Salaam.

We do not belittle any Companion nor do we exceed in the love of the Companions. We place then in rank as shown to us by our Beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam. The four Khalifa (successors) being the highest ranked respectively.

We acknowledge the supremacy of some Companions over others due to the narrations that have come in regards to them, from amongst these are the ten Companions who were given the glad tidings of paradise.

To love, honour and respect the Companions is part of our Imaan, one cannot claim to be a believer whilst belittling or speaking ill of any Companion. We accept them to be rightly guided and follow their ways and methods. He who has no love and respect for the Companions and does not take them as being rightly guided is committing an act of disbelief and hypocrisy.

99. The learned men of the Predecessors, both the first community and those who immediately followed: the people of virtue, the narrators of Hadith, the jurists, and the analysts - they must only be spoken of in the best way, and anyone who says anything bad about them is not on the right path.

100. We do not prefer any of the saintly men among the Community over any of the Prophets but rather we say that any one of the Prophets is better than all the Awliya' put together.

101. We believe in what we know of the Karamat or marvels of the Awliya' and in the authentic stories about them from trustworthy sources.

Part of our belief is to speak well of and believe in the Awliyaa (saints) and the pious predecessors. This includes the Jurists, the narrators of and analysts of Hadeeth etc. However, whilst holding these saints in high esteem, we do not rank them to be greater than any Prophet. Our belief is that entire mankind put together, let alone the Awliyaa, cannot compare to the rank of one Prophet.

Just as the Prophets were able to commit miracles with the order and help of Allah Ta'ala; similarly the Awliyaa are able to commit marvels with the will of Allah Ta'ala.

102. We believe in the signs of the Hour such as the appearance of the Antichrist (Dajjal) and the descent of 'Isa ibn Maryam Alayhis Salaam from heaven, and we believe in the rising of the sun from where it sets and in the emergence of the Beast from the earth.

Every Prophet warned their nation about the Day of Judgement and the signs that will come. Similarly, our beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam also warned us, his nation, regarding the signs that would take place before Qiyaamah. In fact, no Prophet had given their nation as much information and details regarding the sign than our Beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam.

We believe in all the signs that have been told by the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam from the appearance of Dajjal to the sun rising from the West.

103. We do not accept as true what soothsayers and fortune-tellers say, nor do we accept the claims of those who affirm anything which goes against the Book, the Sunna, and the consensus of the Muslim Community (Umma).

Islam teaches us that we are not to believe the claims of any fortune-teller nor are we to approach them. We reject the claims of those who affirm anything that goes against the teachings of the Qur'an and Sunnah; and we reject anything that opposes the consensus of the Muslim Community.

104. There is only one religion of Allah in the heavens and the earth and that is the religion of Islam ("submission").

Allah says:

"Surely religion in the sight of Allah is Islam."

[Al `Imran 3:19]

And He also says:

"I am pleased with Islam as a religion for you."

[al-Ma'ida 5:3]

105. Islam lies between going to excess and falling short, between the likening of Allah's attributes to creation (tashbih) and divesting Allah of attributes (Ta'til), between determinism and freewill, and between sureness and despair.

106. This is our religion and it is what we believe in, both inwardly and outwardly, and we renounce any connection, before Allah, with anyone who goes against what we have said and made clear.

Allah Ta'ala has chosen for us the religion of Islam and it is the only religion that will be accepted by Him. The religion of Islam is the midway of extremism on either side. We neither go in excess of any matter, nor do we fall short, but instead we choose to follow the middle path, the path of Islam.

We believe in this religion of ours both inwardly and outwardly and we reject anything which is against the teachings of Islam.

We ask Allah to make us firm in our belief and seal our lives with it and to protect us from variant ideas, scattering opinions and evil schools of view such as those of the Mushabbiha, the Mu`tazila, the Jahmiyya, the Jabriyya, the Qadariyya, and others like them who go against the Sunna and Jama'a and have allied themselves with error. We renounce any connection with them and in our opinion they are in error and on the path of destruction. We ask Allah to protect us from all falsehood and we ask His Grace and Favour to do all good.

Following is a brief description of each sect which we class to be misguided and having beliefs which a wrong.

Jahmiyya: Followers of Jahm ibn Safwaan (d. 128) who believed that Allah was "the wind and everything else," considered the Qur'an created and upheld the finiteness in time of heaven and hell. The Mu`tazila and Shi'as adopted his denial or over-interpretation of the Divine Attributes and his view that the Qur'ân is created while Ibn Taymiyya adopted his view that Hell would come to an end.

Jabriyya: Those who held that a human being's acts are all predetermined and that human beings are legally helpless and unaccountable.

Mushabbiha: Those who liken Allah Ta'ala to creation and to created beings.

Mu`tazila: "Isolationists" A sect who made reason the ultimate criterion of truth, forged a political alliance with the Shi'a and, like them, held the Qur'an to be created and the Attributes to be null in themselves and to mean none other than the Essence. They also deny intercession (shafâ'ah) and the karâmât of the Awliyaa'.

Qadariyya: A sect that held - like Christians - that a human being creates his own destiny and that Allah Ta'ala finds out man's acts after enactment. Like the Mu`tazila and Christians, they also believe that Allah only creates good, while evil has other creators.

May Allah Ta'ala save us all those groups that have gone astray and may He guide us along His path with the correct beliefs. Aameen.

AQEEDAH (Post 4)

77. When our knowledge about something is unclear, we say: "Allah knows best."

Knowledge is such an ocean which cannot be obtained by one person. Above every knowledgeable person is another. Therefore, when we are unclear in some matter or Islamic ruling we should say "Allah Ta'ala knows best". One should not give a ruling without having done sufficient research as he will be answerable for that.

78. We agree with wiping over leather socks (in ablution) whether on a journey or otherwise, just as has come in the Hadiths.

Although this belief seems to be related to Fiqh and not directly to the base of Aqeedah, it has been mentioned for a specific reason.

At the time this book was written, the manner in which one could differentiate between the Shia's and the Ahle Sunnah Wal Jama'ah was from the Fiqh ruling regarding 'Masaah 'Alal Khufayn' (wiping over the leather socks).

Due to this reason, this belief has been mentioned by the author.

79. Hajj and Jihad under the leadership of those in charge of the Muslims, whether they are right or wrong-acting, are continuing obligations until the Last Hour comes. Nothing can annul or controvert them.

The obligation of Hajj and Jihaad will continue until the end of time. We believe that carrying this obligation is a necessity and mandatory. If these are discharged with the command of, and behind the leader of the Muslims then it is necessary to oblige to the call and not oppose them.

80. We believe in the noble angels who write down our actions, for Allah has appointed them over us as two guardians.

81. We believe in the Angel of Death who is in charge of taking the spirits of all the worlds.

Part of our belief is to believe in the angels of Allah Ta'ala. Disavowing their existence takes one out of the fold of Imaan (faith).

We believe in all of the angels of Allah Ta'ala, known or unknown. From amongst these are Kiraamun and Kaatibeen, the two angels that sit upon our shoulder and write our deeds.

Similarly, we also believe in the coming of the angel Hadhrat Izra'eel Alayhis Salaam. He is in charge of removing the souls of the creation of Allah Ta'ala.

82. We believe in the punishment in the grave for those who deserve it, and in the questioning in the grave by Munkar and Nakir about one's Lord, one's religion and one's prophet, as has come down in the hadiths from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and in reports from the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them all.

Munkar and Nakeer are also the angels of Allah Ta'ala who visit the dead person in his grave. They are the two angels that question man in regards to his religion, the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam and as to who his Lord was.

We believe in these angels, and we believe in the punishment within the grave. We accept all the narrations that have come in the Ahadeeth in regards to one's life inside the grave.

83. The grave is either one of the meadows of the Garden or one of the pits of the Fire.

The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has said "The grave is a garden from amongst the gardens of paradise. Or it is a pit from the pits of hell."

We accept this narration and believe that a person who is successful in the hereafter will receive a grave that will be like the garden of paradise, and for those who are rejected; their grave will be a pit from the pits of hell. However, it could be the doing of Allah Ta'ala to remove the sins of those he has accepted and give them a small punishment in the grave in order to save them from the punishment of the hereafter. Allah Ta'ala knows bests.

84. We believe in being brought back to life after death and in being recompensed for our actions on the Day of Judgement, and the exhibition of works, and the reckoning, and the reading of the book, and the reward or punishments, and the Bridge, and the Balance.

Once the Trumpet is blown for a second time people will rise from their graves and will stand in the plain of Arafah. Thereafter, when Allah Ta'ala wills, the day of reckoning will commence.

We believe in the book of deeds and that it shall be read in front of its owner. He will be told to confirm as to whether he comminted all of those acts or whether injustice was done upon him.

We believe that the books will be received in the right hands of those who are virtuous and the left hands of those who are truly unfortunate. May Allah Ta'ala save us all. Aameen.

Each and every deed of a person shall be accounted for and no one shall be oppressed in any way or form. He shall receive the reward for smallest act of good he done and so shall it be the same for any sins he committed. All of his deeds will be placed on the scale and then his fate shall be decided.

Once the destination of a person is determined he will have to cross the Bridge. This bridge is known as the "Siraat". It is said that the bridge is thinner than a hair strand and sharper than the blade of a sword.

Each person will be required to cross that bridge in order to reach his destination. Those who have been written down to be dwellers of Hell will not be able to cross the bridge. A sharp 'hook' will rise from beneath the bridge and take them down to the pits of Hell.

Those who have been written down for paradise will be of many types; the people of the highest ranks will cross with ease as opposed to those who have only a few good deeds. The people who have only a few good deeds will struggle to cross the bridge and will drag themselves across as opposed to those who are on a higher rank, so much so, that some will cross over in the blink of an eyelid.

85. The Garden and the Fire are created things that never come to an end and we believe that Allah created them before the rest of creation and then created people to inhabit each of them. Whoever He wills goes to the Garden out of His bounty and whoever He wills goes to the Fire through His justice. Everybody acts in accordance with what is destined for him and goes towards what he has been created for.

86. Good and evil have both been decreed for people.

Both paradise and hell are the creation of Allah Ta'ala, and He has taken it upon himself to fill both these places. He then created mankind to fill each of these two abodes. Whomsoever he has decreed evil for will enter hell and whomsoever he has decreed good for will enter paradise. Man will act in accordance with what he was created for and through His justice will the abode of man be decided.

87. The capability in terms of divine grace and favour which makes an action certain to occur cannot be ascribed to a created being. This capability is integral with action, whereas the capability of an action in terms of having the necessary health and ability, being in a position to act, and having the necessary means, exists in a person before the action. It is this type of capability which is the object of the dictates of the Shari'ah. Allah the Exalted says:

"Allah does not burden a person except according to his ability."

[al-Baqara 2:286]

88. People's actions are created by Allah but earned by people.

89. Allah, the Exalted, has only charged people with what they are able to do and people are only capable of doing what Allah has granted them to do. This is the explanation of the phrase: "There is no power and no strength except by Allah." We add to this that there is no stratagem or way by which anyone can avoid or escape disobedience to Allah except with Allah's help; nor does anyone have the strength to put obedience to Allah into practice and remain firm in it, except if Allah makes it possible for him to do so.

90. Everything happens according to Allah's will, knowledge, predestination and decree. His will overpowers all other wills and His decree overpowers all stratagems. He does whatever He wills and He is never unjust. He is exalted in His purity above any evil or perdition and He is perfect far beyond any fault or flaw.

"He will not be asked about what He does, but they will be asked."

[al-Anbiya' 21: 23]

Allah Ta'ala does not burden a soul to carry out an act which he does not have the capability to discharge. Man does not have power to commit a good deed nor does he have the ability to stay away from sins unless Allah Ta'ala gives him the power to do so.

Allah Ta'ala has written for everyone their actions and their abode. He does whatever He wills and no one can question what He wills. He is the creator of actions whilst we just earn them.

AQEEDAH (Post 3)

60. We hope that Allah will pardon the people of right action among the believers and grant them entrance into the Garden through His mercy, but we cannot be certain of this, and we cannot bear witness that it will definitely happen and that they will be in the Garden. We ask forgiveness for the people of wrong action among the believers and, although we are afraid for them, we are not in despair about them.

61. Certainty and despair both remove one from the religion, but the path of truth for the People of the Qibla lies between the two.

The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has told us that we shall not enter Jannah through the rewards of our deeds, instead, it shall be through the mercy of Allah Ta'ala. Therefore, a person can not say, without any doubt, that such and such a pious person will enter Jannah. Nevertheless, we should keep a good hope about their entrance into Jannah. Similarly, any signs that indicate their acceptance should be taken as a good sign but not a definite sign.

Similarly, we cannot say with certainty that a believer who committed sins will be punished and made to go to Hell. It is the will of Allah Ta'ala to accept and forgive whom he wishes as well as reject and punish whom He wishes.

We should pray for the forgiveness of the deceased and ask Allah Ta'ala to forgive them whether they seem to be pious or sinful.

To be certain about a matter is disbelief as we believe that nothing is possible until Allah Ta'ala will, and despair also removes one from belief as nothing is impossible for Allah Ta'ala. The best path is the path of the believers, the middle path.

62. A person does not step out of belief except by disavowing what brought him into it.

63. Belief consists of affirmation by the tongue and acceptance by the heart.

64. And the whole of what is proven from the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam regarding the Shari'ah and the explanation of the Qur'an and of Islam is true.

65. Belief consists of belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and belief that the Decree, the good, the evil, the sweet and the bitter of it, is all from Allah Ta'ala.

66. We believe in all these things. We do not make any distinction between any of the messengers, we accept as true what all of them brought.

One does not leave the fold of Islam except by rejecting those vows that he took to enter the fold of Islam. This point rules out the theory of man leaving the fold of Islam by committing major sins. If a person rejects the oneness of Allah Ta'ala, the existence of the angels, the books of Allah Ta'ala, the Prophets of Allah Ta'ala etc he will leave the fold of Islam. Furthermore, to reject anything that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has brought or anything that has been mentioned in the Qur'an is a sin that will take one out of the fold of Islam.

Belief is not only proclaiming with the tongue, but it is also connected to the acceptance of the heart of that which the tongue proclaims. This is what separated the Munaafiqs (hypocrites) from the Mu'mins (believers). Both parties proclaimed the belief of Allah Ta'ala but only the Mu'mins accepted what they proclaimed with their hearts.

67. Belief is, at base, the same for everyone, but the superiority of some over others in it is due to their fear and awareness of Allah, their opposition to their desires, and their choosing what is more pleasing to Allah.

68. All the believers are Friends of Allah and the noblest of them in the sight of Allah are those who are the most obedient and who most closely follow the Qur'an.

Belief is belief, despite of how weak or strong it may be. However, Allah Ta'ala gives superiority of one over another due to their closeness and fear of Allah Ta'ala; the more fear one has for Allah Ta'ala the more superior he will be in the eyes of Allah Ta'ala.

69. Those of the Community of Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam who have committed grave sins will be in the Fire, but not forever, provided they die and meet Allah as believers affirming His unity even if they have not repented. They are subject to His will and judgement.

If He wants, He will forgive them and pardon them out of His generosity, as is mentioned in the Qur'an when He says:

"And He forgives anything less than that (shirk) to whomever He wills"

[al-Nisa' 4:116]

If He wants, He will punish them in the Fire out of His justice, and then bring them out of the Fire through His mercy, and for the intercession of those who were obedient to Him, and send them to the Garden.

This is because Allah is the Protector of those who recognize Him and will not treat them in the hereafter in the same way as He treats those who deny Him, who are bereft of His guidance and have failed to obtain His protection. O Allah, You are the Protector of Islam and its people; make us firm in Islam until the day we meet You. Aameen.

A believer's abode is Jannah and a disbeliever's abode is Jahannam, there they shall stay eternally. However, those who have brought Faith and commit sins, they will be subjected to Allah Ta'ala's will. If He forgives them and has mercy on them then they shall enter paradise; and if He chooses to punish them for their sins they shall enter Hell for a limited period of time. The scholars have mentioned that the sending of a believer into Hell is not a form of punishment but more of a form of cleansing so that the believer may be pure and clean enough to enter paradise.

70. We do not agree with killing any of the Community of Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, unless it is obligatory by Shari`a to do so.

The killing of any soul unjustly is a grave sin. One cannot kill any of the creation of Allah Ta'ala unless it is enforced upon us by the Shari'ah; for example, the order of stoning to death an adulterer or taking a life for a life.

71. We agree with doing the prayer behind any of the People of the Qibla whether rightful or wrongful, and doing the funeral prayer over any of them when they die.

72. We do not say that any of them will categorically go to either the Garden or the Fire, and we do not accuse any of them of kufr (disbelief), shirk (associating partners with Allah), or nifaq (hypocrisy), as long as they have not openly demonstrated any of those things. We leave their secrets to Allah.

73. We do not accept rebellion against our Imam or those in charge of our affairs even if they are unjust, nor do we wish evil on them, nor do we withdraw from following them. We hold that obedience to them is part of obedience to Allah, the Glorified, and therefore obligatory as long as they do not order to commit sins. We pray for their right guidance and ask for pardon for their wrongs.

74. We follow the Sunna of the Prophet and the Congregation of the Muslims, and avoid deviation, differences and divisions.

75. We agree that holding together is the true and right path and that separation is deviation and torment.

The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam left behind him two sources of guidance, the first being the Qur'an and the second being his Sunnah. We follow these without any doubt and take them to be our source of guidance. In the Hadeeth of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, which is our source of guidance, it has come that the Sahaaba Radhi Allahu Anhum are rightly guided, thus we should hold on to them firmly. Therefore, we also follow the Sahaaba also. In the say manner we follow the congregation of Muslims and do not become the cause of deviation and differences.

It is for this reason (avoiding deviation and differences) that we are asked to follow the Imaan and the leaders of the country, whether they be rightful or wrongful. It is our duty of the people to appoint the rightful person as an Imaan or leader. However, if an unjust person is in the position of a leader or Imaam then we do not oppose him and cause division within the Ummah. Instead, we pray to Allah Ta'ala for their guidance and if they do not come upon the right path we pray to Allah Ta'ala to remove them from that position.

In conclusion, we believe in holding together and remaining united, and refraining from deviation and torment.

76. We love the people of justice and trustworthiness, and hate the people of injustice and treachery.

Justice is mandatory in Islam. Allah Ta'ala Himself is just and orders justice. We love the people of justice and we hate injustice.

AQEEDAH (Post 2)

29. And we are certain that Muhammad Sallalahu Alayhi Wa Sallam is His chosen Servant and elect Prophet and His Messenger with whom He is well pleased.

30. He Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam is the Seal of the Prophets and the Imaam of the god-fearing and the most honored of all the messengers and the Beloved of the Lord of all the worlds.

31. Every claim to Prophethood after Him is falsehood and deceit.

32. He is the one who has been sent to all the Jinn and all mankind with truth and guidance and with light and illumination.

From amongst the beliefs are the believes regarding the Prophets and Messengers of Allah Ta'ala. We believe that Allah Ta'ala sent down many-a-times Prophets for the guidance of mankind. From amongst these Prophets was the beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam.

In regards to the beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, we believe that he was the last and final Prophet and Messenger sent down to mankind by Allah Ta'ala. He thus became the Seal of the Prophets and therefore no other Prophets can come after him.

In addition to being the final Prophet, he was also a Prophet for not only mankind but also to Jinns and any other creation that may exist. He was sent as a Mercy to the worlds and as guidance so pure and true.

Any claims made of prophethood after him are false and an act of deviation.

33. The Qur'an is the word of Allah. It came from Him as speech without it being possible to say how. He sent it down on His Messenger as revelation. The believers accept it, as absolute truth. They are certain that it is, in truth, the word of Allah. It is not created as is the speech of human beings, and anyone who hears it and claims that it is human speech has become an Kaafir.

Allah warns him and censures him and threatens him with Fire when He says, Exalted is He:

"I will burn him in the Fire."

(al-Muddaththir 74:26)

When Allah threatens with the Fire those who say "This is just human speech" (74:25) we know for certain that it is the speech of the Creator of mankind and that it is totally unlike the speech of mankind.

34. We do not argue about the Qur'an and we bear witness that it is the speech of the Lord of all the Worlds which the Trustworthy Spirit came down with and taught the most honoured of all the Messengers, Muhammad, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. It is the speech of Allah and no speech of any created being is comparable to it. We do not say that it was created and we do not go against the Congregation (Jamaa'ah) of the Muslims regarding it.

The Qur'an is known to the believers to be the word of Allah Ta'ala. It is therefore our belief that the Qur'an cannot be the speech of man. And as mentioned before, Allah Ta'ala cannot be conceived as we conceive humans; His form, shape, character and being is unknown and unimaginable to mankind. Similarly, the word and speech of Allah Ta'ala hold the same ruling as He does; meaning that just as Allah Ta'ala has been there for ever and will remain forever, so is the case with his words. His words were there from the beginning and will remain eternally.

35. Anyone who describes Allah as being in any way the same as a human being has become an unbeliever. All those who grasp this will take heed and refrain from saying things such as the unbelievers say, and they will know that He, in His attributes, is not like human beings.

The being of Allah Ta'ala cannot be pondered over and accommodated by the human mind. It is Allah Ta'ala that created mankind and it is He who possesses the complete knowledge of His being. We cannot indicate that He is as his creation, for He is free from all defect.

In many places in the Ahadeeth and Qur'an there have been instances where Allah Ta'ala has been attributed with parts and actions of the creation. In some places it has been said "the hand of Allah Ta'ala" and in other places it has been mentioned that "He comes running". It should be kept clear in mind that these do not denote the meaning that is known to us. Allah Ta'ala has used these words in order to make simple for man to comprehend a complex matter.

It is the best believer who reads these references to Allah Ta'ala and claims in his heart that they are how Allah Ta'ala knows and he is free from all human attributes,

Some go a step deeper into the apparent wording and extract meanings for the words attributed to Allah Ta'ala; where the "hand" of Allah Ta'ala will mean "His mercy" etc. This may be done in order to understand what is being meant by Allah Ta'ala, however, if refrained from it is better.

36. The Seeing of Allah by the People of the Garden is true, without their vision being all-encompassing and without the manner of their vision being known. As the Book of our Lord has expressed it: "Faces on that Day radiant, looking at their Lord." (al-Qiyama 75:22-3) The explanation of this is as Allah knows and wills.

37. Belief of a man in the seeing of Allah by the People of the Garden is not correct if he imagines what it is like or interprets it according to his own understanding, since the interpretation of this seeing or indeed, the meaning of any of the subtle phenomena which are in the realm of Lordship, is by avoiding its interpretation and strictly adhering to the submission.

This is the religion of Muslims. Anyone who does not guard himself against negating the attributes of Allah, or likening Allah to something else, has gone astray and has failed to understand Allah's glory, because our Lord, the Glorified and the Exalted, can only possibly be described in terms of oneness and absolute singularity and no creation is in any way like Him.

38. Everything that has come down to us about this from the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in authentic traditions, is as he said and means what he intended. We do not delve into that, trying to interpret it according to our own opinions or letting our imaginations have free rein.

The worldly eye does not contain the power and ability to visualise Allah Ta'ala. However, as a reward to the believing people it will be made possible in the Hereafter for every believer to see Him. Nevertheless, the vision of man, even in the hereafter, will not be able to totally encompass the being of Allah Ta'ala.

Furthermore, a person who believes that he will see his Lord on the day if judgement whilst imagining His being will be classed as being astray from the correct path. We only believe that we will see Him, but we do not ponder on his being. Additionally, we believe that Allah Ta'ala is as His messenger has told us. We do not ponder over matters that we cannot comprehend nor do we try to find meanings and reasons for things deep within Islam. "We listen and we obey".

39. A man's Islam is not secure unless it is based on submission and surrender. Anyone who desires to know things which it is beyond his capacity to know, and whose intellect is not content with surrender, will find that his desire veils him from a pure understanding of Allah's true unity, clear knowledge and correct belief, and that he veers between disbelief and belief, confirmation and denial and acceptance and rejection. He will he subject to whisperings and find himself confused and full of doubt, being neither an accepting believer nor a denying rejector.

No one is safe in his religion unless he surrenders himself completely to Allah, the Exalted and Glorified and to His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and leaves the knowledge of things that are ambiguous to the one who knows them.

A point from the earlier belief; A person is never secure in his religion if he tries to comprehend every aspect of his religion. Religion is simple yet it can be complex. The simplicity in religion is to take heed of the matters that are complicated and accept them without trying to delude ourselves in the meanings it may contain. A true believer is he who accepts the commandments of his Lord without any doubt, with total submission.

40. He is beyond having limits placed on Him, or being restricted, or having parts or limbs. Nor is He contained by the six directions as all created things are.

Allah Ta’ala is not limited to any place or space. He is neither front, back, up down, left or right. It is a common habit of people to say that Allah Ta'ala is "everywhere". Although the meaning of it is known by people, it is technically incorrect to class Allah Ta'ala as being "everywhere". The reason being for this is that Allah Ta'ala is not confined to a space; which is what we are actually saying by placing him "everywhere".

The correct form of describing His presence is to say "He is not confined to any space".

41. Al-Mi'raj (the Ascent through the heavens) is true. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was taken by night and ascended in his bodily form, while awake, through the heavens, to whatever heights Allah willed for him.

Allah ennobled him in the way that He ennobled him and revealed to him what He revealed to him,

"And his heart was not mistaken about what it saw".

(al-Najm 53:11)

Allah blessed him and granted him peace in this world and the next.

Our belief is that the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam was taken on the journey of Mi'raj and was shown the heavens and Hell. This entire journey took place in short span of worldly time. Nevertheless, it happened whilst he was awake and fully aware and did not take place in his dream.

42. Al-Hawd, the Pool which Allah has granted the Prophet as an honour to quench the thirst of his Community on the Day of Judgement, is true.

43. Al-Shafa`a, the intercession which is stored up for Muslims, is true, as related in the Ahaadeeth.

From amongst the many gifts and honours given to the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam two are as mentioned. The Hawd-e-Kauther (The fountain of Kauther) and Shifa-at-e-kubra (the big intercession).

44. The covenant which Allah made with Adam and his offspring is true.

After the creation of Adam Alayhis Salaam, Allah Ta'ala created, from him, his children. These were the people that would be born from the time of Adam Alayhis Salaam up until the day of Judgement.

When Allah Ta'ala had all the creation in front of Him he took a covenant from them, "Am I not your Lord?" They all replied in the affirmative, "Yes indeed". However, due to the weakness of the human mind the majority of people cannot remember it. However, each and everyone has the ability of recalling it and recognising it when the evidences and reminders come from Allah Ta'ala in front of him.

45. Allah knew, before the existence of time, the exact number of those who would enter the Garden and the exact number of those who would enter the Fire. This number will neither be increased nor decreased.

46. The same applies to all actions done by people, which are done exactly as Allah knew they would be done. Everyone is eased towards what he was created for and it is the action with which a man's life is sealed which dictates his fate. Those who are fortunate are fortunate by the decree of Allah, and those who are wretched are wretched by the decree of Allah.

47. The exact nature of the decree is Allah's secret in His creation, and no angel near the Throne, nor Prophet sent with a message, has been given knowledge of it. Delving into it and reflecting too much about it only leads to destruction and loss, and results in rebelliousness. So be extremely careful about thinking and reflecting on this matter or letting doubts about it assail you, because Allah has kept knowledge of the decree away from human beings, and forbidden them to enquire about it, saying in His Book,

"He is not asked about what He does, but they are asked".

(al-Anbiya' 21: 23)

Therefore, anyone who asks: "Why did Allah do that?" has gone against a judgement of the Book, and anyone who goes against a judgement of the Book is an unbeliever.

The belief regarding 'fate and decree' is a very complex and delicate topic. It is a topic, as told by our beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, that led astray the people that were before us. The matter of decree and fate should not be dwelled upon to a degree where one starts to question the actions of Allah Ta'ala.

It is our belief that when Allah Ta'ala created man he also wrote their fate. Every person has a place in heaven and hell, if he becomes a dweller of hell he is shown his seat in paradise to make him regret and remorse, and if he is a dweller of heaven, he is shown his seat in hell so that he is more greatful.

This makes people ponder as to whether man has any control over the action he does, or if every action he does is already written by Allah Ta'ala. Similarly, people question themselves as to how they can accomplish something if their fate is written otherwise.

This question was posed to Hadhrat Ali Karamallahu Wajhahu who replied by telling the person to raise his one leg. After person had done so, Hadhrat Ali asked him to raise the other, to which he said it was not possible. Hadhrat Ali explained to the man that fate was in the same manner. In certain places we have choices and it is this choice that will determine our fate, and on other places we have no choice. Either way we have to surrender to the will of Allah Ta'ala.

48. This in sum is what those of Allah's Friends with enlightened hearts need to know and constitutes the degree of those firmly endowed with knowledge. For there are two kinds of knowledge: knowledge which is accessible to created beings, and knowledge which is not accessible to created beings. Denying the knowledge which is accessible is disbelief, and claiming the knowledge which is inaccessible is disbelief. Belief can only be firm when accessible knowledge is accepted and the inaccessible is not sought after.

We have to keep firm belief that not all knowledge is accessible to mankind. There is knowledge that is only available to Allah Ta'ala, the Almighty. It is therefore part of faith not to go in search of the knowledge that cannot be acquired by mankind.

49. We believe in al-Lawh (the Tablet) and al-Qalam (the Pen) and in everything written on the former. Even if all created beings were to gather together to make something fail to exist, whose existence Allah had written on the Tablet, they would not be able to do so. And if all created beings were to gather together to make something exist which Allah had not written on it, they would not be able to do so. The Pen has dried having written down all that will be in existence until the Day of Judgement.Whatever a person has missed he would have never got, and whatever he gets he would have never missed.

50. It is necessary for the servant to know that Allah already knows everything that is going to happen in His creation and has decreed it in a detailed and decisive way. There is nothing that He has created in either the heavens or the earth that can contradict it, or add to it, or erase it, or change it, or decrease it, or increase it in any way. This is a fundamental aspect of belief and a necessary element of all knowledge and recognition of Allah's oneness and Lordship.

As Allah says in His Book:

"He created everything and decreed it in a detailed way."

(al-Furqan 25:2)

And He also says:

"Allah's command is always a decided decree."

(al-Ahzab 33: 38)

So woe to anyone who argues with Allah concerning the decree and who, with a sick heart, starts delving into this matter. In his deluded attempt to investigate the Unseen, he is seeking a secret that can never be uncovered, and he ends up an evil-doer, telling nothing but lies.

In connection to the belief of fate and destiny, is the belief of the Lawh and Qalam (Tablet and Pen). All that is to take place in the lives of mankind has been written in the Tablet. It is even said that the words of the Qur’an existed in the Lawh and it was from there that it was revealed to the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam.

"The Pen has dried" means that the destiny of mankind has been written. There is no power in the world that can change that. If the entire creation was to group and make happen that which has been written not to happen then surely they would not be able to do so. It is therefore our belief that whatever a person receives or whatever he misses is all written down in the Lawh.

All that is written in completeness and therefore nothing can be increased or decreased from it.

51. Al-'Arsh (the Throne) and al-Kursi (the Chair) are true.

52. He is independent of the Throne and that which is beneath it.

We believe without doubt that the Arsh (Throne) and Kursi (Chair) mentioned in the Qur'an both exist. However, it is incorrect to ponder and imagine the description of these objects and how it is used by Allah Ta'ala. We cannot attribute the actions "sit" or any other action known to us and attribute it to Allah Ta'ala. He is free from every action that man does and is totally independent of any Chair or Throne.

53. He encompasses all things and that which is above it, and what He has created is incapable of encompassing Him.

There is nothing that can encompass or contain His being and it is He who encompasses everything. This is true whether it is in the context of a Throne or Knowledge or any other matter.

54. We say with belief, acceptance and submission that Allah took Ibrahim as an intimate friend and that He spoke directly to Musa.

55. We believe in the angels, and the Prophets, and the books which were revealed to the messengers, and we bear witness that they were all following the manifest Truth.

As part of our Imaan (Faith) we belief Ibrahim Alayhis Salaam to be His friend and Moosa Alayhi Salaam to have spoken with Him. This is all mentioned in the Qur'an, which we believe to be completely true and from Allah Ta'ala.

Furthermore, mentioned in the Qur'an is the belief regarding the Angels, Books and the Prophets Alayhimus Salaam. We believe in the Angels, Prophets and Books of Allah Ta'ala. And whatever they followed was from Allah Ta'ala and completely true and correct.

56. We call the people of our Qibla Muslims and believers as long as they acknowledge what the Prophet, Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam, brought, and accept as true everything that he said and told us about.

57. We do not consider any of the people of our Qibla to be unbelievers because of any wrong action they have done, as long as they do not consider that action to have been lawful.

58. Nor do we say that the wrong action of a man who has belief does not have a harmful effect on him.

Those who have brought Imaan and believe in what the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam brought are classed as Muslims. We cannot class any of these people as disbelievers for any wrong action they commit as long as they do not claim that the wrong action is lawful. However, we say that this wrong action will have a harmful affect on him, physically, mentally or spiritually.

Any person who claims a wrong action to be lawful is either denying the Qur'an or Hadeeth and therefore there is a fear that he has left the fold of Imaan.

59. We do not enter into vain talk about Allah nor do we allow any dispute about the religion of Allah.

We submit completely to the will and order of Allah Ta'ala. Our intellect does not allow us to comprehend the being of Allah Ta'ala or all the rulings in His religion. Therefore, we do not enquire about matters that we have no knowledge about. If we do not understand any matter we should not make fault disputes.

Deobandi Belief

"And if your Lord had so willed, He could have made mankind a single unified group, but they will continue to dispute and differ..."

[al-Qur'an 11:118]

"Verily this nation (of Muslims) will be divided into seventy three sects. All of them will be in the fire except one." When asked which one, he replied "The one that adheres to my sunnah and the sunnah of my companions."

[Sunan Abi Dawud]

The Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam has clearly mentioned that from his Ummah (nation) there will be seventy three different sects; out of which only one sect will be on the correct path, the path of the 'true' Islam.

It is mentioned in the Qur'an that whatever ever the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam uttered was not of his own accord, in actual fact it was from Allah Ta'ala. Though the words may have been from the throat of our beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam it was the actual message of Allah Ta'ala.

"Nor does he (Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam) say anything of his own desire.
It is but a revelation sent down to him"

[an-Najm: 3-4]

Therefore, we can, without any doubt, say that whatever the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam foretold or mentioned will take place without doubt. This is because the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam spoke with that knowledge that was given to him by Allah Ta'ala.

We cannot do anything to avoid that which has been written, yet we can make an effort to strive in the path of Allah Ta'ala and save ourselves from being amongst those who will dwell in hellfire.

Personally, I was reluctant to write on this subject as unfortunately many disputes, disagreements and arguments are due to not understanding (or not wanting to understand) the opposite party’s stance on a particular issue or are linked with different beliefs, I will mention a few beliefs of a Deobandis for the sole reason that I was requested to do so. I hope that post will remove most of the doubts that have formed in regards to the beliefs of Deobandis due to the statements of other sects.

Primarily it is important to know what and who are the Deobandis.

The Deobandis are one of the groups of Muslims. This group is connected to and named after the Dar al-Uloom (University) of Deoband in India. It is an intellectual school of thought that is deeply rooted, and everyone who graduated from that university was influenced by its academic characteristics, so that they became known as Deobandis.

The University of Deoband was founded by a group of Indian 'Ulamaa' (scholars) after the British had put a stop to the Islamic revolution in India in 1857 CE. Its establishment was a strong reaction against western advancement and its materialistic civilization in the Indian Subcontinent, aimed at saving the Muslims from the dangers of these circumstances, especially when Delhi, the capital, had been destroyed following the revolution and the British had taken full control of it. The scholars feared that their religion might be assimilated, so Shaykh Imdaadullaah al-Muhaajir al-Makki and his student Shaykh Muhammad Qaasim al-Nanatuwi, and their companions, drew up a plan to protect Islam and its teachings. They thought that the solution was to establish religious schools and Islamic centres, thus al-Madrasah al-Islamiyyah al-Arabiyyah was established in Deoband as a centre for Islam and Shari'ah in India at the time of British rule.

The most prominent figures of this intellectual school were:

1- Muhammad Qaasim
2- Rasheed Ahmad al-Gangohi
3- Husayn Ahmad al-Madani
4- Muhammad Anwaar Shah al-Kashmiri
5- Abu'l-Hasan al-Nadvi
6- Al-Muhaddith Habeeb al-Rahmaan al-A'zami

In addition, "...Amongst the best commentaries on Sahih Muslim and the Sunan of al-Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud are works by the Deobandis. The Lives of the Sahaba by al-Kandihlawi is a masterpiece. I'la'al-Sunan and Aathaar al-Sunan are very valuable..."

With regard to basic tenets of belief ('Aqeedah), they follow the Madhhab (school) of Abu Mansoor al-Maatreedi. Whilst following the Fiqh of Imaam Abu Haneefah. Similarly, They follow the Sufi (spiritual) ways of the Naqshbandiyyah, Chishtiyyah, Qaadiriyyah and Saharwardiyyah with regard to spiritual development.

The thoughts and principles of the Deobandi School may be summed up as follows:
- Preserving the teachings of Islam and its strength and rituals.

- Spreading Islam and resisting destructive schools of thought and missionary
activity.

- Spreading Islamic culture and resisting the invading British culture.

- Paying attention to spreading the Arabic language because it is the means of
benefiting from the sources of Islamic sharee'ah.

- Combining reason and emotion, and knowledge and spirituality.

This is a brief description of the Deobandi sect. Before I conclude this post I would like to mention a few quotes that in my opinion are more valuable than the post itself.

The great Hanafi Imam, Allama Ibn Abidin (Allah have mercy on him) states in his renowned Sharh Uqud Rasm al-Mufti:

Branding someone a non-believer (Kafir) is a great thing indeed; hence I do not label a believer as a non-believer as long as one sign of him believing is found... One should not issue a Fatwa of a believer's disbelief (Kufr) as long as it is possible to interpret his statement in a justified manner, or there is a difference of opinion regarding him disbelieving, even if there is a weak narration."

[Sharh Uqud Rasm al-Mufti, 1/36]

It is reported by Ibn Umar Radhi Allahu Anhu that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him eternal peace) said: “Any person who calls his brother: O Unbeliever! (then the truth of this label) would return to one of them. If it is true, (then it is) as he asserted, (but if it is not true), then it returns to him (and thus the person who made the accusation is an Unbeliever)."

[Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 6130]
[Sahih Muslim, no. 60]

This awakens the reader that one should not be so haste is determining the belief and disbelief of another person. A believer is such that does looks for any excuse to call another a believer. If we are talking in regards to a person or sect that pray the Kalimah (declaration of Faith) then we should be very alert in proclaiming that they are disbelievers.

May Allah Ta'ala give us all the inclination to seek the knowledge that will aid us in achieving His happiness and may he give us the understanding to refrain from all that which will deviate us from His path.

AQEEDAH (Post 1)

In accordance to the voting (poll) it seems that more people are interested in learning about Aqeedah. Insha-Allah, for the next couple of weeks or so, I will be presenting the Aqeedah (Beliefs) of Ahl as-Sunnah Wal Jama'ah, according to the school of the jusrist of this Religion, Imaam Abu Haneefah an-Nu'man ibn Thabit al-Kufi.

From Hadhrat Adam Alayhis Salaam up until the Prophet Sallallahu Alyhi Wa Sallam every Prophet has brought into thos world the message and Divine Law of Allah Ta'ala.

It is a known fact that each Prophet was a leader of a nation; the nation of Hadhrat mossa Alyhis Salaam being known as the Jews; the nation of Hadhrat Esa Alyhis Salaam being known as the Christians; whilst the nation of the beloved Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam came to be known as the Muslims.

The nations, in their own era, were on the correct path; the path leading to Allah Ta'ala. However, when the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam was sent as a Mercy to mankind, all other religions and nations were terminated and were asked to follow our beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam.

The Shari'ah (Divine Law) of each nation deffered to some extent; no two Laws being exactly the same. The people of Moosa Alayhis Salaam were expected to sacrifice their lives in order to acquire the forgiveness from Allah Ta'ala whereas this is not the case for the nation of the beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam. Similary, people from previous nations were asked to cut the piece of their flesh where drops of urine may have touched the body. However, this again is not the case of the nation of the beloved Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam.

Despite these differences in Shari'ah the Prophets were all sent to convey and deliver one message; the message of the Oneness of Allah Ta'ala. These differences that varied from nation to nation became known as the Furoo' of Deen (branches of Religion) whereas the Usool of Deen (fundamentals of Religion) remained the same.

The beliefs of Islam is amongst the fundamentals of Islam. Those things in the religion of Islam that do not change with neither time nor nation. The beliefs that were sent upon the people of Adam Alayhis Salaam are the same that were sent for the people of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam.

Following is a basic outline of the beliefs that one should have. I will be keeping the beliefs "to the point" so that it is to the understanding level of everyone. However, if any reader does require further clarification or has a question, please do not hesitate to ask.


01. We believe that Allah Ta'ala is One, without any partners

02. There is no god other than Him.

03. There is nothing like Him.

04. He is Exalted beyond having opposites or equals.


It is our belief that Allah Ta'ala has no deficiencies and all faults. therefore, it would not be appropritate to adjoin partners with Allah Ta'ala, as having a partner is an indication towards incabaility and dependance.

Furthermore, Allah Ta'ala is capable of achieving all all without the need of anyone. Thus, ascribing partners with Him would be a vain and superfluous act, which is totally against the qualities of Allah Ta'ala, as He is not wasteful.

In summary, we can deduce that just as Allah Ta'ala cannot have any partners and is self-sufficient. To ascribe anything with Him would be indicating towards a weakness or defect, which can never be possible.

In the same sense, we can say that just as Allah Ta'ala is free from any partners; He is also free from relations, i.e. Sons and Daughters.

If we connect a Son or Daughter to Allah Ta'ala, we are indirectly supporting the fact that the associate has some diviness or likeness to Allah Ta'ala. Whereas this is totally impossible as "there is none other like Him".


05. There is nothing that can overwhelm Him.

06. Nothing happends except what He wills.


Allah Ta'ala has the ability and power to perform all the tasks He wills. For Him the matter of even a complicated thing such as creation is to say "Be" and "it becomes". In actual fact, Allah Ta'ala is not even in need of uttering the words "Be", but in order to make the creation understand His Supremecy He has explained his power and might in this manner.

If such a complex task as creation is no difficulty for Allah Ta'ala, then similiarly there is no task that can ovewhelm Him. he is capable of completing many tasks, all at once, without the slightest effort from His behalf.

Whatever action or task comes into existence, it is only through His will and permission. So much so, that even a leaf cannot fall without the will and permission of Allah Ta'ala. He is the commander and controller of the entire universe and its creatures. He does as He wills and nothing happens without His knowledge nor his will.


07. He is the Eternal without a beginning and enduring without an end.

08. He will neither perish nor come to an end.

09. He is living and never dies. He is eternally active and never sleeps.


Every Believer has to acknowledge that Allah Ta'ala existed before anything else. He was there from the beginning and will stay etnerally. He will never perish or come to an end. Apart from Him, there is no other thing that can be said to be ever-existent and eternal.

Further on, we will mention the belief in regards to the qualities of Allah Ta'ala in slightly more detail. however, for now, it should be understood that anything connect directly to Allah, such as His qualities, speach etc, will have the same ruling as His being. They existed from before, without a beginning and enduring without the end.


10. No imagination can conceive of Him and no understanding can comprehend Him.

11. He is different from any created being.

Allah Ta'ala is the creator of all living matter. It is He who gave form and shape to all that we are able to see and all that which we are unable to see.

In similar manner, Allah Ta'ala created the mind and brains of the people. It is He who gave them intellect and made man accomplish many a things through the wit and intelligence bestowed by Him.

Nevertheless, Allah's being is such exalted and unique that it is not within the capacity and capability of mankind to conceive His being. We cannot ascertain His shape, size or matter. All we know is that He is unlike any creation, He is totally unique.

Allah Ta'ala is free from any bodily form. We cannot describe His being with a body, hands, feet or any other bodily part. It is impossible for the mind to concieve a picture of His being and we cannot, in any ways, say that He has a fixed form.


12. He creates without being in need to do so and provides for His creation without effort.

13. He causes death without fear and restores to life without difficulty.


The reason that Allah Ta'ala created us has nothing to do with His needs. Allah Ta'ala is free from any needs and want. The creation of mankind was to worship Allah Ta'ala. However, He was not in need to create mankind as angels already existed that worshipped Him without error or question. Allah Ta'ala creates and gives form as He wills and wishes and brings into existance nations after nations.

For Him to create a nation is of no difficulty, and similarly to provide for them is an effortless task. He can provide for many nations at one time without difficulty. If Allah Ta'ala was to will, He could destroy an entire nation and replace it with another within the blink of an eyelid. He fears non and nothing and it is with this quality He causes death and thereafter to give life is no difficulty for him.


14. He has always existed together with His attributes since before creation. Bringing creation into existence did not add anything to His attributes that was not already there. As He was, together with His attributes, in pre-eternity, so He will remain throughout endless time.

15. It was not only after the act of creation that He could be described as "the Creator" nor was it only by the act of origination that He could he described as "the Originator."

16. He was always the Lord even when there was nothing to be Lord of, and always the Creator even when there was no creation.

17. In the same way that He is the "Bringer to life of the dead," after He has brought them to life a first time, and deserves this name before bringing them to life, so too He deserves the name of "Creator" before He has created them.

18. This is because He has the power to do everything, everything is dependent on Him, everything is easy for Him, and He does not need anything. "There is nothing like Him and He is the Hearer, the Seer." (al-Shura 42:11)


The attributes of Allah Ta'ala existed from the beginning of time just as His being. He qualities and attributes are eternal and will never cease to exist. Therefore, we believe that Allah Ta'ala was the Lord of everything even before its existence. His being the Lord of the creation is not dependant of the matter and objects being there. He was the Creator even before He began to create and bring into existence. These qualities did not come into existence from a particular time, they were always there just as Allah Ta'ala has been.

This is becasue Allah Ta'ala had the power and ability to perform those acts even before He did. He had the Might of creating regardless of whether He created anything or not. He is self-suffiecient and everything around Him and created by Him is dependant upon Him. He Sees all, Knows all and Hears all.


19. He created creation with His knowledge.

20. He appointed destinies for those He created.

21. He allotted to them fixed life spans.

22. Nothing about them was hidden from Him before He created them, and He knew everything that they would do before He created them.

23. Everything happens according to His degree and will, and His will is accomplished. The only will that people have is what He wills for them. What He wills for them occurs and what He does not will, does not occur.

24. He gives guidance to whomever He wills, and protects them, and keeps them safe from harm, out of His generosity; and He leads astray whomever He wills, and abases them, and afflicts them, out of His justice.

25. All of them are subject to His will either through His generosity or His justice.

26. No one can ward off His decree or delay His command or overpower His affairs.

27. We believe in all of this and are certain that everything comes from Him.


The creation of mankind was done with the knowledge of Allah Ta'ala. He created man in the best of form and gave him shape and intellect. Allah Ta'ala appointed man's destiny and life span and was aware of his actions and destination even before man commited that act or reached that destination. Nothing is hidden from His knowledge and He is aware of all that happens and knows all that will happen.

Man's will will be in accordance to the will of Allah Ta'ala. No person can commit any act without the will of Allah Ta'ala and nothing can be achieved that is not written in his destiny. Man is a mere puppet that accomplishes the will of Allah Ta'ala, they journey through this life as Allah Ta'ala has written for them.

It is by the will of Allah Ta'ala that a man stays protected and it is solely by His will that any harm can befall Him. If He wills to protect a person, then the united strength and power of entire mankind cannot harm him and if He wills to harm a person neither can that united strength relieve him or safeguard him from that harm. For it is the power of Allah Ta'ala to give guidance to whom He wills and to deviate whom he wills. This will all be done with the justice of Allah Ta'ala and there is non to question Him.


28. He ordered them to obey Him and forbade them to disobey Him.


After the creation of mankind, Allah Ta'ala ordered them to obey Him and forbade them to disobey Him. This was the purpose of creation, to worship Allah Ta'ala alone. If people disobey Allah Ta'ala, then it is not a mighty task for Him to completely destroy that nation and bring forth a new nation that will worship and obey Him.

If anyone has any questions in regards to any of the above beliefs feel free to ask.

May Allah Ta'ala give us the understanding of His Religion. Aameen.

Wasalaam