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The Authentic Greedand the Invalidators of Islam

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The Authentic Creedand the Invalidators of Islam

Printed byThe Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments,

Da'wah and Guidance

THE AUTHENTIC CREEDAND THE INVALIDATORS

OF ISLAMEnglish Version

By:Shaikh Abdul-Aziz bin Abdullah bin Baz

Supervised byThe Ministry's Deputyship for Printing

and Publishing Affairs

14238

1- Title

4462/22

© Ministry of Islamic Affairs, 2001

King Fahd National Library, Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ibn Baz. Abdulaziz bin AbdullahThe authentic creed and the Invalidators of

Islam. - Riyadh

48 p; 21 em.ISBN 9960-29-409-91- Islamic theolgy

240 de

Legal Deposit no. 4462/22

ISBN 9960-29-409-9

i.a:aUJI~1~ .-A' t,.Y"

Table of Contents

Publisher's Note 4

Introduction 7

Belief in Allah....... 11

Belief in the Angels 22

Belief in Allah's Books 23

Belief ~n the Messengers 26

Belief in the Last Day 28

Belief in the Divine Destiny..................................... 29

The Invalidators of Islam 41

3

Publisher's Note

Verily", all praises are due to Allah, the Lord of allof that exists. May the peace and blessings ofAllahbe upon our Prophet, Muhammad ~, his family, hisCompanions and all of those who follow them inrighteousness until the Last Day.

The most important issue for every Muslim to knowis the proper creed of beliefs. The obligation ofhaving correct Faith and its fundamental pillarshave been addressed in the Qur'an and authenticAhadith in numerous places. It is a requirement ofevery Muslim, male or female, regardless of theirnationality or age, to know the correct beliefs.

In the history of Islam, as Islam began to spread farand wide into various foreign lands, strange andnew ideas b.egan to appear amongst the Muslims.These ideas were foreign to the Muslims of Arabiawho had received their Islamic education throughthe pure teachings of the Prophet's Companions.Many of those who had accepted Islam would oftenmaintain certain beliefs and superstitions that werepresent in their societies and cultures before theirconversion to Islam. Also, some people who chosetheir own understandings over the understanding ofthe Prophet's Companions and their students, cameforth propagating new ideologies and interpretationsof Islam that they had invented themselves.

4

Therefore, the scholars in those times saw thenecessity of writing books to refute the falseideologies and deviations of these people who wereopposing the pure Islamic beliefs. Many scholars ofIslam throughout the ages have written andcompiled books explaining the correct creed. Thesebooks have been printed and reprinted with detailedcommentaries and in depth discussions, even in ourtimes today.

It is in following this same tradition that thefollowing book was prepared. It is an importanttreatise written by Shaikh 'Abdul-'Aziz binAbdullah bin Biz concerning the correct Islamiccreed. In this work the Shaikh explains thefundamental beliefs that every Muslim should havefaith in. The Shaikh also elaborately discusses somemisconceptions and false ideologies that contradictthe correct belief system.

Of the benefits of this work is its brevity andconciseness. The discussion is not too lengthy, so asnot to lose the reader's attention. At the same time,it explains the important details that are necessaryfor every Muslim to know. The one who reads thisbook will not only learn the proper beliefs, but hewill also be aware of that which opposes them. Thiswill be a means ofprotecting him from falling intothat, which is harmful to him in his Faith.

5

We ask Allah to have mercy upon the deceased,Shaikh 'Abdul-Aziz bin Biz, and to continue tobenefit the Muslims through his valuable teachings.May Allah also bless all of the Muslims with thecorrect understanding and the beliefs that will assisttheir entry into His Paradise.

Abdul Malik MujahidGeneral Manager

6

Introduction

All praise is due to Allah, and Allah's Peace andBlessings be upon His Final Messenger, his purefamily, his noble Companions, and all those whofollow them with righteousness until the Day ofJudgement.

To proceed:

In view of the fact that the true 'Aqidah, or creed, isthe foundation of Islam, I have decided on 'TheAuthentic Creed and the Invalidators ofIslam' as atitle for the present treatise. It is evident from texts ofthe Noble Qur'an and the Sunnah that a person'swords and deeds will not be accepted unless theyemanate from a true creed. If the creed is notauthentic, all words and deeds emanating therefromare bound to be rejected. The Qur'an says:

.J..-(.. (.r1'~ ..... ;f\ ....". .-{ ...-:~m .,...~ .{l"':- },.-.::~~)JI': 4.,. ~,. ~ .. #~~ y

[0 : •..uWI]

"And whosoever disbelieves in Faith then,fruitless is his work; and in the Hereafter he willbe among the losers." (5:5)

And He (tc) said:

cJto ~.J ~~~ ZJ -1'U· -: ~i Jl -: ~I'" t~f-},.• - ~. ... ~~... ~ _.. i.J';J IJ Y

[10:.r-)1] ~&~r~~Jf=J.J

"And indeed it has already been revealed to you,

7

as it was to those before you, that if you joinothers with Allah in worship, then surely allyour deeds will be in vain, and you will certainlybe among the losers." (39:65)

The Verses to this effect are numberless.

The Qur'an and the Prophetic traditions clearly statethat the true creed is to believe in Allah, His Angels,His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and Al­Qadar (Divine Destiny), the good .ofit and the bad ofit. These six articles constitute the basis of the truecreed with which Allah ~ sent His Book and withwhich He sent His Messenger Muhammad ;fi.

These articles also include all aspects of AI-Ghaib(Unseen World), or in which a Muslim shouldbelieve. They also include all that which Allah andHis Messenger have infonned us thereof. Theevidence of these articles come from many Verses ofthe Qur'an as well as Prophetic traditions. Thefollowing are but a few examples. Allah ti says:

~"'(:"'~.i\~("ir'" ,-,~.....i\"',: : ... tl"i..-:"t:": 'Oi1..~·~ql ...·.f.}..~ -.~~ WJ ;~!J~ ~r--~J:.Y.,.tIu~ U"':! "

[ \vv: 0 :: 11]..c:'&··~li'" ~r":iL ij ....W . ~;i •...i'... .JiL~ ~~!J,. .. !J.. ; !J..f:~ ~~!.J .. ~

"It is not righteousness that you tum your facestowards east or west; but it is righteousness tobelieve in Allah and the Last Day, and theAngels, the Book and the Messengers." (2:177)

He (~) also said:~r .....,... ..c~ ~". :~f('" .. -: .·1"1 J~ . :t 1"..... j ". '::t, ......,... :ll..:»'t VA -. loY lJ"':"..J.'!J &;';J ~ H ~1 ~ !r"J' VA" "

[lAO:. :: 'I] ..c&~l~..~"&~'~.C".,(~'"~ ~~'» ...>!.f~J

8

UThe Messenger believes in what has beenrevealed to him from his Lord, as do thebelievers. Each one (ofthem) believes in Allah,His Angels, His Books, iJIld His Messengers.(They say) 'We make no distinction betweenone another of His Messengers.' And they say,'We hear and we obey. We seek Yourforgiveness, our Lord, and to You is the end ofall journeys.,,, (2:285)

He (~) further says:

;to: J~-:' ~l{ (or',,'" ~,- ~-""" -::t i ~ \;'i~"'\~ -: lr (~li },.J'" if '" ~~~.J.J~,. ~ ~ ~... "'C."

~~;9~~~J~~JJ1""J'.~ '-::~\;~A'::'.J"'\~.j,,~~~ .~f oyt,'" ~ .1 ~., ...~~"'{ ..... .f; ~~ ~J.J "'> !oJ

[, yo, : ~L.:J\)

"0 you who believe! Believe in Allah and HisMessenger, and. the Scripture which He sent toHis Messenger (i. e., the Qur'an) al\d the .Scripture which He sent to those before (him);any who disbelieves in Allah, His Angels, HisBooks, His Messengers and the Last Day hasindeed gone far, far astray." (4:136)

~~ '~fcj~jbl~j1i~ J:A"S\ c.i r;~~~,F;l1,[v~ :~I] ~~~~~~~

"Know you not that Allah knows all that is in

9

the heaven and on the earth? Verily, it is (all) inthe Book (Al-Lauh AI-Mahjuz), Verily, that iseasy for Allah." (22:70)

The authentic Prophetic traditions clearly stating thesearticles are also innumerable. We cite the followingtradition as an example. Muslim reported in his Sahihon the authority of 'Umar bin AI-Khattab • thatwhen Jibril ~ asked the Prophet Mabout Faith, hesaid:

· ",'., ,"', ''\'\ '-'II' .J..~/' ~' c.Sj~ ~L -; ,. ~ ~~';JI•.f': r.J'::' .J " J.J "';' .J......, J, :.. ~y • ~

, .10:;:'J 0,,;;. Jlli~ ~).iJ.... '" "" ...

"Imari or Faith, is to believe in Allah, HisAngels, His Books, His Messengers, the LastDay, and to believe in Destiny, the good of itand the bad of it."

This tradition has also been reported by AI-Bukharion the authority of Abu Hurairah •. From thesearticles emanate all that a Muslim should believe withregard to Allah's Right, the Day ofJudgement and allmatters pertaining to the Unseen World.

10

BeHel in Allah

Belief in Allah signifies that Allah is the true GodWho Alone deserves to be worshipped, as He is theCreator and the Sustainer ofall human beings. It alsosignifies that He is also fully aware oftheir secret andopen words and deeds and is Able to reward therighteous and punish the disobedient. In fact, Allahcreated mankind and the jinn for the sole reason toworship Him Alone. As the Qur'an says:

.t ~C.. ~:- . - ..~ ~jt 0 '!,~(;'J ~I ....·~i.. 'f ir.~ ;'1;.~'" },..'.J ~~LJo:~.!.J 9- ..... ~~~!JU""; 'J"~~iffii'fij0\~~i~l 09Y,,!j

[0'\-01: ~.:A"..Jljjl]

"And I (Allah) created not the jinn and mankindexcept that they should worship Me (Alone). Iseek not any provision from them (Le., provisionfor themselves or for My creatures) nor do I askthat they should feed Me (Le., feed themselvesor My creatures). Verily, Allah is theAll-Provider, Owner of Power, the MostStrong." (S I:56-58)

And He (tI) said:

p:u~~£tJ~~4(~Jb~\ J.61 li~ t~ J.J~ ~l; ~~~~~ J-:}Jl rt1~~Ji o6]J.j~( .~ J. \) ~-..1;'~ ~t'f \i: . ,....'it\ ~ &AI .....:~ X J:;:;:J\~""'-'.... • ~~ !.l;l'r~ ~ ...,.t:':r

[ll,l' : i",l:J1] ~~;j·4~t

11

"0 mankind! Worship your Lord, Who createdyou and those who came before you that youmay become righteous. Who has made the eartha resting place for you, and the sky as a canopy,and sent down rain. from the sky, and broughtforth therewith fruits as provision for you. Thendo not set up rivals unto Allah (in worship)while you know that He Alone has the right tobe worshipped." (2:21,22) .

Allah sent the Messengers and sent down the Booksto clarify this Truth, call to it and warn against all thatwhich contradicts it. The Qur'an says:

t"'· -::·r"'~\ (~'( ·1~'-: ~ iL . t.J:~ .. ~~.!J !.t. -;..' ~.J" ~ ~ • !J Y

~ ........[r,:~n~~~\

"And verily, we have sent among every Ummaha Messenger, (with the command), 'WorshipAllah (Alone) and avoid (or Keep away from)At-Taghut (Le., all false deities).'" (16:36) .

t1 ~l Ai~~14~;:,;; ~l ~..;; ~ ~9~ j---=r/J t..;'[YO :,.~~I] ~9J~1i

"And We did not send any Messenger beforeyou but we revealed to them (saying): La Iltihaill Ana (none has the right to be worshipped butI, So worship Me." (21 :25)

-1' t..,,/. ~f0 -:~~j. .:1;,) ~~ '{(\;~ _.~i"'" l...~ -M" __ ~ ... u ~ {A ... ~ Y

[.,t. ............ "". ~1 -: 1; .....

Y, , : ~"...l ",(~..J..J.-!i .c.;.J'-I~~~1

12

H(This is) a Book, the Verses whereof areperfected and then explained in detail from One(Allah), Who is All-Wise and Well-Acquainted(with all things): (Saying) worship none butAllah. Verily, I (Muhammad ~) am unto youfrom Him a warner and a bringer of gladtidings. '" (11: 1,2)

The reality 'of 'worship' mentioned in the above­mentioned Verses is to direct all one's acts to AllahAlone. These include, amongst other things,-supplications, fear and hope, prayers, fasting, makingsacrifices and taking vows. These should be done intotal submission to His Will, fearing His chastisemen~

and hoping for His Mercy as well as displaying lovefor Him. Many Verses of the Qur'An clearly state thisIslamic fundamental. The Qur'an says:

~~W~.JJ1A~f o~Jii~\~~~rt;i ~[r', y :.l'")1]

"Verily, We have sent down the Book to you intruth: so worship Allah (Alone), offering Himsincere devotion. Surely, sincere devotion(worship) is due to Allah Alone." (39:2,3)

[Yr': .\..-)'1] ~~~~ ·~:h\J~~t4t;~;.,

"And your Lord has decreed that you worshipnone but Him." (17:23)

13

~~I~j1;~~r~~~rJ;~fi,r't :}\$]

"So, call upon Allih with· sincere devotion,making your worship pure for Him (Alone)."(40:14)

AI-Bukhiri and Muslim also report on the authority ofMu~adh.. who said, that the Prophet :I said:

.«~ '" 1-~ ~'~' ~ ~ :', .' II 'I:::. 10It'• ';' or-r'- .J.J •• cJ ~~ u-,~ r.J>"1

"Allih's right upon His slaves is that theyshould worship Him Alone and not to associateanyone with Him in worship."

• Belief in Allah also necessitates the belief in allthe apparent obligations including the five pillarsof Islam, namely the declaration that none isworthy of worship except Allah and thatMuhammad :I is His Messenger, perfonningprayers, paying Zakah, fasting during the monthof Ramadan, and perfonning pilgrimage toKa'bah in Makkah, ifone can afford it.

The most important of all these pillars is thedeclaration of Faith, that none has the right to beworshipped except Allah. This declaration requiresoffering sincere devotion to Allah Alone. Anyonewho is worshipped besides Allah is but vainfalsehood, as the Qur'in says:

...". ". /' ".. ,..... A"Y -! ..........". -;'".....,...f /' ... A.JA~~~ ~y.x::;;;~ ~1t~l JA ~l ~~ .::Llj:~ T

14

[1y:~t]~~i

"That is because Allah is the Only True God,and those besides Him whom they invoke arebut vain falsehood." (22:62)

We have mentioned earlier that Allah,. created thejinn and men to worship Him Alone and that He sentHis Messengers and sent down His Books to explainthis fundamental to them. Many Muslims nowadayshave neglected this fundamental and have thus. falleninto ignorance and have, wittingly or unwittingly,worshipped others besides Allah, hence violating thisright ofworship, which is His prerogative.

• This belief also necessitates the belief that AllahIi is the Originator and Creator of the creationand that He Alone is the Disposer oftheir affairswith His Total Will and Absolute Knowledge. Heis also the Master of the present world and the

,Hereafter and the Lord ofthe worlds. There is nocreator or lord but He. He sent the Messengersand sent down the Books to call them to thatwhich will .benefit them in this world and in theHereafter. The Qur'an says:

""" ~ ...'" -.P ;C~ "'".'" ....~" i.L{,,'1' ~p..'II{~ ,i.Y'~ a'."aJ~~U>- T

[1 Y:.".jl]

"Allah is the Creator ofall things, and He is theGuardian and Disposer of all affairs." (39: 62)

.15

~ -J~l~! '11 ~J.1it .;.S(" If~ cS)l ~1 ~.J d:,l''-"-:rf" :·1tf" ~,:;. :t11: "(~'f 'i .1, •':~ '~f'j ~ , ...~ .~~!J !J.. .J~ ~ ~~,,,,,.r-

~~1~~1~"(;tt", ~r~rJ~""f A .;t •(r ...~ .. ~~'f"~... .!J !,) • ~'1!J~ ~ "Y'",p'~r~!J

[0 t: Jlf)ll]

"Indeed your Lord is AllAh, Who created theheavens and the earth in six days, then He roseover the Throne (in the manner that suits HisMajesty). He covers the night with the day,seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, themoon, and the stars, (all) are subjected to HisCommandment. Surely, His is the creation andthe commandment. Blessed be Allah, the Lordofthe worlds." (7:54)

• Belief in Allah also necessitates the belief in HisBeautiful Names and Lofty Attributes that areclearly stated in the Qur'an and are authenticallymentioned by His Prophet Muhammad ji. Weshould believe in all His Attributes withoutchanging them, completely ignoring them,twisting their meanings, or claiming that theyresemble human attributes. Rather, we shouldbelieve in these Attributes and describe AllAh in amanner that suits His Majesty and Grandeur, fornone of His creatures resembles Him in any way.The Qur'an says:

.... .-:

[ , , : ~J"..:JI] ~.:A....:;Ji&.. ~li ......: • -;:40~ ....-:1 ~.... ... jAJ......:..r' ...... ~"

"There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the

16

All-Hearer, the All-Seer." (42:11)

[Vf·:~I] ~Sft;;;~~"~~t~l~G.~A~~:)ij~

"Invent not similitudes for Allah. Truly, Allahknows and you know not." (16:74)

Such is the creed ofAhlus-Sunnah waI-Jamd 'ah, theCompanions of the Prophet. and those who followin their footsteps. Imam Abu AI-Hasan AI-Ash'arimentioned this creed in his book 'AI-Maqdltit 'anAshdbiI-Hadithi wa Ahlis-Sunnah.' Other leadingscholars have also mentioned this tnie creed in theirworks.

Imam AI-Awzi'i said:

"Az-Zuhri and Makhul were inqUired about theVerses which talk about Allah's Attributes andthey replied, 'Leave them as they are. '" That is,do not interpret them.

AI-Walid bin Muslim said:

"Malik, AI-Awzi'i, AI-Laith bin Sa'd, andSufyan Ath-Thawri, may Allah have mercyupon them, were asked about the narrationconcerning Allah's Attributes, and they all saidto believe in them all without interpreting theirmeanings."

AI-Awzi'i said:

"We used to say in the presence ofAt-Ttibi'un,the successors of the Prophet's Companions,that Allah is over His Throne, and we believed

17

in all the Prophetic traditions concerning Allah'sAttributes."

When Rabi'ah bin Abu 'Abdur-Rahman, the teacherof Imam Malik, was asked· about the Verse, "Allahrose over His Throne." (7:54), he replied:

"Allah's rising over the Throne "is not to bedenied, to imagine the manner in which this isdone is impossible~ the Message is from Allah,the Prophet ;I conveyed this Message, and wehave to believe in it as it is."

When Imam Malik himself was inquired about themanner in which Allah " rose over the Throne, hereplied:

"Allah's action of rising over the Throne isknown, the manner in which this was done is notknown, the belief in this matter is obligatory,and inquiring about this manner is an innovationin religion, or Bid'ah."

Then he addressed the inquirer thus, "You are but anevil person." Then· he asked people around him tosend him out~ Umm Salamah~ .111 ~.Jt the Prophet'swife, is reported to have made the same statement.

Imam Abu 'Abdur-Rahman 'Abdull8h bin AI­Mubarak said in this connection:

"We know that our Lord, Glorious is He, is overHis Throne and over His heavens, distinct fromHis creation."

18

The religious scholars have written so much on thissubject that it is impossible to quote them all in thistreatise. Whoever is interested to find out mOre aboutthis subject can refer to works written by scholars ofSunnah in this regard. These include, among otherthings, 'Abdullah bin Imam Ahmad's As-Sunnah,Muhammad bin Khuzaimah's At-Tawhid, Abul­Qasim At-Tabari's As-Sunnah. One can also refer toImam Ibn Taimiyyah's reply to the people ofHamat,Syria, in which he delineated the belief of Ah/us­Sunnah. He also included in this reply the statementsof Ahlus-Sunnah as well as logical and textualevidence from the Qur'an and the Sunnah supportingtheir position and exposing their opponents' opinions.He also dealt with the subject in his treatise known asAr-Risdlatu At-Tadmiriyyah in which he cited thebelief ofAhlus-Sunnah along with logical and textualevidence from the Qur'an and the Sunnah, leaving noroom for argument for the objective seekers ofTruth.

Whoever adopts other than the position of Ahlus­Sunnah as to the issue of Allah's Names andAttributes will certainly contravene massive logicaland textual evidence from the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

• Ahlus-Sunnah have confirmed all the Names andAttributes that Allah confirmed for Himselfeitherin the Qur'an or through the authentic traditions ofthe Prophet ;I, without changing them completely,twisting their meaning, ignoring them or likeningthem to those of His creatures. They have takeninto account all possible proo'rs and hav~ thus

19

avoided falling into obvious contradictions. It isAllah's Plan to make the argument of thoseobjective and sincere seekers of the Truthsupreme:

~i),. '" ,,-" "l~ "". ....,,"J.¥:l.... "'~"'''1 ". .:.. ..,~..a\....... \,)\1 f.A.-...u '\ Lo. -:'v J.lAi Lfw'T';;J";- j;. - ..". c.s""7'> .".. c.r:

[ 'A : ..~':II]

''Nay, We hurl the Truth against falsehood, andit destroys it, and behold, falsehood isvanished." (21 :18)

.i. r. ."" "'·1, ~~it ""..-:' ".,j "" /"." .....~"'{~v--!l~~~)i~.:2.tji\t~JY

[,..,.. :~u.,,4J1]

"And no question do they bring to you but Wereveal to you the Truth and the best explanation(thereof)." (25:33)

Commenting on the Verse:

~ ~~l ~-:: ~ J,:;'if; ~):~ -: ti~~;t ~i ~J ~l~

[0 t : ~I.r':II] ~tt;.ir~4ij..:.1

"Indeed your Lord is Allah, Who created theheavens and the earth in six days, then He roseover the Throne (in a manner that suits HisMajesty)." (7:54)

The renowned exegete of the Qur'an, or Mufassir, AI­Hafiz Ibn Kathir said:

"People in this regard adopt far too manydifferent opinions, which are not possible to citehere. However, we adopt in this regard the

20

position of (the righteous predecessors), As­Salaf-us-Salih, past and present, such as Malik,AI-Awza'i, Ath-Thawri, AI-Laith bin Sa'd, Ash­Shafl'i, Ahmad and Ishaq bin Rihwaih. They allbelieved in Allah's Attributes without twistingtheir meanings, ignoring them completely, orlikening them to those ofHis creatures."

And whatever image comes to our minds about Allahshould be rejected, for ''there is nothing like untoHim, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer." (42:11)

Nu'aim AI-Khuza'i, the teacher of Imam AI-Bukhari,said:

"Whoever likens Allah to His creatures is adisbeliever, and whoever denies the Attributesthat Allah ascribes to Himself is a disbeliever. Itis impossible to liken Allah to any of HisCreatures. Guided are those who confirm toAllah the Attributes, in a manner suiting HisMajesty, mentioned in the clear Qur'anic Versesand authentic Prophetic traditions and rejects allblemishes as to Allah's Attributes."

21

Belief in the Angels

A Muslim should believe in all Allah's angels, whomHe created to worship Him and whom He describes as"honored slaves." (21 :26) and that:

~, I ':~"i .'1 ~I ~ >-:;''~l'~,... .. "" -:'-~ ~:: ~~J~J ~ j.~~ '-'r-- ~r1=,•.~ ~"

[YA:,.L;\'I] .t~J1~:~ <:';'~".. ~ ~

"He knows what is before them, and what isbehind them, and they cannot intercede exceptfor him with whom He is pleased. And theystand in awe for fear ofHim." (21:28)

The angels fall into different categories and they areassigned different duties. There are, amongst others,those who bear the Throne ofAllah (40:7), those whoguard Paradise and Hell, and those who record theslaves's deeds, to mention but a few.

A Muslim should believe in those whom Allah namedsuch as Jibril (Gabriel), Miki'il, MAlik - theGuardian of Hell-fire, and Isrifil, who is in charge ofblowing in the Trumpet. 'Aishah~ .1a1 ~J reportedthat the Prophet ji said:

" .... , , ,....... ...,d ~ l,; ~ ~~\ -·I~"', • ~ 6i')l;J\ ~IJ ~ [.J ~ . ~.J J.]l ~... ... ...

.... • I~ C1 wj t:... ~;( ~Jr ", ... , '"The angels were created from light, the jinnwere created from a smokeless flame of fire, andAdam was created from what has been describedto you." (Muslim)

22

Belief in the BookS

A Muslim should believe that Allah had sent downBooks upon His Prophets and Messengers to clarifyHis Right and to call to it, as the Qur'in says:

-<' (. if'" ..........£Cl ........ Gr.,.. ..; (,~ ..jt t::.e,.. a::.1~ A.~~~, .. .........- V!J ;:10' " ~ !,) "

[y 0 : ~J>JI] ~ ~ .. !~~L.Jr~.."Indeed We have sent Messengers with clearproofs, and revealed with them the Scripture andthe Balance (Justice) that mankind may keep upjustice." (57:25)

J.....·f..... . >............ .~ .... ':' ......-::(\ ,rtf .......-: " .... .-;;~{ .. I~'" "v. A.t.i'!Ji.!~~.J~-t ;!.~ ~1~i~~""'ItJ"~I.:.t\) T

..t::..t i;:t::;'f~ \1Jr ~.........t"~1 ~~Jt ~\"""'''"It:...... •...~ ~r-~~> ..... ~

[Y,r:;."A.:.!I]

"Mankind were one community and Allah sentProphets with glad tidings and warnings, andwith them He sent the Scripture in truth to judgebetween people in matters wherein theydiffered." (2:213)

A Muslim should also believe in the Revealed Booksthat Allah It named,· such as the· Torah, the Gospel,the Psalms, and the Qur'in. The Glorious Qur'in isthe fmal and the best of all these Books. It confmnsthe Scriptures that came before it and is a witnessover it, testifying the truth and falsifying thefalsehood therein. All Muslims should follow itscommands, .shun its prohibitions and ~efer to itsrulings to settle their differences. They should alsofollow· the authentic Sunnah ofthe Prophet. because

23

Allah sent Muhammad • to both the jinn andmankind and sent down the Noble Qur'in to judgebetween them. He also made it a healing for thediseases, such as hypocrisy, ignorance and doubt, anexposition of everything, .and a guidance and mercyfor those who believe. The Qur'in says:

.1.--: ",' ,,~"~f..'it ~:1"',}~ !1"{ ~'I /",,,, :'i-:'.~ ~ !'.tt",.-:" },.~u"""".J~~~~II.!.1.J~~.J'~ .... ~.J "

[, 00 : r\...V~l]

"And this is a Book (i.e., the Qur'in) which Wehave sent down as a blessing, so follow it andfear Allah, that you may receive mercy." (6:155)

[A~ :~I] ~~ ....~ ..-:~

"And We have sent down to you the Book (i.e.,the Qur'in) as an exposition of everything, aguidance, a mercy, and glad tidings toMuslims." (16:89)

~1 ""jr L.:::.....I:- :J'~41 -:1 j "', ~ I .J. el "~,li; "it},.tv' .....~.~ !Jo""'.J~. -....J' ...-:: _""

-:( t~ 1~1' ~ "'... .."", ..f, "$1 "-1 ~ ..{r(" ::; -:.-;J( {Ii';II~ ~D ." ..;!;J~ ,. ~ ..<I. J c.t'J~!J~" ",~

: '" 'for" .."".. ,'u;.-, ..~t ~ .? ~Jf ....~ .._~j\ .l ."'..'"~!J ...., ~.J;r>~~ .... ~ 'JI;"""' ~J.J

['OA:~'.r\l,] ~G./l~ .\:}: j:J

"Say (0 Muhammad): '0 mankind! I am sent toyou all as the Messenger of Allah, to Whombelongs the dominion of the heavens and theearth; there is no God worthy ofworship but He;

24

it is He Who gives life and causes death. Sobelieve in Allah and His Messenger, the Prophetwho can neither read or write (i.e., MuhammadM), who believes in AlI8h and His Words:follow him that you may be guided.'" (7:158)

The Qur'inic Verses to this effect are many.

2S

Belief in the Messengen

A Muslim should believe in all Allah's Messengerswithout exception. He must believe that Allah II sentmankind. Messengers· from amongst them as warners,bearers of glad tidings, and callers to the Truth.Whoever follows them will certainly attain bliss andhappiness, and whoever disobeys them will bedoomed and disgraced. Muhammad. was the best ofall these Messengers. Allah says:

t.lo·-::·'i.. ~t~1 .1-']~~~ 1L· ~~.. },.~!J 1J. -.;...' ~..), ~ ~ . !J T

[r, :~I] ~~;.~,\

"And assuredly We have sent amongst everypeople a Messenger (proclaiming), 'WorshipAllah (Alone) and avoid the worship of Ttighut(false deities).'" (16:36)

, ... r~~ ~ 'H'~ ,~"" ~ J~t '" .,).,,;' .. ,,;~ ...1 .,..A l..-"'l~~l I.T~~iJ~ A ~~~.J e:.t~ ~j "

[" 0: .l-:JI] ~~~,

"Messengers who gave good news as well aswarning in order that mankind should have noplea against Allah after the Messengers." (4:165)

~",,; J\ J" .,.0: .ra' .!'('" " ....... " ...."\ il "-:,,;,). -:- ~ I~ l..- :J ... ~..) &'J ~If-..J ~ f- ~,~ u~ '--"

[ t • :~I?~I] ~t ·tJi"Muhammad is not the father ofany man amongyou, but he is the Messenger ofAllah and thelast of the Prophets." (33:40)

26

A Muslim should also believe in those Prophets andMessengers· that AllAh or His Messenger • wasauthentically reported to have named, such as Nilli,Hud, 841ih, and Ibr4him r')l..Jl~.

27

Belief in the Last Day

Belief in the Last Day includes the belief in all thatwhich will happen after death and about which Allahand his Messenger • informed us. This includes thetrial in the grave, the torment or the bliss therein. Thisalso includes the belief in all that will be witnessed onthe Day ofJudgement, such as the Bridge set over theHell-fIre, The Balance, Reckoning, Reward andPunishment, the giving of the records, which thesuccessful believers will be given in their right handwhile the wretched disbelievers will be given in their

. left hand behind their back. This also includes thebelief in the River that will be given to ProphetMuhammad a, belief in Paradise and Hell-fire, beliefin the believers' looking at their Lord II and Histalking to them. A Muslim should believe in all thesefacts and others that are clearly mentioned in theQur'An and authentically reported to have been saidby the Prophet •.

28

Belief in the Divine Destiny

Belief in the Qadar (Divine Destiny) comprises fourthings:

First, the belief that Allih knows what has been andwhat will be; He is Aware ofeverything concerningHis slaves, knows their provision and sustenance,their appointea terms on earth, their deeds, andeverything else relating to them. Nothing is. hiddenfrom Him. The Qur'an says:

[V: 4J,)~1l ~~~$;~f!tl~

"Verily, Allah is the All-Knower ofeverything."(58:7)

.i.,r'i .. "iP" l' (1 .:; ,::, .. ~t...... ::, .. ~ .1~ ~"~'f~I~t ~'II{~,,;;. '-f't ..p-.I ..u ~\ 4J!J J!.~ ,;;.~ (y' 4iI\ ~I~ "

['" :J~I]

"That you may know that Allih has power overall things, and that Allah comprehends all thingsin (His) Knowledge." (65:12)

Second, the belief that He keeps all that He decrees ina Clear Book, or A/-Lauh-A/-Mahjuz, as the Qur'ansays:

[t : J] ~ (1;:.:.;..(1f-4J~X)ir~r;q;~ ~

"We know that which the earth takes of them(their dead bodies), and with Us is a Bookpreserved (Le., the Book ofDecrees)." (50:4)

29

[H :~] ~~-I~lri~:.r::f~Jj~

"And all things We have recorded in a ClearBook." (36:12)

He further says:

~~':)~~j~1:;"j1.J~J/A\\~~~~~~~3'

[V, :~I] ~~~~~~~l

"Know you not that Allah knows all that is inheaven and on earth? Indeed, it is all in a Book(A/-Lauh-A/-Mahfuz), and that is easy forAllah." (22:70)

Third, the belief that His Will is absolute' andpowerful and that whatever He decrees will be, andwhatever He does not decree will never come to pass:

['A:~Il ~t(lf!t:~~'jSl'

"Verily, Allah does what He wills." (22:18)

[AY :~]~JJ~J'~J~J~;l)1TS17~'Ol'"Verily, when He intends a thing, His Commandis, 'Be', and it is." (36:82)

[Y~:.r.#I] ~~~J~rf~j~i5.?Gi~.J'

"And you will not will except as Allah Wills, theLord of the worlds." (81 :29)

Fourth, the belief that He is the Sole Creator ofallthings, as the Qur'an says:

[, Y: ...)1] ~Jt ? ...~ 'J' ,'::: ~.... ~.~ i ~- {It::' ~r ~J ~,,~Iof c:rrJ,,~~~ "

30

"Allah is the Creator ofall things, and He is theGuardian and Disposer ofall affairs." (39:62)

'.. y{-!'.' ~~~. -:. 'r:b:(""',:.', -:1' n. t\ ,.."{";~ "'I~t"'\ l~...~...1' ~~(""""'..u~ ~~V::",,""~.~,~I\~ltJol:»I"""\:J -r.~ l'

[Y' : .,bU] ~0):'ijf~t~~~~l ":§~"f.J~ J::J.Jf"0 mankind! Remember the Grace of Allahupon you! Is there a creator other than Allahwho provides for you from the sky and theearth? There is no God worthy of worshipexcept He. How then are you turning away(from Him)?" (35:3)

Belief in the Divine Destiny, therefore, comprises allthese four categories. This is the position ofAhlus­Sunnah wal-Jama 'ah. Only those. who yield toinnovations in religion deny some ofthese categories.

The belief in Allah also includes the belief that Faithcomprises both words and deeds, that this Faithincreases with acts of obedience and decreases as aresult of committing acts ofdisobedience, and that itis not permissible to accuse a Muslim of disbelief, orKufr, as a result of committing acts of disobedienceand major sins, such as adultery, stealing, usury,drinking alcohol, and disobedience to parents, as longas he or she does not regard these sins permissible.The Qur'an says:

[\\,\: ..LH]

"Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should

31

be set up with Him in worship, but He forgivesanything else, to whom He pleases." (4:116)

Authentic Prophetic traditions also state that Allah tIwill ultimately take out of Hell-fire whoever has anatom's weight ofFaith.

• Belief in Allah also necessitates love for His sake,hate for His sake, and making friends and enemiesfor His sake. A true believer loves the believersand takes them for friends, and shows hatetowards the disbelievers and does not take themfor friends. The best of the believers one shouldlove are the Companions of the Prophet ;fi. Ahlus­Sunnah wal-Jama 'ah love them and believe thatthey are the best ofmankind after the Prophets, asthe Prophet ii said in the well-known authentictradition:

11 0 '-:' ~i-: -: ..ul:;{ 0'-:' ~i-: -: ..ul ~{ .• ::. '~il ,.-: J. r+n rJ!" r-' r+n rJ!" r-' 1../,.1 ~J r .,r.;>

"The best of generations are my generation, thenthose who follow them, then those who followthem."

They also believe that the best of them are in thefollowing order: Abu 8akr, then 'Umar bin AI­Khattab, then 'Uthman bin 'Aftan, then 'Ali bin AbiTalib ~":»I ~j. Then there are those Companionswho were given the glad tidings of entering Paradise,then the rest of the Companions. They keep theirtongue in check regarding the arguments that aroseamongst them and believe that they did their best to

32

do only that which they believed was right. Whoeverwas right in his judgement would get a double reward,and whoever was wrong in his judgement would getone reward. They also love the believing members ofthe family of the Prophet :fi and his wives - theMothers of the Believers.

They free ·themselves from the position the Shiite Sectholds in this regard. They (the Shiites) hate theProphet's Companions, blaspheme them, and place theProphet's family members in a position higher than thatAllah chose for them. They also declare themselves freefrom the position held by An-Nawtisib who hann theProphet's family members in word and deed.

What we have mentioned in this brief treatise on thetrue creed with which Allah~ sent His Messenger :irepresents the belief of the Saved Sect, that ofAhlus­Sunnah wal-Jama 'ah, about which the Prophet ;i said:

",." I11III.'" , 4"'" II'

~ r--~ ~ O)~ :;;oJI~ ~l ~ ~u, JIJ ~J

.r~~ ~I ,ot .-:t:; ~; "'~I~. .- .r ""'.,~('T'

"A group of my followers will continue to begiven victory while holding on to the Truth', nohann will be done to them by those who forsakethem until Allah's Command comes to pass." '

He also said:

33

Jwi~IJ ~1 ~lfJ\ J; ~ li~ 0-.:: ....J 9 5U ~~.&\ J ~ ..t.. ~ .. :Z~l.. """'J_~~ .

"The Jews were divided into seventy-one sects,the Christians were divided into seventy-twosects, and my followers will be divided intoseventy-three sects which will all be (punished)in Hell-fire with the exception ofone."

When the Companions asked him to identify it, hereplied:

.•~~J~ tit ~ ~ ~ ~t5 ~ :J(;

"Those who are upon that which myCompanions and I follow."

Indeed, this is the authentic creed one should follow.

• Those who contradict and deviate from this belieffall into many categories. They include, amongothers, those who worship idols, angels, saints, thejinn, trees, and stones. These people have notfollowed the call of Allah's Messengers; ratherthey stubbornly rejected their call. This is exactlywhat the Quraish and some other Arab tribes didwhen Prophet Muhammad ;i came with the Truthfrom His Lord. They used to beseech their falsegods to fulfil their needs, heal their sick, and grantthem victory over their enemy. They would alsooffer sacrifices to them and make vows in theirnames. When the Prbphet;i disapproved of theirfoolish beliefs and called them to worship Allah

34

Alone and not to associate any partner with Himin worship, they replied:

[0 :~] ~y(;!~U;bL~~~Lt4.:gf~'

"Has he made the gods (all) into one God? Trulythis is a strange thing!" (38:5)

The Prophet :I did not yield to despair. He continuedcalling them to worship Allah Alone, warning themagainst associating others with Him in worship, andexplaining to them the reality of Islam. His effortseventually paid offwhen they entered Allah's religionin crowds. Islam then reigned supreme and prevailedover all religions due to the huge efforts made by theProphet M, his Companions, and those who followedthem in righteousness. The situation changed againafter ignorance dominated and an overwhelmingmajority of people reverted to their foolish, ignorantpractices, including the commission of all forms ofShirk. This phenomenon is increasingly spreading inour present-day society because of ignorance.

• The argument these people put forward is notdifferent from that of their predecessors, namely:

~~f .. f"-" ...."" ~~ ..['A: ~~] ~~I.lI~\ij1.;"".lj1A~

"These are our intercessors with Allah." (10: 18)

And:

"We only worship them in order that they may

35

bring us closer to Allah." (39:3)

Allah ~ refuted this false claim and made it clear tothem that worshipping any other person or thing otherthan Allah· is blatant Shirk and disbelief. The Qur'ansays:

/ -1 ~ ........ • .Jo.J.":"':;" .. .Jo{.Jo"..:t." -:1\ .Jo / .Jo.Jo-"}.~-"..,.u..J~ ~.J r-A~ ~ \011~ YJ.)~~J~J .,.

. -I.r.~" "'- "".-,.. ,[''':I.!''''''>!] ~~\~t,j"l'.;'.tI.~

"They worship, besides Allah, what can hurtthem not nor profit them, and they say: 'Theseare our intercessors with Allah.'" (10: 18)

Allah i\i refuted this claim in the same Verse thus:

~"' ...... .Jo r. ••1. fi . ..:1'" ; .... -::-(1. ~:::...1, .... ",';t .",.." .Jo.."'~'i ~ ::..~~J) ~.IJ";'" ~~~~411I..;;.,;,.J~'V"'r

] .i. ......... .Jo(""' • .Jo .... '" ""',,..[',,:~>! ~~Yr~~J

"Say: 'Do you indeed inform Allah ofsomething He knows not, in the heavens or onearth? -Glory be to Him! And far is He abovethe partners they ascribe to Him!'" (10:18)

These Verses clearly indicate that worshippingProphets, saints and others besides Him is a majorform of Shirk, which is an unpardonable sin. Onlythose who commit it have invented this name. TheQur'an says:

J"'\ t.Jo··t, ~l .j. ~~{l::::::J1;:oU ~ . i Uf -<' ~f"::'~ ~~ ~rA . -'!,) .....!oJ~.!J ~.... !JT

[r:r)l] ~~j~\"We only worship them in order that they maybring us closer to Allah." (39:3)

36

Allah refuted their false claim thus:

~",,; .".q ~r11 k~~ ..1' ~ •• "'-:• ., ..t".~ "'''P,I ~c:r ~ "'•.;;.:..J ..........~ I.!~~..ul u.T

[r:.J" jl] ~~l1by~;:."Truly Allah will judge between them in thatwherein they differ. But Allah guides not himwho is a liar and a disbeliever." (39:3)

In this Verse, therefore, Allah. makes it crystal clearthat the worship they offer to other than Him, whetherin the form of invocation, hope, fear or otherwise, isblatant disbelief. He also calls them liars when theyclaim that their false gods bring them closer to Allah.

• There are a number of ideologies and philosophiesin our present time which contradict this true beliefin every detail. The followers ofthese ideologiesand philosophies which were invented by Marx,Lenin and others who call to atheism and disbelief,give their beliefs different names, such associalism, communism, and Ba'thism. Thesepeople are in essence disbelievers, because they donot believe in the Last Day, Paradise and Hell.They also reject all religions because they claimthat there is no .god and that life is only matter.Those who follow these ideologies andphilosophies will certainly bear the worst ofconsequences both in this life and in the ~ereafter.

Other beliefs which contradict the true belief includeA/-Botinyyah and Sufism whose followers believe that

37

their so-called saints are Allah's partners in His ruleand disposition of the world's affairs. They give themsuch names as Aqttib, Awttid, and Aghwtith. Indeed,this is the worst form ofShirk with relation to Allah'sLordship; it is even far worse than the form ofShirkwhich was prevalent in Pre-Islamic Arabia, for theArabs at that time joined partners with Allah only inworship not in His Lordship. As the Qur'ao says:

J""l r+ ':l0 ~~\ ~ z" ,.Q~ ;;tt i~~ ~l j t!'~ 1~11 },.• - .., • ~ ~ ~., .",.~ 'T 7'

['O:~~I]~S..rA~,~!~i

"And when they embark on a ship, they invokeAUah, making their Faith pure for Him only: butwhen He brings them safely to land, behold,they give a share of their worship to· others.(29:65)

[AY: J.r:-)H ~~\~;:;r.il;'~~t.::~;~

"If you ask them who created them, they willcertainly say, 'Allah.'" (43:87)

';' ,;"".1. t"\';-::~~J"\ ~. -::", .•t u... I ....~ If' ..... t"{-!'., ... Ji.! }...';'-J~)I!Jc- I", P Ir ~J)I'.J~~'~ r-r-~~ "~.{r1 .,.....". .............. ti ......... ,-:::.::ii .,. ~.J. ... d\ -: -;; .... ".J. ~JoV)ll..l;.~ i.rJ c.r ~ ". &-..J ,. ~ J'I i1'=

"" ,",,,, 1.'.... 1.-:( ..... .If,.~,,,

[r \ : ~>:!] ~~.P':>U\J.U~\~)h-i

"Say: 'Who provides for you from the sky andfrom the earth? Or who has power over hearingand sight? And who brings out the living fromthe dead and the dead from the living? And who

38

rules and regulates all affairs?' They willcertainly say, 'Allah.' Say: 'Will you not thenshow piety (to Him)?'" (10:31)

• Those who commit Shirk these· days are worsethan their predecessors in that some ofthem joinpartners with Allah in Lordship and that theycommit Shirk in both times ofease and hardship.This is quite obvious from their practices at theshrines of AI-Hussein, AI-Badawi and others inEgypt, the shrine of AI-Eidarous in Aden, theshrine of AI-Hadi in Yemen, the shrine of Ibn'Arabi in Syria, the shrine of 'Abdul-Qadir AI­Jilini in Iraq, and other well-known shrines acrossthe Muslim World. To make matters worse, thereare only a few people who take great pains toremind these ignorant people of the reality ofTawhid with which Allah sent His Messenger a.We pray to Allah Almighty to guide them to theTruth and to help Muslim leaders combat anduproot this phenomenon.

.. Of the beliefs that contradict the true beliefwithregard to Aillih's Names and Attributes are thebeliefs held by AI-Jahmiyah and AI-Mu'tazilahsects and their likes. These sects completelyignore Allah's Lofty, Perfect Attributes as thoughHe is nonexistent or an inanimate being! Far is Heabove what they say about Him!

AI-Asha'irah is another sect that deny some oftheAttributes while confirming others, thus contradicting

39

clear logical as well as textual evidence from theQur'in and authentic Prophetic traditions.

The correct and true belief is that ofAhlus-Sunnanhwal-Jama 'ah who confinn all ,the Names andAttributes that Allih Ie has confinned for Himself inthe Qur'an or through His Prophet M. They set Him farabove His creation, as there is no one who bearsresemblance to Him in anYthing. They refer to allproofs in the Qur'in and the Sunnah without twistingthe meaning thereof in the least. In this way theyavoided confusion into which others have fallen. Thisbelief is the way to salvation and bliss in this life andin the Hereafter. It is the Straight Path which wasfollowed by the pious predecessors and their leaders.The condition of the present-day Muslims will not berectified except by following the same path of thepredecessors who held tight to Allah's Book and theSunnah of His Messenger and shunned all thatcontradict them.

40

The Invalidators of Islam

You should know, dear Muslim brother, that Allah~made it obligatory upon all His slaves to enter Islamand hold on to it, and warned them against followingother than Islam. He also sent His ProphetMuhammad :i to call mankind to it. Allah ~ hasinformed us in the Qur'an that guided are those whofollow the teachings of Islam, and misguided arethose who reject them. He warned us in many Versesagainst the causes ofapostasy and all fonns ofShirkand disbelief. Religious scholars have mentioned thatthere are a number of invalidators that are bound totake one out of the fold of Islam. For the sake ofattaining salvation in the Hereafter, I have brieflycited in the following pages, with some explanation,the ten most critical of these invalidators so that youwill avoid them and make others aware of them.

1. To associate others with Allah in worship. TheQur'an says:

"";I""'''=' ..... , -:"11-:" /' .1- ,.... .1-. :........ -:'L .... ';:"., )l .:.... .:i ..."''''\ -:::', )..'lI{,..~~~',).,;,.:.)J.)u~.Jc.!t.!J~IJI~ :J0UI1Ji. Y

[ , , " : ...L:JI]

"Allah forgives not (the sin of) setting uppartners with Him in worship, but He forgiveswhom He pleases other sins than this." (4: 116)

41

"Whoever sets up partners with Allah. inworship, Allah will forbid him Paradise, and theFire will be his abode. For the wrongdoers thereare no helpers." (5 :72)

Forms of worship include calling upon the dead,seeking their assistance, offering sacrifices to them,and taking vows in their names.

2. To set up intermediaries between oneself andAllah, seeking their intercession and puttingabsolute trust in them. Those who do so areunanimously considered disbelievers.

. 3. Not to accuse polytheists and those who commitShirk or disbelief, to be in doubt as to their beingdisbelievers, or to approve of their beliefs.

4. To believe that the Prophet's guidance is notcomplete or perfect or that other people's rulingand judgement is better than his. Those whoprefer the rule of false gods are blatant·disbelievers.

5. Those who hate anything that the Prophet ~ camewith are also disbelievers even if they act uponthem. The Qur'an says:

[~ :~] ~;4K;".t;.~~tjj;~t~'; ~\~~ ,

"That is because they hate that which Allah sentdown, so He has made their deeds fruitless."

42

(47:9)

6. Those who ridicule anything that Islam camewith, such as punishment and reward in theHereafter, are disbelievers. The Qur'An says:

..~~(~.-:.-:..:t o/""" J. ~ ..~ ..~.y .1 J."'''' 'IN ~1f it}..

.Jt!J.)~ oJ ~.J"~~ "'~J.J"'~"J;U\t.1IYT

~y .' '.' ~.~f"[11, 10 :~'pl] ~ ~~-L.!t~

"Say: 'Was it at Allah, and His Signs, and HisMessenger, that you were mocking? Make noexcuse; you have rejected Faith after you hadaccepted it.'" (9:65,66)

7. Magic in all its forms, including turning someoneaway from somebody that he or she loves, andmaking someone love someone or something heor she does not normally like. Whoever practicesmagic or approves of it is a disbeliever, asevidenced by the Qur'anic Verse that says:

"But neither of these (two angels) taught anyone(such things) without saying, 'We are only fortrial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magicfrom us).'" (2:102)

8. To take the disbelievers for friends, give themsupport and assistance against the Muslims is anact of disbelief. The Qur'an says:

43

~~'r~r~~.q~'~~~~t~r11;~;'[0' : oJSW1]

"And he amongst you that turns to them (forfriendship) is of them. Verily Allah guides not apeople unjust." (5:51)

9. Those who believe that it is in their power orauthority to forsake the law of Islam aredisbelievers. The Qur'an says:

~ ~"'. ~i . "',)."",)." """'~ ""( / ..u~~~, "A( .-:;..... "" ... ~~J~ ~,.".J~~~~~r-:--t' #~~J'"

[AO : 01r&' JT] ~&~~ ,z.rr"'And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam,it will never be accepted of him; and in theHereafter he will be one of the losers." (3:85)

10. To turn away from Islam and to stubbornly refuseto learn its teachings or act upon them. TheQur'an says:

,,/ . :>ij '" l~l T-::~:::: ":"·...1~{ .u "'I::"'n ~ ~U ....... ~~~ ~~~~~ :;L~~~~.:l~r (y'J."

['If. , ] ./.'" ". "',.Y1 : o~l "I{q,-!".

"And who does more wrong than he who isreminded of the Signs ofhis Lord, then he turnsaway therefrom? Verily from those whotransgress We shall exact (due) retribution."(32:22)

• In all of these invalidators, there is no differencebetween one who does them jokingly, seriously,

44

or in fear, except for one who is compelled againsthis will. All of these matters are most dangerousand most of them are occurring (amongst theMuslims). Therefore, it is necessary for theMuslim to beware of them and fear for himselfconcerning them.

The fourth point mentioned above also includes thosewho believe that man-made laws are better than theIslamic Law, that the Islamic Law is not suitable to beimplemented in the present century, that Islam is thereason behind Muslims' backwardness in somespheres of life, or that it is not applicable in otherspheres of life apart from regulating one's life withone's Lord. This point also includes those whobelieve that cutting off the thiefs hand is a backwardlaw that should not be implemented in the present-daysociety, It also includes those who believe that it ispermissible to dispense with the Islamic Law inmatters relating to the social life and the boundarylimits for the lawful and the unlawful even if they donot believe that other laws are not better than theIslamic Law, For this means that they have madelawful what Allah, had already made unlawful.Whoever makes lawful what Allah has declaredunlawful, things that are known in religion bynecessity such as adultery, drinking alcohol, usuryand ruling with other than Allah's Law, is adisbeliever with the unanimous agreement of allMuslim scholars.

4S

We seek AllAh's refuge from His painful chastisementas well as from those things that cause His wrath.AllAh's Peace and Blessing be upon His Messenger,his pure family and noble Companions.

46

~lVll1Jl, ............. , ............. ,

u.:JD

~14>~

4UJlU-.J j~:H~I~ ~j.a..;.art~