I S L A MI C C R E E D S E R I E S 1

BELI EF I N
AL L AH
)n thc Li ght of thc Qur' an and Sunnah
J ~ : 1 0 {UI
' Umar S. al Ashqar
I NTERNATI ONAL 15 AMI C P UBLl 5HI NG HOUS E
I NTHE NAME OF
ALLAH
THE ALL- COMPASSI ONATE ALL- MERCI FUL
BELI EF I N
AL L AH
Ti tl e: BEL I EF I N AL L AH
Author: Dr. Umar S. al - Ashqar
Transl ated f r omArabi c edi ti on 10 (1995)
Engl i sh Edi ti on 1 (2002)
Engl i sh Edi ti on 3 (2005)
Transl ator: Nasi ruddi n al - Khattab
Edi tor: Huda Khat t ab
Layout: I I PH Ri yadh Saudi Arabi a
Cover Desi gner: Har oon Vi cente Pascual Arl i ngton U. S. A.
Fi l mi ng: Samo Press Gr oup
I S L A M I C C R E E D S E R I E S
BELI EF I N
AL L AH
I n t he Li ght of t he Qur ' an and Sunnah
d.l.I ~ J l o - ! I
Dr . ' Umar S. al Ashqar
Transl ated by:
N asi ruddi n al Khattab
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I NTERNATI ONAL I SLAMI C PUBLI SHI NG HOUSE
lJ N!VLRSI TY!. lBRiRY
lJ NI VER YOF N()Rn I (' AR()UNA
Al Cl I APEL 11111
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PUBLI SHER' S NOTE 19
TRANSLATOR' S F OREWORD 21
PREFACE T O THE NE W REVI SED EDI TI ON 23
PREFACE T O THE FI RST EDI TI ON 25
I NTRODUCTI ON 29
1 - QEEDAH: DEFI NI TI ON AND EXPLANATI ON 29
1) ' Aqeedah: Meani ng and Usage 29
2) 'Aqeedah is a Matter of Knowl edge in the Heart 30
3) 'Aqeedah means Certai n Bel i ef wi th no Roomfor Doubt 31
4) The I ssues of 'Aqeedah are Invi si bl e 32
5) Correct 'Aqeedah and Fal se 'Aqeedah 33
Where is e ue ' aqeedah day? 34
6) The I mportance and Necessi ty of I sl ami c 'Aqeedah 35
2 THE RELATI ONSHI P BETWEEN 'AQEEDAH AND
EEMAAN AND SHARI ' AH 39
1) le Rel ati onshi p Bet ween ' Aqeedah and Eemaan 39
2) The Rel ati onshi p Bet ween 'Aqeedah and Shari ah 41
3) Payi ng Attenti on to Deeds 42
3 - EEMAAN AND KUFR 43
1) Rul i ng on Rej ecti on of 'Aqeedah 43
2) Acti ons and Wor ds Whi ch are Counted as Ku _ (Di sbel i ef) 44
3) Atti tude Towards the Kuf f aar (Di sbel i evers)
4) le Kaafi r before Al l ah
45
45
6 Contents
5) Negl ecti ng Obl i gatory Duti es and Commi tti ng
Prohi bi ted Acti ons 46
i) The attitude of the sal af towards those who
comm1t m or sms 46
ii) The Khawrij who denounced peopl e as kaa.fi r
because of their sins 49
The evi dence quoted by the khawaari j for denounci ng
as kaa.fi r those who commi t mor sins 50
Refutati on of the evi dence quoted by the khm arij 54
What is meant by the texts in whi ch the Messenger
of Al l ah di sowned those who commi t sins 59
What is meant by the texts whi ch state that some
sins i mpl y Ja. andshirk 59
iii) Those who say that the person who commi ts
maj or sins has perfect faith 63
4 - ' AQEEDAH VS. PHI LOSOPHY AND ' I LMAL- 4 64
1) The Di fference Between Isl ami c ' Aqeedah and
Phi1osophy and '11mal -Kal aam 64
i) Ori gi ns and sources 65
ii) Methodol ogy and way 66
iii) Force 1i mpact 72
iv) Style
75
v) Deducti on method 76
vi) Resul ts 79
2) The Attitude of the Schol ars Towards Phi1osophy 81
3) Compari son Between Man of l Ought (Phi1osophy)
and1an of ' Aqeedah 85
Bel i ef inAl l ah 7
5- SCHOL ARS' METHODOL OGYm
AFFI RMmG ' AQEEDAH 87
Expl anati on of leir Speci ous Arguments 90
Texts Which Indi cate that Aa}J aad Reports are Sound
Enough to be U sed as Evi dence 96
Refuti ng the Argument of those Who say that Aa dA}J aadeeth
C mot be Used as Proof wi th Regard to 'Aqeedah 99
BELI EFS WHI CH ARE PROVEN B Y THE A R 4DEETH 101
Rul i ng on Those who Deny that Whi chhas been Proven
inAa}J aad Reports 105
The Correct Methodol ogy 106
A matter whi ch must be clarified: How can we use
the Qur' an to address those who do not bel i eve in it? 106
A Dubi ous Call: Bri ngi ng Rel i gi ons Together 108
BELI EF m ALLAH 110
Introducti on: The I mportance of this Pri nci pl e 110
Issues of Bel i ef in Al l ah 111
CHAPTER ONE
EVI DENCE OF THE EXI STENCE OF THE CREATOR 113
1 - THE FI RST PROOF: THE EVI DENCE OF THE
FI TRAH ( HUMAN mSTmCT) 113
Sound Human I nsti nct Bears Wi tness to the Exi stence
of Al l ah Wi thout ( Any Need for Further) Evi dence 113
Cal ami ti es puri the Essence of the Fi (rah 116
The Mushri keen (Pol ythei sts theI dol aters) toWho m the Messenger
was Sent Acknowl edged the Exi stence of the Creator 117
le Ku._ of Peopl e Nowadays is Greater 119
8 Contents
2 - THE SECOND PROOF: THI S UNI VERSE MUST
HAVE A CREATOR 119
Let Us Gi ve an Exampl e to Expl ai n LawMor e Cl earl y 120
le attitude of the empi ri cal sci ences towards this l aw 125
Reason has no choi ce but to admi t 125
Speci ous Arguments About the Ori gi n of the Uni verse 125
1) The Vi ewthat it Happened by Acci dent 126
2) The Vi ewthat Na re is the Creator 128
The theory of sel f-generati on 129
Nature is the l aws whi ch govern the uni verse 130
Nature is a force 132
Those who came before themsai d somethi ng si mi1ar 132
3) Darwi n' s Theory 133
What does this theory say? 133
The bases of this theory 133
Darwi n' s expl anati on of the process of evol uti on 134
Refutati on of the bases on whi ch this theory is founded 135
Refuti ng Darwi n' s expl anati on of how evol uti on works 137
l I s theory is not supported by reality 139
The attitude of natural scientists towards is eory 141
Theory not fact 142
So why di d it become so wi despread? 142
The Qur' an and Darwi n' s l eory 143
The opposi te of this theory is the truth 144
In conc1usi on 149
Bel i ef inAl l ah 9
CHAPTER T WO
DEFI NI Tl ON OF AL L AH A ND CONNECTI NG
HEARTS T O HI M
I NTRODUCTI ON
1 - EVI DENCE OF THE UNI VERSAL SI GNS WHI CH
POI NT T O THE CREATOR A ND I NI TI ATOR
1) le Qur' ani c Met h'Od'Ol'Ogy in Usi ng the Uni versal
151
151
151
Si gns as Evi dence 151
i) Expl 'Ori ng the uni verse thr'Ough the Qur' ani c descri pti 'On 151
Al l ah' s Acti 'Ons in the Uni verse 152
ii) The bl essi ngs 'Of Al l ah in the uni verse 156
le Q ' ges us t'O seek and kn'Ow Al l ah
r'Ough Hi s Uni versal Si gns 159
iii) H'Ow the Qur' an uses its aayaat (verses) t'O pr'Ove
that the Creat'Or is deservi ng 'Of L'Ordshi p and
Di vi ni ty and t'O prove the fal seness 'Of every i ng
that is w'Orshi pped i nstead 'Of Al l ah 160
Ku . (di sbel i ef) is reprehensi bl e and s ange in the
face 'Of such c1ear pr' O' Of 164
iv) Th'Ose wh'O benefi t o mthe si gns 'Of the uni verse
are th'Ose wh'O have i nsi ght 166
v) M'Odemsci ences have severed the c'Onnecti 'On
between manki nd and the uni verse 168
vi) Evi dence in creati 'On 'Of e at i butes 'Of the Creat'Or 170
vii) Al l is the 'Onl y One Wh ' O is deservi ng 'Of w'Orshi p 173
2) le Sch'Olars Expl ai n the W'Onders that Al l ah has
Made in Hi s Creati 'On 175
i) B'Odi es are f'Or med 'Of cells whi ch di vi de 176
10 Contents
ii) Resi stance of living bei ngs to destructive factors 179
iii) How Al l ah inspiredthe bee and the wonders of
how Al l ah has created it 180
Contemporary scientists descri be the wor1d of the bee 185
How do bees tell one another where food is? 191
le bee sees a col our that we do not see 192
iv) How Al l ah I i des the ant and the wonders of
its creation 193
The whi te ant (termite): its od and habitation 198
Ants keep flocks and pl owthe soil 199
v) How Al l ah gui des the hoopoe and the wonders
of its creation 201
vi) How pi geons are i dedand the wonders
of their creation 203
vii) A dog whi ch nursed a child whose fami l y had di ed 207
viii) le whi st1ing birdkills the vi per 208
ix) le cunni ng of efox 208
x) The wonders of the wol f 209
xi) The wonders of monkeys 210
xii) The wonders of cows 210
xiii) The wonders of mi ce 210
xiv) Some ani mal s use medi ci ne
211.
xv) How peopl e learn omani mal s 211
Ways inwhi ch humans are l i kened to ani mal s 216
xvi) How the Creator gui des living bei ngs to mul ti pl y 219
Beli fi nAl l ah 11
The i mportance of the sexual i nsti nct 222
xvii) How the Creator causes ani mal s to make up for
lost P ts of their bodi es 222
xviii) Al l l i vi ng bei ngs have the functi on of breathi ng in
common al though they achi eve it in di fferent ways 224
xi x) Li vi ng bei ngs get their f ood in di fferent ways 226
xx) How bl ood ci rcul ates in the bodi es of
all l i vi ng bei ngs 228
xxi ) le way in whi ch the senses are f ormed
in l i vi ng bei ngs 230
xxii) How the bones and j oi nts are desi gned 232
xxiii) The reason why bl ood c10ts 232
xxi v) The sensory antennae of mosqui toes 233
xxv) Creatures whi ch fl ash in the darkness 234
xxvi ) The di gesti ve process in ani mal s 234
xvii) Formati on of the embryo 235
xviii) rmati on of the ear 236
xxi x) Fi l ari ae wor ms 236
xxx) The magneti smof the earth 238
xxxi ) The size di mensi ons and orbi t of heavenl y bodi es 238
2 - KNOWI NG AL L AH THROUGH THE TEXTS
OF THE QUR' A N AND SUNNAH 240
The Di vi ne Names and At butes 240
1) le Extent to Whi ch the Human Mi nd can Compr ehend
the At i butes of Al l ah 240
2) Summar y of the At i butes Whi ch are Menti oned
in the Texts 241
12 Contents
i) Al l ah has an essence (dhaat) 241
ii) Hi s Sel f" 242
iii) le Face of 0 Lordthe Exal ted
245
THE EFFECTS OF BELI EF I N THE FACE OF ALLAH 246
a) Seeki ng the Face of Al l ah through ri ghteous deeds 246
b) Seeki ng refuge by the Face of Al l ah the Exal ted 247
c) Respondi ng to e one who asks of you for the
sake of Al l ah 248
d) Hopi ng to see the Face of Al l ah 249
The veil of Hi s Face 251
iv) Al l ah has two Hands 252
Gl ori fi ng Al l ah by menti oni ng Hi s Hands 252
Al l ah spreads Hi s Hands 253
Thi ngs whi ch the Al l -Merci ful has created wi th Hi s Hands 253
The greatness of the Hands of the Lord 257
Both of Hi s Hands are Ri ght Hands 258
v) The Fi ngers of the Most Merci ful 258
vi) What has been menti oned concemi ng Hi s Foot 259
vii) Al l ah the Exal ted has a Shi n 261
viii) Hi s rising over the Throne 262
The great size of the Throne 264
Al l ah prai ses Hi msel f by menti oni ng Hi s risingover the Throne
and by dec1ari ng that He is the Lord of the Throne 265
The meani ng of Hi s rising over e rrone (i sti waa) 267
ix) Where is Al l ah? 269
Bel i ef inAl l ah 13
The meani ng of Hi s bei ng in heaven 271
Extensi ve evi dence 273
Hi s bei ng Al l -Hi gh does not co adi ct Hi s bei ng c10se 276
x) The l augh of 0 Lordthe Exal ted 276
xi) xii) Descendi ng and Comi ng of the Exal ted 279
xiii) The speech of Al l ah 280
Al l ah' s speech is not l i mi ted or res cted 285
The Qur' an is trul y the Wor d of Al l ah 286
xi v) The l ove of Al l ah 288
xv) xvi ) Al l ah' s ha d and anger 290
xvii) Seei ng Al l ah 292
xviii) le Knowl edge of Al l ah 296
Hi s Knowl edge encompasses general i ti es and mi nor details 296
xi x) xx) Hi s Li fe Sustai nment and Etemi ty 299
Al l ah the Exal ted menti ons these t wo Names together 300
The perfecti on of Hi s Li fe and Sustai nment 301
Gl ori fyi ng Al l ah by menti oni ng Hi s Li fe and Sustai nment 301
xxi ) xxii) Hi s heari ng and si ght 302
The Grea less of Al l ah 's heari ng and si ght 303
The mushri keen i gnorance of how far the heari ng
of Al l ah extends 305
3 THE BEAUTI FUL N Af ES OF AL L AH 305
1) The Number of Hi s Names 306
2) Defi ni ng the Names of Al l ah 308
3) le Greatest Name 313
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14 Contents
4) le Obl i gati on of Bel i evi ng in Hi s Names 315
5) How the Musl i mCounts the Names of Al l ah 315
6) Li st of the Names of Al l ah 317
7) Speci al Effects of the Most Beauti ful Names of Al l ah 321
8) le Benefi t of Knowi ng These Names 322
Exampl es of how the Messenger gl ori fi ed and
prai sed his Lord and cal l ed upon Hi m 323
4 - THE METHODOLOGY I N THE LI GHT OF WHI CH THE
ATTRI BUTES OF ALLAH ARE T O BE UNDERSTOOD 326
The mi sgui dance of those who fol l owonl y one of
those two pri nci pl es and not the other 327
These pri nci pl es are i ndi cated by a verse inthe Book of Al l ah328
Those Who Devi ate f romthe Correct Methodol ogy and
the Reasons for Thei r Devi ati on 330
1) le devi ati on of the mushri keen 330
2) le devi ati on of tashbeeh ( ropomo hi sm) 331
3) The devi ance of the deni ers who fall i nthree
categori es 332
5 CATEGORI ES OF ATTRI BUTES ACCORDI NG T O THE
SCHOLARS OF KAL AAM 333
J udgi ng the Methodol ogy of Kal aamAgai nst the
Qur' an and Sunnah 334
Si faat al - Ma ' aani Accordi ng to the Schol ars of Kal aam 335
The Di scussi on on the Negati ve At i butes Accordi ng to
the Schol ars of Kal aam 341
i) ii) Eterni ty and Everl asti ngness 341
The at i buti onof eternity (al -qi dam) and everl asti ngness
( l -baqaato Al l ah has not been narrated inthe
Qur' an or Sunnah 343
Bel i fi nAl l ah 15
iii) iv) Oneness and Sel f-sui ci ency 344
Concl usi on concerni ng the faat al - ma ' nawi yah 345
f$i faat al -Af' aal (a i butes descri bi ng some of Al l ah' s acti ons) 346
A ~ - a t al - J aami 'ah (AI I -Encompassi ng At i butes) 351
The at i butes concerni ng whi ch the schol ars of
kal aamdi ered 357
The si tuati on of those who deny the at butes of
Perfecti on and Maj esty 360
le at i bute of i sti waa (rising above the Throne) is an
at i bute of perfecti on not i mperfecti on 361
6 - 1PORTANT PRI NCI PLES CONCERNI NG THE
NAMES AND ATTRl BUTES OF AL L AH 368
The First Pri nci pl e: What is sai d about some A i butes
appl i es to all other At i butes too 368
le Second Pri nci pl e: Speaki ng about the At i butes is
like speaki ng about the Essence of Al l ah 370
The Thi rd Pri nci pl e: The fact that names may be the same
does not i mpl y that e thi ngs so named are e same 370
The Fourth Pri nci pl e: Al l ah cannot be descri bed onl y in
terms of negati on 371
le Fi fth Pri nci pl e: Wor ds whi ch may be ue or false 374
le Si xth Pri nci pl e: Deni al of At i butes caused pri mari l y
by anthropomorphi c bel i efs (Tashbeeh) 375
The Seventh Pri nci pl e: le Aayaat ( Verses) whi ch speak
of the Di vi ne A i butes are not A mbi guous 376
le Ei gh Pri nci pl e: The Apparent meani ng of the
At i butes does not i mpl y Tashbeeh so there is no need
to fi nd a di erent i nterpretati on 377
The Ni nth Pri nci pl e: The Real i ty of Ta ' weel 379
16 Contents
- THE VI EW OF AHL AS- SUNNAH WA ' L- J AMAA 'AH
CONCERNI NG THE ATTRI BUTES OF AL L AH 382
I mamAbu' l I:I asan al-Ash i's ' Aqeedah concerni ng
e at i butes of Al l ah 384
CHAPTER THREE
THE ONENESS OF ALLAH 389
1 - MEANI NGS AND CATEGORI ES 389
It is not Enough merel y to Know that Al l is One;
This Tawheed must be Refl ected in One' s Acti ons 390
The Con di cti ons of Those who do not Worshi p
Al l ah Al one 390
2 KALl MAATAT- TAW ' EE D( THE WORDS OF
THEI R MEANI NGS VI RTUES AND CONDI TI ONS 391
How the Sal af (Pi ous Predecessors) Referred to
Some of lese Condi ti ons 397
3 - ' I BAADAH ( WORSHI P) 397
1) Defi ni ti on of ' l baadah 397
Tawl J eed can onl y be achi eved t ough two thi ngs 397
2) le True Worshi pper is the One who Al ternates
between Fear and Hope 398
3) le Pillars of ' l baadah 400
There is no worshi p wi thout these pillars 401
4) Ki nds of Worshi p not Permi ssi bl e for Anyone
Except Al l 402
a) Bel i efs 402
b) Acti ons of the heart 402
c) Utterance 402
d) Physi cal acti ons 402
Bel i ef inAl l ah 17
e) Fi nanci al 402
4 - WHAT GOES AGAI NST TAWHEED 403
a) Ash-Shi rk al -Akbar (maj or shi rk) 403
le so-cal l ed p er does not have to be reg ded
as equal to Al l ah to be counted as shi rk 404
le seri ous nature of this shi rk 404
The greatest cri me and the worst si n 405
b) Ash-Shi rk (mi nor shi rk) 406
CHAPTER F OUR
A BRI EF HI STORY OF THE CREED ' AQEEDAH 409
1 DI D 'AQEEDAH DEVELOP WI TH THE
PASSAGE OF TI ME? 409
Onl y the Qur' an Expl ai ns the Hi story of Rel i gi ous Bel i efs 411
2 - THE HI STORY OF THE CREED ( RELI GI OUS
BELI EFS) AS TOL D I N THE NOBL E QUR' AN 412
The First Generati on of Manki nd Bel i eved in Tawheed 414
le First Devi ati on f romCorrect 'Aqeedah (Creed)
and the First Messenger 415
CHAPTER FI VE
CONCEPTS OF GOD AMONG THE MI SGUI DED NATI ONS 429
1 GODACCORDI NG T O THE GREEKS
2 - GOD ACCORDI NG T O THE J EWS
3 - THE ARABS' DEVI ATI ON F ROM TAWHEED
The Begi nni ng of Devi ati on
The I dol s of the Arabs
430
432
443
446
447
18 Contents
The Deep Darkness at the Ti me when the Prophet
was sent
REFERENCES
GLOSSARY
I NDEX OF THE QUR' A N
I NDEX OF HADI TH
TRANSLI TERATI ON CHART
SYMBOLS' DI RECTORY
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Al1 Prai se is due t'O Al l ah the Exal ted L'Ord 'Of the uni verse.
B1essi ngs and peace be up'On the last 'Of the pr'Ophets and messengers
Muhammad s'On 'Of Abdul1ah his fami l y C'Ompani 'Ons and th'Ose
wh'O f'Oll 'Ow his f' O' Otsteps ti11 the end 'Of ti me.
Bel i ef inAl l ah" the One the Onl y the Supreme is the very c'Ore'Of
the I sl ami c Creed. Al1 aspects 'Of I sl ami c life s'Oci 'O-ec'On'Omi cal
p'Olitical i ntemati 'Onal relati 'Ons etc. rev'Ol ve around the bel i ef inOne
G'Od Al1ah.
Dr. AI - Ashqar deal t wi th this subj ect at l ength and augmented his
b' O' Ok wi th al1evi dence avai l abl e t'Ohi m but pri mari l y o mthe basi c
f undamental s'Ources - the Qur' an and the Sunnah 'Of the last
Messenger (Bl essi ngs and Peace be up'On hi m). Profess'Or AI - Ashqar
di scussed all aspects 'Of the c'Oncept: pr' O' Ofs 'Of exi stence definiti 'On
devi ati 'Ons the'O phi l 'Os'Ophi cal sch' O' Ols i mpacts etc.
We feel bl essed t'O be abl e t'O publ i sh this b' O' Ok in a number 'Of
l anguages. Thi s Engl i sh editi 'On we bel i eve is an i nstrumental gui de
t'Oal1readers 'Of Engl i sh wh'Oseek enl i ghtenment. May Al l ah accept
this w'Ork and reward al1 th'Ose ass'Oci ated wi th its pr'Oducti 'On.
Muhmmad ibn ' Abdul -Muhsi n A Tuwai j ri
General Manager
I ntemati 'Onal I sl ami c Publ i shi ng H'Ouse I I PH
Ri yadh Saudi Arabi a
20 Publ i sher 's Note
The exi stence of a Creator or Supreme Bei ng is a matter whi ch until
recent centuri es has never been di sputed. be first man on earth -
Adam- bel i eved inand had the ri ght concept of the Creator. Even
though manki nd subsequentl y slidinto shi rk and i dol a al most all
ci vi l i zati ons and cul tures bel i eved in a Supreme Bei ng or Creator.
But when manki nd went as aytheir concept of this Supreme Bei ng
became distorted. They at i butedpar ers or rivals to Hi m or they
thought of Hi min human terms or ey ascri bed evil acti ons and
characteri sti cs to Hi m.
Modemti mes brought a new phenomenon - the deni al of God' s
exi stence al toge er. The bitter uggl e between sci ence and the
Church ended wi th the scientists prevai l i ng. They then proceeded to
attack the very foundati ons of the Church seeki ng toprove that God
had never exi sted at all.
Yet sci ence al so poi nts to the exi stence of the Creator. Those who
ponder the uni verse and study the details of natural phenomena
cannot but concl ude that this is the wor k of an Al mi ghty Creator; it
di d not happen by chance. The mor e one ponders the si gns in
creati on the mor e one comes to understand the a i butes of the
Creator - wi sdom power mercy... l US Dr. U m al -Ashqar
devotes a l arge secti on of is book to an exami nati on of natural
phenomena as the Qur' an gesus todo and notes how they poi nt to
the exi stence of the Creator.
Inthis book Dr. Umar al -Ashqar takes us on a j oumey of di scovery
roughpo yphi l osophy and sci ence tothe Qur' an and Sunnah
the Revel ati on through whi ch the Creator Al l ah () has reveal ed
22 Translator s Foreword
Hi msel f to manki nd. He expl ai ns the i mportance of understandi ng
the at i butes of Al l ah inthe light of the Qur' an and Sunnah and the
way in whi ch these texts were understood by the sal af (the pi ous
predecessors); we shoul d not Y to twi st the meani ngs to suit
phi l osophi cal pri nci pl es human i deas or other whi ms. He contrasts
epure I sl ami c ' aqeedah (creed) wi th human devi ati ons wi thi n and
wi thout the Musl i mworl d and af f mns the pri nci pl e whi ch lies at the
heart of I sl ami c beHef and practi ce viz. Tawl}eed or le absol ute
Oneness of the Di vi ne.
May Al l ah() reward the author for his presentati on of the I sl ami c
bel i ef in the Creator. May He cause this book to bri ng a deeper
understandi ng of Tawl}eed toEngl i sh-speaki ng readers and may He
keep us on the S ai ght Path of pure bel i ef whi ch l eads toParadi se.
May Al l ah bl ess our Prophet Muhammad () and his fami l y and
Compani ons and grant t hempeace.
N si ruddi n al -Khattab
Prai se be toAl l ah () the One and Onl y God the Sustai ner of the
heavens and the earth Who has gui ded us toHi s perfect rel i gi on and
Hi s s ai ght path. 1 send bl essi ngs upon Hi s chosen one the Seal of
Hi s Prophets and Messengers Muhammad () and upon his
ri ghteous fami l y and Compani ons and upon those who fol l owt hem
in truth until the Day of J udgement .
1 startedto wri te this series on ' aqeedah (creed) inthe light of the
Qur' an and Sunnah approxi matel y fifteen years ago and 1 onl y
compl eted it a f ewyears ago. Al l ah decreed that this series shoul d
become popul ar worl dwi de and that it shoul d be studi ed and be a
source of benefi t for seekers of knowl edge invari ous l ands. Al l of
this is o mthe grace and boun of Al l ah al one for He is the One
Who gui ded me to wri te it and He is the One Who bl essed me by
enabl i ng me to compl ete it. He is the One Who caused it to be
accepted by Hi s sl aves so toHi mal one be prai se and bl essi ngs. 1 ask
Hi mto keep the reward wi th Hi mfor the Day when 1 meet Hi m.
Si nce 1 compl eted this series 1 have been hopi ng to revi ewit
especi al l y the earliest p ts of it but 1 was preventedo mfulfilling
this hope by other wor k commi tments and by ill-health. But inrecent
months 1 had some spare ti me whi ch 1 was abl e tomake the most of
by revi ewi ng what 1 had wri tten. Hence this new revi sed edi ti on
wi th addi ti onal materi al inthe first three chapters. 1 hope at I wi l l be
abl e torevi ewthe rest of the series inthe comi ng days by the hel p of
ands ength of Al l ah.
1 have not changed the mai n i deas of this book but sought toveri
the texts quoted at i buti ng t hemto their proper sources. 1 have
24 p cetheNew Revi sed Edi ti on
changed the order inwhi ch some topi cs appear and expanded some
p sages where the materi al requi red further expl anati on or rther
evi dence to support an idea. 1 al so shortened some passages and
added to others in a very f ewpl aces.
Changi ng and al teri ngand i mprovi ng what a person has wri tten is all
part of human nature. Al l ah the Al l -Gl ori ous has decreed that no
wri ti ng shoul d be pe ct ap t o mHi s Book.
Prai se be to Al l ah the Lord of the Wor1ds.
Um: r Sul rymaan 'Abdu/ l h1Ashqr
Col l ege of Shari ah - J ordan Uni versi ty
Prai se be toAl l ah (). We prai se Hi mand seek Hi s hel p forgi veness
and gui dance. We repent toHi m and we seek refuge inHi momt he
evils of our own sel ves and o mour evil acti ons. Whomsoever Al l ah
gui des none can l ead hi mastray and whomsoever Al l ah sends
ynone can gui de hi m. 1 bear wi tness that there is no god except
Al l ah al one wi th no p er or associ ate and 1 bear wi tness that
Muhammad () is Hi s sl ave and Messenger.
l I sbook is about I sl ami c ' aqeedah (creed) and 1 ask Al l ah tomake
it of benefi t to its author readers and publ i sher. May He make this
effort si ncerel y for Hi s sake al one and may He keep it (its reward)
wi th Hi mfor the Day when 1 meet Hi m for He is the Al l -Heari ng
Who answers prayers.
The title of this book is si gni fi cant. It is a book about the I sl ami c
creed (' aqeedah) based on the t wo sources of I sl am the Book of
Al l ah and the Sunnah of Hi s Messenger. These t wo sources are those
on whi ch the ' aqeedah of the first generati on of this ummah was
bui l t .
1 do not thi nk that anyone wil1di sagree that e ' aqeedah of those
men was the pure ' aqeedah as p eas the water of the sea when it is
undi sturbed by the wi nds and as s ongas the i ni ghty mountai ns the
most trustworthy handhol d. Through those who bel i eved inthis creed
('1 qeedah) Al l ah () changed the course of human history. Shal l
we be bl amed i f we cethis ' aqeedah back to its source the wel l
o mwhi ch the ri ghteous forebears of is ummah drank?
Many peopl e c1ai mthat they refer tothe Qur' an and Sunnah payi ng
l i p-servi ce to t hemin their khutbahs (speeches/ sermons) and
26 Preface totheFirst Edition
wri ti ngs but they go agai nst t hemwhen they quote evi dence and
seek gui dance el sewhere.
So we see t hemgi vi ng pri ori ty tothe vi ews of men over the texts of
the Qur' an and a adeeth. We see t hemseeki ng gui dance other than
at of I sl amconcerni ng conduct and deal i ngs wi th others. l I s is
why I took the ti me inmy In oducti ontothis book torefer tothese
t wo sources the Qur' an and the ~ a l J e e l J (sound and authenti c)
Sunnah concerni ng ' aqeedah (creed) and shari ah (I sl ami c l aw) and
to di scuss the speci ous arguments of those who want to i gnore the
Sunnah.
The In oducti onal so i ncl udes other topi cs such as the defi ni ti on of
qeedahits posi ti on inrel ati on to shari ah and eemaan ( ith) and
the rul i ng on one who deni es qeedahor one of its basi c pri nci pl es. I
al so expl ore in more detail the confusi on of anci ent and modern
groups who denounce peopl e as kaafi r (di sbel ei ver) on egrounds
of sins al one.
I di d not omi t in the I ntroducti on to descri be the Qur' ani c
methodol ogy of expl ai ni ng ' aqeed h whi ch was brought by I sl am
and toshowhow this methodol ogy di rs o mthe methodol ogy of
phi l osophy and theol ogy (' i l mal -kal aam) whi ch brought such great
di sasters tothe ummah. I hope that I have succeeded indefi ni ng the
di fference between the t wo methodol ogi es wi th regard to sources
methods and ways how they quote evi dence and in their
consequences.
Through this di scussi on the uni l eness and di sti ngui shi ng features
of the Qur' ani c methodol ogy wi l l become clear.
Inthe chapter on bel i ef inAl l ah you wi l l f md evi dence that proves
the exi stence of Al l ah. I al so di scussed the speci ous lents ofthe
atheists and refuted those who say that the uni verse came into
exi stence acci dental l y or that it was made by ' nature."
Bel i ef inAl l ah 27
Fol l owi ng on o mthat 1 shed light on the t wo ways inwhi ch we
l eamabout our Lord whi ch are the vi si bl e si gns and the wri tten
signs. 1 sought to di scuss this inthe light of the texts of the Qur' an
anda deethof the Prophet (). These topi cs f ormthe mai n i ssue
of this book.
Because is i ssue is ofthe utmost i mportance and is the mai n reason
for the di vi si on of the ummah 1 f ound that 1 had no other opti on but
todi scuss the pri nci pl es inthe light of whi ch the texts whi ch speak of
the Names and At butes of Al l ah e to be i nterpreted and the
gui del i nes whi ch expl ai n this topi c so as tore te earguments of
those whose i nterpretati on of these aayaat (verses) was not in
accordance wi th the Qur' ani c methodol ogy.
Fi nal l y 1 di scussed the i ssue of a w ~ e e d or the bel i ef inthe oneness
of Al l ah: the concept and how to achi eve this bel i ef under the
headi ng of Laa i l aaha illa-Allah. 1 expl ai ned the meani ng and
condi ti ons of a w ~ e e d as wel l as that whi ch con dicts and negates
T a w ~ e e d namel y shi rk (pol ythei sm).
l en 1 t umed my a enti on to the hi story of aqeedah (creed)
refuti ng the theory that qeedah (bel i efi n Al l ah) is somethi ng whi ch
is evol ved.
1 sought the hel p of whatever books anci ent and modem that came
my way some of whi ch 1 menti oned at the end of this book. My
sel ecti on of books was di ctated by the methodol ogy i ndi cated by the
titles of the books.
This book may pl ease some peopl e and anger others. Al l ah knows
that the good pl easure of my Lord was the goal 1 kept before me as 1
wrote. That does not mean that everythi ng inthis book is correct for
the pen may slipand the mi nd may wander and l ose its focus. No one
is infallible except Al -Mu$ta . a () . So l ong as there is li left in
me 1 recant any mi stakes that 1 may have made whi ch go agai nst that
28 Preface totheFirst Edition
whi ch came o mAl l ah the Al mi ghty ando mHi s Messenger. If
Al l ah takes my s'Oul bef'Ore1 am abl e t'Oc'Orrect the mi stakes then 1
say the same as I mam ash-Shaafa' i ( may Al l ah have mercy 'On hi m)
said: If a hadi th is ~ a l J e e l J (s'Ound) then that is my madhhab (sch' O' Ol
'Ofth'Ought - my way). I f y'Ou see that what 1 sai d g'Oes agai nst what the
Messenger 'Of Al l ah sai d then cast my vi ewasi de."
We wi l l publ i sh 'Other w'Orks in this series deal i ng wi th 'Other
pri nci pl es 'Of ' aqeedah in the same manner I nsha Al l ah (Al l ah
Wi l l i ng). 1 ask Al l ah () the Al l -Gl 'Ori 'Ous t'Ohel p me say and d' O e
ri ght mg. lereis n'Op'Ower and n'Ostrength except wi th Al l ah the
Exal ted.
' Umar Sul aymaan 'AbdulZh al -A qr
N

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1 ' AQEEDAH: DEFI NI TI ON AND EXPLANATI ON

1) ' Aqeedah: Meani ng and Usage
le wor d ' aqeedah and rel ated words are constant1y repeated by
peopl e intheir everyday conversati ons. So we hear t hemsayi ng'Ana
a 'taqid kadha (1 bel i eve such and such) " Fool aan ' aqeedatuhu
(So and so 's bel i ef is sound) " The I sl ami c ' aqeedah is the
S ongest cause for the great I sl ami c vi ctori es in every ti me and
pl ace"The war between us and the J ews is infact an i deol ogi cal
W( rb ' aqaa ' i di yah)" and so on.
What do peopl e mean by the wor d ' aqeedah (faith)? What does is
word mean in Ar abi c? wh is the concept of ' aqeedah (faith) in
I sl am?
'Aqaa 'id(pl al of ' aqeedah) ethe thi ngs whi ch peopl e' s hearts
af f mn and bel i eve in the thi ngs that they accept (as ue). lese e
matters whi ch are hel d as certai n bel i efs wi th no t of doubt.
1
'Aqd (tyi ng the rope) means tyi ng one p ttoanother p tas
opposed to untyi ng it. In Arabi c the meani ngs of the wor d ' aqd
revol ve around i deas of adherence certai nty and affmnati on. lereis
aayah (verse) in the Qur' an:
1 Ri saal at al- ' Aqaa 'idby Shaykh l:I asan al -Banna. See Maj moo' ar-Rasaa 'i/ 429.
le Musl i mschol ars of earlier and recent ti mes have di scussed the i ssues of this
branch of knowl edge under the headi ng of AI - ' Aqaa 'id al though the wor d
' aqeedah is not ment i oned in the Book of Al l ah or in the Sunnah of Hi s
Messenger ().
30 I ntroducti on
744QhLg j 4132i i l gj
@...;sH1
~ A l l a h wi l l not puni sh you for what is uni ntenti onal in
your oaths but He wi1l puni sh you for your del i berate
oaths [' aqqadtum];..) ( Qur 'an 5: 8
A del i berate oath is one inwhi ch there is resol ve and determi nati on in
the heart unl i ke an uni ntenti onal oath whi ch may be spoken of
wi thout any i ntenti on.
' Uqood refers tothe strongest of covenants as when Al l ah () says:
. . . 2l 1Ml I LGj f
~ O ' you who bel i eve! Ful fi l [your] obl i gati ons [awfoo
bi'[- ood]..) (Qur 'an 5: 1)
The Ar abs say "a ' taqada sh-shay when a thi ng becomes sol i d
and strong?
I n I sl am ' aqeedah (bel i ef) is the counte art of shari ah because
I sl amis composed of both " qeed h and shari ah. Shari ah means the
practi cal duti es enj oi ned by I sl am about acts of worshi p and deal i ngs
wi th others.
2) ' Aqeedah is a Mat t er of Knowl edge in the Heart
' Aqeed h is not a practi cal ma erbut a matter of knowl edge whi ch
the Musl i mis obl i ged tobel i eve inhis heart because Al l ah has tol d
hi mabout these matters inHi s Book or through the Revel ati on toHi s
Messenger ().
The basi c pri nci pl es ofthe ' aqeedah Al l ah commands us tobel i eve in
are menti oned in the aayah (verse):
2 Li saan a/- 'Arab 2/836 listing of words deri ved omthe root ' aqada.
Belief i nAl l ah 31
Al U1L3 ; AJ j 1%4AOf UI L
i) o; 3f U 4 J
44f ti 61;;Z47 1r ;
Messenger [ Muhammad] bel i eves inwhat has been
sent down h i mo mhi s Lord and [so do] the
bel i evers. Each one bel i eves inAl l ah Hi s Angel s Hi s
Books and Hi s Messengers. [They say] We make no
di sti ncti on between one another of Hi s Messengers' -
and ey say We hear and we obey. [ We seek] Your
forgi veness 0 Lordand toYou is the return [ofall].
(Qur 'an 2: 285)
leProphet ( ) defi ned this bel i ef inthe f amous hadi th of Ji breel
(Gabri el ) ( ) ( may Al l ah' s peace be upon hi m) inwhi ch he ( )
said:
Eemaan (faith) is to bel i eve inAl l ah Hi s angel s Hi s
Books the Meeti ng wi th Hi mand Hi s Messengers and
to bel i eve in the final Resurrecti on. 3
So ' aqeedah in I sl amrefers to those matters of knowl edge whi ch
have been ' ansmi tted in authenti c reports o mAl l ah and Hi s
Messenger and whi ch the Musl i mmust bel i eve inwi th all his heart
bel i evi ng in what Al l ah and Hi s Messenger say.
3) means Certai n Bel i ef wi th no Roomfor Doubt
Inorder for these pri nci pl es to f orm' aqeedah we must bel i eve in
themfi rml y wi th no r oomfor doubt. If there is any el ement of doubt
then they are merel y specul ati on not ' aqeedah (belief). "Al - Mu 'j am
al -Waseet" defi nes ' aqeedah as a bel i efi n whi ch the one who hol ds
3 Bukhari . See $a}J ee} J a/ -Bukhari bi Shar.ihi Fath al Baari 11114; Musl i m 1139
hadi nO. 5. is versi on is narrated by Musl i m.
32 lntroduction
that bel i ef wi11 not entertai n any doubt whatsoever. 4 Evi dence
(dal eel) for that is f ound in the Qur' an:
@. . . 5: Lj
those are the bel i evers who have bel i eved inAl1ah
and Hi s Messenger and afterward doubt not..)
(Qur 'an 49: 15)
{ M
is the Book [ e Qur' an]
whereof there is no (Qur 'an 2: 1-2)
@; ; dr J f tL442L
our Lord! Veri l y it is You Who wi11gather manki nd
together on the Day about whi ch there is no
(Qur' n 3: 9)
Al1ah condemned the mushri keen (pol ythei sts) who were fi l1ed wi th
doubt:
GA: JJd4- A3. . .
There hearts are insuch doubt that they even waver in
their (Qur 'an 9: 45)
4) The I ssues of ' Aqeedah are I nvi si bl e
lt may be noted that the i ssues whi ch we are requi red tobel i eve in e
unseen matters not vi si bl e ngi bl e thi ngs. Thi s is what Al1ah
referred to when He prai sed the bel i evers:
@ J j l L(
4 A/ - Mu 'j am a/- wieet 2/614.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 33
bel i eve in the Ghayb
5
(Qur' an 2: 3)
Al l I S unseen as 'eHi s angel s and the Last Day. Wi th regard to
Hi s Books and Messengers one mi ght thi nk that they are vi si bl e but
what is referred tohere is ebel i ef that they come o mAl l ah i.e.
at the Messengers were sent by Al l ah and that the Books were
reveal ed by Al l ah whi ch is the ma er of e unseen.
5) Correct ' Aqeedah and Fal se ' Aqeedah
'Aqeedah (belief) isnot exc1usi ve toI sl am. The adherents of rel i gi ons
and school s of thought i nevi tabl y have bel i efs accordi ng to whi ch
they run their lives. Thi s appl i es to i ndi vi dual s j ust as it appl i es to
societies. Fr omthe begi nni ng of the creati on until the Day (of
J udgement) until the ti me when Al l ah wi11 inherit the earth and
everythi ng on it. Bel i efs are di vi ded into t wo ki nds:
a) The correct ' aqeedah: It is composed of the set ofbel i efs brought
by the nobl e Messengers. This is the one '1 dahbecause it was
sent down by the Al l - Knowi ng Al l -Aware (Al l ah); it cannot be
i magi ned that it differs o mone Messenger toanother or omone
ti me to another.
b) Fal se beliefs: They every many i ndeed. Thei r fal seness stems
o m efact that they ethe product of human thought and intellect.
No matter how great manki nd may become their knowl edge is (and
wi11remai n) l i mi ted and is (and wi11conti nue tobe) i nfl uenced by the
5 Al - Ghayb: Li teral l y means a thi ng not seen. But this wor d i ncl udes vast
meani ngs: Bel i ef in Al l ah Angel s Hol y Books Al l ah' s Messengers Day of
Resurrecti on and Al - Qadar (Di vi ne PreOrdai nments). It al so i ncl udes what Al l ah
and Hi s Messenger i nformed about the knowl edge of the ma .ers of past present
and future e.g. news about the creati on of the heavens and earth botani cal and
zool ogi cal life the news about the nati ons of the past and about Paradi se and
Hel l . (Footnote omI nterpretati on 01 the Meani ngs 01 the Nobl e Qur 'an by Dr.
Muhammad Khan and Dr. Muhammad Ti i-udDi n al Hi1ali)
34 l ntroducti on
customs tradi ti ons and thoughts that surround them.
lereare al so false bel i efs whi ch are the result of di storti on changes
and al terati on as is ecase wi th the J ewi sh and Chri sti an bel i efs at
the present ti me. They were di storted a l ong ti me ago and were
corrupted as a result of this di storti on even though each of t hemwas
ori gi nal l y a sound ' aqeedah.
Wher e is the true ' aqeedah today?
The ue ' aqeedah today is not f ound anywhere except inthe rel i gi on
of I sl am because this is the protected rel i gi on whi ch Al l ah () has
guaranteed to protect.
@U J ZMG343
We it is We Who have sent down the Dhi kr [i.e.
the Qur an] and surel y We wi11 guard it [ o m
corrupti on].) ( Qur 'an 15: 9)
le bel i efs of other rel i gi ons even though they may contai n some
grai ns of truthhere and there do not present a c1ear i mage of the
uth.
Whoever wants toknow the true coect ' aqeedah wi11not fi nd it in
J udai smor inChri sti ani ty or inthe words of the phi l osophers. He
wi11 onl y fi nd it in I sl am in the ori gi nal sources of the faith: the
Qur' an and Sunnah pure and c1e and shi ni ng whi ch convi nce
man' s mi nd wi th evi dence and proof and fill the heart wi th eemaan
certai nty light and life.
. ; r i EUAg
4@. . . LQJ f iGi ' !t ($ 13 j44tjT
thus We have sent toyou [0' M ammad] Rool J [a
Revel ati on and a Mercy] of Our Command. You knew
Bel i efi n Al l ah 35
n'Ot what is the B' O' Ok n'Or what is Fai th? But We have
made it [this Qur' an] a light wherewi th We gui de
wh'Os'Oever 'Of Our sl aves We wi l l..) ( lJ r' an 42: 5
The I mpo ance and Necessi ty of I sl ami c ' Aqeedah
leI sl ami c ' aqeedah is as essenti al f'Or man as water and air. Wi th'Out
this ' aqeedah he is l'Ost and c'On sed. The I sl ami c ' aqeedah is e
'Onl y 'One whi ch can answer the questi 'Ons that have al ways
pre'Occupi ed man and still pre'Occupy human th'Ought and cause
ustrati 'On: where di d 1 c'Ome om? Where di d the uni verse c'Ome
fr'Om? Wh ' O is eCreat'Or? What eHi s at i butes and names? Why
di d He create us and the uni verse? What is 'Our r'Oleinthis uni verse?
What is 'Our relati 'Onshi p t'O the Creat'Or wh'O created us? Are there
'Other i nvi si bl e w' Or1ds bey'Ond the w' Or1d that we can see? Are there
'Other intelligent bei ngs apart o mman? Is there an'Other lifeafter this
life? If e answer is p'Ositive what is that 'Other life like?
There is n'O'Other bel i eft'Oday ap t fr'Om the ' aqeedah 'Of I sl am that
can answer these questi 'Ons ina eand c'Onvi nci ng way. Every'One
wh'Od'Oes n'Ot kn'Ow 'Or bel i eve inthis ' aqeedah is likethat mi serabl e
p'Oet
6
wh'O kn'Ows n'Othi ng 'Of it. He says:
1 came 1 kn'Ow n'Ot o mwhence but 1 came
1 sawbef'Ore me a pa s'O 1 f'Oll 'Owed it
And 1 shall c'Onti nue t'O tread this path whether 1 like it 'Or n'Ot
Where di d 1 c'Ome om? H'Ow di d 1 fi nd this pa ?
A m 1 new 'Or anci ent in this uni verse?
A m 1ee'Or a pris'Oner in chai ns?
1 kn'Ow n'Ot
6 Hi s name is Eel i ya Abu Maa< J i; the coupl ets quoted come f romhis l engthy
poementitled At- Tal aasi m(mysteri es) omhis col l ecti on of poems entitledA
J adaawi l (s ams). 106.
36 I n ducti on
A m 1 control l i ng my own fate in is life or am 1 con o11ed?
How 1 wi sh 1 knew but
My path what is my path? Is it l ong or short?
A m 1 ascendi ng or descendi ng?
1 know not
A m 1 runni ng through this life or is it life that is runni ng?
Or e we both standi ng sti 1 1 whi l st ti me runs?
1 wonder when 1 was in that unseen secure wor1d
Di d 1 know that 1 was hi dden there
And that 1 woul d emerge and come into bei ng?
Or 1 wonder di d 1 not know a thi ng?
1 wonder before 1 became a compl ete human bei ng
1 know not
1 know not
Was 1 non-exi stent or was 1 somethi ng possi bl e or was 1 somethi ng?
Is there an answer to this mystery? Or wi11 1 remai n forever
Not knowi ng. . . why 1 don' t know?
1 know not
What confusi on is this! What anxi ety this uncertai nty bri ngs to
human soul s! Do the chi l dren of this generati on who have mi ssed
out on knowl edge of thegreat uni versal facts" wi thout whi ch their
lives cannot be sound and heal thy deserve to suer these worri es
whi ch fi11their hearts and cause pai n and compl exes? Compare their
si tuati on to that of the Musl i mwho knows for certai n a11 of these
facts and through t hemfi nds comfort and peace of mi nd. So he
travel s on a s ai ght path towards a defi ni te goal whose features are
known.
Beli fi nAl l ah 37
Li sten to this mi serabl e poet speaki ng about death and one' s
ul ti mate fate:
If death is a puni shment what sin can the pure soul commi t?
If it is a reward what bl essi ngs does the promi scuous soul deserve?
If there is no reward or loss in it
Then what is the poi nt of cal l i ng i ngs sinful or ri ghteous?
If death is a ki nd of sl eep aer bei ng awake
Why do we not stay awake?
Why does a man not know when he is to depart?
1 know not
When wi1l the secret be reveal ed so at he wi1l know?
1 know not
If death is a ki nd of sl eep to al l owman to rel ax
And it is a setting ee rather than an i mpri sonment a begi nni ng
rather an an end
Then why do 1 not l ove is sl eep and l ong for is?
Why e soul s so a' aid of it?
1 know not
After the grave after death will there be any resurrecti on
And life and etemi ty or onl y final obl i vi on?
Is what peopl e say ue or Ise?
Is it ue that some peopl e know?
1 know not
If 1 am resurrected after death physi cal l y and spiritually
1 wonder will 1 be resurrected in p tor in total?
1 wonder wi1l 1 be resurrected as a chi l d or as an adul t?
Then wi1l 1 know mysel f after 1 am resurrected?
1 know not
38 I ntroducti on
He does not know what his ul ti mate desti ny wi11 be and man' s
ul ti mate fate concems hi m. He wants to be reassured about that
desti ny. We see the poet' s pai n because he does not know where his
ul ti mate desti ny lies and what wi11become of hi m. He is mi sgui ded
o mthe truth his heart is filledwi th mi sery and l aden wi th worry
and grief. Hi s wonderi ngs have exhausted hi m. How many peopl e
ere einthis wor1d who are likethis mi sgui ded mi serabl e poet!
Some of t hemare abl e toexpress their mi sery and confusi on whi l st
others feel and su erbut their thoughts remai n trapped in their
mi serabl e souls.
1 know not" is the r ponsetothese etemal questi ons. These are not
the words of this poet al one. Socrates the thi nker who is vi ewed as
one of the gi ants of phi l osophy c1e ly statedThe thi ng that 1 sti11
do not know about is the fact at 1 do not know. "
7
I ndeed
scepti ci sml agnosti ci sm(inAr abi c l aa adri yah li t. not knowi ng")
is an anci ent school of phi l osophi cal thought.
Onl y through the gui dance of I sl amdoes man l eamwhere he came
o mwhere he is goi ng why the uni verse exists and what his rol e is
inthis uni verse. He knows that intruth and there is a great di fference
between those who know and those who do not know:


he who wal ks prone [wi thout seei ng] on hi s face
mor e ri ghtl y gui ded or he who [sees and] wal ks upri ght
on the S i ght Way [i.e. I sl ami c
(Qur ' an 67: 22)
7 Ad- Deen by Ad- Darraaz 69.
Bel i efi nAUh 39
2 T HE RELATI ONSHI P BETWEEN ' AQEEDAH AND
EEMAAN AND SHARI ' A H
1) The Rel a onshi p Bet ween ' Aqeedah and Eemaan
In the Qur' an Al1ah the Exal ted prai ses eemaan ( ith) and the
peopl e of eemaan in aay at (verses) such as the fol l owi ng:

i ndeed e the bel i evers.) (Qur 'an 23: 1)
( i ; tJ ddUAj
4 l eyare on [ ue] gui dance f romthei r Lord and they
e the success 1.; ( Qur 'an 2: 5)
Al1ah () promi sed t hemParadi se:

lese are i ndeed the i nheri tors who shal l i nheri t the
Fi rdaus [P adi se]. They shal1 dwel1 therei n forever.)
(Qur' an 23: 10-11)
le eemaan (faith) for whi ch Al l ah prai sed peopl e was not onl y
' aqeedah (bel i ef). ' Aqeedah f ormed e foundati on and basi s of
eemaan (fi rmbel i ef). So eemaan is the ' aqeedah whi ch is establ i shed
fi rml y inthe heart cl i ngs toit and never departs o mit. It is verbal l y
decl ared and pronounced by the bel i ever in whose heart this
' aqeedah takes fi rmroots. Hi s bel i ef and decl arati on are conf i rmed
by his acti ons conf ormi ng to the di ctates of that ' aqeedah.
Bel i ef that takes roots inthe heart but has no vi si bl e mani festati on is
an empty and col d bel i efthat does not deserve tobe cal1ed ' aqeedah.
We see many peopl e who know the truth but eydo not abi de by it
40 lntroduction
or livetheir lives inaccordance wi th it . They may even resist e u
whi ch they bel i eve to be true. I bl ees (Satan) knows the great
uni versal truths wi th certai nty he knows A11ah and the ththe
Messengers and Books but he devoted hi msel f toopposi ng the th
even after 11 knowl edge.
Pharaoh (Firawn) was certai n that the mi racl es brought by Moosa
(Moses) (J ) ( May peace be upon hi m) were i ndeed o mAl l ah but
he deni ed t hemout of st ubbompri de and a oganceas A11ah the
Exal ted te11s us about hi mand his peopl e:

they bel i ed t hem[those Ayaat] wrongfu11y and
arrogantl y ough their ownsel ves were convi nced
eof..) (Qur 'an 27: 14)
Moosa ( Moses) (j ) had addressed Pharaoh sayi ng:

@
you know that these si gns have been sent down
by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth [as
cl ear evi dences i.e. proofs of A11ah' s Oneness and Hi s
Omni potence]. . ) (Qur' an 17: 10
lePeopl e of the Book know at Muhammad ( ) is a Messenger
sent by his Lord:

to whomWe gave the Scri pture [J ews and
Chri sti ans] recogni ze hi m [ Muhammad] as they
recogni ze their sons.. Jt (Qur' an 2: 146)
- but they do not admi t that .
Bel i ef inAl l ah 41
Li sten towhat Abu Taa1i b sai d tothe Messenger ( ) as his excuse
for not be1i evi ng: 1 know that the re1i gi on of Muhammad is one of
the best re1i gi ons inthe worl d were it not for the fear of b1ame and
sl ander you wou1d see me acknow1edgi ng that open1y. "
So eemaan does not mean on1y acknow1edgi ng that Al l ah eAl l -
Hi gh exists or know1edge that a person admi ts not because of
superi ori ty comp1ex or refuses to abi de by its ru1ings. Eemaan
means ' aqeedah (be1ief) that a person accepts inhis heart and affi rms
by his tongue and he accepts and a1ways adheres to the way 1aid
down by Al l ah ().
Hence the scho1ars of the sal af (Pi ous Predecessors) said: Eemaan
means be1i ef in the heart words on the tongue (decl arati on) and
S i vi ng to i mp1ement its pillars. 8
2) The Rel ati onshi p Bet ween ' Aqeedah and Shari ah
As we have menti oned above there are two condi ti ons of faith:
' aqeedah whi ch is deep1y rooted in the heart and deeds whi ch
mani fest themse1ves in a person' s acti ons. If ei ther of these two
essentia1 components is mi ssi ng eem n is 10st or becomes
unba1anced. Hence the connecti on between these t wo e1ements is
very i mportant.
Eemaan is 1ikea good strong treethat is fi rm1y rooted ingood soil
wi th its branches reachi ng up into the sky beari ng abundant uit
B 1I s is e general vi ewof the sal af i ncl udi ng le three I mams Ai )mad Maal i k
and Ash- Shaaf ai . I mamAbu Haneef ah sai d that eemaan was be!i ef and words
(decl arati on) and that acti ons were one of the requi rements of fai th but not
i ncl uded in it .
Another group is of the vi ewthat eemaan was onl y be!i ef even if it was not
accompani ed by words and acti ons. Thi s is the vi ewof the J ahami yah and the
Ash' ar.'ah. The Karaami yah thought that eemaan was onl y words; the refutati on
of their vi ewmay be seen in the text we have referred to.
42 I ntroducti on
produci ng its fruit for everyone by the grace of its Lord. Thus eemaan
is e ee; ' aqeedah is rooted deepl y in the heart and its trunk
branches and uits are deeds and acti ons.
Undoubtedl y if the roots are removed or turn rotten or i edup ey
wi11 no l onger exi st . Si mi l arl y eemaan wi11 no l onger exist if
' aqeedah is taken away. If the 1 k or branches 'ecut off or some
of t hem e cut off the wi11weaken and may di e al together
because the presence of branches and l eaves are essenti al tothe tree's
conti nued exi stence. Si mi l ar1y if deeds are negl ected inp t or in
whol e then eemaan wi11 be reduced or destroyed.
3) Payi ng Attenti on to Deeds
It is i ncumbent on us topay enti ontothe deeds that Al l ah () has
enj oi ned upon us as obl i gatory duti es or that He has encouraged us
todo dtoabstai no mthe deeds that He has forbi dden us todo
because this is a part of eemaan. Doi ng the deeds at are forbi dden
- even if it is onl y a little- de acts f romeeman proporti onatel y.
Hence those who undermi ne the i mportance of i mpl ementi ng and
adheri ng to the Sunnah of the Prophet shoul d be aware of their
dangerous attitude. Some of t hemmay overstep the mar k and
descri be some i ssues of Sunnah or I sl ami c rel i gi on as uni mportant or
i nsi gni fi cant. We ask Al l ah to forgi ve these peopl e for all of the
rel i gi on is i mportant and nothi ng in it is i nsi gni fi cant al though
matters may vary in their degree of i mportance.
What we say shoul d not be taken as meani ng that we do not pay
attenti on tothe priorities inknowl edge acti ons and incal l i ng peopl e
to Al l ah. This is a matter whi ch shoul d be wel l known and
establ i shed. But what we are denounci ng here is negl i gence of mi nor
i ssues and condemnati on of those who pay attenti on to both mi nor
andmor i ssues inI sl amand the Sunnah of the Chosen Prophet ().
Belief inAllah 43
How deepl y moved 1 am when 1 thi nk of Umar' s attitude after he
had been s bbedand a young man came to see hi mand spoke
ki ndl y tohi m. When the young man turned tol eave his i zaar (l ower
garment) was iling on e ground. Umar ( ) ( may Al l ah be
pl eased wi th hi m) cal l ed hi mand sai d tohi m: o son of my brother
lift up your garment for that is cl eaner for your garment and more
pl easi ng toyo Lord. 9 Hi s approachi ng death di d not prevent hi m
o mtellingthat man about a ma er whi ch many peopl e nowadays
regard as i nsi gni fi cant and as somethi ng whi ch we shoul d not pay
attenti on to.
3 - EEMAAN AND KUF R
1) Rul i og 0 0 Rec0 0 of ' Aqeedah
He who rejects ' aqeed h al together such as the communi sts who
deny the exi stence of Al l ah reject the Messengers and the Books
ddo not bel i eve inthe Hereafter and reward and puni shment or
who deni es part ofthe ' aqeedah is a kaafi r (di sbel i ever) dis not a
Musl i m. He shoul d be tol dthat the I sl ami c ' aqeedah can never be
accepted in p tbecause the whol e is so s ongl y i nterconnected.
Bel i ef in Al l ah requi res at one bel i eve al so in the angel s the
Books the Messengers and the Last Day. Bel i ef in the Books
requi res that one bel i eve in all the other basi c pri nci pl es of faith
( u ~ o o l al -eemaan). Bel i ef in the Messenger ( ) means at one
bel i eves and accepts all that he brought... Hence Al l ah consi ders the
person who bel i eves inone pri nci pl e and deni es another as bei ng a
kaafir.
Al l ( ) the Al l -Gl ori ous says:
9 Bukhari in his $ eelJ. See $al J eel J al i khari bi Sharl J ihi Fatl J al -Baari 7/60
hadi th no. 3700.
44 l ntroducti on
f J ZdGMJ 4dj J A G : dj (
4J 3 j J d= J : J J
:Jf. - - - "
l i j 1@
those who di sbel i eve in Al l ah and Hi s
Messengers and wi sh to make di sti ncti on between
Al l ah and Hi s Messengers [by bel i evi ng in Al l ah and
di sbel i evi ng inHi s Messengers] sayi ng We bel i eve in
some but rej ect others" and wi sh to adopt a way in
between. They are in truth di sbel i evers...)
(Qur' an 4: 150151)
Di sbel i evi ng in some of the mi nor i ssues of ' aqeedah whi ch have
been proven defi ni ti vel y in eQur' an or Sunnah is al so counted as
b (di sbel i ef ) such as denyi ng one of the Messengers or one of the
Angels.
2) Acti ons and Wor ds Whi ch are Count ed as Ku . ( Di sbel i et)
Ku;_ does not consi st onl y of denyi ng basi c pri nci pl es of ' aqeedah.
lere ecertai n acti ons whi ch if done are al so kufr. They may be
summed up in one phrase: worshi ppi ng others besi des Al l ah. "
Worshi p is the ri ght of Al l ah al one and di recti ng worshi p toanyone
or anythi ng other than Al l ah is shi rk (pol ythei sm) such as prayi ng to
anythi ng other than Al l ah 0eri ng sacri fi ce to any i ng other than
Al l ah cal l i ng upon anythi ng or anyone other than Al l ah etc.
A man may become a afi r (di sbel i ever) by utteri ng words whi ch
i nsul t the Creator Gl ori fi ed and Exal ted be He or I sl am or the
Prophet or words whi ch make fun ofI sl am or whi ch gi ve preference
tomi sgui ded pri nci pl es such as communi smor Buddhi sm or devi ant
rel i gi ons such as J udai smor C istianityover I sl am or whi ch accuse
I sl amof bei ng i mperfect backward and reacti onary.
Bel i fi nAl l ah 45
3) Atti tude Towar ds the Kuf f aar ( Di sbel i evers)
le Musl i mshoul d regard the kuffaar as enemi es and hate t hem
because of their kuj r just as he hates their la (di sbel i ef) itself. He
shoul d oppose is fal sehood and its fol l owers by speaki ng out
c1ear1y and by cal l i ng t hemtothe uth. He shoul d expl ai n tot hem
their mi sgui ded state and showt hemthe truth expl ai ni ng it tot hem
c1earl y and confi dent1y. Even though we hate the di sbel i evers we
want themto be gui ded and we hope that they wi11 be.
There arerul i ngs concemi ng the kuffaar whi ch are expl ai ned inthe
books of fi qh (I sl ami c j uri sprudence). For exampl e we do not let
themmar Musl i mwomen we do not may any of their women
except those of the Peopl e of the Book and we do not wash their
dead or pray for them.
4) The Kaaf i r before Al l ah
leperson who hears of I sl am and knowi ngl y rects it is a kaafi r
(di sbel i ever) who wi11abi de inthe Hel l -Fi re forever for he wi11have
no excuse on the Day of Resurrecti on.
Those who do not hear ofI sl amfor whatever reason such as l i vi ng in
remote eas or because they have lost their heari ng and si ght or
because I sl amreached t hemwhen they were too ol d tounderstand
wi11not be puni shed on the Day ofResurrecti on until they have been
ed and tested because the proof di d not reach them. Al l ah the
Al mi ghty says:
;447 Ai;gfuj
~ . . . A n d We never puni sh until We have sent a Messenger
[to gi ve wami ng]. ) (Qur' an 17: 15)
le evi dence at they wi11be tested is ehadi th narrated by Al
Aswad i bn Saree who said: The Messenger of Al l ah ( ) said:
46 / ntroducti on
There are four who wi11 be tested on the Day of
Resurrecti on: the deaf man who coul d not hear anyling;
the i mbeci l e; the seni l e ol d man; and the man who di ed
duri ng the f atarah (interval between t wo Prophets when
no Message reached hi m). The deaf man wi11 say O
Lord I sl amcame and 1 di d not hear anythi ng. " The
i mbeci1e wi11 say o Lord I sl amcame but the young
boys were pel ti ng me wi th camel dung. " The seni l e ol d
man wi11say o Lord I sl amcame and 1 di d not hear
anythi ng. " The man who di ed duri ng the f atarah wi11
say o Lord no Messenger came to me. " Then Al l ah
wi11 take their pl edge to obey Hi m and He wi11 send
wor d tot hemtoenter the fire. By the One inWhose hand
is esoul of M l ammadif they enter it it wi11be cool
and safe for them. " 1
0
5) Negl ecti ng Obl i gatory Duti es and Commi t t i ng Prohi bi ted
Acti ons
The atti tude of the sal af towards those who commi t m or
Sl DS
Undoubtedl y if a person negl ects the duti es that Al l ah has enj oi ned
upon hi m such as payi ng zakah fasti ng performi ng i j and
honouri ng one' s parents or does }J. ar aam(forbi dden) thi ngs such as
commi tti ng adul tery (zi na) engagi ng inusury or interest (ri ba) or
consumi ng orphans' property his faithis di storted and is l acki ng in
proporti on tothe duti es negl ected or sins commi tted. But is he tobe
regarded as a kaafi di sbel i ever - si mpl y because he has negl ected
those duti es or commi tted those }J. ar aamacti ons so l ong as he does
not deny the former or c1ai mthat the latter is }J. al aal (1egal )?
10 Amad in his Musnad and c1assed as eeIJ by A1-Bayhaqi . See I bn Katheer
in his t eer of the aayah of Al -I sraa' 15.
BeU i nAl l ah 47
The texts that we have before us teach us that the Musl i mdoes not
become a afir by commi tti ng sins or by negl ecti ng obl i gatory
duti es but this does de act o mhis faith and his case rests wi th
Al l ah - if He wi11s He wi11 forgi ve hi m and if He wi11s He wi11
puni sh hi m. Among the texts whi ch s te at cl earl y is eaayah
(verse):
tl
Al l ah forgi ves not that p ers shoul d be set up
wi th Hi m[in worshi p] but He forgi ves except at
[an i ng else] to whomHe (Qur 4: 4
The onl y sin at He wi11not forgi ve is shirk. Inthe case of every
lesser sin it is up to Al l ah: if He wi11s He wi11 forgi ve and if He
wi11s He wi11 puni sh.
There are al so whi ch cl ear1y statethe same thi ng that is
i ndi cated in this aayah. Accordi ng to a hadi th qudsi : 11
o son of Adam if you were to come to me wi th an
e 1of sin then you were tomeet Me not associ ati ng
anythi ng inworshi p wi th Me 1 woul d come toyou wi th
ane 1of forgi veness." 12
Accordi ng to another hadi th qudsi :
Whoever meets Me wi th an e 1of sin but does not
associ ate anyone inworshi p wi th Me 1 wi11meet hi m
wi th forgi veness equal to it." 13
11 The i nspi red words of Al l ah conveyed by the Prophet in his words.
12 Ti rmi dhi in his Sunan 4/49 hadi th no. 3540. He said: this is a ghareebhadi th
whi ch we know onl y wi th this i snad. See $al J eel J Sunan at-Ti rmi dhi by AI -
Al baani 3/175 hadi th no. 2805.
13 Musl i m 4/ 2068 hadi th no. 2687.
48 I ntroducti on
It is reported at ' Utbaan i bn Maal i k stated: The Messenger of
Al l ah () said:
Al l ah has forbi dden for the Fi re all those who say Laa
i l aaha i l l a-Al l ah seeki ng thereby the Face of Al l ah. ' " 14
It is reported o mJ aabi r that the Messenger of Al l ah ( ) said:
Whoever di es not associ ati ng anythi ng wi th Al l ah wi11
enter P adise. 15
In the hadi about i ntercessi on it is reported that Al l ah ( ) said:
By My Gl ory My MestyMy Pri de and My Mi ght 1
wi11bri ng fortho mit (Hel l ) those who say Laa i l aaha
i l l a-Al l ah. 16
It is reported f romAbu Saeed al- Khudri that the Messenger of Al l ah
( ) said:
The peopl e of Paradi se wi11 enter Paradi se and the
peopl e of Hel l wi11 enter Hel l then Al l ah wi11 say:
Bri ng forth everyone in whose heart was faith the
wei ght of a grai n of mustard seed.' 7
AbuSuraansaid: 1 l i ved near J aabi r i bnAbdul l ah inMakkah r
six months. A man asked hi m Do you call any of the peopl e of the
Qi bl ah (i Musl i ms) a kaafi r?' He sai d Al l ah forbid!' He asked
Do you call anybody a mushri k?' He sai d No. ' 8
14 Bukhari 1/ 519 hadi th no. 425.
15 Musl i m 1194 hadi th no. 94.
16 Bukh i13/474
17 Bukhari 1172 hadi th no. 22
18 Abu Ubayd al Qaasi mi bn Sal aamin hi s book Al - Eemaan edi ted by Shaykh
N i ruddi n al Al b ni pp. 98. The edi tor sai d its i snad is $al J e accordi ng to le
condi ti ons of Musl i m. Abu Suraanle narrator of the hadi th was a Taabi 'ee.
Bel i i nAl l ah 49
These texts l ed promi nent schol ars among the sal afofthi s ummah to
say of the one who commi ts sins and negl ects obl i gatory duties: He
is a bel i ever because ofhi s faithbut afaasi q (si nner) because ofhi s
sin." They at i butedfaithtohi m but it was not the perfect iththat
is the rightful attribute of those who do acts of obedi ence and reai n
o mcommi tti ng sin. Hi s i is i mpai red because of his wrongs
sq) and because of the sin that he has commi tted.
ii) The khawaari j who denounced peopl e as kaafi r because of
thei r sins
I ncon st tothese (thesal. therewas another group who accused
peopl e of la if they fell short in any obl i gatory duty or if they
commi tted any a r a a m acti ons. We still see many peopl e hasteni ng
to condemn peopl e as kaafi r ina si mi l ar manner. The first group to
adopt is approach was the Khawaari j a group who emerged
(khar. ) f romthe ar my of 'Ali i bn Abi T: lib ()) after the
appoi nted arbi trators Abu Moosa al Ashari and Amr i bn al-' Aa
had failed to end the di spute at was ragi ng among the Musl i ms
under the l eadershi p of Al i and Mu' aawi yah.
The Khawaari j cl ai med that appoi nti ng men as arbi ators was a
mi stake accordi ng to sh i and they regarded it as kufr. They
vi ewed as kuffaar all the Musl i ms who had agreed to that and
testifiedthat they themsel ves turned tobe di sbel i evers. [Because they
had initially agreed to the arbi trati on - Transl ator]. They then
entered the pal e ofI sl ama esh. They demanded that Al i shoul d al so
accept that he commi tted h by agreei ng to the arbi trati on (and
pronounce shahadah afresh) as a precondi ti on for their returni ng to
the ranks of his army. 'Ali ( ) ( may Al l be pl eased wi th hi m)
di sputed wi th t hem and sent tot hemthe great schol ar ofthi s ummah
Ibn Abbaas who establ i shed proof agai nst t hemand refuted their
poi nt ofvi ew. A f ewthousand of t hemcame back (tothe army and to
I sl am) but t wo thousand persi sted in fol l owi ng their opi ni on and
50 l ntroducti on
fought Al i who defeated t hemand fi ni shed t hemoff. But their
thi nki ng spread and was adopted by many peopl e after them. Thi s
i dea of denounci ng others as kaafi r sti11emerges f romti me toti me
and it has resurfaced in our own ti mes.
The evi dence quoted by the khawaa; for denounci ng as kaafi r
those who commi t m or si ns
The Khawaari j 19 c1ai mthat the one who commi ts a maj or sinis a
kaafi r and is no l onger Musl i m and his bl ood and weal th are
[l aw 1(i.e. he may be ki11ed and his weal th sei zed by the Musl i ms)].
They say that he wi11abi de inHel l forever. They quote insupport of
their vi ew; evi dence whi ch they thought proved their case such as
the fol l owi ng:
a) They sai d You agree wi th us that deeds are part offai th because
eemaan is composed of bel i ef words and deeds. If one part of faith
such as acti ons is mi ssi ng then the whol e of eemaan is absent."
b) They quoted as evi dence the fact at Al l ah descri bes some sins as
fi sq as in the aay h (verse):
i AL654QL-
a Faasi q [li evil person] comes youwi th any
news veri r it..) ( Qw'an 49: 6)
lewor d faasi q here is appl i ed to a liar whi ch is qui te obvi ous to
anyone who l ooks at the context of the aayah.
The Prophet (: ) said:
19 There is another group the Mu ' tazi l ah who are the fol1owers of i bn
A who said that the one who commi ts a maj or sin is nei ther a bel i ever nor a
kaafi r but is in a posi ti on between /aand eemaan but in the Hereafter he wi1l
be doomed to eternity in Hell.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 51
F'Or a bel i ever t'O trade insults wi th an' O er I Ssooq
(evi1). 20
And they sai d that Al l ah cal l ed s'Ome sins such as c'Onsumi ng
O hans' weal th
44Fti ai l J!:J i 3L
. . .
th'Ose wh'Ounj ust1y eat up the pr'Ope y
'Of ' 0 hansthey eat up 'Onl y fire int'O thei r bel l i es
(Qur 'an 4: 10)
And He () calls the 'One wh'O evi cts a wi d'Ow o mher mari tal
h'Ome duri ng the ti me 'Of her 'idd h a because he ' ansgresses
the l i mi ts set by Al l ah ():
. loo
j z;. j 1AJLJ L4J 11Ail--

...
fe Al l ah y' O L'Ord [0' Musl i ms]. And m
t hemn'Ot 'Out 'Of thei r [husband h'Omes n'Or shal l they
[themsel ves] l eave except in case ey are gui l ty 'Of
s'Ome 'Open illegal sexual i nterc'Ourse. And th'Oseare e
set l i mi ts 'Of Al l ah. And wh'Os'Oever transgresses the set
l i mi ts 'Of Al l ah then i ndeed he has wr'Onged hi msel f...)
(Qur' : 1)
l ey sai d these si ns are 'sq and and the faasi qoon and
l i moon are kaafi r .e Qur' an says:
f;40
20 Musl i m 1/ 80 hadithno. 64.
52 Introduction
..And it is the di sbel i evers who are the Zaal i moon
(Qur 2: 254)
@ f 4 4 j E 4 MbAJ
.But whoever di sbel i eved after this they are the
Faasi qoon [rebel l i ous di sobedi ent to
(Qur 'an 24: 55)
And they said: the texts i ndi cate that those who commi t sins are not
bel i evers for exampl e ereport narrated by Musl i mwhi ch says that
the Prophet ( ) said:
The one who commi ts zi na is not a bel i ever at the ti me
when he is commi tti ng zi na and eone who steals is
not a bel i ever at the ti me when he is steal i ng and the one
who dri nks wi ne is not a bel i ever at the ti me when he is
i nki ng. 21
And he ( ) said:
And:
No one who bel i eves inAl l ah and Hi s Messenger can
hate the Ansaar 22
By the One in Whose hand is my soul you wi l l not
enter Paradi se until you bel i eve and you wi l l not bel i eve
until you l ove one another. 23
c) They said: the Messenger () di sowned those who commi tted
certai n sins such as when he said:
21 Musl i m 1/ 76 hadi th no. 57.
22 l bi d 1/86.
23 l bi d 1/ 74 hadi nO. 54.
BeUfinAllah 53
Whoever bears arms agai nst us is not one of us and
whoever decei ves us is not one of us. 24
And accordi ng to another hadi th:
Whoever cheats is not one of us. 25
Accordi ng to a hadi th narrated by Bukhari and Musl i mo mAbu
Hurayrah () the Messenger of Al l ah ( ) said:
By Al l ah he does not bel i eve; by Al l ah he does not
bel i eve; by Al l ah he does not bel i eve." They sai d
Who 0' Messenger of Al l ah?" He sai d l eone o m
whose annoyance his nei ghbour is not safe. 26
d) l eysaid: some sins were descri bed as kujr as when Al l ah ()
said:
ddj f ( . . .

[pi l gri mage to Makk] to the House
[Kabah] is a duty that manki nd owes to Al l ah those
who can afford e expenses [for one' s conveyance
provi si on and resi dence]; and whoever di sbel i eves [i.e.
deni es I:I ajj (pi l gri mage Makkah) then he is a
di sbel i ever of Al l ah] then Al l ah stands not inneed of
any ofthe ' Aal ameen and all that
3: 97)
And the Messenger () said:
Do not go back toh after 1 am gone by killingone
24 Mus1i m 1/ 99 hadi th no. 101.
2S
Ibid 1/101 hadi th no. 102.
26 Mishkaat 2/ 607 hadi th no. 4962.
54 l ntroducti on
another. 27 And: If a man denounces his brother as a
kaaj i r it wi l l be the case that one of t hemis a kaajir. 28
Refutati on of the evi dences quoted by the khawaari j
These are eevi dences whi ch they referred to for their l abel l i ng as
kaaj i r those who commi t sins. We wi11strivetopoi nt out where they
went wrong in usi ng these texts as evi dences:
a) Wi reg d to their poi nt that deeds are inc1uded in the
components of eemaan we do not deny this. But where they went
wr ong is when they counted deeds as a condi ti on offai th. The co 'ect
vi ewis that is is not so. If deeds are l acki ng this i mpai rs e
requi red perfecti on offai th i.e. if deeds el acki ng then faithis al so
l acki ng inpart and it remai ns i mperfect . Thi s is like a man whose
hand or foot has been cut off or whose eye has been taken out or his
ear has been cut off. He is sti11a human bei ng and is sti11alive. But if
he is cut int wo or his head is cut off or his heart is t omout then he is
like a person whose faith is removed. If the hand ot or eye is
removed this is likea person who negl ects some obl i gatory duti es or
does some r aam( rbi dden) acti ons. When the head or heart is
removed is like the ' aqeedah is taken away.
b) Thei r expl anati on of 'sq and ; ul mbei ng Ia. is a mi s-
understandi ng. lemeani ng ofj i sq is todi sobey Al l ah () and all
acts of di sobedi ence towar ds Al l ah enot on the same l eve1 . They
may entail kuj r or they may not . A person who deni es the angel s
di sobeys Al l ah ina manner that consti tutes kujr whi l st a person who
dri nks wi ne di sobeys Al l ah ina manner that is sinful but does not
consti tute .
~ u l m al so vari es indegree; it may take an extreme f ormthat reaches
the l evel of Ia." or it may be of a l esser degree than that .
27 Musl i m 1182 hadi nO. 65.
28 Ibid 1179 hadi th no. 79.
BeliefinAllah 55
Wemaypi c rethis i f we drawa l arge circleinthe mi ddl e of whi ch is
a smal l er circle. The l arge circle represents ~ u l m and fi sq and the
smal l er circle represents kuj r so h is i ncl uded in~ u l m and fi sq
because ey are broader in meani ng than kuj r but some ki nds of
~ u l m and sq e not h.
Ri (Us / interest)
Denyi ng the Creator.
Consumi ngle
property of 0 hans
Di sbelievingin eAngels the
Books theMessengers andthe
Last Day.
Worshippingan lingother
thanAl1ah suchas praying
Eesa(Jesus).
Lyi ng
'ul mand Fi sq Trongdoi ng and i mmoral i ty)
K( Disbelief)
What i ndi cates that fi sq may not be h is the hadi th of the Prophet
() in whi ch he said:
Sl anderi ng a Musl i mis sooqand killing hi mis
kujr. 29
leMessenger di sti ngui shed between the t wo even though what is
meant byh inthis hadi th is not the ki nd of kufr whi ch puts a person
beyond the pal e of Isl am.
29 Musl i m 1180 hadi no.64.
56 Inf1' Oducti on
The texts whi ch they quote to support their vi ewthat faith is
cancel l ed out by sins or at the Messenger ( ) di sowned peopl e
who commi tted sins or that the person who commi ts a certai n sinis a
kaafi r do not mean that ithis taken away by sins or that sini mpl i es
that a person is a kaafi r. But sins do de ct f romthe perfecti on and
si nceri ty of a person' s faith whi ch Al l ah descri bed and statedwas a
precondi ti on in several pl aces in Hi s Book.
Al l ah () says:

J j J _J; i

@ 13PAaAJ 41 1
F i 1l I 1 W( (
4J 31pA J - 41J 5 21
(
Al l ah has purchased of the bel i evers their lives
and their properti es for [thepri ce] at theirs shall be the
Paradi se. They fight in Al l ah' s Cause so they ki11
[others] and are ki11ed. It is a promi se intruthwhi ch is
bi ndi ng on Hi min the Tawraat [Torah] and the I nj eel
[Gospel ] and the Qur' an. And who is uer to his
covenant than Al l ah? Then rej oi ce inthe bargai n whi ch
you have conc1uded. That is the supreme success. [The
bel i evers whose lives Al l ah has purchased 'e] those
who rnto Al l ah inrepentance [ o mpol ythei smand
hypocri sy] who worshi p [Hi m] who prai se [Hi m] who
fast [or go out in Al l ah' s Cause] who bow down [in
prayer] who pros ate themsel ves [in prayer] who
e oi n[on peopl e] Al - Ma ' roof and forbi d [peopl e] o m
Bel i ef inAl l ah
Al Munkarand who observe the l i mi ts set by Al l ah.
And gi ve gl ad ti di ngs to e
(Qur' an 9: 111-112)
H jf J i
@ 41Af J hJ U@G24J Ai 113

i ndeed are the bel i evers. Those who 0er
their l aah [prayers] wi th all sol emni ty and H
submi ssi veness. And those who turn away o mAl -
Laghw [dirty false evil vai n tal k fal sehood and all at
Al l ah has forbi dden]. And those who pay the Zakah.
And those who guard thei r chasti ty [i.e. pri vate p
f romillegal sexual acts]) (Qur' an 23: 15)
lU;;:JG 1J 511i kj f 14i
1ft i FJ 6;i 41L
;fJ 4i i Ll i
bel i evers are onl y those who when A11ah is
menti oned feel a fear in eir hearts and when Hi s
aayaat [verses] [this Q 'an] 'ereci ted unto t hem they
[i.e. the Aayaat] i ncrease thei r Fai th; and they put thei r
st in eir Lord [Al one]; Who perf orm
[I qaamat- -$al aah] and spend out of at We have
provi ded em. ) ( Qur 'an 8: 2
57
After quoti ng ese aayaat Abu ' Ubayd al - Qaasi mi bn Sal l aam
30
said: These aayaat expl ai n the obl i gati ons that I sl amhas enj oi ned
upon its fol l owers and prohi bi ted all ki nds of si n." The of
30 These quotations are taken fromthe book AI - Eemaan by Abu Ubayd a
col1ectionof his four treatises editedby Shay N ruddeenal Albaani Pp. 9096.
58 I ntroducti on
the Sunnah descri be the features 'Of eemaan. When sins are mi xed
wi th faith it may be sai d that this is n'Ot what Al l ah has enj 'Oi ned up'On
the bel i evers and these are n'Ot the si gns by whi ch faithis kn'Own i.e.
this is n'Ot the reali ' Of faith. But this d'Oes n'Ot mean that there is n'O
ith at al L"
He then exami nes the speci 'Ous arguments 'Of th'Osewh'Osay h'Ow can
it be sai d that he is n'Ot a bel i ever but that the title'Of faithis n'Ot taken
away o mhi m? He expl ai ns this by p'Oi nti ng 'Out that is is the way
the Arabs speak: they deny that a deed has been d'One if it had n'Ot
been d'One proper1y. The Qur' an was reveal ed in el anguage 'Of the
Arabs usi ng the stylistic devi ces 'Of their l anguage. In the l anguage
'Of the Arabs ab'Out whi ch we kn'Ow a great deal it is n'Ot unc'Omm'On
t'Odeny a deed i fthe pers'On wh'Odi d it fai l edt'Od'Oit pr'Oper1y. D'Oy'Ou
n'Ot see that if a w'Orker d'Oes n'Ot d'Ohis j 'Ob proper1y they wi11say t'O
hi m Y'Ou haven' t d'One anythi ng' ? The intenti 'On here is t'Odeny the
qual i ty n'Ot t'O deny the w'Ork itself. In their vi ew the j 'Ob is d'One
n'Omi nal l y but n'Ot pr'Oper1y."
He expl ai ned that the Arabs may speak inan even harsher t'One such
as when a s'On dis'Obeys his father and ann'Oys hi mt'Othe extent that
the ther may say He is n'Ot a s'On' - alth'Ough they kn'Ow that he is
his s'On b'Om' Omhis l'Oins. A si mi l ar thi ng may be sai d c'Oncemi ng a
brother wi fe 'Or slave.
Then he expl ai ned at these texts whi ch deny faithwere narrated ina
si mi l ar fashi 'On. He said: The same appl i es t'Othese sins f'Or whi ch
faithis deni ed because what cancel l ed 'Out the reality 'Of ithis n'Ot
c'Ompl yi ng wi th the rul i ngs whi ch are at i butes 'Of eemaan. But a
pers'On' s c1assificati 'On remai ns as it was and he is n'Ot descri bed as
bei ng anythi ng 'Other than a bel i ever and the rul i ngs whi ch appl y t'O
bel i evers remai n intact in his case."
Beli i nAl l ah 59
He quoted the aay h (verse) o mSoorah Aal ' I mraan (the thi rd
chapter of the Qur' an) whi ch s tes that Al l ah took a covenant f rom
those who had been gi ven the Scri pture that they woul d make it [the
news of the comi ng of Prophet Muhammad ()] known and c1ear to
manki nd and not tohi de it but they threwit away behi nd thei r backs
yet despi te that they are sti11descri bed as Peopl e of the Book inother
aayaat dit is permi ssi bl e for us to eat thei r meat and may thei r
women. Then he said: I n the rul i ngs and in n they 'e sti11
descri bed as Peopl e of the Book al though in real i ty ey have
departed o mit."
And he narrated ehadi th of the man who prayed badl y whi ch was
narrated by e t wo Shaykhs ( Bu i and Musl i m) in whi ch the
Messenger ( ) said:
Go back and pray for you have not prayed 31
- mor e than once. Al though the man had prayed each ti me it was a
nomi nal prayer onl y and was not a prayer as it shoul d be.
What is meant by the texts i n whi ch the Messenger of Al l ah )
di sowned those who commi t si ns
Abu ' Ubayd stated: Thi s di sowni ng does not mean that ey no
l onger have any i ngtodo wi th the Messenger of Al l ah ( ) and hi s
rel i gi on. But in our opi ni on he is not one of those who obey the
Messenger or fol l owhis exampl e or adhere tohi s l aws (as requi red). "
What is meant by the texts whi ch state that some si ns i mpl y ku .
and shi rk
Wi t h regard to the texts whi ch s te that some si ns i mpl y la and
shi rk the way we understand t hemis not that those peopl e become
kaafi r (di sbel i evers) dmushri keen (pol ythi ests) insuch a way that
31 Bukhari 2/ 277 hadi th no 793; Musl i m 11298 hadi th no. 397.
60 1 ducti on
they no l onger have any eemaan at all. Rather the way inwhi ch they
are to be i nterpreted is that these sins are aki n to echaracteri sti cs
and ways of the h aar and mushri keen. We fi nd a si mi l ar amount of
reports of these t wo types as we do of reports of the first t wo types."
He expl ai nes at what is meant by the si ns whi ch ecal l edh and
shi rk is "the characteri sti cs of the mushri keen and their names ways
words and rul i ngs etc."
Insupport of this vi ew he quoted the comment of Abbaas ( )
in his t eer of the aayah

j )
1
. . .
. And whosoever does not j udge by what Al l ah has
reveal ed such are the kaafi roon [i.e. di sbel i evers of a
l esser degree as they do not act on Al l ah' s Laws]. )
(Qur 'an 5: 44)
Ibn

Abbaas
( )
said:
Th
is is not (the ki nd of ) puts a
person beyond the pal e
of
I sl am.
"
A

a' said:

It is a l esser
f ormof
kz
"
Concemi ng the report narrated
f rom
Ibn ' Abbaas the edi tor
of
the book said: l I s is narrated by AI -
I:I
aaki minAl - Mustadrak vi a
Taawoos and he and Adh- Dhahabi cl assed it

saheeh.

32
Al though j udgi ng by other than that whi ch Al l ah has reveal ed is
cal l ed

t J r it does not put a person beyond the pal e ofI sl am. Eemaan
is still present in is case even though it is mi xed wi th this sin. What
is meant is that j udgi ng by other than at whi ch Al l ah has reveal ed is
eway
of
the kuffaar (di sbel i evers). Have you not heard the words
of
Al l ( ) :

32
Ki taab al - Eemaan by Abu
' Ubayd al -Qaasi mi bn Sal l aam Pp. 94. Publ i shed in
the anthol ogy of Four Dertati ons Arba' Rasaa 'il.
Bel i i nAl l ah 61
then seek the j udgement of [ e days of]
(Qur ' an 5: 50)
Then he says: the way inwhi ch this was i nterpreted by the schol ars of
m eer is that whoever j udges by other than at whi ch Al l ah has
reveal ed - and he is a Musl i m becomes thereby likethe peopl e of the
J aahi l i yah for it is tobe understood that this is how the peopl e ofthe
J aahi l i yah used toj udge. Thi s is like the hadi th:
Three thi ngs bel ong to e J aahi l ah: sl anderi ng
peopl e' s l i neage wai1i ng over the dead and as ol ogy. "
(l I s is) a 1).adith.
33
Si mi l arl y there is a hadi th that reads:
The si gns ofthe hypocri te 'ethree: when he speaks he
lies; when he makes a promi se he breaks it; when he is
entrusted wi th somethi ng he be ys that ust. 34
Abu Ubayd said:
These reports enot tobe i nterpreted as meani ng that the one who
commi ts sinis tobe l abel l ed as bel ongi ng tothe peopl e of J aahi l i yah
a kaafi r (di sbel i ever) or a hypocri te when he bel i eves inAl l ah and
the Message sent by Hi m and he ful fi1s the obl i gatory duties. What
these reports mean is that these sins are part of the acti ons of the
h ar (di sbel i evers) whi ch are forbi dden inthe Qur' an and Sunnah
so at the Musl i ms can avoi d these thi ngs and steer c1ear of t hem
and not i mi tate the kuffaar in any of their atti tudes or ways. "
33 Sal J ee al -J aami ' 11583 hadi th no. 3039 where the wordi ng is:
Three acti ons of the peopl e of the J aahi l i yah whi ch the peopl e of I sl amwill not
manage to avoi d: seeki ng rai n through the stars (as ol ogy) sl anderi ng peopl e' s
l i neage and wai l i ng over the dead. " He at i buted it to Bukhari inAt Taareekh
and to AHab ni inAl -Kabeer and Ai}. mad inAlMusnadand Ibn l;I i bbaan in
his
34 Bukhari 1/ 89 hadi th no. 33; Musl i m 1/ 78 hadi th no. 59.
62 Int1vducti on
He quoted the hadi th:
1f a woman puts on perf ume enpasses by peopl e who
can detect her fragrance she is a zaani yah
(adul teress). 35 1s this the ki nd of zi na whi ch i ncurs
the prescri bed puni shment ( d?
Perhaps what Abu Ubayd al -Qaasi mi bn Sa11aammeant when he
sai d that j udgi ngby other than that whi ch Al l ah reveal ed is not Ia
that puts a person beyond the pal e of 1sl am" was when a qaa4i
(Musl i mj udge) j udges a p ticular case accordi ng tohis own whi ms
and desi res al though he usual l y j udges in accordance wi th the
rul i ngs of Al l ah.
Wi th regard to rul i ng by the l aws of the di sbel i evers and appl yi ng
t hemby force tothe 1sl ami c peopl es and opposi ng and fi ghti ng all
those who call for the appl i cati on ofI sl am- this is nol I ngtodo wi th
1sl am.
27 4 3 .

no by your Lord they can have no Fai th until ey
make you [0' Muhammad] j udge inall di sputes between
t hem and fi nd inthemsel ves no resi stance agai nst your
deci si ons and accept [them] wi th 11 submi ssi on)
(Qur 'an 4: 65)
!
j
i
-
-
i

35 le edi tor of Ki taab al - Eemaan (p. 96) said: (this is a) l J eel J hadi th narrated
by I bn Khuzaymah I bn l:I i bbaan and AI - l:I aaki min thei r $al J eel J s f romAbu
Moosa al -Ashari and at i buted to the Prophet () where the wordi ng is Any
woman who puts on perf ume and passes by peopl e so that they can smel l its
fragrance is a zaani yah and every eye is zaani yah. " A si mi l ar report is narrated
by Abu Dawood and Ti rrni dhi who cl assed it as ! i al J e.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 63
) Those who say that the person who commi t s maj or sins has
perfect fai th
le Khawaari j went t'O 'One ex emeby mi si nterpreti ng the texts
whi ch say that a pers'On wh'Oc'Ommi t s a maj 'Or sinhas dist'Orted and
di mi ni shed his faith. They di d n'Ot understand the texts whi ch s te
that his i neverthel ess d'Oes n'Ot di sappear int' O lity. Inc'On ast
t'O the Khawaari j there is an'Other gr'Oup36 whi ch c1ai med that the
faith'Of a pers'On wh'Oc'Ommi t s a maj 'Or sinis sti11i ntact . They sai d
Si n d'Oes n'Ot have any harmf ul effect s'Ol'Ong as a pers'On bel i eves. "
l ey sai d at eemaan was bel i ef inthe heart and w'Ords sp'Oken by
et'Ongue and at acti 'Ons had n'Othi ng t'O d'O wi th eemaan. They
sai d that ithinthe heart was s'Omethi ng whi ch di d n'Ot di ffer o m
'One pers'On t'Oan'Other and they qu'Oted as evi dence the texts whi ch
i ndi cate that th'Ose wh'O c'Ommi t m' Or si ns are sti11 bel i evers and
wi11 enter Paradi se.
Their vi ewis refuted by the fact that many rep'Orts state atdeeds e
c'Onsi dered t'Obe a part 'Of faith such as the hadi th 'Of the Pr'Ophet ():
Eemaan has seventy- 'Odd 'Or si xty- 'Odd branches the
best 'Of whi ch is sayi ng Laa i l aaha i l l a-Al l aah and the
least 'Of whi ch is r em'Ovi ng s'Omethi ng harmf ul 'Off the
road. And m'Odesty is a branch 'Of fai 37
leir vi ewis als'Orefuted by texts whi ch c'Ontai n wami ngs such as
.e hadi th 'Of e Pr'Ophet ():
An adul terer is n'Ot a bel i ever at the ti me when he is
c'Ommi tti ng adul tery; a thi ef is n'Ot a bel i ever at the ti me
when he is steal i ng; a i nker 'Of wi ne is n'Ot a bel i ever at
36 Thi s group is known as Al - Mu i ' ah because they separated [arj aru] acti ons
omeemaan and regarded themas less i mportant .
37 Bukhari 1/51 hadi th no. 9; Musl i m 1/63 hadi th no35. Thi s versi on is
narratedby Musl i m.
64 l ntroducti on
the ti me when he is i nki ng. 38
Both of the groups went astray. The first group whi ch denounces
peopl e as kaafi r causes peopl e to despai r of the mercy of Al l
whi l st the second group encourages peopl e tocommi t sins. The sal af
ofthi s ummah trod a mi ddl e path between these t wo extremes stating
that those who commi tted maj or sins were sti11 bel i evers in this
wor1d al though their ithwas i mperfect; as for the Hereaft: er theIr
case rests wi th Al l ah (): i f He wi11s He wi11puni sh t hemand i f He
wi11s He wi11 forgi ve them.
4 ' AQEEDAHVS. PI DLOSOPHY AND ' I LMAL- KALAAM
1) The Di fference Bet ween I sl ami c ' Aqeedah and Phi l osophy and
' 11mal - Kal aam
Phi l osophy deal s wi th the exact same topi cs that rel i gi on deal s wi th
for the phi1osophers c1ai mthat their research is ai med at di scoveri ng
the ori gi ns and pu oseof the uni verse and di scoveri ng the ways of
attai ni ng human happi ness inthe short termand the l ong term. These
f ormthe t wo components of the di sci pl i ne of phi l osophy the
theoreti cal and the practi cal whi ch are al so the topi cs addressed by
religion.
39
Yet despi te all is1 say that there is i mmense di fference
between rel i gi on and phi l osophy. They di er wi th regard to their
ori gi ns and sources their methodol ogy and way the extent of their
preval ence and i nfl uence in their styles and methods of deri vi ng
evi dence and in the effects that each of t hemhave. We wi11
endeavour to expl ai n all of this so as to remove any confusi on of
rel i gi on wi th phi l osophy.
38 Bukhari and Musl i m; details have been gi ven above.
39 Darraaz AdDeen59 60.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 65
i) Ori gi ns and sources
Phi l osophy inall its gui ses is a human endeavour" whi ch is subj ect
to all the res i cti onsl i mi tati ons and sl owprogress towards an
unknown obj ecti ve that are i nherent inhuman nature. It is subj ect to
the human potenti al for change and the human al temati on between
gui dance and mi sgui dance between approachi ng perfecti on and
strayi ng far o mthat goal .
Hence the promi nent phi l osophers were not abl e toridthemsel ves of
the i nfl uence of their envi ronment so their concepts and bel i efs
refl ected their surroundi ngs.
40
Inall his works Pl ato for exampl e repeats the myths whi ch were
preval ent at his ti me and he even produces myths of his own as part
of his i deas and beliefs. I ndeed many of his bel i efs and i deas are
myths in themsel ves.
Li sten to what Al - Aqqaad says about Pl ato: The i dol a ous
envi ronment inwhi ch Pl ato l i ved overwhel med his thoughts because
ofthe customs ofhi s soci ety and the effect ofhi s surroundi ngs. 80 he
i ncl uded inhis bel i efs the i dea of gods and demi - gods whi ch have no
pl ace in the monothei sti c rel i gi ons. 41
l en Al - ' Aqqaad di scusses Pl ato' s poi nt of vi ewconcemi ng the
uni verse usi ng Pl ato' s theory ofthe uni verse toprove the poi nt that is
quoted above: Accordi ng to Pl ato the uni verse consi sts of t wo
opposi ng l evel s the l evel of absol ute reason and the l evel of the
pri mordi al m er. Al l power comes o mabsol ute reason and all
i ncapabi l i ty comes o mthe pri mordi al matter. Inbetween there are
bei ngs on vari ous levels; hi gher status is determi ned by the extent to
whi ch they are i nfl uenced by reason and l ower l evel s by how much
40 Darr zAdDeen73.
41 A1' AqqaadKi taab-Al l ah 129.
66 I ntroducti on
they take o mthe pri mordi al matter. Some of these i ntermedi ate
bei ngs are gods some edemi - gods and some are h nanbei ngs. 42
The reason why Pl ato accepted the i dea of these i ntermedi ate gods is
as Al - Aqqaad says because he wanted to expl ai n thereby the
reason why evil i mperfecti on and pai n exist in is wor1d. F or
absol ute reason is perfect and is not l i mi ted by ti me or pl ace d
produces nothi ng but good dvirtue. So these i ntermedi ate gods e
ki ng care of creati on because ey exist between the al l -power l
God and the i ncapabl e pri mordi al m Hence i mperfecti on evil
and pai n stem o m these i ntermedi ari es between the t wo
extremes. 43
It is al so wel l - known at Pl ato bel i eved inthe i dea of transmi grati on
of souls.
This is phi l osophy as descri bed o mits own so 'ces.
The Islarnic ' aqeedah on the other hand is a Revel ati on U IJy) o m
Al l ah () and has all the Di vi ne qual i ti es ofunal terabl e thwhose
words cannot be changed and deci si ve thwhi ch fal sehood cannot
approach o mbefore it or behi nd it r . Qur' an 41: 42).
Furthermore it is a great bl essi ng whi ch comes topeopl e wi thout any
effort on their part bestowi ng its light upon t hemin a very short
peri od like the bl i nki ng of an eye.
44
u) Met hodol ogy and way45
The phi l osophi cal methodol ogy differs o mits I sl ami c counte t
o mthe begi nni ng tothe end. Many phi1osophers begi n by studyi ng
42 Al AqqaadKi taabAl l ah129.
43 Ibid.
D raazAd- Deen 73.
45 Maj moo al -Faawa Shay a[.I sl am2/1 25. He (lbn Taymi ya) has menti oned
this and we have onl y summari zed it.
BeliefinAl l ah 67
the human psyche maki ng is their basi s and starti ng poi nt. So
when they speak of their understandi ng of knowl edge they say that
someti mes it is empi ri cal ased on experi ence) someti mes it is
rati onal (based on reason) and someti mes it is both.
They made the empi ri cal natural and other sci ences the basi s wi thout
whi ch knowl edge cannot be acqui red then they cl ai med that inthis
manner they coul d understand ma s whi ch were cl ose tot hem in
the real ms of nature mathemati cs and ethics. They made these three
the foundati ons on whi ch all sci ences are bui l t . Thus they 'e al so
represented inthe bases of 'ilmal -kal aam(schol asti ci sm) where it is
sai dthat one is hal f of t wo the body cannot be int wo pl aces at once
and at t wo opposi tes such as bl ack and whi te cannot be j oi ned.
Many of these peopl e do not consi der ethi cal matters such as j usti ce
andchasti ras bei ng part ofthe basi c pri nci pl es; rather they see t hem
as mi nor i ssues for whi ch support and evi dence e requi red.
Many phi l osophi cal wri ters s rt wi th l ogi c then empi ri cal sci ence
and mathemati cs then eymove on toknowl edge of the Di vi ne. So
you fi nd that wri ters on 'ilmal -kal aamfol l owthe same pri nci pl es
when exami ni ng studyi ng and deri vi ng evi dence whi ch is likel ogi c
then eymove on todi scuss how the uni verse is created and s i ve
to prove the exi stence of the Creator. Some of t hemdi vi de
knowl edge i nto at whi ch exi sts and that whi ch does not and sub-
categori es thereof as the phi l osopher when he starts to seek
knowl edge of the Di vi ne.
Most phi l osophers speak indepth about matters of nature or i nsti nct
eythen di scuss the s andpl anets then those among t hemwho
s dy ematter of di vi ni ty s rt speakabout theOne -Who - must-
exi st" (i.e. Al l ah) and about reasons and human na re. Some of
them Ytoprove the exi stence of theOneWho- must exi st" on
the basi s that this uni verse has tohave the One - Who - must - exi st".
68 lntroduction
le ai mof those schol ars of 'ilmal -kal aam(schol asti ci sm) who
affi rmTaw} J eed intheir books is toprove the Oneness of the Creator
and at He has no partner or associ ate. They thi nk that is is what is
meant by the phrase L i l aaha illa 411ah (there is no god except
Al l ah).
Thi s methodol ogy of phi l osophy and 'ilmal -kal aammay keep the
researcher busy for a l i feti me wi thout ever reachi ng any conc1usi ons.
Whatever he l eams o mit is sti11 accompani ed by doubts whi ch
forestall y ki nd of certainty. Thus the researcher is beset by
confusi on.
le Qur' ani c methodol ogy on the other hand makes the call to
worshi p Al l ah Al one wi th no p er or associ ate the startingpoi nt
of its message and the message of all the Messengers:
t_;
i :43
We di d not send any Messenger before you [0'
M l ammad] but We reveal ed to hi m[sayi ng]: Laa
i l aaha illaAna [none has the ri ght tobe worshi pped but
1 (Al l ah)] so worshi p Me [Al one and none else].
(Qur' n 21: 25)
Every Messenger first of all asked hi s peopl e toworshi p Al l ( )
Al one:

my peopl e! Worshi p Al l ah! You have no other
l l aah [God] but Hi m. . Jt (Qur 'an 23: 23)
He asked t hemwor shi p Hi m(Al l ah) wi th their hearts wi th their
tongues and wi th their physi cal faculties; the worshi p of Al l ah
i mpl i es that one knows Hi mand remembers Hi m.
Beli finAllah 69
Accordi ng to this methodol og e foundati on of knowl edge is
knowl edge of Al l ah () not empi ri cal knowl edge. For Al l ah is the
First Who created all that exists d le Last to Who m all of
creati on wi11return. He is the al l -encompassi ng pri nci pl e; knowl edge
of Hi mis the basi s of all knowl edge remembrance of Hi mis e
basi s of all remembrance and s i vi ngfor Hi s sake is ebasi s of all
effort.
Fr omthe knowl edge of Al l ah stemal l other ki nds of knowl edge.
Fr omthe worshi p of Hi mand seeki ng Hi mal one stemal l ki nds of
good obj ecti ves. By worshi ppi ng Hi mand seeki ng Hi s hel p the heart
is protected for it has taken refuge inthe trustworthy support and is
c1i ngi ng to gui dance and certai n proof. So it is al ways i ncreasi ng
either in knowl edge and eemaan or in safer o mi gnorance and
disbelief. For l eami ng by the hel p of Al l ah is the greatest means of
l eami ng about Al l ah and about life and other thi ngs and about the
human psyche.
Ibn Abi I:I ti msaid: We l eamed about everythi ng by the hel p of
Al l ah." Ibn Abbaas was asked How di d you come toknow about
your Lord?" He sai dWhoever es to understand his rel i gi on by
anal ogy wi11 remai n confused throughout his life wanderi ng and
devi ati ngo mthe ri ght way. We l eamed about Al l ah () o m e
way He descri bed Hi msel f and o mthe at butes of whi ch He tol d
us."
When the Messenger () sent Muaadh toYemen tocall the peopl e
toAl l ah he tol d hi mthat he woul d come tosome ofthe Peopl e of the
Book. He (the Prophet) advi sed hi mthat the first thi ng towhi ch he
shoul d call t hemshoul d be the worshi p of Al l ah Al one. If they
acknowl edged that then he was to call t hemto do the obl i gatory
duties. He di d not tell hi m call t hemfirst to doubt or to exami ne
i ngs anew as is e way of some phi1osophers and schol asti cs.
70 Introducti on
l erefore Bukhari started his book wi th the foundati on on whi ch
knowl edge and eemaan are bui1t at is the Revel ati on. So he started
wi th the chap ter enti tl ed
he descri bed how knowl edge and eemaan were reveal ed to the
Prophet (). Then he fol l owed this wi th the Book of Fai th
(eemaan) " whi ch i mpl i es acceptance of what the Prophet brought .
This is fol l owed by the chapter Book of Knowl edge" wherei n he
expl ai ns what the Prophet ( ) brought. So he organi zed his book ina
manner whi ch is i ndi cati ve ofhi s knowl edge and wi sdom may Al l ah
have mercy on hi m.
WhenAl l ah ( ) resurrects manki nd He wi l l not ask t hemabout the
empi ri cal sci ences or l ogi c and natural sci ences; rather He wi l l ask
t hemwhether or not they responded to Hi s Messengers.
J . CD
s Ji 4J 2j J i J rjj; i SG 2J 64
@ J i j M6 @
lI i i LM
ti me a group is cast therei n [into Hel l ] its
keeper wi l l ask: Di d no warner come toyou?' They will
say: Yes i ndeed a warner di d come tous but we bel i ed
hi mand said: Al l ah never sent down anythi ng [of
Revel ati on]; you are onl y ingreat e or." And they will
say: Had we but l i stened or used our i ntel l i gence we
woul d not have been among the dwel l ers of the bl azi ng
Fire!' l en eywi l l confess their sin. So away wi th the
dwel l ers of the bl azi ng Fire! } t (Qur' an 67: 8-11)
Evi dence can onl y be establ i shed agai nst manki nd by sendi ng
Messengers:

Beli fi nAl l ah 71
We never puni sh until We have sent a Messenger
[to gi ve (Qur 17: 15)
Just as the call to worshi p Al l ah ( ) is the starting poi nt in the
Qur' ani c methodol ogy and knowl edge of Al l ah is the basi s o m
whi ch stemal l other ki nds of knowl edge le final poi nt too is the
worshi p of Al l ah whi ch inc1udes knowi ng Hi mand a ni ng Hi s
Oneness ( Taw Affi rmi ngthe oneness of the Creator whi ch is
the ul ti mate ai mof the I sl ami c phi l osophers is onl y a part of the
Qur' ani c methodol ogy; despi te its i mportance it is not su ci ent
merel y to state that . Hence the mushri keen - the pol y eists -
whomthe Messenger () fought di d not benefi t o mtheir
affi rmati on of that.
@. (3J J459 ( pL 44J
if you [0' Muhammad] ask them: Who has
created the heavens and e earth ' they wi11 certai nl y
say: ' Allah' .. .T (Qur' an 31:25)

@
is [the] Lord of the seven heavens and [ e]
Lord of the Great Throne?' They wi11 say: Al l ah' . . )
(Qur 'an 23: 86-87)
But the phi1osophers who exami ned the human mi nd and psyche
have gotten nowhere in is vast and endl ess field. You l dsu ci ent
evi dence of at inthe fact that the i mmense sci enti fi c progress of the
modemage has not reveal ed to us the ue nature of the human
psyche. Manki nd has made huge efforts todi scover hi s psyche but
despi te the fact that we possess a huge treasure of observati ons made
by phi1osophers scientists poets and spiri al l eaders of all ti mes we
can onl y understand a speci fi c aspect of oursel ves but not man as a
72 I nt1' Oducti on
whol e... We know at man is composed of di erent parts but even
these parts eknown tous onl y through 0 l i mi tedmeans. Each one
of us is f ormedo mhis physi cal p tsinthe mi dst of whi ch is an
m 10wn reality.
The ct remai ns that our i gnorance is al most total and the deepest
questi ons about manki nd remai n unanswered because unl i mi ted
areas in our i nner sel ves are sti11 unknown. 46
If this is e knowl edge gai ned through the twenti eth century
research how can the human psyche be the basi s o mwhi ch other
ki nds of knowl edge stem? Wi th reg dtothe knowl edge of whatever
lies beyond the natural wor1d phi l osophy has c1earl y gone r astray.
i u) Forceful i mpact
' Aqeedah - creedl bel i ef is di sti ngui shed by its gr' power over the
soul s of its fol l owers. Phi l osophy has no hope of reachi ng such a
l evel of inf1uence or else it woul d reach an i nappropri ate hi gh
posi ti on and con adi ct itself. The reason for at is that phi l osophy
l ooks for knowl edge and truth wi thi n the f ramework of human
ability. The phi l osophers deal wi th whatever they have di scovered
about the aspects ofthat truth. The phi l osopher is the one who knows
the shortcomi ngs of the human mi nd and anythi ng that is human
l ack perfecti on. Hence academi c tol erance and modesty are among
the most promi nent features. Socrates wi th his great standi ng among
phi l osophers sai d The thi ng that 1 sti11know so wel l is that 1 do not
know anythi ng. "
But the fol l ower of ' aqeedah - creedl bel i ef sees that the ' aqeedah to
whi ch he hol ds st has its ori gi ns wi th the One Who knows the
secrets of creati on and Who encompasses all thi ngs wi th Hi s
knowl edge. So ' aqeedah gi ves a ue and c1ear i mage of reality.
Al -' Il myad0 0 ila' l -eemaan.
Bel i efi nAl l ah 73
'Aqeedah demands c'Ommi t ment humi l i ty and submi ssi 'On and d'Oes
n'Ot accept any ar; l ment 'Orc'On adicti 'Onwhen it c'Omes t'Oits rul i ngs.
Indeed d'Oes n'Ot all 'Ow any r' O' Om f'Or di scussi 'On 'Or re-exami nati 'On
'Of itself. If a pers'On d'Oes that wi th regard t'Os'Ome i ssue then as fi as
that i ssue is c'Oncemed he bec'Omes like a phi l 'Os'Opher and n'Ot a
religi 'Ous pers'On until he reaches a s e 'Of c'Onvi cti 'On t'Owhi ch he
adheres. At that p'Oint n'Oc'Ompr'Omi se can be accepted and he cann'Ot
hi msel f o mthe 'Obligati 'Ons that are requi red. Then it bec'Omes a
bel i ef t'O whi ch he dem'Onstrates an extra'Ordi nary dev'Oti 'On t'O the
extent at he d'Oes n'Ot care if he sacri fi ces hi msel f f'Or its sake. We
hardl y ever see any 'Other ki nd 'Of i dea havi ng such a h'Old 'Over its
f'Oll 'Owers be it academi c p'Olitical 'Or 'Otherwi se.
Shaykh Muhammad Abdul l ah Darraaz expl ai ned the mystery behi nd
this phen'Omen'On when he said: The mystery behi nd this
phen'Omen'On - the di sti ncti ve p'Ower wi el ded by ' aqeedah whi ch
di sti ngui shes it ' Omphi 1' Os'Ophy - is represented by the di fference
between the essence 'Of kn'Owl edge and the essence 'Of eemaan and
the di rence between c'Onvi cti 'On that is based 'On reas'On and
c'Onvicti 'On that is based 'On faith. A pers'On may understand the
meani ng 'Of hunger and thirst wi th'Out feel i ng their pai n and he may
understand the meani ng 'Of l'Ove and desi re wi th'Out actual l y feel i ng
em. He may understand the effect 'Of a brilliant pi ece 'Of art the
techni ques i nv'Ol ved and the fine details 'Of the pi ece wi th'Out truly
appreci ati ng it 'Or l i ki ng it.
lesedi fferent types 'Of kn'Owl edge are l eamed thr'Ough the senses 'Or
by th'Ought 'Or by i nsti nct . One n'Otices t hemas s'Omethi ng that is
detached o m es'Oul 'Or s'Omethi ng that passes by (it) and t'Ouches it
in a superfi ci al way l eavi ng s'Ome i mpressi 'On but wi th'Out si nki ng
deepl y int'O it 'Or affecti ng its behavi 'Our. Every pers'On wh'Ose i deas
and pri nci pl es are f'Or med in this manner has n' O ith at all.
74 l ntroducti on
Eemaan creedl bel i ef is kn'Owl edge whi ch reverberates deep inthe
c'Onsci ence s'Othat the heart d'Oes n'Ot feel any hesitati 'On c'Oncemi ng
it rather filledwi th the c'Omf'Ort 'Of certai nty. Eemaan has t'Od'Owi th
feel i ngs and c'Onsci ence whi ch tak: e an i dea' Omthe l evel 'Of reas'On
int'O the depths 'Of the heart as if the i dea is f' O' Od and dri nk whi ch
n'Ouri sh the s'Ou1 . Thus the i dea bec'Omes 'One 'Of the el ements in its
life and eemaan changes the i dea int'Oa vi dri vi ngf'Orce whi ch lets
n'Othi ng stand in its way.
1I s is the di fference between religi 'On and phi l 'Os'Ophy. The ai m'Of
phi l 'Os'Ophy iskn'Owl edge and the ai m'Ofrel i gi 'On is eemaan. The g'Oal
'Of phi l 'Os'Ophy is dry kn'Owl edge whi ch takes a lifeless f'Or m whi l st
the g'Oal 'Of religi 'On is an energeti c s'Oul and vital P'OW
Da z n'Otes that phi l 'Os'Ophy f'Ocuses 'On j ust 'One aspect 'Of the s'Oul
whi l st religi 'On tak: es c'On 01 'Of the s'Oul in its entirety. Phi 1' Os'Ophy
'Observes anal yzes and draws c'Onc1usi 'Ons; it seeks t'Odi ssect reality
d ki11its spirit then it es t'Oput the pi eces back t'Oge er in an
artificial manner s'Othat it may be underst' O' Od by reas'On. Phi 1' Os'Ophy
theref'Ore l eaves the i mpressi 'On that the s'Oul is a yemp she11.
Rel i gi 'On 'On the 'Other hand is an canti11ati 'On at gi ves a l l pi c re
'Of real i ty penetrati ng deep beneath the surface 'Of the heart s'Othat
the s'Oul gi ves its all t'O it and surrenders its rei ns t'O it.
Here Darraaz illustrates the subtl e di fference between phi l 'Os'Ophy and
religi 'On. He n'Otes that the ai m'Of phi l 'Os'Ophy is the'Oretical even inits
practi cal aspect whereas the ai m'Of religi 'On is practi cal even in its
the'Oretical aspect. The ul ti mate ai m'Of phi l 'Os'Ophy is t'Osh'Ow us what
1S e and g' O' Od and where it is t'O be f'Ound; after that it is n'Ot
c'Oncemed wi th ' 0 atti tude t'Owards the truth and g' O' Od that it has
defi ned. Rel i gi 'On 'On the 'Other hand tells us what is uen'Ot 'Onl y s'O
that we may kn'Ow it but s'O that we may bel i eve in it l'Ove it and
venerate it and it tells us what is 'Obl i gat'Ory s'Othat we may d'Oit and
perfect 'Our s'Oul s by d'Oi ng S'O.
Bel i fi nAl l ah 75
Inorder to make the matter even cl earer he compares the practi cal
effects of rel i gi on and phi l osophy. Darraaz expl ai ns that rel i gi on
draws man' s attenti on toHi s Creator so that He may know Hi mand
rn to Hi m l ovi ng Hi mand glori ring Hi m whereas the ai mof
phi l osophy is merel y to poi nt out the knowl edge whi ch makes the
connecti on between cause and effect.
He expl ai ns that rel i gi ous bel i ef ( qeedah) has an inf1uence on
soci ety moti vati ng the bel i ever toachi eve its ai ms and propagate its
message whereas phi l osophy is not concerned wi th spreadi ng its
message; on the contrary phi l osophers may even keep it f romothers
and take phi l osophy as a monopol y whi ch they keep tothemsel ves.
iv) Styl e 47
I sl ami c ' aqeedah has a distinct dynami c and rhythmi c style a di rect
approach that touches upon uni versal realities that cannot be put into
words though can be evoked by words and phrases. It is
di sti ngui shed by the fact that it addresses all aspects of the human
condi ti on moti vati ng all its potenti al s and faculties; it does not
address itself sol el y to the rati onal aspect of humani ty.
Phi l osophy on the other hand takes a di fferent approach whereby it
seeks to contai n uni versal ality in phrases al though the ki nd of
reali whi ch it seeks to deal wi th cannot be moul ded into mere
words. Moreover the essenti al aspects of these realities are by their
veryna refar beyond the arena inwhi ch the human intellect usual l y
operates. The i nevi tabl e result is that phi l osophy rns out to be
undul y compl ex confused and dry. Therefore I sl ami c ' aqeedah
shoul d not be di scussed in the phi1osophi cal manner because is
wi11ki11it and exti ngui sh its light and confi ne it toj ust one aspect of
the human condi ti on.
47 Sayyi d Qutb al -Isl ami pp. 16.
76 I ntroducti on
Fr om is poi nt we may note the compl exi ty lessshortcomi ngs
and devi ati on at exist in all a empts to di scuss ' aqeedah in this
manner whi ch is al i en toits nature. The Qur' ani c way of expl ai ni ng
the I sl ami c aqeedah is characteri zed by si mpl i ci ty and c1arity whi ch
make it possi bl e for all peopl e tograsp regardl ess ofthe level ofthei r
understandi ng. So each person absorbs it accordi ng tohis own ability
tounderstand and bel i eve. l I sis incontrast tothe compl ex styleof
phi l osophy whi ch is filledwi th j argon whi ch is understood by very
few.
v) Deducti on met hod
le way inwhi ch the Qur' an gi ves evi dence is di fferent o mthe
manner inwhi ch phi l osophy and 'ilmal -kal aamgi ve evi dence. We
may make this di sti ncti on c1earer by menti oni ng the fol l owi ng
pomts:
a) The Qur' an poi nts tothe evi dence ofvi si bl e si gns inthe uni verse
whi ch i ndi cate the Oneness of the Creator. Phi l osophy and 'ilmal-
kal aamdo l i kewi se but the Qur' ani c approach differs o m e
phi l osophi cal approach. The Qur' an re rs to the same si gns whi ch
i nevi tabl y l ead to knowl edge of their Creator j ust as knowi ng the
rays of esun i nevi tabl y l eads one toknow that the sun exists wi th
no need for creati ng anal ogi es as the phi l osophers do in order to
prove that the uni verse is a created entity.
Knowi ng that this uni verse was created by and is subj ect toAl l ah is
somethi ng instinctive. lere is no need toproduce evi dence and to
establ i sh proof. Man knows i nsti ncti vel y that this uni verse whi ch he
sees is inneed of its Creator and that it is subj ect toand con ol1edby
Hi m. lis does not need the anal ogi es whi ch the phi l osophers
produce toprove that the uni verse is a created enti ty and that there is
a Creator. Al l ah () says:
Bel i ef inAl l !h 77
not those who di sbel i eve known that the heavens
and the earth were j oi ned together as one uni ted pi ece
then We parted them? And We have made o mwater
every l i vi ng thi ng. Wi11they not then bel i eve? And We
have pl aced on the earth fi rmmountai ns lest it shoul d
shake wi th t hem and We pl aced therei n broad hi ghways
for t hemtopass roughthat they may be gui ded. And
We have made the heaven a roof safe and wel l -guarded.
Yetthey mawayo mits si gns [i.e. sun moon wi nds
cl ouds]. And He it is Who has created the ni ght and the
day and the sun and the moon each inan orbi t fl oati ng)
(Qur' an 21: 3033)
b) lerati onal evi dence
48
whi ch the Qur' an gi ves is befi tti ng tothe
maj esty and perfecti on of Al l ah ( ) . le Qur' an does not use
anal ogi es whi ch appl y to absol utel y everyl I ng when it speaks of
48 Many schol ars of 'ilmaf . l aamand phi l osophers make the mi stake of thi nki ng
that the Qur' an and Sunnah are merel y narrati ve (as opposed to anal yti cal
Transl ator) d that they do not di scuss rational evi dence. The truth of the matter
is that the Qur' an expl ai ns evi dence as needed to i mpart knowl edge of Al l ah and
Hi s Oneness in a manner whi ch none of themare abl e to do. The ul ti mate ai mof
schol ars of 'ilmal l aamhas been expl ai ned by the Qur' an briefly d in the
best manner such as abl es gi ven by Al l ah () in Hi s Book of whi ch He
says:
i ndeed We have put forth every ki nd of exampl e in this Qur' an for
manki nd) (Qur' an 18: 54).
The exampl es gi ven are rational anal ogi es.
78 Introduction
Al l ah () for is woul d i mpl y theCreator and Hi s creati on e
equal. Rather it uses the anal ogy of more so" when it speaks of
Al l ah whi ch means at if there is any a i buteof perfecti on whi ch
may be appl i ed to any mortal creati on it is more befi tti ng for the
Creator tobe descri bed inthis manner because He is the One Who
has bestowed that perfecti on upon Hi s creati on. If He di d not have
that at i bute of perfecti on then that woul d i mpl y that there was
somethi ng inHi s creati on that was mor e perfect than He - whi ch is
i mpossi bl e.
Al l ah () says:
@---l lfji . . . ~
~ . . . A n d for Al l ah is the hi ghest descri pti on..)
(Qur' an 16: 60)
Every shortcomi ng whi ch the created bei ng does not have then it is
more befi tti ng for the Creator to be ee of it.
c) We may al so note that the rati onal evi dence gi ven by the Qur' an
poi nts to the truthinthe most el oquent and conci se manner whi l st
much of the rati onal evi dence presented by the phi l osophers and
schol ars of 'ilmal -kal aamis not s ong. If the evi dence used toprove
the truthis weak then this l eads doubt confusi on and us ati on
concemi ng the and may even l eada rej ecti on of the
because it becomes easy for opponents toexpose the shortcomi ngs of
the evi dence. If they refute the evi dence then they re tethe truth
al though the truthis s onginand of itself and the weakness exists in
the evi dence (and not inthe truthitsel f). For this reason we see that
the schol ars of 'ilmal -kal aamare the peopl e who shift most
equentl yo mone opi ni on toanother; they may affi rmone opi ni on
on one occasi on and its opposi te on another and they may even
denounce as kaafi r peopl e who hol d an opi ni on whi ch they
themsel ves have stated on another occasi on. This is incontrast tothe
BeliefinAl l ah 79
evi dence 'Ofthe Qur' an and Sunnah wh'Osef' Ol 1' Owers adhere t'Owhat
they say and are n'Ot c'Onfused ab'Out it . 49
d) We may n'Ote that s'Ome 'Of the evi dences used by the sch'Olars 'Of
'ilma[.kal aamare i neffecti ve and s'Ometi mes even false because it
i mpl i es rej ecti ng the th whi ch is establ i shed by the Qur' an and
Sunnah.
They rej ected the texts whi ch state that Al l ah is in heaven (sky)
because they cl ai med at Al l ah cann'Ot be ina parti cul ar directi 'On
because that w'Oul d mean l i mi ti ng Hi m. But the texts cl earl y statethat
He is in heaven. Their mi stak: e was in thi nki ng that Hi s bei ng in
heaven means that He is c'Ontai ned. They als'Oerred when they ed
t'O appl y human anal 'Ogi es t'O the Di vi ne nature.
vi) Resul ts
An' Other di fference is that the Qur' an gi ves details ab'Out eeman as
I undub i bnAbdul l ah sai d We l eamt ab'Out eemaan then we l eamt
the Qur' an then 'Our eemaan i ncreased."
The Qur' an descri bes f'Or us 'Our L'Ord and tells us that He has a Face
and Hand and He can hear and see. It rec'Ounts f'Or us Hi s Names and
At i butestellingus that He is Ar. Ra/:l maan ( eM'Ost Benefi cent)
Ar- Ra/:l eem( e M'Ost Merci 1) Al - Mal i k (the Ki ng) Al Quddoos
( eH'Oly) As- Sal aam(the One Free ' Omall defects) Al - Mu ' mi n
(the Gi ver 'Of securi ) Al - Muhaymi n (the Watcher 'Over Hi s
creatures) Al - ' Azeez (the Al mi ghty) Al - J abbaar (the C'Ompel l er)... It
tells us 'Of Hi s deeds and creati 'Ons and descri bes f'Or us the
Resurrecti 'On and its teors as wel 1 as Paradi se and Hel l as if we can
see them.
But in the case 'Of 'ilmal kal aam e m'Ost that it tells us is the
briefest 'Of descri pti 'Ons wi th'Out any details at all.
49 A ; moo' a[.Fataawa: Ibn Taymi ya 4/50.
80 Introducti on
No Meeti ng- Poi nt
There is n'Omeeti ng p'Oint between religi 'On and phi l 'Os'Ophy because
they are t w'Odi erent met h'Od'Ol'Ogi es o mbegi nni ng t'Oend intheir
ways and styl es inthe inf1uence they wi el d and - ab'Ove al intheir
'Ori gi ns and s' O ces.
I sl amd'Oes n'Ot need anythi ng el se t'Oc'Ompl ete 'Or perfect it because it
has been made perfect by the Al l - Kn' Owi ng Al l -Aware:

Thi s day 1 have perfected y'Our religi 'On f'Or y'Ou [and]
c'Ompl eted My Fav'Our up'On y'Ou. . ) (Qur' an 5: 3)
We d'On'Ot need t'Orec'Onci l e I sl amt'Ophi l 'Os'Ophy 'Or I sl amt'OJ udai sm
'Or Chri sti ani ty 'Or I sl amt'O c'Ommuni sm'Or s'Oci al i sm. I sl amis ue
and there is n'O fal seh' O' Od in it .
. . . l i . .q_; 45 144
cann'Ot c'Ome t'O it o mbef'Ore it 'Or behi nd
it..) (Qur' an 41: 42)
Anythi ng el se is ei ther fal seh' O' Od 'Or truth mi xed wi th fal seh' O' Od.
I sl amdi d n'Ot c'Ome t'Obe rul ed by pe'Opl e' s i deas; rather it came t'O
d'Omi nate life and l i vi ng bei ngs and t'O c'Orrect whatever bel i efs and
i deas are cr' O' Oked.
We must keep 'Our ' aqeedah and shari ah di sti nct and pure as 'Our
L'Ord wants us t'O d'O:

Veri l y the Ri ght Path has bec'Ome di sti nct o mthe
wr'Ong path. . ) ( Qw'an 2: 256)
Bel i ef inAl l ah 81
If it is mi xed wi th somethi ng else this l eads tothe confusi on whi ch
Al l ah ( ) condemned inthe case ofthe Peopl e ofthe Book (the J ews
and the Chri sti ans):
J HI J J f dAZAJ 614hb;
peopl e of the Scri pture [J ews and Chri sti ans]: Why
do you mi x wi th (Qur' an 3: 71)
2) The Atti tude of the Schol ars Towar ds Phi l osophy
Musl i mschol ars resi sted the trend towards mi xi ng matters of
' aqeedah - bel i ef - wi th phi1osophy and 'ilmal -kal aam whi ch
was started by those who were known as ephi l osophers ofI sl am"
such as I bn Seena (Avi cenna) and they fought those who were
i nfl uenced by these phi l osophi es.
The great schol ars were of t wo types: one group was composed of
those who noted the danger ofthi s i deao mthe start and resi sted this
trendo mthe outset such as I mamAl ) mad and I mamash-Shaafai
( may Al l ah have me y on hi m). Shaaf ai said: My rul i ng
concemi ng the schol ars of 'ilmal -kal aamis that they shoul d be
beaten wi th pal m-branches and shoes and paraded before the i bes
and c1ans and it shoul d be announced that this is the puni shment of
those who forsake the Qur' an and Sunnah a ndm to 'ilmal-
l lam
le other group is composed of schol ars who fol l owed in the
footsteps of the phi l osophers and were exhausted by their methods
but they di d not real i ze what was happeni ng until the sunset of their
years when they were filledwi th regret at the ti me when it was too
late. They were left wi th nothi ng but gri ef and sorrow and coul d do
no more than ask Al l ah for forgi veness and wam those who came
after t hemagai nst fol l owi ng the mi staken path that they od.
82 I ntroducti on
A mong this group was Muhammad i bnU m ar-Raazi who sai d in
his book Aqsaamal -Ladhdhaat:
5o

The most that reason can achi eve is a dead end and the ul ti mate
result of peopl e' s s vi ng is mi sgui dance.
Our soul s are al i enated in our bodi es and all that we get o mthis
wor1d is har mand annoyance.
We have not gai ned anl I ngf romour l i fel ong search apart f roma
col l ecti on of what the phi l osophers said.
How often have we seen men and nati ons but they have all vani shed
qui ckl y and di sappeared.
How many mountai ns have men c1i mbed but the men have gone and
the mountai ns remai n. "
Ar- R zi said:
1 exami ned the vari ous kal aami and phi l osophi cal school s of
thought and 1 real i zed that eyhave nothi ng tooffer toone who is
si ck and ey cannot quench a man' s thirst (for knowl edge). " He
came back tothe Qur' ani c methodol ogy and gave an exampl e ofthe
Q ' ani c methodol ogy concemi ng the Di vi ne attributes: 1 sawthat
the best way is the way of the Qur' an. Read where it confi rms the
at i butes of Al l ah ():
o
4 le Most Graci ous [Al l ah] rose over [I stawaa] the
[Mi ghty] Throne [ina manner at suits Hi s
(Qur' an 20: 5)
l I i
50 Ibn al - Qayyi m 'iq al -Mursal ah Pp. 7; Ar.R zi I' ti qaadaat fi raq al-
Musl i meen pp. 23.
Bel i efi n Al l ah 83
Hi mascend [all] the goodl y words. . Jl
(Qur 'an 35: 10)
And read where it deni es thi ngs wi th regard to Hi s at ibutes:
5J 4...
is nothi ng like (Qur' an 42: 11)

wi11 never compass anythi ng of Hi s
Knowl edgeJl (Qur 20: 110)."
Then he said: Whoever goes through the same experi ence as 1 have
wi11 know what 1 knoW. 51
Ash-Shahrastaani sai d the same thi ng noti ng that after spendi ng a
l ong ti me studyi ng wi th the phi l osophers and schol ars of 'ilmal-
kal aam he f ound nothi ng but confusi on and regret as he says:52
"Al l my life 1 went around all the school s of phi l osophy studyi ng all
of those school s. And 1 never sawanythi ng but peopl e resti ng their
chi ns on their hands or gnashi ng their teeth in regret."
Al J uwayni one of the most promi nent students of I sl ami c
phi l osophy ('ilmal -kal aam) warned agai nst studyi ng 1S: O' my
endsdo not study 'ilmal -kal aam. Had 1 known what 'ilmal-
kal aamwoul d do to me 1 wou1d not have studi ed it. 53
When he was dyi ng he sai d inregret and sorrow: I r ewmysel f
into a vast ocean and forsook the peopl e of I sl amand their
knowl edge. 1 i ndul ged inthat whi ch they had warned me agai nst and
SI Shaykh al -l sl amIbn Taymi yah AI - Fatwa al -l famawi yah al -Kubra pp. 7.
S2 Ash- Sha astaani Ni haayat a[.l qdaamfi '11ma[.Kal aamPp. 3.
S3 Maj moo' al - Fat aawa Shaykh al -l sl aml bn Taymi yah; see AI - Fat wa al -
l f amawi yah a[.Kubrapp. 7.
84 Introduction
now if Al l ah does not shower me wi th Hi s mercy then woe toIbn al
J uwayni . Here 1 am dyi ng on the qeedah of my mother ' or he
sai d on e ' aqeedah of ol d women (i.e. si mpl e ' aqeedah).' "
Abu I:I aami d al Ghazaal i ( may Al l ah have mercy on hi m) was one of
those who spent a l ong ti me exami ni ng and studyi ng 'ilmal -kal aam
movi ngo mone group toanother until at eend of his lifehe was
hesi tant and con sedabout phi l osophi cal matters. He wrote a book
enti tl ed 1l j aamal- ' Awaam 'an '11mal - Kal aam(Preventi ng the
masses o mstudyi ng '11mal - Kal aam- I sl ami c phi l osophy i.e.
Schol asti ci sm). He regarded it as ~ r a a m tostudy phi l osophy except
incertai n ci rcumstances: The uthis that 'ilmal -kal aamis har aam
except for t wo types of peopl e. "
At the end of his life he turned away o mthe study of 'ilmal-
l aamand turned to the a adeeth of the Messenger () and he
di ed wi th a copy of a ~ e e ~ al -Bukhari on his chest .
Abu' l - I:I asan al -Ash i grewup as a Mu 'tazili and remai ned such
forfo ryears then he turned his back on that and stated cl earl y that
the Mu 'tazilahwere mi sgui ded and he re tedt heminunequi vocal
terms.
54
Later there emerged a group whi ch fol l owed the co ect
methodol ogy but they studi ed the wor k of the phi l osophers inorder
to know its weak poi nts and re te t hemaccordi ng to the Qur' ani c
methodol ogy. They fought t hemwi th their own weapon poi nti ng out
what was wr ong wi th it. The l eader and standard-bearer ofthi s group
was Shaykh al -1s1amIbn Ta ni yah( may Al l ah have me y on hi m).
54 See 0 bookMu ' taqad al - I mamAbi ' l -l fasan al -Ash 'ari wa Manhaj uhu.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 85
3) Compari son Bet ween Man of Thought ( phi l osophy) and Man
of ' Aqeedah
Before c10si ng is topi c 1 woul d like to say that we need men of
' aqeedah not men of phi l osophy. We need peopl e who can deal wi th
the ai l ments and probl ems of this ummah and phi l osophers cannot
do that .
Professor AJ:unad Ameen ( may Al l ah have mercy on hi m) made a
compari son between man of phi l osophy and man of ' aqeedah and
the respecti ve effect on life.
lere is a great di fference between hol di ng an opi ni on and
bel i evi ng in somethi ng. If you have an opi ni on it si mpl y becomes
p tofthe i nformati on at you have retai ned; but i f you bel i eve init
it fl ows wi th your bl ood and si nks deep into your he t and mi nd. "
lephi l osopher who has an opi ni on and an i dea says I i nk that
this is correct but inreality it may be wrong; this is what the evi dence
poi nts totoday but t omo' Owthe evi dence may poi nt to eopposi te;
1 may be wrong about is or 1 may be ri ght."
But the one who fol l ows ' aqeedah - creed - is defi ni te and certain;
he has no doubts and does not engage inspecul ati on. Hi s ' aqeedah is
ueand does not change and it wi l l still be etomorrow. It is no
l onger subj ect to evi dence. It is above doubts and conj ecture.
The one who hol ds an i nference and thi nki ng - opi ni on - is
emoti onal l y cool and unenthusi asti c. I f what he thi nks is proven tobe
true he merel y smi l es ina restrai ned manner and if it is not proven to
be true it doesn' t ma erfor he has al ready taken the precauti on of
noti ng that whi l st he bel i eves his opi ni on to be correct it may be
wrong and at another person' s opi ni on whi ch he bel i eves be
mi staken may be ri ght . But the one who l l ows ' aqeedah is war m
and enthusi asti c and does not feel content unl ess his ' aqeedah is
fulfilled.
86 I ntroducti on
The one who has phi l osophi cal opi ni on may easi l y change his mi nd
and adopt new i deas because he onl y fol l ows evi dence or his own
interests when they come inthe f ormof evi dence. But the best way to
descri be the one who fol l ows qeedah is the way in whi ch the
Messenger ( ) descri bed:
If the sun were tobe pl aced inmy ri ght hand and the
moon inmy left tomake me forsake that whi ch 1 have
brought 1 woul d not do so. 55
Mer e opi ni on is likea dead body; it is lifeless unl ess it is i nfused wi th
the breath of qeedah. Mer e opi ni on is like a dark cave whi ch
remai ns unlit unl ess ' aqeedah shi nes its rays into it . Mer e opi ni on is
like a stagnant pond inwhi ch mosqui toes l ay their eggs. 'Aqeedah
on the other hand is likea vast ocean where i nsi gni fi cant i nsects are
not al l owed to mul ti pl y.
Mer e opi ni on is an unf ormed nebul a whi l st ' aqeedah is a bri ghtl y
shi ni ng star.
Mer e opi ni on creates probl ems and obstac1es pays attenti on to
physi cal desi re creates doubts and fosters hesi tati on whi l st " qeedah
pays no heed to danger causes mountai ns to mbl echanges the
co of hi story wi pes out doubt and hesi tati on and engenders
strength and certai nty; it permi ts nothi ng but the ful fi l ment of the
ai ms of the sou1 . 56
55 Thi s is a Ij a ' eef (weak) hadi th whi ch is narrated by At Tabari in his Taareekh
(2/326) and by A1-Bayhaqi in Dal aa 'i[ anNubuwwah (2/187)o mIbn Isll aaq. Its
i snad is munqa(i ' (broken). See As-Seerah anNabawi yah by Ibn Hi shaam 11330.
56 All mad Ameen Fayl j al Khaati rquoti ng f romA1- QaraQaawi ' s Al - Eemaan
wa ' l -l fayaat pp. 22.
BeliefinAllah 87
5 - SCHOLARS' ET HODOL OGY I N AFFI RMI NG

Do we bel i eve inthetorment of thegrave the Ci stem theBal ance
and other matters of ' aqeedah? What makes us bel i eve inthat or deny
it?
a) leschol ars of theri ghteous predecessors - Sal af - bel i eved that it
is obl i gatory for us to bel i eve in everythi ng at Al l ah or Hi s
Messenger ( ) have toldus and inwhat has reached us via a $a
isnad. They di d not di sti ngui sh between mutawaati r reports and
reports
58
as l ong as they (sound) dtheyused
both (types of report) to prove matters of ' aqeedah wi thout
di sti ngui shi ng between them.
Thei r basis for doi ng so was thegeneral evi dence whi ch commands
us tobel i eve all that Al l ah ( ) and Hi s Messenger ( ) tell us and to
obey themin all that ey command as in the aayaat (verses):


is not for a bel i ever man or woman when Al l ah and
Hi s Messenger have decreed a matter that they shoul d
have any opti on in their deci si on..) (Qur' an 33: 3

[0' Muhammad] : Obey Al l ah and the Messenger
[Muhammad]. . . "}t (Qur 'an 3: 32)
57 See our book al-I' tiqaad in whi ch this is di scussed in detai l .
58 A mutawaatir hadi th is one whi ch is narrated by such a l arge number omthe
begi nni ng of the i snad to the end that it woul d be i mpossi bl e for themall to agree
upon a lie. Aa}J aadreports are y lat do not reach the degree of mutawaatir.
88 l ntroducti on
b) A group that l acked the knowl edge of di renti ati ng between
sound and weak aJ ; aadeeth argued usi ng mawqoo' (fabri cated) and
' eef(weak) aadeeth as evi dences For exampl e the hadi th:
I reached my Lord on the ni ght on whi ch I was taken up
to the heavens and I saw my Lord and between Hi m
and me there was a vi si bl e barrier. I saw everylI ng of
Hi m I saw even a crown adomed wi th pear1s. " Thi s is
a mawdoo' hadi th.
60
The hadi th
Veri l y Al l ah sits on an arch between Paradi se and
Hel l . 61 - Thi s is qa 'e:
It is essenti al to exami ne aJ ; aadeeth before usi ng t hemas evi dence
whether they have to do wi th ' aqeedah or aJ ; aam(rul i ngs)
otherwi se the resul t wi11be the at i buti ontothe rel i gi on of Al l ah of
thi ngs that enot a part ofi t and we wi11affi rmmatters ofbel i efthat
are lse.
l ose who Y to prove bel i efs by usi ng fabri cated and weak
aJ ; aadeeth are likethose who try touse myt hs dreams and l egends as
evi dence.
c) A thi rd group refused touse the transmi tted reports i thetexts
of the Qur' an and aJ ; aadeeth as evi dence in provi ng matters of
' aqeedah. They c1ai med that the ansmi ttedevi dence di d not reach
the l evel of certai nty at woul d i nspi re inus the requi red l evel of
faith so ' aqeedah cannot be conf i rmed thereby. 62 They expl ai ned
59 Mawqoo' (fabri cated) means fa1se i.e. a hadi th in whi ch the i snad contai ns
liars. qa 'eef (weak) means a hadi th whi ch does not fu1fi1 the condi ti ons of bei ng
(sound).
60 Ash- Shawkaani Al - Fawaa 'jdal - Maj moo 'ah al Mawqoo'ah 441.
61 lbid 448.
62 Shal toot: Al -I sl am' Aqeedah wa Sharee' ah Pp. 53.
Beli inAllah 89
why it does not reach thelevel of certainty by sayi ng that inthe case
of the transmi tted evi dence there is too much scope for too many
thi ngs at woul d prevent this level of certainr. "63
Thi s vi ewis c1early nonsense and no great effort is requi red r e te
it because it con adictsthe consensus (ijmaa' ) ofthe ummah. Ifthere
is too much roomfor doubt wi th regard tothetexts then how about
what peopl e say? How come issues of faithcannot be proven by what
Al l ah and Hi s Messenge sai d? Gl ory be toYou (0' Al l ah)! Thi s is a
great lie (cf Qur 'an 24: 16).
d) A fourth group rej ected the i dea of usi ng d
al J aadeeth as evi dence inm ers of ' aqeedah. l eyrefer onl y tothe
Qur' an and the mutawaati r adeeth and they do not prove
qeedah fromtheQur' an and mut aw tir deeth except when
thetext had a definitive meani ng.
64
If a text does not have a definitive
meani ng then intheir vi ewit is not permi ssi bl e touse it as evi dence.
Thi s was thevi ewof theschol ars of 'ilmal -kal aaminthepast. Some
schol ars of ~ o o l fol l owed them. Thi s i dea is wi despread inour own
ti me totheextent that etruthhas al most been forgotten and peopl e
regard as s gethose who fol l owit . The schol ars of the past and the
present have al ways expl ai ned how co upt and dangerous this vi ew
is and refuted the speci ous arguments of its proponents.
63 Shal toot : Al-Islam'Aqeedahwa Sharee'ah p. 53.
64 By defi ni ti ve evi dence they mean the Qur' an and mutawaatir al J aadeeth.
By defi ni ti ve evi dence they meant that the text shoul d not have a second possi bl e
meani ng or be open to i nterpretati on. Thus ey rej ected the texts whi ch state that
the bel i evers wi l l see their Lord on the Day of Resurrecti on. Wi t h regard to the
al J aadeeth even if they were defi ni ti ve in meani ng they still cl ai med that they
were aal J aad al J aadeeth. Wi t h regard to the texts of the Qur' an they are not
deflnitive in meani ng and ey i nterpreted t hemdifferently. (See Shaykh Shal toot' s
deni al that peopl e wi l l see thei r Rabb in hi s book Al-Islam' Aqeedah wa
Sharee'ah Pp. 57)
90 I ntroducti on
Expl aoa0 0 of Thei r Speci ous Ar gumeot s 65
We have noted at their argument is based on the cl ai mthat the
reports used as evi dence regardi ng matters of ' aqeedah shoul d reach
the l evel of certai nty and that if the meani ngs of the aabaad
abaadeeth the texts of the Qur' an and the mutawaati r abaadeeth are
not defi ni ti ve then ey do not reach that l evel of certai nty; rather
theyare co ec reand conj ecture cannot be used as evi dence wi th
regard to these ma ers because Al l ah ( ) says:
And:

They fol l ow but a guess and that whi ch ey
themsel ves desi re..) (Qur' an 53: 23)

They fol l owbut a guess and veri l y less is no
substi te for the truth) ( Qur ' an 53: 28)
And there are other aayaat (verses) inwhi ch Al l ah () condemns
the mushri keen (i dol at ) for fol l owi ng co re.
Their use of these and si mi l ar aayaat as evi dence may be r ected
because the ki nd of conj ecture or guess referred tointhe aayaat isnot
the conj ecture that eyare referri ng to. The texts that they re se
accept as evi dence concemi ng ma ers of ' aqeedah reached a l evel of
hi gh probabi l i ty whereas the conj ecture whi ch Al l ah condemns in
the ayah: fol l owbut a guess..) ( Qur ' an53: 23) is the ki nd
of doubt whi ch is mere specul ati on and conj ec rebut in An
65 See A/ l fadeeth l fuj j ah bi M ihi and Wuj oob a/ - Akhdh bi a/-
fi '/- ' Aqaa 'id wa by Shaykh Naai ruddeen al -Al baani and our
book al l ' ti qaad.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 91
Ni haayah AI -Li saan and other Arabi c di cti onari es it is stated that
( ansl ated as guess" in the aayah quoted above) refers to
when you have doubts about somethi ng but you accept it and j udge
accordi ng to it."
Thi s is the or guess whi ch Al l ah condemned on the part of the
mushri keen. What supports this vi ewis the ct that Al l ah () sai d
concemi ng them:

They fol l ownothi ng but coecturesand they do
nothi ng but l i e) ( Qur 'an 6: 116)
So refers toco ec rewhi ch is mere specul ati on and guessi ng.
If the for whi ch the mushri keen were condemned was hi gh
probabi l i ty then it woul d not be permi tted to use the Qur' an and
a adeeth as evi dence for rul i ngs ei ther because Al l ah condemned
e mushri keen (i dol aters) for fol l owi ng any ki nd of
whatsoever. He di d not condemn onl y inthe case ofbel i efs and
i gnore the matter ofrul i ngs; insome aayaat (verses) He expl ai ns that
the zann for whi ch the mushri keen e to be condemned inc1udes
their i deas about rul i ngs too. Here is what Al l ah ( ) says on this
matter:
t itI ir t i j

who took partners [inworshi p] wi th Al l ah wi11
say: If Al l ah had wi11ed we woul d not have taken
p tners [in worshi p] wi th Hi m nor woul d 0
(Qur 'an 6: 148)
this refers to bel i ef or ' aqeedah;
; ;Lj...
92 Introduction
. And we woul d not have forbi dden anythi ng [agai nst
Hi s ( Qur 'an 6: 14
is refers to rul i ngs or km.
A3t4E1AI j f X =
fUL41f AJ fQi : Jti Jf p:..s-
:
bel i ed those who were before t hem [they
argued falsely wi th Al l ah' s Messengers] ti11they tasted
Our Wrath. Say: Have you any knowl edge [proof] that
you can produce before us? Veri l y you fol l ownothi ng
but guess and you do nothi ng but (Qur' an6: 148)
We do not accept what they say about the aa ada adeeth not
reachi ng the l evel of certainty. l ey do i ndeed reach at l evel .
I:I asan Khan said: The di spute is wi th reg d to
reports for whi ch there is no corroborati ng evi dence and whether they
consti tute conj ecture or certainty. Inthe case of aa adreports for
whi ch there is corroborati ng evi dence there is no such di spute.
lere is no di spute concemi ng reports where there is
consensus {ij maathat they shoul d be acted upon because is
(i j maa t hemto the l evel of certai nty as it bri ngs themto a
poi nt where they are known tobe true. lesame appl i es to
reports whi ch are accepted by the ummah and fol l owed accordi ng to
the app ent meani ng or an i nterpretati on of their meani ng as is the
case wi th the a adeeth in the Two of Bukhari and
Musl i m. "
Al - Al l aamah as-Safaareeni sai d in Lawaami ' a/ - Anwaar a/-
Bahi yah:
Bel i ef inAl l ah 93
If an report is wel l - known and wi del y accepted suggests
certai nty as is narrated by Al l aamah i bn Mufl i l;l and others f rom
Ibn Isl;l q al -As raayi ni and Ibn F oorak:. It is al so sai d that is
bri ngs it up to the l evel of bei ng defi ni te (defi ni tel y
Then he menti oned the vi ewthat if an report is not wel l
known and wi del y accepted this bri ngs it tothe l evel of probabi l i ty
(not certai nty) because there is the possi bi l i ty of confusi on and erro
But is narrated at I mamal Muwaf f aq (l bn Qudaamah) Ibn
amdaanand At- Toofi conc1uded at such reports shoul d reach the
level of certai nty if there is corroborati ng evi dence.
Al Al l aamahAl ad- DeenAl i i bn Sul aymaan al -Mi rdaawi sai d
in Sharh at- Tahreer:
Thi s is a s ongerc1ear opi ni on and is correct." He expl ai ned that
corroborati ng evi dence means that one feels at ease
reports just as one feels at ease wi th e mutawaati r reports or
somethi ng si mi l ar to attothe extent that one has no doubts at all. "
He al so stated that aa adreports whi ch 'e not wel l known and
wi del y accepted may reach the l evel of certai nty if it is narrated by
one of e I mams whose schol arl y pre-emi nence and preci se
knowl edge of is agreed upon.
He narrated f romAl Qaa<l i AbuYalaa Thi s is the correct vi ew(the
vi ewof the l:I anbal i s). Abu' l Khartaab sai d this is the apparent
meani ng of our compani ons' vi ew. "
As- Sa areeni menti oned that this was the vi ewadopted by Ibn al-
Zaaooni and I mamTaqi uddeen i bn Ta ni yathen he sai d that this
was the opi ni on of the among the compani ons of Abu
l:I anee hAsh-Shaafa' i and Amad- may Al l ah have mercy on
themal l - ( who sai d at) if an report is accepted and
fol l owed by the ummah then it reaches the l evel of certai nty."
94 I ntroducti on
Then he stated at th'Ose am'Ong the f' Ol 1' Owers 'Of the Ai mmah
(I mams) 66 wh'O 'Opp'Osed is vi ewwere very f ew and they were
i nfl uenced by the sch'Olars 'Of 'ilmal -kal aam. He sai d that am'Ong
th'Osewh'O rep'Orts reach the l evel 'Of ce were
Abu ISQ. aaq and Abu al- Tayyi b. Thi s has been menti 'Oned by Abdul
Wahhaab and his c' Ol 1eagues am'Ong the Maal i ki s and by As-Sarkhasi
and his c' Ol 1eagues am'Ong e anafi s." He said: Thi s is the vi ew'Of
m'Ost 'Of eqahaa' sch'Olars 'Of hadi th esal af and m'Ost 'Of the
Asharis and 'Others."
said: What is narrated by Bukhari and Musl i mreaches
the l evel 'Of certai nty c'Ontrary t'Othe 'Opi ni 'On 'Of th'Osewh'Odeny that
'On the basi s at it 'Onl y reaches the l evel 'Of probabi l i ty. But they
expl ai n that the ummah has wi del y accepted these because
they have t'O act up'On a hadi th even if it reaches the l evel 'Of
probabi l i ty 'Only. He said: but whi ch 'Onl y reach el evel
'Of pr'Obabi l i ty may be wr'Ong. ' "
said: 1 used t'Ofav'Our this vi ewand th'Ought that it was
val i d then it became cl ear t'Ome that what we referred t'Ofirst was the
c'Orrect vi ew because it is th'Ought t'O be c' O ect by 'One wh'O is
infallible and wh'Ose ' Oughts cann'Ot be wr'Ong f'Or the ummah
(Musl i mc'Ommuni t y) in its c'Onsensus is i nfal 1ible and is pr'Otected
o me or." Ibn that e ummah had agreed
unani m'Ousl y that the a adeeth 'Of Bukhari and Musl i m e
authenti c.
As-Safaareeni said: When Ibn Katheer exami ned the vi ew'Of Ibn as
what is narrated in

is defi ni tel y c'Orrect
he said: 1 agree wi th what Ibn stated and p'Oi nted 'Out . '"
66 The founders of the school s of I sl ami c j uri sprudence - Abu I;I aneefa Maal i k
Shafi i and Al }mad i bn I;I anbal ( may Al l ah be merci ful to themall).
67 The two col l ecti ons of sound ahaadeeth - Bukhari and Musl i m.
Bel i efi n Al l ah 95
Then he menti oned that Ibn Katheer sawsome wri tten s tements of
hi sshaykh nTaymi yah the concl usi on of whi ch was that he stated
that the aadeethwhi ch were wel l known and wi del y accepted by
the ummah and smi ed o mmany schol ars were defi ni tel y
sound. A er menti oni ng some of their names he (i.e. nTaymi yah)
said: Thi s is the vi ewof all the schol ars of hadi th and most of the
sal af 68
The correct vi ewis that the saheeh aahaad ahaadeeth reach the l evel
of certai nty if they are supported by corroborati ng evi dence as we
have narratedo ma group of schol ars. The whi ch were
nsmi edinthe books of Sunnah and cl assed as (sound) by
the schol ars wi th no doubts about their soundness and au enti ci ty
expressed by any of the schol ars reach the l evel of certai nty by the
consensus of the ummah that they Thi s i ncl udes those
whi ch were agreed upon by the t wo authors ofthe
(i.e. Bukhari and Musl i m) or whi ch were narrated inei ther of the
and about whi ch no doubts were expressed by any
schol ars. The same appl i es toany other reports whi ch ewel l known
and wi del y accepted or have been narrated by one of the maj or
cel ebrated schol ars such as Maal i k o mN o mIbn U m .
In concl usi on: the Sunni schol ars accept the
concemi ng both ' aqeedah and kaam wi thout
di erenti ati ngbetween the two. This is i ndi cated by the fact that the
aai mmah (I mams) of the Ahl as-Sunnah such as Maal i k A nad
Bukhari Musl i m Abu Dawood Ti rrndhi Nas 'i AdDaari mi and
others narrated in their compi l ati ons whi ch speak of
' aqeedah and that there are f ewmutawaati r reports among them. If
they di d not bel i eve that such reports coul d be used as evi dence they
woul d not have bothered tonarrate t hem exami ne t hemand record
68 Lawaami ' al - Anwaar a[.Bahi yahPp. 17.
96 l ntroducti on
them. Whoever narrates anythi ng other than that f romt hemis l yi ng
about t hem and it is not the i ssue whether the aaadreports reached
the l evel of hi gh probabi l i ty or certainty.
Those who say that these reports do not reach the l evel of certai nty
say that they can be accepted wi th regard to ' aqeedah if they are
proven sound. Even if they onl y reach the l evel of probabi1i (inthe
vi ewof some schol ars) this does not mean that they are tobe rej ected
if they talk about " qeedah.
Ibn Abdul Barr ( may Al l ah have mercy on hi m) al though he
suggested that the reports do not reach the level of certai nty
sti11 bel i eved that they shoul d be accepted concemi ng ma ers of
' aqeedah j ust as ey shoul d be accepted concemi ng rul i ngs
He at buted this vi ewto Ahl as-Sunnah.
69
Texts Whi ch I ndi cate that AalJ aad Reports are Sound Enough to
be Used as Evi dence
Many texts i ndi cate that we shoul d accept the a adeethas
evi dence in provi ng matters of ' aqeedah. Exampl es inc1ude the
fol l owi ng:
a) The aayah (verse):
}J;;g MJ J i 0' ( i

Q41 4
not [proper] for the bel i evers togo out tofight
[Ji had] all together. Of every troop of t hem a party onl y
shoul d go forth at they [ who are left behi nd] may get
i nstructi ons in[Isl ami c] rel i gi on and that they may wam
69 Ibn Abdul Barr At- Tamheed 117.
BeliefinAl l ah 97
thei r peopl e when they return tot hem so that they may
beware [of ( Qw'an 9: 122)
Thi s yah (verse) ges the i bescl ans and peopl e of vari ous
regi ons who are bel i evers to send forth a party to get i nstructi on in
thei r rel i gi on then they shoul d go back to thei r peopl e and war n
them. The Ar abi c wor d 'ifah (transl ated here as a party") may
appl y toone or mor e persons. Getti ng i nstructi on i nrel i gi on i ncl udes
both ' aqeedah (belief) and kaam(rul i ngs); i ndeed understandi ng
of ' aqeedah is mor e i mportant than understandi ng the am.
Hence I mamAbu i j aneefah ( may Al l ah have mer cy on hi m) wrote a
smal l book about ' aqeedah enti tl ed: Al -Fi qh al -A ar ( le Great
Fi qh). Thi s ayah (verse) cl earl y i ndi cates at we shoul d accept the
aabaad reports as evi dence wi th reg d to matters of ' aqeedah
otherwi se it woul d not be permi ssi bl e for h( ap tyof one
or mor e persons) to war n the peopl e.
b) The aayah (verse):

you who bel i eve! If a Faasi q [liar evi l person]
comes toyou wi th any news (Qur 'an49: 6)
1I s proves that if one who is not a faasi q (li ) and is rel i abl e and
honest bri ngs some i nformati on then evi dence has been establ i shed
and it does not have to be checked; on the contrarit is to be
accepted strai ght away.
c) The Sunnah expl ai ns the aayah:
. . . : ; ; 23J . . .
Of every troop of t hem a party onl y shoul d go
( Qur 'an 9: 122).
Bukhari narrated in hi s beeb that 1aal i k i bn al i j uwayri th said:
98 l ntroducti on
We camet he Prophet ( ) and we were young men
c10se inage. We stayed wi th hi mfor twendays and
the Messenger of Al l ah was merci ful and ki nd. When he
sensed at we were mi ssi ng our fami l i es he asked us
who we had left behi nd and we tol d hi m. He sai d Go
back toyour fami l i es and s y wi th t hem and teach t hem
and i nstruct t hem and pray as you have seen me
70
praymg.
He commanded each of these young men to teach their respecti ve
fami l y member s and teachi ng inc1udes aqeedah; i ndeed ' aqeedah
is the frrst thi ng tobe inc1uded inteachi ng. 1f aal J aad reports cannot
be used inestabl i shi ng ' aqeedah there woul d have been no sense in
this i nstructi on to these young men.
d) 1n$al J eel J al -Bukhari and $al J eel J Musl i mit is al so reported that
the peopl e of Yemen came tothe Messenger of Al l ah ( ) and said:
Send wi th us a man who can teach us the Sunnah and
I s1am. " He (the Prophet) too thehand of Abu Ubaydah
and sai d
1f evi dence coul d not be establ i shed by the report of one man the
Messenger () woul d not have sent Abu Ubaydah tot hemon his
own. le same coul d be sai d of other occasi ons when he () sent
o ers ofhi s (Compani ons)vari ous l ands such as when
he sent Al i i bn Abi Taal i b Mu i bnJ abal and Abu Moosa al-
Ashari ( may Al l ah be pl eased wi th t hemall). leir al J aadeeth e
recorded in and el sewhere.
70 Bu 2/ 110 hadi th no. 627; Musl i m 11465 hadi th no. 674. Thi s versi on is
narrated by Bukhari .
71 Musl i m 4/ 1888 hadi th no. 2419. The hadi th in Bukhari state at he sent hi m
to the peopl e of Njraan. Bukhari 7/93 hadi th no. 3745; 13/232 hadi th no. 7254.
Beli (inAl l ah 99
Undoubtedl y what these men taught inc1uded ' aqeedah. I fthey coul d
not have establ i shed proof of ' aqeedah and left the peopl e wi th no
excuse the Messeng of Al l ah ( ) woul d not have sent t hem
i ndi vi dual l y.
I mamash-Shaafa' i ( may Al l ah have mercy on hi m) sai d inhis book
Ar.Ri saal ah: Whenhe sent someone then evi dence was establ i shed
for or agai nst the peopl e towhomhe was sent by their knowi ng that
what he tol d t hemwas o mthe Messenger of Al1ah (). 72
Refuti ng the Ar gument of those Who say that AalJ aad AlJ aadeeth
cannot be Used as Proof wi th Regar d to ' Aqeedah
The schol ars refuted those who do not accept aal J aad al J aadeeth as
proof concemi ng matters of ' aqeedah on several poi nts such as:
a) levi ew at aal J aad al J aadeeth cannot be used toprove ma ers
of ' aqeedah is an i nnovated and i nvented opi ni on whi ch has no basi s
in sh i'ah. Every such opi ni on is to be rejected.
b) lis opi ni on of theirs ( at aal J aad al J aadeeth cannot be used as
evi dence) is in itself ' aqeedah (a bel i ef). Accordi ng to their own
methodol ogy is bel i ef requi res defi ni ti ve proof that it is forbi dden
use eaal J aad al J aadeeth as evi dence concemi ng ' aqeedah and
there is no such evi dence.
c) If there was anY defi ni ti ve proof that aa ad adeethcannot be
used to prove ma ers of ' aqeedah the Compani ons
woul d have known this and woul d have stated it cl earl y as woul d
those of e ri ghteous predecessors (sal who came after em.
d) l I s vi ew is contrary to the methodol ogy fol1owed by the
one of whomwoul d accept what another tol d hi mo m
theMessenger ( ) and woul d be certai n about it . l ey woul d not
12 Ash laafai: Ar 'saalahpp. 412.
100 /ntroducti on
rej ect what thei r br'Other t'Oldt hem'On the gr'Ounds that ehadi th that
he was ansmi tti ng was an aal J aad hadi th.
e) The evi dence whi ch i ndi cates that it is 'Obl i gat'Ory t'O accept the
evi dence 'Of the Qur' an and Sunnah re rs t'O b'Oth ' aqeedah and
al J kaam. There is n'Othi ng t'Osupp'Ort the i dea 'Of this evi dence bei ng
acceptabl e 'Onl y inthe case 'Of amand n'Ot ' aqeedah if the rep'Orts
eh :d.
Al l ah () c'Ommanded Hi s Messenger t'O c'Onvey the Message
c1early. It is kn'Own at a cl ear message is the 'One inwhi ch pr' O' Of is
establ i shed s'Othat what is bei ng c'Onveyed may be made kn'Own. If an
aal J aad rep'Ort was n'Ot sui ci ent f'Or the establ i shment 'Of kn'Owl edge
l en the message has n'Ot been c'Onveyed. Pr' O' Of can 'Onl y be
establ i shed when it reaches the l evel 'Of certai n.
g) le c'Onc1usi 'On 'Of this 'Opi ni 'On is that we sh'Oul d n'Ot f'Oll 'Ow the
aal J aad rep'Orts wi th regard t'O ' aqeedah at all after the ti me 'Of the
m abah ( C'Ompani 'Ons) wh'Oheard t hemdi rectl y o mthe Pr'Ophet
hi msel f - because until they were c'Ompi1ed in wri tten f'Or m the
aadeethwere 'Onl y c'Onveyed as aal J aad rep'Orts and th'Osepe'Opl e
wh'Om the al J aadeeth reached as mutawaati r rep'Orts were f ew and
even f ewer than a few. Even when th'Ose wh'O di d hear mutawaati r
rep'Orts c'Onveyed t hemt'O 'Others a gi ven mutawaati r rep'Ort w'Oul d
sti11n'Ot reach the l evel 'Of certai nty because when is 'One pers'On
narrated it was an aal J aad rep'Ort.
h) lis vi ewi mpl i es that we sh'Oul d n'Ot f'Oll 'Ow the aal J aad a adeeth
whi ch speak 'Of ' aqeedah 'Or acti 'Ons because i f we rej ect t heminthe
case 'Of ' aqeedah h'Ow can we accept t heminthe case 'Of al J kaam?
i) le di d n'Ot agree 'On is vi ew as Shaykh Shal t' O' Ot
c1ai ms. I mamMaal i k Ash- Shaaf ai the c'Ompani 'Ons 'Of Abu
I:I aneefah and Daw' O' Od i bn Al i and his c'Ompani 'Ons such as n
I:I azm stated that aal J aad rep'Orts reach the l evel 'Of certainty. Thi s
Be/ i i nAl l ah 101
was al so statedby AI - I:I usayn i bnAl i al Karaabeesi AI -I:I a ithi bn
Asad al Mu1)aasi bi d AI - Qaa<;l i Abu Ya' l a among the I:I anbal i s.
Beliefs Whi ch are Proven by the A adeeth
Before conc1udi ng is di scussi on we wi111ist the bel i efs whi ch are
proven as per (hadi s):
a) Prophethood of Adam( ) (Peace be upon hi m) and other
Prophets whose Prophethood is not confi rmed in the Qur' an.
b) le superi ori ty of our Prophet M ammad ( ) ov all other
Prophets and Messengers.
c) Hi s mor i ntercessi on in the arena of gatheri ng (on the Day of
J udgement).
Hi s i ntercessi on for members of his ummah who commi t maj or
sms.
e) One ofhi s ( ) mi rac1es ap o m eQur' an is the splittingof
emoon. Al though this is menti oned inthe Qur' an they interpret it
ina manner that con adi cts whi ch c1earl y state
at the moon was spli t.
le whi ch speak of the begi nni ng of creati on; the
at i butes of the angel s and jinn; Paradi se and Hel l and the fact that
ey areboth created; and the ct that the Bl ack Stone came o m
Paradi se.
g) Many of the uni que at butes of the Prophet () whi ch As-
Suyooti compi l ed inhis bookAI - Kh aa al -Kubra such as e ct
at he entered Paradi se and sawits peopl e and what has been
prepared for the pi ous there and the fact at his qareen (j i nn
compani on) became Musl i m.
h) Defmi ti ve statements that the ten who were gi ven the gl ad ti di ngs
of Paradi se (A ' Asharah al -Mubashsharah) are i ndeed among the
102 I ntroducti on
pe'Opl e 'Of Paradi se.
i) Bel i ef in the questi 'Oni ng 'Of Munkar and Nckeer in the grave.
j) Bel i ef in the t'Orment 'Of e grave.
k) Bel i ef in the squeezi ng 'Or c'Ompressi 'On 'Of the grave.
1) Bel i efi n the d'Oubl e-panned Bal ance (inwhi ch pe'Ople's deeds wi11
be wei ghed) 'On the Day 'Of Resurrecti 'On.
m) Bel i ef in (a bri dge that crosses Hell).
n) Be1ief inthe Ci stem'Of the Pr'Ophet () and that wh'Oever dri nks
o mit wi11 never experi ence 'Or suffer ' Omthirst agai n.
' 0) lat seventy th'Ousand 'Of his ( ) ummah wi11 enter Paradi se
wi th'Out bei ng br'Ought t'O acc'Ount.
p) Bel i ef inevery i ngthat has been narrated
ab'Out the resurrecti 'On and gatheri ng (f'Or J udgement) that has n'Ot
been menti 'Oned in the Qur' an.
q) Bel i ef in the Di vi ne Wi11 and Predesti nati 'On (AI -Qa4aa' wa '1-
Qadar) b'Othg' O' Od and bad and that Al l ah () has wri tten (decreed)
f'Or each pers'On whether he is bl essed (desti ned f'Or Paradi se) 'Or
d' O' Omed (desti ned f'Or Hel l ) what his pr'Ovisi 'On wi11be and h'Ow l'Ong
he wi11 live.
r) Bel i ef in the Pen whi ch has wri tten all thi ngs.
s) Bel i efthat th'Ose(Musl i ms) wh'Oc'Ommi t maj 'Or sins wi11n'Ot remai n
in Hel l f'Orever.
t) Bel i ef at the s'Ouls 'Of the shuhadaa' (mar rs f'Or the cause 'Of
Al l ah) are in the f'Orms 'Of green b s in Paradi se.
u) Bel i efthat Al l ah has f'Orbi dden the earth t'Oc'Onsume the b'Odi es 'Of
the Prophets.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 103
v) Bel i ef that Al l ah has angel s who avel about conveyi ng the
sal aams (greeti ngs of peace) of his ummah to the Prophet ().
w) Bel i ef inall the si gns of the Hour such as the appearance of the
M di the descent of Eesa (J esus) () the emergence of the
Dajj 1 (Pseudo-Chri st) etc.
Not all the evi dence for these bel i efs is inaa} ; aad a} ; aadeeth; some of
themare proven by mutawaati r a} ; aadeeth. But these peopl e who do
not know the mutawaati r Sunnah and do not di sti ngui sh between
mutawaati r and aaaad reports may reject all or most of these
beliefs. Otherwi se the a} ; aadeeth about the emergence of the
Daj j aal eappe ance of the Mahdi and the descent of Eesa i bn
Mar yam( ) are mutawaati r a adeeth as the schol ars of hadi th
have stated c1early.
What is even worse is at they deny the bel i efs whi ch are narrated in
the mutawaati r a adeethand even those at are narrated in the
Q non the basi s that the meani ng of these texts is not defi ni ti ve
menti onedabove. We have al ready referred tothe vi ewof Shaykh
Shal toot. Hence they di d not bel i eve that peopl e wi11see their Lord
on the Day ofResurrecti on even though the Qur' an states is qui te
c1early:
bzs; 4i @tdj .3J
faces that Day shall be Naa4i rah [shi ni ng and
radiant]. Looki ng at their Lord
75: 2223)
And the aJ ; aadeeth whi ch menti on that al so reach the degree of bei ng
mutawaati r.
A bu '1-a n al -Ash
because 0 f thei ir r E :ject io n o f e t exts 0 f e Q ' an and S unna h
t whi ch wa sini mi tati on oftheir l eaders. He ( may Al l ah have me yon
g

104 l ntroducti on
hi m) said: Th' Osea m'Ong the Mu 'tazilahand Qadari yah wh'Odevi ate
o mthe truth have been l ed by thei r desi res t'Oi mi tate their l eaders
and predecess'Ors. They i nterpret the Qur' an acc'Ordi ng t'O their
l eaders' 'Opi ni 'Ons in a way f'Or whi ch they have n'O auth'Ori o m
Al l ah they di d n'Ot transmi t any rep'Ort o mthe Messenger 'Of the
L'Ord 'Of the W' Or1ds 'Or ' Om the earl i er generati 'Ons. They
c'On di ctedthe rep'Orts 'Of the ~ a ~ a a b a h fr'Om the Prophet 'Of Al l ah
( ) c'Oncemi ng the pe'Opl e seei ng Al l ah wi th their 'Own eyes
alth'Ough rep'Orts 'On this came fr'Om vari 'Ous S'OU es and the rep'Orts
reach the l evel 'Of bei ng mutawaati r c'Omi ng 'One after an'Other. They
deni ed that the Pr'Ophet ( ) wi11i ntercede f'Or si nners and r ected
the rep'Orts ' Omthe earl i er generati 'Ons c'Oncemi ng that. They deni ed
the t'Orment 'Of the grave and that the kuffaar - di sbel i evers - wi11
be puni shed in thei r graves. 73
El sewhere Abu 1'1- Ha sa n s ald:
and the Mu 't zi / h deni ed the t'Orment 'Of the grave. " 74
Abu '1 E :{a sa n s ald in Mqal a t al -l sl a miye en :
c' Onc e m lI ng the t'Orment 'Of the gra ve. S'Ome deni ed it and s'Ome
affi rmed it. These were the Mu 'tazilah and Khawaari j . 75
He als'O sai d in his Maqaal aat (arti c1es):
They di ffered c'Oncemi ng the i ntercessi 'On 'Of the Messenger 'Of Al l ah
( ) and whether he w'Oul d i ntercede f'Or th'Ose wh'Ohad c'Ommi tted
maj 'Or sins. The Mu tazi l ah deni ed that and sai d that it w'Oul d n'Ot
happen. 76
!
!
;
j
j
e
j
u
-
-
73 Al l baanah an U: f ool adD' aanahPp. 6.
74 Ibid. Pp. 75.
75 Maqaal aat aI sl ameenPp. 340.
76 Ibid Pp. 340.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 105
He al so menti oned in several pl aces inhi s Maqaal aat ( ti c1es) that
t heMu tazi l ah deni ed that Al l ah has an Eye and a Hand and they
deni ed that peopl e wi11see Hi mwi th thei r own eyes and that He wi11
come on the Day of Resurrecti on and that He comes down to the
l owest heaven. They bel i eved that thessaaq(evi1doers among the
Musl i ms) wi11 remai n in Hel l forever and they hel d other bel i efs
whi ch contradi ct the saheeh mut waati r ahaadeeth and even e
texts of the Qur' an.
77
Whoever deni es these bel i efs whi ch were reported in ~ a J ; e e J ;
aJ ; aadeeth is fol l owi ng the path of the Mu 'tazilah not the path of the
Sunni s (Ahl as-Sunnah).
1 have seen peopl e of earl i er and later generati ons stati ng that all the
Si gns of the Hour enarrated in aaJ ; aad aJ ; aadeeth so they rej ect
t hemon at basi s and those that ey i nk are mutawaati r they
mi si nte ret .
Rul i ng on Those who Deny that Whi ch has been Pr oven i n
Aaaad Reports
Safaareeni narrated o mI SQaaq i bn Raahawayh the vi ewthat those
who rej ect the aaJ ; aad reports are kaafi r (di sbel i evers). The correct
vi ewis they enot kaafir. It seems that those who sai d atthey
are kaafi r were thi nki ng of the aJ ; aadeeth whi ch are unani mousl y
accepted by the ummah as bei ng ~ a J ; e e J ; (sound).
Al though we do not say that eyare kaafi r we do say that those who
reject the ~ a J ; e e J ; aJ ; aadeeth of the Messenger ( ) and do not use
themtoprove ma ers of ' aqeed h (belief) are c1earl y mi staken and
there is the fe at they may become mi sgui ded because of thei r
rej ecti on of these aJ ; aadeeth and Al l ah may puni sh t hemby sendi ng
themastray:
77 Maqaal aat al -I sl ami yeen Pp. 157 216 195 474.
106 Introduction
432L J J zfy AA4jf J L
4 i J 41
~ . . . A n d let those who oppose the Messenger' s
[ Muhammad commandment [i.e. his Sunnah legal
ways orders acts of worshi p statements] [among the
sects] beware lest some Fi tnah [di sbel i ef ials
afflictions earthquakes killing overpowered by a
tyrant] shoul d befall t hemor a pai nful torment be
inflicted on t hem.}l (Qur 'an 24.
The Correct 1ethodol ogy
In this study we are adheri ng to what is stated in the Qur' an and
Sunnah. Hence we must exami ne ' aqeedah accordi ng to e
methodol ogy used inthe Qur' an and Sunnah and not go beyond I S
methodol ogy. Thi s is eway whi ch revi ved the hearts of the earliest
generati ons of this ummah.
This is the onl y way in whi ch the ummah in its modemstage can
reformitself. I mam Maal i k - the I mamand schol ar of Madeenah-
spoke the truthwhen he said: The last (generati ons) of this ummah
will not be ref ormed by anythi ng other than that whi ch reformed its
first (generati ons)."
We have al ready seen how the Qur' ani c methodol ogy is distinct o m
phi l osophy inthe way it di scusses and confi rms di fI erent i ssues of
rel i gi on and belief. This di sti ncti on means that we must use the
Qur' ani c methodol ogy and none other.
A matter whi ch must be cl ari fi ed: How can we use the Qur' an to
address those who do not bel i eve in it?
Some of those who have some commi t ment to I sl amsay: How can
we present the Qur' an tothose who do not bel i eve inAl l ah? We have
to address peopl e nowadays wi th the l ogi c of modemmateri al
Bel i efi n AU!h 107
sci ence and rati 'Onal evi dence then if eyare c'Onvi nced ' Of I sl am we
wi11 address t hemwi th the Qur' an.
We say t'O these pe'Ople: We ask y'Ou by A11ah h'Ow di d A11ah
c'Ommand Hi s Messenger t'Ow n wi th the Qur' an ekuffaar wh'O
di sbel i eved in A11ah the Qur' an and the Messenger?
. . . 5141f1 dl -J J .
Qur' an has been reveal ed t'O me that 1 may
therewi th warn y'Ou and wh'Oms'Oever it may
(Qur' n 6: 19)
H'Ow di d He c'Ommand hi mt'Oreci te this Qur' an t'Ot hem? Di d he n'Ot
recite it t'Othese stubb'Om di sbel i evers and it m'Oved t hemand stirred
their hearts?
What effect di d the verses 'Of the Qur' an have 'On Umayyah i bn
Khal af and Al Wal eedi bn ' Utbah and 'Others despi te thei r extreme
kufr (di sbel i ef) and stubb'Om enmi ty?
It c'Oul d be sai d that n'Owadays the Qur' an is reci ted ina11pl aces and
is even broadcast o mL'Ond'On and Washi ngt'On yet the f'011'Owers 'Of
I sl amwh'O recite the Qur' an d'O n'Ot bel i eve in what it says.
The resp'Onse t'Othese pe'Opl e is at the Arabs 'Ofthe past w'Oul d listen
t'Owhat was reci ted t'Ot hemand it w'Oul d penetrate t'Othe depths 'Of
their bei ng because they were Arabs wh'Ounderst' O' Od the meani ngs
'Of eaayaat (verses) and there was n'Obarri er between t hemand the
w'Ords.
But n'Owadays there are barri ers between the pe'Opl e and the Qur' an
s'Ome 'Of whi ch have t'Od'Owi th l anguage and 'Others have t'Od'Owi th
the d'Oubts that fi11 pe'Ople' s mi nds and have vi rtua11y bec'Ome
unquesti 'Onabl e cts.
108 I ntroducti on
So the bearers ofthe Qur' an nowadays have toexpl ai n the Qur' an in
a l anguage that the peopl e can understand. They have to put e
peopl e intouch wi eQur' an d eQur' an intouch wi th the
peopl e by expl ai ni ng its meani ngs to them and renewi ng the
meani ngs of is Book intheir hearts so that once agai n they wi1l
appreci ate it and feel it... and its meani ngs wi1l reach those who
di sbel i eve it and deny it inthis way. Thus the call will be gi ven and it
will l eave no person wi th any excuse.
We have al ready expl ai ned that the Qur' an contai ns evi dence whi ch
addresses the mi nd and the heart; it is not merel y telling stories or
gi vi ng i nformati on.
A Dubi ous Cal l : Bri ngi ng Rel i gi ons Together
l I s is the right way: expl ai ni ng the methodol ogy whi ch Al l ah has
showed us inorder toestabl i sh ithinpeopl e' s hearts and toadhere
to it oursel ves when cal l i ng l eadi ng and teachi ng peopl e.
The enemi es of Al l ah and those among is ummah who have been
decei ved are yi ng to distort this methodol ogy by cal l i ng for all
rel i gi ons tocome together. They have hel d conferences and semi nars
for this purpose.
l ose Musl i ms who attended these conferences have made a bi g
mi stake because they agreed tomake I sl amsubj ect toexami nati on at
the same level as J udai smand Chri sti ani ty.
We say that these peopl e had an excuse if eywent there inorder to
say to others what the Qur' an says:
;J JfS A... iil j ;

4 LU Li
[0' M l ammad]: 0' peopl e ofthe Scri pture [J ews
Bel i ef inAl l ah 109
d Chri sti ans]: C'Ome t'Oa w'Ord that isj ust between us
and y'Ou that we w'Orshi p n'One but Al l ah [Al 'One] and
that we ass'Oci ate n'Opartners wi th Hi m and that n'One 'Of
us shall take 'Others as l'Ords besi des Al l ah.' Then if they
rn away say: Bear wi tness that we are
(Qur' an 3: 64)
They sh'Oul d expl ai n the fal seh' O' Od 'Of these (' Other religi 'Ons) ina way
that is better and sh'Ow t hemthe ue religi 'On and establ i sh pr' O' Of
agai nst t hem rather than pursui ngi endshi pand turni ng a bl i nd eye
t'O their fal seh' O' Od f'Or the sake 'Of bei ng i endl y.
Th'Ose wh'O mi x I sl amwi th 'Other religi 'Ons ways 'Of thi nki ng and
phi l 'Os'Ophi es make a mi stake when they c1ai mthat they are yi ngt'O
rec'Onci l e the texts 'Ofthe Qur' an t'Othe bel i efs 'Ofth'Ose 'Other pe'Opl e in
'Order t'Omeet 'Others hal fway. Thei r c1ai mis a lieand they have g'One
astray in their met h'Od'Ol'Ogy. I sl amis the religi 'On 'Of Al l ah whi ch
c'On' Ols lifeand l i vi ng bei ngs. It d'Oes n'Ot need t'Obe rec'Onci l ed wi th
anythi ng else. Other bel i efs c'Ontai n thand fal seh' O' Od but I sl amis
enti rel y true and 'Our mi ssi 'On is t'Okeep the B' O' Ok 'Of 'Our L'Ord and Hi s
religi 'On di sti nct.
@ J i i 23LUi - -
4Veri l y the Ri ght Path has bec'Ome di sti nct o mthe
wr'Ong path. . ) ( Qur 2: 256)
- s'Othat pe'Opl e may res'Ort t'Oit and fi nd it p 'eand n'Ot mi xed wi th
anythi ng else.
Al l ah () has c'Ondemned this type 'Of pe'Opl e wh'O want t'O mi x
I sl amwi th 'Other religi 'Ons and meet 'Others hal f way 'On the basi s 'Of
rec'Onciliati 'On. He tells us that is is e acti 'On 'Of the munaaf i qeen
(hyp'Ocrites):
110 lntroduction
.:.;tJ_?)i j i
5_ 1
; 1Ml 431E l LL J

when it is sai d to them: ' Come towhat Al l ah has
sent down and to the Messenger [ Muhammad] ' you
[ M l ammad] see the hypocri tes turn away o myou
[ M l ammad] wi th aversi on. How then when a
catas ophe befal l s t hembecause of what their hands
have sent forth they come to you sweari ng by Al l ah
We meant no mor e than goodwi11 and conci l i ati on!' )
(Qur' an 4: 61-62)
BELI EF I N AL L AH
I ntroducti on: The I mportance of this Pri nci pl e
The first pri nci pl e of aqeedah is bel i ef inAl l ah. Thi s is the most
i mportant pri nci pl e of bel i ef and acti on and it is the focal poi nt of
I sl amand the essence ofthe Qur' an. We woul d not be exaggerati ng if
we sai d that the whol e ofthe Qur' an speaks about this bel i ef because
the Qur' an ei ther speaks di rect1y about Al l ah () and Hi s Essence
NamesAt i butes and acti ons as inAayaat al -Kursi and Soorah al-
I khl aas.
Or it calls manki nd to worshi p Hi mAl one wi th no p er or
associ ate and togi ve up the worshi p of falsegods all of whi ch h
todo wi th tellingabout Al l ah cal l i ng for the ful fi l ment of our duti es
toward Hi mand forbi ddi ng the di recti on of worshi p toanyone else.
Or it commands us to obey Hi mand forbi ds us to di sobey Hi m
whi ch are the obl i gati ons of faith.
Beli finAllah 111
Or it tells us ab'Out the pe'Opl e 'Of faith and the h'On'Our that was
best'Owed up'On t heminthis w'Orld and h'Ow they are rewarded inthe
Hereafter. Thi s is the reward 'Of the pe'Opl e wh'O bel i eve in Al l ah.
Or it tells us ab'Out the afi reen - di sbel i evers - and h'Ow Al l ah
humi l i ates t heminthis w'Orld and what He wi l l d'O t'O t heminthe
Hereafter in the ab'Ode 'Of puni shment . Thi s is the puni shment f'Or
turni ng away o mbelief.
S'Othe entire Qur' an speaks ab'Out bel i efi n Al l ah. This expl ai ns why
we fi nd that Al l ah is menti 'Oned inthe Qur' an by 'One 'Or an'Other 'Of
Hi s Names and At i butes 10062 ti mes; 'On every page 'Of the
Qur' an He is menti 'Oned approxi matel y twenty ti mes 'On average.
We can say that bel i ef inAl l ah inrelati 'On t'Oall the 'Other pri nci pl es
and mi n'Or m ers 'Of i is likethe ro'Ot 'Of a tree inrelati 'On t'Oits
lk and branches. It is the basi s 'Of all 'Other pri nci pl es the
f'Oundati 'On 'Of the religi 'On. The m'Orea pers'On has faithinAl l ah the
m'Ore he is pr'Ogressi ng in I sl am.
I ssues of Bel i ef in AUah
le i ssues 'Of this t'Opi c whi ch the researcher must exami ne and
di scuss are as f'Oll 'Ows:
Firstly: He must exami ne the evi dence that Al l ah ( ) exists and
refute especl OUS l ments that have been rai sed in is respect.
Sec'Ondl y: He must kn'Ow ab'Out Al l ah () whi ch is achi eved int w'O
ways in the Qur' an:
1) Understandi ng the w'Onders in creati 'On whi ch p'Oint t'O the
greatness 'Of Al l ah' s p'Ower and the perfecti 'On 'Of Hi s creati 'On.
2) Studyi ng the aayaat (verses) 'Ofthe Qur' an whi ch speak di rectl y 'Of
Al l ah Hi s essence Hi s Names Hi s at i butes and Hi s acti 'Ons.
112 l ntroducti on
Thirdly: He must af f mn that Al l ah al one is the onl y One to be
worshi pped wi th no partner or associ ate and reject anythi ng elsethat
is worshi pped i nstead of Hi m.
Fourthl y: He shoul d l ook at the hi story of bel i ef in Di vi ni ty and
exami ne what has been sai d on this topic.
CHAPTER ONE
EVI DENCE OF T HE EXI STENCE
OF T HE CREAT OR
1 THE FI RST PROOF: THE EVI DENCE OF THE FI TRAH
UMANI NSTI NCT)
Sound Human I nsti nct Bears Wi tness to the Exi stence of Al l ah
Wi thout ( Any Need for Further) Evi dence
le Qur' an does not di scuss at l ength the m .er of provi ng the
exi stence of Al l ah () because it states that sound human instinct
and mi nds that enot contami nated wi th the filthof shi rk affi rmHi s
exi stence (wi thout any need for further evi dence). Not onl y at
or the a rmati onof Di vi ne Uni ty is somethi ng whi ch is
natural and instinctive.
In the Qur' an it says:
tI 44J i J i
944J ( 4; i*
set you [0' Muhammad] your face towards the
rel i gi on [of pure I sl ami c Monothei sm] I:I aneef [worshi p
none but Al l ah Al one]. Al l ah' s Fi (rah [i.e. Al l ah' s
I sl ami c Monothei sm] wi th whi ch He has created
manki nd. No change let there be inKhal q-i l l aah [i.e. the
rel i gi on of Al l ah I sl ami c Monothei sm] that is the
straight religion.. .}l (Qur 'an 30: 30)
lisfi trah is the thi ng whi ch expl ai ns the phenomenon that has been
noted by those who research the hi story of rel i gi ons that all nati ons
whose hi story has been studi ed have adopted gods whi ch they have
114 Evi dence of theExistence of theCreator
t umed to and venerated.
1
It may be sai d at this poi nt If tumi ng towards Al l ah is somethi ng
natural then peopl e woul d not have worshi pped di erent gods at
di fferent ti mes."
The answer is that the fi trah (na ral instinct) calls man to m
towards his Creator but man is surrounded by many other i nfl uences
whi ch make hi mdevi ate twards the worshi p of other gods.
Parents wri ters teachers and others instil into chi1dren' s mi nds i deas
whi ch change and contami nate this fi trah pl aci ng a veil over the
fi trah so that they e not abl e to mtowards the truth.
The Messenger ( ) stated at what we have referred tohere is true.
Bu andMusl i mnarrated on the au orityof Abu Hurayrah ( )
that the Messenger of Al l ah ( ) said:
Every chi l d is bomina stateoffi trah then his pa rents
make hi minto a J ew0 r a C isti o r a Magl an ' "
He did n otsa y at t hey make hi mMusl i m because I sl amis in
accordance wi th the fi trah.
It may be said: If we were to l eave a chi l d wi th no i nfl uences to
affect his fi trah woul d he mout tobe a monothei st knowi ng his
Lord?" We say: If the devi1s among men l eave hi mal one and do
1 Even the communi sts nowadays who wanted to free themsel ves fromthe
worshipof gods as they c1ai med- worshipthe founder of their P tysoyous
thempassingby his preserved body in Red Square on the anniversary of his
death bowi ng their heads in humility. They have made hi ma god; instead of
worshippingtheCreator of man they worshipa deadman may theyperish!
(Comment addedby the author inthenew revisededition): This is what 1 wrote
n eenyears ago. A fewyears agothe lards of communi smdes 'oyedtheir own
P ty andcast aside eir leaders and ey ewout thebody of their founder just
as theythrewout their be!i efs andideas.
2 Bukhari 3/ 245 hadithno. 1385; Musl i m 4/ 2047 hadithno. 2658.
Belief inAl l ah 115
not contami nate his fi trah" but the devi l s among the j i nn
(shayaateen) will never l eave hi mal one as eShaytaan made a vow
that he woul d mi sgui de the chi l dren of Adam:

(Sa n)] said: By Your Mi ght then 1 wi l l surel y
mi sl ead t hemall Except Your chosen sl aves amongst
them[i. e. i 1 obedi ent ue bel i evers of I sl ami c
Monothei sm]. ' ) (Qur' an 38: 8283)
leShaytaan has been gi ven the power toreach peopl e' s hearts as
stated in the hadi th:
The Shaytaan fl ows inman like bl ood fl ows through
his vei ns and 1 fear that he may cast some evil - or he
sai d somethi ng - into both your hearts. 3
leQur' an descri bes the Shay anf romwhomwe must seek refuge
wi th Al l ah () as one who
J 411pi J Jad2...
into the hearts of manki nd. ) ( Qur 'an114: 5)
It is al so true that every person has a hi dden mate (qareen) o m
among the j i nn who ges and encourages hi mto do evi l . In the
Qur' an it says:

compani on [Satan-devi l ] wi l l say: Our Lord! 1 di d
not push hi mtotransgressi on [indi sbel i ef oppressi on
and evil deeds] but he was hi msel f i n error far as y.
50: 27)
3 Musl i m 4/ 1712 hadi th no. 2175.
116 Evi dence 01theExi stence 01theCreator
No one can be safeo mthis unl ess he ms toAl l ah ( ) for refuge.

J J d2 4f 3di f d1L11 J 4

seek re gewi th [Al l ah] the Lord of manki nd
The Ki ng of manki nd The l l aah [God] of manki nd
Fr omthe evil of the whi sperer [devi l who whi spers evil
in the hearts of men] who wi thdraws [ o mhis
whi speri ng in one' s he t after one remembers Al l ah].
Who whi spers i nto the hearts of manki nd. Of j i nn and
men (Qur' an 114: 16)
leshayaateen among the j i nn pl ay a maj or rol e incorrupti ng and
contami nati ng human nature. It is reported in Musl i mf romIyaaci
i bn I:I i m r that the Messenger of Al l ah () addressed one day and
one of the thi ngs he sai d in hi s khutbah (address) was:
My Lord has commanded me toteach you what you do
not know of what He has taught me today: all the weal th
that 1 have gi ven toMy sl aves is and 1 created all
of My sl aves as ne[ wor shi ppi ng Al l ah Al one]
then the shayaateen came to t hemand l ed t hemas ay
o mthei r rel i gi on. They forbade t hemthi ngs that 1 had
permi d for t hem and commanded t hemto associ ate
others inworshi p wi th Me for whi ch 1 had not sent down
any authori ty. 4
Cal ami ti es Puri the Essence of the Fi trah
It is often the case that the vei l s coveri ng the fi trah and preventi ng it
o mseei ng the uth wi11 be removed when cal ami ty s i kes or
4 Musl i m 4/ 2197 hadithno. 2865.
BeU f inAl l ah 117
probl ems arise for whi ch no hel p is forthcomi ng f romany human
bei ng and there is no means of savi ng onesel f. How many atheists
have acknowl edged their Lord and turned to Hi m when
overwhel med wi th cal ami ty and how many mushri keen (i dol aters
and pol ythei sts) have made their devoti on sol el y for Al l ah al one
when di saster sik: es?
r J 41UJ

UTJ d i 1
! l i
Till when you are inthe shi ps and they sail wi th t hem
wi th a favourabl e wi nd and they are gl ad therei n then
comes a stormy wi nd and the waves come tot hem' Om
all si des and ey thi nk that ey eenci rcl ed therei n.
Then they i nvoke Al l ah maki ng their Fai th pure for Hi m
Al one [sayi ng]: I f You [Al l ah] del i ver us o mthis we
shall lybe of the grateful. ( Qw' an 10: 22)
We have heard how ai rpl ane passengers turned to their Lord when
eir pl ane devel oped probl ems and startedtoshake and swi ng about
inthe air and the pilot -l et al one the passengers was not abl e todo
anythi ng about it . Thei r athei smvani shed and they were screami ng
prayers and their hearts turned totheir Lord in all sincerity. There
was no r oomfor shi rk (pol ythei sm) and athei sminthe .ceof such a
terri i ng ordeal.
The Mushri keen (Pol ythi ests - the I dol aters) to Who m the
Messenger ( ) was Sent Acknowl edged the Exi stence of the
Creator
The Arabs whomthe Messenger ( ) con' Ontedacknowl edged the
exi stence of Al l ah and that He Al one is the Creator of the uni verse.
118 Evi dence ofthe Exi stence ofthe Creator
They al so bel i eved at He Al one was the Provi der and Heal one
coul d bri ng benefi t or cause harm... but they worshi ped others
al ongsi de Hi m and they di d not devote their worshi p toHi mal one.
When the Qur' an calls the mushri keen worshi pAl l ah Al one and to
make their rel i gi on for Hi mAl one it asks t hemWho the Creator and
Soverei gn of the heavens and the earth is for they knew that and
ey never deni ed it:

if you [0' Muhammad] ask them: Who has
created the heavens and the earth they wi11 certai nl y
say: Al l ah' . . ) (Qur' an 31: 25)
In Soorah a/ - Mu ' mi noon (the chapter: The Bel i evers) it says:
MA @ bLJ l J df db

@ j 7i 23 5))@ f
@ 2Z) i dj I 4. i J 4. J UF =

is the earth and whosoever is therei n? If
you know!' They wi11say: It is Al l ah' s!' Say: Wi11you
not then remember?' Say: Who is [the] Lord of the
seven heavens and [ e] Lord of the Great Throne?'
They wi l l say: Al l ah.' Say: Wi1l you not then ar
Al l ah [bel i eve inHi s Oneness obey Hi m bel i eve inthe
Resurrecti on and Recompense for every good or bad
deed]?' Say: In Whose Hand is the soverei gnty of
eve hi ng [i.e. easures of everythi ng]? And He
protects [all] whi l e agai nst Who m there is no protector
[i. e. if Al l ah saves anyone none can puni sh or har mhi m;
and if Al l ah puni shes or harms anyone none can save
Bel i ef inAl l ah 119
hi m] i f you know?' They wi l l say: [All that bel ongs] to
Al l ah.' Say: How then are you decei ved and maway
f romthe ( Qur ' an 23: 84-8
It is wel l known at the Arabs used to venerate the Kabah and
perform i j and they had other acts of worshi p that they did.
The Kl ( Disbeliet) of Peopl e Nowadays is Greater
We shoul d not have had topause too l ong toprove the exi stence of
Al l ah because sound human nature bears wi less to Hi s exi stence.
We hardl y know of anyone inthe past who deni ed the exi stence of
the Creator; those that di d were so f ewas to be hardl y worth
mentl Omng.
But devi ati on has reached its l owest poi nt nowadays. We see peopl e
who have establ i shed states based on this pri nci pl e states whose
i nhabi tants i ncl ude mi1l i ons of peopl e.
l I s i dea has spread eve rwherebooks have been wri tten about it
and it has devel oped a phi l osophy whi ch is the subj ect of study. Its
proponents have edtomake it a scientific methodol ogy and have
ied to bri ng forth proof to support it.
Because of this we have no choi ce but to produce our own proof
concemi ng I S m
2 - THE SECOND PROOF: THI S UNI VERSE f UST HAVE A
CREATOR
leQ ' anoffers the di sbel i evers and deni ers proof whi ch rati onal
mi nds have no opti on but to affi rmand whi ch no sound mi nd can
possi bl y reject. Al l ah () says:

AAs. f
120 Evi dence ofthe Exi stence ofthe Cre'tor
~ W e r e they created by nothi ng? Or were they themsel ves
the creators? Or di d they create the heavens and the
earth? Nay but they have no fi rmBel i ef.)
(Qur 'an 52: 35-36)
The Qur' an says tothem: You exi st and you cannot deny thi s"; e
heavens and the earth exist beyond any doubt. It is si mpl y common
sense to the rati onal mi nd at the thi ngs whi ch exi st must have a
cause for their exi stence. The camel herder inthe desert knows this.
Hesays Camel dung i ndi cates the presence of a camel and footsteps
i ndi cate that someone wal ked here. So the heavens wi th their st S
and the earth wi th its mountai ns and val l eys must i ndi cate the
exi st lceof the Al l - Knowi ng Al l -Aware. " The great scientists who
research i nto life and l i vi ng bei ngs al so know this.
What is ref eed tointhis aayah (verse) is known tothe scientists as
the l awof cause and effect. l I s l awstates at a (possi bl e) thi ng
cannot happen by i tsel fwi thout another thi ng (causi ng it) because it
does not possess initself the power toexist by itself and it cannot by
itself cause somethi ng el se to exi st for it cannot gi ve to others that
whi ch it does not itself possess.
Let Us Gi ve an Exampl e to E pl ai n Thi s L aw Mor e Cl earl y
A f ewye s ago the sands inthe Rub al Khaali desert (the Empt y
Quarter) were bl own away by a wi ndstormto reveal erui ns of a
city that had been covered by the sands. Sci enti sts began toexami ne
the contents of the city to Ytodetermi ne the peri od inwhi ch it had
been bui l t . Nobody among the archaeol ogi sts or others even
suggested that this city coul d have appeared as a result of the natural
acti ons of the wi nd rai n heat and col d and not by the acti ons of
man.
If anyone had suggested such a i ngpeopl e woul d have regarded
hi mcr y and woul d have taken pi ty on hi m. So how about if
BeliefinA/ l h 121
someone had sai d that this city was f ormed by the air o mnothi ng in
the far di stant past then it settl edon the earth? This suggesti on is no
less strange than the previ ous in fact it is r stranger.
Why? Because nothi ng cannot create somethi ng whi ch is si mpl y the
ma er of common sense and a thi ng cannot create itsel
Accordi ng tothe way we know the ci " there has tobe someone who
brought it into exi stence. What we see tells us somethi ng about the
peopl e who made it. The city must have been made by i ntel l i gent
peopl e who were ski11ed in constructi on and pl anni ng.
If we see a person goi ng o mthe bottomof a bui l di ng tothe top we
see nothi ng strange inthat because a person has the ability todo that.
But if we see that a rock whi ch was inthe courtyard of the bui l di ng
has moved tothe top of the bui1di ng we wi11be certai n that it di d not
move by itself. There has tohave been someone who pi cked it up and
moved it because a rock does not have the ability tomove or c1i mb.
It is strange that peopl e are certai n that the city coul d not have come
intoexi stence wi thout a creator and that it coul d not have built itself
and they are certai n that the rock must have had someone who woul d
take it up tothe top of the bui l di ng but there are those among t hem
who insist that this uni verse c nei nto bei ng wi thout a creator even
though the struc re of the uni verse is r mor e compl ex.

creati on of the heavens and the earth is i ndeed
greater anthe creati on of ( Qur ' an40: 5
But when these deni ers are con onted wi th scientific l ogi c that
addresses their reason they have to ei ther accept it or stubboml y
reJect lt.
l I s is the evi dence wi th whi ch the schol ars of I sl amare still
con onti ngthe deni ers. One ofthe schol ars was approached by some
122 Evi dence ofthe Exi stence ofthe Creator
of these hereti cs who deny the Creator. He asked them: what woul d
you say about a man who tells you 1 have seen a shi p l aden wi th
cargo filledwi th goods inthe mi ddl e ofthe ocean bei ng buffeted by
waves and wi nds yet despi te all that it is sai l i ng smoothl y and
fol l owi ng a strai ght course wi th no sailors con ol l i ngor steeri ng it .
Is this reasonabl e to bel i eve?
They sai dThis is i rrati onal."
The schol ar said: SuhIJ aan Al l ah! 1f it is not rati onal l y possi bl e for a
shi p tosail smoothl y across esea wi thout any sailors or crew en
how is it possi bl e for this worl d wi th all its di fferent forces and
factors wi th its vastness and huge vari e toexi st wi thout a Creator
or Keeper?" They all wept and sai d you have spoken the truth and
they repented.
This l aw whi ch is rationally acceptabl e is what is referredtoinle
y h:

they created by nothi ng? Or were eythemsel ves
the creators? (Qur 'an 52: 3
l I sis evi dence whi ch forces rati onal mi nds toaccept that there is a
Creator Who is to be worshi pped. The aayah is worded insuch an
el oquent and movi ng way at anyone who hears it wi l l be moved
deepl y.
Bukhari narrated inhis $a at J ubayr i bn Mu! i msaid: 1 heard
the Messenger of Al l ah ( ) reci ti ng Soorah a{- Toor in Maghri b
(prayer). When he reached this passage -

} i J @ J .s-1t

Belief inAllah 123
Wer e they created by nothi ng? Or were they
themsel ves the creators? Or di d they create the
heavens and the earth? Nay but they have no fi rm
Bel i e Or arewi th t hemthe treas of your Lord? Or
are they the tyrants wi th the authori ty to do as they
like? ( Qur 'an 52: 35-3
my heart al most began to soar. 5
AI -Bayhaqi sai d that the Abu Sul aymaan al- Kha bi said: The
reason why he was so moved when he heard these aayaat was
because he understood the aayaat so wel l and because what he
l earned o mthe s ong evi dence contai ned therei n touched his
sensi ti ve nature and wi th his i ntel l i gence he understood it..."
Wi regard to the meani ng of e aayah (verse)
they created by (Qur 'an 52: 35) Al Kha bi
said: Or were they brought into bei ng wi thout a creator? That coul d
not happen because the creati on must i nevi tabl y be connected tothe
Creator. There has to have been a Creator. If they deny the Di vi ne
Creator but they coul d not have come into bei ng wi thout a creator
creati ng t hem endi d they create themsel ves? That is an even more
fal l aci ous ar l mentbecause if somethi ng does not exist how can it
be descri bed as havi ng power and how coul d it create anythi ng?
How coul d it do anythi ng? If these t wo guments erefuted then it
is establ i shed that they have a Creator so let t hembel i eve inHi m.
ThenAl l ah () says: di d eycreate the heavens and the earth?
Nay but they have no fi rmBel i ef) (Qur' an 52: 36). Thi s is
somethi ng whi ch they cannot l ay any c1ai mto. Thus they are
defea d (in argument) and proof is establ i shed agai nst them. "
S B hari 8/603 hadi th no. 4854.
124 Evi dence 01 Exi stence theCreator
The poi nt of what AI - Khatt: bi sai d about that towhi ch the kuffaar
coul d not l ay any c1ai mis toput an end tothis argument and di spute
because there coul d be some arrogant person who says 1 created
mysel f" j ust as one ofhi s ilkwho came before hi mc1ai med tohave
the power over life and death:
J d: i 4 f J i J J f

you not l ooked at hi mwho di sputed wi th
Ibraheem[Abraham] about hi s Lord [Al l ah] because
Al l ah had gi ven hi mthe ki ngdom? When Ibraheemsai d
[to hi m]: My Lord [Al l ah] is He Who gi ves life and
causes death.' He sai d 1 gi ve li andcause death.'
(Qur 'an 2: 258)
What was Ibraheem' s response? He repl i ed wi th another questi on
whi ch exposed the rant' s i ncapabi l i ty and proved hi mtobe a liar:
J6...
4 J 5
(..Ibraheem[Abraham] sai d Veri l y Al l ah bri ngs the
suno mthe east; then bri ng it you f rom ewest.'...)
(Qur' an 2: 25
be result of at was:
J i ....
I..Sl . . S; J i
the di sbel i ever was utter1y defeated. And Al l ah
gui des not the peopl e who are
( Qw'an 2: 25
Let us suppose that someone sai d 1 created mysel f. " Can he c1ai m
that he created the heavens and the earth? I fnothi ng di d not create the
BeliefinAl l ah 125
heavens and the e and if the heavens and the earth di d not create
themsel ves and if these peopl e cannot c1ai mthat ey created all of
thenthere must i nevi tabl y be a Creator Who created all of that
and this Creator is Al l ah Gl ori fi ed be He and Exal ted.
The atti tude of the empi ri cal sci ences towards thi s l aw
Human power and the nature of created bei ngs is i ncapabl e of listing
all the stages of cause and effect and traci ng its sequence back step
by step unti1 it reaches the begi nni ng of the uni verse. Hence the
empi ri cal sci ences have no hope of fi ndi ng out the ori gi n of thi ngs.
These sci ences expressed reai ni ngo msuch attempt. Al l that ey
have been abl e to do is to ace a. f ewsteps behi nd t hem l eavi ng
everythi ng beyond that tothe real mof the unseen concemi ng whi ch
schol ars and i gnorant peopl e are on equal footi ng.
Reason has no choi ce but to admi t
But this human despai r of ever di scoveri ng the stages of creati on in
detail wi th regard tobo thepast and the reis counterbal anced
by the general bel i ef whi ch every mi nd must acknowl edge
vol untari l y or otherwi se at no matter how l ong the list of cause and
eect is and whether it is consi dered to be finite or infinite there
shoul d sti11be somethi ng el se whi ch carri es initself the cause of its
exi stence and conti nued exi stence. l I sis e uebegi nni ng before
whi ch there was nothi ng otherwi se all these created thi ngs woul d not
have come into bei ng (if they di d not have an ori gi nator whi ch exists
i ndependentl y).
Speci ous Ar gument s About the Ori gi n of the Uni verse
We hear and read speci ous guments whi ch were put f orward inthe
past and those whi ch ebei ng proposed nowadays whi ch attempt
expl ai nthe exi stence of the uni verse. We shall quote some of these
ments and endeavour to expl ai n where they went wrong.
126 Evi dence 01 the Exi stence 01 the Creator
1) The Vi ew that it Happened by Acci dent
Havi ng exami ned the Qur' ani c evi dence whi ch is addressed to the
rati onal mi nd and whi ch obl i ges it to acknowl edge the exi stence of
the Creator Who is to be worshi pped the noti on this uni verse
came into bei ng by acci dent wi thout any creator is not onl y far om
the but al so i rrati ona1 . Whoever says this coul d be counted as
one of those prattlers who have lost their mi nds because eyare
stubboml y rej ecti ng evi dence whi ch the rati onal mi nd has no choi ce
but to accept and submi t to.
lereare yet others who sai d If six monkeys sat at pewri ters and
banged on the keys for bi11i ons of ye sit is not unl i kel y that inthe
last pages they wrote we woul d fi nd one of the sonne of
Shakespeare. This is e case wi th the uni verse that exists now. It
came about as the result of randomforces whi ch pl ayed wi th matter
for bi11i ons of ye s."
W a ~ e e d Uddeen Khan
6
sai d after quoti ng this paragraph o m
Huxl ey: 7 Any talk of is nature is utter nonsense. None of our
branches of sci ences - unti1the present day - know what type of
acci dent coul d produce such a great reality wi th all its wonder and
beauty. "
He quotes another scientist who denounced is vi ewby sayi ng: The
i dea that lifehappened as the result of an acci dent is likesayi ng at
you coul d get a di cti onary as the result of an acci dental expl osi on ina
pri nti ng press."
6 Al -I sl amYatal J adda pp. 66.
7 Huxl ey is the athei st wri ter who wrote the f amous book Man Stands Al one.
Al l ah brought forth a sci enti st f romhi s own nati on A. Chri sti e Morri sson the
head of the New Yor k Academy of Sci ence and a f ormer member of the
Executi ve Commi t t ee of the US Nati onal Research Counci 1 wrote the val uabl e
book Man Does Not Stand Al one to refute Huxl ey. Thi s book has been transl ated
into Arabi under the title A 'Il m yad 'u ila' l -Eemaan (Sci ences call to Faith).
Belief inAl l ah 127
Wa1;teeduddi n Khan states Mathemati cs whi ch has gi ven us the
concept of probabi l i ty itself states that it is mathemati cal l y
i mpossi bl e for this uni verse to have come into exi stence by
acci dent . "
Look at this exampl e whi ch Wa1;teeduddi n Khan quotes o mthe
A meri can schol ar Chri sti e Morri sson whi ch expl ai ns how it is
i mpossi bl e at the uni verse coul d have come into bei ng by acci dent .
He said: If you take ten coi ns and wri te on t hemthe numbers o m
one toten then put t heminyour pocket and mi x t hemwel l then you
y taket hemout of your pocket inascendi ng numeri cal order (i.e.
omone toten) the chance of you taki ng out the coi n on whi ch is
wri tten the number one on the first attempt is one inten. The chance
of you taki ng out all ten coi ns innumeri cal order (1 234...) is one
in ten billion. 8
On is basi s how l ong woul d it take for this uni verse toassume its
current shape if it had come about by acci dent? If we were to
cal cul ate that inthe same manner we woul d not be abl e toi magi ne or
cal cul ate the numbers let al one comprehend em.
Everythi ng inthe uni verse tells us that it was brought into exi stence
by an omni sci ent wi se Creator but man is unj ust ( hi msel t) and
i gnorant .
Ziii; A L 2 o;. 34 i 1i j
f @ ? @ 2E ? @ i;i t j f @
@ i i @
%j G; j @ i j LQ G3 @ Gi L e G iiL?

cursed [the di sbel i evi ng] man! How ungrateful he
8 AI '11m d'u ila' I -Eemaan Pp. 51.
128 Evi dence ofthe Exi stence ofthe Creator
is! Fr omwhat thi ng di d He create hi m? Fr omNui fah
[mal e and f emal e semen drops] He created hi mand then
set hi mindue proporti on. Then He makes the Path easy
for hi m. Then He causes hi mto di e and puts hi minhis
grave. Then when it is Hi s Wi l l He wi l l resu ect hi m
[agai n]. Nay but [man] has not done what He
commanded hi m. Then l etman l ook at his food: We pour
forth water in abundance. And We split the earth in
c1efts. And We cause therei n the grai n to grow. And
grapes and c10ver pl ants [i.e. green fodder for the c le].
And ol i ves and date pal ms) (Qur 'an 80: 17-2
How coul d man have been created and f ormed by acci dent when his
f ood is created insuch a wel l -pl anned manner at requi res the co
operati on of the heavens and the earth? Al l ah () i ndeed spoke e
truth when He descri bed man as:

(..Veri l y he was uust [to hi msel f] and
(Qur' an 33: 72).9
2) The Vi ew that Nat ure is the Creator
Thi s is a liewhi ch has become wi despread inour own ti me and has
decei ved even the promi nent sci enti sts many of whomexpl ai n the
creati on of thi ngs through nature by sayi ng it is nature that creates
and ori gi nates.
We woul d like t hemto answer the questi on: What do you mean by
nature? Do you mean the essence ofthi ngs? Or do you mean the l aws
that govemand con' 01the uni verse? Or do you mean other forces
beyond is uni verse that created it and brought it into exi stence?
9 This matter will be discussedfurther when we look at the signs of Allahinthe
universe In sha Al l ah (God willing).
Bel i efi nAl l ah 129
I fthey say that by nature they mean the uni verse itself then we d'On'Ot
need t'O b'Other refuti ng t hem because the fal seness 'Of this vi ewis
'Obvi 'Ous ' Omwhat we have sai d ab'Ove. Thi s vi ewrepeats the i dea
referred t'Oab'Ove that a thi ng can bri ng itself int'Oexi stence. In 'Other
w'Ords they are sayi ng that the uni verse created the uni verse i.e. the
heavens created the heavens the earth created the earth the uni verse
created man and ani mal s. We have al ready expl ai ned that human
reas'On refuses t'O accept that a thi ng c'Oul d create itself. T'O make
matters cl earer we say that a thi ng cann'Ot create s'Omethi ng that is
m'Oredevel 'Oped than itself. Nature such as the heavens earth stars
sun and m' O' On d'Oes n'Ot p'Ossess reas'On 'Or the cul ti es 'Ofhearl ng and
seei ng s'Oh'Ow c'Oul d it create man wh'Ohears sees and kn'Ows? Thi s
cann'Ot be.
If they say all 'Of that was created by acci dent we say we kn'Ow f'Or
S e at there was n'O acci dent i nv'Ol ved in the creati 'On 'Of the
uni verse. We have al ready expl ai ned this ab'Ove.
The theory of sel f-generati on (a speci ous ar gument that has been
proven to be fal se)
One 'Of the thi ngs at hel ped t'O spread is new id'Ola (the vi ew
at nature is the creat'Or) was the scientists' 'Observati 'On 'Of the
appear ' Of magg'Ots inthe excrement 'Of humans and ani mal s and
ef'Ormati 'On 'Of bacteri a whi ch ate f' O' Od and caused it t'Or'Ot. They
sai d these are l i vi ng bei ngs whi ch are generated by na re al 'One.
l I s i dea lent wei ght t'Othe new id'Ola 'Of nature" inthe eyes 'Of
those who were mi sgui ded far as ayo mthe true religi 'On of Al l ah.
But theI i dance'Of Al l ah s'Oon exp'Osed the fal sehood of this theory
at the hands of the f am'Ous French scientist Pasteur wh'Opr'Oved that
these maggots and bacteri a edt'O di d n'Ot generate themsel ves
f romnature but their ori gi ns l ay ins'Omethi ng even smal l er that was
invisible to the naked eye. He produced evi dence whi ch convi nced
130 Evi dence of the Exi stence of the Creator
other scientists at what he sai d was true. He seal ed some food away
o mthe open air and ki11ed the bacteri a by boi l i ng it; no new
bacteri a f ormed in the food and it di d not turn rotten. Thi s is the
theory on whi ch the f ood canni ng i ndus y is based. 1
0
Nature is the l aws whi ch govern the uni verse
Another group suggests that nature is the l aws whi ch govemthe
uni verse. Thi s is the vi ewof those who c1ai mtohave knowl edge and
who bel i eve that na re is e creator. They say: this uni verse is
runni ng accordi ng tocertai n l aws whi ch regul ate its affairs down to
the last detai l. The events at happen in is uni verse happen
accordi ng to these l aws. Thi s is like a c10ck whi ch runs accuratel y
and preci sel y for a l ong ti me runni ng by itself wi th no controller.
In fact these peopl e 'e not answeri ng the questi on that has been
asked: Who created the uni verse? They tell us about the way inwhi ch
the uni verse operates and eytell us how these l aws a ect thi ngs
but we want toknow who created the uni verse and who created the
l aws that govemit .
Wa1). eeduddi n Khan saysAnci ent man knew that rain came f rom
the sky but nowadays we know everythi ng about how water
evaporates o mthe sea until drops of water fall on eland. Al l of
this is a descri pti on of what happens but it is not in itself an
expl anati on. Sci ence does not tell us how these events became l aws
or how the water is hel d between heaven and earth inthese stunni ng
and beauti ful f orms (c1ouds). It is o mthese phenomena that the
scientists deri ved these l aws.
When man c1ai ms that by di scoveri ng the l aws of na re he has
sol ved the mystery of the uni verse he is onl y decei vi ng hi msel f.
When he makes this c1ai m he is pu i nga link o mthe mi ddl e of the
10 Az- Zand ni Ki taab at-TawI J eed 2/ 74.

Belief inAl l ah 131

chai n at the end.
N ature does not expl ai n anythi ng (about the uni verse). It itself is in
need of expl anati on. Read this debate that coul d take pl ace between
an intelligent man and a doctor who is promi nent in his field:
Questi oner: Why is bl ood red?
Doctor: Because there are red cells inthe bl ood. The size of each cell
is 11700 of an i nch.
Questi oner: OK but why are these cells red?
Doctor: Because in e bl ood there is a substance cal l ed
haemogl obi n whi ch becomes red when it is mi xed wi th oxygen in
.e het.
Questi oner: That's fair enough but where do these cells whi ch carry
haemogl obi n come f rom?
Doctor: They are manuf actured in your liver.
Questi oner: Wonderful ! But how are all these thi ngs - the bl ood
cells liver etc. - connected toone ano er so perfectl y and how do
they each pl ay their p t wi th such preci si on?
Doctor: l I s is what we call the l aws of na re.
Questi oner: But what do you mean by the l aws of na re?
Doctor: What we mean by the l aws is the bl i nd i ntemal operati on of
natural and chemi cal forces.
Questi oner: But why do these forces al ways produce the same resul t?
How are thi ngs regul ated so at bi rds flyinthe air fishliveinwater
and man lives in this wor1d wi th all his amazi ng potenti al s and
capabi l i ti es?
Doctor: Don 't ask me about at. My sci ence onl y tells me about
what happens it does not answer the questi on about why it happens.
132 Evi dence 01theExi stence 01theCreator
Fr omthese questi ons it becomes c1ear the extent to whi ch modem
sci ence can expl ai n the causes and effects behi nd this uni verse. The
uni verse is like a machi ne whi ch operates beneath a cover and we
know nothi ng about it except the ct that it is runni ng. But i f we lift
the lid we wi11see how the many parts and cogs of this machi ne are
connected toone another how ey mone another; we wi11see all
the movement s of this machi ne. But does this mean that we know
who created this machi ne j ust by l ooki ng at its p ts spi nni ng? How
cano seei ngthe machi ne runni ng be proof at the machi ne came
i nto exi stence by itself and is runni ng by itsel f?" 11
Nat ure is a force
There are those who say that na re is a force whi ch created the
uni verse and that it is a l i vi ng heari ng seei ng wi se and power l
force... We say tot hem this is ri ght but your mi stake is that you call
this force nature." creati vei nnovati ve force has tol d us the
name by whi ch it deserves tobe cal l ed and that is Al l ah. " Al l ah has
tol d us of Hi s beauti ful Names and subl i me At i butesso we must
call Hi mby the names whi ch He has cal l ed Hi msel f Exal ted is He
and Al l -Hi gh.
Those who came bef ore t hemsai d somethi ng si mi l ar
l ose who at i bute creati on to nature had Predecessors who sai d
somethi ng very similar. These were the Dahri yah - the athei sts -
whoat i butedevents toAd- Dahr (ti me). l eysawthat chi l dren gr ow
i nto adul ts adul ts gr ow i nto ol d men and ol d men di e as ti me goes by
and ni ght and day al temate so eyat i butedlifeand death toti me.
r1G ~ ~ j J J sc. ~ l ~
J i 2Ah
11 WaJ:!. eeduddi n Khan AlI s1amyata ddaa (I s1amchallenges) 2931; he a1so
quotes omother westernscientists.
Bel i i nAl l ah 133
they say: There is nothi ng but our life of this
wor1d we di e and we live and nothi ng destroys us
exceptA Dahr [time].' And they have no knowl edge of
it they onl y conj ecture) ( Qur ' an 45: 24)
Those peopl e at i buted events to ti me and these peopl e at i bute
themto the nature of thi ngs; both are equal l y mi sIi ded.
3) Darwi n' s Theo T 12
The supporters ofthi s theory edtouse it toexpl ai n the exi stence of
livingbei ngs. Thi s theory is wi despread; many peopl e tospread it
wi th good i ntenti ons because they thi nk that it is a scientific fact
whi l st others Ytospread it wi th bad i ntenti ons because it suits their
desi re whi ch is toprove rel i gi on wr ong inits descri pti on of how man
was created. Those who seek toundermi ne rel i gi on fi nd evi dence in
sci ence to support their stance and decei ve peopl e.
What does this theo T say?
l I s theory c1ai ms that the ori gi n of all crea res was smal l
organi sms whi ch devel oped o mwater then their envi ronment
changed t hemunti1new characteri sti cs emerged inthis life- f orm and
these characteri sti cs over mi11i ons of years l ed to the devel opment
of more advanced characteri sti cs whi ch changed that pri mi ti ve
crea reinto a superi or lifeform. This devel opment of characteri sti cs
caused by the envi ronment and evol uti on conti nued until it arri ved at
the appe ance of man.
The bases of this theory
a) lis theory is based on what was noted duri ng excavati ons carri ed
out duri ng Darwi n' s ti me. They di scovered that the mor e anci ent
levels contai ned pri mi ti ve l i fe-forms and the l evel s above t hem
12 Zand ni Ki taab 3/81.
134 Evi dence theExi stence of the Creator
c'Ontai ned pr'Ogressi vel y m'Ore devel 'Oped life-f'Orms. Darwi n said:
These m'Ore hi ghl y-devel 'Oped ani mal s came ab'Out as a resul t 'Of
ev'Oluti 'On fr'Om e lierpri mi ti ve li -f'Orms. "
b) It was als'Obased 'On what was kn'Own at Darwi n' s ti me ab'Out the
resembl ance 'Ofthe embr y'Os 'Of di erent ani mal s at the earl y stages 'Of
devel 'Opment whi ch c'Oul d gi ve the i mpressi 'On that the 'Ori gi n 'Of all
ani mal s is the same as thei r embr y'Os appear t'Obe the same and that
ev'Oluti 'On happened 'On earth al 'Ong the same lines as the devel 'Opment
'Of embr y'Os in the w'Ombs 'Of l i vi ng bei ngs.
c) It was als'Obased 'On the exi stence 'Of the vermi f'Or m appendi x in
human bei ngs whi ch hel ps indi gesti ng pl ant mattebut it n'Ol'Onger
has any functi 'On in man. Thi s gave the i mpressi 'On that it was
s'Omethi ng left 'Over o mm'Onkeys that di d n'Ot ev'Ol ve because it
d'Oes have a functi 'On in m'Onkeys.
Darwi n' s expl anati on of the process of evol uti on
a) Natural selecti 'On. Destructi ve fact'Ors ki11'Off eweaker speci mens
and l eave the str'Onger sp lens. is what they call the pri nci pl e
'Of the survi val 'Of the fittest." S'Othe s ongspeci mens remai n and
p s 'On thei r str'Ong characteri sti cs t'O thei r 'Offspri ng. l ese str'Ong
characteri sti cs 'ec'Ombi ned as t leg'Oes by t'Of'Or ma new fea rein
the speci es. This is ev'Oluti 'On" whi ch makes the speci men devel 'Op
int'O a superi 'Or speci men. This 'Ong'Oi ng devel 'Opment is ev'Oluti 'On.
b) Sexual selecti 'On. Thi s has t'Od'Owi th the preference 'Of b'Othma1es
and femal es t'Omat e wi s ongspeci mens s'Othat the characteri sti cs
'Of str'Onger speci mens wi11be passed 'On and the characteri sti cs 'Of
weaker speci mens wi11 be el i mi nated because 'Of the rel uctance 'Of
'Others t'O mat e wi th them.
c) Every ti me a new characteri sti c emerges it is passed 'On the
'Offspri ng.
Bel i efi n Al l ah 135
Refutati on of the bases on whi ch this theory is f ounded
Archaeol ogy is not a preci se sci ence and no one can c1ai mthat he
has carri ed out a compl ete survey of all the l ayers of the earth
inc1udi ng those beneath mountai ns and oceans and that he di d not
fi nd anythi ng new that woul d chal l enge previ ousl y-hel d concepts.
Even if we suppose at the statements of is branch of sci ence (i.e.
archaeol ogy) are proven to be true the .ct that there were at first
pri mi ti ve l i fe-forms whi ch were ensuperceded by more advanced
creatures does not prove that the advanced l i fe-forms devel opedo m
their pri mi ti ve counte arts. Al l that this proves is the order of their
exi stence whi ch may si mpl y be a refl ecti on of changes in the
envi ronment whi ch supported di fferent l i fe-forms at di erent ti mes.
The archaeol ogi cal vi ewat the ti me of Darwi n was that man has
exi sted for 600000 years; recent di scoveri es in the field of
archaeol ogy put the age of man at 10 mi11i on years.
Does this not prove that archaeol ogy is a changeabl e sci ence on
whi ch no defi ni ti ve proof can be based? Tomor r ow the
archaeol ogi sts may di scover somethi ng that is the opposi te of
what we expect!
Dr. Mustaf a Sh ki r Sal eemhas comment ed on the book Al -I nsaan
fi'[.. Mar ' aah ( Man inthe Mi rror) by Cl yde Col quhoun whi ch talks
about Neanderthal man whi ch the supporters of D wi n' s theory say
was efirst man toevol veo mmonkeys and gorillas... Dr.
said: Neanderthal man is descri bed as havi ng the fol l owi ng mai n
m ral fea res: a l arger brai n than that of modern man and a l arge
broad skull... In addi ti on to atthe chai n of evol uti on whi ch the
archaeol ogi sts are yi ngto pi ece together is not compl ete; there is
somethi ng known as the mi ssi ng l i nk' ."
Dr. Soori yaal sai d in his book Madhhab Darwi n (The
Col l apse of Darwi n' s Theory):
136 Evi dence 01theExi stence 01theCreator
a) The mi ssi ng l i nks inthe chai n of evol uti on are not onl y mi ssi ng
between man and the l i fe-forms beneath hi m but there are al so
mi ssi ng l i nks between the pri mi ti ve si ngl e-cel l ed life- f orms and
mul ti -cel l ed l i fe-forms between unj oi nted and j oi nted between
i nvertebrates and fishand amphi bi ans between the latter and repti1es
between reptiles and human bei ngs. 1 have menti oned them
accordi ng tothe order inwhi ch they appear inthe geol ogi cal peri ods.
b) Si mi l ari ti es between the embryos of di fferent speci es: this is a
seri ous mi stake whi ch some scientists made because mi croscopes
had not yet been devel oped whi ch woul d show the mi nute
di erences inthe formati on of the embryos of di fferent speci es. In
addi ti on there was a hoax perpetrated by the Ger man scientist Emst
Haeckel who j uxtaposed pi c res of si mi l ar embryos. When some
embryol ogi sts cri ti ci zedhi m he admi tted that he had had totouch up
approxi matel y 8 per cent of the pi ctures and make t heml ook si mi l ar
because they were i ncompl ete.
c) Wi t h regard tothe human appendi x bei ng an evol uti onary l eft-over
o mthe monkey stage this does not prove defi ni ti vel y that man
evol ved o mmonkeys. The reason for its presence may be that it is
i nheri ted o mear1y man who was dependent on pl ants so was
created to hel p hi mdi gest that pl ant ma Moreoversci ence may
yet di scover that it has a functi on whi ch we currentl y do not know.
Sci ence is advanci ng every day. I f hermaphrodi ti smis a characteri sti c
of l ower life f orms and havi ng t wo genders is a characteri sti c of
hi gher l i fe-forms and if havi ng ni ppl es is a si gn of femi ni ni ty en
why do we fi nd that mal e el ephants have ni ppl es like man does
whi l st the mal es of hoof ed ani mal s such as horses and donkeys do
not? I f Darwi n c1ai med that man evol ved f roml ower lifef orms why
is this trace of hermaphrodi ti smleft inman when it is not left inl ower
l i fe-forms?
Bel i ef inAl l ah 137
Ref uti ng Darwi n' s expl anati on of how evol uti on wor ks
a) Darwi n says that there is a l awthat works in extermi nati on and
exti ncti on of l i vi ng bei ngs so that onl y the est survi ve to pass on
their characteri sti cs totheir offspri ng until the strong characteri sti cs
combi ne tof orma new speci es. There is i ndeed a l awwhi ch works in
the anni hi l ati on of al l 1i vi ng bei ngs strong and weak al i ke because
Al l ah has decreed death for all l i vi ng bei ngs. But there is al so a
paral l el l awwhereby there is co operati onbetween l i vi ng bei ngs and
their envi ronment because when Al l ah created life He al so created
the means to sustai n life. So we see the sun the oceans the wi nd
rai n pl ants gravity... all of these and other thi ngs cooperate to
sustai n human and ani mal life.
Focusi ng on the destructi ve factors and over1ooki ng the factors of
sustenance creates an i mbal ance inone' s way ofthi nki ng. 1fthere is a
l awof death or destructi on then there is al so a l awof1ife and each of
themhas a rol e to pl ay inlife. 1f these natural forces such as wi nd
thunder heat wate stormsetc. eabl e to cause damage topeopl e
or to des oy their works such as bl i ndi ng t hemor destroyi ng what
they have built it is i mpossi bl e to bel i eve that these bl i nd
uni ntel l i gent natural forces are abl e tocreate an eye for one who does
not have an eye or torepai r a structure that is ina stateof disrepair.
1t is reasonabl e tosay that natural forces coul d be destructi ve or fatal
but it is unreasonabl e to say that these forces expl ai n this perfect
wonderful creati on in whi ch everythi ng has been shaped perfectl y
and f ormed ina systemati c way such that its parts fit together wi th
such amazi ng preci si on and wor k together inperfect harmony. It is
i mpossi bl e to at i bute this perfecti on to bl i nd natural forces.
J amaal uddeen al -Afghaani sai d in his book Al - Radd 'ala ad-
Dahr en- Refutati on of the athei sts - where he di scusses this
theory. After at1 ask t hem how does each separate part of a l i vi ng
138 Evi dence ofthe Exi stence ofthe Creator
bei ng kn'Ow what the 'Other p ts are yi ngt'Oachi eve when each 'Of
t hemserves a di fferent functi 'On? By what means d'Oes 'One p t
i nf'Or mthe 'Others 'Of what it i ntends t'Od' O? What p l i ament 'Or senate
'Or assembl y 'Of el ders was hel d t'O create this perfect1y- assembl ed
bei ng? H'Ow d'O these parts kn'Ow - when they 'e still i nsi de the
bi rd' s egg - that they sh'Oul d c'Ome 'Out inthe f'Or m 'Of a bi rd whi ch
eats grai ns s'O it has t'O have the necessary beak and craw?
Darwi n' s pri nci pl e 'Of the survi val 'Of the fittest has destr'Oyed human
life because it has gi ven justificati 'On f'Or every 'Oppress'Owhet her an
i ndi vi dual 'Or a g'Over nment . When the 'Oppress'Or engages in
'Oppressi 'On c'Onfi scati 'On w andpl 'Ots he d'Oes n'Ot thi nk: at he is
d'Oi ng anythi ng wr'Ong - rather he is f'Oll 'Owi ng a natural l aw
acc'Ordi ng t'O Darwi n' s cl ai ms the l aw'Of the survi val 'Of the est .
l I s c1ai ml ed t' O e ugl i est excesses 'Of c'Ol'Oni al i sm.
b) Natural selecti 'On the tendency t'Omat e wi th s onger i ndi vi dual s
s'Oas t'Oel i mi nate weaker i ndi vi dual s d'Oes n'Ot pr'Ove that ev'Oluti 'On
takes pl ace wi thi n that speci es. What we understando mit is that
str'Onger i ndi vi dual s 'Of a gi ven speci es survi ve whi l st weaker
speci mens are el i mi nated.
It may be sai d that if ev'Oluti 'On 'Occurs ins'Ome i ndi vi dual s this may
l ead t'O a l ack 'Of sexual attracti 'On because sexual at acti 'On wi11be
reduced acc'Ordi ng t'O the di rence 'Of f'Or mbetween mal es and
femal es. This is what was suggested by the f am'Ous sci enti st Duwayr
Zansky in 1958 a c ry after Darwi n. A m' Ong the i ngs that he
suggested was: Di fferences in physi cal f'Or mreduce sexual
at acti 'Ons'Othe tendency t'Oreproduce is reduced between ani mal s
'Of di erent shapes; the m'Ore di erent they 'ethe less at acti 'On
there is between them. Theref'Ore it is wr'Ong t'O say that new
characteri sti cs wi11be passed 'On o man i ndi vi dual inits genes. F'Or
exampl e a bl acksmi th wi th s' Ong muscl es wi11 n'Ot pass 'On hi s
muscul ar s ' ength t'O hi s 'Offspri ng j ust as a sci enti st wi th deep
BeliefinAl l ah 139
knowl edge wi l l not pass his knowl edge on tohis sons inhis genes. "
c) lesuggesti on that some characteri sti cs emerge acci dental l y and
are then passed on has been rej ected by the modern sci ence of
geneti cs. Every characteri sti c that is not ca i ed in the genes is an
earned or acqui red characteri sti c whi ch cannot be passed on to the
offspri ng.
Professor Nabeel George one of the rel i abl e scientists inthis field
says: For that reason natural sel ecti on does not expl ai n the theory of
evol uti on. It onl y expl ai ns that the least fit wi l l di e and that some
characteri sti cs wi l l spread among the speci es. Those who speak of
evol uti onary l eaps mean that an ani mal whi ch di d not have an eye
suddenl y had an eye because of the acti on of some rays.
Some specialists have proved that x-rays can cause changes in the
number of genes but is change occ s insomethi ng that is al ready
present - it does not create somethi ng that does not exi st. l enumber
of a monkey' s genes di ers o mthe number of a human' s genes. X-
rays onl y affect e genes that are present; how coul d these rays
whi ch do not possess any f ormof i ntel l i gence create the i ntel l i gence
inman whi ch di sti ngui shes hi mo mmonkeys and other ani mal s?
These rays can affect egenes but it is mor e aki n todi storti on than
reformi ng as happens inthe case of atomi c rays (radiation). Thi s is in
addi ti on to the ct that sci ence of geneti cs di sproves Darwi n' s
theory as experi ence shows. The J ews and the Musl i ms after t hem
have been ci rcumci si ng their sons for centuri es but this has not l ed to
any of their chi l dren bei ng born ci rcumci sed. The mor e sci ence
advances the more Darwi n' s theory is proven wrong.
Thi s t heoi s not supported by real i ty
a) If is theory were true we woul d see many ani mal s and peopl e
comi ng into exi stence rough evol uti on not onl y through
140 Evi dence ofthe Exi stence ofthe Cre:tor
reproducti on. Even if evol uti on needs a l ong ti me this does not mean
that we woul d not see monkeys changi ng into men one group after
another.
b) Even if we accept that natural ci rcumstances and natural sel ecti on
turned a monkey into a man for exampl e we cannot accept that these
ci rcumstances woul d al so di ctate at there woul d be a woman to
accompany this man so that they coul d reproduce and there woul d be
a bal ance between men and women.
c) The abili to adapt whi ch we see in creatures such as the
chamel eon whi ch changes its col our accordi ng towhere it is is an
ability whi ch is i nherent inthe formati on of that creature. It is born
wi th that ability whi ch exists insome and is barel y present inothers.
Al l creatures have limits beyond whi ch they cannot pass. The ability
to adapt is the ma r of i nbompotenti al not a devel oped
characteri sti c that has been f ormed by the envi ronment as the
proponents of this eory say. Otherwi se the envi ronment woul d
have forced rocks soil and other i nani mate obj ects to adapt .
d) Frogs are di sti ngui shed o mman intheir abili toliveon el and
and inwater. Bi rds are di sti ngui shedo mman by their ability tof1y
and move rapi dl y wi thout the ai d of a machi ne. A dog' s nose is r
mor e sensi ti ve than that of a human - so is a dog' s nose more
advanced than a human' s nose? Areogs and bi rds more advanced
than humans insome ways? Camel s' horses' and donkeys' eyes see
equal l y wel l by day and by ni ght whereas human eyes are unabl e to
see in the dark. An eagl e' s vi si on is r mor e acute than that of a
human. So are eagl es and donkeys more advanced than man? I f we
take sel f-suffi ci ency as the basi s of superi ori rthen pl ants are
superi or toman and all ani mal s because they manufacture their own
food and f ood for others wi th no need for nouri shment f rom
el sewhere.
141
lf we take sizeas the basi s of superi ori ty then camel s and el ephants
and prehi stori c ani mal s (di nosaurs for exampl e) woul d be superi or to
man.
The atti tude of natural sci enti sts towards this theory
a) Those who support this theory want to support the eedomof
thought whi ch the Church opposed and resisted. The natural
scientists l aunched a war agai nst the priests of the Church and their
thought after the confl i ct between the t wo si des took a vi ci ous tum.
b) l ose who oppose it demand tangi bl e evi dence that natural
sel ecti on has changed any speci es especi al l y manki nd. Those who
oppose it because they want natural proof are no less innumber or in
the fi erceness of their resi stance than the theol ogi ans inEurope who
oppose lt.
These are some of the vi ews of the scientists who oppose this theory
as quoted by Prof. l braaheemf.l ouraani : The scientists have not
proven the theory of Darwi n; in fact they have di sproved it and
criticizedit even though they know that he researched it for renty
years." Among t hem e the scientists Nechel and Dal l as whose
comment s may be summed up as fol l ows: Evol uti on by natural
sel ecti on cannot appl y in the case of man; he can onl y have been
created di rectl y."
Another scientist Farkho said: It is cl ear to us o mreal life that
there is a bi g di fference between humans and monkeys. We cannot
say for sure that man is descended o mmonkeys or o many other
ani mal so we shoul d not say any such thi ng."
Another scientist Mi vart sai d af'te r exami ni ng the realities of lifein
deil:
opi ni on. "
142 Evi dence 01 Exi stence01 Creator
Von Bi skoun sai d after he and Farkho had conducted a comparati ve
study of humans and monkeys: The di fference between the two is
basi c and a very great di rence..."
Agassi z sai d in a paper whi ch he del i vered duri ng a semi nar on
Vi ctori an sci ence that Darwi n 's theory was in ct wrong and false
his methods had nothi ng todo wi th sci ence and his theory was of no
use at all.
Huxl ey who w askepti c and ai endof Darwi n sai d that accordi ng
to the evi dence we have it can never be proven that any ki nd of
pl ants or ani mal s evol ved roughei ther natural sel ecti on or artificial
selection.
Tyndal l who was like Haeckel said: Undoubtedl y those who
bel i eve in evol uti on are unaware of the fact that it is based on
pri nci pl es whi ch are not proven (i.e. hypotheti cal pri nci pl es). It is
obvi ous to me that Darwi n' s theory needs to be al tered."
Theory not fact
For all of these reasons what Darwi n sai d about evol uti on is cal l ed
the theory of evol uti on. In the eyes of scientists there is gul f of
di erence between a eory and a fact or law. Accordi ng to their
termi nol ogy a theory is somethi ng whi ch may be ei ther ueor lse
whereas a fact or l awis somethi ng whi ch cannot be falseinany way.
So why di d it become so wi despread?
Ther eon why this theory became so wi despread is that it appe ed
at a ti me when Al l ah () wi l l ed that the fal sehood of di storted
and al tered rel i gi on (Chri sti ani ty) shoul d become apparent rough
the acti ons of some of its fol l owers. The advance of sci ence pl ayed a
maj or rol e inexposi ng the fal sehood of this rel i gi on whi ch l ed tothe
outbreak of a fierce battle in whi ch thousands of scientists were
killed. In this heated battle each si de started to use all ki nds of
Beli fi nAl l ah 143
weapons agai nst the other and this theory spread as a weapon
wi el ded by the scientists agai nst their own rel i gi on then agai nst e
rel i gi on of every l and they col oni zed. They di d is because they
bel i eved the theory tobe true and as an act of vengeance agai nst e
lserel i gi on whi ch had stood inthe way of scientific research. Then
they used it as a means of des oyi ngthe rel i gi ons of the col oni zed
nati ons so that it woul d become easy for the col oni al i sts todomi nate
those peopl es.
Thus the col oni al i st educati on system after des oyi ngthe peopl e' s
rel i gi on i mposed the s dy of this theory in the curri cul um
i ntroduci ng it inscientific garb so that students woul d bel i eve it tobe
ethus insti11i ng in dents' mi nds the di fference between this
falsified sci ence and rel i gi on so that peopl e woul d reject religion.
It is suffi ci ent for the reader toknow that because ofthi s theory many
Musl i ms devi ated f romtheir rel i gi on. For this reason the col oni al i sts
were keen toteach this theory toMusl i mchi1dren intheir school s at
the ti me when Ameri can l awforbade teachi ng this theory inschool s
o m1935 CE.
But inEurope after ey had deal t the final bl owto eir devi ated
rel i gi on they announced that Darwi n 's eorywhi ch eyhad used
inthe battle to support sci ence agai nst rel i gi on was not a scientific
fact; it was no mor e than a theory and the mor e sci ence advanced the
more the fal sehood of is theory became apparent.
The Qur n and Darwi n' s theory
When the Qur' an speaks about the realities of past eterni ty peopl e
must listen and pay heed to.
. . . ( 234J i I
~ S o when the Qur' an is reci ted listen to it and be
silent..) (Qur 'an 7: 204)
144 Evi dence 01 the Exi stence 01 the Creator
- because it comes f romthe Al l - Knowi ng Al l - Aware Who
encompasses all thi ngs wi th Hi s knowl edge. What does man know?
In compari son to the knowl edge of Al l ah he knows nothi ng.
AJTJ . . .
knows but you do not know) r l r' an 2: 216)
How coul d He not know about Hi s creatures' affairs when He is the
one Who has created them?
1 4i ; L 3 1
not He Who has created know? And He is the
Most Ki nd and Courteous [toHi s sl aves] Al l - Aware [of
(Qur ' an 67: 14)
How can peopl e let themsel ves talk about thei r ori gi ns when they di d
not wi tness that act of creati on?
---FJ1AUJ J 11TI.
[Al l ah] made t hem[Ibl ees and his offspri ng] not to
wi tness [nor took thei r hel p in] the creati on of the
heavens and the earth and not [even] their own
eati on..) (Qur 18: 51)
Because they di d not wi tness it what they get ri ght concemi ng this
ma r is very little and the mi stakes they make are many.
The opposi te of thi s theory is the truth
What the Al l - Knowi ng Al l - Aware the Creator of man says is
di ame i cal l yopposed towhat these i gnorant peopl e said. Al l ah ()
tells us that He created man as a compl ete and i ndependent creature.
He tol d Hi s angel s that He was goi ng tocreate hi mbefore He brought
hi mi nto bei ng.
Bel u;{ inAl l ah 145
. . . di f 43 4A4J J6;j J
[remember] when your Lor d sai d to the angel s:
Veri l y 1 a m goi ng topl ace [manki nd] generati ons after
generati ons on earth.' ..) (Qur 'an 2: 30/
3
Al l ah() has tol d us of the substanceo mwhi ch He created man.
He created hi mo mdust:
3 4 9 . j
4We have created you [i.e. Adam] o mdust..)
( Qur ' an 22: 5)
Abu Moosa al Ashari sai d that he heard the Messenger of Al l ah ( )
say:
Al l ah created Adamo ma handf ul whi ch He gathered
f romthroughout the earth so esons of Adam vary as
the earth vari es; some are red some are whi te some are
bl ack and some are of col ours in bet ween some are
easy-goi ng some are di ffi cul t some e evi l and some
are good. " 14
Wat er is an el ement in the creati on of man:
@. . 3d12
has created every movi ng [living] c a o m
water. . ) ( Qur 'an 24: 45)
Man is created o mwater and dust:
13 when your Lord toldthe angels: 1 amplacing an overlord on e h. -
T.B. Irving. thy Lord saidto the angels: 1 will create a vicegerent on
- A. Yusuf Ali.
14 Ai )mad Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood (Mi shkaat al - Ma! f aabee 1136hadith no.
100).
146 Evi dence 01theExi stence 01 Creator

it is Who has created youo mcl ay..) (Qur ' an6: 2)
Thi s c1ay turned into soundi ng c1ay like the el ay of po ry

created man [Adam] o msoundi ng cl ay like the
cl ay of po ery) (Qur ' an 55: 14)
Al l ah () created hi mwi th Hi s hands:

said: 0' I bl e[Satan]! What prevents you
o mpros ati ng yoursel f to one whom1 have created
wi th Both My Hands. . ) (QUl ' an 38: 75)
Al l ah () has created hi mhol l ow o mthe begmni ng. Accordi ng to
the hadi th narrated f romAnas () the Messenger of Al l ah ( )
said:
When Al l ah f ormed AdaminParadi se He left hi mfor
as l ong as He wi11ed to l eave hi m and I bl ees started
wal ki ng around hi m l ooki ng at hi m. When he sawthat
he was hol l ow he knew that this was a creature whi ch
was not sol i d (s ong) 15
Al l ah () bl ewinto this c1ay of Hi s Spirit and li enteredintoit so
he startedtohear see speak thi nk and be aw e. Al l ah commanded
eangel s topros ate to Adamwhen He breathed into hi mof Hi s
Spirit and life entered into hi m.

15 Musl 4/ 2016 hadi th no. 2611.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 147
when 1 have fashi oned hi mand breathed into hi m
[his] soul created by Me then you fall down pros ateto
hi m. ) (Qur 'an 38:
Al l ah () tells us of the pl ace where He caused hi mto dwel l aft: er
He had created hi m:
4@. . . 2Lf ; 1 f EZj
We said: 0' Adam! Dwel l you and your wi in
Paradise... ) (Qur 'an 2:
As soon as his creati on was compl eted he began to speak and he
understood what was sai d to hi m:
J f { ; ? Qr
;-q_?

Ei44

He taught Adamall the names [of everythi ng]
then He showed t hemto the angel s and sai d

Tell Me
the names of these if you are

uthfu1 . ' l ey [angel s]

said:

Gl ory is to You we have no knowl edge except

what you have . ught us. Veri l y it is You the Al l -
Knower the Al l - Wi se. ' He said:

0' Adam! Inf ormt hem

of their names'...) (Qur' an 2: 31-33)
Abu Hurayrah
()
reported that the Messenger of Al l
)
said:
When Al l ah created Adamand breathed Hi s Spirit into
hi m he sneezed and sai d 'Al-
/f
amdu lillah
(p
raise be to
Al l ah)
'
prai si ng Al l ah by Hi s Leave. Hi s Lord sai d to
hi m ' May Al l ah have mercy on you 0' Adam. Go to
those angel s'
-
toa group of t hemwho were si
i ng-

and say As- Sal aamu ' al aykum. ' They sai d

Wa ' al ayk
148 Evi dence ofthe Exi stence ofthe Creator
as-sal aamwa rahmatul l ah. 16
Thi s first man was Adam who is e father of all peopl e. Fr om
Adam Al l ah () created hi s wi f e (Eve)
djf J1f J

manki nd! Be duti ful toyour Lor d Who created you

f roma si ngl e person [ Adam] and f romhi m[ Adam] He
created hi s wi f e [ awwaa (Qur 'an 4: 1)
Man was not created i mperfect and then compl eted as the proponents
of the theory of evol uti on say. On the contrary he was compl ete en
hi s f ormstarted to di mi ni sh. Accordi ng to a hadi th narrated by
Bukhari and Musl i min thei r Abu Hurayrah the
Prophet ( ) sai d:
Al l ah created Adam and hi s hei ght was si xty cubi ts. " 17
Hence the bel i evers wi l l enter Paradi se physi cal l y perfect inthe f orm
of Adam. The remai nder of the hadi th quoted above says: Everyone
who enters Paradi se wi l l do so in the f ormof Adam () whose
hei ght was si xty cubi ts." Then he (the Prophet) ( ) said:
Man' s f ormkept decreasi ng (inhei ght) o mthat ti me
unti l now. " 18
Al l ah () i nf orms us that He sf ormedsome mi sgui ded humans
i nto monkeys and pi gs so the hi gher l evel of creati on can be reduced
16 Ti rmi dhi Mi shkaat al-{a! i aabee} J 2/ 542 hadith no 4662. The editor of Al -
Mi shkaat said: this is classed as ! i a} J ee}J by Al -i j aaki mand Adh-Dhahabi agreed
withhim. And i t is as they said.
17 Bukhari 6/ 362 hadithno. 3326; Musl i m 4/ 2183 hadi 1 no. 2841. This version
is by Bukhari.
18 lbid. Here the versionquoted is by Musl i m.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 149
to a l ower l evel but the i dea of monkeys and pi gs tumi ng into
humans is an i dea that occurs onl y tothose wi th the weakest powers
of reasoni ng.
lis is a bri ef l ook at what the Qur' an and ~ a a d e e t h say about the
creati on of man. We di d not quote at l ength all of the texts of the
Qur' an and Sunnah on this topi c but what we have sai d gi ves a c1ear
pi c re and l eaves no r oomfor confusi on and i magi nati on. Thi s is
what 1sl amsays about the nobl e ori gi ns of man whi ch he shoul d feel
proud of to bel ong to. The ori gi ns of man as descri bed by the
proponents ofthe theory of evol uti on where a monkey evol vedo m
a rat or a cockroach is an ori gi n whi ch man woul d feel embarrassed
to bel ong to.
This i dea of ear1y man taught tochi l dren by the schol ars ofhi story as
a savage who cannot speak and cannot do anythi ng wel l who l earns
o mthe ani mal s has cast many aspersi ons on the nobl e ori gi n of
man.
I n concl usi on
It is hi gh ti me for us to wake up and retumto our rel i gi on whi ch
brought the Book of our Lord filledwi th goo less. It tells of what
happened before you what wi11happen after you it j udges between
you. 1t is a seri ous ma ernot a j oke and whoever fol l ows gui dance
o many other source wi11 be sent as ay by Allah...
It is hi gh ti me for us tokeep away f romthe products of corrupt mi nds
in such easi.e. matters concemi ng whi ch Al l ah has spoken
deci si vel y and left no r oomfor peopl e' s opi ni ons.
We must put a stop to this intellectual defeat whi ch has made us
hasten toaccept every new thi ng wi thout pausi ng tothi nk. We real i ze
our mi stake onl y when those who started it are des oyed.
150 Evi dence ofthe Exi stence ofthe Creator
CHAPTER TWO
DEFI NI TI ON OF AL L AH A ND
CONNECTI NG HEARTS T O HI M
I NTRODUCTI ON
We woul d not have needed to di scuss the previ ous i ssue at l ength
were it not for the fact at so many doubts and speci ous arguments
surround it that the researcher is obl i ged to exami ne their fallacy.
Now it is ti me for us todi scuss indetail the second i ssue whi ch is e
most i mportant topi c of this book the i ssue whi ch lies at the heart of
the matter.
We have al ready stated that the Qur' an tackl es this i ssue int wo ways
to confi rmthis great reali :
a) It speaks of eperfecti on of Al l ah' s creati on and descri bes the
wonders of the uni verse whi ch i ndi cate the grea ess of the Creator.
b) It speaks di rect1y of Al l ah the Exal ted - Hi s essence names
at i butesbl essi ngs and creati ons. We shall endeavour - Insha Al l ah
( God wi11i ng) to di scuss this indetail and Al l ah () is eOne
Whose hel p we seek.
1 EVI DENCEOF THE UNI VERSAL SI GNS WHI CH POI NT T O
THE CREATOR AND I NI TI ATOR
1) The QUI ni c Met hodol ogy i n Usi ng the Uni versal Si gns as
Evi dence
Expl ori ng the uni verse through the Qur' ani c descri pti on
The Qur' an takes us on one j ourney a er anoler through the
hori zons ofthe heavens and the di erent parts ofthe earth pausi ng to
152 Definition01Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
consi der the fl owers of the meadows taki ng us up tothe stars intheir
orbits. Inthis way it opens our eyes and our hearts showi ng us how
the power and decree of Al l ah operate inHi s creati on uncoveri ng for
us the mysteri es of creati on gui di ng us to the wi sdombehi nd
creati on and expl ai ni ng the i mmense bl essi ngs whi ch He has
bestowed upon us and the uni verse around us.
Thi s is a l ong di scussi on about it in the Book of Al l ah whi ch is
conveyed inl ong and short soorhs (chapters). It is a very i nteresti ng
di scussi on whi ch capti vates the soul is a pl easure tolistento. It stirs
the emoti ons and senses.
1 have studi ed much of what sci ence and scientists have di scovered
about all aspects ofl i fe expl ai ni ng the mysteri es of creati on and how
creati on poi nts tothe Creator but 1 have never f ound anythi ng inall
of that whi ch is likethe beauti ful descri pti ons gi ven inthe Qur' an
wi th so much detail that stirs the emoti ons and gui des the heart
reachi ng preci se concl usi ons. How coul d it be otherwi se when the
Qur' an has been sent down by the Al l -Wi se Most Prai seworthy?
AUah' s Acti ons in the Uni verse
Come wi th me on a j ourney through the aayat (verses) of the
Qur' an where we wi l l expl ore is uni verse tosee how the power of
Al l ah operates indi fferent areas: ina seed thrown into the soil whi ch
splits and sends its roots down into the earth so that o man
i nani mate seed comes forth life whi ch is represented in its stem
l eaves agrant fl owers and uits whi ch nouri sh both men and
beasts... in the dawn when it breaks... in the still of ni ght... in the
movement s of the sun and the moon.
ji j dU3t j i . LJ %441aAG; LO
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Bel i ef inAl l ah
it is Al l ah Who causes the seed grai n and the
fruit stone [likedate stone] tosplit and sprout . He bri ngs
forththe l i vi ng f romthe dead and it is He Who bri ngs
forththe dead o mthe living. Such is Al l ah then how
are you del uded away f romthe truth? [He is the] Cl eaver
of the daybreak. He has appoi nted the ni ght for resti ng
and the sun and the moon for reckoni ng. Such is the
measuri ng of the Al l -Mi ghty the Al l - nowi ng.
(Qur' n 6: 95-96)
Look how the cl ouds are f ormed by Al l ah:

: l l i J 64i

you not that Al l ah dri ves the cl ouds gendy then
j oi ns t hemtogether then makes t heminto a heap of
l ayers and you see the rai n comes fortho mbetween
them; and He sends down o mthe sky hail [like]
mountai ns [or there are inthe heaven mountai ns of hail
o mwhere He sends down hail] and s s therewi th
whomHe wi l l s and averts it o mwhomHe wills. The
vi vi d fl ash of its [cl ouds] l i ghtni ng nearl y bl i nds the
si ghU (Qur 'an 24: 43)
Al l ah () tells us how He deal s wi th the shade or shadow:


you not seen how your Lord spread the shadow. If
He wi l l ed He coul d have made it still But We have made
the sun its gui de [i.e. after the su isethe shadow
shri nks and vani shes at mi dnoon and then agai n appears
153
154 Defi ni ti on 01 Al l ahnd Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
in the af temoon wi th the dec1i ne of the sun and had
there been no sunl i ght there woul d have been no
shadow]. Then We wi thdraw it to Us - a gradual
conceal ed wi thdrawal.}t ( Qur ' an 25: 45-46)
Look how He () deal s wi th ma rs of li andl i vi ng bei ngs and
wi th the ni ght and day:
447 j 4 4 md Ji f
.


y GAb Ji tJ i J G41
[0' Muhammad] : 0' Al l ah! Possessor of the
ki ngdom You gi ve the ki ngdomtowhomYou wi l l and
You take the ki ngdom' OmwhomYou wi l l and You
endue wi th honour whomYou wi l l and You humi l i ate
whomYou wi l l . In Your Hand is the good. Veri l y You
are Abl e to do all thi ngs. You make the ni ght to enter
i nto the day and You make the day toenter i nto the ni ght
[i.e. i ncrease and decrease inthe hours of the ni ght and
the day duri ng wi nter and summer] You bri ng the l i vi ng
out of the dead and You bri ng the dead out ofthe living.
And You gi ve weal th and sustenance towhomYou wi l l
wi thout l i mi t [measure or account]. } t ( Qur ' an 3: 262
The Qur' an does not onl y tell us of the power of Al l ah and how it
operates in the uni verse how Hi s knowl edge encompasses all Hi s
creatures and how He is the di sposer of all affairs - it al so tells us e
p pose for whi ch He created the uni verse.
Al l ah () created this earth for the sake of man:

BeliefinAl l ah 155
it is Who created for you all that is on e h. . )
(Qur' an 2: 29)
He created it for us ina manner that is sui ted toour na reand serves
our interests. l I s is what the Q ' an calls subj ugati on (taskheer).
He does not onl y tell us that by way of i nformati on; He expl ai ns tous
the subj ugati on at Al l ah has created in the uni verse:
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you not [0' men] that Al l ah has subj ected for you
whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the
e...) (Qur' n 31: 20)
The stars were created for us tonavi gate by at ni ght on l and and sea:
j g F 4 4 Ij sJ fAJ

is He Who has set the stars for you so that you may
gui de yo co sewi th thei r hel p through the darkness
of the l and and the sea. We have [i ndeed] expl ai ned in
detai1 Our Aayaat [proofs evi dences verses l essons
si gns revel ati ons etc.] for peopl e who
(Qur 'an 6: 97)
leearth and eheavens the comi ng down of rai n f romthe sky the
shi ps at sail in esea the ri vers whi ch f10w throughout the l and
the sun and moon the successi on of ni ght and day... all of these have
been created for our benefi t:
64 t ji t :ht.J t 1J i
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156 Definitionof Al l ah and Connecti ng He'rts toHi m


is He Who has created the heavens and the earth
and sends down water [rain] o mthe d thereby
brought forth fruits as provi si on for you; and He has
made the shi ps tobe of servi ce toyou at they may sail
through the sea by Hi s Command; and He has made
ri vers [also] to be of servi ce to you. And He has made
e sun and the moon both constant1y pursui ng their
courses to be of servi ce to you; and He has made the
ni ght and the day tobe of servi ce toyou. And He gave
you of all that you asked for..) ( Qw'an 14: 32-34)
ii) The bl essi ngs of Al l ah i n the uni verse
The Qur' an tells us that Al l ah () has created this uni verse and
subj ugated it for us. He has made it compati bl e wi th our nature and
ordered it insuch a way that sui the lifeof man. The Qur' an uses
this expl anati on as a means tomake man gi ve thanks tohi s Lord for
man is inc1i ned by nature to l ove the one who is ki nd to hi m:
i
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s there any reward for good other than good?
(Qur' !n 55: 60)
Hence the Qur' an speaks indetail about the bl essi ngs whi ch Al l ah
() has bestowed upon Hi s sl aves in themsel ves:
4? 5 5831: JLJ S1zsjf 3
J
it is He Who has created you and endowed you
wi th heari ng [ears] and seei ng [eyes] and hearts. Little
thanks you (Qur' an 67: 23)
Bel i ef inAl l ah 157
- and in the uni verse around them:
4
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has made for you the earth like a bed and has
made for you roads therei n inorder that you may fi nd
your way. And Who sends down water [rain] o m e
s in due measure then We revi ve a dead l and
therewi th and even so you wi11be brought forth [ o m
the graves]. And Who has created all the pai rs and has
appoi nted for you shi ps and cattleon whi ch you ride In
order that you may mount on their backs and then may
remember the Favour of your Lord when you mount
thereon..) (Qur' n 43: 10-13)
He () has created the sun and the moon for us in a manner that
serves 0 interests and benefi ts us:
1 Jl G _;:i i i J j i ->Ji

is He Who made the sun a shi ni ng thi ng and the moon
as a light and measured out for it stages that you mi ght
know the number of years and the reckoni ng...'
(Qur' an 10: 5)
le an ' aam camel scattle and sheep - and horses mul es and
donkeys have all been created for us to use and they have all been
created in a manner that suits our nature:
158 Defi ni ti on01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
@ t (
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cattle He has created t hemf'Or y'Ou; in t hem
there is war mt h [ war mcl 'Othi ng] dnumerous benefi ts
and 'Of t hemy'Ou eat. And wherei n is beauty f'Or y'Ou
when y'Ou bri ng t hemh'Ome inthe eveni ng and as y'Ou
l ead t hemf'Orth pas reinthe m'Omi ng. And they ca y
y'Our l'Oads t'Oa l and that y'Ou c'Oul d n'Ot reach except wi th
great ' Oubl e t'O y'Oursel ves. Trul y y'Our L'Ord is 11 'Of
ki ndness M'Ost Merci f ul . And [He has created] h'Orses
mul es and d'Onkeys f'Or y'Ou t'Ori de and as an ad'Omment.
And He creates [' Other] thi ngs 'Of whi ch y'Ou have n'O
kn'Owl edge) (Qur 'an 16:5
lesea has als'Obeen created f'Or us; inits creati 'On and inthe (shi ps)
at sail 'On it e many thi ngs that benefi t us:
c}J iL41_;. . ;oi J j f J4J


He it is Wh ' O has subj ected the sea [t'Oy'Ou] that
y'Ou eat there'Offresh tender meat [i.e. fish] and at y'Ou
bri ng f'Orth'Out 'Of it 'Omament s t'Owe' . And y'Ou see the
sh spl 'Oughi ng r'Oughit at y'Ou may seek hus] 'Of
Hi s B'Ounty [by transp'Orti ng the g' O' Ods ' Ompl ace
pl ace] and at y'Ou may be grateful ) r r 16: 1
A11ah () created bees t'Od'Othei r w'Onderful w'Ork t'Opr'Oduce f'Or us
this i nk 'Of varyi ng c'Ol'Ours t'Opr'Ovi de n'Ouri shment and a heal i ng
Belief inAl l ah
r man:
JL. J
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291

your Lord i nspi red the bee sayi ng: Take you
habi tati ons inthemountai ns and inthe trees and inwhat
they erect. Then eat of al1fruits and fol1ow the ways of
your Lord made easy [for you].' There comes forthom
their bel1ies a dri nk ofvaryi ng col our wherei n isheal i ng
for men. Veri l y inthis is i ndeed a si gn for peopl e who
think.lt (Qur 'an 16: 68-69)
159
The Qur ' an urges us to seek and know Al l ah through Hi s
Uni versal Si gns
leQur' an urges the sl aves of Al1ah tol ook at the si gns of Al1ah in
the uni verse e earth the heavens eve i ng in t hemand in
between t hem- and tolet that l ooki ng and ponderi ng be the ki nd of
remi nder whi ch benefi ts the bel i evers.
1 likethe way inwhi ch some contemporary peopl e cal1ed this met hod
the l awof wal ki ng and l ooki ng" because the Qur' an ' equentl y
tel1s man totravel inthe l and and see and l eamo mthat. Thi s coul d
be either inthe lit al physi cal sense or it may mean thi nki ng and
ponderi ng.
The command to do this is gi ven in general terms:

al1that is intheheavens and the earth'
(Qur' an 10: 101)
160 D'nition01 Allahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
- and in speci fi c terms:
3441
let man see f romwhat he is created!) (Qur'an86: 5)
4@
let man l ook at his f i ood. ) (Qur r' n 80 : 24 j
iii) How the Qur ' an uses its aayaat (verses) to prove that the
Creator is deservi ng of Lordshi p and Di ni ty and to prove the
fal seness of everthi ng that is worshi pped i nstead of AUah
The Qur' an takes the si gns inthe uni verse as materi al todebate wi th
the mushri keen (pol ythei sts) and establ i sh proof agai nst them:
0 6 J ; jjl
not those who di sbel i eve known that the heavens
and the earth were j oi ned together as one uni ted pi ece
then We parted them? And We have made ' Omwater
every l i vi ng thi ng. Wi11they not then bel i eve? And We
have pl aced on the earth fi rmmountai ns lest it shoul d
shake wi th t hem and We pl aced therei n broad hi ghways
for t hemtopass through that eymay be gui ded. And
We have made the heaven a roof safe and wel l -guarded.
Yet they maway' Omits si gns [i.e. sun moon wi nds
c1ouds etc.]. And He it is Who has created the ni ght and
the day and the sun and the moon each in an orbi t
(Qur' an 21: 30-33)
Bel i ef i nAU!h 161
He p'Oints 'Out t'Ot hemthe c' O upt nature 'Of their bel i ef intheir g'Ods
wh'O d'O n'Ot p'Ossess the at i butes 'Of L'Ordshi p (Ruboobi yah) and
Di vi ni ty (Ul oohh) whi ch w'Oul d qual i t hemt'Obe deservi ng 'Of
w'Orshi p and t'O be taken as g'Ods i nstead 'Of Al l ah ():
Gj i L f jf f 3L4r 14LJ Ai f J
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363A1
[0' Muhammad] :

Prai se and thanks be t'O Al l ah

and peace be 'On Hi s sl aves wh'Om He has ch'Osen [f'Or Hi s
Message]! Is Al l ah better 'Or [all] that y'Ou ascri be as
partners [t'O Hi m]?' [Of c'Ourse Al l ah is Better]. Is n'Ot
He [better than y'Our g'Ods] Wh ' O created the heavens and
the earth and sends d'Own f'Or y'Ou water [rain] o mthe
sky whereby We cause t'Ogr'Ow w'Onder

1gardens

11
'Of beauty and del i ght? It is n'Ot iny'Our ability t'O cause

egr'Ow ' Of their

ees. Is there any i l aah [g'Od] wi th

A11ah? Nay but they are a pe'Opl e wh'Oascri be equal s [t'O
Hi m]! Is n'Ot He [better than y'Our g'Ods] Wh ' O has made
the earth as a fi xed ab'Ode and has pl aced ri vers in its
mi dst
and has pl aced fi rmm'Ountai ns therei n and has
set a barri er between the t w'O seas
[' O
f salt and sweet
162 Definitionof Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
water]? Is there any i l aah [god] wi th Al l ah? Nay but
most of t hemknow not! Is not He [better than your gods]
Who responds to the di stressed one when he calls on
Hi m and Who removes the evil and makes you
i nheri tors of the earth generati ons after generati ons? Is
there any i l aah [god] wi th Al l ah? Little is that you
remember! Is not He [better than your gods] Who gui des
you in the darkness of the l and and the sea and Who
sends the wi nds as heral ds of gl ad ti di ngs goi ng before
Hi s Mer cy [rai n]? Is there any i l aah [god] wi th Al l ah?
Hi gh Exal ted be Al l ah above all that they associ ate as
p tners [to Hi m]! Is not He [be r than your so-cal l ed
gods] Who ori gi nates creati on and shal l thereafter
repeat it and Who provi des for you o mheaven and
earth? Is there any i l aah [god] wi th Al l ah? Say: Bri ng
forth your proofs if you th1.
(Qur' an 27: 59-64)
These aayaat (verses) expl ai n that thei r so-cal l ed gods are not fit to
be worshi pped for Al l ah al one is the Creator of the heavens and the
earth Who sends down rai nomt hes and bri ngs forth the gardens
whi chreesh esoul and are a del i ght to eeye. He is the One Who
has made the earth as a fi xed abode and has pl aced ri vers inits mi dst
and has pl aced fi rmmountai ns therein... He is the One Who is ul y
deservi ng of worshi p.
Wemust use is ki nd of evi dence when cononti ngthe di sbel i evers
and athei sts for the Messengers have used this evi dence before us to
a great extent . Ibraaheem( Abraham) ( ) ( may peace be upon hi m)
the cl ose i end of Ar- Ral:zmaan (Al l ah the Al l lerciful) debated
wi th that hereti c and establ i shed proof agai nst hi mby usi ng this ki nd
of evi dence thus dazzl i ng hi mand renderi ng hi mspeechl ess:
BeUfinAllah
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you not l ooked at hi mwho di sputed wi th
Ibraaheemabout his Al l ah because Al l ah had gi ven hi m
the ki ngdom? When Ibraaheemsai d [tohi m]: My Al l ah
is He Who gi ves lifeand causes death.' He sai d '1gi ve
life and cause death.' Ibraaheemsai d Veri l Al l ah
bri ngs the suno m eeast; then bri ng it you' Om e
west.' So the di sbel i ever was utter1y defeated. And Al l ah
gui des not the peopl e who are
(Qur 2: 25
163
Moosa (Moses) () the one who spoke wi Al l ahused the same
argument when he confronted e tyrant of his age Fi rawn
(pharaoh). He kept produci ng evi dence after evi dence until Pharaoh
coul d no l onger put up an argument whereupon he resorted tothe use
of threats:

;
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[Pharaoh] said: ' And what is the Lord of the
' Aal ameen [manki nd j i nn and a11 that exists]?' Moosa
[Moses] said: le Lord of the heavens and the earth
and all at is between t hem i f you seek tobe convi nced
wi th certainty.' Pharaoh sai d to l ose ound: Do you
not hear [what he says]?' Moosa said: Your Lord and
164 Definition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
the Lord of your anci ent thers!' [Pharaoh] said: Veri l y
your Messenger who has been sent toyou is a madman! '
[Moosa] said: Lord of the east and the west and all that
is between t hem i f you di d but understand!' [Pharaoh]
said: If you choose an i l aah [god] other than me 1 wi11
certai nl y put you among the pri soners.
( Qur 'an 26: 2329)
Thi s way of produci ng evi dence is the way of all the Messengers.
Look at Soorah l braaheem[aayaat (verses) 9 10] dread what the
di sbel i evi ng peopl e the peopl e of NooQ ( Noah) ( ) and Aad and
Thamood and those who came after t hem sai d and see how the
Messengers repl i ed by sayi ng:
p 5385 J i ~ A 1 4
. . . LF
4Can there be a doubt about Al l ah the Creator of the
heavens and the earth? He calls you [toMonot hei smand
tobe obedi ent toAl l ah] that He may forgi ve you of your
si ns..) (Qur' an 14: 10)
l ey proved e veraci ty of thei r call by referri ng to the ct that
Al l ah () is the Creator of the heavens and the earth.
Kuj (di sbel i ef) is reprehensi bl e and strange in the face of such
cl ear proof
Hence the Qur' an asks a questi on whi ch i ndi cates how strange it is
that the di sbel i evers di sbel i eve when the proof and evi dence are so
c1ear:
. p46M =J A14 4
C 3 A J .
~ H o w can you di sbel i eve inAl l ah? Seei ng that you were
Bel i ef inAl l ah
dead and He gave you life. Then He wi l l gi ve you death
then agai n wi l l bri ng you to life [on the Day of
Resurrecti on] and then unto Hi myou wi l l return)
(Qur' n 2: 28)
In another aayah (verse) it asks:
qb:
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man! What has made you carel ess about your Lord
the Most Generous? Who created you shi oned you
perfectl y and gave you due proporti on. In whatever
f ormHe wi l l ed He put you together.lt ( Qur 'an82: 6
165
When man l ooks at hi msel f and at the uni verse around hi m he cannot
but rnto his Creator and glori Hi m. Hence it is s gethat the
di sbel i evers di sbel i eve and deny at .
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is the matter wi th you that [you ar not Al l ah
(Hi s puni shment) and] you hope not for reward [ o m
Al l ah or you bel i eve not inHi s Oneness]. WhileHe has
created you in [di fferent] ges [i. e. rst Nui f ah then
' Al aqah and then Mudghah]. See you not how Al l ah has
created the seven heavens one above another? And has
made the moon a light therei n and made the sun a l amp?
And Al l ah has brought you forth o mthe [dust of]
earth? Af terwards He wi l l re rnyou i nto it [the earth]
and bri ng you forth [agai n on the Day ofResurrecti on]?l t
(Qur' !n 71: 13-18)
166 Definitionof Allahand Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
iv) Those who benefi t f romthe si gns of the uni verse are those
who have i nsi ght
The si gns of Al1ah in the uni verse onl y become c1ear in al1 their
i nspi ri ng reality to hearts whi ch remember and worshi p Al1ah
because al1veils have been removedo mthese hearts and eyare
open to the wonders of the uni verse. The Qur' an establ i shes is
connecti on between human hearts and the rhythmof this i mmense
and beauti ful uni verse. This connecti on creates the i nsi ght that
di scovers the uni verse anew. This i nsi ght and di scovery l eave great
i mpact on the human hearts and become so preci ous inthe lives ofthe
manki nd. Thi s connecti on is establ i shed by the Qur' an between
understandi ng l earni ng and e man who l earns and understands.
Hence the Qur' an states that those who are gui ded by the si gns ofthe
uni verse are a certai n pe of peopl e:
Jfi [tj
J 446l i 1;

4 i
Inthe creati on ofthe heavens and the earth and
inthe al ternati on of ni ght and day there arei ndeed si gns
for men of understandi ng. Those who remember Al1ah
[al ways and in prayers] standi ng sitting and l yi ng
down on their si des and thi nk deepl y about the creati on
of the heavens and the earth [saying]: Our Lord! You
have not created [al1] this wi thout purpose gl ory toYou!
[Exal ted areYou above all that they associ ate wi th You
as partners]. Gi ve us sal vati on f romthe torment of the
F (Qur' an 3: 190191)
These are the peopl e who benefi t o mthe si gns of the uni verse
because eydo not stop at the limit of the physi cal thi ngs atthey
Bel i efi n Al l ah 167
can see; rather they l ook tothe Hand that is runni ng the uni verse and
the Power that created it . They use their eyes ears and mi nds inthe
best way in l sma eandthey fol l owthe gui dance ofthe aayaat of
the Qur' an whi ch hel p the ears eyes and mi nd tounderstand the best
that man can ever understand:

i: :
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among Hi s Si gns is isthat He created for you
wl ves o mamong yoursel ves that you may fi nd repose
in t hem and He has put between you affecti on and
mercy. Veri l y inthat are i ndeed si gns for a peopl e who
reflect. And among Hi s Si gns is the creati on of the
heavens and the earth and the di fference of your
l anguages and col ours. Veri l y inthat are i ndeed si gns
for men of sound knowl edge. And among Hi s Si gns is
yo sl eepby ni ght and by day and your seeki ng of Hi s
Bounty. Veri l y in at are i ndeed si gns for a peopl e who
listen. And among Hi s Si gns is that He shows you the
lighl I ngfor fear and for hope and He sends down
water [rain] o mthe s. and therewi th revi ves the earth
after its death. Veri l y in that are i ndeed si gns for a
peopl e who understand.T (Qur' an 30: 21-24)
So the si gns become cl ear to those who ponder listen and have
understandi ng inthe right di recti on and l ead t hemtotheir obj ecti ve.
168 D'nition01 Al l ahand Connecti ng HeTts toHi m
The kuffaar (di sbel i evers) 'On the 'Other hand l' O' Ok at what happens
and their ' Oughts d'On'Ot g'Obey'Ond it t'Othe Creat'Or. They d'On'Ot
understand the wi sd'Om behi nd creati 'On.
...c J
kn'Ow 'Onl y the 'Outsi de appe ance 'Of the life 'Of
the w' Or1d [i.e. the matters 'Of their livelih' O' Od like
irrigating'Or s'Owi ng 'Or reapi ng etc.] ..) (Qur 'an30:
The di sbel i evers d'On'Ot benefi t o mthe uni versal si gns because they
d'O n'Ot l' O' Ok at t hemthr'Ough the l ens 'Of the Qur' an:
; 4gf J M13 3f d1UU; f J
3. 48
all that is inthe heavens and the earth"
but nei ther Aayaat n'Or warners benefi t th'Ose wh'O
bel i eve n'Ot ) (Qur' an 10: 101)
TheQ ' anden'Ounces edi sbel i evers and the deni ers f'Or failingt'O
l' O' Ok and learn:
UJ
4. Ui 4L13A J
they n'Ot l' O' Ok inthe d'Omi ni 'On 'Of the heavens and
the earth and all thi ngs that Al l ah has created; and that it
may be that the end 'Of their lives is near. In what
message after this wi11 they then bel i eve?)
(Qur' an 7: 185)
v) Moder n sci ences have severed the connecti on between
manki nd and the uni verse
Sayyi d Qut b ( may Al l ah have mercy 'On hi m) said:
Bel i ef i nAU:h 169
The methodol ogy of the so-cal l ed modemscienti studi es has
severed the connecti on whi ch Al l ah () establ i shed between
manki nd and the uni verse in whi ch they live.
Manki nd is part of this uni verse and their life cannot be sound or
heal thy unl ess their hearts beat wi th the rhythmof the uni verse and
are connected tothe rhythmof is great uni verse. There has tobe a
connecti on between their hearts and everythi ng they l eamabout one
of the s rs or pl anets or about the characteri sti cs of pl ants and
ani mal s or the characteri sti cs of the entire uni verse ingeneral and
the l i vi ngand i nani mate wor1ds that it contai ns - if i ndeed there are
i nani mate wor1ds - or there is anythi ng i nani mate inthis uni verse!
Al l scientific knowl edge' must a une itself i mmedi atel y to the
rhyt n of the human heart and toan ami cabl e rel ati onshi p wi th this
uni verse so as to s engthen the bonds between humans and
i nani mate obj ects and l i vi ng bei ngs. Every ki nd of knowl edge
sci ence and research that falls short of this vital i nspi ri ng movi ng
obj ecti ve inhuman lifeis i mperfect knowl edge falsei nformati on or
ui t1ess research.
l I s uni verse is an open book of truthwhi ch can be read in every
l anguage and understood by all means. It can be understood by
ordi nary peopl e l i vi ngintents and huts and by ci ty-dwel l ers l i vi ngin
apa nents and pal aces. Each person can understand it accordi ng to
his own level and potenti al and fi nd init some support for the truth
when he searches it wi th the pu oseof fi ndi ng the truth. It is open at
all ti mes.
@y J ; u;]j i J J
~ A n i nsi ght and a Remi nder for every sl ave who mst o
Al l ah in repentance [i.e. the one who bel i eves in the
Oneness of Al l ah and performs deeds of Hi s obedi ence
and al ways begs Hi s Pardon]. ) (Qur' an 50: 8)
170 Definition01Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
But modemsci ence exti ngui shes this deep i nsi ght and cuts the ties
between human hearts and this uni verse whi ch speaks the th
because it is the wor k of peopl e who have no i nsi ght and are
domi nated by e m l of scientificmet hod ' the met hod whi ch cuts
the ties between the uni verse and the creatures who live in it .
The methodol ogy of faith does not de act o mthe results of the
scientific methods' in understandi ng facts but it adds the i dea of
connecti ng these cts toone another and ref i ngt hemtothe greater
realities and connecti ng the human heart to emi.e. tothe l aws and
realities of the uni verse tumi ng these l aws and realities into movi ng
rhythms that wi l l stir peopl e' s emoti ons not yfacts resi di ng intheir
mi nds at di scl ose nothi ng of its beauti ful mysteri es. The
methodol ogy of faithis that whi ch must take over inthe fieldof s dy
and research so that the facts that are di scovered wi l l have this ong
connecti on... " 1
vi) Evi dence in creati on of the attri butes of the Creator
If we l ook at a machi ne whi ch is beauti ful l y afted wi th great
preci si on s ong and sol i dl y constructed doi ng its j ob in the best
possi bl e way we wi l l real i ze wi th the mi ni mumof mental effort that
its maker is al i ve and knowl edgeabl e and that he is possessed of
power and will... and other at i buteswhi ch the machi ne i nforms us of.
Thi s uni verse tells us of many of the attri butes of its Creator such
as:
Hi s Power and Knowl edge: Thi s vast i mmense huge uni verse
whi ch is runni ng accordi ng toa preci se systemmust have been made
by One Who is Al l -Powerful and Al l - Knowi ng. Al l ah () created
the uni verse inthis huge f ormand created is perfect systemtotell
us of Hi s power and knowl edge.
1 Fi :(ilaal al- Qur' an Tafseer Soorah Qaaf aayah (verse) 8.
Bel i ef inAl l ah
;;difj;JJ f 3LPJ LdJ (
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is Al l ah Who has created seven heavens and of the
earth the like thereof [i. e. seven]. Hi s Command
descends between t hem[heavens and earth] that you
may know that Al l ah has power over all thi ngs and that
Al l ah surrounds all thi ngs in [Hi s]
(Qur' an 65: 12)
171
The knowl edge whi ch control s this uni verse must be perfect and all-
encompassmg:
- / e...-:: 1" E.....r
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. And He knows whatever there is inthe l and and inthe
sea; not a l eaf falls but He knows it. There is not a grai n
inthe darkness of the earth nor anythi ng eshor dry but
is wri tten in a Cl ear (Qur 'an 6: 59)
He is Wi se: Looki ng at this uni verse we fi nd t it is wel l made wi th
everythi ng inits ri ghtful pl ace created inthe ri ght proporti ons in e
most perfect and preci se manner.
135Af p j i i J 4}
@- - J 32
you wi l l see the mountai ns and thi nk t hemsol i d
but they shall pass away as e passi ng away of the
cl ouds. The Wor k of Al l ah Who perfected all thi ngs
( Qur 'an 27: 88)

rssi
made everythi ng He has created good and He
Definition01Al l ahand Connecti ng Herts toHi m 172
began the creati on of man o mc1ay) (Qur' an 32:
le one who l ooks c10sel y at the creati on of Al l ah wi11 not fi nd
anythi ng but perfecti on and preci si on and i fhe l ooks for any ult in
creati on he wi11 not fi nd it.
j
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has created the seven heavens one above another;
you can see no fault inthe creati on ofthe Most Graci ous.
Then l ook agai n: Can you see any rifis?' Then l ook
agai n and yet agai n your si ght wi11re m to you in a
S te of humi l i ati on and wo m out ) (Qur 'an 67: 3
Ot her attri butes: What we have sai d about the uni verse i ndi cati ng
the at butes of the Creator is by way of exampl e; we have not listed
everythi ng. These exampl es pave the way for further research and
i nvesti gati on for inthe uni verse there are many si gns that poi nt tothe
greatness mi ght and ki ndness of Al l ah. Li sten to the Di vi ne
at i butes whi ch Al l ah () menti ons at the end of each of these
ay t (verses):
;J; i d .;J t
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2
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you not that Al l ah sends down water [rain] omt he
sky and then the earth becomes green? Veri l y Al l ah is
the Most Ki nd and Courteous Wel l -Acquai nted wi th all
thi ngs. To Hi mbel ongs all that is inthe heavens and all
Bel i efi nAUh
that is on the earth. And veri l y Al l ah He is Ri ch [Free of
a11needs] Wort hy of a11prai se. See you not that A11ah
has subj ected to you [manki nd] a11that is on the earth
and the shi ps that sail through the sea by Hi s Command?
He wi thhol ds the heaven f romfa11ingon the earth except
by Hi s Leave. Veri l y A11ah is for manki nd 11 of
ki ndness Most ( Qur 'an 22: 63-65)
vii) AUah is the onl y One Who is deservi ng of worshi p
173
Looki ng at and contempl ati ng the si gns of the uni verse l eads us to
worshi p A11ah al one for A11ah al one is the Creator the Con o11er
the Sustai ner of the heavens and the earth the Provi der the Gi ver of
life and death. Hence He and no one el se is deservi ng of worshi p.
:j . sji G
J;iUik 52 .s;Si Aiz


manki nd! Worshi p your Lord [A11ah] Who created
you and those who were before you so that you may
become Al -Muttaqoon. Who has made the earth a resti ng
pl ace for you and the sky as a canopy and sent down
water [rain] o mthe sky and brought forth therewi th
uits as a provi si on for you. Then do not set up rivals
unto A11ah [inworshi p] whi l e you know [that He Al one
has the ri ght to be worshi pped]. ) ( Qur 'an 2. 2122)
;j J LAT 13;f J i

manki nd! Remember the Grace of A11ah upon you!
Is there any creator other than Al l ah who provi des for
174 Defi ni ti on01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
you f romthe sky [rain] and the earth? Laa i l aaha illa
Huw[ none has the ri ght to be worshi pped but He].
How en are you turni ng away [ o m
( Qur ' an 35: 3)
I n this manner - as we have stated above - the Qur' an proves the
lsityof other so-cal l ed gods and that they do not deserve any ki nd
of worshi p at all.
H

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has created the heavens wi thout any pillars that you
see and has set on the earth frrmmountai ns 1est it shou1d
shake wi th you. And He has scattered therei n movi ng
[living] crea res of all ki nds. And We send down water
[rain] f romthe sky and We cause [p1ants] of every
good1y ki nd to gr ow therei n. This is the creati on of
Al l ah. So show Me that whi ch those [ whomyou
worshi p] besi des Hi mhave created. Nay the : ?aal i moon
[po1ythei sts wrongdoers and those who do not bel i eve
in the Oneness of Al l ah] are in p1ai n error)
(Qur' an 31: 10-11)
Thus Al l ah () remi nds Hi s creati on through the uni versa1 si gns
and the way inwhi ch He con ol s all thei r affairs. I n many aayaat of
the Qur' an He fol l ows at by sayi ng: is Al l ah your Lord)
(Qur' an 39: i.e. this is the God besi des Who m none is deservi ng
of worshi p.
Li sten to these aayaat (verses) and then ponder eendi ng of each
y h:
Be!i<finAl l ah
3 J a;.

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4 rb] f _J:J J j1J JJ
( i 444 G
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has created the heavens and the earth wi t h truth. He
makes the ni ght to go i n the day and makes the day to go
i n the ni ght. And He has subj ected the sun and the moon.
Each runni ng [on a fi xed co ] for an appoi nted term.
Veri l y He is e Al l - Mi ght y the Of t- Forgi vi ng. He
created you [all] o ma si ngl e person [ Adam] ; then
made o mhi mhi s wi f e [I:I awwa' (Eve)]. And He has
sent down for you of cattl e ei ght pai rs [of the sheep t wo
mal e and f emal e; of the goats t wo mal e and f emal e; of
the oxen t wo mal e and f emal e; and of the camel s t wo
mal e and mal e]. He creates you i n the wombs of your
mot hers creati on after creati on i n three vei l s of
darkness. Such is Al l ah your Lord. Hi s is the ki ngdom.
Laa i l aaha illa Huwa [ none has the ri ght to be
worshi pped but He]. Ho w en e you turned away?)
(Qur' n 39: 5-6)
175
2) Schol ars Expl ai n the Wonder s that AUah has Made in Hi s
Creati on
Schol ars - past and present haveexpl ai ned the wonders of Al l ah
in Hi s creation. They exhort themsel ves thereby as they exhort
others. We will quote bel owsome of the concl usi ons reached by
schol ars of the past and the present.
Readi ng these quotes the reader shoul d bear inmi nd the words of
Moosa ( Moses) to Fi r' awn (Pharaoh):
176 Dinition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m

Lord is He Who gave toeach thi ng its f ormand
nature then gui ded it i ght. (Qur 'an 20: 50).
Al l ah () has gi ven each thi ng that He has created whi ch suits it
and has gui ded it tothat whi ch befits it... we wi11see exampl es ofthi s
gi vi ng and gui di ng bel ow.
i) Bodi es are f or med of cells whi ch di vi de
a) What are the l i vi ng bodi es f ormed of and how?
Expl ai ni ng this matter a modemresearcher Dr. Yusuf Izz Uddeen
says Most ani mal s and pl ants are f ormed of a huge number of these
ti ny uni ts whi ch we call cells j ust as a bui1di ng is f ormed of snes
laid next to one another. "
b) Why are cells conti nual l y di vi di ng?
Dr. Yusuf I zz Uddeen expl ai ns the secret behi nd the di vi si on of cells:
The cells of our bodi es and the bodi es of other ani mal s are al ways
di vi di ng. Thi s di vi si on makes the body gr ow or makes up for cells
that have been lost or have di ed for vari ous reasons. Each of these
cells is basi cal l y f ormed o ma wondrous substance cal l ed
protopl asm.
The contents of each cell perf ormspeci fi c functi ons; among these
contents are mi nute bodi es" whi ch ca y the geneti c factors. These
are cal l ed chromosomes.
The number of chromosomes inthe cells of each speci es of ani mal s
and pl ants is fi xed. The number of chromosomes incats for exampl e
is di fferent f romthe number indogs or el ephants or carrots or beans.
In each cell of the human body the number of chromosomes is forty-
Sl X.
Bel irinAl l ah 177
When a cell di vi des int'Ot w'Oin'Our b'Odi es each cell must c'Ontai n the
same number 'Of chr'Om'Os'Omes i.e. f' O r-six. If this number were
dist'Orted'Or changed man w'Oul d n'Ot be man. As we have menti 'Oned
this divisi 'On 'Of cells happens c'Onti nual l y at all h'Ours 'Of the day even
when we are sl eepi ng. Even n'Ow we sti11d'On'Ot kn'Ow the real nature
'Ofthe f'Orces that c'Ontr'Ol this amazi ng acti 'On 'Of cell divisi 'On. Sci ence
st'Ops as descri bi ng the practi cal steps that have been 'Observed
thr'Ough regul ar mi cr'Osc'Opes 'Or electr'On mi crosc'Opes whi ch can
magni thi ngs far m'Ore than regul ar mi cr'Osc'Opes. "
c) Why are repr'Oducti ve cells di erent ' Om'Other cells?
Dr. Yusuf says: Al l the cells whi ch are pr'Oduced by cel l ul ar divisi 'On
in 'Our b'Odi es must c'Ontai n f'Orty-si x chr'Om'Os'Omes apart o m r'O
types 'Of cells whi ch are the reproducti ve cells i.e. the mal e sperm
and the femal e egg. When the ti ssue cells di vi de t'O pr'Oduce these
repr'Oducti ve cells they pr'Oduce cells whi ch d'On'Ot c'Ontai n f'Orty-six
chr'Om'Os'Omes; i nstead they c'Ontai n hal f that number s'O that each
repr'Oducti ve cell whether mal e 'Or femal e c'Ontai ns twenty-three
chr'Om'Os'Omes. "
Then he expl ai ns why this happens and says:
l I shappens f'Or a great reas'On: the mal e cell (sperm) mustj 'Oinwi th
the femal e cell (egg) t'Of'Or mthe first cell inthe b'Ody 'Of the embr y'O
whi ch we call the fertilized cell where the t wenr-three
chr'Om'Os'Omes inthe mal e cell j 'Ointhe twenty-three chr'Om'Os'Omes in
the femal e cell s'Othat the number 'Of chr'Om'Os'Omes inthe new cell is
rest'Ored t' O e 'Ori gi nal number f' O rsix chr'Om'Os'Omes.
lis fertilized cell whi ch n'Ow c'Ontai ns f'Orty-six chr'Om'Os'Omes
c'Onti nues t'Odi vi de bec'Omi ng t w'Ocells then f'Our then ei ght and s'O
'On until the f'Oetus is fully f'Or med and emerges o mits m'Other' s
w'Omb. (The f'Oetus) c'Onti nues t'O gr'Ow by cell divisi 'On until it
bec'Omes a ful l y-gr'Own human bei ng wi th f' O rsixchr'Om'Os'Omes in
178 Definition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
each 'Of its cells as in the cells 'Of the b'Odi es 'Of its m'Other father
grandparents and all 'Other member s 'Of the human race."
Thi s hal vi ng 'Of the number 'Of chr'Om'Os'Omes in the repr'Oducti ve
cells s'O that they can j 'Oin t'Ogether and rest'Ore the number t'O the
'Ori gi nal c'Oul d never happen as the resul t 'Of bl i nd f'Orces. 1t has t'Obe
the resul t 'Of preci se cal cul ati 'On 'On the part 'Of a subl i me p'Ower that
kn'Ows what it is d'Oing.
At the same ti me is 'Operati 'On cann'Ot be the resul t 'Of al ande 'Or.
1f 'Onl y 'One mi stake had happened at the begi nni ng 'Of creati 'On it
w'Oul d have deal t a final bl 'Ow t'O the life f'Or mbef'Ore the sec'Ond
generati 'On had been created. Thi s a angement has t'O have been
c'Ompl eted bef'Ore the first f'Oe s ever t'O appe was f'Ormed. 1s this
n'Ot suffi ci ent evi dence 'Of the exi stence 'Of a wi se capabl e and
c'Ontr'Olling hi gher p'Ower?"
d) Why d'O n'Ot brai n cells di vi de?
The 'Other pe 'Of cell that is unl i ke all the 'Others is the brai n cell
whi ch unl i ke all 'Other cells inthe b'Ody d'Oes n'Ot di vi de. C'Oncemi ng
the reas'On why it d'Oes n'Ot di vi de Dr. Yusuf says:
1t c'Oul d n'Ot have c'Ome ab'Out thr'Ough ial and eor that the 'Onl y
cells at d'On'Ot di vi de are the nerve cells o mwhi ch the brai n and
erest 'Ofthe nerv'Ous systemare f'Ormed. 1fthese cells were t'Odi vi de
like 'Other cells the resul ts w'Oul d be di sas ous. 1n this case the brai n
cells w'Oul d n'Ot be abl e t'Opreserve a pers'On' s pers'Onal i ty and all the
features 'Of hi s me m'Ory w'Oul d di sappear wi thi n a f ewh'Ours.
lenumber 'Ofbrai n cells at are present ina pers'On 'Or ani mal d'Oes
n'Ot i ncrease even by 'One cell unti l the i ndi vi dual di es whereas the
red bl ' O' Od cells are cells whi ch di e and e repl aced by new cells
every hundred days 'Or S'O. Red bl ' O' Od cells are manu .ctured in e
b'One marr'Ow then sent t'Oj 'Ointhe fl 'Ow 'Of bl ' O' Od t'Otake the pl ace 'Of
cells that have di ed. "
Bel i ef inAl l ah 179
e) The reason why musc1es in the body vary in strength.
On this topi c Dr. Yusuf al so says:
lestrongest musc1es inthe body of bo humans and mammal s are
the muscl es of e uterus in femal es the musc1es whi ch push the
foe s out of its mother' s womb. If these musc1es had not been so
S ongo mthe begi nni ng of creati on the first newbomwoul d never
have emerged o mits mother' s womb.
Thenexts ongest musc1es after those of the uterus ethe musc1es of
the j aw and the musc1es of the heart whi ch must conti nue wor k
ni ght and day topush the bl ood around the ci rcul atory systemfor a
peri od whi ch may last for more than a hundred years. Si mi l arl y the
j awmuscl es must remai n abl e tobri ng the teeth together tochewtons
of food over a l i feti me."
) Resi stance of l i vi ng bei ngs to destructi ve factors
Dr. Yusuf says:
There is an i mportant characteri sti c whi ch is shared by all l i vi ng
bei ngs o m e most pri mi ti ve to the most advanced. Thi s
characteri sti c is the resi stance to destructi ve ctorsbecause the
Creator of all these bei ngs wants t hemto survi ve.
The i nfl uenza vi rus changes shape o mti me to ti me to make it
harder to resist and destroy. Generati on after generati on of i nsects
gai ns i mmuni ty to chemi cal i nsecti ci des thus resi sti ng destructi ve
factors and exti ncti on.
Inthe case of man too it has been noted that more babi es are bom
duri ng ti mes of war and at when women take b con 01pi11s for
an extended peri od if they forget totake the pi1l s for a f ewdays the
result is often twi ns tomake up for the l ack of 0 pri ngcaused by
the peri od of con acepti on. If a person l oses one of his ki dneys for
180 Definition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
some reason the remai ni ng ki dney i ncreases insi ze inorder todo the
wor k of t wo ki dneys. It is as if the body real i zes that somethi ng is
mi ssi ng and is yi ng to compensate for it.
Al l ah Al one is the One Who has provi ded these created bei ngs wi th
this wonderf ul abi l i ty to mai ntai n the bal ance so that they are not
exposed tothe ri sk of exti ncti on. He has al so equi pped many ani mal s
wi th the means of def endi ng themsel ves. I n this sense man is no
di fIerent than scorpi ons snakes centi pedes etc.
Thi s pri nci pl e or l aw towhi ch al l 1i vi ng bei ngs are subj ect coul d not
have come about as the resul t of a bl i nd acci dent. An acci dent cannot
take the shape of a l awthat appl i es to all crea res. "
iii) Ho w Al l ah i nspi red the bee and the wonder s of how Al l ah has
created it
Ibn al - Qayyi m
2
( may Al l ah have mer cy on hi m) tells us about the
wonders that Al l ah () has created inthe uni verse. He tells us how
Al l ah has gui ded the bee inthe ma ers of its life: The way inwhi ch
the bee is gui ded is one of the most wondrous thi ngs. It has a l eader
and con ol1erthe chi ef whi ch is bi gger than all the other bees and
mor e beauti ful in col our and appearance.
The f emal e bees gi ve bi rth at the begi nni ng of spri ng3 and most of
the ofIspri ng are femal es. If a mal e is bom they do not let hi mstay
among them. Ei ther they expel hi mor ki11 hi m apart o ma w
because the mal es do not do any wor k of val ue or eama living.
2 Sh( al- ' Al eel 101. What we quote here fromIbn al -Qayyi mdemonstrates
that our righteous predecessors (As-Sal af a:j -$aal i ) usedto ponder the creation of
Al1ah. Al though the observati ons of the Musl i mscholars reached an advanced
level they arenot eeomeors as be: s do not have a king but a queen.
3 The only bee whi ch lays eggs is equeen.
Be/i ef inAl l ah 181
The bees edi vi ded into groups one of whi ch stays wi th the ki ng
and never l eaves hi m. Another group makes wax whi ch is made
o mthe dregs of honey and is sweet like figs. The bees take great
C e of this mor e than they do wi th the honey. They cl ean it and
puri it o many contami nati on such as uri ne and the like. Another
group bui l ds the houses another group bri ngs water carryi ng it on
their backs. A thi rdgroup sweeps the hi ve and cl eans it of any dead
bodi es (of bees). If they see a sl ow l azy bee they kill it so that it
cannotco upt the other workers and i nfect t hemwi th its i dl eness and
laziness.
The first thi ng to be built inthe hi ve is the throne and house of the
ki ng. A rai sed house likea bed is built for hi m and he sits there wi th
a group of bees likepri nces servants and advi sers around hi m who
never l eave hi m. The bees make somethi ng likea oughi nont of
hi m into whi ch they pour the finest possi bl e honey. They fill the
trough wi th it and this is the f ood of the ki ng and his courtiers.
Then they startbui l d the houses ina strai ght line likestreets and
shops. Thei r houses e regul ar si x-si ded shapes (hexagons) as if
they have read the book of Eucl i d and know that this is the best shape
for their houses because what is needed when a house is built is a
structure whi ch is stabl e and spaci ous and of all shapes the hexagon
takes on a round shape like a mi l l stone when several of t hemare
j oi ned together. No hol es or gaps are left and the shapes support one
another so that they f orma si ngl e sol i d l ayer such that the poi nt of a
needl e cannot be i nserted between the houses.
Bl essed be the One Who i nspi red the bee to bui l d its houses inthis
solid wel l -constructed mann whi chman cannot do. The bee knows
that it needs tobui l d its houses wi th t wo i mportant qualities: the first
is at the comers shoul d not be so sha l y-angl edthat this na o w
space woul d be wasted and the other is at the houses shoul d be of
such a shape that when they are j oi ned together no space is wasted.
182 Definition01Al l ahnd Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
The bee knows that the onl y shape whi ch has these t wo qual i ti es is
the hexagon. Al though i angl es and squares coul d fi11 the space
their angl es are too na ow. Other shapes may have wi der angl es but
they do not fi11the space proper1y - they woul d l eave gaps whi ch
woul d be a waste of space. The hexagon has these t wo qual i ti es so
A11ah gui ded the bee to bui1d its houses in is shape wi thout any
rul er or tool s or exampl e tofol l ow. The most profi ci ent of the sons of
Adamwoul d not be abl e tobui l d a hexagonal house wi thout the use
of bi g tools.
Bl essed be the One Who gui ded the bee to fi nd its way to its
"pas re" where it fi nds its f ood inan easy manner wi thout difficulty
and wi thout l osi ng its way. It gathers the best of what it fi nds inthe
pas rethen comes back toits empt y house and pours into it a i nk
of varyi ng col our wherei n is heal i ng for men. Veri l y inthis is i ndeed
a si gn for peopl e who thi nk ( Qur' an 16: 6 8 - 6 ~ .
When it has fi ni shed bui l di ng these houses the bee goes out wi th an
empt y stomach wanderi ng inthe pl ai ns and mountai ns feedi ng on
the nectar in etops of fl owers and tree l eaves and it comes back
wi th a fu11 stomach.
Al l ah () has created inits mout h a (ki nd of) heat whi ch processes
what it has col l ected and rns it i nto somethi ng sweet then it bri ngs
it forthinthe houses unti1they are full then it seal s t hemand covers
the top wi th pure wax. When these houses efull it goes toanother
pl ace if it fi nds a sui tabl e site and starts tobui l d houses init as it di d
wi th the first houses.
If it gets col d and the pas res" are no l onger avai l abl e and the bee
cannot eamits l i vi ng it stays in its house and feeds on the stored
honey. When it is eami ng its l i vi ng it goes out earl y and wanders in
its pas resand each group of bees does the wor k that it is desi gned
to do. Then in the eveni ng they go back to their houses.
Be/i ef inAl l ah 183
The ki ng 'Onl y g'Oes 'Out 'Of the hi ve 'On rare 'Occasi 'Ons when he wants
t'Ohave 'eshair. 8'0 he g'Oes 'Out wi 1hi s pri nces and servants and
g'Oes around inthe mead'Ows and gardens f'Or a whi l e then he g'Oes
back t'O hi s pl ace.
One 'Of the w'Onders 'Of bees is that if s'Ome'One 'Offends the ki ng
whether it is an'Other bee the 'Owner 'Of the hi ve 'Or the pers'On wh'Ois
l' O' Oki ng after the hi ve he gets angry and l eaves the hi ve and stays
away ' Omit . Al l the bees f'Oll 'Ow hi m and the hi ve is left empty.
If their 'Owner sees that and is a ai d that the ki ng may take all the
bees away t'Oan'Other pl ace he pl ays a ckt'Obri ng the ki ng back and
make hi mhappy. He ies t'O fi nd 'Out where he has taken the bees
whi ch he can fi nd 'Out because all the bees are gathered ar'Ound hi m.
l eynever l eave hi m rather they gather ar'Ound hi muntil they l' O' Ok
likea bunch 'Of grapes. When the ki ng g'Oes 'Out inanger he se les in
a hi gh p t 'Of a eand the bees fly ar'Ound hi mand j 'Oinhi m until
they l' O' Ok like a ball. The 'Owner 'Of the bees takes a spear 'Or a l'Ong
stick and puts a bunch 'Of agrant vegetati 'On 'On hi s head then he
bri ngs it ne t'Owhere the ki ng is. He has wi th hi mei ther a ki nd 'Of
t amb'Ouri ne 'Or a reed 'Or s'Ome ki nd 'Of musi cal i nstrument whi ch he
starts t'Opl ay and he bri ngs th'Ose ( agrant) pl ants near t'O hi m. He
c'Onti nues like at until the ki ng is happy and when he is happy and
his anger has ceased he j umps 'On epl ants and hi s servants and
all the 'Other bees f'Oll 'Ow hi m and their 'Owner carri es t hemback t'Othe
hi ve. Then he and hi s tr' O' Ops get d'Own and g'O int'O the hi ve. Bees
never feed 'On dead b'Odi es ani mal s 'Or f' O' Od.
An' Other 'Of the w'Onders 'Of bees is that they ki11 c'Oupt and
'Oppressi ve ki ngs and never 'Obey em. lesmal l perfectl y f'Or med
bees e e'Ones whi ch make the h'Oney and they y t'Oki11the l'Ong
usel ess bees and expel t hem o mthe hi ve. I fthey d'Othat the h'Oney
wi11be g' O' Od. They try t'Oki11the 'Ones that they want t'Oki11'Outsi de the
hi ve s'Oas t'Opr'Otect the hi veo m(the c'Ontami nati 'On ' Of) dead b'Odies.
184 Defi ni ti on 01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
There is a ki nd 'Of bee that is 'Oflittleuse wi th a l arge b'Ody. There is a
war between these and the h'Oney-makers. They Y t'Oget t'Ot hemto
kill t hemand des oy their houses and get ridof them. The honey-
makers are very alert and care1. If they are attacked intheir houses
they Ytopush thei r attackers tothe doors 'Of their h'Ouses and make
t hem 11int'Othe h'Oney s'Othat they wi l l n'Ot be abl e t'Ofly. S'On'O'One
can escape t hemexcept the 'One wh'Ohas a l'Ong life. When the war is
'Over and everythi ng has settl edd'Own they g'Oback t'Othe 'Ones that
have been ki l l ed and thr'Ow t hem'Out 'Of the hi ve.
A m'Ong the bees there are n'Obl e w'Orkers wh' O eenergeti c and s ive
hard and i gn'Obl e l azy bees wh' O e'Of littleuse and prefer n'Ot t'Odo
anythi ng. The n'Obl e w'Orkers al ways Yt'Oexpel these' Omthe hi ve;
they d'On'Ot like t'Olivewi th t hemlest the g' O' Od bees f'011'Ow intheir
f' O' Otsteps and thus bec'Ome c' O upted.
The bee is 'One 'Of the m'Ost refi ned and cl ean 'Of ani mal s s'O it 'Onl y
defecates when fl yi ng. It di sl i kes r'Otten pu d sme11s. The y'Oung
vi rgi n bees s i veharder than the 'Ol der 'Ones; they sti ng less and make
better h'Oney. When they d'Osti ng it is less harmf ul than the sti ngof
'Ol der bees.
Because the bee is 'One 'Of the m'Ost use 1and m'Ost bl essed 'Of i nsects
it was si ngl ed 'Out t'Obe i nspi red by its L'Ord unl i ke 'Other ani mal s and
the pr'Oduct 'Of its st'Omach has been made a heal i ng f'Or si ckness and a
light whi ch shi nes inthe darkness. Hence the bee inrelati 'On t'O'Other
ani mal s is like th'Ose wh' O e gui ded in relati 'On t' O e rest of
manki nd. The bee has m'Ore enemi es than 'Other ani mal s and its
enemi es are the least use 1and least bl essed 'Of ani mal s. Thi s is the
way 'Of A11ah wi th Hi s creati 'On and He is the Al mi ghty Most
Wi se. 4
4 Shi faa' al- 'Aleel Pp. 101.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 185
Cont empor ar y sci enti sts descri be the worl d of the bee 5
Sci ence has advanced nowadays tellingus much about the wonders
of creati on and the mysteri es of the uni verse. The scientists have
confi rmed for us that whi ch we al ready knew about bees bei ng
di vi ded i nto three groups: the queen bee the mal e bees and the
worker bees.
The queen bee is the mother ofthe whol e hi ve; all the bees inthe hi ve
are her chi l dren. The queen bee l ays between 1500 and 2000 eggs
each day wi th the sun rise; the number may even reach 3500. Thi s
conti nues throughout the reproducti ve season whi ch s rts in ear1y
spri ng and ends in late summer.
The huge number of eggs serves to make up for the conti nual
shortfall whi ch happens to bees. For the bee' s l i fespan is short
lasting 5-7 weeks. Hence the hi ve needs new generati ons in l arge
numbers to support the hi ve and to make up for the conti nual
shortfall so that the hi ve wi11conti nue to provi de the necessi ti es of
the bee' s wor1d and protect the bees o menemi es and danger
otherwi se the hi ve woul d cease to exi st.
One of the wonders of the way inwhi ch Al l ah has created the bee is
that the queen bee l ays her eggs inhouses built by the workers in
di fferent sizes. The l argest houses eprep edf or requeens and
the eggs whi ch elaidinthese houses wi11become queens. The eggs
whi ch the queen l ays inthe smal1er houses whi ch are 114of an i nch
across wiHbecome mal e bees and the eggs that elaidinthe smal l
houses whi ch are 5 i nches across wi11become worker bees. It remai ns
for us to note that the queen bee deposi ts ree or four sperms wi th
the worker eggs so that the eggs wi11be fertilizedand wi11become
5 The informationgivenhere is adaptedfromthebook An- Nabl ah tusabbi b Al l ah
by Muhammad l:I asan
186 Definition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
worker bees whi l st she l ays unferti l i zed eggs inthe houses of mal e
bees.
Another of the wonders of the way inwhi ch Al l ah has created the bee
is that it does not mat e except inthe air when it is fl yi ng. There is a
reason for this. The mal e bee cannot mat e wi th the queen when she is
sitting on the ground because the mal e organ remai ns latent and
i nvi si bl e and can onl y emerge when it is soari ng inthe air when air-
sacs that exi st inthe mal e bee fill wi th air exerti ng pressure on the
mal e member whi ch then emerges.
One of the wonders of the way inwhi ch Al l ah has created the vi rgi n
queen bee is that she is abl e to call the mal e to mat e wi th her by
maki ng sounds whi ch at .ct the mal e. She comes out of the hi ve and
hovers around it i ssui ng these sounds whi ch are heard not onl y by
the mal es inher hi ve but inall the nei ghbouri ng hi ves. So groups of
mal es come out and fol l owthe queen who keeps fl yi ng st inthe
huge space; the strongest and fastest mal e is the one who gets tomate
wi th her but he l oses hi s lifein eprocess because after mati ng he
l oses hi s mal e organ whi ch stays inthe queen and this resul ts inhis
bl eedi ng to death.
The reader may ask how the mal es hear the queen' s call. The answer
is that Al l ah has equi pped all bees wi th sensory antennae consi sti ng
of connected ri ngs twel ve in mal es and el even in workers and
queens consi sti ng a number of hol es.
The number of hol es inthe sensory antennae of the mal e is 2800 in
the worker it is 2400 and in the queen it is 1600.
The sensory antennae of bees wor k likea radi o antenna; they are used
to detect the sound made by the queen and 0 er sounds. They are
al so used to smel l hear and feel.
187
If a bee - worker rnal e or queen l oses its antennae it cannot
fil its role because rnost of its senses - heari ng srnell and touch
- are concentrated in the antennae as stated above.
Bel i ef inAl l ah
le formati on of the mal e bee suits the rol e for whi ch it has been
created. It is l arge and strong it eats a lot and it does not do anythi ng.
It does not gather nec ror rnake it or bui l d or gu dthe hi ve. Even
its food is pl aced inits rnouth by the workers. Al l that it is abl e todo
is to fertilize the queen. Therefore after it has pl ayed its rol e the
worker bees stop feedi ng it . They rather attack the rnal e mernbers
and ki11 or expel them.
We shoul d al so note that the nurnber of rnal es is srnall inrel ati on to
etotal nurnber ofbees; there eno mor e than t wo hundred mal es in
a hive.
The worker bees f ormthe l argest nurnber in the hi ve and are the
acti ve el ement init . They e eones that perf ormvari ous tasks and
cult rni ssi ons.
l ey are the ones that col l ect nectar gather p ol1en make honey
prepare the queen' s speci al f ood bui l d ehoneycornb inwhi ch the
honey is kept raise the new generati ons of bees guard the hi ve keep
it c1ean rnai ntai n it and even venti1ate and heat it .
The vari ous tasks inthe hi ve are dis i butedas speci al i zed tasks and
these speci al i zed tasks are connected tothe age of the bee. At every
s geinthe bee' s lifethere is a task whi ch it does and the l onger a
bee lives the mor e tasks she does in m. Thus when a bee has
cornpl eted her l i fespan she wi11have done all the tasks requi red for
eupkeep of the hi ve. We may note that the bee s rts wi th easy
tasks whi ch do not requi re a great effort and ends wi th the rnost
difficult task whi ch is goi ng about in efields togather nec r and
pol l en and water then maki ng and stori ng honey. We rnay al so note
the tasks become progressi vel y mor e difficult accordi ng to e
t
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F

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188 De.fi nition01Al l ahnd Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
characteri sti cs that Al l ah () has bestowed upon the bee. Each task
that the bee does is sui ted tothe physi cal characteri sti cs enabl i ng her
to pl ay the new rol e and do e new task.
Duri ng the first t wo days of her life the worker bee cl eans the houses
.fro m whi ch the newl y- hatched bees have emerged. She cl eans these
houses and prep t hemfor the next generati on. The queen wi l l not
l ay eggs inthese houses unti l she has i nspected t hemand f ound t hem
to be perfectl y cl ean.
On the thi rd and fourth days she takes care of the young worker and
mal e bees whi ch are ol der than ree days bri ngi ng to t hem
somethi ng whi ch the sci enti sts call bee' s bread" a mi xture of honey
and pol l en whi ch she takes o mwhat the bees have stored inthe
hexagonal cells (of the hi ve).
Fr omthe fifthday tothe twel fth day she works tofeed the queen bee
wi th the royal f ood whi ch elatter eats all her life. This speci al f ood
is al so fed to the smal l worker and mal e bees duri ng the frrst three
days of thei r lives. The bees do this parti cul ar task at this age (512
days) because of the emergence at that ti me of speci al gl ands on bo1
si des of the oesophagus whi ch enabl e the bee to manuf acture the
royal food.
After the twel 1day the bee is abl e tofly but she does not go far. Al l
that she does is l earn and practi se. Her mai n tasko mday 12 today
18 is to bui l d the wax honeycomb whi ch is prepared for stori ng
honey and rai si ng the new generati on of bees.
The reason why the bee perf orms this task at this stage inits life is
because it grows fo pai rs of gl ands on the ri ngs of its abdomen and
o m is wax by usi ng its j aws the bee at this age bui l ds these
houses whi ch are so perfectl y constructed wi th preci se di mensi ons
and geome cal shapes of the u lOSt beauty and order.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 189
On the ni neteenth and twenti eth days the bee c1eans and guards the
hive. After the twenti eth day she goes out to the fields and ga ers
nectar and pol l en and mak: es honey and bri ngs water to e hi ve.
l I s final stage f orms the l argest p t of the bee' s life cyc1e.
Generati ons of bees come and go and the bees progress through this
sequence of tasks whi ch ensures at all j obs are done conti nual l y
wi thout al l ocati ng groups of bee3 to do one task all their life; each
stage of life has its own speci al
Gl ory be tothe One the Onl y the Uni que the Sel f-Suffi ci ent Master
Who has created these smal l bei ngs and taught t hemtodo these tasks
wi th such preci si on. Thi s beau andwonder poi nt tothe exi stence of
the Al l - Knowi ng Al l -Aware.
A mong the wonders of the way inwhi ch Al l ah has f ormed the bee is
that He has gi ven it t wo stomachs one of whi ch it uses tocol l ect all
e rawmateri al s deri ved o mthe nectar of f1owers or carry
water and bri ng it tothe hi ve and the other it uses onl y for its own
food to di gest it and be nouri shed by it.
Another of the wonders of the bee is that when it col l ects inits first
stomach all the nect that it gathers it does not si mpl y ansport it;
whi l st it is bri ngi ng it tothe hi ve it perf orms the prel i mi nary process
requi red to rnit i nto honey by produci ng the yeast that is requi red
for I S process.
lebee needs pol l en for a v of p poses inthe hi ve. Its Creator
has equi pped it wi th speci al hol l owpouches cal l ed pol l en sacs for
stori ng this pol l en on the outsi de of its hi nd legs. He (Al l ah) has
gi ven it somethi ng that l ooks likebrushes on the i nsi de ankl e of its
hi nd l egs whi ch the bee uses to sweep up the pol l en and col l ect it in
the pol l en sacs.
Another of the amazi ng features that the scientists have di scovered in
bees is the gl and inthe bee' s back whi ch the scientists call Nasanov' s
190 Definition01Al l ah!ndConnecti ng Hearts toHi m
gl and. This gl and produces a speci al scent and amazi ngl y the bees of
each hi ve have their own scent whi ch di sti ngui shes t hemo mthe
bees of other hi ves. A bee can re mtoits own homeo mf i away
by fol l owi ng this uni que scent whi ch is di sti nct o mthe scent of
other bees. The doorkeepers and guards of the hi ve recogni ze e
bees whi ch bel ong totheir hi ve by the di sti ncti ve scent emi tted by the
bee.
What is am i ng is that bees eabl e to agree upon a new scent if
there is a reason for doi ng so. For exampl e when a group of bees set
out tof orma new hi ve the member s of the new hi ve agree upon by a
new scent. By way of experi ment scientists mi xed one group of bees
wi th another and f ound that after the bees had mi xed eyagreed
upon one new scent that di sti ngui shed t hem o mothers.
Another of the wonders of bees is at eybui1d six -si ded houses of t
pure wax whi ch are compl etel y airtight . But when eyseal the doors
of the houses whi ch contai n the l arvae they mi x ewax wi th pol l en
whi ch al l ows air inthrough the grai ns of pol l en so the l arvae stay
al i ve.I f eir Lord di d not i nspi re t hemto do isthe l arvae woul d
di e and the bees woul d become exti nct and vani sho mthe ceof
ee .
Our Lord has tol d us about the thi ngs we have menti oned here in
el oquent aayaat (verses) whi ch i nvi te us to thi nk about and ponder
the wondrous way in whi ch He () has gui ded the bee:
J tJ i
; J . J 113MJ F@
bpj p sg41:14Li MZ91

your Lord i nspi red the bee sayi ng: Take you
habi tati ons inthe mountai ns and inthe 'ees and inwhat
Beli f inAl l ah 191
they erect . Then eat 'Of all fruits and f'Oll 'Ow the ways 'Of
y' O L'Ordmade easy [f'Or y'Ou]. ' lerec'Omes f'Orth' Om
their bellies a i nk'Of varyi ng c'Ol'Our wherei n is heal i ng
f'Or men. Veri l y in is is i ndeed a si gn f'Or pe'Opl e wh'O
i nk.) (Qur 16: 68-
The Musl i ms were gui ded t'Othe great benefi ts that exi st inh'Oney but
th'Ose wh'O have g'One as ay ' Om e gui dance 'Of Al l ah have 'Onl y
recent1y di sc'Overed the benefi ts in it. Researchers have di sc'Overed
amazi ng facts. They have f'Ound 'Out that h'Oney is b'Oth f' O' Od and
medi ci ne. It is a hi gh qual i ty f' O' Od that c'Ontai ns features that can
hardl y be f'Ound el sewhere and it is a medi ci ne whi ch can be used t'O
'eat al m'Ost all di seases. Sci ence is stil1di sc'Overi ng new benefi ts in
h'Oney every day.
How do bees teUone another where food is?
One 'Of the thi ngs n'Oted by c'Ont emp'Or ; y scientists is e way in
whi ch bees tell 'One an'Other where f' O' Od is t'Obe f'Ound. Dr. Yusuf Izz
Uddeen says:
If 'One 'Of the w'Orker bees di sc'Overs a field 'Or a certai n am'Ount 'Of
vegetati 'On whi ch it thi nks is a s'Ource 'Of f' O' Od it g'Oes back t'O the
c'Ol'Ony t'O tell the rest 'Of the w'Orkers ab'Out the easure that it has
f'Ound. It d'Oes this by perf'Ormi ng a ritual dance whi ch it d'Oes by
instinct wi th'Out kn'Owi ng why it d'Oes S'O.
This s angedance has a certai n si gni fi cance duri ng whi ch its b'Ody
makes angl es whi ch refer t'Othe angl e 'Of the sun. If the fieldthat the
bee has di sc'Overed is ne t'O the c'Ol'Ony the dance in this c e I S
di erent o m edance whi ch it perf'Orms if the fieldis rtheraway.
Fr omthese dances the bees kn'Ow at the field 'Of c1' Over 'Or 'Other
fl 'Oweri ng pl ants o mwhi ch they gather their f' O' Od is a ce ai n
di stance away and they have t'O travel at a certai n angl e in
relati 'On t'O the p'Ositi 'On 'Of the sun in 'Order t'O get ere.
192 Definitionof Al l ah and Connecti ng He'rts toHi m
l ens'Ome 'Of the w'Orkers wi11perf'Or mthe same dance o mwhi ch
the bee whi ch di sc'Overed the fieldwi11be sure that the 'Other bees
have underst' O' Od what she was yi ngt'Otell them. Then the 'Other bees
wi11fly 'Off and head di rectl y f'Or the field t'Ogather m'Ore f'O'Od. The
bee whi ch made the di sc'Overy c'Onveys a number 'Of pi eces 'Of
i nf'Ormati 'On t'O the 'Other bees in the c'Ol'Ony by her dance. If we
humans triedt'Omat ch the bee' s achi evement inunderstandi ng these
mysteri es by drawi ng di agrams it w'Oul d take us n'Oless than twenty
mi nutes if we had suffi ci ent understandi ng 'Of mathemati cs. But the
bee understands that inan i nstant and flies di rectl y t'Othe fieldina
strai ght line t'O get what it needs 'Of f' O' Od.
This is an amazi ng thi ng whi ch we cann'Ot expl ai n unl ess we bel i eve
inthe exi stence 'Of Di vi ne inspirati 'On whereby the Creat'Or 'Of these
smal l bei ngs whi ch are n'Ot abl e t'Othi nk 'Or reas'On has enabl ed them
t'O d'O what they need. "
The bee sees a col our that we do not see
Dr. Yusuf als'Otells us that an'Other 'Of the b w'Onders is that it is
abl e t'Oseea c'Ol'Our whi ch we humans are unabl e t'Osee 'Or i magi ne.
Thi s c'Ol'Our is ul avi 'Oletwhi ch we see as bl ack s'Othe bee is abl e to I
see ul tra-vi 'Olet rays." Then he expl ai ns to us the reas'On behi nd the
bee' s abili t'O see this c'Ol'Our:
The reason f'Or that is that these rays are the onl y 'Ones whi ch are abl e
t'O pene ate c1' Ouds.
Bees may live in eas where there is c10ud c'Over f'Or much 'Of the
year and it is essenti al f'Or t hemto see the sun inorder t'Okn'Ow the
way t'Othe fields where thei r f' O' Od is. Thi s is the reason why bees are
abl e t'O see this ul tra-vi 'Olet c'Ol'Our: this enabl es t hemto see the sun
r'Ough the c1' Ouds s' O ey d'O n'Ot di e of hunger when the sun is
hi dden behi nd the c1' Ouds. Thi s is a w'Ondrous fact whi ch i ndi cates
that there is a Creat'Or Wh ' O con' Ols and decrees and kn'Ow what He is
Beli i nAl l ah 193
d'Oi ng and that the abili t'O see is c'Ol'Our c'Oul d n'Ot have been
acqui red by bees wi th the passage 'Ofti me. It has t'Ohave been present
o m every m'Oment that Al l ah created bees 'Otherwi se bees w'Oul d
have bec'Ome exti nct in th'Ose (c1' Oudy) are a l'Ong ti me ag' O. "
iv) Ho w Al l ah gui des the ant and the wonder s of its creati on
Ibn al - Qayyi mtells us 'Of an'Other 'Of Al l ah 's creatures and expl ai ns t'O
us h'Ow Al l ah () has gui ded it in the way in whi ch it lives:
The ant is 'One 'Of the m'Ost gui ded 'Of creatures and the way inwhi ch
it is i dedis m'Ost w'Ondr'Ous. The ti ny ant c'Omes 'Out 'Of its h'Ome and
l' O' Oks f'Or its f' O' Od even if it is r away. When it fi nds it it carri es it
and drags it thr'Ough wi ndi ng paths uphi 11 and d'Ownhi11 n'Oma er
h'Ow difficult the route until it bri ngs it back t'O its h'Ome where it
st'Ores its f' O' Od when p'Ossible.
When it has st'Ored it it g'Oes t'Othe thi ngs at can gr'Ow and splits
t hemint'Ot w'Os'Othat they wi 11n'Ot gr'Ow. I fthey gr'Ow even after bei ng
split int'Ot w'O it then splits t hemint'O f'Our. If (the st'Ored f' O' Od) gets
wet and the ant is a ai dthat it may g'Or'Otten it wai ts f'Or a sunny day
en it bri ngs the f' O' Od 'Out and spreads it 'Out by the en ance t'O its
h'Ouse then it puts it back and n'Oant eats the ' Odthat an'Other has
c'Ollected.
In'Order t'Okn'Ow h'Ow Al l ah ( ) has gui dedle ant it is suffi ci ent
f'Or us t'Okn'Ow what Al l ah has sai d inthe Qur' an ab'Out the ant whi ch
Sul aymaan (S'Ol'Om'On) ( ) ( may peace be up'On hi m) heard speaki ng
t'O its c'Ompani 'Ons and sayi ng
;:JAJ 4 i " ;AL;f l i
Z. J
ants! Enter y'Our dwel l i ngs lest Sul aymaan and
his h'Osts sh'Oul d crush y'Ou whi l e they percei ve
(Qur' an 27: 18)
194 Definition01Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
le ant s rtedby cal l i ng 'Out in a manner that w'Oul d be heard by
th'Ose wh'Om she was addressi ng en she menti 'Oned the ants in
general terms because she was addressi ng t hemas a wh'Ole. Then she
t'Oldt hemt'O enter their dwel l i ngs and pr' O ct themsel ves o m e
ar my and t'Oldt hemwhy they sh'Oul d g'Oin whi ch was because she
wasa ai dthat the ar my w'Oul d step 'On t hemand that Sul aymaan and
his ar my w'Oul d crush them. Then she excused the Prophet 'Of Al l ah
and his ar my by n'Oti ng at they w'Oul d n'Ot real i ze that . Thi s is
amazi ng gui dance.
l bi nk ab'Out h'Ow Al l ah () speaks hi ghl y 'Of the ant when He says:
&ii ;;J Aj4ilt Ji5b 4J J.Kf
there weregathered bef'Ore Sul ay maan[S'Ol'Om'On]
his h'Osts 'Of j nand men and bi rds and they all were set
in ba le 'Order [marchi ng (Qur 'an 27: 1
Then He ( ) says:
. . . JI
when they came t'O the val l ey 'Of the ants...)
(Qur 'an 27: 18)
Al l ah tells us that they all passed thr'Ough this val l ey and that this
val l ey was kn'Own f'Or its ants as Wadi as-Si baa' (val l ey 'Of the wi l d
ani mal s) (was kn'Own f'Or its wi l dl i fe) etc. Then Al l ah tells us
s'Omethi ng whi ch i ndi cates h'Ow c1ever and preci se is ant was
because she t'Oldthe 'Other ants t'O g'O int'Otheir h'Omes. She and the
'Other ants knew that each gr'Oup 'Of t hemhad its 'Own h'Ome whi ch
'Others w'Oul d n'Ot enter. Then she said: Sul aymaan [S'Ol'Om'On]
and his h'Osts sh'Oul d crush y'Ou...) (Qur 27: 1. S'O she b'Oth
ref erredhi mby name and ackn'Owl edged wh'Ohe was; she knew
that they were his tr' O' Ops and he was their leader. Then she said:
4whi l e ey percei ve (Qur' an 27: 1. It is as if she b' O
Bel i ef inAl l ah 195
excused the ar my f'Or n'Ot real i zi ng the har mthat they caused whi l st
bl ami ng the ants f'Or n'Ot taki ng precauti 'Ons and enteri ng thei r h'Omes.
F'Or this reas'On the Pr'Ophet 'Of Al l ah smi l ed at what she sai d because
it was appropri ate t'O smi l e in amazement at this p'Oint.
Az Zuhri narratedo mAbdul l ahi bnAbdul l ah i bnUyaynah' Om
Ibn Abbaas that the Messenger 'Of Al l ah ()
f'Orbade the ki l l i ng 'Of ants bees h' O' Op'Oes and hawks. 6
Musl i mnarrated fr'Om Abu Hurayrah ( ) that the Pr'Ophet ( ) said:
One 'Of the Pr'Ophets st'Opped beneath a 'eeand an ant
bit hi m. He 'Ordered that hi s l uggage sh'Oul d be taken
away and that the ant' s vi11age (nest) sh'Oul d be bumed.
Then Al l ah reveal ed t'O hi m: 'One ant bit y'Ou and y'Ou
bumed an enti re c'Ommuni t y 'Of ants wh'O gl 'Orif (their
L'Ord)! Was n'Ot 'One t en'Ough? 7
Awf i bn Abi J ameel ah narrated that Qusaamah i bn Zuhayr said: Abu
M'O'Osa al -Ash i narrated: Everythi ng has a l eader even ants have
l eaders.'
A m'Ong the w'Onders 'Of the way inwhi ch ants are gui ded is that the
ant kn'Ows that its L'Ord is ab'Ove the heavens 'On Hi s Thr'One. I mam
Al)mad narrated inKi taab az- Zuhd fr'Om Abu Hurayrah ( ) wh'O
at i buted it t'O the Pr'Ophet ():
One 'Of the Prophets went 'Out wi th the pe'Opl e t'Opray
f'Or rai n and they saw an ant rai si ng its l egs t'Oheaven
prayi ng l yi ng 'On its back. He said: G'O back f'Or
6 Attri buted by A1- Mjd i bn Taymi yah in Al - Muntaqa Pp. 759 to Al;l mad Abu
Dawood and 1 bn Maj ah wi th the wordi ng:
illing 0 ffc o ( crea r'es): tsbees hoopoes and hawks. "
7 Bu : 6/154 hadi 1 no. 3019; 6/ 356 hadi th no. 3318. Musl i m: 4/ 1759 hadi th
no. 2241. The hadi th is taken f romthe col l ecti on of reports narrated there.
196 Definitionof Al l ahnd Connecti ng Herts toHi m
someone el se has suffi ced for you or has ensured that
you wi11 be granted rain.'
There are a number of i snads for this report whi ch is al so narrated by
At- Tal;l aawi inAt- Tahdheeb and by others.
InMusnad al - I mamAl}mad it says that Sul aymaan i bn Dawood went
out to pray for rai n and he sawan ant l yi ng on its back rai si ng its
l egs towards the heavens and sayi ng 0' Al l ah we are part of Your
creati on and we cannot do wi thout Your rai n and Your provi si on.
Ei ther send us rai n and provi si on or let us die. He (Sul aymaan) said:
Go back for you wi11be gi ven rai n by the du ' aa' of someone else."
1 was tol d about an ant whi ch came out of its home and f ound part of
a l ocust' s body. It i edto cay it but was not abl e so it went and
brought others to hel p ca y it . 1 ( e person who l d this story)
pi cked it up and the ant wal ked around in the pl ace where it had
been and di d not fi nd it . The other ants went away and left the first
ant . Then 1 put the l ocust down and the ant i edtocarry it and coul d
not so she went tobri ng the others back. 1 pi cked it up and the ant
wal ked around inthe pl ace where it had been and di d not fi nd it so
the others went away. 1 di d this several ti mes and the last ti me 1 di d it
the ants made a circ1e around the frrst ant and tore it apart. 1 tol d 18
story toour shaykh and he said: Al l ah has created these ants insuch a
way that they hate lies and puni sh liars.
The ant is one of the most careful of creatures whose cauti on is
proverbi a1 . It is menti oned that when Sul aymaan (Sol omon) sawhow
cauti ous the ant was and how careful it was tostore f ood he brought
out an ant and asked it how much an ant eats each year? It sai d three
grai ns of wheat. So he ordered that the ant shoul d be pl aced in a
bottl e and be gi ven three grai ns of wheat and the bottl e shoul d be
seal ed and be left there for a year. When the year had passed he
commanded that the bottl e shoul d be opened and he f ound one and a
Bel i ef inAl l ah 197
hal f grai ns of wheat left. He sai d Di d you not cl ai mthat you needed
three grai ns of wheat per ye?
The ant sai d Yes but when 1 sawthat you were busy wi th the affairs
of your own ki nd 1 thought of how much of my lifewas left and 1
real i zed that it was l onger than the ti me that you had al l ocated for me
so 1 l i mi ted mysel f toeati ng hal f of the f ood and 1 left hal f inorder to
ensure my survi val . Sul aymaan was i mpressed by how cauti ous the
ant was whi ch was p t of the gui dance gi ven to it.
Thi s cauti on makes the ant s i vehard all summer gatheri ng f ood for
ewi nter because it knows that it wi l l be difficult to fi nd anythi ng
duri ng the wi nter. Al though the ant is smal l it is very ongand is
abl e to car many mor e ti mes mor e th its own body wei ght and
drag it to its home.
Ants do not have a l eader who is incharge as is the case wi th bees
but they do have scouts who l ook for food. If the scout fi nds
somethi ng it tells its compani ons who all come out . Each ant works
hard for the good of all wi thout steal i ng any grai n tokeep for itself.
A mong the wonders of the ant is that if a man wants toprevent ants
o m llingi nto honey etc. if he di gs a hol e and surrounds it wi th
water or fills a l arge vessel wi th wat rand puts at thi ng (honey or
whatever) init then an ant comes and cannot get to it it wi l l Y to
cl i mb a wal l and wal k across the cei l i ng until it is above the thi ng
then it wi l l drop down onto it . We oursel ves have ed this.
A craftsman once heated a ri ng in efire then threwit on the fl oor to
cool off. It so happened that some ants were appedin emi ddl e of
the ring. The ants edinall di recti ons toget out but the heat pushed
t hemback. So they stayed inthe mi ddl e of the ri ng preci sel y inthe
centre whi ch was the furthest poi nt o m e ci rcumference.
8
8 Shi faa' al- 'Aleel by Ibn al Qayyi mPp. 104.
198 D'nition01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
The whi te ant (termi te): its f ood and habi tati on
Pr'Ofess'Or Yusuf 1zz Uddeen tel 1s us ab'Out what sci ence has
di sc'Overed ab'Out the mysteri es 'Of this creature:
A m'Ong the i nsti ncts that Al 1ah the Al mi ghty has gi ven t'Osuch tiny
crea res are amazi ng thi ngs whi ch make every thi nki ng pers'On H
d'Own in pr'Os ati 'On t'O the Mi ght y Creat'Or.
F'Or exampl e let us l' O' Ok at a c'Ol'Ony 'Of the ki nd 'Of i nsects that are
kn'Own as ' whi te ants' (termi tes). These i nsects als'Oliveinc'Ol'Oni es
and when the number 'Of i ndi vi dual s in the c'Ol'Ony is t' O' O much in
pr'Op'Orti 'On t'O the am'Ount 'Of f' O' Od avai l abl e they kn'Ow this
i nsti ncti vel y s'O they start t'O eat a l arge number 'Of thei r eggs. This
s'Ol ves b'Oththe pr'Obl em'Of 'Overp'Opul ati 'On and the pr'Obl em'Of f'O'Od
sh'Ortages because eati ng the eggs pr'Ovi des s'Ome n'Ouri shment and at
the same ti me reduci ng the numbers 'Of 'Offspri ng.
These i nsects d'On'Ot kn'Ow why they d'Othis; it is di vi ne inspirati 'On
whi ch makes t hemd'O thi ngs whi ch they cann'Ot understand but
whi ch e 'Of benefi t t'O t hemand hel p t hemt'O av'Oid exti ncti 'On.
These i nsects themsel ves feed 'On w' O' Od whi ch they dev'Our avi dl y. In
s'Ome pl aces whi ch are i nfested wi th termi tes a f ami1y may eat their
f' O' Od at the tabl e then the f' Ol 1' Owi ng m'Omi ng they g'O t'O eat their
breakfast and they fi nd that the l egs 'Of the tabl e have c' Ol 1apsed ina
si ngl e ni ght.
1n s'Ome eas 'Of Austral i a whi ch are i nfested wi th this destructi ve
i nsect t'Ourists have been kn'Own t'Oask the name 'Of a vi11age whi ch
they can see in the di stance o mthe train in whi ch they are
travel 1ing; they are ast'Ounded when they are t'Oldthat n'Ope'Opl e live
in that vi11age and that these are the dwel1i ngs 'Of whi te ants.
These dwel 1i ngs may be several meters tal1 and they are madeoma
s angesubstance whi ch is a mi xture 'Of the termi tes' sal i va and 'Other
199
thi ngs. It is stronger than rei nforced concrete and the wal1s cannot be
penetrated by i nsects or by water. I nsi de these dwel1i ngs is a network
of tunnel s in whi ch the whi te ants live.
These ants use a ki nd of code likeMor se code tocommuni cate f rom
afar. One ant taps its head on the wal1of the lel a certai n number
of ti mes and the other ants understand what it is yi ngto sayo m
these coded taps. They do that wi thout knowi ng what they are doi ng;
they do it because of the di vi ne i nspi rati on whi ch is cal1ed i nsti nct .
The scientists were conf used for a l ong ti me about how these i nsects
coul d live by eati ng wood because wood does not contai n any
di gesti bl e organi c substances but fi nal1y they di scovered the secret .
Inthe di gesti ve acts of is i nsect they di scovered ti ny pri mi ti ve
one-cel1ed ani mal s whi ch secrete a substance whi ch rns wood i nto
easi l y-di gested materi al and this nouri shes the termi te.
It is amazi ng i ndeed that there are no termi tes whose di gesti ve acts
are eeof these pri mi ti ve creatures. If these creatures had not exi sted
inthe di gesti ve acts of termi tes o m every begi nni ng they woul d
not have been abl e tosurvi ve dthey woul d have become exti nct in
e frrst generati on. Coul d is have happened by acci dent or is it
somethi ng that has been pl anned and decreed [by Al1ah ( ) ] ?"
Ants keep f10cks and pl owthe so
A mong the wonders of the ant is that whi ch has been menti oned by
Dr. Yusuf Izz Uddeen who says that ants have tamed hundreds of
ki nds of crea res whi ch are i nferi or to themsel ves whi l st man has
tamed onl y about twenty ki nds of wi l d ani mal s whi ch he has
subj ugated for his own benefi t . Ants know how to r mand care for
their fl ocks" by i nsti nct .
The i nsects cal1ed aphi ds whi ch we see on the l eaves of some pl ants
aretended by ants who gai n some benefi ts o mthem. I n earl y spri ng
200 D:nition01AU!hand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
eants send out scouts togather the eggs of these aphi ds. They bri ng
the eggs to the col ony and keep t heminthe same pl ace where they
keep their own eggs and take care of t hemj ust as they take care of
their own. When the eggs hatch they feed the smal l aphi ds and take
care of them. After a short whi1e the aphi ds start to excrete a
substance whi ch is sweet likehoney j ust as cows excrete mi l k. The
ants mi1k" the aphi ds for this substance j ust as i fthey were cows.
Ants do not onl y care for these fl ocks" they al so engage infarmi ng
and pl owi ng the soi 1 . One of the scientists noti ced a pi ece of1and ina
forest where a semi -wi l d ki nd of short-grai n ricewas growi ng. This
pl ot of1and measured fi ve feet by three feet and the ricewas growi ng
nearl y six centi meters tal 1 . 1t seemed tothe observer that there shoul d
be someone taki ng care of is pi ece of l and for the soil around the
roots was wel l -ti11ed and the weeds had been uprooted. S angel y
enough therewereno other rice pl ants growi ng nearby. This ricehad
not pl anted itself there - someone was tendi ng it .
It was noted that groups of ants were comi ng and goi ngo mthis pl ot
of l and. The scientist l ay on his stomach on the ground and watched
what they were doi ng. It was not l ong before he real i zed that these
ants were the ones who were tendi ng the rice inthat pi ece of land.
They had taken it upon themsel ves to f arm" that l and where they
worked all the ti me. Some of t hemti11ed and pl owed the l and whi l st
others uprooted the weeds. 1f any shoots of other ki nds of pl ants
showed themsel ves some of the ants woul d go tot hemand cut em
then ca y t hemfar away o mthe farm. "
The rice grewuntil it reached a hei ght of si xty centi meters and the
grai ns of ricehad matured. When the harvest season" began a line
of worker ants was seen tocome non-stop to estems of rice whi ch
they c1i mbed until they reached the grai ns. Then each worker ant
woul d take a grai n of rice and qui ckl y bri ng it down to the ground
then take it to their underground stores.
Bel i efi n AUh 201
What is amazi ng is that one group of ants woul d c1i mb the stem pi ck
up the grai ns and throw emdown then other ants woul d take the
g ins to the stores.
l I ski nd of ant lives a civilli inhouses likeours wi th chambers
and stories parts of whi ch e bel owground and others above
ground. In these cities we fi nd servants and slaves.
What is more amazi ng is that they have nurses who tend the si ck
ni ght and day and others who take away the dead bodi es of ants
whi ch have died...
They do all this ki nd of work wi thout i nki ng. It happens by instinct
whi ch Al l ah () has insti11ed in their ti ny bodi es.
v) How A1l ah gui des the hoopoe and the wonders of its creati on
Ibn al - Qayyi mtells us inhis el oquent manner of another of Al l ah' s
creatures whi ch is menti oned inthe Book of Al l ah the hoopoe. Ibn
al - Qayyi mspeaks of how Al l ah () gui des and i nspi res it:
lehoopoe is one of the most gui ded of ani mal s and emost abl e
to see where water is l ocated beneath the ground whi ch others
cannot see. One of the ways inwhi ch it is gui ded is what Al l ah tells
us in the Qur' an where He tells us what the hoopoe sai d to the
Prophet of Al l ah Sul aymaan (Sol omon) () who had threatened
hi mwhen he coul d not fi nd hi m. When the hoopoe came he
i mmedi atel y gave his excuse before Sul aymaan coul d threaten hi m
wi th the puni shment. He addressed hi mina manner that encouraged
hi mto listen and accept what he said. He said:
@ L!.1 L1J 4. . .
'1have grasped [theknowl edge of a thi ng] whi ch you
have not ( Qur 'an 27: 22)
- whi ch i mpl i ed: 1 have brought you (news of) somethi ng whi ch 1
202 Definitionof Al l ah and Connecti ng He :rts toHi m
kn'Ow very wel 1 and it is i mp'Ortant and seri 'Ous. Hence he said:
a
1 have c'Ome t'Oy'Ou' OmSaba' [Sheba] wi th ue
news' ; (Qur' an 27: 22).
Thi s was i mp'Ortant news whi ch was w'Orth kn'Owi ng. Then he
descri bed it as ue news wi th n'O el ement 'Of d'Oubt . Thi s was his
preambl e t'O his tel1i ng the Pr'Ophet 'Of Al1ah the news s' O at he
w'Oul d f'Orget everythi ng else and f'Ocus 'Onl y 'On this news. It made
hi meager t'Ohear it and find'Out what it was. Thi s is an el 'Oquent way
'Of i n oduci ng s'Omethi ng and maki ng pe'Ople listen.
Then he (h' O' Op'Oe - hud hu started t'O tel1 hi mthe news in an
affi rmati ve manner and said:
---A i b14
f'Ound a w'Oman rul i ng 'Over them. . )
(Qur' an 27: 23).
Then he descri bed the status 'Of that queen and that she was 'One 'Of
thegreatest m'Onarchs because she had been gi ven everythi ng that is
t f'Or rulers. Then he added further detail 'Of her hi gh status by
descri bi ng theI T'One'On whi ch she sat whi ch was a mi gh thr'One.
Then he t'Oldhi mwhy he sh'Oul d g' O ddeal wi th these pe'Opleand
attack themintheir 'Own l and a er cal1i ng themt'O Al1ah. He said:
. . .
f'Ound her and her pe'Opl e w'Orshi ppi ng the sun i nstead
'Of Al1ah..) (Qur 'an 27: 24).
The c' O uncti 'On wa (and") is 'Omi tted here; this sentence is made
i ndependent and is n'Ot c'Onnected t'Othe previ 'Ous sentence in'Order t'O
i ndi cate at this is the mai n p'Oint and that what was sai d bef'Orewas
Bel i efi n Al l ah 203
merel y an in oducti on. Then he poi nted out what had tempted and
moti vated t hemtodo that whi ch was eway inwhi ch the Shaytaan
(Satan) had made their deeds fai r-seei ng tot hemand had barred t hem
o mthe ri ght way pros atetoAl l ah Al one for none is deservi ng of
pros ati on except Hi m.
Then he menti oned that one of the thi ngs whi ch Al l ah ( ) does is to
bri ng tolight what is hi dden inthe heavens and the earth i.e. thi ngs
whi ch are conceal ed such as rai n pl ants mi neral s and other ki nds of
thi ngs that come downo mthe sky or come fortho mthe earth.
When the hoopoe menti oned that Al l ah Al one does these thi ngs he
was al so referri ng to the speci al tal ent whi ch Al l ah ( ) had
bestowed upon hi m whi ch was the ability todetect water bel owthe
ground.
The author of Al Kashshaaf said: The phrase bri ngi ng to light what
is hi dden' i ndi cates at this is part of what ehoopoe sai d because
of his ski11inknowi ng where water is hi dden beneath the ground
whi ch is due tothe i nspi rati on of the One Who bri ngs tolight what is
hi dden inthe heavens and the earth Gl ori fi ed be He. The one who
has i nsi ght and is gui ded by the light of Al l ah can hardl y mi ss the fact
that each person is inf1uenced by his parti cul ar craft or branch of
knowl edge whi ch affects the way he speaks and thi nks. No human
does any ki nd of wor k but Al l ah cl othes hi minthe dress ofthat wor k
(i. e. shows in his features and characteri sti cs)."
vi) How pi geons are gui ded and the wonders of thei r creati on
When Ibn al - Qayyi mdescri bes the wonders of the pi geon' s creati on
and how Al l ah () i nspi res it he speaks at l ength in the most
fasci nati ng mannewhi ch i ndi cates at ponderi ng Al l ah' s creati on
is a met hod whi ch the schol ars take upon themsel ves inorder toful fi1
Al l ah' s command to Hi s sl aves.
Concemi ng is Ibn al - Qayyi msaid:
204 Defi ni ti on 01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
The pi geon is one of the most amazi ngl y gui ded ani mal s. Ash-
Shaaf ai said: the wi sest ofbi rds is the pi geon and the carri er pi geon
is the one whi ch bri ngs messages and letters and may be worth more
than a sl ave for the servi ce that it provi des cannot be carri ed out by
sl aves or by any other ki nds of creature. I t vel s huge di stances and
bri ngs news and other thi ngs whi ch states and ki ngdoms need.
Those who care for and breed pi geons pay a great deal of attenti on to
their bl oodl i nes. They sep atemal es and femal es duri ng the mati ng
season taki ng the mal es to di fferent femal es and vi ce versa and
feari ng that thei r bl oodl i nes may become co upted. They are al ways
aai d that the femal es may at act mal es of the common pe of
pi geon thus corrupti ng the bl oodl i ne. Those who care for pi geons do
not pay as much attenti on tothe conduct of their own womenf ol k or
take as many precauti ons toprotect t hemas they do for their pi geons.
Thei r carers have rul es and methods towhi ch they pay a great deal of
attenti on so that if a pi geon suddenl y l ands there wi11be no mystery
as toits pedi gree and coun y of ori gi n. They respect the person who
has experi ence and knowl edge inthis field and they eat hi mvery
generousl y i ndeed.
Onl y mal es are sel ected for carryi ng letters and messages and they
say that he l ongs mor e for hi s home because his mate is there and he
is physi cal l y s onger and has a better sense of di recti on. Others
prefer femal es for this and say that if a mal e is kept away for too
l ong he wi1110ng for a mate so he mi ght see a femal e on his route
and not be abl e to keep away o mher so he wi11 forget about
travel l i ng and wi11 want to stay wi th hi s new mate.
Pi geons can be trai ned and eyare regarded as a good omen and are
used topeopl e. They like peopl e and peopl e likethem. When eyget
used to a pl ace they wi11stay there and remai n l oyal totheir owne
even if he mi s eats them. They wi11return thereo ml ong di stances
Bel i efi nAl l ah 205
and if they are prevented o md'Oi ng S'o they wil1remai n l'Oyal even if
ten ye shave passed si nce they left thei r h'Omel and and as s' O' On as
the 'Opp'Ortuni ty ari ses and they are abl e t'O d'O S'O they wil1 re rn.
When the mal e pi ge'On wants t'Omat e he approaches the femal e wi th
the ut m'Ost gentl eness. Once he real i zes that the femal e may have
c'Oncei ved he and hi s mate l' O' Ok f'Or straw grass and smal l twi gs wi th
whi ch they bui l d a nest by weavi ng t'Ogether these materi al s. They
gi ve the nest a rai sed edge s'Othat the eggs wi11n'Ot roll 'Out and s'Oit
wi11pr'Ovi de a safe pl ace f'Or the y'Oung. Then they take rns sitting
'On enest t'Okeep it war mand t'Orepl ace its 'Ori gi nal smel l wi th a
new pl easant smel l whi ch is deri ved o mthei r 'Own b'Odi es and
scents s'Othat when the eggs elaidthey wil1be ina pl ace that is
si mi l ar t'Othe w'Omb and there wi11be the ri ght bal ance between heat
and c'Old s' O less and hardness.
Then when l ab'Our" starts the bi rd hastens t'O that pl ace (the nest)
and l ays its eggs init . If it is startl edby thunder it thr'Ows the egg 'Out
'Ofthe nest that it has preparedj ust likewhen a w'Oman mi scarri es 'Out
'Of i ght .
When the eggs are laid the pai r keep 'On taki ng rns SI i ng 'On the
nest until the ti me f'Or bro'Odi ng is 'Over and the chi ck starts t'Obreak
'Out 'Of the egg. The parents hel p it t'Oemerge then they bl 'Ow air int'O
its thr'Oat s'Othat its cr'Op wi11bec'Ome bi gger because they kn'Ow that
ecr'Op is t' O' Osmal l f'Or f' O' Od until it has been wi dened in i smanner.
But they als'Okn'Ow at even a er the cr'Op has been wi dened it is
sti11t' O' Osmal l f'Or f' O' Od s'Othey feed it wi th sal i va mi xed wi th f' O' Od
whi ch has a s ong ste.
They als'O kn'Ow at the cr'Op cann'Ot c'Onti nual l y take in f' O' Od and
at it needs t'Ogai n strength s'Othey pi ck up s'Oft grai ns ' Omp'Onds
and feed t hemt'Othe chi ck then they m'Ove 'On t'Ogi vi ng it str'Onger
f'O'Od.
206 Definition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
They keep 'On feedi ng it wi th grai ns and water instages acc'Ordi ng t'O
echi ck' s strength and demands f' O' Od o mt hem until they kn'Ow
that he is abl e t'O pi ck up f' O' Od by itsel f. Then they gradual l y st'Op
feedi ng it s'Othat he gets used t'Opi cki ng up f' O' Od. When they kn'Ow
that its l ungs have devel 'Oped and gr own str'Ong they wean it s'Othat it
can f end f'Or hi msel f and they hit it if it asks f'Or f' O' Od after that .
Then they n'Ol'Onger feel that amazi ng c'Ompassi 'On 'Once they kn'Ow
that it is abl e t'O f end by itself.
A m'Ong the w'Onders 'Ofthe way inwhi ch the pi ge'On is i nspi red is that
when it is carryi ng a message it f'Oll 'Ows r em'Oter'Outes far o mcities
where pe'Opl e are t'Obe f'Ound s'Othat n'O'One wi11be abl e t'Odetai n it .
It d'Oes n'Ot l' O' Ok f'Or water a m'Ong pe'Opl e rather it seeks 'Out water
where pe'Opl e d'O n'Ot g'O.
Mal e and f emal e pi ge'Ons share 'Out thei r duti es t'Owards the chi cks.
Cari ng f'Or and rai si ng the chi ck is d'One by the f emal e and bri ngi ng
f' O' Od and feedi ng it t'Othe chi ck are d'One by the mal e. The father is the
head 'Of the fami l y wh'Opr'Ovi des f'Or t hem and the m'Other is the 'One
wh'O gi ves bi rth and nurses the y'Oung.
A m'Ong the w'Onders 'Of pi ge'Ons is that whi ch was menti 'Oned by A
J aal}. i wh'Osaid: a man had a pai r 'Of pi ge'Ons wh'Ose wi ngs had been
c1i pped and an'Other pai r whi ch c'Oul d fly. The pai r whi ch c'Oul d fly
had chi cks. He said: 1 made a h'Olef'Or t hemat the t'Op 'Ofthei r c' O' Op s'O
that they c'Oul d g'O 'Out and c'Ome in and feed their chi cks. 1 was
detai ned unexpectedl y by s'Ome g'Ovemment 'Officials and 1 became
very c'Oncemed ab'Out the bi rds wh'Ose wi ngs were c1i pped. 1 was
certai n that they w'Oul d have di ed because they c'Oul d n'Ot get 'Out 'Of
the h'Ole and they had n'Othi ng t'Oeat 'Or dri nk. When 1 was let g'O 1 di d
n'Ot care ab'Out anythi ng except ( ese bi rds). 1 'Opened the d' O' Or and
f'Ound that the chi cks had matured and the pai r wi th c1i pped wi ngs
were inthe best 'Of heal th. 1 was amazed. It was n'Ot l'Ong be re e

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pai r who coul d flycame back and came tothe pai r who coul d not fly;
the latter were aski ng for f ood likechi cks and the f ormer fed them.
Beli fi nAl l ah
Look at the way they are gui ded. lepai r who coul d not flysawhow
the chi cks asked their parents for f ood when they became hungry and
thirsty so they di d the same as the chi cks did. lepai r who coul d fly
took pi ty on t hemand fed t hemas they fed their own chi cks.
Another amazi ng thi ng about pi geons isthat when they are fl yi ng and
ey see peopl e o mthe air they know whi ch type of peopl e they
want to go to and they know whi ch is the opposi te pe. When
pi geons first begi n to fly they eheedl ess and they wi l l fly among
l reseagl es fal cons crows and hawks and they know whi ch
ones wi l l pursue t hemand whi ch wi l l not. But if a pi geon sees an
l ndi an l con(shaheen) it is as if it has seen a lethal poi son; it st ts
topani c likea sheep when it sees a wol f or a donkey when it sees a
lion.
Mor e about the wonders of Al l ah' s creati on
n al - Qayyi mal so tells us about other wonders of Al l ah' s creati on
and how He i nspi res Hi s creatures whi ch the schol ars ofhi s ti me had
noted such as the fol l owi ng:
i) A dog whi ch nursed a chi l d whose fami l y had di ed
AI -J aa1;ti?: said: When the pl ague had ki l l ed the member s of a
househol d the peopl e of that area were certai n that no one was left
alive among t hem so they went and seal ed the door of the house. But
there was an i nfant boy left who was still suckl i ng d ey
overl ooked hi m. After a whi l e some of the hei rs went tothat house
and opened the door. When they entered the mi ddl e of the house
ey were astounded to see a young boy pl ayi ng wi th some pups
bel ongi ng tothe dog at had l i ved wi th the fami l y. It was not l ong
before they sawthe dog that had bel onged tothe fami l y. When the
chi l dsawher he crawl ed over toher and she let hi msuckl eomher.
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208 Definitionof AUh !ndConnecti ng Hearts toHi m

When the chi1d had gotten hungry and had seen the pups suckl i ng he
had crawl ed over tothem. The mother dog had taken pi ty on hi mand
let hi msuck1e and when she had done at once she conti nued tolet
hi msuckl e and he had kept aski ng for it .
) The whi stl i ng bi rd ki Us the vi per
n al -A' raabi sai d at a snake atethe eggs of a whi st1i ng bi rd and
the bi rd started screechi ng and fl yi ng at e snake' s head until the
snake opened its mouth. Then the bi rd threwa fish spi ne into its
mout h and it stuck in the snake' s throat until it di ed.
i x) The cunni ng of the fox
A mong the amazi ng features of the fox is that when it gets i nfested
wi th fleas it takes a pi ece of wool in its mout h engoes to some
sha110wwater where it submerges itself gradua11y until the fleas
j ump onto that pi ece of wool. l enit lets the wool go and comes out
of the water.
Another of its amazi ng features is that once a wol f ate eyoungof a
fox and the wol f al so had young. There was an encl osed pl ace likea
pitfa11nearby so the fox went there and dug a nnel toget out then it
went to the wol f and ki11ed its young then sat down and wai ted for
hi m. When the wol f came back and real i zed that it was the fox at
haddone ishe started tochase hi m. The fox r ewhi msel f i nto that
pit 11then escaped through the tunnel . The wol f threwhi msel f in
after hi m but he coul d not fi nd hi mand he coul d not escape. Then
e peopl e who l i ved nearby came and ki 11ed hi m.
Once there was a man who had t wo chi ckens. The fox hi d omhi m
and snatched one then ran away. Then he thought about how he
coul d get the other chi cken. He presented hi msel f to eman f roma
di stance wi th somethi ng in his mout h that l ooked like a bird. By
droppi ng it and runni ng away he made the man thi nk it was his
Bel i efi n Al l ah 209
chi cken. When the man rushed towards it efox doubl ed back and
took the other chi cken then ran away.
Once a fox came toan i sl and on whi ch there were bi rds and he ed
hard to catch one of t hem but he coul d not. Then he went and
brought a bunch of grass whi ch he threwi nto the water whi ch was
fl owi ng towards the i sl and and the bi rds were a ai dof it but when
they real i zed that it was onl y grass they settleddown agai n. The fox
di d this agai n a second ti me and a thi anda fourth until the bi rds
got used toit . Then he brought a bi gger bunch of grass and hi d init
and went over towhere the bi rds were. The bi rds were s ethati twas
the same as the previ ous bunches of grass so they di d not fly away
' Omit . Then the fox pounced on a bi rd and devoured it .
When the fox is st vi ngits body swel l s up then it goes and throws
itself down inthe desert as if it is dead. Bi rds come tosee what it is
dit appe stobe nei ther movi ng nor breathi ng. The bi rds are sure
that it is dead and when they start topeck at it the fox pounces and
ki11s them.
When a fox comes across a hedgehog it flips it onto its back because
ofi ts spi nes and it cur1s i tsel fup into a ball. Then the fox uri nates on
the hedgehog' s bel l y whi ch makes it uncurl and the fox grabs it by
the bel l y separates the meat ' Omthe spi ny ski n and eats it.
) The wonders of the wol f
Once a wol f attacked a man and wanted toki11hi m but he sawthat
the man had a bow and arrows. He went and got the skul l of a camel
and faced the man hol di ng it inhis mouth. Every ti me the man shot
an arrowat hi m he defl ected it wi th that skul l until the man was
wom out . When the man real i zed that his arrows had run out he
cal l ed someone else to hel p hi mdri ve the wol f away.
210 Defi ni ti on01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
The wonder s of monkeys
Bukhari menti oned inhis J ; eeJ ; that Amr i bn Maymoon al -Awdi
said: Duri ng the J aahi l i yah (Pre-I sl ami c peri od) 1 sawa mal e
monkey and a f ema1e monkey commi tti ng zi naa. The other monkeys
ga eredtogether and stoned t hemto death. These monkeys uphel d
the limits of Al l ah when the sons of Adamwere negl ecti ng them.
xii) The wonders of cows
Cows eproverbi al l y seen as bei ng sl owand stupi d but the Prophet
( ) said:
Whilst a man was dri vi ng a cow he rode on it and she
sai d 1 was not created for this. ' " The peopl e sai d
SubJ ; aan Al l ah! Can a cow speak?" He said: 1 bel i eve
it and Abu Bakr and ' Umar bel i eve it and at is
enough. "
Andhe said: Whilst a man was tendi ng his sheep the wol f attacked
a ewe and he saved her. The wol f said: You saved her ommebut
who wi11save her on the day of the carni vores the day when she wi11 ~
have no other shepherd but me?' " The peopl e sai d SubJ ; aan Al l ah!
Can a wol f l k?" The Messenger of Al l ah () said:
1 bel i eve it and Abu Bakr and ' Umar bel i eve it and that
is enough. "
xi) The wonder s of mi ce
A mong the wonders of mi ce is that if a mouse dri nks oil o mthe top
of a vessel then the l evel of the oi1drops and it can no l onger reach it
it goes and gets a mout h 1of water. It then pours into the vessel so
that the l evel of oil wi11come up agai n and it can i nk some more.

211
xi v) Some ani mal s use medi ci ne
Doctors c1ai mthat the i dea of usi ng enemas was takenomaki ndof
bi rd that has a l ong beak. If it is fi ndi ng it difficult todefecate it goes
tosalty water takes some water inits beak and gi ves itself an enema
then the droppi ngs e passed qui ckl y.
When weasel s and hedgehogs eat snakes they go and eat crabs as a
ki nd of medi ci ne for that .
When the fox su rs a headache or a wound it goes toa certai n ki nd
of dye and puts it on the wound like a ki nd of oi n l ent . When the
bear suffers a wound it goes to a pl ant whi ch is known to it but is
unknown tothe herbal i sts and eats itself wi th it and it gets better.
xv) How peopl e l earn f r omani mal s
Many wi se peopl e l earn thi ngs o mdumb" ani mal s at eof use
tot hemintheir dai1y lives their atti tudes their wor k and inwar; they
l earn resol uti on and pati ence. Ani mal s are mor e and mor e gui ded
many peopl e.
Al l ah () says:


do you thi nk that most of t hemhear or understand?
They are onl y likecattlenay they are even farther as ay
f romthe Pat h) ( Qur ' an 25: 44)
Abu ar a al
r cattle. He sai d that eyaremor e mi sgui ded than the ani mal s. One of
eways in whi ch femal e carni vores are gui ded is that when they
gi ve birthtotheir young they keep pi cki ng t hemup for efirst f ew
days toprotect t hem oman becausewhen they are bom they are
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212 De.fi ni ti on 01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
young so she keeps pi cki ng t hemup and movi ng t hemf romone
pl ace to another until they become stronger.
Ibn al A' raabi said: It was sai d a shaykh of Quraysh: Who taught
you all of this for what you know is known onl y topeopl e who have
experi ence and who have engaged in ade? He said: Al l ah taught me
what He taught the pi geon whi ch ms its eggs so that both si des will
have an equal share of her warmt h and care lest the earth damage the
egg if it is left on one side.
It was sai d to another: who taught you to persi st and persevere in
seeki ng what you want even if at first you do not succeed until you
get it? He said: the One Who taught the dung beetl e when it cl i mbs a
wal l and falls off to keep on cl i mbi ng agai n and agai n until it
manages to reach the top of the wal l .
1t was sai d toanother: who taught you toset out earl y inthe day todo
yo busi nessand never tomi ss a day? He sai d the One Who ught
the bi rd toset out hungry each morni ng seeki ng its f ood near and far
and never to get tired or to fear an attack in the air or on land.
1t was sai d to another: who taught you to be so cal m qui et and
reserved until you see what you want then when you get the chance
you pounce like a l i on attacki ng its prey? He said: the One Who
taught the cat towatch the mouse' s hol e and not to move a muscl e
but to remai n i mmobi l e as if dead until the mouse comes out
whereupon it pounces like a lion.
It was sai d to another: who taught you to be so pati ent and
forbeari ng? He said: the One Who taught the camel to be so pati ent
even whenca yi ngthese heavy burdens and toput up wi th the l ong
marches exhausti on and harshness and beati ngs of the camel -dri ver
wi th the heavy burden and everythi ng on his back and the bi tterness
of hunger and thirst inhis stomach. Even though he is so tiredand
utterl y exhausted is does not make hi ml ose his pati ence.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 213
It was sai d toanother: who taught you toprefer others toyoursel f and
tobe so generous? He said; the One Who taught the rooster when he
fi nds a grai n on the ground not to eat it al though he needs it but
i nstead to ca11the hens to come until one comes and pi cks up e
grai n and the rooster is happy wi th that. And when a lot of grai n is
put out for hi m he scatters it here and there even if there are no hens
around because his nature is toprefer others over hi msel f and tobe
generous and he thi nks it is mi ser1y to keep f ood for hi msel f.
It was sai d to another: who taught you to be so smart in seeki ng
provi si on and earni ng a l i vi ng? He sai d the One Who taught the fox
a11these i cks whi ch even wi se men are unabl e to l eamand to do.
For the fox' s i cks are too many to be counted.
Whotaught el i on when it is wal ki ng and is afrai d that hunters may
fo11owits tracks and come after it erase its acks wi th its tail?
Who taught hi mto come to hi s cub three days a er it is bom to
breathe into its nose? For when the l i oness gi ves bi rth toit it is like a
dead puppy and she keeps l ooki ng after it until its father comes and
does that .
Who i nspi red the nobl est of l i ons not toeat o many prey except its
own? For if it passes by the prey of any other ani mal it wi11not go
near it even if it is starvi ng.
Who ught the f emal e el ephant when the ti me to gi ve bi rth
approaches togo and gi ve bi rth inthe water? For the el ephant is the
onl y ani mal whi ch gi ves bi rthstandi ng up because itsj oi nts are not
likethe j oi nts of other ani mal s and it is very 11so it is a' aidthat if it
gi ves bi rthon l and the in nt wi11be harmed by the fa11. So she goes
towater whi ch is not too deep and gi ves bi rththere so it wi11be like
a soft bed.
Who taught the fly when it fa11s i nto some l i qui d tokeep the wi ng on
whi ch the cure is out of the water?
214 Defi ni ti on 01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
Who taught the dog when it sees the gazel l es toknow whi ch ones
'e si ckl y and whi ch one is the mal e? For it goes after mal es even
though it knows that ey can run and j ump ster and estronger
and it l eaves the femal es al one even though they are weaker. l edog
knows that i fthe mal e runs for a whi l e its bl adder wi l l fill for when
any ani mal is scared i bl adder fills. When the mal e gazel l e needs to
uri nate it cannot do so when it is runni ng so stso it sl ows down
and then the dog catches Thefemal es on the other hand are abl e
to uri nate whi l st runni ng because their urethras are wi der and it is
easi er for t hem so they keep on runni ng.
Who taught it when the ground is covered wi th snow to l ook for a
pl ace where the snow is thi nner and has mel ted a little creati ng a
slight depressi on in its surface? For it knows that there is a rabbi t
warren under this spot so it di gs it out and hunts the rabbi ts because
it knows that the heat of the rabbi ts' breath has mel ted the snow d
made it thi nner.
Who taught the wol f when it sl eeps tosl eep wi th one eye open? So
it sl eeps wi th one eye open until that eye becomes drowsy l enit
opens the sl eepi ng eye.
Who taught the bi rds if a chi ck falls o mthe nest tocall for hel p so
at other bi rds inthe area gather around it and f1y around it until is
moti vated by their acti ons and gai ns the strength to get up and f1y
wi th them?
A hunter sai d at one day he sawa bi rd on a wal l so he waved his
hand as if throwi ng somethi ng and the bi rd di d not move. Then he
bent down as if topi ck up somethi ng o mthe ground and it di d not
move. Then he touched the smal l est pebbl e or date stone and the bi rd
f1ew away before he coul d pi ck it up.
Who . ught a certai n pe of spi der to s y cl ose to the ground and
remai n i mmobi l e so that the f1y wi l l thi nk that it is preoccupi ed then
215 BeUfi nAl l ah
it p'Ounces up'On it like a le'Opard?
Wh ' O taught the spi der t'O make its web s'O fi ne and s ongthen t'O
make a thread at the t'Op and hang' Omit then when a m'Osqui t'Ogets
caught in the web it dr'Ops d'Own t'O it and c'Omes t'O hunt it?
Wh ' O taught the gazel l e 'Onl y t'Oenter its h'Ome backwards s'Othat it
can ce whatever it s may har mit 'Or its ' 0 pri ng?
Wh ' O ught the cat when it sees a m'Ouse 'On the r' O' Of t'Orai se its head
t'Owards it as if p'Oi nti ng t'Oit wi th a sti ck then m'Ove its head back and
rth until the m'Ouse is di acted d falls?
Wh ' O taught the je ' Oat'Odi g itsh'Ouse inthe si des 'Of the val l ey s' O at
it wi11be ab'Ove the fl ' O' Od l evel and wi11be safe fr'Om the h' O' Oves 'Of
cattle 'Or water fl 'Owi ng thr'Ough? It makes its tunnel s deep then it
makes numerous d' O' Ors inthem. It makes a thi n barri er bet ween it and
the sur ce'Of the earth s'Othat when it senses danger it can 'Open 'One
'Of these d' O' Ors easi l y and escape. Because it is very f'Orget 1it 'Onl y
bui l ds its h'Ome near a r'Ock whi ch wi11serve as a gui dep'Ost p'Oi nti ng
t'O its h'Ome if it l'Oses its way.
Wh ' O ught the le'Opard when it gets t t'Ostay 'Out 'Of si ght because it
is t' O' O heavy t'O m'Ove unti l it l'Oses at twhereup'On it emerges
agai n?
Wh ' O taught the stag when its antl ers 11 'Off t'O stay 'Out 'Of si ght
because it has l'Ost its weap'On and it gai ns wei ght as a resul t? Then
when its antl ers have gr'Own agai n it c'Omes 'Out int'Othe sun and wi nd
and starts t'Om'Ove ar'Ound a l'Ot. Thi s makes its musc1es gr'Ow s ong
agai n and it l'Oses the fat that prevented it ' Omrunni ng.

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216 Definition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
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is not a movi ng [living] creature on e hnor a
bi rd at flies wi th its t wo wi ngs but are communi ti es
like you. We have negl ected nothi ng inthe Book then
unto eir Lord they [all] shall be ga ered. Those who
rej ect Our aayat [proofs evi dences verses l essons
si gns revel ati ons etc.] are deaf and dumb in the
darkness. Al l ah sends astray whom He wi11s and He
gui des on the Strai ght Path whom He wi11s.)
(Qur' an 6: 3839)
Ways i n whi ch humans are l i kened to ani mal s
n Abbaas says accordi ng toa report narrated by Ataa' : are
communi ti es like you...) ( Qur 'an 6: 38). [Al l ah] means: they
recogni ze Me affi rmMy Uni ty gl ori Me and prai se Me. This is
like the aayah (v se):

. And there is not a thi ng but gl ori fi es Hi s Prai se...)
(Qur' n 17: 44)
24154ag i
. . . 4J j zt
you not [0' Muhammad] that Al l ah He it is Who m
gl ori fwhosoever is in the heavens and the earth and
the bi rds wi th wi ngs outspread [intheir flight]? Of each
one He [Al l ah] knows i ndeed hi s [prayer] and hi s
gl ori fi cati on [or everyone knows hi s (prayer) and
hi s gl ori fi cati on] (Qur 'an 24: 41)
Thi s is al so referred to in the fol l owi ng verses:
Bel i ef in 217
l l t df d f d J " f j ;II
435 53l J 7A2525
you not that whoever is inthe heavens and whoever
is on the earth and the sun and the moon and the s rs
and the mountai ns and the 'eesand Ad- Dawaabb
[movi ng (l i vi ng) creatures be ts] ..)
; 423f i Ldf
4.t
toAl1ah pros ateal1that is inthe heavens and al1
that is inthe earth of the movi ng [living] creatures and
the angel s and they are not proud [i.e. they worshi p their
Lord ( Al1ah) wi th (Qur' an 16: 49)
...3415i hj j l : ; .
you mountai ns. Gl ori [ Al1ah] wi th hi m! And
you bi rds [also]!... (Qur' an 34: 10)
i
your Lord i nspi red the bees...; (Qur 'an 16:68)
@ l i 4. 8. . .
of the ants said: 0' ants!.. (Qur' an 27: 18)
---JiA( 4l J .
(Sol omon) said:] We have been taught
the l anguage of bi rds'; (Qur' an 27: 16)
Mahi d sai d ' Communi ti es like you' (means) speci es and
categori es whi ch you know by their names. Az-Zaj j aaj sai d
' Communi ti es like you' means In that they wi11 be resurrected.'
218 Defi ni ti on of Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
Ibn Qutaybah said: Communi ti es l i keyou' meansInthat they search
for f ood seek provi si on and Y toprotect themsel ves o mdanger.'
Sufaani bn ' Uyaynah said: ere is no human bei ng on earth who
does not resembl e ani mal s in some way. Some crush the heads of
their vi cti ms like lions; some run likewol ves; some bark likedogs;
and some fl aunt themsel ves like peacocks. Some peopl e resembl e
pi gs inthat if you offer t hemgood f ood they wi l l not touch it but if a
man gets up f romdefecati ng they wi l l come and roll init . Hence you
fi nd some peopl e who if they hear fiftywords of wi sdom eywil1
not remember anythi ng of that but if a man does one i ngwrong
that wi l l stay in their memory.
Al Khatt: aabi said: how wel l Suf yaan understood this aayah (verse)
and reached this wi se concl usi on. That is if a s tement coul d not be
i nterpreted literally it shoul d be i nterpreted accordi ng to the subt1e
meani ng to whi ch it refers. Al l ah has tol d us of the si mi1arities
between men and every ki nd ofbi rd and beast; this cannot be taken in
the physi cal sense or inthe sense of speech and knowl edge so it must
be i nterpreted as a resembl ance in terms of characteri sti cs and
atti de.
Al l ah () has made some ani mal s smart and resourceful and others
rel axed and trusting. Some i nsects store a ye worth of f ood for
themsel ves and others rel y on e ct that dai l y provi si on is
guaranteed for them. Some do not know their offspri ng at all; some
l ook after their own offspri ng but no others; some negl ect their own
o pri ng and care for the offspri ng of others; some never
acknowl edge eir 0 pri ng once they become i ndependent. Some
creatures save whi l st others have no means of eami ng. Some care for
their offspri ng and never l ose touch wi th them.
Some ani mal s do not seek toproduce offspri ng whi l st others devote
all their ti me and effort to havi ng chi l dren. Some recogni ze d
Bel i ef inAl l ah 219
appreci ate ki nd treatment whi l st for others it does not me athi ng.
Some prefer others tothemsel ves whi l st others if they gai n enough
toprovi de for an enti re communi t y of thei r speci es wi11not let any
other i ndi vi dual come near it.
Some ani mal s likehumans and feel at home wi th t hem whi l st others
are very nervous of man. Some eat onl y good and pure thi ngs whi l st
others eat filth and yet others eat both.
Some ani mal s wi l l not har munl ess severel y provoked whi l st others
wi11hurt wi thout provocati on. Some bear grudges and never forget if
someone hurts t hem whi l st others do not r emember at all. Some
never get angry whi l st others get angry qui ckl y and are not easi l y
cal med. Some have very preci se knowl edge of thi ngs whi ch most
peopl e know nothi ng about and some do not know about anythi ng at
all. Some are abl e to detect and avoi d thi ngs whi ch are ugl y or bad
and for others good and bad are the same. Some l eamqui ckl y some
l eamsl owl y and some never l eam.
Al l ofthi s poi nts tothe Creator and how wi se and perfect He is inHi s
creati on. 1t shows how wonderf ul is the knowl edge whi ch He has
insti11ed inHi s creati on how subt1e the s atagemshow preci se the
management how pati ent Hi s creatures are in the pursui t of their
goal s. Al l of this makes us gl ori f Al l ah. 1t fills our hearts wi th
knowl edge of Al l ah and Hi s wi sdomand pow What every rati onal
bei ng knows is that He di d not create all this invai n and He does not
negl ect .fI is creati on. 1n all that He creates He has the c1earest wi sdom
and defi ni ti ve proof whi ch i ndi cates that He is the Lord and
Soverei gn of all thi ngs that He al one is perfect and at He is abl e to
do all thi ngs and knows all thi ngs.
xvi ) Ho w the Creator gui des l i vi ng bei ngs to mul ti pl y
Dr. Yusuf 1zz Uddeen expl ai ns this topi c as fol l ows:
220 D1i tion01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
A m'Ong the amazi ng thi ngs whi ch al l 1i vi ng bei ngs have inc'Ommon
is the abi l i ty t'Omul ti pl y t'Oproduce 'Offspri ng whi ch wi11ensure the
c'Onti nuati on 'Of the speci es and that it wi l l n'Ot become exti nct .
The act of repr'Oduci ng is acc'Ompl i shed by di fferent means in
di fferent creatures but they all reach the i ntended g'Oa1 . Bacteri a
(whi ch eki nds 'Of pl ants) mul ti pl y as d'Oall 'Other ki nds 'Of pl ants ~
and ani mal s acc'Ordi ng t'Othei r vari 'Ous levels. Fr'Om a mathemati cal
p'Oint 'Of vi ew it is i mp'Ossi bl e that a seri es 'Of acci dental events coul d j
have l ed t'O the appearance 'Of mal es and femal es in th'Ousands of
pl ants and ani mal s t'O serve a speci fi c purp'Ose whi ch is e
pr'Oducti 'On 'Of 'Offspri ng t'O pr'Otect the speci es o mexti ncti 'On.
There are s'Ome pl ants and ani mal s inwhi ch there is n'O di sti ncti on
between mal es and femal es but they sti11 mul ti pl y and pr'Oduce
'Offspri ng. Ti ny pri mi ti ve ani mal s such as the a m'Oeba whi ch lives in . ~
water and wh'Ose b'Ody c'Onsi sts 'Of a si ngl e cell mul ti pl y in
amazi ng fashi 'On. One am'Oeba di vi des int'Ot w'Op ts each 'Of whi ch
turns int'O an a m'Oeba. The creatures f'Or med by this cell di vi si on
di vi de int'O t w'O in turn and s'O 'On. Thi s happens when the
ci rcumstances 'Of life are sui tabl e.
But if this creature feels any sense 'Of danger it creates a bubbl e ~
ar'Ound itself and di vi des int'O t w'O and int'O tens 'Of new creatures
i nsi de that bubbl e s'O as t'O make up f'Or the ti me whi ch it may
'Otherwi se have wasted i nsi de the bubbl e wai ti ng f'Or ci rcumstances to
return t'O n'Or ma1 .
Mul ti pl i cati 'On by divisi 'On 'Occurs in numerous 'Other pri mi ti ve
ani mal s apart fr'Om the am'Oeba such as the ani mal cal l ed a
parameci um whi ch als'O lives in water and als'O mul ti pl i es by
di vi di ng int'O t w'O in sui tabl e ci rcumstances like the am'Oeba. But
o mti me t'Oti me when it needs t'Orenewits energy and vitality
res'Orts t'Oan'Other ki nd 'Of repr'Oducti 'On whi ch is very c'Ompl i cated. It
Bel i efi nAl l ah 221
mobi1izes its nucl eus (and every cel1has a nucl eus as is wel1known)
to mak: e every cel1 di vi de into four i nstead of onl y two.
In ani mal s whi ch e superi or to these pri mi ti ve ani mal s if
ci rcumstances prevent femal es o mmati ng wi th mal es in order to
produce offspri ng the ani mal becomes both mal e and femal e i.e. it
becomes a hermaphrodi te wi th both femal e and mal e reproducti ve
organs si de by si de inits body. hus it is abl e toproduce 0spri ng
wi thout havi ng towai t for the opportuni ty for the t wo sexes tocome
together. This happens for exampl e in the case of the l i ver-worm
whi ch lives inthe ducts of the gal1-bl adder of some ani mal s where it
is very di cult for t hemto move about inthis cons i ctedspace to
seek out the other sex. At the same ti me if it so happens that t wo of
theseworms eabl e tofertilizeone another one wi11become likethe
femal e and the other wi11 become like the mal e.
lenoti on that mi11i ons of acci dents happened at the same ti me and
served a speci fi c common goal in many di fferent speci es and in
many di erent ways is somethi ng that is i nconcei vabl e by scientific
and mathemati cal standards. In this case we have no opti on but to
accept the exi stence of an acti ve creati ve power behi nd a11 of l I s.
Fr omthe ti me of the first appearance of mammal s on earth the
femal e was equi pped to produce mi l k whi ch woul d guarantee
nouri shment for the young as soon as they emerged o mthe
mother' s womb. If these mammar y gl ands whi ch pro udeo mthe
mother' s body had not exi stedo mthe first moment that mammal s
appe edthe young woul d have had no chance togr owand survi ve.
This is somethi ng that has been decreed and deci ded o mthe
begi nni ng and is not subj ect ial and e or because there is no
r oomfor even the slightest mi stak: e.
Can any rati onal person i magi ne that this provi si on of food for the
newbomwoul d happen as the result of bl i nd chance? The mi l k of
222 D:nitionof Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
femal e mammal s in addi ti on to provi di ng nouri shment has also
been f ound to contai n materi al s whi ch gi ve the newbomi mmuni
agai nst di seases until it grows s onger and its body is abl e toprotect
itself. Al l efforts tomanuf acture the mi l k needed tonouri sh newboms
have fai l edto produce mi l k that has the s ne characteri sti cs as the
mi l k that Al l ah has suppl i ed to the femal e. "
The i mportance of the sexual i nsti nct
Dr. Yusuf al so tells us about the sexual instinct and its i mportance and
i mpact . He says:
Amongt hel I ngs that puzzl e scientists is the sexual instinct whi ch
makes mal es attracted to femal es and vi ce versa.
The sexual i nsti nct is the s ongest of instincts because it is the most
i mportant for ensuri ng the survi val of the speci es and protecti ng it
o mexti ncti on. The mai n pu oseinlifefor some ani mal s is tomate
and pe e ate the speci es and they di e i mmedi atel y after that .
The compl ete lifecyc1e ofthe i nsect known as the may- f1y is no more
than a f ewdays. Duri ng its enti re lifecyc1e it does not eat because
is not equi pped wi th a mout h at all. Its pri mary rol e duri ng this short
peri od of ti me is to mate and produce offspri ng. The mother di es
soon as she has fulfilled her rol e and the father di es l i kewi se."
xvii) How the Creator causes ani mal s to make up for lost parts of
thei r bodi es
l n his arti c1es in Al - Ahraamnewspaper Dr. Yusuf di scusses the
characteri sti c whi ch Al l ah () has bestowed upon Hi s creatures
whereby they are abl e to make up for any part of their bodi es that
they lose:
Among the other amazi ng features that we see in all ani mal s and
pl ants is the ability to make up for mi ssi ng body p ts. We fi ndl I s
ability to one degree or another in di fferent l i vi ng bei ngs.
Beli finAl l ah 223
Inmany ani mal s such as at whi ch is cal l ed ehydra we fi nd an
amazi ng feature whi ch sci ence can onl y descri be but it cannot
expl ai n. This ani mal l i ves inwater and takes the f ormof a tube whi ch
is no more than a f ewmi l l i meters inl ength. The beis cl osed at the
bottomand is open at the top. Thi s openi ng serves as a mout h totake
infood and it is al so used toexpel waste matter. Around this mout h
there are a number of hol l owtentacl es whi ch are connected to the
hol l owtube i nsi de its body.
I f we cut this ani mal into t wo an upper hal f and a l ower hal f we fi nd
that some cells in each hal f mul ti pl y to compl ete the part at is
mi ssi ng and the result is t wo ani mal s whi ch l ook likethe ori gi na1 .
But it does not stop there. If we cut the ani mal into several pi eces
each pi ece wi11gr owand wi11make up the mi ssi ng parts and wi11
become a perfectl y f ormed ani ma1 .
The wal l s ofthe hydra' s body are composed of t wo l ayers ofcel l s an
outer l ayer and an i nner l ayer whi ch surrounds the hol l owspace
i nsi de its body. Ineach l ayer there edi fferent types of cells each of
whi ch performs a speci fi c functi on. Most of the cells in the outer
l ayer serve toprotect the body whi l st the mai n functi on of the i nner
cel1s is to di gest the f ood whi ch the ani mal swal l ows through its
mout h openi ng.
I f we mthis ani mal i nsi de-out likea sock so that the outer cells are
on the i nsi de surroundi ng its hol l owcen and the cells whi ch were
i nsi de are now on the outsi de what happens? le scientists who
carri ed out this experi ment di scovered that the cells whi ch are now
on the outsi de mi grate towards the i nsi de and the cells whi ch are
now on the i nsi de mi grate towards the outsi de so that the ani mal wi11
go back to eway it was. If this di d not happen the ani mal woul d
die because the cel1s whi ch surround its hol1ow mi ddl e have to be
di ge i ve cells whi ch c process the od in the ani mal 's hol1ow
mi ddl e. At sameti me the cells whi ch are on outsi dehave to
224 Definitionof A Uh nd Connecti ng e ~ r t s toHi m
be protecti ve cells whi ch can def end the ani mal ' s body.
If an earthwormis cut inhal f each hal f wi l l gr ow and wi l l make up
for the mi ssi ng parts.
In other ani mal s such as the shri mp and others if it l oses one of its
l egs it grows a new l eg to repl ace the lost l i mb. If the wal l gecko
senses danger or a person or ani mal grabs it by the tail it wi l l detach
that tail o mits body and escapeo mthe danger and it grows a new

If we humans cut oursel ves when shavi ng or for any other reason
new cells f ormtorepl ace the cells that are lost . If that di d not happen
it woul d be i mpossi bl e to perf ormsurgery.
If we break a bone new cells f ormand the break heals.
Thi s coul d not have happened as the result of an acci dent. It has tobe
the resul t of a pl an ai med at a speci fi c goal whi ch is the preservati on
of the lifeof the i ndi vi dual. It is control l ed by i nner forces resi di ng in
the ani mal the nature of whi ch is not fully understood by sci ence. It
is a force whi ch Al l ah has created inani mal s but the ani mal knows
nothi ng of it and does not know what it is doi ng. "
E ii) Al l l i vi ng bei ngs have the functi on of breathi ng incommon
al though they achi eve it in di fferent ways
Dr. Yusuf al so di scusses this topi c inhis val uabl e articles where he
says:
The functi on ofbreathi ng whi ch we fi nd ina1l 1i vi ng creatures o m
the l owest to the hi ghest is an amazi ng process. In all cases it is
si mpl y the process of oxi di zati on i . e. the uni on of oxygen wi th
ients in the cells of the body whi ch results in the rel ease of
energy whi ch the organi smneeds and wi thout whi ch it woul d not be
abl e to undertake any of its activities.
BeU(inAllah 225
l I s oxi di zati on takes pl ace in di erent ways in di erent ani mal s
but inall cases the result is the same: the rel ease of energy. At the
same ti me water and carbon di oxi de are f ormed as a result of this
process. So the mai n stages of breathi ng are the i ntake of oxygen
needed tooxi di ze the ients and the rel ease of carbon di oxi de and
water as a result of I S process.
In si mpl e ani mal s like the amoeba where the body consi sts of a
si ngl e cell the process of breathi ng is compl eted in a very si mpl e
manner. le crea re that l ooks like a pi ece of soft jelly lives in
water. There is a certai n amount of di l uted oxygen. Thi s oxygen
whi ch is di l uted inthe water pene ates the amoeba' s body where it
oxi di zes enutri ents inits body and the energy is rel eased whi ch it
needs to move and gr owand perf ormother necessary functi ons of
life.
Carbon di oxi de and water are f ormed as a result of this oxi di zati on
process in addi ti on to the rel ease of energy.
The amoeba gets rid of the excess water in an amazi ng shi on. It
col l ects the drops of water until they f orma bubbl e filledwi th water.
It then moves to the edge of the creature' s body. Then it bursts
expel l i ng the water o mits body then it s stof orma new bubbl e
and so on.
The carbon di oxi de si mpl y passes out o mthe amoeba' s body into
the surroundi ng water.
Ini nsects the functi on of breathi ng takes pl ace through openi ngs in
the si des of the i nsect' s body whi ch l ead to a network of fine tubes
and get progressi vel y smal l er until they reach al most all its cells.
Oxygen enters this systemthrough the extemal hol es and reaches the
cells of the body directly.
226 Defi ni ti on of Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
Inman and a number of other ani mal s the oxygen reaches the tissues
of the body through red bl ood cells whi ch e carri ed by the bl ood
and whi ch contai n a substance cal l ed haemogl obi n.
One of the amazi ng features of this substance is at it bi nds readi l y
wi th oxygen and carbon di oxi de and is al so abl e to detach itself
qui ckl yo mthem. When these red bl ood cells reach the l ungs ey
pi ck up oxygen and vel t oughthe arteries until they reach the
smal l capi l l ari es in the ti ssues of the body where they rel ease the
oxygen. The oxygen passes through the thi n wal l s of the capillaries
i nto the ti ssues where it is used tooxi di ze e ients. The carbon
di oxi de whi ch resul ts o m is process of oxi di zati on attaches itself
tothe haemogl obi n and is carri ed back tothe l ungs where detaches
itself and is expel l ed o mthe body by exhal ati on. Then mor e oxygen
is pi cked up and so on.
Breathi ng happens in di fferent ways in di erent ani mal s but the
result inall cases is the same that is bri ngi ng oxygen tothe cells of
the body and expel l i ng carbon di oxi de.
Thi s offers defi ni ti ve proof of t wo thi ngs:
First the preci se na reofthi s process has tobe the acti on and decree
of a Creator because it coul d not have happened any other way. This
result whi ch all crea res have incommon coul d not have come about
by acci dent.
Second the Creator is absol utel y One for the style of creati on is
based on one pri nci pl e and l eads to one unchangi ng resul t."
xi x) Li vi ng bei ngs get thei r f ood i n di fferent ways
On is topi c Dr. Yusuf tells us:
Al l l i vi ng bei ngs pl ants and ani mal s need nouri shment. The way in
whi ch pl ants get their f ood is compl etel y di fferent o mthe way in
whi ch ani mal s get theirs. Pl ants stay inone pl ace and are not abl e to
BeliefinAl l ah 227
move around to l ook for their f ood as ani mal s do so. Hence they
manufacture their own f ood on the spot by usi ng sol ar energy.
Ani mal s on the other hand fi nd their f ood ready- made whether it is
pl ant materi al or o mother ani mal s. The f ood whi ch ani mal s eat has
tobe di gested and absorbed by the body so at it can benefi t o mit.
The process of di gesti on is very compl i cated as it breaks down
compl ex substances i nto si mpl e substances whi ch the body is en
abl e to absorb and benefi t om.
lef ood substances may be tsprotei ns starches etc. Each peof
food is di gested by speci fi c en les whi ch affect it but do not affect
other substances whi ch may be present si de by si de wi th it . Enzymes
whi ch wor k on ts wi l l not wor k on protei ns and en les whi ch
work on protei ns wi l l not wor k on ts.
Is it possi bl e that all of this coul d have come about as the result of
bl i nd chance or acci dents or as the resul t of al and error?
Any mi nd whi ch is abl e tothi nk must real i ze that is is i mpossi bl e
just as this i dea is rej ected outri ght by the mathemati cal l aws of
probabi l i ty.
The mi nute amoeba whi ch is f ormed of a si ngl e cell takes inits f ood
ina s gemanner. It extends a pseudopodi umwhi ch surrounds the
pi ece of f ood whi ch is to be f ound in ewater surroundi ng it. The
food may be ei ther ti ny ani mal organi sms or si ngl e-cel l ed pl ants
whi ch are smal l er than the amoeba. In this case the f ood wi l l be
movi ng if it is a ti ny ani mal organi sm and stati onary if it is a si ngl e-
cel l ed pl ant such as some water mosses.
It is i ndeed remarkabl e at a si mpl e creature such as the amoeba
whi ch has no brai n or nervous system is abl e todi sti ngui sh between
food that is stati onary and f ood that is movi ng. I fthe f ood is a movi ng
ani mal the amoeba approaches it wi th eauti on o ma di stance so at
228 Definitionof A Uh and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
it wi11not run away. If the f ood is stati onary and is not movi ng the
amoeba approaches it wi thout cauti on touchi ng it as it surrounds it
because inthis case the f ood is not abl e toescape. How does a si mpl e
crea relikethe amoeba whi ch we can barel y see wi thout the ai dof a
mi croscope and whi ch has no brai n nerves eyes or other sensory
organs know this?
Once the f ood has been surrounded by the pseudopodi um it is now
i nsi de the amoeba' s body encased in a drop of water. Then the
amoeba' s body begi ns to secrete an aci di c di gesti ve en ewhi ch
ki11s the prey whi ch it has caught if it is still alive. Then it secretes an
al kal i ne enzyme. There is a reason for this the most i mportant
enzyme whi ch is the one whi ch di gests protei ns can onl y wor k inan
al kal i ne envi ronment."
xx) How bl ood ci rcul ates in the bodi es of all l i vi ng bei ngs
Dr. Yusuf tells us about the ci rcul ati on of the bl ood:
Bl ood ci rcul ati on takes pl ace indi fferent ways indi erent parts of
the ani mal s' bodi es j ust as the formati on of the heart vari es in
di erent ki nds of ani mal s but the result is the same bl ood ci rcul ati on
in parts of the body.
If we l ook at how the heart and ci rcul atory systemis f ormed inman
and ina number of other ani mal s we wi l l see that the heart - this
beauti ful l y desi gned organ - is f ormed of i nterconnected chambers
whose openi ngs are equi pped wi th val ves. The j ob of these val ves is
to al l owbl ood to pass through in one di recti on and to prevent it
goi ng back in the opposi te di recti on.
We fi nd si mi l ar val ves in the l arge vei ns for the same reason.
The network of bl ood vessel s wi th its arteries vei ns and capillaries
is desi gned inan amazi ng m mer. The arteries branch out getti ng
smal l er and smal l er until they become capi l l ari es wi th thi n walls.
Bel i efi n Al l ah 229
le reason why the capi l l ari es have such thi n wal1s is to al10w the
gaseous exchange of oxygeno mthe haemogl obi n carri ed inthe red
bl ood cel1s to e ti ssues of the body. At the same ti me carbon
di oxi de passes o mthe ti ssues i nto the capi l l ari es where it attaches
itselfto the red bl ood cel1s. Then the capi l l ari es j oi n back together to
f ormvei ns whi ch l ead back tothe l ungs where the red bl ood cel1s get
rid of the carbon di oxi de and pi ck up mor e oxygen and so on.
The heart beats rhythmi cal1y for a l i feti me whereby some of its
chambers expand whi l st others con actto push the pure oxygen-
beari ng bl oodrroughthe arteries whi l st the bl ood that has passed
through the body returns car ring carbon di oxi de to send it to the
l ungs where it pi cks up mor e oxygen and gets rid of the carbon
di oxi de.
There ci rcul ate inthe bodi es of man and some other ani mal s fluids
whi ch have speci fi c functi ons such as bl ood and l ymph. The l ymph
acts as a medi ator between the bl ood and the tissues. Bl ood has many
functi ons such as del i veri ng nu i ents to al1 parts of the body. If
bl ood does not exist inthe bodi es of some ani mal s such as the liver-
wor m the bodi es of these ani mal s are desi gned in such a way that
nu ients e del i vered by some other means.
Inour bodi es and inthe bodi es of a number of other ani mal s bl ood is
composed of a l i qui d in whi ch there float huge numbers of cel1s
whi ch have di fferent f orms and functi ons. These are cal1ed red bl ood
cel1s and whi te bl ood cel1s.
The red bl ood cel1s as menti oned above pl ay a rol e inthe functi on of
breathi ng. The whi te bl ood cel1s appear in a vari ety of f orms and
performdi fferent functi ons. Some of t hemserve to swal10w and
destroy any germs that enter the human' s or ani mal ' s body; they
swal10w t hemina manner si mi l ar tothat of the amoeba swal10wi ng
its food. We breathe ino mthe air mi l l i ons of germs day and ni ght
230 D zition01Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
but we do not get si ck every day because these amazi ng cells
float inour bl ood and whi ch are abl e tomoveo mthe b l o o d s ' e ~
i nto the ti ssues incases of emergency swal l owthese germs and ki
them. So we do not fall i11unl ess the body' s resi stance is weakened
for some reason or if there are mor e germs than usua1."
xxi ) The way i n whi ch the senses are f ormed in l i vi ng bei ngs
Dr. Yusuf expl ai ns tous that most ani mal s have sensory organs such
as si ght smel l touch and heari ng. The basi c format of the eye is
si mi l ar in all mammal s and other creatures. 1ts formati on is very
compl ex and amazi ng. The eye has a l ens through whi ch light pass
and an openi ng through whi ch light enters the lens. Thi s openi ng
through whi ch light enters the eye automati cal l y becomes wi der in
l owlight and smal l er in bri ght l i ght. The reason for that is c1ear.
When the light is l ow the eye needs mor e light inorder tosee obj ects
c1earl y and when the light is bri ght it needs less l i ght .
The eye sees thi ngs in l owlight but man has not yet been abl e to
i nvent a camera that can take pi ctures in such l owl i ght .
The bee is abl e tosee ul tra-vi ol et rays and the owl is abl e tosee in
red rays whi ch we are not abl e to see. These e heat rays whi ch
enabl e the owl to see a mouse indeep darkness by seei ng these heat
rays whi ch are emi tted by the mouse' s war mbody.
The rays of light whi ch enter eeye fall on the reti na at the back of
the eye. The reti na is f ormed of ni ne di fferent l ayers whi ch a11
together are no thi cker than a pi ece of paper. The l ayer whi ch is at e
back of the eye is f ormed of mi11i ons of rods and cones arranged ina
certai n order whi ch al l ows t hemto di sti ngui sh col ours. The opti c
nerve smi ts these sensati ons toa speci fi c area of the brai n whi ch
ansl ates these sensati ons i nto a cl ear i mage of what the eye sees.
This amazi ng formati on of the l ens rods and cones and nerves can
Bel i ef inAl l ah 231
onl y have happened at one ti me. 1f they were not all created at the
same ti me si ght woul d have been i mpossi bl e. How can it be at all
these factors compl ement one ano er at the same ti me?
The sci ence of mathemati cs tells us that it is i mpossi bl e for all these
i ngs tohave happened at one ti me by chance. A tel evi si on camera
is a pri mi ti ve i mi tati on of the process of vi si on whi ch is
accompl i shed by the eye. Al l the thi ngs that the human mi nd has
i nvented are pri mi ti ve i mi tati ons of what exists innature. 1f a si mpl e
camera needed so much thought and reasoni ng tobe i nvented does it
make any sense to say that the eye of a human or any other ani mal
coul d have been f ormed by chance?
1t istruly amazi ng at for every ani mal whi ch needs tobe abl e tosee
Al l ah () has created eyes wi th whi ch it can see. Al though those
eyes may di er greatl y f romour own inthe way they are f ormed
they sti1l meet the same goal whi ch is to see. So we f md in the
earthworm for exampl e cells inits ski n whi ch are sensi ti ve tolight
and darkness. l I s is all that is needed by creatures such as this
wor m whi ch lives in tunnel s beneath the ground.
Insects have eyes whi ch are f ormed di erentl y o mthe eyes of
humans monkeys cows turtles and fish but despi te these
di fferences the i nsects sti1l see whatever they l ook at wi th these eyes.
le fact that these di erent means all reach the same goal is not
somel I ng that coul d have come about by chance; it has to be the
result of a pl an ai med at reachi ng a speci fi c goal.
Al l ah () has bl essed every creature wi th senses and understandi ng
accordi ng toits needs. The housefl y for exampl e needs eyes tosee
food and it els every movement ai med at attacki ng it. Hence the
Creator equi pped it wi th a pai r of compound eyes as He gave tomost
insects. Each of these compound eyes is composed of hundreds of
units whi ch resembl e one another and e packed cl ose toge er.
232 Defi ni ti on of Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
Each one of these uni ts sees part of the obj ect that is bei ng vi ewed
and these partial i mages combi ne to gi ve the flya compl ete pi c .
Its Creator has al so gi ven it another ki nd of eye cal l ed the si mpl e
eye. There are three ofthese si mpl e eyes on the top ofthe fly's head;
their functi on is to spot any movement. It is these eyes whi ch make
catchi ng the fly al most i mpossi bl e. "
xxn) How the bones and j oi nts are desi gned
The bones of our bodi es and those of a number of other ani mal s can
be moved at the joints. Certai n muscl es con act whi l st others
si mul taneousl y expand inharmony and the hand l eg fi nger or other
p t of the body moves in the way inwhi ch the person or ani mal
wants it tomove. The j oi nts are f ormed insuch a way that they are
abl e to slide so the creature does not feel any iction.
The vertebrae of the spi nal col umn are j oi ned in a way that is
desi gned to take press e and avoi d iction. The vertebrae e
connected to one another and it is an amazi ng desi gn. The spi nal
col umn enc10ses the spi nal cordprotect it j ust as the skull protects
the brai n i nsi de it and nerves extendo mthe spi nal cord through
hol es in e vertebrae. Al l these desi gn features have to have
happened at the same ti me because if even one aspect of this desi gn
was l acki ng the ani mal woul d not be abl e to move. Does it make
sense tosuggest that all of these features coul d have happened at the
same ti me as the result of an acci dent?
xx) The reason why bl ood clots
It is wel l - known that i f we are wounded the bl ood whi ch comes out
of the vei ns at the siteof the wound qui ckl y c1ots. There is a reason
behi nd this. The congeal ed bl ood seals the wounded bl ood vessel s
thus stemmi ng the fl owof bl ood. If this c10tti ngdi d not happen the
i ndi vi dual woul d bl eed to death.
Bel i efi n Al l ah 233
What it i ndi cates is that a del i berate pl an 'On the part 'Of the Creat'Or t'O
pr'Otect l i vi ng bei ngs is the fact that we fi nd it happeni ng indi fferent
ways indi erent creatures. The result inall cases is the same. In m'Ost
i nsects if the i nsect such as a c'Ockr'Oach f'Or exampl e is w'Ounded a
number 'Of cells gather and f'Or ma seal 'Over the w'Ound s'O that n'O
bl ' O' Od can c'Ome 'Out . In s'Ome i nsects we fi nd that the bl ' O' Od c1' Otsj ust
as ' 0 bl ' O' Od d'Oes.
The fact that the same g'Oal is reached by di fferent means as we have
stated ab'Ove ' 0 ers defi ni ti ve pr' O' Of 'Of the exi stence 'Of a Creat'Or
Wh ' O c'Ontr'Ols and desi gns thi ngs indi erent ways in'Order t'Oreach a
speci fi c g'Oal f'Or whi ch He keeps the l i vi ng bei ng alive.
xxi v) The senso r antennae of mosqui toes
It cann'Ot be acci dental that the sens'Ory antennae 'Of the mal e
m'Osqui t'Ohave l'Onger hai rs than th'Ose'On the antennae 'Of the femal e.
In the past it was bel i eved that these l'Onger hai rs served as an
ad'Ornment t'O make the mal e attracti ve t'O the femal e. But it then
became app ent that these hai rs 'Of the antennae 'Of the mal e
m'Osqui t'Oare abl e t'Opi ck up speci al s'Ounds made by the femal e o m
a great di stance. These s'Ounds made by the femal e avel by waves
whi ch t'O a l arge extent resembl e the waves 'Of a br'Oadcast.
The mal e waves his antennae indi fferent directi 'Ons j ust as we m'Ove
eantenna 'Of a televisi 'On in'Order t'Oget a c1earer pi cture. In certai n
p'Ositi 'Ons the antennae pi ck up the femal e' s s'Ound c1ear1y and' Om
leangl e 'Ofhi s antennae he kn'Ows i nsti ncti vel y where the femal e is
wh'Ois maki ng the s'Ound. S'Ohe flies t'Owards her taki ng the sh'Ortest
r'Oute in 'Order t'O mate wi th her.
Thus we n'Ote at the Creat'Or has gi ven the m'Osqui t'Othis amazi ng
ability t'O detect the femal e' s s'Ound ' Omd'Ozens 'Of meters away
despi te the fact that there are many 'Other s'Ounds cr'Owdi ng the
ai rwaves. Ifthi s di d n'Ot happen the mal e m'Osqui t'Ow'Oul d n'Ot be abl e
Definition01Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m 234
tofi nd the femal e easi1y and mosqui toes woul d not be abl e tosurvi ve
generati on after generati on.
This is likea broadcast receptor inthe mosqui to' s antennae whi ch it
used mi1l i ons of years before man was abl e todi scover the secrets of
wi rel ess communi cati on. 1s it possi bl e that such a thi ng coul d have
happened as e resul t of bl i nd chance?

1
2

xxv) Creatures whi ch fl ash in the darkness

The femal es of some speci es of i nsects fl ashinthe darkness wi th a
equencywhi ch is di sti ngui shabl e tothe mal es of the same speci es
and whi ch they do not confuse wi th the fl ashes of other speci es whi ch
are emi tted on a di fferent frequency. When the mal e sees these
fl ashes whi ch are barel y di scemi bl e to our eyes he flies to e
femal e and mati ng takes pl ace thus ensuri ng the conti nued survi val
of the speci es.
Mathemati cs proves that a systemof this ki nd coul d never be f ormed
by the bl i nd and unreasonabl e forces of nature." 1t is a system
devi sed by a Creator Who knows what He is doi ng and Who orders
thi ngs inthe most amazi ng fashi on inorder toachi eve a certai n goal.
vi) The di gesti ve process i n ani mal s
We know that it is essenti al to cut f ood i nto smal l pi eces tomake it
easy to di gest . The teeth have di erent res and are a' anged
di fferentl y indi erent ani mal s inorder toperf ormthe same functi on
whi ch is cutti ng up food.
1n man the teeth are arranged inan amazi ng fashi on. We see that man
has i nci sors cani nes and mol ars arranged insuch a fashi on that each
ki nd of tooth perf orms a speci fi c ncti on. Ani mal s do not have any
ki nd ofteeth that they do not need. Ani mal s whi ch feed on l i qui ds are
equi pped wi th speci al means of sucki ng up their l i qui d f ood and
conveyi ng it tothe di gesti ve act. When ani mal s whi ch have teeth
Bel i efi n Al l ah 235
chew the secreti ons of their sal i vary gl ands mi x wi th the f ood to
initiate the di gesti ve process.
In the stomach and i ntesti nes - as we have menti oned above - the
ani mal produces enzymes each of whi ch wor k on a certai n ki nd of
f ood and have no eect on others.
x i) Format i on of the embr yo
The devel opment of the embryo inany ki nd of ani mal is somethi ng
amazi ng. Sci ence is onl y abl e todescri be estages inthis process; it
is i ncapabl e of expl ai ni ng its nature and the forces whi ch push it
towards a speci fi c goal namel y the formati on of the embryo of a
gi ven ani mal .
is process begi ns wi thej oi ni ng of the mal e cell (sperm) to the
femal e cell (egg) to f ormthe fertilizedcell. The fertilizedcell then
begi ns todi vi de by means of an amazi ng force whi ch resi des init so
the cell becomes t wo cells then four cells then ei ght cells and so
on... until the number of cells reaches a speci fi c l i mi t and it becomes
likea hol l owball the wal l of whi ch consi sts of a si ngl e l ayer of cells.
l enhal f of the ball goes i nsi de the other hal f maki ng t wo l ayers of
cells in the wal l .
In most ani mal s - inc1udi ng man - a thi rd l ayer of cells f orms
between these t wo layers. The cells conti nue to di vi de and each of
these three l ayers devel ops i nto speci fi c organs.
'he outer l ayer devel ops i nto the ski n and nervous system and some
other parts. The mi ddl e l ayer devel ops i nto musc1es and bones. The
i nner l ayer devel ops i nto Part ofthe di gesti ve act. The cells conti nue
todi vi de until the foetus is ful l y f ormed i nsi de its mother' s womb in
mammal s or i nsi de the egg if it is an egg-l ayi ng ani mal . When the
foe sis fully f ormed the uterus ofthe mOther expel s it inthe case of
mammal s or it breaks e egg and emerges in ecase of ani mal s
whi ch l ay eggs.
236 Definition01 AU:hnd Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
xviii) The f ormati on of the ear
No reasonabl e person coul d i magi ne that the formati on of the ear in
man and in a number of other ani mal s coul d have come about by
acci dent. The ear has a dr umwhi ch pi cks up sound waves and
vi brates. These vi brati ons are ca edto three ti ny bones whi ch are
arranged in an amazi ng fashi on. The pressure on both si des of the
eardrumshoul d al ways be equal ; for that reason there is a bebehi nd
the ear whi ch connects tothe nasal cavity. lei ntemal part of the ear
is connected toa bone whi ch is shaped likea shell. Its functi on is
anal yze noi ses and di sti ngui sh between tones; it al so control s the
sense ofbal ance. If it were not for this we woul d not be abl e totake
even one step wi thout i ppi ng and falling.
The sounds then vel vi a the nerves to the audi tory centre of the
brai n so that the person or ani mal may understand the sounds he
hears and di sti ngui sh t hemo mone another. Coul d all of this have
happened at the same ti me by chance? The mathemati cal l aws of
probabi l i ty rul e that out compl etel
xxi x) Fi l ari ae wor ms
A mazi ng thi ngs happen to l i vi ng bei ngs thi ngs that cannot be
counted. They poi nt to the exi stence of a hi gher power whi ch
con ols all thi ngs and enabl e l i vi ng bei ngs to survi ve. These are
thi ngs whi ch coul d not happen by chance such as the lifecyc1e of e
wor mwhi ch causes the di sease known as el ephanti asi s. These wor ms
are cal l ed filariae worms.
Intheir adul t stage these wor ms si nk into the human 1 nphvessel s
and l ymph gl ands. They bl ock the l ymph gl ands causi ng l i mbs to
swel l especi al l y the cal ves one or both of t hem where a person' s
cal f may become as bi g as that of an el ephant. These wor ms mate
whi l st they are i nsi de the human l ymph gl ands thus produci ng smal l
wor ms whi ch move f romthe l ymph vessel s to the bl ood vessel s. If
Bel i efi nAl l ah 237
these w'Or ms stay inhuman bl ' O' Od vessel s they cann'Ot c'Ompl ete thei r
l i fecyc1e. They have t'O m'Ove t'O the b'Ody 'Of certai n pes 'Of
m'Osqui t'Oes in'Order t'O c'Ompl ete thei r life cyc1e. Then they bec'Ome
abl e t'O i nfect man. S'O when the m'Osqui t'O sucks the bl ' O' Od 'Of an
i nfected pers'On it als'O takes in s'Ome 'Of these smal l w'Or ms whi ch
then gr'Ow i nsi de the m'Osqui t'O's b'Ody unti l ey e lly gr'Own.
Then they are abl e t'O i nfect a man when the m'Osqui t'O i nj ects t hem
int'O hi s bl ' O' Ods ' eamwhi l st feedi ng 'On hi s bl ' O' Od.
The sci enti sts i edt'O'Obtai n sampl es 'Of these w'Or ms fr'Om the bl ' O' Od
'Of pe'Opl e wh'Owere i nfected wi th is di sease but all thei r attempts
met wi th fai l ure unti1 s'Omethi ng very s ge happened.
One ni ght 'One 'Of the sci enti sts was stayi ng up late at ni ght in the
l ab'Orat'Ory. He t' O' Ok a bl ' O' Od sampl e fr'Om an i nfected pers'On and
exami ned it under the mi crosc'Ope and was amazed t'O see huge
numbers 'Of these w'Or ms inthe sampl e that he had taken. Duri ng the
day he had taken a sampl eo mthe same pati ent and had n'Ot seen any
ace'Of the w'Orms. He was very curi 'Ous t'Okn'Ow the reas'On why the
w'Or ms were present inthe bl ' O' Od sampl e taken at ni ght when they
were n'Ot present in a bl ' O' Od sampl e taken ' Om e same pers'On
duri ng the day.
It became c1ear that these ti ny w'Or ms escape t'O the i ntemal bl ' O' Od
vessel s duri ng the day and c'Ome back t'Othe bl ' O' Od vessel s whi ch are
c1' Oser t'Othe sur ce'Of the ski n at ni ght . The reas'On f'Or this is that the
m'Osqui t'Oes whi ch feed 'On human bl ' O' Od in these pl aces 'Onl y c'Ome
'Out at ni ght . Hence the w'Or ms m'Ove t'Othe bl ' O' Od vessel s whi ch are
c1' Oser t'Othe surface 'Of the ski n at that ti me s'Othat the m'Osqui t'Oes
can suck t hemup wi th the bl ' O' Od and they can c'Ompl ete thei r life-
cyc1e i nsi de the m'Osqui t'O's b'Ody. Of c'Ourse these w'Or ms d'O n'Ot
kn'Ow 'Or understand anythi ng ab'Out the m'Osqui t'Oes inwh'Ose b'Odi es
they c'Ompl ete thei r l i fe-cyc1e. They d'Othis by i nsti nct i.e. there is a
hi gher p'Ower whi ch causes t hemt'O behave in this manner s'O that
238 Definition01Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
they can survi ve.
It is amazi ng at inpl aces where the ki nds of mosqui toes at suck
bl ood eacti ve inthe day and not at ni ght we fi nd that these wor ms
do the opposi te: they s y inthe i nner bl ood vessel s at ni ght and come
tothe bl ood vessel s that are near the ski n duri ng the day so e
mosqui toes inthis case too are abl e to suck t hemup wi th the bl ood.
Coul d this have happened by chance?
xxx) The magne s mof the earth
If we turn asi de o mthe creati on of l i vi ng bei ngs and their mi nd-
boggl i ng wonders and l ook at this vast uni verse we wi11fi nd many
amazi ng thi ngs. The first of these wonders is the magneti sm at
exi sts inthe sphere of the earth. Thi s is what keeps us attached tothe
earth and prevents us o mbei ng thrown off into space whi1st the
earth rotates.
This magneti smis di fferent o mthe magneti smthat exists ina b
magnet . We know at ab magnet is abl e toat ct some thi ngs but
not others such as meat paper gl ass stones sand water etc. But the
magneti smof the earth a ts and hol ds everythi ng our bodi es
gl ass sand water stones and paper. If the earth di d not hol d these
thi ngs nothi ng woul d be left on its surface.
xxxi ) The si ze di mensi ons and orbi t of heavenl y bodi es
Fred Hoyl e professor of as' Onomyat London Uni versi ty says inhis
book The Nature ofthe Uni verse at there are some heavenl y bodi es
whose si ze is so astoundi ngl y vast that it al most defi es i magi nati on
and that inrel ati on toone of these bodi es the earth woul d l ook likea
grai n of sand.
The great A meri can schol ar Chri sti e Morri son the f ormer head of e
Academy of Sci ence in New York says: The posi ti on of the
heavenl y bodi es di d not happen merel y by chance. They are pl aced in
239
a cal cul ated manner inspace. If the moon for exampl e was cl oser to
the earth by a quarter of the di stance that separates us o mit the ebb
and fl owof the tides woul d become so s ongthat all dry l and woul d
be fl ooded at hi gh tide and as a resul t all crea res that liveon e y
l and woul d be drowned. If the is of the earth was not at angl eof
23
0
this woul d resul t inpermanent ni ght at the pol es. Evaporati on
o mthe oceans woul d l ead to the formati on of huge i cecaps the
pressure of whi ch woul d cause the earth to bul ge. There woul d be
less rai n to an extent whi ch woul d make life on ear i mpossi bl e.
The speed of the earth' s revol uti on woul d approach 1000 mph. Even
if we were to i magi ne it spi nni ng at a speed of onl y 100 mph this
woul d make both ni ght and day l onger wi th the result that all pl ants
and ani mal s woul d bumduri ng the day o mthe i ntense heat and
eeze at ni ght because of the i ntense col d."
BeU(inAllah
In le vol umi nous book by Dr. J udd Professor of phi l osophy at
London Uni versi ty there is a di scussi on of the di fferent ways in
whi ch the uni verse and life coul d have come i nto bei ng di scussed
o ma scientific and phi l osophi cal poi nt of vi ew. The summar y of
this detai l ed di scussi on is that the uni verse can onl y have come into
bei ng as the result of an amazi ng process of creati on. Al l ah ()
i ndeed spoke the truth when He said:

3
6
6
F

m
p
r
r

wi11show t hemOur Si gns inthe uni verse and in

their own sel ves until it becomes mani fest tot hemthat
this [the Qur' an] is e . . ) (Qur' an 41: 53)
240 Definition01Al l ahnd Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
2 - KNOWI NG AL L AH THROUGH THE TEXTS OF THE
QUR' A N AND SUNNAH
The Di vi ne Names and Attri butes
We have al ready stated above that the second way inwhi ch we may
know Al l ah () is through the texts of the Qur' an and a ~ a a d e e t h
whi ch speak di rectl y about Al l ah descri bi ng Hi s at i butesnames
and acti ons.
Thi s is a safe way whi ch wi11gi ve guaranteed results because fi ndi ng
out about Al l ah through Hi s words and the words of Hi s Messenger
l eaves no r oomfor doubt or confusi on.
We have endeavoured to quote the texts themsel ves inmost cases
because this is the best way to make the ma er c1ear and is better
than quoti ng what peopl e say. 1 have al so sought not to distort the
texts by mi si nterpreti ng t hem as many previ ous wri ters have done in
an attempt to make the verses agree wi th their human opi ni ons and
anal ogi es. Peopl e must change their opi ni ons and anal ogi es tofit the
texts and not the other way round.
1) The E tent to Whi ch the Human Mi nd can Compr ehend the
Attri butes of Al l ah
The at i butes of Al l ah whi ch are menti oned in the Qur' an and
spoken of in the Sunnah may be di vi ded into t wo pes:
a) Those whi ch the human mi nd can never know and comprehend by
itself i.e. con arytothe texts such as provi ng a Hand and a Face of
Al l ah.
b) Those whi ch the human mi nd can deduce such as Hi s at i butes of
Power and Wi sdom.
We wi11not be abl e todi scuss all the at i butes of Al l ah here but we
wi11menti on some of t heminorder to expl ai n what we mean and to
gi ve a c1ear pi cture In sha Al l ah.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 241
2) Summar y of the Attri butes Whi ch are Ment i oned inthe Texts
i) AUah has an essence (dhaat)
Al1ah the- Al1-Gl ori fi ed has an essence characteri zed by perfecti on
and is far above any ults or shortcomi ngs. Anyone who reads what
the Qur' an says about Al1ah wi l l know for sure that He has a self:
13gL; t
Laa i l aaha illaHuwa [none has the ri ght tobe
worshi pped but He] [ e Ever
Li vi ng the One Who sustai ns and protects al1 that
exists]. Nei ther sl umber nor sl eep overtakes Hi m. . )
( Qur 'an 2: 255)

@2 3 E4AL1J
[0' Muhammad] : He is Al l ah [the] One. Al l ah-
[Al l ah - the Sel Suffi ci ent Master Who m
all crea res need (He nei ther eats nor dri nks)]. He
begets not nor was He begotten. And there is none co-
equal or comparabl e unto Hi m. ( Qur 112: 1-4)
When the di sbel i evers wanted to kill Khubayb he composed the
fol l owi ng coupl et:
Y
1 do not care when 1 am ki l l ed as a Musl i m.
It does not matter to me how 1 di e
That is for the sake (l it. essence) of Al1ah the Di vi ne
And if He wi1l s may He bl ess my scattered body. "
leessence of Al l ah is not likethe essence of created bei ngs j ust as
Hi s at i butes are unl i ke the at butes of any created bei ngs. Al l ah is
9 al -Bukhari bi Fat al -Baari 13/381.
242 Defini 'on01Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
the Perfecti on after Who m there is no perfecti on whereas every
created bei ng must be i mperfect inone way or another the least of
whi ch is that they are all in need of another.
Al l ah ( ) says poi nti ng out that there is no resembl ance between
Hi mand Hi s creati on:
44331J i dJ 5J 4. J
(.. lereis nothi ng likeHi m; and He is the Al l -Hearer
the Al l -Seer.) ( Qw'an 42: 11)
) Hi s Sel f"
Al l ahhas a Sel f" ina manner that befits Hi s Perfecti on and Maj esty
aSel f" whi ch is nothi ng likethe sel ves of Hi s creati on. Al l ah has
tol d us of is in Hi s Book. He () says:
J GTf 1 h M fAI Sv

J 3L11{f a
those who bel i eve in 0 Aayaat [proofs
evi dences verses l essons si gns revel ati ons etc.] come
you say: Sal aamun 'Al aykum" [peace be on you];
your Lord has wri tten [prescri bed] Mer cy for Hi msel f
so at if any of you does evil in i gnorance and
thereafter repents and does ri ghteous good deeds [by
obeyi ng Al l ah] then surel y He is Oft-Forgi vi ng Most
Merci ful . ) ( Qur 'an 6: 54)
Al l ah () tells us that He has a Sel f and that He has wri tten or
prescri bed for Hi msel f mercy. Al l ah states is in another aayah:
l I f :. ;K JJ 1( 4dAA
...;4GJ T44i J
243
[0' M l ammad]: ' To whombel ongs all that is in
the heavens and the earth?' Say: To Al l ah. He has
prescri bed Mer cy for Hi msel f. I ndeed He wi11gather you
toge er on the Day of Resurrecti on about whi ch there
is no doubt...'}T (Qur' an 6: 12)
le Messenger () has expl ai ned somethi ng about this wri ti ng or
prescri pti on. Accordi ng to the hadi th narrated by Abu Hurayrah
() the Messenger of Al l ( ) said:
Beli finAllah
When Al l ah decreed Hi s creati on He wrote a book
whi ch is wi th Hi mabove the Throne: My Mer cy
precedes My wrath. " Accordi ng to another report:
prevai l s over My wrath. " 10
It is the way of all the Messengers to affi rmthat Al l ah has a Self.
a (Jesus) Peace be upon hi m sai d to the Lord of Mi ght:
A1; L
4
4You know what is inmy i nner-sel f though I do not
know what is inYours; ul yYou onl y You are the Al l -
Knower of all that is hi dden [and unseen]. } T
(Qur' an 5: 116)
And Al l ah sai d to Hi s Messenger Moosa oses) ( ) :
:

H
7
5
f
v
L
V
2
5

h
R
E
E
l

J @J A
you came here accordi ng to e fix. ed term
whi ch I ordai ned [for you] 0' Moosa [Moses]! And I
have chosen you for Mysel f. ' } T (Qur 'an 20: 40-41)
Al l ah has wamed us agai nst Hi msel f as He () says:
10 Mi shkaat a/ - M aabeel J 11726 hadi th no. 2364.
244 Defi ni ti on01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
@133Mg! U4f ; ; 4i
(. . And Al l ah wams you agai nst Hi msel f [Hi s
puni shment] and Al l ah is full of ki ndness to [Hi s]
sl aves) (Qur ' an 3: 30)
Al l ah remi nds Hi s sl aves about the sl aves who remember Hi min
their hearts. Bukhari and Musl i mnarrated intheir saheehs f romAbu
Hurayrah ( ) the Messenger ( ) said:
Al l ah says: 1 am as My sl ave thi nks 1 am. 1 am wi th hi m
when he remembers Me. I fhe remembers Me tohi msel f
1 remember hi mto Mysel If he remembers Me in an
assembl y 1 remember hi min an assembl y better than
Rememberi ng Al l ah pl eases the self of our Lord ( ) . Accordi ng toa
hadi th narrated by Abbaas f romJ uwayri yah (the wi fe of
Prophet) the Prophet ( ) left her apa nent one momi ng after he
had r a y e d b ~ (Faj r - Dawn) and she was inher prayer-pl ace in
her house. At mi d- momi ng he came back and she was sti11 sitting
there. He sai dAre you sti11as you were when 1 left you?" She sai d
Yes. " The Prophet said:
After 1 left you 1 sai d onl y four words three ti mes but
if ey were wei ghed agai nst what you have sai d si nce
this momi ng they woul d outwei gh it . They are Sub an
Al l ahi wa bi amdi hi dada khal qi hi wa ri daa nqihi
wazi nata ' arshi hi wa mi daada kal i maati hi (Gl ory and
prai se be toAl l ah as many as Hi s creati on are as much
as pl eases Hi m as much as Hi s Throne wei ghs and as
many as Hi s words are)." 12
11 Mi shkaat al Ma:j aabee/ : t 11693 hadi th no. 2264.
12 Musl i m 4/ 2090 hadi th no. 2726.
Bel i efi nAl l ah 245
i u) The Face of our Lor d the Exal ted
A11ah () has a Face whi ch is unl i ke the faces of Hi s creati on. We
affi nn at and bel i eve init because Al l ah has tol d us of at inHi s
Book and Hi s Messenger has stated that inhis A11ah ()
says:
i j
4And the Face of your Lord 11of Maj esty and Honour
wi 11 remai n (Qur' an 55: 2
n J areer sai d in his Tqeer of this aayah: 11 of Maj esty and
Honour descri bes the Face hence it appears inthe nomi nati ve f onn
(dhu i.e. it is ingrammati cal agreement wi th the wor d waj h meani ng
Face) Y
Some earlier wri ters deni ed that A11ah has a Face c1ai mi ng at the
phrase transl ated as 11of Maj esty and Honour " refers tothe wor d
Lord. So inthei r vi ew the phrase sl atedas 11of Maj esty and
Hono " refers to the Lord not to Hi s Face.
Thi s vi ewwas refuted by Ibn Khuzaymah who said: Thi s is the c1ai m
of one who is i gnorant of the Arabi c l anguage because Al l ah ()
says: 4And the Face of your Lord fu11 of Maj esty and Honour wi11
remai n forever) ( Qur 'an 55: 2
The wor d waj h appears in the nomi nati ve f onn here (i. e. it is the
subj ect) whi l st the wor d Lord appears ina geni ti ve (possessi ve) f onn
inconj uncti on wi th the wor d waj h. I fthe phrase ansl atedas 11of
Maj esrand Honour " referred tothe wor d Lord here it woul d appe
as Dhi ' l -Jal aaal i wa ' l -I kraam(geni ti ve) i nstead of Dhu 'l-Jalaali
wa ' l -I kraam(nomi nati ve ).14
13 Tafseer at-Tabari . See his Tafseer of Soorat 55: 27.
14 by Ibn Khuzaymah Pp. 21.
246 Definitionof AU!hand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
Another of the texts whi ch a 1that Al l ah has a Face is the aayah
(verse):

4Everyl I ng wi11 peri sh save Hi s Face... } l
(Qur 'an 28: 88)
THE EFFECTS OF BELI EF I N THE FACE OF AL L AH
a) Seeki ng the Face of Al l ah through ri ghteous deeds
Once we know what Al l ah has sai d we must seek the Face of our
Lord through our (ri ghteous) deeds as Al l ah has tol d us inHi s Book.
Any deed whi ch is not done for the pu oseof seeki ng Hi s Face is
l se: . Everythi ng wi11peri sh save Hi s Face.. .}l ( Qw'an 28: 88)
A mong these deeds is spendi ng money for the purpose of seeki ng Hi s
Face:
A G AZdS11ZJ . . .
4
4But that whi ch you gi ve inZakah [$adaqah - chari ty
etc.] seeki ng Al l ah' s Countenance [Face] then those
they shall have mani f ol d i ncrease.}l ( Qw'an 30:3
He () has descri bed Hi s bel i evi ng sl aves as seeki ng Hi s Face
through their deeds and nothi ng but Hi s Face:

feed you seeki ng Al l ah' s Countenance
onl y. We wi sh for no reward nor thanks o myou.' } l
76: 9)

247 BeUfi nAl l ah
. And wh'O has [in mi nd] n'O fav'Our ' Omany'One t'O be
pai d back Except t'Oseek the C'Ountenance [Face] 'Ofhi s
L'Ord the M'Ost Hi gh) (Qur' an 92: 19-20)
F4iJ ( 4


-
r
d
e
w
J

keep y'Oursel f [0' M ammad] pati entl y wi th

th'Ose wh'Ocall 'On thei r L'Ord [i.e. y'Our c'Ompani 'Ons wh'O
r emember their L'Ord wi th gl 'Orificati 'On prai si ng in
prayers and 'Other ri ghte'Ous deeds] m'Omi ng and
af tem' O' On seeki ng Hi s (Qur' an 18: 2
In (Bukhari and Musl i m) it is rep'Orted fr'OmUtbaan
i bn 1aal i k at the Messenger 'Of Al l ah ( ) said:
Al l ah has f'Orbi dden t'O the Fi re th'Ose wh'O say Laa
i l aaha i l l a-Al l ah seeki ng thereby the Face 'Of Al l ah. " 15
b) Seeki ng refuge by the Face of Al l ah the E al ted
lis is what the Messenger ( ) did. J aabi r i bn ' Abdul l ah narrated
that when this aayah (verse) was reveal ed -
...-A : d632
ay: He has p'Ower send t'Orment 'On y'Ou fr'Om
ab'Ove... (Qur' an 6: 6
- the Pr'Ophet ( ) said: 1 seek re geby Y' O Face. " Al l ah ()
said:
. . . . . .
(Qur' n 6: 65). . . . . ' Or o munder y'Our feet
I S al.su ari bi al.saari 1/ 519 hadi no. 425; Musl i m 1/
455.
248 D:nitionof Al l ah and Connecti ng He'rts toHi m
le Prophet ( ) sai d: 1 seek refuge by Your Face. " Al l ah ()
sai d:
7 A% l
to cover you wi th confusi on inparty s feand
make you to taste the vi ol ence of one ano er..)
(Qur' an 6: 65).
The Prophet ( ) said: That is easier. .I 6
1t is reported f rom'Ali i bn Abi Taal i b ( ) that the Messenger of
Al l ah ( ) used to say when he l ay down:
' Al l ahumma inni a ' oodhu bi waj hi k al-areemwa bi
kal i maati k at- taammaat mi n sharri kulli daabbah anta
aakhi dh bi na i tayati haa (0' Al l ah! 1 seek refuge by
Your Nobl e Face and by Your perfect Wor ds o mthe
evi l of every beast whose forel ock You have hol d ot)."
- Thi s is narrated by Abu Dawood.
17
c) Respondi ng to the one who asks of you for the sake (lit. by
the Face) of AUah
1t is reported Abbaas ( ) s ted: the Messenger of Al l ah
( ) sai d:
Whoever seeks refuge wi th Al l ah protect hi m and
whoever asks of you for the sake (li t. by the Face) of
Al l ah gi ve to hi m. 18
16 Bukhari 13/ 388 hadithno. 7406.
17 J aami ' 4/ 271 hadithno. 2263. Its isnadis as is menti oned by
the editor of J aami ' al -Usool .
18 Abu Dawood 3/ 961 hadithno. 4260. Al Al baani said: i t is See
alsoAl ma' wa by Al Bayhaqi 1/306.
Bel i efi nAl l ah 249
d) Hopi ng to see the Face of Al l ah
It is reported f romAmmaar i bn Yaasi r that the Messenger () used
to say in hi s suppl i cati on (du 'aa'):
Al l ahumma bi i l mi kal -ghybi wqudrati. l ' I-khal q ma
li wa i dha ' al i mta al -wafaat
khayran li. w ' al uka fi ' I -ghaybi wa ' sh-
shahaadah wa ' l uka A l i mt w '1- ' adl a fi 'l-gh b
wa' r-ru! a w l uka l-q d fi ' l -faqari wa 'l-ghin . Wa
s' l uka naeeman 1 y beed w' luA qurr t yni n la
tanqati w s' al ukar 4 badaal -q4aa' burd/-
eei sh bda ilaWQhi kawa
/u h-shwqaila l i qa' i kafi ghyru 4 araa 'amu4i rrah wa
l aa s ta mu4iUh. Al l ahummzyyi nn bi zeent i l -eemn
waj l na hudl ata muht adeen (0' Al l ah! By Your knowl edge of the
Unseen and Your Power over Your creati on keep me al i ve so l ong as
you know that l i vi ng is good for me and cause me to di e when You
know that death is good for me. 1 ask You to make me fear You in
secret and inpubl i c. 1 ask You tomake me speak the truth and be fair
when angry and when content. 1 ask You to make me to be
economi cal inpove y and inri chness. 1 ask You for a li of easethat
never ends. 1 ask You for j oy that never ceases. 1 ask You for
conten l ent after You have i ssued Your decree. 1 ask You for
nqui l l i ty after dea . 1 ask You for the j oy of l ooki ng upon Your
Face. 1 ask You to make me l ong to meet You wi thout undergoi ng
pai n 1si ckness or mi sgui di ng ah. 0' Al l ah! adomus wi th the
beaurof i andmake us gui des toothers who are al so gui ded.19
The Prophet ( ) expl ai ned the even mor e" menti oned inthe ayah:
@. . . 3J UJ J :11 1-J 10
19 Ibn Khuzaymah in Pp. 12; Nasaai 11280 hadith no. 1237 1238.
Its isnad (sound).
250 De.fi nition01 Allahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
those who have done good is the best reward and
even mor e [i.e. havi ng the honour of gl anci ng at the
Countenance of Al l ah].) (Qur 'an 10: 26)
- as meani ng l ooki ng at the ceof our Lord (). Si mi l ar statement
is al so narrated ' Om Abu Bakr and l:I udhayfah. Then he (the
narrator) said: The repo to this effect f rom e aabah and
Taabi ( may Al l ah be pl eased wi th them) are many. 20
Musl i mnarrated o mSuhayb that the Prophet ( ) said:
When J he peopl e of Paradi se enter Paradi se Al l ah wi11
say Do you want an l i ngmor e f romMe?' They wi11
say Have You not made 0 ces whi te [honoured us];
have You not admi tted us to Paradi se; have You not
saved us ' Omthe Fi re?' Then the veil wi11be lifted and
eywi11. never be gi ven anythi ng mor e bel oved tot hem
than l ooki ng upon the face of their Lord the Exal ted. "
ben he reci ted the aay h: those who have done
good is the best reward and even mor e [i.e. havi ng the
honour of gl anci ng at the Countenance of Al l ah].)
(Qur 'an 10: 261
1
Bukhari and Musl i mnarrated that the Messenger of Al l ah ( ) said:
Two gardens of silver their vessel s and all that is in
t hem and t wo gardens of gol d their vessel s and all that
is in them. And all that wi11 stand between the peopl e
and their seei ng the Lord wi11be the veil of pri de over
Hi s Face in the Paradi se of ' Aden. 22
20 Al - Asmaa' wa by AI-Bayhaqi Pp. 308.
21 Musl i m 1I 163 hadi no. 180.
22 Bukhari 13/423 hadithno. 7444. AIso narratedin8/623 hadi no. 4878 with
similar wordi ng by Musl i m l / 163 hadith no. 180. Ibn Khuzaymah with the
wordi ng
Bel i ef i nAl l ah 251
The veil of Hi s Face
It is narrated at Abu Moosa reported: the Messenger of Al l ah ( )
said:
Al l ah the Al l - Power 1and Al l -Hi gh does not sl eep
and it is not befi tti ng that He shoul d sleep. He l owers the
scal e and rai ses it . The deeds of the ni ght are rai sed up to
Hi mbefore the day and the deeds of the day before the
ni ght. Hi s veil is Li ght (accordi ng to ereport of Abu
B r: fire); if it were tobe uncovered the spl endo of
Hi s Countenance woul d consume Hi s creati on as far as
Hi s Si ght reaches. 23
lenarrator' s uncertai nty as towhether the wor d was noor (l ight) or
naar (re) does not matter because it is like the p e fire through
whi ch Al l ah addressed Moosa (Moses) whi ch may be cal l ed noor or
naar. Al l ah cal l ed the fireina l amp light unl i ke the aark firesuch as
the fire of Hel l whi ch cannot be cal l ed l i ght.
Thi s veil prevents Hi s sl aves o mcomprehendi ng Al l ah j ust as e
cl ouds and cei l i ngs prevent t hem o mseei ng the sun and moon.
When the cl ouds move the sun and moon appe' . This does not mean
that they prevent Al l ah o mseei ng for no Musl i mwoul d say this.
Nothi ng whatsoever is hi dden o mAl l ah inthe heavens or on earth
but Hi s Li ght conceal Hi mo mHi s creati on as it says inthe hadi th:
if it were tobe uncovered the spl endour of Hi s Countenance woul d
consume Hi s creati on as far as Hi s Si ght reaches. " Hi s Si ght reaches
all of Hi s creati on but the spl endour is conceal ed by the veil of light
or fire.
= their Lord (Rabb) " le commentator of Ki taab at- Taweednoted at this hadi th
is narrated by AI -Bayhaqi inAlAsmaa' wa - S i f a a t Pp. 222.
23 Musl i m 11161 hadi th no 179
252 Definition01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
iv) AUah has t wo Hands
Al l ah has t wo Hands ina manner that is befi tti ng toHi s Maj esty
and perfecti on. They do not resembl e the hands of Hi s creatures in
any way. Al l ah ( ) says:
.c;!G: J. .
both Hi s Hands are wi del y
5: 64)
And Al l ah sai d rebuki ng I bl ees when he refused topros atetoAdam:
@ Q j j c :
said: 0' I bl ees [Satan]! What prevents you
f rompros ati ng yoursel f to one whom1 have created
wi th Bot h My (j r 38:
Gl ori fyi ng Al l ah by menti oni ng Hi s Hands
A number of ahaadeeth have been narrated inwhi ch the Lord - the
Exal ted and Al l -Gl ory - is gl ori fi ed by menti on of Hi s Hands and
stati ng that goodness is in them. The Lord wi l l call the peopl e of
Paradi se sayi ng tothem: 0' peopl e ofParadi se!" They wi l l say At
Your servi ce 0' Lord all goo less in is Your Hands. 24
Our Lord wi l l call Adamon the Day of Resurrecti on and Adamwi l l
say m response: At Your servi ce 0' Lord! Al l goodness is inYour
Hands. 25
Whenever the Prophet ( ) stood to pray at ni ght hi s du '
(suppl i cati on) woul d i ncl ude the words: At Your servi ce 0' Lord
all goodness is in Your hands. 26
24 Bukhari 13/ 487 hadithno. 7518.
25 lbid 11/ 388 hadithno. 6530; 6/ 382 hadithno. 3348; Musl i m 11201 no. 201.
26 Musl i m 11534 hadithno. 771.
Bel i ef i nAUh 253
Inhis Tal bi yah Ibn ' Umar used t'Osay: At Y'Our servi ce 0' L'Ord all
g' O' Odness is in Y'Our hands.' . 27
Al l ah spreads Hi s Hands
Al l ah () is Gener'Ous and spreads Hi s hands gi ve and best'Ow.
P2r 6 4244 1J . ...
@
4Nay b'Oth Hi s Hands are wi del y 'Outstretched. He
spends [' Of Hi s B'Ounty] as He wi11s. . )(Qur' an 5: 64)
And He spreads Hi s Hands by ni ght and by day t'O accept the
repentance 'Of Hi s slaves. Abu M' O' Osa al -Ashari narrated that the
Messenger 'Of Al l ah ( ) said:
Al l ah spreads Hi s Hands by ni ght t'O accept the
repentance 'Of th'Osewh'Osi nned by day and He spreads
Hi s Hands by day t'Oaccept the repentance 'Of th'Osewh'O
si nned by ni ght . (Thi s wi11c'Onti nue) until the sun rises
o mthe west . 28
Thi ngs whi ch the AI I -Merci ful has created wi th Hi s Hands
Al l ah is n'Ot i ncapabl e 'Of anythi ng. When He wi11s s'Omethi ng He
cre ates 1 twi th the w'Or ldKu m(Be!"
created s ' Ome thi ngs wi th Hi s Hands as a si gn 'Of h'On'Our and hi gh
status and the care that Al l ah best'Ows up'On them. The thi ngs that
Al l ah has created wi th Hi s Hand and that are menti 'Oned inHi s B' O' Oks
'Or narrated in the Sunnah 'Of Hi s Messenger are e f'Oll 'Owi ng:
a) Adam- C'Oncerni ng this Al l ah () sai d I bl ees (Satan):
@. . . 3 LQ ; ~ ~ W :
27 Musl i m 2/841 hadi th no. 1184.
28 Ibid 4/ 2113 hadi th no. 5572.
254 D'ni on01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
40' I bl ees [Satan]! What prevents you f rom
prostrati ng yoursel f to one whom1 have created wi th
Both My Hands. . ) ( Qur 'an 38: 75)
In a l engthy hadi th about i ntercessi on it says:
They wi11come toAdamand wi11say You eAdam
the father of manki nd. Al l ah created You wi th Hi s Hands
and caused you to dwel l in Hi s Paradi se. ' " (Agreed
upon) _29
Accordi ng to the hadi th whi ch descri bes the debate between Adam
and Moosa ( Moses) (J ) Moosa sai d to Adam:
You are the one whomAl l ah created wi th Hi s Hands
and breathed i nto you of Hi s Spi ri t. 30
Al l ah () tells us that He created Adamwi th his Hands and the
Messenger( ) tells us that the peopl e wi11ask Adamtoi ntercede for
t hem and they wi11menti on the greatest of the bl essi ngs that Al l ah
bestowed upon hi m that is Al l ah created hi mwi th Hi s Hands.
Moosa (Moses) al so menti oned the bl essi ng whi ch Al l ah bestowed
upon Adam that He created Hi mwi th Hi s Hands. The menti on of
this uni que characteri sti c i ndi cates the way in whi ch Adamis
di sti ngui shed above others. Otherwi se if Hand here referred to
Power how woul d Adambe better than anyone else so that he mi ght
be prai sed in this manner?
b) Al l ah ( ) wrote the Tawraat (Torah) wi th Hi s Hand:
It is narrated insome reports of the hadi th about the di spute between
Adamand Moosa that Adamsai d to Moosa:
29 Mi shkaat (derived fromBukhari andMusl i m) 3/ 69 hadithno.
5572.
30 Musl i m 4/ 2043 hadithno. 2652.
Bel i f i nAl l ah 255
You are Moosa ( Moses) whomAl l ah chose tospeak to
and He wrote for you the Tawr aat wi th Hi s Hand. 31
Accordi ng to a report narrated in Bukhari and Musl i m:
Al l ah chose you tospeak to and He wrote for you wi th
Hi s Hand. 32
c) Al l ah ( ) wrote somethi ng whi ch is pl aced wi th Hi m:
It is narrated f romAbu Hurayrah ()) that the Prophet ( ) said:
When Al l ah fi ni shed Hi s Creati on He wrote ina book
My Mer cy prevai1s over - or precedes - My Wrath. '
And it is wi th Hi mabove the Throne. " Accordi ng to
another report: Al l wroteina book before He created
the uni verse: Veri l y My Mer cy precedes my Wr at h' -
and it is wri tten wi th Hi mabove the Throne. 33
It is al so narrated by Ibn Maaj ah o mAbu Hurayrah wi th the
wordi ng:
Yo Lordwr for Hi msel f by Hi s Hand before He
created the uni verse: My Mer cy precedes My Wrath. 34
It is al so reported inKi t aab as- Sunnah by Abu Aai mthat the Most
Merci ful wrote down somethi ng wi th Hi s Hand it says:
When Al l ah fi ni shed creati ng the uni verse He wrote
wi th Hi s Hand ina Book wi th Hi m: My Mer cy prevai l s
over - or he said: precedes - My Wrath. And it is wi th
Hi mabove e Throne. " Or words to at effect
31 Abu Dawood 3/891 hadi th no. 3934; n Maj ah1120 hadi th no. 65.
32 Bukhari 11 hadi th no. 6614; Musl i m 4/ 2042 hadi th no. 2652.
33 Bukhari : 13/522 hadi th no. 7554. Musl i m: 4/ 2107 hadi 1 no 2751.
34 l bn Maaj ah1I 37 hadi no. 156.
35 Ki taab as-Sunnah by l bn Abi Aai m1/270 hadi th no. 608.
Definition01Al l ahnd Connecti ng Hearts toHi m 256
d) Al l ah ( ) pl anted the Paradi se of ' Aden wi th Hi s Hands:
!
?
;
j
j
j
J
d
i
It is narrated in Musl i mthat the Messenger of Al l ah ( ) said:
Moosa (Moses) asked: Who among the peopl e of
Paradi se wi l l be the l owest instatus?' He said: It wi l l be
a man who wi l l be brought after the peopl e of Paradi se
have entered Paradi se.' 1t wi l l be sai d to hi m: Enter
Paradi se.' He wi l l say 0' Lord the peopl e have settled
intheir pl aces and taken what is theirs.' It wi l l be sai d to
hi m: Woul d you not be happy tohave the equi val ent of
a ki ng' s possessi ons inthe wor1d?' He wi l l say 1woul d
be happy wi th that 0' Lord.' It wi l l be sai d tohi m You
wi l l have atand the same agai n and agai n and agai n. '
The fifth ti me he wi l l say: 1 am happy wi th that 0'
Lord.' It wi l l be sai d tohi m And ten ti mes that and you
wi l l have whatever your heart desi res and whatever
del i ghts you.' He wi l l say 1 am happy wi th that 0'
Lord.' He sai d 0' Lord and who wi l l be the hi ghest of
t hemin status?' He said: Those whom1 will; 1 have
pl anted the pl ace of their honour wi th My hand and
seal ed it. No eye has seen no ear has heard nor has it
entered the heart of man. ' He said: And this is conf i rmed
in the Book of Al l ah where it says:

person knows what is kept hi dden for t hemof j oy as

a reward for what they used todo) ( Qur ' an32: 1 36
Fr omthis hadi th we see that He pl anted the Garden wi th Hi s own
Hand.
36 Mus1i m 11176 hadithno. 189.
Bel i ef inAl l !h 257
The greatness of the Hands of the Lor d ( )
It says in the Qur' an:


made not a j ust esti mate of AUah such is due
Hi m. And on the Day of Resurrecti on the whol e of the
e wi11be grasped by Hi s Hand and the heavens wi11
be rol l ed up in Hi s Ri ght Hand. . ) (Qur 'an 39: 6
In it is narrated f romAbu Hurayrah ( ) theProphet
( ) said:
Al l ah wi11grasp the earth on the Day of Resurrecti on
and wi11roll up the heavens inHi s Ri ght Hand then He
wi11 say: 1 am the Ki ng where e the ki ngs of the
e?" . 37
Musl i mnarrated o mAbdul l ahi bn ' Umar that the Prophet ( ) said:
Al l ah wi11 roll up the heavens on the Day of
Resurrecti on then He wi11hol d t heminHi s Ri ght Hand
and wi11 say 1 am the Ki ng where are the rants?
Where 'ethe arrogant?' Then He wi11roll up the earth
inHi s left Hand and wi11say 1 am the Ki ng. Where are
the rants? Where are the arrogant?' ' '
Accordi ng toanother versi on he said: 1 sawthe Messenger of Al l ah
( ) on the mi nbar sayi ng:
leCompel l er - Al - J abbar - the Al mi ghty wi11take
Hi s heavens and Hi s earth inHi s Hands and wi11say I
am Al l ah (and He wi11c10se Hi s Fi ngers and then open
37 Bukhari 8/551 hadi th no. 4812; Musl i m 4/ 2148 hadi th no. 2787.
258 Dti fi ni ti onof Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
t hemand say) 1 am the Soverei gn. ' "
And 1 l ooked at the mi nbar and sawit shaki ngo mthe bottom and 1
thought it woul d col l apse under the Messenger of Al l ah
Both of llis Hands are Ri ght Hands
It is narrated in a report in Musl i m
Then He wi11 roll up the earth in Hi s left Hand. "
AI - Bayhaqi consi dered this report as weak interms ofthe i snad and
said: The menti on of the left hand inthis report is narrated onl y by
Umar i bn amzah o mSaal i m. This hadi th is al so narrated by
Naafi and ' Ubaydul l ah i bn Muqsi mo m n ' Umar but they di d
not menti on the left hand.
39
He al so cl assi fi ed it as cja on ebasi s
of t hema (text) and said: How can that be a ~ e e ~ (sound) when it
has been proven that the Prophet ( ) descri bed bo of Hi s Hands as
ri ght?40
It is narrated that Abdul l ah i bn Amr stated: the Messenger of Al l ah
( ) said:
The j ust wi11be wi th Al l ah on thrones of light at the
ri ght hand of the Most Merci ful - the Al mi ghty and
Al l -Gl ory - and both Hi s Hands are ri ght those who
were j ust intheir j udgements and inthe way they treated
their fami l i es and those under their authori ty. 41
v) The Fi ngers of the Most Merci f ul
Al l ah has Fi ngers whi ch inno way resembl e the fi ngers of any of Hi s
creati on. They befit Hi s Perfecti on and Maj esty the Al l -Gl ory and
38 Musl i m 4/ 2148 hadi th no. 2788.
39 Al -Asmaa' wa$i faat by AI - Bayhaqi 11324.
40 Ibid.
41 Musl i m 3/ 1458 hadi th no. 1827.

Bel i efi n Al l ah 259
Exal ted. In the Bukhari and Musl i m it is narrated o mAbdul l ahi bn
Masood at a J ew came to the Prophet () and sai d 0'
Muhammad Al l ah hol ds the heavens on one Fi nger the earth on one
Fi nger the mountai ns on one Fi nger the ees on one Fi nger and all
creatures on one Fi nger and He says 1 a m e Soverei gn. ' " The
Messenger of Al l ah ( ) smi l ed so broadl y that hi s eyeteeth coul d be
seen then he reci ted:
4ti L:_)
made not a j ust esti mate of Al l ah such as is due to
Hi m. . ) (Qur'an 39: 67)
Accordi ng toanother versi on: The Messenger of Al l ah ( ) smi l ed in
amazement and confi rmati on.
42
It is narrated that Abdul l ah i bn Amr i bn al- Aa ( may Al l ah be
pl eased w l emboth) heard the Prophet ( ) say:
The hearts of the sons of Adam are all as one he t
between t wo of the fi ngers of the Most Merci f ul and He
di rects e mas He wi shes. " Then he said: 0' Al l ah
Di rector of the hearts di rect our hearts towards
obedi ence to You. 43
vi) What has been ment i oned concerni ng Hi s Foot
AI - Bayhaqi used this as a title in hi s book AI - Asmaa' wa
(348) where he menti oned a number of
a) A hadi th is narrated by Bukhari and Musl i m o mAnas i bn Maal i k
( ) the Prophet ( ) said:
Hel l wi l l keep sayi ng Are there any more?' unti l the
42 Bukhari 13393 hadi th no. 7414; Musl i m 4/ 2147 hadi th no. 2786.
43 Musl i m 4/ 2045 hadi th no. 2655.
260 Dinition01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
Lord of Gl ory wi11put Hi s Foot on it then it wi11 say
Enough enough by Your Gl ory!' Then it wi11 shri nk
i nto itself." Accordi ng to some reports: And there wi11
sti11be ex spaceinParadi se until Al l ah creates peopl e
for it and causes t hemto dwel l in the extra space of
P adi se. 44
b) 1t is narratedo mAbu Hurayrah ( ) that the Messenger of Al l ah
( ) said:
Paradi se and Hel l engaged ina debate. Hel l said: 1was
created totake the arrogant and the tyranni ca1.' Paradi se
sai d Why is it that no one wi l l enter me except the weak
and l owl y among manki nd?' Al l ah sai d to Paradi se:
You are My Mer cy by whi ch 1 wi l l show mer cy to
whomsoever 1 wi11among My sl aves.' And He sai d to
Hel l : You are My Puni shment by whi ch 1 wi11puni sh
whomsoever 1 wi l l among My sl aves. Each of you wi11
have its fill.' The Fi re wi11not be filledunti l Al l ah puts
Hi s F oot and it says Enough enough enough!' Then it
wi11be filledand wi11shri nk i nto itself. And Al l ah does
not 'eat any of Hi s creati on unj ustl y. As for Paradi se
Al l ah wi11 create peopl e for it [to fill it]. 45
c) 1t is narrated that Ibn Abbaas ( ) sai d concerni ng the Kurs
@...3as (i i J bj . j
4Hi s Kursi y extends over the heavens and theearth H
( Qur 'an 2: 255)
44 Bukh i8/ 594 hadithno. 4848 4849; Musl i m 4/ 2187 2188 hadithno. 2848.
lis versionis narratedby Musl i m.
45 Bukhari 8/ 595 hadithno. 4850; Musl i m 4/ 2186 hadithno. 2846. This version
is narratedby Musl i m.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 261
- it is the pl ace for e feet (i.e. a footstool ).46
vu) Al l ah the Exal ted has a Shi n
It is obl i gatory for us tobel i eve inthis and not todeny it because He
- the Exal ted - has tol d us of it .
Al l ah ( ) says:

the Day when the Shi n shall be laidbare
[i.e. the Day ofResurrecti on] and they shall be cal l ed to
prostrate themsel ves [to Al l ah] but they [hypocri tes]
shall not be abl e to do so.) (Qur ' an 68: 42)
There are reports inBukhari and Musl i mwhi ch expl ai n this aayah
(verse) and make it clear. It is narrated that Abu Saeed al- Khu i
said: 1 heard the Messenger of Al l ah ( ) say:
Our Lord wi l l l ay bare Hi s Shi n and every bel i evi ng
man and bel i evi ng woman wi l l prostrate toHi m. There
will be left those who used topros ate inthe worl d in
order toshowoff and gai n a good reputati on. Such a one
wi l l try to prostrate but his backbone wi l l become a
si ngl e (solid) pi ece (and he wi l l not be abl e to
pros ate). 47
We must note here at af f mni ng at Al l ah has a Shi n is like
affi rmi ng that He has a Hand heari ng si ght and any other at ibutes.
46 See al- ' Al uwby Dhahabi Pp. 102. The edi tor Shaykh Naai ruddeen
al -Al baani said: this is and at i buted it to Ibn Khuzaymah inAt-
7172; to Daari mi in Ar- Radd ' al a' l -Mareesi 71 73-74; and I bn Abi
Shaybah inAl - ' Arsh 2/l 14.
47 Bukhari 8/664 hadi th no. 4419; MusIi m 1/ 167 hadi th no. 183. This versi on is
narrated by Bukhari .
262 Dinition01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
What has been narrated o mIbn Abbaas who i nterpreted l ayi ng
bare the Shi n as ref erri ngthe seri ousness of the matter con adi cts
what is proven o mIbn Masood that our Lord wi11 l ay bare Hi s
Shi n.
48
hin.
How wel l Ash- Shawkaani spoke when he said: Al l ah has gi ven us
suffi ci ent i nterpretati on of this aayah (verse) inthe eeJ::t (sound)
reports narrated f romthe Messenger of Al l ah. Thi s does not i mpl y
thi nki ng inphysi cal or anthropomorphi c terms for there is nothi ng
like unto Hi m.
49
Ibn J areer at- Tabari and Ibn Katheer narrated e t eer of Ibn
Abbaas j ust as they al so narrated the hadi th whi ch expl ai n the text
of the Qur' an. They di d not i nterpret the hadi th inany way di fferent
than its app ent meani ng whi ch i ndi cates at they di d not see any
con adi cti onbetween the hadi th and the vi ewof Ibn Abbaas. The
matter wi11 i ndeed be seri ous on the Day of Resurrecti on and this
does not con adi ct the i dea that Al l ah wi11 1ay bare Hi s Shi n.
viii) Hi s ri si ng over the Thr one
The Throne is the greatest thi ng in all of creati on and Al l ah ()
refers inseven pl aces inHi s Book toHi s ri si ngover the Throne by
saymg
o i : i i j lI
~ T h e Most Graci ous [Al l ah] rose over [I stawaa] the
[Mi ghty] Throne [ina manner that suits Hi s Mesty].)
(Qur' an 20: 5)
The evi dence that the Throne is one of the thi ngs created by Al l ah
() the Al mi ghty:
48 Fatl J al - Qadeer by Ash-Shawkaani 5/319.
49 l bi d 5/320.
263 Bel i ef inAl l ah
i J J J; U4J J agi . 1
. And ei ght angel s wi11 that Day bear the Throne of
yo Lord above t hem) (Qur' an 69: 1
i. e. on the Day of Resurrecti on.
4 Ehi j f4AJ: (
1A41Lh
[angel s] who bear the Throne [of A11ah] and
those around it glorif the prai ses of their Lord and
bel i eve in Hi m and ask forgi veness for those who
(Qur' an 40:
A11( ) te11s us that the Throne has bearers and that they seek
forgi veness for the bel i evers. This negates the vi ewof those who say
that the Throne refers toA11ah' s Soverei gnty or Domi ni on (Al Mul k).
Accordi ng toa hadi th narrated by Bukhari When you ask A11ah ask
Hi mfor Al -Fi rdaws for it is the mi ddl e ofParadi se and is the hi ghest
part of Paradi se. Above it is the Throne of the Most Merci ful and
o mit spri ng forth the rivers of Paradi se. 50
Bukhari narrated o mAbu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Al l ah
( ) said:
Do not prefer me over Moosa (Moses) for the peopl e
wi11fa11unconsci ous on the Day of Resurrecti on; 1 wi11
be efrrst toregai n consci ousness and Moosa wi11be
erehol di ng 1tothe si de ofthe Throne. 1 do not know
whether Moosa wi11 be one of those who 11
unconsci ous and then woke up before me or
whether he was one of those whomAl l ah exempted
50 Bukhari 13/ 404 hadi th no. 7423.
n
b

5
4
h
t
b

2
m
i
F
2
5
H
E
E

264 Defi ni ti on01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m

( o mfal l i ng unc'Onsci 'Ous). 51
Acc'Ordi ng t'O a rep'Ort narrated by Abu Saeed al- Khudri :
M' O' Osa ( M'Oses) wi11be there h'Ol di ng 'On t'O'One 'Of the
pi11ars 'Of the Thr'One. 52
H'Ow can the Thr ' One n'Ot be 'One 'Of the thi ngs created by Al l ah ()
when it is the r' O' Of 'Of Al -Fi rdaws. H'Ow can M' O' Osa ( M'Oses) h'Old'Ont'O
'One 'Of the pi11ars 'Of the Thr ' One if it is n'Ot s'Omethi ng that has been
created?
le Messenger ( ) said:
When Al l ah c'Ompl eted Hi s creati 'On He wr'Ote d'Own
wi th Hi msel f ab'Ove Hi s Thr'One: My mer cy precedes My
wrath. 53
The great si ze of the Thr one
Al l ah has descri bed Hi s Thr ' One as bei ng Great

L'Ord 'Of le Great Thr'One) ( Qur ' an 23: 86)
The Messenger ( ) descri bed the Thr'One as bei ng great int w'Oways:
a) By tel l i ng us 'Of the great si ze 'Of the angel s wh'Ocay the Thr ' One.
I n Sunan Abi Daw' O' Od it is narrated wi th a i snad at
the Messenger () sai d:
1 have been granted permi ssi 'On t'O speak ab'Out 'One 'Of
eangel s 'Of Al l ah 'One 'Of the bearers 'Of the Thr'One. The
51 Bukh i11/ 367 hadithno. 6517 6518; the hadith is also narratedby Musl i m
4/ 1834 hadithno. 2373.
52 Ibid 13/ 405 hadithno. 7427.
53 Ibid hadithno. 7422.
Bel i ef inAl l ah
space between hi s earl obes and hi s shoul ders is the
di stance of seven hundred years' travel l i ng. 54
265
b) The Messenger descri bed the si ze of the Throne by con asti ngits
si ze wi th the si ze of the heavens and the rs'. He ( ) said:
The seven heavens incompari son to the rsi yare like
no mor e than a ri ng thrown out i nto an empt y field and
the superi ori ty of the Throne inrel ati on to the kurs is
like the superi ori ty of that field in rel ati on to that
ring. 55
Al l ah prai ses Hi msel f by menti oni ng Hi s ri si ng over the Thr one
and by decl ari ng that He is the Lor d of the Thr one
The Lord prai ses Hi msel f by stati ng that He has ri sen over Hi s
Throne:
34i
f l i (t J. dii @
( t
letters e one of the mi rac1es of the
Qur' an and none but Al l ah (Al one) knows thei r
meani ngs. ] We have not sent down the Qur' an unto you
[0' Muhammad] to cause you di stress But onl y as a
Remi nder tothose who fear [Al l ah]. A Revel ati on o m
Hi m[Al l ah] Who has created the earth and hi gh
heavens. The Most Graci ous [Al l ah] rose over [I stawaa]
the [Mi ghty] Throne [in a manner that suits Hi s
(Qur' an 20: 1-5)
54 Abu Dawood 3/895 hadithno. 3953.
55 Narratedby Muhammad ibnAbi Shaybah inKi taab al- ' Arsh by A1-Bayhaqi in
Al - Asmaa' wa by Ibn Jareer andby others. It is (sound) when all
its isnads are takentogether. See Shaykh A1-A1baani' s comments on its isnad in
Silsilat hadithno. 109.
266 Definition01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
d JL
t ;i. ji ; i j dd1466:

it is Wh' o created the heavens and the earth in six
Days and then r'Ose'Over [I stawa] the Thr ' One [ina manner
that suits Hi s Maj esty]. He kn'Ows what g'Oes int'Othe earth
and what c'Omes f'Orth' Omit and what descends o m
the heaven and what ascends theret'O. And He is wi th
y'Ou [by Hi s Kn' Owl edge] wheres'Oever y'Ou may be. And
Al l ah is the Al l -Seer 'Of what y'Ou ( Qur 'an 57: 4)
AndAl l ah () prai ses Hi msel f 'On m'Ore an'One 'Occasi 'On as bei ng
the Master 'Of the Thr'One:
i d Q3 i i .;;i i
'Of the Thr ' One the Gl 'Ori 'Ous [He is the] D'Oer 'Of
whats'Oever He i ntends [' Or (Qur' an 85: 15-16)
l Gt ...
Then they w'Oul d certai nl y have s'Ought 'Out a way t'O
the L'Ord 'Of the ' One) ( Qur 17:
And Al l ah () prai ses Hi msel f as bei ng the L'Ord 'Of the Thr ' One:
i J _;:;.i i
Hi m1 put my ust and He is the L'Ord 'Of the
Mi ght y Thr'One) ( Qur ' an 9: 12
@

is Al l ah the L'Ord 'Of the Thr'One [Hi gh is
He] ab'Ove all that [evil] they ass'Oci ate wi th
(Qur' an 21: 22)
267 Belief inAl l ah

is [the] Lord of the seven heavens and [the]
Lord of the Great ( Qw'an 23: 86)
Abdul l ah i bn Rawa h prai sed his Lord in coupl ets as fol l ows:
1 bear wi tness that the promi se of Al l ah is ue
And that the Fi re is the abode of the kaafi reen (di sbel i evers).
And that the Throne is fl oati ng above the water
And above the Throne is the Lord of the Wor1ds.
And it is bome by nobl e. angel s
Angel s of the Lord. "
Thi s coupl et was ansmi tted by Ibn Abdul - Barr in Al -Isti ' aab
where he says: We have narrated it rough i snads.
The meani ng of Hi s ri si ng over the Throne ( ti waa)
We do not know how Al l ah () rose over the Throne because we
do not know how He is but we know the meani ng of i stawaa inthe
Arabi c l anguage. When the Arabs fol l ow ewor d i stawaa wi th the
preposi ti on 'ala they mean four thi ngs: settling goi ng over ri si ng
above and ascendi ng as was affi rmed by Ibn al -Qayyi m.
56
Abu' I - I:I asan al Ash i narrated at the Mu ' tazilah i nterpreted the
phrase oseov [Is waa] the ( jr 'an 57: 4) as meani ng
that He possessed or took con 01 of it. 57 Whoever i nterprets I S
phrase inthis manner shoul d note that his predecessors in is regard
are the Mu :zilahand what bad predecessors they are.
The Ahl as- Sunnah and schol ars ofhadi th a r mthat Al l ah rose over
the Throne. They do not deny but they do not di scuss how it
happened as Abu' I -I:I asan al Ashari ( may Al l ah have mercy on
R
L
f
t
F
E

F
E
F

i
t
z
k
E
E

t
e

p
b
F
56 Sharl J a Wafiittiyah by AI HarraasPp. 80
57 Maqaal aat al -I sl ami yeen. 157211.
268 De.fi nition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
hi m) narrated o mthem.
58
Schol ars of the Arabi c l anguage have narrated tous that the schol ars
whose fi trah has not been contami nated wi th al i en phi l osophy refuse
to i nterpret i stawaa as meani ng i stawl a (possess take control ).
Dawood i bn Al i al I sbahaani said: 1 was wi th I bn al -Arabi d a
man came to hi mand asked What is the meani ng of the aayah
. ~
4 le Most Graci ous [Al l ah] rose over [I stawaa] the
[Mi ghty] Throne [ina manner that suits Hi s Maj esty]. )
( Qur 'an 20: 5)
Ibn al -Arabi said: He is on Hi s Throne as He has tol d us. He sai d 0'
Abu Abdul l ah does it not mean i stawl a (possess take control )? Ibn
al -Arabi said: How can you know that? The Arabs do not say i stawl a
unl ess there are t wo peopl e competi ng for a throne then whi chever of
t hemprevai l s they descri be as ist wl a.
59
This met hod whi ch is acknowl edgi ng the meani ng of i sti waa whi l st
not seeki ng toknow how is the met hod of the ri ghteous sal af When
I mamMaal i k was asked about the aayah T h e Most Graci ous
[Al l ah] rose over [I stawaa] the [Mi ghty] Throne [in a manner that
suits Hi s Maj esty]' (Qur' an20: andwas asked how He rose over
it he paused and broke out ina sweat. Then he rai sed his head and
said: The Most Graci ous rose over the Throne as He descri bed
Hi msel f. We do not ask how because one cannot ask how wi th regard
to Al l ah. You are gui l ty of bi d' ah (i nnovati on) throwhi mout .
60
58 Maql aat al .Jsl am enPp. 211 290.
59 Li saan al- ' Arab 2/249.
60 A1-Bayhaqi and c1assed as a}J ee} J by AdhDhahabi . See Mukht a$ar al ' Ul uw
li '1- l al Ghaf f aarby AdhDhahabi Pp. 141 hadithno. 131.
Bel i f i nAl l ah 269
Accordi ng to a report Maal i k said: How is i ncomprehensi bl e
i sti waa is not unknown bel i ef init is obl i gatory and aski ng about it
is bi d' ah.
61
The phrase not unknown' means it is known; what is known is its
meani ng because the wor d has a meani ng inArabi c whi ch the Arabs
understand and whi ch schol ars can expl ai n and i nterpret. Hence
many of those who narrated the above vi ew o mI mamMaal i k
narrated the meani ng o mhi m and they menti oned that he repl i ed to
the man as fol l ows: 'Isti waa is known how is unknown bel i evi ng in
it is obl i gatory and aski ng about it is bi d 'ah. 62 In fact there is no
di fference between sayi ng that i sti waa is known and sayi ng that it is
not unknown - the meani ng is the same.
Ququbi ( may Al l ah have mercy on hi m) said: The first generati on
- may Al l ah be pl eased wi th t hem- di d not deny di recti on (wi th
regard to Al l ah) and they di d not say anythi ng to that effect. l ey
affi rmed di recti on in accordance wi th what Al l ah had sai d in Hi s
Book and what Hi s Messenger had tol d them.
No one deni es that He rose over Hi s throne in a real sense. Thi s
appl i es onl y to the Throne because it is the greatest thi ng in Hi s
creati on. But we do not know how He rose over it because we cannot
know the ue na re of this.
Maal i k said: the i sti wi s known - i.e. inthe l i ngui sti c sense - but
how it happened is unknown and aski ng about it is bi dah as U mm
Sal mah ( may Al l ah be pl eased wi th her) said. And this is su ci ent .
63
ix) Wher e is AUah?
Al l ah () has tol dus that He is inthe heavens above Hi s Throne:
61 See Mukht a r al- ' Al uw Pp. 141 hadi th no. 132.
62 TaJ eer al - QurfUbi 2/219.
63 lbid.
270 Defi ni ti on 01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
i;i 26
J A 4 df J J J

~ D o you feel secure that He Who is over the heaven

[Al l ah] wi11not cause the earth to si nk wi th you and
en it shoul d quake? Or do you feel secure He
Who is over the heaven [Al l ah] wi11 not send agai nst
you a vi ol ent whi rl wi nd? Then you shall know how
[terrible] has been My Wami ng) (Qur 1 67: 161
The Messenger () tol d us at Hi s Lord is in the heavens. It is
narrated f romAbu Saeed al- Khu i that the Messenger of Al l ah ( )
said:
Do you not ust me when 1 am the trustee of the One
Who is inheaven and the Revel ati on comes tome o m
heaven momi ng and eveni ng? 64
And he testifiedthat the sl ave gi r1was a bel i ever when she tol dhi m
that Al l ah was in heaven. It is narrated that Mu' aawi yah i bn al
I:I akamal -Sul ami beat a sl ave gi r1ofhi s for bei ng carel ess inmi ndi ng
his sheep. Then he regre edit and came tothe Messenger of Al l ah
( ) to express his regret and ask for his permi ssi on to set her .
The Messenger ( ) cal l ed for the gi r1 and asked her
Where is Al l ah?" She sai d In heaven. " He asked
Who am I ?" She sai d You are the Messenger of
Al l ah. " He sai d Set her eefor she is a bel i ever. 65
64 Bukhari 8/66 hadi th no. 4351; Musl i m 2/ 742 hadi th no. 1064 11382 hadi th
no. 537. Al so narrated by Abu Dawood 11175 hadi th no. 823; 3/632 hadi th no.
2809.
65 Musl i m 11382 hadi th no. 537; Abu Dawood 11175 hadi th no. 823; 3/ 632
hadi th no. 2809.
271
leMessenger () taught the si ck person topray for hi mse1f or for
his brother wi th this du' a' (supp1i cati on) inwhi ch it is stated that
Al l ah () is in the heaven:
Be/ i inAllah
'Rabbana Al l ah al l adhi j - samaa' i taqaddasa i smuamr uafi s-
samaa ' i wa 'l-an! kama fi s- samaa 'faj 'al fi '1-
an! ighfir l anaa wbanaa wa khataayaana an Rabb at-
Ta . ' ibeen anzi l mi n wa shi faa 'an mi n
shi fa'ika 'alahaadha 'l-waj 'ifayabra' (0' our Lord Al l ah Who are
inheaven sancti fi ed be Your Name. Your Command prev ls inthe
heavens and on ear1. As Your Mer cy is inheaven make Your Mer cy
on earth. Forgi ve us our mi stakes and sins. You ethe Lord of the
good. Send down Mer cy o mYour Mer cy and hea1i ng o mYour
hea1i ng upon this pai n and hea1 it). 66
the Amr Abdul l ah i bn by Accordi ng to a hadi th narrated
Messenger of Al l ah () said:
he merci fu1 wi l l be shown mer cy by the Most
Merci f ul . Have mercy on those who eon earth so that
the One Who is inthe heaven wi1l have mercy on you. 67
The meani ng of Hi s bei ng in heaven
The phrase Al l ah is in the heaven" does not mean at He is
contai ned by its physi ca1 di mensi ons - G10ri fi ed and Exa1ted be He
f arabove at. What is meant by heaven is hi ghness and bei ng above.
Al l ah () has descri bed Hi mse1f as bei ng the Most Hi gh:
o f J . 1
10ri r the Name of your Lord the Most
(Qur' an 87: 1)
66 Abu Dawood 4/16 hadi th no. 3892
67 Ti rmi dhi 2/ 180 hadi th no. 1569. Ti rmi dhi said: a "anhadi th.

p
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D'nition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m 272
And as the M'Ost Hi gh the M'Ost Great:
ff.i i J ii ; 4J 35j g$' J...
: i i
4Hi s Kursi y extends 'Over the heavens and the earth
and He feels n'Ofati gue inguardi ng and preservi ng them.
And He is the M'Ost Hi gh the M'Ost Great)
(Qur 'an 2: 255)
The Al l -Hi gh tells us that He is ab'Ove Hi s sl aves:
4 UJJ F4JA;
fear thei r L'Ord ab'Ove t hem and they d'Owhat they
are c'Ommanded) (Qur' an 16: 50)
Ailjf JLJ
[Supreme] ab'Ove Hi s
(Qur' an 6: 18)
Irresistible the I S He
sl aves..)
j
-
When the Messenger ( ) prai sed hi s L'Ord in hi s du 'aa' he said:
And Y'Ou are and there is n'One ab'Ove Y'Ou. 68
Zaynab used t'O b'Oast t'O the 'Other wi ves 'Of the Messenger ():
Y'Our fami l i es arranged y'Our marri ages but my
mai age was aanged by Al l ah o mab'Ove the seven
heavens. 69
eavens.
The Musl i mcann'Ot understand hi s ' aqeedah (creed) pr'Operl y if
when he thi nks that Al l ah is inthe heavens he thi nks that the heavens
c'Ontai n Hi mand that He is l i mi ted by the physi cal di mensi 'Ons 'Of the
68 Musl i m 4/ 2084 hadithno. 27l3.
69 Tirmidhi 3/ 92 hadithno. 2566.
Bel i efi nAU!h 273
heavens. Gl ori fi ed be He far above such a thi ng. Ho w can that be
when the heavens 'e nothi ng in rel ati on to Hi m?
@J : : : 4. . .
4.. . And the heavens wi11 be rol l ed up in Hi s Ri ght
Hand. . .lt (Qur 'an 39: 6
. . j Jf ; J I l.>p
4And [remember] the Day when We shall roll up the
heaven like a scroll rol l ed up for books. .
(Qur' an 21: 104)
Extensi ve evi dence
The evi dence inthe Q ' anand Sunnah whi ch shows that Al l ah ()
is inthe heavens above Hi s sl aves is very c1ear and inabundance. To
quote it all woul d take too l ong. But we can arrange it in the
fol l owi ng categori es:
1) Evi dence whi ch states c1ear1y that He is inthe heaven. We have
menti oned this above.
2) Evi dence whi ch states that He rose above the Throne. We have
quoted this above.
3) Evi dence whi ch proves at He is Hi gh and at He is above Hi s
sl aves. We have menti oned some of this above.
4) Texts whi ch i ndi cate that some of the thi ngs He has created are
wi th Hi m.

those [angel s] who a wi thyour Lord are never
too proud to perf ormacts of worshi p to Hi m..)
( Qur 'an 7: 206)
And Al l ah ( ) says concemi ng the shuhadaa' ( m rs):
274 Definition01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m

3
J
3
4

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they are alive wi th their Lord and they have
provi si on.) (Qur 'an 3:
And there emany other si mi l ar texts.
5) Texts whi ch state that some thi ngs are rai sed or ascend to Hi m
such as the aayaat (verses) whi ch c1earl y statethat Eesa i bn Mar yam
(Jesus) (Peace be upon hi m) w rai sed up to Hi m:
@...;Ji 12J
Al l ah rai sed hi m[ Eesa (Jesus)] up [wi his body
and soul] u o Hi msel . ) (Qur' an 4: 15
And texts whi ch s te that good deeds ascend to Hi m:
.i AJ i j 4411
Hi mascend [all] the goodl y words and the
ri ghteous deeds exalt it...) (Qur 'an 35: 10)
And texts whi ch s tethat the soul s of the bel i evers ascend toHi m:
J i 231J 4hui CGSLi

those who bel i e Our Aayaat [proofs evi dences
verses l essons si gns revel ati ons etc.] and eat t hem
wi th a ogancefor t hemthe gates of heaven wi11not be
opened. . . ) (Qur 'an 7: 40)
The texts i ndi cate that the gates of heaven wi11 be opened for the
bel i evers and numerous expl ai n this.
Another exampl e is at the angel s ascend to Hi m:
..4615 435
BeUfinAl l ah 275
~ T h e angel s and the Rool J [Jibreel (Gabri el )] ascend to
Hi m. . ) (Qur 'an 70:
6) And Al l ah () tells us that the angel s descend:
L!) 1fj Z
-I esends down the angel s wi th the Rool J [Revel ati on]
of Hi s Command. . . ) (Qur' an 16: 2)
And He tells us that He sent down Hi s Books:
...2ji32 J
~ A n d this [theQur' an] is a bl essed Book whi ch We have
sent down...l t (Qur 'an 6: 92)
7) And there is the rai si ng of one' s hands and eyes toHi m. There are
many al J aadeeth inwhi ch is statedthat the Messenger ( ) rai sed
his hands when maki ng du 'aa' and everyone who is stri cken wi th
distress raises his hands when cal l i ng upon Al l ah the Al mi ghty.
Si mi l arl y the gaze is al so lifted as is narrated in ereports of the
du 'aa' (suppl i cati on) after wucj oo' (abl uti on).
8) Another exampl e is the way in whi ch the Prophet ( ) poi nted
upwards wi th his fi nger as in the hadi th descri bi ng his Farewel l
Pi l gri mage when they sai d
We bear wi tness that you have conveyed the message
and fulfilled (your mi ssi on) and advi sed us si ncerel y."
Then he poi nted wi th his forefi nger towards the heavens
and then towards the peopl e and said: 0' Al l ah bear
wi tness! 0' Al l ah bear wi tness! 70
70 Abu Dawood 1/ 358 hadi th no. 1905. A very si mi l ar hadi th is narrated in
Bukhari and Musl i m but 1 coul d not fi nd any menti on there of the Messenger
raising his forefi nger towards the heavens and en towards the peopl e. ( Au or)
276 Defi ni ti on01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
If you want to l eammor e about the evi dence and the vi ews of the
sal af (Pi ous predecessors) of this ummah then refer to what the
schol ars have compi l ed on this topi c in thei r books.
Hi s bei ng AU- Hi gh does not contradi ct Hi s bei ng cl ose
Al l ah () is cl ose and answers the call of the one who calls upon
Hi m. He knows their secret i deas and their secret counsel s. He is
cl oser to the one who calls upon Hi mthan the neck of his ri di ng
beast. He knows what hearts whi sper tothemsel ves and He is cl oser
to(Hi s sl aves) than their j ugul ar vei ns. He knows the secret and that
whi ch is yet more hi dden. He knows what si nks into the earth and
what emerges there o mwhat comes down o mthe heavens and
what ascends thereto. He is wi th Hi s creati on by Hi s knowl edge and
power. Nothi ng whatsoever of t hemis hi dden o mHi m. And
nothi ng is hi dden o myour Lord (so much as) the wei ght of an atom
(or smal l ant) on the earth or inthe heaven. Not what is less than that
or what is greater than that. He is cl ose al though He is Most Hi gh
and He is Most Hi gh al though He is close. He is the First (nothi ng is
before Hi m) and the Last (nothi ng is after Hi m) the Most Hi gh
(nothi ng is above Hi m) and the Most Near (nothi ng is nearer than
Hi m) (cf Qur 'an 57:3).
x) The l augh of our Lor d the Exal ted
Al l ah l aughs at when He wi l l s and as He wi l l s. We bel i eve inthat and
affi rmit but we do not know how it happens nor ewe requi red to
know that.
Several ~ a b e e b (sound and authenti c) reports have been narrated
concemi ng that:
1) It is narrated f romAbu Hurayrah ( ) t the Messenger of Al l ah
( ) sai d:
Al l ah l aughs at t wo men one of whom ki l l ed the other
Bel i f inAl l ah 277
but they will both enter Paradi se. One fought for the sake
of Al l ah and was killed then Al l ah accepted the
repentance of the killer then he di ed as a shaheed
( m r). 71
2) It is narratedo mAbu Hurayrah that a man came to the Prophet
() and said: 0' Messenger of Al l ah 1 a m ti red and hungry. " He
sent wor d tohi s wi ves and they di d not fi nd anyl I ng(tooffer hi m).
The Messenger of Al l ah () sai d:
Wi l l any man host hi mtoni ght Al l ah wi l l bl ess hi m?"
Amano mamong the stood up and sai d I wi11
do it 0' Messenger of Al l ah. " He went to hi s f ami l y and
tol d hi s wi f e The guest of the Messenger of Al l ah do
not wi thhol d anythi ng o mhi m. " She sai d By Al l ah 1
do not have anythi ng except f ood for the chi l dren. " He
said: When the chi l dren want thei r supper get t hemto
sl eep then come and exti ngui sh the l amp and we wi11
l eave our own stomachs empt y toni ght." So she di d that .
The next day he came to the Messenger of Al l ah who
said: The Al l -Gl ory and Exal ted l i ked and appreci ated
- or he sai d He l aughed at - the acti on of So- and- so
and So- and- so (this coupl e). "
Then Al l ah () reveal ed the words:
4 @
(. . And gi ve t hem [emi grants] pref erence over
themsel ves even though they we in need of that...;
(Qur' an 59: 9)72
71 Bukhari 6/ 39 hadi th no. 2826; Musl i m 3/ 1504 hadi th no. 1890. Thi s versi on
is narrated by Bukhari .
72 Bukhari 8/631 hadi th no. 4889; Musl i m 3/ 1625 hadi th no. 2054. l I s versi on
is narrated by Bukhari .
278 D zition01Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
3) There is a l engthy ma00' hadi th inBukhari narratedomAbu
Hura 1 () it says:
ThenAl l ah () wi11finishj udgi ng among Hi s sl aves
and there wi11be left a man wi th his .ceinthe di recti on
of Hel l . He wi11be the last of the peopl e of Hel l toenter
Paradi se. He wi11say 0' Lord mmy ceawayo m
the Fi re for its smel l is di sturbi ng me and its heat is
bumi ng me. ' So he wi11keep prayi ng toAl l ah as l ong as
He wi11s that he shoul d pray.
Then Al l ah wi11say If 1 gi ve you that wi11you ask Me
for anythi ng else?' He wi11 say No by Your Gl ory 1
wi11not ask for anythi ng else ' and he wi11gi ve whatever
promi ses he wants tohis Lord. Then Al l ah wi11 mhi s
face away o m e Fire. When he ms towards
Paradi se and sees it he wi11remai n silent for as l ong as
Al l ah wi11s that he shoul d remai n silent then he wi11say:
0' Lord bri ng me to egate of Paradi se.' Al l ah wi11
say tohi m Di d you not gi ve me your sol emn promi se
that you woul d not ask Me for anythi ng else ever agai n?
Woe toyou 0' son of Adam how treacherous you are!'
Then he wi11say 0' Lord' and he wi11pray to Al l ah
until He says: Perhaps if 1 gi ve you that you wi11not
ask for anythi ng else.' He wi11say No by Your Gl ory 1
wi11not ask for anythi ng else.' He wi11 gi ve whatever
promi ses he wants. So he wi11be brought cl ose to the
gate of Paradi se and when he stands at e gate of
Paradi se it wi11 become apparent to hi mwhat is in
Paradi se the j oys and del i ghts that exist therei n. Then he
wi11 remai n silent for as l ong as Al l ah wi11s that he
shoul d remai n silent then he wi11say: 0' Lord admi t
me toParadi se.' Al l ah wi l l say tohi m Di d you not gi ve
me your sol emn promi se that you woul d not ask Me for
279 Belief inAl l ah
anythi ng else ever agai n? Woe toyou 0' son of Adam
how ' eacherous you are!' Then he wi11say 0' Lord 1
do not want tobe emost mi serabl e of Your creati on.'
And he wi11keep on prayi ng until Al l ah wi11 l augh at
hi m and when Al l ah l aughs at hi m He wi11say Enter
Paradi se. " 73
Accordi ng to a report narrated by Musl i mf romthe hadi th of
Abdul l ah i bn Masood Al l ah wi11 say to that man:
Wi11it not pl ease you if 1 were to gi ve you the wor1d
and another the likethereof? He wi11say 0' Lord are
You mocki ng me when You are the Lord ofthe Worl ds?'
The Messenger of Al l ah l aughed and they sai d Why
are you l aughi ng 0' Messenger of Al l ah?' He sai d
Because the Lord of the Wor1ds wi111augh when (that
man) says Are You mocki ng] me when You are the
Lord ofthe Wor1ds?' and He wi11say 1 am not mocki ng
you but 1 am abl e to do whatsoever 1 wi11. " 74
xi) xii) Descendi ng and Comi ng of the Exal ted
It is narrated f romAbu Hurayrah that the Messenger of Al l ah ( )
said:
Our Lord e Al l -Gl ori ous Al l -Hi gh - comes
down every ni ght tothe nearest heaven when one-thi rd
ofthe ni ght remai ns. He says: Whoever calls upon Me 1
wi11 answer hi m and whoever asks of Me 1 wi11 gi ve
hi m and whoever seeks forgi veness of Me 1 wi11forgi ve
hi m.' 5
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73 Bukh i13/ 420 hadi th no. 7437.

74 Musl i m 1/ 175 hadi th no. 187.
75 Bukhari 3/29 hadi no. 1145; Mus1i m 1/ 521 hadi th no. 758. Thi s versi on is
narrated by Bukhari .
280 Defi ni ti on 01 AUh nd Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
The Qur ' an states that Al l ah () wi11 come on the Day of
Resurrect i on to pass j udgement:
448ji Ji1
' j A' 16Af J 7f J
they then wai t for anythi ng other than that Al l ah
shoul d come to t heminthe shadows of the cl ouds and
the angel s? [Then] the case woul d be al ready j udged.
And to Al l ah mall ma ers [for deci si on])
( Qur ' :n 2: 210)
54; J ff J 31

When the earth is ground to powder. And your

Lord comes wi th the angel s in rows. )
( Qur ' an 89: 21-22)
It is narrated f romIbn Masood ( ) that the Messenger of Al l
( ) said:
Al l ah wi11gather together the first and the last for an
appoi nted ti me forty years when they wi11be l ooki ng
up at the heavens wai ti ng for j udgement tobe passed
and Al l ah wi11come inthe shadows of cl ouds o mthe
l fone to the Kursi y. " 76
xi u) The speech of Al l ah
Al l ah () speaks when He wi11s and in emanner He wi11s. Hi s
speech does not resembl e the speech of any of Hi s creatures. Al l
76 By Ibn Mandah. Adh- Dhahabi said: i snad is A group of schol ars who
had memori zed ahaadeeth and were wel l -versed in the criticismthereof cl assed it
(sound) such as Al - l:I ki mAI -Mundhi ri and Al Haythami .
Bel i ef inAl l ah 281
spoke tosome of Hi s creati on and they spoke wi th Hi m such as the
Prophet of Al l ah Moosa oses) ( ) :
41
to Moosa [Moses] Al l ah spoke
(Qur' n 4: 164)

when Moosa [Moses] came at the ti me and pl ace
appoi nted by Us and his Lord [Al l ah] spoke tohi m;. . )
(Qur' an 7: 143)
Al l ah () menti oned for us the talks between Hi mand Moosa
r1oses) (J ):
Jf 4 J6 J -q) J J6...


4AJ J 4AJ 4i C j i
1G433 UI
said: 0' my Lord! Show me [Yoursel f] at 1
may l ook upon You. ' Al l ah said: You cannot see Me
but l ook upon the mountai n; if it stands still inits pl ace
then you shall see Me. ' So when his Lord appeared to
the mountai n He made it col l apse to dust and Moosa
[Moses] fell down unconsci ous. Then when he
recovered his senses he said: Gl ory be to You 1
m to You in repen nce and 1 am the first of the
bel i evers.' [Al l ah] said: 0' Moosa 1 have chosen you
above men by My Messages and by My speaki ng [to
you]. So hol d that whi ch 1 have gi ven you and be of the
(Qur 'an 7: 143144)
282 Defini 'on01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
Al1ah ( ) sp'Oke t'O Adamand i j awwa' (Eve):
...
@ 3 l 1
thei r L'Ord cal1ed 'Out t'Ot hem[sayi ng]: Di d 1 n'Ot
f'Orbi d y'Ou that tree and tell y'Ou: Veri l y Shayt an
[Sa n] is an 'Open enemy unt'O 7:22)
Al l ah speaks t'O Ji breel (Gabri el ) (J ) : It is narrated that Abu
Hur a ah( ) said; e Messenger 'Of Al l ( ) said:
When Al l ah the Al l -Gl 'Ori 'Ous Al l - Hi gh l'Oves a sl ave
He calls 'Out Ji breel (Gabri el ): Veri l y Al l ah l'Oves S'Oand
s'O S'Ol'Ove hi m. ' T hen J i breel l 'Oves hi m and calls 'Out t'O
the pe'Opl e 'Of heaven: Veri l y Al l ah l'Oves S'Oand S'O S'O
l'Ove hi m. ' T hen the pe'Opl e 'Of heaven l'Ove hi m and
Al l ah causes hi mt'Ofi nd accep nceam'Ong the pe'Opl e 'Of
the earth." 77
T he angel s hear thei r L'Ord when He speaks. It is narratedomAbu
Hurayrah that the Prophet () said:
When Al1ah decrees a matter inthe heaven the angel s
beat their wi ngs in submi ssi 'On t'O Hi s decree (wi th a
s'Ound like) a chai n s i ki ng a r'Ock. When is
bani shed' Omtheir hearts they say What is it that y'Our
L'Ord has sai d?' T hey say T he uthand He is the M'Ost
Hi gh the Great. " 78
l I s hadi th is narrated by Bukhari t'O expl ai n the aayah:
77 Bukhari 13/ 461 hadith no. 7485; Musl i m 4/ 2030 hadith no. 2637. This
versionis narratedby Bukhari.
78 Bukh i13/453 hadithno. 7481.
283 Bel i ef inAl l ah
AJ 44U44; Atj i J bf g
@ i jLJ J J 66G36
wi th Hi mprofi ts not except for hi mwhom
He permi ts. So much so that when fear is bani shed o m
their [angel s' ] hearts they [angel s] say: What is that
your Lord has sai d?' They say: The truth. And He is e
Most Hi gh the Most Great.') (Qur' an 34: 23)
Bukhari devoted a chapter tothis aayah then he said: But he di d not
say what your Lord created. He has transmi tted all the reports
narrated by Masrooq o mIbn Masood that ends wi th hi m
(Masrooq) - mu ' allaqmawqoof under this chapter. It says: When
Al l speaks wi th the WaQY (Revel ati on/ i nspi rati on) the peopl e of
the heavens hear somethi ng and when fe is bani shed o mtheir
hearts and the sound has ceased they know that it is the truth and
they call out What di d your Lord say?
Yet there is another mu ' al l aq hadi th transmi tted by J aabi r o m
' Abdul l ah i bn Unays who said: 1 heard eMessenger of Al l ah ()
y
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Al l ah wi11gather Hi s sl aves and wi11call t hemwi th a
voi ce whi ch wi11be heardo mafar as c1earl y as it wi11
be heard f romup c1ose: 1 am the Soverei gn 1 am the
J udge. " 79
say:
Bukhari inhis book Khal q af' aal af . ' I baad(creati on of the deeds of
Al l ah' s sl aves) comment i ng on this hadi th said: This proves that the
voi ce of Al l ah does not resembl e the voi ces of Hi s creati on because
the voi ce of Al l ah can be heardo mafar as c1ear1y as it can be heard
o mnearby and the angel s swoon o mHi s voi ce.
80
79 Bukhari 13/452.
80 Khal q Af' aal al- 'Jbaad pp. 149.
284 D 'nition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
Al l ah () speaks wi th a v'Oi ce that d'Oes n'Ot resembl e any 'Of the
v'Oi ces 'Of Hi s creati 'On at all as stated in the hadi th narrated by
Bukhari ' OmAb u Saeed al- Khudri wh'Ostated: The Messenger 'Of
Al l ah ( ) said:
Al l ah wi11 say 0' Adam! ' and he wi11 say At Y'Our
servi ce.' Then a v'Oi ce wi11 call 'Out: Al l ah c'Ommands
y'Ou t'Osend f'Orth o my' O pr'Ogenyth'Ose wh'Oare t'Obe
sent t'O Hel l . " 81
On the Day 'Of Resurrecti 'On He () wi11 speak t'O Hi s angel s:
.3L j JL1U2 J? iij
0
pTLA1d
[remember] the Day when He wi11gather t hemall
t'Ogether then He wi11say t'Othe angel s: Was it y'Ou that
these pe'Opl e used t'O w'Orshi p?' They [the angel s] wi11
say: Gl 'Orifiedbe Y'Ou! Y'Ou are 'Our Wal i [L'Ord] i nstead
'Of them. Nay but they used t'Ow'Orshi p the j i nn; m'Ost 'Of
t hemwere bel i evers in (Qur' an 34: 40-41)
And He () wi11 address the di sbel i evers and the deni ers (' Of the
uth) rebuki ng em:
@ AAJJ 4hJ Qo; l
- F j _ ; I _t liz;
@
[remember] the Day when We shal l gather 'Out 'Of
every nati 'On a tr' O' Op 'Of th'Ose wh'O deni ed Our Aayaat
81 Bukhari 13/453 hadi no. 7483. See a1so 8/441 hadithno. 4741. Musl i m 1/
201 hadithno. 222. This versionis narratedby Bukhari.
Belief inAl l !h 285
[proofs evi dences verses l essons si gns revel ati ons
etc.] and [then] they [all] shall be dri ven [tothe pl ace of
reckoni ng] till when they come [before their Lord at the
pl ace of reckoni ng] He wi l l say: Di d you deny My
Aayaat [proofs evi dences verses l essons si gns
revel ati ons etc.] whereas you comprehended t hem
not by knowl edge [of their truthor fal sehood] or what
[else] was it that you used to ( QU1'an27:83-84)
And He () wi l l greet the peopl e of Paradi se wi th sal aam:
@MJ ; 4
wi l l be sai d tothem]: Sal aam[peace be on you] a
Wor d o mthe Lord [Al l ah] Most
(Qur 'an 36: 58)
Al l ah () wi l l speak to them. It is narrated f romAbu Sa' eed al-
Khudri that the Prophet ( ) said:
Al l ah wi l l say tothe peopl e of Paradi se: 0' peopl e of
Paradi se!' They wi l l say At Your servi ce all good is in
Your hand.' He wi l l say Are you content?' They wi l l
say How coul d we not be content 0' Lord when You
have gi ven us what You have not gi ven to anyone else
among Your creati on?' He wi l l say Shal l 1 not gi ve you
somethi ng even better an that?' They wi l l say 0'
Lord what can be better than that?' He wi l l say 1 grant
you My pl easure and 1 wi l l never be angry wi th you
agai n after at. " 82
Al l ah' s speech is not l i mi ted or restri cted
Al l ah () says:
82 Bukhari 13/ 487 hadi th no. 7518; Musl i m 4/ 2176 hadi th no. 2829. Thi s
versi on is narrated by Bukhari .
286 Definition01Allahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
4J t .u:sJ ; ; J i j J

[0' Muhammad tomanki nd]: If thesea were i nk
for [writing] the Words of my Lord surel y the sea
woul d be exhausted before the Words of my Lord woul d
be fi ni shed even i f We brought [another sea] likeit for
its aid.') (Qur' an 18: 109)
The Qur' an is trul y the Wor d of Al l ah
The Qu' ran is undoubtedl y the Wor d of Al l ah. Al l ah () says:
J AZ L I L T 6 U 543U

if anyone of the Mushri koon [polytheists
idolaters pagans di sbel i evers in the Oneness of
Al l ah] seeks your protecti on then grant hi mprotecti on
so that he may hear theWor d of Al l ah [theQur' an] ...)
(Qur' n 9: 6)
;;i i EI ill .lli
J GhLEA4cJ

who l agged behi nd wi11say when you set forth
totake the spoi l s Al l owus tofol l owyou.' They want to
change Al l ah' s Words. Say: You shall not fol l owus;
thus Al l ah has sai d beforehand. ' ) (Qur 'an 48. l

. . U I 44EPf
if all the 'ees on the earth were pens and the sea
[were i nk wherewi th towri te] wi th seven seas behi nd it
BeliefinAl l ah 287
toadd toits [suppl y] yet the Words of Al l ah woul d not
be exhausted...) (Qur' an 31: 2
Ibn Katheer sai d in his Tqeer of this aayah (verse ):83
Here Al l ah () re to Hi s Mi ght Pri de Beauti l
Names Subl i me At butes and Perfect Words whi ch none can
encompass and whose na re and essence none can know as e
Master of manki nd [i the Prophet ()] said:
1 cannot prai se You sufficiently; You are as You have
prai sed Yoursel 84
Al l ( ) says: d if all the on the earth were pens...)
ur' an 31: 2meani ng even if all the ees on earth were made
intopens and the seas were made into i nk and seven ti mes as many
seas were provi ded al ong wi th attowri te down the words of Al l ah
i ndi cati ng Hi s Mi ght At i butes and Maj esty the pens woul d break:
and the sea woul d run yeven if more seas were brought .
Al I:I asanal Bari said: If the ees ofthe e thwere made into pens
and the sea w made into i nk and Al l ah () were to say My
Decree is such and such My Decree is such and such... the sea
woul d run dry and the pens woul d break:. Al l ah i ndeed spoke the truth
when He said:
@ J J j j dUAj 1
of knowl edge you [manki nd] have been gi ven
onl y a little.) (Qur' an 17: 85)
83 Tafseer i bn Katheer 5/394.
84 Musl i m 11353 hadi 1 no. 486.
Definition01 Al l ahand Connecti ng Herls 10Hi m
288
xi v) The l ove of AUah
It is stated inthe Qur' an and Sunnah that Al l ah () l oves certai n
deeds certai n words and some of Hi s creati on who have certai n
characteri sti cs whi ch He has stated at He l oves.
He has tol d us that so that we may s i vetoattainthese characteri sti cs
that He l oves and do the deeds that He l oves and utter the words that
He l oves. Thus He wi l l l ove us.
Al l ah () l oves the pi ous:
@ ji
Al l ah l oves Al -Muttaqeen [ epi ous].
(Qur' an 9: 4)
;
d
i
t
-
J

j
i
p
i
-
-
z
i
:

He () l oves those who do good:
4( 4. 5. J
Al l ah l oves [ e
(Qur' n 3: 134)
He ( ) l oves those who repent to Hi mand puri f themsel ves:
144J (44.4f
Trul y Al l ah l oves those who m unto Hi min
repentance and l oves those who puri themsel ves. )
(Qur' n 2: 222)
He () l oves those who are pati ent:
4 1144. . . .
Al l ah l oves [the
(Qur 'an 3: 146)
Bel i fi nAl l ah 289
He ( ) l oves those who ej ust:
@ j ( 444Ai
Al l ah l oves those who act j ustl y)
(Qur' n 5: 42)
He ( ) l oves those who put their trust in Hi m:

Al l ah l oves those who put their trust [in
(Qur 'an 3: 159)
He ( ) l oves those who fight for Hi s sake in ranks:

321 4 l f tJ( 2443i

@
. J CJ " J " P ..r
Al l ah l oves those who fight in Hi s Cause in
rows [ranks] as if they were a sol i d
(Qur' an 61: 4)
(B h i and Musl i m) narrated f romAbu Hurayrah ( )
that the Messenger of Al l ah ( ) said:
Two words whi ch are light on the tongue but they are
heavy in the Bal ance and are bel oved to the Most
Merci ful : AUhi wa bi Al l ah
i l -' A?eem(Gl ory and prai se be to Al l ah gl ory be to
Al l ah the Al mi ghty). 85
It is narrated that Sumrah i bn J undub said: The Messenger of Al l ah
( ) said:
The most bel oved of speech toAl l ah is four (phrases):
85 Bukhari 111206 hadi th no. 1406; Musl i m 4/ 2072 hadi nO. 2694.
290 Definition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m 6
1
0
i
J

l
e
k
-
Subhaan Al l ahi wa ' / -hamdu Li l l aahi wa /aa Uaha illa-
Al l ahu wa Al l ahu Akbar (Gl ory be toAl l ah prai se be to
Al l ah there is no god except Al l ah and Al l ah is Most
Great). And it does not ma er whi ch of t hemyou st t
wi th. 86
The Prophet ( ) sai d to Ashaj j Abd al Qays:
You have t wo characteri sti cs whi ch Al l ah l oves:
pati ence and del i berati on. 87
It is narrated f rom Ubaadah i bn that the Prophet ( ) said:
Whoever l oves tomeet Al l ah Al l ah l oves to meet hi m;
whoever hates to meet Al l ah Al l ah hates to meet
hi m. 88
Al l the acti ons atti des and words that Al l ah l oves ethose whi ch
were brought by the Messenger ( ) or whi ch were p t of his
character. Hence Al l ah stated ina comprehensi ve aayah (verse) at
the way to earn Hi s l ove is to fol l owthe Messenger ():
4
4Sa y [0' Muhammad tomanki nd]: I f you [really] l ove
Al l ah then fol l owme [i.e. accept I sl ami c Monot hei sm
fol l owthe Qur' an and e Sunnah] Al l ah wi11 l ove
(Qur' an 3: 31)
v)xvi ) Al l ah' s hatred and anger
There are acti ons whi ch Al l ah does not l ove; in .ct He hates t hem
and is angry wi th them. Hi s ha dand anger are real ina manner that
86 Musl i m 3/ 1685 hadithno. 2137.
87 Ibid 1148 hadithno. 17.
88 Ibid 4/ 2065 hadithno. 2684.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 291
befits Hi s nobl e na re. A mong these acti ons isf asaad (corrupti on or
mi schi ef):
;/1ii .
Al l ah l i kes not mi schi ef ) (Qur 'an 2: 205)
...
. And Al l ah does not like the Muf si deen [mi schi ef-
makers]. ) (Qur' n 5: 64)
It is al so ted in the texts that Al l ah does not like the kaafi roon
(di sbel i evers) (wrongdoers or oppressors) ex avagants
aggressors be ayers and those who exul t inthei r ri ches. He does not
likesuch as are proud and boastful ( Qur' n4: 3 the di sbel i evers
and si nners Qur 'an2: 276) or those who betray thei r trusts and
i ndul ge in cri me f Qur' an 4: 10. l n the Qur' an it says:
F
i
j
i
-
-
f
t


But Al l ah was averse tothei r bei ng sent forth so He
made t heml ag behi nd...) (Qur 'an 9: 46)
We have menti oned above the hadi th in whi ch Al l ah () says:
Whoever hates to meet Al l ah Al l ah hates to meet
hi m. 89
lt is narratedo mAa' i shah( may Al l ah be pl eased wi th her) that: the
Prophet ( ) said:
The most hated of men to Al l ah is the tough and
argumen tive type. 90
89 Mus1i m 4/ 2065 hadi th 00. 2684.
90 Bukh i13/ 180 hadi th 00. 7188; Musl i m 4/ 2054 hadi th 00. 2668.
292 D 'nition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
It is narratedo mAI -Baraa' i bnAazi b at he heard the Messenger
'Of Al l ah ( ) say c'Oncemi ng the
Wh ' Oever l'Oves t hem Al l ah wi111'Ove hi m and wh'Oever
hates t hem Al l ah wi11 hate hi m. 91
vii} Seei ng AUah
N'O'One can see Al l ah () inthis w' Or1d. M' O' Osa ( M'Oses) (J ) h'Oped
t'O see Al l ah but hi s L'Ord t'Ol dhi mthat he w'Oul d n'Ot and c'Oul d n'Ot
see Hi m inthis w' Or1d; even the str'Ong and s'Olidm'Ountai n c'Oul d n'Ot
bear that:
l;ij


when M' O' Osa [ M'Oses] came at the ti me and pl ace
app'Oi nted by Us and hi s L'Ord [Al l ah] sp'Oke t'Ohi m; he
sai d: 0' my L'Ord! Sh'Ow me [ Y'Oursel f ] that 1 may l' O' Ok
up'On Y'Ou.' Al l ah sai d: Y'Ou cann'Ot see Me but l' O' Ok
up'On the m'Ountai n; if it stands sti11inits pl ace then y'Ou
shal l see Me. ' S'O when hi s L'Ord appeared t'O the
m'Ountai n He made it c'Ol l apse t'O dust and M' O' Osa fell
d'Own unc'Onsci 'Ous. . ) (Qur 'an 7: 14
lesch'Olars di eredas t'Owhether the Messenger ( ) saw hi s L'Ord
when he was taken up int'O the heavens (the Mi ' raaj ). le c'O' ect
vi ewis that he di d n'Ot see hi s L'Ord duri ng the Mi 'raaj. It is narrated
in a (s'Ound) rep'Ort that ' Aa' i shah said:
Wh ' Oever c1ai ms that Muhammad ( ) saw hi s L'Ord has
i nvented a great lie agai nst Al l ah. 92
91 Bukhari 7/ 113 hadithno. 3783; Musl i m 1/ 85 hadithno. 75.
92 Musl i m 1/ 159 hadithno. 177.
BeliefinAllah 293
Thi s is the case inthis worl d. But inthe Hereafter it wi11be di erent.
Peopl e wi11 be created anew. Do you not see at the sun wi11 be
brought c10se to peopl e' s heads on the Day of Res cti onuntil
there is no more than one mi l e between it and them yet they wi l l not
mel t! Do you not see that after peopl e are resurrected and brought
forth o mtheir graves they wi11 not be suscepti bl e to death any
more! When the di sbel i evers (h r) enter the Fi re every ti me their
ski ns areroasted through Al l ah the Al l -Power 1wi11change them
for other ski ns so that they can (conti nue to) taste the torment but
they wi11 not die.
On the Day of Resurrecti on the bel i evers wi l l be abl e to see their
Lord. The greatest del i ght that they wi11be gi ven inParadi se wi11be
l ooki ng upon the face of the Mi ghty and Generous Lord Exal ted be
He.
This great bl essi ng wi11 be deni ed to the di sbel i evers:
AJ 4 ;6J FUi 1B
Surel y they [evil doers] wi11 be vei l ed o m
seei ng their Lord that Day) 83: 15)
But those whomAl l ah () has chosen and made their faces
beauti ful ey wi11 not be vei l ed or depri ved:
Jl t
faces that Day shall be NaacJ i rah [shi ni ng and
radiant]. Looki ng at their Lord [Allah].lt
(Qur' an 75: 22-23)
There are eAbraar (ri ghteous):

Al - Abraar [the pi ous bel i evers of I sl ami c
294 Dtition01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
Monot hei sm] wi11be inDel i ght [Paradi se]. On thrones
l ooki ng [at a11 (Qur' an 83: 22-23)
This l ooki ng at Hi s Nobl e Face is the zi yaadah (even mor e "
addi ti onal ) whi ch is promi sed to the bel i evers:
4. . . UJJ
: j j
i ai g

those who have done good is the best reward and

even mor e [i.e. havi ng the honour of gl anci ng at the
Countenance of

(Qur' an 10: 26)
And it is the mazeed (more) referred to in the aayah (verse):

they wi11have a11that they desi re and We have
mor e [for t hem i.e. a gl ance at the A11- Mi ghty A11-

( Qw

'an 50: 35)

There are mut awatir

whi ch c1ear1y s

te this. It is
reportedo mAbu Hurayrah that some peopl e sai d tothe Messenger
of A11ah
():
0' Messenger of A11ah wi11we see our Lord on the
Day of Resurrecti on?" The Messenger of A11ah
( )
said:

Do you doubt that you can see the moon on the ni ght
when it is full?" They sai d

No 0' Messenger of
A11ah. " He sai d

Do you doubt that you can see the sun
when there are no c10uds inthe way?" They sai d

No
0' Messenger of A11ah. " He said: Veri l y you wi11see
Hi ml i kewi se.

93
Bukhari has narrated that J areer i bn ' Abdu11ah said: Wewer e si i ng
wi th the Prophet when he l ooked at the

11 moon and said:

93
Bukhari l 3/ 419 hadithno. 7437; Musl i m 11163 hadithno. 183. This version
is narratedby Musl i m.
BeliefinAl l ah 295
You wi11see your Lord j ust as you are seei ng i smoon
do not doubt this. And if you can avoi d mi ssi ng a prayer
before the sun rises and before the sun sets then do that
(i.e. s ve not to mi ss F. r and prayers). 94
In Musl i mit is narratedo mS ayb at the Prophet ()
said:
When the peopl e of Paradi se enter Paradi se Al l ah wi11
say Do you want anythi ng el se o mMe?' They wi11
say Have You not made our faces whi te? Have You not
granted us a mance to Paradi se and saved us o m
Hell?' Then the veil wi11be liftedand eywi11never be
gi ven anythi ng mor e bel oved to t hemthan l ooki ng at
their Lord the Al l -gl ory." Then he reci ted this aayah
(verse):
4@. . . i J UJ J :l 1 1!.
those who have done good is the best reward and
even mor e [i.e. havi ng the honour of gl anci ng at e
Countenance of Al l ah]. . ) (Qur' an 10: 2 95
and Musl i m) narrated f romAbu Moosa that the
Prophet ( ) said:
Two gardens of silver their vessel s and everythi ng in
t hem and t wo g dens of gol d their vessel s and
every i nginthem. And there wi11be nothi ng between
the peopl e and seei ng their Lord except the veil of pri de
over Hi s ce in the Paradi se of ' Aden. 96
94 Bukhari 13/ 419 hadithno. 7434.
95 Musl i m 1/ 163 hadithno. 181.
96 Bukhari 13/ 423 hadithno. 7444; Musl i m 1/163 hadithno. 180.
296 Definition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
xviii) The K nowl edge of Al l ah
We know that A11ah () bears the at i buteof knowl edge and that
He has ca11ed Hi msel f by a number of Names whi ch reflect this
at butesuch A ' Al eem(A11- Knowi ng):
@ fii b-;Ji
He onl y He is the A11-Hearer the A11- Knower. )
(Qur' an 26: 220)
Another of these Names isAl - Khabeer (the A11-Aware) whi ch means
that He knows what wi 11 be before it happens; Al - l f akeem(the Wi se)
whi ch means that He knows the detai l s ofthi ngs; Ash- Shaheed (the
Wi tness) whi ch means that He knows what is unseen and what is
seen1. e. at nothi ng is unknown toHi m; (the Protector)
meani ng that He does not forget what He knows; Al - Mu (the
Reckoner) whi ch means that the fact that He knows so much does
not di stract Hi m o mknowi ng the tiniest detai l s such as the light of
the day and how s ong the wi nd is and when the l eaves 11. He
knows the numbers and the movement s of each leaf.
Hi s Knowl edge encompasses general i ti es and mi nor detai l s
Phi l osophers c1ai mthat A11ah knows thi ngs ingeneral terms but He
does not know mi nor detai l s - but this is a lie. The Knowl edge of
A11ah is comprehensi ve and a11-encompassi ng and nothi ng
whatsoever is hi dden o mHi mon earth or inthe heavens. He knows
every movement on l and and sea and there is no l eaf that fa11s oma
tree or a seed that is pl anted in the ground or a sma11 pl ant that
c1eaves the earth or dri es out or di es but the Knowl edge of A11ah
encompasses 1t.
-9; L. 4j j
1; 1; .j}Ji .;/.1;

Bel i efi n Al l ah 297

. And He knows whatever there is inthe l and and inthe
sea; not a l eaf falls but He knows it. There is not a grai n
inthe darkness of the earth nor anythi ng'eshor dry but
is wri tten in a Cl ear (Qur 'an 6: 5
Nothi ng of these i nnumerabl e ani mal s is hi dden o mAl l ah:
L j isiJ4AT di dfdf J 93J MUJ

no movi ng [l i vi ng] crea reis there on earth but its
provi si on is dueo mAl l ah. And He knows its dwel l i ng
pl ace and its deposi t [inthe uterus or grave]. Al l is ina
Cl ear Book - the Book of
Decrees wi th Al l ah] .}J (Qur' an 11: 6)
There is nothi ng that goes down i nto the earth or ascends o mthe
earth tothe heavens but Al l ah encompasses it wi th Hi s knowl edge:

@: i i 41fAJ
knows that whi ch goes i nto the ear1and that whi ch
comes forth o mit and that whi ch descends o mthe
heaven and that whi ch ascends to it. And He is the Most
Merci ful the (Qur 'an 34: 2)
Nothi ng of man is hi dden o mAl l ah () whatsoever. Al l ah' s
knowl edge of man is comprehensi ve encompassi ng hi s apparent and
vi si bl e acti ons but He al so knows what is hi dden inthe depths of hi s
soul:
...2f i 444
[0' M l ammad]: Whether you hi de what is in
your breasts or reveal it Al l ah knows it...'
( Qur 'an 3: 29)
298 Definition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
. . . ; i Z3J 14j 9.:J I
He is Al1ah [to be worshi pped Al one] in the
heavens and on the earth; He knows what you conceal
and what you reveal...}t ( QU1' 'an 6: 3)
Thi s is knowl edge whi ch encompasses al1the mi nor detai l s of man' s
life:
fiJ ML1; ; 76 44
...; i 4 L
you [0' Muhammad] do any deed nor reci te
any porti on of the Qur' an nor you [0' mank: i nd] do any
deed [good or evil] but We a Wi tness thereof when
you are doi ng it...}t ( ltr 'an 10: 61)
Look at the Knowl edge'Omwhi ch nothi ng is hi dden not even the
smal1est grai n:
iT 4 fJ UJ 4J i QL;;ZL.
i
my son! If it be [anythi ng] equal to the wei ght of a
grai n of mustard seed and though it be in a rock or in
the heavens or in the earth Al1ah wi l l bri ng it forth.
Veri l y Al1ah is Subtl e [inbri ngi ng out that grai n] Wel1-
Awar e [of its pl ace] .}t ( Qur 'an 31: 16)
I n the knowl edge of Al1ah secret and open smal1and great unseen
and seen are al1 the same:
';<2. t .
j 14b541o -d:A d b J
Bel i efi n Al l ah 299
J 4L J J JPfJ41 94421

kn'Ows what every f emal e bears and by h'Ow
much the w'Ombs fall sh'Ort [' Of thei r ti me 'Or number] 'Or
exceed. Every i ngwi th Hi mis in[due] pr'Op'Orti 'On. Al l -
Kn' Ower 'Of the unseen and the seen the M'Ost Great the
M'Ost Hi gh. 1t is the same [t'OHi m] whether any 'Of y'Ou
c'Onceal s hi s speech 'Or dec1ares it 'Openl y whether he be
hi d by ni ght 'Or g'Oes f'Orth ly by day. J l
(Qur' an 13: 8-10)
Al l ah () i ndeed sp'Oke the truth when He said:
yj 3f 4ti daf J J ;l J l l S 453
4 d J d J ;.i
. . And n'Othi ng is hi ddeno my'Our L'Ord [s'Omuch as]
the wei ght 'Of an at'Om [' Or smal l ant] 'On ee ' Ori n e
heaven. N'Ot what is less than at 'Or what is greater than
that but is en] ina Cl Rec'Ord.}l (Qur' an 10: 61)
xi x)) Hi s Li fe Sust ai nment and Eterni ty
Al l ah () is Al i ve and Hi s Li fe is etemal :
i
l
-
l
!
i
j
j

...J4dlLJLY jf JL
is the Ever Li vi ng Laa i l aaha illaHuwa [n'One has
the ri ght t'Obe w'Orshi pped but He]; Jl ( Qur 'an 40: 65)
Hi s lifeis di rent o mthe lives 'Of Hi s creati 'On all 'Of wh'Om di e and
cease t'O exist; n'Othi ng wi11 remai n except Al l ah ():

is 'On it [theearth] wi11peri sh. And the Face
300 Defi ni ti onof Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
'Of y'Our L'Ord full 'Of Mesty and H'On'Our wi l l remai n
f'Orever) ( Qur ' an 55: 26-2
Bukhari has narrated oml bnAbbaas at the Prophet ( ) used
say:
'A' oodhu bi ' i zzati ka al l adhi l aa ilaha illa anta
al l adhi layamoot wa' 1i nnwa 'l-ins yamoot oon (1seek
refuge inY'Our Gl 'Ory tl). ere is n'Og'Od except Y'Ou Wh ' O
never di es whi l st the j i nn and manki nd wi l l die). 97
Wh ' Oever is likethis is the One Wh ' O deserves t'Ohave st pl aced in
Hi m:
4 9f
4And put y'Our 1St [0' M l ammad] inthe Ever Li vi ng
One Wh ' O di es n'Ot..) ( Qw' an 25: 58)
He is Al - Qa _ 100mthe Sel f-Sustai ni ng wh'O sustai ns all at exists.
Al l created bei ngs are in need 'Of Hi m and they have n'O 'Other
mai ntai ner except Hi m:
@---KAJ4 i ji ;)i J ".:
4And am'Ong Hi s Si gns is that the heaven and the earth
stand by Hi s ( Qur ' an 30: 25)
Al l ah the Exal ted menti ons these t wo Names together
The Al l -Exal ted menti 'Ons these t w'O names t'Ogether in m'Ore than
'One aayah 'Of Hi s B' O' Ok:
DiJ i i i ; Y
4Al l ah! Laa i l aaha illaHuwa [n'One has the ri ght t'Obe
w'Orshi pped but He] Al -l fa)1al - Qa 100m[the Ever
97 Bukhari 13/ 368 hadi th no. 7383.
Bel i efi n Al l ah 301
Li vi ng the One Who sustai ns and prote all that
eXl s].) (Qur' an 3: 2)
The perfecti on of Hi s Li fe and Sustai nment
One of the aspects of the perfecti on of Hi s Li fe and Sustai nment is
at He () does not sl eep:




Laa i l aah iUHuwa [none has the ri ght to be
worshi pped but He] Al {a

Y
Q

100m [the Ever

Li vi ng the One Who sustai ns and protects all that
exists]. Nei ther sl umber nor sl eep overtakes Hi m. . )
(Qur' n 2: 255)

Sl umber" refers to the begi nni ng

of
sl eep. Sl umber and sl eep are
shortcomi ngs and the Creator is
far
above havi ng these
shortcomi ngs. Musl i mhas narrated that Abu Moosa said: The
Messenger
of
Al l ah
()
stood up among us and tol d us
fi ve
thi ngs.
He said:

Al l ah the Al l -Gl ory and Al l -Exal ted does not sl eep

and it is not befi tti ng that He shoul d sl eep; He l owers
and rai ses the scale; the deeds ofthe ni ght ascend toHi m
before the deeds of the day and the deeds of the day
before the deeds of the ni ght .

98
Gl ori

ring Al l ah by menti oni ng Hi s Li fe and Sustai nment

Al l ah prai ses Hi msel f by descri bi ng Hi msel f as bei ng Al i ve the Self-
Sustai ni ng Who sustai ns all at exists as can be seen inthe texts
quo d above. The Messenger
( )
used to prai se his Lord by
menti oni ng these a

ibutes. It is narrated that Ibn

Abbaas
( )
said:
When the Prophet
( )
used to get up at ni ght to prayhaj j ud he
98
Musl i m 11162 hadi th no. 179.
302 Definition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
woul d say: ' Al l ahumma l aka anta qayyi massamawaati
wa 'l-arqwa man fi hi nna wa l aka l akassamaawaa wa' l -
anj wa man fi hi nna wa an noor as- samawaati wa '1-
arq l aka '1- mdan mal i kassamaawaat i wa 'l-arq(0' Al l ah
You be prai se You are the Sustai ner of the heavens and the earth and
all that are inthem. To You be prai se toYou bel ong the heavens and
the e andall at are inthem. To You be prai se You are the Li ght
of the heavens and the ear1. To You be prai se You are the Soverei gn
of the heavens and the earth) 99
xxi ) xxii) Hi s heari ng and si ght
These t wo at utes of Al l ah are conf i rmed by the text ofthe Qur' an:
Oi 21J 4J fJ s 5J 4. 1
is nothi ng likeHi m and He is the Al l -Hearer
the Al l -Seer) ( Qur 'an 42: 1
d J i 41f-J J J qj f d4f 4441?
1
4 lat is because Al l ah merges the ni ght i nto the day and
He merges the day i nto the ni ght . And veri l y Al l ah is
Al l -Hearer ( Qur 'an 22: 61)
And Al l ah () sai d to Moosa (Moses) and Haaroon ( A on) ( may
peace be upon them):
'1
not veri l y 1 a m wi th you both heari ng and
seei ng) (Qur 'an 20: 46)
99 Bukhari 3/3 hadi th no. 1120; Musl i m 11532 hadi th no. 799. Thi s versi on is
narrated by Bukhari .
303 Belief i n Allah
The Greatness of Al l ah' s heari ng and si ght
Al l ( ) says:
J J J J I
@ 8
Al l ah kn'Ows best h'Ow l'Ong they stayed. Wi th Hi m
is [thekn'Owl edge ' Of] theUnseen 'Ofthe heavens and the
earth. H'Ow clearly He sees and hears [everythi ng]! H
(Qur' :n 18: 26)
Ibn Jareer said: The meani ng here is very emphati c prai si ng Al l ah. It
is as if it is sayi ng H'Ow wel l He sees and he s. leinte re ti 'Onis:
h'Ow wel l Al l ah sees all at exists and h'Ow wel l He hears all that is
t'O be heard; n'Othi ng whats'Oever 'Of that is hi dden o mHi m.
l OO
Al l ah () hears and sees the ri ghte'Ous and rewards them:
b'Zj i i i dj (

sees y'Ou [0' Muhammad] when y'Ou stand up
[al 'One at ni ght f'Or Tahaj jud prayers]. And y' O
m'Ovements am'Ong th'Osewh'Ofall pr'Os ate [t'OAl l ah in
the fivec'Ompul s'Ory c'Ongregati 'Onal prayers]. Veri l y He
'Onl y He is the Al l -Hearer the All- Kn' Ower)
(Qur' an 26: 218-220)
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Al l ah () sees e evi l d'Oers and puni shes them:

4 2- J 413L136j f J
li

1Taj eer i bn Jareer 15/232.

304 Defi ni ti on 01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
Al l ah has heard the statement of ose [J ews]
whosay: Trul y Al l ah is poor and we are rich!' We shall
record what they have sai d and their killing of the
Prophets unj ustl y and We shall say: Taste you the
torment of the burni ng ( Qur ' an 3: 181)
Aa' i shah ( may Al l ah be pl eased wi th her) sai d expl ai ni ng the
vas less of Al l ah' s heari ng:
Prai se be to Al l ah Whose heari ng encompasses all
sounds. 101
When the woman who di sputed ( Al - Muj aadi l ah - Khawl ah bint
Thal abah) came tospeak tothe Prophet ( ) ina comer ofhi s house
1 coul d not hear her but Al l ah reveal ed the words:
p. f J L J j hJ J 44AJ ( 1Mbt

Al l ah has heard the statement of her [ Khawl ah
bi nt lal abah] at di sputes wi th you [0' Muhammad]
concemi ng her husband [Aus i bn and
compl ai ns to Al l ah. And Al l ah hears the argument
between you both. Veri l y Al l ah is Al l -Hearer Al l -Seer.)
( Qur ' an 58: 1;t 02
Bukhari narrated that Abu Moosa al -Ash 'ari ( ) said: We were wi th
the Prophet () on a j ourney and whenever we c1i mbed up we
woul d shout Al l ahu Akbar (Al l ah is Al l -Great). He said:
101 Bukhari 13/372. l bn H sai d inFatIJ a/-Baari (13/373): AJ:!mad Nasaai d
l bn M ah narrated this wi th the same wordi ng.
02 l I s conversati ons is narrated by AQmad Nasaai and l bn Maaj ah as stated by
A1- I:I aafi inFat a/-Baari 13/374.
Bel i efi nAl l ah 305
Take it easy! You enot cal l i ng the One Who is deaf or
absent; you ecal l i ng the One Who is Al l -Heari ng Al l -
Seei ng and Who is near. " 103
The mushri keen i gnorance of how far the heari ng of Al l ah
extends
B 1ari narrated Abdul l ah ( ) said: Two Thaqafi s and a
Qurayshi (or t wo Qurayshi s and a l aqafi ) ga edby the House
( e Kabah). They had fat bel l i es and little understandi ng in thei r
hearts. One of t hemsaid: Do you i nk at Al l ah can hear what we
say? The other sai d He can hear if we rai se our voi ces but not if we
l ower them. The other said: If He can hear us when we rai se our
voi ces then He can hear us when we l ower them.
Then Al l ah () reveal ed the words:
j 445:
U53L U43- ' J
you have not been hi di ng yoursel ves [in the
worl d] lest your ears and yo eyes and your ski ns
shoul d testi agai nst you; but you thought that Al l ah
knew not much of what you were
(Qur' an 41: 22/ 04
3 T HE BEAUTI FUL NAMES OF AL L AH 105
Al l the Names of Al l ah are beauti 1:
103Bukh i13/ 372 hadithno. 7386.
104 Ibid 8/ 562 hadi 1 no. 4817.
105 1 have written a separate book on the Names and At butes of Allah enti t1ed
Asmaa' Al l ah wa (aa hufi Mu ' taqad Ahl as- Sunnah wa ' l -J amaa 'ah; for more
details on is topic refer to this book.
306 Definition01Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
4@---Lt. : i i .fGo"Ti ;t..;
[all] the Most Beauti ful Names bel ong toAl l ah so
call on Hi mby them. . ) (Qur 'an 7: 180)
A mong these names are those that He has menti oned inSoorah al-
l fas :
i9i J i ay dj f f JL
J J tJ i 4:J! ;.

f i
4
is Al l ah besi de Who m Laa i l aaha illaHuwa [none
has the ri ght to be worshi pped but He] the Al l -Knower
of the unseen and the seen. He is the Most Graci ous the
Most Merci f u1 . He is Al l ah besi de Who m Laa i l aaha
illaHuwa [none has the ri ght tobe worshi pped but He]
the Ki ng the Hol y the One Free o mall defects e
Gi ver of securi ty the Watcher over Hi s creatures the
Al l -Mi ghty the Compel l er the Supreme. Gl ory be to
Al l ah! [Hi gh is He] above all th they associ ate as
pa lers wi th Hi m. He is Al l ah the Creator the I nventor
of all thi ngs eBestower of forms. To Hi mbel ongle
Best Names. . ) ( Qur 'an 59: 22-24)
1) The Number of Hi s Names
B hari and Musl i mnarrated f romAbu Hurayrah ( ) that the
Prophet ( ) said:
Al l ah has ni nety-ni ne Names one hundred less one.
Whoever counts t hemwi l l enter Paradi se. Al l ah is Wi tr
(odd- numbered) and l oves Al - Wi tr (that whi ch is odd-
Bel i efi n Al l ah 307
numbered) 106
This hadi th i ndi cates that Al l ah has a l i mi ted number 'Of Names and
states that they e ni nety-ni ne.
But this c'Onflicts wi th the rep'Ort narrated by Ibn Mas' O' Od acc'Ordi ng
whi ch the Pr'Ophet ( ) said:
N'O sl ave is ever aft1i cted wi th dis ss 'Or gri ef and
says: ' Al l ahumma i nni ' abduka i bnu ' abdi ka i bnu
amati ka bi yadi ka maatj i n fi. la l J u tika
' adl un fi. la qatj aa ' ukas ' al uka bi kulli i smi n huwa
l aka sammaybi hi naaka aw ' al l amtahu al J adan mi n
khal qi ka aw anzal tahu fi ki taabi ka aw asta artabi hi
fi 'ilmal -ghaybi ' i ndaka an taj 'al al - Qur ' aana rabee'
qal bi wa noora wa j al aa 'a l J uzni wa dhi haab
hammi
(0' Al l ah 1 am Y'Our sl ave s'On 'Of Y'Our sl ave s'On 'Of
Y'Our femal e slave. My f'Orel 'Ock is inY'Our Hand Y'Our
c'Ommand 'Over me is f'Orever executed and Y'Our decree
'Over me is j ust. 1 ask Y'Ou by every Name bel 'Ongi ng t'O
Y'Ou whi ch Y'Ou have named Y'Oursel fwi th 'Or taught t'O
any 'Of Y'Our creati 'On 'Or reveal ed inY'Our B' O' Ok 'Or Y'Ou
have preserved in the kn'Owl edge 'Of the unseen wi
Y'Ou t'O make the Qur' an the life 'Of my heart and the
light 'Of my breast a departure f'Or my s' O' Ow and a
rel ease f'Or my anxi ety)' - but Al l ah wi11take away hi s
di stress and gri ef and repl ace t hemwi th j 'Oy." 107
And it is narrated that the Messenger prai sed hi s L'Ord as f'Oll 'Ows:
106 Bukhari 11/ 214 hadi th no. 6410. Musl i m 4/ 2062 hadi th no. 2677. Thi s
versi on is narrated by Musl i m.
107 Ai . l mad 1/391; I bn l;I ajar in al -Baari attri buted it to Ai . l mad and I bn
l;I ibaan. alBaari l l / 220.
308 Definition01Al l ahand Connecti ng He'rts toHi m
1 cannot prai se You suffi ci entl y; You are as You have
prai sed Yoursel f. 08
The confusi on that stems o mthis hadi th is that it i ndi cates at
among the Names of Al l ah are Names whi ch He has not reveal ed in
Hi s Book but whi ch He has tol d onl y to certai n ones among Hi s
creati on or He has kept t hemtoHi msel f and has not tol d t hemtoany
of Hi s creati on. The hadi th of Abu Hurayrah on the other hand
i ndi cates that the Names of Al l ah number ni nety-ni ne all of whi ch
have been reveal ed and are known as i ndi cated by the phrase man
a } J ~ a a h a a (whoever counts them) - this counti ng is i mpossi bl e
unl ess they are reveal ed and known. Thi s i mpl i es that the Names
whi ch Al l ah has kept to Hi msel f or reveal ed onl y to certai n ones
among Hi s creati on are other than these ni nety-ni ne.
The truthwhi ch shoul d be noted is that the number of Names whi ch
Al l ah has taught us inHi s Book or Hi s Messenger has menti oned is
ni nety-ni ne and no mor e because the Messenger ( ) stated this
number and because he sai d whoever counts them. " Any addi ti onal
names are somethi ng whi ch we do not know because they are part of
the conceal ed Knowl edge of Al l ah or have been reveal ed exdusi vel y
tocertai n ones among Hi s creati on. Otherwi se it does not make sense
to limit the number of the names of Al l ah to ni nety-ni ne.
2) Def i ni ng the Names of AUah
The Messenger ( ) tol d us that the Names of Al l ah whi ch have been
reveal ed and that we can know and count are ni nety-ni ne names.
There is no a l J e e l J hadi th whi ch lists these Names insuch a way as
l eave no r oomfor debate concemi ng them. l esenames have been
narrated here and there inthe Book of Al l ah and inthe Sunnah ofthe
Messenger() . An aayah (verse) may menti on one or t wo names or
108 Musl i m 11353 hadi 1 no. 486.
BeliefinAl l ah 309
more or an aayah may end wi th one or mor e Names or list a group
of these Names.
The schol ars endeavoured to compi l e the Names of Al l ah o mthe
Book of Al l ah and the Sunnah of Hi s Messenger () and they
endeavoured to i nterpret and expl ai n them.
Qu.rtubi wrote a book cal l ed M ni Asma Al l ah i l -l fusnaa (The
Meani ngs of the Most Beauti ful Names of Al l ah). The Names were
al so listedby Ibn J areer at- Tabari Abu Bakr i bn al- Arabi nI:I M
al -' Asqal l aani and others. The schol ars agreed on a l arge number of
the names inthe list and di sagreed over a f ew whi ch some reg d
as bei ng among the Names of Al l ah whi l st others di d not .
109
The reason for these di fferences is that some schol ars thought that
every1i ngthat eQur' an sai d about Al l ah coul d be counted as one
of Hi s Names and coul d be used on its own as a Name of Al l ah. Abu
Bakr i bn al-' Arabi counted among Hi s Names Raabi thal aathah (the
F ourth of three) and 8 di s khamsah ( eSi xth of five) on the basi s
of the aayh:
i). ULi y_;(. i
Adl 3LVj A4J jL ili
you not seen that Al l ah knows whatsoever is in
the heavens and whatsoever is on the earth? There is no
Naj waa [secret counsel ] of t ee but He is their fourth
[wi th Hi s Knowl edge whi l e He Hi msel f is over the
Throne over the seventh heaven] nor of five but He is
their si xth [wi th Hi s ( Qur 'an 58:
He al so counted Al - Faa 'il (the Doer) and Az-Zaari ' (the Grower) as
Names of Al l ah on the basi s of the aayaat (verses):
109 a!-l fabeer 4/172.
310 D:nition01 Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
dki J3 l j 3f lI ..sp t
ut
[remember] the Day when We shall roll up e
heaven likea scroll rol l ed up for books. As We began the
first creati on We shall repeat [ I t is] a promi se bi ndi ng
upon Us. Trul y We shall do it.) (Qur' an 21: 104) and:
(3H7 2J1 @J 1
tell Me about the seed that you sow inthe ground.
Is it you that make it gr ow or e We the Grower?
(Qur 'an 56: 6364)
le uthis that these enot Names of Al l ah inthe sense that Al l
cannot be cal l ed or addressed as Raabi ' thal aathah (the Fourth of
three) Saadi s khamsah (the Si xth of five) Af .Faa'il (the Doer) or Az.
Zaari ' ( e Gr ower ) Yo
lere are acti ons menti oned in the Qur' an whi ch Al l ah ()
at i butes toHi msel f by way of showi ng at He puni shes isj ust and
treats likewi th like whi ch intheir context i mpl y prai se of Hi mand
poi nt toHi s perfecti on. But it is not permi ssi bl e to deri ve Names of
Al l aho mt hem or touse t heminany context other than the aayaat
in whi ch they are menti oned such as:
...;44 J 4( j i
the hypocri tes seek todecei ve Al l ah but it is He
Who decei ves em.. .T ( Qw'an 4: 142)

[di sbel i evers] pl o ed [to kill Eesa (Jesus)]
110 Ma 'aarij al - Qubool 1/77.
Beli f inAl l ah 311
and Al l ah pl anned t'O'O (Qur 'an 3: 54)
. . GP. . .
T hey have f'Org'Otten Al l ah S'O He has f'Org'Otten
them. . ) ( ll r' an 9: 6


when they meet th'Osewh'Obel i eve ey say: We
bel i eve ' but when they are al 'One wi th thei r Shayaateen
[devi l s - p'Ol hei stshyp'Ocrites] they say: Trul y we e
wi th y'Ou; veri l y we were but m'Ocki ng.' Al l ah m'Ocks at
them. . ) (Qur 'an 2: 1415)
Al l ah cann'Ot be cal l ed decei ver pl 'Otter f'Orgetful m'Ocker 'Or 'Other
thi ngs ab'Ove whi ch He is exal ted. It cann'Ot be sai d at Al l ah m'Ocks
decei ves pl 'Ots 'Or f'Orgets inabs'Olute terms 'Out 'Ofthe c'Ontext 'Ofthese
aryaat. Th' Ose wh'Oc'Ounted these as bei ng a m'Ong Hi s M'Ost Beauti ful
Names made a seri 'Ous mi stake because decei t 'Or pl 'Otti ngmay i mpl y
prai se 'Or bl ame; it is n'Ot permi ssi bl e t'Ouse t heminreference t'OAl l ah
except in a c'Ontext where there is n'Oro'Om whats'Oever f'Or t hemt'O
i mpl y bl ame as in the c'Ontext 'Of these aayaat.
111
F'Or the same reas'On there is n'Omenti 'On a m'Ong Hi s names 'Of Hi m
bei ngAI Mutakal l i m(speaker) Al - Mureed (the One Wh ' O wi l l s) Al
Faa 'il (the D'Oer) (the Maker) because these w'Ords may
als'O i mpl y b'Oth prai se 'Or bl ame. If it were permi ssi bl e t'O deri ve
names o mthe acti 'Ons 'Of Al l ah such as the Decei ver the Pl 'Otter
because these acti 'Ons are menti 'Oned inthe Qur' an then it w'Oul d be
permi ssi bl e t'Omake the Cal l er the Comer the G'Oer the F'Orgetter
the Di vi der the Angry the WI hful the Curser Names 'Of Al l ah
111 Ma 'aarij al -Qubool 1176.
312 Definition01Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
t' O' O... and 'Other acti 'Ons whi ch the Qur' an at i butes t'O Al1ah ().
Al l ah () di d n'Ot descri be Hi msel f as pl ' O i ngand decei vi ng except
t'O expl ai n h'Ow He puni shes th'Ose wh'O d'O such thi ngs wi th'Out
justificati 'On. Puni shi ng inki nd is c'Ounted as s'Omethi ng g'O'Od if it is
d'One by a created bei ng s'O h'Ow ab'Out when the Creat'Or d'Oes it?
A m'Ong the Names 'Of Al l ah are s'Ome whi ch are n'Ot t'Obe at butedt'O
Hi mexcept in c'Onj uncti 'On wi th their 'Opp'Osites because if such a
name is used 'On its 'Own it 1nay i mpl y i mperfecti 'On. Exampl es 'Of this
inc1ude Al - Maani ' (the Wi t hh'Older) A4- paarr (theCauser 'Of Harm)
A Qaabi 4 (the Sei zer) Al -Mudhi l l (the Di sh'On'Ourer) Al -Khaafi 4
(the Abaser). l ese names cann'Ot be appl i ed si ngl y t'O Al l ah; they
must be acc'Ompani ed by their 'Opp'Osites s'Othat 'One says: Al - Mu '{i
al -Maani ' ( e Gi ver the Wi t hh'Older) A4- paarr an-Naafi ' (the
Causer 'Of Har mthe Bri nger 'Of Benefi t) Al - Qaabi 4 aBaasi { (the
Sei zer the Best'Ower) Al - Mu 'izz al -Mudhi l l (the H'On'Ourer the
Di sh'On'Ourer) Al Khafi 4ar-Raafi ' ( e Abaser the Exal ter).
An' Other exampl e is Al - Muntaqi m(the Avenger). The i dea of
vengeance 'Onl y appears inthe Qur' an inc'Onj uncti 'On wi th the word
dhu (' Owner ' Of):
d fA2645. . .
Al l ah is Al l -Mi ghty Al l -Abl e 'Of Re ibuti 'On
[ Dhu I nti qaam li t. Owner 'Of vengeance]. )
(Qur' an 5: 95)
Or in the c'Ontext 'Of deal i ng wi th si nners:
-U6i 1
We shall exact re ibuti 'Ono mthe Muj ri moon
[cri mi nal s di sbel i evers p'Ol hei stssi nners].)
(Qur 'an 32: 22)
Bel i ef inAl l ah 313
3) The Greatest Name
leMessenger ( ) has t'Oldus inm'Orethan 'One hadi th at Al l ah
() has 'One greatest Name whi ch is di sti ngui shed' OmHi s 'Other
Names. A m'Ong these are the f'Oll 'Owi ng:
a) It is narratedo mBuraydah al -Asl ami at the Messenger 'Of Al l ah
( ) heard a man sayi ng: 0' Al l ah 1 ask 'Of Y'Ou by the fact that Y'Ou
are Al l ah there is n'O g'Od except Y'Ou the One the Sel f-Suicient
Master wh'Obegets n'Ot n'Or was He beg'Otten and there is n'One c'O
equal 'Or c'Omparabl e unt'O Hi m. " He (the Pr'Ophet) ( ) said:
He has cal l ed up'On Al l ah by Hi s Greatest Name whi ch
i f He is asked by it He gi ves and i f He is cal l ed up'On by
it He resp'Onds. " - Ti rmi dhi and Abu Daw' O' Od 112
b) It is narrated that Anas ( ) said: 1 was si i ngwi th the Prophet
( ) in the m'Osque and a man was prayi ng. He sai d
0' Al l ah 1 ask Y'Ou by the fact that all prai se is due t'O
Y'Ou there is n'O g'Od except Y'Ou Al {annan (the
C'Ompassi 'Onate) Al - Mannaan (the Graci 'Ous) the
Ori gi nat'Or 'Of the heavens and the earth 0' Owner
'Of Maj esty and H'On'Our 0' Ever-Li vi ng Sel f-Sustai ni ng
One 1 ask 'Of Y'Ou. " The Pr'Ophet said: He has cal l ed
up'On Al l ah by Hi s greatest Name whi ch i f He is cal l ed
up'On by it He resp'Onds and if He is asked by it He
gi ves." - Ti rmi dhi Abu Daw' O' Od n Maaj ah and
D .rimi.
113
c) n Maaj ah narrated o mAbu Umaamah that the Messenger 'Of
Al l ah () said:
112 Mi shkaat hadi th no. 2289; the edi tor of Al -Mi shkaat
j udged its i snadbe (sound).
113 Ibid 11704 no. 2290; the edi tor of Al -Mi shkaat j udged i i snad to be
314 Defi ni ti on01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
le greatest Name of Al l ah is in reesoorahs of the
Qur' an inAl - Baqarah Aal ' l mraan and Ta- Ha. " n
Maaj ah At- Tal;J.aawi in Mushki l al -Aathr and Ibn
Mu' een inAt- Taareekh wa' 'llal and others.
1l 4
d) The aayaat inAl - Baqarah (he Cow) and Aal ' l mraan inwhi ch
egreatest Name of Al l ah has been menti oned have been descri bed
mar epo Ti rmi dhi Abu Dawood Ibn Maahand Daari mi narrated
f romAs m bi nt Yazeed ( may Al l ah be pl eased wi th her) that the
Prophet ( ) said: The greatest N neof Al l ah is inthese two aayaat :

your l l aah [God] is One l l aah [ God - Al l ] Laa
i l aaha illaHuwa [there is none who has the right tobe
worshi pped but He] the Most Graci ous the Most
Merci f ul ) (Qur' an 2: 163)
And in the begi nni ng of Aal ' l mraan:
I (I) ;11
t41;Laam- Meem. [ leseletters eone of the mi rac1es
of the Qur' nand none but Al l ah (Al one) knows their
meani ngs. ] Al l ah! Laa i l aaha illa Huwa [none has the
right to be worshi pped but He] Al -l fa . 4 Qa . 100m
[theEver Li vi ng the One Who sustai ns and proteal l
that exi sts]) ( Qur ' an 3: I 115
By compari ng these texts in whi ch the greatest N ame of Al l ah is
menti oned it becomes c1ear that is name is Al l ah" because is is
the onl y name whi ch is f ound in all of these texts in whi ch e
114 See its i snad in Silsilat al Al J aadeeth a:j -$al J ee hby Shaykh N i ruddeen al-
Al b ni 2/ 382 hadi th no. 746.
115 Mi sh at a[.M aabeel J 1/704 hadi th no. 2291.
BeUfinAllah 315
Messenger ( ) sai d the greatest Name is menti oned.
What makes it most l i kel y Al l ah" is the greatest Name is the
fact that it is repeated inthe Qur' an 2697 ti mes (two thousand six
hundred and ni nety seven ti mes accordi ng to the counti ng inA
Mu 'j am al - Mu . hras) and the wor d Al l ahumma is repeated five
ti mes at the ti me when another name whi ch bel ongs excl usi vel y to
Al l ah namel y is repeated onl y 57 ti mes. This i dea (that
Al l ah" is e greatest Name) is al so supported by the fact that it
i ncl udes so many great meani ngs.
4) The Obl i gati on of Bel i evi ng i n Hi s Names
lereis consensus among the ri ghteous predecessors (sal that it is
obl i gatory tobel i eve inall the Most Beauti ful Names of Al l ah and e
At i butes towhi ch eypoi nt and e( Di vi ne) acti ons whi ch stem
o mthose At ibutes. For exampl e the Name A Qadeer (theAbl e)
i mpl i es that we must bel i eve at He is Abl e todo all thi ngs and that
Hi s Abi l i ty is perfect and that o mHi s Abi l i ty stemal l thi ngs that
eXl st .
5) How the Musl i mCount s the Names of AUah
The encourage us to count the Names of Al l ah. The one
who counts t hemis promi sed admi ttance to Paradi se.
The schol ars di eredas towhat the phrase man (whoever
coun them) means.
AI - Khattaabi said: it may mean several thi ngs:
a) That a person recites t hemuntil he says all of t hem and does not
limit hi msel f toonl y a f ewof them. So he calls upon Al l ah by all of
them and prai ses Hi mby all of t hem and so he earns the promi sed
reward.

Definition01Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m 316

Thi s is the vi ewwhi ch was favoured by Bukhari who i nterpreted
i l J ~ a a ' as meani ng memori zati on because of the exi stence of another
report inwhi ch the words whoever memori zes t hem" are na ated.
b) That l J ~ a a ' means bei ng abl e i.e. tofulfil his duty towards these
Names and act in accordance wi th their i mpl i cati ons whi ch means
that he shoul d ponder their meani ngs and adhere to the ensui ng
obl i gati ons. So i fhe says ' Ar-Razzaaq (the Al l -Provi der) " he shoul d
have the certai nr that his provi si on wi11 come to hi m and so on.
c) That it means understandi ng all their meani ngs.
And is sai d that i l J ~ a a ' means acti ng accordi ng to their meani ngs
so that i fa person says "Al -l fakeem(the Al l -Wi se) He submi ts toall
Hi s commands and decrees and bel i eves that they are all in
accordance wi th Hi s Wi sdom.
n Ba 1said: the way of acti ng in accordance wi th t hemis as
fol l ows:
(i) What it is appropri ate to fol l ow such as Ar- Ral J eem(the Most
Merci 1) andAl - Kareem(the Most Generous) so that a person ams
hi msel f todevel op these at i butes inhi msel f wi th regard towhat he
does.
(ii) At i butes whi ch bel ong exc1usi vel y toAl l ah such as Al -J abbaar
(the Compel l er) andAl - ' A; eem(the Most Great). The sl ave is obl i ged
toaffi rmthese at i butes and submi t tot hem but not to yt odevel op
these at i butes in hi msel f.
(iii) At i butes whi ch i mpl y a promi se where all the sl ave shoul d do
is hope for and desi re that promi se.
(iv) At i butes whi ch i mpl y a wami ng where all the sl ave shoul d do
is fear it and hope to avoi d it.
It seems that the meani ng of l J ~ a a ' (counti ng) is memori zati on and
perf ormi ng any acts of worshi p that this may requi re j ust as there is
Beli finAl l ah 317
n'Obenefi t insi mpl y me m'Ori zi ng Q ' anif 'One d'Oes n'Ot act up'On it. 1t
is 'One 'Of the atures 'Of th'Ose wh'O have g'One bey'Ond the pal e 'Of
1sl amthat they read the Qur' an but it d'Oes n'Ot g'O any further than
thei r thr'Oats.
1l 6
6) Li st of the Names of Al l ah
1t may be that 1bn I:I ar al Asqal l aani came cl 'Osest t'Othe truth when
he listedni nety-ni ne Names takeno mthe Qur' an thus c'Ompl yi ng
wi th the number menti 'Oned inthe hadi th 'Of Abu Hurayrah ( ) . We
wi l l qu'Ote t hemas he l i sted them:
s. No. Name of AUah Meani ng
Al l ah God
2 Ar- Rabb The Lord Sustai ner Cheri sher
3 Al -I l aah The God
4 AI- 1fahi d The One
5 Ar- Rahm:an The Most Benefi cent
6 Ar- R :heem The Most Merci ful
7 Al -Mal i k le Ki ng Soverei gn
8 Al - Quddoos The Hol y
9 As- Sal aam The One Free o mall defects the
Author of Safety
10 Al - Mu' mi n The Gi ver of Securi ty
11 Al - Muhaymi n The Watcher over Hi s Creatures the
Protector
12 Al - ' Azeez The Al l -Mi ghty
116 It became clear to us after studyingthis topic in our book Asmaa' Allah wa
Sifaatuhufi Mu 'taqadaAhl as mnahthat the correct vi ewis that i l J ~ a a means
memonzmg.
Definii:on01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m 318
le Compel l er
le Supr eme the Maj esti c
The Creator
Al -J.:bbaar
Al - Mutakabbi r
13
14
The I nventor of all i ngsthe Maker
le Bestower of f orms the Fashi oner
Al Khaal i q
Al -Baari '
Al - Musawwi r
Al - Awwal
15
16
17
The Fi rst 18
le Last
le Most Hi gh the Mani f est
The Most Near the Hi dden
The Ever- Li vi ng
The Sel f-Su i entthe One Who
sustai ns and protects all
le Most Hi gh the Subl i me
The Most Great
Al - Akhi r
AzZaahi r
Al -Baati n
Al -l fa
A l - Q ~ 1 0 0 m
w

'J
.

A
L

d
d
d

19
20
21
22
23
24
The Acceptor of Repentance
le Ever-Forbeari ng
le Al l - Sui ci ent for Hi s crea res'
needs
At - Tawwab
Al - Hal eem
Al - Waasi '
25
26
28
27
The Al l - Wi se
The Al l -Appreci ati ve
The Al l - Knowi ng
The Ri ch Free o mall wants and
needs; Sel f-Sui ci ent
The Bounti ful The Generous
The 0 -Pardoni ng
The Al l -Powerf ul
Al - Haaki m
Ash- Shakir
The Most Subtl e and Courteous
Al - Ghanee
Al - Kareem
Al - ' Af ow
Al - Q.deer
Al -Lateef
Al - Khabeer
Al - ' Al eem
29
30
32
33
34
31
35
36
The Al l - Aware
The Al l -Heari ng As- S mee
37
38
Belief inAllah 319
39 Al Baeer The Al l -Seer
40 Al -Mawl aa The Lord Protector and Supporter
Patron
41 An-Naseer le He1per
42 Al -Qareeb le Near (to all by Hi s Knowl edge)
43 Al -Muj eeb The Responsi ve
44 Ar-Raqeeb The Al l - Watcher
45 Al -Rseeb The Al l -Suffi ci ent in ki ng account;
the Recknoer
46 Al -Qawee The Most Strong
47 Ash-Shaheed The Wi tness
48 Al-/fImeed The One Who is Wort hy of Al l Prai se
49 Al -Maj eed le Al l -Gl ori ous
50 Al -Muheet le Encompasser
51
Al-lfafee; The Guardi an
52 Al -l faqq le Truth
53 Al -Mubeen le Mani fest
54
Al -Ghiffiar le Oft-Forgi vi ng
55 Al Qahhar le Irresistible e Domi nant
56 Al -Khal l a9 'he Creator
57 Al -Fattah The J udge the Rel i ever the Opener
58 Al -Wadood 'he Most Lovi ng
59 Al -Ghifoor le Oft-Forgi vi ng
60 Ar-Ra' oof le Ful l of K ess
61 Ash-Shakoor The Most Ready to Appreci ate
62 Al -Kabeer The Most Great
63 Al Il t'aal The Most Hi gh
64 Al -Muqeet The Ever Al l -Abl e Al l -Wi tness
320 De.fi nition01Allahand Connecti ngHearts toHi m
65 AI -Mustan The One Whose Hel p is to be sought
66 AI -Wahhab The Bestower
67 The Ever Most Graci ous
68 AI- Wtrarith The I nheri tor
69 AI-Wal i The Protector of Guardi an
70 AI -Q 'im le One Who Tak: es Charge (Guards
Mai ntai ns Provi des)
71 Al-Qi dir The Abl e
72 AI -Ghalib The One Who has Ful l Power and
Con 01the Predomi nant
73 AI -Q hir The Irresi sti bl e
74
The Protector
75 AI -B'rr The Most Subtl e Ki nd Courteous and
Generous; leSource of Al l Goodness
76 AI -Ahad The One
77 As-Samad The Sel f-Suffi ci ent Master the Etemal
78 AI -Mal eek The Ki ng the Owner the Propri etor
79 AI -Muqtadi r The Omni potent Al l -Abl e to carry out
what He wi l l s
80 AI- Wtkeel The Di sposer of Affai rs
81 AI -Haadi The Gui de
82 AI-Kafeel The Surety
83 AI-Kaafi le Suffi ci ent
84 AI -Akram The Most Generous
85 AI-A'al G The Most Hi gh
86 le Al l -Provi der
87 Dhu ' l -Quwwat Owner of Power the Most S ong
i l -Mateen
88 Ghaafi r adh-Dhanb le Forgi ver of si n
Bel i ef inAl l ah 321
89 Qaabi l at- Tawb The Acceptor of repen nce
90 Shadeed a[. ' I qaab The Severe in Puni shment
91 Dhu t - Tawl le Bestower (of favo' 8)
92 Rafee' ad-Daraj aat The Owner of Hi gh Ranks
93 Saree' al- 'saab le Swi in Reckoni ng
94 Faat as- Samawaati The Ori gi nator of the heavens and the
wa' l -Ard e
95 Bade as- Samawaati The Creator of the heavens and the
wa ' I-Ard earth
96 Noor as-Samal ti The Li ght of the heavens and the earth
wa' I -Ard
97 Maal i k al -Mul k The Possessor of the Ki ngdom
98 99 Dhul -J al aal i wa ' 1 Owner of Maj esty and Honour
I kraam
7) Speci al Effects of the 1 ost Beauful Names of Al l ah
Shay I :I asan al Banna menti oned in hi s book A ' Aqaa 'id
1l 7
(the
Creed) that some peopl e say that each Name of Al l ah has speci al
effects and secret meani ngs whi ch eyhave descri bed indetai l or in
brief. Some peopl e have gone toex mes and overstepped the mar k
by cl ai mi ng that each Name has a spiri al servant who wi l l serve
anyone who persi sts in repeati ng at Name.
He sai d at some peopl e cl ai mthat egreatest Name of Al l ah is a
secret whi ch is granted to some i ndi vi dual s by means of whi ch they
overcome ' emendous obstacl es and perf ormex aordi nary ats; this
is somethi ng whi ch is gi ven onl y to t hemand not to other peopl e.
117 Maj moo' ar-Rasaa 'il 444 447; Shay. Al Banna (may Allah have mercy on
him) menti oned is by way of denunciation.
322 Definition01Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
These peopl e to whomShaykh Al Bannareferred to spoke wi thout
knowl edge and spoke of thi ngs concemi ng whi ch there is no cl ear
text inthe Book of our Lord or the Sunnah of Hi s Messenger (). So
there is no val ue inthis and no proof for it dat the same ti me we
shoul d remember at the Messenger ( ) said:
Every acti on that is not a part of our di recti ves and
commands (i.e. I sl am) is rej ected."
l ese words and cl ai ms opened the door to myths and fabl es and
wasted a lot of ti me and energy inmi staken pursui ts whi ch l ead toa
great deal of mi sgui dance.
The vi rtue of whi ch the Messenger ( ) spoke in rel ati on to the
greatest name of Al l ah is that if He is cal l ed upon by it He will
respond and if He is asked by it He wi l l gi ve.
8) The Benefi t of Knowi ng These Names
The real benefi ts whi ch are to be gai ned o mknowi ng the Names
andAt i butesof Al l ah can be summari zed under the fol l owi ng poi nts:
a) Getti ng toknow Al l ah () for the Names and At i butes of Al l ah
are the greatest means for us toget toknow our Lord. Wi thout t hem
bel i ef inAl l ah wi l l remai n an ambi guous i dea whi ch does not bear
good uits. We have spoken in detail about Hi s At i butes and
Names above prai se and bl essi ngs be to Al l ah.
b) Prai si ng Hi mby Hi s N ames and At i butes. Prai si ng Al l ah by Hi s
Names andAt i butes is the greatest way of prai si ng Hi m. Thi s is one
of the greatest ki nds of dhi kr (remembrance) that He has commanded
us to say as in the aayah (verse):
~ ~ ( 1 3 J 1 J f
40' you who bel i eve! Remember Al l ah wi th much
remembrance) (Qur' an 33: 41)
323 Bel i efi nAUh
c) Cal l i ng upon Hi mby Hi s Names and A i butesas He () says:
@ &:1i ( J i
[al1] the Most Beauti ful Names bel ong toAl1ah so
call on Hi mby ( Qur 'an 7: 180).
The Messenger ( ) tol d us on mor e than one occasi on that one of the
abahca11ed upon A11ah () by Hi s greatest Name whi ch i f He
is ca11ed upon by it He wi11 respond.
d) I ncreasi ng faith; the mor e a person l eams about A11ah and Hi s
At i butesthe mor e his ith i ncreases.
e) Feel i ng strong and steadfast because the person is pu i nghis ust
inthe Most Strong the A11-Abl e the One Who has 11power and
contro1 .
i
h
y
U
j
i
j
i
-
!

Maki ng one' s he t feel attached to A11ah. For the person who
knows at hi s provi si on (ri zq) comes o mA11ah wi11ask Hi mfor
provi si on; and the one who knows that Al1ah is the Compel l er wi11
fear Hi m; and the one who knows that A11ah is A11- Knowi ng wi11
remember that He is watchi ng... and so on.
g) The great reward whi ch we wi11 attain through this knowl edge.
Leami ng these Names and At i butes is the nobl est thi ng that anyone
can study and l earni ng and teachi ng t hemis one of the greatest works
that anyone can undertake.
Exampl es of how the Messenger () bl essi ngs and peace be
upon hi m gl ori fi ed and prai sed his Lor d and cal l ed upon Hi m
1 woul d like to quote some of the words - in addi ti on to those
menti oned above - wi th whi ch the Prophet ( ) gl ori fi ed and
prai sed Al l ah by Hi s N ames and A i butesand ca11ed upon Hi m.
a) It is narratedo mAbu Hurayrah that Abu Bakr ( may
A11ah be pl eased wi th them) sai d to the Messenger of A11ah ():
t
a
E
E

K
E
E
E
J

m
q
E
5
6
2
324 Definition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
Teach me s'Omethi ng that 1 can say in the m'Omi ng and in e
eveni ng. " He ( ) said:
Say: Al l ahumma 'Aal i mal -ghaybi wsshahad h
Faati r s-s:mawaati wa 'l-anj kulli shay' i n w
ml eekahushhadu an illa anta 'Aoodhu
bi ka mi n sharri nafsi wa mi n shrr i sh-shay{aan w

(0' Al l ah Kn' Ower 'Ofthe unseen and the seen Creat'Or 'Of
the heavens and the earth L'Ord and S'Overei gn 'Of all
thi ngs 1 bear wi less that there is n'Og'Od except Y'Ou. 1
seek refuge in Y'Ou o mthe evil 'Of my 'Own self and
omthe evi1 and snares 'Of the Shay{aan). "
lis is narrated by Ti rmi dhi Abu Daw' O' Od and Ad-Daari mi .
118
b) Abu Saeed al -K i narrated that when theMessenger 'Of Al l ah
() w'Oul d raise his head omrukoo' he w'Oul d say:
"RIbbn l aka '1- l J amd mi l ' us- samawaati wa' l anj
wa mi l ' u m shi ' ta mi n shay' i n bdhl ath-thanaa' i
wa' l - mQd1 qqumqaal 1- abdw kul l unal aka
abd Al l ahumm1mni l i m '{ayt w l aa
mu '(iya l i maa mant wa l aa yanfiu dh '1ddi
mi nka aldd
(Our L'Ord t'OY'Ou be prai se fillingthe heavens and the
earth fillingwhatever elseY'Ou wi sh L'Ord'OfPrai se and
Mesty. The truest thi ng a sl ave has said andwe areall
sl aves t'OY'Ou - is 0' Al l ah n'One can wi thh'Oldwhat Y'Ou
grant and n'One can grant what Y'Ou wi thh'Old n'Or can
the p'Ossessi 'Ons 'Of an 'Owner benefi t hi min ont 'Of
Y'Ou)." 119
118 Mi shkaat hadithno. 2390.
119 Musl i m 11347 hadithno. 477.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 325
c) It is narrated T hawbaan ( ) said: when the Messenger of
Al1ah () woul d compl ete hi s he woul d pray for forgi veness
(say astaghfi rul l ah) three ti mes and then say:
Al l ahumma antas- sal aam wa mi nkas- sal aam
tabaarakta ya dhaa ' l -j al aal i wa ' l -i kraam[0' Al1ah
You are As- Sal aam(The One Freeo mall defects) and
o mYou comes peace bl essed are You 0' Owner of
Maj esty and Honour]. 120
d) Ibn Abbaas ( ) narrated that the Messenger of Al1ah ( ) used
to say at ti mes of dis ess:
Laa i l aaha illaAl l ah al- 4?eemal -l fal eem l aa i l aaha
il/ Al l ah Rabb ul- 'Arsh il- 'A?eem Laa i l aahillaAl l ah
Rabb us- samawaati wa Rabb ul- nj Rabb ul- 'Arsh i
kareem(There is no god except Al l ah the Most Great
the Ever Forbeari ng there is no god except Al l ah the
Lord of the Mi ght y Throne there is no god except Al1ah
the Lord of the heavens and the Lord of the earth Lord
of the Nobl e Throne). 21
e) It is narratedo mSumr ah i bn J undub th theMessenger of Al l ah
( ) said:
The most bel oved of speech toAl1ah 'e four phrases:
Al l ah wa Li l l aah wa l aa i l aaha illa-
Al l ah w' Al l ahu Akbar (Gl ory be toAl l ah prai se be to
Al1ah there is no god except Al l ah and Al1ah is Most
Great). And it does not matter wi th whi ch of t hemyou
start. "
Accordi ng to another report:
120 Musl i m l/414 hadi th no. 592.
121 Bukhari 1l / 145; Musl i m 4/ 2093 hadi th no. 2730.
1
3
1
f
i

a
d
9
4
Definition01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m 326
The best of speech is: Subl J aan Al l ah wa '1- l J amdu
Li l l aah wa l aa i l aaha illaAl l ah w' Al l ahu Akba 122
It is narrated f romAbu Hurayrah ( ) that the Messenger of Al l
( ) said:
Two words whi ch are light on the tongue but wi11wei gh
heavi l y in the Bal ance and are bel oved to the Most
Merci ful : Subl J aan AUahi wa bi l J amdi hi Subl J aan Al l ah
i 4:;eem(Gl ory and Prai se be to Al l ah Gl ory be to
Al l ah the Most Great). 123
4 THE METHODOL OGY I N THE LI GHT OF WHI CH THE
ATTRI BUTES OF AL L AH ARE T O BE UNDERSTOOD 124
ShaykhM l ammadal - Ameen ash-Shanqeeti ( may Al l ah have mercy
on hi m) stated that the Hol y Qur' an i ndi cates that the i ssue of the
Di vi ne At i butes is focused on three pri nci pl es. Whoever fol l ows all
of themhas reached the co ect vi ew and attai ned the bel i ef whi ch
the Prophet ( ) and his Compani ons and the ri ghteous Sal af adhered
to. Whoever mi sses out one of these three pri nci pl es is mi sgui ded.
He stated that each of these three pri nci pl es is i ndi cated in the
Qur' an:
The first pri nci pl e: Decl ari ng at Al l ah is far above any of Hi s
At i butes resembl i ng any of the at i butes of Hi s creatures. Thi s
pri nci pl e is i ndi cated by the aayaat (verses):
...545J 4. . .
122 Musl i m. See Mi shkaat al -Ma! f aabee 1/706hadi 1 no. 2294.
123 Musl i m 4/ 2072 hadi th no. 2694.
124 See Manhaj wa Di raasaat li Aayaat al -Asmaa' wa - S i f a a t by Shaykh
Muhammad al- A meen ash-Shanqee!i ( may Al l ah have mercy on hi m).
Beli inAl l ah 327
is nothi ng like Hi m. . ) (Qur' n 42: 11)
1=
there is none co-equal or comparabl e unto Hi m)
112: 4)
3 f A3J
put not forward si mi l i tudes for Al l ah [as there is
nothi ng si mi l ar Hi m nor He resembl es anythi ng]. . )
(Qur' an 16: 74)
The second pri nci pl e: Bel i evi ng in Al l ah as He has descri bed
Hi msel f because Al l ah cannot be descri bed by anyone who knows
Al l ah better than Al l ah:

you know better or does
(Qur' n 2: 140)
And (this pri nci pl e i ncl udes) bel i evi ng inwhat the Messenger ( )
has sai d descri bi ng Al l ah because no one knows Al l ah after Al l ah
Hi msel f better than the Messenger of Al l ah ( ) of whomAl l ah said:

does he speak of [his own] desire. It is onl y a
Revel ati on reveal ed) (Qur 'an 53: 3
The mi sgui dance of those who fol l owonl y one of these I VO
pri nci pl es and not the other
leShaykh ( may Al l ah have mercy on hi m) condemned those who
fol l owed onl y one ofthese pri nci pl es. He counted those who deny an
At i bute whi ch Al l ah has affi rmed for Hi msel f as peopl e who are
obsti nate before the Lord of the heavens and the earth and he
328 D lition01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
regarded the acti 'Ons 'Of th'Osewh'Odeny an At i butewhi ch Al1ah has
affi rmed f'Or Hi msel f as an audaci 'Ous atti de t'Owards Al 1ah.
He regarded this as bei ng the ul ti mate mi sgui dance because the
pers'On wh'O deni es this l' O' Oks at the at i butes 'Of perfecti 'On and
mesty whi ch Al 1ah has affi rmed f'Or Hi msel f then this p'O'Or
i gn'Orant f' O' Ol c'Omes bef'Orethe C'Ompel 1er 'Of heaven and earth and
says what Y'Ou have at i butedt'OY'Oursel f d'Oes n'Ot befit Y'Ou f'Or it
i mpl i es i mperfecti 'On; 1 wi11i nterpret it (ina way that di ers o mits
apparent meani ng) and deny it and repl ace it wi th s'Omethi ng else
' Ommy 'Own i deas wi th'Out any basi s in the Qur' an 'Or Sunnah.
Si mi l arl y mi sgui ded is epers'On wh'Oaffrrms the at i butes 'Of Al 1ah
but he l i kens the at i butes 'Of the Creat'Or t'O the at i butes 'Of Hi s
creatures.
The 'One wh'Ois success 1and saved wh'O is f' Ol 1' Owi ng the strai ght
path is the 'One wh'Obel i eves inb'Oth'Ofthese pri nci pl es and d'Oes n'Ot
di sti ngui sh between them. He bel i eves inthe at i butes that Al1ah has
affi rmed f'Or Hi msel f and at the same ti me he dec1ares Hi mt'O be
ab'Ove resembl i ng Hi s creatures inany 'Of Hi s At i butes. Thus he is a
bel i ever wh'Obel i eves Al 1ah t'Obe ab'Ove resembl i ng Hi s creati 'On and
is 'ee o many i ndul gence inei ther tashbeeh (anthr'Op'Om'Orphi sm)
'Or '{eel (denyi ng al 1 at i butes 'Of Al 1ah).
These pri nci pl es are i ndi cated by a verse in the Book of Al l ah
l eset w'Opri nci pl es are i ndi cated by a verse inthe B' O' Ok 'Of Al 1ah
whi ch is:
dhaf J 4J f J 5J 4. 1
(.. lereis n'Othi ng likeHi m and He is the Al 1-Hearer
the Al 1-Seer.}T (Qur 'an 42: 11).
Inthis aayah Al 1ah affi rms that He has the At i butes 'Ofheari ng and
seei ng whi l st at the same ti me denyi ng that there is anythi ng like
Bel i ef i nAUh 329
Hi m. This cl earl y i ndi cates that it is not permi ssi bl e for peopl e to
deny at Al l ah can hear and see by cl ai mi ng that onl y created bei ngs
possess heari ng and si ght and that affi rmi ng that Al l ah can hear and
see wi11 l ead one to l i ken Al l ah to Hi s crea res.
The meani ng whi ch the aayah poi nts tois that Al l ah has the at butes
ofheari ng and seei ng but Hi s heari ng and seei ng inno way resembl e
the heari ng and seei ng of Hi s creatures. Hi s heari ng and seei ng befit
Hi s Maj esty and Perfecti on and the heari ng and seei ng of Hi s
crea res are sui ted to their situations. So there is no compari son
between the at i butes of Al l ah and the at i butes of Hi s creatures.
The thi rd pri nci pl e: le one on whi ch the i ssue of the di vi ne
At i butes ce es - as Ash-Shanqeeti says - is that there is no
hope of understandi ng the e nature of how these at i butes are
because understandi ng their true nature is i mpossi bl e. Al l ah ( ) has
stated this cl earl y in Soorah TaHa where He says:

[Al l ah] knows what happens tot hem[Hi s creatures]
in this wor1d and what wi11 happen to t hem[in the
Hereafte but they wi11never compass anythi ng of Hi s
Knowl edge. l t (Qur' an 20: 110)
Thi s means that it is i mpossi bl e for the human mi nd toencompass the
at butes of the Lord of the heavens and the earth.
What the Shaykh sai d about the i mpossi bi l i ty of ever knowi ng the
ue nature of Al l ah or Hi s At i butes is sound l ogi c because the
human mi nd no matter how i ntel l i gent it is and how great its powers
of understandi ng is totally i ncapabl e of knowi ng the ue nature of
things.
Man is i ncapabl e of knowi ng the uenature ofthe soul that resi des in
his body; he is i ncapabl e of knowi ng the uenature of light whi ch is
330 Definition01Al l ahand Connecti ng Herts toHi m
the most apparent ofthi ngs; he is i ncapabl e ofunderstandi ng the ue
nature of matter or of the atoms of whi ch matter is composed so how
can he hope tounderstand the true nature of the Di vi ne Essence and
At i butes?
Those Who Devi ate f r omthe Correct Met hodol ogy and the
Reasons for Thei r Devi ati on
Devi ati on o mthe co' ect methodol ogy regardi ng the Names and
Attri butes of Al l ah comes about as a resul t of the undermi ni ng of one
of the three pri nci pl es menti oned above. We can di vi de the devi ati on
of peopl e past and present concemi ng the Names and At i butes of
Al l ah i nto lfee categori es:
1) The devi ati on of the mushri keen
The devi ati on of the mushri keen was menti oned by I bnAbbaas Ibn
J urayj and Muj aahi d. The mushri keen mi si nterpreted the Names of
Al l ah and changed t hemo mthei r uemeani ng. They used t hemto
name thei r i dol s and di storted t hemby addi ng and taki ng away. So
they deri ved a/-Laat" o mAl l ah""al -' :za" o m"a/- ' Azeez"
and Man't" f roml - Mannaan
Another aspect of their heresy is that they deni ed some of the names
of Al l ah such as
@ l CAJ . 1
they di sbel i eve in

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. . 11636HJ j N4tj J U
when it is sai d tothem: Pros ateyoursel ves tothe
Most Graci ous [Al l ah]!' They say: And what is the
Most (Qur 'an 25. 60)
Bel i ef inAl l ah 331
This al so inc1udes those who descri bed Al l ah as bei ng i mperfect
such as the evil ones among the J ews who said:
; J i ;&i
Al l ah is poor and we e dch!. h
(Qur' n 3: 181)
Afi --
Hand is ti ed up [i.e. He does not gi ve and
spend of Hi s Bounty]. ' Be thei r hands ti ed up and be
they accursed for what they ered. . . )(Qur' an 5:
2) The devi ati on of tashbeeh ( ant hropomorphi sm)
l esepeopl e at i buteto Al l ah at whi ch He at i butedtoHi msel f
but they do not dec1are Al l ah to be above y resembl ance to Hi s
creatures. They focus onl y on the end of the aayah

is nothi ng likeHi m and He is the Al l -Hearer
the Al l -Seer.) ( Qw'an 42: 11)
- and they over1ook the begi nni ng. If they had pai d attenti on tothe
begi nni ng they woul d real i ze that there is nothi ng that is like unto
Al l ah and they woul d not have dared tosay what they sai d whi ch is
so utter1y shocki ng and whi ch makes the heart trembl e whi ch is their
suggesti on that Al l ah has a hand si ght and heari ng whi ch is likeour
hands heari ng and si ght - exal ted be Al l ah far above what they say.
They made their obj ect of worshi p likethe idols. Hence the schol ars
of the sal af said: The anthropomorphi st worshi ps an i do1." They
have uttered Ia bythese words whi ch take t hembeyond the pal e of
Isl am. A mong these peopl e were Dawood al -J awaari bi and Hi shaam
332 Definitionof Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
i bn al I;I akamarRaafi <.l i . These t wo groups were opposi tes intheir
heresy: the f ormer mushri enrai sed the creati on tothe l evel of the
Creator and made t hemequal to Hi m whi l st the anthropomorphi sts
brought the Creator down to the l evel of Hi s physi cal creati on and
l i kened Hi mtothem. Exal ted and sancti fi ed be Al l ah above their lies
and mi sgui dance.
3) The devi ance of the deni ers who fall i nto three categori es
a) A group who deni ed the Names and the meani ngs to whi ch they
re r; they descri bed Al l ah is terms of absol ute negati on (what He is
not). These are the J aham/ah. The fact of the matter is that their
devi ati on is di sbe1ief in Al l ah j ust like the devi ati on of the
mushri keen.
b) A group who affi rmed the names of Al l ah as words wi thout
accepti ng the at i butes of perfecti on that they i mpl y. They sai d
R a ~ m a n (Most Benefi cent) ~ e e m (Most Me iful) wi thout
R a ~ m a h ( Mercy) l f akeem(Al l -Wi se) wi thout wi sdom Qadeer (Al l -
Powe 11) wi thout power Samee' (Al l -Heari ng) wi thout heari ng etc.
These are the Mu 't :zilah.
c) A thi rd group who af tmned seven of the at al - Ma aani
(characteri sti cs) namel y: life knowl edge powe wi 1 1 heari ng
seei ng and speech but they deni ed all the other a i butes. These are
the Ash 'aris.
125
In the case of those who di sbel i eved inthe names and At i butes of
Al l ah those who l i kened Hi s At butes to the at i butes of Hi s
creatures and those who deni ed Hi s Names and At i butestheir
mi sgui dance is qui te c1ear because they are opposi ng Al l ah and Hi s
Messenger di sbel i evi ng inthe Qur' an and Sunnah. leir posi ti on is
125 Abu' l I;I as al-Ashari (may Allahhave mercy onhim) didnot subscribeto
this view; we will discuss his beHef concerningtheat ibutes of theCreator below.
Bel i efi n Al l ah 333
qui te cl ear and does not requi re further expl anati on.
The ones whose faul r bel i ef needs to be exposed e the Ahl al-
Kal aam(I sl ami c phi l osophers / schol asti cs) who cl ai mthat they e
decl ari ng A11ah tobe above any resembl ance toHi s creatures so they
denyat i butes of A11ah whi ch have been narrated inthe Qur' an and
Sunnah on the basi s that this may l ead to tashbeel J
(anthropomorphi smor thi nki ng of A11ah as bei ng like Hi s
creation). So they resort to inte ti ngthese at i butes ina manner
at takes t hemfar away o mtheir ue meani ng.
126
5 - CATEGORI ES OF ATTRI BUTES ACCORDI NG T O THE
SCHOLARS OF KAL AAM
ShaykhM l ammadal - Ameen ash-Shanqeeti ( may A11ah have mercy
on hi m) expl ai ned the methodol ogy of the schol ars of kal aamwi th
regard totheir c1assi fi cati on of the at i butes of A11ah. He descri bed
what they affi rmed and what they deni ed and where ey 11 into
e or and confusi on. Then he di scussed the Qur' ani c evi dence for
ascri bi ng these at i butes to A11ah and menti oned that it is not
permi ssi bl e to deny t heminthe case of A11ah on the grounds at
some of Hi s creatures al so have these at i butes because the
At i butes of A11ah befit Hi s Maj esty and the at i butes of Hi s
creatures 'e sui ted to their i nabi1ity.
126 Some contemporary fi gures such as Shaykh I:I asan al Banna and Shay asan
Ayyoob tried to be l eni ent towards those who made this mi stake who are known
as the khal af (successors) and they tried to reconci l e between the vi ews of the
sal af (pi ous predecessors) and the khal af But the fact of le ma r whi ch must be
understood is that the vi ewof the khal af who cl ai mthat the apparent meani ng of
e at i butes of Al l ah is not what is meant is far removed o mthe correct vi ew.
There is no meeti ng poi nt between this and the vi ewof the sal af The fact that
some of e khal af had good i ntenti on is no excuse because good i ntenti ons do
not make fal sehood ue.
334 Defi ni ti on 01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
The Shaykh expl ai ned that the schol ars of kal aamwho i ndul ged in
this matter produced what they cal l ed rati onal evi dence whi ch they
put toge er as rati onal anal ogi es and they di vi ded the at butes of
Al l ah into six categori es as fol l ows:
a) ' if ahNaf si yah (a i butes refe ngtoemoti ons" e.g. l ove hate
etc.)
b) Si fah Ma 'na (a i butes whi ch are p t of the essence of Al l ah)
c) Si f ahM h(adj ecti val f orms ofthe at i butes whi ch are part
of the essence of Al l ah)
d) fah Fay' l i yah (a i butes descri bi ng acti ons)
e) fah Sal bi yah (negati ve at i butes)
f) Si fah J aami 'ah (encompassi ng at i butes)
Wi th regard to at i butes other than these they regarded t hemas
rel ati ve at i butes wi th no real i ndependent exi stence. Thus they
caused a great deal of confusi on.
J udgi ng the Met hodol o T of Kal aamAgai nst the Qur ' an and
Sunnah
Shaykh Ash-Shanqeeti ( may Al l ah have mercy on hi m) expl ai ned
what the Qur' an says descri bi ng the Creator wi th these at i butesand
descri bi ng Hi s creatures wi th these at ibutes. The Qur' an states at
the at i butes of the Creator of the heavens and the ear e ueand
that the at i butes of created bei ngs are eand that there is no
compari son between the attri butes of the Creator and the at i butes of
Hi s created bei ngs. The at i butes of the Creator befit Hi s Di vi ne
N ature and the at i butes of Hi s created bei ngs are appropri ate to
their i mperfect state and their need of Hi m. The di erencebetween
eat i bute of the Di vi ne and the at i bute of the created bei ngs is
likethe di erencebetween the Di vi ne essence and the essence of the
created bei ng.
335 Bel i ef inAl l ah
al - Mataani Accordi ng to the Schol ars of Kal aam
The Shaykh expl ai ned that accordi ng to the schol ars of kal aamthe
Si faat al - Ma ' aani number no mor e than seven and they deny all
other a i butes apart o mthese seven.
Accordi ng to e schol ars of kal aam e 'ifaat al - ma ' aani e
defi ned as bei ng those whi ch are part of the essence of AlI ah.
The seven at i butes whi ch ey affi rmare power wi11 knowl edge
life heari ng seei ng and speech. The Mu 'tazilah deny these seven
at i butes but affi rmtheir i mpl i cati ons so they say: He is Abl e inand
of Hi msel f Al l -Heari ng in and of Hi msel f Al l - Knowi ng inand of
Hi msel f Ever-Li vi ng inand ofHi msel f. But they do not af f mn that
Al l ah has power knowl edge life heari ng or seei ng because they are
seeki ng toavoi d i mpl yi ng that the Etemal is many whi ch all rati onal
peopl e know is a mi sgui ded and contradi ctory vi ew. For i fthere were
no knowl edge inthe essence of Al l ah it woul d be i mpossi bl e tosay
that He is Al l - Knowi ng wi thout knowl edge; this is c1earl y self-
contradi ctory.
Then the Shaykh quoted the evi dence for the al -ma ni and
menti oned the di fferences between the at i butes of the Creator and
the at i butes of the created bei ng:
a) They descri bed Al l ah as bei ng power 1and af f mned that He has
power. Al l ah ( ) says in Hi s Book:
:
:
!
?
;
i

4@24pJ J F fdi l
Al l ah has power over all thi ngsJt
(Qur' n 2: 20).
We are certai n that He has power in a manner that befits Hi s
Perfecti on and Mesty.
336 Definitian01Allahand Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
Some of Hi s created bei ngs are al so descri bed as havi ng power. A11ah
( ) says:
4 -

for those who [havi ng fledaway and then] came
back [as Musl i ms] wi th repentance before they 11into
your power. . ) ( Qur 'an 5: 34).
Here power is a i buted to some created bei ngs.
We know that everyling inthe Qur' an is true that A11 has real
power whi ch befits Hi s Perfecti on and Mestyand that some created
bei ngs have real power that is sui tedtotheir i mperfect transient s te
and their need for A11ah. The di rencebetween theat buteofthe
Di vi ne and the a ibute of the created bei ngs is likethe di erence
between the Di vi ne essence and the essence of the created bei ng
whi ch is an i mmense difference.
b) c) A11ah ( ) descri bed Hi msel f as heari ng and seei ng in more
than one aayah of Hi s Book. He says:
4 @ 44f LL
A11ah is A11-Hearer (Qur 'an58: 1)

is nothi ng like Hi m and He is the A11-Hearer
the (Qur' an 42. 11)
A11ah al so descri bed some of Hi s created bei ngs as bei ng abl e tohear
and see. He ( ) says:

@
337
We have created man o mNui fah [drops] of
mi xed semen [sexual di scharge of man and woman] in
order to y hi m so We made hi mhearer and seer)
(Qur 'an 76: 2)


c1earl y wil1 ey [pol ythei sts and di sbel i evers in
the Oneness of Al l ah] see and hear the Day when ey
wil1 appe before Us!. . ) (Qur' an 19: 3
We do not doubt that what is inthe Qur' an is true. Al l ah ( ) canhear
and see in a true sense in a manner that be s Hi s Maj esty and
Perfecti on and created bei ngs can hear and see ina real manner at
suits their needful transi ent and i mperfect state. The di fference
between the attribute of the Di vi ne and the at i bute of the created
bei ngs is like the di nce between the Di vi ne essence and the
essence of the created bei ng.
d) Al l ah descri bed Hi msel f as bei ng alive. He ( ) says:
@ ii j f U LY
Laa i l aaha illaHuwa [none has the ri ght tobe
worshi pped but He] Al -/fa) u- Qa . I Um [the Ever
Li vi ng the One Who sustai ns and protects all that
exists ]..) ( Qur 'an 2: 25
J 44LLJ LY j f A
is the Ever Li vi ng Laa ilaha illaHuwa [none has
the right to be worshi pped but He]...) (Qur' an 40: 65)
@ JZdJ fJ Ej fJ j
put your st [0' Muhammad] inthe Ever Li vi ng
One Who di es not...) ( Qur 'an 25: 5
We have madeo mwater every l i vi ng thi ng. . )
(Qur' n 21: 30)

4
1
1
i
4
3
J
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j
j
338 De;:nition01 A/l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
He( ) has al so descri bed some of Hi s created bei ngs as bei ng alive:

i ; f iL i; 44;i
Sal aam[peace] be on hi mthe day he was bom
and the day he di es and the day he wi l l be rai sed up to
life (Qur' an 19: 15)
ZjJ i k 4f U
bri ngs out the l i vi ng o mthe dead and bri ngs out
the dead o mthe (Qur' an 30: 19)
We are certai n that Al l ah has the at i buteof lifeina real sense and in
a manner that befi ts Hi s Perfecti on and Mestyj ust as created
bei ngs are al so al i ve ina manner that suits their s teof i mperfecti on
transi ent nature and need (for Al l ah). The di fference between the
at i bute of the Di vi ne and the attri bute of the created bei ngs is like
e di erence between the Di vi ne essence and the essence of the
created bei ng; there is an i mmense di rence between the Creator
and Hi s creati on.
e) Al l ah ( ) has descri bed Hi msel f as havi ng a wi11:
J.Q3
does what He i ntends [or
(Qur'

n 85: 16)


J


;Jj


Hi s Command when He i ntends [wills] a thi ng
is onl y that He says toit

Be!' and it ( Qur 'an36: 82)
.....-
Bel i efi n Al l ah 339
And He ( ) descri bed some of Hi s creatures as havi ng a will:
4@---GAf GJU---
desi re the good of this worl d...) (Qur 'an 8: 6
i!;; 4.4
b wi shed to (Qur' an 33: 13)
...gJ j
i ntend to put out the Li ght of Al l ah [i.e. the
rel i gi on of Isl am]...) (Qur' an 61:
Undoubtedl y Al l ah ( ) has a wi l l ina real sense ina manner that
befits Hi s Perfecti on and Hi s created bei ngs have wi l l s whi ch suit
their stateof i mperfecti on transi ent na reand need (for Al l ah). The
di fference between the a i buteof the Di vi ne and the at i buteof the
created bei ngs is likethat between the Di vi ne essence and the essence
of the created bei ng.
Al l ah descri bed Hi msel f as havi ng knowl edge. He ( ) says:
...
Al l ah is Al l - Knower of everythi ng.)
(Qur 'an 24: 35)
4 JLL UZGL
Al l ah bears wi tness tothat whi ch He has sent down
[the Qur' an] unto you [0' Muhammad] ; He has sent
down wi th Hi s Knowl edge. . ) ( Qw'an 4. 166)

surel y We shall narrate unto t hem[ eir whol e
340 Defi ni ti on 01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
story] wi th knowl edge and i ndeed We have not been
( Qw'an 7:
And He ( ) has descri bed some of Hi s created bei ngs as havi ng
knowl edge:
@AAUU. . .
(. . And they gave hi mgl ad ti di ngs of a son havi ng
knowl edge) (Qur' an 51: 28)
@ 44 J2. . .
. And veri l y he was endowed wi th knowl edge because
We had ught hi m. . ) ( Qur 12: 68)
No doubt the Creator has real knowl edge ina manner at befits Hi s
Perfecti on and Mestyknowl edge that encompasses all thi ngs and
Hi s created bei ngs have knowl edge ina manner that suits their state
of ansi encei mperfecti on and need (for Al l ah). The di fference
between the knowl edge of the Creator and the knowl edge of Hi s
created bei ngs is like that between the essence of the Creator and the
essence of Hi s created bei ngs.
g) Al l ah ( ) has descri bed Hi msel f as speaki ng. He says:
==4J
toMoosa Al l ah spoke di rect1y) ( Qur 'an4: 164)
@- - - A13 J63tk.
Then grant hi mprotecti on so that he may hear the
Wor d of Al l ah [ e Q n]. . ) (Qur' an 9: 6)
And He ( ) has descri bed some of Hi s created bei ngs as speaki ng:
24f GJ r;i i i J 6912
Bel i efi nAl l ah 341
~ . . . Then when he sp'Oke t'Ohi m he said: Veri l y this day
y'Ou are wi th us hi gh in rank and lly sted. '}t
( Qur 'an 12: 54)
. . . . . .
~ . . . A n d thei r hands wi l l speak t'OUs. . ) (Qur 'an36: 65)
Und'Oubtedl y the Creat'Or speaks in a real manner that befi ts Hi s
Perfecti 'On and Maj esty and Hi s crea res speak ina manner that suits
their transi ent tei mperfect nature and need (f'Or Al l ah). le
di fference between the speech 'Of the Creat'Or and the speech 'Of Hi s
created bei ngs is likethat between the essence 'Of the Creat'Or and the
essence 'Of Hi s created bei ngs.
The Di scussi on on the Negati ve Attri butes Accordi ng to the
Schol ars of Kal aam
Shaykh Ash-Shanqeeti ( may Al l ah have mercy 'On hi m) expl ai ned the
way inwhi ch the sch'Olars 'Of kal aamdefi ned the negati ve at i butes.
He said: these are at i butes whi ch i ndi cate an abs'Oluteabsence i.e.
they i ndi cate that Al l ah d'Oes n'Ot have at i butes whi ch are n'Ot
befi tti ng t'OAl l ah wi th'Out i ndi cati ng s'Omethi ng that d'Oes exi st inHi s
essence.
Th'Ose wh'O say this list fi ve negati ve at i buteswi th n'O sixth.
Acc'Ordi ng t'O t hem these at i butes are: etemi ty (n'O begi nni ng)
ever1asti ngness (n'O end) di erence o mHi s created bei ngs (n'O
resembl ance) 'Oneness (n'Opl ural i ty) and abs'Olutei ndependence (n'O
rel i ance 'On an' O er) whi ch they call sel f-suffi ci ency by whi ch they
mean that He is n'Ot subj ect t'Oany limitati 'Ons 'Of space and l'Ocati 'On.
ii) Eterni ty and Everl asti ngness
leShaykh ( may Al l ah have mercy 'On hi m) p'Oi nted 'Out that etemi ty
and ever1asti ngness whi ch the sch'Olars 'Of kal aamat i butedt'OAl l ah
342 Di fmi ti on 01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
and c1ai med that He ascri bed toHi msel f 'ewhat is referred tointhe
aayah:
...345jNf
Ie is the First [nothi ng is before Hi m] and the Last
[nothi ng is after Hi m] ..) (Qur' an 57: 3)
Accordi ng to emetemi ty (al -qi dam 1 ancl enless) is i ntended
deny that there was any previ ous non-exi stence; intheir vi ewthis is
mo speci fi c than the wor d al -azl (etemi ty) because al -azl refers to
somethi ng whi ch has no begi nni ng whether it is somethi ng that
exists such as the essence and at i butes of Al l ah or does not exi st.
Intheir vi ew al -qi damrefers to somethi ng whi ch has no begi nni ng
but whi ch must al so be somethi ng that does exist such as the essence
of Al l ah whi ch is characteri zed by Perfecti on and Mesty.
le Shaykh ( may Al l ah have mercy on hi m) expl ai ned that Al l ah
descri bed Hi s created bei ngs in terms of al -qi dam:
# J i 34
l ey said: By Al l ah! Certai nl y you are in your ol d
eor [q. al aal i ka ( Qw'an 12: 95)

the ol d [qadeem] dri ed curved date stal k)
(Qur' an 36: 39)

and your anci ent fathers.) (Qur' n 26: 76)
AndHe( ) has descri bed some of Hi s created bei ngs interms of al-
baqaa' (ever1asti ngness):
BeliefinAl l ah 343
U13; :
his progeny t hemWe made the survi vors [al-
baaqeen]. ) (Qur' an 37: 77)

4@---auJ ii;:
is wi th you wi11be exhausted and whatever
is wi th Al l ah [of good deeds] wi11 remai n [baaqi n]...)
(Qur'an 16: 96)
Undoubtedl y the nature of the everl asti ngness that is at i buted to
Al l ah ( ) is di erent f romthe nature of that whi ch is at i butedto
Hi s created bei ngs.
The attri buti on of eterni ty (al -qi dam) and everl asti ngness (al
baqaatoAUah has not been narrated inthe Qur ' an or Sunnah
The Shaykh ( may Al l ah have mercy on hi m) poi nted out that Al l ah
has not descri bed Hi msel f inthe Qur' an as bei ng etemal interms of
al -qi dam. Some of the Sal afregarded as makrooh todescri be Hi m
insuch terms because it coul d i mpl y pri or non-exi stence as inthe
phrases:
4Li ke the ol d [qadeem] dri ed curved date stal k.) (Qur' an 36: 39)
said: By Al l ah! Certai nl y you are inyour ol d error [l j al aal i ka
al -qadeem]. (Qur 'an 12: 95)
and your anci ent fathers [al -aqdamoon]. ) (Qur' an 26: 76)
Some of t hemcl ai med that this usage [ l -qi dam] is narrated in a
hadi th and some schol ars say that this i ndi cates that Al l ah may be
descri bed in this mann whi l st others say at is has not been
proven.
Wi reg dtothe descri pti on of Al l ah as bei ng First and Last as in
the aayah is the First [Al - Awwal] [nothi ng is before Hi m] and
the Last [Al -Aakhi r] [nothi ng is after Hi m]. ) (Qur' an 57: 3)
344 Definition01Allahand Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
- Al l ah has al so descri bed some of Hi s created bei ngs interms ofthei r
bei ng first and last:
qf pj J f p@ i j'
We not destroy the anci ents [al -awwal een li t. the
first ones]? So shall We make later generati ons [al-
khi reen] to fol l ow (Qur' an 77: 16-1
Undoubtedl y the manner of bei ng First and Last whi ch Al l ah
at i butesHi msel f isbefi tti ngtoHi s Maj esty and Perfecti on just as
t hema r inwhi ch Hi s created bei ngs may be first or last is sui ted to
their transi ent state i mperfect nature and need (for Al l ah).
ui ) iv) Oneness and Sel f-suffi ci ency
Al l ah ( ) has descri bed Hi msel f as bei ng One:
...3btji
your l l aah [God] is One 11 h [God - Al l ah]..)
(Qur' n 2: 163)
AndHe( ) has also descri bed some of Hi s created bei ngs insimilar
terms:

wi th the same water [li t. wi th one water]..)

13: 4)
Al l ah ( ) has descri bed Hi msel f as bei ng Ri ch or Self-sufficient:

you di sbel i eve you and all on earthtogether then
veri l y Al l ah is Ri ch [Free of all needs] Owner of all
prai se) (Qur 'an 14: 8)
Bel i efi nAl l ah 345
41J L!
they di sbel i eved and t umed away [ omt he ] .
But Al l ah was n'Ot inneed [' Of them]. And Al l ah is Ri ch
[Free 'Ofal l needs] W'Orthy 'Ofal l (Qur' an 64: 6).
And He ( ) has descri bed s'Ome 'Of Hi s created bei ngs in si mi l ar
terms:

. And wh'Oever [ am'Ongst guardi ans] is ri ch he sh'Oul d
take n'O (Qur 'an 4. 6)
e... Af ; f J f m 4
they be p' O' Or Al l ah wi11 enri ch t hem'Out 'Of Hi s
B'Oun:..) ( Qur 'an 24: 32)
These are the negati ve at i butes whi ch were menti 'Oned in the
Qur' an whi ch are used t'Odescri be b'Oththe Creat'Or and Hi s created
bei ngs. Und'Oubtedl y the nature 'Of these at i butes when appl i ed t'O
the Creat'Or befit Hi s Perfecti 'On and Maj esty and when they are used
t'Odescri be Hi s created bei ngs thei r na resuits thei r i mperfect s te
ansi ence and need (f'Or Al l ah).
Concl usi on concerni ng the $i faat al - Ma' naw.ah
Then the Shaykh di scusses what the sch'Olars 'Of kal aamcal l ed the
seven al - ma ' naw h whi ch refer t'O Al l ah bei ng Abl e
Wi11i ng Al l - Kn' Owi ng Ever-Li vi ng Al l -Heari ng Al l -Seei ng and
Speaki ng. He expl ai ns at eessence 'Of these at i butes has t'Od'O
wi th the way these at i butes appl y t'O Al l ah.
Sch'Olars 'Of l aam(sch'Olastics) wh'O c'Ounted t hemdi d s'O 'On e
basi s 'Of there bei ng an i ntermedi ate statebetween bei ng absent and
bei ng present .
346 Definition01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
The Shaykh di d not accept this concept. He said: I n fact this is a
myt h and is i magi nary. No sound mi nd woul d accept somethi ng at
comes inbetween a thi ng and its opposi te. Everythi ng that does not
exist is si mpl y non-exi stent or absent and everythi ng that is not
absent exists. There is no inbetween at all as is wel l known to all
rati onal peopl e. "
$i faat al -A.f' aal (attri butes descri bi ng some of AUah' s acti ons)
Then the Shaykh di scusses the al -af' aal and says: these
al -af' aal are menti oned equentl y in the Qur' an where they are
at i butedto both the Creator and Hi s created bei ngs. Undoubtedl y
the essence of these at butes as ascri bed tothe Creator is different
o mtheir essence as ascri bed to Hi s created bei ngs just as the
essence of the Creator di ers o mthe essence of Hi s created bei ngs.
These at i butes i ncl ude the fol l owi ng:
Ri zq (provi si on): Al l ah ( ) has descri bed Hi msel f as granti ng
provi si on to Hi s creati on. He says:
j 0i ;. :&i e 44j t d
@ 362(
seek not any provi si on o mt hem[i.e. provi si on for
themsel ves or for My creatures] nor do 1 ask that they
shoul d feed Me [i.e. feed themsel ves or My creatures].
Veri l y Al l ah is the Al l -Provi der Owner of Power the
Most Strong) (Qur' an 51: 57-58)
" "
4@qJ 3124AJ J A11J...
whatsoever you spend of anythi ng [in Al l ah' s
Cause] He wi1l repl ace it. And He is the Best of
provi ders) (Qur 'an 34: 3
--
BeU inAl l ah
31; f J 2df L43L ATi; US...

.Say: That whi ch Al l ah has is better than any

amusement 'Or merchandi se! And Al l ah is the Best 'Of
pr'Ovi ders (Qur' an 62: 11)
347
AndAl l ah ( ) has descri bed s'Ome 'Of Hi s created bei ngs interms 'Of
rlzq:
i i J A; J E 4454 J i i; i _; l j i

when the rel ati ves and the ' 0 hans and Al -
Masaakeen [the p' O' Or] are p sent at eti me 'Of di vi si 'On
gi ve t hem[arzuqoohum- li t. grant t hempr'Ovisi 'On] 'Out
'Of the pr'Operty. . ) (Qur' an 4: 8)
AJ;j 5;$:J i j J i i
@--AB
gi ve n'Ot unt'O the f' O' Olish y'Our property whi ch
Al l ah has made a means 'Of supp'Ort f'Or y'Ou but feed and
c1' Othe t hem[ rzuqoohum] (Qur' an 4: 5)
@; f ;...
the father 'Of the chi l d shal l bear the c'Ost 'Of the
m'Other' s f' O' Od [ri zquhunna]. . ) (Qur' an 2: 233)
Und'Oubtedl y the acti 'Ons when ascri bed t'OAl l ah are di erent o m
when they are ascri bed t'OHi s created bei ngs j ust as the essence 'Of
Al l ah is di fferent o mthe essence 'Of Hi s created bei ngs.
u) ' Amal (acti on doi ng): Al l ah ( ) descri bes Hi msel f as d'Oing. He
said:
348 Definition01Allahand Connecti ng HeartsHi m
4k i4j A44i4 1 i J I;; ;i)
@
they n'Ot see at We have created f'Or t hem'Of what
Our Hands have created [li t. d'One made] the cattle s'O
at they are their 'OwnersJt ( Qw'an 36: 71)
And Al l ah ( ) has descri bed Hi s crea s as d'Oi ng as He says:
r J2
'Onl y bei ng requi ted f'Or what y'Ou used t'O
(Qur' an 52: 16)
Und'Oubtedl y is acti 'On as at butedt'Othe created bei ng is di fIerent
o mthis acti 'On as at i butedt'Othe Creat'Or just as the essence 'Of the
Creat'Or di ers omthe essence 'Of the created bei ng.
) Ta' l eem(teachi ng): Al l ah ( ) descri bes Hi msel f as teachi ng Hi s
creatI ' On:
d- (t
@
M'Ost Graci 'Ous [Al l ah]! He has taught [y'Ou
manki nd] the Qur' an [by Hi s Mercy]. He created man.
He taught hi mel 'Oquent speechJt (QUf'an 55: I
( t jf ( t 1
And y'Our L'Ord is the M'Ost Gener'Ous. Wh ' O has
taught [ ewri ti ng] by the pen. He has ught man at
whi ch he knew (Qur' an 96: 35)
4 f 4 4

Be{ i finAl l ah
. And taught you at whi ch you knew not. And Ever
Great is the Grace of Al l ah unto you [0'
(Qur' an 4: 113)
349
Al l ah ( ) al so descri bes some of Hi s creati on as havi ng this
at i bute. He says:
A

it is Who sent among the unl ettered ones a
Messenger [ Muhammad] o m among themsel ves
reci ti ng to t hemHi s Verses puri ri ng t hem[ o m
efi l of di sbel i ef and pol ythei sm] and teachi ng t hem
the Book [this Qur' an I sl ami c l aws and I sl ami c
j uri sprudence] and Al - i kmah [As-Sunnah: l egal ways
orders acts of worshi p of Prophet
( Qur ' an 62: 2)
Bot h exampl es of teachi ng are menti oned together in the aayah:
...h
and teachi ng t hem[to catch) inthe manner
as di rected to you by Al l ah. . ) ( Qw'an 5:4)
iv) l nbaa' (tel l i ng i nf ormi ng): Al l ah ( ) descri bes Hi msel f as
tel l i ngor i nf ormi ng d descri bes Hi s created bei ngs as al so tel l i ng
or i nformi ng. Bot h are menti oned together e aayah:

;-
J i
[remember] when the Prophet di sc10sed a matter in
conf i dence toone of hi s wi ves [ afsah] then she tol d it
350 D :nition01 Al l ahnd Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
[toanother i.e. Aa' i shah]. And Al l ah made it known to
hi m; he i nf ormed part thereof and left a part. Then when
he tol d her [ anah] thereof she said: Who tol d you
thi s?' He said: The Al l - Knower the Al l - Aware [Al l ah]
has tol d (Qur 'an 66: 3)

F
P
3
0

1
1
4
2
v
r
Undoubtedl y what is descri bed ofthi s acti on on the part of Al l ah the
Exal ted is qui te di erent o mthat descri bed on the part of Hi s sl ave
j ust as the essence of the Creator di ffers o mthe essence of the
created bei ng.
v) Eetaa' (granti ng gi vi ng): Al l ah ( ) descri bes Hi msel f as doi ng
this acti on whi ch is gi vi ng. He says:
. . . : : 414
grants l f i kmah [ wi sdom knowl edge] to whom He
wi l l s..) (Qur' an 2:
i.Sa ZJ
. And best owHi s aboundi ng Grace to every owner of
grace [i.e. the one who hel ps and serves the needy and
deservi ng physi cal l y and wi th hi s weal th and even wi th
good words]. . ) (Qur' an 11: 3)
And He ( ) descri bes Hi s sl aves as al so gi vi ng:
. . . G 4; ; ...
. And you have gi ven one of t hema Qi nt r [of gol d
i.e. a great amount as Mahr]. . ) (Qur' an 4: 20)
i i3131LJ
gi ve to the women [ whomyou marry] thei r Mahr
[obl i gatory bri dal - money gi ven by the husband to hi s
Bel i efi nAU!h 351
wi fe at the ti me of marri age] wi th a good heart..)
(Qur' an 4: 4)
Undoubtedl y this acti on Al l ah ascri bed toHi mse1f is di erent f rom
the acti on He ascri bed toHi s sl aves j ust as Hi s essence di ffers o m
theirs.
al - J aami ah (AI I - Encompassi ng Attri butes)
Then Shaykh Muhammad al- A meen ash-Shanqeeti ( may Al l ah have
mercy on hi m) di scusses al .Jaami 'ah such as Al - ' Al uw
(hi ghness) Al - ' I +am(greatness) Al - Ki bar (greatness) Al - Mul k
(soverei gnty) Al -Ki br (pride) Al -J abaroot (compel l i ng power) A
' Izzah (mi ght) Al - Quwwah (strength) and other al l -encompassi ng
at ibutes.
0 ) The attri butes of At' Al uw(hi ghness) At.Ki bar
(greatness) and Al -' I: r am (greatness)
Al l ah descri bes Hi msel f as havi ng the at i butes of A ' Al uw
(hi ghness) Al - Ki bar (greatness) and A ' I +am(greatness). He ( )
says:
: J i ffii ; ; ; j ...
. And He feels no fati gue in guardi ng and preservi ng
them. And He is the Most Hi gh the Most Great. )
(Qur 'an 2: 255)
AndHe ( ) sai d descri bi ng Hi msel f as havi ng the at i butes of Al -
' Al uw(hi ghness) and Al -Ki bar (grea ess):
= 43V413i
Al l ah is Ever Most Hi gh Most Great.)
(Qur' :n 4: 34)
4 b UJ U
352 Definition01Al l ah and Connecti ng He!rts toHi m
of the unseen and the seen the Most Great
the Most Hi ghJT ( Qur 'an 13: .
And He ( ) descri bed some of the thi ngs He has created as bei ng
great:

it parted and each separate part [of that sea wat
became like huge ( Qur 'an26: 63)
-1j
Veri l yyou i ndeed utter an awf ul sayi ngJT .
(Qur' an 17: 40)
@ 4A;4i j...
. And she has a great throne.}.T (Qur' an 27: 23)
And He descri bed some of the thi ngs He has created as bei ng hi gh:
l t i
We rai sed hi mtoa hi gh stati onJT ( Qur 'an19: 5

We granted t hem10y honour on t hengue of
(Qur' an 19: 50) ( Yusuf Al i ' s transl ati on).
And He descri bed some of the thi ngs He has created as bei ng great:
2-21J ? J 1...
Theirs wi11 be forgi veness and a great reward
(Qur' an 11: 11)
. . . =;
Bel i efi n Al l ah 353
(. . Nay is one the bi ggest of t hem[idols] di d it..)
(Qur' an 21: 63)
Undoubtedl y the nature ofthese al l -encompassi ng a i butessuch as
hi g less and greatness is di fferent inthe case of Al l ah o mtheir
nature as appl i ed to the created bei ngs j ust as the essence of the
Creator differs f romthe essence of the created bei ng. lere is no
compari son between the essence of the Creator and the essence of
Hi s creati on j ust as there is no compari son between the at i butes of
the Creator and the at i butes of Hi s creati on.
iv) The attri bute of soverei gnty
Al l ah descri bes Hi msel f wi th the at i bute of soverei gnr. He ( )
says:
rJ ?i w;'J (4i df d f d i j

is inthe heavens and whatsoever is on the
earth glorifies Al l ah the Ki ng [of everythi ng] the Hol y
e Al l -Mi ghty the Al l - Wi se. T ( Qw'an 62: 1)
4@442L4 i Le4i i 4
a seat of uth [i.e. P adi se] ne the Omni potent
Ki ng. t (Qur 'an 54: 55)
Al l ah ( ) has al so descri bed some of Hi s created bei ngs as
possessmg soverei gnty:
---h' i l i
ki ng [ofEgypt] said: Veri l y 1 saw [ina dream]
seven fat cows...' t (Qur' an 12: 43)
4@. . . : }195f J f J 6
354 Definitionof Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts m
the ki ng said: Bri ng hi mto
(Qur' n 12: 50)
1
1
!
i
j
i

2i i t . . .
There was a ki ng behi nd t hemwho sei zed every shi p
by f orce) (Qur 'an 18: 79)
...h j fUJ j . ; & f d
gi ve the ki ngdomto whom You wil1 and You
take the ki ngdom o mwhom You wi11..)
(Qur' n 3: 26)
Undoubtedl y Al l ah possesses e Soverei gnty in a manner whi ch
befits Hi s Perfecti on and Maj esty whi l st Hi s created bei ngs possess
soverei gnty in a manner that is sui ted to their transi ent na re
i mperfecti on and need for Al l ah.
v) vi) The attri butes of compel l i ng power and pri de
Al l ah descri bes Hi msel f as bei ng the Compel l er (AI -J abbaar) and
Most Great (AI -Mutakabbi r):
. . . 2136J TLJ f
Al l - Mi ght y 1- 'Azeez] the Compel l er 1-
J abbaar] the Supr eme [AI -Mutakabbi r]. . )
(Qur 'an 59: 23).
And He ( ) has descri bed some of Hi s crea res as bei ng so

Thus does Al l ah seal up the heart of every aogant
(mutakabbi r) tyrant (j abbaar) ) ( Qur 'an 40: 3

@ LLAL41U
L
Bel i ef inAl l ah 355
when you sei ze [somebody] sei ze you [hi m] as
tyran 0bbaareen)?. ) 'an 26: 130)
@a :d2J dJ 3. . .
4Is there not in Hel l an abode for the arrogant
(mutakabbi reen)?' (Qur 'an 39: 60)

they [the Messengers] sought vi ctory and he1p
[ o mtheir Lord (Al l ah)] and every obsti nate arrogant
di ctator Uabbaar] [who refuses tobe1i eve in eOneness
of Al l ah] was brought to a comp1ete 10ss and
destructi on.) (Qur 'an 14: 1
Undoubted1y the na reof these at i butes inthe case of the Creator
is di erent o mthat in the case of Hi s created bei ngs just as the
essence of the Creator is di fIerent o mthe essence of Hi s created
bei ngs.
vu) The attri bute of mi ght (AI.' Izzah)
Al l ah ( ) descri bes Hi mse1f as possessi ng mi ght (Al - ']zzah):
1LLJ 4fLi ---
Tru1y Al l ah is Al l -Mi ghty [Al- 'Azeez] Al l - Wi se. )
(Qur' .n 2: 220)
yl af d1 35L4Lf F
have they the treasures of the Mer cy of your Lord
e Al l -Mi ghty [A 'Azeez] the Rea1 Bestower?
(Qur 'an 38: 9)
And Al l ah ( ) has descri bed some of Hi s created bei ngs as a1so
possessi ng the at i bute of mi ght:
356 D:nition01 Al l ahnd Connec/i ng He!rls 10Hi m
G>> '"
The wi fe of Al Azeez sai d..) (Qur' n 12: 51)

. And he overpowered me [' azzani ] in speech.
(Qur' an 38: 23)
And the t wo exampl es are menti oned together in the ayah:
@. . . :4;iU( ' "
.But honour power and gl ory [ ' izzah] bel ong toAl l ah
and to Hi s Messenger [ Muhammad] and to the
bel i evers..) ( Qur ' an 63:
Undoubtedl y these at i butes as ascri bed tothe Creator are di rent
o mthese at i butes as ascri bed to Hi s created bei ngs just as the
essence of the Creator di rs f romthe essence of Hi s crea dbei ngs.
vi u) The attri bute of s ength (Al.Quwwah)
Al l ah ( ) descri bes Hi msel f as possessi ng the at i buteof s g:

@( f
seek not any provi si ono mt hem[i. e. provi si on for
themsel ves or for My crea res] nor do 1 ask that they
shoul d feed Me [i.e. feed themsel ves or My crea res].
Veri l y Al l ah is the Al l -Provi der Owner of Power the
Most S ong) 51: 57-58)

(..Veri l y Al l ah wi11hel p those who hel p Hi s [Cause].
Trul y Al l ah is Al l -S ongAl l - Mi ghty) ( Qur ' an22: 40)
Bel i ef inAl l ah 357
And Al l ah ( ) descri bes some of Hi s creatures as bei ng ongas
He says:
@; )
to (Qur' an 11: 52)

@. . . A3
is He Who created you in [as teot] weakness
then gave you s ength after weakness then after
S ength gave [you] we ness..) (Qur 'an 30: 54)
And both exampl es are menti oned together in the aayh (verse):

:
@
for Aad l ey were arrogant in the l and wi thout
right and ey said: Who is mi ghti er than us in
s 'ength?' See they not that Al l ah Who created themwas
mi ghti er in s engththan them. And they used to deny
Our Aayat [proofs evi dences verses l essons
revel ati ons (Qur' an 41. l
The attri butes concerni ng whi ch the schol ars of kal aamdi ffered
Then the Shaykh di scusses the at i butes concemi ng whi ch the
schol ars of kal aamdi ffered as to whether they are at af' aal or
faat ma 'na. What the Shaykh confi rmed was at they are Si faat
ma ' aani part of the essence of Al l ah. These at i butes inc1ude the
fol l owi ng:
358 Definition01 Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
u) The attri butes of ki ndness (Ar..Ra'fah) and mercy (Ar-
Ramah)
Al l ah has descri bed Hi msel f as bei ng Ki nd and Merci ful :
@ J a. . .
Trul y your Lord is full of ki ndness Most Merci f ul )
(Qur 'an 16: 7)
And He ( ) has descri bed some of Hi s created bei ngs in si mi l ar
terms. He descri bed our Prophet ( ) as fol l ows:
A43t h f : .i
3321 r )
there has come unto you a Messenger
[ Muhammad] o mamongst yoursel ves. It gri eves
hi mthat you shoul d recei ve any i nj ury or difficulty. He
[ Muhammad] is anxi ous over you; for the bel i evers [he
is] full of pi ty ki nd and merci f ul ) (Qur 'an 9: 12
) The attri bute of Forbearance (AI-Ifi l m)
Al l ah ( ) has descri bed Hi msel f as Forbeari ng. He says:
@ iJ W2 p j
He wi11make t hementer an en cewi th whi ch
they shall be wel l -pl eased and veri l y Al l ah i ndeed is
Al l - Knowi ng Most Forbeari ng. ) (Qur 'an 22: 59)

@
. And know that Al l ah knows what is inyour mi nds so
fear Hi m. And know at Al l ah is Oft-Forgi vi ng Most
Forbeari ng) (Qur 'an 2: 235)
BeUfi nAl l ah
j

wor ds and forgi vi ng of faul ts are better than
$adaqah [chari ty] f ol l owed by i nj ury. And Al l ah is Ri ch
[Free of all needs] and He is Most- Forbeari ng.}l
(Qur' an 2: 263)
359
And He ( ) descri bes some of Hi s created bei ngs as forbeari ng:
AA
We gave hi mthe gl ad ti di ngs of a f orbeari ng boy.}l
(Qur' !n 37: 101)
14Lift l sl. -
Ibraaheemwas AWl h [one who i nvokes
Al l ah wi th humi l i ty glorifies Hi mand remembers Hi m
much] and ur' an 9: 114)
iv) The attri bute of forgi veness:
Al l ah ( ) descri bes Hi msel f as forgi vi ng:
sl...
Al l ah is Of t- Forgi vi ng Most
(Qur' an 2: 173)
4 ...2kh; J q AU
Then He forgi ves whom He wi11s and puni shes whom
He wi11s.. Jl (Qur 'an 2: 28
And He ( ) descri bes some of Hi s created bei ngs as forgi vi ng:
4@4N44J A4aJ LJ LJ oj_J
360 Definition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Heyts Hi m
veri l y whosoever shows pati ence and forgi ves
that woul d trul y be o mthe thi ngs r ecommended by
Al l ah) (Qur 'an 42: 43)
@. . . f 6 3 3
words and forgi vi ng of ul . )
(Qur' an 2:263)
(jd 44h " A
[0' Muhammad] to the bel i evers to forgi ve those
who [harmt hemand] hope not for the Days of Al l ah [i.e.
Hi s Recompense]. . ) (Qur' an 45: 14)
Undoubtedl y these at i butes as ascri bed to the Creator of the
heavens and the earth are uein a manner that is befi tti ng to Hi s
Perfecti on and Mestyand it is not permi ssi bl e deny any of t hem
for fear of tashbeeh or l i keni ng Al l ah to Hi s creati on. And these
at i butes as appl i ed to Hi s creati on are eina manner that suits
th lsient s tei mperfecti on and need for Al l ah.
The si tuati on of those who deny the attri butes of Perfecti on and
Maj est y
After the Shaykh di scussed the shortcomi ngs in the methodol ogy
used by the schol ars of kal aam(schol asti ci sm) and expl ai ned in
detail the Qur' ani c methodol ogy of ith whi ch shows the ri ght
approach and lights the way he concl udes by sayi ng:
l atever maybe the case it is not permi ssi bl e for anyone to y
be too c1ever concerl i ng anyat i bute that Al l ah has affi rmed for
Hi msel f and todeny this at buteout of i nsol ence toward the Lord of
the heavens and the earth c1ai mi ng that this at i bute wi th whi ch
Al l ah has prai sed Hi msel f does not befi t Hi m so he deni es it then he
produces hi s own made- up at i butes of perfecti on. Thi s is utter
.....-
Bel i efi n Al l ah 361

S
F
e
i
s
S
E
-
-
k
i
b
l
L
F
Z
K
B

E
t
madness and del usi on whi ch no one woul d suggest except those
whose eyes Al l ah has seal ed."
The attri bute of i sti waa (ri si ng above the Throne) is an attri bute
of perfecti on not i mperfecti on
1norder toillus atethe seri ousness of the offence commi tted by the
schol ars of kal aamagai nst the at i butes of the Creator Shaykh Ash-
Shanqeeti ( may Al l ah have mercy on hi m) gave the exampl e of one
of the greatest at i butesi sti waa (risingabove the ITone). He said:
Thi s is the at bute of i sti wa concemi ng whi ch peopl e have
i ndul ged intoo many arguments. Many peopl e have deni ed it on the
basi s of phi l osophy and l ogi c and argumentati ve evi dence ai med at
provi ng the truthto be false and the false to be ue. Thousands of
those who cl ai mto be Musl i ms have had the audaci ty to deny this
at i buteofthe Lord ofthe heavens and the earth on the basi s of1ogi c.
For exampl e they say: 1f He had ri sen above Hi s Throne then He
woul d be like Hi s creati on in some way but He is not like Hi s
creati on therefor He di d not rise above Hi s Throne. ' This is a false
concl usi on because it is cl earl y con ary to the Qur' an.
The Shaykh ( may Al l ah have mercy on hi m) expl ai ned that the
at i buteof i sti waa is an at i buteofPerfecti on and Maj esty by whi ch
the Lord of the heavens and the earth prai ses Hi msel f. The proof that
it is an at i bute of Perfecti on and Maj esty is that whenever it is
menti oned inthe Qur' an it is inthe context of other great at i butes
whi ch i ndi cate the Mesty and Perfecti on of Al l ah. Then he quotes
the texts inwhi ch this at i bute is menti oned inorder to prove that
what he is sayi ng is correct.
1) The first soorah (chapter) accordi ng to the order in whi ch the
soorahs (chapters) appear inwhi ch Al l ah menti ons the at i bute of
istiwi s Soorah al -A' raaf where He ( ) says:

4
1
3
3
1

4
4
1
1
j
i
-
-
J
362 Definition01 Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts 10Hi m

ii r ; ;. 3IJ
QI J 1 54j 124144 j 5
4
your Lord is Al l ah Who created the heavens
and the earth in Si x Days and then He rose over
[I stawaa] the Throne [real l y in a manner that suits Hi s
Mesty]. He bri ngs the ni ght as a cover over the day
seeki ng it rapi dl y and [He created] the sun the moon
the s s subj ected to Hi s Command. Surel y Hi s is the
creati on and commandment . Bl essed is Al l ah the Lord
of the ' Aal ameen [manki nd j i nn and all at exists]!
(Qur 'an 7: 54)
So how can anyone deny any of these a i butes whi ch poi nt Hi s
Maj esty and Perfecti on?
2) The second pl ace is in Soorah Yoonus where Al l ah ( ) says:
1P 4 3. I i Ld LL
4J =4; ; i LMG3l 112342
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your Lord is Al l ah Who created the heavens and
the earth in six Days and then rose over [I stawaa] the
Throne [really in a manner that suits Hi s Maj esty]
Bel i ef inAl l ah
di sposi ng the affair of all thi ngs. No i ntercessor [can
pl ead wi th Hi m] except after Hi s Leave. That is Al l ah
your Lord; so worshi p Hi m[Al one]. Then wi l l you not
remember? To Hi mis e re rn of all of you. The
Promi se of Al l ah is ue. It is He Who begi ns the creati on
and then wi l l repeat it that He may reward wi th j usti ce
those who bel i eved and di d deeds of ri ghteousness. But
those who di sbel i eved wi l l have a dri nk ofboi l i ng f1ui ds
andpai n 1torment because eyused todi sbel i eve. It is
He Who made the sun a shi ni ng thi ng and emoonas a
light and measured out for it s ges at you mi ght know
the number of ye s and the reckoni ng. Al l ah di d not
create this but intruth. He expl ai ns the Aayaat indetai l
for peopl e who have knowl edge. Veri l y in the
al temati on of the ni ght and the day and in all that
Al l ah has created inthe heavens and the earth are Aayaat
for those peopl e who keep eir duty to Al l ah and fear
Hi m (Qur' n 10: 36)
363
So how can anyone deny any of these a i butes whi ch poi nt to Hi s
Mesty and Perfecti on?
3) The thi rd pl ace is in Soorah ar- Ra 'd where Al l ah ( ) says:
1jbQ1phy 1L41
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364 Definition01Allahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
is He Who rai sed the heavens wi thout any pi11ars
that you can see. Then He rose above [1st waa] the
Throne [real1y ina manner that suits Hi s Maj esty]. He
has subj ected the sun and the moon [to conti nue goi ng
round] each runni ng [its course] for a termappoi nted.
He manages and regul ates al1 affairs; He expl ai ns the
Aayaat [proofs evi dences verses l essons si gns
revel ati ons etc.] in detail that you may bel i eve wi th
certai nty in the Meeti ng wi th your Lord. And it is He
Who spread out the earth and pl aced therei n fi rm
mountai ns and ri vers and of every ki nd offrui ts He made
Zawj ayn l thnayn [two inpai rs - may mean t wo ki nds or
it may mean: of t wo vari eti es e.g. bl ack and whi te
sweet and sour smal1and big]. He bri ngs the ni ght as a
cover over the day. Veri l y in these thi ngs there are
Aayaat [proofs evi dences l essons si gns etc.] for
peopl e who ret1ect. And in the earth are nei ghbouri ng
tracts and gardens ofvi nes and green crops [fields] and
date pal ms growi ng into t wo or three o ma si ngl e stem
root or otherwi se [one stemroot for every pal m]
watered wi th the same water; yet some of t hemWe make
mor e excel1ent than others toeat . Veri l y inthese thi ngs
there are Aryaat [proofs evi dences l essons si gns] for
the peopl e who understand. ) (Qur 'an 13: 24)
So how can anyone deny any of these at i butes whi ch poi nt Hi s
Maj esty and Perfecti on?
4) The fo th pl ace is in Soorah Ta-Ha:
344i : _ ; l i .!l UJ t
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Bel i efi nAUh
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_Ha.
127
We have not sent down the Qur' an unto you
[0' Muhammad] to cause you dis essbut onl y as a
Remi nder tothose who fear [Al l ah]. A Revel ati on o m
Hi m[Al l ah] Who has created the earth and hi gh
heavens. The Most Graci ous [Al l ah] rose over [I stawa]
the 1i ] Throne [in a manner suits Hi s
Maj esty]. To Hi mbel ongs all that is inthe heavens and
all at is on the earth and all that is between t hem and
all that is under the soi l. And if you [0' Muhammad]
speak [thei nvocati on] al oud then veri l y He knows the
secret and that whi ch is yet mor e hi dden. Al l ah! La
i l aah illaHuw[ none has eri ght tobe worshi pped but
He]! To Hi mbel ong the Best Names. ;
(Qur' n 20: 1-8)
365
So how can anyone deny any of these at i butes whi ch poi nt to Hi s
Mesty and Perfecti on?
5) The fifthpl ace is inSoorah al -Furqaan where Al l ah ( ) says:

sL4i : 5 L
Ji J i 1;3
[0' M l amma inthe Ever Li vi ng
One Who di es not and gl ori Hi s Prai ses and
Suffi ci ent is He as the Al l - Knower of the si ns of Hi s
sl aves Who created the heavens and the earth and all
at is bet ween t hemin si x Days. Then He rose over
127 These letters are one of the mi racl es of the Qur' an and none but AUah
(Alone) knows their meanings.
De.fi nitionof Allahand Connecti ng HeartsHi m 366
e
d

4
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1
3
3
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j
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[l stawa] the Throne [ina manner that suits Hi s Mesty].
The Most Graci ous [Allah]! Ask Hi m[0' Prophet
Muhammad concemi ng Hi s Qualities: Hi s rising over
Hi s Throne Hi s creati ons] as He is Al - Khabeer [The
All- Knower of everythi ng i.e. Al l ah])
(Qur 'an 25: 58-59)
So how can anyone deny any of these at i butes whi ch poi nt toHi s
Maj esty and Perfecti on?
6) The si xth pl ace is inSoorah as-Saj dah where Al l ah ( ) says:
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say they: He [ Muhammad) has fabri cated it?' Nay
it is e uth o myour Lord so that you may wam a
peopl e to whomno wamer has come before you [0'
Muhammad] inorder that eymay be gui ded. Al l ah
is He Who has created the heavens and the earth and all
that is between t hemin six Days. Then He rose over
[1st waa] the Throne [in a manner that suits Hi s
Maj esty]. You [manki nd] have none besi des Hi m as a
Wal i [protector or hel per] or an i ntercessor. Wi11you not
then remember [or recei ve admoni ti on]? He manages
and regul ates [every] affair o mthe heavens to the
Bel i efi nAl l ah 367
earth; then it [aair] wi l l go up to Hi m inone Day the
space whereof is a thousand ye S of yourreckoni ng [i.e.
reckoni ng of our present worl d' s ti me]. That is He the
Al l - Knower of the unseen and the seen the Al l - Mi ghty
the Most Merci f ul . Who made everythi ng He has created
good and He began the creati on of man o mc1ay. Then
He made hi s 0spri ng f romsemen of despi sed water
[mal e and f emal e sexual di scharge]. Then He fashi oned
hi min due proporti on and breathed i nto hi mthe soul
[created by Al l ah for at person]; and He gave you
heari ng [ears] si ght [eyes] and he ts. Li leis the thanks
you (Qur' an 32: 3
So how can anyone deny any of these a i butes whi ch poi nt to Hi s
Maj esty and Perfecti on?
7) The seventh pl ace is inSoorah where Al l ah ( ) says:
;.
466U f J 4641 1 i ( L


is the First [nothi ng is before Hi m] and the Last
[nothi ng is after Hi m] the Most Hi gh [nothi ng is above
Hi m] and the Most Near [nothi ng is nearer than Hi m].
And He is the Al l - Knower of every thi ng. He it is Who
created the heavens and the earth insix Days and then
rose over [I stawaa] the Throne [in a manner that suits
Hi s Maj esty]. He knows what goes i nto the earth and
what comes forth o mit and what descends f romthe
heaven and what ascends thereto. And He is wi th you
[by Hi s Knowl edge] wheresoever you may be. And
Al l ah is the Al l -Seer of what you do) (Qur' an 57: 34)
368 Dinition01AUah and Connecti Hearts toHi m
The poi nt is that these at i butes - whi ch the i gnorant i nk are
attri butes of i mperfecti on - and dare to c1ai mthat the Lord of the
heavens and the earth at i butedtoHi msel f at i butes of i mperfecti on
das a result of that they deny t hemor mi si nterpret t hem ' em
fact menti oned inthe context of prai si ng Al l ah. He has menti oned
t heminthe context of other a i butes of Mestyand Perfecti on. lis
i ndi cates the i gnorance and confusi on of those who Y to deny the
at i butes of Al l ah by mi si nterpreti ng them. "
6 - I MPORTANT PRI NCI PLES CONCERNI NG THE NAMES
AND ATTRI BUTES OF AL L AH
There are a number of i mportant pri nci pl es and mai n poi nts towhi ch
the schol ars drawattenti on to we woul d liketoquote inbri efbel ow.
The Fi rst Pri nci pl e: What is sai d about some Attri butes appl i es
to all other Attri butes too
128
By means of this pri nci pl e the vi ewof many groups may be refuted:
a) Those who affi rmsome attri butes and deny others
They affrrmthat Al l ah () has life knowl edge power heari ng
seei ng speech and a wi11. They regard these as ue at ibutes. But
they di spute concemi ng Al l ah' s l ove pl easure anger and ha 'edand
regard t hemas metaphori cal or they i nterpret t hemas bei ng aspects
of Hi s wi11 or as bl essi ngs and puni shments.
It shoul d be sai d tothese peopl e: there is no di erencebetween what
you affi rmand what you deny; what is sai d concemi ng one of t hem
al so appl i es tothe others. I f you say that Hi s lifeand knowl edge are
likethe lifeand knowl edge of Hi s created bei ngs then you must say
the same about Hi s pl easure l ove and anger.
128 Maj moo' al - Fatam Shaykh al -I sl am 3/17.
Bel i efi nAl l ah 369
If you say at He has life knowl edge and a wi l l ina manner that
befits Hi mand that do not resembl e the lives knowl edge and wi11s of
Hi s created bei ngs then you must al so say the same wi th regard to
Hi s pl easure l ove and anger.
I f you say that anger means that the bl ood inthe heart is boi l i ng wi th
the desi re for revenge it must al so be sai d that the wi11is the heart' s
desi re toget somethi ng good or ward off somethi ng bad. If you say
at is is the wi11of the created bei ng we say that is is the anger of
the created bei ng.
b) Those who affi rmthe Names but deny the Attri butes
They say that He () is al i ve wi thout life Al l - Knowi ng wi thout
knowl edge and so on.
It shoul d be sai d to these peopl e there is no di erence between
affi rmi ng Hi s Names and affi rmi ng Hi s At ibutes. If you say that
affi rmi ng life knowl edge and power i mpl i es l i keni ng Al l ah to Hi s
creati on (tashbeeh) or thi nki ng of Hi minphysi cal terms (taj seem) -
because we do not fi nd anythi ng that has at i butes at is not
physi cal - we say inresponse: the same appl i es toHi s Names for we
do not fi nd anythi ng at is cal l ed al i ve knowl edgeabl e or powe 11
but it is physi cal . If this is the case then you shoul d deny the names
of Al l ah too. If they say that these names befit Hi s Perfecti on and
Mestywe say the same appl i es to Hi s At ibutes.
c) Those who deny both the Names and the Attri butes
They c1ai mthat they deny t hemso that they wi11not l i ken Al l ah to
Hi s creati on. It shoul d be sai d tothem: you deny Hi s knowl edge and
lifejust as you deny at He is Al l - Knowi ng and Al i ve for fear of
l i keni ng Hi mtoHi s created bei ngs but the i mpl i cati on of your i deas
is that you are thi nki ng of Al l ah in terms of non-exi stence.
370 D:nition01 Al l ahnd Connecti ng Hearts toHi m

F
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2
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The Second Pri nci pl e:
129
Speaki ng about the Attri butes is like
speaki ng about the Essence of Al l ah
Al l ah () has an Essence whi ch does not resembl e the essences of
Hi s created bei ngs. By the same token Hi s at i butes and acti ons do
not resembl e the essence and acti ons of Hi s created bei ngs.
l ereforeif someone affi rms that Al l ah is a proven reality wi th the
at i butes of perfecti on whi ch are unmatched by anythi ng else then
he shoul d accept that Hi s heari ng seei ng and speech whi ch are also
proven tobe real do not resembl e the heari ng seei ng and speech of
Hi s created bei ngs.
If someone were tosay: 1 deny that Al l ah rose over Hi s Throne r
fear of l i keni ng Al l ah toHi s created bei ngs it shoul d be sai d tohi m
Deny the exi stence and essence of Al l ah then because they also
i mpl y l i keni ng Al l ah toHi s created bei ngs. I fhe says Al l ah exists in
auni quemam andHe has a uni que Essence that does not resembl e
the essence of Hi s created bei ngs then we say: the same appl i es to
Hi s descendi ng and Hi s ri si ng above Hi s Throne (i sti wa).
The Thi rd Pri nci pl e: The Fact that names may be the same does
not i mpl y that the thi ngs so named are the same
We know that what Al l ah () has tol d us about the mi l k honey and
wi ne inParadi se is uethat these are real thi ngs whi ch happen to
have the same names as thi ngs that exist inthis wor1d but they are
not like them. The di fference between t hemand their earthl y
counte ts is known onl y to Al l ah. The di erence between the
Creator and Hi s created bei ngs is far greater than the di fference
between one created thi ng and another. I ndeed in this worl d a
number of thi ngs may be gi ven the same name but each of t hemhas

;
7

129 Maj moo' a[.Fat aawa Shaykh al -l sl am 3/25.

Beli f inAllah 371
its own nature. We may say for exampl e the l eg of a camel the l eg of
a j ourney and the l eg of a man; the l eg ineach of these reephr es
has its own meani ng.
The Fourt h Pri nci pl e: Al l ah cannot be descri bed onl y i nterms of
negati on
Al l ah () has a r medcertai n Names and At i butes for Hi msel f
and has deni ed certai n names and at i butes for Hi msel f.
l I s affi rmati on and deni al of names and at i butes is both general
and speci fi c. The general af f mnati on occurs inthe context of general
prai se ascri bed to Al l ah as i ndi cated in the aayaat:

the prai ses and thanks be toAl l ah the Lord of the
l ameen [manki nd j i nn and all at
(Qur' n 1: 2)
@... Uj i LRAJ
for Al l ah is the hi ghest descri pti on..)
(Qur' n 16: 60)
The detai l ed affi rmati on deal s wi th every name or at i butenarrated
in the Qur' an and Sunnah.
le general negati on deni es every fault or shortcomi ng at coul d
de ct f romthe perfecti on of Al l ah as when He ( ) says:
. . . fJ ZJ . . .
. There is nothi ng like Hi m; . . ) (Qur 'an 42: 1
. . .
you know of any who is si mi l ar to
(Qur' an 19: 65)
372 Definition01Allahand Connecti ng Hearts Hi m
be speci fi c negati on means dec1ari ng that Al l ah is far above each
and every one of these ults and shortcomi ngs. So Al l ah shoul d be
dec1ared tobe above havi ng a father a son a pa lera wi fe or a rival
and above bei ng i gnorant sl umberi ng sl eepi ng doi ng thi ngs for no
pu oseetc.
But the Qur' ani c met hod of negati ng is not to deny anythi ng in
absol ute terms. So the Qur' an does not deny that Al l ah has any
shortcomi ngs except inthe context of prai si ng Hi mand menti oni ng
Hi s perfecti on. It does not deny anythi ng absol utel y as some ofthese
groups do.
130
Al l ah () says:
~ A l l a h ! Laa i l aahillaHuwa [none has theright tobe
worshi pped but He] Al lfa . Jul-Qa. J oom[the Ever
Li vi ng the One Who sustai ns and protects all that
exists]. Nei ther sl umber nor sl eep overtakes Hi m. To
Hi mbel ongs whatever is inthe heavens and whatever is
on the earth. Who is he that can i ntercede wi th Hi m
except wi th Hi s Permi ssi on? He knows what happens to
them[Hi s creatures] inthis wor1d and what wi11happen
to theminthe Hereafter. And they wi11never compass
anythi ng of Hi s Knowl edge except that whi ch He wi11s.
Hi s Kursi y extends over the heavens and the earth and
He feels no fati gue in mrdi ngand preservi ng them...
(Qur 'an 2: 255)
130 E.g. Al-Jahamiyahal MalJ4ah. See MGmoo al-Fataawa3/39.
4
BeU(inAllah 373
Here Al l ah () deni es that He sl umbers or sl eeps but the deni al of
these t wo i mpl i es the a rmati on of Hi s life and sel f-sustai nment.
One aspect of the perfect nature of Hi s lifeis that He is not overtaken
by sl umber (whi ch is the begi nni ng of sl eep) or sl eep. The phrase
He feels no fati gue in guardi ng and preservi ng them. . )
( Qur 'an2: 255) i mpl i es the perfecti on of Hi s power for the meani ng
is that it does not tire Hi mout or wei gh Hi mdown.
A si mi l ar exampl e is the aayah:
JJ;l Ji l i fi ;4434i ..
even the wei ght of an at om[or a smal l ant] or less
than that or greater escapes Hi s Knowl edge in the
heavens or in the earth..) ( Qur ' an 34: 3).
The deni al that anythi ng may escape Hi s knowl edge i mpl i es that He
the Exal ted Al l - Knower knows every at om(or smal l ant) in the
heavens and on earth.
And Al l ah () says:
J A18<-!

i ndeed We created the heavens and the earth and
all between t hemin six Days and nothi ng of fati gue
touched Us ) ( Qur 'an 50: 3.
Denyi ng fati gue (whi ch is ti redness and exhausti on) poi nts the
compl eteness of Hi s power and s ength.
And Al l ah () says:
...diTi L i i J
vi si on can grasp Hi m (Qur 'an 6: 103)
Dinitionof Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m 374
- means no vi si on can encompass Hi m. Even though He wi11be
seen in the Hereafter because of Hi s greatness no vi si on wi11
encompass Hi m.
Si mi l arl y each ti me Al l ah deni es somethi ng it i mpl i es a posi ti ve
attribute for whi ch Al l ah is to be prai sed.

d
A

1
3
Al l ah does not descri be Hi msel f interms of absol ute deni al unl ess it
hi ghl i ghts a posi ti ve at ibute. Thus it becomes c1ear that those who
tend to engage in excessi ve deni al (or what they call negati on) are
mi staken because negati on does not i mpl y prai se or perfecti on
unl ess it i mpl i es a posi ti ve affi rmati on. Absol ute deni al is absol ute
nothi ngness and absol ute nothi ngness is nothi ng.
Most of the i nnovators who deny inabsol ute terms say: Al l ah does
not speak He does not see He is not hi gh above the uni verse. " Some
of t hemgo toextremes and say: He isnei ther wi thi n the uni verse nor
outsi de it; He is nei ther separa o mit nor j oi ned to it" and other
such nonsense whi ch makes Al l ah as i f He is nothi ng - Exal ted and
Gl ori fi ed be He.
The Fi fth Pri nci pl e: Wor ds whi ch may be true or fal se
leat i butes narrated inthe Qur' an and Sunnah etrue and we are
obl i ged to bel i eve in t hem even if we do not understand their
meamng.
But the thi ngs that peopl e say about Al l ah not narrated in e Q ' an
or Sunnah and whi ch peopl e di spute about - we nei ther a r mt hem
nor deny t hemunti1we know what the person sayi ng t hemmeans.
For exampl e it may be sai d to the one who deni es that Al l ah has
di recti onWhat do you mean by di recti on? I f you mean that Al l ah is
wi thi n the physi cal confi nes of the heaven and that the heaven
contai ns Hi m then it is not permi ssi bl e for us tosay at Al l ah is ina
certai n di recti on. But if you mean that Al l ah is above Hi s creati on
375 BeUfinAllah
and above the heavens then this is ue. "
The Si xth Pri nci pl e: Deni al of Attri butes caused pri mari l y by
anthropomorphi c bel i efs (Tashbeeh)
The pri nci pl e is expl ai ned by Shaykh Muhammad al- A meen ash-
Shanqeeti ( may Al l ah have mercy on hi m) who poi nted out that the
ori gi n of this probl emwas the fact that hearts are contami nated wi th
the filth of tashbeeh. So when a person whose heart is us
contami nated wi th the filthof tashbeeh hears of one of the at i butes
of perfecti on by whi ch Al l ah prai ses Hi msel f such as Hi s descent to
the first heaven duri ng the last thd of the ni ght or Hi s ri si ngover
Hi s throne or Hi s comi ng on the Day of Resurrecti on and other
a i butes of Maj esty and perfecti on the first thi ng that crosses his
mi nd is that is at i buteresembl es an at i buteof created bei ngs. So
his heart is contami nated wi th the filthof tashbeeh and he does not
esti mate Al l ah wi th an esti mati on due toHi mor venerate Al l ah as He
shoul d be venerated because the frrst thi ng that crosses his mi nd is
that the at i buteof the Creator resembl es the at buteof Hi s created
bei ngs. So frrst of a11 his heart is contami nated wi th the filth of
tashbeeh and this evil tashbeeh l eads hi mtodeny the at i buteofthe
Creator on the basi s that it resembl es the at i butes of Hi s created
bei ngs. So he starts wi th t shbeeh (anthropomorphi sm) and ends up
wi th teel (denyi ng the di vi ne at i butes al together) but o mthe
begi nni ng tothe end he is i nsul ti ng the Lord of the Worl ds denyi ng
Hi s at i butes by cl ai mi ng that these at i butes do not befit Hi m.
The Shaykh menti oned a pri nci pl e of ~ o o l upon whi ch the schol ars
are unani mousl y agreed. It was not permi ssi bl e for the Prophet () to
del ay teachi ng anythi ng once it was needed especi al l y inthe case of
' aqeedah (creed - matters ofbel i ef). I f we were togo al ong wi th their
false gumentthat e apparent meani ng of the aay t is /a
(di sbel i ef ) we shoul d note that the Prophet ( ) di d not inte ret
i sti waa as meani ng control l i ng or any of these other i nterpretati ons.
a
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i
t
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376 Dnitionof Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
Had these aayaat meant what these i nterpretati ons say the Prophet
woul d have hastened toexpl ai n that because it was not permi tted for
hi mto del ay expl ai ni ng thi ngs when needed.
The Shaykh expl ai ned that what the Musl i mis obl i ged todo when he
hears of an at i butewhi ch the Creatr of the heavens and the earth
ascri bed toHi msel f or whi ch Hi s Messenger ( ) at i butedtoHi m
is to fill his heart wi th gl ori fi cati on of Al l ah and be certai n that this
at i bute has reached the utmost inperfecti on maj esty honour and
hi ghness in such a manner as to cut off any possi bl e thoughts of
tashbeeh (anthropomorphi sm) or resembl ance between this attribute
and the at i butes of Hi s creati on. Thus (the bel i ever' s) heart glorifies
Al l ah and dec1ares Hi mto be far above such resembl ance
uncontami nated wi th the filth of tashbeeh. Thus his heart wi11 be
recepti ve tofaithand bel i ef inthe at i butes of Al l ah wi th whi ch He is
tobe prai sed and wi th whi ch Hi s Prophet prai sed Hi m as Al l ah ()
says:

is nothi ng likeHi m and He is the Al l -Hearer
the Al l -Seer.) (Qur 'an 42: 11).
le worst thi ng is not to gl ori Al l ahwhen the first thi ng at
crosses a person' s mi nd is that the at i buteof the Creator resembl es
the at butes of the created bei ng so that this poor soul is forced to
deny the at bute of the Creator on the grounds of this false c1ai m.
The Seventh Pri nci pl e: The Aayaat ( Verses) whi ch speak of the
Di vi ne Attri butes are not Ambi guous
Shaykh Ash-Shanqeeti stated that many peopl e descri be the aayaat
whi ch speak of the di vi ne at i butes as bei ng ambi guous aayat
(mutashaabi h). In one way this is a mi stake and in another way it
coul d be acceptabl e as I mamMaal i k i bn Anas said: l sti waa is not
BeliefinAl l ah 377
unknown how is not understandabl e aski ng about it is bi d 'ah and
bel i evi ng in it is obl i gatory."
Li kewi se it may be sai d about Al l ah' s descent (to the first heaven
duri ng the last thi rdofthe ni ght): The descent is not unknown how is
not understandabl e aski ng about it is bi d' ah and bel i evi ng in it is
obl i gatory. The same appl i es to all the a i butesbecause these
a i butes are known t he Arabs but inthe case of the Creator of the
heavens and the earth they etoo perfect too maj esti c and too great
to resembl e any of the at butes of the created bei ngs. Just as the
essence of the Creator is real so too the created bei ngs have their
essences but the essence of the Creator is too perfect and too great to
resembl e the essences of Hi s creatures in any way.
The Ei ghth Pri nci pl e: The Appar ent meani ng of the Attri butes
does not i mpl y Tashbeeh so there is no need to fi nd a di fferent
i nterpretaon
The gui del i ne in the field of is that if a wor d has onl y one
possi bl e meani ng then it is cal l ed na (a statement) such as the
aayah (verse)
...1iJ
ten days in (Qur' n 2: 196).
If lere are t wo or mor e possi bl e meani ngs then one of the t wo
possi bi1ities is mor e apparent than the other or both 'e equal l y
apparent.
If both are equal l y possi bl e then it is cal l ed muj mal (general not
specific). An exampl e woul d be the phrase ' adaa al-
'ala ' aynZayd (yesterday the i eves attacked the ' aynof
Zayd). The wor d "ayn coul d mean the eye of Zayd whi ch they
bl i nded; or it may mean his spri ng whi ch they dammed; or it may
mean his gol d and silver whi ch ey stole. Thi s is an exampl e of
378 D'nition01 Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
muj mal (general meani ng). lerul i ng concemi ng muj mal words or
phrases is that we shoul d reai no mi nterpreti ng it ina parti cul ar
way unl ess there is evi dence to speci what is meant.
But i fthe text is c1e andunambi guous then we shoul d fol l owi tand
not maway f romit unl ess there is proof that it has been abrogated.
If one of the t wo possi bl e meani ngs is mor e apparent this is cal l ed
(the apparent) and its counte art is cal l ed
(unl i kel y possibility). le appare meanmg I S e one
whi ch shoul d be fol l owed unl ess there is evi dence todi vert us o m
it. For exampl e i f you sayra ' aytuasadan' the app ent meani ng is
a savage ani mal (I sawa lion) but it may refer toa courageous man.
So when we read the aayaat whi ch speak of the at butes of Al l ah
such as Hand of Al l ah is over their hands...) (Qur 'an48: 10)
and other si mi l ar aayaat is the first thi ng that i kes our mi nds that
is aayah is l i keni ng the at i butes of Al l ah toHi s creati on so that
we have to i nterpret it in order to di vert the wor d away o mits
apparent meani ng? Or is the apparent meani ng that comes to mi nd
when we read it that the Lord of the heavens is above resembl i ng Hi s
creati on in any of Hi s at i butes so we accept this aayah in that
context dec1ari ng Hi mto be above any such resembl ance? The
answer to that is that the frrst thi ng whi ch shoul d come to the
Musl i m' s mi nd when he hears of any of the at i butes of the Lord of
the heavens and the earth is that Al l ah is compl etel y above any
resembl ance to Hi s creati on.
l eco 'ect understandi ng istoaccept the apparent meani ngs ofthese
aayaat (verses) whi ch is tothi nk: of the Lord of the heavens and the
e bei ng r above any resembl ance toHi s creati on inany of Hi s
at butes. Can any rati onal person deny that the first thi ng that
crosses the sound mi nd is that the Creator differs o mHi s creati on in
Hi s essence and in all Hi s a i butes? No by Al l ah no one wi11
di spute is except those who are arrogant.
L
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BeU(inAllah 379
The Ni nth Pri nci pl e: The Real i ty of Ta' weel
131
The wor d ta' weel whi ch has tempted peopl e and l ed thousands ofthi s
nah astray coul d mean ree thi ngs:
1) It coul d mean the way the thi ngs devel op and end up. This is e
meani ng in the aayaat such as the fol l owi ng:
}t5 13L49j l
4That is better and mor e
determi nati on [ ' weel an].}T
sui tabl e for final
(Qur' an 4: 59)
--Mhti; ...
~ . . . Even before the el uci dati on
reached them. . )
[ta' weel] thereof has
( Qur 'an 10: 39)
- Abdul l ah Yusuf 'Ali's sl ati oni.e. the way thi ngs ul ti matel y
n out.
@. . . 5i 6. Ji j LJJE
. On the Day the event is fi nal l y fulfilled [ta' weel]
those who negl ected it before. . ) ( Qur 'an 7: 53)
2) Ta ' weel may mean tqeer (i nterpretati on). l I s is a wel l known
usage such as n J areer' s comment: the opi ni on on the ta' weel
(i nterpretati on) of the aayah (verse) is such and such...
3) I n the termi nol ogy of ~ o o l ta' weel means: i nterpreti ng a wor d in
a way other than the app ent meani ng whi ch first spri ngs tomi nd on
the basi s of evi dence.
131 1 have wri tten a paper on this topi c enti tl ed: At-Ta 'weel khu{ooratuhu wa
athaaruhu(I nterpretati on: its dangers and effects).

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D:nition01Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m 380
Acc'Ordi ng t'Othe sch'Olars 'Of i nterpreti ng a w'Ord ina way 'Other
than the apparent meani ng whi ch first spri ngs t'Omi nd is d'One inthree
cases:
a) It is i nterpreted ina way 'Other than the apparent meani ng whi ch
first spri ngs t'Omi nd 'On the basi s (s'Ound) evi dence fr'Om the
Qur' an 'Or Sunnah. Thi s ki nd 'Of ta' weel 'Or interpretati 'On is c'Orrect
and is acceptabl e; there is n'Odi spute ab'Out it . Exampl es 'Of this ki nd
inc1ude the hadi th narrated o mthe Pr'Ophet ():
The nei ghb'Our has m'Ore ri ght t'O proxi mi ty. " 132
The apparent meani ng 'Of this hadi th is that the nei ghb'Our has the
ri ght 'Of pre-empti 'On (c'Oncemi ng deci si 'Ons 'On 'Or sal es 'Of
nei ghb'Ouri ng property etc
But if we i nterpret this as i ngspeci fi cal l y t'Oa nei ghb'Our wh'Ose
pr'Operty is c'Onti gu'Ous this is f'Oll 'Owi ng a meani ng that is n'Ot
i mmedi atel y apparent. But the hadi th narrated by J aabi r
When b'Oundari es are bei ng drawn up and routes are taki ng shape
there is n'Ori ght 'Ofpre-empti 'On " 133 pr'Oves that what is meant by e
nei ghb'Our wh'O has m'Ore ri ght t'O proxi mi ty is speci fi cal l y the
nei ghb'Our wh'Ose pr'Operty is c'Onti gu'Ous. Thi s ki nd 'Of i nterpreti ng a
w'Ord ina way 'Other than the app ent meani ng whi ch first spri ngs t'O
mi nd 'On the basi s 'Of cl ear evi dence o m eQur' an and Sunnah is
cal l ed (c'Orrect i nterpretati 'On) 'Or ta' weel qareeb
(acceptabl e i nterpretati 'On).
b) A w'Ord is i nterpreted in a way 'Other than e apparent meani ng
whi ch first spri ngs t'Omi nd because 'Of s'Omethi ng whi ch the sch'Olar
bel i eves t'Obe evi dence but infact it is n'Ot an evi dence. Thi s is cal l ed
132 Al;l mad Nasaee and IbnMaaj ah ( Munqa al - Akhbaar Pp. 492 hadithno.
3177).
133 Bukhari Abu Dawood Tirmidhi andAI;lmad(Muntaqa al -A baarPp. 492).
-
Ben(inAl l ah 381
ta' weel ba ' eed (far-fetched i nterpretati on) or someti mes it is cal l ed
faasi d (corrupt).
An exampl e of this is Abu I:I aneefah' s i nterpretati on of the wor d
woman' in the hadi th of the Prophet ():
ly woman who gets marri ed wi thout the permi ssi on
of her guardi an her marri age is i nval i d. 134
Hi s i nterpretati on of this as referri ng speci fi cal l y to a sl ave woman
who had a wri tten contract of emanci pati on is ' weel ba ' eed (a
fetched i nterpretati on) because the parti c1e a . J inthe wor d a maa
(any) is general inmeani ng; the suffi x maa emphasi zes the fact that
this phrase ( maa i mra 'atin - any woman) is general in
meani ng referri ng to any woman whatsoever. I nterpreti ng this as
i ng to a speci fi c case (the sl ave woman who has a wri tten
con act of emanci pati on) is i nterpreti ng it in a way other than the
apparent meani ng whi ch first spri ngs tomi nd wi thout any evi dence
for doi ng so.
c) Wi regardto i nterpreti ng words or phrases ina way other than
the apparent meani ng whi ch first spri ngs to mi nd wi thout any
evi dence this is not cal l ed ta' weel ; in schol arl y termi nol ogy it is
cal l ed la'ib (pl ayi ng) because it i nvol ves pl ayi ng wi th the Book of
Al l ah and the Sunnah of Hi s Messenger (). An exampl e of this is
the way inwhi ch the ex meRawaaf i 4 (shi as) i nterpret the aayah
Al l ah commands you that you sl aughter a cow. . ) (Qur' an
2: 6. They sai d (this refers to) Aa' i shah.
l I ski nd of (mi s )i nterpretati on al so inc1udes i nterpreti ng eaayaat
(verses) whi ch speak of the at i butes of Al l ah di storti ng t hem o m
their app ent meani ngs to unl i kel y meani ngs for whi ch Al l ah has
134 Abu Dawood Ti rmi dhi I bn M ah and Al;l mad (Muntaqa al -Akhbaar 539
hadi th no. 3452).
382 D:nition01 Al l ah!ndConnecti ng Hearts toHi m
not reveal ed any authori ty such as when they i nterpret i stawaa (rise j
above) as meani ng i stawl aa (possess take control ). Thi s cannot be ~
i ncl uded under the headi ng of ' weel because there is no evi dence
for this at all. 1n the termi nol ogy of the schol ars of ~ o o l it is cal l ed
la'ib(pl ayi ng) because it is pl ayi ng wi th the Book of Al l ah wi th no
evi dence and no basi s. Thi s ki nd of i nterpretati on (whi ch is
mi si nterpretati on) is not permi ssi bl e because it is an assaul t agai nst
the words of the Lord of the Wor1ds. lebasi c pri nci pl e whi ch was
known to the schol ars among esal af (pi ous predecessors) is that
is not permi ssi bl e tochange the meani ng of anythi ng inthe Book of
Al l ah or the Sunnah of Hi s Messenger o mthe apparent meani ng
whi ch first spri ngs to mi nd unl ess there is evi dence whi ch must be
referred to.
. ' HE VI EW OF AHL AS- SUNNAH WA' L- J AMA'AH
CONCERNI NG THE ATTRI BUTES OF AL L AH
Ibn Taymi ya summed up the vi ewof the ri ghteous Sal af i ous
Predecessors) on this topic:
The basi c pri nci pl e regardi ng this ma er is at Al l ah is to be
descri bed as He has descri bed Hi msel f and as Hi s Messenger ( )
has descri bed Hi m in terms both of affi rmati on and negati on. We
affi rmfor Al l ah what He has affi rmed for Hi msel f and we deny for
Hi mwhat He has deni ed for Hi msel f.
1t is known that the met hod of the sal af and Aai mmah (the reputed
schol ars and gui des) of this ummah is toaffi rmthe at i butes whi ch
Al l ah has affi rmed for Hi msel f wi thout aski ng how or maki ng
compari sons and wi thout di storti ng or denyi ng them. " 135
135 Maj moo' al - Fat aawa 3/3. The aqeedah (belief creed) of the sal af
(Predecessors) has been stated by many scholars including TaI;l aawi on whose =
....-
Bel i efi n Al l ah 383
Al 1( ) has warned us agai nst devi ati ng o mthe method of
understandi ng that He expl ai ned in Hi s Book wi th regard to Hi s
Names and at ibutes. He says:
1 G 1b; l j EtA4114GVf AJ

[al1] the Most Beauti ful Names bel ong toAl1ah so

call on Hi mby t hem and l eave the company of those
who bel i e or deny [or utter i mpi ous speech agai nst] Hi s
Names. . . } l (Qur 'an 7: 180).
le root of the Arabi c wor d here as
bel i e or deny (or u r i mpi ous speech agai nst)] means turni ng away
l eani ng devi ati ng or goi ng to extremes. Fr omthe same root comes
the wor d (ni che inthe si de of a grave) because it tilts the body
of the deceased towards the di recti on of the qi bl ah.
136
Al l ah ( ) dec1ares Hi msel f to be above at whi ch the mi sgui ded
hereti cs and mushri koon (i dol aters) attri bute to Hi m:
4GAf z ;
be Al l ah! [He is ee] o mwhat they at i bute
unto Hi m! } l (Qur' an 37: 15

be yo Lordthe Lord of honour and power!
= 'Aqeedah a commentary was wri n by Muhammad i bn Muhammad i bn Abi ' l -
'Izz al l:I anafi entitled al- ' Aqeedah Abu' l l:I asan al -Ashari
Al -I baanah 'an U!j ool ad- Dayaanah; -Saabooni ' Aqeedat as-Sal af and many
others. We e fol l owi ng in their footsteps aski ng Al l ah to gather us wi th themon
the Day of J udgement .
136 Ma 'aarij a Qubool 1/ 88.
384 D:nitionof Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
[He is free] o mwhat they at bute unto Hi m!)
(Qur' an 37: 180)
But He ( ) excl udes f romthat the thi ngs that Hi s si ncere sl aves
at i bute to Hi m:
I i
the sl aves of Al l ah whomHe chooses [for Hi s
mercy i.e. bel i evers ofI sl ami c Monot hei smwho do
not at i butefalse i ngs unto Al l ah].) (Qur' an 37: 160)
And inanother aayah He () gre the Messengers wi th sal aam
for the soundness of what they say and what they ascri be to Al l ah
():
?i i
peace be on the Messengers!) (Qur 'an37:18
I mam Abu' I - l}asan al Ashari' s ' Aqeedah concerni ng the
attri butes of AUah
Some of those who do not accept the madhhab of Ahl as-Sunnah y
to stir up feel i ngs agai nst the Ahl as- Sunnah by cl ai mi ng that the
madhhab (school ) of the Ash goes agai nst that whi ch we affirm.
They cl ai mthat their madhhab is emadhhab of Ahl as-Sunnah. We
wi11quote here the madhhab whi ch Abu' l asanal Ash i narrated
o mthe Ahl as- Sunnah and schol ars ofhadi th at the end of whi ch he
stated that he bel i eved in this and fol l owed it.
He gave this s tement the titleThis is the report of the vi ews of the
schol ars of hadi th and Ahl as-Sunnah. " Then he said:
The summar y of the bel i efs of Ahl al-lJ adeeth wa Sunnahis bel i ef
inAl l ah Hi s angel s Hi s Books and Hi s Messengers what cameo m
Al l ah and what is narrated by trustworthy sources o mthe
Bel i efi nA//' !h 385
Messenger of Al l ah (). They do not r ectanyof at .
137
( And they
bel i eve) that Al l ah is One God Uni que Etemal l y Sel f-Suffi ci ent.
There is no god except He and He does not have a wi fe or son. And
(they bel i eve) that Muhammad ( ) is Hi s sl ave and Messenger.
Paradi se is real Hel l is real the Hour wi11undoubtedl y come and
Al l ah wi11res rect those who are inthe graves. Al l ah () is above
Hi s Throne as He says:

Most Graci ous [Al l ah] rose over [I staw] the
[Mi ghty] Throne [ina manner that suits Hi s Maj es]. )
(Qur' an 20: 5)
He () has t wo Hands b we do not ask how as He says:
@. . J J 142 Q...
have created wi th Bot h My Hands. . . )
(Qur' :n 38: 75)
434h
both Hi s Hands are wi del y outstretched...)
(Qur' an 5: 64).
And He ( ) has t wo eyes but we do not ask how as He says:
under Our Eyes...'
4CD. . . G14
(Qur 'an 54: 14)
137 Not e how he made ! f al J ee al J aadeeth proof for ' aqeedah because he is
speaki ng about i ssues of ' aqeedah not about al J kaam(rulings). So he does not
di fferenti ate between mutawaati r and aal J aad. The way in whi ch he deri ves
evi dence concerni ng i ssues of ' aqeedah in his books proves that what we have
stated above is ue.
386 De.fi nition01Al l ahand Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
And He ( ) has a Face as He says:
iu J
the Face of your Lord full of Maj esty and Honour
wi1l remai n (Qur 'an 55: 2
We cannot say that the names of Al l ah are somethi ng other than
Al l ah as the Mu 'tazilahand Khawaari j said. They (Ahl al -l fadeeth
wa Sunnah) sai d at Al l ah () has knowl edge as He said:
4LL JA...
has sent it down wi th Hi s Knowl edge...)
(Qur 'an 4: 166)
...f j ug a ...
. And no femal e concei ves or gi ves bi rthbut wi th Hi s
(Qur 'an 35. 11)
They affi rmthat Al l ah can hear and see; they do not deny that as the
Mu 'tazilah do. And ey affi rmthat Al l ah has power as He ( )
says:
U
4 ...13; ij J LJ ( d!i J L..
they not that Al l ah Who created t hemwas
mi ghti er in s eng than them.. .T (Qur' an 41:15)
They say at the Qur' an is the wor d of Al l ah and is not created. The
i dea that we shoul d not gi ve any opi ni on on this matter or that the
reci tati on (but not the Qur' an itsel t) is created is a bi d' ah intheir
vi ew. It cannot be sai d that the pronunci ati on ofthe Qur' an is created
and it cannot be sai d that it is not created.
They bel i eve that peopl e' s eyes wi1l see Al l ah on the Day of
Resurrecti on just as they see the moon at ni ght when it is full. The
Beli finAl l ah 387
bel i evers wi11 see Hi mbut the k j afi reen (di sbel ei vers) wi l l n'Ot
because they e vei l ed ' OmAl l ah as He () says:
J 4 ;
Surel y they [evi l -d'Oers] wi l l be vei l ed away fr'Om
seei ng their L'Ord that Day) ( j. tr' an 83. I .
And they bel i eve that M' O' Osa ( M'Oses) (J ) asked Al l ah t'Olet hi msee
Hi minthis w'Orld but Al l ah mani fested Hi msel f (appeared) t'O the
m'Ountai n and He made it c'Ol l apse t'Odust. Thus Al l ah sh'Owed M' O' Osa
that he w'Oul d n'Ot see Hi minthis w'Orld but he w'Oul d see Hi minthe
Hereafter.
They bel i eve inthe narratedo mthe Messenger 'Of Al l ah
() sayi ng that Al l ah descends t'O the l'Owest heaven and says Is
there any'One wh'Ois seeki ng f'Orgi veness?" - as is stated inthe hadi th
narrated o mthe Messenger 'Of Al l ah. They affi rmthat Al l ah wi11
c'Ome 'On the Day 'Of Resurrecti 'On as He ( ) says:
441341j t
y'Our L'Ord c'Omes wi th the angel s in r ows)
(Qur 'an 89: 22)
( And they affi rm) that Al l ah ( ) is cl 'Ose t'O Hi s creati 'On in the
manner that He wi l l s as He says:
J Jf: ...
We ene er t'O hi mthan his j ugul ar vei n [by
Our Kn' Owl edge]. ) (Qur 'an 50: 1
Abu' l - Hasan al -Ashari c'Oncl uded his narrati 'On ' Omthe Ah/ as-
Sunnah and the Ah/ a/- 'adeeth by sayi ng:
This is the s nmar y 'Of what they bel i eve and teach. Al l that we
have qu'Oted 'Ofthei r vi ews is als'O'Our vi ewand 'Our 'Opi ni 'On. We have
388 Defi ni ti on of Al l ah and Connecti ng Hearts toHi m
no s engthexcept by Al l ah () He is suffi ci ent for us and the best
Di sposer of our affairs. Hi s hel p we seek inHi mwe put our trust and
to Hi mis our final desti nati on." 138
This quotati on makes it qui te cl ear that the bel i ef of Abu' l - I:I asan al
Ashari is i denti cal to the bel i ef of Ahl as- Sunnah wa ' l - J amaa ' ah
concemi ng the names and at i butes of Al l ah.
139
138 See Maqaal aat a I sl ami yeen Pp. 290 297. We have quoted onl y that whi ch
has to do wi th the at i butes of Al l ah; we have not quoted the rest of the beliefs
of Ahl as-Sunnah and Ahl al -l fadeeth of whi ch he approved.
139 1 have al so wri tten a book descri bi ng the be!i ef and methodol ogy of Abu' l
Hasan al -Ashari.
PTER THREE
THE ONENESS OF AL L AH ( TAWI J EED) 1
1 - MEANI NGS AND CATEGORI ES
Al1ah ( ) is One inHi s Essence. lereis nothi ng likeunto Hi mand
He has no equal . Exal ted be He above havi ng a wi fe or son.

4( 1) j_;
[0' Muhammad] : He is Al l ah [the] One.
$amad [Al l ah the Sel f-Suicient Master Who m all
crea res need enei ther ea nor dri nks)]. He begets
not nor was He begotten. And there is none co-equal or
comparabl e unto Hi m) ( Qw'an 112: 1
Al l ( ) is descri bed wi th at i butes of perfecti on and none of Hi s
creatures resembl e Hi min any of Hi s at i butes:
40) df b21J AJ f J J r J 4. 1
is nothi ng likeHi m and He is the Al l -Hearer
e Al1-Seer) (Qur 'an 42: 11)
1 True is the bel i ef in the Oneness (uni ty) of Al l ah Hi s Oneness in Hi s
Essence and At butesand worshi ppi ng Hi mal one wi th no partner or associ ate.
lis concept has been distorted. Some peopl e cl ai mthat dictates denyi ng
the a i butes of Al l ah because these at i butes - or so they say make the Eternal
more than one. Some cl ai mthat the to whi ch we refer here is the
Tawheed for the masses" and that the Tawheed of the elite is that whi ch is
proven through the 'iq (mysti cal realitie s"
Tawheed f or the elite of the elite. Al l of at is mi sgui dance.
390 The Oneness 01Al l ah
He () Al one is the Creator the Gi ver of life and death the
Sustai ner of the heavens and the earth. He is not a bel i ever who does
not know wi th absol ute certai nty that Al1ah is Uni que inal1of that.
It is not Enough merel y toKnow that AUah is One; Thi s Taweed
must be Resect ed in One' s Acti ons
The theoreti cal Tawl J eed is not suffi ci ent for a person tobe counted as
a bel i ever. He must al so take Al1ah Al one as his God and obj ect of
worshi p di recti ng worshi p to Hi mal one and none other.
Because the Creator the Provi der the Bestower of bl essi ngs the
Gi ver of bounty the Gi ver of lifeand death the One Who bears the
at i butes of perfecti on and is far above any shortcomi ngs is the onl y
One Who is deservi ng of worshi p. Everythi ng and everyone else is
subj ect toHi s Lordshi p and Di vi ni ty and does not have the power to
cause har mor bri ng benefi ts to itself so how can it be worshi pped
i nstead of Al1ah?
The Contradi cti ons of Those who do not Wor shi p AUah Al one
The ku.ffaar (di sbel i ever o mthe mushri k (i dol aters pol ythi ests)
Arabs and many others di d bel i eve that Al1ah was the Onl y Creator
Uni que inHi s provi si on power over lifeand death and soverei gnty.
But they refused toworshi p Hi mal one tothe exc1usi on of al1others.
Thi s was an appal1i ng contradi cti on for the One Who is Uni que in
Hi s powers of .creation is the onl y One deservi ng of worshi p
submi ssi on and gl ori fi cati on. The Qur' an debated at l ength wi th the
mushri keen and poi nted out their con adi cti ons. It expl ai ns that what
they bel i eved about Hi s bei ng uni que inHi s powers of creati on and
provi si on etc. obl i ged t hemto worshi p Hi mal one and di rect their
devoti on sol el y to Hi m.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 391
2 KALI MAATAT- TAWl f EED H E WORDS OF TAWl f EED) :
THEI R MEANI NGS VI RTUES AND CONDI TI ONS
The wor d of Ta eed- L i l aahai l l a-Al l ah (there is no god except
Al1ah) - sums up and encompasses fai . Thi s phrase is the sl ogan
and basi s of I sl am.
The meani ng of this phrase is: there is no god deservi ng of worshi p
except Al1ah. Those who i nterpret it as meani ng that nothi ng exi sts
except Al1ah are mi staken because the meani ng of the wor d i l aah is
god or obj ect of worshi p. So accordi ng tothese peopl e the meani ng
woul d be there is no god that exi sts except Al1ah d is is i ncorrect
because then it woul d i mpl y that everythi ng that is worshi pped
ri ghtful1y or wr ong l is Al1ah whi ch woul d mean that al1that the
mushri keen worshi p such as the sun the moon the s rsetc. is
Al1ah. It is as if they were sayi ng that nothi ng is worshi pped inthis
manner except Al1ah - whi ch is the lsest of fal sehoods.
The coect meani ng is that whi ch we menti oned inthe first pl ace:
at there is no god deservi ng of worshi p except Al1ah and Al1ah
Al one.
There are texts whi ch i ndi cate the vi rtue and great benefi ts of the
phrase Laa i l aaha i l l a-Al l ah. We have quoted above the texts whi ch
i ndi cate that whoever says Laa i l aaha i l l a-Al l ah si ncerel y o mthe
heart wi11enter Paradi se. By is statement (these words) a person' s
weal th and bl ood are protected and a person becomes a Musl i m.
But utteri ng is statement ( ese words) is not enough. l I s
s tement wi11 not benefi t a person before his Lord unl ess seven
condi ti ons 'e met:
1) Knowi ng its Meani ng
Al 1( ) says:
392 The Oneness 01
. . . 414LAY21 E
know [0' Muhammad] that L i l aaha i l l a-Al l ah
[none has the right to be worshi pped but Al l ah] .)
(Qur 'an 47: 19)
@ :J4JL' "
. Except for those who bear wi less to the truth
knowi ngl y [i.e. bel i eved in the Oneness of Al l ah and
obeyed Hi s Orders] and they know [thefacts about the
Oneness of Al l ah].) (Qur 'an 43: 86)
It is narrated that Ut hmaan i bn ' Affaan stated that the Messenger of
Al l ah ( ) said:
Whoever di es knowi ng that there is no god except
Al l ah wi11 enter Paradi se. 2
2) Certai nty
The one who says it must be absol utel y certai n about what is
statement i mpl i es. Fai th wi11not benefi t hi mat all unl ess he is certai n
beyond any shadowof doubt. Al l ah ( ) says:
...5: 4 ; : f U S i
those are the bel i evers who have bel i eved inAl1ah
and Hi s Messenger and afterward doubt not...)
(Qur 'an 49: 1.
The si nceri ty of eir faithis condi ti onal upon eir not doubti ng. It is
narrated on the authori ty of Abu Hurayrah ( ) that the Messenger
of Al l ah ( ) said:
2 Musl i m 1155 hadi th no. 26.
BeliefinAl / !h 393
1 bear wi tness that there is no god except Al l ah and at
1 am the Messenger of Al l ah. No person meets Al l ah
wi th this not doubti ng it and is deni ed Paradi se. 3
It is al so narrated that the Messenger of Al l ah ( ) sent Abu Hurayrah
wi th his shoes sayi ng:
Whoever you meet beyond this wal l (of egarden in
whi ch he was) who says Laa i l aaha i l l a-Al l ah wi th
certai nty in his heart gi ve hi mthe gl ad ti di ngs of
Paradi se. 4
The condi ti on for the person who says it enteri ng Paradi se is that he
shoul d be certai n of it in hi s heart wi th no doubts at all. If the
condi ti on is not met then the reward wi11 not be attai ned.
3) Acceptance of What is I mpl i ed by thi s Statement
Both verbal acceptance and accep nceinthe heart. The Qur' an tells
us that Al l ah puni shed the di sbel i evers of the nati ons who rected
this statement (kal i ma) and were too aogant to accept it:
qJ@. . ) i 1Jl(
@ A:. 1(
when it was sai d to them: Laa i l aah i l l a-Al l ah
[none has the ri ght to be worshi pped but Al l ah] they
pu ed themsel ves up wi th pri de [i.e. deni ed it]. And
[they] said: Are we goi ng to abandon our a ' al i hah
[gods] for the sake of a mad poet?' } t r l r' an 37: 35-36)
So Al l ah stated that the reason for thei r puni shment was thei r
arrogant refusal tosay Laa i l aaha i l l a-Al l ah and their di sbel i ef inthe
one who brought this message.
3 Musl i m 1157 hadi th no. 27.
4 l bi d 1160 hadi th no. 31.
leOneness 01Al l aha wl J eed) 394
4) Submi ssi on to What it I mpl i es
Al l ah () says:
r; 4LM
inrepentance and in'Obedi ence wi th true Fai
[I sl ami c M'On'Othei sm] t'O y'Our L'Ord and submi t t'O
Hi m. . ) ( Qur 'an 39: 5
J ' l L UAJ UAJ ATJ i A:J .
4 ...5j(
wh'Os'Oever submi ts hi s ce [hi msel f] t'O Al l ah
whi1e he is a [g' O' Od- d'Oer i . e. perf'Or ms g' O' Od
deeds t'Otally f'Or Al l ah' s sake wi th'Out any sh'Ow- 'Off 'Or t'O
gai n prai se 'Or f ame and d'Oes t hemin acc'Ordance wi th
the Sunnah 'Of Al l ah' s Messenger Muhammad] then he
has grasped the m'Ost ustw'Orthyhandh'Old [Laa i l aaha
i l l a-Al l ah (n'One has the ri ght t'O be w'Orshi pped but
( Qur 31:22)
Submi i ng 'One' s ce means submi tti ng 'Onesel f whi l st 'One is als'O
(g' O' Od- d'Oer) i . e. 'One wh'Obel i eves 'Onl y inAl l ah. The m'Ost
stw'Orthyhandh'Oldhas been i nterpreted as referri ng t'O(the phrase)
Laa i l aaha i l l a-Al l ah.
w

d

e

e

m

-
-
a
g
o
.
E
3

Thi s means sayi ng it si ncerel yo mthe heart wi th n'Oc'Ontradi cti 'On
bet ween what is sai d and what is in the heart. Al l ah () says:
j;0A4J ' ;( j
22J.KJ A 3ii UJ 1uJ 54f GAd-

Bel i efi nAl l ah 395
of manki nd there are some [hypocri tes] who say:
We bel i eve in Al l ah and the Last Day' whi l e in fact
eybel i eve not. l ey[thi nk to] decei ve Al l ah and those
who bel i eve whi1e ey onl y decei ve themsel ves and
percei ve [it] ( Qw'an 2: 8
These are e ones who lie when they speak and they conceal
somethi ng other than that whi ch they show openl y. Muaadh i bn
J abal narrated that the Prophet ( ) said:
lereis no one who bears wi tness that there is no god
except Al l ah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of
Al l ah si ncerel yo mthe heart but Al l ah wi11deny hi m
to the Fire. 5
So the condi ti on for sal vati on o mthe Fi re is that one shoul d say it
si ncerel y o mthe heart.
6) Puri ty of I ntenti on (Ikhl aa.)
l I s means puri i ng one' s deeds by havi ng the correct i ntenti on
'ee o mall contami nati on of shirk. Al l ah ( ) says:
...;Aal1i i
the rel i gi on [i. e. the worshi p and the obedi ence]
is for Al l ah onl y. . ) (Qur 'an 39: 3)
...i f u J L53
they were commanded not but that they shoul d
worshi p Al l ah and worshi p none but Hi mAl one
[ abstai ni ng o mascri bi ng p ers to
(Qur' an 98: 5)
It is narrated o mAbu Hurayrah that the Prophet ( ) said:
5 Bukh i1/ 226 hadithno. 128.
3 9 6 leOneness 01Al l ah
The most enti t1ed of peopl e to my i ntercessi on wi11be
the one who sai d Laa i l aaha i l l a-Al l ah si ncerel y wi th all
his heart and souL 6
And it is narrated f rom' Utbaan i bn Maal i k that the Prophet ( ) said:
Al l ah has forbi dden to the Fi re all those who say Laa
i / ha i l l a-Al l ah seeki ng thereby the Face of Al l ah. 7
7) Love
For this statement (kal i ma) and for what it i mpl i es and i ndi cates; l ove
for those who act upon it and adhere toits condi ti ons and ha edfor
those who go agai nst at. Al l ah () says:
( Z 4 . $1 AM3 4 ; J J

of manki nd are some who take [for worshi p]
others besi des Al l ah as rivals [toAl l ah]. They l ove t hem
as they l ove Al l ah. But those who bel i eve l ove Al l ah
mor e [ an anythi ng el se]..) (Qur' an 2: 165)
So Al l ah () tells us that Hi s bel i evi ng sl aves l ove Hi mmore ( an
anythi ng else) because they do not take anythi ng el se as rivals to
Hi m. The si gn of the sl ave' s l ove for his Lord is that he gi ves pri ori ty
towhat He l oves even if it goes agai nst his own desi res and he hates
what his Lord hates even if his desi res inc1i ne towards it . He
bei ends those who are thei ends of Al l ah and Hi s Messenger and
he takes as enemi es those who are the enemi es of Al l ah and Hi s
Messenger. And he fol l ows the Messenger of Al l ah () wal ki ng in
his footsteps and accepti ng his gui dance.
6 Bukhari 11193 hadi th no. 99.
7 l bi d 11519 hadi th no. 425.
Beli finAllah 397
How the Sal af (Pi ous Predecessors) Referred to Some of These
Condi ti ons
Al asana l B a ~ r i sai d toAl Farazdaq- the f amous poet - when
he was buryi ng his wi fe: What have you prepared for a day like
thi s?" He sai d The testi mony that there is no god except Al l ah for
seventy years." AI - I:I asan said: That is good preparati on but there
arecondi ti ons attached toLai l aaha i l l a-Al l ah; beware ofsl anderi ng
chaste women (i in your poe r). "
It was sai d toAl I:I asanal Ba that some peopl e were sayi ng that
whoever says Laa i l aaha i l l a-Al l ah wi11 enter Paradi se. He sai d
Whoever says Laa i l aaha i l l a-Al l ah ( ereis no god except Al l ah)
and ful fi1s the rights and obl i gati ons that this phrase entails will enter
Paradi se.
Wahb i bn Munabbi h was asked by someone: Isn't the key to
Paradi seL a i l aaha i l l a-Al l ah?" He sai d Yes but there is no key that
does not have teeth; if you use a key that has teeth you wi11open the
door otherwi se you wi11 not open it .
3 ' I BAADAH( WORSHI P)
1) Defi ni ti on of ' I baadah
Taw.eedcan onl y be achi eved through two thi ngs
a) Testi mony that Al l ah is One in Hi s Essence and At butes.
b) Seeki ng Hi mal one and none other in all acts of worshi p.
' l baadah (worshi p) is a word whi ch covers all words and acti ons
i nward and outward at Al l ah () l oves and is pl eased wi th.
Outward acti ons inc1ude utteri ng the Shahaadatayn (two
testi moni es)
8
prayi ng and fasting; i nward acti ons inc1ude be1ief
8 Wi tnessi ng that there is One and onl y One Al l ah () and wi tnessi ng that
Muhammad () is Hi s (l ast) Messenger.
398 leOneness 01
in Al1ah Hi s angel s Hi s Books and Hi s Messengers and feari ng
Hi mand putti ng one' s hopes in Hi m.
2) The True Worshi pper is the One who Al ternates between Fear
and Hope
True worshi p is that in whi ch a person al ternates between l ovi ng
Al l ah and feari ng Hi m humbl i ng hi msel f before Hi m putti ng his
hope in Hi mand seeki ng Hi s mercy.
leperson whose worshi p does not stemo ml ove or hope is
si mpl y maki ng meani ngl ess movement s whi ch are of no si gni fi cance.
The person who worshi ps out of l ove but wi thout humi l i ty fe or
hope often falls into sinand di sobedi ence. He c1ai ms at he l oves
Al l ah but he negl ects good deeds and commi ts sins inan audaci ous
manner. A l ong ti me ago some peopl e c1ai med tol ove Al l ah but they
di d not do good deeds so Al l ah ( ) put t hemto etest by sayi ng:
fLf J SG4 X A
[0' Muhammad tomanki nd]: I f you [really] l ove
Al l ah then fol l owme [i.e. accept I sl ami c Monot hei sm
fol l ow e Qur' an and the Sunnah] Al1ah wi l l l ove
you. . ) (Qur' an 3: 31)
So whoever c1ai ms tol ove Al l ah but does not fol l owHi s Messenger
is lying.
I mamShaaf ai ( may Al l ah have me yon hi m) said: I f you see a man
wal ki ng on the water or fl yi ng through the air do not bel i eve hi m
unl ess you know whether he is fol l owi ng the Messenger of Al l ah.
Si mi l arl y if there is hope on its own unaccompani ed by fe of
Al1ah a person may audaci ousl y di sobey Al1ah and feel secure
agai nst Hi s Pl an:
Bel i efi n Al l ah 399
4J i ;_;ii i Af h4: . .
feels secure o mthe Pl an of Al l ah except the
peopl e who are the l osers.T (Qur 'an 7: 99)
If is not accompani ed by hope a person may thi nk innegati ve
terms of Al l ah despai ri ng of Hi s mercy and compassi on. Al l ah ()
says:
@ -f; l i Ji e3 .q..
no one despai rs of Al l ah' s Mer cy except
the peopl e who di sbel i eve.T (Qur' an 12: 8
True worshi p is that inwhi ch a person is ina statebetween fear and
hope:
@. . . 1 04J f J j...
they [ Eesa (Jesus) Uza (Ezra) angel s and
others] hope for Hi s Mercy and fear Hi s Torment...)
(Qur' n 17: 57)

4@. . . 34J
one who is obedi ent toAl l ah pros tinghi msel f or
standi ng [inprayer] duri ng the hours ofthe ni ght fe i ng
eHereafter and hopi ng for theMercy of his Lord [like
one who di sbel i eves]?.) (Qur 'an 39:
And he shoul d be ina statebetween hope and asAl l ah () said
concemi ng the f ami1y of Zakari ya (Zachari ya) (upon whombe
peace):
/ . . ; / / / . J . . . / / ; ' /
) J
4 @4 4 L G
400 The Oneness 01Al l ah
they used to hasten on to do good deeds and
they used to call on U s wi th hope and" and used to
humbl e themsel ves before Us ) (Qur' an 21: 90)
The ri ghteous sl ave wi11 someti mes be filledwi th hope so that he
al most so swi th hi s l ongi ng for Al l ah () and someti mes wi11be
sei zed wi th such fear that he al most mel ts wi th fear of Al l ah. He
persi stentl y seeks the pl easure of Al l ah turni ng toHi mout of fear of
Hi s puni shment seeki ng refuge wi th Hi mf romit and seeki ng that
whi ch is wi th Hi m(i.e. Paradi se).
3) The Pi l l ars of ' l baadah
' l baadah has three p ars or essenti al components
a) Puri ty ofi ntenti on Whereby a person seeks the Face of
his Lord and the Hereafter. The Prophet ( ) said:
Acti ons are but by i ntenti on and every man shall have
but that whi ch he i ntended. Thus he whose mi grati on
was for Al l ah and Hi s Messenger hi s mi grati on was for
Al l ah and Hi s Messenger and he whose mi grati on was
toachi eve some wor1dl y benefi t or totake some woman
in marri age hi s mi grati on was for that for whi ch he
mi grated. 9
If there is no puri ty of i ntenti on good deeds are i nval i dated.
b) Si nceri ty What we mean by si nceri ty is si ncere resol ve
whereby a person s i ves to obey the commands of Al l ah and avoi d
that whi ch He has prohi bi ted toprepare hi msel f tomeet Hi mand to
avoi d feel i ng hel pl ess or bei ng too l azy to obey Al l ah.
9 Bukhari andMusl i m. This hadithis so famous that there is no needto menti on
its isnad. See our book Maqa id al -Mukal l i feen Pp. 519 where we discuss its
isnads (chainof na ators).
Beli finAllah 401
c) Fol l owi ng the Messenger ij ): So a person does not worshi p
Al1ah except accordi ng to what Al1ah has prescri bed and what the
Messenger brought. When peopl e worshi p their Lord wi thout
knowl edge is is bi d ' ah agai nst whi ch the Messenger ( ) wamed
us and condemned those who do it and sai d that doi ng it is
mi sgui dance. He ( ) said:
Every newl y-i nvented thi ng (inrel i gi on) is a bi d' ah and
every bi d 'ahis a goi ng as yand every goi ng as y is
in the Fi re."
The one who does acts of bi d 'ahwi11have his acti on rej ected and it
wi11 not be accepted o mhi m.
It is narrated in $ a ~ e y n (Bukhari and Musl i m) o mAa' i shah
( may Al1ah be pl eased wi th her) that the Messenger of Al1ah ( )
said:
Whoever i nvents somethi ng inthis m er of ours (i.e.
I sl am) that is not part of it wi11 have it rej ected."
Accordi ng to a versi on narrated by Musl i m: Whoever
does somethi ng that is not part of this matter of ours wi11
have it rej ected." 1
0
There is 0 0 worshi p wi thout these p ars
If there is no si ncere resol ve there is no worshi p. In such a case
worshi p becomes no more than wi sh 1thi nki ng; hardl y does a
person st ttodo it but his wi11di ssol ves and fades away. As l ong as
there is no puri ty of i ntenti on or fol1owi ng the Messenger ()
worshi p is unacceptabl e to Al1ah.
10 At i buted by Ibn al Atheer inJ aami ' al- 0 0 11/ 289 hadi th no. 75 to Bu ari
Musl i mand Abu Dawood.
402 The Oneness 01
4) Ki nds of Wor shi p not Permi ssi bl e for Anyone Except AUah
The ki nds of worshi p not permi ssi bl e for anyone except Al l ah ()
are of several types:
a) Bel i efs
These f ormthe basi s of all acts ofworshi p. means that a person
bel i eves that Al l ah () is the One and Onl y Lord Who Al one has
epower tocreate and command and the power tobenefi t or h m;
He has no p erand none can i ntercede wi th Hi mexcept wi th Hi s
permi ssi on; and there is none who may be ri ghtful l y worshi pped
except Hi m.
b) Acti ons of the heart
This is the ki nd of worshi p inthe heart not permi tted tobe di rected to
an l i ngor anyone except Al andAl l ah al one. Di recti ng worshi p
to anythi ng other than Al l ah is shi rk and such acts are many e.g.
fear and hope humi l i ty l ove tumi ng in repent cetrusti ng and
submi tti ng.
c) Utterance
Such as utteri ng the wor d of Tawl J eed. It is not suffi ci ent merel y to
bel i eve inits meani ng. It must al so be uttered such as seeki ng refuge
wi th Al l ah seeki ng Hi s hel p cal l i ng upon Hi m Gl o i ng and
Prai si ng Hi m and reci ti ng the Qur' an.
d) Physi cal acti ons
Such as Prayi ng Fasti ng doi ng I:I ajj sacri fi ci ng ani mal s lfilling
vows etc.
e) Fi nanci al
Such as payi ng zakah and other ki nds of chari ty 0eri ngkaffaarah
(expi ati on) 0eri ng sacri fi ces and spendi ng on others.
Bel i efi nAl l ah 403
4 - " I AT GOES AGAI NST TAWHEED
What goes agai nst and is its opposi te is shi rk. It is sai d in
Arabi c sharaktuhu fi ' l -amr (I became somebody' s p er) if one
becomes a partner (shareek). And Al l ah ( ) says:

( Moses) said:] And let hi mshare my sk
[ashri khu] [of conveyi ng Al l ah' s Message and
( Qur 'an 20: 32)
- meani ng let hi mbe my p tner.
Shi rk is of t wo ' pes
Accordi ng to the termi nol ogy of I sl ami c shari ah shi rk is of t wo
pes:
a) Ash- Shi rk al - Akbar (maj or shi rk)
The mushri k who is gui l of maj or shi rk is the one who bel i eves in
someone else as a l ord al ongsi de Al l ah such as the Chri sti ans who
regard Al l ah as the third of ree ( inity) or the Magi ans
(Zoroas i ans) who at i butegood events tothe Li ght and bad events
to the Darkness or e Sabi ans who bel i eved that the stars and
pl anets con ol l edwhat happened on earth. Si mi l ar to these 'e the
grave-worshi ppers who c1ai m at the soul s of the awl ( sai nts")
can control thi ngs after their death: they lfil peopl e' s needs rel i eve
their dis esshel p those who call upon t hem and protect those who
seek refuge wi th t hemand seek their protecti on. Another aspect of
Ash-Shi rk al -Akbar is maki ng somethi ng or someone god al ongsi de
Al l ah whether it be an angel a Messenger a wal i (sai nt") the sun
the moon a rock or a human bei ng whi ch is worshi pped as Al l ah is
worshi pped by prayi ng toit seeki ng its hel p offeri ng sacri fi ces toit
maki ng vows to it and other ki nds of worshi p.
404 The Oneness 01Al l aha w}J eed)
The so-cal l ed partner does not have to be regarded as equal to
Al l ah to be counted as shi rk
The thi ng that is associ ated wi th Al l ah does not have tobe regarded
as equal toAl l ah inall aspects tobe counted as shi rk. Accordi ng to
sh iaha person is cal l ed a mushri k if he bel i eves that anyone or
anythi ng is a p er of Al l ah even i fhe regards it as i nferi or toAl l ah
in terms of power and knowl edge for exampl e.
WhenAl l ah( ) tells us that the mushri keen (pol ythei sts) wi l l say (in
Hel l in the Hereafter):
@ LJ3@24di J Lg4AE
Al l ah we were trul y ina mani fest e orWhen we
hel d you [false gods] as equal s [in worshi p] wi th the
Lord of the 'Al ameen [ mank: i nd j i nn and all that
exists] Jt ( Qur 'an 26: 97-98)
this refers toequal i inl ove fear hope obedi ence and submi ssi on
not inthe power of creati on because they used tobel i eve that Al l ah
al one had the power of creati on.
The seri ous nature of this shi rk
Ash- Shi rk al -Akbar is the most seri ous of sins because it cancel s
good deeds. Al l ah ( ) says:
@ 9( c : _..:f LJ J l udi . . .
4. ..But if they had j oi ned inworshi p others wi th Al l ah
all that they used todo woul d have been of no benefi t to
t hemJt ( Qur 'an 6: 88)
And Al l ah ( ) sai d to Hi s Messenger ():

d. i 33j
Belief inAllah
i ndeed it has been reveal ed to you [0'
M ammad] as it was to those [Al l ah' s Messengers]
before you: If you j oi n others in worshi p wi Al l ah
[then] surel y [all] your deeds will be invai n and you
will certai nl y be among the losers. (Qur' an 39:
405
The one who is gui l ty of Ash-shi rk al -Akbar (maj or shi rk) will abi de
inHel l for all etemi ty and Al l ah ( ) will not forgi ve hi mor admi t
hi mto Paradi se:

Al l ah forgi ves not that partners shoul d be set up
wi th Hi m[in worshi p] but He forgi ves except that
[anl I ng else] to whomHe wi l l s;..) (Qur' an 4:
6L
A14J. i 4JJ4J i b f t ' t J
r.

they have di sbel i eved who say: Al l ah is the
Messi ah [' Eesa (Jesus)] son of Mar yam[Mary].' But
the Messi ah [ Eesa] said: 0' Chi l dren of Israel!
Worshi p Al l ah my Lord and your Lord.' Veri l y
whosoever sets up pa lers [inworshi p] wi th Al l ah then
Al l ah has forbi dden Paradi se tohi m and the Fi re will be
his abode. And for the [pol ythei sts and
wrongdoers] there are no hel pers. f r 5: 72)
The greatest cri me and the worst sin
It is narrated that Abd lah i bn Masood ( ) said: 1 asked the
Messenger of Al l ah () Which sin is the greatest wi th Al l ah? He
sai d
406 The Oneness 01
That you shoul d c1ai mthat Al l ah has a rival when He
has created you. " (Bukhari and Musl i m)l l
And Al l ah ( ) says:
4 i i .!Jl f 4j . . .
j oi ni ng others inworshi p wi th Al l ah is a great
[wrong] i ndeed. ) (Qur' an 31: 13)

. And whoever sets up pa lers wi th Al l ah inworshi p
he has i ndeed i nvented a tremendous si n)
(Qur 'an 4: 48)
b) Ash- Shi rk (mi nor shi rk)
Mi nor shi rk is acti ons such as showi ng off or doi ng thi ngs for the
sake of created bei ngs and not performi ng acts of worshi p purel y for
the sake of Al l ah. This means that a person may do thi ngs someti mes
for the sake ofhi s ego or for some wor1dl y purpose or togai n status
and power so he al10cates a share ofhi s acti on toAl1ah and a share to
somethi ng or someone other than Hi m. Thi s ki nd of shi rk may
i nvol ve verbal statements such as sweari ng by somethi ng other an
Al l ah or by sayi ng Whatever Al1ah and you want" or 1 have no
one to hel p me except Al l ah and you. "
It may consti tute shi rk akbadependi ng on who says it and what he
means.
This ki nd of shi rk (ash-shi rk even though it does not put a
person beyond the pal e of I sl am sti11puts a person ingrave danger
because it reduces his reward toa great extent and may cancel out his
good deeds al together. Bukhari and Musl i mnarrated o mAbu
11 Mi shkaat al - Ma:j aabeel ; 1121 hadi th no. 49.
Bel i fi nAl l ah 407
Moosa: A man came to the Prophet ( ) and said: A man who
fights inorder toget eboo" a man who fights inorder tobecome
f amous and a man who fights inorder togai n a hi gh status - whi ch of
t hemis fi ghti ng for the sake of Al1ah?' leMessenger of Al1ah ( )
said:
The one who fights inorder that the wor d of Al1ah may
become supreme is the one who is fi ghti ng for the sake
of Al1ah. " 12
I mam Musl i mrelated: the Messenger ) narrated at his Lord
(Al l ah) said:
1 am so sel f-suffi ci ent that 1 am inno need of havi ng an
associ ate. Thus he who does an acti on for someone
else's sake as wel l as Mi ne wi11 have that acti on
renounced by Me to hi mwhomhe associ ated wi th
Me. 13
It is narrated inAl Musnad that the Messenger ( ) said:
What 1 ar the most for you is ash-shi rk
They sai d 0' Messenger of Al l ah what is ash-shi rk a/-
' ghar?" He said: Showi ng off."
In Shu 'ab a/ - Eemaan AI -Bayhaqi added:
' And Al l ah wi11 say to t hemon the Day on whi ch He
requi tes Hi s sl aves for their acti ons: Go to those for
whomyou used to showoff in the wor1d and see
whether you can fi nd any reward or anythi ng good wi th
em. "14
12 Bukhari 6/28 hadi th no. 281; Mus1i m 3/ 1512 hadi th no. 1904.
13 Musl i m. See J aami ' al 0014/ 545 hadi th no 2651.
14 Mi shkaat 2/ 687 hadi th no. 5334.
408 The Oneness of Al l ah
Prohi bi ti ng this ki nd of shi rk Al l ah () reveal ed the fol l owi ng
words:
4Jl Ji 4Atj 1J4GVJ...
(
whoever hopes for leMeeti ng wi th his Lord let
hi mwor k ri ghteousness and associ ate none as a p tner
in the worshi p of his Lor d) (Qur' an 18: l J O)
CHAPTER F OUR
A BRI EF mS T ORY OF T HE CREED -
'AQEEDAH
1 DI D' AQEEDAHDEVELOP WI TH THE PASSAGE OF TI ME?
Many west emschol ars bel i eve that man di d not come to know
re1i gi ous bel i ef - creed - as it is known today inone step and that
it evol ved and devel oped over the centuri es.
It is no wonder that this is suggested by peopl e whomAl l ah has not
bl essed wi th Hi s Book inwhi ch He c1earl y and unambi guousl y tells
the hi story of ' aqeedah; what is s geis that this vi ewis echoed by
the so-cal l ed Musl i mresearchers.
For exampl e Abbas Ma4mood al- Aqqaad says inhis book enti t1ed
Al l ah
1
- whi ch is a research on the devel opment ofbel i ef inGo d -
that man' s bel i efs evol ved and he states that the evol uti on of m
rel i gi ous bel i efs was si mi l ar tothe devel opment of other branches of
man' s knowl edge.
Hesays: The earliest human bel i efs were appropri ate toearl y human
life as was man' s scientific knowl edge and handi crafts. Man' s earl y
scientific knowl edge and handi crafts were not mor e devel oped than
his ear1y rel i gi ous bel i efs and acts of worshi p. The el ements of truth
in one field were not mor e abundant than the e1ements of truth in
another."
I ndeed he thi nks at the devel opment of human rel i gi ous bel i efwas
more compl ex anthe devel opment ofhi s scientific knowl edge and
handi crafts. He says: Human efforts todevel op rel i gi ous knowl edge
1 PubIi shed by Daar al -Hi l al Cai ro. See Pp. 10.
410 A Bri ef Hi story of theCreed - Aqeedah
must have been mor e compl ex and taken l onger than the a empts to
devel op sci enti fi c knowl edge and handi crafts because the greater the
realities of the uni verse the mor e difficult it is to di scover and the
l onger it takes toexpl ore than the realities of those thi ngs whi ch may
be deal t wi th someti mes by sci ence and someti mes by handi crafts."
He thi nks that the Di vi ne real i ty di d not mani fest itself tomanki nd in
one go. He says: Traci ng the ori gi ns of rel i gi ons inthe earl y ti mes of
i gnorance (J aahil.ah) does not i ndi cate at this sort of rel i gi ous
bel i ef is fal se or that ey bel i eved in somethi ng i mpossi bl e whi ch
was not real . Al l that it demons ates is that the greater reali r is too
great to be ful l y mani f ested in one ti me. "
Thenhe st ts to quote the vi ews of schol ars who have researched the
hi story of rel i gi ous belief. Some of t hemsay the reason for e
devel opment of re1i gi ous bel i efs was man' s weakness inthe face of
natural phenomena and hosti l e natural forces and l i vi ng bei ngs.
Some thi nk that rel i gi ous bel i ef is a s te of si ckness ini ndi vi dual s
and soci eti es others bel i eve that the ori gi n ofrel i gi ous bel i ef was the
worshi p of totems as some i bes had adopted ani mal s as totems
whi ch eyregarded as eancestor of the ibe; the totemmay al so
have been a tree or a rock whi ch they regarded as sacred. And there
are other assumpti ons whi ch have f ormed in the mi nds of west em
researchers.
Unfortunatel y these theori es
2
have f ound thei r way i nto the mi nds of
many wri ters and schol ars
3
for several reasons such as the fol l owi ng:
2 One of those who showed an inclination towards these theories is Mustafa
Mahrnoud inhis book entitledAllah.
3 1 do not knowwhat is this belief that has developed. Is i t le deviatedbelief of
the J ews or the di storted bel i ef of the Chri sti ans or the bel i ef of the
philosopher? these beliefs represent nothingbut ideological deviations; they do
not represent sound belief.
Bel i efi n Al l ah 411
i) They thought at earl y man was created i mperfect and was not
qua1ified to recei ve 11 knowl edge of the greater realities. Thei r
concept of earl y man makes hi mmor e likean ani mal than a human
bei ng.
ii) They thought that man was gui ded torel i gi ous bel i efs by hi msel f
wi th no teacher or gui de toexpl ai n it tohi m. So l ong as this was the
case his knowl edge of Al l ah woul d i nevi tabl y evol ve j ust as his
knowl edge of sci ence and manufacturi ng evol ved.
iii) When they researched rel i gi ons to di scover their hi story they
onl y studi ed the devi ated or mi sgui ded rel i gi ons whi ch they took as
their fieldof research and subj ected t hemtostudy and exami nati ons.
How coul d they fi nd out about reality o mthese rel i gi ons whi ch
represent human devi ati on in rel i gi ous bel i ef?
Onl y the Qur' an Expl ai ns the Hi story of CreedRel i gi ous Bel i efs
lereis no book on earth whi ch expl ai ns the true hi story of rel i gi ous
bel i ef except the Book of Al l ah whi ch 0 s abundant knowl edge
of this topic. Human knowl edge cannot a inthis l evel of abundant
knowl edge for several reasons:
a) What we know of hi story about five thousand years ago is very
little and what we know of hi story about ten thousand years ago is
even less. Anythi ng earlier than that is consi dered to be enti rel y
unknown. Hence most of the truthtogether wi th human hi story has
been lost .
b) The uths whi ch manki nd di d inherit have been mi xed wi th a great
deal of fal sehood; i ndeed they have been lost inthe vast ocean of
l sehooddecei t and distortion. Thi s i ndi cates that it is extremel y
difficult for one person or a group of peopl e towri te a uehi story of
modemti mes let al one a hi story that stretches back tothe dawn of
humani ty.
412 A Bri ef Hi story of theCreed ' Aqeed h
c) Part of the hi story at has todo wi th rel i gi ous bel i efs - creed -
di d not happen on earth but in the heavens.
Hence the onl y One Who can gi ve us a uehi story wi th no confusi on
is Al l ah Gl ori fi ed and Exal ted be He.
1; _;;tji f GAJ (3i
nothi ng is hi dden o mAl l ah inthe earth or in
the heaven. (Qur' an 3: 5)
2 T HEHI STORY OF T HE CREED ELI GI OUSBELI EFS) AS
TOL D I N T HE NOBL E QUR' A N
Al l ah ( ) has tol d us that He created Adamas an i ntegrated upri ght
and i ndependent creature then He breathed i nto hi mof Hi s spirit and
caused hi mtodwel l inHi s Paradi se. He permi tted hi mand hi s wi fe to
eat whatever they want ed o mthe Garden apart f romone . Then
his enemy I bl ees (Satan) tempted hi mto eat o mthat tree. Because
he obeyed hi s enemy and di sobeyed his Lord. Al l ah sent hi mdown
' Om Paradi se to the earth but before sendi ng hi mdown Al l ah
promi sed hi mthat He woul d send down Hi s gui dance tohi mand his
progeny so that man woul d know hi s Lord and Hi s way and l aws. He
promi sed those who responded gui dance in is worl d and j oy inthe
Hereafter and He warned those who remai ned stubboml y arrogant of
a life of hardshi p in this worl d and even greater hardshi p in the
Hereaer:
2;J
449E34h rf.:1

said: Get down all of you ' Om this pl ace [the
Paradi se] then whenever there comes to you Gui dance
Bel i ef inAl l ah 413
o mMe and whoever fol l ows My Gui dance there shall
be no fear on t hem nor shall they gri eve. But osewho
di sbel i eve and bel i e Our Aayaat [proofs evi dences
verses l essons si gns revel ati ons etc.] such are e
dwel l ers of the Fire. They shall abi de therei n forever.
(Qur 'an 2: 38-39)
And in Soorah Ta-HcAl l ah ( ) says:
.. ..

...;.... {
J e. @J L " - S. . . 1 -S:.ul
g j JSdJ
444414f J G Xi i J J ; Ll 44
J;iFliSA
[Al l ah] said: Get you down [ o mthe Paradi se to
the earth] both of you toge some of you are an
enemy to some others. Then if there comes to you
gui danceo mMe then fol l ows My Gui dance
he shall nei ther go astray nor shall be di stressed. But
whosoever turns away o mMy Remi nder [i.e. nei ther
bel i eves inthis Qur' an nor acts on its teachi ngs] veri l y
for hi mis a li of hardshi p and We shall rai se hi mup
bl i nd on the Day of Resurrecti on. He wi l l say: O' my
Lord! Why have you rai sed me up bl i nd whi l e 1 had
si ght [befo].' [Al l ah] wi l l say: Li ke this: Our Aayaat
[proofs evi dences verses l essons si gns revel ati ons
etc.] came unto you but you di sregarded t hem[i.e. you
left t hem di d not thi nk deepl y int hem and you turned
awayo m em] andso is Day you wi l l be negl ected
[in the Hel l -frre away o mAl l ah' s Mercy].
(Qur' an 20: 123-126)
414 A Bri fHi story 01 the Creed - ' Aqeedah
The Fi rst Generati on of Manki nd Bel i eved in Tawheed
Adam( J ) came down toearth and o mhis progeny Al l ah created
a nati on whi ch bel i eved in pure Taw.eed (Oneness of Al l ah) as
Al l ah ( ) says:
i i eS23J i
.1anki nd we one communi ty. . ) ( Qur ' an 2: 213)
i.e. they all bel i eved in Taw}J eed and fol l owed the ue religion.
Then they di ffered
jl ;j JJ
. . fs
. And Al l ah sent Prophets wi th gl ad ti di ngs and
warni ngs and wi th t hemHe sent down the Scri pture in
th toj udge between peopl e inm ers wherei n they
di ffered..) ( Qur ' an 2: 213).
Accordi ng to a hadi th narrated by Abu Umaamah a man asked the
Messenger () 0' Messenger of Al l ah was Adama Prophet?" He
sai d
Yes and he was spoken toby Al l ah. " The man asked
How l ong was there between hi mand Nool}. ( Noah)?"
He sai d Ten cen ries. "
Thi s is narrated by Abu aati mi bn :ij: i bbaan in his $a}J ee n
Katheer said: Thi s is sound accordi ng tothe condi ti ons of
Musl i m al though he di d not naate it. 4
Bukhari narrated that Ibn Abbaas said:
4 Al -Bi daayah wa ' n-Ni haayah 1110 1.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 415
And between Adamand Noo ( Noah) there were ten
centuri es all of whomfol l owed I sl am. 5
A cen ry equal s one hundred years. On this basi s there were one
ousandyears between Adamand NooQ. ( Noah) ( may peace be upon
them).
The peri od between t hemmay have been l onger than that because
the comment of n Abbaasthat duri ng these ten centuri es peopl e
fol l owed I sl am does not rul e out the possi bi l i that there were al so
other centuri es duri ng whi ch peopl e fol l owed re1i gi ons other than
I sl am.
l ewordc ry(qarn) may al so re r agenerati on as Al l ah ( )
says:

how many generati ons [quroon] have We
des oyed after NooQ. (Qur' an 17: 1

4 l en after t hem We created another generati on
[qarnan]) (Qur' an 23: 31/
The Fi rst Devi ati on f r omCorrect ' Aqeedah ( Creed) and the Fi rst
Messenger
Af ter manki nd had been one communi bel i evi ng i n -
Oneness of Al l ah - there ose devi ati on and confusi on. The first
devi ati on came about as the resul t of exaggera d venerati on of
ri ghteous peopl e rai si ng t hemto the status of gods and worshi ppi ng
them.
5 Al -Bi daayah wa ' n-Ni haayah 1/ 101.
6 Ibid.
416 A Bri ef Hi story of theCreed - ' Aqeedah
Bukh i narrated f rom n J urayj he f rom' A and he f romIbn
Abbaas concemi ng the Ta _eer of the aayah (verse):
t1_; U
@
they have said: You shall not 1eave your gods nor
shall you 1eave Wadd nor Suwaa' nor Yaghooth nor
Ya ' ooq nor Nasr [names ofthe ido1s]. ) (Qur 'an71: 2
He(Ibn Abbaas) said: l ese were the names of ri ghteous peop1e
f romamong the peop1e of NooQ ( Noah). When they di ed the Satan
i nspi red their peop1e to set up stone a1tars inthe p1aces where they
used tosit and tocall these stone a1tars by their names. So the peop1e
di d that but they were not worshi pped unti1those peop1e di ed and
know1edge about t hemwas 10st then they were worshi pped.
7

lI s was the frrst devi ati on f romTal1eed (Oneness of Al l ah) in

human hi story so Al l ah sent to t hemthe first of Hi s Messengers
NooQ ( Noah) infu1fi 1ment of the promi se that He had gi ven to e
father of manki nd Adam to send Messengers and revea1 Books to
gui de manki nd.
le evi dence that NooQ ( Noah) ( ) was the first Messenger tobe
sent is ehadi th about i ntercessi on whi ch Mus1i mhas narrated. 1t
says
After goi ng toAdam the peop1e wi l l come toNooQ and
wi l l say tohi m among other thi ngs 0' NooQ you are
the first of the Messengers sent to the e and Al l ah
cal l ed you a thankfu1 slave. '"
7 Bukhari 8/667; hadi th no. 4920.
8 Musl i m 1/185 hadi th no. 194.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 417
The texts of the Book of our Lord whi ch we have before us cl earl y
i ndi cate that NooQ. ( Noah) cal l ed his peopl e to He sai d
to his peopl e:
..

Al l ah! You have no other l l aah [God] but

Hi m. [Laa i l aaha i l l a-Al l ah: none has the right to be
worshi pped but Al l ah.] Certai nl y 1 fear for you the
torment of a Great (Qur 'an 7: 59)
r J dGI i iUi
you worshi p none but Al l ah; surel y 1 fear for you
the torment of a pai n 1 (Qur 11: 2
.
my peopl e! Worshi p Al l ah! You have no other
l l aah [God] but Hi m[I sl ami c Monothei sm]. Wi11 you
not then be afrai d [of Hi m i . e. of Hi s puni shment
because of worshi ppi ng others besi des
(Qur' an 23: 23)
Those who responded to his call for (Oneness of Al l ah)
were the weakest of his peopl e; it was r ected by the l eaders and
powerful ones who thought themsel ves to be cl ever and intelligent
when they a ogantl y re sed to fol l owthe truth:
@ 4 L J i
l eaders of his peopl e said: Veri l y we see you in
pl ai n (Qur 'an 7: 6C.
The l eaders referred to here were the promi nent and powerful ones
among his peopl e who sai d to hi m:
418 A Bri ef Hi story of theCreed - ' Aqeed :h
. . 1461 tjf J i i 1466. j
@
4Nor do we see any fol l owyou but the meanest among
us and they [too] fol l owed you wi thout thi nki ng. . )
(Qur' an 11: 27)
- i.e. they fol l owyou wi thout thi nki ng de ly or ponderi ng or
exami ni ng the matter. The thi ng for whi ch they accused t hemwas the
thi ng for whi ch they shoul d have been prai sed for when the truthis
made mani fest it does not need to be exami ned; it needs to be
fol l owed.
They f ound it s gethat Al l ah woul d send a human Messenger and
said:
. . . ! J L4f 6. j
' We see you but a man like oursel ves'..)
(Qur' an 11: 2
J 4
' ... N47t j U; Ld4
the chi efs of hi s peopl e who di sbel i eved said: He
is no mor e than a human bei ng like you he seeks to
make hi msel f superi or to you. Had Al l ah wi11ed He
surel y coul d have sent down ( Qw'an23: 24)
They asked hi m rej ect the poor and weak who fol l owed hi m but he
i gnored eir demand:
331dGJ j J i b1L 1 %. 1

41 am not goi ng to i ve away those who have

Bel i ef inAl l ah 419
bel i eved. Surel y they are goi ng tomeet their Lord but 1
see that you are a peopl e that are i gnorant.)
( Qur 'an 11: 29)
A l ong ti me passed andle di spute between NooQ ( Noah) and his
peopl e i ntensi fi ed as Al l ah ( ) says:

. And he stayed among t hema thousand years less fi y
years. (Qur 'an 29: 14)
Then he prayed agai nst them:
; L A@CG f J J f Jli;
= iU j L 4
NooQ [ Noah] said: My Lord! Leave not one ofthe
di sbel i evers on the earth! If You l eave t hem they wi l l
mi sl ead Your sl aves and they wi l l beget none but
wi cked di sbel i evers. (Qur' an 71: 262
So Al l ah ( ) destroyed t hemwi th the Fl ood:

NooQ' s peopl e when they deni ed the Messengers
We drowned ( Qur 'an 25: 3
And He the Exal ted and Al mi ghty saved NooQ ( Noah) and the
bel i evers by Hi s mercy. He cl eansed the earth of the evi l doers and di d
not l eave anyone there except those who bel i eved inthe Oneness of
Al l ah When they devi ated f rom He sent
another 1essenger:
; ; ; ; ; i @: Gj).
after t hem We created another generati on. And
420 A Bri ef Hi story of theCreed - 'Aqeedah
We sent tot hema Messenger f romamong
(Qur' :n 23: 31-32).
So he cal l ed t hemto bel i eve in Al l ah ( ) Al one:
. 3 33Uf hud
Al l ah! You have no other l l aah [God] but
(Qur 'an 23: 32).
So Al l ah' s mercy and care for the chi l dren of Adamconti nued. Every
ti me they went as ay and devi ated He sent down Hi s gui dance to
t hem to bri ng t hemlight in the darkness:
ZX 22122
4. J13L
We sent Our Messengers in successi on. Every
ti me there came toa nati on their Messenger they deni ed
hi m; so We made t hem fol l ow one another [to
des cti on] and We made t hemas [the ue
stories for manki nd to l eama l esson f romthem]. So
away wi th a peopl e who bel i eve (Qur 'an23: 44)
Thi s is the ue story of manki nd a l ong cont1ict between truthand
fal sehood between the Messengers who brought gui dance and truth
and the mi sgui ded who turned away o m and cl ung tothe
customs they had l eamedo mtheir fathers and grandfathers and to
their desi res and false beliefs:
_;i1
;kf
453
3J J ALUZi l 4L
j u
Bel i ef inAl l ah 421
i ; AJ U4j qii _: : j Ci d i J41d
wJ i Gl;iL: f
not thenews reached you of those before you the
peopl e [ Noah] and Aad and Thamood? And
those after them? None knows thembut Al l ah. To them
came their Messengers wi th clear proofs but they put
their hands intheir mouths [bitingthem omanger] and
said: Veri l y we di sbel i eve inthat wi th whi ch you have
been sent and we arereally ingrave doubt as tothat to
whi ch you inviteus [i.e. Is ni c Monothei sm]. ' Their
Messengers said: What! Can there be a doubt about
Al l ah theCreator ofthe heavens and theearth? He calls
you [toMonothei smand tobe obedi ent toAl l ah] that He
may forgi ve you of your sins and gi ve you respitefor a
termappoi nted.' They said: You are no more than
human bei ngs like us! You wi sh to mus away om
what our fathers used toworshi p. Then bri ng us a clear
authori ty [i.e. a clear proof of what you say].')
(Qur' n 14: 9-10)
When we ponder the call of the Messengers as detai l ed by the
Qur' an the fol l owi ng truths will become clear to us:
i) lat omthe begi nni ng Al l ah created man as a compl ete and
i ntegrated creature for a specific goal that is to worshi p Hi m and
at He created hi mwi th the abili to do that.
ii) ThatHe ught man about Hi msel f omthebegi nni ng and di d not
l eave hi mto findout about his Lord through his own thoughts and
wanderi ngs. He sent many Messengers to man so that they mi ght
convey the Message to all of manki nd.
..
422 A Bri ef Hi story of theCreed - Aqeedah
. And there never was a nati on but a wamer had passed
among t hem) (Qur' an 35: 24)
Hence we do not know the names of all the Messengers who were
sent by Al l ah ():
J

i ndeed We have sent Messengers before you [0'
Muhammad] of some of t hemWe have rel ated to you
their story. And of some We have not rel ated toyou their
story..) (Qur 'an 40: 78)
One of the proofs of that is the fact that on the Day of Resurrecti on
the di sbel i evi ng nati ons wi11 affi rmand acknowl edge that the
Messengers conveyed the call of Al l ah to them. Al l ah ( ) says:
436@24:if UQJ TEr---
36f 4J L ; 14i J M j:; 2J 64

4Every ti me a group is cast therei n its keeper wi11ask:

Di d no wamer come to you?' They wi11 say: Yes
i ndeed a wamer di d come to us but we bel i ed hi mand
said: Al l ah never sent down anythi ng [of Revel ati on];
you are onl y in great eor.' ) (Qur' an 67: 8
Thi s successi on of Messengers sent throughout hi story was no more
than a mercy o mAl l ah ( ) to Hi s sl aves the ful fi l ment of Hi s
promi se to Adam(j ) the father of humani ty l eavi ng Hi s creati on
wi th no excuse:

order that manki nd shoul d have no pl ea agai nst
Bel i efi nAl l ah 423
Al l ah after the [comi ng of]
(Qur' n 4: 16
447 LPAguj . J
We never puni sh until We have sent a Messenger
[to gi ve (Qur' an 17: 15)
iii) The call of the Messengers is one and the basi s and heart of the
call of all of t hemis totell manki nd of thei r Lord and God
and to show t hemthe way to worshi p Hi m.
iv) The rel i gi on of all the Messengers was I sl amand they had no
other rel i gi on:
)- . . > ; ;

@ J i
whoever seeks a rel i gi on other than I sl am it wi11
never be accepted of hi m and inthe Hereafter he wi11be
one of the ( Qw'an 3:85)

( No ) said]: ...and1 have been commanded to
be of the Musl i ms [i.e. those who submi t to Al l
(Qur 'an 10: 72).
Al l ah ( ) sai d concemi ng the Tawraat (Torah):
. . . 1 f JI rs:..
. By whi ch the Prophets who submi rted themsel ves to
Al l ah' s Wi 1 1 j udged for the J ews...) ( Qw'an 5: 44)
Moosa (Moses) ( ) sai d to his peopl e:
i; i A l F4
424 A Bri ef Hi story of theCreed ' Aqeedah
4If you have bel i eved inAl l ah then put your st in
Hi mif you are Musl i ms [those who submi t to Al l ah' s
Wi l l ]) ( Qw'an 10: 84)
Al l ah ( ) enj oi ned I sl amupon Hi s Cl ose Fri end (Khal eel)
I braaheem(Abraham) (l ) who said:
...
have submi tted mysel f [as a Musl i m] tothe Lord of
the 'Aal ameen [manki nd j i nn and all that exi s] )
(Qur' n 2: 131)
( 443i : FJ L J J ML
4Ad 4iUJ.
this [submi ssi on toAl l ah I sl am] was eoi nedby
Ibraaheemupon hi s sons and by Yaqoob [J acob]
[sayi ng] 0' my sons! Al l ah has chosen for you the
[ ue] rel i gi on then di e not except inthe Fai th of I sl am
[as Musl i ms - I sl ami c (Qur 'an2: 13
WhenYaqoob (J acob) (l ) asked hi s sons who they woul d worshi p
after he di ed
44U6. . .
A [ ) j
They sai d We shal l worshi p your l l aah [ God -
Al l ah] the l l aah [God] of your thersIbraaheem
[Abraham] I smaaeel [I shmael ] Isl . taaq [Isaac] One
l l aah [God] and to Hi mwe submi t [in I sl am].)
(Qur' n 2: 133)
And Queen of Sheba said:
425

@MJ f
queen of Saba' (Sheba) said]: My Lord! Veri l y
1 have wronged mysel f and 1 submi t [inI sl am together
wi th Sul aymaan (Sol omon)] to Al l ah the Lord of the
' Aal ameen [manki nd j i nn and all that exists]. )
(Qur' an 27: 44)
Yusuf (J oseph) (; ) used to say in hi s du' ' .
@ 1 1] _) J3..
. Cause me to di e as a Musl i m[the one submi tti ng to
Your Wi11] and j oi n me wi th the ri ghteous.)
(Qur' an 12: 101)
The Messenger ( ) said:
The Prophets are brothers their mothers are di fferent
but their rel i gi on is one. 9
The vari ati ons that we see intheir l aws does not i ndi cate that their
rel i gi on vari ed because Al l ah may l egi sl ate somethi ng for a reason
then legislate somethi ng else at another ti me for another reason.
I ndeed this may occur in one sh iahas at the begi nni ng Al l ah
decreed that the Musl i ms shoul d face Bayt al - Maqdi s (A Quds -
J erusal em) when prayi ng then this was abrogated by the command to
face Al -Bayt al -l faraam(the Sacred House t heKabahi nM kah).
At first I sl amfaced towards Al - Quds then its focal poi nt changed to
the Kabah. The same appl i es to all the l aws of the Prophets: what
came later abrogates what came before. The shari ah whi ch was
reveal ed toMuhammad ( ) is the final shari ah whi ch abrogates all
l aws that came before it.
9 Bukhari 6/ 478 hadi th no. 3443
426 A Bri efHi story ofthe Creed- 'Aqeedah
v) The devel opment of rel i gi ous bel i efs throughout the centuri es is
not the reason for shi rk and the adopti on of gods other than Al l ah as
d ' Aqqaad and the westemers whomhe fol l ows suggest . The reason
for that was the devi ati on ofthe fol l owers ofthe Messengers ' Omthe
Message whi ch the Messengers brought and their abandonment of
that Message.
3642AJ J 41j
whosoever ms away ' OmMy Remi nder [i.e.
nei ther bel i eves inthis Qur' an nor acts on its teachi ngs]
veri l y for hi mis a lifeofhardshi p.) (Qur' an 20: 124)
And they fol l owed their own co ec res and desi res i gnori ng true
gui dance:
. - -/. . . . 4 "" ::..1
d
z>1i i
fol l ow but a less and that whi ch they
themsel ves desi re whereas there has surel y come to
t hemthe gui dance o mtheir ( Qur 'an 53: 23)
. ! : a _.... . .
{C13j...
e J;:: t1
. And do not fol l owthe vai n desi res of peopl e who
went as ay before and who mi sl ed many and s yed
[ emsel ves] ' Omthe Ri ght Path. } T ( Qur 'an 5: 7
Al l ah ( ) says concemi ng the J ews:
)f I;"+'; _;ij 4J
4L1 i 41AL Ml J XJ JL.::G
4
BeliefinAl l ah 427
0because of their breach of their covenant We
cursed t hemand made their hearts growhard. They
change the words o mtheir [right] pl aces and have
abandoned a good part of the Message that was sent to
(Qur 'an 5: 13)
And He ( ) says concemi ng the Chri sti ans:
a . . 11. . " . ' "
6J i tJ
;_) x.i i ( Ei l L4

f romthose who call themsel ves Chri sti ans We
took eir covenant but they have abandoned a good
part ofthe Message that was sent tothem. So We pl anted
nongst themenmi ty and hatred till the Day of
Resurrecti on;..) (Qur 5: 1
And He () says expl ai ni ng their devi ati on o m e Tawl J eed
whi ch was enj oi ned upon them:
bJ 1j Af v ; j I 41534
4L V1 11J i (..;_) 2431
i L44 4 L
[J ews and Chri sti ans] took their rabbi s and their
monks tobe their l ords besi des Al l ah [by obeyi ng them
inthi ngs whi ch eymade l aw 1or unl awful accordi ng
to their own desi res wi thout bei ng ordered by Al l ah]
and [they al so took as their Lord] Messi al ) . son of
Mar yam[Mary] whi1e they [J ews and Chri sti ans] were
commanded [in the Tawraat (Torah) and the l nj eel
(Gospel )] toworshi p none but One l l aah [ God Al l ah]
Laa i l aaha illa Huwa [none has the right to be
worshi pped but He]. Prai se and gl ory be to Hi m[far
428 A Bri ef Hi story of theCreed - 'Aqeedah
above is He] o mhavi ng the partners they associ ate
[wi th Hi m] .}t (Qur' an 9: 31)
Hence the Messengers wi11 di sown those who devi ated f romtheir
path:
iSj i ;.:; u . i ; i
.;::J J ji 01 J 3UA J 63(9A44AJ L


. . . 3
[remember] when Al l ah wi11 say [on the Day of
Resuecti on]: 0' Eesa [Jesus] son of Mar yam
[Mary]! Di d you say unto men: Worshi p me and my
mother as t wo gods besi des Al l ah?' He wi11say: Gl ory
be toYou! It was not for me tosay what 1 had no ri ght [to
say]. Had 1 sai d such a thi ng You woul d surel y have
known it . You know what is inmy i nner-sel fthough 1 do
not know what is inYours; ul yYou onl y You are the
Al l - Knower of all that is hi dden [and unseen]. Never di d
1 say to t hemaught except what You [Al l ah] di d
command me tosay: Worshi p Al l ah my Lord and your
Lord.' (Qur' n 5: 116-117)
CHAPTER FI VE
CONCEPTS OF GOD A MONG T HE
MI SGUI DED NATI ONS
Thi s study is n'Ot meant t'O be a c'Ompl ete hist'Ory 'Of devi ati 'On in
religi 'Ous beliefs. Thi s is i mp'Ossi bl e because there are s'O many
vari eti es 'Of devi ati 'On and what w'Oul d be the p'Oint 'Of such a hist'Ory
when wr'Ongd'Oi ng and ku. (di sbel i ef) are a11'Of the same nature? Our
purp'Osehere is t'Ol earn s'Omethi ng ab'Out the err'Ors int'Owhi ch 'Other
nati 'Ons have fa11en s'O that we may pr'Oper1y appreci ate the
tremend'Ous val ue by whi ch the I sl ami c ' aqeedah is di sti ngui shed.
Th'Ose wh'O understand and rec'Ogni ze fal seh' O' Od wi11 adhere m'Ore
s ongl yt'Othe truth when they f'011'Ow it. There is the fear that th'Ose
wh'O f'011'Ow I sl amand d'O n'Ot kn'Ow ab'Out its 'Opp'Osite whi ch is
fal seh' O' Od may slipand f'011'Ow the paths 'Of fal seh' O' Od. ' Umar i bn al-
ab( ) sp'Oke the truth when he said: S' O' On the b'Onds ' Of I sl am
wi11be und'One 'One by 'One when there wi11be pe'Opl e brought up in
I sl amwi11kn'Ow n'Othi ng 'Of J aahi l i yah. " Und'Oubtedl y the 'One wh'O
kn'Ows the darkness 'Of ni ght is m'Ore abl e t'O appreci ate the light 'Of
day and g' O' Od heal th is the cr'Own 'On the heads 'Of the heal thy whi ch
n'One ackn'Owl edges except th'Ose wh'O are sick.
Sayyi d Qul b underst' O' Od this when he said: Man cann'Ot kn'Ow the
necessi ty 'Of this message (I sl am) the necessi ty 'Of eei ng hi msel f
fr'Om the mi sgui ded ways in the darkness 'Of whi ch manki nd is
wanderi ng the necessi ty 'Of steadfast c1ear certai nty in matters 'Of
qeedah... until he has seen the vast extent 'Ofthat mi sgui dance until
he has wandered in that c'Onfusi 'On 'Of bel i efs and c'Oncepts
phi l 'Os'Ophi es and fabl es th'Oughts and illusi 'Ons rituals and aditi 'Ons
situati 'Ons and ci rcumstances whi ch I sl am came and f'Ound
c'Ontr'011ing the human c'Onsci 'Ousness in a11 pl aces; until he has
430 Concepts of God among theMi sgui ded Nati ons
understood the na re of the j umbl ed confusi on compl exi ty and
human addi ti ons that have affected what is left of the heavenl y
rel i gi ons whi ch have become mi xed wi th phi l osophy i dol a r and
bles. "
Three exampl es wi l l suffi ce us here: rstthe bel i efs of one of the
nati ons whi ch peopl e regard as one of the ci vi l i zed nati ons of anci ent
ti mes; the second is the devi ati on of the fol l owers of a heavenl y
rel i gi on f romthe th; and the thi rd is the i dol a y of the Arabs
before the ti me of the Messenger ().
1 GODACCORDI NG T O THE GREEKS 1
Researchers consi der the Greeks tobe one of the ci vi l i zed nati ons of
the past so let us l ook at the rel i gi ous bel i efs of this mi sgui ded
nati on. They cl ai med that Zeus" was the chi ef of their gods. Their
i mage of hi mwas cl oser tothe i mage of a devi l than of a god. He was
filledwi th hatred and enmi ty preoccupi ed wi th his desi res for food
and l ove. He cared nothi ng for the affairs of gods or men unl ess they
coul d hel p hi mmai ntai n his hol d on power and persi st inhis tyranny.
He got angry wi th Ascl epi us the god of medi ci ne because he treated
the si ck thus depri vi ng Zeus ofthe taxes on the soul s ofthe dead who
moved o mthe face of the earth to the Underworl d.
They cl ai mthat he got angry wi th Prometheus the god of knowl edge
and handi crafts because he taught man how us e fire for
manu cturi ngpurposes and thus man l eamed how usepower to
combat the power ofthe gods. He rul ed that he shoul d be subj ected to
etemal puni shment; he was not content merel y to ki1l hi mand
r emovehi mo mthe arena of the gods. He sought i nvent di erent
ways of puni shi ng hi m. So he tiedhi mtoa remote mountai n and sent
vul res to eat his liver all day l ong; when ni ght came his liver was
1 Haqaa 'iq al -l sl amwa Abaa(eel
Beli f inAllah 431
restored inhi s body so that the vul tures coul d come back and eat it
after the sun came up... this puni shment conti nued and all
i ntercessi on and prayers were of no avai l .
One of the reasons whi ch the Greek phi l osopher-poet Hesi od came
up wi th for the god' s anger agai nst Prometheus was that the latter had
gi ven hi ma share of f ood at a banquet of e gods and he had
inc1uded too many bones in it and not enough meat and fat. Zeus
thought that Prometheus was ringto act superi or because he was
f amous among the gods for hi s vast knowl edge and i ntel l i gence for
whi ch the great god was not known.
Hesi od the phi l osopher-poet edhi s best toexal t Zeus and to gi ve
the peopl e an i mage of hi mas hol y and mi ghty as woul d befit the
i mage of a god after the devel opment of the concept of worshi p inthe
anci ent Greek rel i gi on.
Further Greek schol ars speak of Zeus as havi ng be ayedhi s wi f e
Hera as he used tosend the god of1ove toconceal the sun as it rose
lest his j eal ous wi f e shoul d come and catch hi munawares among his
l overs at the throne of Ol ympus.
It is sai d that on one occasi on she di d catch hi munawares as he was
ki ssi ng his dri nk-bearer Ganymede the beauti ful shepherd whom he
had once seen inthe fields so he had ki dnapped hi mand brought hi m
up toheaven. Zeus di d not Ytoconceal hi s l ove for hi s dri n bearer
and he j usti fi ed hi s behavi our to his wi f e by sayi ng that she knew
nothi ng of the del i ghts of the meeti ng between the nectar of the cup
and the nectar of the lips.
Thi s is an exampl e of the mi sgui ded bel i efs of shi rk whi ch e
produced by myt hs and i l l usi ons whi ch become fabl es. legods of
the Greeks were many who fought wi th one another and puni shed
one another. Li ke humans they ate and dr l kand got marri ed. A
god mi ght be y his wi fe commi t sodomy and justi his bad
432 Concepts of God among theMi sgui ded N.uons
behavi 'Our. What ki nd 'Of effect w'Oul d such bel i efs have 'On th'Osewh'O
bel i eved inthem? What effect w'Oul d they have 'On i ndi vi dual s and
s'Oci eti es? What val ues w'Oul d be affi rmed by such devi ant
mi sgui ded bel i efs in shi rk?
2 GODACCORDI NG T O THE J EWS 2
The religi 'On 'Of the Chi l dren 'Of lsrael - J udai sm- is full 'Of b'Oth
id'Ol ' Ous c'Oncepts and ibalistic hal l uci nati 'Ons. Many Messengers
came t'Othe Chi l dren 'Of l srael - Yaq' O' Ob (Jac'Ob) i bn l sbaaq (I saac)
i bn l braaheem(Abraham) (peace be up'On them) efirst 'Of wh'Om
was l sraaeel (I srael) bri ngi ng the message 'Of pure
(Oneness 'Of Al l ah) whi ch thei r ther Ibraaheem(Abraham) had
taught them. Then thei r greatest Prophet M' O' Osa ( M'Oses) came t'O
t hemwi th the same message 'Of Tm eed'On whi ch the M'Osaic Law
was based. But they devi ated wi th the passage 'Of ti me and went
d'Own t'Othe l evel 'Of id'Ola' Ous c'Oncepts whi ch they affi rmed intheir
h'Ol y" b' O' Oks. l n the mi dst 'Ofthe T'Orah there efabl es and c'Oncepts
'Of G'Od whi ch are n'O hi gher than the id'Ola ous c'Oncepts 'Of the
Greeks and 'Other id'Ola' Ous nati 'Ons wh'O di d n'Ot recei ve heavenl y
gui dance and wh'O had n'O b' O' Ok ' OmAl l ah.
The bel i ef inTm eedwhi ch Al l ah reveal ed t'Ol braaheem(Abraham)
(Peace be up'On hi m) was a c'Ompl ete i ntegrated c1ear and pure bel i ef
wi th whi ch he c'On' Ontedid'Ola ina m'Ost deci si ve manner as the
Qur' an descri bes. Ibraaheeme ' Oi nedthis bel i ef up'On his s'Ons j ust as
Yaq' O' Ob (Jac'Ob) (Peace be up'On hi m) e ' Oi ned it up'On hi s s'Ons
bef'Ore he di ed:
@ ;

2 Adapted fromKha! f aa' at-Ta! f awwur al -l sl ami by SayyidQutb Pp. 11.
Bel i ef inAl l ah
ai J AZ EZJ J 36@ j 3A43@
@ 1:' ;
LJ i 43
. LSJ S@ AQJ 1U@ j L
44@wmJ 5 L4J - ZJ 6L13J 5@M. 3


recite to t hemthe story of Ibraaheem[Abraham].
When he sai d tohis father and hi s peopl e: What doyou
worshi p?' They said: We worshi p i dol s and tot hemwe
are ever devoted.' He said: Do they hear you when you
call on [them]? Or do they benefi t you or do they har m
[you]?' They said: [Nay] but we f ound our ers
doi ng so.' He said: Do you observe at whi ch you have
been worshi ppi ng - You and your anci ent fathers? Veri l y
they are enemi es tome save the Lord of the 'Aal ameen
[manki nd j i nn and all that exists] Who has created me
and it is He Who gui des me. And it is He Who feeds me
and gi ves me to dri nk. And when 1 am ill it is He Who
cures me. And Who wi l l cause me to di e and then wi l l
bri ng me to life [agai n]. And Who 1 hope wi l l forgi ve
me my ults on the Day of Recompense [the Day of
Resurrecti on]. My Lord! Best ow uan [rel i gi ous
knowl edge ri ght j udgement of the affai rs and
Prophethood] on me and j oi n me wi th the ri ghteous.
And grant me an honourabl e menti on in later
generati ons (Qur' an 26: 69-84)
43 1 l f U L l L J T

433
434 Concepts of God among theMi sgui ded N.tions
3i : J 3LUz 4( 1


1 L4k1LaJ J L44U6
;AJ
who t ums away o mthe rel i gi on of Ibraaheem
[Abraham] [i. e. 1sl ami c Monot hei sm] except hi mwho
befool s hi msel f? Trul y We chose hi minthis wor1d and
veri l y inthe Hereafter he wi l l be among the ri ghteous.
When hi s Lord sai d tohi m Submi t [i.e. .bea Musl i m]!'
He sai d 1 have submi tted mysel f [as a Musl i m] to the
Lord of the 'Aal ameen [manki nd j i nn and all that
exists].' And this [submi ssi on to Al l ah 1sl am] was
e oi nedby Ibraaheem[Abraham] upon hi s sons and by
Yaqoob [J acob] [sayi ng] 0' my sons! Al l ah has
chosen for you the [true] rel i gi on then di e not except in
the Fai th of 1sl am[as Musl i ms - 1sl ami c Monothei sm]. '
Or were you wi tnesses when death approached
Yaqoob? When he sai d unto hi s sons What wi11
you worshi p after me?' l ey sai d We shal l worshi p
your l l aah [ God Al l ah] the l l aah [God] of your fathers
Ibraaheem 1smaaeel [1shmael ] 1sl;l aaq [1s c] One
l l aah [God] and to Hi mwe submi t [in 1sl am].' )
( Qur 'an 2: 130- 133)
They turned away o m is pure (Oneness of Al l ah) this
faithand this bel i ef inthe Hereafter and remai ned inthei r state
of devi ati on upti l Moosa (Moses) came to t hemwi th the renewed
Message of and Di vi ne transcendence. But they di d not
adhere to it; rather they strayed o mit.
Bel i ef inAl l h 435
Their devi ati on began whi l st Moosa (Moses) ( ) was still among
t hem when they worshi pped the cal f whi ch As-Saami ri made for
themo mthe gol dj ewel l ery ofthe Egypti an women whi ch they had
brought wi th them:
I I GGs ti j 44ej J 4Lj 36

i . LUliL
said: We broke not the promi se to you of our
own wi l l but we were made to cay the wei ght of the
omament s of the [Pharaoh' s] peopl e then we cast t hem
[intothe fire] and that was what AsSaami ri suggested.'
Then he took out [of the] for t hem[astatue of] a cal f
whi ch seemed to l ow. They said: Thi s is your i l aah
[god] and the i l aah [god] of Moosa [Moses] but he
[Moosa] has forgo n [his god]. (Qur 'an 20: 87-8
Before atthey had asked Moosa (Moses) toset up an i dol for t hem
to worshi p:

7 i LJu

We brought the Chi l dren of Israel [wi th safety]

across the sea and they came upon a peopl e devoted to
some of their i dol s [inworshi p]. They said: 0' Moosa
[Moses]! Make for us an i l aah [a god] as ey have
aal i hah [gods].' He said: Veri l y you are a peopl e who
know not [theMaj esty and Grea less of Al l ah and what
is obl i gatory upon you i.e. to worshi p none but Al l ah
Al one the One and the Onl y God of all that exists].
(Qur' !n 7: 138)
436 Concepts of God among theMi sgui ded Nati ons
leQur' an speaks at l ength about their devi ati on and falseconcepts
of Al l ah - Gl ori fi ed be He - and their shi rk and i dol a . They
at i buted a son to Al l ah -

the J ews say: Uzai r [Ezra] is the son of
(Qur' n 9: 30)
- and they accused Hi m(Al l ah) - Gl ori fi ed be He - of
mi serl i ness and poverty:
ATZi ' i SJ
. . . 42J-4
J ews say: Al l ah' s Hand is ti edup [i.e. He does not
gi ve and spend of Hi s Bounty]. ' Be their hands ti edup
and be they accursed for what they uttered. Nay both
Hi s Hands are wi del y outstretched. He spends [of Hi s
Bounty] as He wi11s..) (Qur' an 5: 64)
4 ; J 2- J 413L136j (J f

V ' J ' ' ' ' 1
Al l ah has heard the statement of those [J ews]
who say: Trul y Al l ah is poor and we are rich!' We shall
record what they have sai d and their ki11i ng of the
Prophets unj ustl y..) (Qur' an 3: 181)
An exampl e of their ibalistic bel i ef is the noti on that their god is a
ibal dei ty who does not j udge t hemby l aws of ethi cs except intheir
deal i ng wi th one another; but when it comes to s angers" (non-
J ews) they wi11not be brought to account for shame 1behavi our
towards them.
Bel i inAl l ah 437
An' Other exampl e 'Of their ibalistic atti tude was narrated by the
Qur' an:

A4 4J i ufL4I 3J iQL
4; : j f Af J AUL4 gNf dt J
4 @
the pe'Opl e 'Of the Scri pture [J ews and
Chri sti ans] is he wh'O if en usted wi th a Q (aar [a
great am'Ount 'Of weal th] wi11 readi1y pay it back; and
am'Ong t hemthere is he wh'O if entrusted wi th a si ngl e
si l ver c'Oin wi11n'Ot repay it unl ess y'Ou c'Onstant1y stand
demandi ng because they say: There is n'Obl ame 'On us
t'O betray and take the properti es 'Of the illiterates
[Arabs].' But they tell a lie agai nst Al l ah whi l e they
kn'Ow it.) (Qur 'an 3: 75)
Thei r dist'Orted b' O' Oks c'Ontai n descri pti 'Ons 'Of their G'Od whi ch are n'Ot
much better than the Greeks' descri pti 'Ons 'Of thei r id'Ols.
In the thi rd chapter 'Of the B' O' Ok 'Of Genesi s it says:
After Adamc'Ommi tted the sin 'Of eati ngo m e ee (whi ch as it
says inthis chapter was the tree 'Of the kn'Owl edge 'Of g' O' Od and evil)
they heard the s'Ound 'Of the L'Ord G'Od as he was wal ki ng in the
garden inthe c' O' Ol 'Ofthe day. S'OAdamand his wi f e hi d omt he ce
'Of the L'Ord G'Od inthe mi dst 'Of the Garden. The L'Ord G'Od cal l ed 'Out
t'OAdam sayi ng Where are y'Ou?' He answered 1 heard y'Ou inthe
garden and 1 was afrai d because 1 was naked s'O1 hid.' A nd he sai d
Wh' O t'Oldy'Ou that y'Ou were naked? Have y'Ou eaten o mthe tree
that 1 c'Ommanded y'Ou n'Ot t'O eat om?'
And the L'Ord G'Od said: The man has n'Ow bec'Ome like 'One 'Of us
kn'Owi ng g' O' Od and evi l . He must n'Ot be all 'Owed t'Oreach 'Out his hand
438 Concepts of God among theMi sgui ded Nati ons
and take als'Ofr'Om the tree 'Of life and eat and live f'Or ever.' S'Othe
L'Ord G'Od bani shed hi m o mthe Garden 'Of Eden t'O w'Ork 'On e
gr'Ound fr'Om whi ch he had been taken. After he dr'Ove the man 'Out he
pl aced 'On the east si de 'Ofthe Garden 'Of Eden cherubi mand a fl ami ng
sw'Ord fl ashi ng back and f'Orth t'Oguard the way t' O etree 'Of life. 3
This passage descri bes G'Od as i gn'Orant f'Or He d'Oes n'Ot kn'Ow where
Adamis unti l he tells Hi m and He is wal ki ng ab'Out as humans wal k
ab'Out. The reas'On f'Or Adam' s expul si 'On o mthe Garden is n'Ot his
di s'Obedi ence t'Owards hi s L'Ord as the Qur' an states it is because G'Od
lS a ai d that man may eat ' Omthe 'ee 'Of life and thus bec'Ome
i mm'Ortal! G'Od di d n'Ot teach man the di fference between g' O' Od and
evil he 'Onl y l eamed that after he ate' Omthe tree. Al l 'Of this is a lie
and a fabri cati 'On agai nst Al l ah may He be Gl 'Orified and Exal ted.
Fr'Om what they say it may be underst' O' Od that the never-endi ng life'Of
Al l ah came ab'Out 'Onl y because He ate fr'Om the ee' Of 1ife- Exal ted
be He ab'Ove what they say.
J ust as they at i butedi gn'Orance t'OG'Od they als'Oati butedt'OHi m
s'O 'OW and regret f'Or what He had d'One. They say that He regretted
creati ng man because 'Of hi s great evil and mi schi ef at the ti me 'Of
N'O'Ol}. ( N' Oah):
The L'Ord saw h'Ow great man' s wi ckedness 'On earth had bec'Ome
and that every i ncl i nati 'On 'Of the th'Oughts 'Ofhi s heart was 'Onl y evil all
the ti me. leL'Ord was gri eved that he had made man 'On earth and
hi s heart was filledwi th pai n. S'Othe L'Ord said: 1 wi11wi pe manki nd
wh'Om 1 have created fr'Om the ce'Of the earth menand ani mal s
creatures that m'Ove al 'Ong the gr'Ound and bi rds 'Of the air - f'Or 1 am
gri eved at 1 have made t hem ' But N' O f'Oundfav'Our in eeyes 'Of
the L'Ord. 4
3 Genesis 3:8-11 22- 24 ( NewIntemational Version) [Translator].
4 Genesis 6:58 ( NewIntemational Version) [Translar].
Bel i ef i n Al l ah 439
Li sten to this myt h whi ch is narrated inthe el eventh chapter of the
Book of Genesi s:
After the l and had been popul ated by the progeny of Noo( Noah)
the whol e wor1d had one l anguage and a common speech. As men
moved eastwards they f ound a pl ai n inShi nar and settl edthere. They
sai d to each other Come let us make bri cks and bake t hem
thoroughl y.' They used bri ck i nstead of stone and tar i nstead of
mort l en ey sai d ' Come let us bui l d oursel ves a city wi th a
tower that reaches tothe heavens so that we may make a n ne for
oursel ves and not be scattered over the ce of the whol e earth.'
But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men
were bui l di ng. The Lord sai d If as one peopl e speaki ng the same
l anguage they have begun to do this then nothi ng they pl an wi11be
i mpossi bl e for them. Come let us go down and confuse thei r
l anguage so they wi11 not understand each other.' So the Lord
scattered t hemo mthere over all the earth and they stopped
bui l di ng the city. That is why it was cal l ed Babel - because there the
Lord conf used el anguage of the whol e worl d. Fr omthere the Lord
scattered t hemover the face of the whol e earth.
What ki nd of myt h is this that falsifies the truthand al most wi pes out
its features! What ki nd of God is is portrayed inthis myt h? 1I s
God who fears humans and is aai dof thei r comi ng together so He
fi ghts t hembefore eycan uni te and become strong and He sca ers
t hemthroughout the wor1d after confusi ng thei r l anguages.
The J ews at i buteevil acti ons to God as wel l as regret for what He
has done.
Inthe Second Book of Samuel in etwenty-fourth chapter it says:
5 Genesi s 11: 19 ( New I ntemati onal Versi on) [Transl ator].
440 Concepts of God among theMi sgui ded Nati ons
S'o the L'Ord sent a pl ague 'On Israel ' Omthat m'Omi ng until the end
'Of the ti me desi gnated and seventy th'Ousand 'Of the pe'Opl e' OmDan
t'OBeersheba di ed. When the angel s ' etched'Out his hand des' Oy
J erusal em the L'Ord was gri eved because 'Of the cal ami andsai d t'O
the angel wh'O was aft1i cti ng the pe'Opl e En'Ough! Wi thdrawy'Our
hand. " 6
N'Ow let us m ' Omwhat the Qur' an says ab'Out the mi sgui ded
descri pti 'Ons that the J ews gave 'Ofthei r L'Ord and the dist'Orti 'Ons and
falsificati 'Ons inthe T'Orah and l' O' Ok at the Tal mud whi ch is the b' O' Ok
wri tten by the J ewi sh sch'Olars and rabbi s. F'Or the J ews this b' O' Ok is
even m'Ore i mp'Ortant than the T'Orah. If we l' O' Ok at the Tal mud we
wi11be stunned by the mi sgui dance int'Owhi ch the J ews have fallen
n'Ot 'Onl y inthe matter 'Of religi 'Ous bel i ef but inall aspects 'Of the Law.
It is suffi ci ent here t'Oqu'Ote'Onl y o mthe b' O' Ok AI - Kanz al - Manf ood
fi Qawaa 'idat- Tal mud c'Oncemi ng what the Tal mud says ab'Out the
Di vi ne p'Ower. F'Or exampl e they say that G'Od needs t'O read and
l eam and that He j 'Okes and pl ays. It is sai d intheir Tal mud that the
day has twel ve h'Ours. Duri ng the first three ( G'Od) sits and studi es the
Law. Duri ng the sec'Ond three He passes j udgements. Duri ng the
thi rdthree He feeds (Hi s crea res). And duri ng the last three He sits
and pl ays wi th a whal e the ki ng 'Of the fish."
Li sten t'Os'Omethi ng even w'Orsethan that: G'Od has n'O'Other w'Ork t'O
d'O except l eami ng the Tal mud wi th the angel s. " And n'Ot 'Onl y the
angel s but als'O wi th As m'Odeus" the chi ef 'Of the dem'Ons in the
sch' O' Ol 'Of heaven!
What is this whal e wi th whi ch the L'Ord pl ays? It is a very bi g whal e
thr'Ough wh'Osethr'Oat a fishthree parasangs l'Ong (i.e. ni ne hundred
mi l es) c'Oul d pass wi th'Out b'Otheri ng it. Because it is s'Ohuge G'Od is
6 2 Samue1 24: 15-16 ( New I ntemati ona1 Versi on) [Tr. slator].
Bel i ef inAl l ah 441
a ai dthat if it were toproduce offspri ng it woul d destroy the wor1d
so He deci ded tokeep it o mits mate because i f He di d not do that
they woul d fill the wor1d and des oy everyone in it . Hence God
detai ned the mal e by Hi s di vi ne s ' engthand He ki11ed the femal e
sal ted it and prepared it to feed the bel i evers in Paradi se.
To these myths whi ch have become part of their rel i gi ous bel i efs
eyadded the noti on that God di d not pl ay wi th the whal e after the
des lctionof the Templ e and after the destructi on of the Templ e He
di d not liketodance wi th Eve after He adorned her wi th c10thes and
tied up her hair."
May eyperi sh and be doomed! They are sayi ng the same thi ngs as
those who di sbel i eved before t hem the mi sgui ded mushri k
(Pol y iest) nati ons. Accordi ng to their bel i efs their god is no
di fferent toa human bei ng; He thi nks likethey do acts likethey do
pl ays dances feels gri ef and weeps - for what? For so o wat the
destructi on of the Templ e ofthe J ews whi ch Sul aymaan had built for
them.
The Templ e is a symbol ofthe gl ory ofthe J ews. Fr omthe ti me when
the Templ e was des oyedunti1 the present day the J ews say that
God weeps for three-quarters of the ni ght roari ng like a l i on and
sayi ng
and the Templ e to be burned and My chi l dren to be ered."
They go to ex ' emes intheir di storti ons and lies. They say that the
essence of God became less - exal ted be He r above what they say
- because of Hi s gri ef over the destructi on of the Templ e. God
filledthe space of four heavens after He had filledthe heavens and
the earth at all ti mes. "
They descri be the Most Hi gh Most Mesticas humbl i ng Hi msel f
when Hi s servants - by whi ch they mean the J ews of co -
prai se Hi m. When the Creator hears the peopl e glorifi ngHi m He
442 Concepts of God among theMi sgui ded M tions
bows Hi s head and says. How happy is the ki ng when he is prai sed
at the ti me when he deserves atbut the fa er who l eaves his
chi l dren in mi sery does not deserve any praise. ' "
4 J 1 41. 1
Curse be on t hem how they are del uded away
o m e u! ) (Qur' an 9: 30)
Another of the lies whi ch they have fabri cated agai nst the Lord of
Gl ory - gl ori fi ed and sancti fi ed be He above what they say - is that He
s i kes Hi s cheeks and weeps and Hi s tears f l owdown a11because of
the mi sery of the J ews and what has happened tothem: God regrets
l eavi ng the J ews intheir mi serabl e state so much so at He s i kes
Hi s cheeks and weeps every day and t wo tears 11f romHi s eyes into
the sea and the sound of their fa11ingcan be heardo mone end of
the uni verse to the other. The water of the ocean is di sturbed and
someti mes the earth embl esthat is when ear quakes happen. "
Theyat i butemi stakes toHi mand say that He admi ts toand expi ates
for sin. They cl ai mfal sel y that the moon was God' s mi stake and that
it sai d t he Lord (exal ted be He above what they say) Youmade a
mi stake when You created me sma11er than the sun" and God
accepted that and admi tted Hi s mi stake. He sai d Offer Me a
sacri fi ce through whi ch 1 wi l l expi ate for My sin for 1 created the
moon sma11er than esun. " How coul d they cl ai mthat God woul d
offer expi ati on - to whom woul d He offer that expi ati on?!
The mi nds whi ch fabri cated this lie every fool i sh i ndeed and the
mi nds whi ch bel i eve this nonsense are no less fool i sh. Prai se be to
A11ah Who has gui ded us to the th and the cl ear l i ght.
Another aspect of their fool i shness is their bel i ef that God was
overtaken by reckl essness whi ch happened on the day when He
became angry wi th the Chi l dren of Israel and He sworedepri ve
Beli i nAl l ah 443
t hemof etemal l i fe. But after Hi s reckl essness left Hi m He regretted
that so He di d not carry out that vow because He had done somethi ng
u ust .
The ma er does not end there wi th Hi msweari ng an oath out of
i gnorance and reckl essness and doi ng wr ong then expi ati ng. They
al so cl ai m at He needed an expi ati on to eeHi mo mthis vow. It
says intheir Tal mud: When God swore an unl awful oath He needed
someone to eehi m o mthis vow. One of the wi se men among the
Israelites heard God sayi ng Whowi l l eeMe o mthe vow that 1
swore toMysel f?' When the rest of the rabbi s heard that he [thewi se
man] had not eed Hi m o mit they regarded hi mas a donkey
because he has not eedGodo mHi s vow. Hence they i nvented an
angel between the heavens and the earth cal l ed May to ee God
o mHi s vow and oath when needed. "
7
These are a f ewexampl es of the false and di storted bel i efs of the
J ews whi ch f ormthe basi s of their rel i gi on. They are no less
decadent than the myths ofthe Greeks and i dol ators about their idols.
3 - THE ARABS' DEVI ATI ON F ROM TAWHEED
The Arabs were fol l owi ng the rel i gi on of a w ~ e e d the rel i gi on of
their father Ibraaheem(Abraham). They conti nued to fol l owthat
until four hundred years before the comi ng of the Prophet () when
there appeared among t hema l eader who was l i stened to and obeyed
and no one coul d oppose and who changed their rel i gi on. Hi s name
was Amr i bn Aami r al- Khuzaa1.
Bukhari narrated f romAbu Hurayr ( ) at the Prophet ( ) said:
1 saw Amr i bn Aami r al- Khuzaai draggi ng his
i ntesti nes inHel l . He was efirst one to in oducethe
7 l I s is just a little of the many thi ngs that the J ews have wri tten intheir Tal mud.
444 Concepts of God among theMi sgui ded Nations
taboo ofthe saa 'ibah(ashe-camel l et l oose for the sake
of the i dol s and nothi ng was al l owed to be carri ed on
it)."g
Bukhari al so narrated o mAa' i shah ( may Al l ah be pl eased wi th
her) that the Prophet ( ) said:
1 sawHel l parts of it consumi ng other parts and 1 saw
Amr draggi ng his intestines. He was the first one to
in oduce the taboo of the saa 'ibah. 9
Thi s Amr changed the rel i gi on of the Arabs by cal l i ng themto
worshi p idols and by i ntroduci ng reprehensi bl e i nnovati ons intothe
rel i gi on of Al l ah forbi ddi ng and permi tti ng thi ngs accordi ng to his
own desires. Among that were the thi ngs whi ch Al l ah ()
menti oned in Hi s Book:
bJ 14 J j ; J i . . 3LtJ J

has not instituted thi ngs like or a
Saa 'ibah or a or a l f aam[all these ani mal s
were l i beratedinhonour of idols as practi ced by pagan
Arabs in the preI sl ami c period]. But those who
di sbel i eve i nvent lies agai nst Al l ah and most of them
have no (Qur' an 5: 103/
0
8 Bukhari 8/283 hadi th no. 4623.
9 Ibid hadi th no. 4624.
10 Bal; eerah: A she-camel whose ear was slit then it was let loose. This slit in its
ear was a si gn to the Arabs who knew o mit that she was not to be ri dden or
used to cay thi ngs. Thi s woul d be done to a she-camel after she produced her
fifth 0 pri ngprovi ded that the last cal f was a mal e.
Saa 'ibah: Thi s had to do wi th a man' s vow; if what he want ed happened he
woul d set a she- camel free and it woul d be like the baheerah in that no one
woul d use it for his own benefi t.
Bel i ef i nAl / !h 445
The reports di er as to how Amr spread the i dol s through the
Arabi an Peni nsul a. Some say that Amr was gi ven dreams by the j i nn
whi ch showed hi mwhere the i dol s had been buri ed si nce the ti me of
NooQ ( Noah) when the peopl e of NooQ had worshi pped them. So
Amr dug t hemup and di stri buted t hemamong the Arabs. It is al so
sai d that he brought the i dol s o mSyri a. When Amr sawthe Syri ans
worshi ppi ng idols. He asked for an i dol . They gave hi mone whi ch he
set up in M kah.
11
There onwhy the Arabs fol l owedAmr i bn Lul). ayy was that he had
a hi gh posi ti on among them. He was the l eader of Khuzaaah when
they took over Makkah and the Kabah after expel l i ng J urhamf rom
Makkah. The Arabs had taken hi mas a lord; Al though he di d not
i ntroduce any i nnovati on they adopted it as a l aw because he used to
feed and cl othe the peopl e on the occasi on of I:I Ij. At one ti me he
mi ght sacri fi ce ten thousand camel s and gi ve ten thousand suits of
cl othi ng.
12
It is further sai d that this Amr was the one who cal l ed the peopl e to
worshi p Al -Laat. He was a man who used toprepare (l atta - topound
mi x wi th water knead) saweeq (aki nd of mush made wi th wheat or
barl ey) for the pi l gri ms on a rock inA!- Taa' i Whenhe di ed Amr
i bn Lul). ayy cl ai med that he had not di ed but had entered the rock on
whi ch he used to prepare that f ood and he commanded t hemto
worshi p it.
If a she-camel gave bi rth to a f emal e the cal f woul d bel ong to the
peopl e but if it gave birth to a mal e the cal f woul d be dedi cated to their gods. If
she gave birth to twi ns one mal e and one femal e they woul d say that this femal e
akhaahaa (del i vered her brother) so it woul d be forbi dden to sl aughter
that mal e.
l f aam: A stal l i on camel that had fathered ten offspri ng so they forbade sl augh-
tering or ri di ng hi m and he was not to be barred ' Omany grazi ng area or water.
11 As-Seerah anNabawi yyah by Ibn Hi sh m11121.
12 Af . ' daayah wa ' n-Ni haayah 2/187.
446 Concepts of God among theMi sgui ded Nati ons
It is al so sai d that he was eone who changed the Tal bi yah whi ch
was a dec1arati on of Tawl J eed bel i ef inAl l ah al one. The Ta ah
o mthe ti me of Ibraaheem(Abraham) had been Labbayk
Al l ahumm l abbay l abbayka l aa shareeka l aka l abbayk (At Your
servi ce 0' Al l ah at Your servi ce. At Your servi ce You have no
pa le at Your servi ce)." Thi s conti nued until the ti me of Arnr i bn
Aami r. Whilst he was ci rcumambul ati ng the Kabah and reci ti ng the
Tal bi yah the Shaytaan (Satan) appeared tohi minthe f ormof an ol d
man reci ti ng the l bi yahwi th hi m. When he sai d At Your servi ce
You have no partner" the ol d man sai d except epartner that You
have. " Arnr f ound this odd and sai d What is thi s?" The ol d man
sai d Say You own hi mand whatever he owns - there is nothi ng
wr ong wi th that." So ' Arnr sai d it and the Arabs fol l owed hi m.
The Begi nni ng of Devi ati on
Ibn Isl)aaq tells us how the devi ati on began among the Arabs who
were the descendents of I smaaeel (I shmael ). It startedwi th t hem
worshi ppi ng stones. At first they used to venerate the l f aram(the
sanctuary inMakkah) and they di d not go an rhereelse until they
became too great innumber and the pl ace became too crowded. Then
they started tomove away l ooki ng for mor e space. But none of t hem
woul d move awayo mthe l f aramtoanother pl ace until he took one
of the stones of the l f aramwi th hi m out of respect for it. Wherever
they settled they woul d set the stone up and ci rcumambul ate it as
they used to ci rcumambul ate the Kabah. Thi s l ed to their
worshi ppi ng these stones then they started worshi ppi ng whatever
stones they f ound a acti ve." 13
Look at the statethey ended up in: it is narrated that Abu Raj aa' al-
Utaari di said: We used toworshi p stones duri ng the J aahi l i yah. If
13 As-Seerah by l bn Hi shaam 1/122.
Belief inAl l ah 447
we f'Ound a st'One that we l i ked better we w'Oul d thr'Ow (the first 'One)
asi de and ad'Opt the new 'One (as an 'Obj ect 'Of w'Orship). I f we c'Oul dn' t
fi nd a st'One we w'Oul d gather a hand 1'Of earth then mi l k a sheep
'Over it then ci rcumambul ate it." One 'Of the s angethi ngs ab'Out the
J aahi l 'ahwas that when a man avel l edhe w'Oul d take f'Our st'Ones
wi th hi m three f'Or his c' O' Oki ng p'Ot and 'One t'O w'Orship.
The I dol s of the Ar abs
The Arabs ad'Opted id'Ols. Hi shaami bn MuJ;tammad i bn al -Saa' i b al-
Kal bi said: One 'Of the m'Ost anci ent 'Of their id'Ols was Manaat
erected 'On the sh'Ore 'Of the Red Sea near AMushal l al in Qadeed
between Makkah and Madeenah. Al l the Arabs used t'Ovenerate it.
le Aws and Khazrjand th'Ose wh'O ed in Madeenah and
Makkah and nei ghb'Ouri ng regi 'Ons used t'O venerate it and 'Offer
sacrifices t'O it but n'One hel d it in hi gher esteem an Aws and
Khazraj. levenerati 'On 'Of Aws and the Ar abs 'Of the regi 'Ons ar'Ound
Yathri b ( Madeenah) reached such an extent that when they went f'Or
ajj they w'Oul d d'O all the rituals 'Of !:I ajj wi th the pe'Opl e but they
w'Oul d n'Ot shave their heads; when they left Makkah they w'Oul d g'O
t'OManaat and shave their heads there and s ythere f'Or a whi1e. They
bel i eved that their !:I ajj was n'Ot c'Ompl ete until they had d'One that.
Manaat bel 'Onged t'O Hudhayl and Khuzaaah s'O the Messenger 'Of
Al l ah ( ) sent Al i ( ) inthe year 'Of the c'Onquest (' Of M kah)t'O
destr'Oy it.
The Arabs en ad'Opted Al -Laat in At- 11 'if; this id'Ol was m'Ore
recent than Manaat. It was a square r'Ock wh'Osekeepers wereo m
Thaqeef They bui1t (as ine) 'Over it and Quryash and all the Arabs
venerated it. Zayd al -Laat and Taymal -Laat were named after it. It
was 'On the site where the l eft-hand mi naret 'Of the m'Osque 'Of At
Taa' i fstands t'Oday. It remai ned likethat until the Messenger 'Of Al l ah
() sent AI - Mugheerah i bn Shu' bah and Abu Su aan i bn !:I arb
448 Concepts of God among theMi sgui ded Nati ons
when Thaqeef embraced I sl am. They des oyed it and burned.
But Ibn J areer narrated in his Ta eer of the aayah (verse):

you then consi dered Al - Laat and Al - ' Uzza[ t wo
i dol s of the pagan (Qur' an 53: l
t hat Maahi dsaid: Al - Laat used toprepare (gri nd etc.) saweeq for
the pi l gri ms; when he di ed they c1ung to his grave. Abu' l -J awzaa'
al so narratedo mIbnAbbaas that he used toprepare saweeq for the
pi l gri ms. Bukhari al so narrated somethi ng similar.
Then they adopted Al - ' Uzzaa whi ch was more recent than Al -Laat. It
was adopted by Z; aal i mi bn Sad inthe Nakhl ah val l ey above Dhaat
' Uraq. They built a house over it and used to hear voi ces f romit .
Accordi ng towhat is narrated by AI -Kal bi oml bnAbbaashe said:
A ' Uzzaa had a she-devi l whi ch used tocome tothree 'ees i nBatn
Nakhl ah. "
When the Messenger of Al l ah () conquered Makkah he sent
Khaal i d i bn al- Wal eed and said: Go toBatn Nakhl ah where you
wi11fi nd three trees and cut down the first one. " So he went toit and
cut it down. When he came back the Prophet asked hi m Di d you
see anythi ng?" He sai d No. " So the Prophet sai d
second one. " So he cut it down then he came to the Prophet who
askedhi m Di d you see anythi ng" He sai d No. " He sai d Goand
cut down the thi rdone. " So he came toit and he sawan Ethi opi an
woman wi th unkempt hai r pl aci ng her hands on her shoul ders and
gnashi ng her teeth. Her keeper stood behi nd her. Khaal i d said:
1 di sbel i eve in you 1 do not glori you. 1 can see that Al l ah is
humi l i ati ng you. "
Beli finAl l ah 449
Then he struck her c1eavi ng her head and she turned i nto ashes.
Then he cut downle eeand ki11ed the keeper. Then he came to e
Prophet () and tol d hi mabout that. He sai d
That wasA ' Uzzaa but the Arabs wi l l have no ' Uzzaa
after thi s."
Af . ' Uzzabel onged to the peopl e of Makkah in a pl ace near
'Arafaat; it was a tree at whi ch they woul d 0er sacri fi ces and make
suppl i cati ons.
Al Kalbi sai d inhis book Quraysh had i dol s inand
around the Kabah the greatest of whi ch intheir si ght w Hubal . It
was made of red carnel i an inthe f ormof a man. When ey had a
di spute about somethi ng or they wanted to avel they woul d come to
it and cast lots before it."
Al so among eir i dol s were I saaf and Naa 'ilah. Some narrators
reported a m. and a wo m commi tted zi na in the Sacred
House and Al l ah turned t heminto t wo stones. Quraysh pl aced t hem
by eKa bahtobe a l esson tothe peopl e but as ti me passed and e
peopl e started worshi p i dol s they worshi pped these t wo stones
too.
When the Messenger ( ) conquered Makkah he f ound ree
hundred and si xty i dol s around the Kabah. He started s i ki ngthei r
faces and eyes wi th his bow sayi ng
And:
4@dAJ K4i
and Baa{i l [fal sehood] has vani shed.
Surel y Baa{i l is ever bound to (Qur' an 17: 81)

450 Concepts of God among theMi sgui ded Nati ons
[ e truth i.e. the Qur' an and Al1ah' s
Revel ati on] has come and A/-Baati l [ l sehood I b/ees
(Sa) ] can nei ther create an ung nor resurrect
(Qur' an 34: 4.
The i dol s fel1on their heads then he i ssued orders that they shoul d be
taken out of the mosque and burned. Somethi ng si mi1ar is narrated in
$al J eel J ayn (Bukhari and Musl i m) o mIbn Masood but he di d not
say that they fel1 on their heads... etc. Accordi ng to ereports in
$al J eel J ayn he struck t hemwi th a stick that was in his hand.
The worshi p of i dol s spread until every house inMakkah had an idol
whi ch was worshi pped by the househol d. When anyone wanted to
travel the frrst thi ng he woul d do woul d be to touch the idol then
wi pe his hand on hi msel f (for bl essi ng). When he woul d come back
o mhis j ourney this woul d agai n be the first thi ng that he woul d do.
n Is]J. aaq al Kal bi said: ' Dhu ' /-Kha/a h [an idol] bel onged
DawsKhathamandBeel ahand the Arabs who l i ved intheir land.
It was a whi te stone carved wi th the i mage of a crown and it had a
house (shrine). The Messenger of Al1ah ( ) sai d to J areer i bn
Abdul l ah al -Bali
Wi11you deal wi th Dhu So he went to it
wi th (peopl e ' Omthe i be of) A]J .mas; Khatham and
Baahi l ah fought hi m but he defeated t hemand
de oyedthe house of Dhu and lit a firein
"
Accordi ng to Bukhari and Musl i m it is narrated J areer i bn
' Abdul l ah said: le Messenger of Al l ah ( ) sai d to me
Wi11 you deal wi th Dhu ' /-Kha/a h?" There was a
house in (the l and of) Khatham whi ch was cal l ed the
Yemeni Kabah. So 1 set out for Dhu ' /-Kha/ sah wi th
one hundred and yhorsemen f romA .1sai d 0'
Be/ i fi nAl l ah 451
Messenger of Al l ah! 1 cannot ri de a horse wel l ." He
struck his hand agai nst my chest so hard at 1 coul d see
the marks ofhi s 1gers on my chest and sai d 0' Al l ah!
make hi mstead st and make hi m i dedand a gui de to
others." Then he went ere and destroyed it [ Dhu '1-
Khal a h].
The Deep Darkness at the Ti me when the Prophet ) was sent
Before the Messenger ( ) came there was nothi ng left of the
heavenl y light whi ch the Prophets had brought except the faintest
gl owwhi ch was not enough togui de peopl e or toshow em eway
reveal ed by Al l ah () because that way had been lost and mi xed
wi th so much I sehood. It says ina hadi th at Al l ahl ooked at e
peopl e ofthe e th- before the Prophet was sent - and He hated t hem
Ar abs and non- Arabs al i ke except for what was left of the Peopl e of
the Book. "
Hi stori cal texts have preserved for us the stories of four wi se men of
Quraysh who wi drewo mthe peopl e duri ng one ofthe festivals of
Quraysh cel ebrati ng one of their idols. They were Waraqah i bn
Nawf al Ubaydul l ah i bn J aQ. sh U m n i bn al- I:I uwayri th i bn
Asad i bn ' Abd al- Uzzaa and Zayd i bn ' Amr i bn Nuf ayl .
They sai d toone ano er Youknow by Al l ah at yo peopl e e
not fol l owi ng anythi ng (any e and they have devi ated f rom
the rel i gi on of their er Ibraaheem(Abraham). What is this stone
that we ci rcumambul ate whi ch can nei ther hear nor see and can
nei er cause har mnor bri ng benefi ts? 0' peopl e! ndyoursel ves a
rel i gi on for you are not fol l owi ng anythi ng. " So they split up and
avel l ed to di fferent l ands seeki ng the rel i gi on of raaheem.
Waraqah i bn Nawf al fol l owed the Chri sti ans and l earned about their
books f rom schol arsuntil he gai ned some knowl edgeo m e
Peopl e of the Book.
452 Concepts of God among the Mi sgui ded Nati ons
Ubaydul l ah i bn J al)sh remai ned in his state of confusi on until he
became a Musl i m then he mi grated wi th the Musl i ms toAbyssi ni a
wi th his Musl i mwi fe U mm I:I abeebah bi nt Abi Su aan. When he
reached Abyssi ni a he became a Chri sti an and left I sl am. He di ed as a
Chri sti an.
Ut hmaan i bn al- I:I uwayri th went toCaesar ( Qay r) the rul er of the
Romans and became a Chri sti an and was hel d inhi gh esteemby
Caesar.
Zayd di d nei ther become a J ewnor a Chri sti an. He left his peopl e and
shunned idols. He avoi ded dead meat bl ood and the meat of ani mal s
that had been sacri fi ced toidols. He spoke out agai nst the practi ce of
buryi ng in nt girls alive; he sai d 1 worshi p the Lord of Ibraaheem
(Abraham)"; and he started to criticize his peopl e for their ways.
Bukhari narratedo mAbdul l ahi bn Umar ( may Al l ah be pl eased
wi th t hemboth) that the Prophet () met Zayd i bn Amr i bnNu yl
at the bottomof Bal dah (aval l ey tothe west of Makkah) before the
Revel ati on came to the Prophet . Some f ood was 0 red to the
Prophet but he refused to eat it. Then Zayd said: 1 do not eat o m
what has been sacri fi ced on yo stone altars; 1 onl y eat o mthat
over whi ch the name of Al l ah has been menti oned. " Zayd i bnAmr
used tocriticizeQuraysh for their sacrifices. He said: Al l ah created
the sheep; He sent down water for it o mheaven and caused f ood to
gr owfor it o mthe earth then you sl aughter it ina name other than
that of Al l ah" l US he denounced t hemand poi nted out the enormi ty
of their acti ons.
14
Moosa i bn ' Uqbah sai d Saal i mi bnAbdul l ah tol d me and1 do not
know of hi mnarrati ng it f romanyone except Ibn ' Umar that Zayd
i bn Amr i bn Nuf ayl went out to Syri a aski ng about a rel i gi on he
14 Bukhari 7/ 142 hadi th nO. 3826.
Bel i efi n Al l ah 453
coul d fol l ow. He met a J ew schol ar and asked hi mabout their
rel i gi on sayi ng
r it. ' " H es aid Y ou ca nn O t fol l owou r rel i gi on un le ss yo utak e y OU
share ofthewrath of Al l ah. " Zayd sai d The anger of Al l ah is what 1
am runni ng away from; 1 can never bear anythi ng of the wrath of
Al l ah how coul d 1 bear it? Can you tell me about any other
rel i gi on?" The J ew sai d 1 do not know of any other rel i gi on except
bei ng a a n e e f " Zayd sai d What is a a n e " He sai dThe
rel i gi on of Ibraaheem(Abraham). He was nei ther a J ew nor a
Chri sti an and he worshi pped nothi ng but Al l ah. "
Then Zayd went and met a Chri sti an schol ar and asked hi mabout
their rel i gi on sayi ng Perhaps 1 wi11fol l owyo religion. Tell me
about " He sai d You cannot fol l owour rel i gi on unl ess you take
your share of the curse of Al l ah. " Zayd sai d lecurse of Al l ah is
what 1 am runni ng awayom; 1 can never bear anythi ng of the curse
and anger of Al l ah how coul d 1 bear it? Can you tell me about any
other rel i gi on?" The Chri sti an sai d 1 do not know of any other
rel i gi on except bei ng a a n e e f " Zayd sai dWhat is a neefl " He
sai dThe rel i gi on of Ibraaheem. He was nei ther a J ew nor a
Chri sti an. "
When Zayd heard what they sai d about Ibraaheem(;) he went out
then he rai sed his hands and sai d 0' Al l ah bear wi tness that 1 am
fol l owi ng the rel i gi on of Ibraaheem. " 15
AI - La 1said: Hi shaami bnUr wah wrote tome (narrati ng) omhi s
therthat Asmaa' bi nt Abi Bakr ( may Al l ah be pl eased wi th her)
said: 1 sawZayd i bn Amr i bnNu yl standi ng l eani ng back agai nst
the Kabah sayi ng 0' Quraysh! By Al l ah no one among you is
fol l owi ng the rel i gi on of Ibraaheemexcept me. He used to (rescue
d) protect girls who were buri ed alive. He woul d say amanwho
15 Bukhari 7/ 142 hadi th no. 3827.
454 Concepts of God among the Mi sgui ded Nati ons
wanted t'Obury his daughter al i ve D'On'Ot ki11her I wi11take care 'Of
her.' He w'Oul d take the chi l d and when she grewup he w'Oul d say t'O
her father I f y'Ou want I wi11gi ve her t'Oy'Ou 'Or i fy'Ou want I wi11take
C e 'Of her." 16
leMessenger () was asked ab'Out is Zayd and he said: He wi11
be gathered as a nati 'On 'On his 'Own between me and Eesa i bn
Mar yam. " Ibn Katheer said: its i snad is j a _ i d basan (g' O' Od and
appr'Oved).
It is narratedo mAa' i shah( may Al l ah be pl eased wi th her) that the
Messenger ( ) said:
I entered Paradi se dI sawt w'Ogardens f'Or Zayd i bn
Amr i bn Nuf ay1. " n Katheer sai d this is a j a _ lid
i snad (g' O' Od chai n 'Of ansmi ssi 'On).
After that i ntense darkness Al l ah () decreed the dawn 'Of I sl am
wh'Ose light sh'One up'On the pe'Opl e and gui ded them. T'O Hi mbe
prai se and grace.
16 Bukhari 7/ 143 hadi th no. 3828.
C

N

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Shurooq Cai ro 1397H11977G.
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R zi: ' Iti qadaat Fi raq al -Musl i meen Daar al -Kub al- ' Il mi ah
Bei rut 1402H11982G.
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Hashi mal Yamani Madeenah S. A. 1384H11964G.
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Zandani : 1st ed. Daar al -Khayr 1411H11990G.
456 References
Ibn al Atheer: J ame y al- 01fi arRasool Edi ted by
Abdul Qaadi r al- Ar naoot Makt bah al -l fal wani et al. 1389H1
1969G.
Bukhari : Khal q Af' aal al- ' l baad 1st ed. D r as-Sal afi yah Kuwai t
1405H11985G.
Naai ruddeenal -Al bani : Silsilat 1st ed.
Al - Uktab al -l sl ami Damascus.
Ibn Hi sham: Seerat an- Nabawi yah al ong wi th by Abu Dhar al-
Khashani 1 st ed. Makt abah al ManarJ ordan 1409H/ 1988G.
Muhammad Abi ' l I zz al I:I anafi : al ' Aqeedah at-
Al - Maktab al -l sl ami Bei rut 1391H.
Nawawi : an- Nawawi 'ala Musl i m Al - Matba 'ah
wa Maktabataha Cai ro.
Bukhari : wi th al -Baari A
Mat ba 'ah as-Sal afi yah wa Maktabaataha Cai ro.
al - J aame y -$agheer1st ed. Al . Maktabal -l sl ami Bei rut.
Nai ruddeen al -Al bani : i bn Maaj ah 2nd Pri nti ng
Makt ab at- Tarbi ah al- ' Arabi li Duwal aKhal e Ri yadh1408H1
1988G.
Abu Dawood: Sunan 1st ed. Al - Maktab al -l sl ami Bei rut
1409H11980G.
N l ddeen al -Al bani : Sunan at-Ti rmi dhi 1st Pri nt
Makt ab at- Tarbi yah al- 'Arabi li Duwal al Khal e Ri yadh1408H1
1988G.
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1988G.
Bel i efi n Al l ah 457
Musl i m: Al - J am' -$aJ ; eeJ ; edi ted by Muhammad Fuad Abdul
Baaqi 1st ed. Daar IJ ; ah al -Kutub al- ' Arabi ah Egypt 1375H1
1956G.
Ibn I:I ar al- Asqal ani : FatJ ; al -Baari bi Shm $aJ ; eeJ ; al -Bukhari
Al - Maktabah as-Sal afi yah Cai ro.
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wa 'dDi raayah ' t Tqeer Daar I J ; i yah at- Torath Bei rut.
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Makt abah as-Sal afi yah Cai ro 1410H.
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Yusuf Khayaat and NadeemMarashl ee (ed): Li saan al- ' Arab 1st
ed. Daar Li saan al- 'Arab Bei rut .
Sa areeni : Lawame y al - Anwaar al -Bahi yah State of Qatar.
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Taymah1st ed. Govt. of Saudi Ar abi a 1381H.
Khateeb at-Tabrezi : Mi shkaat 1st ed. Al - Maktab al-
l sl ami Damascus 1380H.
Shaykh I:I afi? i bn .AJpnad al- I:I akami : Ma rij al - Qubool Daa' i rat al-
Ifta' Publ i cati ons Saudi Arabia.
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1st ed. Daar an- Naf a 'a Amman J ordan 1414H11994G.
Abul I:I asan al -Ash i: Maqal aat al -l sl ami yeen Daar IJ ; i yah at-
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Ibn Taymi yah: Munt aqa mi n AJ ; aadeeth al -AJ ; kaam Al - Matba 'ah
as-Sal afi yah Cai ro.
458 References
M 1 nmad a l- A meen ash-Shi nqti: Manhq ; wa Di.r S at li Aayaat
al - Asma Manshooraat al -J am'ah al -l sl ami ah
Madeenah 2nd ed. 1388H.
Bayhaqi : Al - Asmaa' wa faatPhotopri nti ng Bei rut.
Ibn al
' Ul u summar y by Al Al baani ; Al - Maktab
al -l sl ami 2nd ed. 1412H11991C.
IbraheemAnees et al: M' uj ama Waseet Daar atToraathal
' Arabi Bei rut 2nd edi ti on.
Aqq d: Ki taab-Al l ah Daar al -Hal aal Cai ro.
Shawkaani : Fawaai 'd al - Maj moo 'ah Mat ba 'a as-Sunnah al-
Cai ro.
I ma m Shaafa' i : Ar-Ri sal ah Daar al -Fi kr Bei rut .
Muhammad I:I asan I:I ama!j i: Daar ar-
Rasheed Damascus 2nd ed. 1977C.
Dari mi : Radd ad-Daari see 'Ala al -Mareesi Daar al -Kutub al-
' l l mi ya Bei rut.
Muhammad Khal eel al -Haras: al- 'Aqeedah a Waasti yah
Manshooraat al - J aame 'a al -l sl ami a Madeenah 4th ed.
Abu Ubayd al - Qaasi mi bn Sal aam: Eemaan edi ted by AI -Al baani in
the anthol ogy under the name ' Mi n Kunooz as- Sunnah - Rasaai l
Ar b ' . Al . Matba'a al- ' Umoomi yah Damascus.
Y

R

A

0
3

0
3

0

L

G

'Aal ameen l lT
'Amal
'Aqaa' i d
Ai ' mmah
J.P
UP
4tt
A lihlh T
Ayt ..:..I..I
Abraar
JI .J! I
Ad- Dawb IJ ...u1
A 'Al eem
JI
Al - 'Azeez
_;..jAl 1
Al - Awwal
J / i l
Az- Zaahi r
~ 1
Ahd ) ~
The Wor1ds; the Uni verse
Manki nd j i nn and al1 that exi st.
Acti on deeds.
Si ng. ' Aqeedah. bel i ef faith creed.
Si ng. I mam. Leadi ng jurists and
schol ars of I sl am like I mam Abu
I:I anee hM likShafi ' i bal
Bukhari Musl i m Ibn Ta yah
etc.
Si ng. Il aah. gods.
Si ng. Aayah. Verses of the Qur' an
si gns; proof.
Ri ghteous pi ous.
Movi ng (l i vi ng) creatures beasts.
Al 1-Knowi ng; an at i buteof Al1ah.
leAl mi ghty; an a i buteof Al1ah.
The First; an at i bute of Al1ah.
The Apparent; an at buteof Al l ah.
A termin hadi th di sci pl i ne a
narrati on of hadi by less
mutawaati r i. e. by three t wo or one
person at each/ any stage of
reporti ng.
460 Gl ossary
Ahkaam
r lS:.>t
Si ng. l fukm. Rul i ng; ordai nments.
Ahl al - Kal aam
j Al
Schol asti cs I sl ami c phi1osophers .
..lat l1 The Protector; an at i buteof Al l ah;
Al so a man who memori zes whol e
of the Qur' an.
AI - Hakeem
1
The Al l - Wi se an at i buteof Al l ah.
AI - Hannan .;l:. 1 The Compassi onate; an at i bute of
Al l ah.
Al - a)ry

The Ever living; the One Who
l - QJ Yoom
sustai ns and protects all that exists;
an at i bute of Al l ah.
AI -J.bbr
J U- I
The Compel l er; an at i bute of
Al l ah.
AI - Kareem
J I
The Most Generous; an at i buteof
Al l ah.
AI - Khaifi4 l The Abaser; an at i bute of Al l ah.
AI - Khabeer
n1
The Al l -Aware; an at i bute of
Al l ah.
AI - Lrghw
111
Di " false evil vai n talk
fal sehood and all that Al l ah has
forbi dden.
AI - L!wh al-
1_1J 1
The Book of Decrees wi th Al l ah;

the Preserved Tabl et .
l -Malni ;l l

The Wi thhol der an at i bute of

Al l ah.
AI - Mal i k 4II The Ki ng; an at i bute of Al l ah.
Bel i ef inAl l ah 461
Al - Mannaan .; 1.:11 The Graci ous; an at i buteof Al1ah .
Al - Masaakeen
~ U I
Si ng. Mi skeen. the Poor.
Al - Mu' mi n
:r1
The Gi ver of securi ty; an at i bute
of Al1ah.
Al -Mudhi l l J .ll I The Di shonourer; an at i bute of
Al l ah.
Al - Muh !mi n
-::+1- 1
The Watcher over Hi s Creatures; an
at i bute of Al l ah .
Al - Muhsi noon .;":-p1 Si ng. Muf ; sin. Pi ous Ri ghteous the
good-doers.
Al - Muhsee
~ I
The Reckoner an at i buteof Al l ah.
Al - Munt i m
11
The Avenger; an at i bute of Al l ah.
Al - Mureed
1
The One Who Wi l l s; an at buteof
Al l ah..
Al - Mut kabbi r
l Most Great the Greatest; an
at i bute of Al l ah.
Al - Muttaqoon Q 11 Si ng. Muttaqi . The pi ous
Ri ghteous.
Al - Qabi cj
~ l
le Sei zer an at i bute of Al l ah.
Al Qacj aa'
;..uJ 1 J ..l..;&Al 1 Di vi ne Wi l l and Predesti nati on.
w l - Qadar
Al Qad r ;..uJ 1 Di vi ne Pre-Ordai nments.
Al - Qadeer
. aJ 1 The Abl e an at i bute of Al l ah.
Al Quddoos
r J ..uJ 1
The Hol y an at i bute of Al l ah.
Ar- R hmaan
y-) I
The Most Benefi cent an at i buteof
Al l ah.
462 Gl ossary
Ar - Raheem
Ar- Razzaaq
Ar - Rahmah
Ash- Shaheed
As- Sani
As-Sal m
As- Samee'
Awwah
Az-Zaari
Baheerah
Baati l
Bi d' ah
eef
Fasi qoon
Fatrah
>) 1
';1: )1

J
?

~ I
.IJI
1)1
i ~
Jl' 4
4PJ
4
Q
i J i
The Most Merci ful an at i bute of
Al l ah.
The Al l -Provi der Sustai ner; an
at i bute of Al l ah.
The Mercy.
The Wi tness.
The Maker an at i bute of Al l ah.
The One Free o mall defects; an
at i bute of Al l ah.
Al l -Heari ng; at i bute of Al l ah.
One who i nvokes Al l ah wi th
humi l i ty glorifies Hi mand
remembers Hi mmuch.
The Grower.
A she-camel whose ear was sli t.
Fal se Wrong.
Reprehensi bl e i nnovati on in
rel i gi on heresy.
Weak; al so a term in hadi th
di sci pl i ne for a narrati on whose
ori gi nal narrator is mi ssi ng or some
narrators mi ssi ng in the chai n etc.
l I s type of hadi th is termed as
weak.
Si ng. Faasi q. Rebel l i ous
di sobedi ent to Al l ah Si nner.
Interval between t wo Prophets
Bel i ef inAl l ah 463
when no di vi ne message reached.
Fi qh I sl ami c j uri sprudence.
Fi tnah Trial a:ffi iction.
Fi trah
o)ai
Human instinct; nature.
Fuqahaa'
- h
Si ng. Faqee}J. Schol ars of I sl ami c
j uri sprudence.
Haam
rlA
A stallion camel that fathered ten
ospri ng.
Hadd
~
Pl . Jfudood. I sl ami c penal code;
Di vi nel y set limit between } J al aal
and } J araam; speci fi c puni shment.
.

Pi l gri mage to Makkah in Dhul -

; one of the five pillars of
I sl am.
Hal aal
J' )b.
Legal ( o mI sl ami c poi nt ofvi ew).
H ~ r a a m
r
l
?
F orbi dden in I sl am.
Jfaneef
....w..
The rel i gi on of Prophet Ibraheem
Bel i ef in One Al l ah.
Jfaqaa' i q
~ w
Si ng. Jfaqeeqah. Tru reality;
Mysti cal realities. "
I bl ees
~ I
Satan Devi l (Luci fer).
ma
f u:- I
The Consensus of opi ni on of the
Compani ons / I sl ami c Jurists on an
i ssue o mIslarnic poi nt of vi ew.
[1mal - Kal aam
11 ~
Schol asti sm Sci ence of Di vi ni ty in
I sl am(I sl ami c Phi l osophy).
J a!hiliyh u..l> Pre-I sl ami c peri od non Isl ami c.
464 Gl ossary
J i had
?
Struggl e s i vi ngbattle for the
supremacy of the words of Al l ah.
Kg!rah o.) Le Expi ati on.
Kaaf i r j Di sbel i ever deni er of truth
opposi ng I sl am.
Khal eel
Very cl ose i end a title of the
Prophet Ibraheem(Abraham).
Khut bah ua> Sermon address speech.
La-Adri yyah
.).)1 ~ Lit: Not knowi ng; School of phi l o-
sophers affi rmi ng uncertai nty of
ul ti mate cause as god; agnosti ci sm.
Lahd Ni che in the si de of a grave.
Madhhab . 1. 0 School of thought (in
j uri sprudence ).
M hr
a
Obl i gatory bri dal money gi ven by
the husband to his wi fe at the ti me
of marri age dowry.
M krooh
s a
Abomi nabl e.
Mat n
I.)Y
Text.
Mawdoo'
tr".-
A hadi th termi nol ogy Fabri cated
narrati on of a hadi th.
Mu : i doon
J J ....Q..
Si ng: M id; Mi schi ef-makers.
Munqati '
e
A hadi th termmeani ng broken; a
ki nd of Daeef hadi th wherei n
narrator/s is/ are mi ssi ng in one or
more chai n.
Mut awaat i r
Nutfih
Naj wa
Nass
z
m
h

d

h
a
n
H

a
a

U
Q
O
-
o
-
Qi ntr
Rabb
Ri b
Rooh
Sa ' i bah
1
n
'
n
a

a
b

o
a
a

a
a

d
h
-
a
a

c
d

Beli i nAl l ah 465

i l J
Li t. Conti nuous: a hadi th term
meani ng a l arge number of narrators
have narrated a parti cul ar hadi th at
all l evel and through vari ous
channel s.
4Al a; Mal e and f emal e semen drops.
Secret counse1 .
.
M
.

Source a statement text Qur' an
and Sunnah.
A j udge; A Shari ah j udge.
J i nn compani on.
Kabah: Di recti on to whi ch
Musl i ms face whi1e prayi ng.
A great amount; wei ght of a
hundred pound qui nta1 .
Lord and Master Sustai ner
Protector Supporter Nouri sher and
Guardi an Soverei gn and Rul er He
who con ol s and di rects Di vi ne
name of Al l ah.
d
q
.
M

J a
'-;';
4;
Interest usury.
Soul ; spiri t .
A she-camel l et l oose for the sake of
the i dol s and nothi ng was al l owed
to be carri ed on it .
CP
.ul...
Chari ty: obl i gatory and/ or opti ona1 .
Si ng. Compani ons of
l-..
466 Gl ossary
the Prophet.
Saheeh
.....
Sound and authenti c a hadi th term
used for authenti c statement of (and
about) the Prophet . Al1 enarrators
are pi ous and possess excel1ent
memor y and the chai n is
conti nuous. It is al so used for
compi l ati ons of hadi th like $ a ~ e e ~
Bukh i a ~ e e ~ Musl i metc.
$al aah E 9 Prayer: obl i gatory and/ or opti onal .
Saweeq
'-"...JN'
A ki nd of mush- made wi th wheat or
barl ey.
Shari 'ah
a
I sl ami c l aw.
Shi rk
. ! l ~
Pol y ei sm associ ati ng others to
Al1ah wi th di vi ne powers.
Shuhada' ..1. Si ng. Shaheed. Martyrs for the
cause of Al1ah.
$ifit !l -Afaal
J I ..::.u.... : At i butes descri bi ng some of
Al1ah' s acti ons.
A-$.t
..l 1. . al l: Al1 encompassi ng and
l-J.mi !h
comprehensi ve at ibutes.
Sifi t Nafsi y. h
. 4; u. . . . At i butes refe ng to emoti ons"
e.g. l ove hate etc.
Subh
~
F' rDawn.
Sunni

Ahl as-Sunnah peopl e fol1owi ng

the Sunnah of the Prophet.
Ta' teeZ
i w
Denyi ng al1 a i butes of Al1ah.
T ' weeZBaeed
J . . J
b Far-fetched i nterpretati on.
Tafi er
Tawheed
Ul oohi yah
Wudoo'
Way
Wrjh
'
n a

-
w
d
h

h
h

Zi na
n
..y. 9
"l l

_rJ


i lSj / i sj
t j
Bel i efi n Al l ah 467
Interpretati on of the Qur' an;
exegesl s.
Bel i ef in the Oneness of Al1ah.
Di vi ni ty.
Ri tual abl uti on.
Revel ati on Di vi ne revel ati on.
Face; for the sake of.
Adul teress.
An annual obl i gatory prescri bed
chari ty (or poor due) by a Musl i min
possessi on of ri ches merchandi se
agri cul ral produce l i vestock
tradi ng goods etc. over a prescri bed
l i mi t a certai n mi ni mumcal1ed
A pillar of I sl am. Rate of
pa nent vari es accordi ng to e
ki nd of possessi on. Detai l s to be
f ound in Fi qh books. Way of
dis i buti on to be f ound in the
Qur' an 9:60.
Adul tery fomi cati on.

M
R

U

Q

E

H

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X

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E
E

e

m

h

j
O

q
u

a
l
F
B

n
'
'h
m
A
A

.
5
1
2

3 - Aal - h n
4 - An-Ni saa'
5 - AI - M ' i dah
6 Al An m
Aayah No. / Page No.
2/ 371
285/ 31 12/323/ 32 5/ 39 146/ 40 254/ 51
256/ 80109 258/ 124163 216/ 144 30/ 145
351147 31 33/ 147291154 28/ 164 2122/
173255/ 241260272301337351372210/
280 222/ 288 205/ 291 1415/311 163/
314344140/ 32720/ 335223/ 347269/ 350
220/ 355 235/ 358 263/ 359360 173/ 359
284/ 359 196/377 89/ 395165/ 396 3839/
413 213/ 414 1311424 132/ 424 133/ 424
130- 133/ 434
9/ 3297/ 537118132/ 8764/ 10826271154
190191116630/ 244169/ 274134/ 288 146/
288159/ 28931129039829/ 2972/ 30054/
310 1811304331436 12/ 31426/ 354 5/
412 85/ 423 75/ 437
150- 151/ 4448/ 4740540610/5165/ 6261
62/ 1101/ 148158/ 274164/ 281340142/ 310
166/ 3393866/ 3458/ 3475/ 347113/ 34920/
3504/ 35034/ 35159/ 37972/ 165/ 423
89/ 30 1/30 44/ 60423 50/ 60 3/ 80 116/ 243
64/ 252253291331385436 42/ 289 95/
312 34/ 336 4/ 349 72/ 405 77/ 426 13/
426 14/ 427 116117/ 428103/ 444
116/ 91148/ 91921911072/ 1469596/ 152
97/ 155 59/ 171296 3839/ 21554/ 242 12/
24265/ 24724818/ 27292/ 2753/ 298103/
37388/ 404
7 - AI - Araaf
8 - AI - Anfaal
9 - At- Taubah
10 - Younus
11 - Hood
12 - Yousuf
13 - Ar- Rad
14 - Ibraheem
15 AI - I:I r
16 An- Nahl
17 - AI -I sra'
18 - AI - Kahf
19 - M yam
20 - Ta- ha
21 - AI - Anbi yaa'
Bel i efi n Al l ah 469
204/ 143 185/168 206/ 273 40/ 274 143/
281292 143144/ 281 22/ 282 180/
306323383 7/ 339 54/ 362 53/ 379 99/
399 59/ 417 60/ 417 138/ 435
23/ 57 67/ 339
45/ 32 111-112/ 56 122/ 9697 129/ 266 6/
286340 4/ 288 46/ 291 67/ 311 128/ 358
114/ 359 311428 30/ 436442
22/ 1175/ 157 101115916826/ 249294295
611298299 36/ 36239/ 379 72/ 423 84/ 424
6/ 2973/ 35011/ 35252/ 35726/ 41727/ 418
29/ 419
68/ 340 54/ 341 95/ 342 43/ 353 50/ 353 511
356 87/ 399 101/ 425
810/ 29930/ 330 4/ 344 9/ 351 2-4/ 363
3234/ 15510/ 164 8/ 344 15/ 355 910/ 421
9/34
60/ 78371 58/ 15814/158 6869/ 159190
49/ 21768/ 217 50/ 272 2/ 275 74/ 327 96/
343 7/ 358
102/ 40 15/ 4570423 44/ 216 42/ 266 85/
287 40/ 352 57/ 399 17/ 415 811449
511144 28/ 247 109/ 286 26/ 303 79/ 354
110/ 408
38/ 337 15/ 338 57/ 352 50/ 352 65/ 371
5/ 82262268385 110/110329 50/ 176 40
411243 15/ 26546/ 302 18/ 36432/ 403
123126/ 413124/ 426 8788/ 435
25/ 68 3033/ 7716022/ 266 104/ 273310
30/ 338 63/ 352 90/ 399
470 l nd :t ofthe Qur' an
22 I:I ajj
23 - Al Mu' mi noon
24 - An Noor

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26 - Ash- ShuM
27 - An- Naml
28 Al Q
29 - Al - Ank: abut
30 - Ar- Rum
31 - Luqm n
32 As- Saj dah
33 - Al Ahzaab
34 - Saba'
35 - F tir
36 - Yaa- Seen
37 - A ~ - S t
5/ 145 63- 651172 18/ 217 611302 40/ 356
59/ 358
1/ 39 1011/ 3915/ 5723/ 68417 8687/ 71
8489/ 11986/ 264267 31/ 415 24/ 418 31
32/ 420 32/ 420 44/ 420
55/ 52 63/ 106 451145 43/ 153 411216 35/
339 32/ 345
45-461153 44/ 211 58/ 300337 60/ 330 58
59/ 365 37/ 419
2329/ 163 220/ 296 218220/ 303 76/ 342
63/ 352 130/ 355 9798/ 40469-84/ 432
14/ 40 59-64/ 161 88/ 171 181193194217
22/ 201202 17/ 19423/ 20235224/ 202 16/
217 8384/ 28544/ 425
88/ 246
14/ 419
30/ 113 2124/ 1677/ 168 39/ 246 25/ 300
19/ 338 54/ 357
25/ 71118 20/ 155 1011/ 17427/ 287 16/
298 181 / 22/ 394 13/ 406
7/ 171 17/ 256 22/ 312 39/ 366
36/ 87 72/ 128 411322 13/339
10/ 21723/ 28340-41/ 2842/ 29739/ 3463/
373 49/ 450
10/ 82274 3/ 173 11/ 386 24/ 422
58/ 285 82/ 338 65/ 341 39/ 342 71/ 348
77/ 343 101/ 359 159/ 383 180/ 383160/ 384
1811384 3536/ 393
38 - Saad
39 - Az- Zumar
Bel i efi nAl l ah 471
8283/ 11575/ 146252254385 72/ 146 9/
355 23/ 356
56/ 17567/ 257259273 60/ 355 54/ 394 3/
395 9/ 399 65/ 405
40 Ghaaf i r/ AI - MumI n 57/ 121 7/ 263 65/ 299337 35/ 354 78/ 422
41 - Fu ilat
42 - Ash Shoora
43 - Az- Zukhraf
45 AI -J aathi yah
47 - M l ammad
48 - AI -Fath
49 - AI - I:I ur t
50 Qaaf
51 AdhDh ri yaat
52 - At - T
53 An- Nm
54 Al Qamar
55 - Ar- Rahmaan
56 Al Waaqi ah
57 - AHadeed
58 Al Muj adi l ah
59 - AI - Hashr
61 As- Saf f
62 - AI - J umuah
42/ 80 53/ 239 22/ 305 15/ 357386
52/ 3511183242302326328331336371
376389 43/ 359
1013/ 15786/ 392
24/ 133 14/ 360
19/ 392
15/ 286
15/ 32392 6/ 5097
27/ 115 8/ 169 35/ 294 38/ 373 16/ 387
28/ 3405758/ 346356
35 36/ 12035/122 35037/12216/ 348
23/ 90426 28/ 90 3-4/ 327 19/ 448
55/ 353 14/ 385
14/ 146 60/ 156 27/ 245386 2627/ 2991-4/
348
63-64/ 310
4/ 266 3/ 342 3-4/ 367
1/ 304336 7/ 309
9/ 277 2224/ 30623/ 354
4/ 289 8/ 339
11/ 347 2/ 349 1/ 353
472 l ndex ofthe Qur' an
63 - Al Munaaf i qoon 8/ 356
64 AtTaghaabun 6/ 345
65 N- Tal aaq 1151 12/171
66 AtTahreem 3/ 349
67 Al Mul k 22/ 38 811/ 7014/ 14423/ 1563-4/17216-
17/ 270 89/ 422
68 - Qal am 42/ 261
69 - AI - I:I qah 17/ 263
70 Al Ma rij 4/ 274
71 - Nooh 1318/16523/ 416 26-27/ 419
75 AI - Qi yaamah 2223/ 103293
76 Al Insaan/ AdDahr 9/ 246 2/ 336
77 - AI -Mursal aat 16-17/ 344
80 - Abasa' 1729/ 12624/ 160
82 - AI - Infi ar 6-8/165
83 - AI - Mutai feen 15/ 293387 2223/ 293
85 AI -Buruj 1516/ 26616/ 338
86 - A!- Taari q 5/ 160
87 - AI - A laa 11271
89 Al Fr 2122/ 28022/ 387
92 - AI - Lai1 19-20/ 247
96 Al Al aq 35/ 348
98 - AI - Bayy ah 5/ 395
112 - Al - hl aas 1-4/241389 4/ 327
114 - An-Naas 5/115 16/116
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BOOK CHAPTER / BAAB NO. PAGE NO.
Bukhari Ki taab al -Eemaan 4821 31 48
Ki taab as-Sal at 407 48 247
Ki tb t-Tawheed 6956 48
6856 244
6890 251
6964 252 285
6834 257
6864 259
6877 264
6899 264
6870 272
6885 278
6940 279
Bab t-Tawheed 196
6835 300
6838 305
6879 325
Ki taab al -Fi tan 6549 55
Ki taab al -Adhln 715 59
595 98
Ki taab al -Manaaqi b 3561 61
3260 444
3540 452
474 l ndex 01 Hadi th
Bukh i Ki taab al -Manaaqi b 3541 453
Ki taab al -J anaa 'iz 1296 114
Ki taab Tqeer al -Qur' an 4476 122
4262 247
5083 261
4510 277
4426 282
4372 284
4500 295
4443 305
4258 444
Ki taab A}J adeeth al -Anbi ya' 3079 148
3099 252
3187 425
Ki taab Bad' al -Khal q 3072 195
Ki taab al -Qadar 6998 255
6124 255
Ki taab al -Aymaan
wan- Nudhoor 6168 259
6188 289
Ki taab al -J i haad
W -slyar 2581 263
2614 276
2599 407
6036 184
Ki taab al -Adab 5580 282
Bukhari Ki taab al -Mazal i m
wa' l Ghadab 2277 291
Belief inAllah 475
Ki taab Maw!qeet
as-Sal aat 521 295
Ki taab l -J umu'ah 1053 301
1113 396
Ki taab ad- Daa ' waat 5927 326
Ki taab ash-Shi rkah 2315 380
Ki taab al- '11m 125 395
Ki taab ar-Ri qaa 'iq 6085 396
Ki taab Bad' al- W a ~ y 400
Ki ta!b ad-' Di yyaat 6354 406
Musl i m Ki taab adh-dhi kr wad Du 'aa' 4852 47
4905 244
4844 290
4836 306
Ki taab al -Eemaan 135 47
86 5263
81 52
146 53
98 53
91 54
51 63
266 250 295
263 251 301
276 256
274 279
24 290
Musl i m 110 292
259 292
476 l ndex of Hadi th
267 294
38 392
40 392
46 393
Ki taab Fada 'il as-Sahabah 4443 98
Ki taab as-Sal am 4041 115
Ki taab al -J ann wq.-$ t 5109 116
5083 260
Ki taab al -Bi rr was-Si l ah 4727 146
Ki taab at- Taubah 4939 243
4954 253
Ki taab al -Qadar 4795 254
4798 259
Ki t :b $ifa
al -Qi yamh... 4995 257
4996 258
Ki taab al -I maarah 3406 258
Ki taab az-Za t 1763 270
Ki taab al -Ad b 3985 289 325
Ki tab -($< :lat 736 324
Ki taab al -Masaaj i d
wa' l Maw de 931 325
Ki taab az-Zuhd war- Raqaa 'iq 5300 407
Ahmad Musnad al -Madani yeen 15712 46
Musnad al -Mu ththireen 11267 52
Musnad Bani Hashi m 3072 195
Mnad l - A n ~ a a r 23064 304
22528 407
Bel i ef inAl l ah 477
Musnad al -Mukaththai reen
mi n- a-$aJ ; aaba 3528 307
Musnd al - Qab'il 25927 380
T nidhi Ki taab ad- Daa ' waat 3463 47
3397 313
3314 324
Ki ta 'b al -Adab 2710 61
Ki taab Tqeer al -Qur 'an 3290 147
2879 95
Ki taab al -Bi rr was-Sal ah 1847 271
Ki taab an- Ni kaah 1021 381
Dawood Ki taab al -Adab 4393 248
Ki taab al -Adab 4444 248
Ki taab as- Sunnah 4102 264
Ki t :ab al - Aymn
wan Nudhoor 2856 271
Ki taab at- Ti bb 3394 189
Nasaa' i Ki taab as- Sahw 1289 248
Ibn M Ki taab al - Muqaddamah 185 255
Ki tab d- Du' 3846 314
Note: The above g 'enr ' rencenos. of hadi th are f r om
the CD pr ogr amme ' Hadi th Encycl opedi a" by Ha
I nf ormati on Technol ogy.
a
r..S .
aa
........
b
J
t
. .
h or t

(when fol l owed by another Ar abi c word)

..:."

kh
~
d
~
dh
J
r
J
z
r. /
s
a
sh H
VP
s
VP
d
.b
t
Bel i efi nAl l ah 479
j
z

gh
w
f
d
q
4
k
J
1
u
n
- 0 A
h
3
w
J (as vowel )

d
y
L5 (as vowel )
ee
~

(Omi tted in initial posi ti on)

/
Fathah a
Kasra 1
/

Dammah u

Shaddah Doubl e letter

Sukoon Absence of vowel

Y

R

O

T

e

D

Q

L

o

m

y

g
o
( ) : u b ~ a a n a h u wa Ta ' aala - " le Exal ted."
( ) : $al l a-Al l ahu ' Al ayhi wa Sal l am
Bl essi ngs and Peace be upon hi m. "
(j ) : 'Al ayhi s-Sal aam- May Peace be upon hi m. "
( ) : Raq . i -Al l ahu 'Anhu - May Al l be pl eased wi th hi m. "
..
-'oU. H

Ahhough l hr mai oruyof mtnkl nd bcUt ' Ul . i l

Cr r tlr Supr H thdr lC: Ul u:I'b "'Jry.
1I . m in l hc Qur'an . nu S 3 b 1 m c
en ondOncn. eM oJ eCrtJ tor J J " " nt
. _ ; I lI i m. h.rvi ng l hc m 1 rcrl 4l tri butc."" I hu. s
tn.l h1i ng man h. ve th. p m: r nc qt o( Hi m
3n.! 10 -'1'"'' h aI nl Og "'".1wuh Il l m
I .11rthul cr.. lI ul
I h. i l l nU "i phi l nophyand ol her i d"" .rc
.l i en 10 I sl . ml ed 10 Ih. . 01 gcn of di..tortl'tl
ept. boul Al1l h
Jn thh ho"k ()r ' U01lI S .1-AhqJ r <11 I hc
wrol l g id Ih ha crept i nto 1mJ i m' / m b
(nncer ngAI I .h and Ilts nom . ndhl gW. gh" I hc f.Cl Ih.1 onl ) rrc"t
M y 10 unJ ertand thc . . 01 ' I hc Qur' an aod I h. h' J d Ih hhp.:ak "r
l.h " 11; al tnb theoolyin whi th .ht:" under1<> J br thc IiI'>I
g4.! nC' r . .ui un. of l hh un1mah I tht !-JI .rfJ
Dr abo mm mod nOl ( ' ph uch hc l hcw)' nf c IUI 1.
. nd pro' 01 l h<) . rc wrong 3nll r.1 10110 gtht Qur' l ni c anl undi on 10
ponJ er the ns of AII.lh In Ihl" ht' Jl l l p. 1 n hl th(' tlvuf
n.l I ur.11 ph. : nomena whi h d rly pni nt l hc
Al mi ghl y ( or. T h" " [)r AI- A>hq. . .ffi m. c . hi h l b Ih<
ht.: .trl 1>1. fallh drr. . l he Onenc- 01 e
[')i'int
ISLAMl C CRIiI' D SE S
I - IIdi ef in^1I . h
2'n Vor1J or I h. Angd>
3 T h < Worl J o( l J wIi un . nJ [)<' Vi l
41b<M.' ><l l l l "' " . 00.1 11 . M S
5 - Th. Mi nor R urr ti on( h. pr<. 1I <r J . . 1
6. Th. [). yot R urredi on
7 rad. eJ od 11.11
R fl i vi ne 111J nd Pn:dl" un.l l i un