The Thirteen Attributes of Allah
Every Accountable Person Must Know
Accountable: Pubescent, Sane and Heard the call of Islam
{لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَىْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ}
Ayah means: Nothing is similar to Allah and He is attributed with Hearing and Sight
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad and his Al and Companions, and protect his nation from that which he fears for it. Thereafter:
Allah, the Exalted, said
{وَمَن لَّمْ يُؤْمِن بِاللهِ وَرَسُولِهِ فَإِنَّا أَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ سَعِيرًا}
which means: For those blasphemers who do not believe in Allah and His Messenger, We have prepared Hellfire .
It is obligatory to believe in Allah and to know what is permissible to attribute to Him, what is necessary to be of His attributes, and what is impossible to be of His attributes. Also, it is obligatory to believe in the Messenger and to know what is befitting for him, what is permissible for him and the other prophets, what is necessary to be of their attributes, and what is impossible to be among their attributes. It is obligatory to declare these beliefs by the tongue by uttering The Testification of Faith (Two Shahadahs):
أشهدُ أنْ لا إلهَ إلاَّ اللهُ وأشهدُ أنَّ محمّداً رسولُ الله
which means: I know, believe and profess no one is God except Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.
The one who does not believe in Allah and His Messenger is a blasphemer and shall enter Hell eternally. Before proceeding with this treatise let it be known that the judgments of the mind are three kinds:
· The intellectual necessity: This refers to what the mind does not conceive its non-existence, i.e., non-existence does not apply to its self. Allah is the One Whose Existence is necessary, because the mind does not accept His non-existence, i.e., non-existence does not apply to the Self of Allah.
· The intellectual impossibility: This refers to what the mind does not conceive its existence, i.e., that to which existence does not apply. The existence of a partner with Allah is an intellectual impossibility, because existence does not apply to it, i.e., the mind does not conceive its existence.
· The intellectual possibility: This refers to what the mind conceives its existence at one time and its non-existence at another time. This universe and its contents--among what we can see and what we cannot see--is an intellectual possibility. It is so because the mind conceives its existence after a state of non-existence. This is the state of the entire universe. For example, Allah made the human being exist after having been non-existent, and then this human being shall be annihilated (Annihilation of humans is by complete death, which is defined as the soul completely departing the body. The souls do not annihilate and some bodies do not decay in the soil.) This is why the human being's existence is among the intellectual possibilities.
Allah, ta^ala, said
{وَللهِ الْمَثَلُ الأَعْلَىَ}
which means: Allah has attributes that do not resemble the attributes of others .
It is obligatory to believe the attributes of Allah are confirmed to Him. He who negates them is called an atheist. Hence, the one who does not believe in the Existence of Allah, i.e., the one who negates Allah's attribute of Existence is called an atheist.
The attributes of Allah that are obligatory to believe in are confirmed to Him. They are not the Self of Allah nor other than the Self of Allah. Rather, we say they are attributes with which Allah is attributed and they are religiously and intellectually obligatory for Him. Imam an-Nasafiyy said: "His attributes are not Him nor other than Him."
The attributes of Allah that every pubescent and sane Muslim is obliged to know are called the attributes of the Self of Allah and Allah is not attributed with their opposites. They are thirteen attributes; the scholars established by consensus he who is ignorant of them is a committer of an enormous sin (fasiq).
These thirteen (13) attributes are: Existence (al-Wujud), Oneness (al-Wahdaniyyah), Eternity (al-Qidam), Everlastingness (al-Baqa'), Non-neediness of others (al-Qiyamu bin-Nafs), Non-resemblance to the creatures (al-mukhalafatu lil-hawadith), Power (al-Qudrah), Will (al-Iradah), Knowledge (al-^Ilm), Life (al-Hayah), Hearing (as-Sam^), Sight (al-Basar), and Speech (al-Kalam).
1- Existence (al-Wujud): It is obligatory to believe in the Existence of Allah. Allah said:
{أَفِي اللهِ شَكٌّ}
which means: [There is no doubt in the Existence of Allah.] Hence, it is obligatory to believe in the Existence of Allah. It is an eternal and everlasting attribute. Allah exists without a beginning, without an ending, and without a place.
2- Oneness (al-Wahdaniyyah): It is obligatory to believe Allah is One without a partner. Allah said:
{فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لا إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنبِكَ}
which means: [Know that no one is God except Allah.] Allah is One in His Self, Attributes, and Doings--hence Allah has no equal. So we say, for example: "Allah is the Creator and no one is a creator except Allah". Allah is One but not as in numbers, because numbers are created. Rather, He is One in that there is no partner with Him.
3- Eternity (al-Qidam): It is obligatory to believe Allah is Eternal, i.e., there is no beginning to His Existence. His attributes are also eternal. Nothing is eternal except Allah and His attributes.
4- Everlastingness (al-Baqa'): It is obligatory to believe Allah is everlasting i.e., His Existence does not end. His Existence is everlasting and His attributes are everlasting. There is nothing everlasting in itself except Allah, because annihilation does not apply to His Self. However, Paradise and Hell are everlasting because Allah willed their everlastingness. Hence, they are everlasting--not in their selves--but because of other than their selves. This is why they are among the intellectual possibilities, and they are part of this universe. Allah said:
{هُوَ الأَوَّلُ وَالآخِرُ }
which means: [Allah is the Eternal, without a beginning, and the Everlasting, without an ending.]
5- Non-neediness of others (al-Qiyamu bin-Nafs): Allah said:
{اللهُ الصَّمَدُ}
which means: [Allah is the Master Who is resorted to in one's needs.] Allah does not need anything. He does not need one to give Him existence because He exists without a beginning. Also, He does not need one to specify Him with Knowledge, instead of ignorance, or other than that among His Attributes, because His attributes exist without a beginning.
6- Non-Resemblance to the Creation (al-Mukhalafatu lil-hawadith): Allah does not resemble any of His creatures--neither in His Self nor in His Attributes nor in His Doings. Allah said:
{لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَىْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِيرُ}
which means: [Absolutely there is nothing like Him.] Imam Abu Hanifah said: "The Creator does not resemble His creatures."
7- Power (al-Qudrah): It is obligatory to believe Allah is attributed with Power, which is defined as an eternal and everlasting attribute of Allah related to giving existence to and annihilating what is intellectually possible. Allah said:
{إِنَّ اللهَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ}
which means: [Allah has the Power over everything.] That is, Allah's Power relates to all things that are intellectually possible. Hence, the Power of Allah is not related to the intellectually necessary neither in creating nor annihilating, because annihilation does not apply to it in the first place. The power of Allah is not related to the intellectually impossible neither in creating nor annihilating because existence in the first place does not apply to that which is intellectually impossible. The fact that the power of Allah is not related to the intellectually necessary and the intellectually impossible is not powerlessness, but rather indicates the perfection of Allah. Also, this fact conforms to the judgment of the mind: the intellectually impossible does not turn into an intellectual possibility, and the intellectually necessary does not turn into an intellectual possibility. The Power of Allah is related to the normal impossibilities. For example, although the existence of a sea of mercury is an intellectual possibility, it does not occur, and the Power of Allah is related to it.
8- Will (al-‘Iradah): It is obligatory to believe Allah is attributed with Will. It is defined as an eternal and everlasting attribute by which Allah specifies the creatures who are intellectual possibilities with some attributes among what is possible for them. An example is specifying a green colored board with green instead of other possible colors. There is no difference in that regard between good and evil, blasphemy and belief, winning and losing, and other opposites among what is intellectually possible.
9- Knowledge (al-^Ilm): It is obligatory to believe Allah is attributed with Knowledge. This is an eternal and everlasting attribute of His Self. Allah knows eternally about His Self, attributes, and what He creates. Nothing is absent from His Knowledge.
10- Life (al-Hayah): It is obligatory to believe Allah is attributed with Life. Allah said:
{اللهُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ الْحَيُّ الْقَيُّومُ}
which means: [There is no God but Allah, and He is attributed with Life, and His existence does not end.] Life is an eternal and everlasting attribute of Allah. The Life of Allah is not like our life, because our life needs a combination of body and soul; however, the Life of Allah is His attribute.
11- Hearing (as-Sam^): It is obligatory to believe Allah is attributed with Hearing. This is an eternal and everlasting attribute of Allah with which Allah hears all things that are hearable. There is no difference between what is near to us and what is far from us because Allah is not in a place. He hears without an ear, without means, and without instruments. His hearing is not subject to weakening nor change because weakness and change are non-befitting to Allah. Allah said:
{وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ البَصِير}
which means: [He is the One attributed with Hearing and Sight.]
12- Sight (al-Basar): It is obligatory to believe Allah is attributed with Sight. This is an eternal and everlasting attribute of Allah with which He sees all things that are seeable, without an instrument and without means. He sees the things that are far away from us and those that are near to us without any difference because Allah is not in a place. His attribute of Sight does not change or develop, because the One whose Self is eternal does not develop or change. Allah's attributes are eternal and do not develop or change.
13- Speech (al-Kalam) : It is obligatory to believe Allah is attributed with Speech (Kalam). This is an eternal and everlasting attribute with which Allah orders, forbids, and informs. It is not a letter nor a sound nor a language. The Qur'an and the other revealed Books are expressions of the eternal Kalam of the Self of Allah. When we write the word "Allah" it is an expression of the Self of Allah. Likewise, the words and sentences of the revealed Books are expressions of the Kalam of Allah. The Qur'an is called the Kalam of Allah because it is not authored by Prophet Muhammad or Angel Jibril. The Qur'an is also used to mean the eternal Kalam of the Self of Allah. Allah said:
{وَكَلَّمَ اللهُ مُوسَى تَكْلِيمًا}
which means: [Allah spoke to Musa with His eternal Kalam] i.e., Allah created in Prophet Musa the ability to hear the Kalam of the Self of Allah, which is not a letter nor a sound.
and Allah knows best
Friday, August 1, 2008
The Islamic Belief of True Salaf: Allah is Attributed with Perfection
The Islamic Belief of True Salaf
Allah is Attributed with Perfection
Bismillah, Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, to Him belong the endowments and the befitting perfections and commendations. I ask Allah to raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, and to protect his nation from that which he fears for it, Thereafter:
The saying that Allah, ta^ala, exists without a place is the belief and the creed of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, the Companions and the True Salaf and Khalaf, those who graciously followed them, and it shall be until the Day of Judgment. The proof of this precious statement is what Allah said in the Qur'an, in Surat ash-Shura, ayah 11 which means: "There is nothing like Him and He has the attribute of Hearing and Seeing." This ayah absolutely and totally clears Allah of resembling the creation. It comprises that Allah, ta^ala, is different from the creations in the Self, Attributes, and Doings. Hence, it shows that Allah, ta^ala, exists without a place, because the one who exists in a place would, by nature, be composed of atoms, i.e., he would be a body, occupying a space, and Allah, ta^ala, is clear of occupying spaces.
Al-Bukhariyy, al-Bayhaqiyy and Ibn alJarud related that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said which means: "Allah existed eternally and there was nothing else." This hadith proves that Allah was alone in al-'azal, (the status of existence without a beginning,) i.e., before creating any of the creation. There was nothing with Him: no place, no space, no sky, no light, and no darkness. It is determined in the rules of the Religion and the judgments of the sound mind that Allah, the Exalted, does not change. Hence, it is impossible that after having been existing without a place, He would become in a place, because this is a development, and the development is a sign of needing others, and the one who needs others is not God.
Imam Abu Mansur al-Baghdadiyy related in his book, Al-Farqu Bayn alFiraq, that Imam ^Aliyy, the fourth of the caliphs, may Allah reward his deeds, said which means: Allah existed eternally and there was no place, and He now is as He was, i.e., without a place.
Imam Abu Hanifah, who is one of the authorities of as-Salaf, said in his book Al-Fiqh alAbsat: "Allah existed eternally and there was no place. He existed before creating the creation. He existed, and there was no place, creation, or thing; and He is the Creator of everything."
Imam al-Hafidh al-Bayhaqiyy said in his book, Al-Asma'u was-Sifat, on page 400: ".... What was mentioned towards the end of the hadith is an indication of denying Allah has a place and denying the slave is alike to Allah, wherever he was in proximity or remoteness. Allah, the Exalted, is adhDhahir--hence, it is valid to know about Him by proofs. Allah is al-Batin--hence, it is invalid that He would be in a place."
He also said: "Some of our companions used as a proof to refute the place to Allah the saying of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam : 'You are adh-Dhahir and there is nothing above You, and You are al-Batin and there is nothing underneath You.' Therefore, if there is nothing above Him and nothing underneath Him, He is not in a place."
Imam Ahmad Ibn Salamah, Abu Ja^far atTahawiyy, who was born in the year 237 after Hijrah, and was one of the Heads of Great Salaf wrote a book called Al-^Aqidah atTahawiyyah. He mentioned that the content of his book is an elucidation of the creed of Ahl asSunnah wal Jama^ah, which is the creed of Imam Abu Hanifah, who died in the year 150 after alHijrah, and his two companions, Imam Abu Yusuf al-Qadi and Imam Muhammad Ibn alHasan ash-Shaybaniyy and others. He said in his book: "Allah is supremely clear of all boundaries, extremes, sides, organs and instruments. The six directions do not contain Him--these are attributed to all created things." Such is the saying of Imam Abu Ja^far who is among the heads of as-Salaf. He explicitly stated that Allah is clear of being contained by the six directions. The six directions are above, below, in front of, behind, right, and left.
The linguist and scholar of hadith, Imam Muhammad Murtada az-Zabidiyy, narrated by a continuous chain from himself back to Imam Zayn al-^Abidin ^Aliyy Ibn al-Husayn Ibn ^Aliyy Ibn Abi Talib, (who was among the first of as-Salaf, who earned the title of as-Sajjad, i.e., the one who prays a lot), that Zayn al-^Abidin said in his treatise asSahifah as-Sajjadiyyah about Allah: which means: "O Allah, You are clear of all imperfection. You are Allah, the One Who no place contains You." He also said which means: "O Allah, You are clear of all imperfection. You are Allah, the One Who is not in boundaries."
In the explanation of al-Bukhariyy in the chapter on Al-Jihad, Hafidh Ibn Hajar said: "The fact that the two directions above and below are impossible to be attributes of Allah, does not necessitate that Allah would not be attributed with aboveness, because attributing aboveness to Allah is a matter of status and the impossibility lies in it being physical."
The scholar Imam Zayn ad-Din Ibn Nujaym, the Hanafiyy, in his book Al-Bahr arRa'iq, on page 129 said: "Whoever says it is possible that Allah would do a doing in which there is no wisdom commits blasphemy, and also he commits blasphemy by affirming a place to Allah, the Exalted."
Imam Muhammad Ibn Hibah al-Makkiyy, in his book Hada'iq al-Fusul wa Jawahir al-^Uqul,--also called Al-^Aqidat-as-Salahiyyah because he gave it as a gift to Sultan Salah-ad-Din al-Ayyubiyy who ordered that this book be taught to the children in schools and broadcast from the top of minarets--said:
which means: "Allah existed eternally and there was no place, and the judgment about His existence now is that He is as He was, i.e., without a place."
The great true Salafi, Imam Ja^far as-Sadiq said: "He who claims that Allah is in something or on something or from something, commits ash-shirk. Because if He was in something, He would be contained, and if He was on something, He would be carried, and if He was from something, He would be a creature."
Shaykh ^Abdul-Ghaniyy an-Nabulsiyy said: "He who believes that Allah fills the heavens and earth or that He is a body sitting above al-^arsh (ceiling of Paradise; throne) is a kafir."
Imam Abul-Qasim ^Aliyy Ibnul-Hasan Ibn Hibatillah Ibn ^Asakir said in his ^Aqidah: "Allah existed before the creation. He does not have a before or an after, an above or a below, a right or a left, an in front of or a behind, a whole or a part. It must not be said when was He, where was He, or how was He. He exists without a place."
Imam Abu Sulayman al-Khattabiyy said: "What is obligatory upon us and upon every Muslim to know is that our Lord has no shape or form, because the shape has a 'how' and 'how' does not apply to Allah or His Attributes."
Know beyond doubt that the question 'how' does not apply to Allah, because this is a question about shapes, bodies, places, depths and dimensions; Allah is clear of all of that. Also be firm that it is invalid to say about Allah "... but we do not know how", because in essence, it falsely indicates that Allah has a color, shape, dimensions, body, place, but one is ignorant of the 'how' of it.
Imam al-Ghazaliyy said: " Allah, the Exalted, existed eternally and there was no place. He is not a body, jawhar (atom), or property, and He is not on a place or in a place."
All of these sayings show that attributing the sensuous physical aboveness and place to Allah is contrary to the Qur'an, the Hadith, the Ijma^, and the intellectual proof. The intellectual proof that Allah exists without a place lies in the fact that the one who is in a place would have an area, and the one who has an area is in need of it, and the one who needs others is not God. Moreover, as the mind determines that Allah existed without a place before creating places, the mind determines that after Allah created the places He still exists without a place.
The scholars like Imam Ahmad arRifa^iyy determined that lifting the hands and the faces towards the sky when performing du^a (supplication) is because the heavens are the qiblah of du^a just as the Ka^bah is the qiblah of asSalah. From the heavens, the mercies and blessings of Allah descend.
Hence, it is clear for the one who seeks the truth that the saying that Allah exists without a place is what complies with the Qur'an, the Hadith, the Ijma^, and the criteria of the sound intellect. Be firm and certain that before creating places, Allah Who created everything (places and others), existed without a place, and after creating places, He still exists without a place.
Since we have determined that the creed of the Muslims is that Allah exists without a place and that the question 'how' does not apply to Allah, it is clear to us that al-^arsh (the throne) which is the biggest of the creations of Allah and the ceiling of Paradise, is not a place for Allah, the Exalted.
Imam Abu Hanifah said in his book, alWasiyyah,: " ... and He is the Preserver of al^arsh and other than al-^arsh, without needing it, for had He been in need, He would not have the power to create the world and to manage and preserve it. Moreover, had He been in a place needing to sit and restbefore creating al-^arsh, where was Allah?" That is, the question 'where was Allah' would have applied to Him, which is impossible.
Also, in his book, Al-Fiqh al-Absat, Imam Abu Hanifah said: "Allah existed eternally and there was no place; He existed before creating the creation. He existed and there was not a place, a creation or a thing; and He is the Creator of everything. He who says 'I do not know if my Lord is in the heavens or on the earth,' is a kafir. Also is a kafir whoever says that 'He is on al-^arsh, and I do not know whether al-^arsh is in the heaven or on the earth'."
Consequently, the great True Salafi Scholar Imam Ahmad declared a kafir whomever says these last two phrases because they contain attributing a direction, boundary, and place to Allah. Everything which has a direction and boundary is by necessity in need of a Creator. Thus it is not the intention of Imam Abu Hanifah to prove that the heaven and al-^arsh are places for Allah, as those who liken Allah to the creation claim. This is by virtue of the aforementioned saying of the Imam: "Had He been in a place needing to sit and rest, then before creating al-^arsh where was Allah?", which is clear in negating that Allah has a direction or a place.
In his book, Ihya'u ^Ulum ad-Din, Imam alGhazaliyy said: "... places do not contain Him, nor do the directions, earth, or heavens. He is attributed with an istiwa' over al-^arsh as He said in the Qur'an--with the meaning that He willed--and not as what people may delude. It is an istiwa' which is clear of touching, resting, holding, moving and containment. Al-^arsh does not carry Him, but rather al-^arsh and those that carry al-^arsh are all carried by Allah with His Power and are subjugated to Him. He is above al-^arsh and above the heavens and above everything--in status-- an aboveness that does not give Him proximity to al-^arsh or the heavens as it does not give Him farness from earth. He is higher in status than everything: higher in status than al-^arsh and the heavens, as He is higher in status than earth and the rest of the creation."
Shaykh ^Abdul-Ghaniyy an-Nabulsiyy said: "He who believes that Allah filled the heavens and earth or that He is a body sitting above al-^arsh, is a kafir." Ayah 93 of Surat Maryam:
means: "All those in the heavens and earth must come to Allah as a slave." In his Tafsir (book of explaining the Qur'an), Imam ar-Raziyy said: "... and since it is affirmed by this ayah that everything that existed in the heavens and earth is a slave to Allah, and since it is obligatory that Allah is clear of being a slave, thus He is clear of being in a place or direction, or on al-^arsh or al-kursiyy."
Hence Surat Taha, ayah 5, in the Qur'an, clearly does not mean that Allah sits on the throne or that Allah is firmly established on the throne. In the Arabic language, the word istawa has fifteen (15) different meanings, among of which are to sit, to subjugate, to protect, to conquer, and to preserve. Based on what we have covered so far it is clear that it is blasphemous to apply the meaning 'to sit' to Allah. However the terms to preserve and to subjugate are in compliance with the Religion and the language. And those so-called translations of al-Quran that referred to the term "Istawa" to "Sits" or "Sat"or "Established himself firmly on the throne" contradict Arabic rules, and Islamic bases. Bewarned from such translations and such attribues, Allah is almighty clear from the sitting, movement, size, shape, form or change. Allah is great.
In Conclusion to what has been mentioned, Allah's attributes are perfect. The scholars of Islam said that it is obligatory upon every mukallaf (Accountable preson) to know Attributes of Allah, among which 13 attributes that have been mentioned repeatedly in al-Quran. Allah is attributed with: Existence, Oneness, Eternity, Everlastingness, Non-neediness of others, Power, Will, Knowledge, Hearing, Sight, Life, Speech, and Non-resemblance to the creation.
The explanation of the attributes of Allah is as follows:
1.
Existence: It is obligatory to believe that Allah exists and that there is no doubt in His Existence.He exists without a place.Time does not lapse on Allah.
2.
Oneness: Allah is One without any partners.He is One in His Self, His Attributes, and His Actions.
3.
Eternity: Allah is Eternal; there is no beginning to His Existence.He has existed since before the creation.
4.
Everlastingness: Allah is Everlasting; His existence does not come to an end.He does not perish.
5.
Non-neediness of others: Allah does not need any of His creations and they are all in need of Him.
6.
Power: Allah has Power over everything.
7.
Will: Everything that occurs in this world is by the Will of Allah.
8.
Knowledge: Allah knows about all things before they occur.
9.
Hearing: Allah hears all what is hearable, without an ear or any other organ.
10.
Sight: Allah sees all what is seeable, without a pupil or any other organ.
11.
Life: Allah is alive without a soul, skin, or heart.His Life is not similar to ours.He is alive and does not die.
12.
Speech: Allah's Speech (Kalam) is without a tongue or lip.His Speech is not in a language, Arabic or anything else.His Speech does not resemble the speech of the humans.
13.
Non-resemblance to the creations: Allah does not resemble the creations.
Allah knows best.
Allah is Attributed with Perfection
Bismillah, Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds, to Him belong the endowments and the befitting perfections and commendations. I ask Allah to raise the rank of Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, and to protect his nation from that which he fears for it, Thereafter:
The saying that Allah, ta^ala, exists without a place is the belief and the creed of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, the Companions and the True Salaf and Khalaf, those who graciously followed them, and it shall be until the Day of Judgment. The proof of this precious statement is what Allah said in the Qur'an, in Surat ash-Shura, ayah 11 which means: "There is nothing like Him and He has the attribute of Hearing and Seeing." This ayah absolutely and totally clears Allah of resembling the creation. It comprises that Allah, ta^ala, is different from the creations in the Self, Attributes, and Doings. Hence, it shows that Allah, ta^ala, exists without a place, because the one who exists in a place would, by nature, be composed of atoms, i.e., he would be a body, occupying a space, and Allah, ta^ala, is clear of occupying spaces.
Al-Bukhariyy, al-Bayhaqiyy and Ibn alJarud related that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said which means: "Allah existed eternally and there was nothing else." This hadith proves that Allah was alone in al-'azal, (the status of existence without a beginning,) i.e., before creating any of the creation. There was nothing with Him: no place, no space, no sky, no light, and no darkness. It is determined in the rules of the Religion and the judgments of the sound mind that Allah, the Exalted, does not change. Hence, it is impossible that after having been existing without a place, He would become in a place, because this is a development, and the development is a sign of needing others, and the one who needs others is not God.
Imam Abu Mansur al-Baghdadiyy related in his book, Al-Farqu Bayn alFiraq, that Imam ^Aliyy, the fourth of the caliphs, may Allah reward his deeds, said which means: Allah existed eternally and there was no place, and He now is as He was, i.e., without a place.
Imam Abu Hanifah, who is one of the authorities of as-Salaf, said in his book Al-Fiqh alAbsat: "Allah existed eternally and there was no place. He existed before creating the creation. He existed, and there was no place, creation, or thing; and He is the Creator of everything."
Imam al-Hafidh al-Bayhaqiyy said in his book, Al-Asma'u was-Sifat, on page 400: ".... What was mentioned towards the end of the hadith is an indication of denying Allah has a place and denying the slave is alike to Allah, wherever he was in proximity or remoteness. Allah, the Exalted, is adhDhahir--hence, it is valid to know about Him by proofs. Allah is al-Batin--hence, it is invalid that He would be in a place."
He also said: "Some of our companions used as a proof to refute the place to Allah the saying of the Prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam : 'You are adh-Dhahir and there is nothing above You, and You are al-Batin and there is nothing underneath You.' Therefore, if there is nothing above Him and nothing underneath Him, He is not in a place."
Imam Ahmad Ibn Salamah, Abu Ja^far atTahawiyy, who was born in the year 237 after Hijrah, and was one of the Heads of Great Salaf wrote a book called Al-^Aqidah atTahawiyyah. He mentioned that the content of his book is an elucidation of the creed of Ahl asSunnah wal Jama^ah, which is the creed of Imam Abu Hanifah, who died in the year 150 after alHijrah, and his two companions, Imam Abu Yusuf al-Qadi and Imam Muhammad Ibn alHasan ash-Shaybaniyy and others. He said in his book: "Allah is supremely clear of all boundaries, extremes, sides, organs and instruments. The six directions do not contain Him--these are attributed to all created things." Such is the saying of Imam Abu Ja^far who is among the heads of as-Salaf. He explicitly stated that Allah is clear of being contained by the six directions. The six directions are above, below, in front of, behind, right, and left.
The linguist and scholar of hadith, Imam Muhammad Murtada az-Zabidiyy, narrated by a continuous chain from himself back to Imam Zayn al-^Abidin ^Aliyy Ibn al-Husayn Ibn ^Aliyy Ibn Abi Talib, (who was among the first of as-Salaf, who earned the title of as-Sajjad, i.e., the one who prays a lot), that Zayn al-^Abidin said in his treatise asSahifah as-Sajjadiyyah about Allah: which means: "O Allah, You are clear of all imperfection. You are Allah, the One Who no place contains You." He also said which means: "O Allah, You are clear of all imperfection. You are Allah, the One Who is not in boundaries."
In the explanation of al-Bukhariyy in the chapter on Al-Jihad, Hafidh Ibn Hajar said: "The fact that the two directions above and below are impossible to be attributes of Allah, does not necessitate that Allah would not be attributed with aboveness, because attributing aboveness to Allah is a matter of status and the impossibility lies in it being physical."
The scholar Imam Zayn ad-Din Ibn Nujaym, the Hanafiyy, in his book Al-Bahr arRa'iq, on page 129 said: "Whoever says it is possible that Allah would do a doing in which there is no wisdom commits blasphemy, and also he commits blasphemy by affirming a place to Allah, the Exalted."
Imam Muhammad Ibn Hibah al-Makkiyy, in his book Hada'iq al-Fusul wa Jawahir al-^Uqul,--also called Al-^Aqidat-as-Salahiyyah because he gave it as a gift to Sultan Salah-ad-Din al-Ayyubiyy who ordered that this book be taught to the children in schools and broadcast from the top of minarets--said:
which means: "Allah existed eternally and there was no place, and the judgment about His existence now is that He is as He was, i.e., without a place."
The great true Salafi, Imam Ja^far as-Sadiq said: "He who claims that Allah is in something or on something or from something, commits ash-shirk. Because if He was in something, He would be contained, and if He was on something, He would be carried, and if He was from something, He would be a creature."
Shaykh ^Abdul-Ghaniyy an-Nabulsiyy said: "He who believes that Allah fills the heavens and earth or that He is a body sitting above al-^arsh (ceiling of Paradise; throne) is a kafir."
Imam Abul-Qasim ^Aliyy Ibnul-Hasan Ibn Hibatillah Ibn ^Asakir said in his ^Aqidah: "Allah existed before the creation. He does not have a before or an after, an above or a below, a right or a left, an in front of or a behind, a whole or a part. It must not be said when was He, where was He, or how was He. He exists without a place."
Imam Abu Sulayman al-Khattabiyy said: "What is obligatory upon us and upon every Muslim to know is that our Lord has no shape or form, because the shape has a 'how' and 'how' does not apply to Allah or His Attributes."
Know beyond doubt that the question 'how' does not apply to Allah, because this is a question about shapes, bodies, places, depths and dimensions; Allah is clear of all of that. Also be firm that it is invalid to say about Allah "... but we do not know how", because in essence, it falsely indicates that Allah has a color, shape, dimensions, body, place, but one is ignorant of the 'how' of it.
Imam al-Ghazaliyy said: " Allah, the Exalted, existed eternally and there was no place. He is not a body, jawhar (atom), or property, and He is not on a place or in a place."
All of these sayings show that attributing the sensuous physical aboveness and place to Allah is contrary to the Qur'an, the Hadith, the Ijma^, and the intellectual proof. The intellectual proof that Allah exists without a place lies in the fact that the one who is in a place would have an area, and the one who has an area is in need of it, and the one who needs others is not God. Moreover, as the mind determines that Allah existed without a place before creating places, the mind determines that after Allah created the places He still exists without a place.
The scholars like Imam Ahmad arRifa^iyy determined that lifting the hands and the faces towards the sky when performing du^a (supplication) is because the heavens are the qiblah of du^a just as the Ka^bah is the qiblah of asSalah. From the heavens, the mercies and blessings of Allah descend.
Hence, it is clear for the one who seeks the truth that the saying that Allah exists without a place is what complies with the Qur'an, the Hadith, the Ijma^, and the criteria of the sound intellect. Be firm and certain that before creating places, Allah Who created everything (places and others), existed without a place, and after creating places, He still exists without a place.
Since we have determined that the creed of the Muslims is that Allah exists without a place and that the question 'how' does not apply to Allah, it is clear to us that al-^arsh (the throne) which is the biggest of the creations of Allah and the ceiling of Paradise, is not a place for Allah, the Exalted.
Imam Abu Hanifah said in his book, alWasiyyah,: " ... and He is the Preserver of al^arsh and other than al-^arsh, without needing it, for had He been in need, He would not have the power to create the world and to manage and preserve it. Moreover, had He been in a place needing to sit and restbefore creating al-^arsh, where was Allah?" That is, the question 'where was Allah' would have applied to Him, which is impossible.
Also, in his book, Al-Fiqh al-Absat, Imam Abu Hanifah said: "Allah existed eternally and there was no place; He existed before creating the creation. He existed and there was not a place, a creation or a thing; and He is the Creator of everything. He who says 'I do not know if my Lord is in the heavens or on the earth,' is a kafir. Also is a kafir whoever says that 'He is on al-^arsh, and I do not know whether al-^arsh is in the heaven or on the earth'."
Consequently, the great True Salafi Scholar Imam Ahmad declared a kafir whomever says these last two phrases because they contain attributing a direction, boundary, and place to Allah. Everything which has a direction and boundary is by necessity in need of a Creator. Thus it is not the intention of Imam Abu Hanifah to prove that the heaven and al-^arsh are places for Allah, as those who liken Allah to the creation claim. This is by virtue of the aforementioned saying of the Imam: "Had He been in a place needing to sit and rest, then before creating al-^arsh where was Allah?", which is clear in negating that Allah has a direction or a place.
In his book, Ihya'u ^Ulum ad-Din, Imam alGhazaliyy said: "... places do not contain Him, nor do the directions, earth, or heavens. He is attributed with an istiwa' over al-^arsh as He said in the Qur'an--with the meaning that He willed--and not as what people may delude. It is an istiwa' which is clear of touching, resting, holding, moving and containment. Al-^arsh does not carry Him, but rather al-^arsh and those that carry al-^arsh are all carried by Allah with His Power and are subjugated to Him. He is above al-^arsh and above the heavens and above everything--in status-- an aboveness that does not give Him proximity to al-^arsh or the heavens as it does not give Him farness from earth. He is higher in status than everything: higher in status than al-^arsh and the heavens, as He is higher in status than earth and the rest of the creation."
Shaykh ^Abdul-Ghaniyy an-Nabulsiyy said: "He who believes that Allah filled the heavens and earth or that He is a body sitting above al-^arsh, is a kafir." Ayah 93 of Surat Maryam:
means: "All those in the heavens and earth must come to Allah as a slave." In his Tafsir (book of explaining the Qur'an), Imam ar-Raziyy said: "... and since it is affirmed by this ayah that everything that existed in the heavens and earth is a slave to Allah, and since it is obligatory that Allah is clear of being a slave, thus He is clear of being in a place or direction, or on al-^arsh or al-kursiyy."
Hence Surat Taha, ayah 5, in the Qur'an, clearly does not mean that Allah sits on the throne or that Allah is firmly established on the throne. In the Arabic language, the word istawa has fifteen (15) different meanings, among of which are to sit, to subjugate, to protect, to conquer, and to preserve. Based on what we have covered so far it is clear that it is blasphemous to apply the meaning 'to sit' to Allah. However the terms to preserve and to subjugate are in compliance with the Religion and the language. And those so-called translations of al-Quran that referred to the term "Istawa" to "Sits" or "Sat"or "Established himself firmly on the throne" contradict Arabic rules, and Islamic bases. Bewarned from such translations and such attribues, Allah is almighty clear from the sitting, movement, size, shape, form or change. Allah is great.
In Conclusion to what has been mentioned, Allah's attributes are perfect. The scholars of Islam said that it is obligatory upon every mukallaf (Accountable preson) to know Attributes of Allah, among which 13 attributes that have been mentioned repeatedly in al-Quran. Allah is attributed with: Existence, Oneness, Eternity, Everlastingness, Non-neediness of others, Power, Will, Knowledge, Hearing, Sight, Life, Speech, and Non-resemblance to the creation.
The explanation of the attributes of Allah is as follows:
1.
Existence: It is obligatory to believe that Allah exists and that there is no doubt in His Existence.He exists without a place.Time does not lapse on Allah.
2.
Oneness: Allah is One without any partners.He is One in His Self, His Attributes, and His Actions.
3.
Eternity: Allah is Eternal; there is no beginning to His Existence.He has existed since before the creation.
4.
Everlastingness: Allah is Everlasting; His existence does not come to an end.He does not perish.
5.
Non-neediness of others: Allah does not need any of His creations and they are all in need of Him.
6.
Power: Allah has Power over everything.
7.
Will: Everything that occurs in this world is by the Will of Allah.
8.
Knowledge: Allah knows about all things before they occur.
9.
Hearing: Allah hears all what is hearable, without an ear or any other organ.
10.
Sight: Allah sees all what is seeable, without a pupil or any other organ.
11.
Life: Allah is alive without a soul, skin, or heart.His Life is not similar to ours.He is alive and does not die.
12.
Speech: Allah's Speech (Kalam) is without a tongue or lip.His Speech is not in a language, Arabic or anything else.His Speech does not resemble the speech of the humans.
13.
Non-resemblance to the creations: Allah does not resemble the creations.
Allah knows best.
ISLAM IS THE TRUE RELIGION
Learn how Islam is the true religion, and about basic Islamic concepts that will convince the person of the sound mind, and teach you how to be a Muslim. Click here for an Intro to Islam - Tawheed
Allah existed eternally before He created any place, such as Paradise (Heaven), the skies, earth, or any planets. Hence, we know He is now as He was before He created all these places; He does not need any place to exist in.
What is Islam?
Linguistically, Islam means submission. According to Islamic terminology, Islam means a specified submission. It is the submission to what the prophet brought. This takes place by uttering the two testification of faith. Belief, on the other hand, linguistically means certitude. According to Islamic terminology, it means a specified certitude. It is to accept as true what the prophet brought. The least of Belief is to belief in the THE TWO TESTIFICATIONS OF FAITH. Islam and Belief cannot be disassociated. One of them is not accepted without the other, although their original meaning are not identical. Imam Abu Hanifah said in Al-Fiqh Al-'Akbar: "Islam is not acceptable without Belief and Belief is not accepted without Islam. They are like the front of something and its back." Islam is the Religion of all the prophets.
ALLAH
Everything that exists, except Allah, the Creator, is created by Him. Allah has full power over every bit of His creation. Allah is not created; He existed always, having His attributes; He will never perish, nor will His attributes diminish. Among His attributes is that He has knowledge of all His creation, that He sees the seeable and that He hears the hearable, and His knowing, seeing and hearing are in no way similar to ours. Allah speaks and His Speech is not made up of language or sound, nor does it resemble the speech of man in any way. He does not need any of His creation for His existence and He does not resemble any of His creation in any way. This means that Allah is not a man or a woman; He is not "a Father" or "a Mother". He does not have a wife, a mother, a father, a son, or a daughter; He has no equal or partner. Allah does not divide into parts; no creation, including man, has "a part of Allah" in him, nor can any creation become like Allah. He is the only God.
Allah existed eternally before He created any place, such as Paradise (Heaven), the skies, earth, or any planets. Hence, we know He is now as He was before He created all these places; He does not need any place to exist in. Allah has always known about every bit of His creation; there is no thing in His creation which escapes or defeats Him. No thing goes against the will of Allah. Both good and evil occur by His Will. However, Allah orders humans to do only the good; humans make the choice to obey or disobey Allah. Our ability to do good or evil is given to us by Allah, the Exalted.
HUMANITY
Men and women are one of the creations of Allah. They are distinct from plants, animals, jinn, and angels. They were created after angels and jinn; the first man was created from clay. Allah puts a soul into man but in no way is man's soul Allah, or "a part of Allah". The first man was Adam and all human beings come from his family. Adam had no mother or father; he was created and given life by Allah. Allah created a wife for Adam who bore his children. Allah created the human beings to order them to believe, profess the truth about Allah and His messengers, worship Allah only, and follow His orders during life on earth. Some of mankind has and does worship Allah correctly, obeys His orders, and will be rewarded beyond imagination. Some of mankind has not and will not worship Allah correctly and will be punished by Allah with severity in Hellfire.
JINN
Jinn are a distinct creation of Allah, who are invisible to humans. Allah created them from the pure flame of fire. They are male and female and have offspring. They exist here on earth and out of it. Like humans, some jinn worship Allah, but some do not. The ones who do not are known as the devils, whose head is Satan.
ANGELS
Angels are another distinct creation of Allah. They are not male or female and have no children. Allah created them from light. They never sin, obeying Allah in every matter. Humans have angels near them that record all they do. Some angels have appeared to men in the form of men but they never take a woman's shape. Some angels protect people from jinn by Allah's will. The angel who brought revelations to the prophets is Gabriel.
PROPHETS
Prophets are the greatest men that ever lived. Prophets received Revelation from Allah and conveyed it to the people. The prophets received the Revelations and conveyed them exactly in the language Allah ordered. The language of the scriptures is created, but Allah's speech is not. A messenger is a prophet who comes with abrogating some of the laws brought by the previous messenger or receives a new set of laws. Prophets were intelligent, trustworthy, truthful, did not commit major sins and never left their Religion. Many prophets have lived in the past. Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, who lived some 1400 years ago, was the last and greatest prophet.
Other prophets before him include: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Joseph (son of Jacob), David, Solomon, Moses, and Jesus, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon all of them.
The true scriptures were Revelations received by prophets. Moses and Jesus both received scriptures, but what are now called the Torah and the Bible have been tampered with by man and are not the true Revelations received by the great messengers Moses and Jesus. The only scripture which is unchanged and will never be changed is the Qur'an, which is the scripture Allah gave Muhammad, His last prophet, in clear and eloquent Arabic. Allah has promised to protect the Qur'an from any changes by man, and it has remained unchanged since it was received some 1400 years ago. Unlike the prophets before him who were sent to a particular people, Muhammad was sent to all people who lived at his time and all people who live after him until the Day of Judgment when the earth will be destroyed.
THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
This earth, planets and stars were all created by Allah at a point in time. They did not always exist and they will perish by Allah's will. On a day which only Allah knows (not even the angels or prophets know it), Allah will make everything on earth and in the skies die (including angels, Satan, and all devils) and then He will resurrect them all and judge humans and jinns on what they did during their lives. Because humans and jinn made the choice to be believers or non-believers, pious or sinners, they will be rewarded or punished, by Allah's will, for what they believed, said, and did.
PARADISE (HEAVEN)
Those of mankind and jinn who believe correctly in Allah, and believe in the Messenger sent to them and profess their belief (i.e., becoming followers of the true Religion) and die with that status will dwell forever in Paradise, which Allah has created for them. The life in Paradise is better than what any human living on earth can imagine. Those in Paradise will experience it in body and soul, but the body will be a new body with no defects. Paradise is not allegorical. It is very real and actual. There will be wonderful riches, foods, joy, and peace. People will be married and have interaction with one another. Those in Paradise will be in ranks according to their piety. Those who are rewarded with Paradise will never be sent out of it.
HELL
Hell, another creation of Allah, is the everlasting dwelling place for those of humans and jinn who rejected the revelations of the prophets. Hence, they disbelieved in Allah and His messengers. Hell is also a particular place and is not experienced here on earth. Its torture will not cease. The suffering will also be in body and soul. Some humans who were followers of the true Religion will suffer in Hell for some time, because they had sinned and did not repent of their sins during their lifetime. Being believers of the true Religion, they will get out of Hell after a time which Allah wills. Then they will enter Paradise and dwell there forever and receive no further punishment. Some believers of the true Religion who die as sinners will be forgiven by Allah on the Day of Judgment and will not go to Hell before entering Paradise.
LIFE AND DEATH
This life of a human or jinn always ends with death and there is no exception. Humans do not choose their race, sex, parents, or birthplace and will not be held accountable for those aspects of their life on the Day of Judgment. No human is doomed to Hell because he was born as a certain sex or race. Allah the Merciful, has promised any human or jinn who dies as a follower of the true Religion will receive Paradise forever. Those people who truly never heard about the correct belief in Allah and any of the messengers during their entire lifetime and died in that state will not go to Hellfire. But those sane and pubescent people who have heard of the correct belief in Allah and His messenger and die not embracing this true Religion will dwell in Hell forever.
The correct belief in Allah has never changed and every prophet and messenger has said the same concerning belief in Allah: No one is God but Allah and mankind is to believe in Him and worship Him only. The prophet for the people on earth at present is Muhammad, may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him, and the laws for the present population are the laws that prophet Muhammad was given by Allah for mankind. There will be no new laws given, for there will be no new messenger.
Usually, the person is given one life in this world, so a person is wise to live this life correctly. No matter how appealing it is to some people, they will not "reincarnate" after they die. This and other false beliefs about mankind and Allah are whispered into human's minds by Satan and the devils, and some men are fooled into believing them.
SATAN
Satan, the first jinn, was present with the angels when Allah ordered him and the angels to bow down in respect before Adam. Satan did not bow down in respect. He objected to Allah and said he was better than Adam, because he was made from fire whereas Adam was made from clay. Because of this objection, Allah banished Satan. Satan vowed that he would try to persuade humans into false belief and worship and shameful conduct. Allah promised that Satan and those who follow him will be the inhabitants of Hell on the Day of Judgment.
Satan is man's accursed enemy and his vow to ruin many of mankind is not to be taken lightly. He attempts to confuse and ruin man by his prompting, making bad deeds seem good. A person is not sinful when Satan whispers to him; he is sinful if he believes and/or acts on the prompting. Although humans must believe that Satan exists and take the warning about him very seriously, we must remember that Allah has full power over Satan. Satan can do nothing against the will of Allah. When a believer of the true Religion strives to follow Allah's orders and asks Allah for protection from Satan, he should not doubt Allah's great protection and mercy.
RELIGION
There is only one true Religion--that of believing the correct belief in Allah and His messengers, worshipping Allah only, loving, respecting, and following the prophet of the time, and loving and respecting other prophets. Every prophet and messenger followed and called people to the same Religion; this Religion is called ISLAM. A believer in Islam is called a MUSLIM. The meaning of Islam is "to submit to Allah". The meaning of the word Muslim is "one who submits to Allah." The name Allah is the name of the only true God. Although prophets and messengers spoke different languages, what they called people to was the same Religion. A person can declare that he believes and follows the true Religion--Islam--in any language, for belief is known to Allah regardless of the language. Those who say they are Muslim, yet deny the true belief in their heart, with their tongue, or by some actions, are surely not Muslim. Allah knows fully who are the ones who truly believe in Islam. Both messengers Moses and Jesus called their people to the true Religion--Islam--which is clearly described in the QUR'AN--the last and preserved scripture for all of mankind on earth.
JESUS
Jesus, may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him, is dearly loved by Muslims, for he is one of the greatest of messengers and he is one of the most loved creations to Allah. Jesus has no father; he was created within Mary, and the Muslims believe that his mother Mary is the best of all women.
By Allah's will, Prophet Jesus performed many miracles and was obedient to Allah in every way. Jesus spoke only the truth and his followers were Muslim. Never did Jesus say he was Allah, "the son of Allah", or that his followers should pray to him or to anyone other than Allah. Jesus is a man, but had no father; Adam was a man but had neither a father nor a mother. The Qur'an tells us that the Jews did not crucify Jesus as some believe. He was not crucified at all, by Allah's will; Jesus was raised from the earth. Jesus is alive, and Allah will send Jesus back to the earth before the Day of Judgment. Jesus will attest that Islam is the true faith and that Prophet Muhammad, is the last messenger. He will follow the laws that Allah gave to Muhammad, and slay the one-eyed impostor. This is the truth, although some do not believe.
SINS
When a person goes against Allah's orders (which are conveyed by His messenger), this person has sinned. The worst sin is blasphemy, which is caused by any belief, saying, or action that contradicts Islam. When a person becomes Muslim he leaves all blasphemy. A Muslim must learn about all the types of blasphemy so to avoid committing any of them as he proceeds through life. If a Muslim commits blasphemy, he becomes non-Muslim and must become Muslim again. If he dies without becoming a Muslim, he will be in Hell forever in the Hereafter. If a Muslim commits a sin which is less than blasphemy and dies without repenting to Allah of the sin, then this sin is counted against him on the Day of Judgment. Similarly, if a Muslim follows Allah's orders, in obedience to Him, this is counted in his favor. All of this is known by Allah and no thing escapes Him.
When a Muslim commits sins, he must repent of them immediately. To repent of blasphemy, one must utter the Testification of Faith, clearing himself of the committed blasphemy. The Testification of Faith (Shahadatan) can be stated as follows:
"I testify that no one is God but Allah,
and I testify that Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allah."
For a sin less than blasphemy, one must stop doing the sin, regret having done it, and have the intention not to commit the same sin again. If the sin is stealing from a person, for example, then the stolen goods must be returned in addition. Allah is ever-merciful to the Muslim and no matter how many times he sins in his life, if he stops it, regrets having done it, and intends not to do it again, he will be forgiven by Allah. But for those who are non-Muslim, no matter what good things they do, those deeds are not to their credit in the Hereafter; they must first become Muslim.
A few examples of blasphemy are: believing that Allah has a son, worshipping an idol, and saying that Allah does not know everything. Some examples of sins less than blasphemy are: killing a person unjustly, adultery, drinking alcohol, and stealing. When a Muslim makes sincere repentance as was described, it is as if he did not sin, in that he will not be punished for what he repented of, for Allah is ever-merciful to the Muslims. Also, when a person becomes a Muslim for the first time, Allah forgives all his past sins.
PRAYER
Upon the order of Allah, Prophet Muhammad commanded the Muslims to pray five times a day. This order applies since the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad until the Day of Judgment. The prayers have a specific format with the one praying praising and thanking Allah, asking for His help and guidance, and asking Him to bless the prophets and the pious Muslims. A Muslim knows that at any moment of his life he can ask Allah for help and guidance, and he is encouraged to do so, but this does not replace the five prescribed prayers, which have a specific format to be followed.
BECOMING A MUSLIM
A person becomes a Muslim by leaving all that contradicts the meaning of the following Testification of Faith, believing in the heart and declaring with the tongue:
"No one is God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah"
Believing in all this implies--Allah, the Creator, has perfect attributes, only Allah must be worshipped, Prophet Muhammad, the last prophet, was truthful in all that he conveyed from Allah, all the prophets before him (the first of whom was Adam) conveyed the same message of belief to their people and are to be loved and respected, yet in no way do prophets (or any creation) have Allah's attributes.
A person can become Muslim, as aforementioned in the solitude of a forest or in a crowded subway; he does not need to go to a mosque or have Muslims witness his profession. Allah knows the hearts of His creation. However, when he becomes Muslim he may declare his belief to some fellow Muslims so he will be known as a Muslim among the people.
Anyone who has read this booklet must know if you are not already Muslim you must become Muslim immediately, for you do not know when you will die. To anyone who becomes Muslim while reading this paper, we advise you to seek knowledge as to the practice of Islam from a trustworthy Muslim teacher. As people go to college to be taught by those learned on different subjects, one should go to a learned Muslim to learn about the practice of Islam. There will always be more to learn and more ways to improve for a devoted Muslim, so arrogance is not a part of a good Muslim's life.
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the heavens and earth and Allah knows best
Allah existed eternally before He created any place, such as Paradise (Heaven), the skies, earth, or any planets. Hence, we know He is now as He was before He created all these places; He does not need any place to exist in.
What is Islam?
Linguistically, Islam means submission. According to Islamic terminology, Islam means a specified submission. It is the submission to what the prophet brought. This takes place by uttering the two testification of faith. Belief, on the other hand, linguistically means certitude. According to Islamic terminology, it means a specified certitude. It is to accept as true what the prophet brought. The least of Belief is to belief in the THE TWO TESTIFICATIONS OF FAITH. Islam and Belief cannot be disassociated. One of them is not accepted without the other, although their original meaning are not identical. Imam Abu Hanifah said in Al-Fiqh Al-'Akbar: "Islam is not acceptable without Belief and Belief is not accepted without Islam. They are like the front of something and its back." Islam is the Religion of all the prophets.
ALLAH
Everything that exists, except Allah, the Creator, is created by Him. Allah has full power over every bit of His creation. Allah is not created; He existed always, having His attributes; He will never perish, nor will His attributes diminish. Among His attributes is that He has knowledge of all His creation, that He sees the seeable and that He hears the hearable, and His knowing, seeing and hearing are in no way similar to ours. Allah speaks and His Speech is not made up of language or sound, nor does it resemble the speech of man in any way. He does not need any of His creation for His existence and He does not resemble any of His creation in any way. This means that Allah is not a man or a woman; He is not "a Father" or "a Mother". He does not have a wife, a mother, a father, a son, or a daughter; He has no equal or partner. Allah does not divide into parts; no creation, including man, has "a part of Allah" in him, nor can any creation become like Allah. He is the only God.
Allah existed eternally before He created any place, such as Paradise (Heaven), the skies, earth, or any planets. Hence, we know He is now as He was before He created all these places; He does not need any place to exist in. Allah has always known about every bit of His creation; there is no thing in His creation which escapes or defeats Him. No thing goes against the will of Allah. Both good and evil occur by His Will. However, Allah orders humans to do only the good; humans make the choice to obey or disobey Allah. Our ability to do good or evil is given to us by Allah, the Exalted.
HUMANITY
Men and women are one of the creations of Allah. They are distinct from plants, animals, jinn, and angels. They were created after angels and jinn; the first man was created from clay. Allah puts a soul into man but in no way is man's soul Allah, or "a part of Allah". The first man was Adam and all human beings come from his family. Adam had no mother or father; he was created and given life by Allah. Allah created a wife for Adam who bore his children. Allah created the human beings to order them to believe, profess the truth about Allah and His messengers, worship Allah only, and follow His orders during life on earth. Some of mankind has and does worship Allah correctly, obeys His orders, and will be rewarded beyond imagination. Some of mankind has not and will not worship Allah correctly and will be punished by Allah with severity in Hellfire.
JINN
Jinn are a distinct creation of Allah, who are invisible to humans. Allah created them from the pure flame of fire. They are male and female and have offspring. They exist here on earth and out of it. Like humans, some jinn worship Allah, but some do not. The ones who do not are known as the devils, whose head is Satan.
ANGELS
Angels are another distinct creation of Allah. They are not male or female and have no children. Allah created them from light. They never sin, obeying Allah in every matter. Humans have angels near them that record all they do. Some angels have appeared to men in the form of men but they never take a woman's shape. Some angels protect people from jinn by Allah's will. The angel who brought revelations to the prophets is Gabriel.
PROPHETS
Prophets are the greatest men that ever lived. Prophets received Revelation from Allah and conveyed it to the people. The prophets received the Revelations and conveyed them exactly in the language Allah ordered. The language of the scriptures is created, but Allah's speech is not. A messenger is a prophet who comes with abrogating some of the laws brought by the previous messenger or receives a new set of laws. Prophets were intelligent, trustworthy, truthful, did not commit major sins and never left their Religion. Many prophets have lived in the past. Muhammad, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him, who lived some 1400 years ago, was the last and greatest prophet.
Other prophets before him include: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Joseph (son of Jacob), David, Solomon, Moses, and Jesus, may Allah's peace and blessings be upon all of them.
The true scriptures were Revelations received by prophets. Moses and Jesus both received scriptures, but what are now called the Torah and the Bible have been tampered with by man and are not the true Revelations received by the great messengers Moses and Jesus. The only scripture which is unchanged and will never be changed is the Qur'an, which is the scripture Allah gave Muhammad, His last prophet, in clear and eloquent Arabic. Allah has promised to protect the Qur'an from any changes by man, and it has remained unchanged since it was received some 1400 years ago. Unlike the prophets before him who were sent to a particular people, Muhammad was sent to all people who lived at his time and all people who live after him until the Day of Judgment when the earth will be destroyed.
THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
This earth, planets and stars were all created by Allah at a point in time. They did not always exist and they will perish by Allah's will. On a day which only Allah knows (not even the angels or prophets know it), Allah will make everything on earth and in the skies die (including angels, Satan, and all devils) and then He will resurrect them all and judge humans and jinns on what they did during their lives. Because humans and jinn made the choice to be believers or non-believers, pious or sinners, they will be rewarded or punished, by Allah's will, for what they believed, said, and did.
PARADISE (HEAVEN)
Those of mankind and jinn who believe correctly in Allah, and believe in the Messenger sent to them and profess their belief (i.e., becoming followers of the true Religion) and die with that status will dwell forever in Paradise, which Allah has created for them. The life in Paradise is better than what any human living on earth can imagine. Those in Paradise will experience it in body and soul, but the body will be a new body with no defects. Paradise is not allegorical. It is very real and actual. There will be wonderful riches, foods, joy, and peace. People will be married and have interaction with one another. Those in Paradise will be in ranks according to their piety. Those who are rewarded with Paradise will never be sent out of it.
HELL
Hell, another creation of Allah, is the everlasting dwelling place for those of humans and jinn who rejected the revelations of the prophets. Hence, they disbelieved in Allah and His messengers. Hell is also a particular place and is not experienced here on earth. Its torture will not cease. The suffering will also be in body and soul. Some humans who were followers of the true Religion will suffer in Hell for some time, because they had sinned and did not repent of their sins during their lifetime. Being believers of the true Religion, they will get out of Hell after a time which Allah wills. Then they will enter Paradise and dwell there forever and receive no further punishment. Some believers of the true Religion who die as sinners will be forgiven by Allah on the Day of Judgment and will not go to Hell before entering Paradise.
LIFE AND DEATH
This life of a human or jinn always ends with death and there is no exception. Humans do not choose their race, sex, parents, or birthplace and will not be held accountable for those aspects of their life on the Day of Judgment. No human is doomed to Hell because he was born as a certain sex or race. Allah the Merciful, has promised any human or jinn who dies as a follower of the true Religion will receive Paradise forever. Those people who truly never heard about the correct belief in Allah and any of the messengers during their entire lifetime and died in that state will not go to Hellfire. But those sane and pubescent people who have heard of the correct belief in Allah and His messenger and die not embracing this true Religion will dwell in Hell forever.
The correct belief in Allah has never changed and every prophet and messenger has said the same concerning belief in Allah: No one is God but Allah and mankind is to believe in Him and worship Him only. The prophet for the people on earth at present is Muhammad, may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him, and the laws for the present population are the laws that prophet Muhammad was given by Allah for mankind. There will be no new laws given, for there will be no new messenger.
Usually, the person is given one life in this world, so a person is wise to live this life correctly. No matter how appealing it is to some people, they will not "reincarnate" after they die. This and other false beliefs about mankind and Allah are whispered into human's minds by Satan and the devils, and some men are fooled into believing them.
SATAN
Satan, the first jinn, was present with the angels when Allah ordered him and the angels to bow down in respect before Adam. Satan did not bow down in respect. He objected to Allah and said he was better than Adam, because he was made from fire whereas Adam was made from clay. Because of this objection, Allah banished Satan. Satan vowed that he would try to persuade humans into false belief and worship and shameful conduct. Allah promised that Satan and those who follow him will be the inhabitants of Hell on the Day of Judgment.
Satan is man's accursed enemy and his vow to ruin many of mankind is not to be taken lightly. He attempts to confuse and ruin man by his prompting, making bad deeds seem good. A person is not sinful when Satan whispers to him; he is sinful if he believes and/or acts on the prompting. Although humans must believe that Satan exists and take the warning about him very seriously, we must remember that Allah has full power over Satan. Satan can do nothing against the will of Allah. When a believer of the true Religion strives to follow Allah's orders and asks Allah for protection from Satan, he should not doubt Allah's great protection and mercy.
RELIGION
There is only one true Religion--that of believing the correct belief in Allah and His messengers, worshipping Allah only, loving, respecting, and following the prophet of the time, and loving and respecting other prophets. Every prophet and messenger followed and called people to the same Religion; this Religion is called ISLAM. A believer in Islam is called a MUSLIM. The meaning of Islam is "to submit to Allah". The meaning of the word Muslim is "one who submits to Allah." The name Allah is the name of the only true God. Although prophets and messengers spoke different languages, what they called people to was the same Religion. A person can declare that he believes and follows the true Religion--Islam--in any language, for belief is known to Allah regardless of the language. Those who say they are Muslim, yet deny the true belief in their heart, with their tongue, or by some actions, are surely not Muslim. Allah knows fully who are the ones who truly believe in Islam. Both messengers Moses and Jesus called their people to the true Religion--Islam--which is clearly described in the QUR'AN--the last and preserved scripture for all of mankind on earth.
JESUS
Jesus, may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him, is dearly loved by Muslims, for he is one of the greatest of messengers and he is one of the most loved creations to Allah. Jesus has no father; he was created within Mary, and the Muslims believe that his mother Mary is the best of all women.
By Allah's will, Prophet Jesus performed many miracles and was obedient to Allah in every way. Jesus spoke only the truth and his followers were Muslim. Never did Jesus say he was Allah, "the son of Allah", or that his followers should pray to him or to anyone other than Allah. Jesus is a man, but had no father; Adam was a man but had neither a father nor a mother. The Qur'an tells us that the Jews did not crucify Jesus as some believe. He was not crucified at all, by Allah's will; Jesus was raised from the earth. Jesus is alive, and Allah will send Jesus back to the earth before the Day of Judgment. Jesus will attest that Islam is the true faith and that Prophet Muhammad, is the last messenger. He will follow the laws that Allah gave to Muhammad, and slay the one-eyed impostor. This is the truth, although some do not believe.
SINS
When a person goes against Allah's orders (which are conveyed by His messenger), this person has sinned. The worst sin is blasphemy, which is caused by any belief, saying, or action that contradicts Islam. When a person becomes Muslim he leaves all blasphemy. A Muslim must learn about all the types of blasphemy so to avoid committing any of them as he proceeds through life. If a Muslim commits blasphemy, he becomes non-Muslim and must become Muslim again. If he dies without becoming a Muslim, he will be in Hell forever in the Hereafter. If a Muslim commits a sin which is less than blasphemy and dies without repenting to Allah of the sin, then this sin is counted against him on the Day of Judgment. Similarly, if a Muslim follows Allah's orders, in obedience to Him, this is counted in his favor. All of this is known by Allah and no thing escapes Him.
When a Muslim commits sins, he must repent of them immediately. To repent of blasphemy, one must utter the Testification of Faith, clearing himself of the committed blasphemy. The Testification of Faith (Shahadatan) can be stated as follows:
"I testify that no one is God but Allah,
and I testify that Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allah."
For a sin less than blasphemy, one must stop doing the sin, regret having done it, and have the intention not to commit the same sin again. If the sin is stealing from a person, for example, then the stolen goods must be returned in addition. Allah is ever-merciful to the Muslim and no matter how many times he sins in his life, if he stops it, regrets having done it, and intends not to do it again, he will be forgiven by Allah. But for those who are non-Muslim, no matter what good things they do, those deeds are not to their credit in the Hereafter; they must first become Muslim.
A few examples of blasphemy are: believing that Allah has a son, worshipping an idol, and saying that Allah does not know everything. Some examples of sins less than blasphemy are: killing a person unjustly, adultery, drinking alcohol, and stealing. When a Muslim makes sincere repentance as was described, it is as if he did not sin, in that he will not be punished for what he repented of, for Allah is ever-merciful to the Muslims. Also, when a person becomes a Muslim for the first time, Allah forgives all his past sins.
PRAYER
Upon the order of Allah, Prophet Muhammad commanded the Muslims to pray five times a day. This order applies since the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad until the Day of Judgment. The prayers have a specific format with the one praying praising and thanking Allah, asking for His help and guidance, and asking Him to bless the prophets and the pious Muslims. A Muslim knows that at any moment of his life he can ask Allah for help and guidance, and he is encouraged to do so, but this does not replace the five prescribed prayers, which have a specific format to be followed.
BECOMING A MUSLIM
A person becomes a Muslim by leaving all that contradicts the meaning of the following Testification of Faith, believing in the heart and declaring with the tongue:
"No one is God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah"
Believing in all this implies--Allah, the Creator, has perfect attributes, only Allah must be worshipped, Prophet Muhammad, the last prophet, was truthful in all that he conveyed from Allah, all the prophets before him (the first of whom was Adam) conveyed the same message of belief to their people and are to be loved and respected, yet in no way do prophets (or any creation) have Allah's attributes.
A person can become Muslim, as aforementioned in the solitude of a forest or in a crowded subway; he does not need to go to a mosque or have Muslims witness his profession. Allah knows the hearts of His creation. However, when he becomes Muslim he may declare his belief to some fellow Muslims so he will be known as a Muslim among the people.
Anyone who has read this booklet must know if you are not already Muslim you must become Muslim immediately, for you do not know when you will die. To anyone who becomes Muslim while reading this paper, we advise you to seek knowledge as to the practice of Islam from a trustworthy Muslim teacher. As people go to college to be taught by those learned on different subjects, one should go to a learned Muslim to learn about the practice of Islam. There will always be more to learn and more ways to improve for a devoted Muslim, so arrogance is not a part of a good Muslim's life.
All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the heavens and earth and Allah knows best
How one Becomes a Muslim?
One becomes a Muslim by believing in the Two Testifications of Faith and uttering (saying) them with the intention of leaving out blasphemy. The Two Testifications of Faith In English are:
I bear witness that no one deserves to be worshiped except Allah and
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah
In Arabic: أشهدُ أنْ لا إلهَ إلاَّ اللهُ وأشهدُ أنَّ محمّداً رسولُ الله
Transliteration: (Ashhadu Alla-Ilaha Illallah, Wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammadar-Rasulullah)
The non-Muslim embraces Islam by believing in the Two Testifications of Faith and uttering them with the intention of leaving out blasphemy. The first Testification means that no one or thing deserves to be worshipped except God Who is the Creator of everything.
The second Testification states that Muhammad the son of ^Abdillah who was born in Makkah about 1400 years ago is a messenger of God. He was sent to convey what God revealed to him so that the humans believe in and work with the Laws he received and brought.
I bear witness that no one deserves to be worshiped except Allah and
I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah
In Arabic: أشهدُ أنْ لا إلهَ إلاَّ اللهُ وأشهدُ أنَّ محمّداً رسولُ الله
Transliteration: (Ashhadu Alla-Ilaha Illallah, Wa Ashhadu Anna Muhammadar-Rasulullah)
The non-Muslim embraces Islam by believing in the Two Testifications of Faith and uttering them with the intention of leaving out blasphemy. The first Testification means that no one or thing deserves to be worshipped except God Who is the Creator of everything.
The second Testification states that Muhammad the son of ^Abdillah who was born in Makkah about 1400 years ago is a messenger of God. He was sent to convey what God revealed to him so that the humans believe in and work with the Laws he received and brought.
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