Sharh as-Sunnah : Lesson 50: Points 84-86
Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]
Imaam Barbahaaree rahimahullaah said:
[84] And know that the beginning of Islaam is the testification that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.
[85] And that whatever Allaah says is just as He said and nothing can contradict what He says and He is true to what He has said.
[86] And to have eemaan (true faith) in all of the revealed laws.
Transcribed Audio:
He rahimahullaah said, “And you should know, O Muslim, O taalib al-`ilm (seeker of knowledge),” meaning you should be certain and understand clearly “that the beginning, the first part of Islaam is the testification that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.” These two are the first pillar from the pillars of Islaam as occurs in the hadeeth of Jibreel in which Jibreel `alayhissalaam said to the Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam:
“Tell me about Islaam.” He said, “Islaam is that you testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah and that you establish the prayer and that you give the Zakaat and that you fast Ramadaan and that you perform Hajj to the house if you are able to make the way to it.”[1]
So Ash-Shahaadataan (the two testifications) are the first thing which mankind is to be called to. He sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam said:
“I have been commanded to fight against the people until they say: “None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah”. So if they say it then they have rendered their blood and their property secure from me except on account of a right of Islaam and their reckoning will be with Allaah.”[2]
And when he (the Prophet) sent Mu`aadh to Yemen, he said to him:
“Indeed you are going to a people from the People of the Scripture, so let the first thing that you call them to be the testification that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.”[3]
So this is the first thing, which the people are to be called to because it is the entry point into the religion of Islaam. As for those who are lax about Tawheed and do not give importance to it from the companions of the various calls and the present day methodologies utilising da`wah, then this is contrary to this tremendous fundamental principle.
And what is required with regard to the two testifications is not just to pronounce them upon the tongue. Rather, what is required is to state them upon the tongue whilst being aware of their meaning and to act in accordance with what they necessitate. However, whoever testifies that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah then it will be accepted from him. So if he is then upright upon it then he is a Muslim but if something appears from him, which contradicts them then he will be an apostate.
And the meaning of the testification that Laa ilaaha illallaah, that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah is that you hold as your belief in your heart and that you state upon your tongue and you affirm and you acknowledge that none is deserving of worship (ibaadah) except for Allaah and that everything that is worshipped besides Him is false and futile. And worship of it is false and futile.
He, the Most High, said:
ذَٰلِكَ بِأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ وَأَنَّ مَا يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِهِ هُوَ الْبَاطِلُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْكَبِيرُ
That is because Allaah, He is the one who is truly deserving of worship and those whom they worship and invoke besides Him, that is false and futile. And Allaah is the Most High and Exalted One, the Incomparably Great One.(Sooratul-Hajj (22), aayah 62)
And the meaning of the testification Anna Muhammadur-Rusoolullaah; that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, is that you acknowledge outwardly and inwardly that he is the Messenger of Allaah. As for a person who states it upon his tongue but he does not acknowledge his messengership inwardly then this one is a munaafiq (hypocrite).
He, the Most High, said:
إِذَا جَاءَكَ الْمُنَافِقُونَ قَالُوا نَشْهَدُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ إِنَّكَ لَرَسُولُهُ وَاللَّهُ يَشْهَدُ إِنَّ الْمُنَافِقِينَ لَكَاذِبُونَ
When the hypocrites come to you (Muhammad sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam), they say, “We testify that you are the Messenger of Allaah.” And Allaah knows that you indeed are His Messenger and Allaah testifies that the hypocrites are certainly liars in their testifying. (Sooratul-Munaafiqoon (63), aayah 1)
يَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ
They say with their mouths that which is not in their hearts.
(Soorah Aali `Imraan (3), aayah 167)
So the meaning of the testification that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah; Muhammadur-Rusoolullaah is, in summary:
To obey him in whatever he commanded and to attest to the truth of whatever he informed of and to avoid whatever he forbade and prohibited and that Allaah should not be worshipped except with that which He legislated.
To obey him in whatever he commanded; so if the Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam commanded a matter then you must comply with it.
وَمَا كَانَ لِمُؤْمِنٍ وَلَا مُؤْمِنَةٍ إِذَا قَضَى اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَمْرًا أَن يَكُونَ لَهُمُ الْخِيَرَةُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِمْ ۗ وَمَن يَعْصِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا مُّبِينًا
And it is not for a believing man nor for a believing woman when Allaah and His Messenger have decreed a matter that they should have any choice with regard to their affair. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger then he has strayed with a clear straying. (Sooratul-Ahzaab (33), aayah 36)
To attest to the truth of whatever he informed of; he sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam informed about some affairs of the ghaib (the hidden and the unseen) of the past and the future. So, he sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam is to be believed regarding whatever he informed of and he did not speak from desires.
إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحْيٌ يُوحَىٰ
It is just revelation sent to him. (Sooratun-Najm (53), aayah 4)
So, his sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam informing about something is something true and something certain. No doubt can come upon it if it is authentic from him sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam.
As for the phrase: “and to avoid whatever he forbade and prohibited,” avoiding whatever the Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam forbade and prohibited, that is His saying, He the Most High:
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا نَهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانتَهُوا ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ شَدِيدُ الْعِقَابِ
And whatever the Messenger gives you then accept it and whatever he forbids you from, then desist and fear and be dutiful to Allaah. Indeed Allaah is severe in punishment. (Sooratul-Hashr (59), aayah 7)
“And that Allaah is not to be worshipped except with that which He legislated.” Whatever the Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam legislated; conveying it from Allaah, the Majestic and Most High. And this negates innovations and newly introduced affairs and baseless practices, which the Prophet sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam did not command. He sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam said:
“Whoever does an action, which our affair is not in accordance with then it is rejected.”
“Whoever introduces into this affair of ours that which is not from it then it is rejected.”[4]
“And beware of newly introduced affairs.”
The saying of Allaah’s Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam:
“Adhere to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided orthodox Khulafaa· (Caliphs) who come after me. Cling onto it and bite upon it with your pre-molar teeth. And beware of the newly introduced affairs for every newly introduced affair is a bid`ah (innovation) and every innovation is a going astray.[5]
And every `ibaadah (worship), which the Messenger sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam did not legislate then it is baatilah (false and futile) and there will be no reward in doing it. Rather, there will be sin in it because it is a bid`ah (innovation) and innovation takes a person further away from Allaah and will not draw him closer to Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.
His saying, “And you should know that the beginning of Islaam is the testification that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and His Messenger.” This is the first pillar and it is the entrance. Then after it comes the Salaah (prayer) then after it comes the Zakaat then fasting Ramadaan then Hajj to Allaah’s sacred house, then the rest of the duties and laws of the religion. All of them follow on from the two testifications; the testification that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.
His saying, “And that whatever Allaah said then it is just as He said and none can contradict what He has said and He is true to what He has said.” Whatever Allaah, the Majestic and Most High, said then it is just as He has said. No doubt can ever come upon it. Allaah, the Most High, said:
وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ اللَّهِ حَدِيثًا
And who is truer in speech than Allaah.
(Sooratun-Nisaa· (4), aayah 87)
وَمَنْ أَصْدَقُ مِنَ اللَّهِ قِيلًا
And who is truer than Allaah in saying.
(Sooratun-Nisaa· (4), aayah 122)
Meaning: no-one is truer than Allaah, the Perfect and Most High. And if Allaah, the Perfect makes a promise (wa`d) then He does not break it.
وَعْدَ اللَّهِ ۖ لَا يُخْلِفُ اللَّهُ وَعْدَهُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
The promise of Allaah, it is a promise of Allaah, Allaah does not break His promises. However, most of mankind do not know that Allaah will certainly carry out His promise. (Sooratur-Room (30), aayah 6)
So, when He makes a promise then He does not break His promise. And if He tawa`adah (threatens) something then He may pardon, He the Perfect and Most High. So there is a difference between al-wa`d (promises) and at-tawa`ud (threats). So al-wa`d (the promise), He never breaks a promise. And as for at-tawa`ud (a threat) that He has made; al-wa`eed (a threat) then Allaah, the Majestic and Most High may pardon and overlook and may not carry out the wa`eed (threat) as a mercy from Him, He, the Perfect, and as a favour from Him, He, the Perfect and Most High.
His saying, “And to have eemaan in all of the revealed laws.” It is obligatory to have eemaan (true faith) in all of the revealed laws, which Allaah sent down to His Messengers, all of them, in general with regard to those, which have been left unspecified and specifically with regard to those that have been mentioned specifically.
قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ
Say, “We truly believe in Allaah and in whatever was sent down to us and in whatever was sent down to Ibraaheem and Ismaa`eel and Ishaaq and Ya`qoob and to the tribes and whatever was given to Moosaa and `Eesaa and whatever the Prophets were given from their Lord. We do not make any distinction between any of them and we submit as Muslims to Him.(Sooratul-Baqarah (2), aayah 136)
قُلْ آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ عَلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَالنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ
Say, “We have eemaan (we truly believe) in Allaah and in whatever was sent down to us and in whatever was sent down to Ibraaheem and Ismaa`eel and Ishaaq and Ya`qoob and to the tribes and whatever was given to Moosaa and `Eesaa and to the Prophets from their Lord. We do not make any distinction between them and we are Muslims submitting to Him. (Soorah Aali `Imraan (3), aayah 84)
So, we have eemaan (we truly believe) in all of the divine laws sent down and we truly believe that Allaah, the Majestic and Most High legislates for each time whatever is suitable for it and then He abrogates that with another revealed law, which is suitable for those who come after them. So, when Muhammad sallAllaahu `alayhi wa sallam was sent, he came with a revealed law, which was firmly grounded and will remain until the Hour is established. It will not be abrogated and it will never be changed. It is suitable for every time and place.
Footnotes:
[1] Reported by Muslim (8) from a hadeeth of `Umar ibn al-Khattaab radiyAllaahu `anhu.
[2] Reported by Al-Bukhaariyy (25) and Muslim (22) from a hadeeth of `Abdullaah ibn `Umar radiyAllaahu `anhumaa.
[3] Reported by Al-Bukhaariyy (1,395) and Muslim (19) from a hadeeth of Ibn `Abbaas radiyAllaahu `anhumaa.
[4] Translator’s side point: The checking of this has preceded and as we had before, it is reported by Al-Bukhaariyy (2,697) and Muslim (1,718) from a hadeeth from the Mother of the Believers, `Aa`ishah radiyAllaahu `anhaa.
[5] This has already preceded the checking of this and as we had before, it is reported by Imaam Ahmad, Aboo Daawood, at-Tirmithee and Ibn Maajah. It was declared saheeh (authentic) by Shaykh Al-Albaaniyy.
—
Ithaaful-Qaaree bit-Ta`leeqaat `alaa Sharhis-Sunnah
(A Gift To The Reader In Annotation Of Sharh As-Sunnah)
by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan hafizahullaah
Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood Burbank, rahimahullaah
Transcribed by Saima Zaher.
Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah
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