Sharh-ul-Usool ath-Thalaathah : Lesson 45
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]
Belief in the Resurrection
Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:
And after they have died, the people will be resurrected, and the proof is His saying:
مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَىٰ
From the Earth We created you (O Mankind), and to it We shall return you (after death) and from it We shall raise you to life again. [20:55][70]
[70]: Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan’s Explanation :
He moved on, to another fundamental principle, which is eemaan (true faith) in al-ba’th (the Resurrection) – meaning that death alone is not what is wanted. We know and everyone knows – even the disbelievers and the atheists and the evil heretics – all of them know that death will certainly occur. No one denies death, because it is something which is experienced. However the important matter is the Resurrection after death; this is the point of disagreement between the believers and the disbelievers, the Resurrection after death. And it (the Resurrection) is the restoration of the bodies which have rotted away and become decayed bones and dust and which have separated in the Earth. They will be restored and rebuilt just as they were before, because the One who created them in the first place is fully able to bring them back again.
Then the souls will be blown into them, then they will move and proceed from the graves to the Mahshar (GatheringPlace) because of His saying, He the Most High:
يَوْمَ يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ سِرَاعًا كَأَنَّهُمْ إِلَىٰ نُصُبٍ يُوفِضُونَ
On the Day when they will come out from the graves, they will be as if they are racing to a finishing post. [70:43]
And He, the Most High, said:
يَخْرُجُونَ مِنَ الْأَجْدَاثِ كَأَنَّهُمْ جَرَادٌ مُّنتَشِرٌ – مُّهْطِعِينَ إِلَى الدَّاعِ ۖ يَقُولُ الْكَافِرُونَ هَٰذَا يَوْمٌ عَسِرٌ
They will come forth from the graves as if they are scattered locusts, rushing towards the caller. [54:7-8]
No one will stay back. So this Resurrection is true, there is no doubt about it. And whoever denies it is a disbeliever in Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. And having eemaan in the Resurrection is one of the six pillars of eemaan about which the Prophet sall Allaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said:
“(Eemaan) is that you truly believe in Allaah and in His Angels and in His Books and in His Messengers and in the Last Day and that you truly believe in Pre-decree, the good of it and the bad of it.”
[Reported by al Bukhaaree (50) and Muslim from the hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah radi Allaahu ‘anhu ]
So whoever does not truly believe in the Resurrection and in the Last Day, then he is a kaafir (a disbeliever) in Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, even if he bears witness to ‘laa ilaaha ill Allaah’ and that ‘Muhammad rasool ullaah’ and even if he prays and fasts and performs Hajj and gives the Zakaat and does the actions of obedience. If he denies the Resurrection or doubts about it, then he will be a disbeliever in Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.
And the proofs for the Resurrection are many; from them is His saying, He the Most High:
.. مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ
From it We created you…
Meaning: the Earth, when He created Aadam ‘alaihissalaam, the father of mankind.
.. وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ
And to it We shall return you…
Meaning; after death, in the graves.
وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَىٰ
And from it We shall bring you out again.
This is the Resurrection.
So this aayah includes the beginning and the final return:
مِنْهَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ وَفِيهَا نُعِيدُكُمْ وَمِنْهَا نُخْرِجُكُمْ تَارَةً أُخْرَىٰ
From it We created you and to it We shall return you and from it We shall bring you out again. [20:55]
Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:
Also the saying of Allaah, the Most High:
وَاللَّهُ أَنبَتَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ نَبَاتًا – ثُمَّ يُعِيدُكُمْ فِيهَا وَيُخْرِجُكُمْ إِخْرَاجًا
And Allaah created you from the (dust of) the Earth, then He will cause you to return (to being dust) within the Earth, then He will bring you forth and restore you to life. [71:17-18] [71]
[71] Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan’s Explanation :
.. وَاللَّهُ أَنبَتَكُم مِّنَ الْأَرْضِ نَبَاتًا
Allaah created you from the (dust of) the Earth…
When He created Aadam ‘alaihissalaam from it.
.. ثُمَّ يُعِيدُكُمْ فِيهَا
Then He will return you to it…
Through death and the graves.
وَيُخْرِجُكُمْ إِخْرَاجًا
And He will bring you out from it. [71:17-18]
This is the Resurrection. They will come out from the graves and they will proceed to the Mah-shar (the Gathering Place).
He, the Most High, said:
قَالَ فِيهَا تَحْيَوْنَ وَفِيهَا تَمُوتُونَ وَمِنْهَا تُخْرَجُونَ
He said, “Upon the Earth you will live and upon it you will die and from it you will be brought out.” [7:25]
Meaning: you will live upon its surface and you will die upon it and you will come out from it for the Resurrection on the Day of Resurrection.
These are proofs from the Qur’aan for the Resurrection.
There is also to be found an intellectual proof from the Qur’aan itself and it is that the One who is able to bring the creation about initially is able to restore the creation even more so.
He, the Most High, said:
وَهُوَ الَّذِي يَبْدَأُ الْخَلْقَ ثُمَّ يُعِيدُهُ وَهُوَ أَهْوَنُ عَلَيْهِ ۚ وَلَهُ الْمَثَلُ الْأَعْلَىٰ فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ ۚ وَهُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ
And He (Allaah) is the One who created the creation to begin with, then He restores it and that is even easier for Him. And for Him is the highest description in the Heavens and the Earth. And He is the All Mighty, the All Wise. [30:27]
The One who was able to bring the people into existence from non existence is able to restore them after death even more so. This is a proof which is textual and intellectual.
And from the proofs for the Resurrection is that which occurs to the Earth with regards to its being brought to life with plants. So you can see the Earth being dead, having no plants upon it, being barren. Then Allaah, the Perfect and Most High, sends down rain upon it, then He causes plants to grow which were dead stubble previously. Likewise the bodies which are within the Earth; they were stored within the Earth and Allaah will send down rain upon them and then the bodies will grow and become complete. And then the souls will be breathed into them. So indeed you see the Earth, how it can be dry and arid, but then it comes to life with that (vegetation) which grows from it.
Allaah, the Majestic and Most High – He is the One who gives life to the Earth after its death:
وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ أَنَّكَ تَرَى الْأَرْضَ خَاشِعَةً فَإِذَا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْهَا الْمَاءَ اهْتَزَّتْ وَرَبَتْ ۚ إِنَّ الَّذِي أَحْيَاهَا لَمُحْيِي الْمَوْتَىٰ ۚ إِنَّهُ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ
And from His signs is that you see the Earth dry and barren. Then when We send down water upon it, it rises and stirs to life with vegetation. The One who gives life to it will certainly give life to the dead. Indeed He has full ability over everything. [41:39]
So the One who has ability over giving life to the Earth after its death is able to give life to the bodies after their death because both are cases of coming to life after death.
And from the proofs for the Resurrection is that if were to be no Resurrection then that would necessitate that the creation of Mankind was meaningless because they (the people) live – the obedient, dutiful, believer in Allaah and His Messengers live; and the disbeliever, the atheist, the evil heretic, the wicked tyrant, the arrogant one, the sinner live – all of them live and then they die, without this believer receiving anything from his reward or without this disbeliever and this evil heretic and this atheist and this tyrannical oppressor of the people receiving any of his recompense whatsoever?
So does this befit Allaah that He would leave the people in this manner without rewarding the people of eemaan for their eemaan, and the people who did good for their good, and the people of crimes and disbelief for their crimes and kufr? This would not befit the Wisdom of Allaah, the Perfect and Most High, and therefore He said:
وَلِلَّهِ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ لِيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَسَاءُوا بِمَا عَمِلُوا وَيَجْزِيَ الَّذِينَ أَحْسَنُوا بِالْحُسْنَى
And to Allaah belongs whatever is in the Heavens and in the Earth, so that He will recompense those who did evil for what they did and He will reward those who did good with the best reward. [53:31]
And this will not occur except on the Day of Resurrection.
And likewise in His saying, He the Perfect:
أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ اجْتَرَحُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ أَن نَّجْعَلَهُمْ كَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَوَاءً مَّحْيَاهُمْ وَمَمَاتُهُمْ ۚ سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ
And do those who commit evil deeds think that We will treat them just the same as those who believe and do righteous deeds in their life and in their death? Evil is the judgment that they make. [45:21]
And, He the Perfect and Most High, said:
أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ كَالْمُفْسِدِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الْمُتَّقِينَ كَالْفُجَّارِ
Shall We make those who truly believe and who do righteous deeds just like those who cause corruption upon the Earth? Or shall We make those who are dutiful to Allaah just the same as the wicked evil doers? [38:28]
And He, the Perfect and Most High, said:
أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ
Do you think that We created you without purpose and that you will not be returned to Us? [23:115]
And He, the Most High, said:
أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَن يُتْرَكَ سُدًى – أَلَمْ يَكُ نُطْفَةً مِّن مَّنِيٍّ يُمْنَىٰ – ثُمَّ كَانَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ – فَجَعَلَ مِنْهُ الزَّوْجَيْنِ الذَّكَرَ وَالْأُنثَىٰ – أَلَيْسَ ذَٰلِكَ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَىٰ أَن يُحْيِيَ الْمَوْتَىٰ
Does man think that he will be left without having duties placed upon him? Was he not a drop of sperm emitted? Then he was a clot of blood and Allaah created him and fully formed him? And produced from him offspring, male and female? Is the One who did that not able to give life to the dead? [75:36-40]
And He rebutted the disbeliever who said,
مَن يُحْيِي الْعِظَامَ وَهِيَ رَمِيمٌ
Who will give life to the bones when they are decayed away? [36:78]
With His saying:
قُلْ يُحْيِيهَا الَّذِي أَنشَأَهَا أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ ۖ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ خَلْقٍ عَلِيمٌ – الَّذِي جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنَ الشَّجَرِ الْأَخْضَرِ نَارًا فَإِذَا أَنتُم مِّنْهُ تُوقِدُونَ
Say, “He who created him in the first place will give life to him; and He has full knowledge of every created thing. He who produces fire for you from the green tree, then you use it to light your own fires. [36:78-80]
The One who is able to bring out fire which burns from a fresh green tree – is He not able to give life to the dead?
And from the evidences for the Resurrection is using as evidence the creation of the Heavens and the Earth. So the One who created these tremendously huge and awesome created things is fully able to restore man to life because the One who is able to do something tremendous will be able to do something less, even more so.
He, the Most High, said:
أَوَلَيْسَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ بِقَادِرٍ عَلَىٰ أَن يَخْلُقَ مِثْلَهُم ۚ بَلَىٰ وَهُوَ الْخَلَّاقُ الْعَلِيمُ
Is the One who created the Heavens and the Earth not able to create the like of them? Yes, indeed! And He is the All Knowing Creator who creates again and again. [36:81]
And He, the Most High, said:
لَخَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ النَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
The creation of the Heavens and the Earth is greater than the creation of mankind. However most of mankind do not know. [40:57]
So these are the evidences for the Resurrection which confirm that Allaah, the Perfect and Most High, will resurrect those who are in the graves and that He will recompense every doer of deeds in accordance with his deeds; if good, then with good and if evil, then with evil. So let the disbeliever disbelieve and let the wicked person and the evil heretic and the apostate be upon evil – because in front of him there lies the Resurrection and the Rising from death and the Recompensing and the Reckoning.
As for the believer, the one who is dutiful to Allaah, who worships Allaah and seeks to draw closer to Allaah, then his deeds will never be lost. For there is an appointment where Allaah will recompense him for his deeds and will give him multiplied reward and will give him things that he did not think of or expect.
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Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah. Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles of Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab by Shaykh Saalih ibn Fowzaan al-Fowzaan hafizahullaah. Translated by Daawood Burbank, rahimahullaah
Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah
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