The Aqeedah and Manhaj of AhlusSunnah wal Jamah

AbdurRahman.Org

Islamic Knowledge – Islam, Sunnah, Salafiyyah

Category: Three Fundamental Principles

The Most Serious Thing Which Allaah Forbade is Shirk – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 14
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

Previous Class: The Greatest Matter Commanded by Allaah is Tawheed

The Most Serious Thing Which Allaah Forbade is Shirk

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said: 

وأعظمُ ما نهى عنه الشركُ 

And the most serious thing which He forbade is shirk 18

[18]: Shaykh Fawzan’s Explanation

His saying – rahimahullaah – “And the most serious thing which Allaah forbade is shirk”: This is a tremendous point of benefit because some people believe that there are things which are the worst crimes and the worst thing which Allaah has forbidden, saying, “Ribaa (usury) is the most serious of the forbidden things! Fornication is the greatest of forbidden things!” And therefore they focus upon forbidding ribaa and upon fornication and corruption of manners and behaviour. However they do not give importance to the matter of shirk and they do not warn against it and (yet) they see the people falling into it. So this is a case of tremendous ignorance of the Sharee‘ah (revealed law) of Allaah, the Perfect and Most High.

So the most serious thing which Allaah forbade is shirk, so it is more serious than usury and it is more serious than drinking alcohol and more serious than stealing and more serious than falsely devouring the wealth of the people and more serious than betting  and gambling; it is the most serious of the forbidden things. And the proof is His saying, He the Most High:

قُلْ تَعَالَوْا أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ أَلَّا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا ۖ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا ۖ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُم مِّنْ إِمْلَاقٍ ۖ نَّحْنُ نَرْزُقُكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ ۖ وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ ۖ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُم بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا مَالَ الْيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبْلُغَ أَشُدَّهُ ۖ وَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ وَالْمِيزَانَ بِالْقِسْطِ ۖ لَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا ۖ وَإِذَا قُلْتُمْ فَاعْدِلُوا وَلَوْ كَانَ ذَا قُرْبَىٰ ۖ وَبِعَهْدِ اللَّهِ أَوْفُوا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُم بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ

Say: Come, I will recite to you what my Lord has truly forbidden for you: Do not associate anything along with Allaah, and treat the parents well, and do not kill your children for fear of poverty; We shall provide for you and for them. And do not approach shameful sins, whether apparent or hidden, and do not kill the soul which Allaah has forbidden, except by right. This is what He has commanded you with so that you may understand. And do not approach the wealth of the orphan except in a manner which is best .. [6:151-152]

.. to the end of the aayaat.

And these aayaat are called the ten commandments.

قُلْ تَعَالَوْا أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ

Say: Come, I will recite to you what my Lord has truly forbidden for you…

Up to His statement:

ذَٰلِكُمْ وَصَّاكُم بِهِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ

That is what He has enjoined you with so that you may understand. [6:151-152]

These forbidden acts – Allaah began them with His statement:

أَلَّا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا

Do not associate anything along with Allaah… [6:151]

So this proves that shirk is the most serious thing which Allaah has forbidden. 

And there occurs in Soorat-ul-Israa – Allaah, the Most High,said:

لَّا تَجْعَلْ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ فَتَقْعُدَ مَذْمُومًا مَّخْذُولًا

Do not set up another object of worship along with Allaah and so become one who is blameworthy and forsaken! [17:22]

He began with a prohibition of shirk and He concluded it with a forbiddance of shirk: 

ذَٰلِكَ مِمَّا أَوْحَىٰ إِلَيْكَ رَبُّكَ مِنَ الْحِكْمَةِ ۗ وَلَا تَجْعَلْ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ فَتُلْقَىٰ فِي جَهَنَّمَ مَلُومًا مَّدْحُورًا

And do not set up another object of worship along with Allaah so that you are cast into Hellfire rebuked and banished! [17:39]

So this proves that it is the most serious thing that Allaah has forbidden. This proves the saying of the Shaykh, “and the greatest thing that Allaah forbade is shirk.” 

And there occurs in the authentic hadeeth that the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was asked:

‘Which sin is greatest?’ He said, “That you set up a rival for Allaah and (yet) it is He who created you.” It was said, ‘Then which (sin)?’ He said, “That you kill your child for fear that he will consume food along with you.” It was said: ‘Then which (sin)?’ He said, “That you commit adultery with the wife of your neighbour.” [1]

[1] Reported by al-Bukhaaree (6861) and Muslim (86) from the hadeeth of ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood radiyallaahu ‘anhu

And Allaah sent down the confirmation of that in His saying:

وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَدْعُونَ مَعَ اللَّهِ إِلَٰهًا آخَرَ وَلَا يَقْتُلُونَ النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ وَلَا يَزْنُونَ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْ ذَٰلِكَ يَلْقَ أَثَامًا

And (the servants of ar-Rahmaan are) those who do not call upon another deity along with Allaah and they do not kill the soul which Allaah has made forbidden except by right, and they do not commit fornication. And whoever does (these things) will receive punishment. [25:68]

So he began with shirk in his saying, “That you set up a rival for Allaah”, meaning: a partner, “and (yet) it is He who created you.” 

And he said that this is the greatest of sins because he was asked “which sin is greatest?”

So he began with shirk.

And he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said:

“Keep away from the seven destructive sins.” So it was said, ‘What are they, O Messenger of Allaah?’ So he said, “Committing shirk with Allaah, and sorcery and killing the soul which Allaah has made forbidden, except with right.”.. to the end of the hadeeth.  [2]

[2] Reported by al Bukhaaree (2766) and Muslim (89) from the hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah radiallaahu ‘anhu

He began it with shirk so this shows that shirk is the greatest of all sins and that is because the person of shirk will never enter Paradise.

He, the Most High, said:

إِنَّهُ مَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَأْوَاهُ النَّارُ ۖ وَمَا لِلظَّالِمِينَ مِنْ أَنصَارٍ

Whoever makes shirk  with Allaah, then Allaah has made Paradise forbidden for him; and his abode will be the Hellfire. And the disbelieving wrongdoers will have no helper. [5:72]

Allaah will not forgive the mushrik:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ

Allaah does not forgive that shirk be committed with Him and He forgives whatever is less than that to whomsoever He wishes. [4:48]

So this proves that Paradise is forbidden for the person of shirk and that Allaah will not forgive him and it proves that shirk is the greatest of all sins since all sins –  except for shirk – can be met with forgiveness:

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ

Allaah does not forgive that shirk be committed with Him and He forgives whatever is less than that to whomsoever He wishes. [4:48] 

So fornication and theft and drinking alcohol and taking usury  – all of it enters under al-mashee’ah (Allaah’s Wish and Will)  – if Allaah wishes, He will forgive its person and if He wishes, He will punish him.

As for shirk, then it will not be forgiven. Allaah has passed judgement that He will not forgive it. And likewise the person of sin – even if he has committed major sins which are less than shirk then Paradise will not be forbidden for him. His final destination will be Paradise.  Either Allaah will forgive him straightaway and enter him into Paradise or else he will come out of the Fire after having been punished in it and he will (then) enter into Paradise. No matter what evil and sins which are less than shirk occur from the believer then he will not despair of the Mercy of Allaah and he will not be forbidden from Paradise, and he enters under the forgiveness (of Allaah) by the Wish and Will of Allaah, the Perfect and Most High.

As for the person of shirk then he will be deprived and forbidden of all of that  – and Allaah’s refuge is sought – then this proves that shirk is the greatest of all sins. He, the Most High, said:

إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ

Shirk is the greatest zulm (wrongdoing). [31:13]

And He, the Perfect, said:  

إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَن يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ لِمَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَىٰ إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا

And whoever commits shirk with Allaah then he has invented a tremendous sin! [4:48]

وَمَن يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلَالًا بَعِيدًا

And whoever commits shirk with Allaah then he has indeed strayed far away from the True Path! [4:116]

All of this proves that shirk is the greatest of sins and since shirk is the greatest of sins then it is obligatory upon the scholars and the educated people to forbid it and to warn against it and that they do not remain silent from warning against shirk. And it is obligatory to fight jihaad against the people of shirk along with ability just as Allaah’s Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam fought jihaad against them.

He, the Most High, said:

فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدتُّمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَاحْصُرُوهُمْ وَاقْعُدُوا لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ

Then kill the people of shirk wherever you find them and seize them and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush. [9:5]

So it is therefore obligatory to warn against shirk and to clarify it to the people so that they avoid it; this is what is obligatory.

As for remaining silent about shirk and leaving the people passionately involved in worshipping other than Allaah whilst they claim to be upon Islaam – and there is no one forbidding them and no one warning them – then the matter is very serious. There are some people who turn their attention to forbidding usury and fornication and corruption of manners; these are forbidden matters and contain corruption however shirk is more serious. So why is attention not given to forbidding shirk and warning against shirk and explaining what many people have fallen into with regards to major shirk whilst they claim to be upon Islaam?

Why is there laxity with regards to the matter of shirk and disregard of it and leaving the people to fall into it and (yet) the people of knowledge are present? Indeed they live along with those people and (yet) they remain silent with them. What is obligatory is to turn attention firstly to forbidding this tremendous danger (of shirk) which has devastated the Muslim nation. Every sin is less than it and what is obligatory is to begin with what is most important, then with what is next in importance.

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

The Greatest Matter Commanded by Allaah is Tawheed – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 13 Part B
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

The Greatest Matter Commanded by Allaah is Tawheed.

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

وأعظمُ ما أَمرَ اللهُ به التوحيدَ وهو إفرادُ اللهِ بالعبادة

And the greatest of all that Allaah has commanded is Tawheed, and it is to single out Allaah with all worship. 17

[17]: Shaykh Fawzan’s Explanation

His saying rahimahullaah, “The greatest of all that Allaah has commanded is Tawheed”: this is very important, that tawheed is the greatest thing that Allaah has commanded. All the commands that Allaah has commanded, all of them, come after tawheed.

And the proof that the greatest thing that Allaah has commanded is tawheed is His saying, He the Most High:

وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا

And worship Allaah alone, and do not associate anything with Him [4:36]

To the end of the aayah.

This aayah contains ten rights, and therefore it is called the aayah of the ten rights. The first of these rights is the right of Allaah the Perfect:

وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا

And worship Allaah alone, and do not associate anything with Him [4:36]

وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا

And treat the parents well [4:36]

This is the second right.  

وَبِذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ

And the close relatives [4:36]

This is the third right, and the close relatives, they are those people to whom you are closely related through your father or mother, such as fathers and grandfathers, and paternal uncles and paternal aunts, maternal uncles and maternal aunts, and brothers and sisters, and children of brothers and sisters, and children of paternal uncles and paternal aunts, those people are the close relatives, they have the right of al-Qaraabah (of being your close relative).

“Wal-yataamaa” (and the orphans), – the orphans from the Muslims, and they are everyone whose father has died whilst he was young and he had not attained the age of puberty, and therefore he needs someone to take the place of his father in taking care of this child, bringing him up, spending upon him and seeing to his welfare, and removing whatever will harm him, because he has no father to protect him and spend upon him and defend him, so he has a need of someone to help him because he has lost his father and his family, and he has a right in Islaam.

What is important is that Allaah began it with His right, He the Perfect and Most High.

His saying:

وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا

And do not associate anything along with Him [4:36]

He did not restrict Himself to saying:

وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ

And worship Allaah [4:36]

Because worship will not be correct along with shirk and it will not benefit, and it will not be called worship unless it is made purely and sincerely for Allaah the Mighty and Majestic. If it has shirk along with it, then it will not be worship, no matter how much the person exerts himself in its performance. So He joined the matter of worship with the prohibition of shirk, since worship will not be correct with the presence of shirk at all.

This is a proof for the saying of the Shaikh, “The greatest thing that Allaah commanded is tawheed”, since Allaah began many aayahs with it, from them is this aayah, and from them is His saying He the Most High:

وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ

And your Lord has commanded that you should not worship except Him [17:23]

So He the Perfect and Most High began with tawheed, and this proves that it is the greatest thing that Allaah has commanded.

قُلْ تَعَالَوْا أَتْلُ مَا حَرَّمَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلَيْكُمْ ۖ أَلَّا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا ۖ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا ۖ وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا أَوْلَادَكُم مِّنْ إِمْلَاقٍ

Say: Come I will recite to you that which your Lord has truly forbidden for you: do not associate anything in worship with Him, and treat the parents well, and do not kill your children on account of poverty [6:151]

This is a proof for what will follow, that the greatest thing that Allaah has forbidden is shirk. So since the greatest thing that Allaah has commanded is tawheed, then it is obligatory that the person begins by learning ‘aqeedah (correct belief) before everything. Correct creed and belief is the foundation, so it is obligatory that the person begins with it in learning and teaching and that he is constant upon teaching it and explaining it to the people, because it is the greatest thing that Allaah has commanded, so it is not befitting that you make it the last of all things or give no great attention to it, because now there are actually callers who renounce the teaching of tawheed and ‘aqeedah, there are people who are afflicted with this. And because any deficiencies with regard to it will be a deficiency in the whole of the religion so it is obligatory to give careful attention to it.

And what is tawheed ? Is it that you affirm that Allaah is the Creator, the Provider, the Giver of life, the Giver of death? No. Tawheed is: to single out Allaah with worship, because Allaah said:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. [51:56]

And the people of tafseer said: Worship Me – meaning single Me out (with all worship). So they explained tawheed as ‘ibaadah (worship).

Therefore, tawheed is to single out Allaah with worship and it is not to affirm that Allaah is the Creator, the Provider, the Giver of life, the Giver of death, the One in control of affairs because this is present in people’s fitrah (inborn nature). It is present in the intellects of those who possess intellect. There is not a person of intellect in the world who truly believes that anyone created the Heavens and the Earth besides Allaah, the Perfect and Most High. There is not in the whole world anyone – and that includes the unbelievers and the atheists – who truly believes that there is anyone from mankind who created mankind.

وَلَئِن سَأَلْتَهُم مَّنْ خَلَقَهُمْ لَيَقُولُنَّ اللَّهُ

And if you were to ask them (the people of shirk) who created them, they would certainly say, “Allaah!” [43:87]

There is not a person with intellect in the whole world who believes truly that a human can create a human being who walks upon the Earth and speaks and eats and drinks. Is there a person with intellect who believes this?

أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ

أَمْ خَلَقُوا السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ ۚ بَل لَّا يُوقِنُونَ

Were they created without any Creator having brought them into existence? Or are they the creators? Or did they create the Heavens and the Earth? Rather they do not have certainty. [52:35-36]

Tawheed-ur-ruboobiyyah (tawheed of Allaah’s Lordship) is something found in the inborn natures and in their intellects; however it will not suffice without tawheed-ul-‘ibaadah (tawheed of worship) – and it is to single out Allaah with all worship.

And therefore the Shaykh said: Tawheed is to single out Allaah with worship and it is not to single out Allaah with respect to creating and providing and giving life and giving death because this is something which is known and tawheed-ur-ruboobiyyah (tawheed of Allaah’s Lordship) will not suffice with regard to the definition of tawheed.

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

Al-Haneefiyyah (The Straight and True Religion) – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 12
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

The Third Treatise :
Al-Haneefiyyah (The Straight and True Religion), the Religious Way Followed by Ibraaheem

 The Definition of Al-Haneefiyyah

 Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

إنَّ الحنيفيةَ: مِلَّةُ إبراهيمَ

That Al-Haneefiyyah (The straight and true religion) the religious way followed by Ibraaheem13

[13]: Shaykh Fawzan’s Explanation

His saying, “That Al-Haneefiyyah the religious way followed by Ibraaheem”: meaning that which is obligatory that you should know and be aware of is that Al-Haneefiyyah is the religious way of Ibraaheem, and Al-Hanf in the language means inclination.

So the meaning of Al-Haneefiyyah is the religious way which turns away from shirk towards tawheed. And Ibraaheem ‘alaihissalaatu wassalaam was a Haneef, a Muslim. Haneef meaning one who inclined away from shirk and turned away from it towards tawheed and making his religion purely and sincerely for Allaah the Mighty and Majestic. He the Most High said:

إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Ibraaheem was an Ummah (a teacher of good, and a leader followed upon guidance), obedient to Allaah, Haneef (upright upon the true religion of Islaam), and he was not from those who associate others with Allaah [16:120]

So al-Haneef was one of the attributes of Ibraaheem ‘alaihissalaam with the meaning that he turned away from shirk and inclined away from it totally in favour of tawheed, turning totally towards tawheed and making worship purely for Allaah the Mighty and Majestic. Allaah the Most High said:

ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا

Then we revealed to you that you should follow the religious way of Ibraaheem the Haneef  (the one who was upon the true religion, tawheed turning away from shirk). [16:123]

And He the One free of all imperfections said:

مَا كَانَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَٰكِن كَانَ حَنِيفًا مُّسْلِمًا وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Ibraaheem was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but rather he was a Haneef, a Muslim, and he was not from those who associated others with Allaah [3:67]

These are the tremendous characteristics of Ibraaheem ‘alaihissalaam, from them is that he was Haneef, and that his religious way is Haneefiyyah, and it is the religion which is purely and sincerely for Allaah the Mighty and Majestic which has no shirk in it. And Allaah commanded His Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam that he should follow this religious way by His saying:

ثُمَّ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ أَنِ اتَّبِعْ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا ۖ وَمَا كَانَ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ

Then We revealed to you that you should follow the religious way of Ibraaheem who was Haneef, and he was not from those who associated others with Allaah. [16:123]

And we have been commanded likewise that we should follow the religious way of Ibraaheem ‘alaihissalaam. He the Most High said:

هُوَ اجْتَبَاكُمْ وَمَا جَعَلَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ حَرَجٍ ۚ مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ۚ هُوَ سَمَّاكُمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

He has chosen you for His religion, and He has not placed any unbearable difficulty upon you in the religion. So follow the religious way of your forefather Ibraaheem. Allaah it is who has named you the Muslims [22:78]

And it was the religion of all of the Messengers.

However because of the fact that Ibraaheem ‘alaihissalaatu wassalaam is the most excellent one of the Prophets after our Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam because he encountered in the path of calling to tawheed such torment and trials as were not encountered by anyone else, and he had patience upon that. And because he was the father of the Prophets, because the Prophets who came after him, all of them were descendants of his ‘alaihissalaatu wassalaam. So therefore Al-Haneefiyyah was the religious way of all of the Prophets and it is the call to tawheed and the prohibition of shirk this was the religious way of all of the Messengers. However because Ibraaheem took notable stances for this religious way, it was ascribed to him and for those who came after him. And the Prophets all of them after him, they were upon the religious way of Ibraaheem, and it is the religion of tawheed and ikhlaas making the religion purely and sincerely for Allaah the Mighty and Majestic.

What is this religious way which our Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was commanded to follow, and which we have been ordered to follow? It is obligatory upon us that we should be aware of it, because the Muslim, it is obligatory that he should be aware of whatever Allaah has made obligatory upon him, so that he can comply with it, and in order that he will not violate it. It is not sufficient to merely ascribe oneself to it without awareness, it is not sufficient to ascribe oneself to Islaam when he does not know what it is, and he does not know what are those things which nullify Islaam, and what are the religious duties of Islaam and the rulings of Islaam, and it is not sufficient to merely ascribe yourself to the religious way of Ibraaheem and you do not know what it is, and if you are asked about it you say, “I don’t know”. This is not permissible, it is obligatory that you are well aware of it so that you can proceed upon it upon clear insight and so that you do not violate anything from it.

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

أنْ تعبدَ اللهَ وحدَهُ مخلصًا له الدِّين

Is that you worship Allaah alone, making the religion purely and sincerely for Him14

[14]: Shaykh Fawzan’s Explanation

His saying, “Is that you worship Allaah alone, making the religion purely and sincerely for Him”: this is the religious way of Ibraaheem, that you worship Allaah making the religion purely and sincerely for Him. That you combine two matters: worship and making the worship purely for Allaah. So whoever worships Allaah but does not make the whole of religion purely for Him, then his worship will be nothing at all. So whoever worships Allaah and fasts and performs the Hajj (pilgrimage) and prays and performs ‘Umrah, and gives in voluntary charity and pays the Zakaat and does a great number of acts of obedience, however he does not do so making it purely and sincerely for Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, either because he does that for show or for repute, or because he mixed his deeds with something from shirk, such as calling upon other that Allaah, and calling for aid upon other than Allaah, and slaughtering for other than Allaah, then this person will not be mukhlis one who is acting purely and sincerely for Allaah in his worship, rather he will be a mushrik, and he will not be upon the religious way of Ibraaheem ‘alaihissalaatu wassalaam. 

Many of those who ascribe themselves to Islaam today fall into major shirk, into calling upon other than Allaah and worshipping the graves and the tombs and sacrificing for them and performing vows for them and making tawaaf around them and seeking blessing from them and calling for aid to the dead and other than that, and they say that they are Muslims. Those people do not know the religious way of Ibraaheem ‘alaihissalaatu wassalaam which their Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam was upon, they do not know of it or they know of it but then contradict it knowingly, and Allaah’s refuge is sought, and this is even worse.

So the religious way of Ibraheem does not accept shirk in any form and whoever mixes his actions with shirk then he is not upon the religious way of Ibraaheem, even if he ascribes himself to it and claims that he is a Muslim. So what is obligatory is that you should have awareness of the religious way of Ibraaheem and that you act upon it and that you adhere to it by worshipping Allaah making the whole of the religion purely and sincerely for Him, that there is not in your worship anything from lesser shirk or greater shirk. 

This is the religious way of Ibraaheem ‘alaihissalaam: Al-Haneefiyyah, which turns away from shirk totally and turns to tawheed totally, that you worship Allaah making the religion purely and sincerely for Him.

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

Al-Walaa’ wal-Baraa’ (Alliance and Dissociation) – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 10 Part B & Lesson 11
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

 Al-Walaa’ wal-Baraa’ (Alliance and Dissociation)

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

 الثَّالِثَةُ: أَنَّ مَنْ أَطَاعَ الرَّسُوْلَ وَوَحَّدَ اللهَ لاَ يَجُوزُ لَهُ مُوَالاَةُ مَنْ حَادَّ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانَ أَقْرَبَ قَرِيبٍ

The third: that whoever obeys the Messenger and singles out Allaah, then it is not permissible for him to love and ally himself with those who oppose Allaah and His Messenger, even if they be those most closely related to him.10

[10]: Shaykh Fawzan’s Explanation

It is not permissible for those who do that to have love and alliance to those who oppose Allaah and his Messenger, even if they be those most closely related to him. This is the matter of Al-Walaa’ wal-Baraa’ (Alliance and Dissociation), and it follows on from tawheed, from the rights of tawheed is to have love and alliance for the beloved servants of Allaah and to have dissociation from the enemies of Allaah.

And the words, “Al-Muwaalaat”, and, “Al-Walaa’”, have one and the same meaning, and, “Al-Walaa’”, means having love in the heart, and it means aiding and assisting, and it means, in the matter of inheriting and payment of blood-monies.

So the Muslim he loves and has alliance for the beloved servants of Allaah, meaning that he restricts his love to those who are beloved and obedient servants of Allaah, and he aids them, so the Muslim is with the Muslims, they are allies to each other. Just as He the Most High said:

وَأُولُو الْأَرْحَامِ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلَىٰ بِبَعْضٍ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ

And blood-relations are more entitled to inheritance from each other as decreed by Allaah. [8:75]

So payment of blood-monies for accidental killing occurs between the Muslims, and it is what is called mutual responsibility. All of this enters into alliance, so there is no alliance between a Muslim and an unbeliever, and love and aiding and inheriting and payment of blood-money and guardianship in marriage and guardianship in legal matters and so on, this does not occur between a Muslim and a disbeliever, rather this is between the Muslims, because of his saying, He the Most High:

وَلَن يَجْعَلَ اللَّهُ لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ سَبِيلًا

And Allaah will never give a way to the unbelievers over the believers. [4:141]

So it is obligatory that the believers are distinguished from the disbelievers, so it is not permissible for one who singles out Allaah and obeys the Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam to have love and alliance with those who oppose Allaah.

And, “Al-Muhaaddah”(opposing), means that the person is upon one side, and Allaah and His Messenger and the believers are on the other side, and those who oppose are upon the side of the unbelievers in this opposition.

His saying, “Even if that person is the most closely related to him”: meaning in lineage. So if your close relative is one who opposes Allaah and His Messenger, then it is obligatory upon you to oppose him and to cut off from him, and whoever is an obedient servant of Allaah and an ally to His Messenger, then it is obligatory upon you that you should love him and have alliance with him, even if he be far removed from you in lineage, even if he be a non-arab, or a black person, or a white person, or a red person, it is obligatory upon you to have love and alliance for him and that you love him, whether he is from your land, or whether he is from the farthest place in the East, or the farthest place in the West. He the Most High said:

وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ

And the believing men and the believing women are friends and allies to each other. [9:71]

Meaning: between them there is love and mutual help and mutual aid, and between them there is to be affection, this is between the believers.

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

And the proof is His saying, He the Most High:

لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْإِيمَانَ وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ ۖ وَيُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا ۚ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ حِزْبُ اللَّهِ ۚ أَلَا إِنَّ حِزْبَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

You will not find a people who truly believe in Allaah and the Last Day loving those who oppose Allaah and His Messenger even if they are their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kinsfolk. Rather Allaah has ordained true faith for their hearts and has strengthened them with strength from Him and He will enter them into gardens which have rivers flowing beneath their trees they shall remain forever therein. Allaah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. They are the party of Allaah. Indeed the party of Allaah are the ones who will be successful. [58:22]11

[11]: Shaykh Fawzan’s Explanation

His saying, He the Most High,

لَّا تَجِدُ “You will not find”: this is an address to the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam meaning: this will not happen and will never exist, that one who is a true believer in Allaah and His Messenger will love the disbelievers, so if a person does love them, then he is not a true believer, even if he claims to be.

Ibn-ul-Qayyim rahimahullaah said in Al-Kaafiyat-ush-Shaafiyah:

Do you love the enemies of the beloved One and still claim,

That you love Him? That is not possible 

And likewise you strive hard to oppose those He loves,

Where is the love O brother of Satan?

So this is not possible ever, that he loves the disbelievers, whilst he says, “I love Allaah and His Messenger”, because of His saying, He the Most High:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَاءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِم بِالْمَوَدَّةِ

O you who believe do not take My enemies and your enemies as friends and allies, for whom you have affection [60:1]

Up until His saying:

قَدْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ إِذْ قَالُوا لِقَوْمِهِمْ إِنَّا بُرَآءُ مِنكُمْ وَمِمَّا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ كَفَرْنَا بِكُمْ وَبَدَا بَيْنَنَا وَبَيْنَكُمُ الْعَدَاوَةُ وَالْبَغْضَاءُ أَبَدًا حَتَّىٰ تُؤْمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَحْدَهُ

There is for you a fine example in Ibraaheem and those with him, when they said to their people, “We are free of you and whatever you worship besides Allaah, we have rejected you, and there has appeared between us and you enmity and hatred forever until you truly believe in Allaah and single Him out with all worship. [60:4]

And His saying:

وَمَا كَانَ اسْتِغْفَارُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لِأَبِيهِ إِلَّا عَن مَّوْعِدَةٍ وَعَدَهَا إِيَّاهُ فَلَمَّا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ أَنَّهُ عَدُوٌّ لِّلَّهِ تَبَرَّأَ مِنْهُ ۚ إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَأَوَّاهٌ حَلِيمٌ

And Ibraaheem’s seeking forgiveness for his father was only because of a promise which he had made to him. So when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to Allaah, then he dissociated himself from him. Indeed Ibraaheem is one who frequently supplicated to His Lord and who was forbearing. [9:114]

This is the religious way of Ibraaheem. He dissociated himself from his father, the closest of the people to him, when it became clear to him that he was an enemy to Allaah.

And the aayah shows that having love for an unbeliever negates true faith in Allaah and in the Last Day, either in its very origin, or with regards to its completion. However, if love of them has with it supporting what they are upon and their unbelief, then this is to exit from the fold of Islaam, but if it is just having love without aiding them, then this is counted as something which causes a person’s eemaan (belief) to be deficient and is fisq (open sin) and something which weakens eemaan.

It is said that this aayah came down with regard to Aboo ‘Ubaidah ibn al-Jarraah radiy Allaahu ‘anhu, when he killed his father on the day of Badr, because his father was upon unbelief, and he wanted to kill his son Aboo ‘Ubaidah, but Aboo ‘Ubaidah radiy Allaahu ‘anhu killed him, because he was an enemy to Allaah and he was not prevented by that fact that it was his father, that did not prevent him from killing him out of anger for the sake of Allaah the Perfect and Most High.

His saying, “Those ones”: meaning those who keep away from loving and having affection for those oppose Allaah and His Messenger.

His saying, He the Most High:

كَتَبَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمُ الْإِيمَانَ

He (Allaah) ordained eemaan for their hearts [58:22]

Meaning Allaah confirmed and firmly planted eemaan in their hearts.

His saying, He the Most High:

وَأَيَّدَهُم بِرُوحٍ مِّنْهُ ۖ وَيُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ

And He strengthened them with a Rooh from Him, and He willl enter them into gardens beneath which rivers flow.[58:22]

At-Ta’yeed means strengthening, He strengthened them with a Rooh from Him.

And the word Ar-Rooh has a number of different usages in the Qur’aan, from them is Ar-Rooh which is the spirit through which there is life, and from them is revelation as occurs in His saying, He the Most High:

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِّنْ أَمْرِنَا

And likewise We sent down by revelation to you a Rooh (revelation) by Our command. [42:52]

And from them is Jibreel ‘alaihissalaam, that he is Rooh-ul-Qudus (the Pure Spirit), and Ar-Rooh-ul-’Ameen (the Trustworthy Spirit).

He the Most High said:

قُلْ نَزَّلَهُ رُوحُ الْقُدُسِ مِن رَّبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيُثَبِّتَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ

Say: the Pure Spirit (Jibreel ‘alaihissalaam) brought it (the Qur’aan) down from your Lord in truth, to make those who believe firm and as guidance and as good news for the Muslims (those who submit to Allaah’s commands) [16:102]

And He the Most High said:

نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ

The Trustworthy Spirit (Jibreel ‘alaihissalaam) descended with it (the Qur’aan). [26:193]

And from them is what occurs in this aayah and it is strength.

So, “Ayyadahum bi roohimminh”, meaning with strength from Him, He the Perfect and Most High, strength of true faith in the world, and in the hereafter:

وَيُدْخِلُهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ

And He will enter them into gardens [58:22] 

The plural of jannaah, and the jannah in the language, it means a garden. It is called a jannaah because it is mujtannun bil-ashjaar (hidden or concealed by trees), meaning hidden and covered by intertwined trees, because paradise contains shade and trees and rivers and palaces, and its highest part and its ceiling is the Throne of the Most Merciful, the Perfect and Most High.

His saying, He the Most High:

تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا

With rivers flowing beneath it they will remain therein forever [58:22] 

Meaning, they will remain in it and will not move away from it. He the Most High said:

 لَا يَبْغُونَ عَنْهَا حِوَلًا

They will not want to move away from it [18:108]

They will not fear death and they will not have to fear anyone forcing them out or evicting them, as occurs in this world. A person in this world may live in palaces, however he is not secure from death so that he has to depart from them, nor is he secure from enemies overcoming him and expelling him. A person in this world is always fearful.

And His saying, He the Most High:

رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ

Allaah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him [58:22]

Since they angered their close relatives who were unbelievers and had enmity towards them, so they will receive in replacement the pleasure of Allaah the Perfect and Most  High, Allaah will be pleased with them and they are pleased with him.

His saying, He the Most High:

أُولَٰئِكَ حِزْبُ اللَّهِ

They are the party of Allaah [58:22]

Meaning: the group of people for Allaah, and as for the disbelievers, then they are the party of Satan, just as Allaah the Most High said about them:

 أُولَٰئِكَ حِزْبُ الشَّيْطَانِ

They are the party of Satan [58:19] 

Meaning the group of people for Satan and the helpers of Satan. As for those people (i.e. the believers) then they are the supporters of the Lord.

So this matter relates to having enmity towards the disbelievers and not having love and alliance for them. And it does not necessitate that we cut off from the disbelievers in social matters and matters of worldly benefit. Rather a number of affairs are an exception to that:

The first one is: that along with our hatred of them and our enmity to them, then it is obligatory that we call them to Allaah the Perfect and Most High. It is obligatory that we call them to Allaah and we do not leave them and just say, “They are enemies of Allaah and our enemies.” It is obligatory upon us that we call them to Allaah so perhaps Allaah may guide them. And if they do not respond, then we fight them along with the ability.[1] So either then they will enter into Islaam, or they will pay the jizyah (an amount of money that is given over to the Muslims), if they are from the Jews and Christians or the Magians, whilst they are humbled and submitting to the rule of Islaam, and they are then left upon what they are upon. However, with the condition that they jizyah is handed over and that they submit to the rule of Islaam. However, if they are not people of the Two Books and they are not Magians, then there is disagreement between the scholars about taking jizyah from them.

[1] [Meaning the Muslims united under a Muslim ruler, i.e. the army of Muslims, with the ability to do so.]

Secondly: there is nothing to prevent having a truce with the unbelievers when there is a need, if the Muslims have need of it, because of the fact that the Muslims are not able to fight against them, and there is fear for the Muslims from their evil, then there is no harm in having a truce until the Muslims become strong enough to fight them, or if they request a truce:

وَإِن جَنَحُوا لِلسَّلْمِ فَاجْنَحْ لَهَا

And if they incline towards peace, then you incline to it [8:61]

Then a truce is made with them. However it will not be a perpetual truce, rather a temporary peace with a time-limit in accordance with the view of the ruler of the Muslims regarding what is beneficial.

Thirdly: there is nothing to prevent returning their fine treatment, if they treat the Muslims well, there is nothing to prevent returning their fine treatment. Allaah the Most High said:

لَّا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ

Allaah does not forbid you from those who do not fight against you with regard to the religion and who do not expel you from your homes from treating them well and treating them with justice. Allaah loves those who treat the people justly. [60:8]

Fourthly: the father who is a disbeliever, it is obligatory upon his son who is Muslim to treat him well. However he should not obey him with regard to unbelief, because of His saying, He the Most High:

وَوَصَّيْنَا الْإِنسَانَ بِوَالِدَيْهِ حَمَلَتْهُ أُمُّهُ وَهْنًا عَلَىٰ وَهْنٍ وَفِصَالُهُ فِي عَامَيْنِ أَنِ اشْكُرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيْكَ إِلَيَّ الْمَصِيرُ

وَإِن جَاهَدَاكَ عَلَىٰ أَن تُشْرِكَ بِي مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ فَلَا تُطِعْهُمَا ۖ وَصَاحِبْهُمَا فِي الدُّنْيَا مَعْرُوفًا ۖ وَاتَّبِعْ سَبِيلَ مَنْ أَنَابَ إِلَيَّ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَيَّ مَرْجِعُكُمْ فَأُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ

And We commanded man to treat his parents well, his mother bore him upon a state of weakness and hardship upon weakness and hardship, and his weaning was in two years. We enjoin him to give thanks to Me and to your parents, to Me is your return. And if they strive to make you associate something along with Me, that which you have no knowledge of, then do not obey them, but live along with them in this world in a good manner and follow the path of those who turn to Me. [31:14-15]

The parent has a right, even if he is an unbeliever. However, you should not love him with love of the heart, rather you recompense him for having brought you up and for the fact that he is a father and he has a right,so you recompense him for that.

Fifthly: having mutual business dealings with them, and buying needs from them, and importing goods and weapons from them by paying their price, there is no harm in that. And the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam used to have dealings with the disbelievers. Likewise he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam dealt with the people of Khaibar and they were Jews upon the basis that they would farm the land in exchange for a part of its produce. This is not from alliance and love, rather it is affairs of mutual benefit. It is obligatory that we are aware of these matters, and that they do not enter into love and alliance and are not something prohibited.

And likewise taking a loan from them, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam took some food from a Jew as a debt and he left his coat of armour as a surety with him and he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam died and his coat of armour was left as a surety with the Jew, for some food which he bought for his family. There is nothing to prevent this because these are worldly matters and matters of welfare and it does not indicate love and affection in the hearts. So we must differentiate between this and this, because there are some people, who when he hears the texts of enmity towards the unbelievers and not loving them, then he may understand that he cannot have any dealings with them and cannot have any connection with them whatsoever, and that there is to be a total cut-off from them. No, this is something limited by rulings and limits and conditions which are well known with the people of knowledge, which are taken from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.

Sixthly: Allaah has permitted marriage to the women of the people of the Book with the condition that they are chaste with regard to their honour and dignity. And Allaah has made permissible for us to eat the meat slaughtered by them.

Seventhly: that there is no harm in responding to their invitations and eating their food which is permissible, just as the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam did.

Eighthly: is treating neighbours who are disbelievers well, because they have the right of being neighbours.

Ninthly: it is not permissible to wrong or oppress them. He the Most High said:

وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا ۚ اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ

And let not hatred of a people prevent you from treating them justly. Do justice, it is closer to taqwaa (dutifulness to Allaah). [5:8]

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

The Masaajid are to be for Allaah alone, so do not invoke anyone along with Allaah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 10 : Part A
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

And the proof is His saying, He the Most High:

وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا

And that masaajid (the places of prayer) are to be for Allaah alone, so do not invoke anyone along with Allaah. [72:18] 9

[9]: Shaykh Fawzan’s Explanation

Allaah is not pleased that anyone should be associated with Him, no matter who it is, and this is stated clearly in the Book and in the Sunnah, however, to one who uses the intellect and who thinks carefully, and who discards blind following and the use of false and futile excuses, and who is alert to his own benefit. And the proof that Allaah is not pleased that anyone else besides Him should be associated with Him no matter who it is, is His saying, He the Most High:

وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا

And that the places of prayer are to be for Allaah alone, so do not invoke anyone along with Allaah. [72:18] 

Al-Masaajid (the mosques), are the houses of Allaah and they are the places which are prepared for the Salaah (prayer) and they are the most beloved of places to Allaah, and they are houses which Allaah has commanded should be raised and in which His Name should be mentioned. Then these mosques must be made a place for the worship of Allaah alone, nothing for other than Allaah must occur within them, so graves are not to be built in them, nor tombs because the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam cursed those who did that, and he informed that this is the practice of the Jews and the Christians and he forbade us from that at the end of his life, whilst he was in the throes of death ‘alaihissalaatu wassalaam with his saying:

ألا إن من كان قبلكم كانوا يتخذون القبور مساجد

 ألا فلا تتخذوا القبور مساجد فإني أﻧﻬاكم عن ذلك

“Indeed those who came before you used to take the graves as places of prayer…”  (he said this whilst he was dying), “…Indeed do not take the graves as places of prayer, for I certainly forbid you from that.”[1]

And he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said:

لعنة الله على اليهود والنصارى اتخذوا قبور أنبيائهم مساجد

“Allaah’s curse is upon the Jews and the Christians, they took the graves of their Prophets as places of prayer.”[2]

So the mosques, it is obligatory that they be purified from traces of shirk and idolatory and that they not be built upon the graves, nor should the dead be buried in them after they have been built, rather they should be places for the worship of Allaah alone, the prayer should be established in them, and the Name of Allaah should be mentioned in them, and the Qur’aan should be recited in them, and beneficial lessons should be established in them, and people should remain in them for worship. This is the role of the mosques.

As for having in them idols which are worshipped besides Allaah, then these are not mosques, these are shrines of shirk, even if their people call them mosques, because Allaah says:

وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ

And that the mosques, the places of prayer, are for Allaah [72:18]

Meaning: not for anyone else besides Him. And because the mosques, they are the places where the people gather and meet, so it is obligatory that they should be pure and free of shirk and bid‘ah (innovations) and false superstitions, because the people acquire knowledge in them and worship, so if anything from shirk and false superstitions are found in the mosques, then they will be influenced by that and they will propagate it upon earth, so it is obligatory that mosques should be purified from shirk.

And the greatest of them is al-Masjid-ul-Haraam (the Sacred Mosque, in Makkaah), just as Allaah, the Majestic and Most High commanded that it should be purified, He the Most High said:

وَإِذْ بَوَّأْنَا لِإِبْرَاهِيمَ مَكَانَ الْبَيْتِ أَن لَّا تُشْرِكْ بِي شَيْئًا وَطَهِّرْ بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْقَائِمِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ

And remember when We showed the site for the House to Ibraaheem and commanded him, that you should not associate anything with Me, and purify My house, for those people who are performing Tawaaf and for those who are standing in prayer and performing the bowing and prostration. [22:26]

Purify it from what? Purify it from shirk, and from innovations and false superstitions, just as it is also to be purified from impurities and filthy things.

So His saying, He the Most High:

 لَا تَدْعُو

Do not call upon or invoke [72:18]

The, “laa”, is the, ‘no of prohibition’. And the, “tad‘oo”, is a present tense verb which is in the jussive form because of the prohibiting, “laa”, and the sign that it is the jussive form is the removal of the, ‘noon’. So the factor which makes it jussive is the, ‘no of prohibition’.

So do not invoke, O people, anyone along with Allaah, do not supplicate for help from anyone along with Allaah, such as saying, “O Allaah, O Muhammad”, “O Allaah, O Abd-ul-Qaadir”, or saying, “O Abd-ul-Qaadir, O Muhammad”, or the like of that, because Allaah is not pleased with that and will not accept it.

And His saying He the Most High, “ahadan”, (anyone): is in indefinite form in the context of a prohibition, so therefore it is general to everyone, no-one is excepted, neither any angel drawn close nor any prophet sent, nor any idol, nor any object of worship, nor any grave, nor any Shaikh, nor any beloved servant of Allaah, nor any living person, nor any dead person, no matter who it is.

So it is general covering everyone who is called upon besides Allaah

فَلَا تَدْعُوا مَعَ اللَّهِ أَحَدًا

So do not call upon, do not invoke anyone along with Allaah. [72:18]

So this aayah shows that worship will not benefit except with tawheed, and that if shirk is mixed with it, then it becomes null and void and it will be an affliction for the person. Then He the Most High said:

وَأَنَّ الْمَسَاجِدَ لِلَّهِ

And the places of prayer are for Allaah [72:18]

It is obligatory that they be built purely and sincerely, that the intention of the one building them should not be to show off or to be heard of or to be remembered as they say, or to be just Islamic antiquities, all of this is futile.

Mosques should be built for worship and with the intention of worship, and the intention in them should be purely and sincerely for Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, and also they should be built from good and pure earnings, they should not be built from forbidden earnings because they are for Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, and:

الله لا يقبل إلا طيبا

“Allah does not accept except what is good and pure”[3]

So the mosques are to be built from lawful spending and the intention of their builders is that it is to be done purely and sincerely seeking the Face of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, he should not intend by building it to obtain praise from the people, or to be remembered, or for show of, or to be heard of, because building the mosques is worship and worship, it is obligatory that it should be done purely and sincerely for Allaah the Mighty and Majestic.

Footnotes

[1]  Reported by Muslim as hadeeth 532 from a hadeeth of Jundub ibn ‘Abdillaah al-Bajalee radiy Allaahu ‘anhu.

[2] Reported by al-Bukhaaree as hadeeth 435 and 436 and by Muslim as hadeeth 531 from a hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah and of Ibn ‘Abbaas radiy Allaahu ‘anhuma.

[3]  Reported by Muslim hadeeth 1015 from a hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah radiy Allaahu ‘anhu with the wording that Allaah’s Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said, “O mankind, Allaah is Pure, He does not accept except what is good and pure.”

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

Neither any Angel brought near, nor any Messenger sent – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 09 : Part B
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

[Pevious Class]

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

المَسْأَلَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ:  أَنَّ اللهَ لاَ يَرْضَى أَنْ يُشْرَكَ مَعَهُ أَحَدٌ غَيرُهُ فِي عِبَادَتِهِ

The second matter: that Allaah is not pleased that anyone else should be associated with Him in worship of Him

[In this Audio]

لاَ مَلَكٌ مُقَرَّبٌ وَلاَ نَبِيٌّ مُرْسَلٌ

Neither any angel brought near, nor any Messenger sent.8

[8]: Shaykh Fawzan’s Explanation

His saying, “Neither any angel brought near, nor any Messenger sent”: the angel brought near – this is the most excellent ones from the angels such as Jibreel ‘alaihissalaam, and the bearers of the Throne, and those around it, and the angels drawn close to Allaah the Perfect and Most High. So despite the closeness of their place to Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, and their drawing close to Him with worship and their status with Allaah, if anyone were to associate them along with Allaah in worship then Allaah will not be pleased that an angel drawn close is associated with Him, nor any Prophet sent, such as Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, and ‘Eesaa and Nooh and Ibraaheem, those Messengers who are firmest in resolve. He is not pleased that anyone should be associated with Him even if it be one of the most excellent of the angels, even if it be one of the most excellent of mankind.

So He is not pleased that anyone should be associated along with Him from the angels nor from the Messengers. So how about other than them from the beloved servants of Allaah and righteous people, so other than the angels and the Messengers it will be even more the case that Allaah is not pleased that they be associated with Him in worship. And this is a refutation of those people who claim that they take the righteous people and the beloved servants of Allaah as intercessors with Allaah in order to draw them closer to Allaah, just as the people of the days of ignorance used to say:

مَا نَعْبُدُهُمْ إِلَّا لِيُقَرِّبُونَا إِلَى اللَّهِ زُلْفَىٰ

We do not worship them except so that they should draw us closer to Allaah (by interceding for us with Allaah) [39:3]

Otherwise they believed that those ones whom they took, they do not create and they do not give provision and they do not possess power over death nor life nor resurrection. Rather their intention was just to take them as intermediaries with Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, and therefore they directed some worship towards them to draw them closer to them, so they made sacrifices for the graves, and they made vows for the graves and they supplicated for aid and called upon the dead.

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

Allaah is not pleased that anyone else should be associated with Him in worship of Him – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 09 : Part A
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

Allaah the Perfect and Most High is not pleased that anyone else should be associated in worship with Him

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

المَسْأَلَةُ الثَّانِيَةُ:  أَنَّ اللهَ لاَ يَرْضَى أَنْ يُشْرَكَ مَعَهُ أَحَدٌ غَيرُهُ فِي عِبَادَتِهِ

The second matter: that Allaah is not pleased that anyone else should be associated with Him in worship of Him7

[7]: Shaykh Saalih Al-Fawzan’s Explanation

This matter is connected to the first matter, because the first one was an explanation of the obligation of worshipping Allaah, and of following the Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam and it is the meaning of the shahaadatain (two testifications), the meaning of the testification that, ‘None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah’, and the testification that, ‘Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah’. And the second matter is that worship, if it has shirk mixed with it, then it will not be accepted, because it is essential that worship is done purely for the Face of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic.

So therefore whoever worships Allaah, and worships something else along with Him, then the worship of him is futile or null and void. Its presence is just the same as its absence, because worship will not benefit except with ikhlaas (i.e. it is done purely for Allaah) and tawheed. So if it is mixed with shirk then it is corrupted, just as he the Most High said:

وَلَقَدْ أُوحِيَ إِلَيْكَ وَإِلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكَ لَئِنْ أَشْرَكْتَ لَيَحْبَطَنَّ عَمَلُكَ وَلَتَكُونَنَّ مِنَ الْخَاسِرِينَ

And it was revealed to you (O Muhammad) and to those Messengers who came before you, that if you associate anything with Allaah then all your deeds will be rendered null and void, and then you would certainly be from the losers. [39:65]

And the Perfect said:

وَلَوْ أَشْرَكُوا لَحَبِطَ عَنْهُم مَّا كَانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ

And if they committed shirk (associated anything along with Allaah) then whatever deeds they had done would be rendered null and void. [6:88]

So worship is not called worship except along with tawheed, just as the salaah (prayer) is not called salaah except along with purification. So if shirk is mixed with worship, it corrupts it and nullifies it, just as is the case with purification, if it is mixed with one of those things which break the wudoo’ then that corrupts it and nullifies it, and therefore Allaah in many aayahs of the Qur’aan joins the command to worship Him and the prohibition of shirk.

He the Most High said:

وَاعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا

And worship Allaah and do not associate anything along with Him [4:36]

–

وَمَا أُمِرُوا إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ مُخْلِصِينَ لَهُ الدِّينَ حُنَفَاءَ وَيُقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَيُؤْتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ دِينُ الْقَيِّمَةِ

And they were not commanded except that they should worship Allaah making the religion purely and sincerely for Him, upon the true religion of tawheed, turning away from shirk. [98:5]

–

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا نُوحِي إِلَيْهِ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ

And We did not send before you a Messenger except that We revealed to him that none has the right to be worshipped except Me so therefore worship Me alone. [21:25]

–

لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا أَنَا فَاعْبُدُونِ

None has the right to be worshipped except Me [21:25]

This contains two matters: it contains a negation of shirk and it contains affirmation of worship for Allaah the Most High.

–

وَقَضَىٰ رَبُّكَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ

And your Lord commanded that you should not worship except Him [17:23]

–

وَلَقَدْ بَعَثْنَا فِي كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَّسُولًا أَنِ اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَاجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ

And We sent a Messenger to every nation, commanding worship Allaah and avoid at–Taaghoot (all false objects of worship). [16:36]

So He joined between the worship of Allaah and avoiding the Taaghoot (all the false objects of worship), because the worship of Allaah will not be worship except with avoiding the Taaghoot, and that is shirk. He the Most High said:

فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا

So whoever rejects the Taaghoot and truly believes in Allaah, and that Allaah alone has the right to be worshipped, then he has clung on to the firmest hand-hold which will never break [2:256]

So truly believing in Allaah is not sufficient except with rejection of at–Taaghoot, otherwise the mushrikoon (the people of shirk) they believed in Allaah, however they associated others in worship with Him:

وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُم بِاللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ

And most of them do not believe except that they associate others in their worship of Allaah [12:106]

So He the Perfect makes it clear that they had belief in Allaah, however they corrupted it with shirk (association of others in worship of Allaah), and Allaah’s refuge is sought.

This is meaning of the saying of the Shaikh (author), that whoever worshipped Allaah and obeyed the Messenger, then he may not associate anything in worship along with Allaah, because Allaah is not pleased that anything be associated with Him in His worship.

He sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said in that which he reported from his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, Allaah the Most High said:

أنا أغنى الشركاء عن الشرك ، من عمل عملا أشرك معي فيه غيري تركته وشركه

“I am the One having no need of any association of worship. Whoever does an action in which he associates anyone else along with Me, then I will abandon him and his shirk.”[1]

[1] Reported by Muslim as a hadeeth of Aboo Huraira (radiy Allaahu ‘anhu).

So there are people who pray the salaah, and they bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, and they do that plentifully, and they fast and they perform the Hajj. However, they make supplication to tombs, and they perform worship of Al-Hasan and Al-Husain and Al-Badawee and so-and-so and so-and-so, and they call for relief from the dead. Those people their worship is false and futile, because they have associated others with Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, they have mixed worship with shirk so their deeds are futile and nullified, until they single out Allaah the Mighty and Majestic with worship and they make worship purely for Him and they abandon the worship of everything else besides Him.

Otherwise they will be upon nothing, so it is obligatory to draw attention to this, because Allaah is not pleased that anything should be associated with Him in His worship, anyone no matter who it is. He the Perfect is not pleased that anyone should be associated with Him no matter who it may be, so that no-one should say, “I take the beloved servants of Allaah, the righteous people and the good people as intercessors. I do not worship the idols and images as they used to do in the times of ignorance. I only take these ones as intercessors, I do not worship them.” So we say to him: This was the saying of the people in the times of ignorance, they took them as intercessors with Allaah because they were righteous people and beloved servants from the beloved servants of Allaah. But Allaah is not pleased with this.

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

Whoever obeys the Messenger will enter paradise, and whoever disobeys him will enter the fire – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 08
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

—

Previous Classes:

[The first matter is that Allaah created us and gave us provision and did not leave us without purpose] – [Rather He sent a Messenger to us]

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said: 

فَمَنْ أَطَاعَهُ دَخَلَ الجَنَّةَ وَمَنْ عَصَاهُ دَخَلَ النَّارَ

So whoever obeys him will enter paradise, and whoever disobeys him will enter the fire.5

[5]: Shaykh Saalih Al-Fawzan’s Explanation

His saying, “Whoever obeys him”: meaning in that which he commands, then he will enter paradise. And his saying, “And whoever disobeys him”: in that which he forbade, then he will enter the fire. This is something for which there is a great deal of confirmation in the Qur’aan. He the Most High said:

مَّن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ

Whoever obeys the Messenger, then he has indeed obeyed Allaah. [4:80]

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا لِيُطَاعَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ

And We did not send any Messenger except that he should be obeyed by the permission of Allaah. [4:64]

وَإِن تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا

And if you obey him (the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) you will be rightly guided. [24:54]

 وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُرْحَمُونَ

And obey the Messenger that you may be shown mercy. [24:56]

So whoever obeys him is guided, and will enter paradise, and whoever disobeys him will be astray and will enter the fire. He sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said:

كلكم يدخل الجنة إلا من أبى ، قالوا : يا رسول الله ومن يأبى ؟ قال : من أطاعني دخل الجنة ومن عصاني فقد أبى

“All of you will enter paradise except for those who refuse.” They said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, and who will refuse?’ He said, “Whoever obeys me enters paradise and whoever disobeys me has refused.”[1]

 So his sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam saying, “He has refused”: means he will have refused to enter paradise.

And he sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said:

لا يسمع بي يهودي ولا نصراني ثم لا يؤمن بالذي جئت به إلا دخل النار

“No-one will hear of me, no Jew nor any Christian, and then not believe in that which I came with except that he will enter the fire.”[2]

So whoever obeys him will enter paradise and whoever disobeys him will enter the fire, and this is the distinguishing factor between the true believer and between the disbeliever.

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said: 

And the proof is His saying, He the Most High:

إِنَّا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْكُمْ رَسُولًا شَاهِدًا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولًا

فَعَصَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ الرَّسُولَ فَأَخَذْنَاهُ أَخْذًا وَبِيلًا

We sent a Messenger to you as a witness for or against you, just as we sent a Messenger to the Pharaoh. But the Pharaoh disobeyed the Messenger so we seized him with a severe punishment. [73:15-16] 6

[6]: Shaykh Saalih Al-Fawzan’s Explanation

His saying, “And the proof”: meaning for the sending of the Messenger is His saying, He the Most High:

We sent a Messenger to you as a witness for or against you, just as we sent a Messenger to the Pharaoh. But the Pharaoh disobeyed the Messenger so we seized him with a severe punishment. [73:15-16]

His saying, He the Most High, “Innaa”, the pronoun here (meaning ‘We’) refers to Allaah the Perfect and Most High and this is a pronoun of one declaring his own greatness, because He is indeed Tremendous, the Perfect and Most High.

“We sent”, likewise this pronoun is to show greatness, and the meaning of, “arsalnaa”, is We sent him and sent revelation to him.

The word, “ilaykum”, (to you people), meaning O two weighty species (mankind and the jinn). It is an address to the whole of mankind, because the risaalah (messengership) of this Messenger is universal to all of mankind until the Hour is established.

“Rasoolan”, (a Messenger), he is Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam. 

And the phrase:

شَاهِدًا عَلَيْكُمْ كَمَا

As a witness upon you [73:15]

Meaning: with Allaah, the Perfect and Most High, on the Day of Resurrection, a witness that he conveyed to you the message of Allaah, and that he established the proof upon you, just as He the Most High said:

رُّسُلًا مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ

Allaah sent Messengers as bringers of glad tidings for the obedient ones, and as warners for the disobedient ones, so that no plea should remain with the people with Allaah, after the sending of the Messengers. [4:165]

So no-one on the Day of Resurrection will be able to say, “I did not know that I was created for worship, I did not know what was obligatory upon me, I did not know what was forbidden for me”. It will not be possible for someone to say this, because the Messengers ‘alaihimussalaatu wassalaam conveyed the message to them, and this nation of Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, it will bear witness against them. He the Most High said:

وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَاكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِّتَكُونُوا شُهَدَاءَ عَلَى النَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ الرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا

And likewise We made you the best and a justly balanced nation so that you should be witnesses against mankind, and the Messenger should be a witness upon you. [2:143]

So this nation will bear witness against the previous nations on the Day of Resurrection that their Messengers conveyed the messages of Allaah to them, based upon what they find in the Book of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, because Allaah has narrated to us the news of the previous nations and of the Messengers and of what they said to their nations. All of this we know from the Book of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, which is not approached by falsehood from in front nor from behind, which is revelation sent down by the One who is All-Wise, the One Deserving of All Praise.

And the Messenger he will be … [2:143]

He is Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, he will be upon you, O nation of Muhammad, a witness, he will witness upon you with Allaah that he indeed established the proof upon you and that he conveyed the message to you and that he sincerely advised you for Allaah’s sake. So no proof will remain on the Day of Resurrection for a person to say, “Nothing reached me. No warner came to me”. Even the unbelievers, they will confess when they are thrown into the fire. He the Most High said:

كُلَّمَا أُلْقِيَ فِيهَا فَوْجٌ سَأَلَهُمْ خَزَنَتُهَا أَلَمْ يَأْتِكُمْ نَذِيرٌ

قَالُوا بَلَىٰ قَدْ جَاءَنَا نَذِيرٌ فَكَذَّبْنَا وَقُلْنَا مَا نَزَّلَ اللَّهُ مِن شَيْءٍ إِنْ أَنتُمْ إِلَّا فِي ضَلَالٍ كَبِيرٍ

Whenever a crowd of them are thrown into the fire its keepers will ask them, “Did not a warner come to you?” They will say, “Yes indeed a warner came to us, but we denied, and we said Allaah did not send down anything, you are upon great misguidance.” [67:8-9]

They said to the Messengers, “You are upon misguidance.” So they denied the Messengers and they declared them to be upon misguidance.

This is the wisdom in the sending of the Messengers – to establish the proof upon the people, and to guide whomever Allaah wished to guide. The Messengers, Allaah guides through them whoever He wishes, and He establishes the proof upon those who obstinately refuse and deny and disbelieve.

كَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَىٰ فِرْعَوْنَ رَسُولًا

Just as we sent a Messenger to Pharaoh [73:15]

The Messenger here is Moosaa ‘alaihissalaatu wassalaam and the Pharaoh, he was the tyrannical king in Egypt the one who claimed lordship for himself, and the Pharaoh was the title of every king of Egypt – he was called a Pharaoh. And what is meant by it here is the Pharaoh who claimed ruboobiyyah (lordship) for himself.

فَقَالَ أَنَا رَبُّكُمُ الْأَعْلَىٰ

That he said: “I am you highest lord.” [79:24]

فَعَصَىٰ فِرْعَوْنُ الرَّسُولَ

So the Pharaoh disobeyed the Messenger [73:16]

He was Moosaa, Pharaoh disbelieved in him just as Allaah has narrated in His Book, narrating what occurred between Moosaa and the Pharaoh, and how the affair of the Pharaoh and his people ended up.

فَأَخَذْنَاهُ أَخْذًا وَبِيلًا

So we seized him with punishment [73:16]

Meaning: We seized Pharaoh with punishement and it was that Allaah drowned him, him and his people, in the ocean. Then he entered him into the fire.

مِّمَّا خَطِيئَاتِهِمْ أُغْرِقُوا فَأُدْخِلُوا نَارًا

Because of their sins they were drowned, and they were entered into fire. [71:25]

So he is in the fire in the Barzakh (the intermediate life after death and before the Day of Resurrection). He the Most High said:

النَّارُ يُعْرَضُونَ عَلَيْهَا غُدُوًّا وَعَشِيًّا

The fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening [40:46]

This is in the Barzakh before the hereafter, they are exposed to the fire morning and evening, until the Hour is established, and this is a proof for ‘Adhaab-ul-Qabr (punishment of the grave), and Allaah’s refuge is sought.

وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ أَدْخِلُوا آلَ فِرْعَوْنَ أَشَدَّ الْعَذَابِ

And on the Day when the Hour is established it will be said, “Enter the people of Pharaoh into the severest torment. [40:46]

This is three punishments:

Firstly: that Allaah drowned them and wiped them out, all of them in a simgle moment.

Secondly: that they are being punished in the Barzakh until the hour is established.

Thirdly: that when they are raised up on the Day of Resurrection they will enter the severest torment, and Allaah’s refuge is sought.

And likewise will be the case with those who disobey Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, for his outcome will be more severe than the outcome of the people of Pharaoh, because Muhammad is the most excellent one of the Messengers. So whoever disobeys him, his punishment will be worse.

أَخْذًا وَبِيلًا

With severe punishment [73:16]

It means severe and strong with no leniency.

وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَخْذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَا أَخَذَ الْقُرَىٰ وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌ ۚ إِنَّ أَخْذَهُ أَلِيمٌ شَدِيدٌ

And thus is the punishment of your Lord when He punishes the towns for their wrongdoing. His punishment is painful and severe. [11:102]

So this aayah is a proof for Allaah’s bestowing favour upon us by the sending of the Messenger Muhammad sallallaahu‘alaihiwasallam to us, and that the purpose behind his being sent is that he should make clear to us the way to worship. So whoever obeys him will enter paradise, and whoever disobeys him will enter the fire, just as the people of Pharoah entered the fire when the disobeyed their messenger Moosaa ‘alaihissalaatu wassalaam. 

And likewise the enemies of the Messengers, all of them, this is their way and their path.

Footnotes

[1] Reported by al-Bukhaaree as hadeeth 7280 from a hadeeth of Aboo Huraira radiy Allaahu ‘anhu in Kitaab-ul-I‘tisaam with the wording, “Everyone from my Ummah will enter paradise…”

[2] Reported by Muslim as hadeeth 153 from a hadeeth of Aboo Huraira radiyallaahu‘anhu.

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

Do not worship based upon what you think is good nor upon taqleed (blindly following) – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by
Bismillaah

[7:16 minutes]
Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 07 – Part B
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

Previous Class:
 The first matter is that Allaah created us and gave us provision and did not leave us without purpose

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said: 

Rather He sent a Messenger to us.4

[4]: Shaykh Saalih Al-Fawzan’s Explanation

Since it is the case that we may not carry out worship based upon what we think is good nor upon taqleed (blindly following) so-and-so and so-and-so from the people, then therefore Allaah sent to us Messengers to make clear to us how we are to worship him, because acts of worship are tawqeefiyyah (dependent upon text) it is not permissible that Allaah be worshipped except with that which He has legislated.

So acts of worship are tawqeefiyyah – restricted to text, to that which the Messengers ‘alaihimussalaatu wassalaam came with. So the wisdom behind sending the Messengers is that they should make clear to the people how they are to worship their Lord, and for them to forbid them from shirk (association of others along with Allaah) and from kufr (disbelief) in Allaah the Mighty and Majestic. This is the duty of the Messengers ‘alaihimussalaatu wassalaam. And therefore he ‘alaihissalaatu wassalaam said:

من عمل عم لا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد

“Whoever does an action which our affair is not in accordance with, then it will be rejected”.[1] 

So worship is tawqeefiyyah (dependent upon text), and bid‘a (innovations) are rejected, and baseless superstitions and ideas are rejected and blind following is rejected. Acts of worship are not taken except from the sharee‘ah (revealed law) which the Messenger sallallaahu alaihi wa sallaam came with.

His saying, “Rather He sent to us a Messenger”: he is Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallaam the seal, the last one of the Prophets. He sent him to make clear to us why we were created, and to make clear to us how we are to worship Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, and to forbid us from shirk and kufr (unbelief) and from sins. This was the duty of the Messenger sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallaam, and he clearly conveyed the message and he fulfilled the trust which was given to him, and he gave sincere advice to the nation ‘alaihissalaatu wassalaam, and he explained fully and made clear, and he left us upon a clear white ground, its night is just the same as its day, no-one deviates away from it except one who is destroyed, and this is just as is in His saying, He the Most High:

الْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِي وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ الْإِسْلَامَ دِينًا

This day have I completed your religion for you and perfected my favour upon you and are pleased for you with Islaam as your religion. [5:3]

Footnotes:

[1] Its checking has preceded. (Mentioned by al-Bukhaaree in disconnected form as hadeeth 7350 in the Book of clinging to the Book and the Sunnah Chapter 20. And the Hadeeth is reported by Muslim with a fully connected chain as a hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah radiyallaahu ‘anhaa.)

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

Allaah created us and gave us provision and Did not Leave us without Purpose – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 07 – Part A
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

—

Belief that Allaah created us and gave us provision and did not leave us without purpose. 

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said: 

The first matter is that Allaah created us and gave us provision and did not leave us without purpose.3

[3]:

His saying, “The first: that Allaah created us”: meaning, He produced us from non-existence, so before we were created we were nothing, just as He the Most High said:

هَلْ أَتَىٰ عَلَى الْإِنسَانِ حِينٌ مِّنَ الدَّهْرِ لَمْ يَكُن شَيْئًا مَّذْكُورًا

Has there not come upon man a time-period when he was nothing worthy of mention. [76:1]

And He, the One free of all imperfections said: 

قَالَ كَذَٰلِكَ قَالَ رَبُّكَ هُوَ عَلَيَّ هَيِّنٌ وَقَدْ خَلَقْتُكَ مِن قَبْلُ وَلَمْ تَكُ شَيْئًا

He said: that is the case, however your Lord has said, “It is easy for Me and I have already created you before, when you were nothing.” [19:9]

Man, before he was created was nothing, and the One who brought him into existence and created him is Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. He the Most High said:

أَمْ خُلِقُوا مِنْ غَيْرِ شَيْءٍ أَمْ هُمُ الْخَالِقُونَ

Were they brought into existence without any creator, or are they themselves their own creators? [52:35]

His saying, “and He gave us provision”: since we need provision, we need food and drink and clothing and habitations and transport and requirements then He the Perfect, He knew our needs, so therefore He made subservient for us whatever is in the heavens and the earth all of it for our welfare in order for us to be able to remain alive, and in order for us to use that to help us upon the purpose for which we were created – which is the worship of Allaah, the Perfect and Most High.

His saying, “and He did not leave us without purpose”: Al-Haml it means something which is neglected and abandoned which no-one cares about. So Allaah created us and gave us provision for a wise purpose, He did not create us in vain, nor without purpose. He the Most High said:

أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ

Do you think that you were created uselessly and that you will not be returned to us? [23:115]

And He the Perfect said:

أَيَحْسَبُ الْإِنسَانُ أَن يُتْرَكَ سُدًى

أَلَمْ يَكُ نُطْفَةً مِّن مَّنِيٍّ يُمْنَىٰ

ثُمَّ كَانَ عَلَقَةً فَخَلَقَ فَسَوَّىٰ

Does man think that he will be left without any duties? Was he not previously a drop of semen emitted, then he became a clot, then Allaah created and fashioned him as a human in due proportion? [75:36-38] 

And He said:

وَمَا خَلَقْنَا السَّمَاءَ وَالْأَرْضَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا بَاطِلًا ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ظَنُّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا ۚ فَوَيْلٌ لِّلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنَ النَّارِ

And We did not create the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them without purpose. That is the assumption of those who disbelieve, so woe to those who disbelieve from the Fire! [38:27]

Allaah only created us and created these provisions for us and these faculties for a tremendous wisdom and a tremendous purpose and it is that we should worship Him, He the Perfect and Most High.  And He did not create us like cattle, which were created for the welfare of the servants, then they will die and pass away because they are not duty-bound, they were not commanded and they were not forbidden. Rather He created us for His worship, just as He the Most High said:

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ

مَا أُرِيدُ مِنْهُم مِّن رِّزْقٍ وَمَا أُرِيدُ أَن يُطْعِمُونِ

إِنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الرَّزَّاقُ ذُو الْقُوَّةِ الْمَتِينُ

And I did not create jinn and mankind except to worship Me alone. I do not desire from them any provision and I do not want that they should feed Me. Indeed Allaah, He is the Great Provider, the Possessor of Tremendous Power, the Strong. [51:56-58]

And He did not create us just for the life of this world that we should live in it and roam  around freely and make merry and eat and drink and make ourselves at home in it and that there is nothing after it. Rather life is a planting-ground and a market place for the next life so that we should equip ourselves in it with righteous deeds. Then we will die and move on from it, then we will be resurrected, then we will be taken account of, then we will be recompensed in accordance with our deeds.

This is the purpose behind the creation of the jinn and mankind. And the proof for that is many aayahs which prove al-Ba‘ath (the raising to life after death) and an-Nushoor (the resurrection) and al-Jazaa’ (the recompensing) and al-Hisaab (the reckoning). And the intellect proves this, because it would not befit the Wisdom of Allaah, the Perfect and Most High, that He should create this amazing creation, and that he should subject this creation to the descendents of Aadam, and then just leave them to die and pass away without any result, this would be futile play, so the results of these deeds must certainly appear in the next abode.

And therefore, there can be from the people those who spend their whole lives in the worship of Allaah and in obedience to Him, and yet he is in poverty and is needy and maybe he is one who is oppressed and hard-pressed and who suffers difficulty and he does not attain anything from the reward of his actions in this world. And vice versa, that from the people there can be a person who is an unbeliever, an evil atheist who roams around as he wishes and makes merry in this life. He enjoys a life of luxury and he is given whatever he desires, and he commits that which Allaah has made forbidden, and he oppresses the people, and he transgresses against them and he devours their wealth and he kills people without any right, and he overcomes and he behaves tyrannically, and then he dies upon that condition, he has not been struck with anything from punishment. Does it befit the Justice of Allaah the Perfect and Most High and His Wisdom that He should leave this obedient person without any reward and that he should leave this unbeliever without any recompense? This does not befit His Justice, the Perfect and Most High, and therefore He has made the next abode to recompense this doer of good for the good which he did, and this doer of evil for the evil which he did. So in it the fruits of deeds will become apparent.

So this world is the an abode of action, but as for the hereafter then it is an abode of recompense, either paradise or the fire, and he did not leave us without purpose as is thought by the atheists and the Duhriyyoon (those who think that death is the end of us). He the Most High said:

وَقَالُوا مَا هِيَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا الدُّنْيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحْيَا وَمَا يُهْلِكُنَا إِلَّا الدَّهْرُ ۚ وَمَا لَهُم بِذَٰلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا يَظُنُّونَ

And they say, “There is no life except our life in this world, we die and our children live, and nothing brings an end to us except Time.” And they do not have certain knowledge, rather they just surmise. [45:24]

This is the saying of the atheists those who do not believe in the return to life and resurrection.

And Allaah the Mighty and Majestic rebutted them, so He said:

أَفَنَجْعَلُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ كَالْمُجْرِمِينَ

مَا لَكُمْ كَيْفَ تَحْكُمُونَ

Shall we make the Muslims like the criminals just the same? What is wrong with you how do you judge? [68:35-36]

And He the Most High said:

أَمْ حَسِبَ الَّذِينَ اجْتَرَحُوا السَّيِّئَاتِ أَن نَّجْعَلَهُمْ كَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ سَوَاءً مَّحْيَاهُمْ وَمَمَاتُهُمْ ۚ سَاءَ مَا يَحْكُمُونَ

Do those who commit evil deeds think that We will treat them just the same as those who truly believe and work righteous deeds, the same in their life and after their deaths? What an evil judgement they make. [45:21]

And He the Most High said:

أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ كَالْمُفْسِدِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ أَمْ نَجْعَلُ الْمُتَّقِينَ كَالْفُجَّارِ

Or shall We make those who truly believe and work righteous deeds like those who cause corruption upon the earth, or shall We treat those who are dutiful to Allaah just like the wicked unbelievers? [38:28] 

This is not possible and this will never be the case.

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

Knowledge Comes Before Speech and Action ( العِلْمُ قَبْلَ القَوْلِ وَالعَمَلِ ) – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 06 – Part A 
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

—

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said: 

:وَقَالَ البُخَارِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ: بَابٌ: العِلْمُ قَبْلَ القَوْلِ وَالعَمَلِ. وَالدَّلِيلُ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى

And al-Bukhaaree rahimahullaahuta‘aalaa said: “Chapter: Knowledge comes before speech and action; and the proof is:

فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ

Then know that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and seek forgiveness for your sin and for the believers. [47:19]

 So He began with knowledge”, before speech and action.13

[13]: Shaykh Salih Al-Fawzan’s Explanation:

Al-Bukhaaree: he was the Imaam Muhammad ibn Ismaa‘eel ibn Ibraaheem al-Bukhaaree. Al-Bukhaaree is an ascription to Bukhaaraa, a town in the East. He was the Imaam of the people of Hadeeth, and a mountain of memorization, may Allaah have mercy upon him, he was the compiler of the Saheeh, which is the most authentic of books after the Book of Allaah.

His saying, “Knowledge comes before speech and action”: because action will not benefit unless it is built upon knowledge. As for action which is built upon ignorance, then it will not benefit the person rather it will be an affliction and misguidance for him on the Day of Resurrection, so precedence must be given to learning knowledge before action.

His saying, “And the proof”: meaning for this heading is His saying, He the Most High:

فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنبِكَ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ

Then know that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah and seek forgiveness for your sin [47:19]

Since He began with knowledge, and His saying, He the Most High:

وَاسْتَغْفِرْ

And seek forgiveness … [47:19]

This is action. So He the Perfect began with knowledge before action, because action if it is built upon ignorance then it will not benefit the person, so a person should begin with knowledge first and then act upon what he has learnt, this is the foundation.

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

By Time. Mankind is Certainly in Loss – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 04 – Part B & Lesson 05 
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

—

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said: 

And the Proof is He the Most High’s saying:

وَالْعَصْرِ
إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ
إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ

By Time. Mankind is certainly in loss. Except for those who have eemaan (those who truly believe) and perform righteous deeds, and enjoin one another with the truth and enjoin one another with patience. [103:1-3]11

[11]:

It is obligatory that you learn these four matters in detail – is there any proof for what the Shaikh has said? That it is obligatory upon us to learn these four matters, and he has promised us that he will not say anything except with a proof, so where is the proof? The proof upon that is His saying, He the Most High,

Bismillaahirrahmaanirraheem

By Time. Mankind is certainly in loss. Except for those who have eemaan (those who truly believe) and perform righteous deeds, and enjoin one another with the truth and enjoin one another with patience. [103:1-3]

“Except for those who have eemaan”, this is the first matter: knowledge, because eemaan cannot be except through knowledge, which is awareness of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, awareness of His Prophet and awareness of the religion of Islaam with the proofs.

The second matter: “And they perform the righteous deeds”, this is action upon the knowledge.

The third matter: “And they enjoin each other with the truth”, this is calling to the knowledge and action.

The fourth matter: “And they enjoin each other with patience”, upon harm in the path of calling to knowledge and action.

So His saying, He the One free of all imperfections:

وَالْعَصْرِ

By Time. [103:1]

The, “Waw”, is the waw-ul-qasm (the ‘waw’ of an oath). And Al-‘Asr is a noun upon which an oath is sworn and it is majroor, and the sign that it is majroor is that it has a kasrah upon it. And what is meant is Time and a time period.

Allaah, the Most High, swears by a time period and by Time, and it is something created. And Allaah, the Majestic and Most High, swears by whatever He wishes from the creation, but the creation may not swear an oath except by Allaah. And Allaah does not swear an oath except by something which has importance, and which contains a Sign from His Signs, He the Perfect and Most High. So this Time, contains a lesson and has importance, and therefore Allaah swore an oath by Time, and He swore by the night when it covers, and He swore an oath by the daytime brightness.

But as for the creation, then he may not swear an oath except by Allaah. And it is not permissible for us to swear an oath by other than Allaah. He sallallaahu’ alaihi wa sallam said:

“Whoever swears an oath by other than Allaah, then he has committed unbelief or he has committed shirk.”[1]

And he said: 

“Whoever is going to swear an oath, then let him swear by Allaah or let him keep silent.”[2]

So Allaah swears by whatever he wishes and he does not swear except by something which has importance and which contains a lesson, so what is the lesson here in this Time? The lessons are tremendous, the succession of the night and the day, and how they interchange and take from each other, this one taking from that one, and that one taking from this one, and they succeed each other in this amazing ordered manner which does not vary or alter.

This is a proof for the Ability of Allaah the Perfect and Most High. And then, whatever occurs within this Time from events and catastrophies and calamities and from favours and blessings and good things, and whatever occurs within this Time, this is from the lessons. And likewise because night and day are an arena for righteous action to be performed in. He the Most High said:

 .. وَهُوَ الَّذِي جَعَلَ اللَّيْلَ وَالنَّهَارَ خِلْفَةً 

And He (Allaah) is the One who made the night and the day to follow each other in succession … 

Meaning they follow each other in succession, this one follows on from this one.

لِّمَنْ أَرَادَ أَن يَذَّكَّرَ أَوْ أَرَادَ شُكُورًا ..

… for whoever wants to be reminded of Allaah or whoever wants to give thanks for Allaah’s favours. [25:62]

And in some of the recitations of this aayah, it occurs:

… for the one who wants to remember Allaah … [25:62]

So the night and the day are a tremendous bounty to be earned for a person who utilizes them in obedience to Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, and the arena for action is the night and the day, you have nothing else besides the night and the day, they are the arena for action and for good and pure earning for this world and the hereafter. So in the night and the day there are lessons and there are benefits, so therefore Allaah swore an oath by Time.

What is this oath sworn upon? It is His saying:

إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ

Mankind is certainly in loss. [103:2]

It (Mankind) means all of the descendants of Aadam, He did not exclude anyone, neither the kings nor the leaders, nor the rich people nor the poor people, nor the free people nor the slaves, nor the males nor the females. So, “Al-”, in, “Al-Insaan”, is for istighraaq – to make the word all-inclusive. All of the descendants of Aadam are in loss, meaning they will be in loss and destruction if they waste this precious Time, and they utilize it in disobedience to Allaah and in doing that which will harm them.

And this Time which is very cheap with many people, time seems prolonged for them, they become weary and bored, and they say, “We want to kill some time”. So they bring amusements, or they travel abroad to spend a holiday and just to spend some time somewhere, or they laugh and joke to use up time. So those people, they use it up and waste it – then it will be loss and regret upon them on the Day of Resurrection. And it could be the source of their true happiness, if only they took care of it.

So all of the descendants of Aadam are in loss and destruction, except for those who have the four qualities which are: knowledge and action and calling to Allaah and having patience upon any harm which the person meets. So whoever has these four qualities will be saved from this loss.

And having eemaan in Allaah is not possible except through having knowledge, which is knowledge and awareness of Allaah.

وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ 

And they perform the righteous and correct deeds [103:3] 

Meaning they perform the righteous deeds from the obligatory duties and the recommended duties. So they utilize their time in performing the righteous deeds in that which will benefit them in their religion and in their worldly life, for even worldly action contains good and can contain reward if it is done with the intention of using it as an aid upon obedience. So how about action for the hereafter. So what is important is that you do not waste the time, rather you use it in something which will be to your advantage and benefit you.

وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ

And they enjoin each other with the truth [103:3]

They command the good and they forbid the evil and they call to Allaah the Mighty and Majestic and they teach beneficial knowledge and they propagate knowledge and good amongst the people. They become callers to Allaah the Mighty and Majestic.

وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ

And they enjoin each other with having patience. [103:3]

They have patience upon whatever strikes them. As–Sabr in the language means restraining, and what is meant by it here is restraining oneself upon obedience to Allaah. And it is of three types:

  • The first one is: Patience upon obedience to Allaah.
  • The second one is: Patience in keeping away from those things which Allaah has forbidden.
  • The third one is: Having patience with those things which Allaah has Pre-decreed to occur.

So the first: patience upon obedience to Allaah, because the person’s soul desires laziness and desires relaxation, so therefore a person must force it to have patience upon obedience and upon the prayer and upon fasting and upon jihaad in Allaah’s cause even though it may dislike these matters, he should cause it to have patience and he should restrain it on obedience to Allaah.

And the second: patience in keeping away from those things Allaah has made forbidden. The soul desires forbidden things and desires. It inclines towards them and is attracted to them, so therefore the person must bind it and restrain it away from the forbidden things, and this requires patience, and it is not easy to prevent the soul from desires and forbidden things. Whoever does not have patience, then his soul will overcome him and incline towards forbidden things.

The third is: having patience with the painful things which Allaah has decreed, the calamities which strike a person, from the death of a close relative or loss of wealth or illness which befalls a person, he must have patience upon the pre-ordainment and pre-decree of Allaah and he should not become vexed and he should not become angry, rather he should restrain the tongue from wailing and forbidden lamenting and from displaying anger and he should withhold himself from vexation and he should withhold his limbs from striking the cheeks and from tearing the front-opening of the garments. This is patience upon calamities.

As for faults, then he should not have patience upon them, rather he should repent to Allaah and flee away from them. However, with regard to calamities which are not something which you yourself have done, rather they are from Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, He has decreed that they will occur to you as a test and a trial or as a punishment for you for sins which you have committed just as there occurs in His saying the Most High:

وَمَا أَصَابَكُم مِّن مُّصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَن كَثِيرٍ

And whatever calamity strikes you then it is on account of the sins which your hands have committed and Allaah pardons and does not punish, a great deal. [42:30]

So if a calamity strikes the Muslim in his self or in his wealth or in his children or his close relative or one of his brothers from the Muslims, then it is upon him to have patience and to await reward. He, the Most High, said:

الَّذِينَ إِذَا أَصَابَتْهُم مُّصِيبَةٌ قَالُوا إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ

أُولَٰئِكَ عَلَيْهِمْ صَلَوَاتٌ مِّن رَّبِّهِمْ وَرَحْمَةٌ ۖ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُهْتَدُونَ

Those who, when a calamity strikes them they say, “Indeed we belong to Allaah and we will certainly be returning to Him”. Those people, upon them is praise from their Lord and mercy, and they are the ones who are guided. [2:156-157] 

This is patience, and from that is having patience upon harm which comes in calling to Allaah the Mighty and Majestic, for that is from the calamities. So it is upon you to have patience upon whatever you meet from harm upon the path of good. And do not turn away from doing good, because some people wish to do good, however, if something which he dislikes faces him he then says, “It is not obligatory upon me to enter myself into these matters”. Then he abandons teaching if he is a teacher, he abandons calling to Allaah, he abandons giving the khutbah if he is a khateeb (one who gives the khutbah in a mosque), he abandons leading the prayer in the mosque, he abandons commanding the good and forbidding the evil – this person has not had patience upon the harm which came to him.

And if you are upon error, then it is upon you to turn back to the truth and to correctness, but if you are upon  something true and you have not erred, then it is upon you to have patience and to await and expect reward and to be aware and to feel that this is in the cause of Allaah the Mighty and Majestic and that you will receive reward for it, and that you remember the harm which occurred to the Prophets ‘alaihimussalaatu wassalaam and how they had patience and how they strove and fought in Allaah’s cause, until Allaah the Mighty and Majestic gave them victory.

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said: 

قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ: لَوْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ حُجَّةً عَلَى خَلْقِهِ إِلاَّ هَذِهِ السُّوْرَةَ لَكَفَتْهُمْ

Ash-Shaafi‘ee rahimahullaah said: “If Allaah had not sent down any proof upon his creation except this soorah, then that would have sufficed for them.”12

[12]:

His saying, “Ash-Shaafi‘ee”: He is the Imaam Muhammad ibn Idrees Ash-Shaafi‘ee and Ash-Shaafi‘ee is an ascription to his great great grandfather who was called Shaafi‘, and he was from Quraish from Banul-Muttalib. He died in the year 204 H, and he was one of the four Imaams. And he said this saying, because Allaah has made clear in this soorah the reasons for wretchedness and the means for true happiness and success.

So the means for true happiness and success is that the person has these four characteristics: knowledge, and action, and calling, and having patience upon harm in the cause of Allaah the Most High. So Allaah’s proof is established upon His creation through this soorah. Allaah the Perfect says to them – I have made clear to you the means for true happiness in this short and brief soorah.

And the Qur’aan, all of it, and the Sunnah are details for these four matters. However, this soorah has made clear the means to true happiness and success in general terms, through it the proof has been established upon the creation, and the texts of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah give the details and clarify these four matters. And the speech of Ash-Shaafi‘ee does not mean that this soorah is sufficient for mankind, even if Allaah had not sent down anything else. But rather it has established the proof upon them, because Allaah has made clear in it the means to true happiness and the reasons for total wretchedness, so on the Day of Resurrection no-one can say, “I did not know the means to true happiness and I did not know the reasons leading to total wretchedness”, when he has read this brief and short soorah.

Footnotes

[1] Reported by Aboo Daawood and At-Tirmidhee from a hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar radiyallaahu ‘anhumaa [Al-Albaanee – saheeh].

[2] Reported by al Bukhaaree as hadeeth 6108 and by Muslim as hadeeth 1646/3 as a hadeeth also of Ibn ‘Umar radiyallaahu ‘anhumaa.

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

Acting upon the Knowledge – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 03 – Part B
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

—

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

 الثَّانِيَةُ: العَمَلُ بِهِ   

The second: Action upon it.8

[8]:

His saying, “Action upon it”: meaning upon the knowledge, since it is not sufficient that a person teaches and learns, rather he must act upon his knowledge. So knowledge without action is just a proof against the person, so knowledge will not be beneficial except with action. As for the person who has knowledge, and he does not act upon it, then he is one upon whom is Anger, because he knows the truth, but he abandons it upon knowledge and insight.

And the poet says:

The scholar who does not act upon his knowledge,
                        Will be punished before the worshippers of idols 

And this is mentioned in the noble hadeeth:

إن من أول من تسعر ﺑﻬم النار يوم القيامة ، عالم لم يعمل بعلمه 

“That from the first of those for whom the Fire will be made to blaze on the Day of Resurrection will be a scholar who does not act upon his knowledge”.[1]

Knowledge is joined to action, and action is the fruit of knowledge, so knowledge without action is like a tree without fruit, there is no benefit in it, and knowledge was sent down to bring about action.

Just as action without knowledge will be an affliction and misguidance for its person. If a person acts without knowledge, then his action will be affliction and a burden upon the person. He sallallaahu ’alaihi wasallam said:

من عمل عملا ليس عليه أمرنا فهو رد

“Whoever does an action which our affair is not in accordance with, then it will be rejected”.[2]

And therefore we read in Al-Faatihah in every rak’ah:

اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ

Guide us upon the straight path, the path of those whom You have favoured, not those upon whom is Your Anger, nor those who are astray. [1:6-7] 

So Allaah called those people who act without knowledge those who are astray; and those people who have knowledge, but do not act upon it as being those upon whom is Anger. So let us be attentive to that, because it is very important.

Footnotes:

[1]  A similar hadeeth is reported by At-Tirmidhee, and it is part of a long hadeeth, and it contains the wording, “Those three people will be  the first of the creation for whom Allaah will make the Fire blaze on the Day of Resurrection”, from a hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah radiyallaahu ‘anhu.

[However the wording of the hadeeth mentions three men, who will be the first for whom the Fire will blaze – “So the first of these men will be a person who gathered the Qur’aan…”. Al-Albaanee declares this hadeeth saheeh]

[2]  Reported by al-Bukhaaree in disconnected form as hadeeth 7350, and reported by Muslim as hadeeth 1718/18 from a hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah radiyallaahu ‘anhaa. And also reported by al-Bukhaaree in connected form as hadeeth 2697 and Muslim as hadeeth 1718/17 from ‘Aa’ishah radiyallaahu ‘anhaa, that she said, Allaah’s Messenger sallallaahu ’alaihi wasallam said, “Whoever introduces into this affair of ours that which is not from it will have it rejected”.

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

Al-‘ilm ash-Shar‘ee : The Legislated Islamic Knowledge – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 02 : Part A
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

—

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

That it is obligatory upon us to learn four matters

الأُوْلَى: العِلْمُ

The first is knowledge4

Shaykh Fawzan Explanation:

[4]:

His saying, “knowledge”: what is meant by knowledge here, is al-‘ilm ash-shar‘ee the legislated (islaamic) knowledge, because that is what it is obligatory to learn, and these matters are obligatory to learn upon every Muslim, male or female, free or slave, rich or poor, a king or a pauper, every Muslim, it is obligatory upon him that he should learn these four matters.

And this is what the scholars call al-waajib al-‘aynee, and it is what is obligatory upon every individual from the Muslims. So the five obligatory prayers which are upon the men and the  women, and the congregational prayer in the mosques, which is upon the men, this is obligatory upon every individual from the Muslims, that he learns about them. Therefore he said, “it is obligatory upon us”, and he did not say, “it is obligatory upon some of us”, rather he said, “it is obligatory upon us”, meaning upon us the Muslims. So it is from the knowledge which it is obligatory to learn upon all individuals, because knowledge is of two categories:

The first of them: that which it is obligatory upon all individuals to learn, such that there is no excuse for anyone to be ignorant of it, and it is that which is such that the religion cannot be correctly established except with it, such as the five pillars of Islaam which are the Two Testifications, and the establishment of the Prayer, and the giving of the Zakaat, and the fast of Ramadaan, and Hajj to the sacred House of Allaah. It is not permissible for the Muslim to be ignorant of that, rather he must learn it.

Since learning the meaning of the Two Testifications, is to learn the ‘aqeedah (creed and belief), so the Muslim learns the creed and belief in order to act upon it, and he learns whatever opposes it in order to keep away from it – this is what is contained in the Two Testifications.

Likewise he learns the pillars of the Prayer, and the conditions of the Prayer, and the obligations of the Prayer, and the sunnahs of the Prayer; he must learn these matters in detail. It is not just the case that he can pray when he does not know the rulings of the prayer. How can a person do an action when he does not have knowledge of the action which he is performing? How can he perform the Prayer when is ignorant of its rulings? So it is essential that he learns the rulings of the Prayer, and those things which nullify the Prayer, he must learn this.

Likewise he should learn the rulings of the Zakaat, and he should learn the rulings of the Fasting, and he should learn the rulings of the Hajj, so when he wants to perform Hajj, it becomes obligatory upon him to learn the rulings of the Hajj and the rulings of the ‘Umrah in order to perform these acts of worship in the prescribed and legislated manner.

And this category, no-one is excused for being ignorant of it, and it is what is called al-waajib al-‘aynee that which is obligatory upon every individual Muslim.

The second category from the categories of knowledge, is that which is additional to that, from the legislated rulings which the Ummah (Islaamic Nation) together has need of, and it may be the case that not every individual has a need of it, such as the rulings of trading, and the rulings of dealing and transactions, and the rulings of religious endowments, and laws of inheritance and bequests and the rulings of marriages, and the rulings relating to crimes. These are essential for the Ummah. However it is not obligatory upon every individual from the Ummah that he has to learn it. Rather, if these things are learnt by sufficient number of scholars, such that what is required is attained, then that will suffice so that they can fulfill the need of the Muslims for legal judgments and for religious verdicts and for teaching and other than this. This is called waajib al-kifaayah (the communal obligation), such that if a sufficient number of people carry it out, then sin falls away from the rest, and if all of them leave it, then they will all be sinful.

So the Ummah must have people who learn this category since they are in need of it. However, it is not said to every individual, “it is obligatory upon you to acquire knowledge of these matters”, because this may not  be possible for every individual. Rather this is specific to the people of ability and the people of capability from the Ummah. And if this is learnt by some of the Ummah, then the obligation has been established, contrary to the first category, for there, every individual is accountable for it himself, because it is not possible for him to perform these actions except with knowledge. And therefore the Shaikh said, “it is obligatory upon us”, and he did not say, “it is obligatory upon the Muslims”, or, “it is obligatory upon some of the Muslims”. Rather he said, “it is obligatory upon us”, meaning upon everyone from us as an individual obligation.

And we should know, before entering into the matters, that what is meant by knowledge, which it is obligatory upon the Ummah – whether it be that which is obligatory upon every individual, or whether it be that which is obligatory upon some, then it is al-‘ilm ash-shar‘ee the legislated (islaamic) knowledge, that which the Messenger sallallaahu‘alaihiwasallam came with.

As for worldly knowledge, such as the knowledge of industries, and professions, and arithmetic, and mathematics, and engineering, then this knowledge is permissible – it is permissible to learn it and it can be obligatory if the Ummah has need of it, then it will be obligatory on those who are capable. However, it is not the knowledge which is intended in the Qur’aan and the Sunnah, that which Allaah the Most High has praised and commended its people, and that which the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam said about it:

العلماء ورثة الأنبياء

“The ‘ulemaa, (the scholars, or the people of knowledge) are the inheritors of the Prophets.”[1] 

What is meant is al-‘ilm ash-shar‘ee the legislated (islaamic) knowledge.

As for worldly knowledge, then whoever is ignorant of it, then there is no sin upon him, and whoever learns it, then it is permissible for him, and if he utilises it to benefit the Ummah, then he is rewarded for it. And if a person died, and he was ignorant of this knowledge, then he would not be taken to account for it on the Day of Resurrection.

However, whoever died and he was ignorant of al-‘ilm ash-shar‘ee the legislated (islaamic) knowledge, particularly essential knowledge, then he will be asked about it on the Day of Resurrection, “Why didn’t you learn? Why didn’t you ask?”. The one who says when he is placed in his grave, “My Lord is Allaah, and Islaam is my religion, and my Prophet is Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alaihi wasallam”, this person will be saved.  It will be said to him, “Where did you acquire this from?”. So he will say, “I read the Book of Allaah and I learnt it”.

As for the person who turns away from that, then when he is questioned in his grave, then he will say, “Haa, haa, I don’t know, I heard the people saying something so I said it”. Then this person, his grave will be made to blaze with fire upon him – and Allaah’s refuge is sought – and it will be crushed upon him, to such an extent that his ribs will cross over, and he will come to be in a pit from the pits of the hell-fire, because he did not have knowledge and he did not read. So it will be said to him:

لا دريت ولا تليت )  أو لا تلوت )

“You did not know and you did not read (or you did not follow)”.[2]

 So he did not learn and he did not follow the example of the people of knowledge, rather he was wasted and lost in his life, so this is the person who ends up in wretchedness, and Allaah’s refuge is sought.

So his saying, “Knowledge”, this is the legislated knowledge that is required from us as a body and as individuals, and it is knowledge and awareness of Allaah through His Names and His Attributes, and knowledge of His right upon us, which is to worship Him alone ascribing no partner to Him, so the first thing that is obligatory upon the servant is knowledge and awareness of his Lord the Mighty and Majestic, and how to worship Him.

Footnotes:

[1] This is reported by al-Bukhaaree in disconnected form in the Book of Knowledge, Chapter, “Knowledge comes before speech and action”, it follows on from hadeeth 67; and is reported by Aboo Daawood, and ibn Maajah and at-Tirmidhee from a hadeeth of Aboo Ad-Dardaa radiyallaahu‘anhu. [Al-Albaanee declared the hadeeth of Aboo Daawood saheeh].

[2] Reported by Al-Bukhaaree in abridged form as a hadeeth of Anas 1338, and also reported by Muslim in abridged form also as a hadeeth of Anas 2870, and reported by Aboo Daawood as a hadeeth of al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib in a long hadeeth 4753. [Al-Albaanee declared the hadeeth of Aboo Daawood saheeh].

Posted with kind permission from Dawud Burbank rahimahullaah

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

Know! May Allaah have Mercy upon you – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

 

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 01 : Part C
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

—

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

اِعْلَمْ  رَحِمَكَ اللهُ

Know! May Allaah have Mercy upon you2

Shaykh Fawzan Explanation:

[2]:

His saying, “Know!”, it is a word which indicates giving importance to the topic, so when he said, “Know!”, then its meaning is that the matter which he is going to put before you is a matter which is important. So this word, “Know!”, indicates the importance of the topic which he is beginning it with.

And the meaning of, “Know!”, Is that it is a command from, ‘knowledge’, meaning, ‘learn!’. And knowledge means: to comprehend something as it actually is, or, to perceive something in accordance with how it actually is.

To comprehend something in a manner which is contrary to how it actually is in reality, or to perceive something contrary to the reality of it, this is ignorance, and it is the opposite of knowledge.

His saying, “May Allaah have Mercy upon you”, this is a supplication for the seeker of knowledge, so the shaikh makes supplication for the student of knowledge, that Allaah has Mercy upon him, and that He the Perfect and Most High should place Mercy upon them. So this shows the kindness of the teacher towards the student, and that he should begin with good and fine speech, and with righteous supplication, so that this has an effect upon him and so that he turns attentively to his teacher.

As for if the teacher begins with stern words, and with speech which is not appropriate, then this will alienate (i.e. will cause the student to flee). So what is obligatory upon the teacher and upon whoever calls to Allaah and whoever commands the good and forbids the evil is to be kind and gentle with those he addresses with making supplication for him and complimenting him and speaking with mild speech, because this is more likely to bring about acceptance.

As for the obstinate opponent and the person who proudly refuses to accept, then there is a different way of addressing this person. Allaah the Perfect said:

وَلَا تُجَادِلُوا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ إِلَّا بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مِنْهُمْ ۖ وَقُولُوا آمَنَّا بِالَّذِي أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَأُنزِلَ إِلَيْكُمْ وَإِلَٰهُنَا وَإِلَٰهُكُمْ وَاحِدٌ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ

And do not debate with the People of the Book except in a manner which is best, except those of them who transgress. And say we truly believe in what was sent down to us, and what was sent down to you, and our Lord whom we worship and your Lord is One, and we are Muslims in submission to Him. [29:46]

So those who transgressed from the People of the Book and knowingly and obstinately refused the truth, and rejected the truth with pride, those people are not addressed in the manner which is finest, rather they are addressed with that which will deter them. He the Most High said:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ جَاهِدِ الْكُفَّارَ وَالْمُنَافِقِينَ وَاغْلُظْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَمَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَبِئْسَ الْمَصِيرُ

O Prophet, strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be stern with them. And their final abode is the Hell-fire, and what an evil destination. [9:73] 

The hypocrites, they are not fought against with weapons, rather jihaad is waged against them with proof and speech and by refuting them with sternness as a deterrent for them, and in order to deter the rest of the people away from them. And He the Most High said with regard to them:

أُولَٰئِكَ الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُ اللَّهُ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَعْرِضْ عَنْهُمْ وَعِظْهُمْ وَقُل لَّهُمْ فِي أَنفُسِهِمْ قَوْلًا بَلِيغًا 

And admonish them with a saying which will have an effect upon them. [4:63]

There is a specific manner of addressing those people, because they are people who deliberately and obstinately reject, and reject from pride, and they do not want the truth, rather they want to misguide the people, so those people are addressed with that which befits them.

As for the student who seeks guidance, then he should be spoken to with gentleness and mercy, and kindness, because he desires the truth, and he desires knowledge and he desires benefit.

His saying, “Know! May Allaah have Mercy upon you”, is a supplication for you for mercy, for if Allaah truly has Mercy upon you, then through that you will be blissful in this life and in the hereafter, if you enter within the Mercy of Allaah – and this is a supplication from a great scholar and a righteous man, so it is to be hoped that it will be accepted, if Allaah wishes.

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

Shaykh Fawzan’s Introduction to “Sharh Usool ath-Thalaathah” – Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 01 : Part A
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

—

The Introduction to the Explanation (Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah)

In the Name of Allaah the Extremely Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy.

All Praise is for Allaah the Lord of the whole of creation and may Allaah extol and grant peace and security to our prophet Muhammad and to his true followers and to his companions, all of them.

And to Proceed:

So before us is this treatise – the treatise “The Three Fundamental Principles” – and it is a tremendous treatise which is brief, supported by evidences from the Book of Allaah and the sunnah of his Messenger sallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam.

And this small treatise is about a tremendous fundamental matter from the fundamentals of Islaam and it is al-‘aqeedah – creed and belief. And the scholars give importance to these brief works, authoring them and exerting themselves to shorten them and refine them, then they would encourage their students to memorize them so that they should remain fundamental assets for them and a store of provision for them which they can derive benefit from, and bring benefit to others by means of them.

And beginning with these shorter works is the foundation for the students of knowledge, so the student of knowledge should begin by learning little by little, taking from the initial points of knowledge and its fundamentals and then proceed in stages through it.

So these brief works are the path leading on to the longer works. So it is not possible for the longer works to be understood except after the brief works have been understood and then the person has proceeded on from them in stages. And therefore they said about the meaning of His saying, He the Most High:

وَلَٰكِن كُونُوا رَبَّانِيِّينَ بِمَا كُنتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ

But rather be rabbaaniyyoon (wise scholars who cultivate the people) by your teaching them the Book and your studying it [3:79]

The word rabbaaniyoon – they are those who begin with the small matters of knowledge before the greater ones. They cultivate themselves and their students beginning with the smaller matters and moving on to the larger matters, and this is something natural, because all things begin from their roots and their foundations and then they grow bigger and larger after that.

As for the person who pounces upon knowledge from its top, then this person will just tire himself out and will not attain anything. Whereas the one who begins with the fundamentals and proceeds in stages, this is the person, who by the permission of Allaah will be proceeding in the correct way and with sound direction.

He, the Most High, said:

يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الْأَهِلَّةِ ۖ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ ۗ وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ بِأَن تَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا وَلَٰكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنِ اتَّقَىٰ ۗ وَأْتُوا الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوَابِهَا

They ask you about the crescent moons. Say: they are signs to mark periods of time for mankind and for the hajj. And righteousness in not that you enter the houses from their backs, but rather righteousness is the quality of the person who has taqwaa (who fears and is dutiful to Allaah). And enter houses through their proper doors. [2:189]

Those people asked a question about the crescent moons: why does the crescent moon begin as something small and then grow larger until it becomes full, then it grows smaller until it is again a crescent? So Allaah rebukes them, and directed them towards asking about that which will benefit them, and that they should come to the houses of knowledge from their correct doors.

As for asking about the crescent moon and it conditions and its smallness and its largeness, then this has no benefit in it for them, rather benefit is that they ask about what they are in need of and that is awareness of the benefits of the crescent moon, and therefore He said:

قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ

Say: they are signs to mark periods of time for mankind [2:189]

So He explained their benefits and that is that Allaah makes them signs marking periods of time for mankind by means of which they can become aware of acts of worship and dealings and time spans and other than that.

So He directed them to the benefits of the crescent moons and He did not respond to their question about the reality of the crescent moons, because there was no benefit for them in that, and so that He should direct them towards what is befitting for them to ask about and it is the doors to knowledge, not the back-doors of knowledge and the superfluous unnecessary matters which they have no need of. And if they do have some need of them, then it is only a slight need.

—

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

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

[Book Reco] The Explanation Of Three Fundamental Principles – Shaykh Dr. Saalih Al-Fawzaan

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

The Explanation Of Three Fundamental Principles By Shaykh Dr. Saalih Al-Fawzaan

Buy @ http://www.authenticstatements.com/the-explanation-of-three-fundamental-principles-by-shaykh-dr-saalih-al-fawzaan/

Size 6 X 9 / Pgs.384 / Softback

Publisher: Authentic Statements Publication
Translator: Raha Batts

Shaykh Saalih Al-Fawzaan said:

So these are called Usool because other than it, from the affairs of the religion, are built upon them. Due to this, they are called Usool; because the matter of the religion is built upon them and all of the religion revolves around these three principles.

This Book can be of great benefit, if it is used along with the below Lecture Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio Series|En] 

Book Study  Resources for “Three Fundamental Principles”
https://abdurrahman.org/islamic-book-study/thalaathat-ul-usool-the-three-fundamental-principles/

Hajj to Allaah’s Sacred House is an Obligatory Duty that is owed to Allaah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool-ith-Thalaathah : Lesson 32 – Part A
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

And the proof for the Hajj is:

وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النّاسِ حِجُّ البَيتِ مَنِ استَطاعَ إِلَيهِ سَبيلًا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ العالَمينَ

And Hajj to Allaah’s Sacred House is an obligatory duty that is owed to Allaah by those who have the ability to make their way there. And whoever rejects the obligation of the Hajj, then Allaah has no need of him or any of the creation. [3:97] [41]

[41] : Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan’s Explanation:

The Jews claimed that they were Muslims and that they were upon the religion of Ibraaheem, so Allaah the Majestic and Most High tested them in this aayah, and He said: 

وَلِلَّهِ عَلَى النّاسِ حِجُّ البَيتِ مَنِ استَطاعَ إِلَيهِ سَبيلًا ۚ وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ العالَمينَ

And Hajj to Allaah’s Sacred House is an obligatory duty that is owed to Allaah by those who have the ability to make their way there. And whoever rejects the obligation of the Hajj, then Allaah has no need of him or any of the creation. [3:97]

Therefore, if you are Muslims, then perform the Hajj, because Allaah has made the Hajj to the Sacred House obligatory upon the Muslims, if you do not perform it, and you refuse to perform it, then this is a proof that you are not Muslims, and you are not upon the religious way of Ibraaheem: 

وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ العالَمينَ

And whoever rejects the obligation of the Hajj, then Allaah has no need of him or any of the creation. [3:97]

وَلِلَّهِ : Meaning: this is an obligation, a rite, and a binding duty which is due for Allaah, the Perfect and Most High from mankind.

حِجُّ : Its meaning in the language is al-qasd (to head towards an intended goal). And the word Hajj in the legislation is to head towards the honourable Ka`bah and the Sacred sites (of pilgrimage) at a particular time, and to carry out specific acts of worship and they are the rites of the Hajj.

حِجُّ البَيتِ: Meaning: the Ka`bah and whatever is round about it from the sites of pilgrimage which follow on from it.

مَنِ استَطاعَ إِلَيهِ سَبيلًا : This explains the condition being obligatory, and it is bodily and monetary capability; bodily capability such that he is able to work, ride, and move from his land to Makkah from whatever place he is in upon the earth. This is the bodily capability. It excludes the person who is permanently unable, such as a person with an illness which persists, the feeble old person, and such a one who does not have the bodily ability. But if he has monetary capability, then he should deputize someone to perform the Hajj on his behalf, the obligatory Hajj of Islaam.

As for monetary capability, then it is having the transport necessary to carry him, the riding animal, the plane, or the ship, each as is appropriate to the time; and that he has wealth which is sufficient for him to seek transport to convey him for the performance of the Hajj; and also, that he has provision and money for the journey, going and returning; and for his dependence, such that they will have sufficient funds until he returns to them. So, provision means that he has sufficient funds to suffice him upon his journey, and to suffice his dependents; his children, his parents, his wife, and everyone it is obligatory to spend upon; that he gives them that which will suffice them until he gets back to them, after securing guarantees for the payments of any debts which are upon him.

So this wealth is surplus, remaining after his debts have been dealt with. So, if this is available, then this will be his ability to make his way there, “provision and transport”[1] as occurs in the hadeeth of Ibn `Abbaas radiyallaahu `anhumaa.

And whoever does not have the ability, meaning: he does not have the provision nor the transport, then the Hajj is not upon him, because he does not have the ability to do it. So the condition for the Hajj being obligatory is ability.

Since the people come to the Hajj from far away, from all the regions of the earth, and every distant place, and it requires spending, and involves some difficulty and toil, and it may bring about dangerous situations, then from the Mercy of Allaah is that He made it binding only once in a lifetime. And whatever is in addition to that is supererogatory. This is from the Mercy of Allaah the Perfect and Most High, that He did not make it obligatory upon the Muslim every year just as the Prophet sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam said:

» إن الله فرض عليكم الحج فحجوا ، « قال  الأقرع بن حابس – رضى الله عنه-  أكل سنة يا رسول الله ؟ فسكت عنه الرسول ﷺ ثم أعاد السؤال ، فسكت عنه النبي ﷺ ثم أعاد السؤال ، فقال النبي ﷺ»  لو قلت نعم لوجبت ، ولما  استطعتم ، الحج مرة واحدة ، فما زاد فهو تطوع «

«Allaah has made the Hajj obligatory upon you, so perform the Hajj.» Al-Aqra` bin Haabis radiyallaahu `anhu said: Is it every year O Messenger of Allaah? So the Messenger sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam remained silent. Then he repeated the question, and the Prophet sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam remained silent. And then he repeated the question again, and the Prophet sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam said: «If I were to say yes, it would become obligatory and you would not be able to do it. The Hajj is a single time, and whatever is in addition, then it supererogatory.»[2]

And His saying, He the Most Perfect:

وَمَن كَفَرَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ غَنِيٌّ عَنِ العالَمينَ

And whoever rejects the obligation of the Hajj, then Allaah has no need of him or any of the creation. [3:97]

It contains a proof that whoever refuses to perform the Hajj and he is able to, and he does not perform the Hajj, then he is a disbeliever, because Allaah said: «whoever rejects» meaning: whoever refuses to perform the Hajj when he is able to perform it, then he has committed kufr. [This kufr] may be kufr asghar (lesser kufr), but whoever abandons it whilst denying its obligation, then this is kufr akbar (major kufr) by consensus of the Muslims. As for a person who acknowledges its obligation, but abandons it out of laziness, then this is lesser kufr. However, if the person dies and he has wealth, then someone should perform the Hajj on his behalf using money which he has left behind, because it is the debt of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, upon him. And this aayah shows the obligation of performing Hajj, it is a pillar from the pillars of Islaam. The Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam explained that it is a pillar from the pillars of Islaam in the hadeeth of Jibreel[3] and in the hadeeth of Ibn `Umar.[4]

The Hajj was made obligatory in the nine year [after the Hijrah] upon one saying, and the Prophet sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam did not perform the Hajj in that year, rather he performed the Hajj in the year after it, in the tenth year. Why is this? This is because, he sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam:

« أرسل عليا ينادي في الناس في الموسم» : أن لا يحج بعد هذا العام مشرك ، ولا يطوف بالبيت عريان «

sent `Alee to call out to the people in the pilgrimage: «No person of shirk may perform Hajj after this year, and no naked person may perform tawaaf around the House.»[5]

So when the people of shirk and the naked people were prevented from the Hajj in the tenth year, the Prophet sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam performed the Hajj, the Farewell Hajj.

Footnotes:

[1] Reported by at-Tirmidhee (813), Ibn Maajah (2896) from a hadeeth of `Umar radiyallaahu `anhumaa, and reported by Ibn Maajah (2897) from a hadeeth of Ibn `Abbaas. [In Irwaa ul-Ghaleel, Shaykh al-Albaanee comments upon these ahaadeeth and a number of similar ahaadeeth, and judges all these narrations tracing back to the Prophet sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam) to be extremely weak and not authentic upon him sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam].

[2] Reported by Imaam Ahmad in his Musnad 4/151, Aboo Daawood (1721) and an-Nasaa`i 5/111 from a hadeeth of Ibn `Abbaas radiyallaahu `anhumaa. [Shaykh al-Albaanee declared this hadeeth as authentic].

[3] Reported by al-Bukhaaree (50) and Muslim (9,10) from a hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah radiyallaahu `anh.

[4] Reported by al-Bukhaaree (8) and Muslim (16) from a hadeeth of Ibn `Umar radiyallaahu `anh.

[5] Reported by al-Bukhaaree (369) and Muslim (1347) from a hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah radiyallaahu `anh.

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

 

Hijrah is an Obligation Upon this Nation and it Continues Until The Hour is Established – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool ath-Thalaathah : Lesson 43 (Part B) & Lesson 44 (Part A)
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

والهجرة فريضة على هذه الأمة من بلد الشرك إلى بلد الإسلام ، وهي باقية إلى أن تقوم الساعة

Hijrah, from the land of shirk to the land of Islaam, is an obligation upon this nation and it continues until the Hour is established.[64]

[64] Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan’s Explanation :

Hijrah is joined along with jihaad in Allaah’s cause and it is an obligation which remains, it is not being abrogated. It is obligatory upon every Muslim who needs to perform Hijrah that he should perform Hijrah. And it is not permissible for the Muslim to remain in the lands of kufr when he is not able to make his religion apparent; so then it is obligatory upon him to migrate to the lands of the Muslims. So it is an obligation which remains, because of his sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam saying:

لا تنقطع الهجرة حتى تنقطع التوبة ، ولا تنقطع التوبة حتى تخرج الشمس من مغرﺑﻬا

Hijrah will not be cut off until repentance is cut off and repentance will not be cut off until the sun rises from its place of setting.»[1]

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

The proof is His Saying, the Most High:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ تَوَفَّاهُمُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ ظَالِمِي أَنفُسِهِمْ قَالُوا فِيمَ كُنتُمْ ۖ قَالُوا كُنَّا مُسْتَضْعَفِينَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۚ قَالُوا أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَرْضُ اللَّهِ وَاسِعَةً فَتُهَاجِرُوا فِيهَا ۚ فَأُولَٰئِكَ مَأْوَاهُمْ جَهَنَّمُ ۖ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا

إِلَّا الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاءِ وَالْوِلْدَانِ لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ حِيلَةً وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ سَبِيلًا

فَأُولَٰئِكَ عَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَعْفُوَ عَنْهُمْ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَفُوًّا غَفُورًا

«As for those whose souls the angels take in a state of having earned Allaah’s anger, the angels will say to them:  ‘In what condition were you?’ They will say: We were weakened (by the great numbers and strength of the people of shirk) in our land.’ They will reply: ‘Was not Allaah’s earth spacious so that you could make hijrah therein? These people will find their abode in Hell and what an evil destination that is. 

Except for those who were rendered weak from the men, women and children who were unable to migrate or find a way to do so. 

As for such people, Allaah will certainly pardon them and Allaah is ever One who pardons and forgives the sins of His servants.» [4:97-99] [65]

Shaykh Fawzan quoted the 100th ayah as well :

وَمَن يُهَاجِرْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ يَجِدْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُرَاغَمًا كَثِيرًا وَسَعَةً ۚ وَمَن يَخْرُجْ مِن بَيْتِهِ مُهَاجِرًا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ثُمَّ يُدْرِكْهُ الْمَوْتُ فَقَدْ وَقَعَ أَجْرُهُ عَلَى اللَّهِ ۗ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا

He who emigrates (from his home) in the Cause of Allah, will find on earth many dwelling places and plenty to live by. And whosoever leaves his home as an emigrant unto Allah and His Messenger, and death overtakes him, his reward is then surely incumbent upon Allah. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [4:100]

[65] Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan’s Explanation :

These two aayaat contain a threat against abandoning performing the hijrah when the person is able to perform it – and that his abode will be the Hellfire – what an evil destination. Even though he does not exit from Islaam – this is from the nusoos al-wa`eed (the texts which contain a threat). So, if he abandons the hijrah, then he has abandoned something obligatory and he will be sinful. However, he does not exit from Islaam through abandonment of the hijrah, but there is a severe threat upon him.

Then, Allaah explains in the aayah after it, the excuse by which the obligation of the hijrah falls away. He, the Most High, said:

إِلَّا الْمُسْتَضْعَفِينَ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ وَالنِّسَاءِ وَالْوِلْدَانِ

«Except for those who were rendered weak from the men, the women and wildaan (children).» [4:98]

wildaan Meaning: the children.

لَا يَسْتَطِيعُونَ حِيلَةً

«Who were unable to migrate» [4:98]

They do not possess the ability.

وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ سَبِيلًا

«Or find a way to do so» [4:98]

Meaning: they do not know the way to the land – the city – because hijrah requires (a person) to make a journey, otherwise (it may be the case) that a person dies during the journey if he does not know the way.

So therefore their excuse is in two matters:

  • Firstly: Those who were not able to carry it out.
  • Secondly: Those who do not know the way.

So even if they have the financial capability, but do not have awareness of the way that they could follow, someone to guide them upon the way – this is the correct excuse. As for the person who has the capability and knows the way, then there is no excuse for him.

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

And His saying, He the Most High:

يَا عِبَادِيَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ أَرْضِي وَاسِعَةٌ فَإِيَّايَ فَاعْبُدُونِ

«O My servants who believe! Indeed My earth is spacious, so worship Me alone.» [29:56]

قال البغوي رحمه الله : سبب نزول هذه الآية في المسلمين الذين بمكة ولم يهاجروا ، ناداهم الله باسم الإيمان

al-Baghawee (rahimahullaah) said: “The reason for the sending down of this aayah concerns the Muslims who were in Makkah and did not migrate; Allaah addressed them with the title of eemaan.”

: والدليل على الهجرة من السنة قوله صلى الله عليه وسلم

» لا تنقطع الهجرة حتى تنقطع  التوبة ، ولا تنقطع التوبة حتى تطلع الشمس من مغرﺑﻬا «

The proof for the hijrah found in the Sunnah is his sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam saying:

«Hijrah will not be discontinued until repentance is discontinued, and repentance will not be discontinued until the sun rises from its place of setting.»[66]

[66] Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan’s Explanation :

This aayah is from Soorah al-`Ankaboot. It contains a command to migrate and that the earth of Allaah is spacious. So, if you are in a land where you are not able to make your religion apparent, in that case Allaah’s earth is spacious, so move away from it. Do not remain in the bad part; rather leave it and go somewhere in Allaah’s spacious earth. Allaah, the Perfect and Most High, has made the earth spacious. The proof for the hijrah found in the Sunnah is his sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam saying:

»لا تنقطع الهجرة حتى تنقطع  التوبة ، ولا تنقطع التوبة حتى تطلع الشمس من مغرﺑﻬ ا «

«Hijrah will not be discontinued until repentance is discontinued, and repentance will not be discontinued until the sun rises from its place of setting.»[2]

As for his sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam‘s saying:

» لا هجرة بعد الفتح «

«There is no migrating after the conquest (of Makkah).»[3]

What is apparent from the hadeeth is that the migrating came to an end after the conquest of Makkah. Some people think that there is a contradiction between the hadeeth and between his sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam saying:

»لا تنقطع الهجرة حتى تنقطع  التوبة ، ولا تنقطع التوبة حتى تطلع الشمس من مغرﺑﻬا«

«Hijrah will not be discontinued until repentance is discontinued, and repentance will not be discontinued until the sun rises from its place of setting.»[4]

However, the people of knowledge respond to his hadeeth (by saying) that what is meant by «there is no migrating after the conquest» is (no migrating) from Makkah, since through the conquest, it became an abode of Islaam. The people thought that migrating remained from Makkah after the conquest so they wished to attain the reward of migrating. As for migrating from the land of disbelief, then it remains until the Hour is established. The proof is the previous aayaat and the previous prophetic hadeeth. This is the response to this difficulty.

 Footnotes:

[1] Reported by Aboo Daawood no. 2479 and Ahmad from a hadeeth of Mu`aawiyyah ibn Abee Sufyaan, radiyallaahu `anhumaa.

[2] Reported by Aboo Daawood no. 2479 and Ahmad from a hadeeth of Mu`aawiyyah ibn Sufyaan, radiyallaahu `anhumaa. [It was declared saheeh by al-Albaanee].

[3] Reported by al-Bukhaaree no. 2783 and Muslim no. 1353 from a hadeeth of ibn `Abbaas, radiyallaahu `anhumaa, and reported by Muslim no. 1864 from a hadeeth of `Aa.ishah, radiyallaahu `anhaa.

[4] Reported by Aboo Daawood no. 2479 and Ahmad from a hadeeth of Mu`aawiyyah ibn Sufyaan, radiyallaahu `anhumaa. [It was declared saheeh by al-Albaanee].

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

https://abdurrahman.org/hijrah

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ : The Night Journey and the Ascent through the Heavens – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|En]

AbdurRahman.org's avatar by

Bismillaah

Sharh-ul-Usool ath-Thalaathah : Lesson 42 (Part B)
Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan | Dawud Burbank [Audio|English]

[Souncloud Audio Link] 

The Night Journey and the Ascent through the Heavens

Imaam Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhaab (rahimahullaah) said:

وبعد العشر عرج به إلى السماء ، وفرضت عليه الصلوات الخمس ، وصلى في مكة ثلاث سنين

After the ten years, he was taken up through the heavens and the five daily prayers were made obligatory upon him and he prayed in Makkah for three years. [61]

[61] : Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzan’s Explanation :

His saying «After the ten years, he was taken up through the heavens» He sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam remained for ten years upon this – forbidding shirk and calling to tawheed, laying down this foundation. Then, in the eleventh year, he was taken by night from Masjid al-Haraam (the Sacred Mosque) to Masjid al-Aqsaa (the farthest mosque, i.e. the mosque in Jerusalem).

He, the Most High, said:

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَى

«Perfect and Exalted is He who took His slave on a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the farthest mosque.» [17:1]

Whilst he sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam was sleeping in the house of Umm Haani, Jibreel `alaihissalaatu wassalaam came to him and had with him an animal called al-Buraaq, which was smaller than a mule and larger than a donkey. Its steps were as far apart as the distance which it could see. So, he `alaihissalaatu wassalaam was caused to ride upon it and he was taken to Jerusalem at night.

(أسرى) is from (السرى) which means: ‘to travel by night.’ This was something special to him sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam and from the miracles given to him `alaihissalaatu wassalaam. So there, he met the prophets in Jerusalem, then he sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam was taken up through the Heavens. Meaning: he was raised up from Jerusalem to the heavens in the company of Jibreel – and the meaning of (العروج) is ‘to ascend.’

So, he was taken on a night journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and he was taken up from Jerusalem to the heavens – meaning: Jibreel `alaihissalaam took him up and he passed by the inhabitants of the heavens. At each level, Jibreel requested that it should be opened for him until he came to the seventh heaven.

Then, he ascended over the heavens to the farthest lote tree and there Allaah spoke to him with whatever He wished from His revelation and He made obligatory upon him the five daily prayers. So, He obligated for each day and night fifty prayers. However, Moosaa `alaihissalaam advised our Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam to ask his Lord for a reduction, for his nation would not be able to bear fifty prayers in each day and night. So, Allaah’s Messenger sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam kept going back to his Lord asking for a reduction until they came to be five.

Then, Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, said, as occurs in the hadeeth of the Israa. and the Mi`raaj:

»أمضيت فريضتي ، وخففت عن عبادي ، وأجزي الحسنة عشرا«

«I have established My obligatory duty and I have made it easy upon My servants, and I will reward a good deed ten times over.»[1]

In the narration of Anas from Aboo Dharr, He said:

»هي خمس وهي خمسون«

«They are five and they are fifty.»[2]

Meaning: They are five with regards to the action and fifty in the balance (of good deeds).

Five prayers in each day and night are equal to fifty prayers upon the balance, because a good deed is rewarded with ten times its like. So a single prayer takes the place of ten prayers.

The Night Journey is mentioned at the beginning of Soorah Subhaan (the 17th soorah) [also known as] Soorah Banee Israa.eel; and the Mi`raaj is mentioned at the beginning of Sooratu-Najm:

وَلَقَدْ رَآهُ نَزْلَةً أُخْرَىٰ – عِندَ سِدْرَةِ الْمُنتَهَىٰ – عِندَهَا جَنَّةُ الْمَأْوَىٰ – إِذْ يَغْشَى السِّدْرَةَ مَا يَغْشَىٰ – مَا زَاغَ الْبَصَرُ وَمَا طَغَىٰ – لَقَدْ رَأَىٰ مِنْ آيَاتِ رَبِّهِ الْكُبْرَىٰ

«And he saw Jibreel on another occasion. By the farthest lote tree. Near it is the Garden of Refuge. When the lote tree was covered by that which covered it! His (sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam) sight did not deviate to the right or left nor did it go beyond that with which he was commanded. He certainly saw tremendous signs of his Lord.» [53:13-18]

This was with regard to the Mi`raaj.

He descended from the heaven to Jerusalem, then he returned to Makkah in the same night. So, in the morning he informed the people about that. The believers increased in eemaan, but as for the disbelievers, then their evil increased and they became happy at this and went about broadcasting it: “How can your companion claim that he went to Jerusalem and came back in a single night when we have to exert ourselves upon camels to reach it, taking a whole month to go there and a month to come back?!”

So, they made analogy between the ability of the Creator and the ability of the creation, for the Israa. and the Mi`raaj were a test from Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, for the people. The people of shirk increased in mockery and their evil and their belittlement of the Messenger sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam whereas the believers increased in eemaan.

Therefore when the people of shirk said to Aboo Bakr as–Siddeeq radiyallaahu`anhu: “Look at your companion – what he is saying!” He said: “What is he saying?” They said: “He is claiming that he went to Jerusalem (and that he was taken up through the heavens) and that he came back in a single night!” Aboo Bakr as–Siddeeq said: “If he said it, then it is just as he said. He has spoken the truth.” They said: “How can that be?” He said: “I attest to the truth of what he says with regard to something greater than that. I attest to the truth with regard to the news coming down from the heavens upon him. So, how should I not attest to the truth of what he says with regard to his being taken at night to Jerusalem?”[3]

This [night journey and ascension] came about through the ability of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic, not through the ability of the Messenger sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam. It was only through the ability of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic. This was one of the miracles given to the Messenger sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam and is a case of Allaah showing his honorable status with his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic.

It must be held as a person’s creed and belief that he sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam was taken on the Night Journey and taken up through the Heavens with his soul and his body together whilst awake and not as a dream;, because some people say: “He was taken on the Night Journey with his soul, and as for his body, then it did not go outside Makkah. And he was only taken on the Night Journey and taken up through the heavens with his soul.” This is false and futile speech. Rather he was taken on the Night Journey with his soul and his body `alaihissalaatu wassalaam and he was carried upon al-Buraaq. And this was in a state of being awake, not asleep, since if it had happened with his soul only or if it had been a dream, then what would have been the difference between it and (other) dreams?.

Whereas Allaah, the Majestic and Most High, says:

سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ

«Perfect and Exalted is He who took His `abd on a journey by night.» [17:1]

The `abd is used to apply to the soul and the body together. It is not used for just the soul alone that it be described as `abd, nor is it applied to the body alone that is an `abd. It is not used except to apply to the soul and the body combined, for He did not say: “Perfect and Exalted is He who took the soul of His `abd.” Rather He said: «…took His `abd on a journey by night.» The `abd is the combination of the soul and the body. And Allaah, the Majestic and Most High, is not rendered incapable by anything and He is the One who has full power over everything.

He (rahimahullaah) said: «And the five daily prayers were made obligatory upon him and he prayed in Makkah for three years» He used to pray them as two rak`ahs. When the Prophet sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam migrated, the four rak`ah prayers were completed and became four rak`ahs – except for Fajr prayer, for in that he lengthened the recitation so it remained as two rak`ahs just as it was, and except for the maghrib prayer, for indeed it is three from the first period when it was made obligatory, because it is the witr (prayer with the odd number of rak`ahs) of the daytime. As for the Dhuhr, `Asr and the `Ishaa prayers, then in Makkah they were two rak`ahs each but when the Prophet sallallaahu`alaihiwasallam made Hijrah, they were made complete as four rak`ahs.

As occurs in the hadeeth:

»أول ما فرضت الصلاة ركعتين فلما هاجر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم   أتمت صلاة الحضر وبقيت صلاة السفر«

«The prayer was first made obligatory as two rak`ahs, then when the Prophet sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam made Hijrah, the prayer for the resident was completed and the prayer of the traveler remained as it was.»[4]

This is by consensus of the people of knowledge, that the prayer was obligatory in Makkah and that the Prophet sallallaahu`alaihi wa sallam prayed it in Makkah. However, they differ about whether it was made obligatory three years before the Hijrah.

This is what is more correct, just as the Shaykh mentioned here. Or it is otherwise said that it was made obligatory five years before the Hijrah, or it is said one year before the Hijrah, or it is said a year and a half. However the most correct saying is what the Shaykh mentioned is that it was three years before the Hijrah.

And was anything else from the pillars of Islaam made obligatory along with the prayer? This is an area of disagreement amongst the scholars; some of them held that the Zakaat was also made obligatory in Makkah, and that only its applicable limits, its amounts and those eligible to receive it were made clear in al-Madeenah. But as for the origin of its being made obligatory, then that was in Makkah.

And the proof is His saying, He the Most High:

وَآتُوا حَقَّهُ يَوْمَ حَصَادِهِ

«And give the right due from the crops on the day when it is harvested.» [6:141]

The meaning of the «due» here is the Zakaat. And the whole soorah came down in Makkah.

And likewise in His statement:

وَالَّذِينَ فِي أَمْوَالِهِمْ حَقٌّ مَّعْلُومٌ – لِّلسَّائِلِ وَالْمَحْرُومِ

«And those whose wealth has a known portion for the beggar who asks and for the deprived.» [70:24-25]

This soorah also came down in Makkah. And what is meant by the «known portion» is the Zakaat. So, it was in origin made obligatory in Makkah, however, its details were made clear in al-Madeenah. This is one saying.

The second saying: what is apparent from the speech of the Shaykh here, is that the Zakaat was only made obligatory in al-Madeenah and nothing was made obligatory in Makkah, except for the first pillar which is tawheed and the second pillar which is the prayer. This is what is apparent from the speech of the Shaykh.

Footnotes:

[1] Reported by al-Bukhaaree no. 3208 and no. 3887 as a hadeeth of Maalik ibn Sa`sa`ah and it is a long hadeeth containing the story of the Mi`raaj (the Ascent through the Heavens).

[2] Reported by al-Bukhaaree no. 349 as a hadeeth of Anas from Aboo Dharr, radiyallaahu `anhumaa.

[3] [Reported by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak 3/65 no. 4407 as a hadeeth of `Aa.ishah radiyallaahu`anhaa. [Declared saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaanee in as–Saheehah no. 306].

[4] Reported by al-Bukhaaree no. 350 and Muslim no. 685 as a hadeeth of `Aa.ishah radiyallaahu `anhaa.

—

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

—

Listen to the Full Audio Series:
Sharh Usool-ith-Thalaathah – Shaykh Fawzan | Dawud Burbank

Book Study Resources – Three Fundamental Principles

Related Links:

https://abdurrahman.org/muhammad

https://abdurrahman.org/category/islam/israa-wa-miraaj

AbdurRahman.Org : Islamic Knowledge – Islam, Sunnah, Salafiyyah