anam
1st June 2008, 05:08 PM
We believe in what our pious predecessors from the first centuries were upon, in totality and in all the details.
So we are upon the statement of Ahl As Sunnah Wal Jamm'ah in the issues of Iman between the Murji'ah and the khawarij. So we say Faith is statement and action and intention and Sunnah, and likewise Kufr is statement and action.
And that Iman has levels and branches, and it is upon various degrees, and we exclude [people] from complete Iman. And from disbelief is the greater disbelief and the lesser disbelief. And the statement that, ''the kufr of action is always lesser kufr, and the kufr in belief is always greater kufr'' is an innovative statement. So from the kufr of action is the greater kufr and the lesser kufr, and from the kufr of belief is the greater kufr and the lesser kufr.
And we believe the statement that ''Indeed a human does not disbelieve except through denial of the heart'' is an innovative statement from teh statements of the murji'ah, as denial can be with action, just as it can be [committed] with the heart. And we believe the apparent actions are an indication of what is hidden. So action in the belief of Ahl Al Sunnah is will and abilty, for where there is an action, there is consent [to that action], except in the case of coercion.
And we believe Kufr [is of two types] -disbelief due to ignorance, and diebelief due to rejection. And we believe that the majority of disbelief of the people is in the stobbornness and rejection, and this is the Kufr that the Messenger of Alaah fought the people upon. And the Kufr of the denominations was generally in the acts of worship-
and they are sacrifice, loyalty, disavowal, judgment, and legislation.
And we believe that the foundation of the religion is one-and it is to single out the Lord in worship, and it is the Religion of Islam, even if the shara'i [legislations] differ.
Indeed we are a brotherhood of Prophets, our Religion is one.[9]
And we believe that division and following the Mutashabihat [10] instead of the Muhkamat, [11] and desire in place of the sound guidance is from the signs of the people of innovation. [12]
And we believe that innovation is not one degree. From it is that which is pure, unadulterated kufr, like the Jahili innovations, for example the statement of Allaah:
And they assign to Allaah a share of the tilth and cattle which He has created, and they say: ''This is for Allaah according to their pretending, and this us for our partners.'' [13]
And His statement:
And they say: ''What is in the bellies of such and such cattle is for our males alone, and forbidden to our females, but if it is born dead, then all have shares therein.'' [14]
And His statement:
Allaah has not instituted things like Bahirah or a Sa'ibah or a Wasilah or a Ham [15]
And likewise the innovation of the hypocrites in their taking the Religion as a pretext to protect themselves and their wealth.
And from it are the acts of disobedience that are not Kufr, or wether the Kufr or not is differed upon; like the innovation of the Khawarij and the Qadariyyah and the Murji'ah and those similar to them from amongst the deviant sects.
And from it is that which is disobedience that is agreed upon is not kufr, like the innovation of celibacy, and fasting while standing in the sun, and castration with the intention of cutting off the desire for intercourse.
And from it is that which is disliked, like gathering to make du'a the night of 'Arafah, and mentioning the rulers in the Friday sermon.
And in relation to the Names and Attributes of Allaah, we believe in what the righteous predecessors were upon, and their belief is between that of the Mu'attilah [16] and that of the Mushabbihah. [17]
And we are between the Murji'ah and the khawarij in the subject of the Promise and Threat [of Allaah] -and His Promise and his Warnings are Haqq-all of them. And if the Muslim disobeys [Allaah] and does not repent a sincere and truthfull repentence, then he is entrusted to the Mercy of Allaah. If He wishes, He Will punish him, and if He wished, He will forgive him.
And we believe everything the Messenger of Allaah came with relating to the Unseen-like Paradise, Hellfire, the Throne, the Footstool, the Bridge, the Balance, the Gathering, and the punishment of the grave-are Haqq.
And in the matter of Divine Preordainment, we are between the Jabariyyah [18] and the Qadariyyah, [19] so our actions and our will are both created, and the human being is an actor whose actions and will are attributed to him, and he carried out his actions in truth [i.e out of his own will].
And the Dunya is the place of means whose abandonment is not permissable so long as one has the ability to perform them. And relying upon them is shirk, and leaving them is disobedience, and not acknowledging them is Zandaqah. [20]
And we believe that any party that is united upon a principle other than Islam is a party of apostacy and disbelief, like the nationalistic parties and the patriotic, communist, Ba'ath, secular and democratic ones. And that the call of there being no difference between Muslims and the Kafir under the pretext of citizenship is a false call from the days of ignorance and likewise are the calls to differentiate [people] based on blood or country, as is the state of the nations now.
And we believe that the statement ''Establish the Islamic State in your breasts and it will be established for you in your land'' has a Jabari, Irja'i meaning to those who state it.
And we believe that the Diving Promises in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger are commandments to the Muslims to undertake the means for them and to strive to achieve them.
And we believe that if the Mufti is upon the whim of the ruler, and issues verdicts in accordance with that [the ruler] whishes even if it opposes the Shar'iah, and goes however he goes, and he justifies the ruler's deeds to him and assists him in truth or in falsehood, he is a disbeliever and apostate.
As for the Scholors and Shuyukh who assume positions [working for] groups of apostacy, then they are different divisions.
1] One group who were decieved by the taghoot as to his situation, and he hid his affair from them. And they are a group excused with Allaah [swt]
2] A group that knows the state of the taghoot, but they desired to lessen his evil, and to acheive good for the people of truth and for the religion, so they are rewarded.
3] Agroup that knows the state of the taghoot,, and they allied with him and assisted him and defended him and falsified the religion for the people, and were silent about the knowledge Allaah has given them in service to the taghoot, seeking his dunya and leadership. So the are disbelievers and apostates. And related to this topic, and Allaah knows what his hidden but is upon us only to judge by the apparent and by the indication of [one's] state.
And we believe that whoever took a religion other than Islaam is a disbeliever, wether or not the message reached him. And he is a disbeliever due to stubbornness and regection. And the one who the message did not reach is a disbeliever due to ignorance
and anyone entering Islam by certainty cannot leave except by certainty and a man's entering into kufr is quicker than his entering into Islam.
And we believe that the legislations of Islam are branches of Iman. He who abandons one of the obligations has left Iman, though the ruling of Islam remains upon him. And if the servant comes with one of the nullifiers of Islam, the ramaining branches do not benefit him if they are present.
And we dont not make absolute Takfir due to [a person committing] an act of disobedience, or sins, or major sins. And from the [acts of] disobedience are those acts which are clear kufr, like cursing the Prophets and scorning their Religion.
And we love the companions of the Prophet, and we curse those who hate them.
And we believe that the implementing the Shar'i rulings has no relation to the foundation of the Religion. And we do not perfrom Takfir of any one of the Muslims who had an Ijtihad or Ta'wil who does not nullify the covenant of commitment. And there is no correlation between error and sin, just as there is no correlation between Kufr by category [of the action] and the Kufr of the individual.
And we believe that the advancement and the retardation of the Muslims is contingent on the decrease of faith or its clarity. in knowledge and in action.
And the laws of the Muslims ruled with the laws of kufr are lands that join between two characterizations- a characterization of being a land of Kufr, and characterization of being a land of Islam- meaning each one in it is [treated] according to what he is. So the Muslim is a Muslim, and the Kafir is a Kafir. And the principle ruling [about these lands] is that their people are Muslim, irrespective of whether there are those whose [states] are known or those whose states are hidden.
And we believe that the Victorious Party is a party of 'Ilm and Jihad.
And all praise is due to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds.
-------------------------------------
Translators notes:
[9] Agreed upon
[10] Al-Mutashabihat are those verses that are not clear in meaning by themselves, and must be understood in the light of the Muhkam verses. From the Mutashabihat are Verses whose meanings are understood by the scholors, and from them are verses whose meanings are are understood by Allaah Alone.
[11] Al- Muhkamat are those verses that are clear in meaning , and cannot be distorted or misunderstood. They make up the bulk of the Qur'an.
[12] Al Bukhari narrated that A'ishah, May Allaah be pleased with her, said: ''The Messenger of Allaah recited this verse, 'It is He who has sent down to you the book. In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the book; and others not entirely clear. So as for those whose hearts there is a deviation [from the truth] they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking AL-Fitnah and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allaah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say; ''We believe in it; the whole of it [clear and unclear Verses] are from our Lord.'' And none recieve admonition except men of understanding.' [Al-Imran; 7]. She said, ''The messenger of Allaah [sws] said, 'So if you see those who follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, then they are those whom Allaah has named [as having deviation from the truth], so beware of them.'' -Al Bukhari vol 6 book num. 70
[13] Al- An'am;136
[14] Al- An'am; 139
[15] Al- Ma'idah; 103
[16] The Mu'attilah are those who negate some or all of Allaah's Names and Attributes, and strip Him of them by denying their existence as qualities possessed by Allaah Ta'ala.
[17] The Mushabbihah are those who exceeded the limits with regard to affirmation of Allaah's Attributes to the level that they compare the Creator's Atributes to those of creation.
[18] The Jabariyyah hold the belief that people have no free will, and are therefore not responsible for their actions.
[19] The Qadariyyah are thise who deny Al-Qadar, and say that man has an independent will, and he independently causes his actions, whether good or bad, and that they are not caused by the Will of Allaah. Glorified and Exalted be Allaah far above anything happening in His dominion without His Will!
[20] What is being stated here is that the Dunya is a place in which means are taken to fulfill ends, and precautions are taken to avoid harms. We don't just say we trust everything will be fine and not take any actions to make this happen. The Shaykh then mentions that relying upon these means is Shirk. He is explaining that if someone performs a means or takes a precaution, then he believes that these things themselves help the person, and it is not Allaah that helps through these things, then this is Shirk. He explains that abandoning these precautions is an act of disobedience and that denying their reality is Zandaqah
[21] Al -Ma'idah;28
[other translators notes plus the rest of this book can be found on the net-forgive any mistakes]
So we are upon the statement of Ahl As Sunnah Wal Jamm'ah in the issues of Iman between the Murji'ah and the khawarij. So we say Faith is statement and action and intention and Sunnah, and likewise Kufr is statement and action.
And that Iman has levels and branches, and it is upon various degrees, and we exclude [people] from complete Iman. And from disbelief is the greater disbelief and the lesser disbelief. And the statement that, ''the kufr of action is always lesser kufr, and the kufr in belief is always greater kufr'' is an innovative statement. So from the kufr of action is the greater kufr and the lesser kufr, and from the kufr of belief is the greater kufr and the lesser kufr.
And we believe the statement that ''Indeed a human does not disbelieve except through denial of the heart'' is an innovative statement from teh statements of the murji'ah, as denial can be with action, just as it can be [committed] with the heart. And we believe the apparent actions are an indication of what is hidden. So action in the belief of Ahl Al Sunnah is will and abilty, for where there is an action, there is consent [to that action], except in the case of coercion.
And we believe Kufr [is of two types] -disbelief due to ignorance, and diebelief due to rejection. And we believe that the majority of disbelief of the people is in the stobbornness and rejection, and this is the Kufr that the Messenger of Alaah fought the people upon. And the Kufr of the denominations was generally in the acts of worship-
and they are sacrifice, loyalty, disavowal, judgment, and legislation.
And we believe that the foundation of the religion is one-and it is to single out the Lord in worship, and it is the Religion of Islam, even if the shara'i [legislations] differ.
Indeed we are a brotherhood of Prophets, our Religion is one.[9]
And we believe that division and following the Mutashabihat [10] instead of the Muhkamat, [11] and desire in place of the sound guidance is from the signs of the people of innovation. [12]
And we believe that innovation is not one degree. From it is that which is pure, unadulterated kufr, like the Jahili innovations, for example the statement of Allaah:
And they assign to Allaah a share of the tilth and cattle which He has created, and they say: ''This is for Allaah according to their pretending, and this us for our partners.'' [13]
And His statement:
And they say: ''What is in the bellies of such and such cattle is for our males alone, and forbidden to our females, but if it is born dead, then all have shares therein.'' [14]
And His statement:
Allaah has not instituted things like Bahirah or a Sa'ibah or a Wasilah or a Ham [15]
And likewise the innovation of the hypocrites in their taking the Religion as a pretext to protect themselves and their wealth.
And from it are the acts of disobedience that are not Kufr, or wether the Kufr or not is differed upon; like the innovation of the Khawarij and the Qadariyyah and the Murji'ah and those similar to them from amongst the deviant sects.
And from it is that which is disobedience that is agreed upon is not kufr, like the innovation of celibacy, and fasting while standing in the sun, and castration with the intention of cutting off the desire for intercourse.
And from it is that which is disliked, like gathering to make du'a the night of 'Arafah, and mentioning the rulers in the Friday sermon.
And in relation to the Names and Attributes of Allaah, we believe in what the righteous predecessors were upon, and their belief is between that of the Mu'attilah [16] and that of the Mushabbihah. [17]
And we are between the Murji'ah and the khawarij in the subject of the Promise and Threat [of Allaah] -and His Promise and his Warnings are Haqq-all of them. And if the Muslim disobeys [Allaah] and does not repent a sincere and truthfull repentence, then he is entrusted to the Mercy of Allaah. If He wishes, He Will punish him, and if He wished, He will forgive him.
And we believe everything the Messenger of Allaah came with relating to the Unseen-like Paradise, Hellfire, the Throne, the Footstool, the Bridge, the Balance, the Gathering, and the punishment of the grave-are Haqq.
And in the matter of Divine Preordainment, we are between the Jabariyyah [18] and the Qadariyyah, [19] so our actions and our will are both created, and the human being is an actor whose actions and will are attributed to him, and he carried out his actions in truth [i.e out of his own will].
And the Dunya is the place of means whose abandonment is not permissable so long as one has the ability to perform them. And relying upon them is shirk, and leaving them is disobedience, and not acknowledging them is Zandaqah. [20]
And we believe that any party that is united upon a principle other than Islam is a party of apostacy and disbelief, like the nationalistic parties and the patriotic, communist, Ba'ath, secular and democratic ones. And that the call of there being no difference between Muslims and the Kafir under the pretext of citizenship is a false call from the days of ignorance and likewise are the calls to differentiate [people] based on blood or country, as is the state of the nations now.
And we believe that the statement ''Establish the Islamic State in your breasts and it will be established for you in your land'' has a Jabari, Irja'i meaning to those who state it.
And we believe that the Diving Promises in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger are commandments to the Muslims to undertake the means for them and to strive to achieve them.
And we believe that if the Mufti is upon the whim of the ruler, and issues verdicts in accordance with that [the ruler] whishes even if it opposes the Shar'iah, and goes however he goes, and he justifies the ruler's deeds to him and assists him in truth or in falsehood, he is a disbeliever and apostate.
As for the Scholors and Shuyukh who assume positions [working for] groups of apostacy, then they are different divisions.
1] One group who were decieved by the taghoot as to his situation, and he hid his affair from them. And they are a group excused with Allaah [swt]
2] A group that knows the state of the taghoot, but they desired to lessen his evil, and to acheive good for the people of truth and for the religion, so they are rewarded.
3] Agroup that knows the state of the taghoot,, and they allied with him and assisted him and defended him and falsified the religion for the people, and were silent about the knowledge Allaah has given them in service to the taghoot, seeking his dunya and leadership. So the are disbelievers and apostates. And related to this topic, and Allaah knows what his hidden but is upon us only to judge by the apparent and by the indication of [one's] state.
And we believe that whoever took a religion other than Islaam is a disbeliever, wether or not the message reached him. And he is a disbeliever due to stubbornness and regection. And the one who the message did not reach is a disbeliever due to ignorance
and anyone entering Islam by certainty cannot leave except by certainty and a man's entering into kufr is quicker than his entering into Islam.
And we believe that the legislations of Islam are branches of Iman. He who abandons one of the obligations has left Iman, though the ruling of Islam remains upon him. And if the servant comes with one of the nullifiers of Islam, the ramaining branches do not benefit him if they are present.
And we dont not make absolute Takfir due to [a person committing] an act of disobedience, or sins, or major sins. And from the [acts of] disobedience are those acts which are clear kufr, like cursing the Prophets and scorning their Religion.
And we love the companions of the Prophet, and we curse those who hate them.
And we believe that the implementing the Shar'i rulings has no relation to the foundation of the Religion. And we do not perfrom Takfir of any one of the Muslims who had an Ijtihad or Ta'wil who does not nullify the covenant of commitment. And there is no correlation between error and sin, just as there is no correlation between Kufr by category [of the action] and the Kufr of the individual.
And we believe that the advancement and the retardation of the Muslims is contingent on the decrease of faith or its clarity. in knowledge and in action.
And the laws of the Muslims ruled with the laws of kufr are lands that join between two characterizations- a characterization of being a land of Kufr, and characterization of being a land of Islam- meaning each one in it is [treated] according to what he is. So the Muslim is a Muslim, and the Kafir is a Kafir. And the principle ruling [about these lands] is that their people are Muslim, irrespective of whether there are those whose [states] are known or those whose states are hidden.
And we believe that the Victorious Party is a party of 'Ilm and Jihad.
And all praise is due to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds.
-------------------------------------
Translators notes:
[9] Agreed upon
[10] Al-Mutashabihat are those verses that are not clear in meaning by themselves, and must be understood in the light of the Muhkam verses. From the Mutashabihat are Verses whose meanings are understood by the scholors, and from them are verses whose meanings are are understood by Allaah Alone.
[11] Al- Muhkamat are those verses that are clear in meaning , and cannot be distorted or misunderstood. They make up the bulk of the Qur'an.
[12] Al Bukhari narrated that A'ishah, May Allaah be pleased with her, said: ''The Messenger of Allaah recited this verse, 'It is He who has sent down to you the book. In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the book; and others not entirely clear. So as for those whose hearts there is a deviation [from the truth] they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking AL-Fitnah and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allaah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say; ''We believe in it; the whole of it [clear and unclear Verses] are from our Lord.'' And none recieve admonition except men of understanding.' [Al-Imran; 7]. She said, ''The messenger of Allaah [sws] said, 'So if you see those who follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, then they are those whom Allaah has named [as having deviation from the truth], so beware of them.'' -Al Bukhari vol 6 book num. 70
[13] Al- An'am;136
[14] Al- An'am; 139
[15] Al- Ma'idah; 103
[16] The Mu'attilah are those who negate some or all of Allaah's Names and Attributes, and strip Him of them by denying their existence as qualities possessed by Allaah Ta'ala.
[17] The Mushabbihah are those who exceeded the limits with regard to affirmation of Allaah's Attributes to the level that they compare the Creator's Atributes to those of creation.
[18] The Jabariyyah hold the belief that people have no free will, and are therefore not responsible for their actions.
[19] The Qadariyyah are thise who deny Al-Qadar, and say that man has an independent will, and he independently causes his actions, whether good or bad, and that they are not caused by the Will of Allaah. Glorified and Exalted be Allaah far above anything happening in His dominion without His Will!
[20] What is being stated here is that the Dunya is a place in which means are taken to fulfill ends, and precautions are taken to avoid harms. We don't just say we trust everything will be fine and not take any actions to make this happen. The Shaykh then mentions that relying upon these means is Shirk. He is explaining that if someone performs a means or takes a precaution, then he believes that these things themselves help the person, and it is not Allaah that helps through these things, then this is Shirk. He explains that abandoning these precautions is an act of disobedience and that denying their reality is Zandaqah
[21] Al -Ma'idah;28
[other translators notes plus the rest of this book can be found on the net-forgive any mistakes]