Ibn Nasir’s turn from Ash’arism to Hanbalism

Ibn Nâsir, Abu’l-Fadl – The close and dear teacher of Ibn al-Jawziy and His turning away from Ash’arism to Sunnism

This is what I translated some time back, but I never reviewed the translation carefully. Most of it is good, Insha’Allah, except that I still am to literal in my translations. If I have time, I will adjust it at a later date.

It is interesting to note, dear brethren, that Ibn Nâsir is one out of several scholars who turned away from the doctrines of al-Ash’ari and his followers and became orthodox in their views.

It is also interesting to see that scholars of the past recognized the dilemma wherein the Shafi’ites were, i.e. being followers of a Madhhab in jurisprudence in agreement with orthodoxy but differing with the Imam of their Madhhab – Imam al-Shafi’i – when it comes to credal beliefs. I mentioned Ibn Hubayrah before, the famous Hanbalite Wazir, who expressed something alike.

May Allah make all those who have wrong beliefs turn to what is right. Amin.

“Ibn Nâsir heard a lot. And he is a Shafi’ite-Ash’ari, but then switched to the Madhhab of Ahmad in creed and jurisprudence and he died upon that.” A statement of the Hafidh Abu Tahir al-Silafi.

Ibn Rajab relates in his Dhail Tabaqât al-Hanâbilah the following in the biography of Abu Mansûr al-Khayyât:

‘I read to: Abu Hafs ‘Umar b. Hasan al-Mizzi. You have been informed by Isma’il b. Abd al-Rahman al-Farrâ’: We have been informed by the Imam Abu Muhammad Abdallah b. Ahmad al-Maqdisi who said: I read to Abu Abdallah Muzaffar b. Abi Nasr al-Bawwâb and his son Abu Muhammad Abdallah b. Muzaffar in Baghdad. I said to the both of them:

You have been informed by the Imam, the Hâfidh Abu’l-Fadl Muhammad b. Nâsir who said:

I use to listen to the jurisprudents in the Nizâmiyyah who were saying with regard the Qur’an: “A meaning present in the Essence (ma’nâ qâ’im bi’l-dhât), while the etters and the sounds (al-hurûf wa’l-aswât) are expressions and significations (‘ibârât wa-dalâlât) of the Eternal Speech, present in the Self,” consequently, something of that rendered into my heart untill I became to say their saying in agreement [with them in this innovated doctrine].

I used to call upon Allah, the Exalted, whenever I prayed, to ask Him to make me love the views (madhâhib) and beliefs which are His. I stayed in such a state for a long time, saying: “O Allah, make me to love the doctrines which are Yours and which are close to You!”

When the first night of Rajab was in the year 494, I saw in a dream as if I came to the Mosque of the Shaykh Abu Mansûr al-Khayyât while people were assembled at the door and they were saying: “Verily, the Prophet may Allah send prayers and salutions upon him, is with the Shaykh Abu Mansûr!”

So I entered the Mosque and had my focus for the Zâwiyyah (i.e. place of retreat) which use to be were the Shaykh Abu Mansûr sat, but I saw that he [just] left from the Zâwiyyah and sat in front of a person.

I have not seen an individual better than him (i.e. this person), according to the desciption of the Prophet, may Allah send prayers and salutions upon him, who has been described to us. He wore a garment, I have never seen a whiter one than it! And upon his head was a turban, a white one. And the Shaykh Abu Mansûr was facing [him] directly.

I entered and saluted, and he (i.e. Abu Mansur) returned to me the greeting. But I did not realize who the respondent was, because of my astonishment of visioning the Prophet, may Allah send prayers and salutions upon him.

So I sat in front of them and turned to the Prophet, the peace and prayers upon him, alone so to ask him about something or I started speaking, and he said to me: “Upon you is the Madhhab (or doctrine) of this Shaykh. Upon you is the Madhhab of this Shaykh. Upon you is the Madhhab of this Shaykh.”

The Hafidh Abu’l-Fadl said:

“And I swear by Allah, threefold! And I call Allah as my Witness! Indeed, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah send prayers and peace upon him, said that to me three times. And in each time he pointed by his right hand to the Shaykh Abu Mansûr!”

I then woke up and my limbs shivered. So I called for my mother, Râbi’a, daughter of al-Shaykh Abu Hakîm al-Hibri, and I related to her what I saw. So she said: “O my son, this is an inspiring dream (manâmu wahy)!” So I trusted it.

Then I set out early in the morning for the prayer behind the Shaykh Abu Mansûr. After we’ve prayed the Morning prayer I told him the dream, after which his eyes evoked tears and his heart became moved.

He said to me: “O my son! The Madhhab of al-Shâfi’I is good (hasan). So be upon the Madhhab of al-Shafi’i matters of jurisprudence (al-furû’) and upon the Madhhab of Ahmad and the Ashâb al-Hadith in matters of creed (al-usûl).”

I said then to him: “O my master, I do not want to be two-coloured! And I call Allah as a Witness, and His Angels, and His Prophets, and I testify to you that I – from this day on – do not profess nor worship Allah nor rely on anything but the Madhhab of Ahmad in matters of creed ( al-usûl) and jurisprudence!”

The Shaykh Abu Mansûr then kissed my head and said: “May Allah make you succesful”, so I kissed his hand.’

[End of Ibn Rajab’s narration from the Dhayl in the biography of Abu Mansur al-Khayyat, the famous Qur’an-reader]

In the biography of the Hafidh Ibn Nâsir himself, where he refers to this dream and the major consequences it brought for the first and longtime teacher of Ibn al-Jawziy, Ibn Rajab relates from Ibn al-Najjâr who cited the dream too but in a summary the following words as additional info from the Hafidh:

“Then I took hearings of the books of Ahmad and his Masâ’il, and studying Fiqh according to his Madhhab. This happened in Ramadhan, in the year [4]93.”

Ibn Nâsir lived from 467 till 550. May Allah have Mercy upon him.

End.

The Salaf’s Rejection of Tashbih & Tamthil – together with Affirming the Attributes against Ta’wil & Ta’til

It is said by some that the Salaf al-Salih did not affirm Attributes such as Hand, Eye, Face, Rising and its like, while declaring at the same time that these Attributes are unlike ours. This claim is made do impugn the Madhhab of the Ahl al-Sunnah who affirm the Attributes without likening them, saying that is a formulation innovated by later generations.

The statements mentioned below from the Salaf al-Salih refute this clearly, since as we can see they affirmed Attributes while rejecting at the same instance likeness and similarity. This happened way before the Sunnites repeated such statements.

The Imams Ahmad b. Hanbal and Ishaq b. Rahawayh are two of the earliest scholars from the Salaf al-Salih who affirmed the Attributes of Allah, while at the same time declaring remoteness (tanzîh) of Him by denying similarity.

Ishaq b. Rahawayh stated:

“al-Tashbih is only when one says: ‘A Hand, like my hand’ or ‘..similar to my hand’. Or ‘Hearing, like my hearing’ or ‘..similar to my hearing’. This is Tashbih. However, if it is said as Allah, the Exalted, said: Hand, Hearing and Seeing, and he does not say ‘how’ nor does he say ‘Like hearing’ nor ‘As hearing’, then this is not Tashbih with Him. Allah, the Exalted, said: {Nothing is like Him, and He is Al-Hearing and Al-Seeing}.”

[Source: Abu 'Isa al-Tirmidhi, Sunan; Kitab al-Zakat 3:51. Its also related by al-Dhahabi in al-'Uluww p.120-121, Ibn al-Qayyim in al-Ijtima' p.96 and others]

Ahmad b. Hanbal was once asked about the Mushabbihah and what they profess, so he answered:

“Whosoever says: ‘A Seeing, like my seeing’ and ‘A Hand, like my hand’ and ‘A Feet, like my feet’ then he has resembled Allah! {Nothing is like Him, and He is Al-Hearing and Al-Seeing}.”

[Source: Abu Ya'la b. al-Farrâ', al-Ibtal 1:43-45 and others]

There are many statements of the Salaf which are in rejection and condemnation of the Mushabbihah and the Mujassimah.

A scholar from the Salaf who lived before them and said something similar was the Imam Hammad b. Zayd from Basra who died in 179 AH. He said:

“He Descends a Descending worthy to His Rububiyyah, without how. Without that His Descending is similar to the descend of the creation; without Tashbih and Ta’til. Exonerated is He above what the Mu’attilah say concerning His Attributes and the Mushabbihah with reference to it: High and Great He is!”

[Source: al-Alûsi mentioned it in Jalâ' al-'Aynayn p.352 and something similar has been mentioned in the 'Aqidat Ashab al-Hadith of Abu 'Uthmân al-Sabuni, on the authority of some Salaf without naming Hammad b. Zayd]

Imam Abu Zur’ah al-Razi, the student of Ahmad and Ishaq, was aksed on the saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic {You know what’s in my soul, and I don’t know what’s in Your Soul}, so he said:

“It is not said a ‘Soul like a soul’, cause that is unbelief. He said {What I’ve created with My Two Hands}. Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, created Adam by His Hand, and it is not said a ‘Hand similar to a hand’ nor a ‘Hand like a hand’, cause that is unbelief. Rather, we believe in all of it [without Tashbih].”

[Source: Ibn Mandah, Kitab al-Tawhid p.331]

---

Another very early source, Ibn Qutaybah d.276, stated:“We do not say ‘Fingers like our fingers’, nor ‘Hand like our hands’, nor ‘Grasp like our grasps’, for everything from Him, the Mighty and Majestic, is not resembled to anything from us.”[Source: Ibn Qutaybah, Ta'wil Mukhtalif al-Hadith p.190]Imam Ahmad was once asked about the Ascending (al-istiwa’), so he answered by saying:

“Ascending is as been mentioned, not as one conceptualize for the humans!”

[Source: Mar'i b. Yusuf al-Karmi, Aqawil al-Thiqat p.121 and others]

The Qadi Abu Yusuf, who is an early teacher of Imam Ahmad, said in meaning that Allah’s Attributes are unlike other attributes. He said literally,

“Allah Ordered us to declare Him One and al-Tawhid is not subjected to analogy (al-qiyâs), cause analogy is applicable to something that has a likeness or similarity. And Allah has no like nor one similar {Blessed is Allah, the best of Creators} [Surah al-Mu’minun:14]..” until he, rahimahullah, says: “and how can one perceive Him by analogy while He, the Exalted, is the Creator of the creation as opposed to the creation [itself]?! Nothing is like Him, the Blessed and Exalted.”

[Source: Abu’l-Qasim al-Taymi, al-Hujjah fi Bayân al-Mahajjah 1:113]

We can conclude this by saying that the Salaf al-Salih already affirmed the Attributes mentioned in reports while at the same time denying similarity. This is not something characteristic of Sunnites of today.

 Imam al-Bukhari said:
 

“In this there is proof that Allah’s Voice does not resemble the voice of the creation, because the Voice of Allah – may His remembrance be Exalted! – is heard from far as it is heard from near, and that the Angels fall unconscious upon hearing His Voice. If the angels were to call, they would not fall unconscious. And Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said {Do not set up equals for Allah}. There is no equal or similar for an Attribute of Allah, the Exalted, nor is there found anything from His Attributes among the created beings!”

[Source: Muhammad b. Isma'il al-Bukhari, Khalq Af'al al-'Ibâd p.182]

The Attributes of Allah are taken upon the Apparent

On the Haqiqah & Dhahir

The Attributes are to be taken upon their Haqiqah and according their Dhahir meaning (‘ala’l-haqîqa wa-’ala’l-dhâhir)

Abu’l-Hasan al-Ash’ari (d.324), a theologian to whom many claim affiliation, believes that the Attributes are to be taken – as the Salaf opinioned – upon their literal, real meaning: ‘ala’l-haqîqah. And one should profess them as they are, according to its apparent sense: ‘ala dhâhir. The meaning of this terminology will reveal itself in the course of documenting the words of scholars who advocated this as their doctrine and that of the Salaf, the pious predecessors. Let us start with this Imam.

Al-Ash’ari said in his book al-Risâlah ilâ Ahl al-Thagr, which he wrote to a community, the following under the subtitle ‘The Third Agreement [of the Salaf and the Khalaf from Ahl al-Sunnah]:

“And their agreement necessitates in that matter (i.e. that of affirming the Attributes of Allah) an agreement in the reality of the Living, the Al-Power and the Al-Knower (haqîqat al-hayy al-qâdir al-‘âlim). And their agreement with regard to the reality (or actuality) of that (fi-haqîqat dhalik) does not necessitates Tashbîh (resemblance) between them. Do you not see that the Creator, the Mighty and Majestic, described that He is existent and described man by that which does not necessitates Tashbîh between them? And if it has agreed with regard to the reality of the existence and therefore its necessary that there is Tashbîh between them as a consequence of that, then it’s also necessary that there is Tashbîh between blackness and whiteness because they are two existents! Since its not necessary that there is Tashbîh between them – even if they have agreed upon the reality of existence – then it is [also] not necessary that to describe the Creator, the Mighty and Majestic, that He’s Alive, Knowing and Powerful and describing man likewise is [a form of] Tashbîh of them. Even if they have agreed upon that reality of theirs..”

And he, rahimahullah, said in ‘The Fifth Agreement’:

“They have agreed upon that His Attribute, the Mighty and Majestic, is not similar with the attributes of the contingent beings as His Soul is not similar to the souls of the contingent beings. And they have argued concerning that by the fact that if He, the Mighty and Majestic, had not these Attributes than He would not be described (mawsuf) by any thing in reality (fi’l-haqîqa), from the point that if one has no ‘life’ than he can not be ‘living’ and one who has no ‘knowledge’ than he can not be ‘knowledgeable’ in reality (fi’l-haqîqa), and one who has no ‘power’ than he can’t be ‘powerful’ in reality (fi’l-haqîqa); and likewise this condition counts for the rest of the Attributes. Don’t you see that who has no action is not active in reality (fi’l-haqîqa)? And one who has no righteousness is not righteous [in reality]? And one who has no speech is not a speaker in reality (fi’l-haqîqa)? And one who has no will in reality (fi’l-haqîqa) is not a willer? And whoever has been described by something of that with the absence of attributes, which necessitates these attributes to it, may not lay claim on that in reality (la-yakun mustahiqqan li-dhalik fi’l-haqîqa). Rather his ascription to it is figuratively or lied (majâzan aw kidhban)!”

And he provides more evidence than this concerning the fact that the Attributes of Allah, the Exalted, are to be taken ‘ala’l-haqîqa – ending his epistle with:

“And these principles (usûl) are the ones which the predecessors went upon, and they followed the judgment of the Book and the Sunnah by it, and the righteous Khalaf followed them in it in their merits.”

[al-Ash’ari, Risalah ila Ahl al-Thagr, edited by Dr. Julaynid]

Al-Ash’ari stated also elsewhere the doctrine of the Salaf and righteous Khalaf concerning the fact that we have to take the Speech of Allah in its apparent sense, namely in his popular book al-Ibânah ‘an Usûl al-Diyânah which is one of his last books. He said therein:

“The Mighty Qur’an is [to be taken] in its apparent sense (fi dhâhirih). It is not for us to understand it not in its apparent sense (‘ala dhâhirih), but with proof. Otherwise it is to be understood according to its apparent meaning (‘ala dhâhirih).”

[al-Ash’ari in al-Ibanah p.47 in the edition of ‘Abbas Sabbagh]

He also said about the reality of Allah’s Speech, i.e. the Qur’an the following:

“The Qur’an is preserved in our brests in reality (fi’l-haqîqa), written in our scripts in reality, recited by our tongues in reality, heard by us in reality.”

From this we understand that Allah Spoke in reality, and that He possesses a Speech in reality.

[al-Ash’ari in al-Ibanah p.86]

And concerning the reality and apparentness of Allah’s Attribute of Two Hands al-Ash’ari says this:

“They (i.e. the Ahl al-Sunnah) have agreed upon the invalidity of the opinion of whoever affirms for Allah [many] ‘Hands’. Since they have agreed upon the invalidity of the opinion of whosoever says that, it is obliged that Allah, the Exalted, mentioned ‘Hands’ which turns to the affirmation of Two Hands, cause the evidence indicates the correctness of the consensus. And if the consensus was correct it is obliged to return from His Saying ‘Hands’ to [the understanding of] Two Hands, cause the Qur’an is to be taken upon its apparent sense (‘ala dhâhir). It is not to be taken away from its apparent sense (dhâhirih), but with proof. So having found proof we have transferred the reference to ‘Hands’ from its apparentness to another apparent meaning. And it is obliged that the apparentness of the other must be in its real sense (‘ala haqîqatihi); it is not [allowed] to depart from it but by proof.”

He said also in the course of this:

“The rule with regard the Speech of Allah, the Exalted, is that it is to be taken according to its apparent meaning and real sense (hukm kalâm allâhi ta’âla an yakun ‘ala dhâhirihi wa-haqîqatihi). It is not allowed to taken something out from its apparent sense to a figurative sense, but by proof.”

[al-Ash’ari in al-Ibanah p.105-106]

Abu Sulayman al-Khattâbi (d.388), the Shafi’ite Scholar said:

“This Hadith (i.e. the narration of the Attribute of al-Nuzûl) and what looks similar from the Narrations of the Attributes, then the Madhhab of the Salaf concerning them is to believe (al-imân) in them and to carry them upon their apparent meaning (‘ala dhâhirihâ) and negating the how-ness (al-kayfiyyati) from them.”

[al-Bayhaqi in al-Asma' wa'l-Sifat p.445]

And he said in his Ma’âlim al-Sunan, the Commentary of Sunan Abu Dawud:

“The Madhhab of the scholars of the Salaf and the jurisprudents was to leave the likes of these narrations upon their apparent meaning (‘ala al-dhâhir) and not to twist their meanings (al-ma’âni), and neither to make Ta’wîl (allegorical interpretation) of them because their knowledge was one of limited knowledge, incapable of understanding them..[as some accused unjustly]“

And says later,

“[I say:] And this (i.e. the Attributes) is from the knowledge which we’ve been commanded to believe in according to its apparent sense (bi-dhâhir), not to lift up the curtain for [reaching] its hidden meaning. And it is from the ambiguous passages: Allah, the Exalted, mentioned in His Book, for He said {He is it Who revealed upon you the Book, from it the Clear Verses, they are the Mother of the Book, and other the Ambiguous Verses} the rest of the Ayat. The Muhkam of it is to know its real sense and to act [accordingly] (al-‘ilm al-haqîqi wa’l-‘amal) and the Mutashabih is to believe it and to have knowledge of its apparent sense (al-imân wa’l-‘ilm al-dhâhir) and to entrust its hidden sense (batin) to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.. and the saying in all of that with the scholars of the Salaf is what we’ve said.”

[al-Khattabi in Ma’alim al-Sunan 4:304 and al-Bayhaqi in al-Asma' wa'l-Sifat p.446]

He said something similar in another – lost – book of him, al-Ghunya ‘an al-Kalam wa-Ahlihi:

“As for what you have asked me concerning the sayings on the Attributes and that which has come in the Book and the authentic Sunan with regards to them, then the Madhhab of the Salaf was to affirm them (ithbât) and take them upon their apparent meanings (‘ala dhâhiriha), and to negate Tashbîh and how-ness from them.”

[al-Dhahabi in al-‘Uluww, see its Mukhtasar p.207]

Al-Khattabi said also:

“The principle is: every Attribute which the Book has come with or has been authenticated by consecutive reports or is transmitted by a single route, and it has a basis in the Book or it comes from one of its meanings, then we speak by it and take upon its apparent meaning (‘ala dhâhiriha) without asking how.”

[al-Bayhaqi in al-Asma' wa'l-Sifat p.364]

Abu Ahmad al-Qassab (d.400) said:

“And we do not describe Him only by what He described Himself with, or by which His Prophet described Him, for it is an Attribute in reality (sifat haqîqati) not metaphorically.”

[al-Dhahabi in al-‘Uluww, see its Mukhtasar p.260]

Abu’l-Fadl Abd al-Wahid al-Tamimi (d.410), the Hanbalite jurisprudent and traditionist of Baghdad, authored a treatise in which he tried to present in his own words the doctrinal views of his Imam: Ahmad b. Hanbal. He said in with reference to the Attributes the following:

“The Madhhab of Abu Abdallah Ahmad b. Hanbal, may Allah be pleased with him, is that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has a Face unlike the formed forms and the limited substances (a’yân al-mukhattata); rather His Face is ascribed to Him by His saying {Everything shall perish except His Face}. And whosoever changes its meaning then he has deviated from it. And therefore for him the Face is a reality not in a figurative way (fi’l-haqîqa dûn al-majâz). And the Face of Allah stays forever, not disappearing, and a Attribute of Him not extinguishing. And whosoever claims that His Face is His Essence, then he is a heretic; whosoever changes its meaning (ma’nâ-h) then he has disbelieved. The meaning of Face is not ‘body’ for Him, nor ‘form’ or ‘limit’; whosoever say so has innovated.”

[Abu’l-Fadl Abd al-Wahid b. Abd al-‘Aziz al-Tamimi in K. Al-I’tiqad al-Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal p.33]

Abu ‘Umar al-Talamanki (d.429), the Imam of the Malikites and author of al-Wusul ila Ma’rifat al-Usul, said:

“The [Muslims of the] Ahl al-Sunnah have agreed upon that He, the Exalted, Ascended upon His Throne in a real sense not figuratively (‘ala’l-haqîqa lâ ‘alâ’l-majâz).”

[Ibn al-Qayyim in al-Ijtima’ p.58 and al-Dhahabi in al-‘Uluww, see its Mukhtasar p.264]

Abu Nasr al-Sijzi (d.444), the Shafi’ite Scholar from Makkah, said something similar about the doctrines of the Ahl al-Sunnah:

“The Imams have agreed upon the fact that the Attributes are not to be taken but according to Tawqif (i.e. halting were the Qur’an and the Sunnah halts). And likewise, explaining them is not allowed but by way of Tawqif. So the opinion of the Speculative Theologians (al-mutakallimun) in negation of the Attributes, or affirmation by reason only, or carrying them by way of interpretion (ta’wîl) which opposes the apparent meaning (aw hamlihâ ‘ala ta’wîl mukhâlif lil-dhâhir) [is not allowed either].”

[Abu Nasr al-Sijzi, al-Risalah ila Ahl al-Zubayd fi’l-Radd ‘ala man Ankara al-Harf wa’l-Sawt p.24]

The Qadi Abu Ya’la b. al-Farra’ al-Hanbali (d.458), the Imam of the Hanabilah in Baghdad of his time, said concerning this matter:

“Know that it is not permitted to reject these reports [on the Attributes] as a community of the Mu’tazilah did, nor to preoccupy oneself by interpreting (ta’wîl) them as the Ash’ariyyah do! What is obligatory is to take them upon their apparent meanings (‘ala dhâhirihâ); and that they are Attributes of Allah, the Exalted, not resembling the ones which are described from the Creations; and not professing Tashbîh in them. Rather [profess in them] how it is transmitted on the authority of our Shaykh and Imam, Abu Abdallah Ahmad b. Muhammad b. Hanbal, and others from the Imams of the Ashab al-Hadith who said concerning these narrations: pass them on as they have come. So they carried them upon their apparent meanings (‘ala dhâhirihâ) with the belief that they are Attributes of Allah, the Exalted, which do not resemble the rest of the ones that are described.”

[Abu Ya’la b. al-Farra’, Ibtal al-Ta’wilat li-Akhbar al-Sifat p.43-44]

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr al-Numayri (d.463), the Malikite Hafidh of the Islamic West, said:

“The Ahl al-Sunnah are agreed upon affirming the Attributes that occur in the Book and Sunnah, and to carry them in their real sense not figuratively (‘ala’l-haqîqa lâ ‘alâ’l-majâz), except that they did not inquire about the how-ness of anything of that. As for the Jahmiyyah, the Mu’tazilah and the Khawarij, all of them reject them. They do not carry anything from that upon its real sense (‘ala’l-haqîqah). They alleg that whosoever affirms them [upon its real sense] is a anthropomorphist!”

[al-Dhahabi in al-‘Uluww, see its Mukhtasar p.268-269. The Hafidh al-Dhahabi commented upon this statement with: “By Allah, he spoke the truth! For whoever interprets all of the Attributes and carries what has come as a matter of figure of speech, then that denial reaches to the denial of God and comparing Him the non-existence!” Comments regarding the meaning of Haqiqa & Dhahir from him and his Shaykh will be followed upon later - Insha'Allah]]

And Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr said also in the course of commenting upon an Attribute:

“As for their advocacy for figure of speech (al-majâz) concerning al-Istiwâ’ and their saying of Ta’wîl with regard to {Istawa} is Istawla, then there is no meaning in it cause it is not obvious (dhâhir) in the language. And the meaning of al-Istilâ’ in the language is ‘conquering’ (al-mughâlaba). And Allah, the Exalted, does not ‘conquer’ anyone [or anything] and He is the One, Self-sustaining (wâhid al-samad). And from the right of speech is to carry [speech] upon its real sense (‘ala’l-haqîqat) until the Ummah agrees that He intends by it the figurative sense (al-majâz), for there is no way to follow what has been revealed to us from our Lord, the Exalted, but accordingly. For the Speech of Allah, the Exalted, is directed to what is most famous and most apparent (al-ashhar wa’l-azhar) from its directions.”

[Ibn al-Qayyim in al-Ijtima’ p.59]

Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (d.463) said in a Risalah of his wherein he answers questions concerning the controversy of the Attributes:

“As for the speech with regards the Attributes, then what has been transmitted from it in the authentic Sunan then the Madhhab of the Salaf is: affirming them and leaving them upon their apparent meanings (‘ala dhawâhirihâ), while negating the how-ness and Tashbîh from them.”

[al-Khatib al-Baghdadi, in his Risalah fi’l-Kalam ‘an al-Sifat: see also Mukhtasar al-‘Uluww p.272; it has been also quoted with approval by Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi in Damm al-Ta’wil p.226]

Abu Muhammad al-Baghawi (d.516), author of the Tafsir known as Ma’alim al-Tanzil commented after the verse {Then He Rose over the heaven}:

“The first [what one must do] with regard of this Ayât and what falls in the same category is that a man must believe in its apparent meaning (bi-dhâhiriha), and to assign its [inner] knowledge [of the how-ness] to Allah; and [he must] believe that Allah is transcended from temporary things. Upon that the Imams of the Salaf and the Scholars of the Sunnah went before.”

[al-Dhahabi in al-‘Uluww, see its Mukhtasar p.280]

Abu’l-Wafa’ b. ‘Aqil al-Hanbali (d.513), one of the great Hanbalite Scholars, said:

“The Ash’arites spoke by way of the Jahmiyyah with regard to the interpretation (ta’wîl) of the ambiguous (al-mutashabih), the carrying of narrations from its apparent meanings (sarf al-ahâdith ‘an dhâhirihâ) by way of opinion, and the judging of reason contrary to revelation, and that is a great danger..”

[Ibn ‘Aqil, Radd ‘ala’l-Asha’irah al-‘Uzzal p.69]

And Ibn ‘Aqil said:

“The Madhhab of the Salaf and the Imams of the Khalaf is having faith in the Names and the Attributes by way of Tawqif: not taking them out of their apparent meanings (dhâhirihâ) to an interpretation (ta’wîl) through rational evidence and speculative indications..”

[Ibn ‘Aqil, idem.]

Abu’l-Qasim al-Taymi al-Isfahani (d.535) was asked about the Attributes of Allah, the Exalted. So this Shafi’ite Imam answered as follows:

“The Madhhab of Malik, al-Thawri, al-Awza’i, al-Shafi’i, Hammad b. Salamah, Hammad b. Zayd, Ahmad, Yahya b. Sa’id al-Qattan, Abd al-Rahman b. Mahdi and Ishaq b. Rahawayh is that the Attributes of Allah, the ones by which he described His Self and by which His Messenger described Him with from the Hearing, the Seeing, the Face, the Two Hands and the rest of His descriptions, than they are to be taken upon their well known and famous apparent meanings (‘ala dhâhiriha al-ma’rûf al-mashhûr), without suggesting an how-ness for them and without Tashbîh and Ta’wîl. Ibn ‘Uyayna said: Everything by which Allah described Himself with then its recitation is its explanation (tafsir). [Abu’l-Qasim says then commenting upon Ibn ‘Uyayna’s saying] That is according to its apparent sense: it is not allowed to carry her to a figurative meaning (majâz) from the sorts of interpretation (ta’wil).”

[al-Dhahabi in al-‘Uluww, see its Mukhtasar p.282]

And he said also:

“What has come concerning the Attributes in the Book of Allah, the Exalted, or what has been narrated by authentic chains of transmission, then the Madhhab of the Salaf, may Allah have mercy upon them, is to affirm them and the take them upon their apparent meanings (‘ala dhâhirihâ) and negating how-ness to them. Cause the speech with regards the Attributes is part of speech concerning the Essence (i.e. Allah); and the affirmation of the Essence is the affirmation of its existence, not its how-ness. Likewise is the affirmation of the Attributes. Upon this the Salaf altogether went before.”

[Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi in Damm al-Ta’wil p.237]

Muwaffaq al-Din Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (d.620), the Hanbalite Imam, declared in many of his writings the doctrine of the Salaf and the righteous Khalaf, that is: taking the Attributes upon its apparent meaning in reality. He described this as such:

“The Madhhab of the Salaf, may Allah have mercy upon them, is to have faith in the Attributes of Allah, the Exalted, and His Names, the ones which He described Himself with in His Verses and His Revelation or upon the tongue of His Messenger, without addition upon that and neither deletion from that, nor to move them, without explanation (tafsir) for them or interpretation (ta’wil) which would oppose its apparent meaning (dhâhirihâ); and without assimilation (tashbîh) of the attributes of the created beings and likeness to the contingent things; rather passing them on as they have come (ammirrûhâ kamâ jâ’at).”

[Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi in Damm al-Ta’wil p.222]

He said in a creed of his:

“This and what looks like it (he means: the Attributes) what is authentic from its chain of transmission and the reliability of its transmitters we believe in and do not reject, nor deny or interpret by an interpretation which opposes its apparent meaning (dhâhirih).”

[Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi in al-Lum’at al-I’tiqad p.176]

So from the above sayings of the scholars Abu’l-Hasan al-Ash’ari (d.324), Abu Sulayman al-Khattabi (d.388), Abu Ahmad al-Qassab (d.400), Abu’l-Fadl Abd al-Wahid al-Tamimi (d.410), Abu ‘Umar al-Talamanki (d.429), Abu Nasr al-Sijzi (d.444), Al-Qadi Abu Ya’la al-Farra’ (d.458), Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (d.463), Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (d.463), Abu’l-Wafa b. ‘Aqil al-Baghdadi (d.513), Abu Muhammad al-Baghawi (d.516), Abu’l-Qasim al-Taymi (d.535) and Muwaffaq al-Din al-Maqdisi (d.620) we understand that the Madhhab of the Salaf al-Salih is to take the [Names and] Attributes according to their apparent sense and in reality.

The Creed of the Sufi Masters of Old – Ibn Taymiyyah Expounds

Ibn Taymiyyah said:

“Chapter concerning what the Shaykh Abu’l-Qasim al-Qushayri mentioned in his famous Risalah with regard the doctrine of the Mashayakh of the Sufiyyah.

For he has mentioned miscellaneous sayings from them by which he deducted by it that they were in agreement with the doctrines of many Mutakallimin from the Ash’arites, and that is the doctrine of Abu’l-Qasim [al-Qushayri] himself which he received from Abu Bakr b. Furak and Abu Ishaq al-Isfara’ini.

This doctrine, mostly of it, is agreeable to the principles of the Salaf and the Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jama’ah. Except that it falls short of that and includes deletions of some part they were upon, and an excess that disagrees with what they were upon.

The firm and authentic stance from the senior Mashayikh is agreeable to what the Salaf were upon. And this is what is incumbent upon him to mention.

For what is in the straight-forward, authentic and preserved – from the seniors of the Mashayikh, for example al-Fudayl b. ‘Iyad, Abu Sualyman al-Darani, Yusuf b. Asbat, Hudhayfah al-Mar’ashi, Ma’ruf al-Karkhi until Junayd b. Muhammad and Sahl b. Abdallah al-Tustari and the likes of these – is what makes evident the reality of the beliefs of the Mashayikh.

And the statements of the Mashayikh have been collected, either by the letter or by its meaning, by more than one.

Abu Bakr Muhammad b. Ishaq al-Kalabadhi, for instance, composed the book al-Ta’arruf li-Madhâhib al-Tasawwuf, and it is better then what Abu’l-Qasim mentioned and sounder and closer to the Madhhab of the Ummah’s Salaf and its Imams and the seniors of their Mashayikh.

Likewise, Ma’mar b. Ziyad al-Isfahani, Shaykh of the Sufiyyah [collected as uch]. And Abu Abd al-Rahman Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Sulami, who collected the statements of the Sufiyyah.

The two are with respect to that of a higher degree [then al-Qushayri] and further away of Bid’ah and desires than Abu’l-Qasim.

And Abu Abd al-Rahman, even though was the inferior of the two men, he use to reject the Madhhab of the Kullabiyyah and make Tabdi’ of them; and it is the Madhhab which Abu’l-Qasim championed!

And he has in censure of Kalâm a book wherein he opposes what Abu’l-Qasim supports. Abu Abd al-Rahman is of greater esteem then those from whom Abu’l-Qasim took statements of the Mashayikh. And upon him he (i.e. al-Qushayri) depends in most of what he relates, for he has many authored works.

Also the generality of the Mashayikh, which Abu’l-Qasim mentioned by name in his Risalah, no Shaykh of them is known for supporting the way of the Kullabiyyah and the Ash’ariyyah which Abu’l-Qasim championed. Rather, preserved from them is the opposite!

And whoever from them declared a thing, then he declared its opposite until the Shaykhs of his time, named by him (i.e. al-Qushayri). For he (i.e. al-Qushayri) said [concerning that]:

‘As for the Mashâyikh with whom we were contemporaneous and which we lay our eyes on, even though we did not got the change to agree (tr. Is doubtful), such as the like of the teacher, the martyr, the tongue of his time, the one of his age, Abu ‘Ali al-Daqqaq, and the Shaykh of the Shaykh of his time Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami, and Abu’l-Hasan ‘Ali b. Jahdam, the one living in the vicinity of the Haram, and the Shaykh Abu’l-Abbas al-Qassab from Tabaristan, and Ahmad al-Aswad al-Dinawari, and Abu’l-Qasim al-Sayrafi from Nisabur, and Abu Sahl al-Khashshâb the great one from it (i.e. Nisabur), and Mansur b. Khalaf al-Maghrabi, and Abu Sa’id al-Malini, and Abu Tahir al-Jahdari, may Allah sanctify their souls and grant them mercy and others.’

For these Mashayikh referred to [by al-Qushayri], for example Abu’l-‘Abbas al-Qassab, he has famous works on creed and which are in conflict with the way of the Kullabite Ash’ariyyah. Howver, this is not the place for mentioning it.

Likewise, all the rest of the Shaykhs of the Muslims from the preceding and later scholars, the ones who have a truthful tongue in the Ummah, as the Shaykh Yahya b. Yusuf al-Sarsari mentioned and which he versified in his poems on the authority of the Shaykh ‘Ali b. Idris, his Shaykh, that he asked the chief of the knowers (qutb al-‘arifin) Abu Muhammad ‘Abd al-Qadir b. Abdallah al-Jili, saying :

‘O my Master. Was there a Wali of Allah upon a creed other than Ahmad b. Hanbal’s ? He said : That was not nor will that be.”

[Source: Ibn Taymiyyah, K. al-Istiqama 56-58]

Adab

Tazkiyyah

‘Ibadah

‘IBADAHLike the other two basic terms already dealt with, the term ‘ibadah too has several different meanings, though all related to each other. The basic concept implied by the root word, ‘abd, is that of acknowledging someone other than oneself as holding supremacy or enjoying overlordship and of abdicating one’s freedom and independence in big favour, of relinquishing any resistance to or disobedience of him, and of surrendering oneself totally to his authority. Since slavery or bondage too are tantamount to similar status, the first sense the word conveys to the mind of any Arab is of this very factor, namely, slavery or bondage.

Also, since the primary role of a slave is to obey his master and carry out his wishes, the word also carries the sense of submission and obedience. Next, a slave not only submits himself to the will of his master physically, but mentally too he accepts his supremacy, and if he at the same time has feelings of gratitude for his kindnesses and favours, he is inclined spontaneously to go out of his way in extolling the master and in showing respect and regard for him. He expresses and demonstrates his obligation in many ways to show his deep attachment, in a manner amounting almost to worship although, obviously, this comes into play only when, in addition to physical bondage, there is mental attachment too.

There are two other senses also in which the word or its derivatives are employed, but they are secondary, and hence it is not necessary to go into them at this stage.

The Qur’anic Use of the Term

On studying the Qur’an we find that, the word is used wholly in the three senses explained above, except that on occasion both the first and the second senses are implied, on others the second only, on still others the third only and, in yet other places, all the three. Here are examples of use in the first and second senses:

(i) Then We sent Musa and his brother Haroon, with clear proofs of their prophethood to the Pharaoh and his nobles, but they treated them with disdain because of haughtiness born of power. “Should we,” they said, “believe in two mere humans like ourselves, and that too of a nation which is in bondage to us?” (Quran 23:-45-47)

(ii) And the Pharaoh reminded Musa of having reared him from his childhood, (to which Musa replied): “As for the obligation you remind me of, is it not a fact that happened only because you had made the Bani Israel your slaves (but for which fact I may never have come into your household)?” (Quran 26:18-23)

The words ‘aabidoon and ‘abbadta employed respectively in the two verses imply bondage, submission, and obedience. When the Pharaoh used the first word in respect of Hazrat Musa and Hazrat Haroon’s nation, what he meant was that the Bani Israel were in bondage to the Egyptians and fully subservient to them. And, when Hazrat Musa (on whom be peace), used the second word in reply to the Pharaoh, he meant that the latter had enslaved the Bani Israel and made them do his bidding.

(iii) O’ you who believe! Eat of the clean and good things We have bestowed on you, and render due gratitude to God, if you do truly give ‘ibadah to Him alone. (Quran 2:172)

The background of this verse is that, in the pre-Islamic period, the Arabs imposed various kinds of restrictions upon themselves in the matter of eating and drinking, in deference to the dictate, of their priests or due to superstitions, which had come down from their ancestors. When, however, they embraced Islam, the Qur’an demanded that if they now really felt that they owed ‘ibadah to Allah alone, they should forget all those restrictions, and eat without hesitation all that was permitted by Islam. The idea, clearly, is that if they had now really submitted their will to that of God, they should shed all the taboos imposed by their priests or ancestors, and instead observe only the Islamic injunctions in the matter of eating and drinking.

(iv) Say (O’ Prophet): Shall I tell yon of a fate worse than this? It is the fate of those whom Allah placed under His curse, who drew His wrath upon themselves, and of whom many were turned into apes and swine, and who rendered ‘ibadah to taghoot. (Quran 5:60)

(v) And We sent Prophets unto all the peoples (to teach them) to give’ their ‘ibadah to Allah and not to taghoot. … (Quran 16:36)

(vi) And there are good tidings for those who gave up the ‘ibadah of taghoot and adopted that of Allah (instead). (Quran 39:17)

In all these three verses, ‘ibadah of taghoot means bondage to any or all of what the latter term stands for, that is, every state or authority or leadership, etc., which, in transgression against God, makes its own word prevail in the land, whether by the use of force or intimidation or through temptation and so on. And according to the Qur’an to submit to the dictates of all such authority and do its bidding amounts to no less than the ‘ibadah of taghoot. [ Nasser in Egypt and Bhutto in Pakistan, were glaring recent examples of Taghootdom. There have been others before elsewhere, and there are many another contemporaneously making their word prevail against Allah’s and invoking personality or secular cults as the better alternatives forgetting that, that they will one day have to render account to Allah shorn of all earthly authority, actually a bounty from Him for their trial. Abu Asad]

Now we come to some of the verses in which the word is used in the second sense only, that of submission or obedience:

(i) O’ Sons of Adam, did I not enjoin on you that you do not give ibadah to Satan, for he is your avowed enemy? (Quran 36:60)

As everybody knows, no-one really worships Satan in the formal sense, and in fact he is cursed by the whole world, and hence the above charge, which will be made upon mankind on the Day of Judgement, means that people who obeyed the commands of the Devil and allowed themselves to be misled to the path shown by him thereby in effect gave their ‘ibadah to him.

(ii) (And when it will be the Day of Judgement, God will say): “Gather together all the wrongdoers and their associates, as also the gods other than Allah to whom they gave their ‘ibadah and show them to the door of Hell …” And they will turn to one another in dispute. The worshippers will say, “It is you who used to come to us from the right hand (of power and authority)!” Those worshipped will reply, “Nay, (now you are blaming us) but is it not that you yourselves had no Faith and were in obstinate rebellion (to God).” (Quran 37:22,23,27-30)

If we reflect on the accusation and cross-accusation between those who gave their ‘ibadah and those to whom it was given, we find that the latter do not here comprise any gods or idols but those religious or other “popular” leaders who came to the people in the garb of well-wishers or saviours of the nation or liberators, etc., and led them along the wrong path. The reference is to people who put on sanctified airs, and, while claiming to be friends, caused mischief in the land. It is blind obedience to such people that is here characterised as ‘ibadah.

(iii) They (Jews and Christians) made their learned men and priests their rabbs instead of Allah, and Jesus son of Mary too, though they were not bidden except to give their ‘ibadah to Allah alone. (Quran 9:31)

Here making of the learned men and priests into rabbs and the giving of ‘ibadah to them does not mean believing them to be gods, but making them the sole authority for deciding what to do and what not to do, and obeying their behests without caring to look for any divine or prophetic sanction behind them. This is the explanation, which was given by the Holy Prophet himself (may peace be upon him) when, on an occasion, the question was put to him by a convert who had previously been a Christian.

As to the third sense, of worship, this has two aspects: the first is that of performing one or more of the various rites of worship, such as bowing before the person or thing, standing in his or its presence with hands folded across the breast, of offering sacrifices before it, etc., irrespective of whether the person, etc., involved is regarded as god in his own right or as someone able to intercede with a major god or having a share in the running of the universe under the control of that god.

The other is to believe in the person, etc., as having control over the realm of cause and effect, and praying to him, invoking him in times of distress or trial, and seeking his protection against danger or disaster.

Both kinds of acts amount, according to the Qur’an, to worship, e.g.,

(i) Say, (O’prophet): ‘I have been forbidden to worship those whom you people worship other than Allah now that I have clear guidance from my Rabb.” (Quran 40:66)

(ii) (And Ibrahim said to his people): “And I part company with you and turn away from you (all) and from those whom you invoke other than Allah, and I shall call on my Rabb instead ” And when he had turned away from them and from those they worshipped other than Allah, We blessed him with a son Ishaq (Isaac) …(Quran 19:48-49)

(iii) And who is more astray than one who calls on those other than Allah who will not make him any answer till Doomsday and who are in fact unaware even of being invoked; and when the people shall be gathered on the Day of Judgement, those so invoked will turn hostile to them and will repudiate their acts of worship. (Quran 46:5-6)

In all these three verses, the Qur’an itself clarifies that by ‘ibadah here is meant calling on the supposed gods or invoking them for help.

(iv) On the other hand, they used to worship the jinn, and many believed in them. (Quran 34:41)

This worship of Jinns (genii) is explained later as Follows:

(v) And some there are among men who seek the protection of some among the jinns. (Quran 72:6)

In other words, to seek the protection of the jinn amounts to giving them worship and believing that they have the power to grant such protection.

(v) On the Day when Allah will gather them and the gods they used to worship other than Him, He will ask the latter whether it was they who had misled the people or it was the people who had themselves gone astray. And they will reply “Glory be to you! How could it have been fitting for us to take for protectors others besides You?” (Quran 25:17-18)

The persons referred to here as having been worshipped are, obviously, the saintly and the pious, while worship of them implies belief in their possessing some of the attributes which are actually divine and in their being capable of listening to and granting the prayers of someone far away, and the showing of respect for them in such manner amounts to worship.

(vii) And on the Day when Allah will gather them together, and will say to the angels: “Are you those they worshipped?” and they will reply, “Glory be to you what have we to do with them? It is You Whom we regard as our Protector.” (Quran 34:40,41)

Here the `ibadah of the angels means their worship, for which purpose their idols were kept in places of worship, and various acts of worship were gone through in the hope of pleasing them and winning their favours and enlisting their help in worldly affairs.

(viii) And they used to worship, other than Allah, those who had not the power to do them either harm or good, and used to say, “These are our intercessors with God.” (Quran 10:18)

(ix) And those who have taken others than God as their helpers, and say: “We do not perform acts of worship towards them except that they bring us nearness to God.” (Quran 39:3)

Here too the particular acts of worship amount to ibadah, and the particular manner in which it did is also indicated.

All the above examples illustrate the use of the word ‘ibadah (or one or more of its derivatives) in one or other of the three senses, and we have now to give some examples of the comprehensive use of the word, embracing all the three. But before we do so, it seems desirable to be clear about one point.

In all the verses cited above, there is reference to the worship of others than Allah. Where worship (‘ibadah) implies bondage and submission, those worshipped are, either the Devil, or those rebels against God who have become taghoots and who, instead of making people give their obedience to God, make it exclusive for themselves; or those leaders (whether political or religious) who ignore the injunctions of the Qur’an and make the people follow the ways devised by themselves [ e.g., the upholders of "Kemalism", and "Panchshila", two heretical secularist concepts, both preferred openly to Islam, the pure Muslims being persecuted and even maligned as enemies of the country. Abu Asad.]. Where the word does mean worship-that is, performance of various rituals of worship, etc. -those worshipped happen to be either the saints or other pious people, or the Prophets who were raised to the status of godhood in varying degrees contrary to their own teachings; or the angels or the jinns who, through a misconception, were believed to have a share in divinity; or idols or imaginary powers or other physical representations which became the objects of worship through the insinuations of Satan. The Holy Qur’an pronounces all such gods or objects of worship to be false, and their `worship’ to be wrong, irrespective of whether it amounts to bondage, or obedience, or the actual observance of the ritual of worship. All, insists the Qur’an, are God’s creatures and his slaves. They have no right to be given any kind of worship, nor does this worship beget anything but frustration, and debasement. Allah alone is the Lord of all, whether it be these gods or the rest of creation, and He alone has all the power and the authority and, hence, He alone is deserving of worship in any of the senses of the word:

(i) Verily those you worship are God’s creatures like you, so call them, and let them make reply to you (that is, grant your prayers), if you are in the right.”…And those to whom you call besides Him, can neither help you nor (for the matter of that) even themselves. (Quran 7:194,197)

(ii) And they say that Rahman (the God of Mercy) has taken a son now Himself. Far above is He of such a thing! They (the supposed sons) are, actually, His creatures whom He has honoured. (And yet, despite this honor) they dare not open their mouth on their own to make any submission to Him. They only do as He bids. He knows what is visible to them, and also what is hidden from them. They cannot intercede with Him in behalf of anyone (at all) save where He Himself wishes to accede to any intercession. And they are constantly in awe of Him. (Quran 21:26-28)

(iii) And they have made goddesses of angels, who are actually creatures of Ar-Rahman, The Merciful God. (Quran 43:19)

(iv) And they have assumed some blood relationship between God and the jinns, though the jinn, know for themselves that they will one day have to appear before Him to account for their conduct. (Quran 37:158)

(v) Neither did Jesus consider it beneath his dignity to be a slave of Allah, nor do the angels; and whosoever considers it beneath him to give himself in bondage to Allah, (then where can he escape from Him, and) He will gather them all to Himself. (Quran 4:172)

(vi) The Sun and the Moon both follow courses (exactly) computed; and the plants and the trees both (alike) bow in adoration and submission to Allah (their Creator). (Quran 55:5-6)

(vii) The seven heavens and the earth, and all beings therein, proclaim His Glory; there is not a thing but celebrates His praises, except that you understand it not. (Quran 17:44)

(viii) And to Him belongs all beings in the heavens and the earth, and all are subservient to his commands. (Quran 30:26)

(ix) And there is not a creature that moves but He has grasp of its forelock (that is, complete control over it). (Quran 11:56)

(x) There is not a single being in the heavens and the earth but will come to (God) Most Gracious as a bonded slave; He does take account of them (all), and has numbered them (all) exactly. And everyone of them will come to Him singly on the Day of Judgement. (Quran 19:93-95)

(xi) Say (O’ Prophet): “O God! Lord of Power (and Rule), You Grant power to whom You pleases, and shed Power from whom You please; You endue with honour whom You please, and You bring low whom You please. In Your hand is all Good [ That is, no good can come to any being unless Allah wills it so. Abu Asad]. Verily, You have (all the) power over everything. (Quran 3:26)

Having thus clarified categorically that all who are worshipped besides Allah in any form were or are no more than His creatures and slaves with no power or authority of their own at all, the Qur’an demands of all human beings and jinns that ‘ibadah must, in whatever form it take, be reserved exclusively for Allah. All bondage, submission, and worship should be to or of Him alone, and there should not be even the slightest semblance of these for anyone else:

(i) And We sent a messenger to every people with the message that they give their ‘ibadah to Allah and forbear from giving it to taghoot. (Quran 16:36)

(ii) Good tidings are for those who turned away from the ‘ibadah of taghoot, and turned to Allah instead. (Quran 39:17)

(iii) Did I not enjoin upon you, O’ sons of Adam, not to give your ‘ibadah to Satan, for he is an open enemy to you, but to give it to Me instead and that is the straight path? (Quran 36:60-61)

(iv) They made their learned men and praises into Rabbs, although they were not bidden except to give their ‘ibadah to Allah alone. (Quran 9:31)

(v) O’ you who believe! If yon have really made your ‘ibadah exclusive for Us, then eat without hesitation of the clean and good things We have bestowed upon you, and render gratitude to God. (Quran 2:172)

In these verses the ‘ibadah which is ordered to be reserved exclusively for God is that which amounts to bondage or slavery and submission and obedience, and the implication clearly is that men are being told to forbear giving their submission and obedience to taghoot, to Satan, to the priests and rabbis, and to fathers and forefathers, and to give it instead to Allah alone:

(i) Say (O’ Prophet): “Forbidden it is for me to give my ‘ibadah to those to whom you call instead of God. Clear signs have I received from my Lord, and I have eke been bidden to bow to the Will of the Lord of all the Worlds “ (Quran 40:66)

(ii) And your Rabb has said: ‘Call to Me, and I shall hear your prayer [ This does not mean that all the prayers will necessarily be granted the way one wishes. The Holy Prophet is reported to have stated on one occasion that no prayer ever goes waste. Either Allah Almighty grants it, or He bestows something better-may be after some times- or He averts some harm or disaster instead. It must be understood, however, the point does not need any argument that the prayer must be for something good. It would be the height of depravity, for example, for some misguided fool to pray that Allah enable him to seduce the wife of a friend or to make a huge profit in a black-marketing transaction, sad so on. And he certainly can have no right to feel ungrateful to Allah for not granting his Prayer. Abu Asad.] – and as for those who go against My Commands, they will surely be flung into (the fire) of hell.” (Quran 40:60)

(iii) This is Allah, the Rabb of all of you. All Power is His alone, and as for those you call to others than Him, they do not own any power; if you call to them, they do not listen to your prayer, and if they could listen they would not be able to respond, and on the Day of Judgement they will simply repudiate your association of them with God! (Quran 35:13-14)

(iv) Say (O’ Prophet):’ Do you give ‘ibadah to those, other than Allah who have power to do you neither harm nor good, (whereas) Allah alone is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.” (Quran 5:76)

In these verses the emphasis is on making ‘ibadah exclusive for Allah, in the sense of worship, and there is also evidence that the sending up of prayers to someone is also an act of ‘ibadah, while the verses that precede and follow those quoted above speak of these supposed gods who were treated as co-sharers with Allah in His rububiyyah in the supernatural sense.

It should not therefore be difficult for anyone with even the least sense to understand that wherever the Qur’an speaks of the `ibadah of Allah, and it does not appear from the context that it is used specifically in one or other of its three different senses, it encompasses all the three, namely, bondage, submission, and worship, e.g.

(i) Verily, I am Allah; there is no ilah hot I; therefore give your ‘ibadah to Me (alone). (Quran 20:14)

(ii) This is Allah, your Rabb; there is no ilah but He-the Creator of all that exists; therefore give your ‘ibadah to Him (alone), and He it is Who looks after every thing and its needs. (Quran 6:102)

(iii) Say (O’ Prophet): “O People, if you are in doubt as to what my deen is, then let it be clear to you that I do not give my ‘ibadah to those other than Allah to whom you give yours instead, I give mine to Allah, Who causes you to die, and I have been commanded to be of believers (in Him).” (Quran 10:104)

(iv) Those to whom you give your ‘ibadah others than, Allah, they are nothing but things or beings whom your forefathers and you yourselves have, under false notions, come to believe as invested with divinity. Allah Himself has not sent down any proof therefor. To Allah alone belongs all Power and the Realm. Clearly has He ordained that to none but Him may one give one’s ‘ibadah, and that (alone) is the straight path. (Quran 12:40)

(v) And Allah alone knows the realities unseen by man; with Him alone rests ultimate dispensation; therefore give your ‘ibadah to Him, and in Him alone place your reliance. (Quran 11:123)

(vi) To Him (alone) belongs all that is on front of us or behind us or in between; nor is your Rabb given to lapses of memory; He is the Rabb of the heavens and the earth and whatever is in between; therefore give your ibadah to Him alone, and keep steadfast in such ‘ibadah alone. (Quran 19:64-65)

(vii) So, whoso wishes to meet His Rabb, then let him do pious deeds, and not mix up the ‘ibadah of his ‘Rabb with that of any other. (Quran 18: 110)

There truly seems not the slightest reason for taking the word ‘ibadah as used in these verses to have only one or other of the three senses, of worship, bondage, or submission. Actually, the Qur’an puts its whole d’awah and its import in verses like these and, obviously, its whole d’awah is none other than that our bondage, our submission, and our worship should all be for Allah, wholly and solely. Therefore, the restriction of the meaning of the term, in the above verses, to just any one of the three senses amounts to placing a limitation on the d’awah of the Qur’an and the logical result of this would be that those who embrace the Islamic faith with such a restricted understanding of the Qur’anic d’awah will be able to achieve only a sub-standard compliance with its precepts and will remain defective in their Iman.

‘Aqidah

Bismillaah Ar-RaHmaan Ar-RaHeem
Al-Hamdu Lillaah, was-Salaatu was-Salaamu `alaa Rasoolih
As-Salaamu `Alaikum wa RaHmatullaahi wa Barakaatuh

Aqeedah: its Meaning and Importance

From “Aqeedah (Matters of Faith…First…If They But Knew), by Dr. Abdul Aziz Al-Qari, published by Dar Makkah

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Introduction

One narration states, “You are going to a people from the People of the Book. Let the first thing that you call them to be the worship of Allah. If they acknowledge Allah, then inform them that Allah has obligated upon them five prayers during their days and nights.” [Al-Bukhari, Muslim]

This hadith is clear. It does not require much of an explanation. The Prophet (peace be upon him) applied this principle in his practical calling to Islam. He stayed in Makkah for thirteen years to teach the people iman and to educate his Companions on this point and to correct the beliefs of the people. That is the pattern upon which the Companions were brought up.

Jundub Ibn Abdullah al-Bajaly said, “We learned iman (faith) and then we learned the Quran and it increased our iman.”

Abdullah ibn Umar said, “We lived during an instant of time in which one of us would receive faith first before receiving the Quran and when the surahs were revealed we would learn what they permitted and what they prohibited and what they forbade and what they ordered and what should be the stance towards them. But I have seen many men from whom one is given the Quran before iman and he reads it from the opening of the Book to its closing and he does not know what it orders and what it forbids and what should be his stance towards it. He is like someone who is just throwing out dates [i.e., he does not get any benefit from his recital].”

That is the manner in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) brought up his companions: Iman first and then the Quran. This is similar to what Imam Abu Hanifa pointed out: Understanding in the religion first (i.e. tauheed) and then understanding in the science (i.e. the shariah).

The beliefs must be corrected first, then follows all of the other aspects of the religion…. And Imam Ash-Shafi`i said, “That a servant meets Allaah with every sin except Shirk is better say than meeting Him upon any of the innovated beliefs.”

Part 2Al-Aqeedah linguistically is derived from the term aqada. In Arabic, one states,”Aqada the rope” when the rope is tied firmly. And, “Aqada the sale” or “He settled the sale” when the person ratifies and contracts a sale or agreement. And Allah says in the Quran, “And as for those whom your right hands have made a covenant (Ar., aqadat)” [Al-Nisa 33]. And Allah also says, “But He will take you to task for the oaths which you swear in earnest (Ar., aqadtum) [Al-Maida, 89] which means asserted and adhered to, as proven in the verse, “And break not oaths after the assertion of them” [An-Nahl, 91]. If one says, “Aqadtu such and such,” it means his heart is firm upon such and such.

Therefore, al-aqeedah or al-itiqad according to the scholars of Islam is: The firm creed that one’s heart is fixed upon without any wavering or doubt. It excludes any supposition, doubt or suspicion.

Imam Abu Hanifa called this great subject al-Fiqh al-Akbar (“The Greater Understanding”) and the understanding of the religion. He called the science of law (Ar., shariah) the understanding of the science. Many scholars of Islam use the word tauheed for all matters that a person must believe in. This is because the most important of these matters is the basic tauheed that is contained in the phrase, “There is none worthy of worship except Allah.”

Tauheed, according to them, may be divided into two categories: tauheed of cognition and affirmation and tauheed of purpose and deeds.

• Tauheed of cognition and affirmation is the tauheed of the Oneness of the Creator and the tauheed of His Names and Attributes [i.e. He is Unique in His being the only Creator and the only One with His names and attributes].
• Tauheed of purpose and deeds is tauheed of lordship or that none should be worshipped except Allah [i.e., He is the only One worthy of worship].

The scholastic theologians (Ar., kalaamiyoon) – and what will explain to you who the scholastic theologians are – call this great subject “the root of the religion” and they call the law “the branches of the religion”. This is their terminology. We also have a dispute with them in this matter but this is not the place to discuss it. All of them give it a name or adjective according to their needs.

But what is the name the Quran gives to this matter?

The Quran gives the grave matter the name iman. Allah says in the Quran, “And thus We inspired in You (Muhammad) a Spirit of Our command. You did not know what the Scripture was, nor what the Faith (iman) was. But we have made it a light whereby We guide whom We will of our bondmen…” [Al-Shura, 52].

The general concepts that the heart of the believer must be firm about are the “pillars” of this faith. But one will not be called a believer just by knowing and understanding these pillars but he must come to the level where he submits and implements what is described, in the hadith of Gabriel, as Islam.

Iman, in this manner, incorporates Islam.

If iman was simply knowing the facts in one’s heart, then its companion would be equal to Satan and Pharaoh [Note: The Satan was the most knowledgeable of his Lord but he was destroyed because of his pride and envy. And Pharaoh, even though he claimed to be the lord, knew that the lord is Allah and that none has the right to be worshipped but Him. Allah says, "He said: In truth you know that none sent down these portents save the Lord of the heavens and the earth as proofs..." (al-Isra, 102). - Although they knew the truth, they did not put it in practice by turning their `ibadah to Allah Alone].

In the hadith of Gabriel, the Prophet (peace be upon him) explained the pillars of this faith in which every human must believe, when he was asked, “What is iman?”, he said, “To believe in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers and the Last Day and predestination of good and evil.”

It is a must for every person to know these pillars and to learn them with a correct understanding and to believe in them in the manner that the pious forefathers understood and believed in them, in the same manner that the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) believed and understood them, as well as their Followers and those who followed on their path. This includes the four imams, Sufyan Al-Thauri, Sufyan ibn Uyaina, Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak and others similar to them, as well as Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, Muslim ibn Al-Hajjaj, Shaikh al-Islam ibn Taymiya and al-Hafedh ibn al-Qayyim. And scholars similar to them who followed the same manner of understanding and believing in these pillars.

This is the first obligation upon the responsible human being. There is no difference of opinion on this question among the scholars whose opinions are worth following.

Imam Abu-Hanifa said, “The understanding of faith is better than understanding of the science.” What he meant by faith is tauheed and what he meant by science is the shariah. He put the understanding of tauheed before the understanding of the shariah.

And Shaikh al-Islam al-Haruwi al-Ansari (d. 481 AH) stated at the beginning of his book, Itiqad ahl al-Sunnah, “The first obligation upon the slave is the knowledge of Allah. This is proven by the hadith of Muadh, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, ‘You will come to a people from the People of the Book. The first thing that you should call them to is the worship of Allah. If they gain the knowledge of Allah, then tell them that Allah obligates upon them five prayers during the day and night…”

From this premise did the great scholars of Islam proceed. Ponder, for example, what Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari did in his book al-Jami al-Sahih, which is the most authentic book after the Book of Allah; one will see that from his detailed knowledge and understanding of this religion, this great Imam began his book with “The Beginning of Revelation” and then he followed it with chapters on faith, followed by the chapters on knowledge. As if he means, may Allah have mercy on him, to point out that the first obligation upon a human being is faith or Iman and the way to attaining faith is knowledge. And the source of faith and knowledge is revelation. So he began by showing how the revelation occurred and what it was like. Then he followed by mentioning faith and knowledge. This arrangement is no accident; by it he makes some important points.

This is the sum of what we wish to mention and what we wish to raise our voices about. The matter of aqeedah is the first priority. Faith and knowledge are the means of attaining it. And the source of knowledge and faith is the Book and Sunnah.

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