Explanation of The Three Fundamental Principles

Tawheed Class
(Explanation of the
Three Fundamental
Principles)
Transcribed from classes by Shaykh Ahmad Musa
Jibril
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Class One.............................................................................1
Introduction.........................................................................1
Knowledge in Islam is to be Taken Gradually..........................1
The Three Levels of Studying.................................................2
Writing is the Trend of the Salaf............................................4
Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah........................................................5
Chapter One.........................................................................6
The Basmalah.......................................................................6
Tawheed in Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem............................6
Tawheed Al-Uloohiyyah......................................................................6
Tawheed Ar-Rububiyyah....................................................................6
Tawheed Al-Asmaa Was-Sifaat..........................................................7
Linguistic Rules in Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem..................7
The First Rule.....................................................................................7
The Second Rule................................................................................8
Proofs for Beginning with the Basmalah.................................8
It is in Accordance with the Quran....................................................8
The Prophet Began his Letters with Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem. 9
There is an Alleged Hadith About the Basmalah...............................9
The Blessing in the Basmalah..............................................10
Class Two...........................................................................11
Do You Say Bismillah or Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem?.......12
The Name Allah...................................................................15
Allah: The Sole Title for the Lord that Fashioned Everything...........15
The Root of the Name Allah.............................................................15
Allah Uses Allah and Rabb in the Quran.........................................15
Allah is Different to Any Other Names.............................................17
The Name Allah by Itself is Not a Dhikr...........................................17
Allah is the Name that All His Other Names Follow.........................17
Aspects of Tawheed in the Name Allah............................................17
The Mighty Name Allah...................................................................18
Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem................................................20
Ar-Rahmaan.....................................................................................20
Ar-Raheem.......................................................................................20
Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem...........................................................21
The Mercy of Allah..............................................................24
The Attribute of Mercy.....................................................................24
The Mercy of Allah...........................................................................25

Attaining the Mercy of Allah............................................................27
Class Three......................................................................... 28
Know May Allah Have Mercy On You.....................................28
The Importance of Knowledge..............................................28
The Definition of Knowledge................................................34
The Use of the Word Ilam...................................................34
Is Knowledge Conveyed to Other than Humans?............................34
Can you Say Ilam to Someone More Knowledgeable?....................36
The Levels of Knowledge: Ibn Al-Qayyim...............................37
The Honour of Knowledge....................................................38
The Example of the Scholars................................................44
Jaabir and Abu Ayyub......................................................................44
Muhammad Ibn Hasan Ash-Shaybaani............................................45
Asad Ibn Al-Furaat...........................................................................46
Saeed Ibn Musayyib, Ar-Raazi and Al-Bukhari................................47
An-Nawawi, Lisaan Ad-Deen Ibn Al-Khateeb and Muaadh Ibn Jabal48
Sulaymaan Ibn Abdul-Malik the Khaleefah and Ataa Ibn Abi Rabaah49
Al-Kasaaee and the Sons of the Khaleefah.....................................50
Ash-Shaafiee and Ibn Al-Jawzi........................................................50
Rahimak Allah..................................................................... 51
Maghfirah and Rahmah...................................................................51
Do You Say Rahimak Allah to a Non Muslim?..................................52
Why Did He Say Ilam Rahimak Allah?.............................................53
Class Four..........................................................................57
The Four Introductory Matters.............................................57
What is the Definition of Waajib?.........................................58
Is There a Difference Between Waajib and Fardh?.................58
The Proof for the Opinion that Waajib and Fardh Are Synonymous. 59
The Proof for the Opinion that Waajib is Lesser than Fardh.............61
How Do They Categorise the Faraaidh and Waajibaat?..................62
The Result of this Dispute................................................................63
The Islamic Knowledges are Intertwined..............................65
Which Definition of Waajib Did the Author Intend?................65
Knowledge in Matters that Pertain to Allah..........................65
The Definition of Fardh Ayn.............................................................66
The Definition of Fardh Kifaayah......................................................66
Fardh Ayn in Knowledge, Action, Leaving Matters and Belief.67
Fardh Ayn in Knowledge Pertaining to Allah...................................67
Fardh Ayn in Action.........................................................................67
Fardh Ayn in Leaving Matters.........................................................68
Fardh Ayn in Belief..........................................................................68
The Four Obligatory Matters................................................69
The Definition of Masalah...................................................70

The First Introductory Matter: Knowledge............................70
Knowing Allah.....................................................................71
Marifatullah....................................................................................71
Knowledge of the Halaal and Haraam.............................................72
The Importance of Marifatullah......................................................73
Ignorance in Marifatullah................................................................77
Knowing the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam79
Knowing Islam....................................................................81
The Definition of Islam.....................................................................82
Islam is the Only Religion Acceptable to Allah.................................82
The Foundation Actions of Islam......................................................85
Class Five...........................................................................86
The Order of the Definition of Knowledge.............................87
Knowing Allah, the Prophet Muhammad and the Religion with
Proof.................................................................................. 87
What is the Definition of Proof?.......................................................88
Is Taqleed Permissible in Matters of Aqeedah?.....................89
The First Opinion: You Must Know the Proof.....................................90
The Second Opinion: It is not Obligatory to Know the Proof............90
The Third Opinion: Looking into the Proof is Haraam......................91
The Summary of the First Two Opinions..........................................91
Proofs that Taqleed is Permissible....................................................92
The Second Introductory Matter: To Act Upon Knowledge......96
The Types of Actions in Islam...............................................96
Do You Get Reward for Leaving the Haraam?........................97
The Essential Aspects of Applying Knowledge.......................98
Ordaining the Good and Forbidding the Evil and Application Within
Oneself Are Two Separate Obligatory Matters.................................99
A Man Whose Actions Do Not Match His Knowledge.......................99
One is Going to be Questioned About His Knowledge on the Judgment
Day 100
Saying That Which You Do Not Do.................................................101
Knowledge That Does Not Benefit......................................101
Class Six........................................................................... 106
Knowledge That Does Not Benefit Action............................107
Knowledge is Different to Action........................................107
Knowledge Was Sent to be Acted Upon...............................108
The Consequences of Not Acting Upon Your Knowledge.......110
One Should Not Abandon Seeking Knowledge Due to Being
Accountable For His Knowledge.........................................112
Being Higher in Knowledge Means You Are Held to a Higher
Standard..........................................................................114
Examples of Applying Knowledge.......................................116

Evil Scholars.....................................................................118
Acting on Your Knowledge in Dawah..................................122
Ibn Al-Jawzi And His Shuyookh......................................................123
Do Not Get Conceited with Humans or with Allah................125
Class Seven......................................................................127
The Third Introductory Matter: Calling People Unto It..........127
What Does the Dhameer Refer To?.....................................127
Is Dawah Fardh Ayn or Fardh Kifaayah?.............................127
Attaining the Detailed Knowledge is Fardh Kifaayah.....................127
Every Muslim has a Personal Obligation to Perform Dawah.........128
Should One Leave Dawah Until He Becomes Fully Knowledgeable?
130
The Dangers of Speaking About Allah Without Knowledge. . .132
Class Eight........................................................................ 138
Do Not Commit Any Sins Under the Pretext of Dawah.........138
When Sins Become Widespread it Affects Everyone.....................141
You Have to Know How to Give Dawah.........................................144
Proof on Dawah...............................................................146
Invite People Unto Allah with Knowledge......................................147
Dawah is Our Pride.......................................................................148
Rise Up and Warn..........................................................................150
The Value of Guiding One Man......................................................151
The Day of Uhud and the Day of Taif............................................151
You Have to Know and Relate to Your Audience...................155
Dawah Must be in the Best of All Manners...................................158
Class Nine......................................................................... 158
Dawah Must Be in the Best of All Manners...................................158
Wisdom in Dawah is Not to Compromise on the Teachings of Islam160
Kindness in Dawah.......................................................................162
Wisdom in Dawah Can Include Harshness....................................170
The Difference Between Mudaaraah and Mudaahanah.................177
Examples of Our Salaf in Dawah........................................178
Conclusion on Dawah to Allah...........................................184
Class Ten..........................................................................185
The Fourth Introductory Matter: Patience...........................185
Patience is Essential for a Daaiyah....................................186
What do you get out of Patience?..................................................187
What is the Definition of Sabr?...........................................192
The Linguistic Definition of Sabr....................................................192
Does Complaining Negate Sabr?...................................................192
The Types of Patience....................................................................194
Why does Allah Test Us?....................................................195
Do Not Expect a Life Without Trials....................................197

Some Verses on Trials........................................................203
A Daaiyah is Most Optimistic in the Darkest of Times.........209
Class Eleven.....................................................................213
One on the Guided Path Should Expect Hardships...............214
Trials are a Purification from our Sins.................................217
The Importance of Intention..............................................219
Stand Your Ground Even if you are Alone............................222
The Majority are Usually Villified in the Quran..............................222
The Quran Praises the Minority....................................................223
Why does Allah Test us when He has Knowledge of Everything?
224
Everything is Good for the Believer....................................226
Be Patient on Harsh Words................................................227
Always Head to Repentance When Tested and Have Mercy. .230
Patience in Dawah is Special.............................................233
Wise Words from Shaykh Musa Hafidhahullah.....................233
Conclusion on Sabr............................................................236
Class Twelve.....................................................................237
An Introduction to Surat Al-Asr.........................................238
What Does Al-'Asr Mean?...................................................240
The First Opinion: All of Time.........................................................240
The Second Opinion: The Era of the Prophet Muhammad.............241
The Third Opinion: The End of the Day..........................................241
The Fourth Opinion: Salatul-Asr or the Timing of Salatul-Asr.......243
The Selected Opinion....................................................................244
The Importance of Al-Asr..................................................247
Oaths in the Quran and Sunnah........................................248
The Oaths of Human Beings...............................................251
Class Thirteen...................................................................253
Do Not Waste Time............................................................253
The Subject Matter of the Oath..........................................254
Mankind is at a Loss..........................................................255
Khusr Comes in a Noun Form........................................................255
Why is Khusr Mentioned as a Nakirah?..........................................255
A Practical Example Pertaining to this Surah.................................256
Losses are Levels...........................................................................260
Why Does the Surah Generalise and then Make Exceptions? 260
Those who Believe............................................................262
Imaan is the Fruit of Knowledge....................................................263
Why did Allah not Detail Imaan?...................................................263
The Meaning of Imaan in this Verse...............................................264
Those who do Good Deeds.................................................265
There is no Imaan Without Action..................................................265

Actions Without Imaan..................................................................267
All Deeds are Included in this Verse..............................................269
Advise and Recommend with Truth and Patience.................269
Dawah is not a Monopoly.............................................................270
Advising is a Group Effort..............................................................270
Haqq Refers to All of the Revelation of Allah.................................271
Patience...........................................................................271
Patience is Implied Throughout the Surah.....................................272
Patience Refers to All Types of Patience........................................272
The Statement of Ash-Shaafiee.........................................274
Class Fourteen..................................................................276
A Chapter Title from Sahih Al-Bukhari................................277
Why did the Author use a Chapter Title from Bukhari as Proof?....278
Knowledge Precedes Action...........................................................280
Laa Ilaaha Illallah...........................................................................281
Do Verses Addressed to the Prophet Include Us?..........................281
The Structure of the Book..................................................283
Chapter Two...................................................................... 286
The Obligation to Know and Act on Three Matters...............286
Why did the Author say Male and Female?....................................286
Why did the Author say Muslim?...................................................287
The First Matter: Tawheed Ar-Rububiyyah..........................289
1A: Allah Created Us.........................................................289
Proofs from the Quran and Sunnah..............................................289
Proofs from the Intellect................................................................293
Poetry on the Existence of Allah.........................................296
Class Fifteen.....................................................................301
1B: Allah Provided Sustenance For Us................................301
The Difference Between Ar-Raaziq and Ar-Razzaaq.......................302
The Definition of Provision.............................................................303
Allah is Ar-Razzaaq............................................................303
Your Provision is in the Sky............................................................303
Provision Comes From Allah...........................................................306
Your Unchangeable Provision is Already Written...........................308
Ar-Razzaaq is Wise in Giving Provision..........................................310
True Tawakkul and Tawaakul..........................................................313
Seek Means but Keep your Heart Fully Attached to Allah..............315
Provision is Not Only Materialistic..................................................317
Depend on Allah in Hardship.........................................................319
They Worship Others Besides Allah Who Have No Control Over
Provision..........................................................................319
Ar-Razzaaq Will Send You Means........................................322
Class Sixteen....................................................................324
1C: He Did Not Create Us Without A Purpose......................325
What is Hamala?............................................................................325
Incorrect Opinions on the Purpose of Our Creation.......................326
You Were Created for a Purpose....................................................329
Save Yourself From Hell.................................................................330
Allah is Independent of His Creation..............................................332
1D: He Sent Messengers to Us...........................................335
1E: Whoever Obeys Him Will Enter Paradise........................337
The Quran and Sunnah are Equal as Sources of Legislation.........338
The Quran has a Higher Status in Other Areas.............................339
Obedience to the Prophet Must be Complete Obedience..............340
The Story of Julaybeeb......................................................341
Class Seventeen................................................................346
Three Types of Commands in the Quran and Sunnah..........347
A Command Accompanied by Evidence to Indicate it is Obligatory347
A Command With Proof to Indicate it is Not Obligatory.................347
The General Commands................................................................349
The Relationship Between the Quran and Sunnah..............350
In Accordance and Similarty..........................................................350
The Sunnah Gives Details, Explains or Specifies...........................351
The Hadith are Independent in Legislating....................................352
Those Who Deny the Sunnah.............................................354
1F: Whoever Rejects and Disobeys Him Will Enter Hellfire. . .356
Categories of Disobedience...............................................356
Major Shirk or Major Kufr...............................................................356
A Muslim who Meets Allah with Sins..............................................361
One who Meets Allah with Minor Shirk..........................................363
Does one who Commits Minor Shirk Fall Under the Masheeah?. . .365
The Duaa to Shield Oneself from Minor Shirk...............................367
Why Did Allah Choose Musa to Compare with the Prophet
Muhammad?.....................................................................368
Class Eighteen..................................................................369
The Second Matter: Shirk Al-Uloohiyyah.............................369
Introduction on Tawheed and Shirk....................................370
Three Types of Shirk Al-Uloohiyyah....................................376
The First Type: Associating a Partner to Allah.....................376
The Second Type: Giving a Portion of Your Worship to Other Than
Allah................................................................................376
Shirk in Duaa At-Talab......................................................376
Shirk in Duaa Al-Ibaadah..................................................379
Shirk in Intention...........................................................................379
Shirk in Love..................................................................................381
Shirk in Fear...................................................................................384
Shirk in Hope.................................................................................387
Shirk in Rukoo and Sujood............................................................387
The Difference Between Sujood, Rukoo and Qiyaam....................388
Class Nineteen..................................................................389
Shirk in Sacrifice............................................................................390
Shirk in Tawaaf..............................................................................391
Shirk in Tawakkul...........................................................................391
Is Tawheed Three Categories or Four Categories?................393
The Third Type: Shirk in Governorship................................397
The Proof of the Author.....................................................402
Conclusion........................................................................404
Class Twenty.....................................................................405
The Third Matter: Walaa and Baraa..................................406
Proofs on Walaa and Baraa..............................................407
The Importance of Walaa and Baraa.................................410
The Danger of Having Any Deficiency in the Belief of Walaa and
Baraa..............................................................................412
The Goal and Result of Diluting Walaa and Baraa..............415
Two Athaar Regarding those who Change in Their Belief......418
A Special Category of Carriers of Knowledge.......................420
Conclusion of Halaqah.......................................................423
Class Twenty One..............................................................424
Types of People Who Promote Interfaith.............................425
Never Will the Jews nor the Christians be Pleased with You. 426
The Statement of Abul-Wafaa Ibn Aqeel............................428
A Response to those who Shed in their Aqeedah and Claim to be
like Ash-Shaafiee...................................................................
.................................................................................... 429
The War on Changing Islamic Terminology..........................432
Changing the Terminology in the Area of Walaa and Baraa.........434
Categories of Walaa and Baraa........................................436
The First Category: Tawalli................................................436
The Second Category: Al-Muwaalaah..................................439
The Third Category: Permissible Dealings with Non Muslims 440
Class Twenty Two..............................................................441
The Third Category: Permissible Dealings with Non Muslims 442
Dawah to Non Muslims.................................................................443
Eating from the Slaughter of the People of the Book.....................444
Marriage from the People of the Book...........................................444
Exchanging Gifts............................................................................444
Visiting Non Muslims.....................................................................446
Treatment of Non Muslims.................................................446
Love and Hate is at the Core of Walaa and Baraa..............448

Baraa from Kufr and Kaafireen.....................................................451
Our Hate is Restrained by the Guidance of Islam..........................454
Islam Recognises Natural Love and Hate............................456
The Son of Abdullah Ibn Ubayy Ibn Salool...........................458
Conclusion of Halaqah.......................................................460
Class Twenty Three...........................................................461
Chapter Three...................................................................461
The Types of Guidance.......................................................462
The First Type of Guidance............................................................462
The Second Type of Guidance.......................................................462
The Third Type of Guidance...........................................................463
The Fourth Type of Guidance.........................................................464
Which Type of Guidance did the Author Intend?............................464
Al-Haneefiyyah Millat Ibraheem.........................................465
The Root Word of Haneefiyyah......................................................466
The Connection Between the Linguistic and Sharee Definition....467
Haneefiyyah and Islam are Interchangeable.................................468
Haneefiyyah and the Ahnaaf are Different....................................470
A Dream Pertaining to Haneefiyyah....................................470
Millat Ibraheem.................................................................473
The Definition of Millah..................................................................473
Who is Ibraheem?..........................................................................473
Class Twenty Four.............................................................477
Why did Allah Specify Ibraheem and not any Other Messenger?
477
Salah and Salaam on the Prophets and Messengers............478
Why did the Author Mention Ibraheem Without Adding Alayhis-Salaam?
479
Saying Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam and Writing it Fully................479
Is it Waajib to say Sallallahu Alayhi wa Sallam?...........................482
To Worship Allah Alone......................................................482
The Definition of Ibaadah...................................................483
Why did Allah Order us to Worship Him?.............................485
Allah does not Benefit from our Obedience and He is not Harmed by
our Sins.........................................................................................486
Ibaadah is a Right of Allah Upon Us...............................................488
Ibaadah is for Our Own Benefit.....................................................490
Class Twenty Five..............................................................492
Ikhlaas.............................................................................493
Deficiencies in Ikhlaas.......................................................494
The First Scenario.............................................................494
The Second Scenario.........................................................494
The Third Scenario............................................................495

The Fourth Scenario..........................................................496
Category 4A...................................................................................496
Category 4B...................................................................................497
Category 4C...................................................................................499
Does Praise of People Negate Ones Ikhlaas?................................499
The Fifth Scenario.............................................................500
The Sixth Scenario............................................................502
The Seventh Scenario........................................................503
Ikhlaas in Seeking Knowledge............................................505
Tawheed and Ikhlaas.........................................................511
Class Twenty Six...............................................................512
What Did Allah Command All People With?.........................513
This Command is Waajib...............................................................513
Allah Commanded the Humans and the Jinn.................................514
He Created Them First and Then He Commanded Them...............514
Jinn and Mankind Have Been Created For Worship...............514
The Jinn..........................................................................................515
The Ins...........................................................................................516
Hasir wa Qasir...............................................................................516
The Definition of Worship..................................................516
Ibaadah is Broader Than Tawheed Alone.......................................517
A Broader Definition of Worship.....................................................517
The Author is Referring to Tawheed Al-Uloohiyyah........................518
Tawheed Al-Uloohiyyah is Tawheed Al-Ibaadah.............................518
It is the Ibaadah we Were Created for...........................................518
This is Not the Forced Type of Ibaadah..........................................520
Types of Wills of Allah.......................................................521
Al-Iraadah Al-Kawniyyah................................................................521
Al-Iraadah Ash-Shariyyah.............................................................523
Types of Ibaadah...............................................................525
Ibaadah Kawniyyah.......................................................................525
Ibaadah Shariyyah........................................................................525
The Importance of the Distinction Between Kawniyyah and Shariyyah
526
The Type of Laam in Li-Yabudoon.......................................527
Class Twenty Seven...........................................................528
The Greatest Matter Allah Commanded is Tawheed.............528
The Definition of Tawheed and Aqeedah.............................530
The Definition of Tawheed.............................................................530
The Definition of Aqeedah............................................................530
The Sharee Meaning of Tawheed and Aqeedah...........................531
Is There a Difference Between Tawheed and Aqeedah?...............531
Tawheed is to Affirm and Deny...........................................532

The Worst Matter Allah Prohibited is Shirk.........................532
The Definition of Shirk.......................................................534
Types of Duaa..................................................................535
Duaa Al-Masalah..........................................................................535
Duaa Al-Ibaadah...........................................................................535
Why Are Tawheed and Shirk the Most Essential Matters?.....536
Tafseer of the Proof of the Author......................................542
The Three Principles..........................................................545
The Definition of Usool..................................................................545
Why Did the Author Use a Question Format?................................545
Living and Dying by Tawheed.............................................546
The First Hurdle of the Life After is the Grave................................546
Class Twenty Eight............................................................549
What are the Three Principles a Person Must Know?...........549
Two Teaching Tactics of the Author.....................................550
Why is the One Asking Not Mentioned?..............................550
The Three Principles in Summary.......................................551
These are not the Only Principles of the Deen..............................551
Knowing these Matters is Waajib...................................................552
What is the Method to Attain this Marifah?..................................552
Marifah Includes Belief and Action....................................552
The Meaning of Marifah....................................................554
Marifah Cannot be Used for Allah.................................................554
Marifah is Usually in the Context of Vilification in the Quran.......554
There is no Room for Doubt in this Matter..........................556
Two Types of Servants.......................................................556
The Servant by Force.....................................................................556
The Servant by Choice..................................................................557
The First Principle.............................................................557
Is the Test in the Grave only a Test of Lordship?..................557
Uloohiyyah Includes Rububiyyah and Rububiyyah Requires Uloohiyyah
558
Uloohiyyah is Included by Purpose and Intent...............................559
Rububiyyah and Uloohiyyah Resemble Imaan and Islam..............560
The Test in the Grave Includes Uloohiyyah....................................561
The Second Principle.........................................................561
The Third Principle............................................................561
The Three Principles In Depth............................................562
The First Principle.............................................................562
Faa Al-Faseehah............................................................................563
Who is Your Lord?.............................................................563
Do not Disdain this Question.........................................................563
The Definition of Rabb.......................................................564

The Owner of Something or one in Control of Something.............565
Nurture or Raise Up.......................................................................565
Allah Nurtured the Aalam.............................................................566
The Sharee Meaning of Ar-Rabb...................................................567
Uloohiyyah is Included in Rububiyyah when Mentioned Alone568
Rububiyyah and Uloohiyyah are Different Types of Tawheed........570
My Lord is Allah................................................................570
Tawheed Al-Uloohiyyah: He is the One I Worship.................571
The Author Used Ithbaat and Nafi......................................573
Class Twenty Nine.............................................................574
Tafseer of Alhamdulillahi Rabbil-Aalameen.........................575
Alhamdulillah.................................................................................575
Laam in Lillah................................................................................575
The Difference Between Hamd and Shukr.....................................577
Tawheed Al-Uloohiyyah in the Quran by Name, Act and Order.....577
Rabbil-Aalameen..........................................................................578
Alhamdulillah is Tied to Rabbil-Aalameen.....................................579
Why Did the Author Use it as Proof?..............................................579
Everything Besides Allah is Created and I am One of Those
Creations.......................................................................... 580
How Did you Arrive at this Knowledge?..............................580
Three Covenants With Allah..........................................................581
Intellectual and Textual Proof........................................................583
The Two Types of Ayaat.....................................................584
Ayaat Shariyyah............................................................................584
Ayaat Kawniyyah...........................................................................586
Which Definition of Ayaat did the Author Intend?................586
The First Scenario..........................................................................587
The Second Scenario.....................................................................587
The Third Scenario.........................................................................588
Among the Signs and Creations of Allah.............................588
Why did the Author Distinguish Between the Two Groups?...589
Overcoming Doubts in Man Rabbuk....................................591
A Sunnah of the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wa Sallam.........597
Class Thirty......................................................................600
Tafseer of the Verse in Surat Fussilat.................................602
Tafseer of the Verse in Surat Al-Araaf................................603
Allah Created the Heavens and the Earth in Six Days...................604
Opinions of the Ulamaa on the Wisdom Behind Creating the Heavens
and the Earth in Six Days..............................................................604
Tafseer of the Verse in Surat Al-Araaf (Continued)..............606
The Lord is the One Worthy of Being Worshipped................607

One Who Gave His Worship to Other than Allah Does not Fall Under
Ibaadah.........................................................................................610
The Proof of the Author (Continued)...................................611
The Conclusion of the Verse..........................................................613
This Verse Contains Nafi and Ithbaat.............................................614
This Verse is Intellect Proof to Destroy the Shirk Belief.................615
The Statement of Ibn Katheer............................................615
A Brief Biography of Ibn Katheer........................................616
The Types of Worship that Allah Commanded......................617
Ibaadaat are Both Waajib and Mustahabb.....................................617
Examples of Ibaadaat........................................................618
Hadith Jibreel.................................................................................618
Why Did the Author Consider Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan as Ibaadaat?619
Class Thirty One................................................................620
A Brief Summary of Chapter Three.....................................621
Duaa...............................................................................623
The Importance of Duaa...................................................624
An Explanation of a Verse on Duaa in Surat Al-Baqarah......626
It is a Direct Answer from Allah.....................................................626
Allah Did Not Use the Third Person Pronoun..................................628
Allah Did Not Say I Will Answer If I Will..........................................628
The Condition Comes After the Result...........................................628
Allah Used Ithaa and Not In...........................................................628
Ithaa Also Comes to Mean a Large Quantity..................................631
Allah Responds to the Invocation of the Supplicant......................632
Ibaadee Refers to a Large Quantity of Servants............................633
He Used Innee to Add Extreme Emphasis.....................................634
Khawlah Bint Thalabah.....................................................635
Why Does Some Duaa Go Unanswered?.............................635
Duaa is Ibaadah...............................................................636
The Definition of Ibaadah..............................................................637
The Sharee Meaning of Duaa......................................................638
The Author is Referring to Duaa Al-Masalah................................638
The Proof of the Author on Duaa.......................................639
The Categories of Asking Other Than Allah.........................640
Asking a Dead Person....................................................................640
Asking One Who is Alive................................................................640
Asking the Jinn...............................................................................641
The Ruling on Saying Waa Mutasimaa and Similar Statements643
Speaking to the Dead in the Context of a Sermon to Oneself and

Others.............................................................................. 644
Calling the Jinn Using Yaa..................................................644
Is it Permissible to Ask Others to Make Duaa For You?........644
Class Thirty Two................................................................648
Khawf............................................................................... 648
Two Avenues of Proof for What Constitutes an Ibaadah and It
Becoming Shirk.................................................................649
The Proof of the Author on Khawf......................................650
The Types of Fear..............................................................651
Natural Fear.....................................................................651
The Prohibited Type of Fear...............................................654
Ikraah............................................................................................655
The One Threatening Must be Able to Carry Out the Threat and You Are
Unable to Defend Yourself.............................................................656
You Have to Truly Believe He Will Carry Out the Threat.................656
The Threat Must Be Imminent.......................................................656
There Is No Ikraah If You Have A Choice........................................657
The Level of Harm for Ikraah.........................................................657
There is No Mutadi in Ikraah.........................................................658
Mashaqqah....................................................................................660
Slight Hardship..............................................................................660
Al-Wahan Wal-Jubun......................................................................660
The Reverential Fear.........................................................661
Is All Fear of Allah Praiseworthy?...................................................661
Fear of the Plan of Allah.................................................................662
Fear of A Bad End..........................................................................663
Fear of Jahannam and Being Deprived of Seeing Allah..................664
The Secret Supernatural Fear............................................665
The Difference Between Khashyah and Khawf.....................667
Class Thirty Three.............................................................668
Rajaa............................................................................... 668
The Definition of Rajaa.....................................................669
Types of Rajaa..................................................................669
Natural Hope.................................................................................669
The Ibaadah Type of Rajaa...........................................................669
The Praised and Dispraised Form of Rajaa...................................670
The Proof of the Author on Rajaa......................................674
Hope, Love and Fear..........................................................677
Tawakkul..........................................................................678
What is Tawakkul?.............................................................679
Types of Means.................................................................679
The Proofs of the Author on Tawakkul................................680
The Forms of Tawakkul......................................................682

Trust and Reliance Upon Allah.......................................................682
Secret Trust and Dependence........................................................682
Relying on Someone in Affairs and Then Feeling Low in Those Matters
683
Giving Someone Permission to Represent You in Some Matters....684
The Ruling on Certain Statements Concerning Tawakkul......684
The Importance of Tawakkul..............................................687
The Story of Qaadhi Al-Maaristaan.....................................688
Verses on Tawakkul...........................................................691
The Story of Al-Mansoor and the Prisoner...........................692
The Story of a Prisoner From The Innocent Man................694
Class Thirty Four...............................................................695
Raghbah, Rahbah and Khushoo.........................................695
Raghbah........................................................................... 696
The Definition of Raghbah.................................................696
The Story of Urwah Ibn Az-Zubay Ibn Al-Awwaam..............696
Raghbah in Duaa..............................................................699
Raghbah is an Ibaadah......................................................700
Rahbah............................................................................. 700
The Definition of Rahbah...................................................700
The Difference Between Khawf and Rahbah........................701
When is Rahbah Shirk?......................................................702
Khushoo..........................................................................703
The Definition of Khushoo.................................................703
When is Khushoo Ibaadah?...............................................703
When is Khushoo Shirk?...................................................703
The Difference Between Khushoo and Khudhoo.................704
The Importance of Khushoo and How to Attain It................705
Examples of the Salaf in Khushoo......................................706
The Proof of the Author on Raghbah, Rahbah and Khushoo.707
Raghbah and Rahbah in Ibaadah........................................709
Khashyah.........................................................................710
The Definition of Khashyah................................................710
The Difference Between Khawf and Khashyah.....................710
When is Khashyah Shirk?...................................................713
The Proof of the Author on Khashyah.................................713
The Importance of Khashyah and the Status of the Salaf In It714
Class Thirty Five...............................................................717
Inaabah............................................................................717
What is Inaabah?..............................................................717
What is the Relationship Between Inaabah and Khashyah?. .721
What is the Biggest Sign that One has Inaabah in their Heart?722
The Levels of Inaabah........................................................723

The First Level: The Inaabah from Shirk to Tawheed.....................723
The Second Level: The Inaabah of Al-Muttaqeen..........................723
The Third Level: The Inaabah of Al-Muhsineen..............................724
How Do We Know Inaabah is Different to Tawbah?...............728
Al-Inaabah Ar-Rububiyyah and Al-Inaabah Al-Ilahiyyah........728
When is Inaabah Shirk?.....................................................730
What is the Difference Between Inaabah and Raghbah?.......730
The Proof of the Author on Inaabah....................................730
Submission to Allah is Two Types...................................................731
Class Thirty Six.................................................................732
Istiaanah.........................................................................733
Forms of Istiaanah...........................................................735
The First Form................................................................................735
The Second Form...........................................................................736
The Third Form..............................................................................737
The Fourth Type.............................................................................737
The Fifth Type................................................................................737
The Sixth Type...............................................................................738
The Proof of the Author on Istiaanah.................................742
The Verse From the Quran............................................................743
The Hadith.....................................................................................747
Inspirational Conclusion on Istiaanah................................748
Class Thirty Seven.............................................................753
Istiaadhah.......................................................................753
Definition of Istiaadhah....................................................753
Forms of Istiaadhah..........................................................753
The First Form................................................................................754
The Second Form...........................................................................754
The Third Form..............................................................................756
The Fourth Form............................................................................756
Can You Say I Seek Refuge in Allah and Then in You?...........758
The Proof of the Author on Istiaadhah...............................759
Istighaathah.....................................................................760
The Definition of Istighaathah............................................761
The First Form................................................................................761
The Second Form...........................................................................762
The Third Form..............................................................................763
The Fourth Form............................................................................764
The Proof of the Author on Istighaathah.............................764
What is the Difference Between Istiaanah, Istiaadhah and
Istighaathah?....................................................................765
What is the Relationship Between Istiaanah, Istiaadhah,

Istighaathah and Duaa?....................................................766
Can You Do Istiaanah, Istiaadhah and Istighaathah in Jinn?766
Inspirational Conclusion to Istiaanah, Istiaadhah and
Istighaathah.....................................................................770
Istighaathah For Guidance During Fitan..............................778
Appendices.......................................................................779
Appendix One: Patience.....................................................779
Appendix Two: Muslims Joking About Islamic Matters..........792
Appendix Three: Ramadhaan Gem #8 on Inaabah................804
CLASS ONE
INTRODUCTION
As we promised, this is the start of the explanation on the Usool AthThalaathah (the three fundamental principles). As you all know, it is a
booklet, not a book, a booklet on Tawheed, and we have mentioned it
many times. It is very small in words but has some great, great meanings.
These meanings, no one can be ignorant of. Scholars have always
discussed this book and taught it among the first that is taught in
Tawheed. If you really look into the three principles and what he means
about those principles, they are in reality the matters you are going to be
asked about in your grave. So you need to know those three principles,
really as best as one knows, and you need to apply them so when you are
asked about them in the grave, you quickly go through them Inshaa Allah
Taaala.
KNOWLEDGE IN ISLAM IS TO BE TAKEN GRADUALLY

We start gradually because knowledge in Islam is to be taken gradually.
You do not wake up overnight an Aalim or a Shaykh. Ibn Abdil-Barr in his
book Al-Jaami said az-Zuhri said:

Whoever seeks to get knowledge in a lump sum overnight, it (knowledge)
ends up leaving him in a lump sum. Knowledge is to be attained slowly,
over days and nights.
Knowledge needs patience and it needs persistence. It is a step by step
process. You do not go for example to some in depth Aqeedah books and
then you end up getting frustrated, facing complex matters you cannot
break down, which you would have been able to do had you went in a step
by step process. Some brothers tell me they are studying Aqeedah and
Tawheed books that Ulamaa have had a hard time breaking down. The
bigger problem is they are studying it on their own and to top that off,
they are not even studying it in the language of the author. So explain to
me how you can understand it like that? If you are unable to get to a
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teacher, which many are, especially in this day and age, that is a whole
different story but you still have to at least know how to start.
Now this is a starter book on Tawheed. You can sit and read this book right
now and before I even finish this introduction, you can probably be done
reading it. It still needs to be broken down (sentence by sentence) so the
student of knowledge understands the deep meaning of what the book
really entails. If you start in the step by step process and you find it
difficult (which you may), never ever give up. This simple book that you
have before your hand, I studied it cover to cover with eleven different
Shuyookh. Portions of it I studied with even more than that, but the entire
booklet with eleven different Shuyookh.
Al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi in his book al-Jaami narrated that a student of
knowledge went to the Shuyookh of Hadith to learn. He found knowledge
of Hadith is very difficult, he got frustrated and he said this is not for me.
One day he was walking and he saw water dripping on a stone, maybe a
spring. If you have ever seen a spring, especially where water has been
dripping on a stone for years and years, or even if you look at a fountain
that has been dripping on a stone or even cement, the water dents the
cement or the rock over the years. He said to himself wow, look at that.
Water as light as it is, Lateef (( )soft and mild), it affected the
stone as hard as it is. He said knowledge is softer and lighter than water,
and my heart and my mind are not as hard as a rock. He went back to
studying Hadith and became a very reputable, famous scholar of Hadith.
Start gradually and as you go on, move forward patiently. This is the start
of the classical study we mentioned and it is to create, I am not going to
say students of knowledge, Inshaa Allah it is to create Ulamaa. The other
lectures we did and we will continue to do, like the University of Yusuf, The
Ultimate Pleasure, The Love and Fear Series, the question and answers.
They are informative and inspirational, there is definitely knowledge in
them but that is not what makes an Aalim. Those kind of lectures are not
what can make an Aalim. If you hear a lecture here, attend a two day
seminar, an event and trailer here and there, that is good. But if that is
what makes an Aalim then the whole Ummah are Ulamaa because your
fathers have been attending Jumuah for about fifty or sixty years, and
they have been attending lectures between Maghrib and Ishaa for a
similar time. There is a structured study to becoming a student of
knowledge and an Aalim. There are an uncountable number of benefits in
studying Islam in the classical way. This is a step by step process that will
encompass the Madinah program Inshaa Allah and even more than that
Biithnihi Taaala, if Allah blesses us to continue.
Page | 2
The next issue, many people from all over the world want to come and
study with us and I really say it with no exaggeration Alhamdulillah.
Especially from UK, Europe, parts of the US and even some Arab countries.
As you know, we do not have resources and a very well established place
to accommodate such number of students yet. My father has taught me
never to charge or take anything for Dawah and has done so throughout
his career, whether it may be a marriage, seminars, lectures, classes like
this or even more than that. So you can study with us through the internet
until Allah finds us a way out. I mention this because many ask if it is the
same as studying with you.
THE THREE LEVELS OF STUDYING

Back in the day, the students of knowledge had three levels of studying.
The first one is As-Samaa al-Mubaashir () ,
immediately learning from a Shaykh. Those who are attending, that is asSamaa al-Mubaashir. That is the best and the reward for that in itself is
immense. The next one is al-Waasitah (), between you and the
Shaykh is a mediator. So if one of you goes and conveys this whole
message to another person, that is Waasitah. You were the mediator
between me and that person you taught. Some used to do that, especially
business men or farmers, they would take turns in learning and teaching
each other. The third one is Wijaadah ( ), to find a book written by a
Shaykh and study from it.
Now where does learning for example, from a Shaykh on Youtube come in?
In my opinion, it is a little higher than number two because you are not
learning through a mediator, you are learning from the Shaykh but you are
learning possibly through the internet. And it is definitely not Wijaadah, it
is not taking a book and studying from it. So it is really between the
number one and number two. Through the internet one can even interact
these days through emails or he can call the Shaykh that he is learning
from, so in reality it has become a notch under as-Samaa al-Mubaashir.
That is not to minimise going to a Shaykh. One should not resort to
Wijaadah, Waasitah or any other means if he can find a direct Shaykh. If
you find a righteous Shaykh and he is in the end of the world, you pack
your bags and go if you are able to go and learn from him. If Allah blesses
us in the future and we can accommodate, we would love for everyone
Inshaa Allah to join us.
Learning from a Shaykh in person has its benefits, like you see his private
life, his manners, his attitude, his Ibaadah and you see how he reacts to
things. Outside of the regular Madinah curriculum, my father made sure to
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contact the major Shuyookh of our time (many of them who are now
dead) and made sure that I studied with them. The last one for example
was Shaykh Muqbil and I always used to make Duaa to learn from him but
I was not able to go to Yemen. He was kicked out of Saoodiyyah in the
late seventies, and I was not able to go to Yemen. Then Subhan Allah in
the year 2000, he came to Los Angeles in California to get medical
treatment. I immediately headed there and stayed with him in his house.
Then suddenly in the middle of the treatment, it was Dhul-Hijjah so he
decided to go to Makkah to make Hajj and return. When he went to
Makkah, an article broke out in some newspaper in California, that Shaykh
Muqbil who is a radical is in the United States and how did they let him in.
So immediately, the embassy in Saoodiyyah revoked his visa. I say Inshaa
Allah that was possibly from my Duaa because a few weeks later he died,
Rahmatullahi Alayhi. I always think of it and say Alhamdulillah, it might
have been my Duaa that he came all the way from Yemen to LA for
medical treatment, I learned from him, then he went back and shortly
thereafter he died. So if you can pursue a reputable, righteous Shaykh
who fears Allah and is not a lowlife, deluded, sell out modernist or a
promoter for the Kufr or Kuffaar, or those who work for governments, if
you can find that then surely go ahead and learn from him and follow him
even if he is in the end of the globe.
The Salaf used to consider it a negative characteristic for one to study
from books alone. They said:

If your Shaykh is your book, your mistakes are more than your
correctness. When Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen was asked about one who
studies through audio tape, he encouraged it but he said learning directly
is better because you can discuss and ask. You can apply that factor today
because you can ask us, you can email us and you can call us by phone to
ask, and those who are in the classical study with us will get precedence
in answering their questions Inshaa Allah Taaala.
WRITING IS THE TREND OF THE SALAF

Those of you who attended here without pen and paper, you have to go
and get your pen and paper. Invest in some pen and paper and write, or
you can take notes on your laptop or phone like some here are doing.
Whatever method you use, you should document down your knowledge.
You should try your best to possibly even type verbatim, and that is your
back up. Jotting down notes on your laptop is great. One time I was in
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North Carolina and a brother was on his phone. Back then I was just
recently getting into the technology, and I sort of scolded him for using
the phone. After the lecture, he came respectfully to me and showed me
his phone, he said look Shaykh, these are all the notes from your lecture. I
said Subhan Allah because back then I did not know they also use phones
to take notes. So one needs to write down his knowledge.
When I was seven years old I was in Madinah and my father was a
student. An Iraqi student with my father, he was from Saamarraa
Rahmatullahi Alayhi (he got killed in 1980 in Iraq), he came to me and
told me your father is a lion, in class he writes every single word down.
And then I used to notice my father in the Haram, in his classes outside
the university where I saw him, he would write everything down and
always record every single lecture and we still have the tapes until today.
So I took it upon myself to do the same, I never ever sat before a Shaykh
where I did not write every single thing he said. There are some
exceptional things you do not write or that you miss, but I tried my best to
write everything verbatim. In fact, I always refer to my notes that I took
from Shuyookh.
Writing is the trend of the Salaf. Abdullah Ibn Amr used to write the
Hadith of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam until Quraysh deterred
him from that. Then the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said proceed
and write, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam encouraged him to
write the Hadith.
In Sunan ad-Daarimi, Muaawiyah Ibn Qurrah Ibn Abi Iyyaas said:
If you do not write knowledge, your knowledge is not considered anything.

Those who do not write knowledge, their knowledge is not considered
anything. They may have possibly meant Hadith but even if they did mean
that, it still applies to this kind of study that we are doing today. Saeed
Ibn Jubayr used to write what he hears in sand if he does not have
anything to write it down, and when daylight breaks or he finds something
to write it down, he goes and writes it down. Similar things about writing
are narrated by al-Muwardi, al-Khaleel Ibn Ahmad and others. They either
documented or encouraged knowledge to be documented.
AL-USOOL ATH-THALAATHAH
We will start slow and pick up speed as time goes by. Like I said, this is the
first of our classical study Inshaa Allah. Everyone should have a copy of
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this book and these days Alhamdulillah you do not have to go out and buy
it, you can go ahead on the internet and print it. I think it is about five
pages or so in English or close to that. Before I start, to avoid confusion,
the author starts with an introduction of four matters before he gets to the
three matters. Then he goes and talks about the three matters (which is
the core book) and then there is an ending and a conclusion at the end of
the book that we will talk about Inshaa Allah Taaala.
Like I said, the book is no more than five pages but it has great, immense
benefits. We will take it line by line, possibly even word by word. Today we
are only going to take Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem, I do not think we
are even going to finish Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem, so we will
probably only take Bismillah. He starts off with Bismillah, the Basmalah (
( )Bismillah is called the Basmalah). The author starts with

Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem and we are going to break that down point
by point. As students of knowledge, your understanding to do Bismillah is
not like any regular person. There are 1.5 or 1.8 Billion Muslims that are
outside and if you ask them why they are saying Bismillah to matters,
many may not even know that. As a student of knowledge, you are
supposed to get the entire perspective as to why you are saying
Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem to everything. Now you should come out
with a different understanding as to why you say Bismillahir-RahmaanirRaheem.
CHAPTER ONE
THE BASMALAH

TAWHEED IN BISMILLAHIR-RAHMAANIR-RAHEEM
TAWHEED AL-ULOOHIYYAH
When you say Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem, you are exerting your entire
Tawheed to Allah in that matter that you are saying Bismillah to. It has all
aspects of Tawheed in it. When you say Bismillah, you are saying
Bismillah, Allah permits me to do this, Athinallahu Lee () .
And if Allah did not permit me, I would not do it. So when you are saying
Bismillah, you are saying I am doing it for the sake of Allah because Allah
Page | 6
permitted me to do this. Allah allowed me to do this, Athinallahu Lee. I am

doing it for Your sake Yaa Allah because You permitted and allowed me to
do this. That is why you do not say Bismillah when you are committing a
sin, may Allah guard us and protect us from that. If someone is drinking
alcohol, Laa Samahallah () , they do not say Bismillah. You
do not say Bismillah because if you say Bismillah, you are actually getting
two sins. You are saying that Allah permitted you and Allah never
permitted that, and you are getting the actual sin for drinking the alcohol.
So you are getting two sins if you do say Bismillah, even though believe it
or not it is a trend in some Muslim countries that they say Bismillah before
drinking alcohol.
That is Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah () . Bismillah, Allah
permitted me to do this, I am doing this for the sake of Allah. We are doing
this by the permission of Allah, this is Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah.
TAWHEED AR-RUBUBIYYAH
When you write down, who gave you the power to write? Allah gave you
the power to write. So when you say Bismillah, you are saying I could not
have done this without the power Allah has given me. Bismillah, I do this
by the power Allah has given me. Bismillah I eat, because Allah has given
me this provision and because had it not been for the power Allah has
given me, I would not be able to chew it. Bismillah I write, because if it
was not for Allah giving me the power, my hand would not be able to
move (it would be paralysed). That is like saying Laa Hawla wa Laa
Quwwata Illah Billah () . If it was not for the
power that Allah has given me to do this act, I would not have done this
act.
That is why Allah says:

: ...

And whatever of blessings and good things you have, it is from Allah.
(Surat an-Nahl: 53)
Every provision you have is from Allah. So that is the second aspect, that
is Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah (
).
TAWHEED AL-ASMAA WAS-SIFAAT

You are seeking blessing by the name of Allah. Bismillah, you are using the
name of Allah to bless whatever you are doing. When you are using the
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name of Allah and then following with Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem, those
are names, qualities and attributes of Allah that we will discuss Inshaa
Allah. You are using the name of Allah to bless the act you are doing, so
that is Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat () .
That applies to any matter that you say Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem
(Basmalah) to.
When I say Bismillah to eat or to sit an exam for example, I say Bismillah
to bless that matter (that is Asmaa was-Sifaat). Allah gave me the power
to eat or to write, that is Rububiyyah. I do this for the sake of Allah, by the
permission of Allah, He permitted me to do this and it is Halaal so I am
doing it, that is Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah. And likewise, take it for everything
else. When you say Bismillah, now you are going to get a different
perspective of why you are saying Bismillah. Sometimes you are saying it
because you read a Hadith to say it, now you understand why you are
saying it.
LINGUISTIC RULES IN BISMILLAHIR-RAHMAANIRRAHEEM

THE FIRST RULE
The Baa in Bismillah is Istiaana ( )and Tawakkul (), to seek
help and dependence on Allah. The grammatical rule in Arabic is al-Jaar
wal-Majroor fil-Basmalah Mutaalliqun Bi-Mahthoof Taqdeeruhu Filun

).
Laaiqun bil-Maqaam (
When you say Bismillah in Arabic, it automatically implies you are saying
Bismillah I eat, Bismillah I drink or Bismillah I write. You do not have to say
the act that you are saying Bismillah to, you do not have to specify I eat, I
drink or I write. The Arabic language eliminates the need to mention the
act you are saying Bismillah to, it is automatically implied. You do not
have to say the word I eat, you do not have to say the word I drink, it is
automatically implied in Bismillah. That is among the beauties of the
Arabic language.
When you eat and you say Bismillah, it is like saying Bismillah I eat even
though you do not tag on the word I eat. I want you to understand this
fully. If you are writing and you say Bismillah, it automatically means
Bismillah I write. Al-Jaar wal-Majroor fil-Basmalah Mutaalliqun Bi-Mahthoof
Taqdeeruhu Filun Laaiqun bil-Maqaam, that is the grammatical Arabic
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rule. Now we established that rule, every time I say Bismillah, it

automatically means Bismillah I eat, Bismillah I drink if I am drinking,
Bismillah I am riding in my car.
It always comes after the name of Allah, note I always said Bismillah I eat,
I never said I eat Bismillah. There is a big difference. Why is it Bismillah I
eat, not I eat Bismillah?
THE SECOND RULE

The scholars of Nahuw said for two reasons. First of all, the name of Allah
comes first in the sentence to bless it.
Secondly, that slight change makes a huge difference because when you
delay naming the act in Arabic grammar (by saying Bismillah I eat instead
of I eat Bismillah), in essence it limits your action solely for the sake of
Allah. The grammatical rule is Takheer al-Aamil Yufeed al-Hasr (
) . Bismillah I eat, I do not eat by any name other

than Your name. You limit it for the sake of Allah, that is the difference
between saying Bismillah I eat and I eat Bismillah. Only for you Yaa Allah I
write, only for You Yaa Allah I drink, for Your sake.
PROOFS FOR BEGINNING WITH THE BASMALAH

Why does he start with Bismillah? This is a matter of Ibaadah and when
you do Ibaadah, the burden of proof is on you. You have to bring proof
when you are doing an Ibaadah, the burden is on the one doing the
Ibaadah to bring proof.
IT
IS IN
ACCORDANCE
WITH THE
QURAN
The Quran starts with Bismillah, he is starting with Bismillah to bless his
work.
There are a hundred and fourteen Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem in the
Quran. There are a hundred and thirteen at the start of the Surahs
because Tawbah does not have Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem, but in
Surat an-Naml:

:
Verily! It is from Sulaymaan and verily! It (reads): In the Name of Allah, the
Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful. (Surat an-Naml: 30)
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This compensates for the one missing in Surat at-Tawbah. Ibn Abbaas said
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not know the beginning and
end of Surahs except by Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem.
THE PROPHET BEGAN

RAHEEM
HIS
LETTERS
WITH
BISMILLAHIR-RAHMAANIR-
In Bukhari and Muslim, from Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to

Heraclius, he started that letter with Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem and
then he said be peace be upon those who believe:

In Sulh al-Hudaybiyyah ( ) when the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam made a treaty with Quraysh, Suhayl Ibn Amr came to do
the treaty with the Prophet between him and Quraysh. He told Ali:

Start and write, and say Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem.
Az-Zuhri narrated a similar Hadith like that. Ibn Hajr said it is the trend of
the scholars and that which is settled upon, that they always start their
works with Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem. Abu Bakr did the same when
he sent Anas Ibn Maalik to Bahrain. He sent a letter with him about
Sadaqah and he started it with Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem.
THERE
IS AN
ALLEGED HADITH ABOUT
THE
BASMALAH
There is an alleged Hadith that any important matter which does not start
with Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem is cut off from all good. Aqta (
), and in another narration Abtar (). The Hadith is narrated in

Ibn Hibbaan and other books and it is weak. It is weakened by Ibn Hajr, asSuyooti, al-Albaani and other scholars. Some tried hard to authenticate
but it is weak. Had that direct Hadith on starting with Bismillah been
authentic, we would not have had to mention the other proofs. That
Hadith would have been sufficient but because that Hadith is weak, we
cannot use it as proof so we resorted to other proof to establish that
saying Bismillah on matters like writing books is permissible. Like I said,
some scholars tried very hard to authenticate the Hadith, but it is really a
weak Hadith and it cannot be authenticated for many reasons that we do
Page | 10
not want to get into right now. In fact there is an entire booklet on how the
Hadith is weak, Al-Aqaaweel Al-Mufassalah Li-Bayaan Hadith Al-Ibtidaa BilBasmalah () ,
from Shaykh al-Kittaani (a famous scholar of Hadith from Maghrib who
died around eighty years ago) Rahmatullahi Alayhi.
THE BLESSING IN THE BASMALAH

We say Bismillah to bless whatever we say Bismillah on. BismillahirRahmaanir-Raheem, to bless whatever act you are doing. Islam
encourages Bismillah in everything, every situation that you are in.
When you are riding, Bismillah. Nooh told his people:
: ...
...

Embark therein, in the Name of Allah. (Surat al-Hud: 41)
When sacrificing:
: ...

Eat from what which the name of Allah has been mentioned on. (Surat alAnaam: 118)
When eating and drinking. In Bukhari and Muslim, Umar Ibn Abi Salamah
said that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told him:

Even in relationship with your wife (with your spouse):
When you are turning the lights off, when you are closing a bottle. Jaabir
Ibn Abdullah in Bukhari and Muslim said the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said close your bottle with the name of Allah, turn your light off
with the name of Allah (with Bismillah).
Get used to mentioning the name of Allah in everything for Barakah in
your life. That is one of the reasons Barakah (blessing) has been taken out
of our lives. When they resort to materialistic means, we resort to Allah for
Page | 11
our Barakah. Bismillah is your means to get Barakah from Allah in

everything you do, if you say Bismillah. If you get Allah on your side for
Barakah, what else do you need?

: ...

And if the people of the towns had believed and had the Taqwa (piety),
certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the Heaven and
the earth. (Surat al-Araaf: 96)
Allah will open for you blessings from the Heaven and earth, just say
Bismillah. Barakah is the blessing from Allah. If you ever wonder why
there is no blessing in our time these days, or in our food, our sleep or our
recitation of the Quran, ask yourself have you been saying the name of
Allah and have you been saying it from your heart knowing its meaning?
After you listen to this glimpse today, you are coming with an entirely
different perspective on Basmalah Inshaa Allah.
CLASS TWO
Last week, we gave a little introduction on our classical study of Al-Usool
Ath-Thalaathah. Then we mentioned the three aspects of Tawheed in
Bismillah and two grammatical rules in Bismillah. Then we mentioned
proof for initiating your actions with Bismillah, because it is a matter of
Ibaadah that needs proof. Then we mentioned a portion of the blessings of
Allah when you say Bismillah. We are not done with Bismillah and here I
say, you need patience, we all need patience in our study. Sometimes we
are going to pick up the pace and sometimes we are going to slow down.
Sometimes we are going to pick up the pace because it is obvious, or in
the future we are going to study it in more detail. Sometimes, like here,
we need to know it, this is our first verse in Bismillahir-RahmaanirRaheem. You have to fully encompass the meaning and really, we can go
into more depth in this, but we have to understand as students of
knowledge, somewhat of what Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem means.
Having said that, when you do your outline, write the topic so I will not
lose count. For example, Bismillah, and then put the numbers under it, or
an asterisk and the points that we are talking about. It is a systematic
study and it is not sporadic stuff, so organise it.
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DO YOU SAY BISMILLAH OR BISMILLAHIRRAHMAANIR-RAHEEM?

The general rule is when there is no specific proof on a certain matter, you
can say the entire Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem. For example, writing a
book, you are writing in day to day activity, you can say BismillahirRahmaanir-Raheem not just Bismillah. It is Mustahabb, you can say
Bismillah or Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem. In fact, matters like writing a
book, you have proof to back up saying the entire Bismillahir-RahmaanirRaheem, from what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did in Sulh alHudaybiyyah () . So a matter where there is no specific
proof, you can say Bismillah or Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem.
Now, there are matters where there is specific proof that the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam only said Bismillah (Bismillah without ArRahmaanir-Raheem). Like eating for example, do you say Bismillah or
Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem when you eat? In this matter, there is
specific proof. There is a Hadith in Sunan at-Tirmidhi narrated by Aishah
radhiallahu anha that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, when
you eat say Bismillah. If you forget it in the beginning, then say:

Look at that, he did not say:

In this Hadith, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said Bismillah for
eating and he repeated it twice. Once if you say it originally and the
second time, what to say if you forgot it. Bismillah in the beginning and if
you forget it, you say:

This Hadith is also narrated by Ibn Masood and Ibn Hajr Rahimahullah said
this Hadith is the most forthright Hadith on this matter (meaning saying
Bismillah when you eat). The problem for example is, an-Nawawi in his
book Al-Adhkaar ( )said it is better to say Bismillahir-RahmaanirRaheem when you eat, than it is to say Bismillah. Ibn Taymiyyah said it is
permissible to say Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem. However, Ibn Hajr
commented on the statement of an-Nawawi, saying I do not know where
there is any proof to say it is better to say Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem
than it is to say Bismillah.
Page | 13
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said in a Hadith narrated by

Samurah, If I tell you a Hadith, do not add to my saying:

Do not add to Ahaadith I tell you. The general meaning of it is when you
learn something, do not add to that Hadith, but it also means in
application (in Ibaadah). You yourself in your private Ibaadah, do not add.
If he did not say Ar-Rahmaanir-Raheem, do not add.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was teaching a young boy (the
Hadith we mentioned last week). The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
does not ever hide anything, specifically when he teaches. He is a
legislator and when he sees something, he is legislating. When he told
Umar Ibn Abi Salamah, he said:

:

Say Bismillah.
Some say what is the big deal here? Why are you making a big deal,
Bismillah or Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem? This issue is an issue of
Ibaadah. In Ibaadah, we adhere strictly to proof because anyone who adds
to Ibaadah or any matter of Islam, it is like they are saying to Allah and
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, you do not know, I want to add a
little bit from my own. That is what you are saying when you are adding
innovation in Islam.
In Hadith Muslim, Umaarah Ibn Ruaybah saw Bishr Ibn Marwaan raising
his hands in the pulpit on Friday. He said, may Allah disgrace those two
hands:

He said I saw the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on the pulpit and he
never went beyond this (meaning he raised his index finger). The Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam only did this, where did you come up with
this? An-Nawawi commented on this and said the Sunnah is not to raise
your hands during the Khutbah. I wrote an article on this several months
ago because at a local Masjid here where I attended Jumuah, a young
Khateeb got up and commented on this saying you should not raise your
hands. And you know, commotion broke out, how can you say do not raise
Page | 14
your hands? So you can refer to that article for more detail on raising your
hands in Jumuah.
Even more than the Hadith of Umaarah, in Mustadarak al-Haakim, Ibn
Umar radhiallahu anhu saw a man sneeze. What do you say when you
sneeze? You say Alhamdulillah. The man sneezed in front of Ibn Umar and
said Alhamdulillahi was-Salaatu was-Salaam Ala Rasoolillah (he added
was-Salaatu was-Salaam Ala Rasoolillah). It has a beautiful meaning,
peace and blessings be upon the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam. Some say what is wrong with adding that, it is a nice addition to
Alhamdulillah. Ibn Umar deterred him from that addition. He wanted him
to stick with Alhamdulillah, period. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said Alhamdulillah, period. Ibn Abdeen said it is disliked to add
was-Salaatu was-Salaam Ala Rasoolillah when you sneeze and say
Alhamdulillah. As-Suyooti said it is affirmatively a vilified Bidah
(Alhamdulillah was-Salaatu was-Salaam Alaa Rasoolillah when you
sneeze), even though the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam started
some of his Khutub with that. What is wrong if you add praise to the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to Alhamdulillah when you sneeze?
After you sneeze, say Alhamdulillah, period, because the Prophet
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam said Alhamdulillah, period. If someone
responds to you, then when you are done, go and say as-Salaatu wasSalaam Ala Rasoolillah a thousand times.
Here, we have the issue of eating. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
is telling Umar Ibn Abi Salamah:
He did not say, say Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem. You have the Hadith of

Aishah and Ibn Masood (the Hadith that Ibn Hajr said is the most forthright
Hadith on this issue), so it is best to stick with what the Hadith said.
There are some other matters where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam specified only Bismillah. For example, relationship with your
spouse.
In Bukhari and Muslim:
When you go to the bathroom. Hadith Anas radhiallahu anhu:
Page | 15
Look at how Bismillah is specified in those. Other than these matters,

where there is no specific proof or a Hadith just mentioning Bismillah
alone, you are free to mention the entire Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem.
Where the Hadith limits it to Bismillah, stick to Bismillah.
THE NAME ALLAH

ALLAH: THE SOLE TITLE
EVERYTHING
FOR THE
LORD
THAT
FASHIONED
Allah is a name that is only for Allah.
Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, so
worship Him (Alone) and be constant and patient in His worship. Do you
know of any who is similar to Him? (Surat Maryam: 65)

Do you know anyone who is similar to Him? Do you know what that
question at the end of this verse is? It is not a question that needs an
answer. It is like a rhetorical question, it is a question that is used to make
a point. Some scholars said the meaning of this (do you know of any
similar to Him) is that there is no one other than Allah with the name
Allah.
THE ROOT
OF THE
NAME ALLAH
Allah is derivative from the word Ilaah (). The root word is Ilaah, as Ibn
al-Qayyim and others said. Ilaah is from Uloohiyyah (oneship). Ilaah is
oneship, that is the root word of Allah. Sibawayh said Alif and Laam were
added to Ilaah as an honour and Tadheem ( )to Allah. When you
add it, then you add the Shaddah and you take one of the Hamzah out, so
it becomes Allah.
ALLAH USES ALLAH
AND
RABB
IN THE
QURAN
Page | 16
Look at how the Quran uses Allah and at other times it uses Rabb.
When Musa went to get the fire, his family were cold and he wanted light
and fire, Allah says in the Quran:

:

Verily! I am your Lord! So take off your shoes, you are in the sacred
valley, Tuwa. (Surat Taha: 12)
Verily Musa, I am your Lord. He uses Lordship because the setting was
that of Lordship. Allah wanted to tell Musa, I take care of you and I sustain
you. He is telling Musa, I protect you, I guard you and I nourish you. What
are those aspects of? Rububiyyah.
Then shortly thereafter, Allah uses Allah in the same talk to Musa. He
says:

And I have chosen you, so listen to what is revealed [to you]. Verily! I am
Allah! La Ilaaha Illa Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I), so
worship Me, and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) for My Remembrance.
(Surat Taha: 13-14)
) . He said Rabb
The second time, Allah says I am Allah, not Rabbuka (
a few moments ago, now He is saying Allah. Why? First, Musa was afraid
so Allah is telling him I take care of you, I protect you, I maintain you and
sustain you. The second statement was in a speech where Allah was
telling Musa what is requested of Musa. That means Musa, you need to do
this and you need to do that. What are those aspects of? Uloohiyyah, so
Allah uses Allah.
The verse said:

Worship me Musa, perform Salah. What are those? When you do those,
they entail Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah so that is why Allah said:
Page | 17
In the first one, and:

In the second one.
He could have used either one but these are to show you how sensitive
the Quran is and how Allah and Rabb are used.
ALLAH
IS
DIFFERENT
TO
ANY OTHER NAMES
When you call Allah, you say Yaa Allah (with the Alif and Laam before,
meaning The). The linguistic scholars and scholars of the Salaf all said
you say Yaa Allah. Do you ever say Yaa Al-Jabbaar, Yaa Al-Kareem or Yaa
Ar-Raheem? No, you say Yaa Kareem, Yaa Raheem, Yaa Ghafoor (you take
out the Al). In Allah, you say Yaa Allah with the Alif and Laam before it.
Unique, unlike any other names of Allah. Some like at-Tahhaawi and Ibn alQayyim used that as proof to substantiate that that is the mighty name of
Allah, the one if one uses it to make a supplication, Allah will answer it. We
will talk about that Inshaa Allah in the future when we talk about Asmaa
and Sifaat in detail.
THE NAME ALLAH
BY ITSELF IS
NOT
DHIKR
It is in Duaa, it is in praise, it is in glorification, it is in the Shahaadah, but

by itself it is not a form of Dhikr that we were taught by the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. So you do not go and say Allah,
Allah, Allah one hundred times. You do not hold the beads and say Allah
one hundred times. You say Alhamdulillah, you say Bismillah, you say Laa
Ilaaha Illallah. You say Yaa Allah I need this, but Allah, Allah, Allah alone is
not a form of Dhikr that we were taught.
ALLAH
IS THE
NAME
THAT
ALL HIS OTHER NAMES FOLLOW
The name Allah does not follow any of the other names, the other names
of Allah follow the name Allah. Let me explain it with an example because
you might have heard this statement before, but an example is going to
clear the confused faces that I see. Al-Quddoos, Al-Azeez, Al-Jabbaar, AlKhaaliq, all those are names of Allah. You do not say Allah is the name of
Al-Azeez, you do not say that. You do not say Allah is the name of ArRahmaan. You flip it and you say Al-Quddoos is the name of Allah. The first
Page | 18
one is improper to say. You say Al-Azeez is the name of Allah, Ar-Rahmaan
is the name of Allah. So the other names follow the name of Allah.
ASPECTS
OF
TAWHEED
IN THE
NAME ALLAH
We previously said in the last class that Bismillah entails all three aspects
of Tawheed. You submit all three forms of Tawheed in Allah for any matter
you say Bismillah to. That is in saying Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem or
even Bismillah, and we mentioned that in the last class.
Now I am going to say the name Allah includes believing in all three types
of Tawheed and implies that you must believe in all three types of
Tawheed. Not even the name Allah, the root of Allah (Ilaah) is the three
types of Tawheed and entails that you must believe in all three types.
Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah is included as part of Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah, but

the opposite is not true. The root word of Allah is Uloohiyyah (oneship)
and included in the oneship is Rububiyyah, so you have two types of
Tawheed there. Then Allah the name itself is Asmaa so that is Tawheed alAsmaa was-Sifaat. That is three types of Tawheed in the name of Allah,
not even in the name of Allah but in the root word of the name Allah
(Ilaah).
THE MIGHTY NAME ALLAH

Allah is mentioned in the Quran two thousand, six hundred and two times
according to al-Mujam al-Mufahras. It is the most popular name of Allah,
the name chosen out of all the names to say your Shahaadah. When you
say Shahaadah, you say Ash-Hadu Alla Ilaaha Illallah, it is chosen to say
your Shahaadah.
When you utter that name, you are not uttering just any name, you are
uttering the name of the Majestic, the Revered, the Sublime. Allah is the
name you shout when you are in fear, to gain safety. Allah is the name
that if you mention it in something scarce, seeking it to be blessed, it
becomes plenty and even more. The name that those who are in fear call,
to attain security. The name that those in distress call for relief. When they
are in anguish, agony and sorrow, you call Allah. No one troubled or
worried calls the name of Allah except that Allah relieves his troubles and
Page | 19
his worries. There is not a poor that clings on to the name of Allah except
that Allah makes him affluent. There is not an ill who clings on to the
name of Allah except that he becomes healthy. The name when a
distressed calls, he gets provided with safety. When a weak calls that
name, He gives him power and honour. When an oppressed uses that
name and calls that name (Allah), He grants him victory. Allah is the name
to call when you want mercy, call Allah. Allah is the name to call for
abundance and blessings. Allah is the name you call when you want to
cleanse your sins. Allah is not any ordinary name. Do you feel what the
name Allah is?
If one comprehended the meanings of the names of Allah, he would live in
ultimate happiness. When you make Allah magnificent in your heart, your
heart becomes the strongest, most firm, most pure heart, and at the same
time it becomes a merciful heart because it has Allah in it. Allah is not any
ordinary name. A heart that truly knows the meaning of the name Allah
could never belittle a sin. When you say Bismillah by Fardh from Allah, you
say the name of Allah by Fardh seventeen times. You have to say Bismillah
seventeen times a day in your Salah (in al-Faatihah), in addition to tens of
times you have to say it as Sunnah. Do not think it is just another normal
word you are uttering, Allah is not a normal word you are uttering. Some
have a higher regard when they are mentioning the names of their
bosses, their kings, their spouses and their presidents, than they do when
they mention the name of Allah. Check the level of your Imaan by knowing
your feeling when you hear the name of Allah.

: ...

And when Allah Alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who believe not in
the Hereafter are filled with disgust. (Surat az-Zumar: 45)
The level of gratification, the level of comfort, the level of content, the
level of tranquillity and happiness you feel when the name of Allah is
mentioned, tells you the level of Imaan you have in your heart because of
that verse. When you are saying Allah, you are saying the name of the
One who raised seven skies with no pillars to hold them up. You are saying
the name of the One who lowered seven earths under you by the word of

Kun Fayakoon (

) . And then He created you from an emitted
semen, as beautiful and in the best of all stature. Let that go through your
mind every time you hear of a sentence with Allah in it. More importantly,
remember all that when you say Allah.
Page | 20

They made not a just estimate of Allah such as is due to Him. And on the
Day of Resurrection the whole of the earth will be grasped by His Hand
and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand. Glorified is He, and
High is He above all that they associate as partners with Him! (Surat azZumar: 67)
Do not be like those who underestimate Allah. Do not ever be like that
when you hear His name. It is something big, it is something huge.
AR-RAHMAAN AND AR-RAHEEM

AR-RAHMAAN
Rahmaan is the one who has the complete mercy, mercy that
encompasses everything. This name is unique in that it is among the
exclusive names to Allah. Ar-Rahmaan is an exclusive name to Allah. It is a
name particular to Allah, Wasf (( )description), like an adjective of
mercy. Owner of the great, vast, ultimate, extensive mercy. The ultimate,
complete mercy that is exclusive to no one other than Allah, that is ArRahmaan.
Words in Arabic that are on the form or scale of Falaan ( )indicate
vastness and abundance, extensive. Meaning words that rhyme with the
word Falaan, like Rahmaan, Ghadhbaaan ( )and Sakraan (
)which are on the rhythm of Falaan (they all rhyme). For

example, take it in how it pertains to human beings. When you say
Ghadhbaan it means anger but not just anger, it means complete,
enraged, ultimate anger. Atshaan (( )thirsty) means utmost,
entire, complete, full thirst. Likewise with Ar-Rahmaan, and of course Allah
has supreme examples. Ar-Rahmaan means a high scale of mercy that
only belongs to Allah. Ar-Rahmaan is mentioned in the Quran fifty seven
times according to Mujam al-Mufahras. Ar-Rahmaan, the Most
Compassionate. Ar-Rahmaan, the Most Gracious.
AR-RAHEEM
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Ar-Raheem is a name which refers to the action, meaning the One whose
mercy reaches to others. This name applies to Allah but restrictly applies
to others. It is mentioned one hundred and fourteen times in the Quran
according to Mujam al-Mufahras. The mercy that encompasses His
creation. This word (Raheem) is on the scale of Faeel (). In Arabic,
words on the scale of Faeel are an intensified form of that action,
reaching others. Allah is the Most Merciful to the universe and to His
creation.
The name restrictly applies to others. You can have mercy to your
children, to your brothers and to your family. But of course, there is no
way you can merely imagine comparing the mercy of Allah to the mercy of
any of His creation, or even the mercy of His creations combined from the
time of the creation until the Judgment Day. You cannot compare it. It is
not even the weight of a feather or an atom or even less than that,
compared to the mercy of Allah who is Ar-Raheem. Even though you may
have some type of mercy which no one can deny, you can never compare
your mercy to the mercy of Allah. That is what we mean when we say it
restrictly applies to others.
In Surat ash-Shoora, Allah says:

...

:
There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer.
(Surat ash-Shoora: 11)
In Surat al-Anaam, Allah says:

:

No vision can grasp Him, but His Grasp is over all vision. He is the Most
Subtle and Courteous, Well-Acquainted with all things. (Surat al-Anaam:
103)
AR-RAHMAAN
AND
AR-RAHEEM
Ar-Rahmaan is One who possesses the great, extensive mercy. Ar-Raheem

is the One whose mercy goes on to His servants and creation. The phrase
Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem indicates the great, vast, ultimate mercy of Allah.
Page | 22
There is a difference between Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem. No one can be

named Ar-Rahmaan but some people of His creation can be named ArRaheem. No one can be named a name exclusive to Allah. Rahmaan is a
restricted name to Allah, you cannot name that name. The utmost, the
complete and the full mercy is only to Allah, you cannot have that. It is not
a characteristic in you, so you cannot have that. Just like you cannot name
Allah because you do not have the characteristics of Allah, you cannot
name Ar-Rahmaan. It is an exclusive name to Allah. Likewise, you cannot
name Al-Khaaliq (the Creator), Ar-Razzaaq (the Sustainer), Al-Ahad, AsSamad, Al-Baari, Al-Qayyoom. Al-Khaaliq for example is One who creates
something with no similar (no resemblance, no comparison, no similar
comparison to it). Can you create something like that? You cannot, so you
cannot be called Al-Khaaliq because you do not have that characteristic.
Al-Baari is the Maker, One who makes something free from any deficiency.
Can you make anything free of any deficiency? Of course you cannot do
that, so you cannot be called Al-Baari.
Then there are some names that you can be named, like Ghani, Malik,
Azeez, Jabbaar.
In the Quran, Allah describes the woman who accused Yusuf:
: ...

And women in the city said: The wife of Al-Azeez is seeking to seduce her
(slave) young man. (Surat Yusuf: 30)
The name of Allah is Al-Azeez and Allah calls her the wife of the Azeez. A
Sahaabi during the time of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was
named al-Hakeem. Hakeem Ibn Hizaam, Hakeem is a name of Allah.
Allah said in the Quran:
...

:
Thus does Allah seal up the heart of every arrogant, tyrant. (Surat Ghaafir:
35)
He used the name Jabbaar to His creation. His name is Jabbaar and He
uses that to His creation. This word is used ten times in the Quran and
nine out of those ten times it is for people who are strong or oppressive,
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commit injustice, or those who do any type of Dhulm. The last time AlJabbaar is mentioned is in Surat al-Hashr and it refers to Allah.
When a human is permitted to name those, in one way or another it is in a
negative sense. Even if mentioned positively, it has some kind of
deficiency in it because you are human. When you mention Allah, then
there is none like Allah. It is the complete, positive, ultimate example. It is
the complete, utmost, positive quality of that name (whatever it means).
That is the difference between Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem.
Look in the Quran, Allah said in the Quran:

:

...

Truly, Allah is Ever All-Hearer, All-Seer. (Surat an-Nisaa: 58)
In Surat al-Insaan, Allah calls you that:
:

Verily, We have created man from Nutfah drops of mixed semen
(discharge of man and woman), in order to try him, so We made him
hearer, seer. (Surat al-Insaan: 2)
Allah says about you:

And many times in the Quran, Allah says about Himself:
: ...

...
And He is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. (Surat ash-Shoora: 11)
Specifically this name Raheem can be named like that. You can name
yourself or your child that (Raheem).
Allah says in the Quran:

:

...
And He is Ever Most Merciful to the believers. (Surat al-Ahzaab: 43)
Page | 24
This is about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, He names His

Prophet Raheema.
There are names from the names of Allah that you can be named, but
always know that there is no way you can compare your quality to the
quality of Allah.
Musaylamah the Liar decided to call himself Rahmaan, an exclusive name
for Allah. As a punishment from Allah, Allah made him known as the Liar
and exposed him. He chose the exclusive name of Allah (Ar-Rahmaan), his
name was Rahmaan al-Yamaamah. Allah clothed him with the nickname
the Liar, that he is known by all the way until the Judgment Day. If you say
Rahmaan al-Yamaamah, does anyone today know him? No one knows him.
History documents him as Musaylamah al-Kathaab (Musaylamah the Liar).
That is his punishment for trying to use an exclusive name of Allah. He
became an example of a liar among the residents of his cities and villages,
the people in the deserts, the Bedouins and in history. A punishment for
one who tries to use the exclusive name of Allah.
So the first difference between Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem is that you
can name Ar-Raheem but you cannot name Ar-Rahmaan because one is
exclusive to Allah and the other is not. Even with Raheem, there is
different resemblance in the qualities (between creation and the Creator).
Ibn Jareer, al-Faarisi and others said Ar-Rahmaan is for all the creation (evil
and non evil, human and non human), and Ar-Raheem is only for the
believers. Ar-Rahmaan carries a broader scope of meaning pertaining to
the mercy of Allah. That is basically what al-Faarisi, Ibn Jareer and others
said and they used this proof:

:

...
And He is Ever Most Merciful to the believers. (Surat al-Ahzaab: 43)
So the first one is a broad form and the second one is only for the
believers. Some scholars objected to this, we do not want to get into that
right now but some scholars objected to that.
Ibn Abbaas said they are soft, tender, gentle, Raqeeq ( )names, one
of them is softer than the other:
Page | 25
Meaning one carries more implication than the other, one is more merciful
than the other. Ibn al-Mubaarak said Rahmaan, if you ask He gives.
Raheem, if you do not ask, He gets mad.
THE MERCY OF ALLAH

THE ATTRIBUTE
OF
MERCY
Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem give the quality of mercy to Allah. We affirm

to Allah what He affirmed to Himself, and what His Messenger the most
knowledgeable of creation affirmed to Him.

...

:

: ...

No vision can grasp Him, but His Grasp is over all vision. He is the Most
Subtle and Courteous, Well-Acquainted with all things. (Surat al-Anaam:
103)
We have two names that give the quality of mercy to Allah, so we affirm to
Allah what He affirmed to Himself, and what His Messenger the most
knowledgeable human in the knowledge of Allah affirmed to Him. We do it
free of any Tashbeeh (). Tashbeeh means comparison, we do not
compare it. We do it free from Tamtheel ( ). Tamtheel means the
likening of the attributes of Allah, to attributes of His creation. Without
Tahreef (), without distorting the name or quality. Without Tateel (
), without denial of any of the qualities of Allah or any aspect of it.

We will talk about this in the future Inshaa Allah (in Aqeedah), when we
talk about Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat in depth.
Allah says:

Page | 26
Say (O Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)): He is Allah, (the) One.

(Surat al-Ikhlaas: 1)
He is One without a partner or associate to Him. That is what everyone
understands, but it also means that He is One in His names, His qualities
and His attributes. In His qualities, He is Ahadun Fis-Sifaat (
). Ahad in His actions, no comparison to Him. That is what Ahad

means, just like it means He is the One without a partner.
THE MERCY
OF
ALLAH
When one says Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem, any praise, any verse of

Allah or any glorification of Allah and you know its meaning, it is an Imaan
energiser. It is an Imaan booster right there. So you charge up your Imaan
many times a day if you know what you are really saying, not merely
uttering it on your lips. That is why we talk about this in somewhat of
depth.
The terms (Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem) give the quality of mercy to
Allah, so let us take a quick glimpse at the mercy of Allah from some
Ayaat and Ahaadith.

Say: O Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by
committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, verily
Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat azZumar: 56)
Ali Ibn Abi Talib radhiallahu anhu said this is the most encompassing
verse of Allah in the whole Quran. Ibn Masood radhiallahu anhu said this
is the most easing verse in the Quran. Ash-Shawkaani said it is the most
hopeful verse in the Quran. Why? Because it is mentioning the mercy of
Allah, He is giving hope. Who is He mentioning it to? The angels who do
not make mistakes, who are obedient to Allah and who are infallible? No,
He is mentioning it to sinners. Not just any sinners, sinners with the
utmost crimes.
In Sahih Muslim and Sahih al-Bukhari, Abu Hurayrah said when Allah
created the creation, Allah wrote above His throne:
Page | 27

My mercy precedes my wrath.
In Bukhari, narrated by Umar, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saw
a woman seeking her son and the companions were looking at the scene.
When she finally found him, she embraced him tightly and she began to
nurse him. It was such a moving and emotional scene. The Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the companions were moved by that
gentle, tender love of a mother to her child. At that point, the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam took the opportunity to teach the companions
about the mercy of Allah. They saw the mercy of a woman, and he wanted
to teach them about the mercy of Allah. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said, do you think a mother like that would harm her son? Do you
think a mother like that would put her son in a fire? They said no. They
even said no Wallahi, they said Wallahi no way. While she is alive, no way.
He said Allah is more merciful with His servants than this mother is with
her child:

Some used to make the Duaa, O Allah, you know my mother is the most
merciful human to me on the earth, and I know You are more merciful to
me than my mother is. She would not let a punishment or harm get to me,
so Yaa Allah I ask You to save me from any punishment.
In Sahih Muslim, Abu Hurayrah radhiallahu anhu reported that the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said mercy has one hundred parts
(there is one hundred parts to mercy). He sent down to the earth, one part
of mercy. One part goes down to the jinn, to the human and to the insects,
and it is because of this one part that they have love amongst each other.
It is because of that mercy (one mercy), that they show kindness to one
another. It is because of that one mercy that a beast treats its young with
affection. Allah reserved ninety nine parts of the mercy for Him. This is the
Hadith.
Do you understand Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem now? Does that come to mind
when you hear Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem?
ATTAINING
THE
MERCY
OF
ALLAH
The best way to attain the mercy of Allah (a practical way), is to say
Astaghfirullah as a form of Dhikr.
Look at the verse in Surat an-Naml, Saalih told his people:
Page | 28
:

...
Why seek you not the Forgiveness of Allah, that you may receive mercy?
(Surat an-Naml: 46)
Seek the forgiveness of Allah so that you may receive the mercy of Allah.
Continuous Dhikr of Astaghfirullah brings you the mercy of Ar-Rahmaan
Ar-Raheem.
The mercy of Allah is unto the good doers.

:

...

Allahs Mercy is (ever) near unto the good-doers. (Surat al-Araaf: 56)
When Musa helped the two sisters with water, then he went and said:
...

:
My Lord! Truly, I am in need of whatever good that You bestow on me!
(Surat al-Qasas: 24)
He showed some mercy and compassion, and it came back onto him.

Then there came to him one of the two women, walking shyly. She said:
Verily, my father calls you that he may reward you for having watered
(our flocks) for us. So when he came to him and narrated the story, he
said: Fear you not. You have escaped from the people who are
Dhaalimoon (polytheists, disbelievers, and wrong-doers). (Surat al-Qasas:
25)
So when you show others mercy, it comes back at you. That is the second
way of getting it.
Page | 29
In Sunan Abu Dawood, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said be

merciful to people on this earth, the One above the heavens will have
mercy upon you. Be merciful to others on this earth. Showing compassion
and mercy like Musa did to your wife, your kids, your students, your
employees, those who you supervise and even the animals, it comes back
at you. This is by the Hadith.

:

...

Allahs Mercy is (ever) near unto the good-doers. (Surat al-Araaf: 56)
Anas served the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam for ten years and
never once did he reprimand him. Do you think he never made any
mistakes? Keep that in mind when you treat others, to attain the mercy of
Allah.
CLASS THREE
This is our third class of Sharh Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah. The previous two
classes, we finally completed Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem and I promise
you Inshaa Allah to speed up the pace a little bit. Our topic today is the
first sentence after Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem, which is Ilam Rahimak
Allah.
KNOW MAY ALLAH HAVE MERCY ON YOU

Know, may Allah have mercy on you.
Some brothers asked me to slow down and if I do not slow down and I am
not good at it, then you always have the recording to go by.
THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE

The word Ilam with its variations is mentioned seven hundred and
seventy nine times in the Quran.
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When you look at the story of Adam alayhis-salaam in Surat al-Baqarah

and you analyse it, you will see something within that story of the first
creation Adam alayhis-salaam. Look at it, it is in Surat al-Baqarah.
And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: Verily, I am going to
place (mankind) generations after generations on earth. They said: Will
You place therein those who will make mischief therein and shed blood while we glorify You with praises and thanks (Exalted be You above all that
they associate with You as partners) and sanctify You. He (Allah) said: I
know that which you do not know. And He taught Adam all the names (of
everything), then He showed them to the angels and said, Tell Me the
names of these if you are truthful. They (angels) said: Glory be to You,
we have no knowledge except what you have taught us. Verily, it is You,
the All Knower, the All Wise. He said: O Adam! Inform them of their
names, and when he had informed them of their names, He said: Did I
not tell you that I know the Ghayb (unseen) in the heavens and the earth,
and I know what you reveal and what you have been concealing? (Surat
al-Baqarah: 30-33)
Knowledge, Ilm within its variations is mentioned eight times in these four
verses talking about Adam and his creation. In these four verses, they are
mentioned eight times. Whether it may be Alam (

) , the variation

Talamoon (
) or Allamtanaa (
) , it is

) , Allama (

Page | 31
mentioned eight times in this chain of verses about Adam and seven
hundred and seventy nine times throughout the Quran.
Not only is Ilm mentioned in these four verses, but more delicate than
that is Adam had a virtue and an excellence that made the angels
prostrate for him. The angels praise Allah more than Adam, the angels
glorify Allah more than Adam and they thank Him more than Adam, but he
has the superiority of knowledge and the application of knowledge.
As a Khaleefah on this earth, as Allah said:

Knowledge is of the essence. An Ummah that wants to lead all the other
Umam ( )is an Ummah of knowledge, it definitely has to have
knowledge. With lack of knowledge, Shirk seeps into the nation,
destroying the nation and decaying it just like it decays an individual (it
decays anything that it seeps into). Everything requires knowledge, not
just Tawheed (which is the heart and the core of knowledges), but even
manners require knowledge. If you do not have knowledge for manners,
they become tainted. Standards require knowledge. Today, you see people
who are called heroes when in reality they are cowards. Today without
knowledge, free mixing and mingling becomes freedom and
independence. With no knowledge, attacking, degrading and
transgressing upon Islam, Allah subhaanahu wa taaala and the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is considered intellect, knowledge
and freedom of speech. Ilm is so important that the more you see the
lack of it, the closer we are to the Judgment day. The more you see the
ignorance, the closer we are to the Judgment Day. Is it not a sign the
Judgment Day?
Everyone who seeks to make a change needs knowledge. Here we raise
revivers Inshaa Allah Taaala and I have said that before, we ask Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala that a reviver come from out of you. A reviver to
revive this Ummah and its legacy, and the key to it is knowledge. Look at
the greatest revivers of all times, the Messengers and Prophets. We
mentioned Adam and how Ilm was mentioned eight times in four verses
about him, but look more so at Lut:

: ...

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And (remember) Lut, We gave him Hukman (right judgment of the affairs
and Prophethood) and (religious) knowledge. (Surat al-Anbiyaa: 74)
Allah says about Lut, We gave him wisdom and knowledge.
Look at Musa:

...

:
And when he attained his full strength, and was perfect (in manhood), We
bestowed on him Hukman (Prophethood, right judgment of the affairs) and
religious knowledge [of the religion of his forefathers i.e. Islamic
Monotheism]. (Surat al-Qasas: 14)
Look at Yusuf:

: ...

And when he (Yusuf) attained his full manhood, We gave him wisdom and
knowledge (the Prophethood). (Surat Yusuf: 22)
Yaqoob:

: ...

...
And verily, he was endowed with knowledge because We had taught him.
(Surat Yusuf: 68)
Dawood and Sulaymaan:
...

:
And We made Sulaymaan to understand (the case), and to each of them
We gave Hukman (right judgment of the affairs and Prophethood) and
knowledge. (Surat al-Anbiyaa: 79)
Isa alayhis-salaam:

...

: ...

Page | 33
And I taught you writing, Al-Hikmah (the power of understanding), the

Tawrah (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel). (Surat al-Maaidah: 110)
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:

...

: ...

Allah has sent down to you the Book (The Quran), and Al-Hikmah (Islamic
laws, knowledge of legal and illegal things i.e. the Prophets Sunnah - legal
ways), and taught you that which you knew not. (Surat an-Nisaa: 113)
Without knowledge, there is no leadership, there is no power and there is
no sovereignty.
The first revelation to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam pertains to
knowledge:

Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists), has
created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). Read! And
your Lord is the Most Generous, Who has taught (the writing) by the pen
[the first person to write was Prophet Idrees]. (Surat al-Alaq: 1-4)
) , Allama (
) , all those are knowledge.
Iqra (
) , Qalam (

Variations of Ilm are mentioned seven hundred and seventy nine times in
the Quran. It is the second most used word after Allah. The number one
most popular word in the Quran is Allah and the second one is Ilm (seven
hundred and seventy nine times).
Look at the leadership qualities when Allah chose Taloot for Bani Israeel.

: ...

Page | 34
And their Prophet (Samuel) said to them, Indeed Allah has appointed
Taloot as a king over you. They said, How can he be a king over us when
we are better fitted than him for the kingdom, and he has not been given
enough wealth. He said: Verily, Allah has chosen him above you and has
increased him abundantly in knowledge and stature.
Allah told His Messenger, tell them Taloot is your King. Taloot was from a
fraction from Bani Israeel that did not have kings, they chose their kings
from the other fraction. Allah chose it from the other faction. They said
number one, he is not from the fraction that are descendants of kings. We
might let that slide for you but number two, he has no money. So they
went back and fought with their Messenger, we do not accept this man as
our king. We do not accept Taloot, he has no money and he is not from the
fraction. And then as the feud is going on, Allah reveals to His Messenger
to tell them:

Allah chose him for you. That is it, that is the end of it. But why did Allah
choose him? Look in the Quran what it says, look at his characteristics:

He has more knowledge and power than you. Knowledge and power,
characteristics of a true, strong nation.
Even among the Jinn, knowledge is praised and they are considered higher
ranking. Look at when Sulaymaan wanted to get the palace of Bilqees.

An Ifreet (strong) from the Jinns said: I will bring it to you before you rise
from your place (council). And verily, I am indeed strong, and trustworthy
for such work. (Surat an-Naml: 39)
Ifreet said I will get it for you before you get up. The other one (the
knowledgeable one) said I will get it before you blink and he was chosen.

: ...
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One with whom was knowledge of the Scripture said: I will bring it to you
within the twinkling of an eye! (Surat an-Naml: 40)
In fact, when everything was done with Bilqees, the final thing Sulaymaan
said was:

:

...
Knowledge was bestowed on us before her, and we were submitted to

Allah (in Islam as Muslims before her). (Surat an-Naml: 42)
THE DEFINITION OF KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge or Ilm means to comprehend the reality of something as it
truly is, with certainty.
THE USE OF THE WORD ILAM

When he says Ilam, he is saying teach, he is preparing you to hear some
kind of important knowledge. It is used when there is some important
knowledge coming and it is used when there is something important, and
here it is the most important knowledge (which is Tawheed). Of course
what the author is talking about is the three essential matters (the three
fundamental principles of Islam). These are important matters so he is
raising awareness for you to listen up.
IS KNOWLEDGE CONVEYED
TO
OTHER
THAN
HUMANS?
Does the word Ilam go for humans and animals or just for humans? Really
this is a linguistic point that only people who are into linguistic matters
would really appreciate, but I wanted to mention it because of some
Hadith in there that I would like to mention. You will get the Hadith out of
them and you will know that they are authentic, and you will get that
more than you get the point of this matter.
The linguistic scholars mentioned that Ilam is usually for someone who
comprehends of course. You do not tell a wall, Ilam. Some scholars went
into depth and said sometimes a wall, a rock and a tree are taught, you
can tell them Ilam and you can teach them. So whoever or whatsoever
shows signs of being susceptible of learning, you can say Ilam and you
can teach.
Page | 36
The stone that ran away from Musa, and this is one of the Hadith that I
wanted to mention. I want to mention it because I have heard those who
say it is weak and actually it is in Bukhari. Musa was a very modest man
and he used to keep himself covered. None of his body was seen because
he was an extremely modest man, unlike what the children of Bani Israeel
used to do (bathing together). Some of the children of Bani Israeel said he
conceals himself because he has a disease. They said he has some defect
in him, he has leprosy, he has a hernia. In Arabic it is called Udhra ( ),
he has some kind of defect in him. Allah wanted to clear Musa alayhissalaam so one day while he was alone, he put his clothes under a stone
and he went to bathe in seclusion. When he finished taking the bath, he
came back out and went to get his clothes, and the stone took his clothes
and ran off with it. The stone took it and fled. Musa picked up his staff, ran
after the stone and he began to say (and this is the point of this for this
matter):

My garment stone, my garment stone, meaning give me back my clothes,
give me back my clothes. He ran until he reached the company of Bani
Israeel who were gathered and they saw him naked. They saw him naked
and they saw that there was nothing wrong with him. That was solid proof
that they were wrong and they had wronged him, so they cleared him of
that which they accused him. The stone stopped, Musa took his clothes
and then he took his staff and began to hit the stone. This is the second
point for what we are talking about, that he hit a stone. How does he hit a
stone? How does he talk to a stone? When the rock showed signs that it
knows and it comprehends, he treated it as that. When it showed signs of
comprehension, he treated it like that.
This story is what Allah revealed the following verse about:

:
O you who believe! Be not like those who annoyed Musa, but Allah cleared
him of that which they alleged, and he was honourable before Allah.
(Surat al-Ahzaab: 69)
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The point of the story is that he beat the stone, which is a sign of
teaching. It may be an old school style of teaching, but it is a sign of
teaching or reprimanding. Not only that, he talked to it. He said:

When the rock showed signs different than its normal nature (that it is
responsive and he can teach it), he taught it. It may be old school
teaching, but he did teach it and he got his point across to it. So that is
what the linguistic scholars use as proof to say Ilam or knowledge can
apply to humans and other than humans.
More so, maybe to get the point across better, the Hadith in Sunan alHaakim, ad-Daarimi and al-Bayhaqi and Ibn Katheer and al-Albaani
considered it authentic, about the Bedouin who came to the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to take his Shahaadah. He
actually came passing by and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
taught him Islam and the Bedouin decided to take his Shahaadah. The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said do you testify there is no God but
Allah and Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger? The Bedouin was
giving the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam somewhat of a hard time.
He said who can testify to what you are telling me to testify to? You have
to bring me someone to testify to what you are telling me to testify to.
Basically he wants a miracle, he wants something to substantiate what
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is saying. So the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam called a tree over from a distance and the tree
came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam from a distance, dragging
its roots. It greeted the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, saying to the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:
I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam is the servant and Messenger of Allah. So the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam spoke to the tree and communicated to the
tree. A continuation of the story, the Bedouin became Muslim of course.
And he told the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, if my
people embrace Islam I will stay there and teach them and if not, I am
going to come back and join you. So basically, you do not teach a tree on
a normal occasion but when it showed signs of being susceptible to
knowledge, he taught it. He gave it its Shahaadah and it said Shahaadah
three times.
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Sometimes you can teach a rock and not a human being. Sometimes the
hearts of humans are sealed shut like an upside down cup, you cannot put
water in it. A tree and a rock are more susceptible to knowledge, like that
which we saw with the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
and with Musa. In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
said I knew a stone in Makkah that used to salute me (give Salaam) before
I got the first revelation. It used to say As-Salaamu Alaykum O Prophet of
Allah, before the Prophet sallallahu alayhi sallam got his first message. He
used to point out where that stone was to the Sahaabah. The trees that
used to shade the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam so no one would
see him when he wanted to go to use the restroom.
The linguistic scholars say if non humans show signs of understanding and
comprehending, then they can be told Ilam and they can be taught. So
the word Ilam and knowledge is typically for humans who comprehend
and are susceptible of understanding. It is not for stones and sticks, but
when they do show signs of comprehending and they are susceptible of
learning, then they are taught and they are told Ilam or whatever it may
be (like anyone or anything else). So this is our point about whether Ilam
or knowledge is told to other than human beings.
CAN
YOU
SAY ILAM
TO
SOMEONE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE?
Can you tell a scholar Ilam? Now we take it to another extreme, can you
tell someone more knowledgeable Ilam? Of course you can. For example,
a scholar may know al-Asr but he may have forgotten the time of Asr so
you say it is time for al-Asr. He may have forgotten so someone who is
less in knowledge can always teach someone and say Ilam to one who is
higher in knowledge. What happens a lot is that someone who is higher in
knowledge overlooks some of the simplest things that a younger person in
knowledge can detect.
THE LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE: IBN AL-QAYYIM

The next point now is the levels of knowledge. In Miftaah Daar AsSaaadah () , Ibn al-Qayyim said the levels of
knowledge are six, these are the ladders of knowledge.

(

)

:
Page | 39

:

:

-
-:

The first one is asking and pursuing knowledge correctly. Some people are
deprived of knowledge because they do not perfect asking or seeking it in
the proper way, and this is something I already mentioned in the first
class. They may not ask at all. Some people may have a question but they
may not ask at all. Some may ask about something when there is
something more important and essential that they should be asking,
searching or pursuing. So they ask about that which is least important for
them and their religion, rather than that which is most important. That is a
problem with many of those who are ignorant and trying to learn on their
own, without at least a foundation of how to learn. Some Salaf said your
way of asking or pursuing knowledge is half of knowledge, and that is very
true. They said asking, pursuing or seeking knowledge in the right manner
is half of knowledge.
For example, if one got into studying Islam and jumped into the laws of
inheritance (al-Faraaid) but he does not know the Fiqh of purification, is
that acceptable? Or a more practical example for us here, someone goes
to Al-Aqeedah At-Tahaawiyyah ( ) and tries to
understand it. That is a very difficult book that gives scholars a hard time.
He goes to that but has never studied the basic books before that.
The second one is listening and being silent. It is allegedly said that Ali Ibn
Abi Talib said if you sit with a scholar, be more eager to hear than you are
to speak:

Be more wanting to listen than you are to talk.
The third one is understand, which is obvious. The fourth one is Hifdh,
memorise. There are things (especially in our knowledges) that you have
Page | 40
to memorise. The fifth one is Taleem. You have to teach, and we will go
through all of these later but you should know them for now.
The sixth one is the fruit of the knowledge, which is to act accordingly to
what you learn and stay within the limits and boundaries of what you
learn. Ali said knowledge calls for action. If it responds, it stays. If it does
not respond, it moves away. Ash-Shabi said our support for memorisation
of our knowledge used to come from acting upon it:

Al-Fudhayl Ibn Iyyaadh, Muhammad Ibn Nadhr, Sufyaan Ibn Uyaynah,
Umar Ibn Alaa and others said very similar quotes about that.
When al-Khallaal wanted to study grammar, he said I went to study
grammar and I stayed one year silent (). The next year, I
considered and looked into it (). The third year, I pondered over it (
). In the fourth year, I began to ask my Shaykh (). So it took

him four years. Do not go to that level, I am just showing you some stuff
old scholars said. That is to show you the level of patience that they had
in attaining the knowledge and that it is a structured study, it is not a
sporadic thing.
THE HONOUR OF KNOWLEDGE

Ilam Rahimak Allah, we are still in the portion of Ilam. Take the honour of
knowledge, and this is good for you. It will inspire you not to ever stop
learning.
Anas Ibn Maalik radhiallahu anhu said the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said:

In Ibn Maajah. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said learning
knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim. This Hadith is considered
weak by some because of matters within its chain, but other scholars
have considered it authentic (like al-Muzzi, as-Suyooti and al-Albaani
Rahimahumullah Jameean).
Ahmad said one must know that which is essential to establish his Deen.
We will talk about this in the next four introductory matters when we talk
Page | 41
about knowledge again. For example, matters for Salah and Siyaam that
you need to know, it is obligatory, it is Fardh, it is Waajib on you to know.
Look more than that, the honour of knowledge that you are doing right
now. Allah bears witness that there is none that have a right to be
worshipped but He, and the angels bear witness to that. And look at the
third one, and those having knowledge.

:

Allah bears witness that La Ilaaha Illa Huwa (none has the right to be
worshipped but He), and the angels, and those having knowledge (also
give this witness); (He is always) maintaining His creation in Justice. La
Ilaah Illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the All
Mighty, the All Wise. (Surat Aali Imraan: 18)
Al-Qurtubi said about this, had there been anyone more honourable than
scholars (of the categories of human beings), Allah would have combined
them to His Name and to that of His Angels as He did with the Ulamaa.
Allah testified, and the angels, and then He said the knowledgeable
people.
In the Quran, Allah told the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam:

:

...

And say: My Lord! Increase me in knowledge. (Surat Taha: 114)
Allah directs His Messenger to ask Allah to gain more knowledge. Had
there been anything more honourable to acquire than knowledge, Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala would have directed His Messenger to ask for that.
He would have asked him to ask for more wealth, prestige, fame or
whatever it is, but He told him to ask for more knowledge.

...

:

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It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah.
Verily, Allah is All Mighty, Oft Forgiving. (Surat Faatir: 28)
Muaawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyaan radhiallahu anhuma said:

Every time you get relaxed and lazy about knowledge, listen to this Hadith
in Bukhari and Muslim. Whoever Allah wishes good for, He gives him
profound understanding of the religion. You coming here today is a sign
that Inshaa Allah Allah likes you and wants good for you.

In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said
whosoever seeks a path to acquire the knowledge of the Deen (and over
here when we are talking, this is knowledge of the Deen), Allah will make
easy for him a path to enter Heaven. By sitting here and learning Islam, or
those by the computer, you are paving yourself a path for Jannah by what
you are doing in studying Islam. That is your path to Jannah Inshaa Allah.
Look at the value of knowledge, I want you to see how big of an ordeal it
is that you are students of knowledge. In a Hadith in Ibn Maajah, Abu
Dawood and at-Tirmidhi, Abu Dardaa said:
Page | 43
Whoever treads a path in search of knowledge, Allah will direct him to

tread a path to enter Paradise. We mentioned this portion of the Hadith
and it is in Sahih Muslim. The rest of the Hadith and this part is also
mentioned in Ibn Maajah, Sunan Abu Dawood and at-Tirmidhi.

The angels lower their wings for the student of knowledge, in approval for
that which he does. They lower their wings for you, in approval for that
which you do. The angels love, respect and honour you. The angels come
down and lower their wings for you. They humble themselves for you,
protect you and guard you. Why? Because you made an effort to study
Islam. You made an effort to study Islam so they protect you, guard you
and lower their wings for you.
The Hadith goes on to say:
A person of knowledge, a seeker of knowledge, a knowledgeable person,

the heavens and the earth seek the forgiveness for the student of
knowledge or the scholar. So one will not get the implication that it is only
humans and Jinn making Istighfaar, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said:

Meaning everything. Do not assume it is only human beings and Jinn. It is
even the fish, the whale and everything else. Do you want everything to
make Duaa for you? Continue steadfast in studying knowledge wherever
you are.
The next portion of the Hadith:

The superiority of a scholar over a worshipper is like the superiority of the
full moon at night time over the stars. You see how supreme the moon is
over the stars? When you look at night time and you see the moon, you
Page | 44
see how glowing and radiant it is? It dominates the sky and if you do see
the stars, they are like little dots. That is what the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam compared a scholar and a worshipper to. In this
particular Hadith, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam compares how
supreme a scholar is in comparison to a worshipper, like the moon in
comparison to the stars.
In another narration in Sunan at-Tirmidhi by Abu Umaamah al-Baahili, the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

The supreme status of an Aalim over an Aabid is like how supreme I am
over the least one of you. We know the superiority of the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam over scholars or anyone other
than that, less than that or above that. For the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam to compare himself like that is such an honour, all the honour
and all the encouragement for one to continue steadfast in studying this
knowledge.
Look what the Hadith goes on to say:
Verily, the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets. You want to be the heir
of the Prophets? Study Islam. Honour after honour. Do you know what an
honour it is to be called an inheritor or an heir of the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam?
The Hadith goes on to tell you:

Verily, the Prophets did not leave as inheritance Dinaar and Dirhams. They
did not leave dollars and change, they did not leave wealth. They left
behind knowledge, so whoever takes it has indeed acquired a great
fortune. Sometimes people say they want billions to be like the
billionaires, like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Waleed Ibn Talaal or their likes.
Some want to be like the presidents and like the kings, or want prominent
positions, and some seek certain ranks people look up to so people can
look up to them. Some want to look like others in their dress and in their
style. Everyone has certain things they want to look up to. What really
matters is the inheritance of the Messengers, and to grab a chunk of that
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inheritance. That is the least of what people pursue today. People pursue
everything wanting to be like kings and leaders, wanting to attain social
statuses and money, but the least pursued today is the inheritance of the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. How many people pursue
that and how many people raise their kids to pursue that?
Abu al-Wafaa Ibn Aqeel said Allah guarded me as a youth, all I loved
when I was a youth was knowledge. I never mingled with people who were
players or foolish people, I only injoined with the students of knowledge.
Now that I am in my eighties, I am more eager to learn than when I was in
my twenties. Now that I am in my eighties, I love to learn more than when
I was in my twenties. Imagine that.
Mutarif said:

I think it is better and I would love to learn more than I do worship. It is
more beloved to him than to worship. And it is not only his saying, it is a
saying of many, many other scholars.
Yahya Ibn Katheer said:

You will never get real knowledge with a lot of rest. You have to take away
a little bit of your rest time and a little bit of your sleep time. And I am
going to add to that, you are not going to ever become knowledgeable
spending a lot of time on Facebook and Twitter. I have heard of some
brothers who spend historical time on it. Fifteen to twenty minutes max.
Ibn Abbaas radhiallahu anhuma said studying knowledge at night is more
beloved to me at times than worshipping in it. Az-Zuhri Rahimahullah said:

Allah was never worshipped in a way like knowledge. Meaning studying
Islamic knowledge, memorising and reading. All types of knowledge (not
just Tawheed), but we mentioned that because that is the mother of
knowledges. That is the one that will save you and protect you from
Hellfire.
Ash-Shaafiee Rahimahullah said:

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Studying Ilm is more important than a Naafilah prayer. You have to

understand their lifestyle. Their lifestyle was full complete, it had a full
schedule to Allah. So at times they get cornered, either I stay up today
and pray or I teach this student. I write this book, I read this book or I
prepare for this class. It is one or the other, so at that time it becomes
better than a Naafilah. But we are different, we have plenty of time that
we waste and trust me the way we live, we can accommodate for both
because our schedule is not full. We still have not reached their rank in
how they filled their schedule. This is how they sacred Ilm. Look at how
they travelled and pursued it.
THE EXAMPLE OF THE SCHOLARS

JAABIR
AND
ABU AYYUB
Ahmad and Abu Yala narrated that Jaabir radhiallahu anhu travelled from
Madinah to ash-Shaam to take one Hadith from Abdullah Ibn Unays. He
travelled from Madinah towards Syria, look at it on the map.
Ibn Abdil-Barr narrated in his book Jaami Al-Bayaan Al-Ilm (
( )a very nice book about knowledge), about the significance of

knowledge and he mentioned the story of Abu Ayyub radhiallahu anhu.
Abu Ayyub was in Madinah, he packed his belongings and headed from
Madinah to Egypt to meet Uqbah Ibn Naafi. When he got to Egypt, he met
the Ameer of Egypt (Muslima Ibn Makhlad al-Ansaari). Muslima Makhlad
greeted him for a few moments, embraced him and asked him what
brings you here Abu Ayyub? Abu Ayyub said what brings me here is a
Hadith I heard from the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
No one heard it from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam but me and
Uqbah Ibn Naafi so you can send someone with me to direct me to where
Uqbah is living (to his house). He got to the house of Uqbah, he opened
the door and warmly embraced him. He was amazed and surprised to see
him and he says Abu Ayyub, what brings you here? What brings you to
town? Abu Ayyub said there is a Hadith I heard from the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, no one heard that Hadith but me
and you. It is the Hadith about covering the faults of a Muslim. What is it
Uqbah?
Uqbah said yes, I heard it from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
Page | 47

Whoever covers the faults (the embarrassments) of a believer in this life,
Allah will cover his faults on the Day of Judgment. So he heard that Hadith
and Abu Ayyub said you are right, Sadaqt (). What do you think
happens after this? Do you think he sat down in the house of Uqbah for a
coffee or tea? Even though there is no doubt that Uqbah invited him, the
Hadith says:

Abu Ayyub did not untie his baggage, nor did he sit. He turned back, got
on top of his camel and headed back to Madinah. From Madinah to Egypt
to listen to one Hadith and not a Hadith he did not know, but a Hadith that
he knew that no one else heard except him and Uqbah. He wanted the
honour of hearing it from Uqbah again. He just wanted the honour of
listening and seeing Uqbah utter the words that the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam uttered, that no one else had the honour of
listening to but them two. Today we tell people, go heat up your meal and
go get your coffee. Go lay on your bed, click on Youtube and learn a
couple of things about Islam in the comfort and warmth of your house, but
people turn away from it.
MUHAMMAD IBN HASAN ASH-SHAYBAANI

Muhammad Ibn Hasan ash-Shaybaani was a man who did not sleep. He
was a big student and one of the top students of Abu Haneefah. He was a
man who barely slept. When we say they took out of their sleep time and
when we say they did not sleep, do you think they were not human
beings? Do you think they were not made out of flesh and blood and that
they were not humans who got tired? They were but they were devoted.
They had a goal they wanted to reach and they needed to pursue that
goal. They did everything they had within their might to pursue that goal
and that is why they were the giants they were. Whenever Muhammad Ibn
Hasan ash-Shaybaani used to get tired at night time, he would have a
bucket with ice and cold water in it and he would wipe his eyes and face
with it. He would say warmth brings me sleep and this cold water takes
away the sleep. He was among the top students of Abu Haneefah
Rahimahullah.
ASAD IBN AL-FURAAT

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Look at his student, a man called Asad Ibn al-Furaat. Asad Ibn al-Furaat
was an Aalim from Spain, he used to live in Spain and he lived around the
North Africa region as well. He went from Spain to Madinah to learn from
Imaam Maalik. He studied the Madhab of Imaam Maalik and he studied
with Imaam Maalik Rahimahullah. When he finished everything with
Maalik, he headed to Iraq. Look at that, from Spain to North Africa to
Madinah, and then he went to Iraq. He went to Iraq to study with Abu
Haneefah, and then he went to study with Muhammad Ibn Hasan ashShaybaani (this man who used to put cold water on his eyes to stay
awake). When he entered Iraq to go study with Muhammad Ibn Hasan
ash-Shaybaani, he was directed to the mosque that Muhammad Ibn Hasan
ash-Shaybaani teaches in. Of course it is full, this is the Imaam of his time,
so he waits for some of the crowd to leave. Then there were the close knit
that were around Muhammad Ibn Hasan ash-Shaybaani, he broke his way
through them and he told Muhammad Ibn Hasan ash-Shaybaani, Imaam, I
am a stranger and I have no wealth so I cannot stay here too long. I
cannot stay here too long in Iraq, I have to go back to Spain, so what is
the best way to absorb all your knowledge as quickly as possible so my
money will not run out on me?
Muhammad Ibn Hasan ash-Shaybaani said in the day time you join the
regular Halaqah and at night time come to my house, I am going to teach
you. And I mentioned a similar story that was considered weak, by Baqee
Ibn Makhlad. You can refer to it on my lecture on Baqee Ibn Makhlad. So
in the day time he would join the regular Halaqah and at night time he
would go in his house and learn from him. Now every time Muhammad Ibn
Hasan ash-Shaybaani gets tired as he is teaching, he puts water, but not
his student. His student slumbers as he is teaching him so Muhammad Ibn
Hasan ash-Shaybaani takes from that cold water and sprinkles it in his
face until Fajr breaks while they are sitting there and learning Qaalallah,
Qaala Rasool (
) .
Do you know if you sleep eight hours a day and you live sixty years (and
most sleep even more than that today), you have spent one third of your
life sleeping? That would be considered approximately twenty years or so.
Today we do not say go to that extent, there is no need to stay up like
they did. If you can then do it but if everyone is truthful and uses the time
he spends in vain or possibly in sin and gives that to studying, then he has
done a lot.
Asad Ibn al-Furaat went back to Spain. Do you think he put leg on leg and
said you know what I studied with Imaam Maalik, Abu Haneefah,
Muhammad Ibn Hasan ash-Shaybaani (and he must have studied with
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many other scholars). Do you think he went back and put one leg on top
of another, kicked back and relaxed? He went back and taught the
Muwatta of Imaam Maalik throughout Spain and the North African region,
and then he went and fought in the conquering of Suqliyyah (()
Sicily). He got killed in that battle, an Imaam Rahimahullah. Do you think
Asad Ibn al-Furaat, Muhammad Ibn Hasan ash-Shaybaani or Abu Haneefah
became what they were wasting their time? These were men who sacred
their time, and more so knew how to sacred knowledge.
SAEED IBN MUSAYYIB, AR-RAAZI
AND
AL-BUKHARI
Saeed Ibn Musayyib said I used to travel nights and days for one Hadith.
Nights and days for one Hadith that you could click with your fingers today
and get it within two seconds. Ar-Raazi said I travelled more than one
thousand Farsakh ( )as a student of knowledge and then I stopped
counting at one thousand. One thousand Farsakh is like five thousand
kilometres today (and three thousand, one hundred and six miles). That is
the amount he calculated. He stopped because he no longer calculated,
and then continued his journey as a student of knowledge.
Al-Bukhari used to go to sleep and remember some things for his books or
for his Hadith compilation and he would write and jot down the notes. He
would wake up from his sleep or from his nap and write it down. And a
second time, get up and write it down. And then he would remember
something again and he would get up and write it down. In his famous
book At-Taareekh (), Ibn Katheer said al-Bukhari used to wake up
twenty times on an average night, to jot down something he remembers
as he puts his head to sleep.
These were people who knew the value of knowledge. This is Ilam, you
see what Ilam means? Knowledge did not come to them while they were
pampered on lofty mattresses like we have today. This was the man
(Bukhari) who compiled a book and he selected this Ahaadith book from
over six hundred thousand Hadith that he had before his hand. Without
repetition, Bukhari has two thousand, six hundred and two Hadith. With
repetition, it is seven thousand, five hundred and ninety three and Ibn Hajr
said it is seven thousand, three hundred and ninety seven Hadith. If you
put the repeated Hadith with the Taaliqaat al-Mutaabaaat (
), he has over nine thousand and eighty two Hadith in his

book. Not a single Hadith did he put in there, except that he prayed two
Rakaat Istikhaarah (every time he put a Hadith in there).
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Knowledge never comes without effort, and some time off sleep or some
time off rest time, and some time off the social media time. We mention
this to show you what the author means when he says Ilam. Ilam, he
wants you to know. He wants you to know how to honour knowledge.
Something important is coming, I am going to teach you. We are engaging
in something important and that is what he is trying to tell you, sacrifice
for what I am about to tell you. We mentioned examples that we could
never be like, I know that. Why do we mention them? We mention those
examples and if you be like five percent of that or possibly ten percent of
that, you would be in good shape. Unlike if we mention our surroundings,
those who waste their time in vain or possibly in sins. They can never get
anywhere but if we mention these supreme examples and you are like five
percent or you try to hit fifty percent like them, then you are good.
AN-NAWAWI, LISAAN AD-DEEN IBN AL-KHATEEB

IBN JABAL
AND
MUAADH
Look at an-Nawawi Rahimahullah, who wrote volumes and volumes. What

amazes me about this man is that he died when he was a few years older
than I am today right now. He died when he was forty four years old. Do
you know that he only started writing when he was in his thirties? People
today just want to jump to the Khutbah and give Khutbahs. He started
writing when he was in his thirties. He wrote Sharh Muslim (
), Riyaadh As-Saaliheen () , Al-Adhkaar (

), Al-Majmoo (), Minhaj Fee Al-Fiqh (
), At-Tibyaan Fee Aadaab Hamalat Al-Quran (
( ) a great book on the manners of those who carry the
Quran), Al-Idhaah (), Bustaan Al-Aarifeen () ,
Minhaj At-Taalibeen () , Rawdhat At-Taalibeen (
), Tahdheeb Al-Asmaa Wal-Lughaat (
)and At-Taqreeb (( )it is a summary of the book of Ibn
Salah on the science of Hadith). He compiled Forty Nawawi Hadith. Who
does not have that? Who does not say an-Nawawi Rahimahullah tens of
times a day? Every student of knowledge says that. He wrote Zawaaid ArRawdhah ( ) and it is a book on Usool al-Fiqh. He started
the interpretation or elucidation of Sahih al-Bukhari but he was never able
to finish it. It would have been a great, magnificent book like that of Ibn
Hajr on Sahih Muslim.
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One time an-Nawawi said I spent two years in my life, I never laid on my
side on a mattress or on the ground. So they asked him how did you sleep
an-Nawawi? Two years and his side never got a mattress or the ground. He
said when I got tired, I used to lean over my books and take a little nap.
People have different goals. You are going to find childish kids who want to
criticise him, but the goals of these people are different. Some people
want Firdaws, some people want Araaf and some people just want the
front gate of Heaven. At forty four, he did more for the Ummah than what
possibly millions at times did for the Ummah.
Lisaan ad-Deen Ibn al-Khateeb was a scholar from Spain. He lived around
1340 and he was a well known leader and the scholar of Spain. They said
to call him Dhul-Umrayn () , the man with a double life. You
know why they used to call him that name? Because at day time he would
be occupied with dealing with matters and resolving issues in his country,
and at night time he would sit and write and learn. So he had a double life,
he took out of his sleep time and got a double life. Again I say we mention
these examples so we can get a small percentage of their likes, to
improve our quality and attitude towards knowledge.
I would say get your full eight hours of sleep and sleep on a good, nice
mattress or a waterbed. Do not lean on your books, I do not want you to
do that. Just take time off your vain time, the time you spend gossiping
and the time you spend on social media, and focus it for knowledge.
Muaadh Ibn Jabal radhiallahu anhu died when he was thirty five years
old. Can you believe that? Thirty five years old, the man we say
radhiallahu anhu. The man who is a father to everyone from Yemen and
Muaadh Ibn Jabal is in his grave getting rewards for everyone in Yemen.
The tiredness and pain an-Nawawi and Muaadh went through is gone
now, because they are in their grave. The work remains and the reward
remains, but the tiresome and restless nights are all gone. Imaam Ahmad
was asked when will you rest? They saw how he was. When he was asked
when will you rest, he said when I go in the grave. I imagine an-Nawawi
Rahimahullah laying in his grave now with such a big smile on his face, it
is as if he has a smile on his face. Every time we say Rahimahullah, he
gets reward for it. Every time we use his knowledge, that is an ongoing,
never ending charity (Sadaqah Jaariyah) and he sits in his grave and gets
all that reward.
Al-Badr Ibn Jamaaah said I went to visit an-Nawawi one time and I could
not find a place to sit. He made room for me through his books and when I
did sit, he kept searching and pursuing books. Al-Badr Ibn Jamaaah said
he pursued knowledge in his books like a mother would be in pursuit of a
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lost son of hers (looking and striving). Al-Hasan al-Basri said two people
never get satisfied, a student of knowledge and a student of wealth. You
never get satisfied, you always want more and more and more. That is to
show you the level and patience that they had in attaining the treasure of
knowledge. It is a treasure, you have to pursue it. Ilam Rahimak Allah.
SULAYMAAN IBN ABDUL-MALIK

RABAAH
THE
KHALEEFAH
AND
ATAA IBN ABI
Sulaymaan Ibn Abdul-Malik (the leader and the famous Khaleefah from
Bani Umayyah) went to make Hajj and he had two of his sons with him. He
needed to ask some questions pertaining to Hajj, so everyone told him go
to Ataa Ibn Abi Rabaah. Ataa Ibn Abi Raabah was a Tabiee who died one
hundred and fourteen years after the Hijrah. He was an ex-slave and he
was just freed. He had a disease in his eyes so one of his eyes was not
functioning, he used to limp and he was black. Imagine all that, matters
that ignorant people always look down upon and he had it all in him. The
Khaleefah of the Muslims was directed to go and ask that man for issues
pertaining to his Hajj. When they finally found him, he was standing in
Salah near the Kabah so the Khaleefah stands with his two sons and they
wait and wait. When he is done with his Salah, the Khaleefah says Ataa I
have a question. Ataa is facing the Kabah and the Khaleefah is behind
him and he asks him the question. He is an ex-slave and his back was
turned to them as if they were low and he is the honourable, and he did
not even turn around to answer him because he does not need anything
from the Khaleefah. The Khaleefah needs him, he needs a man who
ignorant people look down upon in every way.
When Sulaymaan saw how honourable he was and how low he was even
though he was the Khaleefah and even though he had wealth, power and
everything, he told his two sons:

Do not be lazy in learning or attaining knowledge because I will never
forget how low we had to stand in front of Ataa. The Khaleefah going to
ask someone is a big thing, now imagine if it is someone that was an exslave with a blind eye and looked down upon. He told his kids to never
ever leave knowledge. Provision is always guaranteed but knowledge is
not. A Khaleefah has provision but he does not have knowledge. We seek
knowledge and Allah always guarantees your provision.
AL-KASAAEE
AND THE
SONS
OF THE
KHALEEFAH
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Haroon ar-Rasheed had two sons (al-Ameen and al-Mamoon) and he

brought a scholar called al-Kasaaee who was known during his time to
teach them. When al-Kasaaee used to get to their door, Haroon arRasheed either saw or was told that his two sons al-Mamoon and his
brother go to the door, open the door for al-Kasaaee, take his shoes and
greet him in. When Haroon was told of this or he saw this, he summoned
al-Kasaaee to his palace (to his room). He said Kasaaee, who is the most
honoured of people? Al-Kasaaee said you Haroon ar-Rasheed. You are the
Khaleefah, you are the most honoured of the people here. Haroon said no,
rather the most honoured among people is the one who the next in
command to be leaders go and open the door for him and take his shoes
(because his sons were next in command to be leaders). We need to
understand the value of knowledge and the great noble mission of
attaining this.
ASH-SHAAFIEE
AND IBN
AL-JAWZI
When ash-Shaafiee was asked how he studied and how he attained his
knowledge, he said I pursued knowledge like a mother who is seeking her
only lost son. Imagine a mother with her only lost son, how she runs and
chases him if he is lost. He said I pursued knowledge like a mum does to
find her son. Ibn al-Jawzi said I stayed years desiring Hareesah ().
Hareesah is a famous sweet we still know today. He said I desired
Hareesah for years but I could never eat it because the guy who sells it by
the Masjid would come when I have a class and I want to go eat it, but I do
not want to miss the class. An honour and reward for learning. It is deep,
learning is not just a superficial thing that you take or you do if you have
time or at your leisure, or if you have nothing better to do then you go
attend the Halaqah.
RAHIMAK ALLAH
MAGHFIRAH
AND
RAHMAH
Rahimak Allah, may Allah shower His mercy on you. So the next word
Rahimak Allah, he means may Allah shower His mercy on you so you can
achieve what you seek. That is the meaning of it. It means may Allah
grant you mercy to achieve all that is good for you and to keep you away
from that which is evil. That is what he means when he says Rahimak
Allah. Rahimak Allah means may Allah forgive your past and may Allah
protect and guide you for your future, these are all meanings of Rahimak
Allah.
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If you combine or couple Rahimak Allah and Ghafara Lak (
( ) Maghfirah and Rahmah), each one would have a meaning.

Maghfirah is forgiveness and mercy is Rahmah. If you combine them
together, each one would have a meaning. If they are combined then
Maghfirah is that which was of prior sins and Rahmah is a safety from the
harm, affect and punishment from future sins. If they are separated
(Maghfirah and Rahmah), each entails the meaning of the other. So if
Maghfirah is by itself, it means Rahmah as well. And if it is Rahmah by
itself, it means Maghfirah. If Maghfirah is in a sentence alone, it entails the
meaning of Rahmah in it. They encompass the meanings of each other
they are separate, so Maghfirah means Rahmah and Rahmah means
Maghrifrah if they are separate.
The rule here is similar to the usage of Islam and Imaan in a sentence.
Islam is three levels (Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan). We have Islam and Imaan
and Allah said in the Quran:
: ...

Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam. (Surat Aali Imraan: 19)
Islam is mentioned there alone without Imaan, so here it includes within it
Imaan and Ihsaan. It includes Imaan in it and it is mentioned alone in a
sentence.
In another verse, Imaan is mentioned alone:
: ...

The Bedouins say: We believe. (Surat al-Hujaraat: 14)
Imaan is mentioned alone so Imaan here includes Islam and Ihsaan in it. If
Islam and Imaan are mentioned together in one sentence, then each word
entails a different meaning. If only one of them is mentioned, then each
one encompasses the meaning of the other. You see that rule? The same
applies with our situation here, Maghfirah and Rahmah.
DO YOU SAY RAHIMAK ALLAH
TO A
NON MUSLIM?
Over here he said Rahimak Allah because he is trying to teach. If you are
going out to give Dawah, do you go tell a non Muslim, may Allah have
mercy on you? A non Muslim relative or any non Muslim for that matter.
Let me say this, number one, there is no difference of opinion among
scholars that one cannot pray for forgiveness and mercy for a non Muslim
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who dies in that status (a Kaafir). You cannot make Duaa for him and say
may Allah have mercy on him. In the fifth volume of Al-Majmoo, AnNawawi said there is an Ijmaa on this (there is a consensus on this). In the
twelfth volume of Al-Fataawa, Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah said there is an
Ijmaa on this (that it is prohibited). As for one who is alive, there are
some comments on this and let me clear it up.
When a modernist or ignorant reads it in some of the old books, he will
say look so and so said it is okay to make Duaa with mercy to a Kaafir
that is living. And then they might even tag on to it a Kaafir who is dead
too, at the rate they are going. That is a reason to show that knowledge
must be taught by Shuyookh. Sometimes you are going to see the word
Makrooh (( )disliked) in a book for example. Some Shuyookh and
some Ulamaa consider what they say disliked as Haraam, but they always
use disliked. How would you know that if someone did not tell you that as
a principle of this Shaykh, he said disliked? Imagine reading adultery or
fornication is disliked, or alcohol is disliked. What that Shaykh means has
a root (disliked is Haraam). One thing is for sure, if you are asking for a
non Muslim, the supplication of Rahmah is meant to be understood as that
Allah guides them. Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajr mentioned this in the eleventh
volume of Fath al-Baari () . He said in summary, this is the
summary I am going to give to you and this is the best summary. You can
pray for a non believer in guidance and if you choose to pray for him in
mercy, it must be with the intention that mercy means guidance. So
basically if you say Rahimak Allah to a non Muslim who is living, your
intention better be one hundred percent that Rahimak Allah means may
Allah have mercy on him to guide him. It better be that and it cannot be
anything other than that.
It is better to just make it clear and say may Allah guide him or may Allah
guide them. If you do choose to say Rahmah (and it is not the best of the
two opinions), then you say it with the intention of may Allah guide him.
Badr ad-Deen al-Ayni in Umdat Al-Qaari (( ) which is an
interpretation of Sahih al-Bukhari) commented on a Hadith where the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned:

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made supplication that Allah
forgive his people when they were non believers and he said it when they
were harming and oppressing him. Badr ad-Deen says that means to grant
them guidance to Islam which will cause them to be forgiven, if they do
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become Muslim. So you have to understand what the Ulamaa are talking
about.
WHY DID HE SAY ILAM RAHIMAK ALLAH?

This was a trend used by wise, knowledgeable Ulamaa, they used these
kind of sayings. He made Duaa for one who is learning and listening to
him and he is making Duaa for one who might read his book in the future.
This is a big lesson that one who conveys the message must be merciful
and compassionate to those he conveys his message to. He must show
those he is teaching that he wants guidance for them. Sometimes they
think you do not want guidance for them, you have to show them you are
trying to take them from darkness to a bright light.
A Daaiyah opens the hearts with a smile, it is a key to a heart. It could be
a nice compliment or word, or putting your hand on his back. Today, some
act as if it is Awrah ( )to show your teeth. They think that it is
Awrah to show your teeth. That is the reality, do not laugh, some people
are like that. Dawah ( )is wisdom, being gentle and kind. You need
the keys, you cannot enter without Rahmah to people.
Allah tells his Prophet and he is the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam:

...

: ...

And had you been severe and harsh hearted, they would have broken
away from about you. (Surat Aali Imraan: 159)
That is the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, so imagine
anyone other than him. A Daaiyah must be like Allah said about the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:
Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad sallallahu

alayhi wa sallam) from amongst yourselves (i.e. whom you know well). It
grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty. He
(Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is anxious over you (to be rightly
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guided, to repent to Allah, and beg Him to pardon and forgive your sins, in
order that you may enter Paradise and be saved from the punishment of
the Hellfire), for the believers (he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is) full of
pity, kind, and merciful. (Surat at-Tawbah: 128)
A man who is merciful and compassionate with you, who is worried about
you, who is concerned for you and who is eager to give you the best. Here
the author is speaking to people at a time when people were deep in their
ignorance, Bidah ( )and Shirk. The worshipping of the graves was
widespread and common and it was exceptional to be on the right path.
A knowledgeable is wise and knows the truth is somewhat tough. The
truth is tough sometimes and it is hard to absorb it, especially when their
parents and great grand parents have been raised on it. The truth is
difficult in itself and as a Daaiyah with wisdom, you do not combine a
tough attitude with a tough Dawah. You want two toughnesses? At least
work with the tough Dawah itself, do not add your attitude to it. Some
learn a couple of Hadith and run around declaring people Kuffaar,
Khawaarij and everything you can think of.
Husayn al-Karabeesi was a philosophist Mubtadi ( )or one who
resorted to mental rationalisation. In Taareekh Baghdad () ,
ash-Shaafiee went to visit Baghdad and al-Karabeesi heard about him.
People were going from all over to visit him so al-Karabeesi told his friends
let us go visit ash-Shaafiee. He is a philosophist, you know they are
eloquent when they talk because they have no knowledge of Quran or
Hadith so they use their talk. He said let us go visit Shaafiee and make
fun of him. Everyone has gathered there so Karabeesi goes there and with
his outspoken way of asking questions, they ask ash-Shaafiee. AshShaafiee knows what they are doing and knows people are there. He
could have kicked them out, he could have told a couple of his students
take them out of there, he could have incited the people to take them out
but he stood silent. He stood patiently and began to answer them with
Quran after Quran after Hadith after sayings, until he mesmerised them
with his knowledge and his manners. You know what the philosophers,
these Mubtadiah ( )and those who resorted to mental
rationalisation said? They said we left our Bidah and followed ashShaafiee. They went to make fun of him and he could have done anything
he wanted, but he was patient and Allah guided with him some big
Imaams of his time.
You see what it does? He had the key to the heart and he had wisdom in
conveying the message. That is why those are the verses I said:
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: ...

And (remember) Lut, We gave him Hukman (right judgment of the affairs
and Prophethood) and (religious) knowledge. (Surat al-Anbiyaa: 74)

...

:
And when he attained his full strength, and was perfect (in manhood), We
bestowed on him Hukman (Prophethood, right judgment of the affairs) and
religious knowledge [of the religion of his forefathers i.e. Islamic
Monotheism]. (Surat al-Qasas: 14)
Wisdom is just as essential as knowledge and that is what he says here,
Rahimak Allah is part of the wisdom of Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab.
That is how you capture the hearts and the minds, Rahimak Allah. Even if
you disagree with them and they are Muslim, Rahimak Allah. Take this and
humble yourself. Lower your wing to them. You know who is saying
Rahimak Allah? The man who was bad mouthed for over two hundred
years and is still being mad mouthed today. The dust generated by the
attacks from the storm of reviving the Quran and the Sunnah of his time
has not settled until today, people still accuse him and talk about him.
Having said that, can you just imagine with me what the attacks were like
to him when he was in his peak (if it is still going on until today)? Yet with
all that going on he uses Rahimak Allah, when his opponents are going to
be reading his leaflets and letters that he is going to pass out. A Daaiyah
needs to have a smile on his face with the proper manners, and he needs
to be pleasant and a delight for people to approach and communicate
with. That is the true Daaiyah and that is a characteristic of a successful
Daaiyah.
A smile might open many hearts to your message. Rahimak Allah, I am
concerned about you and I want you to learn this. In Sahih Muslim:
Do not minimise the reward of anything, even if it is merely to greet your

brother with a smile. Jareer Ibn Abdillah said in Sahih al-Bukhari and
Muslim, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam never saw me but smiled
in my face:
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This was the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who we were ordered to
follow whether he smiles at us or frowns at us, whether he conveys the
message soft toned or harsh toned. No one is ordered to follow me and
you, so convey the message in wisdom and good manners, in a pleasant
and light way.
Abdullah Ibn al-Haarith said in a Hadith in Sunan at-Tirmidhi:

A companion is saying I never saw anyone smile more than the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Can you imagine that? A brother
greets a brother with a smile, a sister greets her sister with a smile or a
kind word, a pat on the back or an embrace, it is a key to open the heart.
A true, quick smile that slowly fades, not those fake ones that come slowly
and vanish real fast (those are the fake ones).
A sign and a characteristic of a Munaafiq is a sharp tongue with a frown to
the believers, and the opposite to the non believers.

...
...

:
They will smite you with sharp tongues, miserly towards (spending
anything in any) good (and only covetous of booty and wealth). (Surat alAhzaab: 19)
They sharpen their tongues and yield them on you.

: ...

Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is the Messenger of Allah, and
those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful
among themselves. (Surat al-Fath: 29)
The opposite of that is a trait of the Munaafiqeen.
A Daaiyah is a doctor, he deals with the hearts and souls spiritually (not
physically). You do not open the heart and play around with it (the
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physical muscle itself), you deal with them spiritually so you have to know
how to open them properly. You have to find the key to convey the
message. Like I said it is a harsh Dawah in itself so do not combine your
harshness to it. People are humans and sometimes you need to praise
them to win their hearts.
When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught Muaadh Ibn Jabal
the Duaa we say after Salah, do you think the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam just came to Muaadh and said you say this after Salah? He took
Muaadh and he said:

I love you Muaadh. Can you imagine how his heart is?

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam commended Ibn Umar then
corrects him to pray the night prayer. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam praised and then encouraged, and that is the path of the wise,
righteous and successful Duaat.
CLASS FOUR
This is our fourth class on Sharh Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah, the elucidation
and explanation of Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah.
THE FOUR INTRODUCTORY MATTERS

The author said:

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We spoke about Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem and then we spoke about
Ilam Rahimak Allah (know, may Allah have mercy on you). Today, we take
the obligation to know four matters.
He said it is obligatory to know four matters, you must know these four
matters. Here, he said you are obligated to know these four matters. He
used the Arabic word:

You must know these four matters.
WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF WAAJIB?

The definition of Waajib is any matter where there is a firm order to do
something, in which one is promised a reward for and anyone unexempted
and unexcused from doing it who leaves it, is promised punishment. That
is the definition of Waajib.
IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WAAJIB AND

FARDH?
There is a problem here that scholars had, there is an issue between
Waajib ( )and Fardh (). Are they both the same or are they
different? In Usool al-Fiqh, the scholars disputed this matter. They said is
Waajib Fardh and is Fardh Waajib? Are they both the same thing or are
they two different things?
I want you to know and I am going to repeat it again and again, the author
here does not mean Waajib that is like the Waajib that Abu Haneefah
Rahimahullah considers Waajib (which is a lesser rank than Fardh). Here
the author means obligatory, Waajib, Fardh. It is a Fardh upon you. Even
though he used the word Waajib, he means it is Fardh on you to know the
following four matters. In English it may not seem like that big of a deal
because usually when they are translate Waajib they say it is obligatory,
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and then when they say Fardh it is also obligatory. But when you look at
the Fiqh point of view in the Usool books, you find there is a dispute. Is
Waajib Fardh and Fardh Waajib or are they two different things?
I say this because Waajib (obligatory) is identical to Fardh (which is
obligatory) according to ash-Shaafiee, Maalik and Imaam Ahmad in one of
two opinions. Let me repeat that. So now we are talking about the dispute
between the scholars in Waajib and Fardh. Are they the same or not? A
Waajib which means obligatory is identical to Fardh which is obligatory
(just two different words) according to ash-Shaafiee, Maalik and Imaam
Ahmad in one of two opinions.
The second opinion is by Imaam Abu Haneefah Rahimahullah. Imaam Abu
Haneefah said Waajib is a slightly lesser rank of an ordain than Fardh.
According to Imaam Abu Haneefah Rahimahullah, they are both an
obligation. They are obligatory and you must do them, however Waajib is
a notch less than Fardh. Now let us take the proof for both camps.
THE PROOF FOR THE OPINION

SYNONYMOUS
THAT
WAAJIB
AND
FARDH ARE
The first camp said Waajib is Fardh and they are both the same. They use
for their proof a Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari:

A Bedouin from Najd came screaming (in one narration mumbling) with his
head uncovered and he went to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to
ask him about Islam. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam responded
to him and after the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam informed him of
the obligatory matters upon him, this Bedouin asked a question.

:

He said other than what you told me (the obligations and that which you
told me is Fardh), are there anymore obligations other than that? Do I
have to do anything else other than that?
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam responded.

:

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He said no you do not have to do anything other than this, unless you
choose to do any of the extra matters that one can do for extra reward.
The point of the scholars here is:

The scholars said the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not put a
middle category between Fardh and Sunnah. This is Fardh and this is
Sunnah, he did not put a middle category. Had Waajib been a slightly
lesser rank than Fardh, then he would have said I told you the obligatory
matters, here are the Waajib matters and then I am going to tell you the
Tatawwa (( )then there is the Sunnah). But he did not do that, the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told him the obligatory Fardh matters
and then he said the matters other than that are Sunnah. Between Fardh
and Sunnah (Tatawwa), the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam did not say and here is Waajib in between them, here are matters
that are Waajib in between them.
The second proof is that Allah said in the Quran:

...
: ...

So whoever has made Hajj obligatory upon himself therein. (Surat alBaqarah: 197)
In this verse, Fardh is used in the context of Waajib so they said that
means they are the same.
The third proof in the Sahih.

And when you hear that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that
Allah said, that means it is automatically Hadith Qudsi.

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My servant never comes closer to me with a deed any better than a Fardh.
Had Waajib been a separate category, He would have also added Waajib.
He would have said and Waajib is included. First is the Fardh and then the
Waajib, because right after that the Hadith mentioned Naafil (that one
continues to do Nawaafil). So He did not mention a second category right
after Fardh (which is Waajib), He went from Fardh and then He began to
talk about other matters that are Nafil (just like the first proof).
Now the fourth proof is that they said for both Fardh and Waajib, it is
vilified to not do either one. If you do not do either one it is vilified, so it
would be redundant to say each one has a separate meaning or category
because we all agree on the bottom line, that it is vilified not to do it and it
is a sin not to do it. Why would you make it a separate category when we
all agree it is something you must do and you get sins for not doing it,
unless you are exempted? So why are you making it a special category?
This group said it is redundant to say Waajib is different than Fardh or
Fardh is different than Waajib.
So basically if you look at this group, they use some textual proof from
Hadith that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam went from Fardh to
Tatawwa and did not mention the middle category of Waajib in between.
THE PROOF
FARDH
FOR THE
OPINION
THAT
WAAJIB
IS
LESSER
THAN
The Hanafiyyah and Imaam Ahmad in one of the opinions said that each
one is a different category, Fardh is a category and Waajib is a different
category. They said that Fardh is a higher level that is more confirmed,
stressed and emphasised than a Waajib that comes right under it.
The proof for the second group is more of a linguistic nature than it is of a
textual nature. Those who learn Arabic know that sometimes the literal
meaning differs very slightly than the religious context meaning for a
word. I will give you that in an example of the word Islam and you will
understand it better. If you look up Islam in an Arabic dictionary (the root
word of it), what is the linguistic definition of Islam? You are going to find
that it means submission, humbling and obeying. One in submission, you
can say he is Muslim. Humbling, he is Muslim. Obeying commands, he is
Muslim. That is the literal definition of Islam from the root word of it.
However in a religious context, look at the definition. The definition of
Islam is:
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To submit to Allah with Tawheed, and to succumb to Allah with obedience,

and to disavow and disassociate yourself from Shirk and the people of
Shirk. Yes parts of the root word were used, but you have to have this
whole conclusive meaning to take what Islam is in a religious context.
Now the Hanafiyyah used the slight differences in the literal meanings of
Waajib and Fardh to have an affect on giving each one their own category.
Abu Zayd ad-Dabboosi said Fardh literally means to assess something or
what is precise. If something is precise (from Taqdeer ()), that is
Fardh. Taqdeer and Fardh are the same, so it is something that is assessed
and something that is precise. He said Waajib on the other hand means
Suqoot (( )to fall) and Allah used it in a literal sense in the verse:
...

: ...

Then, when they are down on their sides (after slaughter). (Surat al-Hajj:
36)
When a wall drops down, you say:

The wall fell. So here he says we will take Fardh to be anything that is firm
(Qaati ()), so anything with firm proof is Fardh. Anything that is
obligatory with a slightly lesser standard of proof, we will take that to be a
Waajib. They made the distinction because Suqoot means to drop, so they
used drop to mean that is the second category.
HOW DO THEY CATEGORISE
THE
FARAAIDH
AND
WAAJIBAAT?
They made a distinction between Fardh and Waajib but they themselves
disputed on how to categorise what is going to be a Waajib and what is
going to be a Fardh. We established there is a Fardh and there is a Waajib
according to the Hanafiyyah, but what is a Fardh and a Waajib? One group
of the Hanafiyyah said Fardh is what comes through Qatee ()
proof. Qatee proof is super firm, direct and precise proof, which is like a
solid verse with its meaning clear or a solid authentic Hadith with a clear
meaning of it and multiple chains. That would be considered a Fardh.
Anything less than that, that is obligatory and we will consider it a Waajib.
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So anything that comes to us in proof that is Dhannee ( )will be a

Waajib. Dhannee means authentic Ahaadith, we are not talking about non
authentic Ahaadith. An authentic Hadith that is a direct order, but its
chains are not sufficient to be like multiple chains.
An example of this would be that Allah said in the Quran:
: ...

And perform As-Salat. (Surat al-Baqarah: 43)

No one disputes it, it is a clear order and the meaning is very clear. It is a
verse in the Quran so it is not disputed. It is Fardh to make your Salah but
they said reciting the Faatihah in every single unit of the Salah is Waajib
and not Fardh because the Hadith:

There is no Salah except by you reading the Faatihah in every unit of the
Salah. They said that proof is Dhannee, meaning it is authentic but it is
not solid enough to be a Fardh. So Salah is Fardh but reciting the Faatihah
in every Rakah is Waajib.
The second group (al-Askaree) said Fardh is what is from Allah and Waajib
is what is from Allah and what is from the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam. So some proof that is disputed and matters that are
disputed (their meanings from the Qur'an), that is Waajib according to
them. If it is solid and the meaning is clear, that is Fardh (the first
category).
The third group said Fardh is any direct order from Allah and Waajib is any
direct order from the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
That is obligatory in both cases, one is from Allah and one is from the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Al-Israeeni, who is
among the scholars of al-Hanafiyyah said Fardh is what is ordered by
consensus and no one disputed it, and Waajib is what may have dispute
as to it being Fardh or not. So they dispute in themselves as to what is
Fardh and what is Waajib.
THE RESULT
OF THIS
DISPUTE
The result of it is according to the Hanafiyyah, whoever denies a Fardh is

Kaafir because he has committed an act of Kufr (he denied something that
its proof is beyond a doubt). Waajib, the proof is less precise so he has not
committed an act of Kufr. So whoever denies standing in Arafaat during
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Hajj or Hijaab of a woman has committed an act of Kufr because that is

Fardh. They consider for example Witr as Waajib and they consider
running in Safa and Marwah when you go to Hajj (those seven laps you do
where Haajar alayhas-salaam ran) as Waajib. So if someone were to deny
that, then he has not committed an act of Kufr because the level of proof
in less than that of the Fardh. Their rule is that denying a Waajib is not
Kufr. Leaving that Waajib out and if you do not deny is considered Fisiq (
( )one who is astray). Denying a Waajib is not Kufr according to the

Hanafiyyah because it is proven on a secondary level basis proof, unlike
Fardh which is proven beyond a doubt. That is the first result or fruit of
this dispute.
The second result or fruit of this dispute. You get more reward for doing a
Fardh than you do for doing a Waajib, because it is higher category
according to the Hanafiyyah. The third fruit or result of this dispute would
possibly be more understandable in an example. The majority of scholars
(the first group) say making Sujood at-Tilaawah (Sujood of recitation) is
Sunnah not Waajib or Fardh. This is because Umar Ibn al-Khattab was on
the pulpit one Friday and he read Surat an-Nahl, when he got to the
Sajdah in Surat an-Nahl he got off the pulpit and made Sujood. The Next
Jumuah he got up and read Surat as-Sajdah and Surat as-Sajdah has a
Sujood in it. When he got to the verse of Sujood he said O people, we pass
by verses of Sujood, whoever makes Sujood is right and whoever does not
make Sujood is right and he did not make Sujood the second time. His son
Ibn Umar added a statement to that, he said Allah did not make Sujood atTilaawah Fardh upon you.
It is not Fardh or Waajib so what does it become? The majority of the
scholars said it is not Fardh or Waajib so it goes down to Sunnah. The
Hanafiyyah said no, it is not Fardh so then it is Waajib because it drops
down a level. Yes it is not Fardh, but then it is Waajib. So they dropped it to
their second category, which is Waajib. The Jamhoor ( )dropped it
to their second category (which is Sunnah), so it gets dropped down based
on what group you are in. The Hanafiyyah make it Waajib and the majority
(the Jamhoor) consider it Sunnah. So that is one of the results of this
dispute of Fardh and Waajib being two different categories.
Since the first group do not distinguish between Fardh and Waajib and
consider them one, they said it is not Fardh as Ibn Umar said and that
means it is not Waajib because they are the same, so it goes down to a
Sunnah. Al-Hanafiyyah said it is not Fardh like Ibn Umar said, but it drops
down to Waajib. Very similar to that is sacrifice. The Hanafiyyah believe it
is Waajib to sacrifice and the other Imaams (the Jamhoor) believe it is
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Sunnah to sacrifice, based on the same rationale. Likewise, the

Hanafiyyah believe Witr after the Ishaa and before Fajr is Waajib.
According to them, you get sins if you do not do it and you are considered
a Faasiq if you are not doing it. The majority say no, it is Sunnah.
The conclusion for this whole dispute is simple and the answer is pretty
much clear. If you want a one liner on it, the proper opinion is that Waajib
and Fardh are the same. The majority who consider Waajib and Fardh the
same use textual proof like Hadith to back them up, while the others use
and substantiated their stance with linguistic definitions. That gives
leverage to the first group. Secondly, the first group is more correct
because Fardh and Waajib concur in that one must do that which he is
supposed to do and he gets sins for not doing it, unless he is exempted.
So the definition for both is nearly the same and that gives more of a solid
stance to the first group.
THE ISLAMIC KNOWLEDGES ARE INTERTWINED

Notice when we learn Tawheed, we do learn Tawheed but as we learn it we
study matters like this which are Usool. This matter is not in the Tawheed
books, this is in Usool al-Fiqh but we use it to understand more what the
author is talking about when he says Yajib (

) . Does Yajib mean Fardh
or is it the lesser category that Abu Haneefah is talking about? So we use
Usool to know the meaning of the author here and to understand a matter
of Tawheed and Aqeedah. Sometimes we are going to talk about Hadith.
In the future if we pass by a Hadith and some scholars consider it weak
and it is a Hadith that is popular, we are going to talk about why it is weak
or why it is authentic. That is Mustalah (), it is going to be a
Tawheed class but we are going to talk about Mustalah and Hadith in it.
Then very soon Inshaa Allah it is going to be more like Tafseer class and
then it is going to be other topics.
Sometimes we have to break the terms of the Nahuw down, like we did in
the first class when we talked about Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem. It is
Tawheed but the Islamic knowledges are intertwined and that is a unique
thing about. Inshaa Allah we plan on studying Usool and when we get to
Usool we are going to talk about Fardh and Waajib. You have an
understanding of it and actually now with what I talked about, that is more
of a detailed understanding of it. So if we get there we might add a little
bit more, we might just pass by it or we might review it.
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WHICH DEFINITION OF WAAJIB DID THE AUTHOR

INTEND?
Why did we bring that up here (Waajib or Fardh)? Because here he is
saying Yajibu, you must know these four matters. Does he means the
Waajib according to Abu Haneefah, that is a slightly lesser rank than a
Fardh? No, he means the Waajib that is Fardh. Had you taken out the word
Yajibu and replaced it with Yufradhu (), it would be the same thing.
So here he means the kind that is Fardh and the kind that is according to
the first three Imaams. It is compulsory on us to learn these four matters.
It is Fardh (Waajib) to learn these four matters. Men, women, slaves, the
free, every Muslim who believes in Laa Ilaaha Illallah MuhammadurRasoolullah needs to know these four matters. Comprehending these
matters fully and thoroughly is a Fardh upon every single Muslim.
KNOWLEDGE IN MATTERS THAT PERTAIN TO ALLAH

Knowledge in matters where you are dealing with Allah (
) are three types:
Itiqaad (), Fiil ( )and Tark (). Matters Allah

commissioned that pertain to Him are either belief, action or leaving.
There are some things that you have to believe in, some things you have
to act and do and some things you have to stay away and refrain from.
Knowledge as it pertains to your dealing with Allah is either Ilm Aynee (
( ) Fardh Ayn ( )) or Ilm Kafaaee () .

Meaning knowledge as it pertains to your dealing with Allah in those kind
of knowledges (Itiqaad, Fiil and Tark) is either Fardh 'Ayn (which means it
is a personal obligation) or Fardh Kifaayah (
THE DEFINITION
OF
).
FARDH AYN
Fardh Ayn is compulsory on every Muslim to perform or do. Fardh Ayn is

an obligation that must be done by every single individual and it is a
personal obligation. Examples are Salah and Siyaam, every single person
must do it.
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THE DEFINITION
OF
FARDH KIFAAYAH
The next one is Fardh Kifaayah (communal responsibilities). It is a Fardh

that if performed by a sufficient number of people, the obligation falls
from the rest (the rest of the Ummah are not obligated to do it). This is a
requirement that the community as a collective must fulfill and not the
individual himself. It is not required on an individual basis but on the
community of the Islamic Ummah as a whole. An example is burying the
dead. Another example is if we are ten people here and we are at the
shore an ocean, someone is drowning and we are able to rescue him. We
are all responsible to go rescue him but if two people go and rescue him
then that is sufficient for us. If those two people who are able do not go,
all ten of us get sins. That is Fardh Kifaayah. It is not requested by
Abdullah, Umar or Muhammad, it is the act itself that is requested (unlike
the first category). If a group makes Salat al-Asr, it does not relieve the
rest from making Salah. Every last Muslim has to make Salat al-Asr.
In the communal obligation, it is sufficient if a certain number of people do
it and then the rest will not be in sin if they do not do it. In the communal
obligatory act, the act must be carried out and completed. If it is not
carried out and completed because one is not able to, he must and we
must encourage others to eliminate the sin from falling on everyone. Let
us say we are ten at the shore of an ocean and we are not able to rescue
that person because we do not know how to swim. In that case and in any
matter, we must go inform and encourage others to eliminate the sin from
falling on everyone.
FARDH AYN IN KNOWLEDGE, ACTION, LEAVING

MATTERS AND BELIEF
FARDH AYN
IN
KNOWLEDGE PERTAINING
TO
ALLAH
As to knowledge that is Fardh Ayn (a personal obligation), it is knowledge

that your religion cannot be completed and carried without it. That is the
kind of knowledge that is Fardh Ayn, knowledge that your religion cannot
be completed and carried without. It could be in Aqeedah, it could be in
actions and it could be in sayings. Anything that makes essential matters
of your Deen, your belief, your actions and your saying deficient, you must
know them as a compulsory Fardh Ayn. You must individually know it,
seek it and learn it. What the author mentions here is:

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You must and it is Fardh Ayn. Every individual must know these matters
and there are no exemptions. Every individual must know these matters
as a Fardh Ayn upon him.
Note, there is some knowledge that varies in how it is obligatory or not
towards Muslims, because individuals vary. There is a certain limit of
knowledge that every last Muslim must have (that is the Fardh Ayn), but
there are matters that vary amongst Muslims. Some Muslims must know
certain things and others must not, but there is a certain level that one
must know. Ibn Abdil-Barr in his book Jaami Al-Bayaan Al-Ilm, Ibn
Qudaamah and other scholars spoke on this matter.
Let me go into a little but more detail so you understand it. The scholars
said it is consensus that there are types of knowledge that are Fardh Ayn
and that there are types of knowledge that are Fardh Kifaayah. There is
Ijmaa ( )that there are two kinds, not everything is Fardh Ayn and
not everything is Fardh Kifaayah.
FARDH AYN
IN
ACTION
Purification, Wudhu, Tahaarah and Salah, you must know that. If you live
until Ramadhaan, you need to know about Ramadhaan, what invalidates
your fasting and what you have to do from pre-dawn to sunset. It is
obligatory on you to know matters like that. It is Fardh Ayn on a woman to
know the rules that pertain to the menstrual cycle because the
acceptance of her fasting and Salah is dependent on that. They have to
know that, when they can make Salah, when they cannot and how they
get purity. It is Fardh Ayn upon them to know.
A man does not need to know the rules of the menstrual cycle. However, if
a man is the only path for his wife to learn then he must know because he
is her guardian. See how it varies? He must learn it to teach her or take
her to someone knowledgeable to teach her. A regular man does not need
to know it but if he has a wife, a daughter, a mother or a sister that he is
responsible for, he has to learn it to teach them. It becomes Fardh Ayn
upon him or he takes them to learn it or allows them to go and learn it. If
you have a wealth, you need to know the rules and regulations of Zakah.
If you have no wealth, you do not need to know about Zakah because you
have no wealth. Yes it is better, but here we are talking about what is
Fardh Ayn and what is not. If you are able to perform Hajj, you need to
know about Hajj. If you are unable, you need to know the limit that I am
unable, I am sick or I do not have the wealth to do it so I do not have to
make Hajj.
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FARDH AYN
IN
LEAVING MATTERS
A blind man who does not see does not have to learn what is Haraam to
look at because he cannot see. A deaf person who does not hear does not
have to know what is Haraam to listen to, unlike me and you. Me and you
have to learn what is Haraam to listen to because we can hear. It is Fardh
Ayn on all Muslims to know what is Haraam to listen to. It is Fardh Ayn on
every Muslim to know Zina is Haraam. It is Fardh Ayn on every Muslim to
know Riba is Haraam, alcohol is Haraam, swine is Haraam (the impurities)
and that oppression is Haraam. It is Fardh Ayn on every Muslim to know
the prohibition of incest or the killing of others. All that is Fardh Ayn upon
every Muslim because they may fall into it so they have to know how to
avoid it.
FARDH AYN
IN
BELIEF
The best example is what we are talking about here, these four matters
that are Fardh Ayn upon every Muslim to know. One needs to know
matters of his belief, belief in Allah, belief in the angels, belief in the
books, belief in the Resurrection, Jannah and Jahannam. You have to know
that. One needs to learn that of Islam which will remove any doubts (if he
has any doubts), because part of believing in Islam is believing in Islam
with no doubts. If you have doubts, you have a deficiency so you have to
learn Islam to remove that doubt. If he is in a country that has widespread
major Bidah, he needs to learn them so he will avoid them and not fall
into them. The amount of Fardh Ayn as it pertains to knowledge is what
ones belief, worship, acts or saying will not be correct or in accordance
except with it. If it is that, then you must learn it on an individual basis as
a Fardh Ayn.
THE FOUR OBLIGATORY MATTERS

So here the author says:

There are four matters that are Fardh upon you to learn and he means
Fardh Ayn. These are matters which the author starts out the booklet
with. These four matters are your entire Deen and they should be given
great attention due to their tremendous benefits. Among the Fardh Ayn
that you must know are these four matters.
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Those who do not bring their copies of the Usool are going to get lost over
here because the author talks about four matters and you are going to
think these are the fundamental matters but these are not the ones he is
talking about. He talks about four matters, then he talks about three
matters and then he finally gets to the core three fundamental principles
that the book is named after. Now we are talking about four matters.
The first part of the four matters is knowledge and there is an A, B and C
on that. Then he says knowledge is:

So you have to know that there is an A, B and C to it. You are going get
lost if you do not follow along and put a line as we go through sentence by
sentence. Actually you should try to read it and go over the whole booklet.
For example the first page, so you have a general idea as to what we are
talking about and how he divided the book out. You also need to know that
he repeats certain matters and that is why at certain points we will
elaborate on matters, while at other points we will just pass by. When you
explain a booklet or when you want to read a booklet to understand it, you
read it or explain it in a way according to how the author organised it and
structured it to get the full benefit from it. And likewise over here, the first
matter that he talks about of the four matters is knowledge, then he
mentions knowledge in Allah, knowledge in the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and knowledge in the Deen. These same
matters that he defines knowledge with here are the same core matters of
the Usool Ath-Thalaathah that we will talk about in the future Inshaa Allah.
THE DEFINITION OF MASALAH

Here he says there are four matters. In Arabic, Masalah ( )means
there are four issues, four things, four matters here. In Arabic, the
definition of Masalah or matter is anything proof or evidence is sought
for:

Matters that you seek or pursue are called a Masalah. Masalah are
matters that are pursued or sought. So here he said:
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There are four Masaail here, he mentions four matters here. The first one
is knowledge and then he defines knowledge. Then he mentions number
two, action. Then he mentions number three, Dawah. And then he
mentions number four, Sabr. These are the four matters that he is talking
about. He is saying these are matters that one should search, seek,
pursue and learn with proof. You must learn them.
We took the definition of knowledge last week (knowing something as it
really is in an affirmative and certain way) and here the author defines
knowledge in a different way. He says the first of the four matters is
knowledge and that is knowledge of Allah, His Messenger and His religion.
So let us talk about the first matter.
THE FIRST INTRODUCTORY MATTER: KNOWLEDGE

:

:

He starts off with knowledge and defines knowledge with knowing Allah,
the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and His religion. Let
us talk about knowledge, that is number one.
He mentions knowledge, defines knowledge, mentions action, mentions
Dawah and then he mentions patience (and you know them with proof).
Those are the first four matters he talks about and these are the matters
that he says are obligatory on everyone to know.
KNOWING ALLAH
The first one is knowledge and then he says knowledge is knowing Allah:

Knowledge and awareness of Allah the Mighty, the Majestic. This is the
knowledge and awareness that makes a person accept whatever is
prescribed and laid down to him by Allah. That is what kind of knowledge
this is. Whatever makes you accept and submit to Allah and to the rules
and regulations Allah gives you is part of this knowledge. This is the type
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of knowledge that causes one to submit, a complete total submission to

the laws of Allah, His rules and His regulations. This is the knowledge of
ones Lord (Allah) and it is attained by the signs and the verses in the
Quran. That is where we get it from. It is attained by what is in the Hadith
and also by considering the signs which Allah provided for us on this earth
in His creation. That is also included in this.

And on the earth are signs for those who have Faith with certainty. (Surat
ath-Thaariyaat: 20)
And also in your ownselves. Will you not then see? (Surat ath-Thaariyaat:
21)
Will you not comprehend and understand? So those are signs of knowing
Allah. We get it from the Quran, we get it from the Hadith and we get it
from the signs in the creation of Allah on this earth.
MARIFATULLAH
Some scholars categorised knowledge pertaining to this into two types.
They said Marifatullah is knowledge that is two types, knowledge in Allah
and knowledge in the Halaal and Haraam of Allah. Knowledge in Allah is to
know what His attributes and qualities are. To know the attributes and
qualities of Allah is Marifatullah. Basically this knowledge is to know the
power of Allah over you. It is to know that the knowledge of Allah is
supreme, the knowledge over His creation and the power of Him
sustaining this universe, all that is part of Marifatullah. To know Allah
(Marifatullah) is to know the names of Allah, contemplate them,
understand their meanings and abide by what they entail. The knowledge
that creates the fear of Allah is Marifatullah. The honouring of Allah is
Marifatullah. That is what he defines knowledge as (Marifatullah).
When they told the great Imaam and scholar ash-Shabi:

One guy told him O Shaykh, but instead of Shaykh they used Aalim (O
you scholar). He said the scholar (al-Aalim ( ))is one who fears
Allah. Knowledge is knowledge of Allah and it creates fear from Allah.
Marifatullah creates fear from Allah and it also creates love in Allah. Many
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people are heedless and mindless of this knowledge, even though it has
benefits that turn in good for one in this life and in the life after. The
benefits are good in both worlds.
Some of the Salaf said:

Only the ignorant commits sins. What type of ignorance do you think that
they mean? They did not mean ignorance in Halaal and Haraam. They did
not mean ignorance in the rules and regulations, but they meant
ignorance in this matter (Marifatullah). Ignorance in Allah, ignorance in
the rewards Allah has for you and ignorance in the punishment Allah has
reserved for those who sin. Ignorant that you are using the land that Allah
gave you to commit a sin on, that you are deriving strength that Allah
gave you to commit a sin with and you are using power Allah has given
you to commit a sin with. That is the kind of ignorance that they meant
when they said that sinners are ignorant.
KNOWLEDGE
OF THE
HALAAL
AND
HARAAM
The second type of knowledge is the knowledge of Halaal and Haraam.

Knowledge in Allah is the knowledge to know the Halaal and Haraam of
Allah. Ibn Taymiyyah talks about this in the third volume of Fataawa, after
the page three hundred and thirty three. He said people in these kind of
knowledges are four categories and pay attention to them because you
have to diagnose yourself and I have to diagnose myself as to which one
of these categories I am so I can fix myself. The first one is the one who
has knowledge in Allah and in the rules and regulations of Allah (Ahkaam (
))and this is the best. This is the peak and this is what we want
and strive for. The second one is the one who has knowledge in Allah but
is ignorant in the Ahkaam of Allah. The third one is one who has
knowledge in the Ahkaam of Allah but lacks knowledge in Marifatullah.
The fourth one is ignorance in both of them. The first one is the best and
the fourth one is the worst. Figure out which one of these four you are,
work on your weakness and strengthen it because that is how you know
Marifatullah.
THE IMPORTANCE
OF
MARIFATULLAH
The importance of knowledge in Allah is great. Marifatullah is great, it is

something big and it is something that needs to be taken seriously. It is
the Fitrah that one knows and worships Allah and it is actually those with
tainted Fitrah that do not know and do not want to worship Allah. That
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means some deficiency happened in their Fitrah to sway them away from
the right Fitrah.
Allah is the Most Merciful and the Most Compassionate. You have to know
that, Marifatullah. Allah the One who is closer to you than your jugular
veins, that is Marifatullah.
...
And We are nearer to him than his jugular vein (by Our Knowledge). (Surat
Qaaf: 16)
The One who heals broken hearts. When you have a broken heart, who
heals it but Allah? Marifatullah. The One who answers your call when you
are distressed, that is part of Marifatullah. The One who gives you victory
when you are oppressed. The long awaited victory comes directly from
Allah for the oppressed. That is Marifatullah. The One who is more
merciful than your own mother, that is Marifatullah. Once you know and
comprehend how merciful Allah is and that He is more merciful to you
than your mother, that is part of Ma'rifatullah. The One and the only One
who can harm you or benefit you. The whole world with its entirety could
not harm you one tiny bit if they all gathered against you, and they could
not benefit you one tiny bit in their entirety. That is Marifatullah. If you
know that without the will of Allah they could not harm or hurt you, then
that is Marifatullah.
The One who when you raise your hands in supplication to Him (in Duaa),
does not return your hands empty. That is Marifatullah. The One who
hears the cries of the people while there are others who are deep asleep.
You could have someone in your house who is deep asleep, he cannot
hear you whilst you are crying supplicating yet Allah from on top of seven
skies hears you. That is Marifatullah. You cannot worship Him properly
until you know Marifatullah and know about Allah. The more knowledge
you know in this field, the more you become a worshipper of Allah, the
more you become a fearful person of Allah and the more you become
hopeful in Allah. Knowledge in Ma'rifatullah is the principle of all
knowledges because with it you know the purpose of your existence.
And I (Allah) created not the Jinns and humans except they should worship
Me (Alone). (Surat ath-Thaariyaat: 56)
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Knowing Allah, His qualities and His attributes, that He is the Creator, that
He is the Sustainer, that He controls the universe and He is the only One
worthy of being worshipped, all that is Marifatullah. The more detail you
know of it, the stronger your Imaan is. Knowing that every act of worship
directed to other than Him is wrong, that is part of Marifatullah. That is
what Marifatullah entails. Knowing Allah encourages one to perform the
ordains and to leave the evil out of love and hope for Allah. That is the
ultimate belief in Marifatullah. Knowledge in Allah is supreme and it is the
best of all knowledges.
Listen to this Hadith, listen to how important, heavy and mighty it is.

:

:

This Hadith is in Musnad Ahmad and the men of the chain of the narration
are very strong () . Abdullah Ibn Amr Ibn al-Aas said the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sat down and he said when the death
of the Messenger of Allah Nooh approached, he admonished his two sons.
He said indeed I will give you far reaching advice.
I am commanding you to do two things and I am warning you to stay away

from two things.
Nooh alayhis-salaam giving his farewell advice to two of his sons.
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I warn you against associating partners with Allah and I warn you against
pride (Kibr is pride). That is what he warns them against.
And I order you and I charge you to know that there is no God but Allah.
He wants them to know Marifatullah, Laa Ilaaha Illallah is Marifatullah.
This is why I brought you this Hadith:

He said if you were to put the seven heavens and the seven earths and
what is in them on one side of a scale, and then on another side of a scale
you would put Laa Illaaha Illallah, the latter would outweigh the former.
There is no God but Allah, just that word on the other side of the scale.
That is how mighty Marifatullah is. Laa Ilaaha Illallah would be heavier
than the seven skies and the seven earths and what is in between them.
The Hadith goes on further to say:

If the heavens and the earth were of the shape of a ring and you put Laa
Ilaaha Illallah on it, it would break it. It would destroy it, meaning it is
heavy. That is how heavy and mighty Marifatullah is.
And then the second thing he ordered them to do:

I charge you to say Subhan Allahi Wa Bihamdihi as it is the Salah of
everything and everything gets its provision from it or through it.
This is a Hadith to show how heavy, how mighty, how important and how
essential Laa Ilaaha Illallah (which is Ma'rifatullah) really is. That is how
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heavy and deep knowledge in Marifatullah is. He on his deathbed takes

out time to tell his sons you have to learn it, you have to understand it,
you have to believe in it and comprehend it.
If anyone who has committed sins (killed, drank or did whatever you can
think of from the worst sins) was granted and blessed with fear of Allah
and he prostrated, if he knew this knowledge right here and he had justice
in him he would tell you there is no pleasure on this earth from the sins I
committed to the time I am now obedient, more pleasurable than that
Salah, that Tasbeeh or that Duaa that I did. If one masters the knowledge
in Allah (Marifatullah), Wallahi there would never be anything more
pleasurable to him on the face of this earth than when his head is bowing
in Sujood to Allah. If he had a double life in his past where he had sins
(what they call pleasures) and then he compares it to the pleasure of
Marifatullah and Ibaadah, he is going to tell you this one is better.
Knowledge in Allah makes one eagerly await the moments he spends in
contact with Allah in Salah, Duaa (), Rukoo (), Sujood, Dhikr
and in any form of worship. Lack of knowledge in this (Marifatullah)
makes one the kind of people who are eager by the moment to leave their
Salah or Ibaadah or do not touch their Quran. They do not even have the
eagerness to go and open the Quran and recite from it every day. When
one masters this knowledge (Marifatullah), he knows the verse in the
Quran:

:

(Remember) the Day when the Shin shall be laid bare (i.e. the Day of
Resurrection) and they shall be called to prostrate (to Allah), but they
(hypocrites) shall not be able to do so. (Surat al-Qalam: 42)
He knows Allah and he knows Marifatullah. He knows when Allah calls him
on this earth to make Sujood and Rukoo, he does it by choice and he does
it by submission so he can do it in the life after by honour. Whoever does
it by choice and submission in this life gets to do it in honour of Allah on
the Day when Allah comes down to judge people.
Knowledge in Allah (Marifatullah) brightens your grave before you enter
it. Do you not want to enter a bright grave? Marifatullah brightens your
grave before you enter it. That is why we study this, so we can be
welcomed into our illuminating, bright grave when we are placed in that
grave. The affect of Marifatullah is to please Allah before you meet Him.
Do you not want to please Allah before you even meet Him? You want
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Allah to be pleased at you when you stand in front of Him, so Marifatullah

is all about that. Marifatullah is to make your obligations and your Salah
before Salah is made upon you. Lack of knowledge in this area is why
people sin.
IGNORANCE
IN
MARIFATULLAH

:

Allah accepts only the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and
foolishness and repent soon afterwards; it is they to whom Allah will
forgive and Allah is Ever All Knower, All Wise. (Surat an-Nisaa: 17)
Ignorance here is not the ignorance in Halaal and Haraam. It is very rare
and exceptional that one may do a Haraam where he does not know it is
Haraam. It is very exceptional and rarely does it happen. Everyone who
commits adultery knows that he is doing a Haraam. One who commits
fornication knows that he is heading to do a Haraam, he knows that. It
could be very exceptional that one may not do it, that is an exception but
the Quran is not talking about those exceptional people. When one is
killing, he knows he is doing Haraam when he is killing.
The ignorance here is the ignorance in Allah (ignorance in Marifatullah).
Some have total ignorance in Allah (in Marifatullah). That is why we study
this and that is why Tawheed is essential. Some have total ignorance in
Marifatullah and some have intermitted periods of foolish ignorance in
Allah that causes them to sin in that intermitted period. Let me repeat
that. Some have total ignorance in Marifatullah, those are evil and wicked
people that spend their life in sinning and Haraam. Others have
intermitted periods of foolish ignorance in Allah that causes them to sin at
times, and Inshaa Allah many of the second kind repent and come back.

:

:

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Mujaahid, Ibn Abbaas and others said the same thing. Abu Aaliyah is
saying it was widespread among the Sahaabah to say that every sin one
commits and falls in, it is because of ignorance whether he did it on
purpose or not. Ignorance in what O Sahaabah? Ignorance in Marifatullah.
You see how essential this type of Tawheed is? You will see some who will
teach Tawheed and just flip the pages to go on, but Tawheed needs to be
taught to entice you to act upon it and do something about it. That is the
kind of Tawheed that moves you to better yourself.
Knowledge of Allah takes you to Heaven before you get to Heaven.
Knowledge in Marifatullah takes you to Heaven on this earth, before you
get to Heaven. Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah said a famous quote and it is
one of the most beloved quotes to me that I like from Ibn Taymiyyah, even
though I read his Fataawa maybe about four to five times from cover to
cover.
Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah said:

There is a Jannah in this life, whoever does not enter it does not enter the
Jannah of the life after. What Jannah is that Ibn Taymiyyah? What Jannah is
in this life? What are you talking about when you were imprisoned five
times, you spent years in prison and you barely had anything to put on
yourself? What Jannah is that you are talking about? The garden of
heaven, whoever does not enter it in this life will not enter the Heaven.
What garden of heaven are you talking about when you were abused and
persecuted?
What he meant is what other Salaf said:

At times the heart passes through phases that we say if the people of
Heaven are feeling the same, they are in good shape. At times we go
through phases in our hearts, we say if the people of Heaven are living
like that and have the same feeling then they are in good status. You find
that in first volume of Madaarij As-Saalikeen ( ) ,
approximately page four hundred and eighty something. So that is
Marifatullah, Marifatullah takes you to Heaven before you get to Heaven.
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KNOWING THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD SALLALLAHU

ALAYHI WA SALLAM
Number two, he defines knowledge as:

The author says you must know the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam, that is the definition of knowledge. Knowledge in the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is the knowledge that makes the person
accept whatever he brought us and whatever he informed us of. We will
talk about this knowledge when we talk about the three principles like we
said.
You must affirm and attest to the truth of the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and whatever he informed us of. Knowledge of
the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is to comply with any
orders he has given us. That is knowledge in the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. You must avoid that which he forbade us from
and you must leave anything he deterred you from doing. You must judge
by the revealed laws which he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came with and
be fully, totally and completely pleased with any judgment Allah and the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told you to do. You do not
just do it but you fully and completely be pleased with anything they have
for you to say. Knowledge in the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam is to know that he is the slave of Allah and that he is the
Messenger of Allah. Knowledge of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam is to fill your heart with complete love and obedience to
this man. The more you love him, the more you truly follow him.

: ...

Say (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to mankind): If you

(really) love Allah then follow me (i.e. accept Islamic Monotheism, follow
the Quran and the Sunnah), Allah will love you and forgive you of your
sins. (Surat Aali Imraan: 31)
As a condition for Allah loving you, you must follow the footsteps of the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. You must believe in the
message of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. You must
obey his orders and you must follow his guidance. Why Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam? Because knowing Muhammad sallallahu
Page | 84
alayhi wa sallam is the only way to know the Shareeah ( )and

guidance that Allah sent us (from Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam). The rules and regulations to live in accordance with came to us
from the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. That is why the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. So to know the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is an essential factor in
knowledge and that is why he mentioned it as one of the definitions of
knowledge.
In a nutshell, knowledge of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam is the requirement to take and absorb the knowledge that will
cause you to accept the guidance he was sent with, to believe in him,
follow his ordains and stay away from any of the prohibitions he told you
to stay away from. Basically that is what knowledge in the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is.
:

But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you (O
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) judge in all disputes between
them, and find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and
accept (them) with full submission. (Surat an-Nisaa: 65)
Just a judge in all disputes, is that the end of the verse right there? No.
And find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept

(them) with full submission.
You have to accept any command by the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam with full, complete and total submission. Your heart has
to accept it and be one hundred percent delighted you are doing it, you
are acting on it or you are accepting it.
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The only saying of the faithful believers, when they are called to Allah (His
Words, the Quran) and His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa salam), to
judge between them, is that they say: We hear and we obey. And such
are the prosperous ones (who will live forever in Paradise). (Surat an-Noor:
51)
When you are telling them here is the Quran, here is the Hadith, here is
the saying of Allah and here is the saying of the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Some say no this does not really apply to us,
this does not really concern us or it does not really mean that. They go
around a million ways to avoid it but Allah said the faithful believers are
the ones who say:
We hear and we obey. Allah says and such are the successful, successful
meaning the ones who will be granted Paradise Inshaa Allah.

...

And let those who oppose the Messengers (Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam) commandment (i.e. his Sunnah legal ways, orders, acts of
worship, statements, etc) (among the sects) beware, lest some Fitnah
(disbelief, trials, afflictions, earthquakes, killing, overpowered by a tyrant,
etc) befall them or a painful torment be inflicted on them. (Surat an-Noor:
63)

Beware of a Fitnah that will hit you if you disobey the commands of the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. What kind of Fitnah?
Among many of the Imaams who interpreted this verse, they said Fitnah
here means Shirk. Disobedience to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam is going to lead you to Shirk. If you reject anything from
the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, resort to hearsay or
the rationalisation of people, neglect it or minimise it, it is going to destroy
you and cause you to fall into Shirk at the end. That is the meaning of
Fitnah.
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KNOWING ISLAM

The third one is to know Islam. Knowing Allah, knowing the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and knowing Islam.
THE DEFINITION
OF ISLAM
Linguistically Islam means to submit, like we mentioned earlier. In the

religious context, it means:
Total submission to Allah with Tawheed and succumbing to Allah with

obedience, and disavowing and disassociating from Shirk and the people
of Shirk.
Those are the conditions and restrictions of believing in Islam. That is the
definition of believing in Islam.
ISLAM
IS THE
ONLY RELIGION ACCEPTABLE
TO
ALLAH
There are tens of verses that show the previous Messengers and their
submission to the Shareeah of Allah, and they actually use the word Islam
in the Quran to show their submission to Allah.
Look at Ibraheem alayhis-salaam.

:

Our Lord! And make us submissive unto You and of our offspring a nation
submissive unto You, and show us our Manaasik (all the ceremonies of
pilgrimage - Hajj and Umrah, etc), and accept our repentance. Truly, You
are the One Who accepts repentance, the Most Merciful. (Surat alBaqarah: 129)
Page | 87
Islam that he says you must know is the religion of the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, because Islam is the religion of
Musa, Isa and Ibraheem. The only thing is when Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam came, the details and the principles of the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam abrogated the previous religions.
Jews during the time of Musa were Muslims. Christians during the time of
Isa were Muslim. They submitted to the teachings of Isa, of course we
are talking about the believers of them. Now in this time if they were true
followers of Musa and Isa, they would follow what is in the Quran and
what the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told them to
follow and adhere to. If they were true believers in their own religion
(Christianity and Judaism), they would follow what the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came with. That is clear and beyond a doubt.
You hear the modernists and those pro interfaith, the wicked people of the
interfaith, the deviants of this Ummah and the cancer of this Ummah tell
you that Allah praised the Jews and Christians of today in the Quran and
they gear verses to suit their desires.
Verily! Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and
Sabians, whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and do righteous
good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no
fear, nor shall they grieve. (Surat al-Baqarah: 62)
They use this verse and say look, we are all brothers and sisters and these
guys are going to Heaven with us. This verse means during their time
there were those who were righteous. During the time of Musa there were
those who were righteous and during the time of Isa there were those
who were righteous, that is what the verse is talking about. During our
time now (during the time after Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam),
if there were any true followers of Isa or Musa alayhimus-salaam, they
would listen to the message of their Messenger Musa and Isa and follow
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. If they were true followers of
their Messengers, they would end up following the footsteps of the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
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So in reality, we are the true followers of Musa and Isa today because as
a condition for their own Prophethood, they gave an oath to Allah that if
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was sent during their time then
they would believe in him and follow him. This was a condition for their
own Prophethood, not even for their people but for their own Prophethood.
That is them themselves, they have to follow the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam if he was sent in their time. If that is during
their time and that is for them, imagine for their followers. Thousands of
years after they died, they have to follow the commands of the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
And (remember) when Allah took the Covenant of the Prophets, saying:
Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah (understanding of
the Laws of Allah, etc), and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger
(Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) confirming what is with you; you
must, then, believe in him and help him. Allah said: Do you agree (to it)
and will you take up My Covenant (which I conclude with you)? They said:
We agree. He said: Then bear witness; and I am with you among the
witnesses (for this). (Surat Aali Imraan: 81)
All the Messengers had to give a promise that they would. If that is the
Messengers and that is in their lifetime, imagine how it is now. That is the
belief in Islam, so no the Christians are not Muslims and the Jews are not
Muslims. The Muslims are those who believe in Allah and the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. We believe that part of believing
in Isa and Musa is that they will tell their people and they have told their
people, and Allah made them promise themselves that if Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is sent they will accept him.
: ...

Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam. (Surat Aali Imraan: 19)
These verses are directed at those who believe in interfaith:
Page | 89

And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of
him, and in the Hereafter he will be one of the losers. (Surat Aali Imraan:
85)
Islam is the religion that Allah bestowed on this Ummah. Allah bestowed it
on this Ummah and considered it the privilege of all privileges.

: ...

...
This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour
upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. (Surat alMaaidah: 3)
These are to show you the shell of belief in Islam, that one must believe in
Islam. One must firmly believe that the Deen of Islam is the only Deen
acceptable to Allah.
THE FOUNDATION ACTIONS
OF ISLAM
Islam means to know the actions that you are obligated to do (the
foundational actions that one must do to be a believer).

These matters are not the only matters of actions of Islam, but the
principles for actions in Islam. Part of Islam is knowing the foundation
actions of Islam, adhering to them, submitting to them and following
them.
We took knowledge and his definition of knowledge is knowing Allah,
knowing the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and knowing
the religion of Allah. We took these quickly because knowledge in Allah,
Page | 90
knowledge in the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and

knowledge in Islam will be taken again later on when we talk about the
three principles of Islam. Those are the three matters that you are going
to be asked about in the grave, so those are the Usool Ath-Thalaathah that
we will talk about. The only reason we mention them here is because he
defined knowledge as knowledge in those three, that is the true
knowledge.
CLASS FIVE
Before I start, let me say may Allah reward you and those who follow us
on the internet. May the time they take out in pursuit of knowledge be the
path that causes them entry to Heaven Biithnillah Taaala.
Before we start the class, I want to make two quick comments. The first
one is that the last class (which was number four) was approximately an
hour and a half or so, without the questions and answers. I did not realise
how long it was until after the class. No one here complained and I can
actually look at the faces over here and monitor the boredom and
comprehension level through the notes and through the faces, and that is
why it went on for over an hour and a half. No one here complained, but I
did get some emails that it was too long for one class. Hearing from the
brothers and sisters who study through the internet is very essential and
important. We encourage that and we will go by that Inshaa Allah and we
will make our classes shorter.
The next one is that in any matter like that, we would like to hear
suggestions from our brothers on the internet. For example, last class we
spoke upon the difference between Waajib and Fardh. When I speak here, I
can tell the comprehension level overall and I was expecting to be flooded
on questions about Waajib and Fardh according to the three Imaams on
one side and Abu Haneefah on the other side. Even though I got tens of
emails and texts on the class, only one was on that issue. No one here
asked and it was just one email that I got pertaining to the issue of Waajib
and Fardh. I had assumed I was going to get a lot of questions like that. I
would like to know the input of the brothers both here and through the
internet so we can better the classes. For example, I elaborated on that
issue and if the comprehension level is not too much I can explain it in
maybe three liners. Actually if you look into the elucidations on Usool AthThalaathah, most Ulamaa briefly mention this thing. I mentioned it in
somewhat of detail because Allah knows what the future holds for us and
if the classes will continue, so we want to absorb as much knowledge as
we can in many fields within the Tawheed.
Page | 91
When I asked why no one asked me about the issue of Waajib and Fardh,
everyone said it was very clear which I find Alhamdulillah amusing
because I remember the first time I studied it and I had absolutely no idea
what I was studying. I remember the first time I heard of this particular
matter and it was very difficult for me, but Alhamdulillah everyone
understands it. Even seven year old Muhammad my beloved student, he
called me again, I asked him many questions and he recited Quran. I
asked him what did you learn from last class Muhammad? Seven year old
Muhammad said I learned the difference between Waajib and Fardh. He is
actually very, very smart so I cannot say if Muhammad knows it everyone
knows it, but Alhamdulillah no one asked questions and I am assuming
that it is clear. Otherwise we truly welcome questions, especially on that
and I give them precedent over any other questions. We welcome
Naseehah on the betterment of the class, suggestions to elaborate on this
issue or to take away elaboration from these matters is very essential. We
would like to hear it and it will not be taken offensively. Just like we hear
questions on substantive matters, we want to hear technical questions on
the Halaqah.
Now let us get started. This is our fifth class and we have been talking
about the four introductory matters that the author mentions. He says the
first one of the four is knowledge and he mentions his definition of
knowledge which is to know Allah, to know the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and to know the religion with proof. That is the
first of the four matters. We spoke about Allah, we spoke about the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and we spoke about
religion.
THE ORDER OF THE DEFINITION OF KNOWLEDGE

The first point for today is the order he mentions the definition of
knowledge in. Knowing Allah, knowing the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam and knowing the religion. If you look in Adh-Dhurar (
)and other books you might find the order a little bit different,
where he would mention Allah, then religion and then the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Why is that? The reason is two
reasons. The first reason is the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam and Islam (religion) are inseparable, so it does not matter which
one you name first.
The second reason behind that is he used Wa (
) :
Page | 92

Knowing Allah and the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
and knowing Islam. When you use Wa which means and in Arabic, it does
not necessarily mean an order. Most of the time it does mean an order,
but it does not necessarily mean an order.
KNOWING ALLAH, THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD AND

THE RELIGION WITH PROOF
He says you have to know Allah, the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam and Islam with proof. We talked about Allah and we talked
about the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and we are
going to talk in more detail about him because these three that he gives
as the definition of knowledge are the core of this book. Now we are just
mentioning them as the ABC of knowledge, for number one of the four
introductory matters. He says you have to know proof and we stopped at
the issue of proof, so let us talk about that today.
WHAT
IS THE
DEFINITION
OF
PROOF?
The author said:

Proof literally means something that leads to that which is sought. We
mentioned there is a Lughawi (( )linguistic or literal) and Istilaahi (
( )Sharee) definition. In a religious context, proof (Adillah (

))means textual and intellectual proof. By textual proof we mean that
which is affirmed by revelation (the Quran and the Sunnah) and that
which is directly derivative from them (like Ijmaa and Qiyaas ()).
That is one type of proof here.
It also means knowing Allah, His Messenger and His Deen through the use
of intellectual proof, which is proper in these areas. To be observant of the
creations of Allah, and Allah mentions it in the Quran.
Page | 93
And among His Signs. Just that by itself is mentioned eleven times in the
Quran. Among the Ayaat of Allah, the proof of Allah, the evidence of Allah,
the signs of Allah and the lessons of Allah is the creation, to look into the
sky, the earth, the oceans, the day and the night. To analyse and look at
that is in the Quran.

:

Verily! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation
of night and day, and the ships which sail through the sea with that which
is of use to mankind, and the water (rain) which Allah sends down from
the sky and makes the earth alive therewith after its death, and the
moving (living) creatures of all kinds that He has scattered therein, and in
the veering of winds and clouds which are held between the sky and the
earth, are indeed Ayaat (proofs, evidences, signs, etc) for people of
understanding. (Surat al-Baqarah: 164)
In addition to that proof are physical miracles that occurred during the life
of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam at his hands, by
the will of Allah. Like water springing from his fingers, speaking to
inanimate objects and them responding to him and rocks giving him
Salaam. Among the proof that is also mentioned here that should be
known is affairs that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam foretold of
the unseen in the Quran and the Sunnah that could have only been
known from Allah and revelation, and that had occurred exactly as he told
them and some that we are awaiting for them to occur.
The author states that you need to know proof. You need to understand
proof because it will give you a better understanding of the matter that he
is talking about. The essential matters of Tawheed, the core matters of
Tawheed and the principle matters of Tawheed need to be believed in
firmly and decisively with no doubts. And usually, it is proof that leads you
to that.
Before we get to the next point, let me say when we get to the core part
of the book like I said, we are going to go over knowing Allah, knowing the
Page | 94
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, knowing the religion and

knowing them with proof. So because we talked about proof in detail here,
when we get there we are going to refer you back to the beginning. We
are going to say remember we talked about proof before, go refer to it
over there instead of repeating it again. Likewise in the future Inshaa Allah
we are going to study Usool and when we study Usool we are not going to
go into depth talking about Waajib and Fardh and the difference among
the Fuqahaa in that matter. We are going to say remember we mentioned
that in Tawheed? Go refer to that over there. That is why we elaborate on
some matters, so in the future they are going to save us some time.
IS TAQLEED PERMISSIBLE IN MATTERS OF

AQEEDAH?
Can you do Taqleed (( )which is following or imitating) of a Shaykh,
scholar or a knowledgeable person in matters of Aqeedah or must you
know the proof? Is it a prerequisite to know the proof? Is your Imaan
accepted if you do not know the proof? We have a man who is
knowledgeable and one who is ignorant, they take their Shahaadah, they
fully believe in Tawheed and they have no doubt in it but they do not know
the proofs. If you ask them for the proofs, they are not going to know it.
The scholars talked about this matter under:

Muqallid is the imitator. Is the Imaan of one who is an imitator good or
not? The author says you need to know proof for these matters. Do you
really need to know them as a must or is it a recommendation and is your
Imaan accepted or not? This is what the scholars discussed. Many think
this is an easy matter but in reality it is not and it is fought on two
different fronts.
The first front is the major one, and that is between the sect of the
Mutazilah ( )on one side and Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaaah (us) on
the other side. One of the many characteristics of the Mutazilah is that
they reject the faith of one who does not know proof of the matters of
Aqeedah. Some attribute this to the sect of the Ashaairah ( )
and they say that the Ashaairah also request the same as the Mutazilah.
However al-Qushayri and other scholars of the Ashaairah said it is not
true that Abu al-Hasan al-Ashari (the father of the Ashaairah) said that
and that he the father of the Ashaairah (which we believe he later
recanted from) believes that the belief of a Muqallid is true. So basically it
Page | 95
is between Ahlus-Sunnah and al-Mutazilah and number two, it is between

Ahlus-Sunnah themselves. Overall, there are three opinions on this matter.
THE FIRST OPINION: YOU MUST KNOW
THE
PROOF
The first opinion is you have to know proof for matters of Aqeedah. If you
do not know the proofs for the matters of Aqeedah, your Imaan is
rejected. This is what ar-Raazi, Abu al-Hasan al-Aamidi and the
overwhelming majority of the Mutazilah said. Abu al-Mudhaffar asSamaani said it is not permissible for a layman to blindly follow in matters
of Aqeedah, according to some of the Fuqahaa and the philosophists. You
must know proof from the Quran, Ijmaa, Qiyaas or whatever it may be
(pertaining to your Aqeedah) and the Mutazilah resort a lot to Aql (
).
THE SECOND OPINION: IT
PROOF
IS NOT
OBLIGATORY
TO
KNOW
THE
The second opinion is that you do not have to know the proof. Following
the saying of a scholar, imitating, mimicking and following the scholar
(Taqleed) is a way to go about and it is accepted, as long as you are firm
in your faith and you have no doubts (that is important). That is the
opinion of the overwhelming majority of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaaah.
The first opinion is that you must know the proof as a condition for your
belief, basically the Mutazilah. The second opinion is that you do not need
to know the proof as long as you follow in the truth, without having any
hesitation or doubt.
THE THIRD OPINION: LOOKING
INTO THE
PROOF
IS
HARAAM
The third opinion is that looking into proof is Haraam, because if you are
not qualified then looking into proof could cause you to go astray. This is
attributed to some of the followers of Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal. I am
going to take this last opinion out because I think it is really taken out of
context and that it is an exceptional saying for some of the very, very few
who may be searching into proof ignorantly, which may cause them to
have doubts. Someone who cannot comprehend proof to the point that it
is actually going to cause a counter affect and get him to be misguided
must go to a scholar to go through that proof. So we will take that out
because it is taken in a special context.
THE SUMMARY
OF THE
FIRST TWO OPINIONS
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The summary on the first two opinions is that if one is at a level where he
is able to maintain proof and attain it, then he should seek proof in
Aqeedah and other matters. That is why we study this in such detail. Now
if one is a layman or one who is not able to absorb and comprehend the
proof, then he does not need to know the proof as long as he is firm on his
belief with no doubts. In both situations, one who accepts Imaan without
knowing proof is considered a believer, whether he is knowledgeable or
not and whether he is a layman or not.
The opinion that said one must know proof, they impose upon one to know
proof as the first obligation.

The Mutazilah said the first obligation is that you need to seek reasoning
and proof. That is the first obligation they impose upon one. The simple
response to that is that the proof is sought to get the goal. If someone
achieves the correct guidance by following and imitating, then he has
achieved the goal.
As-Safaareeni gave a summary quote on this matter. He said the truth on
this matter that no one can evade is the validity of the belief of a follower.
A follower meaning one who imitates someone else (one who does
Taqleed). Taqleed means to get to the right path, and this person chose a
way to get to the right path. What he is saying is that proof is meant to
get to the right path, so if someone gets it by doing Taqleed then he has
achieved the goal. An-Nawawi also agreed and gave statements similar to
this in Sharh Muslim () . Shaykh Ali al-Khudhayr said it is
permissible to follow in Aqeedah matters, as long as you are firm in what
you supposedly imitate, follow and do Taqleed in and have absolutely no
doubts, even if you do not know the Daleel. May Allah hasten his release
from the Arabian Peninsula prisons, he was among the scholars who were
taken on the same day with the same issue as Shaykh Naasir al-Fahd. Ibn
Uthaymeen followed along with that same conclusion and said it is
permissible to follow in matters of Aqeedah, as long as one has no
doubts.
PROOFS
THAT
TAQLEED
IS
PERMISSIBLE
The first one is that Allah directed people to ask the people of knowledge.
If you do not know something, Allah directed you to ask the people of
knowledge. Allah said in the Quran:
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...

:
So ask of those who know the Scripture [learned men of the Tawraah
(Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)], if you know not. (Surat an-Nahl: 43)

...

:
So ask the people of the Reminder [Scriptures - the Tawraah (Torah), the
Injeel (Gospel)] if you do not know. (Surat al-Anbiyaa: 7)
Ask the people of knowledge. Ask what? He did not say what to ask about
(the substance of it). In Arabic, this is called Hathf Fil-Mutaallaq (
) . He did not say what to ask about. Is it principle matters

of Islam (Tawheed) or is it general Fiqh matters? It is not there, that is
Hathf Fil-Mutaallaq. The answer is all of that. Tawheed, the first
encompasses all of that whether it may be matters of Tawheed like we are
studying here or secondary matters which are Fiqh matters (like Zakah,
Hajj, Salah and the details of that). That is proof that ones Imaan is good
if he asks.
The second proof is that Allah said in the Quran:

...

:

Of every troop of them, a party only should go forth, that they (who are
left behind) may get instructions in (Islamic) religion, and that they may
warn their people when they return to them, so that they may beware (of
evil). (Surat at-Tawbah: 122)
The meaning of it is that a knowledgeable group need to stay back and
warn the other people when they return to them, so that they may be
aware of the evil and the good and know the difference. Basically, a group
of people should stay back and teach this religion. In this verse, warn is
sufficient. Teachers stay back and teach and others follow, and it also did
not say proof like the first verse.
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The third proof is that Allah says to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam:

:

So if you (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) are in doubt
concerning that which We have revealed unto you, [i.e. that your name is
written in the Tawraah (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] then ask those who
are reading the Book [the Tawraah (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] before
you. Verily, the truth has come to you from your Lord. So be not of those
who doubt (it). (Surat Yunus: 94)
Meaning if you are in doubt O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
(and of course the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had no doubts),
then ask other people. So laymen can ask and follow. In all of these it says
ask, but it does not also include that you have to know any proof in it. It
does not state that you have to know, memorise or find out the proof.
The fourth proof is in the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam.

In Sahih Muslim. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said whoever
says Laa Ilaaha Illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah, then his wealth and his
blood has become inviolable. They become sacred, no one can touch it
and Allah subhaanahu wa taaala will hold him accountable and ask him.
Why was his blood and wealth held sacred and inviolable? He said as long
as he says Laa Ilaaha Illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah. Did he say
whoever says Laa Ilaaha Illallah with proof? He merely said whoever says
Laa Ilaaha Illallah. If proof was obligatory to know, he would have added
that and it would have been in the Hadith.
The next proof is one of the proofs Ibn Uthaymeen emphasised. Ignorant
people and laymen cannot do Ijtihaad (), encompass proof,
memorise it and rationalise it. When you are telling them they have to
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know the proof, in reality you are asking them something which is above
their means and Allah said in the Quran:

... :

)Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope. (Surat al-Baqarah: 286
What is obligatory and the objective is that one firmly believes without
any doubt, whether it is through proof or through following. Most of the
) said if you cannot force laymen to know proofs on( Fuqahaa
matters of Fiqh because it is too big of a hardship on them, we cannot
force them to learn proofs on matters of Aqeedah because that is an even
bigger hardship on them.

:

:

:

:

:

:

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Let me give you the summary in English. Dhumaam Ibn Thalabah came to
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He tethered his camel by the
door and he told the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam I am going to be
harsh on you. He is a Bedouin, their nature was a little bit different and he
is trying to tell the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam my nature is a little
bit different. He said which one of you is Ibn Abdul-Muttalib? The Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said I am Ibn Abdul-Muttalib. He said you are
Muhammad? He said I am Muhammad. So he said I am going to be harsh
on you, I am not going to take it personal and you do not take it personal.
He began to ask the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam about the
Oneness of Allah. Then he said did Allah send you? And the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said yes, Allah sent me with the Oneness of
Allah. Then he began to ask him about each Faraaidh of the five pillars,
asking him by Allah was he sent to convey that. After he asked and he
believed, he raised his hand and said O Messenger of Allah, I shall not add
to these matters nor shall I subtract from them. I am going to believe in
these matters that you just told me about. He asked a few questions
about the Oneness of Allah, the Shahaadah, the Faraaidh and the five
pillars, and he accepted from the truthfulness of the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He accepted Imaan with no doubt and he left.
An-Nawawi commented on this Hadith in Sharh Muslim and he said this is
proof of what the Imaams went to, that laymen followers who believe do
not have to know proof as a condition of them being believers. An-Nawawi
went on to say it is sufficient for them that they have firm belief with no
doubt or hesitation, unlike what al-Mutazilah said. An-Nawawi said it is
derived from this Hadith. Why is it derived from this Hadith? Because the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam approved Dhumaam on his belief of
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believing without any proof. There was no exchange of proof in there. He

was never questioned or asked do you know these proofs? Do you know
this miracle and do you know that miracle? So that is proof that one does
not have to know the proof.
The next proof is that when the Sahaabah entered the lands of the non
Arabs, they accepted the Imaan of the people. The Bedouins and the non
Arabs, none of them were ordered to sit and recite proof, nor were some
quizzed and nor were some tested as to what is your proof that you
believe in Laa Ilaaha Illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah (like that which alMutazilah say).
Look at the sayings of some of the scholars. An-Nawawi said whoever says
Shahaadah truly believing in it, even if he is a Muqallid (a follower or
imitator), he is a believer. This is because the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam thought it was sufficient to hear the Shahaadah of many and did
not request that they know the proofs of Tawheed and Aqeedah, and the
accumulation of the Hadith on this are authentic and Mutawaatir (
). That is a statement of an-Nawawi. Ibn Aqeel Rahimahullah said

it is not a goal to know the proof. To know the proof is just means to make
your belief firm, and if this happens without knowing proof that is
sufficient.
In the fourth volume of his book Al-Fasil (( )around or after page
thirty five), Ibn Hazm said everyone else other than the Mutazilah said
anyone who believes in his heart a true belief without any doubts, says it
on his tongue (Laa Ilaaha Illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah), accepts
everything the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam came with is the truth
and denounces everything other than that then he is a believer even if he
is a Muqallid and proof is not a prerequisite. In his book on Usool (Rawdhat
An-Naadhir ()) , Ibn Qudaamah said the Imaan of a
Muqallid (a follower or imitator) is good. Of the contemporary scholars
commenting on Rawdhat An-Naadhir, Shanqeeti Rahimahullah followed
along in that opinion. Like I mentioned earlier, Safaareeni said the truth on
the matter that no one can evade is the validity of the belief of a Muqallid.
I mentioned to you what Shaykh Ali al-Khudhayr (may Allah hasten his
release), Ibn Uthaymeen and many others said.
Now we are done with the first matter of the four introductory matters.
The first matter is knowledge, which is to know Allah, the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the religion with proof.
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THE SECOND INTRODUCTORY MATTER: TO ACT

UPON KNOWLEDGE
Number two of the four introductory matters is to act upon knowledge.
THE TYPES OF ACTIONS IN ISLAM

Our first point on this matter is the types of actions in Islam. Number one
is an ordain, obligatory, Waajib, Fardh. Then you have the Sunnah,
Mustahabb (( )the non obligatory that you get reward for). Then
you have the Makrooh (( )the disliked) and then you have the
Haraam.
DO YOU GET REWARD FOR LEAVING THE HARAAM?

Haraam actions need to be applied. How do you apply the Haraam
actions? By leaving them. Applying knowledge is applying your knowledge
in matters that are Haraam, and in Shirk as well. How so? By leaving it
and by staying away from it.
Does one get reward if he applies his knowledge in matters of Haraam? As
we mentioned, leaving sins and leaving Shirk is one of the actions of
knowledge. If one leaves Shirk and one leaves sin, does he get reward for
it? The answer is that it is one of two situations. If he leaves it for the sake
of Allah, then it is like the Hadith says in the Sahihayn:

:

:

A sin will not be written for one who thinks or intends to do a sin. If he
commits the sin, it will be written as one sin. If he thinks and intends, it
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will not be written against him. In another narration of the Hadith, if he

leaves doing that sin for reward from Allah then he gets reward for it.
That is the first one. If he leaves it for the sake of Allah, he gets reward for
it. If he leaves it because he is lazy or he is unable to do that sin, he does
not get a reward. For example, his homeboys did not pick him up to go to
the bar so he says well Alhamdulillah I got reward. You did not leave
because your boys did not come, so you do not get reward. A girl rejected
him and then he says Alhamdulillah I did not commit Zina because the girl
rejected me. You do not get reward because you did not do it because you
were unable to. If you said you know what, everything is available for me
but I leave it for the sake of Allah, then that is when you get reward. If the
opportunity is there and you leave it for the sake of Allah then you get
reward. If you do not do it because the chances are not there, then you do
not get reward because of the narration of the Hadith that I mentioned. So
applying knowledge is also in Haraam.
THE ESSENTIAL ASPECTS OF APPLYING

KNOWLEDGE
He started with knowledge and then he went to applying knowledge,
because knowledge fixes and corrects the intention and the method of
application, that result in your action being proper. Now let us take on
some pointers on the essential aspects of applying knowledge and here
we have to think and focus.
One of the major differences between the Salaf and those of us today is
the variance between knowledge and acting upon it.

:

Enjoin you Al-Birr (piety and righteousness and each and every act of
obedience to Allah) on the people and you forget (to practice it)
yourselves, while you recite the Scripture [the Tawrah (Torah)]! Have you
then no sense? (Surat al-Baqarah: 44)
This is a question by Allah that is meant to rebuke and reprimand. You
enjoin on other people what you do not do yourself? It is to rebuke,
reprimand and scold for not applying that which you know and that which
you preach. It was revealed about the scholars of Bani Israeel but it
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applies to the scholars of Islam, the followers of the Prophet Muhammad

sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and all people as well.
Ibn Abbaas radhiallahu anhuma said the Jews of Madinah used to tell their
friends and relatives who were Muslims to remain on Islam and that which
that man is teaching you because he is speaking the truth, yet they
themselves did not believe. They used to preach but did not act so this
was revealed because of them. Ibn Jareer Rahimahullah said the scholars
of the Jews used to order the people to do the good by Allah, and they
themselves did sins.
This verse is a reprimand, but it is not a reprimand because he ordered
good. It is a reprimand because he did not do the good. Pay attention so
no one will quit on me after today. I do not want anyone to say the
scrutiny is so much on the students of knowledge that I am just going to
quit because I would rather be ignorant and it is easier to be ignorant.
ORDAINING THE GOOD AND FORBIDDING THE EVIL AND

APPLICATION WITHIN ONESELF ARE TWO SEPARATE
OBLIGATORY MATTERS
The proper opinion on this matter here is that ordaining the good and
forbidding the evil, and application of it within oneself are two separate
things. Ordaining the good and forbidding the evil is on one side and the
application is on one side. They are two separate obligatory matters and
one does not drop if the other drops. There is a second opinion on this but
the proper opinion of two opinions on this matter is that ordaining the
good and forbidding the evil is on one hand, and applying what you learn
on yourself and on your close ones that are under your control is another
matter. One does not drop if the other drops. Some said if one falls into a
sin then he should not deter others and that is the weaker of the two
opinions.
The verse is basically saying you are doing right in ordaining the good, so
then follow it yourself. It is not saying do not go and convey the message
or stop. The truth is that if you are going to convey the truth then follow it
yourself. You refrain from the evil you are telling the people to refrain from
and work on yourself like you are telling people to do. It is not a reprimand
to stop one from ordaining the good and forbidding the evil, but rather to
follow in that which he is saying and that which he is teaching.
In Surat Hud, Shuayb said:
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...

:

I wish not, in contradiction to you, to do that which I forbid you. I only
desire reform so far as I am able, to the best of my power. And my
guidance cannot come except from Allah, in Him I trust and unto Him I
repent. (Surat Hud: 88)
A MAN WHOSE ACTIONS DO NOT MATCH HIS KNOWLEDGE

Pay attention to this Hadith in Bukhari and Muslim.

Usaamah Ibn Zayd said the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said a
man will be brought and put in Hellfire (and in another narration he will be
the first to be put in Hellfire). He will circumambulate and go around in a
circle in Hellfire, like a donkey of a grinding mill. You know how he goes
around the flour grinding mill? That is how he will be. People of Hell will
gather around him and say O so and so, Yaa Shaykh, Yaa Aalim, did you
not order us to do the good and forbid the evil? Did you not give us those
eloquent sermons? Did you not appear on satellite TV and tell us you have
to do this and you have to do that? Were you not tweeting us about this
and that? Were you not YouTubing us on this and that? Were you not the
one who was teaching us what to do and what not to do? What on earth
are you doing here?
They are surprised and they are in shock. The people in Hell are shocked
that he is there because he is a Shaykh, he used to be called a Shaykh.
The people in Hell are surprised to see him in Hell because he was
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deemed pious and righteous. The man will say I used to order the others
to do the good but I myself never did it, and I used to forbid others from
the evil while I myself used to do it. In Sahih At-Targheeb Wat-Tarheeb (
) , the author said this is a man whose

actions do not match his knowledge.
ONE IS GOING TO BE QUESTIONED ABOUT HIS KNOWLEDGE

JUDGMENT DAY
ON THE
The Hadith is in Tirmidhi and ad-Daarimi and it is authentic. A man will not
move forward on the Judgment Day one step until he is questioned about
four things. The first thing he is going to be asked about is how he spent
his life. The second one is about knowledge. Did he teach it and did he
apply it? More so, did he apply it? The third one is about his wealth, where
he got it and how did he spend it. The fourth one is going to be about how
did he wear out his youth. Those are the four matters and the reason we
brought it is for the second matter, that one is going to be questioned
about his knowledge. It is not to be stacked up in ones brain and not
applied.
SAYING THAT WHICH YOU DO NOT DO

In at-Tabaraani and al-Kabeer and al-Mundhari said it is authentic. The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said the example of a knowledgeable
person who teaches and forgets himself to apply it is like a lamp, like a
light, like a chandelier. It lights to people, but it burns itself. That is the
example the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said.
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:

:

In Musnad Ahmad, Sahih At-Targheeb Wat-Tarheeb, Ibn Hibbaan and alBayhaqi. When he went on the night of the Israa, the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam saw people whose tongues and lips were being sliced
with metal knives of fire. Every time they were sliced, they would return to
their original state to be sliced again without respite. The Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had Jibreel next to him. He said Jibreel, who
are these? Why are they suffering like this? Jibreel said these are the
public speakers of your Ummah, they say that which they do not do.
KNOWLEDGE THAT DOES NOT BENEFIT

In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to seek
refuge.
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O Allah I seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit, from a
heart that does not entertain fear of Allah, from a soul that is not satisfied
and a supplication that is not answered.
The Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says I seek refuge
from knowledge that does not benefit. If there is one thing that you are
going to leave with today, it is to know this Hadith. Wallahi if you truly
comprehend this, you will be in agony. If you truly comprehend this, you
will truly be in agony. Let us be truthful with ourselves today, how many of
us make this Duaa?
I consider anyone who attends our classes as among the best of the best
Inshaa Allah. This is knowledge and not for worldly gain. We do not
exchange money, we do not go for the sake of popularity and it is not
about contests. No one comes here to mingle with girls and no one comes
here to join the opposite sex. No one comes here to listen to a few sexual
jokes under the banner of Fiqh of Love, while having major deficiency in
Walaa and Baraa. No one comes here for that kind of stuff. Those who
are firm on the guidance of Tawheed on the Manhaj are the followers of
the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam and the Messengers,
and they are the carriers of Laa Ilaaha Illallah. They are the revivers who
usually get tested like that of the trials of the Messengers before, and at
the same time they are the ones who uplift this Ummah from its darkness
and its defeats. This is the Tawheed and this is Islam, take it or leave it.
That is how we teach it.
So Inshaa Allah you are among the few of the few of the very, very, very,
very few who study this Deen and this Tawheed seriously and for no
personal gain. Out of this few, who of us makes the Duaa that the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam made (seeking refuge in
knowledge that does not benefit)? O Allah, I seek refuge in You from
knowledge that does not benefit. I know many who study through the
Internet and who study with us here and it is a goal for them to be
knowledgeable. A lot of them make Duaa and always say:
:

...

My Lord! Increase me in knowledge. (Surat Taha: 114)
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But how many of us have sought refuge from knowledge that does not
benefit us? Be truthful. Knowledge that does not benefit us means
knowledge that we do not apply. I fear that if we were to do a survey on
this matter, we would return with a huge disappointment to all of us. Let
us be truthful with ourselves, when did one of us fidget and shiver with
chills like a wet bird before Allah, pleading and seeking refuge in Allah
from knowledge that does not benefit us?
I say this is the difference between the Khalaf (the latter people) and the
Salaf who carried the legacy of the Ummah. The curriculum for uplifting
this Ummah is there, we have it. We have it and we do not need those so
called Mufakkir and thinkers to come and blab, and other ones who want
to come and change it. The curriculum for uplifting this Ummah is there
and it is solid. The guidance is there and has been there for over fourteen
centuries, the problem is the application.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to make that Du'aa. The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was successful in getting the
Sahaabah to apply it. He printed copies of the texts that we learn in the
hearts of the Sahaabah. He made it a guidance that they acted upon and
it became a total way of life for them. That is the secret. That right there
is the secret of how the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made the
most successful nation on the Earth from shattered, feuding, Bedouin,
anarchists who were in the midst of a deserted desert. They became the
superpower of the world in a historical, record breaking, lightning, bat of
an eye time frame.
For thirteen years, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was busy
inscribing this Tawheed and Aqeedah in the hearts. In the hearts and not
on paper, not on CD, not on YouTube and not on the internet. Today, many
and most of the small students of knowledge have more books than the
renowned Ulamaa who revived this Ummah. Al-Maktabah Ash-Shaamilah
( ) which I really have not gotten to know yet, it is
something you download with thousands of volumes. Whether it may be
knowledge that they had, we have it. Whether it is the way it is organised,
the quantity, the print of it, how you get it on CD or how you search it,
many today have more knowledge than the renowned Ulamaa.
In the Quran, Allah said about Yaqoob:

: ...

...
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And verily, he was endowed with knowledge because We had taught him.
(Surat Yusuf: 68)
Qataadah says the meaning of this verse is that he was endowed with
application and applying that which We taught him.
:
:
:

Sufyaan ath-Thawri was asked do you like to study or apply what you
study? He said knowledge is sought to be applied, so never leave seeking
knowledge for application and never leave application for seeking
knowledge. What are you trying to say Sufyaan ath-Thawri? Basically he is
saying knowledge and application come hand in hand. They are
inseparable, you cannot separate the two.
Imaam Ahmad told his students once that there is never a Hadith I passed
by except that I fully applied it. He fully applied every single Hadith. He
said I once passed by a Hadith that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam went to Abu Teebah for cupping and he paid one Dinaar. He said so
I went to go get cupping and I paid exactly that which the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam paid so I can follow the exact Sunnah. Imam
Ahmad, you so daringly say you applied every Hadith? He would have
never said a word like that if he did not truly apply it. In his Musnad
Ahmad, he had forty thousand Hadith and it is said that he memorised
over a million. You applied every single Hadith? Ibraheem al-Harbi said I
was with Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and I was his companion. For twenty years,
winter and summer, cold days and hot days, night and day, not a single
day went by except Imaam Ahmad was applying more in that day than he
applied the day before. Twenty years, day and night, he said every day he
would apply more than he did yesterday.
When the Salaf turned to knowledge to study it, it appeared on them in
their humility, in their humbleness, on their tongues and on their hands.
That is how knowledge affected them. Some of those who claim to be
students of knowledge today (the rejects), they come from bars to
supposedly being students of knowledge and unleash their tongues on
giants they could never be equivalent to the dust on their shoes in their
service to Allah and the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Just days ago you were in a bar and now so suddenly you become a
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student of knowledge and you want to refute giants? I do not mean the
Murjiah rejects alone, but whether intentionally or unintentionally they
align themselves with the Modernists to refute the true people of
Tawheed. From rapping one night to refuting the giants of the Ummah in
the morning. From bars and clubs to refuting, slandering and chewing
poisonous flesh of Ulamaa and those who devoted their lives, their wealth
and their honour for the sake of Allah. Why?

Ilm Laa Yanfa. The men of the past were men that as soon as they turned
to knowledge to learn it, it was seen in their appearance, in their
Khushoo, in their humility, in their humbleness, on their tongues and on
their hands. When one lacks etiquettes and manners, do you think they do
not know the knowledge of it? Do you think they do not know about their
tongues, their hands and their slander? Do you think they do not know it?
They do, but it is the wrath of Ilm Laa Yanfa. Why else would the Prophet
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam emphasise it in his Duaa?

Others can go through the texts of Walaa and Baraa like an arrow (they
will go sharp through it like an arrow), but they cannot apply it in their day
to day life. Ilm Laa Yanfa.
In Al-Jaami Al-Ahkaam Al-Quran () , a scholar
called Abu Uthman al-Hayri sat to give one of his classes. He sat, gave an
introduction and then sat silent, and silent, and silent. Then Abu al-Abbaas
said Shaykh what is going on? When is the Halaqah going to start? The
Shaykh raised his head up, began to cry and weep and then began to
chant his poem.

A non Taqi, one who does not have Taqwa (he is talking about himself)
ordering people for Taqwa, like a doctor giving a cure while he himself is in
need to be cured from that same illness. The entire Halaqah began to
weep. They knew how valuable it was to apply the knowledge.
Abu al-Aswad ad-Duali the famous poet has a poem about the matter.
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O you man who is teaching others, should not the teaching be to yourself?

Start with yourself, deter it from wrong. If you are successful in deterring
yourself from being wrong, then you have indeed become wise.
At that point (when you achieve application of your knowledge), your

speech will be accepted, your words will be followed and your teachings
will then become beneficial.

Do not deter from something and do that which you deter from, a big
shame on you if you do so.

You see that Duaa? Talk is plenty and knowledge is abundant but the
application is scarce. This is not meant to scare you away from learning
knowledge, this is actually an encouragement to apply that which you
learn. That which you deter people from, stay away from it. That which
you order people to go to and to do, it is actually an encouragement for
you to follow along in that path and do that which you teach people or
that which you know
of.
CLASS SIX
This our sixth class on Tawheed, Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah. We spoke and
we left off on the second of the four introductory fundamental principles.
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The first one is knowledge and that is to know Allah, the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the religion. The second of
the principles is to act on your knowledge. We left off there so let us go
and take it from there.
KNOWLEDGE THAT DOES NOT BENEFIT ACTION

The first point that you want to note today and take this as a rule, the
main goal for knowledge is that it is means to worship Allah and every
knowledge that does not benefit action, there is nothing in the Shareeah
to indicate that it is praiseworthy. Ash-Shaatibi said every knowledge that
does not benefit action, there is nothing in the Shareeah to indicate it is
praiseworthy.
Keep in mind there are some heart actions and there are some physical
actions. Some people do not consider actions of the heart as acts, but in
reality that is an act. Acting upon knowledge could be in the heart (in
matters of the heart) and it could be physical matters. Imaan (to believe)
is an action of the heart and that stems or that results from knowledge.
For example, what do I get by believing, knowing and learning the names,
qualities and attributes of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala? You get plenty of
things and among that is an act of the heart, which is true, firm belief and
stronger Imaan (Tasdeeq ()).
Of course there is the other aspect of knowledge which is the physical part
and we do not have to get into that because everyone knows it. The
physical parts are for example matters that pertain to Salah, Zakah, Hajj,
Wudhu and Tahaarah.
KNOWLEDGE IS DIFFERENT TO ACTION

Knowledge is totally different than acting. They are two different things, so
just because you have knowledge it does not mean you are acting on it.
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Those to whom We gave the Scripture (Jews and Christians) recognise him
(Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam or the Kabah at Makkah) as they
recognise their sons. But verily, a party of them conceal the truth while
they know it - [i.e. the qualities of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
which are written in the Tawraah (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)]. (Surat alBaqarah: 146)
Who are those who recognised the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam?
Those are the Jews and those are the Christians. They have knowledge,
Allah clearly says they have knowledge but did they act on it? No, they did
not act on it. They had the knowledge but they did not act on it, so that
shows they are two different things. Some people may have knowledge
but they may not act on it, they are two different entities that one must
know. Why must you know it? Because Allah says the Jews and the
Christians had knowledge, but yet in other verses in the Quran He
reprimanded them severely for not believing. They had knowledge but
they did not act upon it so that is a negative aspect. The bottom line is
that knowledge and acting are two separate things and Islam came to be
acted upon, not to be saved as text or in your memory banks.
KNOWLEDGE WAS SENT TO BE ACTED UPON

Look at how the Quran mentions that Islam came to be acted upon.

:

Alif-Laam-Raa. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Quran, and
none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings]. (This is) a Book which We
have revealed unto you (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in
order that you might lead mankind out of darkness (of disbelief and
polytheism) into light (of belief in the Oneness of Allah and Islamic
Monotheism) by their Lords Leave to the Path of the All Mighty, the Owner
of all Praise. (Surat Ibraheem: 1)
A Book We revealed unto you Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Why? In order that you lead mankind out of darkness. Why was the Book
revealed? To take mankind out of darkness (to act on it).
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Alif-Laam-Raa. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Quran and
none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings]. (This is) a Book, the Verses
whereof are perfected (in every sphere of knowledge, etc), and then
explained in detail from One (Allah), Who is All Wise and Well Acquainted
(with all things). (Saying) worship none but Allah. Verily, I (Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) am unto you from Him a warner and a bringer
of glad tidings. (Surat Hud: 1-2)
Why was this Book revealed in such detail? The next verse is:

Worship (the action part). That Book was revealed so you can act on it.
How can you act on it? Worship Allah.

:

And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam) but We inspired him (saying): Laa Ilaaha Illaa Ana
[none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allah)], so worship Me (Alone
and none else). (Surat al-Anbiyaa: 25)
We did not send before you (O Muhammad) a Messenger, except that We
revealed to him to teach the people Laa Ilaaha Illallah. Look at the end of
it:

Never was there a Messenger sent, but he came with the text and used
the text so they can worship Me (so they can act on it).
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Surely, We have sent down to you (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa

sallam) the Book (this Quran) in truth that you might judge between men
by that which Allah has shown you (i.e. has taught you through Divine
Inspiration), so be not a pleader for the treacherous. (Surat an-Nisaa:
105)
Why was this Book sent?

So you may judge between men as Allah showed you. That is why the
Book was revealed, so you can judge.
Another verse very similar to this verse:
:

Verily, We have sent down the Book to you (O Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam) in truth: So worship Allah (Alone) by doing religious
deeds sincerely for Allahs sake only, (and not to show off, and not to set
up rivals with Him in worship). (Surat az-Zumar: 2)
The first one says:

Act upon it by judging among people.
This one says:

So worship Allah by doing the religious deeds that He ordered you to do
sincerely (that is to act upon it).
Like we said in the beginning, every knowledge that does not benefit
action, there is nothing in the Shareeah to indicate that it is praiseworthy.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ACTING UPON YOUR

KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge is like a body, the soul of knowledge is acting on it. Without
the soul, knowledge resembles a corpse and if you go and act against
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what you know, it is like being a cadaver. That is what the knowledge
would be because it is going to be used against you. Maalik Ibn Dinaar
said if an Aalim does not apply his knowledge, it drops from his heart like
the water falls on a smooth rock. If you have ever seen a light spring or a
fountain, the water drips, drips and drips. That is how knowledge leaves a
person who does not apply it.
How many have knowledge and remind others of Allah, yet they
themselves are mindless of it? How many preach fear of Allah, yet they
are bold and daring with Allah? How many preach to bring people closer to
Allah, yet they themselves are the furthest from Allah? As a
knowledgeable person, always keep in mind that while the general laymen
masses get their hands, feet and body parts to testify against them before
Allah, you have something more dangerous.
In the Quran Allah says:
This Day, We shall seal up their mouths, and their hands will speak to Us,
and their legs will bear witness to what they used to earn. (Surat Yaseen:
65)
In another verse Allah says:
And they will say to their skins, Why do you testify against us? They will
say: Allah has caused us to speak, as He causes all things to speak, and
He created you the first time, and to Him you are made to return. (Surat
Fussilat: 21)
The person speaks to Allah and says I want someone to testify. Allah says
would you accept your own body parts? They say yes, so their body parts
begin to testify. Then they say why are you speaking against us? We were
trying to protect you.
What is worse for the knowledgeable and the Duaat is that you not only
have the body parts, but you have other evidence to be added to that.
The Ayah you learn and the Hadith you learn, they come and testify.
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In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

The Quran is going to testify for you or against you.
Is that Hadith or Ayah going to testify for you or against you? Is it going to
give you intercession or be a reason for you to go to Hell? Is it going to be
a cause of punishment or a cause of torment? Does one not fear those
verses and those orders that come down upon you and that you learn,
standing before you on the Judgment Day and testifying against you?
Ibn al-Qayyim Rahimahullah said:
If knowledge with no application was beneficial, Allah would not have

reprimanded the pontiff of the People of the Book. And if action with no
sincerity would have helped anyone, Allah would not have dispraised and
vilified the hypocrites.
Knowledge without application is like a honeycomb without honey.
Knowledge is like wealth, what you get out of wealth is what you spend. In
wealth, every realistic person knows that you get out of wealth what you
spend. Likewise in knowledge, you only get out of it what you act upon.
What use is wealth if you do not spend it and use it? And likewise
knowledge.
Az-Zuhri Rahimahullah said do not accept the saying of a scholar who
does not apply what he says, and do not accept the saying of one who
applies but does not know (that is an ignorant person who may say the
truth or do the good stuff sometimes). Knowledge that does not have its
fruit and affect in the heart and actions is knowledge to be used against
you.
ONE SHOULD NOT ABANDON SEEKING KNOWLEDGE

DUE TO BEING ACCOUNTABLE FOR HIS
KNOWLEDGE
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The next point is an important matter pertaining to the scenario that we

talked about, which is that someone is going to say today in his thought,
these Halaqaat on Tawheed are not for me, I am dropping out and I am
having second thoughts about coming to the class. It is something people
think of, be realistic. The more I learn, the more it is going to be used
against me so let me stop.
Number one, we said previously that there is knowledge that is Fardh Ayn.
Fardh Ayn is knowledge that every individual has to know and it is
knowledge that if you do not know it you are sinned. Most of what we talk
about and most of what we learn in this Tawheed class is stuff that is
Fardh Ayn upon you to know (the core part of our Tawheed class and the
additional stuff we talk about is only to help you understand the core of
it).
We already talked about it. It is Fardh to know these matters. The Ummah
has gotten to a level of ignorance where they think most of what they
learn today is extra credit, when in reality it is essential matters they must
know and they get sinned for not knowing. That is one issue you need to
know.
Now let us talk about the extra credit knowledge. Someone will say okay I
will learn, I am going to study with you and come to the Tawheed class but
after the Fardh I will drop out. The answer to that is that you chose to be a
student of Ilm. You take time away from your family, many of you
memorise Alhamdulillahi Rabbil-'Aalameen, many of you learn and many
of you struggle. Why? Because you want to be in the peak of Jannah.
Correct or not? Correct. Knowledge is one of the means to take you to the
level of the Siddiqeen. Do not be surprised to know that some of the
biggest of all scholars discussed the issue of who is better, an Aalim or a
martyr. Ibn Masood radhiallahu anhu, Ibn al-Mubaarak and others have
statements on that and I do not want to mention them right now. Ibn alQayyim Rahimahullah spoke on who is more knowledgeable (an Aalim or
a Shaheed) in length in his book Miftaah Daar As-Saaadah. The fact that
there is an issue discussed like that shows you how high the level of an
Aalim is in Jannah. Of course with the maturity of the Ummah I probably
should not discuss it right now because it might spark a debate, but just
the fact that they discussed the issue shows you how high ranking an
Aalim is. Would you want to quit studying because of what some ignorant
people say, that if I do not know it is better? That is a wrong rationale.
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So number one, you have to know that most of what we talk about for
example in this class is Fardh. Number two, if it is extra credit knowledge
then you study it because you want to go to the Firdaws. If one wants to
merely study the basics (the Tawheed and the Fardh Ayn matters outside
Tawheed), then you can get your steps into Heaven and maybe the first
level in Heaven but the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam taught us to
aim high (to aim for Firdaws). Whoever Allah deprives of knowledge, he
gets punished with ignorance. That is a punishment and worse and more
severe punishment than that is one who knowledge comes to him and he
turns away from it. And worse than all that is one who is gifted with
knowledge and does not act upon it.
Not only is this extra credit knowledge to take you to Firdaws, but it is also
in this life. You learn to get the ultimate happiness and blessings in this
life. Ibn Taymiyyah had nothing in this life. At times of his life he had the
shirt on the back, at times he used to sleep in Masjid al-Amawi and he was
in and out of prison. He used to say words like our hearts pass through
stages, if the people in Heaven are like this then they are truly blessed. In
a life you would presume to be a miserable life, he would say if the people
in Heaven are living like I am and in the happiness I am in, then that is
such a good life and I look forward to it. You hear words from Ulamaa like
Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah who had nothing in this life, yet he said
whoever does not enter the Heaven of this life will never enter the Heaven
of the life after. Some said we are in such a state of happiness that if the
kings and leaders were to know about it, they would come and fight us to
take it away.
What took them to the ultimate happiness when they had nothing? Most
of them were in and out of prison, in and out of trials, in and out of
problems and situations. They had knowledge, they applied the
knowledge they had and it took them to the peak of tranquility in this life.
So that is how you benefit from this knowledge in this life, and then Inshaa
Allah it will take you to Firdaws. You cannot say well since the scrutiny on
me is going to be more then let me stop here. You want Firdaws and you
want a content and happy life in this life? That comes through knowledge.
BEING HIGHER IN KNOWLEDGE MEANS YOU ARE

HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD
The higher you are in knowledge, the higher your application must be
because you are held to a higher standard by people and more so and
more importantly by Allah. We do not have a hierarchy where we have
church members, then we have a priest, then we have a pope, then we
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have a spirit, then we have a son and then we have a father. We do not
have that. In Islam, the hierarchy to the levels of Jannah is knowledge and
its application. Knowledge and its application sets your level in Jannah.
When you are held at a higher status because of your knowledge and
application, then the punishment when doing wrong is more severe.
And had We not made you stand firm, you would nearly have inclined to
them a little. In that case, We would have made you taste a double portion
(of punishment) in this life and a double portion (of punishment) after
death. And then you would have found none to help you against Us. (Surat
al-Israa: 74-75)
Allah says to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that if
We did not make you stand firm, you would have nearly inclined to them a
little. Pay attention, al-Qushayri, ash-Shanqeeti Rahimahullah and others
said the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not incline. Allah is saying
if. Then what does Allah say?

Double the punishment in this life and double the punishment in the life
after, and then you are going to find no one to help you against Us.
This is talking to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Why all this to
Your beloved Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam for merely inclining?
Double the punishment for the the best man to walk on the face of the
Earth, the best of all humanity and mankind? In talking about this verse,
Ibn Abbaas radhiallahu anhu says he would be punished. If he would have
inclined (which he did not), but if he would have inclined he would have
got double the punishment in this life and double the punishment in the
life after. Yaa Allah why are You going to punish Your Beloved Messenger
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam double the punishment had he
done something wrong? Commenting on this, an-Nasafi said his honour
and status is so great that his punishment if he does anything wrong is
more severe. It goes both ways. He gets al-Waseelah in the life after and
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al-Waseelah is higher than Firdaws, it is the highest of all places in Heaven

but it is costly.
Like Allah tells the wives of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the
Mothers of the Believers, the patient, steadfast women behind our Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The one who when the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was asked who do you love the most and he
said Aishah.
Allah says:

:

O wives of the Prophet! Whoever of you commits an open illegal sexual
intercourse, the torment for her will be doubled, and that is ever easy for
Allah. (Surat al-Ahzaab: 30)
Why is it that your punishment gets doubled? Look at what Allah says in
the next Ayah right after that:

:
And whosoever of you is obedient to Allah and His Messenger sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, and does righteous good deeds, We shall give her, her
reward twice over, and We have prepared for her Rizqan Kareema (a noble
provision Paradise). (Surat al-Ahzaab: 31)
You are special, you get double the reward but you also get double the
sins. Allah tells His Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that if you lean
towards the non believers and the wrong doers, you get double the
punishment in this life and in the life after. He tells the wives of the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that you get double the
punishment.
This comes to the conclusion that you who is a striving student of
knowledge, if you do not act on your knowledge, you are held to a higher
standard so your punishment is more than a regular person. With this
knowledge and acting upon it, there is a price you have to pay if you go
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wrong. You are not like anyone, that is why Allah tells the wives of the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:
...

:
O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women. (Surat alAhzaab: 32)
You student of knowledge, you are not like any regular individual. Your
honour and your status is great so the punishment is severe.
Ibn Masood radhiallahu anhu set standards for the people of the Quran.
He said they must pray at night, they must fast the day and they should
be sad in remembering Allah while others are happy. They must be silent
while others are talking in vain, they should not scream and have loud
voices and they should be in a constant status of Khushoo. Ibn Masood
why are you making these high standards for one who is holding the
Quran? Because you are a special man, you are a Quran walking on this
earth. You are a carrier of the Quran and you are an upholder of the
Quran so you are held to a higher standard. Others can talk in vain and
possibly not even sins (just vain talk that is not really sins), but you are
held to a higher standard. That is why the Ulamaa of the Salaf were at
their peak, because they applied their knowledge in every time of their
lives. Days, nights, evenings, weeks, months and years. Both internal in
their hearts and external and both in dealing with people and in dealing
with Allah.
Al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi wrote a booklet on this whole entire matter and
Alhamdulillah Albaani went through the Hadith of it. In it he says the
Jewish people knew but they did not act upon what they know, and the
Christians acted without knowledge. The first are cursed and the second
are astray. Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah says whoever goes astray of this
Ummah by ignorance resembles the Christians, and whoever goes astray
from the Ulamaa of this Ummah by not acting upon their knowledge
resembles the Jews. Rest assured, the way to house your knowledge in
your mind is to apply it. If you have a problem memorising or keeping
knowledge in your mind, find some way to apply that knowledge and
Inshaa Allah you will never forget it.
EXAMPLES OF APPLYING KNOWLEDGE
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Look at how the Salaf took applying knowledge seriously. In al-Bukhari,

Saalim Ibn Abdillah Ibn Umar Ibn al-Khattab radhiallahu anhum ajmaeen
(the grandson of Umar Ibn al-Khattab) said in the narration of this father
that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said glory be to you Abdullah
if you pray at night. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is
encouraging him to pray at night. Saalim (the son of Ibn Umar) said after
that my father slept but a little bit. He only slept a little bit. Look at how
seriously they took acting upon knowledge.
In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught Ali and
Fatimah radhiallahu anhum to say Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah and Allahu
Akbar thirty three times (when they went asking for a servant). He said
say Subhan Allah thirty three times, Alhamdulillah thirty three times and
Allahu Akbar thirty three times. Commenting on that later in his life, Ali
said I never left that a single day since the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam told me to do it. Someone asked him, you did not leave that not
even on the days of Saffeen (the bloodshed between Ali and Muaawiyah
radhiallahu anhum)? Saffeen was a battle where seventy thousand
Muslims died in it and twenty five thousand of his soldiers. He said not
even on those hard nights, you did not leave it? He said not even on those
nights. Look at how they took acting upon their knowledge seriously.
In Muslim, the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said every
Muslim who has something to write a will about must write his will and
keep it behind his head when he sleeps. Ibn Umar said I never slept a
night after that without having my will under my head. Another example
and the Hadith is in Sunan an-Nasaaee and it is authentic. Although Ibn
al-Jawzi and others have considered it weak, it is really an authentic
Hadith. Abu Umaamah said the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said
whoever recites Ayat al-Kursi after every Salah, there is nothing to stop
him from entering Heaven except his death. Meaning if he dies, he is
going to Heaven if he did that. Ibn al-Qayyim said my Shaykh Ibn
Taymiyyah never ever left doing that after Salah.
Take this story about Abdullah Ibn Umar. In Sahih al-Bukhari, the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam found out that he was fasting
every single day, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam suggested
three days a month. He said Abdullah Ibn Umar, take three days a month.
Abdullah Ibn Umar said I can do more than that, so the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam said three days a week. Abdullah Ibn Umar said I can do
more than that, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said fast one
day and break your fast two days. Abdullah Ibn Umar said I can do more
than that, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said then fast the
fasting of Dawood (one day fasting and one day not fasting). This
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narration is in Bukhari but the point is that at the end of another narration
in Musnad Ahmad, he said:

When he got older he said I wish I took what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam told me in the beginning. Analyse that statement. He said I wish
I took the easy one of what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
offered me. I wish I took three days a month, I wish I took three days a
week, I wish I took one day fasting and two days not fasting. Why did he
say that? Why did he make that statement? Is this Fardh upon him? No.
Why did he not just stop doing extra non obligatory fasting that he was
doing? He said I wish I took what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
told me when he wanted to make it easier on me (like three days a
month). Had he said I want to quit fasting, it was no problem. I fasted all
my life and now I got old so let me stop fasting. There is nothing is wrong
with that. He could have said let me go back from the fasting of Dawood
to fasting three days a month, but these were men who when they
committed to something that was a Sunnah before a Fardh, they never left
it until death. That is why he said that. You see how they acted on their
knowledge?
Sufyaan ath-Thawri said:

Knowledge is meant to be applied for fearing Allah. The purpose of it is to
fear Allah. And that is why knowledge and knowledgeable people are held
at a higher standard, because they fear Allah more.
Ibn Abbaas said everyone speaks good and whosoevers actions coincide
with his knowledge, then he is fortunate. Whosoevers actions do not
match his saying, in reality he has rebuked and scolded himself. Maalik
narrated in his chain from al-Qaasim Ibn Muhammad, he said I met people
who admired application of knowledge more than they would speech and
talk. All that is to say that knowledge is means to act upon it. Get that fact
and keep it in your mind.
EVIL SCHOLARS
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This is very important to us and actually all this is important to us because

I reiterate, we teach to be applied. Knowledge is meant to be applied. So
who are evil scholars?
Here is a rule ash-Shaatibi Rahimahullah said:

Evil scholars are those who are dangerous to mankind. They are a disease
to mankind and they are those who do not act on their knowledge. In his
book Al-Fawaaid (), Ibn al-Qayyim gave a parable. He said evil
scholars are like people sitting on the gates of Jannah and calling people
to come on in. With their tongues they are saying come on in, come on in,
but their actions are saying do not come in. The more they talk to people
and tell people to come in, the more their actions say do not listen to us,
because if we were indeed truthful then we would have been the first to
apply it. Those Ulamaa as-Soo ( ) appear as though they
are guides but they are bandits, may Allah save us and give us refuge
from that. Those who do not apply what they learn are like bandits. It is
like you are in your car and you are asking someone for directions, and he
gives you a detour so he can rob you. That is how Ulamaa as-Soo are.
The Quran gives us parables and examples to learn from. Some of the
worst parables and examples in the Quran to learn from are pertaining to
those who do not apply their knowledge.
And recite (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) to them the story

of him to whom We gave Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons,
signs, revelations, etc), but he threw them away, so Shaytaan followed
him up, and he became of those who went astray. And had We willed, We
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would surely have elevated him therewith but he clung to the earth and
followed his own vain desire. So his description is the description of a dog:
If you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out, or if you leave him alone, he
(still) lolls his tongue out. Such is the description of the people who reject
Our Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc). So
relate the stories, perhaps they may reflect. (Surat al-Araaf: 175-176)
A scholar, an Aalim who acts different from that which he knows, Allah
gave a parable that he is like a dog:

Allah says had We willed, We surely would have elevated him. He is like a
dog but We would have elevated him, but he clung on to this Earth and
followed his vain desires. He did not follow what he knows. The parable is
the parable of a dog. If you drive him away, he lolls his tongue out. If you
leave him, he lolls his tongue out. Whatever you do and whatever status
he is on, he lolls his tongue out. When Ibn al-Qayyim talks about this, he
mentions how the parable of a dog is to evil scholars and then mentions
ten points under that. We do not really have time to go through them.
Allah gives this example and it is not of any dog, but a panting and lolling
dog. He pants all the time and that is the worst of all dogs. Whether he is
resting, tired, thirsty, with his thirst quenched or whatever status he is on,
he is panting and lolling. If you tell the Shaykh speak the truth, he is
panting and lolling. If you leave him (the evil scholar) to not apply what he
knows and what he knows he should apply, he is lolling. If you shun him,
he is panting. If you just ignore him, he is panting. If he speaks, he is
panting. He did not use what he knows so Allah gives him a parable of a
panting dog.
More than that:

:

The likeness of those who were entrusted with the (obligation of the)
Tawraah (Torah) (i.e. to obey its commandments and to practice its legal
laws), but who subsequently failed in those (obligations), is as the likeness
of a donkey who carries huge burdens of books (but understands nothing
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from them). How bad is the example (or the likeness) of people who deny
the Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc) of Allah. And
Allah guides not the people who are Dhaalimoon (polytheists, wrong
doers, disbelievers, etc). (Surat al-Jumuah: 5)
The likeness of those who were entrusted with the Tawraah, and likewise
the Quran. The verse does not say the Quran, but likewise the Quran.
After they were entrusted with the Quran and they failed those
obligations, they are like a donkey which carries huge burdens of books.
Does he understand anything out of them? That is the example of the
people who deny the Ayaat of Allah. The first one was a parable of a
knowledgeable person to a dog and here it is a parable to a donkey.

They did not carry it. What that means is that they did not apply it. What
usage does a donkey get out of the Asfaar ( ?)The word in Arabic
is Asfaar (the plural of Sifr ()), which are the big books or tablets
that they used to write upon. If you put them on a donkey, what does a
donkey get out of carrying those Asfaar? What does a donkey get out of it
on its back but the weight? One who carries the Quran, Bukhari, Muslim,
Al-Mughni, Usool Ath-Thalaathah or other books, if he knows it but he does
not apply it then what does he get but the burden of carrying it? You get
nothing but the burden of the weight, just like the donkey.

Ibn Abbaas radhiallahu anhuma said Hummiloo (
) , meaning they

were ordered to act upon it. They were given it in order to act upon it. Ibn
Katheer Rahimahullah said this parable is for those who do not know what
is in the books. They are given the books to learn but they do not want to
learn what is in the books. It is also for those who know what is in the
books, they memorise it but they do not comprehend it and they do not
act upon it. And it is also for those who know it and tamper and play
around with it. They are worse than a donkey because at least a donkey
has no intelligence to comprehend. They have the intelligence but do not
use their intelligence, so they are indeed worse than a donkey. In Ilaam
Al-Muwaqqieen () , Ibn al-Qayyim said even though
this was directed to the Jews, it also applies to the people who were given
the Quran and do not act upon that which is in the Quran.
Wallahi it is a grizzly parable of a donkey. Allah comparing one to a donkey
and to a dog is something to warn you, so one applies that which he
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learns, seeks knowledge and applies knowledge. These are reminders for
those who have a heart or give an ear while they are truly heedful.
Verily, therein is indeed a reminder for him who has a heart or gives ear
while he is heedful. (Surat Qaaf: 37)
Allah tells Yahya:

: ...

(It was said to his son): O Yahya! Hold fast the Scripture [the Tawraah
(Torah)]. (Surat Maryam: 12)
) means take
Mujaahid and Zayd Ibn al-Aslam said Bi Quwwah (

knowledge, and apply and act on your knowledge.
As-Suyooti Rahimahullah said one must act on the Hadith he hears in
manners, in worship, in good deeds or in any matter because that is the
Zakah (purification) of knowledge and that is one of the best means for it
to stay in your minds. Waqeeah Rahimahullah said if one wants to
memorise a knowledge, then act upon it. Ibraheem Ibn Ismaeel the great
Muhaddith said we used to seek memorisation of a Hadith by acting on it.
That is how they memorised the Hadith.
Do not be among those the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam complains
about on the Judgment Day. You do not want to be a defendant on one
side and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam as a plaintiff on the other
side.

:

And the Messenger (Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) will say: O
my Lord! Verily, my people deserted this Quran (neither listened to it, nor
acted on its laws and orders). (Surat al-Furqaan: 30)
Ibn al-Qayyim talks about this and he gives about five factors of how the
Quran is abandoned. One of them that pertains to us is deserting acting
on the Quran. How can you act on it if you do not know it? You have to
know it and act on it. Number two that he mentions is deserting judging
by it in both matters of principle and secondary matters. So you have to
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act on it because you would not want the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam to be a plaintiff against you on the Judgment Day.
ACTING ON YOUR KNOWLEDGE IN DAWAH

Our talk next week Inshaa Allah Taaala is going to be Dawah to Allah
(Dawah on matters you learn). The third principle is Dawah to Allah
(Dawah to that which you learn). Let us now sort of blend in the second
principle and the third principle. When you know and you have the
knowledge, number one you apply the knowledge and then you have to
convey it. When you have knowledge, you apply it and you teach and
convey your knowledge. The best way to teach it (and that is how we are
going to blend the two), is by applying your knowledge. The action of one
man is more affective and beneficial to a thousand men, than the
preaching of a thousand men to one man. Guiding people by acting on the
knowledge that you know is better than you saying it. Many think the only
means of Dawah is giving Khutub and Duroos and all that, yet acting on it
is just as important.
IBN AL-JAWZI AND HIS SHUYOOKH

In Sayyid Al-Khaatir ( ) on page one sixty eight, Ibn al-Jawzi
said I had many Shuyookh with different backgrounds and statuses of
knowledge. I want you to refer to this when you go home if you have
Sayyid Al-Khaatir. The most beneficial of them to me in friendship were
those who acted on their knowledge, even though he said I met those who
were more knowledgeable than them. I met Ulamaa in Hadith who have
memorised great amounts of Hadith and great knowledge in the science
of Hadith, but were tolerant on backbiting and many times they would
even justify backbiting under the pretence of Jarh and Tadeel (
),
and they would take compensation on learning Hadith and

teaching. Look, he did not like that. You want to learn, you have to pay up
a hundred or a hundred and fifty dollars. He said they used to give prompt
answers to avoid breaking their prestige even though they were not sure
of matters. They wanted to answer everything.
I met Abdul-Wahhaab al-Anmaati and he was on the path of the Salaf. You
would never ever hear him backbiting in public or private settings, nor did
he accept money. Look at that, he liked the Shuyookh that did not accept
money for teaching. When I used to recite some Hadith to him, he would
continuously cry. He would cry and when I was a kid it had its affect and it
penetrated my heart when I was learning from him. He used to be like the
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Mashaayikh ( )you would only hear or read about in the books of

the Salaf, like the Sahaabah.
I met Abu Mansoor al-Jawaaliqi, a very silent man, rigorous, very very
deep into the knowledge and very thorough. It would happen that he
would be asked about a matter that young kids in his Halaqah would think
they know the answer to, yet he would refuse and back away from
answering it until he confirms his answer. He used to continuously fast and
always be silent, unless he is teaching or doing something righteous. He is
saying I benefited from learning from these two more than many of my
other Shuyookh. Out of the hundreds of the Mashaayikh, he chose these
two and actually many do not know them because they are not popular.
He chose these two because they applied. They had an affect on him in
his personal life because he saw how they applied it.
I also learned that guiding people by your action is better than guiding
them by your saying. This is the conclusion he came out with. I see
Shuyookh who in their private times had jokes and leisure time spent, and
that took them out of the hearts of many and shattered what they knew of
knowledge. Wallahi golden words, Wallahi they are golden words. He goes
on to say not many benefited from them in their lives and they were
forgotten after their death. It is rare anyone would ever open their books
after their death. Then he goes on to say Allah, Allah, Allah in applying
your knowledge, he is truly poor and unfortunate who goes on in life not
applying what he learned. Allah, Allah, Allah in applying your knowledge.
He missed the pleasure of this life by not applying (because we mentioned
it is a pleasure in this life), and he missed the reward of the life after. He
meets Allah bankrupt with plenty of proof against him.
Those were the words of Ibn al-Jawzi in Sayyid Al-Khaatir. Refer to it, it
basically sums up all our Halaqah today:

.
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.

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You have three hurdles before you. You have knowledge that you need to
attain, you have the hurdle or wave of applying it and you have the hurdle
or wave of being sincere in your knowledge.
In his Iqtidhaa Al-Ilm Al-Amal () , Al-Fudhayl Ibn
al-Iyyaadh Rahimahullah said a person who has knowledge remains
ignorant in what he knows until he acts upon it. If he acts upon what he
knows, then he is considered an Aalim. Some of the Salaf used to travel
to Ulamaa not to learn from their knowledge, but rather to see how they
applied their knowledge and see the affect of the knowledge upon them.
DO NOT GET CONCEITED WITH HUMANS OR WITH

ALLAH
No matter how much you apply of your knowledge, do not ever get self
conceited. Do not get conceited with humans and do not get conceited
with Allah. Do not let that false pride get to you and do not have an
exaggerated sense of self importance. Do not automatically think you are
granted Firdaws just for a couple of words or things you did, or a couple of
acts that you applied your knowledge in.
You know Silah? I mentioned him in the Ultimate Pleasure of a Believer
lecture on Qiyaam. In Siffat As-Safwah ( ) , he was the man
who wild animals used to flee from him when he was praying at night. He
would do his Qiyaam in the forest and he had such fear in Allah that Allah
the Almighty placed fear of him in the hearts of wild animals in the dark
nights and in the deep dark forest. Wild animals would flee from him and
here did he get conceited? Did he say I pray all night and look at me and
who I am? The man who used to pray all night and then run back to where
the army is so they will not figure that he was praying all night. He
pretended like he was sleeping all night long. Did he get conceited that he
was blessed with a miracle from Allah, that wild animals used to run away
from him at his sight when he was praying?
When he finished his Salah he would say:
He felt as though he was not worthy of asking Allah Jannah. He said oh

Allah save me from Hell, is someone like me worthy of asking Allah
Jannah. Just save me from Hell.
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No matter what you do of application or of your deeds, never get swell

headed with Allah. In Sayyid Al-Khaatir, Ibn al-Jawzi said I saw some who
worshipped Allah and then after a time frame they paused. Then they
would boast saying I worshipped Allah so much that no one worshipped
like me, but now I am weak. Umar al-Farooq, he was granted a place in
Heaven, he terrorised the Shaytaan and the Quran came in accordance to
what he said many times. A man the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
dreamed of, a man who gave justice to a sheep, to a Jew, to a Christian
under his rule and to a Muslim. Umar says I wish I get resurrected with
nothing for me and nothing against me.
Sufyaan ath-Thawri the man of Hadith, Ali Ibn al-Fudhayl said I walked
around the Kabah seven times and Sufyaan ath-Thawri was in Sujood. The
span of his Sujood (one Sajdah) is walking around the Kabah seven times.
Ibn al-Mubaarak said I wrote about one thousand, one hundred Shuyookh
and Sufyaan was the best with no comparison. His name is Ameer alMumineen ( ) in Hadith. Yahya Ibn Maeen is nearly
equivalent to Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and he said:

Did he get swell headed? Did he get conceited? On his death bed he asks
Hammaad Ibn Salamah who was visiting him on his death bed, he says to
Hammaad do you think someone like me will be rescued from Hell? Do not
ever get conceited or swell headed, no matter what acts you do.
CLASS SEVEN
This is our seventh class on Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah. We talked about the
first introductory four fundamental principles and these are the
introductory principles. The first one was knowledge and he defined
knowledge as knowing Allah, the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam and the religion of Islam. The second one was to apply your
knowledge, which we finished off last week. The third one today is calling
people unto it.
THE THIRD INTRODUCTORY MATTER: CALLING

PEOPLE UNTO IT
:

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WHAT DOES THE DHAMEER REFER TO?

Calling people unto what? What does the Dhameer ( ( )pronoun) go
back to and what does it refer to? Calling people unto it usually refers to
the last matter and the last matter is applying it, so calling people to
apply it. We already explained that applying knowledge does not come
without you knowing knowledge, so in reality calling people unto it means
calling people unto knowledge and its application. They come side by side
and they are inseparable.
IS DAWAH FARDH AYN OR FARDH KIFAAYAH?

An important issue many discussed is that is Dawah Fardh Ayn or Fardh
Kifaayah? Is it a personal obligation or a communal obligation? Dawah is
ordaining the good and forbidding the evil and the answer to that is a
twofold answer.
ATTAINING
THE
DETAILED KNOWLEDGE
IS
FARDH KIFAAYAH
The first fold of the answer is that there needs to be a group of people
devoted to ordaining the good and forbidding the evil. They have to be
devoted for that task and that part here is Fardh Kifaayah (a communal
obligation). If a group does it then it is sufficient for the Ummah. Every
individual of this Ummah does not have to be a Khateeb, we do not need
1.6 Billion Khateebs. Every individual does not have to master the
elucidation of all the Hadith of Bukhari or break down the chain of
narrations of the Hadith. A group of this Ummah have to go get the
classical, detailed and in depth knowledge in Hadith, Mustalah, Seerah,
Tafseer, Faraaidh (laws of inheritance) and so on, and all that is Fardh
Kifaayah.
In the Quran Allah says:

:
And it is not (proper) for the believers to go out to fight (Jihad) all together.
Of every troop of them, a party only should go forth, that they (who are
left behind) may get instructions in (Islamic) religion, and that they may
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warn their people when they return to them, so that they may beware (of
evil). (Surat at-Tawbah: 122)
A party should stay behind to get the instructions and the lessons on
Islamic knowledge so that they can warn their people when they return to
them. A group of this Ummah has to be in the forefront of Dawah and
they have to take on the challenge. When people bring misconceptions,
they have to respond to them. When governments spread Kufr, someone
has got to stand up to it. Someone needs to respond to the Rawaafidh, the
Khawaarij and the Murjiah. Someone needs to lead Jumuah, someone
needs to lead Salah, someone has to have the detailed knowledge of Jarh
and Tadeel and someone has to have the detailed knowledge of
inheritance, but that is not something everyone is able to do. In fact, it is
impossible to burden the whole Ummah with such detailed knowledge.
EVERY MUSLIM
DAWAH
HAS A
PERSONAL OBLIGATION
TO
PERFORM
Ibn Katheer Rahimahullah said there needs to be a group of this Ummah in

the forefront to confront the wrong and stop the evil and represent and
convey the truth. Then he said that which leads us to the second fold of
the answer, that it is also Waajib on every individual to the extent he can
do. Every Muslim has a personal (Fardh Ayn) obligation and individual
responsibility to perform Dawah, according to the best of his or her
abilities and according to their surroundings and that slightly varies based
on their knowledge.
You have to do Dawah in what you know in your surroundings. You do not
have to be a Khateeb but you do know Salah is Fardh, so when you see
someone who is not doing their Salah then you say Salah is obligatory on
us and you have to perform your Salah. You know backbiting is Haraam so
if you are in a setting where there is backbiting, you say stop this is
Haraam.
In Sahih al-Bukhari, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

Convey from me even if one Ayah.
If you know one Ayah, go ahead and convey it. If you know that you truly
know the meaning of that Ayah then convey it.
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:

Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good
(Islam), enjoining Al-Maroof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam
orders one to do) and forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and
all that Islam has forbidden). And it is they who are the successful. (Surat
Aali Imraan: 104)
In Arabic Min ( )means Tabeer (), which would mean let there
be a group of you (meaning some of you). If you take it as that it would
mean the communal obligation (Fardh Kifaayah), meaning let there be a
group of you who master the knowledges. However, in Arabic Min could
also mean al-Jins, which means the verse would mean let there be of
mankind (meaning all of you). Min Lil-Jins ( ) meaning mankind,
which would make the verse mean the Fardh Ayn type of Dawah. The
verse would mean the individual obligation type of Dawah because Min
could also be Lil-Jins, meaning of mankind.
In Sahih Muslim Abu Hurayrah said that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said whoever sees evil, let him change it by his hand. If not, by his
tongue. If not, by his heart. Every Muslim is directed to change it and of
course every single one of these (the tongue, the hand and the heart) has
its own rules and regulations.
Matters one is trusted with like his own children, he is obligated to do
Dawah with them.

:

O you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families a Fire (Hell)
whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern
(and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they
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receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded. (Surat atTahreem: 6)
How could you guard them without giving them Dawah? A person must
do Dawah to his family because he is entrusted with them and he will be
asked about it. A woman is to do Dawah with her family and in her
surroundings, with her relatives, her friends and her peers because she
may be asked about it. She may be asked about a certain situation which
she is in if she does not do the Dawah. If one is in a gathering where
there is wine being served, he or she must tell them this is prohibited and
the least of forbidding the evil is walking away. Walking away from that is
in itself forbidding the evil and it is better if you tell them.
So the point is that the detailed form of Dawah where you know the
detailed Islamic knowledge and you convey that is Fardh Kifaayah. You
talk about the Khawaarij, the Murjiah and the Rawaafidh, the Jarh and
Tadeel, and that is Fardh Kifaayah. However, there is an obligation on
everyone within his surroundings, to the best of his abilities and means.
That one is not Fardh Kifaayah, that is a Fardh Ayn.
SHOULD ONE LEAVE DAWAH UNTIL HE BECOMES

FULLY KNOWLEDGEABLE?
We emphasise knowledge so much in our classes and Alhamdulillah from
what I gather and from the questions that we have been getting, many
who follow these classes on a regular basis are heavily involved in
Dawah. That is a good sign and that is the kind of group we target. A
common question I have been getting is you emphasise knowledge so
much so should I cancel my Dawah efforts and focus on learning? I am
going to let Imaam Ahmad Rahimahullah answer that question for you.
In Manaaqib Al-Imaam Ahmad ( ) from Ibn al-Jawzi,
Saalih the son of Imaam Ahmad said a man saw my father with an ink pot
and it was in the hand of my father. The man said Abu Abdillah (the
Kunyah of Imaam Ahmad), you have reached such a high status and
position, you are the Imaam of the Muslims and you are the Imaam of
Ahlus-Sunnah, until when are you going to continue carrying that ink pot?
Imaam Ahmad said I am going to take the ink pot to the grave:
Muhammad Ibn Ismaeel as-Saaigh had a shop that he was a forger in

(as-Saaigh means the one who is a forger). He said me and my father
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were working and Imaam Ahmad came by carrying his shoes and passed
by our shop. My father grabbed him by his Thobe and he said are you not
embarrassed Imaam Ahmad? Until when are you going to keep learning
from these young kids you keep learning from? Those kids you go and
learn from are either one of two things. They are either younger than
Imaam Ahmad or they did not have the knowledge Imaam Ahmad had,
but he still went to learn from them. Imaam Ahmad told as-Saaigh until
death, I am going to keep going to learn until death and when death
comes then I will stop learning.
In Jaami Bayaan Al-Ilm Wa Fadhlih ( ) from
Ibn Abdil-Barr, Ibn al-Mubaarak was asked until when are you going to
continue learning (because he always pursued learning and studying) and
he said until death. Another time when he was asked the same question,
he said it may be that that which I need to learn and that which I
desperately need to know when I stand before Allah, I possibly have not
wrote it yet. If you say you want to delay Dawah until you fully
encompass knowledge then we are all never going to do Dawah, not in
this lifetime for sure. Everyone needs to do Dawah in what he knows and
what he is sure of.
Another matter pertaining to this which is more personal is balancing
between your Dawah time and your learning time. That is not to say you
take Dawah out of your life, but you balance it in a way that you see or
deem fits you. I heard Ali Tantaawi (a contemporary scholar or a Daaiyah)
say that for the past seventy years of his life since he started learning to
read, not a day passed by where he read less than a hundred pages
(unless he was travelling). When he was sick it would be about two
hundred pages and in his youth it was three hundred pages. He said I
used to read and study for ten hours a day. He was slightly humorous so
he said if someone studies for ten hours a day and he is a donkey,
something is going to stick in his mind. Look at that, a hundred to three
hundred pages every day of his life (ten hours a day). Yes we all have to
study like that, we all have to study and learning is a never ending
process.
Allah told his Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:

:

...

And say: My Lord! Increase me in knowledge. (Surat Taha: 114)
This is to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Give me more
knowledge, until when? What is the expiration date on this Duaa? When
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do you stop saying that O Prophet of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam?

Never.

Until his death. That is the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam so imagine us. We continue to learn and just because you are
learning, it does not mean you neglect your Dawah.
If one thinks he can go to Madinah or some school or university, study
with a Shaykh and complete all the knowledge and then sit to teach, that
is not an Aalim. That might be the Shuyookh of today but the real
Shuyookh studied all the way until death and they actually studied more
after they left universities than they did when they were in the
universities. If you keep studying until death and you want to delay
Dawah until you graduate from learning, then there is no such thing as
Dawah because you are never going to graduate. There is no graduating
out of Islamic knowledge. Study and at the same time convey what you
know, but balance it out in a way that suits you.
If you do not know knowledge, share the basics. Everyone knows Laa
Ilaaha Illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah, take someone who is not Muslim
and teach him Laa Ilaaha Illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah or an aspect of
it, or an aspect of manners. If you cannot do Dawah on your own tongue,
do it on the tongue of others. How? By giving out a book, by giving out a
lecture you hear or see in an audio format or in a link format. That is doing
Dawah on the tongue of others but you get the same reward. The entire
Ummah must be Duaat but not Duaat of Minbar, they do not necessarily
have to be Duaat on the Minbar. Everyone in his vicinity should be a
Daaiyah according to that which he knows and what suits him in his
surroundings. Everyone has to think about devoting a timeframe out of his
life for Dawah.
Dawah is not a monopolised mission the so called Shuyookh only take for
themselves or take upon themselves. Had it not been for the youth during
the time of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, there would have
been no Islam today. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave an
example that ordaining the good and forbidding the evil is like people on a
ship. If you let someone destroy that ship, the whole ship sinks. If we stop
anyone who is trying to destroy the ship and preserve it, then we are all
going to reach the shore safely.
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THE DANGERS OF SPEAKING ABOUT ALLAH

WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE
We said do give Dawah and we encourage you but know your limits.
Today there is a worldwide Islamic epidemic. One who might be a good
talker or possibly even just grew a couple of days old beard and put on a
Koofiyyah, he goes to the local Masjid or gives a talk or two and uploads it
on Youtube and what happens? The man who has sacrificed his whole life
in Medical School who knows snippets of Islamic knowledge or possibly
one or two bits and pieces of Islamic knowledge and the one who
sacrificed his life in Law School and Engineering School or maybe a
business man, well suddenly he is a Shaykh. He is a Mufti and he is
Shaykh so and so.
He begins to speak so boldly in matters of the destiny of this Ummah that
the Sahaabah and the Four Imaams would have backed away from.
Sometimes it starts off innocently, that is the truth of the matter. He
teaches, he knows some good Hadith, he gives a good lecture or a good
Khutbah and it starts off good. Maybe he goes to a non Muslim
community, conveys a lecture and invites them to Islam. That is good, but
some do not know where to stop. Suddenly after he speaks in the local
community and he begins to wear his Koofiyyah a lot and the few days old
beard, or possibly sometimes one goes to Hajj and comes back and he is a
Shaykh and a Mufti when coming back from Hajj. It may be that one goes
to Madinah for Umrah and comes back. What is his knowledge? Who is his
Shaykh? Oh he went to Madinah. How long did he stay in Madinah? Three
weeks. What did he get in three weeks?
The problem is that people do not know their limits. In this day and age
you do not ask where is the Shaykh, you ask who is not the Shaykh. You
just present an Islamic question in any field and in any surrounding and
just see who will say Allahu Alam, let us consult the Shuyookh. See how
rare that is. Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Abi Layla said I met one hundred and
twenty of the Ansaar (the Sahaabah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam). Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Abi Layla is a Tabiee and he said if you asked
each of them an issue they would defer it to the other person and the
other person, until it comes back to the first person. It goes from a
hundred and twenty people all the way back to the first person. Not a
single of them preaches a Hadith except that he wishes his brother would
suffice him. Not a single one of them would give a Fatwa except that he
wishes his brother would suffice him. Can you imagine asking a hundred
and twenty Muslims today about an Islamic matter? Oh Wallahi I think this
and that, but if you tell him my watch broke or my computer broke then
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he is going to say take it to the computer office or this place. When it

comes to Islam everyone is a Shaykh today.
Umar used to say fear Allah in giving your opinions over matters of this
Deen. When an issue used to arise, Umar and Ali were the best of the best
in the best century and you would think they would jump to answer the
question, but when a question or an issue would arise they would gather
the Sahaabah. They would get together and ask what is the answer to this
question? Maybe one of them heard a Hadith the other one did not know
of. When Umar and Ali did that, do you think they did not know? Honestly,
do you think they did not know when they would gather the Sahaabah and
ask them? They wanted to make one thousand percent sure that this is
the right answer and that they did not miss out on anything.
Ataa Ibn as-Saaib (a Tabiee) said I met men (he means the Sahaabah),
when one is asked about a Fatwa his answer would be while his knees
were trembling and shuddering. Why? He fears Allah, that he is going to
be asked about this question. Ash-Shabi, al-Hasan al-Basri and Abu
Husayn (all Tabieen) said some of you today give Fatwas in matters that if
they were presented to Umar Ibn al-Khattab, he would have gathered the
people of Badr to consult with them.

What do we say today ash-Shabi? What do we say about today al-Hasan
al-Basri? What do we say about the Ummah today if that is during your
time (the first century). Wallahi people who cannot pronounce a single
verse from the Quran have today become Mufteen, whether they call
themselves or others call them. People so ignorant that they use matters
abrogated in Islam as proof to substantiate their stance. Wallahi we heard
those who cannot pronounce a single verse from the Quran clearly issue
Fatwas or use some kind of proof on matters that are abrogated (as proof
for free mixing and mingling for example).
Imaam Maalik said whoever wants to answer a Fatwa or issue pertaining
to Islamic matters, let him contemplate what is best for him before Allah.
What is going to suffice him when he is before Allah? Let him remember
Heaven and let him remember Hell, and after he contemplates and thinks
of that then let him answer.
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A man asked Imaam Maalik and he did not answer. The man said Abu
Abdillah please answer me, Imaam answer me. Imaam Maalik replied do
you want me to be a justification to the action that you want to do? Do
you want me to be the justification for the action before Allah and then I
am the one who gets punished and you go scot-free? Al-Haytham Ibn
Jameel said Imaam Maalik was once asked about forty eight matters. He
answered thirty two and he said I do not know to the rest of them. Roam
around the world and ask the same number of questions Imaam Maalik
was asked about and see how many answers you get. If you ask fifty, you
are going to get fifty out of fifty. If you ask ten, you are going to get ten
out of ten. It is a miserable situation of the Ummah.
One man told Imaam Maalik, Abu Abdillah if you say I do not know then
who knows? Imaam Maalik, you are the Mufti of your time. Imaam Maalik
said you do not know me more than I know myself. He is saying do I look
special to you? I am an ordinary person and I know my limits. If Imaam
Maalik knows his limits, should the people of today not know their limits?
He said if Ibn Umar said he did not know then I can say I do not know.
Being conceited and love of prestige and leadership is what destroys
people. These are the words of Imaam Maalik and that is why they cannot
say I do not know. Here I have a comment to say about this. Umar Ibn alKhattab would gather the Sahaabah to consult with them and Imaam
Maalik says I do not know to several questions from people who are
travelling for weeks just to ask him. When they did that, do you think they
really did not know? I always think about this issue.
They told ash-Shaafiee he was eligible to give Fatwa when he was fifteen
years old. His Shuyookh told him you are eligible to give Fatwa when he
was fifteen years old. His teacher Ibn Uyaynah used to teach and ask ashShaafiee who was still a kid, what do you think about this matter? What
do you think about this Hadith? And his own teacher would refer people to
ask ash-Shaafiee. Maalik took the task of giving Fatwa at the age of
twenty one. After he went around to Shuyookh, he said am I suitable now
to give a Fatwa or not? They told him Imaam Maalik, if your Shuyookh
would have told you no then would you have stopped? He said certainly I
would have.
Remember in the last class I mentioned two of the most prominent
Shuyookh of Ibn al-Jawzi who would back away from giving Fatwa that the
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kids in their Halaqah would give. Something I always thought of is do you

think they really did not know? Do you think these people really did not
know? I am almost positive (we do not know the Ghayb) that they did
know the answer. What I believe is that there were opinions or many
Hadith on the matter and they were not at a level where they were one
hundred percent sure. They were probably 99.9% sure that this is the right
answer, but they were not a hundred percent sure so they backed away.
That is my feeling and that is what I know of these Imaams.
If your boss gives you a discretion to sign off on certain matters, you
would think a million times before you proceed and you would ask around.
I want to make my boss happy, he gave me a discretion to do this and
that so do you think I made the right decision? If one was an advisor to a
king or to a president and they gave him discretion to do certain things or
to make certain decisions, he would ask around all over and make sure
that is the one hundred percent correct decision. One who is going to give
a Fatwa is not giving a Fatwa in a matter pertaining to a king, a president
or a boss, but it is a matter pertaining to Allah that you are going to stand
before Allah and be asked about. Your boss, you can get over it. Your
president and your king, you can get beyond that and you can pass that
point, but Allah the Almighty?
Ibn al-Qayyim Rahimahullah said Allah prohibited speaking about Him
without knowledge and it is considered among the biggest of all
prohibitions. Rather, Ibn al-Qayyim considered it among the worst sins.
:

Ibn al-Qayyim said Allah gave levels in sins, He put levels in this verse in
four sins. He started off with the Fawaahish (the major sins like adultery
and fornication), then He went to the second level which is oppression,
then He went to the third level which is Shirk and then He went to the
worst level which is speaking about Allah without knowledge. He started
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with the least and went to the worst, and the worst is speaking about
Allah without knowledge.
:

Say (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam): (But) the things that my
Lord has indeed forbidden are Al-Fawaahish (great evil sins, every kind of
unlawful sexual intercourse, etc) whether committed openly or secretly,
sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship)
with Allah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about
Allah of which you have no knowledge. (Surat al-Araaf: 33)
And say not concerning that which your tongues put forth falsely: This is
lawful and this is forbidden, so as to invent lies against Allah. Verily,
those who invent lies against Allah will never prosper. (Surat an-Nahl: 116)
Ateeq Ibn Yaqoob and Ibn Wahhab said they heard Imaam Maalik
Rahimahullah say the Salaf and those before him never used to say
Haraam and Halaal. They used to say we dislike this and we like that, and
you should do this and you should not do that. They would not use the
term Haraam and Halaal because of the verse:

:

Say (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to these polytheists): Tell
me, what provision Allah has sent down to you! And you have made of it
lawful and unlawful. Say (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam):
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Has Allah permitted you (to do so), or do you invent a lie against Allah?
(Surat Yunus: 59)
Many of the ignorant today when they go and learn from books, they read
matters that Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal disliked, when in reality that
matter is considered Haraam by Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal but they would
not use the term Haraam. And I told you that is not the proper way of
learning in itself and by itself, unless one has no teacher. Some of the
Ulamaa would not use the term Haraam and this brought a lot of
confusion to a lot of the students. They would not use Haraam and Halaal
fearing Allah. They would say I dislike this and I like this, and I prefer this
and I do not prefer that. Then Imaam Maalik brought many examples
where the Salaf used to use Makrooh and he said this was a common
trend used by them.
Abdullah Ibn Amr radhiallahu anhu said:

In Bukhari and Muslim. Verily Allah does not take away knowledge by
snatching it from the hearts. He takes away knowledge by taking away the
scholars (by their death) so that when the scholars leave and depart, then
the people will be with the ignorant. They will ask the ignorant about
verdicts and then those ignorant will tell them the answers.

They are in themselves astray and they lead the masses astray.
Make Dawah in what you know in confidence and in matters that you do
not know, say I do not know or give me time, let me ask or let me
research. Simple and easy. Yes give Dawah, do not stop Dawah. Do not
say I am ignorant, give Dawah in matters that you know and back away
from that which you do not know.
CLASS EIGHT
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This is our eighth class on Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah. Alhamdulillah that we

got this far and we are talking about the elucidations of the book Al-Usool
Ath-Thalaathah or Thalaathatul-Usool. These are four introductory matters,
these are four introductory principles and they are not the core of the
book. These are four introductory principles and we are still yet to get to
the core of the book. The first of those that we spoke about is that the
author said you must know these four matters. What are they? The first
one of these four is actually what we spoke about and it is the core of the
book. That is knowledge, to know Allah, the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam and the religion (the questions you will be asked about
in your grave). The second is to act upon it and the third one which we
started on last class is conveying it.

Which means to convey it. Convey what and call people unto what?
Knowledge and acting upon knowledge. We mentioned several essential
pointers on Dawah in the last class we had and we will try to finish the
talk on Dawah today. It is a very lengthy talk so bear with me, I would like
to try my best to finish it today Inshaa Allah so next week we can move
on.
DO NOT COMMIT ANY SINS UNDER THE PRETEXT

OF DAWAH
Some people fool themselves. They fool themselves because you cannot
fool Allah. They will justify a stance or a sinful setting that they are in by
crying and saying Dawah. Do not be caught for example sitting at a table
with alcohol and sitting where alcohol is being passed around and say
Wallahi I am giving these people Dawah. When a case like that was
presented to Umar Ibn al-Khattab, he ordered the lashing of the people
who were not drinking before those who were drinking. Some of them said
we are fasting Umar and he said with them start. As a brother, do not be
caught among women who are improperly dressed and say I am giving
Dawah. Do not be caught with a sister alone and say Wallahi I am
teaching her Quran. Do not have those tight jeans and that which they
call a Hijaab today looking more like someone who is trying to model,
standing before a table with a few leaflets and then cry and say Dawah
table.
I mention this because this matter is widespread. For example, it is
widespread in Muslim weddings. We cannot call them non Muslims if they
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make their Salah and they commit sins, but what they do is an extremely
major sin. They have every Shaytaanic instrument in that hall, Nisaaun

Kaasiyaatun Aariyaat (

( ) women improperly

dressed), mixing and mingling at its peak, women with all that which is
prohibited for another foreign man to see and they are there in that
setting. You ask a brother who you presume is righteous, what were you
doing there? This happens frequently. I am not saying all the brothers who
are religious do that but it does happen frequently. What were you doing
over there in that wedding? Wallahi Dawah. In a setting like that, your
Dawah is to talk people out of that sin and if you cannot, then you need
to walk away. If you can go talk them out of that sin and stop them, then
not only should you go but you must go if you can talk them out of it
because that is the peak of ordaining the good and forbidding the evil. If
you go talk to them and they are going to listen to you and stop those
instruments and stop the mixing and mingling then you must go. If you
say Wallahi I am going to go stop them and I am going to talk them out of
it, then you must go. However, if that is not what happens then you
should not be in a setting like that.
In Ad-Durr Al-Mukhtaar (
), Ad-Dusooqi from the

Maalikiyyah, ash-Shiraazi in Al-Muhathab (), Ibn Dhwayyaan in
Mubda ( )and Ibn Qudaamah in the seventh volume of Al-Mughni
(). These are books of Fiqh on the four Madhaahib and in these
books the ruling is that if you can go and change a Munkar then go and
change it, but if you cannot then you do not need to be in a setting like
that even if you are invited. Why do we say even if you are invited?
Because if you are invited to a wedding or a Waleemah, many of the
Ulamaa consider it a Waajib upon you to respond to the invitation of your
brother. It is Waajib to go but if there are public sins that are widespread
and you cannot avoid them, then that Waajib is no longer a Waajib. That
Waajib is Haraam according to the four Madhaahib and in the books that I
mentioned, it is Haraam upon you to go unless you can change it. If you
can change it then you can go.
We have lands that have been occupied for over half a century, lands that
within them is our third holiest shrine. There are those who cry liberate it,
liberate it and they talk about liberating, yet when that talk goes around
one needs to do a reality check within himself and ask why is the Ummah
in the gutter that it is in? Pertaining to that holy land, why for over half a
century are they going and why are we going through that which we have
been going through (because what affects them affects us)? We need to
reflect and we need to analyse. When a company loses some of their
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income, the CEO gets together with his managers and high ranking
officers. He meets with them and asks the question that is typical. What
can we do? What strategy can we develop so we can win back the income
or the profits we had in the past months? We need to change. When
generals (Muslims and non Muslims) lose, it is tactical to ask why did we
lose that battle? What is it that caused us to lose that battle? Likewise,
when you have 1.6 Billion humiliated and degraded to the lowest of the
low by no more than six million (possibly sixteen million at the most), you
have to ask why?
The Sahaabah were defeated. In the Battle of Uhud, the Sahaabah were
defeated and they asked that same question

(What is the matter with you?) When a single disaster smites you,
although you smote (your enemies) with one twice as great, you say:
From where does this come to us? Say (to them), It is from yourselves
(because of your evil deeds). And Allah has power over all things. (Surat
Aali Imraan: 165)
We wonder why we have become the lowest of the low. When the
Sahaabah were defeated, on their way back to Madinah they asked why?

Why did this happen to us? Allah gave them the answer. They asked a
question and before they reached Madinah, they got the answer to what
was happening. What is the strategy so we will not be defeated again?
Why is it that we were defeated? What is the reason?
Allah says:

Say (to them), It is from yourselves (because of your evil deeds).

:

...
And your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) slaves. (Surat Fussilat: 46)
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You check yourself. Instruments do not liberate, instruments of the

Shaytaan degenerate. Take that as a rule. Instruments of the Shaytaan do
not liberate lands that have been taken from us. Instruments of the
Shaytaan are not ways for liberating, they are ways for degenerating.
What victory are you awaiting?
WHEN SINS BECOME WIDESPREAD
IT
AFFECTS EVERYONE
We are not saying that everyone is like that. No, Maaath Allah. I am even
going to go to the extent of saying not just that everyone is not like that,
but not even the majority are like that. To be on the safe side, I am going
to say not even the majority are like that. However, when sins become
widespread where many are involved and it is popular, then it affects
everyone even though it is not the majority. You have towns from
Falasteen and around us over here who have weddings that play the
instruments of the Shaytaan and it is not exceptional in that town, it is
widespread. It is exceptional in that town and he is a stranger, the one
who decides to do his wedding the Islamic way. It is not all and I am going
to keep repeating that again and again. To be safe, it is not even the
majority but it is a widespread sin.
In Uhud, there were fifty men under the leadership of Abdullah Ibn Jubayr.
They did not mean to disobey the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
These were men who went to give their necks for the sake of the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and they did not mean to disobey him. They
made an educated guess that decided the correct opinion in it. Out of
respect to the Sahaabah we do not say they made a mistake, we say they
made an educated guess upon themselves. Abdullah Ibn Jubayr said I am
not leaving the hilltop, he said I am staying on this hilltop. The Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said stay here no matter what, I am going to
stay here. Seven hundred with the best man to walk on the face of the
Earth get defeated for the minor mistake of less than fifty. The entire
Muslim Ummah back then gets defeated for the mistake of not even fifty
(because some of the fifty stayed on the mountain). When evil is
widespread, destruction and defeat awaits this Ummah. That is the way it
goes.

...

: ...

Say (to them), It is from yourselves (because of your evil deeds). (Surat
Aali Imraan: 165)
I say and I am responsible for what I say, towns from Falasteen have
rituals and weddings and they are more shameful in their mixing and
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mingling and in the way the women are dressed improperly than the
enemies that we are facing. I do not even want to name those towns even
though I could.

In Sunan at-Tirmidhi and it is an authentic Hadith. The point of this Hadith
is that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said there will be Maskh (
)in this Ummah.

What is Maskh? Al-Mannaawi defines Maskh as:

What does that mean? At some time there is going to be Maskh and the
Sahaabah asked when it will be. Before we get to the other points of the
Hadith, what is Maskh? It can be real change of humans into pigs and
donkeys for example (like another Hadith specified). This one does not
specify but it could be a human being changed to the form of a pig and a
donkey. It could be the changing of the heart and the mind. You go talk to
someone and you think you are talking to a human being, but you are not
really talking to a human being. You say Wallahi Akhi this is Haraam, you
are in the east and he is in the west and it is like you are not talking to a
human being. So it could be a real change and it could be a heart and a
mind change.
He said:

The next one is Khasf ( )and that is:
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There will be earthquakes, the Earth will open and swallow people. That is
Khasf and that is the second one. The third one that the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam said there will be is Qathf ( )and that is the
throwing or dropping of stones from the sky, like that which happened for
example to Abrahah and the People of the Elephant.
When do those three things happen? The Sahaabah asked when does that
happen? He said when the Qaynaat and Maaazif are widespread.

If it appears. Dhaharat ( )is actually a rank lesser than
widespread. What are the Qaynaat and what are the Maaazif? Qaynaat
are the entertainers and the singers that sing and inspire you to do
Haraam and Maaazif are the instruments of the Shaytaan.
In another Hadith narrated by Abu Aamir or Abu Maalik:

This is not talking about the non believers, this is talking about the
followers of this Ummah. There will be some people who will consider
illegal intercourse (adultery and fornication), the wearing of silk, the
drinking of alcohol and the musical instruments as lawful. They will
consider it lawful possibly by their acts, or by clearly saying this is Halaal
and you see that today.
There are other narrations of the Hadith to show you how Allah may doom
someone overnight. A Bedouin (a visitor or a passerby) comes by to these
people who are in engaged in these illegal acts and he will ask them for
something. He may need to buy something from them, we do not know
because the Hadith and its other narrations do not mention. They will tell
him come back tomorrow, we will give you what you need tomorrow. The
business transaction, the directions or whatever it may be, they will tell
him come back tomorrow for whatever purpose you asked us. Some of
them will wake up and they are monkeys and swines. The Hadith wants to
show you how smooth and swift the disaster of Allah is for such people.
These are from this Ummah, some of them are monkeys and swines and
we described that it could be real or it could be that their hearts and
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minds are like that. They will be transformed into monkeys and swines
until the Judgment Day (they will remain so until the Judgment Day).
Meaning when the matters that we said they will consider lawful occur
and amongst them is usage and considering lawful the instruments of the
Shaytaan, there will be a sudden and swift punishment. What bigger
punishment do you want than being the most humiliated Ummah out of
the Umam today? When six million stand on the top of 1.6 Billion and
defeat them, that goes in history.
Look at the other side. These are the Muslims that will be transformed into
apes, monkeys and swines. Why? Because of the musical instruments. The
Quran also says about the opponents:
Say (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to the People of the

Scripture): Shall I inform you of something worse than that, regarding the
recompense from Allah: those (Jews) who incurred the Curse of Allah and
His Wrath, those of whom (some) He transformed into monkeys and
swines, those who worshipped Taaghoot (false deities); such are worse in
rank (on the Day of Resurrection in the Hellfire), and far more astray from
the Right Path (in the life of this world). (Surat al-Maaidah: 60)
This verse is not pertaining to this Ummah, this is pertaining to our
opponents. The first two Ahaadith are about this Ummah and the Ayah is
about the opponents, so people from both sides will be transformed into
apes and swines. The conclusion out of that is that when you have
monkeys and swines fighting monkeys and swines, the stronger wins. That
is how it goes.
Of course not everyone listens to that or engages in those major sins and
unlawful acts. Not everyone and I am going to say not even the majority,
just to be on the safe side I am going to add not the majority. I am going
to say it is widespread and no one can deny that, it is widespread when
you cannot even approach people and tell them this is Haraam and
Halaal. Wallahi they have communities here that have clubs where they sit
and drink coffee, backbite and do all that which is prohibited and possibly
sometimes they invite a guy to lecture. Before they invite him, they ask
what does he say about musical instruments? It is Haraam? Do not bring
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him here. Wallahi this happens, some of you here know this very well.
When it becomes widespread, Allah holds everyone accountable. Us who
do not engage in that and those who are in that, all of us are held
accountable.
Now I do not like to get off topic in these kinds of classes but this is not
really off topic. The point is that those who perform those kinds of illegal
ceremonies are a major source of the defeat. We know about them and
there is no denial about that.
YOU HAVE
TO
KNOW HOW
TO
GIVE DAWAH
The problem is that I see a righteous brother or I am told about a

righteous brother who comes to the Halaqaat, he is good in his Islam and
then suddenly he tells you or you are told that he was in one of these
ceremonies. This happens and it is very irritating. What is his justification?
He is there under the pretext of Dawah. Now you ask the brother why did
you go to that wedding? Why did you go to that ceremony? Why were you
in the middle of that evil that you really did not have to go to? The answer
is Dawah. You ask him did you speak there then leave immediately? You
can possibly understand that. Did you speak and immediately head out of
there? No. Did you stop them? No. Did you even talk there? No. In reality,
you think because you have the overall appearance of someone who is
religious (whether it may be because one has the beard or your wife is a
Muhajjabah and you take her there), that merely because of your
presence you are there for Dawah. That is the Shaytaan playing with your
mind.
Say (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam): Shall We tell you the

greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? Those whose efforts have
been wasted in this life while they thought that they were acquiring good
by their deeds! (Surat al-Kahf: 103-104)
There are people who think they are doing righteous deeds and in reality it
is evil that they are doing. They think they are doing it under the pretext
of Dawah, but in reality what they are doing is not good. You do not go to
those places claiming Dawah, that is our point. You do not go to places of
sin and claim Dawah, unless you are there to stop it. You cannot be
present in those places unless you are there to guide them and stop it. If
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they listen to you, you have influence over them and you can talk them
out of it, go there and you must and you should go there.
Part of ordaining the good and forbidding the evil is that those who do
those kinds of sins should be the outcasts and they should not be the type
of people who are looked up to. Today we get brothers who are struggling
to start off their married life on the Quran and the Sunnah. Sometimes it
is the bride who calls and says I have this and that and my traditions.
Some traditions do no conflict with the Quran and the Sunnah, we are not
going to talk about that but there are traditions that are conflicting with
the Quran and the Sunnah and those belong under our feet no matter
what they are. The Quran and the Sunnah has precedence over
everything. You see those who as a bride or a young man who is trying to
get married are facing a struggle to try to have their marriage in the right
way. That one is the outcast and he is the stranger, it is not the other ones
in the sin that are the outcasts and the strangers. You see what I mean
when I say it is widespread?
Do not ever engage in such matters under the pretext of Dawah. The
same scenario applies when for example you see a sister with improper
Hijaab (what they call Hijaab) and the attitude in a university, standing
before a table with a bunch of leaflets. You ask what exactly is she doing?
Oh brother she is doing a Dawah table this week. You do Dawah in that
manner? You have to know how to give Dawah. You do not engage in a sin
in giving Dawah and you do not go in a place where it is sinful and give
Dawah, unless you are there to stop it.
Likewise, those who give Dawah under the platform and the banner of
interfaith. They claim that is Dawah. Why are you in interfaith? Why are
you going under the banner of interfaith? Oh Dawah brother, these are
the People of the Book and we have to give them Dawah. There is
something called Dawah which we are all for and there is a principle of
Kufr called interfaith. Interfaith is a principle of Kufr. If you do not know
about it, you need to go study it. It is Kufr on top of Kufr. You do not go
under the banner of interfaith giving a talk or be a participant in such an
organisation and then say oh I was there for Dawah. You go do Dawah
under the banner of Dawah or under a neutral banner, not under the
banner of interfaith.
The point of all this is that you do not mingle with sinners and cry Dawah.
I mentioned some of this in a question and answer a while ago (Click here
for the transcript), when I was asked about mocking Muslims and I
mentioned the verse of Allah:
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And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this Quran) that
when you hear the Verses of Allah being denied and mocked at, then sit
not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you
stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them. Surely,
Allah will collect the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Hell. (Surat
an-Nisaa: 140)
When mocking goes on do not sit with them. Why? Allah says:

(But if you stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like
them.
That applies to mocking but it applies to other sins as well.
PROOF ON DAWAH
INVITE PEOPLE UNTO ALLAH
WITH
KNOWLEDGE
Say (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam): This is my way; I invite

unto Allah (i.e. to the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) with sure
knowledge, I and whosoever follows me (also must invite others to Allah
i.e. to the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge.
And Glorified and Exalted be Allah (above all that they associate as
partners with Him). And I am not of the Mushrikoon (polytheists, pagans,
idolaters and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah; those who worship
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others along with Allah or set up rivals or partners to Allah). (Surat Yusuf:
108)
Allah is telling the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to say
this is my way, I invite people unto Allah. That is Dawah and that is what
we are for, we are pro Dawah. It is not that we are against Dawah, but
there are proper ways for Dawah.
This is my way; I invite unto Allah (i.e. to the Oneness of Allah - Islamic
Monotheism) with sure knowledge.
That is why you all come here today. Why? Because you want to go
convey this message with knowledge.

I and whosoever follows me (also must invite others to Allah i.e. to the
Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge.
Ibn al-Qayyim Rahimahullah said you cannot be a follower of the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam truthfully, unless you call to that
which the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam called to with knowledge.
That is a restriction in the Quran.

As a Daaiyah, you present this Dawah and this message. You put the
seed wherever you are and you leave the rest to Allah.

And who is better in speech than he who [says: My Lord is Allah (believes
in His Oneness), and then stands straight (acts upon His Order), and]
invites (men) to Allahs (Islamic Monotheism), and does righteous deeds,
and says: I am one of the Muslims. (Surat Fussilat: 33)
DAWAH
IS
OUR PRIDE
If a big firm or corporation offers one of you a job, he eagerly jumps to it.
He would go to training and he would possibly go back to college and get
an update in his field. He would do whatever it is to get that high ranking
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job that corporation offered him and then he would bolster about the offer
that he got. Da'wah is an offer from Allah the Almighty. It is a job from
Allah, not from a corporation, a king or a president. It is an offer from Allah
the Almighty and you are doing the job of the Messengers.

...

You [true believers in Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet

Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and his Sunnah (legal ways, etc)]
are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Maroof
(i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained) and forbid AlMunkar (polytheism, disbelief and all that Islam has forbidden), and you
believe in Allah. (Surat Aali Imraan: 110)

You are the best. You were, you are and you will be, that is what Kuntum (
)means. You are the best of all people raised up for mankind. You
are in charge of mankind and the best of all people. Why? Is it because we
are Arab? Is it because we are black? We have black, we have white, we
have Pakistani, we have everything here. Why are we the best of all
people? Is it based on ethnicity? Did Allah say you are the best of mankind
based on your ethnicity? You are the best of mankind based on
nationalism? You are the best of mankind based on your colour and your
race? You are the best of all mankind by carrying and conveying this
message.

That is what makes you the best. The Dawah to Allah is what makes you
the best. We are an Ummah of Da'wah and an Ummah that conveys the
message. We are an Ummah in charge of all the other Umam. We were
honoured because we are the carriers of this message and those who
convey it.

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Say (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam): None can protect me
from Allahs punishment (if I were to disobey Him), nor should I find refuge
except in Him. (Mine is) but conveyance (of the truth) from Allah and His
Messages (of Islamic Monotheism), and whosoever disobeys Allah and His
Messenger, then verily, for him is the Fire of Hell, he shall dwell therein
forever. (Surat al-Jinn: 22-23)
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said none can protect me from
the punishment of Allah if I were to disobey Allah. The Prophet sallallahu
'alayhi wa sallam is talking about himself but this applies to all of us. Who
can protect us from the punishment of Allah?
None can protect me from Allahs punishment (if I were to disobey Him),
nor should I find refuge except in Him.

Except for conveyance of the truth from Allah and His Messages. No one
can protect from the punishment of Allah, which is essential and no one
denies that. No one can protect from the punishment of Allah if He wants
to punish, but some of the Ulamaa said this verse means conveyance of
this message is protection from the punishment of Allah. Conveyance of
this message is one of your means for protection from the punishment of
Allah. We were honoured with Dawah. Our pride is Dawah and our pride
in this religion comes through Dawah.
RISE UP
AND
WARN
In the early days, Allah tells His Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam:
:

O you (Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) enveloped (in garments)!
Arise and warn! (Surat al-Muddathir: 1-2)
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What does that mean? That is Dawah, that is ordaining the good and
forbidding the evil. Get up and warn. Wallahi, Wallahi from that moment in
the early days when Allah gave him that verse and ordered him, he got up
and he never rested until the very last gasp of his breath.
You know an Ayah, you know a Hadith, you know the principle of Laa
Ilaaha Illallah so convey it. That is all you have to convey, what you know
and what you firmly know as we mentioned last week.

Convey from me, even if it is one Ayah. So if you know one Ayah, convey
it. If you know one Hadith, convey it. If you do not know one Ayah or one
Hadith and you know Laa Ilaaha Illallah (which you all know), then convey
it to your neighbour, to your friend and in any setting you are in.
If you do not know then give a leaflet, a brochure, a CD or a link. Like I told
the youth in my recent visit, if I had something called Facebook and
Twitter and it is was so easy to make websites, by now I would have had a
thousand websites conveying the Dawah. You sit there and you convey
the Dawah. In Sunan Ahmad and Tirmidhi, the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam makes Duaa for you for a bright face. He
made special Duaa for you, those who hear a Hadith and transmit them
to others. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made Duaa for you
because of that. May Allah brighten the face of the person who hears what
I say and retains it (meaning they understand it and have the knowledge).
It means he retains it, understands it, absorbs it and comprehends it and
then he conveys it to others.
In Muslim and other books of Hadith, Ibn Masood and Abu Hurayrah
reported the Hadith that whoever calls to guidance will have the reward
similar to all those who follow with him, without their reward being
diminished in any tiny bit or way. You are going to know this Hadith when I
conclude Inshaa Allaah and talk about Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq radhiallahu
anhu. And whoever calls to misguidance will have the sins similar to all
those who follow with that sin, not a tiny bit less than the sins that they
get. So if I misguide a hundred people, all their sins come (Laa Samah
Allah, Laa Qaddar Allah) on me.
THE VALUE
OF
GUIDING ONE MAN
In Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave Ali
the banner in the Battle of Khaybar. After the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
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sallam blew in his eyes, because Ali radhiallahu anhu had an illness. The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gives him the banner and gives him
the advise. Listen to the advise the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
gives Ali. He says be patient when you get on their turf. When you get
there (to where you are heading) be patient and take it easy. You know
what he says? And call them unto Islam and let them know what is
obligated upon them. Why? Because Ali, by Allah (the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam gives an oath), for Allah to guide one man by you is
better for you than the red camels. For Allah to guide one man by you is
better for you than red camels. It could be guiding someone to Islam,
guiding him to coming back to Salah (and that is coming back to Islam),
guiding someone to leave alcohol or any major sin. As you know the red
camel was the best of the wealth of the Arabs back then, and likewise
today it is like saying a fleet of one of the most expensive cars.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was at the doors of those who
harmed him and victory was moments away. He has given the banner to
Ali to go and it is a defeat for them Inshaa Allah, because he knew that.
The victory was moments away, from people who harmed the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam for a very long time. If it was blood he wanted,
he would not have told Ali that. If he was eager to get their blood, he
would not have told Ali that. It was Inshaa Allah an imminent victory for
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and he had the upper hand at that
time, but his worry was supreme and it was big. He says take it easy Ali,
by Allah, for Allah to guide one man with you is better for you than the red
camels.
THE DAY
OF
UHUD
AND THE
DAY
OF
TAIF
In Bukhari and Muslim Aishah radhiallahu anha asked the Prophet

Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, have you encountered a day
harder than the day of Uhud? Aishah was a little bit older, she saw what
happened in Uhud, comprehended it and absorbed it and saw what the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam went through. She said O Prophet of
Allah, have you encountered a day harder than the day of Uhud? Have you
encountered a day worse than the day of Uhud? Was there any day worse
than that? She saw what happened to him and Aishah wants to know the
hardest day that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam encountered.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied your tribe has troubled me
a lot. Your tribe and his tribe, but he is saying your tribe has troubled me a
lot and the worst trouble was the trouble on the day of Aqabah. The day
of Aqabah is the day of Taif when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
went on to the mountain of the Taif and they told their kids to drive the
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Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam away and they rejected

him.
Aishah radhiallahu anha wants to know what the worst day that he
encountered was. What is it? She wants to know if it was Uhud and she
specified Uhud. She suggested Uhud because she saw what happened to
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in Uhud. So she is assuming
somewhat that Uhud may have been the worst day to the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in his Dawah career. In his twenty
three years, she possibly assumed that Uhud was the worst day and that
is why she mentioned it in the question. Why did she specify that?
Because she saw what happened to the blessed head of the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. She saw the wounds that the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam encountered that day. She saw that the teeth
of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam were damaged that day. She
saw that the helmet was crushed on the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam on that day. She saw that Fatimah radhiallahu anha burns a mat
reducing it to ashes, takes those ashes and puts it on the wound of the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. It was some form of medical thing
that they used to do back then for wounds to stop the bleeding.
Why was Uhud not the worst day of the Dawah career of the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam even though all that happened? More than
that, why was it not the worst day when the uncle of the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam died in that battle and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam wept so hard like a young child, over his uncle when he saw him in
the status he was in. Why was it not the worst day when seventy of the
his most beloved companions died and became martyrs Inshaa Allah in
that battle? The men he loved so dearly and many of them were his
relatives. Take it even further, why were the worst days not the days he
spent in agony when the hypocrites spoke about the honour of his wife. To
a man that is very big and today many do not understand it because they
are not real men, but a real man does not allow anyone to dishonour his
wife or his women. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam went through
that when the hypocrites began the rumour and some of the Sahaabah
mistakenly got involved in it and spoke ill about the wife of the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Why was it not that? Why was it not the day
they put the guts of a camel on the back of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam and they began to laugh so much that they fell on top of each
other (as it is stated in the Sihaah)? Why was it not the day that they
choked the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam with his own
upper garment, until he nearly fainted and fell to his knees right by the
Kabah? Why was it not the humiliation the Quraysh put him through for
many years?
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He said it was the day of Taif. What was so special about the day of Taif?
When you read the events of that day, there was physical harm to the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on that day but it was much less than
any of that which I just mentioned to you. The physical harm to the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on the day of Taif was much less
harm than the guts of the camel, when they tried to choke him, when they
talked about his honour or many of the other things. The matter of Taif
was somewhat less than that physically. What happened in Uhud was
incomparable to what happened in Taif. The companions of the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam get killed, his uncle gets killed and he gets
wounded. What happened in other events was incomparable to the
hardship that he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam faced on the day of Taif, so
why did you O Prophet of Allah choose the day of Taif? Why did you
choose that day to tell Aishah that was the worst day? Aishah may have
meant what was the worst day that you encountered physically O Prophet
of Allah. She may have implied or meant physically and that is why she
mentioned Uhud. What was happening to you even though not physically,
trauma wise when you see seventy of your companions and your uncle
and you weep over him, mentally or physically that is very sad and very
devastating so she possibly meant that.
When you read Seerah, read it deep and read in between the lines. He
went to Taif with the big hopes that they were going to enter Islam. When
he went to Taif and he climbed up, he had such big hopes that now Taif is
going to enter Islam and this is going to be the first Islamic city of
Khilaafah. He had a lot of hopes when he went to Taif. He is trying to say
it is not about me. It is not about the wounds in my head, it is not about
the teeth that were chipped or damaged and it is not about the death of
my companions because we are going to meet Inshaa Allah in Jannah. It is
the agony of seeing the message that he was conveying getting rejected.
He went with such hope to Taif in the hope that they are going to
embrace and follow this religion, so he comes back with big agony (agony
of seeing the message that he was sent to convey getting rejected). That
was the worst day of the Dawah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, when the message was rejected. I can withstand everything else.
If you want to hit me, wound me, choke me or whatever, but the message
getting rejected was devastating. That is why he said that was the worst
day.
That is why Allah calms His Prophet down in many verses in the Quran,
when he is hurt over those who reject the truth. Allah sees what is in the
heart of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and He sees that he is
hurt and distraught over those who are rejecting the truth. Dawah was his
life. It was his heart and soul, it ran through his veins and that is how it
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should be and must be for every Muslim and every Daaiyah. Dawah
becomes like your flesh and blood. When a true Daaiyah is deprived of
Dawah, he feels as if the underground is better for him than being on top
of the ground. That is a true Daaiyah and actually that is a true Muslim.
Today we call that a Daaiyah, but that is a true Muslim because Dawah is
part of the life of every single Muslim. Allah calms His Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam many times in the Quran. He goes to Taif
with the hopes and that is his worst day, even though what happened to
him physically was much less than the other day. He says to Aishah that it
was the day of Taif because he was rejected and his Dawah was rejected.
Allah tells him:

...
: ...

So destroy not yourself (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) in
sorrow for them. (Surat Faatir: 8)
In another verse, Allah sends him words to calm him down:

:

Perhaps, you, would kill yourself (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam) in grief, over their footsteps (for their turning away from you),
because they believe not in this narration (the Quran). (Surat al-Kahf: 6)
You keep chasing after them and running after them in agony and sorrow.
Take it easy O Prophet of Allah, that is what Allah is trying to tell him.

:

And endure you patiently (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam),
your patience is not but from Allah. And grieve not over them (polytheists
and pagans, etc), and be not distressed because of what they plot. (Surat
an-Nahl: 127)
Endure patiently. Why? Because they hit you? Because they harmed you?
No, Allah is telling him:

And grieve not over them (polytheists and pagans, etc).
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Allah calms His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam down because he is

traumatised over them rejecting the message. To a true believer, his
message and conveying it becomes more important than he himself is. It
becomes more important than myself, it becomes more important than
my family, it becomes more important than my wealth and it becomes
more important than my honour. Dawah and conveyance of this message
is the number one priority for a believer.
YOU HAVE TO KNOW AND RELATE TO YOUR

AUDIENCE
When dealing with Dawah, you must know the level or type of people you
speak to because the knowledge of who you speak to is very essential. In
Bukhari and Muslim the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to
Muaadh when he was heading to Yemen, you are going to meet the
People of the Book. When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was
giving him his farewell advice as he was greeting him outside of Madinah,
he said you are going to meet and see the People of the Book. He was
heading to Yemen. Why did he give him the heads up and tell him that you
are going to meet the People of the Book? Why did he specify that?
Because Muaadh was in an area where it was mostly statue worshippers.
There were some Jews in the outskirts of Madinah, but he wanted him to
know that the people he is heading to are the People of the Book. The way
you approach the People of the Book and convey the message to them is
different to the way you approach statue worshippers that you have been
dealing with for a major portion of your life.
You need to know who the audience you are speaking to is and you need
to know who they are in order to convey the message. When I get invited
to a lecture, I have to know am I speaking to youth or people in their fifties
and sixties? Am I speaking to the youth or their uncles? Are you speaking
to educated people or people who are laymen? You have to know in order
to convey the message or try your best to relate to your audience.
I first began to memorise this book Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah when I was in
second grade in Madinah. I was in a school called Madrastu Ubayy Ibn
Kab Litahfeedh Al-Quran Al-Kareem (
) . It was a school that was part of the regular

government schools but it was specialised for Quran as well. It was one of
the first in Madinah like that and it used to be part of the curriculum that
you have to memorise Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah or portions of it when you
are young. I am not sure if it still is today with the recent pressure the
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West is putting on them to change the curriculum. When we would be

going in the morning in the car, I used to recite to my father. He would be
heading to the University of Madinah and he would drop me off at the
school. I would recite Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah to my father and he would
tell me that is exactly what he is learning in one of his classes in Madinah.
I still remember that and as a child I was surprised that what he is learning
is what I am learning. I am in second grade in elementary school and he is
in his second year in Madinah University and we are studying the same
thing.
He would tell me the way they study it is way more in depth and detail
than you are studying. Basically what we were taught in second grade was
a little about Man Rabbuk Wa Maa Deenuk () , the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and matters pertaining to
that in a very easy way because we were only in second grade. We teach
Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah to kids and we teach it to Duaat. We teach it to
people higher and lower than that, but each on a level that they
understand and in a way they understand. The way I teach it to you who
take notes, our future Duaat Inshaa Allah and some who memorise most
of what we say is different than I would in a general lecture.

This is a statement of Ali in Sahih al-Bukhari, it is not a Hadith. Ali himself
said speak to people on a level they understand, do you want Allah and
His Messenger to be disbelieved in? You can present a matter in a certain
way and cause people to be disbelievers, and you do not want to do that.

This is the statement of Ibn Masood in Sahih Muslim. Ibn Masood said
when you speak, speak to people on a level they understand and they
comprehend because if you speak to them on a level they do not
comprehend, it will be a Fitnah for some. The true knowledge that you are
trying to convey may become a Fitnah.
Look at how Ibn Abbaas related to his audience and who he was talking to.
A man comes to Ibn Abbaas and asks him is there Tawbah for one who
kills? Ibn Abbaas said yes of course there is Tawbah. Then right after that
or shortly thereafter that, another man comes and says Ibn Abbaas is
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there Tawbah for a killer and Ibn Abbaas says no. Ibn Abbaas how could
you answer this and then this? The one who asked did not know because
they are random passersby, they got their Fatwa and went on their way.
The students who are there asked why? What is up with that Shaykh? First
someone asks if someone killed can he seek repentance and you say yes,
and then the other one you say no. Ibn Abbaas said the first one I saw
tears of repentance in his eyes. I looked at his eyes and I saw a man in
agony, I saw a man with tears in his eyes. He analysed and he studied,
what kind of man is this asking me? He said so I told him yes. He said the
second one, I looked into his eyes and I saw sparks in his eyes that he is
going to kill. This was a different man than the first one. He said this time I
saw evil sparks so I said no, so he will not go and kill. The Hukm on the
killing is that it is Haraam. There is no dispute about that, but the way it is
preached is a different issue.
However let me tell you, Ibn Abbaas did not lie. Ibn Abbaas did not make a
fraudulent Fatwa. In Tafseer Ath-Thaaalibi (
)he said:

He narrated that some Ulamaa used to use the harsher of two opinions to
strike fear in the hearts of the audience, to deter people from committing
sins. Among them was Ibn Shihaab and Ibn Abbaas. So basically Ibn
Abbaas did not lie. Ibn Abbaas chose one of the opinions because he
wanted to stop a man from killing, but that opinion is substantiated and it
is in the books. Is it the stronger opinion? Of course not, but he used it to
stop a man from killing.
Memorising text is easy and that is what we are doing here. Ulamaa who
can apply this matter in Dawah is very scarce and rare today. You read in
the books on manners of Iftaa that a Mufti may choose to give the
harsher of two opinions if he deems it is beneficial (based on who is
asking). This is not playing games. We do not consider this playing games
as some say because you cannot just make up Fatwas and Ibn Abbaas
would not have just made up a Fatwa. You cannot make up a Fatwa that
you would like to give a person, even based on a scenario in front of you.
You cannot do that. If there are two opinions and there is one harsher and
you choose to use that one (like Ibn Abbaas did), then you can do that to
stop someone from killing another person for example. It is just choosing
the stricter of two opinions. You may not adopt that second harsher
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opinion, but you are doing it for the benefit of stopping someone from
committing a major sin as Ibn Abbaas did.
The point of that whole matter is one thing. You need to understand who
you are talking to and relate to them. Sometimes your message may be
directed to women and the way you speak to women is different to how
you speak to men at times in certain matters. Sometimes it is directed to
women and other times it is directed to men. Sometimes you are speaking
to youth and sometimes you are going to be speaking to elders. You have
to analyse where you are going and where your talk is. Where am I having
a meal at so I can prepare a talk? Are they young men or are they older
men? What type of people are they? Are they on sins or not? Sometimes
you are speaking to arrogant people and sometimes they are humble. You
have to be prepared in how you talk to people. Sometimes you are going
to be speaking to educated people in universities and sometimes you are
going to be speaking to people who are factory workers or illiterate.
Sometimes you are going to be speaking to leaders and sometimes you
are going to be speaking to laymen. Sometimes you will be speaking to
calm and collected people who want to sit, understand and rationalise.
Maybe they will ask and go back and forth so they can be convinced, and
sometimes it is going to be angry and wild people who will not accept
anything even if it is a clear cut Ayah in the Quran or a solid Hadith in
Bukhari and Muslim.
You do not approach young youth in the West today like you approach a
student of Ilm who has gone through three or four books. Some people
get inspired with Targheeb ( )and some get inspired with Tarheeb (
( )like Hell, punishment of the grave and matters of that sort).

Some get inspired to be righteous by doing Targheeb on them and some
get inspired by both Targheeb and Tarheeb, which is the majority of the
people. You have to analyse who your audience is. A successful Daaiyah
like you Inshaa Allah Taaala is one who presents the same message, but
you understand your audience so you can relate to them. It is the same
message, we are not here to bargain. The message is the message but
you need to present the message in an effective way to the audience that
you are speaking to. That is what you get out of this point that we are
talking about here and that is very important. Just as knowledge is
important in Dawah, this is also just as important.
WISDOM MUST BE IN DAWAH

DAWAH MUST
BE IN THE
BEST
OF
ALL MANNERS
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Wisdom must be in Dawah. It must be based on forgiveness and it must

be based on being kind.

: ...

Invite (mankind, O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) to the Way of
your Lord (i.e. Islam) with wisdom (i.e. with the Divine Inspiration and the
Quran) and fair preaching. (Surat an-Nahl: 125)
The radix of Dawah is to be kind, to be gentle, to choose the best words,
to choose the best methods and the best manners. Listen to this because
the next point after this is important and it does not erase this point.
CLASS NINE
DAWAH MUST BE
IN THE
BEST
OF
ALL MANNERS
The foundation or origin for Dawah is to be kind. You must be gentle in

how you convey it and you must choose the best words. If you go to the
thesaurus and there are seven words to convey a message, then you
choose the best and most kind word to convey your message. You be in
the best of your manners and you choose the best of all methods.
Allah said:

: ...

...

And speak good to people [i.e. enjoin righteousness and forbid evil, and
say the truth about Muhammad Peace be upon him]. (Surat al-Baqarah:
83)
Husnaa (), the best of all ways.

...

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And by the Mercy of Allah, you dealt with them gently. And had you been
severe and harsh hearted, they would have broken away from about you;
so pass over (their faults), and ask (Allahs) Forgiveness for them; and
consult them in the affairs. (Surat Aali Imraan: 159)
Had you been severe and harsh with them, they would have dispersed
away. They would have broken away from you O Prophet of Allah, they
would have left you and they would have went on their own.
And ask (Allahs) Forgiveness for them.

This goes back to the first statement of the author, which was Ilam
Rahimak Allah. Ask Allah for forgiveness for them. Why? These are
students, you are like a father to them.

And consult them in the affairs.
Even if you are not going to choose and take their decision, consult them
to show them how kind you are to them.

: ...

And argue not with the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians),
unless it be in (a way) that is better (with good words and in good manner,
inviting them to Islamic Monotheism with His Verses), except with such of
them as do wrong. (Surat al-Ankaboot: 46)
If a matter reached to a debate or an argument, do not debate with the
People of the Scripture (the Jews and the Christians) unless it be in a
manner or a fashion that is better. Unless it is in the best of all manners,
with good words and good manners. This is when it gets to a debate so
imagine when it is in Dawah.
: ...

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Quran) and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better.
(Surat an-Nahl: 125)
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam (and he is the Prophet of Allah)
was ordered to choose and convey the message in the best of all
manners. Allah tells him if you would have been harsh they would have
dispersed away from you. If that is to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam then what should we say?
WISDOM IN DAWAH
OF ISLAM
IS
NOT
TO
COMPROMISE
ON THE
TEACHINGS
Wisdom in Dawah does not mean you bargain on principles of Islam. The
modernist version of wisdom in Dawah is to compromise the principles of
Islam and to give in. That is the modernist version. The sell out deluded
people, their version of wisdom is to give in and tell them that which they
want to hear. In Madaarij As-Saalikeen, Ibn al-Qayyim actually defines
wisdom as the way that it is supposed to be done in, in a manner that it is
supposed be done in and a timing that it is supposed to be done in.
There is a difference between speaking to people on a level they
understand which we mentioned in a previous point, and this point which
is to be speaking to people in a kind manner. The previous point is to
speak to people on a level they understand and here it is to speak to
people in a kind and wise manner. That is one thing, and then there is
compromising Islam which is totally different. You have to understand
those are two different things. Just because you want to speak to people
on a level they understand and be kind to them, it does not mean you
compromise Islam. Those are two totally different things.
In Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim and Musnad al-Bazzaar, there is the
Hadith narrated on the authority of Anas Ibn Maalik radhiallahu anhu. He
said when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sent Muaadh, he said
make things easy for people and do not make it difficult for them. And
actually the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told it to Anas, he told it
to Muaadh and he told it to Abu Musa al-Ashari. When he sent Muaadh,
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said make things easy for people
and do not make things difficult for them:

It means make Salah easy. Yes make Salah easy, but does that mean you
tell them oh you know if you do not make Salah that is good? Does that
mean you tell them make Salah anytime you want and if you come back
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lazy from work then combine all five of them after Ishaa because you
have been at work? That is not what it means. The Hadith says make
things easy for them. Make Salah easy for them. How do you make Salah
easy? Teach them that when they are travelling, they can combine and
shorten their prayers. That is making it easier for them. You make it easy
by showing them some of the Rukhas ( ( )concessions) in Islam.
Make it easy for them by telling people that if you are sick, you do not
have to fast. If you are sick you do not have to make your Salah standing,
you can make your Salah sitting. If you cannot do it sitting, you can make
it lying down. If you cannot make it lying down, make it with your eyes.
Make things easier by showing them how they do not have to fast when
they are sick. Make it easier for them by showing them that they do not
have to fast when they are travelling. That is making it easy for them.
Make it easy for them by showing them that hastening the fast and
delaying the Suhoor is the best and that is recommended by the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Why? So the gap between the times that you
are fasting will be shortened. That is how you make it easier for them,
unlike what they take it to mean today.
Teach them that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was never given
a choice between two Halaal matters, except he chose the one that is
easier. You teach them that so when they are presented with a choice in
Islam, they do not make things difficult on themselves. That is a choice
between Halaal matters. Today it is taken to mean Haraam by some of the
deluded, sell out modernists. It is taken to mean that if it is a Haraam and
a Halaal and the Haraam is easier, then you go with the Haraam. For
example, it could be going to Hajj driving or walking, I have the choice.
Most likely the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would have chosen
riding because it is easier. That is Halaal so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam would most likely choose that (and he did go riding to Makkah).
It does not mean if one is given a choice between Halaal and Haraam. In
the beginning of the Hadith it mentions it broadly. It says:
It says between two matters. It does not specify, but it really means Halaal
matters because of the end of the Hadith which we are going to get to. It
does not mean that if one is given a choice between a Halaal and a
Haraam and the Haraam is easier, that they choose the Haraam. That is
not what the Hadith means because the continuation of the Hadith says at
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the end of it, and if it was a sinful matter he would be the furthest away
from it. That is the end of the Hadith that many do not mention. And if it
was a sinful matter, he would be the furthest away from it. Making it easy
does not mean changing a Haraam to a Halaal to make it easy, like the
Fataawa we see today under the interpretations of making things easy
based on this Hadith. What is your proof? Yassiru Wa Laa Tuassiru.
Usury is Halaal in the West. Why? Yassiru Wa Laa Tuassiru. If people sell
alcohol to non Muslims, that is Halaal. Yassiru Wa Laa Tuassiru. They went
to an extreme in these kind of issues under the misunderstanding of
Yassiru Wa Laa Tuassiru. Do you see what it means? You make your Salah
sitting if you cannot do it standing, you combine if you are travelling and
you do not have to fast when you are travelling or when you are ill. Today
there are caps and they call them Hijaab, and some of them tell a woman
she can wear those caps. A little hat they put on and that is called Hijaab
today. Why? She is in America and she might have to ride the bus, Yassiru
Wa Laa Tuassiru. The Muslims in the West can do that because the eye is
on them, Yassiru Wa Laa Tuassiru. Some went even further to say no
Hijaab. Go ahead with no Hijaab at all, Yassiru Wa Laa Tuassiru.
KINDNESS
IN
DAWAH
So basically, the radix or foundation of Dawah is to be kind and to make

things easier. There is a proper line just like when you are driving, you do
not go past the sign or that line. There are two lines set forth and you
make things easier between those lines. You make things easy and you
lower your wing while you are conveying the message.

: ...

Quran). (Surat an-Nahl: 125)
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passed a woman at a grave and
she was crying. She was weeping and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam as usual tries to calm people down and tries to relate to them, so
he told her be patient and seek reward from Allah.
She said:

She is telling the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam get away from me.
She is scolding the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, saying you have
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not been hit with a calamity, I have been hit. This is the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam she is speaking to. Another Daaiyah would go off on
her, how dare you speak to me like that? Do you know who I am? I am
Shaykh so and so, do you know how many lectures I have given and do
you know how many books I have written? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam just walked away normally.
When the Sahaabah told her that was the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam and she found out that was the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, she went quickly to him and he was lenient. She comes to
apologise and he gives her more words of advice.
He says:

If you have a problem in the future, patience is when calamity first afflicts
you.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not go off at her because he
understood her situation. She was in a situation where she lost a son so he
understood that, but keep that in mind when we talk about the next point.
In Musnad Ahmad on the authority of Abu Umaamah, a man comes to the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asking him for permission to commit
fornication. He says O Prophet of Allah, give me permission to commit
fornication. If that was to happen with the Ulamaa today, Allahu Alam
what would happen to that man. They are going to declare him a Faasiq
and they are going to talk about him, but the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam calmed the Sahaabah down because they got mad. How dare you
disrespect the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and us for example,
with a question like that? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
Meaning take it easy, calm down all of you. They are obedient to the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, so they went to complete silence. He
told the man come here, the man was at the end of the Halaqah because
he is there to ask question and keep going on his way. Come here, get
closer, I want to you get closer. You know how that feels when you bring
someone (a young youth) to you. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
brings him to his side and he gets close to the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and then he speaks to that youth in a way
with both proof and intellect. He did not start slamming him with Ayaat
and Ahaadith. No, he also used intellect because this was a youth, a
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young man who uses his mind. That is why it is the best dealing with the
youth, because they analyse things and they can tell. They will not follow
the trend of the elders.
He said to him, do you accept it for your mother? The young boy said no.
He said then people do not accept that for their mothers, people do not
want that for their mothers. Do you accept that for your sister? Would you
want that to happen to your sister? He said no, who would want that to
happen to his sister? He said people do not accept that or want it for their
sisters. Then he said do you accept it for your paternal aunt? He said no,
who would accept that for their aunt? He said then people do not accept
that for their aunt. Then he said do you accept that for your maternal
aunt? He named them one by one, he could have used one example but
he did not so the youth can think. Would you accept it for your maternal
aunt? He said no, who would accept that for his maternal aunt? He said
people will not accept that for their aunts as well. Then he grabs him, puts
his hand on his chest and makes Duaa for him.
He said:

O Allah, forgive his sin and purify his heart and purify his private parts
from doing any Haraam. The young boy left saying Wallahi, I left from the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and there is nothing I despise more
than Zina and he never went near it. He did not go near it, nor did he have
the desire for it after that. A few words, that is the wisdom. Keep that in
mind when we talk about the next point as well.
In Bukhari and in Muslim, the Bedouin who comes into the Masjid of the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. When I went to Madinah as a kid, it
was very small. You could walk all of Madinah (the core part) in maybe
fifteen or twenty minutes, so imagine how it was during the time of the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Of course now it is big, but back then
it was small. The man is coming from the desert and out of all the outside
area around the Masjid, he could not find any better spot to urinate so he
goes to the corner of the Masjid and urinates. If this was to happen in a
Masjid today, what would happen? The shoes would be flying at him, he
would get a beating, they are going to call the police and tell them take
him out of here and put him in prison where he probably changes his
religion or something even worse than that. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam tells the Sahaabah who got mad and went up to him:
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Do not cut him from urinating.

When he commented on this Hadith, Ibn Hajr said look how deep the
wisdom of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is in Da'wah. If he was
to let them stop him from urinating, it is going to be all over himself
because what he is going to do is get up. He is not going to be able to
stop and Ibn Hajr says it is going to be all over his clothes and all over the
Masjid. The next point is that if he holds it in and if he was able to hold it
in when they stop him, then it is going to cause him harm. So after he was
done, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told the angered Sahaabah
how to clean it and that established a lesson for us about what to do if you
have it in your carpet for example.
Then he brought the Bedouin. He did not let things slide, but he dealt with
the matter with wisdom. He brought the Bedouin and he told him in such
kind and wise manners that only the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
could do. The Bedouin left saying O Allah have mercy on me and on the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam (meaning me and the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam alone). Even that, the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam did not let him go. He said the mercy of Allah is vast and
you cannot limit it to me and you. So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam corrected, but he used a wise way where people can accept it and
relate to it.
In Bukhari, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam corrected Umar Ibn Abi
Salamah on how to eat from a plate in such kind words, and he accepted
it and continued like that until the latter part of his life. A broader lesson
was when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was on the gate of the
Kabah and he had ten thousand well armed men surrounding the people
who for nearly two decades did everything you can imagine to harm him.
They are at his mercy, he could direct them with a finger or with one word
and they would all be eliminated off the face of the Earth. These are
people who harmed him for decades, they harmed his family and killed
some of the companions. He surrounds them with ten thousand men and
after he gives a sermon, he says to them what do you think I am going to
do with you today? What did they say?

The magnanimous, the son of the magnanimous.
You are not going to do anything. Basically, they meant the magnanimous
son of the magnanimous, you are going to forgive us. That is because
when one is generous, when one has noble character and he is at a status
of power, he is going to forgive.
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He said the words of Yusuf alayhis-salaam:

...
: ...

No reproach on you this day, may Allah forgive you, and He is the Most
Merciful of those who show mercy! (Surat Yusuf: 92)

Let there be no reproach cast upon you, may Allah forgive you. You are
free to go.
So you see how the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam dealt with wisdom
in these matters? There are many examples. In Sahih Muslim, Muaawiyah
Ibn al-Hakam as-Salami was making Salah behind the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam and a man sneezed, so Muaawiyah Ibn al-Hakam said
Yarhamuk Allah ( ) to the man who sneezed while they are in
Salah. From the way the Hadith goes, it appears that Muaawiyah was
upset that the man did not say Yahdeekum Allahu Wa Yuslihu Baalakum (
) . He did not respond to him, so it seems

that Muaawiyah radhiallahu anhu kept saying Yarhamuk Allah. This is
different to Muaawiyah Ibn Abi Sufyaan, but radhiallahu anhu both of
them. It annoyed the Sahaabah to the point that the Hadith says some of
them clapped on their laps. They clapped on their laps to tell the man be
quiet. He understood it, he got upset and he became quiet. Why did he
repeat it? He possibly wanted the man to say Yahdeekum Allahu Wa
Yuslihu Baalakum. When he saw the Sahaabah get annoyed and clap on
their laps, he went silent.
Now the Salah is done, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam brings
this man. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam called him over. There
was a mistake so he did not let it slide and say wisdom is to let it slide. No,
he calls Muaawiyah, come over here. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam advised him, directed him, taught him and told him this Salah, we
do not say this kind of thing in it. The Salah is for this, this and that.
Muaawiyah said Wallahi, he did not hate me. Wallahi, he did not hit me
nor did he curse me. He gently and in the most kind way told me that this
is Salah and we cannot say any of that which you said in it. You only do
Tasbeeh and Takbeer and recite Quran in it. So the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam explained it in a kind manner.
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As soon as he did that, that was the end of that part but look what
happened from that story. Do you know what happened? Muaawiyah Ibn
al-Hakam opens his heart now (right in that same setting) and begins to
have a heart to heart talk with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
asking him questions pertaining to other matters that he was on before he
became Muslim. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam advised him and
that opened his heart, so he began to ask many questions about matters
pertaining to how his life was in Jaahiliyyah and the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam told him that is misguidance.
The point of that is that when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
related to him in a wise and kind manner, it showed that man Muaawiyah
radhiallahu anhu that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was
approachable. You can ask him anything and you can go to him with
anything. After that you know who this man was? This man was the man
who brought the servant he had slapped on her face, he felt bad for
hitting her and he was asking what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam deems as his judgment. Had the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam been harsh, he would not have had that heart to heart talk after he
corrected that issue. This man would have not ever come to him later on
in life with a slave, telling him I hit her and what should I do. He would
have been afraid to approach the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asked her where is Allah, and that
is the famous Hadith that you know. She did not speak the language but
she understood, she pointed to the sky so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said free her. Had the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam not been
kind in correcting Muaawiyah the first time, had he said be quiet, you do
not do this in the Salah, embarrassed him in front of the Sahaabah, told
him do not come to the congregation or he could have said one word that
was harsh and the man would have never came back again. But he felt so
comfortable that he can come to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
with anything and one of the benefits of it is that we learn one of the
biggest proof in the Sunnah on Ayn Allah (
here).
( )this Hadith right
Allah told two Messengers (Musa and his brother), pertaining to Da'wah:
And speak to him mildly, perhaps he may accept admonition or fear

Allah. (Surat Taha: 44)
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What more do you want for proof on wisdom? This hits the peak. Wisdom
in Dawah and being kind in Dawah, this hits the peak. Allah tells two of
the special Messengers (Musa and Haroon) to speak to him kindly,
perhaps he may accept the admonition that you are going to give him and
maybe he will fear Allah and come back to the right path. Commenting on
this verse, Ibn Katheer said this is a lesson. Firawn was in the peak of his
arrogance and in the peak of his pride, yet one of the most chosen
Messengers (Musa and his brother Haroon) are ordered to approach a man
who is in the peak of his arrogance and pride with a kind way.
Allah tells Musa and Haroon, speak gently to a man who says I am your
supreme lord. He said:
...
I am your lord, most high. (Surat an-Naaziaat: 24)

If Allah said to speak to Firawn gently, a tyrant who said I am the
supreme lord, then imagine how much mercy, compassion and kindness
you need to have when you speak to someone who says Allah is the Most
Supreme Lord. Firawn said I am your supreme lord and they were ordered
to speak to him kindly. You are speaking to people who say Allah is my
Supreme Lord, so imagine how much kindness, sympathy, mercy and
wisdom you need to have with them.
A man walked in on al-Mamoon during the days of the Abbaasid Khilaafah
when he was a Khaleefah, and he began to admonish him very harshly. AlMamoon was wise, when he spoke he was pretty much wise so he said
Allah sent a man better than you to a man who is worse than me and He
told Musa and Haroon:
: ...

And speak to him mildly. (Surat Taha: 44)
In al-Bukhari, Ibn Masood said it is as if I am looking at the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam when he is saying the story of a
prior Messenger whose people beat him and he was saying:

A Messenger who was bleeding, he used to convey the Message, wipe the
blood off and say O Allah forgive my people they do not know.
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This is Dawah to Allah, you have to take the hardships that go with it.
Sometimes you may be humiliated and you have to take that. That is all
part of Dawah. The point of all this is be kind and wise in how you convey
the Dawah.
Our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was the fountain and
well of tenderness and warm heartedness. That is our Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He was a shoreless ocean of kindness and
love. That was the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. There
is not a harsh word that someone can ask why did he say that or say that
was not wise or correct in the matter or the setting that he said it in. That
is our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam was a spring of mercy.
And We have sent you (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) not but
as a mercy for the Aalameen (mankind, Jinns and all that exists). (Surat
al-Anbiyaa: 107)
He was compassion and he was a mercy to mankind. Not only to mankind
but to the universe, Aalameen is the universe. Humans, Jinn, believers,
non believers and the universe itself. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam did not give in, when there was a mistake he corrected it. Never
did the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam let a mistake pass by. He did
not just let it go, but he did correct it and he did it in the most kind,
appropriate and wise manner.
A believing woman from Bani Israeel (a prostitute), went to Heaven and
Allah forgave her of her sins of prostitution and Allah knows what else of
her sins. Allah forgave her because she had compassion towards a dog.
Your Dawah is mercy. When you are a Daaiyah, you have mercy. She had
mercy to a dog because she filled her shoes up and brought him water.
She was thirsty so she knew how it felt and she knew how the dog felt.
She had mercy to the dog so Allah forgave her for that. If mercy over a
dog by a prostitute was means for her forgiveness from major sins, then
imagine the reward for mercy over believers in Laa Ilaaha Illallaah
Muhammadar-Rasoolullah. Imagine the reward for mercy over mankind.
Dawah is an art, it is dealing with the hearts. You are operating on the
hearts and you have to know how to deal with it. Sometimes it happens
that you are dealing with those who are righteous. Sometimes you convey
a righteous matter but you choose an improper way and it would lead a
layman to see the truth that you are conveying as evil because of your
approach. Pay attention to that. You are on the Haqq (truth), but the way
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you convey it could lead a layman to see the truth as evil because of your
approach. Sometimes you have an innovator or a modernist who are
masters at their Botox say cheese smiles, especially the modernists. They
have these Botox say cheese smiles when they convey their filth and their
sell out, deluded form of Islam. They have these fake smiles and they
convey the matter and you could see it is so fake. They convey that evil
and because of the way they convey it to laymen, they see that evil as
truth.
As a Daaiyah you need to understand we are not dealing with devils. We
are not ordered to give devils Dawah. We are not dealing with angels
either (meaning there are going to be mistakes) and we are not dealing
with stones here. We are dealing with souls, some are good and some are
bad. There are the dissolute Faajireen and there are the devout
Muttaqeen. You know the categories you are dealing with.

And by Nafs (Adam or a person or a soul, etc), and Him Who perfected
him in proportion; Then He showed him what is wrong for him and what is
right for him. (Surat ash-Shams: 7-8)
Meaning you are going to have both categories (some who are Muttaqeen
and some who are Fujjaar), so you have to convey the message in wisdom
and kindness. You deal with that soul and with that heart with Hikmah.
WISDOM
IN
DAWAH CAN INCLUDE HARSHNESS
You see that long talk we gave on how you must convey this message in
Hikmah, you have to be kind in your Dawah and how that is a foundation
and origin of Dawah? Now the next point is not the opposite of this point,
but a continuation. Just as Dawah should be lenient and it should be
based on wisdom, sometimes wisdom entails that one is harsh. So at
times one can be harsh in Dawah and you cannot deny that.
The same stories we used to show that Dawah is wisdom and it should be
conveyed in the kind and best manner, many of them also show that there
is an aspect in Dawah that is harsh. Yes it is exceptional, but there is a
part of Dawah where there is harshness in it.
Let us take the story of Musa alayhis-salaam when he was ordered to go
to Fir'awn.
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A lot of people try to hide it but at the end when Firawn got belligerent
and arrogant, Musa sort of hit the end of the channel with him. Firawn got
arrogant with Musa and he said to Musa:
...
:

O Musa! I think you are indeed bewitched. (Surat al-Israa: 101)
He is mocking him and ridiculing him. What did Musa say?

Wisdom, but over here what did he tell him? Musa replied to him and he
said:

:

...
And I think you are, indeed, O Firawn doomed to destruction (away from
all good)! (Surat al-Israa: 102)
Do you know what the word Mathbooraa ( )means? Mathbooraa
means destroyed, doomed and cursed. Ibn Abbaas radhiallahu anhu said
Mathbooraa means cursed (Maloon ( )). Musa is telling Firawn,
you are Maloon. That is what the interpretation of Ibn Abbaas is of the
word Mathbooraa, you are Maloon Firawn. Other Mufassireen said
Mathbooraa means doomed or destroyed, that means you are going to be
doomed or destroyed. Mujaahid said Mathbooraa means doomed. AlFarraa said Mathbooraa is one who has no good in him. So yes He told
him to be kind to Firawn, but there is another side to it that you cannot
deny.
Leniency in Dawah is the origin and it is the majority, but do not deny
that being harsh (which is usually exceptional) is also part of Islam. Only
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the deluded modernists and those who go along with them deny that
being harsh is a part of Islam. It is actually a part of Islam. Is it
exceptional? Most definitely it is exceptional. The overwhelming majority,
the origin, foundation and radix of Dawah is kindness and approaching
people in the best manner, but there is also harshness in Dawah.
You have the story of Firawn and Musa, the story of Nimrood and
Ibraheem alayhis-salaam, the story of the man and the two gardens and
his brother, and you have the story of Qaaroon and his people. There are
many stories in the Quran and many stories in the Hadith. Sometimes in
these stories all of it is lenient, some of it is harsh and some of it is lenient
and harsh just like the story of Firawn. Initially they went to him in the
best way, but at the end he told him:
...

And I think you are, indeed, O Firawn doomed to destruction (away from
all good)! (Surat al-Israa: 102)
Why? Because we did not say wisdom in Dawah means leniency in
Dawah. We said that is the origin of it and that is the majority of it, but
that is not the definition. Wisdom is to put something in its proper place,
in the proper manner and in the proper timing.
Anyone who does not believe in the Shahaadah is a Kaafir (if you do not
believe in Ash-Hadu Allaa Ilaaha Illallah Wa Ash-Hadu Anna MuhammadarRasoolullah). A Kaafir is a Kaafir, I do not know what the problem is with
that and for decades I could not understand what the problem is. They call
us Kaafir, if you do not believe Jesus is the son of God they consider you a
non believer (a Kaafir). It means he is not a believer. What is the problem
if we say someone is a Kaafir? I am not sure what the problem is. We have
a Kaafir and a Muslim, unlike what the deluded deceivers of this Ummah
today have been conveying.

...

:
He it is Who created you, then some of you are disbelievers and some of
you are believers. (Surat at-Taghaabun: 2)
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There are only two categories, there is no third category. When anyone
tells you there is a third category, know that he is either an ignorant or he
is corrupted in his Aqeedah and most likely the second.
Yes a non believer is a Kaafir, but you do not go to a non Muslim or a Jew
and tell him you are a non believer. You do not say you do not believe in
Islam, you are not a believer and you are a Kaafir. You do not say hey
come here you Kaafir, I want to teach you Islam. You do not do that and
that is not the proper method of Dawah. Yes he is a Kaafir but that is not
the proper way of conveying Dawah. You do not bargain on the fact that
he is a Kaafir and you have to believe that he is a Kaafir, but when you
convey the Dawah you do not tell him that he is a Kaafir. There is no
reason to tell him that.
Even people of innovation who are susceptible to learning and possibly
coming back to the path, you should be lenient with them. There are
many who are bold and arrogant in their innovation and they spread it.
When they are at that level and they want to unleash their tongues, it
may be appropriate at times to be harsh with them. A lot of them like to
unleash their tongues on the slaves of Allah and the righteous, pious
people of our time and previous times to make the enemies of Allah
happy. Therefore, matters like this need to be studied on a case by case
situation. Yes harshness could be to a person who is an innovator, but it
depends. If he wants to learn or he accepts the Ayaat in the Quran, the
Ahaadith and the sayings of the Salaf, they why would you be harsh to
him? Each scenario needs to be studied and diagnosed by a Daaiyah and
lectures can be given on the details of when to be harsh and when to be
lenient, but you have to understand that there is both in Islam.
The purpose of this is to give an outline and this is just an outline. The
point for our purposes here is that yes being kind in Dawah is the origin.
It is the general rule and it is the majority, but do not ever deny that being
harsh in ordaining the good and forbidding the evil may be an exceptional
way to do Dawah and convey the right message to someone.
Just like the story of Firawn, people also use the story of Nooh to establish
leniency in Dawah, which is true. They are going to tell you he made
Dawah for nine hundred and fifty years. They are going to say he lived for
more than nine hundred and fifty years and for nine hundred and fifty
years he went and gave Dawah, gave Dawah and gave Dawah, and we
should be lenient like that and give Dawah like Nooh alayhis-salaam.
: ...

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And indeed We sent Nooh to his people, and he stayed among them a
thousand years less fifty years [inviting them to believe in the Oneness of
Allah (Monotheism), and discard the false gods and other deities]. (Surat
al-Ankaboot: 14)
He stayed with them fifty years short of a thousand years, which makes it
nine hundred and fifty years. He was very kind in his Dawah but like the
story of Firawn there is another detail to it.
And O my people! I ask of you no wealth for it, my reward is from none
but Allah. I am not going to drive away those who have believed. Surely,
they are going to meet their Lord, but I see that you are a people that are
ignorant. (Surat Hud: 29)
He is telling his people in a kind way, but look at the last point of the verse
over here. He stayed in Dawah for nine hundred and fifty years, but do
not forget the other aspect. When they pressed him to drive away the
believers and they kept on pushing him, he called them a bunch of
ignorants.

Surely, they are going to meet their Lord, but I see that you are a people
that are ignorant.
He called his people a bunch of ignorants, which is a harsh and tough
word. Just like Musa was lenient with Firawn, but he said Mathbooraa. Yes
Nooh did nine hundred and fifty years and he was very kind and gentle in
his Dawah, but he also called them ignorant people at one point.
Ibraheem alayhis-salaam was very lenient to his tribe and his dad. He
would tell his dad:

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O my father! Worship not Shaytaan. Verily! Shaytaan has been a rebel

against the Most Beneficent (Allah). O my father! Verily! I fear lest a
torment from the Most Beneficent (Allah) overtake you, so that you
become a companion of Shaytaan (in the Hellfire). (Surat Maryam: 44-45)
Yaa Abati is a very sweet way to refer to your dad. It is a sympathetic,
humble and respectful way of referring to your dad. Yes he did that with
his dad, he was kind and he tried to convey the message. He made
Dawah in the kindest and best of all manners for years and years, but it
got to a point where he said to his people:

:

Fie upon you, and upon that which you worship besides Allah! Have you
then no sense? (Surat al-Anbiyaa: 67)
Uff ( )comes in two Qiraaaat. The first is Uffa (

) with a Fathah on
the Faa. It comes in another Qiraaaah (the one we know) with a Kasrah
and Tanween (Uffin (

)) . The meaning of it in both Qiraaaat is alKaraahiyyah wal-Ihtiqaar (
and scorn.
), which means dislike

Uff, I hate this. Lakum, I hate you. Ihtiqaar, I scorn you. After all those
years? Yes, there was a portion of his Dawah where he was harsh. He said
fie upon you, it is translated in the English translation as fie, but Uffing is
Karaahiyyah and Ihtiqaar (disliking and scorn). What is he disliking? Them
and that which they worship.

Have you then no sense?
Is that not a harsh way of Dawah? Yes it is harsh and that was part of his
Dawah which was harsh.
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In Musnad Ahmad and portions of it are in the two Sihaah, Subayyah Bint
al-Haarith gave birth to a baby boy shortly after she was widowed
(possibly weeks later). From an Islamic Fiqh point of view, she is done with
her Iddah and she can go and get married. She is done with her Iddah
and she does not have to wait the four months and ten days that a woman
who is not pregnant has to wait. Abu Sanaabil passed by her one time,
and he knew or she told him that she just gave birth and she was
preparing herself to greet and welcome people who are going to be asking
for her hand. Abu Sanaabil told her you have to wait the full four months
and ten days. She thought that did not seem right and she was right. She
thought when a woman is pregnant and her husband dies then when she
gives birth that is it, she is done with her Iddah. He said no, you have to
wait for four months and ten days. According to some interpretation, it
may be that he desired to marry her and she rejected him so he wanted to
sort of give her a hard time and tell her you have to wait the longer period
(four months and ten days).
She went to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. What did
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam say? This was the man who taught
a Bedouin who was urinating in the Masjid. This was a man who told a
man who was trying to commit adultery, come here, and he rubbed on his
chest. Do you know what he said?

In another narration:

He told her you are free. Your Iddah is over and you can get married. The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who taught the Bedouin who was
urinating in the Masjid in the most kind way and brought him close is now
saying about someone that he is a liar. Why? Because the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam deemed it appropriate now to be harsh on this
individual.
In Muslim, Abu Dawood and an-Nasaaee, a man got up to give some
speech or give a talk and instead of saying:

The one we say in the beginning of all our Khutub, he said:
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Whoever disobeys them (he combined them). He said whoever disobeys
them (meaning Allah and His Messenger) is doomed.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam responded to him and he said:
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said you are a doomed Khateeb,
say whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger (not whoever disobeys
them).
Look at the small difference, but he said you are a doomed Khateeb, say
whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger. You should not be saying
whoever disobeys them, you do not say them, you say Allah and His
Messenger. In that simple mistake, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam saw it was wisdom to be harsh with the man who said that for
some reason.
In another narration, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
Get up and go.

In the narration I mentioned, he said:

Miserable Khateeb. To say that to a public speaker could traumatise him,
and he may never give a public speech after that. However, in that
scenario the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam deemed that this man
needed this type of approach.
The Hadith narrated in Muslim, the one I mentioned about not raising your
hands during the Khutbah as a Khateeb or a follower during Jumuah.
Umaarah Ibn Ruaybah saw one of the leaders of Bani Umayyah raising his
hands on the pulpit. What did Umaarah say? He said may Allah disgrace
those two hands, I saw the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on the
pulpit and he never did more than this (meaning use his finger). The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to make Duaa on the pulpit
using his finger. The point of it is, Umaarah said may Allah disgrace those
two hands. He deemed it appropriate that he was harsh in that
circumstance right there.
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Abu Ayyub went to the wedding of Saalim Ibn Abdillah Ibn Umar, the
grandson of Umar Ibn al-Khattab. He went to the wedding and to his
house, and he saw the walls in the house of Saalim were fully covered
with drapes. Abu Ayyub radhiallahu anhu said to Saalim, the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam deterred or disliked walls to be covered and
your walls are covered. Saalim replied to him and he said you know our
women, these days they overpowered us and he began to justify it, that
his women wanted that and they are stronger (like many do today). Abu
Ayyub refused to sit and he left the wedding. Like we said, many of the
Ulamaa consider it Waajib to respond to a wedding invitation and he left it
over the drapes all over the walls of Saalim. Walking out of a wedding is a
little bit harsh in correcting a mistake, and Abu Ayyub is a companion and
a well known figure of the friends and Sahaabah of the Prophet
Ibn Umar went on a Janaazah, and the Sunnah in Janaazah is to speed
walk. When Janaazah is on your shoulders, you do ar-Ramil ().
Speed walking in Arabi is called ar-Ramil. Ibn Umar told the people speed
walk, he is on our shoulders and we have to speed walk. He said if you do
not speed walk and do ar-Ramil, I am going to leave and go back. Those
are big words, I am going to leave and go back and leave this funeral.
Why? For the mere fact that he deemed it an appropriate way of dealing
with this circumstance at this time.
Let us take the summary of these last two points that I mentioned. The
origin of Dawah and ordaining the good and forbidding the evil is to be
lenient, as lenient as you can be. We mentioned the verses and we
mentioned the stories. However, do not ever deny or cancel out the fact
that there is the approach of being harsh in Islam, as the modernists and
others like them do. When to use each method depends on a case by case
circumstance. You can go on for many lectures talking about when to be
harsh and when to be lenient, the types of people to be harsh with and
the types of people to be lenient with, but the origin and overwhelming
majority is leniency in Dawah.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MUDAARAAH
AND
MUDAAHANAH
I may have mentioned it but let me repeat it because it is important.

There is something called Mudaaraah ( ), and it is to sacrifice your
Dunya for your Deen. You might be humiliated but you let it go. You speak
and you try your hardest to choose the best words. You lower your wing
and sometimes you have to fight yourself to lower your wing. You may
need to tolerate attacks and combat them with nice words. You may need
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to speak nice when you feel like you really do not want to, and that
happens a lot. There are many ways you can do Mudaaraah.
Then there is something that we do not do, which is Mudaahanah (
). The second one is Mudaahanah and it is totally different.

Mudaahanah is to sacrifice your Deen for this Dunya. The first one is
Mudaaraah, sacrificing your Dunya for your Deen, and the second one is
Mudaahanah, sacrificing your Deen for your Dunya and we do not do that.
We do not compromise and we do not please the person we are speaking
to by denying or giving an incorrect form of Islam. We do not manipulate
aspects of Islam to please governments, leaders or the Western world. We
do not do that and that is Mudaahanah. We do Mudaaraah and we do not
do Mudaahanah.
They wish that you should compromise (in religion out of courtesy) with
them, so they (too) would compromise with you. (Surat al-Qalam: 9)
A Daaiyah resembles water in a vase, in how he conveys his message. If
you put water in a cup, it takes the shape of the cup. If it is in a vase, it
takes the shape of the vase. Whatever instrument you put the water in, it
takes that shape. The cup and the vase are solid, and that is the principles
of our Deen. They do not change at all and we do not bargain, but the
water and the shape of it changes. That is how we relate and convey the
message, and that is how we deal with people in a kind way and with the
best of all manners.
EXAMPLES OF OUR SALAF IN DAWAH

Look at the righteous in their Dawah. Abu Bakr was days into Islam and
he comes back with five of the ten people granted places in Jannah. They
were Uthman Ibn Affan, Zubayr Ibn Awwaam, Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Awf,
Sad Ibn Abi Waqqaas and Talhah Ibn Ubaydillah. At that point, what
knowledge did Abu Bakr have of the reward for one to convey Islam? At
that point, Abu Bakr knew Laa Ilaaha Illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah, so
he went with that. What reward was there for one who brings others into
Islam?
Islam was days old and he goes and brings five people who were later five
of the ten people who were granted places in Heaven. Most likely there
was no Hadith at that point detailing the reward of bringing others to
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Islam as we have today, like the one we mentioned about Ali Ibn Abi Talib
and like the life of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the
Sahaabah in Dawah. Abu Bakr understood that Islam was his life and
goal, and when Islam is your life and goal you speak about it, you convey
it and you bring others to it. That is common sense and that is what
motivated Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq radhiallahu anhu to bring others into this
righteous religion. Do you see one of the reasons why the Imaan of Abu
Bakr is more than the Imaan of the Ummah? Because Abu Bakr had the
upper hand in getting your forefathers (the forefathers of Islam) to
embrace Islam.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam brought Abu Bakr to Islam and
Abu Bakr brought some of the biggest forefathers of Islam to embrace
Islam. That is in addition of course to his blind support and belief in the
message of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. So Abu
Bakr got this high honour and ranking of his Imaan being so much and his
Deen being so much. He brought Uthman to Islam and showed him the
way to Islam. Uthman later became the third Khaleefah and he did so
much that we can talk about for weeks and weeks to come. Who gets all
that reward? Uthman gets it and then because Abu Bakr brought him to
Islam, Abu Bakr gets it as well.
Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Awf and his achievements, you all know the
achievements of Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Awf and they are numerous. Sad
Ibn Abi Waqqaas, the man who took Islam from Madinah all the way down
to Iraq and Persia. Today, Sad Ibn Abi Waqqaas rests in his grave with the
reward of billions and billions and billions of Muslims, in the regions he
opened for Islam. And guess who gets the reward? Sad Ibn Abi Waqqaas
gets the reward and likewise, Abu Bakr gets the reward (not a tiny bit less
than that). We have to apply the Hadith we mentioned here, that whoever
points someone to righteousness, he gets the reward of that. Sad Ibn Abi
Waqqaas gets the reward of everyone from Madinah down to Iraq and
Persia, and so does Abu Bakr. Those are just five of the people he brought
to Islam who were granted places in Heaven. He brought Bilal and imagine
the reward of Bilal and his sacrifices and achievements. Bilal gets the
reward and Abu Bakr gets the reward. Abu Bakr is in his grave and he gets
the reward.
At-Tufayl Ibn Amr ad-Dawsi was the leader of his tribe, so Quraysh warned
him so much not to follow the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam. They knew if he followed the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam, his tribe is going to follow him. They had dealings with him that
they did not want to breach and they did not want that to affect their
dealings with him. After a long story which we do not have time to get
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into, he embraced Islam. Did he recline back? Did he kick back and say I
embraced Islam, I am a leader of a tribe and that is it? This was in the
early days of Islam. It is obvious and it is common sense that if you truly
have a belief in something, you go and convey it. As soon as he goes back
to his tribe, he goes to his father and tells him about Islam.
His father tells him:
My religion is your religion.

Then he goes to his family members and one by one they embrace Islam.
Among those who he got to embrace Islam is Abu Hurayrah who is from
his tribe. Our man of Hadith and our man of many achievements. Every
time you read a Hadith, how many times do we say radhiallahu anhu?
Every time you read a Hadith by Abu Hurayrah and you make Duaa for
him, the same goes to at-Tufayl Ibn Amr ad-Dawsi.
Daws is his tribe and they gave at-Tufayl (their leader) a hard time in
embracing Islam. At-Tufayl went back to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam and he said O Prophet of Allah, make Duaa on my tribe
Daws, I want you to make Duaa on them. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam, the wise, kind Daaiyah and a mercy to mankind said:

O Allah guide the tribe of Daws.
He said go back to your people and convey, and so he went back to his
people and he conveyed. He went back and he began Dawah, and now so
suddenly they are accepting the Dawah. He comes back to the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam with approximately eighty or
ninety clans from his tribe. They all go to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, take their Shahaadah and give commitment. Then he stays with
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam until the final years when Makkah
is conquered.
What I want to tell you is that Daws today is where the south of
Saoodiyyah is. You know the accident that I mentioned about the female
bride who died with her family members? That is the area that at-Tufayl
Ibn Amr ad-Dawsi was in. May Allah have mercy on her and her family,
and grant those who are living of them patience. The tribes there today
are mostly known as Zahraan, and next to it are the tribes of Ghaamid.
Today, there are hundreds of Ulamaa from the tribes of Zahraan and
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Ghaamid. Amongst them is the one you all know, al-Ghaamidi, the one
you listen to. He is in the town right next to where at-Tufayl was. At-Tufayl
is now in his grave and approximately thirteen centuries later, he gets
reward in his grave for that famous reciter and there are hundreds of
Ulamaa from Ghaamid and Zahraan, or that area where ad-Daws is. AtTufayl Ibn Amr ad-Dawsi is in his grave getting that reward and who in
return also gets it? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam of course.
Look at that chain reaction.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam goes to a barber and he gives
Dawah. What comes out of it? Six teenagers embrace Islam. The next
year these six teenagers go back and bring twelve. The following year, the
twelve bring seventy three men and two women. The following year,
Musab Ibn Umayr is sent as an ambassador to Madinah to teach them
Islam. Then right after that, Musab Ibn Umayr sends a message to the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam saying the whole of
Madinah has embraced Islam, and you are welcome to come over here.
Six men in a barber shop started this whole thing. The Prophet of Allah
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam conveyed the message even in a barber shop,
and what came out of that at end is Islam in Madinah. Those teenagers
understood that we have to convey this message. They sat with the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam for a few moments in secrecy and
they took the message, and then they went on and they knew under
conviction that we have to convey this message.
The Dawah of Jafar Ibn Abi Talib in Abyssinia placed the seeds of Islam in
Africa. Nearly everyone in Africa who is Muslim, it is most likely that Jafar
Ibn Abi Talib gets the reward of it today. He is the one who went there,
conveyed the Dawah and gave the message to an-Najaashi and that is
how Islam began to spread in that area. Then there was Abu Musa alAshari and Muaadh Ibn Jabal in Yemen. All these men we talk about,
Jafar Ibn Abi Talib, Muaadh Ibn Jabal and all those, these were men who
were in their prime (in their twenties).
The Mumin of Yaseen. You all know the story of Surat Yaseen and nearly
sixteen or so verses talk about this. Who is this man? Who is this man
about whom Allah documents a story in sixteen verses, mentioning what
happened in his situation?
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When We sent to them two Messengers, they belied them both, so We
reinforced them with a third, and they said: Verily! We have been sent to
you as Messengers. They (people of the town) said: You are only human
beings like ourselves, and the Most Beneficent (Allah) has revealed
nothing, you are only telling lies. The Messengers said: Our Lord knows
that we have been sent as Messengers to you, And our duty is only to
convey plainly (the Message). They (people) said: For us, we see an evil
omen from you, if you cease not, we will surely stone you, and a painful
torment will touch you from us. They (Messengers) said: Your evil omens
be with you! (Do you call it evil omen) because you are admonished?
Nay, but you are a people Musrifoon (transgressing all bounds by
committing all kinds of great sins, and by disobeying Allah). (Surat
Yaseen: 14-19)
They threatened their Messengers and attributed an evil omen to them.
The Mumin of Yaseen did not kick back and relax and say it is not my
business.

And there came running from the farthest part of the town, a man, saying:
O my people! Obey the Messengers; Obey those who ask no wages of
you (for themselves), and who are rightly guided. And why should I not
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worship Him (Allah Alone) Who has created me and to Whom you shall be
returned. Shall I take besides Him Aalihah (gods), if the Most Beneficent
(Allah) intends me any harm, their intercession will be of no use for me
whatsoever, nor can they save me? Then verily, I should be in plain error.
Verily! I have believed in your Lord, so listen to me! (Surat Yaseen: 20-25)
A man that was known to be righteous heard about what was going on
and he came from the farthest part of town. He comes running and they
kill him. Even in the life after, his heart is attached to Dawah. His heart is
attached to rescuing people, even when he is granted a place in Heaven.
It was said (to him when the disbelievers killed him): Enter Paradise. He
said: Would that my people knew! That my Lord (Allah) has forgiven me,
and made me of the honoured ones! (Surat Yaseen: 26-27)
Even in the life after, his mind is still with his people trying to get them to
be rescued. You see how Dawah is when it becomes part of someone? He
wished he could tell his people how Allah forgave him and made him
among those who are honoured (possibly of course so they can follow in
those footsteps and get the honour that he has). I wish I could go back, I
wish I could make Dawah to them and let them know. He is told to enter
Heaven and his mind is back there, trying to convey this message to his
people.
If examples of Messengers that we are supposed to follow, Sahaabah and
humans are not enough to inspire you for Dawah, then take the example
of the Jinn. Even the Jinn have Dawah and they are strong in their
Dawah. When a group of them embraced Islam and followed the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, did they just sit back silent?
Look at what Allah says about them in the Quran. They said:
O our people! Respond (with obedience) to Allahs Caller (i.e. Allahs

Messenger Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and believe in him
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(i.e. believe in that which Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has

brought from Allah and follow him). He (Allah) will forgive you of your sins,
and will save you from a painful torment (i.e. Hellfire). (Surat al-Ahqaaf:
31)
The Jinn were moved to convey this message as soon as they believed in
it. As soon as they believed in the message, they wanted to convey it and
this was the Jinn. The point is that the Jinn themselves wanted to convey
the Dawah.
If Messengers, Sahaabah and now the Jinn are not enough to inspire you
to do Dawah, then even the animals have Dawah. Take the story of the
Hud Hud (( )Hoopoe) in the Quran. Sulaymaan alayhis-salaam had
a military march and he ordered all his soldiers to be at the march.

He inspected the birds, and said: What is the matter that I see not the
hoopoe? Or is he among the absentees? I will surely punish him with a
severe torment, or slaughter him, unless he brings me a clear reason.
(Surat an-Naml: 20-21)
A bird goes from Falasteen to Yemen and then back, ordains the good and
forbids the evil. He was doing Dawah and when he comes back he is late
to the march. He says:

...

:

I have grasped (the knowledge of a thing) which you have not grasped
and I have come to you from Sabaa (Sheba) with true news. (Surat anNaml: 22)
He was on a Dawah mission so he says hold up Sulaymaan, I have
grasped knowledge you do not know about. What does he have?

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I found a woman ruling over them, and she has been given all things that
could be possessed by any ruler of the earth, and she has a great throne. I
found her and her people worshipping the sun instead of Allah, and
Shaytaan has made their deeds fair-seeming to them, and has barred
them from (Allahs) Way, so they have no guidance, Al-Laa (this word has
two interpretations), (A) [As Shaytaan has barred them from Allahs Way]
so that they do not worship (prostrate before) Allah, or (B) So that they
may worship (prostrate before) Allah, Who brings to light what is hidden in
the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you
reveal. Allah, Laa Ilaaha Illaa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped
but He), the Lord of the Supreme Throne! (Surat an-Naml: 23-26)
Her and her people were worshipping the sun. The bird sees them doing
Shirk and he cannot be silent, they need to be worshipping Allah, the Lord
of the Supreme Throne.
CONCLUSION ON DAWAH TO ALLAH

In conclusion, there is a difference between a real flower that gives us a
scent and a plastic flower that looks good, but only carries the name
flower. There is a difference between the two. The real flower, you put it in
your house and it has a nice scent and it looks better. But then you also
have a plastic flower, it looks very good but there is a huge difference
between the plastic flower and the real flower. The Muslim with no
Dawah, the Muslim who does not ordain the good and forbid the evil is
like that plastic flower. He is still a Muslim (we are not saying he is not a
Muslim), and he looks good too because a Muslim is always good Inshaa
Allah. However, he is like that plastic flower. The one who ordains the
good and forbids the evil and does Dawah like those we mentioned, is like
a real flower that has a scent, is more delightful to look at and is more
preferred to have in your house.
A believer who engages in Dawah and takes that task upon himself is like
running water. Running water is always more pure than still water. If the
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water is still (in a pond or in a pool), what happens over time? You have to
look at the matter over time. It may stay clean for a while in your pool,
your pond or anywhere else, even if the space is big. It is going to remain
clean for some time, but after a while it gets tainted, unlike running water
that runs into the oceans which is more pure and cleaner. If you do not
ordain the good and forbid the evil and you do not do Dawah, you are like
the still water and you might get tainted after a while.
There is no neutral ground in Dawah, especially for us in the West. Take
that as a rule, there is no neutral ground in the Dawah zone. You cannot
say I am just neutral to myself. You are either giving Dawah or you are
getting invaded in your belief. The water gets tainted over time, especially
in the circumstances that we are in. Be like that clean running water with
Dawah to Allah. A believer does not want to be still with his religion, he
always wants to move and convey and teach others, because that is
among the noble tasks and the task of the Messengers.
CLASS TEN
This is what is supposed to be, or considered our tenth class on Al-Usool
Ath-Thalaathah. We took the four fundamental introductory principles that
the book starts off with. The first one was knowledge and its definition.
The second one is applying knowledge. The third one is, which we took
and finished last week, conveying knowledge. And what we will take today
is the fourth one, then Inshaa Allah we will take the proof. We most likely
are not going to finish it today so we will probably have today and next
week on the fourth one, Inshaa Allah Taaala.
THE FOURTH INTRODUCTORY MATTER: PATIENCE

The fourth one is patience. The author says:

:
Patience in attaining knowledge, of course you need patience for that.
Attaining and conveying knowledge, you have to have patience for that.
That is why a lot of people fall off the wagon. Abu Ubayd spent forty years
writing his collection Ghareeb al-Hadith. Ibn Abdil-Barr spent thirty years
writing his book At-Tamheed, the book you know. Fath al-Bari that we
quote a lot, by Ibn Hajr, he spent twenty three years writing and revising
that book. So you need patience in attaining and conveying knowledge.
You need patience in application of knowledge, the second one. You need
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patience in Dawah to Allah. Patience goes to all that, however, the

statement of the author here is geared a little bit more specifically to
patience in Dawah to Allah.
The third matter, the one we just mentioned, because he says patience in
harm that you endure. And usually, the harm that you endure, usually,
comes when you start giving Dawah to Allah because a Daaiyah he calls
people unto changing, liberate themselves from their desires, the desires
that are embedded within them. Some evil traditions that have become
part of them, they have become part of them like their flesh and blood.
Their parents, grandparents and great grandparents were doing it. A
Daaiyah calls people unto leaving the evil matters and follow regulations
set forth by Allah, and that is always difficult to do. Sometimes they never
even heard of them before, it is difficult for people to change their nature
so what they usually do is resist and oppose and take it on the messenger
that is trying to convey that to them.
Therefore, a Daaiyah, a real Muslim for that matter has the option, I will
leave Dawah or I will leave aspects of my Islam. That is an option, which
of course is not an option to a believer. So leaving aspects of your Islam
like a Niqaabiyyah or Hijaab or beard or Salah, because one is ridiculed or
mocked or something happens to him in that matter, that is not an option
for a believer. And likewise, leaving Dawah is also and should not be an
option.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said in Sunan at-Tirmidhi:
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, a believer who mixes and
mingles with people, for Dawah, teaching them, and he is patient over
their harm, because they are going to harm him, is better than a believer
who goes into solitary in his house and is not patient over their harm.
So the other option is, the solution is, the cure to the matter is to get
acquainted with something called Sabr.
PATIENCE IS ESSENTIAL FOR A DAAIYAH

Everyone needs it, but a Daaiyah who calls unto Islam with his actions,
whether it is with his sayings, whether it is with his actions, in any of the
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many different means of Dawah, he needs Sabr. A Daaiyah is in dire and

desperate need of Sabr. Sabr is his brightness in his heart that never dims.
Patience, as-Sabr for a Daaiyah, Jawaadu Laa Yakboo ( ) , it
is a steed that does not stumble. As-Sabr for a Daaiyah is Jundun Laa
Yuhzam () , it is a military or an army, an undefeated army.
As-Sabr for a Daaiyah is an undemolishable fortress, is a Husnun Laa
Yuhdam () . So that is Sabr for a Daaiyah, for a practicing
believer, you need it. Of course every believer is supposed to be
practicing but today with our circumstances, you have to add practicing
believer.
WHAT
DO YOU GET OUT OF
PATIENCE?
Patience is an impenetrable armour and a shield. A Daaiyah uses

patience like a soldier, a military soldier uses an armour or a helmet or a
bullet proof vest. A Daaiyah uses patience in the same way a military
soldier uses that.
Allah said:

...

...
:
If you remain patient and steadfast and a Muttaqi, their harm, their
cunning, their conspiracy will not harm you.
It is an honour for one who is patient that Allah says:
:
...

Allah is with those who preserve patience. There is two types of Maiyyah (
), there is two types of accompanying of Allah. The first one is the

general accompanying of Allah, Maiyyah Aammah () .
General accompanying of Allah, which is the knowledge of Allah over this
whole Universe. Then you have the special, honorary accompanying of
Allah and that is what me and you need and that is what me and you
strive for. The first one is for everybody, the second one is only for a
selected few individuals. Who are they?
In Surat al-Mujaadilah, Allah said:
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: ...

Allah said, Allah knows whatsoever is in the Heavens and in the Earth.
Knowledge, His knowledge accompanies everything.

...

...

Najwa means secret, there is no secret between three except Allah is their
fourth, with His knowledge. As we are going to talk about in future, in the
future Tawheed classes, Allah is above His throne, we established it many
times. Allah is above His throne, Allah is above the seven Heavens, above
His throne:
:

This verse means with his knowledge, there is no three that have a secret
except Allah is their fourth with His knowledge. Nor five except Allah is
their sixth, with His knowledge, nor any more than that or any less than
that except Allah is with them. This is the general accompanying of Allah.
Likewise, so you know when you read the Quran which is the general
accompanying of Allah and the special accompanying of Allah:

:

The summary of the verse, He is with you by His knowledge, wherever you
may be. He is with you, with His knowledge, wherever you may be.
General, for everyone, believer, non believer, Muttaqi, whatever you may
be, Allah is with you, general.
In Surat at-Talaaq:
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The summary, Allah surrounds all things with His knowledge. Allah
surrounds everything with His knowledge:

...

...

This is the general, Maiyyah Aammah. Now, take the Maiyyah Khaassah
() , the special, honorary accompanying of Allah with His
knowledge to you.
:

...

Allah said, be patient, Allah is with those who are patient.

...

: ...

When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was in the cave fleeing from
Makkah to Madinah, he told Abu Bakr radhiallahu anhu:
...

...

Do not be sad, do not be afraid, do not grieve, Allah is with us. Special,
honorary accompanying of Allah.
When Allah sent Musa and Haroon:
...
:

I am with you both, I can hear you and I can see you. Maiyyah Khaassah
bil-Mumin Tatee Fee Siyaaq al-Madih wath-Thanaa (
) . For the Prophet

sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in the cave, for Musa and Haroon We sent
them to Firawn, for as-Saabiroon, anyone who is Saabir, special
accompanying of Allah with His knowledge. Special, honorary, for special
people. It is a compliment, it is a praise, it is a support from Allah, that is
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what me and you need. If we want that special accompanying of Allah

with His knowledge, to look out for us, we gain it by having patience.
:
...

The special, honorary, complimentary accompanying of Allah, for those
who are patient. More reward for those who are patient:
:

...

Focus on these two Ayaat with me. Allah loves those who are patient. The
first one is, Allah is with those who are patient, Allah loves those who are
patient, two Ayaat. Take these two Ayaat and put aside eighty eight other
Ayaat in the Quran that talk about patience. Imaam Ahmad is quoted as
saying, there is ninety Ayaat in the Quran that mention or talk about
patience. You take these two, if you take these two and contemplate and
think. If you know Allah is with you, the special, honorary accompanying of
Allah, al-Maiyyah al-Khaassah.
You know Allah is with you from the first verse, you know Allah loves you
from the second verse, if you let it register and believe it in your mind,
you know that He accompanies you with His knowledge, the special,
honorary way, then how could you ever be afraid or feel lonely? If Allah is
with you and you feel it, and you let it sink in and you know Allah is with
you, how could you ever be afraid or lonely? And if you know Allah loves
you from the second verse, then how could you ever grieve or worry? If
Allah loves you, how could you grieve or worry? You want the glad tiding
from Allah, then get it through Sabr.

Certainly, you are going to be tested. You are going to be tested with fear,
you are going to be tested with hunger, loss of wealth, you are going to be
tested with loss of fruits, but have the glad tiding for those who are
patient:

...

...

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They have a glad tiding. Who are they? As-Saabireen, the ones who say
Innaa Lillahi wa Innaa Ilayhi Raajioon:

You want the angels to enter on you in Jannah from all the gates?

:
The angels enter unto them, to you Inshaa Allah, to us, the angels will
enter upon you saying Salaamun Alaykum, peace be upon you. You
persevered patient, excellent indeed is the final home. The outcome has
been excellent, why? Why did they greet them? They said:

...

...

They gave them Salaam based on the quality of their patience.

...

:
Those who are patient receive their full reward without any reckoning. You
get abundance amount of reward for patience. When someone generous
says I got you, I got this saved for you, you know that there is a lot.
Imagine Al-Kareem, the ultimate in His generosity says you patient:

...

...
Abudance in reward.
We made from among them leaders, guiding by our command when they
were patient and they were certain of our signs:
When did they become Imaams? When they were patient and certain. Ibn
Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah and Ibn Katheer say statements
similar to that:
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With patience and certainty, one obtains leadership in religion. With
patience and certainty, one obtains leadership in religion. Patience with
certainty, tie them together, if patience and certainty are tied into a knot,
you get leadership, that knot is leadership in Islam.
WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF SABR?

THE LINGUISTIC DEFINITION
OF
SABR
Linguistically speaking, al-Habsu wal-Mana () .

Linguistically, it is to ban or prevent. Ban and prevent or ban or prevent.
Al-Habsu wal-Mana, ban and prevent yourself from despondency and
anxiety.

...
: ...

To prevent yourself from being despondent or having anxiety. To ban and

prevent your limbs from committing sins, that is Sabr, to ban and prevent
your tongue from complaining. Patience with no exaggeration, is a
methodology. It is not mere words said when one is afflicted, Wallah I am
patient. That is after he said something to anger Allah and then at the end
he says, Wallah I am patient.

Patience has its teachings, its rules and regulations. That is patience.
DOES COMPLAINING NEGATE SABR?

When I complain does it negate Sabr? The answer to that is, complaining
is two folds. The first one is bad and the other one is actually a good way
of complaining. One should never complain about Allah to His creations.
You complain to Allah and that complaining to Allah is a sign of strong
Imaan. Ya'qoob 'alayhis salaam, the father of Yusuf, after the trials he
went through, he said, in the initial beginning of it he said:
...

: ...

Beautiful patience. Beautiful patience is patience with no complaining. So
he said, I am determined to have beautiful patience, patience with no
complaining, I am not going to complain. You do not preserve patience so
that people can say Wallahi so and so is patient nor do you preserve
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patience so people can say Wallahi he was not despondent. Even though
he said:
...

: ...

And Allah quoted it in the Qur'an, after the news of what happened to his
son, he still complained. Ya'qoob still complained but he said:
...

: ...

Which is patience with no complaining but he still complained, he clearly
said it. In fact, he said I complain, but he said I complain to Allah:

...

...

I only, Innamaa, verily, only, I limit it, I complain my grief, my sorrow, what
I feel in my heart to Allah.
:

...
And, I know that of Allah which you do not know. Complaining to Allah
does not negate your patience. Complain your poverty to Allah. Complain
your worries, your anxiety, your weaknesses, complain that all to Allah.
That has nothing to do with negating your patience. Complain all that
which is in your heart, empty your heart to Allah. Cast what is in your
heart in all humbleness and humility to Allah and watch the results you
are going to get. Ayyub, a man declared by Allah, the Judge of all judges,
declared Ayyub and said about him:
...
:

Allah says truly, We found him, Ayyub, patient. Declaration by Allah, how
excellent of a slave he was. Verily, he was oft returning and repentant.
That is the meaning of Awwaab, one who continuously repent. But the
point of it is the beginning, truly We found him patient. Who said that?
Who found Ayyub patient? Allah, the Almighty found him. He still
complained, Allah declared him patient but he still complained. His
complaining to Allah was among the factors that gave him the honour of
being certified by Allah as having been found to be patient. He
complained to Allah:
...
: ...
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Look at the delicate word that Ayyub used, Massanee, I have been
touched. Destroyed me, doomed me, Ahlakanee ( ), he did not
use any of those words. He said, I have been touched. Touch, a little bit of
touch of hardship, I have been touched with problems. What problem was
he touched with? Every one of you knows that, we do not need to go
through them. He is an example of one who is patient. And even though
he lost all his wealth, he lost all his family, children, except his wife, he
lost his health, he was in an illness in the bed, he says Massanee. All that
is not for a day or two, for years and years. When he complained to Allah,
he says:
: ...

...

Because people are worse off than him. I have been touched with an
affliction, so he complained but he complained in a humble way. Allah
declared him to be one who was found to be patient. The sinful, the wrong
type of complaining, the one that negates your patience is complaining
the Creator to one who is created. The provider to one who is been
provided, to complain the Most Merciful, Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem to a
human who is deficient or lacks mercy in totality. Look at it, when you
want to sit and complain to people, does it make sense to you to complain
to one who is deficient in mercy or does not even have mercy, and leave
the one who is perfect and complete and ultimate in His mercy? ArRahmaan Ar-Raheem, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Ibn al-Qayyim Rahimahullah said complaining is three levels. The first one
is, the most despicable is complaining about Allah to His creation. Why did
this happen, why am I going through this, why this, changing your belief,
changing your ways. The second one is the best level, which is
complaining matters to Allah. The third one is in the middle, which is
complaining creation to the Creator. So the second two are good, are ok,
the first one is the one that negates patience.
THE TYPES
OF
PATIENCE
This is like I said, a brief outline that we need to talk about, about
patience. I gave a lecture and it is available on patience, which talks in
depth about trials and tribulations (See Appendix One for transcript). You
got the Sabr Alat-Taaah wal-Mamoor () ,
patience to the obligatory, that which you are ordered to do. Sabr AlalMasiyyah () , patience to refrain from the sin. The
first two, like waking up for Fajr, long day of working, you probably slept
late at night, you probably did Qiyaam then suddenly Fajr comes, you got
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to wake up again for Fajr. Or someone is next to his wife in the comfort of
his bed and his wife is next to him, he leaves that to go and make his
Salah, Salatul-Fajr or Salatun-Naafilah. To turn away from that dream
house or that house that you want to shelter your family In, because you
do not want to get into Riba. To stop your tongue from what has become
the fruit of the settings today, Gheebah and Nameemah, to stop your
tongue from that needs a lot of patience. So those are the first two types
of patience. The third one is patience on that which Allah destined for you,
of trials and tribulations, as-Sabru Alal-Balaa wal-Maqdoor (
) .

Do you people think that people will be left alone and not be tested, you
think you will say we believe and you will not be tested? We indeed tested
those before you, you are not any better than those before you. We tested
those before you, so Allah will certainly make it known, those who are
people of truth and those who not. Imaan is not a word your utter, it is not
a word you say on your tongue alone. Imaan is tongue, heart and action.
WHY DOES ALLAH TEST US?

He said it in the Quran:

...

Allah will not leave the believers in the state which they are in, until He
distinguishes the wicked from the good.

...

...
Allah has wisdom behind matters. You are tested, sometimes you know
the wisdom, sometimes you do not know. That is what Allah means,
sometimes you do not know, you do not know the Ghayb.
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...

:
Allah will not disclose that but believe in Allah and His Messenger and if
you do, you get abundance in reward:

...

Believe in Allah and His Messenger, that is the point of it, stay steadfast
no matter what happens of you. The point of it, He is saying at the end of
the verse, to remain on the right path of Allah and the Messengers of
Allah. Allah tests people of Imaan to distinguish between the truthful and
a liar:
...

...

Look at that, until He distinguishes the wicked from the good. He
distinguishes the wicked from the good through trials and tribulations and
tests. Whether it may be financial ones or problems with health or
problems with business, and it could be problems, tested with matters for
ones Deen and that is the ultimate kind of test.
A second time, a very similar verse:

In order that Allah will distinguish the wicked from the good and look at
that, and He will stockpile the filth on top of each other. Trials and
tribulations, matters that happened, Fitan that happened recently in the
past ten or fifteen years, stockpiled the filth on one side and stockpiled
the righteous people on the one side. You can see and tell, the Du'aat, you
can tell. Filth is filth and you can tell the righteous is righteous.
...

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For us and for Allah and we are going talk about that in a little bit more
detail. There are those who when they are touched with any harm,
suddenly their appearance changes, their methodology changes with their
appearance. Clipping and trimming that which used to be an untouchable
Fardh, so suddenly now is a Sunnah and even lesser than a Sunnah.
Walaa and Baraa used to be defined in one thing, and Alhamdulillah
things are recorded, you can see it, now suddenly Walaa and Baraa is a
totally different thing.

:

Some may not say why Allah did You do that, no. Some people failed the
test, that is the ignorant laymen people failing the test, why Allah did You
do that? Others may change their belief and principles and begin to
compromise their principles. Those who went to prison and came out
totally different. Those who when trials came up, before, look at them and
look at their audio and video and their talks and their articles before the
trials and look at it today. Stockpiled filth on top of each other and
stockpiled the righteous on top of each other. He may not have said why
Allah did You do this to me, he may have not complained, why did this
happen to me, but he is a different man in his belief, he changed his
belief. Those are filth not being worthy of being carriers of the Da'wah of
Allah subhaanahu wa ta'aala.
DO NOT EXPECT A LIFE WITHOUT TRIALS

Do not ever expect Da'wah on the correct Manhaj, to be paved with red
carpet and flowers. Do not ever expect that. Do not ever expect it to be
paved with flowers and red carpet and lead you to a life of comfort and
luxury. Establish yourself from now, that you need Imaan and Sabr to
endure hardships if you are on the right path of Da'wah. We said in the
University of Yusuf 'alayhis salaam, the seminar I gave, do not ever ask
Allah for trials, ever. Rather, ask Allah to save you from trials but establish
within yourself Imaan and Sabr, and that only comes through knowledge.
That is why we learn knowledge, so when the trial comes you do not fail.
Wallahi, I can number names that when they were inflicted with trials and
how they failed, of our time, and popular people and people that you may
have heard in the media.
Do not ever be like those who:
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...

And among mankind is those who worship Allah as they were on the edge.
You see if you are walking on the edge of a cliff, like a narrow place, like
on the edge of this table. If good befalls him and everything is going his
way, ah I am a believer, I am content. If a trial befalls him, he turns back
on his face, losing both this world and the Hereafter:
...

:

He lost this world and by him not being pleased with what Allah chose
with him, he lost the life after. Allahumma Thabbitnaa, Allahumma
Thabbitnaa. If he gets what he wants of wealth and fame and money and
prestige and followers, he is with the general flow of the believers. If a test
comes, suddenly a test comes, he leaves that path. You hear people now
saying, Du'aat, I want to live happy, I want to go back to my wife and kids.
I do not want problems no more, Fitan happened. And they did not even
see Fitan, it did not even come near them, they did not even smell it. You
are going to hear someone say this Da'wah is not for me. I just heard it
actually a few days ago, if I am going to be scrutinised for going to the
Masjid, I am not going to the Masjid no more.

:

A Daa'iyah, a Muslim, follows the guided path and he accepts the baggage
that comes with it. A Daaiyah accepts the right path and the baggage
that comes with it. Whatever outcome Allah has for him, he takes it with
an open heart and a bare chest shouting I am a believer.

...

...

And We indeed tested those who were before them, you are not any
better than them. We indeed tested those before you.

...

:
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And we are going to talk about what that means, Allah wants to know
those who are truthful and those who are liars. The Prophets get tested
and they get harmed, you are going to get harmed and tested. Comfort,
luxury, red carpets in the path of Dawah, it did not happen to a single
Messenger. It did not happen for the most beloved to Allah of His creation,
it did not even happen to any of the other Messengers and who do we
look up to when we say Dawah? When we say Dawah, who is our
example in Dawah? The Messengers of Allah. Do you know any
Messenger of Allah that did not live a life of hardship, from beginning to
end? Those are the ideal examples that one looks up to in Dawah. Now
you see those who made Dawah a job, a career, for fame, for luxury, for
going with whatever the trend of that time is. Whatever makes you
popular at that time, that is what their ideology is, that is what their Deen
is, their religion is whatever is that. If you are on the right path and you
have no enemies and you have no trials, then close the door in your house
and double check what you are doing.

:

We appointed for every Prophet:
...
...

You have to have enemies. Shayateen, devils, some will say oh it is
Shayateen, look what Allah specified. Not only Shayateen of Jinn, Allah
specified:
...
...

Mankind and of Jinn, so no one will say it was about the Jinn. Inspiring to
each other adorned speech as a delusion, if Allah did not want, they would
not have done it:
...

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A very similar verse like this one:

We made for every Prophet, enemies. He has to have enemies, the
Sunnah of Allah, you cannot change the Sunnah of Allah. Disbelievers,
polytheists, today you have the modernists and those who you know,
Allahu Alam what they are. Allah said:
...
...
Every. This is for who, me and you? It is for those who are better than me
and you, the examples of Dawah. If Allah appointed for every Prophet,
enemies, you expect a true Muslim on the true path to be free of enemies
and problems and hardships and trials and tribulations? Explain that to
me. Those fake ignorant heads we have today, the ones we see, the ones
who have this assumption that they can get everyone to be pleased at
them and everyone in their imaginary mind, they can get them into some
big circle of unity. They think they are the new Messiah with such saviour
powers and knowledge to get everyone in this circle, which the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not have. Everyone should be
happy, together, and we are on the same page.

...
...

They want to bring the world together on the wrong pretext and on the
account of displeasing Allah. Those need to learn the basics of Dawah,
not the basics of Dawah but rather before that, the basics of their Deen.
When you embrace Dawah and you are affective on the true Manhaj, on
the true belief, you must have enemies. And in a time like today, if your
speech is true and your Tawheed is pure, you are going to have enemies
from those who claim to be Muslims before the non Muslims. Was it
mentioned in the Quran in vain two times?
We all know it, in Juzz Amma. We all read Juzz Amma and we all
memorise it but do we contemplate it? Verily those who in this life
committed crimes, used to laugh at the believers.
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Whenever they pass by the believers, they wink at each other in mockery.
This was talking about the non believers doing it to the believers. Today,
we have those who claim to be believers doing it to the righteous
believers of Tawheed.

When they return to their people, they return jesting.
And when they see them they say verily, these guys have been gone
astray. They see the righteous people of Tawheed, the strangers, the true
people on the pure Tawheed today are strangers among strangers among
strangers. Those who are on the true Tawheed, verily, have gone astray,
for example. How is that?

...
You know Dhaalloon? They are deviants. He is a Takfeeri, he is a
Khawaarij, they throw their labels at them. Ok, you call them these
names, come here buddy, what is the scholarly definition of a Takfeeri?
They could not tell you. What is the characteristics that the scholars, the
Ulamaa of the Salaf mention on a Khawaarij? They do not know. What
happens is, they hear the crowing of the roosters and they begin to crow
with them. I am going to have a little but more respect, I am not going to
say they heard the dogs barking so they began to bark like the dogs, I am
going to say they heard the crowing of the roosters so they crow like
them. Printed labels ready to be uttered at a moments notice, without
fear of Allah. You as a believer, if you are on the true path and you are
steadfast, you are going to be tested and you need patience.
Verily during the world before, those who committed the crimes used to
laugh at those who believed. Keep these Ayaat between your eyes when
you struggle, when people complain to me I am facing this, I am facing
that. Yes, it is good to consult but keep these Ayaat in complaining to
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them. When you are on the guided path and they throw labels at you, and
you are sure you are on the path of the Quran and the Sunnah, following
the Sahaabah and those who followed them in guidance, they mock you
and they are happy about you, pay attention to:
They make fun of you, they harm you, Allah says:
...

...

So what is the result if I am patient? Wait for this day, Allah tells you, wait
for this day:

:
We are not going to mock no one now, in this life. But in the life after,
those who believe will laugh at the disbelievers. Those who mocked you,
then you can mock them back and laugh at them. Ibn al-Mubaarak said alQalbi narrated from Abi Saalih about the verse of Allah:

: ...

Allah mocks them. Abu Saalih said, this is the statement of Ab Saalih, the
torment is in addition to the regular torment they get in Hell. The gates of
Hell open and they are told to leave and the people in Hell quickly head to
the doors, when they reach the doors, the gates of Hell close; as part of
their punishment. When the believers see them, they begin to laugh at
them. There is windows in Jannah that they see the people in Hell and Abu
Saalih said that is the meaning of:

:
That is the day when the believers will laugh at them. Wallahi, there is
nothing I look more forward to than the day we are Inshaa Allah called to
an appointment to see the face of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. That is
the first thing I look forward to. The second thing I look forward to in
Jannah, is the pleasant view from the windows of Jannah on the thrones of
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al-Araaik (
) , with glasses of yoghurt and honey and water, on
looking those in Jahannam who for so long relentlessly tortured and
harmed and mocked and killed us. May Allah forgive our sins and keep us
steadfast on the Straight Path, so we can get those ranks and levels
Inshaa Allah Taaala. We do not mock in this life because there is a chance
of repentance, there is always a chance to repent and come back to the
right path. But there is a time in the life after where even if it is a relative,
you are not going to feel any guilt for mocking them.

They get paid fully, for what they used to do, it is pay back time:
You mock, you get mocked in the life after. We ask Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala to unite us on al-Araaik overlooking those people who did this to
us, Inshaa Allah Taaala.
In conclusion, not a single Messenger or Muslim or reviver who took on
this task, except he was tested. That is the Sunnah of Allah so we need to
strengthen our Sabr, work on our Sabr, and that only comes through
knowledge. Or some may need to jump off the wagon and I do nut suggest
that but that is the only two ultimatums, and I suggest Sabr and
knowledge. May Allah keep us steadfast and away from misguidance
Inshaa Allah.
SOME VERSES ON TRIALS

Look at some of the verses on trials.

...

Laam at-Tawkeed ( ) , certainly it is going to happen, be
assured it is going to happen. Laam of oath, this is also considered Laam
of oath () . Allah gives an oath, Wallahi you are going to be
tested. And right after that, it is the heavy Noon. These are matters
consistent throughout the Quran, look:
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: ...

Same Laam, Laam at-Tawkeed or Laam al-Qasm. You shall certainly be
tried and tested in your wealth and in your property, and in your personal
selves.

...

..

Look at the second part of it, the other one, Laam is certain, it is
imminent. And you shall certainly hear much of that which grieves you,
from those who received the Scripture before and those who ascribe
partners to Allah. So how Yaa Allah we deal with it? It is in the same verse,
how we deal with it:

...

How do we deal with it? Allah did not leave us hanging. If you persevere
patiently and have Taqwa, just like the previous verses we took, then that
is a determining factor in all affairs. It is a determining factor in your
success in the life after.
It is not necessary to see the fruit of your Dawah in this life. Some people
want to see the ultimate victory, the ultimate victory is to die patient and
firm on the right path and that is why we continuously ask Allah to keep us
steadfast and firm on the right and pure Tawheed. The believers endured
so much and the Messengers endured so much of trials and tribulations,
among the examples is the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam. He endured so much that Allah sent condolence to the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and that which he endured.
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...
When he was agonised over that which hurt him, Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, Messengers before you were denied, Messengers before
you, they disbelieved in were harmed. What did they do?
...

...

They were patient in the denial they faced, patient in the trials they faced,
and they were tested, harmed, and they were hurt.
...

...

Till Our victory reached them.

...

...
There is no way around it. As a Daaiyah, know that, read the verse. There
is no one who can change it, so if you are expecting a life with no
hardships and trials:

...

...
There is no one who can change the word of Allah. The victory is going to
come for sure and also, the tests before it is going to come. You cannot
change the Sunan and trends of Allah. A Daaiyah is going to be touched
with harm and it is the Sunnah of Allah, there is no way around it. Do you
remember our series on the Graduates of the University of Yusuf, the most
honourable Ulamaa. And I mentioned in there that they were stricken with
grief and hardships, we mentioned how Imaam Abu Haneefah and the four
Imaams, how they were stricken with grief and hardship and their life was
trial after trial. And if you also go on further to read the books like that of
Seerah 'Alaam an-Nubala, the heroes of Islam, or other books, volumes of
books that mention the history of the revivers. Perhaps someone can
enlighten me of one of the revivers of Islam, the prominent people that we
mention tens of times in our Halaqaat, one of those which history
documented that did not go through trials throughout his life? Was it a
coincidence they all went through trials? No.

...

:

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Allah says finally, surely it reached you the news of the people before you.
This is the news of the Messengers before you, meaning what happened
to the Messengers before you, happened to you. They were tested and
tried and then they got the victory and the same happens to you.
Contemplate the history, beloved Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
trials after trials, Allah is telling him to contemplate the history of the
previous Messengers and how they went through trials and then victory.
Trials that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam went through in Dawah
and his personal life, one after another, one overlapping the other. So
) , ordering him
desperately, that he had to hear from Allah, Fasbir (

to be patient, direct order by Allah to be patient at least eleven times in
the Quran. Fasbir Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Allah says:
...
:

Allah says be patient, the end, the destiny, because a lot of times when
one goes through trials and one sees the Ummah in the state that it is in,
he forgets that there is a victory coming; the end and destiny is for alMuttaqeen.
: ...

Be patient over what they say. Be patient, because you are going to hear
a lot of stuff that is going to be talked about you. If you sit in your house,
you are not going to hear no one talking. Go to the Dawah front, you are
going hear every last thing about your own self, that which makes you
doubt your own self at times.
: ...

: ...

In Surat Ghaafir a second time:
: ...

Three times, why did Allah repeat it? In vain? There is not a single dot in
the Quran that is repeated in vain. The catastrophic calamities befall on a
believer, so Allah wanted to repeat it again and again so you read it again
and again and understand the solution is Fasbir.

:

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Allah says to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, We

revealed to you this Quran, we revealed to you this Quran in stages.
Tanzeela means in stages. Really, what you would imagine the next verse
after that is , so thank Allah. He revealed the Quran, He honoured you
with the Quran so thank Him. The next verse after that:
: ...

Be patient. It is not thank Allah, it is:
: ...

And Allah commands you to preserve patience to that which Allah has in
destiny for you.
...

:
Be patient to the decision, to that which Allah has for you. Do not be like
the companion of the fish. Meaning, do not leave Dawah. When all the
problems happen, do not just walk away, just like Yunus did.
...

:
Be patient oh Muhammad, like the strong willed Messenger did. Fasbir, He
wants to remind him of the Messengers, be patient like them. It is not an
easy task, if it was an easy task everyone would be on this path. It is a
task paved with hardship and thorns. It is a task and it is a path paved
with extreme hardship, but it is the way that leads you to Firdaws. The
other path is a path paved with ease and red carpet, but it leads to an
unpleasant destiny and you do not want to go that other way. Even though
it looks good, you do not want to go that way. You want to go to the way
that may seem difficult but it gets you to the right place.
Today, a tiny bit of thing that happens to people these days, so suddenly
he is in doubt of his religion. He is looking in the rear view mirror to make
a U turn out of a guided path. Tiny bit, when the dirt is placed on your
head, then maybe you can complain. When the guts of a camel are thrown
on you and people began to fall in weakness of laughter over each other,
then possibly you can nag and speak about it. When one of you is choked
to near suffocation and Abu Bakr radhiallahu anhu has to come and
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rescue you, when he has to rescue you from a beating to near death, then
one can talk. When they put you in a siege, like they did to the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, you can call it a siege, you can call it a prison,
you can call it a concentration camp, call it all that. When the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was in Shaab Abu Talib, you can call it, it is
considered a concentration camp and it is considered a siege and it is
considered a prison. It was more like a prison, if you read the details of
how it was. They tried to discredit him and call him a fraud, the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, a fraud. A fraud on a human being, that is a
little rank, a fraud on Allah the Almighty. They called him insane, a
madman, a Majnoon.
Wallahi, I know lowlife scums and bums, criminals, who killed and
murdered, who are willing to spend the rest of their life in prison rather
than take a plea deal of insanity and walk out after a few years. They
would rather spend their life in prison than to be documented as insane.
Their integrity refuses to allow them to consider themselves insane, even
if it meant life behind bars.
Your Prophet gets called a madman, insane. Not only him, but the
Messengers before him were called the same thing. And for someone to
call you crazy, that is really a big thing. And Allah says not only about the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, even the Messengers
before.

Messengers who came before, all of them, their people said, there is
people who were following who it was said about them, sorcerers or
madmen. They called our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam what would
be today, an incompetent, insignificant man. Basically, wal-Iyaathu Billah,
a bum, they called our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that. My life,
my soul, my spirit, my family, my wealth be ransomed to our beloved,
they called him that.
:

When they see you oh Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, they treat
you in mockery. They mock you, and that is difficult, when you are mocked
and made fun of. Is this the one who Allah sent as a Messenger? This guy?
Allah could not find better than this guy? They sit and laugh and say:
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...

They scan him up and down in contempt and they say, Allah could not find
a better one than this?

:

Why was a great man out of Makkah not chosen? Why was a great man
out of Makkah not chosen for the Quran to be revealed to you? Allah
could not find better than this? Mentioned in the Quran many times. His
friends, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, are refugees in Abyssinia, in Africa, in
the lands of Najaashi, al-Habashah. His friends are refugees in Abyssinia,
his other friends are in the hot sun being tortured. He is being pelted with
stones, he is wanted as a refugee, in a dark cave full of snakes and
scorpions with the highest bounty on him and his best friend. His sons, his
children, al-Qaasim, Abdullah, Ibraheem, Zaynab, Ruqayyah, Umm
Kalthoom, all die one after the other. The only one who survives till the
end of his life is Fatimah and then he gets the news that as soon as he
dies, right after him she is going to die. He gets that news before, when he
was alive. Calamity after calamity, trial after trial, both in his personal life
and in his Dawah life. It is not just personal, it is also in his Dawah life, it
is not just Dawah, it is also in his personal life. Today, one loses a parent,
one loses a son and he never recovers after that ever. He lost all his
children except Fatimah.
Even in his final moments departing, he was not exempted from hardship,
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Ibn Masood sees him shaking, in Bukhari, in
Muslim. He walks in, Ibn Masood, when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam is on his deathbed and he is shivering. Ibn Masood puts his hand
on him and says, oh Prophet of Allah, you are very ill. He is emotional, Ibn
Masood, he said I get the pain of two men. Ibn Masood said, you get the
double reward as well? He said yes, I get the double reward. He gets the
Waseelah, two, it is expensive. So you want to be as close to Allah as you
can, to the Waseelah, you want to be as close to the Waseelah as you can,
you want to be as close to the throne of Allah as you can, hold firm on the
path, convey it and be patient. That is the way for it.
His noble character in Dawah, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
was patience. If it was revenge he wanted in his stage of Dawah, he
would have made an example out of the people of Taif. To let the blood of
the people of Taif flow down from the mountain peak, all the way down to
the valleys of Makkah, so that the tribe of Quraysh and all the factions
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around it and the whole Arabian Peninsula will hear an unforgettable

lesson of that which happened to anyone who violates the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. But no, he says no, leave them.
He tells the angels of the mountains who is ready to do this, he says leave
them, maybe there will come from them those who will worship Allah. Take
this, because we raise Duaat, we raise Duaat here, we say every time he
left a scene of torture and ousting, he was more optimistic and energised
to continue in his mission. More sure than ever that he would prevail
because he had between his eyes, Wasbir, it could not come out without
Wasbir. Fasbir, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave the most promising
prophecies, inspiration to his Sahaabah, in the darkest time, when they
were in the darkest of the tunnel. Learn from that, a Daaiayh is most
optimistic in what people perceive as the most crucial and darkest
moments. A Daaiyah is calm and he is assured and he knows victory is
right around the corner and he knows that it is his duty to rescue that
ship.
A DAAIYAH IS MOST OPTIMISTIC IN THE DARKEST

OF TIMES
In al-Ahzaab, look at the promised victories in the hardest and darkest
time. In al-Ahzaab, one of the most difficult times of the Ummah. Cold,
freezing, and if you know the desert of Madinah, how freezing it is, you
know. Rain, hail, terrorised, the Universe is united against him.

:

...

They were terrorised. Ghatafaan, Najd, Murrah, Ashja, Quraysh, tribes
from all over, the Jews on the outskirts of Madinah betray them in the final
moments. In the dark moment, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is
optimistic. The world is against him and he says, we are going to be
victorious over the superpowers of the Romans, we are going to be
victorious over the superpower of the Persians. He said this in the midst of
the world uniting, about to make him extinct. That is the purpose of alAhzaab, to make the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the
Sahaabah extinct. We are going to be victorious over Sanaa, the East, the
West and the centre, the world is going to fall under our control. The sick
hearted said, you believe a man telling you he sees the palaces of the
superpowers falling under his control yet he is digging a trench and we
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cannot even defend ourselves? He tells you he is going to rule the world
and we are afraid to step yards away to go urinate?

:

...

Allah and His Prophet did not give us nothing but false promises. The firm,
the believers, in those dark times, every time matter gets worse, their
Imaan is energised. Every time matters get worse, it boosts their Imaan.
The rain, their Imaan gets stronger, the cold, their Imaan gets stronger.
The tribes betraying them in the final moments and seconds, their Imaan
gets stronger. The final straw is ten thousand men yards away from them,
within yards away from them.
:

This is what we have been waiting for, this is it. It is a dark time, but that
is what we have been waiting for. A believer, a Daaiyah, the more he is
inflicted, the more he is optimistic about the message, as long as he is on
the right path and guided path. Nights do not last forever, nights are only
hours long and then the daylight breaks.
In Tirmidhi, Sad radhiallahu anhu:

He asked the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, who is most tested? If
you were to ask me that before learning the concepts and principles of
Islam, I am going to tell you the sinners. The adulterers, the rapists, the
fornicators, that is who is going to get tested. The Prophet said:

...

The Messengers and those who follow them.

...

...

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A man is tested according to his belief, according to his Deen. If his Deen
is firm, that is it, he proved himself? No, if his Deen is firm, give him more.
He passed to the second level of Heaven, ok, we got to take him to the
third level of Heaven. He passed the third level of Heaven, we want to
take him up a level of Heaven. He takes him to a higher level because
Allah loves you, He wants you to be as close to the Arsh as one can be.

...

...

If his Deen is not that strong.
...

...
If his Deen is not that strong, then his punishment stops right there. Ok,
this guy just gets right inside the door of Heaven, that is his place, that is
where he stays.
...

The tests come one after another until a servant leaves this Earth with not
a single sin. Allah wants to purify you, He wants to refine you. He wants
you to meet him pure so you can be close to the Arsh. Refining and
burning gold makes it pure, it takes the pure gold out, it purifies one. But
gold does not come out easy, the pure gold, it comes on one thousand
degrees Celsius or more, so it needs purification. Allah is refining you,
Allah is purifying you.
I was talking to a Daaiyah in UK, just hours ago, this morning. And I was
encouraging him to give Dawah, to teach people, to teach the youth
because the method of Noor ad-Deen Zinki and how he raised a
generation is the true method. And he told me every time there is a notice
for me to give a lecture, the police in UK cancel the event. I told him that
is better than here, over here the Muslims do that. Muslim Masjids we
have here, not a single Masjid allow us to teach the Usool Ath-Thalaathah.
We search and we got to pursue and find places to run classes, we do not
announce it because we are at capacity. We do not have no room, we have
to tell the sisters leave, and we have how much? I do not even know how
many Masjids we have in our vicinity over here, maybe fifteen or more.
Not a single one invited or allows me to give one single talk there. Two
weeks ago, there was a sudden change in a Masjid, in the officials there
and there was a big event going. So the man, Jazah Allahu Khayr, he said I
am going to invite Shaykh Ahmad, he invited me. I said ok but you make
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sure it is ok with the people. As soon as the posters went up with my

name, oh watch out, the American government is after this guy, we do not
want him here. How did you guys invite this guy?
I say, if there is errors, if they are after any errors, let us debate. We are
open for debate, the debating arena is big. But after we debate, since we
are dealing with ignorant heads around us and modernists and deviants
and all types of people, after the debate, let us do Mubaahalah ()
as well and see who is wrong. The curse of Allah fall on who is deviant and
who is wrong and who chooses a different ideology. There is not a single
mistake by the will of Allah that they can find, Alhamdulillah. We are not
infallible but Alhamdulillah, I do not bolster or brag, but if it is time for
debate, Biithnillahi Taaala, they will see who is a mockery and who is not.
Deluded modernists, people who attack their brothers in supporting, and
to please the Kuffaar. And other times, you look left and right at times, you
do not find a single supporter. And at times, you will hear lots of noise but
there is nobody there. What did we mention? We have ten classes here,
have you heard us mention anything in Usool Ath-Thalaathah that is out of
the ordinary? Basic teachings that their kids and their elders should know.
And the situation of the Masaajid actually reminds me of, Muhammad
Iqbaal said:
-

I am going to revise it and say:

Every day you go to the Masjid, oh we are collecting donations for a new
Masjid. The bricks are going up, the Masaajid are going up.

Where is the voice of Bilal? When a calamity happens to them, they are
quick and eager to condemn it. When a calamity happens to a believer,
Wallahi you look left and right, is there any help? No. When a calamity
happens to them, everybody is for condemning it. When a believer is
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oppressed in a prison or there is a situation of the Ummah ongoing, give

me one, we need one to speak about it.

The Manaarats are going up in every town, in every city, in every
township.

The Masjid from the word of truth, is empty. And that is the sad situation
of the Ummah.
I think it is time for Salah so we will have Salah Inshaa Allah Taaala and
we will take questions and answer them. I am not really done talking
about patience, we will finish it Inshaa Allah next class.
CLASS ELEVEN
This is our eleventh class on Al-Usool Al-Thalaathah. This Halaqah is more
like a conclusion for the Halaqah last week on patience. This is the fourth
and final principle of the four introductory principles. With this we will
conclude with the four introductory principles. Next week Inshaa Allah, it
will be proof on these four principles.
Before I begin talking about the Sabr, it actually pertains to Sabr, I wanted
to share a story. This morning I got questions about a Fiqh issue, on how to
deal with someone who committed suicide. Can he be buried by Muslims?
Can one make Duaa for him? Can one make Salatul-Janaazah upon him?
And that is not really the point, but since I know I am going to get asked
about that issue, I will get it out of the way. Simply put, the answer is yes.
Muslims should do Salah on one who committed suicide, he is still
a Muslim. That is not an act of Kufr in the correct opinion of the scholars.
They should make Salah on him, they should bury him, they should shroud
him, they should bury him among the believers, and they should make
Duaa and Istighfaar for him. It is a super major sin, no doubt about that.
But in itself, by itself, it does not make one a non believer or negate his
Shahaadah.
Now if he does not make Salah, that is a whole different story. I adopt the
view that one who does not make Salah is a Kaafir. Even if he claims he is
lazy, he is a Kaafir, Salah is a different story. But if he makes Salah and he
committed suicide, that is a sin, committing suicide is a sin. The 'Ulamaa
said that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam refused to make Salah
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on an individual who committed suicide during his time. But the reason
they say he did not make Salah was to deter others from doing that act.
So the Shuyookh, the prominent people, the leaders, they should avoid
making Salah on one who committed suicide so they can deter others. So
others will have two thoughts, is this guy going to make Salah on me
when I die if I commit suicide? It will make him think twice.
The details were astonishing about this young man. He was twenty three
years old from Bangladesh, memorises the entire Quran, never was
known to abandon Salah, he was always consistent on his Salah. They do
not know any time he ever missed a single Salat. The day he killed
himself, he performed Salatul-Dhuhr and Salatul-Asr. He was known to be
pious and no one ever imagined this to happen. He actually, from what I
was told, had a long beard, his discussions were all about Islam. A few
hours after Asr, the maid walks in his room, finds him hanging from a
rope. This is one story.
Another story from a sister. She text and called and called and called
approximately four o'clock, several weeks ago. And she said she is in the
bathroom trying to slice her wrists, she actually started. I said why? She
said over some argument, it is a big argument, but an argument with her
husband. I said, is this man worth you getting a millisecond of the blazing
Hell of Jahannam? Alhamdulillah she stopped it and she is doing good, but
imagine if she went along with it. May Allah grant her, her kids and all of
our sisters, content and happiness in this life.
When one is at ease, he neglects this topic about Sabr. Many take the
teachings of Sabr in such a superficial way and that is why we have these
problems. Those are the ones who do not have the immune system of
Sabr to fend off trials, depression, anxieties and calamities. That is how
one ends up losing his Imaan or life. One firmly rooted in this topic may
get mad. You are a human being, you are going to get mad. One may get
suicidal thoughts. Your Nafs, your Shaytaan, you get suicidal thoughts. But
a Hadith, an Ayah we mention, a story about Sabr, one of the matters that
we talked about Sabr, should come into ones mind and suddenly he
snaps out of it. That is basically the lesson we get from those, that you
take these topics to heart.
ONE ON THE GUIDED PATH SHOULD EXPECT

HARDSHIPS
Let us continue with our class. We spoke about many issues on Sabr and
we basically said, whenever one is on the guided path, he should expect
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hardships. Many many many years ago, I read a statement by Ibn Hazm,
where he said, whoever thinks he will not be harmed and he is on the
right path, he is crazy. If you are on the right path and you expect not to
be harmed, you have lost it, that is what Ibn Hazm Rahimahullah said.
There is no Imaam that becomes an Imaam without being tested.
...

:
We made amongst them Imaams, when?
...
...

When they were patient. This is a giant religion. This is a giant religion
that needs giants to carry it. Giants become giants after they pass tests,
that is how they become giants. Every trial goes away, clouds stream
away, trials always go away. If they do not go away, you are the one who
is going to leave them and walk away and go to the Ghafoor Ar-Raheem.
You are going to go then to the Ghafoor Ar-Raheem and leave them.
Everything starts, like some of the 'Ulamaa said, small and grows bigger,
except trials. They become big and Subhan Allah as time goes by, they
shrink and become smaller. Trials screen and honour believers.
Imam Ahmad in his Zuhd, Musnad Abu Sa'eed. Abu Sa'eed al-Khudri
radhiallahu anhu walks to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on his
death bed. And he puts his hand on the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam and says, oh Prophet of Allah, I cannot even place my hand on you
through the clothes because of the fever you have. The Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam said:

...

We, the assembly of the Messengers, get our tests multiplied just as our
reward is multiplied.

...

...

A Messenger used to get tested with lice. Lice infect him and eat him up
and chew him, until he dies.
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...

...

There were Messengers who were tested with poverty that they groveled
in a cloak or a mantle. Or in another narration, they could not lift a cloak
or a mantle. Meaning, cloak or a mantle that is worn on the upper half of a
body. A shirt, as light as it is, it was so heavy on them that they could
barely walk in it. It was so heavy that they could barely carry it. They were
so weak and fragile and malnourished from poverty, that they could not
even bear that on their back or bear the weight of carrying it. Does the
Hadith stop there?

...

Subhan Allah, they used to be happy with trials as one of you is happy in
his prosperity.
...

You think you are going to enter Heaven? You think you are going to enter
Heaven when Ammaar went to Heaven? I am going to enter the same
heaven Ammaar went to and he endured all that he endured? I am going
to enter the same Heaven Bilal entered and he endured all that he
endured?
You think that you will enter Paradise without such trials that came to
those before you? They were afflicted with:
...

...
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Severe poverty, Basaa is severe poverty.
...

...
Is ailments.
...
...

And they were shaken.

...

...

To the point that the Messenger, the Messenger and those close knit with
him, the believers say, when is the help of Allah going to come? Certainly,
the help of Allah is near:
...
Jannah is not a claim, Jannah is not dissarray and chaos, nor is it cheap
talk. Jannah comes through trials and tribulations. Victory comes in dark
points and Jannah comes through trials and tribulations.
TRIALS ARE A PURIFICATION FROM OUR SINS

Imaam Ahmed, an-Nasaaee, Ibn Hibbaan, al-Haakim, al-Bazzaar, mention
the Hadith:

:

" :

"

:
A Bedouin walks in on the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, were you ever afflicted, were
you ever taken by Umm Mildam? The man said, what is Umm Mildam?
The prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

It is a fever that comes and penetrates between the bone and the skin. It
is fever, Umm Mildam was a common term used for fever. This man was
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never afflicted by it to the point he never even knew what it was. Listen to
the next question, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

"

" :

:

"

" :

He said, did you ever get inflicted with a headache? He said, what is a
headache? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, it is a nerve that
causes pain inside the head. He said no I never got that, he did not even
know what it was.

When he walked away, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said,
whoever wants to see a man of the people of Hellfire, let him look at this
man. That is not all the time but that is most of the time.
A believer is like the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said in an
authentic Hadith, like a fresh branch. You know how a fresh green branch,
the wind plays with it left and right. That is how trials play with a believer
in this life. Someone who is not tested generally means Allah wants to
leave them on that status. Maybe in Hellfire, Naoothu Billah Min Thaalik.
Or maybe in a low point of Heaven, not close to Allah in Jannah. Unlike
those afflicted with trials. Knowing this gives you the Imaan to endure with
patience if something, Laa Samah Allah, happens to you.
In Musnad Ahmad, and it is in Sahih at-Taghreeb wat-Tarheeb:

The Prophet in this Hadith compares fever to how a blacksmith bellows
and refines metal. How a blacksmith, you know how they use bellows to
refine metal. Fever is purification from ones portion of Hellfire, like metal
is refined and purified by a blacksmith. Whereas he burns the metal and
the impurities from the metal go to a retour, the believer is tested with
trials, tested with fever for example, in this Hadith it mentions fever, and
his sins go to that retour so he will not be questioned or taken by them on
the Judgment Day.
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Al-Fudhayl Ibn Iyyaadh Rahimahullah said:

Al-Fudhayl said if Allah loves someone, He makes their problems, their
grief, their sorrow more. And if He hates them, He gives them a
prosperous life.
Abu Hurayrah, Hadith that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

In Sahih al-Bukhari. Whoever Allah wants good for, he will be touched.
Look at the word, touched. Touched, because no matter what Allah afflicts
you with, even if it is from the first day of your life to the last day you die,
it is only a touch because whatever Allah holds you for, He holds you for a
little bit of your sins, to forgive all of them.

Ibn Hibbaan and Abu Yalaa and others narrated the Hadith that the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, Allah wants to take someone to
a level of Jannah that his deeds stop him short of, so He afflicts him until
He gets him to that level. Your deeds stop your elevator in Jannah at level
two, but Allah wants you at level seven. Allah wants the throne of His, the
Arsh, to be the ceiling of your palace. So now trials come into play, so
Allah can boost you up to level number seven.
As long as you are with Allah, your heart is attached to Allah, you have a
thankful heart to Allah, your tongue praises Allah, that does Dhikr, that
has patience, do not ever be sad. May Allah allow us always to be
thankful, praising and patient. Trials are a reality of life, trials are a definite
reality of a Daaiyah, of the life of a Muslim, that is why you got to make
patience part of your life. Part of patience for a Muslim, for a Daaiyah, for
a Muslimah, is to stand your ground. If you are alone and if you have
supporters, it does not really matter. But most of the time, as a Daaiyah,
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you are going to find yourself alone or with a few. That is how it usually is,
that is how the trend is.
Al-Fudhayl Ibn Iyyaadh said:
Follow the guided path and do not be saddened with a few followers. If
there is only a few followers, do not be sad, follow that guided path.
Beware of the misguided path and do not be deceived by the doomed
majority.
THE IMPORTANCE OF INTENTION

Renew your oath, renew your oath every day. Renew your Niyyah every
day. Not every day but many times a day, not many times a day but every
step of your way, every act of your way. Every time you say a word, every
time you type something, every time you go for a Dawah event, any time,
renew your Niyyah. That is how you get your strength for Sabr, when
calamity hits you later on. If hard times pass you in this life and people
turn away, do you think anyone is going to help you before Allah?

If they do not help you in this life, you think they are going to help you in
the life after? If trials overwhelm you, you are not going to find no one
there but Allah and truly Allah is sufficient. That is all you really need. The
question is how to get Allah on your side? You are going to get hurdles
and bumps in your Dawah, the trials and tribulations are like hurdles and
bumps, one after another in your Dawah path. You are not going to find
no one but Allah when you get on these hurdles. So if you want Him to be
there for you, make sure that every step of the way before you got to
those hurdles, you were doing that which pleases Allah and not what
pleases the masses. And not what pleases your friends or what pleases
people. Does this please Allah, does this make Allah happy, is this in
accordance with the teachings of Islam?
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We all have situations where we had friends who betrayed us. If I was to
let you talk, we would be here all day and everyone has a story of his own.
I do not like to make my personal life a centre stage or talk about it in
lectures or even in social media, but sometimes there is essential lessons
that come out these stories and also sometimes there is awareness that
comes out of them to other Muslims. So I can say today from what I know,
there is no one who follows my classes who was among my students
before I went to prison. Not one that I know of, unless they are hiding
behind and listening, but someone who interacts and ask questions or that
I know of that studies with me, not a single one. When I was taken to
prison, it was approximately two nights before the end of Ramadhaan, it
was two nights before Eid al-Fitr. The first night I spent in prison, I woke
up to Eid al-Fitr in prison. May Allah give my mother the highest Firdaws
Inshaa Allah for what she endured of hardship.
The night before I went to prison, my father and I were invited to one of
our students house for Iftaar and it was packed. Ahmad Jibril is going to
be there, Shaykh Musa is going to be there, everyone was there, it was
packed. We stayed late at the brothers house because it was a large
gathering, it was a very large gathering and I led the Taraweeh there. I
was supposed to do a Khitm al-Quran somewhere else because it was
Juzz Amma that I was going to do and because there was a large
gathering I did it there in the house. We led the Salah there and we
finished Juzz Amma, we finished the Khitma. My father said to the people,
if tomorrow is not Eid, because tomorrow there is a possibility of being
Eid, if tomorrow is not Eid everyone is invited to our house. Because we
go by sighting, we do not know, they still did not pinpoint whether it was
going to be Eid or the final day of Ramadhaan.
Everyone was invited to our house, may Allah reward my father, grant him
a long life full of deeds and may Allah grant my mother Firdaws. We were
expecting at least a hundred and fifty to two fifty, and they come into our
house. This was the trend, if you know anyone of those days they will tell
you, they would come in in shifts and eat. May Allah raise my mothers
rank to Firdaws. After Taraweeh, there were those who were eager to sit to
my right and left, in my surrounding, I remember it as though it was today.
Note, this is my final night in freedom. Even before that, when I used to go
deliver lectures, it was common to go in a caravan. We would go in several
cars and I remember they would argue who sits in the car with me. And
even at times, brothers would come tell me they are arguing who is going
to drive the car that you are going in. Wallahi, Wallahi, that happened
many times.
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Let me say, when I walked in court for my sentencing, the courtroom was
packed. Shoulder to shoulder, but not a single believer in Laa ilaaha
illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah, except me and my father. All FBI
prosecutors, all government agents, counter terrorism officers, agents
from every agency. The lawyer said, these people truly hate you, I have
never seen them do this to any one before. Because when there is an
audience in there, that puts an impact on the judge, because you know,
they do not know how they judge, so that usually puts an impact on the
judge to give you a higher sentence. The lawyer said, I have never seen
them attend a sentencing like this before ever, they really hate you. But
where is the followers they claim you have, where is all the followers they
claim that you have.
Our house back in the days and I say it Wallahi just out of a lesson,
nothing else, was open for students 24/7, the upper level of our house. In
fact, I was looking at our old coffee machine back in the days, it was the
old commercial ones because those little ones did not befit our house
because there was always guests. We had the big ones, I was looking at it
the other day, Wallahi it has AJs Ilm Caf on it, that is what they used to
call our house. People in and out constantly, learning, teaching, Dawah.
And may Allah raise my mothers rank, she stood alone in this matter.
Providing and giving and looking out and cooking and bringing the food
and the coffee and all that. After lectures or Halaqaat, I remember there
were days where they would follow me back to the house to the point
that, as if I am seeing it today, brothers would be sitting by the doorway of
the bathroom. Be packed to the point people are sitting at the doorway of
the bathroom.
The judge handling my case is about five foot, he is known to be very
short. The lesson learned is, if not a single person stood in support before
a five foot judge, do you think anyone will stand by your side when you
are in the court of all courts? Before Allaamul-Ghuyoob, the one whose
Kursi is bigger than the Heavens and the Earth, if they could not stand
before a judge who is five foot tall? Every step of the way, renew your
oath, that is the lesson of it. Every step of the way, ask yourself, is this
pleasing Allah? And if at times there is masses, when hardship strikes they
will disperse, and then you will only have Allah. So ask yourself before
that, are you pleasing Allah? If you protected Allah back in the days, He is
going to protect you. That is one of the best means of preserving patience
in hardship. Yaa Allah, I am doing this for Your Sake, always. That is the
importance of intention.
STAND YOUR GROUND EVEN IF YOU ARE ALONE

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Sulaymaan ad-Daraani said:
If everyone doubts the truth, I would not doubt it even if I am standing

alone.

: ...

Ibraheem is a nation. Ibraheem, one man, nation. In Sahih al-Bukhari,
Ibraheem told his wife Sarah, there is no believer on the face of this Earth
but me and you. We are the only two believers on the face of this Earth.
Al-Laalakaaee in Sharh Usool Itiqaad Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jamaaah, he
narrated a statement by Ibn Masood radhiallahu anhu, where it has a
chain and it is authentic:

The nation and congregation is what the truth is on even if you are
standing alone. The nation is what the truth is on. Do not ever be
deceived by numbers. If evil is more, it does not make it right. And if the
truth is minority, it does not make it wrong. If evil is more in numbers, it
does not make it right. And if the truth is a minority, it does not make it
wrong.
THE MAJORITY
ARE
USUALLY VILLIFIED
IN THE
QURAN
The majority usually comes in the Qur'an as vilified.

: ...

If you listen to the majority of the people, they will lead you astray.
...
:
The majority of the people, even if you are eager to want them to believe,
they are not going to be believers.
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...
The majority of the people refuse, except but, for Kufr.
:

We brought you the truth but the majority of you hate the truth.

:
That is indeed an Ayah, a miracle, a sign, but the majority are not
believers.

:
Many verses like that in the Qur'an, but then look, the verses that praise
the minority.
THE QURAN PRAISES
THE
MINORITY
The verses in the Qur'an, on the other side, praise the minority.

...

: ...

They are very few.
He said about Nooh alayhis salaam:

:

...
Only a few were believers with Nooh alayhis salaam. Allah talked about
Nooh in Surat Hud.

...

: ...

The story about Taloot and Jaloot. Most turned away expect a few.
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...

:

So the minority are praised by Allah when they are on the right path, and
that is usually the trend that the people of truth are a minority.
WHY DOES ALLAH TEST US WHEN HE HAS

KNOWLEDGE OF EVERYTHING?
Last week we mentioned:

We said that Allah tests so He knows. And really I got maybe at least forty
five if not more questions, on this matter. Even though every time I
mentioned it, I said I am going to explain it. If you noticed, I said I am
going to explain it because I know issues that stir questions. So I said I am
going to mention it. But that is good, I am very, very happy for the
questions. That shows the brothers and the sisters are very engaged in
the class, Alhamdulillahi Rabbil-'Aalameen. The thing about it is, does
Allah need to test to know? I thought Allah knows everything. Well why
does He test? Allah knows the past, present, future, so why does He test?
Not a mountain, not an ocean or river except that the Mighty One, Allah,
knows what is in the midst, deepest, darkest point of it, no doubt about it,
no questions about it.

He hears and sees the footsteps of a black ant, in a dark night, on a solid
stone. An ant can crawl on one of you right now, you would not even hear
it and you will not even feel it. Allah from on top of seven Heavens, hears
its footsteps.

:

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With Him are the keys of the Ghayb. No one knows the Ghayb but Him. He
knows whatever is in the land and He knows whatever is in the seas.
Not a leaf that falls but He knows it. A leaf that falls but He knows it. Not a
tiny grain in the darkness of this Earth nor anything fresh or dry except it
is in a clear record. It is all documented, Allah knows it all. I was talking
several days ago, to my beloved, young student from UK, seven year old
Muhammad. And I told him, me and you, if we have a small, baby tree in
our backyard, could not keep up with the leaves that fall off of it in the fall.
We cannot keep up with how many leaves and where they went. How
many leaves fell, where they fell, and where they will go. We do not know
and it is a small little tree. Imagine a forest full of trees. Just go look at a
forest full of trees or take it up a level and look at the globe and how much
trees it has, full of trees. And know that Allah knows how many leaves are
on each tree. When each leaf falls, when it is going to fall before it falls,
when it falls, how it falls, where it lands and where it goes.

...

...
Deeper than that is that not even a tiny grain, a little, tiny grain me and
you barely see, in the deep darkness of the Earth or in the deep darkness
of the oceans except Allah knows it.
The answer to the question presented is simple. Allah said in the Qur'an,
many times, it is not one verse.

...

:

So that Allah will know those who are truthful and those who are liars.
:
So that Allah will know the truthful from the hypocrites.
: ...

We are going to test you so we know, so Allah knows who the Mujaahideen
are.
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...

:

So Allah will know who the believers are.

: ...

So Allah will know who the Munaafiqeen are.
...

...
:
Allah will test you so that He will know who will give victory to Him.
The simple answer to that is, Allah does not hold people accountable by
punishing or rewarding based on His encompassing knowledge, but rather
on what we do of our actions. That is the simple answer. That is all you
need to know and that clears everything. From Allah's mercy, from Allah's
justice, from Allah's compassion, Allah knows everything like we
mentioned, but He does not judge you by His knowledge of you, but rather
He judges you by your actions. That is why. Allah knows who is right and
who is wrong, who is wicked and who is righteous, but trials come so your
actions and my actions can prove. The righteous can prove through their
actions that they are righteous and the actions of the evil can prove that
they are evil.
EVERYTHING IS GOOD FOR THE BELIEVER

We mentioned verses, Hadith, stories, quotes on patience because over
time patience gets sour. Calamities, patience, patience, patience. It gets
sour and sour and sour, so you use these and what you learn in these
types of Halaqaat as if you are pouring honey on that sour matter to attain
more inspiration. To sustain your patience, know that whatever happens to
you is good.
It is amazing the case of the believer, the matter of the believer is

amazing, the Prophet sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam says. Everything is good
for him and this is a characteristic exclusively for a believer:
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...
The biggest trial that I believe the Prophet sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam
endured, was the trial of Ifk (). If not the biggest, one of the biggest.
The Prophet was accused in his honour, Aishah. He was accused in the
love of his life, Aishah. He was accused in the Mother of all believers,
Aishah. The woman who when he was asked, who is the one you love the
most, Aishah. Proud, in front of everyone. The definition of honour.
Safwaan was accused in his honour as well. Abu Bakr is slandered. Aishah
melts in agony and pain, severest moments of her life. Our mother, our
honour, our pride, our dignity. If you say honour, then that means Aishah.
She melted in hardship because of what happened. But after all that and
what happened, Allah says:
: ...

Those who brought forth the slander against Aishah radhiallahu anha, do
not think that it is bad for you. That group that brought that slander,
consider that not a bad thing. It is good for you, Allah said that was good
for you. That trial that they may have thought was bad, Allah said was
good for them. The blessings of that trial extend till today, fourteen
centuries later. We know the reality of the Shi'ah and their hatred to our
Mother, the Mother of the believers. She is course not their mother,
because she is only the Mother of the believers. We know in reality also,
those who claim to be from Ahlus-Sunnah who have no jealousy over their
mother. You talk about someone's mum and he would probably not talk to
you for the rest of your life. They talk about Aishah, oh that is my brother.
Aishah is ok but his mum is not ok. Aishah is free game but his mum is
not. This is a just a tiny example of a situation that show you that it was
not a bad situation. The good and blessings that came out of it continue
until today, fourteen centuries later.

...

...

The same with all your trials. Sometimes you know it, sometimes you may
not know it.
BE PATIENT ON HARSH WORDS
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Be patient. Be patient on harsh words you hear, on accusations, stuff that

may annoy you. Mocking Islamic ordains that you act upon, this happened
to the Salaf before you. If you are mocked about your Niqaab, if you are
mocked about your beard, about your Salaah in public, your Da'wah, your
ideology in accordance to the proper Qur'an and Sunnah according to the
Sahaabah and Salaf, know that it happened to those before you. It
happened to those better than us.
A man cursed Ibraheem Ibn Adham. He said you are a dog. Ibraheem Ibn
Adham, calm, collectively said, well if I enter Heaven, I guess I will be
better than a dog. If I enter Hell, then I am worse than a dog, and he walks
away. A man once told a wise scholar, after cursing him and ranting at
him, I will degrade you so much and curse you that it will follow you to
your grave. He said, it will follow you to your grave, not to me, and he
walked away. Al-Ahnaf Ibn Qays, a man walked after him cursing him and
yelling at him and he was known to be wise. When al-Ahnaf got to his
porch, he looked back at the man, after all the curses and ranting that
went on. He said oh you, if you got more in you, bring it or leave. I do not
want the bums of the neighbourhood bums by my house to hear what you
are saying and then come and show you that which you would dislike.
Meaning the bums of my neighbourhood would not agree to that which
you are saying.
Uways al-Qarnee, the kids used to pelt him with stones. He would stand
by them and say if you so insist on pelting me, then at least do not use big
stones, use small stones so it will not make my feet bleed and deprive me
of doing Qiyaam al-Layl. A woman told Maalik Ibn Dinaar, you are a
dissembler, Muraaee (). He said you called me a name the people
of all Basra never knew. They went through this, they went through
accusations. Saalim Ibn Abdullah Ibn Umar, someone walked to him and
said you are an evil Shaykh. Saalim said you did not go far my brother,
you are possibly right, and he walked away. A man walked in on Abdullah
Ibn Abbaas radhiallahu anhu and he cursed Ibn Abbaas. The cousin of the
Prophet sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam, the knowledgeable, Imaam, Shaykh,
Aalim. He walked in on Ibn Abbaas radhiallahu anhu and he cursed him.
When he was done, Ibn Abbaas said to 'Ikrimah, his student, he said ask
this man if he needs anything so we can fulfil his need. The man lowered
his head and walked away in shame. Even the Prophet sallalahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, those are Imaams, they went through that and I showed you how
they reacted to it. It did not enrage them and stop them and make them
doubt their way and their path.
Even the Prophet Muhammad sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam was not exempt
from this behaviour. In Sahih al-Bukhari, Abdullah Ibn Masood said the
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Prophet sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam divided some wealth. A man from the
Ansaar said, by Allah it is not a division by which the Face of Allah was
desired. Accusing our beloved Prophet Muhammad sallalahu 'alayhi wa
sallam in dividing wealth. That is a pretty big thing. Abdullah Ibn Masooud
said, I will tell the Prophet Muhammad sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam what
you said about him. Ibn Masood said, I walked to the Prophet Muhammad
sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam while he was with his companions and I spoke
to him in confidence, he told him. Ibn Masood said, look at this, it clearly
affected him greatly as his face changed colours. It affected him, he is
being accused of not dividing wealth. The man who went three days
without anything being cooked in his house now is accused of not dividing
the wealth properly. Then after his face changed colours, Ibn Masood
regretted that he had told him.
Then the Prophet sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam said, Musa was injured
greater than I was injured and he endured it. If the Prophet Muhammad
sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam got mad, you at times may get mad at what is
said about you but look at how he suppressed it and said Musa was
injured more than me. Musa got injured and accused more than me and
he endured it more. And that is how you look at it, look at it the same way.
Ibn Hajr commenting on this story, said this is a lesson that it is a justified
act for people of merit to get upset. You cannot say why are you getting
upset when you heard this and that. No, you are justified. When they are
spoken wrongly about, then they are justified if they get mad but act in
accordance to how the Prophet sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam acted.
The point is the Prophet sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam got mad, his face
changed colours, but do not let it take it out of your Islamic character.
Resort to patience. Whenever something is said about you, the point if it,
like the Prophet sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam said it was said about Musa,
remember it was said about the Prophet Muhammad sallalahu 'alayhi wa
sallam worse.

...

:
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, whatever is said to you has been
said to Messengers before you. What was said to you Muhammad, was
said to Messengers before you, so do not get mad.
Next step, take it to apply it to you. What was said to you, what was said
to me, believers, what was said to us has been said to our beloved
Muhammad sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam so relax. If Allah, the Creator, the
Provider, the Sustainer, He provides them, He sustains them, He maintains
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them, He takes their souls at night and returns it to them in the morning
and they still speak ill about Allah.
Narrated by Abu Musa al-Ash'ari that the Prophet Muhammad sallalahu
'alayhi wa sallam said:
None is more patient than Allah against the harmful and annoying words
He hears. No one is more patient than Allah from the harmful, from the
annoying words that Allah hears. From who? From people. They ascribe
children to Him, that is like a curse to Allah, yet what? He bestows upon
them health and provision. Knowing your Messenger was slandered more
than you. Knowing Musa was slandered more than him. So were the Salaf,
our people who we look up to from 'Ulamaa and Sahaabah, were
slandered. Even the Creator was not exempt from the slander. Knowing
that and refreshing that in your memory is like vitamins to sustain your
patience. Toughen up as a Muslim because as they used to say, when the
going gets tough, the tough get going.
ALWAYS HEAD TO REPENTANCE WHEN TESTED AND

HAVE MERCY
Keep in mind when you are tested with people harming you, you need to
turn to Allah in repentance always. Always head to repentance. Even if
you are a Daa'iyah, even if it is for an Islamic significance that you are
mocked or you are hurt or you are talked about. Even if it is because you
are steadfast on the right path that they call you a name or two, head to
repentance. Go to your house, go in your room, close your door and
repent. Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah had quotes throughout his Fataawa,
basically the meaning of them is when you are harmed, you are slandered
by another, then turn to Allah in repentance.
They may be the most evil Kaafir and you may be a righteous Muslim, but
their upper hand over you, in possibly prison and slander and media
campaigns is because of a sin you committed and Allah forgave a lot. No
matter what you face, continue. In addition to that, continue to have
mercy in your heart, even when you hear words from those who harmed
you, have mercy in your heart towards them. Even those who betrayed
you or those who slandered you while you were in your weak points, or
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those who you helped a lot and suddenly they turned on you. That
happens to everyone, really many cases. I helped and did this and
suddenly they turned on me, have mercy in your heart to those people.
Your life is more than just about you. My life is not just about Ahmad. You
are here for a supreme cause. So even if you are hurt in the path of
Dawah, if you are hurt in the path of Dawah, if you are betrayed, keep
that mercy in your heart.
The magnanimous, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, accepted the Shahaadah
of the killers who killed his most beloved uncle. He let go on the doors of
the Kabah, the torturers and killers of his companions.

Let there be no reproach cast upon you. Go, you are free to go:
...

By the mercy of Allah, he dealt with them gently:
: ...

In Sunan Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi and Ahmad. The Prophet, sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam said, the merciful people will have the mercy of Allah bestowed
upon them. Be merciful with those on Earth, so He in the Heavens, will
have mercy on you. That is what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
taught us.
In another Hadith, in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim:

Whoever does not give mercy, will not get mercy.
When Yusuf was released from prison, look at this story. Amongst some of
the beautiful details that I heard from some of my Shuyookh about the
story of Yusuf. When Yusuf was released from prison, he was strong. He
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was reunited and had the power at that point to take revenge from his
siblings. What did he say?

...

: ...

Allah has been good to me that He took me out of prison.
...
...

He should have really said, Allah has been good to me that He took me
out of the well. Why did he say prison and not well? He did not want to
hurt the feelings of his siblings, the ones who did all that which they did to
him. Now he is at a strong point, he did not want to mention well, as to
avoid hurting his siblings feelings so they will remember what they did to
him. Now he is free, now he has the upper hand, but he is the
magnanimous, the son of the magnanimous, the son of the magnanimous,
the son of the magnanimous. Like the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
said in Sahih al-Bukhari:

When the Kareem, when the magnanimous has power, that is when he
forgives. When he is power, that is when he has mercy. Many testify
against you, many may have spoken ill behind your back, it happens a lot.
You helped them so much and suddenly they are speaking behind your
back. They post derogatory comments on the internet about you. The non
believers against you, and then you have from the group of this Ummah,
people who are against you. Now you are at a strong point where you can
return what they did with documents and expose them. Sabr tells you to
restrain yourself, have mercy, that is the way of a Daaiyah.
How did Yusuf become so strong to endure that and not even want to hurt
their feelings? Not even have any bitter or ill feelings towards them and
what they did to him and the hardship and agony and suffering they put
him and his father through. The key is, attach your heart to Allah. Know
that this life, this Dawah, is not about you. It is about Islam, Allah, the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Yusuf was attached to
Allah, that he started his speech in this talk when he was finally united
and he had the upper hand, when he was finally united, he started the
talk with Allah and ended it with Allah. He said:
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...
...

Allah, Allah was good to me that he let me out of prison. He started, and
he ended it with:

...

:

He started with Allah and ended with Allah. That is why he could not have
any bitter or ill feelings towards siblings. As a Daaiyah, be like Ibraheem.
He sacrificed himself to fire, he sacrificed his food for his guests, and he
submitted his son to sacrifice. You give, you give, you give, never ever
expect or ask anything. Be exemplary and refuse any reward. If anything,
expect harm in return. Give, give, give, be patient over trials and you will
get the ultimate reward from Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. What is it?

...

Glory to those who are patient.
You be patient, Salawaat of Allah on you. Allah makes Salah on you, raise
your ranks. Rahmah, mercy of Allah upon you. Muhtadoon, that means
you are guided. All for what? Patience. Allah classifies you are guided.
Have patience.
PATIENCE IN DAWAH IS SPECIAL

Final point is most trials you cannot avoid, patience. Sometimes patience
is almost forced on you, you have no choice. Death, Muslim, righteous,
evil, non believer, atheist, Jewish, Christian, everyone goes through that,
they are tested with that. Loss of wealth, everyone gets tested with it.
Marital problems, everyone goes through that. All happens, there is
nothing special about that. Patience in Dawah, that is special. Being
steadfast on your Deen and being patient on that, that is special. Why?
Because the other ones you cannot avoid, this one you usually can avoid
it. If you are tested, you have the chance and opportunity to leave or even
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avoid it before it even starts. You can say I am done. My Salah is causing
me problems at work, I am done with my Salah at work, I will go combine
all five Salah after Ishaa when I get home. My Dawah is causing me to be
under scrutiny or possibly even worse, I am going to sit back with my wife
and kids. That is why this is the most noble type of patience, because it is
suffering in the path of Allah. This is the most noble type of suffering
because it is suffering in the path of Allah and you are patient with it. You
are patient by choice, not by force. It is the special ones that Allah has a
place for in Firdaws, that their deeds may not get them there as we
mentioned, so these kind of trials are what Allah is using to raise your
rank to be close to Him, to be near al-Arsh.
When matters get to where you think they are no longer bearable,
remember that first dip into Jannah. Always remember that, keep it in your
mind. The most miserable man on the face of this Earth, just imagine the
most miserable man on the face of the Earth. Allah will take him on the
Judgment Day in a dip, a little dip, not even a second, not even a
millisecond, a little dip. And then he will ask him, have you seen anything
before, he forgets it. Just imagine that scene, that is vitamin for your
patience.
WISE WORDS FROM SHAYKH MUSA

HAFIDHAHULLAH
In conclusion, I will leave you with wise words from my father. Words really
worthy of being inscribed with golden ink because of their eloquent
meanings, not only because of their eloquent meanings, but the timing
and place he said them in. At one point in prison, let me give you a
background so you understand where they took place. At one point in
prison, we were held in solitary. They put separates on me and my own
father, meaning he is one wing of the prison and I am in one wing, we
cannot communicate or see each other and speak to one another. The
cells that we were in, if you were to bring a twin, not a queen or a king
size bed, a twin size mattress and try to put it in the cell, it will not fit.
That mattress, that twin size mattress, not the queen or king size, that
twin size mattress is too big to fit in the cell, that is how small it is. It is a
solitary that was built in the twenties and it was not made for long term
confinement. The warden passes by every week and stands before your
cell. So one time he was in front of my cell, I said why are we in solitary?
He said, because you are terrorists recruiting and radicalising inmates. He
accuses me of being a terrorist and recruiting and radicalising inmates. I
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said, well what is your proof? He said the Muslim chaplain wrote a long
report about you. The Muslim chaplain, wrote a long report on you.
There is no point in arguing and I never used to talk to them, but this time
was one of the very few times I ever talked to them. The Muslim chaplain
is the one who wrote the report, that is why our problem in this Ummah is
from the Munaafiqeen. And this chaplain is well known in the
communities, I personally never knew him prior to going to prison but it
turned out months after going into prison and before the solitary, he
himself told me his ex-wife and his daughter who was a medical student
were among the people who were regular attendees to my classes before
going to prison. This was his words to me and then I remembered who he
was talking about, they were those who never left my classes. The
conditions of that solitary confinement were so extreme that during the
nine months stay we stayed in that particular solitary, they took many in
body bags out of there. I told the warden, if you allege I am what you say,
what about my father? He said the same, even though my father barely
spoke to anyone in prison. I said well, we are on separates, why can I not
see him? He said, because you guys radicalise everyone, you are on
separates with everyone. I said well if you allege what you allege with me
and my father, that is like a disease, if you put us together it is not going
to be contagious to anyone else, according to what you say. The idiot
thought a moment and then he issues an order after he went, that you
can put the father and son together.
And actually that was the best days of my prison stay, in the company of
my father. It was approximately maybe three to four, the last three to four
months of the nine months that we stayed in that particular solitary
prison. And the point is, I seen my father, and even before this situation
and until today, he takes matters with a smile. Patient, content, I never
see him disgruntled. Allahumma Baarik Lahu, may Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala grant him a longer life full of deeds. I have the upper bunk in the
cell, that cell that is smaller than your twin size mattress, it has an upper
and lower bunk. I got the upper bunk and my father lower bunk, and my
father would pray, make his Salah. By the way, the size of it, the walking
area, is smaller than your prayer carpet. Walking space is smaller than
your prayer carpet size and then there is a toilet behind you. Laying in the
upper bunk, I would watch my father in Salah, in reciting Quran, in
smiling. He used to love to read out loud and all the inmates would love to
listen to him read Surat al-Kahf every single night. Smiling and advising
other inmates who shout to seek advice from him. And at times he would
stand at the bars and almost like give a Khutbah and all the inmates,
Muslims and non Muslim, because there is bars and they can hear you if
your voice is loud, he would give a Khutbah and advise them, to both the
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Muslims and non Muslims. And in that solitary, many embraced Islam,
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil-Aalameen.
When my Imaan would get weak, like Ibn al-Qayyim said, he said it about
his teacher Ibn Taymiyyah. He said when we feel down, we would go to
our Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah. They feel down, they go to Shaykh Ibn
Taymiyyah. He said within moments, his words would reignite our Imaan
and that is what I seen of my father. A smile that never leaves his blessed
face, may Allah grant him a long life full of deeds. Except in the dark
nights, when he would cry and weep for the mercy and forgiveness of
Allah in Sujood, in Salah. Freezing in that prison, was below zero, because
the freezing weather that was in Michigan, it gets below zero. And they
would take the blankets from us, imagine, in a weather that is below zero,
in a building that has no functioning heat. It is an asbestos manifest
building with no functioning heat. Sometimes days would pass by where
they would purposely not give us food, days I say, water would be all that
we consume. Ruthless, relentless animals who return from Iraq, they want
to exert their revenge on helpless prisoners. Actually, I should not say
animals because that is disrespecting animals. To be just, there was some,
a few, who disapproved of this. I remember one Mexican guard who just
returned from Iraq and he got his citizenship as a Mexican national in the
US, he got it for fighting. There is a stature or a law where those who fight
for a number of years with the American army, can get their citizenship.
He used to stand in front of the bars in front of our cells and look at my
father and literally cry and say, I do not know how they could do this to
you. Those are exceptions, the rules are not based on exceptions.
Several days before they separated me and my father to different prisons,
I was laying in the upper bunk looking at the glowing smile of my father
and radiant face as he walked in place, that is the exercise, he walked in
place and he was reading Quran. I said, Yaa Abati, did you ever get
doubts in your Imaan or your Imaan become weak, ever, in this trial that
we are going through? The torture in prison, the family abandoned by the
world, the illness that he is going through, the illness of my mother, may
Allah raise her rank to Firdaws. Loss of property, loss of nearly everything,
every last person you know is nowhere to be found and more and more
and more that you can go on, there comes a point where even the
Messengers say:

: ...
Give up hope.
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...

...

The verse we just mentioned. The Messengers and the tight knit which are
the close believers with the Messenger, get afflicted with severe poverty
and ailments and are shaken to the point the Messenger and those next to
him say, when is the victory of Allah going to come? When the
Messengers gave up hope.

: ...
So Messengers go through this. Ibn al-Qayyim Rahimahullah said when

our Imaan used to weaken, we go to our Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah.
I have you that introduction so you know what circumstances these words
were said in and you understand them, because one laying on a thousand
dollar mattress or five hundred dollar mattress or a waterbed with his wife
next to his side, is not like one sleeping on a bunk bed in a below zero
weather, near below zero weather at times, with no heat and no blanket
under him or on top of him. Or sometimes it would be the opposite, in
summer it would be extremely hot and no fan or nor air conditioning and it
is an extremely closed building where you barely can get any air. The face
of my father lit up to my question with a serious look and he looked me in
the eyes and he said, among the most inspirational things I heard in my
lifetime from someone living. He said Habeebi, if this did not happen to us,
that is when I would have doubts. If this did not happen to us, that is when
I would doubt the path.
CONCLUSION ON SABR
As a Muslim, as a Daaiyah, as a Muslim steadfast on the path, the
binoculars you look at life through is not like others look at it. They look at
life as if they are going to graduate elementary, junior high, high school,
finish their grade school. Then they look at life as going to undergrad,
getting a masters, maybe a PHD, in the future getting married or during
that, possibly having kids, raising kids, and working. And then after all
that, retiring, sitting on a rocking chair in some beach front, secluded
resort with the old wife by his side, looking at their grandkids, awaiting
death. As a Muslim, you live for a cause and materialistic things are not
your cause.
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: ...

My life is for the sake of Allah. You strive for that cause and you endure
the hardships that come along with it. You do not ask for them but you
expect them and you handle them. A man of principles and Deen, let
alone one who conveys it, is always going to face struggles. The sad thing
is you read books and you read biographies of mobsters, killers and
maybe Communists and people who follow the weirdest kind of ideologies.
For example, John Guardy, a mobster. When you read about their life, they
have more patience for the filth that they believe in, more than the people
of Laa ilaaha illallah do and the patience that they endure for Laa ilaaha
illallah. You are amazed at that.
My father was telling me he heard an interview by the famous reciter Abu
Bakr ash-Shaatri. And they asked Abu Bakr ash-Shaatri, the famous
reciter, you all know him, why does your tone when you recite Quran
have some sadness to it? He said when I began to memorise the Quran, I
was hit with a calamity, and then the calamities used to fall one after the
other, from then till today they fall one after another upon me. So that is
the life of the believer, you have to endure it with patience and stay
steadfast and firm.
Have these kind of matters in your head and on your belief and in your
heart, that way when a trial comes, you are strong enough to carry it on.
Actually one of the points I wanted to give is, many people who fail the
test, many people who we hear of and I could possibly name some names.
I was going to name some, because they are open about it. They are open
about that they left the path that they were on before, due to a small trial,
not even a trial. They seen the world is changing, how the world perceives
things changed, so they changed in accordance. How does one like that
expect to be patient during trials, if trials hit him, when he himself is doing
it for the cause of others? Do you expect Allah to be by your side?
With this we will conclude because there is no more time. Inshaa Allah
next week, we are going to start with the Tafseer of Surat al-Asr because
that Tafseer is the proof for these principles. After we are done with
Tafseer of Surat al-Asr, then we are done with the four introductory
principles, Alhamdulillahi Rabbil-Aalameen.
CLASS TWELVE
We are talking about the four fundamentals principles where he starts off
with:
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:

.

.

:

.
:

.

:

-

: -
-

We are on the four fundamental principles of this booklet. We mentioned

in previous classes that even though the core part of this book is Tawheed,
the topic, the subject matter of this book is Tawheed. If you were going to
put it in a section in your library, you have different sections, Fiqh, Usool,
Tawheed, Seerah, you put it in the Tawheed section, but Islamic
knowledges are intertwined. In the past eleven classes, we took matters of
Usool, we took matters of Hadith. Now this class is going to seem more
like a Tafseer class. In the future, the class will get deeper into Tawheed
where we are going to talk about the core like Walaa and Baraa as he
made statements about that. So basically, the knowledges, the sciences
of Islam are intertwined.
AN INTRODUCTION TO SURAT AL-ASR

Today, we are going over Surat al-'Asr. We are going over it not in such
depth and why so? Because the past eleven classes were nothing but
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Tafseer of Surat al-'Asr. The four introductory fundamental principles we

have been talking about all this time were directly taken from Surat
al-'Asr. They are directly taken out of Surat al-'Asr. So let us talk about this
great Surah and let us start with an introduction. And really as an
introduction to the Surah, you do not need to know more than a Hadith
where:

"

" :

This Hadith is in at-Tabaraani and its chain of authenticity is authentic.
When the Sahaabah used to meet, when they used to see each other,
they would only depart after one of them would recite Surat al-'Asr and
then they would bid each other peace and leave. This shows you the
subject matter of their discussions. We need to be careful in what we
discuss. Their discussions, look at that, and compare our discussions to
theirs. Their dreams, their hopes, their thoughts, if you look at it and
analyse in the Hadith, it was all Islam. Knowledge is not an accumulation
of text but application of the text you learn. You see the affect of their
knowledge in their settings. They are not double faced, one face in the
Masjid and a totally different person in their private settings or behind
walls or closed doors and in their homes. If you were to do a survey today
on the Talabat al-'Ilm and on businessmen, engineers, and professionals,
blue collar, white collar, layman, knowledgeable, and ask what topics
dominate their private settings. Politics, plain old politic talks, business,
stocks, sports, that is if it does not go into matters that are further and
clear in their prohibition and they are Haraam.
Why did the Sahaabah read Surat al-'Asr? Why in their private settings
were they reciting Surat al-'Asr when they were taught plenty of Ayaat and
plenty of Ahaadith? I always think of this situation, when I talk about it or
read it. Out of a hundred and fourteen Surahs in the Quran, why did the
Sahaabah choose Surat al-'Asr? I say to myself, if it was for the blessings,
the Faatihah would be more of a better of a choice because it is the
mother of the Qur'an, or rather go to al-Ikhlaas which is one third of the
Quran.
But why did they choose al-'Asr? Three verses, fourteen words and
seventy letters. Possibly one of the shortest Surahs in the Quran. Actually
the shortest four Surahs in the Qur'an are al-Ikhlaas, al-Kawthar, an-Nasr
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and al-'Asr. In fact, the shortest Surah in the Qur'an is al-Kawthar, the one
right after that in being short, is this Surah we have today, Surat al-'Asr.
The Surah gives you the four fundamental principles of your belief. Your
salvation is in this Surah. The way to success in this life and success in the
Hereafter is in this Surah. They chose this over other Surahs because it
gives the path you are on, the true meaning of friendship and how your
relationship with others is.
:

...

Allah gives an oath by al-'Asr, by time. Allah gives an oath by that which
He wills, on whatever He wills. This gives honour and high regard to what
Allah gives an oath by, and on the subject matter that the oath is given to.
It gives honour, it gives importance to that which Allah gave an oath by
and that which Allah gave an oath on. We all know Allah's words are all
held in high regard, all of it. So imagine how high of a regard they must be
when He gives an oath by them. That is why when a Bedouin, and the
Bedouins, a lot of them knew the Arabic language, he heard the oath of
Allah:

:

By the Lord of the Heaven and the Earth, it is the truth just as it is the
truth that you can speak. The Bedouin began to shake. He said, who got
Allah so mad that He needed to give such an oath? He took it to heart that
Allah gave an oath.
WHAT DOES AL-'ASR MEAN?

It means time. There are many opinions but I think from my perspective
or from my experience in teaching, it is best to summarise them in four
opinions and they are all correct. We will boil them down to four opinions
and as you know, the Quranic wording is broad at times and that is why
you have many opinions on certain words or verses.
THE FIRST OPINION: ALL
OF
TIME
The first meaning of al-'Asr is ad-Dahar waz-Zamaan (

) .

The epic, the era, time. That is what is meant by it. What era? Two
opinions. From the time of the creation until the Judgment Day or another
group said from the time you were born until the time you die. That is to
show one is like a spinning wheel. Every time time passes by, every
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moment, every second that passes by, a portion of you is lost. You are
made of time. Imagine yourself as if you were made of time, of seconds.
Every time a second passes by, a slice of you is cut off, a slice of you is
buried. Ibn Abbaas said Asr means Dahar ( ), the token of time, an
era, age, the time period. Wa in wal-Asr (

) , the Waaw here is

Harf Qasam () . That letter is a letter of an oath. The time

from the start of the Earth until the final moments. The time from when
one is born until he dies.
Why is al-'Asr so important? Why? He gave an oath by something, means
it is important. Because the tests of mankind that will determine your
ultimate, final destiny occur during al-'Asr, during time. They all occur
during time. And also because the miracles of Allah occur in al-'Asr.
Among the miracles of Allah are those that occur during al-'Asr. Who is the
one who makes night as a covering for you and sleep as a repose for you?
He makes the day Nushoor (), getting up, energetic to go for your
daily work and tasks. He made sleep as a sign for you, as a miracle for
you. He made night as a sign and a miracle. He created the night, He
created the day, the sun, the moon, all of them in an orbit flowing. All of
that occurs, a portion of Allahs miracles and signs occur in al-'Asr. When
do those signs occur? In al-'Asr. So it is because your determined factor of
your ultimate, your final future, it happens in al-Asr and many of Allahs
miracles and signs occur during al-Asr.
Time is so essential that it could be the final seconds of ones life that turn
out to be the determining factor in ones ultimate destiny. He says
Shahaadah that will take him from being permanently doomed to those
who were swayed from Hellfire, onto a Heaven bigger than the sky and
the Earth. If a few minutes or a few seconds can take one from the status
of being doomed to a high status of being in a garden of Heaven bigger
than the sky and the Earth, then imagine the value of time during your
entire lifetime. You see how important time is? You see how important
al-'Asr is? That is why Allah gives an oath by it. That is the first opinion.
THE SECOND OPINION: THE ERA
OF THE
PROPHET MUHAMMAD
The second opinion is that al-Asr means the time, the era of the life of the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. That is the ideal era, it is
the most important era. It is the era where we consider it the Golden Era
because we refer to it in everything. Our Ummah will never achieve
success nor honour ever, until they refer back to that Golden Era in
everything, al-Asr ath-Thahabi (
). For political matters,

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we refer to that era. If it is worship, we refer to that era. If it is to attain

any type of guidance, it is in that era. Aqeedah, manners, it is the era we
look up to, the Golden Era, the best era. That is the second opinion.
THE THIRD OPINION: THE END
OF THE
DAY
The third opinion is that Asr means the time at the end of the day.
Qutaadah said in one of his opinions, in one of Qutaadah's opinion
because he had many opinions on this issue, in one of his opinions he said
that it is the last moments of day light. Meaning right before sun goes
down, when people call it a day, that is usually the time that people call it
a day. They return from work, they get back home from business, they
return back home from school, from farming, they close shop. Then they
begin to ponder and contemplate and calculate the gains and losses for
that day, the achievements or failures for that day, they began to think
about it. Allah wants you to draw attention to the end of the day when you
usually return from materialistic life and you are usually worldly minded at
that time. He wants you also to be Aakhirah minded and think about what
you achieved or lost in matters pertaining to the Aakhirah.
Aakhirah is a business transaction, it is a trade, Allah called it a trade. Just
as you check your profits and loss, your achievements and losses at the
end of the day, your achievements and failures, you do the same for alAakhirah.
:

Those who perform Salah and spend in charity out of that which Allah
provided them, secretly and openly, they hope for a sure trade gain, trade
gain that will never perish. Tijaarah (), business transaction that
will never perish. Allah called the matter of the life after, a trade, a
business, a business that will never perish unlike the businesses of this
life. At a time when you are worldly minded, at the end of the day, by
al-Asr, be Aakhirah minded as well. Allah wants you to take advantage of
your time.
One of my Shuyookh told me that his Shuyookh told him or he heard it or
read it, I do not remember what it was but it stuck in his mind and when
he said it, it stuck in my mind. He said the scholars knew the true value of
al-Asr, time or era, and what it meant, by looking at a wagon or cart
sellers who sell ice. The last time I made Hajj was in the mid nineties and
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you would see back then many people during Hajj in Mina and 'Arafaat
and Muzdalifah, they would carry, they would push a cart wagon in the
very hot sun, selling ice. They would be big ice blocks and if you do not
take advantage of every second and sell the ice, what happens to it? It
melts. If they slack off, if they park that wagon and cart and go relax in
the tent in Mina with one of their friends and go idle, the ice melts. Their
capital investment and their profits are all gone. Once the ice melts and
turns into useless drops on the ground, all one can do at that point is clap
his hands in sorrow and grief and regret. There is no point in doing
anything because he has lost it all. The ice is your time, that is your Asr. If
you do not use it wisely, before you know it, it will be useless drops in the
alleys and pathways.
The Quran is so amazing when you look at it. When Allah gives an oath by
time, if you look at it, when He gives an oath by time, by the early time of
the day, when there is activity, when there is day light:

In the early day when you are heading to work, when you are heading to
school, when you are heading to business, when your deeds start, when
your activities start, it is the Dhuhaa, it is the early part of the day. In that
Surah Allah says, a promise:

The verses go on to say:

He gave an oath by daylight. Soon after that, He said I give you, promise,
there is a promise in there. That is in the early daytime when He gives an
oath by the early day. But then if you look at al-Asr, according to this
opinion, al-Asr is the end of the day, right at sundown when everyone
returns from work, when the day is over because the next day starts at
Maghrib. The night at Maghrib is the beginning of the next day.

Al-Asr, He says La Fee Khusr (

) loss. Why does He mention

loss here? Because it is the end of the day. If you did not take advantage
of it, your ice melted. The oath by the daytime in Surat ad-Dhuhaa is
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followed by a promise because that is the start of the day, to encourage

you, to inspire you to do good.

: ...

Al-Asr, the end of the day, according to the third opinion and that means
it is at a loss if you did not take advantage of that day.
THE FOURTH OPINION: SALATUL-ASR

SALATUL-ASR
OR THE
TIMING
OF
The fourth opinion is that al-Asr here, means precisely Salatul-Asr. And
another group that we can tag on, another opinion we tag on here is, it is
the timing of Salatul-Asr. Not Salatul-Asr, the timing of Salatul-Asr. Why
Salatul-Asr according to this opinion? That is to show honour and
importance to the Salah.
In al-Bukhari, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

Ibn Umar said that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said,
whomever misses the Asr prayer, then it is as if he lost his family and his
property.
In Bukhari:

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says, whomever misses
Salatul-Asr, his deeds will be annulled. Look at these Hadith, misses the
timing of it. Not leaves it, not neglects it where he does not makes his
Salah, this is one who misses the timing of it. Close your eyes and imagine
a day when you have it all, everything is going good for you. You are
content in life, your job is beautiful, your school is great, your family and
your relationship with them is at its peak and all of the sudden you wake
up one day or you walk to your house and everything is gone. Your wealth
is gone, your family is gone, may Allah protect your families, your job is
gone. How would you feel? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is
saying that is even worse if one misses the timing of Salatul-Asr.
THE SELECTED OPINION

The selected opinion on al-Asr, and keep in mind the words of Allah are
miraculous, the meanings of the Quran at many times can encompass
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many meanings. At-Tabari Rahimahullah said, the correct view on this is

that Allah gave an oath by al-Asr, which means the token of time. Era, it
is day, it is night, it is evening, it is all of time. Basically saying, it is all of
the above, it is all of time. Allah did not specify a certain time or era, so
everything that falls under Asr, time, is included in this verse.
Shanqeeti Rahimahullah, and this is the older Shanqeeti, the author of
Adhwaa al-Bayaan, because there is many Shanqeetis out there and
many Ulaama of them. He was my father's teacher. I was a kid when my
father was in Madinah at that time and he was a man I wish I laid my eyes
on, a giant in Ilm. There is hundreds of Ulamaa that are attributed to
Shanqeeti but if you say ash-Shanqeeti, among the learned people of
knowledge today, it refers to this man, ash-Shanqeeti. Just like you say alKitaab, means book, but if you say al-Kitaab it automatically means to us
Muslims, it means al-Quran. And like when you say ash-Shanqeeti, it
means this Shanqeeti, among the learned, knowledgeable people. My
father used to have recorded Tafseer of him that were approximately fifty
years old that he kept close to him under his bed until they were
confiscated approximately twelve years ago by the FBI. I remember I used
to listen to some of them where there were Tafseer of Surat at-Tawbah.
Among the students of this giant are Ibn Baaz, Ibn Uthaymeen, AbdurRahmaan al-Barraak is his student. Hamood al-Uqlah is one of his
students, Bakr Abu Zayd is one of his students, Atiyyah Saalim
Rahmatullahi Alayhim Ajmaeen is one of his students. Actually Atiyyah
Saalim is, I think, I believe, his number one student, because he never
departed his side. He found him, he met him, never left him till his last
moments. And he was my teacher and the teacher of my father, Atiyyah
Saalim.
Shanqeeti wrote three Tafseers of the Quran. The final one and the most
thorough one was an amazing Tafseer where he did Tafseer of the Quran,
by the Quran. He wrote it in seven volumes and when he got to Surat alMujaadilah, verse number twenty two, Rahmatullahi Alayhi, he died. His
student Atiyyah Saalim, who was the teacher of my father and my
teacher, someone I was very close to, he finished the Tafseer. And then
they sent it out to print it, and it is now called Adhwaa al-Bayaan. My
father informed me one time that they asked ash-Shanqeeti Rahmatullahi
Alayhi, why is it you put so much emphasis on Tafseer? He gave a great
portion of his life to Tafseer, even though he was a great, knowledgeable
person in Usool. He was very knowledgeable in Fiqh, he was very
knowledgeable on Aqeedah and he has booklets on that. He was a master
in many of the Islamic Sciences, even in Arabic language and grammar.
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And the answer was, he said, not a single opinion of the opinions of Salaf
on any verse in the Quran except I know.
He is not bolstering, he is confiding in his students, Ulamaa, brilliant
Ulamaa. My father told me he heard that and of course I trust and I love
my father and I believe him. May Allah grant him a long life full of deeds.
When I returned to Madinah alone to study in the Islamic University, I was
in the company of Shaykh Atiyyah Saalim. One of the times I asked him, I
said, did you hear what my father told me? Did you hear it? Shaykh
Atiyyah said, I remember the day your father asked it and the setting we
were in and the surrounding of that day. Giants, not an opinion of the Salaf
on any matter except he knows it.
Now we have little kids and rascals running around, portraying themselves
to be Imaams of Mufassireen. Mufassireen, selling the verses of Allah and
the Hadith for a little price to please the enemies of Allah, and the
enemies of mankind. A brother came to me a few days ago and he said,
he was truthful and I got to respect his truthfulness, he said will you write
me a Tazkiyah so I can get in a certain place to learn? I asked him some
questions because I did not really know him, and I asked, what is your
purpose to learn, why you want to go learn? He was very frank and
honest, he said he wants to learn basically to bank off of it. He said he
knows so and so who just knows Arabic, he has an institute and he
charges on each head per year, so and so. Names he named, I do not
even know. And if you want to learn Tafseer from him you got to pay to
learn. And he wants to do the same, he wants to bank off of it.
Today we have unhatched, inferior, Mufassireen who when calamity befalls
their brothers, the Manaabir begin to shake in unity with their shouts, one
cheering the other. Tampering in the verses of Allah, quoting Hadith and
manipulating their meanings and the meanings of Ayaat. Then when a
historic genocide of two thousand five hundred to three thousand of our
honoured, beloved brothers in Bangladesh, suddenly the pulpits are
silenced. They are the hermaphrodites. I said it before, and I say it again.
These are the hermaphrodites, these are the hermaphrodites of the
Ummah because if you know the definition of a hermaphrodite, he is the
one with a reproductive organ of both sexes. And also it is one who
possesses disparate and contradictory qualities, in the way they think or
they talk or speak. One way of thinking when there is loss of Muslim lives,
one way of thinking when there is loss of non Muslim lives.
The fault really is not on those malignant tumours, as much as it is on
those drifters and floaters who follow behind them, the ignorant masses.
You find someone who has no idea about jewellery but he will not trust his
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necklace, or his wife's necklace or his ring at a jeweller for half an hour to
fix it, until he makes sure this is a trustworthy, honest jeweller who knows
what he is doing. For five minutes, he cannot trust someone with a
necklace. And the same thing with a doctor, he will go and choose the
best doctor and seek and pursue it. But when it comes to his Deen, he will
take it from the hermaphrodites. And instead of this taking our topic, let
us get back to our point.
Shaykh Shanqeeti, a giant in Tafseer. Commenting on this verse, he said
the opinion of Al-Asr, he took the opinion of at-Tabari Rahimahullah of
Al-Asr, which means it is the entire time. From the beginning till the end,
or your time on Earth, which in reality becomes time, he means all of
time. Basically your time on this Earth all together, as an individual, or all
of the time of creation. And why I mention his opinion, because it is the
same as at-Tabari, nearly the same as at-Tabari, very close to at-Tabari.
Why I mention it is because how unique he selected this opinion and how
he supported it. Before al-Asr he said, look how he supported it, he said
before al-Asr, there is at-Takaathur. Surat at-Takaathur:

:

In Surat at-Takaathur, Allah is vilifying one who is occupied with this world
until he visits the grave. He does not take advantage of this life until he
visits the grave.

Then after al-Asr, before is at-Takaathur, after al-Asr is al-Humazah. Allah
is saying the same, gathering wealth will not make you last forever. Take a
lesson and take advantage of your time, so you can succeed in the life
after.

The conclusion is, since the Surah before al-Asr is in reality telling one to
make good use of his time on this Earth, and the one after is doing the
same, it best suits that the Surah in between which is Al-Asr, have the
same theme and meaning; which is, your time on this Earth, take it and
take advantage of it. So he said we stick to the theme of the Surah before
and the Surah after.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF AL-ASR

Al-Asr is one word. Three letters in Arabic, Ayn, Saad, Raa. One word, but
big for those who understand it. Many if not most who follow us and who
are here, are youth and young in their age. They are futures who hold a
long journey ahead of them. Many youth do not value time. Many youth
and elders do not value time, but it is mostly a problem among the youth.
Lots of the youth do not know the value of time, so they misuse it.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said in a Hadith in Sahih alBukhari:
Two blessings, many people, many people incur Ghuban ( )in, which
means loss, and they are health and free time for doing good deeds.
One may have health and not direct it for either a legitimate purpose in
this life or the life after. And likewise, with time. Time is a passing wheel. It
is a passing wheel, what passes of it, you will never get it back. Most of
the time, the elders tend to realise at the end of their life, the value of this
word. They realise the value of time. They realise it at a time when they
no longer have the health to put their time into proper usage. But then,
they cannot recant it. What is gone is gone, what passed is gone, the past
is gone. Many times we are faced with youth who have the resources of
time, al-Asr. They have the resources of al-Asr and they have the asset of
health, yet they neglect to properly and effectively use it. Then you got
the elders who found and finally realised the value of time. But sadly, it is
when they are on a walker, they are on a wheelchair, they are back and
forth from hospital and doctor visits. When one grows older, they begin to
have wisdom and regret a lifetime that they wasted. Even if it was not in
Haraam, even if it was in neutral matters, a true wise elder would regret
it.
Take heed from this, take advantage. I am telling you to take advantage
because it is not late for you, you are young, you are in your prime. Take
advantage in learning, take advantage in Ibaadah, take advantage in
Dawah. Do not let a minute of your life go by wasted. The elders used to
tell their students the famous quote, memorising in the youth is like
inscribing on a stone, memorising as an elder is like writing in water. Even
though my father, may Allah grant him Barakah and long life full of deeds,
may Allah grant him the utmost highest rank of Heaven, he tends to
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disagree with this. He is approximately seventy five now and he says that
his memory at this age is better than it was at his youth.
Al-Hasan al-Basri said, I met people who were more miserly in their time
than they were with their money. You ask them for money, they will be
generous in it. You ask them for time, they are not going to give it to you.
Ar-Rabee Ibn Sulaymaan used to say ash-Shaafiee Rahimahullah divided
his nights into three portions. One portion was for writing and another
portion was for Salah and a third portion was for sleep. Not a moment to
waste. When a man approached Aamir and Aamir was a scholar who
seen that this man was possibly talking in vain. The man told Aamir, let
me speak to you. Aamir said, if you can stop the sun, then we can sit and
talk. Meaning if you can stop time, I will sit and talk with you. If not, I got
to limit my time to that which is effective and wise. Hammaad Ibn
Salamah said about his Shaykh Sulaymaan at-Taymee, Sulaymaan atTaymee was born forty six years after the Hijrah of the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he was a Muhaddith, he said I
never entered on my Shaykh except that he was in Wudhu. He was in
Janaazah, he was in the Masjid learning or teaching. It got to the point that
I said this man could never have time to even think of committing a sin.
Ath-Thahabi Rahimahullah, when he documented and talked about the life
of al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi, one of the things I recall he mentioned about
him is that al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi would walk in the streets with a book
in his hand all the time, reading. No time to waste. Abu al-Wafaa Ali Ibn
'Aqeel used to say it is not permissible for me to waste a moment of my
life. If I am not using my eyes, I am using my tongue. If I am not using my
tongue, I am using my mind and thinking and contemplating about that
which I learned or taught.
OATHS IN THE QURAN AND SUNNAH

Back to the oath of Allah, wal-Asr. Allah gives an oath by His creation and
He gives an oath by humans, by animals, by inanimate matters. By
Dhuhaa, by al-Layl, by al-Fajr, by humans, but the only human that Allah
gave an oath by was the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:

:

Allah said, by your life. Allah gave an oath by the life of the Prophet
If we do not know the wisdom in matters, in any matter, this matter or
other matters, or our minds fall short of comprehending those matters
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that are in the Quran, in the solid authentic Hadith, then one does not
object. You never object because you object, you fall under the category
of Iblees, that is what he did. That is what got him into what he got into.

:

...

He said, shall I prostrate to one who you created in clay? It did not enter
his mind that Allah is telling him. You are telling me to bow down to one
who was created from clay? The ordeal of the Shaytaan started by
objecting. It is in the Quran, it is in the authentic Hadith, you take it and
submit.
:

...
Do not object. Do not object to the texts. That is an aspect, if we want to
do Husn al-Dhunn, that is an aspect of the Shayaateen, if not a full
Shaytaan. Everything we have on this matter falls under:

:

You do not question Allah. He cannot be questioned to what He does, you
are the one who is going to be questioned. One being questioned does not
ask the one who is going to question him. You hear those that say, why is
Allah giving an oath? Why does Allah give an oath? If it is to believers,
they already believe. If it is to non believers, then they are never going to
believe. Allah said:

: ...
If you bring them every sign of Allah, they are not going to follow. Why did
the throne of Allah shake to the death of Sad? I cannot believe it. It is
authentic, I cannot believe it, it does not enter his mind. In matters
regarding oath, sometimes the Ulamaa draw wisdom from the principles
of the Quran and Sunnah and the sayings of the Salaf, draw wisdom from
these matters. And let me mention three points that they give in why
there is oath in the Quran and in the Hadith.
First of all, with languages spreading and the Quran being widely read in
English, many forget that the Quran was revealed in Arabic. Arabic is the
language of the Quran and it was the language it was revealed in. Oath in
Arabic language is to confirm that matters, even if one knows them. And if
they are beyond a doubt, oath come in the Arabic language to confirm.
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That is part of the Arabic language and the Quran uses that because
Quran came in the peak of the eloquency of the Arabic language. That is
point number one.
Point number two. A believer gains more faith with matters like oath. No
reason to deny that, there is nothing wrong with bringing other matters
and means to confirm ones belief. When Ibraheem alayhis salaam said:

...

...

:
My Lord, show me how you give life to those who are dead. Allah said, do
you not believe. This is Khaleelullah, Khaleel. He said yes I believe, but I
want to be stronger in my faith. So it gives more strength to ones belief.
The third point is, to give attention, to give importance to matters. To give
importance to that which the oath is given by and that which the oath is
given on. You know the importance of what Allah gave an oath on and by.
Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah in volume one of his Fataawa said, Allah gave
an oath by some of His creation to honour it. To give it value, to give it
attention, and to give it praise.
Then:

Inna here is Tawkeed, which means emphasis, assurance and
confirmation. La Fee, the Laam in La Fee, emphasis, assurance and
confirmation. The Laam in La Fee is also Tawkeed. So there is the
assurance of the oath, there is the assurance of Inna and there is the
assurance of La.
An oath is to honour what is said and to confirm it. Look in the Quran.

...

:
The Prophet gives an oath here.
: ...

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: ...

Three oaths where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave an oath.
In fact, Allah says give an oath, say the oath. And these are matters of
resurrection and that is to draw attention to the resurrection because it is
an essential, important matter. Other matters in the Hadith:
Many Hadith like that.
Many Hadith he gave with an oath like that. He is honest, he is trustworthy

and he gave an oath. In fact, he was ordered at times by Allah, to give an
oath. So you can take heed, so we can take heed, so they can get our
attention and so it can be held in a higher status and regard.
THE OATHS OF HUMAN BEINGS

Now, let us take the oaths of human beings, we will conclude with this
point. Allah gives an oath by what He wants and wills of His creation. We
only give an oath by Allah. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said in
the authentic Hadith:

It is in Musnad Ahmad and it is authentic. Who gives an oath by other than
Allah, then he has committed Shirk. In at-Tirmidhi and al-Haakim, an
authentic narration:
...

The Hadith that you all know:

...

Whomever gives an oath by other than Allah, he has committed Shirk or
Kufr. If one gives an oath by al-Asr, if he gives an oath by his parents, by
his parents life, by his parents grave, has he become a Kaafir just by
saying that? The answer is two folds. If he gives an oath by other than
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Allah, believing that which he gave an oath by is at the level of Allah or a

higher status, or has power or sacredness like Allah, then he has negated
his Deen.
The second point. If it was a slip of a tongue or he honours his parents,
but he gave an oath but he does not honour them anywhere close to Allah
or equivalent to Allah or anywhere above Allah of course. It was a slip of a
tongue or a random oath he gave. It is a sin and it is a minor Shirk, and he
should seek forgiveness from Allah and some scholars say even say Laa
ilaaha illallah, even though it did not negate his faith because it is a
smaller Shirk.
There is no problem in one giving an oath. If you look into the Sunnah, you
will find that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gave nearly, nearly
eighty oaths, eighty times. Allah even ordered him at times, to give an
oath. However, some scholars said it is best for one to preserve his oath
and keep them for matters of substance. If it is not a matter of substance,
not to give the oath. Why? They use the verse of Allah:

: ...

...
And protect your oath. They take it to mean, do not swear much. Do not
swear much. Some use the Hadith in Sahih Muslim. A man came to the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and asked him questions, the Prophet
gave him answers. The man said, he is going to apply what he learned.

By his father, he succeeded if he is truthful. The Prophet giving oath by his
father, and here the Ulamaa have opinions on this. The first one is that it
is a Shaaz (), it is an odd narration. Number two is, Ibn Abdil-Barr said
it was a mistake by one of the narrators, it was really:

He succeeded by Allah. One of the narrators in the chain made a mistake.
The third opinion is that, it was said before the prohibition came regarding
giving an oath by other than Allah.
Ibn Masood Rahimahullah said:
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If I were to give an oath by Allah on a lie, is better than to give an oath by
other than Allah. Meaning if I were to lie in an oath by Allah and use the
proper name of Allah, better than to give an oath by other than Allah and
be truthful.
With this Inshaa Allah we will conclude and we will continue next week
Inshaa Allah. Jazakum Allahu Khayr.
CLASS THIRTEEN
We gave part one of Surat al-Asr last week. This will conclude Inshaa
Allah Tafseer Surat al-Asr and this is the proof on the four fundamental
principles. Surat al-Asr is the proof on the four fundamental principles.
The last point we spoke about last week was, that Allah gives an oath by
that which He wills and humans only give an oath by Allah. Allah can give
an oath by creation, we can only give an oath by Allah. Let us go back to
the term wal-Asr.
DO NOT WASTE TIME

Allah gives an oath to show the value of time, by al-Asr. Therefore, do not
waste time. Keep in mind that the Shaytaan has tactics in killing your
time. That is why when it comes to good, productive stuff that benefits
you in the Hereafter and even in this world, he casts boredom and laziness
on you. Be alert for such tactics and know how to deal with them. If it is
something vain or sinful, the Shaytaan puts joy to it, and that is one of the
traps of the Shaytaan. You find that one for example can stand in a
parking lot when he sees a friend and he will talk to the friend and hours
and hours would go by, possibly backbiting or maybe even just vain talk.
Hours go by and one feels as if it is only a few a minutes. Maybe even
neutral stuff that is talked about, maybe Mubaah. The Shaytaan does not
care as long as he can keep you away from obedience, out of envy that he
does not want you to do that which he is deprived of.
Suddenly you go home and you are too bored to stand up for five minutes
in Qiyaam al-Layl, or the Imam in Salatul-Ishaa or Salatul-Fajr reads what
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to read and one starts to
shake his legs and move in boredom and starts looking at his watch or in
the sky. And that is what you see their appearance, and what is in the
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heart could be even possibly more. You find people who are sitting with
friends at such ease and peace, fully attentive and engaged into
conversation as if they have no worries. And basically if you ask them they
will probably tell you, we forget our worries when we are talking to our
friends. And if he breaks for Salah, suddenly the Shaytaan comes to him
and reminds him of the stresses of life and school and tests and
appointments and kids and other matters, to distract him from that which
benefits him in the Hereafter. A true believer, his coolness, the coolness of
his eyes is Salah and Dhikr. The Quran and Sunnah states so. Today, the
coolness of the eyes has become in everything outside or except Dhikr
and Salah.
So Allah gives an oath by al-Asr, by time, to draw attention to time. You
are made of time. You are made of seconds, minutes, hours, days,
months, years. You are made of that. When today leaves and today ends,
you buried a portion of you, that is what you got to think. When you pray
Salatul-Maghrib every day, that is end of our day, Maghrib, after that is
the beginning of the following day. You have buried a part of you, right
there and then. One is like a building, your age maybe twenty, you may
be twenty storeys up, maybe seventy five storeys high rise. Every day
that goes by, a brick is taken off that and placed in the Hereafter. Every
sun rise and then sun down that you do not gain deeds, is a day you will
regret. If it is in Haraam, we all know that. If it is normal Mubaah stuff, it
will be regretted because you did not gain a higher level in Jannah. You are
made up of time. Time passes and we enter Jannah based on what we
invested in our time.

That is why Allah gave an oath by al-Asr. Minutes passing are your
principle, they are your capital. Every day that passes by, you bury a day
out of your life.
THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE OATH

The next point, what is the subject matter of the oath. What is so
important that Allah needed or wanted to give an oath about? What is it
so important that He wanted to draw our attention to look into?
:

The subject matter of the oath is that everyone is at a loss. Allah is giving
an oath on al-Asr, that man is at a loss, mankind is at a loss. What is the
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relationship between choosing al-Asr to give an oath by and the fact that
everyone is at a loss? Why did He not give an oath for example by one of
His many other creations right here in the Surah? Asr is your life, it is the
token of time and how you use al-Asr, your Asr, your time, is a
determining factor if you will be among the winners or among the losers.
So it best coincides that time be what Allah uses to give an oath by and
Allah makes the best of all choices.
: ...

Insaana (

) , mankind. If you are mankind, this applies to you.
Insaan is all mankind. There is a dispute, some said it is a Kaafir, some
said it is all mankind and it is probably more correct to leave the Quranic
verses general like in this one, if there is no proof to restrict it. And that
was the opinion that ash-Shanqeeti went by.
MANKIND IS AT A LOSS
KHUSR COMES
IN A
NOUN FORM
:

La Fee, Laam in La Fee is to confirm. We talked about that last week.
Khusr (
) comes in a noun form. Loss, instead of a verb. Khusr comes

as a noun instead of as a verb, to give an everlasting, powerful meaning.
Allah did not say Khaasir (), he is losing. Allah did not say La Qad
Khasir () , he is losing. Allah said Khusr, in a noun form, Khusr
in a noun form.
Let me give you an example to better understand how delicate the
linguistic words of the Quran were chosen. One can be a millionaire and
he loses a thousand dollars. He is a Khaasir, he is a millionaire, what is a
thousand dollars to a millionaire. He is a Khaasir, but he is not a total loser
because what is a thousand dollars, really nothing, even though he lost,
but it is really nothing for a millionaire. Now if a millionaire, that same
millionaire lost billions, now he is in debt, now he is encircled with loss,
then the term Khusr, complete loss, applies to him. Tremendous loss, he is
no longer a Khaasir, he is in Khusr, he is encircled in loss. Khusr means
complete, total loss. Encompassed, ceased, totally by loss. Encircled by
loss, at loss from head to toe.
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WHY
IS
KHUSR MENTIONED
AS A
NAKIRAH?
Another linguistic lesson. La Fee Khusr, or is it La Fee al-Khusr (
?)It is La Fee Khusr, it is mentioned as a Nakirah (). That is

Nakirah, La Fee Khusr instead of La Fee al-Khusr. There is two reasons for
this, Khusr as a Nakirah over al-Khusr. It comes to show number one, how
big of a loss. That is why it is mentioned as a Nakirah, La Fee Khusr
instead of La Fee al-Khusr. Arabic people use Nakirah without Al, to show
something that is mighty and devastating and how big it is. So this is to
show how big of a loss it is.
Another linguistic lesson is, Allah used Fee ( ), in, instead of Alaa (
), on, Alaa means on. In another verse when Allah talks about
guidance, He says:

: ...

They are on guidance. He did not say Fee over there. Why did He use Fee
instead of 'Alaa here? Because he is fully surrounded, deeply with loss. He
is not on a loss, he is not Alaa, on a loss, which may appear to indicate a
slightly lesser degree of a loss. He used Fee to indicate how big of a loss it
is. He is in total loss, he is not near or close to a loss, he is encircled in a
loss. All those unique, detailed linguistic lessons show how big of a loss
this is we are talking about over here. The loss here, is not a transaction
or two. It is not a season or two, it is not a semester or two. It is not a quiz,
it is not a test, it is not a business deal. This loss here is loss of a capital, it
is loss of profits and it is complete debt, major loss. It is also not a
temporary loss, it is an everlasting loss. If one is in Hell, he is doomed,
Nasalullah al-Aafiyah () . If he is in Heaven, then he
may have not gotten the highest rank that he should have gotten, it is a
loss right there too.
A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE PERTAINING
TO THIS
SURAH
Let me give you a practical example as it pertains to this Surah. A winner,

and someone who lost his profits, first one is a winner, then one who lost
his profit, and then the third one is one who lost his capital, his profit and
he is in debt. You return from work or school and since we said al-Asr may
mean the time at the end of the day when someone begins to think about
what he did during that day. You return at night, you visit relatives, you
teach your kids Qur'an, you play with them, you make Salah, Fardh or
Nafil, you may have relationship with your wife. Maybe you review Qur'an,
maybe go online and listen to a lecture, maybe listen to Qur'an. Maybe go
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working out with the right intention, maybe even sleeping, taking a nap
with the right intention. If you intended and you said I want to get a few
minutes of sleep so I can re-energise after this long day and so I can wake
up for Qiyam. It will help me get up for Qiyaam, because there is a Hadith,
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said get some Qayloolah (
)during the day, sleep, nap at the day so it will help you wake up
at night. So that is a winner, he used his time to his advantage. That is
number one.
Number two is someone who came back from a bad day, he usually comes
back from work or school upset or thinking or worried and you are brain
storming and you are thinking, sitting there just merely thinking about
what happened. Anything you do idle where you are not gaining deeds,
you are at a loss, you lost profit. You may have not gotten sins, we are not
saying you got sins for sitting there and thinking and drooling over what
happened. But that same time is a loss, because you did not take
advantage of that time. What does the Surah start with? Al-Asr, time. Any
business man will tell you, money you have, you stack away, that is not
invested, is money lost. Money not invested is money lost. Take it and say,
time not invested for your Aakhirah is time lost. It is so simple to get Ajr.
In fact, with the right intention, there is nearly nothing you cannot get Ajr
on. You go work out with the right intention, Ajr. You sleep and take a nap
with the right intention, Ajr. You play with your kids, Ajr.
Now the third one, the third scenario, is one that will return from work, use
that time to hang out with his friends. He uses that time to hang out with
his friends. What is a common epidemic today in settings? Backbiting,
gossip, watching that which is prohibited, maybe listening to the
instruments of the Shaytaan, sitting with your friends or going on the net
and typing away in the honour of those dead and alive.
You see and hear of rogues who do not know if they will wake up Muslim
or otherwise, performing dissection and anatomy with their tongues, on
the honour of people whose destiny is now with Allah. There are those,
there is people who are a done deal, Allah is dealing with them. Allah is
dealing with them. They are now with Allah, Allah is dealing with them.
Then you got people who perform dissection on those whose souls are
possibly inside green birds tending to the rivers of Paradise and eating
from the fruits of Jannah and returning to hang on the throne of Allah. All
that, while some rogue is sitting dissecting them with his tongue, does not
know he himself, whether he will wake up as a Muslim or a Munaafiq.
If Allah prohibited backbiting amongst two people for moments. If two
people, for just a few moments backbite, it is considered a major sin. That
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is backbiting and that is a major sin, if it is only for moments and just
amongst two people. It is a major sin when it is among two. And the
reality, if you think about it, when two people talk about someone, each
party departs and possibly forgets that which they said and go about their
way. That is a major sin and backbiting, even if they forgot about it on the
spot. And that is among the major sins. Now imagine a sin like that when
it is among a group, how big of a sin it is when it is in a group. Now take it
further, imagine the sin when it is put on a social media for the world to
see, not for this time period, but for generations to come and possibly
until the Judgment Day.
Wallahi, one who truly believes in the Aakhirah and the punishment of the
grave, and lets that register in his mind, he would never go to that
extreme. One will lie in his grave with torment seizing him from every
angle for hundreds of years, possibly thousands of years, until the trumpet
is blown in, for words he posted on the net, he thought they were nothing,
but to Allah they were very severe. I say, amongst the most dangerous
sins after Shirk, are the sins that pertain to the rights of others. Be careful
in your time, that is why we are mentioning this, because this is stuff that
happens during your time. We deal with the Ghafoor Ar-Raheem. When
you read about the mercy of Allah and the Shafaaah, you get ecstatic in
hope. There is a type of sin that is a double edged sword, and that is the
sins that transgress upon others, like killing, like backbiting, like taking the
properties of others, like slander of others. You can raise your hands in two
seconds and ask Allah for forgiveness, you are dealing with the Ghafoor
Ar-Raheem. But there is another right, double edge sword, there is
another right pertaining to the human who is going to come and request it
from you when you stand before Allah.
When people pass over the Siraat, obstacle after obstacle, terror after
terror. Allah called it:

:

...

The wait for the Judgment Day is terror, the questioning before Allah is
terror, the Mizaan is terror, getting the books, walking on the Siraat. Now,
finally, you made it through all that and you are on the Siraat, you are
crossing as-Siraat and there are people who are making it to the front yard
of Jannah.
In Sahih al-Bukhari:
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Abu Saeed al- Khudri radhiallahu anhu in a Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari
said, when the believers cross over Hellfire, over the Siraat, they stop at a
bridge called al-Qantarah (). An arch bridge called al-Qantarah,
before they get into Paradise. What is that bridge for? They will be given
retribution for injustices between them until they are fully purified. Then,
after they are purified from rights amongst each other, then they will be
told, you can enter Jannah. Qantarah may be the edge, the last portion of
as-Siraat, but I believe from what I read, it is actually another bridge, a
second smaller bridge after as-Siraat, that is like a detour for believers of
this Ummah who have rights amongst each other, before they get to step
on the front yard of Jannah.
Whoever contemplates and fully realises the Aakhirah, when you think
about it as it is happening before you. What I just told you, sit and imagine
it before you, you could never commit a sin like this. Can you imagine the
excitement? You pass all through all those phases, one after the other, you
just finished passing the claws, Kalaaleeb ( ), that take you and
pull you from the Siraat unto Jahannam. You just passed that phase. Just
as you are about to put your foot in the front yard of Jannah, one group
goes forward to the front yard of Jannah joys and another group goes to
al-Qantarah to settle the disputes that they had between Muslims and get
purified before they are allowed to enter the front yard of Jannah.
Is anyone, anyone, anyone worth stopping you for a millisecond from
putting your feet on the front yards of Jannah? Imagine with me, I ask you
by Allah, to imagine with me, that you are on the Qantarah. Jannah is an
eyesight away, you can see Jannah from the Qantarah. You are getting
sins of someone you despised so much that you spoke about him and
slandered him. Can you feel the agony you are going to be going through?
Because still, at this point, and after this point Allah is going to remove all
hard feelings:

: ...

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But at this point, you are going to feel the pain of it. Can you feel the
agony of being imprisoned on the Qantarah, watching your level in Jannah
from Firdaws drop down and down and down and down, at an eyesight
away from you? Can you imagine the agony of seeing people in the front
yard of Jannah, some people possibly crowded about Ibraheem alayhis
salaam, some people going to Nooh alayhis salaam to meet with him,
some people going with Aishah to meet the wife of the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, some going to meet Khaalid Ibn al-Waleed and Abu
Ubaydah, smiling and joyous. They made it to the front yard of Heaven
and you are there on the Qantarah, getting your ranks stripped down, one
after another, for something you said about a believer or something that
you took away from the rights of a believer. The one you despise so much,
is he worth the most valuable asset that you have? Your ranks in Jannah.
If indeed you want to backbite, then slander your mum and your dad or
your Shaykh, or someone you really love, because if you get stopped on
the Qantarah, it will be your mum and your dad getting their ranks higher
while yours gets lower. Why did the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
call someone who transgresses on the rights of another, bankrupt? Ask
people who know finance, if someone has no wealth, zero, you call him
bankrupt? No, you do not call him bankrupt. Someone you refer to as
bankrupt is not someone who never had nothing, it is someone who has a
lot and then lost it. Those who slander, backbite, transgress on the honour
and the rights of others, they have deed, lots of deeds. In one Hadith, the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said like:

Huge mountains of deeds. But they become bankrupt, they lose it all.
They hit someone, he takes some Ajr. They slander, that person gets some
Ajr. You really get amazed at how loose some tongues are and how
released some jaws are when it comes to the honour of their brothers,
because they do not really comprehend these, the Aakhirah in them is not
really deep in their hearts.
Basically, we gave scenarios right now of how one took advantage of the
hour and became a winner. The middle one was a loser because even
though he did not commit sins, he did not gain no Ajr, that is considered a
loss. Time not invested in the Aakhirah is a loss. And the final scenario we
took is not only one who did not gain Ajr, but he gained sins and he
became a bigger loser or has a bigger loss, and he did not spend his time
positive or neutral, he actually spent it to accumulate sins. What makes
one at a deep loss, La Fee Khusr, is that he brought this on to himself, with
his own actions. No one forced him, no one put a gun to his head and told
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him. It was his choice through his body parts and those will be testifying
against him on the Judgment Day. So the first reason for Khusr instead of
al-Khusr, is to show how big of a loss it is.
LOSSES
ARE
LEVELS
That is why it is mentioned in a Nakirah. The second reason for Khusr over
al-Khusr and mentioned in Nakirah, is Tanwee ( ), that the losses are
levels. Look in the Quran, there is many verses:

...

: ...

: ...

:

...
So, the Quran gives levels, levels of those at loss. You got a Khaasir and
you got an Akhsar (), meaning there are levels. Not all losers are on
the same level. So here it is one, Khusr, completely encircled with loss.
That is the second reason for the linguistic use of a Nakirah, Khusr instead
of al-Khusr.

WHY DOES THE SURAH GENERALISE AND THEN
MAKE EXCEPTIONS?
The next one:
: ...

Notice how Allah generalised that everyone is at a loss, then drew an
exception. Everyone is at a loss, that is the verse, and then He made the
) is the exception. Why did the verse not state that

exceptions. Illaa (
everyone succeeds and then make exceptions to the losers?
For example, why was the verse not, everyone is a winner except? Why is
it everyone is at a loss, except?
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The reason is because the verse goes to reiterate what I mentioned the
week before last, that usually, the majority are vilified. So Allah
generalised based on the fact that the majority are the ones who are
astray. I mentioned, not last week but the week before last, four or five
verses showing that the Quran mentions the majority in a vilified way.
And that those people who are on the truth are usually a minority, and
they are praised. And I mentioned for each side, approximately four or five
verses.

...

: ...

That is the reality. What Allah stated is the reality, no doubt, that is the
Quran, that is the word of Allah the Creator. The world has seven billion
humans on it. Out of the seven billion, 1.6 Billion who fall under the name
Islam. Out of the 1.6 Billion, you got to start cropping out. You got to crop
out those who do not make the Salah. Crop out those who have
corruption, major corruption in their Aqeedah, like the major Shirk in
them. Then you got to crop out the Shiah, and go on and go on. How
much do you have left?
The Arabic language comes like that. If the majority were hungry and
there is only a few who are left, you say, everyone was hungry, except,
an-Naasu Jaaoo Illaa () . If everyone accepted your
wedding invitation except three or four people, you say, an-Naasu Ataw
Illaa () . People attended my invitation, except, meaning
the majority attended. If most did not accept your wedding invitation you
would flip it around. You would say Lam Yatee Illaa () , no one
attended except. That is the proper Arabic language, you start with the
general majority of something, and then you draw the exceptions.
Here, in this:
...

Illaa, here it is to show that those at a loss are the majority, which is
consistent with the more direct verses we mentioned two weeks ago.
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: ...

Note when Allah said all mankind are at a loss, He did not tell us why they
were at a loss. He did not say they are at a loss because they gamble,
because they drink, because they fornicate, and the list goes on and on.
He did not say that, He did not give us the details of why they are at a
loss. He could have said:
And He could mention characteristics of those, why they are at a loss.

Instead, Allah told us those who are exempted, and the qualities of the
winners. He went to tell us the quality or the outlines of the winners,
instead of telling us the details of those who are at a loss, or the losers.
Why? Because speaking about the losers is endless, it will go on forever
and ever. So many characteristics, so many types. There is many reasons
for being a loser but the outline for being among the winners, the ones
who are successful, is simple. It is a simple, easy outline to follow. What
are they? They are the four fundamental principles that we have been
talking about for the past eleven or twelve classes, that we have been
teaching.
That is why the Quran in other verses, speaks about the straight path as
a singular path, and even in some Hadith. It is a single path, it comes in a
singular form. When He speaks about other paths, it comes plural:

: ...

Verily, this is my straight path, path, so follow it and follow not the other
paths, paths. Siraatee ( )is singular. My path is singular, one
simple path. Subul (), the deviant paths, is plural. So one, the right
path comes as singular, and the deviant path comes as plural.
THOSE WHO BELIEVE

IMAAN
IS THE
FRUIT
OF
KNOWLEDGE
: ...

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This is the first principle of the four fundamental principles that the author
of Usool Al-Thalaathah, called the first of the four fundamental principles
of the introductory principles in the book. You remember he said the first
principle is to know, to know Allah, the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, and The Book. Why do you need to know about Allah
and His Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and The Book? In
order to believe, Aamanu (

) . Knowledge is what gets you to believe
in Allah, His Messenger, books and angels. We do not need to talk about
this since it was covered in detail when we talked about the first of the
four fundamental principles.
What may confuse someone though, is the author in the book, in our book
right before us, he mentioned the principle as knowledge. But here, when
we look at it in Surat al-Asr, in the verse it says Imaan, but the author
mentions it as knowledge. Knowledge in Allah, the Prophet and the Book,
because the author is trying to get this principle to you of Imaan, the
principle of Imaan to you. But the only way you can get Imaan is through
knowledge. Can there be real Imaan without knowledge? No. So that may
cause a confusion as to why the author mentions it as knowledge and in
the Surah he uses as proof, it is mentioned as Imaan.
Imaan is the fruit of knowledge, it is derivative from knowledge. That is
why the author, in number one, he says knowledge and note he specified
knowledge in Allah, the Prophet, and the Book. There cannot be Imaan
without knowledge. Can you get an orange without a tree? The tree is
knowledge. The fruit, whether it may be an orange or an apple, those, the
fruit, is Imaan. The tree is knowledge, you cannot get fruit without a tree.
So when the author said knowledge and knowledge in Allah, the Prophet,
and the Book, it means Imaan in this verse because the purpose and goal
of your knowledge in those matters, is to have Imaan in them.
WHY
DID
ALLAH
NOT
DETAIL IMAAN?
Why did the verse in Surat al-Asr not tell us what to believe in? Allah said:
: ...

Allah said except those who believe, period. Here, He did not tell us in
detail what are the aspects of believing. Here there is three points I want
to mention. Allah did not detail Imaan in this verse because of A, it is
obvious. B, it is known. C, there is plenty of verses throughout the Quran
and Hadith to know what Imaan is, that clarify this matter and situation.
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For example, I have one car, and you came with me in that car. And on our
way leaving right now, I hand you the keys and I tell you, go pull my car. I
am standing on the sidewalk and I say, go pull my car. Would it make
sense for me to say, go pull up my red Chevy or whatever car I have, with
the license plate so and so? You just came with me, you know what car it
is. You know which car it is so I say, just go pull up my car. Same thing
with Imaan.
THE MEANING
OF IMAAN IN THIS
VERSE
The second point is when Allah left Imaan open ended, it is to believe.
Leaving it open ended like that means to believe in all of what one is
supposed to believe in, not one aspect and leave other aspects, all of
Imaan. Meaning it becomes general, when Allah left it open ended, it
becomes general to encompass all of Imaan so that it includes Imaan in
Allah, the angels, the books, the Messengers, the Qadhaa and Qadar, and
the details of all of that.
The third point is, when Allah left believing open ended, it meant believing
in the guidance of Allah and not every myth, fable, and superstition that
you come across. For example, we have solid Hadith, and even before that
we have Quran, that tear a heart in fear, pertaining to the punishment of
the grave, or matters of the Aakhirah. Yet some people do not get moved
by it, because the Imaan is not fully rooted and there is also lack of
understanding of the Quran. But then you get a story, you can smell it is
fabricated a million miles away. About someone who for example, got
buried, and the guy who buried him dropped his wallet in the grave. Then
when everyone was sleeping at night, he remembered his wallet so he
went and dug up the grave to get his wallet. And no one has seen it but
him and then he found that body charcoaled and his faced was flipped
opposite of the Kabah. And then to top it off, you scroll down and you find
if you do not pass this on to ten people, you are going to die, or your
family members are going to die. When Allah said to believe here, it is to
believe in the verses, Imaan, in the guidance. Islam does not want you to
be fable minded. A believer is clever and astute, a believer is smart.
When the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam went to Israa,
and the Quraysh got a hold of Abu Bakr. They said now we got Abu Bakr,
the Siddeeq. This was before the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, got
to him. They said listen to this one Abu Bakr, your friend, he come up with
this big one. Can you believe your friend went from Makkah to Aqsaa and
then to the seven skies, and returned in less than one night? The man who
is called as-Siddeeq, he was a believer. He was a believer, those who this
verse talks about. Aamanu, he was a believer in guidance, not a fable
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minded man. He set the rules straight and he said the statement straight
in a few words. He said if he spoke it, it is the truth:

Meaning you guys are probably liars, but if this really came from the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, it is true, it is a done
deal. If it is in the Quran, if it is in the authentic Hadith, whether it enters
your mind or it does not enter your mind, we really do not care about your
mind, but do not be gullible to believe in everything you hear.
THOSE WHO DO GOOD DEEDS
: ...

Amilus-Saalihaat (
) , those who do good deeds. This is

the second one. Aamanu, the first one is believe. Amilus-Saalihaat, do
good deeds. Allah in fifty one verses, directly combined between Imaan
and good deeds. Imaan must have actions and conduct. Note the order of
how action comes after knowledge. There can be no good deeds except
after Imaan, which cannot happen without knowledge. So knowledge then
Imaan, one and two, or you can put those at the same level actually, and
then the next one is to act on it.
THERE
IS NO IMAAN
WITHOUT ACTION
This is proof that there is no Imaan without action. Those you confront
about performing actions of Islam and then you know you get answer
always, Imaan is in my heart. The Qur'an when combining between
Aamanu wa Amilus-Saalihaat fifty one times, in reality, declares them
liars, those are liars. We are not talking about someone who said his
Shahaadah in Dhuhr and before Asr he died and you say, oh is he a
Muslim or not. He did not have the opportunity to exercise any of the
actions in Islam, we are not talking about exceptional situations like that.
Exceptional situations where the timing of any obligatory act never
occurred. We are talking about deceivers who live a lifelong time void of
deeds and when you approach them, they say Imaan is in my heart.
Imaan is like a seed in the heart and it is also like a seed when you want
to grow a flower. If you do not give that seed water, if you do not care for
it, if you do not nourish it, what happens to that seed? That seed dies, it
never grows. If that seed stays there for two or three weeks with no
action, no care for it, that Imaan, that seed dies and becomes worthless.
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So you need deeds to liven your heart. Al-Imaan Hayyaat al-Quloob (
) , Imaan is your internal life. Wal-Amalu Hayyaat

adh-Dhaahir () , actions are your external life.
Nothing can have life internally and not externally, or the opposite. And if
they do have life, one way or the other and not the other, it is going to be
temporary and the other missing half is going to kill the other half.
Those who say they believe and stay weeks, months, or years void of
action yet claim Imaan, they in reality have the traits of the Shaytaan or
the traits of Kuffaar Quraysh or even Firawn. Look at the verse of Allah:

: ...

The Kuffaar, Allah is talking about them. They belied in the Ayaat, though
their own selves were convinced. Inside, internally, Allah who knows in the
hearts said internally in their hearts, they had Imaan. They internally had
conviction but their outer actions resisted and they were declared as
disbelievers. Those who claim to believe, void of actions in their lives,
resemble Firawn because deep down Firawn was like this category,
among those who believed in his heart. How? Pay attention. Between the
status of Firawn where he used to say:
:

...

I am your supreme lord, and saying I believe in the Lord of Musa, he said
that in his last moment, between the two is moments. When one gets
afflicted, he usually turns to that which is genuinely in his heart. You see
someone astray for fifty years or more or less, he may be in the peak of
his arrogance. Then he gets told he got cancer and he is going to die,
suddenly he turns to Allah. Someone I know of recently, I heard of from his
family member, someone who used to go to the extent that the curse of
Allah was on the tip of his tongue. He goes to the hospital in a painful
disease, very painful disease. Suddenly, this arrogant tyrant who used to
slander and curse Allah is telling his family to teach him how to make
Salah and he begs them for forgiveness for violating their rights. What
makes the hidden truth surface in that hardship? Does one acquire the
truth so suddenly and drastically after being ill, or was it buried within him
and it got dusted off with a calamity? Usually, those sudden, drastic
changes like that are the result of the truth being buried, the calamity
comes and dusts off that and the truth surfaces. It is like a red carpet,
probably the best way to explain it is like a red carpet. A red carpet over
time, especially in our old countries, the dust is in that region, you take a
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stick which is like the calamity, you hit that red carpet, the red colour
resurfaces.
The point is the truth is in a lot of the Kuffaar who Allah spoke about. Allah
said:

...

...
The truth is within them. They are certain about the truth in their hearts,
but it was useless because there was no acts to follow along with it. The
acts of the tongue, the acts of the body parts. The truth was hidden in
Firawn, it did not help him because there was no act. In fact, the acts
resisted that which was in the heart. The summary and point is that
internal belief in Imaan must coincide with the external belief which is
action. If one claims he has internal and time and time and time passes
with absolutely no external practice, he is not a believer.
The best example that I have been using for possibly two decades is in
matters of life, would one be satisfied with another person with just the
heart belief, heart love, when we deal with each other? If you do not
accept matters in this life with the heart only, then how can you expect
that they be accepted in the matters of the life after? If a husband tells his
wife I love you and I love you and I love you all day and all night yet he
does absolutely nothing to show that love. No job to support her, does not
take care of the kids, does not help her around the house, sits on the
couch all day and tells his wife he loves her. What is the common
statement that the wife says? If you love me, you would show it. And then
of course she is going to go to the Shaykh and file for Khula. If you do
good in work, in school, your teacher, your boss, whatever it is, says I like
you, you did absolutely great and he showers you with the most eloquent
praises, he loves you. Your natural reaction is, if I am all that then show
me. If I am good then where is the grade, where is the A plus, where is the
promotion, where is the raise?
ACTIONS WITHOUT IMAAN

The flip side of this is, action with no internal Imaan is very dangerous as
well. The peak of deeds is for the apparent deeds to coincide with the
internal Imaan. Those who have deeds with no internal foundation have in
reality, aspects of the Munaafiqeen, the hypocrites and flip floppers. Those
are the people who you really find with relapse, those are the relapsed in
their belief. The ones who relapse are this kind of category. You see him
with the appearance that he is a true, devout Muslim. To you it appears
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like that, then suddenly he is the total opposite. Those are the people who
really, in reality, had the external but were hallow internally.
Let me give you an example. All this is cleared by examples, that is why I
have to give you an example for each one of these. Early in this century,
there was a man called Abdullah al-Qaseemi. He lived from 1907 to 1996,
he was born in Saoodiyyah and he exiled himself to Egypt. He wrote
books defending Islam, he wrote books defending Imaam Muhammad Ibn
Abdul-Wahhaab. He wrote books refuting sects, he wrote books refuting
atheism, this was in the early part of the century. Abdudh-Dhaahir Abu
Samh, one of the Imaams the Haram back in the days, he died 1952
Rahmatullahi Alayhi, he wrote a poem commending this man, Abdullah
al-Qaseemi. He wrote a poem, for his great knowledge, for his service to
Islam. Abdullah al-Qaseemi wrote books, I read a lot of his books and
truly, his old books, you benefit from them.
He has a book for example, As-Siraa Baynal-Islam wal-Wathaniyyah, his
most popular book. He has a book called Al-Burooq An-Najdiyyah, he
responds to those who claim that one can have intercession with creation,
basically talking about the major Shirk. He has a book called MushkilaatilAhaadith An-Nabawiyyah wa Bayaanuha, he responds very eloquently to
Atheists who claim reason over proof. He has a book called Al-FaslilHaasim Baynal-Wahhabiyeen wa Mukhaalifeehim. And he has another
book called Shuyookh Al-Azhar, and he has another book called AthThawrah Al-Wahhaabiyyah. Books where he defends the true Tawheed and
the followers of true Tawheed. He has the popular book Hayaat
Muhammad, he has a book with commentary on that book. If you read his
books or if he had back then tapes or Youtubes, this would have been one
of the biggest Imaams on the path of the Salaf. Vigorously defending Islam
and the core of Tawheed, not just regular Islam, the core, core of Tawheed.
That is how is looked, that is how it appeared, but was it really like that?
In reality, he is an example of one whose outer action did not match his
internal action. Like many of the ignorant heads that you see today,
maybe not at the same level of him, but it is the same problem. Those
who went from apparent talk of Ayaat and Ahaadith and Tawheed and
sayings of the Salaf, they went from that fifteen years ago, to suddenly
they are now modernists or right at the border of being modernists. From
uttering Quran and Sunnah to now being more like political analysts,
instead of talking Quran and Sunnah they are worthy of taking the
position of John King on CNN. Some whose present day recordings refute
their recordings fifteen years ago, and fifteen years ago recordings, refute
their present day talk and writings. Those are the people, both in the East
and the West , they are available in the East and the West. The reality is,
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they may not have gone to the extreme of al-Qaseemi who went to an
Atheist after defending Tawheed, but they have aspects of, the common
denominator is the internal did not match the external. Nasalullah
al-Aafiyah, that is a problem. I am saying it is not as bad as al-Qaseemi
because he went to a full blown atheist, but these people, the internal did
not match the external.
For example al-Qaseemi, who went from defending Muhammad Ibn AbdulWahhaab to a pure atheist. Why I say it did not match? Later on, some of
his close friends said that when he was writing these hardcore books on
Tawheed and Aqeedah, defending Islam, in his private setting with them
he would debate with them matters that were extremely unusual. They
would say how could this man talk about this. One of his friends, I read
once, one of the friends of al-Qaseemi said at the time he was defending
Aqeedah and Tawheed, is his super settings he would raise issues
doubting the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and Allah.
We did not know about that, we seen the surface of his books. Then his
friend said, then I would see him in a gathering in the daytime teaching to
a group and a crowd, Sahih Muslim. So then I say to myself, the talk we
had yesterday is just probably Shaytaanic whispers because it is
impossible. At night time he is having doubts in the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, in the daytime he is teaching Sahih Muslim. The main
diagnosis of the likes of the Qaseemi who went from Tawheeed carriers
and defenders to pure atheists, is that there was a mismatch between the
internal and the external. The internal Imaan did not coincide with the
external.
When you are asking, ask Allah like the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam:

The authentic Hadith that the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam used to make a Duaa, in al-Jaami as-Sagheer. Oh Allah the turner
of the hearts, keep my heart firm on your religion. In reality that Duaa
means, keep my internal and my external running at the same path, so I
can be and remain steadfast on the Tahweed.
ALL DEEDS
ARE INCLUDED IN THIS
VERSE
: ...

Amilus-Saalihaat finally, is good deeds. Amilus-Saalihaat is good deeds,
act on Islam. This is the second characteristic of the aspects of saving you
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from being among those that are at loss. This includes every kind of deed,
both the internal actions of the heart, that is included, and the external by
your tongue, your hands and body parts. That is all included, any deed is
included in this verse, Amilus-Saalihaat. Whether it may be an ordain,
whether it be Sunnah, whether it may be a right of Allah, whether it may
be a right of a human being. All of that is included in Amilus-Saalihaat,
Amilus-Saalihaat encompasses all deeds, heart actions and body actions.
ADVISE AND RECOMMEND WITH TRUTH AND

PATIENCE
:

...

Advise and recommend to one another with truth and patience. These are
number three and number four of the four fundamental principles. Imaan
is not like a rock, they find rocks thousands of years old and they find it
just like it was. You can have a rock and you put it for centuries to come
and it never changes. Imaan is not like that, it would be nice if Imaan was
like that but Imaan is not like that. Imaan fluctuates and there are forces
behind that fluctuation, behind that change.
You have the force of an-Nafs:

: ...

...

There are three things. Number two, Shayateen al-Ins and then you got
Shayateen al-Jinn which are mentioned in the Quran. These forces are out
to get you, sometimes one of them attacks you, sometimes two attack
you and sometimes you got all three on you, attacking you to misguide
you. Sometimes they attack you with full force, sometimes they attack
you lightly. So how do you keep all these forces in check? Two ways:
:

...

Advise and recommend in truth and patience. Your brothers, your Muslim
brothers and your Muslim sisters help you restrain the evil Nafs, the
temptation. The temptation of the Shaytaan, the temptation of the Jinn
and the Ins, the evil Ins that instigate you to do Haraam. By how? By the
righteous advising you. You need your brothers because when one is
alone, he melts. If you have ten cups and you put one ice cube in each
one of those ten cups, then you have one cup by itself and you have ten
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cubes in that cup. Which one melts faster? When each one is individual, it
is going to melt faster.
:

...

DAWAH
IS NOT A
MONOPOLY
Why did Allah say Tawaasaw ( )instead of Awsaw ( ?)The

reason for the word Tawaasaw rather than Awsaw is, it was used because
advising and recommending the truth and patience is not directed to a
certain category of believers. It is for every believer, for every group, for
every category. Tawaasaw is Dawah. Dawah is not a monopoly nor is it
exclusive, it is not for a certain category over another, it is not exclusive
for some over another. Had it been Awsaw, then it may have been
directed to a certain group. But when it is Tawaasaw, it means it is open
for all, it is the duty of all. It is the duty of all what? It is the duty of
everyone to advise and the duty of everyone to accept advice, that is
what Tawaasaw means instead of Awsaw. There is no one better than
another in this, there is no Shaykh immune from getting advice and there
is no students, there is no laymen immune from getting advice or giving
advice. Students, Shaykhs, Imaams, we are all equal, there is no hierarchy
in this matter, we are all together in this matter.
Like some countries for example, they have the agency called The Agency
of the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice and some
countries, they try to limit ordaining the good and Dawah to that group
right there. Had it been Awsaw they would have had proof but when it is
Tawaasaw no, every believer must advise his brother and every brother
must accept. We are all in this equal, there is no send button yet no
receive, we have all got in this matter, a send and a receive button.
ADVISING
IS A
GROUP EFFORT
A believer to a believer is like two hands, one washes the other. One hand
cannot wash itself by itself, you need another hand to wash the hand and
that is what a believer is to another believer. If you want others to accept
your teaching and advice, then you start with yourself no matter who you
think you are, you start by accepting advice off other people. We all have
our faults, Wallahi we all have our faults and we all have our weakness.
The Ummah is one body and we are here to help each other in this
weakness. Someone may have a weakness in doubts, doubts are like
Shubuhaat (). He gets doubts for example about Allah, many
people get that doubt, the Shaytaan instigates it and he reaches a level
where he begins to instigate doubts even in Allah, in the existence of
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Allah. Some people begin to have these Shubuhaat but there is another
person, a believer who is strong in resisting the desires, the Shahawaat (
). The women, the musical instruments and that is called

Shahawaat.
The one who is strong in doubts has weakness in looking at Haraam for
example, so the one strong in an area helps his brother that is weak in the
other area. If you are strong in Shubuhaat, you help your brother who is
weak in Shubuhaat. You are strong in Shahawaat, you help your brother
who is weak in Shahawaat. The tree of Imaan in order for it to be
sustained, needs to be watered, you nourish your Imaan by advising each
other. Look at the table in your house, you leave for a month or two or you
are living in the house and you just do not wipe it off, it becomes dusty.
When we advise each other and recommend for each other, it is wiping
the dust off the table, off the hearts.
Note the Surah starts off with Iman alone, Aamanu, Deeds, AmilusSaalihaat, it is alone, more like an individual capacity. Aamanu, believe,
Amilus-Saalihaat, more like an individual capacity. Now when it gets to
advising, it is like a group like setting because as a Muslim, you are a
member of this Ummah. Now it is a group effort, the Ummah all together,
all that comes from Wa Tawaasaw (

) .
HAQQ REFERS
TO
ALL
OF THE
REVELATION
OF
ALLAH
The third fundamental principle, advising in Haqq, that is in reality what

the author mentioned, Dawah. That is what we taught in the third
principle. Haqq here:
:

...

Haqq here is a word used to summarise the revelation of Allah, the Quran
and the Sunnah.
PATIENCE
PATIENCE
IS IMPLIED
THROUGHOUT
THE
SURAH
The fourth fundamental and final principle here is, Sabr, patience.
Patience comes at the end like a bonus, this is like a bonus. It comes on
top of all the good that we have already been talking about in this Surah.
If you look in between the lines of this Surah, Sabr, patience is in reality
within the lines of the Surah four times.
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One:
: ...

A great portion of Imaan comes through Sabr. Some scholars were quoted
as saying Sabr is half of Imaan. That is one, it is mentioned in between the
lines right there.
The second one:
: ...
...

Those who do good deeds. Is Sabr, patience, not part of good deeds? We
said Amilus-Saalihaat is all the deeds. Is patience not deeds? So it falls
under number two.
: ...

...
Give advice. Is Sabr not included in the general word of Haqq? We said
Haqq is all the Quran and the Sunnah, so is Sabr not part of that? So it is
in the third one.
PATIENCE REFERS
TO
ALL TYPES
OF
PATIENCE
But then finally, it is specified individually to show how important and

essential and mighty it is supposed to be in your life and for you to
achieve success. That is why it is mentioned at the fourth level of the
Surah. Patience to be obedient to Allah, patience to stay away from the
sins, and patience in trials and tribulations. In class number ten and
eleven, we talked about patience in depth as the fourth fundamental
principle so there is no need to go over that. We are just talking about
these matters in relation to the Surah. Keep in mind though, patience here
refers to all patience, all types of patience. Small matters and big matters,
even patience from boredom. The first thing that I was talking about in the
class today, patience from not being bored.
Like we mentioned in the start of the class, the Shaytaan will come and
cast boredom upon you, to deter you from Ibaadah and from good deeds,
so you have to have patience to resist that. Also you have to have
patience in what you are all doing here, you have to have patience in
learning, to learn, and in everything. For example in Ibaadah, if you take a
huge jug and poured it over a plant and you finished that jug and leave it,
what happens? Or is it better to go to that plant and every day pour a cup
or two, and then the next day pour a cup or two, which one is a better
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scenario? To pour that huge jug and just leave it, or every day pour a cup
or two? That plant will never survive if you pour the whole jug and just
leave it, you must pour a cup or two for it to stay alive.
Among the Shaytaanic tactics is that sometimes he lets one go forth in
some Ibaadah. Someone newly into Islam, or he may listen to a Khutbah
or a lecture, suddenly he wants to do Qiyaam from Ishaa to Fajr. That is
why in my talk on The Ultimate Pleasure of a Believer, the one on Qiyaam,
I said start, but start slow and gradual. Matters that start gradual and
continue are better than that big lump sum that you do at one time and
that is the end of it, that big jug that you pour and just leave the tree. The
Shaytaan may let one do Qiyaam all night, so he can pour all the water he
has. So the next day and following days and weeks and years, he will not
do anything.
Islam is a step by step process, so you have to have patience to resist
boredom in the Shaytaanic tactics in Ibaadah. Like Ibaadah for example,
you need patience in what you are doing here, what you are doing here is
learning. You see someone coming so eager and passionate about
learning, then a few months later, that passion for learning Islam and
Tawheed and all that suddenly dies and fades away. You need patience,
that is why. Sometimes there is a reason behind it and sometimes it is
totally from the Shaytaan. I know many, many who for example want to
go to Madinah and you know there is an application process. They are
passionate about applying and time goes by. By the time they send their
papers in and by the time they get accepted, their passion for Talab al-Ilm
has faded and died away and they do not want to go no more.
That is why al-Khadr kept telling Musa alayhis salaam in the Quran:
...
:

You are here in a noble cause, Talabul-Ilm, so you need patience. You do
not learn Islam overnight, it requires persistence and patience.
Sometimes you must be patient with your teacher, you got to take that. I
have sat in front of some Shuyookh, four years I can remember one of
them, I do not remember I have seen a smile on his face. And if you ask
him, when you ask him and you have to ask him, the chances are slim
that you are not going to get scolded and embarrassed but that never
caused us to leave their sight. Let me tell you, Shaykh Ahmad Baathaf
asked a famous Shaykh, Dr. Naasir al-Aqil, he has a Masters and PhD in
Aqeedah. Very knowledgeable in Aqeedah, he taught generations. He
was asked, who is the most knowledgeable in Aqeedah. This Shaykh,
Shaykh Ahmad is asking Shaykh Naasir al-Aqil, who is the most
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knowledgeable in Aqeedah? Shaykh Naasir al-Aqil said, I do not know

anyone on the face of this Earth more knowledgeable in Aqeedah than
Shaykh Abdullah al-Ghunaymaan. He has a PhD, Shaykh Abdullah alGhunaymaan. I actually believe that to be a very accurate statement, if
not, maybe very, very, very close to it, actually it is a very, very accurate
statement.
This Shaykh, Abdullah al-Ghunaymaan, he taught me and my father
before me. And when he taught me, I used to frequent his house a lot. My
father called him at one point and requested that he teach me. In
addition, he taught us in the Islamic University, he was a teacher there in
the regular curriculum of the Islamic University. He also had a chair in the
Haram where he taught at times three days a week between Maghrib and
Ishaa and at times, four times a week between Maghrib and Ishaa, and I
also frequented his house. I may be mistaken, I do not want to put this on
my account, but looking back at it, I do not think I have ever seen him,
ever smile during my stay with him or my study with him.
I actually once took a friend with me to his house. I was going to go learn
something and I took a friend, I tagged along a friend with me. My friend,
during when we were talking, he asked a question and he got scolded real
badly. When we got back in the car, he said, do not ever bring me here
again. He was tough and Inshaa Allah it is because he wanted to raise
people properly, maybe it is his nature, I am there to learn from this giant
and that is what it is. May Allah grant him and my father a long life full of
deeds and Barakah.
The point is, one needs patience in every aspect of learning. Today, if you
do not baby your students, one loses patience suddenly and he is gone.
And you will be lucky if you do not find him posting something negative
about you, if you do not pamper him or her. Keep patience between your
eyes, it is a journey, you are on a journey on Talab al-Ilm and you need
patience for it. And that is what you got to keep:

:

THE STATEMENT OF ASH-SHAAFIEE
The final comment for the deep students of knowledge is, it pertains to
the comment the author mentioned at the end of this Surah. He said:
Page | 294
-

: -

.

He attributes this statement to ash-Shaafiee. The author said ashShaafiee said, if nothing else but this Surah would have been revealed
and nothing else, this would have been sufficient.
There is an issue with this statement right here. Note, first of all, note the
statement. What is meant by this statement is not that we do not need
nothing else but this Surah, you do not set the Quran aside and just take
al-Asr. What is meant is that this Surah is sufficient to show you an
inspiration, an outline, an encouragement to direct you to the path of
guidance and salvation. That is what they mean when they quote this
quote. And notice I say what is meant by this statement if some scholars
use it, since I do not believe that this was the exact wording of ashShaafiee Rahimahullah. This as it is quoted in this booklet, I do not think
it is the exact wording of ash-Shaafiee Rahimahullah. This statement as
mentioned in Usool Ath-Thalaathah is nowhere to be found by a chain.
One of my Shuyookh, a great Muhaddith, Shaykh Hammaad al-Ansaari
Rahmatullahi Alayhi, he is a great Imaam from Mali. He left Mali at a
young age to escape the French terrorists back in the days and he landed
in Makkah and Madinah, where he continued his studies and he is a very
prominent Aalim. Amongst his students are Ibn Jibreen, Bakr Abu Zayd,
Saalih Aalish-Shaykh, Shaykh Umar Fallaatah and Atiyah Saalim both of
who were my teachers, and among his students is Shaykh Saalih alHusayni. This Shaykh, Hammaad al-Ansaari, he died Rahmatullahi Alayhi
in, I believe it was 1997 or close to that.
Let me say before I go on, based on many requests when I mention these
Ulamaa, many wanted to know more, and Inshaa Allah if we have time, I
will mention a short glimpse on these giants of Islam to revive their
mention because they are the leftover of the followers of the Sahaabah
and because when you know about the true Ulamaa, you will end up
knowing who is an Aalim and who is not.
Anyway, when I asked Shaykh Hammaad al-Ansaari once in his library
about this statement, he had a library that was open to the public, he said
he does not know of any chain of authenticity where that statement as
mentioned in this booklet can be found. And I have heard from another
student of Ilm, Albaani said a similar quote. And actually, if I did not learn
but this from Shaykh Hammaad al-Ansaari, it would be worth me making
Duaa for him for the rest of my life. And he taught me plenty, may Allah
raise his rank to Firdaws. He said in many books that he researched, he
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could not find it. However in Manaaqib ash-Shaafiee for al-Bayhaqi, there
is a chain for similar statement. The statement goes:

If people contemplated this Surah, it would be sufficient enough for them.
It is a little bit different. However this proper wording is attributed to ashShaafiee and Shaykh Hammaad al-Ansaari said it is attributed to ashShaafiee with a solid chain, unlike the other statement that is mentioned
in this book. Why? First of all we should use this one, because it actually
has a chain to it. Second, it is more clear, the statement is more clear as
to what ash-Shaafiee is talking about. Also, if you read the works of Ibn
al-Qayyim and Ibn Taymiyyah his Shaykh, and Ibn Katheer and ashShanqeeti, they all mention it:

They do not mention it like it is mentioned in this booklet.
So now, why did the author here say the other one which is:

Why did he use that? If the correct one is the one in Manaaqib ashShaafiee, why did the author here use it? Why did he not use:

Even though it has a chain and the meaning is more clear. It may be that
the author here quoted the meaning and not the word for word verbatim
of what ash-Shaafiee said. And if you look into the works of Muhammad
Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab and those who mastered the work of the Imaam, the
author of this booklet. At times, you know when you study the books of
someone for so long, you get to know a trend of how he writes his books.
So some of the Ulamaa said that he quotes by meaning. So there is no
problem in the fact that he quoted by meaning, but we should stick to the
one with a solid chain, because first of all it has a chain and second of all
the meaning is clearer.
Wa Jazakum Allahu Khayr. We went a little bit too long, but Alhamdulillah
we did a portion of what we were supposed to do of Tafseer Surat al-Asr.
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CLASS FOURTEEN
This is our fourteenth class on the elucidations of Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah.
We finished our four introductory, fundamental principles. The first one
was knowledge, knowledge in Allah, the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, and the Book. Then number two was to act on it.
Number three was to convey it. Number four was to be patient upon that.
The proof for the four fundamental principles was Surat al-Asr. In fact,
these four principles are taken directly out of Surat al-Asr. Finally, in
conclusion to the first four fundamental principles, and with this we will
conclude the first chapter Inshaa Allah Taaala, the author substantiates
the proof with a chapter title from al-Bukhari.
A CHAPTER TITLE FROM SAHIH AL-BUKHARI

He says:

-
: -

:

.

He quotes a title in al-Bukhari, a chapter where the title is, in al-Bukhari,

may Allah have mercy upon him, he said chapter knowledge proceeds
speech and action. And the proof is the saying of Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala, the Most High:

...

:
Know, that there is none who has the right to be worshiped but Allah, and
ask forgiveness from your Lord for your sins, a verse in Surat Muhammad.
Then, this is part of the title still, so he began by mentioning knowledge
before speech and action. That is the end of the title, that is the title.
Last week we mentioned that there was a minor discrepancy in the author
quoting a quote, attributed to ash-Shaafiee. And we said it is possible that
the author mentioned it by meaning. Here, in quoting al-Bukhari, there is
two slight variations in that quote. When you return and go look in the
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original Bukhari, you are going to find two slight variations. It is really very
minor, but it is something worth noting for Talabatul-Ilm. The author says:
If you go look in Bukhari, it says:

Both mean the same thing, but slight variations. The second variation is in
the final last two words where Imaam Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
added the last two words. The quote is, so he began with mentioning
knowledge before speech and action. The words that were added is,
before speech and action. That does not change the meaning, it actually
clarifies the meaning, but that is not exactly how it is in the title of alBukhari.
In Arabi it is:

That right there is where Bukhari stops right there, and continues on to
something else.

Is the addition over here. Now why did he do that? Why did he add that?
Why is there these variations? He may have quoted by meaning, or he
wanted to explain it a little bit more, because those explain it a little bit
more. Some say he maybe had a version of Bukhari, where the titles not
the Hadith, the titles may have been worded slightly different.
The next issue should be who is al-Bukhari? Since we talked about alBukhari, we should give a little glimpse about his life. But since there is a
lecture I gave many, many years ago, I will refer you to that to listen to it
and see the life of al-Bukhari Rahimahullah. That is what we will do
frequently, whenever we talk about something and it is to be mentioned
again, we will refer to it where we mentioned it at so to cover more
knowledge in less time.
WHY DID THE AUTHOR

PROOF?
USE A
CHAPTER TITLE
FROM
BUKHARI
AS
Page | 298
The compilation of Bukhari Rahimahullah is worthy of being written in ink

of gold, we all know that. It is a compilation whose chains are like the
stars, the people in the chains are like the stars in the sky. That
compilation has been honoured by Ijmaa in both its merit and ranking. It
is a compilation that exterminated evil and those accused of evil. It is a
book that affirmed justice and those who are just. That is not all. If you
look at the organisation and structure of the book, the delicate titling and
how he organised it, there is even more information to get out of that. It is
not unusual for you to read in books of Ulamaa, they want to talk about
something, and then they are going to back it up and say:

Al-Bukhari named his chapter this and that, to back up a point that they
are trying to make. The mere title itself, so imagine if you go to the
Ahaadith of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Let me give you an example which will make you understand it better. A
student of knowledge once did a report on whether it is better to make
multiple Umrahs in one visit or just to stick with one Umrah. For example,
you go from here to Makkah in Umrah and you go to Makkah. Once you
get to Makkah, you go to at-Taneem a second time like many people do.
Third time, you make a fourth and fifth and sixth and seventh, you know
numerous Umrahs. Or is it better to stick to one Umrah? That is a Fiqh
issue deeply discussed and disputed among the Ulamaa, even some of
the four Ulamaa. The student of Ilm went and studied and analysed and
looked at the proof and he was telling his friend, the conclusion I came
with, is the reward is based on what you exert of effort. So his friend told
him, that is exactly the title of a chapter in the book of Bukhari:

An-Nasab (

) means tire, what effort you exert, so you get reward
based on your effort. So the man said, Wallah if I seen that, it would have
saved me a lot of time.
Just the title itself, he may have even looked in Bukhari but what happens
is a lot of times you are trying to search, you overlook the title, you want
to go right into the centre. The Ulamaa wrote books on the titles Bukhari
Rahimahullah used for his chapters. You will see some of that in, if you
have, which you all do Inshaa Allah, you have the elucidation of Ibn Hajr,
he mentions that in his elucidation. Waliullah Dehlawi and Ibn Hamaamah
wrote booklets or books on the titles Bukhari Rahimahullah chose. Some
Page | 299
scholars went back and forth writing, did Bukhari mean Fiqh opinions
when he chose the titles or were they merely just titles that he gave?
They go on back and forth in that. These were giants, that if their titles
give so much knowledge, then imagine the books that they wrote.
This did not happen by mere knowledge alone, there were secrets
between these giants and Allah that elevated them to such high ranks.
Brothers tell me, when I get a laptop Inshaa Allah, they want to download
some program that has six thousand volumes, little program that you can
download six thousand volumes. Not volumes, six thousand titles of
Islamic books and four to five times as much as that in volumes. So it is
probably like twenty thousand or so volumes, six thousand volumes at the
tip of your fingers. Bukhari, Sufyaan Ibn Uyaynah, Ibn Maeen and Ibn
Hanbal, an-Nawawi and Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim, they needed a
Hadith, some at times travelled the continent to get a Hadith. Now we got
six thousand volumes at your fingertips. With all that knowledge, why did
no Talabatul-Ilm of today or Ulamaa produce that which is close to any
one of those giants that we mentioned produced?
You read the works of the Ulamaa like Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim
and Bukhari and their likes and their categories, in both quantity and
quality, and you get astonished. These were men who travelled by
donkeys and camels, not by aeroplanes and cars. These were men who
were in and out of prisons and their life was full of struggles. They were
not walking around with laptops in seven star hotels. They were men who
a lot of the times, wrote from the top of their mind, not by going into
books or running through laptop. Why so much Barakah?

: ...

...
Yes, knowledge is essential, but you have to keep secrets between you
and Allah that only you and Allah know, to elevate you to such a high
level. I believe they had such secrets that their own wives and closest of
all students did not know of.
KNOWLEDGE PRECEDES ACTION

So here, the verse in Bukhari, that Bukhari uses:
...

Page | 300
) , know, that there is none that have the right to be

Falam (

worshipped except Allah, and ask forgiveness from Allah for your sins:

: ...

...
Falam, knowledge precedes action and saying and it is a condition for
your action and your saying to be accepted because knowledge perfects
and corrects the intention and the method you conduct your acts and
saying. Al-Bukhari Rahimahullah uses the Ayah for proof on that, that
knowledge must be before actions. And when we say actions, we mean
heart actions, we mean tongue actions as well, and body part actions. This
is proof that a Muslim must start with knowledge before he goes on to
saying or acting. And from an intellectual point of view, knowledge must
precede your actions because, common sense, how would you know how
to perform them if you did not have the knowledge? Likewise, take it from
your boss, your father, your employer, your teacher, you want to please
them. How do you please them? You got to learn how to please them
before you please them, because you may do something that may anger
them. So knowledge comes before action, that is common sense.
Yes, there is some things which come through innate nature, by the Fitrah.
The knowledge of oneness of Allah, Tawheed, that comes through Fitrah.
That is why one is created on the Fitrah, it is engrained in the nature of
man, just like your blood and your flesh. You do not take your newborn,
and when he is about to talk or he learns to talk , you say Shahaadah to
enter Islam. You teach him Shahaadah, however, he is already Muslim
because it is engrained in him. One thing you got to take into
consideration is, even matters with the Fitrah, you got to still learn them
because as time goes by, there is external, evil forces surrounding one
that taint even matters of Fitrah. So that is why you got to learn it, even
those matters that we know are Fitrah.
LAA ILAAHA ILLALLAH
...

When one masters Laa ilaaha illallah, there is the knowledge of Laa ilaaha
illallah, he will not be harmed by any knowledge he missed out on. And
whoever is ignorant of Laa ilaaha illallah, there is no knowledge he can
ascertain that will be of any benefit to him. We are talking on a larger
scale, the scale of the life after.
This is the word that the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
said in Sunan at-Tirmidhi, on the authority of Abu Hurayrah:
Page | 301

Whoever says it in his illness, a death illness, the Hellfire will not touch
him. We spend so much time learning it, because according to some of the
Mufassireen, one of the reasons is that is the word that Allah put a parable
in the Quran, that is like a goodly tree whose root is firm and fixed in the
Earth and its branches are in the sky. Its roots is Laa ilaaha illallah, the
root of that tree is Laa ilaaha illallah in your heart, how deep Laa ilaaha
illallah is in your heart. The tree is Laa ilaaha illallah, the branches are
your deeds going up to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala:
DO VERSES ADDRESSED
TO THE
PROPHET INCLUDE US?
The final point on this is more like an Usool al-Fiqh issue. The speech in
this verse is directed to the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam:
...

Learn, to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Does this
include us, me and you? In this verse, it most definitely includes all of us.
The Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and we behind him are included.
But there is other verses like:

Oh you Prophet, oh you Messenger, do they include us as well? According
to the majority of the Usool al-Fiqh scholars, it does not include us unless
there is proof to tag us on. However, according to Abu Haneefah and
Ahmad and Imaam al-Haramayn and as-Samaanee, those verses directed
to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam include us, unless there is proof
to exclude us.
And the second meaning may be a little bit stronger because if you look in
the Quran:
Page | 302

: ...

Oh you Messenger, if you divorce women. It starts addressing the Prophet
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, but the second word right after that
addresses the whole Ummah:

...
...

Even right after that, Tahreem:
...

:
The verse addresses the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, but right
after that:
: ...

Then it goes on from addressing the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam
to addressing the Ummah. So they said that means that it is directed the
Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam in honour to him, of course, and the
Ummah behind him. Those are two opinions of Usool that stem from words
like Falam, directed to the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, or Yaa
Ayyuhun-Nabi (

) , Yaa Ayyuhar-Rasool (

) .
THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK

With this, we just concluded chapter one of Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah.
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil-Aalameen, that is a true blessing. Before we start on
chapter two, I want to give a few moments on the structure of the book,
which I should have gave before I started but I wanted to delay it because
I think you will comprehend it more right now.
We just took the four fundamental principles, introductory. As you know I
always say the four introductory fundamental principles. And the proof on
them is Surat al-Asr and the statement of al-Bukhari. We took it in
approximately thirteen classes and somewhat of a quarter of this class. So
we finished the first four fundamental principles, and according to some
Ulamaa, this was not part of the book the author intended. This was his
works but an independent book, one of his students came and tagged it
along, and that is the opinion of Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Muhammad Ibn
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Qaasim. So they said the first fundamental principles is an independent

booklet he wrote, one of his students came and said why not put it in AlUsool Ath-Thalaathah as an introduction to the rest of the book.
Now Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Muhammad Ibn Qaasim, you may not be familiar
with that name, he died in 1972 but he in a way is a reviver. He is a man
that compiled the Fataawa of Ibn Taymiyyah today. For all the centuries
since the death of Ibn Taymiyyah, those Fataawa were not compiled until
this man in the sixties compiled them. He went all over the world, first he
started in the Arabian Peninsula, looked around for any booklets, any
Fataawa, any statements written by Ibn Taymiyyah, he began to gather
them. Then he travelled to Egypt to try to get any Fataawa of Ibn
Taymiyyah and compile them and gather them, and put them together.
The first visit to Egypt, he did not get nothing out of it. He went a second
time, he did actually in the second time compile some more of the
writings of Ibn Taymiyyah. Then, he took his son Muhammad because as
he grew older he became very ill, he took his son Muhammad to Lubnaan (
). And when he got to Lubnaan, he was not able to make it but he

sent his son to nearby ash-Shaam, may Allah grant them and hasten their
victory. When he went to ash-Shaam, his son went to ash-Shaam, he came
back with eight hundred and fifty pages handwritten by Ibn Taymiyyah
that were not published before, because Ibn Taymiyyah spent a great
portion of his life there.
Then they went to Paris and they found thirteen Masaail written by Ibn
Taymiyyah, they did not find in their journey throughout the Arabic
countries, in Paris. And then he went to Baghdad and found more, and
among that which he found in Baghdad is Ar-Risaalah At-Tadmuriyyah, a
very important work. Maybe in the future, if Allah grants us time and life
we will study that. So he went all around the world and gathered it and
compiled it in the thirty seven volumes you see today, Al-Fataawa.
Amongst his students are Abdullah Ibn Jibreen, Hamood al-Uqlah,
Abdullah Ibn Frayyaan. Actually, Hamood al-Uqlah, which you all know, he
is his adopted son. Shaykh Hamood al-Uqlah was kicked out of his house
when he was a thirteen year old kid and this man adopted him and taught
him and sent him to Shuyookh and he became Shaykh Hamood al-Uqlah,
one of the great Imams of our time. Al-Frayyaan, all these are dead,
Rahmatullahi Alayhim Ajmaeen, Frayyaan is the one who opened Quran
Halaqaat, organised Halaqaat all throughout the Arabian Peninsula.
Rahmatullahi Alayhi, and he was one of my teachers and the teachers of
my father.
This man, Ibn Qaasim, one of his compilations in addition to the Fataawa,
is he compiled Ad-Durrar As-Sanniyyah, sixteen volumes of Ulamaa Najd,
Page | 304
their writings and their works. Ibn Qaasim is considered among the
Imaams of the Dawah of Najd, and he has a small booklet on the
elucidations of Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah. It is called Al-Haashiyah, it is
approximately a hundred or so pages. And the chapter we started on
today, he considers that not to be part of Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah. It is
part of the work of the author, but it is an independent work. And that is
really what I lean to, and I think that is more correct. And actually I was
adamant about it and that is why I was mention it in sort of hesitation
because Shaykh Ali al-Khudayr, may Allah hasten his release in prison,
adopted the opinion that no, this was part of the original work, that the
author here wanted this as an introduction to Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah.
And these are masters, who mastered the work of the author here. They
really mastered it and they know the details in depth, and not just him,
him and his students for two and three generations after him.
We have authors who study these matters in depth and detail. And why
they do it, is that these details help us study and analyse and map out
and envision in your mind how the book is structured. That way, you can
understand more what the book is trying to tell you, instead of your mind
being shattered all over. It is also beneficial knowledge to know this about
the book because it is a book that we spent so much time learning and
studying. And it is something that if not mentioned, especially in the
English study, over time it might be forgotten. You see those who spend
meaningless life analysing the works of, for example Edgar Allan Poe or
Shakespeare. They analyse it and spend a lifetime studying it. They study
it in so much detail that if you were to give them a few pages and tell
them, did Shakespeare write this? They will look at it for a few moments
and tell you, no way this could have been his work because this word was
not like this, he would have used this word, instead of this word.
And as Muslims we have like this man Ibn Qaasim and Ali al-Khudayr and
Naasir al-Fahd, may Allah hasten their release and may Allah have mercy
on those who were dead of them, took on the noble cause of studying the
works of Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
and his followers of Najd. Among those who really mastered that detailed
work is Shaykh Naasir al-Fahd. Actually, not only does he master it in
details, but he memorises nearly all the works of this author and his
students and those who followed along with him in the past centuries. In
fact, he can draw you, you know sometimes there may be things that you
may think they are contradictory, you read it here then you go to another
book, you read it here and you say, how did this happen? Or sometimes
you read something in the book and they did something different, and you
got to come with the conclusion. What is going on here? How did this
happen? Or some of the details that we mentioned, about Surat al-Asr or
Page | 305
like that about the statement of al-Bukhari. That takes years and years of
analysing and study to come up with conclusions on that, and amongst
those who mastered that is Shaykh Naasir al-Fahd. You can see some of
that in his book on the Uthmaani Khilaafah.
So we do not veer off topic, what I wanted to mention is that some of this
is considered an introduction that some of his students added to Al-Usool
Ath-Thalaathah. Why? Here is how we are going to break the booklet
down. I have not seen it done like this before but for our structure and our
purposes we are going to refer to this.
Number one, the four fundamental principles, that is chapter one. What
we finished right now, as of now, that is chapter one, we finished that,
which is the four introductory, fundamental principles. According like I said
to Ibn Qaasim, that is an independent booklet that his students added on.
And according to Ali al-Khudayr, that is actually part of the book. So
chapter one is going to be what we just finished right now, the four
fundamental principles. That is chapter one. Chapter two is going to start
off exactly like, almost close to chapter one. Ilam Rahimak Allahu Taaala,
that is chapter two which we are going to study right now Inshaa Allah.
Ilam Rahimak Allah, know, may Allah have mercy. That is chapter two.
What chapter two is, the outline of it, make a framework, you should put it
in front of you and write an outline.
Chapter two in this book talks about three issues, it is called three
matters, that is really what it is called, the three matters. Matter number
one is Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah and in Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah, there is six
subheadings. So number one is going to be A, B, C, D, E, F. Then the
second matter is, number two is matters on Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah or
Shirk. And number three is going to be something about Walaa and
Baraa, those are three issues.
Now chapter three then, is a short note on Millat Ibraheem (
), talks a little bit about Millat Ibraheem and he starts off with:

Know, may Allah direct you to obedience. That would be chapter three.
Those three chapters are all disputed, whether they were added by the
author or his students wanted to add it as an introduction to his book AlUsool Ath-Thalaathah.
Chapter four which starts:
Page | 306

If you are asked what are the three principles, that is the core of the book.
So chapter four is the core of the book. He talks about the three matters
you will be asked about in your grave and at the end of it he makes a
conclusion on al-Kufr bit-Taaghoot (
matters about the life after, al-Aakhirah.
)and some
So now you know the structure of the book, we are going to call them four
chapters. And that will help you understand and visualise what we have
been studying. So now right now, let us start with chapter two.
CHAPTER TWO
THE OBLIGATION TO KNOW AND ACT ON THREE
MATTERS
He starts off chapter two saying, know, may Allah have mercy upon you.
Know, may Allah have mercy upon you, that it is obligatory on every
Muslim, female and male, to learn and act upon the following three
matters.

The author says, know, may Allah have mercy on you, that it is obligatory
on every Muslim, male and female, to learn and act upon the following
three matters.
We spoke in the beginning of chapter one on this introduction, because
that is how he started chapter one. He started chapter two very similar to
how he started chapter one, except that he said Muslim, male and female.
He said Muslim, and male and female so we are going to talk about that.
Why he said Muslim, why he said male and female.
WHY
DID THE
AUTHOR
SAY
MALE
AND
FEMALE?
Why did he mention:

Page | 307
Every Muslim, male and female. He added female as an assurance

because in reality in Arabic when you address male and likewise the
Quran in the eloquent Arabic language, in the peak of the eloquency of
the Arabic language, so when he says male, it automatically addresses
female unless there is proof to exclude them. The only reason he added it
here, to add extra assurance, to emphasise that it is every, last individual,
that I am talking to you, must know this.
WHY
DID THE
AUTHOR
SAY
MUSLIM?
He said it is obligatory on every Muslim, so why did he say Muslim? Why

did he use the active participle? Ism al-Faail (
is called Ism al-Faail. Why did he use that?
), in Arabic it
A Muslim first of all, is one who says Shahaadatayn, you have got to
verbally say Shahaadatayn. If you grew up into Islam, there is no point like
when the person starts talking, he does not have to say it to enter Islam
because he is on his Fitrah, he is already Muslim. But someone who went
into Shirk and Kufr and disbelief, they have to say it to enter Islam. So first
one is Shahaadatayn, second one is to act according to the Shahaadah.
And that is knowledge, certainty, sincerity, submission, love, truthfulness,
compliance, acceptance, the rules that we know for Laa ilaaha illallah
Muhammadar-Rasoolullah. That is the second one. The third one is, you do
not do a negator to take you out of Islam. If any one of these three that I
mentioned are missing, then the label is taken off.
There is one door to Islam but there is a lot of windows and doors to exit
you out. Islam is like Wudhu, you can make Wudhu right now, however
you can invalidate your Wudhu, and likewise Islam. That is the term given
to one who is rendered an apostate, Riddah ( )is one who was a
believer, then becomes a non believer. One who is originally into Kufr, his
name is original non believer, which is Kaafir Aslee () . And
there is difference in those in the books of Fiqh, they are both non
believers but there is difference in the Fiqh books pertaining to the details
of each one of them.
Here he said:

Why did he specify Muslim? Are non Muslims exempted from this? Are
they addressed or are they exempted? There is no question that non
believers are addressed in the matters of principles of Islam. Non Muslims
are addressed in matters of principles of Islam. Islam calls and addresses
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non believers to Tawheed and they will be held accountable in the

Aakhirah if they do not accept. The reason the author specifies Muslims
here, is because this booklet was directed to Muslims. Otherwise,
Islamically from our perspective, the Tawheed is addressed to Muslims and
non Muslims. There is no dispute among the Ulamaa in the Usool, the
principles of Islam are directed.
However, are non believers addressed in secondary matters? Even though
it is disputed, some say yes, some say no, I think the summary of it is that
the non believers pertaining to secondary matters are addressed in a way
and not addressed in a way. They are addressed in a way and they are not
addressed in another way. So they are addressed first of all, they are
addressed in A and B. They are addressed in that when a Muslim conveys
Islam, there is no problem that he can address them and teach them
manners and Salah and Hajj, or any other secondary matters. Maybe to
open their hearts to Islam through that secondary matter and that is what
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told Muadh when he went to
Yemen. Among the matters he told him to teach were secondary matters.
B is that they are addressed in that they will be punished for not accepting
the secondary matters according to the most reputable of two opinions on
that issue.
So if they do not accept and abide by the secondary matters and do them,
they will be punished for them because look at the verses in the Quran:

What causes you to go to Hellfire they are asked, when they are in
Hellfire.

They say, we did not used to make our Salah.
We did not give our Zakah.
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We used to talk falsely and we used to be with those vain talkers. Some of
those are secondary matters and to prove that they are non believers that
are being punished for these:

They used to say, we disbelieve in the life after. Anyone who disbelieves in
the life after is non Muslim. So the clear Quran says that they are
punished in Jahannam for matters that are considered, some matters that
are considered secondary matters.
Now, we said they are not addressed in a way. How are they not
addressed in another way? For example, the details of Islam. You do not
know require a non Muslim to go to Hajj, you do not tell a non Muslim, go
to Hajj. Or a non Muslim, go make your Salah, because it is not accepted
from him. The Shahaadah, the key to its acceptance is not there. So in
that sense, he is not addressed.
THE FIRST MATTER: TAWHEED AR-RUBUBIYYAH

The author goes on to say:

The first of the matters here is, that Allah created us. So in your notes
right now, you write 1A, that Allah created us. That is the first issue, there
is going to be a B, C, D, E, F Inshaa Allah Taaala, I do not think we will get
past A today.
1A: ALLAH CREATED US
Page | 310
That Allah created us. There is proof on that in the Quran and in the
Sunnah and by intellect and there is so much proof and it is so plenty and
great and dignified that you literally can go on, without exaggeration, for
months, talking about these verses, if not more.
PROOFS
FROM THE
QURAN
AND
SUNNAH

Truly, verily, in the creation of the Heaven and the Earth, the alternation of
the day and the night, there is signs for men of comprehension or
understanding.
Allah created you and your handiwork.

...

:
Allah created you from clay, then he gave you an appointed time on this

) , Ajala means He gave you an
Earth. Qadhaa Ajala (

appointed time. Twenty years you are going to live, fifty years, two
months, one year, that is Ajala.
: ...

We created you and fashioned you. In Surat al-Araaf when it is talking
about human beings, when it is talking more specifically about Adam.

We created man, meaning Adam, from dry clay and blackened mud.
If you go from the miracles of Allah, when He talks about His signs and
miracles.
Page | 311

:

And from His signs is that He created you from clay and then you were
offspring scattered all over the Earth.
He created man, Allah created man, from dry clay like that of pottery. That

Salsaalin Kalfakhaar (

) is pottery.

Many verses like that. In az-Zumar, when it is about all of creation:

: ...

Allah is the Creator of everything.
We can go really, on and on with these verses that are numerous
throughout the Quran. This is such a clear matter actually, that the
arrogant Mushrikeen who gave the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
the hardest of all times and disbelieved in him and physically and
mentally abused him and his Sahaabah, tortured him; as arrogant as they
were in snobbery and as swanky as they were, when it came to this
matter, they believed in it.
In five different verses actually in the Quran, if you look at it.
: ...

: : : :
If you ask them about the Creator, in five different verses, they answer
Allah. In fact, they went on in one of the answers, they went on to give the
names and qualities of Allah:

:

Page | 312
If you were to ask them who created the Heaven and the Earth, they will
surely say:

...

Al-Azeez is the All Mighty. Al-Aleem, the All Knower. So in a sense, they
had some belief in Asmaa and Sifaat. These kind of verses, and this,
when it sets in your mind, is an Imaan booster.
When Jubayr Ibn Mutim radhiallahu anhu was apprehended in the Battle
of Badr as a prisoner. In Sahih al-Bukhari, and the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam made Salatul-Maghrib and recited out loud, and Jubayr
was among the prisoners listening to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam recite. When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam began to
recite in Surat at-Toor and he got to the verses:
Were they created by nothing or did they create themselves? Did they
create the Heaven and the Earth? They have no certainty.

:
Do they have possession of the treasures of your Lord? Jubayr Ibn Mutim
radhiallahu anhu said when I heard that, my heart almost flew and that is
when Imaan first settled in my heart. Those verses of the Creator, Allah,
were the seeds that brought Jubayr Ibn Mutim radhiallahu anhu from a
non believer fighting the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, to a solid
companion next to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
We just mention maybe one Hadith:
...
Page | 313
The Sahaabah, and Anas narrates this story, Anas Ibn Maalik says we were
forbidden or deterred, at a point of time, from asking the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And that is without genuine need or matters
that may cause one to ask a question which will cause a matter to be
prohibited where otherwise it would have remained Halaal, had he not
asked. So what they loved is, they were pleased when a Bedouin from the
outskirts would come from the desert and they were pretty you know
blunt, they would come to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and ask
him. So they used to like that, so they can learn from the question.

...

...

So this man is trying to get how he is going to believe in the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, look how he goes about it. The Bedouin from
the dwellers of the outskirts, desert, came to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam and said, your Messenger, you sent someone to us in our town
and he is asserting that you claim that Allah sent you as a Prophet. The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, he spoke the truth, yes. Look
how he went about it:

...

...

The Bedouin said who created the Heaven? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam said, Allah.

...

...

So the Bedouin asked again, who created the Earth? The Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, Allah. Then he went and asked his third
question.

...

...

So the Bedouin asked who created the mountains and put in the
mountains what is in it? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said,
Allah. And now he comes to the conclusion, he said:
Page | 314

...

...

He said by Him who created the skies and raised them and created the
Earth and the mountains and what is in them, Allah sent you? He said yes.
Look at that conversation between a Bedouin and the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam. By Fitrah, he knew that Allah is the Creator. This was
not an educated man, this was a man from the outskirts, who when he
approached the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Yaa Muhammad, not
even the manners of saying Oh Prophet of Allah. So it is something that is
firm in the Fitrah.
PROOFS
FROM THE INTELLECT
Imaam Ahmad, when he reflected on this question on the existence of

Allah, he gave the example of an egg. He said it is like a strong, little
basking fortress. Has no doors, no entry point, that is the egg. No holes to
get in, sealed air tight. From the outside it glows like silver, he is talking
about the shell of the egg. From inside, it shimmers like gold, the yolk part
of it. Then suddenly it cracks open, it breaks open and from that sealed,
closed, air tight egg, breaks out a creation with eyes it can see with, with
ears it can hear with, its appearance is beautiful, it has a nice voice and it
wonders all over the world. Meaning it walks, it does everything all over
the world. From a sealed egg.
: ...

...
Can a Creator other than Allah do something like that, except Allah?
Ash-Shaafiee Rahimahullah, when he wanted to reflect on this matter
through intellect, he used the leaf of mulberry tree. The leaf is the leaf
and that leaf is consumed by a gazelle, a deer, a sheep, by bees.
However, look when a gazelle consumes it, it gives us musk. You might
not know but the real, real, pure musk, the real expensive one comes from
a deer. Musk is a gland found only in the adult gazelles and I think if I
recall correctly, it is between the genitals and the umbilicus. And that is
the pure, genuine musk, even if it is a hundred dollar bottle you buy over
here that is called musk, that is not really the real musk. The real musk is
the one from the gazelle. The silk, there is a Doodatil-Qazzim (
)in Arabic, silk worm. It consumes the leaf, this same leaf, yet it
gives you silk. The bees consume it, yet they produce honey. The sheep
and cows consume it, yet they give us milk, yoghurt, and the rest of it
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goes to waste, they are waste. All four examples that I just given you that
he told us about, they consume the same leaf, yet one of them produces
honey, another one produces silk, another one musk and another one,
meat and milk. If matters are by chance and by coincidence, then the
extraction from the same leaf would yield the same result.

: ...

...

This is only from Allah subhaanahu wa taaala.
In Al-Aqeedah At-Tahaawiyyah, Imaam Abu Haneefah mentions the same
kind of rationale, through intellect. And I recall when Shaykh Safar alHawaali taught this, he sort of somewhat in a way, put some doubts in the
authenticity of the story because he said these are people who challenged
Abu Haneefah to a debate on the existence of Allah. He said, how could
that happen during a time of Khilaafah. However, after that I read that it
may have been the Qadriyyah which are a sect that are extremist in the
actions of one. They give so much control that in a way, they resemble
atheists in lack of giving power to Allah over everything. So it could have
been the Qadriyyah. It could have been the philosophers that were
roaming all over back at that time. The ones who give precedent, not only
give precedent, but judge the Quran and the Sunnah by their
handicapped minds. So it could have been any of these because they
share common denominators in some matters.
So a messenger comes to Abu Haneefah from Ahlus-Sunnah, he crosses
the Tigris River, he is complaining that there is some philosophers,
atheists, Qadriyyah, whatever they may be, that want to challenge to a
debate and they want Abu Haneefah to take on that challenge. So Abu
Haneefah says ok, let them know I will be there shortly. He has to cross
the Tigris River to get there. The messenger went back happy, he told the
people, Abu Haneefah is on his way, he will be here shortly.
Time passed and the messenger got worried, so he would run back and
forth to the river and see is Abu Haneefah there or not there, noon,
evening, sun down, night. The atheists or those who want to debate
began to mock them. Possibly the debater, the one who accepted the
debate is now backing away or he is standing them up. So the Muslims
began to get tense in a way, because they knew Abu Haneefah was the
Imaam, one of the most knowledgeable of their time and he was a man of
his word and he would fulfil his promise, but they thought that maybe
something happened to him which stopped him from attending that event.
Late at night that night, past midnight or so, Abu Haneefah shows up. And
the Muslims are there and they ask in concern, what happened Abu
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Haneefah? Abu Haneefah Rahimahullah says, and here is where it goes.

He says, what if I told you that I began my way, and look when he says
what if I told you, that makes it no longer a lie. He says, what if I told you
on my way here, got to the Tigris River, got to cross to get over here.
There was no navigator, there was no boat, no sailor, no nothing.
Suddenly, planks of wood were rising out of the trees and they are all cut
evenly, same shape, same size, the width, the length is all perfect. Then,
nails came out of the water and the boat put itself together and then
some sealant came and sealed the boat, the boat sealed itself by the
sealant so no water will go in the holes. Then the boat filled itself by itself
with beverages and by people, it filled itself, all alone. All this by itself,
alone, and it docks alone and it sustains itself alone.
The people trying to debate him began to laugh, saying it is impossible. A
boat makes itself, positions itself, docks, undocks, perfects itself like you
are saying, in the details of the sealant, fills itself, loads and unloads itself.
Impossible. They began to wonder if this man that they are claiming is the
most knowledgeable, the biggest scholar, if he is being ridiculous or he is
a childish type of a guy, what is going on here. They could not believe that
which he was saying. Abu Haneefah basically said, what we would say
today, I rest my case. That is all I had to say. If you cannot believe a boat,
a ship, came into creation by itself, and this is only a boat, how can you
believe the whole world, the universe with its sun, with its moon, with its
stars and oceans, with its mountains and planets came into being without
a Creator? Even without this scenario, tell someone that this palace or
house or mansion came into existence by itself. Just popped out of
nowhere. They are going to call you crazy, but a universe can come into
creation by chance?
Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah is essential to resist doubts, that is one of the
benefits of it. When the Shaytaan comes at you with doubts, you resist
him. When you have worries, when worries overwhelm you, when you are
surrounded in the darkness of your problems and worries, combined and
toppled with the darkness of the nights, contemplate the Creator who you
are asking, Allah, and who will make your worries vanish.
POETRY ON THE EXISTENCE OF ALLAH

Ibraheem Ibn Ali, a Sudanese from Sudan, a contemporary poet, he gave a
very strong poem related to our topic today. The English flavour may take
a little bit out of it but it is very strongly worded.

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In the horizon, there is signs and miracles, it may be that the least of it is
that He guided you.

Tell the doctor who is seized by death, you who cures, who seized you with
death? You are supposed to be a doctor, how did you die?
Look at the flipside of it:

Tell the patient who survived and recovered after medical technology gave
up hope, who is it that cured you? Example, they give him four months
and he lives ten years.

Tell the one who is healthy yet dies with no illness, oh you healthy one,
who with death seized you?

Tell the one with eyesight who is avoiding pits and stumbling, yet he still
stumbles and trips, who is He who made you stumble and fall?
Look at the flipside of it:

Ask the one walking in a crowd, he is walking in a crowd, blind man. Ask
the blind man walking in a crowd, not colliding with anyone, who is the
one who guides you?
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Tell the one, the infant, the newborn. Tell the infant who lives in isolation,
no shepherd, no caretaker, who is He who nourishes you?

Tell the newborn who bursts out of the womb of his mother crying at birth,
what made you cry?

If you see a snake that spews its venom, ask that snake, who with toxins
stuffed you? The toxins in the mouth of the snake is poison to me.

Ask the snake, how do you survive oh snake? You live while the toxic
poison fills your mouth?

Ask the stomachs of the bees, how honey oozes out of it and then tell the
honey who sweetens you?

Ask the pure milk, that white, nice, clean, purified milk that comes to you,
ask that pure milk that was between excretions and blood, what purified
you?
He took that from the verse of Allah:
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:

It means the same thing as this line of poem.
Then he went on to say:

Tell the air that is felt on hands yet hidden from eyes, who is it that hid
you?

Tell the plant that dries, even after you maintain and care for it, who with
dryness striked you?

If you see a plant in the desert growing without maintenance, ask it who is
it that nourishes you?
Let me explain this line a little bit more. Plant you see in the desert, and it
is growing without no one maintaining it, in a vast desert, who nourishes
it? Several weeks ago, I was in another state and the brothers took us on
some architectural cruise in a boat, in a ship. It was late and it was cold,
and we were the only ones on that cruise, very late and no one was there.
So we were on that cruise and they showed us landmarks, modern
architecture from the water. You know, some of man made creation. The
cruise goes on for approximately an hour while the guide speaks and
explains each building and some amazing details of it.
One thing that really, really got my attention is that all these buildings and
some were designed like this and some were designed like that, features
that are really amazing. When we got to a point at a little tree, the guide
said everyone look at that tree. He made it a point to tell everyone and
draw their attention to look at that tree. He said, for the past thirteen
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years I have been working as a guide here, the one thing I could not
understand is how that tree grows out of a cement block. How? I have
been trying to figure that out for thirteen years, it is unexplainable. He can
explain all those buildings and architecture but Subhan Allah, Allah made
him speak about that little tree that is growing out of the cement. That is
what that line means:

This is why we study this Aqeedah, to charge and ignite our Imaan to the
summit. Aqeedah is meant to charge. Resist doubts, when you resist
doubts, you take it to a higher level. When you resist doubts and your
Imaan hits the summit, when you raise your hands truly, you believe you
are speaking to a Rabb, to a Lord, to Allah and not to the four walls in your
bedroom. When you go over this so much and you resist all the doubts
and you learn the pure, white Tawheed, your Tawheed reaches the level of
Imaan. Then it goes on further to reach the level, which we are targeting,
of Ihsaan. Then when you raise your hands to Allah, you feel different
knowing He who can make that plant grow in a dry, massive desert or out
of the cement, can make the impossible possible, happen for you.

These are wonders and miracles that startle your eyes and open your
ears.

Look at that line. Perhaps in your own self, are the most wondrous signs, if
your eyes can see. That is the verse:
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The universe is full. The universe is charged, full of unexplainable secrets.

If you attempt to interpret them, you are only going to frustrate yourself.
Attempting to interpret some of the creation of Allah, will bring you to
frustration.

Look towards the end of the poem, it boosts the Imaan of the poet where
he is saying that I only care oh Allah, about what? If you are pleased about
me.
Oh you man, who has made you careless about your Lord the most
?Generous

...
...:

Blessed be Allah, the best of all creators.

More beautiful than this poetry, if we really contemplate and comprehend:
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Once a Bedouin was asked, how do you know Allah exists?

Unsophisticated man who lives in the desert, but his Fitrah is pure, look
what he said. Camel dung indicates there was a camel here, camel dung
indicates camel. Donkey dung indicates donkey. Footprints indicate travel.
So the sky with all its constellations, with the seas and its waves, does not
that indicate the All Knowing, the All Powerful?
In Arabic:

And Inshaa Allah, this concludes section one of chapter two. We started on
chapter two, this is 1A. Inshaa Allah next week, we will do B, C, D, E, F, or
whatever we get a chance to do Inshaa Allah Ta'alaa. Jazakum Allahu
Khayr. Shaykh concluded the class with a Duaa.
CLASS FIFTEEN
This is our fifteenth class on Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah, Alhamdullilahi
Rabbil-Aalameen. We started chapter two of this book, as we broke it
down last week. Know, may Allah have mercy upon you that it is
obligatory upon every Muslim, male and female, to learn and act upon the
following three matters. We said that chapter two is three matters.
The first one is, we are going to break it down into six subcategories. The
first is that Allah created us and we took that last week, A. B is, which we
will start on today Inshaa Allah, is that He provided sustenance for us.
1B: ALLAH PROVIDED SUSTENANCE FOR US

Since Rizq is a matter that usually consumes ones worries and thoughts
in this life, possibly more than any other matter, which may at times lead
to deficiency in Tawheed and Aqeedah, it is discussed extensively in the
Quran and Sunnah. To put you at ease and peace, but more importantly
to complete and fulfil your Tawheed. Just as the Lord we spoke about last
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week is independent in His Rububiyyah and sovereign in His Lordship,

likewise, He is independent and sovereign is His Rizq, the Provider.
We mentioned that the Quran, really to summarise the proof, we
mentioned that last week, there is five verses that Allah says:
: ...

: : : :
If you ask them about matters of Rububiyyah, Lordship, the arrogant

Kuffaar of Quraysh will say Allah. Those are five, here, there is even two
additional different ones:

: : ...

Similar, but a little bit different. Allah tells the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, tell them, who provides you? Twice in the Quran and likewise,
those arrogant people of Quraysh say Allah is the one who provides for
them.
In Surat Sabaa:

: ...

Tell them Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, to the Mushrikeen, who
is the one who gives you provision from the Heavens and the Earth, they
will say Allah. They admit it. Even in Surat Yunus, a second time:
: ...

Tell them Muhammad, say Muhammad, who provides you from the sky
and from the Earth, and who gives you your hearing and your eyesight,
and who brings out the living from the dead and the dead from the living.
...

...
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And who disposes all affairs?

...
...

They will say Allah.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AR-RAAZIQ
AND
AR-RAZZAAQ
Ar-Raaziq ( )and Ar-Razzaaq ( )are both the names of

Allah pertaining to giving provision. All of the names of Allah are beyond
what we can imagine of their beauty and their perfection. Both names
here we said, pertain to Allah giving provision, so are they both the same
exact? Does Allah have two names for the same matter? What is the
difference between Ar-Raaziq and Ar-Razzaaq?
Ar-Raaziq is the quality of Allah, we take from it the quality of Allah, the
eternal prescribing of provision for His creation. Allah prescribed for every
creation its provision in His eternal Ilm. He destined your Rizq before you
were born. He ordered the pen to write it fifty thousand years before the
Heavens and the Earth were created. His eternal knowledge, His eternal
Ilm knew your provision even before that. That is Ar-Raaziq. Ar-Raaziq is
basically prescribing your provision. To prescribe does not necessarily
mean to give, so here is where the quality of Ar-Razzaaq comes in.
Ar-Razzaaq is the one who organises, fulfils, executes, giving you your
provision. Not moment by moment, but if there is a time measure below
that, it is probably a yocto second or something like that. Yocto second by
yocto second, and if there is something smaller than that, then use that
measure. Moment by moment, yocto second by yocto second, He gives
you your provision. Ar-Razzaaq is abundant in giving you that which He
prescribed for you. He is the utmost Generous, continuous Provider, with
abundance in provision, following provision. One Nimah after a Nimah.
Summed up briefly, the difference in a nutshell, Ar-Raaziq prescribed
provision. Ar-Razzaaq gives you the provision, fulfils it and gives you the
provision. Al ( )in both of these names of Allah, in Ar-Razzaaq and ArRaaziq, is the encompassing, al-Istighra (). All types of provision.
Al here is similar to and interchangeable with the Kull (), all provision.
So we took the definition of Provider, Ar-Raaziq and Ar-Razzaaq.
THE DEFINITION
OF
PROVISION
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What is the definition of provision? We all think we know provision, what

provision or Rizq is. Ibn Mandhoor defines it as Maadiyyan Aw
Manawiyyan () , provision is both Maadiyyan and

Manawiyyan. Meaning both materialistic and otherwise, Rizq is broader
than materialistic matters. Allah blessing you with Islam, that is Rizq. Allah
increasing your Imaan, that is Rizq. Our Tawheed classes and learning,
that is Rizq. Your spouse, that is Rizq. Your kids, that is Rizq. Your wealth,
that is Rizq. Your health, that is Rizq. Your sleep, that is Rizq. Your peace of
mind is Rizq. If Allah grants you Jannah and may Allah grant you all
Firdaws al-Alaa, that and what is in Jannah of its pleasure, is also Rizq.
ALLAH IS AR-RAZZAAQ
In order to complete you Tawheed, you need to understand fully that ArRazzaaq is Allah. You need to purify your heart from any type of feeling
that anyone other than Ar-Raaziq, Ar-Razzaaq, provides you. And you need
to let that belief sink in and register deep down in your heart. You believe
wholeheartedly that Allah is Ar-Razzaaq.
YOUR PROVISION
IS IN THE
SKY

In the Heaven is your provision and that which you were promised. That is
what you got to believe. Someone might say, you know, get real, speak
realistic. How do you say my provision is in the Heaven when my job is
right here, couple of miles down the road? How do you say my provision is
in the Heaven, when my business is right down the street? How do you
say my provision is in the Heaven, when my cheque and account is right
here and all my money that I need and my car and my house are all right
here? How is it on Earth when you say it is in the sky?
The thing about it is that all those are means of provision, Asbaab (
), those are all means. Ar-Razzaaq created those means to attain

Rizq. The boss was guided from Allah, from on top of seven skies, to sign
over the cheque and hand it to you every week. The Rizq came from Allah,
he is merely a means. Every customer that walks into your business,
walked in by direction from the Heavens, to bring you the Rizq. Now who
is in control, your boss or Allah, the one who brings him to your shop, the
one who makes him sign the cheque? Allah wanted to draw the attention
that it is in His sustenance, that it is in His complete and full control, in the
sky and not on the Earth.
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Ibn Qudaamah and al-Qurtubi narrated with a chain, that al-Asmaee, he

said I was leaving a Masjid in Basra in Iraq and I was walking in an alley
and a Bedouin approached with a bowl and a sword, very gruff and rude
looking, and he asked which tribe do you belong to? Al-Asmaee said, I am
from the tribe of Asma. He said, are you the one they call al-Asmaee? You
are the big, famous scholar they call al-Asmaee? He said yes. He gave
him Salaam, he sat down, the Bedouin asked al-Asmaee, where do you
come from? What area? Tell me about where you came from. Al-Asmaee
wanted to use it for Dawah, he said I come from a place where they recite
the word of Allah. The Bedouin said, there is a word of Allah that is being
recited on the tongues of humans? He said yes. The Bedouin said, recite
to me. He started reciting adh-Dhaariyaat until he got to verse twenty
two:

The Bedouin said enough. Asmaee said, this is the word of Allah. The
Bedouin said, this is the word of Allah? He said, yes this is the word of
Allah, He revealed it to his Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam. The Bedouin was astonished. He got up, he slaughtered his camel,
he skinned it and he said Asmaee, come help me give the flesh for all the
poor people in the town as charity. Then he broke his sword and bow and
faded into the desert reciting over and over again:

Al-Asmaee said, I began to blame myself, why was I not as strong as this
man in his belief
He took that verse to heart, the Bedouin basically heard that verse and a
lot of them were sharp in Arabic, he took the verse and he took it to heart.
He used to stress and in wild pursue over provision. So he said, why on
Earth have I been stressing, basically that is what he was saying. Why on
Earth was I stressing and killing myself to get something guaranteed to
me from in the top of the seven Heavens. It brought him comfort and ease
knowing that Rizq is coming from the Heavens.
The years went on and the years went on, al-Asmaee said I went to Hajj
with Haroon ar-Rasheed. When I got to Makkah, someone was calling me
Asmaee, Asmaee. I looked back from the crowd and it was that Bedouin,
pale and old looking. He was weak and old and pale looking now. He said
to me, sit down, sit down, read to me more from the Quran. So he began
to read adh-Dhaariyaat again until he got to the same verse:
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The Bedouin said, I found what Allah said to be true. Read more for me,
continue reading for me. He said:

:

By the Lord of the Heavens and the Earth, it is truth, just as it is truth that
you can speak. An oath, Allah gives an oath by Himself.
...
An oath followed by La Haqq (

) , Laam in La Haqq is Laam at-Tawkeed.

The Laam is assurance, emphasis, affirmation, assertiveness, to make you
sure that the Rizq is from the sky. When the Bedouin heard that he
shouted, who angered Allah so much that Allah, the Mighty, the Sublime,
the Jaleel, they did not believe in Him that Allah needed to give an oath.
He said it three times, over and over again. The third time, he died, the
verse melted him to death.

...
Your provision is in Heaven just as true as you speak.
Why was the parable of speaking used in relation to Rizq, to provision? For
two reasons. Allah is saying, be assured that your provision is coming to
you from Heaven just as certain and definite as you speak. You have any
doubt that you speak? No. So just as you do not have any doubt on the
fact that you speak, do not have any doubt that your provision is coming
to you from the Heaven. That is the first one. The second reason, the
relationship between the parable of sustenance in the sky and you
speaking. Just as you speak, each one of you speaks, can anyone speak
and use your tongue? No one can take your tongue, your mouth, your
throat, your vocal cords, and speak. So just like no one can speak using
your mouth, no one can take your sustenance. Relax, it is coming to you,
your Rizq is coming to you.
Why so much oaths combined with confirmation and assurances in this
verse in particular, and others verses and many other Hadith, that we
would never have time to discuss in one or numerous Halaqaat? To
establish Tawheed in an area that is weakness to men, that is how it sums
it up. It is a matter that distresses people, it consumes their thoughts.
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Money, rent, food, retirement, savings. Allah wants you to live a Tawheed
filled life that entails a stress free life, a relaxed life.
PROVISION COMES FROM ALLAH

Allah says no moving creature, no moving creation on this Earth but the
provision comes down from Allah.

...

...
He knows, Allah knows, the dwelling place for that creation and its
deposit. All, Allah has in a clear Book. The provision is on who?

...

Alallah (
) , on Allah. On your boss? Not on your boss. On your

parents? On a government paycheque? On a human, on a corporation, on
a nation? No.

...

Due from Allah. Humans do not give provision to each other, humans are
means Allah created to give you the provision. Many may think in times of
hardship, financial hardship especially, that Allah forgot about them. They
may not say it but it comes to mind. That is when the second part of the
verse comes into play. He knows your dwelling and your deposit:

...

...
More assurances. Relax, He knows where you are at, from the time you
are in the uterus to the time you enter your grave, and after that and
before that, and in between that. You are going through difficult times,
Allah did not forget about it. That is what it means:

...

...
If Allah promised every animal its provision, is He going to leave out
humans, when they were the most honoured of the creation of Allah?
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: ...

And we have honoured the children of Adam. Allah said, We will provide
for animals. So do you think He is going to leave out those more
honoured, human beings? When Allah promised to provide sustenance to
those who defame Him, saying He has a son and leave out those who say
that Laa ilaaha illallaah? His provision reaches all, animals, Kaafir and
Muslim. In a way, Allah corrected Ibraheem in his Duaa.

...

Ibraheem said in his famous Duaa, Lord, Yaa Allah, make this city,
Makkah, a place of security, a safe place, and provide its believing people
with fruits. Provision, give them provision. Allah answered, and He said the
Believing:

...

: ...

In provision, they are alike. Establish now to complete your Tawheed, that
your Rizq is in the hands of Allah. Do it right now. No boss, no business, no
nation, no country.
Allah is the Provider, owner of power, the most strong. That is who you
turn to for your Rizq.
YOUR UNCHANGEABLE PROVISION
IS
ALREADY WRITTEN
Your Rizq, rather your unchangeable Rizq was written for you, as we
mentioned, when you were in the womb of your mother. Sprint in this life
or walk or relax, the amount of provision Allah wrote for you is going to be
the same, it is not going to be more or any less.
:

...

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The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa salaam said in an authentic Hadith, Allah

put an angel in charge of the womb. The angel of the womb, when one is
in the womb he says, oh Allah a drop, meaning should I go ahead forth in
a drop?

...

...
Oh Lord, a clot, is it now time for a clot? He gets permission from Allah.
...

...
Oh Allah, a morsel?

...

...

When Allah desires to complete the creation of the baby, the foetus, he
says wretched or happy? The angel asks, is he going to be among the
wretched or happy?
...
...

He gets the permission every step of the way. Male or female?

:

...

He asks the final questions, what is the provision, what is his provision and
how long is his lifespan, the last two questions. And then he writes that
while he is still in the womb of his mother. I am not going to say your
destined Rizq was written when you were in the womb of your mother, but
even before that. That is when the angel of the womb and the angels
found out about it, that is only when the angels got their homework
pertaining to those matters.
Fifty thousand years before Allah created the Heavens and the Earth, not
before you were born, before the Heavens and the Earth were created,
every last drop of water coming to you was documented. Not even every
drop of water, that is still too big. Every tiny provision you are going to get
was written for you, even if it as small as a quark or a lepton or any of
those small particles. Even small particles that make up an atom, if there
is anything smaller than that of your provision, Allah wrote it. If it is
destined for you, it has been written for you. And even before it was
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written, even fifty thousand years before that, Allah in His eternal Ghayb
knew that.

Allah wrote down in the book, in al-Lawh al-Mahfoodh (
), the measures of the creation fifty thousand years before the

Heavens and the Earth were created. That is why matters of this life, Allah
speaks about them in the terminology of walk. You have an item waiting
for you, walk to it, take you time. It is not going anywhere. The chalkboard
over there in the back, if I say to all of you, it is not going nowhere that
chalkboard, it is for you Muhammad. Now, a hundred years from now, a
thousand years from now, I am going to sit here and watch it, it is not
going nowhere. It is guaranteed for you, no one else is going to touch it, it
is for you. You would be foolish to get up right now and sprint and grab it.
It is He, Allah, who made this Earth subservient to us. So walk, walk in its
path and eat of its provision. Walk, what you need to be sprinting for is the
matters of the life after, the matters that are not guaranteed. The levels of
Jannah is what you need to be sprinting for.
...
: ...

...

:
Strive and run for those matters.
AR-RAZZAAQ
IS
WISE
IN
GIVING PROVISION
Part of knowing Allah, Ar-Razzaaq, is knowing He is also wise in giving

provision. Many people today utter day and night, Allah is wise, the All
Wise, and they preach it, but at night time they contradict it by
complaining to others of Allah and about their poverty. They complain to
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other than Allah about their poverty, yet they say, Allah is wise and ArRazzaaq. Allah said:

...

If Allah were to enlarge the provision for some of his slaves, they would
rebel on this Earth.

: ...

...

He sends by measures and quantities. There is many, those who know ArRazzaaq and Al-Hakeem. And the Razzaaq and the Hakeem that you
believe in, knows that if He gives you some funds you will misappropriate
them, and they are not good for you. So that is part of believing in ArRazzaaq, Al-Hakeem. Your Aqeedah in this, is that you accept the status
that Allah gave you because you do not know your situation. Rich or poor,
if it changes from one status to another, whether it will result to your
change of status from wretched to being happy, or happy to being
wretched. You do not know how it will change you. You never object to AlHakeem.
If I get into any one of your personal business and I say, why did you buy
that twenty thousand dollar car not the ten thousand or five thousand
dollar car, or less than that? Why did you get an iPhone and sign a two
year contract? You should have stayed with a vintage phone that has only
voice, and possibly text. Why did you just give your wife five hundred
dollars to go to the mall? Your natural reaction is to tell me, who do you
think you are to object to my decisions? Who are you Ahmad Jibril, to
object to my decisions and judge my wisdom? That is my business. You
are right, you are actually right. Who am I to interfere with your wisdom in
your internal family business and your affairs? But again, who are you to
judge the Divine wisdom of Allah, Al-Hakeem, Ar-Razzaaq?
Who do you think you are to portion out the mercy of Allah? That is not
your business. Who are you to portion out the mercy of your Lord, your
provision of your Lord? We portion out between the humans, the creation,
the livelihood in this world.
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...

...

And we raise some of them above others in ranks, so they may employ
others in their work. Some are rich, high class, medium class, low class,
middle class and low class. Those who say, why did Allah not make me
rich so I can build Masaajid? A lot of people say that. And support the
oppressed, and do and do. In a sense, somewhat, some may be
disgruntled with the division of Allah. If they just want to do good, that is
different, but if they are internally disgruntled with Allah, do not forget
that Ar-Razzaaq is the All Wise, the All Knowing. That He knows what He
gave you, why He gave it to you.
Qaaroon, and there is many like Qaaroon, and you know the story of
Qaaroon. The people of Qaaroon asked the same question, why did Allah
not give us like He gave Qaaroon? Then when they seen what happened
with Qaaroon, they regretted it.
And in the verse:

:

Some made a covenant with Allah saying, if He bestowed on us of His
bounty, we would give in charity. A lot of people say that.

...

And we are going to be among those who are righteous. We are going to
give. Let Him give us, why does He not give us so we can give in charity
and we can be righteous? What happened after they got it?

When Allah gave them His bounty, they became cheap and turned away
from Allah. The result is objecting to the commands of Allah.
...

He punished them by putting hypocrisy into their hearts until the day that
they will meet Allah subhaanahu wa taaala.
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...

:
Because they breached the covenant and because they were liars. By the
way this verse was revealed, you know that it is not something to object
about, what Allah gave you of provision. And let me say before I forget,
this verse was not revealed by Thalabah as the popular story is, a
Sahaabi named Thalabah that got rich, that is a fabricated story. The true,
proper reason for the revelation was what Ibn Hajr mentioned through Ibn
Wahib and Ibn Zayd, that it is a group of Munaafiqeen. Thalabah was a
man who stood firm in the Battle of Badr.
Do not be displeased. The point of it is, do not be displeased with what
Allah has chosen for you. Seek means, no problem. But when you become
displeased in your heart at Allah and the destiny Allah has chosen for you,
low class, middle class, high class, whatever it is, then there becomes a
deficiency in our topic today, belief in Ar-Razzaaq. When Allah is
Al-Aleem, Ar-Razzaaq, He gave it to you for a wisdom. When He is AlHakeem, Ar-Razzaaq, He deprived you for a wisdom. So never object.
Part of believing in this Tawheed is to be fully content with what Allah has
given you of provision.

...

: ...

Allah gives this Dunya to whom He likes, and dislikes, but the Aakhirah is
only for those who Allah likes. Thinking and judging that Allah gives this
Dunya to who is more favourable to Him in the Aakhirah levels, is an
aspect that Kuffaar Quraysh used to have.
:

They used to bolster to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam and the Sahaabah. We got more than you guys, we got more than
you, we have more wealth, we have more children and we are not going
to be punished. Allah says:

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The reply is, tell them Muhammad, Allah enlarges His provision to
whomever He wills, and whomever He wants to restrict. Allah gives His
provision in this life for those He likes and dislikes, but only gives success
in the high levels, in the Aakhirah, for those He loves and likes.
TRUE TAWAKKUL
AND
TAWAAKUL
Haatim al-Asam was asked once, how did your Tawakkul on Allah become
so strong? He said, I believed that no one will take my provision, so my
heart become content. I knew that death awaits me, so I prepared my
baggage for that journey. I knew my actions, no one can perform them but
me, so I became occupied in them. I am too busy in my work. Number
four, I knew Allah watches me and sees me so I became ashamed to let
Him see me doing any sins. They said, so where do you eat from? They
seen him so content, so relaxed, so laidback, so where do you eat from?
He responded:

...

:

To Allah belongs the treasures of the Heavens and the Earth, but the
hypocrites do not comprehend that.
Ash-Shaafiee Rahimahullah said, I depend on Allah for my provision, and I
have no doubt, absolutely no doubt, that my provision will come to me.
And then he went on to say, provision will come to me, my Rizq will come
to me even if it is coming from the deep, dark ocean, the bottom of the
deep, dark ocean, so why should I grieve or be sad over it? Why be
depressed about it? Relax.
Umar Ibn al-Khattab radhiallahu anhu said:
The Hadith narrated by Umar Ibn al-Khattab, radhiallahu anhu. The

Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, said, if you all relied on Allah as you
should rely on Him:
...
...
...

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He would have provided you, just like He provides birds. They wake up
hungry in the morning and return with full stomachs at dusk time. Taghdu
(
) in the Hadith means they go early in the day, with empty

stomachs. They go, meaning they do something. Wa Taoodu (

) or
Taroohu (
) in a narration, means they return late in the evening.
) means with full provision.

Bitaana (

What you take from that Hadith, true Tawakkul is full reliance of the heart
on Allah, using the means available. He did not say Allah will provide you
like He provides that bird laying in the nest. He says Taghdu, Tarooh, that
is why I specified the definition of those words, like a bird that goes and
returns. Tawakkul is firm belief in the heart, putting dependency in the
heart on Allah, using the means available. That is the true meaning of
Tawakkul in the matter of Rizq.
Ibn Abi Dunya narrated that people came to Madinah one time. In Umrah
as usual, anytime he seen foreigners in Madinah, outsiders, he would ask
them. And he seen people who he knew they were from Yemen, so he
said, who are you? Meaning, give me more about yourself. They said:

We are the ones who depend on Allah. He said you are Mutawaakiloon (

) , you depend on each other, not on Allah. He said al
Mutawakkiloon (

) , the real Mutawakkiloon are the ones who

put the seeds in the ground with their reliance on Allah. This is all part of
believing in Ar-Razzaaq, your heart hangs with Allah the Creator, and the
controller of all means. Means, you got to believe part of that, do not harm
and benefit, they do not provide nor take from you. Your provision, the
order for it, comes from the Creator, Ar-Razzaaq.
Sahl Ibn Abdullah at-Tastari said a golden word about this whole matter.
He says, whoever neglects means, has neglected the Sunnah. And
whoever neglects Tawakkul, the reliance on Allah, neglects Imaan.
Tawakkul is the state or status of the Prophet, whoever is on the status of
the Prophet cannot leave out the Sunnah of the Prophet.
SEEK MEANS
BUT
KEEP
YOUR
HEART FULLY ATTACHED
TO
ALLAH
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was known to take means, look at
his life. In Hijrah, he depended on Allah all throughout his life, every
moment of his life, fully, yet he used the means available to him. When he
went, he took the guide with him to Madinah, he hid in the cave. Did he
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say Abu Bakr, I am the best man to walk on the face of the Earth and you
are the second best, the best man after the Messenger to walk on the
Earth. So let us just lay in the open desert, knowing that there is a
hundred camel bounty on my head and your head, and Allah is going to
protect us. That is Tawaakul not Tawakkul. He went in a cave, he found a
secluded cave away from them, one he thought that they would not see.
And then he said:
: ...

...

You use the means, but your heart is fully with Allah. Sometimes there is
no means to us but whether there is or there is not, if there is, you use the
means. If there is not, you have no choice, but in both case scenarios your
heart is fully attached to Allah. If the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
was hungry, did he wait for food to drop from the sky or did he go and
prepare and sit and eat?
In Badr, three hundred of the Sahaabah versus a thousand. He did not
say, oh my friends put your weapons down, let us just sit here and make
Duaa. And the closer they come, let your Duaa shout more and more,
louder and louder. The heads are flying off, let it be louder and louder.
That is the thinking of some deviant groups today. No, he fought. Make
Duaa, but he prepared. He made Duaa himself until his upper garment
fell off, while Abu Bakr felt bad for him for making all that Duaa and Abu
Bakr behind him putting upper garment on him. He then aligned them, he
positioned them in front so the disbelievers will not get any of the water
wells, so that all the water would be behind them. He told them hold fire
until they come and you can see the whiteness in their eyes, then after
you see that, then you can proceed.
That is the same as Rizq. You seek a job but the heart is fully attached to
only Allah.

: ...

He made the earth subservient to you so walk in it, walk in the path and
) , pursue, search.

eat from His provision. He said walk, Famshu (

Famshu, look at that. He said Famshu, He did not say it is going to come to
you. Seek it, pursue it, your Rizq, pursue it. Do the means, do not sit and
expect it to come to you. That is also an additional benefit from Famshu.
The word walk in this verse is delicate, it means yes go for your Rizq but
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do not stress for it. Allah wrote it for you so do not go after this Dunya like
a galloping horse in the outskirts.
Maryam alayhas salaam, when she gave birth to Isa. In her agony, in her
birth, in her pain, in the midst of her agony, Allah says:
Shake the trunk of the tree, the date palm tree. If you shake it, it will fall
from it, fresh ripe dates for you. Anyone tell me how a man, a strong man,
the strongest man out of all of you can shake a palm tree and bring the
dates down? How is a woman in labour going to do that? The lesson really
is, depend on Allah Maryam but do the little means. Just shake it, touch
that tree and try to shake it and then the rest is on Allah.
Submit the resume, go to the interview, put the offer on the business and
the house. And at the same time you are doing it, before and after, know
it is coming from the sky. Your mind should be elsewhere, your mind
should be in the sky. If He wants you to get it, no one is going to deprive
you from it. And if He does not want you to get it, there is no one going to
get it for you. The bottom line is, that your heart must be fully attached to
Allah. Once that heart is attached to a job or the business for Rizq, then
there is a deficiency in the belief that Allah is Ar-Raaziq. No matter how
small that percentage is, it is a deficiency right there.
Ibraheem Ibn Adham was preparing a barbeque, he was cutting up meat
to eat, to barbeque it. A cat took a slice of that meat and ran off with it.
Ibraheem looked and seen that she did not really eat it, she took it to a
distance as he was monitoring it and put it in an open field by a hole in
the ground. So he walked close to it, he monitored the situation, watching,
why did it not come back to eat it. Suddenly, a snake with its eyes popped
out, a blind snake comes out from the hole and takes it and goes right
back in. A cat and snake are enemies, they are prey and predator.
Ibraheem looked at the sky and said Praise be to Allah, He made enemies
provide sustenance and provision for each other.
Some in past used to make the Duaa:

An-Naaabata (

) is the chick of a crow. In Arabic, a crow is a
Ghuraab (). So the crows are species that are rated among the
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most intelligent animals. The crow, their chicks hatch blind, helpless,
covered with just skin and weigh probably a little bit over half an ounce.
The crow is black, the chick when it hatches, is pink. It is believed that
when the crow sees the chicks, they are not black, it leaves for a long
period of time or possibly for forage, to get food. The baby crows,
depending on their stage, will need to be fed approximately every thirty
minutes. The mum is gone in either disappointment or to get the food,
and the baby needs food every thirty minutes. This is an-Naaabah, oh
Allah provide me like you provide an-Naaabah in her nest.
So Ar-Razzaaq sends that lonely chick insects, bugs, grasshoppers,
weevils, berries, spiders, whatever it may be, on its beak. Attracted to its
beak so it can eat it, until the mother either returns with food or from the
disappointment to see the feathers are black. That is why they use to say:

Oh Allah provide me like you provide that little, baby chick of a crow. Who
provided the helpless baby crow insects, provisions, while the mother and
father were gone? Who provided the helpless, blind snake a piece of flesh
right at its hole from its enemy, a cat? Prey and predator.

...

:

Is there a Creator other than Allah who provides for you from the sky and
Heaven, it is Ar-Razzaaq.
PROVISION
IS
NOT ONLY MATERIALISTIC
Mankind think in a narrow sense, that Rizq is materialistic, like we said in

the beginning of the class. That is why many cry poverty.
Ibn as-Sammaak, a preacher, he was an advisor to Haroon ar-Rasheed.
Haroon used to always consult with him and keep him by his side to
remind him. Haroon ar-Rasheed was the man, a Khaleefah who used to tell
the cloud go rain wherever you want, your wealth is going to return to me.
Haroon wanted a cold glass of water once and it must have been that he
kept asking for it over and over again, he repeatedly asked for a cold glass
of water. It caught the attention of Ibn as-Sammaak next to him, his
advisor, so he wanted to give him some consultation.
Ibn as-Sammaak said before he drank it, what would you do if no water
was available to you and you are forced to trade for this cup of water? You
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are supposed to give something for it. Haroon ar-Rasheed said, for sure,
most certainly I would give at least half my kingdom if not more. After he
drank the cup, Ibn Sammaak said, what would you give if you were not
able to release the waste of that water from your body, unless you traded
something for it? Haroon ar-Rasheed said, I would certainly give the other
half of my wealth, if I had more and I needed, I would give even more than
that. Ibn Sammaak cried to the Khaleefah, he said drink, drink Khaleefah
drink, may Allah bless you. Fie upon a kingdom that could easily be traded
for a cup of water.

I memorised poems from Shaykh Kish when I was a kid and I used to hear
his lectures, the eloquent speaker, Rahmatullahi Alayhi. He used to say:

He actually said it when ash-Shah of Iran died. Be content, you will feel
like a king even if you do not have but peace of mind.

Look at those who rule the globe in their entirety, did they leave this Earth
but with cotton and shrouds?
Remember how we defined Rizq. Why do you look at it as money in your
account alone? Rizq is your Aqeedah, your Aqeedah is among the biggest
Rizq you can have, it is the biggest Rizq you can have.
...
: ...

Belief in the Qadr of Rizq is Aqeedah. Once you establish this firm in your
heart, which we are trying to get to, you live a content life. Having a
deficiency in the belief in Ar-Razzaaq, our topic today, is dangerous.
DEPEND
ON
ALLAH
IN
HARDSHIP
In Sunan Abu Dawood, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
Page | 341

...

) , Faaqah is usually a
Authentic Hadith. Whoever gets Faaqah (

financial hardship. Whoever gets in a financial hardship, Faaqah.

...
...
He turns to people, he depends on them, depends on them in his heart.

...

...
His hardship will not be fulfilled.

...

...
Whoever gets a financial hardship and turns to Allah for help.

...

Allah will bring him his Rizq sooner or later.
THEY WORSHIP OTHERS BESIDES ALLAH WHO

HAVE NO CONTROL OVER PROVISION
Focus on this Ayah:
Give me your full attention. They worship others besides Allah, who do not
and cannot and absolutely cannot have any provision or control over
provision from the Heaven and the Earth. In Arabic, if you were to remove

) , remove Rizq,
the two words in this Ayah, Rizq (
) and Shaya (
provision and Shaya, anything, the meaning stays good. So why these
two extra words? We said the Quran is delicate, these words are there for
a purpose. So what is the meaning? To add affirmation that the only one
who can provide Rizq, is Allah.
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An-Nakirah Fee Siyaaq al-Ithbaat Tufeed al-Itlaaq (
) , a rule of Usool. Focus, both these words in the

Ayah, Rizq and Shaya are indefinite nouns, Ism Nakirah () .
Rizq and Shaya, those two words I said that are extra, are indefinite
nouns. The rule in Usool is, the indefinite noun, Ism an-Nakirah, in the
context of a general sentence, denoting, affirming, declaring, establishing,
indicates an absolute, unconstrained, unconditional, unrestricted matter.
An-Nakirah Fee Siyaaq al-Ithbaat Tufeed al-Itlaaq, pay attention, I am
going to explain it more. These rules are complex as it is and it only gets
harder when you explain them in English, so you got to give me double
the attention you regularly give me.
If you have a sentence affirming something, declaring, establishing, then
there is a Nakirah, indefinite noun, that means it is absolute. That
indicates it is absolute, unconstrained, unrestricted. Adding a Nakirah that
is otherwise not essential, gives it basically, exaggerated, absolute,
unconstrained, unrestricted meaning. That is the point right there.
Meaning, here comes the meaning, those who they worship other than
Allah have absolutely, absolutely, not a tiny bit of control over Rizq. Let us
take the first indefinite noun to shed more light on what I am trying to talk
about. He added to their nothingness, they already had nothing, it added
to their nothingness, Shaya, the word any. Yaa Allah, you told us they do
not have anything, no control, no control over provision, so why did You
add Shaya? They have nothing, so why did You add anything to nothing?
If I say to any of you, what is your paycheque this week? Your paycheque
after everything clear is two hundred and one dollars and five cents.
Would anyone of you tell me, if I say what is your paycheque, you are
going to say two hundred and one dollars and five cents? You are going to
say two hundred dollars. We are not sitting here doing your income tax, so
you are going to say two hundred dollars. You round it off because one
dollar and five cents is so little, so minute, so insignificant, that you do not
even count it. A second example to get this rule that I am talking about,
because you understand them more with examples. If I say to you what
time is it now? One fifty nine, does anyone tell me one fifty nine?
Everyone is going to round it off and say it is two oclock. A third example.
If someone has no wealth, he may have a little bit of wealth, what do you
tell me if I ask you about his financial situation? He has nothing, the
common terminology, he has nothing. There is something, but it is so
little, so minute, so tiny, so insignificant that you consider it nothing. It is
rounded off, it is a fraction that is rounded off. That is why the indefinite
noun Shaya was added.
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Allah wants you to have the pure Tawheed in Ar-Razzaaq and He wanted
to eliminate any tiny doubt that anyone other than Allah has any
provision. There is not even the super slight chance that one may have
any tiny, significant control or rule over Rizq, other than Allah. Shaya,
anything, that is why the indefinite noun was added. So the verse is
saying they worship those who have absolutely no control over Rizq,
absolutely, not even those tiny fractions that may be considered by some.
Those the Mushrikeen worship, they do not have any, tiny, rounded off
fraction of control or rule over Rizq. The conclusion, why so much
emphasis? This is to erase the possibility that we may have any thought
or doubt that anyone has any little crumb or power in control over Rizq. To
affirm, to fulfil your heart with full and pure Tawheed to Ar-Razzaaq.
Two Nakirah come to affirm this, two, not one. Shayan was one, the same
thing we mentioned about Shaya, Rizqaa too. They were added to
eliminate the thought that there may be that tiny fraction that people
neglect, that they round off, like the one dollar and five cents, the one
minute, one having a little bit of provision and then you say he has
nothing. To eliminate even that possible, tiny thing, that there is not even
a rounded off figure in the matter. They have absolutely no control over
Rizq.
We got the general wording of the verse, that those who Mushrikeen
worship, those who have no rule or control over Rizq. That is the general
wording, it already tells it all. To top it off, we have two Nakirah, Shayan
and Rizqaa. To add emphasis, to show not a crumb of power or a rounded
off fraction of power do they have, over Rizq. We are not done there, Allah
wants pure Tawheed.
The third thing in the matter, the end of it:

...
The verse at the end says, and they cannot, they are unable to.
Sometimes, you may have power to do something but the opportunity is
not there. Allah wanted to eliminate that thought too. Belief in Ar-Razzaaq
is no joke, it is firm, it is deep.

...
They do not have the power and they do not have the ability to rule over
Rizq. No power and no ability. Once you affirm absolute Tawheed in ArRazzaaq, you live at peace and at ease. It is among the biggest sources
for the anxiety disorders of today and depression and stress and traumatic
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stress, when you know it is from Allah, you live at ease and peace. You
leave it in the hands of Allah, you live a stress free life.
Keep your heart with Allah. If you are rejected from a university or a job,
do not even feel down or sad, take it with a smile and walk away. Your
interview goes bad, it was not meant by Allah, because it is in the sky.
That creation that you see in a suit and tie before you conducting the
interview, he could not raise his finger nor move his lips or utter a word,
except what Allah wanted him to do. You are going to the interview
because Allah wants you to go with the means, to seek the means, but
before, during and after, your heart must be in complete attachment with
Allah. Your heart got to be in another world.

: ...

...

Allah comes between that person you think is a boss interviewing you,
Allah comes between him and his heart. Allah can make him utter that
which He wants.
AR-RAZZAAQ WILL SEND YOU MEANS

Affaan Ibn Muslim as-Saffaar was Shaykh for Bukhari. In the Fitnah of
Khalq al-Quran () , Affaan was an Aalim and they started
by the Ulamaa, scanning the Ulamaa, interrogating them pertaining to
the matter of the creation of the Quran. They got to the house of Affaan,
the governor wanted to interrogate him. The interrogators told Affaan, I
got orders from the Waali that I need to ask you these questions. Is the
Quran the word of Allah or creation? We know what the position of AhlusSunnah is and what they back then used to spread. Affaan said:

Is that created? So he basically began to explain, he is an Aalim, he wants
to start talking and explaining to the man. The interrogator said, look
Affaan, I am not here to debate, I got these questions to ask you, I got to
write the answer. And let me advise you, when they take you to prison,
then you can explain away over there. And he also said let me advise you
more, if you say it is the creation of Allah, from my experience, he is
telling him, the people who said that, they get a higher rank, their salary
goes up, they be at peace and ease. Those who do not say it was created,
from my experience, this is the interrogator telling him, they start off by
taking your salary then your family and you get hungry and it only gets
worse after that.
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Affaan said, the Quran is the word of Allah, it is not created, Kalaamullah (
) . The interrogator said, you know where this statement is

going to take you? He told him the verse that we mentioned, the first one I
mentioned:

Tawheed kicks in at these times. That is how you know if you have the
proper Tawheed, the Tawheed melted into Imaan and Ihsaan.
The interrogator wrote the report and they cut his salary. After midnight,
Affaan wakes up to a knock at the door, someone is knocking very hard at
the door. He found it is an older man, a Zayyaat, a Zayyaat is an oil
salesman. His clothes are dirty, you know oil salesmen, oil over them
because they worked with oil. It is a low, looked down upon job, but this oil
man took it upon himself to care for the causes of this Ummah. He said,
who are you? The Zayyaat is asking him, who are you? He said Affaan Ibn
Muslim. He said, you are the man the government cut his salary for
speaking the truth earlier today? He said yes. He possibly heard it in the
community, in the market, in the Masjid. He said, here is a Surrah, here is
a money pouch with one thousand Dinaar and every month this time, I am
going to bring you a similar bag until Allah provides you a way out. That
was actually more than the government was paying Affaan Ibn Muslim.

Today, the Ummah may no longer have a salesman with jealousy like that
man did, like that oil salesman did, but the Provider who sent that oil
salesman will send you different means because the Provider, Ar-Razzaaq
is there.
Let me conclude because the time is running out, with this story for the
sisters who follow us, especially through the internet, whose husbands are
in prisons. Or single mothers as well, and actually for all of us. There is a
contemporary man in Egypt who went to prison, very poor as it is. So
when he went to prison, his wife has two kids, she had to move with her
parents. It is the same thing repeated all over and over, those whose
family members went to prison, they will tell you the same story. One day,
her son got sick, he got very high fever. She is in the house of her parents,
no transportation, and even if there was transportation, there is no money
to pay the doctors. So she turned to Allah all night long, one minute Duaa
in Salah, two Rakahs, in deep agony and pain in Sujood and Duaa. Then
she would tend to her baby, changing the bathing towels on his head and
body. And as you know, only mothers can talk about what they feel when
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their children are ill, may Allah grant my mother and all your mothers
Firdaws al-Alaa for the suffering they suffered for us. Then she would go
and soak the bathing towel in cold water and place them all over her son,
his forehead and his body, and take a break in Salah. Two Rakahs, deep,
dark, lonely, long night, cries and shouts of desperation to Allah. And that
is when the Duaa is most likely to get answered.

: ...

The one who responds to the distressed when he calls onto Him.
Late, late at night, the knocking comes at her door. She put on her Hijaab,
she opened the door, it is a doctor, doctor suit, white robe. This is a
contemporary story, the doctor answered the door but he in reality
answered the order of Allah. The doctor at her door, she was astonished,
has no means, she does not know what is going on. And limiting her
communication with men, she watched as the doctor diagnosed the baby,
wrote the prescription, gave her words of comfort, then he told her the bill
is so and so, he handed her the bill. Here is the bill, and for house calls
you pay right on the spot, it is well known back then and it is still known.
In Arabic countries, I remember until recently, that the doctor comes, you
pay him on the spot. She said, what, I have no money.
He said, where is your husband who called me? She said, my husband is in
prison, he did not call you, my husband has been in prison for some time.
He said, you make a late call at night and you have no husband to pay for
me? He said, is this apartment not eighteen? She said no, the apartment
eighteen is right down the hall, that is next door. So the doctor was
astonished at how he came here and there really was someone sick, he
said Subhan Allah, what is your situation lady, tell me what it is. She tod
him her story, she began to cry as she was telling her story and he began
to cry.
He said, Wallahi, it was Allah who took me out of my bed to come to see
your son. Give me that prescription back, let me get the medicine from
my car and here is some money for you and every week or so, I will come
and check up on you. Not only that, he continued to check up on her and
give her from the charity that Allah gave him. The woman began to tease
her husband who was in prison, she said you might want to stay longer in
prison because Allah the Razzaaq is taking care of us more than you did
when you were here.
And with this we will conclude, Jazakum Allahu Khayr.
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CLASS SIXTEEN
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil-Aalameen that we were able to conduct the class
today. This is the sixteenth class on Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah.
The first matter of the three matters:

Our topic today is:

We talked about Lordship and we talked about the Provider. When we
establish Allah created and provided, the author moves on to why He
created us. Why did Allah create us? Which is, we said, subtitle C. He did
not leave us without a purpose, that creation and provision was for a
purpose.
1C: HE DID NOT CREATE US WITHOUT A PURPOSE

Why did He create us? Why did He provide for us? The author says, C:

He did not create us without a purpose.
WHAT
IS
HAMALA?

What is a Haamil ( )or Hamala, what is Hamala (
?) Even with

the dialects today and the slang form of the Arabic that we have today,
you hear on the tongues of many, they refer to someone as a Haamil. And
when they refer to that, they mean someone who has no purpose, no job.
Usually, they refer to it in a materialistic failure, they call him a Haamil.
This is actually a unique term that was used amongst the Arab back in the
old days. Originally, it was used to refer to camels or animals that are
unbridled or have no shepherd or herdsman. Basically, animals running
day and night in the wild, animals that are left loose and unattended. That
is what Hamala is.
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Here, it applied to animals, in the form of human animals. They are those
who have no spiritual purpose of guidance in their life. They run on this
Earth like wild animals, unrestrained by the guidance of Allah. Day and
night, just like animals running in the wild day and night, they run day and
night with no guidance from Allah.
Let the Quran define to you what Hamala is.

: ...

Surely, We created many of the Jinn and mankind for Hell. They have
hearts where they do not believe in, they have hearts where they do not
understand in, they have eyes where they do not see in, they have ears
which they do not hear the truth in. They are like cattle, then the verse
says, no, even more astray.

...

...

Those are the heedless ones.
The other verse:
...

:

Those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat like cattle. They are like
cattle, they eat like cattle, and fire will be their abode.
INCORRECT OPINIONS
ON THE
PURPOSE
OF
OUR CREATION
A believer must know why he was created, you have to know that. You
have to know why Allah gave you provision, why Allah created you. If you
ask someone the question of our topic today:

Why were you created? You are going to find so many different answers.
Some will say, it is a wisdom only Allah knows, they put an Islamic touch
Page | 349
in an ignorant way. Yes that is true, that Allah has wisdoms that we do not
know in some matters, but in this matter, you must know.
Allah said:

:

Does man think he will be left neglected and unattended? So that is some
people who say that.
Another category is like the famous poet early on this century who said:

I got here, I do not know how I got here, but I got here.

I found a path before me so I walked, and I will continue walking whether I
like it or not.

So he went on to say, how I got here? How I seen that path in front of me?
I do not know, but I got here.
And this was popular belief among a lot of people. Shaykh Kishk in the
sixties gave a Khutbah on this, because this was a poem but there was a
singer who made this poem famous, his name was actually the same
name of the author of this book. The singer who sang that song was of the
same name as the author of this book, his name was Muhammad Ibn
Abdul-Wahhaab. Shaykh Kishk told him, he was basically in his sixties, the
singer, late sixties, he said you are a span away from your grave and you
are speaking and uttering words of Kufr. You do not know what you were
created for, and he broke down the poem and how it has matters that are
Kufr.
After I grew up and read, I used to think it was the singer, from listening to
Kishk I thought it was the words of the singer but it turned out that the
words were a poem from another wretched poet. He was from Lebanon,
he came to this country, his name Ilyaa Abu Maadhi, many of you
probably heard of him. He came here in 1910 or so and lived in the United
States. Why I say this is because these wretched characters, even though
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they were popular in the sixties, they were stars in the Arabic world for
millions and millions. He is a peer to the singer Umm Kulthoom, the
woman who in her funeral had four million people follow her. Any one of
you who is Arabic over here, ask your parents or your grandparents for
sure, but your parents, who Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab is, the singer,
and who Umm Kulthoom is. People who elevate, when its millions
elevating such filth and gutter to a star like status, are unworthy of
honour.
That is why that was the defeated, humiliated generation. The generation
of Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab the singer and Umm Kulthoom, the
generation they raised were met by humiliation after humiliation. In 1948,
between the fifties and sixties, 1967, 1969 and 1973, between 1971 and
1980, read history. That Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab raised a
generation of humiliated, dishonoured, Hamal. Hamal, who do not know
their purpose on this Earth. This Imaam, Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab,
raised a generation on Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah and on Tawheed, who
learned the purpose of their creation and in return, revived Tawheed for
this Ummah.
So many say, they were created for a wisdom only Allah knows. No, you
have to know this wisdom too, this is the kind of wisdom that you have to
know. Some say they do not know how they got here and throw around
Kufr statements like that poet and singer we said. Some of them say Allah
created us for worship, which is the correct answer, but their
understanding is superficial. They are not deep and substantive in what
worship is, and that is basically the topic of our Tawheed, all that relates to
why we were created. Some adopt the devilish thinking of some Greek
philosophists who say that Allah created the Universe and forgot, and that
is why there were so many problems among the people on Earth, because
Allah forgot about us. Astaghfirullah.
All that, Allah responded to it centuries before they even uttered it.

:

...
Your Lord is not forgetful. He does not forget.
And then you got other people who say the Universe is the fun and play of
Allah, Astaghfirullah. Likewise, Allah responded to them:
:

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You think We created you in play without any purpose and that you are not
going to come back to Us, to be judged and held accounted for your
previous life?
Then you got a group who will say, and many think, that you live your life
and then you die and it is over and done with. If this was true, then death
would be the goal of nearly every living being. But death is the start, then
there is the grave, then there is resurrection, then there is reckoning, then
there is the scale, then there is the Siraat, then there is eternal Hell and
Heaven.

:

The disbelievers claim that they will never be resurrected. Tell them
Muhammad, Allah says tell them:
...

...

You will certainly be resurrected. And then you will be told and informed of
that which you did:

...

...
YOU WERE CREATED
FOR A
PURPOSE
The point is, that one must know he was created for a purpose. You got to
know that you were created for a purpose.
In reality, this life is a test to see who fails and who wins. Allah called it a
test.
...
: ...

Allah says, Allah wants you to prove through your action, through this test,
who is righteous and who is not. This life is not a mall or a supermarket
that closes at nine oclock and then it is over and done, with ones death.
Page | 352

:

We shall set up the balance, a real balance, a real scale, the scale of
justice on the Day of Resurrection, and no one will be dealt with unjustly.

...

If it is a tiny weight of mustard seed or even less than that, Allah will bring
it and He is the sufficient to take account of what you did in the previous
life.

It is the day when one says, what is going on here? What is it that is going
?on here
We have fastened every man's deeds to his neck. On the Day of

Resurrection, We shall bring up for him all that, deeds in the book, and it
will be presented.

...
... :
Read.

Everything small and big, is written down.

He created us to follow His guidance.
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The verses on this are numerous and numerous.
SAVE YOURSELF FROM HELL

A man went to Ibn Umar radhiallahu anhuma. He said Abu AbdurRahmaan, or he said Ibn Umar, Abu Abdur-Rahmaan was his Kunyah, Ibn
Umar is attributing him to his father. Did you hear anything from the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in Najwa, in private, that you want to
share?

Did you anything in private you can share with me? Ibn Umar said, I heard
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam say, the believer will be brought
near his Lord and Allah covers him with a screen and tells him, and asks
him, and he confesses.

...

Allah will ask him, do you know you did this? Did you know that sin? He
will go over the sins.

...

...

He will say twice, oh Allah, I know:

...

...

I know Yaa Allah, he confesses his sin, there is no way out of it.

...

I concealed it in the world before and I am going to forgive it to you today.
Then his record, his registry of deeds fills up.
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...

The other ones, the others, the disbelievers, it will be announced publicly
before all the people. Those are the ones who lied and disbelieved in their
Lord.
At-Tirmidhi:

There will be none amongst you except that Allah will speak to him with
no interpreter, with no barrier. You are going to go stand before Allah,
imagine that reality. Standing before Allah, Wallahil-Adheem it is going to
happen, focus as it is going to happen and imagine it as it is going to
happen. He is standing before Allah, he looks to his right, he sees nothing
but his deeds. The he looks to his left.
...
...

) means he looks to his left, and then he sees

Ashama Minhu (

nothing but his sins. Wallahi, it is a scenery that tears the hearts. Then he
looks in front of him, his deeds to his right, his sins to his left, he looks in
front of him. He sees Hell, there is no escaping it, good and bad, there is
no escaping it. Wretched and successful, all are heading to that direction,
to the direction of Hell. Where are they going? They are going to the
direction of Hell. Righteous are going over it and the wicked are going in
it. Nasalullah an-Najaa () . But over it and not in it,
then there are those who go over it but get clawed in it. And then there
Page | 355
are those who go at the various speeds that we know in the famous
Hadith about that.
The Hadith says that everyone looks in front of him and sees Hell, then it
continues. Save yourself, that is your purpose, save yourself from Hell.
Even by giving a portion, a half, a portion of a date in charity, so you can
present it to Allah on the Judgment Day that you gave that. Save yourself
from Hell, even if giving that tiny little thing.

...

:

ALLAH
IS INDEPENDENT OF
HIS CREATION
You were created and you need Allah. Do not ever think Allah created us
to have more creation. Do not ever think that Allah created us because He
needs our support. He created us and He is Al-Ghanee (), He is
independent of His creation.
In the authentic Hadith al-Qudsi, in Sahih Muslim. Oh my servants, you
cannot reach me to harm me nor can you reach me to benefit me.

...

...

...

Oh my servants, if from the first to the last of you, every one of you,
human and Jinn, nobody left out, were as pious as the most pious man you
can think of, if you were as pious as him, that is not going to increase my
kingdom. That is Allah telling you that. Your piety will not increase the
kingdom of Allah, you are not doing Allah a favour by doing deeds.
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...

...

Oh my servants, if your and your last and your human and your Jinn, every
one of you were as wicked as the most wicked man, human or Jinn on the
face of the Earth that you can imagine, that would not decrease my
kingdom any tiny little bit. Allah is speaking to you, because this a Hadith
Qudsi.

...

...

Oh my servants, were the first of you and the last of you to get together
and all of you, your human, your Jinn, every last one of you in one place
and request of me everything they wanted and I gave every one of them
that which he requested, it would not decrease my kingdom, my wealth,
that Allah has, the kingdom of Allah, any less than a needle decreases
when you put it in the sea.
Go to the Atlantic Ocean, put a needle or a string in the middle of the
Atlantic Ocean, then take it out. How much less did the Atlantic Ocean
become? That is the Atlantic Ocean. Allah runs and rules and owns the
Universe.
...

...

:

Look at that, this is the conclusion.
Oh my servants, here is the conclusion. It is only your deeds that I reckon

up for you, I gather and collect and add them up for you, registers them
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for you, for the Day of Recompense, so you can be judged by them.
Whoever finds good, let him praise Allah, and whoever finds other than
that, let him not blame but himself.

...

:
Among the meanings of the verse, do not cause mischief on this Earth
after it has been set in order. Meaning, the entire Earth was created for
worship. The purpose of the Universe was for worship. Whoever does not
do worship, has caused mischief, that is the meaning of the verse.

:

Does man really think he will be left neglected? This whole Universe, your
creation, your lifespan. You really think you are going to live fifty, sixty,
seventy years or whatever you may live, what Allah grants you, and then
it is over and done with?
After Allah talks about the human and how he is a drop of sperm and then
a clot and then Allah says:
:
The one who does that and created you from an emitted sperm and then a
clot, he cannot resurrect you to question you again?
So we established that we have a purpose in this life, a goal to attain. To
be saved from Hell, that is what we got to work on. To be saved from Hell
and to attain the highest level of Heaven.
1D: HE SENT MESSENGERS TO US
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He sent Messengers to us. This is D, subcategory D. He, the Allah, created

us and provided for us. That is A and B, why? C, so we can worship Him. D
is how, C was why and D is how.
We need to be taught how to worship Allah to achieve the purpose He
created us on this Earth for, and that is why He sent us Messengers who
are bearers of good tidings and warners from Hellfire. Just because we are
in the technology age, just because we have iPhones and computers and
just because are advance in transportation and communication and
medicine, it does not mean we can figure out what pleases Allah on our
own. We cannot neglect the desperate need we have for Messengers on
this Earth, for guidance.
Allah from His mercy, the Mighty, the Majestic, sent mankind Messengers.
He sent us Messengers and we are the honoured Ummah that got the
beloved Messenger Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He related to
us the Ayaat, he purified us from evil, all types of evil, he taught us the
Book and wisdom because before that we were in manifest error, we were
in the gutter.

Just as Allah sent us the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
He sent Messengers before, to the people.
:

...
Allah says, there was not a nation except Allah sent a warner, a
Messenger, to teach them, to tell them the purpose of life. The purpose,
Allah sent Messengers to creation so that it will be proof established for
them or against them.

:

Oh People of the Scripture, We have sent you a Messenger to make things
clear for you.
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...
...

There was a break in the series of Messengers. Why?
...
...

So that you will not say that no one taught us, no one came to us and
gave us the glad tidings and a warning. Here you have it, a bringer of glad
tidings and a warner. The Messengers they got and the Messenger we got
and that which came to them. It was from the wisdom of Allah that he
sent Messengers to creation as bearers of good tidings and as warners.
Why? We said it. It is impossible for us to achieve the goal that Allah put
us on this Earth for, to worship Him, the Tawheed we study, all that
Tawheed we study, in the manner that pleases Allah, without Messengers
to teach us. Messengers are the ones who explain and educate to us, what
Allah is pleased with, and whatever displeases Allah.
When it was finalised with the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, Allah says to him:
Oh Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, We sent you as a Messenger

to all mankind, to give glad tidings and to be a warner, but most do not
comprehend or do not realise.
:

...
There never was a nation, except but there was a warner that was
amongst them.

: ...

We sent among every single nation, community, whatever it may be, a

Messenger telling them, worship Allah and stay away and denounce the
Taaghoot. Make Baraa from the Taaghoot.
All these verses and hundreds more, establish the proof that the author is
talking about over here:
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He sent us Messengers. We will get more into Messengers at the core of
the book Inshaa Allah, so that should be sufficient for D.
1E: WHOEVER OBEYS HIM WILL ENTER PARADISE

The next statement, the author says:
So whoever obeys him will enter Paradise, whoever disobeys him will
enter Jahannam. Aafaan Allah wa Iyyaakum Min Thaalik (
) .
Here is how it is broken down. The chapter two that we are on right now,
we said has three matters. The first matter is what we are working on and
we broke the first matter into six subcategories, I said it is going to be A to
F. The first two are introduction, that Allah created and provided, that is
introduction. The second two are the body, that means why did Allah
create us? To worship Him. How do we do that? He sent us Messengers,
that is the second two. Now it is the final two, which is E and F, which is
the conclusion. You obey the Messengers, you do what you are supposed
to do, then it is Jannah. You disobey, it is Jahannam. Aafaan Allah wa
Iyyaakum Min Thaalik. You must obey the Messengers.
Allah said:

: ...

Whoever obeys the Messengers, has obeyed Allah.
THE QURAN AND SUNNAH

LEGISLATION
ARE
EQUAL
AS
SOURCES
OF
Here, let us start off with an important point and that is an important point
regarding obedience to the Messenger. That when there is an authentic
Hadith in the context of proving something, belief, basically matters of
legislation, it is at the same level as the Quran. If I tell you authentic
Hadith as proof, and when we talk we talk about only authentic Hadith,
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about something, then that is just as if you found it in the Quran. No

difference. In matters of Halaal, Haraam, do or do not, it is same.
...

:
Look at that verse. Allah considers in this all corpse and all blood Haraam.
If you stop there, then fish is Haraam. You say oh look, like a lot of
ignorant people do, particularly on this matter, on other matters, oh I
found it in the Quran. If you take it alone, then fish is Haraam. That is why
you got to take it with the Sunnah, together.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam then in another Hadith said, there
is two dead things and two blood things that are lawful. The locust and the
fish, and the liver and the spleen. So you had to have taken the Quran
and the Sunnah together.

I have been given the Quran and something like it. Like it, Mithlahu (
) , not something under it, like it.

In many verses in the Quran, many verses:
: ...

: ...

It never said, obey, and then, Thumma (
) . It says Wa (
) , Wa means
and. Thumma means, and then, it always uses Wa.
Some use the supposed Hadith, that it is rare to open a book of Usool, of
the old books, and find this Hadith not in there. And it is when the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam supposedly sent Muadh to Yemen, which he
did, but this portion of the Hadith is correct. The other portion, he asked
him, what are you going to judge by? He said, by the Quran. He said, if
you do not find it in the Quran? He said, I will go to the Sunnah. He said,
what if you do not find it in the Sunnah? You go the Ijmaa. The latter
portion of the Hadith is what we are talking about here. The saying gives
preference to the Quran in matters we mentioned, and that would have
been a strong proof opposing what I just said. The only problem is that it is
not attributed to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in the fact that
Page | 362
both its Sanad ( )and its Matn ( )are Munkar (). The chain
and the Hadith itself are classified as Munkar.
Matters of legislation, Haraam and Halaal in both the Quran and the
Sunnah, are equal. Applying matters of belief found in the Quran and the
Sunnah, is equal. Applying matters of worship found in the Quran and the
Sunnah are equal. Applying matters dealing with others, matters that
pertain to rules and regulations when dealing with others found in the
Quran and the Sunnah, are the same. What is in the authentic Sunnah,
when you do it and you are told to do it, is no different than when it is in
the Quran telling you to do it. No difference. Meaning, when Allah says
do, do not, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says do and do
not, it is the same. Why?
Because both the Quran and the Sunnah came to us on the tongue of the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. We got it through the
tongue of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The
meaning of both revelation, the Quran and the Sunnah, is from Allah. You
are obligated to do what you are told in both the Quran and the Sunnah.
Of course, the authentic Sunnah. And to both the Quran and the Sunnah,
you say I hear and I adhere.
:

He is nothing but a revelation, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
THE QURAN
HAS A
HIGHER STATUS
IN
OTHER AREAS
Yes the Quran in other matters, has higher status. For example, the
Quran is the word of Allah. The meaning of both is from Allah, the Quran
is the word of Allah. The Hadith is the word of the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, the meaning is from Allah. Recitation, another matter
where the Quran is of higher status, the recitation of the Quran, you get
ten Hasanaat for every single letter you read in the Quran. That does not
apply to the Sunnah, so it has a higher status in that. A third area where it
has precedence in that the Quran, many of the Ulamaa say that you
cannot touch it without having Wudhu. It is a disputed matter, the
majority go to the fact that you cannot touch it without having Wudhu,
which is not disputed in the Hadith. You should show respect, but it is not
a disputed matter in the Hadith.
OBEDIENCE
TO THE
PROPHET MUST
BE
COMPLETE OBEDIENCE
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Obedience to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam must be total,

complete, blind obedience. You cannot pick and choose. You cannot say oh
in the Masaajid, I am going to take the Ibaadah and Salah and that, but
outside the Masaajid it is a whole different story. Legislation, ruling, that is
a whole different story. Or you are going to say, I pray and fast and I wear
Hijaab but then suddenly a traditional event comes where the family do it
and it is a major sin and you collapse in front of that and you go ahead
and do it.

:
It is not the choice of any believer, male and female, men and women,
when Allah and the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam make
a decision, to have an option of their own decision. Whoever disobeys
Allah and His Messenger, has went astray and is in total, manifest error.
Look how it mentioned:

...

...

We said before, that if He said Mumin it would have been sufficient, but
that is to emphasise and show it is every single one of you.

Those who oppose the orders of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam, beware. That is the end of the verse, beware, a Fitnah is going
to hit you. Those who disobey the order of the Prophet, painful torment is
going to hit you. What is Fitnah here? Fitnah here is either possibly
disbelief, it is also earthquakes, trials, afflictions, overpowering of tyrants
amongst you, overpowering of enemies amongst you, who gets all that? If
you disobey the command of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam.
Page | 364
: ...

The true believers, some claim to be believers, but the faithful, true
believers are the ones who say when called unto the word of Allah and the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to judge between them,
we heard and we obey. We do not want to hear nothing else, that is it. The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and Allah gave a word, we do not
want to hear your input about it.
THE STORY OF JULAYBEEB

Listen to the Hadith of Abi Barzat al-Aslamee radhiallahu anhu, the Hadith
is summarised in Sahih Muslim. In fact, Imaam Muslim has a chapter
named after it:

He named a chapter after Julaybeeb radhiallahu anhu. A longer version is
found in other books of Sunan, actually there is another one in Musnad
Imaam Ahmad, identical chain of Sahih Muslim but it has more details in
it, so it is authentic as well.
Julaybeeb is a man that did not look good, Sahaabi, radhiallahu anhu.
From his description you read, he was possibly short, you might figure that
he was possibly neglected and no one wanted to give him a wife, and you
could also see that he was possibly poor. Even his name, Julaybeeb is the
diminutive, Tasgheer (), it is a diminutive of the word Jilbaab (
)which is what women wear. It is a small version, Tasgheer. But

the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam loved this man, he gave him
attention, he gave him sympathy, gave him kindness and affection.
Rahmatal-lil-Aalameen (

) , as he did with all the

Sahaabah, every last one of them thought that he was the most special
man to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was in a gathering when a man
from the Ansaar was before him. He said, I would like to ask for your
daughter for marriage. The man got excited, he got happy, he said:
Page | 365

He gave words, yes, of course. No question about it, who would not want
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam as a son in law, and the blood of
his grandchildren having the blood of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam? The Prophet said, but it is not for me. The man said, well who is it
for? He said, it is for Julaybeeb. Any one of the characteristics of Julaybeeb
that I mentioned, is sufficient for some to reject him. Imagine all of them
together, combined in one man. At that point, you can see that this man
from the Ansaar hesitated, you can possibly imagine his voice softening as
he said, let me consult her mother. When he got to the mother, he said
exactly what the Prophet told him, he said the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam is asking for your daughter in marriage. She said:

Who would not want that? Then he broke her happiness and cheer with
saying, but he does not want her for him, he wants her for Julaybeeb. You
can imagine the sudden silence or the jaw possibly dropping and what
went through her mind. Moments ago, the dream of having the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam as the son in law and now Julaybeeb? She
said:

Three times. Julaybeeb, yuck. Basically, Inyah (
) means yuck.
Wallahi, I am not going to give Julaybeeb my daughter. We have better

than him, you want us to give our daughter to Julaybeeb? When the man
got up to return and inform the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam of the
decision of his wife, the daughter asked, who does the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam want for me? The mother told her the story. She said,
you reject what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asked or
recommended for me? Let me go forth with it, Wallahi, Allah will never
neglect me or forsake me.
What a woman, Wallahi, what a woman. That is our point right here. We
need to learn from that, we say these stories, but we do really learn from
them? That young girl, her submission to Allah and the Sunnah, that is
Tawheed, that is Imaan, that is Ihsaan. That is obedience to the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam that we are trying to get, this is
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sufficient for you to know. If you leave today with this alone, that is
sufficient for you to be among those who are successful.
She seen happiness in her life in the obedience of what Allah and the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam chose for her, because happiness in
obedience to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Seeking
to please Allah and the orders of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam will eliminate your pursuit of happiness, because happiness will
then pursue you. That is what this woman understood.
Did she say, is it Waajib, did the Prophet mean it is Waajib? Is it Fardh? Is it
obligatory for me or is he just recommending it? Did she say, I do not find
that in the Quran where he can force me to marry someone? Did she
burst out laughing, her, that beautiful woman from a prestigious family of
the Ansaar, marry Julaybeeb? Did she say, that does not apply to me?
Well, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam recommended and she
accepted his recommendation. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam died and his Sunnah is still there for you to apply it just like that
woman applied it.
: ...
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has precedent for the believers,
over your own selves.
What is the dowry? What is the house we are going to live in, what area of
Madinah? Where is the source of income? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam recommended this man to this girl and that is all she needed to
know, no other questions. It is as if she is saying, mum, I love you, dad, I
love you, but the word of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is the
only word I will take over your word and his recommendation is the one I
will take over you. That is her status, that is basically what you see from
her statement. What many neglect to mention when they mention this
story, this famous story, was it obligatory on her to marry this man or not?
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was asking, recommending. It
was not an order, it was a Khutbah (), Khutbah means you ask. The
recommendation of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was not for a
woman like this to reject, even if all the odds were against her. All the
odds for her future are against her, but if the Prophet recommended it,
that is it, even if it was a recommendation.
Imagine when you are told of a Sunnah and you sit and nag and complain
about it, a simple Sunnah. This is a lifetime with this man. More so,
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imagine those who are told with a Waajib, that the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam said a Waajib, and they say oh it is not in the Quran.
They sit and quibble and argue and want to debate you, Waajib, Sunnah.
How do you say that? It was the fruit of Tawheed, exactly what we study,
that was the means for her to submit to a mere suggestion by the Prophet
Today, you have people who go decades, a lifetime, unable to quit an
alcohol addiction or other addictions. They go in and out of alcohol rehabs
and Alcoholics Anonymous. Alcoholism now is considered a disease, read
the reports, they say it is a disease, no cure for it. Nearly all the people
who specialise in this field, they tell you there is no cure, it is a disease.
They say no matter how long one remains sober, he can relapse any time.
No doubt it is a strong addiction, but look at the Sahaabah. The Sahaabah
were nearly all alcoholics, it was exceptional for some, that they did not
drink. In Jaahiliyyah and in the beginning of Islam before it was prohibited.
It was documented that he did not drink, in the books you read that, why?
Because it was exceptional for one to not drink. And it was not just a
weekend drinking, it was an every day thing. And it was not just at night
time, it was day and night that they drank, deep into alcohol.
When, not the Prophet, I am not going to say the Prophet, the messenger
of the Prophet went out and shouted in Madinah, alcohol is prohibited,
what do you think their reaction was to this strong addiction that today is
considered something that is a disease? The sip was on their mouth, they
were about to drink, some of them.
:

:

...

Why was there no relapse among the Sahaabah, an epidemic and relapse
when it was a whole society that left alcohol? Why was there not an
epidemic and relapse? Why did anyone not doubt, not the Messenger, I
am not saying the Messenger, he sent a messenger to go shout in the
alleys, the messenger of the Messenger? No one said, are you serious?
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Are you for real? No one said that. Why did anyone not ask, is this Haraam
or Makrooh? Is the Prophet saying is this Haraam or Makrooh?
It was the Tawheed that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam worked
on for over a decade that filled their hearts with Imaan, to accept the
commands at such ease. They obeyed the orders, they refrained from the
Haraam, no resistance. Rather, they obeyed it overwhelmed with joy, that
we are the honoured followers of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam.

...

Nay, no by your Lord, they will not have no faith, they will not be
believers:

...

...

Until you be the judge in all disputes between them.

...

:

And they find nothing in themselves, no resistance. You cannot just accept
it, you cannot have no resistance for decisions, you have to accept it with
full submission.
The wise father returned to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He
said, oh Prophet it is your decision, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam married her to this man. The days go by, newly weds, the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam goes to a battle. Do you think a partner of a
woman in such status and obedience to Allah and the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, her partner, do you think he is going to go and cry
honeymoon? He is like her.
...

...

:
Good spouses for good spouses.
When you are having difficulty, you brothers here, a lot of you are single,
difficulty finding the woman at a high status in Imaan, then the problem is
work on yourself. When you get to that status, Allah Inshaa Allah is going
to provide you a woman at that same status, like Julaybeeb.
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Julaybeeb joins in the battle, at the end of the battle the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam usually asks, in many battles, he is known to say, who
do you miss? Who do I miss from my Sahaabah? They begin to mention
many names, so and so, and so and so. He says, do you miss anyone else,
other than those who you mentioned? They say, no oh Prophet of Allah.
Julaybeeb lived neglected, Julaybeeb lived a loner, but he had the honour
of the friendship of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
who did not neglect him. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says,
but I miss Julaybeeb. So immediately they remembered and went in
pursuit of Julaybeeb.
Then they find him near seven that he had fought towards the end of the
battle, and he fought them and he killed them and they killed him. So he
killed seven before meeting his end and they told the Prophet, oh he is
over there and they explained to him. He said, he killed seven and they
killed him, he is from me and I am from him, he is from me and I am from
him, and he is from me and I am from him. The narrator of the Hadith said
the Prophet kept repeating it either two or three times. The Prophet laid
him in his forearms, imagine that, as the Sahaabah began to dig the
grave. Then he, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam took him, and put
him in the grave with his blessed hands himself. The neglected man, the
man who had an incomplete name, the man who was looked down in
society.
Thaabit said there was none from the Ansaar whose financial status was
like that woman who married Julaybeeb. She used to spend and spend, as
if she never fears poverty. And it is because the Prophet when he heard
what she said, he said:

Oh Allah, pour your blessings upon her and do not make her life hard.
And it was later in some other narrations said, that there was not a man
standing at the burial of Julaybeeb, except that he wished he was
Julaybeeb. Radhiallahu Anhu wa Ardhaahu wa Jamaanaa wa Iyyaakum

) .
Maahu fil-Firdaws al-Alaa (
CLASS SEVENTEEN
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This is our seventeenth class on Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah. Last class, we

spoke on chapter two, we are on chapter two, the first matter. And you
need your books, even though some of you memorise and I am very well
aware of that. You need the books to follow along because the structure of
the book is important in understanding the book. It is very essential to it,
and following along.
So again, matter number one, we broke it down into six subcategories, we
said it is A through to F. We said A and B are knowing the Lordship and the
Provider, introduction. C and D, why Allah created us and how to achieve
that goal. He created us to worship and the Messengers taught us how to
achieve that goal, that is the body. Then E and F is the conclusion,
whoever obeys goes to Heaven, whoever disobeys goes to Hell. We
started on D, we left off on D, whoever obeys him enters Heaven, and we
did not finish that point right there.

Whoever obeys him, will enter Paradise. That is where we stopped off and
we left over there, when we talked about the story of Julaybeeb
radhiallahu anhu.
We mentioned that you must obey the Messenger. As a source of
legislation, the Quran and the Sunnah come side by side. As a source of
legislation, they come side by side, I reiterate that. If there is an order in
the Quran that pertains to rules and regulations, it is identical to a Hadith
that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has where there is rules and
regulations in it. The commands in the Quran and the Sunnah are three
types, three types of commands in the Quran and the Sunnah.
THREE TYPES OF COMMANDS IN THE QURAN AND

SUNNAH
A COMMAND ACCOMPANIED
OBLIGATORY
BY
EVIDENCE
TO INDICATE IT IS
Number one, a command which is accompanied by evidence. It has

evidence in it which indicates that which is in it is obligatory. It is a
command and within it, something indicates that it is obligatory. Like Allah
says, and perform your Salah, in Surat al-Baqarah:
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: ...

It is a command with proof that it is obligatory. The evidence from the

Quran and the Sunnah and Ijmaa, Quran, Sunnah and consensus of the
Ummah is Ijmaa, it is indicates that the command to establish the five
daily prayers:
: ...

Is obligatory. So that is not a disputed matter. So the first one is, command
with proof that it is obligatory.
A COMMAND WITH PROOF
TO INDICATE IT IS
NOT OBLIGATORY
The second one is the opposite of the first one. It is a command in the
Quran and the Sunnah that has evidence that shows it is not obligatory.
Such as the Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari:

Pray before Maghrib, pray before Maghrib, pray before Maghrib. Had it
been left at that, it would have been Waajib. Had it stopped right there, it
would have been Waajib. But then after the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam repeated it three times, he said in the third time, for whoever
wants to:

:
Whoever wants to, indicates that the command is no longer for Waajib, it
is no longer obligatory. So the second one is, there is proof where the
command shows that it is not obligatory.
Here, it is an order, pray before Maghrib, Sunnah before Maghrib. Pray
before Maghrib, that is a command, but then:

Whoever wants to, shows that it is by choice. So there is proof in the
command that it is not obligatory. Sometimes in this category, the
statement would drop down from a Waajib to a Sunnah for proof not within
the Hadith, but in other Ahaadith. It is just like as if it was in that same
Hadith.
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For example, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, be different

from the Jews and pray with your shoes on, they do not pray with their
shoes or their Khuff. So he said pray with your shoes on, they do not pray
with their shoes or their Khuff. That right there is an order, that is a
command, it makes it Waajib. Had it been left like that, that would have
been Waajib, we have to pray with our shoes. Just as if it was in the Quran
itself, just as if it was a command in the Quran itself. However, we know
there is a Hadith, not in this Hadith, in Sunan Abu Dawood. On the
authority of Abu Saeed al-Khudri, where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam took his shoes off during Salah because of impurity.
Also in Ibn Maajah:
He said in this authentic Hadith, I seen the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa

sallam pray with shoes and without shoes. So praying with your shoes got
dropped down from the command that we heard, be different from the
Jews, got dropped down from the level of being Waajib. Had it been left at
that it would have been Waajib, got dropped down by the Hadith of the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam where he was seen praying with and
without shoes and by the Hadith where he took his shoes off when he had
impurity on it. So the command got dropped from a Waajib to a Sunnah,
because of proof in other Hadith.
This situation is unlike the beard, that last example is unlike the beard.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam similar to praying with the shoes,
said be different from the Jews and Christians and grow your beard. There
is many direct commands to grow your beard, that makes it Waajib, that is
Waajib right there. Unlike the situation with shoes, there is no Hadith to
drop it down from Waajib to a Sunnah, no Hadith. Actually, if you bring me
one Hadith where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam shaved once,
that drops it down to a Sunnah. If you bring me a Hadith that once the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam seen someone without a beard and
did not say nothing, it would have dropped it down to a Sunnah. Even
when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam seen non believers, he did
Inkaar al-Munkar ( ) on them for the beard. So the command
to pray with your shoes is Waajib, be different, it got dropped down to a
Sunnah because there was proof that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam prayed without his shoes. The command to grow your beard is
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Waajib and it remains Waajib because there is nothing else to drop it down
to a Sunnah.
So the second category is matters that are a command, which have extra
proof to show that it is not obligatory. The categories we took so far, the
first one is a command that has additional proof to show that it is Waajib.
Second one is a command that specifically says it is not Fardh, there is
additional proof within that same Hadith or within other Hadith that
indicate that command is not Fardh. Sometimes that is in the same
Hadith, like Sunnah before Salat al-Maghrib. Sometimes it is not in that
same Hadith, like prayer with your shoes on.
THE GENERAL COMMANDS

The third category is called al-Amr al-Mutlaq () , the
general commands. This is a little bit complex, or not complex but
disputed. But it is very clear, disputed but really there is one correct
opinion. Here we have a command which does not come with any
additional indication as to whether it is obligatory or not, similar to the
beard. The first category we took has proof, the second category has
proof, this one is just a command and that is it. It is a plain command, no
other additional proof to indicate it is Waajib, no other additional proof to
indicate it is Sunnah. Just a plain command from the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam or a command from Allah in the Quran. The
ruling on such commands is they are obligatory, they are taken to be
obligatory. A command from either the Quran independently or a
command from the Hadith independently, that is not accompanied by any
other indications, is taken to be obligatory.
Let me repeat, a command from either the Quran independently or a
command in the Hadith independently, that has no extra, additional
indication, should be taken to mean it is an obligatory command. This is
the view of the majority of the scholars of the four Mathaahib. In Sharh AlKawkab Al-Muneer, you are going to find a lot of talk on this, that
elaborates what I just told you. In Fataawa Ibn Taymiyyah, also in Sharh
An-Nawawi Alaa Al-Imaam Muslim, the elucidation of an-Nawawi on
Muslim.
So for us, we are trying to say, if the Prophet gave an order, it is
absolutely no different than if it is in the Quran. Both are revelations from
Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. Never ever say, why is that order not in the
Quran, I do not believe it is obligatory unless I see it in the Quran.
So the three categories in a nutshell, in a summary. One, a command, do
or do not in the Quran or either in the Sunnah that has support to indicate
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it is obligatory, that command becomes obligatory. Second one, a

command either in the Quran or in the Sunnah independently, in one or
the other, it may be that Hadith itself indicates it is not meant to be a
Fardh, or it may be other Hadith clear up the meaning of that Hadith to
mean it is Sunnah. The third one is, a command either in the Quran or in
the Sunnah that has no additional indication that it is not obligatory, that
is considered obligatory. A plain old command.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE QURAN AND

SUNNAH
As part of obedience to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, you need to know that in the Sunnah, there is relationship
between the Quran and the Sunnah and we can break them down into
three ways.
IN ACCORDANCE
AND
SIMILARTY
In accordance and in similarity, the Quran and the Sunnah come in

accordance and similarity sometimes. For example:

Every sin Allah will forgive, except if you die a Mushrik.
That is identical to the verse:

: ...

We sent you Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, you are not but a
mercy to the universe.
In a Hadith, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

He said oh mankind, I am not but a mercy to mankind. So the Hadith and
the Ayah are nearly identical. Different terms, one is in the Quran and one
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is in the Hadith, but identical. Here, the first category is a Hadith and a
verse that mean identically the same thing, like we mentioned.
THE SUNNAH GIVES DETAILS, EXPLAINS
OR
SPECIFIES
The second category of the Quran and Sunnah in relationship to each

other, is the category of when the Sunnah comes to give details in
matters that are in the Quran or makes them specific, or explain them.
Details, explain or makes them specific.
: ...

Perform your Salah.

You go to the Sunnah:
Pray as you seen me pray. So the Sunnah explains the Salah.

...

: ...

Allah said perform your Hajj. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
said, learn from me how to perform your Hajj. How to perform your Hajj is
in the Sunnah.
: ...

How to make your Wudhu is in the Quran. However, the Sunnah comes to
specify and to exclude those who are ill. If one cannot do Tayammum (
)or when can one do Tayammum, all that is in the Sunnah.

No one can have of his deeds, except that which he accumulated himself.
But then the Sunnah comes and tells us there is three exceptions. When
the son of Adam dies, his deeds end like that verse says, but it makes
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three exceptions. Ongoing charity, a righteous son or knowledge that he

passes on.
Also for example:
: ...

You got to give your inheritance to these categories. Allah divided it in the
Quran, each person gets a specified percentage.
The Sunnah comes and specifies. The Messengers do not inherit, they do
not give inheritance. The non believers, a Muslim does not inherit from a
non believer and a non believer does not inherit from a Muslim. And the
third one is, one who kills. He does not get inheritance, that is not in the
Quran. So the second category of relationship of Quran and Sunnah is
when the Sunnah explains, specifies and details something in the Quran.
THE HADITH
ARE INDEPENDENT IN
LEGISLATING
The third point in the connection between the Quran and the Sunnah, is
when the Hadith are independent. Independent in legislating, and this is
where the ignorants have issues. Some deny Sunnah entirely as if it has
no origin to them, and they are the people who are called the Quraniyoon
(). They clearly tell you it, we do not believe in the Sunnah. But
there is some who may not be blunt but they shyly deny the Sunnah,
those are worse. Some of them are ignorants who say there is so much
Ahaadith, there is weak, there is fabricated, there is Munkar, we do not
know which is which and we will just reject all the Hadith.
Before we respond to that, an example of the independent Hadith
legislating is:

If someone wants to marry two women, you cannot combine in marriage
between a woman and her paternal or maternal aunt. You cannot combine
between those, that is in the Sunnah.
The Sunnah legislates two months fasting for someone who breaks his fast
in sexual intercourse with his wife, that is in the Sunnah. That is
independent, completely independent. Wiping on the Khuff is only in the
Sunnah, it has nothing in the Quran about wiping on the Khuff. The Zakah
that you are all going to pay in Ramadhaan, Zakat al-Fitr, Saa ( ),
that is in the Sunnah only. Ash-Shaafiee said, it is by Ijmaa, by
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consensus, that if a Hadith is clear on a matter, no one can leave it for any
ones elses saying, no matter who. There are matters that are in the
Sunnah that are independent in legislating, they are like that in the
Quran.
When a woman went to Abdullah Ibn Masood radhiallahu anhu, she said
you are the one who has been going around saying, may Allah curse the
Naamisah (). It became popular that he was saying, may Allah
curse women who pluck their eyebrows. She said, you are the one who
has been going around saying that? He said yes. She said, I read the
Quran cover to cover looking for that, and I did not find it. He responded
to her, he said if you looked in the Quran, you would have found it. She
said, how do you say that? He said:

...
: ...

Whatsoever the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gives you, you take it.
That is Sunnah. That is in the Quran so that means the Sunnah is part of
the Quran. And whatsoever the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
forbids you from, you abstain and refrain from it. She said yes, I read that
Ayah in the Quran, I did read that Ayah. He said well then, I heard the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam say, may Allahs curse be inflicted
upon women who pluck their eyebrows. In Bukhari and Muslim. So he took
it to mean it is in the Quran, he told her it is in the Quran. But it is not in
the Quran, it is really in the Sunnah, it is in Bukhari and Muslim. But the
Quran said, whatever the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam gives you,
you take, orders you, you take. Whatever he refrains you from, you stay
away from.
When Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Yazeed seen a man doing Hajj, and as you know
there is special clothing you got to wear in Hajj. You got to change into
different clothing and there is under clothing you cannot wear, so there is
special clothes you wear for Hajj. This man was in his normal clothing
performing Hajj. He said, you cannot wear that. The man said, show me in
the Quran where it says I cannot wear like this in Ihraam. So AbdurRahmaan Ibn Yazeed repeated the same verse that the Sahaabi repeated:

...
: ...

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THOSE WHO DENY THE SUNNAH

Some raise the claim and argue, well we have so much weak Hadith and
strong Hadith and Munkar Hadith and Dhaeef Hadith, we do not know
which is which so we just cancel everything out. Those are the ones who
in a way, shyly deny Hadith. They shyly deny it, they are not explicit in it,
but they shyly deny it. The simple response to that accusation is what
Abdullah Ibn Mubaarak, one sentence Abdullah Ibn Mubaarak said when
they told him how the weak and fabricated Hadith were spreading all over
so fast. He said, that is why the giants live.

:

He used Dhikr to include Quran and Sunnah. Allah protected the Sunnah,
in that people may try to put Hadith, but the giants are there to sort them
out. The science of Jarh and Tadeel, the science of figuring out which
Hadith is authentic and which is not and how to do it, it is so amazing of a
science that western Orientals got addicted and spent a lifelong time
learning it and trying to apply it, to see how it is. The only one who has
the problem with the weak and fabricated Hadith are the ignorants. Go to
the Ulamaa, go to the people of knowledge and they will direct you. They
will tell you this is weak, this is authentic.
This matter, pertaining to denying the Sunnah, is really an epidemic. I am
not going to say go to secular countries which rule clearly and openly by
Kufr, but go no further than the lands that claim they are guardians of the
Tawheed. The lands that they allege, they are guardians of the Salafiyyah.
A man who portrays himself as a Daaiyah, a Shaykh, a reviver. Mufakkir (
), they call him Mufakkir, these terminologies that popped up

recently. His name is Hasan al-Maaliki, he is all over TV, Youtube, Twitter.
He has thousands and thousands of followers, tens of thousands of
followers. And this man is in the lands that claim they are the guardians of
the Tawheed. A man who bluntly, openly and boldly denies the Sunnah. He
goes on public TV in the core of the lands that they call, they are
guardians of Tawheed, and he says Khomeini is better than the Munaafiq
Muaawiyah radhiallahu anhu. Just recently on a channel called Wesal,
from the heart of Saoodiyyah, he says Muaawiyah the Sahaabi, the uncle
of the believers, the writer of the Wahi, is a Munaafiq in the lowest point of
Hell. Radhiallahu an Muaawiyah. And that Khomeini, the cursed
Khomeini, is better than Muaawiyah. This entails denying verses and
Hadith that praise the Sahaabah. He openly tweeted that Quran is all we
need, we really do not need the Sunnah, he openly tweeted that.
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This man who says these bold words of Kufr, do you know who stood up
against him? Fourteen or fifteen years ago, Shaykh Nasir al-Fahd wrote a
book, the first one who stood up to this man. Kashf ash-Shubuhaat, which
is a book he wrote responding to this man. In fact, approximately twelve
years ago, I tried to arrange a debate on these matters of Aqeedah
between the two on a media channel I used to have. And the challenge
was based on a request from Shaykh Nasir al-Fahd, may Allah hasten his
release. And I spoke to Hasan Maaliki, and he of course dodged it back
then, but look who stood up against him. If this, and many like this man,
echo from the land that is supposed to be the land that protects Tawheed.
He spreads this Kufr ideology, claiming the Quran is all we need and we
do not need anything else, and degrading or diminishing principles of
Islam, from the lands of Tawheed. And you got people like that and worse
than that, in others countries.
Turki al-Hamad in Saoodiyyah. A man who wrote that Allah and the devil
are two faces to one coin. He wrote poor Allah, we burden Him with our
errors. He wrote another statement, where is Allah so I can put Him in a
drawer and lock it, in some of his works. Statements like these,
statements of Kufr. Nasalullah Salaamah () . He has
never been prosecuted, Turki al-Hamad, that one that wrote those
statements has never been prosecuted. This is the land, that is why I say
it, the land that says they are guarding the Tawheed. Fifteen years ago,
Shaykh Hamood al-Uqlah, when he was asked about these, particularly
these three statements, he issued a Fatwa that anyone who says it is
either mentally insane or if he claims to be a Muslim, he is really a Murtad,
he is an apostate. He never got prosecuted.
Five to six months ago, Turki al-Hamad, this man was tweeting away and
he said:

We are now in a time and era that we need to correct the belief of
Muhammad Ibn Abdullah. Just like that, that is a tweet. This is coming
from the land of the Tawheed, we need to correct the belief of Muhammad
Ibn Abdullah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. When he said that, it sparked
some rage among very few people. And to calm the rage, they imprisoned
him. This was five or six months ago. When they imprisoned him, I
tweeted. I said, Turki al-Hamad is in prison and it is a matter of a short
time, days or so, before they let him out. Last week, what I told you
became true. Last week, he did not even stay, I do not think he even
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completed six months in prison, no court hearings, no charges, he walks

arrogantly right out of prison. No charges, no sentences, nothing at all.
The real men who stood up to these Kufr statements and devoted their life
for that, the real followers of Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab. The
guardians of Tawheed, the artistic masters of the studying of the Ulamaa
of Najd and Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab. The true inheritors of
knowledge of Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab, some are behind bars for
ten years, and others are behind bars for twenty years. Some of them are
close to twenty years they are going to be spending. I did not go to a
fortune teller when I said he was going to be out, check my tweets. I did
not go to a fortune teller and nor do I know the Ghayb. I do not believe in
that. Maaath Allah. But we do not speak in ignorance, we know the reality
of those people there and what they rule, and how they rule by. To us
Alhamdulillah, blind obedience is to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam. And it is commonsense that it comes with Laa ilaaha
illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah.
By the way, the same week they let Turki al-Hamad out, the ones who
spend their life in prison get taken to court, in feet shackles and hand
restraints. In fact, Ali al-Khudayr, his son asked him, why are you wearing
socks? Last week, in court. He said, because the shackles on my feet are
tight. They spend ten years and this man who spreads Ilhaad ( ),
atheism, gets out of there.
1F: WHOEVER REJECTS AND DISOBEYS HIM WILL

ENTER HELLFIRE

So whoever obeys him will enter Paradise, whoever rejects and disobeys
will enter fire. We established in the last point, whoever obeys him, so now
let us get to the conclusion.
Whoever disobeys him, this category, whoever disobeys the Prophet
sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam will be in Hellfire. Is everyone who disobeys
the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam going to Hellfire? Are they all
going to Hellfire forever? It depends on the sin. Let me divide it into three
categories again.
CATEGORIES OF DISOBEDIENCE
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MAJOR SHIRK
OR
MAJOR KUFR
If the sin is major Shirk or major Kufr, that person dies in major Shirk or
major Kufr, he is in Hell forever.

:

In another verse:

...

:

Unless one leaves the cloak of Shirk and Kufr, he is in Jahannam.
In another verse:

...

: ...

Allah said it is Haraam. He declared it, He judged it is Haraam for a
Mushrik to enter Jannah. Allah tells His Prophet, His beloved, the most
beloved human to Him:

:

If you, you Muhammad, you commit shirk, your deeds will go in vain, will
be at loss, and you will be at loss.
This is a matter so clear, so decisive, yet it is has become an issue the
ignorant heads compromise on and give in, or some are really ignorant of
it. You do not doubt that a non Muslim who dies in the status of other than
Laa ilaaha illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah, is a Kaafir. There is no denial
of that.
Ibn Masood radhiallahu anhu said:
Page | 382

...

Whoever dies invoking other than Allah as a rival to Allah, his destiny is
Hellfire. Clear, there is no doubt about this principle, this is Tawheed.

...

And whoever dies without invoking anything as a rival to Allah, meaning
dies on a status of Tawheed, will enter Paradise.
Hadith Anas radhiallahu anhu:

In Sahih al-Bukhari. Allah will ask the person who is in Hellfire, who
receives the least amount of punishment, if you had anything on this
Earth, would you give it as ransom to free yourself?
...

...
:

They say Naam, yes. Whatever it is of ransom, I will give it.

:
...

He will say, while you were in the backbone of Adam, I asked you much
less than anything you want to give Me. All I asked for is not to worship
others beside Me, but you insisted on worshipping others beside Me.
This is one of the many details of interfaith, they adopt this principle. They
want to eliminate or hide or change this issue. Interfaith is not just about
going to churches and synagogues smiling, taking a few photo shots and
leaving, posing for the camera and then walking right out. Interfaith is a
religion in itself, it is Kufr on top of Kufr. This is just one of the many
examples the venom of interfaith tries to embed in order to strip the new
Muslim youth, the new generation, and make them feel as if they are
Muslim when in reality, inside there is nothing of Islam within them. They
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could not take Muslims out of Islam fully, it is difficult to do that. So they
said let us leave them calling themselves Muslim, but give them the
interfaith Islam, a perverted version that they made up.
You got Christians who boldly will tell you, the real ones, the truthful ones,
if you do not believe Jesus is the saviour and the son of God, you are going
to hell and doomed. Yet Muslims shy away from believing in that which is
in the Quran. Their Bible clearly says, if you do not believe that he is
baptised and that you are going to be saved through him, that you are
condemned, the Bible clearly says that. A core belief of the Shiah is that if
you do not believe in the twelve Imaams, you are a Kaafir going to Hell. In
Haqq Al-Yaqeen Fee Marifatu Usool Ad-Deen, one of their reference books,
in the second volume they say it is consensus that one who does not give
the rights of the twelve Imaams is a Kaafir, astray, going to Hell forever.
And you know some of the rights of these twelve Imaams that they give
them, are qualities that only belong to Allah. Some of it is giving them part
of Ilm al-Ghayb in other matters. You got to believe in them to be a
Muslim and give them the rights that they give them. That is not even
mentioning the fact that they believe they are infallible. Then you get to
Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaaah, but what you got is deluded, sell out,
defeatist, ignorant heads of those who claim to be Ahlus-Sunnah and say,
oh well there is a Muslim and there is a Kaafir and there is a third
category. Or the Quran states that non believers will enter Heaven. You
see it, professors, doctors, and high ranking people. We say what Islam
and the Quran says, whoever dies a non Muslim, a Mushrik, a Kaafir, then
his abode is Jahannam.
Do not let that modernist and the interfaith play with your mind,
manipulating the meaning of the Quran to suit their desires, claiming
there is verses in the Quran where Jews and Christians and Sabians are all
going to Heaven. Yes, Jews and Christians do go to Heaven, no doubt
about that. Who can question or argue with the Quran? That is for sure.
The Jews and Christians who believed in Musa alayhis salaam at his time,
will certainly go to Heaven. We actually call them Muslim because they
submitted to the teachings of Musa and Isa alayhis salaam. Any true
Christian or Jew today would follow the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam as he was told in their original, untampered scriptures.
In fact, if Musa or Isa were alive today or were to come to this Earth
today, they would follow the Shareeah and the teachings of their brother
Allah took a covenant on every Messenger that if Muhammad was to be
sent during their lifetime, they would follow him. Every Messenger gave
that covenant to Allah. Allah knew He was not going to send the Prophet
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Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam during the time of Musa and Isa
and Yahya and Ismaeel and Ishaaq, but to honour the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam and to honour his Messagehood:
Allah took a covenant on the Prophets, saying, take what I gave you of the
Book and Hikmah. And if a Messenger, meaning Messenger Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, if a Messenger comes, Allah is telling the
Prophets, the Messengers, if Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
comes then you got to believe in him and help him. Then Allah says:
...

...

Do you agree to that covenant? They said, we agree. That is how they
passed the stage of Prophethood. So Allah took a covenant on every
single Messenger, if the Messenger Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam is sent during their time, they must believe in him. When Isa
alayhis salaam returns to this Earth, he follows the Shareeah of the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. When Isa returns, there
is going to be an Ameer of the Muslims of this Ummah, a regular man,
leader, he leads the Salah. When he sees Isa, he offers to let him lead the
Salah, yet Isa alayhis salaam declines, to pray behind him, as in the
authentic Hadith in the Sihaah. Ibn al-Jawzi commenting on that Hadith
said, the reason he will decline is to assure beyond a doubt that he Isa,
comes as a follower of the Shareeah of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam and not establishing his own Shareeah or the Shareeah
he was sent with before.
Islam is not old furniture that needs to be refurbished to accommodate for
2013. Islam is Islam, and the only version of Islam is the Islam of the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam fourteen centuries ago. Some think
they have more mercy than Allah. Are you telling me someone who builds
hospitals, that is their argument, are you telling me someone who helps
thousands and hundreds of thousands and possibly millions of orphans
and takes out lands mines and helps millions in poverty, just because he
died disbelieving in Allah, he never hurt no body he was just a Mushrik,
Page | 385
are you telling me he is going to Jahannam? Yes he is. Yes he is, that is
exactly what I am saying. They not only think they have better ideas than
Allah and the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, but they
think they have more mercy than the All Merciful, the All Compassionate
who gave the Universe from its start to its end one mercy, and saved
ninety nine mercies for Him.
Some say it to score points, to avoid getting scrutinised, because those
kinds of matters really gain you popularity in this day and age. Sell out,
deluded, that type of style gets you popularity. They get followers from
the ignorants and also one gets certified by the enemies of Islam, that he
is now moderate, once you say those kind of statements.

: ...

Never will the Jews nor the Christians be pleased with you Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, until you follow their religion. Some people
take this verse meaning shout in the streets, I am a Jew or a Christian. Do
you think that verse only meant running in the streets or writing articles
and saying I am Jewish, I am Christian, I am Hindu, I am Atheist, whatever
it may be, so they may be pleased with you? Statements of Kufr like the
statements some of the interfaith make, statements of Kufr that please
them, giving judgment of who enters Heaven and Hell to humans over the
judgment that Allah already declared, is a core meaning of this verse.

...

...

That is how they are pleased with some people.
So the first category is if one dies in Kufr and Shirk, then we believe his
destiny is Jahannam. That is the general rule.
Some will say:
:

...

Allah will not punish someone unless they got a Messenger. That is a side
issue Ibn Katheer spoke about in his Tafseer. But one thing is for sure,
someone sitting in the Google age, someone sitting with cable, internet,
someone sitting with TV and satellite and all that day and night at his
finger tips, every one of those got the message. In fact, Imaam Ahmad
Page | 386
during his time, he said, I do not know anyone today who has not gotten
the message. In his time, Imaam Ahmad said that, so imagine today. Well
someone is going to pop up and say well they got a tainted version, oh
they are saying Islam is this and Islam is that today, they got a tainted
version of Islam.
Let me ask you a question, be realistic. Quraysh when Islam was still
gleaming and sparkling, they exerted all their resources to taint the image
of Islam and the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
personally. Did you hear anyone or any saying of the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam say, so and so are exempted from entering
Hellfire because Quraysh tainted Islam so much, they only got a wrong
interpretation of Islam so it is an excuse for him. It was not an excuse for
those who listened to Quraysh. Are you telling me it is going to be an
excuse for those who listen to what is propagated in the media today?
There is a duty on us to convey the message. There is a bigger duty on
them to search for the proper message. Just like they search for food that
nourishes the body, there is a duty on them to search for food that
nourishes the soul. If you abandon someone in a house, you put someone
in a house in some secluded area, he does not have food or water, what is
he going to do? He is going to sit in the house and wait for food and water
to come in? He is going to go out and pursue and search. Likewise, one
must search for the food of the soul, one must search for Islam.
A MUSLIM
WHO
MEETS ALLAH
WITH
SINS
The second category of those who may be destined to Hell, which we are
talking about. If one is Muslim, note I said Muslim and we took the
definition of Muslim about two classes ago. If one is Muslim, he meets
Allah with sins, he truly repented from them, Allah is the Forgiving, He is
the Ghafoor, He is the Raheem. Not only will He forgive, but He will love
those who repent. Allah forgives, Allah loves those who repent and will
change their sins into deeds. If he did not repent, he has major sins and
minor sins. Let us say he has one or the other or both, it does not really
matter. He meets Allah, he did not repent. He is Muslim, he meets Allah
with major and minor sins, he did not repent. He goes on the scale, if his
deeds outweigh his sins, he goes to Jannah. If his sins outweigh his deeds,
this is what we are going to talk about.
This is what the verse means:

:
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The ones whose scale, the good deeds are heavier, they are the
successful.

:

The ones whose scale of sins outweigh, then they are among those who
are at loss and they have the bad abode.
And plenty of verses on that, about which side outweighs the other one.
You can find more on that in Fataawa Ibn Taymiyyah, the tenth volume, he
talks about this a lot.
Now if the deeds outweigh, you go to Jannah. If the sins outweigh, the
more, there is major and minor sin, that is what we call someone under
the Masheeah (). They fall under the will of Allah. Everything falls
under the will of Allah, but this is something that Allah says He may
forgive and He may punish. That is what Masheeah means. They may get
the forgiveness of Allah or the punishment of Allah. They may get the
Shafaaah of Allah, that is what Shafaaah means, intercession is in this.
They may get the intercession of Allah. They may get the intercession of
Messengers, Messengers have Shafaaah. Even the Quran comes with
Shafaaah. Quran comes as the Hadith states, Surat al-Baqarah, Surat Aali
Imraan, who recites them, come like a huge cloud to give intercession for
that person, to defend him. Or it comes like a murmuration of birds to
defend that person, as in the authentic Hadith.
Allah gives Shafaaah, Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gives
Shafaaah, some righteous believers give Shafaaah. The angels, the
martyrs, some of the general Muslims give, the children to their parents
give intercession, fasting gives Shafaaah. The Black Stone gives
Shafaaah, people who attend Arafaat, each one of these has specific,
solid, authentic Hadith that they give intercession. If out of all that, one
does not get saved and our hope Inshaa Allah is that everyone will get
Page | 388
saved, the worst case scenario and I am not saying it is easy, is that he
will be punished for the duration of those sins, then he will be allowed to
enter heaven. And I am not diminishing that punishment, Nasalullah
Salaamah, but I am saying the worst case scenario.
ONE
WHO
MEETS ALLAH
WITH
MINOR SHIRK
The third category, and this is really why I wanted to mention them and
break them down into three categories. The third category is dangerous
and this is the one that we need to be careful and this is why I divided
them into these three categories, so you understand. The third category is
one who meets Allah with minor Shirk. Minor Shirk is not major Shirk, it
does not take one out of the fold of Islam. Minor shirk does not take one
out of the fold of Islam. One who is Muslim and commits minor Shirk, he is
still Muslim. Minor Shirk, ash-Shirk al-Asghar () , includes
everything that leads to major Shirk. Anything that is an avenue to major
Shirk is considered Shirk Asghar. Anything described in the Quran or in
the Sunnah as being Shirk but does not reach the level of big Shirk, we
consider that minor Shirk. Minor Shirk is Shirk where the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam specifically said it is minor Shirk. He specifically used
words at times in Hadith, that is minor Shirk. So any of that which I
mentioned, is considered minor Shirk.
Minor Shirk is usually Shirk where the wording of the Hadith is without the
definite article Al. If it is ash-Shirk (), that is usually the major
Shirk. If it is Shirk (), then it is minor Shirk. Minor Shirk is what the
Sahaabah understood to be minor Shirk. If they described it as minor
Shirk, we take what they explained it as. Examples of this Shirk is, we
mentioned it before, giving an oath by other than Allah, we spoke on that
Shirk.
Also statements like Mashaa Allah wa Shit () ,
whatever Allah wills and you will. Those are considered statements of
minor Shirk. Law Lallah wa Ant (
) , if it had not been for

Allah and you. Tawakkaltu Alallah wa Alayk (
), I put my reliance on Allah and you. These are forms of minor
Shirk. If one says I put my reliance on Allah and you, and specifies a
human being, that is minor Shirk. If someone says I depend on so and so,
on Allah and you for rank, that is major Shirk. But if it is not matters that
pertain to major Shirk, then they still are minor Shirk.
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Now this is dangerous, this is a dangerous matter. And what is dangerous

also about this is, let me give you more examples, is people who put up
posters, decorations, portraits, frames, Allah and Muhammad side by side.
That is a form of minor Shirk. The contemporary Ulamaa have spoken on
the permissibility of hanging Quran or Allah or Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam and statements like that on the wall. Some said it is
Haraam, it is prohibited because it is disrespectful or that it may be
getting neglected or some of them even I read that it may fall. Some said
it is Mubaah, permissible, and some said it is even good. That matter
really, that Fiqh issue of whether you can hang them up or not has
leverage to which opinion you chose because the proof for those who
prohibit it is not really that strong, I do not think it is that strong. And just
as they can tell you there is Ulamaa, oh this Shaykh and so and so said
that, I will bring you equivalent Shuyookh to that Shaykh they say, who
said it is permissible and it is okay. So if someone puts it up as a reminder
then it is good Inshaa Allah Taaala.
But why I mention that? For our purposes here. What you really need to
worry about is putting Allah and Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
on the same line together. A portrait, Allah and Muhammad. A frame or a
dish like Allah and Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam side by side.
Like they do in clocks, you find the design in clocks, Allah and Muhammad,
or medallions or they have these candle like things that have Allah and
Muhammad. That is all a form of minor Shirk. Over time, people tend to
get the impression that Allah and Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
are at the same level. But just like you cannot say words like Mashaa Allah
wa Shit, Tawakkaltu Alallah wa Alayk, you cannot write it, you cannot
have portraits like that, that have Allah and Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam on the same level. Put Allah on one side, put Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on a different side or at a lower status.
When a man told the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam Mashaa Allah wa
Shit. He told the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, whatever Allah wills
and you will. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, you make me a partner or

equivalent to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala? Say, what Allah ever wills
alone.
In another Hadith, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
Page | 390

:
,

:
Do not say whatever Allah wills and whatever you will. Waaw (
) over
here is Musaawaah (), Musaawaah means equivalent. Waaw here

means and, and it means equal, it makes them equivalent. You use
Thumma, Thumma means Tarteeb (), not Musaawaah. Thumma
means Tarteeb, to put in order, and then. Thumma means and then.
Whatever Allah wills and then what you will, if it is under his control. AlBukhari has a chapter called:

And you remember what we said about the chapters that Bukhari has,
how he named them. Two classes ago, I explained how important the
chapters of Bukhari are and how he chooses their names. So he has a
section just on this issue. Other examples of minor Shirk is for example,
prolonging Salah for other people so they can notice, prolonging the
recitation or Ibaadah or beautifying the voice for others, that is included
in minor Shirk.
DOES ONE WHO COMMITS MINOR SHIRK FALL UNDER

MASHEEAH?
THE
All that was an introduction. Now here is why I brought it up and here is
why I mention it in relationship to our talk, because we are sticking to our
book here. Does one who commits minor Shirk fall under what we call
Masheeah like Muslim sinners do, like we explained in category number
two. The question is, does he fall under Masheeah, one who meets Allah
with minor Shirk? What is Masheeah? Again, take it step by step, I do not
want you to get confused, and focus with me, give me your undivided
attention.
We said those who are Muslim and their scale of deeds are more, they go
to Jannah. If their sins are more, they fall under Masheeah. Masheeah
means they will either be punished for the duration of the sins or Allah will
forgive them, or intercession of those who give intercession will save them
Inshaa Allah Taaala. So that is Masheeah. So is one who falls under minor
Shirk which he is Muslim, we said he is Muslim, does he fall under
Masheeah too? By Ijmaa, one who does minor Shirk, he is Muslim, only in
matters he did minor Shirk, he is not Kaafir. It is by Ijmaa of the Muslims
Page | 391
that a Muslim who enters Hell for minor Shirk, will not be Hell forever.
Now, does minor Shirk fall under Masheeah?
If you read the works of Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah, you are going to see
at times where he mentions that Allah will not forgive the doer of small
Shirk. He does not fall under Masheeah, he is going to get punished.
Meaning everything is under the will of Allah of course but Allah told us
certain judgements that He already made and decided, and among that is
those who commit Shirk will be doomed to Hellfire. So according to Ibn
Taymiyyah Rahimahullah and many other scholars, they will have to be
punished. Whoever does minor Shirk must be punished, they do not fall
under the Masheeah, unlike major and minor sinners that fall under
Masheeah.
Their main proof for that is:

: ...

Allah will not forgive Shirk for anyone, but He will forgive anything less
than that. They said this verse includes major and minor Shirk. Except for
minor Shirk, they said he gets punished for that minor Shirk and he gets
out and goes to Jannah. With major Shirk, Aaathan Allah wa Iyaakum Min
Thaalik () , he never leaves Jahannam.
This is also the opinion of Siddeeq Khan, Abdur-Rahmaan Ibn Qaasim, and
some of the students and followers of Imaam Muhammad Ibn AbdulWahhaab.
Then in other parts of Fataawa I read, Ibn Taymiyyah treats minor Shirk
like major sins and he says it falls under Masheeah, meaning Allah may
forgive or punish. It is not among that which is declared that Allah decreed
and judged that He will not forgive them. It falls under Masheeah. And
this is also the opinion of Muhammad Bin Ali Ibn Ghareeb and as-Sadee in
his Tafseer seems to lean towards this opinion. Their proof and the second
opinion of Ibn Taymiyyah, their proof mostly roams around the verse itself.

: ...

They said that is major Shirk only because they said, their proof is that the
chain of verses that Allah is talking about this, the chain of verses, Allah is
talking about Mushrikeen and Munaafiqeen and the People of the Book.
And also the end of the verse seems to lean more towards talking about
Page | 392
major Shirk than it is minor Shirk, so the verse really applies to major
Shirk.
There is actually a very big Masters degree thesis that I heard about some
time ago that studies and analyses this issue in depth. I have not read it
and I do not think it is even printed yet. But this is a matter where a giant
Imaam like Ibn Taymiyyah had two opinions, seem to be like two
conflicting opinions on the same matter. And then the Imaams of the
Dawah of Najd, the students of Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab, his
descendants in knowledge, the author of this book, they are split on this
issue. I just mentioned the two opinions and I will leave selecting out for
now.
The danger of this matter is what you should come out of this matter with.
You stand before Allah with major and minor sins, you may fall under the
Masheeah. You stand before Allah with the minor Shirk and according to
one opinion, one goes to Hell.
Ibn Masood:

You remember a few weeks ago we took, Ibn Masood said I would rather
give an oath lying than I would give an oath by other than Allah. Why?
Because giving an oath by other than Allah is minor Shirk, lying is a sin. So
he would rather do the sin than minor Shirk, and that seems to be that he
also supports the opinion that minor Shirk is among that which one may
not fall under the Masheeah. So it is very dangerous, just knowing the
opinion that it is among that which one has to be punished, unless he
repents to Allah. You stand before Allah with minor Shirk and the first
opinion we said, is that one must be punished for it, there is no Masheeah
in that matter.
THE DUAA
TO
SHIELD ONESELF
FROM
MINOR SHIRK
Now you know the meaning of what the author says, and whoever
disobeys him will go to Hell. Some faces look horrified and I actually
remember a Hadith by Abu Bakr radhiallahu anhu and I will leave you
with this Hadith to know because yes, it is dangerous, minor Shirk is
dangerous. Abu Bakr narrated that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said Shirk in my Ummah is much more hidden than the pace of an
ant crawling on a black stone. It seeps into this Ummah like a black ant on
a black stone, slowly and surely. Shirk is very hidden, it enters the heart
Page | 393
very silently and very few are safe from it. Abu Bakr when he heard that,
he got upset, he got horrified.
He said, how can I be safe from that oh Prophet of Allah, the question on
your minds. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught him a Duaa
to shield him from minor Shirk. Oh Allah, Yaa Allah, I seek refuge in You
that I associate anything with you knowingly, and I seek Your forgiveness
for that which I do not know.
...

Means I seek Your forgiveness for that Shirk which I do not know, because
it seeps, it crawls silently into ones actions. There is two similar
narrations to that Hadith by Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq, but that is a proper
Duaa, write it down. Do not leave this Duaa out of your regular Adiyyah.
Make it a potion of your regular Adiyyah. Make it a habit to say it regularly
because I say minor sins and major sins may fall under Masheeah. Minor
Shirk, according to one of the opinions, may not fall under the Masheeah
of Allah, that is very dangerous.
WHY DID ALLAH CHOOSE MUSA TO COMPARE WITH

THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD?
The final point is the author mentions the verse at the end as proof:
:

That is the proof the author mentions as a final thing in the first matter of
the three matters in chapter two. We sent a Messenger to you oh people,
as a witness and favour for you or against you, to testify for you or against
you on the Judgment Day, on the Day of Resurrection.
...

Just as We sent a Messenger to Firawn, We sent you a Messenger.
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:
But Firawn denied and rejected the Messenger so he was taken with a
severe punishment. Allah said to the Kuffaar of Quraysh, We sent you a
Messenger like We sent Musa.
Why did Allah choose Musa out of all the Messengers, to compare to the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam when He is speaking to
Quraysh? Muqaatil said, because what Musa and Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam had in common was that they were belittled and they
were shown contempt because they were raised and grew up immediately
by the people who they are now calling to Islam. Firawn of Bani Israeel
raised Musa, Firawn was his stepfather.

: ...

Likewise, Muhammad was raised by his family of Quraysh, the ones he
was conveying to, the ones who disbelieved in him. You see that these
days. You get a mother or a father who calls me for example, and they say
could you talk to my son, he will listen you. Or some of you tell me, oh talk
to my father about letting me get married. Why would you come to me
when I am not your relative, why do you not talk to your father? It may be
a custom and a norm sometimes that a mans family members, he may
not be as reserved as outsiders with them. He is open and there is
sometimes a level of disrespect, less consideration to each other in
matters of advice and here not only were they not reserved, but they were
disrespectful and harmful to them. So that is why Musa was chosen and
that is the common denominator he had with Musa as to why Allah chose
him in this example.
...

: ...

Allah says about Firawn, We took him severely. Severely means heavy
destruction of rain. We took him severely with heavy destruction of rain.
Ibn Abbaas and Mujaahid said, Allah means He took him severely with
destroying him by rain, and then he is saying your destruction oh Quraysh
is going to be worse than that which Allah destroyed Bani Israeel,
because Allah loves Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. If Allah
destroyed Bani Israeel for what they did to Musa, imagine what He is
going to do to you if you continue on with your transgression, as Allah
loves Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam more.
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With this Inshaa Allah, we will conclude. Jazakum Allahu Khayr.
CLASS EIGHTEEN
Todays class Inshaa Allah, we are going to start matter number two of
chapter number two. Last week we finished off matter number one, in
chapter two. Today we will start off Inshaa Allah, matter number two of
chapter two and we will try our best to finish it.
THE SECOND MATTER: SHIRK AL-ULOOHIYYAH

The second matter is, the author says:

Allah is not pleased that anyone should be a share in worship with Him.
Allah is not pleased with that.

Neither an angel.

Not any Prophet or Messenger that is sent.
This is the second matter that I am reciting or reading to you. Then he
says:
:

He quotes the verse of Allah, and the places of worship are for only Allah.
They are for Allah alone. Do not invoke anyone other than Allah, and we
will get to that verse at the end of the class.
So that is the second matter of chapter two, that Allah is not pleased that
anyone should have any share of worship besides Him, in matters of
worship.
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INTRODUCTION ON TAWHEED AND SHIRK

In Surat an-Nahl:

: ...

Verily, We sent among every Ummah, every community and every nation,
a Messenger, a Messenger telling them to worship Allah.

...

...
And keep away from the Taaghoot, which is all false deities. The common
denominator among the Messages of the Messengers and Prophets Allah
sent, is Tawheed in Allah. The verse says:

...

In every nation, every Messenger came with this. The details were
different. Some fasted from talking, it is prohibited in our religion, but the
common denominator no doubt about, is Tawheed in Allah.
The author here is saying in this matter, Allah is not pleased with Kufr and
Shirk. What Allah is not pleased with should never be anything for a
believer to be pleased with. What pleases and displeases a believer, must
come from what pleases and displeases Allah. One who is a true believer
loves that which Allah loves, one hates that which Allah hates, one is
angered at that which angers Allah.
When one gives any share in his worship along with Allah, to other than
Allah, that is Shirk al-Uloohiyyah () . Here the author did
not say Shirk al-Uloohiyyah but the way it is worded, giving a share of
your worship to other than Allah, that is Shirk al-Uloohiyyah. This matter,
the author clearly meant Shirk al-Uloohiyyah.
In Surat ash-Shuaraa:
:

Allah quotes a quote of the people in Hell, conversation they have. By
Allah, we were truly in great, manifest, deep error. Why?

:

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We held you false gods, they are telling their false gods, we held you false
gods as equal in worship with our Lord of the Aalameen. These people
who this verse is talking about, they are not those who make partners to
Allah in Allah being the Creator, Sustainer, Provider, Giver, the One who
gives life, the One who gives death, or that He had a share in His
Kingdom. That is Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah, they had no issue with that.
They were actually, the ones the verse is talking about, they had Tawheed
ar-Rububiyyah good. The verse is talking about those who had an issue in
this matter that we are talking about today. These are people who made
partners to Allah in their worship going up to Allah. They made Shirk in
that, in their acts going to Allah. In their love and their submission and
their humility, in their intercession, in their prostration to Allah, they made
a share to other than Allah.
Shirk is the biggest calamity committed on the face of this Earth at all
times, and all places. Shirk is the biggest type of oppression. Shirk is the
biggest form of ignorance. The opposite is, Tawheed is the peak of justice.
Tawheed is the most honourable of all knowledges and sciences. Allah
forgives all sins, small and major, except Shirk.

: ...

:
In Surat an-Nisaa, twice. Allah forgives not, Allah will not forgive that
partners should be set up with Him. In worship, this is in Tawheed alUloohiyyah.

...

...
And He forgives anything else to whom He wills. Decisive decision.
Allah told us:

:
It has been revealed to you oh Prophet of Allah Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, and to those before you, if you join others in the
worship of Allah, then all your deeds will be in vain. This is talking to the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and to Messengers, not to me and
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you, so imagine how the situation is going to be for us. You will certainly
be among the losers if you commit Shirk.
Allah told every Messenger including our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam and those before him, if you commit Shirk, your deeds
will be erased and you will be among those who are losers.
Tawheed is essential. In Sunan at-Tirmidhi and Muslim, authentic Hadith:

...
And this is the wording of the one in Tirmidhi, the wording in Muslim is
slightly different. Oh son of Adam, as long as you invoke Me and plead and
make Duaa to Me, I will forgive whatever you have committed and it is
not much for Allah. He says and it is not much for Me, this is a Hadith
Qudsi.

...

...
Oh son of Adam, if your evil deeds reach the borders of the sky, reach the
limit of the sky, and then you ask Me for forgiveness, I will forgive you.
It is not much for Allah.

...

...

Hadith Qudsi, oh you son of Adam, if you come forth with the earth full of
errors, full of mistakes and sins, and you meet Me while, this is the point
of the Hadith, and you meet me while you do not associate anything or
anyone with Me, I will bring forth My forgiveness for you.

...
And it is not much for Allah.
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Tawheed is the massive weight that if a drop was placed on mountains of

sins, it will erase and eliminate it.
Sunan at-Tirmidhi as well, authentic. On the authority of Abu Hurayrah
radhiallahu anhu, Allah will save a man from this Ummah who stands
before Him with a record of sins that fill ninety nine books or registries.
Each book, each registry of those ninety nine goes and extends as far as
the eye can see. He stands before Allah, Allah asks him, did the angels
wrong you? No, he says no, confesses the truth. Then his sins outweigh
his deeds, there were more. Then Allah will order them to bring a card that
has the word of Tawheed on it, Laa ilaaha illallah. Tawheed, it will outweigh
the rest. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, nothing is of any
weight with Allahs name but the word of Tawheed.
The word of Tawheed outweighs everything. Tawheed is heavy, that is why
we study it. Tawheed is heavy, an ounce of Tawheed hurled against sins,
knocks out its brain and its head into the dust. And obviously just like
Tawheed is the bright of the brightest, Shirk is the dark of the darkest.

: ...

Is there any God other than Allah subhaanahu wa taaala who responds to
the distressed one when he calls? And the One who removes the evil and
the One who makes you inheritors on this earth, generation after
generation, is there other than Allah that does that? A rhetorical question
that does not need an answer, it is a statement. Wallahi, there is no Lord
other than Allah that relieves the distressed, that removes the evil, it is
only Allah. It is only Allah who hears the footsteps of a black ant on a
black stone, in the deep, darkest of all nights.
Tawheed is to ask Allah and Tawheed is to seek aid in Allah and only Allah.
Tawheed is to know what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught
that young child, young Ibn Abbaas who was still young. If the universe in
its totality came together against you in something that Allah did not write
for you, it will not happen. Nothing will happen for you or against you,
except that which Allah wrote for you, even if the whole world came
against you with all their resources. That is Tawheed.
It is sufficient to know that fear of Shirk should be in the hearts of every
believer, that is how important Tawheed is. It was the fear of the man who
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demolished the statues, the one we call Millat Ibraheem, Ibraheem

alayhis salaam.

...

:

Ibraheem made Duaa. Millat Ibraheem, Haneefan, the man Ibraheem
alayhis salaam, oh my Lord, make this city Makkah one of peace and
security, and keep me and my sons (

) from worshipping

idols. Ibraheem at-Taymi said, if the reviver of Tawheed Ibraheem alayhis
salaam, Millat Ibraheem, if the reviver was worried and he made Duaa out
of fear of Shirk, then who can be safe from it? I ask you by Allah, how
many of you ever made Duaa to be free and safe from Shirk alUloohiyyah?
Yaqoob on his deathbed wanted to make sure, he himself was afraid as
well, over his descendants.
Were you witnesses:

...

Were you witnesses when Yaqoob approached his death, he was on his
deathbed. Yaqoob on his death bed, he said to his sons, what are you
going to worship after me? What is it that you are going to worship after
me?
In Surat al-Baqarah:
What are you going to worship after me? You know when one is on his
deathbed, he only speaks of serious, essential, important matters. His
worry on his deathbed, he is a Messenger and his children who he raised,
are they going to be on the Tawheed or not. When they said we shall

worship Ilaahak (
) , we will worship your Lord, your God.

...

...
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And the lord of your fathers Ibraheem, Ismaeel, Ishaaq.
...

...

Tawheed, one God.
...

...
And we are going to submit to it. When he heard that, it brought ease to
him. That is what he wanted, on his deathbed.
There is Shirk in giving partners in Uloohiyyah, there is Shirk in
Rububiyyah and there is Shirk in Asmaa and Sifaat, every one one of
them has Shirk. Here, since it was possibly a common epidemic during the
time of the author, he specified this Shirk as the second matter of chapter
number two. And he said it is Shirk in Ibaadah, which automatically means
Shirk al-Uloohiyyah. Worship must be only for the sake of Allah. Everything
in Shareeah considered worship, must be for the sake of Allah. I will
repeat, everything in this Shareeah considered worship, must be for the
sake of Allah. Worship is all matters of the heart, worship is matters that
you say, worship is matters or actions, they all must be for Allah and
solely for Allah. Whoever gives a portion of worship to other than Allah has
fell in major Shirk.
Now let us break down Shirk in Uloohiyyah. Shirk al-Uloohiyyah, we will
divide it into three types.
THREE TYPES OF SHIRK AL-ULOOHIYYAH

THE FIRST TYPE: ASSOCIATING A PARTNER TO
ALLAH
One is whoever thinks Allah is worthy of being worshipped but puts a
partner to Him. And that is very simple and clear, like those who claim Isa
is the son of Allah. That is simple and clear, everyone in this Ummah
knows that is clear cut Shirk. That is the first type.
THE SECOND TYPE: GIVING A PORTION OF YOUR

WORSHIP TO OTHER THAN ALLAH
The second type which is a little bit more problematic, its details are a
problematic area to many of this Ummah, is to give a portion of your
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worship to other than Allah. Like a portion of your heart worship to other
than Allah, a portion of your saying, your money, your Ibaadah, to other
than Allah, and this has many forms. So number two, and you look at your
outline, that is why we gave you an outline this time, because it will help
you follow along.
SHIRK IN DUAA AT-TALAB

We are going to take examples, the first example is Shirk in Duaa. Duaa
is when you ask Allah and Duaa when you ask Allah is Duaa at-Talab (
) . Seeking from Allah directly, is Duaa at-Talab.

:
Allah said invoke Me, ask me for anything, I will respond to your
invocation. So Duaa at-Talab is when you ask Allah directly for something,
you verbally say it.
:
The verse that we will get to at the end of this class Inshaa Allah Taaala,
the verse the author uses. The mosques are for Allah alone so invoke no
one along with Allah.
Duaa is the biggest means to get what you want of good and save you
from evil. Whoever does not ask Allah, asks creation. And that is why the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said in the Hadith:

Duaa is worship. It is so important that he made it as if it was all of
worship, but that is to draw attention as to how it essential it is. And the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to Ibn Abbaas:

When you ask, ask Allah. He taught that to a young boy, to raise him on
the upbringing of Tawheed.
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:
When the Mushrikeen used to embark on a ship, it was a nightmare back
then. A ship probably not structured all that well, the winds come and the
currents and waves. So they begin invoking Allah, making pure faith solely
for Allah, even though they were Mushrikeen. And Allah would answer
them even though Allah knows beforehand from His Ilm al-Ghayb, He
knows that when he brings them to safety, they are going to give a share
of their worship to other than Allah. He knows that and He still answers
them when they had pure Tawheed in Duaa. So imagine, if they had full
faith and Tawheed just at moments of distress and Allah answered them,
and Allah knew that they are going to go back to their old ways once they
hit the shore. Do you think He will let your Duaa down when you make it,
when your intention is perfect and your whole life is on Tawheed, not just
moments of distress or hardship.
Allah tells His Prophet, do not invoke anyone besides Allah.

...

...

He will not profit or harm you. If you do, you will be among the wrong
doers. In fact, Allah described those who make Duaa to other than Allah
as the worst of the worst. They are classified by Allah as the worst of the
worst.
:

Who is worse, who is more astray than one who calls and invokes besides,
other than Allah.
Shirk in Duaa has basically four forms, or four examples. To ask from
creation what only the Creator Allah can do, that is the major Shirk. The
creation that they ask could be dead or alive, could be a Messenger, it
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could be those who they assume is a Wali, it could be a king or a Jinn.

Asking a dead to cure an ill person, Shirk, automatic Shirk Akbar. Or
victory over enemies, or to remove a calamity or to bring rain or any
matter that only Allah can do, it is major Shirk. It takes one out of Islam
because he believed the creation has power only Allah has. He gave a
share of his worship to other than Allah.
The first one would be someone asking the alive, the Wali. The second one
would be some asking the dead. It could be a Wali that is dead or
whatever. The third one is one who is not present, thinking he will help or
know of your situation. And by you asking that he hears, you give him
power that while he is dead, he can hear and know what is going on and
help you, that is also major Shirk. That is the third example. A fourth
example, to place mediators between you and Allah in Duaa, thinking
Allah will not answer directly, rather that He needs a mediator, the
messenger between you and Allah. That is the Shirk of Quraysh, they
believed that the statues that they used to worship, they claimed that
these were statues of righteous people and they needed those statues to
get to their righteous people who had died, to get the Duaa to Allah, as
mediators between them and Allah.
And do not say this is something this Ummah does not do. When I was
young in Madinah, before they had companies to clean the Haram, they
had maybe about thirty or forty individuals that they paid to clean the
Haram. And one was somewhat crippled and he was from Yemen, he
would come and talk to my father as I memorised Quran in the Haram.
And my father of course would ask him what he cleans up, he was the one
in charge of cleaning the Hujrah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam. He would go inside behind the brass walls that you see and he
would clean over there, behind the brass cage. He said we pick up bags, I
remember as a child I heard it, he said we pick up bags and bags of trash
from people who throw in letters to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam asking him, they send pictures of themselves or their kids or their
daughters, asking to fix their marriage. That is going to the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, that is major Shirk in itself.

...

:
The worship and obedience is only for Allah. Allah wants it pure. Allah
quotes those who did Shirk as saying we take Awliyaa, protectors,
helpers, lords, gods besides Him, they say we worship them only, why?
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What did Allah quote them as saying? We worship them only that they
may bring us closer and near to You. That is their purpose. Actually, the
Shirk of Quraysh was at a lesser level of the Shirk than some of the
Shiahs and some of the Sufis and some of the ignorant masses who think
and have hope and love and Duaa in Imaams and supposedly Awliyaa in
their graves. So the first one is Duaa.
SHIRK IN DUAA AL-IBAADAH

The second category of Shirk al-Uloohiyyah, we said Duaa is A, the
second one is B and B has a whole number list under it. B is Duaa alIbaadah () . Duaa at-Talab, A, means to directly invoke
Allah, to directly ask Allah. Oh Allah forgive me, regular Duaa, the one we
all call Duaa. Make me happy, grant me, give me, take away this from my
life or take away this hardship from my life, that is Duaa at-Talab. Then
you got Duaa al-Ibaadah which is B. Duaa al-Ibaadah is all other forms of
worship to Allah, it is called Duaa al-Ibaadah, you got to know these
terms in the books of the Ulamaa. It is all other forms of Duaa, all forms
and shapes. Ibaadah of the heart, the saying, the action, fear, hope, love,
Salah, fasting, sacrifice, reciting Quran and praising Allah, all that is the
second form, Duaa al-Ibaadah.
It is called Duaa, why is it called Duaa though? Because worshippers in
reality do these worships, they may be just worships not directly invoking
Allah, but they do them seeking something from Allah. Unlike the first
form Duaa at-Talab, you directly ask Allah for something. Over here,
Duaa al-Ibaadah, all other forms of Ibaadah, one does those worships for
the sake of reward or fear of punishment. It may not be a direct invocation
asking Allah for something, but his status when he does the worship is
that he wants something from Allah. Duaa at-Talab is where one asks
Allah for matters He can do. Say if you make Salah out of fear from Hell,
Duaa al-Ibaadah is you make Salah out of fear from Hell or to enter
Jannah. Duaa at-Talab is when you raise your hands, Duaa al-Ibaadah is
all other forms of Ibaadah. And we will take some examples on Shirk in
this matter, on Duaa al-Ibaadah which is all other forms of Ibaadah.
SHIRK
IN INTENTION
The first one which would be A for example, is Shirk in your intention, in
ones intention or purpose.
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:

Whoever desires this life in this world and its glitter and that which it has,
We shall give them in full in this life and they will have nothing in the life
after.
This Shirk is found in the Munaafiqeen. We are not talking about the minor
Nifaaq, the major Nifaaq, this Shirk is found in the Munaafiqeen, Nifaaq
Akbar. No one appears as a Muslim to the public yet has no Islam in his
heart, except a Munaafiq, major Nifaaq. They are the hypocrites in the
principle of the Imaan, not in the details or minor stuff.

...

When they meet those who believe, they say we believe.

...

...

:
And when they go back to their Shayateen, they tell their friends we are
with you. There are the hypocrites in the principle of Laa ilaaha illallah,
the major hypocrisy. Some of them may be even hypocrites in details as
well. Some of those who fall under this Shirk in Niyyah who are hypocrites
in the major hypocrisy, also may have Shirk in details of Ibaadah.
The hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but He is the One who deceives
them.

...

...

When they stand up for Salah, they stand up with laziness and to be seen
and to be noticed. These are the people who are classified, a combo
classification of Shirk Munaafiqeen, they have a combo classification.
There is Shirk but their Shirk also has an aspect of the major Nifaaq to it.
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That is the overall picture of Shirk in Niyyah, but there is some notes that
one should know under the Shirk of Niyyah.
One of those notes, some Muslims perform deeds and seek by doing the
deeds, the sake of Allah. They are Muslims on Tawheed, they seek for
Allah but his reward that he wants for that is something in this life. He
wants possibly wealth, he wants protection, wants a happy life, he wants a
cure for a child, that is his sole objective. He is doing it for the sake of
Allah but his sole objective is not reward, his sole objective is to do it for
this matter. The ruling on that is one is given his reward and Thawaab (
)in this life. He wants a low worldly matter, no matter how high one
might think it is, he gets the reward in this life. He did not do it for other
than Allah, otherwise it would be major Shirk. His full intention was for
Allah but he wants the reward for some worldly matter totally. Totally, his
total reward he wants to be recompensated in this life. That is one note.
A second note is worse than the first, which is one who does that but not
for something in return in this life, to show off. And this is the Shirk alAsghar that we talked about last week and we spoke about it at the end of
last week. I want to stay focused on our topic which is Shirk al-Uloohiyyah,
the major Shirk, but I have to pinpoint to these little matters so you get
the understanding of the major Shirk.
A third note is those who do deeds for wealth, for profit. For example they
go make Hajj to make money, they go do Hajj on the behalf of others to
make money. To migrate from one area to another, not for the sake of
Allah but to marry a woman. These are somewhat wiser than the previous
category because at least they got some money out of it but all that falls
under Shirk al-Asghar, he gets his deeds in this life.
The fourth one is, deeds sincerely for Allah, no deficiency in it. Sincerely
for Allah but that person has a matter or a status in which he is on a major
Shirk in it. Like one who says for example, Isa is the son of Allah. Taaal
Allahu An Thaalika Aluwan Kabeera (
) . Then he gives charity or does some good for the sake of Allah.
They have deeds that are genuinely, truly for the sake of Allah, but they
are on a status of major Shirk. Or like those who become apostates and
then do deeds, some kind of minor deed for the sake of Allah. They may
get rewarded with wealth, kids, happy life, fame, whatever it may be,
there is nothing in the life after.
A fifth note on this matter, if one does Salah, Zakah, Hajj, seeking the life
after, and then did some matters for this Dunya, you know some matters
he did to show. He is whatever ends up more in the balance, on the scale.
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I refer you to the class last week on minor Shirk, that falls under minor
Shirk. The difference between Shirk Akbar and Shirk Asghar is major Shirk,
Shirk al-Akbar, one will be in Hell forever and he demolishes his Deen.
Minor Shirk for a believer, demolishes the deed. One demolishes the
Deen, one demolishes the deed.
SHIRK
IN
LOVE
The next example of Shirk is love.

: ...

There is some of mankind who take and worship other than Allah, they
love them as much as they love Allah.

...

...
But those who believe, love Allah more than anything. Ibn Zayd said,
these are the Mushrikeen who associated partners to Allah and loved
them as much as they loved Allah.
There are different types of love, we got to take some notes on love.
Mahabbah Waajiba () , obligatory love. The love of Allah, the
love of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and to love
that which the Prophet and Allah subhaanahu wa taaala love. This is the
complete type of love for Allah, you have to have complete type of love
for Allah. Like in this matter that we are studying, if you note the wording
of the author, he said Allah dislikes Shirk. So the meaning, you must
dislike it as well, you must stay away from it.
The second type of love is Mahabbah Tabieeyah ( ) , natural
love. Like love for food for one who is hungry, natural love, water for one
who is thirsty. This love is permissible but even this type of love cannot be
love of ennoblement, glorification or humility and that which is equal to
the love of Allah or above the love of Allah.
The third one is Mahabbat Rahmah wa Ishfaaq () ,
love of mercy and sympathy and compassion. Like the love of a father for
his child, the love of a mother for her child, or the opposite. For this to be
permissible, it must not be love of ennoblement, glorification, humility,
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and being equal or above the love of Allah, just like the second category
of love. If it goes equal or above the love of Allah, then it falls under the
verse in the Quran:

:

If your fathers, if your sons, if your brothers, if your wives, if your child, if
your wealth, if your commerce that your fear may decline and dwellings
which you are in become dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger,
then:
...

...

Wait until Allah brings about a torment.
The next type of love, Mahabbat Uns wa Ulf () , love of
amiability. You find two Muslim brothers who love each other for the sake
of Allah but there is also a common interest between them, like maybe
knowledge, maybe they are business partners, maybe they travel with
each other. These last three types of love that I mentioned, I mentioned
four so far, the last three are normal among Muslims, they are not Shirk. If
someone has it, he is not considered one to have Shirk in the love of Allah.
It is permissible as long as it is not love of ennoblement, glorification,
humility, and that which will be equal or similar or above the love of Allah.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam loved sweets, he loved honey, he
loved his wives, he loved cologne, Aishah was his most beloved wife, he
loved the Sahaabah and the most he loved out of the Sahaabah was Abu
Bakr as-Siddeeq. This is not pertaining to Walaa and Baraa but we will
talk in the future Inshaa Allah about Walaa and Baraa.
The fifth category of love is Mahabbah Shirkiyyah () , love
that is Shirk. It is special love that is only suitable for Allah, the love that is
only suitable for Allah. If one loves other than Allah, the love that must
only be for Allah, then he has committed major Shirk. Shirk of that type
which Allah will not forgive. Love of worship, this love over here that we
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are talking about, love that entails and requires humility, humbleness,
submission, surrender, glorification, ennoblement, that which only belongs
to Allah. One who gives this kind of love to other than Allah has
committed major Shirk. If one gives this to other than Allah, he committed
the major Shirk.

: ...

In a nutshell, love that requires complete obedience, submission,
dedication, sacrifice, over and above everything else, is love for Allah.
That is the love that the Mushrikeen associated other than Allah with Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala.
SHIRK
IN
FEAR
So now we complete love, let us move on to Shirk in Khawf (), in

fear.
Allah subhaanahu wa taaala said:
It is only the Shaytaan that instigates to you to fear his Awliyaa, the
people on the side of the Shaytaan, his helpers, supporters. So do not fear
them but fear Me, Allah is saying fear Him only, if you are true believers.
This is what the Mushrikeen used to do to the believers, to try to get them
to fear their statues or their dead who they call dead saints or their dead
Awliyaa. Fear has three types. The first one is al-Khawf ash-Shirkee (
) , fear that is Shirk. And that is to fear a human or a

creation with honour, love, humility, glorification and ennoblement, as you
would Allah. That is like the fear of a dead person with love and honour,
that he can harm, curse or benefit you. Fear a statue or a dead, that he
may take your wealth or money, or he may be upset at you or take away
your blessings.
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:
The mosques of Allah shall be maintained by those who believe in Allah
and the Last Day, perform their Salah, give their Zakah and fear not none
but Allah. Khashyah ( )is fear with honour. It has with it honour,
reverence, and love, in a worship fashion. This type of Shirk in fear, to fear
from other than Allah in this manner, that one will be touched by harm by
a creation or that he has fear of powers that only Allah has, this is major
Shirk. If one for example claims Allah gave a living or a dead saint
Shafaaah or some power to do that which only Allah can do, that is Shirk
in Khawf. If one claims that saint or whatever it may be, got those powers
on his own, Allah did not give it to him, that is the same thing. He can
bring him poverty, he can bring him illness, fear of that is also major Shirk
whether they think Allah gave it to them or that those Awliyaa attained
that power on their own.
This is what the Mushrikeen thought of their statues and their idols. We do
not have time to give many examples but it resembles the Shirk that you
see in some Muslim societies today, it resembles this very much. This is
what the grave worshippers of the Ummah do today. They fear those who
possibly some may have been righteous throughout their life, they are
now in their grave so now people worship them in a way. Sometimes it is
evil people in the grave, sometimes it is actually no one in the grave. They
fear them like they fear Allah, possibly fear them more than Allah. How
so? Let me give you a detailed example how.
You go to someone, he will give you probably a hundred oaths by Allah on
a lie. And if you say give me an oath by Sitna Zaybab, someone who they
claim is a Wali or a Waliyyah or someone they cherish, he will consider
that saint with more power than Allah, he will not give you an oath on a lie
by him. Why? For the sole reason that in his heart, the love for that Wali is
more than the love of Allah. His fear of that Wali and the power he may
inflict on him is more than the fear of Allah. So a hundred oaths by Allah
on a lie he will give you, but not one by their Sitna Zaynab like they say.
You can see that, an example how Shiah went by flocks defending who
they claim, Sitna Zaynab in Iraq. The motivation and inspiration that took
the Shiah from Iraq and from Hizbullah and the sermons of their leaders,
is how they need to defend the monument, the grave of Sitna Zaynab.
Al-Khawf Allathee Yahmil Ala Tark Waajib Aw Fiil Muharram (
) is number two,
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number two type of fear. Fear that causes one to leave an ordain or to do
a prohibition, that is the second type of fear. This is not Shirk as many
think of, but this is Haraam. Haraam type of fear, to leave that which is
obligatory like ordaining the good, forbidding the evil, with no proper
reason or justification except fear of people, that is Haraam. And usually,
this fear is a figment of ones imagination instilled by the Shaytaan. It is
an imaginary fear or possibly at times it is a minute fear, but not sufficient
for one to leave an ordain or to do a Haraam. Like not speaking the truth,
especially those who the burden is on them, the people who are of Ilm.
Hadith Abu Saeed al-Khudri radhiallahu anhu:

Let not the fear of people stop you from speaking or testifying to that
which you know of truth. It is in the Silsilah Sahihah, this Hadith deters
one from not speaking the truth and makes it Haraam. And that is
basically why we call a certain category of people the cowards of the
Ummah, because even if it means loss of wages or fear of being hit or
cursed or losing followers, that is not the type of fear that you can remain
silent in. This Hadith is talking about those who refuse to speak the truth,
imagine how it is for those who are on the side of evil. If this is for those
who do not speak the truth, then imagine those who testify and side with
the evil.
This is an area where many go wrong in it, they read a quote or two of Ibn
Taymiyyah or Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab for example on fear, as
happens so much, and then they declare half the Ummah Mushrikeen
Kuffaar. This type of fear that I just mentioned is Haraam, but it is not
Shirk unless it gets to the level we spoke about in number one.
Number three is al-Khawf Min Allahi Taaala ( ) ,
the next one is fear of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. Fear of Allah that
contains with it love, honour, humility, reverence. That is the fear that is a
Waajib and it is a Waajib only to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. Fear from
the torment of Allah, you fear from the torment of Allah.
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...

:

This fear, whoever establishes this fear and establishes it good, this is
among the peak of Imaan and it is great unless it makes one despair and
give up hope, then it has gone wrong.
The fourth type of fear is al-Khawf al-Jibillee ( ) , the
natural type of fear. This is Mubaah, if there is an actual reason for it,
natural fear, then it is Mubaah. For example, an enemy right in front of
you and the sword is out, a lion right in front of you, you are in the middle
of drowning, a house collapsing on you, it is shaking and collapsing. This is
the fear that Allah said in Surat al-Qasas about Musa:
: ...

He went out of the town fearing. Even though it is not considered Shirk,
there is another aspect to it. The stronger ones Imaan is, the less he will
have of this type of fear. You have some of the Salaf who made Sujood
and a lion over their heads and the lion breathing over them, they did not
get scared. And if you see Musa, he was afraid at one time, Allah quotes
him as afraid but towards the end of his Messagehood when Bani Israeel
were hesitant:

:

He was at the utmost of Imaan.
SHIRK
IN
HOPE
The next type of Shirk is Shirk ar-Rajaa () , in hope, Rajaa

is hope. Shirk in Rajaa, to have hope in a creation in a matter that you
should only have hope in Allah in. Those who have hope for example in
creation in matters that only Allah can provide, like for example providing
a child or doing a curse or something that is only under the will and
control of Allah, this is major Shirk that takes one out of Islam. Going to a
doctor, that is means, that is not associating a doctor in the level of Allah.
That is not believing the doctor in himself can cure or has supernatural
powers or a doctor in the West Coast of the universe can cure someone in
the East Coast, that becomes Shirk, with no means available. But if he
goes and gives you medication, that is not Shirk right there.
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SHIRK
IN
RUKOO
AND
SUJOOD
Another example is Shirk ar-Rukoo ( ) , and Sujood.

Whoever makes Salah, Sujood, Rukoo, to a creation, bowing and
prostration to any creation other than Allah in submission, subordination
and surrender, in Ibaadah and in love, has made major Shirk.

...

:

Prostrate yourself not to the sun, to the moon, prostrate yourself to Allah
who created them.

...

When they asked the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
shall we prostrate to you? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
One may not make Sujood to anyone else. Note, we mentioned in matters
of worship, whoever dismisses a matter of worship to other than Allah,
that belongs to solely to Allah, committed major Shirk. We said that in the
beginning, as definition of Shirk. So if one makes Sujood to another, that is
clear Shirk right there. One who makes Sujood to another other than Allah,
that is clear Shirk right there.
There is a very important detail, this is one of the matters that I want your
undivided attention in it. There is a very important detail many neglect to
mention and you need to know it, in the difference between Rukoo and
Sujood to other than Allah, and actually Qiyaam as well and other matters
that follow along in this. It makes a clear distinction for you to know the
difference the two, this is one important matter you only hear the big
Ulamaa mention it, Ulamaa who mastered Tawheed.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SUJOOD, RUKOO
AND
QIYAAM
If someone does Rukoo or Sujood as Ibaadah to other than Allah, as

Ibaadah, his intention is Ibaadah to other than Allah, he committed major
Shirk and he is out of the folds of Islam. If someone does Sujood to other
than Allah, pay attention to my wording, he committed major Shirk
automatically. If one does Rukoo to other than Allah, it is slightly different.
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We said major Shirk is to do an Ibaadah to other than Allah, to dismiss it to

other than Allah, that only belongs to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. Sujood
is an independent Ibaadah, it is an independent worship outside Salah. We
have Sujood at-Tilaawah (
), we have Sujood ash-Shukr (
) , so it is outside Salah, an independent Ibaadah. Rukoo is

only a worship in Salah, there is no Ibaadah in Islam that is called Rukoo
outside of Salah, independent Ibaadah.
If one does Sujood outside Salah, you see someone do Sujood outside
Salah, you are going to say oh he is probably doing an Ibaadah of
Tilaawah, probably passed a verse of Tilaawah, recitation, he made
Sujood. Or he probably got some good news, he is doing Sujood ashShukr. So Sujood outside of Salah is worship in itself, we have that
established. On the other hand, if you see someone, if someone comes to
us right here in front of me, he does Rukoo outside Salah, he is either
crazy or he is an innovator because we do not have nothing outside Salah
that is Rukoo. There is no Ibaadah.
The conclusion is, whoever makes Rukoo for someone other than Allah,
not considering it Ibaadah, then you cannot classify him as a Mushrik
because it is not an independent Ibaadah in itself. As long as he does not
do Sujood, because Sujood is an independent Ibaadah. Rukoo is not an
Islamic worship on its own, independent, outside of Salah. There is no
such worship outside of Salah called Rukoo and we said Shirk is to give an
Ibaadah that belongs to Allah to someone, to dismiss it to someone else.
Rukoo is not an Ibaadah, if someone does Rukoo independent of Salah,
you call him a Mubtadi. It is part of an Ibaadah, but it is not an Ibaadah in
itself. If someone does Rukoo to Allah, no Salah, we will look at him and
say what are you doing? He says I want to make Rukoo to worship Allah.
Is he really worshipping? No, he made something totally up and he is an
innovator.
There is no Rukoo worship independent of Salah, unlike Sujood. If he
made Sujood outside of Salah, that is an Ibaadah right there. We know he
is making Sujood ash-Shukr, we know he is making Sujood at-Tilaawah, so
Sujood is an independent Ibaadah outside Salah. That has been
established, that Sujood is an independent Ibaadah outside Salah, Rukoo
is not an independent Ibaadah outside Salah. If one makes Sujood to other
than Allah, he gave an independent Ibaadah, he gave an Ibaadah, he
dismissed it to other than Allah, then that is major Shirk. But if he made
Rukoo without considering it Ibaadah, it is not Shirk because Rukoo is not
Ibaadah independently.
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CLASS NINETEEN
Rukoo is like standing, same thing applies to standing in Salah. Standing
is an Ibaadah in Salah, it is a worship in Salah. Is standing an independent
worship outside Salah? No. Can I stand here for ten minutes and you tell
me what are you doing, not initiate Salaam but just stand here, any one of
us, and stand for ten minutes as an Ibaadah for the sake of Allah? There is
no such thing, that is an innovation, just like Rukoo independently. If
people stand for a king or a leader, that is not Ibaadah because standing
alone is not an Ibaadah. If they intend it to be an Ibaadah to a king or to a
leader, that is a different story then, then that becomes Shirk. Unlike
Sujood for example, there is no independent worship of standing for Allah
outside of Salah, it is not an Ibaadah. If someone just stands, we say what
are you doing, are you crazy or are you innovating? There is no such thing
as an independent Rukoo outside of Salah, it is not an Ibaadah, just mere
Rukoo.
Since standing and Rukoo are not independent Ibaadah, whoever does it
for other than Allah is not considered a Mushrik unless he intends it as an
Ibaadah. Unlike Sujood, anyone who does Sujood to other than Allah is
Mushrik because it is an independent Ibaadah and it is Shirk to dismiss an
Ibaadah to other than Allah. Sujood independently is classified as an
Ibaadah, you dismissed it to other than Allah, that is major Shirk.
The apparent ruling on one who does Sujood to other than Allah is he is a
Mushrik, right by the act itself he is a Mushrik. One who bows to a statue,
to a king, to a president, Sujood, he is a Mushrik. The ruling stays on him
unless he is excused out of it, the ruling of Shirk stays on him unless he
gets exempted out of it. For example, he said I made Sujood because I
seen that brick over there, I thought that was a Sutrah, that was the only
Sutrah, it turns out it is a huge statue, then the Shirk is lifted. For
example, it was a big statue and he seen the bottom of it, he did not see a
big statue, then the label, the classification of Shirk is lifted.
To salute someone by standing, if someone comes and you stand for him
or if it so happens like the Chinese, you know how they bow slightly down,
Japanese or Chinese, in somewhat of a Rukoo. I am not saying it is proper,
I am not saying it is right, the Sahaabah radhiallahu anhum did not stand
for the most beloved Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the most
beloved man to walk on the face of the earth. Unless it is exceptional, for
example someone sees a brother, he has not seen him for a while and he
embraces him, but to make it a tradition that one stands when certain
people walk in, every single time, habitual, then that is not proper or
correct. If I walk in the class and some people do, they stand up, if it
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happens, of course that does not happen here, then that is not proper, but
is it Shirk? No, standing and Rukoo is not an independent Ibaadah outside
of Salah so in reality it is not an Ibaadah at all, so it is not an act of
worship, so no act of worship was dismissed to other than Allah.
Now if someone says, I was making Rukoo or standing in worship to a
king, then that is Mushrik because of the intention right there. I think it is
clear now. In a nutshell, Rukoo and standing, mere standing, is not
Ibaadah. Just Rukoo and standing, is not Ibaadah outside Salah, it is not
Ibaadah. If one did it to another, he is not Mushrik unless he intended it as
an Ibaadah. Sujood is Ibaadah outside Salah, so one who did it to other
than Allah, dismissed it to other than Allah, is Mushrik. I am not saying to
stand to other than Allah nor am I saying to make Rukoo, but we are
classifying what is Shirk and what is not.
SHIRK
IN
SACRIFICE
Next one is Shirk in sacrifice, let us move on. Shirk in sacrifice is different
forms, it is pretty obvious but we will go over them quickly. Sacrifice to
seek the pleasure of Allah like that in Hajj, in Ibaadah. Some Ibaadah is to
sacrifice for Allah, that is great, among the best of worshipping. Second
one is sacrificing for a guest, for a wedding. That is for the sake of Allah
but for a good cause, that is Sunnah, that is recommended. And then you
got a third form, sacrificing to other than Allah.
It could be dead or alive, sacrificing to anyone, ordinary creation, dead or
alive, Jinn or human, to get closer and showing your humility in a way that
only belongs to Allah, it is major Shirk and no one can eat from its meat.
That is what you see people doing when they sacrifice at graves or for
saints. If he sacrificed to a human or a Jinn or a grave, there is Ijmaa on
the matter that it is major Shirk and the meat of it is prohibited to eat.

:

Nusukee (

) is to sacrifice, for Allah.

:

Wanhar (

) is to sacrifice.
Ali Ibn Ab Talib radhiallahu anhu in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam:
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May Allah curse one who sacrifices for other than Allah.
SHIRK
IN
TAWAAF
Tawaaf is an Ibaadah, you cannot give it to other than Allah by Ijmaa.

Tawaaf, walking around the Kabah. Whoever does it for other than Allah,
has fell in major Shirk. And do not say it is uncommon. We go through
these things and I know some of you are different levels, the class as you
know, some of it is high level and some of it is basic things. One walks
around the Kabah for other than Allah, that is major Shirk. If one walks
around a grave of a saint in worship, that is major Shirk. If one walks
around the grave of saints as they do in some countries, that is major
Shirk right there.
I recall one time we went to Egypt when I was younger, in my early teens,
we went to a Masjid to offer Salah. It turned out that that Masjid has a
grave so we ended up walking out. On our way walking, my father usually
Alhamdulillah is very calm, rarely ever gets mad or angry, may Allah grant
him a long life full of deeds, I did not notice it but there were people
walking around that grave as they do around the Kabah. So my father
actually got very upset and began to grab them by their hands and tell
them this is major Shirk what you are doing. Tawaaf is an independent
Ibaadah and it could be only done for Allah.
SHIRK
IN
TAWAKKUL
Among the other types of Shirk or examples of Shirk is, you have in your
outline, Shirk in Tawakkul.

...
:
You put your trust and reliance in Allah if you are truly or indeed believers.
This is proof that depending on Allah is Ibaadah, that Tawakkul is Ibaadah.
And once again, Ibaadah, you must give it completely for the sake of Allah
otherwise it becomes Shirk. Once it is dismissed or a portion of it is
dismissed to other than Allah, it becomes Shirk.
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The believers are all those who when Allah is mentioned, they feel fear in
their hearts.

...

...

And when the verses are recited:

...

It boosts their Imaan and they put their trust and reliance and dependency
on their Lord Allah.
Tawakkul is two types. Dependence or reliance on other than Allah in
matters only Allah can do, like those who depend on someone dead in
achieving their needs, for victory, for health, for provision, for
intercession. Matters which only Allah can do, that is clear Shirk right
there.
The second type is apparent reliance, reliance in normal matters that one
has the ability to do. Reliance on someone to pick you up from work,
asking someone to save you from harm which is in their physical control
to do. That is not major Shirk as long as it is under the power of that
person, which we have common sense, we know who has power to do
certain things, if someone has the power to come bring his car seven
oclock in the morning and pick you up and take you to work. However,
the stronger ones Imaan, the less he relies on others in matters, even
those that are permissible.
An example that will probably clear the difference between the two, one
who is drowning and he sees a boat passing by and he relies on them to
get him or even calls them. When he calls them that becomes like Duaa,
but that reliance or that Duaa is in their power and their means, it is not
Shirk. One who is drowning and relies on one who he assumes is a saint
and begins to call him, living or dead, human or Jinn, that is nowhere near
to be found, then that falls under the category of major Shirk.
We finished number two, Shirk al-Uloohiyyah, the second one.
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IS TAWHEED THREE CATEGORIES OR FOUR

CATEGORIES?
Before I move on to the third category of Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah, a
question that I was asked many times since the very first class. And I said
be patient I will answer it since it is not a matter of essence, is Tawheed
three categories or four categories? I said in the first class for example
which sparked a question, you can find all three types of Tawheed in
Bismillah and I broke down how you can do that.
You can also find it in Surat al-Faatihah, outside of Bismillah, we said
Bismillah you can find all three types of Tawheed in it.
In the verse:
:

Is Rububiyyah.
:

Is Asmaa and Sifaat.

:

That is considered Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah.
Look at other Surahs in the Quran.
That verse right there is Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah, Lordship.

Malik, that is as-Sifaat, qualities and attributes.
:

That is right there, Uloohiyyah, that is Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah, worship.
You see them in one verse in Surat Maryam:
Page | 421
Lord of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, that is
Rububiyyah.
...
...

So worship Him, that is Uloohiyyah.
...

Do you know of anyone similar to Him? That is Asmaa and Sifaat, so all
three are in that verse. You can also see the theme of some Surahs
according to the types of Tawheed. In Surat al-Kaafiroon, overall that is
Uloohiyyah. Surat al-Ikhlaas is Asmaa and Sifaat. Surat an-Naas is
Lordship overall, the theme of the Surah.
The division of Tawheed like this is to help us explain Tawheed. A Bedouin
back in the days waving his stick at the sheep with his dirty clothes used
to have more knowledge in the Arabic language to know these types of
Tawheed straight out of the Quran, but because of the diminishing of our
understanding of the Arabic language and some who do not speak the
Arabic language, we need to break it down to understand it.
Some will say and I have heard them, categorising the Tawheed like this is
like believing in the father, the son and the holy spirit. And that is due to
their hatred to Ibn Taymiyyah and Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
Rahmatullahi Alayhim, they clearly and openly said that. This division is
merely to get people to understand the proper Tawheed and it is not taken
actually like they say, it is not taken from Ibn Taymiyyah or Muhammad
Ibn Abdul-Wahaab. It is found way before in the work of Abu Haneefah, he
was possibly the first. Not specifically, but he indicated so in his book AlFiqh Al-Absat:
So he mentioned Rububiyyah and Uloohiyyah in his book. His student Abu

Yusuf also hinted to it, Ibn Munda in his Book Kitaab At-Tawheed, and all
these were before Ibn Taymiyyah. Ibn Jareer at-Tabari who was
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approximately three hundred and ten after the Hijrah, in his Tafseer, in the
famous Tafseer of Tabari under the verse of:

...

:
Also hinted to it. Abu Jafar at-Tahaawi who is approximately three hundred
and twenty one after the Hijrah, he also mentioned about it in Al-Aqeedah
At-Tahaawiyyah. Ibn Battah al-Akbari in his book Al-Ibaanah also
mentioned it. Then after that, Ibn Taymiyyah did mention it and Ibn alQayyim mentioned it. And az-Zubaydi after that mentioned it in Taaj
Al-Aroos and then ash-Shanqeeti mentioned it in Adhwaa Al-Bayaan.
So before Ibn Taymiyyah, there were those who hinted to it. It is not the
division of Ibn Taymiyyah that he divided Tawheed into three categories,
this is a pattern to show how Ulamaa chose to teach Tawheed and this
comes from reading and duction, outlining knowledge. People knew
grammar back in the days offhand, as time went by, people began to lose
touch with the Fusha ( )and it was necessary to make an outline
of the Arabic language so they can know the rules of grammar. Back
before that happened, they knew it, the Arabic language was known to
them but then as time went by, they needed to outline it to teach it future
generations. That is exactly what happened with the rules of Usool al-Fiqh.
Likewise with Tajweed, Tajweed became outlines, Idh-haar, Ikhfaa, Iqlaab,
Idghaam, al-Mudood, you know all that, we had to put them in outlines so
we can understand it over time.
The next issue, is it three as I always mention, Rububiyyah, Uloohiyyah,
Asmaa and Sifaat, or is it four? The fourth being the Tawheed of alHaakimiyyah, governorship. The Ulamaa that I mentioned previously, Abu
Haneefah and Ibn Munda and Ibn Jareer and like them, seem to have
mentioned it as three. If you look into the books of Ibn al-Qayyim, I believe
he may be one of the early ones who mentioned by itself, Tawheed alHaakimiyyah, I have read in his book the word al-Haakimiyyah. Likewise,
you can see some of it in books of Tawheed after that.
The fourth category became somewhat of a controversial topic when
some decided to make it a fourth category, possibly to give it emphasis in
the epidemic, because we have an epidemic of rulers who do not govern
by the Shareeah of Allah. So they possibly gave it a fourth category, to
draw emphasis to it. Some in the past divided Tawheed into two
categories. When the issue of two and three came about, it was brought to
the attention back then, of the grandson of Muhammad Ibn AbdulPage | 423
Wahhaab and he said a valuable quote, that is why I say it, a valuable
quote regarding the dispute between two or three categories. He is
Sulaymaan Ibn Abdillah Ibn Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab, the grandson
of Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab. He said as long as you encompass all
Tawheed, it does not matter if you divide it into two or three.
I think it is wrong by some contemporary Ulamaa to consider someone a
Mubtadi because they chose to outline Tawheed in four categories rather
than three. Me when I teach it, I teach it as three. You choose a way that
relates to your audience, not just in Tawheed I am saying, in other
matters. I choose a style to relate to my audience, other people choose a
style to relate to their audience so they can understand it, you do not
consider them a Mubtabi for that. I personally see in this matter, that
categorising them into three is more appropriate and I personally prefer
that. A personal preference to divide it into three, Rububiyyah, Uloohiyyah
and Asmaa and Sifaat.
Why? Because al-Haakimiyyah could be in a way Rububiyyah and it could
be in a way Uloohiyyah, so I do not see why you have to divide it into a
fourth category, separate category. If you mean Allah is the governor of
this world, of the universe, that portion of Haakimiyyah falls under arRububiyyah. If you mean what I am going to talk about next, the next
category of Shirk al-Uloohiyyah, if you mean submitting to the rule of
Allah, meaning that one must accept the Shareeah of Allah. That one
must implement it and accept the only legislation, the rule of Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala, then that falls under Uloohiyyah. So it has a
Rububiyyah aspect to it and it has an Uloohiyyah aspect to it. This is very
similar to the rules of Laa ilaaha illallah, some said it is seven, and then
some said again it is eight. Even though Kufr in Taaghoot is included in the
seven, some separated it into a separate category, to give it more
importance.
Back in the days when the Murjiah were popping up and spreading, this
happened in the old days and Salaf used to say, Imaan is action, saying,
and belief. Action, both in the tongue and the physical action, and then
the saying and the belief. When the Murjiah came about, the Salaf began
to say Imaan is action of the pillars, and saying and belief. So they added
Amalun bil-Arkaan () , they added the word pillars
because now they are facing the Murjiah, whereas before they did not
need it to clear an issue and to draw the distinction between us and the
Murjiah. Some felt the need to make it a fourth category like I said,
because of the epidemic of lack of ruling by Shareeah today, no one with
his right mind can doubt that.
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I like to stick to three and if you want to put emphasis to it, then you can
do it within the context of the three. Back in the days of Muhammad Ibn
Abdul-Wahhaab Rahimahullah, it was an epidemic, there was grave
worshippers and building over graves and worshipping and sacrificing for
graves. Today the epidemic is the lack of ruling in the Shareeah of Allah.
We can emphasise it, but under one of the three. If someone chooses to
do it as a fourth which is not the way I teach it, then he is not a Mubtadi,
it is a different style of teaching.
THE THIRD TYPE: SHIRK IN GOVERNORSHIP

Now having said that, we can move on to the third type of Shirk alUloohiyyah, and that is Shirk in at-Taaah or Shirk is governorship. And
Shirk here also means:
: ...

To obey to other than Allah like you obey Allah. They took their Rabbis,
their monks to be their lords besides Allah. Once while the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was reading this verse, Adi Ibn Haatim said oh
Prophet of Allah, they do not worship the Rabbis and monks. They do not,
because he came from a background from them. The Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam said yes they do, they worship the Rabbis and the
monks. The Rabbis and the monks make legal, things that Allah made
illegal, and legal things that Allah made legal, they make them illegal. And
the Jews and Christians follow them and by following them, they really
worshipped them, that is worship. So listening to them in the Haraam and
Halaal became a matter of worship.
Ibn Taymiyyah in the seventh volume talks a lot about this, he said they
listened to their monks in telling them what is Halaal and what is Haraam,
knowing that they changed the Deen of Allah, yet they still followed them.
That is Shirk even if they do not make Salah or Sujood to them. Listening
to them in the Haraam and the Halaal knowing that they are making a
new legislation, that is Shirk even if they do not make Sujood and Salah to
them. I will revise the statement of Ibn Taymiyyah somewhat, whoever
derives his legislation, his Halaal and Haraam from the rules of democracy
or other man made rules or ideology, knowing they changed the Deen of
Allah, has in reality worshipped democracy or those man made rules or
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laws or whatever they may be. And he followed them, he committed Shirk
even if he does not make Sujood and Salah to democracy or to those man
made laws.
Those who give blind obedience to those who they claim Ulamaa or saints
or an Aimmah (), twelve Imaams for example, that contradict the
Quran and the Sunnah to the point that those Ulamaa become their
source of Haraam and Halaal and it opposes the Haraam and Halaal in the
Quran and Sunnah, they have worshipped them. This is part of the
statement of Ibn Taymiyyah or a summary of some of the stuff that Ibn
Taymiyyah said. Philosophists and some modernists for example who
reject the Quran and the Sunnah for their mind or their rationale, giving
their mind and rationale precedent over the Quran and the Sunnah and
judging the Quran and the Sunnah according to what their mind tells
them and they call those who adhere to the Quran and the Sunnah as
people of Bidah or Kufr, have worshipped their minds and their rationale
instead of Allah even if they do not bow and prostrate for their minds and
their rationale.
Let us take some more practical examples of Shirk in governorship. One
who thinks the rule of other than Allah is better or like the rule of Allah is a
Mushrik. Shirk Akbar because he is disbelieving in the clear verses.

Do they seek the judgment of other than Allah, do they seek the judgment
of the days of ignorance? Hukmal-Jaahiliyyah (

) .

:

Is not Allah the best of all Judges? These are rhetorical questions, they do
not need an answer, it is a statement.
Another form is to merely think it is permissible to rule by other than Allah
and that which other than Allah revealed, that is Shirk Akbar. Why?
Because it is against what is in the verses and it is in the Hadith and
Ijmaa, prohibiting judging by other than what Allah has ordered. A third
scenario is to legislate laws or a Shareeah different than what is in the
Quran and the Sunnah, believing this law is permissible to judge by or
believing this law is better or equal to the laws of Allah. Shirk Akbar,
legislating in contrary to what Allah has ordered.
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A fourth example, willingly obeying or accepting whoever governs by

other than the rule of Allah. Acceptance by giving them precedent over
the Quran and the Sunnah, by showing discontentment to the laws of
Allah, by thinking it is ok to be governed by other than the rules of Allah,
by believing this rule or law is better than the rule of Allah or like it.

...

:

:

One quick note on this, and I can give a very long talk on this but I want to
try to summarise it. Some who read a few quotes from the two Imaams in
particular, and it always happens, they like to read a few quotes and then
declaring people Mushrikeen and Kuffaar left and right. This is an issue
that really I plan Inshaa Allah Taaala to write a book on, but I will
summarise it real quick. It stems out of the matter about mainly those
who are in the west. Someone who tries for example to retrieve a loss,
wealth, devastatingly lost wealth, or kids through a legal custody. If ones
heart is full of belief in Allah and he goes to retrieve that right that causes
him extreme, severe hardship, if it is a major catastrophic loss or if one
loses for example kids who are going to grow up to be non Muslims. If it is
an extreme, devastating loss and his purpose is only to retain a right
taken from him, you do not call him a Mushrik if he goes to a court in the
west. If he has Kufr in Taaghoot and belief in Allah and he is just going to
retrieve a right.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he witnessed the covenant of alMutayyibeen, it was a covenant that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam praised and the wording itself is taken from the word Tayyib (
), good, a name given to those who conducted that treaty. He said:
So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam praised that covenant that was
done prior to his Messagehood and he attended it. He praised it after and
it was attended by Banu Hishaam and Banu Zahrah and it was in the
house of Ibn Jadaan. That covenant was to retrieve the rights of those
who were oppressed or wronged and to give them their rights back. That
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treaty made and entailed law where people are judged by and would have
to accept the decision when settling disputes of those who are oppressed.
No one can say the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that
statement and praised those, that he approved the laws of Tawaagheet
because he attended it in his Jaahiliyyah or praised it after Islam. A treaty
by the leaders, the heads of Kufr, entailed judgment in courts to settle
disputes for those who were oppressed. When the Sahaabah were brought
before an-Najaashi, it was like a court, you cannot say they were forced
because they could have chose to go back to Makkah.
More so, more clear than that, more proof on that is the story of al-Hajjaaj
Ibn Alaat as-Silami, the Sahaabi who was a very rich merchant. After the
Battle of Khaybar, he went after the Battle of Khaybar, look how late, he
went and asked the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam permission to go
back to Makkah, live there for a while. He needed a term to live there, be
kind to Quraysh to retrieve his wealth. He got to go and talk to the leaders
of Quraysh and sweet talk them to get his money back, and he even told
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam it may be that he has to speak ill
about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam allowed him to go.
This is a matter that a full book needs to be written on and I can explain
more on it and both opinions fully. The point is, it is not to encourage
people to go to courts of the Tawaagheet, we are not talking about that.
This is exceptional circumstance of one whose heart is full of Imaan, full of
Tawheed, despises the Tawaagheet, yet has a right taken away that
causes him extreme, devastating hardship and he cannot get it but
through those courts. Each situation of what constitutes a hardship is
judged individually, cannot generalise what constitutes a Dharoorah (
)and extreme hardship. A major catastrophe, not just something

minor, if it is something he can handle without going into the courts of
Tawaagheet, do not go. Seek recompensation from Allah.
:

...

But if one cannot handle the situation and it is an extreme hardship and
there is no other way to retrieve his right, and he goes to retrieve that
right, fully accepting the laws, his heart is full in accepting the laws of
Allah, despising the Tawaagheet, then you do not call him a Mushrik
Kaafir, this is my point.
A group of brothers several months ago wanted me to speak to one of
their peers who was running around calling his other brother a Mushrik
Kaafir because he fought a custody battle to get his daughter from the
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hands of someone, a woman who was going to take her and raise his
daughter a Mushrikah Kaafirah. And he is calling the brother who fought to
get that daughter in court, a Mushrik Kaafir for going to that court. His
proof are quotes taken of context from some of the Ulamaa, some of our
prominent Ulamaa like Ibn Taymiyyah and Muhammad Ibn AbdulWahhaab. And he began to repeat the quotes over and over, Kufr in
Taaghoot. You know some people, it is like a shell that you know about,
Kufr in Taaghoot, but what is in it, they do not know what is in it.
I finally asked him at the end, I said who are the Ulamaa you look up to?
He said well you are number one and then he said Shaykh Ali al-Khudayr
number two. Love his Fataawa, you know his Fataawa on Takfeer are full of
proof, he knows what he is talking about Shaykh Ali al-Khudayr. I said, put
me aside, go read what Shaykh Ali al-Khudayr wrote about this issue. He
mentioned it in one of his books and he wrote it, and I directed him to go
there to where Shaykh Ali al-Khudayr mentioned it. May Allah hasten his
release, him and his brothers and all our brothers and sisters in prison. So
I directed him to go read it.
Generally speaking in all matters, if one did not study the works of Ibn
Taymiyyah and Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab fully and thoroughly and
does not know their style of writing, do not sit there and take quotes out
of context and call people Kuffaar and Mushrikeen, making Takfeer left and
right. Especially Ibn Taymiyyah, if you do not fully study his work and read
his complete Fataawa, do not think you are at a status of taking snippets
and quoting it, I do not care how high one thinks he is. In many issues, for
those who do not know the works of Ibn Taymiyyah, he has matters that
appear to be contradictory. Even in the simple matter, the recent one, the
half of Shabaan, he has matters that appear to one who does not know
his work, to be contradictory.
You see one who has never opened a volume of Fataawa Ibn Taymiyyah,
he never of course read it cover to cover, let alone studied it. In fact, he
does not know the language of the Fataawa to read it, takes out of the
Fataawa snippets and second and third hand translations and issues
Takfeer and Shirk. That is why elucidations like this what we do, and
explanations of the books of Ibn Taymiyyah, Muhammad Ibn AbdulWahhaab, Wallahi there is books written on the style of the works of
Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab, on his style of writing. That is why I said
there are those who devoted years and years to the study of giants like
this, to show them what they mean, to show what the words mean, what
appears to be contradictory in one Fatwa to another Fatwa and how to
combine between the two and what the circumstances were.
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Place the quotes of Ulamaa to situations where they belong. Where they
intended them to belong, not where you feel they belong, and do not
declare others Mushrikeen Kuffaar in matters the giants disputed, that is
what I am trying to say. Yes it is a disputed matter but do not declare one
whose heart is full of Imaan, who hates the Tawaagheet and goes to
retrieve a right, it is a matter that giants disputed, do not declare people
Mushrikeen Kuffaar on it. And like I said, you can read what Shaykh Ali alKhudayr and others wrote about this matter and if Allah permits, I am
going to write a detailed book on this matter.
Let us move on. I mentioned the four examples of Shirk in governorship.
The fifth example in Shirk of governorship is to call to rule by other than
the Shareeah of Allah. Like those who call for laws that allow women to
walk with no Hijaab, or those who call for laws to have open usury in the
society, or those who call for laws to stop the law of having four wives.
The call to any of that is major Shirk, takes one out of Islam because
calling to such a call can only stem from a heart that admires laws of
other than Allah in those matters and deems those better than the laws of
Allah. The call to it merely implies that clearly and openly and it implies
hatred to the laws of Allah, that is major Shirk. He is also most likely a
Munaafiq because he will tell you he is a Muslim and he is a supporter of
the Muslims and he will bring you picture of him in the Jumuah Salah.
The one who declares a matter Halaal and it is Haraam and he is a
sincere, genuine Mujtahid, that is a totally different situation. A Mujtahid
may declare a matter Halaal and say it is Haraam, and the opposite, by
error. For one of many excuses that Ulamaa outlined in this matter, such
as for example the most popular scenario is the Hadith did not reach him,
so he considered a matter Halaal because the Hadith did not reach him.
The error of a reputable, genuine Mujtahid is not Kufr or Shirk, it not even
a sin, it is actually something he will get rewarded for, one reward.
For one who knows it is wrong and follows a path different from the path
of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam knowingly, then that is Shirk.
Ibn Taymiyyah in his third volume in the Fataawa said, when one makes
Halaal Haraam or opposite, that has an Ijmaa on it or switches and
replaces the Shareeah, meaning replaces the Shareeah with another,
then it is consensus he is Kaafir by the consensus, by Ijmaa of the
Fuqhahaa. In volume thirty five, he spoke about Ulamaa as well,
pertaining to this matter. He said when an Aalim leaves his knowledge of
the Quran and the Sunnah and follows a ruler who is opposition to the
rules of Allah and His Messenger and apostate legislations, he is worthy of
punishment in the life after and he is an apostate.
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Ibn Katheer in Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah, in the thirteenth volume, he said

whoever leaves the Shar that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and chooses to be governed by other than the
Shareeah, that is Kaafir. He means if you leave the Quran and Sunnah to
go to the laws of the Tawrah and the Bible, that is what he means. Then
he went on to say in Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah, he said if that is for those
type of laws, at one point in time those were the laws from Allah before
they were tampered with, before they were abrogated, those were laws
that Allah sent to people. He said if that is for those types of laws today,
because they are now abrogated, imagine how it is for one who chooses
to be governed by other laws, whoever does so is Kaafir by Ijmaa.
Ash-Shanqeeti in Adhwaa Al-Bayaan said, after mentioning some proof,
look at these beautiful quotes, I love this beautiful quote, he said whoever
follows man made laws made by devils on the tongues of humans,
contrary to the Shareeah of Allah that is on the tongue of the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, there is no doubt he is a Kaafir
and a Mushrik. The only one who doubts that is one who Allah obliterated
his vision and blinded him from the brightness of revelation.
Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Ibraheem when he mentioned:

: ...

He said, Allah denied Imaan for those who do not put the Prophet as their
judge in their disputes, this is a denial with an oath.
THE PROOF OF THE AUTHOR

Finally, the time is almost up, I am getting notices that the time is up,
finally the proof the author uses for these. There is a lot more I wanted to
talk about but I think that is a sufficient summary.
The author at the end uses the proof, a verse in the Quran:
:
The places of worship are for Allah alone so do not invocate anyone other
than Allah. We mentioned that verse several times. Allah alone is the One
worthy, deserving of having the right to be worshipped.
Page | 431
:
This verse basically summaries it all, summarises the Tawheed in
Uloohiyyah to Allah.
Anna (
) is Tawkeed, Anna here is to affirm that Tawheed is only for
Allah. Now why did Allah mentioned Masaajid? Why was al-Masaajid,
mosques, mentioned here, the places of worship? Masaajid is to establish
the two types of Ibaadah we talked about. The Duaa and invocation of
Allah, Duaa al-Masala ( ) that we mentioned, Masaajid is
to do that in it. Masaajid is to worship Allah, Salat al-Fardh, Sunnah, learn,
teach. That is all called Duaa al-Ibaadah, Duaa al-Ibaadah is all other
types of Ibaadah. They are all called Duaa al-Ibaadah because even
though you are not directly asking Allah, your Salah, your Siyaam, your
Ibaadah are in a way asking Allah for Jannah. You are asking Allah to help
keep you away from Jahannam through those Ibaadah, asking Allah to be
pleased with you and asking Him not to be displeased with you through
those deeds. So those are the two types of Ibaadah, we do them in the
Masaajid. The Masaajid is established for those two types of Ibaadah
which is all the Ibaadah in totality. So the verse is saying do not do either
of those but for Allah in the Masjid, and do not do them for anyone other
than Allah outside of the Masjid as well.

: ...

Here, Duaa is Duaa al-Masala. Duaa al-Masala, meaning Yaa Allah,

grant me. Some scholars said in that verse, it is Duaa al-Ibaadah which
means all forms of Ibaadah. I am just trying to explain Duaa al-Ibaadah,
Duaa al-Masala. The verse:

: ...

Ask Me and I will give you. If it means to invoke Me, Duaa al-Masala, I will
respond to you at the end of the verse, means He will give you what you
asked for. If it means Duaa al-Ibaadah then the end of the verse I will give
you, means I will give you your reward. I am just trying to show you the
two Ibaadahs.
So the Masjid, the verse here:
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:
Encompasses both Ibaadahs, Duaa al-Masala and Duaa al-Ibaadah, both
of them. When other faiths used to worship in their places of worship, they
used to commit Shirk, so Allah is trying to tell you, you should not do Shirk
in these places of worship, you should not do Shirk outside of them. Some
said the verse here, Masaajid means the entire universe because you
know the Hadith where a speciality of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam is he makes Salah everywhere and that is a speciality of this
Ummah. So meaning, the whole universe is for Allah, the whole universe is
a Masjid, do not make your worship to other than Allah.
Saeed Ibn Jubayr said that:
: ...

Is the limbs of Sujood. The forehead, the hands, the knees, the feet, that
is what he took it to mean, that these are for the sake of making Sujood
solely for the sake of Allah, do not use them to make Sujood to anyone
other than Allah. Whatever meaning you take or choose, the verse clearly
means in the final point, one thing, to establish pure Tawheed in your
Ibaadah for the sake of Allah.
CONCLUSION
With this we will Inshaa Allah conclude, I am getting notification that the
time is up. May Allah grant us beneficial knowledge and may Allah make
the knowledge that we learnt in this and in previous classes, beneficial
knowledge. I ask Allah subhaanahu wa taaala to reward you for attending
and being so eager in pursuing the classes. And I have to mention
specifically, I have a very, very special place in my heart for our
Talabatul-Ilm who follow the classes online. Asallullah Subhaanahu wa
Taaala An Yazeehum Khayra (
). May Allah subhaanahu wa taaala make the time you took in

learning and applying this Tawheed, be the heaviest deed on your scale in
the Aakhirah.
Just as we met for the sake of Allah and His sake only, there is many I will
possibly never meet in this world, people who are so thirsty for pure
Tawheed and one can only love them for the sake of Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala because of their pursuit of knowledge in this day and age and in
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the circumstances that the Ummah is going through, so I ask Allah

subhaanahu wa taaala to reunite us under the throne of Allah on the
Judgment Day and then in our lofty palaces in the Jannah. We got no
materialistic gain out of this but we did strike a business deal with Allah, a
sure, trade gain that will never perish.

...

...

I ask Allah that we be called on as the learners of Tawheed, together in
groups, Zumara.

...

:
Because you get called in groups to enter Jannah, people enter in groups.
And I ask Allah that we enter in a group of those who got together for His
sake to learn Tawheed, implementing the pure Tawheed as strangers in
this Ummah.
Finally, this will be the last class until after Ramadhaan Inshaa Allah, to
allow everyone to prepare for Ramadhaan and give Ramadhaan their all in
their worship. If Allah wills, we will resume right after Ramadhaan Inshaa
Allah Taaala. I ask Allah that you reach Ramadhaan and that you pass it
with success and you be among those whose necks are freed from
Jahannam. Wallahu Alam. Wa Sallallahu Ala Sayyidina Muhammad wa
Ala Aalihi wa Sahbihi wa Sallam.
CLASS TWENTY
This is our twentieth class of Sharh Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah and it is after
a very long Ramadhaanic vacation or break. I mentioned in two separate
classes, previous classes, the structure and break down of this book AlUsool Ath-Thalaathah, meaning how it was organised. So you can refer to
that in previous classes and it is important to know that to understand the
book. But in summary, I will give you what we took so far. The first chapter
it was four introductory principles, al-Ilm, al-Amal, ad-Dawah, as-Sabr.
Then we took chapter two and chapter two has three sub sections to it, A,
B, C. Chapter 2A was matters pertaining to Lordship and the Creator, and
if you remember that in itself had a lot of subsections. Then chapter 2B
was matters pertaining to Shirk and of course the opposite of Shirk is
Tawheed, and we stopped there, that is where we stopped.
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Now chapter 2C is our topic today, and it pertains to and roams around
Walaa and Baraa. And the closest terms to it in English I believe is
alliance and disassociation, we will use the Arabic terms, Walaa and
Baraa. Alliance and disassociation is Walaa and Baraa.
Alliance, what do we mean by alliance or Walaa? Walaa to Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala, loyalty to Allah, to the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, to the believers who obey Allah and His
Messenger; and disassociation from the enemies and those who fight and
oppose Allah subhaanahu wa taaala and the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the believers. It is really pretty basic and
simple, very straightforward, simple matter. And after we conclude Walaa
and Baraa which I doubt we will be able to finish it today, by then we will
conclude chapter two and we will move on Inshaa Allah to chapter three.
It is a very lengthy topic, Walaa and Baraa. Ever since I was young when
I read books, I would write the titles categorised by subjects. When I
looked under Walaa and Baraa several days ago, I had a list of over forty
five books or booklets or portions of books that have chapters on Walaa
and Baraa. And that is to show you how intensive and deep this matter is,
in that the Ulamaa gave it plenty of attention and consideration. Walaa
and Baraa is worthy of an entire in depth series by itself because it
branches out into details and it is among the main aspects of Laa ilaaha
illallah that the Ummah needs today. In fact, the authors own grandson
Sulaymaan Ibn Abdillah Ibn Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab, was one of
the top Ulamaa who carried on the Manhaj of his grandfather and he felt
the need to write an entire separate booklet on Walaa and Baraa called
Awthaq Ural-Imaan () . We will mention Inshaa Allah
essential matters that everyone needs to know and in the future if Allah
grants us life and time, we may go into deeper, detailed issues that
students of knowledge like to hear and know.
THE THIRD MATTER: WALAA AND BARAA

So chapter two, matter number three or you can put it as C in your notes,
the author says:
The third matter is that whoever is obedient to the Messenger sallallahu

alayhi wa sallam.
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And singles out Allah with his worship and Tawheed. So here, the author is
saying if what we established earlier in this booklet is implemented, if you
are obedient to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, we
talked about that, that is number one. And if you only worship Allah alone,
we talked about that. That is basically what he is trying to tell you, if you
have that established, those matters we talked about, then that entails,
that necessitates something. What does it entail or necessitate?

It is not permissible for him to have alliance, to have Muwaalaah (
)

with those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if he is the closest
of the close to you.
PROOFS ON WALAA AND BARAA

What is your proof? Where did you get this from? His proof that he states:

Allah says you, oh Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, you will not
find people who believe in Allah and the Last Day making Muwaalaah with
those who oppose Allah and His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
even if they were their own fathers or their own sons or their own brothers
or their own kindred or their tribesmen, whoever they may be.

...
...
For those who have Muwaalaah to Allah:

Page | 436

...
...

Allah has written faith in their hearts and strengthened them with Rooh,
means proof, light, and true guidance.
More proof on this matter is in Surat al-Mumtahanah:

: ...

Oh you who believe, take not My enemy and your enemies as Awliyaa,
showing affection towards them, while they have disbelieved in that which
has come to you of truth.
In Surat at-Tawbah:

...

If your fathers, if your sons, if your brothers, if your wives, if your

tribesmen, if your wealth that you have gained and commerce in which
that you fear a decline and dwelling that you have delight and pleasure in.
What about all that stuff Yaa Allah?

...

:

If they are dearer to you than Allah and His Messenger and striving hard
and fighting in the cause of Allah. If you love them more than Allah, if you
love that more than Allah, you take it dearer more than Allah and His
Messenger, what happens if you love any of that more than Allah and His
Messenger? Then wait until Allah brings His decision. His decision of what?
His decision of torment.

...
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And Allah does not guide people who are Faasiqeen, meaning the ones
who are disobedient to Allah and rebellious.
If you love any of that more than Allah, just merely loving any of that more
than Allah, love is the core of Walaa and Baraa, await catastrophes,
torment, lowliness, massacres, genocide, humiliation. When does that
happen Yaa Allah? When you love anything more than Allah and His
Messenger. Not just the enemies of Allah you cannot love more than Allah
and His Messenger, even your wealth and your family, you cannot love
anything more than Allah and the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Love is at the core of Walaa.

: ...

Oh you who believe, take not as Awliyaa those who take your religion as
mockery and play. How could you take someone and be loyal to him, who
takes your religion, the dearest thing to you as mockery and play and
jokes.
...
...

From among those who received the scripture before you and nor from
those disbelievers, you cannot take them as Awliyaa.

:

) , take not as your
Oh you who believe, take not as Bitaanah (

Bitaanah, what does Bitaanah here mean? Bitaanah here means those you
take as consultants, protectors, advisors. Do not take them outside your
religion. Why Yaa Allah, why are You telling us this, what is the reason?
...

...
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They will not fail to do their best to corrupt you.

There are clear verses in the Quran, I am not bringing nothing from my
pocket.
...
...

They desire to harm you severely, hatred has already appeared on their
tongues and mouths but what their breasts and hearts conceal is far
worse.
The textual proof on this is so much and so many, from the Quran, from
the Sunnah, from the Sahaabah, from the Ulamaa.
Imaam Hamad Ibn Ateeq Rahimahullah Sabeel An-Najaah wal-Fikaak (
) said:

Imaam Hamad Ibn Ateeq said, after the proofs on the oneness of Allah
and its opposite which is prohibiting Shirk, there is no ruling with more
clear, more decisive proof than this matter that we have here, which
matter? Walaa and Baraa.
So first we took the proof and I could go on for this entire Halaqah with
verse after verse and Hadith after Hadith on this essential topic. Let us
move on.
THE IMPORTANCE OF WALAA AND BARAA

The second point I want to talk briefly about is the importance of Walaa
and Baraa. What is it overall? How can we understand it? What is this
thing they call Walaa and Baraa? Especially you, young, growing up in
this country, what is this thing Walaa and Baraa? What is it, how is it a
main part of Laa ilaaha illallah? This topic really does not need a single
verse or a single Hadith to prove it, not a single verse or Hadith. The proof
for this topic is Laa ilaaha illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah. Walaa and
Baraa does not need a single letter of proof more than the word Laa
ilaaha illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah. The Qurayshians who fought the
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Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam understood Walaa and

Baraa from the mere word of Laa ilaaha illallah, they did not need nothing
else, they knew it from Laa ilaaha illallah.
This matter was co clear to everyone in earlier generations, they did not
need to write about it and explain it and elucidate and argue back and
forth, it was clear, Walaa and Baraa was clear. It was not an issue
needing an explanation or talk until those philosophists who gave their
undeveloped minds precedent over the texts of the Quran and the Hadith
coming out giving their input, that is when the explanation and the
elucidations and what the Ulamaa meant. They are the ancestors of those
who gabble today in what they do not know, thinking they know it all.
I do not know nothing about football, I even several times Wallahi I put an
effort to learn football, I could not. I do not know the details of it, that is
even though I grew up here. Subhan Allah, Allah blocked my mind from it
for some reason even though I tried because my nephew may Allah
protect him and safeguard him, he is a professional player. And I never
could learn this game, I do not know what they are doing when they are
playing. There is one thing I do know for sure about that sport, when you
join a football team and you cheer for the opposite team, what happens?
In Mexico, people get hurt for matters like that in soccer.
Why? It is embedded, it is natural, it is Fitrah, you do not need to be told
this, you are part of the team, you are a team player, you owe a duty of
loyalty and alliance to your team. It is commonsense when you join a
team that you are part of that team, you do not cheer for the opposite
team, you do not ever cheer for the opposite team. You do not even wish
in your heart that they win, you are deceiving your team even if it is in
your heart. You cannot take the coach or captain of the opposite team and
hail with him praises and love and loyalty, you just cannot do that. Or tell
the coach of the opposite team a weakness that you see in your own
team, whether you are joking, whether you are serious, whether you did
not mean it, you do not do that.
Let me take it further, when your own team makes mistakes and that
happens a lot in sports, they get angry, missed passes, lost place. The
team may scream at each other, they yell at each other, sometimes it
gets out of hand where they push and shove, sometimes it get fully out of
hand where the team mates of one team fight, that happens. My question
is, do you go to the rival team or the coach or captain of the rival team
and say my team members did not pass the ball at the proper time and
complain to them? Do you go to the coach or captain or the players of the
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opposite team and tell them come here, help me fight my own team
mates and massacre them and commit genocide with them?
The core structure of gangs, bums in the streets and gangs and criminals,
the core structure of gangs is Walaa and Baraa to that gang. In religious
institutions, all religions, the core matter of it is Walaa and Baraa.
Nations, the core matter of the structure of that nation is Walaa and
Baraa to that nation. If you look at nations and countries, the worst crime
in a nation and in a country is treason against that country and against
the government. It is dangerous to the security of that nation to have
people commit treason, treason is Walaa and Baraa to that country.
Now, pay attention. If Walaa and Baraa is essential to a mere soccer
league, a little soccer league or a football team, if it is fundamental to the
progress, continuation and success of any nation, why is it so difficult for
Muslims today to have Walaa and Baraa to Laa ilaaha illallah
Muhammadar-Rasoolullah? That is Walaa and Baraa, it is Fitrah, it is
commonsense. Merely Laa ilaaha illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah says
Walaa and Baraa, you do not need none of the proofs that I mentioned to
you. You do not need a single verse on that, but Allah revealed them all
and the Hadith to emphasise the importance of this matter. Today, the
deluded Munaafiqeen want you to join the team of Laa ilaaha illallah but
they want you to cheer, to support, to clap, to aid, to abet everyone and
everything but the team of Laa ilaaha illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah
that you joined.
THE DANGER OF HAVING ANY DEFICIENCY IN THE

BELIEF OF WALAA AND BARAA
This is an important topic because this topic is the identity of a Muslim.
Let me repeat, Walaa and Baraa is the identity of a Muslim, Walaa and
Baraa is the selfhood of a Muslim. Without this topic fully embedded in
your hearts, especially in non Muslim lands, the grandparents and great
grandparents of today are giving birth to future non Muslim grandkids and
great grandkids. Woah, what? Let me repeat that to you, listen closely.
Without true belief and understanding of Walaa and Baraa, for everyone,
but more so for those in non Muslim lands, the grandparents and great
grandparents, us, who are going to have kids Inshaa Allah and grand kids
and great grand kids; the grandparents and great grandparents of today
are giving birth to future non Muslim grandkids and great grandkids.
What do you mean? Let me tell you what I mean over here, let me tell you
this example so you understand it. A family I know very well and I could
even name their names, in 1920 or so two brothers came to this country
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from Jordan, one of them settled and one of them returned. The one who
returned, he did not like it here or it did not go well for him, he returned.
One of them stayed here, so now that one who stayed here, there is
possibly four or five generations now since it is the 1920s. The great
grandfather who returned to Jordan, his descendants overall are all
Muslim, they all have the spirit of Islam. At the end of the day, you ask
them, they will tell you we are Muslim. Yes some of them are astray, some
of them are sinners, but Inshaa Allah they all have Tawheed and Laa
ilaaha illallah in their hearts and Inshaa Allah one day they will come back
to the true teachings.
The brother who remained in this country and died here and most of his
first generation children I believe are all dead now, there is now four to
five generations from that man, they grew up in a city and there is so
many of them that a city in the United States is named after them. Do you
know from the descendants of that man who remained in this country
from the 1920s, there is not a single one who says I am a Muslim? I am
not saying that they neglected their Salah so they are not Muslim, that is
not what I am saying. I am saying when you ask them what is your
religion, he is either Christian or Catholic or Buddhist or Hindu or atheist, a
lot of them are atheists, this is something I know first hand with names
and details. We ask Allah subhaanahu wa taaala to guide them back to
Tawheed and Islam. We got to ask why?
We spoke many, many times that non Muslims can never be compelled to
say Laa ilaaha illallah, it is impossible.
: ...

Even when Islam is ruling a nation and there is non Muslims living under
it, it is impossible that we force or coerce anyone into Islam, impossible.
Even when the rulers of that country are by the solid Shareeah, the ideal
Shareeah, the ideal Khilaafah, they even get the utmost protection from
Muslims while they are on their false belief. Wallahi, non Muslims get
treated under Muslim rule better than they treat us when we are under
their rule. Non Muslims get treated under Muslim rule, better than their
own people treat them when they are under the rule of their own people,
that is when there is the ideal Khilaafah.
But at the same time, and here is what I am trying to get at, that
treatment does not mean we approve or condone their false, tampered,
made up belief. Ahl al-Thimmah () , those who live under
Muslim rule, and you know they are weak and vulnerable because they
are living under Muslim rule, a lot of Muslims, Muslims are the popular and
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the strong ones. They live under Muslim rules, at times the Muslims got to
protect them but we teach our kids and we put it in our hearts that their
faith is a false faith. We embed it in our hearts, in our minds, in the minds
of our kids, that that cross that they are wearing, if someone died
believing in it, they will be in blazing Hell forever. You have to teach that,
you have to know that, you have to solidly believe that.
When you have Muslims that are taught that the faiths have minor
differences amongst them, they downplay the difference in belief, in Shirk
and Tawheed, it is not a biggy. They say we are all going to Heaven, your
religion, my religion, same God, we are all going to Heaven so nothing
really matters. They say Jesus is the son of God, Isa is the son of God, we
say he is the Messenger of God, it really means the same thing when you
get down to it, it is really a technical, linguistic difference. When you boil it
down, we are all the Abrahamic religions and oh the Quran said it,
everyone is going to Heaven, it is in the Quran, and they falsify this and
tamper. The deviants also say explicitly or implicitly, anyone who
mentions Hell or that someone is going to Hell, that is a radical extremist.
Hell, Jahannam, these days without Walaa and Baraa has become to
many like an abandoned dwelling that no one enters, it is just there to be
there, no one is going to Hell. It is as if Allah, Maaath Allah, created it in
vain, that is basically what they are saying. Maaath Allah, Taaal Allahu
An Thaalika Aluwan Kabeera.
What is the result of that distorted teaching? The first generation of
Muslims without Walaa and Baraa will hold some ground to Laa ilaaha
illallah, possibly. Second generation, third generation possibly, may have
the smell of Laa ilaaha illallah. The fourth, fifth and ongoing will be
atheists, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, scientologist, whatever you
want, they have it without Walaa and Baraa. That is all because of the
deficiency in Walaa and Baraa, because it is your religious identity, that
is what it is. Walaa and Baraa is our religious uniqueness as Muslims,
Walaa and Baraa is our personality.
Fifteen years ago, I was at a lecture and a famous lecturer gave a very
popular talk that he always goes around giving about the early on Muslims
in this country and early on Masaajid. He had a projector with pictures of
old Masaajid, that particular lecture was about Muslims who came from
overseas as slaves and those who embraced Islam in this country and he
had some real, solid evidence of the existence of Islam very early on.
Everyone was so happy to hear the Masaajid back in the 1800s or even
before that or after that, I do not remember.
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And after the lecture we sat down to eat, I said those Masaajid are gone
but where are those communities of Muslims? Where are the Muslims?
Where are the descendants of those Muslims that you have been talking
about for the past hour and a half? I know and I understand that
structures and Masaajid burn down, they fall, they deteriorate over time,
but what Masjid did the congregation transfer to? Where on earth are
those people you are talking about, where are their descendants? Those
Muslims you were talking about in the 1800s, they were all barren, they
did not have no kids that we can see today? If they were barren I can
understand that, they did not have kids so that means there is no Muslim
kids that came out of them.
According to the numbers that he was talking about, for example the
overwhelming majority of African Americans are supposed to be Muslim
and there is more than that from other origins. Muslims should be way
more, I want to know where they are at, it is impossible that they all were
barren, they could not conceive kids. He said that is a good question, I do
not know, there should be studies done on that. I said do you not think
over the decades and the centuries, they were washed out of Islam? I am
going to save you some time, you do not got to do no studies, do you not
think they were washed out of time?
No Walaa and Baraa embedded in their hearts. And look this, if this was
back in the days where there was merely no Walaa and Baraa due to
ignorance, imagine how it is today and what your kids are going to turn
out to be when it is not only ignorance in Walaa and Baraa, it is a full
blown war on the teachings of Laa ilaaha illallah and Walaa and Baraa.
The bombshells falling on Walaa and Baraa by those who claim to be of
our own, claiming to be Muslim and Duaat and Shuyookh, are more
dangerous, more lethal than the bombshells that fall on the heads of the
innocent brothers and sisters throughout the world. Wallahil-Adheem,
there is a war on Walaa and Baraa, Wallahil-Adheem. Do not get me
wrong, enemies of Islam, they always had an issue with Islam and they
always had an issue with Walaa and Baraa. It is nothing new and it is
nothing to be surprised about, but now the problem is with the
Munaafiqeen of our Ummah that claim to be followers of this Ummah, who
are spreading a contaminated form of Walaa and Baraa, a lethal dosage
of Walaa and Baraa that is going to take you out of your Islam.
Locally, my father was a founder of a local Masjid, he took the
responsibility of that Masjid and he was at the core of changing it. It was
built in the thirties but my father, may Allah subhaanahu wa taaala grant
him a long life full of deeds, was a main person in charge of it in the
sixties and the seventies, along with a Shaykh from Yemen who was one
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of the first graduates of the Islamic University of Madinah and came here
as a Daaiyah. May Allah raise his rank to Firdaws as I heard he died
recently and he left me some books when I was a young boy to read, one
of them was Kitaab At-Tawheed. The upper floor of that Masjid was a
Masjid, the bottom was a wedding hall where they have music and parties
and at times alcohol was served in it.
My father and this Imaam went over the Masjid and changed it to a Masjid,
upper and basement of it. I remember my father would go make Salah
and sit from Maghrib to Ishaa and on a good Jumuah, not on a good day,
on a good day Jumuah, there would be three to four old men and my
father would be the youngest and I was the only kid. At times, I remember
when they would sit in Maghrib and Ishaa and there was parties
downstairs. The old men would go downstairs, Wallah I remember, they
would go downstairs and tell them to lower the music for five minutes so
they can offer Maghrib or Ishaa, Wallahi I remember it as a kid.
The names and families of the founders of that Masjid in the thirties we
know, I just want you to do one thing, go do a study on what happened to
most of their grand kids. Where are they? What happened to them? I am
not going to talk about it, it is hurtful to talk about it but you are going to
be surprised at the results you are going to see. Do a study and come
back and tell me what you find.
I do not want to sit and make our precious moments of this Tawheed class
storytelling ones, but this needs to be told so you can know what Walaa
and Baraa is, to know the danger of having a deficiency in the belief in
Walaa and Baraa. It must be said like it is by the Ulamaa, by the
Shuyookh, by the Duaat, by the Muslims. Why? To discharge our duty
before our Lord and free ourselves from guilt before Allah when we meet
Him.
THE GOAL AND RESULT OF DILUTING WALAA AND

BARAA
Diluting this topic makes what every enemy of Islam wants, what is it they
want? They want Muslims that appear from the outside like they are
Muslims, a name Muslim, on his card he is Muslim, but inside they are like
a tree trunk that is hollow and rotted out, that is what they want to see.
You look at the tree, you think it is nice, it is beautiful, big, you get close
and you see a hole in it, and the slightest breeze or push or touch will
blow it down to the ground, that huge trunk that you thought was strong.
The enemies of Islam hate this topic with a passion, why? It is nearly close
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to impossible to take someone out of Islam into another faith, it happens, I

am not going to deny, but it is extremely rare, very rare. It is very difficult
to get a Muslim and take him out of their faith into another faith. Tawheed
is very heavy on the hearts, Laa ilaaha illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah
leaves a deep impact on the heart when one believes in it.
A Daaiyah told me once that Evangelists or missionaries went to a very
impoverished, poverty, drought stricken Muslim town or towns and they
had a crew of doctors and loads of food and medicine, construction
workers and equipment. You know how parents are when their kids get
sick, they get desperate for help from anyone and they are probably at
times willing to do anything for it. They brought these simple vaccinations
for the kids and they helped the kids and when they would help or do
anything they have a picture of what they claim is Isa alayhis-salaam
and they this is from your lord Isa. They helped them reconstruct their
mud houses, they helped them bring food, they helped them every step of
the way and every step of the way they would tell them this is from Isa,
your lord.
Finally before they were about to leave, they were done and they thought
these people graduated, they thought they had them, they had a goodbye
party. They brought generators and they wanted to show them a movie on
the projectors, and these people do not know what electricity is, now
suddenly they are watching movies on a projector. And the projector
brings an image of what they claim is Isa alayhis-salaam and the
projector brings this image closer and closer and you know the picture
gets bigger and bigger and the Evangelist, the Crusader tells them, this is
the son of Allah or this is Allah, this is the one who brought and cured and
this and this for you. Just when they thought they had them, one of the
leaders of those tribes innocently jumped up in astonishment when he
seen what they claim is Allah, he jumped up in astonishment, he said
Laaaa ilaaha illallah! That is Allah?! In astonishment, the word Tawheed
came out of his tongue. They had hope but it did not work because Laa
ilaaha illallah leaves an impact on the heart, it is extremely difficult to
take Laa ilaaha illallah out of the hearts.
So number one, Laa ilaaha illallah is difficult to take out of the hearts.
Number two, many knowledgeable in their falsified scripture, those who
really know what they are talking about and their scriptures, fear that a
Muslim or even an ex Muslim is not worthy of joining their religion. We do
not want these people, so what is the solution? We do not want them as
Muslims, but we do not want them in our faith. The goal of the haters, the
conclusion is, not to take Muslims into their faith, but rather to take
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Muslims out of their faith. Just take Muslims out of their faith and let them
run like wild animals astray in the wilderness.
This is why they openly intervened in Muslim countries and Muslim
curriculums, namely in the lands of the Haramayn, our holiest, to remove
and delude this topic of Walaa and Baraa in their curriculum. They
ordered in particular that the authorities in the lands of the Haramayn
remove and change the curriculum of Walaa and Baraa in the grade
school, and even in the universities. This is public facts, I am not saying
anything from my own. This is not hidden, this is not made up, go
research it and you will see, it started or intensified or it got to the media
around 2003 and then in 2006 and 2007. The stooges and subordinates in
Bilaad al-Haramayn said to their masters, what they should have said to
Allah, they said to their masters, we hear and we adhere, we will take care
of it. In fact, it got to a point where even Saalih al-Fawzaan openly and
publicly stood up against this matter and objected to the change in the
curriculum in public, wrote against it.
And after the curriculum changed and matters changed, over time they
made out of Makkah, a centre to call for interfaith. They mask it with this
dialogue baloney, but it is really interfaith. I collected and wrote an article
on our old site, I do not know what happened to the article, if you
remember, I gathered thirty names of thirty Ulamaa in the lands of the
Arabian Peninsula who called someone Kaafir or Kufr who believe or adopt
or promote interfaith. There is even a Fatwa by the official Ulamaa,
Hayah al-Kibaar al-Ulamaa, considering it Kufr. Wallahi one scholar who
the Murjiah attribute themselves to in the lands of Haramayn said,
whoever calls for interfaith is worse than Jews and Christians. Every main
aspect of interfaith is aimed to attack and demolish our Aqeedah and
Walaa and Baraa, the purpose of interfaith is to destroy Walaa and
Baraa, I am going to be clear with you.
Now we have the Duaat who we call Ruwaybidhah ( ), their
ultimate purpose has become to demolish the Aqeedah of Laa ilaaha
illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah. They use interfaith as a sneaky way to
mask their demolition of Walaa and Baraa and the true authentic belief
of Laa illaha illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah, or rather Islam because
Islam is Walaa and Baraa and Walaa and Baraa is Islam. These
Ruwaybidhah have made fools out of themselves, even to the Kuffaar
themselves, the ones they aim to please. I heard of experts, this week an
expert on what they claim is radical Islam and terrorism, or what they call
terrorism, he said in the West they have been teaching such a deluded
form of Islam that it is no longer making sense to the youth, rather it is
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generating an opposite of what it was intended to do, it is creating

Jihaadists. This is an expert saying this, making fun of them.
Many of the Duaat and Shuyookh today who are anti Walaa and Baraa,
deluded in the teaching and taint the version of Islam and work for the
enemies of Islam, twelve years ago this week those same men appeared
in their teaching, as solid on Walaa and Baraa as can be. Notice I say
appeared, a Muslim does not moult, they appeared twelve years ago to be
solid on Walaa and Baraa. They appeared, meaning if you go back twelve
years ago to their recordings and before that, it will refute what they are
barking about today and what they have been poisoning the Ummah with
in the past twelve years. I do not think you need a rocket scientist to tell
you what changed, you can guess on your own. This is Duaat not only in
the West, but in the East there is just as many, if not more. Look at their
faces and look at their Aqeedah twelve years ago and before that, and
look at them today, look at them and listen to them now. They clipped
their Walaa and Baraa so Allah clipped their appearance from the honour
of looking like the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Compare and analyse and think, now do not tell me they are the
Shaafiees of our time, they seen circumstances and they recanted and
because of different circumstances, different situations, they changed like
a Shaafiee. I heard them use it, a lot use this excuse, I personally heard
some of them use it. They say we are like ash-Shaafiee, in Iraq he had his
own Madhab then he went to Egypt, people and circumstances were
different so he had a totally different Madhab for the people in Egypt
there. Ash-Shaafiee fil-Qadeem, ash-Shaafiee fil-Jadeed (
) . They make it as if ashShaafiee Rahimahullah established laws of Islam for Iraq where he was,
and a different set of laws of Islam for the people in Egypt, because of
different circumstances, different nature, different people. I am going
address that later on but that is one of their claims, but look with me.
TWO ATHAAR REGARDING THOSE WHO CHANGE IN

THEIR BELIEF
In Ibn Abi Shaybah and al-Haakim fil-Mustadarak, Hudhayfah Ibn alYamaan, you know who Hudhayfah is, the trustee of the secrets of the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he said, listen to what he said:
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...
Hudhayfah said, if you want to know if you were hit by a Fitnah by Allah, if
Allah misguided you, you want to test it, if you want to know, then look.
He gave us a test to see if Allah hit one of us with Fitnah or not, if Allah
misguided one.
...

...
If he used to deem matters Halaal, that he used to regard as Halaal, and
now he changed it, he flipped it.

...
...

Or matters that he made Haraam which he used to deem Halaal, then he
has been hit with a Fitnah by Allah. What Hudhayfah means, not an
innocent person learning and he finds out this is Haraam and Halaal, or a
Shaykh on one issue here or there, over time finds out the proof was not
authentic or something like that. What Hudhayfah means by switching the
Haraam to Halaal and the Halaal to Haraam, he means those who change
their Haraam to Halaal and their Halaal to Haraam to make it easy and
pleasurable to them and to please others who are not Muslims, that is
what he means.
And worse than that is those who change their Aqeedah, if he is talking
about Haraam and Halaal and Halaal and Haraam, worse than that is
those who change their Aqeedah. What a coincidence, the sudden
changes in the principles of Islam so suddenly, so drastically all happened
twelve years, what is going on here? What happened? Did they all
suddenly get some type of revelation we do not know about? What was it
that happened that their Aqeedah so suddenly changed, drastic change
overnight?
In another narration in Musannaf Abdur-Razzaaq and in Sunan al-Bayhaqi,
Abu Masood al-Badri entered upon Hudhayfah. Abu Masood al-Badri
walked in on the Sahaabi Hudhayfah, the same Sahaabi we are talking
about, the holder of the secrets of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam. He said advise me, he is seeking advice from the man the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam trusted with secrets. He said:
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Do not be like a snake shedding skin in the Deen of Allah. The skin of a
Muslim does not moult in the Deen of Allah, the moulting in the Deen of
Allah by some Duaat has become a topic of mockery to the non Muslim
journalists and to the non Muslim experts in these matters. Being firm on
the correct way is an honour, say Alhamdulillah if you are on the firm way
and you have been on it, Wallahil-Adheem it is the biggest blessing you
could get.
: ...

It is an honour many had but Allah deemed them unworthy of it, so He

stripped many of that honour and kept the very few. Those who bolster in
interviews about having been on the Aqeedah of the Sahaabah and now
they left it, they bolster about that today, do not bolster big boy, do not
bolster about that big boy. Wallahil-Adheem, following in the footsteps of
the Sahaabah was an honour, Allah the Almighty stripped you from it.
Who keeps people firm on the right Aqeedah and who takes them away
from the right Aqeedah? Allah tells His own beloved sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam:
:
Muhammad, you would have been misguided if Allah did not keep you on
the right guided path. Had We not made you stand firm oh Muhammad,
you would have nearly inclined to them a little. That is talking to the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
An Arabic poet who seen changes in his scholars in his area said:

Your friends are no longer what you used to see them as, they went
through phases and phases of moulting and changing. As Fitan go on, as
the snow keeps melting, and the more you will see of the reality of many
more. That is the great benefit of the struggles that the Ummah goes
through, the snow melts, you see what is under it.
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: ...

Do you not know, do you not see, those who went twelve years ago from
teaching Tawheed and Shirk and Walaa and Baraa to becoming suddenly
like Gloria Borger wannabes, the chief analyst of CNN. You look left and
right and in front of you and behind you, where are the people of the
Haqq? And that reminds me of a statement Shaykh Kishk Rahimahullah
used to say back in the sixties, he used to say the real and true Islam is
behind the prison walls.
A SPECIAL CATEGORY OF CARRIERS OF

KNOWLEDGE
There are the few, there are the pure, there are many of them but they
are a few, regardless of their number they are the few. They are the pure
and they are the prophecy of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, let me conclude with this Hadith. Listen to this Hadith, a prophecy
of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Even though some spoke about
the chain of authenticity of this Hadith, it is authenticated by many and
among them is Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned
this Hadith is Miftaah Daaris-Saaadah. You will find good talk on the chain
of authenticity and its narration in Takhreej Ahaadith Mishkaat AlMasaabeeh (
) .
It is on the authority of Usaamah Ibn Zayd, Abu Hurayrah, Ibn Masood, Ali,
Ibn Umar, Muadh and other Sahaabah. A prophecy and an honour for a
category of people of knowledge, may Allah subhaanahu wa taaala allow
us to be amongst them. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

...

There will be just, credible descendants who carry this knowledge from
their forefathers. A praise from the Prophet for the few, the righteous that
carry on this Deen as pure as it was when it was first revealed to the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. What is their main
duties? What is their characteristics? In this Hadith the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam mentions three characteristics, three qualities of these
people that he praised and glorified, they are worthy of praise and glory
because of three characteristics.
Number one:
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...
...

The first characteristic has Ghaal ( )in it, Ghaal is one who exceeds
his limits in matters pertaining to religion, meaning those who go extreme.
They are for example like the Khawaarij who went to an extreme and they
took texts intended to be geared for example to the Kuffaar and put it on
the sinners of the Ummah, they went to an extreme. The Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam warned about Ghulu ( )which is the word
similar to extreme, in Ibaadah as well. When he said why do certain
people do this and this and that, in the famous Hadith. You see that in
Takfeer, you see that in Walaa and Baraa. You see those who do a
domino affect on Takfeer among Muslim inhabitants of an entire nation,
and I would not believe it if I did not hear it myself. An entire nation, they
consider them Kuffaar, a domino affect.
There is this Ghulu in this topic, in Walaa and Baraa, some went to an
extreme, especially lately when the Ulamaa no longer began to teach this
topic and then the West put a ban on it thinking they are smart. In the
East, they did not let them teach it in the East. So many young brothers
went out on their own reading the text or second hand text of Ibn
Taymiyyah and Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab and some few, few, may
have went to Ghulu in it. Many who have never touched the original works
of Ibn Taymiyyah first hand, use snippets of his work to declare Muslims
Kuffaar in totality. Like I said, I would not believe if I did not hear it myself,
one person who declared an entire nation Kuffaar.
I read the works of Ibn Taymiyyah several times, from the first to the last.
Every time you read it, it is mind boggling. You need giants to break it
down for you, you need to be careful and have thorough knowledge of his
style, as well as comprehensive reading of his entire work or at least
comprehensive reading of his entire work on the area you are trying to
talk about, especially with Ibn Taymiyyah. To understand his Fataawa on
crucial matters, you need to gather the shattered Fataawa throughout his
Majmoo and you have to take them collectively to understand. And then
go and understand who he was talking about in each Fatwa to understand
the circumstances behind the Fatwa, if you want to adopt it, if you want to
go by it. Today you see those, some, not many Alhamdulillah, who take
from second hand booklets, translated languages, and then want to
declare an entire nation Kuffaar. You can take statements out of context
from the Imaams of Najd and merely declare everyone who is living in the
West today a Kaafir, Maaath Allah that they say that or that we say that
or that anyone would say that, but I am just saying you can take certain
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statements out of context. That is why it is essential to study these books

with the Ulamaa.
So the first characteristics of the people that the Hadith mentions, is:
...
...

They protect and guard this religion from the distortion of taking matters
to an extreme.
The second characteristic:

...

...
Wallahil-Adheem it is as if the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is
sitting amongst you here today, talking to you, telling you this Hadith.
Prophecy of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and it is true today.

...
...

Are those who take the text out of its context and bend and twist its
meaning to suit their desires. They crop the proof out like you crop a
photo in a Photoshop program, like woe to those who pray, and put a
period there.

:

And stop. A more practical example is Walaa and Baraa for example,
those who take one category of Walaa and Baraa, crop it from the other
categories and make it as if it is the only branch of Walaa and Baraa that
there is. And we will talk about it Inshaa Allah next Halaqah. Part of Walaa
and Baraa as many Ulamaa mentioned and you can read it in al-Qarraafi
who mentioned it in his book Al-Farooq, part of it is to be peaceful, kind, to
non warrior non Muslims, Ahl ath-Thimmah, that is part of Walaa and
Baraa. In fact, at times Muslims are responsible before Allah to defend the
non Muslims, they got to put their life at stake for that. Al-Qarraafi
mentioned this in Walaa and Baraa when he speaks about this matter.
Now you got the modernists who take that category, crop it out from the
rest of Walaa and Baraa and teaching and make it seem like it is all of
Walaa and Baraa. It is as if the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is
here teaching you.
The third characteristic of the people the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam praised of with knowledge, are those who protect knowledge from
Taweel al-Jaahileen. First one was those who protect the teaching from
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Ghulu, from extreme. The second one was who protect it from the likes of
the modernists, who crop and bend and twist the proofs to suit their
desires and their masters at times. The third category is about those who
are ignorant, they are some what ignorant, who speak in ignorance.
...

These are those who are ignorant, they misrepresent text, they interpret it
wrong. All of them have no knowledge, because they are ignorant. They
have no knowledge and they have no foresight, they hit you with verse
after verse and Hadith after Hadith not even knowing what the Ulamaa
said about them and not even knowing if they are abrogated or not. Those
are the ignorant people, some may not mean to be evil but their actions
speak for themselves, and some are really evil, ignorant people. They
have in common, both of them, the evil and non evil, they have in
common that they speak without knowledge and they are the likes of
those I mentioned a brief talk about when I said who is not a Shaykh
today. If you look at for example eating swine, drinking alcohol, you will
see there is exceptions where one can eat and drink that if there is a
necessity, if there is a Daroorah. But speaking about Allah without
knowledge, there is no exception to it.

:

...
Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal commenting on this Hadith, he said

Alhamdulillah in every era, Allah has those few who call people to the
correct guidance and deter people from evil. How many killed by Iblees
did they bring back to life, how many slaughtered by the Shaytaan did
they bring back to life, how many astray and misguided did they bring
back to the right path. How beautiful is their affect on people, they are the
honourable guardians of the Deen of Allah, and then he mentions the
statements of this Hadith.
CONCLUSION OF HALAQAH
In conclusion for today, I want to say Walaa and Baraa is at the core
meaning of Laa ilaaha illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah, after the
Tawheed of Allah, one of the top meanings after the oneness of Allah.
Walaa and Baraa is the identity of a Muslim, Walaa and Baraa is the
armour that protects the descendants from changing their faith decades
and centuries from now, you got to look to that and plan from now and
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have the proper belief in Walaa and Baraa. They hate Walaa and Baraa
so much because it is the identity of a Muslim that they do not want us to
have, they want our religion to melt in their melting pot, that is what they
want.
Before I started the class today, I asked you all a question when we were
having the little talk, I said what is the biggest rival football teams. You
said in Michigan it is Michigan Vs. Michigan State. And on the professional
level you told me, it is The Pittsburgh Steelers Vs. The Baltimore Ravens. I
am not here to talk about sports, I am here to make a point, I am not
trying to keep up about sports and it does not interest me at all Wallahi,
but I am trying to make a point. What would you say if I was a player on
the field for the Pittsburgh Steelers, wearing the shoulder pads, the
helmet and all the gear, and I intentionally pass the ball to The Baltimore
Ravens, what do you say about me? What do the hundreds and thousands
in those stands say? Or imagine I am benched, I am a player benched, I
am sitting at the bench drinking the water and I play for the Pittsburgh
Steelers, and my heart gets delighted and happy and I cheer and jump up
and clap and jump up and down every time The Baltimore Ravens score.
What do you think about me? Or I am on the team of the Pittsburgh
Steelers but when they come to interview me, I keep praising and
glorifying The Baltimore Ravens and say they are the best, they are the
most qualified, they are the greatest, they are the strongest, they are the
sincerest, what do you call me?
A traitor, that is the characteristics of a traitor, a treasonist, a
collaborationist, that is what it is. That is Walaa and Baraa, those deviant
Shuyookh of today want you to call yourself Muslim but cheer and praise
and love and support everyone but your own side, the side of Laa ilaaha
illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah. The world today wants Walaa and
Baraa snatched out of your hearts, not because of harm it did to them but
because of what Allah said in the Quran:

:
Many of the People of Scripture wish that they could turn you away as
disbelievers after you have believed. Why, why do they want to do that?
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Why do they want that Walaa and Baraa out of our hearts? Out of envy
from their own selves, Hasadan (

) , even after the truth has become

manifest and known to them.

...

Forgive and overlook until Allah brings His command.
We will continue Inshaa Allah next Halaqah with this topic.
CLASS TWENTY ONE

We continue on our Tawheed class and this topic is a continuation of
Walaa and Baraa and let me say that each point we mention or even sub
point that we mention, is worthy of an independent class or even possibly
many classes or lessons. The explanation of elucidation that we do
expounds on the book more than any of the Ulamaa that taught me and I
told you in the beginning that I have learned it with many of the Ulamaa.
The reason we expound to this extent is because this is our first chapter
as part of an on going curriculum that we plan, Inshaa Allah Taaala. We
are building a foundation and it saves us time in the future when we could
refer to matters that we took here or at least, the least of it is it will make
difficult matters that we may be studying in the future, easier to
understand and comprehend. Nasalullaha An Yutimma Ala Khayr (
) .
I make this comment here in response to the many brothers and sisters
who ask to elaborate on issues of interfaith. Since interfaith is nothing but
a cannon directed at Laa ilaaha illallah and Walaa and Baraa, they have a
right to ask, that that is a very good question and Inshaa Allah like I said
we will probably do classes just for that.
TYPES OF PEOPLE WHO PROMOTE INTERFAITH

Those who attend interfaith or go to programs under the banner and
platform of interfaith, those are one of two categories. They are either
ignorant people who may love Dawah but they are ignorant, they love to
spread Islam and they think that is the proper way to do it, that is their
ideal way of doing it or one of their ways of doing it. Those are the type of
people who should temporarily withdraw from Dawah and the Dawah
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field and arena and sit back and learn, before they misguide and get sins
instead of the deeds that they are expecting. We are pro Dawah, I said it
many times, our life roams around it. I said convey what you know of Ilm,
that is true, solid Ilm. No matter how much you know, even if it is a little
bit, convey it. We spoke in this class on how to be kind and wise in
conveying the Dawah so you can open the hearts and your message can
reach them, but interfaith and Dawah are two opposites.
A group of those who promote this and attend these and their platforms,
they are Islamically untaught. Their idea of Dawah is a photo shoot sitting
and standing with a priest and a Rabbi and then at the end of the day
returning to their wives on a full meal, thinking they have accomplished
something big in Dawah. They have accomplished nothing more than
getting the title of being total losers as a declaration by Allah from on top
of seven skies.

Allah says to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, shall We tell you,
the greatest of the losers?

They are those whose efforts have been wasted in this life, while they
thought that they were acquiring good by their deeds. They thought they
were doing good deeds and acquiring good deeds but in reality what they
were doing was sins. They are losers, Allah said they are losers.
If one does not know the difference between Dawah and interfaith, the
origin and root and history behind it, there is a history behind it. If one
does not know that, how it started in Judaism and how it started in
Christianity and then how some of the so called Muslims began to
promote it and who and why and their agenda, it is a history behind it,
then one at the end then he goes to interfaith and blames you, why you
talk about interfaith, I am doing Dawah, these are true losers. They do
not know what they are doing, they are accumulating sins and thinking
they are doing something noble which is Dawah. They are ignorant and
they should withdraw until they learn, ask them the history behind it, they
could never tell you.
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The second is the category of those who promote the history and the
ideology behind it. The second is those who promote it with knowledge of
aspects of it, or believers of it, and like I say, that is a total belief yet they
still promote it. These are the Ruwaybidhah and the Munaafiqeen of this
Ummah and of our time, they believe in this ideology, they are the ones
that help the enemies of Islam stop the spread of the true, real Islam, The
Islam. They are seeking a version of Islam that pleases the enemies of
Islam, when in fact they are supposed to please Allah.
NEVER WILL THE JEWS NOR THE CHRISTIANS BE

PLEASED WITH YOU
Listen to what Allah says:

: ...

It is a verse in the Quran. Never will the Jews and Christians be pleased
with you sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Allah is telling the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, until you follow their religion. So now if followers of any
faith or ideology or religion, they say that Muslim, that preacher, that
Shaykh, that group, that organisation, that is good, they are not Muslims
and they say that, that means one of two things. That means either
number one, they are liars, they are just saying that. Or number two, if
they are truthful, that means that person, that Shaykh, that organisation
is not on the path and the Islam of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
because Allah said:
...

Allah does not lie.
: ...

...

: ...

So if they will never be pleased with you, should we join them? The next
part of the Ayah, what do we do? Allah keeps giving us guidance, Allah
says:
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...

: ...

Tell them the guidance, all the guidance, the only guidance, is the
guidance of Allah. Do not follow in that interfaith and in their footsteps, all
the guidance is the guidance of Allah. Interfaith is a Kufr ideology, Dawah
is the path of our beloved Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Comparing between the two is like attempting to compare between apples
and oranges, the oranges being the interfaith and a rotten orange for that
fact.

:

Never will they be equal, they are not equal, the things that are filth, the
filth can never be equal to the good. The filth for example like interfaith
can never be equal to the good, Tayyib, like Dawah.

...

...
The next part of the verse is, even though the abundance of the filth may dazzle
you. When you look around, actually that is what scores points for Duaat today.

...

...
Even if it dazzles you.
THE STATEMENT OF ABUL-WAFAA IBN AQEEL

Abul-Wafaa Ibn Aqeel who died 513 years after the Hijrah said:
...

If you want to see the status of Islam in any era.
...
...

Do not look to how crowded they are at the doors of the Masaajid.

...

...
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Nor look at their loud wailing of Labbayk during Hajj, that is not what you
look at.

...

...

Rather, look to their status in Walaa and Baraa. So he is saying, if you
want to see the status of Islam in an era, do not go to the doors of the
Masjid to see how crowded they are over there. Do not go see how loud
they are in Labbayk, go to their level of Walaa and Baraa and see what
level it is at.
Like I said last week, Walaa and Baraa was such a simple matter until the
underdeveloped minds wanted to give their input and cast doubts, so the
Ulamaa had to stand up and show the pure form of this matter. Now we
have the modernists and all kinds of groups who have been casting
doubts and if we respond to them, we would stay here in this topic for
weeks to come. I advise those who can read in Arabic and I am not sure if
it is translated, a great book on this topic by Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd on
interfaith, may Allah raise his rank to Firdaws. And there is also another
book better than that one, a four volume, in depth book by a professor
called al-Qaadhi, on interfaith, amazing book that talks in depth about it.
A RESPONSE TO THOSE WHO SHED IN THEIR

AQEEDAH AND CLAIM TO BE LIKE ASHSHAAFIEE
The next point I want to mention, I mentioned last class that many had
drastic change in their Walaa and Baraa in the past decade and they
moulted in their belief like snakes moult their skin. We spoke on that, this
happened in both the Muslim world and in the west, in the past decade or
so. What I needed to finish off mentioning, that I said I will talk about, is
that some of them attribute their drastic change in Walaa and Baraa and
justify it by using the change of ash-Shaafiee in his Madhab. Some of
them, you hear them say we changed like ash-Shaafiee changed, ashShaafiee changed, we changed.
What happened is ash-Shaafiee basically has two Madhabs. Initially in his
early part of his life, he was in Iraq, he had his rulings, his teachings, his
writings and his students there. Then he travelled to Masr later on in his
life, then he had his rulings, teachings and writings and students there.
Many of those who changed in their Aqeedah say they changed like ashShaafiee changed. Let me respond quickly to that so we will not be fooled
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by that, oh yeah ash-Shaafiee changed so yeah later on you want to

change your Deen and moult in your Deen, you can change.
Ibn al-Qayyim in Ilaam Al-Muwaqqieen ( ) said a
Faqeeh, to give a ruling, in addition to the textual knowledge of the
Quran, Sunnah, Ijmaa, he has to know the tradition, the timing and the
custom, the settings that surround the matter he is going to be talking
about. A Faqeeh must know that, but that is in Fiqh. Aqeedah does not
change and even in Fiqh, the entire Madhab does not change like ashShaafiee changed, based on traditions or customs or timings or places. It
may be a few issues that those timings and settings and the people and
the status, a few issues that may affect them, may, you have to know it.
The change that happened with the Madhab of ash-Shaafiee was due to
exposure to more proof, because when he left Iraq, he went and
accumulated more proof. Number one, if you analyse the Madhab of ashShaafiee, he did not change after he got to Egypt, his reform and change
began before he left Iraq. Right before he left Iraq he began to change,
the change in Iraq before he left to Egypt was because more proof was
reaching him. His change was not to make the inhabitants of a country
happy or make it easier or to please authorities or anything of that nature,
it was because of more exposure to proof and it started where? It started
in Iraq.
Second point, had ash-Shaafiee intended on making two Madhabs, one
for each country that he was at, one in Iraq, one in Masr, based on
traditions or to please western authorities there or whatever it may be,
what other factor they may claim, he would have said I wrote this in Egypt
and that is for Egypt and what I had wrote in Iraq, that is for Iraq. Had he
said that, we would have understood that every country has its own
circumstances and different set of rulings from the Quran and Sunnah.
That is not ash-Shaafiee, that is not the way ash-Shaafiee works. AshShaafiee actually is quoted as saying the opposite to that, because that is
now how ash-Shaafiee works. Ash-Shaafiee is quoted, az-Zarkashi in AlBahr Al-Muheet ( ) quotes ash-Shaafiee saying it is
prohibited for anyone to narrate any of my old Madhab when I was in Iraq.
He did not base his new change on circumstances, climate, lifestyles and
wishes of the people, or to make it easier to please authorities, but rather
on more proof that he was exposed to. He clearly abrogated his old
Madhab.
A third point on this matter, had it been that he changed because different
Fatwas suit different people in different countries, his students who know
him best in Iraq would have kept promoting his work in Iraq and they did
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not do that. Number four, the real, genuine followers of ash-Shaafiee and
they know him best, never mentioned that he changed because of a
different country or different people or circumstances or any of that. In
fact, if you analyse and read carefully you would realise that when and if
his students adopted opinions from his old Madhab, because some of his
students became Mujtahideen. If any of them adopted opinions from his
old Madhab that he changed from because they deemed it strong, they
adopted that opinion because as Mujtahideen they deemed that opinion
strong, they would take that opinion but not attribute it to their Shaykh
because he retracted his entire Madhab. If they preferred one of his old
opinions and they chose it, because they are Mujtahideen, they would use
it without attributing that to him, why? Because he abrogated it, they are
doing it on their own, they do not want to attribute something to him that
he did not want.
Fifth point, if ash-Shaafiee changed his Fiqh based on change of countries
and nature of people or circumstances or whatever reason people claim, if
it was not based on proof, then he would have said only the people of
Egypt follow this Madhab and if you are in Iraq, follow the Madhab in Iraq,
and no one else. He would not have allowed followers from any portion
outside of that country where he was in, to follow the Madhab he was
forming and teaching and outlining. That never happened, in fact anNawawi Rahimahullah, you know that he is a Shaykh, Shaafiee, Imaam in
the Shaafiee Madhab, he said in his book Al-Majmoo, any time you see
two opinions for ash-Shaafiee, the correct opinion is the new one,
meaning the one where he was after he travelled.
The seventh point I wanted to mention on this matter is that those who
use the Shaafiee change, when they say it, they say it to justify their
change of being astray and to making matters easy or popular, they will
choose the popular matter at that time to please others, because that
scores points. They do that even if it is against the Quran and the
Sunnah, so they want to make matters easy to please people. Not only do
they do it in Fiqh, they took it a step up to doing it in Aqeedah and it is
bad in both, to please people, make it easier, Yassiru. But if you analyse
the works of ash-Shaafiee in Egypt and Iraq, his overall views in the new
Madhab are considered harsher, tougher, so he changed to a harsher view
and he did not shed out of his principles in Aqeedah. How so? Look at his
Usool, his principles that he founded his new Madhab on, the changes that
took affect.
A, in his new Madhab he based a lot on precaution, when you base a lot
on precaution that makes matters tougher. B, he did not use the principle
of al-Masaalih al-Mursalah (
), the consideration of
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public interest which makes matters slightly easier, he did not use that in
his new Madhab. C, Urf (), he used more of text that reached him
over Urf which is custom. You understand more what I mean when he
changed those principles, how he changed to a harsher view, not harsher
but the correct view, but it was harsher than the old view.
In Iraq he used to for example dislike using silver and gold plates, when he
went to Masr he said it is Haraam. So in Iraq it was Makrooh, in Masr it is
Haraam, he changed to a harsher view. In Iraq he adopted that if one
forgets al-Faatihah in Salah, he does not have to make it up. In Egypt he
said one must make it up, meaning if you remember afterwards you have
to make it up, so he changed to a harsher view. In Iraq he used to say that
washing from the saliva of a dog is not obligatory, it is not Waajib. When
he went to Masr he changed to the opinion that was obligatory, he went to
a harsher view so do not use ash-Shaafiee as justification. Another
example, in Iraq he used to say if one does not follow the order in Wudhu,
like if he does his feet before his face, that is acceptable in the Madhab, it
is not preferred but it is acceptable. When he went to Egypt, he said if you
do not do the Wudhu in order then that invalidates the Wudhu and you
must repeat it. In Iraq he used to say that ones sleeping does not negate
Wudhu, when he got to Egypt he changed that view and he said sleeping
negates ones Wudhu.
In Iraq he ruled that if a woman has a husband, you know how they used
to go on a journey back then, sometimes they would not return, he said
after four years expire, she can consider him dead and do the Iddah
automatically. His new Madhab in Egypt, he ruled that she cannot make
her Iddah after four years nor marry, she has to keep waiting, absolutely
wait until he returns, it could be ten years or more. Of course there is
other ways around it but before he said automatically four years, now he
said no, not even four, ten years, it does not matter. Like I say there is
other detailed ways around the matter, where she can go to a Khaleefah
or a judge. This particular Fiqh matter has two opinions by Sahaabah, Ibn
Abbaas had the same view that ash-Shaafiee had in his old Madhab,
which is the easier of the two. Ibn Abbaas had his opinion in Iraq, four
years. There is another opinion on this matter by Ali Ibn Abi Talib
radhiallahu anhu, that she must wait no matter how long, which is the
harsher of the two. The opinion of Ali radhiallahu anhu is harsher than the
first one by Ibn Abbaas. There is a choice between the opinions of two
Sahaabah, in the new Madhab, he left the easier opinion. He could have
chose either one because this is the view of the Sahaabah, he chose the
opinion of you got to keep waiting and waiting, it could be ten years,
fifteen years.
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The point of all this is, do not disrespect ash-Shaafiee and change and
then claim that your change is like ash-Shaafiee. The change of ashShaafiee was because he left Iraq and he travelled through Makkah and
al-Hijaaz, and when he travelled he went through towns and he was
exposed to more proof, they had little to work with back then. His change
was in Fiqh not in Aqeedah and Walaa and Baraa, and when you ask
these people who change in Walaa and Baraa, they claim loosely, oh we
are like ash-Shaafiee.
Back then, they did not have an iPhone with six thousand volumes on it
and you could click search on a word and get all the references on that,
they had little to work with, they had to travel continents to get a Hadith.
Imaam Ahmad who is considered a student of ash-Shaafiee said as in
Manaaqib ash-Shaafiee by al-Bayhaqi, he said ash-Shaafiee began to
outline his new Madhab at the end of his time in Iraq, like I said earlier,
but he was not able to affirm it until he got to Egypt so stick to his
teachings in Egypt, and you know Imaam Ahmad is a student of ashShaafiee. Like I say, ash-Shaafiee changed because of exposure to more
proof and he changed to a harsher view, not for Nifaaq and pleasing the
enemies of Islam, and not even in Aqeedah, it was in the Fiqh matters.
THE WAR ON CHANGING ISLAMIC TERMINOLOGY

The next point that I wanted to talk about is, part of understanding Walaa
and Baraa today is to understand that there is a war on changing the
Islamic terminology, manipulating it, or deleting it and cancelling it out
altogether. It is both a Shaytaanic, Firawnic tactic, and the Munaafiqeen
of today follow in no other than the footsteps of the Shaytaan and Firawn.
They either change the terms or they change the meaning, the definition
of it, or they try to cancel it out. When the Shaytaan told Adam alayhissalaam to eat from the tree, he did not just say eat from the tree, he
masked it with something nice, made it look good.
...

:

Oh Adam, shall I lead you to the tree of eternity. He did not just say tree,
he said tree of eternity, making it seem like it is good. Shaytaanic
terminology, it is a scheme to convince one that something doomed is
actually good. That is how they convince people, changing the terms, the
Islamic titles, it is a prophecy by the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam.
Page | 464

In Sunan Abu Dawood.
There is another narration in Ibn Maajah:

These Hadith, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is saying there is
going to be a group in this Ummah who will drink alcohol, yet name it
some other name. Like alcohol and name it another name, and likewise
usury and name it interest. When you change the name of alcohol to
spirits or in Arabic they call it today Mashrubaat Roohiyyah (
), you feel a different feel about it. Khamr, you know all the Hadith
that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam cursed people for it, it hits
your heart, but when it is Mashrubaat Roohiyyah or spirits it is a different
thing. New names for Shoora for example, now they call Shoora
democracy, why? When you call Shoora democracy and democracy
Shoora, it justifies all the Kufr of democracy to seem like it is Islamic, it is
a mental game. Before saying anything they call it Shoora, it has already
manipulated the minds of the masses into thinking that Shoora is
democracy and the opposite so then everything about it is good. That is
good, we have a chapter about it, it is commanded.
You hear some who change and reform and they say Islam says you can
reform, we are reforming our speech. Then you look at it, it is not
reforming their speech or the way they are talking or presenting Islam,
they are in reality reforming the teachings of Islam, not the way they are
conveying it. There is room to use technology, to develop, I do not have to
use the same sentence you used to bring someone to Islam. We do not
have to use the same sentence, we do not have to use the same subject
to bring them to Islam, you can use English, you can use social media, but
there is no room to reform Islam or the teachings of Islam. What they have
been doing is reforming the teachings of Islam and saying oh I am just
reforming the way I am presenting it.
Firawn like the Shaytaan, as powerful as he was, he could not get the
control he got without using this devilish, Firawnic tactic, the ones that
the Munaafiqeen of today use. What did he say? He used to tell them:
Page | 465

:

...
I show you that which is the correct path, I am guiding you. Sabeel ar-

Rashaad (

) , the correct path, so now they take the correct
path as the path of Firawn. He changed Sabeel ar-Rashaad, the path of
right policy, to being his path. That is what the masses think, the ignorant
people assume it is Firawn, the right path. It is embedded in their mind,
he defined it as that. That changed the evil path to being the path of Musa
alayhis-salaam and Haroon. In fact he went to explicitly say so, when he
said:

: ...

...

Now when you see Musa and Haroon, oh those guys are magicians, they
are bewitched.
...
:

Then he went further to change the definition of Lord, to mean he himself,
so now when one says Lord, it is Firawn.
:

...

Changing and twisting the definitions of words, the Shaytaanic, Firawnic
tactic of yesterday and the Munaafiqeen tactic of today is to flip the
meanings of terms and give Islamic terminology new definition to cover
the truth, to dismiss the usage of the terms altogether. With that truth
becomes Nifaaq and Nifaaq becomes truth, and you do not know which is
which. Taaah is Fisq and Fisq is Taaah, you do not know what is going
because they played around with the terms and their definitions.
CHANGING THE TERMINOLOGY

BARAA
IN THE
AREA
OF
WALAA
AND
Changing and tampering with the terms is one of the biggest causes of
leading people astray in Aqeedah, in Walaa and Baraa, one of them. The
entire aspect today, I say today and in the west, the entire aspect of
changing the terms or their definition or deleting them, that aspect itself
is a missile aimed at Walaa and Baraa.
To give you this scenario, if you tell a true, knowledgeable Raafidhi of the
group of Rawaafidh that are closest to Ahlus-Sunnah, you know there is
many sects to ar-Rawaafidh, you tell him I do not believe in your twelve
Page | 466
Imaams like you do. They will tell you you are a Kaafir, if they know what
they are talking about. And if you do not want to hear it from them, go
open Al-Kaafi Al-Kulayni, one of their top references and it will clearly tell
you, if you do not believe what they believe and they have you know
special belief in them, then you are a Kaafir. You have to believe in all
twelve Imaams. If you tell a Christian I only believe in Isa as a Prophet,
not as in Allah or saviour or that he was crucified, to them you are a
Kaafir. They will tell you that, the ones who are truthful, they will tell you
that. In fact, you can do every imaginable sin and believe Isa is a saviour
to them and you have hope. You do all the good and you do not believe
that and they will believe that you are a Kaafir, you are a disbeliever.
Muslims have deemed a word Allah used, too harsh on their Namby
Pamby hearts. Every bit of mercy you see anywhere, you heard of or will
hear of in the future or that happened in the past from the time of the
creation until the time of the Judgment Day is one portion of a hundred
portions of the mercy of Allah, and He reserved ninety nine for the
Judgment Day. May Allah subhaanahu wa taaala grant us His mercy on
that Day. When they take Kaafir out of our vocabulary, they are tampering
with the terms and claiming that they have more mercy than the All
Merciful Who called them Kafara.
Kaafir is in the Quran, Kufr and Kaafireen and Kuffaar and Allatheena

Kafaru (
) . That is in the Quran more than four hundred

times. Just like the word Kaafir and its derivatives, Shirk and Mushrik and
its derivatives are in the Quran over two hundred times. Kuffaar is in the
Quran fourteen times, its plural Kaafireen is in the Quran fifty five times,
Allatheena Kafaru is in the Quran a hundred and fifty two times. A term
repeated so many times to know that a believer is a believer and a Kaafir
is a Kaafir. Part of Walaa and Baraa, you must know that, you must
believe that and you must believe in the terms too. In Kishaaf Al-Qinaa (
) by Bahuti, he said, and of course others said the same
thing, whoever does not believe one who took another religion, whoever
takes another religion out of Islam like Christianity of Judaism, whoever
takes those kind of religions, whoever does not believe that is a Kaafir,
then he is a Kaafir.
Those who want Kaafir out of our vocabulary or tamper its definition not
only claim with that act that they are doing, that they think that they are
more merciful than Allah, but they think they are in the position to
proofread and edit the Quran.
Page | 467

Whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from
him and in the Hereafter he will be among those who are losers. Whoever
chooses a path other than Islam. You cannot edit or change the Islamic
terminology, no matter how hard you try.
Look at the verse of Allah in the Quran:

: ...

He created you, some of you are disbelievers and some of you are
believers. Allah said there is two groups, there is no third, that is Walaa
and Baraa. Allah the Creator declared His creation are two groups, not a
third. Then you get one who is created from a despicable semen, saying
that no Yaa Allah I believe You got it wrong. Their actions say that, there is
a third category, and many of you heard that. Many of you asked me
about that because you have heard it elsewhere, that is in reality what
they are saying, Maaath Allah Wa Taaal Allahu An Thaalika Aluwan
Kabeera.
Ibn al-Qayyim back in the days wrote about this, he said about those who
play with the terminology, he said they added to the sin of committing a
sin, the sin of playing trickery with Allah. He said that is Khidaa (),
that is Ghish (), that is Nifaaq. That is deception, that is cheating,
that is hypocrisy, changing the terminology, but you know what he was
talking about? Back in the day, they were not playing with the terms of
Aqeedah. They were playing with the terminologies of prohibitions which
is bad as well, like alcohol, changing its name to justify it. He said in
addition to whatever sin they did, they added to it a bigger sin which is
playing trciker and games with Allah by changing the name. Imagine if he
lived to see those who are here today changing the terms, not in matters
of Halaal and Haraam, but at the core of Laa ilaaha illallah and words
inside the Quran. Ayyub said what do they think they are doing playing
tricks with Allah like kids play tricks with their parents, and of course he
was talking about the same things, matters of Halaal and Haraam.
Imagine if they lived to see in Aqeedah.
CATEGORIES OF WALAA AND BARAA

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The next point, so far we took number one for your outline, a brief
introduction. Number two, we took the statement of Abul-Wafaa Ibn
Aqeel on knowing the level of the Ummah by looking at their level of
Walaa and Baraa. Number three, we took a brief reply of those who shed
in their Aqeedah and then they claim they are like ash-Shaafiee. Number
four, we took the danger of playing games with Islamic terminology and
that that is a cannon aimed at Walaa and Baraa. Walaa and Baraa
protects the overall terminology of Islam, in general, and Walaa and
Baraa is to protect the real meanings in terms of matters that pertain
specifically to Walaa and Baraa, so it is a general and specific matter.
Now point number five is, I am going to give you a very simple and easy
way to understand and never forget the categories of Walaa and Baraa,
you have to know them all. Some pick and choose and that is why they go
astray in this matter.
THE FIRST CATEGORY: TAWALLI

Number one, Tawalli (), the scholars refer to it as Tawalli. Tawalli is
the Kufr category, the one that takes one, wal-Iyaathu Billah out of Islam.
This is what is meant in many proof on this, but the main proof or one of
the main proof is:

: ...

...
If anyone amongst you takes them as Awliyaa, then he is one of them.
One must be free and immune from the enemies of Allah and that which
they worship besides Allah.
Hudhayfah Ibn al-Yamaan, and we told you last week who Hudhayfah Ibn
al-Yamaan was, he said:

:
Hudhayfah said I warn you that one of your fear of becoming Jewish or
Christian, meaning that one of you fear leaving Islam without even
knowing it, without even perceiving it, and he recited:

: ...

...
Page | 469
Take a few examples to know. So we said this is a category that any proof
that you see where it is Kufr, then it is this category. Those of you who
write, write precisely or wait for the recording because a word could throw
you off with the examples. Let us take a few examples. One of them is for
example, love of Shirk. Love of Shirk in itself is a negator and a deficiency
in Walaa and Baraa. Another example, love of the people of Shirk for
their Shirk, that is automatically a negator. A third example, love of Kufr,
like the first one we mentioned, like Shirk. Even if he is by the Kabah
holding the gates of the Kabah, even if he is supplicating, that is a
negator. If one is on his prayer carpet offering Salah while at the same
time loves Kufr, we mean the belief Kufr, then he negated his Deen,
wal-Iyaathu Billah. The next one is similar, fourth one, love of the people
of Kufr for their Kufr. Love of the people of Kufr for their Kufr, even if one is
laying down in his bedroom or standing on the prayer carpet or holding on
the gates of the Kabah without doing anything, that in itself right there is
a negator, wal-Iyaathu Billah. You see why Hudhayfah warned? Because it
is a minor thing.
For this category, he does not have to help Kufr or promote the Kufr or join
them in their worship in their place of worship or any way support. That in
itself is a negator, there does not need to be additional factors. Another
fifth example, aiding the enemies of Islam to manifestation and
emergence over Islam negates ones Imaan. All these examples and
anything falling under this is Tawalli, this is the Kufr category. That is the
Kufr Akbar, the major Kufr that renders one an apostate, negating his
Deen. Note, aiding the enemies of Islam to manifest and emerge over
Islam, even if one hates Shirk and Kufr, that in itself is Kaafir. Aiding the
enemies of Islam to manifest and emerge over Islam, even if one really
hates Shirk and Kufr, that is a negator of his faith.
In more recent times, some people added a prerequisite to this one and
they said that if one aids the enemies of Islam to manifest and emerge
over Islam, that he is not a Kaafir unless he loves Kufr and Shirk. They
added, he has to love Kufr and Shirk. However in reality, love of Shirk and
Kufr in that scenario, that is not a prerequisite at all. The talk on the story
of Haatib Ibn Abi Baltaah which both sides use is very lengthy and we
really cannot go through it because it is very lengthy. If it happens that
one aids the enemies of Islam to emerge over Islam and at the same time
loves their Kufr, then he has fell in a combo of negators, two. Kufr on top
of Kufr, negator of aiding in the manifestation over Islam, and the negator
of loving Kufr. So then he fell in two, it is not a condition, it is two separate
ones.
Page | 470
Ibn Hazm mentioned the Ijmaa in his book Al-Muhalla, he mentioned the
verse:

: ...

...
He said that is a Kaafir, major Kufr, no two Muslims can disagree on that.

: ...

...
That is a Kaafir, major Kufr, no two Muslims can disagree on that. Ijmaa,
note here that we mentioned Ijmaa, Ijmaa is proof but not only is it proof
but it is decisive proof. It is one of three pillars of proof, Quran, Sunnah,
Ijmaa. Ijmaa means consensus and it is a clear, solid statement to prove
a matter, that means they agreed on it.
Ash-Shawkaani in his book Irshaad Al-Fuhool () , and this
is more of an Usool thing, or more of a book structure thing. AshShawkaani and Imaam al-Haramayn and the author of Al-Minhaaj, they
used to have the opinion or possibly not the opinion, but when they wrote,
they would mention Ijmaa before the verse and the Sunnah. They said
and the Ulamaa made consensus, and some of them actually had
statements that they do that. Why? Because Quran and Sunnah, the
proof, may have Taweel, it may be abrogated. We said some people can
go read a book from Sahih al-Bukhari and think it is proof and throw it at
an Aalim, and the Aalim will tell him that is abrogated. The meaning is
not like you see it, it has a different meaning. The verses of the Quran
and the Hadith, they are like that, but that is not how Ijmaa is. Ijmaa is a
clear statement, solid statement, firm and to the point, there is consensus
on this matter, and that is why they chose to mention that before. You
need to know that if you read books and many of you have started
reading books, to see why they mention that.
As it pertains to our class, there is a solid Ijmaa this matter, the matter of
the Kufr of the one who does Tawalli. That is of course in addition to the
proofs of the Quran and the Ayaat and the Ahaadith. You will find when
you start reading books of the many Ulamaa and some of you already did
that, one of you asked me about that. They will mention Ijmaa, Quran
and Sunnah, now you know why they do that and it is many Ulamaa who
do that, even some contemporary ones.
They do not mean that Ijmaa is more sacred than a verse in the Quran
but when it is mentioned and it is proof on a matter, it is a direct proof, it
is clear, it is solid, that is it. You can read it and go and say ok there is
Ijmaa, I am done here. That is why some Ulamaa compiled a book on the
Page | 471
matters that have Ijmaa on them. Whereas the Quran and the Sunnah,
they are subject to Taweel ( )and Khusoos ( )and Umoom
( )and Nasikh (), special and general and abrogation. So that
is our first category, Tawalli is the Kufr aspect under Walaa and Baraa.
The first one is Tawalli, that is anything with proof that it is Kufr.
THE SECOND CATEGORY: AL-MUWAALAAH

Number two is al-Muwaalaah, Muwaalaah is the second category and this
is the Haraam portion of it. It is everything where the proof indicates that
it is short of Kufr, which means it is Haraam, it is prohibited. Matters that
pertain to Walaa and Baraa that fall short of Kufr, they are Haraam, they
do not reach the level of a negator. For example, giving Salaam to a non
Muslim, saying As-Salaamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullah to a non Muslim.
That is a special Salaam you only initiate to a Muslim, there is actually a
specific Hadith on that. That is a matter that pertains to Walaa and
Baraa, however it does not reach the matter of Kufr so it falls under
category number two. As-Salaamu Alaykum Wa Rahmatullah, you cannot
say it to a non Muslim, however there is flexibility in greeting non Muslims
in other ways and that is what confuses many.
In Arabic, there is a difference between at-Tahiyyah ( )and asSalaam (). As-Salaam means As-Salaamu Alaykum Wa
Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatuhu, that is only for Muslims, in Arabic that is
for Muslims. At-Tahiyyah is like saying Hi or in Arabic Marhaba or Ahlan Wa
Sahlan. There is flexibility in giving the greeting but not in As-Salaamu
Alaykum Wa Rahmatullah, however it does not reach the category
number one which is Kufr. Another example is for example, purposely
imitating something of the non Muslims in matters that are not Kufr.
Merely for example, greeting non Muslims in their holidays with no
additional factors to it, that falls under this. Ibn al-Qayyim in Ahkaam Ahl
Al-Thimmah, in the first volume he says it is Ittifaaq, also this matter has
Ijmaa, he says it is Ittifaaq that all scholars agree that it is Haraam. Mere
greeting, there could be additional matters to the greeting that make it
the first category but the mere greeting falls under this.
One of the main proofs for this is the verse in Surat al-Mumtahanah:
Page | 472

: ...

Oh you who believe, take not My enemies and your enemies as Awliyaa,
showing Mawaddah towards them while they have disbelieved in that
which has come of truth to you. This is the first verse in the Surah, note
how it starts off saying:
...

He called them believers, even though in the next sentence He says,
showing Mawaddah:

...
...

You show them Mawaddah. He addressed them as believers, otherwise He
would have called them something else, but when He addressed them as
believers and He said:

...
...

You give Mawaddah to them, that means they are still believers because it
is the Mawaddah that you are not supposed to do but it falls short from
the first category because He called them believers. So this is the
prohibited one.
THE THIRD CATEGORY: PERMISSIBLE DEALINGS

WITH NON MUSLIMS
The third and last category is a permissible part, the permissible kind of
relationship with the non Muslims, and that is in the verse:

...

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Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who did not
fight against you on the account of your religion, nor drove you out of your
homes. Allah loves those who deal with equity:

:

...

This is in the same Surah, this verse is clear on this matter, very clear, this
is the third category. Many tried to deny Walaa and Baraa, the first two,
because they do not understand Walaa and Baraa. Part of Walaa and
Baraa is that there is permission to be kind and just to others, that is part
of the understanding of Walaa and Baraa. Some think, and I do not know
if we will get to it today or next week Inshaa Allah, the statement of alQarraafi on this matter, some think that Walaa and Baraa means every
time you see your neighbour you have to spit on him or take the trash and
dump it on his porch every day or break his car windows, as they used to
do to us when we moved in certain neighbourhoods. They will say that
because of their misunderstanding of Walaa and Baraa. The thing is that
we have solid, firm Walaa and Baraa but at the same time, we treat them
as we are ordered. For example, in visiting and giving gifts and Dawah.
I guess it is Salah time, I do not know if we will continue or maybe next
week we will finish, I want to talk a little bit more on this third category.
This one actually, that way others who are ignorant do not have room, you
do not have to argue with them, tell them this is a category and we
believe in this, but what about the other two that you are in denial of? We
will talk about it, Inshaa Allah we will continue next week. Jazakum Allahu
Khayr.
CLASS TWENTY TWO

Last week, we started off taking an introduction into Walaa and Baraa,
then we took a statement of Abul-Wafaa Ibn Aqeel on knowing the status
of the Ummah through Walaa and Baraa, then we took a brief way of
replying to those who shed in their Aqeedah and then they claim they are
like ash-Shaafiee Rahimahullah. We took after that the danger of playing
with the Islamic terminology and that is a cannon aimed at Walaa and
Baraa. Then we stopped off at the categories of Walaa and Baraa, I gave
you a simple way to understand the main categories of Walaa and Baraa.
We said that there is the first one which is at-Tawalli, at-Tawalli is the Kufr
category of Walaa and Baraa, the one that if one does it, it takes him out
of the folds of Islam, wal-Iyaathu Billah. And this is what is meant in the
verse:
Page | 474

: ...

...
If any amongst you takes them as Awliyaa, then he is one of them.
One must be free and immune from the enemies of Allah and all that
which is worshipped besides Allah. We took examples on that, loving Shirk
or Kufr, loving the people of Shirk and Kufr for their Shirk and Kufr, aiding
the enemies of Islam to manifest and emerge over Islam even if one does
not love them for their Kufr, and that was the first category.
The second category that we spoke about was al-Muwaalaah, this second
category is the Haraam portion of it, matters that proof indicate that they
are Haraam as it pertains to Walaa and Baraa. This falls short of Kufr, the
category that falls short of Kufr. And examples of that we mentioned I
believe was giving Salaam to non Muslims, As-Salaamu Alaykum is only
for Muslims, imitating them in some things that are special of them and
that are unique of them. Greeting them in their holidays with no additional
factors, because there may be additional factors that make this matter
worse, but just merely greeting them is Haraam.
Then we took the third category which is the permissible dealings, you can
call it several things, the permissible dealings, the exceptional dealings of
Walaa and Baraa.
THE THIRD CATEGORY: PERMISSIBLE DEALINGS

WITH NON MUSLIMS
This is where we stopped off and the main proof for that is:

...

Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who have not
fought against you or against your religion, nor drove you out of your
homes.

:

...

Allah loves those who deal with equity.
Page | 475
This is the main proof for this category, there is plenty of other proof but
that is the main proof. Like I said we left off right here in the beginning of
this, and this is where we will take off today Inshaa Allah.
Many tried to deny Walaa and Baraa because they do not understand
Walaa and Baraa. Part of Walaa and Baraa is permission to be kind and
just with others. Some think that Walaa and Baraa means you have to
spit on the face of your neighbours every time you see them, or throw
trash in their front yard every time you leave your house, or break their
windows every morning. Ignorance of people causes them to deny
portions of Walaa and Baraa, especially the modernists. They deny
totally the first and second category, that is not in their belief. We have
Walaa and Baraa but at the same time, we treat them the way Allah
ordered us to treat them. Take the examples with proof.
DAWAH
TO
NON MUSLIMS
Dawah to non Muslims, we have Walaa and Baraa yet at the same time,
we convey this message to them of Dawah. There is no conflict, there is
no inconsistency because our feelings, our emotions, our actions, every
part of us is restrained by Allah who told us how to act. Having wisdom
and mercy in conveying Dawah does not in any way contradict with
Walaa and Baraa. And Dawah is not just preaching, many think that
Dawah is just to go and preach to them. That is one of the forms of
Dawah but being kind so that opens the hearts of other people, that is
part of Dawah. That does not conflict with the heart belief of Walaa and
Baraa and the love and despise portion of Walaa and Baraa. There is
many verses in the Quran that back this up:
: ...

...

:
When Allah sent Musa to Firawn and he ordered them to convey the
message:
Page | 476

...

Many verses show that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was
lenient in Dawah or was ordered to be lenient. He was a mercy to
mankind and not even mankind, he was a mercy to mankind and even
inanimate matters, he was ordered to speak to them in the best words.
And even when Allah sent Musa to Firawn, he was ordered to speak to
him kindly.
EATING
FROM THE
SLAUGHTER
OF THE
PEOPLE
OF THE
BOOK
Another example of this category is eating from the slaughter of the

People of the Book.

...

...
:
That is a second example.
MARRIAGE
FROM THE
PEOPLE
OF THE
BOOK
A third example in this matter is marriage from the People of the Book.

...
: ...

I want to talk about this point in a little bit more detail towards the end of
the class Inshaa Allah.
EXCHANGING GIFTS
A fourth example, accepting gifts or giving gifts to show them Islam or
open their hearts to Islam. This is speaking generally, however we do not
exchange gifts on their holidays and say oh this is to convey Dawah. And
we also do not exchange gifts that are prohibited but overall, exchanging
gifts is permitted.
Page | 477
The verse I mentioned:

:
In Surat al-Mumtahanah, the first verse we took for this category.
Imaam Bukhari in his book, he has a section, a title named:

Bukhari, remember we talked about his sections, his chapters. He has a
chapter called accepting gifts from Mushrikeen, and remember we
mentioned that how Bukhari titles his book is something scholars refer to.
Ibn Umar narrated that his father Umar Ibn al-Khattab seen a silk cloak
been sold by some merchant. So Umar told the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam, buy this and wear it when congregations come to meet you,
when the delegates come to meet you and they visit you, when you go to
Jumuah wear it. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said this is only
worn by those people who have no share of the Hereafter, people doomed
to Hellfire are the ones who wear this.

Later on, some silk cloaks were given to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam as a gift, so he sent one to Umar radhiallahu anhu.
Umar went to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he said how can I
wear it while you are the one who just earlier told me that it is for the
people who have no share in the life after. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam said I did not give it for you to wear it, but rather for you to sell
it or to give it to someone as a gift. Here is the point, the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said he gave it to him to give away or to sell
it, and if a Muslim does not wear silk then where is it going to go? To a non
Muslim.
So that is the established rule that Islam permits overall, exchanging gifts,
with no additional factors, there is maybe additional factors that make it
prohibited. What Umar did was Umar sent it to his pagan brother in
Makkah, before he migrated and before he embraced Islam. Umar gave a
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gift to his non Muslim brother and no one needs to tell you that Umar is
the definition of Walaa and Baraa and that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam told him to give it as a gift or sell it. He left it open and Umar
understood that he can give it to a non Muslim, and the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam did not object.
VISITING NON MUSLIMS

Also an example of this category is visiting non Muslims for Dawah. You
have the Hadith in Sahih Muslim when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam visited the son of a Jewish neighbour, he was on his death bed. The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sat by his head and he told him say
Laa ilaaha illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah, the boy looked at his father
and the father said listen to Abul-Qaasim, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam left happy saying Alhamdulillah Allah
rescued someone from Hellfire with me:
In two narrations. When I mentioned two classes ago that there is those
who crop out proof or portions of Walaa and Baraa, this is what I meant.
There are those who take this category and make it as if it is everything,
and deny category number one and two of Walaa and Baraa. This
category explains the dealings, you have Walaa and Baraa in your heart
but it explains the dealing parts. We treat them in that manner in
obedience to Allah who also told us that we must despise them and that
which they worship at the same time. They have cursed Allah and
transgressed on the boundaries of Allah, so they are the enemies of Allah
because of their belief, yet at the same time we are restrained in our
dealings with them.
TREATMENT OF NON MUSLIMS

Al-Qarraafi in his book Al-Furoo, he mentioned and he said that non
Muslims living under Muslim rule have rights upon us because they are
our neighbours and they are under our protection and custody. He said
that protection is a protection Allah offered them and the Messenger
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, we are dutiful to them while keeping the
hearts free from Mawaddah, the heart must not get tainted with
Mawaddah to them. He said it only gets worse and dangerous if ones
relationship to them causes him Mawaddah and to honour them or sacred
their Kufr and their rituals, he said that is a dangerous part there. Once
any of the heart, any portion of the heart is affected and is tainted, then it
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turns to Muwaalaah. He also said being dutiful to them in matters that do

not create deficiency in ones Baraa from them and what they believe is
permissible, and he gave examples similar to the examples that I gave
earlier. And he also added on to that, he said being gentle to their elder,
feeding their hungry, but look what he said, you got to keep the heart
portion of it. Giving clothes to their needy, being kind to them in speech,
being gentle and merciful as long as it does not come out of fear or
lowliness. Al-Qarraafi even said being patient to your non Muslim
neighbour if he harms you, being fully aware that you are at power to
remove it yet you are gentle to them not out of fear or lowliness, but for
the sake of conveying this message.
And note, this treatment is emphasised by the Ulamaa and more so
before that, by the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, to Ahl
ath-Thimmah who are non Muslims living under Muslim rule. For example,
you have al-Bukhari Rahimahullah in Kitaab Ad-Diyaati (
said, he has a section:

One who kills a non Muslim living under Muslim rule for no reason. Why is
that emphasised? He mentions the Hadith:

Whoever kills a non Muslim living under Muslim rule will not smell the
smell of Heaven even though the smell goes the distance of forty years.
Why is it emphasised so much to non Muslims living under Muslim rule,
even though the Muslims may mingle with them elsewhere? The reason is
because when they are living under Muslim rule they are weak and they
are vulnerable, unlike when they are elsewhere where they are strong,
where they have family, they have backing and they have support.
In fact to back this up, the Sahaabah gave Sadaqah and charity to
Mushriks, Sadaqah to win their heart to Islam, if they need it. Ibn Abbaas
did it, Ibn Umar did it radhiallahu anhum. Aishah in the famous Hadith in
Musnad Ahmad and at-Tirmidhi and in Bukhari, the famous Hadith when
Aishah was approached by a Jewish woman who came to her house and
asked her for charity. And the Jewish woman after Aishah gave her charity,
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said may Allah protect you from the punishment of the grave, the Jewish
woman telling Aishah radhiallahu anha. Aishah informed the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam what happened, she was
surprised at what the Jewish woman told her so she explained the
situation and told him what the Jewish woman told her. He said yes there
is the punishment of the grave, everyone hears it, even the animals,
except the human beings. Had there been anything wrong with her giving
the Sadaqah, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would have
informed her because he is legislating and his silence is approval. Not
having Baraa from them as in category one, the Kufr aspect of it, or the
second one, the Haraam aspect, does not conflict with treating them with
the justice of the Quran and the Sunnah.
I do not recall since I was a child that we ever had a neighbour to my
father, next door to my father, who did not become Muslim by the will of
Allah and then after that on the hands of my father, may Allah grant him a
long life full of deeds. I remember in the mid seventies as a child a
neighbour who used to fix my bike, an old man retired from the navy, my
father would always talk to him Islam. And I remember as a young, young
kid, this is back in the days when Islam was not as common as you hear
today, it is rare for someone to say I am Muslim or to know or hear of what
Islam is. The neighbour took his Shahaadah and as a child I remember
that my father never left his bedside when he was on his deathbed, and
he made sure to take a few Muslims to bury him the Islamic way. He said
his Shahaadah in his final moments and my father asked him while he was
on his deathbed when he was no longer able to speak, he put his hand on
his hand, he said squeeze my hand if you feel pleasure and he did.
Just a few weeks ago I was walking into the house of my father on Friday
and the neighbour told me tell your father thank you, an older lady, and I
said for what? She said every Friday he puts some groceries in front of my
house for a long time, Wallahi I nor any member of our family knew that
he has been doing it for a very long time. As I began to speak to her, this
old woman who her own relatives do not even visit her, she told me she
took her Shahaadah, she is Muslim and she is working on her Deen, her
own sons and daughters do not do this for her. Does this treatment of
kindness contradict with Walaa and Baraa? Absolutely not, that is why
we need to understand all three categories taken together. Number one,
Tawalli. Number two, Muwaalaah. Then the permissible type of dealing
which you can call exceptions or the permissible type of treatment.
LOVE AND HATE IS AT THE CORE OF WALAA AND

BARAA
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Now the next point, at the core of Walaa and Baraa is love and despising,
or love and hate. Look what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

You will not be a believer until I am more beloved to you than your
children, your parents and every human. Love is at the core of Walaa and
Baraa, love of Allah entails love of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam.

: ...

If you love Allah, follow the Messenger. Love, at the same time where
there is love, one must despise, hate or despise. Despise the enemies of
Allah and those who hate Allah and hate the Messenger, they are most
worthy of despising. The eminent creed of Walaa and Baraa is the
strongest bond of Imaan. Mujaahid said the strongest bond of Imaan is
love for the sake of Allah and hatred for the sake of Allah, it is in Musnad
Ahmad:

A side issue here, this statement that I just mentioned has a chain that is
attributed to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on the
authority of al-Baraa Ibn Aazib. It is an authentic statement of Mujaahid,
but when it is attributed to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam it has
some issues with its chain.
If your heart does not have and feel Imaan, one of the strongest ways to
rejuvenate your Imaan is establishing Walaa and Baraa in your heart. If
your heart does not feel Imaan, one of the biggest ways to rejuvenate that
Imaan in your heart is through the Aqeedah of Walaa and Baraa. When
your love becomes founded on being for the sake of Allah, your heart will
then experience the beauty of Imaan and absolute assurance. How? By
direct teachings of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said,
whoever possesses the following three qualities will have the sweetness,
the delight of faith. What are the three qualities? The one whom Allah and
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His Messenger become dearer to him than anything else. They become
dear to you, you love them more than anything else. Number two, the one
who loves a person, he only loves him for the sake of Allah. Number three,
the one who hates to revert to disbelief just like he hates to be thrown in a
fire.
Hub (), love is at the core of Walaa and Baraa, in order to have
truthful loyalty. In order to have Baraa from someone you despise that
person or belief, therefore loving and despising is at the nucleus or kernel
of Walaa and Baraa. Al-Walaa and Baraa is an integral part of Imaan and
it is necessary for its perfection, you cannot perfect your Imaan without
Walaa and Baraa.
Listen to this authentic Hadith in Mustadarak, Abu Dawood, Ahmad, atTirmidhi, in Sahih al-Jaami:
...

Whoever loves for the pleasure of Allah and hates or despises for Allah.
And hates for the sake of Allah. Today, the majority want this out of our
vocabulary. If you do not think that despising for the sake of Allah is part
of Islam, you have the wrong version of Islam, you do not know what Islam
you are talking about.
...
The next portion of the Hadith says, who donates for the sake of Allah and
deprives for the sake of Allah, then that person has perfected his Imaan.
You have to have all that to perfect your Imaan.
Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah has so much statements and so much
sections on this issue, it is beyond that which we could cover. But let me
give you one of his sentences and you remember what we mentioned on
Ijmaa, you remember when we spoke on Ijmaa, what it is.
He said:
-

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Whoever does not consider it prohibited to follow any faith after the
Messagehood of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. You
cannot follow any faith other than the faith of the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And whoever does not consider other faiths
Kuffaar and despises them, he is not a Muslim by the consensus of all the
) he said.
Ulamaa. By the consensus, by the Ijmaa, bit-Tifaaq (

A practical example on how you can understand this, I will give it to you in
this scenario. You love your father, your father gave you a business, he
opened a business for you. He owns one like it, he owns one and he
opened one for you. You love your dad for all he did for you, then there is
this common employee or manager, he works part time for you and part
time for your father. That employee is very, very bad to your father, he
curses your father, he cheats him, disrespects him, harms him, but to you
he is very good when he works with you and you and him get along. With
your father he is an oppressor, he is a liar, he is a scammer, but with you
he is good. Do you love him because he is good with you and then you say
who cares what he does with my father? Or does your love for your father
entail you to despise him because he is bad with your father, even though
he is good with you?
The answer is not really that simple, it is only simple for those Allah
blessed with guidance. If you have no loyalty to your father, you will say I
do not care about my father, he is doing good in my business and that is
all that matters, that is all I care about. That same scenario is with the
right of Allah, that is how you look at it. A disbeliever, even if he is good to
you, if your loyalty is strong to Allah, even if he is good to you, he is not
good with Allah, you cannot say I do not really care. Islam regulated
everything, who to love, who not to love, who to dislike, who to despise.

:

Disbelievers beloyal each other, listen to the verse. Those who disbelieve,
ally one another:

...
If you Muslims do not become allies:

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...
...

This speech is for you, if you Muslims do not beloyal each other, what will
happen Yaa Allah? Tell us what will happen.

...

There will be great Fitnah and oppression on this earth. Mischief,
corruption, oppression, the solution to your trials is in the Book we
abandon. They beloyal each other, you beloyal each other.
BARAA
FROM
KUFR
AND
KAAFIREEN
The next point on this issue is on despising. Some edit the Quran and like
I just said earlier, they want to eliminate it out of the vocabulary of the
Quran and the Sunnah. And you remember what I said, some want to
eliminate, some want to change the definition. Some defined it as only
despising those who kill and massacre Muslims, and that is a Dhalaal (
), that is being astray in Aqeedah. That is the Munaafiqeen and the

Ruwaybidhah and the ignorant people who want you to believe that, and it
is also part of the agenda of the interfaith. Those who say that despising
and Baraa is only for those who massacre Islam and Muslims are making
transgression on themselves, their lands, their nations or their family, a
bigger transgression than it would be if it was on Allah. Basically, whoever
defines despising and Baraa narrow like that, they say we despise and we
do Baraa on anyone who transgresses upon us, but if they transgress on
Allah it is ok with us.
If one loves Tawheed and Muwahhideen, it is immediate in his heart that
he estrange himself from every opposite of it. You love your parents so
you estrange yourself from those who curse them. You love your wealth so
you estrange yourself from those who transgress on it. You love your wife,
you estrange yourself from anyone who speaks in her honour. Let me ask
you this, would anyone truly love his wife, tell her I love you sweetheart
day and night, and then someone calls her a prostitute but that husband
who tells her I love you day and night says I cannot hate that guy who
called you a prostitute, I cannot despise him, he called you a prostitute
but I love him. You know what is the result? She is going to pack up her
belongings and walk away and say all that talk of you loving me, that
means nothing. Love for your kids makes you estrange from anyone
attempting to hurt them or speaks ill of them or wants to harm them.
What about Allah?
In Bukhari:
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How can one not have Baraa from one who curses Allah and transgresses
on the rights of the oneship of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, he
transgressed on the rights of Allah. Allah said they cursed Me, Allah is
saying this in the Haidth Qudsi. Allah said the son of Adam has cursed Me,
) means he cursed Me,

and it is not his right to do so. Shatamani (

he insulted Me. As for his cursing Me, it is when he claims I have a son.
With your wife, if someone curses her you estrange yourself from him,
what about someone who curses Allah? Inanimate objects have more
Walaa and Baraa than the hearts of many of those who call themselves
believers today.
They say Allah got a son, indeed you have brought forth something
terrible, something evil. Allah said because of those words, the Heavens
are almost about to be torn and the earth is about to be split, and the
mountains are about to fall in ruins, what word? Because they say Allah
has a son.
Imaam Ahmad, Ibn Taymiyyah and others have statements on this issue
that are amazingly stunning. We do not have time to go through them but
I will give you a summary of it. There is also no need to go through it
because those who cannot comprehend this part, this principle of belief,
are those who cannot accept the text of Allah and His Messenger
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. They are not entering Islam from the door,
the door to Shareeah is through the text of it, and those who have an
issue with this matter have an issue with the text of Shareeah. They are
those who gave their undeveloped minds and devilishly tainted emotions
precedent over the Quran and the Sunnah. They understand the text as
they wish, not as the first generation understood it. The desires of both
heart and mind threw them off the course and off the track, the mind has
its desires and the heart has its desires. The whim of the hearts are the
desires, the whim of the minds is renegating against the textual
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revelation. Hearts without Walaa and Baraa are diseased, corrupted

hearts, the hearts of the Munaafiqeen.
Look at this verse:
...

Take not your relatives as Awliyaa. It names your father, your son, it
named individuals. It is not saying the Kufr in them, it is naming
individuals. They are inseparable, Kufr does not have two legs to walk on,
Kufr is in someone. Then go further with me in that verse:

: ...

...

If they merely prefer Kufr over Islam. That is where the issue is, He did not
say if they fight you, He did not say if they kill you, if they harm you, if
they take your land, if they stop you from Dawah. He said if they prefer
Kufr over Islam, you do not take them as Awliyaa, you do not take them
as Awliyaa for just merely preferring Kufr over Islam. How can one who
honours the Quranic text deny this clear, unequivocal meaning and
change it to mean only one who fights and kills Muslims, or Kufr and not
Kuffaar themselves? They give their own rights a superiority over the
rights of Allah.
Listen to this verse and go with me with it, step by step.

...

Indeed there has been an excellent example for you in Ibraheem and
those with him. He is telling us in Ibraheem is a great example to follow,
and pay attention to this verse because this is a solid verse on this whole
entire matter. If the verse just started off normal we would follow the
footsteps of Ibraheem, because Ibraheem is the Tawheed we follow, that is

why we say Millat Ibraheem Haneefa (

) , the pure

Tawheed is Ibraheem, the founder, the reviver of Tawheed. But in this
verse it is to add more emphasis, to show you follow in the footsteps of
Ibraheem alayhis-salaam. Why? To show more emphasis He said:
...

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What did they do? When they said to their people, we are free from you
and whatever you worship besides Allah:

...

...

Baraa from Kufr and Kaafireen, from the Kuffaar and what they worship,
both. He said you and what you worship, both, so that is not leaving any
room for the modernists to say it is that which they worship but not the
individuals itself.
...
...

We have rejected you, the verse goes on to say.
...

...
And there has started between us and you hatred forever. Hatred forever,
why? Baghdhaa (
) is hatred. Here is another key point in this

verse, until when Yaa Allah does this Baghdaa continue? Did He say until
they stop fighting you? No. Until they stop oppressing you? No, that is not
the issue. Until when you get your lands back? That is not the issue.

: ...

...

Until you believe in Allah alone. That is the point when despise changes to
love, and we control it because we are not animals, we are human beings.
What many do not understand is that we must despise them and their
Kufr by a clear Ayah right here, and the proofs that I mentioned earlier.
OUR HATE
IS
RESTRAINED
BY THE
GUIDANCE
OF ISLAM
What many do not understand is yes we despise them, but it is regulated.

When animals or animalistic things despise, they harm and oppress, we
despise them and their Kufr but it is regulated on the account of the
Quran and the Sunnah. Refer to the third category of Walaa and Baraa,
it is regulated. We are not animalistic with no guidance, even our despise
is regulated. We despise them and their faith but we do not go to our
neighbour and harm them, that is not something they understand because
when they hate someone it is a total different story. What causes
problems and what youth ask a lot about is that they do not understand
when you despise it is a heart feeling, the treatment of Ihsaan is another
issue. Ihsaan and Dawah is another issue, we spoke about it in the third
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category. One can be a student among Kuffaar or have a job amongst

them or neighbour them, despise them yet at the same time treat them
as we mentioned in the third category.
Kaab Ibn Ujrah in At-Tabaraani and many Ulamaa authenticated this
narration, he went to visit the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and it
appears that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam looked weak. He said
oh Prophet of Allah what is wrong? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said, I did not eat for three days. Kaab said I went to a Jewish man
who was selling or giving water or something to his camels, and for every
bucket that I helped him take for his camels he gave me a date, so I
collected the dates and I gave it to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam asked him where did he
get the dates from and he informed him. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam asked him, do you love me? Kaab said I defend you with my father
oh Prophet of Allah, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam approved
it.
There is also the story and it is also authentic when Ali worked for a Jewish
man and for every bucket he carried for him, he gave him a date. The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was informed of that, so when the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was informed of that, his silence is
approval. We are a disciplined Ummah, in every single, tiny detail of our
life, even our hate is disciplined and regulated. I say from the mercy of
Allah is that it raises generations of men where even their despising is
regulated. Al-Qarraafi and others spoke on this matter like we mentioned,
that we despise them but at the same time when they are Ahl athThimmah we may have to protect them.
Look what Hasan al-Basri said, he said:

He said marry your daughters off to someone who is a man of Deen and
at-Taqwa. Why? Because if he loves her, he is going to honour her. If he
hates her, you know sometimes a husband and wife they got issues, he is
not going to oppress her. It is regulated, why did he say that? Because a
believer even when he hates, his hate is regulated, it is indoctrinated by
the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah.
ISLAM RECOGNISES NATURAL LOVE AND HATE

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Now let us take the next point that causes confusion. The people who like
to deny Walaa and Baraa, they say Islam permitted one to marry a non
Muslim woman, how can he marry her and despise her? All these doubts
are brought by those who do not, and I know they have not read a single
book in depth on this matter or looked at the Tafaseer of the Ulamaa in
these issues, or what the Ulamaa spoke about them. You have love for
your religion, if one loves a non Muslim for his Deen he is a Kaafir, but
then there is a limited, conditional love where Islam made an exception or
permitted it. That is al-Hub al-Fitree al-Mawjood Fee Thaat al-Insaan (
) , the Fitrah love, the

instinct love that is instilled in you. And it is not just in a wife that is not
Muslim, it is in relatives that are not Muslim, someone may have a mum
and a dad who are not Muslim.
When Asmaa the daughter of Abu Bakr asked the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam about her mother, can she visit her, can she have good
relationship with her, first of all why did she ask? Because she knew
overall the principle of Walaa and Baraa applies, she wanted to know if
this could be an exception.


She said can I maintain good ties with my mother, she is coming to visit
me. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said yes and that is when the
verse was revealed, the proof we mentioned for the third category:

:
Allah does not forbid you to deal justly and kindly with those who fought
not against you, Allah loves those who deal in equity.
Love of a Kitaabiyyah (), non Muslim wife or parents who are non
Muslim is natural love. There is natural love and there is natural hate,
Islam recognises both. Take for example matters that Allah legislated, if
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you hate a matter Allah legislated because Allah legislated it, that is Kufr
that negates ones belief. But Allah said about matters that He legislated,
that they are disliked and He was speaking to the believers, Jihad.

: ...

Holy fighting in the cause of Allah is ordained for you, though you dislike
it. Allah said you dislike it:

It is a natural not a religious dislike, it is not the religious dislike some
people claim. Had it been dislike because it was revealed from Allah, that
is Kufr. Al-Qurtubi said it is disliked because one leaves his family, one
leaves his town, one subjects himself to wounds, loss of limbs and death,
and that is why it is disliked, not because it is a revelation or a command
from Allah. It is disliked but they were considered believers, now had they
disliked it because it was from Allah, that would have been Kufr. So there
is a natural dislike that Islam recognises, just like there is a natural love
that Islam recognises, like what we are talking about here.
Another example that Islam recognises natural love or dislike, is what the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said about Wudhu:

Making Wudhu on the disliked parts, it may be cold, maybe one has to
wake up and wash his face, that is natural dislike. Had it been dislike for
Wudhu because it is commanded by Allah or the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, that would have been Kufr and a negator, but
there is a natural dislike. Now that we established that Islam recognises
natural love and natural hate, a man marries a woman from the People of
the Book, there is going to be natural love. You are going to love your wife
even if she is a non Muslim, that is natural love, there is no conflict
between the natural love and the Shareeah love and despise that we
have.
Look at the love of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to his uncle:

: ...
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Verily you Muhammad will not guide whom you like, or you love, but Allah
guides whom He wills.
Pay attention, according to one opinion that love here was for his uncle,
you cannot guide those who you love to guide. The love was his uncle and
that would have been the natural love like the love of a man for his non
Muslim wife, his parents, and relatives that are non Muslim. I adopt the
other opinion by other Mufassireen who said that love in this verse is the
love that Allah guides him, other Mufassireen said that. They said the
meaning of the verse is:

They said the verse means you guide not whom you love to be guided, his
love was for guidance for him, not for he himself. But even if we adopt the
first opinion of the Mufassireen, it would be the natural love that we are
talking about here. The natural love for non Muslim parents of a Muslim,
his mum gave birth to him, his dad took care of him, there is going to be
natural love.
That natural love may not entail acceptance of what they do in
disobedience to Allah, that part you got to hate it. He does not go and
carry their crosses or wears it around his neck or condone or participate in
any of those rituals or activities. He does not go to his parents for dinner
and sit on a dinner table and if they want to initiate a prayer to Jesus, to
Isa alayhis-salaam, he sits, no he does not sit. There is natural love but
his Shareeah love and his Walaa to Allah overwhelms the natural love for
his parents, he will walk away because he does not want the curse of Allah
to befall on them while they are supplicating to Isa. When the love of
Allah is put at a test, the natural love like that of a parent or of a wife
submerges, and the real, ultimate love of Allah surfaces leaving no traces
of that natural love.
THE SON OF ABDULLAH IBN UBAYY IBN SALOOL

Let me conclude with this story that explains the whole issue of natural
love. The head of the hypocrites in Madinah, he had a son who was one of
the dearest and greatest Sahaabah. Both the name of the father and the
son was Abdullah. The father Abdullah Ibn Ubayy Ibn Abi Salool seen a
dispute among the Sahaabah in the Battle of Bani al-Mustaliq and as the
hypocrites always do, they try to blow it out of proportion and instigate
problems within this Ummah to create divisions, he said:
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Allah quoted a portion of that statement in the Quran, in Surat alMunaafiqeen. If we return to Madinah, indeed the honourable, he is talking
about himself, Abdullah Ibn Ubayy Ibn Salool, the honourable me who was
) , the
the chief of the hypocrites, will expel the low one. Al-Athal (
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he called him the low one. When the
Prophet was told of this, he summoned the hypocrites who gave oath after
oath, they lied in their oath that they never said any of that. So the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam judging by what is apparent, let it go,
he can only judge by that which is apparent, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
And that is a lesson to us to judge only by that which is apparent, and he
is the Prophet of Allah.
His son went to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and listen
carefully, he said oh Prophet of Allah, the people of Madinah will tell you
there is no man more dutiful than me to his father, and if it pleases you
Yaa Allah I will bring you the head of my father. The son was a great
Sahaabi, Yaa Allah I will bring you the head of my father, the summit peak
of Walaa and Baraa. Walaa and Baraa, but there was natural love. Of
course the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam deterred him from killing
his father, he said:

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will be good to him as long as he
is living amongst us, and this is from the kindness and wisdom of the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. That shows you how one can have
natural love yet at the same time have a strong belief in Walaa and
Baraa. When they got to Madinah, he went to his father and he said you
will not shade in Madinah nor step a foot in there until the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam gives you permission, you are the low one and
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is the honourable. And again he
went to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam let him go to his house safely and told him not to harm
him. It shows you how you can have both. In an extended narration of this,
he said:

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He said Wallahi the Khazraj will tell you there is not a man more dutiful to
his father than me, if you are going to order someone to kill him let it be
me. I fear that I will not be able to handle seeing a killer of Abdullah Ibn
Ubayy, he named his father by name, he did not say my father. I will not
be able to see a killer of Abdullah Ibn Ubayy, I will see that killer who is a
believer walking around in Madinah, you ordered him to kill, and then I will
end up killing him out of anger of him killing my father. So if you want
anyone to kill my father let it be me, and I do not want to kill a believer for
killing my father.
There is natural love but there is the ultimate Shareeah love that is part
of Walaa and Baraa. Islam recognises natural love as we have said, but it
is restrained and it is controlled. When love of Allah is put at the test, the
natural love submerges and the real, ultimate love to Allah surfaces
leaving no traces of natural love.
CONCLUSION OF HALAQAH
There is much more to mention on this topic, the problem is Walaa and
Baraa here in this booklet is just a small part of the curriculum of this
booklet. If Allah blesses me with time and the situation is better, we will
take an entire course on Walaa and Baraa. From the questions I got, it is
almost definite that we need to take a course on Walaa and Baraa. And
we will respond through that to the deviants and what they say on this
matter, and the doubts they put in it.
Several weeks ago in my personal study time, I collected Ahaadith that
say the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam deterred us from being similar
to other faiths, and that is part of Walaa and Baraa. Be different from this
faith and do that, like the beard, like wearing your shoes when you pray
and other matters. I compiled the Hadith on that matter from Bukhari and
Muslim and from the Sunan and the six books of Hadith, and then in
addition to those I went to al-Haakim and Ibn Abi Shaybah and Musannaf
Abdur-Razzaaq. I collected all the Hadith that I was able to get that say be
different, that is an aspect of Walaa and Baraa. I was able to come up
with between forty five to forty seven Hadith that tell us to be different
than other faiths. That is a principle of Walaa and Baraa, being different
Page | 494
than other faiths. A group of it that I found was of course in Aqeedah, be

different from them in Aqeedah. A group of it was to be different from
them in tradition, in Aadaat (), to protect our Islamic manners and
heritage and traditions. To be different from them in our appearances
even, so it is a principle.
And when I told the brothers both online and I told you, and many wanted
us to go over it. That is a part of Walaa and Baraa, being different from
other faiths because like we said, Walaa and Baraa is to shield and
protect our identity. That is a principle, the overall principle of being
different from other faiths. You be different and that does not say we
cannot get along, they cannot live under Muslim rule, for example you can
have Ahl ath-Thimmah living under Muslim rule but we have to be
different. We have to protect our identity and I spoke about the danger of
not having our own identity two classes ago. When we have grandkids
that are going to grow up non Muslims if we do not implement that, you
be different from them.
Today I compiled over forty five Hadith of being different from other faiths
in different matters and some of them are different narrations of similar
Hadith, however when the Prophet does that and says that over forty five
times it is a principle of Walaa and Baraa. Now the Munaafiqeen come to
you, the people of interfaith say be like them. When you ask them, they
say one of the purposes of interfaith is to bridge the gap in belief, there is
no bridge in the gap in belief.
:

You got your faith that I believe will land you into Hellfire, I have my faith
that will land me to Jannah and I want to be distinct and I want to shield it
with Walaa and Baraa so I can make sure my kids, my grandkids will
grow up to be Muslim wherever they are brought up.
The reason I mention that is just to go over those Hadith as many asked
me to go over, that is going to be several Halaqaat and really we cannot
afford to do that within our Sharh on Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah. So
Biithnillah Taaala in the future we will have a Walaa and Baraa series if
you remind me about that. Part of that would be to go over such Hadith
and to refute more doubts that the Munaafiqeen and the ignorant people
put and cast, because many who do not understand it like to put their
input in it, in a whole series by themselves. Jazakum Allahu Khayr.
CLASS TWENTY THREE

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We start off today in our Usool Ath-Thalaathah class on chapter number

three. Last week we finished chapter number two with Walaa and Baraa
at the end. We start chapter three and we said if you remember when I
gave you the structural break down of the book, we said this is the core of
the book. Chapter three is the book, according to some. This is the
chapter that has the three real, official, main, fundamental principles,
what you call fundamental principles. Chapter one had four introductory
fundamental principles, chapter two had three matters or issues, chapter
three is the real object and subject matter of the book. It is what the book
is titled after, meaning when you say Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah or AthThalaathatul-Usool, the three fundamental principles, it is this chapter.
CHAPTER THREE
And he starts off the chapter saying:

Know, may Allah direct you to obedience to Him.
We spoke on why the author starts with Duaa at least twice before and he
did that before, that is why we spoke about it. Over here he says

) , means to direct you. Arshadaka from ar-Rushd (
Arshadaka (
), meaning may Allah direct you to uprightness upon the way of
truth.
Ar-Rashaad ( )is the path of guidance, like the verse says:

:
The man who believed said oh my people, follow me, I will guide you to
the way of Rashaad, the way of right conduct and guidance. So Rashaad
in the verse means correct path or guidance. And here, overall, guidance
is four types.
THE TYPES OF GUIDANCE

THE FIRST TYPE
OF
GUIDANCE
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Al-Hidaayatul-Aammah al-Mushtarakah Baynal-Khalq (

) , it is mentioned in the verse:

...
Our Lord is the One who gave each thing and everything its form and
nature and guided it.
He created everything and He guided it. He gave each person his physical
image, He gave physical parts and features and then guided each part to
what it was created for. He gave form and nature and guided it to work for
what it was created for, that is number one.
THE SECOND TYPE
OF
GUIDANCE
Number two is Hidaayatul-Bayaani wad-Dalaalah wat-Tareef Li-Najday alKhayri wash-Sharr (

) , guidance to direct and show you the right and evil path. This
guidance shows both ways and what to choose, but it does not necessarily
include or mean anything about the choice itself. We guided him to the
path, we told him follow this and stay away from this, that is all it means.
It is mentioned in the two worded verse in Surat al-Balad:

Shown him the two ways, the good and evil. It is to show the good and
evil, that is all it is.
It is a verse mentioned in Surat Fussilat:
: ...

Thamood, We showed them the guided way but they chose blindness over
guidance. So Allah showed them but they chose blindness.
It is also in Surat ash-Shoora:
Page | 497

:

...

That is the second one.
THE THIRD TYPE
OF
GUIDANCE
The third guidance is Hidaayatut-Tawfeeqi wal-Ilhaam (

) , this is the guidance where one is actually on the right path.

This is the one that is from Allah to the righteous people. Messengers
show the path but this guidance is totally from Allah, in fact Allah denied
that Messengers have this type of guidance power:

: ...
You cannot guide who you want.

...
In this verse, He said the Messenger guides in a way but it is not the
guidance of Tawfeeq from Allah, the success comes from Allah.
Before we go on, what is the difference between the second and the third
guidance? So you will never forget it. The second guidance means you
have two avenues, here is the right avenue and here is the wrong avenue,
stay away from the wrong one and follow the right one. That is all it is,
number two. Category number three means one is actually guided by
Allah and we ask Allah to be among those.
THE FOURTH TYPE
OF
GUIDANCE
Now the fourth type of guidance, is guidance to Heaven or Hell when one
is taken to them. Al-Hidaayah ilal-Jannah Aw an-Naar Ithaa Seeqa alInsaan Ilayhimaa (

) . That is mentioned in the verse:
Page | 498

He will guide them to the path of Jannah.
Or in Surat as-Saaffaat:
And guide them to Hellfire.
WHICH TYPE
OF
GUIDANCE
DID THE
AUTHOR INTEND?
Here in this booklet, the author is making Duaa that Allah guides you,
directs you to the guided path, which is number three.

Taaah ( )is obedience, conformity with what is required by doing
what is commanded to be done, and avoiding what is forbidden.
Conformity with what is required by doing what one is ordered to do, and
to avoid what is forbidden and sinful.
Let us go on with our phrase.

Know, may Allah direct you to His obedience, that al-Haneefiyyah Millat
Ibraheem.
AL-HANEEFIYYAH MILLAT IBRAHEEM

What is this Al-Haneefiyyah Millat Ibraheem? And it is in the Quran many
times, it is all over the Quran, it is also mentioned in the Sunnah.
In Surat al-Baqarah:
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In Surat Aali Imraan:

:

In Surat an-Nisaa:

:

In Surat al-Anaam:

...

:

In Surat an-Nahl:

:

Page | 500
This is just some verses, there is more. What is this Millat Ibraheema
Haneefa? Before we go deeper, simply put, here is the definition. AlHaneefiyyah is the religion that is free from Shirk and founded upon purity
and sincerity of intention for Allah. It is the true and straight, pure religion,
it is Islam.
THE ROOT WORD
OF
HANEEFIYYAH
Now let us go to the root word and see the connection in the meaning. In
the real Arabic, the original Arabic, the old Arabs would say:
With a Kasrah on the Raa.

A Fathah on the Raa.
The first one means a leg that is Hanfaa. The second one means a man
who is Ahnaf. A woman, a female poet called Umm al-Ahnaf used to say:
A female poet used to say about someone, using this root word, had he
not had Hanaf in his legs, there would not be in your youth anyone
compared to him. He has a deficiency, otherwise he would be the best
one. We are using her line of poetry for linguistic purposes. Why would
they describe legs or a man as being Ahnaf or Hanaf? Why would they use
that? Because linguistically when Arabs used to use it, Ahnaf for the legs
or a talk about a man, they meant that person has pigeon toes or what is
called intoeing. Most people, normal peoples toes are straight forward,
some toes point towards each other, we commonly refer to that today as
pigeon toes or more medically appropriate, called intoeing. It is when the
front portion of the feet turns inward. Turns inward, look at that.
Now you are saying in your mind he gave us the definition of the Sharee
meaning, that it is the purity and sincerity and away from Shirk and all
that. Then you went a million miles away explaining the linguistic root
meaning of Haneefa, what the term itself means linguistically, what is the
purpose? The purpose, I did that to draw a connection between the
linguistic meaning and the Sharee meaning that we took. Like Islam,
linguistically it means submission, that is it. The Sharee meaning is
Page | 501
submission to Allah with Tawheed, following and obedience and refraining

from Shirk. Just like in Tajweed, for example the Noon as-Saakinah rules,
al-Idh-haar, al-Idghaam, al-Ikhfaa, al-Iqlaab, there is always a connection
between the literal, linguistic meaning and the Sharee meaning. There is
always a connection.
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN

DEFINITION
THE
LINGUISTIC
AND
SHAREE
Now what is the connection between the linguistic meaning of Haneefa

and the Sharee, Islamic meaning that we mentioned? Haneefa literally
means to lean, to turn, to incline, and the connection is, it is to incline and
turn totally to Tawheed, lean towards Tawheed and lean away from Shirk.
Some scholars defined Haneefiyyah as turning to Allah and turning away
from other than Allah, because it means turn to, turning to Tawheed and
turning away from Shirk. That is the connection.
Al-Qurtubi said:

Haneefa is turning away from disliked faith, to the true religion of
Ibraheem.
Ibn Ashoor in his book At-Tahreer wat-Tanweer ( )
which is a thirty volume Tafseer, he said Haneefiyyah or Haneef is when
you veer off track. He stated that it was considered a praise to Ibraheem,
he needed to veer off track because during his time the people were in
deep darkness and astray, so he turned away from that course. He veered
away, meaning he veered off the course of Shirk, he turned away from
Shirk and he turned to the path of Tawheed. Sometimes it is good to be
different, sometimes it is best to take a detour that no one else is taking,
or a detour everyone else is warning about. Ibn Ashoor said after that, alHaneefiyyah became a symbol or an honorary term of praise, in honour of
Ibraheem alayhis-salaam.
HANEEFIYYAH
AND ISLAM ARE INTERCHANGEABLE
Another point on al-Haneefiyyah is that it also means Islam, and Islam

means Haneefiyyah. They can be used interchangeable, during the time of
Ibraheem and during today in our Millah. Today, not many would
understand if you say I am on the Haneefiyyah, or if you tell them I follow
the Haneefiyyah if he asked you what is your religion. Most you would
Page | 502
have to sit and explain it to them, just like not many during the time of
Ibraheem understood what Islam is.

: ...

Ibraheem was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a Haneefa. He
mentioned Haneefa first, then Muslim:

Both terms were used there. Ibraheem turned away from both courses,
both religions, and turned to Haneefa Muslima. We need to know that
word in depth because it is a word that is very important and essential to
the people of Laa ilaaha illallah, especially the strong holders of Tawheed,
those who study and want to master Tawheed.
Ibn Ashoor said Ibraheem used Haneefa in place of Islam during his time,
at times, because people back then did not know what Islam is so he used
Haneefa because they knew what Haneefa was. Even though Ibraheem
called himself Muslim, he used Haneefa because his people did not know
it. When he built the Kabah what was he saying, him and his son?
: ...

Oh Allah, make us Muslims. But then he used Haneefa, why? Ibn Ashoor
said he used it because the people during his time did not know what
Muslim was, they knew what Haneefa was.

Allah tells the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:

You, direct your face oh Muhammad entirely towards the religion of
Haneef. Allah is directing the Prophet to follow this Haneefiyyah.
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A similar verse in Surat ar-Room:
Even the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in his Hadith said:

In Musnad Ahmad. I was sent with Haneefiyyah Samhah (

) .

And when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was asked, what is the
religion most beloved to Allah? In Musnad Ahmad, he said:

What al-Haneefiyyah as-Samhah? We took al-Haneefiyyah, as-Samhah
means the easy going religion, the religion that is very easy and as you
know our religion is founded on being easy. If you look at our religion
overall, it is very easy and when matters are very difficult on one where
he cannot do them, they turn to be easy with the exception rules that we
have. However, there may be some details that are difficult and that one
has to do if they are under his means, there is some aspects that are
difficult.
Now the point is that Haneefiyyah and Islam can be used interchangeably,
you have to understand that.
HANEEFIYYAH
AND THE
AHNAAF
ARE
DIFFERENT
The last detail on this Haneefiyyah issue is that do not get Haneefiyyah
and Ahnaaf messed up. Al-Haneefiyyah, the Millah of Ibraheem is one
thing and the Ahnaaf, the followers of Abu Haneefah which is the school of
Fiqh that Abu Haneefah established, that is a total different thing.
A DREAM PERTAINING TO HANEEFIYYAH
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Before we move on, let your fingers relax and your minds relax a moment,
let me tell you this personal dream that I always remember when I talk
about this issue. Thirty five years ago or so or close to it, as I always say
Islam back then was not popular or common. The movements on the
scene were the secular movements, the nationalistic movements, the
communist movements, the socialist movements, they were dominating
even among those who claimed to be Muslim. Marx and Lennon were like
the stars and heroes for many who called themselves Muslim, all over the
world and more particularly in countries with calamites and countries that
are trying to liberate lands taken from them. Allah did not take our lands
and put us in the predicament that we are in today for anything small or
vain or because He oppressed us, Maaath Allah, He touched the Ummah
for a tiny bit of their sins and forgave a lot.
I remember my father bringing group after group who were Muslims,
trying to convince them that Allah exists, because now suddenly they
adopted communist and atheist ideologies. Some were growing beards,
not to look like our beloved sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, but rather to look
like Castro and Guevara. Truly, I am telling you facts. Others seen Gamal
Abdel Nasser in Egypt and his nationalistic movement and the movement
of Michel Aflaq, as the route to victory. Then others went with the secular
route of Yasser Arafat. Each path stinkier and filthier and more rotten than
the other path.
The few who were called religious were at many times people of Bidah
and then there was always the few, few, few who were on the truth. Many
of you do not know this historic background because you were either
young or not born back then, actually I myself was young, a child. So
basically Islam was not as popular or as common as you see today, or
anywhere close to that. It was during those times that my father wanted
to continue studies in Madinah to face the challenges and doubts and
better his knowledge, even though at that time he was very
knowledgeable and he had already learned with many Mashaaikh. I told
you people change and moult in their belief, and they change with how
the news changes and how the circumstances and the governments
change. From the will of Allah and his biggest blessing on our family is,
and it is rare to see, but the Manhaj I am on today Wallahil-Adheem is the
Manhaj my father taught me when I was a little kid, not a tiny bit changed.
And I say Alhamdulillah Thumma Alhamdulillah that one had Istiqaamah
from young days and did not moult and change.
Let me say also, having lived through this pre Islamic awakening stage
and you see the drastic on going changes in the world, I really make Duaa
and very much anticipate that within this decade the Ummah will wake up
Page | 505
to a sudden day of victory. A day that will please every believer and
seeker of peace and displease every tyrant and oppressor and enemy of
Allah, the day that we all long for when we hear of the Khilaafah
established on this earth. I believe Inshaa Allah Taaala it will be in this
decade.
So my father in the seventies had the ambition to study in this university
no one knew about and he wanted me and my two sisters to go along and
memorise the Quran. May Allah protect my sisters and also my mother,
may Allah raise her rank to Firdaws. At that time, many Ulamaa had come
and visited us in the States and they seen the Dawah activity of my
father, which impressed them. They encouraged my father to cut his
Dawah activity or pause it, go to Madinah and come back, which only
added more inspiration to what he wanted. And among those who visited
was ash-Shaykh al-Harakaan Rahimahullah who was the head of the
Muslim World League back then and Abdullah Ibn Qaood who was among
the high Ulamaa Rahmatullahi Alayhi, he also died. There is also Shaykh
Sad al-Husayyan, he was in charge of the Islamic affairs in Jordan for
Saoodiyyah. Then he involved his two brothers, Ibraheem al-Husayyan
who was the right hand man and trustee of Ibn Baaz for decades, and
then they had a third brother which is Saalih al-Husayyan who you may
have heard of, just died recently, months ago, he was the head of the
committee for the Haram in Madinah and Haram in Makkah. And many
others who all pushed and helped my father to fulfil his dream to go to
Madinah and many helped him get accepted. All those who I mentioned
are dead with the exception of Shaykh Sad, may Allah have mercy on
those who died of them.
Let me tell you another side issue, Shaykh Saalih al-Husayyan who is the
head of two Haram who just died recently, he is probably one of the most
humble men you will ever meet in your life and possibly one of the richest
at the same time. When I used to sit in the Haram and memorise the
Quran every day from Asr to Ishaa and my father would be in a Halaqah
with other Mashaaikh learning, he would take me and say come on let us
go have lunch and come back, your father is not going to get mad, and
really that was the only person my father would trust me to go with. I
would go with him and one thing I learned about this man is he was
teaching me how dutiful he was to his mum, he told me if his mum is on a
higher level, he will not go above that level and sleep. If she is on the
second level, he will stay on the first or second level and sleep. He will not
go on a higher level and disrespect her, he took it as a form of disrespect
even though he was in a high position and very wealthy. It shows you how
some take their mother and be dutiful to her, so take advantage if your
mum or your parent is alive and be dutiful to them.
Page | 506
So my father had obstacles in going and these people helped him, among
the obstacles was for example that he could not take the family, back
then it was impossible to take a family. Allah made it easy and I ask Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala that He made it easy out of His love to my father,
because that is who he grants knowledge to.

If Allah likes someone, if Allah wants good in someone, He will grant him
Fiqh of the Deen. That is a clear Hadith.
So like I said one of the obstacles was that back then it was impossible
almost, actually it was not know among any student to take his family
along with him. That did not happen back then and if you tried to do it
illegally, they had checkpoints set up every two weeks, Madinah was very
small and they had checkpoints where they would clear out anyone who
was illegal. Unlike today where there is permits for students in Madinah
and also there is other ways the students find around taking them. My
father wanted us all to benefit and he wanted us to memorise the Quran
and if they declined us, he was going to reject the acceptance. So in the
midst of the days spent in anticipation and looking forward to going to
Madinah and if they will allow us all to go, he had a dream and he seen
himself riding on a horse entering Madinah with Ibraheem alayhis-salaam
welcoming him to Madinah. And Ibraheem alayhis-salaam was telling my
father in the dream, you will be on the Haneefiyyah, you will master the
Haneefiyyah, you will live on it and you will die on it, or a statement close
to that. May Allah make that true.
Months after that dream we were all in Madinah. And at the front gate of
Madinah, of the university, my father looked at it and said, do you
remember the dream I told you about? This is exactly where I seen in the
dream, this is the scene I seen in the dream. I told you this because every
time I remember or teach or mention Haneefiyyah or a lot of times when I
recite it or read it, I remember the dream my father had. I ask Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala, to keep you and our beloved followers and
students all over the world steadfast on Millat Ibraheema Haneefa, that
we live on it, that we die on it, and that we be resurrected on it.
Now let us go back to our text. You can pick up your pens, snap out of it,
you are still thinking about the dream.

Page | 507
MILLAT IBRAHEEM
THE DEFINITION
OF
MILLAH
Al-Millah, the word Millah means the way. Here, it means the way which
Ibraheem followed in religion. Millah is the way in which Ibraheem
followed in religion.
WHO
IS IBRAHEEM?
We took Millah, now the next word is Ibraheem. We know Ibraheem,

alyhis-salaam, the man Allah said about:
...

Who is better in religion then one who submits his face to Allah while he is
a Muhsin.

...

...
And follows the religion of Ibraheema Haneefa.
:

...
And Allah took Ibraheem as his intimate friend. Allah took him as His
friend, and Allah chose him as His friend. He is the Khaleel, the Khaleel of
the Most Merciful is Ibraheem. He is the father of the prophets and his way
is mentioned repeatedly, so that it will be adhered to, it will be followed.
: ...

You remember the verse that we took last week? He, Ibraheem, is a
Qudwah (). He is an example for the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, he is a Qudwah and he is an example for this Ummah.
He is the one man nation.

: ...

Allah gave him wisdom when he was a young boy, as he said in the
Quran:
Page | 508

We bestowed aforetime on Ibraheem, his guidance, and We were well
acquainted with him and his belief to the oneness of Allah.
A boy raised in a house where his father made statues to be worshipped
instead of Allah. He was raised in an environment where statues were
worshipped all around him, that was his environment, that is how he grew
up. He stood against the people of his time.
We want to show Ibraheem the kingdom of the heavens and the earth,
and that he be one of those who have faith with certainty.

:

When the night covered him, when the night came and the darkness
came, he saw a star. He said, that is my lord. But when it set he said, I do
not like that which sets.

:

When he saw the moon, he said this is my lord. When it set, he said unless
my Lord guides me I will surely be among those who are astray.
A young man who stands tough and teaches us the tactical debate to
impose on your opponent, what they believe in, in a way that shows them
how ridiculous and pathetic that belief is. Impose that idea on them to
show them how pathetic and ridiculous it is.

:

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When he seen the sun, he said, this is my lord. When it set, he said I
disown that which you worship.
I turn my face to the One who created the heavens and the earth
Haneefan Muslima, I turn my face to Allah and only Allah. Turn my face,
that is Haneefa.
Ibraheem is the ideal Daaiyah. He is the one who has wisdom in Dawah,
he was the one who has manners in Dawah. Statements he said, when he
said to his father Yaa Abati (

) , he is talking to a father who has
opposed him, who was his enemy, yet he is still telling him:

: ...

Oh my father, have some knowledge.

: ...

Oh my father, do not worship the Shaytaan.

: ...

Oh my father, I fear that the Hell is going to touch you.
And then when he disbelieved and he got arrogant, he said:

: ...

...
Look at the manners, look at the wisdom in Dawah.
When matters got serious, he got serious. He displayed his Baraa from
them and he said:
...

: ...

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We disbelieve in you and that which you believe, and hatred and
animosity has come between us. When they stepped it up, he stepped it
up and he said:

:
Wallah I shall plot a plan and destroy your idols after you have gone away
and turned your backs. He destroyed the statues into ruins, except for the
big one.

Who has done this our gods? Even though their lords were dust and dirt,
they still called their lords, lords. When the Fitrah goes from Haneefiyyah
to its opposite, it no longer has sense. They are calling dust their lord.

:
We heard a young boy. In court he was the one man nation, they took him
to court. He was a one man nation that spoke like a real man, even though
he was a young, young teenager. He did not coward and dilute his
teaching or back away.
He said:

:

Fie upon you and that which you worship besides Allah. Have you no
sense?
: ...

They said burn him. What did he say? They said burn him, he said Hasbun

Allahu wa Nimal-Wakeel (

) . Allah said:

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...
:

Be cool and safe on Ibraheem. This is our Ibraheem alayhis-salaam.
Khaleel, the one Allah took Khaleel. The one man nation, the one Allah
says he is a one man nation. The one Allah says, he is a Khaleel. The one
we are ordered to follow in his footsteps, the one our Prophet was ordered
to follow in his footsteps. The universal reviver of Tawheed on this earth,

Ibraheem Kaana Ummah (

) . Allah gives certification to

this man as being a one man nation, it was not through luxury and
comfort that he got it. It was through hardships and difficulties and trials
that he got it. It was through Walaa and Baraa, through firmness and
steadfastness, through Dawah and belief, unwavering belief. May Allah
bring about in this Ummah more one man nations, or we need more one
woman nations to revive this Haneefiyyah of Ibraheem alayhis-salaam.
Now you know what the author meant in his statement, al-Haneefiyyah
Millat Ibraheem.
When you read it in different forms throughout the Quran or in the
Sunnah or when you see it anywhere, now you know what al-Haneefiyyah
Millat Ibraheem is. Jazakum Allahu Khayran.
CLASS TWENTY FOUR

Two weeks ago in our last class, we stopped at the first phrase of the first
sentence in the third chapter.

Know, may Allah direct you to His obedience that al-Haneefiyyah is Millat
Ibraheem.
Before we go on any further on Millat Ibraheem, I wanted to make a
couple of more points.
WHY DID ALLAH SPECIFY IBRAHEEM AND NOT ANY

OTHER MESSENGER?
The first one is, why did Allah subhaanahu wa taaala emphasise to the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to follow Millat Ibraheem
alayhis-salaatu was-salaam even though Nooh, Isa and all the
Page | 512
messengers and prophets alayhimus-salaatu was-salaam were on the

pure Tawheed?
Allah said:

: ...

Every one of them was on the pure Tawheed.

Why did Allah subhaanahu wa taaala specify Ibraheem:

...

:
He directed the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to follow Millata
Ibraheema Haneefa.
Why did He emphasise to follow Millat Ibraheema Haneefa, not Millat Nooh
Haneefa or Millat Isa Haneefa, or any of the other prophets and
messengers? The core message of pure Tawheed was the common
denominator among all of our prophets and messengers, the details may
have been different but the Tawheed of all the messengers was the pure,
Haneefiyyah Tawheed. Now why did Allah subhaanahu wa taaala tell the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in specific to follow Millata Ibraheem
Haneefa?
The answer is because when Allah subhaanahu wa taaala sent the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to Makkah, nearly
everyone in his vicinity was claiming to follow Millat Ibraheem. Quraysh,
statue worshippers, were attributing themselves to Ibraheem alayhissalaatu was-salaam. The Jews were attributing themselves to Ibraheem
alayhis-salaatu was-salaam. The Christians were claiming to follow
Ibraheem alayhis-salaatu was-salaam and claiming that he is their father.
Allah wanted to show that there was only one who was following him, the
path of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. It was
important to show at that time and for future times and generations until
the Judgment Day, that the path of Millat Ibraheem alayhis-salaam that
everyone claims to follow is the path of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam.
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SALAH AND SALAAM ON THE PROPHETS AND

MESSENGERS
The second issue and I will divide it into A and B, the author said:

And if you look in your copies, you are not going to see alayhis-salaam or
alayhis-salaatu was-salaam anywhere there, some may have added it but
the original text does not have alayhis-salaatu was-salaam.
WHY DID THE AUTHOR MENTION IBRAHEEM WITHOUT ADDING

ALAYHIS-SALAAM?
Those who mastered the work of the author Rahmatullahi Alayhi, Ibn
Abdul-Wahhaab, said one reason maybe because it is not Waajib, it is
Sunnah, but he may have had some type of reason or assumed that the
reader would say it. An-Nawawi Rahmatullahi Alayhi narrated that there is
an Ijmaa, consensus, that just like we say sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
about the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, we can say
Salah and Salaam on all the other messengers. Not meaning it is
obligatory on all the other messengers but the fact that we can say it
about the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, we can also
give Salah and Salaam on all the other messengers, meaning it is
permissible.
In fact, Ibn Hajr and an-Nawawi disliked for one to say Salah on the
prophets and messengers without adding Salaam to it. For example, like
Ibraheem alayhis-salaatu was-salaam, that is how they meant it should
be instead of Ibraheem alayhis-salaam. The formal way is to say
Ibraheem alayhis-salaatu was-salaam. Ibn Hajr further commented on the
disliking and he said the disliking is for one who continuously says the
shorter form and never ever says the other one. For example, one who
always says alayhis-salaam, alayhis-salaam, alayhis-salaam about other
prophets but does not at times add alayhis-salaatu was-salaam, the
formal way is to say alayhis-salaatu was-salaam.
SAYING SALLALLAHU ALAYHI
WA
SALLAM
AND
WRITING
IT
FULLY
The other point we will go over that relates to this is about saying
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the mention of the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in writing or saying or in social media and
saying sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. We know we must say that but what
about in writing, since it relates to this issue? When you do write or type,
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always write it out fully, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and say it fully. Do
not abbreviate and do not shorten. When you are reading a book, do not
just say it in your heart because that is not considered saying, that is
thinking. Once you utter it on your lips whether silent or out loud, then it
becomes saying. The point is write sallallahu alayhi wa sallam fully, do
not abbreviate, do not shorten.
Ibn Salah Rahimahullah the Aalim, the giant of Hadith and other sciences
but mainly of Hadith, he died 643 years after the Hijrah. In his book, a
book that talks about manners and style of how to write Hadith, how to
document it and how it was compiled and matters related to that. He died
643 years after the Hijrah, back in the inkpot and feather era and not with
lavish pens and keyboards to write which take less than a second, he
probably had to stick that feather in the inkpot several times to get
through sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He said speaking to his students, do
not ever get bored from writing sallallahu alayhi wa sallam fully as many
times as you mention him in your writing. He wants people to write it, he
said it is among the best and biggest early benefits students of Hadith
reap from their knowledge. He said that back in the days when there was
only few who wrote, many would mention Hadith but unlike these days it
was not many who wrote. He was directing his talk to the students who
wrote, so it applies really to anyone who writes. Everyone today writes,
today everyone uses social media, everyone passes on Hadith, it is
widespread to text and write unlike back in the old days.
That is how you see how giants became giants of Hadith, matters we
consider nothing they held in very high regard. PBUH or other
abbreviations many use or even saying sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has
become a heavy thing on the tongues today, but to our Imaams and our
Salaf, they deemed that in high regard. That is why Allah honoured them
and that is why Allah blessed their lives and that is why Allah blessed their
knowledge, it is a sign of their Taqwa. Whoever honours the symbols of
Allah, then it is truly from the piety of the hearts.

:

Ibn as-Salah said writing sallallahu alayhi wa sallam fully is among the
best and biggest early benefits students of Hadith or Ilm reap. Then he
said whoever neglects that has been deprived of something mighty. What
are you talking about Ibn as-Salah, what is that mighty thing? Writing
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam fully. Subhan Allah, tells you how these
Imaams became Imaams. Ibn as-Salah then said we seen that people who
Page | 515
write it fully every time his name is mentioned or written, they were
people who had righteous dreams. Then he mentioned what I really
wanted to get at, let not anyone use symbols nor abbreviations, he
deterred people from using symbols or abbreviations.
Hamza al-Kanaani said I used to write always sallallahu alayhi, not PBUH
or S or Saad or Saad, Laam and Meem as they abbreviate in Arabi. He
said I used to write the Hadith and say sallallahu alayhi without wa
sallam, he said then I seen in my dream that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam was telling me, why do you not finish it with sallam? And he
said I never, ever wrote his name after that except I wrote it fully,
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Ibn as-Salah went further to say it is also
disliked to write alayhis-salaam about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, write fully sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Sakhaawi who died 902 years after the Hijrah, approximately five hundred
years ago, still in the feather and inkpot era. In the book Fath Al-Mugheeth
Fee Sharh Al-Fiyyah Al-Hadith (
)by Iraaqi, he said a statement back then that it is as if he is

talking to the Ummah of today. He said refrain from using abbreviations in
your writing, he specifically said such as using two letters, do not use the
two letters abbreviation. Do not use any abbreviation and he specifically
said do not be like the non Arabic ignorants in how they abbreviate, he
said that is not our trend. That is a statement and he was probably talking
about the newcomers to Islam who he mentioned as Ajam (), they
were probably abbreviating it and he wanted to kill that trend back then.
Then he said, write the full sallallahu alayhi wa sallam instead of Saad,
Saad and Meem, or Saad, Laam, Ayn and Meem, that is diminishing your
Ajr and not the best method.
As-Suyooti in Tadreeb Ar-Raawi () , he said similar
statements in disliking the abbreviation or shortening of sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam. Let me add to that more contemporary issues, if you are
speaking or you are typing to a Muslim audience who speak English, use
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Use it, write it either in Arabi or maybe
transliterate the wording in English but in Arabi words, sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam. Meaning write sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, not peace be upon
him or other translated statements, that would be the best way to do it.
Now if the audience you are writing to or you are talking to may not
understand what you are saying and it is for Dawah purposes, maybe you
can put peace be upon him or another translated statement for the
purposes of telling them what you are saying or what it means or what we
say about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
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Now as to situations like Twitter where your characters are limited or if you
are in a lecture like here taking notes, you do not have time, you cannot
write it, it is best to utter the full sallallahu alayhi wa sallam of the
Prophet and leave it out without no abbreviations, at least say it. Those
who I mentioned are the biggest Imaams of Mustalah al-Hadith, all disliked
abbreviations and shortening. So instead of abbreviating on Twitter where
you are desperate for characters, instead of promoting something that is
disliked by the Imaams of Hadith, leave it out but most definitely say it
and help revive the Sunnah of writing it where you are able to fully,
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi said I seen in the handwriting of Imaam Ahmad
Ibn Hanbal, some written work where he put the name of the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam but he did not put sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
He said, but I was told that he verbally said it every time he read it. He
probably did it for his own writing or his own note taking, maybe lack of
ink or lack of time like in lectures, he did not put sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam and he did not abbreviate. That is my point, he did not abbreviate
as well, but what was important is that he would verbally say it. And this
applies to Twitter or in classes like here where you are rushing to write
notes and may not have time to write sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. What is
sad today is that not only do Muslims neglect typing it or writing it,
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, but the saying of it has become abandoned. I
give lectures sometimes or Khutub and you look at the audience, there is
really rarely anyone saying sallallahu alayhi wa sallam when you mention
the name of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
IS
IT
WAAJIB
TO SAY
SALLALLAHU ALAYHI
WA
SALLAM?
Saying that, I just remembered a third issue so make it C in your notes,

which is the ruling on saying sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. So A was
alayhis-salaatu was-salaam about messengers, B was about shortening
and abbreviating sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in writing, and C would be is
it Waajib to say sallallahu alayhi wa sallam every time you hear his name
or not? At-Tahaawi and al-Haleemi said every time the name of the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is mentioned, it is Waajib to say
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, meaning you get sins for not saying it. This is
a disputed matter, other Ulamaa said it is only Waajib one time per
setting and there is a few other opinions in between that. It is sufficient for
me and you to know that Salah on the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
is ordered in the Quran.
Page | 517

:
Oh you who believe, give your Salah and Salaam on the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Allah started with Himself, then
secondly mentioned the angels, then ordered the Ummah to make Salah
on the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
It is sufficient to know the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said the
stingy one is one who my name is mentioned, and he does not say
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:

In Sunan at-Tirmidhi and Musnad Ahmad. And more so, he made Duaa on
those who his name is mentioned and they do not say sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam.
In Sunan at-Tirmidhi. May Allah smother his nose in dust, meaning may
Allah humiliate him, may he be humiliated, who? One who when my name
is mentioned and he does not say sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
TO WORSHIP ALLAH ALONE

Now let us move on to the next sentence.

The next phrase is that you worship Allah alone:
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To worship Allah alone. The reason why we were created, the reason why
the universe was created, and why the messengers alayhimus-salaatu
was-salaam were sent.
Verily I created human and Jinn to worship Me. To worship Me here, Ibn
Abbaas said is Tawheed, the true religion. It is to worship Allah, making all
of the religion purely for Allah. That is why Allah commanded the people of
Tawheed and ordered them to follow the path of Tawheed.

:

We did not send any messenger before you oh Muhammad, except that
We revealed to him that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah,
so make all of your worship purely for Him. That is Ibaadah, pure Tawheed
to Allah.
THE DEFINITION OF IBAADAH

First thing we will take here is the definition of Ibaadah. Linguistically,
Ibaadah means lowliness of humiliation.
In Arabic, you say:

A street that is Muabbad, it means a street that has been stepped on,
meaning humiliation, lowliness. We mentioned what Sharee meaning is
many times, the Sharee meaning of Ibaadah entails both humility and
love. Worship, Ibaadah in its general sense is submitting ones self to Allah
with love and awe. How? By doing that which He has ordered and avoiding
that which He has forbidden in the manner laid down and prescribed by
Him. Submitting ones self to Allah with love and awe by doing that which
He has ordered and avoiding that which He has forbidden or prohibited, in
the manner laid down and prescribed by Him.
Now the specific definition of worship is like the definition of Shaykh alIslam Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah, the best definition you will see. He
said Ibaadah, worship, is a comprehensive term covering what Allah loves.
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It is everything Allah loves, and whatever He is pleased with. Whatever

Allah loves, whatever Allah is pleased with, both saying and actions. The
apparent and the hidden such as fearing, having awe, paying Zakah,
fasting and any other practices prescribed by Islam. That is the best and
most comprehensive definition for Ibaadah. Salah, Zakah, Hajj, treating
parents good, being dutiful to them, ordaining the good and forbidding the
evil, Dawah, Tawakkul, all of that is included in Ibaadah. Ibaadah is
everything that pleases Allah, with pure Niyyah and in accordance with
the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
In Sahih Muslim, the Hadith narrated by Abu Dharr. People came to the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the poor people said the wealthy
people get higher grades at the end because they spend a lot, so the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said at the end of the Hadith, even
sexual relationship you will have reward for it. They said we get reward for
sexual relationship with our wives? He said if you do it in Haraam, would
you not get sins? They said yes. He said and likewise, when you do it in
Halaal, you get reward. So if one has the intention to have relationship
with his wife to preserve himself from Haraam, to have kids to benefit this
Ummah with, or to follow in accordance with the teachings of the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and to get married, he will get reward for that.
We mentioned this in a little bit more detail in a previous class, you can
refer to it, how regular day to day traditions can be transferred from
traditions to Ibaadah. Like sleeping, like working out if you remember, we
specifically said those two.
Ibaadah is when Allah says I order the person to do, he says I hear and I
obey. Heart, limbs, brains and all of him submits totally and fully. That is
Ibaadah.

...

Your eyes, your heart, your hands, your brains all submit to Allah, the One
who ordered you to worship. The prerequisites of Ibaadah is to do it for the
sake of Allah, on the avenue of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam. The summary of the Deen is to worship Allah as He wants, that
can only come through the avenue of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam. Two principles and the biggest proof you need for them
is Shahaadatayn. First, Laa ilaaha illallah, Allah, to do it for Allah. The
second, Muhammadar-Rasoolullah, is to do it on the path of the Prophet
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There are those who make that which is permissible Haraam and what is
Haraam permissible, those who do that and those who follow them, that is
one of the ways of having Ibaadah to other than Allah. And you remember
the Hadith of Adi Ibn Haatim when he heard the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam reciting:

: ...

They have taken their Rabbis and their monks as lords besides Allah.
: ...

...
And they were only ordered to worship one Lord.

When he heard that, to his mind what was meant by worshipping is that it
is bowing and prostrating to someone else, supplicating, sacrificing, that is
what came to his mind. But the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
informed him that their obedience to their Rabbis and monks in forbidding
that which is permissible and permitting that which is forbidden was a
form of worship, because they made their Rabbis and monks partners to
Allah in obedience and in ordaining the law.
Other more common ways where Ibaadah is dismissed to Allah is to know
that the whole universe, everything in the universe could not harm you if
Allah did not will it. To know that everything in the universe could not help
you, unless Allah willed it. Ibaadah is not only Salah, Hajj, fasting and
Umrah like many think, but your obedience to your parents is Ibaadah just
like Hajj and Umrah. Leaving Riba and Zina is also Ibaadah, your love for
Allah, your hate for Allah, your Walaa and Baraa, all that is included in
Ibaadah. Today some think that when you leave the Masjid, you leave
Islam behind your back at the doorsteps and that is the thinking of a
Jewish mentality and one of the reasons they went astray.

...

...

:
You believe in part of the scripture and you reject the rest. Allah
reprimanded them, rebuked them for doing that.
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WHY DID ALLAH ORDER US TO WORSHIP HIM?

The next point is, why did Allah order us to worship Him? Some today say
why do we worship Allah? Are you telling me this great creation, the
universe with the human and the Jinn and the animal, the mountains and
plains and everything that is created in it, Allah does not need us as you
say, but why do we worship? You tell us in a lecture that Allah does not
benefit from our obedience and does not get harmed from our sin, He is
independent, He is Sovereign, but then you come up and say you got to
worship. Why do we worship if he does not need us?
ALLAH DOES NOT BENEFIT FROM

HARMED BY OUR SINS
OUR
OBEDIENCE
AND
HE
IS NOT
First, rest assured and know for a fact that if the entire universe left
Ibaadah, Allah is Ghani.
: ...

...

He does not benefit from our obedience, nor does He get harmed from our
sins. Keep that as a fact. His kingdom does not get more by the entire
universe thanking, praising and glorifying Him, nor does it become any
less with the Shirk of the Mushrik or the sin and the slander of those who
curse and slander Him by claiming that He has a son or in any other way
or form. It does not become any less with that.
In Sahih Muslim, the Hadith al-Qudsi. Oh my servants, you sin by night
and by day and I am here to pardon your sins, therefore seek forgiveness
from Me so I may grant you pardon. Oh my servants, you can neither do
me any harm nor can you do me any good. Oh my servants, even if the
first amongst you and the last amongst you and the whole human race of
yours and that of the Jinn became as pious as the most pious heart of
anyone amongst you, it will not add anything to my power or my kingdom.
Oh my servants, Yaa Ibaadi, if the first amongst you and the last amongst
you and the whole human race and then the Jinn tagged along with you
and they became as wicked as the most wicked heart of anyone amongst
you, it would not decrease anything from my power or kingdom.
It is all summed up in one verse:

:

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Mankind, it is you who stand in need of Allah but Allah is rich, free of any
needs, and Allah is worthy of our praise.
There is two types of being poor or in need to Allah. The first one is the
universal poverty or need to Allah, the biggest and strongest and
wealthiest, most arrogant Kaafir is in poor need of Allah. He needs the
sun, he needs the land, he needs the oxygen, this is called Idhtiraari (
), by force.
That is what is mentioned in this verse:
...
To Him submitted all creations in the heaven and the earth, willingly or
unwillingly. They are in desperate need of Allah.
The second one is Faqir Ikhtiyaari () , by choice, and we
ask Allah subhaanahu wa taaala to be amongst them, to have awe,
humility and reverence to Allah. The more you advance in your humility
and lowliness to Allah, the richer you become with Allah. As we say many
times, never show arrogance in your Ibaadah. You are doing favours for
yourself, not for Allah.
To Him belongs whatever is in the heaven and the earth and those angels
who are near to Him are not too proud to worship Him, nor are they weary
of His worship.

:
To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and the earth. All are obedient
to Him.
If all human and Jinn in the universe turn away from Ibaadah, the angels
will continue to worship Him and He does not need the human, the Jinn
Page | 523
nor the angels. Al-Bayt al-Mamoor above the Kabah, seventy thousand
enter there every day and never return until the Judgment Day.

He told his people, if all of you disbelieve in Allah, Allah is independent.
And many, many other verses like that in the Quran.

...

:

: ...

All I mentioned so far is to show you how low me and you are to Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala, how desperate and poor we are to Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala, how we worship Him while we desperately need
Him, He does not need us, Jalla Fee Ulaah (
) .
Now let us answer the question, the wisdom behind us worshipping Allah if
He does not need us and does not need our worship, nor does He need
the worship of the Jinns, not even the worship of the angels does He need.
IBAADAH
IS A
RIGHT
OF
ALLAH UPON US
First of all, because Allah has a right over us, that is part of our belief in
Allah, in His name and in His qualities and attributes. He loves to be
worshipped and glorified, you and me have to give Him His right over us.
You find that kings in this world love matters and hate matters, Allah has
the most supreme examples.

: ...

...

Allah loves that His slaves worship Him and glorify Him.
Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim, Hadith Muadh:

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:

In this long Hadith, let us just take the point for this class. The Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was teaching Muadh, Muadh was riding on a
donkey with him and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam takes the
time to teach him. He was teaching him the right of Allah over us and
rights Allah put upon Himself that He will give us, if we do the conditions
that He tells us. The Hadith, Muadh never said to anyone except on his
deathbed, and that is because the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
told Muadh not to spread it for fear that it had so much hope in it that
people may slack off on their deeds, depending on the great hope that
Allah gave us in this Hadith. And the Hadith is that Allah has a right upon
us, that we must worship Him without Shirk. It is normal and not surprising
that Allah has a right over us, that is normal. What is astonishing and
amazing is for people to renegade against the right of Allah upon us, that
is what is amazing.
People do a small favour for you, and you never forget it for the rest of
your life. I remember in Madinah in my last four months there, I had a
teacher who taught me Quran as a child. When I returned to Madinah he
was teaching in the Masjid an-Nabawi by the doorway where the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said in his farewell words, close all the alleys
leading to the Masjid except my alley and the alley of Abu Bakr, it is still
know till today. I was occupied in the university classes and plenty of
private classes and I did not have time to go to him. In the last four
months I had in Madinah, I went to him to seek additional Ijaazah in the
Quran. He took out a piece of paper, he wrote my name down, he said
come back and see me in three years if I am still alive. I said but Shaykh, I
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am only going to be in Madinah four more months and I am going to be

done, Inshaa Allah I am going back to my country. My father told me to
get an Ijaazah from him no matter what it takes, he told me that Ijaazah
from him is more important to me than the degree you are going to get
from the university, Wallahi he said that. He had a high chain Ijaazah and
he was one of the teachers of al-Hudhayfi, and more importantly he was
among the best Quran teachers possibly of our time, Rahmatullahi
Alayhi.
He said he cannot do anything, so then I got my father involved and I told
my father to call him and that is how I got most of my private classes with
many of the Shuyookh there. He agreed if his students agree, he told my
father if my students agree then I will do it, because everyone had a set
time. He asked them would you be willing to take a little bit of time out so
we can get Ahmad involved and they all agreed, Jazahum Allahu Khayr. It
may be something simple, it may be something big. That was nearly
twenty years ago and I never forgot it nor did I forget what his students
did when they all agreed to give me a portion of their time. Possibly for
twenty years, I do not remember a day I do not make Duaa for him and
them unless I forgot. Even recently I was checking to send him a gift, very
recently, and I found out that he died three years ago, Rahmatullahi
Alayhi. So people who do a little bit of good for you, you cherish that from
them, what about Allah?
: ...

You could never count the blessings of Allah over you.

You in yourself, you and your skull and how it was perfected, your eyes
and your eyelids and your eyebrows, your neck and your heart.
You read about the eye and how it was slanted inwards in precision and
perfection, designed so no sweat will go in it. The doctors say that, I read
it in an article once. Just go down from the top of your head to the bottom
of your feet, blessing after blessing that you could not count, that is just in
yourself. So take all the blessings from the cradle to the grave, you could
not count it.
Leave everything and just look at the blessing of Islam.
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: ...

It is a privilege from Allah, it is a mercy from Allah. So the first wisdom is
that Ibaadah is a right of Allah upon us, it is His right over us.
IBAADAH
IS FOR
OUR OWN BENEFIT
Second, Ibaadah is for us. We do it for Allah but the benefit is really for us,
not for Allah. Allah is Raheem, the quality we mention to Allah, the Most
Merciful. Allah sent down to His entire creation from the beginning of the
creation to the end, one of His mercies, and He saved ninety nine for the
Judgment Day. He is Ar-Raheem, He is Ar-Rahmaan. From the biggest
aspects of His Rahmah, is that He allowed us and taught us to worship
Him. Ibaadah is nourishing to the soul and to the heart. Your body and
soul both need food to survive. Your physical body, you need air, you need
water, you need food to sustain it and nourish it. Your spiritual soul
screams for needs as well, and that need is Ibaadah, it will be fulfilled with
Ibaadah. Only Allah knows the details of the soul, therefore its food and
nourishment is prescribed by Allah through His Messengers alahyimussalaatu was-salaam. No way can we live without it. Without Ibaadah, the
hearts rust like metal, they wear out like clothes. You spray the rust off by
Ibaadah, you refurbish the heart by Ibaadah.
Ibaadah is means to take away your problems, so the benefit is for you. It
brings you nearer to Allah, so the benefit is yours. Every aspect of
Ibaadah, there is a benefit for you in it. And every sin, there is harm for
you in it. You are the one benefitting from it and the verses by that are
many in the Quran.
You do good, it is for you. You are doing it for yourself.

...

:

Your thanking Allah, you are thanking for your own good, it is only for your
own good.
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You worship Him because you are in desperate need from Him, that is
another wisdom.

Your worshipping Allah is an honour for you, the benefit is for you. You
honour yourself by being a slave of the Creator of the universe, because
when you become a slave of Allah and worship Him, you are not a slave
for anything else. Ibaadah is to benefit you and not Allah.
:

Your benefit from your worship is Taqwa.

...

:
Your Ibaadah, your Salah, it benefits you because it deters you from
disbelief, polytheism, every evil, wicked deed and even bad manners.

...:

Your Ibaadah of Zakah is to purify and sanctify you. You, us, for us. Your
Ibaadah is a right of Allah upon you.
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Let us stop here, Inshaa Allah we will continue next week. Jazakum Allahu
Khayr.
CLASS TWENTY FIVE

We are at the heart of the book in this twenty fifth class of Al-Usool AthThalaathah, the main chapter of the book, chapter three. We are in the
beginning.

This is the sentence we stopped off at:

Making the religion purely and sincerely for Him.
The statement that we left off at is right there. We are going to stay with
that statement because it is an essential statement, Inshaa Allah we will
devote this entire Halaqah to it.
IKHLAAS
Means to worship Allah and make religion only for Allah. Mukhlisan (

) means purely and sincerely. Lahu (
) means for Him alone, the

Haa in Lahu refers to Allah, for Him means for Allah. Ad-Deen (
)
which is religion and it refers actually to belief, to actions and to sayings.
Mukhlisan, purely, sincerely, means to worship Allah alone. In the
grammatical context, Mukhlisan is referred to as a Haal (). A Haal is

the equivalent of circumstantial accusative, that is what it is in English. A
Haal describes the circumstance under which an action takes place, that is
the definition of a Haal. So over here it means during your worship, you
worship Allah alone. During your life, you make your religion sincerely and
purely for Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, a life with no Shirk.
Mukhlis ( )is sincerity and it encompasses all of what falls under
Laa Ilaaha Illallah, sincerity in everything that falls under Laa Ilaaha Illallah
Muhammadar-Rasoolullah. Al-Ikhlaas ( )means to purify. What is
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meant here is the person by his worship, intends and desires the face of
Allah and to reach Jannah. A person does not worship anything along with
Allah, not an angel, a Prophet nor a Messenger.

:

And then We revealed to you oh Muhammad, that you should follow the
religion of Ibraheem who was a Muslim upon the true religion, and was not
among those who worshipped idols and associated partners to Allah
So it is the pure religion to Allah. One of the antonyms of Ikhlaas is Riyaa
(), insincerity. It is more commonly known or widespread on our
tongues as show off. Showing off for example in reading Quran, in Dhikr,
in Salah, in learning. In this classroom setting, you come to the classroom
for show off, or teaching, I come here for show off. In Jihad or Ibaadah, so
people do that to gain praise or to be thought of in a good way. Insincerity
has many different types and we want to go through those types.
DEFICIENCIES IN IKHLAAS
THE FIRST SCENARIO
The first scenario of insincerity is one who enters Islam or his entire Islam
is based on Riyaa. That is Kufr, that is what we call the major Nifaaq.

:

A party of the People of the Scripture said believe in the morning in that
which they tell you and what is in their revelation about the believers, and
then disbelieve and reject it at the end of the day or at night.
So their belief was for worldly gains, insincerity. That is the first one. That
is Kufr, one who enters Islam based on Riyaa, all of his Islam is only for
Riyaa.
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THE SECOND SCENARIO

The second scenario is to show off in matters that if one abandons them,
it is Kufr, and he has Riyaa in all those matters. Like for example Salah,
meaning all of my Salah from beginning to end, every part of it, all of it as
a whole and every one of them is Riyaa. The ruling on that is what Ibn
Rajab said in Jaami Al-Uloom Wal-Hikam (
) :

He said this type of show off is nearly impossible to come from a believer.
Do not lose concentration, focus with me. If you do lose concentration,
you are not going to understand these scenarios of Ikhlaas. The first
scenario is one who enters Islam in Riyaa, fully. The second one is one
who does those matters that if one leaves them it is Kufr, he does those
matters in Riyaa, as a whole and in detail.
THE THIRD SCENARIO

Now the third scenario is if the overwhelming majority of ones actions are
insincere and for show off, and that is the style of the hypocrites. Allah
said pertaining to this:

...

: ...

When they stand up for Salah, they stand up with laziness and they do it
to be seen by other people. So if the overwhelming majority of ones
deed, all of it from beginning to end is for Riyaa, it falls under this
category, the category of Nifaaq.

: ...

Do not be like those who left out of their homes boastfully and to be seen
by men. So these are aspects of the Munaafiqeen.
A more practical example that falls under this scenario is rulers who
govern by other than Islam, replace the entire Shareeah with another of
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their own, but then show off for political purposes or for some gain. They
show a little bit of Islamic significance for the ignorant and the bird
brained. They replace the Shareeah, they change it and replace it. They
officially promote, spread and sponsor interfaith, give their Walaa and
Baraa to the enemies of Allah, then build a little couple of Masjids or pass
out a couple of Quraans and say look what we do. That can only fool the
bird brained people, not a generation raised on Tawheed. It can only fool
traitors and bird brained, but not a generation well founded and rooted on
Tawheed.
Another example is what secularists do. The ideology of the secularists is
not Islam but they will put a touch or smell or scent of Islam in their Kufr
founded ideology as an appearance, so that people will accept them or for
other purposes and so they will not be rejected. Same with those who
embrace the new religion, the Western Islam, that is a religion. That is not
Islam, that is a Western Islam, that is a religion in itself. We embrace and
submit to Islam, the pure, unadulterated Islam, Millat Ibraheema Haneefa.
Others choose a different brand of Islam which is called the Western Islam,
but then you will see they will put a touch or smell of our Islam in it to fool
the bird brained. And that will only fool people who are not well founded,
rooted and established on Tawheed.
All of that is deficiency in Ikhlaas, those three scenarios are deficiencies in
Ikhlaas. Those three are between Kufr and Nifaaq, so if ones
overwhelming majority of their Ibaadah is to be seen by men then it falls
under this category of Nifaaq like Ibn Rajab Rahimahullah said.
THE FOURTH SCENARIO

The fourth scenario is having Riyaa, insincerity in matters of Ibaadah
whereas if you leave them it is not considered Kufr, the opposite of
scenario number two. Matters that leaving them, it is not Kufr, but
someone has Riyaa in them. That is the opposite of the previous
category, this category is the small Shirk. That is the small Shirk that
opposes Ikhlaas, the minor Shirk. And we spoke about the minor Shirk and
the punishment when one stands before Allah and I gave you the dispute
on that, we even took in another class the Duaa to seek refuge in Allah
from that minor Shirk and you can refer to it back there. We do not want
to repeat to repeat to preserve time, but there is other matters that we
can talk about.
Leaving a Naafilah in this category, it is not like leaving a Fardh like in the
previous category, that is why they are in different categories. Leaving
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Salah falls under the previous category which is the major Riyaa. This one
is about for example Nawaafil, here it is non obligatory matters or matters
that if one leaves them it is not considered Kufr. Let us assume for
example Riyaa entered ones Niyyah in something that is not obligatory,
in something that if you left, it is not Kufr. He really devoted his worship to
Allah, then the Shaytaan came to him. And this has many forms, this
fourth scenario has many forms.
CATEGORY 4A
Now if the Shaytaan came to him and he started getting insincerity, if he
rejects and resists it and fights and fends it off, he is not harmed nor
sinned at what the Shaytaan whispers and instigates to him.

In Sahih al-Bukhari, the famous Hadith you all know. Allah forgives my
followers of what their souls may whisper to them or suggest to them as
long as they do not act on it or speak of it.
So it is just whispers and this person fought the whispers. Ibn Rajab said if
he does not let it find its way to him, it will not harm him. Meaning if he
resists it, it will not harm him. In fact, he may get reward because he is
resisting the Shaytaan.
CATEGORY 4B
If he lets the Riyaa go on without resisting or fighting it, he does not fight
the show off or the insincerity. Now this one is disputed, keep in mind this
scenario is one who started his act sincerely, all of category four is one
who started his act sincerely but the whispers came to him. This reminds
me of a story Ibn al-Jawzi mentioned in Akhbaar Al-Hamqa WalMughaffaleen () . He said the people
walked in a Masjid and seen a man praying so good and how long his
Salah is. He heard them talking about him, he looked to the side of him as
he was making Salah and he said I am fasting too. But here in this
scenario, no, it is someone who did not go that far of course.
4A is someone who resisted that, the Shaytaan came to him, the
insincerity came to him, the whispers and thoughts came to him, and he
fought it. He initiated that Ibaadah totally for the sake of Allah but the
whispers came to him and he fought it. We said that it will not affect him,
in fact he most likely will Inshaa Allah get reward. 4B is one who did his
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recitation, his Naafilah for the sake of Allah then got the whispers but did
not resist it, so we said there is a dispute here.
Ahmad, Ibn Jareer at-Tabari and al-Hasan al-Basri said Inshaa Allah his
deed will be accepted and they mention the Hadith that is Mursal in Sunan
Abu Dawood:

:

This Hadith is Mursal in Abu Dawood, where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam was asked, all of Bani Salamah fight, some for Dunya, some to
aid their friends and some fully for the sake of Allah, which is the martyr?
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said in this Mursal Hadith, all of
them, and this is what this group said. Now that is for one who did Jihad
initially for the sake of Allah, that initial intention was for the sake of Allah
but it was tainted afterwards with other matters, the matters that we
mentioned. Ibn Jareer said the dispute is for actions that are all tied
together like Salah, Siyaam and Hajj. Salah is not proportional, it starts
with Allahu Akbar and ends with As-Salaamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullah.
So the Ulamaa who disputed in 4B, it is matters like Salah or fasting. You
start for the sake of Allah then your intention changes or the whispers
come to you, but you cannot stop Salah. Salah is not stoppable, breakable
or proportional. You cannot stop your fasting, it is not proportional. This is
where the dispute lies.
Now that which is not tied together, that which is proportional like
recitation of Quran, Dhikr, giving charity, teaching or learning, if the
insincerity seeps in, you start over and you renew your intention. Ibn
Jareer is saying if the deed is breakable and proportional like glorifying
Allah, I am doing Tasbeeh, I get to fifty five and my Niyyah gets affected, I
can stop and renew my Niyyah. There is no problem there, that is not
disputable. I am reading Quran, I start for the sake of Allah, as I read a
few pages a man walks in and my Niyyah is gone. I stop and renew my
Niyyah, I must renew my intention. Sulaymaan Ibn Dawood al-Hashimi
said I give a talk sometimes and my intention changes, he gives a talk like
we are doing today. He said my intention changes so I have to renew my
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intention several times in one teaching setting. He stops in the class,

renews his intention and goes on. That is how pious they were. That is not
applicable for example in Jihad because Jihad starts at the line and you do
not leave until the battle is over. It does not apply to Salah because Salah
starts with Allahu Akbar and ends with Tasleem, you cannot renew your
intention in the middle of these. Hajj, where it starts with one Shaeerah
and it goes on until one shaves his head and even after that, it is not
breakable.
Even though it is disputed, if Riyaa kicks in one and he does not resist nor
fight off the whispers of the Shaytaan or what he thinks of and he lets it
flow freely, the correct opinion is the action is void. The correct opinion
because of the Hadith of Abu Hurayrah:
In Sahih Muslim. Whoever does an action for the sake of someone else as
well as Mine, I will leave him with whoever he associated with Me.
Meaning he will not get any blessings for that deed. Like I said it is
disputed, but because of this Hadith it is more likely that his deed will not
be accepted because he did not fight off the whispers or the thoughts.
Riyaa in non obligatory matters or matters that if you leave them they
will not negate your Deen, 4A is one who resists it, 4B is one who does not
resist it.
CATEGORY 4C
4C is after the deed. After the deed, something comes to him about the
deed which causes him to doubt his sincerity. That does not affect your
deed, if it is after the deed. Why? Because Riyaa is what is in an action.
Remember what we said earlier when I gave you the grammatical context,
I said it is a Haal, it is during or before, not after.
Feehi (
) , in it. Whoever commits a Shirk, and the word is in it, in the

deed itself. This happening afterwards does not affect the deed.
DOES PRAISE
OF
PEOPLE NEGATE ONES IKHLAAS?
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It does not negate ones Ikhlaas because of the Hadith in Sahih Muslim:

:

:

That is the point:

A man told the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, a person does a deed
of good and then people thank him, praise him and speak good of him.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that is the early glad tiding
of a believer. That is the point of this Hadith, meaning that Allah put in the
hearts of the believers acceptance of that person, what he did or said or
the deed that he did, and that is the early sign that Inshaa Allah it is
accepted.
Had it negated his deed or had it been insincerity, the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam would have pointed it out, but he said:

Ibn Rajab Rahimahullah said if one does a sincere act, then Allah grants
him acceptance after by people praising him and at the same time his
heart becomes happy that the believers like what he did. He led Taraweeh,
they liked the way he led Taraweeh or whatever deed he did, that does
not affect his Ikhlaas or sincerity as Ibn Rajab said. That is also the opinion
of Imaam Ahmad, Ishaaq Ibn Raahwayh and others.
A man asked the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam about someone
who does a secret deed or a sincere one.

,

:

.

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The people then see after he does the sincere deed and he likes that
people know about it after, the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
said you get two rewards.

)

(
(

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said the first deed is for your
sincerity because you did it solely for the sake of Allah, you did not care
about the people. But you get another deed on top of that after people
knew, you did not care about them, you did not do it for them, you did not
even think about them but afterwards they came and knew about it. Then
you get the reward for people knowing about it and imitating, following
and mimicking you.
THE FIFTH SCENARIO

The fifth scenario in sincerity and Ikhlaas, let us assume someone leaves a
matter for the sake of people, is that Riyaa? This one is leaves, the first
scenarios are he does, this one is leaves. He fasts Mondays and
Thursdays, people find out so he leaves it. They walk in a Masjid and he is
reciting Quran from memory or he has a nice voice, he stops his
recitation. Is leaving deeds for fear of Riyaa, Riyaa? Is leaving deeds for
fear of insincerity, insincerity? There are two opinions by the Ulamaa on
this. If it is a Waajib matter then it is Riyaa and more because leaving a
Waajib is a sin, you cannot leave it for people. This part is clear, you
cannot leave a Waajib for people, you have to work and struggle with your
intention.
The dispute is if it is Sunnah, that is where the dispute is at. The first
camp said it is not Riyaa to leave it. If it is a Sunnah matter then he can
leave it, it is not Riyaa. In Tuhfat Al-Ahwadhi () , atTaybee said there is proof on reciting out loud and proof on reciting low,
we got Hadith that go both ways. We combine between the proofs by
saying one who fears Riyaa can do it silently or should do it silently and if
he does not fear Riyaa, he does it out loud. So that is one opinion.
The second opinion is that leaving a matter for fear of Riyaa is Riyaa. AlFudhayl Ibn Iyyaadh Rahimahullah has a famous quote like in Shuab AlImaan (
) :
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Leaving a deed for the sake of people is in itself show off, and he went on
to say doing it for them is Shirk.
What one should do is do the deed and resist the Riyaa, and he will get
more reward Inshaa Allah for resisting the whispers.
In Talbees Iblees (
radhiallahu anhu said:
)by Ibn al-Jawzi, al-Haarith Ibn Qays

If the Shaytaan comes to you while you are making Salah and whispers to
you that you are doing it for Riyaa, he said make it even longer. Fight the
temptation of the Shaytaan and make it even longer.
In Sharh At-Tareeqah ( ) he said from the traps of the
Shaytaan is that one may meet people who are not at his level of Ibaadah,
they do not make their Salah at night or they do not do Ibaadah that he
does. The Shaytaan will whisper to him that you should not do it yourself,
you should not do your Tahajjud, you should not do your Quran, you
should not do your Duaa because it is going to be Riyaa. Then he will
leave it, and he said that is wrong.
The correct of the two opinions on this is most definitely that one should
not leave a deed for fear of Riyaa. That is the correct opinion, however if
one leaves a deed for people, is that Riyaa? You really cannot call that
Riyaa, it depends on the intention of the person. It may be, at times it
may not be. So the summary, do not leave a deed for people. Do the
deed, fight the whispers. Leaving the deed is not Riyaa unless there is
something in the intention that makes leaving it Riyaa. That is the
summary.
I have said this before, I said when show off comes knocking on your heart
and whispers come to you, remember that if you get in a problem or
situation in this life, you will see nearly everyone walk away and give you
their back. Even Ulamaa from older times struggled and suffered from
this, you will be lucky if some of your family stick by you, remember that.
Are those people worth doing a deed for, or leaving a deed for? Who are
they? Who are they, when they are not going to be next to you in hard
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times and difficult times when you desperately need them in this world,
and more importantly when you stand before Allah, is any of them going
to be there? So that is one of the best ways to fix your Niyyah and your
Ikhlaas to Allah.
THE SIXTH SCENARIO

The sixth scenario is another common scenario. If someone does not do a
deed but people are around him and they fasted, so he fasted. They said
oh we are going to fast tomorrow is Monday, he fasted. He stays with
them, his roommates or something and he did it. Or they do Iftaar and he
is sitting with them and they say come on let us go to Taraweeh, he does
not usually go to Taraweeh but he ends up going with them. That is not
Riyaa.
Listen to this Hadith by Handhalah, he said I found Abu Bakr or Abu Bakr
found me and asked how are you doing Handhalah? And Handalah said I
feel like a hypocrite. Abu Bakr said Subhan Allah, he was amazed at that
statement, but look what happens later in the Hadith. Handhalah said
when we are with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he reminds us
of Jannah and Hell and when we leave, we leave and go play with our kids
and our family and forget a lot. He is explaining to Abu Bakr, Abu Bakr
said Wallahi that is true, I feel the same, let us go to the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. So they told that to the Prophet
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the Messenger sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam said by Allah, if you were to remain on the status that you are
on while you are with me, the angels would shake your hands in the alleys
and in your houses. But one hour and one hour, meaning one hour
intensive Ibaadah and study, and then take a break for another hour, you
got to take a break. So he told them that the Imaan is not going to be at
the same level, the Ibaadah is not going to be at the same level.
-
:

:

!

:

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:

:
!

The point is he was saying that during Halaqaat with the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, our Imaan is boosted, they remember Jannah
and Jahannam, their deeds are much more, their Imaan is strong because
he is with the group, then he goes back and plays with his kids and his
family, his Ibaadah and his Imaan is at a lower status. The Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not consider him a hypocrite as he thought
about himself, radhiallahu anhu. Rather, he considered it normal. That is
a normal way, that is not Riyaa in itself. When you are with the
companionship of righteous people, your Imaan goes up, your deeds are
more, that is why you are encouraged to choose the right friendship. So
that is not a deficiency in Ikhlaas right there.
THE SEVENTH SCENARIO

The seventh scenario is doing Ibaadah purely for Dunya or Dunya and
Deen mixed together. Let us take it by examples, it will become clear by
examples. If one goes to Hijrah just for Dunya, minor Shirk, small Shirk.
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Does Adhaan just to get the paycheque from the Masjid or from the
government at the end of the month, that is minor Shirk. Teaches Islam
just for the paycheque, purely for the paycheque, that is small Shirk. Visits
relatives, Silat ar-Rahim ( ) just for wealth or personal gain,
that is small Shirk. Studying Islam just to bank off of it in the future, it is a
minor Shirk. Note, we carefully said in each of those examples, purely for
worldly purposes, the whole deed was for worldly purposes. That is pretty
clear, now let us take something different.
Someone did Hijrah, we just said right now one who did it for Dunya not
for Deen, that is small Shirk, that is one example. The opposite of that,
someone who did Hijrah to a Muslim country for the sake of Allah, that is
reward. He wants his kids to grow up in a Muslim country, that is reward,
that is Hijrah. The third scenario is that he mixes the intention, he wants
Deen and Dunya. He wants to make Hijrah to a Muslim country, he wants
to live among the Muslims, but also wants a job. That happens a lot to
many brothers who travel to Muslim countries. Now the problem is with
the third one, he mixed his intention. Now that depends on the
percentage, if it is eighty percent for Allah and twenty percent for the job,
it is not Shirk. If the majority of the percentage is for Allah, it is accepted
Inshaa Allah and he will get reward Inshaa Allah. He is not going to get the
reward of the one who did it one hundred percent, the reward may
diminish. Eighty percent for Allah and twenty percent for a job, it is not
like one who did it one hundred percent for the sake of Allah, he is not
looking for a job there.
What is the proof on that? In Surat al-Baqarah when Allah talks about Hajj,
He permits those going to Hajj to seek trade, they are going for the sake
of Allah to do Hajj but He permits them. He said there is no sin on you if
you seek the bounty of your Lord, the bounty of your Lord here is trading
during Hajj, business deals, there is nothing wrong with that.

...

:
If one went purely, a hundred percent for that Hajj and one who took a few
things to sell over there, both get reward but not the same reward. If the
majority of the intention was for Allah but there was less than fifty percent
for worldly matters, Allah will Inshaa Allah accept it with of course a
diminished reward.
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Now let us assume the intention was right at the middle. Fifty fifty, fifty
percent for Allah, fifty for the job. This is different, this becomes minor
Shirk because of the Hadith:

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam rebuked someone by saying, you
make me equal to Allah? He made that equal to Allah, he did not give
Allah the overwhelming majority. When his Hijrah was fifty percent for
Allah and fifty for other, he made it equal to Allah. He made the job equal
to Allah unlike the previous one, which was for example eighty percent
and twenty percent.
In Sahih Muslim:

The proof on that, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said in Sahih
Muslim, if the soldiers go and fight and they gain some booty, they gain
some wealth, two thirds of their reward is hastened to them in this life.
But if they do not get anything, they go and fight for the sake of Allah and
return without anything, they get the full reward.
Ibn Umar used to say, one of his statements, if one goes to Jihad for the
sake of Allah and ends up getting booty or wealth, there is no problem
with that. But to only go for money or worldly purposes, that is not
accepted. We take analogy on that, so likewise is the matter we did on
Hijrah, Hajj or other matters. Al-Awzaaee and Imaam Ahmad had similar
opinions of what I just said.
After those seven scenarios, you keep them in mind, write them down,
look them over, you can get it in the future on Youtube Inshaa Allah. Pay
attention to them and work on them, but let us talk about Ikhlaas in
seeking knowledge.
IKHLAAS IN SEEKING KNOWLEDGE

Seeking Knowledge and Ikhlaas are intertwined and you will not have
Tawfeeq in seeking knowledge without Ikhlaas. When you study, you
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apply, you convey this Deen, you need the aid and help of Allah in that
honourable task of both learning and teaching. You lack Ikhlaas in seeking
and teaching Islam, and Allah will render you on your own. What students
of knowledge need to keep in mind is when we have a deficiency in
Ikhlaas, our punishment is worse than anyone else. If we attribute
ourselves and we try and we ask Allah subhaanahu wa taaala to be
students of knowledge, if we do not fix our intentions, our punishment is
worse. Allah subhaanahu wa taaala chose you as a student of Ilm to
honour you with that Ilm, Allah honoured you with that, Allah gave it to
you. A student of Ilm should walk around feeling they have a crown of
honour on their heads from Allah subhaanahu wa taaala because they
were chosen by Allah to absorb and convey this message, so they cannot
have no room or deficiency in Ikhlaas.

Whoever Allah wants good in, He will grant him knowledge of the Deen.
The opposite meaning, Mafhoom al-Mukhaalafah ( ) in
Arabic is whoever Allah does not want good in, He will deprive him of this
knowledge. That is why you see many people deprived, some people are
so eager, they come and want to study, first two or three classes and they
are gone. Allah did not want any good in them. Allah chose to honour you
with this noble task and if you have any deficiency in your Ikhlaas, then
you chose other than Allah or gave a percentage to other than Allah. Is
that a just way to deal with Allah? Allah chose you to honour you, He
chose you, He could have chosen other than you, and you choose other
than Allah with that which He chose to honour you with?
The punishment comes worse in a student of Ilm. Who is the first one to
go to Jahannam? Wal-Iyaathu Billah. An Aalim, Qaari, Mujaahid. One of
the most horrific Hadith for us is this Hadith, that makes the hairs stand
on end, Wallahil-Adheem. He learned, he is knowledgeable, he studied, he
had knowledge, and that gets him to Jahannam wal-Iyaathu Billah. He
learned and he taught to be called an Aalim or for worldly gain. People
gave him respect, they gave him a title, they honoured him because Allah
honoured him with that knowledge, but he chose worldly gain.
The second is a reciter who recited so people can say he is a reciter, look
at his voice, look at how he memorises the Quran. Mujaahid, who fought
to be called a hero. In all of them, the intention was the deficiency. The
three categories, people looked up to them because they are among the
best categories. Ordaining the good and forbidding the evil, reciters who
recite and teach and those who defend this Ummah, they are the purest
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Ibaadaat and that is why they are the first to enter Jahannam wal-Iyaathu
Billah with deficiency in Ikhlaas. A sincere Mukhlis who is sincere in being
an Aalim, a reciter or a Mujaahid, he gets among the highest ranks in
Jannah. If Allah gives the sincere Mukhlis the high ranks in Jannah, then
the opposite is true in that one who negated the Ikhlaas in those matters
will be punished most severely in Jahannam. They are the first to go to
Hell if they lacked sincerity, right? The opposite is true, those who fix their
sincerity are among the first to enter Jannah and get the highest levels in
Jannah. And the opposite is true, those who did not are first in Jahannam
and in the bottom of Jahannam.
If I had a friend, student or a brother and I bought him close to me, then
he betrayed me, is that not worse than a stranger or an enemy betraying
me? No doubt about it. Remember I tweeted upon my release, at the end,
we will remember not the words and torture of our enemies, but the
silence and betrayal of our friends. Betrayal from a close one is much
more hurtful, whereas sometimes what comes from strangers or enemies
you care less about it. In fact you expect it, no matter what they do, you
expect it and more. Allah subhaanahu wa taaala honoured you with
knowledge so man up to the task with sincerity. He brought you near Him
in this Ibaadah, in this honourable task, do not betray it with insincerity.
Do not be one who gives Allah His back and people his face after he was
honoured with knowledge, in what Allah honoured you with. When you
give sincerity to other than Allah, that is just like you give your back to
Allah. He gave you that knowledge, you gave your back to Allah and your
face to people who did not give you that knowledge.
This is a matter that we need to work on day and night, you will find with
more Ikhlaas, the Barakah becomes more and more. The Barakah will be
in your life, in your knowledge, every aspect of your life will have Barakah
in it with sincerity in Talab al-Ilm. You will find the Taalib Ilm who is
sincere, Allah will give him Barakah in his life and his wealth. You will find
the Taalib Ilm who may not have for example maybe twenty dollars, yet
people perceive him to wealthy. Allah blessed him, Allah gave him
Barakah in his knowledge, his wealth and in his happiness in his life. With
proper intention, Allah, ash-Shakoor ( )showers one with
sweetness in his heart and blessings in this life before the next. And that
is the meaning of ash-Shakoor, the Most Appreciative. With sincerity
comes Barakah in knowledge. When one is sincere, you will study and
absorb more, you will feel that with sincerity. The same book you have
been studying or the Quran you have been reading for so long, when you
work on your sincerity Allah will open your mind to deeper meanings you
never thought of before. It is the same book, what is the difference?
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Sincerity, Ikhlaas. That is why you get astonished at how the older
Ulamaa took lessons from verses, you say how did they get that out of
the verse?
The point is, clear your intention in this path. Every word you say in
Dawah, why did I say this? Why did I type this status? Why did I send that
tweet? Every time. Sometimes you are on social media and you are giving
Dawah, you get slandered or you get dragged into an argument or a
debate, if you merely fear that your reply is in retaliation for your own
person and not for the cause that you were giving Dawah in, then back
away and do not send it. Complete silence for Allah is better than
responding and quarreling that ends up being half for Allah and half for
personal gain. Do not worry about your person, defend the cause, not your
person.
When knowledge is barricaded from sincerity or action, it becomes
something one will regret and its harm is more than its help. Knowledge
was not meant to gain followers. Knowledge was not meant to impress
sisters or to marry a second and third and fourth wife, or to get popular.
Talabat al-Ilm are not rock stars and comedians, they are Talabat al-Ilm.
As the Salaf used to say, when one used to seek knowledge, it became
apparent on his actions. You would see it on him, you would see it in his
attitude, in his appearance, once they turned to knowledge. You could see
the change for the better, that is what they mean. Ilm is not something to
play those games with. The first to go to Hell is an Aalim,
Wallahil-Adheem that is something to be taken seriously, that is not
something to be taken lightly. Be careful. Do you know this Hadith that I
just mentioned to you that we say and we take so casually (the Aalim is
the first to enter Hell), is the Hadith that made Abu Hurayrah radhiallahu
anhu fall unconscious in fear three times before he was able to say it.
That Hadith about an Aalim entering Hell, Abu Hurayrah tried to tell that
to someone and he fell unconscious three times before he was able to say
it, out of fear of his intention.
In Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Shafee al-Asbahi (he is a Tabiee) said I went to the
Masjid and I saw people gathering around a man. I said who is this man?
He said Abu Hurayrah. I said that is Abu Hurayrah? He said I stood there
until people left, when I was with him alone I said teach me a Hadith you
fully comprehended from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
He said:

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) mean? Nashagha means he took a deep sigh

What does Nashagha (

and he fainted unconscious. He was about to say the Hadith, he took a
deep sigh and fell unconscious. He said I will tell you the Hadith, he fell
unconscious. Then he awoke, he wiped his face and said I will tell you the
Hadith. Then as he was about to say this Hadith:

He fell unconscious again. He took a deep sigh and he fell unconscious. He
wipes his face a second time, and then he falls unconscious a third time.
Then he awoke and he was finally able to mention this Hadith where a
person who is of the Quran, a Mujaahid or he gives in charity are the first
to enter Hell because of their lack of sincerity. Abu Hurayrah radhiallahu
anhu feared that Hadith? I ask you by Allah, what are we going to say
today? That is something to analyse and look at, that is why I told you we
will devote a Halaqah today. Sincerity is not easy and it needs a lot of
work on it. If Abu Hurayrah radhiallahu anhu passed out three times
fearing a Hadith that has sincerity in it, Ahmad Jibreel what should you
say? Ahmad Jibreel should be in a coma right now, Wallahi that is true.

Narrated by Abu Dawood. Whoever studies knowledge and does not do so
except for worldly matters, will not get the Arfal-Jannah (

) . I

mentioned this Hadith before, Arfal-Jannah is the smell of Heaven. We
have to check our Ikhlaas day and night. Every detail of our path, every
little, tiny deed that we do, fix the intention.
When one commits a sin, they get a black dot on their hearts wal-Iyaathu
Billah, unless they wash it off with repentance.

:
One who does not wash it off will have a darkened heart and when it is
dark like that, it becomes upside down like a cup that is upside down. You
try to put water in it, it rejects water. That is why you talk to some people,
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they are in one avenue and you are in one avenue. Deficiency in Ikhlaas is
very similar in that it starts small like those dots, the deficiency starts in
little matters. It starts like tiny hair strings that make a rope, a little
deficiency in Ikhlaas is like a hair string. If you do not get rid of that string
by fixing your intention and clearing your intention, washing your
intention and making it pure, you get another hair string like those dots,
and another hair string. Before you know it, the heart is swaddled in a
tight rope of complete insincerity. Once that rope swaddles, that is the
point of no return or almost of no return. That is when seeking knowledge
becomes for fame, teaching is for money, prestige and to impress the
community. A Daaiyah becomes known more for his personal life, wealth
and hotels that he goes in and out of, than his Dawah itself. So clean the
heart from those hair strings before the rope swaddles your heart in
insincerity.
The heart in pertaining to Ikhlaas has one face, it has a face and it has a
back. You can either face Allah with your heart of Ikhlaas, or face people in
worldly matters. It is one or the other, you cannot do both, it has one face.
If you face people in Ikhlaas, you gave Allah your back. If you face Allah in
Ikhlaas, you gave people your back in Ikhlaas and that is where you want
to be. That is where you want your heart to be. When one is in a noble
task of learning and teaching, he is walking on a thin line. There is no
room for play, when you are walking on a thin line suspended in air, do
you sit around and play up there? Like they do in the circus, do they sit
and play on the rope? You have to be walking on a thin line. One sees his
followers, one sees people who get listening to him, he starts to win
arguments and debates or begins to correct people, or even at times
when someone is in the most noble duties he sees some Karamaat of
victory. At that point, you cannot let your Ikhlaas relax and that is what
happens a lot of the time. The tainting in Ikhlaas begins to seep in if one
does not constantly wash it out.
Look at the flip side of it all, we said the higher rank in Jannah goes to
certain people, those who held themselves to a higher standard. If the first
three to enter Hell is an Aalim, a reciter and a Mujaahid, then the
opposite is true. We always said Allah holds you to a higher standard. The
first to enter Jannah after the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam are the Messengers because they are the heads of the Ulamaa,
they are the heads of the ones who ordain the good and forbid the evil.
That is why the Ulamaa are called the inheritors of the Messengers,
Warathatil-Anbiyaa (

) . The closer one is to them in his
actions and deeds, the closer he will enter Jannah after and right behind
them and near them. If you want that high rank and that honourable entry
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with the Messengers, you need to know that you are going to be held at a
higher standard, a standard so high that if you mess up, you will be the
first to enter Jahannam wal-Iyaathu Billah. Do you see how dangerous
that is?
Sometimes Ilm or learning and teaching becomes a desire in itself for
itself. It becomes like food, water, or even like sexual relationship. We do
not have time but I can give you many examples where it becomes an
addiction for itself. Some people learn just to learn, it is an addiction and
joy. That is not why we learn, we learn for the sake of Allah and that is
another matter we need to purify our hearts from. Knowledge is joyful to
learn but we learn for the sake of Allah, to fix ourselves and others. Our
Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught Tawheed for thirteen years,
Nooh taught them nine hundred and fifty years worth of Tawheed, Laa
Ilaaha Illallah. They knew Allah subhaanahu wa taaala chose them for the
task so they remained firm with Ikhlaas on that task.
It would not be an exaggeration to say the majority of the problems of this
Ummah come from insincerity, especially of Talabat al-Ilm and Ulamaa. If
me and you learn for the sake of Allah, we go about and teach for the sake
of Allah (the pure, unadulterated teaching) and it is all for the sake of
Allah, can you tell me where the tyrants are going to find so called
Shuyookh to give them the free open Fatwa? Today some Ulamaa give a
blank paper to the tyrant rulers with the bottom of it signed and stamped,
go ahead just write whatever you want on the top. The tyrants need
Ulamaa to back them to stay in power. Sisi needs it, other tyrants need it,
that is why they always turn to them. Now if there was Ikhlaas, where
would the rulers find these people? You need to ask why am I studying?
Why am I teaching? So the people can point their finger at me? So I can
get a good salary? Is it because at times today, an Imaam and a Daaiyah
makes better than a lawyer and a doctor?
We spoke briefly on this before but we devote this class Inshaa Allah to
Ikhlaas so we can work on our Ikhlaas. It is worthy of devoting not one
class, many more classes.
Sufyaan ath-Thawri said:
There is nothing I struggled with more than my intention. That is Sufyaan

ath-Thawri speaking. Ibn Wahib said I saw Sufyaan ath-Thawri make
Sujood in the Masjid al-Haram after Maghrib, and he never raised his
forehead from that first Sajdah until he heard the call for Ishaa. One
Sajdah was from Maghrib to Ishaa and he says the worst thing I struggled
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with was my intention. Abu Hurayrah falls unconscious from it. Ali Ibn
Fudhayl said I walked around the Kabah seven times whilst Sufyaan athThawri was still in one Sajdah. Ibn al-Mubaarak said I wrote from one
thousand one hundred scholars, there was not one more knowledgeable
than Sufyaan ath-Thawri. Sufyaan said I do not know anything better than
seeking knowledge with sincerity. All that and he says about himself, he
struggles with Niyyah so much that it is the biggest matter he had to
struggle and deal with. If Sufyaan said that, may Allah have mercy on us.
Abu Yusuf told his students, be sincere in your deeds. I never sat in a
setting where I intended to be humble, except that Allah elevated and
raised me. And I never sat in a setting where I wanted to be supreme over
others, except that Allah lowered and humiliated me. Ikhlaas is the water
to the heart that keeps your heart alive, deficiencies in Ikhlaas dry up that
water and kill the heart.
Finally, never say I am giving up, I guess this is too much, I would rather
not study. We already hinted about that in previous classes. No, you want
the high rank, the first row to enter in the eight gates, so your standard
has got to be different.
Habeeb Ibn Abi Thaabit said:

We studied the knowledge and our intention had deficiency in it, or we
had no intention, then Allah granted us with persistence, intention and on
top of that action.
So you be persistent and you keep working on that, that is what you have
to do. You work on the intention, you work on acting on the knowledge
and you will achieve intention and Ikhlaas. If you did not get out of this
Ilm in general and more specific the Ilm of Tawheed, but to keep Tawheed
fresh on your mind and your heart so you can say Laa Ilaaha Illallah at
your deathbed, then that is a sufficient goal.
TAWHEED AND IKHLAAS

Let me tell you this story, a recent story. I had this old friend, a Shaykh
and he is an Imaam of a Masjid in the Arabian Peninsula and I wanted to
check up on him. Maybe a couple of months ago, I finally found the
contact details of his wife. When I asked about him, she said he has been
in prison for approximately seven years. I have not spoken to him or heard
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of him in over twelve years or so. No charges of course, just in prison.

These are my brothers that I had known for some time and they are
Ulamaa, so I check up on him to see when he is released or maybe the
Duaa of someone will be answered and he will be released. I ended up
finding the name of his son who was just killed in Sooriyya (Syria), and I
had forgot he had an older son because when I knew him his son was just
a youth, maybe a pre-teenager. I found out his son was a teacher of AlUsool Ath-Thalaathah in Sooriyya (Syria), he is the one who used to travel
around the camps and areas there and teach the young kids Al-Usool AthThalaathah and Quran. In fact a lot of those young kids that you see who
have clips reciting Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah or a portion of it, a lot of them
were his students. He was in a camp and they were attacked or something
I am not sure, but he had his camera on and I saw this footage. He went to
defend and help his brothers, he had the camera on and the camera was
recording, suddenly he got bullets that he himself did not know about.
You know what happened? As soon as the bullet stung him, at the spur of
the moment, he uttered Ash-Hadu Alla Ilaaha Illallah wa Anna
Muhammadar-Rasoolullah. He said it maybe fifteen or twenty times, then
he began to pray two Rakaat. No one came to his aid, maybe one person
possibly came to his aid and ended up getting shot as well over him, and
he ended up praying two Rakaat. The camera is on recording all this and
then he said Yaa Allah I seek refuge in You from a day, not to spend the
evening of it in Jahannam. Then he began to recite more Quran as the
camera is rolling on, until he died.
I ask you by Allah, when one gets in a car accident or he is hitting a nail in
the wall and the nail hits his finger, what is the first word he utters? I am
not saying bullets in the spur of the moment and there is no one around to
help him, what happens when he hits his finger with a hammer by
accident? What is the first word he says? Or when he gets in a fender
bender, what is the first word one says? Is it Ash-Hadu Alla Ilaaha Illallah
or one of those words that we cannot even mention in this Halaqah? It is
the Tawheed and Ikhlaas. He was walking around teaching Al-Usool AthThalaathah and it is not about Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah, it is about the
Tawheed and Ikhlaas in the heart.

: ...

If you do not get anything but that out of Tawheed, that you say Laa Ilaaha
Illallah in a hospital when you are on your deathbed or in a car accident or
whatever way we may die, then that is one of the biggest things and the
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best thing you can get out of Tawheed. Tawheed and Ikhlaas is what
causes someone who is prison for nineteen years to say I feel I am one of
the happiest people on the face of this earth. It is only pure Tawheed and
Ikhlaas that does that.
CLASS TWENTY SIX

This is our twenty sixth class on the elucidation or explanation of Al-Usool
Ath-Thalaathah and we are still in the core part of the book, the centre
part of the book, the main chapter. The chapter which is meant to be the
real book, the essential part of the book. We are still on the introduction of
that chapter so what we have taken so far of chapter three is only an
introduction to the main part of this chapter. If you do not have Tashkeel
on your books, you should write them down.

We stopped at the statement:

This is what Allah commanded all people with.
WHAT DID ALLAH COMMAND ALL PEOPLE WITH?

To worship Allah alone, sincerely. The previous sentence that we took, that
is what he meant. All that we spoke about in the previous two classes
when we started chapter three, following Millat Ibraheem and following it
sincerely, that is what he means when he says Allah commanded us to do.
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That is why last week, we gave a practical example on following Millat

Ibraheem sincerely and Ikhlaas. A practical example of a present day
situation, of what we see and what appears to us and Allah knows what is
in the hearts.
THIS COMMAND
IS
WAAJIB
The author said Allah commanded all people. Commanded here is what is
Waajib because the word commanded, Amara ( )comes to mean a
Waajib. It can come to mean a Mustahabb ( )as well, which is
liked or preferred. That which is liked or preferred to do can come as an
Amr. Here in this sentence, what he means is the Waajib type and we will
talk about that Inshaa Allah in Usool, when it is Waajib and when it is not.
Here it is not only Waajib but the highest level of Waajib because this is
the principle, root and foundation of the Deen and belief, the foundation
that everything is founded on.
ALLAH COMMANDED
THE
HUMANS
AND THE JINN
Then he said Allah commanded all people, and he used the word an-Naas
(). He said an-Naas which means human beings, Muslim and Kaafir.
An-Naas includes all human beings, Muslim and Kaafir. Now here when he
said Allah commanded all people and he used an-Naas, had the author
Rahmatullahi Alayhi used Khalq (( )meaning creation) instead of
Naas, that would have been more precise and many Ulamaa who taught
me commented on that Rahmatullahi Alayhim.
Why? Because Naas means humans which is right, Allah commanded
people, but there is more than Naas that were commanded with Tawheed.
There is the Jinn, the Jinn are not included in the Arabic word Naas. Khalq
would mean creation and that would include the Jinn and the humans. Jinn
are obligated to follow the Tawheed sincerely like us, so it probably would
have been more accurate to use the term Khalq instead of Naas because
Naas only includes human beings, whereas Khalq means human beings
and Jinn and Allah commanded the Jinn and the humans to follow the
Tawheed.
HE CREATED THEM FIRST
AND
THEN HE COMMANDED THEM
Then the author says:
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And it was for this that He created them. He created them for what?
Again, for what we have been talking about for the past two classes since
we began this chapter, to follow Millat Ibraheem (which means follow the
pure Tawheed) with sincerity. I just said right now had he used the word
Khalq instead of Naas, it would have been more accurate and precise.
There is another issue here, and pay attention to what he said. This is
what Allah subhaanahu wa taaala commanded all people with, and this is
what He created them for. Now had he switched the statements around it
would have been better. Why would it have been better to say He created
them for it and He commanded them with it? Because which comes first?
Were we created first or were we commanded first? He created then He
commanded so some of the Ulamaa said it would have been better that
he mentioned them in order.
JINN AND MANKIND HAVE BEEN CREATED FOR

WORSHIP
Then he mentioned the proof for this as he always does at the end of the
sentences:
I did not create Jinn and mankind except that they should worship Me.

:

:

Let us pause with this verse now. Wa Maa (

) means I did not. Khalaqat

(
) means I create.

THE JINN
Al-Jinn (), the Jinn are a matter of al-Ghayb (the unseen). Jinn are an
entity that is invisible, we do not see it. Sometimes we may see it but that
is exceptional, its original creation is that it is unseen and we do not see it.
We know of it that which Allah told us. They were created from fire and the
Jinn were called Jinn because of the root word of Jinn, which means hidden
and they are a hidden creation.
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The word al-Junnah ( )is derivative from the same word of Jinn and it
is a name for Niqaab. Why is it a name for Niqaab? Because it is a
covering for a woman, which keeps her hidden. That is why it was called
that, because her face remains hidden, from the same root word.

Al-Junnah is a cover for a woman where she shows only her eyes, which
keeps her hidden. Also al-Jinaan ( )which is the heart, it comes
from the same root word. Why is the heart called Jinaan? Because it is
hidden in the ribcage. Someone will say well we can see the heart with an
operation and yes of course you can, but the origin of it is that it is not
seen and it is exceptional to see it. Just like the Jinn, their origin is that
they are hidden from us even though in exceptional situations one may be
able to see them. More than that, from the same root word is Jannah (
), may Allah grant all of us Jannah. Among the reasons it was called
Jannah is because its delights are hidden from us.

No one knows what is hidden for them of delight, as a reward.

Allah hid the reward because they hid the deeds. So Allah kept something
hidden for you and that is Jannah or in Jannah.
Jinn are part of believing in Ghayb and anyone who denies them is Kaafir
because they are in the Quran, the Sunnah and in Ijmaa.
THE INS
After he mentioned Jinn, he mentioned Ins ( )and Ins like we said is
humans. Allah said:
And they were called Ins from amiability, because people like and need
amiability among each other. It is essential to human beings and they
Page | 554
strive for it so that is where the root word of Ins or humans comes from in
Arabi.
HASIR
WA
QASIR
) means except. Illa Li (

Illa (
) is a tool to limit and restrict, Hasir
wa Qasir ( ) in Arabi. The way it is worded here, it is among

the highest levels and forms of limiting and restricting something. Here,
all matters and wisdoms behind the creation of human beings and Jinn
were denied, except for worship. It is limited and restricted to worship. It is
called Hasir and Qasir in Arabi, limiting and restricting to a certain matter
and in this verse Illa Li is among the highest ways to do that.
THE DEFINITION OF WORSHIP

Then he commented on the verse saying:
And the meaning of worship (Ibaadah) is to single out Allah in worship (in
Tawheed).I
IBAADAH
IS
BROADER THAN TAWHEED ALONE
When he said the meaning of worship (

) is to single out Allah in

worship and Tawheed (

) , he means that Tawheed is from the
meanings of Ibaadah. He is trying to define Ibaadah and Tawheed is
among the meanings. He defined Ibaadah but that is not a definition, here
he means that Tawheed is from or among the meanings of Ibaadah, not
the full definition. You should know that Ibaadah (worship) is broader than
just Tawheed, so he did not just mean it is only Tawheed. Ibaadah is
Tawheed but not only Tawheed, it includes other aspects. It includes Salah,
Siyaam, Hajj and other matters that fall under Ibaadah, not just Tawheed.
In Arabic it is common and known to define a term with a portion of what
it means, and this is what he did here. In Arabi it is called Tafseer ashShay Bi-Badh Afraadih () . Here, that
is exactly what Imaam Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab Rahimahullah did.
He defined Ibaadah (worship) in a portion of its definition, which is
Tawheed. He can do that but you have to know and we have to know that
is not all of the definition, because Ibaadah like I said is broader than that.
The author may have possibly chosen this definition because it was
narrated by Ibn Abbaas radhiallahu anhu who said everywhere in the
Page | 555
Quran that you see Ibudullah (

) , it means Wahhidullah (

) . At-Tabari also narrated that Ibn Abbaas interpreted the verse
in Surat al-Faatihah:

:

He said:

So it is possibly because of that.
A BROADER DEFINITION
WORSHIP
OF
Another interpretation more widely accepted here for Yabudoon (
) is to show humbleness and humility, Dhull (), in obedience

and the head matter of that obedience is Tawheed. To show humbleness

and humility in refraining from prohibitions, and the head matter to refrain
from is Shirk. This is more general, a more broader definition than the
earlier one and it is more encompassing and better. This second definition
is supported by a statement from Ali Ibn Abi Talib radhiallahu anhu and it
is the definition also chosen by Ibn Taymiyyah. By choosing his definition
of Tawheed for Ibaadah, the author wanted to show that if your worship is
not founded on Tawheed, it is not really Ibaadah. Tawheed is an essential
part of Ibaadah, it is a pillar of it and it cannot stand without it. So the
author chose to define Ibaadah with an essential pillar of Ibaadah, which is
Tawheed, but it is not all of Ibaadah and that is the point.
THE AUTHOR
IS
REFERRING
TO
Now what Tawheed is the author referring to here? We took three types of
Tawheed before, Rububiyyah, Uloohiyyah and Asmaa was-Sifaat. We took
these, we studied them. Which Tawheed is her referring to in this
statement? He is referring to Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah. He did not mean all
three branches of Tawheed, he was specifically referring to Tawheed alUloohiyyah. How do we know that he meant this branch and that it is the
Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah branch? Because he said singling out Allah in
Ibaadah and that is an exact definition of Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah.
IS
TAWHEED AL-IBAADAH
Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah is also called Tawheed al-Ibaadah, that is another

name for it. They are just two different names and you can use any one of
them interchangeably. You can use Tawheed al-Ibaadah and Tawheed alPage | 556
Uloohiyyah and both mean the same. Why are there two names? If you
look at it from the angle of Allah being worshipped alone, it is Uloohiyyah,
it comes from Ilaah. If you look at it from the angle of the human being or
Jinn who is doing the act, the act being solely for the sake Allah, then it is
Ibaadah. It is worship, it is Tawheed al-Ibaadah, so both terms work for
Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah. This Tawheed requires to face Allah in your
worship directly and your act to be solely for the sake of Allah, nothing
small or big to be to other than Allah. And then to know that the Ibaadah
is proper, to learn that the Ibaadah is proper (that is part of Tawheed alUloohiyyah).
IT
IS THE IBAADAH WE
WERE CREATED
FOR
The Tawheed that the author is referring to here is the Tawheed of

worship, it has got to be sincere and in accordance. This was the Tawheed
that the Mushriks went astray because of, during the time of the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Most of the striving of the Messengers
alayhimus-salaam with their people was because of this category of
Tawheed.

: ...

We sent a Messenger to every nation, ordering that they should worship

Allah alone and avoid Taaghoot.
Worship is not correct except for Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. Whoever
violates this Tawheed is a Mushrik, even if he affirms the other two
Tawheeds. Even if he believes in Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah and Tawheed alAsmaa was-Sifaat.

...

: ...

Whoever associates anything in worship with Allah, then Allah forbade
Paradise on him and his abode will be to fire.
Keep in mind that the type of worship in the verse, encompasses all of
worship:
Page | 557
It is all worship but it mainly means the worship that is the test from Allah
on this earth, that is the real, core meaning of it. The worship that is a
test, that determines who accepts the truth and who rejects the truth.
Who ends up being a winner in the life after, who ends up being a failure
in the Aakhirah. The type of worship here is the same that Allah
mentioned in many other verses, the worship meant is the worship of
Allah alone. The worship or test that has been commanded on people, the
main worship, the Tawheed of Allah which is mentioned in other verses.
: ...

The main Tawheed.

: ...

: ...

In this verse and the verses that I mentioned, is the worship that is a test
from Allah, that determines who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell.
: ...

The test, the one that Allah created us for.
...
:
The test, that is what we were created for.

...

:
All these verses say test.
Page | 558

: ...

So the Ibaadah here is the test that we were created for, the test that will
determine who goes to Heaven and who goes to Hell. Ali Ibn Abi Talib and
Ikrimah said Ibaadah here means that they worship Me alone and that is
it, that is the test we were created for. Ar-Rabee Ibn Anas and Ibn Atee
attributed this Tafseer that I just mentioned to Ibn Abbaas as well.
THIS
IS
NOT
THE
FORCED TYPE
OF IBAADAH
Another opinion is some said Yabudoon (

) here means that they

are forced into submission, this is a different meaning. They are forced
into submission and humility to Allah, willingly or unwillingly. That is a true
fact, but not the most accurate Tafseer of this particular Ayah. Why?
Because the verse specifies Jinn and Ins. Had it been the forced type of
Ibaadah where we are forced to submit to Allah in a way, it would have
included other than the humans and Jinn because everything submits to
Allah, not just the humans and the Jinn. Everything submits in humility to
Allah by force. It would have included animals, mountains, trees and
rocks. Not having that in the verse shows that this Ibaadah here is the test
from Allah to worship Him, the test that we are tested with in this life, the
test of our life that shows who wins and who loses.
The verse also says Li-Yabudoon (

) meaning that there is an act

we have to do which is to worship Him. Had the Ibaadah that is in this
verse been the one that is a forced submission to Allah, then there would
be no act needed on the behalf of human beings or Jinn. Allah forced them
into submission, so no act is required on behalf of creation, yet the verse
specifies Li-Yabudoon, that there is an act that is requested of people. So
the worship in this verse means we have to do something. And for forced
submission to Allah, we do not need to do anything because it is forced.
Here it says Li-Yabudoon so there is something we have to do, it shows
that it is the Ibaadah that is a test from Allah in this life.
Also, the verse comes in a chain of verses to vilify those who worship
other than Allah. Had the verse meant the forced submission to Allah as
some stated, there would be no need to vilify or warn, which is contrary to
the chain of verses that we have here. He vilified and warned those who
do not follow the righteous way, the forced submission does not need
that.
TYPES OF WILLS OF ALLAH

Page | 559
An important point, Allah said He created us for His worship. He

commanded us to worship Him, now why is everyone not worshipping Him
then? This applies to dozens or hundreds of verses in the Quran and the
Hadith.
For example, in this verse Allah said He created us. We got that part, He
created us, but then He said to worship Him. He created us and we know
that, we are here so that means He created us but why is everyone not
worshipping? That is a problem. He ordered we be created and we are, He
ordered we worship Him but not everyone is worshipping Him. In order to
understand the verse and similar verses, you have to understand there
are two forms of wills for Allah, two forms of Masheeah (( )will is
Masheeah). There is number one al-Iraadah al-Kawniyyah (
), and number two al-Iraadah ash-Shariyyah (

).
AL-IRAADAH AL-KAWNIYYAH
Number one al-Iraadah al-Kawniyyah, in English I believe a good

interpretation of it would probably be universal will. Now this will
(Masheeah) is the will of Allah in which His order is carried out, that is A.
B, this is the type of will of Allah that we say whatever will Allah wills
happens, and whatever He does not will, will not happen. C, this is a will
(Masheeah) like death, health and sickness. Everyone is equal in these
(Muslim, Kaafir, righteous or not righteous) and they are Kawniyyah
(universal). For example, what happened to Ayyub.

:

He cried to His Lord, verily distress has seized me. It seizes the
Messengers and it seizes other people. It seized Ayyub alayhis-salaam
and it seizes other people. Hardship afflicted His Messenger.

:
This is another example of this. The general order of Allah (be and it is
done) falls under this will.

:

...
Page | 560
This is another example. The commandment of Allah is always executed.

This will is a general universal will that encompasses everything in the
universe, good and bad. His order is carried out in this but it will not
necessarily mean that He likes it. It is not necessary that all actions of His
creations are liked by Him, rather you know many of their acts are disliked
by Allah but He willed for them to pass. Their acts are disliked by Allah but
Allah willed for them to pass, this is Iraadah al-Kawniyyah or universal will.
For example, Allah subhaanahu wa taaala created the Shaytaan. I was
giving a lecture once and someone before me who spoke, they asked him
did Allah create the Shaytaan? He did not know this stuff so he said no.
Allah created the Shaytaan, He disliked him. He created the Kaafireen and
He disliked them.

:

...

He created the Kuffaar, He is not pleased with Kufr.

: ...

...

Not everything Allah permits to exist or He creates, means that He loves.
This will is the universal will (al-Kawniyyah) and it is that not everything
Allah permits to exist and He creates, necessarily means that He loves it.
Under this will, Allah may decree to pass things which He does not
command His slaves to follow (like Kufr and disobedience). Orders carried
out by Allah in this type of will, does not necessarily mean He likes it.
AL-IRAADAH ASH-SHARIYYAH
Then we have the second one, al-Iraadah ash-Shariyyah. And I believe
the most accurate term for that would possibly be judicial will. A, the will
of Allah which is in accordance to the legislation of Allah. B, it is related to
what Allah likes. C, this will may take place and it may not. This
Masheeah of Allah may take place and it may not.
Look at the verse:

: ...

When they a commit Fahshah, they say we found our fathers doing it.
Allah did not command Fahshaa or sins.
Page | 561
It is under the universal Masheeah. Under the Shariyyah Masheeah, He

wants you to follow the straight path.
This is an example of this one. Allah wants to guide you, to forgive you.
This is the will that is Shariyyah. This will, He likes it, but not everyone
does it.
...
:

He commands us to be righteous. He wants everyone to be righteous but

not everyone does this will of Allah. Some respond to this will of Allah that
He ordered and commanded and others do not.
For example, the acts of obedience of a believer are loved by Allah. Your
Ibaadah, your prayer at night, your Fardh and your Sunnah (your deeds)
and they are passed under His universal will (Kawniyyah) and they are
passed by his judicial will (both of them apply). In the case of an obedient
believer and Inshaa Allah in our case, in our Tawheed and our Imaan both
wills apply (the Shariyyah and the Kawniyyah). Allah passed it as a
universal will and we accepted that. That would be the judicial will, when
we accepted it. Both wills apply to the obedience of a righteous believer.
Allah likes for a non believer to believe, what is that? Shariyyah (judicial
will), but it does not necessarily have to happen and it does not happen
because he is a Kaafir. Had it been universal will, it is most definitely going
to happen (like creating us). Judicial will does not necessarily have to
happen. Basically, under al-Iraadah ash-Shariyyah (the judicial will), it is
not necessary that His commands will be executed, carried out or
followed. And those are the wills that are liked to Allah, from us.
Here in the verse:
Allah orders to do Ibaadah to Him, meaning to be Muslim and to win the

test in this life. Now take it as a rule, all orders to do Ibaadah in the Quran
Page | 562
are the will that is Shariyyah (the second type of will of Allah that He likes
and that He commands people to do). Also, Ibaadah Shariyyah means it is
not the type of will that is necessarily going to be executed, that is why
you do not see everybody worshipping Allah or on the Tawheed. Allah likes
it, he wants people to do it, but it is not necessarily going to be executed.
So in a nutshell, there is two differences between the two wills. The first
will is the general, universal will (Kawniyyah). The second one (Shariyyah)
is a specific will. The first universal will (Kawniyyah) is that Allah creates
everything and orders everything, and it is all carried out by His will
because nothing gets in the way of Allah. What he wills, happens. He
orders that which He likes and that which He does not, and it is always
executed. The will that is Shariyyah (the judicial will) is what He likes, but
it does not mean that it will necessarily be executed by people. General
matters of this universe fall under the Kawniyyah (the universal will). The
obedience of a servant is both Kawniyyah and Shariyyah. One who is not
obedient, rather a Faasiq who does not do his duties or ordains or is a
disbeliever, that is Kawniyyah. It happened under the will of Allah, He
could have stopped it but Allah allowed it to happen so that is under the
universal will.
If you understand this, you understand Allah. This is also like a response to
those who object to Allah and say why are there problems in the world
going on. The Syrians are being killed or the Falasteenis, or we go through
hard times. A lot of the atheists say why does Allah see and let this
happen and not change it? Because there are two wills of Allah (alKawniyyah and ash-Shariyyah) and He has Sunan on this earth, some of
them He likes and some of them He does not. Having understood that, it
puts you at peace.
TYPES OF IBAADAH
Let us go on further to a more narrow explanation of this, very similar but
a little bit more narrow (in Ibaadah itself). There is a Shariyyah and
Kawniyyah in Ibaadah.
IBAADAH KAWNIYYAH
Ibaadah Kawniyyah ( ) is submission to Allah by force, what
He commanded and decreed in creation. And this is the submission that is
common over all creation, no one can escape it. Humans, Jinn, rocks,
trees, the sun and the moon, all those submit to Allah by force. Can
anyone run away from Allah? Maaath Allah, no one can run away so
everything submits to Allah by force.
Page | 563
Allah said:

:

All in the heavens and in the earth will come to Allah on the Day of
Judgment as submissive slaves.
This type of servitude covers the believers and non believers, the humans
and non humans, the righteous and the wicked, everything is forced to
submit to Allah. The first type of servitude is not something for which a
servant is commanded. There is nothing you are commanded in this, you
are not commanded to do this because this is by force. You do not get
reward for it in itself because you did not do anything, this is by force. The
first type of servitude is not something for which a servant is commanded
because there is no action.
For example, hardships are by force, you did not do anything and you
have hardships. You must submit to them by force, you do not get reward
for them because you did not do anything. Muslims get them, non Muslims
get them and animals get them. They are imposed from Allah on you by
force, however if a hardship comes and you are patient and you thank
Allah, then that is totally different. Your time of ease is by force, you do
not get reward for that in itself, that was imposed by force on you. If you
thank Allah then that is the next category, you get reward for the thanking
but not the ease or the hardship in itself.
IBAADAH SHARIYYAH
The second one is Ibaadah Shariyyah (( ) judicial
Ibaadah). This is to obey and submit to the laws of Allah, to submit to the
commands of Allah. This is particular to those who are obedient to Allah
and those who comply with that which the Messengers of Allah
alayhimus-salaam came with.

: ...

The believing slaves of Allah who come on this earth and walk in
calmness, humility and humbleness.
One is not rewarded for the previous Ibaadah of Kawniyyah because it is
imposed by force and you are forced to submit to Allah in some matters,
you did not do anything to earn it. The second type of Ibaadah (of
Page | 564
servitude), the person is commanded and he will be rewarded and

punished (depending on whether he does it or he does not do it).
THE IMPORTANCE
SHARIYYAH
OF THE
DISTINCTION BETWEEN KAWNIYYAH
AND
Why do you need to know this Ibaadah and Iraadah Kawniyyah, and this
Ibaadah and Iraadah Shariyyah? Allah said in the verse, He created us to
worship Him. The creation half of that verse is the universal will of Allah.
We all see each other and we are created, it happened and we see it. The
next part is to worship Him. Had it been universal worship (Kawniyyah), it
would be that everyone you see on this earth is worshipping Allah. Had it
been universal will, that means people bowing to statues are worshipping
because the same way He created you by force and brought you to this
earth, your worshipping also. But that is not Kawniyyah because some
worship and some do not, and some associate partners to Allah. The
creation part of the verse is Kawniyyah:

: ...

The worship part is Shariyyah:
:

...

Meaning He ordered them to worship. He did not create them
worshipping, He ordered them to worship. They have a choice, that is why
it is Shariyyah. He likes it and He ordered it but unlike the first one, it is
not necessarily going to have to happen.
Similar to this verse:

...

:
Every Messenger was sent to be followed and so people can obey him.
If you say obedience in this verse is Kawniyyah, then it means everyone
on the face of this earth is obedient to Allah, and of course obedient to the
Messenger which is obedience to Allah. The reality is some obey and some
disobey, that is why it is called Shariyyah. It is not Kawniyyah, it is
Shariyyah. He sent the Messengers so people can obey him, He likes it
and He ordered it but it does not necessarily have to happen.
Page | 565
In our verse, He created humans and Jinn to worship Him. Some worship
and some do not. Now you know the difference between the will
(Masheeah) Shariyyah and Kawniyyah and Ibaadah Shariyyah and
Kawniyyah.
THE TYPE OF LAAM IN LI-YABUDOON

Moving on with the verse:
Li-Yabudoon, the Laam as the first letter comes for two things, either
Shariyyah or Kawniyyah. Laam at-Taleel ( ) is the Laam for
reason, meaning the reason for their creation is that. I created humans
and Jinn for the reason of, that is Shariyyah and that is the Laam we
want. I created them for that, for worship. In Arabic, that Laam also comes
as Laam as-Sayroorah wal-Aaqibah ( ) , which
is the Laam of a result. In this verse, it is not the Laam of result because if
it was the Laam of result, it would mean Kawniyyah and it is not
Kawniyyah. If it was this Laam, the verse would mean I have created
every human and Jinn to worship Me and every individual worships me.
That is how it would have been.
Laam here is Laam at-Taleel (of reason), which means it is Ibaadah
Shariyyah. It is not Laam as-Sayroorah wal-Aaqibah which means
Kawniyyah, which means the result is that they all worship Me. This is
Ibaadah Shariyyah not Kawniyyah, in this verse. He mentioned the first
which is the creation (that is universal), so we can do the second which is
worship Him (Shariyyah). The creation of Allah aspect is Kawniyyah
(universal), everyone was created by Allah. The worship part of it is
Shariyyah, meaning He wants us all to do something which is to worship
Him.
We already mentioned before, how traditional acts can be turned into
worship by simply changing your Niyyah. We mentioned if you go to sleep
in the daytime and you just put in your intention that you want to sleep so
at night time you can wake up for Qiyaam al-Layl, that in itself will change
that sleep into Ibaadah. We talked about working out, if someone goes
and works out, both are working out but one goes for one reason and one
Page | 566
goes for another reason. One gets reward, one may get sins and one just
does not get anything.
I guess the time is over, we will continue from here Inshaa Allah next
week. Jazakum Allahu Khayr.
CLASS TWENTY SEVEN

This is our twenty seventh class on Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah and
Alhamdulillah that it got this far. We are still on the third chapter, the core
chapter we said, the main part of the book. And the sentence we left off
at:

And the greatest of all that Allah commanded is Tawheed. Tawheed, to
single Allah out with worship. To believe in His unity, which entails offering
all worship to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala and only to Allah.
THE GREATEST MATTER ALLAH COMMANDED IS

TAWHEED
The proof that this is the greatest matter is all throughout the Quran.
However, the verse the author used and chose is a very wise choice and
we will see why and how. The verse that he chose for proof is:

...

Worship Allah and join none with His worship.

...

...

So the first matter Allah orders is Tawheed and to stay away from Shirk.
Second, and to do good to the parents and kinsfolk.
...

...

The orphans and the Masaakeen are what is considered poor.

...

...

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The neighbour that is near of kin.
...

...

The neighbour who is a stranger.
...

...

And the companion by your side and the wayfarer that you meet.

...

:

And those slaves whom your right hand possesses. Allah does not like
those who are proud and boastful.
This is a very important verse. The verse mentions many rights, ten of
them actually to be precise. Ten essential rights and duties that you are
ordered to do. The first one of the ten important rights or duties is Ibaadah
to Allah and deterrence from its opposite which is Shirk. So the author is
trying to tell us the most important matter Allah ordered and commanded
is this Tawheed. The Tawheed that we have been studying about, the
Tawheed of Millat Ibraheema Haneefa, to worship Allah and to worship
Him a pure worship. The creation were created to worship in Tawheed.
:

You think that We created you in play you have no purpose in this life, and
that you are not going to be brought back to be questioned?

:

Does man think that he will be left unaccounted for and neglected?
We were not created in vain, we were created to worship, to follow the
ordains and to refrain from the forbidden. The most important of all that is
Tawheed. The most important order is Tawheed. The most important
matter to refrain from is Shirk. Rest assured, all of the commands of Allah
are important. Every single one of them and all of them, all that which
Allah subhaanahu wa taaala told us to do and what the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam ordered us. When it comes to legislation, it is all from
Allah and we talked about that earlier. However, not all of the commands
Page | 568
of Allah are at the same level. They are all important and they are all
essential, we cannot diminish their importance but some are more
important than others. Some Haraam (prohibitions) are worse than others
and some ordains are more important than others. The most important of
all is your Tawheed and I am sure everyone got that by now, we stressed
that a lot.
Why is Tawheed important? Because you did not enter Islam except with
Tawheed and the opposite of that is what exits you out of Islam,
wal-Iyaathu Billah. Your ultimate success and failure relies on it. The
Messengers never called for anything before it nor did they deter from
anything before deterring from the opposite of Tawheed. When the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to send his Sahaabah.

It was Tawheed that he ordered them to teach.
THE DEFINITION OF TAWHEED AND AQEEDAH

THE DEFINITION
OF
TAWHEED
Now let us take the linguistic definition of Tawheed ( ). It is a verbal

noun from the verb Wahhada Yuwahhidu (

) . Wahhada is
something unified, something that is made into one. That is the linguistic
meaning. The meaning for us, the Sharee meaning is to believe Allah is
One with no associates and no partners, singling out Allah Jalla Jalaalahu (
) with all that that is particular to Him. You do not worship any
Prophet or angel nor any creation, you single out Allah alone in your
worship, veneration, longing, love and awe. And that is the pure Tawheed
to Allah.
THE DEFINITION
OF
AQEEDAH
Another related term commonly used in this area is Aqeedah ( ),

Tawheed and Aqeedah. We now got Tawheed, what is Aqeedah?

Linguistically, that comes from the word Aqad al-Jamal (
) ,

tying something. When they used to tie the camel, you say Aqad al-Jamal.
When you affirm something, when you tie a knot very tight, that is how
Aqeedah has to be in your heart (which is Tawheed). That is why some
refer to Tawheed as Aqeedah, because you have to tie it good in your
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heart, it has got to be firm. Linguistically, the word was used in the
Quran:

: ...

The word Aqqattum (
) is used in its literal form in this verse. Allah

does not hold you accountable for unintentional oaths, but He holds you
accountable for your firm oaths. So you have firm oaths which is:

Or Aqd al-Yameen (
) , and that is where Aqeedah comes

from. So the verse is trying to tell us that there is Aqd al-Yameen which is
the firm Yameen, and there is (

) which is the unintended. You

are held accountable for Aqd al-Yameen which is the firm Yameen that you
give. So it is like tying a knot and affirming something, that is what
Aqeedah is linguistically and that is where it comes from.
THE SHAREE MEANING
OF
TAWHEED
AND
AQEEDAH
You have to affirm your Tawheed, it has to be firm in your heart and that is
why Tawheed was called Aqeedah. Now the Sharee meaning of Aqeedah
and Tawheed, they can be used interchangeable with each other.
Aqeedah is Tawheed and Tawheed is Aqeedah, that is really the bottom
line of it. Aqeedah in Tawheed means to have firm heart intent, a firm
determination in the heart. You cannot have but absolute firm belief, it has
to be firm without any doubt. Any type and level of Rayb ( )which is
doubt, is not allowed.

: ...
The believers are those who believe in Allah and His Messenger, then
have no doubt. You cannot have any percentage of doubt in your
Tawheed.
IS THERE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TAWHEED
AND
AQEEDAH?
Some defined Aqeedah as slightly broader than Tawheed. Tawheed would

be knowing the basics of your faith, what you really have to know. But
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then they defined Aqeedah as broader in that you know the doubts, the
disputes, the proofs and how to respond to them. Meaning Tawheed is
knowing the bare minimum that you need to know with its proof and the
Aqeedah is a step higher over that, which is knowing what other sects say
and how to respond to it or other details that are secondary in this area.
But in reality they are both one and the terms can be used
interchangeably. Why do I say that? Because some of the Salaf named
their Tawheed books Aqeedah. Abu Uthman as-Saabooni Rahimahullah in
his book Aqeedatis-Salaf Ashaab Al-Hadith (
), he named his book on Tawheed Aqeedah, he considered it

Aqeedah. The great Imam al- Laalakaaee Rahimahullah, Sharh Usool
Itiqaad Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jamaaah (
) . He had a book on Tawheed, he called it Itiqaad

(Aqeedah). So they can basically be used interchangeably.
TAWHEED IS TO AFFIRM AND DENY

We already went over the three types of Tawheed so there is no need to
go over it. However, one thing we need to understand is that Tawheed is
not only affirmation, Ithbaat (). We do not only affirm that Allah is
One, that is part of it and half of it. You cannot have Tawheed except
through denial as well, which is Nafi (). It has got to go along with
Ithbaat, Ithbaat and Nafi. The Tawheed of a person is not complete if he
says he bears witness to Allah alone. That is affirming (Ithbaat) and that is
fifty percent of it, he affirmed. He must also bear witness that none has
the right to be worshipped, except Allah. That is Nafi, that is the other fifty
percent. He must deny the right to be worshipped for everything besides
Allah. He affirms it to Allah alone, he denies it from everyone else (that is
Nafi). That is the Tawheed portion of the statement of the author.
THE WORST MATTER ALLAH PROHIBITED IS SHIRK

Then after he talked about Tawheed, he said about Shirk:
The worst matter that Allah prohibited or forbade is Shirk, which is

associating partners with Him.
And then he defined Shirk:
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To invoke others beside Him, along with Him.
Keep in mind how he defined Shirk, to invoke others beside Him, along
with Him.

:

Of course then he mentioned the proof. Worship Allah alone and purely for
Allah, and do not associate anything along with Allah.
Remember a second ago on Tawheed, I used the proof that the author
used to show that the most important matter is Tawheed:

: ...

When Allah gave the series of orders, we said ten orders (the rights), the
first one was pertaining to Tawheed and Shirk. That in itself is proof that
the most important warning is to Shirk, because:
: ...

: ...

...

Like I said, that was a very wise choice by the author to choose this verse
out of the many in the Quran, to show that Tawheed is the most
important and that Shirk is the biggest forbidden.
However, similar to that verse is:

:

Page | 572
Say oh Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, I will recite what your Lord
has prohibited upon you. You cannot join anything in worship to Allah, that
is number one and that is our point over here. Number two, you have to
be good and dutiful to your parents. Number three, do not kill your
children because of poverty (they used to kill them because of poverty),
We will provide sustenance for you and them. Number four, do not go near
al-Fawaahish, what is apparent of them and what is concealed. The fifth
one is do not kill anyone whom Allah has forbidden.
Over here the verse mentions five of the greatest forbiddens and the one
to top the list, number one is Shirk. That is our point, Shirk is the greatest
transgression. Allah said about it:

:

...

It is a great, manifest transgression.
THE DEFINITION OF SHIRK

Let us take the definition of Shirk. Linguistically, Shirk comes to mean a
share or a portion. There is a Hadith that uses it linguistically:

Whoever frees Shirkan (
) of a slave. What does it mean? Whoever
frees his portion (his ownership) of the slave, meaning his portion of the
slave.
It also comes to mean equal.

A Mushtarak (

) pathway means a pathway that everyone is equal
in it. So it also comes to mean equal.
Over here the author meant both the minor and major Shirk, not just the
major. He defined Shirk as:

To call others with Him. But can only that be Shirk? He said to call (to
invoke) others with Allah. Is that how we define Shirk? Is that really the
true definition and why did he define it like that? Is it only invoking and
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calling others that is Shirk or is broader than that? And why did he only
use invoking or calling?
Look closely at the verse in Surat al-Jinn:
And the Masjids are for Allah alone, so do not invoke anyone with Allah.
He said and do not invoke. Invoking, calling, making Duaa, it also means
worship in this verse. In this verse in Surat al-Jinn, Tadoo (
) means
worship. So why did the author use the definition:

He said Shirk is to invoke others with Allah, whereas Shirk can be invoking
in Duaa and it could be in other matters of worship. The answer is Duaa
or invoking, the word Tadoo (
) in Arabic comes in two ways and the
author here meant both ways, as in the verse in Surat al-Jinn.
TYPES OF DUAA
DUAA AL-MASALAH
First of all is Duaa al-Masalah () , which is the regular
type of invoking. When you say Yaa Allah, Yaa Kareem, Yaa Afoo, that is
Duaa al-Masalah. When it starts with Yaa, Harf an-Nidaa (
), that is Duaa al-Masalah. You are invoking Allah, you are calling
on Allah. You do not say Yaa Ali, Yaa Husayn, Yaa Badawi, we do not say
that. That is the first type of Duaa.
DUAA AL-IBAADAH
The second type of Duaa is Duaa al-Ibaadah () , the
invocation of Ibaadah which is every other type of Ibaadah, every other
worship outside of Duaa (invocation). Meaning everything that comes
without using the call and invocation Yaa (Harf an-Nidaa), is included. Like
Salah, sacrifice, fear, hope and everything like that.
So in a quick summary, Duaa comes to mean two definitions. Duaa of
invocation, which is preceded with the letter or word Yaa, when you call
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and invoke (the type of Duaa that we all know). The second one is Duaa
of worship, which is every other type of worship. So when the author
defined Shirk as invocation of others with Him, he means all types of
worship, not just the traditional, regular Duaa that we do. Just like it
means so in the verse in Surat al-Jinn:
WHY ARE TAWHEED AND SHIRK THE MOST

ESSENTIAL MATTERS?
The bottom line of all that is the greatest matter that Allah commanded is
Tawheed and the most serious forbidden matter is Shirk. Why is it? If you
look at it from every angle, it is the most important command. For the
Aakhirah, Tawheed and Shirk determine the everlasting abode. It is either
success or failure, based on your Tawheed. Jannah is Haraam on a
Mushrik. In Sahih Muslim:

Whoever dies with Tawheed will enter Jannah and whoever dies
committing Shirk will enter Jahannam, wal-Iyaathu Billah.
Tawheed determines the ultimate success or the ultimate failure (Jannah
or Jahannam).

...

:
Whoever commits Shirk, Allah will make Jannah Haraam upon him.
So it is what determines your life after, your final destiny. Tawheed is also
important because it is the Fitrah.

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:
Face your face on the Deen, on Islam (in matters of worship that are
internal and external).

Haneefa, pure.

Meaning it is the Fitrah of Allah. It is the natural instinct that Allah created
people on.
The Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari that everyone knows:

In another narration:

So anyone who is deficient, lacking or has a manipulated version of
Tawheed, he has a tainted Fitrah.
A third thing, Tawheed is the covenant that Allah took from the children of
Adam.

A fourth matter, Tawheed is the most essential ordain because if you were
given the choice of a universe full of wealth and luxury with Kufr or a life
on tiny crumbs of bread and Tawheed, it is Tawheed that you should
choose (if you were wise).
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:

:

:

In Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim. Allah will tell a man from the people who
were doomed to Hell, if you were to have the globe of wealth, would you
ransom that to be out? And of course he is going to say of course Yaa
Allah. Allah subhaanahu wa taaala will say I asked you for much less than
that, the covenant that I took upon you, I asked you for much less than
that and you refused and you committed Shirk.
Tawheed is also most important because, because of it Allah sent
Messengers.

... :

That is why Allah sent the Messengers.

Another reason, Tawheed is the most important because it was for
Tawheed that Allah revealed the books.
A Book that was revealed so that you can worship Allah.

Tawheed was the first call to people. When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam sent Muadh to Yemen:
Page | 577

Let the first thing be, that you call them to Tawheed.
Tawheed is important because it is what divides people, it is what Walaa
and Baraa is founded on. So Tawheed is more important than family
bonds, when it comes down to it.
In Surat al-Mujaadilah (the Surah of Walaa and Baraa), where the

determining factor between family members is Laa Ilaaha Illallah
Muhammadar-Rasoolullah.
Tawheed is the word that makes the difference between us and the People
of the Book.

...

Allah says oh People of the Scripture, come to a word that is just between
us and you. What is the word that is just between us and you? The word of
Tawheed.
Tawheed is the first ordain and its opposite is the first prohibition.

... :

Page | 578
The verse we mentioned earlier. So it is the first ordain and its opposite is
the first prohibition.
Tawheed is the right of Allah over us, like the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said in the Hadith:

Tawheed is the most important ordain because it demolishes sin.
Drops of Tawheed demolish and melt down mountains of sins. In the

Hadith al-Qudsi, oh son of Adam, if you were to come to Me with sins that
are close to filling the entire earth and you meet Me without ascribing any
partners to Me, I would certainly forgive you. Drops of Tawheed demolish
mountains and mountains and a globe full of sins.
Tawheed is the most important command (the most essential command)
because it is means for Barakah.
:

If the people of the towns had believed (which is Laa Ilaaha Illallah
Muhammadar-Rasoolullah) and had Taqwa (piety), certainly We would
have opened for them the blessings from the heavens and the earth, but
they disbelieved so we took them with punishment for what they used to
do and they earned.
Tawheed is the first question in the grave.

: ...

You see why the author said the most important is Tawheed and its
opposite is the biggest forbidden? It is the first question in the grave. The
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verse says Allah will keep firm those who believe with the firm word, in
this life and in the life after. The part in the life after is by Ijmaa of the
Ulamaa, the question in the grave (which is Tawheed).
Tawheed is important because in order to get intercession, the number
one rule is Tawheed.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said the most fortunate of people
to get my Shafaaah (my intercession) on the Day of Resurrection are
those who say Laa Ilaaha Illallah (Tawheed) purely and sincerely from their
heart.
Tawheed is the most important command or ordain because it is the way
for leadership on this earth.

Allah promised He will certainly grant us succession (make us rulers and
leaders) on this earth, but what is the condition after the promise?

They worship Me and commit no Shirk.
Tawheed is the most important command because it brings you content
and happiness in this world. Why do you think the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam taught Ibn Abbaas when he was a young boy:

Page | 580
If the world came to benefit you, they will not benefit you unless Allah
wrote it for you. And if the globe came after you to harm you, they will not
harm you unless Allah wrote it. Because if you and I raised our children
like that (on Tawheed like that), you are going to live a happy, content,
stress free life.
We can go on and on, on why Tawheed is the number one command from
Allah. And of course impliedly included in all what I said is that if it is the
most important command, then its opposite is the number one forbidden
from Allah.
TAFSEER OF THE PROOF OF THE AUTHOR

Moving on, he said:

:

Let us go back to the proof that he said. We said this is a very
comprehensive proof that shows that the biggest obligation is Tawheed
and the biggest forbidden is Shirk.
The verse says:
Who is Allah directing this speech to? Is it Muslim and Kaafir or Muslim
alone? It is actually for Muslim and Kaafir (it includes Muslim and Kaafir). It
is for all mankind and it is more specific in another verse in Surat alBaqarah:
: ...

Oh you mankind, Allah did not say oh you who believe. When Allah
mentions the Ibaadah, it is for everybody (He is ordering everybody to do
Ibaadah and worship). But when He mentions the fruits of it, it is only for
the believers.
Page | 581

:
The benefit of the Book is only for who? Everybody? No, it is for those who
are pious (the believers) and the non believers are excluded. The order to
worship goes for the Muslim and Kaafir, but the fruits are only for those
who believe.
He orders Ibaadah. What type of Ibaadah here? The Ibaadah here is not
restricted, so it is any type of Ibaadah. It is general and it is left open, so it
is every Ibaadah. It is the principle, root, foundation Ibaadah (which is
Tawheed in itself) and then all secondary types of Ibaadah (like Salah,
Siyaam, Hajj, fear, love, hope and Duaa).
The worship has to be based on Tawheed first, the pillar is Tawheed. If
someone refers to it as Ibaadah and he is worshipping other than Allah, it
is null and void (it is false Ibaadah). It is not Ibaadah, it is null and void
and false Ibaadah. Ibaadah without Tawheed is like Salah without Wudhu.
Just like your Salah is not accepted without Wudhu, Ibaadah is not
accepted without Tawheed. Shirk voids Tawheed, just like breaking your
Wudhu invalidates your Tahaarah (your purification).
Allah ordered us to worship Him alone, then He deterred from Shirk. He
said do not commit any Shirk.
It means to worship Allah alone. If they worship Allah alone, then
Wabudullah (

) in itself does not need any additions (it is
sufficient in itself). That in itself deters from Shirk, but there is also a Nafi
part to assure the matter. The next part of the verse which is the matter
that we said is Nafi:

: ...

...

Is to ensure that one will not associate partners in any way. It is not
initiating a new concept, it is elaborating on Wabudullah. When He
followed with this, that is to affirm. He is not initiating a new fact, but the
fact was already established right there (to worship Allah alone). It is to
ensure. That is to show the importance of Tawheed and the danger of
Shirk.
Page | 582
Now does Shirk here include both minor and major Shirk? The verse is
broad and that is how it is best to leave it. It includes both major and
minor Shirk. We spoke in the past on minor Shirk if you remember, you
can go refer back to it.
Let me give you the grammatical breakdown for those who want, to show
you how Shirk is actually general (to encompass minor and major). These
are detailed grammatical benefits, you really do not have to know them
unless it interests you. Some of the brothers here are interested in that,
maybe if we do an Arabic class in the future it will become much easier to
understand.

: ...

) here is Nakirah (a common noun). A common noun in the
Shaya (
context of deterring makes it general.

A common noun (Nakirah) in the context of a sentence of deterring makes
the matter general, so Shaya means everything (associating an angel,
Messenger, Prophet, saint or anything else).
The general speech in:

That is everything but to top it off more, the Nakirah Shaya adds
emphasis as well, because this is a dangerous matter.
Through all that, keep in mind that even though the verse would have
been perfectly ok without Shaya, it was added for emphasis because it is
a dangerous matter. It is reiterated because it is a dangerous matter, and
because the proper worship cannot be completed without staying away
from all forms of Shirk (apparent and hidden), and that is an essential
factor for your Ibaadah to be accepted. And the second one is to be in
accordance to the Quran and Sunnah.
Here the order is for Wujoob (). Sometimes orders in the Quran
and Sunnah are for Wujoob and sometimes for Sunnah, here it is for
Page | 583
Wujoob. Whoever does not worship Allah is an arrogant Kaafir, Kaafir

Mustakbir (
). Whoever worships someone with Allah

(associates a partner), he is a Kaafir Mushrik () . Whoever
worships Allah alone is a sincere Muslim, a Muslim Mukhlis (
). That is the three categories.
THE THREE PRINCIPLES

Now let us move on. The author said:

:

.

These are the three principles that you must know. If you are told what are
the three principles that every human is obligated to know, know your
Lord, your religion and your Prophet.
And as you can see, this is the core and this is the heart of the book. What
we took so far in this chapter, that is just an introduction to the heart of
the book which is the main part.
THE DEFINITION
OF
USOOL
What are the three principles in Arabic? It is called Usool ( ), that is

what the book is named after. Usool means something which other things
are built, founded or based on.

The trunk of a tree, where branches spring from.

The foundation of the wall.
WHY DID
THE
AUTHOR USE
QUESTION FORMAT?
The author introduced this part of the book in a question form, which he
did not do in the past two chapters. He said and if you are asked, and why
did he do it like that? Because it is important of course and he wanted to
draw attention like that, and it is a tactic used by writers, scholars and
Page | 584
Ulamaa (the question and answer format). It is a change and it is a good

style. It draws attention and gets your attention, instead of the
systematically laying out of information that is used by many educators,
so that is a good way to draw attention. However, I believe the reason the
author initiated this portion of the booklet in a question and answer like
format unlike the previous two chapters, is possibly because these three
questions (principles) are the ones you are going to be asked about, so it
suits it that he brought it in a question form. Everyone is going to be
asked about it. Every human being and every Jinn is going to be asked
about it and the answer is what will determine if one is wretched or happy.
When you are asked about them in the grave, it is in a Q and A form, so it
is very thoughtful to start this section off by making it a question.
LIVING AND DYING BY TAWHEED

Everyone needs to know these questions. Learned, illiterate, educated,
layman, it does not matter. Happiness and failure in both worlds depends
on these principles.
The verse we took earlier. These are the questions that your Tawheed is
based on. Anyone can memorise them, we would have only had to do five
minutes in the first class and we would have been done if that was all of
Tawheed. Memorising these questions is part of it. Applying them and
living and dying by them, that is the kind of Tawheed that we want. That is
why the author did not just say here, there are these three principles, he
gave a strong introduction before he mentioned the three principles.
Remember we talked about Haneefiyyah and Millat Ibraheem, and just
earlier today about how important Tawheed is and how dangerous Shirk is.
Like I said, if you get nothing out of Tawheed except that you say it on
your deathbed (Laa Ilaaha Illallah), then you have succeeded (you have
got all you needed). That is the biggest change right there. If you live by it
and you die by it, and you pass over the first hurdle in this life, the first
hurdle of the life after is the grave.
THE FIRST HURDLE
OF THE
LIFE AFTER
IS THE
GRAVE
Page | 585

In Sunan at-Tirmidhi. The grave is the first hurdle or the first stage of the
Hereafter. Whoever is saved from it, whatever comes after it will be easier.
But if he is not saved from it, whatever comes after it is going to be even
worse.
So you pass the first hurdle in this life when you say Laa Ilaaha Illallah on
your deathbed, Inshaa Allah we all say it, now the second hurdle which is
in the first stage of the life after. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
said I have never seen a scene but the grave is more frightening than it.
Tawheed is your way out of it, Tawheed is your means to get through it.
Tawheed and namely these three questions, these three questions in the
grave are like the relationship between a heart and a body, pertaining to
your life in the grave (the life in the Barzakh). Just like the status and well
being of the body depends on a healthy heart, the status and well being of
the life after depends on what happens in the grave with those questions.
If it is good and you pass the questions, whatever is after it is better. And
if not, wal-Iyaathu Billah whatever is after it is worse.
When the most cherished, loved ones put the dirt over the deceased, the
deceased hears the footsteps of those walking away and two angels
come. They sit him and ask him and at this point, your means of rescue in
the stomach of the earth, lonely in the grave under the dirt, is Tawheed
(what you did in Tawheed). After the soul is restored to the body, the
fearsome, the scary angels (Munkar and Nakeer) come for interrogation,
and this is Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah. They sit someone up and they ask him
who is your Lord? The believing soul will say my Lord is Allah. What is your
religion? My religion is Islam. Who is the man who was sent amongst you?
And it is Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Quickly goes over them.
He studied Tawheed, he lived and died by Tawheed and that is the first
stage. If he is healthy in that stage then that is it, after that it is going to
be better. Then they will ask him how did you get this knowledge? What
was the source of your knowledge? And he will reply I have read the Book
of Allah, I believed in it and I declared it to be true. That portion of the
Hadith is in Sahih al-Bukhari.
Now if he is among the evil ones wal-Iyaathu Billah, who is your Lord? Ha
Ha, I do not know. Alas, Alas, I do not know. What is your religion? Ha Ha, I
do not know. Nasalullah Salaamah. What about the Messenger sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam? Ha Ha, I do not know. He does not know, but note what
Page | 586
he says. He says I do not know but I used to say what the people used to
say, and it will be told to him you did not know nor did you take the
guidance (meaning the guidance of the Quran). The people who pass will
be told, look at your place in Paradise. They will see an opening in the
grave and they will see their place in Paradise, and they will be told that is
what is awaiting you. The dead person (both righteous and not righteous)
will see both places. After not answering, the non believer will be hit with
an iron hammer between his ears, and with a force that is so violent that it
will crumble a mountain. He will cry and that cry will be heard by
whatever approaches him, except the human being and Jinn. A call is then
heard from Heaven, he lied so spread out the carpets of Hell for him and
take him to his place in Hell, Nasalullah Salaamah.

Then after that, ugly beings wearing ugly garments and giving out foul,
offensive odours come to the disbelieving soul. They say be grieved with
what displeases you (and of course the opposite is true for the righteous),
this is the day that you have been promised, this is the day we told you
about. He is going to ask who are you? Your face is so ugly, it looks like
evil. And that person will say, I am your wicked deeds. We do not want to
go through the whole Hadith but of course for the believer, the opposite is
true.
They are exposed to the fire morning and afternoon and on that Day when
the Hour will be established, Firawn and his people will be entering the
severest punishment.
The grave has a squeeze, if anyone was to be relieved from it, it would
have been Sad Ibn Muadh.
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In Bukhari and Muslim the man about whom the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam said:

The throne of Allah shook for his death.
He lived from thirty to thirty six in Islam. He died thirty six years old and
six years was his age in Islam. Seventy thousand angels were in his
funeral procession and the throne of Allah shook when he died. If anyone
was to be relieved from that squeeze, it would be Sad Ibn Muadh. Scary,
terrifying, but what is slightly comforting is what Abul-Qaasim as-Sadi in
his book Ar-Rooh ( )said, no one is relieved from the squeeze of the
grave except the righteous. They get a simple squeeze and then it is
eased, but the disbelievers will get an on going, everlasting, powerful
squeeze. Life on Tawheed, living, surviving and dying on it so you can be
resurrected on it is our goal Inshaa Allah.
I do not think I will here next week, I have some lectures to do. But my
hope Inshaa Allah Taaala is that we finish within less than ten classes,
within ten classes we will have this book done. And either at the end of
January or February I do not have as many other obligations and lectures,
so we can probably have two per week and we can finish this book.

.

.
So Inshaa Allah stay posted for the announcements and like I said it will
probably be within less than ten classes that we finish this book, maybe
eight, it depends on the timing of each class. I am saying this to keep you
inspired, do not give up hope. If you have reached this far, there is only a
little bit left. And after that we will discuss with you and Inshaa Allah our
brothers and sisters who follow us online, what other books they favour.
CLASS TWENTY EIGHT

Page | 588
We are still at chapter three. The core chapter of the book, the chapter
that has the three fundamental principles (the three questions that one
will be asked about in the grave) and it is the heart of the book like we
said.
WHAT ARE THE THREE PRINCIPLES A PERSON

MUST KNOW?
We left off at the phrase:

:

.

:
:

:

:

:

If it is said to you, what are the three principles which a person must
know? Then say it is the knowledge of the servant of his Lord.
TWO TEACHING TACTICS OF THE AUTHOR

Now here he used two different teaching tactics. One which we mentioned
in our last class, we mentioned presenting the heart of this book (the
fundamental three principles) in a question format and I said it was a
teaching tactic to change the method and style, drawing interest to what
he is about to talk about. But more so, I believe it is because one will be
asked about these and questioned about them in his grave, so it was
suitable that he present them in a Q&A format.
The second style of his writing is that he gave the answers in general,
your Lord, your religion and your Messenger. Brief and short, then in the
Page | 589
next paragraph he repeated each one of these three principles in detail.

That is a style known to writers in English and in Arabi, it is a style to
draw interest. Give a summary, be brief and then go into detail. Even in
English, if you look to the diagram structure of a well written essay, you
find that they start general and then in the following paragraphs they get
specific. You start with an attention getter and orient the reader with a
summary, then go to detail, and that is what the author did here when he
was talking about al-Usool ath-Thalaathah.
WHY IS THE ONE ASKING NOT MENTIONED?

Then he said:

So if it is said to you. Who is the one asking here? Who is the one saying
this to us? He left that out. He left out the Faail (), the doer (the
questioner). Why? For two reasons. Number one, because what is
important is the answer, that is what really matters here. The answer is
what matters. Number two, there are matters that may depend on the one
asking but here in this matter, the answer does not depend on who is
asking (it can be anyone). The answer does not depend on who is asking,
so leaving it out is very appropriate. It could be your parents asking, it
could be an angel, it could be a Messenger of Allah. It could be anyone
who is asking, it does not really matter. The answer in this matter will
always be the same answer, so it does not matter who is asking the
question.
THE THREE PRINCIPLES IN SUMMARY

He said:

The three principles. Al in ath-Thalaathah meaning the three known
principles. Al (the) in this one meaning it refers to something known from
the situational context of the speaker and listener. The Masjid, if I leave it
just like that it means the Masjid we always attend because you already
know it from the conversation between me and you. Or if I say al-Kitaab (
)and just leave it like that, you automatically know it is the Quran
or a certain book that is in your hand. Ath-Thalaathah means the three
Page | 590
fundamental principles. We know from the situational context between the

author and us, it is three fundamental principles (the popular, well known
principles).
THESE
ARE NOT THE
ONLY PRINCIPLES
OF THE
DEEN
These are the three principles that are the foundation of the Deen. Now
you have to understand that these are not the only principles of the Deen,
because Islam has more principles than these three. For example, in the
future we are going to talk about belief in angels and belief in Messengers,
those are principles but they are not included with these three over here.
So there are other principles outside these three principles. These
principles here are just like the other principles but the difference is these
principles are like the mother principles, whereas other principles branch
off from these in one way or another. Take the first question for example,
knowing Allah and Tawheed in Allah. That is the head of all other principles
and matters, that is the head of the principles. So for example we have
the principle of believing in angels and Messengers, those are principles
but those principles become useless without that mother principle of
belief in Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. So these are not the only three
principles but they are like the mother principles where other principles
follow along behind them.
The next word is Asl and the plural of it is al-Usool. We mentioned last
class that it is the foundation which other matters are based on, like the
foundation of a wall.
KNOWING
THESE
MATTERS
IS
WAAJIB
Means which a person must know.

Yajibu (

) , a must. This is the ruling on these three matters, it is a
must. Yajibu means Waajib, you must know it. This is not any ordinary
Waajib, but it is among the top of the Waajib (the top).

A person must know, al-Insaan is a person. Insaan is a human like we said
and it refers to Muslim, Kaafir and Jinn. This call to the three principles
refers to Muslim, Kaafir and even Jinn. The call to the principles of Islam,
the call to Tawheed is a call to Muslim, Kaafir and Jinn by Ijmaa. Like we
said last Halaqah, we mentioned what Insaan was.
Page | 591

That you must know. Marifah here is defined like knowledge. Marifah is to
know, knowledge.
WHAT
IS THE
METHOD
TO
ATTAIN
THIS
MARIFAH?
Now pay attention with me here, the author said we must know these
matters but he did not tell us how we know. What is the method of
attaining this Marifah? What is the method of attaining this knowledge?
Maybe it is to keep the book short or for other obvious reasons that he did
not mention it, but it could be by asking, reading, listening, sitting with
others, some matters by Fitrah and some by intellect.
MARIFAH INCLUDES BELIEF AND ACTION

The author said to know the three matters. Is just merely knowing them
sufficient? Marifah has two conditions. Number one is to know and
number two included and essential in Marifah is belief. You cannot say
Wallahi Imaam Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab said in his book to know
these matters, I know them and that is it. That will take you to the Irjaa (
). No, he said you have to know them but included in that is to

believe in them and act according to them. If there is no fruit to Marifah
(the fruit is acting and believing in it), there is no Marifah. If the
knowledge does not produce the fruit of acting, then it is useless. One
must act on their belief, submit to and accept the laws, rules and
regulations.
Firawn knew his Lord, so did the Shaytaan but it did not do them any
good, it was useless. Marifah here is equal to Ilm (knowledge), it is
knowledge. It is to place it in your heart but the fruits must show on the
body parts, in the form of action. That show of Marifah in the action is like
following the ordains, being submissive to the Shareeah of Allah and
following the commands of Allah. If merely knowing the question was
sufficient to pass the test in the grave, then the Shaytaan would get an A
plus on it because in the Quran what did he say?

: ...
...
So if it was only just knowing them, the Shaytaan knows it. There is
knowing, there is believing and there is acting on them, and you need all
three.
Page | 592
You have to take this part of the book with chapter one, he mentioned that
in chapter one when we went through the four introductory principles
early on. Part of it was:
: ...

...

You believe in these, you know, you believe and you act.
If one wants to answer the question in the first hurdle of the life after (in
the grave), he needs to act on it and believe in it. The level of what one
achieves of Tawheed will be the level of success in this Dunya and in the
Aakhirah.
Look at the gauge and the measure for success in the Quran:
:

Those who believe but do not taint their Imaan with Dhulm. Of course,
Dhulm here is Shirk. You do complete Imaan, you get complete Amin (
)which is security in both worlds. And on top of that, Huda ()

which is guidance. For who? For whoever brings this Tawheed complete
without any deficiencies in it. Therefore, the more deficiency in Tawheed
means the less dosage of Amin and Huda (which is security and
guidance).
THE MEANING OF MARIFAH

MARIFAH CANNOT
BE
USED
FOR
ALLAH
Note, here he used the word Marifah. We defined Marifah as Ilm

(knowledge). In Arabic, it is very similar to knowledge, Marifah and Ilm
are very very similar. However, there are detailed linguistic differences
that you should keep in mind. Number one, with us (the creation) you can
describe me and you as Marifah. If we knew something, we can describe
it as Marifah just like the author mentioned here. To Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala, you do not use Marifah. In describing and giving the quality of
Allah, you do not use the word Marifah. Why? Because Marifah means
you knew something and it was preceded with ignorance. One was
ignorant of something, then he had Marifah. You cannot use that with
Allah subhaanahu wa taaala.
Page | 593
Now the term Ilm is used instead as a quality of Allah. How? Sometimes
Ilm refers to one who was ignorant at a time before. Like today, whoever
did not know matters we are talking about, they have Ilm now (before
they were ignorant). When we speak about the Ilm of Allah as it pertains
to Allah, it was not preceded with ignorance. To us, yes it can happen that
it is preceded with ignorance. With Allah, no, you cannot use Marifah with
Allah because the definition of Marifah refers to that which is preceded
with ignorance. Therefore, you cannot say Allah has Marifah. Allah has
Ilm, Ilmullah () . Why? Because it was not preceded with
ignorance. You can apply both but to Allah (when we are talking about
Allah), it was not preceded with ignorance.
Let me repeat it, Marifah and Ilm both mean knowledge. To us humans,
they can be used interchangeably (for me and you). You can say Ahmad
has Ilm, that is good. You can say Ahmad has Marifah, that is good and I
can say the same about you. The word Marifah is knowing after you did
not know, that is assumince. You cannot say Allah has Marifah because
the Ilm of Allah is eternal, it was not preceded with ignorance Maaath
Allah.
With Allah we use the word Ilm, Ilmullah not Marifatullah. Why? Let me
give it to you in an A and B. A, Ilm may mean like Marifah (that which is
preceded with ignorance) so that may apply to me and you, but unlike
Marifah Ilm also has another definition, where it does not necessarily
always mean that it was preceded with ignorance. That is why we can use
that term when we are speaking Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. When Ilm
pertains to us humans, it could mean Marifah (knowledge after
ignorance). When Ilm pertains to Allah, it is the B definition which is the
knowledge that is not preceded with ignorance. That can be a definition of
Ilm, but it is not a definition of Marifah since Marifah is strictly preceded
with ignorance.
MARIFAH IS USUALLY
QURAN
IN THE
CONTEXT
OF
VILIFICATION
IN THE
Another nice, delicate meaning in this word Marifah is Marifah is mostly

used in the context that someone is being vilified in the Quran. A context
where it is talking about someone who is vilified. It comes in the Quran
for example followed by talking about those who are denying the truth.
Page | 594

:

Talking about vilified people, He used Marifah (that they knew). In those
and similar verses, He said they knew the truth and rejected it, using the
word Marifah instead of Ilm whereas Ilm could have been applied there
as well. So a nice, delicate linguistic difference between Ilm and Marifah
is that Marifah is usually in the context of vilification in the Quran.
Usually in the Quran and in the Hadith it is like that, but not always.
Whereas on the other hand, Ilm usually comes in praise.
There is a Hadith that is Sahih in Sahih Muslim, Ibn Abbaas radhiallahu
anhu narrated in one of the narrations of it:

:

The Hadith when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sent Muadh to
Yemen. He said:

We mentioned this Hadith before but in one of its narrations when the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was telling Muadh what to talk to the
people in Yemen about, he said teach them Marifatullah. He used Marifah
instead of Ilm. If they have Marifah of Allah, then let them know that
there are five obligatory prayers.
We just mentioned that Marifah is in the context of vilifying, our point
here is that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used Marifah in a
praiseworthy context. Why? We just said Marifah is usually in the context
of vilification, usually but not necessarily always. It could come in a
praiseworthy context like in this Hadith, and this is one of the exceptions,
Page | 595
this Hadith when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sent Muadh.
This is why the author used it in this sentence instead of Ilm, meaning
there is no reason to object at him for using Marifah. He is not wrong for
using Marifah instead of Ilm because sometimes it is used in a
praiseworthy context. Knowledge (Ilm) is the opposite, it is usually in the
praiseworthy context and it is rarely in a negative context.
THERE IS NO ROOM FOR DOUBT IN THIS MATTER

Moving on, we finished Marifatuha, the three matters that a person
should know. He said when you are asked this:
Say and say firmly. Give you answer firmly, firm in your belief. You must be
firm, there is no room for doubt in this matter.
: ...

...
You have no doubts.

:

Then say the knowledge of the servant of his Lord.
Be firm in both your answer and your belief.
TWO TYPES OF SERVANTS
The knowledge of the servant. Which servant? There are two types of
servants. One that is by force and then the servant by choice.
THE SERVANT
BY
FORCE
:

There is none in the heavens and the earth but they will come to Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala as slaves (by force).
Page | 596
THE SERVANT
BY
CHOICE
Then there is the servant who is by choice, who does that which Allah told
him to do. Uboodiyyah at-Taaah wal-Imtithaal (
), and that is like the characteristics in Surat al-Furqaan:

: ...

The faithful slaves of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala who walk on this earth
in humility.
And that is for the believers by choice, because they chose to do that.
Those who answer the questions and live by them are of course the
second category, the worshippers by choice who we ask Allah subhaanahu
wa taaala that we be among them.
THE FIRST PRINCIPLE

IS THE TEST IN THE GRAVE ONLY A TEST OF
LORDSHIP?

You must know your Lord. Note the word Lord, from Lordship. We know
Rabb is Lord and it refers to what? Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah (Lordship), that
Allah is the Creator, Sustainer, Maintainer and so on. We already went
through the Tawheed of Lordship.

That refers to Lordship but when you are asked in the grave who is your

Lord (

) , is it Lordship only? Is the test in the grave only a test of
Lordship, because the Hadith says Man Rabbuk, that is Lordship right
there. Rabb, Rububiyyah, Lordship. The question appears to only state
that it will be asking about Lordship, but what about Uloohiyyah? What
about the oneness of Allah when we give our worship to Allah? If we are
only going to be tested on Lordship (Rububiyyah) and that is all we are
going to be asked about, then Quraysh who opposed the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would all pass the test since the Quran clearly
Page | 597
states that Qurayshians believed in Lordship. In fact, Allah in many verses

used their belief in Lordship to convince them to believe in the Uloohiyyah
(worship) aspect. Not only will Quraysh pass that test in their grave, but
the devil will pass it.

: ...
...
He used to say Rabbi.
In the grave you are going to be asked Man Rabbuk (who is your Lord),
that comes from Rububiyyah. If it is literally Rabb of Rububiyyah, then
nearly everyone will pass because even the Kuffaar of Quraysh did not
have a problem with it and that is why Allah says:

:
Most of them believe not in Allah, except while they attribute partners
unto Him.
They believe in Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah. The Hadith says we will be asked
about Rabb, which is ar-Rububiyyah, does that mean Abu Jahl will pass the
first hurdle in his grave? Let me answer that.
ULOOHIYYAH INCLUDES RUBUBIYYAH

ULOOHIYYAH
AND
RUBUBIYYAH REQUIRES
This Rububiyyah in this Hadith (Man Rabbuk) is Rububiyyah but is also

includes Uloohiyyah in it. Remember we said before (and if you do not pay
attention to those statements we be talking about in Tawheed, it is a
problem), Rububiyyah requires Uloohiyyah. Uloohiyyah includes
Rububiyyah and Rububiyyah requires Uloohiyyah. Rububiyyah here
requires Uloohiyyah, how?
Look at what Allah says in the Quran:

...

If you asked them, who is the Creator of the sky and the earth, they will
say Allah.
So they believe in Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah. Allah said after that:
Page | 598

:

Allah is telling them as in many other verses, if you believe in the first part
which is Lordship, you believe He is the Creator, He is the Sustainer, based
on that you are required and you must believe in the second one which is
Uloohiyyah (to direct your worship to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala).
Let me explain it in a scenario which will explain this verse that I just
mentioned and actually similar verses like it throughout the Quran, where
Allah spoke about Rububiyyah and said if you believe in this then you are
required to believe in Uloohiyyah. You gave me a hundred dollars, you
provided me with a hundred dollars. You are the provider of that one
hundred dollars. I agree that you are the provider of that one hundred
dollars but then I turn to someone else and I say thank you to him, I owe
you a lot of favours, I am very grateful to you. Allah has the supreme
example. He gives, He provides, He sustains and He maintains, then one
directs his worship or a portion of it to other than Allah. That is how
Rububiyyah requires Uloohiyyah, but one who perfects his Uloohiyyah,
that means his Rububiyyah is included in it. How? If I say to someone,
thank you, you gave me a hundred dollars and I really appreciate it, you
have done me a lot of favours, when I thank him that includes within it
that I believe he is the giver of that one hundred dollars (I agree to that).
When one directs his worship to Allah, it means his Rububiyyah is
included. It means he agrees to the Lordship of Allah, overall. Someone
who worships One Allah and devotes his Ibaadah to his Lord has affirmed
that the Creator and Sustainer is One.
ULOOHIYYAH
IS INCLUDED BY
PURPOSE
AND INTENT
Now going back to our issue at hand, in the grave the question is Man
Rabbuk (who is your Lord). That is the first question of the hurdles that
you are going to have to go through, the first principle of the three
fundamental principles. It must include Uloohiyyah, even though the word
is Rabb (from Rububiyyah), it includes Uloohiyyah in it. Why and how? First
of all, sometimes Uloohiyyah is included in matters like this by the
purpose and intent. We know overall by the purpose and intent. The
Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was sent to teach Tawheed
and his struggle with Quraysh was in Uloohiyyah. Do you think that we will
Page | 599
be asked about Rububiyyah and not about Uloohiyyah and then that is it,
we will pass the test?
Some Ulamaa said that when Rububiyyah is mentioned, Uloohiyyah is
included by purpose and intent, because the rule as we took it is
Rububiyyah requires Uloohiyyah. The entire scenario I mentioned,
Rububiyyah requires belief in Uloohiyyah therefore it is included when one
is going to be asked about Man Rabbuk. We will be asked in the grave Man
Rabbuk (Lordship), but Uloohiyyah is included in there ( ) .
Allah did not send the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam with
Uloohiyyah in vain like that.
RUBUBIYYAH
AND
ULOOHIYYAH RESEMBLE IMAAN
AND ISLAM
The second thing, others said the same thing but in a different way. The
second opinion is Uloohiyyah is included in Rububiyyah when one is
questioned in the grave, but they came at it from a different angle. They
said the terms Rububiyyah and Uloohiyyah are like the terms of Imaan and
Islam. How are Rububiyyah and Uloohiyyah resembling Imaan and Islam?
With Imaan and Islam, whenever they are together in one sentence or
statement, in a Hadith or in an Ayah, each has its independent meaning.
But if they are separated, meaning Imaan is alone in an Ayah or in a
Hadith, or Islam is by itself in an Ayah or a Hadith, then Imaan would
include what falls under Islam and Islam would include what falls under
Imaan. We will talk about that in the future Inshaa Allah when we get to
the pillars of faith, but that is the rule on Imaan and Islam.
So the Ulamaa said the same applies to Rububiyyah and Uloohiyyah. If
you say Imaan and Islam together in one sentence (whatever the context
may be) or see it in the Quran or in a Hadith, then each one has a
different, detailed meaning. Imaan has its detailed meanings and Islam
has its detailed meanings. If they are separate and alone, meaning I
mention Imaan alone by itself or you find it in the Quran or in the Hadith,
if it is detached from Islam and separate then Imaan includes the meaning
of Islam. And when Islam is separate in a Hadith or an Ayah, it includes the
meanings of Imaan.
They said the same applies to Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah and Tawheed alUloohiyyah. If they are mentioned together, they have their own detailed
meanings. Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah, we know what it is and we know what
Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah is. When ar-Rububiyyah (Lordship) is mentioned
alone, like the Hadith that we have here (who is your Lord in the grave),
they said in such Ahaadith it includes the meanings of Uloohiyyah in it.
Page | 600
And if Uloohiyyah is mentioned alone then it includes Rububiyyah in it. For

example:

...

:
The verse says those who say Allah is our Lord and follow along with it.
Rabbunaa (
) , which means Rabb (Lordship). There is nothing in that
verse about worship, it does not mention Uloohiyyah in it. They said in a
verse like that, it also includes Uloohiyyah in that word.
In another verse:
: ...

Know that there is none worthy of being worshipped but Allah. This is
Uloohiyyah. Worship (Uloohiyyah) is mentioned alone here, but the rule
says Rububiyyah is included in such a verse. Like Islam and Imaan, like
Rububiyyah and Uloohiyyah, like Faqeer and Miskeen, all of them have the
same rule.
THE TEST
IN THE
GRAVE INCLUDES ULOOHIYYAH
Why did we mention this? To show that when you are asked who is your
Lord in the grave, the Hadith is Lordship alone but it includes worship
within it. This is not just Lordship that you are going to be asked, it
includes within it Uloohiyyah. So the Ulamaa have two avenues on how
Uloohiyyah is included and both really lead to the same point, that they do
not question the matter that Uloohiyyah is included in such a Hadith like
we have over here (Man Rabbuk). That rule on Uloohiyyah and
Rububiyyah applies not only here, but in all other Ahaadith and verses
that include Rububiyyah and Uloohiyyah in them (either together or
alone). If it was a test on Man Rabbuk and you say it is just Man Rabbuk
and that is all, the Mushrikeen, the Muwahhideen, the Shaytaan and
everybody would be equivalent because many affirm Tawheed arRububiyyah.
THE SECOND PRINCIPLE

Now we go to the second principle. He said:
Page | 601
The second principle is you will be asked about your religion (your Deen).
In a way, Deen can be defined in a sense, as worship or obedience. Why?
Because your Deen means to do what one is obligated to do, and to leave
that which one is supposed to be refraining from. That in itself is
obedience, it is worship. When you are obedient to Allah, that is worship
so that could be a definition of Deen. Note, we are going through the three
principles still in the summary stage. This is just the summary stage. In
the following paragraph, the author will elaborate on each one of them.
THE THIRD PRINCIPLE

Then after Deen, he mentioned:
The third principle is the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

Why would the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam be the third principle?
Because it is a question in the grave. When it is a question in the grave,
you better believe it is going to be a principle. And he is the mediator
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, between us and Allah subhaanahu wa taaala
in learning this Deen. Just as all Messengers are, they are the ones who
brought these teachings to us. Allah created people to worship Him and it
is unseen, the way we worship Him is Ghayb, so it is essential that He
send Messengers to teach us the religion and convey it to us. Therefore by
proof of text and intellect, sending Messengers is essential to this
universe, so they can teach us that guidance. We believe in Ghayb, we
would have never known the knowledge of Ghayb or the knowledge of this
Deen without the Messengers and more particular for us, the Messenger
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
The Messenger is important, therefore it is a fundamental principle that
one will be asked about in his grave. The message he brought us is
important, so it is a principle (Deen). The Book, that is another principle
and part of the Deen. And of course, the one who was sent with it (the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is a principle and the One who sent
him (Allah subhaanahu wa taaala) is a principle. So they all relate to each
other in a way. The importance of knowing the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam and his life comes from the importance of the One who sent
him (Allah subhaanahu wa taaala who we worship and we worship alone),
and it also comes from the importance of the message that he was sent
with. He was sent by Allah with the Shareeah and the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam is the third principle.
Page | 602
He concludes his introductory, brief statement on the three fundamental

principles right here, and now he is going to repeat the three principles
and elaborate a little bit more on each one of them. And that is what I
mentioned at the start of the Halaqah today if you remember, I said he is
going to talk about them briefly to make sure you have a super basic
outline of what it is, then he is going to go in depth. So now he is going to
start going in depth.
THE THREE PRINCIPLES IN DEPTH

THE FIRST PRINCIPLE
He goes on to say:

:
:
So if it is said to you, who is your Lord? Then say my Lord is Allah.
FAA AL-FASEEHAH
The Faa here is Faa al-Faseehah (
), the Faa by itself. AlIfsaah Bi-Mana al-Bayaan () , meaning the Faa

explains. It is going to explain an answer to a question. This type of Faa
means an explanation is going to follow. What is the explanation here?
The answer to if you are asked Man Rabbuk (who is your Lord). Now he is
going to explain it.
WHO IS YOUR LORD?

Qeela (
) , if it is said to you. We said he did not say who because the
answer is what matters and it does not matter who is asking, the answer
remains the same regardless.

:
So if it is said to you, who is your Lord? Then say my Lord is Allah.
Page | 603
We established that worship is included in Lordship in this statement (Man

Rabbuk). Who is your Lord means who is your Lord who created you, gave
you life, prepared you, gave you your provision and continues to provide
you with all your needs.
DO
NOT
DISDAIN
THIS
QUESTION
Simple question and a lot of people say oh we know it, let us move on. It is
simple, the fact that you know it is simple and you believe in it is
something worthy of saying Alhamdulillah day and night, that Allah guided
you to this simple question. It is true, I agree with you Man Rabbuk is a
simple question. You and me, that is the Fadhl ( )of Allah upon us
that we believe it is a simple question and we know it, and we ask Allah to
keep us steadfast on it. But the obvious belief in this question, masses
and millions do not know it or do not believe in it.
And Allah said it:

:

...
Only a few believed in it. Millions do not believe in it.
: ...

The majority will led you astray.
:
The majority will not believe except with Shirk.

:

...
A few are the ones who are thankful.

...

: ...

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So yes it is a simple question, Alhamdulillah that we believe in it. These

are verses stating that the majority do not believe or do not accept, or
reject this. So when we pass by this simple question and you say this is
very obvious, do not ever disdain it. Instead say Alhamdulillah Thumma
Alhamdulillah, Thumma Alhamdulillah that we believe in it and may Allah
continue to keep us steadfast on it.
THE DEFINITION OF RABB
He said the question is Man Rabbuk. Let us look at ar-Rabb ().
THE OWNER
OF
SOMETHING
OR ONE IN
CONTROL
OF
SOMETHING
) which means the, then it is the owner of

Ar-Rabb, if you take out Al (
something who controls something or who rules something, who has
position of something under his control. Like the famous Hadith when they
came to destroy the Kabah in the year that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam was born in. His grandfather went and he said to them:

He said I am the lord of the camels (give me my camels back), the Kabah
has a Lord that is going to protect it.
NURTURE
OR
RAISE UP
Ar-Rabb (Lord) comes from the word Tarbiyah (), to nurture. Allah
nurtured us and all of His creation with His favours and His blessings, so it
stems from the word Tarbiyah. Its root word is al-Murabbee ( ),
nearly all linguistic definitions refer to that word. Raising us, bringing up or
the more accurate word in English is possibly nurture. Rabb includes
maintaining us, protecting us, the Master, the Sustainer, the Giving and
the One who gives us Tarbiyah (nurturing). It means He raised us step by
step. Allah raised us every single step of the way, from the beginning to
the end.
The best, most honourable way He raised us is by sending us the
Messengers to warn us and to promise us.
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That is one of the best provisions that Allah gave us. The best, purest,
mightiest blessing of all blessings is that He nurtured us with Tawheed.
That is part of the Tarbiyah. If you lost everything on this earth but have
Man Rabbuk right, you have everything. If you have Man Rabbuk wrong
but you have everything on this earth, you have nothing. You are a loser
without it. If you are living on crumbs of bread and a small cup of water
but you have Man Rabbuk, you have it all.

...

:

Whoever follows My guidance, he shall neither go astray nor shall he be

distressed.
If you are in the most luxury, the best high rise mansions, and you are
hopping in the best restaurants but you do not have Tawheed, that is all
going to turn into misery.

Whoever turns away from My Dhikr (from my Tawheed), verily for him is a
life of hardship and We shall raise him up blind on the Judgment Day.
ALLAH NURTURED
THE
AALAM
Going back to Man Rabbuk, ar-Rabb also means that He blessed us with
our physical bodies, our qualities, our desires, our thinking, our mind and
more and more. We can go on for weeks talking about that which Allah
provided, not weeks but a life long of lectures talking about what Allah
provided us with. Also, it does not just mean individually, that is a small
part of it but it is universal. He nurtured the Aalam ( ), the universe
is nurtured by Allah. Tarbiyah (the definition of Rabb) is to nurture, and
part of that is also that He made choices for the universe.

: ...

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He is the One who makes the choices. Our Murabbee (our nurturer), our
Lord, our Rabb subhaanahu wa taaala means the same thing as the
Sustainer, Provider, Al-Maalik (), As-Sayyid (), Al-Mudabbir (
), Al-Munim (). Allah nurtures all of the creation with His

favours and blessings, and He has prepared a lot for them in this life and
in the life after. He supported them with all their needs.
The blessings of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala are so many that they
cannot be counted. And Allah told us that, if you were to try to count the
blessings of Allah, you would not be able to.
: ...

It is impossible for us to even count it. There is no time to even give a

glimpse of the detailed blessings that Allah provided us, so just knowing
that He is the Provider, Sustainer, He gives us, He nurtures us from the
beginning to the end, you have to keep that in mind.
I remember a story by Ibn as-Sammaak, a pious scholar, an Aabid. He
went with the leader of his time to the outskirts, to a desert for something.
The leader got very, very thirsty and he asked him Ibn as-Sammaak for a
cup of water. So Ibn as-Sammaak took the opportunity to advise him as he
was giving him a nice, cold drink of water. He said oh leader (rich,
wealthy, has control), this cold water, if you could not get it but to pay
money, how much would you pay? The leader said I would give half of my
kingdom for it. Ibn as-Sammaak said what if Allah blocked that cup of
water in you and you could not get it out (meaning you could not urinate
it), how much would you pay to urinate it? The leader said I would pay the
other half of my kingdom. Ibn as-Sammaak began to cry and he said what
a kingdom, that is not equivalent to a single cup of water. Go to those
suffering from a kidney stone or other ailments and problems, in the midst
of their suffering tell them you will not be cured unless you give
everything you own (all the money you have and all the houses you have).
Not a single one of them would hesitate, they would give it to you.
: ...

That is from our Rabb. That is from the meanings of ar-Rabb, who gives us
all that. The entire universe is drowned in the blessings of Allah, from the
top of their heads to the bottom of their feet. When we say the entire
Aalam (universe), it is everything other than Allah. The Aalam of the Jinn,
the Aalam of the Ins (humans), the Aalam of the devils, the Aalam of the
oceans, the Aalam of the birds, the Aalam of the animals and others that
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we may know about and some that we do not know about. Aalam
uniquely was a word called that because they are a sign. It comes from
the word sign, like a flag. A sign of the creation of Allah on this earth. Just
like your laptops are a sign that someone manufactured them, we are a
sign (we are like a flag) that we are the creation of Allah, and proof that
Allah is our Lord who exists. And that is a response to those who are
atheist.
Some defined Rabb as:

He created us from our start, He nurtures us with all our needs, and He
forgives all our sins.
THE SHAREE MEANING
OF
AR-RABB
The Sharee meaning of ar-Rabb for us (when it is mentioned here alone)

includes the definition of ar-Rububiyyah and the definition of al-Uloohiyyah
in it. Here, Man Rabbuk means the Creator, the Provider and the Nurturer,
which are of course Lordship qualities. And we add on that the worship
qualities and the definition of Uboodiyyah or Uloohiyyah, because we said
when they are separate (and they are here), Rabb carries the meaning of
Ilaah (like Imaan and Islam). When accompanied with each other, Rabb
has its meaning and Uloohiyyah has its definition and meaning.
Later on, the author mentioned that ar-Rabb is:

Al-Khaaliq means the Creator and Mabood is Uloohiyyah. That is to show
to you that he includes both of them in that.
ULOOHIYYAH IS INCLUDED IN RUBUBIYYAH WHEN

MENTIONED ALONE
Some said when they are separate, they include each other and then
when they are together, each has its own meaning. We mentioned that, I
want to get back to that and talk a little bit more about that. That is one
opinion. Some even said there is an Ijmaa on that, that they are like
Imaan and Islam. That is the first one. Another group which I told you
about, they included it by intent and purpose. They said Lordship here is
by itself, only Lordship. So the question to them, are you saying
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Uloohiyyah is not included in passing the test? They said no, here Lordship
is by itself but we arrive at the same conclusion as the other people (in a
slightly different way). Both of them are correct, and it is good for the
student of knowledge to know this. They said Rububiyyah is meant here
alone, but you cannot have that Rububiyyah unless you have Uloohiyyah.
They said that is the Quranic method of combining between the two. So
when you are asked who is your Lord, they said it includes worship.
Worship is part of the foundation of Rububiyyah. How? Allah in the Quran
said:

Worship your Lord. In the beginning, it starts with worship your Lord. Note,
this starts with Uloohiyyah and ends with Uloohiyyah. He says worship and
then at the end, He said do not make Shirk in Uloohiyyah. Who do we
worship? He mentions qualities and all these qualities are qualities of
Lordship, because He is trying to tell us if you believe in Lordship (the
foundation) then you should believe in the worship and make Tawheed in
it. All those qualities that He mentions in this verse are qualities of
Lordship. The verse says oh you worship Allah who created you and those
before you, so that you may be Muttaqoon. First He says worship (worship
is Uloohiyyah), who do we worship? Worship the One who created you and
those before you.

The One who made this earth a resting place.
Made the sky a canopy.
Brought down the rain from the sky.
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He provided fruits.
All these qualities, what are they? These are qualities of Rububiyyah. Then
at the end He says:
Do not make rivals to Allah in your worship. Andaada (

) means do
not commit Shirk in Uloohiyyah.
All the qualities were Rububiyyah, once He established that foundation
because they believed in it, He said do not commit Shirk in Uloohiyyah.
Both approaches I mentioned in including Uloohiyyah and Rububiyyah are
good and both of them lead to the same thing. The second approach is
that Rububiyyah is a foundation and an essential part of that foundation is
Uloohiyyah. They said that because of how the Quran is, like the verse I
mentioned. The first approach was that when Rububiyyah is not in a
sentence with Uloohiyyah, they include the terms and meanings of each
other (like Imaan and Islam). Two avenues lead to the identical, same
ending and both ways of thinking are right. I just gave you that to open
the minds of the student of knowledge. I believe it may be that the author
was slightly lenient towards the second approach, but Allahu Alam we
cannot tell for sure.
After he established the foundation of Rububiyyah, he mentioned worship
because he said:

Allahu Alam, it could be that he was slightly lenient towards the second
approach.
RUBUBIYYAH
AND
ULOOHIYYAH
ARE
DIFFERENT TYPES
OF
TAWHEED
Either avenue is good but do not leave here saying Rububiyyah means
Uloohiyyah and Uloohiyyah means Rububiyyah. You fall in the belief of the
Mubtadiah (). They are completely different, they are different
types of Tawheed. Claiming they are one is the talk of Ahl al-Bidah. In
fact, Shaykh Ali al-Khudayr has a response to that, he wrote a letter
responding to that. Uloohiyyah has its definition and meaning, Rububiyyah
has its definition and meaning, but what we mentioned of the two
avenues is to show how they are inclusive in Ahaadith like this one over
Page | 610
here, and in many verses and Ahaadith other than that. So what we just
mentioned is to show you how Uloohiyyah is inclusive in Man Rabbuk.
When one is being asked in the grave who is your Lord, we know that
Uloohiyyah is included in that as well.
MY LORD IS ALLAH
Then he said:
Meaning He created me, He placed me in existence, He blessed me with

external and internal provision.
He made it more general and broader after that as well. He said:
Meaning when he said the first statement, it is not only for me, that He
nurtured me. No one is special, He brought the universe (the Aalam) from
non existence and provided them with His provision.
That is like:

The Baa is Baa Sababiyyah () , meaning because of His
blessings. What blessings? All the blessings that we mentioned earlier,
external and internal () . Dhaahira are blessings that you
can see, touch or know of. Al-Baatina are blessings that cannot be seen
and these blessings start when one is in the womb of his mother, and
even before that. In his creation, his nourishment, the angels writing what
is going to happen to him, and they continue on not until death, even way
beyond that. Like we mentioned earlier, there are so many blessings from
Allah.
He said when you are asked these questions, say:

Page | 611
My Lord, the One who nurtured me. But now it is not even that, it is
broader than that:

Meaning you entering a universe with everything in it, is from the
provision of Allah. And it is not a speciality for you, it is universal.
Al-Aalameen, it is everyone other than Allah.
TAWHEED AL-ULOOHIYYAH: HE IS THE ONE I

WORSHIP
After he made sure one must admit Allah is the Creator (the Rabb), then
the author moves on to what is Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah. This is why I told
you some may state or think that he might have been lenient to including
al-Uloohiyyah under ar-Rububiyyah in this Hadith, by using the second
avenue. He established Rububiyyah, now he goes on to Tawheed alUloohiyyah.
Meaning that He is the One I worship. This is a continuation, if He is the

Lord who raised me and nurtured me and the universe, obviously I should
worship Him.

:

Allah mentioned in this verse, seven categories of characteristics of
people unworthy of being worshipped.
They do not create anything.
They are created.
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They cannot control if something bad happens to them. They do not have
control over benefits to them.
They have no control over death.
They do not have control over life.
And the seventh one is, they do not have any control over the
Resurrection.
Anyone who has those qualities, Allah is saying they are unworthy of
worship. Just like the many other verses which state:
:
They associate partners to Allah who do not create anything and they
themselves are created?
The author is saying the One who nurtured this universe is the One I
succumb to, I subdue myself and show my humility to, and I worship He
and Him alone (Allah subhaanahu wa taaala). He mentioned Uboodiyyah
which is the second type of Tawheed because it is the fruit of Rububiyyah
and it is at the core of fulfilling the duties or the worship of Rububiyyah.
THE AUTHOR USED ITHBAAT AND NAFI

Then he said:

Laysa (
) here is to deny (Nafi). He denies worshipping anyone but
Allah. Siwaah (
) means anyone other than Allah. Siwaah is to

confirm (Ithbaat), meaning I only worship Allah, I deny everything other
Page | 613
than Allah. He combined between the Ithbaat and Nafi in that sentence.
Remember we said Tawheed is Ithbaat and Nafi.
Earlier he said:

He is the One I worship. That is sufficient right there, but he wanted to
reiterate it with Ithbaat and Nafi. Ithbaat means to affirm that Allah is the
only One I worship and Nafi is to deny that I worship anyone other than
Allah.

Is to affirm the previous statement:

No one is worthy of my worship, but Allah subhaanahu wa taaala.
This refers to both major and minor Shirk. No one is worthy of me
worshipping, but Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. No statue, no angel is
worthy of my worship. That we do not disagree on, but you also have to
keep in mind no Shaykh, no friend, no onlooker is worthy of me showing
off and getting my Ibaadah cancelled out (or a portion of it).
:
We will stop here Inshaa Allah, at the Daleel. Jazakum Allahu Khayra.
CLASS TWENTY NINE

We stopped off at:
If it is said to you, what are the three principles which a person must
know?
Page | 614

Then say it is the knowledge of the servant of his Lord and his religion and
his Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

:
If it is said to you, who is your Lord?

They say (the answer to that), my Lord is Allah who has nurtured me and
all of the creation with all the favours and blessings.
He is the One whom I worship and there is no one other than Him and
besides Him that I worship.
TAFSEER OF ALHAMDULILLAHI RABBIL-AALAMEEN

This is exactly where we stopped off:
:
The proof is all praise is for Allah, the Lord of all the creation.
The Lord of the creation, that is the proof. He is the One who nurtured, He
is the One who sustained, He is the One who gave us all the blessings, He
is the Creator, the Owner of the universe, He is the One who controls all
the affairs, He is the Mighty and Majestic One subhaanahu wa taaala, He
is the Lord and that is the One who is worthy of our worship.
ALHAMDULILLAH
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Al-Hamdu Lillah (

) is proof Allah is worthy of Ibaadah. How?

Because He nurtured us, not only us but the universe. Therefore, He is the
only One worthy of being worshipped since He gave us all that. Al-Hamd (
) is admitting thanks to the One being thanked.

The verse he chose is the first verse in the Quran. Of course there is a
dispute about whether Bismillah is or not, but al-Hamdu Lillah is mostly
the first verse in the Quran. It is also the last of the Duaa of the people in
Jannah:

...
:
The close of their request is Al-Hamdu Lillahi Rabbil-Aalameen (in Jannah).
The Alif and Laam in al-Hamdu (
) is called Lil-Istighraaq (

). Meaning it includes all thanks, every type of thanks
belongs to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. Every type of thanks that

existed, is existing or will exist, that Alif and Laaf (Lil-Istighraaq) means all
of that belongs to Allah.
LAAM
IN
LILLAH
Al-Hamdu Lillah (

) comes to
) . The first Laam in Lillah (

mean two things. It comes to mean ownership, Lil-Mulk (). It means
ownership when it is preceded with an appointed, specified item. When
that Laam is preceded with a specified item like you say:

The house is for Khaalid.
That means the Laam here is the Laam of ownership, Laam Mulk (
). Why? Because it was preceded with a specified item. Li-Khaalid (

)means a specified item was before it, which is the house, or it
could be a car, a pen or a laptop. So when it is a specified item before that
Laam, that means that is the Laam of the ownership.
But Laam also comes to mean Istihqaaq ( ), which means
someone worthy of a quality or a matter. For example, you say:

Page | 616

Honour is for Khaalid.
Honour is not an appointed item like a car, which we said earlier. Rather, it
is a quality, meaning honour is a Maaanee ( )not a specified item.
So Laam in Lillah means He is worthy and deserves all thanks. Why?
Because al-Hamd before it is a Maaanee and it is not a specified item, so
it is Laam al-Istihqaaq (
)instead of Laam al-Mulk (
).
In addition to Istihqaaq, Laam in Lillah also means Ikhtisaas (),
which means Hamd is a speciality only to Allah. It also comes to mean
Ikhtisaas, only for Allah. Al-Hamd, Alif and Laam means all. The Laam in
Lillah means worthy (Ikhtisaas) and Istihqaaq means He deserves it. So
that is the definition of al-Hamdu Lillah linguistically. The definition of it is
remembering the beauties of the One thanked (over here it is Allah),
showing love, glorification and majesty to Him.

That is the definition Ibn Taymiyyah chose for al-Hamd. You must have all
those conditions and qualities when you remember Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala. So if you thank Allah without the condition of love or without the
condition of glorification for example, that would not constitute Hamd.
That is something different called maybe Madih ( )which is praise,
but it is not the high status of al-Hamd that we are talking about over
here. So that is linguistically and Sharee for al-Hamdu Lillah.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAMD
AND
SHUKR
What is the difference between al-Hamd and Shukr? In Arabic, both mean
very similar things. They basically mean thanking someone. However,
Hamd usually involves the tongue (thanking by the tongue). Shukr could
be by the tongue mostly, and action as well. You do not say for example:

You do not say I did Hamd to Allah by my action. Generally speaking, you
do not say it and that is not the way it is said. Shukr is by tongue and by
action. Hamd is usually by tongue. That is why when Allah mentioned
parents in the Quran, what did He say? Did He say Hamd or Shukr?
Page | 617

: ...

...
Because when you are thanking your parents, you are not just saying it
verbally. It involves other more broader acts of serving, other physical acts
of helping them, in addition to the verbal. So He said Anishkur (
), instead of Anihmid () . In a one liner, Shukr is a much

more broader term than Hamd and Hamd you may say is a sub or part of
Shukr.
ORDER
IN THE
QURAN
BY
NAME, ACT
AND
Al-Hamdu Lillah, this here shows Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah. The name Allah,
linguistically it comes from al-Ilaah ( )and we went over that, we
gave you the breakdown of that before. Al-Uloohiyyah comes from Ilaah
and that is Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah, they are both derivative of the same
root word. So al-Hamdu Lillah is Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah and to show you
how important Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah is, look at the first Tawheed alUloohiyyah by name, by act and by order. There is by name, act and order.
The first indicator or proof of Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah in the Quran by
name, is al-Hamdu Lillah. That is why He said al-Hamdu Lillah, He did not
say al-Hamdu Lir-Rahmaan or Jabbaar. Al-Hamdu Lillah because it is the
name that encompasses the meanings of all other names (Allah, al-Ilaah),
and it shows Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah by name. So this is by name, that
establishes Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah by name. Keeping in mind like I said,
that the scholars dispute whether Bismillah is the first Ayah or not.
That is the first way Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah is established by name. Then
the Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah by act or a verb is:

: ...

That is Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah by act, by verb. That indicates not only
present, because it is a Fil Mudhaari () . It means now and
continuous in the future (both present and continuous) and that is in a Fil.
So the first in name is:
: ...

The first in an act or a verb is:
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: ...

And that is for present and continuous.
And then the first order of Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah is in Surat al-Baqarah:
: ...

That is how you have the first indications of Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah in the
Quran, in name form, in Fil form and in Amr form. That covers al-Hamdu
Lillahi.
RABBIL-AALAMEEN
Now we move on, the next two terms:
:

...

We defined Rabb last week. The Lord of the universe. Rabb is the Lord and
we mentioned that when it is combined with Al (ar-Rabb), that can only be
Allah. If you say ar-Rabb, that is only Allah subhaanahu wa taaala.
However, you and me, I could be Rabb ad-Daar ( ) . The lord of
my house, because I control my family, and likewise you. But when it is arRabb, that only means Allah subhaanahu wa taaala.
ALHAMDULILLAH
IS
TIED
TO
RABBIL-AALAMEEN
Allah says He is worthy of thanks (al-Hamdu Lillah), He tied it to the Lord

of the universe (Rabbil-Aalameen). Why? To show you who is worthy of
worship and how He is worthy of worship. Allah said He is worthy of all
thanks, He tied it to being the Lord of the universe (Rabbil-Aalameen) to
show who and why He is worthy of worship. Why is He worthy of al-Hamdu
Lillah (our Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah)? Because He is Rabbil-Aalameen.
Aalameen ( )is plural of Aalam ( )which is a term that
means the universe. A more precise definition is, it is everything other
than Allah subhaanahu wa taaala.
WHY DID
THE
AUTHOR USE
IT AS
PROOF?
How is it related to being proof for the statement of the author? Why did
he use it as proof?
The author said:
Page | 619

He said the One who created the universe, the One who nurtured the
universe, He is my Lord. Why is he my Lord? Because He is
Rabbil-Aalameen. Why do I give Him my worship? Because He is
Rabbil-Aalameen. Therefore when that is established (that He is
Rabbil-Aalameen), then He is the One worthy of my Ibaadah and no one
other than Him.
If you do not have the book, you are going to get lost because as you
know and you noticed, we are going through this sentence by sentence,
nearly word by word actually and sometimes almost letter by letter. If you
do not have a book in front of you, even if you have it memorised you are
going to get lost, so bring your copy with you. Remember I used to bring
my copy, and my copy that I used to bring over here (the yellow book)
was the one I memorized Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah with when I was maybe
seven or eight years old. But someone dear asked to keep it, I gave it as a
gift to them and I sent it to them. I will start bringing another copy, I will
find another copy and Inshaa Allah I will start bringing it. If you are taking
notes on your laptop and you are looking at it while you are typing notes,
then that is good. But other than that, you should have a copy with you,
you look at it because you will get lost without that.
EVERYTHING BESIDES ALLAH IS CREATED AND I AM

ONE OF THOSE CREATIONS
The next sentence he said is:

Everything besides Allah is created and I am one of those creations. This is
really the Tafseer of Rabbil-Aalameen. We have number one, that He is
the Lord, that He created everything and that is why He is worthy of
worship. Al-Aalameen is plural of Aalam like we said, and that is
everything in the world. Aalam al-Ins (
), Aalam al-Jinn (
) , Aalam at-Tayr () , Aalam an-Nabaat (
). Plants are an Aalam, the Jinn are an Aalam, the water is an
Aalam.
Page | 620
Then he brings it close to him, he says and I am one of that universe and I
am part of that universe. Al-Aalameen is plural of Aalam and it is all
creation, all of the Aalam. It is said to be derivative from the word
Alaamah (( )a sign), because the Aalam of the sky, the Aalam of
the earth, the Aalam of the plants, the Aalam of the oceans, everything
we see are signs. They are the signs of the Creator, that He nourishes,
sustains, takes care of and created all that.
So the author said:

Everything besides Allah is a created being, and I am one of the created
beings. Me who is speaking, who is reading to you, I am part of that
universe. I am nurtured, raised and created by Allah. So he is basically
bringing the point home, when he says and I am part of that creation.
HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT THIS KNOWLEDGE?

Then he moves on to the next sentence:

:
So if it said to you, how did you arrive at this knowledge (that He is your
Lord)? We established the fact you know your Lord. You need knowledge,
which is the Marifah of the Rububiyyah, and now you need to know how
you found that. How did I get the answer? That is a follow up question, to
the original question.

Here, the Baa in Bima (
) is Baa as-Sababiyyah () , the Baa
of why. It is a matter of Ghayb (unseen), so how do we know this if it is a
matter of unseen? How did we find out this knowledge? Allah describes us
as the believers in the unseen:

: ...

:

:

Page | 621
The answer is:

Then say, through His signs and through things which He has created.
THREE COVENANTS WITH ALLAH

One way we know our Lord is by the covenants He took from us, and there
are three of them. The first covenant with Allah was when Allah brought
forth the children of Adam from their loins, and He made them testify
upon themselves. Allah said, am I not your Lord?

...

:
They said yes. That is the first covenant.
The second covenant is the covenant of the Fitrah, Meethaaq al-Fitrah (
) . This is another covenant which also affirms the first

covenant by Allah, that He created us on the Fitrah.
: ...

Oh Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, set your face towards the
religion Haneef (meaning worshipping Allah purely), that is the Fitrah
which Allah created mankind on.
That is the second covenant, the Fitrah which Allah created mankind on.
And you know the Hadith Sahih of Abu Hurayrah:

Every newborn is born on Fitrah.
At the end of the Hadith he says the parents change them into Judaism,
Christianity and so on and so forth, but he does not say in the Hadith that
they change them to Islam.
He said:
Page | 622

He did not say:
Why? Because he was born Muslim. You do not change him, that is what
he was born on.
The pure Fitrah is one knows his Tawheed. Is that enough? Are those two
covenants enough? That is not enough.
There is a third covenant, that is the covenant when Allah sent the
Messengers affirming the previous covenants.

: ...

So the Fitrah is Tawheed. If one is left alone, he would be on Tawheed.
Allah said in the Hadith al-Qudsi:

In Hadith Sahih Muslim. Iyyaadh Ibn Humaar radhiallahu anhu said that
Allah said, I created all my slaves on the Haneefiyyah (on the Tawheed)
and the Shayateen changed them.
Those are the three covenants which we must know, and these are the
covenants in which Allah told us the answer to Man Rabbuk. Those are
three covenants you should know about.

:

:

Through His signs and through things which He has created. Those
covenants are proof that we know Allah, that it is the Fitrah, that when He
created us He said:
: ...

...

And we said yes. It is a covenant He took upon us.
Page | 623
INTELLECTUAL
AND
TEXTUAL PROOF
Intellect proof is also proof, in addition to that. Every creation needs a

Creator. Do all these creations (Aalameen) that we mentioned about,
exist by themselves or by chance? If you say they exist by themselves,
that is rationally impossible. It was first non-existent, so how can it exist
when it was non-existent? The non-existent is nothing until it exists. It is
not able to bring itself into existence, that is common sense. If you also
say they exist by chance, then we say this is also impossible. Do cars,
planes, rockets, computers and other forms of machinery exist by chance?
The atheist or deniers of Allah who do not know Man Rabbuk would
definitely reply to you and tell you cars, rockets, planes and computers do
not come by chance, that is impossible. They all tell you that it is
impossible. So we say to them, then how can the birds, the mountains, the
sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, the seas and everything that is in
between the heavens and the earth exist by chance? You remember the
story of Abu Haneefah and the atheist? The one when he debated over the
existence of Allah and they could not believe that a ship made itself.
So the author says:

:

That is to prove the existence of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. To prove
this, this whole universe does not come by coincidence but by a Creator.
Now when you say that:

Look at the universe, how it was created and who created it. Is that text or
intellect? That is intellect overall.
The author mentioned:

The signs. The night and the day, the sun and the moon, and then he
followed it by two verses. He used intellect but he followed it by two
verses, combining between intellect and the text of the Quran. He is
going to mention two Ayaat to prove this. Some may understand when we
say intellect, that it is only the mind. But rather, mental proof or intellect
when we say it, it is restrained and governed by the guidance and under
the umbrella of the text.
Page | 624
Look at what I mean. When I say:

: ...

The night, the day and all the creation, that is intellect. When the Quran
says look at the creation, that is intellect but it is derived and restrained
from the Quran. If it is unrestrained by the Quran and the Hadith (the
Wahi), then you open the door for the unhatched, underdeveloped minds
to speak ignorance thinking they are smart, like the modernists of today
do.
THE TWO TYPES OF AYAAT

So he said we know Allah:

Let us stop at Ayaat (). Ayaat are two types.
AYAAT SHARIYYAH
Ayaat Shariyyah () , that is the revelation. When we say
Ayaat Shariyyah, that is the revelation sent to the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The revealed way, which is the Quran and
the Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. That is
Ayaat Shariyyah, that is what is meant in the verse:

: ...

But how is revelation a miracle? He said this is proof on the existence of

Allah. How is revelation? Because revelation is complete, it is total, it is
organised, it is consistent, it not contradictory, it is infallible. Allah said:

:

Do they not consider the Quran carefully? Had it been from other than
Allah, they would surely have found a lot of contradictions in it.
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So the revelation, the Ayaat Shariyyah is proof of the Creator in itself. It is

proof of the Creator also and more importantly in the challenge, which is
the miracle. When we say the miracle of the Quran, it is that challenge
when Allah challenged them all. Bring a Quran like it, they could not and
we are still waiting for it.

...

:
When they could not bring a Quran, just bring us ten Surahs like it.
Another verse challenging them:
...
:
Just ten Surahs like it. Then the final challenge, give us a line like it.

: ...

Three challenges. All those billions and billions and trillions on top of
trillions you have been spending all these years to destroy and fight Islam,
save it. Have one of your Orientalists who claim they are eloquent and
they are artistic in the Arabic language, some of them are very good in
the Arabic language, you give them that. Or have one of their baby chicks
in the Muslim countries who align themselves with them, bring an Ayah
like it. You prove our religion wrong and you will save your trillions, instead
of fighting Islam. But they could not and they will not, this is proof of how
we know Man Rabbuk. That is one of the proofs, in addition to the
covenants this is also proof.
Not only was it a dare or a double dare.
: ...

A challenge in the highest degree of challenge. The Quran says We
challenge you and not only is it a challenge, but the highest degree of
challenge.
Page | 626
We challenge you and we tell you, you are not going to do it. It is
impossible.
That is why he said:

So the first meaning of Ayaat when we say Ayaat, is Ayaat Shariyyah.
AYAAT KAWNIYYAH
Another meaning that Ayaat comes to mean, the second meaning that it
could mean is Ayaat (which is signs), not in revelation but in creation. It is
called Ayaat Kawniyyah () , as opposed to Ayaat Shariyyah.
Like the creation of the human beings, the creation of the sky, the earth,
the moon, that is Ayaat Kawniyyah. Animals, plants, that is Ayaat
Kawniyyah versus the one I mentioned earlier which is Ayaat Shariyyah.
So when you hear Ayah, it could mean both Shariyyah or Kawniyyah, it
depends on the context it is in or the intention of the one who says it. It
could mean one of them. Ayaat Shariyyah is the revelation and Ayaat
Kawniyyah is the signs of creation (like the earth, the night, the day, the
animals, the plants).
WHICH DEFINITION OF AYAAT DID THE AUTHOR

INTEND?
The author says:

Why did he mention Ayaat and then Makhlooqaat? He said signs and then
he mentioned creation. Had he said Ayaat, it would include creation by
both definitions we just mentioned. Why did he mention Ayaat and then
add the word creation? What I am saying is and I want you to get this, had
he said Ayaat alone as we defined it, it would have possibly meant
Shariyyah and Kawniyyah (which is revelation and other signs of the
creations of Allah). Why did he say Ayaat then follow it by creation? He
could have said signs (Ayaat) and that is it, period there, but he said
Makhlooqaat. The answer to that, it depends on the definition of Ayaat
that he intended. We do not know what he intended when he said Ayaat,
so let us take the scenarios one by one.
Page | 627
THE FIRST SCENARIO

He could have intended the Kawniyyah and Shariyyah (both of them
together). Now if that is his intention, why did he add Makhlooqaat
(creation) then? That in Arabic is like mentioning something particular
after something general, to give importance to that specific or particular.
That in Arabi is called Atf al-Khaas Ala al-Aam Ala Sabeelil-Ikhtimaam
bil-Khaas (
).
For those of you who memorise the Ajroomiyyah:

Mentioning something particular after that which is general, to give
importance to the specific or particular. That is number one. That would
be the answer to why he mentioned creation, if he meant Kawniyyah and
Shariyyah by Ayaat.
THE SECOND SCENARIO

He may have intended to mean the Sharee definition of Ayaat alone,
meaning the revelation. If he meant only the revelation, then he said
creation because he needed to add that. So he followed it by creation, to
encompass and include everything other than revelation. That is if he
meant the Sharee meaning of Ayaat, meaning we are assuming in the
second scenario that he is referring to the signs (Ayaat) of revelation in
particular. So then he said creation as an addition, which is totally
different from the first one. Right now he meant Ayaat which is revelation,
so he added on creation to add all the other creation. Ayaat would mean
revelation only in this scenario, so Makhlooqaat would mean everything
outside of the revelation (which is the heaven, the earth, the night, the
day, me and you, the moon and everything else).
THE THIRD SCENARIO

The third scenario is that he may have meant and intended by Ayaat, the
Kawnee definition alone (the signs in the creation). It is what is called in
Arabic Atf Tafseer ( ) if he meant that, combining between
two things of the same. Meaning with Ayaat he meant in this scenario, the
creation (the Kawniyyah). So then why did he say Makhlooqaat, which
means the same thing? They are both the same. Why did he say two
Page | 628
words to mean the same thing? In Arabic that is proper and there is
example of it in the Quran:

: ...

...

Millat Ibraheem is Haneefa and Haneefa is Millat Ibraheem. It is combining
between two things that are the same, to stress a point.
What you need to need to understand is that Ayah is defined as Sharee
and Kawnee, it has two meanings. Then what did the author mean when
he said Ayaat? Did he mean both Kawnee and Sharee (which was the first
scenario I mentioned), Sharee alone, or Kawnee alone? And we gave the
breakdown for every one of those three scenarios.
The author is not here for us to ask. And even if he was and we knew
precisely what he meant, knowing all three scenarios, the two definitions
of Ayaat, and why he would add Makhlooqaat to Ayaat would give us a
broader understanding. And in the future, it will make reading the books of
the Ulamaa easier. It is matters like these that distinguish between one
who has superficial knowledge and one who is a Taalib Ilm and a strong
Taalib Ilm, and that is what we Inshaa Allah plan to raise.
AMONG THE SIGNS AND CREATIONS OF ALLAH

So the author says:
Now he goes on to elaborate more. From the signs are the night and the
day, the sun and the moon. I do not want to speculate on which one of the
three scenarios the author possibly intended, it does not really matter.

Meaning among the Ayaat.

Some.
Page | 629
He created the seven heavens and the seven earths.

And those within them. What is within them? Creations like the mountains
and the oceans in the earth. And what is in the heavens? Like for example
the angels, the Bayt al-Mamoor and everything else.
Then he added:
And what is between them (to encompass everything). Everything that is

between what? Between the heavens and the earth. What we see and
what we know, and that which only Allah subhaanahu wa taaala knows.
WHY DID THE AUTHOR DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE

TWO GROUPS?
These two statements, look carefully at the choice of examples he gave us
and how he distinguished between the two. He made a distinction
between the two. Follow with me so you will get it. He distinguished for
example between the sun and the moon, the day and the night on one
side, and he said they are a sign and an Ayah. First one was a sign and he
gave some examples. Then he said:
And he gave examples, which is the heaven and the earth. You see that in
front of you in the book. There is a delicate reason for him to do that
distinction. He could have combined between all of them, but he
separated using Ayah for one category and creation for another. What was
the purpose for separating?
First, analyse with me the examples. He said from His signs (Ayaat) are
the night and the day, the sun and the moon. Night, day, sun and moon.
What do you see when you see these examples? They move and they
change. The night into day, the day into night. The moon and the sun
change. Then he said about the heaven and the earth. And from that
which He has created are the seven heavens and the seven earths (below
us). Seven heavens above us and the seven earths below us. Do those
change? The earth has been there since you were born and prior to that,
and it will be there when you die and after that. You see it every day. You
Page | 630
see the sky every day and it does not go and come like the moon and the
sun, like the night and day, it does not go. They are static, unlike the first
group. They are fixed, they are unchanged, they do not go and come.
Seeing the heavens and the earth every day, day after day, mentally
people get immune or what you would call numb from seeing how it is a
miracle. It is a sign from Allah. Most people get used to seeing them every
day, that they no longer see them as an Ayah and they need to be
reminded. They become something casual because you see it every day,
constantly. We have to remind ourselves, we have to remind others to
know and understand that this earth that we step on every single day and
the heavens above us, that is a miracle. That is a sign, that is an Ayah
from Allah. But a lot of people become numb to that fact, because it is
there and it does not change. However, those that go and come and
change like the sun and the moon, the night and the day, for the general
laymen they see that as more of a miracle. And whoever is learning this
question (Man Rabbuk), it is usually beginners. If we teach it to people, it
is beginners and they are usually the laymen who overlook the miracles
that are constant, static and do not change.
Look closely at the story of Ibraheem, and this will probably get you to
understand it. He could have chosen a lot of a miracles, there is plenty of
miracles to choose. When Ibraheem was debating his people, what did he
use as proof? Did he use things that change or things that are not static?
Look at the verses.

He saw the stars, he said look at that miracle. What did he use after that?
The sun and the moon. He used signs that move, Ayaat that move,
because people can relate to that. It goes and comes, someone is bringing
that and moving it. He did not say look at the heaven and look at the
earth, which he could have used and they are Ayaat, but he is talking to
laymen who do not understand it because they see it constantly. It is
actually a very wise, calculated move by the author when he separated
the examples the way he did. All are miracles and all are great miracles,
but some change and some remain static, so he distinguished between
the categories there.
Page | 631
OVERCOMING DOUBTS IN MAN RABBUK

Next he mentioned some of the biggest signs that we see, which are
night, day, sun, moon, heavens and earths, for what? For proof on how
you know Man Rabbuk. It is not a simple question. If it is simple to you,
say Alhamdulillah. If it is deeply rooted in your heart, do not take it for
granted that I know Man Rabbuk. Say Alhamdulillah, that is a big blessing.
You know I get a lot of calls, hundreds and hundreds of calls Alhamdulillahi
Rabbil-Aalameen. I try to answer all of them and Inshaa Allah I will answer
every one of them. There are a specific number of questions that are the
most common ones. Among the top questions for example is sisters or
brothers who have doubts in Man Rabbuk. Amazing brothers and sisters,
you can tell that they have Imaan but the Shaytaan is working. The
Shaytaan goes to the houses that have a lot of goodies in them, he does
not go to abandoned houses. He goes there to destroy those houses and
that is why we need this knowledge, so when the doubts come, we fight
them and resist them. That is why I say, say Alhamdulillah if Man Rabbuk
is firmly rooted in your heart.
This statement here helps a lot of those facing that struggle. The
statement of the night, the day, the sun, the moon, the heavens, the
earth, what is in between them and what is in them. That helps a lot of
those who face that struggle, especially those who have a calamity and
their Imaan begins to shake. Why do you think they are repeated so much
in the Quran?
The beautiful sun is a sign, it is from Ayaatillah ( ) . The sun that
rotates upon its own axis, the sun that completes a rotation almost every
thirty days, the sun along with its planets orbits the centre of the galaxy
(The Milky Way) at a speed of about two hundred and twenty kilometres
per second. Look at the moon, the moon does not follow a regular orbit
like the satellites of other planets, it actually orbits the earth. Sometimes
it moves behind it, and sometimes it moves in front of it. The moon moves
with the earth around the sun, and it actually follows an S like pattern, a
pattern that resembles the letter S. All that, the sun, the planets, their
satellites and other objects are in constant motion above us. There are
billions of galaxies, they move at speeds of thousands of kilometres an
hour through space. Do they ever collide with one another?

Page | 632
When Allah talks about His creation in one of the verses like these that we
are supposed to look into and contemplate and think, He is the All Truthful
and He is the All Worthy of Praise, and all of our praise. He says in it,
Sunallah (

) , the work of Allah.

Who perfected all things.
The unstatic sun that moves in a definite orbit is a sign of Allah

:

The sun is travelling at the enormous speed of seven hundred and twenty
thousand kilometers an hour. The sun, the stars, the planets, they travel
over seventeen million kilometers a day, which is 10.5 million miles a day.
A sky full of paths and orbits.

When the Shaytaan comes knocking with those doubts, read and learn
what it means when we say to look into Ayaatillah. Ash-Shams, walQamar, wal-Layl, wan-Nahaar (
) .
When we say the sky is a miracle and is an Ayah to prove Man Rabbuk, do
we understand what that means? Twenty billion galaxies, each galaxy has
twenty billion stars in it. Most of the stars have planets and most of those
planets have satellites. Who made all those bodies move in a precise,
computed orbit? Who did that? Not for a year or two or a day or two, not
for a hundred or two hundred years, but for millions of years. They have
been moving like that for millions of years. They move and swim in such
harmony, the perfected work of Allah.
When the Imaan in Man Rabbuk begins to shake, ask yourself, those
galaxies travelling at that great speed in a calculated, computed, planned
orbit, none of those cross the path of each other and none of them collide
with each other, who perfected that?
Page | 633

Then after the moon and the sun and their details, look into the day and
the night. Did Allah not tell us to do that?

...

:
The night changes to day and the day changes to night. They wrap one
another.

...

: ...

Yukawwiru (

) is a word used to refer to something like how one
wraps a turban around his head. The day wraps to the night and the night
wraps into the day.
Look at the sky. Look again and again and keep looking over and over,
then you will have no room for doubts in your heart. Allah said it.

:

Look at this verse with me. He created seven heavens above each other.
You can see no fault in the creation of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. Then
Allah said, look again and again. He knows we are human, He knows some
may have these doubts penetrate into them and He gave us the cure to
them:

Look again and again, can you see any rifts?
Saminaa Wa Atanaa (

) , we say we hear and we obey,

we adhere. Let us look again and again.
The author say what is between the heavens and the earth and what is in
them. Do you know Allah created the atmosphere? It is what we call in
Arabiyyah, Ghilaaf al-Ardh al-Jawwee (
( ) the
Page | 634
atmosphere). Do you know what that is? Had Allah not created the
atmosphere, millions of Niyaazik al-Marreekh ( ) , they are
called meteoroids in English, they would fall on this earth and the earth
would become an unlivable, uninhabitable place. The sun moves and it
releases energy. A single sunburst from the sun is equivalent to thousands
of atomic bombs. A single burst of energy from the sun is equivalent to I
think I read one time, over a hundred billion atomic bombs. Allah protects
us from that with a creation they call atmosphere. Does that not boost
your Imaan? The atmosphere that Allah created is to protect us from the
freezing colds which range from three hundred degrees below zero.
Look at the sky and wonder. Do you know what they refer to in English as
the Van Allen Belt? Do you know what that is? Before I tell you what that
is, do you know what toxic radiation is? You always see it around hospitals
or chemical factories. Around hospitals they use it for cancer patients. In
fact recently I went with a dear brother, he is cured now Alhamdulillah and
he is doing good, may Allah continue in good upon him and his family, I
went with him to the hospital. He is getting a simple one day treatment,
walking in and out. What amazed me is after I was walking out with him
out of the treatment, the doctors and staff were dodging us.
The area we are in is actually for radiation and when we would walk or in
the area we sat in after he was out, he said look at them, they walk and
take a long way to avoid where we are sitting. They know that he just had
a treatment and they want to avoid going near him because they know of
the exposure of being near him, and that is a small dosage. That is a
simple, tiny dosage of radiation, a very small, limited dosage. The sun and
the stars constantly and always omit a deadly radiation. Just imagine with
me the dosage that comes from the massive outbursts of energy. The
solar flares coming from the sun and the stars would destroy this earth. At
an altitude of about five hundred miles, that extends tens of thousands of
kilometers and miles into space, there is what they call the Van Allen Belt.
A creation from Allah to shield us and protect us against harmful radiation
from the sun and the stars.

A perfect system high above us, precisely fixed and calculated to the
smallest detail. Who could have done that but Allah?
Remember the story of Abu Haneefah when he debated them. The atheist
could not believe that a ship came into creation by chance. They could not
believe that, but a universe could come into being by chance? Look at the
Bedouin, he said the same thing we are saying in a simple, easy way. He
Page | 635
told the atheist, you see those marks in the sand, what do they indicate to
you, you dumb atheist? He said a camel went by, the footsteps look like a
camel so a camel went by. The Bedouin responded and he said, did you
see the camel? The stupid atheist said no, but these footsteps in the sand
suggest that a camel was here. They are in a desert, he said you see
those mountains? They are indicative to me that Allah made them and
created them, subhaanahu wa taaala, Jalla Fee Ulaah.
Do you see layers on top of layers above us (heavens)? Each of those has
its assigned, specific duties. A layer for rain, a layer to prevent harmful
rays, a layer to reflect the radio waves, a layer to avert the harmful effects
of meteors. Look at the mountains like the Bedouin said. The author told
us what is between them and what is in them, look what the Bedouin said
(the mountains). The great, magnificent creation, mountains that have a
portion like them going downwards, as large as their visible parts on top of
the earth. Was that by mistake? Could that have been a mistake?
Mountains on this earth are like what you would probably say nails, to
keep pieces of wood together.

...

:
What is in this earth and what is between it. In one second, approximately
sixteen million tonnes of water evaporate from the earth. That is
approximately five hundred trillion tonnes of water in one year, that
evaporates. Is that not a sign of Allah? If the universe with all their might,
power and technology came to try to do that and to get the water to
evaporate, they could not do that. But do you know what is even more
amazing than that? That every year, the amount of water that evaporates,
Allah sends us a similar amount and it falls back in rain.

:

) , in a specified amount. A balanced, calculated, precise
Bi-Qadr (

amount. Every drop of rain was calculated by Allah. A continuous cycle,
any minor, slight deviation from that would mean that me and you are not
going to be existing (nothing would be living).
Look at the winds. You cannot see them, they move and they go to the
water. In a precise calculated, circulated motion, they move the water.
Page | 636
That motion makes waves and that is the first of many, many more steps
to come that Allah created as means to bring us rain.
Look at yourself, look at you and look at me. Look what the verse said:
We are drowned above our heads in the blessings and nourishment from
Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. I will not say look at me and you from the
top our heads to the bottom of our feet, but rather look at what we were
created from. Nutfah al-Manee ( ) , the sperm that Allah
created us from. A simple sperm, that simple sperm contains so many
fluids that blow a mind. Did you know that simple fluid, that simple drop
has a calculated, specified, precise, level amount of sugar in it that gives
it energy? Do you ever think about the two hundred and fifty million
sperm that a male omits. Two hundred and fifty million and only a
thousand of them reach Baydhat al-Untha (( ) the ovum of a
woman). A rigorous journey that is like a five minute race, to reach the
ovum of a woman. The ovum is half the size of a grain of salt and out of
the thousand, only one of those sperms reach it. Perfect world of Allah,
two hundred and fifty million to a thousand to one, to reach its destination
in a five minute race and a journey. For an atheist bum to come and say
who did that, who created that, I do not believe.

We created him from Nutfah (from a drop), yet he comes as an opponent.
Does all that or just a glimpse of that not give you the full tranquility and
Yaqeen of who my Lord and your Lord is? To our brothers and sisters who
are facing these doubts in Man Rabbuk, look into the Ayaat, look into the
creation and Wallahi it will leave you no room for doubts. But when you
look at it, contemplate like the Quran says, Yatafakkar (). Think
about it, do not just look in your eyes, it is the kind of looking that makes
you think. Do not feel bad that the doubts came to you. The Shaytaan of
the humans and Shaytaan of the Jinn will always come after you, but you
have to take measures to resist those doubts and fight them. If you do not
fight them, then that is when you are doomed. It is not about the doubts
coming to you, that is not the problem, the problem is if you do not fight
them and resist them.
Page | 637
Allah in countless verses in the Quran told us what the author here told
us, he took it from the Quran.

: ...

Look in the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. Look into it, think
about it.
...

:
Do they not think deeply in their ownselves, about how Allah created them
from nothing and how He will resurrect them?
A SUNNAH OF THE PROPHET SALLALLAHU ALAYHI

WA SALLAM
I read a Hadith in al-Bukhari and I ask you to apply it every morning. It is a
Sunnah.
Look at the Hadith:

:

...

Ibn Abbaas said I spent the night with my aunt Maymoonah. Who is
Maymoonah? Maymoonah Bint al-Haarith radhiallahu anha is our mother,
the wife of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. She is
also the aunt of Ibn Abbaas. So he said I spent the night in her house,
where did he spend the night? He spent the night in the house of
Maymoonah, which is the house of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
and it was the night he spent with Maymoonah.
...

...

Page | 638
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam talked to his wife (Maymoonah)

for a little bit, then went to sleep. This is actually a side issue, like I told
you there are a lot of common questions and one of the common
questions is how men treat their women. Look how the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam treats his women, easy, laidback, humble and helpful,
carrying the duties of his wives. The tasks of his wives were his tasks, the
duties of his wives were his duties. We hear of some brothers treatment
to their weak wives (a woman is weak), that makes a heart melt
sometimes. Some people are tyrants in their houses, Firawns in their
houses yet house cats outside. Here Ibn Abbaas states this little detail,
that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam had what we would call
today, a heart to heart chat with his wife before he went to sleep. Look
how beautiful that is, the best man to walk on this earth.

...

...

When it was the one third end of the night, and this is the point why we
are mentioning this Hadith. When it was the one third end of the night, the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam got up. He got up and looked at the
sky, then he recited:

...

...

The verses at the end of Aali Imraan. Do that every morning when you
wake up, get up in the one third end of the night. Open your door, go
outside, look and recite:

What do those verses mean? Verily, in the creation of the heavens and the
earth and in the alteration of the night and the day, there are indeed signs
for men of understanding.
This is before he did anything, this is how he started his day. This is the
start of the day, before praying his Qiyaam. He got up, he looked to the
sky and read the verse. Can you imagine that you look in the sky and you
get reward for it (if you do it because the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam did it)? You get Ajr for looking in the sky and reciting those verses.
Not only do you get Ajr for that, but it is an Imaan booster to start your
Page | 639
day with, to cleanse your heart and mind from any doubts the Shaytaan
may give you and instigate in the matter of Man Rabbuk.

...

Then after that, he made Wudhu and made Sunnah, and then he prayed
eleven Rakaat. Then Bilal called for Athaan, then he would pray two
Rakaat (Sunnah of Fajr), then he would go to the Masjid.
Why did he look into the sky before anything? Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Why did he recite those specific verses when he was looking into the sky?
Look at this beautiful Hadith. In the creation of the heavens and the earth
and in the alteration of the night and the day, there are indeed signs for
those who think, those who comprehend, those who have minds. Start
your day like that. That is your vaccination to kill doubts, to keep you
confident in your Lord, in your Creator, the One who sustains you and
nourishes you. If you are going to work or school, you are going to an
interview or to take a final or whatever, if you are going on a normal day,
after you look into the sky and you recite those verses, you go with
confidence. You tell yourself the One who created those will not let me
down today. The One who created those in detail and in a precise,
calculated way and nourishes the skies, the Creator of that, He is going to
protect me today. No one can defeat the Creator of that, no one can
defeat the Creator of the heavens. So I am confident what happens to me
is going to be by the will of Allah, because no one can defeat the one who
protects me (Allah).
An old man with no teeth, I saw him in prison. Someone asked him once,
how do you get your strength? He is sentenced to life. How do you keep
going? He said all I need is to go to the yard. You know in prison the
windows, basically you cannot see anything (you see another wall). He
said all I need is to go to the yard. The yard is surrounded by walls, so all
he can do is look above the large, high walls. He said all I need is to look
to the sky and my dosage of Imaan is set for the day, that is all I need. A
few years before my release, I met in prison for the first time in my life, a
brother who became a student of mine in prison, John Lindh Walker who
you may all have heard of, may Allah subhaanahu wa taaala hasten his
release. A man who became a very close friend of mine and a student of
mine, while I was in prison (in my final few years). Inshaa Allah I will
mention more details about that brother to raise awareness for him, may
Allah hasten his release. In prison, there is a time when they open the
Page | 640
doors for breakfast, to let you go out. And it was a habit for this man to go
to the cage that they call the yard (it is a little simple cage like a dog
cage), look into the sky and then he would walk back to his cell. Walk to
the yard and back.
The Quran wants you to do that, to look and think, and look in the sky. It
said:

Look over and over again.
If you look at skinny Hamzah over there, and then you have Waleed who is
a bodybuilder. The arm of Waleed is bigger than the waist of Hamzah. You
look at that and you compare the two.
Allah has the supreme examples.

: ...

...

Over here, you look at the heavens and the earth, you think about it and
who created them and then you say to yourself, there is nothing that can
escape Him. That is the One I depend on, that is the One I worship, that is
my Lord.

...

: ...

After he mentions this, the author mentions two Ayaat which we will
mention next week Inshaa Allah. Basically, we gave an overall Tafseer of
those.

:

That is the first proof he gives and basically our talk at the end of this
class is actually an overall Tafseer to that.
Then he mentions another proof:
Page | 641

:
Inshaa Allah we will go slightly over them next week and then we will
move on. Jazakum Allahu Khayr.
CLASS THIRTY
In this Usool Ath-Thalaathah class, after the author mentioned knowing
ones Lord, his Deen and his Messenger, he said:

:
So now we go into detail. How did you arrive at the knowledge of your
Lord?
The answer he says:

:

He said through His signs and those things which He has created.
Then he mentions examples of those signs.

From His signs is the night and the day (we spoke about that), the sun and
the moon. And from that which He created is the seven heavens and the
seven earths, and all those within them and whatever is between them.

Page | 642
After he mentioned that, he mentioned the proof.
:

:
:

So after he mentioned the signs (the sun, the moon, the night and the
day), then he followed it with a verse. Why? Because those examples like
we said are examples of intellect and intellect alone is not sufficient as we
said. We use intellect yes, but intellect backed, supported and derived
from the text. The intellect must be under the umbrella of the text, and
that is why he mentioned those examples and then he followed it with a
verse.
We stopped off at the verses he used as proof. In the last part of the
lecture, we mentioned about the creation of Allah and how they are signs,
we talked about that in somewhat of detail so now let us go through the
verses.
TAFSEER OF THE VERSE IN SURAT FUSSILAT

The first one is in Surat Fussilat:

From His signs (from the signs of Allah), Allah tells us some of his
magnificent and great creations (Min is some, meaning not all of them).
They are great and they are magnificent, and as great and as magnificent
Page | 643
as they are, do not prostrate to them because they are created and
ordered by Allah, the One who you should really be prostrating for.
From His miracles, from His signs (meaning from the signs of Allah) is the
Layl and Nahaar (the night and the day). That is from the signs of Allah,
and we mentioned about that at the end of the last class.
The sun and the moon exist as signs as well.

Do not prostrate to the sun, nor to the moon, but prostrate to Allah the
One who created them if you truly worship Him.
What the verse is saying is if these mighty, magnificent creations are His
creation (the creation of Allah), they provide so much benefits, they go in
such order and harmony that only Allah could have created it, if He
created that and you know that, do not prostrate for them but prostrate
and worship for the One who created them. That is what the verse is
trying to say.

Worship Allah only and not any other creation. When he declared them not
to make Sujood, He said do not make Sujood for them, do not prostrate for
them. Now it does not mean you do not prostrate for them, but you can go
ahead and worship them. He used the term prostrate because that is one
of the greatest ways and forms of showing glorification and worship to
This is proof like the earlier proof we took, it is very parallel or similar to
the proof:
:

There He said if He created the universe, then worship the Creator of the
Aalameen (the universe). Here He is saying if He created the sun, the
moon, the day and the night, then that is the Lord you need to give your
full worship to.
Page | 644
TAFSEER OF THE VERSE IN SURAT AL-ARAAF

The next verse he uses is:
:

Allah said in this verse:
Your Lord is Allah who created the heavens and the earth in six days.
Now Rabb here means the One you should be worshipping.
ALLAH CREATED
THE
HEAVENS
AND THE
EARTH
IN
SIX DAYS
He created it in six days. Four days were for the earth and two days for
the heavens. This is something confusing to some and many get it wrong.
Al-Qurtubi and others spoke about it, the four days for the earth and then
there was two days for the heavens. How so? There are verses that may
confuse someone.
In one of the verses Allah said:

:
Do you verily disbelieve in Him who created the earth in two days.
This verse mentions two days for the earth, but then in another verse it
mentions four days:
Page | 645
:

He placed in the earth mountains from above it and blessed it, and
measured it in sustenance (for the dwellers on this earth) in four equal
days.
So He said in four days, two days for the creation of the earth and two
days for placing the mountains and what is in Surat Fussilat (for a total of
four days). Some take the first verse and say it states two days (which it
does), then take the second verse that I mentioned which states four days
and they say it is six days in total. They add them together and then they
add two more for the heavens. No, the earth is a total of four days, not
two plus four but a total of four. Six days start on Sunday and the last of
the days is Friday. It seems and it is apparent as some of the Mufassireen
said, that these are normal days like our days because He left it open. He
did not specify days of the days of Allah so it is regular days.
OPINIONS OF THE ULAMAA ON THE WISDOM BEHIND CREATING

THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH IN SIX DAYS
Allah created these tremendous entities in six days and if He wished, He
could have created them in a single moment (in less than that even). But
instead of doing that, He connected the affects to their causes and that is
from the wisdom of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala that we cannot ask Him
about. He could have said be once and it is done, it comes into existence
as He wills, how He wills and when He wills. There is nothing that Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala cannot do, but there is great wisdom in creating it
in six days. First of all, Allah subhaanahu wa taaala cannot be questioned
about what He does, while we get questioned, as in Surat al-Anbiyaa:

:

Some scholars have attempted to explain the reason as to the wisdom
behind the heavens and the earth being created in six days. And among
those for example is al-Qurtubi Rahimahullah, he gave some reasons in
his Tafseer (three main reasons). The first one is to teach His slaves
kindness and deliberation in their affairs. The second reason he said, to
manifest His power to the angels step by step. And his third reason is
because Allah has decreed a course for everything, everything has an
appointed time. For example, He delays the punishment of the sinners
Page | 646
whereas He could punish them right now on the spot, on the spur of the
moment, but He delays it because everything has an appointed time with
Him. Therefore, He created them over time. Those are the opinions of alQurtubi.
Then you have for example Ibn al-Jawzi spoke about it in his Tafseer Zaad
Al-Maseer ( ) and he gave approximately five answers. He
said Allah wanted to create something each day to show His power to His
angels and those who witnessed it, and he attributed it to Ibn al-Anbaari.
He said that is the opinion of Ibn al-Anbaari, of the wisdom behind it. Then
he also said a second reason, He was preparing things for Adam and his
offspring before He created Adam, to emphasise the high standing of
Adam before the angels. So it is to emphasise the high honour of Adam to
the angels. The third reason he says, when you do things in a short time it
is more indicative of power, and when you do things in deliberation over
time it is indicative of wisdom, and Allah wanted to manifest His wisdom in
that just as He manifested His power in it. Another reason he gives, it is to
teach us patience and deliberation. How? He taught deliberation to His
slaves through the six days because if the One who does not make
mistakes created the universe in a deliberate manner, then those who are
vulnerable to making mistakes like us should do things in a deliberate
manner as well. The final reason he mentions is that creation was
accomplished step by step so that no one will think that this happened as
the result of an accident or attribute it to nature.
Al-Qaadhi Abu Suud put it simpler than the previous two and I very much
like what he said. He said it is clear that Allah has absolute power, He has
ultimate power, He has ultimate will and He has perfect control, and He
has wise reasons for everything that He creates and no one knows the
reasons for the things that He created but Him. And just like He has wise
reasons for everything He creates, He also has wise reasons for creating
the heavens and the earth in six days when He is able to have created
them simply by Be and it would have been done (by Kun Fayakoon (

)) . And I like that explanation very much.
TAFSEER OF THE VERSE IN SURAT AL-ARAAF

(CONTINUED)
The next part of the verse.
Page | 647

Then He ascended upon the throne:

That He, Allah subhaanahu wa taaala ascended upon the throne in a
manner befitting Him.
Now the Arsh ( )is not the Kursi (). Kursi is the footstool,
Arsh is the throne of Allah. Arsh is the throne of Allah and the Arsh is the
ceiling of all the creations. There is no creation above the Arsh of Allah.

He causes the night to cover the day which follows it in haste.
So that is more like a garment, it descends upon the light of the day and
covers it, and that brings the night time. The night covers the day which
follows in haste, meaning each one seeks the other.

The sun, the moon and the stars are all subservient and subject to the
command of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. He made the sun, the moon
and the stars subservient to His command. He commands them as He
wills for the benefit of us, the servants of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala.

Certainly, creation and commandment are for Allah alone.

In grammar, Alaa ( )is called a word of notification, Harf Tanbeeh.

To Allah belongs creation. Matters that are Kawniyyah, like we spoke about
and you already know that.
Page | 648
To Allah belongs Amr (commandment). Matters of Shariyyah.

So to Allah belongs the creation (which is Kawniyyah) and commandment
(which is Shariyyah). The first one is Kawniyyah, the second one is
Shariyyah. We spoke on what Kawniyyah and Shariyyah are and if you do
not know it, refer to it.

Exalted is Allah the Lord of all the creation (the universe). Aalameen like
we said is everything other than Allah.
That is His sovereignty, it comprehends everything and His kingship is
perfect. That is the creation and commandment of Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala, so that means your worship should go back to Him.
THE LORD IS THE ONE WORTHY OF BEING

WORSHIPPED
Then after this, the author goes on to say what we have been saying so
much in the past one or two classes. The author says:
The Lord is the One who is worshipped.

He mentioned proof after that, he said:

Then he mentions:
Page | 649

His first statement is:

He is saying the Lord is the One who is worshipped. Pay attention to that,
the Lord is the One who is worshipped. That statement is not really
accurate as it appears, but he did not really mean it as it appears. He said
the Lord is the One who is worshipped, what he really means is that Allah
(the Lord) is the only One who has the right to be worshipped. He is the
One who is worshipped rightfully and deservingly, that is what he means.
He does not mean as the statement seems to indicate, that everything
which is worshipped is a Lord.

The Lord is the One being worshipped. Why can you not say that? Because
those gods which are worshipped besides Allah or are taken as lords by
those who worship them are not really lords. The Lord (ar-Rabb) is the
Creator, the Sovereign, the One in control and the commander of all
affairs. What we mean is, Rabb does not mean the One who is
worshipped. Rabb does not mean the One worshipped, as it may appear in
the statement of the author. It means He is worthy of it and He is the only
One worthy of it, but not broad like the author mentioned it and he himself
did not mean that.
Why is that detail important to know? Because if you define Lord as the
One worshipped, it will end up meaning that everything worshipped other
than Allah is a Rabb and of course that is not true. What the author means
is that the Rabb is the One worthy of being worshipped and no one else.
That is what he means, he does not mean:

That the Lord is the One being worshipped. How do we know that is what
the author meant even though the statement seems to mean otherwise?
We know that because later on he quotes the statement of Ibn Katheer
which clears up the matter, when he says:
Page | 650

That (which we are going to go over in a second Inshaa Allah) clarifies the
statement because Ibn Katheer clearly says the Creator of those matters
is the One worthy of being worshipped.

Next the author went on to give the proof. The proof for what? That the
Lord is the One who deserves or is worthy of being worshipped. That is
what the proof is for. What is the proof?

Oh mankind, single out your Lord with all your worship. The call:

He addresses all people. Naas is all people, all of mankind, all the
descendants of Adam and this includes Muslims (believers) and Kaafir.
Allah subhaanahu wa taaala commands all to worship Him alone.

All are commanded to worship Him alone, having no partner. So they are
not to attribute rivals with Allah in their worship. He makes it clear that He
alone deserves to be worshipped, since He is the sole Creator having no
partner.
Page | 651
Meaning listen to your Lord. Give your Imaan and submission to Allah,
follow His commands and submit, and glorify Him in humility and
reverence.
ONE WHO GAVE HIS WORSHIP

FALL UNDER IBAADAH
TO
OTHER
THAN
ALLAH DOES
NOT
Ibaadah is to worship Allah alone so if one worships other than Allah, he

does not fall in Ibaadah. That is not Ibaadah because Ibaadah is two
conditions, Ikhlaas (sincerity), Mutaabaah ( )is doing it in
accordance. Those are the two conditions of Ibaadah. One who gave his
worship to other than Allah (fully or in part) does not fall under the term of
Ibaadah. What he does does not fall under the term of Ibaadah because
he did not fulfil both of the conditions of Ibaadah.
Now there is a problem. When you are reading, you are going to read
statements in the books of some of the Ulamaa that someone worshipped
Allah and worshipped other than Allah along with Him. They use the word
worshipped other than Allah. Or like I just said, whoever gives a portion of
his Ibaadah (worship) to other than Allah, or I may say he gave his
worship to other than Allah and I used that statement. How did the
Ulamaa refer to this as Ibaadah? Or why did I refer to it as Ibaadah when I
just said it is not considered Ibaadah if it is done to other than Allah,
because the two conditions are not met? The answer to that is that
pertaining to the individual, it is Ibaadah. He thinks it is Ibaadah, that is
what we mean when we refer to it as Ibaadah.
The individual thinks it is Ibaadah but when we say it is not considered
Ibaadah, meaning it is not Ibaadah in the official Sharee meaning. It is not
called Ibaadah nor is it considered Ibaadah when it lacks the conditions of
Ibaadah (sincerity and accordance). But when we say Ibaadah (when it
has a deficiency in it), it means according to him.
THE PROOF OF THE AUTHOR (CONTINUED)

Worship the One who created you from nothing. He perfected you and He
nurtured you, and that is a quality of Allah the Creator. What is the reason
you should worship Him? He created you, therefore He is worthy of your
worship. This is just like what we mentioned earlier and the verse previous
to this.
Page | 652
:

He is the Lord of the universe, therefore He is worthy of being worshipped
alone.
Here it is He is the One who created you from nothing and created those
before you, so He is worthy of being worshipped alone. You give your
complete, total, full worship to Allah.

The One who created you and those before you. This is a description
explaining the reasons for what has preceded, meaning worship Him
because He is your Lord who created you and those before you.
It is a necessary duty upon you that you should worship Him. It is binding
upon anyone who affirms the Lordship of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala,
that he should also worship Him alone, otherwise the person will be in
reality contradicting himself.

Taqwa is to take protection from punishment of Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala by doing whatever He commands and refraining or keeping away
from whatever He forbids. And out of the forbidden, the number one
matter forbidden is Shirk (both small and big) and the number one
command is Tawheed.
The verses go on to say:

He made the earth a resting place spread out for you and me (for His
creation). We use this earth without any difficulty or hardship. We use this
earth in comfort, just like one sleeps on his bed in comfort. That is why He

used the word Firaashaa (
) . He made this earth flat for you, so it
could be productive for us and we use it without any hardship or
difficulties.
And He made the sky a canopy for the people on the earth (for us). He
made the heavens safe and a protected ceiling like He said in another
verse. Allah subhaanahu wa taaala said:
Page | 653

We made the sky a safe and guarded raised ceiling, but the believers turn
away from considering the clear signs.
Heavens is a place for the sun, for the moon, for the stars and the stuff
that we mentioned in somewhat of depth at the end of last class.
Back to the verse:
Then He said, He sent down rain from the sky for us. Like in another verse:
He sent down from above us (from the clouds), pure water for us to drink,
which causes vegetation to grow on this earth and to allow the cattle to
graze.
In Arabic, the word Samaa ( )is everything above.

Lisaan Al-Arab (
you is Samaa.
)the dictionary says, everything above
Maaa ( )is rain. It is life, like Allah said in another verse:

: ...

...

: ...

Back to the verse:

Page | 654
He brought down rain, with the rain He brought out the crops, the grains
and fruits from the earth and provision for us. That is what happens when
Allah brings down rain. Thamaraat ( )is plural of Thamara ()
and it is everything that grows on the earth.
Meaning provision for you. It is a gift for you, like another verse says:

Provision for you and your cattle. It is a gift for us.
THE CONCLUSION
OF THE
VERSE
So after that, what is the conclusion of that after He talks about the sky,
the earth, the rain?

Do not set up any rivals with Allah in your worship, while you know that
you have no Lord besides Him.
The conclusion of the verse is, do not set up rivals for the One who
created you, the One who created those before you, the One who made
the earth a resting place for you, the One who made the sky a canopy
over you, the One who sent down the rain from the sky (from the clouds)
for you, the One who produced the fruits and produce with the rain He
sent down for you. What is the point of all those that are mentioned in the
Ayah? Do not set up any rivals with Allah.

When you worship, you worship Him alone. When you love, you love Him
alone. When you give your worship, it has got to be one hundred percent
for the sake of Allah. According to sound intellect or even according to
revelation, it is not fitting that you agree He is the Lord who does all that
but then give your worship to other than Him.
Andaada (

) is similar or likes.
Page | 655
Do not associate partners to the One who does all of that while you know
it. Know what? When you know that He has no rival and that creation, that
provision, the control of the affairs and the nourishment of the universe,
He does alone. So do not set up any partner along with Him in His
worship. This verse means do not associate partners and you know He has
no rivals.
You know He has no rivals. That you know there is none comparable to
Allah.
Like the verse in Surat az-Zumar:

: ...

You know there are no rivals because when you were asked who created
the heavens and the earth, you said Allah, so give your worship to Allah.
You know there are no likes nor similar to Him, nor to His creation, so how
dare you give your worship to other than Allah?
THIS VERSE CONTAINS NAFI
AND ITHBAAT
This verse over here:

It contains Nafi and Ithbaat. We said we have Nafi and Ithbaat, you have
to deny and affirm.

Is the Nafi. You deny any similar to Allah.
The Ithbaat (the affirming) part of it is the beginning of the verse:

That He is the One who is to be worshipped (the order to be worshipped).
You affirm with:

Page | 656
Worship, and you deny that there is any similar to Him at the end of the
verse.
This verse combined between the order to worship Allah alone and to
deter from worshipping any other than Him and that there is no similar to
Him.
THIS VERSE
IS INTELLECT
PROOF
TO
DESTROY
THE
SHIRK BELIEF
If you believe He is the Creator and Sustainer and He gives life to you,
then you must worship Him alone. It makes no sense to say He does all
this and then go worship other than Him. It makes no sense, you do not
have a right mind if you are saying that. That is why Ibn Katheer said the
Creator of all this is the One worthy of Ibaadah.
These are helpless lords that you worship, since Allah does everything and
He is the One who is Creator, everyone other than Him is helpless.

...

:
They worship people who cannot even create.
THE STATEMENT OF IBN KATHEER

The author then quoted Ibn Katheer. He said:

The Creator of these things is the One who deserves to be worshipped.
This statement of Ibn Katheer clarifies the earlier statement by the author
of this book Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab. The statement of:

He did not mean the Lord is the One worshipped as we said. Imaam
Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab meant what Ibn Katheer said here, the
Creator of the things that we mentioned is the One who deserves to be
worshipped. If you go in the book of Ibn Katheer to that quote that we just
mentioned, it is worded slightly different but we said early on in the
classes (many classes ago), that Imaam Muhammad Ibn Abdul-Wahhaab
Page | 657
many times rephrases the quotes that he mentions in his book (and we
mentioned previously examples of that).
A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF IBN KATHEER

Ibn Katheer (the one we just quoted) is the Aalim that we all know and we
mention nearly daily, and we all have his book. His Kunyah is Abu al-Fidaa
() , his Laqab ( )is Imaad ad-Deen () , his
name is Ismaeel Ibn Umar Ibn Katheer Ibn Dhaw Ibn Katheer Ibn Zar alQurashi. He is called Ibn Katheer because as you can probably see, he has
Katheer in his name. He had two great grandparents that were named
Katheer. He was born seven hundred and one years after the Hijrah, in
Syria (near Dira which is on the border of Jordan). When he was five, six
or even possibly seven, he travelled to Damascus to learn with his brother
(Abdul-Wahhaab). He travelled with his brother to learn and notice, he
began early. When he got to Damascus, that was the place where it was a
capital of many of the Ulamaa. Not only was his brother an Aalim but he
was also like a father figure to him and he stayed by the side of his
brother for nearly fifty years, learning from him.
Ibn Katheer remained in Damascus that time as a teacher, a Khateeb and
a Mufti, until he died Rahimahullah. He remained in Damascus, that was
where he was stationed all throughout his life. He did travel, but that was
his station in Damascus. He was very good in memorising, he memorized
the Quran before he was eleven years old, as was the trend of the
Ulamaa and as is the trend of the Ulamaa who start young. His father Ibn
Katheer was a Khateeb and also an Aalim in Iraq (in Basra), before they
moved to Syria, so originally his father is from Iraq.
His most famous book is Tafseer Ibn Katheer, the Tafseer we know. Also,
he wrote Al-Bidaayah Wan-Nihaayah, it is a history book that starts from
the creation, all the way to the near eighth century. He has a book Seerah
An-Nabawiyyah (
), he has Jaami As-Sunan WalMasaaneed () , Al-Baaath Al-Hatheeth Sharh

Ikhtisaar Uloom Al-Hadith (
), and many several other books that he wrote. He died
Rahimahullah seven hundred and seventy four after the Hijrah, which
would make his age approximately seventy four years old when he died.
He asked that he be buried near his Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah,
in the graveyard called Maqabaratus-Soofiyyah (
that is where he was buried Rahimahullahu Taaala.
), and
Page | 658
THE TYPES OF WORSHIP THAT ALLAH COMMANDED

So the author goes back to saying:

Having made clear that it is obligatory to worship Allah alone, giving no
share of worship to anyone other than Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, the
author Rahimahullah goes on now to explain some of the different types of
worship.
The types of worship that Allah commanded.
IBAADAAT
ARE
BOTH WAAJIB
AND
MUSTAHABB
Commanded here, Amara (

) , could be an order of Waajib which is an
ordain, or it could be a Mustahabb which is a non ordain (recommended).

Here it includes both, because some Ibaadaat are Waajib (ordained) and
some are Mustahabb (non obligatory). Waajib means obligatory,
Mustahabb means it is recommended not obligatory. So when he says it is
commanded, here it means both of those. In this sentence, it means both
of them.
In Mustahabb and Waajib, there are some heart actions, there are some
saying actions and there are some tongue actions, so there is a six
pronged division out of that. How? Ibaadaat that are heart Waajib,
Ibaadaat that are saying Waajib, Ibaadaat that are action Waajib, Ibaadaat
that are Mustahabb in the heart, Ibaadaat that are Mustahabb in the
saying and Ibaadaat that are Mustahabb in the action. So it is a six
pronged division.
Do not get the impression that Ibaadah is only Waajib (obligatory), and
that is what many think. Ibaadah is not only Waajib, some of Ibaadah also
includes Mustahabb. Associating a partner in a Mustahabb or Sunnah
Ibaadah is Shirk, just like it would be if it was in a Waajib Ibaadah.
EXAMPLES OF IBAADAAT
Then the author gives examples to those Ibaadaat. He said:
Page | 659

He gives examples. He says the first one is Islam (submission and
obedience to Allah), and Imaan (true belief of the heart, speech of the
tongue and action of the limbs), then he mentions Ihsaan which is
perfecting your worship.
HADITH JIBREEL
Now these three examples he mentions as examples of Ibaadah. Islam,
Imaan and Ihsaan. They are called the Deen, as in the narration by Imaam
Muslim Rahimahullah and Hadith Umar Ibn al-Khattab radhiallahu anhu.
The famous Hadith that is called Hadith Jibreel, when he said we were
sitting with the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, a man
came in with white clothes and very dark hair. That man had no traces of
having travelled and no one knew him, no one knew him but he did not
look like he had travelled. He sat down before the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam and joined his knees with the knees of the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and he put his palms upon his thighs and said
oh Muhammad, tell me about Islam.
That person, the individual, the stranger first asked about Islam. The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said Islam is that you testify that none
has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the
Messenger of Allah, and that you establish the prayer, you pay the Zakah,
you fast the Ramadhaan and you make the pilgrimage to the house of
Allah if you are able to. The one who is asking (the stranger) says you
have spoken correctly. Umar said, so we were amazed how this man asks,
then he tells him you have spoken correctly. That was the first one, Islam.
It shows you how observant Umar radhiallahu anhu was, especially when
it came to strangers. He was always looking out when strangers came to
Madinah and there is many stories of him pursuing strangers who came to
Madinah. He observed that he asked, then after he asked he says you
spoke correctly. One coming to learn does not usually say that, he is
coming to learn.
He said, then tell me about Imaan. That is the second question. He said it
is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His Messengers, the Last Day
and that you have true faith in the pre decree (al-Qadar), its good and its
evil. He said you spoke correctly. That was the second question. The third
question, he said then tell me about Ihsaan. He said it is that you worship
Allah as if you were seeing Him and even though you do not see Him, He
surely sees you.
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Those are the three that concern us out of this Hadith over here today
(Imaan, Islam and Ihsaan). Then Jibreel alayhis-salaam asked about the
Hour and about the signs of it. And then the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam remained silent for a while, then he said Umar, do you know who
the questioner was? Umar said Allah and His Messenger know best. The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said he was Jibreel, he came to teach
you your religion.
This is what we want over here:

Or in another narration:

So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam declared all these things
(Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan) to be religion (Deenakum (
)) . These

three matters comprehend all of the religion, those are the religion. Here
he gives three levels of Deen, the author gives them as examples of
Ibaadah and not of Deen. He will repeat these in this booklet Al-Usool AthThalaathah in more detail, so we will talk about them later on in more
detail and he is going to talk about them in detail. But what we need to
know for this part of the book is, the author here made what the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam called Deen, examples of Ibaadah. He
mentions Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan as examples of Ibaadah, then in the
wording of the book he separated and mentioned many examples. After
Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan, he mentioned fourteen other examples. Islam,
Imaan and Ihsaan, the Hadith (Hadith Jibreel) calls them Deen. Then after
these, the author gives examples of Ibaadah (fourteen examples to be
precise). He classified all (the fourteen plus the three) as examples of
Ibaadah.
WHY DID THE AUTHOR CONSIDER ISLAM, IMAAN

IBAADAAT?
AND IHSAAN AS
The issue we have right now is, why did he consider these first three
matters as Ibaadah when they are considered as Deen in the Hadith?
Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan are mentioned by the author as Ibaadaat, while
Hadith Jibreel mentions them as Deen. And after the author mentions
Page | 661
these three, he goes on to mention fourteen more which are unanimously

agreed upon as Ibaadaat like al-Khawf, ar-Rajaa, at-Tawakkul and adDuaa. Some softly criticised the author for mentioning these three
matters that are Deen, as Ibaadaat. Not criticise as in wrong, but as
Ulamaa go through books, they scrutinise every tiny letter sometimes. So
some of them sort of softly criticised him, however I believe the reason he
mentioned Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan (that are called Deen) as examples of
Ibaadaat is because those three are the root of all Ibaadaat. What the
author was meaning to say is that all the types of Ibaadaat go back to
these three levels.
How do we know that? How do we sense that? Because he mentions the
three (Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan), then he says:
From them. He mentions the three, then he says from them, and he
mentions the fourteen other examples. So from those three main levels,
we derive the fourteen examples of Ibaadaat. In those fourteen examples,
he mixes the heart Ibaadaat, the action Ibaadaat and the verbal Ibaadaat.
He gives a general variety of Ibaadaat that should be submitted fully and
completely to Allah. There is fourteen plus the first three (which is Islam,
Imaan and Ihsaan).
So why did he consider Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan as Ibaadaat? He
mentioned them and he considered them Ibaadaat because from what I
believe and sense, Ibaadaat are derived from these three. How do we
know that? Because he says:
He mentions the three, he breaks the wording and says from it. He did not
mention the fourteen and the three altogether in one sentence, which he
could have easily done. He mentions the first three as Ibaadaat then he
says and from them, and he mentions fourteen other Ibaadaat. And these
fourteen are not all the Ibaadaat, he just gives a general variety of them.
CLASS THIRTY ONE

Before we go any further, first let me say, and I actually said it before but I
think it gets clipped out in the question and answer sessions, and it is
directed to our virtual followers. May Allah subhaanahu wa taaala grant
you beneficial knowledge and make your journey in knowledge one
Page | 662
sincerely for His sake. It is important to hear from you and get your input
pertaining to the level of how the booklet is covered. Is it difficult? Are you
with us? Are you following along in a way that you understand? Because
over here I can look at the faces and see that they understand or not, and
it is usually followed by a question and answer session. And just so you
know, I personally read every single text that I get. Sometimes the answer
is delayed and I ask everyone to forgive me for that, but I do read all of
them. And out of the hundreds of questions I get, I have not been getting
any that pertain to the level of the class. If it is because it is going well,
Alhamdulillah, that is what we want. If not, then do not be shy or
intimidated to let me know what you think.
We want it at a level where all levels can benefit and comprehend. AlUsool Ath-Thalaathah is a Tawheed booklet for beginners and even though
it is a booklet for beginners, I do believe some stuff that is mentioned in
the class when we do the explanation is a little bit further than beginners.
And really, I believe the explanation encompasses beginners and upper
level students of Ilm. When we study other sciences in the future, what is
learned here makes plenty of stuff much easier when we mention and
elaborate as we do it and that is why I do that. May Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala grant you all beneficial knowledge.
A BRIEF SUMMARY OF CHAPTER THREE

Let us take a quick summary of this chapter (of the past few classes)
before we start. A very quick one liner per paragraph. This is the core
chapter, if it is the core chapter then it is going to be the chapter that
mentions the title of the book (which is the three fundamental principles
of Islam). He stated the three principles and he stated them in literally a
one liner. Knowing Allah, knowing the Deen and knowing the Messenger
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Then after that, he went on to elaborate. He
started with the first one which is what we have been talking about so far
(who is your Lord) and after he answered that with proof, then the next
paragraph is how do you know your Lord? If you remember that is when
we spoke about the signs and the proof.
And so on. Then, so no one will think that the Lord, the Creator, the
Nourisher is sufficient alone as it may appear, he ties worship into
Lordship. If you meet Allah subhaanahu wa taaala in the grave knowing
He is the Lord (as it may appear and some may assume based on the
question Man Rabbuk), if one believes that yet he does not single Him out
Page | 663
in worship (in Uloohiyyah), your Lordship is not valid. So he tied the

worship into the Lordship, how we covered in the last classes.
Now after that, he went down to give examples. It is essential that he
gives examples on how to single Allah subhaanahu wa taaala in our
worship, which is part of Lordship. As we said last class, he mentioned the
root of worship which is Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan (the first three
examples), then he gave fourteen additional examples. These are
examples to show that you must single Allah out in your worship. These
are not all the Ibaadaat are even close to that, but they are mere
examples to give you the general idea.
That is the summary of this chapter so far. And the order of the author and
why he is mentioning this is important, that is why you all need to bring
your copies all the time, otherwise you are going to get lost.
We mentioned Man Rabbuk is deeper than what many assume. It includes
Uloohiyyah and now he is giving us examples of Uloohiyyah. Last week,
we left off on the first three examples (Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan). We did
not elaborate as we usually do, we did not take one by one and elaborate
on them. Why? Because the author is going to talk about these three in
more detail in the future, and our explanation has to coincide with the
structure of the book. Here, he mentioned them as merely quick examples
for a certain purpose, so it would be more appropriate to elaborate on
them when he mentions them in more depth later on.
The author mentions fourteen examples, then pay attention to this. He
gives fourteen examples quickly, right after each other, then there is a
paragraph and then he repeats the examples with proof. So for our
purposes here, what I want you to know is that instead of going over them
twice, we are going to go over them once and we will include the proof.
Instead of just mentioning them quickly and elaborating about them, then
mentioning them again with proof, we will just mention them one time and
include the proof.
Why does he do that? Because you noticed his trend in writing this book is
he summarises, then goes into detail. He mentions the examples, then
gives a paragraph (an overall paragraph of some Ayaat), and then he
repeats every single one of them with proof. That is what he did with
Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan. He mentioned them quickly, then he elaborated
on them. What we will do is take each one and as we speak about each
one right now, we will include the proof that he is going to include later
on. That way we do not have to go over them twice.
Page | 664
Why did he repeat them with proof? He mentioned them and then he
repeated them with proof because these are examples of Ibaadaat and
Ibaadaat are Tawqifiyyah (), meaning you need proof for every
Ibaadah you do. That is why he mentioned and singled each one of them
out with proof.
So let us go through the list. What he mentioned is the statement of Ibn
Katheer Rahimahullah, the one where he said the Creator of these things
is the One who deserves to be worshipped. Then he said:

All these types of worship that he mentioned are mere examples, they are
not all of them. He mentioned Islam, Imaan and Ihsaan, then he went to
mention fourteen other ones.
DUAA
He mentions fourteen other ones and we are going to start with the first
one that he mentioned (Duaa). The first one is Duaa, he says in your
booklet:
And from that, is invocation and supplication.

Invocation and supplication is Duaa. Then like I said, later on he mentions
proof for that. First he mentions just the word Duaa, then he mentions
proof.

What does he mention later on? He says:
Page | 665

First he mentions the Hadith as proof for Duaa. He says invocation is the
core of worship and then he says the evidence for that is the saying of
Allah:
Your Lord says oh people, invoke Me and supplicate Me, making your
worship sincerely for Me alone, and I will answer you, pardon you and give
you.

Those who disdain to worship Me alone will enter Hellfire in disgrace.
So the first one he mentions for Duaa is the supposed Hadith:

Mukh ( )literally means brain in Arabic. Duaa is the brain of worship.
Your brain is your core so when you use it in a context like this, it means
not the literal brain of course, but the core of something. Here it means if
there is no Duaa in your Ibaadah, then the core of your Ibaadah is
missing. This Hadith right here is in Sunan at-Tirmidhi on the authority of
Anas Ibn Maalik radhiallahu anhu. However, it is weak because in the
chain is a man called Abdullah Ibn Luhayah and he is classified as weak
for bad memory. There is some stipulation for his Hadith being accepted
but it does not fall under this Hadith, so this Hadith is weak.
There is another Hadith in Musnad Ahmad, Abu Dawood, at-Tirmidhi and
others, on the authority of an-Numaan Ibn Basheer. It is very similar in
wording (not exact but very similar), but the chain of authenticity is
authentic. It is also in Bukhari, in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad (
Abi Shaybah and others narrated the Hadith.
), Ibn
The authentic one is:

Page | 666

Invocation is worship.
So we say the first Hadith that is used by the author (Duaa is the brain of
Ibaadah) is weak. That is weak in its chain, but it is authentic in its
meaning because we have another Hadith that substantiates it. The
second authentic Hadith is Duaa is Ibaadah.
THE IMPORTANCE OF DUAA

Duaa is an essential Ibaadah, you have to know that. One needs a bond
with Allah subhaanahu wa taaala that fills his heart with peace and
tranquillity, and that is Duaa.
Look at the Hadith:
If a servant raises his hands to Him (to Allah) in supplication, Allah

becomes shy to return them empty.
Even though some spoke on the authenticity of this Hadith, the correct
opinion is that it is authentic. Allah subhaanahu fee ulaah is shy to turn
your hands away empty. We do not have time to make this an inspirational
lecture on Duaa because we want to get through our book, even though
Duaa is worthy of many independent talks on its own because many have
neglected it.
Duaa is the core of your Ibaadah. You get astonished when you know
Allah subhaanahu wa taaala asks people to talk to Him and ask Him, and
by not making Duaa you are declining the offer of Allah to talk to Him. It
is a blessing Allah granted you, use it in every status you are on.
In your Sujood.

The Hadith in Muslim. In your Sujood, exert yourself in Duaa. The closest
you are to Allah. Outside of your Salah and outside of your Sujood, make
Duaa. In your late nights, make Duaa. And in your daytime, make Duaa.
During Wudhu, make Duaa. And outside of Wudhu, make Duaa. Do your
Page | 667
Duaa raising your hands, do your Dua without raising your hands. You
can do Duaa in all your settings.
Duaa patches that deteriorating heart. It softens the heart, purifies the
heart and the soul and it gives you never ending hope. Pure souls can
never do without Duaa. It could be and it happens, that if Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala loves you, He closes all the avenues in this life in
your face, so you can open that communication that you have been
neglecting with Him, because He loves to hear from you. Hopes and goals
that you thought were impossible could easily become a reality, but on
the (missing word) of Duaa. Those who call Yaa Rabb, Yaa Rabb, never get
disappointed. We are the ones who need Him subhaanahu fee ulaah, yet
He is the One who asks us to ask Him.

: ...
Look at this verse. If Allah wants mercy over you, He inspires you to make
Duaa. Thank Him for that blessing, that in itself is a blessing.
Duaa rescued Yunus from the stomach of the whale.

From the darkness of the night, the darkness of the stomach of the whale
and the deep, darkness of the ocean.
Duaa destroyed the people of Nooh.
:

Duaa raised the level and status of Sulaymaan. Duaa made the religion
of Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam supreme.
The more this life narrows, encloses and encaves on you with its
hardships, trials and tribulations, the more a believer sees that opening in
the heavens, to the One who is over the heavens. Who could be more of a
loser than one who misses out on the strongest weapon that needs no
more than your set mind and a moving tongue?
Page | 668
AN EXPLANATION OF A VERSE ON DUAA IN SURAT

AL-BAQARAH
ALLAH
FROM
DIRECT ANSWER
IS A
IT

...:

This establishes a clear principle. We said the verses that start with and if

( they ask you
), when you see them in the Quran look at them,
they are consistent. There is always, and tell them Muhammad (sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam).
... :

... :

... :

...

...

:

... :
... :

Page | 669

: ...

) . The answer comes directly from Allah:

There is no Qul (

There is not, and tell them, it is a direct answer from Allah. Why? Number
one, it is a hint that there is no mediator. It is to get it through to you,
there is no mediator. This is a relationship between you and Allah alone.
Number two, it is to show you that the response will come from Allah
quickly and swiftly, and also to know the love of Allah for your Duaa. Let
us pause at this verse a little bit.
ALLAH DID NOT USE
THE
THIRD PERSON PRONOUN
Note in this beautiful verse, Allah did not mention that He will respond in a
third person pronoun. He did not say it in a third person pronoun (and He
will answer).
And I will answer. The response of Allah was direct.
ALLAH DID NOT SAY I WILL ANSWER IF I WILL

Another lesson in this verse and there is many, many lessons in it. He did
not answer and say I will answer if I will. Everything is under the will
(Masheeah) of Allah but to give you confidence and assurance in your
Duaa (that it will be answered), He says:

And I will answer if he asks, not if I will. To give you confidence in your
Duaa.
Page | 670
THE CONDITION COMES AFTER
THE
RESULT
A more amazing lesson in this verse, is Allah said He will answer on the
condition that we make Duaa. Usually, the condition is mentioned first
and then the answer or result after that. Here it is the opposite, they are
switched around. The condition is if one asks and the answer to that
condition is I will answer. So in the Arabic language, the verse should have
really been if one asks, I will answer. They are switched around in this
verse to say I will answer, if one asks or supplicates.

That is to indicate the velocity of the answer, its power and its speed.
ALLAH USED ITHAA
AND
NOT IN
Then go on further, He responds to the invoker.

) , He did not say:
He used Ithaa (

He could have used In (
) . In Arabic, Ithaa and In are both used
interchangeably. However, even though they are used interchangeably,
there is a sensitive difference in the sensitive rules of Arabic eloquency,
which is called Balaaghah (). There is a sensitive difference between
them. What is it? Why did He use Ithaa instead of In, even though they are
used interchangeably and both are eloquent? In is used for matters far
apart, doubtful to occur, exceptional to happen or maybe even impossible
to happen. That is when you use:

When they are not going to happen.
Look at the consistency of the Quran.

: ...

Tell them, if the Rahmaan had a son. Does Allah have a son? Maaath
Allah, impossible. This is something impossible so would He use In or
Page | 671
Ithaa? He would use In because it is something that is impossible. It is far

fetched and never going to happen, so He uses In instead of Ithaa. He did
not say:

Another example.

...

:
If two groups of Muslims were to fight. What are you going to use? He is
going to use In. Why? Because the origin is Muslims do not fight each
other. It is exceptional and rare that they do fight each other, so once that
happens we use In instead of Ithaa.
Another verse.
...

: ...

Allah told Musa go look at the mountain, if it still stands still then you will
see Me. Is the mountain going to stand still or not? He used In. Why In
instead of Ithaa? Because the mountain is crumbling.

If it remains still. It is not going to happen. It is not going to stay still, it is
going to crumble so He used In.
Just like In for Ar-Rahmaan, In for the two groups of Muslims who fight
because it is exceptional, when it is unlikely to happen, doubtful or
impossible, it is more eloquent to use In instead of Ithaa.
Let me give you another example.

: ...

It is prescribed upon you when death approaches any of you. It is talking

about death, if death approaches you. Now which one are we going to use
here, In or Ithaa? If death is far fetched and not going to happen, then we
Page | 672
use In. If it is imminent, surely going to happen or more likely, we use

Ithaa.
Let us read the verse again.

: ...

Ithaa is suitable here because every one of us is going to die. This is a

Balaaghah issue with In and Ithaa.

...

:
You will see the sun declining to the right of their cave. Does the sun rise
upon them every day? If the sun rose every day and it is certainly going to
happen every day, what would we use? In or Ithaa? If the sun is not likely
to rise every day, we will use In. If the sun is going to rise imminently
every day, we are going to use Ithaa.
Let us read the verse.

...

:
Of course the sun arises every day, so we are going to use Ithaa.
If it is imminent, we use Ithaa. If it is not, we use In. That is how we
distinguish between the two. If it is imminent to happen, we use Ithaa. If it
is doubtful, questionable and not likely to happen, we use In. Even though
both are used interchangeably and both are correct, that is a delicate
Balaaghah issue and like we always say, the Quran comes in the most
eloquent of the Arabic language. A random writer in a book would use
them interchangeably, you will not tell him this is wrong and this is right.
One who had in depth study of Balaaghah will use them in the more
appropriate usage, and the Quran comes in the most eloquent of the
Arabic language. That is a detail to keep in mind.
Now more, so you understand this. Is the Judgment Day imminent or
something that is far fetched, impossible and not going to happen? Is the
Judgment Day impossible or possible? Is it more likely to happen or not?
All the Judgment Day verses mention Ithaa, because it is imminent.
Page | 673

:

:

:

The point of that is when Ithaa was used, it was used to assure that your
Duaa will be answered. The usage of Ithaa instead of In (in the verse), is
to show that it is imminent that your Duaa will be answered. He put
everything in that verse to show you and remove any doubts in your
heart, that your Duaa is going to be answered.
ITHAA ALSO COMES
TO
MEAN
LARGE QUANTITY
Another unique thing about Ithaa and In over here.

The usage of Ithaa is to show that not only will Duaa be imminently
accepted for sure, but there needs to be lots of Duaa and all your Duaa
will be accepted. Why? Because Ithaa comes to mean a large quantity.
Ithaa also has preference over In, in that it is used for a large quantity.
Look at that in the Quran. When Allah talks about Wudhu, He says:

...
...

:
And then He says:

: ...

...
When Allah talks about Wudhu, Wudhu is something you do a lot and it is
frequent. You might have to do it five or maybe ten times a day. It is Ithaa
when it is talking about Wudhu. When He talks about the major impurity
(Junub), He uses In. Why? Because the major impurity is less in quantity
than you doing Wudhu. You see that? You are likely to do Wudhu five or
ten times a day (maybe more), but taking a bath from Janaabah (the
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major impurity) is much less than that. Both In and Ithaa mean if, but the
Balaaghah gives you deep, sensitive, specific details that strengthen your
Imaan and your faith that Allah will answer you.
The bottom line and a one liner about Ithaa and In, they can be used
interchangeably nearly most of the time, which mean if or might.
However, if it is more certain to happen or it is certain to happen, it is
more eloquent to use Ithaa. That is the first difference. A second
difference is if it is a lot, Ithaa has preference over In. Here, number one,
certainty that your Duaa will be answered. And number two, a large
quantity of Duaa must go up to Allah and a large quantity of answers will
come down to you. All that in Ithaa.
ALLAH RESPONDS
TO THE INVOCATION OF THE
SUPPLICANT
More lessons in that simple verse on Duaa. He said:

He did not say:

He said I respond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls Me.
The invocation of the supplicant, I answer the invocation. Why did He not
say I respond to the supplicant? He said He will respond to the
supplication, but He did not say I will respond to the supplicant. Why did
He not just say I will respond and answer the supplicant? He said I will
answer the Duaa of the supplicant, because it does not matter who is
invoking.
Do not minimise yourself and say Allah will not answer me. It could be
Muhammad, Saalih, Abdullah or Naasir, we are all equal in the eyes of
Allah. It is the Duaa that matters. It is the invocation itself that matters, it
does not matter who is making it. Fulfill the conditions of Duaa, it does
not matter who is making it. No one is better than anyone, that is why it is
like that. The Duaa goes to Allah the same. Fulfill the conditions and that
is what you need to do.
IBAADEE REFERS
TO A
LARGE QUANTITY
OF
SERVANTS
He said:
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He did not say:
He said Ibaadee with a Yaa at the end, and it is different than Ibaadi with a
Kasrah at the end. Look in the Quran, it is a Yaa at the end and not a
Kasrah. Here He used the one with a Yaa (Ibaadee) which means plural
and so many, meaning I answer them all, no matter how many there are.
That is why in the context of a lot (in the Balaaghah), you will find that Yaa
comes at the end when there is a lot and it means a lot.
For example, when Allah is speaking to all His servants:

: ...

There is a Yaa.

: ...

There is a Yaa because these two verses are talking about a large quantity
of servants (all the servants). That is why there is a Yaa at the end, when
there is an overwhelming majority. If it is not many that is meant by the
verse, you are going to find a Kasrah and not a Yaa.
When Allah was directing the servants, it is all the servants so He used the
Yaa because it is all of them. Now who is the righteous?
...

:

Glory to my righteous servants. Glad tidings to those who hear and follow.
Who follows, a lot or a little? A little bit, so is there going to be a Yaa or a
Kasrah? Kasrah. Look at it in the Quran.
Another verse.

: ...

Are the Muttaqeen a lot or a little? Not many, so it is going to be a Kasrah.
HE USED INNEE
TO
ADD EXTREME EMPHASIS
He said:
Page | 676

He did not say:

What is the difference between the two?

The Noon has a Shaddah on it (Mushaddadah). The one He used has a
Shaddah on it, that is to affirm something. I am not near, I want you to be
sure that I am near. It is to remove any doubt, to give you inspiration and
confidence. Both mean the same, however Innee (
) with the Shaddah
is to add extreme emphasis that He is near. Do not have any doubts about
that, have confidence. All these lessons in just a few letters of the Quran,
asking you to supplicate to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, assuring you
that your invocation will be answered (if its conditions are met).
KHAWLAH BINT THALABAH

: ...

Allah heard the statement of Khawlah Bint Thalabah radhiallahu anha,
the one who came to speak to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
concerning her husband. Khawlah comes complaining to the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, in a room that is nearly ten foot by eleven
and a half feet (approximately three meteres by three and a half metres).
She is sitting there with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and
Aishah. In that small room, Aishah could not hear what that woman is
saying, but Allah subhaanahu wa taaala on top of seven heavens said
Allah heard her. Aishah could not hear her in that small, tight, little room.
Allah on top of seven heavens heard her.
Keep Duaa for yourself personally, for your family, for this Ummah, for
your Aakhirah and for your Dunya. Keep it fresh and ripe on your tongue.
WHY DOES SOME DUAA GO UNANSWERED?

Some people ask (especially about the situation of the Ummah), why has
Allah not answered the Duaa of this Ummah? I get that question a lot. Let
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me say, when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made Duaa in

Badr, when did he make Duaa? When the upper garment of the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam fell off in Badr and his hands were
outstretched to the point that they could see his armpits. He is making
Duaa and Abu Bakr is holding up his garment saying oh Prophet of Allah,
Allah will grant you that which He promised. He is trying to calm the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. When did he make that Duaa? That
was after he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did all the means before him. He
did all the action he could do, then he turned and made Duaa. The Duaa
was after he took care of all the means.
Even more delicate than that, look at the verses that the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to wake up to every single night, the
verses he used to wipe his blessed face sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and
recite them. They have five main Duaa in them.

...

Five main Duaa in that chain of verses. Look what Allah answers when He
answers.

Is that how the verse goes? That is not how the verse goes.

...

:
Allah said, so their Lord answered them, I will not let any of their actions
go in vain. He said I answered their actions, I am not going to let any of
their actions go in vain. But that was supplication, it was not an action. It
Page | 678
was a supplication, so why did He not say I answered your supplication?

Just like the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in Badr, because
supplication without doing the means is no good. You cannot ask for a
child if you are not married. You cannot ask for a son if you are not
married.
If our heart action is tainted, what victory are we expecting? One time we
have an Ummah that does not know the difference between Shariyyah
and Shareeah, they are willing to die for both and think that both are
becoming martyrs. Wallahil-Adheem it blows a mind how nearly an entire
Ummah with their enemies, Illa Mar-Rahimallah (

) can
bandwagon with each other against the righteous and then you think we
are going to make Duaa and Allah is going to answer? When the heart
action is not even there? The heart action is not even there, the most
simple part of it. Then we ask for victory and we wonder why it is not
answered? Before we get off topic on this issue, let us get back to our
text.
DUAA IS IBAADAH
So the first example the author mentions is Duaa. We mentioned its
importance, how one must always keep making Duaa and it is at the core
of Ibaadah. And since it is Ibaadah, it must be directed only to Allah and
that is why the author mentions it here. He mentions Ibaadah, it is an
Ibaadah and that means it has to go to Allah.
Then he mentioned as proof the verse in the Quran:

This is the verse the author used as proof, in addition to the Hadith that
we mentioned (the one that is weak). Your Lord said invoke Me (ask for
anything), I will respond to your supplication. Surely, He will respond to
your supplication.

Those who scorn My worship, they will surely enter Hellfire in humiliation.
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THE DEFINITION
OF IBAADAH
First we need to know the definition of Ibaadah, because we are going to

base something on it.
Ibaadah is a universal term that encompasses everything Allah loves from

sayings and actions, both internal (matters of the internal part) and
external. It includes both obligatory, recommended and Mustahabb
matters. All that is Ibaadah. So for example, if Allah commands the act,
that means it becomes Ibaadah. That saying or act that He commands
becomes Ibaadah. If Allah commands the people of that act, it makes it
Ibaadah. Even if He commands the people for that act, it becomes
Ibaadah.
For example:
:

...

He loves those who are patient.
Why does He love them? Because of their patience. Allah loves it and that
makes it Ibaadah because we said Ibaadah is a term encompassing
everything Allah loves of sayings and actions, both internal and external.
Another example.

...

:

They used to hasten to do good deeds, and call on Us with hope and fear,
and used to humble themselves before Us.
Once Allah praised hope, fear and Khushoo to Him (which is humbling
oneself to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala), what happens according to our
definition? It becomes an Ibaadah.
We are going through it step by step. Once we know it is an Ibaadah, then
that means it has to go one hundred percent to Allah and to no one else.
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So now we know what Ibaadah is and we know what happens when it is

Ibaadah.
THE SHAREE MEANING
OF
DUAA
The Sharee meaning of Duaa is what we took before (the two meanings).
Supplication when it is requested (that is the Duaa al-Masalah or Duaa
at-Talab), when you supplicate and directly ask Allah like in Duaa. Yaa
Allah, Yaa Hayy, that is Duaa at-Talab or al-Masalah. That is the first type
of Duaa. The second one is invocation through worship (Duaa alIbaadah), which is every worship other than the first type. Why is it called
Duaa? Because in every Ibaadah you do, you want something. You are
doing your Ibaadah and you want a reward, you want to be saved from
Hell, you want to please Allah and you want to love Allah. So even though
you are not directly asking, in reality you are asking for something.
Some Ulamaa said every Duaa in the Quran encompasses both of those,
except one in Surat al-Araaf:

: ...

They said this is the only one that means Duaa al-Masalah (the direct
Duaa). When you invoke Allah, Yaa Allah. That is the only one in the
Quran that they said is Duaa al-Masalah. Everything else in the Quran
where there is Duaa encompasses both meanings.
THE AUTHOR
IS
REFERRING
TO
DUAA AL-MASALAH
When the author mentioned Duaa, he meant Duaa of al-Masalah. We

know that from the context of the wording. He said, and from the Ibaadah
is Duaa. He said Ibaadah and then he mentioned Duaa (he mentioned
the broad one and then the narrow one), so when he mentioned Duaa
here, from the context you can tell it is Duaa of al-Masalah. It would be
redundant to mention it again (Ibaadah and then Duaa), that is why we
know the second Duaa he meant was Duaa of al-Masalah. First he
mentioned Ibaadah, then when he mentioned Duaa again he meant the
Duaa of al-Masalah otherwise it would be redundant. So here the author
meant Duaa al-Masalah, because of him mentioning Ibaadah and then
Duaa.
THE PROOF OF THE AUTHOR ON DUAA

Now going back to the verse.
Page | 681

: ...

Some Ulamaa said Duaa here in this verse is the Duaa of at-Talab (the
supplication Duaa, when you ask Allah), the first one we took. Why? They
said because He said:

I will answer you. He said make Duaa, I will answer you. So if He will
answer that supplication, that means that is the Duaa of Talab, that is the
Duaa of al-Masalah. However, really the Duaa here in this verse also
includes the Duaa of Ibaadah, meaning all other forms of Ibaadah. But if it
is so, how do we answer to:

If it includes all types of Duaa (all Ibaadah), it would mean I will respond
to you by rewarding you. And if it is the Duaa al-Masalah, I will answer
you by giving you what you want. If it is the Duaa al-Ibaadah, I will
answer you by giving you the reward. So in reality, the verse
encompasses both. The verse and the way Allah subhaanahu wa taaala
worded encompasses both.

...

:

Those who scorn My worship will surely enter Hell in humiliation.
The author mentioned this verse as proof for Duaa. Allah said:

Those who are arrogant, those who scorn My worship. My worship, look at
that, that is the point of that. Those who scorn My worship, what did Allah
call Duaa? Worship. Those who scorn My worship, what worship is He
talking about? Duaa. So once Duaa became Ibaadah, it must be totally
for the sake of Allah and if one does it (Duaa) for other than Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala, then he is a Mushrik Kaafir.
THE CATEGORIES OF ASKING OTHER THAN ALLAH
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ASKING
DEAD PERSON
First of all, a dead person. Asking the dead person is Shirk. One who asks
a dead person is Mushrik. Under no condition do you ask the dead, that is
Shirk. A, if the dead is in front of you, it is Shirk. B, if the dead person is
not present in front of you (meaning you are asking him at a distance), it
is still Shirk. Duaa to him is belief that he has control over the world and
he is dead, that is Shirk. Asking a dead is automatic Shirk Akbar, even if
asking them is that which they could have done when they were alive.
This is a dead person, it is very simple and easy.
ASKING ONE WHO
IS
ALIVE
If he is alive, there are three scenarios if someone is alive and you ask
him. If you ask a person alive give me food, hand me that dish, give me
water, that is permissible. It is before him, he has the means and the
means are there. He has control over it, he has the abilities, Allah granted
him the abilities and you know He granted him the abilities so you can ask
him. If he is before you, he can hear you and he has the abilities and
means, you can ask him for what he is able to do. Hand me the water,
hand me your phone, help me fix a house, help me with my car, that is
permissible. That is A for a person who is alive. B, if what you ask him is
beyond his power and abilities (like powers only Allah has). That is Shirk
Akbar, even if he is present in front of you. Example, someone goes to a
Shaykh and tells that Shaykh bring down the rain, or cure my illness. He
is not a doctor, you believe he has spiritual powers. Or Shaykh, bless my
wealth. This is Shirk Akbar.
C, the third one for the one living is if he is living and not present, you
cannot ask him what he can or cannot do. That is like asking the dead.
Now we do not mean present as in right in front of you, if you ask
someone on the computer or phone through means of communication
that is as if he is present in front of you. If you ask him on the computer to
help you with a program or with some matter, that is permissible. What
we mean is like someone is in Africa and you are in the United States, and
you tell them to give you a cup of water. He is not in front of you, there is
no means of communication, how is he going to give you a cup of water?
He cannot do it. That is improper, you cannot do that, that is Shirk. Why is
that Shirk? Because even though it is in his power to give you a cup of
water had he been present, in reality you gave him power of hearing that
only belongs to Allah. I am here, I say Shaykh so and so in Africa give me
a cup of water, there is no internet and there is no phone, how can he
hear unless I gave him the power (the quality) that only belongs to Allah
the All Hearing.
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ASKING
THE JINN
Now let us take a Masalah. Is asking a Jinn Shirk? Now first of all, if it is a
Jinn who can hear you, you can see him and he can hear you, that does
not fall under Shirk. Why? There is a story in an-Nasaaee, Ibn Hibbaan
and Bukhari mentioned it in At-Taareekh Al-Kabeer () . Note
it is not in Sahih al-Bukhari, it is in At-Taareekh Al-Kabeer and Ibn Hibbaan
considered it authentic. Ubayy Ibn Kaab radhiallahu anhu had a pile of
dates stored somewhere and he noticed it kept going missing. One night
he saw some type of creation, he resembled it to a younger boy. Ubayy
gave him Salaam and the creation like a boy returned the Salaam. Ubayy
said are you human or Jinn? The boy said I am Jinn. Ubayy said show me
your hand, he showed him his hand and it was like that of a dog and it had
the hair of a dog on it.
Ubayy said to him, why do you keep stealing from our dates? The Jinn
replied back, he said we heard you love to give charity so we wanted to
take from that so Allah can reward you. Ubayy said what keeps you away
from us? The Jinn said Ayat al-Kursi is what puts a barrier between us. So
he left and Ubayy went to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:
Ubayy asked him, if you see him and you ask him something like that
(what is in their ability) or you ask him for direction, that is not Shirk but it
is a disputed Fiqh matter if one can ask a Jinn or not. That is if they are
present and if you see them. It is not our topic but it is a Fiqh issue, the
correct of two opinions is that it is not permissible. There is no need to
communicate with the Jinn and ask them like that, but it is not Shirk if he
is present and in front of you, you see him and you know he is there.
B, if you ask a Jinn what they cannot do (what only Allah can do) like cure
me, that is Shirk Akbar.

:

Verily, there were men amongst the mankind who sought refuge in the
males among the Jinn, but the Jinn increased them (the human) in their
transgression.
Page | 684
When the humans used to go to a valley or scary lonely place in their

journeys, they used to seek refuge not in Allah subhaanahu wa taaala,
but in the Jinn. That make the Jinn get arrogant, the Jinn felt superiority
over the Ins because they began to seek refuge in them. So what is the
conclusion?

The Jinn increased the mankind (the Ins, the humans) in transgression and
in sin. What it is means is, the Jinn saw that the humans were afraid and
sought refuge in them so they began to scare them more.
As-Suddi Rahimahullah said a man used to travel with his family and when
he gets to an area to rest, he would say I seek refuge in the master of this
valley (of the Jinn) that he will not harm me, my wealth, my children or my
cattle. That is what one used to say on his journey. Qataadah said when
they used to do that (seek refuge in the Jinn), the Jinn would harm them
more. Ath-Thawri Rahimahullah said it means when the Jinn saw them
seeking refuge in them and they were afraid of them, they became more
bold towards them. Ikrimah said the Jinn used to flee from humans like
humans used to flee from the Jinn, they used to be scared of each other.
The Jinn were more scared of the human than the humans were of the
Jinn. First of all the Jinn used to flee but the humans began to seek refuge
in them and when they started doing that, the Jinn said they are more
afraid of us than we are of them so let us get closer to them. And that is
when the Jinn began to touch the humans with harm, like the mental
things that they do and the hardship and inflictions that they do. Zayd Ibn

Aslam said Rahaqaa (
) means when the humans sought refuge in
the Jinn, the Jinn began to scare them more. Ibn Abbaas and Qataadah
said it is sins.

Means when the humans began to seek refuge in the Jinn, meaning they
gained more sins. It caused the humans to gain more sins. Mujaahid said
Rahaqaa is tyranny, meaning the Jinn became more tyrants and
transgressed more over them.
Listen to this story. Ibn Abi Saaib al-Ansaari said I went with my father
outside of Madinah when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was first
sent in Makkah (in the early days of the Messagehood). We slept on the
journey near a shepherd. There was a shepherd and he had some sheep,
we said let us sleep near this man. When it got dark, someone took one of
the sheep and ran away. The shepherd ran and said oh holder or guardian
Page | 685
of this valley, I seek refuge in you (the Bedouin is talking to the Jinn). Ibn
Abi Saaib said we heard a voice but we did not see from where it came or
anything, he said Sarhaan (

) , let it go (let the sheep go). The
sheep returned unharmed and then it was revealed:

:

It may have been the Jinn took the sheep and when the Bedouin sought
refuge in the master of the Jinn, the master ordered the sheep be
returned. Why? In order to lead him astray more, to give him more sins, to
belittle him and make him a slave of his, and that happens. So that is the
issue on the Jinn.
THE RULING ON SAYING WAA MUTASIMAA AND

SIMILAR STATEMENTS
And another issue before we conclude this class is for example if someone
says:

Or:

Waa Mutasimaa means like Yaa Mutasim (oh Mutasim). The Khaleefah
who rescued the woman when she was violated, unlike the coward leaders
of today. When she called him Waa Mutasimaa, she said oh Mutasimaa
and he sent an army to rescue her. Now many say Waa Mutasimaa or
they say get up Salah ad-Deen. When they see the miseries of the
Ummah, it is used more like a metaphor now, however there is an
explanation to that.
Number one, if you believe Salah ad-Deen, Mutasim or even the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would benefit you like that and give you
victory, that is Shirk Akbar. Number two, some Ulamaa said if it is a
slogan used for a battle and it is merely used to inspire (like remember the
days of Salah ad-Deen), Abu Butayn and other scholars said it is
permissible. Then the third scenario is if it is just a random form of
expression outside the battlefield to inspire people. It is better not to use
Page | 686
it because it may give the wrong impression for those who lack
knowledge.
SPEAKING TO THE DEAD IN THE CONTEXT OF A

SERMON TO ONESELF AND OTHERS
Another issue, speaking to the dead in the context of a lesson (like a
sermon), that is not wrong. Not a lesson to the dead, but for those alive or
for yourself, like Ali Ibn Abi Talib used to do. He said oh people in the
grave, it is a form of sermon to himself and to others (reminding himself
and others who went with him). He said oh you people in the graves, now
people live in your houses, your women have remarried and your wealth
has been divided. This is the news I have for you, what do you have for
me of news? This is Ali Ibn Abi Talib talking to the dead. Then he said, if
they could answer they would tell you the best provision is Taqwa.
:
He did not mean talking to the dead, he meant it as a sermon.
CALLING THE JINN USING YAA

Another issue is speaking to the Jinn as in calling them (in the Yaa format).
If you are saying that to warn them, if they are there in an area then you
can do that. In Sahih Muslim, Abu Saeed said the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam said in Madinah there is Jinn who become Muslim. If you
see any of them, warn them three days. If you see them after those three
days then kill them, they are evil, they are devils. You can say Yaa to the
Jinn in that kind of circumstance, if you see or know for sure they are
there. If someone assumes then you do not use the Yaa when telling them.
IS IT PERMISSIBLE TO ASK OTHERS TO MAKE

DUAA FOR YOU?
The simple answer to your question is that if someone asks another who is
alive to make Duaa for me, that is not Shirk. If I tell you brothers make
Duaa for me, number one that is not Shirk. Number two, if I ask you to
make Duaa for me it is not even sinful. However, as Talabat al-Ilm we try
to strive to learn what is best, the conditions and what the Ulamaa said
Page | 687
about it. Even though it is not Shirk, habitually doing it is something that
the Ulamaa spoke about. For example, look at Ruqyah, is Ruqyah
permissible? Of course Ruqyah is permissible, it is not Haraam. However,
it is better not to ask others for Ruqyah, and Duaa is very similar to that.
If you look at the Hadith in Bukhari and Muslim about the seventy
thousand who will enter Jannah and they have special qualities and
privileges, one of the restrictions on being in that group is:

They do not ask people for Ruqyah. If you ask someone for Ruqyah, is it
permissible? It is permissible, however if you want to be at a higher status
you are held to a higher standard. The higher status being entering Jannah
in the first group (the first seventy thousand) without Hisaab (reckoning),
and of course there is more in the many additional narrations who will be
included in that. If you want to be among those, do Ruqyah on yourself
and do not ask others.
Duaa is very similar with some details. In Duaa, if you tell someone make
Duaa for you and your intention is to benefit yourself and the one you
asked then you are really encouraging righteousness and you may get
reward for it if that is your intention. If that is your intention you may get
reward, if you are going to benefit him. How do you benefit him? If you ask
him to make Duaa, you benefit him by making an Ibaadah (Duaa is an
Ibaadah). When you tell him make Duaa for me, you are encouraging him
to do an Ibaadah. We said Duaa is an Ibaadah, so you are encouraging
him to make Duaa and that is like pray the two Sunnahs after Dhuhr
brother. Your reward will be for encouraging him to make an Ibaadah, that
is how you benefit him and you get reward.
When you make a Duaa for someone else, the angels say and you will get
the same. If your intention is also to benefit him by the angels telling him
he will get the same, if that is your intention to encourage him to make
Duaa so the angels will make Duaa for him, you are encouraging
righteousness. If your intention is to get him to make Duaa so he can do
Ihsaan (righteousness) to you or to another, you will get reward for
encouraging him to do Ihsaan to you or to someone else. When you make
Duaa for a Muslim, that is Ihsaan to him. So if I get another Muslim to
make Duaa for me or another, then I will possibly get Ajr for that Inshaa
Allah.
Now what it boils down to is, if the intention when asking another for
Duaa is to benefit the one he asks, he will get reward. If the intention
when asking to make Duaa is to benefit himself and the one who he
Page | 688
asked, he will get reward Inshaa Allah for that. If his intention is to only
benefit himself personally, it may be better to refrain from asking others
because over time it leads to reliance on others for Duaa (directly or
indirectly). Then one may become neglectful over his own Duaa and
being persistent in it, knowing someone else may be making Duaa for
him. In this day and age, it may also give some people an ego or a big
head when people keep telling them make Duaa for me, make Duaa for
me.
Ibn Rajab said Umar Ibn al-Khattaab and other Sahaabah and Tabieen
used to dislike someone asking them to make Duaa, saying are we
Messengers? They understood that was a quality to be a Messenger. They
were humble and they did not want to taint their humility with Allah. Ibn
Jareer narrated that when Sad Ibn Abi Waqqaas went to Damascus, a man
told him ask Allah to forgive me. And you know Sad, Allah honoured him
with an answered Duaa. A man asked him when he went to visit, he said
ask Allah to forgive me, so Sad said may Allah forgive you. He told the
first man, may Allah forgive you. Another man came in and said ask Allah
to forgive me Sad, Sad said may Allah not forgive you or him, meaning
you and the one who asked me before you. Do I look like a Messenger to
you? In his book Al-Itisaam (), ash-Shaatibi commented on this
saying and lesson, and he said when he saw it was an exceptional request
to make Duaa he answered. When people began to crowd and he
understood it differently, which is that people may think that he is at a
higher level or status than what he is or he possibly had foresight and
knew that they may think in the future that he is at a higher status, he
wanted to eliminate that. He also wanted to eliminate that people assume
that asking him for Duaa is a Sunnah. He did not want them to think that
he is at a higher status and he did not want them to think it is a Sunnah.
Ibn Jareer also narrated a similar story that a man asked Hudhayfah
radhiallahu anhu to ask Allah to forgive him. Hudhayfah said may Allah
not forgive you, just like the story of Sad. He probably did not want
people thinking that he is at a higher status than he is (as the scenarios
that Shaatibi Rahimahullah mentioned), or he probably did not want to
make it a trend. Al-Khateeb in his book At-Talkhees ( )
mentioned that when Ubaydillah Ibn Abi Saalih was ill, Tawoos went to
visit him. Ubaydillah Ibn Abi Saalih said oh Abu Abdur-Rahmaan (the
Kunyah of Tawoos), make Duaa for me. He said make Duaa for yourself,
Allah answers the distressed when they call. Tawoos told him make Duaa
for yourself. What he means is you may go ask someone who you think is
better (maybe he is, Allah knows best), but you have a quality that may
give you a higher status for that Duaa to be accepted. You are in distress,
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the person you are asking to make Duaa for you is not in distress over
your matter. What did Allah say?

: ...

The One who responds to the distressed when he calls.
He did not say the one distressed who goes to his friend and asks his
friend to make Duaa, He said the distressed himself when he calls. You
have a quality.
The Hadith some use where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told
Umar make Duaa for me, after research I found it was weak. And as to
the other Hadith where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told Abu
Bakr and Umar:

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told Abu Bakr and Umar, if you
Uways al-Qarni, ask him to make Duaa for you.
The Hadith is authentic. Even though Imaam Maalik Rahimahullah denied
the Hadith and he even denied any person as being Uways, the correct
opinion is the Hadith is authentic. That is a special circumstance and
situation, and that is a special man whose Duaa is answered. How do we
know it is special? I just told you right now about Hudhayfah, Sad and
what Shaatibi said about the Sahaabah that they disliked it. They
understood it to be special when they did not ask each other to make
Duaa for each other. They did not ask that so they understood it and that
is what we go by, that is what we mean when we say we follow the Salaf.
In fact, had it been proper after the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
said that about Uways, Umar would have turned to Abu Bakr radhiallahu
anhuma and he would have said to him make Duaa for me, because Abu
Bakr is better than Umar. He never did that, so it appears like this was an
exceptional circumstance.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam told Abu Bakr and Umar to ask
Uways for Duaa if they see him. The issue we mentioned is people
making it a trend and relying on others for Duaa. Abu Bakr and Umar
radhiallahu anhuma, their Imaan and knowledge in making Duaa and
their reliance on Allah in making Duaa is not something that you fear
over. Unlike today where people will begin to rely on others for making
Duaa and neglect their own Duaa and their own persistence, which was
not something that we would expect of Abu Bakr and Umar.
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So in summary, what I started off with, is asking someone to make Duaa

Shirk? No, that is not Shirk at all. Is it sinful? No. What is better? The
summary opinion is that it is not a problem to ask another to make Duaa,
in fact you get rewarded at times. If your intention is to make Duaaa to
benefit the Ummah, to benefit you and the person you are asking or to
benefit that person himself, then you may get reward for it. Other than
that, if you yourself are firm and persistent in your Duaa, you do not slack
in your Duaa habits, you do not rely on the Duaa of others and it is
exceptional and random that you say make Duaa for me, then that is
permissible and okay.
One of the simple, most basic duties to your brothers and sisters is that
we should all be making Duaa for each other behind our backs, without
anyone telling us. You benefit yourself more than anyone because you
have an angel telling you and you will get the same. Tell me this, if I make
Duaa for myself, may Allah subhaanahu wa taaala allow me to pass that
exam or may Allah give me Jannah for example (whether it is this life or in
the life after), is that better or if I say may Allah subhaanahu wa taaala
give Muhammad, Saalih and Raaidh beneficial knowledge, Jannah or to
pass the exam? Which one is better? Which one is most likely going to be
answered, sinful me merely making Duaa for myself or making Duaa for
my brother and the angel telling me Aameen and you will get the same?
Also before we go on to the next question, many give charity and they say
make Duaa for me, you see that a lot. If you want what is better and note
I said what is better, it is not a matter of Haraam and Halaal and Shirk, do
not ask that because look at the verse:
:
We feed you for the sake of Allah, we do not want any thanks nor reward.
No thanks, no type of reward. When Aishah radhiallahu anha used to send
someone with charity, she would tell that messenger to listen to them and
see if they make Duaa so I can make a Duaa equivalent and return that
Duaa back onto them, so I can get my full reward from Allah subhaanahu
wa taaala. Ibn Taymiyyah mentioned that some of the Salaf used to say if
you give a poor person and he says Barak Allahu Alayka, say Barak Allahu
Alayka back to him so that it will not constitute receiving anything in
return for that charity that you gave, and get your entire reward from
What is unique is when we collected for sister Umm Saleem, Umm Saleem
sent me an email telling me some brother when I tweeted about this
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matter, he sent her and he said I asked you to make Duaa and I retract
that because of that Tweet about Aishah. It is not a matter of Haraam and
Halaal but it is what is better. And to that brother, I do not know who he is,
may Allah subhaanahu wa taaala reward you and I love him for the sake
of Allah. I love those who adhere closely to the Sunnah from the bottom of
my heart for the sake of Allah.
CLASS THIRTY TWO

KHAWF
Last week we took Duaa as an example of Ibaadah. Today, it is Khawf and
it is reverential fear. Khawf is reverential fear and the proof is:

...

:
Do not fear them but Fear Me, if you are truly believers.
So after Duaa, he mentioned the second example as fear. The definition
of fear is to be frightened, to have anxiety or to be troubled as a result of
expecting something that will bring about harm, injury or destruction. In
this verse and in many other verses, Allah subhaanahu wa taaala forbade
fear from the allies of the Shaytaan and everything else, and commanded
it for Him alone. That is the first point.
TWO AVENUES OF PROOF FOR WHAT CONSTITUTES

AN IBAADAH AND IT BECOMING SHIRK
The next point is proof for Ibaadaat and that giving them to other than
Allah is Shirk comes through two avenues or two methods. Proof for what
constitutes an Ibaadah and it becoming Shirk if it is given to other than
Allah, comes through two methods. This is something I should have
mentioned last week but I skipped out on it. The first method is when it is
an Ibaadah according to the definition we took last week. When Allah
commands something, orders it, orders or commands the people who are
doing it, it automatically becomes an Ibaadah. Now when it becomes an
Ibaadah, giving a portion or it to other than Allah becomes Shirk. For
example:
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...

:
Fear Me, Allah commanded it. If it is pleasing to Allah, Allah loves it, Allah
ordered it or He commanded the people who are doing it, it becomes an
Ibaadah. Once established as an Ibaadah, there is automatic other proof
that when it is an Ibaadah, giving a portion of it or the entire Ibaadah to
other than Allah becomes Shirk. So long as it is Ibaadah, that is it. After
knowing it is an Ibaadah, you automatically conclude that giving that
Ibaadah or a portion of it to other than Allah is Shirk. That is one avenue.
The second avenue of proof is when these Ibaadaat have a special,
specific proof showing in one way or another that whoever gives that
particular Ibaadah to other than Allah has committed Shirk. This verse
used here happens to have two avenues (the two methods) of proof in it.

...

:

The first method is what we mentioned. Khaafooni (
) , He ordered

it (that you fear Me). That made it an Ibaadah. Automatically we know
from other proof that giving an Ibaadah to other than Allah makes it Shirk.
Now in the same verse, there is proof for the second avenue as well.

...

:
Fear Me if you are believers.

Meaning you are not believers if you do not fear Me. So this is specific
proof that if you do not give your fear to Allah, then you have committed
Shirk.
So the first type of proof is if Allah merely ordered it, if He commanded it
or its people, then it entails by other proof that if you give a portion to
other than Allah it becomes Shirk. If it is proven as an Ibaadah, giving a
portion of it or all of it to other than Allah makes it Shirk. Then there is
specific proof to some Ibaadaat.
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Allah says fear Me if you are believers. That is a specific proof and that is
the second avenue.
That is good to know as a debate tactic when debating for example,
especially matters like this, the grave worshippers and the Mubtadian.
When you hit them with proof from different angles and avenues to show
what constitutes Shirk and how it becomes Shirk. So when the author
gives his proof on the matter of Ibaadaat, sometimes he uses the first
method (avenue) and sometimes he uses the second.
THE PROOF OF THE AUTHOR ON KHAWF

Now the specific proof the author chose for this matter right here (fear) is:

...

:
Do not fear them, but fear Me if you are truly believers.
He ordered to fear Him.
And this order is a Waajib, it is commanded. Fear of Allah is Waajib. Why?

Because a general order without any additional proof taking it from being
Waajib to a Sunnah means it remains Waajib. This is something Inshaa
Allah we will elaborate on in Usool. The general order in the Quran or in
the Hadith means it is a Waajib and it does not get deferred to being a
Sunnah unless there is additional proof to show that. If Allah and the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam say it, it means it is a Waajib unless
there is additional proof to indicate it is deferred to being a Sunnah.
For example, grow your beard. Once the command or order comes to grow
your beard, grow your beard, it is a Waajib. Had we had one single proof
from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam where he merely saw
someone shave and did not say anything about it, that automatically
would take it from being a Waajib to a Sunnah. Now here there is an order,
fear Me (Allah says fear Him). That is a Waajib. Why? Because there is no
additional proof to show that it is deferred from being a Waajib to a
Sunnah. Also, an additional way is Allah made it a condition of Imaan.
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If you are believers, you fear Me. Meaning you are not a believer if you do
not do it. Also to substantiate and confirm the order to fear Him, is that
Allah in the early part of the verse said:

...

:
He deterred from fearing the Awliyaa of the Shaytaan (of Jinn and Ins),
and then He ordered direct fear to Him only.
If you do not fear Him, you are not Mumin. As a condition of your Imaan,
you have to fear Him, so you are not Mumin if you do not. In summary,
the verse deters from fear of other than Allah and orders fear of only Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala, as a condition of your Imaan. That is the verse he
chose.
THE TYPES OF FEAR

Next point, not every fear is Ibaadah. If it is the type that is Ibaadah,
giving to other than Allah becomes Shirk, but there are other types that
are not Ibaadah. This is very important to know, especially for Talabat
al-Ilm to know this, otherwise they go round declaring some people
Mushrikeen if they have fear and it is not the Ibaadah fear. Once Allah
ordered Khaafooni (fear Me), it made it Ibaadah. He ordered it, it means it
is something He likes and that falls under the definition that Ibn
Taymiyyah outlined for us, of what constitutes an Ibaadah.
Now there are four types of fear that you need to know about. Once you
know them, you will know which is Shirk, which is prohibited and which is
permissible at times.
NATURAL FEAR
The first one is al-Khawf at-Tabeeee al-Jibillee (
( )natural fear), and I am going to go through them one by one

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Inshaa Allah. Natural fear is permissible, it is not Ibaadah, it is not a

negator of your Imaan and it is most definitely not Shirk. Examples are
fear of a lion or a predatory animal in front of you, a car coming at you at
a high speed, you are around the building and the building is about to
collapse near you, you are in a house and there is a fire, you are in a river
and you fear drowning, you see a snake and you fear that it is going to
bite you or some who have a fear of public speaking. If the means are
there, it is considered permissible natural fear. This is the type of fear
Allah mentioned about Musa alayhis-salaam when he was in the city and
he became afraid.
: ...

Musa became afraid, looking about in the city. He was a Messenger, even
though Allah said:

He was scared.
In other verses talking about Musa:
: ...

He left the city afraid, he escaped from there afraid, looking about in a
state of fear. Allah describes him as being in a state of fear. This is Musa,
did he commit Shirk? Maaath Allah that Musa would commit Shirk.
:
Oh Lord, verily we fear that he would hasten to punish us or he may
transgress upon us. Musa said that about Firawn, and there are many
verses about Musa alayhis-salaam.

:

...

...

:
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: ...

:
...

There is a lot of fear in the story of Musa alayhis-salaam. This is the
natural fear. The story of Musa alayhis-salaam should teach Duaat that if
they happen to fear, it may not be a condition of being a coward. It may
be normal at times when taking on a big task like speaking the truth or
doing the most noble of matters, it may be some fear penetrates in the
heart (the natural fear). However, the courage becomes not to let that
fear deprive one of proceeding forth or make him go cowardly backwards.
Hishaam Ibn Abd al-Malik told his brother Maslamah who was called Layth
al-Wagha or Abu Saeed (his Kunyah was Abu Saeed), did you ever fear in
battles? Maslamah said I have never been free of fear, but I always used
the fear to my advantage in developing a ploy and never did I let the
encompassing fear that I get deprive me of stable thinking or going on
forward. Hishaam replied back to that statement:

That is the true courage. He did not let fear stop him. Courage does not
mean you do not have fear (that is natural fear), it means you control and
direct the fear to succeed in what you are doing. As time goes by, even
that natural fear will vanish and go away. Those verses of fear that we
were saying were in the early Messagehood days of Musa alayhis-salaam.
After one trains himself , controlling that fear, redirecting that fear to his
advantage and the advantage of his mission and giving victory to his goal
and mission, that fear begins to fade away and go and never have any
traces of it.
The story of Musa in the early phases had so much fear in it, but look
towards the end of the Messagehood. After plenty of practice in not letting
fear get in the way, this type of permissible fear vanished. When everyone
feared Firawn and he was behind them, the army that no one has seen
anything like its likes, the ocean in front of them and between them two is
Musa and his followers. After all those verses of fear, at this most critical
time when the ocean is in front of him and the huge army of Firawn
behind him, you would expect to see that Musa would be shaking in terror,
but plenty of training killed that natural fear itself. Everyone was afraid.
Page | 697

:

When the two hosts sought each other, the companions of Musa alayhissalaam said we are going to be overtaken for sure.

:

The stunning words of Musa. Musa said no, verily with me is my Lord, He
will guide me and protect me.
What do you learn here? You learn from this that natural fear is
permissible, it is not Shirk. When natural fear touches one in matters that
you are following the guidance in, you use that fear and you redirect it to
your advantage. You do not stop and with training over time, that fear will
vanish and go away. That is the first type of fear, natural fear.
THE PROHIBITED TYPE OF FEAR

The second type of fear is al-Khawf al-Muharram ( ) , the
prohibited type of fear. This is also considered by some scholars as Shirk
al-Asghar (small Shirk). This type of fear stops one from doing ordains or
committing prohibitions. Fear that stops you from doing a Waajib or gets
you to do a Muharram, and this is what is short of Shirk. For example, he
fears making Salah on time because people will mock him in public places,
he fears to grow a beard because he fears the employer will fire him or
because he does not want to get scrutinised or delayed at airports. He
was in a setting where people were listening to music and he did not want
to tell them that music is Haraam, because he did not want to be singled
out, criticised or outcast. He let his clothes go below the ankle because he
did not want to look different, he did not want people to point fingers at
him or mock him. He did not speak the truth and stand up for his brothers
and sisters who desperately need him, because he did not want to be
labelled as a radical or an extremist.
This is the type of fear that is in the verse:
Page | 698
This was after the Battle that the Muslims fought. The believers were told,
verily the pagans have gathered against you a great army so fear them.
They gathered another army to fight you again. The hypocrites always
come at you, do not speak about prisoners rights, do not forbid the evil,
the west and their governments will tap your phone. When something of
that similar nature was told to the Sahaabah:

It increased them in faith and they said Allah is sufficient for us and we
put our trust in Allah.
Those that scare you, they are the devils.

...

:
It is only the Shaytaan that suggests to you to fear his Awliyaa.
Some considered this category of fear as Haraam because it gets you to
leave some ordains or it gets you to do some prohibitions, for fear of other
than Allah. Some Ulamaa considered it small Shirk because of the Hadith
in Musnad Ahmad and it really possibly depends on the heart feeling in
this. It is between Haraam and small Shirk because of the Hadith of the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Allah tells a servant on
the Day of Judgment, why did you not deter from the evil and he says oh
Allah I feared people. Allah replies to him, Allah subhaanahu wa taaala
says you should have feared Me.
:
:
:
He feared the people. He said and he admitted to Allah I feared people,
and Allah said you should have feared Me.
Now under this second category (the fear that is prohibited), we have
additional categories. This is a matter that must be noted and it is the
exemptions where one could possibly say the words of Kufr wal-Iyaathu
Billah, do a Haraam or not do an ordain.
IKRAAH
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The first one is if the injury, harm or threat that you are going to get is
unbearable. This is called Ikraah (), this is A. Someone whipped or
lashed to the point that they can no longer take it, there is details on the
level of what constitutes Ikraah but as Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah said, it
depends on the one being tortured. Why? Because some people can
endure extreme torture and some cannot, some are softies. Some Ulamaa
said prison is Ikraah, others said no. Each circumstance is different and it
must be studied and analysed independently. It really depends on the
individual. Al-Khaazin said it must be extreme pain and torture that one
cannot bear or even death. Sometimes for some people, it could be an
older man who is very sick, one day in prison could constitute Ikraah
(unbearable harm). Whereas for a younger, healthy, strong man, a lifetime
in prison would not constitute Ikraah. There is other evidence and
indicators that point to what is Ikraah and what is not, and really it has got
to be studied on an individual basis.
One must keep in mind that the word of Tawheed and the rights of Allah
(of Haraam and Halaal) are mighty matters and they are mighty matters
that a true believer would hate to compromise, unless it is the biggest of
unbearable torture, and one with the strongest of Imaan would rather lose
his life than compromise on that. There is no doubt that being firm even if
it costs one his death is better, but we are saying what if someone decides
to take the exemption. For example, when September 11 happened, some
supposed Shuyookh or Duaat or whatever they want to call themselves,
they ran around issuing Fatwas that a woman can just wear a hat for
Hijaab. Some type of hat that they said is good and that is Hijaab. Why?
They said it is Ikraah, and that is foolishness and that is jokes. After
September 11, you can possibly count on your fingers how many of our
beloved sisters were harmed. Yet they began to make it an issue as if it
was an issue of Ikraah, compromising something that is Waajib. Those are
the human devils, and that type of thinking.

...

:
THE ONE THREATENING MUST BE ABLE TO CARRY OUT
AND YOU ARE UNABLE TO DEFEND YOURSELF
THE
THREAT
You need to keep in mind that Ikraah is one threatening must be able to
carry out what he claims and you must not be able to defend yourself.
And if you are ordered to say Kufr, do a Haraam or leave a Waajib and it is
Page | 700
unbearable harm, then you can take it. If you cannot defend yourself and
he can carry out what he is saying he is going to do to you.
YOU HAVE
TO
TRULY BELIEVE HE WILL CARRY OUT
THE
THREAT
Number two, you have to believe that he will actually carry out that
threat, it is not a possibility. Meaning if I do not do that Haraam or say that
word of Kufr wal-Iyaathu Billah, he would definitely kill me. He would
definitely, the whip is in his hand and he is going to whip me so much that
I will not even be able to bear it. Mere threats do not constitute Ikraah as
Ibn al-Jawzi narrated that Imaam Ahmad said in Zaad Al-Maseer (
). That is the second one.

THE THREAT MUST BE IMMINENT
The third is that what you are threatened with has to be imminent, it is
going to happen now. If it is a matter of the future, wait. So not only are
you sure it is going to happen, but it is going to happen right now or very
imminent (in a few moments). So if they say for example, shave your
beard or say words of Kufr wal-Iyaathu Billah and the threat will not be
carried out, you wait until they are about to carry out that threat.
THERE IS NO IKRAAH IF YOU HAVE A CHOICE

The final point is if they give you a choice like that of Shuayb alayhissalaam.

...

They told Shuayb, either leave the country or come back to our religion.
He said no way will I go back. They gave him a choice. You either leave
the USA or do this Haraam, pack up and leave if they give you the choice.
You do not say my property, my friends, my family, there is no Ikraah if
you have a choice.
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THE LEVEL
OF
HARM
FOR IKRAAH
Just so you know and I want you to know the level of harm one must be
inflicted with or threatened with that he has to know will immediately
happen, before he says Kufr, does a Haraam or leaves an obligation. To
know the level, you know the whipping and lashing that they used to have
back in the days is much worse than what is done today. In fact, the one
lashing Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal Rahimahullah said to him:

If the whips I hit you with, I went and hit an elephant with, they would
drop that elephant dead.
Imaam Ahmad objected to the scholars who claimed Ikraah during his
time. When they claimed torture, he said that is not torture. When they
were giving them the choice between saying the Quran is the creation of
Allah when it is in reality the word of Allah, Imaam Ahmad objected to that
but some of the Ulamaa gave in. And when he questioned them, they
said:

...

...

:
He said when that verse was revealed, Ammaar was being lashed, you
guys were merely threatened. Meaning he did not think it was sufficient to
be threatened, you have to surely know that it is going to be carried out
and carried out immediately on the spot. He did not exempt them when
they began to say the issue of Ammaar radhiallahu anhu and how he said
what he said. One of the best friends of Imaam Ahmad (Yahya Ibn Maeen)
gave in and said some words to avoid torture. Imaam Ahmad objected to
his friend and he said one time about Yahya Ibn Maeen, he tells me he
was under Ikraah and he was not even lashed. Imaam Ahmad objected to
his friend Yahya because he said it without being lashed or being
threatened on the spot, so the scrutiny is very high to become Ikraah and
use the exemption that we have.
THERE
IS
NO MUTADI
IN IKRAAH
Keep in mind, and here is another matter where other people go wrong,
you cannot be a Mutadi ( )in Ikraah. What does that mean? With the
rights of Allah, Allah subhaanahu wa taaala is very merciful. He forgives,
He gives you exemption. It is different with the rights of Muslims. So if
under Ikraah (under torture or being killed) and ones heart is full of
Page | 702
Imaan, he can say the words of Kufr to avoid that unbearable punishment.
It is from the mercy of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala that He makes it an
exemption to His rights, but not to the rights of Muslims. As in the case of
Ammaar, he told Quraysh some words under duress and torture. That is
the right of Allah, Allah subhaanahu wa taaala forgives. They lash you so
bad or they cut your flesh with knives as we saw on clips from Syria and
you say Bashaar is Allah wal-Iyaathu Billah or whatever they want you to
say, you cannot take it anymore and you say it, it is better to be patient
and not say it but if you do, you are exempted. But let us say they have
someone in prison and they tell them to do fornication with another
Muslim. Decades ago when I used to listen to Kishk Rahimahullah on his
old tapes and talk about prison conditions in Egypt back in the sixties, he
said there were circumstances when they would tell a man (a prisoner) to
have a relationship with another prisoner. Even if they shred you piece by
piece, you cannot do that. Why?
: ...

...

No bearer of burdens shall bear the burden of another.
And also in Sunan Ibn Maajah:

There should be no harming and no reciprocating harm.
What is common today all over the world is that someone goes to prison
for example, and they really want someone else for another reason,
maybe someone was speaking the truth on matters. They have no
evidence that the other person did anything wrong in their supposed legal
system, so they go to people around him and to his surrounding Muslim
community. They threaten them with prison, they harass them or keep
visiting them. Sometimes they take them to prison for some petty ticket or
bogus claims, then they threaten them with big sentences or sometimes
they just merely imply threats. Then at the end they say well if you testify
against Shaykh so and so or another individual, we will reduce your
sentence from twenty years to five years or we will let you go home right
now. Or they say we will drop the immigration charges on you and we will
let you stay in this country, we will give you citizenship. I can name many
worldwide who are like this and many who are oppressed worldwide and
are in prison because of this.
They testify falsely to save themselves and put other Muslims in prison.
You cannot do that Islamically, no matter how bad the torture is. Once it
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comes to harming a Muslim, the limits of Ikraah stop. With the rights of
Allah, He gives you leverage, He forgives you and He does not hold you
accountable. With Muslims, even if you are tortured or killed to rape a
Muslim, to testify falsely or to say something, if they give you the choice
between that (the torture) and killing a Muslim or you go home but you kill
or harm a Muslim, you cannot.
Al-Qurtubi Rahimahullah said:
Al-Qurtubi Rahimahullah said it is Ijmaa one who is compelled to kill

another cannot kill him. There is no compelling in this, there is no Ikraah
on this.

Not only killing, he said there is Ijmaa you cannot be compelled (there is
no Ikraah) to transgress on the honour by lashing or anything similar of
that nature. Meaning they say we will whip you or you whip the Muslim, no
whip me. There is no choice in that. Kill him or you will be killed, no kill
me. There is no choice.
Al-Qurtubi said he must be patient in this matter. There is no choice in it.
Ijmaa, he cannot ransom himself for another.
Nasalallahu Aaafiyah. At the end of his quote he said, and you ask Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala to keep you safe from those type of trials. It is
Ijmaa, you do not have a choice in those matters. When it comes to the
rights of a Muslim, it is not a choice of Ikraah. The rights of Allah, Allah
exempts you, He will not hold you accountable if it is Ikraah. With Muslim
rights, there is no choice, there is no Ikraah.
MASHAQQAH
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The second level after Ikraah is Mashaqqah (), which is difficult

hardship that one can bear. It is a hardship but one can bear it, like a little
bit of lashing or a prison term he can handle. There is a difference
between the first one I mentioned (Ikraah) and Mashaqqah. The first one I
mentioned (Ikraah) is unbearable, Mashaqqah is bearable. It is a hardship,
but it is bearable. One cannot fear this fear to leave an ordain or do a
Haraam.
SLIGHT HARDSHIP
The third level of harm or threat of harm is like curses or mocking. This
one also does not give you the exemption, you cannot do a Haraam or
leave out an ordain.
AL-WAHAN WAL-JUBUN
The fourth one is al-Wahan wal-Jubun () , and it is really
being cowardly. It has no reality and you cannot leave an ordain or do a
Haraam for this one, because really this one is a figment of imagination.
And really this is the one that goes on most of the time in our
communities.
Let me give you an overall of what we took so far so you will not get lost,
because this branched out a little bit. Last week we took an example of
Ibaadah which is Duaa, today it is Khawf. We took the definition of Khawf,
that is the first thing we took. Then we took the two avenues of how to
show an Ibaadah becomes Shirk. Then we took specific proof that the
author used for Ibaadah.

...

:
Then we took the types of fear, because not all fears are Shirk. The first
one was natural fear and we said that is permissible. Then we took the
prohibited type of fear and we took under it four categories of compulsion.
That is what we took so far.
In summary, this (the second type of fear) is prohibited because it makes
you leave an obligation or do a sin. It is not secret fear but it is an
apparent one. There are people there who are going to make fun of
someone, someone may curse him or they are going to torture him, it is
not secret or hidden fear. So this is apparent fear and you cannot use that
to leave an ordain or do a Haraam.
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THE REVERENTIAL FEAR

The third type of fear is the reverential fear, an Ibaadah fear or reverential
fear. This is the fear that makes one do deeds and refrain from sins. This is
the good fear, this is the fear of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. This is what
is considered Ibaadah, therefore giving it to other than Allah becomes
Shirk. To fear someone as you fear Allah becomes Shirk. To fear someone
to the point of worship like making Duaa to him, that is considered Shirk
Akbar.
Al-Fudhayl Ibn Iyyaadh Rahimahullah said:

Whoever fears Allah, his fear will direct him to all good. And every heart
that does not have fear of Allah in it is like a demolished house (it is like a
wrecked house).
They told al-Hasan al-Basri, Abu Saeed (the Kunyah of al-Hasan al-Basri)
there is those people who scare us so much about the Hereafter that they
tear and shred our hearts apart, they terrorise our hearts about the life
after. Al-Hasan al-Basri said for you to have friends who will make you fear
so that you will be at security in the Aakhirah is better than to have
friends who will make you feel secure in this world, and end up in terror in
the Aakhirah.
IS ALL FEAR
OF
ALLAH PRAISEWORTHY?
Now is all fear of Allah praised? No. We have to explain it, there is an
explanation to it. A, there is the fear that is not praiseworthy. The not
praiseworthy to Allah is the one that makes one despair and give up hope.
It brings sorrow and distress to the heart and even makes one transgress
in his sins because he despairs. The man who killed ninety nine, they told
him you are not going to be forgiven, he killed a hundred. That is what
happens when you despair, you have no hope in Allah, but overwhelming
fear that makes you despair. You despair the mercy of Allah and give up
hope. That is the wrong type of fear, that type of fear will cause a person
to continue in sin due to the fact that he totally gives up hope. That is the
unpraiseworthy fear.
Then you have the praiseworthy fear of Allah. That praiseworthy fear of
Allah is when it prevents you from being disobedient to Allah and it causes
you to fulfil the obligatory duties to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. The fear
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of Allah that makes you stop doing prohibitions is praised. The fear that
makes you do the ordain, that is good fear. This is the fear that actually
gives tranquillity, happiness and peace to the heart and that is what keeps
you steadfast on the Deen. If you reach the goal with this fear, the heart
settles and becomes at peace when you truly fear Allah. It becomes
dominated by joy in the blessing that Allah subhaanahu wa taaala will
forgive you if you made mistakes and will reward you if you did good. Ibn
al-Qayyim Rahimahullah in Madaarij As-Saalikeen said Ibn Taymiyyah used
to say the praiseworthy fear is the one that confines you from doing
prohibition (it stops you from doing any prohibition). Some of the Salaf
used to say one is not fearful of Allah unless he leaves sins.
FEAR
OF THE
PLAN
OF
ALLAH
The next point is the levels of fear from Allah, in this category there is
levels of fear from Allah. Fear of Allah is levels. The first one is fear of the
planning of Allah.
:

Allah says in this rhetorical question, do they feel secure against the plan
of Allah? None feels secure from the plan of Allah except people who are
losers.
Being secure from the plan of Allah is a sign of a loser (the ultimate loser).
How can you feel free from the plan of Allah when you know the hearts
are between the two fingers of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, He changes
them as He wishes. When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
mentioned this Hadith, he then followed it by the Duaa:

He drastically changes the hearts and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam made Duaa that his heart remain firm on His Deen.
How many rich become poor? How many poor become rich? He changes
matters drastically. How many honoured become dishonoured in a
moments notice? How many dishonoured become honoured? How many
wretched become righteous? How many righteous turned into being
wretched? Your heart is like a blowing feather, it rapidly changes. So if the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam made Duaa that Allah keep his heart
steadfast on the Deen and his sins (prior and future) were forgiven, then
that should be something on the tip of our tongue always.
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You always fear the plan of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. If you are in front
of a TV, look how your heart changes in just one day. You are in front of a
TV, your heart is one way. If you are with bad friends, your heart is
another way. If you are with good friends, your heart is another way. If you
are with Ulamaa and Talabat al-Ilm, your heart is in a much better way.
Your heart changes so many times in one day, so you should always fear
the plan of Allah.

:

The sign of truthfulness and righteousness is they fear the plan of Allah.
That is the first type of fear of Allah.
FEAR
OF
A BAD END
Then you fear the bad end, and this type of fear shredded the hearts of
the believers and our Salaf. Uthman Ibn Madhoon radhiallahu anhu, the
first man who was labelled as-Salaf as-Saalih and he was the first one to
be buried in the Baqee. He prohibited alcohol on himself in Jaahiliyyah
before Islam, so imagine how good his Islam was. He was the brother of
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam by nursing, he got the honour of
migrating both migrations which is a lot of reward (the first one to
Madinah and then before that he was in Abyssinia). He was from the first
believers who believed even before Daar al-Arqam Ibn Abi al-Arqam.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam entered his house when he was
dying and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam kissed him, and it was
said that tears from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam fell on
Uthman. Some consider this portion of the Hadith Hasan and some
consider it weak, this portion about him and his tears falling on him.
However in Sahih al-Bukhari, when he died Umm al-Alaa said may Allah
have mercy on you Abu as-Saaib (the nickname of Uthman), I testify that
Allah has honoured you. She is talking to Uthman Ibn Madhoon. The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said to her, how do you know that?
Umm al-Alaa said I do not know oh Prophet of Allah, I do not know by
Allah. Look what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, he said
death has come to him and I wish all good for him by Allah. Although I am
the Apostle of Allah, I do not know what will happen to me or to you. Umm
al-Alaa said Wallahi I will never attest to the righteousness of anybody
after that statement by the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
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sallam. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says by Allah although I

am an Apostle, I do not know what will happen to me nor to you. So how
could we not fear that end? That end that we want to be in good.
When Sufyaan ath-Thawri was on his deathbed, a visitor walked in. He said
you are crying Sufyaan because you fear your sins? So Sufyaan took a
little stick like a toothpick or something out and he said I fear my sins less
than this, what I fear is that I will be stripped of my Imaan before I die. He
was on his deathbed, I fear I will not die a good death. That is Sufyaan, the
man who we spoke about, the Aalim, the Muhaddith, the Zaahid, the
Imaam, the Aabid, you remember we mentioned in this class about his
Ibaadah. Then Hammaad Ibn Salamah (the Imaam of Zuhd) walked in to
visit Sufyaan. He said good news Sufyaan, you are going to meet the One
you had so much hope in and He is the Most Generous. He was giving him
some hope, Sufyaan said Abu Salamah (the nickname of Hammaad Ibn
Salamah), do you think Allah will forgive a man like me?

Sufyaan ath-Thawri says do you think Allah will forgive a man like me?
When al-Muzani went to visit his Shaykh ash-Shaafiee when he was on his
deathbed (al-Muzani is a student of ash-Shaafiee), he said how do you
feel Shaafiee? He said I feel like I am departing but I do not know if my
soul will go to Heaven to congratulate it, or whether it will go somewhere
else so I can give it condolence.
Muadh, the man the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says Wallahi I
love you, the man who took Islam to Yemen, a youth committed to Allah,
he was on his deathbed at the age of thirty two (because of the plague
that was spread). He used to keep asking is it morning? They say no. He
said is it morning? No. They said why do you keep asking if it is morning?
He said I seek refuge in Allah from a night that I will spend its day in Hell.
Muadh said that. He went on to say oh Allah You know I used to fear You
and I have hope in you, oh Allah I did not love life for its gardens and
rivers but the thirst in the day (meaning for his fasting) and for crowding
around the Ulamaa. Then he began to repeat Laa Ilaaha Illallah, Laa
Ilaaha Illallah until his death. That is a snippet of how our Salaf used to
fear the bad ending. Nasalallahu Husn al-Khaatimah (
).
FEAR
OF JAHANNAM AND
BEING DEPRIVED
OF
SEEING ALLAH
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The next type of fear is the fear of the punishment of Jahannam and not
seeing Allah. Fear of not seeing Allah is terrorising. Those who are doomed
to Hell Aaathina Allahu Wa Iyyaakum Min Thaalik (
) will face the biggest torment but being deprived from the best
pleasure of seeing Allah is an even bigger torment. Some Ulamaa said the
biggest punishment is to be deprived from the sight of Allah if you are not
allowed to see Him.
Then He says:
: ...

...

And then He says:
A Heaven bigger than the sky and the earth yet it has no room in it for
you, and worse than that is not being able to see Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala (the ultimate pleasure). The least punishment in Hell is two tiny
little stones under the feet of someone that will fry his brains, Aaathina
Allahu Wa Iyyaakum Min Thaalik () . A
place no one wants to be, its food is fire, its water is fire, its clothing is
fire. Zaqqoom (), Hameem ().
...
: ...

We conclude with that type of fear, and that is the third level of fear from
Allah.
THE SECRET SUPERNATURAL FEAR

Now the fourth fear is secret, supernatural fear, Khawf as-Sirr (
). Fear from other than Allah, that which only Allah could do. Khawf
as-Sirr means fearing someone will harm you in a way only Allah can do,
for example a supposed saint in the grave harming someone alive. This is
the type of fear that the grave worshippers have and of course it is Shirk
Akbar.
It is like the fear the people of Hud had in their idols.
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:
The people of Hud told him, we think that our gods (which is their false
deities) seized you with an evil madness (they put their curse on you).
What did Hud respond to them? I call on Allah, Allah is my witness that I
am free from that which you ascribe as partners in worship to Allah.
He considered what they said as Shirk. They said their lords touched Hud
with a madness, meaning you said something bad about our lords so they
put a curse on you, they made you a crazy man. That is the fear they had
from their false deities. When he responded back, he said:

What you just said is Shirk. That type of fear is Shirk. Fear of a person in a
grave or a Waali far away can harm the way Allah can harm, that is called
the secret fear and this is ash-Shirk al-Akbar. This category of Shirk is
Shirk al-Akbar and that is major Shirk regardless of whether he fears one
dead or alive.
If they are dead, it is Shirk to fear the dead even if it is something that
was under their control and power when they were alive. It is Shirk
because now they are dead. If I fear someone punching me, that is natural
fear. But if I fear a dead person is going to punch me, he could have done
that when he was alive but now he is dead it is Shirk Akbar. I can fear
someone in front of me stabbing me, that is natural fear and we spoke
about that in the first category. This fourth category, if I fear that fear in a
person who is dead it becomes Shirk Akbar. Fear someone can make me ill
without means is Shirk Akbar. Fear of someone depriving me of having
kids is Shirk Akbar. These are matters only Allah subhaanahu wa taaala
can do. Fear of inanimate objects like a blessed tree or metal that is
around the grave of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam or something
like that, fear of that is Shirk Akbar.
A particular story that a Shaykh mentioned comes to mind. He said they
were visiting Egypt on a Dawah trip one time and portions there (the
ignorant) take Badawi as a saint and they fear him the way they fear
Allah. Many people throughout the world do, not just in Egypt, but he was
visiting Egypt with a colleague. Some even fear him more than they fear
Allah in statements that they say. The Shaykh said we were in the
backseat of a taxi cab and a young boy (a beggar) came and asked my
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colleague for money. The Shaykh gave him a little bit of Egyptian money,
the young boy got greedy or did not think that was enough so he said I
ask you by Badawi to give me more. Note he said I ask you by Badawi
(Badawi is the saint), he did not say I ask you by Allah to give me more. It
is known in some areas that they take Badawi similarly to Allah, they give
him qualities of Allah and if you are asked by Badawi it is known you have
to answer. That is how you avoid the curse of the Badawi on you. The
Shaykh said give me back the money I gave you. The Shaykh said
because you gave an oath by Badawi, you do not get anything, you need
to learn a lesson never to give an oath or ask by other than Allah
Then they drove away and the cab driver said save us, save us. The
Shaykh said what are you talking about? He said he is asking Badawi to
save them. He said you cursed or disrespected Badawi, look what is going
to happen to us now and the driver became afraid of Badawi because he
deemed that the Shaykh disrespected him when he took the money and
would not give the young boy. When they reached their destiny safely, the
Shaykh said look, we reached safely and nothing happened Alhamdulillah.
Instead of the cab driver realising what he was doing is fake and that is
Shirk, he said al-Badawi has been patient with us. Shirk after Shirk.
Badawi is dead in his grave, he cannot harm or help. This is the Khawf asSirr, this is the Shirk Akbar and this was mentioned in the verse:
:
How should I fear those whom you associate in worship to Allah, they can
neither benefit nor harm. That was the statement of Ibraheem alayhissalaam.
It is important to know these four categories of fear (the main ones that I
mentioned) because some declare someone a Mushrik if they have the
natural fear. You have seen that a lot, and this should clear up that matter.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KHASHYAH AND KHAWF

As a very last point, what is the difference between Khashyah ()
and Khawf? Both mean fear in Arabic, however Khashyah is more specific
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or a higher level of fear because it combines between the fear of Allah and
coats it with the knowledge of Allah. That is why when the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam talked about himself, he did not say Akhaaf (
)because he is the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He has

Marif of Allah, he has knowledge of Allah. He said:

He is at a higher level so he used Khashyah, I have Khashyah of Allah.
Look when Allah talks about Ulamaa, because they know Allah.

: ...

...
Khawf comes from an ignorant, whereas Khashyah comes from the

knowledgeable in Allah, those who have Marifah in Allah and fear in Allah.
Another difference is Khashyah comes because you honour. You see one
you fear as mighty and supreme and you love him, whereas Khawf could
come at times not because you honour but you fear because you are at a
weakness. The second one is a linguistic difference in Khawf and
Khashyah.
CLASS THIRTY THREE

RAJAA
We are still going through the examples of Ibaadah that the author
Rahimahullah mentioned. After Duaa, we took fear and then the third
example that he mentions is:

Then later on after he mentions and he repeats ar-Rajaa with proof as we
said he is going to do in the book, the proof that he chooses is:

:

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Whoever hopes to see his Lord and be rewarded by Him, let him make his
worship correct, pure and sincere for the sake of Allah. And let him not
make any share for anyone other than Allah subhaanahu wa taaala.
THE DEFINITION OF RAJAA

Rajaa is hope. It is hope and longing which a person wishes and it could
be something that is close, that is what it usually is. It could be something
that is far off but treated as though it is close. This earnest hope of Rajaa
includes humility and submission. This type that includes humility and
submission may not be directed to anyone other than Allah subhaanahu
wa taaala.
He mentioned Rajaa after fear, he said:

This is because Rajaa and Khawf are like two wings of a bird and that
shows the Fiqh of the author in mentioning them right after each other. To
a Muslim, Rajaa and Khawf are spiritually like the two wings of a bird. You
fly with them to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala spiritually, to reach the
highest of all places. Last year I gave a seminar from around pre dawn to
nearly midnight with some slight breaks, just on those two Ibaadaat (the
Ibaadah of fear and hope). I am not sure if the recording is available but if
it is, I refer you to that because we went into some details and this shows
you that what we study here is somewhat of a summary. Not a basic
summary but a summary, because we said the explanation has to
coincide with the style of the book.
TYPES OF RAJAA
Now there are two types of Rajaa. Some Rajaa is Ibaadah and some is
Aadah ().
NATURAL HOPE
Rajaa Tabeeee () , Aaadah Tabeeee (natural Rajaa). That
is when one has hope in someone in what that person is able to do, that is
natural hope. To have hope your wife has dinner ready, it is under her
control and it is under her power that Allah has given her. That is normal,
natural hope and that is not the type of worship that constitutes Shirk.
THE IBAADAH TYPE
OF
RAJAA
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The second type of Ibaadah of Rajaa is hope and longing with lowliness,
humility and submission, and in matters only Allah subhaanahu wa taaala
can do. If this type goes to other than Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, then it
is major Shirk. For example, to have hope in humans giving you victory in
matters that only Allah can do (major Shirk). To have hope in someone
alive, someone dead, in an inanimate object or in those not present
without any materialistic means or something not at their reach or under
their power given to them, to have hope in that is major Shirk.
Basically in a one liner, it is hoping from them matters only Allah can do
that is Shirk Akbar. In the case of having hope in the dead, it is just like we
mentioned earlier about Duaa and fear. Having hope (Rajaa) in a dead in
matters that they could have done while they were alive becomes major
Shirk now that they are dead. That is the two kinds of hope (Rajaa) that
there is. One is normal and natural, and the other one is the Ibaadah type
which if given to other than Allah becomes Shirk.
THE PRAISED
AND
DISPRAISED FORM
OF
RAJAA
Then there is a praised form of Rajaa. The praised form of Rajaa, Rajaa
Mahmood ( ) is for both sinners and those who are
righteous. How so? For the righteous, seeking and having hope in the Ajr
(reward) of Allah while doing His ordains and commands, that is praised.
Meaning you have hope (Rajaa) in Allah and you are actually working for
it, that is praised Rajaa. It is the Rajaa of an individual doing the
obedience of Allah on the brightness and guidance from Allah, hoping for
the reward of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. That is the good Rajaa, may
Allah subhaanahu wa taaala make us among these people. Again, it is the
Rajaa of an individual striving to be obedient to Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala on the brightness and guidance from Allah, hoping for the reward
of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. Hope is a heart action but it also entails a
physical follow up. If the heart action has hope in it, there is a physical
affect to it. Rajaa is a heart belief yes, but its affect must show on the
limbs. This is the true, correct form of Rajaa (the proper and praised form
of Rajaa).
That is for the righteous, however we also said there is a praised form of
Rajaa for sinners. Can a sinner have Rajaa (hope) in Allah? Most
definitely. A sinner who made a sin and repented, then had hope in Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala that Allah will forgive him, that is a praised form of
Rajaa. That is good hope. The praised form of Rajaa is the Rajaa of one
who has committed a sin then repented to Allah, hoping for the
forgiveness of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala.
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We are all that sinner. We are all in deep need of repentance all the time
and we all need to have hope in Allah subhaanahu wa taaala that He will
forgive us. Our hope is not only that Allah subhaanahu wa taaala will
forgive us when we repent (the action of repenting), but that He will even
change them into deeds.

: ...

In another verse:
...
...
:
Ibn al-Qayyim Rahimhullah said a beautiful statement that pertains to
hope here. He said it may be that a sin causes one to go to Jannah and it
may be a deed that causes one to go to Jahannam, wal-Iyaathu Billah.
What did he mean by that, because some people misinterpret his quote.
At times, deeds could give one excessive hope. Sometimes, if you do not
restrain and control yourself. They may make someone arrogant. It
happens with those who may even appear to be righteous sometimes.
Sometimes arrogance seeps into some and they get to the point of feeling
that they are doing Allah subhaanahu wa taaala a favour. He forgot Allah
granted him the blessing of guidance, let alone the details of performing
the Ibaadaat and the obedience and now he thinks he is giving Allah
favours. Your deeds, your Imaan and your Islam are blessings from Allah.
Just like the blessing of food and water, in fact more important than that.

:

They regard as a favour over you (Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam) that they have embraced Islam. Allah told the Messenger
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, tell them do not count your Islam as a favour
over me.
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Allah conferred the favour over you as He has guided you to the faith, if
you are indeed truthful.
A properly raised person on this hope, no matter the quantity and quality
of deeds he performs, he does not let his hope go to an extreme of Ghuloo
(( )excessiveness) to the point that he feels that he is doing Allah
favours. He always feels he is having shortcomings and not only does he
feel his shortcomings, but on top of that he thanks Allah for letting him do
what he is able to do of the deeds. You read Quran, you spoke a word of
truth at a time when people are silent, you did your Qiyaam, you are a
Mujaahid maybe, you are in the path of Allah, you are imprisoned for the
sake of Allah, you are harmed for the cause of Allah, all that and you say
Alhamdulillahi Rabbil-Aalameen that Allah honoured me with that. Allah
has all the favours over me and you for choosing us and allowing us to do
that.
Look how privileged you are in simple Ibaadaat, look how Allah blessed
you and honoured you with that. Just to show you that you need to be
thankful to Allah that He even let you and that He chose you to do those
Ibaadaat. Tonight there are changing the daylight saving time, the
summer time and Maghrib will now be around six thirty five. Those who
took advantage of fasting in the past months broke their Maghrib before
the masses broke their dinner. At one point Maghrib was about four fifty,
before people returned home for dinner. The days were so cold and so
short, you did not even need a sip of water during the day time. Many of
you fasted for the sake of Allah Inshaa Allah. At the same time, others
fasted but they did not do it for the sake of Allah, they did it because it
just was not time for dinner. You got Ajr, they did not. Very, very very few
took advantage of making an Ibaadah while the overwhelming majority
did not. It is a favour of Allah over you, so you say Alhamdulillah that you
were among those who were blessed to do and perform that Ibaadah.
Allah honoured you with it.
You never ever feel you are the one offering Allah favours, feel that you
need to thank Allah subhaanahu wa taaala say and night that He
honoured you to complete that Ibaadah. Take for example like fasting,
Dhikr, reading Quran and memorising Quran. It is easy, Allah said it is
easy.

:
We made the Quran (the Dhikr) easy.
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Reading it is easy, memorising it is easy and Dhikr is easy. Two days ago, I
was invited to a Quran competition for a relative. Four years old,
Allahumma Baarik Lahu and to his family. The whole group of children
read Surat Yaseen, he got first place for reading Surat Yaseen. The whole
group read Surat Yaseen and that four year old is about to finish Juzz
Amma. Not only him, but all his class memorised Surat Yaseen. Four year
old and born in this country and you tell me elders cannot do that? But the
key is Allah chooses some. Is there anyone who during his drive to work,
in his leisure time or while in an office waiting for someone, is there
anyone who cannot say Alhamdulillah, Laa Ilaaha Illallah, Allahu Akbar?
Everyone can, but Allah chooses some so do not think you are doing
favours to Allah. Do them sincerely and thank Him that He allowed you to
do them. Memorisation of the Quran, Jihad or anything in between that,
you say Alhamdulillah that Allah bestowed upon me His blessings and
favours to do it, He has all the favours over me. That is what Ibn alQayyim Rahimahullah meant when he said a deed may cause one to go to
Hell. It may give him extreme hope with pride, and a big ego that causes
him to enter Jahannam wal-Iyaathu Billah.
Then the second part his statement, he said a sin may be the cause for
one to go to Jannah. What does he mean by that? A person made a sin, he
felt remorse and that is part of hope. He felt remorse and he repented. He
humbled himself to Allah and it got him to return to Allah. He had hope in
Allah but not just any hope, he hoped followed by the action of
repentance. He turned to Allah in agony over that sin that he repented
from and he followed it with deed after deed until he met Allah not only
entering Jannah, but all the way to Firdaws. That is the good kind of hope,
that is the praised form of Rajaa.
So the praised hope is 1A, hope for a sinner. A sinner who repented and
followed that with good deeds. That is a good hope. Hope for reward for
one who is doing good, as he continues and strives to do his deeds and
obedience to Allah.
Now the second category or form is the dispraised form of Rajaa and an
example for this is one who transgresses in sins. He leaves obedience and
submission to Allah but then has hope in the forgiveness of Allah. That is
not called Rajaa, that is called Tamannee (). There is a difference
between Tamannee and Rajaa. Like many you see today, they transgress
in their sins and they do not even have the thought of repenting (the
actual thought of repenting). They have extreme hope with no action,
then they tell you:

:

...

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And they neglect:

:

...

:

Declare oh Muhammad to my slaves that I am the Oft Forgiving, the Most
Merciful.
That is what they take, but what about the second part of the Ayah? Tell
them finish the Ayah for us.
And my torment is indeed the most painful torment.

Two wings of a bird, Khawf and Rajaa. There is a difference between the
correct form of Rajaa which translates into hope (Rajaa is hope), and
then you have Tamannee which will be translated into just wishing (wishful
thinking with no basis or foundation). We want Rajaa, we do not want
Tamannee. Al-Hasan al-Basri said there are those who are fooled by the
hope they have. They have Tamannee not Rajaa, they are those who are
fooled by the hope that Allah will forgive them. They leave this world
without a good deed and they say we think good of Allah (
). He said they are liars, if they truly thought good of Allah, they
would have acted on it (they would have acted in good). Many say it is a
Hadith but it is a statement of Hasan al-Basri.
If one of you gets married and he tells his wife for years (day and night,
morning and afternoon) I love you, I love you, I love you but he shows no
action. He does not treat her good nor support his family nor care for
them. He does not do his duties, he does not take care of them or make
them happy but he tells her every day I love you, I love you. Her answer is
if you love me, show it.
Allah said:

: ...

If you truly love Allah, then follow me. Allah will love you and forgive your
sins.
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If you love Allah, follow the teaching of His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam. That is how you show your love to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala.
Those who have the dispraised form of Rajaa are like a farmer who has a
land, he did not plough the land, take care of it or plant it yet he has
Rajaa that at the end of the season his land will grow fruits like his
neighbor who ploughed it, planted it, irrigated and watered it. If you tell
people about that farmer who did nothing yet expects the land to grow
fruits, they will say he is crazy. Another example of the dispraised form of
Rajaa is like a man who has a wife yet does not have a relationship with
her, but hopes and has Rajaa for a child. People would mock him. Another
example is like a man who has the hope of being an Aalim, yet never
does anything to study Ilm.
What is the difference between Tamannee and Rajaa? Tamannee is the
wrong type of hope. It is the hope of forgiveness with no action of the
limbs. It is more like an illusion, a fantasy or a deformed way of thinking.
On the other hand, Rajaa is having hope while doing the deeds as well.
THE PROOF OF THE AUTHOR ON RAJAA

Now the author chose this verse as proof. There is plenty of proof but the
author chose a specific verse:

...

So whoever hopes to see his Lord and be rewarded by Him, let him make
his worship correctly, purely and sincerely for the sake of Allah and let him
not make any share of his Ibaadah for anyone other than Allah

Whoever has hope. If you look at that sentence right there, that is a form
of praise. If you were to judge that statement there, is it praise or not? It is
praise. Whoever has hope is indicative of praise. If it is praise, it means
what it is talking about is Ibaadah because we said a portion of the
definition of Ibaadah is anything that Allah praised or loves. Yarjoo (
)
means has hope in the mercy of Allah, fearing His punishment.

Page | 720
Hoping and longing to see his Lord. Meeting the Lord (Allah subhaanahu
wa taaala) is two types. Khaas (), it is an honourary special one and
this is for the believers who Allsh is pleased with and they are pleased
with Allah, may Allah subhaanahu wa taaala allow us be among those. So
this is the honourary seeing of Allah or meeting of Allah. Then there is a
Laqaa Aam (
), that is for everyone.
:
Verily, you are returning to your Lord with your deeds and your actions
(both good and bad deeds), for sure you are returning to Him and you will
meet Him.
This one in this verse is for everyone. Everyone is meeting Allah (this
meeting), good and bad.

) is an order to act. If you have hope, you are praised

Falyamal (

but He did not just say hope, He said Falyamal (you have to act). In
addition to the worship of hope, he has to act on it.

Means to make it pure for the sake of Allah, sincere for the sake of Allah
and in accordance (the two rules for any Ibaadah you do).
The proof for that is:
...

:
They were commanded not but that they should worship Allah sincerely as
a condition for their Ibaadah. They have to be sincere and it has to be
pure, that is the first condition.

The second condition for this is it must be in accordance, and the proof for
that is the Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim:
Page | 721

Whoever introduces into our religion that which is not part of it, it will be
rejected. It is an innovation.
So those are the two rules for:

For the deed. Sincerely and in accordance.
Then the tail of the verse:

Let him not make any share of his worship for anyone other than Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala. This part of the verse includes major and minor
Shirk. This is why you do not make Shirk, because the One who nourished
you, who created you and sustained you is the One you are supposed to
worship.
Ahada (

) is Nakirah Fee Siyaaq al-Umoom (
), indefinite noun that it is in the context of negation, which

renders a general meaning. Meaning absolutely completely no one gets a
share of your Ibaadah but Allah. It is to affirm the fact that no one gets a
share. The verse would have been complete without the word Ahada but it
is added as emphasis in this crucial matter, to show that absolutely surely
no one can get a share of that Ibaadah.
Why did the author use this as proof? He used it as proof to show that
Rajaa is Ibaadah. In the verse, Allah subhaanahu wa taaala praised
Rajaa so that made it Ibaadah. So giving a portion to other than Allah
becomes Shirk.
HOPE, LOVE AND FEAR

Note, a believer should have both fear and hope (Khawf and Rajaa). Just
like the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught us in the Hadith in
Tirmidhi and Ibn Maajah on the authority of Anas, that the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam entered upon a man who was dying and he
said how do you feel? He asked him about his status. He said I fear my
Page | 722
sins and I have hope in Allah. So the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
said there is not a believer who has that combination that you just said in
his heart, in a setting like that, except Allah subhaanahu wa taaala will
give him that which he hopes and save him from that which he fears.
The more hope one has, the more that it should entice him to do more
actions and worship. The driving force of actions to get you nearer to Allah
are three. Fear, hope and love (Khawf, Rajaa and Hubb). The strongest,
more powerful of the three is love. They are all mentioned in the verse:

They desire means of access to their Lord (to get closer and nearer to
Allah). That is love right there.

They hope for His mercy, that is hope. And they fear His torment, so the
fear in the torment and the love are in that verse. Love is the head, fear
and hope are like the two wings. That is your spiritual vehicle in your
journey to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, to land you in Firdaws.

Verily the torment of your Lord is something to be afraid of.
Just like you see a bird maneuvering in the sky with his wings, you do the
same with your hope and fear. You never see a bird flopping with one wing
or with a wounded wing. If it is an injured wing and it is not cared for, he
will drop on the floor and die. You need to try your best to keep an overall
balance of your wings of Khawf and Rajaa. At some times, one may be
slightly more than another and that may be the pushing force but overall
you should keep a balance of the wings of Khawf and Rajaa. Khawf and
Rajaa is Targheeb and Tarheeb. Khawf and Rajaa is Jannah and Naar.
Unlike today, the modernists want to cut the wing of Khawf and eliminate
it. They want Targheeb but no Tarheeb. They want the Rajaa part, but not
the Khawf part. They want the mention of Jannah, Jannah, Jannah but no
Jahannam. They think their intellect is wiser than the wisdom of Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala, the All Wise who sent the Messengers with both
Targheeb and Tarheeb, with both Khawf and Rajaa.
Page | 723

: ...

TAWAKKUL
Let us go on to the fourth example of Ibaadah that he chose, which is:

He chose Tawakkul as the fourth example, after Duaa, Khawf and Rajaa.
The proof he chose for Tawakkul is:

:

And place your reliance and trust on Allah if you are true believers.
And he also chose a second proof for Tawakkul, he chose two proofs for
this Tawakkul. The other one he chose is:
:
Whoever places his reliance and trust on Allah, then Allah will suffice him.
This is the fourth Ibaadah that he chose.
WHAT IS TAWAKKUL?
Tawakkul has three prongs to it (three pillars). First of all, Tawakkul is
placing reliance upon something. It is to depend on something and placing
reliance upon Allah subhaanahu wa taaala is to depend upon Allah. That
is first. Second, relying on Allah in addition to depending on Him also
means to accept Allah as being the One who suffices you in bringing
whatever is beneficial to you and protecting you from whatever is harmful.
This is part of completing your faith. Then the third prong, truthful, heart
reliance on Allah does not contradict using means. So using means is part
of Tawakkul, it is a prong.
That is why sometimes you read the work of Ibn al-Qayyim and you get
confused or you think he is contradicting himself. Sometimes you see for
Page | 724
example, he encourages the means, and elsewhere he has statements

where he will reject the usage of means. There is no inconsistency with his
writing. Using means is good, as long as they do not penetrate the heart.
The heart must be in pure, total reliance on Allah subhaanahu wa taaala.
You can use the means but do not let them taint the heart, that will taint
your Tawakkul. You reject the means heart wise, but you may use them
physical wise. The means have no affect without Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala, that is what you have to believe. The heart is tied purely and
totally to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala to achieve to Tawakkul.
At-Tustari said a beautiful statement regarding this matter. He said
whoever neglects the means has neglected the Sunnah and whoever
neglects Tawakkul has neglected Imaan. Then he went on to say using the
means is the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, and Tawakkul is the status of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam. Whoever is on the status of the Messenger of Allah
should not neglect the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah.
TYPES OF MEANS
The means here could be Shariyyah and Qadariyyah (), there is
two types of means. Shariyyah means like prayer (Salah), that is means
to attain the love and pleasure of Allah. Means that are Qadariyyah is like
the usage of medicine (like aspirin for a headache), that is Qadariyyah
means. True Tawakkul means one believes that those means do not harm
or benefit in themselves, you have to understand that. They are
completely under the will of Allah. Whatever He wills will happen and
whatever He does not will, will not happen. You do the means with the
heart fully attached to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala.
THE PROOFS OF THE AUTHOR ON TAWAKKUL

Now the proof he mentions.

:

And place your reliance and trust in Allah if you are true believers.
Reliance on Allah means to rely on Allah, that He is sufficient and the best
disposer of all affairs and the One you delegate your matters to.
Page | 725
Here He says:

An order, and we said in the last class that it means Waajib. What else? It
means Waajib and it also means when Allah ordered it, it is an Ibaadah.
When He ordered it, it means He likes it and it means it is an Ibaadah (the
definition of Ibaadah we took). So that means Tawakkul is only for Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala and you cannot give anyone any portion of it.

If you are true believers, rely on Him. To complete your Imaan, you must
rely and have Tawakkul on Allah (if you are a true believer). Here the verse
says if you are true believers and in Arabic it should have been flipped
around in a way. It should be:

It is switched around because the Quran comes in the peak of the Arabic
eloquency and to teach you its deep, detailed matters. Taqdeem Maa
Haqqahu Takheer Fee Ilm al-Maaanee (
) . Why is it changed like that? To get a linguistic lesson out

of it. It is to add emphasis to rely only on Allah, it is called al-Hasar walQasar (( ) restrict and limit your reliance on Allah). That
is what you get out of it when you change it. Second of all, switching them
around in that sentence, linguistically it tells you Ikhtisaas (). It
is to show Tawakkul is special and particular to Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala. It is a speciality only to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, this type of
reliance is only for Allah subhaanahu wa taaala.
Depend on Allah if you are true believers. In Madaarij As-Saalikeen (
) Ibn al-Qayyim Rahimahullah commenting on this

verse said He made reliance on Allah a condition of believing, which
shows that it is lacking in Imaan for those who lack reliance on Allah.

This verse has the two avenues of proof we talked about, either in last
class or the one before it. It has the two methods of proof that we talked
about (how Ibaadah is proven). In the beginning, He ordered that one rely
on Allah. That made it an Ibaadah. We have other proof that show that if it
Page | 726
is Ibaadah, you cannot give any portion to other than Allah, otherwise it
would be Shirk. So there is the order and it made it Ibaadah. The second
avenue is also in this verse. At the end of the verse where He denies
Imaan for those who do not have reliance on Allah. That is both avenues
of proof in this verse. We spoke about that when we spoke on Khawf I
believe.

...

:

And similar here for Tawakkul.
The author mentioned a second proof.

: ...

...
Whoever places his reliance and trust in Allah, then Allah will be sufficient
for him.
Why did he mention two proofs for Tawakkul? Why did he not just mention
one? Because this is a great Ibaadah. It is an emphasised Ibaadah, so he
mentioned two verses as proof. The first verse is the order to rely on Allah.
The second verse that he chose from his wisdom (pertaining to Tawakkul)
is to show the fruit. Once you do that, what is the fruit of relying on Allah?
If you rely on Allah, then He is sufficient for you. So the second verse is to
tell you Allah will suffice you if you rely on Him. The second verse is to set
the mind of one who trusts in Allah, at rest and ease. This verse is a form
of praise for one who relies on Allah, that Allah loves it. It is an act that
Allah loves and it is proof on how it is Ibaadah (because Allah loves it).
And giving an Ibaadah to other than Allah is Shirk.
In this verse, Allah is telling you rely on Him and He is sufficient for you.
He will take care of you, that is basically what the verse says. Who better
than Allah subhaanahu wa taaala would you want to handle your affairs
or tell you I will take care of your matters? You hear of someone, he will go
to a Shaykh or a doctor and complain about a problem. A doctor, a lawyer,
a Shaykh, a friend or whoever he is complaining to, who is powerless.
When he says to him, alright I got it for you, do not worry, he feels at ease
and peace, becomes confident and gets happy because he is now
comforted. Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, the All Powerful, the Creator of
Page | 727
you and the universe says I am sufficient for you, all you have to do is rely
on Me. In present day terms that is like saying I got you, but who gets the
peace and ease from reciting or learning that verse?
THE FORMS OF TAWAKKUL

TRUST
AND
RELIANCE UPON ALLAH
After the proof, let us go into the forms of Tawakkul. The first form of
Tawakkul is trust and reliance upon Allah. Every Muslim must have this to
complete his Imaan as the verse says. It is a sign of sincerity and it is
obligatory.

You must have that reliance on Allah.
SECRET TRUST
AND
DEPENDENCE
The second type is the secret trust and dependence. This is given to other
than Allah. For example, he depends on someone dead to bring him some
benefit or to remove some harm that only Allah can do. That is major
Shirk. Why is that major Shirk? Because having reliance on someone
deceased can only come from someone who believes that that deceased
has some hidden control over the universe or over the creation. There is
no difference if the deceased is a Prophet, what they call a Wali (a pious
person), if he is an enemy or if he is an angel, it does not matter who it is.
Allah subhaanahu wa taaala ordered that Tawakkul be for Him completely.
He relied on a dead or inanimate object to be saved from evil or to attain
good, that is Shirk Akbar. Thinking a deceased has some control over the
universe and having Tawakkul on him as the Raafidhah believe in their
twelve Imaams or some of the Sufis who call it Qawwa Khafiyyah (
)to their supposed pious heads, that is Shirk Akbar. And like we
said it does not matter if it is a Messenger, a Wali, a tyrant or an enemy of
Allah, it does not matter who that dead person is.
RELYING ON SOMEONE
THOSE MATTERS
IN
AFFAIRS
AND
THEN FEELING LOW
IN
The third form of Tawakkul is relying on someone in affairs and then

feeling low in those matters, as if another person has a higher standard in
those matters so you rely on him. For example, relying on someone alive
Page | 728
to bring you your Rizq, relying on a police officer to save you from evil or
relying on the boss to give you the pay cheque on Friday. He is a creation,
he has some power that Allah has given him and he has the means. You
work and he pays you but the reliance part of the heart should not be
there. And it depends on the level of reliance, sometimes it could be
permissible, sometimes it could be minor Shirk and sometimes it could be
major Shirk.
If you are relying on him as means (like any other means), your heart is
detached from those means, your heart knows that you are fully relying
on Allah and that Allah brought you that means, there is nothing wrong
with that and that is a permissible way of thinking. However, it becomes
minor Shirk if one is fully relying on the means, like the employer for a pay
cheque or an officer for safety. And it can possibly be elevated to major
Shirk, depending on the heart level attachment to those means. For
example, relying on the skills of the doctor for an operation. If you believe
he is means from Allah and your heart is detached from reliance on him,
that is not Shirk. That is permissible, that is means that is good.
In your heart, if you say the success and failure of the operation is from
the skills of the doctor, that is when the minor Shirk begins to seep in and
it could be elevated to worse than that depending on the heart feeling in
that particular matter. The strength of an army for example is means, if it
is detached from the heart then there is nothing wrong with that. In your
heart, if the strength of the army is the determining factor for victory and
defeat, that is when the Shirk begins to seep in there. And when the
means are there, this type is usually and most of the time minor Shirk.
Why is it considered Shirk? Because if you do not watch out, there will
become a strong connection that the heart forms with the means and that
strong dependence upon what is relied on will eat away from the heart
reliance on Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. In a nutshell, keep the means in
your hand, not in your heart. This is not to discourage from means, but to
keep the heart pure on the pure Tawheed that we want, and that is
essential to the Ibaadah of Tawakkul. Sometimes like with the example of
the employer, the means are recommended and you are recommended to
do them. Relying on Allah for a pay cheque without the means is Tawaakul
(). It is dispraised and it is not Tawakkul. You do not sit at home
and say Allah subhaanahu wa taaala is going to send me my pay cheque.
You rely on Allah subhaanahu wa taaala and you do the means available,
but you do not ever let the means get to you. You are doing the means
because they are part of the Sunnah of doing them.
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GIVING SOMEONE PERMISSION

MATTERS
TO
REPRESENT YOU
IN
SOME
The fourth form of Tawakkul is really more like using a representative,

more like what you would do in a power of attorney or appointing
someone. It is in the Fiqh books and you will find it under a section called
Wakaalah (), that is like giving a person permission to represent you
in some matters. There is nothing wrong with this form and it is
permissible by the Quran, Sunnah and Ijmaa. One of the best examples
is what Yaqoob told his sons:

...

:
He appointed his children to go find Yusuf. There is nothing wrong with
that.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam appointed Abu Hurayrah and
many others over the charity and the House of the Muslims, to guard it, to
collect the Zakah and to pass out the Zakah. He appointed those of the
Sahaabah to carry out the Hudood. He appointed Urwah Ibn al-Jaad to
buy him sacrifice once. In his farewell pilgrimage when the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallm slaughtered, he slaughtered sixty three camels
and then he called Ali radhiallahu anhu to finish off slaughtering the rest
(so he appointed Ali). There is nothing wrong with this type at all, this is
normal and it is proven by Quran, Sunnah and Ijmaa.
THE RULING ON CERTAIN STATEMENTS

CONCERNING TAWAKKUL
We have an issue here, can you say:

I depend on Allah and you? That is not permissible. That is minor Shirk
because Allah said:
...
...
Page | 730
Do not set up rivals to Allah while you know. You do not say I depend on
Allah and you.
It is authentic from the account of Ibn Abbaas:

Ibn Abbaas considered this statement (had it not been for Allah and so
and so) as Shirk. Had it not been for Allah and so and so is Shirk and he
considered statements like that Shirk.
The Salaf considered this statement as Shirk:
I seek refuge in Allah and you, that is Shirk. That is very similar to our
statement here (I depend on Allah and you), it should be avoided and that
is minor Shirk.
How about terms like:

I rely on you, I depend on you or whatever you choose for the translation
of the word Tawakkul. This is different from the previous scenario in that
first of all, you are not combining them to Allah or you are saying Thumma
(meaning and then). Some of the Ulamaa allowed it, they said it is like
giving authority or appointing someone to do something (like we took in
form number four of Tawakkul) so they said it is permissible. Others said it
is not permissible and that is possibly closer to being the more correct of
the opinions because Allah said:

: ...

...
And put your Tawakkul on Allah.
So we should keep it pure, we should do our best to keep it pure and
refrain from using those. And there is a Hadith in Musnad Ahmad:
Page | 731
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in a Duaa, if you leave me to rely

on myself I will be in error, shame and sin. So if he said that about himself,
why would we use that term about anyone else?
Hadith Abi Bakrah:

The Duaa of the distressed that is in Sunan Abi Dawood and Ibn Hibbaan,
the Duaa that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said. Oh Allah I
seek Your mercy, do not let me rely on myself not even for a glimpse. So if
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam refused to say that (Tawakkul
about himself), we should not say it about anyone else. I believe Tawakkul
and whatever term we use in the English translation of it, it is not proper
to attribute it to any creation and you should only use them to Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala. If we teach that to ourselves and our kids, we will
raise our tongues, our hearts and our children on the pure pure Tawheed
that we want. However, you can say statements like I rely on Allah and I
appoint you or I delegate you. Different statements that are different from
Tawakkul. Some use the Hadith of Sahl Ibn Sad as-Saaidee to say it is
permissible to use Tawakkul in contexts other than Allah.
The Hadith is in Sahih al-Bukhari. The Hadith uses the word Tawakkul
instead of guarding, what is between his lips and what is between his legs
and then he will get Jannah if he protects and guards that. The term used
is Tawakkul. In Arabic, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used
Tawakkul as guard, but it is not used in the context of reliance or
anywhere close to that. Tawakkul in this Hadith comes to mean guarding
or protecting, it does not come to mean anything about reliance and
nothing to do with our topic so it is not proof for using Tawakkul for
Page | 732
creation. That is the more proper way of using the terms, leaving the
terms of Tawakkul only to Allah.
What about saying or having confidence in oneself? If you say I have
confidence in myself, does that relate to Tawakkul? To have confidence in
yourself as in Tawakkul is not permissible. Just because it is yourself, that
is reliance on means and it is no different than having Tawakkul on others,
so that is minor Shirk. But if by confidence in yourself, you mean that you
are good at something, you tried it before, you have done it over and
over, it is easy for you and you have learned it very well and you do not
mean Tawakkul, in that context there is nothing wrong with having
confidence or saying I have confidence in myself.
Now another issue, what about referring to someone as being reliable?
You say he is reliable in that matter. If you mean he is trustworthy, he is
honest and he does his work properly, that is permissible. If you mean you
rely on him and the result is one hundred percent always, then that is
when minor Shirk seeps into it.
THE IMPORTANCE OF TAWAKKUL

Now Tawakkul is a vast topic and a topic desperately needed in this
Ummah, especially in this day and age. Why this day and age? Because it
is more of a materialistic world, especially those who live in the west. You
hear Ulamaa for example who say oh they are too powerful, the enemy is
too powerful. If those same Ulamaa were around the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam in their lacking of Tawakkul that they have today, they
would have argued with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam on the
day of Badr and told him go back. What did the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam do? He put all the means he had, no matter how simple they
were. He used all the means. We do not look at the means, we use
anything of means that we have. And then he went forth with the reliance
on Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, to a stunning victory.
In personal matters, our brothers and sisters agonise over their personal
problems, whereas if they perfect and establish this Ibaadah of Tawakkul,
they would be free of distress and worries. Wallahi all my life, we have had
some difficult times and Alhamdulillah for everything, I never saw my
father ever carry a worry. Allahumma Baarik Lahu, may Allah subhaanahu
wa taaala grant him a long life full of deeds and then reward him with
Firdaws. One may cry over a hardship, we are not better than the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who cried over the death of his son, but
Tawakkul paves a worry free life. If we raise our Ummah on the true belief
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of Tawakkul, your problems will vanish and you will live a content life,
even if the universe is against you. A generation raised on Tawakkul, the
words the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught young little Ibn
Abbaas, when he taught Ibn Abbaas and note that he chose a young boy
to teach him these statements of Tawakkul. The golden words of Tawakkul,
he chose to teach them to a young boy. He was trying to tell us, your kids
before your elders need to master this. If the universe comes to benefit
you, they would not be able to do so unless Allah wrote it. And if the
universe came to harm you, they will not be able to harm you except that
which Allah subhaanahu wa taaala wrote that will happen to you. Such a
peaceful, content life if you let that sink and register in your heart.
THE STORY OF QAADHI AL-MAARISTAAN

Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, he died 795 years after the Hijrah, in his book
Tabaqaat Al-Hanaabilah ( ) he wrote a story. It is also
mentioned in Mujim Yusuf Ibn Khaleel Al-Haafidh and in Tareekh Ibn AnNajjaar () . So Ibn Rajab al-Hanabli mentioned a story
about al-Qaadhi Abu Bakr Muhammad Ibn Abdil-Baaqi Ibn Muhammad alBazzaaz al-Ansaari, his nickname was Qaadhi al-Maaristaan. This man
died 535 years after the Hijrah and he narrates a story about himself that
Ibn Rajab mentioned. It shows you reliance on Allah and it shows you that
reliance on Allah does not mean you will not go through dark tunnels in
your life. Reliance on Allah means you put your trust in Allah and you
accept what Allah subhaanahu wa taaala has to offer you because He
chose what is best for you. That is part of reliance on Allah. That is the
Hakeem, if you truly believe what we say every day, that Allah is AlHakeem (the All Wise), that means He chose the wise decision for you.
Who better or more wise than Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. You see those
who sign off power of attorney to someone else. It could be a spouse, it
could be a child, it could be relative or it could be a friend, the durable
power of attorney that you all know. And when you sign a durable power
of attorney, it means you give that person you appointed the right to sell,
to buy, to withdraw the money out of your accounts and do whatever he
wishes with them. If one is incapacitated, the person you appointed can
make decisions for you. He can make the decision as far as pulling the
plug of a life support machine. You gave that power of attorney because
you fully trusted them. Once you gave that power of attorney, you do not
question the decisions of the person otherwise you should not have given
it to them or withdrawn it. But once you gave it to them, you whole
heartedly knew that that person would do the best for you.
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: ...

...

And Allah has the supreme examples.
Tawakkul is putting your full trust on Allah subhaanahu wa taaala who has
the supreme examples. You may go through dark tunnels in your life, that
is part of life and part of the life of a believer. You think they are dark, but
Allah always chooses what is best for you.
It is astonishing the matter of a believer, everything that happens to him

is good. You may not know it, you may not see the wisdom of it in this life,
you may see it later on but if you do not see it in this life, you will see it in
the life after.
Ibn Rajab mentioned this story of Qaadhi al-Maaristaan. He said about
himself (Qaadhi al-Maaristaan), I was hungry one day in Makkah and I
became hungry one day that I could not find anything to eat so I went
walking around in Makkah. I found a tightly tied pouch, I picked it up and
brought it to my house. And then in my house when I untied it, I found a
beautiful necklace of pearls that was like I have never seen anything like it
before. He went from a difficult time to the outmost of ease, but Tawakkul
did not waver a tiny bit in his heart. Full Tawakkul on Allah when he was
walking around hungry and the same Tawakkul now that he is a
millionaire. It did not last for long. The circumstances change but Tawakkul
remains firm, unwavering Tawakkul. Right after that, as soon as he walked
in Makkah he heard an old man calling out I lost a necklace and I have five
hundred Dinaar reward for whoever brings me back the necklace. That
was bad news for him, he thought he was a millionaire.
He said I called the old man, come to my house I think I have your pouch.
So he told the old man describe the necklace for me. He said the old man
not only described the necklace but he described the pouch, the string
that was tied around the pouch, the number of pearls, the string that held
the pearls together and every single detail about the necklace, so he said
I gave him the necklace. It had to have been him, no way he could have
known all those details. He said he handed me five hundred Dinaar and
just as I was about to take it, I thought to myself I do not deserve this and
I refused the reward. The man kept insisting on giving the reward and it
was as if Abu Bakr wanted to keep his reliance on Allah totally, refusing
the reward for something he felt he really did not deserve, he did not do
anything to deserve that money. So the old man took the reward and left.
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Qaadhi al-Maaristaan whose Kunyah is Abu Bakr said I left Makkah after
that and I took the ocean, and on the way the ship began to sink. All the
money on board sunk and many of the passengers (most of them) died.
He said I saw a small raft while I was in the water, I held onto it and the
wind kept blowing me and blowing me for such a long time until I got to
an occupied island. When I landed on the island, he said I immediately
headed to the Masjid, finding that there is no one there so I began to
recite Quran. The people attended the Masjid, they came to me (a
stranger in town) and they asked could you teach us Quran? They saw
him reciting. He said yes and then they began to overwhelm him with
gifts. Then he said I saw pages of the Quran in the Masjid one day, so I
began reading them. They said you even know how to read and write? He
said yes. They told him will you teach us and our children how to read and
write? And they began to learn how to read and write from him and they
also showered him with gifts.
Then they told him one day after being there for some time, we have this
problem. We have this young orphan girl, she has recently been orphaned,
her father died and we want you to marry her. This was a tactic they did to
try to keep him in town and attached to the town, so he will not think of
ever leaving them. He resisted, he was not even thinking about marriage,
but based on their insistence he said I agree to marry her. He married her
and on the night of the wedding when they presented her to him, he said I
looked at her and I was startled and astonished and I was unable to raise
my eyes off her neck. I saw the necklace I gave the old man sometime
ago on her neck. This is a true story, an authentic story. He was not
looking at the face of his new bride, even though she is mentioned as
being one of the most beautiful women in that town and that island. The
relatives around him said you broke the heart of that orphan, how could
you look at the necklace and not at her? You are breaking her heart, it is
like you are saying she is ugly by your looks.
He said I began to tell them the story of how I found that necklace on her
neck, how I returned it to some old man in Makkah, how I left Makkah and
then the ship sunk and how I arrived to their island. I told them the whole
details of the story, they began to shout and cry Laa Ilaaha Illallah, Allahu
Akbar, Laa Ilaaha Illallah, Allahu Akbar and the crowds in the town began
to gather. He said why are you people doing this and why are you
astonished? They told him, the man you gave the necklace to is the father
of this girl. And what is more astonishing than that is we used to always
hear him say I never met a Muslim on the face of this earth like the man
who returned the necklace to me. And they said we always used to hear
him make Duaa, oh Allah unite that man who returned the necklace with
my daughter as her husband. He used to always ask Allah subhaanahu wa
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taaala that he be the husband to his daughter and Allah answered his
Duaa.
This is what happens with Tawakkul. During hard times, your Tawakkul
needs to go unwavering and that light will reappear at the end of the
tunnel. Tawakkul is your source of ease and happiness in both difficult and
happy times. That is not the end of the story. Look at it, from tunnel to
tunnel, you see the light then you go in another tunnel. He said I lived a
very nice life with her and Allah blessed me with two children. Tawakkul
through ease and hardship. Then his wife died (another hardship), so he
said me and my sons inherited the necklace. Then my two children died
(another hardship), but Tawakkul is still there. He said then I sold the
necklace for one hundred thousand Dinaar and that is where I got the
wealth (he was explaining later on how he got the wealth he has).
:

...

Whoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Allah, Allah will always find him
a way out (from every single difficulty you can imagine).

: ...

He will provide him from sources he never imagined. It will come from
sources you never even perceived.

: ...

...
Whoever puts his trust in Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, He will be

sufficient for him. Whoever puts his trust in Allah subhaanahu wa taaala,
He will suffice him.
VERSES ON TAWAKKUL
If you see the verses ordering Tawakkul on Allah subhaanahu wa taaala,
you see some where there is a quality that only Allah has.
...

To Allah belongs the Ghayb (the unseen) of the heavens of the earth. Who
else but Allah has that quality? Who knows the Ghayb but Allah? Who else
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has that quality? To Him return all affairs for decision. Who else other than
Allah runs the universe? Can anyone bypass His rules?
What happens?
...

: ...

So worship Him oh Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and put your
Tawakkul on Him. The result.
When we used to go through difficult times and my father would see I was
distressed, he would say in a question like format:

To Allah belongs the heavens and the earth and half the matter goes back
to Allah? He is the one who taught me the Quran and he memorised it
forty years before he taught me, so he knew the Quran. I would look at
him and say:
To Allah belongs all the affairs, not one third or one half like you said. And
in Arabic there was no need for the word Kulluhu (

) . It is fine without
it, but Allah put Kulluhu to add emphasis that all matters and all affairs
belong to Allah, and to assure you that all matters belong to Allah. So
when I repeat the verse back to my father and I say Kulluhu, my father
would say then why are you distressed over a matter that Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala chose and has full control and runs the entire
affair of it? That would make me feel better than someone who is a desert
for days and has not drank, and then you bring him a cold drink of water.
Look at the verse.

To Him belongs the knowledge of the unseen and all maters belong to
Him.
Those are qualities only to Allah, so what about that Yaa Allah?
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Worship Him and depend on Him.
The One who has the knowledge of Ghayb (only Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala), the One who nobody can overrule His decision, turn to Him in
worship and depend on Him.
Another verse.

: ...

Depend on Him. What quality do we have here? The One who is alive and
never dies. Who is the One who is alive and never dies? Allah. Rely on
Him, it is only Allah.
He (Allah) alone is the Lord of the east and the west. Who is the only Lord
of the east and the west? Allah, so take Him alone as your Wakeel (as the
disposer of your affairs).
THE STORY OF AL-MANSOOR AND THE PRISONER

In his book Jadhwat al-Muqtabis ( ) , al-Humaydi wrote
the history of some of the leaders and Umaraa of our Spain. He wrote
about a story about one of the leaders and it included the father of the
great Imaam Ibn Hazm who was from Spain, you know Ibn Hazm was from
Andalus. The name of the leader is al-Mansoor and al-Mansoor had a day
when people would come into him and convey their problems, write
letters of a request and speak to him about matters. One day a woman
came in pleading that her son be released from prison. Al-Mansoor had
imprisoned her son and she came begging and pleading that al-Mansoor
release her son. When the mother of the captive cried and began to beg
al-Mansoor, he got even more arrogant. He said oh you reminded me,
your son is still a captive, oh we are going to execute him. So he took out
a paper to write his order as he always does, they go by the order of the
paper. He said Yuslab ( )meaning crucify him but when he wrote it
on the paper, he said Yutlaq ( )which means release him. Then he
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handed the paper over to the minister which is the father of Ibn Hazm, to
carry out the crucifixion.
Some time later (maybe the next day), he asked his minister or deputy
(the father of Ibn Hazm), did you carry out the crucifixion? He said oh
Ameer look at the order, you said release him, we are preparing him for
release. Al-Mansoor the leader got angry, he said crucify him but as he is
writing it, he said Yutlaq (release him). He is saying crucify him, his hand is
writing release him and he gives it to the father of Ibn Hazm. Again, he
asked the father of Ibn Hazm, did you people crucify that prisoner? He
said Ameer you said release him, the paper says release him. A third time
he wrote release him, while his mouth was saying crucify him. Same
scenario three times. When al-Mansoor asked for the third time, he
showed him the paper and in his handwriting it says release, he is being
prepared for release. When they showed him the decree that he wrote, it
finally sunk in the head of al-Mansoor and he says let him go, I have no
control over this. Whoever Allah wants released, I could never keep him a
captive.
Who made a leader with all his power, might and his intention, say
something his own hands could not even write it? He said something while
his own hands wrote something different. It is Allah whom you should be
relying on, who caused his hand to write something different than what his
mind wanted him to write.

...

...
:
Allah is the only One who comes in between a person and his heart.
You have a marital issue, turn to Allah because He controls the mind of
your spouse more than your spouse controls his mind or her mind
themselves. When it is a work problem, put your reliance on Allah and turn
to Allah because Allah has more control over the mind of your employer
than he does himself.
: ...

...

There is not a moving, living creation except Allah grasps its forelock.

You know what that means? Back in the days, Bedouins used to have
camels and camels are hard to restrain, but if you put a holster on the
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camel around his head, you have full control over him. You move him left,
right, forwards and backwards with that little string. And that is how Allah
has control of every creation.
THE STORY OF A PRISONER FROM THE INNOCENT

MAN
You know John Grisham, the one who wrote many law based novels. He
wrote his first and I think his only non-fiction book and it is the only one I
read of his books. It is a very good book and it is about the lack of justice
in the criminal system. It is called The Innocent Man and it is a book that
speaks about the lack of justice in the US system, and also about the
torture of the electric chair. A very interesting book, but what caught my
attention more than anything in that book when I read it, was a story he
mentioned years and years ago of a man who was sent to be electrocuted.
He describes the man as black, slim, short, slightly over a hundred
pounds, very slim and small. They put him in the electric chair and they
strapped him down. When they left the room to turn on the switch, just
when they closed the door, he breaks out of the straps and begins to run
around hysterically in the electric room where they are about to
electrocute him until they bring the goon squad that restrain him and take
him back to his cell. Note he is a very slim and small guy and he said he
breaks out of the straps, straps that the strongest of criminals never broke
out of. He did not say he slipped out of them which you can possibly
understand, but he mentions his small size and then he breaks out of
them.
The goon squad run in the room, restrain him and take him to his cell and
they set another execution date. The next execution date, the same thing
happens. He breaks out of the straps a second time, then a third and a
fourth and a fifth and a sixth and a seventh time. On the seventh time,
things happen differently. Every execution they had set, as soon as they
put him in the chair, he breaks out of the straps. And I said to myself this
is a great lesson in Tawakkul. What did the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam tell Ibn Abbaas? If the Ummah came to harm you in what Allah did
not want them to harm you, they could not. That is what happened the
first six times, and the seventh time it was written by Allah that his time
has come. And if the entire universe on that seventh time came to spare
his life, they would not be able to spare his life.
Allah is the One who could do all that and more, is Allah the One who
controls the universe not worthy of you putting your full Tawakkul on Him
in personal matters, in financial matters and in matters of this Ummah?
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When they asked al-Ahnaf Ibn al-Qays, how did you master Taqwa? He
said I knew my provision, no one but me takes it so my heart felt at ease.
No stress over materialistic matters, your job or your pay cheque, you put
your Tawakkul in Allah and you do your means. No one is going to take it.
He said I realised my deeds, no one can perform them but me so I
occupied myself and my time with my deeds. Then he said I realised that
Allah is always watchful over me, so I was ashamed to let Him see me
committing a sin. Then he said I realised that death is awaiting for me, so I
gathered the provision for that journey. A man told him, so where do you
eat from al-Ahnaf? And then he mentioned to him the verse:

...

...

:
Do you think Allah will provide a Kaafir sustenance and leave me out of it?
Tawheed was meant to be bring you ease and peace in this world, and the
ultimate goal in Jannah. This is Tawheed. Tawheed is to benefit you in both
worlds, to bring you tranquility in life, to make you a firm, true Muwahhid
who relies with honour on Allah, that is the honourable life.
A mountain full of problems rest on the shoulder of a believer who has
true Tawakkul (possibly death in families, lifelong in prison, maybe
execution, maybe loss of wealth), with reliance he takes it with a smile.
With reliance he takes it with a smile, and if you see him he is possibly like
he is the happiest man. Then you see one who lacks Tawakkul and he gets
a glimpse of that problem (maybe a flat tyre, maybe the boss looks at him
wrong) and he has to go visit the psychiatrist and decide what therapy
and what medicine he needs to go on.
Alhamdulillah we took Duaa, fear, hope and Tawakkul and we will take
Inshaa Allah Raghbah war-Rahbah wal-Khushoo next week Inshaa Allah.
Jazakum Allahu Khayr.
CLASS THIRTY FOUR

As you know, for the past several weeks we have been taking the
examples of Ibaadah that the author mentioned (matters that can only be
directed to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala). And the next Ibaadah that he
mentioned is the Ibaadah of Raghbah ().
RAGHBAH, RAHBAH AND KHUSHOO

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Raghbah is fervent desire and he mentioned three Ibaadaat all together,

then he mentioned them with proof. He mentioned Raghbah (fervent
desire), then Rahbah (( )which is dread) and then Khushoo (
( )which is reverence and humility). He mentioned these three all

together later on, when he mentions the proof. He mentions them all
together when he mentions every one with proof, because he chose for
them one Ayah that has proof for all of them.

:

Allah said they used to hasten in their acts of Ibaadah or devotion and
obedience to Allah, and they used to worship Allah upon Raghbah and
upon Rahbah and in Khushoo (which is humble before Allah subhaanahu
wa taaala).
Let us go over them one by one, then we will go over the proof that the
author mentioned.
RAGHBAH
THE DEFINITION OF RAGHBAH
Raghbah is fervent desire. It is the outmost desire and it is the outmost
desire combined with love and persistence to reach that which is beloved.
When you are wholeheartedly in Duaa or in any act of worship and you
are in the outmost desire and persistence into that Ibaadah, that is
Raghbah right there. Raghbah is very similar to what we took of Rajaa.
Raghbah and Rajaa both mean hope in English, however Raghbah is more
special. It is a higher category and standard of Rajaa and it is the highest
peak of Rajaa. In laymen terms, Raghbah is when you are deep into your
Ibaadah.
THE STORY OF URWAH IBN AZ-ZUBAY IBN

AL-AWWAAM
Actually, let me tell you this story and this will tell you what Raghbah is.
Not only Raghbah, but all three of these Ibaadaat that we will mention
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today Inshaa Allah. It will tell you what Raghbah, Rahbah and Khushoo
are and how they pertain to and affect your Ibaadah, and in particular the
story I am going to tell you is how it affects Salah. The chain of this story
is authentic, had it not been authentic you would think it is a fictional
story or a figment of someones imagination.
The story is about Urwah Ibn az-Zubayr Ibn al-Awwaam radhiallahu
anhuma. Urwah was a man with a golden ancestry. His father is azZubayr Ibn al-Awwaam, one of the ten people promised to go to Jannah
and the companion who was one of the six people that Umar radhiallahu
anhu chose when he was stabbed, to choose the destiny of this Ummah
after he dies. His mother is Asmaa Bint Abu Bakr, that makes his
maternal grandfather Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq radhiallahu anhu. His paternal
grandmother was Safiyyah Bint Abdul-Muttalib. If his mother is Asmaa,
that means his aunt is Aishah radhiallahu anha. That is why he used to
enter upon Aishah, if you know Hadith where he used to narrate Ahaadith
from her and he used to learn with her. And because of that, he became
one of the top seven Fuqhahaa in Madina. May Allah honour this Ummah
with the likes of Aishah and Asmaa who play their proper model role in
raising revivers and Mujaahideen for this Ummah.
After the death of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he remained
in Madinah. When he grew older, he decided to visit Bilaad ash-Shaam.
During his journey or possibly before it, he was infected with some kind of
disease in his foot that began to spread during the journey where it
reached the shin area (somewhere between the knee and the ankle).
When he arrived in Bilaad ash-Shaam, they brought him the doctors who
told him this leg needs to be amputated otherwise it is going to spread
and kill you. And back then, they used alcohol for anaesthesia, that is
what reduced the pain when they operated in these kind of surgeries.
Urwah held himself to a higher standard. If it was permissible for normal
people in such circumstances, it is not something Urwah would allow
upon himself. He held himself to a higher standard and this is our point
here, he said let me make Salah and when you see me get into my Salah,
amputate my leg as you wish. You know what he meant by that? What he
meant is let me get into my Salah, let me stimulate and rev up my
Raghbah, Rahbah and Khushoo and then amputate my leg.
Why Urwah? Because when a heart elevates in that Ibaadah of Raghbah,
Rahbah and Khushoo during Ibaadah, it numbs the feeling of the limbs.
You are present in your body, but in reality you are in another world. You
may see a bodybuilder or someone very athletic in the peak of his fitness
abilities, you tell him your son just got hit by a car and if it affects him and
moves him internally. That strong and athletic man will drop down to his
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knees in weakness. Where are his muscles? Where are his athletic
abilities? The heart feeling overwhelms and overpowers his physical
strength and paralyses the limbs. While Urwah was deep in his Raghbah,
Rahbah and Khushoo (and this is precisely how the story goes), they cut
with a knife. It is by a bone area (by the shin area) and when they got to
the bone area, they heated a saw and began to saw it off. First cut, then
saw. At that time, out of his seven sons his most beloved son Muhammad
went to a stable for the leader (al-Waleed Ibn Abdul-Malik) and a horse or
a camel booted and stamped him to death.
When the people began to visit him and among them was al-Waleed Ibn
Abdul-Malik, they gave him condolence about his leg and then they
informed him and gave him condolence over his son. Why? First my leg
and now my son? Problem after problem. My grandfather is Abu Bakr
radhiallahu anhu and he gave victory to Islam. I am one of the top seven
Fuqhahaa in Madinah. Why me? I am the son of the man who gave your
Messenger victory Yaa Allah. Is that what he said? That is not Urwah Ibn
az-Zubayr. Listen to what he said.
He said:

Oh Allah they were seven, You took one and You left me six. He means
about his sons, he had seven. He said You took one and You left six. Look
at the positive thinking, You have been so gracious and kind to me Yaa
Allah.

Now he is talking about his limbs. Oh Allah they were four (two hands and
two legs), You took one and You left me with three. You have been so
gracious and kind to me. Look at the positive thinking in the middle of a
calamity.
Then he said:
Allah if You took, You left me with plenty. You took one of my limbs and You
left me with three. You took one of my sons and You left me with six.

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And if You tested me, you kept me sound and well for such a long time.

All thanks to you Allah for what You took and for what You kept.
This story has a few narrations to it and what will stun you is the addition
in Ibn Abi ad-Dunya. He said the night that happened (he lost his leg and
he lost his son), he did not miss his Qiyaam. Take a break Urwah, mourn
your son, wait until your pain eases and then resume your night recitation.
These were men who were born for the Aakhirah, he did not miss his night
recitation that night.
It gets more amazing, and I remember mentioning this in one of the first
Jumuah Khutbahs I gave. It had to have been one of the first ten that I
delivered maybe twenty or twenty five years ago and I said back then
what I will still say today. For me the most amazing and astonishing part of
it is what Ibn Katheer stated that al-Awzaaee said.
: :

When his leg was cut, Urwah said oh Allah, You know I never used this leg
to walk to a sin before. How many of us can look at their legs today and
say that? Or look in the mirror at their eyes and say the same statement?
Or at their tongues or at their hands and say Allah You know we never
used this for a sin? Do you know it is the opinion of some of the
Hanafiyyah that whoever says Allah You know (Yalamullah ( )) I
did this or that and he is a liar, that he becomes a Kaafir. Because in
reality, by that statement and by that lie, he claims that Allah does not
know. That is the opinion of some of the Hanafiyyah and it may be the
weaker of two opinions on that issue, but what I am trying to say is it
shows you how dangerous it is to say Yalamullah on a lie, it is more
dangerous than saying it on an oath. Saying Wallahi and lying is easier
than saying Yalamullah on a lie. Urwah was so sure of his past that he
said oh Allah, You know I never used this leg to commit a sin before.
Listen to the icing on the cake of this story. I told you his leg was
amputated in Bilaad ash-Shaam, so he returned back to Madinah with no
son and no leg. He lost his son and he lost his leg. When he returned back
to Madinah, they said Wallahi we never heard him complain about his foot
or about his son. Men raised by Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Before we get carried away, this story has so many lessons in it, however
Page | 746
our point for this class and why I mention it for this class is the affect
Raghbah, Rahbah and Khushoo have on someones Salah. The affect that
it has is that it numbs and paralyses the limbs, because Raghbah, Rahbah
and Khushoo take a person to another world. A true, spiritual world. A
true Imaanic world. Some make superficial Salah, as many or most do.
Others have Raghbah, Rahbah and Khushoo in them, like Urwah.
RAGHBAH IN DUAA
Take for example the Ibaadah of Raghbah in Duaa, so we can understand
it. We took the example of in Salah, take for example in Duaa. If one has
Ibaadah of Raghbah in the worship of Duaa, he will have a strong heart
presence in his Duaa along with persistence and the outmost desire. That
is the definition of Raghbah. Usually, that shows on ones appearance (on
his limbs), it has an affect on ones appearance. For example, his hands
may be strongly extended. It will have an affect when one is making
Duaa, where one may be making Duaa as if he is a life and death
situation, clinging on a raft in the middle of the ocean. That is the type of
Duaa that gets accepted. That is the affect of Raghbah. On the other
hand, you have someone who is making Duaa but it is a superficial Duaa,
like those who repeat that which they memorise and sometimes they do
not even know what they are saying. And then other times the mind and
heart are not even present or set on the Duaa, and that is the Duaa free
of Raghbah. A long Duaa, plenty of continuous Duaa with strong heart
persistence and heart presence in that Duaa, that is the Duaa of
Raghbah.
RAGHBAH IS AN IBAADAH
Raghbah is a flavour you add to your Ibaadah to make and take it to a
higher level. Raghbah is doing your Ibaadah with the earnest, heart desire
for that which is with Allah. A believer should hasten to Allah with earnest
desire (Raghbah), with regard to every action of Ibaadah. Raghbah is an
Ibaadah and it must only be given to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. Giving
the Raghbah that you should give to Allah to someone else becomes Shirk
and there is plenty of proof in addition to the one the author mentions.

...

:

There is additional proof.
Page | 747

:

...
That is Raghbah, let us go on to Rahbah, the next Ibaadah.
RAHBAH
Like I said, he used the same proof for Rahbah and he will use the same
proof again for the next one (which is Khushoo), so for all three he used
one proof and we will get to that proof.
THE DEFINITION OF RAHBAH

Rahbah is fear and it is like Khawf which also means fear. Khawf and
Rahbah both mean fear but Rahbah is special fear and it is the peak of
fear. It is a higher status of fear, it is not the regular Khawf fear. Just like
we said earlier that Rajaa and Raghbah are similar in that both mean
hope, but Raghbah is a higher level of hope. Over here, Rahbah is a higher
level of fear.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KHAWF AND RAHBAH

What is the difference between what we took earlier (of Khawf) and
Rahbah? Both words mean fear but there is a difference. There are two
main differences, we will take the two main ones and the most important
ones. The first difference is in the length of Rahbah. It is prolonged fear.
When Al-Askaree mentioned the linguistic definition of Rahbah, he
mentions two points and pay attention to them so you will not get lost. He
said the Arabic people used to say:

A camel that is Rahab. Rahab is a description of a camel, using the
derivative of the root word of Rahbah. They used to say that about a
camel when the camel has long bones. Keep in mind you get out of that
the word long bones, let us take long (that is what we need out of it).
Then he mentions the second point which really boils down to the same
conclusion. He said the Arabic people used to also say about a Christian
monk (which they still use today), Raahib ( ). Raahib is one of the
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derivatives from the root word of Rahbah. Why is he Raahib? Why was he
called that? The Arabic people used to call him that because he had
prolonged fear.
So keeping in mind those two points, we get the word prolonged or long
fear. From those two linguistic definitions of Rahbah (long and prolonged),
we learn that it is prolonged or long fear. So you see it is not regular Khawf
(fear), it is a higher status than regular Khawf. We can sum up the first
difference between Khawf and Rahbah which both mean fear, we can
summarise it in one sentence. Khawf is fear for possibly a short time,
Rahbah is prolonged fear. It is a higher status. The second difference is
Khawf is usually for fear that is possible. It may happen and it may not
happen, it is something that is uncertain. If you remember it, you will get
afraid. If you forget it, you are no longer afraid. It may happen and it may
not happen, it is for that which is uncertain. That is Khawf. Rahbah is fear
of something that is certain, not fear of something that is possible or likely
(like Khawf). It is imminent and certain.
For example, someone is sentenced to death and he is awaiting execution.
He is sentenced and he is awaiting the date. That is imminent and certain
so that would be Rahbah. It is constant that he is in fear because the
execution date is set and he is awaiting the punishment. Someone in
prison who is waiting to be sentenced, he is not sentenced but he is likely
to do prison time (twenty or fifty years or whatever it may be), he may get
sentenced to death or he may go home free and he is afraid. To him it is
uncertain, the judge might say life, execution, not guilty or go home, yet
he fears the execution or he fears prison. That is Khawf because it is
possible, but it is not imminent.
What is the conclusion of those two differences? For our purposes, the
Ibaadah of Rahbah is to have prolonged fear of Allah. That is number one
simply put. Rahbah is prolonged fear, not just regular fear but prolonged
fear. Number two, it is imminent, constant fear. It is not that it may
happen, it will happen. We spoke on the regular fear previously, so there is
no reason to go over the regular fear again.
WHEN IS RAHBAH SHIRK?

If one has prolonged, constant fear of a person in a grave, that is Shirk
Akbar. If one has fear of someone living in matters that only Allah can do,
or inanimate objects, and it is prolonged fear, that is also Shirk Akbar. The
author uses the verse:
Page | 749

...

:

But there is also additional proof for that:

...
:

Have Rahbah only from Me.
Let us take how Shirk is in relation to the difference between Khawf (which
is regular fear) and Rahbah (the higher standard). If you fear from one in a
grave or inanimate objects (any type of fear) or you fear someone that is
living with the same fear you fear Allah, then that is Khawf right there and
that is Shirk Akbar. What about Shirk of Rahbah? If in addition to that fear I
just mentioned to you, it is coated or you combine to that that you fear it
is certain what they will do. It is not likely but it is certain what they are
going to do to me, then that takes it up to Shirk of Rahbah. If you add the
certainty factor to that regular fear, then it is Shirk of ar-Rahbah. That is
the first one. If that fear is prolonged fear or long fear, then that is Shirk of
ar-Rahbah. So if you add to the fear that it is prolonged fear, that is
Rahbah. If you have the feeling that what they are going to do is
imminent, that is Rahbah. That takes it from regular fear to Rahbah.
Certainty of the matter or prolonged fear takes it to Shirk ar-Rahbah. It will
fall under the definition of Shirk ar-Rahbah and that is how you know the
difference between the regular Shirk al-Khawf and Shirk ar-Rahbah. Fear
combined with the heart fixed that the harm will reach one or if it is
prolonged, that is Shirk Akbar of Rahbah.
KHUSHOO
The next Ibaadah that the author mentions is Khushoo.
THE DEFINITION OF KHUSHOO

The definition is humility and submissiveness to Allah, submitting to
whatever Allah has pre decreed and whatever He ordained and
commanded. When the earth is at peace and serenity, calm and
composed, and there is no movement in it, Allah called it Ardhun
Khaashiah (
) :
Page | 750

: ...

And among the signs of Allah is that you see the earth Kaashiah. When
there is no water, nothing grows on it and it is very calm (no movement in
it) so it is Ardhun Khaashiah. When it rains, it is stirred. Stirred is
movement, and that is the opposite of Khushoo. It is stirred, that means
life and growth and there is a movement in it. So Khushoo of a human
would mean the peace, tranquility and serenity in the heart and the affect
it has on the limbs.
WHEN IS KHUSHOO IBAADAH?

When we say stand in Salah in Khushoo, that is what we mean. His Salah
should have the Ibaadah of Khushoo in it, it should have the Khushoo
status in it. He stands in humility, serenity and peace with Allah in the
heart, and it shows on the limbs. Its affect shows when his head is bowed,
when he is looking into the place that he is prostrating and when he does
not move. Even in walking to Salah, you need Khushoo in walking to
Salah. He walks calmly and in serenity, that is Khushoo in walking to
Salah.
WHEN IS KHUSHOO SHIRK?

If someone stands in front of a grave or a person and his limbs and his
heart are in humility and serenity, that is Khushoo even if you do not add
anything else to it. So if I stand in front of someone in the Khushoo
fashion that I am only supposed to stand to Allah in, that is Shirk even if I
do not add anything to it. If I stand before someone in the manner that I
stand in front of Allah, that in itself is Shirk and you do not have to add
Duaa to it. If I stand in front of a grave or someone in the manner that I
stand before Allah in (in Khushoo), that becomes Shirk Akbar.
The best, detailed example on that is in Madinah. I remember when I was
young and even when I was older in the university I also saw it, but it
stuck to my mind when I was young because of what my father used to
do, may Allah grant him a long life full of deeds. You see many in the
Haram in Madinah in front of the grave, near the grave and even
sometimes at a long distance from the grave in the Haram, and they
would face the grave. The Qiblah would be that way and they would face
the grave. When they face the grave, they stand with their hands as if it is
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in Salah. They face the grave and they are in Khushoo and you would
wish to see that in Salah. That type of Khushoo to the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam, you would wish to see that in Salah for Allah
I remember every time my father would take them and explain to them
that this is not right. Their movements, their humility and even their
breathing is at its peak of Khushoo before a grave or a Wali sometimes.
That Khushoo is the type of Shirk that we are talking about. You also see
some deviant sects stand before their living Awliyaa in such Khushoo
where they suppress their movements and even their breathing, in
Khushoo for that person. Even at times walking backwards so as to not
give their back to the person they claim is a Wali, and sometimes they do
that in front of graves. That type of Khushoo is the Shirk Akbar. That
Khushoo belongs only to Allah. Similar to that is walking to a grave. We
said you should have Khushoo in walking to Salah. When some people
walk to graves of their supposed Awliyaa, they walk and they have the
heart feeling of Khushoo. That is Shirk, that Khushoo is Shirk even
without anything combined to it. You do not have to make Duaa for it to
be Shirk. Khushoo is independent Ibaadah that belongs to Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala and the proof is in the same verse of the previous
two:

...

:

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KHUSHOO AND
KHUDHOO
What is the difference between Khushoo and Khudhoo ( ?)There
is a very similar word in Arabic (Khudhoo) and it is another Ibaadah.
Khudhoo is an Ibaadah that pertains more to the body parts (the limbs)
whereas Khushoo pertains more to the heart, voice, eyes and everything
else.
Khushoo is mentioned in the Quran, Allah said about the eyesight:

: ...

There is Khushoo of the eyes.
Allah mentioned it about the voice as well:
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: ...
...
THE IMPORTANCE OF KHUSHOO AND HOW TO

ATTAIN IT
Khushoo is an Ibaadah and part of Salah.

Khushoo is so important in all Ibaadaat but because Salah is more
important, it is more stressed in Salah. Abu Saeed al-Khudri said a
statement, and this Hadith is authentic as a statement of Abu Saeed, not
attributed to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. So it is a statement
of Abu Saeed. However, even though this is a statement of Abu Saeed alKhudri, something like this takes the ruling as if the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam said it. Why? Because matters like this which relate to
knowledge of the unseen, we know for a fact that the Sahaabah would
never speak about them had they not heard something about them from
the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. Abu Saeed said when Allah
created Jannah, a brick of gold and another of silver, He said speak to
Jannah and Jannah said:

The verses in the beginning of Surat al-Mumineen. Successful indeed are
the believers. Who are they? Who are the successful ones?

Those who offer their Salah with full submissiveness and Khushoo. Our
Ibaadah here. In the verse, Allah based success on the Ibaadah of
Khushoo in Salah.
How to attain Khushoo in Salah or Ibaadaat is something that will take
another lecture by itself or a few lectures actually. Here we try to stay
focused on the Tawheed aspect of the Ibaadah instead of going deep into
the spiritual aspect, but we do mention spiritual aspects sometimes
because they are essential to our Tawheed. But a quick point on that
because it is neglected so much. One of the biggest factors in attaining
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Khushoo in Salah and Ibaadah is matters before the Ibaadah. Having fear
of Allah outside of Salah and before Salah, or any Ibaadah that you may
seek Khushoo in. When one has Khawf and Rahbah of Allah (and these
Ibaadaat are intertwined), he does the ordains and he walks away from
the prohibitions, Allah will bless him with Khushoo in the Salah.
Try it and see. If you enter an Ibaadah preceding it with the smallest of the
Sunnahs, you will feel your Ibaadah is different. You will feel more
Khushoo in it. It could be as simple as entry to the Masjid in the proper
Sunnah way (with your right foot and with the right Duaa), lowering your
gaze before entering the Masjid, praying the Sunnah when you enter the
Masjid, praying the Sunnah of the Salah or praying the Sunnah of the
Wudhu. That person who did that will definitely have a different feel of
Khushoo than one who just walked into the Masjid at Takbeerat al-Ihraam
and said Allahu Akbar with the Imaam. He neglects the Sunnah or worse
than that is one who had just done sins. He let his eyes roam freely at the
sisters before he entered the Masjid and then he expects Khushoo in his
Salah right after that. Your lifestyle of Taaah (obedience) is what will bring
you Khushoo in your Ibaadah and more so in Salah for example.
You will see one person for example, he has Khushoo in reciting normal
verses of the Quran. They may be verses that do not contain any part of
fear in them but his heart melts and he begins to cry and weep, while his
partner near him is dazed at what caused this man to have Khushoo over
these verses. If you want to attain or you want to strengthen your
Khushoo, change your entire lifestyle. It is not just the moments of the
Salah, it is the entire lifestyle and matters preceding that Ibaadah, and
that is what many neglect. Khushoo also comes by training yourself. You
have to train yourself into Khushoo. Khushoo comes by Salah at night.
How many people beg Allah and plead with Allah to bless them with the
honour and privilege of having Khushoo in their Ibaadaat? Also learning
the qualities of Allah and what Allah mentioned about Himself in the
Quran, and what the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam taught us of
the qualities and attributes of Allah. Letting them register in your heart
and sink in your mind, those matters are what will grant you Khushoo in
your Ibaadaat. That is just a brief example of some of the things that will
give you Khushoo in Salah.
EXAMPLES OF THE SALAF IN KHUSHOO

Maymoon Ibn Hayyaan said I never saw Muslim Ibn Yasaar look away in his
Salah. He means those little Shaytaanic glances with the corner of your
eye. He said I never saw him look away in his Salah, not even a short or a
Page | 754
long glance. And one day a portion of the Masjid crumbled and collapsed
and everyone in the town gathered, while Muslim Ibn Yasaar did not even
glance or leave his Salah (and he was in that Masjid).
The best example of the last three Ibaadaat (Raghbah, Rahbah and
Khushoo) is the story I mentioned Urwah Ibn az-Zubayr. It made him
numb to the knife that was heated and the saw that cut through his
bones. Khalaf Ibn Ayyub was asked why do you not wave away the flies
when they come in front of your face in Salah? A fly comes in front of him
and you know how annoying and irritating they are, and he never moves
his hand to wave them away in Salah. He answer to that was, I heard that
criminals compete and bolster on how they withstand the extreme lashes
of their punishment without even flinching. He said if the criminals do that
and they are patient over their crimes, do you want me to flinch or move
my hand while I am standing before Allah subhaanahu wa taaala? When
Ibn az-Zubayr made Salah in Khushoo, he was described like he was a
tree trunk, solid in Salah.
At-Tabaraani indicates a reality that this Ummah is in. Abu Dardaa said
that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

Abu Dardaa said that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said the
first of the matters that will leave this Ummah is Khushoo, there will be a
time when you will enter a Masjid and will not see anyone in Khushoo.
That is the status of this Ummah today. What is wrong and what he
warned about is what is happening today. When one adjusts his internal
heart in Khushoo, the Khushoo begins to show on the limbs. One works
on perfecting the Khushoo of his heart, and that will settle the limbs.
Settling the limbs without the heart Khushoo, some called it the Khushoo
of Nifaaq.
THE PROOF OF THE AUTHOR ON RAGHBAH,

RAHBAH AND KHUSHOO
Now the proof the author mentioned combined all three Ibaadaat
(Raghbah, Rahbah and Khushoo) because all three are in one verse.
There is plenty of other individual verses for each one of these Ibaadaat,
but it is wise that he chose one proof because like we said this is a
summarised book. The verse that he mentioned is:
Page | 755

...

:

They used to hasten on to do good deeds and they used to worship Us in
Raghbah, Rahbah and Khushoo.
The verse is pretty straightforward, we mentioned each one of the
Ibaadaat. The verse is praising the Messengers for specific qualities. We
said when Allah commands, praises or orders an act, that means that act
becomes an Ibaadah. If he praises people for an act, that becomes an act
of Ibaadah, and He praised the Messengers for:

Means they used to hasten. The Messengers that He mentioned in the
previous verses used to hasten.

Khayraat ( )means all good, including heart, tongue and action.
And they used to make Ibaadah (Duaa here means Ibaadah). Several
times before we took that Duaa means two things. The first meaning it
has is Duaa when you invoke Allah (Duaa at-Talab). And then the second
meaning of Duaa is Duaa of Ibaadah, meaning all types of worship. We
explained why the worships are called Duaa, because you may not be
directly asking Allah something but indirectly you are asking through your
Ibaadah. You are asking for the forgiveness of Allah or the pleasure and
delight of Allah through your Ibaadaat. You are asking for Jannah or to be
saved from Jahannam through your Ibaadaat. That is why it is called
Ibaadah. Duaa in this verse includes both Ibaadah Duaa and Talab Duaa.
Whenever you see Duaa in the Quran, it means both unless there is
additional proof to specify one. They make Duaa, meaning they make
Ibaadah with those three Ibaadaat. Allah praised the Messengers for
making their Ibaadaat:

Page | 756
The three Ibaadaat that we spoke about.

Before we move on, a linguistic lesson on this Ayah.
It is like what I mentioned last week.

...
:
It is switched around. It should have been:
However, the verse says:
Why is it switched around from what is the normal Arabic? Taqdeem Maa
Haqqahu Takheer Yufeed al-Hasr wal-Qasr (
) . When it is switched like it is over here and last

week, it is to emphasise, limit and restrict. In the normal Arabic, one
would say:
It means they made Khushoo for us. Here, it is flipped around. When you
flip it around, it is:
Why? It is to emphasise Khushoo is limited and restricted to Allah, just

like we mentioned about the other verse.
RAGHBAH AND RAHBAH IN IBAADAH

This verse indicates that you need Raghbah and Rahbah in your Ibaadah
and as we indicated, Raghbah and Rahbah are higher levels of fear and
hope. We stated two classes or so ago that you need those in your
spiritual journey to Allah. You need Khawf and Rajaa, Raghbah and
Rahbah in your spiritual journey to Allah. Some Ulamaa indicated that
Page | 757
during Ibaadah (during obedience), the wing of Raghbah should be slightly

higher to encourage one. And in times of sin, the wing of Rahbah should
be slightly higher to deter from the sin. Just a bird, he manoeuvres with
his wing, however he maintains an overall balance. That is one opinion.
Some Ulamaa said the level of Raghbah should be slightly higher when
one is ill because he is at a weak point and he might meet Allah, so let
him meet Allah with more weight to his Raghbah. And then they said one
should have more Rahbah during his times of health (slightly more). Some
Ulamaa said Raghbah and Rahbah should be at an equal level so that
hope will not make one feel comfortable from the plan of Allah, and so
that fear will not make him despair from the mercy of Allah. Both feeling
secure from the plan of Allah and also despairing from the mercy of Allah
are worse than each other, so that is why you should keep them at the
same level or at a very close level.
KHASHYAH
The next Ibaadah after that is al-Khashyah (). He mentioned alKhashyah, then he mentioned the proof.
THE DEFINITION OF KHASHYAH

Khashyah is fear founded on knowledge, and fear founded on knowledge
of the greatness of the one whom he fears. Khashyah is to fear someone.
If you fear someone regardless of the punishment that he may do, that is
Khashyah. Now Khashyah and Khawf and Rahbah, all three of them mean
fear but there is a difference. We already took the difference between
Khawf and Rahbah, we said Rahbah is fear but prolonged fear and fear
from imminent punishment.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KHAWF AND KHASHYAH

In Arabic, Khawf (pertaining to Khashyah) usually refers to fear of the
punishment, meaning it is attached to the punishment. Khashyah is fear
that is attached to the one punishing, the one you fear punishing you. If
Abdullah wants to kill you and you fear the killing, we say that is Khawf. If
you fear the killing, that is Khawf. If you fear Abdullah himself because he
Page | 758
is strong, but it is not pertaining to the punishment or threats, that is

Khashyah. And of course Allah subhaanahu wa taaala has the supreme
examples.

: ...

...

How do we know this difference? What is the proof for this difference?
Look at that verse.
Allah mentioned both Khashyah and Khawf in this verse. In this verse
where He mentioned both Khawf and Khashyah, when He referred to
fearing Allah, He said:

He used the word Yakhshawna (
) when it is fearing Allah.

When He spoke about fearing the punishment of the Judgment Day, He
said:
Allah could have combined between fear of Him and the Judgment Day,
with either Khawf or Khashyah (He could have used one of them). He
could have said they have Khashyah of the Judgment Day and of Me, or
they have Khawf of the Judgment Day and of Me. Both of them would have
worked, but in regards to fear of Him (Allah subhaanahu wa taaala), He
said:

That is Khashyah.
In regards to fear of the Judgment Day, He used:
Page | 759

We took the first difference between Khashyah and Khawf. The second
difference is what we stated earlier in the definition of Khashyah. We said
Khawf and Khashyah are both fear, however Khashyah is special because
as we stated in the definition, Khashyah is founded upon knowledge of the
greatness of the one whom he fears. So Khashyah is fear but it is not just
any fear (if it was any fear it would be Khawf), it is fear with knowledge
and that is what makes it at a higher status. It is the fear of the
knowledgeable. What is the proof for this second difference between
Khashyah and Khawf?

: ...

...
It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah.
In English it may not be clear because they use the term fear for both
Khashyah and Khawf. But in the verse that I mentioned, pay attention:

: ...

...

Yakhsha (
) . It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves
that fear Allah (that have Khashyah of Allah). When Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala referred to the fear of the knowledge in that verse, He did not say:

He did not use Khawf, He mentioned the word Khashyah. He said:

When the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam described himself as
fearing of Allah, the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is
knowledgeable of course and that is why he used the word Khashyah:
He used the word Khashyah about himself because he is the most fearful
of Allah and the most knowledgeable, so it would be suitable that he uses
Khashyah about himself instead of Khawf.
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So in a one liner, the difference between Khawf and Khashyah is that it is

fear of the one who punishes. That is the first difference we took. The
second difference is that it is the fear of the knowledgeable. Some
Ulamaa said Khashyah is the fear that is for Allah subhaanahu wa taaala
and Khawf is the one that is for humans. That is an opinion. As-Samaanee
said they both mean the same. But in reality, they are not the same.
There are differences and that is what the majority of the Ulamaa
mentioned and that is the correct opinion.
WHEN IS KHASHYAH SHIRK?

Look at what Allah said:

: ...

Those who convey the message of Allah and have Khashyah of Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala and have Khashyah of no one else.
If your heart has Khashyah from a deceased, inanimate matters or
objects, regardless of what it is, that is Shirk Akbar. If it is of a living and
you have Khashyah of him in that which only belongs to Allah (the type of
Khashyah that only belongs to Allah), then that is Shirk Akbar.
THE PROOF OF THE AUTHOR ON KHASHYAH

The author used as proof:
...

: ...

So have not Khashyah of them and have Khashyah of Me.

) is to deter, meaning do not. Do not have Khashyah of the
Falaa (
Kuffaar, the verse is referring to the Kuffaar.
Orders the all the Khashyah for Him subhaanahu wa taaala. That order
right there made it an Ibaadah. This is an Ibaadah of the heart, which has
an affect on the limbs. In addition to submitting to Allah, one must have
Khashyah. He must have the fear of Allah in his heart, and fear with
knowledge.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF KHASHYAH AND THE STATUS

OF THE SALAF IN IT
Allah reprimanded the Children of Israel for lack of Khashyah.
:

In fact, just as He described some hearts as being harder than rocks, He
informed us how mountains have Khashyah of Allah. And that Khashyah
that the mountains have make it crumble.

:

Amazing how rocks and stones have Khashyah and Khushoo to Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala and they would crumble because of that, yet
hearts of some of the believers have become harder than that.

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to cry in Khashyah, in his
Salah and in his night Salah. Abu Bakr was known for his crying in his
Salah. Uthman was known for his beard to soak in his tears at the sight of
the graveyard. Al-Hasan al-Basri used to say a believer combines between
Imaan and Khashyah and a hypocrite combines between wickedness and
safety from the plan of Allah.

: ...

Al-Qaasim Ibn Muhammad said we used to travel with Abdullah Ibn alMubaarak (the famous Aabid, Zaahid, scholar and Mujaahid) and I would
always think to myself, how did Ibn al-Mubaarak get the status that he
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got? That high, elevated status where people began to accept him, love
him and take from him. The righteousness that he was on, how did people
accept him and not us at the same level? What was it that made him
special over us? He said he makes Salah, we do the same. Abdullah Ibn alMubaarak does Siyaam, so do we. He did Jihaad, we do the same Jihaad as
he did. And he said in our journey as we were resting, the lamp we had
went out for a few moments before someone got up and fixed it. AlQaasim Ibn Muhammad who is talking said I looked at Abdullah Ibn alMubaarak and he was crying at those moments right there (the moments
of the darkness). A few moments of darkness reminded him of the life
after, the punishment in the grave and the life after. He began to cry in
those little moments. Al-Qaasim Ibn Muhammad said I said to myself, the
Khashyah that he has in his heart is that which made him supreme over
us.
True Khashyah is your means to guidance. Khashyah is a path to
guidance.

:
Khashyah of none but Allah. Allah said at the end of that, those are the
true people on the guidance.
True Khashyah brings success and victory.
:

It is success and victory.
Ibn Qudaamah mentioned that before Allah guided Bishr, he was drinking
and sinning. A righteous man passed by the house of Bishr, he overheard
the sins so he stopped by. He knocked on the door and the servant of
Bishr answered, and Bishr is in there preoccupied with drinking and every
other sin. The good man said is the man who lives in this house a slave or
a free man? She said no he is a free man. He said you are right, he is a
free man. If he was a slave he would have had Khashyah of the One he is
a slave for, leaving those prohibitions. Look at that statement. She said
the owner of a house is a free man, he is not a slave. The righteous man
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responded and he said you are right, if he was a slave he would have had
Khashyah to stop him from those sins that he is doing. He meant
something deep.
Bishr overheard and he asked his servant to repeat to him what that
stranger said. She repeated it and he said which way did he go? He
chased after him with no shoes and nothing on his head. When he caught
up to him, he said are you the one who was by my house? He said yes.
Bishr said could you repeat what you said to my servant? And that is when
Bishr fell on his face crying and saying I am a slave, I am a slave, I am a
slave and I want to be a slave. The Khashyah came back to his heart.
Later on when Bishr became famous and well known, they used to ask
him why is it that you always walk bare footed? He said because I fixed
my bond and my Khashyah with Allah bare footed, running after that man,
and I always want to remember that and I want to meet Allah bare footed
like that.
The reward for Khashyah is forgiveness from Allah and a great reward on
top of that.
Those who have Khashyah will get forgiveness and have a great reward
from Allah. That great reward is Jannah.
Khashyah grants you Jannah and saves you from Hell, in the Surah that
you all know:
In another Surah:
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You are told to enter Jannah in Salaam. Why?

Because of your Khashyah.

:

,

:
:

In Sunan at-Tirmidhi Ibn Abbaas said the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said two eyes will not touch Hellfire, one that stayed up guarding in
the path of Allah and the second one that shed a tear in the Khashyah of
Allah.
Keep in mind, Khashyah is a heart Ibaadah but its affects are shown on
the limbs. It has an affect on your body parts. Ali Ibn Umar al-Bazzaar in
his Manaaqib Ibn Taymiyyah (( ) a book he wrote
about Ibn Taymiyyah), he said when Ibn Taymiyyah used to say Allahu
Akbar, it would blow the minds of the people seeing it because of the
Khushoo and Khashyah he had when he said Allahu Akbar. He took it
serious.
CLASS THIRTY FIVE

We continue Alhamdulillah with our Tawheed class, our Al-Usool AthThalaathah class and this as you know is the thirty fifth class, Wa LillahilHamd.
INAABAH
We were talking about several of the Ibaadaat that the author mentions as
examples, and the Ibaadah of today is Inaabah ().
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He says:
WHAT IS INAABAH?
Inaabah is continuously turning to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala in
obedience and repentance and avoiding disobedience of Allah. If you
notice from many previous Ibaadaat that we took, for example we took
Khawf and Rajaa and then we took Raghbah and Rahbah and among the
many facts that we mentioned and we stated is basically that Raghbah
and Rahbah are higher, more special statuses of Rajaa and Khawf.
Raghbah and Rahbah are higher or special statuses of Rajaa and Khawf.
Likewise for example, among the many things that we mentioned about
Khashyah is that it is a higher or a more special form of Khawf. Khashyah
is a higher status of Khawf. Now here, Inaabah means to repent but not
just repent, it is a higher status of repenting.
In order for you to understand Inaabah (the higher status of repenting),
you need to understand Tawbah. Number one, Tawbah ( )is leaving
the sin or doing what you are supposed to do and saying Astaghfirullah.
Leave what you are supposed to leave or do what you are supposed to do
and say Astaghfirullah. That is the present. Then number two is you regret
the past. Number three is you plan on never doing it again and that is for
the future. So repentance is past, present and future. The fourth condition
is if it pertains to the rights of someone else, you have to return it. If it is
money, you have to return it. If it is slander or backbiting, you must
apologise. If the apology causes a bigger Fitnah, like for example someone
gossiped or mentioned someone in bad behind his back and most people
cannot accept an apology, in fact it may cause worse circumstances
between the two. So in situations like that, one can mention them in their
absence in good (in a very similar setting to where they mentioned them
in bad), just like they mentioned them in bad. One can make Duaa for
them due to their transgression and if that transgression is in money, you
can present the money directly and apologise. If it is going to cause a
bigger problem, you can present it as a gift or put in a mailbox, or if you
do not know where that person is then give it as a charity in their name.
So those are the four conditions of Tawbah but that is not our topic. That is
the definition of Tawbah, we need to know what Inaabah is.
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The linguistic term of Inaabah contains the meaning of hastening, turning

to and going forth. It contains all that in its linguistic meaning. In Arabic,
returning to someone time and time again is called:
If you go and visit them again and again or turn to them again and again.
The Arabs used to say about a woman:

When a woman turned to her husband after she was disobedient to him.
So when she continuously turned to her husband in obedience after
disobedience, they used to mention that word about the woman back in
the pure Arabic language days.
Therefore, among the meanings of Inaabah would be the four conditions
of Tawbah we mentioned, plus a fifth pillar or condition and that is turning
to Allah in worship by continuously and constantly renewing that
repentance. That is the additional condition. Therefore Inaabah is
repenting but not only that, it is doing it repeatedly, over and over with
love, fear and hope. It is repenting with the extra condition of doing it
again and again. So if you repent and you continuously repent, that
means you did Inaabah.
Now if you do Inaabah constantly, what does that entail? That means you
are steadfast. You are on Istiqaamah (), so Inaabah entails
Istiqaamah. Inaabah entails Istiqaamah because you continuously repent.
Some people repent but then go back to the sin or go to a worse sin and
some remain just idle after that repentance. Inaabah means that you are
continuously repenting and turning to Allah. That is the additional
meaning in it, that means you are on Istiqaamah and that is what is meant
in the verse:

:

Verily, those who say: Our Lord is (only) Allah, and thereafter Istaqaamu
(i.e. stood firm and straight on the Islamic Faith of Monotheism by
abstaining from all kinds of sins and evil deeds which Allah has forbidden
and by performing all kinds of good deeds which He has ordained), on
them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Surat al-Ahqaaf: 13)
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That is also the meaning of the verse that gave the Messenger sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam white hair:

:

So stand (ask Allah to make) you (Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)
firm and straight (on the religion of Islamic Monotheism) as you are
commanded and those (your companions) who turn in repentance (unto
Allah) with you, and transgress not (Allahs legal limits). Verily, He is All
Seer of what you do. (Surat Hud: 112)
So when you continuously do Inaabah, it entails that you are firm and
straight (that means you are on Istiqaamah).
In summary, what we are trying to get at is that Inaabah means to repent
(the four conditions of repenting), but it is not only that. On top of that,
you have to continuously repent and turn to Allah in good deeds. And then
if you do that, that entails that you are firm, steadfast and straight on the
path (that is Istiqaamah).
Inaabah also requires other heart actions, like for example it requires
hope, love and fear. Ibn al-Qayyim declared that the heart actions of
worship are intertwined, they require and need each other. Why? Because
for Inaabah for example, you cannot just have Inaabah alone, you have to
have love, fear and hope. So the heart actions are intertwined in that they
need each other. There is no Inaabah without love, fear and hope. Love,
fear and hope are essential to Inaabah. You must have them to have the
Ibaadah of Inaabah established.
Look at one of the verses that mentions Inaabah:

Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful. And turn in
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repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic Monotheism) to your

Lord and submit to Him, (in Islam), before the torment comes upon you,
then you will not be helped. (Surat az-Zumar: 53-54)
The verse starts off with love. O my servants, that is a call of love (to
establish love in order for you to love Him). So the way the call is (Yaa
Ibaadi), that establishes the love part. Number two, the verse says:

Despair not of the Mercy of Allah. That is hope.
Number three, the verse says:

Repent before torment comes to you, and then you will not be helped.
That is the fear part.
You have those three in those verses talking about Inaabah, so Inaabah
requires love, fear and hope. And like Ibn al-Qayyim Rahimahullah says,
Ibaadaat of the heart are intertwined.
Inaabah is such an important Ibaadah that it is part of establishing your
Deen.
So set you (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) your face towards

the religion of pure Islamic Monotheism Haneefa (worship none but Allah
Alone) Allahs Fitrah (i.e. Allah's Islamic Monotheism), with which He has
created mankind. No change let there be in Khalq-Illah (i.e. the Religion of
Allah Islamic Monotheism), that is the straight religion, but most of men
know not. (Surat ar-Room: 30)
How do you set your face towards the Haneefiyyah? Look at the next
verse:
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(Always) Turning in repentance to Him (only), and be afraid and dutiful to
Him; and perform As-Salat (Iqamat-as-Salat) and be not of Al-Mushrikoon
(the disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, polytheists, idolaters, etc).
(Surat ar-Room: 31)
So Inaabah is essential in establishing your Deen on the Haneefiyyah. Of
course in English they translate Inaabah as repentance, but like we said
Inaabah is a higher level of that.
To know how important Inaabah is, Ibn al-Qayyim Rahimahullah
considered it half the Deen. Ibn al-Qayyim Rahimahullah said Tawakkul is
half the Deen and the other half is Inaabah. Why? Because religion is
Istiaanah (seeking help and aid from Allah) and Ibaadah (worship).
Tawakkul is the Istiaanah part of it and Inaabah is the Ibaadah part of it.
So he considered it half the Deen.
WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INAABAH

AND KHASHYAH?
You cannot have Khashyah without Inaabah. In reality, Inaabah is a fruit of
Khashyah and it is a sign and an indicator of it.
(It will be said): This is what you were promised, - (it is) for those oftreturning (to Allah) in sincere repentance, and those who preserve their
covenant with Allah (by obeying Him in all what He has ordered, and
worship none but Allah Alone, i.e. follow Allahs Religion, Islamic
Monotheism). Who feared the Most Beneficent (Allah) in the Ghayb
(unseen): (i.e. in this worldly life before seeing and meeting Him), and
brought a heart turned in repentance (to Him - and absolutely free from
each and every kind of polytheism). (Surat Qaaf: 32-33)
This is what you were promised, for those who do Inaabah. This is what
you are promised for those who do Inaabah. Who are they who do
Inaabah? The next verse tells us who does it.
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Those who fear Allah the Most Gracious in the Ghayb.
Therefore in reality, Inaabah is a fruit of Khashyah and it is an indicator of
one having Khashyah. Khashyah is levels and so is Inaabah. The more one
grows in Inaabah (in levels), the more his Khashyah grows (his fear of
Allah will be more).
WHAT IS THE BIGGEST SIGN THAT ONE HAS

INAABAH IN THEIR HEART?
Listen to this verse, the answer is in the verse.
...

:

Say: Verily, Allah sends astray whom He wills and guides unto Himself
those who turn to Him in repentance. (Surat ar-Rad: 27)
Allah send astray whom He wills and He guides those who turn to him in
Inaabah. Allah said that He guides those who have Inaabah, but who are
those He guides to Inaabah? The answer is in the next verse:

:

Those who believe (in the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism), and
whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah, Verily, in the
remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. (Surat ar-Rad: 28)
The verse says Allah guides those who have Inaabah. Who are they? What
is their sign Yaa Allah? It is in the following verse. It is those whose hearts
find rest and satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah. That is the biggest
sign of Inaabah.
THE LEVELS OF INAABAH

There are three main levels of Inaabah and they are all in the Quran.
THE FIRST LEVEL: THE INAABAH
FROM
SHIRK
TO
TAWHEED
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This is the one that takes one from Shirk and Kufr to Islam.
It is mentioned in the verse:

:

Those who avoid At-Taaghoot (false deities) by not worshipping them and
turn to Allah in repentance, for them are glad tidings; so announce the
good news to My slaves. (Surat az-Zumar: 17)
Those who avoid the Taaghoot (the false deities) by not worshipping them,
and turn to Allah in Inaabah. For them is glad tidings, so announce to
them the good news. One must have this level of Inaabah, otherwise he is
not a Muslim. This is level that brings one to Islam. This is the level that
transforms one from Kufr to Islam.
THE SECOND LEVEL: THE INAABAH
OF
AL-MUTTAQEEN
This is the Inaabah from sin to obedience. One committed a sin, he

repented to Allah, he went back to obedience and he continuously repents
to Allah. That is good. If one does not do this, he is considered a
transgressor (a sinner). He is a Muslim and not a Kaafir, but he is a Muslim
sinner and we fear the punishment of Allah over him.
This Inaabah is mentioned in the verse I mentioned earlier:

Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful. And turn in
Lord and submit to Him, (in Islam), before the torment comes upon you,
then you will not be helped. (Surat az-Zumar: 53-54)
THE THIRD LEVEL: THE INAABAH
OF
AL-MUHSINEEN
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The third level of Inaabah is the Inaabah of al-Muhsineen, which we want

to seek to strive for. It is the highest level and peak of Inaabah. This
Inaabah means to constantly turn to Allah in repentance and good deeds.
Always finding and seeking an Ibaadah to turn to Allah in and constantly
doing it. The people of this Inaabah are the ones who worship Allah as if
they see Him. This Inaabah at this level is what Allah described the
Messengers with.
:

Verily, Ibraheem (Abraham) was, without doubt, forbearing, used to invoke
Allah with humility, and was repentant (to Allah all the time, again and
again). (Surat Hud: 75)

...
:

And my guidance cannot come except from Allah, in Him I trust and unto
Him I repent. (Surat Hud: 88)

:
And in whatsoever you differ, the decision thereof is with Allah (He is the
ruling Judge). (And say O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to these
polytheists): Such is Allah, my Lord in Whom I put my trust, and to Him I
turn in all of my affairs and in repentance. (Surat ash-Shoora: 10)
This is what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam mentioned in his
Duaa in Sahih al-Bukhari and Muslim.

So this is what Allah described His Messengers with and this is the highest
point, the Inaabah of al-Muhsineen. May Allah grant us this level.
You have to understand that the more one has Inaabah, the more the
Shaytaan puts effort into them (the more the Shaytaan plots). You would
think otherwise, but the more the Shaytaan plots against these people
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(the people of the highest level of Inaabah). Ibn Taymiyyah specifically

mentioned this. He said the Shaytaan plots against the people of Inaabah
more than anyone else, and he plots against those who pray more than
the ones who do not and he plots against the people of knowledge more
than he does the laymen. That is a reason why sometimes students of
knowledge and worshippers get Wiswaas ( )and they get
doubts. They get doubts more than what others who do not follow the
guidance get. The ones who follow the right path get more Wiswaas
(whispers from the Shaytaan) than them.
Imaam Ahmad in Az-Zuhd (), Abu Naeem in Al-Hulyah (),
Ibn al-Qayyim in Al-Waabil As-Sayyib ( ) and Ibn
Taymiyyah mentioned it throughout the Fataawa, they narrated a story
that someone went to Ibn Abbaas and he said the Jews are teasing us.
They say we have Khushoo in our Salah and we feel no Wiswaas. We have
no doubts in our Salah, yet you believers have Wiswaas. Ibn Abbaas said
what does the Shaytaan want with a desolate house? What does the
Shaytaan want with a doomed and abandoned house? So Ibn Taymiyyah
warned that among the most to get plotted against by the Shaytaan are
those who achieve the level of Inaabah. You have to keep that in mind in
this Ibaadah.
It is normal for the Shaytaan to attack with doubts. The Sahaabah
complained of this issue. What is wrong is for one not to resist it. The
Shaytaan starts with small matters and if one does not overcome these
small matters of doubts and resist them, they get worse and worse.
Uthman Ibn Abu al-Aas went to the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam and he said O Messenger of Allah, the Shaytaan intervenes
between me in my prayer and my recitation of the Quran and confounds
me. The Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that is the Shaytaan
who is known as al-Khunzab ( )and that is his task, that is his
duty. When you perceive its affect, seek refuge with Allah from it and spit
three times to your left. Uthman said I did that and Allah dispelled that
problem from me. So if the Sahaabah complained of the Wiswaas of the
Shaytaan, of course everyone after them is going to face something like
that.
When Ibn Abbaas mentioned:
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From the evil of the whisperer (devil who whispers evil in the hearts of
men) who withdraws (from his whispering in ones heart after one
remembers Allah). (Surat an-Naas: 4)
He said:
The Shaytaan squats on the hearts of the sons of Adam. When one is
mindless of the remembrance of Allah, the Shaytaan does Wiswaas
(whispering). If he remembers Allah, the Shaytaan withdraws from the
whispering.
That is why it is called:

Those of Inaabah must be in constant remembrance of Allah at all times
because the Shaytaan is after them. Some get mild doubts, some get
average doubts and some get extreme doubts. Some get them in the
matters of worship and some get them in the matters of belief.
A man went to the Faqeeh Ibn Aqeel and he said Imaam, I take a dive in a
pool tens of times and every time I come out of the pool I doubt whether I
am on Wudhu or not. Ibn Aqeel said go home, you do not have to make
Salah. He was trying to make a point right here. He said what are you
talking about Shaykh? He said a man who dives that many times in the
pool and he keeps going back and forth doubting whether he made
Wudhu or not, that is a mentally ill man.

The pen has been lifted from three and one of them is a mentally insane
person.
What he meant is you need to stop that doubt, otherwise you are on the
path of becoming insane. I elaborated on this point in Inaabah longer than
I should because it is a matter Ibn Taymiyyah warned of in particular to
those of the level of Inaabah. And also secondly, it is among the topics I
get a lot of questions on. Many people are suffering from this and the
longer you let it go without curing it, it gets worse and worse. It gets to
the point of someone becoming insane, disliking the Ibaadah or even
wal-Iyaathu Billah disliking Islam. You have to continue in remembrance
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of Allah and you do Istiaadhah ( )like in the Hadith of Uthman

Ibn Abu al-Aas. And when Wiswaas comes try to think of different
matters, whether it may be Deen matters (which is preferable) or
beneficial Dunya matters to get your mind off that Wiswaas. In addition to
that, among the cures for it is you say:

When you get your mind off of it, you say Aamantu Billah. In Sahih Muslim
Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
said a person will continue to question until he says Allah created all
things but who created Allah subhaanahu wa taaala? And whoever is
confronted with such a situation should affirm his faith and say Aamantu
Billah.

:
Commenting in this Hadith, an-Nawawi said it means when Wiswaas
comes to you, turn to Allah immediately and occupy your mind in other
matters because that is the Shaytaan coming at you.
Remembrance of Allah is the best cure. Having the Quran and the
Adhkaar on the tip of your tongue and when you are not reading Quran
and Adhkaar, everyone has a phone where they could always listen to
Quran. It is a cure for that and it is reward and a purification for the heart.
You cannot listen to the instruments of the Shaytaan and then come
complain and say I have Waswasah in my Salah. Of course you are going
to have it because you were listening to the instruments of the Shaytaan.
How do you expect to be cured of the Waswasah of the Shaytaan?
For those struggling with this, remember the Sahaabah faced this issue
and remember the reward for resisting it. You get reward for resisting it
and fighting it. Abu Hurayrah said a group of Sahaabah told the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam we perceive in our minds that which we
consider too grave to even express and tell you (meaning we cannot even
tell you what through our minds O Messenger of Allah).
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.

.

:
:

:

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said do you really perceive it?
They said yes. He said that is the faith manifest (that is true Imaan). He
did not mean that the Waswasah is Imaan, he meant the fact that they
hated it, resisted it and considered it so bad that they did not even want
to mention it. Once they hated it and resisted it, then that is the true
Imaan surfacing (that is manifest Imaan).
That is what Ibn Taymiyyah warned of when you get to the level of
Inaabah. And like we said, when you get to the level of Inaabah, the
Shaytaan tends to come at you more. You have to shield yourself from the
Waswasah of the Shayaatan.
HOW DO WE KNOW INAABAH IS DIFFERENT TO

TAWBAH?
Allah said about Dawood alayhis-salaam:

...
:

And he sought Forgiveness of his Lord, and he fell down prostrate and
turned (to Allah) in repentance. (Surat Saad: 24)
Allah is talking about Dawood and He said he sought forgiveness, then he
fell down, prostrated and turned to Allah in Inaabah. The first term Allah
described Dawood alayhis-salaam with is:

Then right after that, it is Inaabah. In the English translation, they consider
both repent and that is why it may be confusing. If they meant the same
thing, it would be redundant or unnecessary to repeat it in the same verse
in that context. The Quran is the perfected word of Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala in every aspect one may think and imagine. It is the word of Allah.
He said he did Istighfaar (which is Tawbah), and then he did Inaabah
(which is a higher level). He mentioned both of them because they have
two different meanings.
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AL-INAABAH AR-RUBUBIYYAH AND AL-INAABAH

AL-ILAHIYYAH
There are two kinds of Inaabah that Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned in Madaarij
As-Saalikeen (
). The first category or type is alInaabah ar-Rububiyyah () . This Inaabah is the Inaabah
of all creation (Muslim, Kaafir, wicked and righteous). Does everyone not
turn to Allah by force? Even atheists, everyone turns to Allah. Whether
they acknowledge it or not, knowing or unknowingly everyone turns to
Allah in every moment. They turn to Allah for their heartbeat, for their
provision and for their sustenance.
Another way they turn to Allah is in the verse:

:

And when harm touches men, they cry sincerely only to their Lord (Allah),
turning to Him in repentance, but when He gives them a taste of His
Mercy, behold! A party of them associate partners in worship with their
Lord. (Surat ar-Room: 33)
Allah says they turn to Allah. When something difficult or distressing
happens, they turn to Allah and He says Inaabah (Muneebeena (

)) . They turn to Allah with Inaabah. Who? The Mushrikeen turn in
Inaabah. How do we know that they are Mushrikeen? Because Allah said in
the following sentence:

Then when He gave them a taste of His Mercy, a party of them associates
partners in worship to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. They associate
partners to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. He said they did Inaabah but yet
they are Mushrikeen, so there is Inaabah of Rububiyyah and this is for all.
Everyone turns to Allah in one way or another and even the Mushrikeen
were described as doing Inaabah. This Inaabah is not the special one. It is
for everyone, like the people who when they get in desperate situations
they turn and say O Lord, O God, that is the general type of Inaabah.
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The second type of al-Inaabah al-Ilahiyyah ( ) . This is the

special Inaabah of the Awliyaa of Allah. It is special for those who love
Allah and Allah loves. This is different to the first one, this is the Inaabah
of worship, love, hope and fear of Allah. This Inaabah contains love of
Allah. This Inaabah contains submission to Allah. This Inaabah contains
turning to Allah fully. This Inaabah contains turning away from other than
Allah. This Inaabah is the one that one does willingly and by choice, when
he hastens to repent to please Allah. He continuously turns to Allah at all
times willingly and by choice. This Inaabah is the one we seek to achieve
and it is the return of the heart from other than Allah to Allah alone. The
heart cannot turn to Allah and others, it only turns one way so you turn to
Allah and you give the back of the heart to everything else.
WHEN IS INAABAH SHIRK?

When one repents to a grave or to a living human in that which he should
only direct to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, that is not Shirk in Inaabah but
that is Shirk in Tawbah because he repented. If he goes time and time
again, then that elevates it from Shirk in Tawbah to Shirk in Inaabah. A
student of Ilm should know these technical differences.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN INAABAH AND

RAGHBAH?
If you remember we said that part of the meaning of Raghbah is to
continuously return to Allah. We said Inaabah is continuously returning to
Allah in repentance, so both Inaabah and Raghbah share a common
denominator or the common meaning in one way (of continuously and
constantly returning to Allah). So what is the difference? There is a slight,
delicate difference. Raghbah is continuously turning to Allah in liked, good
or positive matters, whereas Inaabah is usually continuously turning to
Allah in hardships, difficulties, bad situations or from sins.
THE PROOF OF THE AUTHOR ON INAABAH

The verse the author used as proof is:

: ...
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And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic

Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him, (in Islam). (Surat az-Zumar:
54)
Turn to your Lord in Inaabah and submit to Him. There is an order to do
Inaabah in this verse. The order:

Makes it an Ibaadah and once it is an Ibaadah, it can only be directed to
Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. Allah ordered it, that makes it a Waajib and
that makes it an Ibaadah. It means that He is pleased with it and that is
the definition of Ibaadah, therefore it must be directed to Allah as we took
in every single proof of each of the Ibaadaat. Once it is an Ibaadah, it
must be directed to Allah.
We mentioned before that there is two avenues to prove that matters are
Ibaadah. The general proof indicating Ibaadah must be directed to Allah
and there are plenty of verses in the Quran that Ibaadah should be
directed to Allah in general and giving any portion of it to other than Allah
is Shirk. And then there is specific proof as in this verse, it is a verse or a
Hadith that specifically mentions the Ibaadah and that it must be directed
to Allah. So once it is an Ibaadah, it must be directed to Allah. We spoke
on this before, and here in this verse it is the second avenue of proof.
SUBMISSION
TO
ALLAH
IS
TWO TYPES

Aslimu here is submit. Submission to the laws of Allah is two types.
Kawnee submission, which is the submission by force. The first type of
submission to Allah is Kawnee, this submission is the submission of all
creation in that which they have no choice in. No one can depart from this
type of submission and no one can be independent of this submission.
This is the general submission that encompasses everyone and everything
Allah created in the heavens and the earth (believers, non believers,
righteous and wicked). This submission (al-Kawnee) includes everyone
and everything.
:

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There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most
Beneficent (Allah) as a slave. (Surat Maryam: 93)
This verse means the Kawnee submission.
Another verse of submission in the Quran:

:
Do they seek other than the religion of Allah (the true Islamic Monotheism
worshipping none but Allah Alone), while to Him submitted all creatures in
the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly. And to Him shall they
all be returned. (Surat Aali Imraan: 83)
Everyone in the heavens and the earth submits to Him, willingly and
unwillingly and they will be returned to Him. This is the forced submission
which everyone is included in (the Kawnee).
The second one is the Sharee submission to Allah. It is a submission of
obedience and wilful following to the laws, regulations and prescriptions of
Islam. This second one is the one by choice. There is no choice in the first
one, it encompasses everyone and everyone must submit to Allah by
force. The second type is an honorary one, it is by choice and it is not
everyone, it is only the special ones who do this one. How is it by choice?
Whoever obeys Allah, whoever obeys the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, follows the Quran and the guidance of the Sunnah, they did that
by choice. They can make Salah and they can neglect it in this world. This
is the Sharee submission.
There are many proofs for this and among the proofs of this is what the
author used:

: ...
In this verse that the author used is the Sharee submission.
It means the second type of submission (the Sharee submission to Allah

and the honorary one), meaning follow what Allah has ordered you.
There are many proofs for Inaabah and another proof is:
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:

...
In Him I trust and unto Him I repent. (Surat Hud: 88)
In Him I trust and unto Him I do Inaabah, which like I said in English is
translated as repent.
I remember we talked about Inaabah in the Ramadhaan classes. (Click
here for the clip and see Appendix Three for the transcript). If I recall
correctly, we mentioned more of the spiritual aspects of it but in the class
we mentioned of course that which pertains to the rules, regulations and
Tawheed part of it.
CLASS THIRTY SIX

We are still on our Usool Ath-Thalaathah book and we are on the chapter
where the author mentions fourteen examples of Ibaadaat to support a
statement. We have been taking these essential Ibaadaat and we have
spent quite a lot of time on them, and it is time well worth it. Our topic
today is the tenth Ibaadah, which is Istiaanah ( ).
ISTIAANAH
The author says:
So he mentions Istiaanah, then he mentions a proof from the Quran and

another from the Sunnah.
If you look at the first three Arabic letters in Istiaanah (Alif, Seen and Taa),
words that begin like that indicate seeking or requesting. Wherever you
see Alif, Seen and Taa added to the beginning, the word means something
about seeking or requesting. They are the words on the pattern of Astafal
().

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That is how we refer to it in Arabic grammar. Some examples like the

Ibaadaat we will try to take today Inshaa Allah, Istiaanah, Istighaathah (
), Istijaarah (), all of them have the meaning of

seeking. Furthermore, what is Istighfaar? Istighfaar is seeking forgiveness.

That you are seeking forgiveness. Istighfaar ( ), you see that Alif,
Seen and Taa? That is the common thing between all these words. Outside
of Ibaadaat, take the example of Istansar ().

Seeking victory. When one seeks victory, it is Istansar.
: ...

So he became afraid, looking about in the city (waiting as to what will be
the result of his crime of killing), when behold, the man who had sought
his help the day before, called for his help (again). (Surat al-Qasas: 18)
Some scholars say it is the letters Alif and Seen in the beginning that
imply or mean the request. Some of the scholars say it is the Seen by
itself. This is a dispute among the scholars of grammar. Some say it is the
Seen by itself and like I mentioned some say it is the Alif, Seen and Taa
together. That really does not matter, what matters is that when you see
words starting like that (on the pattern of Astafal), it means a request.
Sometimes words on the pattern of Istafal can mean the act itself without
the request. For example, Allah said:
...
:
That was because there came to them their Messengers with clear proofs
(signs), but they said: Shall mere men guide us? So they disbelieved
and turned away (from the truth), and Allah was not in need (of them).
(Surat at-Taghaabun: 6)
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Alif, Seen and Taa. The verse means Allah is rich. Here, it does not mean
Allah sought to be rich (Maaath Allah), it means Allah is rich. So in some
cases, it may not mean the request part.
In summary and to avoid confusion, words on the pattern of the Arabic
word Astafal usually come in the meaning of seeking help for something,
seeking something or pursuing something. Sometimes it may come with
the act itself, free from the seeking part (like in the verse above).
Our worship here is Istiaanah and Istiaanah comes from:

It comes from assistance. When you say:

It means Saalih or Abdullah assisted me or they are my assistance. AlIstiaanah means to seek and appeal for assistance and it is usually in
general matters where no evil has touched you, nor do you expect that.
Let me repeat, Istiaanah is to seek and appeal for assistance and then
pay attention to this delicate following sentence because the following
sentence will help you distinguish between this Istiaanah and the
following two worships that we are going to take after this. You will know
its value when we take the following two worships because it is a delicate
difference. The sentence that I want you to keep an eye on is that
Istiaanah is usually in general matters where there is no evil that has
touched yet, nor do you expect it. Istiaanah has different forms or types
and there are six forms of Istiaanah.
FORMS OF ISTIAANAH
THE FIRST FORM
The first form of Istiaanah is appealing for assistance and aid from Allah
with the conditions and pillars, and there are four pillars to it. Istiaanah
with complete humility to Allah, Istiaanah with complete submission to
Allah, Istiaanah with complete Tawakkul on Allah (meaning reliance on
Allah and trusting ones affairs to Allah) and Istiaanah with complete
certainty in Allah (meaning one is certain that Allah subhaanahu wa
Page | 784
taaala is sufficient for him and having confidence in Allah subhaanahu wa

taaala).
This is the type that if you direct it to other than Allah, it is major Shirk.
This category and form can only be directed to Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala. This type of Istiaanah is the meaning of the Hawqalah ( ).
In Arabic, Hawqalah is the word referring to Laa Hawla Wa Laa Quwwata
Illa Billah (there is no might nor power except in Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala). No one can attain benefits, save himself from harm or be aided in
any matter (Deen or Dunya) except through Istiaanah in Allah. So this
category is a definition to the Hawqalah, which is Laa Hawla Wa Laa
Quwwata Illa Billah. You need Istiaanah in Allah in everything, whether it
may be doing the ordains, leaving the prohibitions or in patience during
the trials of this life. You need Istiaanah not just in this life, you need
Istiaanah in the life after (in the grave and on the Judgment Day). No one
will assist you with anything but Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. Whoever
seeks the assistance of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, Allah will aid him.
This is why you may now know why we must say:

:

You (Alone) we worship, and you (Alone) we ask for help (for each and
everything). (Surat al-Faatihah: 5)
Seventeen times by Fardh in our Salah. You alone we worship and You
alone we appeal for aid. This is the first form of Istiaanah.
THE SECOND FORM

The second form of Istiaanah is Istiaanah (seeking help) in a creation in
something which he is capable of helping you in. This matter depends on
the action that is sought, is it Halaal or is it Haraam? If someone seeks
Istiaanah in another in a matter that is Halaal, then it is permissible for
him to do that and the one who is being asked will get reward for
responding and helping. For example, someone is moving and he says
brother can you help me in moving my furniture, or when you came to the
Dars today you ask a brother can we car pool to the Dars.
Allah said:

: ...

...
Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and
piety). (Surat al-Maaidah: 2)
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...
:

And do good; indeed, Allah loves the doers of good. (Surat al-Baqarah:
195)
That is if it is Halaal. What about if the matter you seek Istiaanah in is
Haraam? If the matter you are seeking Istiaanah in is a Haraam issue,
then it is forbidden for the one seeking Istiaanah to ask and it is forbidden
for the one who is asked to even help. For example, someone being asked
to hand, bring or buy a cup, can or bottle of alcohol, one asking another
one to go and co sign for a Riba contract, to witness in it, to drive him to
that or to drive him to any sin (transport him to any sin). That is Haraam.
What is the proof on that? The verse that I just mentioned.

...
: ...

Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and
piety); but do not help one another in sin and transgression. (Surat alMaaidah: 2)
It is by this clear verse and that is the second form of Istiaanah.
THE THIRD FORM

The third form of Istiaanah or seeking help is seeking the help from a
creation who is alive and present, but it is something he cannot do and it
is beyond his ability and means. It is something he cannot do, and it is
beyond his ability and means. That is not Shirk. It is what you would say is
useless talk or futile talk, but it is not Shirk. Why is it not Shirk? It is not
Shirk for two reasons. Number one, because you are actually speaking to
a person. There is a human being there and you are saying hand me this
or give me that. He is not able to do it, but you are actually speaking to a
person. The second reason is that the matter you are asking him is not
among those that are hidden or unseen, that is why it is not Shirk. An
example is if you tell a child, an older person or a paralysed person who
cannot carry something heavy to help you carry a big box. That is not
Shirk. We mention this because we need to know, we cannot go around
declaring people Mushrikeen and you would hear this at times. That is not
Shirk, but if the matter you are asking him is something that is hidden or
unseen then that leads us to the next category.
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THE FOURTH TYPE

The fourth type is best described as A and B. A is seeking Istiaanah
(seeking aid) in someone that is deceased and B is seeking the aid of
someone that is living in matters they cannot do or reach, and those
matters are considered among the hidden and unseen. This type of
seeking help is major Shirk. Why? Because this can only be done by
someone who believes that he sought help from someone who has hidden
control over the creation, which only Allah subhaanahu wa taaala has.
Very simple and basic stuff.
THE FIFTH TYPE

The fifth type of Istiaanah or seeking help is seeking aid from someone
who is able to do something with reliance on him. Note here we added the
key word reliance on that person. That word can throw you off and that is
actually the only difference between this fifth category and the second
category. In the second category, we said seeking help in a creation in
something which he is capable of helping in and we said that is
permissible. Here, if you add the reliance factor like seeking the help of a
doctor (Istiaanah in a doctor) with reliance on that doctor or seeking
Istiaanah in a lawyer with reliance on him, that is minor Shirk. It becomes
major Shirk if there is reliance on the creation in that which they cannot
do. One of the ways to check the status of your reliance is by seeing if
your heart feels so assured and firm that that person or individual has the
full solution (it is in him and it is in his hands and control).
THE SIXTH TYPE

The final category is seeking help in deeds (Istiaanah in deeds). What we
mean is seeking help by performing and turning to Allah in deeds (through
deeds that are a beloved to Allah). For example, seeking help by
performing Salah when in need, seeking help by being patient throughout
your life (because patience is an Ibaadah in itself when the intention is
there) or seeking help in deeds to attain the help of Allah. The ruling on
this category or form is that this is something that is prescribed by Allah.
It is permitted and it is recommended by Allah.
...

:
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O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). (Surat
al-Baqarah: 153)
In Uddat As-Saabireen () , Ibn al-Qayyim Rahimahullah
said Allah directed His servants to turn to Salah and patience for aid in
matters of this life and the matters of the Hereafter.
Imaam Ahmad and Abu Dawood narrated that Hudhayfah radhiallahu
anhu said:
Pay attention to that Hadith. In Awn Al-Mabood (

author said the key word in the Hadith is:
), the

It means when he was afflicted with a calamity, a stress, a sorrow, a grief,
a worry or a distress. All that falls under this word.
When he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was afflicted with that, he would turn
to Salah. Try it and you will see relief. Try this abandoned Ibaadah. If you
were to analyse the non obligatory Nafil or Sunnah Salahs, you will see
that among the most popular Salah is Istikhaarah. Among the most
popular ones is Istikhaarah, it is one of the most that I get questions on
and it is one of the most that you hear people doing. When Muslims have
a decision like an engagement, a marriage, a divorce, buying a house,
moving or other matters, they hasten to do Salat al-Istikhaarah. It is very
widespread and very popular. A Salah just as important (maybe even more
important) that you rarely see anyone doing (Illa Man Rahimallah (
)) is the Salah of one in a difficulty or distress, yet it is needed

and essential. Revive that Sunnah and look what you will get out of it. You
will get the reward of reviving the Sunnah of one who is in distress or
grief, you will get your normal reward for doing that Salah and on top of
that you will get the enhancement or being relieved from that issue or
matter that you are facing.
When a brother or a sister gets an anxiety attack or stress, they are
expecting or they are facing a hardship or they anticipate for example bad
news at home or at work (may Allah subhaanahu wa taaala save you from
all that), head to those two Rakahs. Pray those two Rakahs. Ibn Katheer
Rahimahullah said Salah is the biggest aider for firmness in all matters. In
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the first volume of Fath Al-Baari, Ibn Hajr Rahimahullah it is Sunnah to

hasten to Salah if one anticipates that something evil may happen to him.
It is Sunnah to head to Salah and hasten to Salah if he anticipates
something evil. Ibn Jareer narrated that Ibn Abbaas radhiallahu anhuma
was walking one day and they told him your brother has just died. They
broke the news to him that his brother died, so he said:

Then he immediately stepped to the side of the road that he was on and
he began to make Salah. Then he returned to his camel saying:
: ...

And seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). (Surat al-Baqarah:
45)
In Al-Furoo ( )by Ibn Muflih, al-Aajuri and others said when one is
afflicted, let them turn to Salah. One of the most critical times during the
life of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was in Badr. Look at the
critical timing and the critical situation. A defeat in that battle meant the
extinction of Islam and he said that in his Duaa (if You do not give my
people victory, You will not be worshipped on this earth). After he
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam aligned the rows for the battle and it was
about to begin, the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam headed to
Salah.
Ibn Masood said:

And then after his Salah he made Duaa, the Duaa that you know where
Abu Bakr was holding his upper garment for him.
In another Hadith in Musnad Ahmad, Ali radhiallahu anhu said there was
not a single one of us who went to sleep the night before the Battle of
Badr, except the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who was up all
night making Salah, crying and pleading with Allah by the tree until the
morning broke.
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One thing I wanted to note is that some claim that this Salah is a Bidah
Salah (it is Bidah to do it). The reason they say that is because they found
a portion of the Hadith on this matter and not the other, or when they
were asked they neglected the other part for some reason. There are
some weak Hadith on this matter that have a specific Duaa attached to it.
This is how the weak Hadith goes, if one is in distress let him make two
Rakaat, and then the weak Hadith says make this specific Duaa. Those
Hadith about the Salah of the one in distress (Salat al-Haajah) with the
specific Duaa attached to them are weak. For example, one of those is:

The weak Hadith says whoever has a need or is in distress, let him go
make Wudhu, pray two Rakahs and say the following:

That is in Ibn Maajah, at-Tirmidhi and al-Haakim and it is very weak. That
Hadith that I just mentioned is a very weak Hadith. I mention it because I
have seen and read it from some Talabat al-Ilm, they saw that this is
weak and then they cancelled out the prayer of distress altogether. To be
clear, what is weak is the Hadith that is saying if you are afflicted in a
matter, go make Wudhu, pray and then make the specific Duaa. That is
the one that is weak and the ones with the specific Duaa are weak. What
is not weak in the Hadith and what is in fact Sunnah as recommended not
only by Ahaadith actually but by verses in the Quran, by Ahaadith and by
statements of the Salaf, is the general Salah of one in distress with no
specific Duaa.
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When in distress, when anything bothers you, when you are facing
anything in life, head to Salah and make Duaa. Unlike Salat al-Istikhaarah
that has a specific Duaa attached to it, there is no authentic Duaa that is
attached to the Salah of the one in distress. Just head to Salah and spill
your heart out to Allah in any Duaa that comes to your tongue. Pray,
plead, beg, ask Allah, do Istiaanah in Allah and you will see the support of
Allah to you.
Two verses in the Quran support this Ibaadah.
...
:
O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). (Surat
al-Baqarah: 153)
: ...

And seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). (Surat al-Baqarah:
45)
Twice in Surat al-Baqarah. Seek help in patience and in Salah, seek your
aid (Istiaanah) in your patience and your Salah.
How is Salah a comfort and support? Salah is a connection to Allah. When
your connection or bond with Allah is strong, the support of Allah for you
will be stronger. And if Allah supports you, all your matters will turn into
ease. That is how your Salah is an aid and support to you, and it is an
Istiaanah. I do not want to get off topic too much but these are matters
that one needs on a daily basis. This is the rule of life, you are either
afflicted or you are waiting for affliction. There is no dodging that rule. If
you are not afflicted, do not get happy because affliction is a fact of life
and trials are a fact of life.
Like I said, in that specific Salah there is no authentic Hadith with a
specific Duaa attached to it. However, there is a Duaa that is authentic
and has nothing to do with the Salah of the distressed, but it is something
you can seek Istiaanah in as well. In Sahih Muslim, Ibn Abbaas said when
the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was afflicted with a matter
(and he used the same word that I mentioned earlier (
)) .

:

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Hazabahu means a matter afflicted. Like I said, it is sadness, calamity and
so on. The first one was on Salah, but this is a Duaa. When a matter
afflicted him, he would say this Duaa. In Sahih Muslim, the narration that I
just mentioned just has that Duaa. In another authentic narration in
Musnad Ahmad, it has this Duaa that I just mentioned and then it says
one should follow it by his own personal Duaa (meaning you say what I
just said and then make your own personal Duaa). Make that Duaa like
an introduction, and then begin with your Duaa.
Another Duaa that I just remembered for those in distress, it is in Sunan
at-Tirmidhi and it is authentic.

When the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was faced with anything
(and it is the same word as before), he used to say:

Now how does this tie into our class? I do not want you to feel that we
went off track because these are classes are focused to the point. What
we are studying here is Istiaanah if you remember, we said there are
forms of Istiaanah and we mentioned six of them. We said the sixth one is
seeking help in deeds (Istiaanah in deeds to get the help of Allah), so the
example we mentioned (I mentioned two Duaa) is seeking Istiaanah in
Duaa. The Salah of the distressed is an example and Sabr is an example
of that, so they are examples of the sixth category or form of Istiaanah.
THE PROOF OF THE AUTHOR ON ISTIAANAH

The final point under Istiaanah is the proof.

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He mentions an Ayah and a Hadith.

For the Ayah, the author Rahimahullah uses the verse in Surat al-Faatihah
(You Alone we worship and You alone we appeal for aid):

:

You (Alone) we worship, and you (Alone) we ask for help (for each and
everything). (Surat al-Faatihah: 5)
For the Hadith, he mentions the saying of the Prophet Muhammad
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam (if you seek help, then seek help of Allah alone
and only Allah):

THE VERSE FROM
THE
QURAN
First let us take the verse.

:

If you remember with some previous proofs we took, there is something
switched around here. This should have been:

Instead of:

But why is it the second one? There is a very big lesson in that. He
mentions the word upon which the verb acts before the verb itself. He
said:

Instead of:

The rule is:

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According to the principles of the Arabic grammar (the language which the
Quran was revealed in of course), bringing forward that which usually
comes afterwards indicates restriction and particularisation.

I believe we went over it twice, but it is okay to keep going over it so it will
stick and be embedded in our minds. The words were switched around to
stress and emphasise that directing Ibaadah or Istiaanah is only for Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala and it is Shirk to give it to other than Allah. It only
belongs to Allah and it is to stress that fact. Let me give you an example
outside of the verses of the Quran and maybe that will help you
understand.
In Arabic, you say:

I hit Zayd. First you say I hit, then you say the name. I hit Muhammad, I hit
Saalih, however you can flip them around. You can flip it around to say:

When you flip them around and that is not common (the first way is more
common), it means you are trying to stress the fact that the only one you
hit was Zayd, Saalih or whoever you mention.

Is not:

Because this is a dangerous matter of Shirk, and it is to stress that you
only worship Allah, you only give Allah your Istiaanah and your Ibaadah
and you only seek your aid from Allah. It is switched around to restrict,
particularise and emphasise Ibaadah and Istiaanah to Allah alone.
Ibn Abbaas said:

Means You alone Allah we worship, You alone Allah we fear and we have
hope in no one other than You.
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Just as:

Appears to declare that we worship Allah alone, it also declares that we
renounce Shirk. Just as it declares that we worship Allah alone, it declares
that we renounce Shirk because Tawheed is Ithbaat and Nafi.

With that we declare that no one has the right and power to assist us but
Allah. You alone we seek and appeal for assistance. You alone Yaa Allah we
seek and appeal for assistance.
Why did He say:

You alone we worship and You alone we appeal for aid. Why was it not
flipped around (You alone we appeal for aid and You alone we worship)?
He mentioned Nabudu (

) before Nastaeen (
) and the

Ulamaa said it is because Ibaadah is more important.
We said Istiaanah is a worship. All our talk today is about a worship, the
Ibaadah of Istiaanah. As I said in every one of the last few classes, we are
going over the fourteen matters of Ibaadah (of worship) that the author
chose as examples and Istiaanah is one. It is called and considered a
worship, so why is the verse we worship You only and we seek your aid
only Yaa Allah? Had it been we worship You period, would that not also
include the following worship (which is Istiaanah)? Would that not be
included as an Ibaadah? Istiaanah is included in the Ibaadah. Appealing
for His aid (Istiaanah) is part of Ibaadah and it is part of:

Why did He mention it separately if it is already included in the first part?
There are three reasons some Ulamaa mentioned. The first reason is what
you call mentioning the broad matter (which is Iyyaaka Nabudu), then
emphasising a special, important or essential matter (which is Iyyaaka
Nastaeen).
You will get that better if I tell you another verse.
Page | 795

...

:
Guard strictly (five obligatory) As-Salawaat (the prayers) especially the
middle Salat (i.e. the best prayer Asr). (Surat al-Baqarah: 238)
He said guard your prayers and the middle prayer. Had He said guard your
prayers period, would that not include the middle prayer? Of course it is
included. The reason He specified the middle prayer even though it is
included in the prayers is to emphasise the special or important Salah
(which is the middle Salah).
Another example. If a mother has four children and she sends them off
with a baby sitter, relative or a friend to the park or somewhere, or to
sleep the night over at the house of her sister. One of them may be an
infant or sick for example, so she is going to say take care of my kids and
then she is going to say take care of Muhammad or be careful with
Muhammad. Is Muhammad not part of her kids? Is Muhammad not
included when she said take care of my kids? Of course, but what she
means is pay extra special attention to Muhammad, Muhammad is
important or there is something about Muhammad that you need to take
care of.
That is one reason. Another reason some Ulamaa mentioned for
mentioning both even though Istiaanah is included as an Ibaadah is
because the first one (Ibaadah) is purely a right of Allah. It is a right of
Allah purely, whereas Istiaanah is a right of Allah purely but it relates to
the servant in that he is also asking aid for himself (from Allah). That is
another reason.
A third reason some Ulamaa mentioned is even though Istiaanah is
included in Ibaadah, it is still mentioned because you need Istiaanah in
every aspect of your Ibaadah. You affirmed Iyyaaka Nabudu because you
could never ever ever do Ibaadah without Istiaanah (without Allah aiding
you). If Allah does not give you Awn (( )Istiaanah that you seek),
can you do Ibaadah? You cannot, so it was mentioned after that because it
is essential in you making your Ibaadah. That is the verse the author used.
THE HADITH
He also used a Hadith as proof and the portion of the Hadith that he used
is:
Page | 796

This is part of a much longer Hadith when Ibn Abbaas radhiallahu anhuma
was riding with the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the
Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam began to teach him as a young
little boy. The Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam took the opportunity
to teach him while Ibn Abbaas was riding with him.
He told him in the Hadith:
This is actually one of my favourite Ahaadith. I cannot see how anyone

can go on his day to day life or his lifetime without at least keeping the
meaning of it between his eyes. Without any exaggeration, it is a Hadith
one can literally write several volumes on its explanation or give a series
of lectures on it. It is a Hadith that establishes Tawakkul and Istiaanah and
it puts one ease and peace of mind.
The author chose the statement that pertains to our issue here. Out of
that Hadith he chose:

If you seek aid and assistance, seek it from Allah alone.
We are poor to Allah and we are weak to Allah, therefore we are always in
need of the aid and support of Allah. The Hadith says turn to Allah in
Istiaanah. When you are faced with anything, genuinely, truthfully and
wholeheartedly turn to Allah in Istiaanah and you will see that Allah is:

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INSPIRATIONAL CONCLUSION ON ISTIAANAH
...

:

Then know that Allah is your Mawlaa (Patron, Lord, Protector and
Supporter, etc), (what) an Excellent Mawlaa, and (what) an Excellent
Helper! (Surat al-Anfaal: 40)
He will be your Protector and He will be your Supporter, and what an
excellent Protector, Supporter and Helper He is. Turn to Allah sincerely in
your matters, from the beginning of your matters to the end. From the
start of your matters to the end, and what I mean by that is do not go
seeking every single means and remedy and then when you hit a dead
end, you go turn to Allah. Allah will accept you of course but make it a
habit to turn to Allah from the start of your matters and from the start of
your life, meaning you teach your kids. Make Istiaanah in Allah the first of
your choices and you will see, Wallahi Allah will not let you down. He will
make you happy and content. He would not let you down in a matter you
do Istiaanah in Him in, even if the universe with its might and everything
in it collaborated against you.
That is only when you do the proper Istiaanah in Him, having the pure
Tawheed in your Istiaanah. That is why we learned Istiaanah and that is
why we learned the conditions of Istiaanah, because in order to get the
aid of Allah you have to fulfill the conditions like we mentioned. Amongst
them is submission, Tawakkul and certainty. Have certainty in Allah while
you do your Istiaanah in Him. Did we not say some of the worships of the
heart are intertwined with each other (like Ibn al-Qayyim Rahimahullah
said)? Work on perfecting the conditions of your Istiaanah, that is what
we want to achieve.
If you knew a wealthy, powerful king somewhere and he promised to
protect you or you knew some billionaire who was generous to you
(anything you want, you just go and he will fund you), would you ever be
scared over your security, your salary or your job?

: ...

...
And for Allah is the highest description. (Surat an-Nahl: 60)

It is the King of all Kings and it is the One who owns the treasures of the
heavens and the earth. When you say:
Page | 798

Do not say it on the tip of your tongue as something just coming out of
your tongue, say it wholeheartedly, believe in it in full confidence in the
One who you are seeking aid from and you will see the results. If Allah
aids you, rest assured you have been truly aided. And if He forsakes you,
who is there after Him that can aid you and support you? If Allah does not
support you, who other than Allah can support you?
Istiaanah returns upon you in this life with an honourable life. If you have
Istiaanah, you will have an honourable, noble life and then the high ranks
of Jannah in the Aakhirah (the ultimate goal). That is the fruit of Tawheed,
you need to feel it in this life before the Aakhirah. Throughout your affairs
and throughout your life, keep your unwavering Istiaanah in Allah
Sometimes the wisdom may be that Allah subhaanahu wa taaala delays
His aid and support to you, and it is not that Allah forgot. Never ever think
of that, Maaath Allah. You have to keep that in mind. When one is in the
agony of being oppressed, the oppressor goes to sleep comfortably and
one who is being oppressed (whether it may be little matters or big
matters) does not sleep the nights. The nights seem endless and dark
(darker than ever) and the Duaa is constant, and then one may think why
did Allah not answer me?
That is why Allah says:

...

:
Consider not that Allah is unaware of that which the Dhaalimoon
(polytheists, wrong doers, etc) do. (Surat Ibraheem: 42)
Allah did not forget about them, that is what He is trying to tell you. Allah
did not forget about those. The delay may be to make you despair in all
means and in all creations and to turn to Allah alone, and at that same
time to show you that all and everyone turned away from you. It may be
to show you that no one was able to help you but Allah Jalla Fee Ulaah.
Sometimes the wisdom in delaying the help of Allah to you when you do
Istiaanah in Him may be to test your Istiaanah. Do you really have
certainty in Allah in your Istiaanah? Allah wants to test you. Do you have
the conditions we mentioned fulfilled? He wants to test your certainty in
Istiaanah.
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Take this example. If a little ant crawled over here on this desk, it was able
to speak to one of us and it sought Istiaanah in me or you. The ant told
you there are a hundred ants coming after me at a distance, they are
chasing me and they are after me, there is a tribe of them and they are
going to kill me. You want to test the Istiaanah of that ant in you, is her
Istiaanah faithful or not? Do you just go run and crush those one hundred
ants and put an end to them? What you do is let them get closer and
closer and closer. Not only do you test her Istiaanah, but you also want to
show the ant your power and your mercy. Now getting rid of those ants is
no obstacle to you, you can do it by stepping on them when they are far
away or when they get closer. It takes a millisecond to do it, but if those
ants got real close right in front of that ant that sought help in you and
then you stepped on them, killed them and eliminated them, it reflects on
that one ant. You showed that ant your ability, you showed that ant your
power, you showed that ant how merciful you were with her and you
showed her how you fulfilled your promise.

: ...

...

And for Allah is the highest description. (Surat an-Nahl: 60)
Allah has the supreme examples. Allah tests you to relieve you. Allah tests
you to be merciful and compassionate over you. He lets matters get closer
and closer and closer to you and just when you think your Istiaanah failed
and the matter would never be relieved, He Jalla Fee Ulaah relieves you
and aids you.
It happened to the Messengers when they sought help from Allah. Look at
the last verse in Surat Yusuf, what does it say? The Messengers sought
Istiaanah in Allah.

:

(They were reprieved) until, when the Messengers gave up hope and
thought that they were denied (by their people), then came to them Our
Help, and whomsoever We willed were delivered. And Our Punishment
cannot be warded off from the people who are Mujrimoon (criminals,
disobedients to Allah, sinners, disbelievers, polytheists). (Surat Yusuf: 110)
They were reprieved until when? Until when the Messengers gave up
hope. They gave up hope and then they thought they were denied.
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Actually some scholars say that they were sure they were denied and it
was the end, they hit the dead end. What happened then? Then comes to
them Our help. The help, aid and support for those Messengers who
sought Istiaanah came when? Pay attention to those details when you
read the Quran. It came when they gave up hope and they thought they
were denied. Who was it who were denied until the last moments, me and
you? It was the Messengers of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, the best of all
creations.
His beloved Messenger Ibraheem alayhis-salaam, the Khaleel of Allah and
one of the special five Messengers. Could Allah not have saved
Khaleelullah as soon as they began to light the matches to burn him or
even before that? They turned on the fire and He let it get closer. They
come closer to Ibraheem alayhis-salaam and He let them get closer. They
shackled Khaleelullah and He let them restrain him. The Istiaanah, Imaan
and Tawakkul of Ibraheem alayhis-salaam is unwavering. They put him in
a cannon to shoot him over and He let them get closer. His Istiaanah was
firm throughout all that. Could Allah subhaanahu wa taaala not have
saved him before any one of those steps? What about right before they
shot him to the fire? Allah subhaanahu wa taaala let Khaleelullah alayhissalaatu was-salaam go all the way to land inside the fire. He tests and He
delays His help and support (His Awn to you) to show you His power, to
show you His mercy and to show you His love. When He relieves you, you
are going to be happier and more well off than you were before, if you had
the true Istiaanah. He tests you and lets it get closer because He wants
you to be unwavering in your Yaqeen in expecting the aid of Allah.
You know the story of Surat al-Kahf, when the young men sought
Istiaanah in Allah and Allah directed them to a cave. Let me ask you a
question, do you ever hide in an open room? What is the first thing you do
when you hide? You close the door and you put a chair, a dresser or
something behind the door. Is sleeping something that coincides with
people hiding (and all of them are sleeping)? Is not the first thing people
hiding do or say is be on alert? Allah subhaanahu wa taaala wanted to
show that they sought My aid, therefore they will be protected. To make
the miracle of protecting them bigger and to show them His power
subhaanahu wa taaala, they will be protected while sleeping in open
quarters. Note that word (sleeping) and in open quarters. Leave the
means to Allah when you seek Istiaanah in Him, that is not our business.
To show how enormous, significant and powerful this Ibaadah is, let me
say this and I will conclude with this so we can make our Salah. Firawn,
the superpower of his time and the man who claimed to be the supreme
lord.
Page | 801
:

Saying: I am your lord, most high. (Surat an-Naaziaat: 24)
Not just a lord, the supreme lord. The tyrant of all tyrants, the man with
the mightiest army of his time and with lofty pillars that Allah subhaanahu
wa taaala said the like of which were not produced in all of the land.
:

The like of which were not created in the land? (Surat al-Fajr: 8)
He threatened to annihilate and extinct Musa and everyone who followed
Musa.
:

The chiefs of Firawns people said: Will you leave Musa and his people to
spread mischief in the land, and to abandon you and your gods? He said:
We will kill their sons, and let live their women, and we have indeed
irresistible power over them. (Surat al-Araaf: 127)
The chiefs and leaders of the people of Firawn went to him, and these are
the evil mischief people. They said to Firawn, are you going to go leave
Musa and his people to spread mischief in the land? Notice how the
mischief people call the righteous mischief people. These are instigators
and trouble makers who kiss up to the tyrants, people who kiss up to the
tyrants to get a smile, a pat on the back or to be safe from their evil. They
go up to Firawn and look how evil they are, those who kiss up to the
tyrants made Firawn look like an angel. They are the ones suggesting and
they made Firawn look like he is an innocent man, and Firawn said oh
okay we will kill their children and enslave their women and we are indeed
irresistible over them.
Page | 802
Look at that threat, and that is the point of our verse here. Look at that
threat, you know who it is from and to who it is directed? You know how
powerful Firawn is and how weak Musa alayhis-salaatu was-salaam
appeared to be. Okay Musa, what is going to happen now? What is the
solution? Musa alayhis-salaatu was-salaam gets these threats, now give
us a solution. Being weak, his solution is our Ibaadah today. His solution
was that.

:

Musa said to his people: Seek help in Allah and be patient. Verily, the
earth is Allahs. He gives it as a heritage to whom He will of His slaves,
and the (blessed) end is for the Muttaqoon. (Surat al-Araaf: 128)
Musa said to his people, seek help in Allah. Istiaanah in Allah, our topic
today. Now you know why Istiaanah is part of al-Faatihah and why we
must read it seventeen times a day by Fardh.
CLASS THIRTY SEVEN

We are still on our book Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah as you know and we are
going through the various variety of examples of Ibaadaat that the author
mentioned. Last week we mentioned Istiaanah and this Ibaadah of today
that the author chose is very similar to the Ibaadah of last week, and the
one following it (which is Istighaathah) is very similar as well.
ISTIAADHAH
Over here he mentioned al-Istiaadhah ( ).

:

:
DEFINITION OF ISTIAADHAH
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Istiaadhah basically means to seek refuge and last week we mentioned

what Alif, Seen and Taa in the beginning of words means. Seeking refuge,
shelter and protection in Allah against evil and everything that one hates
or dislikes as well as matters you believe may harm you. That is
Istiaadhah and that is why al-Muawwidhaat ( )are called alMuawwidhaat from the same root word, because by the will of Allah they
are protection and refuge from harmful matters.
FORMS OF ISTIAADHAH
There are many forms of Istiaadhah, just like we took in Istiaanah. Here
there are several forms of Istiaadhah.
THE FIRST FORM

The first form of Istiaadhah is seeking refuge in Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala (seeking the refuge of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala). This form
requires complete attachment to Allah with complete need of Him, and as
a condition of this Istiaadhah one must have certainty (certain faith) in
Allah subhaanahu wa taaala (that He is sufficient and that He protects
from everything big and small, present and future, human and other and
everything).
This form of Istiaadhah is the Istiaadhah that the author meant when he
mentioned that in the booklet. The proof for this form is obviously the
proof that the author mentioned, because they are the same thing.
Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of the daybreak. (Surat al-Falaq:
1)
I seek refuge with the Lord of the dawn from every evil which Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala has created, and he also used as proof:
Say: I seek refuge with (Allah) the Lord of mankind. (Surat an-Naas: 1)
That is the first form, that is the Tawheed form and that is what the author
meant in his booklet.
THE SECOND FORM
Page | 804
The second form of Istiaadhah is seeking refuge in one of the attributes of

Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. Seeking refuge in the might of Allah, the
greatness of Allah, the speech of Allah or in similar matters. The ruling on
that is that it is permissible and prescribed.
In Sahih Muslim, the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to say:

I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allah from evil that He created. This
is an example of the second form.
In Sunan Abu Dawood, the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to
say I seek refuge in Your might that I should not be assailed from below
me:

In Sahih Muslim when he was suffering, he sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
used to say:

I seek refuge in the might and power of Allah from evil which I feel or I am
wary of.
Also in Sahih Muslim, the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to
say the Duaa at the end of Witr:
I seek refuge in Your pleasure from Your wrath.

In Sahih al-Bukhari, when the verse in Surat al-Anaam was revealed:
Page | 805
Say: He has power to send torment on you from above or from under
your feet, or to cover you with confusion in party strife, and make you to
taste the violence of one another. See how variously We explain the
Ayaat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelations, etc), so that they
may understand. (Surat al-Anaam: 65)
When hearing this verse, the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said I
seek refuge in Your face:
Therefore, the conclusion of this second form is that seeking refuge in the
face of Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, in the pleasure of Allah subhaanahu
wa taaala, in the might and power of Allah, in the greatness of Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala or in the words of Allah is something that is
permissible. The Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam prescribed it to us
and he habitually did it himself.
THE THIRD FORM

The third form of Istiaadhah is actually the opposite of the first one. The
first one was the Tawheed form and this is the Shirk one. It is seeking
refuge in either the dead (we will call it 3A) or seeking refuge with living
people who are not present and they are not able to grant refuge, in
matters that are hidden or unseen (we will call it 3B) and this is Shirk.
The proof is:

:

And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the
masculine among the Jinns, but they (Jinns) increased them (mankind) in
sin and disbelief. (Surat al-Jinn: 6)
Several weeks ago we did go over this verse and we mentioned why it
was revealed.
THE FOURTH FORM

The fourth and last form is seeking shelter or seeking help with some
person that he can and he is able to do. A creation, a human being or a
friend who can do and he is able to do. If the person is able to shelter you
then there is nothing wrong in seeking refuge in him. The evidence is in
Page | 806
many Ahaadith and one of those Ahaadith is actually the Hadith that talks
about the Fitan and trials that occur at the end of time. In that Hadith, the
Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says about the Fitan at the end of
time:
Whoever exposes himself to those Fitan will be destroyed by them. You

see that actually happening today. And whoever finds a place of shelter or
refuge from them, then let him take shelter in it (and that is our point).
In Sahih Muslim, Jaabir radhiallahu anhu narrated the story of the woman
from the tribe of Banu Makhzoom. The woman who used to steal, and in
addition to stealing she would borrow from people and deny that she ever
borrowed. When people found out, they stopped lending this woman. She
got a reputation so then she began to borrow in the name of other people.
She would go to a house and she would say the wife of so and so wants to
borrow this from you, and because it is someone reputable that she is
asking for, they would give her. She would say the daughter of so and so
wants to borrow this from you, and she built somewhat of a new
reputation for herself. She continued to do that until she was caught and
presented to the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who ordered that
her hand be cut off for stealing. Note, the hand was cut off for stealing.
She was from a prominent tribe and her family went around to try to avoid
that the judgment be carried out. They went to Usaamah Ibn Zayd
knowing that he is the son of the love of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam, so he can intervene. The Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam became upset because the laws of Allah must be carried regardless
of whether one is from what is considered the highest class or if he is from
what is considered the lowest class. The Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam told Usaamah radhiallahu anhu (his love) how dare you intercede
in the law of Allah:

!

Our point of the story is that in one of the narrations of the Hadith, the
woman went and sought refuge in Umm Salamah (the wife of the
Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
Page | 807

When she sought refuge in Umm Salamah to get off the hook, that is when
the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said if Fatimah the daughter of
Muhammad stole, Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself would
cut her hand. Of course the judgment was carried and eventually the
woman married, repented and became a true pious woman. Aishah
radhiallahu anha said her repentance was truly a good and sincere
repentance.
The woman was in a difficulty, her hand was going to get cut off and she
sought Istiaadhah in the wife of the Messenger (Umm Salamah) whose
husband issued the order to cut her hand off. The Messenger sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam did not say that was Shirk. He would not delay teaching
us if it was. He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam subjected to the substance of
the Istiaadhah of that woman, and not to the actual Istiaadhah in Umm
Salamah. She cannot help or intervene in such a matter like this, but had
she sought Istiaadhah in something else which Umm Salamah could have
helped her in then that would have been okay. That is our point, that is
why it is not Shirk and it is not considered Shirk.
In another Hadith talking about the end of time, Umm Salamah
radhiallahu anha narrated that the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
said a man will seek refuge in the house and an army detachment will be
sent against him:

So the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used the terms that a man
will seek refuge in the house, which shows the permissibility to use these
kind of terms.
If that someone is seeking refuge from evil (like the evil of an oppressor)
and he comes and seeks refuge in you, then it is obligatory on you to
shelter him and help him as much as possible. But if he comes to you
seeking refuge in something that is Haraam or is a sin, then it is forbidden
upon you to even help him or shelter him. As in the story of the
Makhzoomiyyah, Umm Salamah could not help her get off the hook (from
her hand being cut off).
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Those are the forms of Istiaadhah.
CAN YOU SAY I SEEK REFUGE IN ALLAH AND THEN

IN YOU?
Can you say:

I seek refuge in Allah and then in you.
The majority opinion and the correct opinion is one needs to stay away
from such terms, because this is a heart Ibaadah and it should only be
directed to Allah in that context. They considered such statements minor
Shirk. What we mean is combining between Allah subhaanahu wa taaala
and a creation in Istiaadhah (even if you are saying and then) is
something one should refrain from using on his tongue. Some Ulamaa
and reputable Ulamaa considered it permissible because it is seeking a
permissible type of refuge and as we said, some types of seeking refuge in
humans and creation is permissible.
If a weak man goes to a strong man and he asks for help as we
mentioned, he says:

It is permissible because it means save me from that harm which you are
able to save me from, just like someone going to a king and asking him to
save him from what one of his servants plans to do with him. That is a
permissible type.
The opinion closer to being correct in a close dispute like this is that one
should refrain from combining creation to the Creator in Istiaadhah, even
if you say and then. It is something that one needs to leave out of his
vocabulary.
THE PROOF OF THE AUTHOR ON ISTIAADHAH

The final matter on Istiaadhah is the proof and the author used two
verses in Surat al-Falaq and Surat an-Naas.

:

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1)
I seek refuge with the Lord of the dawn from evil that was created, and
then:
Both of them start off with Qul (say) and say here is an order to the
Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the Ummah from behind him.

I seek refuge. Istiaadhah is in the heart but it floats on the tongue. The
tongue is a proof and an indicator of what is in the heart.

Rabb is Lord but we mentioned before that when Rabb is mentioned
(Rububiyyah), it also includes the meaning of Uloohiyyah in it.

Falaq is dawn. Allah gave an oath by His creation (the dawn) and the verse
is saying the One who is able to bring dawn and remove the darkness
from the universe, rest assured He is able to take evil away from you if
you seek refuge in Him. The One who takes away the night and brings
about the day can take away the darkness in your life.
The second verse says an-Naas instead of al-Falaq:
I seek refuge with the Lord of mankind. Here in this Surah He mentioned
an-Naas, which means the Lord who created that magnificent creation.
Look around you, the Lord who created that magnificent creation (the
mankind) is able to take away that which you fear, dislike or you are wary
of.
The point of the proofs here as we mentioned in all the proofs is that there
is an order to do Istiaadhah, which makes Istiaadhah a Waajib.
Istiaadhah from the evil of creation is a Waajib. That order means it is an
Ibaadah and when it is an Ibaadah, that entails that it must be directed to
Page | 810
only Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. It means that one should only seek
refuge in Allah subhaanahu wa taaala in matters that only Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala can do.
In Sahih Muslim and in Tirmidhi, the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said there have been sent down to me verses the like of which had
never been seen before:
They are al-Muawwidhatayn:
The Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam referred to them as the like of

which had never been seen before.
ISTIGHAATHAH
Now let us move to our next Ibaadah. Our next Ibaadah is very similar like
we said, it starts with Alif, Seen and Taa and it is Istighaathah ().

:

When you sought aid and deliverance of your Lord, He responded to you
(which is talking about the Battle of Badr).
THE DEFINITION OF ISTIGHAATHAH

Istighaathah is to seek rescue and deliverance from severe difficulty and
destruction. Istighaathah is seeking rescue and it is usually during a time
of distress, such as one drowning, one in a calamity or one in a desperate
need of victory. Istighaathah is various types as well.
THE FIRST FORM

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The first one is seeking Istighaathah (deliverance and rescue) from Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala in times of distress. This is what the author meant,
seeking rescue from Allah subhaanahu wa taaala in times of distress. This
is the correct encouraged form and it is an Ibaadah you will get reward for.
This is the practice of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and his
followers. You get the benefit out of it when you do Istighaathah, but it
also an Ibaadah you get reward for and it is one of the excellent and
perfect deeds.
Since it is the form that the author meant, the evidence for this type is the
same proof that the author used and there is plenty of proof for it in the
Quran and the Sunnah. One of the best examples for Istighaathah is the
Battle of Badr, when the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
encountered his enemy and they outnumbered the companions. He
entered to the palm grove, he raised his hands to the point that his
armpits were showing, the cloak fell off his shoulder and he was earnestly
turning to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. He was doing Istighaathah while
Abu Bakr radhiallahu anhu was behind him raising his cloak and telling
him O Prophet of Allah, O Messenger of Allah your supplication to your
Lord will be answered and it is sufficient for you, Allah will fulfil His
promise to you. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was doing
intensive Istighaathah, then the Ayah that the author mentioned was
revealed.

: ...

(Remember) when you sought help of your Lord and He answered you.
(Surat al-Anfaal: 9)
The Duaa of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in that situation is
the Duaa of Istighaathah. That is what we call Istighaathah.
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O Allah fulfil that which You have promised me. O Allah if this small group
who are the people of Islam are destroyed or doomed, You will not be
worshipped on the face of this earth again.
THE SECOND FORM

The second type of Istighaathah is the opposite of the first. The
Istighaathah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam like that in Badr is
the first type, that is the Tawheed type and what the author meant. The
second is the opposite of the first and it is the Shirk type. Seeking rescue
and deliverance from those who are living but are not present, nor are
they able to give aid and rescue. For example, asking matters of the
hidden or unseen from humans and creations. That is A, and B is seeking
rescue and deliverance from the dead. This is the Shirk type.
Why is it Shirk? Because one who calls in Istighaathah on the deceased or
even one living (in matters of the hidden and unseen and matters that
only Allah subhaanahu wa taaala can do), that kind of Istighaathah can
only be done by one who believes that those people have some unseen
control over the creation. They believe those who they call on have
powers exclusive to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, otherwise why are they
asking them in matters only Allah subhaanahu wa taaala can do?
Just like the Raafidhah are known for shouting Yaa Husayn, Yaa Ali and Yaa
Zahrah, and it is not just random that they do that. That is why they are
people of Shirk, they are Mushrikeen. They believe that Ali, Zahrah and
Husayn have powers that are only exclusive to Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala. The call that they call is a direct Istighaathah of Shirk. They call
their Imaams calls of Shirk and their Imaams justify it. In fact it is a core
part of their belief, if you read their mother books they indicate that.
When they call that, they believe that their supposed saints, their Imaams
or whoever they call unto have powers only Allah subhaanahu wa taaala
has and that is major Shirk. That is one of many reasons of the Kufr of the
Raafidhah, with their masses and their Ulamaa. I will repeat, their masses
and their Ulamaa. Had we had time I would elaborate on this issue and it
is one issue that I really plan on discussing and elaborating on. With the
call to other than Allah in that which only Allah can do, they attribute a
share of the Lordship to other than Allah (that is only exclusive to Allah).
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:

Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one,
when he calls Him, and Who removes the evil, and makes you inheritors of
the earth, generations after generations. Is there any Ilaah (god) with
Allah? Little is that you remember! (Surat an-Naml: 62)
Is there any Ilaah, any Imaam or any saint other than Allah that does that?
So the first form of Istighaathah is the Tawheed type and the prescribed
type of Istighaathah that you should do to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala
alone. The second is the opposite and that is the Shirk form.
THE THIRD FORM

The third one is the permissible type. Seeking aid and rescue from those
who are alive, aware of a situation and they are capable of assistance and
rescue (they are capable of helping you). It is permissible to ask and seek
aid from those who are able to help you. That is why we study these
forms, so you do not go around or we do not hear people going around
declaring people Mushrikeen.
Allah said about Musa:
And he entered the city at a time of unawareness of its people, and he

found there two men fighting - one of his party (his religion - from the
Children of Israel), and the other of his foes. The man of his (own) party
asked him for help against his foe, so Musa struck him with his fist and
killed him. He said: This is of Shaytaans doing, verily, he is a plain
misleading enemy. (Surat al-Qasas: 15)
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A man of his own party asked Musa alayhis-salaam for help against his
foe. Musa alayhis-salaam then struck him with his fist and killed him. The
man in the verse sought Istighaathah in Musa and the Quran mentions
that.
That is permissible. Someone drowning and asking a boat passing by for
help, screaming to them help me, get me out of the water. Someone
injured and seeking help is not Shirk.
THE FOURTH FORM

The fourth form of Istighaathah is seeking rescue and aid from a living
person who is not capable of assisting one, but (and this is important
here) he does not believe that the person he is asking has any hidden
powers. He does not ask him anything of the matters of the hidden or
unseen. We mentioned this before in Istiaanah, but here an example
would be like a man drowning and asking another drowning person to help
him get out. One who does it may be joking or may be ignorant, it may be
useless talk and futile talk but it is not Shirk. It could be considered
prohibited at times, if there is an additional factor included. For example,
mocking another Muslim who may be weak (then one gets sins for
mocking). If one believes that person he is doing Istighaathah in has
powers that are hidden, that goes to the category we spoke about that is
major Shirk (and that is the second form).
THE PROOF OF THE AUTHOR ON ISTIGHAATHAH

The proof the author uses here for Istighaathah is:

: ...

(Remember) when you sought help of your Lord and He answered you.
(Surat al-Anfaal: 9)
When you sought the aid and deliverance of your Lord (which is
Istighaathah), He responded to you. This verse is talking about the
Istighaathah of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the
Sahaabah in the Battle of Badr.
This verse comes in the context of praising Istighaathah. When Allah
praised Istighaathah in this verse, it means Allah loves it, it means He is
pleased with it and that makes it what? That makes it an Ibaadah and that
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entails what? That is should be directed only to Allah subhaanahu wa

taaala.
Istighaathah in this verse and Istiaanah before this one relate to
Rububiyyah. When you sought aid and deliverance of your Lord, He
responded to you.

Notice He used Rabbakum, He did not use Ilaahakum (
) in this

verse.
Likewise in the previous one we just took:

:

He did not say:
1)
He did not say:
The majority of times when it pertains or refers to Istighaathah, He used

Rabb instead of Ilaah because they coincide with the meaning of
Rububiyyah (Lordship). Who gives Istighaathah and Istiaadhah? Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala, the Creator, the Sustainer, the Nourisher. Those
are Lordship qualities and that is why it coincides that in Istiaadhah and
Istighaathah, ar-Rabb is used instead of al-Ilaah.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ISTIAANAH,

ISTIAADHAH AND ISTIGHAATHAH?
Istiaanah we took last week, and today we took Istiaadhah and
Istighaathah. In one way or another, all three of them mean aid and
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support from Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. There is a difference in the

status and timing of each one of them. For example, we mentioned
Istiaanah last week and I said and I stressed that it usually refers to
seeking help in general matters where evil has not yet befallen or
someone is not expecting any evil. You are seeking help and asking Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala to not let any evil or bad happen to you. That is an
Ibaadah and it is like a pre-emptive Duaa or seeking. Nothing has yet
happened and you are not expecting it. Now Istiaadhah is usually refuge,
shelter and protection for one who has not been touched by harm but it is
on its way or he is expecting it, then he seeks shelter and help of Allah
The difference between the two is sometimes a hairline difference, but the
third one (Istighaathah) is when one has been touched by harm or a deep
hardship, or when something is imminent (it is right there and it is about
to happen), it already did happen or he is in the middle of a calamity. That
is Istighaathah and now you know the difference between all three of
them.
WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ISTIAANAH,

ISTIAADHAH, ISTIGHAATHAH AND DUAA?
Duaa is a broader form of Istiaanah, Istiaadhah and Istighaathah. Duaa
is for everything, it is for good matters, sad matters, hardship and ease
and it includes everything. Istighaathah for example is in a way Duaa, but
a branch of Duaa. It is the Duaa of the one in a hardship, that is how it
relates to Duaa. Istiaanah is a division of Duaa, a pre-emptive Duaa to
ask Allah subhaanahu wa taaala to save you from any hardship.
Istiaadhah is a division of the Duaa where hardship is on its way, it is
right there coming to you. So Duaa is broader than all three, imagine
Duaa as a circle with those three inside of it.
That is why in Sharh Kitaab At-Tawheed ( ) , Ibn
Khuzaymah Rahimahullah said any proof that mentions Duaa applies to
Istiaanah, Istiaadhah and Istighaathah. Why? Because they are part of
Duaa, they are a fraction of Duaa, they are details of Duaa, they are like
veins of Duaa. Istighaathah is the Duaa of the one in extreme hardship.
Istiaanah is the Duaa of one not in a hardship, and so on as we
mentioned. So they are branches of Duaa and Duaa is like the umbrella
that they all fall under. Now you know the relationship of these three
Ibaadaat to Duaa.
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CAN YOU DO ISTIAANAH, ISTIAADHAH AND

ISTIGHAATHAH IN JINN?
I mentioned this briefly in one of the earlier Ibaadaat. Can you do that in
Jinn? If it is in matters only Allah subhaanahu wa taaala has power over,
that is Shirk Akbar. Asking someone to do something only Allah can do is
major Shirk and that includes Jinn. Just because you may not see Jinn, it
does not mean that you can ask them that which only Allah can do, that
they have power just because you cannot see them or that they have
power only Allah subhaanahu wa taaala can do. That is major Shirk if you
ask them in those types of matters.
The proof on that is:

:

And verily, there were men among mankind who took shelter with the
masculine among the Jinns, but they (Jinns) increased them (mankind) in
sin and disbelief. (Surat al-Jinn: 6)
We went over that verse, I do not want to go over it again because of the
time. There were among the mankind those who took shelter with the
males of the Jinn, and what the Jinn did in return is they increased
mankind in sin and in transgression. The reason it was revealed (and we
mentioned this before) was because when Quraysh used to travel and
they would want to rest in a valley on their journey, they would seek
Istiaanah or Istighaathah (meaning shelter) in the master Jinn of the Jinns
in that valley so that they will not harm this person, his family or his
followers. So they would seek Istiaanah or Istighaathah in the Jinn.
The second part of the answer is that if it is a matter that they (the Jinn)
can do, they can hear you and it is something they can do. The Ulamaa
discussed this, they disputed it and Ulamaa who are reputable Ulamaa
disputed it. The first opinion is that it is okay and it is permissible to ask
Jinn if they can hear you in matters they can do. For example, asking them
to carry something. They can hear you and they are able to help you, so
you can ask them. Among the proofs that they used is that Sulaymaan
alayhis-salaam used Jinn.

...

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And there were Jinns that worked in front of him, by the Leave of his Lord,
and whosoever of them turned aside from Our Command, We shall cause
him to taste of the torment of the blazing Fire. They worked for him what
he desired, (making) high rooms, images, basins as large as reservoirs,
and (cooking) cauldrons fixed (in their places). Work you, O family of
Dawood, with thanks! But few of My slaves are grateful. (Surat Sabaa:
12-13)
That is the verse where Sulaymaan used them. And there is the story of
Ubayy Ibn Kab in Sunan Ibn Hibbaan. Ubayy Ibn Kab had dates that he
guarded, but he always kept finding them missing. While guarding them
one day he found a young boy or something that looked like a young boy
and Ubayy asked him who are you? The young boy or what appeared to
look like a young boy said I am a Jinn. Ubayy said let me see your hand
and the boy extended his hand. Ubayy said it looked like that of the hand
of a dog, with a lot of hair on it (like a palm of a dog). Ubayy asked him
why do you steal from me? He said because we heard you like to give to
charity, so we wanted to take from that which you have so you can get
reward. Here is the point, Ubayy asked what protects us from you? The
Jinn said Ayat al-Kursi. He left him with that and he left. Ubayy went to the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam said:
The evil one spoke the truth.

By the way this narration is Ubayy Ibn Kab and it is in Ibn Hibbaan. There
is another narration that is slightly different and more popular where the
companion in the story is Abu Hurayrah, and that one is in Sahih alBukhari and Musnad Ahmad. Last time I mentioned it in one of the classes
and we went over it, several students of Ilm (Jazahum Allahu Khayr)
asked me was it not Abu Hurayrah instead of Ubayy? They thought
(Jazahum Allahu Khayr) that I made a mistake and I like that very much,
that they are very alert, aware and that they research. In fact, actually the
first one to bring that to my attention was my beloved eight year old
Muhammad who informed me about that, may Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala grant him Barakah. But it was not a mistake, there are two
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narrations. One is Ubayy and one is Abu Hurayrah, in different books of

the Ahaadith and there are slight differences in each one of them.
So our point here for this and why I mention it is because Ubayy asked the
Jinn. He asked the Jinn what saves us from you? Some Ulamaa said it was
permissible because of that, and among those was Ibn Taymiyyah
Rahimahullah. In his eleventh volume, he chose this opinion. He said using
them for Dawah, something good or permissible as long as it does not
end up falling in Haraam is permissible.
The second opinion is that asking Jinn in permissible matters is not
permissible. Why? They said:

It means blocking the means to avoid undesirable results. It is something
Inshaa Allah you will learn in Usool al-Fiqh if we study it.
Al-Qurtubi Rahimahullah gave a nice definition of it. He said:

A matter that may not be prohibited in and of itself, but that matter may
cause or lead one to a prohibition so it becomes prohibited.
So based on:

They said it is Haraam. Blocking the means to avoid undesirable or
Haraam results or ends.
Additional proof and probably stronger proof is that the Messenger
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not use them. This is what makes me lean
towards this opinion. Sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was desperate at times
in his lifetime, for example to get the news when the coalition united
against him and to get the whereabouts of the enemies at times. He
needed information at times, yet he did not use the Jinn. Just like the story
of Hudhayfah Ibn al-Yamaan in the cold freezing night of the Ahzaab when
the Sahaabah were terrified and the world of their time united against
them. The Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam needed to know the
news and the plans of the enemy. Why did he not ask a Jinn to go there
and get him the information instead of sending one of the Sahaabah in a
difficult and dangerous task as this was? He sent Hudhayfah radhiallahu
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anhu. Therefore, the conclusion is that if there was need to use Jinn
during the life of the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam (and there
was) yet he did not use them, then we after him should not use them as
well.
Another proof on this is when the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
apprehended the devil by his neck during his Salah. He was disturbing the
Sahaabah and they noticed something abnormal in the movement of the
Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam during the Salah. Afterwards he
told them:
Had it not been for the Duaa of my brother Sulaymaan, I would have tied
this Shaytaan to the pillar so the kids can play with him.
What is that Duaa of Sulaymaan?
He said: My Lord! Forgive me, and bestow upon me a kingdom such as

shall not belong to any other after me: Verily, You are the Bestower.
(Surat Saad: 35)
So usage of the Jinn (even in Halaal and permissible matters) is in a way a
transgression on the Duaa that Sulaymaan alayhis-salaam made.
An additional factor is that the Jinn are known to lure one who uses them
to get them to become their slave. A Jinn can come and claim he is pious
and help in matters, but in many circumstances he would just be dragging
and luring them to becoming dependent on him and then he will end up
his slave. When the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was afflicted
with black magic and Sihr, he did not use the Jinn and nor did the
Sahaabah from what we know. In matters after him, they did not use
them.
Some under developed in knowledge who claim that they take the Jinn out
would ask someone possessed who put this Sihr in you? Who put this evil
eye on you? The Jinn will say so and so and the ignorant person will go tell
the family that so and so is the one who put the Sihr (black magic) in you.
How could you take the word of someone who just possessed and
transgressed on someone? The Jinn possessed someone and then you
take his word and convey it, which causes disputes and factions among
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families. So there are many factors that are included in why I feel the
second opinion is correct.
Finally, using the Jinn to do Haraam matters like separate between loved
ones and harm others is of course beyond question Haraam.
: ...

...
But do not help one another in sin and transgression. (Surat al-Maaidah:
2)
INSPIRATIONAL CONCLUSION TO ISTIAANAH,

ISTIAADHAH AND ISTIGHAATHAH
Finally before you leave, what we took this week and last week was
Istiaanah, Istiaadhah and Istighaathah. These are essential Ibaadaat one
cannot gloss over or down play during their life. You turn to Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala in these worships, let there be a bond between
you and Allah subhaanahu wa taaala throughout your life. Hover and drift
throughout your life between Istiaanah, Istiaadhah and Istighaathah. If
you were to look at the word Ashkoo (( )which means complain) and
its derivatives in the Quran, you will see it is always to Allah and it is
attached to Allah. Complain to Allah.
:

Indeed Allah has heard the statement of her (Khawlah Bint Thalabah) that
disputes with you (O Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) concerning
her husband (Aws Ibn As-Saamit), and complains to Allah. And Allah hears
the argument between you both. Verily, Allah is All Hearer, All Seer. (Surat
al-Mujaadilah: 1)
Khawlah Bint Thalabah radhiallahu anha came to the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam to dispute with the Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam concerning her husband and she complained to Allah.
Look at that:
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Yaqoob alayhis-salaam:

:

He said: I only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah, and I know from
Allah that which you know not. (Surat Yusuf: 86)
So Shakwa ( ) goes to Allah. When Ibn Taymiyyah was asked what

Sabrun Jameel (

( ) beautiful patience) is, he said it is patience
without any complaint (meaning the complaint only goes to Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala).

:

Is not He (better than your gods) Who has made the earth as a fixed
abode, and has placed rivers in its midst, and has placed firm mountains
therein, and has set a barrier between the two seas (of salt and sweet
water). Is there any Ilaah (god) with Allah? Nay, but most of them know
not. (Surat an-Naml: 62)

The One who made the earth fixed can fix your problems and your needs.
The One who brought and placed rivers can bring you relief.

The One who brought and placed firm mountains can place contentment
in your heart and make firm your faith in Him.

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The One who set a barrier between the seas of the salt and the sweet
water can put a barrier between you and your problems, even if it is
interlocked, braided, twisted and meshed in your heart. Even if you think
so, He can find you a way out of it.

Is there any Ilaah with Allah? Is there any Ilaah other than Allah who can
do that?
That verse was an introduction to get you to start thinking about those
matters and the introduction was to the verse of Istighaathah.

:

Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one,
when he calls Him, and Who removes the evil, and makes you inheritors of
the earth, generations after generations. Is there any Ilaah (god) with
Allah? Little is that you remember! (Surat an-Naml: 62)

That is Istighaathah. The first verse was to get you to reflect and see the
power of Allah, so when you do Istighaathah you know who you are doing
Istighaathah in.
He responds to the distressed. If it is a marriage problem, that is included.
If it is a financial problem, that is included. If it is relief from sins
(Istighaathah to relieve you from sins), that is included. If it is goals you
need in life, that is included. You who are distressed or have a worry, do
Istighaathah in Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. You have a status no one
has. When you are in distress, that is from the mercy of Allah subhaanahu
wa taaala. He gives you a quality so He can respond to you, because He
says:

The One in distress. When they used to go to some of the Salaf to request
Duaa, some of the scholars of them would tell them you are in a better
position to make the Duaa, why are you asking me? You are in distress
and Allah promised to give an answer to the one in distress. He did not
Page | 824
say I will respond to the Shaykh of the one in distress, He did not say I will
respond to the brother, father and relative of the one in distress. Allah
responds to all but the one in distress has a special quality because Allah
said:

From His mercy, He wants you to stand or sit in a private moment to do a
Sajdah to Him and to plead and beg in Istiaadhah and Istighaathah.
In any form and in any language, He understands all subhaanahu wa

taaala. He wants you to turn to Him in Istiaanah, Istiaadhah and
Istighaathah.
There is no sin on this earth worse than Shirk, it is considered cursing of
Allah subhaanahu wa taaala. In Sahih al-Bukhari in the Hadith al-Qudsi,
Allah subhaanahu wa taaala says My servant abused Me but he has no
right to do so. What is the abuse of the servant? His saying is that I have a
son. Shirk is considered as abuse to Allah, but look at what Allah says
about the Mushrikeen:

:
And when they embark on a ship, they invoke Allah, making their Faith
pure for Him only, but when He brings them safely to land, behold, they
give a share of their worship to others. (Surat al-Ankaboot: 65)
That type of Duaa in that scenario is Istighaathah. Who is making it? It is
people who abuse Allah subhaanahu wa taaala (Mushrikeen). When He
brings them to safety, Allah said they give a share of their worship to
other than Allah, which shows that they are Mushrikeen. They abuse Allah
with Shirk and He answers their Istighaathah, do you think Yaa Muwahhid
Page | 825
He will deny you? If Allah answered those whose hearts are darkened with
Shirk, would He leave hearts brightened with Tawheed? Would He leave
them unanswered?
Listen to the Istighaathah of the Shaytaan, or you could call it Istiaadhah.
:

[Iblees] said: O my Lord! Give me then respite till the Day they (the dead)
will be resurrected. (Surat al-Hijr: 36)
This is the Shaytaan. What did Allah say to him?

:

Allah said: Then, verily, you are of those reprieved. (Surat al-Hijr: 37)
Allah answered his Istiaadhah or Istighaathah. If Allah subhaanahu wa
taaala answered the Istiaadhah or Istighaathah or the Shaytaan, do you
think He will not answer yours?
If you knew the mercy of Allah upon you when you are in your Sujood
doing Istiaanah and Istighaathah to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala, you
would never want to get up from that Sajdah. Being in distress is in reality
a mercy of Allah, because it makes you among the special ones whose
Duaa is accepted. It is to draw you nearer to Him so He can hear your
calls and so He can hear your Istighaathah. He loves you and He wants to
hear your Istighaathah.
Haajar ran out of food, she ran out of water and her milk dried. She ran
through as-Safaa and al-Marwah not once, not twice, but seven times.
When all the ties and means were severed, now she is in deep distress
with only Allah subhaanahu wa taaala to help her. Allah then breaks open
a well of Zam Zam in an uninhabited land that will last until the Judgment
Day in her honour. Al-Qurtubi in the thirteenth volume of his Tasfeer and
ash-Shawkaani said the secret behind the specialty in Allah answering the
distressed (Istighaathah) is that when one is in that status, He turns to
Allah sincerely and he severs his heart ties from everyone and everything
else. That is the secret to it. Al-Qurtubi went on to say sincerity in
Istighaathah is valued by Allah regardless of whether it is from a Kaafir or
a Muslim, righteous or wicked. The proof is what I mentioned, when Allah
answered the Duaa of the Mushrikeen.
He subhaanahu wa taaala understands all accents so do not worry about
it. He understands all languages and He can answer trillions and more at
Page | 826
the same time. He relieves the distressed, He answers your needs and He
gets happy at your Istiaanah, Istiaadhah and Istighaathah. He answers
the sorrow of the one who is oppressed, He feeds the hungry, He rescues
you from danger and He relieves you from depression.
Do Istighaathah with:

...

:

La Ilaaha Illaa Anta [none has the right to be worshipped but You (O
Allah)], Glorified (and Exalted) are You [above all that (evil) they associate
with You]. Truly, I have been of the wrong doers. (Surat al-Anbiyaa: 87)
Followed by your own Duaa.
In Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Ahmad and Nasaaee, the Messenger sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam said about this Duaa, the Duaa of my brother DhunNoon, no one in distress makes this Duaa except that Allah subhaanahu
wa taaala will relieve him. That is a Duaa of Istighaathah.
A sentence with three statements.

It affirms Tawheed, that is why Tawheed is your life, it is your heartbeat
and it is everything about you.
Praise and glory be to You Allah. You praise and glorify Allah.

With the third sentence you confess your shortcomings, your errors and
your sins to Allah.
When you have that combination (Tawheed, glorifying and praising Allah
and confessing your sins) in a one liner, Allah will answer your Duaa. That
one liner, that half a sentence Ibn Taymiyyah wrote nearly over a hundred
pages on that matter (explaining that Duaa). Sincerity with your mind and
heart set on who you are asking while you repeat it is something Wallahi
Allah will not let you down in.
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A Daaiyah I trust told me a story recently, he called me and when we

were talking he told me a story about someone that he knows (a
paralysed wealthy millionaire). He came to the US and went to other
countries seeking treatment. They told him save your money, you will
never walk again. They said do not go around seeking treatment, you will
never walk again. One day he was sitting watching TV, he saw the Salah in
Makkah and his heart agonised to go visit Baytullah al-Haraam and the
Kabah. He told his children I want to go visit the King in His house. They
said what king are you talking about? He said the King of all kings in His
house (Baytullah al-Haraam), I want to go visit Him. They said but you are
unable to go, you have nurses who come and take care of you and you
need special care throughout the day, we cannot leave you alone for any
time. He said make arrangements, you know I am wealthy enough and I
can afford special accommodations to take me to see the King of all kings
in Baytullah al-Haraam.
He gets near the Kabah and he requests that they take him off the
wheelchair. They post him up against his wheelchair in front of the Kabah
and he says leave me here for some time. He said Wallahi for one hour
straight he was crying in Istighaathah to Allah, Yaa Allah I am going to
plead with You until You take me out of Your house on my back or I walk
out of here on my feet. I am going to keep doing Istighaathah until one of
those two things happen, I die doing Istighaathah or I walk on my feet. He
dozed off during that Duaa and he heard someone say get up and walk.
He actually got up and walked, he walked to near the door of the Kabah
and then he began to cry and shout:

You never let anyone down who turns to You, You never turn away from
one who commits his affairs to You.

: ...

...

And my affair I leave it to Allah. (Surat Ghaafir: 44)
Our history is full of examples. We have many examples from the
Sahaabah onwards who did Istighaathah and Allah answered their Ghawth
(). We have examples where they raised their fingers or their hands
in Duaa to Allah and before they put their hands down, the relief comes
down to them. Another contemporary story because a lot of the time
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people can relate to these more because they happened in our time and
people know them. We need deep sincerity with Istighaathah. That is what
we need and we need a heart that severs its ties with everyone and
everything else but Allah subhaanahu wa taaala (the pure Tawheed).
When I was in Madinah a patrol officer told me this story and he was
actually a neighbour.
He said they were called to an accident where someone was killed by a hit
and run driver and it was near a car dealership. They took the deceased
body and after weeks no one called to enquire about this body. They
investigated and based on papers and personal information in his car,
they found out that he was the husband of a woman and had several kids.
He called the woman up and said where is your husband? She said a few
weeks ago he went out looking for a job by a dealership, he has not
returned since and we are still waiting for him. He said well do you have
family members I can speak to? She said he has an uncle but he lives far
away and they are not on good terms, they do not speak to each other.
The officer said I hung up unable to break the news to her. How am I going
to tell her? She is a woman alone and she has nobody around. Then he
said I mustered some courage and I called her up again and I told her your
husband was involved in an accident and he died. She began to weep and
cry and then this officer took it upon himself (Jazah Allahu Khayr) to help
in the burial of this man, and also get help to this woman throughout her
difficult times.
They also caught the man who did the hit and run and the man was
ordered to pay the Diyah (), which is the ransom a Muslim pays
another if he kills him by mistake. The killer who did the hut and run was
somewhat of a deceiver. He went to court and showed some fraudulent
financial records that he was in debt and they declared him a Musir. In
Fiqh, we have something called Musir and it is mentioned in the Quran.
Allah says:
And if the debtor is in a hard time (has no money), then grant him time till
it is easy for him to repay, but if you remit it by way of charity, that is
better for you if you did but know. (Surat al-Baqarah: 280)
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So he went and got an order that he is in a hardship and he got some time
to repay.
The woman knew she was wronged. She had no wealth and she is raising
orphans, so she pleaded in Istighaathah to Allah subhaanahu wa taaala.
She was alone, she had nobody so her heart was detached and it was
sincere Istighaathah. The officer said less than a year later I responded to
a call or an accident of a man wounded so bad and killed in the same area
by the dealership. As the days went on, they found that the second man
who they could not identify because of his face was the man who was
involved in the first hit and run and the man who deceived this woman out
of her Diyah. The officer said I purposely went back to the accident scene
and measured the distance between the two accidents. A year apart and
he said the distance between where the accidents happened was less
than three to four metres.
The man who claimed to be a Musir had a cheque in his possession and
was on his way to the dealership to pay for a brand new car. The second
man who was killed (this man who deceived and was found with the
cheque), the one who killed him in the accident was wealthy so he paid
the family the Diyah. The judge ordered that the money needs to go to the
wife of the first man because he defrauded her. The money needs to go to
the wife of the first man because that is owed to her. It is Allah
subhaanahu wa taaala who answered her Istighaathah and that is how He
will answer mine and yours.
ISTIGHAATHAH FOR GUIDANCE DURING FITAN

We do Istighaathah in difficult times, when we are in distress, when people
wronged us and when the Ummah is facing trials, that is all good and that
is what we should all do Istighaathah in. We should do Istighaathah to
Allah from our sins, but in days like today do Istighaathah to Allah to guide
you to the right path, to keep you on the guided path and to show you the
truth in the high waves of Fitan that this Ummah goes through. Do
Istighaathah to Allah that He show you the truth during the Fitan and
Wallahil-Adheem it needs Istighaathah today. Do Istighaathah that Allah
show you who are the guided Ulamaa, who are the guided groups and
who are those who are misguided. Let me repeat. Do Istighaathah so Allah
can show you the guided path and keep you on it, show you the guided
Ulamaa and the guided groups, and show you the misguided so you stay
away from them. Do that type of Istighaathah as you would if you were
drowning in an ocean.
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Listen to this Hadith.

Hudhayfah said there will come a time no one will be rescued, relieved or
free from the Fitan, except one who makes the Istighaathah like the one
who is drowning.
No one will be relieved and no one will see the truth in the Fitan, except
who? Except one who does the Duaa of one drowning. What type of Duaa
is the Duaa of one drowning? We just took it, the Duaa of Istighaathah.
Istighaathah to what? To show him the truth from the evil and to keep him
firm. Not just any superficial Duaa like O Allah guide me, I am a Muslim on
the right path. No, sincere Duaa as if you were drowning because
Wallahil-Adheem drowning in the water on the pure Tawheed is easier
than drowning in the Fitan and losing your Deen.
Several of the Salaf were quoted as saying when Fitan come, only very,
very, very few will see the truth. When the Fitan go away and they are
done with, then everyone will see the reality of what the few were telling
them. When there is Fitan, only few of the few of the few will know how to
analyse them. Make Istighaathah to be amongst them or at least see the
reality of the Fitan. After time passes on Fitan and they end, then
everyone will see the reality of what the few were trying to tell them. That
is what happens during all Fitan. The problem for many is that after they
see the reality, they have already lost their Deen.
APPENDICES
APPENDIX ONE: PATIENCE
A topic that is an integral part of this universe. A topic that every aspect of
this universe needs. A topic that you can see through the creation of the
sky and the earth. It took Allah seven days, when it could have taken Him
one word. Allah ordered the creation of the sky and the earth within seven
days when it could have been one word, be, and it would have been done.
If you grow anything, a tree, a fruit, a plant, it is going to take time for you
to see the fruits. If your wife is pregnant or a woman is pregnant, the baby
does not just come in a matter of moments, it takes time. And that is the
topic of patience.
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It is so important, Allah mentioned it in the Quran over ninety times. The

first verse in Surat al-Baqarah where Allah talks about patience:

Oh you who believe in Allah, gather your strength from being patient and
prayer. Allah is with those who are patient. Do not say to those who were
martyrs, that they are dead. They are with Allah, living with Allah, in a
manner that Allah only knows best. Glory to those who are patient. (Surat
al-Baqarah: 153-155)
Who are those who are patient?
The next verse:

:

Those who if you tell them there is a misery, there is an atrocity, there is a
problem that happened to them, they say to Allah we return and to Allah
is our resort. (Surat al-Baqarah: 156)
What is the reward Yaa Allah?
The next verse:
The prayer of Allah upon them, the mercy of Allah upon them. Not only
that, and they are also guided. (Surat al-Baqarah: 157)
Who are these people? These are the people who are patient in this life.

:

...

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Glory to those who are patient.
:
...

Allah is with those who are patient.
Glory to those who are patient, Allah is with those who are patient. Words
in the Quran that are not attributed to any other character other than
patience.
The verses in the Quran where Allah reprimanded Adam for not being
patient in Heaven:
:

...
He did not have a strong will. (Surat Taha: 115)
He was not patient, Allah reprimanded him in the Quran.
If you look at the secret of victory in the Quran, it is patience. How is it
patience? The key to victory is patience. When Taloot and Jaloot in the
very long story of half a million fighting Jaloot, the giants of their time, it is
in Surat al-Baqarah. The story is long, however the summary and the key
to their victory was patience. How? If you look at the verses of the story:

...

...

How many small groups win a large group or giants. Why Yaa Allah, why?
:

...

Allah is with those who are patient. (Surat al-Baqarah: 249)
It takes patience, for three hundred and seventeen to fight the giants of
their time and liberate Falasteen. Patience with their Imaan liberated
Falasteen. Look at the next verse, it does not stop there. When they meet
the enemy:

...
...

:
Oh Allah, shower us with patience. (Surat al-Baqarah: 250)
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Shower us with patience, we need to be fulfilled with patience. What is the

next verse? The three hundred and seventeen were patient, after
patience:
: ...

They destroyed them by the will of Allah. (Surat al-Baqarah: 251)
The giants, when Allah describes them as giants, they are giants. Three
hundred and seventeen overpower them, why? Because of their patience
and Imaan.
If you look at the Hadith, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

Patience is brightness. How could patience be brightness? Patience is
brightness in this life because a person with a problem, and all of you
know this because we all go through problems, a problem in ones life
makes this Earth in front of him, a black cloud. And this black cloud
becomes brightness when you have the right patience that we are talking
about over here. That is why the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said,
patience is brightness.
Not only that, in the Judgment Day, patience is going to be brightness with
your mountains of deeds, just for being patient. That is how the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam teaches an eleven year old kid. He tells him,
Ibn Abbaas, victory comes with patience:

If it was not any other, then the name of Allah is the perfection in
patience. As-Saboor, that is enough. To use this attribute of Allah upon
ourselves, because Allah has these attributes and these attributes belong
to Allah in a manner, we do not know how. We do not know how the
patience of Allah is, we know He has patience. And when you say Allah
has patience, As-Saboor, it adds honour to that character and attribute
that we have amongst ourselves, although our patience in no way
resembles the patience of Allah by any means.

...

:
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If you look at the kinds of patience, there is three kinds. There is patience
on the trials and tribulations in life, there is patience on the ordains of
Allah, and there is patience to refrain from the sins. We take them one by
one.
The patience on the trials and tribulations in life. Life is full of problems.
You have to understand this and know this because if you are not in a
problem, you are waiting for a problem. That is life, that is the Sunnah of
Allah in this life. If you are not in a problem, you are waiting for it. So if
someone mocks someone for a problem, he is only awaiting one, that is
the Sunnah of Allah. And elders with experience can tell you this, life is
not smooth. Life was not smooth to the Messengers, it was not smooth for
the true believers. If life was smooth then this would be Heaven, but it is
not, so you have to have problems. How do we deal with the problems?
Look at what the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says about one who
had a beloved one, who someone beloved to him died, one of the biggest
problems. If it did not happen, it is destined to happen. If someone,
beloved one, did not die, it is either they are going to die and he is going
to weep over them, or they are going to weep over him. It is going to
happen, it has to happen in this life. How do you deal with it?
You look to the first advice of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam in
one of his Halaqaat, teaching women of his time, what did he tell the
women? The women said give us, you know you give the men all the days,
give us a day to teach us. The first day he taught them and the first thing
he taught them, he said, whoever has three kids and those three kids die
and she is patient, she has no reward but Heaven. A woman said, what
about two? He said, and two. She said, what about one? He said, and one.
Allah in the authentic Hadith by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam,
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, Allah tells the Angel of
Death, did you take the soul of the servants beloved one? I have a child, a
brother, a relative, a father, did you take the soul of that persons beloved
one? The angel says, yes I took it. Of course it is under the command of
Allah, but it is going to teach us something over here. He says, did you
take the fruit of the heart of the one my servant loves? Yes, we took it.
Allah asked the angel, what did that person say? What was the
consequence of that person, how did he react. He said, he said
Alhamdulillah, Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raajioon. Alhamdulillah, to Allah
we return and to Allah we resort. A loved one, and he says these words.
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Allah tells the Angels, build him a palace in Heaven, call it Bayt al-Hamd.
His palace, Bayt al-Hamd.
A misery in this life could be a paved way for you in Heaven. The young
children in Heaven are allowed entry to Heaven. They say no, but there is
something missing, our parents. The parents could be doomed to Hell for
something, could have a lot of sins, we want our parents. That little baby
who we wept and shed tears over, if we were truly patient, is a path to
Heaven. Allah says, enter Heaven. The little child says, but where are my
parents? Allah says take the hands of your parents and enter Heaven.
We have to change. Islam not only has to change us in the way we
worship Allah, but it has to change us in the manners we react and look to
things in life. We are not people of Lithium and Prozac, we are people who
turn to Allah in our miseries and atrocities. And what miseries do you have
than an Ummah that is being annihilated everywhere on this Earth? The
threats of the Ummah, for those Muslims who care about their brothers.
Your brothers in Iraq are being threatened day and night, what is the
reason behind that? They said Rabbunallah, Allah is our Lord. Why? Why is
that? Because we left them, we do not think about them. But you know,
what we can consolidate with each other and tell each other is, be patient
in these times of atrocities. When we see the enemies threatening, they
are not after Saddaam, it is not Saddaam they are after, it is after the
Muslims, the innocent Muslims of Iraq. Saddaam is one man, he can go
take him, leave the innocent Muslims. Six thousand kids die, what more
patience do we need? Your brothers, your children in Iraq, six thousand die
every single month, because of malnutrition. That shot that you take your
kid for that costs fifty cents is the source that your brothers in Iraq die for,
six thousand every month. We need patience when we look at these
miseries. We need patience when we see the bombarding, the annihilation
of our brothers in Falasteen. We need patience when we see the killing
and massacres of our brothers, and burning or our brothers in Kashmir.
Patience is what we need. That is the first kind of patience.
The second one is patience doing the commands of Allah. To pray, to wake
up in Fajr, to do any command Allah ordered, you have to have patience,
by Allah. But before we talk about this, let us see why Allah sets out
miseries and atrocities, whether they may be on the international level, or
whether they may be on a personal level. Why does it happen to us? The
first reason is that this is a source to show Allah your position that you
deserve in Heaven. Why? How? Allah knows where you belonged before
you were born. What position you belong in Heaven, Allah knows it, but
this is a method to prove yourself. Allah is just, on the Judgment Day,
every single deed you did has to have a witness for it. The book, the
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angels, the ground you prayed on, the people who heard you, everything
has to have a witness. So if we are all going to pray five times, if we are all
going to pay Zakah, if we are going to pay Hajj and we are all doing the
same thing, how is Allah going to divide the one hundred ranks in Heaven
upon us? If there is not tests and tribulations to see who is patient, to
raise and boost their places in Heaven.
: ...

And that Allah may purify the believers [through trials]. (Surat Aali
Imraan: 141)
Who are the pure, the ones who are patient in times of tribulation?
: ...

In order that Allah may distinguish the wicked from the good. (Surat alAnfaal: 37)

...

:
Allah will not leave the believers in the state in which you are now. (Surat
Aali Imraan: 179)
Allah is not going to leave the believers in the situation they are in.
Meaning He is not going to leave everything going, floating in your
direction. Something has to happen, why Yaa Allah?
: ...

So we can distinguish the true one from the evil one. The one who belongs
in the position with the Siddiqeen and the one who belongs in the first
level, we have to know that.

:
Do you think you will enter Heaven, when Allah knows those who are
patient are and those who are martyrs are. (Surat Aali Imraan: 142)
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Do you think you are going to enter Heaven when you had a smooth life
and you compare your life to one who has struggled for the sake of Allah,
or even regular struggles in life? All that you get Ajr for.
The second reason behind these trials and tribulations is to show you, this
is not your life. If you live in a country, you are a tourist, you stay there
ten days and everything goes smooth for you, you love that world. You
always talk about it, the best days of my life, you do not think of leaving
it. The same with this life, if everything goes smooth in this life, it is hard
for you to depart it. If everything goes smooth in this life, it is hard for you
to think about Heaven. How could you think about Heaven when
everything is going smooth for you? How could you? It has to have
problems to make you think about Heaven, you have to.
Third reason, so you can ask and beg and please Allah to make you closer
to Allah. Look at it and think of it, the most times people turn to Allah is
when? When everything is going good? They do not even go by the Masjid
when everything is going good. When they have problems and then they
pick up the phone, Shaykh I have a problem. That is the only time they
call the Shaykh, when they have a problem. When they have a dead
relative, his father is in front of him dead, his son is in front of him dead,
the heart inside, it needs something to grasp on, and that is when their
weak spot will come. Allah uses these to take people back to Him. How
many people do we know that became guided over the death of a relative
once? That changed their life, how many? Hundreds, you probably all
know examples yourself, of a misery that happened to someone and it
changed their whole life. These are among the reason why Allah tests us.
Look at this example and every time you face a trial or tribulation in this
life, you have to look at it. If you get up to pray and you put your
backpack in the Masjid and someone steals it, do not go shedding tears
and crying. If you leave the Masjid and your window is broken, it is a
problem. You leave, someone hits you on the red light, it is a problem. If
you travel and you are speeding, you get a ticket, it is a problem. Some
people, just a little problem like that, they weep and shed tears and they
probably cannot sleep over the night and they are depressed.
Give you the example of one man, Ayyub. Eighty years of his life, he lived
the most smoothest, best life, anyone can live. Fourteen kids, a good wife,
happy with his wife, Messenger of Allah, what more could you want? In a
matter of days, it all changed, it flipped around. How? This Messenger of
Allah Ayyub gets a disease, his skin changes. Not only that, fourteen of his
kids die one after the other, matter of days. He handled it with Imaan and
patience, the verse we mentioned in the beginning of the Khutbah, with
Page | 838
patience and prayer he handled it. His wife said make Duaa. If he makes
a Duaa, just raises his hands and says Yaa Allah, Allah is going to
respond. Make Duaa, No. He tells his wife, how many years did we live in
a good luxurious manner? She said eighty years. He said when we live
another eighty years in a misery, then I will raise my hands to Allah and
ask for Duaa, eighty and eighty.
The years went on where she had to work as a maid, from the luxury she
was in, she is a maid. Make Duaa, he refuses until he reaches a point
where she has to sell her hair. They used it in the battlefields for some
thing that they needed, she sold her hair to keep supporting that man, the
Messenger of Allah Ayyub. That is when he raised his hands and he made
Duaa, Allah on the spot responded. How many years of this misery that
no one can handle? Disease, no one would talk to him, no one would come
near him, no one would come near his town. People were beginning to
shun his wife thinking she is contagious with that disease and that disease
is going to spread upon him. Not only him, his wife too, fourteen kids. Not
a single why me? Why did it have to happen to me? Why myself? No,
patience. What happened?

...
:
One minor Duaa. Oh Allah, a hardship has fell upon me and You are the
All Merciful, the Graceful. (Surat al-Anbiyaa: 83)
What did Allah say?

...

We took that evil, that problem that happened to him, out. When his wife
walked up on him after he was cured from the disease, she said who are
you? The disease covered his body so much, she did not know who he was
when she walked up on him.
...

...
We gave him that which was there before and double. You know what that
means? When he was cured, Allah gave him not fourteen kids for being
patient those eighteen years, but twenty eight kids.
...
...

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Double that.
:

...

As a mercy from Ourselves and a Reminder for all who worship Us. (Surat
al-Anbiyaa: 84)
Mercy of Allah because of those eighteen years of patience.
One more story of Qays Ibn Aasim al-Munqari, keep it between your eyes,
these two stories. When you have a problem, those little problems that we
have, laugh them off, they are nothing compared to these stories that we
have over here. This is the solution to your problem, when you have a
problem, you turn to Allah. When you have a problem, you say
Alhamdulillah. Eighteen years with a skin disease and fourteen kids, a
speeding ticket is nothing, you overlook it like nothing is going to happen.
A car is stolen, whatever it may be, you did not get accepted to the
university, you got fired from a job, all these are normal things when you
compare it to eighteen years.
Look at this man, Qays Ibn Aasim al-Munqari. He is a Tabiee, Qays Ibn
Aasim had a disease, it was spreading in his foot. They said we have to
cut your foot, he said no. They said if we do not cut it now you are going
to die. He said:

Go ahead. They said here is alcohol, they have no medicine to cure him so
they said here is alcohol for you. He said alcohol? He has an excuse, Islam
gives him an excuse, he is in a hardship. He said Allah prohibited
something and Allah gave me a mind, and I use that to take away my
mind? No, wait until I pray two Rakahs. When I am in the Rakah that you
feel me floating with the verses of Allah, his mind, his power is not in this
world, it is in the Heaven and Hell and the gardens of Heaven and the
luxuries of the life after, laughing with the good pleasures of Heaven,
crying with the stories of Hell. What did he say? When you feel me floating
with the verses, cut my leg off. They cut it off when he was praying, he
passed out. Not a single moan when they were cutting it, he did not feel it.
His mind was not there, his mind was with Allah. He did not feel it but he
passes out from the blood.
When he wakes up in the coma he was in, his son dies. Listen to this and
keep it in your mind and teach it to your kids and to your brothers, when
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there is a time of hardship. He wakes up, they say may Allah give you
better than what He took from you. He said what did Allah take? They said
your leg. He said my leg, what else? They said your son. He had four sons,
one of them died in his coma. The narrator of the Hadith said he did not
add more than say:

And you know what he said? He said, give me my leg. He looked at his leg
and you know this is stunning what he did. He looked at his leg and he
kissed it, that is not the stunning part. The stunning part is he said,
Wallahi I never used this leg to walk for a sin ever. How many of us could
say that, Wallahi I never used that leg to walk to a sin ever? Wallahi this
story melts a heart if it was as hard as a rock. I never used this leg,
Wallahi how many of us could say that today? And then he said, look at
the patience in this man, Alhamdulillah Allah gave me four body parts, He
took one, I have three left. Allah has been generous to me, I have three, I
have two hands left and one leg. I have one kid that Allah took his life, I
have four kids. Allah has been so generous to me, He left me with three
kids. Allahu Akbar, this is the patience that Allah says:

...

Patience to carry out the commands of Allah. Patience to come to this

Masjid in Fajr when you are the neighbour of the Masjid, patience to wake
up to pray the Salah in the beginning time of the Salah, to carry out the
commands of Allah. What is that? Do you look at it and say oh man that is
hard. How can I wake up for Fajr, how can I pray on time, how can I not
deal in usury? It is hard. Put before your eyes the example of Ibraheem.
Allah does not tell him wake up 5:30, Allah tells him it is your son whose
neck has to be cut. Which is easier? Praying that takes five minutes, a
little thing that Allah asks, or Allah asking you to sacrifice your son?
What did Ibraheem say? Not me, why me, why my son? I am not going to
do it, I am not going to pray, I am not going to fast, I am going to deal in
usury? No, what did he say? He takes his son and puts him on a table and
wants to cut his neck off. An example of a pious, patient family. How? His
son tells him when you cut my neck father, do not look at me because if
you look at me you may be merciful towards me and you will not do that
Page | 841
which Allah ordered you. Patience, patience is what causes them to do

this.

And when they had both submitted and he put him down upon his
forehead, We called to him: Oh Abraham, You have fulfilled the vision.
Indeed, We thus reward the doers of good. (Surat as-Saaffaat: 103-105)
We called him, Yaa Ibraheem, you believed that dream? Allah relieved him
but imagine that, put yourself in a setting like that. Not the prayer on
time, not that, Allah tells you sacrifice your beloved child. Allah gives us
so much and asks so little to be patient with and we refuse to do that,
imagine if it was your son that Allah ordered you to sacrifice.
The first one of patience is trials and tribulations we mentioned. The
second one is patience carrying out the commands of Allah. The third one
is patience to stay away from the sins that Allah ordered you to stay away
from. And I give you one example of Yusuf alayhis salaam because
probably the hardest thing on the young of this Ummah is dealing with
women and probably women dealing with men, probably the hardest
thing. A lot of the Muslims today, alcohol is not a problem to them. Like
one of the Sahaabah said, he was truthful and he told the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he said oh Prophet of Allah if you put me
alone with a woman who has no hands and no legs I am going to commit
the sin. He said that to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, he was sincere and this is a problem we have in our Ummah today.
How do we deal with it? Put yourself in the position of Yusuf. Not you
approaching a woman for a Haraam, a woman approaching you. Who are
you? You are a Messenger. No, you are the most and probably best looking
creation of this earth. You are alone with her, who is the woman? The wife
of the leader of his time. The wife asks you to commit adultery, who is
that man? Her slave. He could get freed or he could be in luxury, he could
get spare time, he could get all that. Not only that, the women of the town
in their entirety are after him, they want him. What did this pious man do,
prefer the sin? Maaath Allah, no, no way. Then he said:
...

...

:
Page | 842
Oh my Lord! Prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite

me. (Surat Yusuf: 33)
Imagine that, Allah, I rather you put me in prison with the criminals, with
the scums of the earth, than in the palace with the best looking woman of
the time, the wife of the leader of the time. The jail is better for me than
that which they call me for.
These are the trials and tribulations in this life that we have to realise and
we have to be patient in them. If I have a child that died, everyone could
have a child who died, nothing special about it. Kaafir, Jew, Atheist, Hindu,
they have children who died, we all have problems. They go to church, I
will probably go to the Masjid. They be patient on Sunday morning, we be
patient and pray. There is one aspect of patience and it is the peak of
aspects, the reward of it is Jannah, it is special for you. What is that
aspect? Patience for trials and tribulations that happen to you because of
your Imaan, because of your Islam.
The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam passes by the family of Yaasir. He
sees the mother in pain under the whips of Abu Jahl, next to her is her
son, next to her tied to a post is her husband. And what did he tell them?
When she is stabbed by Abu Jahl in her private part may Allah curse him
and he passes by her, he said:

What you are going through because of Laa Ilaaha Illallah, your
appointment is the gardens of Heaven. Heaven is your resort, that is
where you belong.
This does not mean you get killed for the sake of Allah, being mocked
because you are Muslim is this category, reaches you Inshaa Allah
Heaven. Being degraded because of your religion is a cause for you to
enter Heaven. Sticking up for your brothers who are oppressed in Iraq and
Afghanistan and Kashmir, supporting them at a time when the cowards
refuse to talk is a cause for you to enter Heaven, because it is only the
heroes who take the burden of that upon themselves.
Musa alayhis salaam gives Dawah, one after the other after the other, so
his Dawah becomes popular. What are they going to do to Musa? They
cannot kill him, he has got power behind him now, he has got people
behind him. What did they do? They used a tactic the infidels always use,
defame the character, character assassination. They stick a charge or two
to them to defame the character. Why did they do that to Musa? Because
when they knew Musa has no character, he has got no one to listen to
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him. Qaroon said I have the plan, what is the plan Qaroon? Qaroon says
my plan is I paid a prostitute who just had a baby, to say that baby is his.
They fabricate, do not believe the lies you hear. There is always a Firawn,
every century, every time, every decade we have Firawns who talk about
the people. They do not have food in Iraq and they say they have nuclear
weapons. They do not have food, our brothers are dying in Iraq.
What did they say to Musa? He walked in on Firawn, he said Firawn are
you going to believe in the One and only One Lord? All of a sudden a
prostitute starts yelling in the background, this is the man. What man? He
is the one who fathered the child. A lie, a fabrication. What is a Daaiyah
going to do there? He raises his finger to Allah, this patient man does not
go hysterical. Allah the only One, oh Allah the only One, aid me in this
matter. He points to her, I ask you by Allah the One who gave me the
miracles you know of, did I father that child? She said no. Allah solved the
problem right there and then but this is always going on.
Aishah radhiallahu anha, your mother, gets attacked in her character.
Why? They want to defame the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. If his
wife is playing behind his back he has no character, character
assassination. You have to be patient in these kinds of trials and
tribulations. Aishah radhiallahu anha, what did she do? Thirty days under
the agony that the vast majority of the people of her time are thinking she
committed adultery, and the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam the
patient man making Duaa, humble to Allah, asking and pleading with
Allah.
This is the path of Islam. This is the path of Laa Ilaaha Illallah. This is the
path that the neck of Zakariyyah was cut for. This is the path that Yahya
was split in half for. This is the path that Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam was at a time a wanted man. This is the path that Uthman falls
dead in his own blood. This is the path Ahmad Ibn Hanbal spends a large
portion of his life in prison. This is the path Ibn Taymiyyah died in prison.
This is the path the great heroes of the world asked for because this is the
path of Laa Ilaaha Illallah Muhammadar-Rasoolullah, this is what you were
created and brought on to this earth for. I tell you this, if you are a Muslim
and you do not have problems, double check your faith. Wallahi this is not
my word, this is the word of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam from the meanings of his Hadith, and this is the word of the
scholars after him.
How? The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said the worst punished are
the Messengers of Allah, then who? The Kaafir, the ones who try to kill us
and annihilate us? No, and then the ones who imitate them and imitate
Page | 844
them step by step. You say why, is Allah oppressive? Maaath Allah, Allah
is not oppressive but when the Kaafir failed the first test, there is no need
for any more tests. He is doomed, why test him anymore? When the
Muslim got the first test, he passed the first stage, you have to go to the
second stage. First semester, second semester, third semester. First
grade, second grade, if you failed in first grade one time or two times, you
are out. Why do we need to test you again? You are a failure. This is the
justice of Allah, this is the path of the Messengers of Allah and this is
something you have to be patient for.
I leave you with one last story and I leave it to the end so it can settle in
your mind. It is a story narrated by Ibn Hibbaan in a book called AthThiqaat, an authentic story where a young soldier leaves Falasteen to go
back to the outskirts where his family is. While on the journey he sees a
tent and in the tent is someone saying oh Allah give me the power to
thank You for all that You have given me, oh Allah I thank You for making
me better than a large portion of the people. Look at what the Duaa is, I
ask you Allah to give me the power to thank You and I thank You Allah for
all that which You have given me which makes me better than a large part
of the people.
He said I went to the tent to see who is saying it, an old man, the only
thing working on that old man is his tongue. In the Hadith it is unknown
whether his body parts are cut or he is paralysed. The only thing working
on this old man is his tongue, imagine that. The young man Abdullah Ibn
Muhammad (the narrator of the story) said, oh uncle what is there that
Allah made you better than other people? Imagine that, you know we say
what did Allah give me? Wallahi I talk to some people, what did Allah give
me? Give us one of your eyes and then say what did Allah give me, just
give us one and then we will say Allah deprived you. You have people who
have an income, let alone the income, their physical features. An eye, a
face, a mouth, a hand, healthy, and they say what did Allah give me?
Ignorant. Look what Abdullah Ibn Muhammad said, what did this man
have? He did not understand, he was a young teenager, what did this man
have? He said Allah gave me a tongue to thank Him with it, what more do
I need? Allahu Akbar, a tongue to thank Him with, what more do I need?
He said now I answered your question, could you go and do a favour for
me? What is it? This is not a movie or fabricated or weak Hadith, this is in
Ibn Hibbaan in his Thiqaat, Wallahi it was authenticated by the most strict
scholars of our time who checked the narration of the Hadith. He said my
son who helps me in my Wudhu and helps me to drink and eat, he left
three days ago and I am left here stranded. Could you go look for him? He
went, he looked for him. He found his bones and he found his camel, he
Page | 845
brought his camel back. How is he going to tell this old man this whole
story? The only thing he has in life is his son and his son died. He said I sat
and I remembered the story of Ayyub, the story I mentioned to you, so I
started telling him. The old man said cut your story short, what is the
problem, tell me what the problem is. He said your son is dead. He said he
did not say more than Alhamdulillah, Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilayhi Raajioon.
Alhamdulillah, to Allah we return, to Allah is our resort. And soon after that
he passed out and died.
He said I had a problem, if I leave him the animals are going to eat him
and I could not leave him and go, it would not be right. So I sat there
crying what am I going to do with him, I cannot dig a grave alone, until
four people passed by and he told them come and help me bury him. They
said ok, who is he? They uncovered his face and they jumped at him
kissing him, they said you do not know who this man is? This is Abdullah
Ibn Zayd Abu Qulaab al-Jurmi, the biggest student of Ibn Abbaas. He loved
knowledge and he loved Islam, he fought in battles and committed his life
for the sake of Allah. This is him, and they began crying and kissing him.
They buried him.
That young boy Abdullah Ibn Muhammad could not get this story out of his
mind. When you are thinking about something all day, you are going to
dream about it and the dreams of the pure innocent people are nearly
always true. Actually it is a sign of a true man when he dreams that night,
and in the morning it becomes just how he dreamt it. He said I had a
dream about this man, I saw him (he too is in Heaven) and I said you are
the man who was my friend last night? He said yes. He said what did Allah
do to you? He said peace be upon you, enter Heaven as you were patient:
APPENDIX TWO: MUSLIMS JOKING ABOUT ISLAMIC

MATTERS
The next question is, what is the ruling on Muslims joking about Islamic
ordains and rituals like Niqaab, beard or wearing pants above the ankles,
or mocking those who adhere to them? There are comedians who make a
living out of this, jokes like these even go on in private gatherings among
Muslims and non Muslims. What is the ruling on Muslims participating in
this?
Page | 846
At a time when we see the status of the Ummah and what is going on,
where there is a war waged on Islam and practicing Muslims, it is very,
very sad to see that there are people who are alleged Muslims choosing to
take the route of mocking their brothers and sisters, siding with Kufr and
Kuffaar, knowingly or unknowingly. How dare one mock a sister trying to
look like Aishah and Hafsah radhiallahu anhum. Those who mock Niqaab
and Hijaab side with the leaders of countries who openly and clearly say
Niqaab will not be welcome in our lands, that is the freedom they offer.
Their women have the legal right to choose to show their bare breasts in
public, but a modest, honourable Muslim woman cannot choose what
Hijaab to wear. That is the freedom they talk about, that is democracy,
that is the Hukm of Jaahiliyyah. That is the people who Allah said:

...

: ...

They are like cattle, nay even more astray. (Surat al-Araaf: 179)
That is the filth of Kufr. Sisters get dragged physically and through court
summons in Europe and other parts of the world, because they want to
look like Umm Salamah and Aishah radhiallahu anhum. That is part of the
problem. They drag them claiming a Niqaab goes against freedom and
dignity, wherein they themselves have absolutely not an ounce of
freedom or dignity.
Our sisters go all through that, that is a problem. But the bigger problem
is those in the Ummah who have nothing to joke about but these pious,
chaste, struggling, honourable women. Have you ever imagined what a
Niqaabi for example goes through on a daily basis? Last week I was in
Chicago and a brother invited me to go to a mall that is approximately two
hours away from Chicago, in the suburbs of Chicago. For the first time in
seventeen years, I stepped foot in a mall, and one of the first sights I saw
was people glancing at a woman, eyes staring at her from every angle
and laughter and mocking. Wallahi I made Duaa for her from the bottom
of my heart. In a place where you never see Muslims, there was a Niqaabi,
that is who they were staring at and mocking. Whereas if someone
partially naked showed up, they would not have even bothered to look or
joke or mock. Wallahil-Lathee Laa Ilaaha Illa Huwa, Wallahi I have never
seen a Niqaabi in the United States except that I made Duaa for her.
Imagine with me what she goes through in the United States where she
can legally wear her Niqaab, let alone other places where she would go to
jail for it. The glances of the people, the words thrown at her, the laughter,
the winking and gestures that she has to see and hear and at times even
Page | 847
the physical assault. Imagine her on a red light, to her left is the glancing
and the staring and to the right is the mocking and degrading. And then a
Muslim who allegedly loves Allah and the Mothers of the Believers has the
audacity to utter a joke about this sister wearing Niqaab, or a brother who
is compliance of a Waajib with a Lihyah ( ( )a beard).
If you cannot support them in their struggle to wear Hijaab and Niqaab,
grow their beards and wear their clothes above their ankles, then is there
anything less than one keeping his mouth shut? How many youth and
youngsters saw a video of someone mocking a Hijaabi, Niqaabi or a
bearded brother and heard that joke from Muslims, and it was embedded
in the back of their mind to be repeated over and over again? Some of
them memorise these jokes and use them against those who carry out
these Islamic obligations. Or how many kids and adults think less of those
brothers and sisters who are merely in compliance of the ordains because
of these jokes? Even if you adopt the wrong opinion, the weaker opinion
for example of Niqaab, that it is not Fardh, you have no business mocking
them.
Those same characters who use these matters as tools for laughter, if one
was to joke about his mother, what would he tell you? He would tell you
stop, this is not a joking matter, his mother is not a joking matter. Those
women with Hijaab and Niqaab are mimicking the Mothers of the Believers
and the daughters of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

...

: ...

Tell your wives and your daughters and the women of the believers to
draw their cloaks (veils) all over their bodies. (Surat al-Ahzaab: 59)
Same with bearded brothers and those who raise their pants above their
ankles. That is why some scholars said mocking Islamic matters or directly
mocking Allah and the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
and the verses of Allah, are all the same.
Who is the one growing the beard trying to look like? Musa, Isa, Haroon:
: ...
...

Seize (me) not by my beard, nor by my head! (Surat Taha: 94)
When he got into a struggle with Musa and Musa grabbed his beard. Abu
Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali. Not doing a matter in Islam even if it is
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obligatory, not wearing Hijaab, not wearing Niqaab, not growing your
beard, these matters are sin. Sometimes major, sometimes minor, but if
he is Muslim and makes Salah, even if he does not repent, ones destiny
at the end is to Heaven Inshaa Allah because that is only a sin. The
forgiveness of Allah could overwhelm him, the Shafaaah of the
Messengers and righteous believers could overwhelm him, or worst case
scenario he goes to Hell for a duration of time for the sin and then he goes
back into Heaven. May Allah guard us even from that.
One who wears a Hijaab and mocks it falls in this category. Look at the
precise wording that I am going to say, those who mock these have
committed an act of Kufr. There are rules and regulations for Takfeer and it
is a very sensitive issue, and there are Fataawa by old and contemporary
scholars that substantiate this. That is all we are conveying, a Fatwa of the
Ulamaa. Abdullah Ibn Qaood, Ibn ad-Dayyaan, Abdur-Raaziq Afeefi, Ibn
Baaz and many of the older scholars all agree on this opinion.
In the famous book Asbaab An-Nuzool by Waahidi, let me give you the
background of the story. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was
heading to Tabook to fight and on the way there they camped. So there
was the close knit with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam who
camped with the Prophet and another group who were further away who
camped by themselves. Here is how the story unfolds, Ibn Umar
radhiallahu anhuma narrates what happened. He said during the Battle of
Tabook, a man in the other camp (the second camp) said we have not
seen like these reciters of the Quran, you see those guys who recite the
Quran.

...

They like to fill their bellies with food, greedy bellies:
...

...
Their tongues are lying tongues. Big bellies and untruthful tongues, they
are mocking reciters of the Quran.

...

...
And they are the most cowardly when the combat happens. Basically they
eat a lot, they lie and they are cowards. They are talking about reciters of
the Quran, mocking them and joking around.
Page | 849

...

:

...

A man sitting with them said you are a liar, you are a hypocrite. Based on
what he heard from him, he said you are a hypocrite, and the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam never denounced this man for calling him a
hypocrite.

...
...

I am going to go tell the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

...
...

The matter reached the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Either the man went and told him or Allah had told him or most likely it
was both of them, Allah had revealed and then this man went and told
him what that man had mocked the reciters of the Quran with.
Abdullah Ibn Umar said:
...
...

I saw him grabbing the bridle of the horse of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam and it dragging him. He is grabbing the horse and it is dragging
him on the stones, he is hanging because he wants to speak to the
Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. He is telling the Prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:

:

...
...

He is saying oh Prophet of Allah, it was only idle talk and just play. It was
idle talk and just play, note he did not even say we were mocking, he did
not even think of it as mocking, he said it was idle talk and just play.

...

And the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam telling him:
Page | 850
...

...

Was it at Allah, and His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs,
revelations, etc) and His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) that you
were mocking? Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after you had
believed. (Surat at-Tawbah: 65-66)
You have disbelieved after you were believers. Allah reveals Ayaat in the
Quran about this, let us go through them.

...

:
If you ask them (about this), they declare: We were only talking idly and
joking. (Surat at-Tawbah: 65)
If you ask them oh Muhammad, they will say it was idle talk and play. That
is all it was, it was idle talk and play. Pay attention, this sentence shows
that they did not even really mean to mock, they did not reach the level of
mocking because their reply was:

It was idle talk and play, not mocking. They did not say we were mocking,
we were ridiculing, they did not say:

They said:

It was idle talk and play. They did not say we were mocking, that was not
even their intention. Mocking is here, idle talk and play was here. And in
some narrations it was that they said oh Prophet we were just talking
because we wanted the distance to become shorter with just idle talk.
Allah said to them in the Quran:

...

:
Page | 851
Say: Was it at Allah, and His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons,
signs, revelations, etc) and His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)
that you were mocking? (Surat at-Tawbah: 65)
In Allah, His verses and His revelation and His Messenger do you scoff and
mock? You did not find anything else to joke about? Note, these people,
did they mock Allah directly? No. Did they mock the Quran directly or
verses in the Quran? No. Did they mock the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam directly? No, they mocked the reciters of the Quran. Then why
when Allah was denouncing them did He say, you mock Allah, the verses
and the Messenger? Why did Allah not say you mock the reciters of the
Quran? He said you mock Allah, the Messenger and the verses, when all
they did was mock reciters of the Quran. They mocked the reciters of the
Quran because of their Islamic significance, so it is as if they mocked
Allah, the verses and the Messenger. That is the point Allah is trying to get
to you.
See how dangerous it is? It is no joke and it is no game. They mocked
reciters of the Quran, Allah responded saying you mock Allah, His
Messenger and the verses? You mock a bearded Muslim for his beard, you
mock Allah, His verses and His Messenger. You mock a Niqaabi for her
Niqaab, we say you mock Allah, His verses and His Messenger. You mock a
Hijaabi or a bearded brother, we say you mock Allah, His Messenger and
the verses.
The final judgment has been entered by Allah:

: ...

Make no excuse; you have disbelieved after you had believed. (Surat atTawbah: 66)
Do not even think about apologising, make no excuse, you have become
disbelievers after you were believers.
And here is an important detail, pay attention to this detail, those people
Allah declared Kuffaar were not hypocrites before this matter. You hear
scholars call them hypocrites, there were hypocrites who fought and went
along with the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam like Abdullah Ibn Ubayy
Ibn Abi Salool who was a known hypocrite. If scholars refer to these here
who mocked as hypocrites based on what they did of mocking, then yes
they did become hypocrites and Kuffaar because of that. But some
scholars allege they were hypocrites before they even mocked and they
were just going along with the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam. That is wrong, they were believers fighting with the Prophet
Page | 852
Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. They were putting their lives on

the line for the sake of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, yet they were rendered non believers for a little joke they made.
What can one say about those who never even broke a sweat in Allah and
His Messengers rightful cause, yet they want to mock rituals, Sunnahs
and ordains?
The solid proof that they were not originally hypocrites as some scholars
say, is in the verse:

You have disbelieved after you were believers. After you were believers.
Some scholars went to an extreme to say that they were believers in their
tongue but not in their heart, meaning they were hypocrites. So Allah said
believers as in believers in tongue but not in the heart. In reality, they are
trying to say that mocking did not cause them to become disbelievers,
they were already hypocrites as they were only believers by their tongues.
However, Ibn Taymiyyah responded to this and said Allah never calls a
hypocrite a believer in the Quran, just because he believed by his tongue.
They were believers and they were rendered disbelievers, Allah said it:

They were in reality believers because Allah called them so, otherwise
Allah would never call hypocrites believers even if they believed in their
tongue but not in their heart.
Another point, there are some matters where as a rule in Takfeer,
ignorance of it being Kufr is an excuse. It could be an excuse that I did not
know it would cause me to be a Kaafir. Ibn Taymiyyah in Kitaab Al-Imaan
said these people here did not think that they were committing Kufr, yet
they were still considered Kuffaar. He is saying mocking and ridiculing
Islamic matters is Kufr, even if one did not know it will make him a Kaafir.
Shaykh Sulaymaan al-Alwaan said this verse is clear proof in Kufr of one
who mocks Allah, His Messenger and verses. If he considers it Halaal or if
he considered Haraam, merely mocking renders one an apostate by Ijmaa
of all the scholars, even if he did not mean the mocking but was merely
joking and playing.

...

:

Page | 853
If We pardon some of you, We will punish others amongst you because

they were Mujrimoon (disbelievers, polytheists, sinners, criminals, etc).
(Surat at-Tawbah: 66)
Some repented and others did not.
This applies to mocking punishments of Allah like Heaven or Hell or
aspects of Hell or aspects of Heaven. This applies to mocking those who
ordain the good and forbid the evil and people who go along with that. It
applies to mocking Salah or aspects of Salah, even Sunnah Salah, not
necessary Waajib Salah. Even Sunnah Salah, mocking that or those who
pray, because of their Salah. Or someone who shortens their Thobe or
their pants in accordance to the teaching of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam, or one who has a beard, because of his beard. Or a Hijaabiyyah
for her Hijaab or a Niqaabiyyah for her Niqaab, or a Siwaak, a mere
Siwaak (the toothbrush). This is by the rules of the scholars who know the
rules and regulations of Takfeer, because as I said it is a sensitive issue.
Some scholars divided the mocking into two categories. Direct statements
and writing, if you write it or say it, that is direct. But the other category
which is just like that is gestures. You see someone in Niqaab, they smirk,
smile, laugh, they stick a tongue out or there are many types of gestures
where you show that you are mocking someone. Any of that is just as
though one said something, the ruling on both types of mocking is the
same.
The next point is an essential point, do not ever sit with anyone who goes
near this issue. If there is a gathering and joking kicks off related to this
matter over here, if you attend an event where this goes on or there is a
comedy show, TV show, Youtube show or anywhere else, flee with your
Imaan like there is a lion behind you out to get you, before you lose your
Imaan. Flee and run away.
The rule in Islam is that when there is something Haraam, you do not
participate in it, you do not go near it and you do not support it. Like Zina:

: ...

And come not near to the unlawful sexual intercourse. (Surat al-Israa: 32)
Allah said do not go near Zina. He did not say do not commit it, He said do
not go near it. You do not sit on a table where there is alcohol and say I
am not drinking, you do not do that. You do not go to a casino and say I
am not gambling. That is in matters of Haraam, you do not go near the
Haraam, you do not participate in it, you do not condone it and you do not
Page | 854
support it. This matter is worse because there is a specific verse about not
going near it in the Quran:
And it has already been revealed to you in the Book (this Quran) that
when you hear the Verses of Allah being denied and mocked at, then sit
not with them, until they engage in a talk other than that; (but if you
stayed with them) certainly in that case you would be like them. Surely,
Allah will collect the hypocrites and disbelievers all together in Hell. (Surat
an-Nisaa: 140)

...

Allah says in the Quran, and it has already been revealed to you in the
Book.

...

...

That if you hear the verses of Allah.

Means disbelieved in.
Means mocked.

...
...

Do not go near them, do not sit with them until they engage in another
talk, until they change the subject. Do not go near them, a clear verse in
the Quran. Do not sit and watch a comedian who mocks any aspect of
Page | 855
Islam, any tiny aspect of Islam. Do not ever sit with a relative of yours,
with a friend of yours who utters a joke pertaining to mocking any Islamic
issue or those who practice it, ever. It only gets worse when you hear
those so called Duaat of ours today in the United States especially, who
want to give the look that they are all cool and all that and make their
audience think that they are all cool, and then sit and mock issues of
Islam forgetting this important aspect of Islam.
Allah tells them:

...

...
If you stay with them you are like them. If you listen to it, you participate
in it, you do not walk off, you are like them. Like them what? Kuffaar like
them. Unless you forbid the Munkar and tell them they are wrong and
walk away, then you are like them.
Then the end of the verse says:

...

Allah is gathering the hypocrites and the Kuffaar in Hellfire all together.
And note something very unique about this end of the verse, Allah says
He is gathering the Munaafiqeen and the Kuffaar in Hellfire. This is the end
of the verse, wherein the beginning of the verse He is talking about those
who mock. So the end of the verse tied to the beginning of the verse is
the icing on the cake to prove the Kufr of one who mocks Allah and His
Messengers, those who follow in accordance with any of that and you
mock them, or anyone mocks them because of that. Wal-Iyaathu Billah, it
is a matter of Kufr and Imaan. Whoever is involved in this or was involved
in this, let him go take a shower and say Shahaadah and repent not to
ever do this again, so he can rejoin the masses of the Muslim Ummah.
Sayyid Saabiq in his book Fiqh As-Sunnah which you all, he said a believer
who gives his Shahaadah and becomes Muslim can never be considered a
Kaafir unless his heart and breast is overwhelmed with Kufr, he adopts
Kufr and acts upon it. And then he mentions examples of exemptions from
that, and he said mocking the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam. Al-Bahooti al-Hanbali, the big Hanbali Imaam, in his Kitaab AlRawdh Al-Murabba ( ) he mentions this issue. So does
Ibn Qudaamah in Al-Mughni, so do other scholars like Ibn Mulaqqin in At-
Page | 856
Tathkirah (), famous scholars. All said that mocking is Kufr, so did
the ones I just mentioned earlier, Abdullah Ibn Qaood, Ibn ad-Dayyaan, alAfeefi, Shaykh Ibn Baaz and others. This is what I relate to you from what
the Ulamaa and the Salaf say is Kufr, according to their rules and
regulations derivative from the Quran and the Sunnah.
Allah does not leave those who mock His Quran and His Sunnah and His
believers without humiliation in this life before the life after. Subhan Allah
it is a Sunnah of Allah, He always humiliates them in this life. In Bukhari
and Muslim there is an authentic Hadith, in Bukhari it is a Christian man
who became a believer and then rendered a non believer. In Muslim, it is a
man from Bani Najjaar. He read al-Baqarah and Aali Imraan and he used to
write for the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.

...

...

...

He was a Christian and he became a believer, then he went back to being

a Christian. Then he said Muhammad knows only what I wrote for him,
because he used to write for the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, he said I used to write for him the revelation. Years went on, years
went on.

...

...

He went and they buried him after he died. The next morning, they found
him on the surface of the earth.

...

...

Muhammad and his friends came here at night, dug up the grave and took
him up to the surface. They are evil people who came, this is what they
are basically saying. Muhammad and his people came and dug him and
put him on the surface of the earth.
Next day:
Page | 857

...
...

The second time they dug up the grave, a deeper grave, they put him in
there. The next morning they find him on the surface again, so now it is
the third day.

...

...

They said this is Muhammad and his friends, they dug up his grave and
they brought this man to the surface again. So now it is the final time:

...
...

They dug up for him.

...

...

They dug up for him a very, very, very deep grave, as deep as they could.
And then the next morning:
...

They woke up, they found him after that big grave, on the surface again.
So they knew it was not from Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam or
his men, they left him and abandoned him.
A very last note, there is a difference between mocking someone for
himself and for an Islamic significance. For example a bearded man, if you
mock him for being fat, skinny, talks funny or something, that is a sin. It
could be a major or minor sin, you do not mock anyone but that is a sin.
However, if it relates to Islam, if it goes to the beard, then that is when it
becomes Kufr. There is a distinguishing between the two, one is sin, one is
an act of Kufr. So you have to distinguish between those two matters.
There are plenty of matters to joke about, be truthful and joke. The
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and the Sahaabah joked so why we do
Page | 858
we have to go to areas that are Haraam? It is nice to have fun but keep
them in the Halaal.
APPENDIX THREE: RAMADHAAN GEM #8 ON

INAABAH
We are all familiar with the term Tawbah (when one repents to Allah), but
there is another very similar term called Inaabah (), a term
mentioned in the Quran many times. And since it is Ramadhaan, we want
to move from Tawbah to Inaabah.
Ibn al-Qayyim said it is to hasten pleasing Allah, while continuously and
repeatedly returning to Allah (at all times). Meaning, it is Tawbah but
continuous Tawbah. Part of Inaabah is to retreat to Allah with your heart,
with love, reverence and sincerity in accordance to the Quran and the
Sunnah. Just as one retreats in the last ten days of Ramadhaan for Itikaaf,
leaving everything behind, Inaabah is constant returning in Itikaaf to
Allah. A heart needs to retreats to Allah with honour because if it does not
do so with Allah, it retreats with humility to other than Allah. Turning fully
to Allah in trials and at ease is Inaabah.
A person who is Muneeb ( )is one who repents when he commits a
sin but goes further beyond that to change and become in constant
contact with Allah, with a relationship with Allah.
Allah said it about Ibraheem alayhis-salaam:
:

Verily, Ibraheem was, without doubt, forbearing, used to invoke Allah with
humility, and was repentant (to Allah all the time, again and again). (Surat
Hud: 75)
Ibraheem was without a doubt forbearing, which is Haleem ().
Invoking Allah with humility, that is Awwaah (). And Muneeb ()
is repenting constantly, time and time, again and again, constant repenter
to Allah.
A verse considered by some of the Ulamaa to be the most hopeful verse
in the Qur'an:
Page | 859

...

Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. And turn in
Lord and submit to Him (in Islam). (Surat az-Zumar: 53-54)
After repentance, Allah mentions:
That is what we are targeting.

Inaabah is three levels. The first level is the root of Inaabah (the principle),
which is leaving Shirk to Tawheed, leaving Kufr to Islam. Not having this
will make one a Kaafir, because it is leaving Kufr to Islam. That is the first
level and it is taken out of the verse:

:

Those who avoid At-Taaghoot (false deities) by not worshipping them and
turn to Allah in repentance, for them are glad tidings; so announce the
good news to My slaves. (Surat az-Zumar: 17)
The second level of Inaabah is the Inaabah of al-Muttaqeen (the pious),
leaving sins and committed in doing deeds. Whoever does not have this
one, he is Muslim and he falls under Islam but we fear Hell over him
unless Allah forgives Him (because he has sins). That is taken out of the
verse in Surat az-Zumar:

Page | 860
Allah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat azZumar: 53)
And the following verse after it:

:

And turn in repentance and in obedience with true Faith (Islamic
Monotheism) to your Lord and submit to Him, (in Islam), before the
torment comes upon you, then you will not be helped. (Surat az-Zumar:
54)
The third and final level of Inaabah is the level we are trying to target this
Ramadhaan, the Inaabah of the Muhsineen. The peak, complete turning to
Allah in your heart and in your body. Constantly returning to Allah again
and again, in all times and in all situations, and being in complete
submission to Allah. This is the best form of Inaabah. This is the Inaabah
of Ibraheem alayhis-salaam, this was the level of Ibraheem alayhissalaam:

Verily, Ibraheem was, without doubt, forbearing, used to invoke Allah with
humility, and was repentant (to Allah all the time, again and again). (Surat
Hud: 75)
And it is also mentioned that Shuayb said:

...
:

And my success cannot come except from Allah, in Him I trust and unto
Him I repent. (Surat Hud: 88)
Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah said the people of this level are the people
most tested by the Shaytaan because they are the best, and the Shaytaan
wants to get the best off track.
Look at the master of humans, the Imaam of all Imaams, the master of the
repenters, the master of the worshippers, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Page | 861
He said:

By Allah, I seek the forgiveness of Allah and repent to Him seventy times
every day.
Seventy times in Sahih Bukhari and then a hundred times in Sunan anNasaaee. If the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam whose past, present
and future sins are forgiven and he repents and asks Allah for forgiveness
between seventy to a hundred times a day, how many times should we
ask when we are not guaranteed forgiveness for one of the hundreds or
thousands of sins that we have committed?
Sins harden the hearts, so repent to soften your heart. It is a disease.

: ...

Then, after that, your hearts were hardened and became as stones or
even worse in hardness. (Surat al-Baqarah: 74)
Sins darken the heart so repent, so you can cleanse your heart. There is
no better time than these blessed days.
Allah said:

:
Nay! But on their hearts is the Raan (covering of sins and evil deeds)
which they used to earn. (Surat al-Mutaffifeen: 14)
Dot after dot placed on the heart, it comes to a time when you need to
wash it out.
Awn Ibn Abdillah said the ones who are constantly repenting to Allah are
the ones you should always be with, because they have the softest hearts.
Repentance is a great bargain with Allah. Look at the deal you strike. You
make a mistake, you transgress, you repent and you correct your future,
all your sins are forgiven and a big baggage more.
Page | 862
This Ramadhaan, no one forgot to stock up on food and groceries, and if

they did then they go prepare for it before Maghrib. But what about
stocking up on Istighfaar, Tawbah, good deeds and repentance?

O Lord, if the greatness of my sin increases, then I know Your forgiveness
is even greater. If only the righteous call You, then who would the sinners
like me go to?

I call on You my Lord as you ordered and commanded, with humility, with
reverence, and if You turn away my hands then who else is going to
accept from me? If You turn away my hands, then who else is going to
have mercy on me? If You turn away my hands, then who else is going to
forgive me?

All I have is hope in You Yaa Allah, that You will forgive me and that I am a
Muslim.
One of the most popular questions I get on this matter of repentance and
Inaabah is, I repent and then I do a sin, then I repent and I do a sin, and I
give up and I despair. Allah is talking to you, did you read the Quran?
Allah is talking to you, calling you:
...

...
:
O Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by
committing evil deeds and sins)! (Surat az-Zumar: 53)
Allah did not say O you believers and He did not say O mankind, as He
said many times in the Quran. He did not say Muttaqoon, He did not say
the pious and He did not say the Muhsineen. He did not say the
Page | 863
forerunners, the Saabiqun Bil-Khayraat (

the sinners not to despair.
) . He called on

Aasim Ibn Rajaa said Umar Ibn Abdul-Azeez gave a speech one time and
he said O people, if you fall in a sin then repent, and if you do it again
then repent again, and if you do it again then repent again because the
sins enclose on the necks and they are a destruction. And the peak of
destruction, the destruction of all destructions is remaining on sins and
persisting on them without repenting.
An authentic Hadith al-Qudsi in Sunan at-Tirmidhi. O son of Adam, as long
as you call on Me, I shall forgive you of what you have done and think
nothing of it. O son of Adam, even if your sins were to reach the clouds in
the sky and then you were to come and ask for My forgiveness, I would
forgive you and think nothing of it. O son of Adam, if you were to come to
Me with sins nearly as great as the earth and you were to meet Me after
death not making any Shirk, I would bring you forgiveness as great as the
earth and think nothing of it.
You are dealing with the Ghafoor, you are dealing with Ar-Raheem, you are
dealing with the Afuw. That is what you get out of the qualities of Allah
which you know about.
Ibraheem Ibn Shaybaan said there was a twenty year old youth that he
knew. The Shaytaan instigated to him that you are young, why would you
repent right now and leave the pleasures of this life? You have a long life
ahead of you. So he went back to his sins and his old ways. In the midst of
the sins, he had a flashback to his old days with Allah. A believer is still a
believer even during sinning, he still has Laa Ilaaha Illallah in his heart. So
he yearned and longed and began to cry and weep for those days. He said
will Allah ever accept from me? Then he heard a voice (it was possibly him
talking to himself) saying:

You worshipped Us and We thanked you, you sinned and We gave you
respite, you come back and We will accept from you.
If you repented and got fooled by the Shaytaan, then return, do not be
ashamed and do not despair. When you continuously repent, it is like a
wrestling match with the Shaytaan. Every time you repent, you have
pinned the Shaytaan down and won, you are the champ. Once you despair
and stop repenting, the Shaytaan became the champ and you do not want
Page | 864
that. Do not be a surrenderist and accept continuing sinning and being on

the wrong path. Resist and struggle the sins. Maybe one of your shouts to
Allah in repentance will be so sincere that He will write you among those
swayed from being in Jahannam, and take you into Jannah.
How can you despair in Allah with all these Ayaat and Ahaadith, when He
is asking you. Why is He asking you to repent when Allah does not need
me nor you? He is Independent and Sovereign. That is Ar-Raheem, that is
Al-Ghafoor, that is Al-Afuw. Wallahil-Adheem, you are dealing with One
more merciful than your mother.
Page | 865

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Tawheed Class

The Mercy of Allah...........................................................................25

The Definition of Masalah...................................................70

Examples of Applying Knowledge.......................................116

Do Not Expect a Life Without Trials....................................197

There is no Imaan Without Action..................................................265

Love and Hate is at the Core of Walaa and Baraa..............448

The Third Scenario............................................................495

Tawheed is to Affirm and Deny...........................................532

The Definition of Rabb.......................................................564

The Lord is the One Worthy of Being Worshipped................607

Speaking to the Dead in the Context of a Sermon to Oneself and

The Forms of Tawakkul......................................................682

The Levels of Inaabah........................................................723

What is the Relationship Between Istiaanah, Istiaadhah,

KNOWLEDGE IN ISLAM IS TO BE TAKEN GRADUALLY

THE THREE LEVELS OF STUDYING

WRITING IS THE TREND OF THE SALAF

If you do not write knowledge, your knowledge is not considered anything.

( )Bismillah is called the Basmalah). The author starts with

permitted me to do this. Allah allowed me to do this, Athinallahu Lee. I am

TAWHEED AL-ASMAA WAS-SIFAAT

LINGUISTIC RULES IN BISMILLAHIR-RAHMAANIRRAHEEM

rule. Now we established that rule, every time I say Bismillah, it

THE SECOND RULE

) . Bismillah I eat, I do not eat by any name other

PROOFS FOR BEGINNING WITH THE BASMALAH

THE PROPHET BEGAN

In Bukhari and Muslim, from Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to

ALLEGED HADITH ABOUT

), and in another narration Abtar (). The Hadith is narrated in

THE BLESSING IN THE BASMALAH

our Barakah. Bismillah is your means to get Barakah from Allah in

DO YOU SAY BISMILLAH OR BISMILLAHIRRAHMAANIR-RAHEEM?

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said in a Hadith narrated by

He did not say, say Bismillahir-Rahmaanir-Raheem. You have the Hadith of

When you go to the bathroom. Hadith Anas radhiallahu anhu:

Look at how Bismillah is specified in those. Other than these matters,

THE NAME ALLAH

Allah is a name that is only for Allah.

ALLAH USES ALLAH

In the first one, and:

ANY OTHER NAMES

THE NAME ALLAH

It is in Duaa, it is in praise, it is in glorification, it is in the Shahaadah, but

ALL HIS OTHER NAMES FOLLOW

Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah is included as part of Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah, but

THE MIGHTY NAME ALLAH

AR-RAHMAAN AND AR-RAHEEM

)which are on the rhythm of Falaan (they all rhyme). For

Ar-Rahmaan is One who possesses the great, extensive mercy. Ar-Raheem

There is a difference between Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem. No one can be

This is about the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, He names His

THE MERCY OF ALLAH

Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem give the quality of mercy to Allah. We affirm

), without denial of any of the qualities of Allah or any aspect of it.

Say (O Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)): He is Allah, (the) One.

). Ahad in His actions, no comparison to Him. That is what Ahad