1 Student Etiquettes 1. Constantly remind yourself to have sincerity for Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala). 2. Whenever you learn something fantastic and amazing, make sure you write it down and thank Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) for giving you that knowledge. 3. Remember to respect your teacher. Always address them as “Shaykh” or “Ustaadh” only. It is offensive to call upon them only by their first names. Elevating your teacher is part of elevating knowledge. 4. Be patient if you see from your teacher that which you do not like. 5. Write down detailed points on the blank side of the notes. On the space to the right of the text, write down single sentence points of benefit from the corresponding text. 6. Think deeply before writing. Understanding is of paramount importance. Aim to write down what you understand in your own words and not verbatim of the Shaykh’s explanation. 7. Please remember to switch off your mobile(s) and any transmitting devices. 8. Please do not speak or ask any question whilst the Shaykh is explaining as it will disrupt his train of thought. This is Vital! 9. Keep your questions for the Q&A times in every hour. You will be given the opportunity to verbalise your question or to write it on a card and hand it into a volunteer. 10. The manner of asking a question is to first thank the Shaykh or make dua for him and then ask the question. For example, in the following manner: “Jazakallaahu Khayr Ya Shaykh, I have a question...” 11. Students must try their best to be on time. Please do not extend the break to longer than the allocated time. 12. Food is not allowed in the class. Please do not eat when the Shaykh is explaining. 13. If you have any administrative or other non-academic questions about the class then please speak to one of the organisers in the allocated break times.
Transcript
1
Student Etiquettes
1. Constantly remind yourself to have sincerity for Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala).
2. Whenever you learn something fantastic and amazing, make sure you write it
down and thank Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta’aala) for giving you that knowledge.
3. Remember to respect your teacher. Always address them as “Shaykh” or
“Ustaadh” only. It is offensive to call upon them only by their first names.
Elevating your teacher is part of elevating knowledge.
4. Be patient if you see from your teacher that which you do not like.
5. Write down detailed points on the blank side of the notes. On the space to the
right of the text, write down single sentence points of benefit from the
corresponding text.
6. Think deeply before writing. Understanding is of paramount importance. Aim to
write down what you understand in your own words and not verbatim of the
Shaykh’s explanation.
7. Please remember to switch off your mobile(s) and any transmitting devices.
8. Please do not speak or ask any question whilst the Shaykh is explaining as it will
disrupt his train of thought. This is Vital!
9. Keep your questions for the Q&A times in every hour. You will be given the
opportunity to verbalise your question or to write it on a card and hand it into a
volunteer.
10. The manner of asking a question is to first thank the Shaykh or make dua for him
and then ask the question. For example, in the following manner: “Jazakallaahu
Khayr Ya Shaykh, I have a question...”
11. Students must try their best to be on time. Please do not extend the break to
longer than the allocated time.
12. Food is not allowed in the class. Please do not eat when the Shaykh is explaining.
13. If you have any administrative or other non-academic questions about the class
then please speak to one of the organisers in the allocated break times.
Muhammadun Rasool-ullaah – The Statement of Ittibaa’ ................................................................... 14
Bid’ah: The Opposite of Ittibaa’ ............................................................................................................ 15
Session 3: Allah’s Perfect Names and Attributes ................................................................................ 16
The virtues of knowing Allah’s names & attributes .............................................................................. 16
The basic principles ............................................................................................................................... 17
The statement of Imaam Maalik ........................................................................................................... 17
Principles that relate to Allah’s names ................................................................................................. 18
All of Allah’s names are the pinnacle of perfection .............................................................................. 18
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Allah’s names are both names and attributes ...................................................................................... 18
The proof for rule no.2 .......................................................................................................................... 18
Allah’s names are taken as they come, there is no place for the intellect when discussing them ...... 19
Allah’s names do not have a fixed number........................................................................................... 19
Deviation with regard to Allah’s names is of different types: ............................................................. 19
Principles that relate to Allah’s attributes ............................................................................................ 20
All of Allah’s attributes are the pinnacle of perfection ......................................................................... 20
There are more attributes than names ................................................................................................ 20
Allah’s attributes are of two types ....................................................................................................... 20
Those attributes which Allah and His Messenger affirmed for Him ..................................................... 20
Those attributes which we affirm for Allah are of two types: ............................................................. 21
Two great sins must be avoided with regard to allah’s attributes: ...................................................... 21
Allah’s attributes are taken as they come .......................................................................................... 21
Principles that relate to the proofs for Allah’s names & attributes ..................................................... 21
There are only two ways of affirming allah’s names & attributes: The Qur’aan & the Sunnah .......... 21
Words with ambiguous meanings ........................................................................................................ 21
It is obligatory to understand Allah’s names & attributes by their apparent meaning ........................ 22
The meaning of Allah’s names & attributes have two aspects: ............................................................ 22
Misguidance with regard to Allah's names & attributes ...................................................................... 22
Every person who compares Allah to his creation has denied an aspect of Allah’s names & attributes,
and vice-versa ....................................................................................................................................... 22
Session 4 –Deviancy in ‘Aqeedah ................................................................................................ 23
A History of Deviancy in ‘Aqeedah ........................................................................................................ 23
Session 5 –Moving Forward: Applying the knowledge in our lives .................................................... 24
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Session 1: An Introduction to ‘Aqeedah
What is ‘Aqeedah?
Whenever we explain Islamic terminology, we are concerned with two things:
The meaning of the word in the language of the Arabs.
The meaning of the word in the religion of Islām.
The Meaning of ‘Aqeedah according to the Language of the Arabs
From the root ‘aqada ( ق دَ عَ ) which conveys the following meanings:
to tie something firmly
to become hard and strong
to hold on to something tight
to take or grasp something
to be certain about something
to affirm something with conviction
Some of the words that come from the same root:
‘uqad – knots
ta’qeed – determination
i’tiqaad – firm beliefs and convictions
The Meaning of ‘Aqeedah in the Religion of Islām
Unlike some other words in Islām, ‘aqeedah doesn’t have a meaning that is any different to the
meaning in the Arabic language, so we are talking about those beliefs that we grab and hold to;
things that we remain firm and strong upon; things that we tie ourselves to and link ourselves to. In
English, we call ‘aqeedah creed, fundamental beliefs, core beliefs, and so on.
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Here are some definitions for ‘aqeedah in Islām:
The six pillars of faith: to believe in Allāh, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day,
and to believe in predesintation – the good and the bad [incomplete].
The six pillars of faith mentioned above, in addition to our belief about the companions
[incomplete].
Those matters which are believed in, with certainty and conviction, in your heart and soul.
They are not tainted with any doubt or uncertainty.
Those matters which are known from the Qur’aan and sound ahaadeeth, and which the
Muslim must believe in his heart, in acknowledgement of the truth of Allaah and His
Messenger.
Examples of ‘Aqeedah
The six pillars of faith: to believe in Allāh, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day,
and to believe in predesintation – the good and the bad.
Our belief about the companions and their status in Islām
Our belief about obedience to those in authority.
‘Aqeedah Does Not Stop in the Heart, it Starts From It
“Indeed, in the body there is a piece of flesh, if it is upright, the whole body will be upright, and if it is
corrupt, the whole body will be corrupt – Indeed, it is the heart.”
The Importance of ‘Aqeedah It defines you as a Muslim.
The messengers all began by teaching it.
o This was the action of all of the messengers, and there was no difference between
them in teaching it. This is why we describe all of the prophets as being Muslim.
o The Messenger of Allāh (may the peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) spent 13
years in Makkah, and for the majority of that time he spent his time focusing on
purifying the beliefs of the people; Look at the Makkan surahs of the Qur’an.
The majority of the Qur’an was revealed regarding matters of ‘aqeedah.
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The Sources of Our ‘Aqeedah We get our ‘aqeedah from three sources:
The Qur’an
The Authentic Sunnah (the sayings, actions, approval, and description of the Prophet – may
the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
Consensus (ijmaa’)
o This requires some explanation, and has some conditions.
o Essentially, the agreement of the scholars of a particular time on a specific issue,
providing that it does not contradict a previous established consensus.
o Consensus needs to be proven – it is not just a claim.
A History of How ‘Aqeedah was Recorded Began as individual hadith and statements of the companions.
These hadith were collected, along with other hadith, in the likes of Saheeh al-Bukhari and
Saheeh Muslim.
Along with the collections of hadith, books started to be written about the general ‘aqeedah
of Islam.
Refutations of misguidance in ‘aqeedah also appeared.
In the later years, books appeared about very specific issues of ‘aqeedah.
These books continue to be written for many reasons, including responding to the mistakes
found in a particular community, responding to the appearance of new groups, summarizing
and explaining classical works, and so on.
Differences of Opinion in ‘Aqeedah The companions had almost no difference of opinion in ‘aqeedah for two reasons:
Their access to the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
and the fact that revelation was still being revealed at the time.
The fact that there was little or no deviancy in their time; what little issues did exist normally
came from the Jews, affirming or rejecting some of the beliefs they held.
As Islam expanded, two things happened:
The exposure of the Muslims to other religions and beliefs, including their exposure to Greek
philosophy.
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There was less access to knowledge as the size of the Islamic empire grew, and the
companions became less in number.
Taqleed in ‘Aqeedah Taqleed is the act of following the opinion of someone else, without examining the reasoning behind
the opinion, i.e., taking someone else’s opinion blindly.
Taqleed is allowed in matters of fiqh, with certain conditions.
Taqleed is not allowed in ‘aqeedah. This can be seen from a number of points:
Allah criticizes those who attribute their belief to their fathers and others
And when it is said to them, "Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger," they say, "Sufficient for
us is that upon which we found our fathers." Even though their fathers knew nothing, nor were they guided?. O
you who have believed, upon you is [responsibility for] yourselves. Those who have gone astray will not harm
you when you have been guided. To Allah is you return all together; then He will inform you of what you used
to do (5:104-5)
And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about
all those [one] will be questioned. (17:36)
When he said to his father and his people, "What are these statues to which you are devoted?" They said, "We
found our fathers worshippers of them." He said, "You were certainly, you and your fathers, in manifest error."
(21:52-54)
Rather, they say, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are in their footsteps [rightly] guided."
And similarly, We did not send before you any warner into a city except that its affluent said, "Indeed, we found
our fathers upon a religion, and we are, in their footsteps, following." [Each warner] said, "Even if I brought
you better guidance than that [religion] upon which you found your fathers?" They said, "Indeed we, in that
with which you were sent, are disbelievers." (43:22-24)
When you are asked in the grave, you are not asked about what your teacher told you, or
what your parents taught you.
On the Day of Judgment, you have to answer for what you believed; you cannot say that you
are following the belief of your parents.
This is a matter of consensus.
Perhaps part of the wisdom behind this is that learning the most intricate details of
jurisprudence is beyond many people, whereas learning the fundamentals of the religion is
easy for everyone; therefore, taqleed is allowed (with conditions) in areas of jurisprudence,
and not allowed in ‘aqeedah.
It doesn’t mean that you can’t learn ‘aqeedah from someone; but your belief is yours and
yours alone.
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Session 2: Tawheed and Ittibaa’ – Absolute
Monotheism and Following the Messenger
Introduction This is the most important part of ‘aqeedah and the essence of the religion. When you enter Islam,
you do so by affirming that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad
(may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah. The first statement
affirms tawheed, and the second ittibaa’. All of the beliefs that you hold in Islam come back to this.
Tawheed
Tawheed is the verbal noun which comes from the Arabic verb wahhada/yuwahhidu.
In Arabic, tawheed means to unify something, to make something into one, or to declare something
to be one.
In Islam, tawheed means to affirm the oneness of Allah:
In His actions – that He has no partner in the things that He does
In our actions towards Him – that we worship Him alone, and we associate none in worship
with Him
In His perfect names and attributes – that Allah has perfect names and attributes that are for
Him alone; they are suited to His majesty, they are not similar to His creation, we take them
according to their apparent meaning, and we do not deny them, or ask anything more than
the meaning that is clear to us.
Laa Ilaaha il-Allah – The Statement of Tawheed
When the Messenger of Allah (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) called the people
to Islam, the only thing that he would focus upon would be this statement:
“O my people, say laa ilaaha il-Allah, and you will be successful”
Furthermore, Quraysh didn’t really have a problem with Muhammad (may the peace and blessings
of Allah be upon him) as a person, or even as a leader. Their concern was over this statement of his.
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Putting this in Context – The Beliefs of Quraysh Before Islam
To understand the meaning of laa ilaaha il-Allah, we have to understand the beliefs that were held
by the polytheist people of Makkah before the advent of Islam. They can be summarized as follows:
They believed in one supreme God who was:
Allah
The Creator
The Sustainer
The Controller of the Universe
The Giver of Life and Death
The only one who can answer prayers in times of desperate need
The one who sends down the rain
They believed in idols and objects of worship that were originally:
Dead people
Angels
Stones
Trees
The Sun and the Moon
Prophets
How did they reconcile their belief in Allah with their belief in the idols?
To attain nearness to Allah
Unquestionably, for Allah is the pure religion. And those who take protectors besides Him [say], "We only
worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allah in position." Indeed, Allah will judge between them
concerning that over which they differ. Indeed, Allah does not guide he who is a liar and [confirmed]
disbeliever.(39:3)
The idols were simply intercessors who would take them to Allah by means of them
And they worship other than Allah that which neither harms them nor benefits them, and they say, "These are
our intercessors with Allah " Say, "Do you inform Allah of something He does not know in the heavens or on the
earth?" Exalted is He and high above what they associate with Him. (10:18)
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Breaking Down the Words
Laa = [there is] no
Ilaaha = [see below]
illaa = except
Allah = Allah
The Meaning of Ilaah
There are two theories about the meaning of the word illaah; one of them is right and the other
wrong:
The first theory says that ilaah means creator, sustainer and provider, and so laa ilaaha il-
Allah means that there is no creator except Allah. The problem with this is that it was exactly
what Quraysh believed before the Prophet (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him) was sent to them. So why did they cause such a fuss about it?
The second theory says that ilaah means something which is worshipped, i.e., a god. This is
consistent with the texts for a number of reasons:
In the Arabic language, ilaah is said to mean something people are devoted to and worship.
In the Qur’an, ilaah is clearly used to mean something which is worshipped, regardless of
whether or not it is a creator, sustainer, etc.
And [mention, O Muhammad], when Abraham said to his father Azar, "Do you take idols as deities?
Indeed, I see you and your people to be in manifest error." (6:74)
And We took the Children of Israel across the sea; then they came upon a people intent in devotion to
[some] idols of theirs. They said, "O Moses, make for us a god just as they have gods." He said,
"Indeed, you are a people behaving ignorantly. (7:138)
And We did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves. And they were not availed at all by their
gods which they invoked other than Allah when there came the command of your Lord. And they did
not increase them in other than ruin.(11:101)
And ask those We sent before you of Our messengers; have We made besides the Most Merciful
deities to be worshipped? (43:45)
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When the Quraysh said “has he made all of our gods into one god?” [38:5], they were clearly not
referring to creators, or givers of life and death, because they themselves believed that Allah was
the only creator
If you asked them, "Who created the heavens and earth and subjected the sun and the moon?" they would
surely say, " Allah ." Then how are they deluded? (29:61)
And if you asked them, "Who sends down rain from the sky and gives life thereby to the earth after its
lifelessness?" they would surely say " Allah ." Say, "Praise to Allah "; but most of them do not reason. (29:63)
And if you asked them, "Who created the heavens and earth?" they would surely say, " Allah ." Say, "[All] praise
is [due] to Allah "; but most of them do not know.(31:25)
And if you asked them, "Who created the heavens and the earth?" they would surely say, " Allah ." Say, "Then
have you considered what you invoke besides Allah ? If Allah intended me harm, are they removers of His harm;
or if He intended me mercy, are they withholders of His mercy?" Say, "Sufficient for me is Allah ; upon Him
[alone] rely the [wise] reliers."(39:38)
And if you should ask them, "Who has created the heavens and the earth?" they would surely say, "They were
created by the Exalted in Might, the Knowing."(43:9)
And if you asked them who created them, they would surely say, " Allah ." So how are they deluded?(43:87)
The Two Parts of Laa ilaaha il-Allah
Laa ilaaha il-Allah is made up of two parts:
la ilaaha which means to disbelieve in anything that is worshipped besides Allah.
il-Allah which means to worship Allah alone
We need both of these things. If we disbelieve in anything that is worshipped besides Allah without
worshipping Allah, we end up in atheism. If we worship Allah, but we don’t disbelieve in things that
are worshipped besides Allah, we become polytheistic.
Further Notes on the Meaning of Laa Ilaaha il-Allah Earlier on, we said that the individual words of this statement mean:
“There is no god except Allah”
However, this statement is wrong, in a factual sense, because there are many gods that are
worshipped besides Allah. For this reason, there is a part of the statement which is understood from
the context, and which should read:
“There is no [true] god except Allah”, or
“There is no god [worthy of worship] except Allah”
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The Conditions of Laa Ilaaha il-Allah
This statement is not just a sentence that we say, it has conditions, each of which has an evidence
from the Qur’an:
1. Knowledge – you have to know what laa ilaaha il-Allah actually means.
2. Certainty – you have to be certain in your belief, you can’t have any doubt about this.
3. Acceptance – you have to accept what laa ilaaha il-Allah entails, i.e., you have to accept that
you must stop worshipping other than Allah, and worship Allah alone.
4. Submission – you have to submit to Allah and His laws.
5. Truthfulness – you have to be truthful in saying it, not like the munaafiqeen.
6. Sincerity – you have to say it for Allah alone, not for your parents or anyone else.
7. Love – you have to love Allah with the love that only He deserves.
What is Worship?
The only other thing that we have to deal with in detail in tawheed is to define worship. This is so
that a person doesn’t use the excuse that ‘I am not really worshipping that idol’.
Worship is a comprehensive term for everything that Allah loves and is pleased with – statements
and actions – whether hidden or apparent [Ibn Taymiyyah].
Some examples of worship:
Du’aa And your Lord says, "Call upon Me; I will respond to you." Indeed, those who disdain My
worship will enter Hell [rendered] contemptible. [40:60]
Love And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allah as equals [to Him]. They love them as
they [should] love Allah . But those who believe are stronger in love for Allah . And if only they who have
wronged would consider [that] when they see the punishment, [they will be certain] that all power belongs to
Allah and that Allah is severe in punishment. [2:165]
Fear Have you not seen those who were told, "Restrain your hands [from fighting] and establish prayer and
give zakah"? But then when fighting was ordained for them, at once a party of them feared men as they fear
Allah or with [even] greater fear. They said, "Our Lord, why have You decreed upon us fighting? If only You had
postponed [it for] us for a short time." Say, The enjoyment of this world is little, and the Hereafter is better for
he who fears Allah . And injustice will not be done to you, [even] as much as a thread [inside a date seed]."
[4:77]
Prayer, Sacrifice Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah , Lord of
the worlds. [6:162]
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Shirk: The Opposite of Tawheed
The opposite of tawheed is to give one or more of the rights of Allah to someone or something else.
This is called shirk. There is a category of shirk for every category of tawheed, and an example of
shirk for every example of tawheed.
Shirk will not be forgiven if a person does not repent for it in this life
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.
And he who associates others with Allah has certainly fabricated a tremendous sin (4:48)
Indeed, Allah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.
And he who associates others with Allah has certainly gone far astray (4:116)
It causes the person to reside in the Hellfire forever.
It should also be noted that kufr (disbelief) is slightly more comprehensive than shirk; you can
commit kufr without shirk, but every type of major shirk is kufr.
Finally, not everyone who commits kufr is necessarily a kaafir (disbeliever). Certain conditions have
to be present, and certain things can stop that from taking place.
Ittibaa’
Ittibaa’ means to follow, and is not usually used in a literal sense (i.e., following someone around),
but in the sense of following a religion or way, or following your desires.
Muhammadun Rasool-ullaah – The Statement of Ittibaa’
Just like laa ilaaha il-Allah is the statement of tawheed, Muhammadun rasool-ullah is the statement
of ittibaa’. We know the English meaning is simple: Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; however,
this statement really means three things:
1. That you believe in what he told you – especially his prophethood and those things that
relate to the unseen, like what he told you about Allah, the angels, the jinn, the Day of
Judgment, Paradise, the Hellfire, prophecies of what is to come.
2. That you obey him in what he commanded – whether that is something he commanded you
to do, or forbade you from doing, or something he recommended to do or not to do. The
recommended things are not obligatory, but they increase you in imaan and they fulfil the
true meaning of Muhammadun Rasool-ullah.
3. That you only worship Allah in the way that he showed you.
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Bid’ah: The Opposite of Ittibaa’
Just like the opposite of tawheed is shirk, the opposite of ittibaa’ is bid’ah. Bid’ah is the worst of the
major sins after shirk.
The root of the word bid’ah in Arabic means initiating something without any precedent.
In Islam, bid’ah means something that has been introduced into the religion of Allah that has no
general or specific basis to support it.
There is a clear principle regarding bid’ah:
Everything in the religion is haraam, unless you have a proof to make it halaal, and everything
outside of the religion is halaal, unless you have a proof to make it haraam.
Bid’ah is so serious because:
A person will never repent from bid’ah, because they believe that they are doing good deeds
Say, [O Muhammad], "Shall we [believers] inform you of the greatest losers as to [their] deeds? (18:103)
It involves either:
o Implying that your method is better than that of the Messenger and his companions.
o Implying that the Messenger failed in his job to teach us everything in the religion,
and betrayed the trust that Allah placed in him.
o Implying that the religion is not complete or suitable for all times.
It involves causing a sunnah to be lost.
It leads to further misguidance and spreads misguidance amongst the people.
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Session 3: Allah’s Perfect Names and Attributes
“And to Allah belong the best names, so invoke Him by them. And leave [the company of] those who practice
deviation concerning His names. They will be recompensed for what they have been doing.” [Al-A’raaf 7:180]
The virtues of knowing Allah’s names & attributes
The best of knowledge is knowing Allah’s Perfect names and attributes.
This leads the Muslim to worshipping Allah as He deserves to be worshipped. Allah
said: “It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah.”
When a person knows Allah’s infinite power and Allah’s severe punishment, they
fear Allah more.
When a person knows Allah’s mercy, which has encompassed every single thing,
even the non-Muslim, they increase in their hope in Him.
When a person knows that Allah hears and sees everything, it makes them stand straight
upon the religion. Aa’isha – may Allah be pleased with her –said: “Glory be to the one who’s
hearing reaches every sound!” She was sitting in her tiny room when the woman came to
the Prophet regarding her husband and yet Aa’isha couldn’t hear everything the woman said
to him. Then Allah sent down His statement: “Certainly has Allah heard the speech of the
one who argues with you, [O Muhammad], concerning her husband and directs her
complaint to Allah . And Allah hears your dialogue; indeed, Allah is Hearing and Seeing.”
When a person knows that “if Allah touches you with harm, none can remove it but He, and
if He touches you with good, then He is Able to do all things”, their heart becomes free of
relying upon anyone except Allah. When they are in need they turn to him alone, and when
they are touched by hardship, they know that nobody can remove their hardship except
Him.
When a person knows that Allah accepts the tawbah (repentance) of everyone who turns
back to Him, it makes them sincere in turning back to Allah. The Messenger of Allah – peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him – said: “Verily, Allah is more pleased with the repentance
of His slave than a person who has lost his camel carrying his food and drink in a waterless
desert. He, having lost all hope, lies down in shade and with no hope of finding his camel
again; when all of a sudden he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of its
reins and then out of boundless joy blurts out: 'O Allah, You are my slave and I am Your lord'.
He makes this mistake out of extreme joy."
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When a person knows that “Allah is Shy when His servant raises his hands to Him to return
them empty”, they never ceases to call upon His Lord, “even for a shoelace”, as the
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said. And he continues like this
until his relationship with His Lord means more to him than Allah giving him what he wants.
Knowing them a key to Jannah: “Indeed Allah has 99 names, whoever [learns and acts] upon
them, will enter Jannah”
The basic principles
These are the most important part of the lesson – if you understand them, then you have completed
what is required of you. The rest of the lesson is an expansion of these principles:
• We affirm what Allah affirmed for Himself, and what His Messenger affirmed for Him
• We negate what Allah negated regarding Himself, and what His Messenger negated
regarding Him
• We do this without changing their meaning, or denying them, without asking ‘how’, and
without comparing Allah to His creation
The proof
“There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing” [Ash-Shuraa’ 42:11]
The statement of Imaam Maalik Imaam Maalik was asked how Allah rises above His throne. He replied:
o “The [meaning of] rising is not unknown”
o “How [He rises] cannot be comprehended”
o “Belief in it is obligatory”
o “Asking about it is an innovation”
We should bear in mind the following points:
1. Imaam Maalik confirmed that the meaning is known, he did not say that we
do not know what ‘rising’ means
2. Imaam Maalik said that we cannot comprehend how Allah rises above His
throne, he didn’t say that Allah does not know. In fact Allah knows how He
rises above His throne
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Principles that relate to Allah’s names
1. All of Allah’s names are the pinnacle of perfection
Every single one of Allah’s names represents the pinnacle of perfection
No aspect of Allah’s names has any form of imperfection in it
This perfection is present in every single name on its own, as well as when the names are
joined together “Allah is the Exalted in Might, the Wise”
Both of these names represent perfection in themselves
When they are joined together, their joining is also perfection
So Allah’s perfect wisdom does not come with weakness, and Allah’s perfect power does not
come without wisdom
2. Allah’s names are both names and attributes
Every one of Allah’s names is both a name, in the sense that it represents Allah, and an
attribute, according to the meanings that it holds
Every one of Allah’s names represents a single entity: Allah
So Ar-Rahmaan, Ar-Raheem, Al-Malik, Al-Quddoos, As-Salaam...all of them represent a single
entity: Allah
Having said that, every single name represents a different meaning
So Ar-Rahmaan is different to Ar-Raheem, and Al-Malik is different to Al-Quddoos
The proof for rule no.2 “And He is the Forgiving, the Merciful” [Yunus 10:107]
“And your Lord is the Forgiving, full of mercy” [Al-Kahf 17:58]
The second aayah shows us that ‘the Merciful’ is the one who is ‘full of mercy’
The scholars of the Arabic language are agreed upon the fact that you cannot say ‘All-
knowing’, except for one who has knowledge, and you cannot say ‘Forgiving’, except for one
who forgives, and so on.
Some of the people of misguidance and deviation said this about Allah; that He is All-
Knowing without knowledge, All-Seeing without sight. High is Allah above what they say
about Him!
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3. Allah’s names are taken as they come, there is no place for the
intellect when discussing them
Our intellect is not able to give Allah what He deserves with regard to His names
Say, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed -
and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not
sent down authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know.“ [Al-A’raaf 7:33]
4. Allah’s names do not have a fixed number
Many people are under the false impression that Allah’s names have a fixed number: 99.
Their proof for this is the hadith: “Indeed Allah has 99 names...”
The answer to this is:
o This hadith does not say that Allah has only 99 names
o The number of names in the Qu’raan and the authentic Sunnah exceeds 130, by
agreement
o Allah taught His Messenger (peace be upon him) a prayer: “O Allah! We ask you by
every Name that is Yours, that You named Yourself, or sent down in Your book, or
taught any of Your servants, or kept in Your knowledge”
o In the hadith of the intercession of the Prophet (peace be upon him) on the Day of
Judgement, Allah will teach him a form of praise that he didn’t already know
The names which are mentioned in the above hadith are not authentic – neither are any of
the ’99 names’ posters. For an authentic source of Allah’s names, refer to the back of the
book by Shaykh Uthaymeen “Exemplary Foundations Concerning the Beautiful names and
attributes of Allah”
5. Deviation with regard to Allah’s names is of different types: Denying a part of Allah’s names, including denying the associated attribute, or denying the
implication of the name, such as saying that Allah does not hear, or see
Making the associated attribute similar to Allah’s creation, such as saying that Allah sees in
the way that we see
To call Allah by a name that He did not call Himself and His Messenger did not call Him
To make idols’ names from Allah’s names, such as Al-Uzzaa, from Al-Aziz
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Principles that relate to Allah’s attributes
1. All of Allah’s attributes are the pinnacle of perfection
There is no aspect of imperfection in any of Allah’s attributes
The proof for this is found in the Qur’aan, our intellect, and our fitrah (natural inclination)
“For those who do not believe in the Hereafter is the description of evil; and for Allah is the highest
attribute. And He is Exalted in Might, the Wise.” [An-Nahl 16:60]
As for our intellect, we know that everything that exists, must have some kind of attributes –
vb either attributes of perfection, or imperfection – and we know that Allah is free from all
imperfection
Does Allah plot?
o If we were to say that Allah schemes and plots, this would be imperfection.
However, if we say that Allah plots in response to the plots of His enemies; so that
everything they plot and plan, Allah renders it useless by His perfect plot – this is
perfection
o Thus Allah is not called “The Plotter” but we affirm that He plots, as a punishment
and a response to the plots of the disbelievers
2. There are more attributes than names This is because every single name of Allah, has an attribute that is associated with it, but not
every attribute of Allah, has a name that is associated with it.
From the attributes are Allah’s actions – which have no limit to them:
“And if whatever trees upon the earth were pens and the sea [was ink], replenished thereafter by
seven [more] seas, the words of Allah would not be exhausted. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might
and Wise.” [Luqmaan 31:27]
3. Allah’s attributes are of two types
Those attributes which Allah and His Messenger affirmed for Him o And so we must affirm them, in the way which suits Allah’s majesty
Those attributes which Allah has negated about Himself
o All of them are attributes of imperfection, like ignorance, sleep, and rest
o And so we must negate them and affirm the opposite for Him
o Therefore we say: Allah is not ignorant and unaware and we affirm that He has
perfect knowledge
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4. Those attributes which we affirm for Allah are of two types: attributes which relate to Allah
o They are constant; they always exists and they always will, such as His knowledge
attributes which relate to Allah’s actions
o Allah does them whenever He wills, such as His rising above His throne
attributes may be from both categories in different ways, such as Allah’s speech
o He has always been described with speech
o He speaks when He wants, to whom He wants
5. Two great sins must be avoided with regard to allah’s attributes: Comparing Allah to His creation
Asking ‘How’
6. Allah’s attributes are taken as they come, there is no place for the
intellect when discussing them Our intellect is not able to give Allah what He deserves with regard to His attributes, just as
in His names
Principles that relate to the proofs for Allah’s names & attributes
1. There are only two ways of affirming allah’s names & attributes: The
Qur’aan & the Sunnah Both of them are revelation from Allah
Anything else is speaking about Allah without knowledge
Thus whatever is found from Allah’s names & attributes in the Qur’aan and the Sunnah,
must be affirmed – as it is found
And whatever is negated in them, must be negated – as it is found
Anything for which we do not find affirmation or negation in the Qur’aan or the Sunnah, we
stop and we neither affirm it, or deny it – unless it has a meaning of imperfection, in which
case we deny that imperfect meaning
Words with ambiguous meanings Some words have ambiguous meaning
We demand clarification and we do not affirm them or deny them for Allah, without
specifying what we are affirming or denying
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For example: ‘Direction’
If by the word ‘Direction’, you mean to affirm that Allah is above His throne, which is above
the heavens –then we affirm that ‘direction’ for Allah
If by the word ‘Direction’, you mean that Allah is contained within the human understanding
of direction; north, south, east, and west – we negate that direction when referring to Allah
2. It is obligatory to understand Allah’s names & attributes by their
apparent meaning We know this by the Qu’raan, and by our intellect
“The Trustworthy Spirit has brought it down * Upon your heart, [O Muhammad] - that you may be of the
warners * In a clear Arabic language.” [Ash-Shu’araa 26:193-195]
Our intellect tells us that Allah knows more about Himself than anyone else knows about
Him, and that He has revealed to us the Qur’aan in clear Arabic – because of this we are
obliged to understand His names & attributes the way they are found in the Qur’aan & The
Sunnah
6. The meaning of Allah’s names & attributes have two aspects: An aspect which is known to us: The meaning
An aspect which is unknown to us: The ‘how’
Misguidance with regard to Allah's names & attributes Denying Allah’s names & attributes
Comparing Allah to His creation
Changing the meaning of His names & attributes
Asking ‘How’
Every person who compares Allah to his creation has denied an aspect of
Allah’s names & attributes, and vice-versa
Every person who denies one of Allah’s names & attributes, only did so because they first of
all compared Allah to His creation
Every person who compared Allah to His creation, denied a part of Allah’s names &
attributes in a number of ways:
o They denied the text when they said that it is comparing Allah to His creation
o They denied every single text in the Qur’aan & Sunnah which tells us that Allah is not
similar to His creation
o They denied Allah’s perfection
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Session 4 –Deviancy in ‘Aqeedah
Introduction For every belief that we have spoken about (and those that we haven’t covered), there is a deviancy
in belief which corresponds to it.
For example, for each of the six pillars of faith, there are deviations which correspond to each of the
six pillars.
A History of Deviancy in ‘Aqeedah
The time of prophethood – almost no deviancy; primary concern is from the Jews.
The time of the companions – the appearance of the Qadariyyah, the Khawaarij, and the
early Shī’ah.
o The hadith of Hudhayfah and ‘Umar
o The death of ‘Umar
o The plots of the munaafiqeen against ‘Uthmaan
o The death of ‘Uthmaan
o The split of the companions
o The death of ‘Ali
The time of the umayyids – deviancy spreads, but is still in its infancy.
o The consensus about obeying the ruler, and the events which lead to it.
o Ja’d ibn Dirham and Jahm ibn Safwan – the Jahmiyyah
o Waṣil ibn Aṭaa (131 AH) and ‘Amr ibn ‘Ubayd (d. 143 AH) and the beginning of the
Mu’tazilah
The time of the ‘abbasids (132AH onwards) – Greek philosophy is translated, and deviancy
becomes wide spread, including the names and attributes of Allah.
