Fiqh Lesson ( 29th of January, 2013) Questions and Answers

In the name of Allah
Assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu

Join the Fiqh class every Tuesday 9:00pm Egypt time by Amirah / Umm Ahmad

Matters Relating to Prayer

Question 79: Is it all right for a Muslim to say his/hers prayer in a languages other than Arabic? Can he/she read surah al-fatiha (the opening chapter of the Qur’an) and any other (short) surah in a different language than Arabic? Also, is it obligatory to supplicate and revere God in Arabic only?

Answer 79: Saying one’s prayer cannot not be considered acceptable unless it is read in Arabic. Every non-Arab Muslim should learn some Arabic so that he/she could at least perform his obligatory religious rituals. Arabic is the language of the Qur’an and Islam. However, it is possible only temporarily to read the meaning of the surat al-fatiha in another language (other than Arabic) until the person has learnt to read it in Arabic. It should be emphasized at the same time that learning to read Arabic is easy, especially the Noble Qur’an. Almighty God says: “And We have indeed made the Qur’an easy to understand and remember; then is there an one who will remember (or receive admonition)?” (Holy Qur’an: 54: 17).
As to supplication and glorification in languages other than Arabic it is lawful, though it is preferable to be performed in the language of the Qur’an itself.

Question 80: What is the divine rule regarding a non-committed Muslim who does not perform his/her prayer, not out of denial, but negligence? Is he/she considered to be an infidel?

Answer 80: Prayer is one of the basic pillars of Islam, if not the most important one. It comes second to the declaration of faith (the two testimonies). It is the pillar, which distinguishes the Muslim from the infidel. It is usually the last thing that Muslims maintain from Islam. Any Muslim who abandons it becomes so close to infidelity, if not considered an infidel indeed. Some scholars believe that when a Muslim neglects prayer because of laziness, he/she becomes an infidel. Others regard it as sinful and very close to infidelity, so long as this lazy Muslim recognizes it and believes it is obligation.

Question 81: Is the prayer performed when one is absent-minded or busy about worldly affairs considered to be invalid?

Answer 81: Prayer is not considered invalid when one is absent-minded or busy, but the worshipper will not obtain the reward of this prayer. Full reward cannot be achieved except through humble and content prayer.

Question 82: Does it suffice a Muslim to perform his/her prayer only verbally? Are the physical movements (of bowing, prostrating, etc.) integrated in the prayer itself?
Answer 82: Prayer is worshipping God, and it is made in a particular manner which Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) taught us. Almighty God instructed the prophet to perform it this manner through the revelation of angel Gabriel. The prophet (pbuh) said: “Pray in the manner you saw me doing.” Following the prophet’s tradition is an Islamic obligation, whether we realize the purpose of some of his deeds or not. However, when we do not fully comprehend the purpose and surrender to God’s commands, that is a kind of belief in the unseen and a testimony to the belief in God—although we can never see Him.

Question 83: Is it permissible for a Muslim to pray in a church if he/she does not have time or could not find a more appropriate place?

Answer 83: Praying in a church is undesirable because it is a place for non-Muslims. A Muslim can perform his/her prayer in any other place on earth, so long as it is clean pure. The prophet says that whole of the globe has been made a place for worshipping. A Muslims who does not have enough time to pray while he is in a church for some reason could go out and pray nearby the church, in the street, or in any other clean place. However, prayer in a clean church for a Muslim can still be valid though it may not be favourable.

Question 84: What is the divine rule concerning the convert’s past obligatory prayers, which he had missed before conversion? She he/she perform them all?

Answer 84: Islam is a religion of tolerance. “It nullifies everything before it,” as related by Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu aleihi wa salam).[1] Accordingly, a person who has embraced Islam is not required to compensate for any Islamic obligations before embracing Islam.

Question 85: Is the prayer of someone who has converted but not yet circumcised, acceptable?

Answer 85: The prayer of one who has embraced Islam and has not been circumcised is acceptable if he insures that he cleans the circumcision location properly, i.e. if he is sure that he has cleaned the inner part of the piece to be cut in circumcision, and he has to do circumcision as soon as possible, for it is one of the requirement of Islam.

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[1] Cited in sahih al-Jame’ by Al-Allabani, hadith No. 3777.

Harvard recognises Quranic verse as one of the greatest expressions of justice

Harvard Law School, one of the most prestigious institutions of its kind in the world, has posted a verse of the Holy Quraan at the entrance of its faculty library, describing the verse as one of the greatest expressions of justice in history.
Verse 135 of Surah Al Nisa (The Women) has been posted at a wall facing the faculty’s main entrance, dedicated to the best phrases articulating justice:
“O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah , even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted”
According to a Saudi daily, a Saudi student who studies at Harvard first highlighted the development when he published a picture of the display on his Twitter page.
“I noticed that the verse was posted by the faculty of law, which described it as one of the greatest expressions for justice in history,” Abdullah Jumma said.
Established in 1817, Harvard is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. Among its alumni is US President Barack Obama and a host of influential journalists, writers, media and business leaders and even professional athletes.
According to its official website, The Words of Justice exhibition is a testimony of the endurance of humanity’s yearning for fairness and dignity through law. “The words on these walls affirm the power and irrepressibility of the idea of justice.”
There are approximately two dozen quotations on display in the art installation created by the Law School. The three most prominently displayed at the entrance of the art installation, are quotes from St. Augustine, the Holy Quraan and the Magna Carta. According to the Harvard Law School these quotations illustrate the universality of the concept of justice throughout time and cultures.
Quotations were selected from a pool of over 150 contributions from law school faculty, staff and students. Librarians at the Law School Library researched the historical context and authenticity of each quotation and developed a website to share this research with visitors to the art installation.

Al-Qaa'idatun-Nooraniyyah Al-Fathiyyah

In the name of Allah
Assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu

 We would like you present you a wonderful book which is taught in our classroom and additional material related to it.


Al-Qaa'idatun-Nooraniyyah Al-Fathiyyah
 Written by Sheikh Nur Muhammad Haqaani

 Al-Qaa`idatun-Nooraniyyah Al-Fathiyyah is a small booklet comprised of drills and exercises aimed to teach the student how to read and pronounce the Arabic letters. Each lesson builds on the one before it beginning with the individual Arabic letters, moving on to word construction and finally joining words together.
This method is suitable for non-Arabic speakers and it used in many Islamic countries like  India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, South Africa, the UK and Egypt.

 
 Download the Book:
الدرس الاول  lesson 1  http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=641
الدرس الثانى  lesson 2  http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=642
الرس الثالث  lesson 3  http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=643
    الدرس الرابع  lesson 4  http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=644
   الدرس الخامس  lesson 5  http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=645
  الدرس السادس  lesson 6  http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=646
الدرس السابع lesson 7  http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=647
الدرس الثامن  lesson 8  http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=648
الدرس التاسع  lesson 9  http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=649
باقى الدرس التاسع  lesson 10  http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=650
الدرس العاشر  lesson 11  http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=651
الدرس الحادى عشر lesson 12   http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=652
الدرس الحادى العشر  lesson 12b  http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=653
الدرس الثانى عشر lesson 13  http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=654
الدرس الثالث عشر lesson 14 http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=655
الدرس الرابع عشر  lesson 15 http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=656
الدرس الخامس عشر lesson 15  http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=657
الدرس السادس عشر  lesson 17 http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=658
الدرس السابع عشر والاخير  lesson 18 http://www.fay2way.com/file.php?f=659

Audio Lessons:
 
or
An Important Note: It is not possible to learn how to read Quran by oneself, so you must have a qualified teacher who corrects your spelling. Therefore, we invite you to our classes:
Thursday 7:00pm Egypt time - teacher Asiya
 
Sunday 7:00pm Egypt time- teacher Yasmin

The Muslim's Belief Shaikh Muhammad as-Saleh Al-'Uthaimin


In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Preface of Shaykh Abd al Aziz Ibn Baz

Praise belongs to Allah alone; peace and blessing on the last Prophet, his family and his Companions.

I was introduced to the valuable and concise treatise on the Muslim's belief prepared by our brother, the great scholar Shaikh Muhammad As-Saleh al-Uthaimin. I listened to it all and found that it covers the creed of the Sunnites and the mainstream majority of the Muslims in the area of the oneness of Allah, His attributes, the belief in the angels, the books and the messengers, the Day of Judgment, and in the belief in fate and the divine decree. He succeeded in collecting what the seeker of knowledge and every Muslim needs for his belief in Allah, His angels, His scriptures, His messengers, the Day of Judgment, and fate. He included in his treatise useful information related to the Muslim's beliefs that are not readily available in many of the books written on these topics. May Allah reward the author, increase him in knowledge and guidance, and make this book and his other books most useful. May Allah, the Hearer and the Close, bless us and him and all our brothers and make us among those who are guiding and rightly guided to call people to Allah with sure knowledge.

Dictated by 'Abd al-Aziz ibn Baz, may Allah forgive him and shower peace and blessing on our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.



Translator's Foreword

I found this treatise of the Muslim's creed a concise and useful presentation of a very important topic. The need for this treatise, especially among non-Arabic speaking readers, cannot be overestimated. Therefore, I decided to translate it and make it accessible to English readers.

I would like to draw the attention of the readers to the following points:

- I gave the book the title THE MUSLIM'S BELIEF instead of the author's Aqidatu Ahl As Sunnah wa al Jama'ah, which may be translated as The Creed of the People of the Sunnah and Majority. I think my preference is justified by: a) The title I preferred is shorter; b) The two titles have almost the same meaning; c) The original title contains some technical terms that are not only difficult to translate, but also difficult to understand by many readers; and d) The original title may antagonize some readers who are misinformed about the true designations of the words in the original title.

- I provided, in parentheses after every Qur'anic verse, the numbers of chapters and verses quoted by the author without giving their proper reference. This I deemed useful for readers who do not know the Qur'an by heart and who would like to check these verses.

- Because the author, in most cases, quotes or paraphrases some of the prophetic traditions without indicating them to the readers, I tried, whenever I could recognize these traditions, to put them in quotations and to cite in parentheses the prophetic collections in which they are reported. In most cases, I limited myself to the collections of Bukhari and Muslim whenever the saying is quoted from them. If it is not in these two collections, I mention one or two of the other collections that contain the quoted saying.

- I provided the arrangement of the text into chapters and headlines for ease of reading and understanding. I also provided a table of contents for ease of reference.

- In translating the Qur'anic verses quoted in this treatise, I did not follow any specific translation of the Qur'an. I benefited from more than one, but followed my own preference.

It is my sincere desire and hope that this book would be of great help to those who consult it. Please include in your prayer all those who contributed to its present shape.

Dr. Maneh Hammad al-Johani



Author's Introduction

Praise be to the Lord of the universe who gives the best reward to the God-fearing and the great loss to the transgressor. I bear witness that there is no God but Allah; He has no partner and possesses real sovereignty. I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger; the seal of the prophets and the leader of the God-fearing. May Allah bless him, his family, his Companions, and those who follow them till the Day of Judgment.

Allah has sent His messenger Muhammad, peace be upon him, with the real guidance and the true religion as a mercy to mankind, as a model for those who do good, and as His argument against mankind. Through Muhammad and what was revealed to him (the Qur'an and the Prophetic sayings), Allah showed mankind all means of reforming itself and straightening its religious and mundane affairs in sound beliefs, right conduct, fine morals, and laudable manners. The Prophet, peace be upon him, "left his followers on a clear straight path, only the doomed will deviate from it"(Ibn Majah and Ahmad). His followers, the Companions, their followers, and those who followed them faithfully are the best of mankind. They established his law, upheld his way, and held fast to it as a belief and practice, a moral and manner. Thus "they are considered the party who are victorious, on the straight path, unharmed by those who are against them till the end of the world" (Bukhari and Muslim).

Thanks to Allah, we are following their footsteps and are being guided by their examples, which are supported by the Qur'an and the prophetic traditions. We are saying this only as an announcement of Allah's blessings and as a clarification of what every Muslim should believe. We pray to Allah that He may keep us and our brothers on the straight path in this life and in the hereafter. May He give us mercy, for He is the Giver.

Due to the importance of this topic and the difference of opinions about it, I want to explain briefly our creed-the belief of the Sunnites and the mainstream Muslims (Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah). This creed is the belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Day of Judgment, and fate, whether good or bad. I pray to Allah to make this effort sincere for His sake, in agreement with His wish, and useful for His people.

Intro:
OUR CREED


Our creed is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Day of Judgment, and Fate whether good or bad.



Belief in Allah's Lordship, Oneness, and Attributes:

We believe in Allah's divinity; that is he is the Lord, the Creator, the Sovereign, and the Manager of all affairs.

We believe in Allah's god ship; that is, He is the true God and every other so-called deity is false.

We believe in His names and attributes, that is He has the most magnificent names and the sublime perfect attributes.

We believe in His oneness in all of this, that is, He has no associate in His divinity, His God ship, His names, or His attributes. Allah says in the Qur'an: "He is the Lord of the heavens and the Earth and all that is in between them, so worship Him and be patient in His worship; do you know any equal to Him?" (19:65).

We believe that He is "Allah there is no God but He, the Living, the Everlasting. Slumber does not seize Him, neither sleep; to Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the Earth. Who is there that shall intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is before them and what is behind them, and they do not encompass anything of His knowledge except what He wills. His throne extends over the heavens and the Earth, the preservation of them does not burden Him; He is the High, the Great" (2:255).

We believe that "He is Allah, there is no god but He, the Knower of the Unseen and the Visible. He is the Most Gracious, Most Merciful. He is Allah, there is no God but He, the King, the Holy One, the Source of Peace, the Keeper of Faith, the Guardian, the Almighty, the Subduer, the Sublime. Glory be to Allah above what they associate with Him. He is Allah, the Creator, the Maker, the Shaper. His are the most beautiful Names. All that is in the heavens and the Earth glorifies Him. He is the Almighty, the Wise" (59:22-4). ¥ We believe that to Him belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth: "He creates what He pleases. He gives, to whom He wills, females, and He gives, to whom He wills, males, or He couples them, males and females; and He makes whom He wills barren. Surely, He is the Knowing, the Powerful" (42:49-50).

We believe that "there is nothing whatever like unto Him, He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing. To Him belongs the keys of the Heavens and the Earth. He enlarges and restricts provisions to whom He wills. Surely He has knowledge of everything" (42:11-12).

We believe that "there is no creature that moves on the Earth but its provision depends on Allah. He knows its dwelling and its resting place. All is recorded in a clear book" (11:6).

We believe that "with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them but He. He knows what is in land and sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. Not a grain in the deep darkness of the Earth, not a thing green or dry but it is in a clear Book" (6 :5 9 ).

We believe that "Allah alone has the knowledge of the Hour, sends down rain, and knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it shall earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it shall die. Surely, Allah is All-knowing, All-aware" (31:34).

We believe that Allah speaks whatever He pleases whenever He pleases: "And Allah spoke to Moses directly" (4:164); "And when Moses came at Our appointed place, and his Lord spoke to him" (7:143 ); "We called to him from the right side of the Mount (Sinai), and We brought him near in communion" (19:52).

We believe that "if the ocean became ink for the words of my Lord, the ocean would be finished before the words of my Lord came to an end" (18:109); "And if all the trees that are in the earth were pens, and the ocean (were ink), with seven oceans swelling it therefore, the words of Allah would not be exhausted. Surely, Allah is Mighty, Wise" (31 :27).

We believe that Allah's words are the most truthful in conveying information, the most just in ruling, and the fairest in conversation. He said: "The word of your Lord has been fulfilled in truth and justice" (6:115); "And who is more truthful in his word than Allah?" (4:87).

We believe that the Qur'an is Allah's word. He literally spoke it to Gabriel, who conveyed it to the Prophet, peace be upon him: "Say (O Muhammad) 'the Holy Spirit has brought it down from your Lord in truth"' (16:102); "Truly it is the revelation of the Lord of the world brought down upon your heart by the Faithful Spirit so that you may be one of the warners, in a clear Arabic tongue" (26:192-95).

We believe that Allah is well above His creatures in His Person and His Attributes, because He says: "He is the High, the Great" (2:22); "He is Supreme over His servants, and He is the Wise, the All-aware" (6:18 ).

We believe that He "created the Heavens and the Earth in six days, then He settled Himself on the throne; He manages everything" (10:3). His "settling on the throne" means that He is sitting in person on His throne in a way that is becoming to His majesty and greatness. Nobody except He knows exactly how He is sitting.

We believe that He is with His creatures while He is still on His throne. He knows their conditions, hears their sayings, sees their deeds, and manages their affairs. He provides for the poor and the broken.

He gives sovereignty to whom He pleases and takes away sovereignty from whom He pleases; He exalts whom He wills and He abases whom He wills. In His hand is all good and He is powerful over everything. Whoever possesses these qualities is literally with His creatures even if He is literally above them on His throne. "There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him; He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing" (42: 11).

We do not say, as do the Incarnationists among the Jahomites and others, that Allah is living with His creatures on Earth. We consider whoever says this a non-believer or one who has strayed, for he attributed to Allah that which does not become Him of defects.

We believe in what His Messenger told us, that He descends to the near sky before the last third of every night and says: "Who prays to Me and I will answer his prayers? Who asks Me and I will give him? Who asks My forgiveness and I will forgive him?" (Bukhari and Muslim).

We believe that He will come on the Day of Judgment to judge among His people because He said: "No indeed! When the Earth is crushed to powder, and your Lord comes down with the angels in rows after rows, and Hell is brought out that day. On that day man will remember, but what will remembrance avail him?" (89:21-23).

We believe that he is the Doer of what He wills.

Allah's Will: Universal and Legal:

We believe that His will is of two kinds: a) Universal will, through which His intention is carried out. It is not necessary that what is carried out is liked by Him. This type of will means permission, as Allah said: "Had Allah willed, they would not have fought one against the other, but Allah does whatever He desires," (2:253) and "If Allah desires to lead you astray, He is your Lord" (11:34), and b) Legal will, which does not necessarily entail the execution of His desire. His will, in this case, cannot be but what He likes, as He said: "Allah wants to forgive you" (4:27).

We believe that His universal and legal wills are part of His wisdom. Every thing He performs in the universe or requires legally from His creatures is for a good reason and according to His wisdom, whether we grasp it or not: "Is not Allah the best of Judges?" (95:8); "And who is better than Allah in judgment for a people who have firm faith" (5:50).

We believe that Allah loves His select servants and that they love Him: "Say if you love Allah, follow me and Allah will love you" (3:31); "Allah will bring a people whom He will love and who will love Him" (5:54); "Allah loves the steadfast" (3:146); "And act justly, surely, Allah loves the just" (49:9); and "Do good; Allah loves those who do good" (5:93).

We believe that Allah likes what He prescribed of good deeds and sayings and He dislikes what He prohibited of bad deeds and sayings: "If you disbelieve, surely Allah does not need you, yet He does not like disbelief for His servants; if you are thankful, this pleases Him"(39:7); and "But Allah disliked their marching forth. So He kept them back, and it was said to them: 'Stay with the weaklings"(9: 46).

We believe that Allah is pleased with those who believe in Him and do good deeds: "Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him. That is for him who fears his Lord" (98:8).

We believe that Allah is angry with those who deserve His anger among the non-believers and others: "And those who think evil thoughts of Allah, against them shall be the evil turn of fortune. Allah is angry with them" (48:6); " But whoever opens his heart to disbelief, on them is Allah's wrath and they shall have a severe punishment" (16:106).

More of Allah's Attributes: We believe that Allah has a glorious and dignified face: "There will remain the face of your Lord, majestic and splendid" (55:27).

We believe that Allah has two generous hands: "No, both His hands are wide open; He spends how He pleases" (5:64); "They do not esteem Allah with the esteem that is due to Him. The whole Earth will be His handful on the Day of Resurrection, and the Heavens will be rolled up in His right hand. Glory be to Him and exalted is He above that which they associate with Him" (39:67).

We believe that Allah possesses two real eyes, because He said: "And build the ark under Our eyes as We reveal" (11:37). The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "His veil is light. Had He removed it, the sublimity of His countenance would have burnt all that His sight reached" (Muslim and Ibn Majah). The Sunnites unanimously have agreed that He has two eyes. This is supported by the Prophet's saying about the Dajjal (the anti-Christ) that "he is one-eyed and your Lord is not one-eyed" (Bukhari and Muslim).

We believe that "vision cannot perceive Him, but He perceives all vision. He is the Incomprehensible, the All-aware" (6:103).

We believe that the believers will see their Lord on the Day of Resurrection: "Upon that day some faces shall be radiant, gazing upon their Lord" (75:22-3).

We believe that Allah has no equal because His Attributes are perfect: "There is nothing whatsoever like unto Him. He is the All-hearing, the All-seeing" (42:11). ¥ We believe that "no slumber or sleep seizes Him" (2:255), because His life is perfect and eternal.

We believe that He does not do injustice to anybody, because His fairness is perfect.

We believe that He is not unaware of his servants' deeds, because He has perfect supervision and comprehensive knowledge.

We believe that He is capable of doing anything in the Heavens or in the Earth, because of His perfect knowledge and power: "Indeed His command, when He desires a thing, is only to say to it 'Be' and it is" (36: 82).

We believe that He is free from weariness and weakness, because of His infinite power: "Surely, We created the Heavens and the Earth and all that is between them in six days, and no weariness touched Us" (50: 38).

Describing Allah by His Revelation:

We believe in all that He assigned to Himself or what His Messenger described Him with, of names and attributes. However, we reject two concepts: 1) To say or believe that Allah's attributes are similar to those of his creatures; and 2) To say or believe that Allah's attributes are like such and such.

We negate all what He negated about Himself or what His Messenger negated about Him. We believe that negation implies the affirmation of its perfect opposite. We do not discuss what He or His Messenger did not mention about Him.

We believe that following this approach is a must, because what Allah affirmed or negated concerning Himself is a statement He made about Himself. He knows Himself best. His words are most just and trustful, and people cannot know everything about Him. What Allah's Messenger affirmed or negated about Him is a statement that he made about Allah. Besides knowing Allah better than anyone, he is the most truthful, sincere, and eloquent among people. Thus, in what Allah said and what His Prophet said concerning His names and attributes is the truth, knowledge, and clarification. Therefore, we have no excuse to reject or even hesitate in accepting it.




Chapter I
THE QUR'AN AND THE SUNNAH



Sources of His Attributes:

All that we have mentioned about Allah's attributes, whether briefly or in detail and affirmatively or negatively, is based on the book of our Lord (the Qur'an) and the traditions of our Prophet. It also agrees with the practice of the previous generations of Muslims and the rightly guided scholars who came after them.

We believe it is obligatory to take the texts of the Qur'an and the prophetic traditions conceding Allah's attributes at their face value and to interpret them in a way that is suitable to Almighty Allah. We reject the practice of those who twist the meanings of these texts and understand them in a way that was not intended by Allah and His messenger.

We also reject the practice of those who make them devoid of their meanings as conveyed by Allah and His Messenger. Finally, we reject the approach of those who exaggerate, who gave them a physical interpretation that makes Allah similar to some of His creatures.

Free from Contradictions:

We know for sure that what is revealed in Allah's book and in the traditions of His Messenger is the truth. It does not contain any contradiction: "Do they not ponder over the Qur'an? If it had been from other than Allah, surely they would have found in it a lot of differences" (4: 82).

Contradictions in statements falsify them. It is impossible for there to be a contradiction in any statement revealed by Allah and said by His Messenger, peace be upon him. Whoever claims that there are contradictions in the Qur'an, the prophetic traditions, or between the two must have wicked intentions and a misguided heart. He should repent and quit his sin. If someone imagines that there are some contradictions in the Qur'an, the sayings of the Prophet, or between these two, this must be a result of his little knowledge, inadequate understanding, or lack of deep thinking. Therefore, he should seek knowledge and do his best to reflect upon matters until the truth is clear to him. If, after all of these efforts, the truth is not clear to him, he should leave the whole matter to the One who knows it and should quit his imagination. He should say, as do those who are firmly rooted in knowledge: "We believe in it, all is from our Lord" (3:7). He must know that there are neither contradictions nor differences in the Qur'an, the Sunnah, or between the two.

Chapter II
ANGELS

Belief in Angels:

We believe in the existence of the angels of Allah and that they are "honored servants. They do not speak before He does, and they act only by His command" (21:26). Allah created them, and they worship and obey Him. Those who are in His presence do not disdain to worship Him, nor do they weary" (21:19).

Angels are concealed from us, so we cannot see them. Allah may show them to some of His servants. The Prophet Muhammad saw Gabriel in his real shape with six hundred wings that covered the horizons (Bukhari and Muslim). Gabriel took the form of a handsome human being who met Mary and engaged in conversation with her. He came to the Prophet while he was among his Companions in the appearance of an unknown man who did not show any trace of long travel, with very white clothes, and very black hair. He sat facing the Prophet, his knees to the Prophet's knees, peace be upon him, and his palms on the Prophet's thighs and talked with the Prophet. The Prophet later told his Companions that the man they saw was Gabriel (Bukhari and Muslim).

Angels' Functions: We believe that the angels are assigned certain functions. Among the angels is Gabriel, who is entrusted with revelation. He brings it down from Allah to whomever He wishes among His prophets and messengers.

Among them is Michael, who is in charge of rain and the growth of plants; Israfil, who is in charge of blowing the horn at the time of thunder-bolting and the resurrection; the Angel of Death, who takes away people's souls at the time of death. Among the angels is the one who is in charge of mountains; and Malik, the keeper of Hell.

Some angels are in charge of embryos in wombs, others are responsible for protecting human beings, and others are busy recording men's deeds: there are two angels for every person, "when the two angels receive (his deeds), one sitting on the right and one on the left, not a word he utters but by him is an observer ready" (50:18). Some other angels are in charge of questioning the dead after he is placed in his last abode. Two angels come to him and ask him about his Lord, his religion, and his prophet. There "Allah confirms those who believe with the firm saying, in the present life and the hereafter, and Allah leads astray the evildoers and Allah does what He wills" (14:27).

Some angels are in charge of the dwellers of Paradise: "The angels enter to them from every gate, saying: 'Peace be upon you for that you were patient. How excellent is your final home"' (13:24).

The Prophet, peace be upon him, told us that "seventy thousand angels enter or pray in the populous house in heaven every day. They never come back to it as long as they live" (because their turn will never come) (Bukhari and Muslim).


Chapter III
ALLAH'S BOOKS


Belief in Allah's Books:

We believe that Allah revealed books to His messengers as proof against mankind and a guidance for the righteous workers. They purified and taught them wisdom by these books.

We believe that Allah sent down a book with every messenger, because He says: "Indeed We sent down Our messengers with the clear signs, and We sent down with them the book and the balance, so that people may uphold justice" (57:25).

Books Known:

Among the books that were revealed, we know:

I ) The Torah, which was revealed to Moses, peace be upon him. It is the greatest among the Israelites' books: "Surely, We sent down the Torah, wherein is guidance and light; by its laws the Jews have been judged by the prophets who surrendered themselves to Allah, the rabbis and the doctors of law, because they were entrusted the protection of Allah's book and were witnesses thereto" (5:44).

2) The Gospel, which Allah revealed to Jesus, peace be upon him. It is a confirmation of the Torah and a complement to it: "And we gave him the Gospel, wherein is guidance and light and confirming the Torah before it, as a guidance and an admonition to the God-fearing" (5:46); "And to make lawful to you certain things that, before, were forbidden to you" (3:50).

3) The Psalms, which Allah gave to David, peace be upon him.

4) The Tablets of Abraham and Moses, peace be upon them.

5) The Glorious Qur'an, which was revealed to His Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets. It is "a guidance to the people and clear signs of guidance and the criterion between right and wrong" (2:185). The Qur'an Is Protected from Change:

The Qur'an is "confirming the scripture that was before it and stands as a guardian over it." Thus, by means of the Qur'an, Allah abrogated all the previous revealed books. Allah has also guaranteed its protection from any play or mischievous distortion: "Indeed, We sent down the message and We will guard it" (15:9), for the Qur'an is a proof against mankind till the Day of Judgment.

Previous Scriptures Changed:

The previous scriptures were meant for a limited period. Their use ended with the revelation of the Qur'an, which abrogated them and exposed their distortions and changes. That is why they were not protected from corruption. They underwent distortion, addition, and omission: "Some of the Jews pervert words from their meanings" (4:46); "So woe to those who write the Book with their hands, and then say: 'This is from Allah,' that they may sell it for a little price. So woe to them for what their hands have written, and woe to them for their earnings" (2:79); "Say, who sent down the Book that Moses brought as a light and a guidance to people? You put it into sheets of paper showing some of them and concealing much" (6:91); "And there is a group among them who twist their tongues with the Book, that you may think it is a part of the Book but it is not part of the Book. And they say 'It is from Allah,' yet it is not from Allah, and they tell a lie against Allah and they know it. It is not for any human being to whom Allah has given the Book, the Wisdom and the Prophet hood to say to men 'Worship me instead of Allah"' (3:79); "People of the Book! Our Messenger has come to you, making clear to you many things you have been concealing of the Book and forgiving you of much. A light has come to you from Allah and a glorious Book, with which He will guide whoever follows His pleasure in the way of peace, and brings them forth from darkness into the light by His will" (5:15-16).


Chapter IV
MESSENGERS


Belief in Messengers:

We believe that Allah has sent to His people messengers who were "bringing good tidings and warning, so that mankind might have no argument against Allah after the Messengers. Allah is All-mighty, All-wise" (4: 165).

The First and Last Messengers:

We believe that the first among the messengers is Noah and the last is Muhammad, peace be upon them all: "We revealed to you as We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him" (4: 163); and "Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of the Prophets" (33:40).

The Best Messengers:

We believe that the best among the messengers is Muhammad, then Abraham, Moses, Noah, and Jesus, son of Mary. It is they who are meant by the following Qur'anic verse: "And when We took a compact from the prophets, and from you, and from Noah, and Abraham, then Moses, and Jesus, son of Mary. We took from them a solemn compact" (33:7).

We believe that Muhammad's message, peace be upon him, includes all the merits of the messages of those dignified messengers, because Allah says: "He ordained for you what He enjoined on Noah and what He revealed to you and what He enjoined on Abraham, Moses and Jesus; namely, establish this faith and be united in it" (42:13).

Messengers Are Human Beings:

We believe that all messengers are created human beings who have none of the divine qualities of Allah. Allah, the Exalted, said about Noah, who was the first among them: "I do not say to you, 'I possess the treasures of Allah.' I do not know the unseen, and I do not say 'I am an angel"' (11:31) Allah directed Muhammad, who is the last among them, to say: "I do not say to you I possess the treasures of Allah, nor do I know the unseen, and I do not say to you I am an angel" (6:50); and to say that "I have no power to bring profit or hurt for myself, but only as Allah wills" (7:188); and: "I have no power to hurt or benefit you. Say none can protect me from Allah, nor can I find any refuge besides Him" (72:91-2).

We believe that the messengers are among Allah's servants. He blessed them with the message and described them as servants, in the context of praising and honoring them. He says about Noah, the first among them: "You are the descendants of those whom We carried with Noah, he was a truly thankful servant" (17:3).

Allah said about the last among them, Muhammad, peace be upon him: "Blessed be He who sent down the Qur'an to His servant, that he may warn mankind" (25:1). As for some other messengers, he said: "And mention Our servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, men of might and vision" (38:45); "And remember Our servant David, who was a mighty and penitent man" (38: 17); "And to David, We gave Solomon, he was an excellent and penitent servant" (38:30).

Allah said about Jesus, son of Mary: "He is only a servant whom We blessed and We made him an example to the children of Israel" (43: 59).

We believe that Allah concluded all messages with the message of Muhammad, peace be upon him, to all people, because He said: "Say, 'O mankind, I am Allah's Messenger to you all. To him belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens and the Earth; there is no god but He. He ordains life and death. So believe in Allah and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet who believes in Allah and His words. Follow him so that you may be rightly guided"' (7:158).

Islam: The Universal and Final Message:

We believe that the Shari'ah of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the religion of Islam, which Allah has chosen for His servants. He does not accept any other religion from anyone, for He, the Exalted, said: "Surely, the true religion in Allah's sight is Islam" (3:19), "Today I have perfected your religion for you and I have completed My favor upon you, and I have chosen Islam to be your religion" (5:3), and "Whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted from Him, and in the Hereafter he will be among the losers" (3:85).

It is our opinion that whoever claims that any religion other than Islam is acceptable, such as Judaism, Christianity and so forth, is a non believer. He should be asked to repent.

It is also our opinion that whoever rejects the universal message of Muhammad, peace be upon him, rejects the message of all messengers, even if he claims that he believes and follows His Messenger. Allah, the Exalted, said: "Noah's people rejected the Messengers" (26:105). Thus, Allah considered them as rejecting all of the messengers despite the fact that there was no messenger before Noah. This is also clear from the following verses: "Those who disbelieve in Allah and His Messengers, and wish to make division between Allah and His Messengers, and say: 'We believe in some and disbelieve in others,' wishing to take a midway course. Those indeed are the unbelievers, and We have prepared for the unbelievers a humiliating punishment"(4:150-51).

We believe that there is no prophet after Muhammad, Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him. Whoever claims prophet hood after him, or believes in anyone claiming it, is a disbeliever and one who rejects Allah, His Messenger, and the Muslims' consensus.

The Rightly Guided Caliphs:

We believe that the Prophet, peace be upon him, has rightly guided successors who carried out his Sunnah in spreading knowledge calling to Islam, and managing the Muslims' affairs. We believe that the best among them and the most entitled to the caliphate was Abu Bakr as Siddiq, then 'Umar Ibn al-Khattab, then 'Uthman Ibn Affan and then 'All Ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with them all. Thus their succession to the caliphate was according to their virtues. Allah, the Exalted, who possesses infinite wisdom, would not appoint a ruler over the best of generations unless he was the most superior among them and had the best claim to caliphate.

We believe that the inferior among those rightly guided companions can be superior in a specific virtue to those who were better than him but that he does not deserve absolute superiority, for the elements constituting superiority are varied and numerous.

We believe that the Muslim Ummah is the best among nations, and Allah, the Dignified and Exalted, has blessed it, because He said: "You are the best nation ever brought forth for mankind, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong, and believing in Allah" The Prophet's Companions:

We believe that the best among the Muslim Ummah are the Prophet's Companions, then their followers, and then those who followed them.

We also believe that a group of this Ummah will always remain victorious on the right path, unharmed by those who let them down or those who oppose them, until the Day of Judgment.

We believe that the disputes that took place among the Prophet's Companions were the result of sincere interpretations that they worked hard to reach. Whoever was right among them will be rewarded twice, and whoever was wrong among them will be rewarded once and his mistake will be forgiven.

It is our opinion that we should stop talking about their mistakes and mention what they deserve of beautiful praise. We should purify our hearts from hatred and malice against any of them, because Allah said about them: "They are not equal: those among you who spent and who fought before the conquest of Makkah. Those are higher in rank than those who spent and fought afterwards. But to all Allah has promised a great reward" (57:10). And Allah said about us: "And those who came after them say: 'Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith, and do not put in our hearts any malice against those who have believed. Our Lord, You are the most Kind, Most Merciful"' (59:10).


Chapter V
THE DAY OF JUDGMENT

Belief in the Day of Judgment:

We believe in the Final Day, which is the Day of Judgment, when people will be resurrected and then told to remain in the abode of enjoyment or in the abode of severe punishment.

The Resurrection:

We believe in the resurrection, which is Allah's bringing to life all those who have died, and when Israfil shall blow the horn for the second time: "And the trumpet shall be blown, and all who are in the heavens and who are in the Earth shall fall down fainting, except those that Allah shall spare. Then, it shall be blown again and they shall rise gazing around them" (39:68). People will arise from their graves, answering the call of the Lord of the universe. They will be barefooted, naked, and uncircumcised: "As We started the first creation, so We shall bring it back again. This is a promise from Us, so We shall assuredly fulfill it" (21: 104).

The Records and Scales:

We believe in the records of deeds that will be given to people in their right hands or behind their backs, in the left hands: "As for him who is given his book in his right hand, he shall surely receive an easy reckoning and he will return to his family rejoicing. But as for him who is given his book behind his back, he shall call for destruction on himself and will burn in a blazing fire" (84:7-12); "Every man's work We have fastened on his own neck, and on the Day of Judgment We shall bring out for him a book which he will see spread open, saying: 'Read your own book! Enough for you this day that your own soul should call you to account"' (17:13-14).

We believe that scales of deeds will be set up on the Day of Judgment, and that no soul shall be wronged: "Whoever has done an atom's weight of good shall see it" (99:7-8); "Those whose scales are heavy, they are the successful; but those whose scales are light, they are the ones who have lost their souls in Hell dwelling forever. The fire will burn their faces, and there they will be gloomy with lips displaced" (23: 102-4); and "He that does a good deed shall be rewarded ten times the like of it, and he that does evil shall only be rewarded the like of it, and they shall not be wronged" (6:160).

The Prophet's Intercession:

We believe in the special great intercession of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. He will plead with Allah, after His permission and on behalf of mankind, to judge among His servants when they suffer from worries and troubles that they cannot bear. They will go to Adam, then to Noah, then to Abraham, then to Moses, then to Jesus, and finally to Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

We believe in the intercession that concerns some believers who were to be taken out from the fire. This mediation is granted to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and to others among the prophets, the believers, and the angels.

We believe also that Allah will save from hell some of the believers without the intercession of any one, but by His grace and mercy.

The Prophet's Pool:

We believe in the pool of the Prophet, peace be upon him, the water of which is whiter than milk and sweeter than honey and better in fragrance than musk. Each of its length and width is the distance of a month's travel. Its glasses are as stars in beauty and number. The believers among the Prophet's followers come to take from this great cistern a drink after which they will never be thirsty.

The Straight Path:

We believe in the straight path (sirat) set up over hell. People pass over it according to their deeds: the first of them as fast as lighting, then as fast as wind, then as fast as birds, and then as fast as a running man. The Prophet will be standing on the path, saying: "Lord, Save! Save!," as some people's deeds will fall short. Some of them will come crawling. At both sides of the path there are hooks designed to take whom Allah wills: some are saved but bruised; others are thrown into hell. (Bukhari and Muslim).

We believe in all that is mentioned in the Qur'an or the prophetic sayings concerning that day and its horrors, may Allah save us from them.

We believe in the intercession (Shafa'ah) of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, for the people of paradise to enter therein. This intercession is exclusively limited to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

Paradise and Hell:

We believe in paradise and hell. Paradise is the abode of enjoyment which Allah, the Exalted, prepared for the righteous. No eye has ever seen, no ear has ever heard of, and no human being has ever thought of the blessings that they will enjoy there: "No soul knows what comfort is kept hidden for them, as a reward for their deeds" (32:17). Hell is the abode of punishment that Allah has prepared for the unbelievers and the evildoers. The torture and horror in it cannot be imagined: "Surely, We have prepared for the evildoers a fire, whose pavilion encompasses them. If they call for help, they will be helped with water like molten copper which will scald their faces. How dreadful a drink and how evil a resting place!" (18:29).

Both paradise and hell exist now and will never perish: "Whoever believes in Allah and does righteousness, He will admit him to gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein for ever. Allah had indeed made for him an excellent provision" (65-11); "Certainly, Allah has cursed the unbelievers and prepared for them a blazing fire to dwell therein forever, they shall find neither protector nor helper. On the day when their faces are turned about in the fire they shall say: 'Would that we had obeyed Allah and obeyed the Messenger!"' (33: 64-6).

We confirm paradise to whom it is confirmed in the Qur'an or the prophetic traditions either by name or description. Among those who are granted paradise and mentioned by name are Abu Bakr, 'Umar, 'Uthman, 'All and others who were specified by the Prophet, peace be upon him (Bukhari and Muslim). Among those whom we confirm to enter paradise because they fit the description are the faithful and the pious.

We likewise confirm hell to whom it is confirmed in the Qur'an and the sayings of the Prophet, whether in name or description. Among those who are mentioned by name to be in hell are Abu Lahab, 'Amr Ibn Luhai al-Khuza'i, and others (Bukhari and Muslim). Confirmation of hell that is based on description includes every unbeliever, polytheist, or hypocrite.

What Happens in the Grave:

We believe in the Trial of the Grave, which involves questioning the deceased person in his grave about his Lord, his religion, and his prophet. There "Allah confirms those who believe with a firm saying, in the present life and the hereafter" (14:27). The believer will say: "Allah is my Lord, Islam is my religion, and Muhammad is my prophet." The unbeliever or the hypocrite will say: "I do not know. I heard the people saying something and I said it."

We believe in the comfort of the grave for the believers: "Those whose lives the angels take in state of purity, saying 'peace be on you; enter paradise for what you were doing' (16:32).

We believe in the punishment of the grave for the transgressing unbelievers: "If you could only see when the evildoers are in the agonies of death and the angels are stretching out their hands, saying, 'Give up your souls! Today you shall be rewarded with the punishment of humiliation for what you used to say untrue about Allah, and for scornfully rejecting His signs"' (6:93). The sayings of the Prophet are numerous and well-known in this area. A Muslim must believe in all that is reported in the Qur'an and the prophetic traditions concerning the unseen matters. He should not contradict it by his worldly experience, because the affairs of the hereafter cannot be measured by the affairs of this life. The difference between them is very great. Allah is the source of help.

Chapter VI
FATE AND THE DIVINE DECREE


[Note: I have chosen the word "choice" to replace the word "will" in the following explanation for the reason, that only Allah has true "Will" and we only make choices that may or may not happen. And I ask Allah to forgive any mistakes from all of us, ameen.]

Belief:

We believe in Fate, whether good or bad, which Allah has measured and ordained for all creatures according to His previous knowledge and as deemed suitable by His wisdom.

Levels of Belief:

Belief in Fate has four levels: 1) Knowledge: We believe that Allah, may He be exalted, knows everything. He knows what has happened and what will happen and how it will happen. His knowledge is eternal. He does not acquire a new knowledge nor does he forget what He knows.

2) Recording: We believe that Allah has recorded in the secured tablet (al Lowh al Mahfuz) whatever is going to happen until the Day of Judgment: "Did you not know that Allah knows all that is in heaven and Earth? Surely that is in a book. Surely that for Allah is an easy matter" (22:70).

3) Will: We believe that Allah has willed everything in heaven and Earth. Nothing happens except by His will. Whatever He wills will take place, and whatever He does not will not take place.

4) Creation: We believe that "Allah is the Creator of all things; He is the Guardian over all things, and to Him belong the keys of the heavens and the Earth" (39:62-3). This level includes whatever Allah Himself does and whatever His creatures do. Thus each saying, deed, or omission of the people is known to Allah, Who has recorded, willed, and created them: "To those among you who will to be upright. But you shall not will except as Allah wills, the Lord of the Worlds" (81:2829); "And had Allah willed they would not have fought one against the other; but Allah does whatever He desires" (2:253); "Had Allah willed, they would not have done so, but leave them alone and their false inventions" (6:137); and "And Allah created you and what you do" (37:96). Man's free choice:

We believe, however, that Allah has granted man a power and a free choice by which he performs his actions. That man's deeds are done by his power and free choice can be proven by the following points:

1) Allah says: "So approach your fields (wives) when and how you choose." (2:223); and "Had they desired to go forth, they would have made some preparation for it" (9:46). In these verses, Allah affirmed for man "a going forth" by his choice and "a preparation" by his desire.

2) Directing man to do or not to do. If man has no free choice, these directions mean that Allah is asking man to do that which he cannot do. This proposition is rejected by Allah's wisdom, mercy and truthful statement: "Allah does not charge a soul beyond its capacity" (2:286).

3) Praising the virtuous for his deeds and blaming the evildoer for his actions and rewarding each of them with what he deserves. If the action is not done by the individual's free choice, then praising the virtuous is a joke and punishing the evildoer is an injustice, and Allah is, of course, far from joking and being unjust.

4) Allah has sent messengers who are "bearing good tidings, and warning, so that mankind might have no argument against Allah after the messengers" (4:165). If the individual's action is not performed by his free choice, his argument is not invalidated by the sending of messengers.

5) Every doer of actions feels that he does or does not do a thing without any coercion. He stands up and sits, comes in and goes out, travels and stays by his own free choice without feeling anybody forcing him to be any of these actions. In fact, he clearly distinguishes between doing something of his own free choice and someone else forcing him to do that action. The Islamic law also wisely distinguishes between these states of affairs. It does not punish a wrongdoer for an action done under compulsion.

No Excuse for Sinners:

We believe that the sinner has no excuse in Allah's divine decree, because he commits his sin by his free choice, without knowing that Allah has decreed for him, for no one knows Allah's decree before it takes place: "No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow" (31:34). How can it be possible, then, to present an excuse that is not known to the person who is advancing it when he commits his offense? Allah invalidated this type of argument by saying: "The idolaters will say 'Had Allah willed, we would not have been idolaters, neither our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything.' So did the people before them cry lies until they tasted our might. Say: 'Have you any proofs that you can show us? You follow nothing but assumption, and you are Lying"' (6:148). We say to the sinner who is using divine decree as an excuse: 'Why did you not perform deeds of obedience, assuming that Allah has decreed them upon you, since you did not know the difference between good deeds and sins? That is why, when Prophet Muhammad told his Companions that everyone's position in paradise or hell has been assigned, they said: 'Should not we rely on this and stop working?' He said: 'No, work and everyone will be directed to what he is created for"' (Bukhari and Muslim).

We say to the sinner who is trying to find an excuse in the divine decree: "Suppose you want to travel to Makkah. There are two roads that may take you there. You are told by a truthful person that one of these roads is dangerous and difficult, the other is easy and safe. You will take the second one. You will not take the first road and say it is decreed upon me. If you did, people would consider you crazy."

We may also say to him: "If you are offered two jobs, one of which has a higher salary, you will certainly take the one with the higher salary. Why do you choose what is lower in the hereafter and use the divine decree as an excuse?"

We may further say to him: "We see you when you are afflicted with a disease, you knock at every physician's door looking for treatment and bearing whatever pain that may result from surgical operations and the bitterness of medicine. Why do not you do the same when your heart is spiritually sick with sins?"

Evil Not Attributed to Allah:

We believe that evil should not be attributed to Allah, due to His perfect mercy and wisdom. The Prophet said: "And evil is not attributable to You" (Muslim). Thus Allah's decree by itself has no evil whatsoever, because it is coming from mercy and wisdom. Evil may, however, result from some of His decrees, because the Prophet said in the supplication for qunut which he taught to al-Hasan: "And protect us from the evil of what You decreed" (Tirmidhi and others). Here, the Prophet attributed evil to what He decreed. Despite this, evil in His decree is not pure evil. It is rather evil in one respect and good in another, or it is evil in one case and good in another. Thus corruption in the land resulting from drought, disease, poverty, and fear is evil, but it is good in another respect. Allah, the Exalted said: "Corruption has appeared on the land and sea for what men's hands have earned. Allah has ordained this for men, so that they may taste some of what they have done, in order that they may turn back (from evil)" (30:41). Cutting off the thief's hand or stoning the adulterer is an evil thing for the thief and the adulterer, but it is good for them in one respect, because it is a purification for them so that the punishment of this life and the hereafter are not combined for them. These punishments are good in another respect: their application protects property, honor, and relationships.

Chapter VII
BENEFITS


This sublime belief, which includes those great principles, bears numerous and useful types of fruits for whoever believes in it.

Virtues of Belief in Allah:

Belief in Allah, His names, and His attributes instills in the individual the love and glorification of Allah that result in his performing Allah's instructions and avoiding His prohibitions. These are the means of achieving ultimate happiness in this life and the hereafter for both the individual and the society: "Whoever, male or female, does righteous deed, while believing, We shall assuredly grant him a goodly life, and We shall reward them according to the best of their deeds" (16:97).

Virtues of Belief in the Angels:

Appreciating the dignity of Allah, His might, and His sovereignty.

Gratitude toward Allah because He puts some of the angels in charge of His servants, recording their deeds and other things that benefit them. ¥ Love and admiration for the angels because of what they are doing, namely, worshipping Allah in the best possible manner and praying for the believers.

Virtues of Belief in the Books:

Appreciating Allah's mercy and care for His people in that He sent down a book to every nation for its guidance.

Appreciating Allah's wisdom, for He revealed in these books to every nation that which suits them. The glorious Qur'an is the final book and it is suitable to all people at all times until the Day of Judgment.

Showing gratitude for Allah's mercy in revealing these books.

Virtues of Belief in the Messengers:

Appreciating Allah's mercy and care for His people for sending them those great messengers to guide them to the straight path. Thanking Allah for this great favor.

Loving and respecting the prophets and praising them in what they deserve, because they are Allah's messengers and His choice among His people. They worshipped Allah according to the best of their ability, conveyed His message to mankind, gave sincere advice to the people, and bore patiently whatever hurt they received.

Virtues of Belief in the Day of Judgment:

Endeavor to obey Allah to get the reward of that day and to avoid any disobedience to him for fear of His punishment.

A consolation for the believer for whatever he misses of worldly enjoyment by what he hopes to gain of blessings and reward of the hereafter.

Virtues of Belief in Fate and the Divine Decree:

Dependence on Allah when doing any action, because both the cause and effect are the result of Allah's decree.

Ease of mind and comfort, because when the individual knows that everything is by Allah's decree and that mishaps are going to take place anyway, his soul will be at ease and his heart will be satisfied with Allah's decree. No one has a more comfortable life, worry-free soul, and stronger confidence than a believer in fate.

Freedom from arrogance when a goal is achieved, because this is a blessing from Allah through what He decreed of the causes of good and success. The individual should thank Allah for that and free himself from arrogance.

Freedom from worry and boredom in case of failure or mishap, because that is by Allah's decree, the One who possesses the heavens and the Earth. Since that is going to happen anyway, the individual should be patient and hope for the reward from Allah. Allah points to the last two virtues in the following verse: "No misfortune can happen on earth or in yourselves but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence, that is really easy for Allah; that you may not grieve for what escapes you, nor rejoice in what has come to you. Allah does not love any vainglorious boaster" (57:22-3).

We pray to Allah, the Exalted, to reward us for this belief, to realize for us its fruits, to increase our blessings, to keep us on the right path to which He has guided us, and to bestow on us a blessing from Him. He is indeed the Giver. Praise and gratitude be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings be on Prophet Muhammad, his family, his Companions, and those who rightly follow them.

Fiqh Lesson by Amirah / Umm Ahmad (22th of January)

In the name of Allah
Assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu

Matters of Physical and Moral Cleanness


Question 68: When is a person considered to be pure from the Islamic point of view?

Answer 68: Purity in Islam has two meanings: moral and physical. Moral purity is embodied in the belief in almighty God only and not believing in another deity besides Him. It also involves belief in God’s messengers/prophets, in His books, in the hereafter and the prerequisites of faith. What is also involved here is the cleanliness of the heart from grudge, from vanity, from hypocrisy, from pride and jealousy; and the acquisition of all virtues so that one may aspire above any immoral act or sinful custom.
As to the physical purity (hygiene and cleanliness), this can be of two kinds for man:
1. Purity or purification from major hadath (for men and women after a sexual intercourse; for women, after the menstruation period) by bathing. And purity from a minor hadath (after sleep and in case something comes out from the human body, whether material or immaterial) by ablution. All of that has a great deal of details, but they have no place here to discuss.
2. Cleanliness from impurities: one should keep away from all forms of impurities in terms of body, and clothes, and should remove any likely traces of such things as blood, urine, excrescence, wine, etc. If man’s heart is clear from polytheism, and endowed with moral virtues; and if man abstains from bad manners and cleans his body from impurities and dirt, he/she will be completely pure in the view of Islam.

Question 69: What is the relationship between the purity of the soul and that of the body?

Answer 69: Islam insists on purity (which of course include cleanliness and hygiene), as it accounts for half of the religion. Almighty God said: “Truly, God loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves (by taking a bath and cleaning and washing thoroughly their private parts, bodies, for their prayers)” (Holy Qur’an 1: 222). Prophet Muhammad: “Cleanliness constitutes half man’s faith.”
[1] He also said: “God is gracious and loves graciousness, He is Pure and loves purity and.”[2]
Purity, as such is values and beauty. But cleanliness of the soul and the heart from moral abominations is more important than the cleanliness of the body from material dirt and impurities. Islam insists on purity in general and the purity of the soul and the heart in particular. Anyone whose heart is pure and clean, his/her appearance is bound to be so, and vice-versa. This is the basis and the principle upon which the Islamic values are based. If this principle is missing in people’s lives, they will never know cleanliness, neither spiritually nor physically. The manifestations of physical cleanliness, which non-Muslims seem to enjoy, are not more than a deceptive appearance from afar. If one approaches any of them, he/she would mostly likely sense a disgusting smell coming out of them. This is not to mention purity of their soul and heart, which has no place in those who do not really believe in God. The least contemplation of the situation of the non-Islamic societies would give us so much evidence and proof.

Question 70: When a person embraces Islam, is it obligatory upon him/her to have a bath or shower?

Answer 70: Bathing or taking a shower for those who embrace Islam is a divine requirement. It is required and strongly recommended both physically and morally. What a beautiful beginning for one who embraces this religion, after saying the testimony, with the intention of starting a new period in his life based on physical and moral cleanliness. Also, it could be possible that the one who has embraced Islam has had a sexual intercourse with his wife. This, as such, confirms bathing and it becomes obligatory, as it is seen by the majority of scholars. The purpose of this bathing is the emphasis of the cleanliness.

Question 71: When a person embraces Islam, will ablution suffice for a bath, or is a bath obligatory?

Answer 71: Ablution does not exempt one who has embraced Islam from having a bath.

Question 72: If a person wants to embrace Islam and does not find water, what can he do?

Answer 72: Absence of water does not prevent one from embracing Islam. He embraces Islam and says the testimony: “There is no deity by God, and Muhammad is His Messenger”, then he/she can bathe when water becomes available.

Question 73: Is removing hair for one wanting to embrace Islam obligatory? And is that a part of purity and/or cleanliness?

Answer 73: The Question about hair here is a vague one, for it does not specify which hair should be removed. However, if it refers to the hair of the head, it is not required to be removed, as it is not considered part of cleanliness to remove it. However, prophet Muhammad (pbuh) related: “Any man who has long hair, should honor it”, i.e. keep it clean and tidy. As to the moustaches and the beard, Islam shows their rule in the saying of the prophet: “Trim the moustaches and leave the beards.” So Muslims are required by this hadith to cut the hair of the moustache so that the edge of the upper lip could be seen; and to leave without shaving it, because it is an emblem of Islam and a sign of manhood.
As to the hair of the armpit and pubic hair (round the private parts) it is recommended to be removed whenever it gets long, but it should not be left for more than forty days. This as well as other things, like trimming the fingernails, is the natural signs according to which God created people.

Question 74: Can a convert wear garments he/she used to put on before his/her conversion while these clothes still have some of his/her sweat on the same clothes?

Answer 74: Sweat is not considered to be an impurity. If these clothes were known to have some impurity on them, like urine, it would suffice to wash them before wearing them again.

Question 75: Is not it self-contradictory in Islam when it urges its followers to be clean and to use water before prayer for cleanliness, and then requires them to use earth when water is not available?

Answer 75: There is no contradiction whatsoever between Islam’s legislative system and any of its rules. As mentioned above, Purity and/or cleanliness is a fundamental requirement in Islam. Using clean earth (or sand) in Islam does not contradict hygiene. The whole process can be summarized as follows: a Muslim can tap the earth with one’s hands without carrying anything, then rubbing the face with his hands. It is a symbolic meaning of the moral cleanliness, which should precede prayer when water is not available to be used in ablution, or when one is unable to use water for some reason, like illness. Observing almighty God’s commands and obeying Him in every matter is the deeper aim of washing one’s face with earth, though it is not regarded as a real cleaning material as much as a symbol of worship and compliance with God’s commands in the establishment of prayer and getting ready for it.

Question 76: In matters related to bathing, why do Muslims waste large amounts of water for bathing, while it might be possible to wash the private parts only, like an apple falling from a bag, it is enough to wash it in isolation of the other apples in the bag.

Answer 76: This sound to be a naive Question and far removed from truth. It is not rational to compare the refined human being (with all his/her qualities, feelings, emotions, texture, cells, nerves, etc.) to a bag of apples! I do not think that it is feasible to compare the sexual intercourse, in which the whole human being interacts and from which the extraction of man’s blood and genes comes, to an apple falling from a bag. This operation may cause a psychological change and form a new creature that has both its development and intricate living world. Islam requires bathing, because it is a rule of the all-knowing God, blessed by the Lord, the Best of Creators.

Question 77: What is Islam’s position regarding women’s circumcision? Isn’t it a savage act and a loss of dignity and abuse of their sexual rights?

Answer 77: Circumcision of women is legal if not desirable in Islam, depending on the state of the woman and her environment. In some countries with hot climate, woman circumcision might become a necessity for a perfect conjugal life with her husband. What harm or bestiality happens to the woman if she is circumcised? There is no difference between the circumcision of a male and that of a female. It is an extra piece of flesh in the body of a little child, which can carefully be removed and for the sake of purity, beauty; which verify the aspects of manhood in the circumcised little boy and the qualities of womanhood in the little girl. We see no wrong with it, and there is no loss whatsoever in dignity.

Question 78: Are Muslims allowed to eat from the food and/or slaughtered animals of the People of the Scripture (Christians and Jews)?

Answer 78: Muslims can at any time eat from the food and/or the slaughtered animals of the people of the book. Almighty God says: “The food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals) of the People of the Scripture is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them” (Holy Qur’an: 5:5). This testifies the ease of Islam and its tolerance in dealing with non-Muslims, so that they come closer to Muslim and cohabit with them peacefully. This is the beginning of the way to understand Islam closely through action and behavior, not through speech and pretension only.
[1] Cited in Muslim, hadith No. 328.[2] Cited in Al-Tirmidhi, hadith No. 2723.

Quran Hafs/ Warsh Recitation for Arab Sisters

In the name of Allah
Assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu

We are happy to inform you that we have new Quran classes for Arab sisters:
 Monday ( 7:00-8:00pm Egypt Time / 8:00-9:00pm KSA ) : Quran Hafs / Warsh Recitation Wednesday ( 9:00-10:00pm Egypt Time / 10:00-11:00pm KSA ) : Quran Hafs Recitation
Saturday ( 6:30-8:00pm Egypt Time / 7:30-9:00pm KSA ) : Quran Warsh Recitation
Saturday ( 9:00-10:00pm Egypt Time / 10:00-11:00pm KSA ) : Quran Hafs Recitation

Sunday ( 7:30-9:00pm Egypt Time / 8:30-10:00pm KSA ) : Quran Warsh Recitation


No Conversational Arabic till 3rd of February

In the name of Allah
Assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu
 
We are sorry to inform you that our teacher of Conversational Arabic  - sister Islam is travelling for Umra to Makkah ,Saudi Arabia
There will be no lessons of her till 3rd of February, 2013 ( i.e. no lessons on 20th and 27th of January )
 
Please kindly make duaa for our teacher and her family and ask Allah to accept their Umra.
 
Barak Allahu feekum

Request of Dua

In the name of Allah
Assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu
 
Our beloved sisters are in need of your dua:
 
1) sister Khadija's future in law passed away , To HIM we shall all return , may Allah forgive her sins, raise her to highest jannah, ameen 
 
2) sister Hawaa ( Umm aaishah )'s mother is in emergency room 
 
3) sister Hawaa who is ill
 
4) our teachers sister Sara and sister Amira whose internet has not been fixed yet , may Allah make it easy for all, ameen.
 
5)  Our teacher sister Sara and our medical students sisters have exams nowadays, May Allah help them to pass exams easy with success, ameen.
 
6) All muslims in the world
 
Please kindly ask Allah to heal them and to give more patience and faith to the deceased family ,ameen.
May Allah accept our sincere duaa, and guide us all with best, ameen. 



The Explanation of the Beautiful and Perfect Names of Allaah by 'Abdur-Rahmân ibn Nâsir as-Sa'dî

In the name of Allah
Assalamu aleikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu
 
The book is being explained by our teacher Soheir every Friday 7:00pm Egypt time. 
 
Taken from Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahmaan, Abdur-Rahmaan Naasir as-Sa`dee's Tafseer]
A large number of the Beautiful Names of Allaah are repeated manifold in the Qur`aan as demanded by the occasion and it is necessary to explain their meanings in a succinct way. So we say:

Ar-Rabb (The Lord)

This name has been repeatedly mentioned in many verses. Ar-Rabb is the One Who nurtures and sustains all of His servants through regulating the affairs and granting all types of favours and blessings. More specifically He is the One Who nurtures and sustains his sincere friends by correcting and purifying their hearts, souls and manners. This is why their supplications are frequently made with this Noble Name because they seek this specific nurturing.
"And your Lord is Most Forgiving, Owner of Mercy. Were He to call them to account for what they had earned then surely He would have hastened on their punishment. But they have their appointed time beyond which they will find no escape." (18:58)

Allaah

He is the One and Only Deity, the One Who is Worshipped and the One Who deserves to be worshipped by the whole of His creation due to the Perfect Godly Attributes that He is described with.
"Allaah! There is none worthy of worship but He, the Living, the Sustaining. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. To Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth. Who is there that can intercede with Him except with His Permission? He Knows what happens to them (His creatures) in this world and in the Hereafter. They will not encompass anything of His Knowledge except that which He Wills. His Footstool extends over the heavens and the earth and he feels no fatigue in guarding them. He is the Most High, the Most Great." (2:255)

Al-Malik (The King), and al-Maalik (The Master and Owner)

Alladhee lahu al-Mulk (the One to Whom belongs the dominion): He is described with the Attribute of The Master and Owner. These are Attributes of Grandjeur, Majesty, Omnipotence and Regulation of the affairs of creation. The One Who directs all of the affairs to do with creation, command and recompense. To Him belongs the whole of Creation, all of it is subservient, owned and in continuous need of Him.
"Then High above all be Allaah, the True King. And be not in haste with the Qur'aan before its revelation is completed and say: My Lord! Increase me in knowledge." (20:114)"Say: O Allaah! Owner of the dominion, You give the kingdom to whom You will and You take the kingdom from whom You will. You endue with honour whom You will and You humiliate whom You will. In your Hand is the good. Indeed You are Able to do all things." (3:26)

Al-Waahid, al-Ahad (The One)

He is the One Who is singled out in all aspects of Perfection such that nothing else shares with Him in these. It is obligatory upon the servants to single Him out alone in belief, saying and action by acknowledging His unrestricted perfection, His uniqueness and singling Him out Alone for all types of worship.
"'O two companions of the prison! Are many different lords better or Allaah, the One, the Irresistable?'" (12:39)"Say: I am only a warner and there is no god except Allaah the One, the Irresistable." (38:65)

As-Samad (The Self-Sufficient)

He is the One upon Whom the whole of creation relies upon in all of their needs, predicaments and necessities. This due to His unrestricted perfection with regards to His Essence, His Names, His Attributes and His Actions.
"Say: He is Allaah the One. Allaah the Self-Sufficient." (112:1-2)

Al-Aleem (the All-Knowing), al-Khabeer (the All-Aware)

He is the One Whose Knowledge encompasses all the outward and hidden matters, the open and secret, all those things that must necessarily occur, all those things that are impossible to occur and all things that can possibly occur, of the affairs of the whole of creation, of the past, the present and the future. There is absolutely nothing that is hidden from Him.
"Verily Allaah! With Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, he sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow and no person knows in what land he will die. Indeed Allaah is All-Knowing, All-Aware." (31:34)"O Mankind! We have created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other. Verily, the most honourable of you in the Sight of Allaah is the most God-Fearing of you. Indeed Allaah is the All-Knower, the All-Aware." (49:13)

Al-Hakeem (the All-Wise)

He is the One to Whom belongs the highest wisdom, the One Who is All-Wise in His creating and commanding, Who perfected everything He created, "and Who is better than Allaah in judgement for a people who have firm faith?" (5:50) Therefore He has created nothing out of mere frivolity and He has legislated nothing that is vain and of no use. The One to Whom belongs wisdom in the beginning and the end. He has three areas of ruling which nothing else has a share in: He rules between His servants with respect to His Law, His Decree and His Recompense. Wisdom is to place something in its correct place.
"For those who believe not in the Hereafter is an evil description and for Allaah is the highest description. He is the All-Mighty, All-Wise." (16:60)"It is He Who is the only God worshipped in the heaven and the on the earth. He is theAll-Wise, the All-Knowing." (43:84)

Ar-Rahmaan (The Most Beneficent), ar-Raheem (the Most Merciful), al-Barr (The Generous), al-Kareem (the Kind), al-Jawwaad (The Bestower of Good), ar-Ra`oof (the Kind), al-Wahhaab (The Bestower)

All of these Names are close in meaning and all of them point to describing the Lord with Mercy, Generosity, Kindness, and to the great expanse of His Mercy and Generosity that encompasses all that is existence being granted in accordance to what His Wisdom dictates. The believers have been specifically singled out for this and they are granted a goodly and the best portion of this as Allaah said, "My Mercy encompasses all things and I shall decree it for those who have taqwaa." (7:156) So the blessings and the good are all from the effects of His Mercy, Generosity and Kindness just as all the goodness in this world and in the Hereafter is from the effects of His Mercy.
"'Verily, we used to invoke Him Alone before. Verily He is the Generous, the Most Merciful." (52:28)"O man! What has made you careless concerning your Lord, the Kind." (82:6)"And had it not been for the Grace of Allaah and His Mercy on you, (Allaah would have hastened the Punishment). And that Allaah is the Kind, the Most Merciful." (24:20) "(They say): Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us Mercy from You. Truly you are the Bestower." (3:8)

As-Samee` (the All-Hearing)

The One Who hears all sounds and voices, in all of their different languages and all their many and various needs.
"Say: if they believe as you (O Prophet and Companions) believe then they are rightly guided, but if they turn away then they are only in opposition. So Allaah will suffice you against them and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing." (2:137)"And Allaah judges with truth while those to whom they invoke besides Him cannot judge anything. Indeed Allaah is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing." (40:20)

Al-Baseer (the All-Seeing)

The One Who sees all things even if they be insignificant and minute. He sees the black ant on a black stone in a black night. He sees what is below the seventh earth and what is above the seventh heaven. Also He is Hearing and Seeing of those that deserve recompense in accordance to what His Wisdom dictates.
"Say: Shall I inform you of things far better than those? For the God-fearing there are Gardens with their Lord underneath which rivers flow. Therein is their eternal home and pure wives. And Allaah will be pleased with them. Allaah is the All-Seer of His slaves." (3:15)"Neither your relatives nor your children will benefit you on the Day of Resurrection. He will judge between you and Allaah is the All-Seer of what you do." (60:3)

Al-Hameed (the One Who is praised)

In His Person, Names, Attributes and Actions, He possesses the best of names and the most perfect of attributes and the best and most complete actions for indeed the Actions of Allaah are based upon Grace and Justice.
"Alif Laam Raa. A Book which We have revealed to you that you might lead mankind out of darkness into the light by the leave of their Lord, the Mighty, the One Who is praised." (14:1)"And indeed We bestowed upon Luqmaan wisdom saying: 'Give thanks to Allaah,' and whosoever gives thanks, he gives thanks for (the good) of his ownself. And whoever is ungrateful then verily Allaah is All-Rich, Worthy of All praise." (31:12)

Al-Majeed (the Glorious), al-Kabeer (the Great), al-Adheem (the Exalted), al-Jaleel (the Noble)

He is described with the Attributes of Glory and Grandeur and Greatness and Magnificence. He is the One Who is greater, more exalted and magnificent than anything. He is glorified and magnified in the hearts of His friends and close ones. Their hearts overflow in exalting and magnifying Him, submitting to him and humbling themselves before his Grandeur.
"Owner of the Throne, the Glorious." (85:15)"All-Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Great, the Most High." (13:9)"Then glorify with praises the Name of your Lord, the Most Great." (56:74)

Al-Afuww (the Forgiving), al-Ghafoor (the Forgiving), al-Ghaffaar (the All-Forgiving)

The One Who was and is known with the Attribute of Forgiveness. The One Who is described as having Forgiveness and Compassion. Everyone is in dire need of His forgiveness just as they are in dire need of His Mercy and Kindness. Allaah has promised forgiveness to the one who fulfils its conditions, He said,
"and indeed I am All-Forgiving to him who repents, believes, associates none in worship with Me, does righteous deeds and then remains constant in doing them." (20:82)"Whether you disclose a good deed, or conceal it, or pardon an evil... verily Allaah is the Forgiving, Most Merciful." (4:152)"And indeed I am the All-Forgiving to him who repents, believes and does righteous deeds and then remains constant in doing them." (20:82)

At-Tawwaab (the Oft-Returning)

The One Who is continuously turning (in forgiveness) to those that turn to Him (in repentance), Who forgives the sins of the penitent. Everyone who turns to Allaah sincerely, Allaah turns to them by firstly granting them the ability to repent and turning their hearts towards Him, and after this He turns to them by accepting their repentance and forgiving their errors.
"Know they not that Allaah accepts the repentance from His slaves and takes the charity and that Allaah is the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful?" (9:104)"O you who believe! Avoid much suspicions, indeed some suspicions are sins. And spy not, neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it! Fear Allaah, indeed Allaah is the oft-Returning, Most Merciful." (49:12)

Al-Quddoos (the Holy), as-Salaam (the Peace)

The One Who is far greater and far removed from any imperfection, or that He resemble any of His creation. Hence he is far removed from any defect just as He is far removed from anything resembling Him or coming close to resembling Him in any of His Attributes of Perfection.
"There is nothing like Him"(42:11) "There is no one equal to or comparable to Him"(112:3) "Do you know of any who is similar to Him?" (19:65), "Then do not set up rivals to Allaah." (2:22)
Al-Quddoos is similar in meaning to as-Salaam in that they both negate any form of imperfection while at the same time including unlimited perfection in every way. This because when deficiency has been removed then all that remains is perfection.
"Whatsoever is in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allaah - the King, the Holy, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." (62:1)

Al-Alee (the High), al-A`laa (the Highest)

To Him belongs highness in all of its aspects, Highness of His Essence, Highness of His Attributes and esteem, Highness of Strength and Power. He is the One Who has risen over His Throne and the One Who Has encompassed the dominion. He is the One in Whom all the attributes of greatness, grandness, magnificence and beauty find perfection and fulfilment.
"To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and the earth, and He is the High, the Great." (42:4)"Glorify the name of your Lord, the Most High" (87:1)

Al-Azeez (the Mighty)

The One to Whom belongs might/honour in its entirety, the might/honour of strength, the might/honour of conquest and the might/honour of preventing. So He has prevented any of His creation from encompassing and grasping Him, He is Omnipotent over everything that is in existence, the whole of creation is subject and indebted to Him and yielding before His greatness.
"It will be said: 'Seize him and drag him into the midst of the blazing Fire. Then pour over his head the torment of boiling water. Taste you this! Indeed you were (pretending to be) the Mighty, the Generous!'" (44:47-49)"Blessed be He in Whose Hand in the dominion, and He is Able to do all things. Who has created death and life that He may test which of you is best in deed. And He is the Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving." (67:1-2)

Al-Qawee (the Strong), al-Mateen (the Powerful)

These fall under the meaning of al-Azeez.
"Those who have been expelled from their homes unjustly only because they said, 'our Lord is Allaah' - for had it not been that Allaah checks one set of people by means of another, monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, wherein the Name of Allaah is mentioned much, would surely have been pulled down. Indeed Allaah will help those who help Him and Allaah is the Strong, the All-Mighty." (22:40)"Indeed Allaah is the Provider, Owner of Strength, the Powerful." (51:58)

Al-Jabbaar (the Compeller)

This includes the meaning of al-Alee and al-A`laa, the meaning of al-Qahhaar, and the meaning of ar-Ra`oof. The One Who is Compelling over dejected hearts, to the one who is weak and impotent, to the one who resorts to Him and seeks refuge with him.

Al-Mutakabbir (the Supreme)

The One Who is above any evil, defect and deficiency due to His greatness and grandeur.
"He is Allaah, other than whom none has the right to be worshipped. The King, the Holy, The One free from defects, the Giver of Security, the Ever-Watcher, the All-Mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory be to Allaah! (High is He) Above all that they associate as partners with Him." (59:23)

Al-Khaaliq (the Creator), al-Baaree (the Originator), al-Musawwir (the Shaper)

The One Who created all that is in existence, Who made everything correct and in its place in accordance to His Wisdom, Who Shaped it in acordance to His praise and Wisdom. He is continuously doing so.
"He is Allaah, the Creator, the Originator, the Bestower of forms. To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. All that is in the heavens and the earth glorify Him. He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise." (59:24)

Al-Mu`min (The Giver of Security)

The One Who Has praised Himself with Perfect Attributes and with perfection of magnificence and beauty. The One Who sent His Messengers and revealed His Books containing signs and clear proofs. Who testified to the truth of His Messengers by giving them every sign and proof that would prove the truth of what they came with.
"He is Allaah, other than whom none has the right to be worshipped. The King, the Holy, The One free from defects, the Giver of Security, the Ever-Watcher, the All-Mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory be to Allaah! (High is He) Above all that they associate as partners with Him." (59:23)

Al-Muhaymin (the Ever-Watching)

The One Who sees all the hidden matters, all that the hearts keep concealed, the One Whose Knowledge encompasses everything.
"He is Allaah, other than whom none has the right to be worshipped. The King, the Holy, The One free from defects, the Giver of Security, the Ever-Watcher, the All-Mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory be to Allaah! (High is He) Above all that they associate as partners with Him." (59:23)

Al-Qadeer (All-Powerful, the Able)

The One Who has complete and perfect power and ability, by His Power He brought everything into existence, by it He arranges all the affairs, by it He fashioned and perfected the creation, by it He brings to life and causes to die, by it He will resurrect the servants for their recompense - rewarding the one who did good with His good and the one who worked evil with His Hellfire. The One Who, when He wills a thing to be he merely says 'Be!' and it is. By His power and ability he turns the hearts and directs them to whatsoever He Wills and Desires.
"For every nation there is a direction which they face, so hasten towards all that is good. Wheresoever you may be, Allaah will bring you together, Allaah is Able to do all things." (2:148)"(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: It is from yourselves (because of your evil deeds). And Allaah is the All-Powerful." (3:165)

Al-Lateef (the Most Subtle, the Kind)

The One Whose Knowledge encompasses all the secret and hidden matters, Who is Aware of all that is hidden (in the deepest depths of the heavens and the earth) and is Aware of everything down to the most minute and finest details. The One Who is Kind to his believing servants guiding them to that which would benefit them and aid them via means that they are not aware, this by His Kindness and Beneficence. It also carries the meaning of al-Khabeer and ar-Ra'oof.
"No vision can grasp Him, but His Grasp is over all vision. He is the Most Subtle, the Well-Acquainted." (6:103)"Do you not see that Allaah sends down the water from the sky and then the earth becomes green? Indeed Allaah is the Kind, the Well-Acquainted." (22:63)

Al-Haseeb (the Reckoner)

The One Who is All-Knowing of His servants and sufficient for those who put their trust in Him. The One Who recompenses his servants with either good or bad in accordance to His Wisdom and His Knowledge of the minutesr and greatest of their actions.
"When you are greeted with a greeting, greet in return with what is better than it or at least return it equally. Allaah is the Reckoner of all things." (4:86)"Those who convey the Message of Allaah and fear Him and none save Him, Sufficient is Allaah as Reckoner." (33:39)

Ar-Raqeeb (the All-Watcher)

The One Who sees what is hidden in the hearts, the One Who charges every soul for what it earned, the One Who preserves all that is in creation and regulates them with the best organisation and most complete and perfect planning.
"O Mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord Who created you from a single person, and from Him He created his wife, and from them both He created many men and women. Fear Allaah through whom you demand your mutual rights, and (do not cut the relations of) the womb (kinship). Surely Allaah is the All-Watcher over you." (4:1)

Al-Hafeedh (The Guardian)

The One Who protects and preserves what He created and Whose Knowledge encompasses all that He brought into existence. The One Who protects His friends from falling into sins and the destructive matters. The One Who is Kind to them during their periods of activity and rest. The One Who accounts the actions of the servants and their rewards.
"And Iblees did prove true his thought about them, and they followed him, all except a group of the true believers. And Iblees had no authority over them - except that We might test he who believes in the Hereafter from him who is in doubt about it. And your Lord is the Guardian over everything." (34:20-21)"As for those who take friends and protectors besides Him - Allaah is the Guardian over them and you are not a disposer of their affairs." (42:6)

Al-Muheet (The Encompassing)

The One Who has Knowledge of everything, has power over everything, his Mercy encompasses everything and He is dominant over everything.
"If good befalls you it grieves them but if some evil overtakes you they rejoice at it. But if you remain patient and become of the God-fearing, not the least harm will their cunning do to you. Allaah Encompasses what they do." (3:120)"And be not like those who come out of their homes boastfully, to be seen of men, and hinder from the Path of Allaah. Allaah is encompassing all that they do." (8:47)

Al-Qahhaar (The Subduer), Al-Qaahir (The Irresistable)

The Irresistable over everything. The One before Whom the whole creation has humbled itself, and submitted before His Grandeur, Power and perfect Strength.
"And He is the Irresistable, Above His servants. He sends guardians (writing all of your deeds) over you, until when death approaches one of you, Our Messengers take his soul and they never neglect their duty." (6:61)"So think not that Allaah will fail to keep His promise to His Messengers. Certainly! Allaah is All-Mighty, Owner of Retribution. On the Day when the earth will be changed to another earth and so will the heavens, and they (all creatures) will appear before Allaah, the One, the Subduer." (14:47-48)

Al-Muqeet (The Powerful)

The One who provides everything that is in existence with what would strengthen it, Who provides it it's nourishment and directs it howsoever He Wills in accordance to His Wisdom and Praise.
"Whosoever intercedes for a good cause will have the reward thereof, and whosoever intercedes for an evil cause shall have a share in its burden. Allaah is Able to do everything." (4:85)

Al-Wakeel (The Disposer of Affairs, the One Who is relied upon)

The One Who has the responsibility to dispose the affairs of the creation in accordance with His Knowledge, perfect Power and all-encompassing Wisdom. The One who looks after His friends and makes the good easy for them, preserves them from the evil and suffices for them in all of their affairs. Therefore the one who takes Him as One to be relied upon, He suffices him, "Allaah is the Friend of those who believe, He guides them from the darknesses into the light."
"Such is Allaah your Lord! None has the right to be worshipped but He, the Creator of all things. So worship Him Alone, and He is the Disposer of all affairs." (6:102)"And put your trust in Allaah, and Allaah is Sufficient as a Disposer of Affairs." (39:62)

Dhul Jalaal wal Ikraam (The One possessing Majesty and Honour)

Meaning the One possessing Greatness and Grandeur, possessing Mercy and Generosity. The One Who shows beneficence in both its general and specific aspects. The One Who honours His friends and close ones - those who glorify, exalt and love Him.
"Everything in the earth will perish. And the Face of your Lord, full of Majesty and Honour, will abide forever." (55:27)"Blessed be the name of your Lord, the Owner of Majesty and Honour." (55:78)

Al-Wudood (The Loving)

The One Who Loves His Prophet and Messengers and those who follow them and they in turn love Him - He is more beloved to them than anything else. Their hearts have been filled with love of Him, their tongues are constantly moist with praising Him and their hearts are always drawn to Him in love, sincerity and repentance.
"And ask forgiveness from your Lord and turn to Him in repentance. Verily my Lord is the Most Merciful, the Loving." (11:90)"And He is Oft-Forgiving, the Loving." (85:14)

Al-Fattaah (The Judge, The Opener)

The One Who will judge between His Servants through His laws of the Sharee`ah, His laws of Decree and His laws and recompense. The One who opens the eyes of the those who are truthful and sincere by His Kindness. The One who opens their hearts so that they can know Him, love Him and repent to Him. He opens the doors of mercy and sustenance for His servants and provides them the means of attaining both the good in this life and the Hereafter,
"whatever mercy Allaah may grant to mankind, none can withhold it and none can grant it thereafter." (35:2)"Say: Our Lord will assemble us all together (on the Day of Resurrection), then He will judge between them. He is the Judge, the All-Knowing." (34:26)"He said: My Lord! Verily, my people have belied me. Therefore judge You between me and them, and save me and the those of the believers who are with me." (26:117-118)

Ar-Razzaaq (The Provider)

The One Who provides for all of His servants, there is not a creature on the earth except that Allaah provides for it. His providing for His servants is of two types:
The general provision which extends to the righteous and the sinner, the first and the last. This is the provision that is required by the bodies.
The specific provision - this being granted to the hearts, nourishing them with knowledge and faith. Also the lawful provision that has been appointed for the benefit of the religion, this being specific to the believers and apportioned in accordance to their differing levels and what His Wisdom and Mercy dictates.
"Say: Come I will recite to you what your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with Him; be good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your children because of poverty - We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not near shameful sins whether openly or secretly; kill not anyone who Allaah has forbidden except for a just cause. This He has commanded you that you may understand." (6:151)"I created man and jinn only that they may worship Me. I seek not any provisions from them nor do I ask that they feed Me. Indeed Allaah is the Provider, Owner of Power - the Most Strong." (51: 56-58)

Al-Hakam (The Judge), al-Adl (The Just)

The One who judges between His Servants in this life and the Hereafter with His Justice and Fairness. He will not oppress anyone to the extent of an atoms weight and none will be made to carry the encumbrance of another. No servant will be recompensed in a way that is greater that the magnitude of his sin, he will be given only what he deserves. Not a single persons right will be denied him, He is the Just in His regulation and decree,
"indeed My Lord is upon the Straight Path." (11:56)"Say: I am on clear proof from my Lord, but you deny (the truth). I do not have what you are impatient for (i.e. the Punishment). The judgement is only for Allaah, He declares the truth, and He is the best of judges." (6:57)

Jaami`un Naas (The Gatherer of Mankind)

The One Who will gather mankind on the Day about which there is no doubt. He will gather their actions and provisions and will not leave out a single thing, be it large or small, except that He will take it to account. He will gather together the disintegrated remains of those that have died, the early and later by His perfect Power and All-Encompassing Knowledge, (and resurrect them).
"Our Lord! Indeed it is you who will gather mankind together on the Day about which there is no doubt! Verily Allaah never breaks His promise!" (3:9)"I swear by the Day of Resurrection. And I swear by the self-reproaching soul. Does man think that We shall not assemble his bones? Yes, We are Able to put together in perfect order the tips of his fingers." (75:1-4)

Al-Hayy (The Living), Al-Qayyum (The Sustainer)

The One Who has perfect life, existing in and of Himself and not dependant upon anyone else. The Sustainer of the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, the One Who regulates their affairs and provisions. The Living includes all of the Attributes of His Self and The Sustainer includes all the Attributes of His Actions.
"Allaah! There is no deity worthy of worship but Him, the Living, the Sustaining." (3:1)"All faces shall be humbled before (Allaah), the Living, the Sustaining. And the one who carried the burden of wrong-doing shall be in complete loss!" (20:111)

An-Nur (The Light)

The Light of the heavens and the earth, the One Who illuminates the hearts of the gnostics with knowledge of Him, faith in Him and His guidance. He is the One Who has lit the heavens and the earth with lights that He has placed therein. His veil is light and were He to uncover it then the Face of the Glorious would burn everything from the creation that His Sight fell upon.
"Allaah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light is as if there were a niche and within it a lamp, the lamp is in a glass, and the glass as if it were a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an olive, neither of the east or of the west, whose oil would almost glow forth (of itself) even though no fire touches it. Light upon light! Allaah guides to His Light whom He Wills. Allaah sets forth parables for mankind, and Allaah Knows everything." (24:35)

Badee`us Samaawaati wal Ard (The Originator of the heavens and the earth)

Meaning their Creator and Orginator, done so in the best of ways, with the most marvellous of creations in amazing and perfect order, structure and harmony.
"The Originator of the heavens and the earth. When he decrees a thing to be, He merely says: Be! - and it is." (2:117)"He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. How can He have children when He has no wife? He created all things and He Knows everything." (6:101)

Al-Qaabid (The Taker), Al-Baasit (The Extender)

The One Who takes the provisions and souls, the One Who gives provisions freely and gives (life to) the hearts - all of this in compliance to His Wisdom and Mercy.
"Who will lend to Allaah a goodly loan so that He may multiply it for him many times? And it is Allaah Who takes and increases (your provisions) and unto Him you shall return." (2:245)"And they made not a just estimate of Allaah such as is due to Him. On the Day of Resurrection His Hand will grasp the whole of the earth and the heavens will be rolled up in His Right Hand. Glorified be He, High is He above all that they associate as partners with Him!" (39:67)

Al-Mu`tee (The Giver), Al-Maani` (The Preventer)

There is none who can prevent what He gives and none who can give what He prevents. Every thing that can bring goodness or benefit is sought and desired from Him. He is the One Who gives to whomsoever He Wills and prevents from Whosoever He Wills, all of this in accordance to His Wisdom and Mercy.

Ash-Shaheed (The Witness)

The One Who is Aware of everything. The One Who hears every voice in existence - the loud and quiet. The One Who Sees everything in existence - the insignificant and significant, the small and large. The One Whose Knowledge encompasses everything. The One Who will testify for or against His servants for what they did.
"Say: What thing is the greatest witness? Say: Allaah is Witness between you and I; this Qur'aan has been revealed to me that I may warn therewith - you and whomsoever it may reach." (6:19)"It is He Who sent His Messenger with the guidance and the Religion of Truth that he make it prevail over all religions. And sufficient is Allaah as a Witness." (48:28)

Al-Mubdee` (The Starter), Al-Mu`eed(The Recaller, The One Who repeats creation)

Allaah says, "He is the One Who started the creation and He will repeat it" (10:4) He began their creation to test them as to which one was best in action then He will recall them to reward those who did good and punish those who did evil for their evil. Similarly He is the one Who began by creating each individual thing and then continuously repeats it.
"Is not He (better than your false gods) Who originates creation and shall thereafter repeat it, and Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth?" (27:64)"Allaah originates the creation and then repeats it, then to Him you will be returned." (85:13)

Al-Fa`aalul Limaa Yureed (The One Who does what He Wills)

This is from the perfection of His Power and the implementation of His Will, Desire and Decree that anything that He Wishes to do, He does and there is none to prevent Him or protest. He has no assistant or supporter in anything that He does, rather when He Wills a thing to be He merely says, "Be! And it is." Despite the fact that He does what He Wills, His Will acts in accordance to His Wisdom and Praise. He is described with Perfect Ability and Power, and with the implementation of His Will and He is described with complete and all-encompassing Wisdom.
"As for those who are wretched, they will be in the Fire, moaning in a high and low tone. They will dwell therein for all the time that the heavens and the earth endured except as your Lord Will. Indeed your Lord does what He Wills." (11:106-107)

Al-Ghanee (The Self-Sufficient, The Rich), al-Mughnee (The Sufficient)

He is Self-Sufficient completely and unrestrictedly, deference is given to His perfection and the perfection of His Attributes. He has absolutely no deficiency of any kind, it is not possible that He be anything but Self-Sufficient, for self-sufficiency is from the necessary consequences of His Essence. Similarly it is not possible for Him to be anything but the Creator, The All-Powerful, the Provider and the Bestower of good. He is not in need of anything or anyone, He is the Self-Sufficient in Whose Hand lie the treasures of the heavens and the earth, and the treasures of this life and the Hereafter. He suffices for the whole of His creation generally, and is specifically sufficient for the believers in that He confers upon their hearts nurturing knowledge and the realities of faith.
"Kind words and forgiving faults are better than giving in charity. Allaah is the Rich, the Forebearing." (2:263)"And your Lord is Self-Sufficient, full of Mercy. If He Will He could destroy you and out in your place make who He Will to be successors, just as He raised you from the seed of another people." (6:133)

Al-Haleem (The Forbearing)

The One Who bestows favours, both outward and inward, lavishly to His creation despite their many acts of disobedience and transgression. He is gentle upon those that disobey him and in censuring them so that perchance they may repent and gives them respite so that they may become sorrowful.
"And know that Allaah Knows what is in your minds, so fear Him. And know that Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, the Forebearing." (2:235)"If you lend to Allaah a goodly loan He will double it for you and will forgive you. Allaah is the appreciative and rewarding, the Forebearing." (65:17)

Ash-Shaakir (The Recogniser and Rewarder of good), Ash-Shakoor (The Appreciative)

The One Who recognises and rewards the small quantity of action, Who forgives the large quantity of sins. He is the One Who multiplies the rewards of His sincere servants manifold without any measure. He is the One Who recognises and rewards those who give thanks to Him and remembers the one who remembers Him. Whosoever seeks to get close to Him by doing any righteous action, Allaah draws close to Him by a greater degree.
"Indeed Safa and Marwa are two of the symbols of Allaah. So it is not a sin on him who performs Hajj or Umrah to perform the going between them. And whoever does good voluntarily, then Allaah is the Recogniser, the All-Knowing." (2:158)"Indeed those who recite the Book of Allaah, and establish the prayers and spend out of that which we have provided them, secretly and openly, hope for a sure trade-gain that will never perish. That He may pay them in full and give them even more out of His Grace. He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Appreciative." (35:29-30)

Al-Qareeb (The Close), Al-Mujeeb (The Answerer)

He, Exalted is He, is close to everybody, this closeness being of two types:
The general closeness which means His being close to everyone with respect to His Knowledge, Awareness, Seeing, Witnessing and Encompassing.
The specific closeness which is specific to His worshippers, those who ask of Him, and those who love Him. The reality of this type of closeness cannot be comprehended all we can see is its resultant effects - His kindness to His servants, His care of them and His making them to be firm upon the Straight Path.
From the consequences of this closeness is His answering those who supplicate to Him and His granting them the ability to be penitent. He is the One Who answers, in a general sense, those who supplicate to Him whomsoever them may be and wheresoever they may be and whatever condition they may be in as He has promised them. He is the One Who answers, in a specific sense, those who love Him, those who imitate and follow His Sharee`ah. He is also the One Who answers the one in dire need and those who have given up all hope of being answered by the creation and therefore their connection to Him has been strengthened in terms of love, hope and fear.
"And when My slaves ask you concerning Me, I am indeed near to them. I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when He calls upon Me. So let them obey Me and believe in Me so that they may be led aright." (2:186)"And to the Thamud We sent their brother Saalih saying: O my people! Worship Allaah besides whom there is no other deity. He brought you forth from the earth and settled you therein, then ask forgiveness of Him, and turn to Him in repentance. Certainly My Lord is Near, Responsive." (11:61)

Al-Kaafee (The Sufficient)

The One Who suffices His servants in everything that they are in need of. The One Who suffices, in a specific sense, those who believe in Him, put their trust in Him and seek their worldly and religious needs from Him.
"Allaah drove back those who disbelieved in their rage and they gained no advantage. Allaah sufficed for the believers in the fighting. Allaah is the Strong, the Mighty." (33:25)"Is not Allaah sufficient for His servant? Yet they try to frighten you with those who they worship besides Him! And whomsoever Allaah sends astray, for him there will be no guide." (39:36)

Al-Awwal (The First), Al-Aakhir (The Last), Adh-Dhaahir (The Manifest), Al-Baatin (The Inward)

The Prophet (SAW) explained these in a succinct and clear way while addressing his Lord,
"You are the First, there was none before You. You are the Last, there will be none after You. Your are the Manifest, there is nothing above You. You are the Inward, there is nothing close to you.""He is the First, the Last, the Manifest and the Inward. He is the All-Knower of everything." (57:3)

Al-Waasi'` (The Vast)

He is the One Who is vast with respect to His Attributes and qualities and those things linked to them - this from the point of view that none can enumerate His praise as He deserves, rather He is as He has praised Himself. Vast in grandeur, authority and dominion, Vast in bestowing grace and good and Vast in Goodness and Nobility.
"The likeness of those who spend their wealth in the Way of Allaah, is as the likeness of a grain (of corn); it grows seven ears, and each ear has a hundred grains. Allaah gives manifold increase to whom He pleases. Allaah is the Vast, the All-Knowing." (2:261)"O you who believe! Whoever from amongst you turns back from his religion, Allaah will bring about a people whom He will Love, and they will love Him; humble towards the believers, stern towards the disbelievers, fighting in the Way of Allaah and never afraid of the blame of the blamers. That is the Grace of Allaah which He bestows on whom He Wills. Allaah is the Vast, the All-Knowing." (5:54)

Al-Haadee (The Director), Ar-Rasheed (The Guide)

He is the One Who guides and directs His servants towards all that would be of benefit to them and away from all that would bring them harm. He is the One Who teaches them what they did not use to know and guides them with a guidance that keeps them firm upon the Straight Path. He is the One Who inspires their hearts with taqwaa and made them penitent and compliant to His Commands.
Ar-Rasheed also carries the meaning of Al-Hakeem (the Wise). He is ar-Rasheed in His Actions and Sayings. All of His legislation is good, correctly guiding and wise.
"Thus have We made for every Prophet an enemy amongst the disbelievers. But sufficient is your Lord as a Guide and Helper." (25:31)

Al-Haqq (The Truth)

He is the Truth in His Essence and Attributes, He is the most necessary of existences, He is what the whole of existence needs to exist. He is the One Who was and is described with Magnificence, Beauty and Perfection. He is the One Who was and is known to be Beneficent. His saying is the truth, His Actions are the truth, the meeting with Him is the truth, His Messengers are the truth, His Books are the truth, His religion is the truth, worshipping Him Alone is the truth, everything that has to do with Him is the truth. This is because Allaah is the Truth and what they supplicate to other than Him is false and invalid and because Allaah is the Most High, the Great.
"And say: the Truth is from your Lord, so let whosoever who wills believe, and whosoever who wills disbelieve." (18:29)"And what is there after truth apart from falsehood?" (10:32)"Say: the truth has come and falsehood has been vanished, indeed falsehood by its nature is bound to be vanished." (17:81)
And all praise is due to Allaah by whose grace all good actions are completed and peace and blessings be upon Muhammad and upon his companions and those who follow them until the Day of Judgement.