Morals in the Life and Da‘wah of the Prophets - II

Adhering to Tawheed (Islamic monotheism) does not only apply to deeds
but also to words. Some of the Companions asked the Prophet, , to make
a tree for them that was known as "ThaatAnwaat" so that they could
hang their weapons on it in order toseek its blessings as the
disbelievers used to do. The Prophet, , responded: "By Allaah, you
have said to me the same as the Children of Israel said to Moosa; they
said:{ O Moosa make for us a god just as they havegods { . " [Ahmad
and At-Tirmithi - Hasan Saheeh [
The Prophet, , was asked about soothsayers, and he said: " They know
nothing." [Muslim] Even ifsoothsayers tell the truth once, they add to
it a hundred lies.
The Prophet, , warned us many times about using graves as Masjids
(mosques). Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): } And [He Revealed]
that the masjids are for Allaah, so do not invoke with Allaahanyone. {
[Quran 72:18] Therefore, it is the duty of all people to return in
repentance to Allaah The Almighty, submit themselves to Him, abandon
any form of Shirk , Kufr (disbelief) or devoting any acts of worship
to anything other than Allaah and to believe in Him Alone. People must
also know that Tawheed comes first,as one must give precedence to what
is most important, whether in matters concerning seeking knowledge,
work or Da'wah .
The claims that the disbelievers, polytheists and philosophers have
set the measures and foundations for good morals and that they have
good manners is vain, as what is bred in the bone will come out inthe
flesh. Also, those disbelievers and polytheists will only benefit from
their good deeds in this worldly life, but in the Hereafter they would
embody the verse (what means):
· } And We will regard what they have done of deeds and make them as
dust dispersed. { [Quran 25:23]
· } But those who disbelieved - their deeds are like a mirage in a
lowland which a thirsty one thinks is water until, when he comes to
it, he finds it is nothing but finds Allaah before Him, and He will
pay him in full his due; and Allaah is swift in account. { [Quran
24:39]
2- Adhering to Legislation: All ways are blocked except that of the
Prophet, , and it is not permissible, or indeed possible, to become
firmly established with good morals first, then try to interpret
Islamic texts in a way that would suit these morals. Allaah the
Almighty Says (what means): } O you who havebelieved, do not put
[yourselves] before Allaah and His Messenger,but fear Allaah. { [Quran
49:1] In fact, we are required to derive our methodology, principles,
and morals from the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet, , without
permitting ourselves or others to neglect any of the Sharee'ah texts.
In this regard, we have to follow the example of theProphet, , where
we have many proofs. The Prophet, , saw a man walking during
pilgrimage supported by two men, so he asked about him. The people
informed him that he had vowed to go on foot to perform pilgrimage. He
said: "Allaah is not in need of this old man's torturing himself."
Then he told the people: "Order him to ride." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
Also, when the Prophet, , saw Abu Israel standing in the sun and not
speaking, he asked the people about him. They said, "He has vowed that
on this day he will keep standing, remain in the sun and keep
silent."' The Prophet, , said: "Let him end his fast, speak, come in
the shade and sit down." [Al-Bukhaari] Sitting in the sun is a burden
that does not bring the person closer to Allaah the Almighty, and
abstaining from speaking is how the previous nations used to fast,
which is not a part of our Sharee'ah . The proof of this is what the
Prophet, , said: "Theone who believes in Allaah and the Day of
Judgment should say something good or remain silent."
Further proof is that when the Prophet, , knew that 'Abdullaah ibn
'Amr was fasting during the daytime and performing voluntary prayers
throughout the night, which made him neglect the rights of his wife,
he said to him: "Fastlike my brother, Daawood, [Prophet David ], who
would fast every other day and never fled from his enemies." [Muslim]
It was also narrated that the Prophet, , said: "Your Lord has a right
over you,and your wife has a rightover you, so give each one his
right." [Al-Bukhaari]
Thus, a person must be just, moderate and careful regarding the
different benefits in life and should maintain a good balance between
them, without excessiveness or negligence. One must also take the
requirements of the bodyand soul into consideration, without aloofness
or committing excess, and should have acomprehensive view of giving
every person his due right.
Another example is when three men went to the houses of the Prophet, ,
asking about his acts of worship. When they were informed about it, it
seemed as if they thought it was insufficient. Therefore, they said,
"How can we compare ourselves to the Prophet when his past and future
sins have been forgiven." Thereupon, one of them said, "I will offer
voluntary prayers throughout the night and never sleep." Anothersaid,
"I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast." The
third said, "I will keep away from women and will never marry." When
the Prophet, , was told about them, he mounted the pulpit and gathered
the people, then he said: "Why are some people saying such and such? I
am the most knowledgeable and mostfearful of Allaah among you, yet I
fast and break my fast, I offer voluntary night prayers and I
sleep,and I marry women. Therefore, the one who does not follow my
Sunnah, is not of my Ummah." [Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
The path that leads to Allaah the Almighty and the Gardens of Pleasure
isthe way of the Prophet, , that should not be exceeded. This way
should be followed without innovations as the most perfect human is
the Prophet, , and his Sunnah is the praised way that was followed
byhis Companions . The Sunnah is every thing that the Prophet, ,
did,said or approved of. It also includes any characteristic that was
intended as a means of legislation for the Ummah . The one who turns
away from the Sunnah of the Prophet, , should be told as the Prophet,
, said: "The one who refrains from my Sunnah, is not of my Ummah." The
Prophet, , would say: "If someone innovates something that is not in
harmony with the principles ofour religion, that thing is rejected."
[Al-Bukhaari and Muslim] It was narrated that the Prophet, , said:
"Every innovation is deviation, and everydeviation is in Hell."
According to Ash-Shaatibi an innovation is an invented way in the
religion that is falsely attributed to the Sharee'ah , even though it
is done with the intention of worshippingAllaah The Almighty.
Innovations are more preferable to Iblees (Satan) than sins, and
theone who does them is among those to whom the evil of their deeds
has been madeattractive, so he considers them good. 'Umar would say,
"Every innovation is a deviation, even if people consider it to be
good." Ibn Mas'ood would say, "Follow and do not innovate as you have
what suffices you. A dhere to the way of the early generations [the
Companions of the Prophet]."
The Companions followed this clear methodology and did notallow any
one to ruin Tawheed or Legislation. 'Umar ibn Al-Khattab for instance,
would kiss the Black Stone and say, "By Allaah, I know that you are
just a stone that can neither harm nor benefit, and I would have never
kissed you if I had not seen the Prophet kissing you." 'Ali dismissed
all the people from the mosque who would tell imaginary and unreal
stories under the pretext of reminding the people and softening their
hearts. Also, when Ibn 'Umar heard a man saying after sneezing,
"Praise be to Allaah andpeace and blessing be upon the Prophet " he
told him, "This isnot what the Prophet taught us. The Prophet said:
'When anyone of you sneezes, he shouldpraise Allaah' but he did not
mention that we should ask for blessings upon him."
When Ibn Mas'ood entered the mosque of Al-Koofah, he saw groupsof
people sitting in circlesand in the middle of eachcircle there was a
pile of stone s and a man standing by each group ordering them to
exalt Allaah The Almighty a hundred times, then to praise Him a
hundred times, and then to glorifyHim a hundred times, andthe people
responded. Ibn Mas'ood said to them, "O people! By Allaah you are
either more guided than the Prophet or you are approaching a
deviation!" They said, "O Abu 'Abdur-Rahmaan! Weonly meant to do good
deeds. " He said, "There are many who want to do good deeds but never
do [as they do not follow the Sunnah of the Prophet ]." [Ad-Daarimi]
Any addition or deletion in acts of worship or behavior that is done
with the intention of drawing closer to Allaah The Almighty, is a
rejected innovation even if the intention was goodas long as this act
does not coincide with the Sharee'ah of Allaah The Almighty. - -
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Morals in the Life and Da‘wah of the Prophets - I

The Prophet, , was commanded to maintain the same methodology that had
been adopted by all the previous prophets and messengers, may Allaah
exalt their mention, as Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): } Those
arethe ones whom Allaah has guided, so from their guidance take an
example. { [Quran 6:90] Allaah the Almighty granted the prophets
perfection of morals and character so that people would not turn away
from them with the excuse that they were repulsive or ill-natured. All
prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, only spoke what was
revealedto them by Allaah the Almighty. Their message was not
something that they fabricated or that was due to the surrounding
social conditions of their age. Their message was a revelation from
Allaah the Almighty, as each andevery prophet testified: } I only
follow what is revealed to me. { [Quran 6:50] The prophets, may Allaah
exalt their mention, did not have the right to change, replace, add,
or cancel anything that had been revealed to them. Concerning Prophet
Muhammad, , Allaah the Almighty Says (what means):
· } Nor does he speak from[his own] inclination. It isnot but a
revelation revealed. { [Quran 53:3,4]
· } Say, [O Muhammad]: "It is not for me to change it on my own
accord. I only follow what is revealed to me. Indeed, I fear, if I
should disobey my Lord, the punishment of a tremendous Day." { [Quran
10:15]
In their mission, the prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, did
not ask for a reward from their people, as they only sought the reward
of Allaah the Almighty. Prophet Hoode said to his people (what means):
} O my people, I do not ask you for it any reward. My reward is only
from The One who created me. Then will you not reason? { [Quran 11:51]
Prophet Muhammad, , confirmed the same meaning by saying (whatmeans):
} Say, [O Muhammad]: "I do not ask you for the Quran anypayment, and I
am not of the pretentious." { [Quran38:86]
The aim of all the prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, was for
people to have sincerity in religion and to turn them towards
worshipping the Lord of all creation instead of worshipping His
creatures. The prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, also aimed at
saving disobedient people from the adversity of life to the comfort of
both the worldly life and the Hereafter andfrom the oppression of
distorted and false religions to the justice of Islam. In the Quran,
Allaah the Almighty clarifies the true religion that He commands all
people to follow, by Saying (what means): } And they were not
commanded except to worship Allaah, [being] sincere to Him in
religion,inclining to truth, and to establish prayer and to give
Zakaah. And that is the correct religion. { [Quran 98:5]
Every prophet was sent speaking the language of his people in order to
communicate clearly with them. The prophets, may Allaah exalt their
mention, followed their Fitrah (innate disposition) and talked to
people in a way that suited their mentality without pretense,
declamation or exaggeration. Allaah the Almighty Says (what means):
· } And I am not of the pretentious { [Quran 38:86]
Allaah the Almighty madethe method of Da'wah (propagation) clear to
Hisprophets, as He gave an order to His Prophet, , by Saying (what
means):
· } Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction,
and argue with them in away that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most
knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most Knowing of who
is [rightly] guided. { [Quran 16:125]
The methodology of the prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, and
their Da'wah are clear. The best way to make Da'wah is the clear and
simple way of the noble Quran, with which one does not need any
philosophical or scholastic methodology.
All the prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, gave precedence to
the eternal life of the Hereafter over the worldly life that would
ultimately come to an end. Their predominant characteristic was to
renounce the pleasures of this worldly life and seek the reward of the
Hereafter, as they were certain that: } what is with Allaah is better
and more lasting { [Quran 28:60] and: } that which iswith Allaah is
best for therighteous. { [Quran 3:198]
Allaah the Almighty Says to His Prophet, , (what means): } And do not
extend your eyes toward that by which We have given enjoyment to
[some] categories of them, [its being but] the splendor of worldly
life by which We test them. And the provision of yourLord is better
and more enduring. { [Quran 20:131]
The prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention, werethe most perfect,
most honest and had the noblest lineage of all mankind. Allaah the
Almighty chose them by his Knowledge over everyone and everything else
to bear the greatest trust, which is conveying His message. Therefore,
they must be a model for all people. Regarding the merits of the
prophets, Allaah the Almighty Says (what means):
· } And remember Our servants, Ibraaheem, Ishaaq and Ya'qoob - those
of strength and [religious] vision. Indeed,We chose them for an
exclusive quality: remembrance of the home [of the Hereafter]. And
indeed they are, to Us, among the chosen and outstanding. And remember
Ismaa'eel, Al-Yas' and Dhul-Kifl, and all are among the outstanding. {
[Quran 38:45-48]
· } [Allaah] Said: "O Moosa,I have chosen you over the people with My
messages and My words [to you]. So take what I have given you and be
among the grateful." { [Quran 7:144]
Throughout their Da'wah , the prophets, may Allaah exalt their
mention, not only confirmed the idea of servitude to Allaah by telling
their people (whatmeans): } worship Allaah; you have no deity other
than Him} [Quran 7:59] but they also treated the faults that were
widespread during their time and urged their people to be virtuous.
Forinstance, Prophet Shu'ayb tried to reform the faults of his people,
the people of Madyan, and advised them not to give less in measure and
weight and decrease the rights of others. Also, Prophet Loote said to
his people: } "Do you approach males among the worlds. And leave what
your Lord has created for you as mates?But you are a people
transgressing." { [Quran 26:165-166] He also criticized them for
obstructing roads and committing every evil in their meetings . The
biography of the Prophet, , also proves that he continuously tried to
treat the faults ofhis people, as will be clarified later.
Adhering to Tawheed andLegislation: A Shield for Morality
1- Adhering to Tawheed (monotheism): Tawheed is purity as it is
acknowledgement of the truth, while Shirk (polytheism) is an impurity
as Allaah the Almighty Says (what means): } indeed the polytheists are
unclean. { [Quran 9:28]This is because Shirk is the denial of truth,
and even if the polytheists superficially bathed, adorned and perfumed
themselves their inner impurity would still not be removed. Sins and
evil deeds are considered impurities, as the Prophet, , said: "Whoever
commits any of these sins should conceal them and make use of the
concealmentgranted to him by Allaah. Whoever openly admits to his sins
[to other people] will be punished with what is prescribedin the
Quran."
In order to perfect morality and obtain the desired objectives, we
should be careful in matters pertaining to Tawheed and legislation and
follow the Sunnah of the Prophet, , in this regard. The Prophet, ,
implanted two crucial principles in his Companions: the first wasto
worship Allaah the Almighty without associating any other deity with
Him, while the second principle was to worship Allaah the Almighty
according to HisLegislation and no other. The Prophet, , did not allow
any of his Companions to break either of these two principles. Once
the Prophet, , saw 'Umar ibn Al-Khattaab holding a piece of paper from
the Torah as he had admired what was written on it. Thereupon,the
Prophet, , was veryangry and said to him: "You do this while I am
amongst you? I have conveyed to you the message white and pure. By
Allaah, if Moosa [Moses] had been alive now, he would have had no
choice but to follow me." [Ahmad, Al-Albaani - Hasan ] This Hadeeth
shows the universal nature of the Da'wah of the Prophet, , and thatit
is impermissible to follow anything except the Quran and Sunnah .
Therefore, how can people leave these protected principles and seek
guidance in things that have been distorted and changed?
Once, the Prophet, , heard an Imaam delivering a Khutbah (sermon) on
the pulpit, and saying, "Whoever obeys Allaah and His Messenger will
be rightly guided, while whoever disobeys them, will be misguided."
The Prophet, , said: "What a bad Imaam you are! Say: 'The one who
disobeys Allaah and His Messenger will bemisguided'." [Ahmad, Muslim]
In the abovementioned Hadeeth , the Prophet, , criticized the Imaam
forsaying "disobeying them" when referring to Allaah and His Prophet,
, as the use of this pronoun entails that both Allaah the Almighty and
His Prophet, , are on the same level. The Prophet, , also saw that it
was appropriate to mention and clarify this point in during the
Khutbah .
When 'Uthmaan ibn Math'oon died, Umm Al-'Alaa' said, "O Abu As-Saa'ib!
I testify that Allaah has honored you." The Prophet, , said to her:
"How do you know that Allaah has honored Him?" She replied, "Who would
be honored if not him?" The Prophet, said to her: "By Allaah, though I
am the Messenger of Allaah, I do not know what Allaah will do with me
tomorrow." Umm Al-'Alaa' said, "By Allaah, I will never attest the
piety of anybody after this." [Ahmad and Al-Bukhaari]
Deeds depend on how the last of them will be, which Allaah the
Almighty has concealed from people's knowledge. This refutes what was
said by the Jews and Christians as they said (what means):
· } We are the children of Allaah and His beloved { [Quran 5:18]
· } None will enter Paradise except one who is a Jew or a Christian. {
[Quran 2:111]
Allaah the Almighty told them (what means): } That is [merely] their
wishful thinking, Say: "Produce your proof, if you should be
truthful." { [Quran 2:111] This also refutes what some people do,
thinking that some of the dead are the allies of Allaah The Almighty
and consequently, they worship these 'allies'.
Among the examples thatillustrate adherence to Tawheed is when a man
came to the Prophet, , and said to him, "Allaah and you willing." The
Prophet, , said: "Are you making me an equal to Allaah? You should
say,'What Allaah alone, wills." [Ahmad, Al-Albaani - Hasan [

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Tawheed (Divine Unity) - How can Tawheed be achieved and what is the promised reward?.

How can a person achieve Tawheed or truebelief in the Oneness of Allaah?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allaah.
You have asked – may Allaah bless you – about an important matter,
which is easy for the onefor whom Allaah makes it easy. We ask Allaah
to make it easy for us and for our Muslim brothers to attain all that
is good.
It should be noted that achieving Tawheed or true belief in the
Oneness of Allaah can only be done by testifying truly that there is
no god but Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.
Achieving this is of two degrees, one that is obligatory and one that
is mustahabb.
The obligatory degree is achieved by means of three things:
1- Giving up shirk (association of others with Allaah) in all its
forms, major, minor and concealed.
2- Giving up bid'ah (innovation) in all its forms.
3- Giving up sin in all its forms.
The mustahabb degree is that in which people may vary greatly, and it
means not having anything in the heart of attachment to anything or
anyone other than Allaah, so the heart is focused entirely on Allaah
and pays no attention to anything or anyone else; he speaks only for
the sake of Allaah and his deeds andactions are all for Allaah and all
his thoughts are focused Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted.Some
scholars described this degree as: giving upsomething that is
permissible so as to avoid something that is forbidden; that includes
actions of the heart, tongue and physical faculties.
In order to achieve thesetwo degrees, certain things are essential:
1 – Knowledge, otherwise how can one attain Tawheed or true belief in
the Oneness of Allaah and act upon it if he does not know of it or
understand it? Each accountable adult must learn about the Oneness of
Allaah that which will make his beliefs, words and deeds correct, then
anything more than thatis a bonus.
2 – Firm, certain and deeply-rooted belief in that which was
narratedfrom Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted and His Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) of reports and words.
3 – Obedience to the commands of Allaah and His Messenger (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) by doing that which is enjoined, and
avoiding that whichis forbidden.
The more a person achieves these things, the stronger will be his
Tawheed and the greater will be his reward.
Our Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has
explained to us that the one who attains the highest level of
Tawheedis the one who is promised that he will be with the seventy
thousand who will enterParadise without being brought to account –
weask Allaah of His bounty.
In Saheeh al-Bukhaari (5705) and Saheeh Muslim (220) it is narrated
that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
nations were shown to me and I saw aProphet with a group of men, a
Prophet with oneor two men, and a Prophet with no one with him. Then a
huge crowd was shown to me,and I thought that they were my ummah, but
it was said to me, 'This is Moosa and his people. But look at the
horizon.' I looked, and there was a huge crowd. Then it was said to
me: 'Look at the other horizon,' and there was (another) huge crowd.
It was said to me: 'This is your ummah, and among them are seventy
thousand who will enterParadise without being called to account or
punished.'"
Then he got up and went into his house, andthe people started
discussing those who would enter Paradise without being called to
account or being punished. Some of them said: Perhaps they are the
ones who accompanied the Messenger of Allaah (S). Some said: Perhaps
they are those who were born in Islam and did not associate anything
with Allaah. And they mentioned several ideas.Then the Messenger of
Allaah (S) came out and said: "What are you discussing?" They told
him, and he said: "They are the ones who did not perform ruqyah or ask
others to do so, and did not believe in omens, and did not use
cautery, and they put their trust in their Lord." 'Ukkaashah ibn
Mihsan stood up and said: Pray to Allaah to make me one of them. He
said: "You will be one of them." Another man stood up and said: Pray
to Allaah to make me one of them. He said: " 'Ukkaashah has beaten you
to it."
The phrase "did not perform ruqyah or ask others to do so" means that
they did not ask others to perform ruqyah for them. Although asking
someone to perform ruqyah is permissible, it is contrary to that which
is better.
The phrase "and did not believe in omens" meansthat they did not
believein omens based on birds or anything else about which people are
superstitious and may give up something that they had decided to do
because of these superstitions. Superstition is haraam and is a form
of minor shirk.
The phrase "and did not use cautery" means that they did not cauterize
with fire to treat sickness, even if it is proven to be of benefit,
because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
disliked it, and because no one can punish with fire but the Lord of
the fire.
The common thread in these three characteristics is that they "put
their trust in their Lord", i.e., they attained the highest degree of
trust (tawakkul) and they did not pay the slightest attention to the
means, and they did not dependon them, rather they depended on their
Lord alone, may He be glorified.
Tawakkul (trust) is the summary of faith, as Sa'eed ibn Habeeb said,
indeed it is the ultimate aim as Wahb ibn Munabbih (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said.
In question no. 4203 youwill find further discussion of this hadeeth,
so please read it. And Allaah knows bestand is most Wise.
Note: Achieving true Tawheed or belief in theOneness of Allaah
cannotbe achieved by mere wishing or pretending, or by empty claims
that have no real essence, rather it is achieved by means of firm
belief thatis rooted in the heart, byachieving true ihsaan that is
confirmed by a good attitude and righteous deeds. The Muslim must
hasten to make the best of every moment of his life and hasten to do
good deedsand acts of worship; he should ignore the hardship and enjoy
the pain, for that which is with Allaah is precious, for that which is
with Allaah is Paradise.
See: al-Qawl al-Sadeed 'ala Maqaasid Kitaab al-Tawheed by Shaykh 'Abd
al-Rahmaan al-Sa'di(may Allaah have mercy on him), p. 20-23. - -
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Tawheed (Divine Unity) - The status of ruling by that which Allaah has revealed in Islam.

What is the status of ruling by that which Allaah has revealed in
Islam? Is the one who rules by something otherthan that which Allaah
has revealed a kaafir?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Ruling by that which Allaah has revealed is part of Tawheed
al-Ruboobiyyah (Oneness of the divine Lordship), because it is
implementing the ruling of Allaah as is implied by acceptance of His
Lordship (Ruboobiyyah) and His perfect sovereignty and control. Hence
Allaah calls those who are followed in a manner contrary to what He
has revealed arbaab (lords) of their followers. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"They (Jews and Christians) took their rabbis and their monks to be
their lords [arbaab] besides Allaah (by obeying them in things which
they made lawful or unlawful according to their own desires without
being ordered by Allaah), and (they also took as their Lord) Messiah,
son of Maryam (Mary), while they (Jews and Christians) were commanded
[in the Tawraat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)] to worship none but
One Ilaah (God — Allaah) Laa ilaaha illa Huwa (none has the right to
be worshipped but He). Praise and glory be to Him (far above is He)
from having the partners they associate (with Him)"
[al-Tawbah 9:31]
Allaah calls those who are followed "lords" because they are appointed
as lawgivers along with Allaah, and He calls the followers "slaves"
because they submit to them and obeythem in going against the ruling
of Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted.
'Adiyy ibn Haatim said tothe Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him): "But they do not worship them." The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Nay, they forbid to
them that which is permissible andthey permit to them thatwhich is
forbidden, and they follow them; that is how they worship them."
Once you understand this, you should realize that with regard to the
one who does not rule by that which Allaah has revealed and wants
rulings to be referred to someone other than Allaah and His Messenger,
there are verses which state that he has no faith, and verses which
state that he is a kaafir, zaalim (wrongdoer) and faasiq (rebellious
evildoer).
As for the first category (i.e. the verses which state that he has no faith):
For example, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Have you not seen those (hypocrites) who claim that they believe in
that which has been sent down to you, and that which was sent down
before you, and they wish to go for judgement (in their disputes) to
the Taaghoot (false judges) while they have been ordered to reject
them. But Shaytaan (Satan) wishes to lead them far astray.
61. And when it is said tothem: 'Come to what Allaah has sent down and
to the Messenger (Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم),' you (Muhammad صلى
الله عليه وسلم) see the hypocrites turn away from you (Muhammad صلى
الله عليه وسلم)with aversion.
62. How then, when a catastrophe befalls thembecause of what their
hands have sent forth, they come to you swearing by Allaah, 'We meant
no more than goodwill and conciliation!'
63. They (hypocrites) arethose of whom Allaah knows what is in their
hearts; so turn aside from them (do not punish them) but admonish
them, and speak to them an effective word (i.e. to believe in Allaah,
worship Him, obey Him, and be afraid of Him) to reach their
innerselves.
64. We sent no Messenger, but to be obeyed by Allaah's Leave. If they
(hypocrites), when they had been unjust to themselves, had come to you
(Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) and begged Allaah's forgiveness, and the
Messenger had begged forgiveness for them, indeed, they would
havefound Allaah All-Forgiving (One Who forgives and accepts
repentance), Most Merciful.
65. But no, by your Lord, they can have no Faith, until they make you
(O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) judge in alldisputes between them, and
find in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept
(them) with full submission"
[al-Nisa' 4:60-65]
Allaah ascribes to these people who claim to have faith when they are
hypocrites several characteristics:
1.
They want to refer for judgement to al-taaghoot, which is everything
that goes against the ruling of Allaah and His Messenger(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), because going against the ruling of
Allaah and His Messenger is tughyanand transgression against the
ruling of the One to Whom belongs judgement and all thingsreturn to
Him, namely Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Surely, His is the creation and commandment. Blessed is Allaah, the
Lord of the 'Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)!" [al-A'raaf
7:54].
2.
If they are called to that which Allaah revealed tothe Messenger, they
refuse and turn away.
3.
If a calamity befalls thembecause of what their hands sent forth, such
asbeing exposed for their wrongdoing, they come swearing that they
only meant good will and conciliation, as in the case of those who
reject the rule of Islam today and govern according tolaws that go
against it, claiming that this is good and suited to modern
circumstances.
Then Allaah warns these people who claim to be believers but who bear
these characteristics thatHe knows what is in their hearts and what
they are concealing of things that are different from what they say.
And He commands His Prophet to admonish them and speak to them an
effective word. Then He explains the wisdom behind sending the
Messenger to be the onlyone who to be obeyed and followed, and no one
else, no matter how strong their ideas and how vast their
understanding. Then Allaah swears by His Lordship to His Messenger,
which is the most special kind of Lordship and which points to the
truth of His message, confirming that faith cannot be valid except
with three things:
1.
Referral for judgement in all disputes must be made to the Messenger
of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
2.
They should open their hearts to his judgement and there should be no
objection or resistance to it in their hearts.
3.
There must be full submission and acceptance of his ruling and it must
be implemented with no hesitation or deviance.
As for the second category (verse which say that he is a kaafir,
zaalim and faasiq):
For example, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And whosoever does not judge by what Allaahhas revealed, such are the
Kaafiroon (i.e. disbelievers — of a lesser degree as they do not act
on Allaah's Laws)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:44]
"And whosoever does not judge by that which Allaah has revealed,
suchare the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers — of a lesser
degree)"
[al-Maa'idah 5:45]
"And whosoever does not judge by what Allaahhas revealed (then) such
(people) are the Faasiqoon [the rebellious i.e. disobedient (of a
lesser degree)] to Allaah"
[al-Maa'idah 5:47].
Can these three characteristics be applied to one person, i.e., is the
one who does not rule by what Allaah has revealed a kaafir, zaalim and
faasiq? Because Allaah has described the kaafirs as being wrongdoers
and evildoers, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): "And it is
the disbelievers who are theZaalimoon (wrongdoers)" [al-Baqarah 2:254]
and "Certainly they disbelieved in Allaah andHis Messenger, and died
while they were Faasiqoon (rebellious, —disobedient to Allaah and His
Messenger صلىالله عليه وسلم)" [al-Tawbah 9:84], so every kaafir is a
wrongdoer and evildoer– or do these characteristics apply to those
described only insofar as they do not rule by that which Allaahhas
revealed? The latter is more likely in my view, and Allaah knows best.
We say: The one who does not rule by that which Allaah has revealed
because he regards it as insignificant, or he looksdown on it, or he
believes that something else is better and more beneficial to people,
is a kaafir in the sense of being beyond the pale of Islam. Among
these are those who promulgate for the people legislation that goes
against Islamic lawsto be a way by which people live. They only
promulgated that legislation which goes against Islamic laws because
they believe that it is better for people, because it is wellknown on
the basis of common sense [?] that people do not turn awayfrom one way
to another way that is different unless they believe that the one
theyturned to is better and that the one they turnedaway from is
lacking.
If a person does not rule by that which Allaah has revealed, but he
does not regard it as insignificant, look down on it or believe that
something else is better than it and more beneficial for people,
rather he rules by something else by way of wronging those who are
under his rule and out of vengeance and soon, then he is a wrongdoer
but he is not a kaafir, and the level of his wrongdoing varies
according to the alternative by which he rules and the means of
ruling.
If a person does not rule by that which Allaah has revealed, but he
does not regard it as insignificant, look down on it or believe that
something else is better than it and more beneficial for people,
rather he rules by something else so as to fulfill the wish of those
who are ruled, or because of a bribe or forsome other worldly reason,
then he is a faasiq (rebellious evildoer) but he is not a kaafir, and
the level of his wrongdoing varies according to the alternative by
which he rules and the means of ruling.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said
concerning those who take their rabbis and monks as lords instead of
Allaah that they are oftwo types:
1.
Those who know that they changed the religion of Allaah and they
follow them in those changes, and believe in the permissibility of
what was forbidden and the prohibition of what Allaah has permitted,
following their leaders, even though they know that they have gone
against the religion of the Messengers. This is kufr and Allaah and
His Messenger regard it as shirk.
2.
Those who believe in thepermissibility of what was forbidden and the
prohibition of what Allaah has permitted, butthey obeyed them in
disobeying Allaah, as theMuslim does when he commits sins that he
believes are sins. They come under the same ruling as other sinners.
End quote.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him).
Fataawa al-'Aqeedah (p. 208-212). - - ▓███▓ Translator:->
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