Dought & clear, - Degrees of Islam.

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Are there degrees of Islam, and what are they?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, there are three degrees of Islam, which are: Islam, eemaan and ihsaan. Each of them has a meaning and certain pillars or essential parts.
1 – Islam, which in Arabic means submission. In sharee’ah terminology its meaning varies according to usage, and it may mean one of two things:
(i)When the word is used on its own and is not accompanied by the word eemaan (faith, belief), it refers to the religion as a whole, including both major and minor issues of belief, words and deeds, as in the verses where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Truly, the religion with Allaah is Islam”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:19]
“and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”
[al-Maa’idah 5:3]
“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:85]
hence some of the scholars defined it as meaning: Submitting to Allaah by affirming that He is One (Tawheed) and submitting to Him by obeying Him and disavowing shirk and its people.
(ii)When it is used in conjunction with the word eemaan (faith, belief), in which case it refers to outward deeds and words, as in the verses where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“The bedouins say: ‘We believe.’ Say: ‘You believe not but you only say, “We have surrendered (in Islam),”for Faith has not yet entered your hearts’…”
[al-Hujuraat 49:14]
InSaheeh al-Bukhaari(27) andSaheeh Muslim(150) it is narrated from Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqaas that the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) distributed (Zakaah) amongst (a group of) people while Sa’d was sittingthere. Sa’d said: But the Messenger of Allaah)peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him( left a man who I thought the best of them all, and did not give him anything. I said, “O Messenger of Allaah, why did you leave out So and so? By Allaah I regard him as a faithfulbeliever.” The Messenger of Allaah)peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him( said: “Or )merely( a Muslim.” I remained quiet for awhile, but could not help repeating my question because of what I knew abouthim. I said, “O Messenger of Allaah, why did you leave out So and so? By Allaah I regard him as a faithfulbeliever.” The Messenger of Allaah)peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him( said: “Or )merely( a Muslim.” I remained quiet for awhile, but could not help repeating my question because of what I knew abouthim. I said, “O Messenger of Allaah, why did you leave out So and so? By Allaah I regard him as a faithfulbeliever.” The Messenger of Allaah)peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him( said: “Or )merely( a Muslim. I give to one person even though another is dearer to me, for fear that hemight be thrown on his face in the Fire.”
With regard to the Prophet’s words “or (merely) a Muslim,” when Sa’d (may Allaah be pleased with him) said to him, “By Allaah I regard him as a faithfulbeliever” mean: You do not know about his faith, all you can see is his Islam in the sense of his outward actions.
The second degree is eemaan (faith), which in Arabic means belief which is committed to submission. In Islamic terminology its meaning varies according to usage and it may mean one of two things:
(i)When the word is used on its own and is not accompanied by the word Islam, it refers to the religion as a whole, as in the verses where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allaah is the Wali (Protector or Guardian) of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light”
[al-Baqarah 2:257]
“and put your trust in Allaah if you are believers indeed”
[al-Maa’idah 5:23]
And the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “No one will enter Paradise except the believers.” Narrated by Muslim, 114.
Hence the salaf were unanimously agreed that eemaan means “affirming in the heart – which includes actions of the heart – and saying with the tongue and acting with one’s physical faculties. It increases by doing acts of obedience and decreases by committing sin.”
Hence Allaah limited the word eemaan to those who adhere to His religion in full, inwardly and outwardly, when He said (interpretation of the meaning):
“The believers are only those who, when Allaah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur’aan) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone);
3. Who perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat‑as‑ Salaah) and spend out of that We have provided them.
4. It is they who are the believers in truth. For them are grades of dignity with their Lord, and forgiveness and a generous provision (Paradise)” [al-Anfaal 8:2-4]
And Allaah referred to eemaan as including all of that when He said (interpretation of the meaning):
“but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allaah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to Al-Masaakeen (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set slaves free, performs As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah), and gives the Zakât, and who fulfil their covenant when they make it, and who are patient in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during the battles). Such are the people of the truth and they are Al‑Muttaqoon (the pious”
[al-Baqarah 2:177]
And the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) referred to eemaan as including all of that in the hadeeth about the delegation of ‘Abd al-Qays which is narrated inSaheeh al-Bukhaari(53) andSaheeh Muslim(17), where he said: “I enjoin you to believe in Allaah alone. Do you know what belief (or faith) in Allaah alone is?” They said: “Allaah and His Messenger know best.” He said: “To bear witness that there is no god but Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, to establish regular prayer, to pay zakaah, to fast Ramadaan, and to give one-fifth of the war-booty (thekhums).”
The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) described fasting the month of Ramadaan out of faith and in the hope of reward as being part of faith; he also said the same concerning spending the night of Laylat al-Qadar in prayer, fulfilling one's trusts, jihad, Hajj, attending funerals, etc. InSaheeh al-Bukhaari(9) andSaheeh Muslim(35) it says: “Faith has seventy-odd branches, the highest of which is sayingLaa ilaaha ill-Allaah(there is no god except Allaah) and the least of which is removing a harmful thing from the road.” It would take too long to mention all the verses and ahaadeeth that speak of this topic.
(ii)When the word eemaan is used in conjunction with the word Islam. In this case it is understood as referring to inward beliefs as in the hadeeth of Jibreel etc., and as in the hadeeth of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning the funeral du’aa’: “O Allaah, whomever among us you cause to live, cause him to live in Islam, and whomever among us you cause to die, cause him to die in faith.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1-24; he said it is hasan saheeh. It was also classed as saheeh by al-Albaani, as stated inSaheeh Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 1/299. That is because physical actions can only be accomplished during life, but when one is dying all that is left is the words and actions of the heart.
The point is that when either word, eemaan or Islam, is used alone, there is no difference between them, rather each of them when used alone refers to the entire religion. If there is any difference between them, then the word Islam refers to outward physical actions and the word eemaan refers to inward actions of the heart. This is what is indicated by the hadeeth of Jibreel which was narrated by Muslim in hisSaheeh(8) from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab who said:
One daywhen we were with the Messenger of Allaah)peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him(, thereappeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and his hair was exceedingly black, and there were no signs of travel on him. No one among us recognized him. He came and sat down by the Prophet)peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him( and rested his knees against his and placed the palms on his hands on his thighs. He said: “O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.” The Messenger of Allaah)peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him( said: “Islam is to testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah, to establish regular prayer, to pay zakaah, to fast Ramadaan and to go on pilgrimage to the House if you are able to.” He said: “You have spoke the truth.” And we were amazed at his asking that and saying that he had spoken the truth. Then he said: “Tell me about eemaan )faith, belief(,” He said: “It means believing in Allaah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, and believing in al-qadar )the divine will and decree(, both good and bad.” He said: “You have spoken the truth.” He said: “Tell me about ihsaan.” He said: “It means worshipping Allaah as if you can see Him, and although you cannot see Him, He can see you.” He said: “Tell me about the Hour.” He said: “The one who is being asked does not know more about it than the one who is asking.” He said: “Then tell me about its signs.” He said: “The slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, and you will see the barefoot, naked, destitute herdsmen competing in constructing lofty buildings.” Then he departed and I stayed for a while. Then he said to me: “O ‘Umar, do you know who the questioner was?” I said: “Allaah and His Messenger know best.” He said: “That was Jibreel, who came to teach you your religion.”
The third degree is ihsaan, which in Arabic means doing something well, perfectly and sincerely. In Islamic terminology its meanings vary according to usage and it may mean one of two things:
(i)When it is used alone and is not mentioned in conjunction with Islam or eemaan, it refers to the religion as a whole, as stated above with regard to the words Islam and eemaan.
(ii)When it is used in conjunction with either or both of the words Islam and eemaan, the meaning is perfecting one’s outward and inward deeds. The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained it in a manner that no other created being apart from him(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) could have explained it, because of the gift of concise speech that Allaah bestowed upon him. He(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “It means worshipping Allaah as if you can see Him, and although you cannot see Him, He can see you.”This is the highest degree of Islam. Those who attain this are the foremost in doing good, the ones who will be closest to Allaah in the highest degrees of Paradise.
The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us that the degree of ihsaan is of two categories, one of which is higher than the other.
The first position is the higher of the two: This means worshipping Allaah as if you can see Him. This means that a person acts as if he can see Allaah in his heart, so his heart is filled with light and the matters of the unseen becomes almost like that which is visible (i.e., it becomes very real to him). Whoever worships Allaah with awareness of His nearness and turning to Him and acts as if he is before Allaah and looking at Him is bound to fear Him and venerate Him.
The second position is that of sincerity and awareness that Allaah is always watching. This means that a person acts with an awareness that Allaah can see him and is close to him. If a person bears this in mind and acts accordingly, then he will be sincere towards Allaah because this awareness will prevent him from paying attention to anyone other than Allaah or doing anything for the sake of anyone else. If a person achieves this position, it will become easy for him to reach the position described above. Hence the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, “and although you cannot see Him, He can see you.” If a person truly understands when worshipping Allaah that He can see him and knows all his deeds, hidden and visible, inward and outward, and that nothing is hidden from Him, then it will be easy for him to move from the lower position to the higher, which is the constant awareness that Allaah is close to His slave and is with him, because it is as if he can see Him. We ask Allaah of His great bounty.
SeeMa’aarij al-Quboolby Shaykh Haafiz al-Hakami, 2/20-33, 326-328;al-Majmoo’ al-Thameen, 1/49, 53.’Jaami’ al-‘Uloom wa’l-Hukam, 1.106.

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Dought & clear, - Jihad against the hypocrites.

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The hypocrites still raise their ugly heads from time to time, whenever they get the opportunity, in order to attack the basic and fundamental beliefs and practices of the ummah, or to cast doubts on its basic tenets, or to strip the community of its Islamic identity. What should we do about them, and how can we protect the ummah against their evil?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Undoubtedly this is a problem from which the ummah suffers from time to time, especially when it is faced with trials and tribulations and these hypocrites feel secure and feel that they will not be punished if they attack the foundations of this religion and try to spread division and tribulation.
Undoubtedly the damage that these people do is greater than that caused by the kuffaar whose kufr is obvious, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“They are the enemies, so beware of them. May Allaah curse them! How are they denying (or deviating from) the Right Path?”
[al-Munaafiqoon 63:4]
Because of that, it is prescribed to wage jihad against them and to treat them harshly.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said concerning the Nusayris, among whom were some who expressed their kufr and heresy openly and others who made a hypocritical show of loving Ahl al-Bayt (the members of the Prophet’s household):
Undoubtedly waging jihad against these people and carrying out the hadd punishments against them is one of the greatest acts of obedience and most important obligatory actions. It is better than waging jihad against those mushrikeen and people of the Book who do not fight the Muslims, for waging jihad against these comes under the same heading as waging jihad against the apostates. Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq and all the Sahaabah started with jihad against the apostates before they engaged in jihad against the kuffaar of the people of the Book, for jihad against these (the apostates) is a means to protect the lands that are already under Muslim rule, and to deter anyone who wants to apostatize. Jihad against the mushrikeen and people of the Book who are not fighting us is an additional manifestation of the power of this religion. Protecting the capital takes precedence over making profit.
Moreover the harm that these people (hypocrites) cause to the Muslims is greater than that caused by others (kaafirs), indeed their harm is like that caused by the mushrikeen and people of the Book who fight the Muslims. The damage that they do to the religious commitment of many people is worse than the damage done by those mushrikeen and people of the Book who wage war on us. Every Muslim must do as much as he can of his duty. It is not permissible for anyone to keep quiet about anything that he knows about them, rather he must broadcast it so that the Muslims will know what they really are. It is not permissible for anyone to help them to remain among the troops and government employees, or for anyone to keep quiet and refrain from carrying out against them that which Allaah and His Messenger have enjoined. It is not permissible for anyone to speak against carrying out what Allaah and His Messenger have enjoined. This is one of the greatest types of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, and of striving in jihad for the sake of Allaah. Allaah said to His Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning):
“O Prophet (Muhammad)! Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be harsh against them”
[al-Tawbah 9:73]
These people are included in this phrase “the disbelievers and the hypocrites”.
The one who helps to put a stop to their evil and to guide them as much as he can will have of reward that which is known only to Allaah, for the primary purpose is to guide them as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“You (true believers in Islamic Monotheism, and real followers of Prophet Muhammad and his Sunnah) are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:110]
Abu Hurayrah said: You are the best of people for people, you bring them in chains and fetters until they enter Islam. (al-Bukhaari, 4557).
The purpose of jihad and of enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, is to guide people to what is best for them in this world and in the Hereafter, as much as possible; then whomsoever Allaah guides will find happiness in this world and in the Hereafter, and whomsoever He does not guide, his evil will be contained.
Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 35/159-160
Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The Muslim ummah must respond in kind when it is attacked. So with regard to those who fight Islam with ideas and words, we must explain the falseness of what they say using rational evidence as well as shar’i evidence, so that the falseness of what they say will become apparent.
With regard to those who fight Islam by economic means, we must ward them off and attack them if possible, by using the same means with which they attack Islam. We must explain that the best way to strengthen the economy in a just manner is the Islamic way.
With regard to those who attack Islam with weapons, we must resist them in a similar fashion. Hence Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“O Prophet (Muhammad)! Strive hard against the disbelievers and the hypocrites, and be harsh against them, their abode is Hell, — and worst indeed is that destination”
[al-Tawbah 9:73]
It is well known that jihad against the hypocrites is not like jihad against the kuffaar, because jihad against the hypocrites is fought with knowledge and argument, whilst jihad against the kuffaar is fought with swords and arrows.
Fataawa ‘Ulama’ al-Balad al-Haraam, p. 1733.

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Dought & clear, - Conditions of worship in Islam.

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What are the conditions of worship in Islam?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Firstly: the worship must be in accordance with sharee’ah in its reasons. Any person who worships Allaah by doing an act of worship that is not done for a reason proven in sharee’ah is doing an act of worship that will be rejected and is not enjoined by Allaah and His Messenger. An example of that is celebrating the Mawlid or birthday of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or celebrating the twenty-seventh night of Rajab, claiming that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was taken up into heaven on that night. This is not in accordance with sharee’ah so it is to be rejected.
1-There is no kind of historical proof that the Mi’raaj (ascent into heaven) of the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) took place on the twenty-seventh night of Rajab. The books of hadeeth that we have do not contain even a single letter that indicates that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was taken up into heaven on the twenty-seventh night of Rajab. It is known that this is the kind of information that cannot be accepted without sound isnaads.
2-Even if it were proven, do we have the right to innovate some kinds of worship on that date or to make it a festival? Not at all. Hence when the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Madeenah and saw that the Ansaar had two days on which they would play, he said: “Allaah has replaced these for you with something better,” and he mentioned to them Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. This indicates that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) disliked any festival to be innovated in Islam apart from the Islamic festivals, of which there are three: the two annual Eids, which are Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha, and the weekly festival which is Friday. Even if it were proven that the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was taken up into heaven on the twenty-seventh of Rajab – which it is impossible to prove – we cannot innovate anything on that occasion without the permission of the Lawgiver.
As I have said to you, bid’ah (innovation) is a serious matter which has a bad effect on the heart even if a person feels softness in his heart at that moment. For the matter will subsequently be the opposite, because if the heart rejoices in falsehood, that joy will not last, rather it will be followed by pain and regret. Every bid’ah is serious because it implies criticism of the Messenger, because this bid’ah implies that the Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not bring the complete sharee’ah, even though Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”
[al-Maa'idah 5:3]
It is strange that you find some of those who indulge in these innovations strongly urge people to follow them, but they are negligent about matters which are more beneficial, more sound and more useful.
Hence we say that celebrating the night of the twenty-seventh of Rajab as the night in which the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was taken up into heaven is a bid’ah, because it is based on something that is not mentioned in sharee’ah.
Secondly: the act of worship should be in accordance with sharee’ah in its type or nature.
For example, if a person were to sacrifice a horse, that would be contrary to the sharee’ah in the nature of the action. Because a sacrifice can only involve an animal of the an’aam class, namely a camel, a cow or a sheep.
Thirdly: the act of worship must be in accordance with sharee’ah in its amount. If someone were to say that he was going to pray Zuhr as six rak'ahs, would this act of worship be in accordance with sharee’ah? Not at all, because it is not in accordance with it in terms of the amount or number. If someone were to saySubhaan Allaah(Glory be to Allaah),al-Hamdu Lillaah(praise be to Allaah) andAllaahu akbar(Allaah is Most Great) thirty-five times following a prescribed prayer, would this be correct? The answer is that if your aim is to worship Allaah by saying it this number of times because you believe this is the proper way, then you are mistaken. If you deliberately add something to what the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has prescribed, but you believe that the proper way prescribed in Islam is thirty-three, then the extras are fine, because you are not suggesting that the higher number is the proper way that is prescribed.
Fourthly: The act of worship must be in accordance with sharee’ah in how it is done.
If a person does an act of worship that is acceptable in its type, amount and reason, but he goes against sharee’ah in the manner in which he does it, then it is not valid. For example, a man breaks wind etc. and does wudoo’, but he washes his feet and then wipes his head, then washes his hands, then washes his face – is his wudoo’ valid? Not at all, because he has gone against sharee’ah in the way in which he did it.
Fifthly: the act of worship must be in accordance with sharee’ah with regard to its timing.
For example, if a person fasts Ramadaan in Sha’baan, or in Shawwaal, or he prays Zuhr before the sun has passed its zenith, or after the shadow of an object becomes equal in length to it – because if he prays before the sun has passed its zenith he is praying before the time has come, and if he prays after the shadow of an object becomes equal in length to it he is praying after the time has gone –his prayer is not valid.
Hence we say that if a person deliberately does not pray until the time for that prayer is over, with no valid excuse, his prayer will not be accepted even if he prays a thousand times. Hence we follow an important principle in this regard which is that in the case of every act of worship that is to be done at a certain time, if a person does it outside of the proper time with no valid excuse, it will not be accepted, rather it will be rejected.
The evidence for that is the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) who said that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does an action that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (i.e., Islam) will have it rejected.
Sixthly: the act of worship must be in accordance with sharee’ah with regard to the place where it is done.
If a person stands in Muzdalifah on the day of ‘Arafah, this standing is not valid, because the act of worship is not in accordance with sharee’ah with regard to the place where it is done. Similarly, for example, if a person were to do i’tikaaf in his own house, that would not be valid, because the place of i’tikaaf is the mosque. Hence it is not valid for a woman to do i’tikaaf in her house, because this is not the place for i’tikaaf. The Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw some of his wives had set up tents in the mosque; he told them to take them down and not to do i’tikaaf, but he did not tell them to do i’tikaaf in their houses. This indicates that the women should not do i’tikaaf in their houses because that goes against sharee’ah with regard to the place where it is done.
So with regard to these six factors, an act of worship is not regarded as following sharee’ah unless it combines all six:
1-Reason
2-Type
3-Amount
4-Manner
5-Time
6-Place
(ends).

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