He is asking about al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah?

What is al-'Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah? What is it about?.
Praise be to Allaah.
al-'Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah is a book dealing with 'aqeedah (basic
tenets offaith) which was writtenby Imam al-Tahhaawi and named after
him. Discussing this 'aqeedah means that we must lookat it from a
number of angles.
Firstly:
The author is the imam, muhaddith and faqeeh Abu Ja'far Ahmad ibn
Muhammad ibn Salaamah al-Tahhaawi - who is named after a village in
Upper Egypt - he studied with many Shaykhs and learned from them and
benefited from them, and he listed their number as three hundred
Shaykhs.
He was praised by more than one of the scholars:
Ibn Yoonus said: al-Tahhaawi was trustworthy, sincere, a faqeeh and a
man of wisdom, and after him there was no one else like him.
Al-Dhahabi said: the faqeeh, muhaddith, haafiz, one of the prominent
scholars, and he was trustworthy, sincere, a faqeeh and a man of
wisdom.
Ibn Katheer said: He was one of the trustworthy, sincere and a haafiz.
He wrote books which were well-written, comprehensive and of great
value, among which was his great book Ma'aani al-Athaar, which
contains research on fiqh accompanied by evidence and discussion of
controversial matters, and pointing to which view is more correct.
His books also include Mushkil al-Athaar and others.
He died (may Allaah havemercy on him) in 321 AH and was buried in
Egypt,in al-Quraafah.
See his biography in Siyar A'laam al-Nubala' (15/33-37) and
al-Bidaayah wa'l-Nihaayah (11/174).
Secondly:
This 'Aqeedah which waswritten by al-Tahhaawi mentions a number of the
beliefs of the righteous salaf and those who followed them of Ahl
al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah, which was approved by the imams of the
Hanafis - as al-Tahhaawi followed the madhhab of Abu Haneefah. He
explained in his introduction his aims in doing that, and said:
"This is an explanation of the 'aqeedah of Ahl al-Sunnah
wa'l-Jamaa'ahaccording to the view of the fuqaha' of this madhhab: Abu
Haneefahal-Nu'maan ibn Thaabit al-Kufi, Abu Yoosuf Ya'qoob ibn
Ibraaheem al-Ansaari, and Abu 'Abd-Allaah Muhammad ibn al-Hasan
al-Shaybaani, may Allaahbe pleased with them all,and the beliefs
concerning the fundamentals of Islam, on the basis of which they
submit to the Lord of the Worlds." End quote.
Then he mentioned these basic beliefs, and the total number of things
he mentioned was 105 things believed by Ahl al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah in
general.
He started by explaining the Oneness of Allaah, may He be exalted, and
said a little about the attributes of His Lordship(sifaat
ruboobiyyatihi), such as His being alive and self-sufficient, and His
being the Creator and Provider, and he affirmed the attributes of
perfection without discussing how or likening Him to any of His
creation, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "There
is nothing like Him, and Heis the All-Hearer, the All-Seer" [al-Shoora
42:11]. Then he followedthat with a discussion of the obligation to
believein the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) and that he was sent to all people. Then he spoke of the
Holy Qur'aan, stating that it is the word of Allaah and not created,
and he affirmed that thebelievers will see Allaah in the Hereafter.
Then hementioned some mattersof the unseen in which Ahl al-Sunnah
believe, such as the Cistern (al-hawd), intercession, the Throne and
the Footstool (al-Kursiy). Then he mentioned the pillars of belief in
al-qada' wa'l-qadar (the Divine will and decree) and what Ahl
al-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah believe about this topic. Then hewent on to
define faith and its pillars, and explained that faith may increase
and decrease, and he explained the view of Ahl al-Sunnah in contrast
to the views of the Khawaarij and Murji'ah. He also described what
Ahl-al-Sunnah believe with regard to the noble Sahaabah (may Allaah
bepleased with them), and that loving them is part of Islam, faith and
ihsaan, and that hating them is kufr, hypocrisy and sin. Then he
mentioned some of the portents of the Hour andwhat will happen on
theDay of Resurrection, then he ended his essay with an discussion of
how this religion is the middle path, between exaggeration and
fallingshort.
Thirdly:
It is a book of 'aqeedah that is easy to read and clear in meaning. It
is comprehensive and brief. It sums up the beliefs of Ahl al-Sunnah
wa'l-Jamaa'ah and, for the most part, includes matters on which there
is scholarly consensus and agreement.
Many scholars have written commentaries on this 'Aqeedah and explained
its words and meanings. One of the most famous of them is Ibn
Abi'l-'Izz al-Hanafi, who wrote a lengthy commentary on it; among
later scholars, Shaykh 'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Baaz and Shaykh Muhammad
Naasir al-Deen al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on them) wrote
commentaries on it, as did Shaykh Safar ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Hawaali
(may Allaah preserve him). The one who wants to understand more of the
meanings of al-Tahhaawiyyah can refer to these commentaries.
Fourthly:
'Aqeedah al-Tahhaawi discusses matters in briefand general terms, but
what made it very famous and popular among the Salafis in particular
is the commentary which was written by Shaykh Ibn Abi'l-'Izz al-Hanafi
(may Allaah have mercy on him), which is the most important and most
detailed of its commentaries. He based his commentary on the books of
Ahl al-Sunnah, especially the books of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah
(may Allaah have mercy on him) and his student Ibn al-Qayyim (may
Allaah have mercy on him).
Fifthly:
Despite what we have referred to of the good features of this
'Aqeedahand its commentary by Ibn Abi'l-'Izz, it also contains a
number of issues which were criticized, because they go against what
the salaf believed, such as his saying, when defining faith: "Faith is
affirming with the tongue and believing in the heart," because
limiting it to that is the view of the Murji'i fuqaha' who excluded
physical actions from thedefinition of faith. The same applies to what
he said after that, "Faith is one and the same, and believers are
equal with regard to the foundation of faith."
It also includes some general phrases that may be understood
incorrectly, and are mostoften used by innovatorsto mean things that
are contrary to the beliefs ofthe righteous salaf, such as his saying,
"exalted beHe above limits and boundaries" and "exalted be He above
having faculties and parts" and "He is not subject to directions
anddimensions which are attributes of created beings." Such phrases
are used by those who misinterpret the attributes of Allaah
(al-mu'attilah) to deny what is affirmed in the Book of Allaah and
the Sunnah of His Messengerof the sublime attributesof Allaah that
befit His perfection, may He be glorified and exalted, such as His
Countenance,hands and eyes. They callthem faculties and parts,and deny
that Allaah possesses them.
Another example is His being above His creation, and His rising above
His Throne in His heaven. They call this "directions and location"and
deny that it applies to Allaah, may He be exalted.
Because of that, it is important for the seekerof knowledge to pay
attention to learning this 'Aqeedah from a scholar of Ahl al-Sunnah
who can explain it, such as Ibn Abi'l-'Izz among classical scholars
and from contemporary scholars who have written brief commentaries on
it, as we have referred to above.
There are many audio commentaries on this book, such as the commentary
by Shaykh Saalih Aal al-Shaykh, andthe commentary by Shaykh Yoosuf
al-Ghufays, and others.
Shaykh Safar al-Hawaali (may Allaah preserve him) has commented at
length on the commentary of Ibn Abi'l-'Izz; you may refer to it on his
website.
And Allaah knows best.

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Is it obligatory to obey aruler who does not rule according to the Book ofAllaah and the Sunnah ofHis Messenger (blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him)?

Is it obligatory to obey a ruler who does not rule according to the
Book ofAllaah and the Sunnah ofHis Messenger (blessings and peace of
Allaah be upon him)?.
Praise be to Allaah.
The ruler who does not rule according to the Book of Allaah and the
Sunnah of His Messengershould be obeyed in matters that do not involve
disobedience towards Allaah and His Messenger, and it is not
obligatory to fight him because of that; rather itis not permissible
to do so unless he reaches the level of kufr, in which case it becomes
obligatory to oppose him and he has no right to be obeyed by the
Muslims.
Ruling according to anything other than thatwhich is in the Book of
Allaah and the Sunnah ofHis Messenger reaches the level of kufr when
two conditions are met:
1. When he knows the ruling of Allaah and His Messenger; if he is
unaware of it, then he does not commit kufr by going against it.
2. When what makes him rule by something other than that which
Allaah has revealed is the belief that it is a ruling that is not
suitable for our time andthat something else is more suitable than it
and more beneficial for people.
If these two conditions are met, then ruling by something other than
that which Allaah has revealed constitutes kufrwhich puts a person
beyond the pale of Islam, because Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning): "And whosoever does not judge by what Allaah hasrevealed,
such are the Kaafiroon (i.e. disbelievers)" [al-Maa'idah 5:44]. The
authority of the ruler becomes invalid and he has no right to be
obeyed by the people; it becomes obligatory to fight him and remove
him from power.
But if he rules by something other than that which Allaah has revealed
whilst believing that ruling by that – i.e. that which Allaah has
revealed -- is what is obligatory, and that it is more suitable for
the people, but he goes against it because of some whims and desires
on his part or because he wants to wrong the people underhis rule,
then he is not a kaafir; rather he is a faasiq (evildoer) or a zaalim
(wrongdoer). His authority remains, and obeying him in matters that do
not involve disobedience to Allaah and His Messenger is obligatory,
and it is not permissible to fight him or remove him from power by
force or to rebel against him, because the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allaah be upon him) forbade rebelling against rulers unless
we see blatant kufr for which we have proof from Allaah.

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The First Caliph, Abu Bakr(632-634 A.C.)

"If I were to take a friend other than my Lord, I would take Abu Bakr
as a friend." (Hadeeth)
Election to the Caliphate
The Prophet's closest Companion, Abu Bakr, was not present when the
Holy Prophet (peace be on him) breathed his last in the apartment of
his beloved wife of later years, Aisha, Abu Bakr's daughter. When he
came to know of the Prophet's passing, Abu Bakr hurried to the house
of sorrow.
"How blessed was your life and how beatific is your death,"
he whispered as he kissed the cheek of his beloved friend and master
who now was no more.
When Abu Bakr came out of the Prophet's apartment and broke the news,
disbelief and dismay gripped the community of Muslims in Medina.
Muhammad (peace be on him) had been the leader, the guide and the
bearer of Divine revelation through whom they had been brought from
idolatry and barbarism intothe way of God. How could he die? Even
Umar, one of the bravest and strongest of the Prophet's Companions,
lost his composure and drew his sword and threatened to kill anyone
who said that the Prophet was dead. Abu Bakr gently pushed him aside,
ascended the steps ofthe lectern in the mosque and addressed the
people, saying
"O people, verily whoever worshipped Muhammad, behold! Muhammad is
indeed dead. But whoever worships God, behold! God is alive and
willnever die."
And then he concluded with a verse from the Qur'an:
"And Muhammad is but a Messenger. Many Messengers have gone before
him; if then hedies or is killed, will you turn back upon your heels?"
[3:144]
On hearing these words, the people were consoled. Despondency gave
place to confidence and tranquility. This critical moment had passed.
But the Muslim community was nowfaced with an extremely serious
problem: that of choosing a leader. After some discussion among the
Companions of the Prophet who had assembled in order to select a
leader, it became apparent that no one was better suited for this
responsibility than Abu Bakr. A portion of the speech the First Caliph
gave after his election hasalready been quoted in the introduction.
Abu Bakr's Life
Abu Bakr ('The Owner of Camels')was not his real name. He acquired
this name later in life because of his great interest in raising
camels. His real name was Abdul Ka'aba ('Slave of Ka'aba'), which
Muhammad (peace be on him) later changed to Abdullah ('Slave of God').
The Prophet also gave him the title of 'Siddiq' - 'The Testifier to
the Truth.'
Abu Bakr was a fairly wealthy merchant, and before he embraced Islam,
was a respected citizen of Mecca. He was three years younger than
Muhammad (peace be on him) and some natural affinity drew them
together from earliest child hood. He remained the closest Companion
of the Prophet all through the Prophet's life. When Muhammadfirst
invited his closest friends and relatives to Islam, Abu Bakr was among
the earliest to accept it. He also persuaded Uthman and Bilal to
accept Islam. In the early days of the Prophet's mission, when the
handful of Muslims were subjected to relentless persecution and
torture, Abu Bakr bore his full share of hardship. Finally when God's
permission came to emigrate from Mecca, he was the one chosen by the
Prophet to accompany him on the dangerous journey to Medina. In the
numerous battles which took place during the life of the Prophet, Abu
Bakr was always byhis side. Once, he brought all his belongings to the
Prophet, who was raising money for the defense of Medina. The Prophet
asked "Abu Bakr, what did you leave for your family?" The reply came:
"God and His Prophet."
Even before Islam, Abu Bakr was known to be a man of upright character
and amiable and compassionate nature. All through his life he was
sensitive to human suffering and kind to the poor and helpless. Even
though he was wealthy, he lived very simply and spent his moneyfor
charity, for freeing slaves andfor the cause of Islam. He often spent
part of the night in supplication and prayer. He shared with his
family a cheerfuland affectionate home life.
Abu-Bakr's Caliphate
Such, then, was the man upon whom the burden of leadership fell at the
most sensitive period in the history of the Muslims.
As the news of the Prophet's death spread, a number of tribesrebelled
and refused to pay Zakat (poor-due), saying that this was due only to
the Prophet(peace be on him). At the same time a number of impostors
claimed that the prophethood had passed to them after Muhammad and
they raised the standard of revolt. To add to all this, two powerful
empires, the Eastern Roman and the Persian, also threatened the
new-born Islamic state at Medina.
Under these circumstances, many Companions of the Prophet, including
Umar, advisedAbu Bakr to make concessions to the Zakat evaders, at
least for a time. The new Caliph disagreed. He insisted that the
Divine Law cannot be divided, that there is no distinction between the
obligations of Zakat and Salat (prayer), and that any compromise with
the injunctions of God would eventually erode the foundations of
Islam. Umar and others were quick to realize their error of judgment.
The revolting tribes attacked Medina but the Muslims were prepared.
Abu Bakr himself led the charge, forcing them to retreat. He then made
a relentless war on the false claimants to prophethood, most of whom
submitted and again professed lslam.
The threat from the Roman Empire had actually arisen earlier, during
the Prophet's lifetime. The Prophet had organized an army under the
command of Usama, the son of afreed slave. The army had not gone far
when the Prophet had fallen ill so they stopped. After the death of
the Prophet the question was raised whether the army should be sent
again or should remain for the defenceof Medina. Again Abu Bakr showed
a firm determination. He said, "I shall send Usama's army on its way
as ordered by the Prophet, even if I am left alone."
The final instructions he gave to Usama prescribed a code of conduct
in war which remains unsurpassed to this day. Part of his instructions
to the Muslim army were:
"Do not be deserters, nor be guilty of disobedience. Do not kill an
old man, a woman or a child. Do not injure date palms and do not cut
down fruit trees. Do not slaughter any sheep or cows or camels except
for food. You will encounter persons who spend their lives in
monasteries. Leave them alone and do not molest them."
Khalid bin Waleed had been chosen by the Prophet (peace beon him) on
several occasions to lead Muslim armies. A man of supreme courage and
a born leader, his military genius came to full flower during the
Caliphate of Abu Bakr. Throughout Abu Bakr's reign Khalid led his
troops from one victory to another against the attacking Romans.
Another contribution of Abu Bakr to the cause of Islam was the
collection and compilation of the verses of the Qur'an.
Abu Bakr died on 21 Jamadi-al Akhir, 13 A.H. (23 August 634 A.C.), at
the age of sixty-three, and was buried by the side of the Holy Prophet
(peace be on him). His caliphate had been of amere twenty-seven months
duration. In this brief span, however, Abu Bakr had managed, by the
Grace of God, to strengthen and consolidate his community and the
state, and to secure the Muslims against the perils which had
threatened their existence.

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Biographies of the Companions (Sahabah)

The Sahaabah were the companions of Prophet Muhammad (saas). They are
described in glowing terms by the Prophet (saas) as the following
hadith from Sahih Muslim shows:
Book 30, Number 6159
Narrated Aisha:
A person asked Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) as to who amongst
the people were the best.He said: Of the generation to which I belong,
then of the second generation (generation adjacent to my generation),
then of the third generation (generation adjacent to the second
generation).

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