False Accusation against The Way of Salaf: Some Statements of Modern Authors Against the Methodology of the Salaf

False Accusation against The Way of Salaf: Some Statements of Modern Authors Against the Methodology of the Salaf

 

Some of the modern authors have said, “The methodology of the Salaf regarding the Attributes is taking the texts as they come, yet believing that their apparent meanings are not actually intended.”

 This statement, if taken unconditionally, contains a point of scrutiny. The wording, “their apparent meanings” is somewhat vague and needs clarification.

 If what is intended by “their aparent meanings” is what is evident from the texts of the attributes befitting Allaah without making Tashbeeh, then this is exactly what is intended.

 Whoever say that this is not intended meaning then he is misguided if he actually believes, that and he is a liar or mistaken if he attributes this meaning to the Salaf.

 If what is intended by “their apparent meanings” is what is evident to some of the people in that the apparent meaning is to make Tashbeeh of Allaah with His creation, then this is definitely not true and it is not the apparent meaning of the texts because the similarity of Allaah to His creation is something impossible. 

 And, the apparent meaning of the Qur’aan and Sunnah, would never be something impossible. Whoever thinks this is what is meant by “their apparent meanings,” then his mistake is to be clarified to him. It is to be clarified that the apparent meaning as well as the detailed meaning is to affirm the Attributes in a manner that befits Allaah and is specific to Him.

In this way, we would be giving the texts their right in wording and meaning, and Allaah knows best.

 (Explanation of a Summary of al-’Aqeedatul-Hamawiyyah of Ibn taymiyyah) (rahimahullah) explained by Imaam Muhammad ibn Saalih al-’Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) 

Medinah, 28 Shawwal 1431 / 7 October 2010
Shaykh Rabî’ b. Hâdî ‘Umayr Al-Madkhalî – Allâh preserve and protect him – was asked the following question after a recent lecture he delivered in Masjid Al-Qiblatayn, Medinah.

On Dividing the Scholars into the Harsh Group and the Tolerant Group

A novel way of putting people off the scholars has appeared, which is to categorize the scholars into those who are harsh and those who are lenient (tolerant), and sometimes [the people who claim this] say the scholars of one region are harsh and those of another are tolerant. What is your guidance on this?
He replied, may Allâh preserve and protect him:
This is one of the methods of the enemies of the Salafi Manhaj. Amongst the Salaf there were those who were lenient but they never used to hold it against each other. Rather, they used to respect those who were harsh against the followers of falsehood. You have [for example] Hammâd b. Salamah. Imâm Ahmad used to praise him greatly and suspect the religion of anyone who spoke against him [saying] ‘Whoever speaks against Hammâd b. Salmah, then suspect his religion because he was harsh against the People of Bid’ah. ’ Being harsh against the people of falsehood used to be a virtue according to the Salaf. But since the People of Bid’ah and misguidance have come and taken over the minds of many of the youth, very regrettably, being harsh against the people of falsehood has become a vice and a defect, and being relaxed and flexible [with them] has become a distinction and an honourable trait.
 [You must] adhere to the Salafi Manhaj and take the Salafi position towards the People of Bid’ah. It is not wrong to call them to Allâh wisely and through good exhortation. If they respond, thanks and praise be to Allâh. If they do not, there is no wrong in being harsh against them and … The Salaf were harsh against them, and [in some cases] ordered some of them to be executed … [the Salaf] wrote many works [in refutation of them]. What do you say about them? Read Al-Sharî’ah of Al-Âjurrî, read Al-Sunnah of ‘Abdullah b. Ahmad, read Al-Sunnah of Al-Khallâl. Those [who decry being harsh towards the people of falsehood] have not read these works, they have not read these works and seen the position taken by the Salaf towards the People of Bid’ah and deviation. What should our stance be towards the Jahmîyah, what should our stance be towards the Râfidah and what should our stance be towards their followers and supporters? Many who associate themselves with the Salafi Manhaj got influenced by these currents and became compromised and began to fight against the callers to truth and the Sunnah [by accusing them of being] harsh.
 I have written [refutations] and I am the harshest one. I wrote during the time of Ibn Bâz, Al-Albânî and Al-‘Uthaymîn. I refuted the Ikhwân Al-Muslimûn, (the Muslim Brotherhood) Al-Tablîgh (Tablighi Jamat) and all the People of Bid’ah and those scholars supported these writings and supported Rabî’. None of them opposed him and none of them said … Al-Albânî said a statement praising Rabî’, “[Shaykh Rabî’] is the bearer of the standard of Jar<span>h</span> and Ta’dîl in this era.” Hmm, what do you think about this? Then [Al-Albâni] said [Rabî’] has some harshness in him. These compromisers rejoiced and flew with the quote [spreading it everywhere]. I contacted Shaykh Al-Albânî and said, “Why O Shaykh do you accuse me of being harsh?” He said, “By Allah this is what I personally think.” I said, “O Shaykh, this harms the Salafi Da’wah and it harms me.” So the Shaykh apologized – Allah have mercy on him. Shortly afterwards, I sent him [my book] Al-‘Awâsim mimmâ fî Kutub Sayed Qutb min Al-Qawâsim, which is the harshest book I have written. [Shaykh Al-Albânî] read it and supported it because it was the truth, and said, ‘You have spoken the truth, so continue and do more O Shaykh Rabî’,’ or words to that effect, Allah have mercy on him. Ibn Bâz never … He used to say, “Refute the People of Bid’ah with wisdom and good exhortation.” He never used to oppose me, and by Allah he wrote to me saying, “It has reached me that you have refuted Al-Mawdûdî – Allah have mercy on him, and I hope you can send me a copy of this refutation.” He never used to object. Shaykh Al-Tuwayjirî used to refute and refute harshly the People of Bid’ah, and Shaykh Ibn Bâz used to support him and recommend his books. Hmm, he never once said – and [Shaykh Al-Tuwayjirî also] used to refute Al-Albânî – Allah bless you … Shaykh Ibn Bâz never silenced him, he would never say to him, ‘be silent,’ he would never say, ‘you are harsh,’ Allah bless you. Al-Fawzân used to refute the People of Bid’ah during the time of Shaykh Ibn Bâz, and he never said, ‘be silent,’ Allah bless you. Rather he would support him … there are so many writings [Shaykh Ibn Bâz] recommended of Shaykh Al-Tuwayjirî and he praised my books and my methodology (manhaj), Allah have mercy on him. All of these Mashâikh used to be supportive.
This is the manhaj in which we have become weak. We are not on the same level as we used to be during their time, rather we have become weak but despite this they say we are harsh, and they say Ibn Bâz [was not like you]. By Allah, Ibn Bâz used to fight the People of Bid’ah and support those who fought them and praise those who fought them, Allah bless you. Bring me one proof that Ibn Bâz silenced one person who refuted the People of Bid’ah. Did he silence Al-Fawzân? Did he silence Al-Tuwayjirî? Did he silence Rabî’? Did he silence Al-Albânî? Not one of them. Likewise, all the scholars used to support and aid those who speak the word of truth and refute what is wrong. [People] asked Shaykh Al-‘Uthaymîn, they said, ‘People say such-and-such about Shaykh Rabî’.’ He said, “This is because he clarifies the condition of their icons and leaders.” And he supported me time after time…
 After Ibn Bâz, Al-‘Uthaymîn and Al-Albânî had gone, they said, ‘these [remaining Shayks] are harsh.’ By Allah they lied, by Allah they were only seizing the opportunity. The death of these scholars was an opportunity for them to pounce on the Salafi Manhaj and upon its followers, tearing them apart with principles and methodologies of the falsest and most corrupt kind. They tore apart the Salafi youth across the world and planted in their minds [this idea] that this group are harsh and extreme. How can this be…? The scholars never criticized [the scholars who used to refute.] How can we assert the Salafi manhaj [in this way] when [the scholars] were the harshest against the People of Bid’ah?
Either we reject the Manhaj of the Salaf and follow the People of Bid’ah or we say we are Salafis and we follow the path of [those Salaf] in taking the decisive and resolute positions towards the People of Bid’ah. Yes, call to Allah with proofs and conclusive arguments, explain and clarify; if there is a heretic in front of you, a Râfi<span>d</span>î, <span>S</span>ûfî, grave-devotee, whatever. Call to Allah with wisdom and good exhortation, and with proofs and conclusive arguments. But when we come to write about the beliefs of the Râfiah, amongst whom there is lying, sinfulness and extremism, we don’t mention these things. We come to the Sûfîs, amongst whom there is lying, sinfulness and extremism, but we don’t mention these things…if you mention this lying and treachery and sinfulness they say you are harsh. A Sûfî, Ikhwânî … Hizbî Thrîrî who transgresses, lies, betrays, who has problems that Allah has explained, which have been explained […audio cuts off…] [the scholars of the Salaf used to say] ‘So and so is a liar, he is like this and he is like that’ Allah bless you; they used to state it clearly. Look in the books of Jarh and Ta’dîl, in the books of ‘Aqîdah, we cannot reach the level [the Salaf reached] in their Jihad against the People of Bid’ah and Shirk. By Allah we cannot reach that level now, why? Because now there stand against us those who associate themselves with the Salafi Manhaj [but] fight against this opposition [to the People of Bid’ah] and describe it as harshness.
 We ask Allah to unite the hearts, and I advise the youth – and by Allah I have tens, rather, hundreds of advices to the Salafî youth on this – I advise them to unite together and be brothers to each other and employ the loftiest manners and behaviour when dealing with each other, Allah bless you. They should employ patience, forbearance and wisdom. In my lessons, lectures and tele-links, in which they call me from every place, by Allah I encourage them to come together. But these people who have stood in opposition to this Manhaj are the ones – by Allah – who tear the Salafi youth apart across the world, in the East and West. They tear them apart and plant within them false beliefs, and then accuse us of causing schism. By Allah I bring the youth together, and my books and recordings, which have been transcribed, all bear witness that I try to unite the youth.  
 In Algeria, Morocco, in Yemen, Shâm (Syria, Jordan(, Palestine, in all places I try to unite the youth who I know to be Salafîs, I try to bring them together in every way I can, but they [the opponents to this manhaj] cause splits and division. Never is the voice of schism and division raised except that they support that sinful voice, Allah bless you. We free ourselves in front of Allah from what these people slander us with. I have already said to you, wisdom is indeed needed, but … about the Râfi<span>d</span>ah, and People of Bid’ah, you clarify their condition, do not wrong them or lie about them, but explain the reality of their affair…
Dividing the Scholars into the Harsh Group and the Tolerant Group -part 2


Translated by Abû ‘Abdillâh Owais Al-Hâshimî

THE CRIME OF HIZBIYYAH AGAINST THE SALAFI DAWAH

Shaykhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728H) | Shaykhul-Islaam ‘Abdul-’Azeez Ibn Baaz (d.1420H) | Imaam Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaanee (d.1420H) | Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-’Uthaymeen | Imaam Muqbil Ibn Haadee al-Waadi’ee (1421H) | Imaam Ahmad Ibn Yahyaa an-Najmee | al-’Allaamah Saalih Ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan | al-’Allaamah ‘Abdul-Muhsin Ibn Hamad al-’Abbaad | al-’Allaamah Rabee’ Ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee
THE MEANING OF HIZBIYYAH.
The word Hizb is defined in Lisan al-arab as:@ a group of people: the plural ahzab: and ahzab were the armies of the disbelievers which fought against the prophet (Saw) and they were: Quraysh, Ghatfan, and Banu Qurayzah. Allah says,
Before the reader is a compilation of statements from the major Scholars, past and present, regarding the evils of hizbiyyah – bigoted partisanship and blind attachment to personalities. There is no question that these evils have harmed the Muslim nations tremendously. Shaykh Rabee’ Ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee – hafidhahullaah – said, “Anyone who opposes the Salafee methodology is from the deviant sects. Hizbiyyah does not have conditions. Allaah called the previous nations: ahzaab (parties), and when the tribe of Quraysh, and those who were with them, rallied against the Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam), He (Allaah) called them ahzaab, though they weren’t an organization… So blind attachment to a specific ideology that opposes the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) and unifies and separates because of it is hizbiyyah; this is hizbiyyah even if they are not organized.” We hope this short treatise will serve as a reminder that loving and hating, uniting and separating must be done solely for the sake of Allaah and in accordance with the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu ’alayhi wa sallam) according to the understanding the pious predecessors of this Ummah., and at the head of it, the companions of the messenger of Allah.
“And he who believed said: O my people indeed I fear you a fate like that day of the ahzab (confederates). {Surah Ghafir 40:30.}
The ahzab here are the people of Nuh, Ad, Thamud, and those who were destroyed after them, and the hizb of a person are his companions and followers who are upon his thought, and every people who are similar in words and deeds, then they are ahzab even if they do not meet one another as Ad, Thamud, and firawn were (Called) ahzab, and (Allahs statement),
“Every hizb (party) rejoicing in what is with them” (surah al rum 30:32)
It is every group whose desires are the same (see Lisan-Al arab (cairo dar al hadith 2003 vol 2 pp 42)
Shykh Rabi Ibn Hadi al Madkhali hafizahullah-was asked, “what is the meaning of hizbiyyah, and what does it mean to say so and so is a hizbi, and who are the hizbis and what is their methodology?”
He answered “anyone who opposes the salafi methodology is from the deviant sects, hizbiyyah does not have conditions. Allah called the previous nations: ahzab (parties), and when the tribe of Quraysh, and those who were with them, rallied against the messenger (Saw), He (Allah) called them ahzab, though they wont an organisation, so it is not a condition of hizbiyyah that it be organizes, but if this hizb is organised, it becomes all the more worse.
so blind attachement to a specific ideology that opposes the book of Allah and the sunnah of his Messenger (Saw) and unifies and separates because of its hizbiyyah: this hizbiyyah even if they are not organized, Embracing a deviant methodology and gathering people together upon it is hizbiyyah, whether organized or not, as long as the ideology is in opposition to the book and sunnah, then this is a hizb.
The disbelievers who fought the prophet (Saw) did not have the kind of organization that is present today and still Allah named them ahzab. Why? It was because they joined together upon faleshood to refute the truth.
“The people of Nuh and the ahzab after them denied (their messengers) before these” (surah Ghafir 40:5)
So he called them ahzab. Qurash, Ghatfan, Qurayzah, and other tribes joined together but were not an organization. they joined thogether and Allah called them ahzab, and there is a surah entitled alahzab. So it is not a condition of a hizb that it be organized. When someone holds a false ideology and argues in defense of it and unities based upon it, this is partisanship, and if he organizes and gathers wealth on top of this, he goes further intohizbiyyah and becomes from the deviant sects.
Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah said: “As for the head of hizb, hen is the head of a group, which forms into a group. So if they are united upon what Allah and his messenger saw commanded, without any addition or subtraction, then they are the believers what is for them is for them and what is against them is against them. However, if they add to that or take away from it, like having a blind attachement to anyone who enters their group in truth or falsehood and turning away from those who do not enter into their party, whether upon truth or falsehood, then this is the separation that Allah and his messenger (SAW) disparaged. Indeed, Allah and His messenger have commanded with the congregation and unity and have prohibited dividing and righteousness and forbade working together upon sin and transgression”

Salafiyyah Causes Disunity

When it is the case that Salafiyyah is the understanding of the Book and the Sunnah upon the understanding of the Salaf of the Ummah and the Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) stated, “And this Ummah will split into seventy-three sects, all of them in the Hellfire but o*!ne”. They said, which o*!ne is this O Messenger of Allaah? He replied, “They are those who are upon what I and my companions are upon today” (Tirmidhee, no.2643) – and when it is also the case that the splitting occurred by their abandoning the correct understanding, then Salafiyyah is but the way forward for unity and is not splitting or sectarianism. As Shaikh Salih al-Fawzaan said, “As-Salafiyyah (i.e. the Salafis) is the Saved Sect, and they are Ahl us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah. It is not a hizb (party) from amongst the various parties, those who which are called “parties” today … Hence Salafiyyah is a group of people (i.e. the Salafis) upon the madhhab of the Salaf, upon what the Messenger (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) and his companions were upon and it is not a hizb from amongst the contemporary groups present today.” (Cassette: “at-Tahdheer min al-Bid’ah” second cassette, delivered as a lecture in Hawtah Sadeer, 1416H).
Thus, Salafiyyah, is an embodiment of what the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) left for his Ummah, whose night is like its day, pure clarity and anyone who departs from it will be destroyed, that is, he will enter into splitting, differing and fall into the sects that have been threatened with the Fire. Therefore, Salafiyyah which calls to a return to that which the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wasallam) and his companions were upon can never be considered to be splitting.

Allah has named us Muslims Why Ascribe Ourselves to the Salaf?

This doubt was very beatifully answered by Imaam al-Albaani in his discussion with someone o*!n this subject, recorded o*!n the cassette entitled, “I am Salafi”, and here is a presentation of the vital parts of it:
Shaikh al-Albaani: “When it is said to you, ‘What is your madhhab’, what is your reply?”
Questioner: “A Muslim”.
Shaikh al-Albaani: “This is not sufficient!”.
Questioner: “Allaah has named us Muslims” and he recited the saying of Allaah Most High, “He is the o*!ne who has called you Muslims beforehand.” (al-Hajj 22:78)
Shaikh al-Albaani: “This would be a correct answer if we were in the very first times (of Islaam) before the sects had appeared and spread. But if we were to ask, now, any Muslim from any of these sects with which we differ o*!n account of aqeedah, his answer would not be any different to this word. All of them – the Shi’ite Rafidi, the Khaariji, the Nusayri Alawi – would say, “I am a Muslim”. Hence, this is not sufficient in these days.”
Questioner: “In that case I say, I am a Muslim upon the Book and the Sunnah.”
Shaikh al-Albaani: “This is not sufficient either”.
Questioner: “Why?”
Shaikh al-Albaani: “Do you find any of those whom we have just mentioned by way of example saying, ‘I am a Muslim who is not upon the Book and the Sunnah’?” Who is the o*!ne who says, ‘I am not upon the Book and the Sunnah’?”
At this point the Shaikh then began to explain in detail the importance of being upon the Book and the Sunnah in light of the understanding of the Salaf us-Saalih…
Questioner: “In that case I am a Muslim upon the Book and the Sunnah with the understanding of the Salaf us-Saalih”.
Shaikh al-Albaani: “When a person asks you about your madhhab, is this what you will say to him?”
Questioner: “Yes”.
Shaikh al-Albaani: “What is your view that we shorten this phrase in the language, since the best words are those that are few but indicated the desired intent, so we say, ‘Salafi’?” End of quotation.
Hence, the point is that naming with “Muslim” or “Sunni” is not enough, since everyone will claim that. And Imaam al-Albaani emphasised the importance of the truth being distinguished from the falsehood – from the point of view of the basis of manhaj and aqidah, and that is taking from the Salaf us-Saalih, as opposed to the various sects and groups whose understandings are based upon those of their mentors and leaders and not that of the Salaf, fundamentally.

Preserving the Usool

Al-Ibaanah Magazine, Issue No.2 – Rabi’ul-Awwal 1416H / August 1995

The Messenger of Allaah explained to the people -completely and clearly-what their Lord had revealed for them; both the detailed matters and the important ones, the apparent matters and the hidden ones, to such an extent that he taught them what they needed to know with respect to matters of eating, drinking, marriage, clothing and housing. So he taught them the ettiquettes of eating, drinking and relieving one’s self; the ettiquettes of marriage; the ettiquettes of clothing and of entering and leaving the house – just as he taught them what they needed to know with regard to the worship of Allaah -The Mighty and Majestic-such as purification, Prayer, Zakaah, fasting, Pilgrimage and other than this.
He taught them what they needed to know with regard to the social behaviour with the people, such as kindness to parents, keeping ties of kinship, good companionship with friends and neighbours and other than this.He taught them how to conduct themselves in matters of buying and selling, pawning, leaving deposits, leasing, renting, giving and receiving donations, and other such matter, to such an extent that Abu Dharr(rta) said: “Indeed the Messenger of Allaah passed away and there is not a bird flapping its wings in the sky, except that he mentioned to us some knowledge about it” (2)

Foundations of the Deen

Salmaan al-Farsee (rta) narrated that it was said to him:Your Prophet has taught you everything, even how to relieve yourselves?So he said to them:”Yes indeed! And he has prohibited us from facing the qiblah (direction of prayer) whilst relieving ourselves…”(3) Along with this, he also taught them the foundation of all these acts of worship, manners and social interactions.
This foundation being what the worshippers hold as ‘aqeedah (belief) concerning Allaah-the deity who is worshipped and who alone deservs to be worshippped -regarding His Dhaat (Essence), His Names, His Attributes and His Actions, and what follows from this regard to His Universal Laws and His prescribed Laws, which is based upon His ultimate Wisdom and utmost mercy.The Companions learnt all this from the Prophet, clearly and without any ambiguity, and all this was built upon the complete “Tawheed” of Allaah (to single out Allaah alone for worship), having as its foundations two great pillars: Affirmation and Negation.
As for affirmation: It is affirming what is due to Allaah-the Most High-from the rights of His Lordship, worship, and His names, attributes and actions.
As for negation: Then it is negating any partners to Allaah-the Most High-in all that is due to Him.

The People of Sunnah

Those who followed in goodness (ie in aqeedah and manhaj) from those who reached the period of the companions , or those who came after them from the Imaams of guidance-who deserved the Pleasure of Allaah – remained upon this path, as Allaah-the Most High-said:
“The first to embrace Islaam from the Muhaajireen(those who migrated from Makkah to al-Madeenah) and the Ansaar(those who lived in al-Madeenah and aided them after migration) and those who follow them in goodness(correct aqeedah and manhaj).Allaah is well pleased with them, as they are well pleased with Him.He has prepared for them Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to dwell therein forever.This is the suporeme achievement”(4)
Then they were followed by those who came later, being blind to the truth, or pretending to be blind to the truth.So they went astray and led others astray either due to inabilities or shortcomings, or due to enmity and oppression. They innovated in the Deen of Allaah -the Most High – that which did not belong to it, in matters of aqeedah (beliefs), ibaadah (acts of worship) and sulook (manners).They did this by altering the texts of the Book and the Sunnah; and of it was possible, they rejected them entirely!

Brief History of the Innovated Sects

Shaykh ul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah ( d.728H) said: “And know that most of the innovations connected to ‘uloom(sciences) and acts of worship occured in this Ummah at the end of the period of the Rightly guided Khaleefahs; just asa the Prophet informed, when he said: “Those of you who live long after me will see a great deal of differences. So Hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the Rightly Guided Khaleefahs after me”…So when the period of the Rightly Guided Khaleefahs had passed and the rule of kingship appeared, deficiencies appeared in the leaders, and therefore deficiency spread also to the people of knowledge and Deen.So during the end of the rule of ‘Alee (rta) – the innovation of the Khwaarij (5) and Raafidah (6) appeared; this being connected to the issue of leadership and khilaafah, and what was connected to this from actions and Shareeah rulings.
The kingship of Mu’aawiyah was a kingship of mercy, so when it passed, the rule of Yazeed came and fitnah (trials and discord) took place within it: the killling of al-Husayn in Iraaq, the fitnah of the people of Hurrah in al-Madeenah and the seige of Makkah when ‘Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr made his stand. Then Yazeed passed away and the Ummah split-up. Ibn az-Zubayr in the Hijaaz, Banu Hakam in ash-Shaam (Syria, Jordan and Palestine) and the jump to power of Mukhtaar ibn Abee’Ubayd and others in ‘Iraaq. All of this took place at the end of the period of the Companions, when there only remained the likes of ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abaas, ‘Abdullah ibn Umar, Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah, Abu Saeed al-Khudree and others. The innovations of the Qadarriyah (7) and the Murjiah (8) then occured and it was refused by those Companions who remained, as they had, along with others, refuted the innovations of the Khawaarij and the Raafidah.

A Brief Summary

Ibn al-Qayyim (d.751H) (rh) said: “The innovation of the Qadariyyah started at the end of the period of the Companions. So those that remained at the end of the periods of the Companions.So those who remained at that time, such as ‘Abdullah ibn Umar, Ibn Abbas, and their like, oppsed and refuted it. Then the innovation of the Murjiah occured, after the period of the Companions, so those of the major ‘Tabiyoon who faced it, refuted it.Then came the innovation of the ‘Jahyimmah’ (9) after the passing away of the Tabbi’oon. Its evil reached alarming proportions and the matter had become dire during the age of the Imaams such as Ahmad (d.241H) and those with him.There appeared after this, the innovation of hulool (incarnation), this appeared with, and in the time of al-Hallaaj.
So whenever Shaytaan brought about an innovation from these innovations, or from other than them, Allaah established from His party an army, those who refuted it and warned the Muslims against it-all for the sake of sincerity and sincere advice for Allaah, His book, His Messenger and the people of Islaam”(11)

Compilation of the Aqeedah

Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajr (d.852H) (rh) said: “From that which occured was:compilation of hadeeth, then tafseer, then the compilation of issues of fiqh (jurisprudence) eminating from pure opinion, and then the compilation of matters related to actions of the heart.
As for the firts matter; it was opposed by ‘Umaar, Abu Moosaa and a few others whilst the majority allowed it. As for the second:It was oppsed by a group from the Tabioon such as Imaam ash-Sha’bee(d.104H) and a small group. Imaam Ahmad’s opposition of this intensified.
Also from that which occured was the compilation of the sayings about Usool ud-Deen (fundamentals of the Deen). Some embarked to affirm it (ie the attributes of Allaah), whilst others negated it. The former went to the extent of making tashbeeh (resembling Allaah to his creation), whilst the latter went to the extent of making ta’teel (denying the attributes of Allah). The rejection of this from the Salaf such as Abu Haneefah(d.150H), Abu Yoosuf(d.182H) and ash-Shaafiee(d.204H), and their sayings with regards to censuring the people of Kalaam (philosphical speech and theology) is well known. The reason for such censure was that the people of ‘Kalaaam’ spoke about those matters which both the Prophet and his Companions remained quiet about. It is established from Maalik(d.179H) that there did not exist at the time of the Prophet nor that of AbuBakr (rta) or Umar (rta), anything from these desires – meaning: the innovation of the Khawaarij, the Raafidah and the Qadiriyyah. Indeed, those who came after the first three excellent generations expanded upon matters which the Imaams of the Tabioon and those who followed them, rejected.
The people of Kalaam did not content themselves, until they filled the Deen with issues and the sayings of the philosphers. They made this philoshopy the basis and the fundamental principle to which everything was refered back to, and all that which opposed it from the narrations (of the Prophet, his Companions and the Salaf who followd them) then ta’weel (false interpretation ) was made of them, even if they were averse to the result. Nor did they content themselves with just this.They claimed that what they had compiled was the noblest branch of knowledge and the most deserving to be acquired; and that those who did not use what they had laid down, then they were from the laymen and the ignorant ones.
So delight is for the one who clings to what the Salaf were upon, and distances himself from the innovations that the khalaf (the latecomers who oppsed the aqeedah and manhaj of the Salaf) introduced.However, if one cannot keep away from it, then let him take only that which he needs and let the way of the Salaf be his intended goal.”(12)

Notes

(1)From the Shayk’s introduction to his book:Taqreebut-Tadmuriyyah (pp.7-14) -slightl edited.
(2) Saheeh:Related by Ahmad (5/153), at-Tiyaalasee(n0.479)and at-Tabaranee in al-Kabeer(no.1647).Its isnaad is saheeh)
(3)Related by Muslim(1/152) and Abu Dawood(no.8)
(4)Soorah at-Tawbah 9:100
(5)The Khawaarij were the first sect in Islam to split from the way of the Prophet and his Companions.They arose in the khilaafah of ‘Alee (rta) making khurooj (rebellion) against him, before the arbitration between him and Muawiyah (rta).From their false aqeedah (beliefs) is:allowing rebellion against the legitimate Muslim ruler-whether pious or wicked , and declaring the Muslim to be kaafir (disbeliever) due to a commission of a major sin. They were discussed by the Prophet as the Dogs of Hellfire. Refer to Maqaalaatul-Islaamiyeen(1/168) of Abul-Hasan ash-Asharee, al-Bidaayah(8/22-44) of Ibn Katheer and Fathul-Baree(12/282-302) of Ibn Hajr.
(6) The Raafidah (the rejectors) are an extreme sect of the Sheeah who rejected Zayd ibn Alee ibn ‘Alee ibn al-Husayn due to his refusal to condemn Abu Bakr and Umar (rta).They rapidly deteriorated in ‘aqeedah’, morals and Deen-until the present day-where their beliefs are those represented by the Ithna Ashariyyah Shee’ahs of Iraan. From their false beliefs are: declaring all but three or five of the companions to be disbelievers, the belief that their imaams have knowledge of the Unseen past, present and future, considering the imaamah to be one of the main pillars of eemaan (faith) and the incompleteness of the Quraan. Refer to: Maqalaatul-Islamiyeen (1/65), al-Farq baynal-Firaq (no.21) of Abdul-Qaahir al-Baghdaadee and Talbees Iblees (pp.94-100) of Ibn ul-Jawzee.
(7)The Qadariyyah are the follwers of Mabad ibn al-Juhanee, and from their false beliefs are; that Allah has no prior knowledge of anything until it come into existence; that it is people -and not Allah -who are creators of their own actions, denying aqeedah in the Punishment of the Grave, and denying that the authentic hadeeth is an evidence for the aqeedah, unless it is related in mutaawatir form. Refer to al-Milal wan-Nihal(1/72) of ash-Shahrastaanee and Sawnul-Mantaq wal-Kalaam (p.160) of as-Suyotee.
(8) The Murjiaah are those who reject that actions are a part of eemaan (faith) and they say that eemaan is affirmation of the heart and atatement of the tingue only.The extreme from amonngst them limit eemaan to belief of the heart only .They also deny that eemaan increases and decreases.Refer to al-Maqaalat (1/214) and al-Farq baynal-Firaq (p.202)
(9) The Jahyimmah are the followers of Jahm ibn Safwaan, who unleashed upon this Ummah the horrific innovation of ta’teel (denial of Allah’s attributes) either directly, or by twisting the meaning of Hand of Allah to mean:His power and generosity. They also deny that Allah is above creation, above His Throne, as well as holding the belief that Paradise and Hellfire are not ever-lasting. Refer to ar-Radd ‘alal-Jahyimmah by Imaam Ahmad and also ad-Daarimee and al-Ibaanah (p.141) of Abdul-Hasan al-Assharee.
(10) Majmooul-Fataawaa (10/354-368) of Ibn Taymiyyah.
(11) Tadheeb Sunan Abee Dawood (7/61) of Ibn al-Qayyim.
(12) FathulBaree (13/253) of Ibn Hajar al-’Asqalaanee.
(13) Ar-Radd ‘alal-Jahyimmah waz-Zaanadiqah( p.2) of Imaam Ahmad.

Can the dead hear?

Can the dead hear, (I was under the impression they couldn’t)…? Seeking waseela with saints (while acknowledging that Allah gives all)? I basicaly need to know what the view is on them, and if there were known ikhtilaaf regarding any, or ijma regarding any? recommended sites or links, or books about them…
____________The issue of saints and the dead hearing in Islam By Abul-’Abbaas Moosaa Richardson_______
1.wa ‘alaykumus-salaamu wa rahmatullaahi.
In the Name of Allaah, the Most Merciful… May His Salaat and Salaam be upon His Messenger…
Allaah the Most High has said, what means:
“Surely you can not make those in the graves hear” (Faatir 35:22)
So here is the general rule – the dead do not hear, as stated clearly by the Knower of all things.
Then, there are some specific exemptions from this general rule, like the defeated enemies of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) being addressed in the well at Badr, and the dead hearing the footsteps of those at their burial walking away. These two specific exemptions have been authentically reported by the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam).
Combining the texts is quite simple, from the easiest ways of combining texts that some people feel have some kind of contradiction is a principle called “‘Aamm and khaass”. The general rule has been stated by Allaah in His Book, and VERY specific cases were exempted from that generality.
So the dead can not hear – as a general rule – however, at the time of burial, the deceased can hear the footsteps of those walking away from his burial.
And again, the dead can not hear – as a general rule – however, at the time of defeat, the Prophets would declare the promise of Allaah to be true, and ask the defeated enemies who were killed to testify to that. (NOTE: without waiting for an answer!!)
A simple question here:
Could these two texts allow us to consider the Statement of Allaah to be abrogated?
The answer:
That would mean abrogation in a fact of the unseen, and the scholars mention that this concept is outside of the field of abrogation. It would be like Allaah saying, what means, “The dead can not hear,” and then saying, “Actually they can.” Abrogation is limited to fiqh rulings and can not be considered in issues of ‘aqeedah and information about the ghayb (like descriptions of the Hereafter or stories of the past). So to claim abrogation in this case is totally invalid.
Another question:
What kind of actions did these texts produce from the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) and the Companions, from what is authentically reported?
Did these two texts lead anyone – even one Companion – to seek things – even one thing – from the deceased? Or to do “waseelah” through any of the deceased?
More clearly – the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) was our example, showing us all ways to gain nearness to Allaah, by his example he led us! Did he go to the graves of the previous prophets and seek anything from them or through them? If that were the intended understanding in Islaam, would it not have been his job to lead by example and show us how to ask the deceased, the manners, the limits, etc. by his example as he did in all important affairs of the Religion? And would not the noble Companions have busied themselves transmitting that and acting upon it?
The answer is obvious: That was not his understanding! Or theirs! They were told of the status of some of their beloved who passed away, like Sa’d ibn Mu’aath for example, and others who were defined as people of Paradise! Obviously awliyaa’ of Allaah, beloved to Allaah, forgiven, and Allaah was pleased with them. These are the righteous of whom we have not a shred of doubt about their piety – people of Paradise who died as martyrs! So this would be the perfect occasion – if it were legislated – to request something from one of them or “through” them. Yet, look for the reports – you find nothing!
So the question arises – Is it that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) and his companions did not understand properly and therefore they lost out on a big opportunity – while the people of “tawassul” of today who ask Allaah for things “through” the deceased have properly understood the issue in a more complete and thorough way, better in understanding and practice than those who received and witnessed the revelation as it came down!?
The answer again is clear. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) was correct. He was honest and dedicated to showing the Muslims every single way to draw near to Allaah, and this way is not from them.
VERY INTERESTING POINT HERE:
Actually, this way of seeking things from Allaah alone “through” the deceased was indeed practiced by some of the people in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam). So I guess I have to admit it does have a precedence. The people of Makkah used to ask Allaah alone for their needs, yet they used to make “tawassul” through the deceased. Allaah recorded their reason for doing so in the Qur’aan, what means:
“They would say, ‘These are our intercessors with Allaah.’” (Yoonus 10:18)
While they believed clearly that only Allaah provided for them, only He created them and everything else, only He causes life and death, and thus, their requests were made TO Allaah alone, meaning they did not ask the deceased to forgive them, they did not ask the deceased for wealth, children, or anything, rather they only requested things from Allaah alone! Yet their request TO Allaah alone were made THROUGH others, and they said, “These are our intercessors with Allaah.” To them, this did not violate or oppose their belief in Allaah’s Sole Lordship.
So this practice that existed in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam), which is similar to what many people who ascribe to Islaam today endorse – to use such and such pious person as an intercessor, and ask Allaah THROUGH him… was this practice accepted and endorsed, discouraged, or prohibited in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam)?
THE CRUX
You should now acknowledge that we have arrived at the heart of the matter and the answer to confusion related to this issue is about to become very clear by Allaah’s Permission!
The answer:
This practice was not endorsed or accepted. Nor was it discouraged. Nor was it simply prohibited as being haraam! Instead, it was made as an example of THE SIN that Allaah will not forgive, THE CRIME against the Beneficent Lord that leads to eternal punishment, and THE VERY ACT that drew the lines of battle between the people of tawheed – the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) and his purely monotheist following (may Allaah be pleased with all of them) and the polytheists who refused to abandon their intercessors and make their worship for Allaah alone!
Regarding their requests from Allaah through these intercessors, they said, as Allaah recorded in His Book, what means:
“We only worship them to draw nearer to Allaah” (Az-Zumar 39:3)
Now remember when I said that this actions was “similar” to the practice of some of the people who ascribe to Islaam today who endorse this sort of so-called “tawassul”… I did not say “identical” but rather “similar” for a reason. There are some very important differences between them and the people of today.
1) The people in the time of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) knew what they were doing was worship, and they knew that it was in direct contradiction to the message of “laa ilaaha ill-Allaah” they were being invited to, and thus they fought him over it with their lives and wealth.
2) The people of today who do this while ascribing to Islaam believe their practice is endorsed by Islaam!! And they believe they are worshipping Allaah upon tawheed! So, as pointed out by our scholars, the people of today who worship Allaah “through” the deceased are more ignorant of the meaning of Islaam than the polytheists of Makkah who fought against our Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam)!
3) Furthermore, the people of today sometimes use intercessors that were irreligious themselves, sometimes even polytheists who taught shirk, while the people of Makkah used angels and prophets to intercede for them (which was/is still shirk).
From these few points, you can see how even the polytheists of Makkah who fought against the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhe wa sallam) were more knowledgeable about the meaning of worship, tawheed, shirk, and thus Islaam, than the modern endorsers of so-called “tawassul” through the deceased.
In Conclusion
I hope that these simple lines have cleared some confusion about this matter. May Allaah bless you all and grant us understanding in His Religion.
May He grant us knowledge of what is right, and the humility, courage, patience, and strength needed to follow it with our hearts and limbs. And may He also grant us knowledge of what is wrong, and the humility, courage, patience, and strength needed to oppose it with our hearts and limbs!
And Allaah Most High knows best, may His Salaat and Salaam be upon His Final Messenger to Mankind.
 Recommended reading on the specific topic: “Kashf ash-Shubuhaat”, the text itself is very clear on the topic, loaded with Qur’aanic quotes. Read the entire text first before reading any lengthy explanations.

Tawheedul-Haakimiyyah as a Separate Category is an Innovation

An Introduction to the Fitnah:

Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar said: "Al-Mu'allib said: 'Desire for leadership is a cause for people fighting each other to the point that they shed blood and make wealth and private parts lawful, and therefore great corruption occurs in the land. Then the reason for regret is that he may be killed, deposed or die and then regret having entered into it in the first place. Since he will be held to account for the evil he has committed and that which he craved will be lost to him as soon as he leaves it." [1]

Shaykh Naasir al-'Umar says: "They think that tawheed is only singling out Allaah in Kingship and the obligation of making the Rule for Him Alone. They do not prohibit from the remaining categories of tawheed things such as shirk with the dead. They do not speak about the misguided sects and their distortions in the Tawheed of Allaah's Names and Attributes." 

The Position of the Scholars Concerning Tawheedul-Haakimiyyah:

Shaykh Abu Maalik Muhammad Ibn Ibraaheem Shaqrah said about the usage of this term:

"There cannot be any correctness in that.." [4]

He described it as a term saying:

"It is not supported in the language." [5]

He wrote in an article:

"Verily some people have attacked us with a newly invented term, 'Tawheedul-Haakimiyyah'! This is only to beautify it and to make it acceptable to oneself. It will not be long before it is destroyed and vanishes." [5]

He also went on to say:

"Verily the word Haakimiyyah in connection with the word Tawheed necessitates deviation from the ijmaa' (consensus) of the ummah which is pleased with having only three types of tawheed." [7]

The committee of Major Scholars wrote:

"To make haakimiyyah a separate category from the categories of tawheed is an innovated action. None of the imaams we know of have ever spoken of this." [8]

Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al-'Uthaymeen was asked about this concept, so he said:

"This statement is a newly-invented, innovated, evil saying, making the one who uses it repugnant…and it is indeed a misguided innovation." [9]

He also said:

"Verily the one who calls to that is an innovator. Indeed this is an innovated categorization, emanating from an ignoramus who does not understand anything from the matters of Creed and Religion." [10]

Shaykh Saalih as-Sadlaan said:

"Whoever makes haakimiyyah a fourth category from the categories of tawheed, then he is either an ignoramus or an innovator taking an opinion from the opinions of the philosophers. These are opinions that are not known in the Creed or the sharee'ah. He could also be a human being who is relating things and he does not know what he is relating." [11]

Shaykh Naasir al-'Aql said:

"Likewise is the claim that haakimiyyah is the most important characteristic from the characteristics of uloohiyyah: there is no basis for this. It is an innovated claim." [12]

Then he said:

"So al-haakimiyyah therefore, is from the problematic terms which are not founded from the Religion and which does not stem from the Creed. According to the people of our era, its understanding is not free of extreme, exaggeration, and obstinancy…and leaving it is primary." [13]

Shaykh Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaanee said to the proponents of this demented concept:

"So you use this term (al-haakimiyyah) to wage war upon those whom you suspect to be disbelievers from amongst the rulers because they do not rule by Islaamic Law. So you have forgotten yourselves, this haakimiyyah covers every Muslim." [14]

Shaykh 'Abdullaah as-Sabt said:

"Therefore, why do the revolutionists and the callers to revolution and the khawaarij utilize 'al-haakimiyyah'? I say - as the 'allaamah of shaam, shaykh Naasirud-Deen al-Albaanee explained - that they utilize this for the purpose of politics, since they make this haakimiyyah only for the rulers. For that reason, they quickly run to making takfeer of them, because they do not rule by the Revelation. Followed by this, they obligate revolting against them and carrying weapons! This in itself is from the theory of the Khawaarij of old who carried weapons against the Khaleefah (radiyallaahu 'anhu).

So haakimiyyah in our time is used as a way to revolt and revolution and haakimiyyah itself is an old approach. So haakimiyyah therefore, is used as a way to takfeer, so they use it as a justification and as a way of convincing those who follow them until they follow them in what they want! It is an easy way of convincing, especially since we know that those who follow them are those who do not give any worth to the scholars and they do not give their statements any status. Rather they say, 'We are men and they are men.' This is just like what their predecessors used to say!" [15] 

Conclusion:

Shaykh Rabee' Ibn Haadee al-Madkhalee says:

"So in conclusion I say that I believe in the haakimiyyah of Allaah alone and I believe in the comprehensiveness of this haakimiyyah and that is obligatory upon the individual and the groups and the rulers and the callers to submit to it. Whoever does not rule by what Allaah revealed in his call and his creed and his state, then these are the transgressors and they are the disbelievers and they are the disobedient just as Allaah said and as the Salafus-Saalih understood, not as is understood by those who are excessive or by those who are negligent. I renounce with consistency those who limit it to one aspect, the ones who oppose the wise and clear methodology of the Prophets ('alayhimus salaam) and who begin with the secondary matters before the foundations and who make the means the goals and who put off or detract something from the true goals which all of the Prophets followed.

I spread out my hands in humility, imploring Allaah to establish all the Muslims - common folk, rulers and callers - to rule by the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) in all their matters of Creed, manners, economics, social matters and politics and that they unify their word and ranks upon the truth and that he averts them from all desires and diseases of the soul which falsifies their ranks and divides their word. Verily my Lord hears the supplication. [16]

Shaykh 'Alee al-Halabee says:

"So in short, every rule by other than Allaah, no matter what type it is, and regardless of whether the one who does it believes in it, then it is wrong. A Muslim who is pleased with Allaah as a Lord and with Islaam as a Religion and with Muhammad as a Messenger, should not be pleased with it. Verily those who rule by other than what the Lord of all the worlds revealed, they have been threatened with the Fire and an evil end." [17] 

Footnotes:

[1] Fathul Baaree (13/126)
[2] Tawheed Awwalan (p. 48)
[4] Sayyid Qutb (p. 54)
[5] Ibid.
[6] al-Muslimoon Newspaper (Issue no. 639)
[7] al-Muslimoon Newspaper (Issue no. 639)
[8] Fatwaa no. 18870, 11/6/1417H.
[9] Liqaa`ul Maftooh (no. 150) 20^th Shawwaal 1417H.
[10] al-Muslimoon Newspaper (Issue no. 639)
[11] al-Muslimoon Newspaper (Issue no. 639)
[12] al-Muslimoon Newspaper (Issue no. 639)
[13] al-Muslimoon Newspaper (Issue no. 639)
[14] al-Muslimoon Newspaper (Issue no. 639)
[15] al-Muslimoon Newspaper (Issue no. 635) 26^th of Dhul Hijjah 1417H.
[16] Manhajul Anbiyaa (p. 187)
[17] at-Tasfiyah wat-Tarbiyah (p. 16)

Prepared by Maaz Qureshi

of Troid

THE CATEGORIES OF SHIRK

The study of Tawheed cannot be considered complete without a careful analysis of its opposite, Shirk. Some mention of Shirk has already been made in the Tawheed page and examples of it have been given to illustrate how Tawheed may be obliterated. However, in this Page Shirk will be looked at as a separate topic whose grave importance Allaah has attested to in the Qur'aan,

"Surely Allaah will not forgive the association of partners (Shirk) with Him, but He forgives (sins) less than that of whomever He wishes."1

Because the sin of Shirk denies the very purpose of man's creation, it is to God the gravest of sins; the unforgivable sin.

Shirk literally means partnership, sharing or associating,2 but Islamically it refers to the act of assigning partners to Allaah in whatever form it may take. The following analysis of Shirk is according to the three broad categories developed in the study of Tawheed. Hence, we will first look at the main ways in which Shirk can occur in the area of Ruboobeeyah (Lordship), then Asmaa was-Sifaat (Divine Names and Attributes) and finally in 'Ebaadah (Worship).

Shirk in Ruboobeeyah

This category of Shirk refers to either the belief that others share Allaah's Lordship over creation as His equal or near equal, or to the belief that there exists no Lord over creation at all. Most religious systems fall into the first aspect of Shirk in Ruboobeeyah while it is the philosophers and their man-made philosophies who tend to fill the second aspect.

(A) Shirk by Association

Beliefs which fall under this sub-category are ones in which a main God or Supreme Being over creation is recognized, however His dominion is shared by other lesser gods, spirits, mortals, heavenly bodies or earthly objects. Such belief systems are commonly referred to by theologians and philosophers as either monotheistic (having one God) or polytheistic (having more than one God). According to Islaam, all of these systems are polytheistic and many represent various degrees in the degeneration of divinely revealed religious systems all of which were originally based on Tawheed.

Within Hinduism, the Supreme Being Brahman is conceived as in dwelling, all-pervading, unchangeable and eternal, the abstract impersonal Absolute, in which all things have their origin and end. While the god Brahma is the personified creator of the universe who forms a trinity with the preserver god, Vishnu and the destroyer god, Shiva.3 Thus, Shirk in Ruboobeeyah is expressed in Hinduism by the delegation of God's creative, destructive and preservative powers to other gods.

Christian belief states that the one God reveals himself in the three persons of Father, Son (Jesus Christ) and Holy Spirit. These three persons are nevertheless regarded as a unity, sharing one 'substance'.4 Prophet Jesus is elevated to divinity, sits on the right hand of God and judges the world. The Holy Spirit, who in the Hebrew Bible is the means by which God exercises his creative power, in Christian thought becomes a part of the God-head. Paul made the Holy Spirit the alter ego of Christ, the guide and help of Christians, first manifesting itself on the day of Penecost.5 Consequently, Shirk in Ruboobeeyah occurs in the Christian belief that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are God's partners in all of His dominion, in their belief that Jesus alone pronounces judgement on the world and in their belief that Christians are helped and guided by the Holy Spirit.

Zoroastrians (Parsis) conceive of God, Ahura Mazda, as being the creator of all that is good, and is alone worthy of absolute worship. Fire is one of the seven creations of Ahura Mazda and is considered his son or representative. But they also commit Shirk in Ruboobeeyah by conceiving of evil, violence and death as being the creation of another god called Angra Mainyu whom they represent by the symbol darkness.6 Hence, God's sovereignty over all creation (i.e. His Ruboobeeyah) is shared with an evil spirit elevated to the level of an opposing god due to man's desire to not attribute evil to God.

In the Yoruba religion, followed by over 10 million people in West Africa (mainly Nigeria), there is one supreme God, Olorius (Lord of Heaven) or Olodumare. Nevertheless, modern Yoruba religion is characterized by a multitude of Orisha worship, so that Yoruba religion appears as strict polytheism.7 Consequently, Yorubas commit Shirk in Ruboobeeyah by turning over all of God's functions to minor gods and spirits.

The Zulus of South Africa believe in one God, Unkulunkulu, meaning the ancient, the first, the most revered one. The principal specific titles for God are; Nkosi yaphezulu (Lord-of-the-Sky) and uMvelingqanqi (the first to appear). Their Supreme Being is represented as a male, who, along with the earth female, bring forth the human world. Thunder and Lightening are in Zulu religion acts of God, whereas sickness and other troubles in life may be caused by the ancestors, the "Idlozi" or "abaphansi" (those under the earth). The ancestors also protect the living, ask for food, are pleased with ritual and sacrifice, punish neglect and take possession of fortune tellers (inyanga).8 Thus, Shirk in Ruboobeeyah takes place in the Zulu religion not only in their concept of the creation of the human world but also their attribution of good and evil in human life to the work of ancestral spirits.

Among some Muslim people, Shirk in Ruboobeeyah is manifested in their belief that the souls of saints and other righteous humans can affect the affairs of this world, even after their deaths. Their souls, it is believed, can fulfill one's needs, remove calamities and aid whoever calls on them. Therefore, grave worshippers assign to human souls the divine ability to cause events in this life which in fact only Allaah can cause.

Common among many Sufis (Muslim mystics) is the belief in "Rijaal al-Ghayb"9, chief of whom occupies the station called "Qutub" from which the affairs of this world are governed.10

(B) Shirk by Negation

This sub-category represents the various philosophies and ideologies which deny the existence of God either explicitly or implicitly. That is, in some cases God's non-existence is stated (Atheism), while in other cases His existence is claimed, but the way in which He is conceived actually denies His existence (Pantheism).

There are a few ancient religious "systems" in which God does not exist, foremost among them is the system attributed to Gautama Buddha. Buddhism, a reformist movement in Hinduism opposed to the caste system, was founded in the 6th century BC during the same period as Jainism. During the 3rd century BC it became the state religion. Eventually it was assimilated by Hinduism, Buddha himself becoming one of the Avatars (incarnations of God). It disappeared from India but became dominant in China and other Eastern nations. Hinayana Buddhism (400-250 BC), the earlier and more strict of the two interpretations of Buddhism which arose after Gautama Buddha's death, makes it clear that there is no God; hence the burden of salvation belongs to the individual alone.11 Thus, this ancient strain of Buddhism could be classified as an example of Shirk in Ruboobeeyah wherein God's existence is explicitly denied.

Similarly in the teachings of Jainism as systematized by Vardhamana, there is no God, but liberated souls achieve something of this status, having immortality and omniscience; and the religious community treats the liberated ones as though they were divine, building temples to them and venerating their images.12

Another ancient example is that of the Pharaoh of Prophet Moses' time. Allaah mentioned in the Qur'aan that he negated the existence of God and claimed to Moses and the people of Egypt that he, Pharaoh, was the only true lord of all creation. Allaah quoted him as saying to Moses, "If you chose a god besides me, I will surely imprison you"13 and to the people, "He proclaimed, 'I am your Lord, the Most High'"14

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries a number of European philosophers asserted the non-existence of God in what became know as the "death of God philosophy". The German philosopher Philipp Mainlander (1841-1876) in his principal writing, The Philosophy of Redemption, 1876, states that the world begins with the death of God, since God is a principle of unity shattered in the plurality of the world and a principle of joy denied in the law of suffering which dominates the worid.15 In Prussia Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) supported the idea of the "death of God" proposing that God was nothing more than a projection of man's uneasy conscience and that man was the bridge to the Superman.16 Jean Paul Sartre, a French philosopher of the twentieth century also echoed the "death of God" thought. He claimed that God could not exist because He was a contradiction in terms. The idea of God, according to him, is a projection which man must make being what he is.17

Darwin's (d. 1882) proposal that man was merely a glorified ape was widely adopted in the theories of social scientists and philosophers of the nineteenth century as it provided a "scientific" basis for the non-existence of God. According to them religion evolved from animism to monotheism along with man's supposed social evolution from an independent individual to a national state and his physical evolution from ape to man.

They attempt to escape the questions surrounding creation by claiming that there was none and by attributing Allaah's attribute of being without beginning and end to matter which He has created. Present day holders of this belief are the followers of Karl Marx, communists and scientific socialists, who claim that the origin of everything in existence is matter in motion. They further claim that God is a figment of man's imagination created by the ruling classes to justify their hereditary rule and divert the attention of the oppressed masses from the realities in which they live.

An example of this form of Shirk among some Muslims is that of many Sufis like Ibn 'Arabee who claim that only Allaah exists (All is Allaah, and Allaah is all). They deny the separate existence of Allaah and thereby in fact deny His existence. This idea was also expressed in the 17th century by the Dutch Jewish philosopher, Baruch Spinoza, who claimed that God is the total of all parts of the universe including man.

Shirk in al-Asmaa was-Sifaat

Shirk in this category includes both the common pagan practice of giving Allaah the attributes of His creation as well as the act of giving created beings Allaah's names and attributes.

(A) Shirk by Humanization

In this aspect of Shirk in al-Asmaa was-Sifaat, Allaah is given the form and qualities of human beings and animals. Due to man's superiority over animals, the human form is more commonly used by idolaters to represent God in creation. Consequently, the image of the Creator is often painted, moulded or carved in the shape of human beings possessing the physical features of those who worship them. For example, Hindus and Buddhists worship countless idols in the likeness of Asian men and consider them manifestations of God in creation. Modern day Christian belief that Prophet Jesus was God incarnate; that the Creator became His creation, is another good example of this type of Shirk. There have been many so-called great Christian painters like Michaelangelo (d. 1565), who painted pictures of God as a naked old European man with long flowing white hair and beard on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. These pictures have in turn, been held by the Christian world in the highest of esteem.

(B) Shirk by Deification

This form of Shirk in al-Asmaa was-Sifaat relates to cases where created beings or things are given or claim Allaah's names or His attributes. For example, it was the practice of the ancient Arabs to worship idols whose names were derived from the names of Allaah. Their main three idols were: al-Laat taken from Allaah's name al-Elaah, al-'Uzza taken from al-'Azeez and al-Manaat taken from al-Mannaan. During the Prophet Muhammad's era there was also a false prophet in a region of Arabia called Yamaamah, who took the name Rahmaan which only belongs to Allaah.

Among the Shi'ite sects is the Nusayreeyah of Syria, who believe that the Prophet Muhammad's cousin and son-in-law, 'Alee ibn Abee Taalib, was a manifestation of Allaah and give him many of Allaah's qualities. Among them is also the Ismai'ils also know as Agha Khanis who consider their leader, the Agha Khan, to be God incarnate. Also included in this category are the Druze of Lebanon who believe that the Faatimid Caliph al-Haakim bi Amrillaah, was the last manifestation of Allaah among mankind.

Claims of Sufis (muslim mystics) like al-Hallaaj that they have become one with God and as such exist as manifestations of the Creator within His creation may also be included in this aspect of Shirk in al-Asmaa was-sifaat. Modern-day spiritualists and mediums like Shirley Maclaine, J.Z. Knight, etc., often claim divinity for themselves as well as mankind in general. Einstein's Theory of Relativity (E = mc2, Energy is equal to mass times the square of the speed of light) taught in all schools is in fact an expression of Shirk in al-Asmaa was-Sifaat. The theory states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; it merely transforms into matter and vice versa. However, both matter and energy are created entities and they both will be destroyed as Allaah clearly states:

"Allaah is the creator of all things..."18

"Everything in (the world) will perish..."19

The theory also implies that mass and energy are eternal having no beginning or end since they are supposed to be uncreated and transform into each other. However, this attribute belongs only to Allaah who alone is without beginning or end.

[MSA-USC Editor's note: Understand that the author is pointing out a flaw in an informal part of the theory of relativity, that is, that matter and energy are eternal. The author is not arguing against the mathematical relationship between these two, but rather against their independence from Allaah's all-encompassing power - both creative and destructive.]

Darwin's theory of evolution is also an attempt to explain the evolution of life and its forms from lifeless matter without the intervention of God. One of the leading Darwinists of this century, Sir Aldous Huxley expressed this thought as follows:

"Darwinism removed the whole idea of God as the creator of organisms from the sphere of national discussion."20

Shirk In al-'Ebaadah

In this category of Shirk, acts of worship are directed to other than God and the reward for worship is sought from the creation instead of the Creator. As in the case of the previous categories, Shirk in al-'Ebaadah has two main aspects.

(A) Ash-Shirk al-Akbar (Major Shirk):

This form of Shirk occurs when any act of worship is directed to other than Allaah. It represents the most obvious form of idolatry which the prophets were specifically sent by Allaah to call the masses of mankind away from. This concept is supported by Allaah's statement in the Qur'aan:

"Surely we have sent to every nation a messenger saying, worship Allaah and avoid Taaghoot (false gods)"

Taaghoot actually means anything which is worshipped along with Allaah or instead of Allaah. For example, love is a form of worship which, in its perfection, should only be directed to Allaah. In Islaam, the love of God is expressed by total obedience to Him. It is not the type of love which man naturally feels toward creation; towards parents, children, food, etc. To direct that type of love towards God is to lower Him to the level of His creation which is Shirk in al-Asmaa was-Sifaat. Love which is worship is the total surrender of one's will to God. Consequently, Allaah told the Prophet (saws) to tell the believers:

"Say: If you love Allaah, follow me and Allaah will love you."22

The Prophet (saws) also told his companions, "None of you is a true believer until I become more beloved to him than his child, his father and the whole of mankind".23 Love of the Prophet (saws) is not based on his humanity but on the divine origin of his message. Thus, like the love of Allaah, it is also expressed by total obedience to his commands.

Allaah said in the final revelation:

"Whoever obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allaah,"24

and

"Say: Obey Allaah and obey the Prophet..."25

If man allows the love of anything or anyone to come between himself and Allaah, then he has worshipped that thing. In this way, money can become one's god or even one's desires could become a god. The Prophet (saws) said, "The worshipper of the Dirham will always be miserable"26 and Allaah said in the Qur'aan

"Have you not seen the one who takes his desires as his god?"27

Much emphasis has been placed on the evils of Shirk in 'Ebaadah (worship) because it contradicts the very purpose of creation as expressed in Allaah's statement:

"I have not created Jinn or mankind except for my worship."28

Major Shirk represents the greatest act of rebellion against the Lord of the Universe, and is thus the ultimate sin. It is a sin so great that it virtually cancels out all good a person may do and guarantees its perpetrator eternal damnation in Hell. Consequently, false religion is based primarily on this form of Shirk. All man-made systems in one way or another invite their followers to the worship of creation. Christians are called upon to pray to a man, a Prophet of God named Jesus, whom they claim to have been God incarnate. Catholics among Christians pray to Mary as the "mother of God", to the angels like Michael who is honored on May 8 and September 29, Michaelmas Day, as St. Michael,29 as well as to human saints, whether real or fictitious.

Muslims whose acts of worship fall into this category of Shirk are those who pray to Prophet Muhammad (saws) or to mystics in the Sufi hierarchy of saints believing that they can answer their prayers, though Allaah has clearly said in the Qur'aan:

"Say: Think to yourselves, if Allaah's punishment came upon you or the Final Hour, would you then call on other than Allaah? (Reply) if you are truthful."30

(B) Ash-Shirk al-Asghar (Minor Shirk):

Mabmood ibn Lubayd reported, "Allaah's messenger (saws) said: "The thing I fear for you the most is ash-Shirk al-Asghar (minor shirk)." The companions asked "Oh! messenger of Allaah, what is minor Shirk?" He replied "Ar-Riyaa (showing off), for verily Allaah will say on the Day of Resurrection when people are receiving their rewards, 'Go to those for whom you were showing off in the material world and see if you can find any reward from them.'"

Mahmood ibn Lubayd also said, "The Prophet (saws) came out and announced, 'O people, beware of secret Shirk!' The people asked, 'O messenger of Allaah, what is secret Shirk?' He replied, 'When a man gets up to pray and strives to beautify his prayer because people are looking at him; that is secret Shirk.'"32

Ar-Riyaa

Riyaa is the practise of performing any of the various forms of worship in order to be seen and praised by people. This sin destroys all the benefits that lie in righteous deeds and brings on the one who commits it a serious punishment. It is particularly dangerous, because it is natural for man to desire and enjoy the praise of his fellow men. Doing religious acts to impress people or in order to be praised by them is, therefore, an evil which deserves man's utmost caution. This danger is really significant to the believers whose goal is to make all of the acts of their lives religious acts dedicated to God. In fact, the likelihood that knowledgable true believers would commit ash-Shirk al-Akbar is small, since its pitfalls are so obvious. But, for the true believer like everyone else, the chance of committing Riyaa is great because it is so hidden. It only involves the simple act of changing one's intention. The motivating forces behind it are also very strong, since it comes from man's inner nature. Ibn 'Abbaas alluded to this reality when he said, "Shirk is more hidden than a black ant creeping on a black stone in the middle of a moonless night."33

Thus, great care has to be taken to ensure that one's intentions begin pure and remain pure whenever righteous deeds are being done. In order to ensure this, the saying of Allaah's name is enjoined in Islaam before all acts of importance. A series of Du'aas (informal prayers) have also been prescribed by the Prophet (saws) before and after all natural habits like eating, drinking, sleeping, sex, and even going to the toilet, in order to turn these everyday habits into acts of worship and develop in Muslims a keen awareness of Allaah. It is this awareness, called Taqwaa, which ultimately insures that intentions remain pure.

The Prophet (saws) also provided protection against the inevitable acts of Shirk by teaching certain specific prayers which may be said anytime. Abu Moosaa said, "One day Allaah's messenger delivered a sermon saying 'O people, fear Shirk for it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant.' Those whom Allaah wished asked, 'And how do we avoid it when it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant, O Messenger of Allaah?' He replied, 'Say: Allaahumma Innaa na'oodhu bika an nushrika bika shay'an na'lamuh, wa nastaghfiruka limaa laa na'lamuh (O Allaah, we seek refuge in you from knowingly committing shirk with you and we ask your forgiveness for what we do not know about).'"34

In the following chapters a more detailed look will be taken of the most prominent areas in which Shirk in all its three aspects most commonly occurs.

Footnotes 

1 Soorah an-Nisaa, 4:48.

2 The Hans Wehr Dictionary of Modern Written Arabic, p.468.

3 W.L. Reese, Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion, (New Jersey: Humanities Press, 1980), pp.66-67 and 586-7. See also John Hinnells, Dictionary of Religions (England: Penguin Books, 1984) pp.67-8.

4 Dictionary of Religions, p.337.

5 Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion, p.231.

6 Dictionary of Religions, pp.361-2.

7 Dictionary of Religions, p.358.

8 Ibid., p. 363.

9 Literally, "men of the unseen world". The world is supposed to endure due to the intercessions of a hierarchy of "averting" Saints whose number are fixed, the place of one who dies being immediately filled. (Shorter Encyclopedia of Islam, p.582).

10 Shorter Encyclopedia of Islam, pp.55.

11 Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion, p.72.

12 Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion, pp. 262-3.

13 Soorah ash-Shooraa, 26:29.

14 Soorah an-Naazi'aat, 79:24.

15 Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion, p.327.

16 Ibid., p.391.

17 Dictionary of Philosophy and Religion, pp.508-9.

18 Soorah az-Zumar, 39:62.

19 Soorah ar-Rahmaan, 55:26.

20 Quoted in Francis Hitching's, The Neck of the Giraffe, (New York: Ticknor and Fields, 1982), p.254 from Tax and Callender, 1960, vol.111, p.45.

21 Soorah an-Nahl, 16:36.

22 Soorah Aal'Imraan, 3:31.

23 Reported by Anas and collected by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Bukhari (English- Arabic), vol.1, p.20, no.13) and Muslim (Sahih Muslim (English Trans.), vol.1, p.31, no.71).

24 Soorah an-Nisaa, 4:80.

25 Soorah Aal'Imraan, 3:32.

26 Reported by al-Bukhaaree (Sahih Bukhari, (English-Arabic), vol.8, p.296, no.443).

27 Soorah al-Furqaan, 25:43.

28 Soorah adh-Dhaariyaat, 51:56.

29 William Halsey (ed.), Colliers Encyclopedia, (U.S.A: Crowell-Collier Educational Foundation; 1970, vol.16, p.110.

30 Soorah al-An'aam, 6:40.

31 Reported by Ahmad. at-Tabaraanee and al-Bayhaqee in az-Zuhd. See Tayseer al-'Azeez al-Hameed, p.118.

32 Collected by Ibn Khuzaymah.

33 Reported by Ibn Abee Haatim and quoted in Tayseer al-'Azeez al-Hameed, p. 587

34 Collected by Ahmad and at-Tabaraanee.

3121

ON TYPES OF KUFR

The Qur'ân uses the word Kufr to denote people who cover up or hide realities. The Qur'ân uses this word to identify those who denied Allah's favors by not accepting His Dominion and Authority. Kufr thus is an antonym for Eemaan or disbelief in Allah and a Kafir is a non-believer. This type of Kufr is called AL-KUFR UL AKBAR or major kufr. There are many types of Al-Kufr ul Akbar:

1. Kufrul-'Inaad: Disbelief out of stubbornness. This applies to someone who knows the truth and admits to knowing the truth and admits to knowing it with his tongue, but refuses to accept it and refrains from making a declaration. Allah (swt) says: Throw into Hell every stubborn disbeliever [Surah Qaaf (50), Ayah 24]

2. Kufrul-Inkaar: Disbelief out of denial. This applies to someone who denies with both heart and tongue. Allah (swt) says: They recognize the favors of Allah, yet they deny them. Most of them are disbelievers. [Surah Nahl(16), Ayah 83]

3. Kufrul-Kibr: Disbelief out of arrogance and pride. The disbelief by the devils (Iblis) is an example of this type of Kufr.

4. Kufrul-Juhood: Disbelief out of rejection. This applies to someone who acknowledges the truth in his heart, but rejects it with his tongue. This types of kufr is applicable to those who calls themselves Muslims but who reject any necessary and accepted norms of Islam such as Salaat and Zakat.

Allah (swt) says: They denied them (OUR SIGNS) even though their hearts believed in them , out of spite and arrogance. [Surah Naml(27), Ayah 14]

5. Kufrul-Nifaaq: Disbelief out of hypocrisy. This applies to someone who pretends to be a believer but conceals his disbelief. Such a person is called a MUNAFIQ or hypocrite.

Allah( swt) says: Verily the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of Hell. You will find no one to help them. [Surah An Nisaa (4), Ayah 145]

6. Kufrul-Istihaal: Disbelief out of trying to make HARAAM into HALAAL. This applies to someone who accepts as lawful (Halaal) that which Allah has made unlawful (Haram) like alcohol or adultery. Only Allah (swt) has the prerogative to make things Halaal and Haram and those who seek to interfere with His right are like rivals to Him and therefore fall outside the boundaries of faith.

7. Kufrul-Kurh: Disbelief out of detesting any of Allah's (swt) commands. Allah (swt) says: Perdition (destruction) has been consigned to those who disbelieve and He will render their actions void. This is because they are averse to that which Allah has revealed so He has made their actions fruitless. [Surah Muhammed (47), Ayah 8-9]

8. Kufrul-Istihzaha: Disbelief due to mockery and derision.

Allah (swt) says: Say: Was it at Allah, His signs and His apostles that you were mocking? Make no excuses. You have disbelieved after you have believed. [Surah Taubah (9), ayah 65-66]

9. Kufrul-I'raadh: Disbelief due to avoidance. This applies to those who turn away and avoid the truth.

Allah (swt) says: And who is more unjust than he who is reminded of his Lord's signs but then turns away from them. Then he forgets what he has sent forward (for the Day of Judgement) [Surah Kahf(18), Ayah 57]

10. Kufrul-Istibdaal: Disbelief because of trying to substitute Allah's Laws. This could take the form of: (a) Rejection of Allah's law (Shariah) without denying it (b) Denial of Allah's law and therefore rejecting it, or (c) Substituting Allah's laws with man-made laws.

Allah (swt) says: Or have they partners with Allah who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not allowed.
[Surah Shuraa(42), Ayah 8]

Allah (swt) says: Say not concerning that which your tongues put forth falsely (that) is lawful and this is forbidden so as to invent a lie against Allah. Verily, those who invent a lie against Allah will never prosper. [Surah Nahl (16), Ayah 116]