I S L A MI C C R E E D S E R I E S 1BELI EF I N AL L AH )n thc Li ght of thc Qur' an and Sunnah J ~ : 1 0 {UI ' Umar S. al AshqarI NTERNATI ONAL 15 AMI C P UBLl 5HI NG HOUS E I NTHE NAME OF ALLAH THE ALL- COMPASSI ONATE ALL- MERCI FUL BELI EF I N AL L AH Ti tl e: BEL I EF I N AL L AH Author: Dr. Umar S. al - Ashqar Transl ated f r omArabi c edi ti on 10 (1995) Engl i sh Edi ti on 1 (2002) Engl i sh Edi ti on 3 (2005) Transl ator: Nasi ruddi n al - Khattab Edi tor: Huda Khat t ab Layout: I I PH Ri yadh Saudi Arabi a Cover Desi gner: Har oon Vi cente Pascual Arl i ngton U. S. A. Fi l mi ng: Samo Press Gr oup I S L A M I C C R E E D S E R I E S BELI EF I N AL L AH I n t he Li ght of t he Qur ' an and Sunnah d.l.I ~ J l o - ! I Dr . ' Umar S. al AshqarTransl ated by: N asi ruddi n al KhattabJV .BE ..... .... .............. ivit--A-a-- p l A 4 i I J I ~ I I NTERNATI ONAL I SLAMI C PUBLI SHI NG HOUSE lJ N!VLRSI TY!. lBRiRY lJ NI VER YOF N()Rn I (' AR()UNA Al Cl I APEL 1111103 T N E T N o c PUBLI SHER' S NOTE 19 TRANSLATOR' S F OREWORD 21 PREFACE T O THE NE W REVI SED EDI TI ON 23 PREFACE T O THE FI RST EDI TI ON 25 I NTRODUCTI ON 29 1 - QEEDAH: DEFI NI TI ON AND EXPLANATI ON 29 1) ' Aqeedah: Meani ng and Usage 29 2) 'Aqeedah is a Matter of Knowl edge in the Heart 30 3) 'Aqeedah means Certai n Bel i ef wi th no Roomfor Doubt 31 4) The I ssues of 'Aqeedah are Invi si bl e 32 5) Correct 'Aqeedah and Fal se 'Aqeedah 33 Where is e ue ' aqeedah day? 34 6) The I mportance and Necessi ty of I sl ami c 'Aqeedah 35 2 THE RELATI ONSHI P BETWEEN 'AQEEDAH AND EEMAAN AND SHARI ' AH 39 1) le Rel ati onshi p Bet ween ' Aqeedah and Eemaan 39 2) The Rel ati onshi p Bet ween 'Aqeedah and Shari ah 41 3) Payi ng Attenti on to Deeds 42 3 - EEMAAN AND KUFR 43 1) Rul i ng on Rej ecti on of 'Aqeedah 43 2) Acti ons and Wor ds Whi ch are Counted as Ku _ (Di sbel i ef) 44 3) Atti tude Towards the Kuf f aar (Di sbel i evers) 4) le Kaafi r before Al l ah 45 45 6 Contents 5) Negl ecti ng Obl i gatory Duti es and Commi tti ng Prohi bi ted Acti ons 46 i) The attitude of the sal af towards those who comm1t m or sms 46 ii) The Khawrij who denounced peopl e as kaa.fi r because of their sins 49 The evi dence quoted by the khawaari j for denounci ng as kaa.fi r those who commi t mor sins 50 Refutati on of the evi dence quoted by the khm arij 54 What is meant by the texts in whi ch the Messenger of Al l ah di sowned those who commi t sins 59 What is meant by the texts whi ch state that some sins i mpl y Ja. andshirk 59 iii) Those who say that the person who commi ts maj or sins has perfect faith 634 - ' AQEEDAH VS. PHI LOSOPHY AND ' I LMAL- 4 64 1) The Di fference Between Isl ami c ' Aqeedah and Phi1osophy and '11mal -Kal aam 64 i) Ori gi ns and sources 65ii) Methodol ogy and way 66 iii) Force 1i mpact 72 iv) Style75v) Deducti on method 76 vi) Resul ts 79 2) The Attitude of the Schol ars Towards Phi1osophy 813) Compari son Between Man of l Ought (Phi1osophy) and1an of ' Aqeedah 85Bel i ef inAl l ah 7 5- SCHOL ARS' METHODOL OGYm AFFI RMmG ' AQEEDAH 87 Expl anati on of leir Speci ous Arguments 90 Texts Which Indi cate that Aa}J aad Reports are Sound Enough to be U sed as Evi dence 96 Refuti ng the Argument of those Who say that Aa dA}J aadeeth C mot be Used as Proof wi th Regard to 'Aqeedah 99 BELI EFS WHI CH ARE PROVEN B Y THE A R 4DEETH 101 Rul i ng on Those who Deny that Whi chhas been Proven inAa}J aad Reports 105 The Correct Methodol ogy 106 A matter whi ch must be clarified: How can we use the Qur' an to address those who do not bel i eve in it? 106 A Dubi ous Call: Bri ngi ng Rel i gi ons Together 108 BELI EF m ALLAH 110 Introducti on: The I mportance of this Pri nci pl e 110 Issues of Bel i ef in Al l ah 111CHAPTER ONE EVI DENCE OF THE EXI STENCE OF THE CREATOR 113 1 - THE FI RST PROOF: THE EVI DENCE OF THE FI TRAH ( HUMAN mSTmCT) 113 Sound Human I nsti nct Bears Wi tness to the Exi stence of Al l ah Wi thout ( Any Need for Further) Evi dence 113 Cal ami ti es puri the Essence of the Fi (rah 116 The Mushri keen (Pol ythei sts theI dol aters) toWho m the Messenger was Sent Acknowl edged the Exi stence of the Creator 117 le Ku._ of Peopl e Nowadays is Greater 119 8 Contents 2 - THE SECOND PROOF: THI S UNI VERSE MUST HAVE A CREATOR 119 Let Us Gi ve an Exampl e to Expl ai n LawMor e Cl earl y 120 le attitude of the empi ri cal sci ences towards this l aw 125 Reason has no choi ce but to admi t 125 Speci ous Arguments About the Ori gi n of the Uni verse 125 1) The Vi ewthat it Happened by Acci dent 126 2) The Vi ewthat Na re is the Creator 128 The theory of sel f-generati on 129 Nature is the l aws whi ch govern the uni verse 130 Nature is a force 132 Those who came before themsai d somethi ng si mi1ar 132 3) Darwi n' s Theory 133 What does this theory say? 133 The bases of this theory 133 Darwi n' s expl anati on of the process of evol uti on 134 Refutati on of the bases on whi ch this theory is founded 135 Refuti ng Darwi n' s expl anati on of how evol uti on works 137 l I s theory is not supported by reality 139 The attitude of natural scientists towards is eory 141 Theory not fact 142 So why di d it become so wi despread? 142 The Qur' an and Darwi n' s l eory 143 The opposi te of this theory is the truth 144 In conc1usi on 149 Bel i ef inAl l ah 9 CHAPTER T WO DEFI NI Tl ON OF AL L AH A ND CONNECTI NG HEARTS T O HI M I NTRODUCTI ON 1 - EVI DENCE OF THE UNI VERSAL SI GNS WHI CH POI NT T O THE CREATOR A ND I NI TI ATOR 1) le Qur' ani c Met h'Od'Ol'Ogy in Usi ng the Uni versal 151 151 151 Si gns as Evi dence 151 i) Expl 'Ori ng the uni verse thr'Ough the Qur' ani c descri pti 'On 151 Al l ah' s Acti 'Ons in the Uni verse 152 ii) The bl essi ngs 'Of Al l ah in the uni verse 156 le Q ' ges us t'O seek and kn'Ow Al l ah r'Ough Hi s Uni versal Si gns 159 iii) H'Ow the Qur' an uses its aayaat (verses) t'O pr'Ove that the Creat'Or is deservi ng 'Of L'Ordshi p and Di vi ni ty and t'O prove the fal seness 'Of every i ngthat is w'Orshi pped i nstead 'Of Al l ah 160 Ku . (di sbel i ef) is reprehensi bl e and s ange in the face 'Of such c1ear pr' O' Of 164 iv) Th'Ose wh'O benefi t o mthe si gns 'Of the uni verse are th'Ose wh'O have i nsi ght 166 v) M'Odemsci ences have severed the c'Onnecti 'On between manki nd and the uni verse 168 vi) Evi dence in creati 'On 'Of e at i butes 'Of the Creat'Or 170 vii) Al l is the 'Onl y One Wh ' O is deservi ng 'Of w'Orshi p 173 2) le Sch'Olars Expl ai n the W'Onders that Al l ah has Made in Hi s Creati 'On 175 i) B'Odi es are f'Or med 'Of cells whi ch di vi de 176 10 Contents ii) Resi stance of living bei ngs to destructive factors 179 iii) How Al l ah inspiredthe bee and the wonders of how Al l ah has created it 180 Contemporary scientists descri be the wor1d of the bee 185 How do bees tell one another where food is? 191 le bee sees a col our that we do not see 192 iv) How Al l ah I i des the ant and the wonders of its creation 193The whi te ant (termite): its od and habitation 198 Ants keep flocks and pl owthe soil 199 v) How Al l ah gui des the hoopoe and the wonders of its creation 201 vi) How pi geons are i dedand the wonders of their creation 203 vii) A dog whi ch nursed a child whose fami l y had di ed 207 viii) le whi st1ing birdkills the vi per 208 ix) le cunni ng of efox 208 x) The wonders of the wol f 209 xi) The wonders of monkeys 210 xii) The wonders of cows 210 xiii) The wonders of mi ce 210 xiv) Some ani mal s use medi ci ne 211. xv) How peopl e learn omani mal s 211 Ways inwhi ch humans are l i kened to ani mal s 216 xvi) How the Creator gui des living bei ngs to mul ti pl y 219 Beli fi nAl l ah 11The i mportance of the sexual i nsti nct 222 xvii) How the Creator causes ani mal s to make up for lost P ts of their bodi es 222 xviii) Al l l i vi ng bei ngs have the functi on of breathi ng incommon al though they achi eve it in di fferent ways 224 xi x) Li vi ng bei ngs get their f ood in di fferent ways 226 xx) How bl ood ci rcul ates in the bodi es of all l i vi ng bei ngs 228 xxi ) le way in whi ch the senses are f ormed in l i vi ng bei ngs 230 xxii) How the bones and j oi nts are desi gned 232 xxiii) The reason why bl ood c10ts 232 xxi v) The sensory antennae of mosqui toes 233 xxv) Creatures whi ch fl ash in the darkness 234 xxvi ) The di gesti ve process in ani mal s 234 xvii) Formati on of the embryo 235 xviii) rmati on of the ear 236 xxi x) Fi l ari ae wor ms 236 xxx) The magneti smof the earth 238 xxxi ) The size di mensi ons and orbi t of heavenl y bodi es 238 2 - KNOWI NG AL L AH THROUGH THE TEXTS OF THE QUR' A N AND SUNNAH 240 The Di vi ne Names and At butes 240 1) le Extent to Whi ch the Human Mi nd can Compr ehend the At i butes of Al l ah 240 2) Summar y of the At i butes Whi ch are Menti oned in the Texts 241 12 Contents i) Al l ah has an essence (dhaat) 241 ii) Hi s Sel f" 242 iii) le Face of 0 Lordthe Exal ted 245 THE EFFECTS OF BELI EF I N THE FACE OF ALLAH 246 a) Seeki ng the Face of Al l ah through ri ghteous deeds 246 b) Seeki ng refuge by the Face of Al l ah the Exal ted 247 c) Respondi ng to e one who asks of you for the sake of Al l ah 248 d) Hopi ng to see the Face of Al l ah 249 The veil of Hi s Face 251 iv) Al l ah has two Hands 252 Gl ori fi ng Al l ah by menti oni ng Hi s Hands 252 Al l ah spreads Hi s Hands 253 Thi ngs whi ch the Al l -Merci ful has created wi th Hi s Hands 253 The greatness of the Hands of the Lord 257 Both of Hi s Hands are Ri ght Hands 258 v) The Fi ngers of the Most Merci ful 258 vi) What has been menti oned concemi ng Hi s Foot 259 vii) Al l ah the Exal ted has a Shi n 261 viii) Hi s rising over the Throne 262 The great size of the Throne 264 Al l ah prai ses Hi msel f by menti oni ng Hi s risingover the Throne and by dec1ari ng that He is the Lord of the Throne 265 The meani ng of Hi s rising over e rrone (i sti waa) 267 ix) Where is Al l ah? 269 Bel i ef inAl l ah 13 The meani ng of Hi s bei ng in heaven 271 Extensi ve evi dence 273 Hi s bei ng Al l -Hi gh does not co adi ct Hi s bei ng c10se 276 x) The l augh of 0 Lordthe Exal ted 276 xi) xii) Descendi ng and Comi ng of the Exal ted 279 xiii) The speech of Al l ah 280 Al l ah' s speech is not l i mi ted or res cted 285 The Qur' an is trul y the Wor d of Al l ah 286 xi v) The l ove of Al l ah 288 xv) xvi ) Al l ah' s ha d and anger 290 xvii) Seei ng Al l ah 292 xviii) le Knowl edge of Al l ah 296 Hi s Knowl edge encompasses general i ti es and mi nor details 296 xi x) xx) Hi s Li fe Sustai nment and Etemi ty 299 Al l ah the Exal ted menti ons these t wo Names together 300 The perfecti on of Hi s Li fe and Sustai nment 301 Gl ori fyi ng Al l ah by menti oni ng Hi s Li fe and Sustai nment 301 xxi ) xxii) Hi s heari ng and si ght 302 The Grea less of Al l ah 's heari ng and si ght 303 The mushri keen i gnorance of how far the heari ng of Al l ah extends 305 3 THE BEAUTI FUL N Af ES OF AL L AH 305 1) The Number of Hi s Names 306 2) Defi ni ng the Names of Al l ah 308 3) le Greatest Name 313 i J ' O