Aqidah (121 Articles)

The Correct Islamic Creed As Outlined in the Classical Books

Aqidah linguistically is derived from the term aqada. In Arabic, one states, "Aqada the rope" when the rope is tied firmly.
And, "Aqada the sale" or "He settled the sale" when the person ratifies and contracts a sale or agreement. And Allah says in
the Quran, "And as for those whom your right hands have made a covenant (Ar., aqadat)" [Al-Nisa 33]. And Allah also says,
"But He will take you to task for the oaths which you swear in earnest (Ar., aqadtum) [Al-Maida, 89] which means asserted
and adhered to, as proven in the verse, "And break not oaths after the assertion of them" [An-Nahl, 91]. If one says, "Aqadtu
such and such," it means his heart is firm upon such and such.

Therefore, Aqidah or I'tiqad according to the scholars of Islam is: The firm creed that one's heart is fixed upon without any
wavering or doubt. It excludes any supposition, doubt or suspicion.

Aqidah MULTIPLE PAGES

The Importance of Aqidah

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.

(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.