Foundations of The Sunnah Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal
Foundations of The Sunnah Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal
Foundations of The Sunnah Imaam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal
« S U N N A H »
HA N BA L
Died 241 After Hijrah | May Allaah’s M ercy be upon him
Translated by Abu Iyaad Amjad Rafiq
© 2013 Salafi P u b lic a tio n s
P u b lish e d by:
Salafi P u b lic a tio n s
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T ra n sla te d a n d a n n o ta te d b y A b u Iy a a d A m ja d R afiq
IS B N : 9 7 8 -1 -9 0 2 7 2 7 -7 0 8 -0
109 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05
Contents
Page 13, line 18 and 22: ‘al-Ju h n ee’ should read ‘al-Juhanee.’
Page 14, last line: ‘whether happy or unhappy’ better wording is:
‘w hether one o f the people o f bliss or one o f the w retched.’ (i.e.
refering to their condition w ith regard to the hereafter).
P a g el5 , line 7: ‘...other than W hom there is no deity’ should read
‘other than W hom none has the right to be worshipped.’
Page 20, line 14: ‘apparent meaning...’ should read ‘manifest
m eaning...’
Page 2 2, line 11: ‘...ibn D a’aamah’ should read ‘...Ibn D i’aamah.’
Page 22, lines 4,5 and 18: ‘al-Hakam ibn Ibaan’ should read
‘al-Hakam ibn Abaan.’
Page 23, lines 1,2 and 15: ‘..ibn Mahraan’ should read ‘ibn Mihraan.’
Page 25, last line: ‘al-Mufham’ should read ‘al-Mufhim.’
Page 30, ‘Yazeed ibn as-Saasib’ should read ‘Yazeed ibn as-Saa.ib.’
Page 31, line 16: ‘3 3 H ’ should read ‘2 3 H ’
Page 31, ‘A boo Qahaafah’ should read ‘A boo Quhaafah.’
Page 31, ‘Razzaah’ should read ‘Razaah.’
Page 3 2 /3 3 , ‘Qilaab’ should read ‘Kilaab.’
Page ‘contents’, 3 6 ,3 8 ,4 4 ,1 3 9 ,1 9 4 and elsewhere, ‘concensus’ should
read ‘consensus.’
Page 50, lines 9*10: ‘except with the best amongst them ’ should read
‘except in favour o f som ething better than them .’
Page 50, last line: ‘the m ost deserving’ should read ‘except in favour
o f som ething having more right to acceptance than them .’
Page 53, line 3: ‘one testifying...’ should read ‘one testifying w ith his
b elief words and actions...’
Page 5 3 , Allaah ta ‘A ala should read Allaah Azza wa Jail
Page 54, line 7: ‘have agreed upon’ should read ‘were agreed upon.’
Page 54, line 23: should read ‘were [unanimously] agreed..’
Page 58, line 9: ‘al-Akbaree’ should read ‘al-’Ukbaree.’
Page 58, line 13'14: ‘as-Sawaaf az-Zanjaanee al-Harwee’ should read
‘as-Sarraaf az-Zanjaanee al-Harawee.’
Page 58, line 14: ‘Khashnaam’ should read ‘Khushnaam.’
Page 6 5, line 5: ‘M arzee’ should read ‘Marwazee.’
Page 6 8, line 6-7: ‘...him self’, meaning on the day o f the trial
concerning the Qur’aan, ‘then Islaam would have departed.’
Page 68, line 20: ‘I would love...’ should read ‘I would not love...’
Page 72, line 25: ‘anythig’ should read ‘anything.’
Page 7 4 /7 5 , line(s) 14/12: ‘Tarus’ should read ‘Tarsus.’
Page 71, footnote: ‘Reported by alBukhaaree and Muslim’ should
read ‘Reported by al-Bukhaaree {n o.2102] w ith the wording, ‘A boo
Taybah cupped Allaah’s M essenger V, so he com manded that he be
given a ‘saa’ o f dates’ and by Muslim.
Page 84, last line: ‘manaawibul’ should read ‘manaaqibul.’
Page 110, line 13: ‘al-Khallaal ’Ismah...’ should read ‘al-Khallaal said,
’Ismah...’
Page 125, line 18: ‘com ibned’ should read ‘com bined.’
Page 126, line 4: ‘perfect’ should read ‘Perfect.’
Page 126, last line: ‘mukhtasir’ should read ‘mukhtasar.’
Page 130, last line but one: ‘s k / should read ‘heavens.’
Page 135, line 25: ‘how is unknown’ should read ‘how it is, is
unknown.’
Page 136, line 26: ‘A hlud-Dhaahir’ should read ‘A hludh-Dhaahir.’
Page 139, line 17: ‘Barjas’ should read ‘Burjis.’
Page 141, line 12: ‘had given obedience to him ’ should read ‘had the
pledge o f allegiance given to him.’
Page 143, footnote 1: add [Hasan: ‘as-Saheehah’ (2297)1
Page 148, footnote 2: add [Saheeh: ‘as-Saheehah’ (404)1
Page 151, footnote 2: ‘Barjas’ should read ‘Burjis.’
Page 153, line 29: ‘al-M uqinee’ should read ‘he.’
Page 155, line 11: ‘burrow’ should read ‘hole.’
Page 156, line 16: ‘more superior than’ should read ‘more excellent
than’ or ‘superior to.’
Page 159, line 11: ‘H antalee’ should read ‘Handhalee.’
Page 159, line 22: ‘o f Bukhaara saying...’ should read ‘say at
Bukhaaraa...’
Page 160, footnote and p. 159 footnote: ‘sharf’ should read ‘sharaf.’
Page 160, line 16: ‘Muqirree’ should read ‘Muqri.’
Page 160, line 20: ‘H antalee’ should read ‘Handhalee’
Page 162, line 4-5: ‘those who guide them selves by him ...’ should
read ‘those who follow him .’
Page 164, line 8: ‘concensus’ should read ‘consensus.’
Page 164, footnote 2: ‘Hajar’ should read ‘Hajr.’
Page 166, line 22: ‘Musayyab’ should read ‘Musayyib.’
Page 167, line 1: ‘Ribaah’ should read ‘Rabaah.’
Page 167, line 4: ‘...ibn ’Utbah’ should read ‘Ibn ’Utaybah.’
Page 167, line 7: ‘Riqaashee’ should read ‘Raqaashee.’
Page 170, line 17: ‘concensus’ should read ‘consensus.’
Page 170, footnote 4: ‘Sharh U soolilT ’tiqaad’ o f al-Laalikaa.ee,
n o .2 9 1 .’
Page 171, line 17: ‘more loved by me than if one o f them (i.e. people
o f desires) lives next to m e.’ should read ‘more beloved to me than
one o f them (i.e. people o f desires) living next to m e.’
Page 171, line 30: ‘mans’ should read ‘man’s.’
Page 172, line 13: ‘without rejecting anything from them both’
should read ‘w ithout rejecting anything from either o f them .’
Page 174, lines 5/8: ‘suhhaah’ should read ‘sihaah.’
Page 175, line 15: “’Abdullaah ibn al-’Awwaam’ should read "Abbaad
ibn al-’Awwaam.’
Page 175, lines 19/20: ‘Indeed the one who came with the Sunnah in
the Prayer, the Zakaah, and the Hajj is the one who came w ith these
ahaadeeth. And indeed we know o f Allaah through these ahaadeeth.’
should read ‘Indeed those who conveyed these ahaadeeth are the
same people w ho conveyed the Q ur’aan, and that there are five
daily Prayers, and performance o f Hajj to the H ouse, and fasting in
Ramadaan; so we do not com e to know about Allaah except through
these ahaadeeth-’
Page 175, line 26: ‘even if it was authentic, but other than
mutawaatir’ should read ‘even when it is authentic, if it is not
mutawaatir.’
Page 176, line 13: ‘unseen matters’ should read ‘matters o f the
unseen.’
Page 177, line 23: ‘for this heart is weak (i.e. his son’s).’ should read
‘for the heart is weak.’
Page 177, line 24: ‘A nd he never stopped saying...’ should read ‘A nd
he did not stop saying...’
Page 179, line 15: ‘falsifying their falsehood’ should read ‘nullifying,
refuting their falsehood.’
Page 181, lines 9,11 and 18: ‘taqiyah’ should read ‘taqiyyah.’
Page 181, line 24: ‘go towards it’ should read ‘hold it.’
Page 183, lines 3-4: ‘tend towards it’ should read ‘hold it.’
Page 183, line 11: ‘taqiyah’ should read ‘taqiyyah.’
Page 183, footnote 1: ‘Buwaiseeree’ should read ‘Boosayree.’
Page 184, line 14: ‘when he stated in it the religion...’ should read
‘when he stated in it that it is the religion...’
Page 184, line 15: ‘which he reports and (when he) establishes
him self upon the way o f the sahaabah...’ should read ‘and he reported
and confirmed the religion o f the sahaabah...’
Page 184, line 17: ‘those who have passed’ should read ‘o f the past.’
Page 184, line 21: ‘To what exactly, did he turn back to, and which
you can see (evidently)?’ should read ‘T hen to what do you see him
having turned back?!’
Page 185, line 7: ‘as-Salafee’ should read ‘as-Silafee.’
Page 185, footnote 4: ‘N eesaapooree’ should read ‘N eesaabooree.’
Page 185, footnote 5: ‘as-Salafee’ should read ‘as-Silafee.’
Page 186, footnote 3: ‘al-Qurshee’ should read ‘al-Qurashee.’
Page 186, footnote 4: ‘among the Jahmiyyah w ho attributed
the forged statem ent (of not writing al-Ibaanah) to Abul-Hasan
al-Ash’aree. But...’ should read ‘among the Jahmiyyah, those who are
falsely ascribed to Abul-Hasan al-’Ash’aree, but...’
Page 187, line 19: ‘except if it is possible to reconcile the opposites.
There is no doubt however, that one o f them is truly Ahlus-Sunnah -
but w hich one?...’ should read ‘unless it be possible to reconcile two
com plete opposites; only then could it be so; otherwise not. So there
is no doubt that only one o f them is the person o f the Sunnah. Then
which one?...’
Page 187, line 23: ‘the Salaf are Ahlus-Sunnah...’ should read ‘the
Salaf are the Ahlus-Sunnah...’
Page 187, line 24: ‘them . So how...’ should read ‘them , and what
is taken into consideration regarding words are their meanings. So
how...’
Page 187, line 25: ‘H ow is it possible to say Ahlus-Sunnah are
o f three differing groups, but we say that they are in agreement?
So where is the agreement and concensus?’ should read ‘H ow is it
possible that we say about three differing groups that they are in
agreement?! Then where is the agreement?’
Page 187, last line: 1/123 should read 1/53-54
Page 189, line 10: ‘ush-Shuhudaat’ should read ‘ush-Shahaadaat.’
Page 189, line 18: ‘in it, and repentance’ should read ‘in it, then
repentance.’
Page 189, line 20: ‘al-Ihtiqaa’ should read ‘al-Intiqaa.’
Page 189, line 28: ‘with ta’w eel...’ should read ‘w ith the ta.weel...’
Page 190, line 21: ‘Sheeraazww’ should read ‘Sheeraazee.’
Page 190, line 22: ‘al-Lumaa” should read ‘al-Luma”
Page 190, line 24: ‘he made distinction and said: “It is the saying
o f the Ash’ariyyah”’ should read ‘he made distinction and said: “It
is a saying o f some o f our com panions, and it is (also) held by the
Ash’ariyyah.’”
Page 191, lines 9 and 11: ‘al-Maareesee’ should read ‘al-Mareesee.’
Page 191, line 21: ‘Qujhairi’ should read ‘Qushairee.’
Page 194, line 18: ‘concensus’ should read ‘consensus.’
Page 194, last line: ‘A way or school o f thought’ should read ‘a way,
position, or school o f thought.’
Page 195, Qadar: ‘pre-estim ation’ should read ‘pre-determ ination.’
Page 196, ‘Taqiyah’ should read ‘Taqiyyah.’
Page 199, last line but one: ‘attributers’ should read ‘attributes.’
Page 2 0 1 , line 1: ‘concensus’ should read ‘consensus.’
1
upon him, drawn from the Q u r‘aan and the Sunnah and from tha
which the scholars of the Salaf and the AshaabulHadeeth (People o
Hadeeth) were upon and which they adopted and divulged and mad
the people hold as their belief.
2
P a rt O ne
A BRIEF NOTE ON UsOOL-US-SlJNNAH
3
Allaah protect h im .1
1 From the m anuscript copy (no. 68, Q . 10-15) w hich is kept at the D haahiriyyah
Library in D am ascus, Syria.
4
P ages F rom the M a n u s c r ip t o f U s o o l u s -S u n n a h
First Page of
the M anuscript
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Final Page of the M anuscript
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T he F o u n d a t io n s o f t h e Sunnah
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which I and my Com panions are upon.” R e p o rte d by a t-T irm id h e e , n o . 2792,
a l-H a a k im , 1 /1 2 8 -1 2 9 , a l-L a a lik a a ‘ee, n o . 147, a s h -S h a a tib e e in h is Al-
I ’tisaam, 1 /1 8 9 a n d 2 / 1 8 6 , Ib n H a jr in Takhreej A haadeeth al-Kashaaf, n o .
6 3 a n d o th e r s fro m ’A b d u lla a h ib n ’A m r ib n al-’A a s (-i J ,A-).
5 ’A b d u lla h ib n M a s’o o d , (-* J U*-) sa id , “V erily, w e e m u la te a n d d o n o t
in itia te a n d we follow a n d d o n o t in n o v a te .” R e p o rte d by al-L aalikaa‘ee in
Usoolul-I'tiqaad, 1 /8 6 . A b o o B akr as-S iddeeq sa id , “In d e e d , I am
a fo llo w er a n d I am n o t a n in n o v a to r.” R e p o rte d in Kitaabus-Sifaai o f Ibn
Q u d a a m a h al-M aqdisee in th e c h a p te r: Fee Fadaa'ilil-Ittibaa a n d it is ta k e n
fro m th e lo n g khutbah o f A b o o B akr a fte r th e p led g e o f allegiance, re fe r to
At-Taareekh o f at-T ab a re e.
6 L inguistically bid’ah (in n o v a tio n ) m e a n s ‘a new ly in v e n te d m a tte r.’ The
Sharee’ah d e fin itio n o f bid’ah is, “A new ly in v en te d way (beliefs a n d actio n s)
in th e re lig io n , in im ita tio n o f th e Sharee’ah (p re s c rib e d Law), by w h ic h
n e a rn e ss to A llaa h is so u g h t, n o t b e in g s u p p o rte d by any a u th e n tic p ro o f
— n e ith e r in its fo u n d a tio n s , n o r in th e m a n n e r in w h ic h it is p e rfo rm e d .”
A l-I’tisaam o f ash-S haatibee, 1/37. A v o id in g in n o v a tio n s is o n e o f th e great
fo u n d a tio n s a n d p rin c ip le s o f A h l us-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah a n d it involves:
i. h a v in g h a tre d fo r it
ii. k e ep in g away fro m it
iii. w a rn in g th e p e o p le a b o u t it
iv. re fu tin g th e in n o v a to rs, a n d th is is fo r th e 'U lam aa a lo n e
7 T h e M essenger o f A lla a h said, “Every innovation is misguidance and
9
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going astray,” re p o rte d by A b o o D aaw ood, no. 460 7 , at-T irm id h ee, n o . 2676
a n d it is a u th e n tic (saheeh). Ib n H ajr a u th e n tic a te d it in Takhreej Ahaadeeth
Ibnul-Haajib, 1 /1 3 7 . A n d h e (£^413$?) also sa id , "... and every innovation is
misguidance and all misguidance is in the Hell-Fire." R e p o rte d by an-N asaa'ee,
1 /2 2 4 from Jaabir ibn 'A b d u llaah a n d it is a u th e n tic as declared by Shaikhul-
Islaam Ib n Taymiyyah in M ajm oo’ul-Fataawaa, 3 /5 8 . A n d Ibn 'A bbaas ( o tii y , )
said, “V erily, th e m o st d e te ste d o f th in g s to A lla a h , th e E x alted , are th e
in n o v a tio n s.” R e p o rte d by al-Bayhaqee in Sunan al-Kutrraa, 4 /3 1 6 .
8 Al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyaad (d. 187H) said, “I m et th e best o f people, all o f th em
people o f th e Sunnah a n d they used to forbid from accom panying th e People
o f In n o v a tio n .” R e p o rte d by al-Laalikaa'ee, n o . 267. S ufyaan ath-T haw ree
(d. 161H ) said, “W h o e v e r listens to a n in n o v a to r has left th e p ro tec tio n o f
A llaah, a n d is e n tru s te d w ith th e in n o v a tio n .” R e p o rte d by A b o o N u ’aym
in Al-Hilyah, 7 / 2 6 a n d Ibn B a tta h , no. 4 44.
Al-Layth ib n Sa’d (d. 175H) said, “ If 1 saw a p erso n o f desires (i.e. innovations)
w a lk in g u p o n th e w a te r I w o u ld n o t a c c e p t fro m h im ." So Im a a m ash-
S haafi’ee th e n said, “H e (al-Layth) has fallen sh o rt. If I saw him w alking in
th e air 1 w ould n o t accept from h im .” R e p o rte d by as-Suyooti in A lA m r bil
'Ittibaa wan-Nahee ’anil-Ibtidaa. R efer to C h a p te r E ight: O n th e P ro h ib itio n
o f S itting w ith the People o f In n o v atio n , L istening to th e m , A rguing w ith th em ,
T o A b a n d o n th em a n d th o se w h o A ssociate w ith th em .
10
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And when you see people engaged in vain discourse about Our
Signs, then turn away from them unless they turn to a different
theme.
S oorah al-A n’aam (6):68
11
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... and the Sunnah explains and clarifies the Q u r'a a n ."
t . U j t
12
13 A nd it is from the binding and necessary Sunnah, [the Swnnah]
which whoever leaves a single matter from it, has not accepted it
[in its totality), has no t believed in it and is not from its people:
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other than W hom there is no deity, verily one o f you does the actions o f the
people o f Paradise, until there is but an arms length between him and it, and
that which has been w ritten overtakes him so he does the actions o f the people
o f Hell-Fire and so he enters it-, and one o f you does the actions o f the people of
Hell-Fire, until there is but an arms length between him and it, and that which
has been w ritten overtakes him so he does the actions o f the people o f Paradise
and thus enters i t .'” R e p o rte d by a l-B u k h a a re e , n o s . 3 2 0 7 , 3 3 3 2 , 6 5 9 4
a n d 7454, M u slim , n o . 2 6 3 4 , A b o o D aaw o o d , n o . 4 7 0 8 , T irm id h e e , 2137,
Ib n M a a ja h , n o . 76 a n d A h m a d in h is M usnad, 1 / 3 8 2 , 414 a n d 4 3 0 .
16 In th e m a n u s c rip t o f al-A lbaanee, ‘... a n d th e likes o f w h a t is sim ila r to
it in th e m a tte r o f Q adar.’
17 T h e B e lie v e r’s se e in g o f th e ir L o rd , w ith t h e i r eyes, o n th e D ay o f
Ju d g e m e n t is a firm ly e stab lish e d b e lie f in th e B o o k a n d th e Sunnah. The
w h o le um m ah h a s ta k e n it w ith a c c e p ta n c e . H o w ev e r, th e s tra n g e a n d
isolated a m o n g st th e c re a tio n have rejected it fro m a m o n g th e M u ’tazilah,
th e Jahm iyyah, th e K haw aarij a n d o th e r s b e sid e s th e m . A l-A a ju rre e (d.
3 6 0 H ) h a s c o llected all th e ahaadeeth re la te d a b o u t th is issue in his b o o k ,
‘A t-Tasdeeq bin-Nadhar’ a n d th e sch o lars (o f Ahlus-Sunnah) have in clu d e d such
ahaadeeth in th e ir b o o k s w b ic h th ey h ave a u th o r e d in th e su b je c t m a tte r
o f 'aqeedah.
15
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19 And that he does not argue with anyone, nor dispute and nor
sh ould he learn [about how to make] arg u m en tatio n [in such
matters].
16
a n d b e p a r a d e d a m o n g s t t h e k i n s f o l k a n d t h e t r ib e s w ith it b e in g
a n n o u n c e d , ‘T h is is th e re w ard o f th e o n e w h o a b a n d o n s th e B o o k a n d
th e S u n n a h a n d tu rn s to th e o lo g ic a l rh e to ric ( kalaam ).” Sharh ’Aqeedatit-
Tahaawiyyah o f Ib n A bil-’Izz, p. 75.
A b o o Y oosuf, th e c o m p a n io n o f A b o o H a n e e fa h sa id , “W h o e v e r s o u g h t
know ledge by kalaam (theological rh eto ric) will tu rn a h eretical a p o state,” and
A h m a d ib n H a n b al (d. 241H ) said, “T h e p e rso n o f theological rh eto ric will
never prosper. A n d never d o you see a nyone lo oking in to theological rh eto ric
except th a t in his h e a rt is a desire fo r creating m ischief." B oth n a rra tio n s are
re p o rte d by Ib n Q u d a a m a h in his Burhaan fee Bayaanil-Qur'aan.
17
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21 T he one who does so, even if he reaches the tru th with his
words, is n o t from AMus-Sunnah, until he abandons [using] this
m ode o f argum entation, [and until he) subm its and believes in
th e a a th a a r (th e P ro p h e tic N a r r a tio n s a n d th o s e o f th e
C o m p a n io n s).20
18
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Indeed it is the W ord o f Allaah and it is not created.24
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T h e n they differ — did h e see him w ith his eyes o r w ith his heart? A l-H aafidh
Ib n H a jr (d. 8 5 1 H ) sa id , “T h e n a r ra tio n s fro m Ib n 'A b b a a s have c o m e
u n r e s tr ic te d a n d th e o th e r s a re r e s tric te d . It is th e r e f o r e n e c e ssa ry to
u n d e rsta n d th e general u n re stric te d n a rra tio n s (from Ib n ’A bbaas) in light o f
th e re stric te d n a rra tio n s (fro m ’A a ’ish a h a n d Ib n M a s’o o d ) ...” T h en he
m en tio n s th e u n re stric te d n a rra tio n s m e n tio n in g th e vision (w ith th e eyes) a n d
th e restricted n a rra tio n s w h ich m e n tio n th a t th e vision was by th e heart. T h e n
he said, ”... So u p o n this, it is possible to reconcile betw een th e affirm atio n
o f Ibn ’A bbaas a n d the d e n ia l o f ’A a ’ishah in th a t th e d e n ia l can be taken
to be th e d e n ia l o f th e vision w ith th e eyes a n d its a ffirm a tio n to be th e
a ffirm atio n o f th e h e art ...” See Fathul-Baaree, 8 /6 0 8 .
21
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* ' ' '
It has b een rep o rted by Q a ta a d a h 27 from ’Ik rim ah 28 from Ibn
’Abbaas.
So u p o n this, there is n o c o n tra d ic tio n a n d all praise is for A llaah, the Lord o f
all th e W orlds, a n d A llaah, th e Exalted, know s best. See also Shark Usoolil-
I’tiqaad o f al-Laalikaa‘ee, 9 3 /5 1 2 , As-Sunnah, 1/181 a n d A s-Sifaat o f al-M aqdisee,
pp. 109-111.
27 H e is Q a t a a d a h ib n D a ’a a m a h ib n Q a t a a d a h a s -S a d o o s e e , A b u l-
K h a tta ab al-Basree. H e is thiqah thabat (a precise, reliable a n d tru stw o rth y
n a rra to r). It has b e e n said th a t h e was b o r n b lin d , see A t-Taqreeb, 2 /1 2 3 .
28 H e is ’Ik rim a h ib n ’A b d u lla a h , th e mawlaa o f Ib n ’A b b aas, a B e rb er in
o rig in . H e is thiqah thabat (a precise, reliab le a n d tru stw o rth y n a rra to r), a
sc h o lar in ta/seer. H e d ie d in 107H a n d it has b e e n said th a t h e d ie d a fte r
th a t, as has b e e n m e n tio n e d in At-Taqreeb, 2 / 3 0 , see Al-Kaashif, 2 /2 4 1 .
29 H e is a l-H ak a m ib n Ib a a n al-’U d n e e , A b o o ’E esaa. H e w as sadooq
(tru th fu l) a n d an ’aabid (w o rsh ip p e r) a n d h e h a d aw haam (i.e., m ad e m istakes
in his n a rra tio n s ). S ee At-Taqreeb, 1 /1 9 0 a n d A l-Kaashif, 1 /1 8 1 .
22
S- • .. • ' . > • >• - •' * • » t' ''
,4r Li-p o' 1- 'c f ’■ ^ A ' o-<
' ^ — y o* o-i ^ °o j j
4 { *4 * / , > /
\jd~i <ci ‘y J tajjfctU C if o?^j
23
iA*11a]I ,JL_jd! lO jy ^y_ iJ\y+\\j Okk/}|lj
X^jX) ^J-
28 A nd having faith in the Balance [the Weighing] o n the Day
o f Ju d g em en t ju st as it has com e [to us in th e hadeeth], “A
servant will be weighed on the Day o f Judgement and he will not be
equal in weight to the wing of a fly.’’M
\{T' . *>f * J
And We will not give them any weight on the Day of Judgement.
S oorah al-K ahf 18:105
24
I y n ^ ; !y Alj ^yj fyJ jd-S-o (^Oby ' <■)(J
25
» %i %* %> • ^ • ' ' j' J ^ ,
Jl *j il4 J J ? (3? V*-6-' o-ii O ij c / ' i^jljju OLLj^/Ij
26
Aj J j- U o J 'j Aj J U j^ I j
A n d t h e S a la f a re a g re e d u n a n im o u s ly t h a t t h e Q u e s t i o n in g a n d th e
P u n is h m e n t in th e G rave is a tru e fa ct a n d a c e rta in reality. A n d o th e rs
fro m a m o n g th e m w h o affirm it a n d m e n tio n it in th e ir b o o k s o f 'aqeedah,
a ffirm in g th e necessity o f b eliev in g in it w ith firm c o n v ic tio n in th e h e a rt
in clu d e : A b o o D aaw ood (d. 2 7 5 H ), Ib n Q u ta y b a h (d. 27 8 H ), A b u l-H a sa n
al-A sh’aree (d. 32 4 H ), Ib n A b e e H a a tim (d. 3 2 7 H ), Im aa m al-B arbahaaree
(d. 3 2 9 H ), Im a a m al-L aalikaa‘ee (d. 418H ), Im aa m al-B ayhaqee (d. 4 5 8 H ),
Im a a m an-N aw aw ee (d. 6 7 6 H ), a l-Q u rtu b e e (d. 6 7 1H ) a n d m an y o th e rs .
27
4j jJj-i-vOlJtj tV jA Lk-Ji
39 T h e a ffir m e d in te r c e s s io n o f o u r P r o p h e t M u h a m m a d is o f
v a rio u s types:
28
i^ jL T 'jLd, L jy j s . J . J t i r j J l ^ 4 __ —J l o f O L lj^ lj
ft ^t t % , % ^ t t ' f
a) j_jLj <1 : i I J yj y, ^,1) O'j
29
and decreases4’ as has been reported in the narration, "The most
complete of the believers with respect to faith is the best of them in his
>>44
manners.
yiST JLii j j
'•I
j l _
*4 _ 'P J*- l • <, - *> ^* T
30
Bakr as-Siddeeq46 then ’U m ar ibn al-Khattaab,47 then ’U thm aan ibn
A ffaan.48
46 H e is th e b e st o f th e p e o p le a fte r th e M e ss e n g e r o f A lla a h
’A b d u lla a h ib n ’U th m a a n , h e is A b o o Q a h a a fa h ib n ’A a m ir ib n ’A m r ibn
K a’b ib n S a’d ib n T aim ib n M a rra h , al-Q u ra sh e e , at-T aim ee — A b o o B akr
as-Siddeeq, th e successor (khaleefah) o f th e M essenger o f A llaa h and
h is c o m p a n io n w h ile h e was in th e cave. S ee Tahdheebul-Kamaal, 5 /2 8 2 -
283.
47 H e is th e A m eerul-M u'm ineen, ’U m a r ib n a l-K h a tta a b ib n N u ta il ib n
’A b d u l-’Uzzaa ibn R iyaah ibn ’A b d u lla a h ib n Q u r t ib n R azzaah ib n ’A d e e
ib n K a’b a l-Q u rsh ee, ai-’A daw ee. H e w as m arty red in th e m o n th o f Dhul-
H ijjah o f th e year 3 3 H a n d h e was th e khaleefah fo r te n a n d a h a lf years.
S ee At-Taqreeb, 2 /5 4 .
48 H e is th e Am eerul-M u’mineen, ’U th m a a n ib n A ffa a n ib n A bil-’A as ib n
’U m a y y a h ib n ’A b d S h a m sil-A m a w e e, D h u n -N o o ra in , fro m a m o n g th o s e
fo re m o s t in fa ith (as-saabiqoon al-awwaloon). O n e o f th e fo u r khaleefahs a n d
o n e o f th e te n w h o h a d b e e n given th e glad tid in g s o f Paradise.- H e was
m a rty re d in th e m o n th o f D hul-H ijjah, a fte r th e 'Eed o f S a c rifice o f th e
year 3 5 H . H is khilaafah lasted fo r tw elve years a n d h is age was eighty. It
h a s b e e n said m ore th a n th is a n d also less th a n th is. See At-Taqreeb, 2 /1 2 .
49 ’A lla a m a h S id d e e q H a s a n K h a n (d . 1 3 0 7 H ) s a id , ’... a n d w h o e v e r
re b u k es th e khilaafah o f any o n e o f th e m — th e n h e is m o re astray th a n his
f a th e r ’s d o n k e y .’ Q a tfuth-T ham r fee B ayaani-’A qeedati-Ahlil-Athar, p. 9 9 .
31
<• J - ? — ^ t S J J — ~~ l ' A j^ C il Ju u p j
32
<M) A 1 cr Ji ^ J iL ii ^ L iiJ )
‘*•
--^<T ' ■**
j*-J \ i ' 1 1 * ' ' ' t 4*
p-J 4 !*-> 2"' • * f
j-j* y* <-_jl>*-^l^j
42 In this regard we take the hadeeth of Ibn ’Um ar,’5 ‘We used to
consider, while the Messenger o f Allaah was alive and his
Com panions widespread: Aboo Bakr [to be first], then ’Umar, then
’U thm aan — and then we rem ained quiet.’56
43 T hen after the five com panions o f the shooraa are the people
who fought in Badr from among the M uhaajiroon. And then those
who fought in B adr from am ong the A nsaar, from am ong the
Com panions of the Messenger of Allaah [each one’s rank is]
according to his migration and precedence [in the religion].
,4 H e is th e n o b le c o m p a n io n , S a ’d ib n A b ee W a q q a a s ib n M a a lik ib n
W u h a ib ib n 'A b d -M a n a f ib n Z a h ra h ib n Q ila a b az-Z uhree, A b o o Ish a aq ,
o n e o f th e te n g u a ran tee d Paradise a n d th e first o n e to th ro w a w eapon in
th e p a th o f A llaah. H e d ied a t al-’A q eeq in th e year 5 5 H as is well k now n,
a n d h e was th e last o f th e ten w h o h a d b e en g u a ran tee d Paradise to die. See
At-Taqreeb, 1 /2 9 0 .
55 H e is th e fam ous c o m p a n io n , 'A b d u llaa h ibn 'U m a r ibn al-K hattaab al-
'A daw ee, A b o o 'A b d u r-R a h m aa n . H e was o n e o f th e m ost fervent a n d strong
a m o n g st th e p eo p le in follow ing th e n a rra tio n s a n d was also a m o n g st th e
C o m p a n io n s th a t w ere rich a n d well to do. H e died a t th e e n d o f th e year
73 H o r th e b e g in n in g o f th e n e x t year. See At-Taqreeb, 1 /4 3 5 .
56 R e p o rte d by B ukhaaree, nos. 3655 a n d 3697, A b o o D aaw ood, nos. 4627
a n d 4 6 2 8 , a t-T irm id h ee, n o . 3707, Ib n M aajah , no. 106 a n d o th ers.
33
y r< ‘( ^ ) '-d.J--- *"J ‘r '^ '— It'J/j* y C l J d iif p*
4 4 T h e n th e m o st s u p e r io r o f m a n k in d a fte r th e se : th e
C om panions o f the M essenger o f Allaah (£&$&), the generation
in which he was sent. Everyone w ho accom panied him , w hether
for a year, a m onth, a day, an h o u r o r [just merely) saw him ,
then he is from am ong his C om panions.57 His com panionship
is according to the extent to which he accom panied him , [and
to the extent to which] he had precedence in being w ith him ,
heard from him and looked at him .58
34
jliji j i i i i i "Jj
46 A nd whoever saw him with his eyes, and believed in him,
even if for an h o u r,59 is m ore excellent, o n a c c o u n t o f this
co m p an io n sh ip [with th e P ro p h et ( 5 ^ ^ ) ] , th a n the Taabi’een,
even if they [the Taabi’een] did every action o f goodness.
j J ipljailj j
Iy r \ i J J\S~ Ij>
51 A nd perform ing the Jum u’ah prayer behind him [the Ruler]
and behind whom ever he appoints is [a] permissible and perfect
60 S e e C h a p t e r F iv e : T h e C o n c e n s u s o f t h e S a la f fr o m a m o n g th e
C o m p a n io n s o f A lla a h ’s M essenger ( 3 s S ^ ) o n th e P ro h ib itio n o f R eviling
th e R ulers, be th ey R ig h te o u s o r S in fu l—A R e fu ta tio n o f th e Khawaarij.
36
[act] and [consists of] two rak’ahs. W hoever repeats them [after
praying b eh in d him] is an innovator, o n e w ho ab an d o n s the
narrations and an opposer o f the Sunnah. He receives nothing
[of reward] from the excellence of his [attendance of] the Jum u’ah
prayer, if he does n o t accept a n d ho ld th a t prayer is to be
o b se rv e d b e h in d th e le a d e rs, w h o m e v e r th ey may be, th e
righteous am ongst them and the sinful am ongst them .
1 0 U J l ^ i J J * ] J ^ j (% -* * > • b f a ;— -it*
a : ... a o b a-Ip o t i OU 1d j —j i—
37
the narrations o f the M essenger o f Allaah ( M ^ ) . 62 A nd if the
o ne who revolted against the ruler died he would have died the
death o f ignorance.
62 S e e C h a p t e r Five: T h e C o n c e n s u s o f t h e S a la f fr o m a m o n g th e
C o m p a n io n s o f A lla a h ’s M essenger o n th e P ro h ib itio n o f R eviling
th e R u lers - A R e fu ta tio n o f th e Khawaarij.
63 S h a ik h u l- ls la a m I b n T ay m iy y ah (d . 7 2 8 H ) s a id , “T h e p e o p le h a v e
d iffere d a n d arg u ed w ith e a c h o th e r w ith re sp ec t to th e o n e in a u th o rity
w h o is sin fu l a n d ig n o ra n t. Is he obeyed in w h a tev e r h e o rd e rs fro m th e
o b e d ie n c e o f A llaah a n d a re th e d e cisio n s th a t h e m akes w ith resp ect to
th e rule a n d th e d iv isio n (o f c h arity etc.) to b e c arried o u t, if he is ju st in
that? O r is h e n o t obeyed a n d n o th in g fro m th e d ecisio n s h e m akes w ith
re sp ec t to th e ru le a n d th e div isio n (o f c h arity etc.) executed? O r is th e re
a d iffere n ce to be m ad e b e tw ee n th e overall Im aam (i.e., th e le a d e r o f all
th e M uslim s) a n d b etw ee n a judge a n d o th e r su c h p e o p le , (w ho are low er
in rank)?
38
55 Fighting against the thieves and the revolters (khawaarij) is
permissible. T hat is, when they set upon a m an with respect to
his person and his wealth. It is then permissible for him to fight
[and defend] himself and his property and to repel [the thieves and
the revolters] from them both [i.e. himself and his property] with
everything that is within his capacity.
56 But it is not permissible for him, when they depart from him
or abandon him, that he seeks them [i.e. to find them]. N or should
he follow their tracks and this is not [permissible] for anyone other
than the Imaam (leader)64 or those charged with authority over the
Muslims.
y p y O U P a i- f M t S jH j -O J lj ^ £ -* -d o f a) L kdl
- ' * * • ' * , * % f ^ • A ^ f /A , ^ $ t * t t ^
d id d l 1 -i-A d * * ^ 1 -5 Ai) I U j u t i aS " a w ju ^ jP a jia p A j JL j
40
hope in the mercy of Allaah for him .66
41
lijjUS ' C i j j l i i i i ui- aJIs - JiJ ilil ^ j
( ^ ) <5) I S j - ^ j *> ^ ^ ^
70 T h is is th e o p in io n a n d it is th e m adhhab o f m o st o f th e scholars. T he
p r e s c r ib e d p u n i s h m e n t s ( hudood) a re e x p ia tio n s (fo r th e s in s th e y a re
sp e c ified for) a n d th is is d u e to th e hadeeth o f ’U b a a d a h ib n as-Saam it,
w h ic h shall be m e n tio n e d shortly, if A llaa h wills, a n d it has b e e n re p o rte d
by B u k h a are e a n d o th e rs . It is also d u e to th e hadeeth re p o rte d by Im aam
A h m a d in his M usnad, 5 /2 1 4 , from K h u z aim ah ib n T h a a b it, w ith a hasan
c h a in o f n a rra tio n , w ith th e w o rd in g , “Whoever commits a sin and then the
(prescribed punishm ent) for th a t sin is carried out upon him , then that is an
expiation for him .” A lso see an e x p la n a tio n o f th is ru lin g in Fathul-Baaree,
1 /6 4 - 6 8 .
71 D u e to his saying in the hadeeth o f ’U b a a d a h , “T h e M essenger o f
A llaah said, w hile a sm all g roup from a m ongst his C o m p a n io n s w ere
a ro u n d h im , 'Pledge allegiance to me (with the following): T h a t you do not associate
anything w ith A llaah, that you do not steal, that you do not commit zinaa and
that you do not kill your children, and that you do not slander, having conspired it
amongst yourselves. Do not disobey in something that is good and just. Whoever
dies amongst you (having avoided all o f chat) then his reward is with Allaah, and
whoeser falls into any of these things and is punished in the world then that would
be an expiation for him. A n d whoever falls into any o f these things and then Allaah
shields him, his affair will be with Allaah. If He wills, He will pardon him and if
He wilLs, He will punish him .’ S o we pledged allegiance to him u p o n th a t.”
42
63 A nd w hoever m eets him having persisted u p o n , and n o t
repented from the sins which necessitate punishm ent, then his
affair is with A llaah (the M ighty and M agnificent]72 if He wills
He will punish H im and if He wills He will forgive H im .7’
.\-£--L.I_._> 4jjI
A n d a ll t h e M u s lim s a re a g re e d u p o n t h e f a c t t h a t t h e p r e s c r i b e d
p u n is h m e n t fo r o n e w h o h a s b e e n fo rtifie d w ith m arriag e (al-M uhsin) is
sto n in g , save a g ro u p fro m a m o n g th e People o f D esires (Ahlul-Ahwaa) since
t h e i r o p i n io n is t h a t th e p u n i s h m e n t o f a d u lte r y is (m e re ly ) la s h in g .
H o w ev er, th e m a jo rity go to w a rd s th e s to n in g d u e to th e p re se n c e a n d
e sta b lish m e n t o f th e ahaadeeth m e n tio n in g th e sto n in g . T h e re fo re , they (th e
m ajority), specified th e B o o k w ith th e Sunnah, a n d I m e a n h e re th e S p e e ch
o f A llaa h :
The woman and the man guilty of illegal sexual intercourse ...
S o o rah N o o r 24:2
44
wal-Jamaa’ah, th o se w h o stick fast to it (Ahlus-Sunnah) a n d w h o seek to g u id e
them selves by (them i.e., th e Ahlus-Sunnah) from a m o n g th o se in th e presen ce
o f th e M essenger o f A lla a h {$&$$&) u p u n til th is day o f o u rs. A nd 1 m et
w h o m e v er 1 m e t fro m a m o n g th e S c h o lars o f th e p e o p le o f th e H ijaaz a n d
S h a a m a n d o th e rs besid es th e m . W h o e v e r d iffers w ith a n d o p p o se s a single
m a tte r from th e madhaahib (o f th ese People o f K now ledge) o r c o n te sts a n d
defam es th e m o r criticises th e o n e w h o speaks (by w h a t th ey speak w ith),
th e n h e is a n o p p o se r (m ukhaalif), a n in n o v ato r (m ubtadi’) a n d o n e w h o
has left th e Jam aa’ah, w h o has ceased to be u p o n th e m anhaj o f th e Sunnah
a n d th e P ath o f T ru th .
45
U -J 1*4 ! 4_i» ri
to*ykii —- j td- A ^ A ^ A • A ^ l y * d i l- i i j
( ^ ) a ' J j — * * j a -* * o ^ A * j A ? ^ * J a
d i r A o y ‘A l l «:il '-A A* i f y ^ A i ) ) :( 3 i )
Iv _ L j l 'Y j
46
expression]78 we report it as it has come and we do not explain it.
47
• • ** * * ** % • *> *' ' >* '
i \ i j j»5v—a * i *-j j *a i [VbUi>] Ij * * r j }/)) :d j i j
( O ^ 'j t U. *- —i o U l —L l) l lil)) : ^ L j
And, “When two Muslims meet with their swords then [both] the killer
and the killed are in the Fire.”81
48
A nd, “Cursing a M uslim is wickedness and fighting against him is
disbelief.”82
J-ii j ftT iJ I J * ))
And, “It is disbelief in Allaah, the one who denies his kinship, even if
it is insignificant [i.e. remote].”84
And other ahaadeeth such as these, am ong those which have been
authenticated and preserved.
JjJrU ^1 l i j jj *V Ct-JjLi-S/1
50
^ ^ J j j A icj l l i j ^ J j
( ( y ^ i l O jIj))j
51
((*1—L-Jl 1^1*1 j S ' i y jldl C-aUpI)) j
And, “I looked into Hell-Fire and I saw that most of its inhabitants
were women. WOO 01
, ,1 - » , , , w
((... US ' J las' ... Ojl j t jUll OjJI>l))j
And, “I lookedinto the Fire and 1 saw such and such ...”
jLJIj <c—
52
li yua -jj <Jlp 3Lfl' J*f j* o l> ^_j
J l i ; A>I J l »y t
53
P art T wo
T he Sunnah u p o n w h ic h t h e M esseng er D ie d
— &-
T he T ext
p j io J lL J i c u l j 3 G rj 3 j* ——4
54
*J) I y \ U j tft^Sl — - d lj i(ife)*il I f L a i
ft’. *, .; «, . . •
*“ e r f fHJt'V J ‘5*
«y * j ftj~->- tjJLiiU
Js-
55
Jj, I jilli- JS* il^ J lj
«' '
5 Participating in jihaad with every khaleefah, w hether righteous
or sinful.
6 Perform ing [funeral] prayer over w hom ever dies from the
people of the qiblah.
56
(;H ) f*1 ' J j —■“'J
t y f : ( ^ | ) *i) I J y — j ^uJl
# ' -
*» I ^ ^_U j
57
P art T hree
A D e s c r ip t io n o f t h e B e l ie v e r f r o m
A h l u s -S u n n a h w a l -Ja m a a ’a h
-------------------------------------------------------------- K -
T he T ext
^ »^ * x * f» # > * *'
j AJ, ..-ll AJLsa
58
1 W hoever testifies that there is none th at has the right to be
worshipped except Allaah, alone, w ithout any partners and that
M uham m ad {&$$$>) is His servant and Messenger.
r* u ^ (* ) y 1 0 - r ^ 3.
7 T h a t he d o es n o t place a n y o n e fro m th e U m m a h o f
M uham m ad in Paradise or Hell-Fire on account of a good
th at he earned or a sin that he earned until and unless Allaah,
the Mighty and Majestic, He is the one who places His creation
wherever He wills (i.e. Paradise or Hell-Fire].
■ ^ (S I) — - j ' ‘J e -V ” . /
• - } # * 0 '* > % - °-
i \ j j i. , . U \ js - ^ ‘ --J l j
61
1 [/. r ^ ' j
* ' '
13 T h at the Q u r‘aan is the Speech of Allaah and His Revelation
and it is not created.
A ji 'S y
liujl jJlidi J
62
yJ j lf j * - « ll « ! $ ! .e l^ jJ lJ
^ I
/. • ^ • ' ll'
•
r ^ 'j
18 T h a t su p p licatio n is to be m ade for the Leaders o f the
M uslims, th at they are corrected and reform ed. T h at you do
not take o u t your sword against them , th at you do not fight in
times o f tribulations, bu t rather you stick to your home.
<pU iJ ij j ?*.Ju j
y & j i l jO j f f j j O j j i 01 o l l j ^ l j
0— ELsT* 0 j — Lj i aj jUll o ^ r^ ^ o
63
turned to coal in the m anner [described in] the ahaadeeth that
have come from the Prophet regarding these issues. We
believe in attesting to the truthfulness o f such ahaadeeth and we
do not set examples for them .
64
C ha pter O ne
- a -----------------------------— ----------------- — k-
T he L if e and T r ia l s o f Im aam A hm ad
65
ibn Ibraaheem ad-Dawraqee, ’Abbaas ad-Dooree, Aboo Zur’ah,
A boo Haatim , Ishaaq al-Kawsaj, Aboo Bakr al-Athram, Ibraaheem
al-Harbee, Aboo Bakr al-Marroodhee, Aboo Zur’ah ad-Dimashqee,
Baqiyy ibn M akhlad, M uham m ad ibn ’A bdullaah M utayyan,
Ibraaheem ibn H aani an-Neesaabooree and M uhannaa ibn Yahyaa
ash-Shaamee.
66
Ibn M ahdee said, “I have not looked at A hm ad except that
he caused me to rem em ber Sufyaan.”
67
M u h am m ad ib n Ishaaq ibn R aahaw aih said, “My fa th e r
narrated to me, saying, ‘A hm ad ibn H anbal said to me, ‘Come
with me and let me show you someone the like of whom is not to be
seen.’ So he took me to ash-Shaafi’ee.’ My father said, “A nd ash-
Shaafi’ee did no t see the like o f A hm ad ibn Hanbal, and were
it n o t for A hm ad and how he sacrificed himself, m eaning on
the day of the trial concerning the Q ur'aan, then Islaam would
have departed.’”
Ibn M a’een said, “I have not seen the like o f A hm ad,” and
he also said, “T hey w anted th at I should be like A hm ad, by
Allaah I will never be like him .” A boo Thaw r said, “A hm ad is
more knowledgeable in Fiqh than ath-Thawree.”
Aboo Haatim was asked who was the greater memoriser, ’Alee
ibn al-Madeenee or A hm ad ibn Hanbal, so he said, “They were
close to each o th er in m em orisation, and A hm ad had b etter
68
com prehension. If you see som eone loving A hm ad, then know
that he is a person o f the Sunnah.”
69
Ibn W aarah said, “A hm ad ibn H anbal in Baghdaad, A hm ad
ibn Saalih in Egypt, Aboo Ja’far an-Nufaylee in H arraan and Ibn
Num ayr in Koofah — they are the supports o f the Religion.”
( 1 ^ 1 c ijjj
70
A l-M arro o d h ee said, “ I e n te re d a C h ris tia n u p o n A boo
’A bdullaah and the C hristian said to him , ‘I have wished to see
you for some years. Your presence is not just beneficial for Islaam
alone, b u t rather for all creation, and there is no one from our
com panions except th at he is pleased with you.’ So 1 said to
A boo ’Abdullaah, ‘I hope that supplication is m ade for you in
all towns.’ So he said, ‘O A boo Bakr, when a man knows his own
self, speech of the people is of no benefit to him .’”
71
inform me of it so that I may return and act upon it. You are more
knowledgeable of the authentic narrations than us. So if a narration is
authentic, then inform me so that I can accept it, whether it is narrated
from Koofah, Basrah, or Shaam .”'
Yahyaa ibn M a’een said, “I have not seen the like of A hm ad,
we have accom panied him for fifty years, and he never boasted
about anything from the good which he was characterised w ith.”
A h m a d ad -D aw raq ee said , “W h e n A h m a d ib n H a n b a l
returned from ’Abdur-Razzaaq, I saw him looking very weak in
M akkah and he was clearly tired out and exhausted. I spoke to
him so he said, ‘It is insignificant compared to the benefit we have
taken from ’Abdur-Razzaaq.’”
72
Ahm ad said, “One who takes up theological rhetoric (kalaam) will
not prosper, and will not be free from becoming Jahmiyy. ”
73
reached me that he had run out of money, so I took ten deenaars
and offered them to him, so he smiled and said, ‘O Aboo Bakr,
if 1 accepted anything from the people I would accept from you.' But
he would not accept anything from me.”'
74
and:
l*
So I said:
Saalih said, “T hen the people were tried, and those who refused
to consent were threatend that they would be imprisoned. So all
of the people consented except for four: my father, M uham m ad
ibn Nooh, al-Qawaareeree and al-Hasan ibn Hamm aad Sajjaadah.
T h en these last two consented and my father and M uham m ad
remained in prison for some days. Then the order came from Tarus
that they were to be brought in chains together.”
75
Al-Fadl ibn Ziyaad said, “I heard A hm ad ibn H anbal — on
the first day that Ishaaq tried him, after he (i.e., Ishaaq) left, and
that was in Jumaadal-Aakhirah o f the year 218H. He sat at his
place o f Prayer, an d a group o f people asked him who had
consented. It was as if this was a severe burden upon him ...
so he said, ‘Not one o f our companions consented, and all praise is for
Allaah.' T hen he m entioned those who consented and those who
agreed to most o f what they wanted, and those who said, ‘It is
som ething done, and new.’ ‘He tried them each once, and he would
try me twice. He said to me, ‘W hat do you say about the Qur'aanV
So 1 said, ‘The Speech of Allaah, not created.’ So he made me sit at
the side and then questioned the others. Then he brought me forward
again and questioned me again and sought to use texts whose meanings
were not directly manifest, so I said:
76
my house are the same, nor about being beheaded, but rather I fear the
trial of the whip.’ So a fellow prisoner heard him and said, ‘D on’t
be co n cerned, O A boo 'A bdullaah, for it will only take two
lashes, then after that you w on’t notice the rest of them strike
you.’ So it was as if he felt at peace because o f this.”
77
Saalih said, “So when my father and M uham m ad ibn N ooh came
to Tarsus, they were then sent back to ar-Raqqah, and were placed
on board a boat. So w hen they reached ’A anah, M uham m ad
died, and his chains were removed and my father prayed over
h im .”
Hanbal said, “Aboo ’Abdullaah said, 7 did not see anyone, along
with his young age and knowledge, who better stood firm for Allaah’s sake
than Muhammad ibn Nooh. I hope that his actions were sealed with good.
One day he said to me, ‘O Aboo ’Abdullaah - for Allaah, for Allaah.
You are not the same as me, you are a man who is followed. The people
stretch their necks towards you to see what you will do. So fear Allaah,
and be firm for Allaah’s sake,' or the like of it. Then he died, and I prayed
over him and buried him,’ I think he said, ‘In ’Aanah.’”
78
Saalih ibn A hm ad said, “My father said, ‘Each day two men
would come to me, one called A hm ad ibn A hm ad ibn Rabaah
and the o th er A boo S hu’ayb al-Hajjaam. They would no t cease
debating with me, and w hen they finished they w ould call for
another shackle to be added to those already upon me, so that
there were four upon my legs. T hen on the third day he entered
and debated with me, so I said, ‘W hat do you say about A llaah’s
knowledge?’ So he said, ‘C reated.’ So I said, ‘You have disbelieved
in A llaah.’ So the messenger who used to attend sent by Ishaaq
ibn Ib raah e em said , ‘T h is is a m an se n t by th e A m eerul-
M u'm ineen.’ So I said, ‘He has committed Unbelief.’ T hen on
the fourth night al-Mu’tasim com m anded Ishaaq to convey me
to him , so I was entered upon Ishaaq. He said, ‘O A hm ad, by
Allaah, it is your life that you are to lose. He will no t kill you
with the sword. He desires, if you do not consent and agree
with him, to lash you continually, and then to kill you in a place
where you will see neither sun n o r m oon. Is it n o t the case
th at Allaah, the M ost High, said:
i -C " f ' ■» >', T ^ I'.
And made them like an em pty field of stalks (of which the
corn has been eaten up by the cattle).2
Did he create them (like that)?’ So he rem ained silent. T hen when
79
we came to the place know n as ‘T he G ate o f the G arden’ 1 was
taken o u t and placed upon a riding beast in my chains. There
was nobody there to hold me, so m ore than once I nearly fell
off u p o n my face due to the weight o f the chains. So I was
brought to the hom e o f al-Mu’tasim and entered into a room .
T h en I was entered into a separate house, and the door was
locked upon me, it was the m iddle o f the night and there was
no candle. I wanted to make wudoo , so I held ou t my hands
and found a container o f water and a basin. I made wudoo and
prayed. T h en in the m orning I took o u t the draw-string o f my
trousers and tied my chains with it so that I could carry them ,
and I secured my trousers. T hen the messenger o f al-Mu’tasim
came and said, ‘R espond to his call,’ so he took my hand and
entered me upon him and I was holding the draw-string in my
hand, carrying the chains.
80
from war-booty.’1So he, i.e., al-Mu’tasim, said, ‘If I had not found
you held by the one who came before me I w ould not have taken
you.’ T h en he said, ‘O ’A bdur-Rahm aan ibn Ishaaq did I no t
order you to cease the trial?’ So I said, ‘Allaah is greater! That
would be a great relief for the Muslims. ’ T hen he said to them ,
‘Debate with him , and speak to him , O ’A bdur-Rahm aan, speak
to h im .’ So he said, ‘W h a t do you say ab o u t the Q u r‘aan?’
So I said, ‘What do you say about A lla a h ’s Knowledge ?’ So he
rem ained silent. So one of them said to me, ‘Has no t Allaah,
the M ost High, said:
Destroying everything.’
A - s - > • -
81
So I said:
\y>
82
A hm ad ibn Abee Duwaad said, ‘You only say w hat is in the
Book and the Sunnaah?’ So I said to him, ‘You are twisting my
words and you know best about that, I have not said anything for which
1 should be imprisoned or chained.’
‘Do you deny this?’ So they said, ‘He has made resemblance, O
A m eerul'M u‘m ineen, he has made resem blance.’
83
So w h en th e m e e tin g b ecam e very p ro lo n g e d he b ecam e
exasperated and ordered everyone to leave. He kept me back
with ’A bdur-Rahm aan ibn Ishaaq to speak to me, and he said,
‘W oe to you! R espond to me!’ And he said, ‘W oe to you, had
you not used to come to us?’ So ’A bdur-Rahm aan said to him,
‘O A m eerul-M u'm ineen, I have known him for thirty years, he
holds obedience to you and Hajj and Jihaad along w ith you.’
So he said, ‘By Allaah, he is a person o f knowledge, a scholar
o f understanding and it would not displease me for him to be
along with me rebutting the false religions for m e.’ T hen he
said, ‘H ad n ’t you used to know Saalih ar-Rasheedee?’ I said, 'I
have heard o f Kim.’ He said, ‘He was my educator, and was sitting
over th ere,’ and he pointed to a corner o f the house, ‘b u t he
asked me about the Q ur'aan and disagreed with me, so I ordered
th at he be tram pled on and dragged away! O Ahm ad, give me
some response th at will contain the slightest relaxation — so that
I may free you w ith my own hands.’ I said, ‘Give me something
from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger.’ So the
sitting became prolonged (and) so I was sent back again.
Then when it was after Maghrib two men from the companions of
Ibn Abee Duwaad were sent to me to spend the night with me,
and to debate and stay with me. So at the time for breaking the
fast food was sent, they tried hard to persuade me to eat it, but I
would not, and it was Ramadaan. T hen in the night al-Mu’tasim
sent Ibn Abee Duwaad to me and he said, ‘The Ameerul-Mu'mineen
says to you, ‘W hat do you say?’ So 1 gave the same answer as I
had been giving previously. Thus Ibn Abee Duwaad said, ‘By Allaah,
your name was written down amongst the seven1 but I erased it,
and it grieved me th at they seized you. T h en he said, ‘T h e
84
A m eerul-M u'm ineen has sworn th at he will lash you again and
again, and cast you into a place where you will not see the sun,
and he said, ‘If he responds to me, I will free him with my own
hands.’ T hen he left. In the m orning his messenger came and
took me by the hand and lead me to him , and he said to them ,
‘Debate with him and speak to h im .’ So they debated with me
and I rebutted them , and when they came with some innovated
rhetoric n o t in the Book or the Sunnah I said, ‘I do not know
what this is.’ So they said, ‘O chief o f the Believers, w hen he
finds a p roof against us he stays firm, and w hen we say anything
to him he says, ‘I do no t know w hat this is.’ He said, ‘T hen
debate w ith him .’ So a m an said, ‘O A hm ad, I see th at you
m ention the ahaadeeth and take that as your position.’ So I said,
‘Then what do you say about His Saying:
85
O n the third night it seemed as if som ething was going to be
done with me on the next day, so I asked the guard to bring
me a cord. He did so, and I tied my chains together with it
an d re tu rn e d th e draw -string to my tro u se rs for fear th a t
so m ething should happen w hich w ould cause me to becom e
naked. T hen on the next m orning I was entered into the house,
and it was full of people. So 1 was moved from place to place,
and saw some m en with swords and others with whips and other
things. Hardly any o f them had been present in the previous
two days. W hen I reached him he said, ‘Sit.’ T hen he said,
‘Debate with him , speak with him .’ So they debated with me.
O n e would speak and I would rebut him , and my voice began
to rise above their voices, so som eone standing by me indicated
to me with his hand. W hen the m eeting became prolonged he
called me to one side and spoke to me in private, and he said
to me, ‘Woe to you, O Ahmad! Respond to me so that I may
free you with my own hands,’ so 1 replied to him as before, so
he said, ‘U pon you be ...’ and he m entioned a curse, ‘Seize him,
drag him off and strip off his outer garm ent.’ So 1 was dragged
off and my outer garm ent was removed. 1 had a hair from the
hair of the Prophet in the sleeve o f my shirt, so Ishaaq
ibn Ibraaheem tu rn ed to me and said, ‘W h at is this small pouch?’
1 said, ‘A hair from the hair of A llaah’s Messenger some
o f th em ru sh e d to te a r th e s h irt away from m e, (b u t) al-
M u’tasim said, ‘Do not tear it.’ So it was taken off and I think
th at the shirt was not ripped off because o f the hair. T h en al-
M u ’tasim sat upon his seat and he said, ‘Bring the flogging posts
and the w hips.’ So the flogging posts were brought forward and
my arms were stretched, and som eone behind me said, ‘Seize the
two pommels of the frame and hold them tightly,’ but 1 d id n ’t
understand w hat he said, so my arms became dislocated.’
86
w hen al-M u’tasim saw them tie A hm ad to the flogging posts,
and he saw how he rem ained firm an d resolute he felt like
relenting, until A hm ad ibn Abee Duwaad incited him and said,
‘O Ameerul-M u‘m ineen, if you leave him it will be said, ‘He has
re n o u n ced th e view o f ahM a‘m o o n ,” and he caused him to
becom e angry, so th a t provoked him to c o n tin u e w ith th e
lashing.’
Saalih said, “My father said, ‘W hen they brought the whips ah
M u’tasim examined them and said, ‘Bring me different ones.’ Then
he said to those who were to perform the lashing, ‘Com e forward.’
Each of them would come forward and lash me twice, and he
would say to him, ‘Strike him with severity, may Allaah cut off
you hand!’ Then he would move aside and another would step
forward and lash me twice, and every time he would say, ‘Strike
him with severity, may Allaah cut off your hand!’ Then after they
had given me seventeen lashes al-Mu’tasim came up to me, and said,
‘O Ahmad, why are you killing yourself? By Allaah, I feel sympathy
for you,’ and ’Ujayf was prodding me with the hilt of his sword,
saying, ‘Do you wish to get the better of all these people?’ Others
said, ‘Woe to you! Your ruler is standing at your head,’ and others
said, ‘O Ameerul-Mu‘mineen, I will take the responsibility o f his
blood, kill him ,’ and they said, ‘O C hief of the Believers, you are
fasting and you are standing in the sun!’
87
A n d al-M u ’tasim was saying, ‘G ive me even th e s lig h te st
agreem ent so that 1 may set you free with my own hands.’ T hen
he went back and said to those with the whips, ‘C om e forw ard.’
So each would com e forward and lash me twice and then move
away and each tim e he would say, ‘W ith force, may Allaah cut
off your h a n d ,’ eventually I lost conciousness. T h en I came
around and the chains had been removed from me. A m an who
had been present said, ‘We threw you down upon your face, and
threw a m at upon your back and tram pled upon you,’ and I
was n o t aware o f that. T hen they brought me gruel and said,
‘D rink it and vom it.’ So I said, 7 will not break my fast.’ I was
taken to the house o f Ishaaq ibn Ibraaheem and it became time
for the Zuhr Prayer, so Ibn Sam aa’ah went forward and led the
Prayer. W hen he com pleted the Prayer he said to me, ‘You
prayed w hen blood was flowing upon your clothes?’ So I said,
"Umar prayed and his wound was pouring blood forth.'1
Saalih said, ‘T hen he was left alone and allowed to return home.
He had remained in prison from the time he was taken until he
was lashed and released for twenty-eight m onths. O ne o f the two
men who was along with him said, ‘O son o f my brother, may
Allaah have mercy upon Aboo ’Abdullaah. By Allaah, I have never
seen anyone like him. I kept saying to him at the time food was
brought to us, ‘O Aboo ’Abdullaah you are fasting in a place where
you have excuse,’ and he was very thirsty, so he said to the person
in charge of drinking water, ‘Give me some.’ So he gave him a bowl
containing water and ice, he took it and looked into it, but then
returned it without drinking. I was amazed at his patience in putting
up with hunger and thirst in that frightful condition.’
Saalih said, ‘So I used to try by various means to get food through
H a n b a l sa id , “ I h e a rd A b o o ’A b d u lla a h say, ‘I b ec am e
unconcious a num ber of times, and w hen the lashing stopped 1
came around. W h en I became limp and dropped, the lashing
was halted and this happened a num ber o f times, and I saw him ,
(m eaning al-Mu’tasim), sitting in the sun w ithout shade and I
heard him say to A boo Duwaad, w hen I came around, ‘I have
earned a great sin for w hat I have done to this m an.’ So he
replied, ‘O A m eerul-M u'm ineen, he is, by Allaah, an Unbeliever,
a M ushrik. He has com m itted shirk in m ore than one way.’ He
continued speaking with him until he disuaded him from w hat
he w anted to do, an d he had w anted to release me w ith o u t
lashing me, b u t he (Ibn Abee Duwaad) and Ishaaq ibn Ibraaheem
would n o t leave it at th at.’”
Abul-Fadl Saalih said, “He was released and allowed home and was
taken to the cellar. O ne who specialised in wounds and their
treatm ent was brought in, and he said, ‘I have seen men who have
received a thousand lashes, but I have never seen a case as bad as
this ...’ and he would come to treat him. His face had been struck
more than once, and he remained flat upon his face for as long as
Allaah willed. T hen the man said to him, ‘There is some flesh
here which I m ust cut,’ so he brought an iron tool and would
hold the flesh with it and cut it with a knife, and A hm ad bore
89
all of this, only raising his voice with praise of Allaah, and he
was cured. However he continued to feel pain in some places,
and the marks o f the lashing were clearly visible on his back until
he died.”
90
he said, ‘T hen I am handing him over sound and healthy in his
body,’ the people becam e calm and settled dow n.’
Hanbal said, ‘A nd I heard him [i.e., Ahm ad] say, ‘Everyone who
spoke against me, then I have pardoned him except for an innovator,
and I have pardoned Aboo Ishaaq, meaning, al-M u’tasim, since I see
that Allaah says:
91
Al-Mu’tasim said to him , ‘W h at do you say about the Q ur'aan?’
He said, "The speech of Allaah, eternal, not created. Allaah, the Mighty
and Majestic, said:
And He did not say: ‘Yaa Seen. By the Q u r'aan (that is) created.’
92
the people dispersed. W hen I arose (the next m orning) I made
my way to th e d o o r (o f al-M u’tasim ) a n d th e p eo p le w ere
entering, so I entered along with them . Al-Mu’tasim approached
and sat on his chair and said, ‘Bring A hm ad ibn H anbal,’ and
so he was brought. W hen he stood in front o f him , al-Mu’tasim
said to him , ‘How were you in your cell yesterday, O A hm ad?’
Imaam Ahm ad said, “In goodness, and all praises are due to Allaah,
except that in my cell, O Ameerul-Mw'mineen, I saw something amazing."
He said to him, ‘A nd w hat did you see?’ So he replied, “I arose
in the middle of the night, performed ablution for the prayer and prayed
two rak’ahs. In one rak’ah I recited: 'Al-Hamdulillaah ...’ and ‘Qul-
A ’oodhu bi-Rabbin-Naas,’ and in the second rak’ah: ‘Alhamdulillaah
and ‘Qul-A’oodhu bi-Rabbil-Falaq.’ Then I sat down, read the tashahhud
and gave salutation (to my right and left). Then I stood (again), made
the takbeer and recited: ‘Alhamdulillaah ...’ and then I desired to read:
‘Q ul-H uwallaahu-Ahad,’ and I was not able. I tried hard to read
something else from the Qur'aan and I was not able. Then I stretched
my eyes to the comer o f the prison and (behold) I saw the Qur'aan laid
out (on the floor), dead. So I washed it and shrouded it, then prayed
over it and buried it.”
93
Al-Mu’tasim said to one of them , ‘W ith how many lashes will
you kill him?’ He said, ‘W ith ten, O Ameerul-Mu'mineen.’ T hen
he replied, ‘Take him to yourself (beat him ).’
Al-Mu’tasim said, ‘Strike him ,’ and he struck him with one lash.
Imaam Ahm ad said, “All praise is due to Allaah.” T hen he lashed
him a second tim e and Im aam A hm ad said, “Whatever Allaah
wills ocurrs.” T hen he struck him a third time and Imaam A hm ad
said, “There is no movement nor power save that of Allaah, the Most
High, the M ighty.”
W hen al-Mu’tasim saw that he said, ‘Leave him ,’ then Ibn Abee
Duwaad came to him and said, ‘O Ahm ad, say in my ear: ‘The
Q ur'aan is created,’ so that I may save you from the hand of the
khaleefah.’ So Imaam Ahmad said to him, “O Ibn Abee Duwaad,
say in my ear: 'The Qur'aan is the Speech of Allaah, it is not created,' so
that I save you from from the punishment of Allaah, the Mighty and
Majestic.” Al-Mu’tasim then said, ‘Place him into the prison.’
Sulaymaan said, ‘He was then carried to the prison and the people
departed, so I departed with them . T hen w hen the next day
arrived the people came (to the door of al-Mu’tasim) so I came
94
with them and stood in front o f the chair. T hen al-Mu’tasim
appeared and sat o n the chair and said, ‘Bring A hm ad ibn
H an b al.’ So he was brought and w hen he stood in fro n t of
him al-Mu’tasim said to him, ‘How were you in your cell during
the night, O son of Hanbal?’
He said, “In goodness, and all praises are due to A llaah.” Al-Mu’tasim
said, ‘O A hm ad, I saw a dream yesterday.’ He said, “And what
did you see, O Ameerul-Mu'mineen ?” He said, ‘I saw in my dream
as if there were two lions approaching me and they desired to
tear me apart. A nd then two angels appeared and repelled them
from me. They gave me a book and said to me, ‘This w ritten
(piece) is the dream that A hm ad ibn Hanbal saw in his cell.’ So
what is it th at you saw, O son of Hanbal?’
95
narrated to m e.’ So M a’mar was called for and he was brought,
until he was m ade to stand in front o f Allaah, the Mighty and
M agnificent, and He said to him , ‘W h a t do you say about the
Q u r'aan , O M a’mar?’
So ’A a'ishah was called for and she was brought, until she was
m ade to stand in front o f Allaah, the Mighty and Magnificent,
and He said to her, ‘W hat do you say about the Q u r'aan , O
’Aa'ishah?’ She said, ‘Your words, O Allaah, belonging to You,’
so Allaah said, 'From where do you (derive and) say this?’ She
said, ‘Your Prophet M uham m ad narrated to m e.’
He said, ‘So M uham m ad (SSH3$?) was called for and he was brought,
until he was made to stand in front of Allaah, the Mighty and
Magnificent, and He said to him , ‘W h at do you say about the
Q u r'a a n , O M uham m ad?’ He said, ‘Your words, O A llaah,
belonging to You,’ so Allaah said, ‘From where has this come to
you?’ So the Prophet (t^S») said, ‘Jibreel narrated to me.’
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So Jibreel was called for and he was brought, until he was made
to stand in front o f Allaah, the Mighty and M agnificent, and
He said to him, ‘W hat do you say about the Q u r'aan , O Jibreel?’
He said, ‘Your words, O A llaah belonging to You,’ so Allaah
said, ‘From where has this come to you?’ He said, ‘Such did
Israafeel narrate to m e.’
So Israafeel was called for and he was brought, until he was made
to stand in front o f A llaah, the M ighty and M agnificent, and
Allaah, the Sublime, said to him, ‘W h at do you say about the
Q u r'aan , O Israafeel?’ He said, ‘Your words, O Allaah, belonging
to You,’ so Allaah said, ‘From where has this come to you?’ He
said, ‘I saw that in the Lawhul-Mahfooz (the Preserved Tablet).’
97
spoken the truth. ’Abdur-Razzaaq has spoken the truth. A hm ad
ibn H anbal has spoken the truth. T he Q u r'aan is My Speech,
it is n o t created.’
98
them , and he made clear w hat was necessary, and he ordered
them to have patience.
T hen in the days of al-W aathiq, Ya’qoob came during the night
with a message from the Em ir Ishaaq ibn Ibraaheem to Aboo
’Abdullaah, ‘T he Em ir says to you, ‘T he A m eerul-M u'm ineen has
made a m ention o f you, so no one should be seen to m eet with
you, and n o r should you live in a land or town which I am in,
so go w h e rev er you w ish u p o n A lla a h ’s e a rth . So A b o o
’A bdullaah went into a state o f hiding for the rest o f the life of
abW aathiq, and th a t trib u la tio n occured, an d th e killing o f
A hm ad ibn Nasr al-Khuzaa’ee. So A boo ’A bdullaah rem ained
in hiding in a house and w ould no t go out for the Prayer or
for o th er reasons until al-W aathiq died.’
99
lashing,’ so I said, '/ have already forgiven all of chose present.’ He
said to me, ‘From where have you said th at it is not created?’
So 1 said, ‘Allaah said:
B e!2
100
Q ur'aan is not created is an innovator,’ and he used to say, ‘Whoever
says that nry recital of the Qur'aan is created, then he is a Jahmee.’
So he did no t say either o f the two. Som etim es he would
clarify that by saying, ‘Whoever says, ‘My recital of the Qur'aan is
created,’ meaning by that the Qur'aan, then he is a Jahmee.’’
101
against him. This reached al-Karaabeesee so he became furious
and said, ‘I will say som ething so that Ibn Hanbal will say the
opposite and becom e an U nbeliever,’ thus he said, ‘My recital
o f the Q u r'aan is created.’ A nd al-M arroodhee m entions in the
book, al-Qasas, ‘So I m entioned to A boo ’A bdullaah th at al-
Karaabeesee said, ‘My recital o f the Q u r'aan is created,’ and that
he said, ‘I say that the Q u r'aan is uncreated in all aspects, except
that my recital of it is created, and whoever does not say, ‘My
recital o f the Q u r'aan is created’ is an U nbeliever.’ So A boo
’Abdullaah said, 'Rather he is the Unbeliver, may Allaah kill him.
W hat is the saying of the Jahmiyyah except this? How can it benefit
him, when the last part o f his saying contradicts the first part?!’ T hen
he said, ‘W hat is the news from Aboo Thawr, has he agreed with him
upon this?’ So I said, ‘He has deserted him .’ So he said, ‘He has
done well, the people o f theological rhetoric (kalaam) will never prosper.'”
102
Al-M arroodhee said, “I said to Aboo ’A bdullaah, ‘O ne who
dies upon Islaam and the Sunnah, dies upon good?’ So he said,
‘Be quiet - rather he dies upon all good.’”
103
of innovation and sects and desires, then it is not conrect that we should
seek, their help in any of the affairs of the Muslims— along with the view
of the Ameerul-Mu'mineen, may Allaah lenghthen bis presence, along with
adherence to the Sunnah and opposition to the people of innovation.1 Ahmad
ibn Muhammad ibn Hanbal says, Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Yahyaa has asked
me about everything in this letter and 1 have answered him with what he has
written, and 1 have illness in my eyes and weakness in my body, so 1 was not
able to write with my own hand, so this signature at the foot of the page is
that of 'Abdullaah, my son, as ordered by me and in front of me. ’
104
H anbal ibn Ishaaq said, “I asked Aboo ’A bdullaah about the
ahaadeeth which are reported from the P rophet (£fe^$?), ‘Allaah
descends to the lowest heaven ...' so he said, ‘We have eemaan in them
and attest to the truth o f them, and we do not reject anything from them
if they are reported with authentic chains o f narration. We do not reject
the saying of A llaah’s Messenger and we know that what he
brought was the truth.'"
* > ^
105
not know!’ He said, ‘It is som ething which they did not know.’
So he said, ‘How free is Allaah from all imperfections! Something
which was not known by the Prophet (&£§$?), yet you have come to know
it.7’ So he became asham ed and said, ‘Bear with me a m om ent.’
He said, ‘Then the question stands.’ So he said,‘Yes, they knew
it.’ So he said, ‘They knew it and yet they did not call the people to
it.7’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Then does not what they sufficed with
suffice youV He said, ‘So my father (i.e., al-W aathiq) stood up
an d e n te re d a place o f sittin g and lay dow n an d rep eated ,
‘S om ething which the Prophet A boo Bakr, ’U m ar and
’U th m aan and ’Alee and the rightly-guided khulafaa did n o t
know, and you have come to know it! How free is Allaah from
all imperfections! Som ething which they knew, yet they did not
call the people to it, then does not what sufficed them suffice
you?!’ T hen he ordered that his chains be released, and that he
be given four hundred deenaars, and be given permission to return,
and Ibn Abee Duwaad fell down in his estim ation, and after that
he did not try anyone else.”
106
Ibn ’Aqeel said, “O ne of the most surprising things that I have
heard from the young and ignorant folk is their saying that Ahmad
is not a scholar of Fiqh, but a scholar of hadeeth. And this is the
limit of ignorance, since he had preferred sayings which he based
upon ahaadeeth and are not known by most people, and he had
things that were extra to that which the greater scholars had.”
A dh-D hahabee said, “I say: I think they thought that he was just
a muhaddith. Indeed they delude themselves by thinking that he
was like the m uhaddith o f o u r tim e. By A llaah, in fiq h in
particular he reached the level of al-Layth, Maalik, ash-Shaafi’ee
and A boo Yoosuf. In zuhd and piety he reached the level o f al-
Fudayl and Ibraaheem ibn A dham and in m em orisation the level
of S h u ’bah, Yahyaa al-Q attaan and Ibn al-Madeenee. However
the ignorant person does no t know his own level, so how can
he judge the level o f others?”
107
’A bdullaah m ention his wife, and supplicate for A llaah’s mercy
upon her, and he said, ‘We remained together for twenty years and
we didn’t argue about a single thing,’ and we do no t know Ahm ad
to have m arried a third w ife.'”
108
ibn S aalih n arrated from him , and M u h am m ad died w hilst
m iddle aged in the year 330H . As for the second son, then he
was ahHaafiz Aboo ’A bdur-Rahm aan ’A bdullaah ibn A hm ad, the
narrator from his father, one o f the greater scholars. He died in
the year 290H, at the age of 77 and I have w ritten a separate
biography for him . T he third son was Sa’eed ibn A hm ad. He
was born fifty days before the death of A hm ad, so he grew up
and attained knowledge, and died before his brother ’Abdullaah.
As for Hasan, M uham m ad and Zaynab, then we do not know
anything about them , and the descendants o f A boo ’A bdullaah
came to an end as far as we know.”
109
for you.’ He said, 7 will seek A llaah’s guidance by Istikhaarah.’ So
they entered upon him in crowds, until the house was full. They
w ould q u estio n him and supplicate for him , and leave, and
another crowd would enter. T he num ber of people became very
large and the street was filled, and we closed the gate of the alley.
A neighbour of ours came, having dyed his beard, and my father
said, 7 see a man who has rei'ived something o f the sunnah, and it
gives me joy."’
Saalih said, “... he suffered various aches and pains, but his m ind
rem ained sound. T hen on the day o f Jum u’ah, the twelfth of
Rabee’ul-Awwal, after two hours o f the m orning had passed, he
d ied .”
Al-M arroodhee said, “His funeral was brought after the people
had finished the Jum u’ah Prayer.”
110
be measured, and it was calculated that the num ber o f those who
prayed there was one and a half m illion.”
The Imaam Aboo ’Abdullaah Ahmad ibn Hanbal died on the day o f
jum u’ah, the 12"' o f Kabee’u l-Amml in the year 241 H f
Ill
Ch apter T w o
— -------
On the M e a n in g of E em aan
A R e f u t a t io n o f t h e M u ’t a z il a h o f T oday
112
(theological rhetoric) reject this by saying that if it is liable to
decrease, then it is doubt.”2
Thus, the Salaf agreed that eemaan is: aqeedah, statement and
action. So, whoever denies aqeedah in matters such as Punishment of
113
th e G ra v e , o r th e D e s c e n t o f E esaa o r th e A p p e a ra n c e o f th eDajjaal,
th e n h e h a s likew ise d e n ie d eem aan in su c h issues. S in c e , aqeedah in
th e h e a r t is th e f o u n d a ti o n o f eem aan - a b o u t w h ic h th e r e is
a g re e m e n t fro m th e S c h o la rs o f Ahl usSunnah waljamaa’ah.
H a v in g u n d e r s to o d th is , th e f a ls e h o o d o f th o s e c la im in g to h a v e
eem aan in th e a b o v e - m e n tio n e d issu es a n d o th e r s lik e th e m w h ilst
d e n y in g h a v in g aqeedah in th e m , w ill b e c o m e v ery c le ar. S in c e o u r
Salaf us-Saalih h e ld t h a t th e r o o t o f eem aan in s u c h issu es is to h a v e
aqeedah in th e m - so if th e r e is n o aqeedah w ith re s p e c t to th e s e issues
th e n , by d e fa u lt, th e r e is n o eemaan in th e m e ith e r.
114
C hapter T hree
S o m e S a y in g s from t h e Salaf c o n c e r n in g A l l a a h ’s
A t t r ib u t e s a n d t h e ir Ijm a a ’ (C o nsensus)
C o n c e r n in g t h e Fa lseh o o d of T a 'w e e l
A R e f u t a t io n o f t h e A s h ’a r i y y a h 1
A l-W aleed ibn M uslim (d. 194H) said, “I asked M aalik, al-
Awzaa’ee, Layth ibn Sa’d and Sufyaan ath-Thawree, may Allaah
have mercy upon them , concerning the reports related about the
A ttributes, so they all said, ‘Leave them as they are w ithout
asking ‘How?””4
N u ’aym ibn Ham m aad (d. 228H) said, “W hoever makes tashbeeh
(resem blance) o f A llaah to his creatio n has com m itted kufr
115
(disbelief)- And whoever denies what Allaah has described Himself
w ith has also com m itted kufr. In d eed , all th a t A llaah has
described Himself with, or w hat His Messenger has described Him
with — then there is no tashbeeh in it at all.”1
116
Imaam at-Tirmidhee (d. 279H) said, “It has been stated by more
th a n o n e person from th e People o f Know ledge ab o u t such
ahaadeeth, that there is no tashbeeh (resemblance) to the A ttributes
o f Allaah, and o u r Lord, the Blessed and M ost High, descends
to th e lowest heaven every night. So they say, ‘Affirm these
narrations, have eemaan (faith) in them , do n o t deny them , nor
ask how.’ T he likes o f this has been related from Maalik ibn
Anas, Sufyaan ath-Thawree, Ibn ’U yainah and ’A bdullaah ibn al-
M ubaarak, who all said about such ahaadeeth, ‘Leave them as they
are, w ithout asking how.’ Such is the saying o f the People o f
Knowledge from the Ahlus-Sunnah tval-Jamaa’ah. However, the
Jahmiyyah oppose these narrations and say, ‘T his is tashbeeh!’
However, Allaah the M ost High, has m entioned in various places
in His Book, the A ttribute of al-Yad (Hand), as-Sam’ (Hearing),
and al-Basr (Seeing), bu t the Jahmiyyah make ta'weel of these aayaat,
explaining them in a way other than how they are explained by
the People o f Knowledge. They (the Jahmiyyah) say, ‘Indeed,
Allaah did not create Aadam with His own H an d ,’ they say that
H and means the Power o f Allaah.”1
1 S unan at-Tirmidhee, 3 /2 4 .
2 Ai-Ghuni>ah ’an Kalaam wa Ahlihi, as qu o ted in M ukhtasir al-’Uluww, no.
137.
117
those th at have died, bear witness to the tawheed of Allaah and
to the M essengership and P rophethood o f His Messenger
T h ey k n o w th e ir L o rd , th e M ighty a n d M ajestic, by th e
A ttributes which He has spoken o f in His Revelation, and hy
what He has sent down, or testified to, by His Messenger (ft4!s$«).
They do not believe in tashbeeh (resemblance) of His Attributes with
the attributes of the creation. They say, ‘Indeed, He created Aadam
with His own Hands, as He, the Most Perfect, textually stated:
Qaadee Aboo Ya’laa (d. 458H) said, “The proof for the futility of
ta'weel is that the Sahaabah, and those who followed them from
the Taabi’een, understood them (the Attributes) ’alaa dhaahir (upon
their literal meaning), and they did not take recourse to ta'weel, nor
did they move away from the dhaahir meaning. If ta'weel were
permissible, then they would have preceded us in it
1 S o o r a h S a ’d (3 8 ):7 5 .
2 'Aqeedat Ahlus-Sunnah wa Ashaabul-H adeeth w al-A'im m ah, n o . 3.
1 Ibtaalut-Ta'weelaat li-Akhbaaris-Sifaat, m a n u s c rip t fo rm , p. 21.
118
Ibn ’A bdul-B arr (d. 463H ) said, “Ahlus-Sunnah are agreed in
affirm ing all the A ttributes o f Allaah which are related in the
Q u r’aan and the S unnah, having eemaan (faith) in them and
understanding them 'alal-haqeeqah (in a real sense) not ’alal-
majaaz (metaphorically). How they are is n o t to be asked.
However, the Jahmiyyah, the Mu'tazilah, and the Khawaarij
all deny them and do not carry them ’alal-haqeeqah; claiming
that whoever affirms them has made tashbeeh (resemblance), and
they claim that whoever recites them (as they are) is a mushabbih
(a person doing tashbeeh)."'
Imaam ahjuwaynee4 (d. 438H ) said, “Know, that for a brief period
119
of time, I was confused about three matters:
120
From those who held to these sayings were a group of people,
who had high status in my heart, such as a group of Ash’aree
Shaafi’ee Scholars — and I am upon the madhhab of ash-
Shaafi’ee, may A llaah be pleased w ith h im , k n ow in g the
obligation of my Religion and its rulings. So I found the likes
of these great Shaikhs adhering to the likes o f such statem ents,
and they were my teachers, and I had com plete faith in them ,
their nobility and their knowledge. However, despite all this, I
found my heart having a hatred for such ta'weel such that I could
no t find any tranquility and peace with it. It caused my chest
to feel constricted, rather than causing it to expand ...
121
descends and other such things. A nd I did not find that he (£#&$=)
used to warn the people from having faith in w hat was apparent
in his speech describing His Lord, w hether it was concerning al-
Fawqiyyah (Allaah being above His creation), o r al-Yadain (the
H ands o f Allaah), o r o th er than them . A nd there is nothing
recorded from him w hich proves th a t these A ttrib u tes have
ano th er inner meaning, other than what is apparent from their
m eaning ...”
“So when we came to know this, and came to hold this as our
’aqeedah (belief), we were then preserved from the doubts of ta'weel,
the blindness of ta ’teel (divesting Allaah totally or partially o f His
Attributes) and the foolishness o f tashbeeh and tamtheel (likening
Allaah to His creation). We then affirmed for Allaah the ’Uluww
(Highness) o f our Lord, the M ost Perfect, and His Fawqiyyah and
th at He ascended (istawaa) over His ’Arsh (Throne) in a m anner
th at befits His Majesty and Greatness.
So the truth is very clear in this and the chest will readily accept
this, for indeed tahreef (distortion of the text) is rejected by the
correct and sound intellect, such as tahreef of Istiwaa to Isteelaa
(conquering) and other than this. Likewise wuqoof (affirming the
wording of the Attributes, but halting at their meanings) is also
blindness and ignorance, since we know that our Lord described
Himself with these Attributes that we may come to know Him by
them. So, in our knowing Him, we do not halt at affirming the
wordings of the Attributes, whilst negating what is intended from
their meanings. Since He did not describe Himself to us by these
A ttributes, except th a t we may affirm w hat He has described
122
Him self with, not that we halt at them . Likewise tashbeeh and
tamtheel are also foolishness and ignorance. Thus, the one whom
Allaah, the M ost High, causes to agree upon the affirm ation (of
His Attributes), w ithout tahreef, takyeef and wuqoof, then he has
indeed agreed upon w hat is intended for them , if He, the M ost
High, wishes."
T hen he, may Allaah have mercy upon him, explains the reason
why A h lu l-K a la a m (th e P eople o f T h e o lo g ic a l R h e to ric a n d
Innovated Speech) felt that they were forced to make ta'weel of
Istiwaa to Isteelaa, so he said:
123
Likewise, His Seeing and H earing are know n and there is no
im plication of there being organs and bodily-parts in any of this,
rather all these A ttributes are in a way that befit Him.
Likewise is the case for His ’Ayn (Eye), Fawqiyyah, Istiwaa and
Nuzool. His Fawqiyyah is known, it is established just like the
reality o f His H earing and the reality o f His Seeing are also
established. They are known but their kaifiyyah is not. T hen,
similarly, His Fawqiyyah is known and established in a way that
befits H im , b u t the kaifiyyah is not. Likewise, His Istiwaa
(Ascending) over the ’Arsh (Throne) is known, but the kaifiyyah
is n o t explained by implying movements or transm ission which
befit the creation, rather His Istiwaa is in a m anner that befits
His Greatness. Thus His Attributes are known from the direction
o f s e n te n c e a n d a ffirm a tio n , b u t are u n k n o w n fro m th e
perspective o f how they are and setting limits. So the Believer
is clear about the A ttributes from one perspective and blind from
th e o th e r. T h e B eliever is clear fro m th e p ersp ectiv e o f
affirm ation and existence (of the Attributes) b u t blind from the
perspective of their kaifiyyah and limits. A nd this is the way by
affirm ing w hat Allaah, the M ost High, has described Him self
with, and by negating tahreef, tashbeeh and wuqoof.
This is what the Lord, M ost High, intends for us concerning His
A ttributes ... that we recognise them , have eemaan in them being
haqeeqah (real) and negate any tashbeeh to them , not to deny for
Allaah His real Attributes by tahreef and ta'weel. Indeed, there
is no difference between Allaah’s A ttribute of al-lstiwaa and as-
Sam’ and between His A ttribute of an-Nuzool and al-Basr — since
each occurs by a text.
124
described your Lord with organs!’ So if they say, ‘N o organs
and bodily parts, rather it is in a m anner th at befits Hina.’ T hen
we reply a b o u t a l-lstiw a a and a l-F a w q iyya h, ‘T h e re is no
confinem ent n or lim itation, rather it is in a m anner that befits
H im .’ So whatever is necessary concerning the A ttributes o f Life,
Hearing, Seeing and Knowledge and not making any tashbeeh to
them , th en such is also necessitated regarding A llaah’s A ttributes
of Ascending, Descending, al-Yacl (Hand), al-Wajh (Face), al-Qadm
(Foot), ad-Dahak (Laughing) and Ta’ajjub (Anaazament). So just
as they do n o t imply for Hina any organs we do not imply for
Him any limbs n o r anything th at befits the creation. And it is
not from justice and fairness that they understand the Attributes
of Ascending, Descending, Face and Hand to imply resemblance
to the creation, and therefore they think that they must resort
to ta'weel and tahreef, (yet they do not do so for the other
Attributes such as Life, Hearing and Seeing.)
125
A nd M uham m ad ib n ’A b d u l-’A lee m A b u b H a m m a a m 1o f
Jaam i’atul-Azhar said, after addressing the issue o f interpolating
istawaa (He ascended) to mean istawlaa (He conquered):
126
(ii) They have denied the reality o f their m eanings on the basis
th at this is such an understanding th at does no t befit them and
nor does it befit the Lord, the M ost Perfect.
(iv) Playing with the texts (of the Book and the Sunnah ) and
putting an end to their sanctity and sacredness.1 Let alone:
(vi) T hat this ta'weel, had Allaah desired it for Himself, then
He would have ordered it in His Book or upon the tongue of
His Messenger (i&!^?) and then ta'weel o f the A ttributes of Allaah,
the M ost High, would have been obligatory, a necessary part of
th e religion, th e neglect o f w hich w oidd be fo rb id d e n an d
whoever abandoned it would have been sinful. A nd this is in
addition to the fact that when Allaah, the M ost High, has not
perm itted it then doing it would be a m istake and it would be
a m an n er th at is blam ew orthy and forbidden, due to w hat it
implies, (that is): its being a form o f correcting and rectifying
Allaah, the M ost High, and His Messenger f e l ^ ) .
127
(vii) T hat the Mu'awwll of the A ttributes o f Allaah, in fleeing
from tashbeeh (a n th ro p o m o rp h ism ) an d fearing it, has been
ignorant of a great reality and this is the impossibility of there
being any likeness between the A ttributes of Allaah, the M ost
High, and the attributes of His servants since there can be no
likeness between the A ttributes o f the C reator and the attributes
o f the creation ever. A nd this is due to the fact that Allaah has
inform ed th at th ere is n o th in g like H im and He is the All-
Hearing, the All-Seeing, and th at He is U nique (Ahad ) and that
there is no equal to Him. And the Mu'awwil (in resorting to
ta'weel) is a liar (kaadhib) since the reality differs from what he
says in its entirety and is also a denier (mukadhdhib ) because he
has rejected Allaah with respect to His saying:
1 S o o r a h a sh -S h o o ra a (42): 11.
2 A n d th is is b ecau se h e u n d e rs to o d th e A ttrib u te s w ith w hich A llaah has
d e s c rib e d H i m s e l f t o b e s i m i l a r t o t h o s e o f t h e c r e a t i o n , so t h e
a n th r o p o m o r p h is m (tashbeeh) in itia te d in h im a n d in his u n d e r s ta n d in g
a n d as such he is a d isb e lie v er in th e saying o f A llaah:
128
(viii) T hat this M u'awwil o f the A ttributes of Allaah, the M ost
H igh, in fleeing from tashbeeh and in fearing it, the m ighty
difference between the A ttributes of the Creator, the M agnificent
and M ost H igh, and betw een the attrib u tes o f the weak and
incapable servants has become hidden from h im .1
(ix) And ta'weel makes the texts (of the Book and the Sunnah)
lose their characteristic reverence and prestige since this ta'weel
has n o t depended upon an authentic text from the Sharee'ah and
not a single one o f the scholars of the Salaf have spoken with
it.2
129
C h a pter Four
-H — ----------------- Er
A fFIRMING THE SlFAAT WITH THEIR DHAAHIR (APPARENT) AND
H aqeeqi (R eal) M e a n in g a n d a R e f u t a t io n t h a t t h e W ay
A R e f u t a t io n o f t h e M u f a w w id a h
R
abee’atur-Ra’ee (d. 136H) said, "Al-lstiwaa (Allaah Ascending)2is
. not unknown, and how (it occurs) is not com prehendable,
and from Allaah is the Message, upon the Messenger is to convey,
and upon us is to affirm.”1
130
Ibn al-Q ayyim su m m a rise d th ese fo u r e x p la n a tio n s in his Nooniyyah saying,
“A n d they (i.e. th e Ahlus-Sunnah) have fo u r e x p la n a tio n s for it (i.e. istiwaa)
...” a n d th e n he m e n tio n e d , “... a n d they are: istaqarra, 'alaa, irtafa’a a b o u t
w hich th ere is n o d isp u te , a n d likewise sa’uda w h ich is th e fo u rth . A nd
A b o o 'U b a id a h o f S h a ib a a n has c h o se n th is in h is e x p la n a tio n . 1 kn o w
w hich o n e is the Jahmee by th e Q u r 'a a n . A n d (yet) th e A s h ’aree says th e
explan atio n o f istiw aa, is in reality istawlaa (c o n q u e rin g ) all existence. As
for A lla a h ’s b e in g above th e c re a tio n , above th e se v e n th h eaven, se p a ra te
from th e c re a tio n , th e n th is is a m a tte r a b o u t w h ic h th e re is n o d isp u te o r
d o u b t b etw een th e S ch o lars o f th e Salaf, sin c e th a t is e stab lish e d by th e
clear texts o f th e B ook, th e Sunnah, th e sayings o f th e C o m p a n io n s , th e
Taabi’een a n d th e S c h o lars o f A hlus-Sunnah b o th p a st a n d p re se n t. T h ey
are also agreed th a t w h o e v er d e n ie s th a t A llaah is above th e c re a tio n , b e in g
se p a ra te a n d d istin c t fro m it, th e n he is a Kaafir (disbeliever).
131
Imaam Maalik (d. 179H) said, “A llstiw aa is known, and how is
unknow n, to have eemaan in it is obligatory and to question it
is an innovation.” T hen he said to the questioner, “Ido not
think except that you are an evil m an.” So he ordered him to
be expelled.1
132
Imaam al-Bukhaaree (d. 256H) said, “M ujaahid (d. 104H) said
about Istiwaa: ‘Rising over the T h ro n e .’”1
D o they not see that We have created for them what Our
Own Hands have created.4
A nd His saying:
h*
133
it is taken u p o n its dhaahir (apparent) an d haqeeqah (real)
meaning. N othing is removed from its dhaahir (apparent) m eaning
to majaaz (a m etaphorical) one, except with a proof ... Likewise,
the saying of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic:
h*
<" > 9S \'
Al-Khattaabee (d. 388H) said, “Tire madhhab of the Salaf (the Pious
Predecessors) with regard to the Sifaat (Attributes of Allaah) is to
1 S o o ra h S a a d (3 8 ):7 5 .
2 Ibid.
3 Al-lbaanah ’an Usoolid-Diyaanah, p. 133. T h e a sc rip tio n o f th is b o o k to
A b u l-H a sa n al-A sh’aree, a n d th a t it was his fin al b o o k c o n c e rn in g ’aqeedah,
has b e e n testified to by a n u m b e r o f S cholars, fro m th e m , a l-H aafidh Ib n
’A saakir in Tabyeenul-Kadhabul-Muftarce, p. 152, al-Bayhaqee in A l l ’tiqaad,
p. 31, Im aa m a d h -D h a h a b e e in A l-’Uluwui, n o . 276 a n d Ib n u l-’Im aa d in
Shadhraattulh-Dhahab, p. 303. R efer also to C h a p te r T en: T h e ’Aqeedah o f
A b u l-H a sa n al-A sh’aree a n d a R e fu ta tio n o f th e A s h ’ariyyah.
134
affirm th em as they are ’alaa dh.aah.ir (w ith th e ir a p p a re n t
meaning), negating any tashbeeh (resemblance) to them , not takyeef
(asking how they are).”1
Al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadee (d. 463H) said, “As for speech about the
Attributes of Allaah, that which is authentically related about them
in the Sunnah, then the way of the Salaf, may Allaah be pleased
with them all, was to affirm them as they are, ’alaa dhaahir (upon
their apparent meaning), negating any tashbeeh (resemblance) to
Allaah and not asking how they are. We do not say that al-Yad
135
(the Hand o f Allaah) means His Power nor that as-Sam’ (Allaah’s
Hearing) and al-Basr (Allaah’s Seeing) m eans His Knowldge, nor
do we say that He has jawaarih (limbs).” 1
Ibn 'A h d u l'B arr (d. 463H ) said, “Aliius-Sunnah are agreed in
affirming all the A ttributes which are related in the Q u r’aan and
the Sunnah, having eemaan (faith) in them and understanding them
’alal-haqeeqah (in a real sense), no t ’alal-majaaz (metaphorically).”2
136
S haikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 728H ) said, “The Sifaat
(Attributes) are just like His Dhaat (Self)- Thus, just as the Dhaat
o f A llaah is established haqeeqah (in a real sense), w ith o u t
considering it to be like that o f the creation, then likewise His
Sifaat are also established haqeeqah, w ith o u t considering them
to be like those o f the creation.”1
Aboo ’U thm aan as-Saaboonee (d. 449H ) said, regarding the signs
o f th e A h lu l-B id ’ah (th e P eople o f In n o v a tio n ), “A n d th e
characteristics (resulting) from (the effects of) innovations upon
th e ir p eo p le are o b v io u s, an d m an ifestly clear. T h e m ost
apparent o f their signs and characteristics is the severity of their
enm ity and hatred towards the Carriers o f the narrations o f the
P ro p h e t (%£<$), th e ir d isd ain o f th em , th e ir scorn o f th em
(considering them to be valueless) and calling them ...” and then
he m entions, “... Dhaahiriyyah (Literalists) ...”2 3
137
a p p lic a tio n ) , s u c h as th e o n e w h o c la im s re g a r d in g th e sa y in g o f th e
M essenger o f A llaah as re p o rte d by B u k h a are e in his Saheeh, “Let
not one o f you urinate in still (non-/lowing) water," th a t it is n o t p erm issible to
u r in a te in still w a te r b u t if a p e rs o n u r in a te d in a c o n ta in e r a n d th e n
p o u r e d th e u r in e t h a t w as in it i n to s till w a te r, t h e n t h a t w o u ld be
p erm issib le. T h e fu tility o f th is is th a t h e has d e n ie d for th e tex t o f th e
L egislator, th a t (m ea n in g ) w h ic h it c o n ta in s, in d ic a te s a n d gives e v id en ce to.
If it is n o t p erm issib le to u rin a te in still w ater, th e n p o u rin g u rin e fro m a
c o n ta in e r in to still w a ter sh o u ld be m o re d e se rv in g o f b e in g fo rb id d e n , since
so m e tim es th e re m ay b e a (dire) n e ed to u rin a te in to still w a ter b u t as fo r
u rin a tin g in to a c o n ta in e r a n d p o u rin g it in to th e w ater, th e re is n o cause
fo r d o in g th a t a n d it is b u t m ere fo o lin g a ro u n d . T h is p a th is n o t th e
p a th o f th e A hlul-H adeeth.
As for the Ahlul-Haileeth, they are m o d erate, in b etw een the exaggeration o f
Ahlur-Rai a n d the negligence o f Ahludh-Dhaahir. T h e Innovators have called
the Salafus-Saalih, ‘A h lu d h -D h a a h ir ( L ite ra lis ts ) ’ a n d a lso t h a t th e y a re
‘H a sh a w iyya h , ’ ( W o r t h l e s s O n e s), ‘M u s h a b b ih a h ’ a n d ‘M u ja s s im a h ’
(A n th ro p o m o rp h ists) so th a t people m ay flee from th e way o f the Salaf. B ut
in tru th , they are liars in th ro w in g these nam es a t th em . As for calling them
‘Ahludh-Dhaahir,’ th e n if they desire th e first m eaning, th e n this does n o t h u rt
th em (th at they be called as such) a n d it is said in reply to th e Ahlul-Bid'ah,
‘Are you Baatiniyyah (those claim ing secret, h id d e n m eanings in th e texts o f
th e B ook a n d th e Sunnah) so th a t you accuse th e Ahlul-Sunnah o f b e in g
Dhaahiriiyah (Literalists)?’ R ather, it is said to th e Ahlul-Bid’ah, ‘T h e re is no
d o u b t t h a t y o u a re B a a tin iyy a h in m u c h o f y o u r ta 'w eel ( u n f o u n d e d
in te rp re ta tio n ) a n d Tahreef (d isto rtio n o f th e text, e ith e r in its w o rd in g o r
m eaning) o f the texts o f th e Sharee’ah in m atters o f 'aqeedah and m atters o f
f iq h .’ So th e A h lu l-h a d e e th , u p o n th is m e a n in g , a re A h lu d h -D h a a h ir
138
Al-Awzaa’ee (d. 157H) said regarding the aayaat and ahaadeeth
o f the A ttributes, “Pass them on as they have come, w ith o u t
asking how.”1
a n d th e y a re n o t B a a tin iyya h . A n d th is is a v ir tu e f o r th e m , n o t a
sh o rtc o m in g , a n d all praise is d u e to A llaa h . A n d if you de sire th e sec o n d
m ea n in g o f ‘A hludh-D haahir,’ th e n th e m ajo rity o f A hlul-H adeeth a re free
fro m th is a n d A lla a h k n o w s b e s t .” M u h a m m a d ’A b d u r - R a h m a a n al-
K ham ees in ‘Shark Jum latu M aa H akaahu 'anhum A bul-H asan al-Ash’aree,'
p p . 13-15.
! 'A qeedatus-Salaf wa Ashabul-H adeeth, o f A b o o ’U th m a a n a s-S a a b o o n e e ,
p. 1 0 1 .
1 Shark Usoolibl’tiqaad o f al-L aalikaa‘ee, n o . 8 7 5 . S h a ik h Ib n U th a im e e n
( J j-») sajL| jn h is Sharh ’Aqeedatil-Waasitiyyah, p p . 101-102, a fte r q u o tin g
th is n a rra tio n , “A n d th is gives e v id en ce to th e fact th a t they w o u ld affirm
m ea n in g s for th e A ttrib u te s, fro m tw o aspects:
139
C h a p t e r F iv e
^ &-
T he C oncensus of the S alaf from am ong the
C o m p a n io n s o f A l l a a h ’s M esseng er o n the
P r o h ib it io n o f R e v il in g t h e R ulers
be they R ig h t e o u s o r S in f u l
A R e f u t a t io n of the K h a w a a r ij1
140
It is also known th at the ways and m eans (wasaail) have the same
rulings as the ends to which they lead (maqaasid). Therefore, every
text regarding the prohibition o f rebellion (against the rulers)
and the censuring o f those who do so is an evidence for the
p ro h ib itio n o f reviling an d abusing th e rulers an d also (an
evidence) for the reprim and o f the one who does so.1
141
b e h a v io u r o f th e n o ta b le sc h o lars a n d m ighty leaders w ith th e rulers is well-
k n o w n a n d re n o w n ed — they d o n o t raise a h a n d a g ain st giving o b e d ie n c e
in th a t w h ich A llaah a n d H is M essenger have c o m m a n d e d fro m a m o n g
th e legislated a ctio n s a n d o b ligatory d u tie s o f Islaam .
A n d I will give you a n exam ple, th a t o f al-H ajjaaj ib n Y oosuf ath -T h aq afec,
a n d his affair is well k n o w n in th e um m ah, th a t o f o p p re ssio n , re p re ssio n ,
excessiveness in sp illin g th e b lo o d (o f th e M u slim s), d e s e c ra tio n o f th e
S a n c titie s o f A llaah, th e k illing of w h o m ev er h e killed a m o n g st th e n o tab le s
o f the um m ah su c h as S a ’e e d ib n J u b a ir, th e b e se ig in g o f Ib n az-Z ubair
even th o u g h he had so u g h t refuge in th e H aram, a n d m ak in g law ful th e
sacred a n d sa n c tified , th e k illing o f Ibn az-Zubair, even th o u g h Ibn az-Zubair
h a d given o b e d ie n c e to h im a n d th e p e o p le o f M a k k a h , M e d in a h , Y em en,
a n d m o st o f ’Iraaq h a d given th e pledge o f alleg iance to h im (Ibn az-Zubair)
a n d al-H ajjaaj was o nly a d e p u ty o f M arw aan , a n d th e n o f his s o n ’A b d u l-
M alik a n d n o n e of th e khulafaa’ (successors) h a d given M a rw a an a pledge
a n d n o n e of th e in flu e n tia l p eople, th o se w ith pow er h a d given th e pledge
o f alle g ia n ce to him . A n d a lo n g w ith all o f th is n o n e o f th e People o f
Know ledge hesitated in obeying him a n d com plying w ith him in th a t in w hich
o bed ien ce is perm issible from am ongst th e pillars o f Islaam a n d its obligations.
142
It is established in the two Saheehs from the hadeeth o f A boo
H urairah th at the P rophet (&£$$>) said, "Whoever believes in Allaah
and the Last Day, let him either speak good or keep silent.”
143
Ziyaad ibn Kusaib al-Adawiyy said, “I was w ith A boo Bakrah
beneath the minbar (pulpit) of Ibn Aamir. He was giving a speech
and was wearing a fine garm ent. So Aboo Bilaal said, ‘Look at
our ameer wearing the garm ent of the disobedient.’ T hen Aboo
Bakrah said, “Be silent. I heard the Messenger o f Allaah (A&M&)
say, 'Whoever demeans the sultaan (ruler) of Allaah upon the earth
Allaah will humiliate him .”’1
144
And likewise al-Bayhaqee has also m entioned this narration with
th e w ording, “T h e m ost sen io r am ongst us from am ong the
Com panions o f Allaah’s Messenger com m anded us not to
revile our Rulers and its chain of narration is jayyid (good).
145
Is it then imaginable, after pausing over and considering this clear
prohibition o f reviling the Rulers, that a Muslim in whose heart
eemaan has settled and who has honoured the Symbols o f Allaah
embarks (boldly) upon this crime or remains silent regarding this
evil? We can never think and conceive o f this for a Muslim and
we can never imagine that it should occur from him. A nd this
is because the texts of the Sharee’ah and w hat the C om panions
o f the M essenger o f A llaah were upon have a greater
position in his heart than (mere) em otions and sentim ents and
a g ita tio n a n d e x c ita tio n , w h ich in reality , are b u t satan ic
suggestions and innovatory ejaculations. N one subm it to them
except the People o f Desires, those in whose hearts there is no
value for the texts (of the Book and the Sunnah). Rather, the
tongue of their disposition says, ‘In this topic the texts (of the
Book and the Sunnah) have fallen short (i.e., missed something):
1 S o o ra h al-K ah f (18):5.
2 In his M usannaf, 1 5 /7 5 .
146
Ibn ’Abdul-Barr reported with his isnaad from Aboo Dardaa (4- ^
that he said, “Verily, the first (appearance) o f the hypocrisy of a man
is his censure and rebuke of his Ruler (Imaam).”1
1 In At-Tamheed, 2 1 /2 8 7 .
2 In As-Sunnah, 2 /4 8 8 .
3 Al-H ilyah o f A b o o N u ’aym , 5 /41-42 a n d As-Samt wa A adaabil-L isaan of
Ib n A b e e D u n y aa, p. 145.
4 In At-Tamheed, 2 1 /2 8 7 .
147
H an n aad reported, “’A bdah narrated to us from az-Zabriqaan
who said, ‘I was with A boo W aa'il, Shaqeeq ibn Salamah, and
I began to revile al-Hajjaaj and m ention his faults and bad deeds.
He (A boo W aa‘il) said, ‘Do no t revile him . A nd w hat will
inform you that perhaps he says, ‘O Allaah forgive m e,’ so He
forgives him?”’1
1 A z-Zuhd, 2/ 4 6 4 .
2 Kitaabul-Am waal, 1/ 8 0 .
5 Al-M untculham fee Taareekhil-Mulook.
4 At-Taareekh al-Kabeer, 8 / 104 .
148
he said, “I heard ’A bdullaah ibn U kaim say, ‘I will never ever
help in the blood of a Khaleefah after ’U th m aan .’ It was said
to him , ‘O Aboo M a’bad, did you help in (bringing about the
sh ed d in g of his blood)?’ So he said, ‘Verily, 1 consider the
m entioning of his faults and shortcom ings to have been of help
in (the shedding o f his blood).”’1
And whoever opposes this Salafee manhaj, and follows his desires
then there is no doubt that his heart is filled with rancour and
hatred. Since, revilement and vilification negates giving advice to
the Rulers. It has been established from the Prophet (t's^&) that
he said, “There are three things towards which the heart of a Muslim never
shows hatred or rancour: making ones action sincerely for the sake of Allaah,
giving obedience to the riders (wulaatul-amr) and sticking to their group
(jamaa’ah) —for verily, their supplication encompasses those who are behind
them (i.e., those whom they rule over).”2
1 At-Tdbaqaat, 6 /1 1 5 .
2 This hadeeth has b e e n re p o rte d fro m a g ro u p a m o n g th e C o m p a n io n s ,
a n d see Sunun at-Tirmidhee, n o . 2657, Al-M usnad, 4 /8 0 -8 2 a n d 183, Jaam i’ul-
Usool, 1 /2 6 5 a n d M a jm a ’uz-Zawaa'id, 1 /1 3 7 -1 3 9 .
149
And whoever thinks that attacking the Rulers by reviling them
and finding fault with them is from the Sharee’ah o f Allaah the
Exalted, or (that it) constitutes repelling the evil and other such
things, then he has gone astray and has said upon Allaah and
upon his Sharee’ah other than the truth. R ather he is an opposer
of the requirem ent of the Book and the Sunnah and whatever
the narrations from the Salaf of this Ummah have spoken of.
It is obligatory upon the one who comes across these clear and
plain texts th at he prevents everyone whom he hears reviling and
attacking those assigned with the rule, expecting his reward from
Allaah and giving advice to the general people.
1 R e p o r te d by A h m a d , 3 / 4 0 3 a n d Ib n A b e e ’A a s im , 2 /5 2 1 w ith an
a u th e n tic c h a in o f n a rra tio n . A n d S h a ik h M u h a m m a d N a asiru d -D ee n al-
A lb a a n e e (Jk J - '“>) d e c la r e d it a u th e n t ic (saheeh) in Zilaalil-Jannah fee
Taklneejis-Sunnah, 5 /2 2 9 .
150
And in accordance with this hadeeth, there are many sayings of
the Salaj, as well as their actions, which are in agreem ent with
it. Imaam ash-Shawkaanee said, “It is desirable for the one to
whom a mistake o f the leader (Imaam) appears in certain matters
that he advises him blit does not openly rebuke him in front of
all the people to see. R ather it should be as has been reported
in the hadeeth — th at he should take him by the hand, should
take him into seclusion and should offer him the advice, and
he should not hum iliate the sultaan of Allaah. A nd we have
already said in the beginning of the book o f Siyar that it is not
perm issible to revolt against the leaders, even if they reach
(excessive) levels o f oppression, as long as they establish the prayer
and no m anifest and clear disbelief appears from them . And
the ahaadeeth th a t have been reported w ith this m eaning are
mutawaatir. However, it is necessary for the follower th at he
follow s th e lead er (Imaam ) in o b e d ie n c e to A llaah a n d he
disobeys him in (what entails) disobedience to Allaah, for verily
there is no obedience to the creation in disobedience to A llaah.”1
Shaikh Saalih ibn 'U thaim een (jkj!a~ ) said, when affirming that
offering advice to the rulers is something that is done in secret and
not openly and he quoted some evidences for that, and amongst
them was this hadeeth2, he said, “So when speaking about the king
by backbiting, giving him advice in the open and publicising (his
faults), when th at is (but) hum iliation o f him , that hum iliation
fo r w h ich A llaah has th re a te n e d th e o n e w ho does it
1 As-Sailal-Jarraar, 4 / 5 5 6 .
2 R eferring to th e hadeeth w h ic h has alread y p re c e d e d above, Ziyaad ibn
K u saib al-A daw iyy s a id , “ I w as w ith A b o o B a k ra h b e n e a th th e m inbar
(p u lp it) of Ib n ’A a m ir. H e was giving a sp e e c h a n d w as w e arin g a fin e
g a rm e n t. S o A b o o Bilaal said, ‘L ook a t o u r ameer w e arin g th e g a rm e n t o f
th e d is o b e d ie n t.’ T h e n A b o o B akrah said, ‘Be silen t. 1 h e a rd th e M essenger
of A llaah (jcgl^S?) say, 'Whoever demeans the sultaan (ruler) o f A llaah upon the
earth A llaah will hum iliate him .”'
151
with hum iliation and debasem ent, then there is no doubt that
it is obligatory to carefully observe w hat we have m entioned —
th at he should desire to give advice in secret and o ther such
things. (This being) for the ones who are capable o f advising
them , from among the scholars, those who visit them and mix
w ith them and by whose advice they find benefit, as opposed
to those besides the (scholars) ...” up until he said, “... for openly
o p p o sin g th e ru ler (sultaan) in th a t w hich is n o t from the
necessities o f the religion, and rejecting th at (openly) in the
gatherings, in the m osques and in the ranks and other places of
ad m o n itio n and o th er such things, then th at is no t advice at
all. So do n o t be deceived by the one who does that, even if it
is with good intention, for verily, that is in opposition to what
tire SalafuS'Saalih, those who are to be followed, were upon —
and your guidance is in Allaah’s control.”1
1 In Mac/aasidul-lslaam, p. 393.
2 R efer to th e b o o k M u ’cuim alatul-Hukkaami fee Daw'il-Kitaabi was-Sunnah
by S h a ik h ’A lxlus-S alanm ib n B arjas ib n N a a s ir A al 'A b d u l-K a re e m fo r
a n ex ce lle n t a n d c o m p re h e n siv e coverage o f th is topic.
152
C h a p t e r S ix
- a --------------------------------------------- &-
T he D is t in g u is h in g S ig n s of A h l u s -S u n n a h 1
153
ibn Yahyaa.” So we said, “W hat is Yahyaa ibn Yahyaa?” He said,
“A righteous m an, Im aam o f the M uslim s. A nd Ishaaq ibn
Ibraaheem is an Imaam (of the Muslims) — and in my estim ation
A hm ad ibn H anbal is greater than all o f those w hom I have
m en tio n ed .”
154
as-Saaboonee an d his two sons, th e Sw ords o f th e Sunnah,
’A b d u lla a h a s-S a a b o o n e e a n d A b o o ’A b d u r-R a h m a a n as-
Saaboonee and others besides them from the Scholars o f the
Sunnah, who hold fast to it, aid it, call to it and are the most
gentle with and com pliant to it.
And along with th at they (unanim ously) agreed with their saying
a b o u t th e A h lu l-D id ’ah — t h a t th ey s h o u ld be s u b d u e d ,
hum iliated and disgraced, banished and driven away. T hat (one
must) keep away from them , from those who associate with them
and from those w ho are in tim ate w ith th em . A nd to seek
nearness to Allaah by avoiding them and fleeing from them .”
155
Let n o t my brothers, may Allaah protect them , be deceived by
the abundance of the Ahlul-Bid’ah (the People o f Innovation) and
their large num bers (for verily, the abudance of the people of
falsehood and the small num ber of the people o f truth is a sign
o f th e a p p ro a c h o f th e Day o f T ru th ), sin ce th e C h o se n
Messenger Ds?)^?) said, "Indeed, amongst the signs of the Hour and
its being close at hand, is that knowledge will diminish and ignorance
will be widespread.
156
A nd whoever holds fast to the Sunnah of the Messenger
(today), acts upon it, remains firm upon it and calls to it, his
reward is m ore num erous and plentiful than the one who was
upon this 'aqeedah (i.e., the above-m entioned ’aqeedah) at the
beginnings of Islaam and faith. Since the C hosen M essenger
(;h#&) said, “He will receive the reward o f fifty (i.e., the one clinging
to that which the Companions were upon, in the later times)." So it
was said, ‘Fifty from am ongst them ?’ He (£&&)&) replied, “No,
but rather, from amongst you (i.e., the Companions)."1
(Aboo ’U thm aan said), “I found in the book of the Shaikh, the
Imaam, my grandfather, Aboo ’A bdullaah M uham m ad ibn ’Adee
H am dawaih as-Saaboonee Abul-’Abbaas, al-Hasan ibn
Sufyaan an-Nasawee inform ed us th a t al-’A bbaas ibn Sabeeh
narrated to them (saying): ’Ahdul-Jabbaar ibn Taahir narrated to
us (saying): M a’m ar ibn Raashid narrated to me (saying): I heard
Ibn Shihaab az-Zuhree saying, ‘Teaching a sunnah is more superior
th an tw o-hundred years of worship."
1 T h e text o f th e hadeeth is, "Verily, after you, there tire days requiring patience.
(In those days) the one who holds fast to that u h ich you are upon has the reward
o f fifty amongst you ..." to th e e n d o f th e hadeeth. T his hadeeth h as b e e n
re p o rte d w ith its v a rio u s ro u te s by al-M arw azee in As-Sunnah, n o . 3 5 , at-
T abaraanee in Al-Kabeer, 17/117, A b o o D aaw ood, n o . 3441, a t-T irm id h ee ,
n o . 3057 a n d Ib n M aajah w h o declared it hasan, n o . 4014 a n d o th e rs.
157
hadeeth of Aboo Hurairah, “Aadam and Moosaa had a dispute’ ...”'
so ’Alee ibn Ja’far said, “How can this be w hen there exists the
gap (of time) between Aadain and Moosaa that (which) there is.”
He (i.e., the narrator) said, “So H aaroon jum ped on account of
it and said, “He is narrating to you from the Messenger and you
oppose him by saying, ‘How?’ And he did not cease saying this
until he calmed down and became silent. 2
158
C h a pte r S even
- a -------------------------------------------
T he D is t in g u is h in g S ig n s of A h l u l - B i d ’a h
(T he P eople o f In n o v a t io n ) 1
They are the ones whom Allaah has cursed, so that He has
made them deaf and blinded their sight.2
159
And whomsoever Allaah disgraces, their is none to give
honour. Verily, Allaah does whatever H e wills.1
160
Aboo Nasr ibn Salaam al-Faqeeh saying, “There is nothing more
severe (burdensome) upon the Ahlul-llhaad (the People of Deviation)
and nothing is more detestable to them than listening to the hadeeth
and its being m entioned with its chain of narrators.”1
(He said), And I heard al-Haakim saying, “I heard Shaikh Aboo Bakr
Ahmad ibn Ishaaq ibn Ayyoob al-Faqeeh while he was arguing with
a man. Shaikh Aboo Bakr said, ‘So and so narrated to us and
the man said to him, ‘Enough of the one who narrated to us! U p
until when will he narrate to us.7!’ So the Shaikh said to him,
‘Stand up (and leave), O Kaafir (Disbeliever)! A nd it is n o t
permissible for you, after this, to enter my house ever again.’ T hen
he turned to us and said, ‘I have never ever said to anyone, ‘Do
not enter my house,’ except to this (man).”’2
161
liken Allaah to die creation). And the sign of the Raafidah is that they
call those who cling to the narrations ‘Naabiuih’ and 'Naasibah’"' 2
(Aboo ’U thm aan) said, “I say: all o f that is partisanship and their
is no nam e to be given to Ahlus-Sunnah except one — and that
is Ahlul-Hadeeth (the People of Hadeeth). (And) I say: I have seen
that the Ahlul-Bid’ah (the People of Innovation), with respect to
these names, which they have nam ed the Ahlus-Sunnah with, (and
n o t a single one o f them befits them , a bounty and grace from
Allaah), have behaved with them (i.e., with the Ahlus-Sunnah) in
the same m anner as the way (taken by) the M ushrikoon (pagans),
(may Allaah curse them ), with the Messenger of Allaah (%$$&).
They divided (the various sayings) am ongst themselves (to accuse
him with). So some o f them called him a magician. O thers
called him a soothsayer. O thers called him a m adm an. O thers
called him so m eo n e p u t to tria l an d o th e rs called him a
fabricator, a forger, a liar. Yet the Prophet was far removed
and free from all those vices and he was nothing but a messenger,
a chosen one, a prophet. Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic said:
See how they coin similitudes for you, so they have gone
astray and are not able to find a (Right) Path.’
162
(And) likewise, the Innovators, may Allaah forsake them , have
divided (the various sayings) am ongst themselves (to accuse) the
carriers o f his (the M essenger’s) narrations, and the transm itters
of his narrations and the reporters o f his ahaadeeth. Those who
guide themselves by him and who seek guidance from his Sunnah
(known as the Ashaabul-Hadeeth). So some o f them have called
them ‘Hashawiyyah’ and others have called them ‘M ushabbihah’
and others have called them ‘N aabitah’ and others have called
them ‘Naasibah’ and others have called them ‘Jabanyyah.'
1 A w o rd o ccu rs h e re w h ic h c o u ld n o t he d e c ip h e re d by th e c h e c k e r o f
th e m a n u sc rip t.
163
of his ummah. A nd whoever loves a people then he will be with
them on the Day o f Judgem ent due to the ruling (in the saying)
of A llaah’s Messenger “A man will be with the one whom
he loves.’’1
164
C h a p t e r E ig h t
On the P r o h ib it io n o f S it t in g w it h P eople of
I n n o v a t io n L is t e n in g to them A r g u in g w it h t h e m
To A b a n d o n th em a n d th o se w h o A s s o c ia t e w it h t h e m
Al-Baghawee (d. 535H) said, “And the Sahaabah, the Taabi’een, their
successors and the Scholars of the Swnnah passed away while they
were upon this, united and unanimously agreed upon having enmity
towards the People of Innovation and fleeing from them .”4
165
be for the one who followed his Sunnah and the Sunnah of his
C om panions Therefore, it is necessary for the Muslim,
w hen he sees a man engaging him self with anything from the
desires and innovations, believing in them , or belittling anything
from the Sunnah, th at he flees from him , disowns him and leaves
him — dead or alive. So he does not give salaam to him when
he meets him and nor does he respond to him if he salutes first
(and he should continue doing this) until this person abandons
his innovation and returns to the tru th .”1
Ibn Q udaam ah (d. 620H) said, “The Salaf used to forbid sitting
with th e People of Innovations, looking into th eir books and
listening to their words.”2
Ibn ’Abbaas (d. 68H) said, “Indeed the m ost detestable o f things
to Allaah are the innovations.”’ Al-Hasan al-Basree (d. 110H) said,
“Do n o t sit with the people of innovation and desires, nor argue
with them , nor listen to them .”4
Sharhus-Sunnah, 1 /2 2 4 .
Al-Aadaabus-Sharee'ah, 1 /2 6 3 .
R e p o rte d by al-Bayhaqee in As-Sunan al-Kubraa, 4 /3 1 6 .
R e p o rte d by ad-D aarim ee in his Sunan, 1/121 a n d al-Laalikaa‘ee, no. 240.
166
Al-Fudayl ibn ’Iyaad (d. 187H) said, “I met the best of people,
all o f th em people o f th e Sunnah an d they used to forbid
ac co m p an y in g th e p e o p le o f in n o v a tio n .” 1 Ib ra a h e e m ibn
Maysarah (d .l3 2 H ) said, “W hoever ho n o u rs an innovator has
aided in the d estru ctio n o f Islam .”2 Sufyaan ath-Thaw ree (d.
161H) said, “W h o e v er listens to an in n o v a to r has left th e
p ro tectio n o f A llaah and is en tru sted w ith the in n o v atio n .”3
Im aam M aalik (d. 179H) said, “How evil are the people o f
innovation, we do not give them salaam.”4
Al-Fudayl ibn ’Iyaad (d. 187H) said, “W hoever sits with a person
o f in n o v atio n , th e n bew are o f him an d w hoever sits w ith a
person o f innovation has no t been given wisdom. I love that
there was a fort of iron between me and a person of innovation.
T h at I eat with a Jew and a C hristian is m ore beloved to me
th an th at 1 eat w ith a person o f innovation.”5
Al-Layth ibn Sa’d (d. 175H) said, “If I saw a person of desires
(i.e., innovations) walking upon the w ater I would not accept
from him .” So Im aam ash-Shaafi’ee then said, “He (al-Layth)
has fallen short. If I saw him walking in the air I would not
accept from him .”6
A th-Thaabit ibn al-Ajlaan said, “I met Anas ibn Maalik, Ibn al-
Musayyab, al-H asan al-Basree, Sa’eed ibn Jubair, ash-Sha’bee,
167
Ib ra a h e e m a n -N a k h a ’ee, A ta a ’ ibn A bee R ib aah , Taaw oos,
M ujaahid, ’A bdullaah ibn Abee M ulaikah, az-Zuhree, M akhool,
al-Qaasim Aboo ’Abdur-Rahm aan, A taa’ al-Khurasaanee, T haabit
al-B unaanee, al-H akam ibn ’U tb a h , Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaanee,
H am m aad ibn M uham m ad ibn Seereen, A boo ’A am ir - and he
had actually m et A boo Bakr as-Siddeeq Yazeed ar-
R iqaashee, an d S u laim aan ibn M oosaa — all o f th em were
ordering me (to hold on to) the Jam aa'ah and forbidding me
from the People of Desires (i.e., Innovators).”1
168
Ismaa’eel at-Toosee said, “Ibn al-Mubaarak said to me, ‘Let your
company be the poor and needy and beware of sitting with a person
of innovation.’”1 Al-Fudayl ibn ’Iyaad said, “Do not sit with a person
of innovation — for I fear that curses will descend upon you.”2 Aboo
Qilaabah (d. 104H) said, “Do not sit with them, do not mix with
them for 1 fear that they will immerse you in their misguidance
and confuse you in much of what you know.”1
Al-Fudayl ibn ’Iyaad said, “Do not sit with a person of innovation.
Allaah as rendered his actions futile and has taken the light of Islaam
from his heart.”4 He also said, “Do not feel safe about your deen
with a person of innovation. Do not consult him in your affairs
an d do n o t sit w ith him , for w hoever sits w ith a person of
innovation Allaah will make him inherit blindness.”5 And he said,
“Verily, Allaah has angels who look for the gatherings in which
remembrance is made, so look and see with whom is your sitting.
Let it not be with a person of innovation for Allaah does not look
at them. A nd a sign of hypocrisy is that a man stands and sits
with a person of innovation.”6
Ibn Battah (d. 387H) reported from ’Abdullaah ibn as-Sariyy who
said, “It is not the SwnnaK with us, that the People o f Desires should
be argued with, but the Sunnah with us, is that we do not talk to
a single one of them .”7 He also reported from Hanbal ibn Ishaaq
ibn H a n b a l th a t he said , “A m an w rote a b o o k to A b o o
169
’A bdullaah (Imaam A hm ad) seeking perm ission to write
a book in which the refutation against the People of Innovation
is explained and for m eeting w ith the people o f theological
rh e to ric {Ahlul-kalaam ) to d isp u te w ith th em an d to p resen t
argum ents to them . So A boo ’A bdullaah w rote a book back
to him saying in it, ‘T h at w hich we used to hear and found
whomever we met from the People of Knowledge upon, is that
they used to detest speaking an d sittin g w ith the People of
D eviation. T he affair lies in su b m ittin g to and stopping at
w h atever is in th e Book o f A llaah an d th e Sunnah o f the
M essenger of Allaah (%&$’), no t in sitting w ith the People of
Deviation and Innovation, seeking thereby to refute them , for
they will only confuse you and they themselves do not return.
So safety, if Allaah wills, is in abandoning sitting with them and
n o t disputing with them regarding their innovations.”1
Al-Fudayl ibn ’Iyaad (d. 187H) said, “It is not possible for a person
of the Sunnah to support a person of innovation except out of
hypocrisy.”2 ’A bdullaah ibn ’U m ar as-Sarkhasee, the Scholar of
Khazar, said, “I ate with a person of innovation and that reached
Ibn al-Mubaarak who said, ‘I never spoke to him for thirty days.’”1
1 Al-lbaanah o f Ib n B a tta h , 1 /4 4 .
2 Sharh Usoolul-I’ticiaad o f al-L aalikaa‘cc, n o . 266.
1 Ib id ., no. 274.
4 R e p o rte d by Ibn A b ee Ya’laa in Tabaqaatul-Hanaabilah, 1 /6 0 .
170
Ham m aad ibn Zaid (d. 179H) said, “I was with Ayyoob, Yoonus
and Ibn ’Awn (when) ’A m r ibn ’Ubaid, and he was a M u ’taziliyy,
passed by them and gave them salaam and stopped — but they
did not return the salaam to him .”1
1 M eeraan u l-l’tidaal, 3 /2 7 4 .
2 R e p o rte d by A b o o N u ’aym in Al-Hilyah, 3 / 3 2 a n d Ib n al-Jawzee in Talbees-
Iblees, p p . 13-14.
’ A!Aadaabush-Sharee’ah, 1 /2 3 2 .
4 Fathul-Qadeer o f a sh -S h a w k a a n e e , 2 / 1 2 8 .
5 Ibn B attah in A l lbaanatul-Kubraa, n o . 446.
171
Ibn Haanee an-Neesaabooree said, “1 witnessed Aboo ’Abdullaah,
m eaning Imaam A hm ad, on his way to the m osque and a man
from the sceptics (innovators) gave him salaam. He did no t
return salaam to him and the m an gave him salaam again. Imaam
A hm ad pushed him away and did not return salaam to him .”1
Aboo ’U thm aan as-Saaboonee (d. 449H ) said, “And they avoid
the People of Innovation and M isguidance, having enm ity for the
People o f Desires an d Ignorance. T hey hate the People o f
Innovation who introduce into the Deen that which is not from
it. They do not love them , they do not accompany them , they
do n o t listen to th eir w ords, n o r sit w ith them or argue or
dispute with them regarding the Deen. A nd they protect their
ears from listening to their falsehoods, which if they pass by the
ears and settle in the hearts, harm the hearts and bring corrupt
ideas and whisperings upon them .”2
Abul-Jawzaa3 (d. 83H ) said, “T hat apes and pigs live next to me
is more loved by me than if one of them (i.e., People o f Desires)
lives next to m e.”4
1 M asaa'il Im aam A h m a d o f Ib n H a a n e e a n -N e e sa a b o o re e , 2 /1 5 3 .
2 A qeedatus-Salaf wa Ashaabil-H adeeth, p. 99.
3 H e w as A w s ib n 'A b d u lla a h a r-R a b a ’ee, a l-B a sre e, o n e o f th e g re a t
sc h o lars. H e n a rra te d fro m 'A a 'is h a h , Ib n 'A b b a a s a n d 'A b d u lla a h ib n
'A m r ib n al-’A as. H e was o n e o f th e w o rs h ip p e rs w h o s to o d u p to al-
H ajjaaj, a n d it is said th a t he was killed o n th e day o f ‘al-Jamaajim’ (skulls).
H a m m a a d ib n Zayd re p o rts fro m 'A m r ib n M aalik (w h o said), “I h e a rd
Abul-Jaw zaa say, '1 have nev er cursed a n y th in g , n o r ate a n y th in g th a t h a d
b e e n c u rsed , n o r h a rm e d a n y o n e e v er,’” a n d fro m h im th a t he said “1 have
never arg u ed w ith a n y o n e, ever.” A n d Abul-Jawzaa was ex trem ely stro n g :
N o o h ib n Q ays re p o rts fro m S ulaym aan ar-R aba’ee w h o said, “A bul-Jawzaa
u sed to fast c o n tin u o u sly fo r a w eek, a n d th e n seize h o ld o f a y o u n g m an s
a rm a n d a lm o st b re ak it.” T aken from As-Siyar, vol. 4, pp. 371-372. He
also said, “T h a t I sh o u ld sit w ith pigs is m o re beloved to m e th a n th a t 1
sh o u ld sit w ith a n y o n e fro m th e in n o v ate d sects,” re p o rte d in A l-Hilyah, 3 /
78 a n d Ib n S a’d, 7 /2 2 4 . H e d ied in 8 3 H , At-Taqreeb and Al-Kaashif. (A.T.)
4 Sharh Usoolul-l’tiqaad, 1 /1 3 1 .
172
C hapter N in e
-E----------------------------------------- E-
On the N e c e s s it y o f A c c e p t in g t h e A haadeeth R eported
by R e l ia b l e a n d T r ustw o r th y N arrators M e n t io n in g
the A t t r ib u t e s o f A llaah
A R e f u t a t io n a g a in s t t h e R a t io n a l is t
School of T hought 1
(i) Making the Q ur'aan and the authentic Sunnah. the judge
in every m atter from am ong the m atters of 'aqeedah (belief)
w ithout rejecting anything from them both or seeking to explain
anything away from them (ta Wei).
(ii) Taking and accepting w hat has been narrated from the
C o m p a n io n s in ex p la n a tio n o f th e m atters o f th e religion
generally, and in the matters of 'aqeedah specifically.
173
This is the methodology of the Salaf in establishing the Islamic
’aqeedah in refuting the People of Innovation.
174
The Imaam of the Sunnali, A hm ad ibn H anbal said regarding the
ahaadeeth of the Sifaat (Allaah’s A ttributes), “We have faith in
them , we affirm them and we do not reject a single one o f them
if they are w ith chains o f n a rra tio n c o n tain in g reliable and
trustworthy reporters (asaaneed suhhaa fi).”1 He also said about the
ahaadeeth of the Ru'yah (the Believer’s seeing of Allaah on the
Day o f J u d g e m e n t), “T h ey are a h a a d e e th o f re lia b le a n d
trustworthy narrators (ahaadeeth suhhaah), we have faith in them
and we estab lish (ourselves u p o n them ). A nd w henever (a
hadeeth) is reported from the P rophet (3s^^) with good chains
of narration we have faith in it and establish ourselves upon it.”2
Sufyaan ibn ’U yainah (d. 197H) said about the ahaadeeth o f the
Ru'yah, “They are true. We report them in the m anner we have
heard them , from those in w hom we place o u r trust and are
pleased w ith.”5
A boo ’U baid (al-Qaasim ibn Sallaam) (d. 224H) said about some
o f the ahaadeeth m en tio n in g the A ttrib u tes o f A llah, “T hese
ahaadeeth in o ur estim ation are true, the trustw orthy and reliable
reporters have narrated them , one from another (and so on).”5
175
Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ash-Shaybaanee (d. 189H), the companion
of Aboo Haneefah said, “All the Fuqahaa, from the east to the west
are agreed upon, (the obligation of) having faith in the Q ur'aan and
the ahaadeeth which the reliable and trustworthy narrators have come
with from the Messenger of Allaah in describing the Lord,
the Mighty and the Majestic, w ithout explaining them (tafseer) or
likening them to the creation (tashbeeh). So whoever explains
anything from them today, then he has departed from that which
the Prophet (■&>$&) and his C om panions were upon. For verily,
they did not explain them but they gave verdicts with whatever is
in the Book and the Sunnah and then they remained quiet. So
whoever speaks with the saying of Jahm (ibn Safwaan) then he has
separated from the Jamaa’ah since he (Jahm) describes Him (Allaah)
with nothingness.”1
176
As for taking the sayings of the C om panions J ■A') and putting
them before the sayings o f those who came after them , then this
is due to the excellence bestowed upon them on account of their
being made to witness the revelation and the era o f the Divine
Inspiration. A nd also on account o f the purity of their m inds
from the misguided innovations that appeared after them , and
this is besides the enjoym ent o f the linguistic understanding of
the texts o f the Sharee'ah they had.
And finally, the Scholars of the Salaf detest argum entation with
the People of Innovation and sitting with them . In fact they
forbade even the m entioning and quotation o f their doubts and
explaining them to the people and this was due to their fear of
the weakness o f the one who quotes it, his incapability to refute
it and render it futile and as a result o f which, he is pu t to trial
by it after he had heard or read it.
177
In this there is a defence for the hearts o f the Muslims and a
protection for their m inds and thoughts. This is in addition
to it also being a m eans o f hum iliating the Innovators and a
barrier against their opinions and their arrogation in no t using
the books of the Salaf for evaluating th eir deviant opinions.
A m o n g th e n a r ra tio n s fro m th e S a la f w h ic h m ake th e ir
m ethodology (with respect to the Innovators) clear are:
Ayyoob as-Sakhtiyaanee said (d. 131H), “You will not refute them
with anything more severe than silence (i.e., do not argue with
them ).”2
’A bdullaah ibn as-Sariyy said, “It is not the Sunnah with us, that
the People of Desires should be argued with, bu t the Sttnna/t with
us, is th at we do n o t talk to a single one o f them .”3 Also the
narration o f H anbal ibn Ishaaq which has preceded on page 168.
178
This then, is the m ethodology o f the Salaf in the affirmation
and preservation o f their 'aqeedah and this will become clear to
th e one w ho looks into their books, from the earliest to the
later times.
179
C h apter T en
------------------------------- ; B-
T he ’A qeedah of A b u l - H a s a n a l - A s h ’a r e e
and a R e f u t a t io n of the A s h ’a r i y y a h 1
1 From the books ‘I'tiqaad A hlus-Sunnah Ashaabul-H adeeth Sharh Jum latu
M aa H akdahu ’Anhum Abul-Hasan al-A'shariyy wa Qarrarahu fee M aqaalaatihi'
and ‘Adh-Dhabb 'an Abee Hasan al-Ash’aree.’
180
their arguments with both textual evidence and by way o f reason.1
His books testify to th at. H e th e n rem ain ed , for a period,
speaking in certain m atters o f belief, w ith the saying o f Ibn
Kullaab.2 However, in the final stage of his life he was upon the
’aqeedah of the Salaf and he spoke w ith w hat Im aam A hm ad
spoke with with respect to all the A ttributes of Allaah.
So he affirmed for Allaah whatever Allaah affirmed for Him self
and w hatever His M essenger affirm ed for H im in his
SwnnaK.
181
In the present time, many ascribe themselves to Abul-Hasan al-
A sh’aree and call themselves ‘A sh ’ariyyah,’ claiming th at they are
holding fast to the ’aqeedah he was upon, especially in the matters
o f the Attributes o f Allaah. However, they have not taken the
'aqeedah th at he em braced at the end o f his life and which is
propounded in his two books 'Al-lbaanah 'an Usoolid-Diyaanah’
and ‘Al-Maqaalaatullslaamiyyeen. ’
182
Ar-Rahmaan has ascended (istawaa) the T hrone.1
“ ^
A nd they affirm both H earing and Seeing for Him and they do
not negate th at from Allaah as the M u ’tazilah have negated it.
A nd they affirm th e ahaadeeth w hich have com e from th e
Messenger (£*0$), “Verily, Allaah descends to the lowest heaven and
says, ‘Is there anyone who seeks forgiveness ...'” in the m anner in which
it has come from the Messenger of Allaah (&&$£). A nd they see
th e necessity o f following the Salaf from the Scholars o f the
Religion who do n o t innovate into their religion that for which
Allaah has given no perm ission. A nd they say the Q u r'aan is
the Speech of Allaah, it is no t created.”
1 S o o ra h T aa -H a a (20): 5.
2 S o o r a h S aad (3 8 ):7 5 .
2 S o o ra h a l-M a a 'id a h (5 ):6 4 .
183
People of the Hadeeth and the Sunnah) order with, employ and
deem necessary (to believe). A nd everything th a t has been
m entioned from their speech, we speak likewise and tend towards
it." A nd whoever desires m ore can refer to his aforem entioned
hooks, Al-lbaanah and Al-Maqaalaat.
184
m entions the People o f Knowledge who have ascribed this book
to Abul-Hasan al'Ash’aree and have testified to it being his 'aqeedah
which he embraced at the end of his life. He said, “And a group
from th e n o table and o u tstan d in g Scholars from am ong the
Fuqahaa (Jurists) of Islaam, the Scholars of the Cities, the Huffaaz
(Preservers) of the Hadeeth and others besides have m entioned the
book, have depended upon it, have affirmed that it belongs to Abul-
Hasan al-Ash’aree CA J ~?v) have praised him on account of what
he has m entioned therein, have declared him free from every
innovation that has been ascribed to him and have quoted from
him, from his work (i.e., Usoolud-Diyaanah) ...” then he mentions
them and included amongst those whom he m entions are:
th a t a n d d e c la re d h im s e lf to he i n n o c e n t o f it in f r o n t o f A lla a h , th e
S u b lim e . H ow can it be o th erw ise, w h e n h e sta te d in it th e religion w ith
w h ic h h e w o rsh ip s A llaa h , th e S u b lim e , w h ich h e re p o rts a n d (w h en he)
e stab lish e s h im s e lf u p o n th e way o f th e Sahaabah, the T aabi’een a n d th e
S ch o lars o f H adeeth, th o s e w h o h a v e p a sse d , a n d th e say in g o f Im a a m
A h m a d ib n H a n b a l A n d th a t it (i.e., his relig io n ) is th a t w hich
th e B ook o f A llaah a n d th e Sunnah o f H is M essenger p o in ts to. Is it th e n
p erm issib le for it to be said th a t h e tu rn e d b ack fro m th a t to o th e r th a n
it? T o w h a t exactly, d id he tu r n back to, a n d w h ic h you c an see (evidently)?
D id h e tu rn back fro m th e B ook o f A llaah a n d th e Sunnah o f th e P ro p h e t
o f A llaa h , to th e o p p o site o f th a t w h ic h the Sahaabah, the Taabi’een a n d
th e S ch olars o f Hadeeth, w h o have passed away, w ere u p o n ? A n d w ith his
know ledge th a t th a t was th e ir m adhhab? H e n a rra te d th is (i.e., his 'aqeedah
in A H baanah) fro m th e m , a n d by m y life, ho w can th a t w h ic h d o e s n o t
b e fit th e c o m m o n M u slim s b e a sc rib e d to th e S c h o la rs o f th e R eligion?
O r can it b e said th a t he was ig n o ra n t, d u rin g th e passage o f his life in
w hich h e exp lo red th e m adhaahib a n d a c q u a in te d h im s e lf w ith th e v a rio u s
sects, o f w h a t h e was re la tin g fro m th e S alaf w h o h ave pa sse d . T h is is
s o m e th in g w h ich a ju st p e rso n can nev er im agine a n d su sp ec t, a n d n o n e
b u t a n a rro g a n t p e rso n a n d a p ro flig a te can h o ld th is ...” A n d th e n he
c o n tin u e s to m e n tio n th o se w h o have a ffirm ed th e a sc rip tio n o f th e b o o k
Al-lbaanah to A b u l-H a sa n al-A sh’aree as listed above. R efer to th e boo k ,
A dh-Dhabb ’an Abee Hasan al-Ash’aree, c h e c k e d a n d v e rified by ’A lee ibn
M u h a m m a d ib n N a a s ir a l-F aq eeh ee, p p . 97-108.
185
(i) Al-Haafidh Aboo Bakr al-Bayhaqee1
(ii) A bul-Q aasim ibn ’Alee ibn al-H asan ibn H ib atu llaah
(known as Ibn ’Asaakir)2
(iii) Al-Imaam, al-Haafidh, Abnl-’Abbaas A hm ad ibn T baabit
at-Turqee4
(iv) Aboo ’U thm aan, Ism aa’eel as-Saaboonee4
(v) Al-Imaam, al-Haafidh, A boo Taahir as-Salafee4
186
(vi) Im a a m u l-Q u r r a a , Aboo ’Alee Hasan ibn ’Alee ibn Ibraaheem
al-Faarisee1
(vii) Al-Imaam, a l-F a q e eh , Abul-Fath Nasr al-Maqdisee2
(viii) A l-F a q e e h , Abul-M a’aalee M ajallee1and
(ix) Al-Haafidh Aboo M uham m ad ibn ’Alee al-Baghdaadee4
187
A nd each one o f them has testified to specific details of the
'aqeedah of Abul-Hasan al-Ash’aree, as contained and expounded
in his final hook Al-lbaanah, and to its agreem ent with that of
the Salafus-Saalih. As for the A sh ’ariyyah of today then they are
u p o n a way and path which Abul-H asan al-Ash’aree declared
him self free of in front o f Allaah, and the scholars consider them
to be other than Ahlus-SMnnflh wal-Jamaa’ah bu t rather, in the
m idst of Ahlul-Bid’ah wad-Dalaalah.1
1 S haikh Ibn U th a im e e n said, “So, for exam ple, the Ash’arees and
die Maatooreedees are n o t considered from A/dus-Sunnct/i wal-Jamaa’ah. in this
p articular m atter (i.e., c o n ce rn in g th e N am es a n d A ttrib u te s o f A llaah). R ather,
they opp o se w h at th e P ro p h e t a n d his C o m p a n io n s w ere u p o n w ith
regards to accepting th e A ttrib u te s o f A llaah, th e M ost Perfect, u p o n th e ir
haqeeqah (real m eaning). T h is is why, w hoever says th a t Ahlus-Sunnah are three
groups: th e Salafees, the A sh ’arees and the Maatooreedees, th e n such a person
is indeed m istaken. R a th e r we say, ‘H ow can all th ree be considered Ahlus-
Sunnah a n d they differ w ith each other? W h a t is th ere a fter T ru th , except
m isguidance. H ow can they all be Ahlus-Sunnah, w hilst each o n e o f th em refutes
th e o th e r, this is n o t possible, except if it is possible to reconcile the o pposites.’
T h e re is n o d o u b t how ever, th a t o n e o f th em is truly Ahlus-Sunnah — b u t
w hich one? Is it the A sh ’arees, the Maatooreedees o r the Salafees? W hichever
o f th e m agrees w ith th e Sunrudi is c o n sid e re d to be Ahlus-Sunnah, w h ilst
w hichever o f th em opposes it is not. So we say: the Salaf are Ahlus-Sunnah
wal-Jamaa’ah, a n d this descrip tio n c a n n o t be tru e for a nyone else o th e r th a n
th em . So how can those w h o oppose th e Sunnah be called Ahlus-Sunnah, this
is n o t possible. H ow is it possible to say Ahlus-Sunnah are o f th ree differing
groups, b u t we say th a t they are in agreem ent? So w here is th e agreem ent a n d
concensus? R ather, Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah are th o se w h o h old o n to w hat
th e P ro p h e t D s ^ fc ) a n d his C o m p a n io n s w ere u p o n , a n d to th e ’aqeedah o f
die Salaf, u n til the Day o f Ju d g e m en t — a n d they are th e Salafees." Sharh
'Aqeedatil-W aasitiyyah, 1 /1 2 3 .
188
A nd this is in light o f the fact that the term Ahlus-Sunnah wal-
Jamaa’ah is used with two separate meanings:
189
is in erro r even if in conclusion he agrees w ith it. But the
A sh’ariyyah as you will see, take and derive from other than the
Sunnah and they do n o t agree w ith it in their conclusions, so
how can they be from its people.
The Haafidh of the west and its outstanding scholar Ibn ’Abdul-
Barr reported with his chain of narration from the scholars of the
Maalikees in the east, that Ibn Khuzaimah said in the book o f
witnesses (Kitaabus-Shuhudaat) in explanation of the saying of Maalik
that it is not permissible to accept the witness of the people of
innovation and innovated sects, “The people of the innovated sects
in the view of Maalik and the rest of our companions are the people
of theological rhetoric (Kalaam). So every person of theological
rhetoric is from the people of the innovated sects and innovation,
whether he is an Ash’aree, or other than an Ash’aree, and his witness
is not accepted in Islaam ever. Indeed he is to be ostracized, and
punished for his innovation and if he persists in it, and repentance
is to be sought from him .”1
Also Ibn ’Abdul-Barr him self reports in Al-Ihtiqaa from the three
scholars: M aalik, A boo H aneefah and ash-Shaafi’ee th at they
forbade theological rhetoric and spoke severely against its people,
and th at they are innovators and are to be punished. Its like is
reported by Ibnul-Qayyim in Ijtim aa’ul-Juyooshil-Islaamiyyah—and
what are the A sh’ariyyah except people o f theological rhetoric?
190
A sh ’ariyyah, die Jahmiyyah, the apostates, the anthropom orphists
(M ujassimah and Mushabbihah), the Karraamiyyah and those who
declare Allaah to be like His creation (M ukayyifah, those asking
about the modality of His Attributes). Rather we accept them (the
texts about Allaah’s Attributes) without interpretation (ta'weel) and
we believe in them w ithout declaring any likeness with the creation
(Tamtheel).”'
191
As is known the author o f At-Tahaawiyyah and its explainer were
both H anafees, an d at-Tahaaw ee was a c o n te m p o ra ry o f al-
Ash’aree. He wrote his 'aqeedah to explain the 'aqeedah o f Imaam
Aboo Haneefah and his com panions, and it is very like w hat is
found in Fiqh alA kbar from him . They report from the Imaam
that he clearly states the Kufr (disbelief) o f one who says th at
Allaah, th e M ost Perfect and Exalted, is not upon the ’Arsh
(th ro n e) or rem ains silent ab o u t it. Also his stu d e n t A boo
Yoosuf declares Bishr al-Maareesee to be a Kaafir, and as is well
known the A sh ’ariyyah deny A llaah’s ascension and deny that He,
the M ost High, is above the T hrone, and it is also well known
that their principles were taken from Bishr al-Maareesee.1
192
A nd S haikhuH slaam Ibn Taymiyyah quotes th at w hen ’Abdul-
Q aadir al-Jeelaanee was asked, “Has there ever been one who was
a Walee o f Allaah who was upon other than the 'aqeedah o f A hm ad
ibn Hanbal?” He replied,
193
G lo ssa ry
-a------------------------------— e~
194
Eemaan: T he correct Islamic belief which comprises firm belief
in the heart, profession by the tongue and the actions o f the
limbs. It can also increase and decrease.
Faqeeh: S o m e o n e w ho has good u n d e r s ta n d in g o f th e
religion, o f the texts o f the Book and the Swnna/r and who can
derive rulings from them .
Fiqh: T he understanding and application o f the Sharee’ah as
derived from the Q u r'aan and the Sunnah.
Haafidh: A preserver o f the Q ur'aan and Hadeeth.
Hadeeth (pi. Ahaadeeth): A narration containing the sayings
of the Messenger o f Allaah his actions or any descriptions
of him.
Hasan: In the science of hadeeth, a good and acceptable hadeeth.
Haqeeqah: Real, in reality (as opposed to metaphorically).
Tlmul-Hadeeth: T he science of hadeeth which is involved with
separating the correct and true ahaadeeth from the weak and
fabricated ones.
Ijmaa’: C oncensus, the agreem ent of the C om panions of the
Messenger (jfe#&) upon an issue or the agreem ent o f the Scholars
of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ah upon an issue.
Imaam: O n e who leads in prayer, in term s o f knowledge or
fiqh. Also a leader o f a state.
Jamaa’ah: A body o f Muslims w hich is united with and in
its adherence to the truth, which is w hat the C om panions were
upon and those following them upon that.
Kaafir: A disbeliever.
Khaleefah (pi. Khulafaa): The leader of the Muslim Ummah.
Khilaafah: T he M uslim State which is based upon the beliefs,
actio n s an d m eth o d o lo g y o f th e M essenger (S'sD^) an d His
C o m p an io n s.
Khutbah: A serm on (i.e., the khutbah of Jum u’ah).
Kufr: Disbelief.
Madhhab (pi. Madhaahib): A way or a school o f thought.
195
Majaaz: Allegorical or metaphorical.
Manhaj: M ethodology, the m ethodology of a Muslim in the
derivation, understanding and application of his religion.
M u 'm in : A believer.
Muhaddith: Som eone well versed in the science of hadeeth
and all its branches and who is able to separate the correct from
the false ahaadeeth.
Mushaf: The printed Q ur'aan.
Mushrik: A pagan, polytheist, one who associates partners with
Allaah, in either his beliefs or his actions.
Mutawaatir: A hadeeth reported by a large num ber of narrators
at every stage of its transm ission, so that it is impossible for it
to have been invented. Scholars differ ab o u t the m inim um
num ber o f narrators needed to constitute a mutawaatir hadeeth.
Muwahhid (pi. Muwahhidoon): O ne who holds the correct
belief in Allaah and His Names and A ttributes, who worships
Him alone, with everything th at the correct m eaning of worship
requires, and does n o t associate partners with Him in any form
or fashion and w ho dies upon that state.
Nifaaq: Hypocrisy
Qadaa: A llaah’s ordainm ent of everything in creation.
Qadar: Allaah’s Pre-decree and pre-estimation o f the creation.
Qiblah: The direction one faces during Prayer (i.e., towards
Makkah)
Saheeh: Authentic, a hadeeth fulfilling all the conditions of
authenticity.
Salaam: T h e g reetings th a t a M uslim gives to a n o th e r,
‘Assalaamu-’alaikum ’ may Allaah protect you and keep you safe.
Salaf (Salafu-Saalih): Predecessors (the Pious Predecessors), the
early Muslims, those of the first three generations specifically (i.e.,
the C om panions, the Successors and their successors) and those
who are upon their way in belief and m ethodology, generally.
Shirk: Associating partners with Allaah.
196
Sunnah: In the broadest sense the entire religion which the
Prophet (£>&§$») came with. Namely, all m atters o f belief, rulings,
m anners and actions which were conveyed by the C om panions.
It also in c lu d e s th o s e m a tte rs w h ic h th e P ro p h e t
established by his sayings, actions and tacit approval.
Ta’teel: T he act of denying any o f A llaah’s A ttributes.
Ta'weel: To give a figurative explanation o f any of A llaah’s
A ttributes, such as to say that A llaah’s H and means ‘pow er’ or
‘blessing’ or th at His Anger m eans ‘to intend to p unish’ or to
say th at His T h ro n e really m eans His ‘sovereignty’ and o th er
similar things.
Taabi’ee (pi. Taabi’een): T he Successors, th at is the successors
of the C om panions, the next generation after the C om panions.
Tahreef: To distort the m eaning o f A llaah’s A ttributes or any
o f the texts o f th e Book and the Sunnah such as to say the
A lla a h ’s M ercy m eans ‘th e desire to co n fe r a favour u p o n
so m e o n e ’ o r to say th a t ‘lsta w a a ’ (to ascend) really m eans
‘Istawlaa’ (to conquer, dom inate).
Takyeef: To enquire into exactly how A llaah’s A ttributes are
such as to say, ‘How is A llaah’s H and?’ or ‘Exactly how does
Allaah ascend the T hrone?’ etc.
Takbeer: 'Allaahu-Akbar,’ (Allaah is greater).
Taqiyah: D eception
Tasdeeq: To affirm som ething is true and correct.
Tashbeeh: To claim th a t A llaah’s A ttrib u tes resem ble the
A ttributes of the creation such as to say ‘A llaah’s H and is like
o ur hands’ etc.
Tawheed: T he U nity and U niqueness o f Allaah with respect
to His creation, sovereignty, and control o f the creation; His
Names and Attributes; and in His right to be w orshipped alone.
Um m ah: T he M uslim N ation.
197
Index
•a----------------------------------------------- Er
N o t e : n u m b e rs in italics d e n o te fo o tn o te re fe re n c e s
’A a ' is h a h 21, 9 6
A athaar 11, 17-18, 193
’A b d u l - Q a a d ir a l -Je e l a a n e e 135, 192
A boo B akr as -S id d e e q 9, 3 0 , 3 3 , 5 7 ,6 0
A b o o H aneefah 26, 115, 130, 175, 189
A b o o H u ra ira h 46, 49, 51, 61, 142, 155, 157
A boo T a a l ib 28
A b u l -H a sa n al -A s h ’a r ee
198
d e c la re d I b n K u lla a b to b e a n in n o v a to r , 191
d e c la re d th a t w h o e v e r says A lla a h w ill n o t b e s e e n in th e
H e re a fte r is a d isb e lie v e r, 2 0
d id n o t give sa laa m to th e in n o v a to rs , 171
h e a d o f th e s c h o la rs o f A hlus-S unnah in h is tim e , 8, 54
la te r sc h o la rs sp o k e w ith w h a t h e sp o k e w ith , 180
m o st fa m o u s in d e f e n d in g th e s u n n a h fro m th e p lo ts o f its
e n em ies, 179
o p i n io n re g a rd in g th e hadeeth a b o u t t h e h y p o c rite s , 4 6
rejects th e sa y in g o f th e jahm iyyah, 16
saw t h a t t h e Q u r 'a a n w as d e a d ..., 9 3
saying c o n c e r n in g th e ahaadeeth o f A lla a h ’s a ttr ib u te s , 114
saying c o n c e r n in g th e o lo g ic a l rh e to ric (kalaam ), 17
sa y in g o f H a r b , th e c o m p a n io n o f, 4 4 -4 5
saying re g a rd in g w ip in g o v e r le a th e r so ck s (khuffs), 55
s c h o la rs p ra is e of, 66-74
sees in h is d r e a m t h a t h e is c alled to s ta n d b e f o re A lla a h , 9 5
severe c e n s u re c o n c e rn in g th o s e w h o sp e a k evil a b o u t th e
P e o p le o f H adeeth, 159
te a c h e rs a n d s tu d e n ts , 6 5 -66
w ives a n d fam ily, 107-109
w o rd s tasdeeq a n d eem aan h a v e b e e n u s e d s y n o n o m o u s ly by, 14
A l-A l b a a n e e 2, 3, 4 ,5 3
A l-M a ' m o o n 74, 7 5 , 77, 7 8 , 87
A l- M u ’t a s im 77, 7 9 -8 4 , 86-91, 9 1 -9 5 , 9 8
A l- M u t a w a k k il 9 9 , 1 0 3 ,1 1 0
’A le e ib n A bee T a a l ib 3 2 ,6 0
A n sa a r 33
A r g u m e n t a t io n
a b a n d o n in g , 11, 55
b e w are o f a rg u in g w ith th e o n e w h o says h is r e c ita tio n o f th e
Q u r 'a a n is c re a te d , 19
b e w are o f d e lv in g in to , 102
p e rs o n w h o re a c h e s th e t r u th t h r o u g h a r g u m e n ta tio n is n o t
fro m A /tlus-Sunnah u n t il h e a b a n d o n s , 18
s c h o la rs o f t h e S a la /d e te s te d , 176
199
A shaabul-H a d eeth 1 ,2 ,1 9 3
b e a r w itn e s s to t h e tawheed o f A lla a h , 116-117
n o in n o v a to r in th is w o rld e x c e p t th a t h e d e te s ts , 159
n o re p o rts o f th e m h a v in g p e r fo r m e d ta'w eel e tc ., h av e re a c h e d
us, 135
re g a rd ta'w eel as a fo rm o f re je c tio n , 128
safe a n d se c u re fro m b la m e w o rth y c h a re c te ris tic s , 162
t o believ e in w h a t is re p o rte d fro m , 134
A s h ’a r iy y a h 134135
a ffirm s o m e o f th e a ttr ib u te s c o rre c tly b u t falsely e x p la in
o th e rs , 122
a re p re -o c c u p ie d w ith ta'weel, 134
c la im t h a t ‘h tiw a a ’ m e a n s "uluw w —w h ic h is n o t c o rre c t, 135
c o m e u n d e r th e g e n e ra l m e a n in g o f A hlus-Sunnah wal-Jam aa’ah,
b u t d o n o t e n te r th e sp e c ific m e a n in g a t all, 188
falsely a c c u se th e S a la f o f b e in g a n th r o p o m o r p h is ts , 115
r e fu ta tio n o f, 179
S h a a fi’ee sc h o la rs d e te s t o f th e , 190
s ta n c e o f t h e H anbalees re g a rd in g th e , 191
ta k e a n d d e riv e f ro m o t h e r th a n th e su n n a h , 189
to d ay , m a n y c la im to fo llo w A b u l-H a sa n al-A sh ’aee, c allin g
th em se lv es ‘A s h ’ariyyah' b u t th e y h ave n o t h in g to d o w ith h im ,
181, 187
A t t r ib u t e s of A llaah 5 5 , 5 3 , 6 3 , 118, 119, 120, 123, 124, 128,
138, 172, 175, 174, 180, 181, 182, 187, 190, 195, 196
a ffirm in g th e a u th e n t ic n a r r a tio n s a b o u t th e , 175
a ffirm in g th e m a n d lea v in g th e m as th e y a re, 114
a ffirm in g t h e m w ith th e ir a p p a r e n t m e a n in g , 116
a ffirm in g th e tw o H a n d s o f A lla a h , 132-133
a n d t h a t H is ‘H a n d ’ d o e s n o t re fe r to ‘P o w er’, 134-
135
a ffirm in g th e w o r d in g o f th e a ttrib u te s b u t h a ltin g a t th e ir
m e a n in g is b lin d n e s s , 121
A lla a h ’s a ttr ib u te s a re ju s t like H is D h a a t (Self), 136
a ttr ib u te o f th e Life o f A lla a h ( th a t A lla a h is alive) is n o t
in te rp r e te d —th e n w h y in te r p r e t t h e o t h e r a t t r i b u t e s , 122
fu tility o f t a 'weel, 117
200
o n e w h o in te r p r e ts th e a ttr ib u te s is a m ushrik a n d a kaafir, 127
is n o t p le a se d w ith w h a t M u h a m m a d , th e M e ssen g e r
o f A lla a h w as p le a s e d w ith fo r A lla a h , 126
tafw eedh o f, 129-131
tashbeeh n o t to b e m a d e o f th e , 115
ta'u/eel im p lie s t h a t A lla a h a n d H is M e ss e n g e r (£& $> ) h a v e
lie d , 125
B adr 33
B is h r a l -M a r e ese e 9 3 , 9 8 , 1 0 3
in n o v a te d th e say in g t h a t th e Q u r 'a a n w as c re a te d , 74
B u y in g 62
C
C o m p a n io n s 163, 188
a c c e p tin g n a r r a t io n s fro m th e , 172
p u ttin g th e i r sayings b e fo re th o s e o f o th e rs , 176
a sk in g fo r A lla a h ’s M e rc y fo r all o f th e , 5 7 , 61
A sh'arees a n d M aatureedees o p p o s e w h a t th e y a re u p o n , 187
b e s t C o m p a n i o n s a fte r th e firs t th r e e a re th e five o f th e Shooraa,
32
d e g ra d in g o r d is lik in g th e , 4 4
re fra in in g f r o m ta lk in g (evil) a b o u t th e , 4 5
m e n tio n in g th e g o o d q u a litie s a n d d e e d s o f th e , 4 5
d e n ia l o f Q a d a r o c c u r r e d a t th e e n d o f th e e ra o f th e , 13
g iving p re c e d e n c e to th e th re e , 31, 33
h o ld in g fa st t o w ay o f th e , 8
d e f in itio n o f a, 8
m o re th a n th ir ty C o m p a n i o n s n a r r a te d t h e hadeeth o f th e P o o l, 2 6
m o s t s u p e r io r o f m a n k in d , 3 4
M u s lim in la te r tim e s w ill recieve th e re w a rd o f fifty, 156
p led g e d a lle g ia n ce to th e M e sse n g e r 42
t h a t A lla a h is a b o v e H is c re a tio n is e s ta b lis h e d by th e sayings o f
t h e , 130
201
their concensus on the prohibition o f reviling the rulers, 144
sincere Muslim will not reject sayings o f the Compan
ions in this or any other regard, 145
he will stop where the Companins stopped,
in any matter, 148
senior amongst them forbade reviling and attacking
the honour o f the rulers, 143, 144
were patient under the rule o f al-Hajjaaj, 141
whoever interprets the Qur'aan or the hadeeth, then he has
departed from the way o f the, 115, 175
C o n t r o v e r s ie s 10
D a jj a a l 2 9 ,6 2 ,1 1 3
D a y o f Ju d g e m e n t
15, 16, 20, 25, 36, 62, 95, 131, 163, 174, 187
D isbelief
abandoning the prayer constitutes, 30
Aboo Haneefah’s verdict o f disbelief regarding the one who
says that Allaah is not upon His Throne, 191
fighting a Muslim is, 49
hypocrisy is, 46-47
not revolting against the rulers as long as they do not openly
manifest, 150
Quraish had recently left, 140
whoever makes resembalnce (tashbeeh) o f Allaah with His
creation has committed, 114-115
D isbeliever
Allaah will not forgive a, 43
calling ones brother a, 49
one who does ta'weel is a, 127
whoever says that Allaah will not be seen is a, 20
person o f Tawheed is not to be declared a, 56, 59
Prophet’s warning against becoming, 48
‘Stand up, O D i s b e l i e v e r 160
whoever denies that Allaah is above His creation is a, 130
202
D oubt
believer never has, 59
no doubt in the integrity o f the true scholars, 180
not having doubt concerning praying behind the rulers, 37
people o f innovation have futile, 158, 179
not explaining their doubts to others, 172, 176
people of theological rhetoric falsely say that if eemaan decreases
then it is, 112
sayings o f the innovators cause doubt in the hearts, 11
E
’E e d 61
’E e s a a
will descend to kill Dajjaal, 29, 113
F
F iqh 66, 136 137, 190-191, 194
Imaam Ahmad was a man of, 68, 69,
not only a scholar o f hadeeth, as som e claim, 107
people o f fiqh are united upon the fact that the people of
theological rhetoric are people o f innovation, 17
H
H ands o f A lla a h
Allaah created Aadam with His own, 117
apparent meaning o f the, 121
are not something metophorical, 132-133
people o f theological rhetoric interpret the Hands o f Allaah to
mean ‘Power,’ which is futile, 119
Prophet did not warn the people from having faith in
the attributes, 121
not asking how the Hands are, 182
H a w d 25, 26, 63
H e l l -F ir e 10, 15, 2 5 , 4 0 , 41, 51, 52, 6 0 , 152
H ope
hope o f martydom for the one who is killed defending himself
and his property, 40
203
h o p in g for th e rig h te o u s an d sin fu l, 41, 60
How?
not to ask, 14, 114, 157
H y p o c ris y
deception is, 181
is disbelief, 46, 47
rebuke of ones ruler is the first appearence of, 146
standing and sitting with a person of innovation is, 168
supporting a person o f innovation is only done out of, 169
I
I b n ’A bbaas 10, 22-23, 47, 52, 165
204
I nnovators
are to be punished, 189
divide sayings amongst themsleves with which they accuse the
carriers o f the narrations o f the Messenger 162
humiliating the, 177
not giving salaam to the, 171
reviling the innovators whilst fasting, 146
scholars forbade from being with the, 167, 170
specific meaning o f Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa'ahused for those in
opposition to the, 188
In te lle c t
affirming the hadeeth even if not understood by the, 14
in matters o f belief there is no room for the, 172
innovators have a corrupt, 158
is incapable o f knowing unseen matters, 176
M u ’tazilah use as proof the, 173
sunnah is not grasped by the, 12
tahreef rejected by correct and sound, 121
to understand, follow and believe is the role ot the, 176
rationalists take only what is established by their, 175
I n t e r c e s s i o n 28, 41, 63
I s t e e l a (conquering)
people o f theological rhetoric interpret ‘Istiwaa’to mean, 119,
120, 121, 135
those who do so have not understood the Attributes of
Allaah, 122
I s t i w a a 118-124, 129-131, 135
J
115, 175
J a h m ib n S a f w a a n
J a h m iy y a h102, 128, 186
explain theaayaat mentioning the Attributes in a way different
to how the People o f Knowledge explained them, 116
explain the Two Hands o f Allaah to mean ‘Two
Bounties’ or ‘Two Powers,’ 117
exposition of, 115
205
‘Lafziyyah’are worse than the, 101
reject that Allaah will be seen on the Day o f Judgement, 15, 16
say that Allaah is here upon the earth 130, 131
sign o f thejahmiyyah is that they call Ahlus-Sunnah ‘Mushabbihah’
(those who liken Allaah to the creation), 160
J i b r e e l 1 0 2 ,1 2 ,5 2 ,9 7
J i h a a d 84, 56, 62,141
206
wiping over the khuffs is one o f the distinguishing signs of A/ilus-
Sunnah, 43
L a w h 97
L ea d e r s (rulers)
attacking the honour o f the rulers is a big mistake, 139
it is the starting point o f rebellion, 139
the foundation o f every evil, 139
behaviour o f the scholars towards the rulers is well-known, 141
Companions never contested with the ruler al-Hajjaaj—who
(even) killed other Companions and scholars, 141
most senior o f the Companions forbade abusing and
reviling the rulers, 143-145
first appearence o f hypocrisy is a man censuring his ruler, 146
handing over charity to the, 36
hearing and obeying the, 35
hearing and obeying those who fought with the sword until
they became, 35
how to advise the, 149
obligatory to prevent the people from reviling the, 149
participating in battles with the, 36
performingjumu’ah. behind the, 36
rebuking the rulers is clipping o f the religion, 147
"Whoever demeans the ruler of Allaah upon the earth, Allaah will
humiliate him." 143
whoever opposes this methodology o f not abusing and revolting
against the rulers—then his heart is filled with rancour and
hatred, since this is in opposition to giving sincere advice,
which the Prophet recommended, 148
whoever revolts against the ruler whom the people have united
behind, then he has disobeyed the Muslims and has contra
dicted the Messenger o f Allaah (£&$$), 37-38
see Khuffs
L e a t h e r So c k s
207
M
M u n k a r a n d N a k e e r 2 7 ,6 3
M u ’t a z il a h 74, 134, 1 7 9 ,1 8 3 , 188
Abul-Hasan al-Ash'aree was a M u ’tazilee, but then he left them
and publicly disgraced them, 180
adopted the innovation of denying Qadar, 52
Ahlus-Sunnah do not speak with ta'weel as the Mu’tazilafido, 189
claim of the ‘Shaikh’ of theM u’tazilafi, 173
claim that istiwaa means ‘isteelaa’, 135
claim that the Two Hands o f Allaah means ‘Two Powers’, 117-
119
difference between M u’tazilah and theSala/in the definition of
eemaan, 112
how the scholar Taawoos taught his son to behave with the, 177
negate that Allaah hears and sees, 182
refutation of, 42, 115,
reject that Allaah will be seen on the Day o f Judgement, 15
P a ra d is e 15, 18, 28, 31-33, 40, 41, 51, 52, 6 0 , 6 3 , 77, 82,
P a tie n c e 54, 55, 56, 6 9 , 73, 88, 99, 140, 143, 146, 156
Pool 2 5 ,5 1
P re s c r ib e d p u n is h m e n t 3 6 ,4 0 ,4 2 ,4 4
P u n is h m e n t o f t h e G ra v e
list o f scholars who affirmed, 26-27
to have faith (eemaan) in, 26, 63
whoever denies belief (’aqeedah) in punishment o f the grave has
also denied eemaan o f it, 113
Q
Q adaa 13, 55, 195
Q adar 13, 15, 16, 55, 160, 170, 195
Q a la m 97
Q ataad ah 22
Q ib la h 4 0 , 41, 53, 56, 195
Q u a rre llin g 11,55
208
R
R u 'y a h (seeing Allaah o n th e Day o f Ju d g em en t)
hadeeth about the ru'yah have been reported by reliable and
trustworthy narrators, 174
having belief in, 15-16, 20
R u l e r s see Leaders
s
S e l l in g 62
S h o r t e n in g t h e p r a y e r 62
St o n i n g 4 3 ,4 4
209
not to be made o f the Attributes o f Allaah, 118, 125, 126, 136
saying o f Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ash-Shaybaanee, the
companion o f A boo Haneefah, regarding, 115
those who (apparently) flee from tashbeeh are ignorant o f a great
reality, 127, 128
whoever makes tashbeeh o f Allaah has committed disbelief, 114
T a ' w e e l 136-137
concensus o f the Salaf concerning the falsehood of, 114-119
definition of, 196
if it was to be performed, Allaah would have ordered it, 128
is the way o f the Ash’ariyyah, 134
more evil than ta’teel, 125
not explaining anything from the Qur'aan and the sunnah
with, 172-173
those who perform ta'weel necessitate by doing so, that they are
more knowledgeable, eloquent and clear in speech than Allaah,
126
'We do not speak with t a ' w e e l 189, 190
T a w h e e d 5 6 ,5 9 ,1 1 7
T he B alan c e 4 ,2 4
T h e V o ic e 119
T h ie v e s 39
’ U m a r ib n a l - K h a t t a a b 31, 33, 51
W
W hy? 12
210