Dr. Suhaib Hasan
Language: English | Format: PDF | Pages: 24 | Size: 1 MB
“The Muslim Creed” is one of the best books on the subject of Tawheed
(Islamic Monotheism) and ranks high in authenticity. Till date it has
gone through various publications; and had been the means for guidance
of the millions of people throughout the world; by taking them out of
the darkness of polytheism and error.
“The Muslim Creed” is the English
translation of the scholarly work known as Al-Aqidah al-Tahawiya by the
famous scholar Abu Ja’far Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Salama al-Tahawi (d.
321 A.H).
Though this great classical work on creed
needs an exhaustive paraphrase like the one in Arabic known as ‘Sharah
al-Aqida al-Tahawiya’ by Sadruddin Muhammad bin Alauddin bin Abu’l Izz
(d. 792 A.H), the booklet in hand can be made use of by general readers.
Suhaib Hasan, who rendered the work into
English, ‘has done his best to keep as close as possible to the original
Arabic text’ and made it easy for laymen. Much gratitude is due to the
translator who permitted us to publish the booklet.
May Allah (swt) make it beneficial to readers and accept it as a good work.
–
THE MUSLIM CREED
ON TAWHEED (Oneness of Allah)
1. Allah is one and has no partners at all.
2. Nothing in the whole universe is similar to Him.
3. Nothing can surpass or outreach Him.
4. No one is worthy to be worshipped except Him.
5. He is the First, with no beginning and Eternal with no end.
6. He will never die nor perish.
7. Nothing happens in this universe except with His will.
8. No conjecture or thinking can perceive His real essence.
9. He does not resemble any of His creatures.
10. He is alive; death will not overtake Him. He is the protector; in no need of sleep at all.
11. He is the Creator of the whole universe but He is no need of it. He feeds all without difficulty.
12. He makes all taste death with no fear. He will resurrect them all without any difficulty.
13. Since eternity He has been there with all His attributes. He has
always had these attributes and will always have these attributes. They
did not increase after He brought His creatures into existence because
they have always been there.
14. He was not the Creator (Khaliq) after He had created His creatures
and neither was He the Designer (Al-Ban) after He had designed the
universe.
15. He was The Nourisher (Rabb) before there was anyone to nourish and The Creator (Khaliq) before He had created
anyone.
16. Although He is entitled to be called The Ressurector after giving
life to the dead, He deserves this title even before the resurrection.
Similarly, He deserves to be called The Creator even before He gave life
to anyone.
17. He has power over everyone; everyone is in complete need of Him. He
can do whatever he likes easily and is no need of anything.
Note: The Qur’an says:
“There is nothing like unto Him. And He is the All-Hearer, All- Seer.” (42:11)
A human being can listen and see as well but his listening faculties and
sight are limited. Allñh Almighty listens to every sound and sees
everything, even if it is a tiny insect in the depth of the ocean or
hidden inside a stone. This is how Allah Almighty differs from all of
His creatures as far as those attributes are concerned which seem to be
common between Him and His creatures.
Allah Almighty created all consciously. He estimated for each of His
creatures what it needed (Known as Taqdir or pre-destination. See lesson
Nos. ]2&]3 of The study of Al- Qur’an series for more elaboration
on his topic.)
He planned the end of every creature. Nothing was hidden from Him
even before He brought His creatures into existence. He knew beforehand
whatever His creatures would do in their lives.
22. Allah Almighty commands His people to obey Him and forbids them from disobeying.
23. Everything in this universe is bound to His will. What He wills
occurs; what He does not will, could never happen.
24. Allah Almighty guides whom He likes. He protects everyone out of His
kindness. On the firm ground of justice and equity He disgrace or
withholds His guidance or places in trials whoever He likes.
25. All people are under His rule in this world; their lives are
governed by His generosity and kindness at one end and His justice at
the other.
26. He is above all partners and equals.
27. No one can change His pre—ordained decisions and neither can his orders be delayed. No one can overshadow His decisions.
28. We have complete faith in Him. We believe that every thing happens due to Him.
ON MUHAMMAD (peace be upon him)
29. Muhammad (peace be upon him) is undoubtedly His most exalted creature, His most beloved Messenger and a chosen Prophet.
30. He is the last of the Prophets, Imam of all the pious people, the
Master of all the Messengers and the most beloved to the Creator of this
universe.
31. Any claim to prophethood after him is ignorance and infidelity.
32. He is commissioned to both jinns and human beings and to the entire universe with a message of truth, guidance and light. ON THE GLORIOUS QUR’AN
33. The Qur’an, undoubtedly, is the word
of Allah. It reveals the sayings of Allah. Allah Almighty revealed this
Book to His Messenger. The believers testify to it as the whole truth
with a firm faith that it is the word of Allah and that it is not a
created thing like the words of the creatures themselves. Whoever
listens to this Book and thinks that it is a word of a human being,
commits infidelity. Allah Almighty condemns such a person and threatens
him with chastisement in the Hell-fire.
He said: “Soon will I cast him into
Hell-fire.” (74:26) in reply to the one who said: about the Book of
Allah: “This is nothing but the word of a human being.” (74:25)
We believe that the Qur’an is the word of the Creator of the human beings. It does not resemble the words of human beings.
34. Whoever compares the attributes of
Allah to those of human beings, commits infidelity. Anyone who thinks
deeply and escapes the onslaught of the thinking of the infidels, will
certainly realise that the attributes of Allah have no resemblance at
all to those of a human being.
35. The dwellers of Paradise will see their Lord in accordance with the
Quranic saying: ‘Some faces that Day shall be shining and radiant.
Looking at their Lord.’ (75:22-23)
‘How this will happen’ is known to Allah
Almighty. The above verse should be understood in a manner akin to
Allah’s will and knowledge. The best explanation in this regard is that
of the Prophet (peace be upon him) himself as narrated in some authentic
Ahadith. We must have no consideration for our own will or desire in
this issue.
A man is safe as long as he refers back to Allah and His Messenger.
Whenever in doubt he should try to consult a man of learning.
36. Whoever does not concede to the evidences produced by the Book and
the Sunnah is no longer a Muslim. A man who indulges in the fundamentals
of faith without proper knowledge and does not submit himself to these
two sources, will remain deprived of true faith, of understanding of the
religion and of pure belief in the Oneness of Allah. Instead he will
find himself swinging between faith and infidelity, belief and unbelief,
submission and denial. He will always be confused and doubtful. He will
neither be a believer who has a strong faith, nor a disbeliever who
rejects wholeheartedly.
37. To imagine Allah in a certain form is not correct. The safest way
for a Muslim is to believe in all the attributes of Allah without adding
any interpreation. To negate the attributes of Allah altogether or to
compare Him to someone, is a deviation from the right path. Our Lord is
unique and without any equal at all.
38. Allah Almighty is above all limits and anthropomorphic descriptions.
Unlike other things He is not bound by the six directions.
Note: Regarding the being of the
Almighty, Ahlus Sunnah follow a middle way between the two extremes.
anthropomorphists who say that Allah ‘s attributes are like those of the
creatures themselves, and the negators who try to strip Almighty off
all His attributes. Ahlus Sunnah believe in all those attributes which
He ascribes to Himself such as having a lace, hands, eyes, and the
sitting on the throne or descending to the lower heaven, without raising
the question ‘how?’
All we are in position to say is that he
descends, but not like human beings just as He has a face but we do not
know what it looks like as none of His attributes resemble those of His
creatures. When Imam Malik bin Anus was questioned about this verse:
“The Beneficent (Allah) rose over the (Mighty) Throne.” (20:5) He
replied:
“The act of rising on the Throne is
well-known, but ‘how’ is unknown and to question about it is an
innovation.” A Muslim should adopt this attitude regarding all the
attributes of Allah. The learned scholars of Islam despise the rendering
of interpretation to the attributes of Allah, such as interpreting the
hand of Allah as power, the eye of Allah as taking care, the rising on
Throne as ruling. Don’t we believe in the soul without perceiving how it
is? Don’t we believe in death without knowing how it happens? The same
could apply to the attributes of Allah as well.
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