the Last Day, and Qadar whether good or bad. All of these pillars of faith goes within the realm of believing in Allah. This also entails believing in His Names, Attributes, and His Existence as the Lord of the Worlds and the Only One deserving worship. Not only this, but such Iman is not separated from believing in what Allah revealed or legislated, what He prescribed for His Servants, as it also encompasses believing in all Messengers, Angels, Books, Prophets, and all that Allah and His Messenger revealed.
The Sunnah also confirm this meaning when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: Say, "I affirm my faith in Allah" and then be upright.
It encompasses All what Allah revealed or legislated for His Servants. Allah (Glorified be He) says: Verily, those who say: "Our Lord is Allâh (Alone)," and then they stand firm i.e. they acknowledged that their Lord, Creator, Sustainer is Allah and their belief in Him urged them to adhere to His Book and the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace be upon him).
Likewise, Iman is mentioned separately in some Ayahs, and in others along with some of its prerequisites or branches to designate their importance and greatness, as Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) states: Truly those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and perform AsSalât (IqâmatasSalât), and give Zakât, they will have their reward with their Lord.
Except those who believe (in Islâmic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, and recommend one another to the truth [i.e. order one another to perform all kinds of good deeds (AlMa'ruf) which Allâh has ordained, and abstain from all kinds of sins and evil deeds (AlMunkar which Allâh has forbidden], and recommend one another to patience (for the sufferings, harms, and injuries which one may encounter in Allâh's Cause during preaching His religion of Islâmic Monotheism or Jihâd).
Following the truth and recommending one another to patience are forms of good deeds which reflect one's Iman. Therefore, Allah mentions offering good deeds preceded by the prerequisite of Iman as a way of apposition of the specific to the general. Similarly, He mentioned enjoining one another to the truth and patience after good deeds in the same opposition, because they are kinds of good deeds. Thus, they were not mentioned in another Ayahs.
Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) states: Verily, those who believe (in Islâmic Monotheism) and do righteous good deeds, for them are Gardens of Delight (Paradise). He did not mention recommending one another to the truth and patience, as they are included in His statement "and perform righteous good deeds" and in Iman generally.
When referring to Iman in general, it includes all that Allah and His Messenger told of the past and the future until the end of time, on the Day of Resurrection, and about Jannah (Paradise) and Hellfire. It also encompasses all that Allah and His Messenger enjoined and what they forbade. Yet, Allah (may He be Praised) may make special mention of some specific good deeds or special mention of abandoning some sins as a way of emphasizing the particular after the general.
The same goes to the fundamentals of Iman, as they are sometimes mentioned altogether as in Allah's statement: It is not AlBirr (piety, righteousness, and each and every act of obedience to Allâh, etc.) that you turn your faces towards east Here He mentioned five articles of faith and mentioned believing in AlQadar in other Ayahs.
Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) states: Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation as written in the Book of Decrees AlLauh AlMahfûz). and
No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees (AlLauh AlMahfûz) Other Ayahs stress the same meaning. At other positions of the Qur'an, Allah mentions only some of them.
In the Prophet's Sunnah also mention some of these articles of faith although they were detailed in the Hadith of Jibril (Gabriel). In other Hadiths, only belief in Allah was mentioned such as the following Hadith: Say, "I affirm my faith in Allah" and then be upright.
Likewise, some Hadiths included only the mention of Iman in Allah and the Last Day, as believing implies believing in all that Allah and His Messenger informed us of. He who has faith in Allah and the Last Day, this Iman will lead him to hasten to fulfill all the commands of Allah and His Messenger and to refrain from what they prohibited.
Therefore, in some Ayahs and Hadiths no mention was made with regard to believing in Allah and the Last Day, because whoever believed truly and sincerely in Allah and the Last Day will be steadfast in fulfilling what Allah has obligated, abandoning what He forbade, and observing His Limits. For example, Allah says: Verily! Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabians, whoever believes in Allâh and the Last Day and does righteous good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
Thus, believing in the essential prerequisites of Iman mentioned in the Ayah is obligatory. Those who do not do this are disbelievers in Allah regardless of their professed Islam and Iman. Disbelieving in one of these six essential pillars of faith or any established matters of Islam renders one a disbeliever even if they adhere to some of its rulings and tenets. Complete Iman in this Deen (Islam) with all its laws and teachings is obligatory; otherwise those who have incomplete or imperfect Iman will be considered disbelievers, as Allah (Exalted be He) states: Verily, those who disbelieve in Allâh and His Messengers and wish to make distinction between Allâh and
They are in truth disbelievers. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating torment. Hence, a believer knows the seriousness of these great and necessary fundamentals, and that believing in Allah encompasses believing in what Allah and the Prophet (peace be upon him) informed us about Himself, His Names, and Attributes.
Similarly, this also includes the belief in Allah as the Lord of the Worlds, the Creator, the Sustainer, and that He is perfect in Himself, His Names, His Attributes and His acts. The believer must have firm Iman that Allah sent Messengers, revealed Books, predestined all matters, and that all things are known to Him (Exalted be He) before their existence as He is the Omnipotent and His Knowledge encompasses everything.
Say (O Muhammad ﺻﻠﻰ ﺍﷲ ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ﻭﺳﻠﻢ): "He is Allâh, (the) One. "Allâhu sSamad (ﺍﻟﺴﻴﺪ ﺍﻟﺬﻱ ﻳﺼﻤﺪ ﺇﻟﻴﻪ ﻓﻲ ﺍﻟﺤﺎﺟﺎﺕ) [Allâh the SelfSufficient Master, Whom all creatures need, (He neither eats nor drinks)].
"He begets not, nor was He begotten.
"And there is none coequal or comparable unto Him."
There is nothing like Him; and He is the AllHearer, the AllSeer.
So put not forward similitudes for Allâh (as there is nothing similar to Him, nor He resembles anything). Truly! Allâh knows and you know not.
Do you know of any who is similar to Him?
There are similar Ayahs indicating the Divine Perfection and that He (Glorified and Exalted be He) has all Attributes of Perfection and far above attributes of imperfection and defectiveness. As Allah informed us about Himself and as His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) told us that He has the Most Beautiful Names and Most Lofty Attributes.
It is precribed upon every Mu'min to believe in everything stated by Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him) with regards to Allah's Names and Attributes and accept them as they are without any modification, increase or decrease ; rather, Muslims must accept them
as stated by Allah and His Prophet without Tahrif (distortion of the meaning), Ta`til (denial of Allah's Attributes), Takyif (questioning Allah's Attributes or Tamthil (likening Allah's Attributes to those of His Creation). A Muslim must follow the example of the righteous Salaf (righteous predecessors) in this regard.
This includes the Attributes that Allah has proven for Himself, such as that of Istiwa' (Allah's rising over the Throne in a manner that befits Him), Allah's descending to the lower Heaven [in a manner that befits Him], Face, Hands, Mercy, Knowledge, Wrath, Will, and other Attributes which Allah established for himself as mentioned in the Qur'an or the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace be upon him).
We are obliged to ascribe such Attributes to Allah as did the righteous Salaf from AhlulSunnah walJama`ah (those adhering to the Sunnah and the Muslim main body) and the Messengers (peace be upon them). Accordingly, we should believe that Allah has risen over the Throne in a way that befits His Glory and Majesty, not as claimed by the sect of Jahmiyyah (a deviant Islamic sect denying some Attributes of Allah, claiming they are ascribed to people and cannot be ascribed to Allah) that He seized it, as Allah does not struggle against other deities; rather He is Omnipotent (Glorified and Exalted be He) and Dominant over all.
However, Istiwa' is an attribute unique to the Throne that means rising above and high, as Allah is high above His Creation and has raised Himself above the Throne in a manner befitting His Sublimity. None of His Creation resembles Him in His Creation, for His rising above the Throne is an established matter, as said by Malik (may Allah be merciful with him): The Istawa' is known and the manner is untold; to believe in it is obligatory and to ask about it is a Bid`ah (innovation).
This was also said by Rabi`ah Sheikh AlImam Malik (may Allah be merciful with them) and Um Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) and believed by AhlulSunnah walJama`ah. The Attributes are known but the real manner is unknown whereas believing in them is obligatory. This is the rule applied to all Attributes such as Knowledge, Mercy, Wrath, Face, Hands, Foot, Fingers, etc. All the Ayahs and Hadiths conform with this fact.
Likewise, we should believe in AlNuzul, i.e. the Hadith that deals with Allah's descending to the lower Heaven [in a manner that befits Him] and ascribes it to Allah in a way that befits Him and its reality is known only to Him. Hence, we must believe that Allah descends to the lower heaven as He wills in a manner known only to Him, and His descending does not contradict His Loftiness and His Istiwa', since He (Exalted be He) is not similar to His creation in any of His Attributes.
The same applies to His Istiwa' on the Throne which does not contradict that His Knowledge encompasses everything and that He is among His believing creatures with His knowledge and nothing is concealed from Him, as He Allah ( the Exalted and
Glorified) states And He is with you (by His Knowledge) wheresoever you may be. This does not contradict His Loftiness and rising above His Throne, for Allah is with us with His knowledge as He informed us without Tahrif or Takyif.
Furthermore, Allah is with those who obey Him with His Knowledge, protection, support and by granting them victory over their enemies. This means that Allah's Ma`iyyah (accompaniment) is of two types; a general one which means that everyone is equal with regard to Allah's Knowledge as He surrounds them all in His Knowledge, not only the believers; and a special accompaniment which is confined to the prophets and messengers (peace be upon them) and those who have Taqwa (fearing Allah as He should be feared), Iman, patience, and endurance in obeying Allah and obeying His commands and abstaining from His prohibitions
I am with you both, hearing and seeing.
Be not sad (or afraid), surely Allâh is with us.
and be patient. Surely, Allâh is with those who are AsSâbirûn (the patient).
and the like Ayahs. This special Ma`iyyah includes protection, support from Allah, and also His Knowledge that surrounds everything, as He (Glorified and Exalted be He) states: And He is with you (by His Knowledge) wheresoever you may be.