Islam Tees

This was the final lesson and extended notes have been provided just for this lesson due to the many points of benefit.

– Topic of Eemaan and Irjaa i.e. people who claim that actions are not from faith, Eemaan is only something in the heart only (belief) and that eemaan doesn’t increase or decrease. But If actions are not from Eemaan and it is belief only, then that means that when it comes to fulfilling obligations and keeping from prohibitions there’s nothing really there in that case as your eemaan is already perfect i.e. sins don’t affect Eemaan.

– Connection between Shari’ah and Irjaa.

– Look at some groups (nine in total) and how they deviated in three major issues:

1) Allāh’s attributes
2) al-Qadr
3) Shari’ah (command and prohibition) i.e. Irjaa.

– Comparing and evaluating between the chiefs and heads of major innovations to arise in the Ummah.

First group: From people of Kalām (speculative theology) who claim to verify and actualise the truth and ascribe to the Sunnah. Their position is that they consider Tawheed to simply be an expression of believing in Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah. Example of this group would be the Ash’ariyyah.

What characterises them? Tawheed is to believe Allāh is the Lord, Creator, Provider. This is not the Tawheed of the Messengers, not the essence of what they called to. They fail in capturing essence of Tawheed which is Uloohiyyah. They made a mistake in the foundation of Tawheed as it relates to Ibadah (worship).

Second group: Various factions of the Sufis (Ahlus-Tasawwuf). They claim to be people of truth. They believe Tawheed is just to observe and witness a Creator, a Lord. This wasn’t rejected by the Pagan Arabs whom Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم was sent. Person doesn’t become a Muslim by just affirming that Allāh is One, the Creator, Maker, Provider, Sustainer, only He can create.

What enters you into Islam is that you believe that only Allāh has the right to be worshipped, only Allāh should be called upon, prostrated and bowed to, only Allāh should be loved with the love of worship and feared with fear of worship. Can’t be a wali of Allāh when your Tawheed doesn’t go beyond Tawheed of Pagan Arabs. Historically speaking, doctrines overlapped and merged.

Third group: Affirm Tawheed of Ruboobiyyah (Lordship) but at the same time negate His attributes. By negating attributes they fall into deficiency, doing this makes them more evil than the state that many of the Polytheists were upon. From the Polytheists were those who affirmed the attributes of Allāh (like Al-Azeez, owner of Mighty Throne, etc.). In this respect those Pagans are better than those who negated the attributes. Many names are related to Ruboobiyyah and to Uloohiyyah.

Jahm bin Safwaan, individual in early second century of Islam, the Imām of the Jahmiyyah (or Jahmites). This individual brought many innovations, three major innovations:

1) Negated the attributes of Allāh.
2) Exaggerated in al-Qadr, claimed man has no free-will, he is forced to do his actions. Called al-Jabr (compulsion, to be forced). This is argument Polytheists used for justifying their Shirk, using Al-Qadr as a justification for their actions. Jahm bin Safwaan affirmed commands and prohibitions, Shari’ah.
3) Spoke with al-Irjaa (to expel actions from being from Eemaan), faith is only what is in the heart. Faith in only to believe in Allāh, existence of angels, in the Books, messengers, Unseen, Qadr. You are a perfect believer if you just affirm this. No difference between you and Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه‏). Actions of the heart and the limbs are not from Eemaan.

If you believe in al-Irjaa then you are weakening the command, prohibitions and punishment of Allāh. This is the consequence of these evil doctrines.

Fourth group: other factions like al-Najjariyyah (followers of al-Husain bin Muhammad an-Najjar), Ad-Dharariyah (followers of Dharaar bin ‘Amr). Another group, head of which was Hafs bin Farād.

Fifth group: Kullabiyyah (followers of Abdullah bin Sa’id bin Kullab) and Ash’ariyyah who ascribe to Abul-Hasan Al-Ash’ari. They are much better than the previous groups who have severe major deviations because in subject of attributes they affirm some/many of the attributes of Allāh.

Many of their early leading scholars believed in Sifaat al-Khabariyyah (those attributes affirmed by reports i.e. Qur’ān and Sunnah, and not by reason). Example is Haarith al-Muhasibi. They have better positions than those previously mentioned.

Sixth group: al-Karramiyyah (followers of Muhammad bin Karam), Hanafis. Have similar statements in general. Have some strange positions on the attributes. One of their strange notable views, on the topic of Eemaan is that is only on the tongue only.

This means that when one says the Kalima with the tongue, it is the mere expression of the tongue that constitutes belief. This means even outright hypocrites can be believers. What is correct is that Eemaan is belief in the heart, speech of the tongue and actions of the limbs combined. This is what makes a believer.

Seventh group: Al-Mu’tazilah (followers of Waasil bin ‘Ata). He used to sit in the gatherings of one of the scholars, al-Hasan al-Basri. They adopted the view of the Jahmiyyah in the attributes of Allah (negated them). In al-Qadr, they went in the opposite direction of Jahmiyyah, they said man is the creator of his own actions, outside the domain of Allāh’s will and power.

They believe we are acting completely and independently outside of Allāh’s will and power. In essence they are negating al-Qadr whereas with Jahmiyyah it is exaggeration in al-Qadr. Therefore, we are creators as well so to speak, this is ascribing partners to Allāh.

They have another view in issue of labels and judgments upon people, Muslims. In this world, a hypocrite is labelled a Muslim but actual true and real ruling in the knowledge of Allāh is that he is a hypocrite.

Another position is that they believe the person who commits a major sin like drinking alcohol is not a believer, has left Eemaan, but he is not a disbeliever in this world. He is in a position between the two positions. This is a mistake in the issue of applying labels.

Person who drinks alcohol is a sinful believer, can’t call him a perfect believer. To Jahmiyyah, person who commits major sin is a perfect believer. Mu’tazilah say he’s left Eemaan but hasn’t entered into Kufr. Khawārij say he has left Eemaan and entered into Kufr.

These deviations of attributes of Allah and Eemaan weren’t present in time of Sahaba, they appeared afterwards.

General observation: when innovations appear they appear as light innovations then innovations get stronger and severe.

Innovation of Khawarij is that they saw injustice and actions of Sahaba that they didn’t like. It was opposition to perceived injustice and then splitting away. Rāfidah were similiar.

Qadariyyah – Al-Qadr is not directly to do with Allāh’s Names and Attributes. Deviation in Eemaan in Allāh – what is the nature and reality of faith which comes closer to actual religion whereas al-Qadr isn’t quite like that. Negate attributes of Allāh – innovations get more serious and worse further away from time of Sahaba.

Eight group– al-Mutasawwifah, group of Sufis, believers in Wahdatul-Wujood, don’t have to abide by Shariah. All that exists is Allāh, there’s no separate existence. These type of Sufis are more evil than Mu’tazilah, Qadariyyah and others. These extreme Sufis resemble polytheists. Mu’tazilah resemble Majoos (Magians, fire worshippers).

Ninth group – group of Sufis, they respect commands and prohibitions, Shari’ah, believe in Tawheed ar-Ruboobiyyah. They are better than Mu’tazilah.

– All of these groups have innovations and misguidance to the extent that they departed from main body of Muslims (upon the Haqq) and Sunnah. Deen of Allāh is what He sent His Messengers with, what He revealed His Books with, this is the Straight Path, of His Messenger and path of his companions who are the best of this nation and this nation is the best of all nations.

– Allāh has commanded us in Qur’ān:

“Guide us to the straight path (of beneficial knowledge coupled with righteous action). The path of those (Prophets and their truthful, righteous followers) upon whom You have bestowed favour, not of those who earn Your anger (by not acting upon what they know) and nor of the astray (who act without knowledge).”

[Source: https://www.thenoblequran.com/q/#/search/1_6-7]

“Those earning anger” – likes of Yahood (Jews), they know the truth but don’t act upon it. “Those going astray” – like Nasarah (Christians), act in absence of knowledge, are ignorant.

It used to be said to seek refuge from tribulation of the evil sinful scholar and from the ignorant worshipper. This is like Jews and Christians.

– Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم drew line in the sand and said this is the Straight Path of Allah, then drew lines to the right and left and said: “These are paths and at the end of each path is a devil who calls to these paths…”. [Reported in Musnad Ahmed (bin Hanbal)]

– Hudhaifah bin al-Yaman رضي الله عنه‏ said: “O gathering of al-Qurra’ (i.e. reciters and memorizers of the Qur’ān). Be upright, and take the path of those who came before you for by Allah if you were to follow them then you have been preceded with a good precedence and if you were to go to left or the right then you would have gone astray with a great misguidance”. [Reported in Sahih al-Bukhari]”

– Statement of Ibn Mas’ood رضي الله عنه‏ regarding following the path and guidance of the Sahaba, those who have died and their virtues are known, and being wary of following the living as they are not safe from Fitnah (tribulations).

[Transcribed by Abu Yahya Imran Rafiq]

THIS WAS THE LAST LESSON – BOOK STUDY COMPLETE, Alhamdulillah.

Listen to the lesson/download here:
Lesson 58 (Al-Qadr lesson 23).mp3

Previous lessons available here: https://islamtees.uk/audio/aqeedah/#taqreebtadmuriyyah