Muslims are obliged to hold their
creed as a definite belief, carrying with it no doubt whatsoever. Indeed, makind
is instructed to observe his surroundings and the nature of his own existence,
to conclude that these must have been created, and could not have come from
nowhere, without design. Mankind is also challenged to test the validity of the
Quran.
Muslims acknowledge this belief, and
from this solid foundation, all the guidance of Islam emanates.
The fundamental Islamic beliefs are
six, and they are mentioned in the hadith of the Prophet of Allah, Muhammad
(saw) :
Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra) reported :
We
were seated once near the Apostle of Allah when there appeared a person to us
dressed in extremely white clothes and having jet black hair. No fatigue of
journey did appear on him and nobody amongst us did recognise him - till he sat
down near the Prophet. Then he joined his knees and placed both of his palms
over his two thighs and said....'Tell me about Iman (faith). He said, 'It is
that you believe in Allah and His angels and His books and His apostles and the
Last Day and that you believe in predestination
- in its good and its evil. He said, 'You have spoken the truth....."
Muslim. (Here, the other man was the Angel Jibreel (as).
1. Belief in Allah (swt) as the
only God.
This means that Allah (swt) is the
sole Creator of the universe, He has no partners and He is the only one that is
worthy of being worshipped and obeyed.
2. Belief in Muhammad (saw) as the
final Messenger of Allah and all the other Messengers (as).
This means that Muhammad (saw) is the
last Prophet sent by Allah (swt) to all of mankind, and he is the one who
conveyed the Deen (way of life) of Islam to us completely and in the best
poosible way. Allah (swt) has also sent other Prophets to all the nations of
people that have lived. Some of these are Moses, Jesus, Lot, Noah, and Abraham
(as).
3. Belief in the Books.
This relates to the revelations that
Allah (swt) has sent to His Messengers (as). These are :
the Taurat, sent to Musa (as),
[Trans. : The Torah to Moses]
the Zaboor, sent to Daud (as),
[Trans. : The Psalms to David]
the Injeel, sent to Issa (as) and
[Trans. : The revelation to Jesus]
finally the Qur'an, sent to Muhammad
(saw).
However, the only one of these books
that is available to us in its original form is the Qu'ran. The others have been
distorted and corrupted by the hands of men.
4. Belief in the Angels.
This means that Allah (swt) has
created Angels as obedient beings, each with specific functions, like Jibreel
(who conveyed Allah's (swt) revelation to His Messengers), and Israfil (who is
the blower of the trumpet that indicates the last hour).
5. Belief in the Last Day.
This is the Day of
Judgment, which
will come after the end of the universe, and during which all the people who
have ever lived, both Muslim and non-Muslim will be questioned about every
action they used to do while they were alive. On the basis of this questioning,
they will be rewarded with eternal Paradise if their actions were good and their
belief true, or eternal Hellfire, if their actions were bad and their beliefs
false.
6. Belief in Divine Fate and
Destiny (Qada wal Qadr), and that Good and Bad is from Allah.
This concerns the understanding that
all actions and the outcomes of all events are known by Allah (swt). He is the
one who determines the outcomes of our efforts and the course of events that
happen to us beyond our control. Furthermore, these actions are all by the
decree of Allah (swt) and whether they are good or bad is known to Him alone.
The acceptance and acknowledgement of
these beliefs are what characterise the Muslim and distinguish him or her from
the Kuffar (disbelievers). The fact that the source of all of these beliefs is
the Quran, shows that the Islamic Aqeeda is built upon rational proof, since the
Quran itself is rationally proved to be the word of Allah (swt).
These beliefs motivate the Muslim to
act in accordance with only what his/her Creator has ordered, and to abstain
from the things he/she has been forbidden. This is true for all aspects of life,
from the prayer mat to the business life to the battlefield.
These beliefs also form the
foundations upon which is built the comprehensive code of life of Islam. In the
revelations from Allah (swt), the blueprint of the Islamic state is detailed and
explained.
Comprehensiveness
of The Islamic ‘Aqeedah
One of the most
critical and essential aspects of the Islamic ‘aqeedah is its
comprehensiveness. The ‘aqeedah provides practical solutions for all problems
that can arise in any aspect of life. On the individual level, the ‘aqeedah
provides a definitive answer to all of the fundamental questions of human
existence and gives clear concepts on what preceded life, what will transpire
after life, as well as the purpose of life. Through this comprehensive set of
concepts the Muslim, upon adopting the Islamic ‘aqeedah, has a clear
connection with what is before and after life. Such a solid connection lays the
foundation for a clear understanding of the Muslim’s purpose in life and a
clear direction of how to proceed in life.
The Islamic
‘aqeedah is decisive in its concepts because it establishes the correct
understanding upon clear, undisputed evidence arrived at by intellectual
thought. Only through this intellectual process can the person fully understand
the Islamic ‘aqeedah and absorb its implications. Through this process, Islam
ensures that those who adopt the Islamic ‘aqeedah do so through full
intellectual conviction that will establish a unique and comprehensive
perspective on life. The comprehensive perspective produced by the Islamic
‘aqeedah manifests in the high intellectual and enlightened thought of the
Muslim as well as in his noble conduct and behavior. Upon attaining the
realisation of his position and purpose, the Muslim perceives the universe and
everything within their correct context as creations of Allah (swt), and this
clear vision frees his mind from the shackles of blind faith, imitation and
shallow concepts that provide no clear answers. With a clear vision of his
purpose, the Muslim is freed from the chains of living like an animal that lives
only to satisfy its instinctive needs, freed from spiraling through life with
uncertainty and doubt, and elevated to the status of living his life and
conducting his affairs according to the commandments of Allah (swt) with full
realisation of his position as a servant of Allah (swt). And instead of
confining his horizons to chasing worldly desires and images, the Muslim’s
horizons extend beyond the narrow confines of the worldly life to yearn for the
pleasure of Allah (swt). Consequently, the Muslim with the clear understanding
of the Islamic ‘aqeedah shapes his life, his actions, his thoughts and his
emotions in submission to Allah (swt) for the hope of attaining His pleasure and
avoiding His punishment.
Without this clear
understanding, doubt would enter the mind. In the presence of doubt, the person
would never attain the full realisation and conviction in the Islamic
‘aqeedah. If the ‘aqeedah is established with any amount of doubt or
uncertainty, then that doubt will ultimately manifest in the actions, the
thinking, and the behaviour of the individual. A Muslim with doubt in his
‘aqeedah would proceed through life in a haphazard, unfocused way, unsure of
what action to take, and unclear in understanding the reasons behind certain
actions. The ideas and concepts that such a person would adopt would contradict
each other and such contradiction would only create confusion and uncertainty.
In order to have a clear understanding of his purpose in life a clear direction
as to how to proceed in life, the Islamic ‘aqeedah demands that the Muslim
adopts it based upon decisive proof established upon an intellectual foundation.
Such a clear,
comprehensive ‘aqeedah also establishes the basis of the Islamic society,
unifies the thoughts, feelings and perceptions of the society, and provides the
society with a clear and unshakable foundation that gives it a clear,
well-defined direction and agenda. The Islamic ‘aqeedah provides the sole
source of rules and systems for the society, the sole source of solutions, the
sole standard of measurement, and the sole source of concepts and culture.
Because of this clear, comprehensive foundation, the Islamic society established
solely upon the Islamic ‘aqeedah has a clear direction and purpose which leads
it to advance and progress through life without any hindrance and prevents any
foreign entity or thought from invading its body. Because the Islamic ‘aqeedah
is comprehensive, then its limits are fixed and not subject to change; any need
to change, revise, or alter the ‘aqeedah indicates a flaw in the ‘aqeedah
itself, which is grounds for dismissing it as the correct creed. Similarly, if
the ‘aqeedah encounters an issue or situation that it does not cover, then
such an inability implies the ‘aqeedah is not comprehensive and correct.
Because the Islamic ‘aqeedah is proven correct and comprehensive, then the
Muslims must adopt it and submit to its limits and standards with full
submission.
Someone may argue
that life has changed, and that the world many centuries ago is nothing like
today’s world of supercomputers, information highways, space exploration and
scientific progress. Based upon this, those individuals see no sense in
restricting themselves to the divine limits set by Islam. Such an argument has
no basis because it fails to distinguish between what the ‘aqeedah came to
address and what things are universal regardless of the ideas and concepts.
Islam addresses the human being, the human being’s position in life and
provides systems to regulate human beings as individuals and as societies.
Because the human being (the aspect that Islam addresses) has not changed, then
Islam does not need to change. Humans have certain instincts and needs that
manifest in several drives. The survival instinct manifests in the drive to
dominate, the need to acquire wealth and have luxury items, and the drive to
protect the self and the personal interests. Also, human have sexual instincts
that create attraction between the sexes, as well as instincts of kind that
manifest in family relationships and humans looking out for one another. All
human beings share these attributes regardless of time and place because these
attributes are characteristic of the nature of humans that Allah (swt) has
created humanity with.
When human beings
live together in a society, these needs and instincts result in a myriad of
relationships which need a system to organise them. Any system that emanates
from human beings will suffer from the limitations, flaws and constraints
characteristic of the human minds who designed them, and will only lead to
confusion and doubt resulting from incorrect answers as well as oppression and
misery resulting from incorrect systems. Because Islam emanates from the
Creator, then its ‘aqeedah is comprehensive and it gives the human being a
clear perspective on life. Also, the system that emanates from this ‘aqeedah,
because it stems from the Creator, will be comprehensive. The Islamic System
recognises these basic needs and instincts of the human being and regulates them
with a divine system that keeps him satisfied and tranquil in this life and in
the Hereafter. The limits, drawn by Islam, are the milestones that differentiate
the Muslim society from any other society because no one in a Muslim society has
any authority to alter these limits. The ‘aqeedah defined intellectual
milestones within which the mind can be unleashed, and defined behavioral
milestones within which a person is free as long as he does not transgress those
limits. Anyone who transgresses these limits is punished to protect the
‘aqeedah as well as the integrity of the society.
When Islam came,
the Arab world was a world devoid of thoughts except primitive thoughts like
tribalism, nationalism and idolatry. They were a little people steeped in
backwardness and played upon by the superpowers at the time. After Islam was
revealed, the Arabs rose from the depths of tribalism and backwardness to a
superpower established upon a clear ‘aqeedah which soon dominated the world
for over thirteen centuries. The Islamic ‘aqeedah unified the thoughts,
feelings and perceptions of people of different nationalities and culture into
the Islamic culture and thought, and based upon this ‘aqeedah, the Islamic
society had a message that it carried to the entire world. This message was well
understood by the companion Rib’ii ibn Amir when he said to Rustum, the
Persian commander, “Allah sent us to take the people away from worshipping one
another to worship Allah, and from the discomfort of this world to its comfort,
and from the oppression of religions to the justice of Islam....”
All of the problems
that the Islamic Ummah suffers from result from a lack of understanding the
comprehensive nature of the Islamic ‘aqeedah. Many false ideas and perceptions
regarding the Islamic ‘aqeedah still linger in the Ummah and stand as
obstacles towards the correct understanding of Islam. Some Muslims claim that
nobody needs to obey and follow the divine commands and prohibitions because
“the belief is in the ‘heart’ and as long as the ‘heart’ is
‘clean’, Allah will grant us paradise”. Others claim that pleasing Allah (swt)
takes nothing but good morals. Another group claims that Islam is nothing more
than praying and fasting, or a few rituals that have no effect on life. Others
claim that Islam allows a person to simultaneously be a Muslim and a
Nationalist, or a Muslim and a patriot to a certain piece of land, or a Muslim
and a Capitalist, or even a Muslim and a Communist.
These people do not
realise that Islam conflicts with all other ideologies. Allah (swt) says clearly
in the Qur’an:
“There is nothing
after the Truth (Islam) but Falsehood.”
[TMQ Yunus 10:32]
“Nay, We hurl the
Truth against the Falsehood, so it knocks out its brains, and behold, the
Falsehood vanishes.” [TMQ Al-Anbiya‘ 21:18]
Because Islam is
the Truth, then anything else constitutes falsehood — be it Communism,
Capitalism, Nationalism, Democracy or Freedom. And because truth and falsehood
will battle each other, then it is inconceivable for them to coexist. No one can
adhere to truth and falsehood simultaneously without contradicting the clear
ayat in the Qur’an.
Other Muslims are
constrained by their immediate horizons and think from a shortsighted
perspective. They believe that the way to uplift this Ummah from the pit of
ignorance is to raise Muslim children according to Islam and once the Islamic
upbringing is accomplished, the Islamic Ummah will be leading the world again.
Others think that the way to solve the problems of the Ummah is through
attacking the strategic establishments of the enemies of Islam. Others think
that acquiring some authority in the non-Islamic ruling systems would provide
the Ummah with the means to restore the dignity and glory of the Islamic Ummah.
As a result of a
lack of understanding of the Islamic ‘aqeedah comprehensively, many of these
shortsighted ideas, as well as those who champion them, are leading the Islamic
Ummah. Unless the Muslims revisit their ‘aqeedah and understand it in the
correct manner as a comprehensive creed, then the Islamic Ummah will continue to
remain in its state of ignorance and backwardness. Those who fool themselves
into thinking that the change will come by itself and all they have to do is
wait, should understand that the way to change is by changing what is within the
Ummah (their thoughts, emotions and the systems applied upon them) to be in
accordance with their ‘aqueeda. Allah (swt) says in the Qur’an:
“Allah does not
change the conditions of a people unless they change what it within
themselves.” [TMQ Ar-Ra‘d 13:11]
The Muslims must
establish the Islamic ‘aqeedah intellectually because Allah (swt) orders
humans to examine their surroundings with intellect and warns against those
people who follow and adopt certain ideas blindly or through imitation and
guessing:
“Behold! In the
creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of the night and
the day, there are signs for men of
understanding.”
[TMQ
Al-‘Imran 3:190]
“They say,
‘Enough for us are the ways we found our forefathers following.’ What! Even
though their fathers had no knowledge whatsoever and no guidance?”
[TMQ Al-Ma’idah
5:104]
Once the human
being believes firmly that no one is worthy of worship but Allah (swt), that
Allah (swt) created the whole universe, as well as being al-Hakim, then he will
submit all of this thoughts, actions, feelings and standards to this idea. Along
with this conviction in the existence and uniqueness of Allah (swt) comes the
belief in the Prophethood of Muhammad (saw) by establishing that the Qur’an is
a miracle based upon definitive proof. Allah (swt) challenges humanity to bring
about a piece of literature equal to the Qur’an:
“Say, ‘Bring
then a Surah like unto it, and call anyone you can (to your aid), besides Allah,
if you are truthful.’” [TMQ Yunus 10:38]
Because the
Qur’an is in Arabic, and the Arabs themselves failed in meeting this
challenge, such a fact establishes proof that the Qur’an is a miracle. Allah (swt)
in many other ayat challenged both Jinns and humans to bring something like it,
and such a challenge will never be met.
Once the Muslim
adopts this ‘aqeedah, then his entire outlook on life should change, and such
a revolutionary change should reflect in the manner in which he proceeds through
life. The Muslim believes that none is worthy of worship except Allah (swt) and
that, as a human being, he needs Allah (swt) to provide him with the correct
answers and the correct system to organise his life and thoughts. Based upon
this, the Muslim turns to the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw) as
the source of guidance in this life. The Prophet’s life is an integral and
inseparable part of the Islamic ‘aqeedah; Allah (swt) revealed Islam, and He (swt)
chose the Prophet (saw) as the means of explaining and outlining Islam and the
Islamic system. Without the Prophet’s life, Islam remains a philosophy that
has no place in this world. With this understanding, the Muslim develops a
unique personality. He proceeds through life based on the commands and
prohibitions of Allah (swt); he despises and avoids what Islam prohibits, and
loves what Allah (swt) loves. Regardless of his circumstances, the Muslim
submits to the Islamic ‘aqeedah, and he works to change the circumstances
around him to submit to the ‘aqeedah of Islam after realising that Allah (swt)
revealed Islam because He wants the world to be in a certain shape.
The Prophet
Muhammad (saw), during the very early stages of the da‘wah, was told by Allah
(swt) that Islam was meant to change the entire world when He revealed the
second surah:
“And this (Islam)
is but a thikr (a reminder, a message, a warning) for the worlds.” [TMQ Al-Qalam
68:52]
At that time, the
Sahabah (ra) did not exceed a dozen Muslims, yet they understood that the
Islamic ‘aqeedah would encompass all humanity in all of its affairs,
establishing the comprehensive nature of the ‘aqeedah during the early stages
of Islam. Such a fact implied that the Islamic ‘aqeedah was both spiritual and
political in its nature, spiritual by answering the questions of what is before
and after this life, and political by providing a system to proceed through
life. Because of its comprehensive ‘aqeedah, Islam by its nature would change
the face of the world by demolishing the existing systems and establishing
itself as a complete system encompassing all aspects of life. As a result, such
a change was political by its nature, and the political dimension of the
da‘wah immediately manifested itself. Ayat in the Qur’an were revealed
attacking the political leaders, the systems, the prevailing ideas and thoughts,
and the culture of the Makkan society. The Prophet (saw) proceeded in Makkah
with the eventual aim of establishing Islam, and he finally succeeded in Madinah
by establishing the first Islamic State. Through this mechanism, the Prophet
(saw) was able to implement the Islamic ‘aqeedah comprehensively, as well as
to carry the Islamic ‘aqeedah to the entire world. Through this process, the
Prophet (saw) established a specific method for adopting the Islamic ‘aqeedah,
carrying it, as well as establishing it in its totality.
Allah (swt)
mentioned the Islamic objective very clearly in the Qur’an:
“They wish to put
out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah rejects, and He insists that
His Light prevails. He it is who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad) with the
Guidance and the Deen of Truth (Islam) so that it will dominate over all other
Deens, even though the Disbelievers detest it.”
[TMQ At-Taubah 9:32-33]
In order for the
Muslims to achieve this objective, they must re-establish the Islamic way of
life, and in order to re-establish the Islamic way of life, they must establish
the link between the Islamic ‘aqeedah and their thoughts in a comprehensive
and correct manner. The Islamic Ummah must establish Islam as its only reference
in all aspects of life – in its thoughts, its feelings, its culture, its
systems and its solutions. To claim that Islam did not provide solutions, or
that Islam provides even partial solutions, or that Islam did not cover all
aspects of life, or that Islam left some aspects of life undefined, completely
contradicts the nature of the Islamic ‘aqeedah. Allah (swt) mentions in the
Qur’an:
“It (this
Qur’an) is not a forged statement but a confirmation of Allah’s existing
Books and a detailed explanation of everything…”
[ TMQ Yusuf 12:111]
“And We have sent
down to you the Book as an exposition of everything…” [TMQ An-Nahl 16:89]
To claim that Allah
(swt) sent an incomplete message or that Allah (swt) forgot to include
everything in Islam not only contradicts these ayat but directly conflicts with
the Islamic ‘aqeedah. Allah (swt) is beyond the capacity to forget or to make
a miscalculation. Because Allah (swt) affirms that Islam is complete, then the
Muslims must believe so and reject any notion that calls them to the ridiculous
idea that Allah’s Knowledge needs to be updated, revised, or modified, or that
human beings know reality better than Allah (swt) and can design a system that
can replace the System of Allah.
Perhaps the main
reason that the idea of Islam as a system frightens many Muslims today is
because this generation of Muslims, along with the previous generations, are the
only ones who never lived under Islamic rule. As a result, the Muslims find it
difficult to picture life under Islamic rule, and they rush to the existing
systems and ideas simply because there is nothing else. Also, the Islamic State
was a reality for about 1300 years, and none of the scholars of the past ever
mentioned in their books of Fiqh the methodology for re-establishing the Islamic
State because they never imagined themselves living in the absence of the
Islamic systems. As such, the idea of re-establishing the Islamic systems never
materialised. The idea of establishing the Islamic State only existed during the
time of the Sahabah (ra), after which Islam remained established as a superpower
for thirteen centuries, and the idea of re-establishing the Islamic State
remained dormant.
Only now, after
1400 years, is the idea reviving again, and it will take time for the Muslims to
absorb a concept that was never discussed for so many centuries. The only
sources discussing the methodology for re-establishing the Islamic state come
from the works of modern scholars and movements. In spite of these obstacles,
the fact remains that the Islamic ‘aqeedah is the only correct ‘aqeedah, and
that the Islamic system remains the correct system for humanity. Such a system
produced a civilisation of unheralded justice, peace and progress in all facets
of life for the thirteen centuries it existed. These facts by themselves should
motivate the Muslims to work for the re-establishment of the Islamic way of life
comprehensively. When the Muslims lost their understanding of the Islamic
‘aqeedah, the weakness crept into the body of the Ummah and the problems began
to arise. Only when the Muslim re-establish the Islamic State based on the
Islamic ‘aqeedah can they return to their glory as the leaders of humanity, as
Allah (swt) mentions:
“You are the best
Ummah ever raised up for mankind; you enjoin Al-Ma‘ruf (all that Islam has
allowed and commanded), you forbid the Munkar (all that Islam has prohibited),
and you believe in Allah.”
[TMQ Al-‘Imran 3:
110]