SHAYKH AL ISLAM

Articles (2)

Essential Reading for all Muslims



BELIEF AND ISLAM


Forward
Introduction
Iman and Islam
Fundamentals of Islam
Belief in Allah Ta'ala
Belief in Books
Belief in the Prophets
Belief in the Last Day
Belief in Qadar (Destiny)
Two Letters by Yahya Muniri
Allah Exists and is ONE
Salafiyya

ITHIBAT an-NUBUWWA
THE PROOF OF PROPHETHOOD

Part One

Foreward
Meaning of Prophethood and Miracle
The sending of Prophets and its Necessity
The Proof of Muhammads' (s.a.w.) Prophethood

Part Two
(Other Topics)

Answer to a Religiously Ignorant Person
Communists' enmity against Religion
What is a True Muslim like ?
Answer to a University Student



More excellent reading material will be added soon

Courtesy of Hizmet Books

[For a beatific and beautiful beginning, Mawlana Khalid Baghdadi (quddisa sirruh) commences his book by quoting the 17th letter of the third volume of the book Maktubat by al-Imam ar-Rabbani Ahmad al-Faruqi as-Shirhindi (1) (quddisa sirruh)].

I begin my letter with the Basmala. Infinite glory and thanks be to Allahu ta'ala who bestowed upon us all kinds of favors and honored us by making us Muslims and valued us by making us the Umma of Rasulullah Muhammad (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), which is the highest blessing.

We should meditate and realize that Allahu ta'ala alone blesses every favor upon everybody. He alone creates everything. He alone is the One who keeps every being in existence. Superior and good qualities of men are all His blessings and favors. Our life, reason, knowledge, strength, sense of hearing and speech are all from Him. He always is the One who sends innumerable blessings and favors. He is the One who rescues human beings from trouble and distress, who accepts prayers and keeps away grief and disaster. Only He creates sustenance and causes them to reach us. His blessing is so bountiful that He does not cut off the sustenance of those who commit sins. His covering sins is so great that He does not disgrace or hold up to scorn or tear the honesty veil of those who do not obey His commands or abstain from His prohibitions. He is so forgiving, so merciful that He does not hurry in punishing those who deserve punishment and torture ('adhab). He scatters His blessings and favors upon both those whom He likes and His enemies. He does not spare anything from anybody. And as the highest, the most precious of His benefactions, He points out the right path to happiness and salvation. He encourages us not to go astray, so that we go to Paradise. And He orders us to adapt ourselves to His beloved Prophet (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) in order that we may attain all the infinite blessings, endless and inexhaustible pleasures in Paradise, and His own consent and love. Thus, Allahu ta'ala's blessings are as obvious as the sun. The favors which come from others, in fact, come from Him. He, again, is the One who makes others intermediaries and gives wish, power and strength to do favors. For this reason, He is always the One who sends all the blessings that come through all places and all people. To expect favors from anybody but Him is like asking for something from the custodian or asking for alms from the poor. The ignorant as well as the educated, and blockheads as well as the intelligent and the keen know that what we say here is right and to the point, for, everything said is obvious facts. It is not necessary even to think them over.

He who does favors is to be thanked and respected. Therefore, it is a human duty for every man to thank Allahu ta'ala, who has bestowed these favors. It is a debt, a duty which wisdom commands. But it is not easy to carry out this thanksgiving due to Him, for men, having been originally created out of nothing, are weak, indigent, faulty and defective. As for Allahu ta'ala, He always and eternally exists. He is quite removed from defectiveness. Every kind of superiority belongs to Him only. Men have by no means any similarity or proximity to Allahu ta'ala. Can men, who are so inferior, thank such a high being as Allahu ta'ala in a manner fit for His Dignity? There are so many things that men consider beautiful and precious, but He knows that they are evil and dislikes them. Things which we consider to be reverence or thanks may be common things not liked at all. For this reason, men, with their own defective minds and short sights, cannot discern the things that express thanks and veneration to Allahu ta'ala. Unless the ways of thanking and respecting Allahu ta'ala are shown by Him, acts that are considered as praising may be slander.

"So, the gratitude to be shown and the human duties to be done for Allahu ta'ala with the heart, tongue and body had been defined by Allahu ta'ala and communicated by His beloved Prophet (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam)! The human duties which Allahu ta'ala showed and ordered are called Islam. One thanks Him by following the way His Prophet revealed. Allahu ta'ala does not accept or like any thanks, any worship incompatible with or outside this way, because there are many things which men consider beautiful but which Islam disapproves of and regards as ugly.

"Hence, in thanking Allahu ta'ala, people who have reason should adapt themselves to Hadrat Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam). His path is called Islam. The person following Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) is called a Muslim. Thanking Allahu ta'ala, that is, following Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), is called 'ibada (worship). Teachings of Islam are of two parts: religious and scientific. The former has two branches:

1) Teachings that must be believed through the heart and are called the teachings of usul ad-din or iman; 2) Teachings of 'ibadat that are to be done through the body or the heart and are called the teachings of furu' ad-din, ah'kam al-Islamiyya or the Sharia.

[The religious teachings revealed by Islam are the teachings that are written in the books of the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat. One becomes a kafir (disbeliever) if he does not believe, among the teachings of iman and the Sharia that have been reported by the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat, one of the nasses (ayats or hadiths) with explicit meaning. If he keeps his disbelief secret, he is called a munafiq. If not only he keeps it secret but also he tries to deceive Muslims by passing himself off as a Muslim, he is called a zindiq. If he makes tawil of the nasses with explicit meaning without knowing, that is, gives wrong meaning to them and believes wrongly, he again becomes a disbeliever and is called a mulhid. If he believes wrongly by making tawil of the nasses with inexplicit meaning, he does not become a disbeliever but, because he has departed from the right path of the Ahl as-Sunnat, will go to Hell. Since he believes in the nasses with explicit meaning, he will not remain in Hell eternally but will be taken into Paradise. Such people are called ahl al-bidat or heretical groups. There are seventy-two heretical groups. None of their 'ibadat is acceptable. Muslims whose faith is correct are called Ahl as-Sunnat wal-Jamaat or Sunnis. In relation to 'ibadat, the Sunnis belong to four different madhhabs. Those who follow one of these madhhabs acknowledge that the followers of the other three also belong to Ahl as-Sunnat, and they love one another. A person who does not follow any of these madhhabs does not belong to Ahl as-Sunnat. Further, "He who does not belong to Ahl as-Sunnat is either a disbeliever or a man of bidat." (2)

If a person who carries out his 'ibadat according to one of the four madhhabs commits sins, or if he makes any mistake in his 'ibadat, Allahu ta'ala will forgive him and will never put him into Hell, if He wishes. He will torture him as much as his sins, if He wishes, but later he will be released from torture. Those who do not believe even one of the clear facts that must be believed in Islam, that is, that are heard even by ignoramuses, are called kafirs (disbelievers) and will be subject to eternal torture in Hell. There are two types of kafirs: The kafir with a holy book, and the kafir without a holy book. If a Muslim abandons his religion, he is called a "murtadd" (renegade, apostate). Ibn 'Abidin (rahimah- Allahu ta'ala) wrote in the subject on 'people not to be married due to polytheism': "Renegades, mulhids, zindiqs, fire-worshippers, those members of one of the seventy-two groups who are as excessive as to become disbelievers, people called [Brahmins, Buddhists,] Batinis, Ibahatis and Durzis (Druzes), idolaters, the ancient Greek philosophers and munafiqs are all disbelievers without holy books." Communists and the freemasons also are disbelievers without holy books. Christians and Jews, who believe in revealed books which were later interpolated, are disbelievers with books.

If a disbeliever, with a holy book or without one, embraces Islam, he will escape going to Hell. He will become a sinless, innocent Muslim. But he has to become a Sunni Muslim, that is, to read and learn the book of one of the 'ulama' of Ahl as-Sunnat and adapt his iman, acts and words to what he thus learns. In the world it is understood from a person's clear words and actions said and done without darura (strong necessity or compulsion) if he is Muslim or not. It becomes definite at a person's last breath if he has gone to the next world with iman. If a Muslim with grave sins repents for them, he or she will surely be forgiven and become a sinless, pure Muslim. It is explained in detail in 'ilm al-hal books, for example, the book Endless Bliss, what repentance is and how it will be done.]

FOOTNOTES

(1) Imam-i Rabbani passed away in 1034 [1624 A.D.].

(2) In the letters of Imam-i Rabbani, especially in the 286 th letter of the first volume and in at-Tahtawi's commentary to Durr al-mukhtar (in section "Zabayih") and Mawlana Hamd-Allah ad-Dajwi's Al-Basa'ir li-munkiri't-tawassuli bi ahl al-maqabir. Both books are in Arabic. The latter was written and printed in India and was reproduced in Istanbul in 1395 (1975).

In this book, Itiqad-nama, the Prophet's (sall- Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) hadith telling of iman and Islam will be explained. I hope that, through the blessing of this hadith ash-Sharif, the faith of Muslims will be perfected, and thus they will attain salvation and happiness. And I hope again that it will cause me, Khalid, whose sins are a lot, to be saved. May Allahu ta'ala, in whom I have the beautiful belief that He needs nothing and that His favors and blessings are so plentiful and who pities His servants much, forgive this poor Khalid, whose stock is so little and heart so black, for his unsuitable words, and accept his defective 'ibadat. May He protect us against the evils of the deceitful, lying Satan [and against being deceived by false, erroneous words and writings of the enemies of Islam] and make us happy! He is the Most Merciful of the merciful and the Most Generous of the generous.

The 'ulama' of Islam said that every discreet male or female Muslim, who has reached the age of puberty, ought to know and believe in the as-Sifat adh-Dhatiyya (3) and as-Sifat ath-Thubutiyya (4) of Allahu ta'ala correctly. It is this which is primarily obligatory (fard) for everybody. Not to know is not an excuse but a sin. Khalid ibn Ahmad al-Baghdadi wrote this book not to make a show of superiority and knowledge to others or to become famous, but to leave a reminder, a service behind. May Allahu ta'ala help humble Khalid (5) with His Power and through His Prophet's blessed soul! Amin.

Everything other than Allahu ta'ala is called the ma'siwa or 'alam (the creation, the universe), which is called "nature" now. All creatures were nonexistent. Allahu ta'ala is the One who has created them all. They all are mumkin (that may come into existence out of nonexistence) and hadith (that came into being out of nothing); that is, they may come into existence while they are nonexistent, and they came into existence while they had been nonexistent. The hadith ash-Sharif, 'Allahu ta'ala was existent, anything else did not exist,' shows that this is true. ` A second evidence showing that the whole universe and all creatures are hadith is the fact that creatures are transforming and changing into one another all the time; whereas, anything Qadim (without a beginning) should never change. Allahu ta'ala's Dhat (Person, Essence) and Attributes are Qadim and never change.(6) The changes in creatures cannot be coming from the eternal past. They should have a beginning and come into existence from elements or substances, which must have been created out of nonexistence.

Another evidence for the fact that the universe is mumkin, that is, it may come into being out of nonexistence, is that creatures, as we see, are hadith; that is, they come into existence out of nothing.

There are two beings: the mumkin and the Wajib.(7) If only the mumkin existed, or if Wajib al-wujud did not exist, nothing would exist.(8) For this reason, the mumkin could not come into existence or go on being by itself. If some power had not affected it, it would have always remained in nonexistence and could not have come into existence. Since a mumkin could not create itself; it could not, of course, create other mumkins, either. That which has created the mumkin has to be Wajib al-wujud. The existence of the 'alam shows that a creator who created it out of nothing exists. So, the Unique Creator of all that are mumkin, the creatures, is the only Wajib al-wujud without being hadith or mumkin, but always existent and Qadim (eternal). 'Wajib al-wujud' means that its existence is not from something else but from itself, that is, it is always self-existent and is not created by someone else. If this were not so, then it would have to be a creature (mumkin and hadith) created by someone else. And this is contrary to what is deduced above. Persian 'Khuda' (used as a name for Allah) means 'always self-existent, eternal.(9)'

We see that the classes of beings are in an astounding order, and science finds out new laws of this order each year. The Creator of this order must be Hayy (Ever- living), Alim (All-knowing), Qadir (Almighty), Murid (All-willing), Sami (All-hearing), Basir (All-seeing), Mutakallim (All-speaking) and Khaliq (All-creating) (10), because, death, ignorance, incapability or being disposed under others' compulsion, deafness, blindness and dumbness are all defects, imperfections. It is impossible that such defective attributes be in Him who has created this 'alam or ka'inat (all beings) in such an order and who protects them against annihilation (11). Moreover, we see the above attributes of perfection also in creatures. He has created them in His creatures. If these attributes did not exist in Him, how could He create them in His creatures, and would not His creatures be superior to Him?

We should also add that in Him who has created all these worlds of beings there should exist all the attributes of perfection and superiority and none of the attributes of deficiency, for, one defective cannot be creative.

Let alone these reasonable evidences, ayat-i karimas and hadith ash-Sharifs explain clearly that Allahu ta'ala has the attributes of perfection. Therefore, it is not permissible to doubt it. Doubt causes disbelief. The above-given eight attributes of perfection are called as-Sifat ath-Thubutiyya. Allahu ta'ala has all the eight attributes of perfection. There is no defect, disorder or change in His Person, Essence, Attributes or Deeds.

FOOTNOTES

(3) As-Sifat adh-Dhatiyya of Allahu ta'ala are six: al-Wujud, existence; al-Qidam, being without beginning, and eternal in the past; al-Baqa', being without end, and eternal in the future; al-Wahdaniyya, having no partner or match; al-Mukhalafatu li 'l-hawadith, being dissimilar to every creature in every respect; al-Qiyamu bi nafsihi, self-existence or being unneedy of anything for His existence. No creature has any of these six attributes, nor any relation with them. They belong to Allahu ta'ala exclusively. Some 'ulama' said that al-Mukhalafatu li 'l-hawadith and al-Wahdaniyya were the same and that as-Sifat adh-Dhatiyya are five.

(4) See pages 13 and 24.

(5) Khalid-i Bagdadi passed away in Damascus in 1247 [1826 A.D.].

(6) However, in the universe the state of substances changes in physical events. In chemical reactions, the essence or structure of substances changes. We see objects or substances cease to exist and change into other substances. Today, in atomic changes and nuclear reactions, which have been discovered recently, the matter or element, too, ceases existing and turns into energy.

(7) " 'Wujud' means 'existence, being.' There are three kinds of existence. The first one is Wajib al-wujud, the Necessary Existence. He always exists. He has never been nonexistent before, nor will stop existing in the everlasting future. Only Allahu ta'ala is Wajib al-wujud. The second one is mumtani' al-wujud, that cannot exist. It should never exist. Such is sharik al-Bari' (partner to Allahu ta'ala). Another god partner to Allahu ta'ala or likeness to Him can never exist. The third one is mumkin al-wujud, that may or may not exist. So are the universe, all creatures without any exception. The opposite of wujud is 'adam (non-existence). All creatures were in 'adam, were nonexistent, before they came into existence.

(8) For, it is a change, an event, to come into existence out of nonexistence, and, according to our knowledge in physics, in order for a change to take place in a substance, the substance has to be acted upon by an exterior power, the source of which has to precede the substance.

(9) There is more detailed information in the chapter on page 79.

(10) These are the eight Sifat ath-Thubitiyya of Allahu ta'ala.

(11) Every being, from atom to stars, has been created with some calculations and laws. The regularity in the known laws of physics, chemistry, astronomy and biology bewilders the human mind. Even Darwin had to say that when he thought of the order and delicacy in the structure of the eye, he felt as if he would go crazy. Is it possible that He who has created all the laws, delicate calculations and formulas taught as scientific knowledge be defective?

With the aid of and the strength given by Allahu ta'ala, who keeps all 'alams in existence and gives all the favors and gifts and who never sleeps, now we begin to explain the blessed saying of our Prophet (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam).

Our beloved superior Hadrat 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), who was a gallant leader of Muslims, one of the highest of the Prophet's Companions, and was famous for his truthfulness, said:

"It was such a day that a few of us, the Companions, were in the presence and service of Rasulullah (sall- Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam)." That day, that hour was so blessed, so precious a day that he would hardly live it once again. On that day, it fell to his lot to be honored with being in the Prophet's company, near him, and to see his beautiful face, which was food for spirits and pleasure and comfort to souls. To emphasize the value, the honor of that day, he said, "It was such a day..." Could there be another time as honorable and precious as the one at which it fell to his lot to see Jabrail (Jibril, Archangel Gabriel, 'alaihi 's-salam) in the guise of a human being, to hear his voice and to hear the knowledge men needed as beautifully and clearly as possible through the blessed mouth of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam)?

"That hour, a man came near us like the rising of the moon. His clothes were extremely white and his hair was very black. Signs of travel, such as dust or perspiration were not seen on him. None of us, the Companions of the Prophet (sall-Allahu 'alaihi wa sallam), recognized him, that is, he was not one of the people we have seen or known before. He sat down in the Presence of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam). He placed his knees near the Prophet's blessed knees." This person, in the guise of a human figure, was the angel called Jabrail. Though his way of sitting seems to be incompatible with manners (adab), it showed us a very important fact that, in learning religious knowledge, there is no such thing as shyness, nor does pride or arrogance become a master. Hadrat Jabrail wanted to show the Prophet's Companions that everybody should ask what he wanted to know about Islam freely from teachers without feeling shy, for there should not be shyness in learning the religion or embarrassment in paying, teaching or learning one's debt to Allahu ta'ala.

"That noble person put his hands on Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) blessed knees. He asked Rasulullah, 'O Rasul-Allah! Tell me what Islam is and how to be a Muslim.' "

The literal meaning of 'Islam' is 'to yield and submit.' Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) explained that the word 'islam' was the name of the five basic pillars in Islam, as follows:

1. Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala alaihi wa sallam) said that the first of the five fundamentals of Islam was "to say the kalimat ash-shahada"; that is, one should say, "Ash'hadu an la ilaha illa'llah wa ash'hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa Rasuluhu." In other words, a discreet person who has reached the age of puberty and who can talk has to say vocally, "On the earth or in the sky, there is no one but Allahu ta'ala worthy of worship. The real being to be worshipped is Allahu ta'ala alone. He is the Wajib al-wujud. Every kind of superiority exists in Him. No defect exists in Him. His name is Allah," and to believe in this absolutely with all his heart. And also one should say and believe: "The exalted person who had a rose-pink skin, a white-reddish, bright and lovely face, black eyes and eye-brows; who had a blessed wide forehead, with a good temper; who shed no shadow on the ground, was soft-spoken and was called Arab because he was born in Mecca of Hashemite-descent, named Muhammad ibn Abdullah, is Allahu ta'ala's human servant (abd) and messenger (Rasul)." The Prophet's mother was Hadrat Amina bint Wahab. He was born in Mecca [at the dawn of Monday, 20th of April, 571]. When he was forty, in the year called the 'Bi'that' year, he was informed that he was the Prophet. After this, he invited people to Islam for thirteen years in Mecca. Then he emigrated to Medina on the command of Allahu ta'ala. There he spread Islam everywhere. Ten years later, he passed away in Medina on Monday 12, Rabi' al-Awwal (July, 632)(12).

2. The second fundamental of Islam is "to perform the ritual prayer (namaz, salat) [five times a day in accordance with its conditions and fards] when the time for prayer comes." It is fard for every Muslim to perform salat five times every day after each time of salat starts and to know that he or she performs it in due time. Performing it before its time by adapting wrong calendars prepared by ignoramuses or non-madhhabite people is a grave sin and such a salat is not sahih. Such calendars also cause one to perform the initial sunnat salat of noon prayer and the fard salat of evening prayer in a makruh time. The ritual prayer has to be performed paying attention to its fards, wajibs and sunnas, submitting the heart to Allahu ta'ala and before the due time is over. In the Qur'an al-karim the ritual prayer is called 'salat'. Salat means man's praying, angel's doing istighfar, and Allahu ta'ala's having compassion and pitying. In Islam, salat means to do certain actions, to recite certain things as shown in 'ilm al-hal books. Salat is started with the words 'Allahu akbar,' called the 'takbir al-iftitah,' and said after raising the hands up to the ears till putting the hands under the navel (for men). It ends with the salam by turning the head to the right and left shoulders at the end of the last sitting posture.

3. The third fundamental of Islam is "to give the zakat of one's property." The literal meaning of zakat is 'purity, to praise, and become good and beautiful.' In Islam, zakat means 'for a person who has property of zakat more than he needs and at a certain amount called nisab to separate a certain amount of his property and to give it to Muslims named in the Qur'an al-karim without reproaching them.' Zakat is given to seven kinds of persons. There are four types of zakat in all of the four madhhabs: the zakat of gold and silver, the zakat of commercial goods, the zakat of the stock animals [sheep, goats and cattle] that graze in the fields for more than half a year, and the zakat of all kinds of substances of necessity issuing from the earth. This fourth type of zakat, called 'ushr, is given as soon as the crop is harvested. The other three are given one year after they reach the amount of nisab.

4. The fourth fundamental of Islam is "to fast every day of the month of Ramadan." Fasting is called 'sawm.' Sawm means to protect something against something else. In Islam, sawm means to protect oneself against three things [during the days] of the month of Ramadan, as they were commanded by Allahu ta'ala: eating, drinking and sexual intercourse. The month of Ramadan begins upon seeing the new moon in the sky. It may not begin at the time calculated in calendars.

5. The fifth fundamental of Islam is "for the able person to perform the hajj (pilgrimage) once in his life." For an able person who has money enough to go to and come back from the city of Mecca besides the property sufficient for the subsistence of his family he leaves behind until he comes back, it is fard to perform tawaf around the Kaba and to perform waqfa on the plain of 'Arafat, provided that the way will be safe and the body healthy, once in his lifetime.

"The person, upon hearing these answers from Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), said, 'O Rasul-Allah! You told the truth.' Hadrat 'Umar (radi-Allahu 'anh) said that of the Prophet's Companions, the ones who were there were astonished at the behavior of this person who asked a question and confirmed that the answer was correct. One asks with a view to learn what one does not know, but to say, "You told the truth," indicates that one already knows it.

The highest of the five fundamentals listed above is to say the Kalimat ash-shahada and believe its meaning. The next highest is to perform salat. Next to this is to fast. Then comes the pilgrimage. The last one is to give zakat. It is unanimously certain that kalimat ash- shahada is the highest. About the sequence of the other four, most 'ulama' said the same as we said above. Kalimat ash-shahada became fard first, at the beginning of Islam. Salat five times a day became fard on the Miraj Night in the twelfth year of Bi'that, a year and some months before the Hegira. Fasting during Ramadan became fard in the month of Shaban, the second year of the Hegira. Giving zakat became fard in the month of Ramadan, in the same year when fasting became fard. And pilgrimage became fard in the ninth year of the Hegira.

If a person denies, disbelieves, refuses, makes fun of or if he does not respect one of these five fundamentals of Islam, he becomes a disbeliever, may Allah protect us! Similarly, he who does not accept any of the things which are unanimously and clearly declared as halal (permitted) or haram (forbidden), or he who says halal for haram or haram for halal becomes a disbeliever. If a person denies or dislikes one of the teachings known to be indispensable to Islam, that is, those that are heard and known even by the common people, he becomes a disbeliever. (13) If an ordinary person does not know the teachings that are not so commonly spread or indispensable so as to be known by him, he is not in disbelief (kufr) but sinful (fisq).

FOOTNOTES

(12) According to historians, the Prophet entered the cave at the Sawr Mountain towards evening on Thursday, 27 of Safar, 622 A.C., on his emigration from al-Makkat al-Mukarrama to al-Madinat al-Munawwara. He left the cave on Monday night and entered Quba, a quarter near Medina, on Monday, 8 of Rabi'al-awwal (20 of September, 622). The beginning of the Hijri Shamsi calendar adopted by the Shiites is six months before this. That is, the Nawruz festival of the Majusi disbelievers (fire worshippers) begins on March 20. This happy day became the beginning of Muslims' Hijri Shamsi calendar. On Thursday, day and night were equal, and he left Quba and entered Medina on Friday. The outset of the month of Muharram in the same year (Friday, 16th of June) was accepted as the beginning of Hijri Kamari calendar. The Hijri Shamsi year coinciding with any Western new year's day is 622 years less than that Western new year. And the Western year coinciding with any Hijri Shamsi year's day is 621 more than that Hijri Shamsi new year.

(13) For example, to eat pork, to have alcoholic drinks, to gamble; for a woman or girl to show herself to others with nothing to cover her head, hairs, arms and legs and; for a man to show himself to others without covering the part between the knees and the navel, are all haram. That is, Allahu ta'ala has forbidden these. The four madhhabs, which explain of the commands and prohibitions of Allahu ta'ala, drew separately the boundary of the private body surface, which man is forbidden to look at or to display, differently from one another. It is fard for every Muslim to cover those parts of the body as described by the madhhab he belongs to. Also, it is haram for others to look at those who have not covered these parts of their bodies. It is written in Kimya-yi Saadat that it is haram for women and girls to go out without covering their heads, hair, arms, legs, and it is also harem to go out with thin, ornamented, tight and perfume scented dresses. Their mothers, fathers, husbands and brothers who permit them to go out as such and who think that it is appropriate and who appreciate them will share their sins and torments; that is, they will burn in the Hell altogether. If they repent, they will be forgiven and will not be burned. Allahu-ta'ala likes those who repent. In the third year of the Hegira, girls and women who have reached the age of puberty were ordered not to be seen by namahram men, but to cover themselves.

One should not be deceived by the false assertions of the British spies and of those ignoramuses who have been trapped by them who say that there was no covering before the coming of the ayat of hijab and who say that fiqh scholars have fabricated the order for covering later.

Lying, gossip, backbiting, slander, theft, cheating, treachery, hurting someone's feelings, mischief-making, using someone's property without permission, not paying a laborer or porter's due, rebellion, that is, opposing the laws and the government's orders, and not paying taxes are sins, too. Committing them against disbelievers or in non-Muslim countries is also haram.

"This exalted person asked again, 'O Rasul-Allah! Now tell me what is iman.'" Having asked what was Islam and the answer having been given, Hadrat Jabrail ('alaihi 's-salam) asked our master Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) to explain the essence and reality of iman. Literally iman means 'to know a person to be perfect and truthful and to have faith in him.' In Islam, 'iman' means to believe the fact that Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) is Allahu ta'ala's Prophet; that he is the Nabi, the Messenger chosen by Him, and to say this with the heart; and to believe in brief what he transmitted briefly and to believe in detail what he transmitted in detail from Allahu ta'ala; and to say the Kalimat ash-shahada whenever possible. Strong iman is such that, as we know for certain that fire burns, serpents kill by poisoning and we avoid them, we should deem Allahu ta'ala and His attributes great, be fully certain of this by heart, strive for his consent (rida') and run to His beauty (jamal), and beware of His wrath (ghadab) and torture (jalal). We should write this iman on the heart firmly like an inscription on marble.

Iman and Islam are the same. In both, one is to believe the meaning of the Kalimat ash-shahada. Though they differ in general and in particular, and have different literal meanings, there is no difference between them in Islam.

Is iman one thing, or is it a combination of parts? If it is a combination, how many parts is it made of? Are deeds or 'ibadat included in iman or not? While saying, "I have iman," is it right to add "insha- Allah" or not? Is there littleness or muchness in iman? Is iman a creature? Is it within one's power to believe, or have the believers believed under compulsion? If there is force or compulsion in believing, why was everybody ordered to believe? It would take a long time to explain all these one by one. Therefore, I will not answer them separately here. But it should be known thus far that, according to the Ashari madhhab and the Mutazila, it is not jaiz (probable) for Allahu ta'ala to command us to do something that is not possible. And according to the Mutazila, it is not jaiz for Allahu ta'ala to order something which is possible but which is not within man's power. According to the Ashari, it is jaiz, yet He has not ordered it. To order people to fly in the air is of this sort. Neither in iman nor in 'ibadat did Allahu ta'ala order His creatures to do what they would not be able to do. For this reason, a person who goes mad or becomes ghafil (forgetful, oblivious), or sleeps or dies while he is Muslim is still Muslim, though he is not in a state of confirmation.

We should not think of the literal meaning of 'iman' in this hadith ash-Sharif, for, there was not one ordinary man in Arabia who did not know its literal meaning: 'considering truthful, belief.' Certainly the Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) knew it, too, but Jabrail ('alaihi 's-salam) wanted to teach the meaning of iman to the Sahabat al-kiram by asking what iman meant in Islam. And Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) said that iman was to believe in six certain facts:

top

1. "First of all, to believe in Allahu ta'ala," he declared. Iman is to have a heartfelt belief in six certain facts by finding through kashf (revelation) or wijdan (conscience) or by the comprehension of the 'aql (intellect, reason) through an evidence or by trusting and following a distinguished and approved statement, and to confirm this with the tongue.

The first of these six facts is that Allahu ta'ala is the Wajib al-wujud and the Real Mabud (the One Worshipped) and the Creator of all creatures. It should be believed for certain that He alone creates everything [every substance, atoms, elements, molecules, compounds, organic substances, cells, life, death, every event, every reaction, all kinds of power and sorts of energy, movements, laws, spirits, angels and every being living or lifeless out of nothing, and He makes them all survive] in both this and the next worlds without material, time or similarity out of nonexistence. As He created all creatures in the universe [in one moment while they had been nonexistent], so He [creates some of them from one another, and, when the time for Doomsday comes, in one moment He] will annihilate everything. He is the Creator, Owner, Absolute Ruler of all creatures. It has to be believed and acknowledged that there is nobody to dominate Him, to command Him or to be superior to Him. Every type of superiority, every attribute of perfection, belongs to Him only. No defect, no deficient attribute exists in Him. He is able to do what He wills. What he does is not intended to be useful to Him or to others. He does not do something for a reward. In everything He does, however, there are hidden causes (hikma), uses, blessings and favors.

Allahu ta'ala does not have to do what is good and useful for His creatures, nor does He have to reward some people or torture some others. It would befit His superiority and benevolence if He would bring all the sinners to Paradise. And it would become His justice if He would put all of those who obey and worship Him into Hell. Yet He decreed and declared that He would put Muslims, those who worship Him, into Paradise and grant them favors, and that He would eternally torture disbelievers in Hell. He does not go back on His word. It would be of no use for Him if all the living creatures believed and worshipped Him, nor would it give Him any harm if all creatures became disbelievers, became excessive or disobeyed Him. If man wishes to do something, He creates it if He wills, too. He alone is the One who creates every action of His human creatures and all things. If He does not will or create, nothing can move. If He does not wish, no one can become a disbeliever or can revolt. He creates disbelief and sins, yet He does not like them. No one can interfere with His works. No one has the strength or the right to ask the reason why He has done this or that or to comment on how He must do. He will forgive, if He wills, a person who has committed any great sin and has died without repentance, except if it is polytheism or disbelief. He will torture him, if He wills, for just a little sin. He declared that he would never forgive disbelievers and apostates and that He would torture them eternally.

He will torture in Hell those Muslims who worship Him yet whose faith (itiqad) is not compatible with the faith of the Ahl as-Sunnat and who die without repentance. Yet such Muslim people of heresy (bidat) will not remain in Hell eternally.

It is possible (jaiz) to see Allahu ta'ala with the eyes in this world, but no one ever has. On the Day of Judgement He will be seen by disbelievers and sinful Muslims in His Wrath and Glory, and by pious Muslims in His Kindness and Beauty. Angels and women, too, will see Him. Disbelievers will be deprived of this. There is a sound report conveying that genies also will be deprived of this. According to the majority of the 'ulama', "Muslims whom Allahu ta'ala loves will be honored with seeing His Beauty every morning and every evening; Muslims of low degree will be honored every Friday, and women a few times in a year, like festivals in this world."(14) It should be believed that Allahu ta'ala will be seen. Yet we should not wonder how this will happen; His works cannot be comprehended through intellect ('aql). They are not like worldly affairs. [They cannot be measured with physical or chemical criteria.] Such concepts as direction, being opposite or being toward something have no connection with Allahu ta'ala. He is not material. He is not an object, [nor is He an element, an alloy or a compound]. He is not countable, He cannot be measured, nor can he be calculated. No change takes place in Him. He is not at a place. He is not with time. He does not have a past or a future, front or back, bottom or top, right or left. Therefore, nothing of Him can human reasoning comprehend, nor does human intellect or knowledge suffice to do this. So, man cannot comprehend how He will be seen. Though such words as hand, foot, direction, place and the like, which are not suitable for Allahu ta'ala, exist in ayats and hadiths, they are not used in the sense that we know and use today. Such ayats and hadiths are called muttashabihat. We have to believe them, but we should not attempt to understand what or how they are. Or they can be explained away (tawil) briefly or in detail; that is, they can be given the meanings suitable for Allahu ta'ala. For example, the word hand may be interpreted as power or energy.

Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) saw Allahu ta'ala during the Miraj. But this seeing was not with the eyes, like seeing in this world. A person who says that he has seen Allahu ta'ala in this world is a zindiq. The observation of awliya' is unlike seeing in this world or seeing in the next world. In other words, it is not ru'ya (seeing) but Shuhud that occurs on them [that is, they see the examples (mithals) through the eyes of their hearts]. Some awliya' said that they saw. However, they mistook the Shuhud they experienced while in sakr, that is, when they were unconscious, for ru'ya. Or these words of theirs are to be explained away.

Question: "It is said above that it is possible (jaiz) to see Allahu ta'ala with the eyes in this world. Then why should a person who says something happened which is possible be a zindiq? If a person who says so becomes a disbeliever, can it be said to be possible?"

Answer: In its literal meaning 'jaiz' means 'possible to happen or not.' But to the madhhab of al-Ashari [Abu 'l-Hasan 'Ali ibn Ismail, passed away in Baghdad in 330 (941 A.D.)] the possibility of ru'ya means that Allahu ta'ala is capable of creating in man quite a different sense for seeing in this world, different from seeing closely or face to face with Him, and different from seeing through the physical laws He created in this world. For example, He is able, so it is possible, to show a mosquito in Andalusia to a blind man in China, and anything on the moon or on a star to a man on the earth. Such a power is peculiar to Allahu ta'ala only. Furthermore, to say, "I saw in this world," is incompatible with the ayat al-karima and with the consensus of the 'ulama'. Therefore, he who says such a word is a mulhid or a zindiq. Thirdly, the phrase "it is possible to see Allahu ta'ala in this world" does not mean "it is possible to see Him on the earth within the physical laws." Whereas, a person who says he saw Allahu ta'ala means that he saw Him as he sees other things; this is a seeing which is not possible (jaiz). A person who says words that cause disbelief is called a mulhid or a zindiq.(15) [After these answers, Hadrat Mawlana Khalid stated, "Be careful!" Thus he directs attention to the soundness of the second answer.]

The elapse of time, day or night, cannot be related to Allahu ta'ala. There can be no change in Him in any respect, nor can it be said that He was in this manner in the past or He will be like that in the future. He does not penetrate (hulul) into anything. He does not unite with anything. He never has an opposite, reverse, likeness, partner, assistant or guide. He does not have a father, mother, son, daughter or wife. He is always present with everybody, surrounds and overlooks everything. To everyone He is closer than the big artery in one's neck. However, His surrounding us, His presence or togetherness or closeness, is not like what we understand from these words. His closeness cannot be comprehended with the knowledge of 'ulama', with the intellect of scientists or with the kashf or Shuhud of awliya'. Human reason cannot understand their inner meanings. Allahu ta'ala is unique in His Person and in His Attributes. No change or differentiation takes place in any of them.

Allahu ta'ala's Names are tawqifi, that is, it is permissible to use His Names shown by Islam and not permissible to use other words.(16) Allahu ta'ala's Names are infinite. It is well-known that He has one thousand and one names; that is, He revealed one thousand and one names of His to human beings. In the religion of Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), ninety-nine of them, called "al-Asma' al-husna," were revealed.

The Sifat ath-Thubutiyya of Allahu ta'ala (17) are eight in the Maturidiyya madhhab and seven in the Ashariyya madhhab. These attributes of His are eternal and everlasting like His Person; that is, they exist eternally. They are sacred. They are not like the attributes of creatures. They cannot be comprehended through reasoning or assumption or by comparing them with the things in the world. Allahu ta'ala has endowed upon human beings an example of each of His Attributes. Seeing these examples, the Attributes of Allahu ta'ala can be understood to a small extent.

Since man cannot comprehend Allahu ta'ala it is not permissible to think of or to attempt to comprehend Allahu ta'ala. The eight attributes of Allahu ta'ala are neither the same as nor other than His Person; that is, His Attributes do not make up His Person, nor are they other than He. These eight attributes are: Hayat (Life), Ilm (Omniscience), Sam (Hearing), Basar (Seeing), Qudra (Omnipotence), Kalam (Speech, Word), Irada (Will) and Takwin (Creativeness). In the Ashariyya madhhab, Takwin and Qudra make up the same attribute. Mashiyya and Irada are synonymous.

Each of the eight attributes of Allahu ta'ala is unique and in a uniform state. No change occurs in any of them. But each of them varies in its related quality in creatures. That an attribute of His varies in its relation to creatures and in affecting them does not harm its uniqueness. Similarly, even though Allahu ta'ala has created so many kinds of creatures and is protecting all of them against annihilation, He is still one. No change ever occurs in Him. Every creature needs Him every moment in every respect. He does not need anybody in any respect.

FOOTNOTES

(14) Hadrat Shaikh 'Abd al-Haqq ad-Dahlawi [Passed away in Delhi in 1052 (1642 A.D.)] wrote in his Persian work Takmil al-iman: "A hadith ash-Sharif says, 'You will see your Rabb on the Day of Judgement as you see the [full] moon on the fourteenth [of the month].' As Allahu ta'ala is known incomprehensibly in this world, so He will be seen incomprehensibly in the hereafter. Great scholars such as Abul-Hasan al-Ashari and al-Imam as-Suyuti and al-Imam al-Baihaki said that also angels were going to see Allahu ta'ala in Paradise. Al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa and some other scholars said that genies did not earn thawab and would not enter Paradise and that only faithful genies would escape Hell. Women will see Allahu ta'ala a few times in a year like festivals in this world. Perfect (kamil) believers will see Him every morning and evening while other believers will see Him on Fridays. To this humble person myself, this good news covers the faithful women and angels and genies, too; it would be proper that the perfect and 'arif women such as Fatima az-Zahra, Khadijat al-Kubra, Aisha as-Siddiqa and other Pure Wives [of the Prophet] and Hadrat Mariam and Hadrat Asiya be given special treatment. Al-Imam as-Suyuti, too, meant this."

(15) The mulhid or zindiq says that he is Muslim. The mulhid is sincere in his words; he believes that he is Muslim and is on the right path. However, the zindiq is an enemy of Islam. He feigns being Muslim in order to harm Islam from within and to deceive Muslims.

(16) For instance, Allahu ta'ala may be called "Alim" (the 'Omniscient'), but we cannot use 'faqih' which also means 'Alim' (scholar, one trained in Islamic sciences), for Islam does not use 'faqih' for Allahu ta'ala. Likewise, it is not permissible to say 'God' instead of Allah, because 'god' means 'idol'; "Ox is the god of Hindus," is said, for example. It is permissible to say, "Allah is one; there is no god but He." Words like Dieu (French) and Gott (German) can be used for god or idol, but not for Allah.

(17) See the footnote on page 11 for the Sifat adh-Dhatiyya, which are six.

2. The second of the six fundamentals of iman is "to believe in His angels." Angels are material but ethereal (latif), more ethereal than the gaseous phase of matter. They are nurani (luminous, spiritual). They are alive. They have reason ('aql). Evil peculiar to human beings do not exist in angels. They can take any shape. As gases turn into liquid and solid and take any shape when getting solid, so angels can form beautiful shapes. Angels are not souls that have parted from the bodies of great men. Christians presume that angels are such spirits. Unlike energy and power, they are not immaterial. Some ancient philosophers supposed so. All of them are called mala'ika. 'Malak' (angel) means 'envoy, messenger' or 'power.' Angels were created before all other living creatures. Therefore, we were ordered to believe in them before believing in the holy books, which come before the belief in prophets; and in the Qur'an al-karim the names of these beliefs are given in this succession.

Belief in angels has to be as follows: angels are the creatures of Allahu ta'ala. They are not His partners, nor are they His daughters as disbelievers and polytheists supposed. Allahu ta'ala loves all angels. They obey His commands and never commit sins or disobey the commands. They are neither male nor female. They do not get married. They do not have children. They have life; that is, they are alive. Though, according to a narration traced back to Hadrat 'Abdullah ibn Masud (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), some angels had children among which the Satan and genies were counted; the tawil of it has been written in books in detail. When Allahu ta'ala announced that He was going to create human beings, angels asked, "Oh Allah! Are You going to create those creatures who will corrupt the world and shed blood?" Such questions, called dhalla, from angels do not harm their impeccability.

Of all creatures, angels are the most plentiful. No one but Allahu ta'ala knows their number. There is no empty space in the skies where angels do not worship. Every place in the skies is occupied by angels in ruku' (bowing during salat) or in sajda (prostrating). In the skies, on the earth, in grass, on stars, in every living and lifeless creature, in every rain-drop, plant leaf, atom, molecule, in every reaction, motion, in everything, angels have duties. They carry out Allahu ta'ala's commands everywhere. They are intermediaries between Allahu ta'ala and creatures. Some of them are the commanders of other angels. Some of them brought messages to the prophets among human beings. Some angels bring good thoughts, called "ilham" (inspiration), to the human heart. Some others are unaware of all human beings and creatures and have lost consciousness upon feeling Allahu ta'ala's Beauty. Each of these angels stays in a certain place and cannot leave its place. Some angels have two wings and some four or more.(18) Angels belonging in Paradise stay in Paradise. Their superior is Ridwan. Angels of Hell, zabanis, carry out in Hell what they are commanded. The fire of Hell does not harm them, as the sea is not harmful to fish. There are nineteen leading zabanis. Their chief is Malik.

For each human being, there are four angels who record all the good and bad actions. Two of them come at night and the other two come during the day. They are called "kiraman katibin" or angels of "hafaza". It was also said that the angels of hafaza were different from the kiraman katibin. The angel on one's right side is superior to the one on the left and records the good deeds. The one on the left writes down the evil deeds. There are angels who will torture disbelievers and disobedient Muslims in their graves, and angels who will ask questions in graves. The questioning angels are called "munkar" and "nakir". Those who will question Muslims are also called "mubashshir" and "bashhir". Angels have superiority to one another. The most superior angels are the four archangels. The first of them is Jabrail ('alaihi 's-salam). His duty was to bring wahi to prophets, to inform them of the orders and prohibitions. The second one is Israfil ('alaihi 's-salam), who will sound the last trump called 'Sur'. He will sound the Sur twice. At the first sound every living being but Allahu ta'ala will die. At the second sound all will be resuscitated. The third one is Mikail ('alaihi 's- salam). It is his duty to make up cheapness, expensiveness, scarcity, abundance [economic order, to bring comfort and ease] and to move every object. The fourth one is 'Azrail ('alaihi 's-salam), who takes the souls [jan, Persian for Arabic 'ruh'] of human beings. After these four, there are four superior classes of angels: four angels of hamalat al-'Arsh, who will be eight on the Resurrection; angels in Divine Presence, called muqarrabun; leaders of torturing angels, called karubiyun; and angels of Mercy, named ruhaniyun. All these higher angels are also higher than all human beings except prophets ('alaihimu 's-salawatu wa 't-taslimat). The sulaha' and awliya' among Muslims are higher than common or lower angels. And common angels are superior to common, that is, disobedient, sinful Muslims. Disbelievers, however, are lower than all creatures.

At the first sound of the Sur, all angels except hamalat al-'Arsh and the four archangels will be annihilated. Then hamalat al-'Arsh and then the four archangels will be annihilated. At the second sound all angels will come back to life. Hamalat al-'Arsh and the four angels will rise just before the second sound of the Sur. That is, these angels will be annihilated after all the living creatures, as they had been created before all.

FOOTNOTE

(18) As the wings of each kind of fowl, or those of an aeroplane, are of their own structure and are different from the wings of each other kind, so angels' wings have their own structure. When we hear the name of something which we have not seen or do not know, we presume that it is like the things we know and thus we are mistaken. We believe angels have wings, but we do not know how they are. Pictures of winged women in churches, publications or movies, which are regarded as angels, are all false. Muslims do not make such pictures. We should not regard these unrealistic pictures drawn by non-Muslims as true, and we should not believe our enemies.

3. The third of the six fundamentals of iman is "to believe the Books revealed by Allahu ta'ala." He sent these Books to some prophets by making the angel read to them. To some He sent books inscribed on tablets, and to some others by making them hear without the angel. All these Books are the Word of Allahu ta'ala (Kalam- Allah). They are eternal in the past and everlasting. They are not creatures. They are not words made up by angels, nor are they words of prophets. The Word of Allahu ta'ala is unlike the language which we write, keep in mind and speak. It is not like being in writing, speech or mind. It does not have letters or sounds. Man cannot understand how Allahu ta'ala and his Attributes are. But men can read that Word, keep it in mind and write it. It becomes hadith, a creature, when it is with us. That is, the Word of Allahu ta'ala has two aspects. When it is with human beings, it is hadith and a creature. When it is thought as the Word of Allahu ta'ala, it is eternal (Qadim).

All the books sent down by Allahu ta'ala are just and right. There is no lie or fault in them. Though He said He would punish and torture, it was said that it was possible (jaiz) that He would forgive; this depends on His Will or on conditions which man could not know, or it is meant that He would forgive the punishment which Muslims deserve. Since the words 'punishment' and 'torture' do not narrate an event, it would not be a lie if He forgives. Or, though it is not jaiz that He would not give the rewards which He promised, it is jaiz that He would forgive the punishments. Reason, laws of human beings and ayats prove us right.

It is necessary to interpret ayats and hadiths in their literal meanings, unless there is a risk or an inconvenience. It is not permissible to give other meanings similar to their literal meanings.(19) The ayats called muttashabihat have unintelligible, occult meanings. Only Allahu ta'ala knows and very few distinguished superiors who have been granted al-'ilm al-ladunni understand their meanings as far as they are allowed. No one else can understand them. For this reason, we should believe that ayats of mutashabihat are of the Word of Allahu ta'ala, and we should not investigate their meanings. The scholars in the Ashari madhhab said that is was permissible to explain away (tawil) such ayats briefly or in detail. 'Tawil' means 'choosing, from among the several meanings of a word, the one which is not common.' For example, about the ayat, "The Hand of Allah is superior to theirs," which is the Word of Allahu ta'ala, we should say, "I believe whatever Allahu ta'ala means by this." It is the best to say, "I cannot understand its meaning. Only Allahu ta'ala knows." Or we must say, "Allahu ta'ala's knowledge is unlike our knowledge. His Will is not like our will. Similarly, Allahu ta'ala's Hand is not like the hands of His human creatures."

In the books which Allahu ta'ala revealed, either the pronunciations or the meanings of some ayats, or both, were changed (naskh) by Him. The Qur'an al-karim replaced all the books and abolished the validity of their rules. There will never be any mistakes, additions, forgotten or missing points in Qur'an al-karim until the end of the world, nor will it be forgotten. All knowledge of the past and the future exist in the Qur'an al-karim. For this reason, it is higher and more valuable than all the Books. The greatest mujiza of Rasulullah (sall- Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) is the Qur'an al- karim. If all human beings and genies would assemble and try to say something similar to the shortest sura of the Qur'an al-karim, they would not be able to do it. In fact, the eloquent, literary poets of Arabia assembled and strove very hard, but they could not say something like three short ayats. They could not stand against the Qur'an al-karim. They were stupefied. Allahu ta'ala makes the enemies of Islam incapable and defeated in front of the Qur'an al-karim. The eloquence of the Qur'an al-karim is above human power. Human beings are incapable of saying as it says. The ayats in the Qur'an al-karim are unlike the poetry, prose or rhymed verse of human beings. Nevertheless, it was said in the letters of the language spoken by the literary, eloquent men of Arabia.

One hundred and four of the heavenly books were revealed to us: it is well-known that ten suhuf (pl. of sahifa, little book) were revealed to Adam ('alaihi 's-salam), fifty suhuf to Shis (Sheet) ('alaihi's- salam), thirty suhuf to Idris ('alaihi 's-salam) and ten suhuf to Ibrahim ('alaihi 's-salam); the Tawrat (Torah) was revealed to Musa (Moses) ('alaihi 's- salam), the Zabur (the original Psalms) to Dawud ('alaihi 's-salam), the Injil (Latin 'Evangelium') to 'Isa (Jesus) ('alaihi 's-salam) and the Qur'an al-karim to Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam).

When a person wants to give an order, to forbid something, to ask something or to give some news, first he thinks about and prepares it in his mind. These meanings in mind are called "kalam nafsi," which cannot be said to be Arabic, Persian or English. Their being expressed in various languages does not cause these meanings to change. Words expressing these meanings are called "kalam Lafzi." Kalam Lafzi can be said in different languages. So, kalam nafsi of a person is a pure, unchangeable, distinct attribute that exists in its possessor like other attributes such as knowledge, will, discernment, etc., and kalam Lafzi is a group of letters that express kalam nafsi and that come out of the mouth of the person uttering them and that come to the ear. Thus, the Word of Allahu ta'ala is the eternal, everlasting, non-silent and non-creature Word existent with His Person. It is an attribute distinct from the as-Sifat adh-Dhatiyya and from as-Sifat ath-Thubutiyya of Allahu ta'ala, such as Knowledge and Will.

The attribute Kalam (Speech, Word) never changes and is pure. It is not in letters or sounds. It cannot be differentiated or classified as command, prohibition, narration or as Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Turkish or Syriac. It does not take such forms. It cannot be written. It does not need such apparatuses or media as intelligence, ear or tongue. Nevertheless, it can be understood through them as a being distinct from all beings we know; it can be told in any language wished. Thus, if it is told in Arabic it is called the Qur'an al-karim. If it is told in Hebrew it is the Tawrat. If it is told in Syriac it is the Injil. [The book Sharh al-maqasid (20) writes that if it is told in Greek it is the Injil and if it is told in Syriac it is the Zabur.]

Al-Kalam al-ilahiyya (the Divine Word) tells various subjects; if it narrates the events that happened or that will happen, it is called khabar (narration); if not so, it is called insha.' If it points out the things that should be done, it is called amr (command). If it points out prohibitions, it is nahi (prohibition). But no change or increase occurs in al-Kalam al-ilahiyya. Each book or each page revealed is a sheet of the Word of Allahu ta'ala; that is, they are of al-Kalam an-nafsi of His. When it is in Arabic it is called the Qur'an al-karim. The wahi revealed in poetry and that can be written and said and heard and kept in mind is called al-Kalam al-Lafzi or the Qur'an al-karim. Since al-Kalam al-Lafzi denotes al-Kalam an-nafsi, it is permissible to call it al-Kalam al-ilahiyya or the Divine Attribute. Though this Word is of one sort, it can be divided and broken into parts with respect to persons. As the whole of it is called the Qur'an al-karim, so its parts are called the Qur'an al-karim.

The 'ulama' of the right path unanimously say that al-Kalam an-nafsi is not a creature but it is Qadim (eternal). There is no unanimity on whether al-Kalam al-Lafzi is hadith or Qadim. Some who regarded al-Kalam al-Lafzi as hadith said that it was better not to say that it is hadith for it might be misunderstood and come to mean that al-Kalam an-nafsi is hadith. This is the best comment about it. When the human mind hears something that denotes something else, it simultaneously remembers the denoted thing. When one of the 'ulama' of the right path is heard to have said that the Qur'an al-karim was hadith, we must understand that he referred to sounds and words which we read with our mouth. The 'ulama' of the right path have unanimously said that both al-Kalam an-nafsi and al-Kalam al-Lafzi are the Word of Allahu ta'ala. Though some 'ulama' considered this word metaphoric, they all agreed that it was the Divine Word. That al-Kalam an-nafsi is the Word of Allahu ta'ala means that it is Allahu ta'ala's Attribute of Speech, and that al-Kalam al-Lafzi is the Word of Allahu ta'ala means that it is created by Allahu ta'ala.

Question: "From the preceding writing it is understood that the eternal Word of Allahu ta'ala cannot be heard. The one who says, 'I heard the Word of Allah,' means 'I heard the sounds and words uttered' or 'I understood the eternal al-Kalam an-nafsi through these words.' All prophets, even everybody, can hear it in both of these two manners. What is the reason for distinguishing Musa ('alaihi 's-salam) as Kalim-Allah (one to whom Allahu ta'ala spoke)?"

Answer: Musa ('alaihi 's-salam) heard the Eternal Word without letters or sounds, in a way different from al-'Adat al-ilahiyya (the Divine Custom; the law of causation). He heard it in a manner that cannot be explained, as Allahu ta'ala will be seen in Paradise in an unintelligible and unexplainable manner. Nobody else heard it in this manner. Or, he heard the Word of Allahu ta'ala in sounds not only through his ears but also through every particle of his body, from every direction. Or, he heard it only from the direction of the tree, yet not in sounds or with the vibration of air or with other means. Because he heard it in one of these three conditions, he was honored with the name 'Kalim-Allah'. Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) also heard the Divine Word in this manner on the Miraj Night. So was the hearing of Jabrail ('alaihi 's-salam) as he received wahi.

FOOTNOTES

(19) The Qur'an al-karim and the Hadith ash-Sharif are in the Quraish language and dialect. But the words should be given the meanings used in the Hijaz thirteen hundred years ago. It is not correct to translate them by giving them contemporary meanings, which are the results of the changes over centuries.

(20) By Sad ad-din at-Taftazani, who passed away in Samarqand in 792 A.H.. (1389).

                                                BELIEF IN PROPHETS

4. The fourth of the six fundamentals of iman is "to believe in Allahu ta'ala's prophets," who were sent to make people attain the way He likes and to guide them to the right path. Literally 'rusul' (pl. of Rasul) were the 'people sent, messengers.' In Islam, 'Rasul' means 'noble, respectable person whose nature, character, knowledge and intellect are higher than those of all the people of his time, having no bad trait in his character and no disliked manner.' Prophets had the quality 'Isma, that is, they did not commit any grave or small sin before or after they were informed of their nubuwwa (prophethood, prophetship).(21) After they were informed of their nubuwwa and until their nubuwwa was known and spread out, they did not have such defects as blindness, deafness or the like. It has to be believed that every prophet had seven peculiarities: Amana (trustworthiness), Sidq (devotion), Tabligh (communication), Adala (justness), 'Isma (purity), Fatana (super-intelligence) and Amn al-'azl (security against dismissal from nubuwwa).

A prophet who brought a new faith is called a "Rasul" (messenger). A prophet who did not bring a new faith but invited people to the previous faith is called a "nabi" (prophet).(22) In the communication (tabligh) of commands and in calling the people to Allahu ta'ala's religion, there is no difference between a Rasul and a nabi. We have to believe that all prophets, without exception, were devoted and truthful. He who does not believe in one of them is regarded as not believing in any.

Nubuwwa cannot be attained by working hard, by suffering hunger or discomfort, or by praying very much. It is possessed only with Allahu ta'ala's favor and selection. Religions were sent through the mediation of prophets in order that people's affairs might be useful in this world and the next, and in order to prevent them from harmful acts and make them attain salvation, guidance, ease and happiness. Though they had many enemies and were mocked and treated harshly, prophets did not fear the enemies and showed no hesitation in communicating to people Allahu ta'ala's commands about the facts to be believed and the things to be done. Allahu ta'ala strengthened His prophets with mujizas to show that they were devoted and truthful. No one could stand against their mujizas. The community of a prophet is called his umma. On the Day of Judgement, prophets will be permitted to intercede for their ummas, especially for the ones who are gravely sinful, and their intercession will be accepted. Allahu ta'ala will permit also the 'ulama', sulaha' and awliya' among their ummas to intercede, and their intercession will be accepted. Prophets ('alaihimu 's-salawatu wa 't-taslimat) are alive in their graves in a life we cannot know; earth does not cause their blessed bodies to rot. For this reason, it was said in a hadith ash-Sharif, "Prophets perform salat and hajj in their graves."(23)

While the blessed eyes of a prophet slept, the eyes of this heart did not sleep. All prophets ('alaihimu 's-salam) were equal in doing their duties as prophets and in possessing the excellences of nubuwwa. The above-mentioned seven peculiarities existed in all of them. Prophets were never dismissed from nubuwwa. The awliya', however, may be deprived of wilaya. Prophets were human beings but not genies or angels, who could never be prophets for human beings or attain the degree of a prophet. Prophets had superiority to and honors above one another. For example, because his umma and the countries he was sent to were larger and because his knowledge and marifa spread in a vaster area and because his miracles were more plentiful and continual and because there were special blessings and favors for him, the Prophet of the Last Age, Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), was higher than all other prophets. The prophets called Ulu'l'azm were higher than the others. The Rasuls were higher than the nabis who were not Rasuls.

The number of prophets ('alaihimu 's-salam) is not known. It is well known that they were more than 124,000. Among them, 313 or 315 were Rasuls; the six higher Rasuls among them, called Ulu'l'azm, were: Adam, Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), 'Isa (Jesus) and Muhammad Mustafa ('alaihimu 's- salatu wa 's-salam).

The following thirty-three prophets are well-known: Adam, Idris, Sheet (or Shis), Nuh, hud, Salih, Ibrahim, Lut, Ismail, Ishaq, Yaqub, Yusuf, Ayyub, Shu'aib, Musa, Harun, Khidir, Yusha' ibn noon, Ilyas, Alyasa', Dhu 'l-kifl, Sham'un, Ishmoil, Yunus ibn Mata, Dawud, Sulaiman, Luqman, Zakariyya, Yahya, 'Uzair, 'Isa ibn Mariam, Dhu 'l-qarnain and Muhammad ('alaihimu 's-salatu wa 's-salam).

Only the names of twenty-eight of them are written in the Qur'an al-karim. Sheet, Khidir, Yusha', Sham'un and Ishmoil are not written. Among the twenty-eight, it is not certain whether Dhu 'l-qarnain, Luqman and 'Uzair were prophets or not. Dhu 'l-kifl ('alaihi 's-salam) was also called Harqil, who was also said to be Ilyas, Idris or Zakariyya. Ibrahim ('alaihi 's-salam) was Khalil- Allah, because there was no love for creature but only for Allahu ta'ala in his heart. Musa ('alaihi 's-salam) was Kalim-Allah, because he spoke with Allahu ta'ala. Isa ('alaihi 's-salam) was Kalimat- Allah, for he did not have a father and was born only upon al-Kalimat al-ilahiyya (the Divine Word) 'Be!' Furthermore, he preached Allahu ta'ala's words, which were full of Divine Wisdom, and communicated them to the ears of people. Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), who was the reason for the creation of all creatures and the highest, the most prominent, the most honorable of mankind, was and is Habib-Allah (Allahu ta'ala's Darling). There were many evidences proving his greatness and superiority and that he was Habib-Allah. For this reason, such words as 'was overcome' or 'was defeated' cannot be said about him. At Resurrection, he will get up from his grave before everybody. He will go to the place of Judgement first. He will go to Paradise before everybody. Though the beautiful traits in his character cannot be concluded by counting, nor would human energy suffice to count them, we will ornament our book by writing down some of them:

One of his miracles was his ascent to the Miraj: while he was in bed in al-Makkat al-Mukarrama, he was awaken and his blessed body was taken to the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (Quds), thence to the heavens, and after the seventh heaven, to the places which Allahu ta'ala determined. We have to believe in the Miraj in this manner.(24) How the Miraj happened is written in detail in many valuable books, particularly in Shifa'-i Sharif.(25) He went with Jabrail ('alaihi's-salam) from Mecca to Sidrat al-muntaha, a tree in the sixth and seventh heavens. No knowledge, no ascent could go further than there. In Sidra, Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) saw Jabrail ('alaihi 's-salam) in his own shape with his six hundred wings. Jabrail ('alaihi 's-salam) remained in Sidra. From Mecca to Jerusalem, or to the seventh heaven, Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) was taken on Buraq, which was a white, very fast, sexless and unworldly animal of Paradise and which is smaller than a mule and bigger than an ass. It stepped beyond eyeshot. At the Aqsa Mosque, Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) became the imam for prophets in the night or morning prayer. Prophets' souls were present there in their own human figures. From Jerusalem up to the seventh sky, he was made to ascend in a moment with an unknown ladder named Miraj. On the way, angels lined up on the right and on the left, praised and lauded him. At each heaven, Jabrail ('alaihi 's-salam) announced the good news of Rasulullah's ('alaihi 's-salam) arrival. In each heaven he saw a prophet and greeted him. In Sidra, he saw many astonishing things, the blessings of Paradise and the tortures of Hell. He looked at none of the blessings of Paradise out of the desire for and the pleasure of seeing Allahu ta'ala's Jamal. Beyond Sidra, he went ahead alone, among nurs (lights). He heard the sounds of the angels' pens. He went through seventy thousand curtains. The distance between two curtains was like a way of five hundred years. After this, on a bed named Rafraf, which was brighter than the sun, he went through the Kursi and reached the 'Arsh. He went out of the 'Arsh, out of the worlds of time, space and matter. He reached the stage to hear Allahu ta'ala's Speech. He saw Allahu ta'ala in a manner that cannot be understood or explained, like Allahu ta'ala will be seen in the next world without time and space. He spoke with Allahu ta'ala without letters and sounds. He glorified, praised and lauded Him. He was given innumerable gifts and honors. Fifty times of performance of salat in a day were made fard for him and for his umma, but this was gradually reduced to five times a day with the mediation of Musa ('alaihi 's-salam). Before this, salat had been performed only in the mornings and in the afternoons or at nights. After such a long journey, having attained gifts and blessings and having seen and heard so many bewildering things, he came back to his bed, which had not become cold yet. What we have written above was understood partly from ayats and partly from hadiths. It is not wajib to believe all. Yet, since the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat communicated them, those who deny these facts will be separated from Ahl as-sunnat. And he who does not believe an ayat or a hadith becomes a disbeliever.

Let us cite some of the innumerable evidences showing that Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) is the Most Superior (Sayyid al-Anbiya') of prophets ('alaihimu 's- salawatu wa 't-taslimat).

On the Day of Judgement all prophets will shelter in the shade of his banner. Allahu ta'ala commanded all prophets ('alaihimu 's-salam) that, if they would remain alive till the time of Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), who, among creatures, was His Darling Elect, they should believe him and be his assistant. Also, all prophets ordered their ummas the same in their last requests.

Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) was the Khatam al- anbiya' (the Last Prophet), that is, no prophet will succeed him. His blessed soul was created before all prophets.' The status of nubuwwa was given first to him. Nubuwwa was completed with his honoring the world. Towards the end of the world, during the time of Hadrat al-Mahdi, 'Isa (alaihi 's-salam) will descend from the sky to Damascus and belong to Muhammad's ('alaihi 's-salam) umma and preach Islam on the earth.(26)

Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam) is the highest of prophets and is Allahu ta'ala's compassion for all creatures. 18,000 'alams (worlds of beings) received benefit from his ocean of blessings. By the consensus [of the 'ulama'], he is the Prophet for all human beings and genies. Many [scholars] said he was the Prophet for angels, plants, animals and for every substance. While other prophets had been sent to certain tribes in certain countries, Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) was and is the Prophet of all worlds and all the living and lifeless creatures. Allahu ta'ala had addressed other prophets by their names. As for Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), He favored him by addressing him, "Oh My Prophet (Rasul)!" The like of every miracle that had been granted to every prophet was presented to him.

Allahu ta'ala bestowed upon His Beloved Prophet more gifts and granted him more miracles than He had done to any other prophet of His. He was made superior to all prophets with countless honors and excellences: the moon split into two when he made a sign with his blessed finger; the stones in his palm uttered the Name of Allah; trees greeted him by saying, "O Rasulullah"; the dry log named Hannana cried because Rasulullah ('alaihi 's- salam) departed from its side and left it alone; pure water flowed down through his blessed fingers; the high grades of al-Maqam al-Mahmud, ash-Shafaat al-kubra, al-Hawd al-Kawthar, al-Wasila and al-Fadila were said to be given to him in the next world; he had the honor of seeing Allahu ta'ala's Jamal before entering Paradise; he had the greatest moral quality in the world, the most perfect faith, knowledge, gentleness, patience, gratitude, zuhd (devotion, asceticism), chastity, justness, heroism, bashfulness, bravery, modesty, wisdom, beautiful manners, helpfulness, mercy and inexhaustible honors and honorable traits. No one but Allahu ta'ala knows the number of miracles given to him. His religion abrogated all other religions. His religion was the best and highest of all the religions. His umma is higher than all other ummas. The awliya' of his umma are more honorable than the awliya' of other ummas.

Among the awliya' of the umma of Muhammad ('alaihi 's-salam), the one who deserved to be his Khalifa (caliph) was Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (radi- Allahu ta'ala 'anh), who was loved most by the awliya' and imams and was more suited for the caliphate than others. After prophets, he is the highest and the most auspicious of all human beings that have come and that will come. He was the first to attain the status and honor of caliphate. With the favors and blessings of Allahu ta'ala, he had not worshipped idols before Islam commenced. He had been protected against the defects of disbelief and heresy.(27)

After him, the highest of human beings is the second Khalifa 'Umar ibn al-Khattab (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), whom Allahu ta'ala chose as a friend to His Beloved Prophet.

After him the highest of human beings is the third Khalifa of Rasulullah ('alaihi's-salam), Dhu'n- Nurain 'Uthman ibn 'Affan (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), the treasure of favors and blessings and the source of modesty, faith and spiritual knowledge.

After him, the most auspicious of human beings is the fourth Khalifa of Rasulullah ('alaihi's -salam), 'Ali ibn Abi Talib (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh), the possessor of astonishing superiorities and the Lion of Allahu ta'ala.

Hadrat Hasan ibn 'Ali (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum)(28) became the Khalifa after him. The thirty years of caliphate mentioned in the hadith ash-Sharif was completed with him. After him, the highest human being is Hadrat Husain ibn 'Ali(radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum), the light of Rasulullah's ('alaihi's-salam) eyes.

These superiorities were based on their having earned more thawab; abandoned their country and their beloved ones for the sake of Islam; being Muslims before others; adapted themselves to Rasulullah ('alaihi's-salam) to the highest extent; given themselves up to his sunnat; struggled in spreading his religion; and prevented disbelief, fitna and corruption.

Hadrat Ali (radi-Allahu 'anh) embraced Islam before everybody with the exception of Hadrat Abu Bakr (radi- Allahu 'anh). Yet he was a child and had no property and lived in Rasulullah's ('alaihi 's-salam) house and served him. Therefore, his embracing Islam did not cause disbelievers to become Muslim, to take warning or to be defeated. Whereas, the embracement of the other three Khalifas strengthened Islam. Because Hadrat 'Ali and his sons (radiAllahu ta'ala 'anhum) were the closest relatives of Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) and of Rasulullah's blessed blood, they might be said to have been higher than Hadrat Abu Bakr and Hadrat 'Umar, but their superiority was not a superiority in every respect and did not help them surpass these great persons in every way. It was similar to Khidir's ('alaihi 's-salam) having taught something to Musa ('alaihi 's-salam)(29). Hadrat Fatima was higher than Hadrat Khadija and Hadrat Aisha (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhunna) because she was closer to the Prophet in respect of blood. But one type of superiority should not show a superiority in every respect. The 'ulama' remarked differently on which of these was the highest. As it is understood from the hadith ash-Sharif, these three, Hadrat Mariam and the Pharaoh's wife, Hadrat Asiya, were the five highest of all the worldly women. The hadith ash-Sharif, "Fatima is superior to the women of Paradise, and Hasan and Husain are the highest youths of Paradise," referred to a superiority only in one respect.

The next highest ones of the Sahabat al-kiram (Companions of the Prophet) were al-'Asharat al-Mubashshara, the ten people blessed with the good news of [going to] Paradise. After them, the highest Muslims were the 313 Muslims who took part in the Holy Battle of Badr. The next were the 700 brave Muslims who took part in the Holy Battle of Uhud. Next to them were the Bi'at ar-Ridwan, the 1400 Muslims who took the oath of allegiance to Rasulullah under the tree.

As-Sahabat al-kiram (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhum ajmain) sacrificed their lives and property for the sake of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) and assisted him. It is incumbent (wajib) upon us to mention the name of any of them with veneration and love. It is never permissible to say words unbecoming their greatness. It is a heresy to mention their names disrespectfully.

One who loves Rasulullah ('alaihi 's-salam) has to love all of his Companions. A hadith ash-Sharif says, "He who loves my companions loves them because he loves me. He who does not love them does not love me. He who hurts them hurts me. And he who hurts me hurts Allahu ta'ala. A person who hurts Allahu ta'ala will certainly suffer torture." In another hadith ash-Sharif he declared, "When Allahu ta'ala wants to favor one of my umma, He places in his heart the love of my Companions, and he loves them dearly."

For this reason, it should not be supposed that as-Sahabat al-kiram fought each other for becoming the Khalifa or satisfying their evil thoughts or their sensual desires. It is hypocrisy which leads one to ruination to speak ill of them out of such a supposition, since jealousy and desire for position and addiction to the world had been completely cleared away from their hearts by sitting in the presence of Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) and hearing his blessed words. They were corrected and became free from greed, ambition, grudge and evil nature; they were wholly purified. Considering the fact that a person who stays for a few days in the presence of one of the walis of the umma of the Exalted Prophet benefits from the wali's beautiful morals and excellences and gets clean of worldly ambitions, how could it ever be presumed that the Prophet's Companions, our masters, who loved Rasulullah more than anybody else and sacrificed their possessions and lives for him and abandoned their country for him and were fond of his company, which was nourishment for spirits, were not free from bad morals, that their nafses were not clean and that they fought for the carrion of this temporary world? Those great people were certainly cleaner than everybody. It is unbecoming to liken the disagreements and combats between them to those between us, an ill-willed people, or to say that they fought to satisfy their evil, sensual and worldly desires. It is not permissible to bear such improper thoughts against as-Sahabat al-kiram. A person who would say something against them should know that to be hostile towards as-Sahabat al-kiram is to be hostile towards Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam), and to speak ill of them means to speak ill of him, who educated and trained them. For this reason, the great men of Islam say that he who does not respect and have a high opinion of as-Sahabat al-kiram is in disbelief in Rasulullah. The battles of "Jamal" (Camel) and Siffin cannot be taken as grounds for slandering them. Because of some religious reasons, none of those who stood against Hadrat 'Ali in these battles was evil; in fact, they all deserved to be rewarded on the Day of Judgement. A hadith ash-Sharif says, "One reward will be given to the mujtahid who is mistaken, and two or ten to him who finds out what is right. One of the two rewards is for employing ijtihad. The other is for finding the truth." The disputes and combats among those great people of Islam were not out of obstinacy or hostility but because of their [different] ijtihads and out of their wish to carry out what Islam ordered. Each of as-Sahabat al-kiram was a mujtahid.(30)

It was fard for every mujtahid to act in accordance with the conclusion he had found by his own ijtihad, even if his ijtihad might not be in agreement with that of a mujtahid much higher than he. It was not permissible for him to follow another's ijtihad. Abu Yusuf and Muhammad ash-Shaibani, the disciples of al-Imam al-azam Abu Hanifa Numan ibn Thabit [d. Baghdad, 150 A.H. (767)], and Abu Sawr and Ismail al-Muzani, the disciples of Imam Muhammad ibn Idris ash-Shafi'i, [d. Egypt, 204 A.H. (820)], disagreed with their masters on many aspects, and about some of the things which their masters said 'haram' (forbidden) they said 'halal' (permitted), and about some of the things which their masters said 'halal' they said 'haram.' They cannot be said to be sinful or evil on that account. No one has said so, for they were mujtahids like their masters.

It is true that Hadrat 'Ali (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) was more exalted and learned than Hadrat Muawiya and Hadrat 'Amr ibn al-'As (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma). He had many superior qualities to distinguish him from them, and his ijtihad was stronger and sharper than their ijtihads. However, since all as-Sahabat al-kiram were mujtahids, it was not permissible for those two to follow the ijtihad of that great religious leader. It was necessary for them to act upon their own ijtihads.

Question: "In the battles of 'Jamal' and Siffin, a great many of the Muhajirun and Ansar among as-Sahabat al-kiram took part with, obeyed and followed Hadrat 'Ali. Though all of them were mujtahids, they considered it was wajib to follow him. This shows that it was wajib also for mujtahids to follow Hadrat 'Ali. They had to follow him even if their ijtihads did not agree with his, did they not?"

Answer: Those who followed Hadrat 'Ali and fought on his side joined him not with the view of following his ijtihad but because their ijtihads were in agreement with his ijtihad and showed that it was wajib to follow Imam 'Ali. Similarly, the ijtihads of many prominent Companions of the Prophet did not agree with that of Hadrat 'Ali, and it became wajib for them to fight against him. The ijtihads of as-Sahabat al-kiram happened in three different ways then: some of them understood that Hadrat 'Ali was right, and it became necessary for them to follow Hadrat 'Ali; another side saw that the ijtihad of those who fought Hadrat 'Ali was right, and it became wajib for them to follow those who fought Hadrat 'Ali and to fight against him; the third group said it would be necessary not to follow either side and not to fight, and their ijtihad required them not to enter into the war. All these three sides were certainly right and deserved to be rewarded in the next word.

Question: "The [above] answer shows that those who fought against Hadrat 'Ali (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anh) were also right. Whereas, the scholars of Ahl

as-Sunnat have said that Hadrat 'Ali was right, that his opponents were wrong, that they were forgivable because they had an excuse, and that they even gained thawab. What can be said about that?"

Answer: Al-Imam ash-Shafi'i and 'Umar ibn 'Abd al-'Aziz, two great men of Islam, said that it was not permissible to use the word 'wrong' about any of as-Sahabat al-kiram. For this reason, it was said, "It is wrong to say 'wrong' about the superiors." It is not permissible for inferiors to say such words as, "He did right," "He did wrong," We approve," or "We disapprove," about the superiors. As Allahu ta'ala did not dirty our hands with the blood of these great people, so we should protect our tongues against uttering such words as 'just' and 'unjust.' Those profound scholars who studied the evidences and events and said that Imam 'Ali was right and his opponents were mistaken, in fact, meant that if Hadrat 'Ali had the opportunity to talk with those on the other side, he would have led them to employ ijtihad in conformity with his ijtihad. As a matter of fact, Hadrat Zubair ibn Awwam was against Hadrat 'Ali in the Battle of "Jamal" but, after studying the facts more deeply, he changed his ijtihad and gave up fighting. The words of the scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat who consider the mistake as permissible should be taken as such. And it is not permissible to say that Hadrat 'Ali and those who were with him were on the just way and the other Companions of the Prophet, who were on the other side with our mother Aisha as-Siddiqa, were on the corrupt way.

These combats among as-Sahabat al-kiram were out of the differences of ijtihad in the branches of the Ahkam ash-Shariyya (the rules of Islam). They did not have any disagreements on the fundamentals of Islam. Today, some people speak ill and disrespectfully of the great men of Islam such as Hadrat Muawiya and 'Amr ibn al-As (radi-Allahu ta'ala 'anhuma). They cannot realize that they in reality defame and belittle Rasulullah (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) by defaming as-Sahabat al-kiram. It is written in Shifa' ash-Sharif that Imam Malik ibn Anas said, "A person who swears at and slanders Muawiya(31) and 'Amr ibn al-As(32) deserves the words he says against them. It is necessary to punish severely those who talk and write against and do not show respect for them." May Allahu ta'ala fill our hearts with the love for His Beloved's companions! Not hypocrites or sinful people but pious and Allah-fearing Muslims love those superiors.

Those who realize the value and greatness of Rasulullah's (sall-Allahu ta'ala 'alaihi wa sallam) Companions and who love and respect all of them and follow them are called Ahl as-Sunnat. Those who claim to love some of them and don't love others thus slander most of them, and those who do not follow any of them, are called Shiites. There are many Shiites in Iran, India and Iraq. There are none in Turkey. Some of them, in order to deceive the pure Muslim 'Alawis in Turkey, call themselves 'Alawi, which means 'Muslim who loves Hadrat 'Ali'. Loving someone necessitates following in his footsteps and loving those whom he loves; if they