Topic

ʿAqīdah

Islamic belief and creed.

12sayings

Topic

Sayings filed under this topic.

Jaʿfar Al-ṢādiqJafar Al-Sadiq on Abu Bakr and Umar

It is reported from Sālim b. Abī Ḥafṣah:

I asked Abū Jaʿfar and his son Jaʿfar (Al-Ṣādiq) about Abū Bakr and ʿUmar, so he replied, “O Sālim, love and ally yourself with them, and dissociate yourself from their enemy, for they were imāms of guidance.” Then he said, “O Sālim, would a man revile his own grandfather? Abū Bakr is a grandfather of mine. May the intercession of Muḥammad ﷺ not reach me on the Day of Resurrection if I do not love and ally myself with them and disassociate from their enemy.”

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar ʾAʿlām Al-Nubalāʾ 6:258.

Isḥāq b. RāhuwayhWho are The Jama’ah (Main Body of the Muslims)?

It is reported that Isḥāq b. Rāhuway – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

If you ask the ignorant: ‘Who are Al-Sawād Al-Aʿẓam (Main Body of the Muslims)?’ they will say, ‘All the people (together).’ But they do not know that The Jamā’ah (Main Body) is a scholar who follows the footsteps of the Prophet – Allāh’s praise and peace be upon him – and his way. So whoever is with him and follows him is [one of] The Jamā’ah, but whoever contradicts him in it leaves The Jamā’ah.

Abū Nu’aym, Ḥilyatu Al-Awliyā` 9:238,239 et al

Al-AwzāʿīFaith is not just in the heart [definition of Iman]

Imām Al-Awzā’ī – Allāh have mercy on him – said:

Faith (īmān) is not sound except with [correct] words. Faith and words are not sound except with [good] works. And faith, words and deeds are not sound except with [the correct] intentions in conformance to the Sunnah. Those who went before us of our Salaf did not separate faith from deeds: deeds are a part of faith, and faith is from [ones deeds]. īmān is a word that brings together these aspects of the religions [of Allāh] and is confirmed through [a person’s] works. So whoever believes in word, knows in his heart and confirms [his belief] through his works, then this is the strongest handhold that will never break. And whoever says [words of faith] but does not know [faith] in his heart nor confirms it with his works, it will never be accepted of him and he will be in the hereafter from those who suffer in loss. Ibn Ba tt ah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā article 1097.

Ibn Ba tt ah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā article 1097.

Al-Ḥasan b. Al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. Abī ṬālibLove for Ahl Al-Bayt when they obey Allah

It is reported that Al-Ḥasan b. Al-Ḥasan b. ‘Alī b. Abī Ṭālib – Allāh have mercy on him – said to a person from the Rāfiḍah:

Love us, but if we disobey Allāh, then hate us; for if Allāh was going to benefit anyone because of his relation to the Messenger of Allāh – peace and blessings be upon him, without obedience [to Allāh], He would have benefitted the mother and father [of the Prophet]. Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:486.

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā` 4:486.

ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmrCelebrating the Festivals of the Unbelievers

It is reported that ʿUmar b. Al-Khattāb – Allāh be pleased with him – said, “Stay well away from the enemies of Allāh during their festivals.”

He is also reported to have said, “Do not learn the speech of the non-Arabs (unbelievers) and do not enter upon the polytheists in their churches during their holidays, for the wrath [of Allāh] descends upon them then.” It is also reported that ʿAbdullāh b. ‘Amr b. Al-‘Āṣ – Allāh be pleased with him – said, “Whoever takes residence in the lands of the non-Arabs (unbelievers) and takes part in their Nayrūz and their Mahrijān (two Persian festivals) and copies them until the day he dies will be resurrected and gathered with them on the Day of Resurrection.” Al-Bayhaqī, Al-Sunan Al-Kubrā Vol. 9 p234. Ibn Taymīyah (see reference below) states that the chain of transmission for the second statement of ʿUmar is ṣaḥīḥ. Commenting on these narrations, Shaykh Al-Islām Ibn Taymīyah (Majmū’ Al-Fatāwā Vol. 23 p325) states, “So ʿUmar forbade the learning of their language and merely entering upon them in their churches on their festivals, so what about one who does what they do? Or what about someone who wants to do something that is part of their religion? Isn’t agreeing with them in actions even more serious than agreeing with them in their language? Isn’t doing some of the things they do in their festivals even more serious than just entering upon them during their festivals? And if the wrath [of Allāh] descends upon them during their festivals because of the things they do, isn’t the person who partakes in their actions or some of their actions exposing himself to the punishment for this? And the statement of [ʿUmar], ‘Stay well away from the enemies of Allāh during their festivals,’ isn’t this a prohibition from meeting with them and getting together with them? So what about a person who actually does what they do?”

Commenting on these narrations, Shaykh Al-Islām Ibn Taymīyah (Majmū’ Al-Fatāwā Vol. 23 p325) states, “So ʿUmar forbade the learning of their language and merely entering upon them in their churches on their festivals, so what about one who does what they do? Or what about someone who wants to do something that is part of their religion? Isn’t agreeing with them in actions even more serious than agreeing with them in their language? Isn’t doing some of the things they do in their festivals even more serious than just entering upon them during their festivals? And if the wrath [of Allāh] descends upon them during their festivals because of the things they do, isn’t the person who partakes in their actions or some of their actions exposing himself to the punishment for this? And the statement of [ʿUmar], ‘Stay well away from the enemies of Allāh during their festivals,’ isn’t this a prohibition from meeting with them and getting together with them? So what about a person who actually does what they do?”

ʿĀsim b. ʿUmar b. QatādahWe believed, they rejected [How the Salaf came to Islam]

‘Āṣim b. ʿUmar b. Qatādah [Al-Anṣārī] reports from some men amongst his people, “One of the things that called us to accept Islam – with the mercy of Allāh and His guidance – is what we used to hear from some Jewish men. We were polytheists who worshipped idols. They (the Jews) were people of scripture and had knowledge that we did not possess. There was always some badness between us; if we did to them something they hated, they would say to us, ‘The time is nigh when a Prophet will be sent, with whom we will fight and kill you like ‘Ād and Iram.’ We would often hear this from them. When Allāh sent His Messenger- Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – we answered him when he called us to Allāh the Exalted, and we recognized what they used to warn us about. So we preceded them to him; we believed in him and they disbelieved. And it is about us and them that these verses of Al-Baqarah were revealed:

And when there came to them (the Jews), a Book (this Qur’ān) from Allāh confirming what is with them (Torah) and the Gospel, although aforetime they had invoked Allāh (for coming of the Prophet), in order to gain victory over those who disbelieved. Then when there came to them that which they recognized, they disbelieved in it. So let the curse of Allāh be on the disbelievers.” [Al-Baqarah: 89] Ibn Hishām, Al-Sīrah Vol.1 p211, and others. Shaykh Muqbil Al-Wādi’ī graded this narrations chain of transmission ḥasan. See Al-Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Musnad min Dalā`il Al-Nubūwah p93.

Ibn Hishām, Al-Sīrah Vol.1 p211, and others. Shaykh Muqbil Al-Wādi’ī graded this narrations chain of transmission ḥasan. See Al-Ṣaḥīḥ Al-Musnad min Dalā`il Al-Nubūwah p93.

Abul-JawzāʾIn the company of Swine

It is reported that Abul-Jawzā` – Allāh have mercy on him – said, “I would prefer to sit with swine than to sit with the people of desires (heretics, adherents of bid’ah).”

Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā`, in his biography of the Abul-Jawzā`. He reported from a number of Companions, and Al-Dhahabī considered him to be one of the senior scholars.
Al-Ḥasan Al-BaṣrīThe Many Pretenders of Faith [Munafiqun]

It is reported that Al-Ḥasan Al-Baṣrī – Allāh have mercy on him – used to say, “If it were not for the munāfiqūn, you would feel all alone in the streets (the streets would be empty).”

It is also reported that Al-Sha’bī – Allāh have mercy on him – said the same thing, “If it were not for the munāfiqūn, you would feel all alone in the streets (the streets would be empty).” It is reported that Mālik b. Dīnār – Allāh’s mercy be upon him – said, “I swear, if the munāfiqūn started growing tails, the believers wouldn’t find a spot of ground to walk on.”

Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā articles 936-938.

Al-Layth b. SaʿdThe Heretic Miracle Worker

It is reported that Imām Layth b. Sa’d – Allāh have mercy on him – said, “Even if I saw a heretic (follower of bid’ah) walk on water, I would not accept him.” This was reported to Imām Al-Shāfi’ī – Allāh have mercy on him, to which he replied, “He didn’t go far enough. Rather, if I saw one walk in the air, I would not accept him.”

Al-Lālakā`ī, Sharh Usūl ‘I’tiqād Ahl Al-Sunnah Vol.1 p228; Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā Vol2. P175; Ibn Al-Jawzī, Talbīs Iblīs p14 – with slightly variant wordings.
ʿAlī b. Abī ṬālibAli on the Status of Abu Bakr and Umar

Muḥammad b. Al-Ḥanafīyah – Allāh have mercy on him – reports, “I asked my father (‘Alī), ‘Who is the best person after Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him?’ He replied, ‘Abū Bakr.’ I said, ‘And then who?’ He replied, “Then Umar.’ I feared he would say ‘Uthmān; I said, ‘And then you.’ He said, ‘I am just a man amongst the Muslims.’”

Al-Bukhārī and others. Commenting on ʿAli’s response ‘I am just a man amongst the Muslims,’ Ibn Ḥajr states in Fatḥ Al-Bārī, “He said this out of modesty and humbleness, despite knowing that at the time of asking he was the best of people at the time, for this was after the killing of ‘Uthmān.” May Allāh be pleased with them all.

May Allāh be pleased with them all.

Al-AwzāʿīAl-Awzāʿī: Allāh is above His ‘Arsh

Imâm Al-Awzâ’î – Allâh have mercy on him – said:

We used to say – while the Tâbi’ûn were abundant – that Allâh is above his ‘Arsh (Throne), and we believe in what is present in the Sunnah about His attributes. Al-Baihaqî, Al-Asmâ` wa Al-Sifât and Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ` in his biography of Al-Awzâ’î. In Majmû’ Al-Fatâwâ, Shaykh Al-Islâm Ibn Taymîyah says that this narration is reported by Al-Baihaqî in Al-Asmâ` wa Al-Sifât with a sahîh chain of narrations. He then states, “Al-Awzâ’î here cited – and he is one of the four great imâms of the period of the Tâbi’ Al-Tâbi’în (the students of the students of the Companions): Mâlik, imâm of the people of Al-Hijâz; Al-Awzâ’î, imâm of the people of Shâm; Al-Layth, imâm of the people of Egypt and Al-Thawrî, imâm of the people of ‘Irâq – Al-Awzâ’î here cited that belief in Allâh being above the Throne and in His other revealed attributes was well known and widespread in the period of the Tâbi’în. He said this following the emergence of the creed of Jahm, who denied that Allâh is above His Throne and negated His attributes, so that people would know that the creed of the Salaf was contrary to this.”

In Majmû’ Al-Fatâwâ, Shaykh Al-Islâm Ibn Taymîyah says that this narration is reported by Al-Baihaqî in Al-Asmâ` wa Al-Sifât with a sahîh chain of narrations. He then states, “Al-Awzâ’î here cited – and he is one of the four great imâms of the period of the Tâbi’ Al-Tâbi’în (the students of the students of the Companions): Mâlik, imâm of the people of Al-Hijâz; Al-Awzâ’î, imâm of the people of Shâm; Al-Layth, imâm of the people of Egypt and Al-Thawrî, imâm of the people of ‘Irâq – Al-Awzâ’î here cited that belief in Allâh being above the Throne and in His other revealed attributes was well known and widespread in the period of the Tâbi’în. He said this following the emergence of the creed of Jahm, who denied that Allâh is above His Throne and negated His attributes, so that people would know that the creed of the Salaf was contrary to this.”

Imām Al-ShāfiʿīImām Al-Shāfi’ī: Evidence that the Believers will see their Lord

Abū Ibrāhīm Al-Muzanī, the companion of Imām Al-Shāfi’ī reports:

I heard Al-Shāfi’ī comment on the statement of Allah: Nay, they (the unbelievers) will be on that day veiled from their Lord. [Al-Muṭaffifīn: 15] He said, “In this verse there is evidence that the awliyā` of Allah (His beloved righteous worshippers) will see their Lord on the Day of Resurrection.” Al-Lālakā`ī in Sharḥ Usūl I’tiqād Ahl Al-Sunnah wa Al-Jamā’ah Vol.2 p309.

Al-Lālakā`ī in Sharḥ Usūl I’tiqād Ahl Al-Sunnah wa Al-Jamā’ah Vol.2 p309.