Mistakes that may occur in one’s ‘Aqeedah (belief)
Mistakes that may occur in one’s ‘Aqeedah (belief)
This article is written by ‘Abdullah ibn Baaz to all Muslims who may see it. May Allaah guide them to whatever pleases Him and increases their knowledge and sound faith. Ameen!
As-Salaamu Alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon you)
To proceed:
I was informed that a lot of people may make many mistakes in the ‘Aqeedah and do things that they may believe as Sunnah while they are pure Bid‘ah (innovations). Amongst these things are:
· Denying the Highness of Allaah The Almighty and His Istwaa’ (rising over) the Throne.
It is well established that Allaah The Almighty has explained this for us in His Noble Book saying:
{Indeed, your Lord is Allah , who created the heavens and earth in six days and then established Himself above the Throne.}[Al-A‘raaf: 54]
He The Exalted mentioned this in six Ayaat (verses) in His Noble Book and this verse in one of them. When Imaam Maalik, may Allaah have mercy upon him, was asked about how Allaah rose over the Throne, he said: “We know that He rose over it, but we do not know how. Believing in it is obligatory.” This is also the opinion adopted by the great scholars of our great Salaf (righteous predecessors).
Meaning of Istwaa’ is well known through the Arabic language which means to rise over. Allaah The Almighty says:
{So the judgement is with Allah , the Most High, the Grand.}[Ghaafir: 12]
He also says: {And their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.} [Al-Baqarah: 255]
He The Exalted also says: {To Him ascends good speech, and righteous work raises it.} [Faatir: 10]
There are many Ayaat proofs His Highness, Exaltedness, and that He The Almighty is over the Throne and over all creatures. This is the opinion of Ahl As-Sunnah wal Jamaa‘ah (the Adherents of the Sunnah and Muslim Community) of the companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and other scholars.
Accordingly, it is obligatory to belief in this, advise people to do so and warn them against believing in something other than this.
· Building mosques over graves, praying towards them and building tombs over them.
All of these things are means of Shirk (associating partners with Allaah The Almighty in worship). The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, cursed the Jews and Christians for they did so and warned against this. He, peace and blessings be upon him said: “May Allaah curse the Jews and the Christians, for they have taken the graves of their Prophets as places of worship.” [Reported by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim]
He, peace and blessings be upon him, also says: “Those who came before you took the graves of their Prophets and righteous people as places of worship. Do not take graves as places of worship – I forbid you to do that.” [Reported by Muslim from the Hadeeth of Jundub]
Imam Muslim also reported that Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullaah Al-Ansaari, may Allaah be pleased with them, said: “The Messenger of Allaah, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade plastering over graves, sitting on them and erecting structures over them.”
Indeed, there are many Hadeeths reported in this effect.
Consequently, Muslims have to keep away from these things, advise each other to renounce this for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, has warned against it. That is because it is one of the means of doing acts of Shirk with those who were buried in these graves such as supplicating them, seeking help and support from them and the like of the different kinds of Shirk.
It is well known that Shirk is one of the greatest, most grievous and most dangerous sins. Thus, it is obligatory upon everyone to guard himself against it and its means.
Allaah The Almighty has warned His slaves against this in many Ayaat. Amongst them are: Allaah The Almighty says:
{Indeed, Allaah does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills.}[An-Nisaa’: 48]
He The Almighty also says:
{And it was already revealed to you and to those before you that if you should associate [anything] with Allaah , your work would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers.}[Az-Zumar: 65]
He The Almighty also says:
{But if they had associated others with Allaah, then worthless for them would be whatever they were doing.}[Al-An‘aam: 88]
There are still many Ayaat in this regard.
· Calls upon the dead and absent:
Amongst the types of the major Shirk is calling upon the dead, absent people, jinn, idols, trees and stars, seeking their help, supplicating them to cure the sick and achieve victory over the enemies. This is the religion of the earlier polytheists of the pagans of Quraysh and the like as Allaah The Almighty says about them:
{And they worship other than Allah that which neither harms them nor benefits them, and they say, "These are our intercessors with Allaah.}[Yoonus: 18]
He The Almighty also says:
{So worship Allah , [being] sincere to Him in religion. Unquestionably, for Allah is the pure religion. And those who take protectors besides Him [say], "We only worship them that they may bring us nearer to Allah in position." Indeed, Allah will judge between them concerning that over which they differ. Indeed, Allah does not guide he who is a liar and [confirmed] disbeliever.}[Az-Zumar: 2-3]
There are still many Ayaat in this regard. They indicate that the earlier polytheists knew for certain that Allaah The Almighty is the Creator, Ar-Raaziq (The Provider), An-Naafi‘(Who brings benefits) and Ad-Daar (Who causes Harm). However, they worshiped their deities so that they may intercede for them with Allaah The Almighty and bring them nearer to Him. Accordingly, Allaah The Almighty deemed them disbelievers and polytheists. He The Almighty also ordered His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to fight them so that worship may be made to Him alone as Allaah The Almighty says:
{And fight them until there is no Fitnah and [until] the religion, all of it, is for Allaah.} [Al- Anfaal: 39]
Scholars have written many books in this regard. They explained in them the reality of Islam with which Allaah The Almighty sent His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, and revealed His books. They illustrated also in them the religion of people of Al-Jaahiliyah (pre-Islamic era), their beliefs and actions that goes against the religion of Allaah The Almighty. These scholars are like ‘Abdullaah the son of Imam Ahmad, eminent Imam Muhammad ibn Khuthaymah in his book entitled Kitaab At-Tawheed, Muhammad ibn Waddaah and many other scholars.
Amongst the best compilations in this effect is what Shaykh Al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, wrote in his multiple books. One of the most summarized of his books is Al-Qaa‘idah Al-Jaaliyah fi At-Tawassul wal waseelah. Amongst the other books in this regard is what Shaykh ‘Abdur Rahmaan ibn Hasan ibn Ash-Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul Wahaab, may Allaah have mercy upon them, in his book Fath Al-Majeed Sharh Kitaab At-Tawheed.
· Swearing by something other than Allaah The Almighty.
Amongst the reprehensible polytheistic actions are swearing by something other than Allaah The Almighty such as swearing by the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, or other than him from the people, swearing by the trustworthiness and all of these things are included in the reprehensible actions and prohibited polytheistic matters for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever swears by something other than Allaah is guilty of Shirk.” [Reported by Imaam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy upon him, on the authority of ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with him, with a sound Isnaad (chain of narrators)]
Also, Abu Daawood and At-Tirmithi reported in a sound Isnaad on the authority of ‘Abdullah ibn Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, may Allaah be pleased with them, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever swears by anything other than Allaah is guilty of Kufr (disbelieving in Allaah The Almighty) or Shirk.”
It was also proved that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever swears by trustworthiness is not one of us.”
Many other Hadeeths were reported regarding this matter.
Scholars are of the opinion that swearing by anything other than Allaah is included in the kinds of minor Shirk. Accordingly, one has to guard himself against this for it leads to the major Shirk.
The same ruling applies to the saying: What Allaah wills and what So-and-so wills, were not for Allaah and So-and-so, and this from Allaah and So-and-so. However, one has to says: What Allaah wills and then So-and-so wills, were it not for Allaah and then So-and-so, and this from Allaah and then So-and-so for it was authentically proved that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Do not say, What Allaah wills and what So-and-so wills, but rather say, what Allaah wills and then So-and-so wills.”
· Hanging up amulets and parts of prescribed Du’aa’s.
Amongst the other forbidden polytheistic matters that may people made is hanging amulets and parts of prescribed Du’aa’s that are made of bones, sea-shell or the like. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever wears an amulet, may Allaah not fulfill his need, whoever wears a sea-shell, may Allaah not give him peace, whoever wears an amulet has committed Shirk.”
He, peace and blessings be upon him, also said: “(Non-Prescribed) Ruqyah[1], amulets and love-charms are Shirk.”
These Hadeeths apply to things that contain parts of prescribed Du’aa’s and amulets that include Quran or other than it for the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, excluded nothing of his general words and also wearing amulets that have Quran may lead to wearing other than it. Accordingly, all of them are to be prohibited to eliminate the means that may lead to Shirk, realize the pure Tawheed (believing in the Oneness of Allaah The Almighty), and a kind of adhering to the general meaning of the Hadeeth. Only prescribed Ruqyah is permissible for the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, excluded it as long as it does not involve matters of Shirk and said: “There is nothing wrong with (prescribed) Ruqyah that does not involve Shirk.”
Some of the companions of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did Ruqyah. There is nothing wrong with Ruqyah. It is one of the permissible religious means if it is from the Noble Quran or authentic Hadeeths or involves clear words, that neither imply Shirk nor reprehensible words.
· Celebrating the birthdays.
Amongst the other reprehensible innovated matters is celebrating birthdays whether it is that of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, or anyone else. That is because the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, did not do it, nor the rightly-guided caliphs, nor the rest of the companions, may Allaah be pleased with them, and not those who follow them in righteousness in the three best centuries. However, it is introduced in the fourth century and after it by Faatimids and the like of Shiite. Then some of Ahl As-Sunnah did it due to their ignorance of the rulings of our religion, imitating those who did it of the people of Innovations. Therefore, we have to guard ourselves against this for it is one of the reprehensible innovations that is included in the Prophet’s saying: “Beware of newly-invented things, for every newly-invented thing is Bid’ah (innovation) and every innovation is a going-astray.”
And his saying: “Whoever innovates anything in this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), that is not part of it will have it rejected.” [Reported by Al-Bukhaari and Muslim from the Hadeeth of ‘A’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her.]
And his saying: “Whoever does anything that is not in accordance with this matter of ours (i.e., Islam), will have it rejected.” [Reported by Muslim in his Saheeh]
And his saying in his sermon: “To proceed: The best of speech is the Book of Allaah and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and the most evil of things are those which are newly-invented(in religion), every innovation is a heresy .” [Reported by Muslim in his Saheeh on the authority of Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullaah, may Allaah be pleased with them.]
We ask Allaah The Almighty only to guide us and all other Muslims to whatever pleases Him, grants us understanding in religion and keep us steadfast in it, guard us and all other Muslims against misguiding temptation and evil whispers of the devil. Indeed, He The Exalted is Able to do all that.
As-Salaam Alaikum wa Rahamtullaahi wa Barakaatuh
