Chapter 1

When is the obligation of believing in something established?

1. When it is proven to us in the books of the Imams of din—especially the scholars of the principles of din—that a command is from the beliefs of Muslims, from the essential known commands of din, or from the beliefs of the Ahlus Sunnah, then we must acknowledge and accept that without denial. The evidence for that is that the Imams, upon whom we rely and depend in this issue, mentioned it in their books that are circulated among the people of knowledge, without any denial. The necessity of believing this does not depend on our knowledge of the evidence and proofs. It is sufficient for us to know, in general, that it definitely has evidences. Whoever knows it, knows it, even if we do not know it. It is sufficient for us to know that it is possible for a qualified scholar to understand it in brief and in detail.

If the obligation to believe that it is one of the beliefs of Islam—or the Ahlus Sunnah—was dependent on the general Muslims and every individual person’s knowledge of its evidence in detail, contrary to what I have said now, then this will result in catastrophes and calamities. Among them being—which is the greatest of them—the necessity of declaring the disbelief of many of the masses who do not know the evidences of many of the fundamental beliefs of Islam—let alone the issues of the Ahlus Sunnah—such as monotheism, the truth of the prophethood of Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, etc. They only know that there is evidence and proof for it, known to the former and latter scholars, that they do not lie, and that our lack of knowledge of that evidence does not harm the validity of iman and the establishment of that belief. This is the general evidence, wherewith a person comes out of the reprehensible al Taqlid al Haqiqi (literal taqlid) to al Taqlid al ‘Urfi (conventional taqlid), which is not reprehensible in the fundamentals and more so in subsidiaries, for those who are unable to comprehend the details.

What indicates to the fact that knowing the evidence in detail is not obligatory on individuals, especially if they are incapable, is that you find many great scholars mention the beliefs of Islam and the Ahlus Sunnah in their concise books, devoid of detailed evidence or even general evidence.^[1] There is no doubt that they only compiled it for people to rely on them and receive the beliefs of Islam from them. This is because they know that if a person believes in the beliefs contained therein, this belief is sufficient for him to be saved from entering Jahannam and remaining in it forever. Otherwise, what is the benefit in mentioning the belief without it being accompanied by evidence and proofs?

We have many books explaining beliefs and the principles of iman of this type, both in prose and poetry. Among the famous books in prose are:

The well-known ‘Aqidat al Imam Abi Jafar al Tahawi.
The well-known ‘Aqidat al Imam Najm al Din al Nasafi, which is circulated among scholars and students.
‘Aqidat Ibn al Hajib.
‘Aqa’id al ‘Adud al Iji.
‘Aqidat al Imam Taj al Din al Subki, printed at the end of Jam’ al Jawami’.
Mizan al ‘Aqa’id of Shah ‘Abdul ‘Aziz ibn Shah Wali Allah al Dihlawi.^[2]

Among the well-known poetry books are:

Jawharat al Tawhid of al Imam Ibrahim al Laqqani.
Bad’ al Amali of ‘Ali ibn ‘Uthman al Awshi al Hanafi.
Jawahir al ‘Aqa’id by Mawla Khadir Bak al Hanafi

and other books composed in poetry and prose, new and old, whether according to the Ash’ari or Maturidi school. It is difficult to encompass and enumerate them in this hastily compiled book.

It is not a condition that these books have an uninterrupted chain of transmission from the reader to the author, let alone the isnad (chain of transmission) being mutawatir (consecutively narrated); because the prevalence of the matter, the fame of its attribution (to the author), and the prevalence of its status among people in the East and West, non-Arabs and Arabs, students and teachers, make it independent of isnad and tawatur. Rather, this fame and prevalence are in fact stronger than uninterrupted chain of transmission and tawatur.

2. There is no doubt that a Muslim must believe in the laws that these trustworthy Imams mention in their books. He does not have the right to say he is not obligated to believe in them until he knows their evidence, whereas he knows the status of these Imams in the field of knowledge and din, that they have mentioned these beliefs and issues in their books, it is well-known among the people of knowledge that these are the beliefs of the Muslims and the Ahlus Sunnah, and no reliable person has objected to them.

Likewise, he also does not have the right to say, when he has knowledge of some of their evidence and is not satisfied with it, that he is not obligated to believe in this law until it is proven to him by evidence other than this, evidence which is conclusive and free from all defects. As for this evidence, this belief cannot not be proven by it, due to its weakness or ‘illah (defect), or because of the objections that arise from it. Rather, he must accept this belief completely and then he should continue searching for an answer to the objections on that evidence. Alternatively, he can search for other evidence that satisfies him. This is recommended or obligatory for him, according to the difference of opinion regarding this among the scholars.^[3]

If he knows through those reliable books that the belief of the Muslims is such and such, and the belief of the Ahlus Sunnah is such and such, but he does not believe in that due to his lack of knowledge of its evidence or due to the evidence not being conclusive to him; then he is a disbeliever who will remain in Jahannam forever, and he is an innovator and a sinner, out of the doctrine of the Ahlus Sunnah, the authors of these books.

Can there be any doubt about that? How can he not be out of what these Imams are upon while he denies it or denies some of it? The amazing thing is that you find people who do not acknowledge this reality, but rather insist on including him within the circle of Islam and the Ahlus Sunnah, while its perpetrator is in reality insisting on remaining outside and does not want to enter this circle. Glory be to Allah, the distributor of intellect.

3. When we understand what has been mentioned above, then many of the problems that this Ummah is experiencing now, such as the confusion of the disbelievers and the doubts of the innovators, would be solved. An apostate comes in the guise of a Muslim, casting doubt on the finality of the prophethood of Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the obligation of the five daily Salah, the disbelief of the Jews, Christians, and other disbelievers, the eternity of the disbelievers and even their entry into Jahannam, and similar issues which are definitely among the known commandments of din, by raising doubts and suspicions for which there is no solution or answer among many of those who are called scholars in our time, let alone the common Muslims. Does that mean that we regard the issue of the finality of the prophethood and the obligation of the five daily Salah and similar necessary issues suspended and undecided, until we subject them to the scale of criticism and research? Then, when the evidence is established for them and it becomes clear that they are definitive, then only are we obligated to believe in them? Until that time, we do not agree with what all the scholars have said in their books; because the evidence has not yet become clear and taqlid is not permissible in beliefs?

I wonder, should we suspend the many matters of the Ahlus Sunnah—such as the transcendence of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala from place and direction, the universality of His will for all possibilities, and establishing that all the Companions radiya Llahu ‘anhum were men of integrity and trustworthy—until all the objections and confusions that the innovators bring up are answered in a conclusive scholarly manner? Before that, we are not obliged to believe that they are from the beliefs of the Ahlus Sunnah, whereas the Imams of the principles of din have agreed that they are from the beliefs of the Ahlus Sunnah, merely because they did not mention evidence for it or they mentioned it but it is not free from criticism according to us, so the belief cannot be established?

There is no doubt that we are not waiting for a large global council to be held, wherein Muslims discuss the disbelievers and apostates, and the Ahlus Sunnah debate the sects of innovators; until the veracity of all our beliefs is proven, which will be binding on all the people. Until then, we do not excommunicate anyone nor do we declare any monotheistic Muslim an innovator. We can never expect such a council to be held. Rather, we say that din has been firmly established. The call of our Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam has reached the horizons and filled the earth, from Hijaz, Greater Syria, and Iraq, to all directions, in various and diverse forms and ways.^[4] The books of the Imams of din have joined forces and the Muslims are unanimous that certain matters are considered to be among the beliefs of Islam and the Ahlus Sunnah. Thus, whoever receives this information must believe in them, whether he investigates for its evidence and reaches the goal, or does not reach it, or does not investigate for the evidence at all.

4. When this is our method of proving the obligation of beliefs, then we say: It has been proven in a well-known and widespread manner in the speech of the most reliable scholars of Islam and it has been established in the reliable books of the scholars of the principles of din, that Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthman are superior to ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib radiya Llahu ‘anhum and it is obligatory to believe in this superiority in this sequence. We acquired this from the statements of our sheikhs, and likewise, we found it in the books of our former and latter Imams. We do not know of any criticism from any of the Ahlus Sunnah on this belief at all.

To this extent, it is obligatory upon us—if we want to join their path, enter their circle, and follow their method, as is obvious and self-evident—to believe in what they have made obligatory to believe. Whoever does not believe in that will be regarded as one of the innovators, who are out of their school and circle. Thereafter, there is no benefit in the argument that these Imams did not mention any evidence for us for the accuracy of this belief, or that some of them mentioned evidence but it only benefits in conjecture, even if it creates conviction and definitiveness for others, and beliefs are only established through definitive evidence.

There is no benefit in arguing through these statements, nor clinging to such excuses when it is proven to him that scholars—among the former and latter reliable Imams of the Ahlus Sunnah—have declared in books—which are among the reliable sources of the Ahlus Sunnah—that this is one of the beliefs of the Ahlus Sunnah. It must be believed. Whoever denies what must be believed is considered an infidel or an innovator, regardless of whether they mentioned the evidence or not, or the type of evidence if they mentioned it. It was proven to him, without any doubt, that no reliable person redressed these Imams for saying that it is obligatory to believe in this order of superiority. In fact, the latter scholars strengthened the school of the former scholars and added to its clarification, evidence, justification, etc. Yes, when this has been proven to him, then these excuses will not benefit. He must believe in it. Thereafter, he can search for its evidence in the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the consensus of the Ummah as much as possible. If he does not believe that, then he is an innovator of a method other than the method of the Ahlus Sunnah, he has deviated from the path of the Ahlus Sunnah, and he is following a path other than the path of the believers.

When a person researches the view of the Ahlus Sunnah and their school on this issue, the issue of the superiority of Sheikhayn over the two sons-in-law (‘Uthman and ‘Ali) radiya Llahu ‘anhum, he will definitely find that it is established in the statements of the Companions, Tabi’in, and Mujtahid Imams, and the books of the jurists and theologians. He will find that they regarded this belief as one of the commands that must be believed in their books and writings.

5. The superiority of Sheikhayn in virtue was declared by ‘Ali radiya Llahu ‘anhu himself as well as his son, Muhammad ibn al Hanafiyyah, and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar. In fact, by all the Companions radiya Llahu ‘anhum and Tabi’in. Our Imams have stated that there is no difference of opinion among them regarding this, as we will prove with their texts, Allah willing.

This is what the senior great Imams, the leaders of mankind, and the full-moons of time considered to be a belief that must be believed, such as Abu Hanifah, Malik, al Shafi’i, Ahmed, al Bukhari, Muslim, the authors of the Sihah^[5], Sunan, Masanid^[6] and dictionaries, Abu al Hasan al Ash’ari, Abu Mansur al Maturidi, al Tahawi, al Qadi al Baqillani, Ibn Furak, al Ustadh al Isfarayini, Imam al Haramayn, al Hafiz al Bayhaqi, Ibn ‘Abdul Barr, al Hujjah al Ghazali, al Mazari, al Qadi ‘Iyad, Abu Bakr ibn al ‘Arabi, Abu al Mu’in al Nasafi, Najm al Din al Nasafi, Abu al ‘Abbas al Qurtubi, Fakhr al Din al Razi, Muhyi al Din ibn ‘Arabi, al Qadi al Baydawi, al Saif al Amidi, al Safi al Hindi, al Imam al Nawawi, al Taqi al Subki, al Hafiz Ibn Kathir, al ‘Adud al Iji, al Taj al Subki, al ‘Allamah al Sa’d al Taftazani, al Sayed al Sharif al Jurjani, al Kamal ibn al Humam, Sheikh Ahmed Zarruq, al Hafiz Ibn Hajar al ‘Asqalani, al Imam al Suyuti, al Imam al Qastallani, Sheikh al Islam Zakariyya al Ansari, Ibn Abi Sharif al Maqdisi, al Muhaqqiq al Dawani, al Qadi Khadir Bak, al Muhaqqiq al Khayali, al Imam al Sanusi, Sheikh Ibn Hajar al Haytami, al Sayed Ahmed al Sarhindi, Sheikh ‘Abdul Haqq al Dihlawi, al Laqqani and commentators of his book Jawharah, Shah Wali Allah al Dihlawi, al ‘Allamah al Farhari, Ahmed Rida Khan, al Muhaddith al Kabir Khalil Ahmed al Saharanpuri, and many others from the East and the West, whose number is only known by Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala.

This belief is also established and spread in dozens, in fact, hundreds of books in the field of theology, Sufism, Tafsir of the Qur’an, and commentaries of Hadith. They are too many to be enumerated. In fact, even books of language and literature are not free from it. Imam of Arabic, Ibn Malik, said in his al Khulasah:

أولى به الفضل من الصديق

كلن ترى في الناس من رفيق

You will not find among people any companion, more deserving of virtue than al Siddiq.

NEXT⇒ Chapter 2 – The issue of Tafdil (superiority) in Islamic Belief – Introduction

^[1] Yes, for the issue to be mentioned in the book of a reliable Imam and no reliable scholar denying it, is considered a general proof. Whoever acquires this belief from that Imam is considered a muqallid in the terminology of the Shari’ah.

^[2] I was honoured to work on it. It was printed by Dar al Nur al Urduniyyah with the collection of Khams Rasa’il in 1434 AH/2013 CE.

^[3] Refer to the fourth chapter (Taqlid in the principles of din and the differences of scholars regarding it) of my book Hujjat Allah al Balighah, pg. 249-406.

^[4] Refer to the first chapter (The Islamic invitation: Its preaching and achievements) of my book Hujjat Allah al Balighah, pg. 37–124.

^[5] Plural of Sahih.

^[6] Plural of Musnad.

BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents

Chapter 1

When is the obligation of believing in something established?

1. When it is proven to us in the books of the Imams of din—especially the scholars of the principles of din—that a command is from the beliefs of Muslims, from the essential known commands of din, or from the beliefs of the Ahlus Sunnah, then we must acknowledge and accept that without denial. The evidence for that is that the Imams, upon whom we rely and depend in this issue, mentioned it in their books that are circulated among the people of knowledge, without any denial. The necessity of believing this does not depend on our knowledge of the evidence and proofs. It is sufficient for us to know, in general, that it definitely has evidences. Whoever knows it, knows it, even if we do not know it. It is sufficient for us to know that it is possible for a qualified scholar to understand it in brief and in detail.

If the obligation to believe that it is one of the beliefs of Islam—or the Ahlus Sunnah—was dependent on the general Muslims and every individual person’s knowledge of its evidence in detail, contrary to what I have said now, then this will result in catastrophes and calamities. Among them being—which is the greatest of them—the necessity of declaring the disbelief of many of the masses who do not know the evidences of many of the fundamental beliefs of Islam—let alone the issues of the Ahlus Sunnah—such as monotheism, the truth of the prophethood of Muhammad salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, etc. They only know that there is evidence and proof for it, known to the former and latter scholars, that they do not lie, and that our lack of knowledge of that evidence does not harm the validity of iman and the establishment of that belief. This is the general evidence, wherewith a person comes out of the reprehensible al Taqlid al Haqiqi (literal taqlid) to al Taqlid al ‘Urfi (conventional taqlid), which is not reprehensible in the fundamentals and more so in subsidiaries, for those who are unable to comprehend the details.

What indicates to the fact that knowing the evidence in detail is not obligatory on individuals, especially if they are incapable, is that you find many great scholars mention the beliefs of Islam and the Ahlus Sunnah in their concise books, devoid of detailed evidence or even general evidence.^[1] There is no doubt that they only compiled it for people to rely on them and receive the beliefs of Islam from them. This is because they know that if a person believes in the beliefs contained therein, this belief is sufficient for him to be saved from entering Jahannam and remaining in it forever. Otherwise, what is the benefit in mentioning the belief without it being accompanied by evidence and proofs?

We have many books explaining beliefs and the principles of iman of this type, both in prose and poetry. Among the famous books in prose are:

The well-known ‘Aqidat al Imam Abi Jafar al Tahawi.
The well-known ‘Aqidat al Imam Najm al Din al Nasafi, which is circulated among scholars and students.
‘Aqidat Ibn al Hajib.
‘Aqa’id al ‘Adud al Iji.
‘Aqidat al Imam Taj al Din al Subki, printed at the end of Jam’ al Jawami’.
Mizan al ‘Aqa’id of Shah ‘Abdul ‘Aziz ibn Shah Wali Allah al Dihlawi.^[2]

Among the well-known poetry books are:

Jawharat al Tawhid of al Imam Ibrahim al Laqqani.
Bad’ al Amali of ‘Ali ibn ‘Uthman al Awshi al Hanafi.
Jawahir al ‘Aqa’id by Mawla Khadir Bak al Hanafi