العقيدة الاسلامية في ضوء القرآن والسنة

1. بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم Session Seven Islamic Belief [in Allah] In the Light of the Qur’an and the Sunnah العقيدة الاسلامية في ضوء القرآن والسنة

2. What applies to any applies to all Speaking about Allah’s attributes is like speaking about His essence Same names not equal to same reality Allah cannot be described by negation alone Whose words are known to be true? Most denial originates from tashbeeh Verses about attributes are not ambiguous (mutashaabih) Taking the apparent meaning does not equal tashbeeh Meaning of ta’weel Review of important principles

3. Followed the nine previous principles Say about Allah what He said about Himself – both affirmation and negation Understood Allah unlike anything we know Allah ordered us to reject those who turn away or deviate with regard to His Names Allah condemned anything attributed to Him outside of the speech of the messengers Ahlus-sunnah & allah’s attributes

4. The Companions and those who followed them • The four imams of the madhahib • Abul-Hassan Al-Ash’ari • Adhered completely to the above • He stood up to the fitnah of the Mu’tazilah and the destruction which philosophy had wrought • But he utilized kalaam to refute those deviations • Those after him strayed from the correct position Who’s position is this?

5. One and unique in His essence (dhaat) One and unique in all of His attributes of perfection Theory must be reflected in action The irrationality of acknowledging the Lord (Rabb) but failing to take Him as Deity (Ilaah) Tauhid – oneness/uniqueness of allah

6. A statement or declaration of action, not just a statement of fact Know its meaning Be certain in declaring it Accept it verbally and in the heart Submit to what it implies (Islam) Sincerity Purity and freedom from shirk Allegiance Declaration and its requirements

7. All acts dedicated to and pleasing to Allah • Essentials: fear, hope and love – dangers of imbalance in any of those • Pillars of worship • Purity of intention to Allah • Sincere resolve to obey allah • Correctness and freedom from innovation • No worship can be accepted w/o all of these Worship (‘Ibaada)

8. Giving or attributing to other than Allah what is exclusively for Allah • Shirk Akbar (Major) • Removes one from Islam • Lord OR Deity instead of OR along with • Not necessarily regarded as “equal” • Most serious of sins • Nullifies all other acts • Shirk Asghar (Minor) • Mixed intention • Mistakes Opposite of tauhid: shirk

9. This is an extremely important issue Devolution, not evolution Incorrect understanding based on stubborn atheism and weak historical record Qur’an only source of this knowledge Allah’s promise to Adam Messengers to every nation History of aqeedah

10. First community had tauhid, complete understanding of Allah Deviation followed after many generations Deviation begins from excess in veneration of the righteous Nooh was the first messenger sent to call people BACK to tauhid The weak followed him, the leaders were arrogant Great patience in da’wah Every time of need, Allah send messengers The prophets are one brotherhood The prophets will disown those who devolved their message Since adam: deviation over time