Bismillahi rahmani rahim: I have read a very intreasting article that posed a most fundamental question. As part of this disscusion on Tawheed can any one answer the following question so that we may all learn something: Where is Allah [s.w.t] ?

Bismillahi rahmani rahim. Brother Salaf this is a good topic and I for one will not let it go. It is so very intreasting, that many muslims do not even know about the basics of tawhid. This is an article by Abu'ala Maudoudi. Tawhid: Faith in the Unity of God The most fundamental and the most important teaching of Prophet Muhammad (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) is faith in the unity of God. This is expressed in the primary Kalimah of Islam as "There is no deity but Allah" (La ilaha illallah). This beautiful phrase is the bedrock of Islam, its foundation and its essence. It is the expression of this belief which differentiates a true Muslim from a kafir (unbeliever), mushrik (one who associates others with God in His Divinity) or dahriyah (an atheist). The acceptance or denial of this phrase produces a world of difference between man and man. The believers in it become one single community and those who do not believe in it form an opposing group. For the believers there is unhampered progress and success in this world and in the hereafter, while failure and ignominy are the ultimate lot of those who refuse to believe in it. But the difference between the believers and the unbelievers does not result from the mere chanting of a few words. Obviously, the mere utterance of a phrase or two is not in itself important. The real difference lies in the conscious acceptance of this doctrine and complete adherence to it in practical life. Mere repetition of the word 'food' cannot dull hunger; mere chanting of a medical prescription cannot heal the disease. In the same way, if the Kalimah is repeated without any understanding, it cannot work the revolution which it is meant to bring about . This can occur only if a person grasps the full meaning of the doctrine and accepts and follows it in letter and spirit. We avoid fire because we know that it burns; we keep away from poison because we know that it can kill. Similarly, if the real meanings of Tawhid are fully grasped, we avoid, in belief as well as in action, every form of disbelief, atheism and polytheism. This is the natural consequence of belief in the Unity of God.

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim: The Salafi Da'wah with Respect to Other Jamaa'ahs Author: Shaikh Naasir ud-Deen al-Albaanee I will say a true word after which no Muslim can argue after the truth appears to him.Firstly, the Salafee da'wah is an ascription to what? 'Salafee' is an ascription to the 'Salaf' (pious predecessors), so we have to know who the Salaf are and then what this ascription means and its importance as regards its meaning and implication. The Salaf are the people of the first three generations whom the Messenger of Allaah (S) declared to be good in the authentic and mutawaatir hadeeth recorded in al- Bukhaaree and Muslim and others from a group of the Companions that he said: "The best of people is my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them.", i.e the first three generations. So the Salafees attach themselves to the Salaf, and if we know the meaning of 'Salaf' and 'Salafee' then we should bear two things in mind. That this attachment is not to a single person or persons, as is the case with other Jamaa'ahs present in the Muslim world. This is not an attachment to a person or even tens of people, but to that which will not err, since it is impossible that the Salaf would unite upon error, as opposed to the people of later times, since with regard to the later generations, there is no text speaking in their favour. Rather, in general, they are spoken ill of in the end of the previous hadeeth: "Then there will come a people who give witness and their witness is not asked for...", and in other ahaadeeth there occurs: "A group of my Ummah will not cease to be upon the truth..." So this is a praise for them but a censure of the rest since the praise is for a particular small group. Linguistically, 'Taa'ifah' is used to refer to a single person or more. Thus if we understand this meaning of the 'Salafees' and that they attach themselves to the Salaf- and that if the Muslim clings to that which the Salaf were upon - then here we come to the second matter: That after this is understood, it is not possible for any Muslim but to be a Salafee, since we have understood that in attaching oneself to the Salaf one has attached himself to that which cannot err. This is taken from the hadeeth: "My Ummah will not unite upon error," and it is not correct to refer this to the people of later ages; those present today. In addition to that is the ahaadeeth referring to what happened to the previous peoples - the Jews and the Christians - and what will befall the Muslims, regarding splitting into sects, saying: "The Jews split into seventy-one sects and the Christians into seventy-two, and my Ummah will split into seventy-three sects. All of them are in the Fire except one." The Companions said, "Who are they, O Messenger of (S)?" He (S) replied "They are the Jamaa'ah." This shows who is meant in the previous hadeeth "My Ummah will not unite upon error" since they are the saved sect, along with those who have their outlook and follow them. Those Salafus-Saaliheen are those whom Allaah has warned us against opposing them or against following a way other than theirs, saying: If anyone contend with the Messenger even after guidance has been plainly conveyed to him, and follows a path other than that becoming to men of faith, We shall leave him in the path he has chosen, and land him in Hell - what an evil refuge! [sooratun-Nisaa aayah 115] I have many times pointed out to our brothers the wisdom of our Lord's attaching in this aayah 'the following of a way other than that of the believers' to 'the opposing of the Messenger', what is the wisdom in that, since even if the aayah did not contain the part about following a way other than that of the believers, then the first part about opposing the Messenger (S) would have been enough to earn the person the evil end mentioned. However, it is not possible that the second part has no relevance, and we seek Allaah's refuge from such a thing. Its wisdom is shown by Imaam Ash-Shaafi'ee's using it as a proof of Ijmaa' - meaning: 'He who takes a way other than that of the Companions'- who are unerring - and they and those who follow them are the Jamaa'ah whom the Messenger of Allaah (S) declared to be the saved sect. They are those whom it is not permissible to oppose - for one who wishes to be saved from Allaah's punishment on the Day of Resurrection. Therefore the Muslims have to be aware today, who are the Muslims mentioned in this aayah? And then, what is the wisdom in Allaah's intending the Salafus-Saalih and those who follow them? The answer has preceeded and is, in brief, that they are the Companions who were present when the revelation came down, and who took it direct from the mouth of the Messenger (S). They saw the Messenger (S) living among them following the revealed rulings of the Qur'aan, many of whom were explained by his (S) sayings. However, the later peoples do not have this excellence - that they heard the Qur'aan and the Sunnah direct from his mouth - nor did they see how he (S) followed the texts of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah his practice, and from the wisdom is his (S) saying: "Being informed is not like seeing for yourself." So those who did not see him are not like his Companions who saw him and heard his words directly and saw how he acted. Today there is a very nice saying which some people are distinguished by - but it would be nicer if put into practice. They say in their speeches and lectures, "that it is upon us to make Islaam take practical shape upon the earth." However, if we do not understand Islaam, and understand it according to the understanding of the Salafus-Saalih, then we cannot put this saying into practice. But those who were able to do that were the Companions of the Messenger (S) due to the two reasons that we have mentioned: a) That they heard his words directly and therefore their retention of it is better than ours; b) Then there are affairs which need explanation through his (S) action, and they saw that. I will give you a very clear example. There are some aayaahs in the Qur'aan which a Muslim cannot understand unless he knows the Sunnah, which explains the Noble Qur'aan, as Allaah ta'aalaa says: WA ANZALNAA ILAIKADH-DHIKRA LITUBAYYINA LINNAASI MAA NUILA ILAYHIM (We have revealed the Reminder to you in order that you may explain to the people what has been revealed to them). Allaah ta'aala's saying: AS-SAARIQU WAS SAARIQATU FAAQTA'OO AIDEEHIMAA. (The male and the female thief: Cut off their hands). Let us produce the Seebawaih (a great scholar of the 'Arabic language of early times) of this age and let him explain this aayah. Language wise he will not be able to define the 'saariq' (thief) nor the 'yad' (hand). Who is the thief whose 'yad' is to be cut? What is the 'yad' that should be cut? He cannot answer! In the language anyone who steals even an egg is a thief, and the 'yad' goes right up to the shoulder. The answer lies in the aayah mentioned previously : WA ANZALNAA ILAIKADH-DHIKRA. The answer is found in the explanation of the Messenger (S) for the Qur'aan. That explanation is found in the practice - for this and for many other aayaahs. He who reads the 'science of Usool' finds that there is 'General and Particular', 'Unrestricted and Restricted' and 'Abrogating and Abrogated' texts - comprehensive words under which come tens if not hundreds of texts, general texts restricted by the Sunnah - and I will not prolong this further in order to answer the rest of the questions.

Bismillahi rahmani rahim. This is a call for everyone to voice their opinions on this matter so that we may all benefit from the disscusion. On e-bay there are hand made shikr beads with prices starting from $100. Before a person shells out some cahs on these things, should we not ask our selves this question Is the practice acceptable as illustrated by the quran, the sunnat and the the practice of the ashabah and the salih? Or is it a Bid'ah in islam to use them ? Thanking you in advance.

Opinions differ about the exact composition of Imaan. The different views can be summarized as follows: The view of Ahlus-Sunnah wa al-Jamaah : According to this view, the locus of Imaan is in the heart, tongue and physical actions. Imaan increases and decreases. Deeds form a part of Imaan. Some of such deeds are essentials, others are required and yet others are recommended. This does not preclude the possibility that true believers commit sins. Such sins, even major sins if they are less than kufr and Shirk, do not take the person out of the fold of Islam. In the Hereafter, the sinner may be punished in the Hell-fire or be forgiven by Allah. However, all people who have even the slightest amount of Imaan in their hearts will eventually be rescued from Hell and entered into Paradise. This is the belief that was passed from the Prophet to his Companions and their followers. It is the only view that takes into consideration of the different relevant pieces of evidence from the Qur'an and Sunnah. Ibn Abu al-Izz wrote, "(The Prophet saw) has made it absolutely clear that a person is definitely not a mu'min (a believer) if it is claimed that he believes in the Prophet but does not profess it with his tongue, even though he can, nor does he offer salaat, nor fasts, nor loves Allah and His Prophet , nor fears Him. If, he also hates the Prophet and fights against him (then he obviously cannot be called a believer). He has also made it clear that our happiness and position in the hereafter depends upon our statement of the testimony of faith and our sincerely believing Allah's unity and acting accordingly. For instance, he said, "Imaan has more than seventy parts, the highest is the confession that there is no god except Allah, and the lowest is removing, a harmful object from the road."1 Abu Dawud "Modesty is part of Imaan."2 Abu Dawud "The most perfect mu'min (believer) is the one who is best in character."3 At-Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ahmad "Simplicity in dress is part of Imaan"4 Ibn Majah, Abu Dawud If Imaan has different parts and each part is called Imaan, it follows that Salat is Imaan, Zakat, and hajj are Imaan, virtues such as modesty, trust, fear, and submission, even removing an obstacle from the way, are part of Imaan. Some of these are so basic, like the two Shahaadah, that if you lose them you lose Imaan completely; others are so marginal, such as removing an obstacle from the road, that if you lose them, you do not lose Imaan. In between the two, we have numerous parts of varying importance, some next only to the Shahaadah, and others only a little more important than removing an obstacle from the way. As the parts of Imaan are Imaan, similarly the parts of kufr are kufr. To judge according to the rules revealed by Allah is part of Imaan, and to judge against them is kufr.5 Ibn Abu al-Izz, vol 2, pp. 471-475 The view of the khawaarij : According to this view, the locus of Imaan is the heart, tongue and physical actions. But in this view, if anyone falls shorts in his deeds (such as failing to perform an obligatory deed or actually performing a major sin), he becomes a disbeliever, falls outside of the fold of Islam and will be in Hell forever. This view clearly contradicts the Qur'an and the Sunnah. For example, Allah has prescribed a punishment for the person who commits adultery. That punishment is not the same as the punishment of apostasy. This is because the one who commits such a sin does not, by that act itself, remove himself from the fold of Islam. The view of the Mutazilah : According to this view, the locus Imaan is the heart, tongue and physical actions. They supposedly took a position between the above two positions. They stated that a greater sinner is neither a believer or a disbeliever; he falls somewhere between the two. At the same time though, they say that such a person will be in the Hell-fire forever. In order to come to this conclusion, they have to reject numerous authentic and confirmed reports from the Prophet that believers who commit such sins will be rescued from the Hell-fire. The view of the Murjiites of the Jurists: According to this view, the locus of Imaan is the heart and the tongue, and it excludes physical deeds. The deeds of the heart are included but not the physical acts that a person performs. Acts are only the fruit of faith and do not make up one of the essential components of faith. Imaan is, in essence, tasdeeq or affirmation in the heart. Therefore, it is as one level and cannot possibly increase or decrease. This view also contradicts the Qur'an and Sunnah. The Qur'an and Sunnah clearly demonstrate that Imaan increases and decreases. Furthermore, numerous hadeeth also demonstrate that acts do form part of Imaan. The view of the majority of the Maturidis: According to this view, the locus of Imaan is the heart and the tongue, and it excludes physical deeds. They also say that Imaan neither increases or decreases, since it is tasdeeq or affirmation of the heart. They differ from the Murjiites in that they say that the deeds of the heart are also not included as part of Imaan, only the statements or beliefs in the heart. Some of them even exclude the statements of the tongue as part of Imaan, arguing that it is only a sign of Imaan and not a components of Imaan. The view of the Asharites and many Maturidis: According to this view, the locus of Imaan is the heart only. Imaan is only tasdeeq or affirmation in the heart. Imaan does not increase or decrease. They exclude all deeds, deeds of the heart as well as of the body. A person is a perfect and complete believer even if he does not perform any corresponding deeds, as long as tasdeeq is in his heart. They do not exclude statement of the tongue and argue that a person does not have to make the testimony of faith - so he will be considered a disbeliever in this world while he is a believer in his heart. This view also contradicts the Qur'an and the Sunnah in many aspects. Imaan being only tasdeeq would imply, for example, that Abu Taalib was a believer and should be in Paradise. However, this is not what the Prophet stated about him. The view of many of the Murjiites : According to this view, the locus of Imaan is the heart only. Imaan does not increase or decrease. Many of them do include the deeds of the hearts and not just tasdeeq. At the same time, they exclude all other deeds, including statement of the tongue. The view of the Jahmites : According to this view, the locus of Imaan is the heart only. However, it is not tasdeeq (belief, affirmation) but it is simply marifah or having knowledge of Allah. Most scholars have declares the Jahmites to be outside the fold of Islam due to such beliefs, Commenting on the Jahmites, Ibn Abu al Izz wrote, Al-Jahm ibn Safwaan and Abul Husayn al-Saalihi, a leading Libertarian (Qadari), believe that Imaan is a kind of knowledge in the heart…[This] implies that the Pharoah and his people were believers since they knew that Moses and Aaron, peace and blessings of Allah be on them, were true prophets even though they denied them. This is clear from what Moses said to the Pharoah, "You know very well that these things have been sent down by none but the Lord of the heavens and the earth as eye-opening evidence" (al-Isra 102). The People of the book knew that Muhammad was the Prophet just as they knew their own sons, but they were not believers in him. In fact, they were his deniers and opponents. Abu Taalib too would be among his believers according to their view, for he is reported to have said [in lines of poetry], "I know that the religion of Muhammad, Is the best of all the religions of mankind. We I not to be scolded and abused, I would have confessed it openly." Actually even Iblis, also, would be a perfect believer according to al-Jahm's view. He did not plead ignorance of Allah. He knew him well as he said, "My Lord, give me then respite till the Day the dead are raised" (Al-Hijr 36), "My Lord, because you have put me in the wrong…" (Saad 82). For al-Jahm, kufr is ignorance of Allah. No one, however, is more ignorant of Allah than him, for he reduces Allah to a Being as such and strips Him of all His attributes. There can be no greater ignorance than this. He is therefore a disbeliever (kafir) according to his own testimony. (Ibn Abu al-Izz, vol. 2, pp. 459-462) The view of the Karramites : According to this view, the locus of Imaan is the tongue only. In other words, a person who states the testimony of faith is considered a complete and true believer regardless of what is in his heart. Ibn Abu al-Izz said about them, According to their view, the hypocrites are perfect believers. Nevertheless, they believe that the hypocrites will suffer the punishment which Allah has promised for them. Thus they contradict themselves. With respect to the views of the Asharites, Maturidis, and Murjiites, it is very important to realize that Imaan is not simply faith or belief in something, which is opposite of disbelieving in something. That is not the correct concept of Imaan whatsoever, as is clear from the verses of the Qur'an and Sunnah . On this point, Ibn Abu al-Izz wrote, Imaan is not in contrast to takhdheeb (to deny) but tasdeeq (to affirm, to believe) is. Imaan, however, is in contrast to kufr, which is not necessarily just takhdheeb. If I say, "I know that you are truthful (saadiq), but I will not follow you, rather I will oppose you and hate you," I will be guilty of Greater kufr (kufr Akbar). Hence it is clear that Imaan is not simply tasdeeq, nor is kufr simply takdheeb. Kufr is sometimes takdheeb but sometimes more than that, where it includes opposition and hostility. On the other hand, Imaan is not only tasdeeq; it is more than that, wherein it includes assent (muwaafaqah), love (muwalaat) and submission (inqiyaad). tasdeeq does not give the whole meaning of Imaan; and Islam (submission) is only part of Imaan. If however, tasdeeq is regarded as a [synonym of Imaan], then it should be taken in a wider sense which includes action also. For this wider meaning of the term one can refer to the hadeeth of the Prophet , "The eyes fornicate, and their fornication is to look; the ears fornicate; and their fornication is to hear…and the private parts confirm it (yusaddiqu) it or deny (yukadhdhibu) it." Recorded in Bukhari and Muslim Hasan al-Basri, may Allah bless him, said, "Imaan is neither formal conformity nor vain expectation; it is what settles in the heart and is confirmed by action." Recorded by Abdullah Ibn Abi Shaybah, al-Musannaf, Vol 11 pp 22 If it is tasdeeq, it is a particular kind of tasdeeq… (Ibn Abu al-Izz, Vol 2, pp 471-475) Ibn Uthaimeen has also emphasized the fact that Imaan is not simply composed of 'belief' in the heart, in the sense that one affirms that there is no one worthy of worship but Allah. Instead, along with that 'belief' other components must be present for it to be the correct form of Imaan that is acceptable to Allah. He wrote, "Imaan is the affirmation that requires acceptance and submission. If a person believes in something without acceptance of submission, that is not Imaan. The evidence for that is that the polytheists [Arabs] believed in Allah's existence and believed in Allah as the Creator, Sustainer, Giver of Life, the One who Brings forth Death and the Manager of the Affairs of the Universe. Furthermore, one of them even accepted the messengership of the Prophet Muhammad but he was not a believer. That person was Abu Talib, the uncle of the Prophet . But that [belief in the Prophet saw] will not avail him whatsoever because he did not accept and submit to what the Prophet brought.

An illustration of salafist/ahlusunnah-wal-Jama'a thinking: The Concept of Imaan By Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo What is Imaan (faith)? Who is a believer? What is disbelief? Who is a disbeliever? These questions appeared very early in the history of Islaam. Unfortunately, they also led to differences of opinion as well as division among the Muslims. In the first century of Islam, the khawaarij had developed their own theory of faith and began to call many of the Muslims of that time disbelievers. In response to them came a group such as the Murjia, Jahmiyyah and others whose definitions of Islam embraced everyone regardless of their deeds. Another group, the Mutazila, developed their own theory which was termed the 'position between the two positions'. Through all of this, though, by the grace of Allah, the position of the Quran and Sunnah on these questions was clear and propagated by the true followers of Islaam. In the opening pages to his work, Haqeeqat al-Imaan indahl al-Sunnah wal Jamaah, Muhammad Abdul Hadi Al-Misri makes a very important point. This important point is not only valid for the question of faith and disbelief but is valid for practically all aspects of faith. If Muslims would keep this principle in mind, many of the differences among them would be removed and they would be guided to the true teachings of the Quran and Sunnah. The point he made is this: When it comes to any concept from the Quran and Sunnah, historically speaking, there have been two approaches to determine its correct meaning. The first approach is to discover the meaning of that concept from the Prophet as he passed on such knowledge to his Companions, and then to their followers. The second presupposed premises, discover its meaning from a linguistic and logical point of view without first studying how Allah and the Prophet explained those terms. The first approach is the approach of Ahlus Sunnah wa al-Jamaah while the second approach is that of the heretical groups. In fact, these two approaches are what really distinguishes the correct way of Islaam from the distorted, later-invented views of the religion . On this point Ibn Taimiyah wrote: "One must understand that if any term is found in the Quran or hadeeth, and its explanation is known and its purport made clear by the Prophet , there is then no need to use as evidence the statements of the linguists or others….The words salaat, zakat, siyaam (fasting), hajj found in the words of Allah and His Messenger have had their meanings clarified by the Messenger of Allah . The same is true for the word khamr (intoxicant) and others. From him, one knows their meanings. If anyone wants to explain such terms in any way other than how the Prophet explained that term, such an explanation will not be accepted…The terms Imaan, Islam, nifaaq (hypocrisy) and kufr are more important terms in such a way that it is not necessary to look for their linguistic origins or how they were used by the (pre-Islamic) Arabs and so forth. Therefore, it is a must that, while trying to determine the meanings of such terms, one refers to how Allah and His Messenger explained those terms. Their explanation is clear and sufficient… The heretics have been misled on this matter. They turn away from this method (just described). Instead they begin to explain the religion of Islam based on some premise that they believe to be sound, either concerning linguistic meaning or rational thought. They do not ponder or consider the explanation of Allah and His Messenger. Every premise that goes against the clarification of Allah and His Messenger is certainly misguidance. (Ahmad Ibn Taymiyyah, Al-Imaan, pp 271-273) Al Misri adds that the one who will truly follow the methodology of going to the Qur'an and the Sunnah is the one who firmly believes that the Prophet explained the entire religion in a clear manner to his Companions and that those Companions passed the clear knowledge on to their followers and so forth . (al Misri pp 10) Everything that essentially needs to be known of the meaning of the Qu'ran has been given by the Prophet himself. This fact should be something fundamental and obvious to all Muslims. In theory it may be so. I practice, however, many people fail to apply this point and start looking elsewhere concerning matters that have already been made clear in the Qur'an and Sunnah. The question of Imaan is a very clear illustration of this point.

Bismillahi rahmani rahim: A definition of tazkiyyah: Taken from www.allahuakbar.net Tazkiyah means The purification of one's heart and the soul Allah conferred indeed a great favor on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (i.e., Muhammad-sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam) from among themselves reciting unto them His Verses (i.e., the Qur'an ) and purifying them (from sins by their following him) and instructing them in the Book (i.e., the Qur'an ) and Wisdom (i.e., the Sunnah), while before that they had been in manifest error." - The Qur'an 3:164. The Qur'an and Sunnah are the only sources for tazkiyah. The Prophet Muhammad- sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam-is the purest of mankind in soul and his character was that of Qur'an. There is none who approaches him in this. For this reason he is the model for tazkiyah. Allah says: "Indeed in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example to follow..." - The Qur'an 33:21. The Prophet's Companions and the rest of Salaf-us-Saliheen are also, as a whole, a fine model to follow in tazkiyah. There is no way of drawing closer to Allah except by adhering to what the Prophet Muhammad-sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam-came with. The Prophet-sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam-has said: "If anyone introduces into this affair of ours anything which does not belong to it, it is rejected." - Al-Bukhari and Muslim. There does not exist any specific set of acts which lead to tazkiyah rather the whole of Islam leads to tazkiyah. Allah says: "O you who believe! Enter perfectly into Islam (i.e., obey all the regulations of the Islamic religion) and follow not the footsteps of Satan, Verily! He is to you a plain enemy." - The Qur'an 2:208 The farce referred to as "Sufism" has corrupted the beliefs, deeds, and morals of the Muslims. The True Manhaj stands between the two extremes of mysticism (i.e., Sufism) and scholastic formalism(i.e Mu'Tazilah). This Manhaj represents a true exemplification of piety. It is faith and not hypocrisy, purity and not filth .

And by the sun and its brightness; and by the moon as it follows it,; and by the day as it shows up (the sun's) brightness; And by the night as it conceals it; And by the heaven and Him who built it; and by the earth and He who spread it; and by Nafs (Adam or a soul or a person) and Him who perfected him in proportion; Then he showed him what is wrong for him and what is right for him; Indeed, he succeeds who purifies his himself, and indeed he fails, who corrupts himself..." (Surah ash-Shams, 91:9-10) An article on Tazkiyyah : Jamaal al-Din M Zarabozo; taken from his Commentary on the Forty Hadith of Al-Nawawi, vol.1, pp. 158-160 Some people ask: Why is it that the unbelievers are punished in hell forever while they were not disobedient to Allah forever? Similarly, why will the believers be rewarded with heaven forever while they were obedient to Allah for only a short time in this life? The answer is that the unbelievers had the intention to disobey Allah forever while the believers had the intention to obey Allah forever. Thereby, they are rewarded according to their intentions . As al-Qaari pointed out, entrance into Paradise is due to faith, the levels of Paradise are due to the deeds performed and remaining therein forever is due to the intention that the person had to obey Allah as long as he could have lived. Similarly, entrance into Hell is due to disbelief, its levels are due to the evil deeds that the person performed and its eternity is due to the intention the unbeliever had to forever disobey Allah. The disbelievers may do some deeds that seem to be good because they bring positive results for others, such as humanitarian acts. However, that does not mean that such acts are good for the person himself. Ibn Rajab stated, Ordering good is a type of charity. Bringing about reconciliation and peace between two is a good deed, even if it is not done for the sake of Allah, due to the benefit that it brings for others. The people receive goodness and good. However, as for the one who brought it about, if he did that for the sake of Allah and seeking His pleasure, then it is good for him and he shall be rewarded. If that was not his intent, it is actually not good for him nor shall he be rewarded for it. The problem with the deeds of all the disbelievers- in general- is that none of them, no matter how utilitarian or humanitarian they seem, are for the sake of Allah. They perform deeds for the sake of the false, claimed gods, such as Jesus. Or they perform deeds to make their own egos feel good. Sometimes- many times- they do acts to impress others. Hence, their deeds are never really for the sake of Allah and therefore, they are not deserving of reward from Allah in the Hereafter. They claim to be doing good while at the same time they are refusing to submit to Allah. Hence, there can truly be no good in them. They are as those described in the Qur'an, " Say (O Muhammad): Shall We tell you the greatest losers in respect of (their) deeds? Those whose efforts have been wasted in this life while they thought they were acquiring good by their deeds? Those are they who deny the signs of their Lord and the meeting with Him [in the Hereafter]. So their works are in vain, and on the Day of Resurrection, We shall not give them any weight. That shall be their recompense - Hell, because they disbelieved and took My signs and My Messengers by way of jest and mockery." (al-Kahf, 18/103-106) However, Allah may reward them for their deeds in this world. Allah has stated, as was mentioned earlier, "Whosever desires the life of this world and its glitter, to them We shall pay in full (the wages of) their deeds they did therein, and they will have no diminution therein. They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but Fire; and vain are the deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that which they used to do." (Hood, 11/15-16 )

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim. My brothers in Islam, it is known with sure knowledge, that the source of this religion – all of it – is the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah. Allah said : (And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves, refer it to Allâh and His Messenger. [An-Nisaa, 4:59] And He said: And obey Allah and obey the Messenger. [Al-Maa`idah, 5:92] So the infallible source, from which falsehood cannot come from before or behind, is the revelation, originating with its two source; the Book of Allah (i.e. the Qur’an) and the Sunnah. Allah has taken it upon Himself to preserve these two (sources), as He said: Indeed We have revealed the Dhikr (the revelation), and indeed we will safeguard it. [Al-Hijr, 15:9] The Dhikr (revelation) is not only the Qur’an, but it is the Qur’an and the Sunnah, as the Prophet said: “Indeed I have been given the Book and with it something similar.” [Narrated from Abu Dawud and others with an authentic chain, from al-Miqdaam Ibn Ma’dakirab] Allah has guaranteed that He will safeguard His Book from any distortions and exchanges (of words), and likewise, He has guaranteed to safeguard the Sunnah of His Messenger, Muhammad . This Ummah was on a good path in its initial origin. It didn’t know evidences or documented references except for the saying of Allah and the saying of His Messenger . If some matter came to them from Allah or from His Messenger , they would take it, and if an opinion came to them they would stop, and if that opinion agreed with the Qur’an and Sunnah, they would take it, and whatever contradicted (the Qur’an and Sunnah), they would return it to he who said it. Even once, Ibn ‘Abbas was talking to the Companions of the Prophet , that completing ‘Umrah (the lesser pilgrimage) before Hajj was obligatory. So some of them said: “But Abu Bakr and ‘Umar didn’t see that completing ‘Umrah before Hajj (was binding). They saw that performing Hajj separately was preferable.” So he said the famous statement: “I see that they (those who said this) will soon be destroyed. I say ‘The Prophet said…’, and they say ‘Abu Bakr and ‘Umar said…’” [Narrated by Ahmad] And in a narration from Ibn Raahawiyah and Ibn Hazm it says: “By Allah, I do not see you ceasing until Allah has punished you. We tell you ‘From the Prophet ‘ and you tell us ‘From Abu Bakr and ‘Umar’”. It is not that the statements of Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, have no value – for they are the best of men and the most preferred of all the living creatures on the face of this earth after the Prophets and Messengers; their acceptance, thoughts, intelligence, taqwa (consciousness of Allah), piety and wisdom was all for Allah’s religion. And (even) with all of that, the statement of any one of them is worth nothing, if it contradicts the saying of Allah or the Messenger . The people have proceeded upon this magnificent guidance, which is following the sayings of Allah and His Messenger in belief (‘aqeedah), worship, judgements, transactions, character and manner, without turning to the saying of anyone else. The Sahaaba used to make ijtihaad (deductive reasoning to arrive at a ruling) in a matter wherein there was no text, using the well-known methods of ijtihaad. So Abu Bakr said, “I say, that my opinion in it, that if I have said right, then that is from Allah alone, and if I have erred, then that is from myself.” So opinion – it is the field wherein you either take or reject, but if there comes a statement from Allah or His Messenger , then we do not put forward the statement of anybody, no matter who he is (before the statement of Allah or His Messenger ). This is in accordance with His saying: O you who believe! Make not (a decision) in advance before Allah and His Messenger, and fear Allah. Verily, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. [Al-Hujuraat, 49:1] And this Ummah used to have concern, with stringent consideration, of gathering what the Messenger of Allah said, and listening to it, to benefit from it. There was never in this Ummah levels of soothsayers (or fortune tellers), like what is found in some of the false religions and schools of thought. However, there must be an intermediary between the saying of Allah and between you – O mankind. Yes, Allah said: So ask the people of the Dhikr (the reminder i.e. the learned people of the Qur’an and Sunnah) if you do not know. [An-Nahl, 16:43] It is only that you should ask them about the Dhikr, so if something comes along which you are sure you don’t comprehend from the sayings of Allah and His Messenger in this matter, then Allah orders you to ask the people of the Dhikr. And who are the people of the dhikr? Indeed, they are the people of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. So say to him, “Teach me, inform me, clarify for me – what is Allah’s ruling, and what is the Prophet’s ruling in this matter?” So when you follow, don’t follow the statement of the people of dhikr, but only follow the dhikr itself, and that is the Qur’an and the Sunnah. This Ummah was on a good path, and its manhaj (methodology) was through this way – listening to the speech of Allah, then taking from it, being guided by it and knowing it with the right of comprehension, without complexities and problems. Then, the speech of the Prophet , which is like the speech of Allah simplified. He said: And We have indeed made the Qur’an easy to understand and remember; then is there anyone who will remember (or receive admonition)? [Al-Qamar, 54:17] And this Ummah used to forbid taqleed (blind imitation). And it is taking a saying without any evidence, like a man who stands up and talks to some people about some matters and thoughts, and he didn’t mention any evidence for it, or from where he took it. So whoever follows him on this statement, then he is a Muqallid (blind-follower) . The man goes and they follow him without any comprehension of what he said! So that is why taqleed is a tremendous evil; it is the destroyer of man’s intelligence and understanding. And this Ummah was highly regarded; illuminating intelligence and cognizance, when it was benefitting from Allah’s rulings from the speech of the Prophet . The Sahaaba, they were the leaders of the people of knowledge and religious verdicts, and in particular, the four Rightly-Guided Caliphs; Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan and ‘Alee, may Allah be pleased with them all. Their minds were outstanding, and their verdicts were the closest to the words of the Messenger of Allah . And despite all of that, they would fear that they would say something concerning Allah’s religion using (only) their opinions. Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq even said: “What sky would shelter me, and what earth would carry me, if I was to say something about the Book of Allah that I do not know?” And this is (‘Umar) al-Farouq, when he was reading ‘Abasa wa tawallaa (the 80th chapter of the Qur'an), until he reached the verse: “And fruits and herbage” [80:31] He said, “We know what is faakihah (fruits), but what is al-abb (translated here as ‘herbage’)?” Then he said, “Verily, your life, O Ibn al-Khattab, is indeed takalluf (a lot of unnecessary questioning)!” Its chain of transmission is authentic. (Takalluf) is whatever knowledge which; its shape, type and substance is unnecessary to know. And ‘Umar (of course) really did know, that al-abb (herbage) was from the earth’s vegetation. Yes, indeed, the Sahaaba used to fear saying something to the people based on their own opinions, and they used to redirect people with strength to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet . So, the majority of scholars and people of religious verdicts look within the Qur’an and Sunnah. Indeed, the Sahaaba – they were the leaders of religious verdicts, and some of them became famous because of it, like Ibn ‘Umar . He was the Imam of the people of Madinah, and the majority of the Taabi’oon (the generation after the Sahaaba) from the people of Madinah took from him. And Ibn ‘Abbas - he was the Imam of the people of Makkah. And Mu’aadh Ibn Jabal – he was the Imam of the people of Yemen, and afterwards he became the Imam of the people of Shaam. And Ibn Mas’ood - he was the Imam of the people of ‘Iraq. So the Companions of the Prophet were distributed (around the Arabian peninsula), and their students, known as the Taabi’oon, started taking from them ‘Aqeedah and Fiqh, and taking from them the hadeeth of Allah’s Messenger . So the Taabi’oon related narrations of the Prophet from the Sahaaba, and the narrations mostly consisted of the worded hadeeth of Allah’s Messenger . And mankind continued to be upon goodness. Then after that, there came another level from the Taabi’oon. They spread the hadeeth of Allah’s Messenger , and they forbade to be blindly-imitated. And mankind continued to be upon goodness. Then there came the great leaders. It is well-known about them that they severely forbade their blind-imitation and following, that was even mentioned in their books; all of them used to say and proclaim: If my saying contradicts a sayings of the Messenger of Allah , then throw my saying against the wall and don’t take notice of my saying. Rather, take from where I took . Without doubt, indeed the saying of the Messenger of Allah is easier than most of the statements of the Faqeeh (scholar of jurisprudence) and others. And this was how the Ummah was; listening to the speech of Allah and His Messenger , for the reason of being guided by it. And if some matter troubled them, then they asked the people whom their Lord described in His saying: So ask the people of the Dhikr (the reminder i.e. the learned people of the Qur’an and Sunnah) if you do not know. [An-Nahl, 16:43] Then, the evil entered upon the Ummah, when it left the Book of its Lord and the Sunnah of its Prophet . It divided its religion into innumerable parts with multifarious beliefs. And a quick look to a book from the books of some of the groups (of that time reveal as an example), like: “Al-Milal wa`n-Nihl” (“The Religions and Sects”) of Ash-Shahrastaani, and “Al-Firq bayna al-Firq” (“The Group between the Group”) of ‘Abdul-Qaadir Al-Jarjaani; or “Ikhtilaaf al-Muslimeen wa ‘Aqaaid al-Musalleen” (“Differences of the Muslims and Beliefs of those who Pray”) of Abu`l-Hasan Al-Ash’ari. This shows you how many creedal divisions were apparent before the completion of the first three centuries after the Hijrah. Then, there arose the contemporary Salafi Da'wah, returning the Muslims and taking them by the hand back to the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger , upon the (understanding) of the As-Salaf As-Saalih (the righteous predecessors). Shaikh 'Abdus-Salaam Zoud [imam of Masjid Ahlus-Sunnah, Sydney I Invite others on SOL who accept this reasoning ( I shrink away from calling them salafiya or salafists or anything apart from ahlus sunnah wal-jama'a) to clarify further the salafist da'awah.

Bismillahi rahmani rahim. Brother Nur thank you for the article. The following quote illustrates the proper way of debating with fellow muslims and the correct way of reacting to the mistakes and the diffrences with fellow muslims. Thabit al Bunani (rahimahullaah) said: "A lad who was trailing his garment (i.e. below his ankles) passed by Sila Ibn Ashyam (rahimahullaah) and his companions, and his companions wanted to harshly rebuke him. Sila said, 'Leave him be, I will deal with him for you.' He said to him, 'Nephew, I need something from you.' He asked, 'What do you need?' He (Sila) replied, 'I want you to raise your wrapper (i.e. ezaar).' He (the lad) said, 'Yes, and may your eye be blessed.' He raised his wrapper, and Sila (rahimahullaah) remarked to his companions, 'This is the same as what you wanted; [and yet] if you had abused him, and injured him, he would have vilified you.' ...And we must fulfill all of our rights towards these people; these righteous people, [even though] we might differ with [them] in some opinions, and we might believe [that they] are mistaken [concerning certain issues]. And they might even be mistaken in some big issues, but all that we know of them [says] that they are righteous people, and that they are people of Knowledge An excerpt from a lecture given by Jamaal al-Din Zarabozo entitled 'Sticking to Islam'

Thank you. Jazaha Allah khair

Bismilahi rahmani rahim. ^^^^Sister not to razz you or anything, but this is perhaps the twentieth post that I have seen you posting soley on the length of another persons post. Alright maybe some articles are long but better they be long and fully explained than terse and contradictory. Brother Nur, the men at eldoret are glorified to a level that does not become them by calling them anarchists. It is an oxymoron but anarchism is still a creed and an ideology. These men are just plain rapacious.

Bismillahi Rahmani Rahim. Sister Salafiyah that was a good question.. This was the response of Mufti Ebrahim Desai, Darul Ifta Camperdown South Africa. It is good concise reponse: Question: In Islam, why dogs are considered impure animal? Response: All creatures are the creation of Allah Taãla and do deserve the recognition of being a creation of the Almighty. As much as Muslims detest even the sight of pigs - it is the creation of Allah Taãla - and because Allah has placed life into it, we cannot inflict pain nor torture the pig. Similarly Allah Taãla created the dog from among His creation. This does not mean that we should love the dog. It is perhaps the indoctrination of the Western culture that 'The dog is Man's best Friend'. The theory that 'dogs are very dependent on Human affection' is a myth - again culture and custom has helped to develop this unnatural behaviour. Allah Taãla the Creator of this Universe - having created the dog would surely have known that the dog requires Human affection and love to exist in this world. Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) would have advised us, Muslims, to keep dogs as pets. On the contrary, we are instructed not to keep dogs as pets and 'love' them as exemplified by the non-Muslims. Remember our life is structured and bound by the Shariah i.e. The Noble Qurãn and the beautiful example of Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam). Consider these Ahaadith: Hadhrat Abu Talha (Radhiyallaahu Ánhu) reports that Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) said, "Angels do not enter a house wherein there is a dog or an animate picture. (Sahih Bukhari Hadith no. 2986) Hadhrat Ibn Abbas (Radhiyallaahu Ánhuma) reports from Hadhrat Maimoona (Radhiyallaahu Ánha) that once Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) became sad; and said that Jibra'eel (Álayhis Salaam) promised to meet him at night but did not turn up. "By Allah what has kept him back," said the Prophet (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam). Then he realised a puppy was under his bed. He ordered that the puppy be removed and the area be sprinkled with water. In the afternoon when Jibra'eel (Álayhi Salaam) came, Rasulullah (Sallallaaahu Álayhi Wasallam) enquired as to the delay. Jibra'eel (Álayhi Salaam) said that we, the group of Angels do not enter a house wherein there is a dog or pictures. (Sahih Muslim Hadith no.3928) In the light of these Ahaadith and other narrations it is not permissible to keep dogs as pets. The household is deprived of the Mercy of Allah Taãla. However, Jurists have stated that it is permissible to keep a dog for security purposes, farming and hunting. The saliva of a dog is Najis (impure). if it touches the clothes or body, that portion also becomes impure and must be washed. and Allah Ta'ala Knows Best

^^^^sorry bro got to disagree with you on that one. There are some really sick people out there. In many states of the U.S a person may only be prosecuted if he uploads a video with SOUND, he is let off if it does not have recorded sound. A loop hole but not one anyone want's to fall through.

After asking the man on the street these are the responses I got : Farax abdille 23 Engineer: No there arent any Mishkaki bin Kabab 31 Home maker: No there arent any Axmed Yusuf 5 professional drooler: Is a pewfect guy a ken doll, you know the type of person that looks good, pretends to listen and gets locked in a cupboard when there are visitors Ali Jamac Madax chebis 4 also a professional drooler: No thats a barbie doll My take on this: There are not any good men left But your going to end up with the other ones so dont worry your preety little heads about it.

what is the natural habitat of this species of women? Is there any sort of habits that, the other ladies need to know about, are they nocturnal or do they hide behind advertisments of shampoo to jump upon unsuspecting consumers? :eek: Is muufo the main source of nourishment of these women and ergo is the simple calculation of muufo * middle aged woman a safe bet? Where can the ladies by special anti-nosey edoo sprays to ward of these attacks upon already fragile ego's. Perhaps there is a special time of day when the sun is just over the horizon, where people can come out and fetch water with out fear, because these ladies have been temporarily blinded? I need more information in the event that my sisters ever ask me such a question.

Another silly season of fears about a terrorist attack on oil refineries, one reporter actually used the words "god forbid" in reference to the possibility of such an attack.

Yes, he has made his point.

Somalia.

^^^ Yea brother suldaan there 101 reasons that the A.U will not actually do anything or even succed in any endevour they might undertake in somalia. On the other hand the 1 reason that they should take part outweighs all the other's, namely anything is better than what we got now.

The difference between beige, ecru, cream, off-white, and eggshell.... is the price.

^^^The amusing fact about this thread is that half of the people that posted on it construe the issue of dialect to be central in the deterioration of the somali BBC service, whilst the other half enter the disscusion with the assumption that, there having been a deteriration is an obvious fact that has been agreed upon before hand. In speaking of the present day irrelevance of the BBC somali service am I being led to believe that any of the radio services dedicated to the promotion of warlords or the arguments for tribal bantustans are doing any better?

Walaahi that just so sad. It could have been the future of any of us. Who will remeber him after the video?

I hope pearls message was not edited on my account, cause I can take a joke.