Monday, November 24, 2008

IMPORTANCE OF THE BELIEF

After correcting ’aqa’id (faith, beliefs), the teachings to be believed, we should learn and obey halals [1], harams [2], fards [3], wajibs [4], sunnas [5], mandubs [6] and makruhs [7] from books of fiqh [8] written by the scholars of Ahl as-Sunna [9]. We should not read the heretical books published by ignorant people who could not understand these great scholars. Those Muslims who have a belief unconformable to the faith of Ahl as-Sunna will not escape going to Hell in the next world — may Allahu ta’ala protect us! If a Muslim whose faith is correct is slack in ’ibadat (worship), he may be forgiven even if he does not make tawba (repentance). Even if he is not forgiven, he will be saved from Hell after torture. The main thing is to correct one’s faith. Khwaja ’Ubaid-Allah al-Ahrar [qaddas-Allahu ta’ala sirrahu’l-aziz, d. Samarqand, 895 A. H. (1490)] said, ‘If I were given all the kashfs (revelation) and all the karamat [10], yet were deprived of the faith of Ahl as-Sunna, I would consider myself ruined. If I did not have any kashf or karama but had lots of faults, and if [only] the faith of Ahl as-Sunna were bestowed on me, I wouldn’t feel sorry.’
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GLOSSARY
[1] halal: (act, thing) permitted in Islam.
[2] haram: an action, word or thought prohibited by Allahu ta’ala.
[3] fard: an act or thing that is commanded by Allahu ta’ala in the Qur’an al-karim.
[4] wajib: (act, thing) never omitted by the Prophet, so almost as compulsory as fard and not to be omitted.
[5] sunnat: act, thing that was, though not commanded by Allahu ta’ala, done and liked by the Prophet (‘alaihi ‘s-salam) as an ‘ibada.
[6] mandub: (act, thing) that brings thawab if done, but neither sin if omitted nor kufr if disliked; adab, mustahab.
[7] makruh: (act, thing) improper, disliked and abstained by the Prophet (‘alaihi ‘s-salam).
[8] fiqh: knowledge dealing with what Muslims should do and should not do; actions, a’mal, ‘ibadat.
[9] Ahl as-Sunna (wa’l-Jama’a): the true pious Muslims who follow as-Sahabat al-kiram. These are called Sunni Muslims. A Sunni Muslim adapts himself to one of the four Madhhabs. These madhhabs are Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’i and Hanbali.
[10] karamat: (pl. -at) miraculous deed worked by Allahu ta’ala through a Wali.

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