Section 2 The Six Pillars of Belief
Text:
Belief in Allaah, His Angels, His Books, His Prophets, Resurrection after death and belief in Predestination, the good of it and the bad of it.
Explanation:
These are the foundations and pillars of faith that the Shaykh believes in. They consist of: belief in Allaah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day and belief in Predestination, the good of it and the bad. Just as it is in the hadeeth of Jibreel when he asked the Prophet (r) in the presence of his Companions. He said, ‘Inform me about Faith, so he said, “Faith is that you believe in Allaah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day. And you believe in Predestination, the good of it and the bad.”’[1] The Scholars have said that these are the Pillars of Faith.
Faith has pillars and branches. There are six pillars and in terms of branches, there are ‘70 or 60 odd branches. The best of which is the saying, “None has the right to be worshipped except Allaah” and the lowest branch is removing something harmful from the path…’[2] Faith has many branches, but as for the pillars (the foundations upon which it is built), then there are six of them:
1. The First Pillar: Belief in Allaah which is the foundation.
Belief in Allaah consists of the three categories of Tawheed (Oneness in Allaah):
1. Tawheed ar Ruboobiyyah (Oneness of Lordship)
2. Tawheed al Uloohiyyah (Oneness of Worship)
3. Tawheed al Asmaa was Siffaat (Oneness of Names and Attributes of Allaah)
2. The Second Pillar: Belief in the Angels
They are from among the servants of Allaah (I). They do not precede Him in speech and they carry out His Commands. Allaah created them from light. They are from the World of the Unseen which we do not see, however, we believe in them. Allaah has made different types of angels; each type has a job to execute in this universe. Some of them are guardians who observe the deeds of mankind and write them down.
)وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكُمْ لَحَافِظِينَكِرَامًا كَاتِبِينَيَعْلَمُونَ مَا تَفْعَلُونَ(
But verily, over you (are appointed angels in charge of mankind) to watch you, Kirâman (honourable) Kâtibîn – writing down (your deeds). They know all that you do.
[al Infitaar 82:10-12].
Some of them are bearers of Allaah’s Throne. Jibreel is the angel entrusted with the revelation. Another angel, Mikaa’eel, is entrusted with the rain drops. The angel of death is entrusted with death and there are other angels of death with him. There are also other types of angels that only Allaah (I) knows about.
)وَمَا يَعْلَمُ جُنُودَ رَبِّكَ إِلَّا هُوَ(
…And none can know the hosts of your Lord but He….[Mudaththir 74:31]
Allaah’s (U) hosts are numerous.
3. The Third Pillar: Belief in the Books that Allaah sent down to the Messengers.
Allaah (U) sent the Messengers and sent down the Books from Him, with His revelation, His revealed laws, His Commands and Prohibitions. From among them were the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms and the Qur’aan. There were also Books that Allaah did not inform us about. However, we believe in them generally and we believe in those that Allaah has mentioned by name specifically. The last and greatest of these Books is the Great Qur’aan which the Jinn and Mankind were unable to compose even one chapter (soorah) like it.
4. The Fourth Pillar: Belief in the Messengers whom Allaah sent with His revealed laws and His Religion to guide His creation.
Allaah (U) sent the Messengers to clarify what would harm the people and what would benefit them. In addition to this they made the Religion clear to them. Allaah (U) established the proof by them.
)رُّسُلًا مُّبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ لِئَلَّا يَكُونَ لِلنَّاسِ عَلَى اللَّهِ حُجَّةٌ بَعْدَ الرُّسُلِ ۚ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَزِيزًا حَكِيمًا(
Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allâh after the (coming of) Messengers. And Allâh is Ever All-Powerful, All-Wise. [an Nisaa 4:165]
As for how many Messengers there were, only Allaah knows. There were many of them. Allaah named some of them for us in His Saying:
)وَتِلْكَ حُجَّتُنَا آتَيْنَاهَا إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَىٰ قَوْمِهِ ۚ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَاتٍ مَّن نَّشَاءُ ۗ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ حَكِيمٌ عَلِيمٌوَوَهَبْنَا لَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ ۚ كُلًّا هَدَيْنَا ۚ وَنُوحًا هَدَيْنَا مِن قَبْلُ ۖ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِهِ دَاوُودَ وَسُلَيْمَانَ وَأَيُّوبَ وَيُوسُفَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَهَارُونَ ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ وَزَكَرِيَّا وَيَحْيَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَإِلْيَاسَ ۖ كُلٌّ مِّنَ الصَّالِحِينَوَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَالْيَسَعَ وَيُونُسَ وَلُوطًا ۚ وَكُلًّا فَضَّلْنَا عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ (
And that was Our Proof which We gave Ibrâhîm (Abraham) against his people. We raise whom We will in degrees. Certainly your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing. And We bestowed upon him Ishâq (Isaac) and Ya'qûb (Jacob), each of them We guided, and before him, We guided Nûh (Noah), and among his progeny Dâwûd (David), Sulaimân (Solomon), Ayyub (Job), Yûsuf (Joseph), Mûsâ (Moses), and Hârûn (Aaron). Thus do We reward Al-Muhsinûn (the good-doers). And Zakariyyâ (Zechariah), and Yahyâ (John) and 'Îsâ (Jesus) and Ilyâs (Elias), each one of them was of the righteous. And Ismâ'îl (Ishmael) and Al-Yasaa' (Elisha), and Yûnus (Jonah) and Lût (Lot), and each one of them We preferred to the 'Âlamîn [mankind and jinn (of their times)]. [al An’aam 6:83-86]
Allaah named these so we believe in them specifically and we believe generally in those whom Allaah did not name. Allaah (U) said:
)وَلَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا رُسُلًا مِّن قَبْلِكَ مِنْهُم مَّن قَصَصْنَا عَلَيْكَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن لَّمْ نَقْصُصْ عَلَيْكَ (
And, indeed We have sent Messengers before you (O Muhammad [sal-Allâhu 'alayhi wa sallam]), of some of them We have related to you their story. And of some We have not related to you their story. [Ghaafir 40:78]
So we believe in all of them, the ones Allaah has named and those He has not named. Whoever disbelieves in one of the Prophets has disbelieved in all of them. So it is necessary to have faith in all of them.
)إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ اللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَن يَتَّخِذُوا بَيْنَ ذَٰلِكَ سَبِيلًا أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ حَقًّا ۚ وَأَعْتَدْنَا لِلْكَافِرِينَ عَذَابًا مُّهِينًا(
Verily, those who disbelieve in Allâh and His Messengers and wish to make distinction between Allâh and His Messengers (by believing in Allâh and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, "We believe in some but reject others," and wish to adopt a way in between. They are in truth disbelievers. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating torment.
[an Nisaa 4:150-151]
Allaah (U) told us:
)قُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَىٰ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَالْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَا أُوتِيَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَمَا أُوتِيَ النَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُ مُسْلِمُونَ(
Say (O Muslims): "We believe in Allâh and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibrâhîm (Abraham), Ismâ'îl (Ishmael), Ishâq (Isaac), Ya'qûb (Jacob), and to Al-Asbât [the offspring of the twelve sons of Ya'qûb (Jacob)], and that which has been given to Mûsâ (Moses) and 'Isâ (Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islâm)."
[al Baqarah 2:136]
5. The Fifth Pillar: Belief in the Last Day which is Resurrection after death.
This world is the place for deeds and the Next Life is the place for recompense. The world is a place of cultivation for the Next Life. It is the place for deeds and there is no recompense, and the Next Life is the place of recompense and there are no deeds. It is necessary to believe in the Last Day for whoever does not believe in it is a disbeliever. Allaah (I) said:
)زَعَمَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا أَن لَّن يُبْعَثُوا ۚ قُلْ بَلَىٰ وَرَبِّي لَتُبْعَثُنَّ ثُمَّ لَتُنَبَّؤُنَّ بِمَا عَمِلْتُمْ ۚ وَذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ(
The disbelievers pretend that they will never be resurrected (for the Account). Say (O Muhammad [sal-Allâhu 'alayhi wa sallam]): "Yes! By my Lord, you will certainly be resurrected, then you will be informed of (and recompensed for) what you did; and that is easy for Allâh."
[at Taghaabun 64:7]
Oh People! You live in this world, you eat, you drink, you disbelieve and you commit sins as though Resurrection, Accounting and Recompense were not ahead of you. Allaah (U) made the Next Life for Recompense and this is from His Justice, that He does not waste the deeds of the people and that He recompenses everyone according to their deeds.
)أَفَحَسِبْتُمْ أَنَّمَا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ عَبَثًا وَأَنَّكُمْ إِلَيْنَا لَا تُرْجَعُونَ(
"Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us?" [al Mu’minoon 23:115]
If there were no Resurrection, creation would become futile and Allaah (I) is free from futility.
6. The Sixth Pillar: Belief in Predestination (Qadar)
Predestination is the secret of Allaah (U). Predestination is what Allaah has decreed of what was and what will be until the Hour is established. The Pen wrote (everything) that is predestined to happen. Everything in existence until the Day of Resurrection was written in the Preserved Tablet. So nothing happens without Predestination.
)إِنَّا كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقْنَاهُ بِقَدَرٍ(
Verily, We have created all things with Qadar (Divine Preordainments of all things before their creation as written in the Book of Decrees – Al-Lauh Al-Mahfûz). [al Qamar 54:49]
So matters are not futile, nor do they occur unexpectedly without being Predestined.
)مَا أَصَابَ مِن مُّصِيبَةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا فِي أَنفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِّن قَبْلِ أَن نَّبْرَأَهَا ۚ إِنَّ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌ(
No calamity befalls on the earth or in yourselves but it is inscribed in the Book of Decrees (Al-Lauh Al-Mahfûz) before We bring it into existence. Verily, that is easy for Allâh.
[al Hadeed 57:22]
Allaah’s Saying, ‘Book’ is the Preserved Tablet; and His Saying, ‘before We bring it into existence’ means we create it and we bring it into existence.
There are four levels of belief in Predestination:
1. The First Level: Belief in Allaah’s Knowledge which is eternal and everlasting (He has always known it) and it encompasses everything. This means we believe that Allaah has Known all things (always), He Knows what happened in the past and what will happen in the future.
2. The Second Level: Belief that Allaah wrote all that exists until the Day of Resurrection in the Preserved Tablet.
3. The Third Level: Belief in Allaah’s Wish (mashee’ah) and Will (Iraadah). What Allaah Wills will come to pass and what He did not Will, will not happen.
4. The Fourth Level: Belief in Allaah’s Creating things in their pre-destined times. Everything is created in the time that Allaah decreed for it.
It is necessary to believe in these four levels of Predestination: Knowledge, Writing, Will, and Bringing into Existence. This is the belief regarding Pre-ordainment (Qadaa’) and Predestination (Qadar).
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[1] Collected by Muslim in ‘his Saheeh’ (8) from the hadeeth of ‘Umar bin al Khattaab (t). Collected by Bukhaaree (50, 4777) and Muslim (9, 10) from the hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah (t).
