Aqeedah of Imam At-Tahawi (Arabic - English) (Point 1 to 50)

 AQEEDAH OF IMAM AT TAHAWI

(ARABIC AND ENGLISH)

 

 نَقُولُ فِي تَوْحِيدِ اللَّهِ مُعْتَقِدِينَ بِتَوْفِيقِ اللَّهِ  إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَاحِدٌ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ

1. We say about the unity of Allah believing with the help of Allah – that Allah is one, without any partners.

وَلَاشَيْءَ مِثْلُهُ

2. There is nothing like Him.

 وَلَا شَيْءَ يُعْجِزُهُ

3. There is nothing that can overwhelm Him.

وَلَا إِلَهَ غَيْرُهُ

4. There is no god other than Him.

قَدِيمٌ بِلَا ابْتِدَاءٍ دَائِمٌ بِلَا انْتِهَاءٍ

5. He is the eternal without a beginning and enduring without end.

يَفْنَى وَيَبِيدُ

6. He will never perish or come to an end.

وَلَا يَكُونُ إِلَّا مَا يُرِيدُ

7. Nothing happens except what He wills.

 لَا تَبْلُغُهُ الْأَوْهَامُ وَلَا تُدْرِكُهُ الْأَفْهَامُ

8. No imagination can conceive of Him and no understanding can comprehend Him.

وَلَا يُشْبِهُهُ الْأَنَامُ

9. He is different from any created being.

حَيٌّ لَا يَمُوتُ قَيُّومٌ لَا يَنَامُ

10. He is living and He never dies, and He is forever sustaining and He never sleeps.

خَالِقٌ بِلَا حَاجَةٍ رَازِقٌ بِلَا مُؤُونَةٍ

11. He creates without needing to create, and He provides for His creation without any effort.

مُمِيتٌ بِلَا مَخَافَةٍ بَاعِثٌ بِلَا مَشَقَّةٍ

12. He causes death with no fear and restores to life without difficulty.

مَا زَالَ بِصِفَاتِهِ قَدِيمًا قَبْلَ خَلْقِهِ لَمْ يَزْدَدْ بِكَوْنِهِمْ شَيْئًا لَمْ يَكُنْ قَبْلَهُمْ مِنْ صِفَتِهِ وَكَمَا كَانَ بِصِفَاتِهِ أَزَلِيًّا كَذَلِكَ لَا يَزَالُ عَلَيْهَا أَبَدِيًّا

13. He has always existed together with His attributes since before creation. Bringing creation into existence did not add anything to His attributes that was not already there. As He was together with His attributes before time, so He will remain forever.

لَيْسَ مُنْذُ خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ اسْتَفَادَ اسْمَ الْخَالِقِ وَلَا بِإِحْدَاثِهِ الْبَرِيَّةَ اسْتَفَادَ اسْمَ الْبَارِي

14. It was not only after the act of creation that He could be described as the Creator, nor was it only by the act of origination that He could he described as the Originator.

لَهُ مَعْنَى الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ وَلَا مَرْبُوبَ وَمَعْنَى الْخَالِقِ وَلَا مَخْلُوقَ

15. He was the Lord even when there were no servants and He was the Creator even when there was no creation.

وَكَمَا أَنَّهُ مُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى بَعْدَ مَا أَحْيَا اسْتَحَقَّ هَذَا الِاسْمَ قَبْلَ إِحْيَائِهِمْ كَذَلِكَ اسْتَحَقَّ اسْمَ الْخَالِقِ قَبْلَ إِنْشَائِهِمْ

16. Just as He gives life to the dead, He deserves this name even before He gave life. Likewise, He deserves the name “the Creator” even before He made them.

ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ قَدِيرٌ وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ إِلَيْهِ فَقِيرٌ وَكُلُّ أَمْرٍ عَلَيْهِ يَسِيرٌ لَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى شَيْءٍ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ وَهُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

17. This is because He has the power to do everything, everything is dependent upon Him, everything is easy for Him, and He does not need anything, as Allah said: There is nothing like Him and He is the Hearing, the Seeing. (42:11)

خَلَقَ الْخَلْقَ بِعِلْمِهِ‏‏

18. He created the creation with His knowledge.

وَقَدَّرَ لَهُمْ أَقْدَارًا

19. He appointed destinies for those He created.

وَضَرَبَ لَهُمْ آجَالًا

20. He granted them fixed life spans.

وَلَمْ يَخْفَ عَلَيْهِ شَيْءٌ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَهُمْ وَعَلِمَ مَا هُمْ عَامِلُونَ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَخْلُقَهُمْ

21. Nothing about them was hidden from Him before He created them, and He knew everything that they would do before He created them.

وَأَمَرَهُمْ بِطَاعَتِهِ وَنَهَاهُمْ عَنْ مَعْصِيَتِهِ

22. He ordered them to obey Him and forbade them to disobey Him.

وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ يَجْرِي بِتَقْدِيرِهِ وَمَشِيئَتِهِ وَمَشِيئَتُهُ تَنْفُذُ لَا مَشِيئَةَ لِلْعِبَادِ إِلَّا مَا شَاءَ لَهُمْ فَمَا شَاءَ لَهُمْ كَانَ وَمَا لَمْ يَشَأْ لَمْ يَكُنْ

23. Everything happens according to His decree and will, and His will is always accomplished. The only will that people have is what He wills for them. What He wills for them occurs and what He does not will does not occur.

 يَهْدِي مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَعْصِمُ وَيُعَافِي فَضْلًا وَيُضِلُّ مَنْ يَشَاءُ وَيَخْذُلُ وَيَبْتَلِي عَدْلًا

24. He gives guidance to whoever He wills and He protects them and keeps them safe from harm out of His generosity, and He leads astray whoever He wills and He humiliates them and He afflicts them out of His justice.

 وَكُلُّهُمْ يَتَقَلَّبُونَ فِي مَشِيئَتِهِ بَيْنَ فَضْلِهِ وَعَدْلِهِ

25. All of them are subject to His will between either His generosity nor His justice.

وَهُوَ مُتَعَالٍ عَنِ الْأَضْدَادِ وَالْأَنْدَادِ

26. He is exalted beyond having opposites or equals.

لَا رَادَّ لِقَضَائِهِ وَلَا مُعَقِّبَ لِحُكْمِهِ وَلَا غَالِبَ لِأَمْرِهِ

27. No one can ward off His decree or put back His command or overpower His affairs.

آمَنَّا بِذَلِكَ كُلِّهِ وَأَيْقَنَّا أَنَّ كُلًّا مِنْ عِنْدِهِ

28. We believe in all of this and are certain that everything comes from Him.

وَإِنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ الْمُصْطَفَى وَنَبِيُّهُ الْمُجْتَبَى وَرَسُولُهُ الْمُرْتَضَى

29. We are certain that Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, is His chosen servant and selected Prophet and His Messenger with whom He is well pleased.

وَأَنَّهُ خَاتَمُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَإِمَامُ الْأَتْقِيَاءِ وَسَيِّدُ الْمُرْسَلِينَ وَحَبِيبُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ

30. He is the seal of the prophets and the leader of the Godfearing and the chief of the Messengers and the beloved of the Lord of worlds.

وَكُلُّ دَعْوَى النُّبُوَّةِ بَعْدَهُ فَغَيٌّ وَهَوًى

31. Every claim to prophecy after Him is falsehood and deceit.

وَهُوَ الْمَبْعُوثُ إِلَى عَامَّةِ الْجِنِّ وَكَافَّةِ الْوَرَى بِالْحَقِّ وَالْهُدَى وَبِالنُّورِ وَالضِّيَاءِ

32. He is the one who has been sent to all the jinn and humanity with truth and guidance and with light and illumination.

وَإِنَّ الْقُرْآنَ كَلَامُ اللَّهِ مِنْهُ بَدَا بِلَا كَيْفِيَّةٍ قَوْلًا وَأَنْزَلَهُ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَحْيًا وَصَدَّقَهُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ حَقًّا وَأَيْقَنُوا أَنَّهُ كَلَامُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى بِالْحَقِيقَةِ لَيْسَ بِمَخْلُوقٍ كَكَلَامِ الْبَرِيَّةِ . فَمَنْ سَمِعَهُ فَزَعَمَ أَنَّهُ كَلَامُ الْبَشَرِ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ وَقَدْ ذَمَّهُ اللَّهُ وَعَابَهُ وَأَوْعَدَهُ بِسَقَرَ حَيْثُ قَالَ تَعَالَى سَأُصْلِيهِ سَقَرَ  فَلَمَّا أَوْعَدَ اللَّهُ بِسَقَرَ لِمَنْ قَالَ إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا قَوْلُ الْبَشَرِ عَلِمْنَا وَأَيْقَنَّا أَنَّهُ قَوْلُ خَالِقِ الْبَشَرِ وَلَا يُشْبِهُ قَوْلَ الْبَشَرِ

33. The Quran is the word of Allah. It came from Him as speech without it being possible to say how He speaks. He sent it down on His Messenger as revelation. The believers accept it as the truth. They are certain that it is the word of Allah in truth. It is not created as is the speech of human beings, and anyone who hears it and claims that it is human speech has become an unbeliever. Allah warns him and censures him and threatens him with Hellfire when the Exalted said: I will burn him in the Fire (74:26).When Allah threatens with the Hellfire those who said: This is only human speech (74:25), we know for certain that it is the speech of the Creator of humanity and that it is completely unlike the speech of humanity.

وَمَنْ وَصَفَ اللَّهَ بِمَعْنًى مِنْ مَعَانِي الْبَشَرِ فَقَدْ كَفَرَ مَنْ أَبْصَرَ هَذَا اعْتَبَرَ وَعَنْ مِثْلِ قَوْلِ الْكُفَّارِ انْزَجَرَ وَعَلِمَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ بِصِفَاتِهِ لَيْسَ كَالْبَشَرِ

34. Anyone who describes Allah as being the same as a human being has become an unbeliever. All those who grasp this will take heed and refrain from saying things such as the unbelievers say and they will know that He, in His attributes, is not like human beings.

وَالرُّؤْيَةُ حَقٌّ لِأَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ بِغَيْرِ إِحَاطَةٍ وَلَا كَيْفِيَّةٍ كَمَا نَطَقَ بِهِ كِتَابُ رَبِّنَا وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَاضِرَةٌ إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ وَتَفْسِيرُهُ عَلَى مَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَعَلِمَهُ وَكُلُّ مَا جَاءَ فِي ذَلِكَ مِنَ الْحَدِيثِ الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَهُوَ كَمَا قَالَ وَمَعْنَاهُ عَلَى مَا أَرَادَ لَا نَدْخُلُ فِي ذَلِكَ مُتَأَوِّلِينَ بِآرَائِنَا وَلَا مُتَوَهِّمِينَ بِأَهْوَائِنَا فَإِنَّهُ مَا سَلِمَ فِي دِينِهِ إِلَّا مَنْ سَلَّمَ لِلَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَلِرَسُولِهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَرَدَّ عِلْمَ مَا اشْتَبَهَ عَلَيْهِ إِلَى عَالِمِهِ

35. The vision of Allah by the people of the Paradise is true, without their vision being all-encompassing and without the manner of their vision being known. As the Book of our Lord has expressed it: Faces on that Day will be radiant, looking at their Lord (75:22-3). The explanation of this is as Allah knows and intended. Everything that has been authentically narrated to us from the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, about this is as he said and it means what he intended. We do not delve into it, trying to interpret it according to our own opinions or letting our imaginations have free rein. No one is safe in his religion unless he surrenders himself completely to Allah the Exalted and to His Messenger and leaves the knowledge of things that are ambiguous to the One who knows them.

وَلَا تَثْبُتُ قَدَمُ الْإِسْلَامِ إِلَّا عَلَى ظَهْرِ التَّسْلِيمِ وَالْاسْتِسْلَامِ

36. A person’s Islam is not secure unless it is based on surrender and submission.

فَمَنْ رَامَ عِلْمَ مَا حُظِرَ عَنْهُ عِلْمُهُ وَلَمْ يَقْنَعْ بِالتَّسْلِيمِ فَهْمُهُ حَجَبَهُ مَرَامُهُ عَنْ خَالِصِ التَّوْحِيدِ وَصَافِي الْمَعْرِفَةِ وَصَحِيحِ الْإِيمَانِ

37. Anyone who desires to know things which are beyond his capacity to know and whose intellect is not content with surrender, he will find that his desires veil him from a pure understanding of the unity of Allah, clear knowledge, and correct faith.

فَيَتَذَبْذَبُ بَيْنَ الْكُفْرِ وَالْإِيمَانِ وَالتَّصْدِيقِ وَالتَّكْذِيبِ وَالْإِقْرَارِ وَالْإِنْكَارِ مُوَسْوِسًا تَائِهًا شَاكًّا زَائِغًا لَا مُؤْمِنًا مُصَدِّقًا وَلَا جَاحِدًا مُكَذِّبًا

38. He will veer between unbelief and belief, confirmation and denial, acceptance and rejection. He will be subject to the whisperings of Satan and he will find himself confused and full of doubt, being neither a faithful believer nor a denying rejecter.

وَلَا يَصِحُّ الْإِيمَانُ بِالرُّؤْيَةِ لِأَهْلِ دَارِ السَّلَامِ لِمَنِ اعْتَبَرَهَا مِنْهُمْ بِوَهْمٍ أَوْ تَأَوَّلَهَا بِفَهْمٍ إِذْ كَانَ تَأْوِيلُ الرُّؤْيَةِ وَتَأْوِيلُ كُلِّ مَعْنًى يُضَافُ إِلَى الرُّبُوبِيَّةِ تَرْكَ التَّأْوِيلِ وَلُزُومَ التَّسْلِيمِ وَعَلَيْهِ دِينُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

39. A person’s belief in the vision of Allah by the people of the Paradise is not correct if he imagines what it is like or interprets it according to his own understanding since the interpretation of this vision or indeed, the meaning of any of the subtle phenomena which are in the realm of Lordship, is made correct by abandoning its interpretation and strictly adhering to surrender, for this is the religion of Muslims.

وَمَنْ لَمْ يَتَوَقَّ النَّفْيَ وَالتَّشْبِيهَ زَلَّ وَلَمْ يُصِبِ التَّنْزِيهَ فَإِنَّ رَبَّنَا جَلَّ وَعَلَا مَوْصُوفٌ بِصِفَاتِ الْوَحْدَانِيَّةِ مَنْعُوتٌ بِنُعُوتِ الْفَرْدَانِيَّةِ لَيْسَ فِي مَعْنَاهُ أَحَدٌ مِنَ الْبَرِيَّةِ

40. Anyone who does not guard himself against negating the attributes of Allah or likening Allah to something else has gone astray and has failed to understand Allah’s majesty, because our Lord the Exalted can only be described in terms of oneness and singularity and no creation is like Him in any way.

وَتَعَالَى عَنِ الْحُدُودِ وَالْغَايَاتِ وَالْأَرْكَانِ وَالْأَعْضَاءِ وَالْأَدَوَاتِ لَا تَحْوِيهِ الْجِهَاتُ السِّتُّ كَسَائِرِ الْمُبْتَدَعَاتِ

41. He is beyond having limits placed on Him or being restricted or having parts or limbs, nor is He contained by the six directions as all created things are.

وَالْمِعْرَاجُ حَقٌّ وَقَدْ أُسْرِيَ بِالنَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَعُرِجَ بِشَخْصِهِ فِي الْيَقَظَةِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ ثُمَّ إِلَى حَيْثُ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْعُلَا وَأَكْرَمَهُ اللَّهُ بِمَا شَاءَ وَأَوْحَى إِلَيْهِ مَا أَوْحَى مَا كَذَبَ الْفُؤَادُ مَا رَأَى فَصَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ وَالْأُولَى

42. The ascension to heaven is true. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was taken by night and ascended in his bodily form while awake through the heavens to whatever heights Allah willed for him. Allah ennobled him as He willed and He revealed to him what He revealed: His heart was not mistaken about what it saw (53:11). Allah blessed him and granted him peace in this world and the next.

وَالْحَوْضُ الَّذِي أَكْرَمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ غِيَاثًا لِأُمَّتِهِ حَقٌّ

43. The Fountain (al-hawd) which Allah will grant the Prophet in the Hereafter as an honor to quench the thirst of his nation is true.

وَالشَّفَاعَةُ الَّتِي ادَّخَرَهَا لَهُمْ حَقٌّ كَمَا رُوِيَ فِي الْأَخْبَارِ

44. The Great Intercession (al-shifa’ah) is true as related in the narrations.

وَالْمِيثَاقُ الَّذِي أَخَذَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى مِنْ آدَمَ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ حَقٌّ

45. The covenant which Allah made with Adam and his offspring is true.

وَقَدْ عَلِمَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِيمَا لَمْ يَزَلْ عَدَدَ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ الْجَنَّةَ وَعَدَدَ مَنْ يَدْخُلُ النَّارَ جُمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً فَلَا يُزَادُ فِي ذَلِكَ الْعَدَدِ وَلَا يُنْقَصُ مِنْهُ

46. Allah knew before the existence of time the number of those who would enter Paradise and the number of those who would enter the Hellfire. This number will neither be increased nor decreased.

وَكَذَلِكَ أَفْعَالُهُمْ فِيمَا عَلِمَ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يَفْعَلُوهُ

47. The same applies to all actions done by people, for they are done exactly as Allah knew they would be done.

وَكُلٌّ مُيَسَّرٌ لِمَا خُلِقَ لَهُ وَالْأَعْمَالُ بِالْخَوَاتِيمِ وَالسَّعِيدُ مَنْ سَعِدَ بِقَضَاءِ اللَّهِ وَالشَّقِيُّ مَنْ شَقِيَ بِقَضَاءِ اللَّهِ

48. Everyone is facilitated to what he was created for and it is the action with which a man’s life is sealed which determines his fate. Those who are fortunate are fortunate by the decree of Allah and those who are wretched are wretched by the decree of Allah.

وَأَصْلُ الْقَدَرِ سِرُّ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى فِي خَلْقِهِ لَمْ يَطَّلِعْ عَلَى ذَلِكَ مَلَكٌ مُقَرَّبٌ وَلَا نَبِيٌّ مُرْسَلٌ وَالتَّعَمُّقُ وَالنَّظَرُ فِي ذَلِكَ ذَرِيعَةُ الْخِذْلَانِ وَسُلَّمُ الْحِرْمَانِ وَدَرَجَةُ الطُّغْيَانِ فَالْحَذَرَ كُلَّ الْحَذَرِ مِنْ ذَلِكَ نَظَرًا وَفِكْرًا وَوَسْوَسَةً فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى طَوَى عِلْمَ الْقَدَرِ عَنْ أَنَامِهِ وَنَهَاهُمْ عَنْ مَرَامِهِ كَمَا قَالَ تَعَالَى فِي كِتَابِهِ لَا يُسْأَلُ عَمَّا يَفْعَلُ وَهُمْ يُسْأَلُونَ فَمَنْ سَأَلَ لِمَ فَعَلَ ؟ فَقَدْ رَدَّ حُكْمَ الْكِتَابِ وَمَنْ رَدَّ حُكْمَ الْكِتَابِ كَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ

49. The exact nature of the decree is Allah’s secret in His creation, and no angel near the Throne nor Prophet sent with a message has been given knowledge of it. Delving into it and reflecting too much about it only leads to destruction and loss and results in rebelliousness, so be very careful about thinking and reflecting on this matter or letting doubts about it assail you, for Allah has kept knowledge of the decree away from human beings and He has forbidden them from inquiring about it, saying in His Book: He is not asked about what He does but they are asked (21:23). So anyone who asks, “Why did Allah do that?” has gone against a judgment of the Book and anyone who goes against a judgment of the Book is an unbeliever.

فَهَذَا جُمْلَةُ مَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ مَنْ هُوَ مُنَوَّرٌ قَلْبُهُ مِنْ أَوْلِيَاءِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَهِيَ دَرَجَةُ الرَّاسِخِينَ فِي الْعِلْمِ لِأَنَّ الْعِلْمَ عِلْمَانِ عِلْمٌ فِي الْخَلْقِ مَوْجُودٌ وَعِلْمٌ فِي الْخَلْقِ مَفْقُودٌ فَإِنْكَارُ الْعِلْمِ الْمَوْجُودِ كُفْرٌ وَادِّعَاءُ الْعِلْمِ الْمَفْقُودِ كُفْرٌ وَلَا يَثْبُتُ الْإِيمَانُ إِلَّا بِقَبُولِ الْعِلْمِ الْمَوْجُودِ وَتَرْكِ طَلَبِ الْعِلْمِ الْمَفْقُودِ

50. This is in summary what those of Allah’s allies with enlightened hearts need to know and constitutes the degree of those firmly endowed with knowledge. For there are two kinds of knowledge: knowledge which is accessible to created beings, and knowledge which is not accessible to created beings. Denying the knowledge which is accessible is unbelief and claiming the knowledge which is inaccessible is unbelief. Belief can only be firm when accessible knowledge is accepted and inaccessible knowledge is not sought after.