Print this page E-mail this page  Bookmark page
Home > Knowledge > Aqîdah / Manhaj:

• Section 1 - The obligation to believe in him
• Section 2 - The obligation to obey him
• Section 3 - The obligation to follow him and obey his Sunnah
• Section 4 - What is related from the Salaf and the Imâms about following his Sunnah, taking his guidance and the Sîrah
• Section 5 - The danger of opposing his command

Section 1 - The obligation to believe in him

The previous pages provide conclusive evidence of his prophethood and the soundness of his message. It is, therefore, necessary to believe in him and confirm what he brought.

Allâh says, "Believe in Allâh and His Messenger and the light which He sent down." (64:8) He says, "We sent you as a witness and a bringer of good news and a warner so that they might believe in Allâh and His Messenger." (48:8-9) He says, "Believe in Allâh and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet." (7:158) Belief in the Prophet Muhammad is therefore a necessary obligation for every individual. Belief is not complete without it and Islâm is only valid with it.

Allâh says, "Whoever does not believe in Allâh and His Messenger, We have prepared a blaze for the unbelievers." (48:13)

Abû Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allâh said, "I was commanded to fight people until they testify that there is no god but Allâh and believe in me and what I have brought. When they do that, their blood and their property are protected from me except for a right (they owe). Their reckoning is with Allâh." (Muslim and al-Bukhârî)

To believe in the Prophet is to confirm his prophethood and Allâh's message to him and to support him in all that he brought and said. Corresponding to the confirmation of the heart is testimony with the tongue - that he is the Messenger of Allâh. The combination of confirmation in the heart with articulation of that testimony on the tongue constitutes belief in him and confirmation of him as has been related in a version of the hadîth above from 'Abdullâh ibn 'Umar, "I was commanded to fight people until they testify that there is no god but Allâh and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allâh." (Muslim and al-Bukhârî)

It is clearer in another hadîth in which Jibrîl is reported as saying, "Tell me about Islâm." The Prophet said, "It is that you testify that there is no god but Allâh and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allâh," and he went on to mention the pillars of Islâm. Then he asked him about belief and he said, "It is that you believe in Allâh, His angels, His Books and His Messengers." (Muslim)

He confirmed that belief in the Prophet implies acceptance in the heart while Islâm demands articulation by the tongue. Together they lead to the complete praiseworthy state. The blameworthy state consists testimony on the tongue without confirmation by the heart. That is hypocrisy.

Allâh says, "When the hypocrites come to you, they say, 'We testify that you are the Messenger of Allâh,' and Allâh knows that you are His Messenger and Allâh testifies that the hypocrites are liars." (63:1) i.e. they lie in respect of what they say regarding what they believe and confirm. They do not really believe it. It their consciousness does not confirm their words, it will not benefit them to say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. They fall short of belief. They will not benefit by its jurisdiction in the Next World since they do not possess faith. They will join the unbelievers in the lowest level of the Fire. However, because they give verbal testimony, they are still judged as Muslims as far as the jurisdiction of this world is concerned, by Muslim Imâms and judges who can only give judgement according to people's outward display of Islâm since there is no way one human being can uncover the secrets of another. They are not commanded to investigate such people and the Prophet forbade passing judgement on them as unbelievers and censured doing so, saying, "Why did you not split open his heart?" (Muslim and al-Bukhârî) The difference between what is affirmed with the tongue and true belief is clarified by the hadîth of Jibrîl - verbal testimony is part of Islâm and confirmation with the tongue is part of belief.

There are other states which lie between these two. One such state is when some confirms with his heart and then dies before he has had time to testify with his tongue. There is some disagreement about the states of such a person. Some make it a precondition that he should have completed his faith by verbal testimony. Others think that he is a believer who will necessarily go to the Garden according to the words of the Prophet, "Whoever has an atom's weight of belief in his heart my come out of the Fire." (Muslim and al-Bukhârî) The Prophet only mentioned what was in the heart. A person who believes in his heart is neither a rebel nor negligent by not pronouncing it. This is the sound opinion regarding this matter.

The second case concerns someone who believes in his heart and then waits a long time to testify to it even though he knows that it is necessary to do. He does not speak of it or testify to it even once in his entire life. There are similar disagreements about such a person. It is said that he is a believer because he confirmed it inwardly. However because testimony is part of required action, he is a rebel for not doing so but will not be in the Fire forever. It is also said that he is not really a believer until he accompanies his belief with verbal testimony since testimony is entering into a contract and a requirement of belief. It is directly connected to belief. Delayed confirmation is only completed by verbal testimony. This is the sounder opinion.

This is a small matter which, however, has been the source of extensive discussion on the nature of Islâm and belief and related subjects, and increase and decrease in them. Is the reward for simple conformation denied when there is not valid statement? Is it dependant on having action added to it? Or might it appear solely through its different qualities and various states - strong certainty, resolute belief, clear recognition, a constant state and the presence of the heart?

To say more on this is beyond the goal of this book. We have said enough for our purposes here, Allâh willing.

Next Section >>

RELATED (as at 7th July 2001):