Introduction to 'Aqeedah & The Foundations of The Religion

Question 1

What are the 3 root letters of ‘aqeadah, what are the meanings that revolve around them?

these 3 letters give the core meaning of all the variations of the word

Answer 1

1. ‘ayn
2. qaf
3. daal

• Al rabT: tying something
  
  • tying nots, tying things
  • in a literal way, ma’nawi
  • or hissiy: by meaning: being bound to a contract
• al ‘ahd: covenent
• al mulazamah: sticking to something
• tawkeed: emphisis

Question 2

What is the technical definition of ‘aqeadah (in general)?

Answer 2

The belief of any group, connected to islam or unrelated to it.

- ‘aqeedah of christians: incorrect ‘aqeadah
- ‘aqeedah of ahl al sunnah

Question 3

What are the subject matters (mawdu’) of ‘aqeedah?

Answer 3

1. 6 pillars of iman
   
   • some scholars simplify it:
     
     1. prophethood (scripture)
     2. ghaybiyyat (matters of the unseen)
2. what is iman: iman increases and decreases
3. belief about the companions
4. imamah: rulership (it has issues that are found in fiqh)

+masadir talaqi al ‘aqeedah: where should ‘aqeadah be taken from

Question 4

Why teach more than the 6 pillars of iman when teaching ‘aqeedah?

like belief about the companions and whether iman goes up and down?

Answer 4

Primary reason: this became a part of the subject because deviancies exists within it.

they deviated from the quran, sunnah and ijma’ of the salaf

Question 5

How do we know that these subject matters of ‘aqeadah are what our beliefs comprise of? that there are not more things or less things?

Answer 5

al istiqrah

comprehensive reading which comes with categorization

example: if you go through the quran and sunnah and categorize every single ayah

and put them in categories

it leads you to the answer for example: that the types of tawheed mentionned in the quran are 3

same things with categorizing things in ‘aqeedah and fiqh

Question 6

Why some people answer what their aqeedah is by using a fiqhi mathhabb?

Answer 6

1. they are trying to mix ‘aqeedah and fiqh so that critisism of there ‘aqeedah becaumes critisism of their fiqh
2. to legitimise differences in ‘aqeedah like being differences between the mathahib

Question 7

Are there differences in ‘aqeedah?

Answer 7

yes, its not true that every matter of fiqh is differed over and every matter of ‘aqeedah is agreed upon

differences in ‘aqeedah: example: did the prophet salalahu ‘aleyhi wa salam see allah or did he see a light

agreed upon in fiqh, example: 5 daily prayers are obligatory

Question 8

Where do you take your ‘aqeedah from (masadir al ‘aqeedah)? Primary sources

Answer 8

1. Quran,
2. sunnah (al sunnatu al thabitah: saheeh, or hasan, mutawatir or ahhaad),
3. ijma’

Question 9

What are examples surahs/ayah that deal with ‘aqeadah in the quran?

Answer 9

• ayat al kursi (greatest ayah in the book of Allah)
• suratul fatiha (greatest surah)
• suratul ikhlas

Question 10

What is a hadith that shows the sunnah is understood in light of the sahabah?

Answer 10

إنَّهُ مَن يعِشْ منْكم بعدي فسيَرى اختِلافًا كثيرًا فعليكُم بسنَّتي وسنَّةِ الخلفاءِ الرَّاشدينَ المَهديِّينَ من بعدي

https://www.dorar.net/hadith/sharh/64093

Question 11

Hadith were the prophet asked where is Allah?

Answer 11

يا رسولَ اللَّهِ ، جاريةٌ لي صَكَكتُها صَكَّةً ، فعظَّمَ ذلِكَ عليَّ رسولُ اللَّهِ صلَّى اللَّهُ علَيهِ وسلَّمَ ، فقلتُ : أفلا أعتقُها ؟ قالَ : ائتِني بِها ، قالَ : فَجِئْتُ بِها ، قالَ : أينَ اللَّهُ ؟ قالَت : في السَّماءِ ، قالَ : مَن أَنا ؟ قالت : أنتَ رسولُ اللَّهِ ، قالَ : أعتِقها فإنَّها مُؤْمِنَةٌ

here: fii means above

Question 12

What is ijma + evidence?

Answer 12

what is agreed upon

• http://quran.ksu.edu.sa/tafseer/tabary/sura4-aya115.html
  
  • وَمَن يُشَاقِقِ الرَّسُولَ مِن بَعْدِ مَا تَبَيَّنَ لَهُ الْهُدَىٰ وَيَتَّبِعْ غَيْرَ سَبِيلِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ نُوَلِّهِ مَا تَوَلَّىٰ وَنُصْلِهِ جَهَنَّمَ ۖ وَسَاءَتْ مَصِيرًا (115)
  dont follow a way other then the way of the believers
  • go against the believers as a whole
• https://www.dorar.net/hadith/sharh/83968
  
  • إنَّ اللَّهَ قد أجارَ أمَّتي أن تجتمِعَ علَى ضلالةٍ

Question 13

When can we use secondary evidence (example logical)?

Answer 13

1. they should only be used by themselves when they come from the quran and sunnah.
2. else they should be used after the evidence from the quran and sunnah, (supporting it)

Question 14

What are secondary sources of ‘aqeadah?

Answer 14

1. fitrah https://www.dorar.net/hadith/sharh/11472
   1. كلُّ مولودٍ يولَدُ على الفطرةِ فأبواه يُهوِّدانِه أو يُنصِّرانِه أو يُمجِّسانِه
2. ‘aqul sareeh: intellect not currupted

dont prove things by themselves serve as supplement to primary sources

Question 15

What is an ayah that shows that prophets were scared of shirk?

Answer 15

وَإِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّ اجْعَلْ هَٰذَا الْبَلَدَ آمِنًا وَاجْنُبْنِي وَبَنِيَّ أَن نَّعْبُدَ الْأَصْنَامَ

https://surahquran.com/aya-35-sora-14.html

• him and his children

And (remember) when Ibrahim (Abraham) said: “O my Lord! Make this city (Makkah) one of peace and security, and keep me and my sons away from worshipping idols.

Question 16

Side question: why do we say Allah and his messenger know best, and not just allah knows best?

Answer 16

This is said when the Prophet is speaking from revelation

• Allah knows best because he knows everything
• the messenger knows best because allah gave him the revelation

it does not equate the messenger to Allah

• it simply affirms revelation: he will speak from what allah commanded him to speak.

Question 17

How does the seerah show us the importance of ‘aqeedah?

Answer 17

the prophet salalahu aleyhi wasalam spent 13 years of dawah in makah

first 10 years: no regular 5 daily prayers, no zakat, no hajj, no fasting

5 prayers came last few years in makkah

and the rest came in madeenah

for about 10 years all of it was the majority all about: tawheed and ‘aqeedah

look at the suwar makkiyyah: the majority of the topics: are about tawheed and ‘aqeedah

Question 18

What is the Difference of ijma’ in ‘aqeedah vs fiqh?

Answer 18

in ‘aqeedah, in general, each scholar has the same evidence, and they arrive at the same conclusion (ijma’)

in fiqh, the evidence can be many,

each scholar has a different evidence, but they have the same conclusion (ijma’)

the nature of ijma’ in ‘aqeedah is different from the nature of ijma’ in fiqh

• concensus has to come from an evidence: it cant just come from thin air, it has to have an evidence that is estalished

in ‘aqeedah, the ima’ is based on one evidence (even if there are other evidences)

In general each scholar has the same evidence, and they arrive at the same conclusion

same conclusion, same paths

they all agree that this evidence shows this conclusion

in fiqh, the evidence can be many,

each scholar has a different evidence, but they have the same conclusion

same conclusion, differnet paths

they dont all agree that all their evidences show the same conclusion, but they all agree on the conclusion and have there own evidences for it

• what is the value of knowing this?** you may find differences of opinion in ‘aqeedah over some of the secondary evidences (do they actually lead to the conclusion), not the primary evidence**this does not hurt the concensus, nor does it mean that those who differ on the secondary evidence have a difference on the final conculsion

Question 19

Why Is it not a problem that we have different ways of saying ‘aqeedah?

Answer 19

principle of the scholars: la mushahata fil istilah

there is no dispute in terminology, there should be no dispute in that

terminology is not intended by itslef, what is intended is the meaning

its just a way to make the science digestible for the students

Question 20

What are different ways of saying ‘aqeedah?

Answer 20

• iman
• ‘aqeedah
• usul al deen
• sharee’ah
• al fiqh al akbar

Question 21

What is an important nuance when it comes to the principle: la mushahata fil istilah?

there is not dispute in terminology

Answer 21

there is a condition: as long as it does not lead to negative concequences

ibnul qayim says:

والاصطلاحات لا مشاحه فيها اذا لم تتضمن مفسده

example: call wine: grape juice

people may drink it, by accident, may not know that its haram

Question 22

What is Linguistic definition of Tawheed?

Answer 22

it is a verbal noun
the verb is : wahada yuwahidu (to make something one, or to declare something to be one)

Question 23

What is Technical definition of Tawheed?

Answer 23

to testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah

Question 24

How do we know the meaning of tawheed, evidence?

Answer 24

https://www.dorar.net/hadith/sharh/14043

إنَّكَ تَقْدَمُ علَى قَوْمٍ مِن أهْلِ الكِتَابِ، فَلْيَكُنْ أوَّلَ ما تَدْعُوهُمْ إلى أنْ يُوَحِّدُوا اللَّهَ تَعَالَى

in another version of the hadith, the prophet Salalahu ‘aleyhi wa salam said its ‘ibadah

فَلْيَكُنْ أوَّلَ ما تَدْعُوهُمْ إلَيْهِ عِبَادَةُ اللَّهِ

https://dorar.net/hadith/sharh/25418

فليكن أوَّلُ ما تدعوهم إليه شهادةَ أنْ لا إلهَ إلَّا اللهُ وأنَّ محمَّدًا رسولُ اللهِ ،

https://www.dorar.net/hadith/sharh/64388

in sahih muslim la ilaha ilalah is used

we understand that in the view of the sahaba (those who narated the hadith), tawheed, la ilaha illalah, and ‘ibadah of allah, all mean the same thing

Question 25

Why do we add behaqin (deserves) in the explanation of la ilaha ilalah?

Answer 25

because we are not negating the existance of things that are worshiped other than allah

we are negating that these things do not deserve it.

Question 26

What is the meaning of ilah?

Answer 26

ilah means: al ma’bood

evidence?

• ahadith that interchange la ilaha illah with worhip allah alone
• أَجَعَلْنَا مِن دُونِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ آلِهَةً يُعْبَدُونَallah connects ilahhttps://surahquran.com/aya-45-sora-43.html