Faith (iman) is generally outlined using the 
six articles of faith:

Scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat say that îmân has six attributes:

ÂMANTU BILLÂHI: I believe that Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân exists and is One; I have îmân in it.

Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân exists ’and is One.

There is not a sherîk or nadhîr for Him. (He does not have a partner or a likeness.)

He is munezzeh (free, exempt) from mekân (place). (He is not at a place.)

He is muttasif (qualified) with His Attributes of perfection (Kemâl). He has Attributes of Kemâl (or Kamâl).

He is free and far from attributes of imperfection. They do not exist in Him.

Attributes of Kemâl exist in Him. And attributes of imperfection exist in us.

Attributes of imperfection that we have are deficiencies such as being without hands and/or feet and/or eyes, illness and health, eating and drinking, and many another similar imperfection.

Attributes possessed by Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân are Attributes of Kemâl such as His creating earths and heavens and all the divers creatures –living in the air, in waters, on the earth and underground–, His keeping all the time in existence so many creatures some of which we know and an incomparably greater number of which we are not even capable of conceiving –on account of (the human) mind’s limited capacity–, His giving rizq (food, sustenance) to all these creatures, and His other Attributes of perfection. He is qâdir-i-mutlaq (the almighty). Each and every creature is a work from the Attributes of Kemâl of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân.

There are twenty-two attributes that are about Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân and which it is wâjib for us to know. Also, He has twenty-two other attributes which are muhâl (inconceivable, impossible for Him to have).

Wâjib means necessary. These Attributes exist in Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân. Attributes that are muhâl do not exist in Him. Muhâl is the opposite of wâjib. It means: “cannot exist”.

There is one Attribute that is called sifât-i-nafsiyya about Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân and which it is wâjib for us to know: Wujûd, which means “to exist”.

The evidence to prove by tradition that Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân exists is Allâhu ta’âlâ’s qawl-i-sherîf (blessed statement) which reads: “Innenî Enallâhu.” The evidence to prove it mentally is that there definitely exists a creator who created all these beings. It is muhâl for Him not to exist.

Sifât-i-nafsiyya means that the Dhât (Person) without Him and He without the Dhât cannot be conceived or thought of.

There are five Attributes concerning Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân that are termed Sifât-i-dhâtiyya and which are wâjib for us to know: They are (also) known as Attributes of Ulûhiyyat.

1– Qidem (or Qidam), which means that there is not a beginning for the existence of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân.

2– Baqâ means that there is not an end for the existence of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân, which is also called wâjib-ul-wujûd. Its evidence by tradition is the third âyat-i-kerîma declared by Allâhu ta’âlâ in the Hadîd Sûra (of the Qur’ân al-kerîm). Its mental evidence is that if His existence had a beginning and/or an end He would be incapable and imperfect. And an incapable and imperfect being in turn could not create others. Then, it is muhâl (impossible for His existence’s having a beginning or an end).

3– Qiyâm bi-nafsihi, which means that Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân does not need anyone in His Dhât, in His Attributes, or in His Deeds. Its evidence by tradition is the final âyat-i-kerîma of the Sûra of Muhammad ‘’alaihis-salâm’. Its mental evidence is that if He did not have these Attributes He would be incapable and imperfect. Being incapable or imperfect is muhâl concerning Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân.

4– Mukhâlafat-un-lil-hawâdith, means that Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân is unlike anyone, in His Dhât (Person) as well as in His Attributes. Its evidence by tradition is Allâhu ta’âlâ’s declaration in the eleventh âyat-i-kerîma of Shûrâ Sûra. Its mental evidence is that if He did not have these Attributes He would be incapable and imperfect. Being incapable or imperfect is muhâl concerning Allâhu ta’âlâ.

5– Wahdâniyyat means that Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân does not have a sherîk (partner) or a nadhîr (match, like), neither in His Dhât, nor in His Attributes or Deeds. Its evidence by tradition is Allâhu ta’âlâ’s first âyat-i-kerîm in Ikhlâs Sûra. Its mental evidence is the fact that if He had a partner all beings would be non-existent. As one of them willed to create something, the other one would will not to do so.

[According to the majority of Islamic scholars, Wujûd, which means existence, is a distinct Attribute. Accordingly, there are six Attributes under the appelation Sifât-i-Dhâtiyya.]

SIFÂT-I-THUBÛTIYYA

There are eight Attributes that are wâjib for us to know concerning Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân and which fall into the category termed Sifât-i-thubûtiyya: Hayât, ’Ilm, Sem’, Basar, Irâda, Qudrat, Kalâm, Tekwîn.

The meanings of these Attributes are as follows:

1– Hayât means that Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân is alive. Its evidence by tradition is the initial part of Allâhu ta’âlâ’s two hundred and fifty-fifth âyat-i-kerîma in Baqara Sûra. Its mental evidence is the fact that had Allâhu ta’âlâ not been alive these creatures would not have come into existence.

2– ’Ilm means that Allâhu ta’âlâ has knowledge. Its evidence by tradition is Allâhu ta’âlâ’s twenty-second âyat-i-kerîma in Hashr Sûra. Its mental evidence is the fact that Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân would be incapable and imperfect if He did not have knowledge. Being incapable or imperfect is muhâl (impossible) concerning Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân.

3– Sem’ means that Allâhu ta’âlâ hears. Its evidence by tradition is Allâhu ta’âlâ’s first âyat-i-kerîma in the Isrâ Sûra. Its mental evidence is that He would be incapable and imperfect if He were without hearing. It is muhâl concerning Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân to be incapable or imperfect.

4– Basar means that Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân sees. Its evidence by tradition is, again, Allâhu ta’âlâ’s first âyat-i-kerîma in Isrâ Sûra. Its mental evidence is that Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân would be incapable and imperfect if He did not have seeing. Being incapable or imperfect is muhâl concerning Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân.

5– Irâda means that Allâhu ta’âlâ wills. Whatever He wills happens. Nothing takes place unless He wills. He has willed (the existence of) beings and created them. Its evidence by tradition is Allâhu ta’âlâ’s twenty-seventh âyat-i-kerîma in Ibrâhîm Sûra. Its mental evidence is that He would be incapable and imperfect if He did not have willing. And being incapable or imperfect is muhâl (impossible, contrary-to-fact, out of the place) concerning Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân.

6– Qudrat means Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân’s being almighty. Its evidence by tradition is Allâhu ta’âlâ’s hundred and sixty-fifth âyat-i-kerîma in Âl-i-’Imrân Sûra. Its mental evidence is that He would be incapable and imperfect if He were not almighty. It is muhâl for Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân to be incapable or imperfect.

7– Kalâm (or kelâm) means that Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân has speech. Its evidence by tradition is Allâhu ta’âlâ’s hundred and sixty-fourth âyat-i-kerîma in Nisâ Sûra. Its mental evidence is that He would be incapable and imperfect if He did not have speech. And being incapable and imperfect in turn is muhâl concerning Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân.

8– Tekwîn means that Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân is creative, i.e. (He has creating power, so that) He creates. He, alone, creates all from nothing. There is no creator other than Him. Its evidence by tradition is Allâhu ta’âlâ’s sixty-second âyat-i-kerîma in Zumar (or Zumer) Sûra. Its mental evidence is that He has a stupendous variety of creatures on earths and in heavens, and He is the sole Creator of all. It would be kufr, (i.e. it would cause one to lose one’s îmân,) to say, “creator,” about anyone besides Him. Man can not create anything. Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân has eight Sifât-i-ma’nâwiyya (non-material attributes) that are wâjib for us to know: Hayyun, ’Alîmun, Semî’un, Basîrun, Murîdun, Qadîrun, Mutekellimun (or Mutakallimun), [Alternative transeriptions in Latin alphabet have been intended to help the reader to acquire as accurate as possible pronunciations of the technical terms.] Mukewwinun.

The meanings of these blessed attributes are as follows: 1– Hayyun: Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân is alive.

2– ’Alîmun: Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân knows with such knowledge as ’ilm-i-qadîmi (eternal knowledge).

3– Semî’un: Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân hears with a hearing which is eternal (sem’i qadîm).

4– Basîrun: Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân sees.

5– Murîdun: Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân wills with an irâda-i-qadîmi (eternal will).

6– Qadîrun: Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân is almighty with His qudrat-i-qadîma (eternal power).

7– Mutekellimun: Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân has speech, which is kalâm-i-qadîm (eternal speech).

8– Mukewwinun: Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân is creative, and He creates all.

Attributes that are muhâl concerning Allâhu ta’âlâ are antonymous with the aforesaid attributes.

WA MELÂIKATIHI: I believe also the angels of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân; I have îmân in them. Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân has angels. He created them from nûr (radiance, light). They are jisms (bodies). [The jism (body) mentioned in this context is not the jism mentioned in books of physics.] They do not eat or drink. They do not have sex. They get down to earth from heavens and ascend back to heavens. They appear in different guises. They are never disobedient to Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân, be it as long as a wink, let alone sinning like us. Among them are muqarrabs [Please see the fifth level of wara’ in the first chapter of the sixth fascicle of Endless Bliss for ‘muqarrabs’] and Prophets.

WA KUTUBIHI: I believe also the (heavenly) Books of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân.

Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân has Books. There are one hundred and four Books named in the Qur’ân al-kerîm. A hundred of them are small Books. They are called ‘Suhuf’. And four of them are major Books. Tevrât (or Tawrât, Torah) was sent down to Hadrat Mûsâ (Moses) ‘’alaihis-salâm’, Zebûr to Dâwûd (David) ‘’alaihis-salâm’, Injil to ’Îsâ (Jesus) ‘’alaihis-salâm’, and the Qur’ân al-kerîm to our Prophet Muhammad ‘’alaihis-salâm’. Could not Answer, one of our publications, provides detailed information concerning the books entitled Torah and Bible and which are being read by today’s Jews and Christians.

Of the hundred suhuf (plural form of sahîfa, which in turn means ‘sheet’ or ‘page’ or ‘tablet’, literally), ten suhuf were sent down to ’Âdam ‘’alaihis-salâm’, fifty suhuf to Shis (Seth) ‘’alaihis-salâm’, thirty suhuf to Idris ‘’alaihis-salâm’, and ten suhuf to Ibrâhîm ‘’alaihis-salâm’. All of them were brought down by Jebrâîl ‘’alaihis-salâm’. The Qur’ân-i-’adhîm-ush-shân is the final one of all the heavenly Books that were sent down. The descent of the Qur’ân-i-’adhîm-ush-shân took twenty-three years, piecemeal and in âyats, and its rules shall survive till the end of the world. It has been protected from abrogation, [i.e. from becoming invalid,] and from human interpolation, [i.e. from being changed or defiled by mankind.]

WA RASULIHI: I have îmân also in the Prophets ‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’ of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân.

Allâhu ta’âlâ has Prophets ‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’. All Prophets are human beings. ’Âdam ‘’alaihis-salâm’ is the first Prophet, and our Prophet, Muhammad Mustafâ ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ is the final Prophet. Many other Prophets ‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’ came and went between these two. Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân’ knows their number.

There are five attributes that are wâjib for us to know concerning Prophets ‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’: Sidq, Amânat, Tebligh, Ismat, Fetânet.

1– Sidq: All Prophets ‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’ are faithful in their word. Whatever they say is true.

2– Amânat: They never commit a breach of trust.

3– Tebligh: They know all the commandments and prohibitions of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân and convey them to their Ummats.

4– Ismat: It means to be far from committing sins, grave and venial ones alike. They never commit sins. Prophets ‘’alaihim-us-salâm’ are the only group of people who are sinless. [Shiites however, say that there is yet another sinless group of people.]

5– Fetânat: It means that all Prophets ‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’ are wiser than other people.

There are five attributes that are jâiz (permissible, possible) for Prophets ‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’ to have: They eat and drink; they become ill; they die, (they are mortal,) they migrate from one world, (i.e. this world,) to the other world, (i.e. the Hereafter;) they are not fond of the world.

There are twenty-eight Prophets whose blessed names are given in the Qur’ân-i-’adhîm-ush-shân. There is a scholarly statement saying that it is wâjib for everybody to know them.

Names of Prophets ‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-s-salâm’:

’Âdem, Idris, Nûh, Shis [Seth], Hûd, Sâlih, Lût, Ibrâhîm, Ismâ’îl, Is-haqq, Ya’qûb, Yûsuf, Mûsâ, Hârûn, Dâwûd, Suleymân, Yûnus, Ilyâs, Elyesa’, Zulkifl, Eyyûb (or Ayyûb), Zekeriyyâ, Yahyâ, ’Îsâ, and Muhammad ‘salawâtullâhi ’alâ nebiyyinâ wa ’alaihim’. There was a disagreement over the names of Uzeyr (or Uzayr), Loqmân (or Luqmân), and Zulqarneyn. Some (of the Islamic scholars) said that these three people and also Hidir ‘’alaihis-salâm’ were Prophets, while others, (i.e. other Islamic scholars,) said that they were Awliyâ. It is written in the thirty-sixth letter of the second volume of Maktûbât-i-Ma’thûmiyya [Written by Muhammad Ma’thûm Fârûqî ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih’ (1007, Serhend – 1079 [1668 A.D.], the same place), the third son of Hadrat Imâm Rabbânî ‘quddisa sirruhumâ’.] that there is a convincing scholarly traditional citation stating that Hidir ‘’alaihis-salâm’ was a Prophet. As is stated in the hundred and eighty-second letter, Hidir’s ‘’alaihis-salâm’ appearing and doing things in the human guise does not show that he is living. Allâhu ta’âlâ has allowed his soul as well as the souls of many Prophets and Awliyâ to be seen in the human guise. Seeing them does not show that they are alive.

And also, what is incumbent upon you is to say, “I am, al-hamd-u-lillah, a descendant of Hadrat ’Âdam ‘’alaihis-salâm’ and one of the Ummat (Believers, Muslims) of the Prophet of the latest time, Muhammad ‘’alaihis-salât-u-wa-s-salâm’.” Wahhâbîs deny the fact that ’Âdam ‘’alaihi-s-salâm’ was a Prophet. Therefore, and also because they call Muslims ‘polytheists’, they are kâfirs (disbelievers).

WA-L-YAWM-IL-ÂKHIRI: Also, I believe the Day of Rising; I have îmân in it. For, Allâhu ta’âlâ has informed us about it. The Day of Qiyâma(t) begins when people rise from their graves. It continues until people go to their places (which are either) in Paradise or in Hell. All of us shall die and thereafter come back to life. Paradise and Hell and mîzân [Scales] and the bridge of Sirât and hashr [assembling] and neshr (or nashr) [leaving the place of hashr to go to Paradise or Hell] and torment in grave and being questioned by the two angels named Munkar (or Munker) and Nekir (or Nakir) are all haqq (truth). They will definitely be experienced.

WA BI-L-QADAR-I-KHAYRIHI WE SHARRIHI MIN-ALLÂHI TA’ÂLÂ: I believe also that all the past and future events, good and evil one, alike, have taken place and will take place with the taqdîr of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân, that is, suitably with His knowledge and decree in eternal past, and with His creating them at their destined times and with His writing them in the Lawh-il-Mahfûz; [Please see the thirty-sixth chapter of the third fascicle of Endless Bliss.] I have îmân in it. There is never a doubt in my heart.

Esh-hadu an lâ ilâha il-l-Allah wa esh hadu anna Muhammadan ’abduhu wa rasûluh.

And also, my Madhhab in i’tiqâd, [i.e. in tenets to be believed,] is the Madhhab of Ahl as-Sunnat wa-l-jamâ’at. I am in this Madhhab. The credal tenets held by the other seventy-two groups are wrong and heretical. They will go to Hell.

[Muslims who love all the Ashâb-i-kirâm ‘’alaihim-ur-ridwân’ are called (the grup of) Ahl as-Sunnat. All the Ashâb-i-kirâm were learned and ’âdil Muslims. They attended the sohbat, (i.e. blessed togetherness, presence,) of the Master of the entire humanity, (i.e. Rasûlullah,) ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’, and assisted him. Even a Sahâbî who attained the least of that (most valuable) sohbat is higher than a Walî who is the highest of all the Awliyâ and yet who is not a Sahâbî. The hâls experienced at a single one of the sohbats and tawajjuhs of that Darling of Allâhu ta’âlâ and the kemâls (perfections) attained under the effect of his blessed looks and breaths have not fallen to the lot of anyone who did not attain that presence, that fortune of closeness. All the Ashâb-i-kirâm ‘ridwânullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaihim ajma’în were secured against indulgence in the desires of their ‘nafs’es [Please see the forty-third chapter of the second fascicle of Endless Bliss for ‘nafs’.] as soon as they attained the first sohbat (of Rasûlullah). We have been commanded to love them all. It is written as follows in the initial pages of the commentary to the book entitled Shir’at-ul-islâm: [Written by Muhammad bin Abû Bakr ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih’ (d. 573 [1178 A.D.]). Its commentary was written by Ya’qûb bin Sayyid ’Alî ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih’ (d. 931 [1525 A.D.]).] “Talk as courteously as possible about any of the Ashâb-i-kirâm ‘’alaihim-ur-ridwân’. Never speak ill of any of them.” As for the seventy-two (aberrant) groups: Some of them carried the matter too far, while others were remiss in it; some of them put their trust in mind, while others fell for philosophy and Greek philosophers. Thus they practised things that were not in Islam and which were even contrary to Islam. They embraced bid’ats, (i.e. beliefs and practices that had nothing to do with Islam and which had been invented in the name of Islamic beliefs and practices.) They abandoned the Sunnat, i.e. Islam. There appeared people who resented Islamic celebrities such as Abû Bakr as-Siddîq and Hadrat ’Umar ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhumâ’, the highest ones of the Ashâb-i-kirâm according to the ijmâ’ (unanimity of Islamic scholars), –in fact, the resentment felt by some of them would not sidestep the blessed name of our Master, the Prophet ‘’alaihis-salâm’. There appeared people who denied the fact that our Master, the Prophet, had been taken up to heaven both physically and spiritually on the night called Mi’râj, (which is explained in detail in the sixtieth chapter of the third fascicle of Endless Bliss.)

It is so appalling to see some soi disant contemporary Islamic scholars dismally serving as mouthpieces for the group called Ismâ’îliyya, the most harmful of the seventy-two groups (of bid’at). They are striving to misquide and poison the innocent young generations by writing and spreadng various destructive lies such as that the blessed male and female ancestors of our Master the Prophet were disbelievers and that our blessed Master the Prophet ‘’alaihis-salâm’ had been immolating sacrificial animals before idols before he was designated as the Prophet, and adducing some Shiite books to support their misrepresentations. It can be seen clearly that the aims of such defeatists is to undermine the Islamic religion, to steal the îmân of young people, and to blemish them with disbelief. An âyat-i-kerîma in the Qur’ân al-kerîm purports: “A person who interprets the Qur’ân al-kerîm in accordance with his own mind will become a disbeliever.” Islamic scholars had adab (polished manners, as taught by Islam). They would talk and write with diligence. They think hard lest they should say something wrong. Talking without reserve, e.g. attempting to voice one’s wrong and aberrant personal views and opinions in the name of Islam instead of derving true information from the Edilla-i-shar’iyya, i.e. from the four major sources of Islamic knowledge, is not something that an average Muslim do, let alone an Islamic scholar. We must deem the destructive and belief dirtying words and writings of such ignorant people who have not realized the greatness of our blessed Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ or of the Ashâb-i-kirâm ‘ridwânullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaihim ajma’în’ as lethal venoms.

A Persion line in English:

I shudder like a willow leaf if they should assault my îmân.

May Allâhu ta’âlâ increase the love of His beloved ones in our hearts. May He protect us from falling into the inferno of loving His enemies! The symptom of îmân’s existence in a heart is its loving the beloved one’s of Allâhu ta’âlâ and its resenting His enemies.]

There are four Madhhabs in ’amal (Islamic practices, acts of worship, deeds and actions): They are the Madhhabs of Imâm a’zam (Abû Hanîfa), Imâm Shâfi’î, Imâm Mâlik, and Imâm Ahmad bin Hanbal ‘rahmatullâhi ’alaihim’.

It is necessary to adapt oneself to any one of these four Madhhabs. Madhhabs of all four of them are true and right. All four of them are within the Ahl as-Sunnat. We are in the Madhhab of Imâm a’zam. Muslims in this Madhhab are called Hanafîs. “The Madhhab of Imâm a’zam is thawâb [The word ‘thawâb’ is used both as an adjective and as a noun. When a certain behaviour is thawâb, it means that Allâhu ta’âlâ likes it very much and in the Hereafter He will give rewards for it.] and right. There is the likelihood as well that it may be incorrect. The other three Madhhabs are incorrect. There is the likelihood as well that they may be correct,” we say.

And also, îmân’s staying with its holder permanently without leaving is dependent upon six conditions and causes:

1– We have had îmân in the ghâib. Our îmân is in the ghâib (unknown, unseen), not in the zâhir (known, seen). For, we have not been able to see Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân with our eyes. However, we have believed, we have had îmân as if we had seen Him. We have never had any doubt as to it.

2– On the earth and in heavens, among human beings, genies, angels, and Prophets ‘’alaihim-us-salawât-u-wa-t-teslîmât’, there is not a single creature to know about the ghâib. Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân, alone, knows about the ghâib, and He imparts whatever He wishes of the ghâib to creatures that He chooses. [‘Ghâib’ means (something) which cannot be perceived with sense organs or understood by calculation or experimentation. The ghaîb can be known only by those to whom He imparts the ghâib.]

3– To know harâms as harâms and to believe them as such.

4– To know halâls as halâls and to believe them as such.

5– Not to feel secured against the torment of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân, and to always fear Him.

6– Not to give up hope of the compassion of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân no matter how sinful you are.

If a person does not fulfil one of these six conditions although he may fulfil five of them, or if he fulfils one of them and does not fulfil five of them, that person’s îmân and islam will not be sahîh.

There are forty [40] things which may cause a person with îmân at the moment to lose their îmân later:

1– To hold a bid’at, which means to have a flaw in one’s îmân. [A slightest deviation from the credal tenets taught by scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat will cause the deviator to become either a heretic or a disbeliever. If a person denies something that is compulsory to believe, that person becomes a kâfir (disbeliever) outright. It is bid’at or dalâlat to deny something that is not compulsory to believe. A bid’at or dalâlat may cause its holder to die without îmân.]

2– Îmân that is weak, i.e. îmân without ’amals (compulsory practices or acts of worship).

3– To let one’s nine limbs abandon the right way.

4– To continue committing grave sins. [Therefore. Muslims should not take alcohol, and Muslim women and girls should not show their heads, hair, calves, and wrists to nâ-mahram [Please scan the twelfth chapter of the fifth fascicle of Endless Bliss for detailed information about terms like ‘mahram’ and ‘nâ-mahram’.] men.

5– To cease from gratitude for having been blessed with Islam.

6– Not to fear the likelihood of going without îmân to the Hereafter.

7– To perpetrate cruelty.

8– Not to listen to an adhân-i-Muhammadî that is being performed in a manner prescribed by the Sunnat. [A person who slights an adhân being performed likewise becomes a disbeliever outright.] (Adhân-or azân-and how to perform it in a manner prescribed by the Sunnat, i.e. by Islam, is explained in full detail in the eleventh chapter of the fourth fascicle of Endless Bliss.)

9– To disobey one’s parents. To harshly refuse their orders that are suitable with Islam and which are mubâh.

10– To swear oaths frequently even if they are true.

11– When performing namâz, to neglect the ta’dîl-i-erkân at rukû’ (bending the body during namâz), at qawma (standing upright after rukû’), at two sajdas (prostrations during namâz), and at jalsa (sitting upright between two sajdas). Ta’dîl-i-erkân means to stay in tumânînat, i.e. motionless for as long as a time during which one could say, “Subhân-Allah.”

12– To think that namâz is something unimportant and not to attach importance to learning it and teaching it to one’s family and children, and to prevent others from performing namâz.

13– To drink hamr [wine] and any other hard drink that intoxicates when imbibed in a large amount; the same rule applies even if the alcohol taken is only a little.

14– To get Believers into trouble.

15– To make a false show of being a Walî or being learned in Islam. To represent oneself as a religious man, a preacher, without acquiring the teachings of Ahl as-Sunnat. [False religious books written by such liars should not be read. Their sermons and speeches should not be attended.]

16– To forget about one’s sinfulness; to take it lightly.

17– Arrogance, i.e. to take too much pride in oneself.

18– ’Ujb (self-admiration), i.e. to admire one’s learning and piousness.

19– To be a munâfiq, i.e. hypocrisy, double-facedness. 20– Covetousness; to be jealous of one’s Muslim brother.

21– Not to obey the commandments of the government or of one’s master (even) when their commandments are not against Islam. To revolt against their commandments that are against Islam.

22– To say that so and so is a good person without putting that person to the test.

23– To be an inveterate liar.

24– To avoid scholars. [Not to read books written by scholars of Ahl as-Sunnat.

25– To grow one’s moustache longer than the limit put by the Sunnat.

26– For men to wear silk. It is permissible to wear synthetic silk or material woven with silk weft and cotton warp.

27– To be a habitual backbiter.

28– To cause trouble to one’s neighbours, even if they are disbelievers.

29– To show too much anger over worldly matters. 30– To receive and pay interest.

31– To boastfully wear garments with sleeves and/or skirts too long.

32– To practise sorcery.

33– To never visit one’s mahram relative who is a pious (sâlih) Muslim.

34– To dislike a person liked by Allâhu ta’âlâ and to like people who (you know) are trying to defile Islam.

35– To bear grudge against one’s Muslim brother for longer than three days.

36– To make fornication a habit.

37– To commit sodomy and not to make tawba [To make tawba for a certain sin or for one’s sins means to repent for it or for them, to beg Allâhu ta’âlâ for forgiveness, and to promise Him not to commit it or them.] thereafter. Sodomy (liwâta) means to insert one’s dheker into another person’s anus. Dheker (penis) is the organ which a man uses for urination. The female organ used for the same purpose is called ferj (vagina).

38– To perform the adhân (or azân) not at times prescribed in books of Fiqh and/or not in a manner dictated by the Sunnat, and/or not to show due respect upon hearing an adhân being performed in a manner agreeable with the Sunnat.

39– When you see a person committing a munkar (harâm), not to perform ‘nehy’ (or ‘nahy’), [i.e. not to dissuade that person from doing so,] by using an elegant language, although you have the ability to do it.

40– To condone Islam’s prohibitions being committed by women who you have the right to give advice, such as your wife and daughter(s); e.g. their going out without properly covering their heads, arms, and legs, or ornamented and/or perfumed as they are.

Îmân means the tongue’s declaration and the heart’s confirmation of the facts which Prophets have conveyed from Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân. And Islam means to have îmân in Muhammad ‘’alaihis-salâm’ and to practise (’amal) his teachings.

Also, Dîn and Millat are synonyms. Dîn or Millat means the i’tiqâd, i.e. credal tenets, which Prophets brought from Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân.

Islam or Ahkâm-i-islâmiyya means the ’amal, i.e. practical tenets, which our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ brought from Haqq ta’âlâ.

And also, îmân-i-ijmâlî (summarized belief), which means to believe briefly, will be enough (for a person to become a Believer, a Muslim). It will not be necessary to go into detail or to know îmân in detail. A muqallid’s îmân, which means a person’s belief without understanding, will be sahîh, (i.e. valid, sound.) Details, however, is required in some matters.

There are three levels of îmân: Îmân-i-taqlîdî, îmân-i-istidlâlî, and îmân-i-haqîqî.

Îmân-i-taqlîdî (imitative belief). A person with this level of îmân does not know farz (or fard), wâjib, sunnat, or mustahab. They imitate their parents in their belief and acts of worship. Îmân held by such people is precarious.

Îmân-i-istidlâlî (inferential belief). A person with this level of îmân both knows farz, wâjib, mustahab, and harâm, and obeys Islam. They are both knowledgeable and communicative concerning tenets of belief. They have learned them from religious teachers and books. Îmân held by such people is firm.

Îmân-i-haqîqî (true, genuine belief). If the entire creation came together and agreed on the denial of their Rabb (Allâhu ta’âlâ), person at this level of îmân would not deny (Allâhu ta’âlâ). There would never be an iota of doubt in their heart. Their îmân is identical with the îmân of Anbiyâ (Prophets). This level of îmân is higher than the other two levels.

Also, Islamic rules pertain to ’amal (practices, acts of worship), not to îmân (belief, credo). Îmân, alone, would suffice for entering Paradise. Yet it is out of the question to go in there only with ’amal, (i.e. by practising acts of worship.) Îmân without ’amal is acceptable. ’Amal without îmân, on the other hand, is useless. Acts of worship performed, pious acts done, and alms given by people without îmân will do them no good in the Hereafter. Îmân cannot be donated as a gift to someone else, while the thawâb earned by way of ’amal can be gifted. One cannot give or write an instruction concerning îmân in one’s last will. Yet one can instruct one’s inheritors to perform ’amal on one’s behalf (after one’s death). A person who neglects ’amal will not become a disbeliever. But a person who abandons îmân or who takes ’amal lightly will become a disbeliever. A person with a good excuse (’udhr) or who is unable will be absolved from ’amal. But by no means will any person be absolved from îmân.

There is one îmân which all Prophets conveyed to their ummats. Yet they differ from one another in their rules, dispensations, and religious practices.

Also, there are two kinds of îmân. One of them is îmân-i-khilqî, and the other kind is îmân-i-kesbî.

Îmân-i-khilqî is the born slaves’ saying, “BELÂ (Yes),” at the time of the ’ahd-i-mîsâk (solemn covenent). [Please see the third paragraph of the first chapter of the book entitled The Rising and the Hereafter.]

Îmân-i-kesbî is the îmân acquired and professed after reaching the age of puberty. Îmân of all Believers is the same. Yet they differ in ’amal.

Îmân is farz-i-dâim (always compulsory), whereas ’amal becomes farz (compulsory) when its time comes.

Îmân is farz both for the disbeliever and for the Muslim. ’Amal is farz only for the Muslim.

Also, there are eight categories of îmân: Îmân-i-metbû’ is the îmân of angels. Îmân-i-ma’sûm is the îmân of Prophets.

Îmân-i-maqbûl is the îmân of Believers. Îmân-i-mawqûf is the flawed îmân of holders of bid’at.

Îmân-i-merdûd is the mendacious îmân which munâfiqs pretend to have.

Îmân-i-taqlîdî is the îmân of people who have heard it from their parents and not learned it from religious teachers. Such people’s îmân is precarious.

Îmân-i-istidlâlî is the îmân of a person who knows Mawlâ-i-mute’âlî by inferring His existence from evidence. That person’s îmân is staunch.

İmân-i-haqîqî. A person with this îmân would not deny their Rabb (Allâhu ta’âlâ) even if all the other creatures agreed on the denial of their Rabb, and there would never be an iota of doubt or hesitation in that person’s heart. As we have stated earlier in the text, this kind of îmân is the noblest of all.

Îmân bears a three-fold import:

First, it saves one’s neck from the sword.

Second, it saves one’s property from (taxes called) jizya and kharâj. [Please scan the eleventh and the twentieth chapters of the first fascicle, the thirty-third chapter of the second fascicle, the twenty-first chapter of the fourth fascicle, the first and the twelfth chapters of the fifth fascicle, and the first chapter of the sixth fascicle, of Endless Bliss, for jizya and kharâj.]

Third, it saves one’s body from everlasting Hell fire.

“Amantu billâhi …,” is also called Sifât-i-îmân or mu’minun bih or dhât-i-îmân or ’asl-i-îmân, on account of its grandeur and honour. (It is the expression of the credal tenets of Islam and reads on as follows: “… wa Melâikatihi, wa Kutubihi, wa Rusulihi, wa-l-Yawm-i-âkhiri, wa bi-l-Qadari, Khayrihi wa sharrihi min-Allâhi ta’âlâ, wa-l-ba’s-u-ba’d-al-mawt, Haqqun esh-hadu anlâ ilâha il-l-Allah wa esh-hadu anna Muhammadan ’abduhu wa Rasûluhu.”)

Also, there are two medârs for îmân, i.e. points of time whereat it becomes compulsory (for one) to have îmân: Age of discretion and age of puberty.

Also, there are two reasons for îmân: Creation of all beings and revelation of the Qur’ân al-kerîm.

Also, there are two kinds of evidence: Delîl-i-’aqlî (mental evidence) and delîl-i-naqlî (evidence by tradition).

Also, îmân has two rukns (principles), ’asls (origins): Ikrâr-un bi-l-lisân (professing it with the tongue) and tasdîq-un-bi-l-jenân (confirming it with the heart. And there are two conditions stipulated for them:

The condition stipulated for the heart is that it should not harbour any doubt or hesitation, and the condition pertaining to the tongue is one’s awareness of what one says.

Also, is îmân a creature? It is a non-creature with respect to its being a hidâyet (guidance) from Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân. On the other hand, it is a creature from the point of view of its being the born slave’s confirmation and declaration.

Is îmân a collectivity, a singular whole, or a plurality?

It is a collectivity in the heart and a plurality in the limbs.

Yaqîn means to know the Dhât of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân with His Kamâl (or Kemâl).

Khawf means to fear Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân.

Rejâ means not to give up hope of the Rahmat (Mercy, Compassion) of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân.

Muhabbatullah means to have affection for Allah and His Messenger ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ and the Islamic faith and Believers.

Hayâ means to feel ashamed before Allah and His Messenger ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’.

Tawakkul means to entrust all one’s matters to Allâhu ta’âlâ. To put one’s trust in Him when beginning to do something. [The thirty-fifth chapter of the third fascicle of Endless Bliss enlarges on tawakkul.]

Also, what are called Îmân, Islam, and Ihsân?

Îmân means to believe all the facts stated by Muhammad ‘’alaihis-salâm’.

Islam means to perform the commandments of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân and to avoid His prohibitions.

Ihsân means to perform one’s acts of worship in a manner as if you were seeing Allâhu ta’âlâ.

Îmân; its lexical meaning is ‘positive confirmation’. In Islam, it means to believe and confirm the six credal tenets.

Ma’rifat means to know Allâhu ta’âlâ to have the Attributes of Kemâl and to be far from atributes of imperfection.

Tawhîd means to believe in the unity of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân and not to attribute a partner to Him.

Islam (Ahkâm-i-islâmiyya) means the commandments and prohibitions of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân.

Dîn wa millat means resolution in the tenets of belief until death.

And also, îmân is protected within five fortifications: 1– Yaqîn

2– Ikhlâs

3– Performing the acts of farz and avoiding the harâms.

4– Adherence to the Sunnat.

5– Steadfastness in adab and being watchful at it. [The sixth chapter of the sixth fascicle of Endless Bliss provides information about the âdâb (pl. of adab) in eating and drinking.]

Any person who is steady in these five fortifications will be steady also in their îmân. Negligence in any one of these fortifications will precipitate enemy ascendancy. Man has four enemies: Evil company on the right hand side; indulgences [desires] of man’s own nafs on man’s left; fondness for the world in front of man; and the satan close behind; these four enemies vie for taking away îmân. Evil company does not only consist of people who cheat one out of one’s property, money, and worldlies. The worst and the most harmful evil company are those who strive to spoil one’s faith, îmân, adab, hayâ (sense of shame), and moral conduct, and who thereby, attack one’s happiness in this world and everlasting felicity in the Hereafter. May Allâhu ta’âlâ secure our îmân against the evils of such enemies and against the misguidance organized by Islam’s enemies.

The blessed meaning of the Kalima-i-Tawhîd, i.e. of saying, “Lâ ilâha il-l-Allah,” is: There is no person other than Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân who is worthy of being worshipped. Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân, alone, is so. He always exists and is One. He does not have a sherîk [partner] or a nadhîr [likeness, match]. He is without time and without place.

“Muhammadun Rasûlullah” means Hadrat Muhammad Mustafâ ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ is the born slave and the true Messenger of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân. We are his Ummat, al-hamd-u-lillah.

And also Kalima-i-Tawhîd has eight names:

1– Kalima-i-Shehâdat.

2– Kalima-i-Tawhîd.

3– Kalima-i-Ikhlâs.

4– Kalima-i-Taqwâ.

5– Kalima-i-Tayyiba.

6– Da’wat-ul-Haqq.

7– ’Urwa-t-ul-wuthqâ.

8– Kalima-i-themerat-ul-Jannat.

And also, requirements to be fulfilled for (having) ikhlâs [Doing something good only because Allâhu ta’âlâ commands or approves of it and avoiding something evil or sinful only because Allâhu ta’âlâ prohibits or disapproves of it.] are: Making niyyat (intention), knowing its meaning, and reading or reciting it with due respect.

And, a person making dhikr needs four things: Tasdîq, ta’dhîm, halâwat, and hurmat.

A person who abandons tasdîq is a munâfiq; a person who abandons ta’dhîm is a bid’at holder; a person who abandons halâwat is a hypocrite; he makes a show; a person who abandons hurmat is a fâsiq. Denial of it causes disbelief.

And also, there are three kinds of dhikr:

1– Dhikr-i-awâm.

2– Dhikr-i-khawâs.

3– Dhikr-i-akhas.

Dhikr-i-awâm is the dhikr of unlearned people. Dhikr-i-khawâs is the dhikr made by Islamic scholars, and Dhikr-i-akhas is the dhikr of Prophets.

And also, there are three human limbs to make dhikr:

1– Dhikr made with tongue, i.e. to say the Kalima-i-shahâdat.

2– To make tawhîd and tesbîh (or tasbîh), and to read (or recite) the Qur’ân al-kerîm.

3– Dhikr made with heart.

There are three kinds of dhikr made with heart:

1– To meditate over the evidence and the symptoms that guide to the Attributes of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân.

2– To meditate over the evidence of the Ahkâm-i-islâmiyya. 3– To meditate over the mysteries of creatures.

Scholars of Tafsîr explain the hundred and fifty-second âyat-i-kerîma of Baqara sûra as follows: The Qur’ân al-kerîm declares: “O My slaves! If you make dhikr of Me by way of tâ’at (acts of obedinece to Allâhu ta’âlâ), I shall in turn make dhikr of you with Rahmat (Mercy, Compassion). If you make dhikr of Me by way of invocations and prayers, I shall in turn make dhikr of you by way of ijâbat, (i.e. by accepting your invocations.) If you make dhikr of Me by way of tâ’at, I shall in turn make dhikr of you with My Na’îm [Paradise]. If you make dhikr of Me in seclusions, then I shall make dhikr of you at the Jem’iyyat-i-kubrâ, [i.e. at the place of Mahsher,] If you make dhikr of Me at times of poverty, then I shall make dhikr of you with My help. If you make dhikr of Me by way of ijâbat, (i.e. by responding to My injunctions,) then I shall make dhikr of you by way of hidâyat (guidance). If you make dhikr of Me by way of sidq and ikhlâs, then I shall make dhikr of you by way of khalâs and nejât [salvation]. If you make dhikr of Me with the Fâtiha-i-sherîfa and with the rubûbiyyat in the Fâtiha-i-sherîfa, then I shall make dhikr of you with My Rahmat.”

And also, Islamic scholars stated some hundred of the uses of making dhikr. We will state some of them:

When a Muslim makes dhikr, Allâhu ta’âlâ will be pleased with them. Angels will be pleased with them. Satan will become sad. That person’s heart will become tender and soft. They will perform worship willingly and enthusiastically. Dhikr will remove sadness from their heart, make their heart cheerful, and brighten their face with nûr. That person will become brave and attain muhabbatullah (love of Allah). A gate from ma’rifatullah will be opened for them, so that they will receive fayz (or faydh) from the Awliyâ. They will be beautified with some sixty of the akhlâq-i-hamîda (laudable moral qualities).

“Esh-hadu anna Muhammadan ’abduhu wa Rasûluh.” The blessed meaning of this statement is this: Hadrat Muhammad Mustafâ ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’, Prophet of the latest time, is both a born slave and the Rasûl (Messenger) of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân.

He ate and drank and married women. He had sons and daughters. All of them were from Hadrat Khadîja ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhâ’. Only Ibrâhîm was from a jâriya named Mâriya. And then he passed away before having been weaned. All his children, with the exception of Fâtima ‘radiy-Allâhu ‘anhâ’, died before his own death. He married her to Hadrat ’Alî ‘kerrem-Allâhu ta’âlâ’. Hadrat Hasan and Hadrat Huseyn are the sons of Hadrat ’Alî and Hadrat Fâtima ‘radiy-Allâhu ‘anhum’. Of all his daughters, Hadrat Fâtima is the highest. And she is the beloved one of Hadrat Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’.

Rasûl-i-ekrem ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’ has eleven blessed wives: Hadrat Khadîja, Sawda (or Sevde), ’Âisha, Hafsa, Umm-i-Selema, Umm-i-Habîba, Zeyneb bint-i-Jahsh, Zeyneb bint-i-Huzayma, Meymûna, Juwayriyya, Safiyya ‘radiy-Allâhu ’anhunna’.

The Edilla-i-shar’îyya are made up of Kitâb, Sunnat, Ijmâ’-i-Ummat, and Qiyâs-i-mujtahid. From these four soruces did the Islamic scholars derive their religious knowledge. The Word of Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân is called ‘Kitâb (the Book)’. ‘Sunnat’ is the Qawl-i-Rasûl (Utterances of the Messenger of Allah), the Fi’l-i-Rasûl (Deeds Acts, Behaviours of the Messenger of Allah), and the Taqrîr-i-Rasûl (Confirmation, Ratification of the Messenger of Allah). Ijmâ’-i-Ummat is the consensus reached by the mujtahids who lived in the same century, e.g. by the Ashâb-i-kirâm ‘radiy-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’anhum’, or by the four Madhhabs. Qiyâs is analogy drawn between two different things by mujtahids.

And also, lexical meaning of madhhab is way. We have two different ways: One of them is our way in i’tiqâd (belief, credo), and the other one is our way in ’amal (practices).

Our imâm, i.e. guide, in the way of i’tiqâd is Abû Mansûr Mâturîdî ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’. His way is called Ahl as-Sunnat. Our guide in the way of ’amal is Imâm a’zam Abû Hanîfa ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’. His way is called Hanafî Madhhab.

Abû Mansûr Mâturîdî’s name is Muhammad, his father’s name is Muhammad, his grandfather’s name is Muhammad, and his teacher’s name is Abû Nasr-i-Iyâd ‘rahima-humullâhu ta’âlâ’.

Abû Nasr-i-Iyâd’s teacher’s name is Abû Bakr-i-Jurjânî, whose teacher’s name is Abû Suleymân Jurjânî, whose teachers’ names are Abû Yûsuf and Imâm-i-Muhammad Sheybânî (or Shaybânî). And the teacher of these two celebrities is Imâm a’zam Abû Hanîfa ‘rahima-humullâhu ta’âlâ’. Hence, Imâm a’zam is the chief guide of both our Madhhab in i’tiqâd and our Madhhab in ’amal.

All Muslims have three imâms (guides); it is farz to know them. Our imâm who enjoins the commandments and prohibitions is the Qur’ân al-kerîm. Our imâm who informs us of them, i.e. of Islam, is Hadrat Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ta’âlâ ’alaihi wa sallam’. Our imâm who enforces them, i.e. who sees to that they should be observed, is the Muslim state president on behalf of Rasûlullah.

Imâm a’zam’s teacher’s name is Hammâd, whose teacher’s name is Ibrâhîm Nehâî, whose teacher’s name is ’Alqama bin Qays, who is at the same time Hadrat Nehâî’s maternal uncle. Hadrat ’Alqama’s teacher’s name is ’Abdullah ibni Mes’ûd ‘rahima-humullâhu ta’âlâ’, who in turn received knowledge from Rasûlullah ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’.

As for Rasûlullah ‘’alaihis-salâm’, he received his knowledge from Jebrâîl ‘’alaihis-salâm’. And Jebrâîl ‘’alaihis-salâm’, in his turn, was commanded by Hadrat Allâhu subhânahu wa ta’âlâ.

Allâhu ’adhîm-ush-shân has bestowed four jewels upon mankind: ’Aql (mind, wisdom, reason), Îmân, Hayâ, and Fi’l, i.e. ’amal-i-sâlih (pious deeds).

And also, prayers and any pious deed will be accepted, depending on the fulfilment of five conditions and causes: Îmân, ’Ilm, Niyyat, Khulûs, i.e. ikhlâs, not to retain any rights belonging to others, (which are called rights of quls.) First of all, one should hold the belief of Ahl as-Sunnat and know the conditions to be fulfilled for the soundness of the acts of worship to be performed.

[A certain ’amal’s being sahîh is different from its having been accepted. Acts of worship have their own conditions and farâid (pl. form of farz or fard) to be fulfilled so that they should be sahîh (valid, sound). If one of them is missing, the act of worship performed will not be sahîh. It will be the same as if that act of worship has not been performed at all, and one will not be absolved from the punishment and torment to be inflicted (for not having performed it). No torment will be inflicted for an act of worship that has been sahîh although it has not been accepted. However, a Muslim will not attain thawâb (special rewards) for his or her worship that has not been accepted. For being accepted, an act of worship has to have been sahîh first of all; that is, the aforesaid five conditions should have been fulfilled. Rights of quls, (which we have already explained,) are included in these conditions.] Imâm Rabbânî ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’ states as follows in the eighty-seventh letter of the second volume (of his masterpiece entitled Maktûbât): [This letter occupies the fifteenth chapter of the third fascicle of Endless Bliss.] “If a person performs ’amal identical with the Prophet’s ’amal and yet retains a right of qul as much as a danq, [i.e. an iota of it,] he cannot enter Paradise unless he pays it back.” [His prayers will not be accepted.]

Ibni Hajar-i-Mekkî ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’ states as follows as he explains the hundred and eighty-seventh sinful act in his book entitled Zewâjir: The hundred and eighty-eighth âyat-i-kerîma of Baqara Sûra purports: “O Believers! Do not consume one another’s property in a way that is bâtil!” What is meant by that way (which is bâtil) is deceit by way of interest, gambling, extortion, theft, cheating, treason, false witness, and perjury. Some hadîth-i-sherîfs read as follows: “A Muslim who consumes things that are halâl and performs acts that are farz and avoids harâms and does not cause harm to other people will go to Paradise” and “A body that is fed on harâms will burn in fire” and “If people do not feel secure against a person’s malice and harm, that person shall not reap any benefit from his faith or prayers of namâz or zakâts” and “If the jilbâb worn by a man has come to him by way of harâm, then the namâz he performs will not be accepted.” [Jilbâb means an ample head-scarf worn by women. Another piece of clothing that is called ‘jilbâb’ is a long garment worn by men. According to some people who argue that what is called ‘jilbâb’ is a two-piece charshaf worn by women, the hadîth-i-sherîf (quoted above) implies that men also wore that charahaf. It is quite obvious that their tenuous argument betrays an ignorant and ludicrous belief.] A hadîth-i-sherîf which he quotes in his treatment of the two hundredth sinful act reads: “A person who sells adulterated merchandise is not from our community. His destination is Hell.” It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf quoted in the discussion of the two hundred and tenth sinful act: “Hell is the destination of a person who hurts his neighbours with his tongue although he performs namâz and fasts and gives alms very much.” Even if one’s neighbours are disbelievers, it is necessary not to hurt them, to do them favours, and to be kind to them. It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf in the three hundred and thirteenth sinful act: “A person who unjustly kills a disbeliever during a time of peace shall not enter Paradise.” Another hadîth-i-sherîf reads: “When two Muslims fight for worldly interests, both the killed one and the killer shall go to Hell.” It is stated in a hadîth-i-sherîf in the three undred and seventeenth sinful act: “A person who perpetrates cruelty to people shall be tormented for it on the Rising Day.” So is the case with perpetrating cruelty to non-Muslims. In a hadîth-i-sherîf in the three hundred and fiftieth sinful act: “There are three people whose invocations shall definitely be accepted: The wronged person, the guest, and parents.” And in another one: “A wronged person’s invocation shall not be refused even if he is a disbeliever.” In a hadîth-i-sherîf in the four hundred and second sinful act: “A person who kills his friend is not from our community, even if his friend is a disbeliever.” In a hadîth-i-sherîf in the four hundred and ninth sinful act: “Of all sins, rising against one’s government is the one whose torment shall be given most rapidly.” This is the end of our translation from Zewâjir. OMuslim! If you wish to attain the grace of Allâhu ta’âlâ and your acts of worship to be accepted, inscribe the hadîth-i-sherîfs quoted above in your heart! Do not attack anyone’s property, life, or chastity. Muslims and non-Muslims alike! Do not hurt anyone! Pay people their rights! It is one of the rights of quls for a man to pay ‘mahr’ [Please scan the twelfth chapter of the fifth fascicle, and also the fifteenth chapter of the sixth fascicle, of Endless Bliss.] to the woman he has divorced. If he does not pay it, he will deserve vehement punishment both in the world and in the Hereafter. The most important one of the rights of quls, (i.e. rights of human beings and other creatures,) which therefore incurs the severest torment (when violated), is to cease teaching Islam to one’s kinsfolk, especially if they are under one’s care and protection. If a person prevents them and other people from learning Islam and from practising their acts of worship by way of persecution and deceit, it will be concluded that that person is an unbeliever, an enemy of Islam. An example of this irreligious attitude is to attempt to pollute the teachings of Ahl as-Sunnat and thereby to defile the Islamic religion, a strategy pursued by holders of bid’at and by people without a certain Madhhab by making subversive statements and writing seditious articles. Do not stand against the government or against laws. Pay your taxes. That it is a sinful behaviour to revolt against the government, be it a cruel and or fasiq one, is written in the book entitled Berîqa, (which was written by Muhammad bin Mustafâ Hâdimî ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih’, d. 1176 [1762 A.D.], Hâdim, Konya, Turkey.) Even if you are in the dâr-ul-harb, i.e. in one of the countries of disbelievers, do not violate their laws and mandates! Do not arouse fitna! Do not make friends with people who attack Islam, with holders of bid’at, or with people who are not in one of the four Madhhabs! Do not read their books or newspapers! Do not let their radio and television programs enter your homes! Perform Amr-i-ma’rûf, (i.e. teach Islam,) to people who will listen to you! In other words, give them advice with a smile and sweet words! With your beautiful moral behaviour, show the grandeur and honour of the Islamic religion to all people around you!

Ibni ’Âbidîn [A scholar of Fiqh, whose real name is Sayyid Muhammad Emîn bin ’Umar bin ’Abd-ul-’Azîz (1198 [1784 A.D.], Damascus – 1252 [1836], the same place). He wrote the five-volumed book entitled Radd-ul-muhtâr as an annotation to the book entitled Durr-ul-mukhtâr, whichin turn had been written by ’Alâ-ud-dîn Haskafî ‘rahmatullâhi ta’âlâ ’alaih’ (1021, Haskaf – 1088 [1677]). Most of the teachings of Fiqh, which occupies a hundred and thirty chapters of the six fascicles of Endless Bliss, have been taken from Radd-ul-muhtâr.] ‘rahima-hullâhu ta’âlâ’ states as follows in the first volume: “Sev’eteyn (or saw’atayn), i.e. genital and anal areas, is ghalîdh (qaba) awrat in all four Madhhabs.[Please see the eighth chapter of the fourth fascicle of Endless Bliss.] It is farz in all four Madhhabs to cover these private parts. A person who does not attach importance to covering them will become an unbeliever. A man with exposed knees must be (advised, i.e. he must be) made Amr-i-ma’rûf to, so that he should cover his knees. The amr-i-ma’rûf, however, ought to be performed with soft words. And an obstinate reaction on his part must be answered with silence. Obstinacy on the part of a man with exposed thighs, on the other hand, must be reprimanded. If a man with exposed sev’eteyn reacts with obstinacy (to your admonitory remarks), then he must be complained about to the court of justice so that he should be forced [by way of battery or imprisonment] to cover them. The same order of priority applies to the exacerbation of the sinfulness of looking at a man’s awrat parts.” It is farz in all four Madhhabs for women to cover all their bodies with the exception of their hands and faces to nâ-mahram men and to non-Muslim women, which means that they have to cover their legs, arms, and hair in the presence of such people, (i.e. nâ-mahram men and non-Muslim women.) (Nâ-mahram people for either sex are written in the twelfth chapter of the fifth fascicle of Endless Bliss.) In the Shâfi’î Madhhab, also not to show their faces (to aforesaid people) is farz. If they, or their fathers or their husbands, do not attach importance to this injunction, they will become unbelievers. It is a grave sin for boys to dance or play games with their calves and legs exposed and for girls to do so without covering their heads and arms as well, and to watch them doing so. A Muslim should not waste his or her free time by playing games or doing useless things, but they should benefit it by learning and by performing namâz. It is stated in Kimyâ-i-sa’âdat: “As it is harâm for women and girls to go out with their heads, hair, arms and legs exposed, it is likewise harâm for them to go out clad as they are in thin, ornamented, tight, and perfumed garments. Their parents, husbands, and brothers who countenance, condone and like their doing so will be their accomplices in the sinful act and will therefore get a share from the torment.” In other words, they will burn together in Hell. If they make tawba, they will be forgiven and will not be burned. Allâhu ta’âlâ likes people who make tawba.