has affirmed for Him without likening His Names and Attributes to those
of His creation
(tamthil) or saying how the modality of His Names
and Attributes are takyif; and to negate from Allaah what He has
negated from Himself or His Messenger (peace be upon him) has negated from
Him without distorting
(tahrif) or negating
(ta'til) the
literal meanings of His names and Attributes.
(2) Likening Allaah's Names and
Attributes with those of His creation
(tamthil) and denial of His
Names and Attributes (ta'til) constitutes disbelief (kufr).
As for distortion of the literal meanings
of His Names and Attributes
(tahrif) - which some of the heretics
call ta'wil - some forms constitute kufr, like the metaphorical
interpretations of the Batiniyah, while other forms constitute heresy (bid'ah),
like the metaphorical interpretations of those who negate Allaah's attributes.
And yet other forms occur by mistake.
(3) The beliefs in a single universal existence identified with Allaah (wahdat al-wujud), Allaah's incarnation (hulul) into or His unifying (ittihad) with any of His creatures are all beliefs that constitute kufr, expelling one from the Nation of Islaam.
(4) A general faith in the existence
of the Noble Angels is required.
A specific faith, according to the extent
of one's knowledge, in the names, attributes, actions of those Angels concerning
which evidence has been authentic is also required.
(5) Faith in all the Scriptures sent down by Allaah is required. Faith that the Noble Qur'aan is the best of all Scriptures, and has abrogated all the Scriptures sent down before it is required. Faith in the occurence of distortion to the text and meanings of all the Scriptures sent down prior to the Qur'aan is required. For these reasons, it is required solely to follow the Qur'aan in exclusion to all previous Scriptures.
(6) Faith in all of Allaah's Prophets
and Messengers (peace be upon them all) is required. Faith that they are
the best of mankind is required. Whoever claims other than that is an infidel
(kafir).
It is required to specifically have faith in whoever the evidence is authentic
in identifying as being a Prophet or Messenger. As for the remaining Prophets
and Messengers; it is required to have a general faith in their existence.
Faith that Muhammad is the best
among all the Prophets and Messengers, the last of them, and that Allaah
has sent them to all of mankind is required.
(7) Faith in the termination of
revelation (wahi) after the Prophet
and that he is the Seal and Final Prophet and Messenger is required. Whoever
believes other than that has disbelieved.
(8) Faith in the occurence of the Last Day, all the reports transmitted in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah concerning that Day, and what will proceed it among the various Signs and conditions heralding its approached is required.
(9) Faith in what Allaah has decreed, the good and evil outcome thereof, is required. Namely this includes faith that Allaah knew what would occur before it came into existence, that He has written that in the Preserved Tablet, that what Allaah wills is and what He does not will is not and will never be, thus nothing occurs except by His will, that Allaah is capable of everything, and that He is the Creator of everything, the Doer of what He pleases.
(10) Faith, without allegorical interpretation (ta'wil), in the matters of the Unseen which have been authenticated by evidence, such as the Throne, the Footstool, the Garden, the Fire, the Pleasure and Punishment in the Grave, the Bridge, the Balance and all other matters of the Unseen is a must.
(11) Faith, as its details have
been mentioned in the authentic evidence, in the intercession of the Prophet
and the intercession of the other Prophets, the Angels, the righteous,
and others on the Day of Resurrection is required.
(12) It is true that the believers
will see their Lord on the Day of Resurrection in Paradise and while standing
on the plains on the land of gathering. Whoever rejects its occurrence
in the Hereafter is astray.
It is impossible to see Allaah in this
world.
(13) The existence of miracles (karamat) by those near to Allaah (awliya') and the righteous is a reality. The mere occurence of an extraordinary incident is not necessarily indicative of an occurence of a miracle. Rather such an event might have occurred as a deluding by Allaah of that individual into destruction or by the abilities of the devils and sorcerers. The standard for distinguishing between all of that is whether that incident and individual is in agreement or not with the Book and the Sunnah.
(14) All the believers are among those near to Allaah(awliya'). Every believer possesses a degree of nearness to Allaah in accordance to the level of faith.
