What are the pillars of faith, and what is the ruling on believing in them?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : What are the pillars of faith? And what is the ruling on believing in them?
The Shaykh : The pillars of faith are what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed Jibril about when he asked him about faith, and he said:Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2610Sahih (Darussalam) And whoever does not believe in all of them is a disbeliever. That is to say, if he believes in some and disbelieves in some, he is a disbeliever. This is because the one who believes in part of the Shari'ah and disbelieves in part of it is a disbeliever in its entirety, and the one who believes in some of the messengers and disbelieves in some of them is a disbeliever in their entirety. As Allah the Exalted said, rebuking the Children of Israel: [Al-Baqarah 2:85] And He said: [An-Nisa 4:150-151] So Allah the Exalted made it clear that these people who believe in some of the messengers and not others are truly disbelievers. So the pillars of faith are six: that you believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree, its good and its evil. As for believing in Allah, it is that a person believes that Allah the Exalted is Alive, All-Knowing, All-Powerful, unique in His lordship, His worship, and His names and attributes. There is nothing like Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing. And he believes that He is All-Powerful over everything, and that His command, when He wills something, is to say to it "Be," and it is.
And believing in the angels is that you believe in this world of creation, which I mean the angels, is a hidden world that we do not see them except if Allah wills that we see them for a wisdom. So this happens. This world of created beings was created from light, I mean the angels, and they are always obedient to Allah the Exalted, glorifying Him night and day without ceasing. We know of them Jibril, Mikail, and Israfil. As for Jibril, he is in charge of revelation, bringing it from Allah Mighty and Majestic to those to whom Allah revealed it. As for Israfil, he is in charge of blowing the Trumpet. And as for Mikail, he is in charge of rain and vegetation. And among them, I mean among the angels, are those who are in charge of guarding the children of Adam, as Allah the Exalted said:[Ar-Ra'd 13:11] And among them are those who are in charge of recording the deeds of the son of Adam, writing them for him, as Allah Blessed and Exalted said, yes, as Allah the Exalted said: [Qaf 50:16-18] So they are on our right and on our left, but we do not see them. And the angel may be seen in the form of a human being, for example, as Jibril (peace be upon him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the form of a man, very white in his clothes, very black in his hair, with no sign of travel on him, and none of the Companions recognized him. He sat with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the manner of a well-mannered person, resting his knees on the Prophet's knees and placing his hands on his thighs. Then he asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) about Islam, faith, excellence in worship, the Hour, its signs, and the angels. The angels (may Allah's prayers and peace be upon them) are pure, they do not eat or drink, and their number is such that only Allah Mighty and Majestic can count them, as came in the hadith: And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed about the House of Immersion that seventy thousand angels enter it every day, and then they do not return to it. And this indicates their great multitude.
Believing in Allah and His books. Believing in the books of Allah is this third pillar of the pillars of faith. The books of Allah that were revealed, we know of them the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, the Scrolls of Ibrahim and Musa, and their conclusion is the Noble Qur'an, revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
And His messengers: the plural of messenger, and they are those whom Allah Blessed and Exalted sent to the people. They are from the children of Adam, and they are subject to the physical accidents that befall the children of Adam. They are distinguished from the children of Adam by what Allah gave them of prophethood, character, and traits. We know a large number of them, and there are some of them whom we do not know because Allah did not relate them to us. But it is sufficient for us in general to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers. And whoever we have been informed of by name, we believe in him by name.
The Last Day is the Day of Resurrection, and it is called "the Last" because there is no day after it. The Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "And included in believing in the Last Day is everything that is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that happens after death, such as the trial of the grave and its punishment or its bliss, because everyone who dies has his resurrection occurred." He ended. He moved to the Last Day. And included in that is believing in what happens on that day, such as the gathering of the entire world on a single plain, where the Caller is heard by them and the sight reaches them. And what is mentioned regarding that day of the Scale, the Pond of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the Sirat established over Hellfire, Paradise, and the Fire, and other things that came in the Qur'an and were authenticated by the Sunnah.
And divine decree, its good and its evil: Divine decree means the determination of Allah Mighty and Majestic. And Allah Blessed and Exalted determined everything. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Furqan 25:2]
And the levels of divine decree are four. The first is that you believe in the knowledge of Allah the Exalted, which encompasses everything in general and in detail. For Allah the Exalted is All-Knowing of everything that was or was not, and nothing is hidden from Him on earth or in the sky. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-An'am 6:59]
The second level is writing. For Allah the Exalted wrote in the Preserved Tablet the measures of everything until the Hour. And the evidence for that is[Al-Hajj 22:70] And He said: [Al-Hadid 57:22] So whatever is written in the Preserved Tablet must happen, as came in the hadith:
The third level is that you believe in the generality of the will of Allah Mighty and Majestic, and that there is nothing in the universe, existing or non-existing, except by the will of Allah. He is the One who gives life and causes death, who honors and humbles, who gives sovereignty to whom He wills and takes sovereignty from whom He wills. Even our actions happen by the will of Allah.
And the fourth, the fourth level, is believing in the creation of Allah, meaning that Allah the Exalted is the Creator of everything, and that He holds the reins of the heavens and the earth. Even the deeds of the servants are created by Allah the Exalted. Allah the Exalted said:[Al-Furqan 25:2] And He said: [As-Saffat 37:96]
These four levels must be believed in. So if one is lacking in one level, his faith in divine decree is not complete. And his saying: If someone says, "If divine decree is from Allah, how can there be evil in it?" The answer is: The evil is not in the determination of Allah, but in what Allah has determined, that is, in the determined things. As for the decree of Allah for this thing, it is for a profound wisdom, and by this consideration, it becomes good. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good and bless you, O honorable Shaykh. The questioner Khalid Halimi al-'Utaybi from Buraydah says.
The Shaykh : The pillars of faith are what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed Jibril about when he asked him about faith, and he said:
To believe in Allah, His Angels, His, Books, His Messengers, the Day of Judgement, and Al-Qadar, the good of it and the bad of it.
أن تؤمن بالله وملائكته وكتبه ورسله واليوم الأخر والقدر خيره وشرهSo do you believe in part of the Scripture and disbelieve in part?
أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ(150) Indeed, those who disbelieve in Allah and His messengers and wish to discriminate between Allah and His messengers and say, "We believe in some and disbelieve in others," and wish to adopt a way in between - (151) Those are the disbelievers, truly.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْفُرُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يُفَرِّقُوا بَيْنَ اللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَيَقُولُونَ نُؤْمِنُ بِبَعْضٍ وَنَكْفُرُ بِبَعْضٍ وَيُرِيدُونَ أَنْ يَتَّخِذُوا بَيْنَ ذَلِكَ سَبِيلًا * أُوْلَئِكَ هُمُ الْكَافِرُونَ حَقًّاAnd believing in the angels is that you believe in this world of creation, which I mean the angels, is a hidden world that we do not see them except if Allah wills that we see them for a wisdom. So this happens. This world of created beings was created from light, I mean the angels, and they are always obedient to Allah the Exalted, glorifying Him night and day without ceasing. We know of them Jibril, Mikail, and Israfil. As for Jibril, he is in charge of revelation, bringing it from Allah Mighty and Majestic to those to whom Allah revealed it. As for Israfil, he is in charge of blowing the Trumpet. And as for Mikail, he is in charge of rain and vegetation. And among them, I mean among the angels, are those who are in charge of guarding the children of Adam, as Allah the Exalted said:
For each one are successive [angels] before and behind him who protect him by the decree of Allah.
لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِنْ بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ(16) And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer to him than [his] jugular vein (17) When the two receivers receive, seated on the right and on the left. (18) Man does not utter any word except that with him is an observer prepared [to record].
وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الإِنْسَانَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِ نَفْسُهُ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ الْوَرِيدِ * إِذْ يَتَلَقَّى الْمُتَلَقِّيَانِ عَنِ الْيَمِينِ وَعَنِ الشِّمَالِ قَعِيدٌ * مَا يَلْفِظُ مِنْ قَوْلٍ إِلَّا لَدَيْهِ رَقِيبٌ عَتِيدٌThe sky groaned, and it has the right to groan, for there is no place of four fingers’ width but that an angel is in it, standing for Allah, or bowing, or prostrating.
أطّت السماء وحُق لها أن تئطّ، ما من موضع أربع أصابع إلا وفيه ملك قائم لله أو راكع أو ساجدBelieving in Allah and His books. Believing in the books of Allah is this third pillar of the pillars of faith. The books of Allah that were revealed, we know of them the Torah, the Gospel, the Psalms, the Scrolls of Ibrahim and Musa, and their conclusion is the Noble Qur'an, revealed to Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
And His messengers: the plural of messenger, and they are those whom Allah Blessed and Exalted sent to the people. They are from the children of Adam, and they are subject to the physical accidents that befall the children of Adam. They are distinguished from the children of Adam by what Allah gave them of prophethood, character, and traits. We know a large number of them, and there are some of them whom we do not know because Allah did not relate them to us. But it is sufficient for us in general to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, and His messengers. And whoever we have been informed of by name, we believe in him by name.
The Last Day is the Day of Resurrection, and it is called "the Last" because there is no day after it. The Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "And included in believing in the Last Day is everything that is authentic from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that happens after death, such as the trial of the grave and its punishment or its bliss, because everyone who dies has his resurrection occurred." He ended. He moved to the Last Day. And included in that is believing in what happens on that day, such as the gathering of the entire world on a single plain, where the Caller is heard by them and the sight reaches them. And what is mentioned regarding that day of the Scale, the Pond of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the Sirat established over Hellfire, Paradise, and the Fire, and other things that came in the Qur'an and were authenticated by the Sunnah.
And divine decree, its good and its evil: Divine decree means the determination of Allah Mighty and Majestic. And Allah Blessed and Exalted determined everything. Allah the Exalted said:
and has created each thing and determined it with [precise] determination.
وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَقَدَّرَهُ تَقْدِيرًاAnd the levels of divine decree are four. The first is that you believe in the knowledge of Allah the Exalted, which encompasses everything in general and in detail. For Allah the Exalted is All-Knowing of everything that was or was not, and nothing is hidden from Him on earth or in the sky. Allah the Exalted said:
And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him. And He knows what is on the land and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but that He knows it. And no grain is there within the darknesses of the earth and no moist or dry [thing] but that it is [written] in a clear record.
وَعِنْدَهُ مَفَاتِحُ الْغَيْبِ لا يَعْلَمُهَا إِلَّا هُوَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَمَا تَسْقُطُ مِنْ وَرَقَةٍ إِلَّا يَعْلَمُهَا وَلا حَبَّةٍ فِي ظُلُمَاتِ الأَرْضِ وَلا رَطْبٍ وَلا يَابِسٍ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مُبِينٍThe second level is writing. For Allah the Exalted wrote in the Preserved Tablet the measures of everything until the Hour. And the evidence for that is
Do you not know that Allah knows what is in the heaven and earth? Indeed, that is in a Record. Indeed that, for Allah, is easy.
أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ إنَّ اللَّهَ يَعْلَمُ مَا فِي السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ فِي كِتَابٍ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌNo disaster strikes upon the earth or among yourselves except that it is in a register before We bring it into being - indeed that, for Allah, is easy -
مَا أَصَابَ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ إِلَّا فِي كِتَابٍ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ نَبْرَأَهَا إِنَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرٌThe pens have dried up, and the scrolls have been folded.
جفّت الأقلام، وطويت الصحفThe third level is that you believe in the generality of the will of Allah Mighty and Majestic, and that there is nothing in the universe, existing or non-existing, except by the will of Allah. He is the One who gives life and causes death, who honors and humbles, who gives sovereignty to whom He wills and takes sovereignty from whom He wills. Even our actions happen by the will of Allah.
And the fourth, the fourth level, is believing in the creation of Allah, meaning that Allah the Exalted is the Creator of everything, and that He holds the reins of the heavens and the earth. Even the deeds of the servants are created by Allah the Exalted. Allah the Exalted said:
and has created each thing and determined it with [precise] determination.
وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فَقَدَّرَهُ تَقْدِيرًاWhile Allah created you and that which you do?"
وَاللَّهُ خَلَقَكُمْ وَمَا تَعْمَلُونَThese four levels must be believed in. So if one is lacking in one level, his faith in divine decree is not complete. And his saying:
Its good and its evil.
خيره وشرهThe questioner : May Allah reward you with good and bless you, O honorable Shaykh. The questioner Khalid Halimi al-'Utaybi from Buraydah says.