In Depth Islam: Have you ever thought why you feel high and low?
Read the book ' The Expansion (Al Bast) and Constriction (Al Qabz) of the Heart' Here
The Islamic Doctrine [Aqeedah Ahl-ul-Sunnah wal Jamat]
Imam Tahawi's (Rahimaullah) Statement of Islamic Doctrine
In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate, Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the Worlds
Belief consist of belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the last day, and belief that the Decree both the good of it and the evil of it, the sweet of it and the bitter of it is from Allah. DESTINY (QADAR) 1. He appointed destines for those He created. 2. He allotted to them fixed life spans. 3. Nothing about them was hidden from Him before He created them, and He knew everything that they would do before He created them. 4. He ordered them to obey Him and forbade them to disobey Him. 5. Everything happens according to His decree and will, and His will is accomplished. The only will that people have is what He wills for them. What He wills for them occurs and what He does not will, does not occur. 6. He gives guidance to whomever He wills, and protects them, and keeps them safe from harm, out of His generosity; and He leads astray whomever He wills, and abases them, and afflicts them, out of His justice. 7. All of them are subject to His will either through His generosity or His justice. 8. No one can ward off His decree or delay His command or overpower His affairs. 9. We believe in all of this and are certain that everything comes from Him. 10. The covenant which Allah made with Adam (peace be upon him) and his offspring is true. 11. Allah knew, before the existence of time, the exact number of those who would enter the garden and the exact number of those who would enter the fire. This number will never be increased nor decreased. 12. The same applies to all actions done by people, which are done exactly as Allah has known they would be done. Everyone is eased towards what he was created for and it is the action with which a man's life is sealed which dictates his fate. Those who are fortunate are fortunate by the decree of Allah, and those who are wretched are wretched by the decree of Allah. 13. The exact nature of the decree is Allah's secret in His creation, and no angel near the Throne, nor any Prophet sent with a message, has been given knowledge of it. Delving into it and reflecting too much about it only leads to destruction and loss, and results in rebelliousness. So be extremely careful about thinking and reflecting on this matter or letting doubts about it assail you, because Allah has kept knowledge of the decree away from human beings, and forbidden them to enquire about it, saying in His book, "He is not asked about what He does, but they are asked" (21:23). Therefore, anyone who asks: "Why did Allah do that?" has gone against the judgment of the Book, and anyone who goes against a judgment of the Book is an unbeliever. 14. This, in sum, is what those of Allah's Friend's with enlightened hearts need to know and constitutes the level of those firmly endowed with knowledge. For there are two kinds of knowledge: knowledge which is accessible to created beings, and knowledge which is not accessible to created beings. Denying the knowledge which is accessible is disbelief, and claiming the knowledge which is inaccessible is disbelief. Belief can only be firm when accessible knowledge is accepted and the inaccessible is not sought after. 15. We believe in the Tablet (al-lawh) and the Pen (al-qalam) and in everything written on the former. Even if all created beings were to gather together to prevent the existence of something whose existence Allah had written on the Tablet, they would fail. And if all created beings were to gather together to make something exist which Allah had not written on it, they would not be able to do so. The Pen has dried having written down all that will be in existence until the Day of Judgment. Whatever a person has missed he would have never gotten, and whatever he gets he would have never missed. 16. It is necessary for the servant to know that Allah already knows everything that is going to happen in His creation and has decreed it in a detailed and decisive way. There is nothing that He has created in either the heavens or the earth that can contradict it, or add to it, or erase it, or change it, or decrease it, or increase it in any way. This is a fundamental aspect of belief and a necessary element of all knowledge and recognition of Allah's Oneness and Lordship. As Allah says in His Book: "He created everything and decreed it in a detailed way" (25:2). And He also says: "Allah's command is always a decided decree" (33:38). So woe to anyone who argues with Allah concerning the decree and who, with a sick heart, starts delving into this matter. In his deluded attempt to investigate the Unseen, he is seeking a secret that can never be uncovered and he ends up an evildoer, telling nothing but lies. 17. Good and evil have both been decreed for people. 18. The capability in terms of divine grace and favour which makes an action certain to occur cannot be ascribed to a created being. This capability is integral with action, whereas the capability of an action in terms of having the necessary health and ability, being in a position to act, and having the necessary means, exists in a person before the action. It is this type of capability which is the object of the dictates of the Sharia. Allah the Exalted says: "Allah does not charge a person except according to his ability" (2:286). 19. People's action are created by Allah but earned by the people. 20. Allah, the Exalted, has only charged people with what they are able to do and the people are only capable of doing what Allah has granted them to do. This is explanation of the phrases: "There is no power and no strength except by Allah." We add to this that there is no stratagem or way by which anyone can avoid or escape disobedience to Allah except with Allah's help; nor does anyone have the strength to put obedience to Allah into practice and remain firm in it, except if Allah makes it possible for him to do so. 21. Everything happens according to Allah's will, knowledge, predestination and decree. His will overpowers all other wills and His decree overpowers all stratagems. He does whatever He wills and He is never unjust. He is Exalted in His purity above any evil or perdition and He is perfect far beyond any fault or flaw. "He will not be asked about what He does, but they will be asked" (21:23).
Belief consist of belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the last day, and belief that the Decree both the good of it and the evil of it, the sweet of it and the bitter of it is from Allah.
DESTINY (QADAR)
1. He appointed destines for those He created.
2. He allotted to them fixed life spans.
3. Nothing about them was hidden from Him before He created them, and He knew everything that they would do before He created them.
4. He ordered them to obey Him and forbade them to disobey Him.
5. Everything happens according to His decree and will, and His will is accomplished. The only will that people have is what He wills for them. What He wills for them occurs and what He does not will, does not occur.
6. He gives guidance to whomever He wills, and protects them, and keeps them safe from harm, out of His generosity; and He leads astray whomever He wills, and abases them, and afflicts them, out of His justice.
7. All of them are subject to His will either through His generosity or His justice.
8. No one can ward off His decree or delay His command or overpower His affairs.
9. We believe in all of this and are certain that everything comes from Him.
10. The covenant which Allah made with Adam (peace be upon him) and his offspring is true.
11. Allah knew, before the existence of time, the exact number of those who would enter the garden and the exact number of those who would enter the fire. This number will never be increased nor decreased.
12. The same applies to all actions done by people, which are done exactly as Allah has known they would be done. Everyone is eased towards what he was created for and it is the action with which a man's life is sealed which dictates his fate. Those who are fortunate are fortunate by the decree of Allah, and those who are wretched are wretched by the decree of Allah.
13. The exact nature of the decree is Allah's secret in His creation, and no angel near the Throne, nor any Prophet sent with a message, has been given knowledge of it. Delving into it and reflecting too much about it only leads to destruction and loss, and results in rebelliousness. So be extremely careful about thinking and reflecting on this matter or letting doubts about it assail you, because Allah has kept knowledge of the decree away from human beings, and forbidden them to enquire about it, saying in His book, "He is not asked about what He does, but they are asked" (21:23). Therefore, anyone who asks: "Why did Allah do that?" has gone against the judgment of the Book, and anyone who goes against a judgment of the Book is an unbeliever.
14. This, in sum, is what those of Allah's Friend's with enlightened hearts need to know and constitutes the level of those firmly endowed with knowledge. For there are two kinds of knowledge: knowledge which is accessible to created beings, and knowledge which is not accessible to created beings. Denying the knowledge which is accessible is disbelief, and claiming the knowledge which is inaccessible is disbelief. Belief can only be firm when accessible knowledge is accepted and the inaccessible is not sought after.
15. We believe in the Tablet (al-lawh) and the Pen (al-qalam) and in everything written on the former. Even if all created beings were to gather together to prevent the existence of something whose existence Allah had written on the Tablet, they would fail. And if all created beings were to gather together to make something exist which Allah had not written on it, they would not be able to do so. The Pen has dried having written down all that will be in existence until the Day of Judgment. Whatever a person has missed he would have never gotten, and whatever he gets he would have never missed.
16. It is necessary for the servant to know that Allah already knows everything that is going to happen in His creation and has decreed it in a detailed and decisive way. There is nothing that He has created in either the heavens or the earth that can contradict it, or add to it, or erase it, or change it, or decrease it, or increase it in any way. This is a fundamental aspect of belief and a necessary element of all knowledge and recognition of Allah's Oneness and Lordship. As Allah says in His Book: "He created everything and decreed it in a detailed way" (25:2). And He also says: "Allah's command is always a decided decree" (33:38). So woe to anyone who argues with Allah concerning the decree and who, with a sick heart, starts delving into this matter. In his deluded attempt to investigate the Unseen, he is seeking a secret that can never be uncovered and he ends up an evildoer, telling nothing but lies.
17. Good and evil have both been decreed for people. 18. The capability in terms of divine grace and favour which makes an action certain to occur cannot be ascribed to a created being. This capability is integral with action, whereas the capability of an action in terms of having the necessary health and ability, being in a position to act, and having the necessary means, exists in a person before the action. It is this type of capability which is the object of the dictates of the Sharia. Allah the Exalted says: "Allah does not charge a person except according to his ability" (2:286).
19. People's action are created by Allah but earned by the people.
20. Allah, the Exalted, has only charged people with what they are able to do and the people are only capable of doing what Allah has granted them to do. This is explanation of the phrases: "There is no power and no strength except by Allah." We add to this that there is no stratagem or way by which anyone can avoid or escape disobedience to Allah except with Allah's help; nor does anyone have the strength to put obedience to Allah into practice and remain firm in it, except if Allah makes it possible for him to do so.
21. Everything happens according to Allah's will, knowledge, predestination and decree. His will overpowers all other wills and His decree overpowers all stratagems. He does whatever He wills and He is never unjust. He is Exalted in His purity above any evil or perdition and He is perfect far beyond any fault or flaw. "He will not be asked about what He does, but they will be asked" (21:23).
