HOW TO BE A

BETTER MUSLIM

3
it

AUTHOR

MOHAMMED NAVEED ASHRAFI

 Dedication

It is undoubtedly the Grace of Allah

and His Beloved Devotee, our Master,
the Leader of the Prophets, the Coolness
of our hearts and minds,
Hazrat Muhammad
that has enabled me to write this book.

I dedicate this book to my beloved

Murshid; my Guide and Inspiration,
Mufassir-e-Quran, Shaykh-ul-Islam,
Hazrat 'Allamah Sayyid Muhammad
Madam Mlyan al-Ashraffal-JiIanf, may
Allah protect him, and my beloved
father; al-Haj Choudary Muhammad

Sadiq (Marhum).

5
4
Whoever revives one ofmy Sunnah then he has loved me.

And whoever loves me, will be with me in Paradise.

Jami' at-Tirmidhi

7
 Contents Submission of the ears..................................
.............. 59

.............. 61

Submission of the tongue............................. .................. 62

Preface.............................................
•••
- 10 The submission of the hands and feet........ .................. 66
Islam, Iman and Submission Submission of the private parts....................................... 68
..11
Submission of the heart ..15 Submission of our emotions.......................... .................. 69

Protecting the heart from kufr (disbelief) and Gratitude in all circumstances....................... .................. 74
misguidance.................................................................... .19 Suicide.............................................................. .................. 75

The Wahhabi sect.......................................................... .22 Predestination............................................ .................. 77

The Seal of Prophethood and the Qadianis 30 Accountability.......................................... ..................79
Beliefs regarding the illustrious Saha bah... 32 The worthlessness of this world....... ................ 82

The Rawafid and Shi'ah........................................ 33 Condusion............................

Afdal al-Bashar ba'dal-Ambiya'; Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Glossary....................

al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him........................38

The Tafdili Shi'ah 43

The Ahl al-Bayt (the Blessed Household of our Nabi •

).............................................................................................................. 45

The Awliya' Allah..... 51

53
Tawbah (Repentance)
...56
Bid'ah (Innovation)....
...57
Submission of the entire body
8 9
 Islam, Iman and Submission
Respectable readers, by the Grace and Will of Allah , as
Firstly, I would like to explain the meaning of Islam as
the title says, this book will be useful in encouragin •a described by the Holy Prophet in a Hadith,
Muslims — young and old, men and women, students and
scholars — to become better Muslims. It will provide '(You) bear witness that there is no one worthy of
Muslims with a better and more comprehensive meaning worship besides Allah and that Muhammad is the
of what it means to be a Muslim. Messenger ofAllah and (you) pray Salah and pay Zakdh
(obligatory charity) and (you) fast in (the whole of)
The primary purpose of writing this book is to guide and
Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah) if
educate Muslims, to inspire as well as to warn them and
you have the means or potential.'
remove the misconception that is often the belief of the
layman that a Muslim is simply someone born in a Muslim Similarly, the Holy Messenger when asked about Faith
family, or someone who just professes the shahadah (Iman), said,
(declaration of faith).
'That you believe in Allah, His Angels, His Scriptures,
Many du'as for my beloved wife: Umm Hayaat Nur for His Messengers, and you believe in the Day of
her invaluable help and efforts. And for my learned friend; Judgement and in predestination; its good and its bad. '2
Mawlana Haider Ali, who reviewed and proofread this
book, and for his invaluable suggestions, may Allah In other words, Islam is reflected in our visible worship,
reward him abundantly. such as Salah, fasting and Zakah. And Iman (faith) is the
belief retained within the heart, namely to have a
I hope and supplicate to Allah to make this book a
profound and firm belief in Allah $1 and His Beloved
useful guide for all Muslims, or for anyone who is a seeker Messenger #.
of the truth, and grant acceptance to this negligible effort,
include it in my record of good deeds and to make it a Therefore Islam and Iman combined are known as the Din
means for my forgiveness. (religion or complete way of Islamic life). In the books of
‘Aqa'id (beliefs), scholars have referred to Islam and Iman

Mohammad Naveed Ashraf!

1 Sahih al-Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, Hadith no. 1.

10 11
 In another verse, Allah & commands the Muslims,

as one; this means every Muslim is a Mu'min (i.e. one who

believes) and vice versa. '0 believers, enter into the folds of Islam completely.

(2:208)
In reality, Islam is the consequent of Iman.2

This means that we are required to surrender ourselves

Therefore, a follower of Islam, after believing in it as
completely and wholly. We thereby are making our eyes,
his/her religion is known as a Muslim. Let us now examine
the meaning of the word 'Muslim' as taken in the Qur'an. ears, tongue, hands, feet, heart, mind and even our
thoughts and imagination surrender to Allah Or to
In the Glorious Qur'an it is stipulated,
word it differently, we are turning them into Muslims.
'Recall, when his [Ibrahim's] Lord said to
him,"Surrender (aslim)," He said 'I surrender to the This means using them as our Creator dfc has commanded,

Lord of the Worlds.' (2:131) and not as our desires or Satan dictates. Only then can it
be true and complete submission, only then will we be
It is therefore quite clear that the meaning of the word true Muslims.
Muslim is 'to surrender,' 'to submit' and 'to totally give
oneself up'. But to whom? Otherwise, it is as though we are almost serving our
desires (known as al-Nafs al-Ammarah), which invite us
To the Almighty, our Creator, our Lord, our Provider, our to the power of evils almost as a God. As proclaimed in
Owner, >. And this act of submission must be complete, the Qur'an,
permanent and unconditional. Only then will one be able
to attain the desired goal and prosperity, both in this 'Do you see the one who has taken his desire as his God ?'
world and in the hereafter. (25:43)

Further, this act of surrendering to the Creator B means Only that part of our desire which does not command or
that each and every organ and limb of our body must indte towards sins can be obeyed. The reason is because
surrender, both inwardly and outwardly, including our we have surrendered ourselves to the will and choice of
heart, mind, body and soul. Allah # and not to our carnal desire or Satan. Allah
warns those people who blindly follow their desires and

abandon guidance from Allah dfe,

2 Ash'at al-Iman, 1:38.

12
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 They «e claiming that they will now only use their organs

'And who is more astray, than the one who follows ,s Allah • wills and not as they will. We are not servan

his desire and abandons Guidance from Allah?' to our wants and desires, but servants of Allah ft.

(28:50)

Conversely Allah promises an immense reward for

those people who oppose their desire in order to obtain
Submission of the heart
the pleasure of their Lord.

The heart is the central organ of the body. The Holy

To simply profess the declaration of faith verbally without
Prophet S stipulated in a Hadith,
pondering over its meaning and hence failing to realise
what one has said is insufficient. Being a Muslim entails a
Beware, there is surely in the body a piece offlesh, when
great deal more! The great scholar and poet of the East, Dr.
it functions correctly, then the entire body follows, and
‘Allamah Iqbal famously said,
when it malfunctions, then the whole body, will be in
disorder. Listen carefully; it is the heart. '3
F Zuban ne keh bhi diyaa laa ilaaha to kya haasil,
Dil o nighah musalmaan nahin to kuch bhi nahin.
The heart is the key organ for the physical well-being of
every person. Likewise, for the spiritual well-being of
You have achieved nothing by simply saying the declaration of
every person, it is imperative for the heart to be a
faith just with the tongue.
'Muslim', namely for it to surrender to the will of Allah ft.

If your heart and vision (eyes) are not Muslim,

People become afflicted with heart disease and then
then nothing is!
require medication. Likewise, by not truly and completely

In other words, one's conscience and vision should also surrendering ourselves to the will of Allah ft, we become
afflicted with spiritual diseases.. It must be cared for
profess the Kalimah (declaration of faith) alongside the
tongue. Once they and all the rest of our organs and limbs spiritually through complete and permanent submission

have also professed the declaration of faith, then they have to Allah ft.
in other words made an assertion; that we give ourselves
up to the commands of our Creator

’ Sahih al-Bukhari, volume 1, book 2, Hadith no. 49.

14 US
 so respectable readers, it is hence essential for us to know
It must be noted that the heart spiritually is not just the tow we can keep our hearts spiritually healthy and
piece of flesh within our chests. Rather, it is our conscience
functioning properly, and thus a Muslim.
and thoughts too.

Firstly, we must ensure that we provide it with both

They must all 'bow’ to the laws of our Supreme Master,
Allah and only do what pleases Him. However in order physical and spiritual food in order to keep it healthy. This

to do just that and simultaneously refrain from what food must of course be halal (permissible according to

displeases Him, one must have the relevant knowledge. Islam) as the great Shaykh, al-Ghawth al-A'zam 'Abdul­
After all, remaining illiterate in the laws of Allah B ov ]Uam,may Allah have mercy upon him, stated that
(Shan'ah) and ignorance, is itself an act of disobedience on haram food (unlawful and earned through unlawful
our part. means) will spiritually turn the heart into a dead corpse
whereas eating halal food will make it alive.

>
I will now endeavour to explain - in light of the Qur'an
and Sunnah - how each and every limb should surrender Thus the one who consumes haram food is like the living
to Allah & and thus be a 'Muslim', following and dead - they are spiritually dead in the eyes of Islam. And
remaining steadfast on the al-Sirat al-Mustaqim (the those who consume halal are even alive in their graves!
Straight Path). The Islamic scholars have stipulated that
the heart is like a reservoir and the ears, eyes and mouth Repeatedly in the Glorious Qur'an, Allah commands us

are simply taps connected to it. to consume only the halal,

If the water in the reservoir is pure and clean, then '0 mankind, eat of what is in the earth, lawful and pure.'
accordingly the eyes, ears and tongue will also be pure (2:68)
and clean and fully functioning and obedient to Allah
'0 those who believe! Eat of pure things We have provided for

The Hadith mentioned earlier also suggests this; that the you.' (2:172)

heart is like a king with the rest of the body as subjects

'And eat of the lawful pure things and keep fearing Allah.'
obeying their commander. So if the king is fair and just, so
(5:88)
too will his servants and subjects. If the heart is clean and
pure and functioning correctly by being obedient to Allah
Furthermore, the heart can be nourished with spiritual
so too will the rest of the body.
food by engaging oneself in the remembrance of Allah

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I

beliefs are consistent with the Qur

performing Salah, reciting the Qur'an, fasting in
Ramadan, paying Zakah and by always remembering our Shari’ah (Islamic Law).

beloved Prophet < However, all these deeds (a'mal) will

only be acknowledged by Allah B if one possesses correct
beliefs, consistent with the Qur'an and Sunnah.
Protecting the heart from kufr (disbelief) O
This is the straight path (al-Sirat al-Mustaqhri) for the heart.
misguidance

And only that heart is a ’Muslim’ which has correct beliefs

As I am discussing how the heart needs to be a ’Muslim, it is
- one subservient to the command of the Creator B and
thus of paramount importance that our heart is kept clean and
not one's own desires. It is thus important for the heart to
pure from obtaining and possessing impure beliefs.
not only believe in the necessities of Islam, but to believe Occasionally, the impurity and filth is so extreme that it
in them correctly. amounts to disbelief (ku/r), as is the case of the beliefs of the
Qadiyarus, Wahhabis, Deobandis, Salafis, Ghayr Muqallids,
Today, almost fourteen centuries since the worldly Khawarij and the so-called Ahl al-Hadith.
departure of the Messenger of Allah $, the Ummah, just
One thing these groups have in common is that they deny and
as he stipulated in his prophecy, have divided into many
reject the greatness of the Prophet B. They fail to believe in him
sects. The Prophet $ proclaimed;
correctly, since they deny his merits, his magnificence, bis
exalted status, his extraordinary nature and his miraculous
'My Ummah (nation) will divide into seventy-three
qualities that have been bestowed to him by his Creator, Allah
sects, all of them except one will be in the fire (of Hell).
t
The Companions enquired, "Who is the (fortunate) one,
0 Messenger of Allah (i.e. what is their description)?" It is equally important in order for one to preserve and protect
He said, 'They will remain steadfast upon the path my the \mdn (faith) that we distance ourselves from all kinds of
Companions and myself are upon/4 disbelief (ku/r) and misguidance to ensure purification of the
fart.
Today, the only congregation which is steadfast upon the
path of the Holy Prophet 8 and his Companions are Hence, Allah B in the Glorious Qur'an has commanded
Muslims to avoid being in the company of such people. This is
undoubtedly the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al Jama’ah. Only their
because they have caused discomfort to Allah • and His
Messenger 8 by adopting, promoting and propagating
4 Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith no. 171.
incorrect beliefs.
18
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 'Know with certainty that the destruction of the company of an
The Glorious Qur'an states,
innovator (from deviant sects) exceeds the destruction of the
'Surely those who annoy Allah and His Prophet, Allah has
company of a disbeliever/6 Also, Sayyidi A'la Hadrat, Imam
cursed them in this world and in the hereafter and He has
Ahmad Raza Khan, may Allah have mercy upon him, has stated
prepared for them a disgraceful punishment/ (33:57)
that one should remove these people from his life, just as he

Further, Allah & commands: would remove a fly from his bowl of milk.7

'After recollection, do not sit with the unjust people.' (6:68) Just as we strive to protect our bodies and clothing from filth,
we are advised and instructed to protect our hearts and minds
Allah ® also instructs the Muslims, from filth also. In Surah al-Fatihah we supplicate to Allah to
make us follow the path of the ones upon whom Allah has
'And do not incline towards those who have done wrong or
bestowed His favours and to 'not follow the ones upon whom
the Fire will touch you (too).' (11:113)
there is Allah's wrath and nor the astray/ Likewise, in Du'a' al-

Similarly our Beloved Nabl < has instructed us to distance Qunut we recite and believe that 'we leave those who disobey
you (Allah)/
ourselves from the misguided (i.e. the other sects; the ones not
on the path of the Ahl al-sunnah),
If Islam is so protective about the welfare of our Iman and

'Keep well away from them and keep them well away from actions, that it does not recommend us to freely associate with

yourselves, lest they misguide you, lest they throw you in those Muslims who disobey Allah ® and His Messenger ,
then how can it permit us to associate and socialise with the
fitnah (disagreement). '5
misguided?!
Numerous Hadiths have been stipulated by our Beloved
Master ® regarding this topic, which further emphasises its This has been instructed to enable us to protect our Iman (faith)

importance. Our pious predecessors; the illustrious Sahabah, and to ensure that it is free from every potential impurity and

the Ahl al-Bayt, (may Allah be pleased with them) and the filth, including the filth of misguidance, as it will cause

Awliya' Allah not only advocated this, but also strictly contamination and pollution to the ’pure heart’ wherein the

implemented this. ultimate treasure is preserved; Iman!

Imam Rabbani Mujaddid Alfal-Tharu, Shaykh Ahmad Faruqi

Sirhindi,may Allah have mercy upon him, states,

5 Sahih al-Muslim (Muqaddimah), Mirqah, Kitab al-Iman, chapter al-I'tisam

bi al-Sunnah. 6Maktubat Imam Rabbani, Volume 1, Letter 54.

20 7 Fatawa Ridawiyyah.

21
 w* referenas, I briefly highlight just some of tar

The Qur'anic experts have declared that the pure heart (Qalb imnect beliefs and their version of Islam that they
Saleem) must remain free from everything except Allah B; this
propagate and promote:
is the ultimate purity and sincerity.
The founder of the Wahhabi sect, Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab

Najdi, stated8 that, ’the tomb of the Holy Prophet ®

deserves to be demolished. If it is in my capacity, then I
The Wahhabi sect
will demolish it.'

The Wahhabis and Salafis are one of the major fitnahs

In the same book 9, he wrote:
(causes of mischief and misconstruction in Islam) to the
faith of believers this century. 'My walking stick is better than Muhammad », as I can
use it to kill a snake. As for Muhammad he is dead, he

>
Their beliefs indicate that the Ahl al-Bayt (the Household
is no longer of any use or benefit.'
of the Prophet $) and the Awliya' Allah (Friends of Allah
S) have no importance and are helpless. And apart from Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab's belief ('Aqidah) was
themselves all others are infidels, idol-worshippers or that all the people of the world including Muslims (except
innovators. for himself and his followers) were Mushriks (idol
worshippers) arid! Kujfar (non Muslims) and to kill them
They are people who follow the creed of Ibn zAbd al-
and wage war on them, to rob them of their wealth and.
Wahhab Najdl.
property was permissible, lawful and in fact compulsory.10
These people possess incorrect and blasphemous beliefs
The Wahhabis further believe that the Messenger's w 'Ilm
pertaining to some of the Articles of Faith; they strive to
al-Ghayb (knowledge of the unseen) is not unique. Such
lessen our Holy Prophet's God-given status by
knowledge, they say, is known by common people such as
distorting and misconstruing verses of the Glorious
Qur'an and misinterpreting Hadlths. For example, they
claim the Holy Prophet # was an ordinary man (Bashar),
that he has no knowledge of the unseen (Ghayb), he is not
watchful over his Ummah (Hdzir and Nazir) and so on.
8 Wadih al-Barahln.
9WadihalBarahin,pagelO.
w al-Shihab al-Thaqib, pg.43, by Hussain
Ahmad Madam, Kutub khana
I'zaziya, Deoband.
22 23
 Zaid, Umar, mental children and even animals. It is thus *In the same book (page 48), Isma'il Dehlvi writes, 'All the
not a speciality of the Messenger S.11 Prophets and saints in the presence of Allah B are more
worthless than a speck of dust.'16
Other insulting and blasphemous beliefs include:
*0n page 52 in Taqwiyah al-bnan, he writes,'Respect the
*The same people say that to believe in the Holy Prophet Holy Prophet like your elder brother.'17
as the Final and Last Prophet is a thought of the common
people, and not of the learned.12 *0n page 53, he fabricates a saying regarding the Holy
Prophet by saying he said, 'I am also one day going
*In the same book on page twenty-five, he writes if to die and mix into the earth.'18
another Prophet is bom after the Holy Prophet even
then the finality of Prophet Muhammad SB remains *In Barahin Qati'ah (page 52), Khalil Ahmad Deobandl

unaffected. wrote that to celebrate the birthday of the Holy Prophet

is like celebrating the birth of kanhayya (a false Hindu
*The Satan and the Angel of Death have all the knowledge God).19 He further writes (page 30), that the Holy Prophet
on earth and their knowledge is greater than the Holy £ learnt Urdu from the scholars of Deoband.20
Prophet's &.13
*In Bulgat al-Hairaan (page 8), it is mentioned that the Holy
*To think of the Holy Prophet in Salah (prayer) is worse Prophet t fell and that Isma'il Delhvi helped him.21
than engrossing oneself in the thought of a donkey or

buffalo.14 *In Barahin Qati'ah (page 55), mentions that the Prophet
does not even know what is behind a wall.22
*Every creation, whether great or small before the Glory
of Allah is more disgraced then a gutter cleaner.15

“Taqwiyah al-Iman, page 48.

17 Taqwiyah al-Iman, page 52.
11 Hifz al-Iman, pg.8, Maulvi Ashraf' Ali Thanwi.
| Taqwiyah al-Iman, page 53.
12 Tahzir al-Nas, pg.3, by Maulvi Qasim Nanotwi.
19 Barahin Qati'ah, pg. 52by Khalil Ahmad Deobandi.
“Barahin Qati'ah, pg. 53by Khalil Ahmad Deobandi.
13 Barahin Qati'ah, pg. 55 by Maulvi Khalil Ahmad Ambethvi.
21Bulgat al-Hairaan, page 8.
14 al-Sirat al-Mustaqim, pg. 97 by Maulvi Isma'il Delhvi. | Barahin Qati'ah, page 55.
15 Taqwiyah al-Iman, page 13.
25
 These blasphemies are common in most of their Urdu and

*In Taqwiyah al-lman (page 50), it states that nothing can English translations by the likes of deputy N azeer Ahmad

happen by the choice of the Messenger ft.23 Deobandi, Shaykh Mahmood al-Hasan, Fatah

Muhammad Jalandhree, 'Abd al-Majid Deobandi, Mirza

Let me remind you that the slightest blasphemy of any
Hairat (Dehlvl Ghayr Muqallid), Nawab Waheed al-
prophet is kufr! The Holy Prophet ® is for true Muslims
Zamaan (Ghayr Muqallid), Sar Sayyid Ahmad ('All Garh
the leader of all the Prophets and Messengers, the best of
all creation from all of Allah's ft creation. Naighari) and many more.

But he is nevertheless a creation of Allah ft, undoubtedly Furthermore, these people have stipulated in their

unparalleled, unique, the most honourable and dignified. translations that ’He (Allah) deceives them.’ (4:142), hence

propagating and preaching that Allah ft is a deceit.

These misguided people (Wahhabis, Salafis and other
Whereas it would be correct and respectful to say that, 'He
deviant sects) fail to even believe in Allah ft correctly,
will destroy them by making them neglectful (as a result
who is not a creation but the Supreme, Most Exalted
of their false assumption of desiring to deceive)/ This
Creator of everything! demonstrates the due respect to the Creator ® which is

I will now list just a few of their incorrect beliefs in relation obligatory upon us.

to our Creator, Allah ft.

This is their understanding of the Qur’an that they

In their version of the translation of the Qur'an they say, propagate, and this is their way of surrendering to Allah
ft. This is the 'Aqidah they provide for your heart and
'Allah mocks them.' (2:15) hence corrupt it, fill it with this filth and then label it as
TawW.
This means 'to make fun of' or 'to ridicule'. This is not a
virtue but a fault and an imperfection, which they are Respectable readers! Ask yourselves - do these words befit
attributing to Allah ft. And to associate faults and the grand, unique and matchless Status of Allah dfc? These

imperfections to Allah ft is kufr (disbelief). deviants would not say such things about their father,

their Shuyukh (scholars) or teachers. But they promote

The translation, 'In return, Allah will punish them for their
and propagate it about Allah ft. This is the level of their
mockery' is respectful and hence correct.
audacity.

23 Taqwiyah al-lman, page 50.

27
 In verse 21 of Surah Yunus, they say Allah is a deceit and have instead presented their distorted, impure,
and a cheat. In verse 67 of Surah Tawbah, most of their incomplete and incorrect version of Islam.
translations have said/He (Allah) has forgotten them.'
It is therefore highly important that we provide our heart
Here they associate with Him the weakness of
with the purest education, which means the correct belief
forgetfulness, which negates His Supreme Knowledge.
in relation to Tawhid, Risdlah and the other Articles of
Allah is free from all imperfections. It should actually Faith, which can only be found from the Ahl al-Sunnah wa
say, 'Allah has abandoned them.' al Jama'ah.

His Absolute and Unlimited Knowledge of the unseen is Only then will the heart have correctly surrendered to the
also denied in their translations, they also promote that Will of Allah Otherwise it will remain in profound
Allah is able to lie, which is once again an enormous misguidance without even realising it, as the Qur'an
blasphemy. Furthermore, they believe and propagate that proclaims:
He is restricted to places and is stationed, which is
'And Allah has sealed their hearts (from accepting right
indicative of Him possessing a body.
guidance) so they do not know (their loss).' (9:93)
This is of course incorrect and misguidance.
'By it He causes to mislead many and many He guides
Great care and prudence must be employed when thereby.' (2:26)
translating the Qur'an, especially when referring to Allah
'In their hearts is a disease, so Allah has increased for
> and His glorious Prophets, upon whom be peace, and
them their disease; for them is a painful torment, because
at the same time accuracy and precision must be the
they used to tell lies.' (2:10)
objective. This has only been observed by the Ahl al-
Sunnah in all spheres of Islam, whether it is the translation
of the Qur'an, Hadith or anything else.

This is why we have so many divisions in the Ummah as

prophesied by our Holy Prophet In short, these people
were not, and even today, are not properly qualified.

Hence, due to their unsatisfactory and incomplete

knowledge, they have failed to understand Islam properly

28
29
In verse 21 of Surah Yunus, they say Allah is a deceit
and have instead presented their distorted, impure,
and a cheat. In verse 67 of Surah Tawbah, most of their incomplete and incorrect version of Islam.
translations have said,'He (Allah) has forgotten them.'
Here they associate with Him the weakness of It is therefore highly important that we provide our heart

forgetfulness, which negates His Supreme Knowledge. with the purest education, which means the correct belief
in relation to Tawhid, Risalah and the other Articles of
Allah is free from all imperfections. It should actually Faith, which can only be found from the Ahl al-Sunnah wa
say, 'Allah has abandoned them.' al Jama'ah.

His Absolute and Unlimited Knowledge of the unseen is Only then will the heart have correctly surrendered to the
also denied in their translations, they also promote that Will of Allah B. Otherwise it will remain in profound
Allah is able to lie, which is once again an enormous misguidance without even realising it, as the Qur'an
blasphemy. Furthermore, they believe and propagate that prodaims:
He is restricted to places and is stationed, which is
'And Allah has sealed their hearts (from accepting right
indicative of Him possessing a body.
guidance) so they do not know (their loss).' (9:93)
This is of course incorrect and misguidance.
'By it He causes to mislead many and many He guides
Great care and prudence must be employed when thereby.' (2:26)
translating the Qur'an, especially when referring to Allah
'In their hearts is a disease, so Allah has increased for
> and His glorious Prophets, upon whom be peace, and
them their disease; for them is a painful torment, because
at the same time accuracy and precision must be the
they used to tell lies.' (2:10)
objective. This has only been observed by the Ahl al-
Sunnah in all spheres of Islam, whether it is the translation

This is why we have so many divisions in the Ummah as

prophesied by our Holy Prophet <8. In short, these people
were not, and even today, are not properly qualified.

Hence, due to their unsatisfactory and incomplete

knowledge, they have failed to understand Islam properly

2
29
 conviction one should have concerning Khatm al'
The Seal of Prophethood and the Qadiams
fjubuwwah (Seal of Prophethood) is absolute and certain,

Muslims are required to believe that the Holy Prophet and for a Muslim there is no second opinion.

Muhammad # is the Seal and Final Prophet of Allah & as

TheQadiarus are the people who believe in Mirza Ghulam
proclaimed in the Qur'an,
Ahmad as a Prophet, after the Prophet Muhammad ® and
'Muhammad (%) is not the father of any of you men, but are thus disbelievers.
the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal and the Last of all
the Prophets.' (33:40) Al-Imam al-A’zam Abu Harufah stipulated that if a
Muslim simply asks for proof from someone who claims
Our Messenger proclaimed, to be a Prophet, then he will become a disbeliever. This is
why the first Caliph, the Imam of all Muslims, Sayyiduna
'There will be thirty great liars in my Ummah, who
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, did
will all claim to be Prophets. However, I am the
not ask the false claimant’s of Prophethood to produce
(only) Final Prophet; there is no Prophet after me/24
evidence, nor did any of the Sahabah, as to seek proof is,
The above Hadlth further consolidates the correct belief a in a way, to not completely believe in the Prophet
Muslim should have in relation to the Prophets of Allah Muhammad ® as the last of all Prophets.
This Hadlth explicitly stipulates that until the Day of
Judgement, no other Prophet will ever be sent. With Instead he declared war against such mischief-makers and

regards to Sayyiduna' Isa, upon whom be peace, his return their followers, as was seen against Musaylma al-Kazzab

near the Day of Judgement does not negate the finality of and his more than thirty thousand supporters in the Battle

Prophet Muhammad of Yamamah.

This is because 'Isa, upon whom be peace, has previously The foundation for allowing people to believe in other

been sent as a Prophet in the world and later he will come Prophets after Prophet Muhammad was laid by the

in the capacity of a follower of the Shari’ah of Muhammad founder of the Madrasah in Deoband, MaulvI Qasim
$ and he will also follow and propagate Islam. Nanotwi, by misinterpreting the meaning of ’Khatam al-
Nabiyyin’ and saying that it simply is a notion of the
general public and not of the scholars or learned.

24 Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith no. 2202.

30

31
 'They are indeed the rightly guided.' (49:7)

The Hadith of the Messenger is self explanatory, and our 'And indeed Allah has forgiven them.' (3:155)
Prophet clearly stated himself the meaning of 'Khatam
al-Nabiyyln’ that there will be no Prophet after me. To 'And they are the ones who are truthful/ (59:8)
suggest a different meaning is to deny it; and hence
disbelief! 'They are indeed the successful/ (59:9)

'It is they who are the believers in truth.' (8:4)

Beliefs regarding the illustrious Sahabah These excellences that have been stipulated are in the
Qur'an, which is the ultimate book of authority for
Likewise, it is imperative for all Muslims to honour and
Muslims. Hence, Muslims believe that all the Companions
love all of the Companions (Sahabah) in order to remain a
are honourable believers and are dwellers of Paradise.
correct Muslim. This has been commanded to us by our
Prophet # in his Hadlths and has also indirectly been

« commanded in the Glorious Qur’an.

The Rawafid and Shi'ah
A Sahabi is that fortunate Muslim person who had the
honour of seeing the Holy Prophet in the state of Iman,
TheRawafid and Shi’ah are those unfortunate people who
and must also have departed from this world as a believer.
immensely insult both the Companions, the Blessed Wives

According to the Qur'an and Sunnah, all of the of the Prophet (Ummahat al-Mu 'minln - mothers of the

Companions are honourable, irrespective of their actions, believers) as well as the Ahl al-Bayt (the Household of the

and some are more superior to others. Prophet^). ' • . .'

The Glorious Qur'an proclaims their status and In order to protect ourselves from the possession of such

forgiveness and that they are all dwellers of Paradise: corrupted and incorrect beliefs I will stipulate just some of

their impure beliefs:

'Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with
Him, and He has prepared for them Paradise, gardens
flowing beneath them are rivers wherein they shall live
forever. That is the greatest success.' (9:100)

32

33
 They believe that with the exception of a few, all of the adopting the correct beliefs of the Ahlal-Sunnah wa al-
Companions are infidels and hypocrites.25 Jama'ah.

As the beliefs of all other sects except the Ahl al-Sunnah

wa al Jama'ah are incorrect and are detrimental to the
heart. Ultimately this results in spiritual heart disease.

They slander Sayyiduna'All, may Allah be pleased Hence, it is not only necessary to surrender the heart to
with him, by suggesting he was a coward. Allah but to do it correctly, in a manner which is devoid
of inconsistencies and contradictions.

This can only be done when we adopt the beliefs of the

Ahl al-Sunnah.

Even the beautiful and wise sayings of our Prophet ®

f. have cautioned Muslims to pay the utmost respect to his

Companions.

By doing so, this demonstrates the loyalty of a believer to

Another belief of theirs is that Allah the Creator, is
regretful after making some decisions by mistake, his Prophet^ He^ said,

which is once again disbelief, as they portray Allah

Fear Allah regarding my Companions. Fear Allah, do
as Jdhil (illiterate).28
not make them an object of criticism after me. Whoever
Their blasphemous beliefs, which in most cases amount to loves them, then he has loved them for my love (for the
disbelief, have only been mentioned so we may protect love he hasfor me) and whoever has enmity or begrudges
our hearts from adopting such beliefs and to invite them them, he has begrudged them because of his grudge for
to the straight path by abandoning such beliefs and me.

And whoever gives them discomfort, has given me

discomfort, and whoever has given me discomfort has
25 Tuhfah e IthnazAshariyyah.
(ultimately) caused Allah discomfort. And whoever has
26Ttiqadiyyah.
27 Ihtijaj e Tabrasi.
28 Ihtijaj e Tabrasi.
34 35
 'When you see those people who swear at my Sahabah

caused Allah discomfort, then soon Allah shall seize and abuse them, then say, "The curse of Allah is upon

him?9 your evil.'"32

Therefore respectable readers, in this Hadith our Beloved

'The fire of Hell will not touch the Muslim who saw me
Master has clearly declared that love for his
or saw the person who saw me.133
Companions is the product of loving him, and hatred for
them is because of hatred for the Prophet . 'Whosoever swears at my Companions, then the curse of
Allah, of all the Angels and of all humanity is upon him.'
So whoever claims to love the Prophet , then he will
definitely love his Companions and whoever has hatred
This indudes even the Companions who took part in wars
for them has it because of his hatred for the Prophet .
and battles. Thus, to swear at them or abuse them is a

Thus, any claim to love the Prophet in conjunction with major sin, and to attribute misguidance or disbelief

hatred for his Sahabah is blatant falsehood. Similarly, their towards them is itself disbelief.
excellences have been stipulated in other Hadiths:
Similarly in al-Shifd, authored by Qadi' Iyad, may Allah
'Honour my Sahdbah as they are the best among you. '30 have mercy upon him, it is mentioned that to insult the
Companions verbally and to degrade them is haram.
'My Companions are like stars, whoever among them
you follow, you will be guided'.31 Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy upon him, says, ’Their
blasphemers should be severely punished.’34

Thus, all the Companions, regardless of their actions, after

becoming a Sahabi, must be revered because of the
commands of the Prophet . Yes, some are more exalted
than others in term of status and excellence.

232425262728]^^ alMasabih.
®Mishkah alMasabih, Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Manaqib.
30 Al-Nisa', alSunan al-Kubra 285/8.
31 al-Suyufi, Manahil al-Safa, pg. 193.
3233 Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Da'wah, Abwab al-Manaqib.

Barakat Alai-Rasul.

37
 Abii Bakr. This privilege
and excellence is exclusive to
Aidal al-Bashar ba'dal-Ambiya'; Sayyiduna ffl (9:40)
Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with
He has further been stipulated as the most righteous and
him
ftie most honourable in the divine view of Allah B when

In order to adhere to the Ahl al-Sunnah wa al-Jama’ah, in He states in the Qur' an,
order to remain ’Sunni' and in order to further protect our
heart from adopting incorrect beliefs. 'Undoubtedly the most honorable among you in the

divine sight of Allah is the most righteous among you/

It is imperative to have a firm belief that the most
(49:13)
honorable and righteous Companion (Sahabi) of the
Prophet # from the entire congregation of the There is a consensus among the Sunru exegesis (Qur'anic
Companions and the most honorable and superior human
commentators) of the Glorious Qur’an that the 'most

►
being after the Prophets of Allah >, upon whom be peace, righteous, the most pious'one in Surah al-Layl (2:17) refers
is Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, then Sayyiduna'Umar, to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him,
then Sayyiduna'Uthman and then Sayyiduna7 All, may
ns stated by Imam Fakhral-Din Rdzi.37
Allah # be pleased with them all.35
It is unfortunate that some Muslims have created a fitna
Upon this belief there is absolute consensus (Ijmd') of the
(mischief) regarding the superior status of Sayyiduna Abu
Companions, the Ummah, and the Ahl al-Sunnah, thus
Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him. I therefore
making it an essential belief of the Ahl al-Sunnah. Anyone
deem it necessary to clarify this issue, in light of the beliefs
who rejects this belief is out of the folds of the Ahl al-
of the Ahl al-Sunnah.
Sunnah.36
As far as the Ahl al-Sunnah is concerned, Sayyiduna Abu
Although all the Companions have been praised by Allah
Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, is and has always
ft in the Glorious Qur'an, no other Companion has been
been the most exalted, the most dignified, the most
referred to as a Sahabi by Allah $ other than Sayyiduna
honourable being after the Prophets, upon whom be
peace. This is according to all four sources of Shari'ah (i.e.

Quran, Hadith, Ijma' and Qiyas).

35 al-Fiqh al-Akbar.
36 FatawaRidawiyyah.

38 37 FatawaRidawiyyah,volume 28,page 512.

39
 galah or Kubra for Khilafah), is the exclusive right of

Symbolically, the Prophet exhibited and highlighted ' jayyiduna Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him.
this in his Hadiths and hence, this was the belief of the
Companions, even during the blessed life of the Prophet Hadlth further demonstrates that in this Ummah
the Prophet # , Sayyiduna Abu Bakr may Allah be
pleased with him, is the most superior and deserving of
Sayyiduna Ibn 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him,
foamah and Khilafah.
reports that,

It is therefore the belief of the Ahl al-Sunnah upon which

'During the physical life of the Prophet , we (the
there is an absolute consensus (Ijma') that Sayyiduna Abu
Sahabah) never thought anyone to be equal to Sayyiduna
Bakr al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, has the
Abu Bakr and then Sayyidund'Umar. Then after
Sayyidund'Uthmdn, we would leave the Sahabah as they highest position and status among the entire Ummah after

were, and not give excellence to anyone among them.'38 the Prophet $.

Sayyiduna Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated This was also the belief and conviction held by

that the Prophet 8 said, Sayyiduna'All, may Allah be pleased with him. His son,
Sayyiduna Muhammad Ibn Hanafiyyah, may Allah be
'To love Abu Bakr, and to be grateful to him is binding
pleased with him, narrates, 'I asked my father, after the
upon all of my Ummah/39
Holy Prophet , who is the best?' Sayyiduna' All, may

Sayyidah 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, Allah be pleased with him, replied, ’Sayyiduna Abu

reported that the Prophet # declared, Bakr/40

'The community among which there is Abu Bakr Furthermore Ibn 'Asakir reported from 'Abd al-Rahman

present, it is not suitable for any other to lead as Imam.' Ibn Abi Layla, that Sayyiduna' All, may Allah be pleased
with them all, announced, 'Whoever says that I ('All) am
This Hadith explicitly substantiates that after the Beloved
more superior than Sayyiduna Abu Bakr or 'Umar, then I
Prophet «, the Imam of the Muslims (whether it is Sughrd
will flog him eighty lashes; the punishment given to a
slanderer/41

* Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith no. 2679.

39 Ta'rikh al-Khulafa', al-Suyufi. “Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith no. 3395.

41 Ta'rikh Dimishq Ibn 'Asakir vol.30, pg. 383, Dar al-Fikr, Beirut.
40
41
 This has always been the belief of the Imams of our Aslaf
(earlier scholars) of the Ahl al-Sunnah and shall remain so. .fa Tafdffis have similar beliefs in this regard as the
qfah, and thus claim that one can love Sayyiduna' All,
Sayyiduna Shah 'Abd al-'Aziz (the author of
Allah be pleased with him, more, and thus believe
Fatdwd'Aziziyyah), Sayyiduna Shah 'Abd al-Haqq
Muhaddithe Dehlvl, Imam Rabbani, MujaddidAlf al- Ifln as superior over Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, may Allah be

Thaiu Shaykh Ahmad Faruqi Sarhindl, Data Ganj Bakhsh pleased with him.
'Afi Hajweri, and the Mujaddid of this century, Imam
However, this is another deception and insincerity on
Ahmad Raza Khan of BarelwI.
their part. This is how they intend to undermine the Ahl
Have all advocated that it is not permissible to give al-Sunnah by harbouring a belief of the Tafdills whilst
Sayyiduna'All, may Allah be pleased with him, regardless claiming they are Sunnis.
of his excellences and magnificence, superiority over the
Shaykhayn (Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq and Sayyiduna' However, Data'All Hajweri, may Allah have mercy upon
| Umar Farooq Azam, may Allah be pleased with them him, explicitly states that if someone cannot help himself
| both). from loving Sayyiduna'All, may Allah be pleased with
him, more than the Shaykhayn (Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and
Shah 'Abdal-Azlz, may Allah have mercy upon him,
Sayyiduna 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both),
states42, that whoever disagreed with the excellence
only then (where he is genuinely helpless), he can have
Sayyiduna Abu Bakr holds over everyone, then he is not
more love for Sayyiduna'All, may Allah be pleased with
from the Ahl al-Sunnah, and is a deviant and thus not
him.
worthy of being an Imam.

But at the same time, he must nevertheless believe the

Shaykhayn are more superior to him.43

So the Ijmd' (absolute consensus of all the Companions

and Ahl al-Bayt) has been established regarding the
superiority of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased

with him.

42 Tuhfah e Ithna' Ashariyyah.

42 0 Kashf al-Mahjub.

43
 (the Blessed Household of our
So much so, that even Imam Abu Hariifah, may Allah have
mercy upon him, has written; that belief in the superior
status of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna' Umar, may flatly, it is imperative for every believer to love and
Allah be pleased with them both, over the entire Sahabah honour the Ahl al-Bayt, in order for the heart to remain
and Ahl al-Bayt is a sign of the Ahl al-Sunnah. correct in if s submission to Allah.

The Imam of the Ahl al-Sunnah, Mawlana Shah Ahmad

According to the majority of the scholars, the Ahl al-Bayt
Raza Khan Barelwl, may Allah have mercy upon him, has
indudes all of the Honourable and Pure Wives of the Holy
declared in his edict,44 that there is an Ijma' (absolute
Prophet 4 , his children, all of Banu Hashim and
consensus) of the Ahl al-Sunnah that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr
Sayyiduna'Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him. The
al-Siddiq, may Allah be pleased with him, is more
other uncles of the Prophet ® and first cousins are
honourable and superior than Sayyiduna'All, may Allah
induded in the Ahl al-Bayt.45
be pleased with him.

And whoever opposes this belief, is an innovator, Shi’ah Some scholars have also included the household servants.
it
and Rafidi, and let me remind my respectable readers that According to Imam al-'Arifin Shaykh Muhyuddin Ibn
this fatwa (edict) by the Imam remains valid until the Day 'Arabi, may Allah have mercy upon him, the Ahl al-Bayt

of Judgement. indudes also the Sadat Kiram, the offspring of Sayyidah

Fatimah al-Zahrah, may Allah be pleased with her, and
even Sayyiduna Salman, may Allah be pleased with him,
is among the Ahl al-Bayt.

All these dignified and noble people are extremely

honourable and their honour stems from the Holy Prophet
8. Demonstrating honour to them is a part of complying
I with the command of Allah ® in the Holy Qur an,

'And revere him and respect him.' (48:9)

44 Fatawa Ridawiyyah, volume 28, page 420.

44

45
 prophetic traditions contain in abundance the
Silences and attributes of Sayyiduna Imam Hasan,
However, the four esteemed personalities who were
Hussain, Sayyiduna'All and Sayyidah Fatimah,
included and referred to as the Ahl al-Bayt on spedal
occasions are Sayyiduna'All, Sayyidah Fatimah, Imam ^ay Allah be pleased with them.

Hasan and Imam Hussain, may Allah be pleased with

it is the belief of the Ahl al-Sunnah that a person who
them. The title of Ahl al-Bayt has extensively been used for
does not possess love for the Ahl al-Bayt is a hypocrite,
these people. Their elevated status and purity is clearly
is among the Khawarij and misguided. Having their
stipulated in the Glorious Qur'an,
|oVe and honour ensures guidance and steadfastness upon
'Allah wills only to remove from you all forms of Islam. The Prophet ® declared,
impurity, O Members of the Prophet's Household, and
to purify you after cleansing you thoroughly.' (33:33) 0 people, I have left among you those, that if you hold
on to them (firmly), then you will never be misguided;
Their love has been declared as compulsory for Muslims
the Book of Allah and my Household. '47
according to both the Qur'an and Hadlth,

Also, Sayyiduna Abu Dharr may Allah be pleased with

'Say (0 my Beloved), I ask from you no reward (for
him, held onto the door of the Ka’bah and announced, ’I
providing you with the guidance of Islam) except lovefor
have heard the Prophet declare "Beware, My Ahl al-
(my) close relatives (children, wives, etc).' (42:23)
Bayt are for you like the Ark of Nuh; whoever boards it
The love for the Ahl al-Bayt will serve as a source of has attained salvation and whoever is left behind has
salvation on the Day of Judgement and will provide perished.'48
endless peace, comfort, tranquillity and much more in the
Hereafter. Furthermore, it is a sign of having love for our Furthermore, Sayyiduna Ibn 'Abbas, may Allah be

Master, the Prophet , as he himself has commanded pleased with him, reported that the Prophet declared

Muslims to love his household, that if a person remained at a corner of the Ka'bah Sharif
and between the Maqam Ibrahim, prayed his Salah there
'Love me, in order to love Allah, and love my Ahl al-
Bayt, to show love to me!'46

0 at-Tirmidlu, Hadlth no. 3786.

* al-Tirmidiu,Hadith no. 6182.
al-Tinnidtu, Hadlth no. 3786.
46
47
 , and will be deprived from even the fragrance of

and observed fasting, yet he died with the enmity of the paiadi^5’
Ahl al-Bayt, then he will go to Hell.4950
short, the beloved of Allah B and His Messenger is

Therefore, the Qur'an and Hadith substantiate that one's ^Muslim who has the love for the Ahl al-Bayt and love
faith can only attain completion with the love and honour [or all of the Prophet's Wives (the honourable mothers of
for the Ahl al-Bayt. Such people who have been blessed the believers), may Allah be pleased with them.
with the love for the Ahl al-Bayt are following the
footsteps of our Companions and the pious predecessors, He shall also have hatred for their enemies, like Yazid and
and have been promised immense rewards, some of which his supporters who were responsible for the tyranny
are as follows. The Prophet declared, committed against Sayyiduna Imam Hussain, may Allah
be pleased with him. Whoever dies in the enmity and
'Whoever dies with the love of the Ahl al-Bayt, has died
hatred for the Ahl al-Bayt is the enemy of Allah > and His
as a martyr (Shahid), his sins will be forgiven, he will die
Messenger S.
upon repentance, with the completeness offaith (Iman),
he will be given the glad tidings of Paradise by the Angel
Finally, regarding the Ahl al-Bayt, I deem it necessary to
of Death and by Munkar and Naklr (Angels of the
also point out here that our claim to love the Ahl al-Bayt
grave), he will enter Paradise with such honour as a bride
and the Companions is only valid if our hearts have
is sent to the groom. Two doors in his grave shall remain
correctly submitted to the Will of Allah * and His Prophet
open to Paradise, Allah shall make his grave a visiting
•
place for the Angels of mercy, and he shall die upon the
Ahl al-Sunnah wa al Jama ah (i.e. the only path of In other words, we will love all the Companions,
salvation). f5° inducting Sayyiduna Amir Muawiyah may Allah be
pleased with him, as Imam Hasan, may Allah be pleased
Conversely, the one who has enmity towards the family of
with him, established peace with him.
the Prophet (including the Blessed Wives, may Allah be
pleased with them), then he shall emerge on the Day of
And we will detest their enemies, like Yazid and his
Judgement in such a way that it shall be written between
supporters as he was the enemy of Imam Hussain, may
his eyes ’deprived of Allah's Mercy', he will die as an non
Allah be pleased with him, and the Ahl al-Bayt, and thus

49 al-Tabarani, al-Hakim.
50 Tafsir al-Kabir, volume 7, page 390.
51 Tafsir al-Kabir, volume 7, page 390.
48
49
 wliya' Allah
ultimately became the enemy of Allah * and His Prophet uajly important for the correct submission of the
^at we honour the signs of Allah and the Awliya

^lah^eHis signs, as substantiated by the Qur'an and

Anyone who dishonours the Ahl al-Bayt or the Sahabah is
rebelling against the Shari’ah, as are those who insult .The Qur'an states,
Ummal-Mu'mirun Sayyidah'A'ishah, may Allah be
pleased with her, in relation to the matter of Ifk (attacking 'Whoever honours the signs of Allah then it is by virtue
her purity). of thepiety of the hearts.' (22:32)

Whoever attributes the allegation of such an impurity

Companion once asked the Holy Prophet ’Who are
towards Sayyidah7 A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
the Awliya' Allah?’ The Prophet replied, "They are the
is an disbeliever and apostate and those who criticise her
people that when they are seen, Allah is remembered.'52
in other matters are misguided and dwellers of Hell.

Allah & has highlighted their elevated status in the

Glorious Qur'an:

Beware, undoubtedly the Friends of Allah have no fear

upon them, and nor do they grieve/ (10:62)

'They are those who are believers and are always obedient
to Allah.'(10:63)

The above verses quoted clearly indicate that a Wali (i.e.

friend) of Allah is a Muslim, meaning they must belong
to the Ahl al-Sunnah. A non-Sunni (any follower of the
other sects) can never be a Wali of Allah . Further, he is
someone whose piety (Taqwo) is continuous and there is
no concept of Taqwa without purity of 'Aqidah (faith).

2Majma' al-Zawa'id, Hadith no. 16779.

51
 (Repentance)
These people have special characteristics as mentioned in
c pure and sincere heart will also regularly engage in
the Qur'an and Hadith; they remain constant in their
to Allah ® to supplicate to him for forgiveness
obedience to Allah B and they abstain and distance
themselves from the luxuries and pleasures of this world. ^aVJbah). This is essential for every Muslim after sinning.

Tavjbah entails three conditions; firstly to abstain from the

By demonstrating steadfastness upon Shan’ah, the
friends of Allah B attain proximity to Allah which is secondly to have profound regret of the sin and

exclusive to them, known as Wilayah. All of the Friends of lordly, to adopt a firm intention not to return to that sin.
Allah are learned and are not illiterate in Islam. On numerous occasions in the Qur'an, Allah * not only

commands the Muslims but also encourages them to plead

There are also ranks among the Awliya' Allah. Some are
greater than others and have, subject to their status, been to Him for forgiveness.

bestowed with the power to perform miracles known as

'And turn to Allah, all of you, to seek forgiveness O
Karamat (saintly miracles).
believers! So that you may be successful.' (24:32)
It is permissible and preferable to seek their help, since
with the power bestowed to them by Allah They are Meaning success is dependent on seeking forgiveness

able to help mankind during their life and some even after from Allah Muslims should never be bold and
their demise. audacious in sinning, nor should they despair from the

limitless Mercy of Allah tife. Allah ® warns us that only the

It is permissible, virtuous and rewarding to visit their
disbelievers despair from His Mercy.
shrines, an act in which one qualifies for the blessings
a and

mercy from Allah S as,

'Surely no one despairs of Allah's Mercy except the

'Undoubtedly, the Mercy ofAllah is close to the doers of disbelieving people.' (12:87)

good.' (7:56)
'And ask forgiveness of your Lord, then turn to Him (in
To deny the excellences of the Awliya' Allah, or to deny repentance); surely my Lord is Merciful and Loving/
them is an act of misguidance.
(11:90)

52

53
 ieJson he engaged in supplicating to Allah * for

iveness was to express his humbleness in the Majestic

It is imperative for us to be firm and sincere in our
jrt of Allah 31, to attain further closeness and to teach
repentance. Allah B addresses the believers with the
words: Ummah.

'0 believers, turn to Allah with sincere repentance.' he one who had repented from his sins, is like the one who has
(8:66)
mer sinned.'54

Sayyiduna' Umar al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with

further, this will also provide us with the opportunity to
him, the leader of the Muslims, the champion of justice,
become the beloved of Allah B.
advised one of his companions, that just as it is not
possible to return the milk to the udders of a cow after 'Allah loves those who turn to Him in repentance and
milking it, a believer should not return to the sin after loves those who purify themselves/ (2:222)

repenting.
It is also important for us to understand that if the sin that
A sign that the repentance has been accepted in the has been committed is in relation to Huquq Allah » (rights
Majestic Court of Allah B, is that one will not return to the of Allah or Huquq al 'Ibad (rights of people), then the
sin after having repented and will start to live in obedience repentance must be done accordingly.
to the Commands of Allah B. Our Master, the leader of
For example, if someone has not prayed their obligatory
the Prophets and Messengers, Sayyiduna Muhammad
Salah, or observed the obligatory fasts, then in addition to
would supplicate to Allah B more than 70 times a day.53
supplicating to Allah B for forgiveness, one must
And according to the narration in Sahih Muslim, 100 compensate all the missed Salahs and fasts. Likewise the
times, thus making it his Sunnah. Zakah for the arrears must be paid and tawbah for

Let not any critic wrongly assume that this indicates that delaying Hajj will also be required.

our Nabi 1 sinned; our Nabi # is the leader of the sinless,

Similarly, if someone has wrongfully seized the wealth or
and it is the correct belief of every believer that all of the
property of another; then until that Muslim does not
Prophets are sinless as stipulated in the books of' Aqa'id.
forgive him, he will not be forgiven by Allah A simple

53 Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith no. 5948, Kitab al-Da'wah.

Majah, Hadith no. 4250.
54
55

L
 1

supplication of asking Allah # to forgive will fail to

Submission of the entire body

suffice. He will be required to return the property to the

jjys respectable readers, in order for us to become a
owner for his repentance to be valid.
letter 'Muslim', as mentioned earlier, it is imperative that
each and every limb and organ, including our emotions,
become a Muslim, namely they submit to the will of Allah

i,
Bid'ah (Innovation)
jrf (deeds) are nevertheless important, and reflect the
According to the Islamic scholars, innovation (Bid'ah)
strength of one's belief and true success and fortification
comprises of two types, good and bad (hasanah and
•/
of Iman can only be achieved upon the establishment of
sayyi'ah). Only that Bid'ah which is against Shan'ah (i.e.
good deeds (A 'mdl Sdlihah).
Qur'an and Sunnah) is deemed a bad or evil Bid'ah. All
other forms of Bid'ah fall under the category of Bid'ah file importance of performing good deeds has been
Hasanah and hence are sometimes compulsory, highlighted amply by Allah H, His Beloved Prophet ®,
recommended or preferable. the Companions and the Awliya' Allah.

To assert that all forms of Bid'ah are misguidance is a InSha Allah » I will mention briefly how our entire body
complete misunderstanding of the term and is itself a should submit to the Will of Allah which itself is a great
Bid'ah and hence misguidance! blessing of Allah To use them correctly is a sign of
gratitude to Allah And to misuse and hence abuse
these God-given blessings is a sign of ingratitude, for
which each and every one of us is going to be held
accountable.

'Then you will surely be questioned that Day about all

thefavours (Allah bestowed to you)/ (102:8)

These favours include the entire body, the five senses, our
youth, the wealth, the knowledge we acquired and how
we used them, we will be questioned about these. In fact,

57
56
 must study and read them with understanding,

every time we inhale and exhale then this is also a favour I ensuring that the translations are of Sunni Muslims as only
of Allah B ! We will also be asked about the ultimate
these are coned.
favour bestowed to us by Allah # , which is our Prophet

I
We will be asked about our loyalty and faithfulness to
Submission of the eyes
him, our love and honour for him, which is the crux and
soul of our Iman (faith). The favours of Allah > are indeed
Regarding the gifts of hearing and seeing the Qur'an says,
countless.
’Surely the ears and eyes and heart, all of these (i.e.you)
'And if you were to count the favours of Allah, you will
will be questioned (regarding them).' (17:36)
not be able to number them.' (14:34).
Buthow are the eyes and ears required to submit to Allah
Allah ® commands us to be grateful to Him in the
$ (to be Muslims)?
Glorious Qur’an:
Regarding the eyes, Allah ft instructs the believing men
'And keep giving due thanks to me, and be not
and women:
ungrateful to Me.' (2:152)
’Say 0 Beloved, to the believing (Muslim) men, to lower
'Undoubtedly, Allah is Bountiful to Mankind, but most
their gaze and to protect their private parts'. (24:30)
of them are ungrateful.' (10:60)

And to women, Allah ft instructs via His Beloved,

'And be thankful to Allah, if it is indeed Him Whom you

worship.' (2:162) 'And command the Muslim women to keep their eyes
lowered and to protect their private parts.' (24:31)
Respectable readers, the Glorious Qur'an, the Final
Revelation of Allah B is the living miracle of the Prophet
What this means is that the eyeshave submitted to the Will
* and the Hadlths provide us with a wealth of information
of Allah & when men abstain from looking at non­
of how to live as good Muslims and are thus a complete
Materim (women with whom Nikah is permissible),
manual for Muslims.
whether it is on the streets, television or anywhere else.

58
59
 Submission of the ears
They should keep their sights lowered at all times and

Likewise, we are going to be questioned regarding our

Islamic scholars have mentioned those things that are hearing. With our ears we should only listen to those

beneficial to our vision and even rewarding; to look at the things that are permissible and abstain from the
words of the Qur'an, the Ka'bah and even the face of the prohibitions in order to keep them as 'Muslims'.
'Ulama'. The Prophet B said that to look at the face of a
The Muslim ears should listen to the recitation of the
scholar is like looking at me. Furthermore, to look at the

Awliya' Allah and parents is indeed rewarding.

Qur'an, the remembrance of Allah ft (Dhikr), praises of the
Prophet £ (Na't Rasul), praises of the Awliya' Allah and
It is mentioned in a Hadlth that to look at the face of your speeches on the Qur'an and Sunnah delivered by Ahl al-
parents with love, Allah ft will provide you with the Sunnah scholars.
reward of an accepted Hajj, every time you look!55
And as the Qur'an instructs us, we should avoid listening
The great Khwaja Mo'In al-DIn Chishti, may Allah have
to backbiting, listening to slander of Muslims, gossip and
mercy upon him, (also known as Gharlb Nawaaz) said
indecent, immoral, shameless and abusive conversations,
that looking at the words of the Qur'an not only enhances
all which will undoubtedly delight and please the evil
your vision but also cures the eyes from any potential
desire, but will displease our Creator ft , the one we have
disease. all surrendered our ears to!

It is the evil desire (al-Nafs al-Ammarah) which commands

Even listening to backbiting is prohibited; Imam al-
us to look at obscenities. But as we are not its slaves, rather,
Ghazali, may Allah have mercy upon him, writes that the
we are the slaves of Allah ft. Then why should we
person backbiting is pouring all the filth from his mouth
entertain calls from our evil desires over and above the
into the ear of the listener. -
command of Allah ft? Are we not His servants?

Shu ab al-Iman, Hadith no. 7611

60

61
 will always be
. - Allah. The obedient tongue
J will always promote good and forbid evil.
Submission of the tongue
>And Muslim men and Muslim women are helpers of
The tongue is a very important limb of the body. It is the
uni another; they command good and forbid all evil.'
tongue that interprets the heart and mind. In some cases,
(9:71)
it results in the commission of major sins, including the
ultimate sin of Kufr (disbelief). In the Qur'an, Allah ft has
jlahftand His Prophet ft have (also) prohibited sins
stipulated several verses regarding the tongue and mouth,
hat are committed with the tongue. The Qur'an
as through these limbs one speaks.
jlaborately prohibits the vices normally done by our
A ’Muslim’ tongue will endeavour to only please Allah ft
tongue
and His Prophet # , by being obedient to the commands
and injunctions of Allah ft and His Prophet ® . Our 'Obelievers, let not men make fun of other men.' (49:11)

Creator ft says regarding speech:

And let not women make fun of other women. ’ (49:11)
'And speak good to people.' (2:83)
'And do not defame one another nor call one another by
An obedient tongue will only be utilised for the recitation evil nicknames. What a bad name it is to be called an
of the Qur'an, and for the praise (Hamd) and glorification
evildoer whilst being a Muslim.' (49:11)
of Allah ft. It will preoccupy itself in the remembrance of
its Creator, as commanded by Allah ft, 'Do not backbite one another. Would any of you like to

eat theflesh of his dead brother? You would of course not

'0 believers! Remember Allah in abundance. (33:41)
tolerate it.' (49:12)

A Muslim tongue will recite the Kalimah Sharif in

'Woe is to every slanderer (who taunts in one ’sface) and
abundance and will send peace and blessings upon the
every slanderer (who backbites).' (104:1)
most honourable of all creation, the leader of the Prophets
and Messengers, Muhammad ®. Note: Backbiting is speaking negatively about another
Muslim in his absence or without him knowing, with the
The tongue will talk about his virtues and excellences
bestowed to him by Allah ft. It will recite Na'ts, as this is intention of degrading him.

also a part of indirect worship of Allah ft. It will also

commend the Companions, the Ahl al-Bayt and the

62
63
 H s therefore imperative that all forms of unnecessary

Thus, respectable readers, it is not permissible for a I conversations are always avoided.
'Muslim' tongue to indulge in these sins as mentioned I
Regarding being two faced, this is the essence of
above; teasing, making fun of others, giving a false
testimony, lying, swearing, spreading gossip, hateful hypocrisy! The Prophet declared,
statements of abusive language and so on.
'A person who has two faces in the world, on the Day of
Our Prophet stated,'A Muslim is one from whom Judgement; he will have two tongues offire. '61
(other) muslims are safe, from his tongue and hands.'5657
It is the evil desire and the influence of Shaytan which
Additionally, he also taught us how to protect ourselves commands us to indulge in the above mentioned verses,
from the evils of the tongue.
but as we are not their servants, why should we entertain
their demands? We belong to Allah & .
'Whoever observes silence, is safe.>57

We daim to submit to Him and to His Will; we should

Therefore, silence has been praised and advised.
therefore only do with our tongue and our other limbs
'Silence is wisdom and there are few who adopt it.'58 what He is pleased with. This is in our interest, and this
will benefit us in this world and in the Hereafter.
'Whoever gives me a guarantee (of the chastity)
regarding that which is between the jaws (i.e. the tongue) In short, as the Hadith says,
and that which is between the legs (i.e. the private parts),
I guarantee them Paradise'.59 'Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, he should
, speak good, or remain silent. '62
'People will be dragged by their nostrils and thrown in
Hell by virtue of the crops reaped by the tongue So, we should be preoccupied in the remembrance of

(conversations). '60 Allah# and His Prophet , or observe silence.

56 Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-lman.

57 Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith no. 2501.
58 Sunan al-Bayhaqi, al-Shu'ab al-Iman.
M Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Riqaq. " al-Adab al-Mufrad (aspects of behaviour).
60 Sunan Ibn Majah, chapter of tribulations. -Sahih al-Bukhari, Satuh al-Muslim, chapter of good manners and form.

64 65
 ^eludes acts such as going to the mosque to pray
. performing Hajj and Umrah, visiting our Master
The submission of the hands and feet uadinah al-Munawwarah, Islamic heritage, attending

kflic events and visiting the shrines of the Awliya'

The hands surrender to Allah's Will by only doing what
jjah.The Awliya' Allah are the 'Signs of Allah and so
is permissible or virtuous such as using them to earn
(e should honour them, as this forms the piety of the
lawful earnings, or assisting towards the construction of a
mosque, or physically supporting and benefitting others,
or touching the Qur'an and shaking hands with the pious,
' And whoever honours the Signs of Allah, then that is by
or 'Ulama'.

Or to raise them for du’a', to pass over the head of an

orphan (for each hair that came under the hand, one will The feet should never be used to disobey Allah tfe and His

receive virtues). prophet 8; namely for all those things that contravene the
Sharfah.
The hands should never be used to violate the laws of
Shan’ah to strike someone unnecessarily, as our noble The Qur'an proclaims that the hands, feet and body will
Prophet^ declared, be given the power to speak and give testimony against
ftie person himself on the Day of Judgement,
'A Muslim is the one, from whose tongue and hands
other Muslims are at peace from.'63
'Their ears and their eyes and their skins will bear

This Hadith therefore rules out all types of oppression, witness against them in respect of what they used to do.

verbal or physical. The hands should furthermore not be And they will say to their skins,"Why did you bear

used to gamble, to touch non-Maharim, to masturbate, to witness against us?" They will say,"Allah has made us

give or take bribes nor to steal. speak. He, who gave speaking power to everything and it
is He who had created you first and to Him you are to
Likewise 'Muslim' feet are those which endeavour never
return:" (41:20-21)
to violate the laws of Islam and which are only used for
the establishment of virtues. Therefore all these limbs are the witnesses of Allah dfc, as
He is the One Who gave them to us to use correctly, and
they belong to Allah ® who is our Creator, as the Qur'an

dedares,
63 Mishkah al-Masabih.

66
67
 ^fljission of our emotions
' Undoubtedly, we belong to Allah and undoubtedly

Him we will return.' (2:156) cven our emotions, such as anger, must be Muslim,
they should surrender to the Will of Allah , by
On the Day of Judgement they will testify against the non-
^getting angry for the sake of Allah B, for His religion
Muslims when they fail to acknowledge their disbelief and
and for His Beloved Prophet , and not for personal
non-acceptance with their tongue. The Qur'an further

states, reasons.

'Today we shall seal the mouths of the non Muslims, and I Islam promotes selflessness, not selfishness. The Hadith of
their hands will speak to us, and their feet will bear our Holy Prophet ® advises us,
witness to what they used to earn.' (36:65)
Whoever loves for the sake of Allah, and hates for the
sake of Allah, and gives for the sake of Allah, and

withholds for the sake of Allah, he has perfected faith. ’64

Submission of the private parts

The Islamic scholars declare; to respect or love someone
As a Muslim, one is required to control himself and not for their disbelief (ku/r) is ku/r.
engage in any kind of non-marital relationship. And thus
Hie Qur'an proclaims,
not misuse their body and their private parts by not
violating the Shari'ah. This includes homosexuality and
0 you who believe! Do not consider your fathers and
lesbianism. In the Qur'an, Allah ® states, , your brothers as your friend if they prefer disbelief over
faith. And whoever amongst you makes friends with
'And come not near to unlawful sexual intercourse.
I them, then they are wrongdoers.' (9:23)
Certainly, it is (extreme) shamelessness and an evil

path.' (17:32) I Therefore, one’s emotions, such as love and friendship

must be ’Muslim’ and not be left unregulated. Moreover

'And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts
I they should observe the Commands of Allah and His
from prohibited intercourse).' (23:5)
I Messenger S and not follow evil desires and Shaytan; in
The punishment in the Hereafter for this act of evil and friendship, love and anger.
extreme shamelessness is indeed horrific and excruciating.

w Sunan Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Survnah.

68 69
Anger is that destructive emotion which, if not regulated The Qur'an proclaims,

by the laws of Shari'ah, will ultimately lead to destruction. 'Muhammad ) is the Messenger of Allah, and those
Anger is the major cause of the destruction of families.
with him are severe against the disbelievers and tender

It breaks up friendship, love and relationships between amongst themselves.' (48:29)

husband and wife, and results sometimes in Taldq

Sayyiduna'All, may Allah be pleased with him, the fourth
(divorce) or domestic violence. It stems from the lack of
Caliph, is reported to have forgiven a non-believers whom
tolerance, patience and perseverance, and selfishness,
he was about to slay with his sword in the battlefield,
jealousy and greed may also be factors.
when the non-believers suddenly spat in the face of
Time and time again, we hear of deaths caused, marriages Sayyiduna'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him.
broken or properties destroyed because of anger and for
When he was questioned why, he replied that up until the
the most trivial reasons.
non Muslim had not spat, Sayyiduna'All, may Allah be
However, that anger which is a 'Muslim', namely which pleased with him, was solely fighting for the sake of Allah
has surrendered to the Will and Choice of Allah B, will $ and when the non Muslim spat, then there may have
only respond for the Will and Choice of Allah in other been the possibility of the involvement of the personal self
words for the sake of Allah B. (nafs) of Sayyiduna'All, may Allah be pleased with him.

This quality as well as all the attributes of a complete and

And as he was fighting solely for the sake of Allah and
perfect 'Muslim' are possessed by our Prophet < who is
not for his nafs, he spared him, which demonstrates that
the ultimate 'Muslim', as declared by the Qur'an,
Sayyiduna'All, may Allah be pleased with him, is not

'Surely, you have an excellent examplefor your guidance angered for personal reasons, but only for the sake of

in (the life) the Messenger of Allah (□).' (33 21) Allah B and His Messenger S ; exhibiting the qualities of
a true Imam and leader of Muslims.
Anger that has surrendered to the Will of Allah B will lead
to prosperity both in this life and in the Hereafter. Our All these qualities seen in the Companions were taught
Prophet 1 and his noble Companions were never angered and bestowed to them by the Prophet , as he purified
for worldly or for personal matters, but only for the
them and showed them the way with his noble conduct
religion.
and character.

71
 r

violent pull. Then the Bedouin said, "O Muhammad (^ ),

Furthermore regarding anger, Imam al-Ghazali, may ' give me from Allah's wealth which is with you." Then the
Allah have mercy upon him, writes that anger is a Messenger of Allah turned towards him and simply
concealed fire present in the heart, just as how you have smiled, and he ordered for him to be given something.'68
concealed fire beneath ashes, and the anger unveils the
concealed arrogance.65 This Hadith demonstrates the selfless nature, exemplary
conduct and excellent morals, ethics and behaviour of the
Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with
Prophet S.
him, narrates that a man asked the Prophet #, ’Advise me
of an action.’ The Prophet declared, ’Do not become Our Holy Prophet ® demonstrated in his beautiful life
angry.’ He asked once again, and the Prophet ® said, ’Do how to make your anger into a 'Muslim' (as in the incident
not become angry J66 of the shawl), by only being angry for the sake of Allah
and not for personal reasons, as anger itself is a tool and is
Similarly, in another Hadith, the Prophet * described
an essential ingredient inherent in all humans. It is by
good character as not getting angry, even if you can.
Furthermore, the Prophet ® declares that the strong is not virtue of anger that one is able to respond to aggression

someone who can topple someone over, rather, the strong and oppression, and anger is an attribute of the Holy

one is he, who remains in control even at the time of Prophet # and of his illustrious Sahabah (Companions).

anger.67
This is how our emotions surrender to the Will of Allah *
Our Prophet $ is a model for all mankind and there is and become a ’Muslim’. It is equally important for a
guidance for us by following his perfect and flawless Muslim who has surrendered to the Will and Choice of
example. Sayyiduna Anas, may Allah be pleased with Allah B, that one fulfils the due rights and responsibilities
him, reported that, ’I was walking with the Prophet of those that one is obliged to do so, as commanded by
whilst he was wearing a Najrani Shawl which had a thick Allah ® and His Prophet ®.
hem. A Bedouin followed him, and pulled his shawl very
violently, that I noticed the side of the Prophet's neck
being bruised by the hem of the shawl, caused by the

65 Ihya'al-'Ulum al-DIn.
66 Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith no. 1954.
67 Sahih al-Muslim, Kitab al-Zuhd wa al-Raqa'iq

72 68 Sahih al-Muslim, Kitab al-Zakah.

73
 for us in possessing these blessings, and this is
HB compliance with many verses of the Qur' an:
Gratitude in all circumstances
'And be grateful of the blessing of Allah if it is indeed
In complying with the Qur’an and Hadlth, a believer
needs to understand that as our body is an 'amanah' (trust) Him you worship.'(16:114)

given to us, then it is part and parcel of expressing our

'So remember the blessings of Allah, so that you may
gratitude to Allah B that we have complete trust and
perhaps prosper.' (7:69)
reliance in Allah B, regardless of our predicament,
whether we are in a state of comfort or discomfort, in
'Be grateful to Me and do not be ungrateful to Me.
peace or war. It is imperative for us to accept that this life
(2:152)
is a test from Allah B, there is accountability and we will
be returning to Him! Allah B Himself says,
Further, to obey Allah B and His Messenger SB with each

Wiaf?/ Did you think that We had created you in vain and every limb is also a way of demonstrating gratitude to

and that you shall not return to Us?'(18:115) Allah B with our limbs and disobedience is ingratitude.

'And We will most certainly test you with somewhat of Conversely, if we are in a state of hardship or difficulty,
fear, and hunger, and loss of wealth, and lives and fruits, then we must exercise and adopt patience (Sabr) and
and give good news to the patient.' (2:155) perseverance, and turn to our Allah B in prayer and in
supplication, as would our Master, the ultimate guide,
He*further stipulates elsewhere in the Qur'an,
Muhammad 8 . We should supplicate for ease, firmness

'Do men think that they will be left by (simply) saying and stability and seek His forgiveness.
that we have believed, and they will not be tried?' (40:2)

'And certainly we tested those before them, so Allah will

certainly see those who are true (in faith) and certainly Suicide
see the liars(in faith).' (40:3)
It is absolutely impermissible for us being a ’Muslim’ -
We are in this life in one of two states, either in ease or
someone who has surrendered his will and choice to his
discomfort. If we are in ease and are in receipt of the
Maker, Allah * to commit suicide; as this is an evident
favours and blessings of Allah B, then it is essential for us
demonstration of the absence of trust and conviction in
to express our gratitude to Allah B who is the ultimate
Allah i Allah | states in the Qur'an:
74

75
 predestination
'And cast not yourselves towards destruction.' (2:195)
Both, good and evil are (creations) of Allah this is our

'And kill not yourselves.' (4:29) belief. Our destiny is pre-written on the Protected Tablet

Many warnings of punishments have also been stipulated (Lawh Mah/uz).

in the Hadlths. May Allah B protect us from such

In short, Allah B being the ’all-Knowing’ with His Infinite,
disobedience, amln. In short, suicide is never the solution.
Complete and Unlimited Knowledge has written and
It is like jumping out of the pan onto the direct flame. It is knows what we are going to do in our life.
mentioned in the Hadith, that the one who commits Simultaneously, we are not absolutely compelled to do
suicide will continue this act of committing suicide in Hell everything; rather, we have been given the free will and
until Judgement Day. independence to select our actions.

We need to remember that there is always light at the end

He has given us the potential to choose the path we desire,
of the tunnel, the day always follows the night, there will
whether it is good or evil, for which we will be held to
be ease after discomfort, and there are and always will be
account in the Hereafter.
people in this world, who are in a much worse situation,
yet they are persevering and demonstrating Sabri A He, being the all-Knowing, wrote what we would choose,
Muslim should never despair, as this is a mark of but according to the Hadlths of our Master ®, we should
disbelievers. strive to establish virtues and good deeds, as we do not
know what Allah B has written.
'And despair not of Allah's Mercy; surely, no one
despairs of the Mercy of Allah except the unbelieving
He is the Most Just, and is not unfair at all! All our deeds
people'. (12:87)
are subject to our intentions. Perform good deeds with

Hence, a Muslim should always be optimistic and not sincere intentions and you will attain reward, as injustice
pessimistic. is impossible for Allah B .

One should therefore always believe that each and every

one of our actions, whether verbal or physical, internal or
external are registered for accountability, even if they are

76
77
 »■

be obedient to His Will and Choice and not to the Will and

choice of our desires!

within the body such as jealousy, hatred, hypocrisy,
arrogance, pride and suspicion; all are known by Allah B.

'And certainly Allah is the Knower of the hidden secrets

of the chests.' (3:154) Accountability

His Infinite Knowledge knows whatever we think,

When one believes that even the sins committed within
imagine, intend and plan.
the heart, such as jealousy, arrogance, being ostentatious,

'O our Lord, undoubtedly you know what we conceal narcissism and hatred are even within Allah’s B Supreme

and what we disclose. And nothing is hidden from Allah and Infinite Knowledge, as these are done in the absence

in the earth or in the heavens.' (14:38) of the knowledge of the public, then he will endeavor to
distance himself even from these destructive sins.
Consequently, our Master the teacher of all creation
has advised us to worship Allah B as though we are 'Then whosoever will have done good of an atom's
seeing Him.69 weight, shall see it. And whosoever will have done evil of
an atom's weight, shall see it.' (99:7-8).
We should have profound conviction that we are always
in His Supreme Court, when we perform actions, we So, respectable readers, even the smallest of sins or virtues
should do them with the belief that He is watching them. are registered and there is accountability. Bearing this in
We should fear Him with the conviction that He is mind the 'Muslim' body should endeavor to abstain from
watching us. all sins, regardless of whether they are minor or major.
And perform every good deed, in order to attain reward
Thus, adopting such an approach will not result in sin,
and the ultimate gift; the pleasure of Allah B.
knowing that our Owner is watching what we do, and this
will demonstrate the submission of the entire body, as
In addition to fulfilling the due rights and obligations of
remember, we are His Servants;
Allah B (Huquq Allah), the rights of the servants must

"Abd Allah', and not "Abd al-Nafs' (the servant of our evil also be fulfilled.
desire. As we have submitted ourselves 'to Him', we will
The due rights of Allah B upon His servants are: to bear

witness that only He B is our God, to not associate

69 Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-lman.

78
79
 ppg way of attempting to express our gratitude to ou
Creator£is to strive to obey Him and never disobey Him,
partners with Him, to believe in Him correctly; that He is
free from all imperfections, to believe in His Prophet a5 the Qur' anic verse instructs,

correctly.
K 'And be grateful to Me, and do not be ungrateful to

To establish Salah, to pay Zakah, to fast in (the whole of) Me.' (2:152)
Ramadan, to perform Hajj once in a lifetime if we are
capable, both financially and physically, and to be The other factor that can prevent one from living a life of

obedient to 'His Commands'. In a nutshell, to believe and sin and disobedience is to fear accountability in His
obey as the Companions of our Beloved Prophet did. Majestic Court and to fear His punishment and divine
wrath. Indeed there is no punishment like the punishment
The due rights of the people (Huquq al-'Ibad) include (i) the
and wrath of Allah
rights of our parents, to always honour and love them, if
they are old and weak, to serve them physically and Our Creator and Owner, Allah tlfe, has stipulated in the
financially (ii) to support and help our brothers and Qur'an:
sisters, including our neighbours (iii) to provide our
children with good names, Islamic manners and 'And I did not create Jinn and Humans except for My
etiquettes, to teach them about Islam, the Qur'an, the love Worship.’ (51:56)
and reverence of our Prophet H, the love of his blessed
’And He is the One Who created death and life so that
family, to bring them up in an Islamic environment, to
He tests you, whom amongst you is the best in deeds.'
strive to protect them from the fire of Hell.
[ (67:2)
Allah B is the One Who provided us with the gift of life,
Worship is not restricted to Salah and Dhikr, it includes
and all the blessings we enjoy therein. We are immensely
living as a practicing Muslim, by following the example of
indebted to Him and can never repay Him for even a
our Beloved, our Master This can only be achieved by
single favour or blessing.
education - by learning all those rulings which are
The air that we breathe, the countless variety of food and mandatory for us and the sacred sayings and Sirah of our
drinks that we enjoy, each and every limb of our body is a
hit.

blessing and favour of Allah B. Yet, we continue to rebel

and disobey Him, and succumb to Shaytan.

80
81
 ction with, striving to perform virtuous deeds,
V1 c°^ould endeavour to perfect one’s character, as our

The worthlessness of this world 0(18 $ has stated,

In relation to this world, our Beloved Prophet says that "[he one(s) with the most complete Iman, from the
the love of this world is the root of all evils.70 believers are the ones whose character is the best.'75

In stipulating the worthlessness of this world, he says,

$ advises us to live this life as a traveller, ’Be in this
'If this world (even) held the value of the wing of a olid as though you are a stranger or traveller.’ 76
mosquito according to Allah, then He wouldn't allow a
disbeliever (i.e. a Kafir) to even drink a sip from it.'71 further guides us,

In another Hadith it is stated, 'When you are in the evening then do not wait for the
morning, and when you are in your morning, then do
'Beware, surely the Dunya is cursed and the things
therein are accursed, except the Dhikr (Remembrance of not wait for the evening, and prepare and accumulate

Allah) and that which He (Allah) holds dear and the (reward) by doing good deeds, whilst being in good
Islamic scholar ('Alim) and the student of Islamic health, for your illness, and (prepare) with your life for
knowledge. '72 your death.'77

We are yet further reminded that this world (worldly life) Such beautiful advice bestowed by the city of knowledge
is a prison for the believer and paradise for a kafir and wisdom; our Beloved Prophet for his followers.
(disbeliever).73 Surely we should take heed from it, as the pleasures of this
world are temporary and the ultimate reward and success
The best person according to our Prophet is the one who
is of the Hereafter.
has a long life in conjunction with virtuous deeds, when
he was questioned, 'Who is the most evil?' He # replied/
The one who has a long life coupled with evil deeds.'74

70 Bayhaqi, Shu'ab al-Iman.

71 Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Zuhd.
72 Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith no. 2322.
75 Sunan Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Sunnah.
73 Sahih al-Muslim, Kitab al-Zuhd wa al-Raqa'iq. * Sahih al-Bukhari (40 Hadiths of al-Nawawi).
74 Jami' al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Zuhd.
77 Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Riqaq.
82
83
I* I f £

.jy! Beware, the enjoyment of the sin is momentary but

Effects and punishment maybe everlasting. Conversely,

Conclusion ^^ig to establish virtues maybe difficult and strenuous,

In conclusion, one can undoubtedly, with the Grace of the reward with Allah B is eternal! LeV s not
Allah B and the blessings of His Prophet H, become a jeopardise the eternal for the provisional.
'better' Muslim, by firstly learning the necessary
knowledge required, the due rights of Allah B and the fte ultimate objective for a Muslim is to attain the

due rights of people upon us, and then implementing pleasure of Allah B and His Messenger IB. And this is
them, by constantly reminding ourselves that our even greater than Paradise. Paradise will be bestowed to
submission is to Allah B and Allah B alone. every Muslim and is his destination by virtue of the Grace
of Allah B.
We have surrendered to Him. Our choice is therefore, His
choice. Our welfare and betterment both in the life of this
It is a place where in the Muslims will receive pleasures
world and in the Hereafter is totally and unconditionally
and luxuries beyond their imagination and not
in surrendering to His Will and Choice.
provisionally, but eternally.

He is the One Who has bestowed to us the gift of this life

A place which Allah B has created for His righteous
and the infinite blessings and favours that we enjoy and
servants; which no eye has seen and no ear has heard and
utilise in our daily life, as the Qur'an reminds us,
nor has any heart ever felt its comprehension.78 A place
'And He gave you everything of what you asked him, where in there is infinite pleasure in conjunction with an
and ifyou count the blessings ofAllah, you will never be eternal life without any kind of pain, suffering or illness.
able to number them.' (14:34)
Also, as Muslims we need to be aware that kufr, shirk.
So we must ask ourselves the question, why do we obey misguidance and the disobedience of Allah B and His
Shaytan? The one who is our blatant enemy and desires Messenger H leads to Hellfire; which is a place ultimately
our destruction! As the Qur'an warns us, 'And do not created for the disbelievers. Where in there is
follow the footsteps of Shaytan, he is surely your blatant unimaginable punishment, pain and suffering.
enemy.'(2:208)
Let me remind you, to deny the existence of Jannah
Dearest Muslims, nothing is worth jeopardising our
(Paradise) and Jahannam (Hell), is kufr. The fire of this
Paradise, whether it is indulging in a sin or unlawful

78 Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Tafsir and al-Jannah.

84
85
 f
A*’
/ f/
V r

setwise you will be very near and yet so far from your

station. We must be extremely cautious from whom

\ take our Dm as highlighted by our Master
world is only one part of the seventy parts of the Hellfire,
in terms of the intensity of the fire.79 Undoubtedly, this knowledge is Din (Islam) so ponder

Further, our Master has warned us/In Hell there will (carefully) from whom you take your Din.'81

be some people who are engulfed in the Hellfire till their

-{here is nothing more important than the reverence and
ankles. And there will be some who are engulfed till their
thighs. And there will be some who are engulfed till their love for our Nabi As this is the essence of Iman and

waists. And there will be some who are engulfed till their Islam, in conjunction with absolute loyalty, servitude and

necks/80 May Allah B protect us from the punishment of obedience to him.

the Hellfire and from His disobedience and displeasure.
This is ultimately obedience and servitude to Allah and
The ultimate success lies in following the ways and is the height of guidance, in fact, in their absence there is
example of our Master, the Beloved of Allah B, the no guidance or faith. This was beautifully demonstrated
ultimate worshipper of Allah B and the perfect human
in the cave of Thawr by the one declared as the greatest
being; Hazrat Muhammad Following his flawless
after the Prophets; Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may
prophetic sunnah with the most profound love and
Allah be pleased with him, when he almost sacrificed his
reverence embedded in one's heart will not only lead to
precious life for the comfort, welfare and sleep of his
becoming the beloved of Rasulullah H, but also the
Master.82 And by the one, declared as the Door of
beloved of Allah B. The Qur'an substantiates this,
knowledge, the fourth Caliph and son-in-law of our N abl
'Say 0 Beloved, "(O) people! If you love Allah, then Sayyiduna'All, may Allah be pleased with him, when
follow me, (only then) Allah will love you, he sacrificed his Salah for the comfort and sleep of his N abl
andforgive your faults.'" (3:31) |83

However, this can only be achieved by first, learning the Their noble actions demonstrate loyalty, love and
Din and the prophetic sunnahs and only from the Sahih obedience of the highest order to Allah * and His Beloved
al-'Aqidah (Sunni) scholars.

” Sahih Muslim, al-Muqaddimah.

79 Bahar-e-Shari'at. 82 Mishkah al-Masabih, volume 4, Hadith no. 6034.
80 Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Jannah. “Mu'jam al-Kabir,Tabarani.

86 87
 chin) ruling being wajib84, and we dress modestly

Serving'sitr al- awrah' covering of the necessary parts;

and this is the criterion of Iman according to the Qur' an ^is for females, covering properly the entire body with
and Hadith.
xj exceptions of the hands, feet and face, this is not only

These actions inspired our great Imam, A'la Hadrat, Imam compliance with the SharTah, it further protects them
Ahmad Raza, may Allah have mercy upon him, the
[tombeing a prey of the eyes of the opposite gender!
matchless devotee of our Nabl $ to proclaim,
And from the navel to the knees for males and to further
'Thabit hua jumla faraiz furu hain,
dress in such a way, so that our clothes are loose and not
asl ul usul bandagi us tajwar ki hain/
transparent.
This establishes that all obligations are subsidiary and the root
of all obligations is servitude to our Master We enjoy Allah's B given blessings and sustenance, His
given life, we live in His dominion, breathing his air and
We often hear some people say 'live life to the fullest!'
yet we accept the invitation of the devil?!
Meaning, have no limits or boundaries, don't hold back,
do every sin you can think of and fulfil your desires Let us repent with complete sincerity and strive to always
regardless of whether it is permissible or not according to obey Allah tfe and His Messenger .
Islam.
To conclude, in order for us to be a better Muslim, we must
This is the height of ignorance and insolence. And the path firstly educate ourselves with the Islamic knowledge
which will inevitably lead to one's destruction! I agree, required, to enable us to protect our Iman and actions
one should live life to the fullest! Not by living like a wild from heretics, leam all the knowledge required to
animal but, by fully submitting your whole life to Allah B
complete our Fara'id, Wajibdt and Sunan; namely, the
and His Messenger , by observing their commands and
essentials of Islam.
perfectly flawless teachings.
Once we live the life in which we are obedient to Allah
Complete submission also entails that we are both and His Prophet , then we will undoubtedly be a better
inwardly and outwardly a Muslim, so that our appearance 'Muslim', and we fear their disobedience, as the Glorious
is also a Muslim! Qur'an proclaims, ’And whoever obeys Allah and His

Meaning, if we are a male, then we grow a full beard

according to the Sunnah (length being a fist from beneath
«Fath al-Qadir, Durr al-Mukhtar, Fatawa Ridawiyyah (volume 6,21,22,23).
88 89
 About the Author

Prophet (^) has indeed achieved an immense success.’ Muhammad Naveed Ashrafi, son of al-Haj Choudhry
(33:71). Only then will our life be constructive worship.
Muhammd Sadiq Ashrafi was bom in the United

If you believe that this book has helped you or made you Kingdom. He completed Hifz at an early age and studied
into a better Muslim, then do remember the sinful author A-Levels at Blackbum College. Thereafter, he studied Law
in your pious Du'as and pray to Allah > that He forgives LLB (hons) at the University of Central Lancashire.
me, my parents, my Shuyukh, and my family and friends
without accountability, amin. After graduating as a Lawyer, he started studying Dars al-
Nizanu and graduated in 2001. Thereafter, he was
honoured and bestowed with Ijazah (permission) and
Khilafah of the Qadiri Chishti Ashrafi order from his
Shaykh; Huzoor Shaykh al-Islam z All amah Sayyid
Muhammad Madani Miyan al-Ashrafi al-Jilanl, may Allah
protect him.

Also, he travelled to Cairo (Egypt) and Pakistan to study

the Arabic language. He has been serving the Din since
then; through delivering lectures throughout the United
Kingdom as well as overseas.

He used to regularly appear on Ummah Channel in the

U.K. He is always available to serve Deen and to defend
the supreme honour of Allah and our Master, the Holy
Prophet through refutations and rebuttals in his
lectures, and strives to deliver the correct, original and
authentic Islam by removing extremist ideologies and
instilling the love of Allah >, our beloved Prophet
Muhammad and his Companions and Ahl al-Bayt in the

hearts of the Muslims.

90
91
 Glossary
Amin: Recited at the end of a Fatwa: (Plural: Fatawa)
prayer, for its fulfilment. Religious verdict; injunction.

Ahadith: (Plural of Hadith) Fitnah: Mischief.

Sayings of the Holy Prophet
Hadith: (Plural: Ahadith)
Sayings and traditions of the

Ahl al Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah: Prophet Muhammad <

Muslims who believe in Islam

Hafiz: One who has
as taught by the Prophet
memorised the entire Qur'an
They hold fast to the Sunnah
by heart.
of the Prophet and of the

Holy Companions. Hajj: The holy pilgrimage to

Makkah in the month of Dhul
Alhamdulillah: Arabic for
Hijjah, the 5th pillar of Islam,
'All praise due to Allah'
an obligation upon every able
Allah: The personal name of Muslim to fulfil, at least once
God. in his or her lifetime.

'Aqidah: Basic beliefs and Halal: That which is

principles. permissible in Islam.

Awliya' Allah: The Friends of Hanafi: One of the four

Allah schools of thou ht of the Ahl

al-Sunnah wa al-Jama'ah, as
Din: The way of life; religion.
established by Imam Abu

Fard: Compulsary; actions Hanifah, one of the greatest

that are incumbent upon a Muslim scholars and jurists.

Muslim.
Haram: That which is
forbidden in Islam.

93
 Sunnah: The way of the
Iman: Unshakeable faith; to the unseen or of the future,
Madinah al-Munawwarah: Prophet Muhammad $ and
believe in the Oneness of through revelation from Allah
The second holiest city of
his Companions.
Allah through the teachings of Islam and the resting place of
the Prophet Muhammad Prophet Muhammad The
Nur: Light. Surah: (Plural: Suwar) A
and to believe that the holy place in which the heart
chapter of the Holy Qur'an.
Prophet Muhammad is the of every Muslim resides. Qadiani: One who believes in
final Prophet of Allah tfc, and Tafdili: A misguided sect of
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
Makkah al-Mukarramah: A
to believe in everything that Qadiani as a prophet and is the Shi'ahs.
city in Saudi Arabia, the
he has brought. hence a disbeliever.
holiest city of Islam. The Taharah: State of external
In Sha Allah: 'Allah willing'; birthplace of our Beloved purity.
Qari: (plural: Qurra') Reciter
recited by Muslims whenever Prophet <
of the Holy Qur'an.
something is to be undertaken Talaq: Divorce.
Masjid: (Plural: Masajid)
in the future. Qur'an: The book of divine
Place of worship for Muslims. Tasawwuf: The spiritual
guidance, revealed to the
Islam: Means: 'submission', to aspect of Islam.
Maslak: School of Prophet Muhammad
surrender oneself to Allah #.
thought/path. Tawhid: The Oneness of
Rasul: Allah's messenger.
Ka'bah: The house of Allah Allah <
Mu'min: (plural: Mu'minln)
in Makkah, Saudi Arabia). Rasulullah: The Messenger of
Believer; one who has
Ummah: Believers of Islam,
Allah, Muhammad $
Kafir: (Plural: Kuffar) complete faith in Islam and
the faithful followers of the
Disbeliever. practices it with strict Sahabah: The Holy Prophet Muhammad ®
punctuality. Companions of the Prophet
Kalimah: The declaration of Wahhabi: A misguided
Muhammad The personal Muhammad $.
faith. follower of Ibn 'Abd al-
name of the Final Prophet and
Salah: The five daily Wahhab Najdi.
Khalifah: Caliph, deputy,
Messenger of Allah The
obligatory prayers.
representative.
name 'Muhammad' literally Wudu: Ablution performed
means'One who is Shari'ah: Islamic with water to begin an act of
Khatam al-Nabiyyin: Seal of
the Prophets; title of the Final overwhelmingly praised.' jurisprudence and laws.
worship.
Prophet of Allah, Muhammad
Mushrik: Polytheist. Shaytan: Satan. Zakah: Obligatory charity,
«.
one of the five pillars of Islam.
Nabi: A Prophet, one who Shi'ah: A deviant sect, which
KufrDisbelief.
informs of the information of has beliefs contrary to the

94 pristine religion of Islam.

I would like to say that I am very
grateful and honoured to have
been chosen by Hazrat
Mawlana Naveed Ashrafi Sahib
to check through this book, I
thoroughly enjoyed reading it
and was often fond of the
unique style of the writer. I
believe it is indeed true to its
words, that it does, in actual
fact, show one ‘How to be a
better Muslim’ through the
details and explanation
provided. I pray to Allah
through the Wasilah of His
Beloved that those who
read this do in fact'benefit from
it, so much so, that one actually
becomes a better Muslim.

Mawlana Haider Ali