Aqeedah Summary:

The Belief in ALLAH 

 

1.  The benefits of having Islamic Belief and the harms of lacking it.

2.  Definitions:

              Religion (Deen), Belief (Aqidah), Legislation (Shari’ah), (‘Ilmul Kalam).

2.    The influence of belief on people’s life.

3.    The characteristics and main components of Islamic Aqidah.

 

Q. What are the benefits of the Islamic Belief in God, and the harms of lacking this belief or having it weak?

       ALLAH is perfect and the truth and straying from His Guidance leads to unhappiness in the present and future life. Since ALLAH created everything in the best nature and sent down laws to maintain the good in their nature, disbelief in ALLAH means rejecting what comes from Him, and hence rejecting Guidance.

      The foremost of all benefits from the Islamic belief in God is that man knows his purpose in life and how to pursue that purpose in every way possible. Another benefit is that through the belief in ALLAH, in all aspects, he does not suffer relentlessly from grief over what he has missed, and fear over what is in his future. He also does not exalt over things granted. Man takes his precautions as much as possible and leaves the rest to ALLAH.  All these trials are phases.  The permanent home, the complete perfection and righteousness is with ALLAH in the hereafter. And it doesn’t matter how little or much a man has, because the currency of ALLAH is man’s deeds.

     The foremost damage that comes from not having Islamically guided belief is that a person considers his life, his works, his past, and his future are a vanity with no meaning. For such a person, depression, self-hatred, and intemperance are easy.

     Having a flawed belief in ALLAH, he feels he is the greatest force in the seen and unseen over his life, so he is always worried over what he can’t control. Since he does not believe in the Messengers, he feels there is no such thing as good and evil.  "Right and wrong" are based on what works for him; which leads to grief and suffering. Since he does not believe in predestination, he toils to prevent things in the unseen future more than he has to, and is overwhelmed by what he lost in the past, and overjoyed by the fortunes in his present. When a man believes there can be other Gods besides ALLAH, he tries to have two hearts in one breast and please two masters at once. He is not content with his own gifts and wants to always increase.

       He suffers from arrogance and wanting to rebel against the rules that will help him. He is impatient with the discipline and trials required for his growth. He grows in arrogance and assumes that if he breaks all boundaries placed by ALLAH, he will be king. He thinks he is in charge of his own destiny. Since he doesn’t believe in a hereafter, he grows cynical about the consequences of good and bad in this life. Instead of sticking up for good he gives into his lower emotions. Not only are his actions undisciplined, but his soul is undisciplined by committing shirk (by blaming his problems on others, saying it was forced on him, or getting angry inwardly and outwardly at ALLAH). Since he is lacking or doesn’t believe in Angels, he feels the evil in himself and his surroundings more powerfully. 

Definitions

Deen (religion) - is one’s way of life or path in life.

Aqeedah (belief) - is the set of beliefs and principles that support a religion or way of life.

Shariah (legislation)- is the limits and freedoms assigned for man.

‘Ilmul Kalam (theology) – is the knowledge of the beliefs, and rules of a  religion.

 

2. Detail The Influence of Belief on People’s Lives

       The influence of the belief in Monotheism brings one to center all things in one’s life based on it. In Islam, belief in ALLAH, in all it’s aspects, has a life changing effect. The believers’ feelings - like fear, adoration, hope, love; his conditions -  like reverence, abstention, submission; and his actions -  like pledges, oaths, worship; are all influenced by the belief in ALLAH.  True Believers try to ensure that everything outwardly and inwardly is based on it.The believers do not associate anything with ALLAH.They feel loyalty, passion, and friendship, but it does not compete with their devotion to ALLAH. He is more important than their family and wealth.

 

       Oneness of Lordship:

       This means for the believer that the source of his life (creation), his death (return) and all things between and beyond, are ALLAH’S. The believers are awed by this, and it's profession is enough as a feature of praise. It means He is the only one trusted by the believers as a Protector. 

 

       The Oneness of Godhead:

       This means for the believer that worship, and all it’s manifestations are for ALLAH.

 

       The Oneness of Names and Attributes:

       The believers' supplication and contemplation over the names of ALLAH has a great effect on them.  An example can  be made from the effect of believing in some of the attributes of  ALLAH, listed in the Ayaah Al Kursi.  The belief in ALLAH, and that "...there is no God but He.", causes the believer to make ALLAH the natural source of Guidance for all human transactions and behavior. This is the testimony of  ISLAM, and the basis of the Muslim’s Salaat, paying the Zakat, fasting during Ramadhan, and pilgrimage to the Ka’aba. The reason the believer follows the Shariah is explained in the phrase describing his attributes---"To him belongs whatever is in  the heavens and the earth"---hence, man’s dominion is brief, and he obeys boundaries set by ALLAH. The believer doesn’t let the world be his source of misery and exultation,  and he esteems even the smallest charity .  The phrase "He knows what appears as before or behind them.", means that the believers keep away from over confidence, and they confess all their errors to ALLAH.  "And He is The Most High, Most Great.", keeps the believer from seeking to have a piece of his glory; which makes him full of humililty, and free from overbearing qualities.

 

3. The characteristics and main components of Islamic Aqidah

      Iman (Faith) is the requirement that must be met before all the other physical actions in Islam, and there are six pillars of Imaan mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah, namely, to believe in ALLAH, His Angels, His Books, and His Messengers, and to believe in Qadr (The Divine Decree).  Belief in these pillars, and the actions and sacrifices made from them, is righteousness (HOLY QUR’AN 2:177). The belief in ALLAH comes before the other pillars of faith. To believe in ALLAH is to recognize that his Lordship, Godhead, and Perfection make Him alone the object of worship and submission.  Faith is incomplete without the three aspects of belief in ALLAH.  These are to believe in:

 

 The Oneness of Lordship

 The Oneness of Godhead

 The Oneness of Names or Attributes.

 

       To believe in the Oneness of Lordship, means to recognize that ALLAH alone is Lord of all in existence. All are under his control, and each creature’s sustenance depends on Him. The fact that ALLAH is the One Lord means His will cannot be annulled by any. He is the ruler and has full power and knowledge of his creations.  There is naught before Him or after Him, and since He is the Creator and observant over what His creations do, He is the natural object of worship.  One can recognize the Oneness of Lordship, and still be kufr, because it does not mean recognition of the Oneness of Godhead and Attributes. Polytheist do not recognize ALLAH to be the sole object of faith and worship, even though they recognize He is the Lord of All Creation.

        To believe in the Oneness of Godhead means to recognize that ALLAH alone has the right to be worshipped, whether in fasting, sacrificing, or making pledges. ALLAH owns all qualities of perfection, which means sincere worship and adoration must be for Him.

This is the essential message of Islam, the charge with which messengers preached, the reason books were revealed—the reason that all creatures were created.

To believe in the Oneness of the Names and Attributes of ALLAH is to believe ALLAH is Perfect and Unique.  In other words, there is no deficiency in the named or described qualities; and they are superior in degree and nature to the traits His creatures posses. There are 99 Names of ALLAH found in the Qur’an and Sunnah, and more which ALLAH kept as a secret. ALLAH is the Name that embraces all the  others. ALLAH’S Names are Arabic adjectives and nouns because they are His qualities and He is the source of them.  ALLAH’S Attributes include his state of being, such as being wily, and his acts, establishing a Throne, coming to the earth, speaking, and etc.  None of ALLAH’S Names or Attributes should be disbelieved in, elaborated, or described in ways that contradict Qur’an and Sunnah.  There are two places in the Qur’an which use His Names and Attributes to give the best summary of true belief.  The first is a Surah Al-Ikhlas. ALLAH is described as Al-Ahad (the One), and As-Samad (the Absolute). The first name impresses  that there is none like ALLAH, and the second impresses that He is fully Complete. Then, the statement  "He does not beget and is not begotten" frees the mind from anthropomorphism, and that "And There is none like unto Him." Makes Him above anything, created, or not created, that people can imagine.

Both the Names and Attributes of ALLAH are given in Ayah Al  Kursi (The Verse of the Throne). This is called the most exalted verse in the Qur’an. ALLAH is described therein as the Eternal and the Self-Subsisting whom neither sleep nor slumber overtakes. His attributes of having a throne, which extends over the heavens and the earth portray His real majesty, but that He feels no fatigue in preserving such a large domain portrays His freedom from association with any other sovereign.

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