The Importance of ‘Aqeedah (Creed), by Shaykh Ibn Baaz

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

The great scholar, Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have Mercy on him), was asked the following question:

QUESTION: Teachers focus so much on matters of ‘aqeedah (creed) in their call. It is well known that it is of great importance, and it has a great status, since establishing a foundation of creed is the great focus of Islam, however we hope you could re-direct our focus on social manners and repelling lowly manners when building the creed. And why is it that most often scholars neglect this so much?

ANSWER: In each case, it is well known about the scholars that they focus on this and that. ‘Aqeedah -as you have mentioned, O questioner- is the central focus. It is the foundation. Yet with this, most of the people of knowledge in the various lands do not focus on ‘aqeedah, despite what you have said. They speak about manners and other things, about prayer, zakaat, prayer timings, and other things. ‘Aqeedah is neglected, so much so that graves are being worshipped in their midst, things beside Allah! Shirk (polytheism) has even taken place among them, yet they do not even sense it!

The scholar himself may even fall into associating partners with Allah, as he lived upon shirk with his father, with his uncle, and with his teacher. They lived their lives committing shirk due to some reasons: They did not speak about ‘aqeedah. They did not have any focus on ‘aqeedah.

You find him teaching, yet worshipping other than Allah. You find him in the masjid teaching, but then he supplicates to al-Badawee, or he supplicates to al-Husayn, or ‘Abdul-Qaadir, because he has lived his life like this, he and his father, and his grandfather, and his peers. This is from the results of neglecting ‘aqeedah and not focusing on ‘aqeedah.

You find him to be an insightful expert on the rulings of divorce, endowments, rental (or work) contracts, zakaat, bequeathals, and other things, because he studied them and focused on them. As for ‘aqeedah, then he does not focus on it, nor does he know it.
Even when he is good [not committing shirk], he still focuses on the ‘aqeedah of the people of rhetoric, along with what such people delve into of rhetoric, and the beliefs which are taught by the people of rhetoric among the Ash’ariyyah, Jahmiyyah, and Mu’tazilah [cults]. He is heedless about the Salafee ‘aqeedah, held by the companions of the Messenger (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace), what was held by our righteous predecessors of affirming the Names and Attributes [of Allah], issues of belief in Allah, the towheed of worship, and not associating partners with Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, and focusing on these matters.

Thus, it is extremely important as an emphasized duty that one must focus on ‘aqeedah. Let the scholars focus on it when they clarify matters to both the common people and the elite. Let the lessons be primarily focused on it, while they still give focus to manners and other rulings. Neither this nor that should be neglected, yet let the greater focus be on ‘aqeedah.

Shaykh Muhammad [ibn Ibraaheem] (may Allah have Mercy on him) used to say in his writings to some his opponents who would write to him, debating issues of ‘aqeedah: “I want you to study ‘aqeedah like how you study the Chapter of Endowments.” Meaning: As you study and give great focus to issues of endowments between the people, I hope you would study ‘aqeedah, the chapter about rulings on the apostate, with the same attention you give to the chapter on endowments.

If they were to study the chapter on rulings on apostates in the books of Fiqh written by the scholars of each math-hab, if they would only study the chapter about apostates and focus on it, the falsehood and polytheism they have fallen into would become clear to them. Yet, they are heedless about that chapter, as they do not encounter any questions about it, nor is there any focus on it. Instead, you find them busy with issues of endowments and their caretakers: How should the endowment be executed? How should extra profit from an endowment be dealt with? How about rent, how should it be rented? How should people interact with the orphan’s estate?

They are occupied with these [things], yet they have neglected ‘aqeedah, since they have no focus on it, and since the common people do not ask about it. Thus, it dried up, and they lost focus on it. People then began to fall into obvious acts of associating partners with Allah, worshipping graves and righteous people. Due to this neglect, you find al-Badawee and others, So-and-So and So-and-So, in Egypt, the Levant, Iraq, and every place, are worshipped along with Allah, while the scholars are dressed in turbans, calling to that, doing that along with the common people.

They’ve caused confusion about this matter, and neglected it, as they did not give it any attention, so much so that the common people have fallen into shirk because of them. They now remain at gravesites in dedication, calling upon them along with Allah, seeking relief from them, asking them to fulfill their needs, heal them, and grant them victory over their enemies. These kinds of things are happening among the people. Anyone who would deny this who travels to other lands, go by the grave of al-Badawee, al-Husayn, So-and-So, and So-and-So. You find the people remaining there in devotion. One says: “O my master, Fulaan, Help! Heal my sick [family]! Give me victory over my enemy! Do this or that for me!” So much so, they have even gone so far as to ask them for children, for their wives to get pregnant, or to give them this or that! We ask Allah for well-being! They have disregarded Allah, so He disregarded them; there is no power nor any ability except by way of Allah.

SOURCE: The shaykh’s official website | Arabic Audio (MP3) | Transcript (Arabic & English) 

Translated by: Moosaa Richardson (1446.03.03)

A Simple Guide to Dignified Recovery After Religious Neglect [Shaykh Ibn Baaz]

An amazing and insightful letter from a great imaam, the mufti and scholar, Shaykh ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have Mercy on him), to an individual who complained of weakness in faith and expressed remorse over abandoning prayers for a time and other serious forms of religious neglect. His answer is highly beneficial and motivating for all of our brothers and sisters who face similar situations; it addresses and corrects a common misunderstanding – that after abandoning the religion, or falling into severe levels of neglect, the process of returning is embarrassing, or extremely difficult, involving making up many prayers, or maybe even unattainable, assuming that someone cannot return because Allah does not guide the one who has repeatedly fallen into neglect and abandonment of his religion…

From ‘Abdul-‘Azeez ibn ‘Abdillaah ibn Baaz to the respected Mr. [*****] (name removed), may Allah grant him refuge from the devil’s whisperings and give him success in setting aright both his religious and worldly affairs.

To proceed: Your letter reached me, the one in which you explained some things you did and some problems you were facing, fearing their bad consequences. And we did invite you on 1390/7/13 to come visit in person, but that was not easy for you. So at this time we will respond, in shaa’ Allah (if Allah so wills), to the content of your letter:

Firstly, you mentioned that you pray sometimes, and sometimes you do not pray. You become determined to repent sometimes, but then you do not fulfill that. Sometimes, this laxness may have led you into abandonment of all the pillars [of Islam], and you have become determined to genuinely repent and put a complete end to those things, yet will your repentance be accepted [you ask]? Or will you be from those whom Allah has described as: “Verily those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe, then disbelieve, and then are increased in disbelief, Allah does not forgive them,” to the end of that Verse [4:137]? And is it required as part of the repentance that you openly declare your testimony of faith for all to hear? And is it a must to take a bath and pray two units of prayer, etc.?

The answer: Verily, Allah has clarified in His great Book that He, the Exalted One, accepts the repentance of His worshippers no matter how various and numerous their sins are! As Allah, the Lofty, has said [what means]: Continue reading

The Importance of Towheed and the Evil Result of Neglecting It

Part 1 of a series of translated articles from the book, Lessons from the Noble Quran (pp.5-11) by Shaykh Saalih al-Fowzaan (may Allaah preserve him), translated by Moosaa Richardson.

[ In the Name of Allaah, the All-Merciful, may His Salaah and Salaam be upon His final Messenger, to proceed… ]

Someone may say, and it actually has been said, “What is it with you that you always focus on towheed and you talk so much about it?! You don’t even take into consideration the condition of the Muslims in our day and time, those who are being killed and exiled all over the earth, those being persecuted by the empires of disbelief in every place?!” Continue reading