Beliefs

General Beliefs(from behishti zaiwar By Maulana Asharaf Ali Thanvi ra)

Aqeeda # 1

One's Iman (faith) is only complete when one regards Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam as true in everything and accepts everything from them. To have a doubt regarding any aspect of Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, or to reject it, or to find faults with it, or to mock at it will cause the Iman to go away.

Aqeeda # 2

To reject the clear meanings of the Quran and Hadith, and to twist their meanings by concocting one's own meaning amounts to disbelief.

Aqeeda # 3

By regarding a sin to be permissible, one's Iman goes away.

Aqeeda # 4

No matter how serious a sin may be, as long as it is regarded as a sin, Iman will remain. However, it (Iman) does get weaker (diminish).

Aqeeda # 5

To be absolutely fearless of Allah Ta'ala, or to despair of His mercy amounts to kufr.

Aqeeda # 6

To ask someone of unseen things (ghayb) and to have conviction in them is kufr.

Aqeeda # 7

No one knows the unseen except Allah Ta'ala. However, certain things are made known to prophets through revelations (wahi), to walis through manifestations and inspirations (kashf and ilham), and to ordinary people through signs.

Aqeeda # 8

To call a person a kafir by name or to curse him is a major sin. However, we can say in general terms: Allah's curse be on the oppressors, or Allah's curse be on the liars. If Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam have cursed someone specifically by name, or informed us of them being kafir; it will not be a sin for us to call them kafir or mal'un (accursed).

Aqeeda # 9

When a person dies and if he is buried, then after he is buried; and if he is not buried, then in whatever state he may be in; two angels come to him. One's name is Munkar and the other is Nakeer. They come and ask him: "Who is your creator? What is your Deen?" and pointing to Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, "Who is this person?" If the deceased was a strong believer, he will answer all the questions correctly. Thereafter there will be all sorts of comforts for him. They will open a window towards jannah from which a cool and fragrant breeze will continue blowing and he will continue sleeping peacefully. As for the one who was not a believer, to all the questions he will reply that he does not know anything. Thereafter, he will be subjected to great hardships and punishment right until the day of qiyamah. Allah Ta'ala exempts some people from this test, but all these things are known to the deceased only. We cannot see these things, just as a sleeping person sees everything in his dream, while a person sitting next to him remains totally unaware.

Aqeeda # 10

After death, the deceased is shown his abode every morning and evening. A jannati [dweller of paradise] is given glad tidings by being shown his abode in paradise, while a jahannami (dweller of hell) is shown his abode in hell and thereby made more despondent and wretched.

Aqeeda # 11

By making dua for the deceased and giving in charity on his behalf, rewards reach him and is very beneficial to him.

Aqeeda # 12

All the signs of qiyamah as foretold by Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will definitely occur. Imam Mahdi will appear and will rule with absolute justice. The one-eyed Dajjal will appear and cause a lot of corruption in the world. Hadrat Isa alayhis salam will come down from the heavens in order to kill him and will succeed in killing him. Yajuj and Majuj is a very powerful nation. They will spread throughout the earth and create a lot of disturbance. Then through the power of Allah they will be destroyed. A strange animal will come out from the ground and converse with people. The sun will rise from the west. The Quran will be raised and within a few days all the Muslims will die and the world will be filled with kuffar. Apart from this, many other incidents will take place.

Aqeeda # 13

When all the foretold signs are fulfilled, preparations for Qiyamat will commence. Under instruction from Allah Ta'ala, Hadrat Israfeel alayhis salam will blow the trumpet. This trumpet will be in the shape of a very large horn. On the blowing of the trumpet, the earth and skies will be blown into smithereens. All the creatures will die, and those that have already died, their souls will become unconscious. But those whom Allah wishes to protect, will remain as they are. A specific period will pass in this condition.

Aqeeda # 14

When Allah wishes the entire universe to arise again, the trumpet will be blown a second time. By the blowing of the trumpet, the entire universe will be re-born. All the dead will be brought to life and they will all gather in the field of resurrection. In apprehension of all the difficulties of qiyamah, they will all go to the prophets for intercession. Eventually, our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will intercede. The scales will be raised and all good and bad deeds will be weighed and accounted for. A few people will enter paradise without reckoning. The pious people will be given their book of deeds in their right hands while the sinners will be given in their left hands. Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam will make his followers drink water from the Haud-e-Kauthar (the fountain of abundance). The water of this fountain will be whiter than milk and sweeter than honey. Everyone will also have to cross the Sirat. Those who were pious, will cross it and enter paradise. Those who were sinners, will fall down into hell.

Aqeeda # 15

Hell has already been created. It has snakes, scorpions and many other types of punishments. Among the dwellers of hell, those that have even an iota of Iman will be taken out of hell and admitted into paradise after having been punished for their evil deeds, and after the intercession of the prophets and pious servants of Allah. This is irrespective of how great sinners they may have been. As for the disbelievers and polytheists (mushrikeen) they will abide therein forever and will not even die.

He has no wife or children. In His Qualities and Being, He is without any similarity, equal or comparable. This much we know that Allah Ta`ala is an embodiment of ALL perfect Qualities. Whatever comes to our (small) minds and imaginations, Allah Ta`ala is free from that and supercedes everything.

Aqeeda # 16

Paradise has also been created. It has various types of comforts and luxuries. The dwellers of paradise will have no sort of fear or concern whatsoever. They will abide therein forever. They will not come out of it, nor will they die.

The necessity of Jannat and reward for the believers is because of Allah Ta`ala=s promise, and not because they deserve it or are worthy of it. Guidance is also the Mercy of Allah Ta`ala, and it is due to His Taufeeq that people bring Imaan and they carry out good actions, with the limbs, power and intellect granted by Him. This is all the Benevolence of Allah Ta`ala. He is the One who has granted the Guidance and He is the One who has promised Jannat. AAnd this is through the Mercy of Allah Ta`ala, which He grants to whomever He wishes.@

Aqeeda # 17

Allah Ta'ala has the full right to punish over minor sins or to forgive over major sins and not to punish at all.

Aqeeda # 18

Allah Ta'ala does not ever forgive kufr or shirk. Apart from this, whatever other sins there may be, He will forgive whoever He wishes out of His mercy.

Aqeeda # 19

Apart from all those whom Allah and His Rasul sallallahu alayhi wa sallam have taken by name that they will enter paradise, we cannot say with certainty in regard to anyone else that they will enter paradise. However, after looking at good signs, it is necessary to be optimistic and hopeful of His mercy.

Aqeeda # 20

The greatest bounty in paradise is seeing Allah Ta'ala. This will be given to the dwellers of paradise. In comparison to this pleasure, all other bounties will appear insignificant.

Aqeeda # 21

While awake, no one has seen Allah with his very eyes in this world, nor can anyone see Him.

Aqeeda # 22

No matter how good or bad a person may have been throughout his life, he will be recompensed according to the state in which he dies.

Aqeeda # 23

Whenever a person repents or accepts Islam, his repentance or Islam will be accepted by Allah Ta'ala. However, at the time of death, when he is breathing his last and he sees the angels of death, neither repentance nor his accepting Islam will be acceptable.