[DefendingIslam]

Salam alaykum,

Seeing that in our present times we have the tribulations of the Salafis, Modernists, Freethinkers, Secularists, not to mention Militant Atheists and other Disbelievers, I would like to ask:

What is the minimum and basic things which the common layman Muslim HAS to know about his or her belief so that their Iman will be safe, and they will not fall into disbelief?

I am asking this for a number of reasons. Firstly, the common Muslim will probably be exposed to many deviants who have very twisted ideas about Aqeedah and Islam. In one recent thread I had provided the example of Dr. Zakir Naik saying that "Allah cannot do" this or that. Now, the common Muslim, with absolutely no formal training in Islamic Aqeedah, may just start repeating what Dr. Naik said out of the respect and awe they have for him, and in the process ruin their Islam. Same case with other speakers, who will mention strange and invalid beliefs about Allah, but who will nevertheless have their sayings parroted by the common Muslim, since these Muslims have no idea about what is acceptable and unacceptable Islamic beliefs.

This is the case with those who claim Islam among the deviants. Then there are those who are outright non-Muslims but who also have a huge following due to movies, songs, etc., and whose lyrics and lines may be repeated by the common Muslim. These sayings of such disbelievers may at times have passages of disbelief in them, but they may be oft-repeated by the average Muslim out of negligence.

So coming back to the original question, what is the minimum requirements of Aqeedah which every common Muslims has to know and whose meaning they can grasp, without getting into deep philosophical proofs which they would be unable to understand anyway?

[suleimanibnsalim]

Bismillah...

Beleving in Allah, his angels, his books, his messengers, the last day and al-Qadr - the good and bad of it. One should also have a basic idea of why you believe even if it is simple, such as "becuase of how the prophet Sallallah `Alayh wa Sallam was". Once one begins to have doubts, it is Fard to clarify them with scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama`ah. This is what I have heard from my teachers, and Insha Allah, those more knowedgable can comment.

Wa `Afwan Minkum,

Was-Salam

[DefendingIslam]

Quote

Bismillah...

Beleving in Allah, his angels, his books, his messengers, the last day and al-Qadr - the good and bad of it. One should also have a basic idea of why you believe even if it is simple, such as "becuase of how the prophet Sallallah `Alayh wa Sallam was". Once one begins to have doubts, it is Fard to clarify them with scholars of Ahl as-Sunnah wa al-Jama`ah. This is what I have heard from my teachers, and Insha Allah, those more knowedgable can comment.

Wa `Afwan Minkum,

Was-Salam

Yes this is of course the basic thing for all Muslims to know. However, most Muslims would not have an idea about other very important issues, such as things that are intrinsically absurd to attribute to Allah, and those that are not attributed to Him due to the Holy Revelation.

For example, due to the propagation of the deviants, most people would think that Allah is a body that resides in heaven seated on His Throne (Wal I'yadhu Billah that such a thing is even mentioned).

So I am refering to things like this. Insha Allah the answer will come from those who have knowledge about this matter.

This post has been edited by DefendingIslam: 14 February 2010 - 05:35 PM

[Zhulfiqar]

DefendingIslam, on 14 February 2010 - 06:01 PM, said:

Yes this is of course the basic thing for all Muslims to know. However, most Muslims would not have an idea about other very important issues, such as things that are intrinsically absurd to attribute to Allah, and those that are not attributed to Him due to the Holy Revelation.

For example, due to the propagation of the deviants, most people would think that Allah is a body that resides in heaven seated on His Throne (Wal I'yadhu Billah that such a thing is even mentioned).

So I am refering to things like this. Insha Allah the answer will come from those who have knowledge about this matter.

Assalâmu 'alaikum wa rahmatulLâh brother,

The basics would be; Allâh is eternal without begin nor end, therefore it is impossible for Him to be attributed with anything of contingent nature such as changes, movements, emotions, feelings etc., His Self and His attributes are eternal without begin nor end since what is not eternal is created and Allâh is exalted with a great exaltation above being attributed with created attributes. To understand that what is not eternal has an begin and everything that begins is created (brought into existence), therefore everything besides Allâh Most High is contingent in nature and thus possible in existence therefore not eternal. Hope this helped

This post has been edited by Zhulfiqar: 15 February 2010 - 12:36 AM