The Three Fundamental Principles & Their Proofs

By

Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Wahhāb b. Sulaymān al-Tamīmī

(1115 – 1206 A.H.)

Translated by

Salal Ahmed Haque

Rajab 1442 or February 2021

(The Year of the Pandemic)

In the Name of Allāh, the Most Merciful, the Giver of Mercy.

The Four Matters

Know, may Allāh have mercy on you, that it is obligatory on us to learn four matters:

First: knowledge, namely: knowledge of Allāh, knowledge of His Prophet, and knowledge of the religion of Islām with the proofs.

Second: acting on it.

Third: calling to it.

Fourth: patiently enduring the harms due to it.

The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {In the Name of Allāh, the Most Merciful, the Giver of Mercy. By time! Indeed, mankind is in loss. Except for those who truly believe, do righteous deeds, and urge one another to the truth, and urge one another to observe patience}. [al-ʿAṣr (103)]

al-Shāfiʿī, may Allāh the Most High have mercy on him, said: “If Allāh had not sent down a proof on His creation other than this chapter; it would have sufficed them.”

al-Bukhārī, may Allāh the Most High have mercy on him, said: “Chapter: Knowledge Precedes Speech and Action, and the proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {Know that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh, and seek forgiveness for your sins} [Muḥammad (47): 19], thus He began with knowledge before speech and action.”

The Three Matters

Know, may Allāh have mercy on you, that it is obligatory on every male Muslim and female Muslim, to learn these three matters and act on them:

First: that Allāh created us, provided for us, and did not leave us to our own devices, rather He sent a Messenger to us; so, whoever obeys him will enter Paradise and whoever disobeys Him will enter the Fire.

The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {Indeed, We sent to you a Messenger as a witness over you, just as We sent a messenger to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger, so We seized him with a severe punishment}. [al-Muzzammil (73): 15-16]

Second: that Allāh is not pleased with anyone being associated with Him in His worship; not an angel brought near, nor a Prophet who was sent.

The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {And the places of worship are only for Allāh, so do not invoke anyone along with Allāh}. [al-Jinn (72): 18]

Third: that whoever obeys the Messenger and declares the Oneness of Allāh, it is impermissible for him to take as allies those who oppose Allāh and His Messenger, even if he be the closest relative.

The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {You will not find any people who truly believe in Allāh and the Last Day, making friends with those who oppose Allāh and His Messenger, even though they may be their fathers, or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred. For those (believers), He has written faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a spirit from Him. He will admit them into Gardens beneath which rivers flow, living therein forever. Allāh is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Him. They are the Party of Allāh, truly the Party of Allāh – they are the successful ones}. [al-Mujādilah (58): 22]

al-Ḥanīfiyyah

Know, may Allāh guide you to obedience of Him, that al-Ḥanīfiyyah, the religion of Ibrāhīm, is that you worship Allāh alone, making the religion sincerely for Him. It is with this Allāh has ordered all of mankind, and for which He has created them, just as He, the Most High said: {And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me} [al-Dhāriyāt (51): 56]. And the meaning of {to worship Me} is: to declare My Oneness.

The greatest of what Allāh has commanded is monotheism, which is: to single out Allāh with worship.

The greatest of what He has forbidden is polytheism, which is: to supplicate to another alongside Him.

The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {Worship Allāh and do not associate anything with Him}. [al-Nisāʾ (4): 36]

The Three Fundamental Principles

If it is said to you: “What are the three fundamental principles which are obligatory on mankind to know?” Say: “The servant’s knowledge of his Lord, his religion and his Prophet Muḥammad, may the praise and protection of Allāh be upon him.”

The First Principle

If it is said to you: “Who is your Lord?”

Say: “My Lord is Allāh Who nurtured me and nurtured all of creation through His blessings, and He is the One Whom I worship; and there is no other whom I worship besides Him.

The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {All praise is due to Allāh, the Lord of all creation}. [al-Fātiḥah (1): 2]

Everything besides Allāh is created and I am one part of that creation.”

If it is said to you: “How did you come to know your Lord?”

Say: “Through His signs and His creation. And from His signs are: the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. And from His creation are: the seven heavens and the seven earths, and whoever is in them and whatever is between them.”

The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {And from His signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Do not prostrate to the sun, nor to the moon, rather prostrate to Allāh Who created them, if it is Him Whom you truly worship}. [Fuṣṣilat (41): 37]

And His, the Most High’s statement: {Your Lord is Allāh Who created the heavens and the earth in six days, He then ascended the Throne. He causes the night to cover the day which it follows with haste; and the sun, the moon and the stars are subjected to His command. Certainly, to Him alone belongs the creation and commandment, Glorified is Allāh, the Lord of all creation}. [al-Aʿrāf (7): 54]

The Lord is the One Who is worshipped. The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {O mankind, worship your Lord Who created you and those who came before you, so that you may attain piety. He Who made the earth a resting place for you, and the sky as a canopy, and sent water down from the sky, and brought forth fruits and crops as provision for you. So do not set up partners with Allāh while you know (that you have no other Lord besides Him)}. [al-Baqarah (2): 21-22]

Ibn Kathīr, may Allāh the Most High have mercy on him, said: “The creator of all these things is the One deserving of worship.”

Types of Worship

The types of worship which Allāh has commanded such as: Islām, Īmān and Iḥsān, also include: invocation, fear, hope, trust and reliance, eager desire, dread, submissiveness, awe, turning in repentance, seeking aid, seeking refuge, seeking immediate relief, animal sacrifice, vows and other types of worship which Allāh has commanded.

All of these are exclusively for Allāh, and the proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {And the places of worship are only for Allāh, so do not invoke anyone along with Allāh}. [al-Jinn (72): 18]

Thus, whoever directs any part of this to other than Allāh; he is a polytheist, disbeliever. The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {And whoever invokes any other deity besides Allāh, for which he has no proof, his reckoning is only with His Lord. Certainly, the disbelievers will not be successful}. [al-Muʾminūn (23): 117]

Invocation

And, in the ḥadīth: “Invocation is the core of worship.” [Weak: al-Tirmidhī (3371)]

And the proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {And your Lord said: “Call upon Me, and I will respond to you. Indeed, those who are too arrogant to worship Me, they will surely enter Hell humiliated”}. [Ghāfir (40): 60]

Fear

The proof for fear is His, the Most High’s statement: {So do not fear them but fear Me, if indeed you are true believers}. [Āl ʿImrān (3): 175]

Hope

The proof for hope is His, the Most High’s statement: {Say: “I am only a man like you, it has been revealed to me that your Deity is One Deity. So, whoever hopes for the meeting with his Lord, let him do good deeds and associate none in the worship of his Lord”}. [al-Kahf (18): 110]

Trust and Reliance

The proof for trust and reliance is His, the Most High’s statement: {Upon Allāh, place your trust, if indeed you are true believers} [al-Māʾidah (5): 23] and His statement: {And whoever places his trust in Allāh, He is sufficient for him} [al-Ṭalāq (65): 3].

Eager Desire, Dread & Submissiveness

The proof for eager desire, dread and submissiveness is His, the Most High’s statement: {Indeed, they used to hasten in doing good deeds, and they would call upon Us with eager desire and dread, and they were humbly submissive to Us}. [al-Anbiyāʾ (21): 90]

Awe

The proof for awe is His, the Most High’s statement: {So do not have awe of them, but have awe of Me}. [al-Baqarah (2): 150] and [al-Māʾidah (5): 3].

Turning in Repentance

The proof for turning in repentance is His, the Most High’s statement: {And turn repentantly to your Lord and submit obediently to Him}. [al-Zumar (39): 54]

Seeking Aid

The proof for seeking aid is His, the Most High’s statement: {You alone We worship and from You alone we seek aid} [al-Fātiḥah (1): 5], and in the ḥadīth: “If you seek help, seek the help of Allāh.” [Authentic: al-Tirmidhī (2516)]

Seeking Refuge

The evidence for seeking refuge is His, the Most High’s statement: {Say: ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of the daybreak’} [al-Falaq (113): 1] and {Say: ‘I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind’}. [al-Nās (114): 1]

Seeking Immediate Relief

The evidence for seeking immediate relief is His, the Most High’s statement: {[Remember] when you sought immediate aid from your Lord and He answered you}. [al-Anfāl (8): 9]

Animal Sacrifice

The evidence for animal sacrifice is His, the Most High’s statement: {Say: ‘Indeed, my Lord has guided me to a Straight Path, a right religion, the religion of Ibrāhīm, inclining toward truth. And he was not among the polytheists.’ Say: ‘Indeed my prayers, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are all purely for Allāh the Lord of all creation. He has no partner, and it is with this I have been commanded, and I am the first of those to submit} [al-Anʿām (6): 161-162]. And from the Sunnah: “Allāh has cursed the one who sacrifices for other than Allāh.” [Authentic: Muslim (1978)]

Vowing

The proof for vowing is His, the Most High’s statement: {They fulfil their vows and fear a day whose evil is widespread}. [al-Insān (76): 7]

The Second Principle

Knowledge of the religion of Islām with the proofs, which is: to submit to Allāh with monotheism, to yield to Him with obedience, and to completely disassociate from polytheism and its people.

It is of three levels: Islām, Īmān and Iḥsān.

Each level has its pillars.

Islām

The pillars of Islām are five: the testimony that there is none worthy of worship except Allāh and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh, establishing the prayer, paying the alms-tax, fasting Ramaḍān and performing pilgrimage to Allāh’s Sacred House.

The proof for the testimony is His, the Most High’s statement: {Allāh bears witness that none is worthy of worship except Him, and so do the angels and the possessors of knowledge, while He is always maintaining justice. There is none worthy of worship except Him, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise}. [Āl ʿImrān (3): 18]

Its meaning is: “There is none worthy of worship except Allāh.”

Lā ilāha negates everything that is worshipped besides Allāh.

Illa Allāh affirms worship for Allāh alone; He has no partner in His worship, just as He has no partner in His Dominion.

The explanation of this which will make it clear, is His, the Most High’s statement: {[Remember] when Ibrāhīm said to his father and his people: ‘Indeed, I am completely free of what you worship. Except for the One Who created Me, for indeed He will guide me.’ And He made it an enduring statement among his descendants so that they may return}. [al-Zukhruf (43): 26-28]

And His, the Most High’s statement: {Say: ‘O People of the Book, come to a word that is equitable between us and you: that we will not worship except Allāh; and not associate anything with Him; and that none of us will take others as lords besides Allāh.’ But if they turn away, say: ‘Bear witness that we are Muslims.’}. [Āl ʿImrān (3): 64]

The proof for the testimony that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh is His, the Most High’s statement: {Certainly, there has come to you a Messenger from amongst yourselves, he is aggrieved by what you suffer, he is deeply concerned for you, and he is gracious and merciful to the believers}. [al-Tawbah (9): 128]

The meaning of the testimony that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh is: to obey him in what he commanded, to believe him in what he reported, to avoid what he forbade and to worship Allāh with only what he legislated.

The proof for prayer, alms-tax and the explanation of monotheism is His, the Most High’s statement: {And they were not commanded except to worship Allāh alone, making the religion sincerely for Him, inclining to truth, and that they establish the prayer and pay the alms-tax; that is the correct religion}. [al-Bayyinah (98): 5]

The proof for fasting is His, the Most High’s statement: {O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may attain piety}. [al-Baqarah (2): 183]

The proof for pilgrimage is His, the Most High’s statement: {Pilgrimage to the House is a duty owed to Allāh by people who are able to undertake it. And whoever disbelieves, then certainly Allāh is not in need of the creation}. [Āl ʿImrān (3): 97]

Īmān

The second level is Īmān, which is seventy-odd branches; the highest is the statement “Lā ilāha illa Allāh”, the lowest is to remove something harmful from the path, and a sense of shame is also a branch of Īmān.

Its pillars are six: that you believe in Allāh, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and that you believe in the Divine Decree; its good and its evil.

The proof for these six pillars is His, the Most High’s statement: {It is not righteousness that you turn your faces towards the east and the west. Rather, righteousness is the quality of the one who believes in Allāh, the Last Day, the Angels, the Books and the Prophets}. [al-Baqarah (2): 177]

The proof for the Divine Decree is His, the Most High’s statement: {Indeed, We created everything with a pre-decreed measure}. [al-Qamar (54): 49]

Iḥsān

The third level is Iḥsān, it is one pillar, which is: that you worship Allāh as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then certainly He sees you.

The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {Allāh is with those who have piety and those who do good deeds exemplarily}. [al-Naḥl (16): 128]

And His, the Most High’s statement: {And place your trust in the All-Mighty, the Giver of Mercy. The One Who sees you when you stand and sees your movements among those who prostrate. Indeed, Allāh is All-Hearing, All-Knowing}. [al-Shuʿarāʾ (26): 217-220]

And His statement: {There is nothing you are engaged in, nor any portion of the Qurʾān you may be reciting, nor any deed you may be doing, except that We are a Witness over you while you are doing it}. [Yūnus (10): 61]

Proof from the Sunnah

The evidence from the Sunnah is the famous Ḥadīth of Jibrīl:

On the authority of ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allāh be pleased with him, who said, “While we were sitting with the Prophet ﷺ, there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white, and whose hair was exceedingly black, no signs of journeying could be seen on him, and none of us knew him.

[He came] until he sat in front of the Prophet ﷺ and rested his knees against his, and placed his palms on his thighs and said, ‘O Muḥammad! Tell me about Islām.” Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ said: “Islām is to testify there is none worthy of worship except Allāh and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh, to establish the prayer, to pay the alms-tax, to fast Ramaḍān and to perform pilgrimage to the House if you are able to find a way.”

He said, “You have spoken the truth.”

He said, “We were surprised at him for asking the question and then declaring he had spoken the truth.”

He said, “So tell me about Īmān.”

He said: “That you believe in Allāh, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and the Divine Decree both good and evil thereof.”

He said, “You have spoken the truth.”

He said, “Tell me about Iḥsān.”

He said: “It is to worship Allāh as though you see Him, and although you do not see Him, He indeed sees you.”

He said, “Tell me about the Hour?”

He said: “The one being asked about it knows no more than the one asking.”

He said, “Then tell me about its signs.”

He said: “The slave woman will give birth to her mistress, and you will see the barefooted, naked and destitute shepherds competing in constructing lofty buildings.”

He said, “He then departed and we stayed for a while. He (the Prophet ﷺ) then said: “O ʿUmar! Do you know who the questioner was?”

I said, “Allāh and His Messenger know best.”

He said: “That was Jibrīl; he came to you, to teach you your religion.”

The Third Principle

His Lineage

Knowledge of your Prophet Muḥammad, may the praise and protection of Allāh be upon him. And he is: Muḥammad, the son of ʿAbd Allāh, the son of ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, the son of Hāshim, and Hāshim is from Quraysh, and the Quraysh are from the Arabs. The Arabs are from the offspring of Ismāʿīl, the son of Ibrāhīm – the special friend (khalīl) – may the best of praise and protection be upon him and our Prophet.

Prophethood

He lived for sixty-three years; forty of those were before Prophethood, and twenty-three as a Prophet-Messenger.

He was sent as a Prophet with “Iqraʾ!” and he was sent as a Messenger with al-Muddaththir. His city was Makkah and he migrated to al-Madīnah.

His Daʿwah

Allāh sent him to warn against polytheism and to call to monotheism. The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {O you, wrapped up in your cloak. Arise and warn! And exalt your Lord! And purify your garments! And keep away from all filth. Do not do a favour seeking something more in return. But be patient for your Lord}. [al-Muddaththir (74): 1-7]

The meaning of {Arise and warn!} is: warn against polytheism, and call to monotheism.

{And exalt your Lord!} means: exalt Him with monotheism.

{And purify your garments!} means: purify your deeds from polytheism.

{And keep away from all filth} al-Rujz are the idols. Keeping away from them means to shun them, and to disassociate oneself from them and their people.

He carried this out for ten years calling to monotheism, and after ten years he was taken up to Heaven; and the five daily prayers were obligated upon him. He prayed in Makkah for three years, after which he was ordered to emigrate to al-Madīnah.

Emigration

Hijrah (Emigration) is: moving from the land of polytheism to the land of Islām.

Hijrah is obligatory upon this Ummah from the land of polytheism to the land of Islām, and it will remain until the Hour is established.

The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {Indeed, those people whom the angels take while they are wronging themselves, they (the angels) will say: ‘What condition were you in?’ They will say: ‘We were weak and oppressed on earth.’ They (the angels) will say: ‘Was not the earth of Allāh spacious enough for you to emigrate therein?’ Those are the ones whose abode will be Hell – what an evil destination! Except the weak ones among the men, women and children who were not able to devise a plan, nor direct their way. For such there is hope Allāh will pardon them, and Allāh is Oft-Pardoning, Oft-Forgiving}. [al-Nisāʾ (4): 97-99]

And His, the Most High’s statement: {O My servants who have believed, indeed My earth is spacious, so worship Me alone}. [al-ʿAnkabūt (29): 56]

al-Baghawī, may Allāh have mercy on him, said: “The cause of revelation of this verse was regarding the Muslims in Makkah who did not emigrate; Allāh addressed them with the title of faith.”

The proof for Hijrah from the Sunnah is his statement, may the praise and protection of Allāh be upon him: “Hijrah will not cease until repentance ceases, and repentance will not cease until the sun rises from the west.” [Authentic: Abū Dāwūd (2479) and others]

Completion of the Sharīʿah

When he settled in al-Madīnah, he was commanded with the remaining legal prescriptions of Islām such as: the alms-tax, fasting, pilgrimage, the call-to-prayer, jihād, enjoining good and forbidding evil, as well as other legal prescriptions of Islām. He carried out this duty for ten years, after which he passed away, may the praise and protection of Allāh be upon him.

But his religion remains, and this is his religion: he did not leave any good except that he guided the Ummah to it, and there is no evil except that he warned them against it. The good that he guided to is monotheism, and everything Allāh loves and is pleased with. The evil which he warned against is polytheism, and everything Allāh hates and rejects.

Allāh sent him to all mankind, and obligated both creations: the jinn and mankind, to obey him. The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {Say: ‘O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allāh to you all’}. [al-Aʿrāf (7): 158]

Allāh completed the religion through him, and the proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen Islām as your religion}. [al-Māʾidah (5): 103]

His Death

The proof for his death, may Allāh’s praise and protection be upon him, is His, the Most High’s statement: {Certainly, you will die, and indeed they too will die. Then, on the Day of Judgement, you will dispute with one another before your Lord}. [al-Zumar (39): 30]

Conclusion

Resurrection

When mankind has died, they will then be resurrected. The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {From it [the earth] We created you, and in it We will return you, and from it We will be bring you out once again}. [Ṭā Hā (20): 55]

And His, the Most High’s statement: {And Allāh caused you to grow from the earth as a gradual growth. He will then return you therein and bring you out again}. [Nūḥ (71): 17-18]

Recompense

After the resurrection, they will be held to account and recompensed for their deeds. The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {And to Allāh belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth – that He may recompense those who do evil with [the penalty of] what they have done, and recompense those who good with the best [reward]}. [al-Najm (53): 31]

Whoever denies the resurrection; he has disbelieved. The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {Those who disbelieved have claimed they will never be resurrected. Say: ‘Surely, by my Lord, you will certainly be resurrected, then you will certainly be informed of what you did; and that is easy for Allāh.’}. [al-Taghābun (64): 07]

The Task of the Messengers

Allāh sent all of the Messengers as bringers of glad tidings and as warners. The proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {[We sent] Messengers as bringers of glad tidings and as warners, so that man would have no argument against Allāh after the Messengers}. [al-Nisāʾ (4): 165]

The first of them was Nūḥ, may Allāh protection be upon him, and the last of them was Muḥammad, may Allāh’s praise and protection be upon him, and he is the Seal of the Prophets. The proof that the first of them was Nūḥ is His, the Most High’s statement: {Indeed, We sent Revelation to you, just as We sent Revelation to Nūḥ and the Prophets after him}. [al-Nisāʾ (4): 163]

Shunning False Deities

Allāh sent a Messenger to every nation, from Nūḥ to Muḥammad, commanding them to worship Allāh alone and forbidding them from worshipping false gods. The evidence is His, the Most High’s statement: {And indeed, We sent to every nation a messenger proclaiming: ‘Worship Allāh and shun false gods’}. [al-Naḥl (16): 36]

Allāh obligated all the servants to disbelieve in false gods and to believe in Allāh.

Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allāh the Most High have mercy on him, said: “The meaning of al-Ṭāghūt is: that regarding which a servant transgresses the limits, in terms of one who is worshipped, or one who is followed, or one who is obeyed.”

The false deities are many, and the heads of them are five: Iblīs, may Allāh curse him, whoever is worshipped whilst being pleased with it, whoever calls people to worship him, whoever claims something from the knowledge of the unseen, and whoever rules by other than what Allāh has revealed.

And the proof is His, the Most High’s statement: {There is no compulsion in religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So, whoever disbelieves in false gods and believes in Allāh, he has grasped the firmest handhold that will never break. And Allāh is All-Hearing and All-Knowing}. [al-Baqarah (2): 256]

And this is the meaning of Lā ilāha illa Allāh (There is none worthy of worship except Allāh).

And in the ḥadīth: “The head of the matter is Islām, its pillar is the prayer, and its peak is jihād.” [Authentic: al-Tirmidhī (2616), Ibn Mājah (3973) and others]

And Allāh knows best, may Allāh’s praise and protection be upon Muḥammad, and upon his family and his Companions.

Translation completed by the one in constant need of Allāh’s soothing mercy:

Salal Ahmed Haque

Date: Yawm al-Ithnayn, 3rd of Rajab 1442 or Monday, 15th February 2021

(The Year of the Pandemic).