The Creed of Ahl Al-Sunnah - Imam Al-Ghazali (Ml Taha Karan's Student Translation)

7/30/2019 The Creed of Ahl Al-Sunnah - Imam Al-Ghazali (Ml Taha Karan's Student Translation)

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HeisabovetheThroneandtheheavenstothefarthestreachesoftheEarth

inamannerthatdoesnotimplyanyproximitytotheThroneandtheheavens,orany

remotenessfromtheEarthanditsdepths.Onthecontrary,Heiselevatedabovethe

ThroneandtheheavenstothesamedegreethatHeiselevatedabovetheEarthand

itsdepths,and,inspiteofthis,Heisclosetoeverythinginexistence.Heiscloserto

Hisslavethanthatslavesownjugularvein.Heisawitnesstoallthings.

This is because His nearness in noway resembles the nearness of bodily

things,justlikeHisessencedoesnotresembletheessencesofbodilythings.

HedoesnotmanifestHimself inanything,nordoesanythingelsemanifest

itself inHim.He isglorifiedabovebeingcontained inspaceordefinedbytime.He

existedbeforecreatingtimeandspace,andHeisnowjustasHewasbefore.

HeisdistinctinHisattributesfromHiscreation.NothingotherthanHimselfis

contained

in

His

essence,

nor

is

His

essence

contained

in

anything

else.

He

is

sanctifiedabovebeingsubjecttomovementorchange.Nothingoccurswithinhim,

nor isHe subject to transient qualities.He remainswithHis complete and noble

attributestranscendentaboveanyincreaseordecrease.

ReasontestifiestoHisexistence,and intheeternalabodeoftheHereafter,

He will be seen by the righteous. This will be a blessing for them from His

benevolence,asgazinguponHiscountenancewillbetheultimatefulfillmentoftheir

bliss.

ALLAHSLIFE

AND

OMNIPOTENCE:

He is Living and Omnipotent, Almighty and Overpowering. He is never

afflictedwithincapacityorfailure.Heisneverovertakenbydrowsinessorsleep.He

cannotbeconfrontedbyobliterationordeath.

Hepossessesall sovereignty anddominion, allmight andpower.He is the

possessorofauthorityandsubjugation,ofcreationandcommand.Theheavensare

rolledupinHisrighthandandallcreationissubjugatedbyHisgrasp.

Healonecreatesandfashions.Healoneoriginatesallaffairsandbringsthem

intoexistence.Hecreatesall livingthingsandtheiractions,andHedeterminesthe

durationoftheirlivesandtheirsustenance.

NothingisoutsideofHisability,andnoaffairescapesHisdetermination.His

capabilitiesandknowledgehavenolimit.

ALLAHSKNOWLEDGE:

He is theKnowerofall things.Hisknowledgeencompasseseverything that

happensfrom

the

depths

of

the

Earth

to

the

highest

heavens.

The

smallest

particle

cannotescapeHisknowledge.Heisawareofthefootstepsofanantcrawlingupona

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massiverockonthedarkestnight.Heiscognizantofthemovementofamoleculein

theair.

Heknowswhatissecretandhidden.Heisacquaintedwiththeaffectionsof

theheart,theactivitiesofthemind,andthesecretsofthesoul.

Hisknowledgeofallthingsisancientandeternal.Hehasalwayspossessedit.

Hisknowledge isnotacquiredor renewed,nordoes itmanifest itself inHisbeing

fromoutsideexperience.

ALLAHSWILL:

All thingsexistbecauseHewills them tobe.He is the regulatorofall that

occurs.Nothinghappensinhisdominionbeitgreatorsmall,goodorevil,benefit

orharm,faithordisbelief,acknowledgementordenial,successorfailure,increaseor

decrease, complianceor disobedience except byHisdecree anddetermination,

andinaccordancewithHiswisdomandwill.WhateverHewillsmustcometopass,

andwhateverisnotinaccordancewithHiswillcanneverbe.

NeitherthewinkingofaneyenortheflutteringoftheheartcanescapeHis

will.HeistheOriginatorandtheRestorer,theOnewhodoesasHepleases.

His commandcannotbe contradicted,andnonecannullifyHisdecree.His

servant cannothope to avoid sin exceptbyHis grace andmercy; norhashe the

strengthtoobeyHimexceptbyHiswill.

IfallMenandJinnweretogathertheirforcesalongwithalltheangelsand

demonsinordertomoveanatomagainstHiswill,theywouldfailtodoso.

His will subsists in His essence as one of His attributes. He has always

possessed it,willinginHistimelessnessallthingstooccurattheirappointedtimes.

Everything happens at themoment appointed for it,without hasteor delay, and

withoutanysubstitutionoralteration,inaccordancewithHisknowledgeandwill.

Hemanagesallaffairswithouttheneedofcontemplationortheexpenditure

oftime,andthus,heisneverpreoccupiedbyanyaffair.

ALLAHSHEARINGANDSIGHT:

Hehearsandseeswiththefacultiesofhearingandsight.NothingescapesHis

hearing,nomatterhow subtleordistant,andnothing isveiled fromHis sight,no

matterhowsmallorobscure.

Heseeswithout theneedofeyesandhearswithout theneedofears,just

like He knows without possessing a heart, compels without needing limbs, and

createswithouttheuseoftools.ThisisbecauseHisattributesdonotresemblethe

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attributesofcreatedthings.Likewise,Hisessencedoesnotresembletheessenceof

createdthings.

ALLAHSSPEECH:

Allah speaks. He gives orders and prohibits, promises and threatens,with

speechthatiseternalandancient,subsistinginHisessence.Itdoesnotresemblethe

speechofcreatedbeings.Itneitherconsistsofsoundproducedbythemovementof

theairorthevibrationofobjects,norisitmadeoflettersformedbythepositioning

ofthelipsorthemovementofthetongue.

TheQurn,theTorah,theGospel,andthePsalmsareHisbooks,whichHe

revealedtoHisMessengers,onthembepeace.

TheQurn isreadbythetongue,written inbooks,andrememberedinthe

heart,but, in spiteof this, it isancient, subsisting inHisessence,neitherallowing

divisionorseparationbybeingrecordedonpaperorintheheart.

Ms (uponhimbepeace)heardAllahsspeechwithout thatspeechbeing

composedoflettersorsounds,justliketherighteouswillseeAllahintheHereafter

withoutHimbeingasubstanceorquality.

Since He possesses these attributes, He is Alive,Omniscient,Omnipotent,

Willful,Hearing, Seeing, and Speaking,by possessing life, knowledge,power,will,

hearing,sight,andspeech,notmerelybybeing.

ALLAHSACTIONS:

EverythingthatexistsbesidesAllahowesitsorigintoHisactions,emanating

fromHisjusticeinthebest,mostcomplete,andbalancedmanner.

He is Wise in His actions, Just in His decrees. His justice should not be

compared with the justice of His servants, because His servants are able to

perpetrate injustices by abusing the property of others. Such injustice is

inconceivablewithrespecttoAllah,becauseHedoesnotconcedetoanyoneelsea

shareofHisdominiontowardswhichHisconductcouldbeconstruedasinjustice.

Men and Jinn, angels and demons, the heavens and the Earth, animals,

plants, andminerals, substances and qualities, conceptions and perceptions all

thingsbesideAllahoccurfromnonexistencebyHiscreativepower.Hebringsthem

forthfromnothingness,forHeexistedintimelessnessaloneandthenbroughtabout

CreationasamanifestationofHisomnipotenceandinfulfillmentofHiswordandHis

timelesswill.Hedidnotcreateanythingoutofneedordependency.

Hedoesnothavetocreateororiginateanything,nordoesHehavetohold

Manaccountable

for

his

deeds.

Everything

that

He

does

isout

of

His

grace

and

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immensefavor,andHeextendsHisgraceandprovidencewithoutbeingobligatedto

doso.

ToHimbelongallfavorandgoodness,allgraceandblessings,forHeisfully

capableof inflictinguponHisservantsalltypesofpunishmentsandafflictingthem

withinnumerablepainsandtorments,andifHehaddonethat,itwouldhavebeenjust.Itwouldhavebeenneitheroppressivenorrepugnant.

He rewardsHisbelievingservants for theirobedienceoutofHisgenerosity

andinfulfillmentofHispromise,notoutofanyobligationtodoso,norbecausethey

deserve it. It is not compulsory for Him to do anything for anyone, and it is

inconceivable toconstrueanythingHedoesasanactof injustice.Noonehasany

rightsoverHim.

HisrightforustoobeyHimisestablishedforusbythewordsofHisProphets,

not

by

the

dictates

of

reason.

He

sent

His

Messengers

and

established

their

truthfulnessthroughclearmiracles.TheyconveyedHiscommandsandprohibitions,

Hispromisesandwarnings,so it is incumbentuponHiscreationtobelieveallthat

theycamewith.

THEMEANINGOFTHESECONDDECLARATIONOFFAITH:

Theseconddeclarationof faithpertains tobelief in theMessengerandhis

message.AllahsenttheunletteredprophetfromthetribeofQuraysh,Muammad

(peacebeuponhim),toalltheArabsandnonArabs,toallmenandjinn,andthelaw

that he camewith supercedes all previous laws except for those particular lawswhichwerereaffirmed.

He exaltedMuammad (peacebeuponhim) above all creation andmade

himthemostnobleofmankind.ThedeclarationoffaithThereisnogodbutAllah

is not complete if it is not complemented by the statement: Muammad is the

MessengerofAllah.

Mankind is obligated by Allah to believe everything that the Messenger

informedusaboutpertainingtothisworldandtheHereafter,andnoonesfaithwill

beacceptableuntilhebelieves inwhatwas related tohimabout theevents that

occurafterdeath.

ThefirstoftheseistheinterrogationofMunkarandNakr,twofrightfuland

horrifyingbeingswhomake the servant,body and soul, situp inhisgrave.Then,

theyaskhimabouttheonenessofAllahandthemessengershipofHisProphet.They

ask,WhoisyourLord?Whatisyourreligion?Whoisyourprophet?Theyarethe

interrogatorsofthegrave,andtheirquestionsarethefirsttrialafterdeath.

Itisnecessarytobelievethatthepunishmentofthegraveisreal.Itismeted

outwithjustice,uponboththebodyandsoul,inaccordancewithHiswill.

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It is likewisenecessarytohaveagoodopinionaboutalloftheCompanions

andtospeakwellaboutthem,becausebothAllahandHisMessenger(uponhimbe

peace)spokewellaboutthem.

All that is stated here is found in the words of the Prophet and his

Companions,sowhoeverbelievesinitisfromthepeopleoftruth,andthefollowersoftheSunnah,andtheyarefarremovedfromthefollowersoferrorandheresy.

WeaskAllahtograntuscertaintyoffaithandsteadfastness inourreligion,

notonlyforourselves,butforallthebelievers.WeaskthisthroughHismercy,forHe

isthemostmercifulofall.

AndmayAllahssalutationsbeuponeveryoneofHischosenservants.

The Creed of Ahl Al-Sunnah - Imam Al-Ghazali (Ml Taha Karan's Student Translation)

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