Category: Akidah

Praise be to Allah.Firstly:
The apparent meaning of this statement is that worship is accepted from a disbeliever just as it is accepted from a believer, and this is definitely wrong, because the worship of the disbeliever is not accepted and is not valid on his part, and he will not be rewarded for it in the hereafter, but he will benefit from good deeds in this world, as Allah will feed him in return for doing them.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We will regard what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed”
[al-Furqaan 25:23]
“The example of those who disbelieve in their Lord is [that] their deeds are like ashes which the wind blows forcefully on a stormy day; they are unable [to keep] from what they earned a [single] thing. That is what is extreme error”
[Ibraaheem 14:18]
“But those who disbelieved – their deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks is water until, when he comes to it, he finds it is nothing but finds Allah before Him, and He will pay him in full his due; and Allah is swift in account”
[an-Noor 24:39]
“And it was already revealed to you and to those before you that if you should associate [anything] with Allah , your work would surely become worthless, and you would surely be among the losers”
[az-Zumar 39:65]
“And whoever of you reverts from his religion [to disbelief] and dies while he is a disbeliever – for those, their deeds have become worthless in this world and the Hereafter, and those are the companions of the Fire, they will abide therein eternally”
[al-Baqarah 2:217]
“And whoever denies the faith – his work has become worthless, and he, in the Hereafter, will be among the losers”
[al-Maa’idah 5:5]
“Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers – never would the [whole] capacity of the earth in gold be accepted from one of them if he would [seek to] ransom himself with it. For those there will be a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:91].
And there are many similar verses.
Muslim (214) narrated that ‘Aa’ishah said: I said: O Messenger of Allah, during the Jaahiliyyah Ibn Jud’aan used to uphold the ties of kinship and feed the poor. Will that benefit him at all? He said: “It will not benefit him, because he did not say one day, ‘Lord forgive me my sins on the Day of Judgement.’”.
And Muslim (2808) narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah does not treat the believer unjustly with regard to his good deeds. He blesses him because of them in this world and He will reward him for them in the Hereafter. As for the disbeliever, he is fed because of the good deeds that he does for the sake of Allah in this world, then when he passes on into the Hereafter, he will have no good deeds left for which to be rewarded.”.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Sharh Muslim (17/150):
The scholars are unanimously agreed that for the disbeliever who dies in a state of disbelief there will be no reward in the hereafter, and he will not be rewarded in the hereafter for anything that he did in this world seeking to draw closer to Allah, may He be exalted.
In this hadith it clearly states that the disbeliever will be fed in this world because of the good deeds that he does, i.e., the deeds that he does seeking to draw close to Allah, may He be exalted, thereby; this refers to deeds the validity of which does not depend on the intention, such as upholding ties of kinship, giving charity, freeing slaves, offering hospitality, helping others, and so on.
As for the believer, the reward of his good deeds is stored up for him in the hereafter, and he is also rewarded for them in this world, as there is nothing to prevent him being rewarded for his good deeds both in this world and in the hereafter. This is referred to in the religious texts, and it is obligatory to believe in it.
If a disbeliever does such good deeds, then becomes Muslim, he will be rewarded for those deeds in the hereafter, according to the correct view. End quote.
Ibn Katheer said in his commentary on the first verse quoted above (3/106):
The words of Allah, “And We will regard what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed” [al-Furqaan 25:23], refer to the Day of Resurrection, when Allah will bring all people to account for what they did, good or bad. Here He tells us that the deeds that these polytheists did, thinking that they would save them, will not avail them anything, because they failed to meet the prescribed conditions, either doing the deeds sincerely for Allah alone, or following the laws prescribed by Allah.
Any deed that is not sincerely for the sake of Allah alone and in accordance with the laws that He has prescribed and is pleased with, is invalid.
The deeds of the disbelievers may fail to meet either of these conditions, or they may fail to meet both of them, in which case they are even less likely to be accepted. Hence Allah, may He be exalted, says “And We will regard what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed” [al-Furqaan 25:23]. End quote.
Shaykh al-Ameen ash-Shinqeeti (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Some of the disbelievers honour their parents, uphold ties with their kin, honour guests, help those who are oppressed, give relief to those who are in distress, doing all of that for the sake of Allah. These are valid righteous deeds that are in accordance with Islamic teachings and the doer may be sincere towardsAllah when doing them, but they will not benefit him before Allah on the Day of Resurrection, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We will regard what they have done of deeds and make them as dust dispersed”
[al-Furqaan 25:23]
“Those are the ones for whom there is not in the Hereafter but the Fire. And lost is what they did therein, and worthless is what they used to do”
[Hood 11:16]
“…their deeds are like a mirage…”
[an-Noor 24:39]
“…like ashes…”
[Ibraaheem 14:18].
And there are many similar verses.
It is proven from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that with regard to the deeds of the righteous disbeliever – such as honouring his parents, bringing relief to one who is in distress, honouring a guest, helping one who has been wronged, and upholding the ties of kinship, that are done seeking the pleasure of Allah – if a disbeliever does such righteous deeds, Allah will reward him in this world, so He will give him worldly gains such as wealth, and will grant him food and drink, and good health, but they will not bring any reward with Allah (in the hereafter).
This is proven in the hadith of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that was narrated from him by Anas, and narrated by Muslim in his Saheeh from Anas, from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), that Allah feeds the disbeliever in return for his righteous deeds in this world, and He rewards him in this world, but when it comes to the hereafter, he will not have any good deeds for which to be rewarded. As for the Muslim, Allah will reward him for his good deeds in this world and stores reward for him in the hereafter.
The Qur’anic verses which indicate that the disbelievers benefit from their good deeds in this world include the following:
“Whoever desires the harvest of the Hereafter – We increase for him in his harvest. And whoever desires the harvest of this world – We give him thereof, but there is not for him in the Hereafter any share”
[ash-Shoora 42:20].
End quote from al-‘Adhb al-Muneer (5/570).
See also the answer to question no. 13350.
Secondly:
The prayer of the disbeliever may be answered, especially if he is in a state of distress or he is being wronged.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And when they board a ship, they supplicate Allah, sincere to Him in religion. But when He delivers them to the land, at once they associate others with Him”
[al-‘Ankaboot 29:65]
“Say, ‘Who rescues you from the darknesses of the land and sea [when] you call upon Him imploring [aloud] and privately, “If He should save us from this [crisis], we will surely be among the thankful.”’
Say, ‘It is Allah who saves you from it and from every distress; then you [still] associate others with Him.’”
[al-An‘aam 6:63-64].
Ahmad (12549) narrated that Anas ibn Maalik said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Fear the prayer of the one who has been wronged, even if he is a disbeliever, for there is no barrier [between it and Allah].”
Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah, no. 767.
Belief is not connected to one’s social or intellectual standing, as is claimed by some of those who propagate these misguided ideas. Rather it is a serious matter, which one must affirm in the heart, seeking to draw closer to Allah, may He be exalted, no matter what a person’s environmental, physical or social circumstances.
Moreover, good deeds may be rendered invalid and rejected for various reasons, including not being in accordance with the Sunnah, or being done to show off, so how can anyone say that deeds will be accepted from everybody?!
May Allah protect us from the evils of tribulations, both apparent and hidden.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Is the number 666 the number of the devil (Shaytaan)?
Believing that there is anything special about the number 666, especially with regard to benefit or harm, and believing that it is the number of the devil or of the Dajjaal (“antichrist”) is a global myth which originated with people of disbelief (kufr), especially those who claim to be devil worshippers.
Hence it is not permissible for the Muslim to believe that there is anything special about this number; rather it is like all other numbers which indicate the quantity of things. The one who believes that it has any special impact has fallen into what is haraam by imitating the disbelievers and following their myths and superstitions.
It was narrated that Ibn ‘Umar said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever imitates a people is one of them.” Narrated by Abu Dawood (4031); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel (5/109).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
This is a jayyid isnad… This hadith, at the very least, indicates that it is prohibited to imitate them, even though it appears to indicate that the one who imitates them is a disbeliever, as in the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{And whoever is an ally to them among you – then indeed, he is [one] of them} [al-Maa’idah 5:51].
This may be understood as meaning that whoever imitates them in everything, that would dictate that he is a disbeliever, and the text indicates that it is forbidden to imitate them in some ways. Or it may be interpreted as meaning that his being like them is commensurate with the extent to which he imitates them, so that if he imitates them in something that is regarded as disbelief or a sin, or in something that is regarded as being unique to them, then the ruling will be in accordance with that.
Whatever the case, the text indicates that it is haraam to imitate them and the reason for that is mere imitation. “Iqtida’ as-iraat al-Mustaqeem (1/240-242)”.
In order to be different from them, you should not believe that there is anything special about this number, and you should pay no attention to writing it; rather you should deal with it like any other number.
As for not writing it at all, that is not correct, because writing numbers when needed is permissible, and what is permissible and is needed cannot be abandoned just because some people were misguided concerning it. Rather the misguidance that is connected to it should be ignored.
‘Ikrimah said: We were with Ibn ‘Umar, and Ibn ‘Abbaas was there with him too (may Allah be pleased with them both). A crow flew by, cawing, and a man said: It is a good sign! Ibn ‘Abbaas said: It is neither good nor bad. Narrated by ad-Daynoori in al-Majaalisah (3/297).
Because of this corruption – the corruption that results from innovation being instilled in people’s hearts – the scholars forbade, for the purpose of differing from the disbelievers in their festivals, deliberately fasting on the days of their festivals and depriving oneself of delicious food on the days of their festivals.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
If it is said: What do you say about fasting on the days of Nawruz and Mahrajan and other festivals of the polytheists?
It may be said: many of the scholars regard that as disliked (makrooh), and most of the companions of Ahmad were of the view that it is disliked.
They gave as the reason for that the fact that these are two days that are venerated by the disbelievers, so to single them out for fasting rather than other days is like going along with them in venerating those two days. Therefore it is disliked, like fasting on a Saturday. The author of al-Mughni said: By analogy, this applies to any festival of the disbelievers or any day that they single out for veneration. “aashiyat Ibn al-Qayyim ma‘a ‘Awn al-Ma‘bood (7/52)”.
For more information, see the answer to the question: “Ruling on regarding numbers as lucky and unlucky” and “Ruling on regarding a twitch of the eye as unlucky.”
Secondly:
Repenting from belief in superstition is like repenting from any other sin, and is done by avoiding it, regretting doing it, and resolving not to go back to it.
An-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The scholars said: Repentance from every sin is obligatory. If the sin has to do with the relationship between the individual and Allah, may He be exalted, and does not have to do with the rights of another human, then there are three conditions to be met:
1.. He must give up the sin.
2.. He must regret doing it.
3.. He must resolve never to go back to it.
If one of the three is omitted, then his repentance is not valid. “Riyaadh as-Saaliheen (p. 14)”.
Giving up superstitions is achieved by believing that benefit and harm are in the hands of Allah, may He be exalted, alone.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{Say, “In whose hand is the realm of all things – and He protects while none can protect against Him – if you should know?”
They will say, “[All belongs] to Allah.” Say, “Then how are you deluded?”} [al-Mu’minoon 23:88-89]
{Say, “Who provides for you from the heaven and the earth? Or who controls hearing and sight and who brings the living out of the dead and brings the dead out of the living and who arranges [every] matter?” They will say, “Allah,” so say, “Then will you not fear Him?”} [Yoonus 10:31].
It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“Whoever lets tiyarah (superstitious belief in bird omens) stop him from doing something is guilty of shirk (associating others with Allah).” They said, O Messenger of Allah, what is the expiation for that? He said, “To say: ‘Allahumma la khayra illaa khayruka wa laa tayra illaa tayruka wa laa ilaaha ghayruka O Allah, there is no good except Your good, no birds except Your birds, and there is no god besides You).’” Narrated by Imam Ahmad in al-Musnad (11/623); classed as hasan by the commentators on al-Musnad.
The Muslim must also bear in mind the fact that these superstitions are harmful to one’s mind and intellect, and Islam came to protect people’s intellect and reason from anything that could damage them.
Shaykh ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan as-Sa‘di (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
Islam is based on perfecting people’s religious commitment by casting away idolatry and attachment to created beings, and on perfecting people’s reasoning by casting away myths and superstitions, and focusing on beneficial matters that help to refine one’s thinking and purify one’s soul, and rectifying all situations, both spiritual and worldly. And Allah knows best. “Al-Qawl as-Sadeed/al-Majmoo‘ah al-Kaamilah li Mu’allafaat as-Sa‘di (10/19)”.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Types of the unseen (al-ghayb)      
The unseen is of two types:
1. That which is absolutely unseen and unknown . No one knows this type except Allah. For example, this includes knowledge of when the Hour will begin, when rain will fall, and so on.
2. That which is relatively unseen and unknown, knowledge of which is hidden from some people and others know it. This is described as unseen or unknown in relation to the one who does not know it, and it is not unknown or unseen for the one who does know it.
So in Islam, the unseen is that which is hidden from people’s senses, whether it remains hidden and concealed, and no human can comprehend it, in the sense that no one knows it except the All-Aware, or people may learn of it because of a religious text from the Quran or hadith.
A person may learn about some of the unseen on the basis of his rational thinking, or by some other means, such as obtaining knowledge through some means that help to enhance the senses, like telescopes and other equipment. This comes under the heading of things that are relatively unseen or unknown.
The importance of believing in the unseen (al-ghayb)
Belief in the unseen is one of the characteristics that distinguish humans from other living beings. Animals have in common with humans the ability to learn about what is tangible, but as for the unseen, humans alone are qualified to believe in it, unlike animals. Hence belief in the unseen (al-ghayb) is one of the pillars of faith in all the divinely-revealed religions. The revealed books spoke a great deal about unseen matters that man has no way of knowing except through proven revelation in the Quran and Sunnah, such as mention of Allah, may He be exalted, and His attributes and actions; the seven heavens and what they contain; the angels, the prophets, Paradise and Hell, the shayatin (devils) and jinn, and other matters of belief in the unseen that no one could learn about or understand except through the sound religious texts of the Quran and Sunnah.
Detailed account on types of the unseen (al-ghayb)
1. That which is absolutely unseen, which is that of which man has no way of becoming aware and learning through the means of his physical faculties. It is of two types:
The first type is that of which Allah, may He be exalted, has informed people, or some of it, through revelation to the messengers, who conveyed it to the people.
One example of that is the shayatin and the jinn, and what He has said about them, as in the verses (interpretation of the meaning):
{It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, ‘’Indeed, we have heard an amazing Quran. It guides to the right course, and we have believed in it. And we will never associate with our Lord anyone’.} [al-Jinn 72:1-2]
The second type is that of which He has kept the knowledge to Himself, and has not disclosed it to any of His creation, whether a prophet who was sent or an angel who is close to Him. This is what is referred to in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
{And with Him are the keys of the unseen; none knows them except Him.} [al-An’am 6:59]
An example of that is knowledge of when the Hour will begin, or the time, place and cause of one’s death, and some of the names by which Allah, may He be exalted, has called Himself, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
{Indeed, Allah [Alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die.} [Luqman 31:34]
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said in one of his supplications: “O Allah, indeed I ask You by every name that belongs to You, by which You have called Yourself or taught it to any of Your creation, or kept it to Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen which is with You.”
2. That which is restricted and relative. This is what is unknown to some, such as historical events. They are unseen or unknown in relation to those who do not know of them. Hence Allah, may He be exalted, said to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) after mentioning the story of the family of ‘Imran (interpretation of the meaning):
{That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, [O Muhammad]. And you were not with them when they cast their pens as to which of them should be responsible for Mary. Nor were you with them when they disputed.} [Al ‘Imran 3:44]
3. That which is restricted but is not relative. This refers to that which people do not experience or see because of barriers of time (the future) or place, or other barriers, until that thing is made known because of the removal of the temporal or spatial barrier, as in the verse in which Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{And when We decreed for Solomon death, nothing indicated to the jinn his death except a creature of the earth eating his staff. But when he fell, it became clear to the jinn that if they had known the unseen, they would not have remained in humiliating punishment.} [Saba 4:14]
This refers to the death of Sulayman (peace be upon him).
Examples of matters of the unseen
1. The ruh (soul). Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, “The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind has not been given of knowledge except a little”.} [al-Isra 17:85]
2. The minor and major signs of the Hour, of which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke in the hadith of Jibril: “When you see the barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds competing in the construction of lofty buildings.”
These are some of the matters of the unseen of which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) spoke and they have come to pass. Among the major signs of which he spoke are: the Dajjal, who will emerge at the end of time; and the Beast, which will also emerge at the end of time. (From al-‘Aqidah, Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic affairs)
Thus it becomes clear to you that what your friend did come under the heading of that which is relatively unseen, and not that which is absolutely unseen. So the fact that he knows about it and similar things for which there are tangible causes is not something that should be a cause for confusion.
Moreover, it is well established for any man of reason that there are many matters which may turn out differently from what someone said would happen, and may turn out differently from what was forecast by one who has knowledge of such matters. How often one says that the train or plane will arrive at the appointed time, then that does not happen, or something may be said about a foetus on the basis of modern equipment, then it does not turn out as he said. It may be that you stop the clock before the alarm goes off, so it does not go off, or the battery runs out, so the alarm does not go off… Any confusion about such matters is baseless and pointless, and it is not difficult to resolve. It is just a trick from the Shaytan to deceive one who has nothing to do about an issue that has no reality and no basis, were it not for this person allowing himself to pursue trivial matters and the shayatin distracting the sons of Adam.
The issue of the decree being written comes under the heading of belief in the divine will and decree (al-qada’ wa’l-qadar)
With regard to the decree being written, it has nothing to do with what you mentioned at all, and we are surprised at this question of yours.
Asking about such matters may be valid, if Allah had revealed to us in His Book that the alarm would never ring, then it rang. In this case, what He told us would be different from reality.
As for a person knowing about something, whether in the past or present or even in the future, that did not happen, and he came to know about that through his own means, where is the confusion about that when we believe that everything that will happen until the Day of Resurrection is written in al-Lawh al-Mahfuz?
Whatever the case, the belief that Allah wrote everything comes under the same heading as believing in the divine will and decree, which means believing that Allah wrote all of that in al-Lawh al-Mahfuz fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth.
What is required for belief in the divine decree to be sound is to believe the following:
1.   That man has free will and choice on the basis of which he carries out his actions, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{For whoever wills among you to take a right course.} [at-Takwir 81:28]
{Allah does not charge a soul except [with that within] its capacity.} [al-Baqarah 2:286].
2.  A person’s will and power does not go beyond the power and will of Allah, for He is the One Who granted that to the person and made him able to distinguish and choose, as He, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{And you do not will except that Allah wills – Lord of the worlds.} [at-Takwir 81:29].
With regard to setting your alarm, knowing that it is going to ring, if it rings, then that is something that Allah decreed and He created it, and you expect to happen. Otherwise some impediment could occur to prevent the phone from doing that task. All of that was decreed by Allah.
You should understand that His written decree is of two types: the first type is that which cannot be altered or changed, which is what is in al-Lawh al-Mahfuz.
The second type is that which can be changed and altered, which is what is in the hands of the angels, but how it will be settled with them in the end will be in accordance with what Allah decreed in al-Lawh al-Mahfuz. This is one of the meanings of the verse (interpretation of the meaning): {Allah eliminates what He wills or confirms, and with Him is the Mother of the Book.} [ar-Ra‘d 13:39]
Hence we can understand what is mentioned in the sahih Sunnah about the fact that upholding ties of kinship increases a person’s lifespan or provision, or that supplication (du‘a) can put back the divine decree , for Allah, may He be exalted, knew that His slave would uphold ties of kinship and that he would offer supplication, so He wrote in al-Lawh al-Mahfuz that that person would have ample provision and an extended lifespan.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Allah, may He be glorified, is the Creator , and everything other than Him is created, as He, may He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{Allah is the Creator of all things, and He is, over all things, Disposer of affairs.} [az-Zumar 39:62]
So there is nothing that exists except the Creator, namely the Lord of the Worlds, may He be glorified, or that which is created, which is everything other than the Creator, may He be glorified. There is no third category.
Are you created?
You are definitely created , and you are not a creator. You are not a creator of yourself or of anyone else.
The problem that caused you to think in this way is that you limited the concept of creation to creation from nothing, and you did not realise that creation may be like that, or it may also mean creation from an already-created substance, which is the case of this universe that we see.
Types of creation in Islam
So creation in Islam may be either a direct process, as in the creation of Adam, or it may be through certain means, as in the creation of the progeny of Adam from an ejected fluid. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning)
{Who perfected everything which He created and began the creation of man from clay, then He made his posterity out of the extract of a liquid disdained, then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful.} [as-Sajdah 32:7-9]
Adam was created from clay , and was not created from nothing, and his offspring are created from a liquid disdained, but Adam was created directly by means of the divine word, and Allah created him with His Hands.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam. He created Him from dust; then He said to him, “Be,” and he was.} [Aal ‘Imran 3:59]
{[Allah] said, “O Iblis, what prevented you from prostrating to that which I created with My Hands? Were you arrogant [then], or were you [already] among the haughty?”} [Sad 38:75]
So the one who was created from dust is created, and the one who was created from a sperm drop is also created.
Allah, may He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{He created the heavens and earth in truth. High is He above what they associate with Him 
He created man from a sperm-drop; then at once, he is a clear adversary.} [an-Nahl 16:3-4]
{Recite in the name of your Lord who created, Created man from a clinging substance.} [al-‘Alaq 96:1-2]
Thus we are all created, from a clinging substance (‘alaq) and from a sperm-drop (nutfah), and our father Adam was created from dust or from clay or from clay like [that of] pottery.
Bread that is made from flour is created, because the flour originally comes from a plant and the earth, which are both created, and because it results from the actions of humans, and the actions of humans are created because they stem from the ability and will of humans, which are created.
By the same token, the smartphone is created, because it is manufactured from created materials, and by the ability of humans which is also created.
How were the heavens and the earth created?
You should understand that Allah created the heavens and the earth from materials that were already created.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 
“Allah, may He be glorified, tells us that He rose over the heaven when it was smoke, and he said to it and to the earth, “Come [into being], willingly or by compulsion.” And they said, “We have come willingly.” (Fussilat 41:11). Thus they were created from smoke. And there are reports from the early generations which say that they were created from steam, and this is the water over which the throne was which is mentioned in the verse, {And it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days – and His Throne had been upon water} [Hud 11:6].
Allah has told us that He created the heavens and the earth within a certain period, and from a substance. The Quran does not mention the creation of anything from nothing; rather it says that He created created things after they had been nothing, as in the verse:
{for I created you before, while you were nothing} [Maryam 19:9]
Even though He says that He created him from a sperm-drop.” (Majmu‘ al-Fatawa, 18/235)
Al-Qunawi said in his commentary on Tafsir al-Baydawi (10/123): 
“The words, “Allah created Adam and the seminal matter”, serve to highlight the fact that man’s creation is from earth and creation is not limited to that. That is, what is meant by creating from it is creating through a certain means, for Allah, may He be exalted, created Adam, who is the father of humankind, from it, or he created the seminal matter from the nourishment that comes from the earth. Thus human individuals are created from the earth through various means, except Adam, who was created directly.”
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Stop sinning out of fear of Allah only
Refraining from sin will only save a person if it is done out of fear of Allah , may He be exalted, and veneration of Him.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{But as for he who feared the standing before his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination, then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge.} [an-Nazi‘at 79:40-41]
Can you refrain from sin out of love for Ahl al-Bayt?
As for refraining from sin out of respect and love for any created being, this is a type of shirk, and it is not permissible for a person to intend to do that, because refraining from sin is an act of worship, and worship cannot be directed to any except Allah, may He be exalted.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“Refraining from sin is of three types:

For which one will be rewarded.
For which one will be punished.
For which one will be neither rewarded nor punished.

The first type is when a person is aware of the prohibition and refrains from doing it for the sake of Allah, when he is able to do that thing.
The second type is when a person refrains from it for the sake of someone other than Allah, not for the sake of Allah. He will be punished for giving it up for the sake of someone other than Allah, just as he would be punished for doing something good for the sake of someone other than Allah. For this refraining is an action of the heart, and if he does that as an act of worship for anyone other than Allah, he deserves to be punished.” (Shifa al-‘Alil, p. 942)
Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“Thinking of doing bad deeds without actually doing them, according to the hadith of Ibn ‘Abbas, will be recorded as one complete good deed. Similarly, according to the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, Anas and others, it will be recorded as a good deed. According to the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that Allah said: “He only gave it up for My sake.”
This indicates that what is meant is the one who was able to do the sin of which he was thinking, but he refrained from it for the sake of Allah, may He be exalted. There is no doubt that this will be recorded for him as a good deed, because refraining from sin with this intention is a righteous deed.
As for the one who thinks of committing a sin, then refrains from doing it for fear of people, or to show off to them, it was said that he will be punished for refraining from it with this intention, because giving precedence to fear of people over fear of Allah is forbidden.
Similarly, intending to show off to people is haram, so if that is accompanied by refraining from sin for that purpose, he will be punished for refraining in that case.” (Jami‘ al-‘Ulum wa’l-Hikam, 2/321-322)
So what he must do is refrain from sin out of love for Allah, may He be exalted, and fear of Him.
For more, please see these answers: 45887 , 13220 and 100 .
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Abstract numbers do not exist except in the mind
Abstract numbers are not connected to anything tangible, and they exist only in the mind. We did not arrive from past eternity to zero or anything else.
What you have learned about mathematics does not mean that it exists in reality; rather it is something in the mind that is purely hypothetical.
Note: Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in as-Safadiyyah (2/279): “These philosophers very often get it wrong, as they think that what exists in their minds [what is hypothetical] actually exists in reality, such as the mistake made by the first of them, Pythagoras, and his followers regarding abstract absolute comparative numbers, as they thought that they existed in reality, in isolation from items and things.” 
It says in Dar Ta‘arud an-Naql wa’l-‘Aql (4/173): “These abstract quantities and numbers only exist in people’s minds and words.”
The visible universe has a beginning
We and the entire visible universe have a defined beginning. Allah created the Throne and the Pen, then He created the heavens and the earth, as He, may He be glorified, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{And it is He who created the heavens and the earth in six days – and His Throne had been upon water.} [Hud 11:7]
Muslim (2653) narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saying: “Allah wrote the decrees of creation fifty thousand years before He created the heavens and the earth.” And he said: “And His Throne is above the water.”
This has to do with our creation and the visible universe , the heavens and the earth, as we believe that Allah, may He be exalted, is the First before Whom there is nothing, and that He never stopped creating, and that it is possible that before our universe there were other universes, and before them were other universes, until past eternity. In other words, Allah, may He be glorified, creates creation after creation. This is the famous issue of the sequence of creations.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 
“The Lord, may He be glorified, is perfect in His attributes, names and actions. Therefore it is inevitable that His attributes will have an impact on the universe. He is merciful, and it is impossible that there could be mercy without there being anyone to whom mercy is shown. He is the provider, so there must be those to whom He grants provision. He is oft-forgiving, most forbearing, most generous and most kind to His slaves; He gives and withholds, gives abundantly, lowers and raises, honours and humiliates. These names and attributes require things to which they apply, and on which they have an impact. So there must be creatures who are subjected to the impact of these names and attributes otherwise these attributes will become idle and irrelevant, so there should be creation to reflect the impact of these names and attributes.” (Shifa al-‘Alil. 2/143)
Shaykh Muhammad Bukhayt al-Muti‘i, the former Grand Mufti of Egypt, said:
“There is no proof to suggest that it is not possible that there has been a sequence of creations from past eternity, even when the famous view suggests that this sequence is impossible. Believing that there is a sequence of creations after creations from eternity does not contradict ‘aqidah (Islamic belief), unless we say that a particular creation has no beginning, in the sense that there is no beginning to its existence. This is something that no one has ever said; rather everyone agrees that everything other than Allah, may He be exalted, that existed or exists now, is contingent, meaning that it came into existence after it did not exist, regardless of whether the sequence of creation has a particular time at which it started in the past and a particular time at which it will end in the future, or it, or it does not have a particular time either in the past or in the future, or it does not have one of them.
Do you not see that there is consensus that the delights of paradise are infinite and will not cease to exist at any point in the future, after they had been contingent in the sense that they existed after they did not exist? So it does not matter if you say that there is no end to it, in the sense that the delights of paradise will not cease to exist and will not have an end. But if we say that there is no end to them (the delights of paradise), in the sense that their existence is necessary because of what they are, then that constitutes disbelief.
Similarly, when we refer to the past, we may say that there was a series of creations that had no beginning, in the sense that the sequence of creations does not have a starting point in the past, yet each of them existed after it did not exist. 
If we say these creations have no beginning to their existence and no starting point, that suggests that they existed from eternity, and this constitutes disbelief (kufr).
You should read two books: al-Qawl al-Mufid and Hawashi al-Kharidah.” (Nihayat as-Sul fi Sharh Minhaj al-Usool, 2/103)
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Astrology is an action of jahiliyyah (ignorance)
Astrology , fortune-telling and predicting the future come under the heading of actions of jahiliiyah (ignorance) which Islam came to put an end to and explain that they come under the heading of shirk (associating others with Allah), because of what they involve of believing the fortune tellers and soothsayers who falsely claim to have knowledge of the unseen.
We have previously discussed the prohibition on watching astrology channels , even if one watches them solely for the purpose of entertainment.
Ruling on reading astrology messages and the like
The scholars differed concerning the ruling on reading these and similar messages , which they divided into different categories according to people’s intentions. If someone reads them believing in them, then he is rightfully subject to the warning which says that he has disbelieved in what was revealed to Muhammad and that no prayer will be accepted from him for forty days.
In the case of the one who reads them solely for the purpose of entertainment, and does not believe that the practitioners of witchcraft, soothsayers and charlatans are speaking the truth, then he is sinning by going to where they are, meeting them there, or watching their programs, because this is a kind of approving of them and helping them, because it is well known that these channels are helped by having a large number of viewers, and that pushes them further into misguidance.
There is the fear that the one who watches these programs may be included in the warning that no prayer will be accepted from him for forty days.
In the case of the one who reads the messages that come to him on his mobile phone, and he does not seek them out or go to a website or channel or place that is known for fortune tellers and astrologers – rather he only reads the [unsolicited] messages that come to him – there is no blame on him.
But he should not keep these messages; rather he should erase them immediately, and he has no need to look at them again.
If he looks at them again, or looks repeatedly at them to make sure of their contents or to determine whether they are true or false, or to be certain whether the message is about fortune-telling or not, then this warning does not apply to him, in sha Allah.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
“If he asks that person questions to find out about his situation and what he really is, and he has the ability to determine whether he is telling the truth or lying, this is permissible, as it is proven in as-Sahihayn that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) asked Ibn Sayyad: “Who comes to you?” He said: A truthful one and a liar come to me. He said: “What do you see?” He said: I see a throne on water. He said: “I am concealing something from you.” He said: Ad-dukh, ad-dukh. He said: “Be off with you! You will never go beyond your rank. You are no more than one of the brothers of the soothsayers.” (Fatawa Ibn Taymiyah, 19/62)
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Seeing Allah , may He be exalted, in this world is not possible for anyone, whether he is a believer or a disbeliever. 
Muslim (169) narrated in his Sahih that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said on the day when he warned the people about the Dajjal: “… You should know that no one among you will ever see his Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, until he dies.”
Musa (peace be upon him) asked to see Allah, may He be exalted, but Allah did not grant him that request.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{And when Moses arrived at Our appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said, “My Lord, show me [Yourself] that I may look at You.” [Allah] said, “You will not see Me, but look at the mountain; if it should remain in place, then you will see Me.” But when his Lord appeared to the mountain, He rendered it level, and Moses fell unconscious. And when he awoke, he said, “Exalted are You! I have repented to You, and I am the first of the believers.”} [al-A’raf 7:143]
Whoever claims to have seen Allah in this world is claiming that he is better than Musa (peace be upon him).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“It is proven by the text of the Quran that it was said to Musa: {You will not see Me}, and that seeing Allah is greater than the sending down of a Book from heaven, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): {The People of the Scripture ask you to bring down to them a book from the heaven. But they had asked of Moses [even] greater than that and said, “Show us Allah outright.”} [an-Nisa 4:153] So the one who says that any of the people saw Him is claiming that that person is greater than Musa ibn ‘Imran, and his claim is more serious than the claim of one who claims that Allah sent down to him a book from heaven.” (Majmu‘ al-Fatawa, 2/336)
He also said:
“Everyone who claims that he has seen his Lord with his own two eyes before death, his claim is false, according to the consensus of Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jama‘ah, because they are all unanimously agreed that no one of the believers can see his Lord with his own two eyes until he dies.” (Majmu‘ al-Fatawa, 3/389)
And he explained that the difference of opinion concerning that has to do with the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) only.
He (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
“The leading scholars of the Muslims are agreed that no one among the believers will see Allah with his own eyes in this world, and they only differed concerning the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), even though the majority of leading scholars are of the view that he did not see Him with his own eyes in this world.
This is indicated by the sahih reports which are proven to be narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the Sahabah and the leading scholars of the Muslims.” (Majmu‘ al-Fatawa, 2/335)
For more, please see these answers: 164119 , 14525 , 43176 and 14096 .
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Who are the Awliya’ of Allah? 
The awliya’ of Allah (allies of Allah ) – clearly and briefly – are people of faith and piety, who are constantly aware that Allah, may He be exalted, is watching them in all their affairs, so they adhere to His commands and heed His prohibitions.
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
{Unquestionably, [for] the allies [awliya’] of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve,
Those who believed and were fearing Allah, For them are good tidings in the worldly life and in the Hereafter. No change is there in the words of Allah. That is what is the great attainment} [Yunus 10:62-64].
Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Tafsir Al-Qur’an al-‘Azim (4/278):
“Here Allah, may He be exalted, tells us that His awliya’ are those who believe and fear Him, as their Lord describes them. So everyone who fears Allah and is mindful of Him is a wali (singular of awliya’). {There will be no fear concerning them} regarding what awaits in the future of the terrors of the resurrection, {nor will they grieve} for what they have left behind in this world.
‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, Ibn ‘Abbas and more than one of the early generations said: The awliya’ of Allah are those who, if you see them, they remind you of Allah. This was narrated in a marfu‘ hadith.
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Among the slaves of Allah are some whom the prophets and martyrs will envy.” It was said: Who are they, O Messenger of Allah, so that we may love them? He said: “They are people who love one another for the sake of Allah, not because of ties of trade or kindred. Their faces will be light on thrones of light. They will not fear when the people fear and they will not grieve when the people grieve.” Then he recited the words, {Unquestionably, [for] the allies [awliya’] of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve} [Yunus 10:62]. Narrated by Abu Dawud with a jayyid isnad. It was classed as sahih by Al-Albani in As-Silsilah as-Sahihah (7/1369).”
Degree of wilayah 
The degree of wilayah [being a wali of Allah] varies according to a person’s faith and fear of Allah (taqwa). Every believer has a share of wilayah, love of Allah and closeness to Him, but this share varies according to his righteous deeds, both physical actions and deeds of the heart, by means of which he draws closer to Allah. Based on that, it is possible to divide the degrees and ranks of wilayah into three levels:

The one who wronged himself. This refers to the believer who commits sin. He will have a degree of wilayah commensurate with his level of faith and righteous deeds.
The one who is moderate. This refers to the believer who adheres to the commands of Allah and heeds His prohibitions, but he does not strive in doing supererogatory acts. He is of a higher level of wilayah than the first one.
The one who is foremost in good deeds. This is the one who does supererogatory acts as well as obligatory duties, and attains the highest level of worshipping Allah, may He be exalted, by doing deeds of the heart. This is one of the highest levels of wilayah.

There can be no doubt that prophethood is the highest and loftiest level of wilayah and being an ally of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in Majmu‘ al-Fatawa (10/6):
“People are of three levels: the one who wrongs himself, the one who is moderate, and the one who is foremost in good deeds.

The one who wrongs himself is the one who sins by failing to do what is enjoined or doing what is prohibited.
The one who is moderate is the one who does obligatory deeds and refrains from haram deeds.
The one who is foremost in good deeds is the one who draws close to Allah by doing whatever he can of obligatory and recommended (mustahabb) deeds, and refraining from haram and disliked (makruh) deeds.

Even though the one who is moderate or the one who is foremost in good deeds may commit some sins, they will be erased from their record, either by means of repentance – for Allah loves those who repent and He loves those who purify themselves – or by means of good deeds which erase bad deeds, or by means of calamities that expiate bad deeds, or by other means. Both categories, those who are moderate and those who are foremost in good deeds, are among the awliya’ of Allah whom He mentions in His Book when He says (interpretation of the meaning): {Unquestionably, [for] the allies [awliya’] of Allah there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve} [Yunus 10:62]. Thus the definition of the ‘awliya’ of Allah is the believers who fear Him and are mindful of Him.
But these awliya’ may be divided into a general group, namely those who are moderate, and an elite group, namely those who are foremost in good deeds, even though those who are foremost in good deeds are the highest levels, such as the prophets and those who are strong and true in faith (siddiqs).
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) mentioned these two categories in a hadith which was narrated by al-Bukhari in his Sahih from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), who said: “Allah says: ‘Whosoever shows enmity to an ally of Mine has declared war on Me. My slave draws not close to Me with anything more loved by Me than the obligatory religious duties I have enjoined upon him, and My slave continues to draw close to Me with supererogatory deeds so that I will love him. So when I love him, I will be his hearing with which he hears, his vision with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. So by My help and guidance he will hear, by My help and guidance he will see, by My help and guidance he will strike, and by My help and guidance he will walk. Were he to ask [something] of Me, I would surely give it to him, and were he to seek refuge in Me, I would surely grant him it. I do not hesitate to do anything as I hesitate to take the soul of My believing slave, for he hates death and I hate to hurt him, but there is no escaping it.’”
As for the believer who wrongs himself, he attains wilayah commensurate with the level of his faith and piety, just as he has the opposite of that commensurate with the level of his bad deeds, because an individual may do both good deeds that earn reward and bad deeds that incur punishment, so it is possible that he may be both rewarded and punished. This is the view of all the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), the leading scholars of Islam, and Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jama‘ah, who say that no one who has an atom’s weight of faith in his heart will abide forever in the Fire.”
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymin said in Fatawa Muhimmah (p. 83):
“Whoever is a believer and fears Allah is a wali (ally) of Allah, and whoever is not like that is not a wali of Allah. If he has a little faith and fear of Allah, then he has some measure of wilayah.”
Is Wilayah exclusive to some particular class of people?
Wilayah is not a monopoly, and it is not exclusive to some particular class of people. It cannot be inherited and it cannot be awarded like a medal. Rather it is a divinely granted status that begins in the heart with love and veneration of Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and is reflected in a person’s behaviour, so that that individual attains the love and wilayah of Allah, may He be exalted.
Can the Wali of Allah do haram deeds?
Wilayah does not mean that a person can do haram deeds or omit obligatory duties; rather if a person does that, it indicates that his wilayah is lacking. By the same token, it does not allow anyone else to exaggerate about those whom they call awliya’ – who may not even deserve that – and elevate them to the level of prophethood, to the extent that they would not refuse any instruction that they give them, and would not debate any view or opinion that they suggest. All of that comes under the heading of exaggeration which Allah, may He be exalted, has forbidden, for it is one of the greatest causes of people falling into shirk (association of others with Allah).
Some people have overstepped this mark and fallen into major shirk because of a failure to properly understand the meaning of wilayah and the status of the awliya’. Hence you see them calling upon the awliya’ instead of Allah, making sacrifices and other offerings to them, and circumambulating their tombs.
Is it permissible to call the awliya’ the “friends of Allah (ashab Allah)”?
With regard to calling the awliya’ the “friends of Allah (ashab Allah),” there is nothing to suggest that this is a sound way of describing them.
The best of the ‘awliya’ of Allah, may He be exalted, are the messengers and prophets, then the Companions of Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then those who came after them, then those who came after them. We do not know that the phrase “ashab Allah (friends of Allah)” was given to any of them.
Rather it was soundly narrated from the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that they are called Ahl al-Quran (the people of the Quran) or Ahl Allah (the people of Allah).
Imam Ahmad (11870) and Ibn Majah (215) narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah has His own people among mankind.” They said, O Messenger of Allah, who are they? He said, “The people of the Quran, the people of Allah and those who are closest to Him.” (Classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih Ibn Majah)
The people of the Quran are those who have memorised it, recite it and act in accordance with its teachings.
The people of Allah are His awliya’ (allies) who are as close to Him as a man is to his own family.
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Is seeing the Angels possible?
Seeing the angels, in a form other than their true form in which Allah created them, is possible. It is proven that a number of the Companions saw the angels in human form , as was also proven among nations who came before us.
Can we see the Angles in their real form?
As for seeing the angels in their real form , there is no report regarding that except reports which say that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw Jibril [in his real form] twice, and he was stunned by what he saw of his great size in his real form.
It was narrated that `Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whilst we were with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) one day, a man came to us whose garment was exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black, and there were no signs of travel on him, and none of us knew who he was. He came and sat before the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), resting his knees against his and placing his hands on his thighs. He said: O Muhammad, tell me about Islam…. And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “O `Umar, do you know who that questioner was?” I said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: “That was Jibril, who came to you to teach you your religion.” (Muslim, 8)
It was narrated that Sa`d ibn Abu Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: On the day of Uhud, I saw on the right of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and on his left two men wearing white garments, fighting fiercely to defend him, and I never saw them before or since. (Muslim, 2306) These two men were angels .
Al-Suyuti (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Al-Nawawi said: From this Hadith, we understand that seeing the angels is not only for the prophets; rather the Companions and the Awliya’ (extremely pious people) have seen them, and they did not fight only on the day of Badr.” (Sharh Al-Suyuti `ala Muslim 5/317)
Another example is Jibril (peace be upon him) appearing to Maryam (peace be upon her), and the Hadith about the angel who appeared to the bald man, the leper and the blind man, and other sound texts.
Can we see the Jinn?
Seeing the jinn – also in a form other than their real form – is also possible. Examples of that include the following:
It was narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) appointed me to guard the Ramadan zakah. Someone came and started taking some of the food. I grabbed hold of him and said, ‘I am going to take you to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)!’ He said, ‘Let me be, for I am in need and I have children and am in great need.’ So I let him go. … At the end of the hadith it says: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: `He indeed told you the truth, although he is a liar. Do you know who you have been speaking with for the past three nights, O Abu Hurayrah?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, `That was a devil.’” (Muslim, 2187)
Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “What we learn from this Hadith… is that the devil may appear in different forms, so it is possible to see him. The words of Allah (interpretation of the meaning), {Indeed, he sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them} [Al-A`raf 7:27] refer to when he is in his original form with which he was created.” (Fat-h Al-Bari by Ibn Hajar  4/489)
Thus we know that seeing the angels and the jinn in a form other than their real form is possible and does happen.
Can babies see the Angels?
As for suggesting that only children can see that, we do not know of any text which speaks of that. This is a matter of the unseen, and we cannot say anything about it except on the basis of evidence, and there is no evidence to deny or affirm that.
And Allah knows best.