Category: Akidah

Praise be to Allah.
If you say that
the Big Bang came before everything else, this means that you have not
studied the theory of the Big Bang itself, and you are contradicting its
meaning and basic idea, because this theory affirms that, if it is proven
that the universe is constantly expanding, that must mean that in the past
it was close together, and this being close together means that
gravitational force and compactness between its parts was so great that
there was no space between them, (near the beginning) the pressure was so
intense that all the matter that forms the universe was the size of an atom,
then (further back in time, to the point of the beginning) the size was
infinitely small and was nothing. This implies that at that point there was
no time or space, because matter itself did not exist. 

Therefore when
this universe began – when its age was less than a billionth part of a
second – which was approximately fifteen billion years ago, as the
proponents of this theory say – the size of its matter was very close to
zero. Then this pressurised matter exploded and scattered its particles in
the form of rays, then it began to cool down, and our universe was gradually
formed from it. Hence this theory is called the Big Bang. … This is the view
of Stephen Hawking, whom some people called the Newton of the modern era,
when he said: “The greatest misunderstanding of the Big Bang is to say that
it started with a mass of matter somewhere in outer space. Matter is not the
only thing that was created during the Big Bang; rather time and space were
also created. Therefore in the same sense that we say place has a beginning,
we also say that time has a beginning.” [The Universe, Bozlo, p. 46] 

He also says:
“This means that the very beginning of the universe was chosen with great
care, if the theory of the hot Big Bang was correct from the beginning of
time. It is very difficult to explain why the universe began in this
particular way, unless we say concerning that that there was indeed a
Creator who wanted to create beings like ourselves” [A Brief History of
Time, Hawking, p. 127]. See: al-Feeziya’ wa Wujood al-Khaaliq (p.
87-96). 

This question
is obviously flawed, because the Big Bang cannot – rationally – have come
before everything, unless you believe that this Big Bang was the Necessary
Existent, that has all attributes of perfection, but that description refers
to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, if this is what you mean, then we
accept from you this claim that the Big Bang came before everything, and we
will agree with you that the universe was created by a Creator Who is
eternal. 

But when the
question demands that we regard as equal the Creator Who is the Necessary
Existent Who is possessed of all attributes of perfection and the Big Bang
which is an incident that came into being after not having existed at all,
then the argument is flawed on two counts: 

1.

Because it describes the Big Bang as something that had no beginning, but at
the same time it is regarded as an incident that came into being after not
having existed at all, and this is self-contradictory, because that which
existed from eternity (and had no beginning) cannot be an incident

2.

Because it describes the Big Bang as being eternal (having no beginning),
and does not pay attention to the prerequisites of a thing being eternal,
the most important of which is that it must necessarily exist and possess
the attributes of perfection, and that refers to Allah, may He be glorified
and exalted. Anyone who describes the universe as having existed from
eternity falls into this contradiction. What he should have done is refer
(the matter of creation) to something other than this created universe, and
that is Allah, the Creator, may He be glorified and exalted.

As for the
Muslim, he does not fall into this contradiction, because he will tell you
that the Creator existed from eternity and He was and there was nothing
before Him, because He is the Necessary Existent, and with Him the chain of
all created beings ends. When the Muslim describes Him as being before all
things, that is because He cannot be compared with created beings,
possibilities or incidents; rather He is greater than that. As for the
atheist who affirmed that this universe came into being after not having
existed, he is trying to explain it by referring to the Big Bang, which in
itself is of the same nature as the universe, with regard to it coming under
the heading of possibilities or incidents, then he ascribed to it the
attribute of existing from eternity, but this is not possible at all. 

We believe that
it is easy for the human mind to believe in the idea that the universe is
created, whereas it is difficult for it to believe in a universe that
existed from eternity and had no beginning, when he sees at the same time
all the signs that show that it is not eternal as it is clearly and
obviously subject to constant alterations and changes. 

As for the
concept of the Creator existing from eternity, that is something easy for
man to believe, because of a simple and straightforward reason, which is
that the Creator is not of the same nature as the created being, which means
rejecting all the rules of comparison and analogy that humans use and try to
apply to the Creator, may He be glorified and exalted. In that case the
explanation (that there is a Creator Who existed from eternity) makes
perfect sense. Although the Creator is unseen, the believer believes in Him
because He the Necessary Existent who is the Knower of the unseen world. 

As for the one
who believes that the universe is an incident or created thing that existed
before everything, he believes in something that is impossible from a
rational point of view. Undoubtedly believing in the Creator is much easier
than believing in a created thing that existed from eternity. 

In other words,
we may ask this atheist, is the Big Bang a possibility or a necessity? 

If he says that
it is a possibility, then that which is possible could not have existed from
eternity. 

If he says that
it is a necessity, then he has affirmed the existence of that which
necessarily exists from eternity and has no creator. In that case he has
affirmed the idea that there is a divine being. 

The matter is
as simple as that. 

Here we will
give some simple examples for that. 

If you see some
important decision, that could change the course of the company, being made
in some large company, and then people differed concerning the source of
this decision, there are two possibilities: 

1.

either a group of employees, all of whom held positions at the same level,
and none of them has more authority than another, and every time one is
asked to make a decision he defers it to his colleague because he has no
authority to make a decision, so the matter kept going in this sequence
until the decision was made as a result of this sequence;

2.
or an
employee of a higher rank, who has absolute authority and has no colleague
at an equal position in the company, so that the matter could be passed
between him and that person, took this audacious decision, so that it was
done after not having being done,

then which
possibility is more reasonable and which do you feel more at ease with? 

Undoubtedly it
is the second possibility, even though you may not know about this
highest-ranking employee who is the one who made the decision – how he was
appointed and who gave him this authority – but you find this to be
something acceptable, because of the difference in rank and position between
this employee and the other, ordinary employees. That was sufficient for you
as an explanation of how major decisions are made in this company. 

However, if you
continue in the sequence (mentioned in the first scenario) and say that this
employee ordered that employee, ad infinitum in the realm of lower level
employees, that will not be convincing at all as an explanation of the
matter, unless you explain the way the decision was made by referring it to
one who is in a leading position, who does not need to be appointed by
anyone else or wait for the decision of anyone else. 

Allah, may He
be glorified and exalted, is the One Who is the first and only
decision-maker with regard to the creation of this universe and bringing it
into existence; He is the One Who does not ask for permission from anyone
else. “He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be
questioned” [al-Anbiya’
21:23].
For He is the Creator, Who is different from created beings. Then (after
concluding that there is a Creator) you have to attribute to this Creator,
may He be glorified and exalted, that which is hidden from you of absolute
perfect attributes, such as existence from eternity, because you are
speaking about a very significant matter that has nothing to do with
anything ordinary; rather it has to do with something beyond human
capability and beyond that with which humans are familiar, namely the
creation of this universe from nothing. So it is more appropriate that you
should refer (the creation of the universe) to a Creator Who is the
Necessary Existent, First and Last, rather than referring it to any created
being and attributing to it existence from eternity to eternity. In other
words, we say that referring the issue of creation to a Creator who is
eternal and has no beginning is the inevitable conclusion of the process of
thinking about the cause of this universe and how it came about, because
alternative explanations, which say that the universe is eternal (and had no
beginning) or that it created itself, or that things came into existence by
themselves after having been nothing, are clearly false, as is obvious to
anyone who examines these ideas. Therefore he has no choice, as he will be
compelled by his rational thinking, and also by his common sense, to believe
in another cause, far beyond that with which we are familiar and that we
know, that cannot have a beginning, or it cannot be that anyone created Him,
and that is Allah, may He be glorified and exalted. 

If, after this
conclusion, you again ask: then who created Allah? This means that you did
not understand the different stages of examining and thinking mentioned
above, and you have not understood how those who believe in Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, reached that conclusion; you want to take the debate
back to square one. 

Dr Ja‘far
Shaykh Idrees (may Allah preserve him) said – answering the specious
argument of Hume which says that if the universe needed a cause, then God
also needs a cause: 

I never thought
that a thinker – whether he was a believer or a nonbeliever – could
seriously ask this question: who created God? When he knows what this word
(God) signifies. 

But it seems
that some prominent Western physicists take this question seriously and in
fact regard it as one of the main flaws in the view that there is a Creator.
We see Hawking also saying about God: who created Him? 

The answer to
this question, which these philosophers, scientists and many others think is
a dilemma, is very easy: 

If the opponent
(in an argument) accepts that the universe, which is an incident or created
thing, must have a cause that is not an incident, then if he accepts that
this cause is not an incident – i.e. it is eternal – which is called God,
then his question about the Creator or cause of God has no meaning at all,
for it is a question on the part of one who does not understand what he is
saying; it is a question that contains a very weird contradiction, because
the cause by necessity precedes the effect, and that which is eternal, by
necessity is not preceded by anything. So how can it have a cause? 

For someone to
say “Who created God?” is the equivalent of saying: “What preceded the thing
before which there was nothing?” Or “what comes after the thing after which
there is nothing?” Does such a question even make sense? If you tell a man
that So-and-so came first in a race, is it acceptable for him to say: Fine,
but who came before him? Similarly in this case proof is established that
God is the First and there is nothing before Him, so how can it be said
“what was the cause of Him?” or “who created Him?”? 

However, Davies
and Pareau, and others who followed them in imitating Hume, give the
impression that those who base their evidence for the existence of the
Creator on the existence of the universe have decided on the basis of pure
whims and desires that the universe requires a cause to bring it into
existence. Then they foolishly decided that God does not need this cause,
hence they claimed that we cannot stop at the universe (so there must be
something beyond it). But when they got to God, they stopped with Him and
did not go any further. There is no difference – according to their claim –
between stopping here or stopping there. 

From both of
them, and from others, this is a sign of confusion because they overlooked
the huge difference between the nature of the universe, which is an incident
or created thing, and the nature of the Creator, Who is eternal.

End quote from
al-Feeziya’ wa Wujood al-Khaaliq (120-124). 

We will quote
here a fictional debate that was written by one of those who specialise in
debating with atheists, which will highlight the reality of this confusion
into which the questioner has fallen. 

The atheist
said: Your stating that Allah is the Creator of all things is a statement
that could be undermined by asking: So who is it that created Allah? 

The Muslim
said: No, it does not undermine it, because we say that if there is any
being that has the attribute of creation (being able to create), yet at the
same time there is someone who created him, then he is like his creation: he
is also a created being. And any maker who could be described as such yet at
the same time there is someone who made him, is also made, like the things
that he makes.

Does this
statement imply that it is not possible to have a supreme Creator outside of
this circle, who has no creator or maker, and no one is equal to Him, and He
is the origin and initiator of all things? 

Not at all;
rather this Creator is the Necessary Existant, who must exist on a rational
basis, because he is the end of that chain, which reason cannot accept but
that it must end with Him. We are talking about the Creator who is not a
created being, who is completely outside this system, so He is not subject
to the rules of the system, and cannot be compared to any (hypothetical)
“creator/created being”, because He is the one who ordained the rules in
this universe, and initiated (those rules) on the basis of His power and
creation in the first place. 

So the created
thing cannot create itself; rather it must have been created by something
else and this chain must inevitably, according to rational thinking, end
with the first initiator, the first creator, who was not created by anything
and is not part of that chain and does not form one link in it at all.
Rather he is the one who created the entire chain and everything in it; so
He is not part of it and is not limited by its limits or subject to its law.
Such is Allah, the All-Knowing Creator. 

The atheist
said: If He is not subject to its laws, and we cannot perceive Him with our
senses, then how can we be expected to imagine Him in our minds and believe
in Him in our hearts? 

The Muslim
said: Reason is able to perceive the concept, but not the nature or reality,
and the difference between them is an essential difference for any rational
person. 

I understand on
the basis of reason the possibility of the existence of billions upon
billions of stars in the galaxies of this vast universe, but can my reason
understand how that is or imagine it? Could I imagine the ratio of my size
to the size of the earth alone, let alone that which is far bigger of the
stars and planets around us? Not at all! I know of the existence of the soul
in bodies which, if it is removed the living man dies, and my reason
confirms the necessity of its existence and its essence as a concept and
idea, but could my reason imagine anything about its nature and essence, or
could I measure it or estimate it mathematically? Not at all! 

This is the
difference between a concept that reason rejects and does not accept in the
first place, and a concept that reason does not reject, but it cannot
compare its description to anything that is conceivable or visible, with
regard to its nature and essence. So people’s minds would not be able to
imagine that concept, yet they affirm the soundness of the concept, and the
possibility – or necessity – of its existence. 

So if you think
of the Christian belief in the Trinity, for example, you will see this
subtle difference, for they believe in something with regard to the divine
essence that is impossible, from a rational point of view, to exist as an
idea or concept.

 It is not
rationally possible for three to be one or one to be three. This is what
makes you atheists able to prove the utter falseness of their Trinity. 

But when you
come to examine the belief of monotheist Muslims in their Lord, you will
have no reason to criticise their belief in the essence and attributes of
their Lord. You have no criticism except that you cannot comprehend this
Lord and you cannot compare Him to something that you do comprehend and
understand. It is as if you are concluding that it is impossible for Him to
exist according to rational thinking, as is the case with the Trinity! They
say that it is a “too easy” answer to the problem, as if the simplicity of
the monotheistic belief in the unseen is something for which they should be
condemned and is an indication that it is false. They say that there is no
existing being that cannot be subject to the laws of the universe. It is as
if you travelled beyond this universe and saw that there was nothing beyond
it, so nothing could exist except something that is like what you are
subject to in this universe. 

The difference
between us and you is that we accept what is indicated by every breath in
our own bodies, and by everything, small or great, in this precise and
well-made universe around us, so we do not attribute its existence except to
a Creator Who is greater than it and outside of it, Whose essence and
attributes cannot be compared to anything in it. As for you, because of your
corrupt way of reasoning and understanding, you insisted on denying the
Creator completely and rejecting any possibility of His existence, and you
insisted on putting something created and insignificant in His place, such
as genes, for no other reason except that you would be able to comprehend
its essence. It is as if your minds – which if they were able to understand
the language of monkeys, you would have heard them criticising your minds
and way of thinking – will not accept anything except that of which it can
imagine the nature and essence by means of comparing it to something similar
or equal. 

So tell me, O
atheist, don’t you believe that this universe has a limit at which it stops?
Is that not so? 

The atheist
said: Yes indeed. 

The Muslim
said: Great! Even though that of which they have calculated the diameter is
the visible universe, and not the entire universe, and they have even
suggested that it is still expanding. 

But this is not
my concern. My question to you is: do you have anything in this world to
which you could compare the limit of the universe at which it ends? 

In other words:
have you seen in this world that which will help you to understand how that
limit, within which is the matter of the universe, could be, and after it
there is something that you do not know and cannot imagine, and you cannot
but accept the fact that it exists there, whatever that thing may be? 

The atheist
thought for a while, then said: No doubt beyond this universe there is empty
space and infinite nothingness. 

The Muslim
said: Surely you are lying! Do you know why? 

The atheist
said: Why? 

The Muslim
said: Because the one who bases certain knowledge on the phrase “no doubt”,
basing his certainty on an assumption for which he has no rational or
physical evidence, is a liar. 

Whatever the
case, what I mean is that there is something beyond this universe and
outside of it, and you cannot imagine the nature of it, no matter what it
is, even though you affirm, on a rational basis, that there is a possibility
that something exists (beyond the universe), and that the nature of that
thing, by necessity, is different from what is within the universe.
Otherwise it would not be possible to say – from a linguistic point of view
– that this is the boundary at which the universe ends. Is that not so? 

The atheist did
not answer. 

The Muslim
said: So why do you insist that the mere fact that you are unable to imagine
the essence of God – which we believe is sublime and above the heavens and
all that exists, and His attributes cannot be denied on the basis of reason
and cannot be compared to any of His creation – is evidence that He cannot
exist? 

End quote from
Islamweb.net on the following link: 

http://articles.islamweb.net/media/index.php?page=article&lang=A&id=198814

Because of the
importance of your question, we will quote to you another debate with an
atheist: 

Shaykh Muhammad
al-Ghazaali (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book Qadhaa’if al-Haqq
(p. 197-203): 

I had a lengthy
discussion with an atheist in which I controlled myself and tried to be
patient, until he disclosed all the specious arguments that he had up his
sleeve, so that I could defeat with clear arguments and evidence what he
uttered of specious arguments. 

He said: If
Allah created the universe, then who created Allah? 

I said to him:
It is as if, by asking this question or raising this objection, you are
affirming that everything must have a Creator. 

He said: Let us
avoid getting into a vicious circle; just answer my question. 

I said to him:
There is no need for waffle. You think that this universe has no creator,
which means that He existed by Himself without any need for someone to bring
Him into existence, so why do you accept the view that this universe existed
by itself for eternity, yet you find it strange that religious people say
that the existence of God, Who created this universe, has no beginning? 

It is the same
concept, so how come you believe yourself when you confirm this concept (of
existing from eternity, with regard to the universe), but you reject the
view of others when they affirm the same concept (with regard to God having
no beginning). If you think that to believe in a God Who has no creator is a
myth, then a universe that has no creator is also a myth, according to the
logic that you are following! 

He said: We are
living in this universe and we can feel its existence, so we cannot deny
it! 

I said to him:
Who asked you to deny the existence of the universe? 

When we travel
in a car or ship or plane that is zooming along with us in a very terrifying
way, our question is not whether the car exists; rather our question is: is
it travelling by itself or does it have a driver or pilot who has
experience? 

Therefore let
us go back to your first question, which is to be thrown back at you. Both
of us accept that there is a being that exists and there is no way to deny
it. You claim that it has no beginning as far as matter is concerned, and I
think that it has no beginning with regard to its creator. 

If you want to
poke fun at a being that has no beginning, then poke fun at yourself first,
before you poke fun at religious people. 

He said: Do you
mean that the rational assumption is the same for both groups? 

I said: I am
going along with you for arguments sake, only to expose to you the flawed
and false arguments on which atheism is based. As for the rational
assumption, it is not the same for believers and disbelievers. 

Imagine that
you and I are looking at a standing building. After thorough examination, I
can conclude that an engineer must have built it, but you think that some
lumber, metal, stone and paint took up the appropriate positions to prepare
this building for people to live in, all by themselves. The difference
between our views is like this: if I see a satellite orbiting in space, and
you tell me that it went into orbit by itself, without any supervision or
control, and I tell you that it was launched by rational people who are
controlling and supervising it, these rational assumptions are not the same.
In my case, my assumption is the ultimate truth that cannot be denied,
whereas your assumption is falsehood that is undoubtedly false. All the
atheists of the current era are very skilled in insulting us believers and
saying all manner of bad things about us, at the time when they describe
themselves as being smart, progressive and brilliant. We are living on an
earth that is comfortable and fit for living, beneath a star filled sky, and
we possess reason and intellect by means of which we can research and judge,
and with this reasoning and intellect we contemplate, reach conclusions,
discuss and believe. On the basis of this reason and intellect we refuse to
imitate blindly, just as we reject nonsensical ideas. If people want to make
fun of those whom they regard as backward, trapped in the past and rigid in
their thinking, they might as well also make fun of those who kill reason in
the name of reason, and stomp on the conclusions of science in the name of
science, for they – unfortunately – constitute the majority of atheists!

… and so on.

http://fatwa.islamweb.net/fatwa/index.php?page=showfatwa&Option=FatwaId&Id=218512

And Allah knows
best.

Praise be to Allah.
Firstly: 

What is required is to think positively of those whom Allah chose to
accompany His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): for they
are the best companions of the best Prophet, and it is not permissible to
say anything of them but the highest words of praise; if anyone criticises
them, then this gives rise to suspicion about the sincerity of his religious
commitment. 

Abu Zar‘ah ar-Raazi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: If you see a man
criticising any of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him), then know that he is a heretic. That is because
in our view, the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) is true, and the Qur’an is true. No one transmitted this Qur’an and the
Sunnah to us except the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him). They only seek to undermine our witnesses (to
the authenticity of the texts) in order to declare the Qur’an and Sunnah
false, but these people are more deserving of criticism, for they are
heretics.

End quote from al-Kifaayah fi ‘Ilm ar-Riwaayah by al-Khateeb
al-Baghdadi (p. 49). 

See also the answer to question no.
187689 

Secondly: 

The Companions of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
fought one another ,and each party had a reason to fight, which was based on
their own understanding of the texts and on their own ijtihaad, whereby each
party believed it was in the right. Hence when it became clear to some of
them that they were mistaken, they regretted going out and fighting, and
regret is repentance, and repentance erases what comes before it, especially
in the case of the noblest of mankind, and the highest in status and most
respected of them after the Prophets and Messengers of Allah. 

Whoever examines this matter properly will realise that this fighting was
caused by those who sought to spread discord by spreading rumours and false
ideas.  

Many of the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) went out during this
fighting seeking to reconcile between the people. Fighting was the most
hateful thing to them, but the decree of Allah inevitably came to pass. 

Thirdly: 

Al-Bukhaari (447) narrated from Abu Sa ‘eed al-Khudri, in the report about
the building of the mosque (in Madinah), that he said: We would carry one
brick at a time, but  ‘Ammaar would carry two bricks at a time. The Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) saw him and brushed the dust from
him, saying: “Woe to ‘Ammaar; he will be killed by the transgressing group;
he will be calling them to Paradise and they will be calling him to Hell”.
‘Ammaar said: I seek refuge with Allah from tribulation. 

What is meant by calling to Paradise in this hadith is calling to the means
of attaining it, which is obedience to the caliph (Ameer al-Mu’mineen), and
what is meant by calling to Hell is calling to that which leads to it, which
is opposing the caliph and rebelling against him. 

But whoever did that on the basis of ijtihaad and valid interpretation is
excused. 

Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

This hadith is one of the signs of Prophethood, as the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) foretold to ‘Ammaar that he would be killed
by the transgressing group, and he was killed by the people of ash-Shaam
(greater Syria) in the battle of Siffeen, when ‘Ammaar was with ‘Ali  and
the people of Iraq, as will be explained in detail below. ‘Ali had more
right to rulership than Mu‘aawiyah did. 

The fact that the companions of Mu‘aawiyah are described as transgressors
does not imply that they were disbelievers, as the ignorant followers of the
misguided sects, such as the Shi‘ah  and others, try to claim. That is
because their decision to fight was based on their own ijtihaad and
interpretation of the texts, and not everyone who engages in ijtihaad gets
its right; rather the one who gets it right will have a twofold reward and
the one who gets it wrong will have a single reward. 

Those who added to this hadith after the phrase “you will be killed by the
transgressing group” the words “Allah will not grant them my intercession on
the Day of Resurrection” fabricated this additional material, falsely
attributing it to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him), for he did not say it, as it was not narrated via any acceptable
chain of narration. And Allah knows best. 

With regard to the words “he will be calling them to Paradise and they will
be calling him to Hell”, ‘Ammaar and his companions were calling the people
of greater Syria to reconciliation and unity, whereas the people of greater
Syria wanted to seize power from one who was more entitled to it, and they
wanted the people to be divided, with each part of the Muslim lands having
its own ruler, which would lead to disunity and division of the ummah, for
this was the implication of their view and the consequences to which it
would lead, even if they did not intend that. And Allah knows best.

End quote from al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah (4/538) 

Al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 
If
it is said: “He was killed at Siffeen, when he was with ‘Ali, and those who
killed him were with Mu‘aawiyah, with whom were some of the Sahaabah, so how
can it be said that they were calling to Hell?”

The answer to that is that they thought that they were calling to Paradise,
and their action was based on ijtihaad, so there is no blame on them for
following what they thought was best. What is meant by calling people to
Paradise is calling them to that which leads to it, which is obeying the
ruler. This was the stance of ‘Ammaar, who was calling them to obey ‘Ali,
who was the ruler whom it was obligatory to obey at that time, whereas they
(Mu‘aawiyah and his followers) were calling people to something other than
that, but they are excused for the wrong conclusion they reached, which was
based on misinterpretation of the texts. 

End quote from Fath al-Baari (1/542). See also: Majmoo‘ Fataawa
Shaykh al-Islam (4/437) 
So
it is essential to differentiate between the one who tries to work it out
but reaches a wrong conclusion, and the one who deliberately causes mischief
and turmoil. 

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And if two
parties or groups among the believers fall to fighting, then make peace
between them both, but if one of them rebels against the other, then fight
you (all) against the one that which rebels till it complies with the
Command of Allah; then if it complies, then make reconciliation between them
justly, and be equitable. Verily! Allah loves those who are equitable.

The believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islamic
religion). So make reconciliation between your brothers, and fear Allah,
that you may receive mercy”

[al-Hujuraat 49:9-10]. 

This indicates that it is possible for fighting to occur among the
believers, without that meaning that one of the groups is regarded as no
longer being believers because of their fighting the other group. Then
Allah, may He be exalted, says: “The
believers are nothing else than brothers (in Islamic religion). So make
reconciliation between your brothers”
[al-Hujuraat 49:9-10]. 
So
Allah described them as being brothers, despite their fighting, and He
commanded the Muslims to reconcile between them. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, explains that despite their fighting
and transgression against one another, they are still believers and
brothers, and He enjoined reconciling between them. But if one of them
transgresses after that, then the transgressing group is to be fought, but
He did not enjoin fighting from the outset. 

The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) stated that the
groups that would pass out of the faith [the Khawaarij or Khaarijis] would
be killed by the closer of the two groups to the truth, and ‘Ali ibn Abi
Taalib and those who were with him were the ones who fought
them.                                     

The words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) indicate
that they were closer to the truth than Mu‘aawiyah and those who were with
him, although both groups were believers.

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (25/305-306) 
It
was narrated that Abu Sa‘eed al-Khudri said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “A group will secede from
my ummah at a time of division among the Muslims, and they will be killed by
the group that is closer to the truth.”

Narrated by Muslim (1064). 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

This saheeh hadeeth indicates that both of the groups who engaged in
fighting – ‘Ali and his companions, and Mu‘aawiyah and his companions – were
following the truth, and that ‘Ali and his companions were closer to the
truth than Mu‘aawiyah and his companions.

End quote from Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa (4/467). See also: Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa
(4/437-438). 

For more information, see the answers to questions no.
147974 and 140984
To
sum up: 

The words “they will be calling him to Hell” do not imply disbelief – Allah
forbid. The one who says that is only highlighting his extreme ignorance.
Rather these hadiths come under the heading of the hadiths of warning, like
those hadiths which say that the one who consumes riba will be in the fire,
and the one who consumes the orphan’s wealth will be in the fire, and other
hadiths that contain warnings; they do not necessarily imply that the person
who does that is a disbeliever, although they do indicate that his deed is
haraam and is in fact a major sin. 
In
fact some of the scholars interpreted the words “they will be calling him to
Hell” as referring to the Khawaarij (Kharijites). 

Ibn Battaal (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

The words “he will be calling them to Paradise and they will be calling him
to Hell” can only be correctly applied to the Khawaarij to whom ‘Ali sent
‘Ammaar to call them to join the jamaa‘ah (main body of the Muslims); they
cannot be correctly applied to any of the Sahaabah, because it is not
possible for any of the Muslims to interpret any of their actions except in
the best manner, because they were the companions of the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), whom Allah praised and testified
to their virtue, and said (interpretation of the meaning):
“You 
are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:110]. 

The commentators said: This refers to the Companions of the Messenger of
Allah. It is narrated in a saheeh report that ‘Ali sent ‘Ammaar to the
Khawaarij to call them to join the jamaa‘ah (main body of the Muslims), with
whom there is protection from error. 

End quote from Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhaari (2/98-99) 

For more information, please see the answer to question no.
171167

And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.
Studying these two subjects (psychology and law) involves studying matters
that are explained and discussed in a manner that is contrary to Islamic
teachings. This is something clear and makes sense, because the law in the
view of non-Muslims is a counterpart to sharee‘ah for the Muslims, and
psychology is a counterpart to morals and manners, asceticism, softening the
heart with fear of Allah, purification of the soul, good conduct and
discipline. Because the people do not follow the religion of Islam, no
matter what their religion and view, it is logical to say that they base
their laws and morals on something other than the law of Allah, may He be
exalted, that He has chosen for His slaves. Rather they base all of that on
their experience, reason, feelings or customs, or on other things that they
believe in, and they regard it as the system to be followed. 
As
that is the case, studying these two subjects, and similar subjects – such
as philosophy and non-Islamic economics – is not permissible for the Muslim
if the aim is to benefit from all of that without discretion, and to believe
what they contain of misguidance and put it into practice, take it as a way
of life and derive from it rules to follow. All goodness is in following the
guidance and light that the Prophet brought. 

Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O mankind!
Verily, there has come to you a convincing proof (Prophet Muhammad
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) from your Lord, and We sent down
to you a manifest light (this Quran)”

[an-Nisa’ 4:174]

“Indeed,
there has come to you from Allah a light (Prophet Muhammad (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him)) and a plain Book (this Quran)”

[al-Maa’idah 5:15]

“Say: O you
mankind! Now truth (i.e. the Quran and Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him)), has come to you from your Lord. So whosoever
receives guidance, he does so for the good of his own self, and whosoever
goes astray, he does so to his own loss, and I am not (set) over you as a
Wakeel (disposer of affairs to oblige you for guidance)”

[Yoonus 10:108]. 

The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) forbade the Muslims
to read the books of the People of the Book and others. He (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) got angry when he saw in the hand of ‘Umar (may
Allah be pleased with him) one of the books of the Jews, as it was narrated
in Musnad Ahmad (14623): ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab came to the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with books that he had got from
some of the People of the Book. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon it) saw it and got angry. He said: “Are you confused about it, O son of
al-Khattaab? By the One in Whose hand is my soul, I have brought it (i.e.,
the message of Islam) to you clean and pure. Do not ask them about anything,
lest they tell you something true and you disbelieve in it, or they tell you
something false and you believe in it. By the One in Whose hand is my soul,
if Moosa (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) were alive, he would
have no option but to follow me.”

[Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwa’, 6/34] 

The prohibition is emphasised when it comes to learning and studying these
branches of knowledge, if the Muslim does not have sufficient knowledge to
recognise what is evil in these subjects and distinguish between it and what
they contain of goodness, for if that is the case he will inevitably be
affected by some of their evil. We have seen this in many of the Muslims who
studied these subjects in the last two centuries, who were called the
“pioneers of enlightenment” in the Arab world; they caused confusion and
were the first to call for sharee‘ah to be abolished from Muslim countries
and they replaced it with Roman and French law. They tried and worked hard
to give Muslim societies a western flavour in all fields of life, and they
branded those Muslims who adhered to their religion as backward, stagnant,
fundamentalists, lovers of darkness and other such words that stemmed from
the European environment. 

But if a Muslim has strong faith and is mature in his thinking, so that
there is no fear of a man of his calibre becoming confused by the specious
arguments that are present in these subjects, then it is permissible for him
to study them. In fact it may be obligatory in the case of particular
individuals, so that they may follow the latest trends in the theories,
ideas and philosophies of the non-Muslims, and refute them and explain what
they contain of misguidance, if they find their way to the Muslim lands in
the guise of literature, art, culture, academic curricula, economics, social
studies, and systems of rulings and management. 

The importance of the matter becomes more urgent if there is an instruction
to do so from the Muslim ruler who is sincere to his ummah, as the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed Zayd ibn Thaabit to
learn the language of the Jews. 

Al-Bukhaari mentioned that in a chapter in his Saheeh (6/2631) in
which he said: Chapter on translating for rulers; is it permissible to have
one translator? Khaarijah ibn Zayd ibn Thaabit narrated from Zayd ibn
Thaabit that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
instructed him to learn the language of the Jews, until I wrote letters for
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and I read to him
their letters if they wrote to him.

Narrated and classed as saheeh by at-Tirmidhi (no. 2639); classed as saheeh
by al-Albaani in al-Mishkaat (4659) 
A
similar question was asked of the Standing committee for Issuing Fatwas and
they replied as follows: 
It
is not permissible to learn man-made laws in order to apply them, so long as
they are contrary to the laws of Allah. But it is permissible to study law
and learn it in order to explain its flaws and how it has deviated from the
right path, and to highlight the justice and fairness that there is in
Islam, how sound it is and how it is sufficient for people’s interests. It
is not permissible for a Muslim to study philosophy, man-made laws, and the
like, if he is not able to distinguish between what is right and what is
wrong in them, lest he become confused and deviate from the straight path.
But that is permissible for one who is able to understand it after having
studied the Qur’an and Sunnah, so that he is able to distinguish the bad
from the good in these subjects, so that he will be able to confirm the
truth and nullify falsehood, so long as that will not distract him from more
important duties. Thus it is known that it is not permissible to teach these
subjects in schools and universities, and it should only be for the elite
who are qualified for that, so that they may undertake their Islamic duty of
supporting the truth and refuting falsehood.

Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah
(14/232-233) 

Our advice to our brother is to examine his own situation: does he meet the
conditions referred to above, namely knowledge of sound belief (‘aqeedah)
and adherence to it, mature thinking that can distinguish between truth and
falsehood, the ability to refute specious arguments and misguidance on the
basis of sound evidence, and sincerity towards Islam. If, after examining
himself, he feels that he meets these conditions, then he may go ahead and
study these two subjects, after praying to Allah, may He be exalted, for
guidance in making that decision (istikhaarah). Otherwise it is
better for him to forget about that and study some other, purely scientific,
subject. 

And he should remember that whoever gives up something for the sake of
Allah, Allah will replace it with something better than it. 
We
ask Allah to help you and guide you to that which will benefit you in
religious and worldly terms. 

And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.
Our advice to all the Muslims who are not specialists in Islamic sciences is
to adhere in their beliefs and practice of Islam to the straight path that
is protected from error, that Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has
enjoined them to adhere to, and all that which may guide to it. This may be
explained as follows: 

-1-

The Qur’an and saheeh Sunnah, for in them is guidance and light, and in them
is protection from error and misguidance. We are certain that the people
will not be able to thoroughly examine the Qur’an and Sunnah in order to
develop proper understanding as the scholars and fuqaha’ do, but we are
certain that there is something in common that any rational Muslim can learn
and understand of the Holy Qur’an. This is what is called the clear and
unambiguous texts or general principles, that cannot be hidden from anyone
who reads this great Book, such as the call to affirm the Oneness of Allah (Tawheed)
and devote worship only to Him; to avoid shirk and kufr; to believe in Allah
and His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day and the divine
decree, both good and bad; to promote virtues, good character and good
traits; the prohibition on wrongdoing, transgression, murder, theft, zina,
drinking alcohol, consuming orphans’ wealth, and other major sins and bad
characteristics. All of that we find clearly stated in the Book of Allah,
may He be exalted, and in the Sunnah and biography of the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him). Allah, may He be glorified and exalted,
says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We have indeed made the Quran easy to understand and
remember, then is there any that will remember (or receive admonition)?”

[al-Qamar 54:17]

“Do they not then think deeply in the Quran, or are their
hearts locked up (from understanding it)?”

[Muhammad 47:24].

Were it not that the Qur’an is clear and unambiguous with regard to the
basic and general principles of Islam for everyone who reads it and
contemplates it, there would be no benefit in it, and it would have been a
book for the elite, which no one would read except a certain class of highly
educated people. In that case its light and the purpose for which it was
revealed would be lost. If an Arab from the time of Jaahiliyyah (i.e.,
before Islam), one of the disbelievers of Quraysh, came across the verses of
the Holy Qur’an, he would sense what it contained of guidance and light, and
he would understand what it was telling him of the call of truth, justice
and goodness. But some of them would believe and some of them would be
stubborn and arrogant. It cannot be the case that the Muslim who grows up in
a Muslim family today, at a time of knowledge and reason, would be less
capable of understanding the Book of Allah, may He be exalted, and knowing
its basic principles, general rulings and noble guidelines. 

-2-

Learning from the trustworthy scholars and fuqaha’ – of whom there are many
nowadays, praise be to Allah. They are the ones to whose knowledge,
understanding and righteous deeds the ummah testifies and bears witness that
they have attained a high level in that regard, by virtue of their efforts,
patience and sincerity towards this religion. 

Their sign is that you will always find them quoting as evidence the verses
of the Qur’an and the hadeeths of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him), distinguishing what is sound from what is unsound, and fully
aware of what abrogates and what is abrogated, what is specific in meaning
and application, and what is general. 

Another of their signs is that you will find them following the example of
the righteous early generations, namely the Sahaabah, Taabi‘een and
prominent imams (leading scholars), and not diverging from their teachings.
In every fatwa or comment they refer to one of the earlier imams, such as
Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, or Sufyaan and al-Azwaa‘i, or Abu Haneefah, Maalik, ash-Shaafa‘i
and Ahmad, and after them they refer to prominent scholars among Ahl as-Sunnah
and the followers of the righteous early generations, such as Ibn Taymiyah,
Ibn Katheer, Ibn Rajab and other similar scholars of Islam concerning whose
pre-eminence and sincerity the Muslims do not disagree. 

One of the most prominent of their signs in general terms, which we advise
people to pay attention to, is the fact that they do not claim to belong
exclusively to any particular group and they do not have a name that sets
them apart from the ummah; rather they attribute themselves to this ummah as
a whole with its entire history. As for those who claim to belong a
particular ideological group, such as the Bareilawis, Deobandis, Qadianis
and so on, or who have a description that sets them apart from the
description of Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah by using a made-up name or some
specific clerical hierarchy, in most cases that is indicative of innovation
(bid‘ah) or drifting away from the Sunnah, because if what they believed in
was the belief of the Muslims of Ahl as-Sunnah, there would be no need for
some other name or to call themselves by a name other than that by which
Allah called them. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“And strive hard in Allah’s Cause as you ought to strive
(with sincerity and with all your efforts that His Name should be superior).
He has chosen you (to convey His Message of Islamic Monotheism to mankind by
inviting them to His religion, Islam), and has not laid upon you in religion
any hardship, it is the religion of your father Ibrahim (Abraham) (Islamic
Monotheism). It is He (Allah) Who has named you Muslims both before and in
this (the Quran), that the Messenger (Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him)) may be a witness over you and you be witnesses over mankind!
So perform AsSalat (Iqamat-as-Salat), give Zakat and hold fast to Allah
(i.e. have confidence in Allah, and depend upon Him in all your affairs) He
is your Maula (Patron, Lord, etc.), what an Excellent Maula (Patron, Lord,
etc.) and what an Excellent Helper”

[al-Hajj 22:78].

With regard to joining da‘wah activities in order to cooperate in practical
terms, this is not what we are warning against here, and neither is
belonging to one of the four madhhabs; rather what is meant is joining or
attributing oneself to a group on the basis of some specific beliefs that
this group has adopted, and uniting on that basis and taking people as
friends or enemies on that basis 

-3-

Among the most important resources that non-specialists may refer to are:
Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Saheeh Muslim; the Sunans of Abu
Dawood, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasaa’i and Ibn Maajah; the books of Imam Maalik and
ash-Shaafa‘i, and so on; and the saheeh reports in the books of Imam Abu
Haneefah and other leading scholars. There is nothing wrong with following
them and learning from their views on fiqh and ‘aqeedah, and reading their
books and learning from them, because their books are proof for the right
path, and Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, has instructed us to learn
from the scholars as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We sent not (as Our Messengers) before you (O Muhammad
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) any but men, whom We inspired,
(to preach and invite mankind to believe in the Oneness of Allah). So ask of
those who know the Scripture (learned men of the Taurat (Torah) and the
Injeel (Gospel)), if you know not”

[an-Nahl 16:43]. 
If
any of them made a mistake, this is something that no human being can avoid
and it is a mistake that is forgiven; in fact they will be rewarded for it
by Allah’s leave. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
said: “If a judge passes a judgement having striven to reach a decision, and
he gets it right, he will have two rewards. If he passes a judgement having
striven to reach a decision and he gets it wrong, he will have one reward.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7352) and Muslim (1716). 

Determining which scholarly view among the leading scholars of Islam is most
likely to be correct is not an easy matter; it is not possible for everyone,
and ordinary Muslims are not obliged to try to do that, because that is
something which is only for the scholars. What matters is that the Muslim
should not follow odd views, which are few and are well-known; and he should
only acquire knowledge from those to whose virtue, knowledge and
understanding the ummah has testified. 

Al-‘Allaamah Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 
I
heard our shaykh – i.e., Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy
on him) say: One of the Hanafi fuqaha’ came to me and said: I want to ask
you about something. I said: what is it? He said: I want to change my
madhhab. I said to him: Why? He said: Because I see that the saheeh hadeeths
often differ from it. I asked one of the leading scholars of the Shaafa‘i
madhhab about that and he said to me: If you recant your madhhab, that will
not affect the madhhab in any way. The madhhabs are well-established and
your recanting will serve no purpose. One of the Sufi shaykhs advised me to
turn to Allah and beseech Him, and ask Him to guide me to that which He
loves and is pleased with. What do you advise me to do? 
I
said to him: Divide the madhhab into three categories: 

1.One category where
the truth is clearly apparent and in accordance with the Qur’an and Sunnah,
so follow it and be at ease with it.

2.Another category
that is not well founded, and the view that is contrary to it is based on
stronger evidence, so do not issue fatwas or verdicts on that basis, and
keep away from it.

3.A (third) category
containing issues that are subject to ijtihaad, for which the evidence
points in different directions. If you wish, you may issue fatwas on that
basis or if you wish you may keep away from it.
He
said: May Allah reward you with good – or words to that effect.

End quote from I‘laam al-Muwaqqi‘een (4/236-237) 

Moreover, with regard to the category that is not based on well-founded
evidence, as mentioned here, the imam (Abu Haneefah) is not to be blamed for
it and this does not undermine the madhhab, because the fact that other
views are stronger does not mean that this view has no evidence at all, or
that he (Imam Abu Haneefah) based that on whims and desires or innovation.
All it means is that other views are stronger and more well-founded in the
view of other scholars, as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have
mercy on him) said: It should be noted that there is none of the great imams
who were widely accepted in the ummah who would deliberately oppose the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) with regard to
anything of his Sunnah, whether in minor or major issues, because they were
all agreed, on the basis of certainty, on the obligation of following the
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and were
agreed that the view of anyone may be subject to acceptance or rejection,
apart from the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him). 

But if one of them has a view and there is a saheeh hadith that says the
opposite, there must be a reason why he did not follow it, and all reasons
can only be one of three things: either he does not believe that the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said it; or he does not believe
that the hadith refers to that particular issue; or he believes the ruling
(in the hadith) was abrogated. These three reasons may be due to various
causes.

End quote from Raf‘ al-Malaam ‘an A’immat al-Islam (p. 8-9) 
To
sum up: there is nothing wrong with continuing to follow the Hanafi madhhab
whilst adhering to sound beliefs. It is also permissible for you to follow
any of the other well-known madhhabs and views of the prominent scholars. 

For more information, please see fatwas no. 69836,
149035 and 158755

For more information on the Bareilawi sect, please see fatwas no.
1487, 150265,
161862 and 200321

And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: 
The Islamic character is one that is sound and upright; in terms of its principles, fundamentals and etiquette it is based on submission and adherence to the teachings of Islam, in obedience to Allah and His Messenger. 
It is the character that learns its etiquette and bases its principles on the Qur’an and Sunnah. It is the character that seeks to apply those teachings by following the example of the early generations of the ummah and of the righteous among them who achieve a great deal in that field. 
Islam is very keen to describe the true Islamic character and it confirms the importance of its main features that are based on sound Islamic teaching. Islam discusses a great deal of the features of this character and its fundamentals, and its impact on the well-being of individuals and communities, so that the accurate image of true Islam, and its impact on people’s life, may be presented. 
The Islamic character is based on belief in Allah and His Messengers, and in His promise and warning, and on adherence to Islamic conduct in a complete way, which includes truthfulness, honesty, chastity, modesty, good attitude, kindness to neighbours, hastening to do good, helping people to do what is right, refraining from harming others, and other aspects of Islamic conduct. 
The basis of the Islamic character is belief in Allah and His Messenger, and submission to and compliance with the rulings, principles and etiquette of Islam. 
Throughout the centuries, the Islamic character has been subjected to evil campaigns aimed at distorting, deforming and scorning it. By means of what they have introduced of philosophies and cultural practices, the enemies of Islam have sought to crowd Islam out of people’s hearts, so that Islam will no longer be the only factor in building human character, and people will no longer see the sublimity, perfection and pure belief of Islamic teachings. Thus there will be distortion, alterations and changes, by means of which the enemies of Allah seek to reach their goals – which Allah will never let them reach – of extinguishing His light and altering His words. 
The Islamic character today has no choice but to adhere to that to which their predecessors before them adhered, namely affirmation of the Oneness of Allah (tawheed) and sound commitment and loyalty to the religion of Allah, as well as complete disavowal of the enemies of Allah and their beliefs and principles, whilst adhering to the sublime conduct that Islam promotes. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “I was only sent to perfect good manners and attitude.” Narrated by Ahmad (8729); classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami‘ (2349). 
Secondly: 
Achieving that may be done by educating people and teaching them sound beliefs and how to purify their souls in word and deed, on the basis of Islamic principles and the teachings of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Indeed Allah conferred a great favour on the believers when He sent among them a Messenger (Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) from among themselves, reciting unto them His Verses (the Quran), and purifying them (from sins by their following him), and instructing them (in) the Book (the Quran) and Al-Hikmah (the wisdom and the Sunnah of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) (i.e. his legal ways, statements, acts of worship, etc.)), while before that they had been in manifest error” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:164]. 
Thirdly: 
This Islamic character will have high aspirations because of its faith and certainty and belief in the promise of Allah, and because it realises the honour attained by being a Muslim and a follower of the Prophets. The Muslim’s aspiration will be commensurate with his level of faith and certainty, because actions are connected to that which is settled in the heart of certainty, faith and belief. This is something that is very clear to everyone with regard to any issue. 
According to the level of the Muslim’s awareness of his strength, honour and pride, his ambitions will soar and he will be of strong resolve, and his religious commitment will be sound. 
Fourthly: 
Neuro-linguistic programming, according to those who believe in it, is a collection of ways and methods that are based on psychological principles, aimed at solving some psychological problems and helping people to achieve greater success in their lives. According to its promoters, the one who becomes well-versed in the methods of this school of psychology will not need help from anyone else. Hence it may be a means of self-help behavioural therapy, that tries to work out a clear plan for success, then it uses psychological techniques to reinforce the more successful behaviour and try to undo some old beliefs which are diagnosed as an obstacle to the individual’s development. Therefore it is called programming, because it reprograms the mind. 
But in fact, after examining this new science and its fundamental principles and what it is based on, and what it results in, we realise that it has roots in philosophy and certain beliefs, and it also brainwashes the Muslim and teaches him corrupt ideas that are contrary to sound beliefs. 
Contemporary scholars have issued many fatwas concerning it, and some prominent specialists in the fields of psychology and psychiatry have also warned against this programming, and have highlighted its negative effects and the danger it poses to the religious commitment and character of the Muslim. 
For more information, please see the book Ma‘aalim ash-Shakhsiyyah al-Islamiyyah by Dr. ‘Umar Sulaymaan al-Ashqar. Another important book on Islamic education is Manhaj at-Tarbiyyah al-Islamiyyah by Prof. Muhammad Qutub (may Allah preserve him); see also his book Diraasaat fi’n-Nafs al-Insaaniyyah. We also advise you to read the book Zahara Jeel Salaah ad-Deen by Dr. Maajid ‘Arsaan al-Keelaani. 
For more information, please see also the answer to questions no. 138390  
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Firstly: 
It is proven in the saheeh Sunnah that the Quran will intercede for its companions on the Day of Resurrection. Muslim (804) narrated that Abu Umaamah al-Baahili said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say: “Read the Qur’aan, for it will come on the Day of Resurrection interceding for its companions.” 
Imam Ahmad (6589) narrated from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Fasting and the Quran will intercede for a person on the Day of Resurrection. Fasting will say: O Lord, I kept him from his food and desires during the day; let me intercede for him. And the Quran will say: I kept him from sleeping during the night; let me intercede for him. And they will be allowed to intercede.”
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami‘, 7329 
See also the answer to question no. 14035 
Secondly: 
Just as the Quran will intercede for its companions on the Day of Resurrection, it will also testify against those who went against it by neglecting it, ignoring its obligations and transgressing against the limits it set. 
Muslim (223) narrated that Abu Maalik al-Ash‘ari said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Qur’aan is evidence for you or against you.” 
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 
Either it will be for you, if you sought to draw close to Allah means of it, and you fulfilled the obligations towards the Holy Quran, namely believing its stories, obeying its commands, heeding its prohibitions and venerating and respecting the Holy Quran, in which case it will be proof for you, 
Or it will be the opposite, if you disrespected the Quran and neglected its words and meanings and failed to act upon it, and you did not fulfil the obligations towards it. In that case it will be a witness against you on the Day of Resurrection. 
End quote from Sharh Riyadh as-Saaliheen, p. 30 
Ibn Hibbaan narrated in his Saheeh (124) from Jaabir that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The Quran is an intercessor whose intercession will be accepted and an opponent whose testimony will be accepted. Whoever puts it in front of him, it will lead him to Paradise, and whoever puts it behind his back, it will drive him to Hell.” 
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in as-Saheehah, 2019; ad-Daaraqutni mentioned it in al-‘Ilal, 5/102, where he said that it was mawqoof and its isnaad stopped at Ibn Mas‘ood. 
Ibn Hibbaan said, commenting on this hadith: 
This is a report from the wording of which one who does not have deep knowledge may think that the Quran is something created, but that is not the case. The Arabs may give the name of a thing to its cause and they may give the name of the cause to the thing. Because acting in accordance with the Quran will lead a person to Paradise, the name of that thing, which is acting in accordance with the Quran, is given to its cause, which is the Quran. It does not mean that the Quran is created. 
an-Nihaayah, 4/636 
an-Mannaawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 
It says in az-Zaahir: What is meant is that the one against whom the Quran testifies and says that he fell short and neglected it will be in Hell. And it is said: Do not make the Quran an opponent, i.e., to testify against you. 
End quote from Fayd al-Qadeer, 4/699 
It was narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf (30667), Ibn Qutaybah in Ta’weel Mukhtalif al-hadith (p. 258), Ibn ad-Durays in Fadaa’il al-Quran (89), via Muhammad ibn Ishaaq, from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb, from his father, that his grandfather said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) say:
“The Quran will appear on the Day of Resurrection in the form of a man who will bring the man who learned it but went against its commands. It will appear as a disputant against him and will say: O Lord, You made him learn about me but what a bad learner he was; he transgressed my limits, neglected my obligations, disobeyed me and did not obey me. It will keep throwing accusations at him until it is said: Do what you like with him. Then it will take him by the hand and will not let him go until it throws him onto a rock in Hell. And it will bring a righteous man who learned it and adhered to its teachings. It will appear as a defendant and will say: O Lord, You made him learn about me and what a good learner he was; he respected my limits, did the obligatory duties, avoided the sins mentioned in me and obeyed my instructions. And it will keep presenting arguments in his favour until it is said: Do what you like with him. Then it will take him by the hand and will not let him go until it dresses him in brocade and puts on him the crown of a king.” 
This is a da‘eef (weak) isnaad, because Ibn Ishaaq is mudallis and used the word ‘an (narrating from, i.e., he did not state clearly that he heard it directly). But al-Bukhaari (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book Khalq Af‘aal al-‘Ibaad (474): 
‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “The Quran will appear in the form of a man on the Day of Resurrection and will intercede for its companions.”
Zuhayr ibn Harb told me: Ya‘qoob ibn Ibraaheem told us: my father told me from Ibn Ishaaq, and ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr told me, from his father, from his grandfather: I heard this from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). Abu ‘Abdullah (i.e., al-Bukhaari) said: “This is his earnings and his deeds.” End quote. 
So it is proven that Ibn Ishaaq heard the hadith from ‘Amr ibn Shu‘ayb, thus the hadith is proven. 
The words “The Quran will appear on the Day of Resurrection…” mean that his recitation of the Quran will appear to him. 
See the answer to question no. 91306
It was narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah (30676) and ad-Daarimi (3325) from ash-Sha‘bi, from Ibn Mas‘ood who said: “The Quran will come on the Day of Resurrection and will intercede for its companion, and it will lead him to Paradise, or it will testify against (a person) and will drive him to Hell. Ash-Sha‘bi did not hear from Ibn Mas‘ood, as it says in al-Maraaseel by Ibn Abi Haatim (p. 25). 
But there is a corroborating report that says: “The Quran is an intercessor whose intercession will be accepted and an opponent whose testimony will be accepted. Whoever puts it in front of him, it will lead him to Paradise, and whoever puts it behind his back, it will drive him to Hell.” 
This was narrated via a number of isnaads from Ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him).See: Fadaa’il al-Quran  by al-Firyaabi (20); Fadaa’il al-Quran by Abu ‘Ubayd (44); Fadaa’il al-Quran by Ibn Durays (94); az-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad (p. 155); Shu‘ab al-Eemaan by al-Bayhaqi (2010); al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer by at-Tabaraani (8655). 
From the above it is clear that just as the Quran will testify for its companions on the Date of Resurrection, it will also testify against those who went against it. 
And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.
Death is a great calamity and trial, with
which a person’s good deeds and lifespan come to an end, and the individual
goes to meet his Lord. If he did good then the outcome will be good, and if
he did evil than the outcome will be bad. Death causes tears to flow,
saddens the heart and provokes grief. 

Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning): “And certainly, We shall test you with
something of fear, hunger, loss of wealth, lives and fruits, but give glad
tidings to As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.)” [al-Baqarah 2:155]. Loss
of lives is included among the calamities that may befall people. 

And Allah knows best. 

All of this has to do with general
guidelines. With regard to what is mentioned in the question, about the
death of elderly people being a cause for calamity to befall the family, or
a cause of a decrease in barakah, this is something for which there is no
evidence whatsoever. People older and younger are constantly dying; if the
death of an elderly person was a cause for a decrease in barakah or of
calamity occurring, barakah would have been erased in this world and one
calamity after another would have befallen the members of every household.
But this is contrary to what is seen and known, and it is different from the
way in which Allah has ordained things should occur in this world. How many
elderly people have died, yet their families enjoyed blessing after they
were gone, either because of wealth that was left to them or because of a
blessing that was bestowed upon them, or because of a woman getting married
and other things that are seen and well-known. 

Moreover, what connection do the living
have with the death of the elderly person, such that calamity as mentioned
by this questioner would befall them, regardless of whether the deceased was
righteous or otherwise? Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of
the meaning):

“Whoever goes right, then he goes right
only for the benefit of his own self. And whoever goes astray, then he goes
astray to his own loss. No one laden with burdens can bear another’s burden”

[al-Isra’ 17:15]. 

Rather real calamity befalls people with
the death of a scholar of whose knowledge the people are now deprived, or
one who was devoted to worship and obedience, or one who did things that
bring benefit to people, such as striving in jihad for the sake of Allah,
enjoining what is good, forbidding what is evil, giving charity and zakaah,
and so on. All of that has nothing to do with whether a person is young or
old; rather it has to do with how he is, the benefits he brings to people,
and the blessings he brings to his surroundings. Undoubtedly the death of
such people is a loss of goodness and barakah, and detracts from people’s
religious and worldly interests. Those who are most sorely affected by their
loss are those who are close to them, but this does not mean that another
calamity will befall them after that, unless they do after that an action
that deserves that. It was narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘Aas
said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) say: “Allah will not take away knowledge by snatching it away from the
people, rather He will take away knowledge by taking away the scholars
until, when there is no scholar left, people will turn to ignorant leaders
who will be asked questions and will issue fatwas without knowledge. They
will go astray and lead others astray.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (100) and
Muslim (2673) 

And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.
Firstly: 

First of all we
should point out that what the questioner mentioned about Allah’s love for
His creation being “seventy times greater than the love of a mother for her
child” has no basis in the Qur’an or Sunnah. Allah, may He be exalted, does
not love the transgressors, and He does not love the evildoers, and He does
not love the disbelievers, so how can it be affirmed that Allah, may He be
exalted, loves all of His creation when the vast majority of them are these
types of people? Rather Allah, may He be exalted, loves those who do good,
and He loves the pious, and He loves those who repent, and He loves those
who purify themselves, and He loves those who are patient, and He loves
those who put their trust in Him, and He loves those who are fair and just.
These types of people are the ones for whom Allah, may He be exalted,
affirmed His love and they – naturally – cannot be any but those who affirm
His Oneness and not those who associate others with Him. 

But despite all
that, among the names of Allah, may He be glorified, are the names
ar-Rahmaan (the Most Gracious), ar-Raheem (the Most Merciful); His mercy
precedes His wrath, and His pardon precedes His punishment, and He is more
merciful to His slaves than a mother to her child. 

It was narrated
that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

Some prisoners were brought to the Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and there was a woman among the
prisoners who was searching for someone. When she found a small boy among
the prisoners, she clasped him to her and started to breastfeed him. The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to us:
“Do you think that this woman would throw her child into the fire?” We said:
No, by Allah, she would never do that if she is able not to. The Messenger
of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah is more
merciful towards His slaves than this woman is towards her child.”

Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 5999; Muslim, 2754. 

There is a
difference between mercy and love. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted,
has sent down a share of His mercy by virtue of which people show compassion
towards one another, He grants provision to His slaves, gives them more
time, is forbearing towards them and bears patiently their disbelief and
offensive words. All of that is in this world; but in the hereafter, His
mercy will be only for those who believed in Him and submitted to Him. 

Secondly: 

With regard to the
question, “Why are most people on earth non-Muslims?” The answer to that is:
because they are the ones who have chosen disbelief over Islam. Here we will
set aside those who are excused because the message did not reach them, and
let us ask: what is the matter with those who read about Islam and whom the
call reached, and they saw thousands of their coreligionists race towards
Islam, and they saw the millions who follow this great religion, and they
saw the clear signs that point to the truthfulness of the Prophet (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him) and the truthfulness of his call, and the
truthfulness and miraculous nature of the Qur’an, and they heard the debates
in which the enemies of Islam were defeated and their specious arguments
refuted – yet despite all of that, and much more besides, they did not
believe in Islam and they did not accept it as their religion; rather
billions of them were content to worship a cross that they made or an idol
that they carved, or a grave that they built up, or a cow that they
worshipped instead of Allah. There is no power and no strength except with
Allah. 

The truth is
obvious and clear; the signs that point to the greatness of Islam are too
many to be counted; no wise person can argue against the evidence that what
these disbelievers are doing is false; sound human nature and reasoning
reject those (false) acts of worship and the taking of other gods as lords
instead of Allah, the One. Allah, may He be exalted, has highlighted the
evidence and has established proof against them. Yet despite that, most
people insist on disbelieving and you will not find most people to be
grateful monotheists; rather they are disbelievers and polytheists. 

Thirdly: 

As for the answer
to the question, So why does Allah want the majority of His creation to
enter Hell?, The answer is that Allah, may He be exalted, does not approve
of the disbelief of these people and He does not like it, but they liked it
for themselves. The Almighty Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, has
stated in His holy Book that He is not pleased with the disbelief of the
disbelievers, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“If
you disbelieve, then verily, Allaah is not in need of you; He likes not
disbelief for His slaves. And if you are grateful (by being believers), He
is pleased therewith for you”

[az-Zumar 39:7].

This is a clear
statement that Allah, may He be exalted, does not like disbelief for His
slaves; rather He likes Tawheed (affirmation of the Oneness of Allah) and
Islam for them. Rather they are the ones who like disbelief as a religion
for themselves, and they refused to join the ranks of those who affirm the
Oneness of Allah. Allah, may He be exalted, does not force anyone to become
a Muslim or to become a disbeliever; rather He, may He be glorified and
exalted, has explained the paths of truth and falsehood, right and wrong,
Islam and disbelief, then He has given people the choice, along with His
promise to the Muslims of reward and His warning to the disbelievers of
Hell. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“29. And say:
‘The truth is from your Lord.’ Then whosoever wills, let him believe; and
whosoever wills, let him disbelieve. Verily, We have prepared for the
Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers), a Fire whose walls will be
surrounding them (disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah). And if they ask for
help (relief, water), they will be granted water like boiling oil, that will
scald their faces. Terrible is the drink, and an evil Murtafaq (dwelling,
resting place)!

30. Verily, as
for those who believed and did righteous deeds, certainly We shall not make
the reward of anyone who does his (righteous) deeds in the most perfect
manner to be lost.

31. These! For
them will be ‘Adn (Eden) Paradise (everlasting Gardens); wherein rivers flow
underneath them; therein they will be adorned with bracelets of gold, and
they will wear green garments of fine and thick silk. They will recline
therein on raised thrones. How good is the reward, and what an excellent
Murtafaq (dwelling, resting place)!”

[al-Kahf
18:29-31] 

“2. Verily, We
have created man from Nutfah (drops) of mixed semen (sexual discharge of man
and woman), in order to try him, so We made him hearer and seer.

3. Verily, We
showed him the way, whether he be grateful or ungrateful.

4. Verily, We
have prepared for the disbelievers iron chains, iron collars, and a blazing
Fire.

5. Verily, the
Abraar (the pious believers of Islamic Monotheism) shall drink of a cup (of
wine) mixed with (water from a spring in Paradise called) Kaafoor.

6. A spring
wherefrom the slaves of Allah will drink, causing it to gush forth
abundantly.”

[al-Insaan
76:2-6]. 

Here we will quote
an example of how Allah offered guidance to people by sending Messengers
with clear signs, yet they chose disbelief over Islam. They were the people
of Thamood. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“17. And as for
Thamood, We showed and made clear to them the Path of Truth (Islamic
Monotheism) through Our Messenger (i.e. showed them the way of success), but
they preferred blindness to guidance; so the Saa‘iqah (a destructive awful
cry, torment, hit, thunderbolt) of disgracing torment seized them because of
what they used to earn.

18. And We
saved those who believed and used to fear Allaah, keep their duty to Him and
avoid evil.”

[Fussilat
41:17-18]. 

This is an
example, and similar to these people are all those who disbelieved in their
Lord and rejected their Messengers, and were content with disbelief in this
world and eternity in the Fire in the Hereafter. These modern disbelievers
have a precedent; messengers brought the truth from their Lord to them, and
Allah, may He be exalted, made the Messenger to each people one of their
own, so that they would recognise his truthfulness and honesty, and He gave
each one of them a sign that is enough proof for people, yet despite that,
they said that their Messengers were sorcerers or madmen. The disbelievers
of Quraysh demanded a sign from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) so that they would believe. He showed them the splitting of the
moon, and they said that it was sorcery. So the words of Allah concerning
them are true (interpretation of the meaning):

“and even if
they see every one of the Ayaat (signs) they will not believe therein”

[al-An‘aam
6:25]. 

Those people did
not stop at rejecting the Messengers of their Lord; rather they conspired
against them, to kill them or expel them from their lands. Allah, may He be
exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those who
disbelieved, said to their Messengers: ‘Surely, we shall drive you out of
our land, or you shall return to our religion.’ So their Lord revealed to
them: ‘Truly, We shall destroy the Zaalimoon (polytheists, disbelievers and
wrongdoers)’”

[Ibraaheem
14:13]. 

And Allah, may He
be exalted, tells us that the people of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) said:

“So nothing was
the answer of [Ibraaheem’s (Abraham’s)] people except that they said: ‘Kill
him or burn him.’ Then Allah saved him from the fire. Verily, in this are
indeed signs for a people who believe”

[al-‘Ankaboot
29:24]. 

And Allah, may He
be exalted, says concerning our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him):

“And (remember)
when the disbelievers plotted against you (O Muhammad
صلى الله عليه وسلم) to imprison you, or
to kill you, or to get you out (from your home, i.e. Makkah)”

[al-Anfaal
8:30]. 

If this was the
case with regard to those to whom the Messenger, whom they knew, brought the
message from his Lord, and they saw the signs with their own eyes, then what
about those Indians, Chinese and Europeans, if the Arabian Prophet Muhammad
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon them) came to them as a bringer of
glad tidings and a warner?? 

When some of the
polytheists claimed that Allah, may He be exalted, approved of their
disbelief and that if that was not the case, He would have diverted them
from it, our Lord, may He be blessed and exulted, showed them to be liars
and explained that they were only following their whims and desires and
their forefathers who had gone astray. Allah, may He be exalted, said
(interpretation of the meaning)

“And those who
joined others in worship with Allah said: ‘If Allah had so willed, neither
we nor our fathers would have worshipped aught but Him, nor would we have
forbidden anything without (Command from) Him’”

[an-Nahl 16:35]. 

Then Allah, may He
be exalted, refuted them by saying:

“And verily, We
have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming):
‘Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taghoot (all false
deities, i.e. do not worship Taaghoot alongside Allah).’ Then of them were
some whom Allah guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was
justified”

[an-Nahl 16:36]. 

Shaykh Muhammad
al-Ameen ash-Shanqeeti (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

In these verses,
Allah explains that He did not approve of their disbelief, and that He sent
a Messenger to every nation, commanding them on the Messenger’s lips to
worship Allah alone and to avoid taaghoot (false gods), i.e., to keep away
from the worship of any deity besides Him. He also told them that Allah
guided some of them to worship Him alone, and that some of them went astray;
in other words, their disbelief and doom were confirmed. 

Allah, may He be
exalted, says in Soorat al-An‘aam (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say: ‘With
Allah is the perfect proof and argument, (i.e. the Oneness of Allaah, the
sending of His Messengers and His Holy Books, to mankind); had He so willed,
He would indeed have guided you all’”

[al-An‘aam
6:149].

The fact that He
alone can help and guide people is the perfect proof and argument against
His creation. In other words: whoever We guide and bless with Our help, that
is grace and mercy from Us. And whoever We do not do that for, that is
justice and wisdom from Us, because he was not owed that by Us and did not
deserve it from Us. Rather if We grant that, it is grace, and if we do not
grant it, it is justice.

End quote from

Adwa’ al-Bayaan,
7/95, 96. 

Fourthly: 

The questioner
says: Is it true that no one will ever enter Paradise except Muslims, and
Ahl as-Sunnah in particular? That is subject to further discussion: 

Following the
sending of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), then yes,
no one will enter Paradise except a Muslim, because Islam abrogated all the
previous religions; Allah, may He be exalted, commanded all His creation to
enter this religion, and stated that He will never accept any other religion
from anyone, and that whoever meets Him with any other religion will be
among the losers. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the
meaning):

“And whoever
seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in
the Hereafter he will be one of the losers”

[Aal ‘Imraan
3:85].

Because of that,
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed Bilaal to
call out to the people: “No one will enter Paradise except a Muslim.”

Narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 3062; Muslim, 178. 

With regard to the
previous nations, everyone who believed in his Prophet and Messenger will
enter Paradise; they were the Muslims of their time. Allah, may He be
exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, those
who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabians, whoever
believes in Allah and the Last Day and does righteous good deeds shall have
their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they
grieve”

[al-Baqarah
2:62]. 

With regard to the
question of Paradise being for Ahl as-Sunnah in particular, this is an
incorrect view. None of the scholars have said such a thing; rather all of
the ummah of Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) who
responded to his call will enter Paradise; no one will be deprived of it
except those who turned on their heels (apostatized) and nullified their
Islam by doing something that took them out of Islam altogether, and those
innovators who went against sharee‘ah and opposed Ahl as-Sunnah. They, like
other sinners among the monotheists, will be subject to the will of Allah,
may He be glorified and exalted: if He wills, He will punish them, and if He
wills, He will forgive them, then the final destination of any one of them
will be Paradise, if he died believing in Tawheed. 

This also applies
to those who committed some sins or fell into some innovation, but were
among Ahl as-Sunnah in general; they will also be subject to the will of
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted: if He wills, He will punish them,
and if He wills, He will forgive them. However, adhering to the Sunnah,
defending it and following it in word and deed will increase the hope of
entering Paradise and being saved from the punishment of Allah. 

Fifthly: 

The one who
understands from the hadeeth about divisions and from the words of the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) about the seventy-two
different sects who go against Ahl as-Sunnah, “All of them will be in the
Fire”, that they will abide forever in the fire of Hell, is mistaken and has
gone against the consensus of the Muslims. The fact that these sects have
gone astray and have been given a warning of Hellfire does not mean that
they will abide therein forever. 

Shaykh al-Islam
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

Whoever says that
the seventy-two sects have all committed kufr (disbelief) in a way that puts
them beyond the pale of Islam has gone against the Qur’an, Sunnah and the
consensus of the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them all), and also the
consensus of the four imams and others. There is no one among them who
regarded each one of the seventy-two sects as disbelievers.

End quote from
Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 7/218 

Describing those
who differ as disbelievers is the way of the followers of innovation and
misguidance; it is not the way of Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah. 

Shaykh al-Islam
Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

The Khaarijis were
the first ones to regard the Muslims as disbelievers, saying that they
become disbelievers because of committing sins. They also regarded as
disbelievers those who disagreed with their innovation and regarded it as
permissible to kill them and take their wealth. This is how the innovators
are: they introduce an innovation and regard as disbelievers those who
differ with them, concerning it. Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa‘ah follow the
Qur’an and Sunnah, and obey Allah and His Messenger; they follow the truth
and show compassion to all people.

End quote from
Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 3/279 

And he said
concerning the seventy-two sects: They regard one another as disbelievers
because of some of the ideas they believe in.

End quote from
Majmoo‘ al-Fataawa, 7/218

For reports of the
hadeeth about division and some comments on it, please see the answer to
question no. 90112

For a description
of Ahl as-Sunnah and the saved sect, please see the answers to questions no.
10777 and
206

Sixthly: 

By the mercy of
Allah, may He be exalted, to His slaves, He will not punish with Hell those
whom the call of Islam did not reach. For those who are alive at the
present, or who lived before, whom news of Islam did not reach, they will be
tested on the Day of Resurrection. We have discussed this matter in the
answers to questions no. 1244 and
130271.

And Allah knows
best.

Praise be to Allah.
Firstly: 

It is not
permissible to wear amulets, even if they contain words from the Holy
Qur’an, because of the general meaning of the words of the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): “Whoever wears an amulet, may
Allaah never fulfil his wish and whoever wears a seashell, may Allaah never
protect him from what he fears.” Narrated by Ahmad (17440); classed as hasan
by Shu‘ayb al-Arna’oot in Tahqeeq al-Musnad. 

And he
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Whoever wears an amulet
has committed shirk (i.e., associated something with Allah).”

Narrated by
Ahmad and al-Haakim; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami‘,
no. 6394. 

If amulets
contain verses from the Qur’an, there is a scholarly difference of opinion
concerning that, but the most correct opinion is that they are not allowed,
because of the general meaning of the evidence, and so as to block the means
that may lead to shirk, and because that usually involves treating the
verses with disrespect, because people usually sleep wearing the amulet, or
enter the washroom with it, and so on. 

It says in
Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (1/212): The scholars are unanimously
agreed that it is haraam to wear amulets if they contain anything other than
words from the Qur’an, but they differed if they do contain words from the
Qur’an. Some said that it is permissible to wear them and others said that
it is not permissible. The view that it is not permitted is more likely to
be correct, because of the general meaning of the hadeeths and so as to
block the means that may lead to shirk. End quote. 

See: Question
no. 10543 and
20349 

Secondly: 

If the amulets
that are written by this imam contain any elements of shirk, such as asking
of anyone other than Allah, may He be exalted, among the jinn or angels or
righteous people, or this imam is one of those who practice this kind of
shirk, or he claims to have knowledge of the unseen, it is not permissible
to pray behind him. But if it is free of shirk and he is one of the people
of Tawheed (i.e., he affirms the Oneness of Allah), then prayers offered
behind him are valid. It is essential to advise him in either case, because
amulets of all types are haraam, as stated above. 

The Standing
Committee for Issuing Fatwas were asked about praying behind someone who
writes amulets for people, and they replied: It is permissible to pray
behind one who writes amulets from the Qur’an and du‘aa’s prescribed in
Islam, but he should not write them because it is not permissible to wear
them. But if the amulets contain any elements of shirk, one should not pray
behind the one who writes that and it is essential to explain to him that
this is shirk. The one who should advise him is the one who knows that he
does that.

End quote from
Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah, 3/65 

Shaykh Saalih
al-Fawzaan (may Allah preserve him) was asked about praying behind someone
who writes amulets, and he replied:

With regard to
what you have mentioned about writing amulets, amulets are subject to
further discussion. If these amulets contain phrases of shirk, supplication
to anyone other than Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and unknown
names, it is not permissible to write them or use them, according to
scholarly consensus, because they are shirk. One should not pray behind this
man (who writes such amulets). But if these amulets contain words from the
Holy Qur’an, permissible du‘aa’s and du‘aa’s narrated in reports (from the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)), then this is a matter
concerning which there was a difference of opinion among the scholars. Some
of them regarded it as permissible and others said that it is not allowed,
and not allowing it is more on the safe side, because opening the door to
writing them and wearing them is a means that may lead to haraam types of
amulets, and because writing the Holy Qur’an in the form of amulets exposes
it to disrespectful treatment and taking it into places where it is not
permissible to take it. But there is nothing wrong with praying behind the
one who writes them. 

To sum up: if
writing amulets involves phrases of shirk, unknown names, calling upon
anyone other than Allah or seeking the help of the devils, created beings or
jinn, these are phrases of shirk, and the one who writes them or uses them,
knowing what they contain, is a mushrik. But if they are from the Holy
Qur’an, to be on the safe side it is better to avoid them and not use them.

End quote from
al-Muntaqa min Fataawa al-Fawzaan 

Shaykh Ibn
Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked: Is it permissible to pray
behind an imam who is a fraud and a charlatan, knowing that some of them can
recite Qur’an very well? Please advise us, may Allah reward you with good. 

He replied:

If the imam is
a fraud and claims to have knowledge of the unseen or he follows myths and
does evil actions, it is not permissible to appoint him as an imam or to
pray behind him, because the one who claims to have knowledge of the unseen
is a kaafir – we ask Allah to keep us safe and sound. Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Say: None
in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (unseen) except Allah” [an-Naml
27:65]. The same applies to one who practices witchcraft; he comes under
the same rulings as the kuffaar because Allah, may He be glorified and
exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):

“They
followed what the Shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the
lifetime of Sulaiman (Solomon). Sulaiman did not disbelieve, but the
Shayatin (devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came
down at Babylon to the two angels, Haroot and Maroot, but neither of these
two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said: We are only for
trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us).”

[al-Baqarah
2:102]. 

But if he
commits some sins but does not do any acts of kufr such as witchcraft or
claiming to have knowledge of the unseen, then prayers offered behind him
are valid, although it is better to look for someone else who is of good
character and righteous, in order to protect the people’s religious
commitment and avoid going against those scholars who say that it is not
permissible to pray behind him. Sinners should not be taken as imams, but if
they are already imams, it is valid to pray behind them because the people
may be being tested with them, and it may be necessary to pray behind them.
But in the case of one who calls upon anything other than Allah, or who
seeks the help of the dead, one should not pray behind him, because by doing
these things he comes under the same heading as the kuffaar, as these are
the acts of the mushrikeen whom the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) fought in Makkah and elsewhere. We ask Allah to set the affairs of
the Muslims straight, to bless them with understanding of their religion,
and to appoint over them the best of them, for He is All-Hearing, Ever Near.

End quote from
Majmoo‘ Fataawa Ibn Baaz, 9/278 

And Allah knows best.

Praise be to Allah.Yes, there are three degrees of Islam, which are: Islam, iman and ihsan. Each of them has a meaning and certain pillars or essential parts. 
The first degree is Islam 
Islam, which in Arabic means submission. In Sharee’ah terminology, its meaning varies according to usage, and it may mean one of two things: 
(1) When the word is used on its own and is not accompanied by the word iman (faith, belief), it refers to the religion as a whole, including both major and minor issues of belief, words and deeds, as in the verses where Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Truly, the religion with Allah is Islam.” [Aal ‘Imran 3:19] 
“and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.” [Al-Ma’idah 5:3] 
“And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him.” [Aal ‘Imran 3:85]
Hence some of the scholars defined it as meaning: Submitting to Allah by affirming that He is One (Tawhid) and submitting to Him by obeying Him and disavowing shirk and its people. 
(2) When it is used in conjunction with the word iman (faith, belief), in which case it refers to outward deeds and words , as in the verses where Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“The bedouins say: ‘We believe.’ Say: ‘You believe not but you only say, “We have surrendered (in Islam),”for Faith has not yet entered your hearts’…” [Al-Hujurat 49:14]
In Saheeh al-Bukhaari (27) and Saheeh Muslim (150) it is narrated from Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) distributed (Zakah) amongst (a group of) people while Sa’d was sitting there. Sa’d said: But the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) left a man who I thought the best of them all, and did not give him anything. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, why did you leave out So and so? By Allah I regard him as a faithful believer.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Or (merely) a Muslim.” I remained quiet for a while, but could not help repeating my question because of what I knew about him. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, why did you leave out So and so? By Allah I regard him as a faithful believer.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Or (merely) a Muslim.” I remained quiet for awhile, but could not help repeating my question because of what I knew about him. I said, “O Messenger of Allah, why did you leave out So and so? By Allah I regard him as a faithful believer.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Or (merely) a Muslim. I give to one person even though another is dearer to me, for fear that he might be thrown on his face in the Fire.” 
With regard to the Prophet’s words “or (merely) a Muslim,” when Sa’d (may Allah be pleased with him) said to him, “By Allah I regard him as a faithful believer” mean: You do not know about his faith, all you can see is his Islam in the sense of his outward actions. 
The second degree is iman (faith)
Iman (faith), which in Arabic means belief which is committed to submission. In Islamic terminology its meaning varies according to usage and it may mean one of two things: 
(1) When the word is used on its own and is not accompanied by the word Islam, it refers to the religion as a whole, as in the verses where Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Allah is the Wali (Protector or Guardian) of those who believe. He brings them out from darkness into light.” [Al-Baqarah 2:257] 
“and put your trust in Allah if you are believers indeed.” [Al-Ma’idah 5:23]
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “No one will enter Paradise except the believers.” (Narrated by Muslim, 114)
Hence the Salaf were unanimously agreed that iman means “affirming in the heart – which includes actions of the heart – and saying with the tongue and acting with one’s physical faculties. It increases by doing acts of obedience and decreases by committing sin.” 
Hence Allah limited the word iman to those who adhere to His religion in full, inwardly and outwardly, when He said (interpretation of the meaning): 
“The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, feel a fear in their hearts and when His Verses (this Qur’an) are recited unto them, they (i.e. the Verses) increase their Faith; and they put their trust in their Lord (Alone);
Who perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as- Salaah) and spend out of that We have provided them.
It is they who are the believers in truth. For them are grades of dignity with their Lord, and forgiveness and a generous provision (Paradise)” [Al-Anfal 8:2-4]
And Allah referred to iman as including all of that when He said (interpretation of the meaning): 
“but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to Al-Masaakeen (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set slaves free, performs As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah), and gives the Zakât, and who fulfil their covenant when they make it, and who are patient in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during the battles). Such are the people of the truth and they are Al-Muttaqoon (the pious.” [Al-Baqarah 2:177]
And the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) referred to iman as including all of that in the hadith about the delegation of ‘Abd al-Qays which is narrated in Saheeh al-Bukhari (53) and Saheeh Muslim (17), where he said: “I enjoin you to believe in Allah alone. Do you know what belief (or faith) in Allah alone is?” They said: “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said: “To bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish regular prayer, to pay zakaah, to fast Ramadaan, and to give one-fifth of the war-booty (the khums).” 
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) described fasting the month of Ramadan out of faith and in the hope of reward as being part of faith; he also said the same concerning spending the night of Laylat al-Qadar in prayer, fulfilling one’s trusts, jihad, Hajj, attending funerals, etc. In Saheeh al-Bukhaari (9) and Saheeh Muslim (35) it says: “Faith has seventy-odd branches, the highest of which is saying Laa ilaaha ill-Allah (there is no god except Allah) and the least of which is removing a harmful thing from the road.” It would take too long to mention all the verses and hadiths that speak of this topic. 
(2) When the word iman is used in conjunction with the word Islam. In this case it is understood as referring to inward beliefs as in the hadith of Jibril etc., and as in the hadith of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) concerning the funeral du’aa’: “O Allah, whomever among us you cause to live, cause him to live in Islam, and whomever among us you cause to die, cause him to die in faith.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 1-24; he said it is hasan saheeh. It was also classed as sahih by al-Albani, as stated in Sahih Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 1/299. That is because physical actions can only be accomplished during life, but when one is dying all that is left is the words and actions of the heart.
Difference between Islam and Iman
The point is that when either word, iman or Islam , is used alone, there is no difference between them, rather each of them when used alone refers to the entire religion. If there is any difference between them, then the word Islam refers to outward physical actions and the word iman refers to inward actions of the heart. This is what is indicated by the hadith of Jibreel which was narrated by Muslim in his Sahih (8) from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab who said: 
One day when we were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and his hair was exceedingly black, and there were no signs of travel on him. No one among us recognized him. He came and sat down by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and rested his knees against his and placed the palms on his hands on his thighs. He said: “O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Islam is to testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish regular prayer, to pay zakah, to fast Ramadan and to go on pilgrimage to the House if you are able to.” He said: “You have spoke the truth.” And we were amazed at his asking that and saying that he had spoken the truth. Then he said: “Tell me about iman (faith, belief),” He said: “It means believing in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Last Day, and believing in al-qadar (the divine will and decree), both good and bad.” He said: “You have spoken the truth.” He said: “Tell me about ihsan.” He said: “It means worshipping Allah as if you can see Him, and although you cannot see Him, He can see you.” He said: “Tell me about the Hour.” He said: “The one who is being asked does not know more about it than the one who is asking.” He said: “Then tell me about its signs.” He said: “The slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, and you will see the barefoot, naked, destitute herdsmen competing in constructing lofty buildings.” Then he departed and I stayed for a while. Then he said to me: “O ‘Umar, do you know who the questioner was?” I said: “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said: “That was Jibreel, who came to teach you your religion.” 
The third degree is ihsan
Ihsan means doing something well, perfectly and sincerely. In Islamic terminology its meanings vary according to usage and it may mean one of two things: 
(1) When it is used alone and is not mentioned in conjunction with Islam or iman, it refers to the religion as a whole, as stated above with regard to the words Islam and iman.
(2) When it is used in conjunction with either or both of the words Islam and iman, the meaning is perfecting one’s outward and inward deeds. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) explained it in a manner that no other created being apart from him (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) could have explained it, because of the gift of concise speech that Allah bestowed upon him. He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “It means worshipping Allah as if you can see Him, and although you cannot see Him, He can see you.” This is the highest degree of Islam. Those who attain this are the foremost in doing good, the ones who will be closest to Allah in the highest degrees of Paradise.
Categories of ihsan
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) has told us that the degree of ihsan is of two categories, one of which is higher than the other. 
The first position is the higher of the two: This means worshipping Allah as if you can see Him. This means that a person acts as if he can see Allah in his heart, so his heart is filled with light and the matters of the unseen become almost like that which is visible (i.e., it becomes very real to him). Whoever worships Allah with awareness of His nearness and turning to Him and acts as if he is before Allah and looking at Him is bound to fear Him and venerate Him. 
The second position is that of sincerity and awareness that Allah is always watching. This means that a person acts with an awareness that Allah can see him and is close to him. If a person bears this in mind and acts accordingly, then he will be sincere towards Allah because this awareness will prevent him from paying attention to anyone other than Allah or doing anything for the sake of anyone else. If a person achieves this position, it will become easy for him to reach the position described above. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “and although you cannot see Him, He can see you.” If a person truly understands when worshipping Allah that He can see him and knows all his deeds, hidden and visible, inward and outward, and that nothing is hidden from Him, then it will be easy for him to move from the lower position to the higher, which is the constant awareness that Allah is close to His slave and is with him, because it is as if he can see Him. We ask Allah of His great bounty. 
For more, see answers No. (219 ), (14055 ), and (208110 ).
Reference:

Ma’arij al-Qubul by Shaykh Hafizh al-Hakami, 2/20-33, 326-328;
Al-Majmu’ al-Thamin by Ibn Uthaymeen, 1/49, 53.’ 
Jami’ al-‘Ulum wa’l-Hikam by Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, 1.106.